Running more, weighing more?

That is not how it should be! But alas, that's my fluffy reality. I've been running several days a week with my neighbor, who is a mom of three, and it's been so fantastic! But my stupid jeans remain tight, and don't get me started on the shorts that shrunk in storage over the winter. ;) My physical activity is in the right place with 5 weekly runs (20-30 miles per week) and yoga twice a week, so I'm spending time logging my food/exercise into My Fitness Pal to see where I'm going wrong. In the meantime, thank goodness for stretchy skirts and running clothes!

Lunch is ready!

A delicious way to refuel following a 5 mile run and 75 minute hot yoga class (after my "extreme peach" smoothie at the local deli next to the studio):

Strawberry caprese salad with garden basil, a touch of salami, heirloom tomatoes, chipotle olive oil, and blueberry balsamic vinegar. A little sweet, a little tart, with just a touch of salty zing. Fresh foods are so much fun in the summer!

Oh hey

Remember when I cut my running in half (61 miles in July) but forgot to adjust my caloric intake? Yeah, whoops. Thank goodness for stretchy running shorts and pants. My knee has been more cooperative lately, which is a big relief, and I'm making a conscious effort to rein in my sweet tooth, but I still have a few extra pounds to work with these days. Today I made a batch of Babycakes gluten free, vegan banana bread and muffins, which are, in the little guy's words, "So, so delicious." What a great way to use up the brown bananas cluttering up my freezer!

Thanks to colorful wonderful summer produce, I haven't put a ton of effort into meal planning lately. We've been starting with something like cucumber-onion salad, corn on the cob, and fresh fruit, and filling in the gaps with whatever protein I have handy: grilled chicken, chicken burgers, kale-quinoa-chickpeas, and so on. "So, so delicious" for sure, but not really blog-worthy! Sorry for the lack of interesting material.

I've also been slowly working on a business idea that's been rattling around in my brain, but has yet to amount to anything more than a brief blog post on another host. If it grows further, you bet I'll be hollering about it here! For now... wish me luck and awesome networking skills, ok? :)

Happy AUGUST!

Summer Streak Challenge: I did it!

Happy Independence Day! Thirty eight days of summer streaking are COMPLETE! I logged just over 145 miles in a time of 22 hours and 22 minutes. Because some days were doubles (like to the park and back with Garmin-off playtime in between, nothing major) it was a total of 43 activities. Some were on the treadmill, some were done in the early morning. At least once I went out past 9pm because of the heat. I took the dog with me a few times, until it got too ridiculously hot for him.

Yoga has been going well; I've managed at least one practice per week of the streak (even in Alexandria!), and most weeks it's been 2-3 thanks to a combination of studio and DVD time. Overall, I feel great. No weight loss that I've noticed, but that was not a goal this time around. The bottoms of my feet are starting to ache in the all-too-familiar plantar fasciitis way, but I know just how to take care of that. Tomorrow is run club/yoga at the Lululemon showroom nearby, so I'll probably see if I can recruit some friends to join me for that. And perhaps the streak will continue...

My dream job

I've recently been mulling over the idea of going back to school to become a Registered Dietitian. I kind of love talking about food, making food, eating it, and telling people what to do in regards to it in order to reach certain goals. Alas, it doesn't seem like any of my credits as an English major/Communications minor would transfer to such a science-minded field. And I'm not just aching to spend the rest of my 30s starting from scratch as a college student, so never mind that.

So, what do I love as much as--or more than--food? No, not bossing people around.

Running, of course. If you've been around here long enough to read even a single post you've probably gathered that much.

Enter City Running Tours. Cool, right? I think I'd have a blast trucking around town, showing people what there is to see, where to eat (see, I knew food would have a role), and staying active while the little guy is in school. Plus, maybe I'd get to do a *little* bossing around along the way. Too bad there isn't a chapter in my current city... yet. :D


Have you ever participated in a guided running tour? Would you?

Summer Streak - Update

Four weeks down, only ten days to go!

We were in Alexandria, VA for almost all of Week 3. Lucky enough to borrow a great jogging stroller, the little guy and I logged more than a half marathon together! He was a great running buddy. We even accomplished my streak-goal of getting out before The H left for work some mornings, and the two of us spent some quality time in the pool. Cross training, right? :)

I also ran another 13ish miles on my own, resulting in a total of 28 miles that week. I did manage to do yoga in our hotel room at least once; yay me! Sadly I didn't get to participate in Virginia Yoga Week or whatever it was called, though I did find a studio to try next time we're in town.

Week 4 brought more humidity and shorter runs, for a total of 23 miles. A nice stepback week toward the end of this streak challenge! I did get to a yoga class with a friend, and I think I did a DVD earlier in the week.

This is the last week of daycare for the little guy; he'll be going to some form of preschool/Pre-K in the fall. He turned FOUR today. I can't believe it! He's fully convinced that once he's done with daycare, he'll be going to school--robot school, to be specific. Not looking forward to crushing those hopes and dreams. :)

I plan to log a few longer runs on Tuesday and Friday if my slightly-achy feet will allow for it, to take advantage of the time he's at daycare, and then it's back to "Mommy and Caleb days." The H and I are supposed to do a 10K race on Saturday. Hopefully it's not too hot! I ran the course with a friend a few weeks ago--there are a few hills, and she's FAST. A cool morning would be great.

How are you other streakers doing?? Looking forward to the end of this, or planning to continue?

Summer Streak - Week 2

Last week's numbers:

2 - days of yoga (actually three 20-minute DVDs)
7 - days of running (of course)
8 - separate runs (I did a double on Wednesday)
10 - longest run, in miles (I set out to do 6...oops)
30 - my approximate total mileage this week
92 - the temperature of my run this afternoon!

I've really been enjoying this challenge so far. Even though I ran five more miles this week, my legs feel better for it. Well, aside from that unexpected 10. After that they weren't very happy with me. I totally misjudged my turnaround point and thought running a loop route rather than my intended out-and-back would net the same result. So, so wrong. The H got a kick out of that. :) I like knowing, although I'm supposed to run every day, all I truly have to do is a mile for it to count. That usually turns into two miles, since I like to break a good sweat and feel like getting suited up was worth my time.

This week I'm happy to be tromping around some of our favorite spots in Alexandria, VA. A local acquaintance was kind enough to lend us a jogging stroller; I've already scoped out a playground for me and the little guy. Conveniently, it's about a mile away from our hotel. Bring it on, week three!

Summer Streak - Week 1

25.65 - total miles covered
7 - consecutive days of running
2 - runs with the dog
2 - bowls of ice cream consumed
1 - really fun trail run
0 - days of yoga :(

Two of my runs were before breakfast, while The H was still home. They were Memorial Day and Sunday, so he didn't have to get to work, but it's good to know that I was able to get myself up and out as planned in that regard. This week I'm looking forward to a Friday morning yoga class, at the studio closest to me or the hot studio, following the morning run group they offer. So far everything feels great (though my hamstrings definitely noticed the difference in terrain after yesterday's trail run!) and I'm very happy with the overall mileage. Thirty one days to go! Is anyone else streaking 'til the 4th?

I'm going to streak!

In running clothes, of course (what else do I wear?). For the first time since hearing about running "streakers"--those who run day after day after day without a break--I'm jumping on board. The streak challenge I'm doing runs from Memorial Day through Independence Day, and this marks Day 4 of 38! You can read more about it in the Runner's World article here.

Streaks have never sounded like a good idea to me for a number of reasons, the most important being that I believe my body needs a good solid day of rest every week to perform at its best. But that's the thing... with this challenge, I don't *plan* on performing. I'm not registered for ANYthing right now! I might do a 10K at the end of June, but that still fits within my self-imposed limitations listed below. The bare minimum required for the streak is one mile per day. ONE MILE. I can (and should) do that with my dog! Rather than making any great strides (ha ha) in my physical fitness during the next few weeks, here's what I hope to get out of this:

1. Rise and shine: Get up at least one morning per week to run before The H leaves for work.
2. Bond with the pooch: Take the dog with me, weather permitting, at least once a week.
3. Take it easy: Cut back weekend long runs to 6-8 miles (thanks to my running buddy for that idea) to even out overall mileage in spite of adding two days of running.
4. Stay loose: Do at least one yoga class or DVD weekly to stretch out the muscles I'm overworking.

Anyone out there a streaker? Want to join me in this challenge?

Two weeks later

Two weeks ago today, I ran my third marathon. It was a gorgeous course, with a super-fun and scenic 18 miles... then a hill... then a relatively flat bike path. But since my quads were toast from the downhill, then from trudging up the hill I refused to walk, it was like they had forgotten how to propel me forward on the flat parts. My legs had no "go." Mentally I was fine, other than annoyed at my lower half. I had hydrated and fueled *just right* the whole time. I just couldn't make my legs move. And for the last four miles, walking won out more than I would've cared for. I decided that slowing down to catch my breath was the way to go. There may or may not have been a text to The H around Mile 23 that said I was dying, or something close to it...

Still, I crossed the finish line running and smiling (after a moment of mild hyperventilation when I found The H waiting for me at the final straightaway), and got the same medal I would've received if I'd clocked a wicked fast PR. After that, I just wanted to SIT DOWN. And he snapped a picture of what I *really* look like post-26.2, just for future reference.

I am not disappointed in the least with the overall experience. You train for weeks to do the best you can, but you can't always predict what will happen on race day. I didn't realize what 18 miles of downhill would do to my legs, but now I know. The medal that's hanging next to my others is identical to the ones those who qualified for Boston had around their necks. It's the same one I would've gotten if I'd run faster, or walked the whole thing. I'll always find a way to pick apart a race performance, but I hope it doesn't come across that I regret any of it.

The rest of our trip to Colorado was gorgeous. We got to see Pike's Peak, the Royal Gorge Bridge, the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, and Garden of the Gods, not to mention our friends who moved out west last spring. It was a really nice week--one that felt so much longer, but not really in a bad way.

 
Since then, I've logged a 10K PR (53:44), and a 1st-place age group finish in a small 5K (24:01, not a PR). I guess there's no lasting damage from that downhill stretch. :)

Today's race, the 5K, was sunny, humid, and hot, with no breeze until the end. And thus begins the summer racing season! In the past month, I've run a 5K, 10K, half marathon (PR), and a full. Rest is probably in order now. While I know I'm not done with marathons--I almost registered for another in June--I'm excited to sign up for some shorter distances, probably until the weather cools down again. The idea of a marathon relay with my mom and some other female relatives has been tossed around. Anybody running Detroit this year? :)

Marathon: Survived

4:11:23

More to come...

By this time next week...

I'll have another heavy medal around my neck, achy quads, calves, and hamstrings, and the satisfaction of having finished my third marathon...barring any unforseen illness or falling off a cliff between now and Sunday.

Although The H might argue otherwise, I don't feel as nervous about this marathon as I have my previous two. YES I'm anxious about the details of getting there, waking up so freakishly early (the race starts at 6:15am!), and getting on a bus to the start, but the actual *run* part feels under control. After all, never mind the fact that there aren't any spectators until Mile 16--a few weeks ago, I trundled along for 21 miles on my own! Just being able to jump my mileage up from where I was in Chicago to where I am now without injury is amazingly reassuring.

The two friends I was planning to run nice and easy with have switched to the half marathon so I won't be relying on them to keep me company or to pace myself. It'll be me and the Garmin, and a gorgeous setting in which to spend a few hours "alone." This week I'm running four days, all super short and at super easy paces, the last two of which will be at altitude. Like the "runnerd" that I am, I've been researching how to acclimate (acclimatize?) to the change in oxygen and obsessively checking the weather forecast. It's changed a *lot* since the 10-day forecast started showing Sunday. The H has forbidden me to discuss it with him anymore.

All I can do now is pack for any possible conditions and be extra careful with the Sport Wax and sunscreen applications. And hydrate like it's my job. 

Let's make a meal plan

It's time to taper! That means more carbs, more sleep, fewer miles, and less sanity. The Colorado Marathon is less than two weeks away! The half we ran on Sunday went very well, and was a personal best for me (1:51:20) as well as The H, who hasn't done a race that long in years. This week I'm vacillating between feeling READY for Colorado and being freaked out that I plan to run the full 26.2. It's only been a year (actually a little less) since I've completed a marathon, but for some reason it feels so long ago and "taper madness" has me wondering what I'm getting into.

So. I'm going to try putting it out of my mind until we're actually *in* Colorado, and just focus on good-carb loading and getting extra rest this week. Next week I'll add "hydrating like mad" to that list.

Here's what's on my non-day specific menu:

Black bean soup
Seared tuna steaks with rice and beans
Lentil tacos
Girls' run appetizer night
Stuffed sweet potatoes
Leftovers 

Lunches and snacks will consist of yogurt with berries and honey, lentil soup, balsamic marinated peppers and grape tomatoes, leftover quinoa burgers over small green salads, hard-boiled eggs and fresh fruit, and rice & beans with avocado.

Sorry, Wednesday

I just now realized that I entirely skipped over Wednesday in my "mini meal plan" post. I must have really been lacking inspiration. Turns out my fortuitously-timed cooking mood from yesterday solved that problem nicely; the quinoa-adzuki burgers we had were delightful. Even for the little guy! The H said they lacked flavor, to which I took minor offense (I thought they were *great*) until he later confessed that, due to lingering sinus issues, he couldn't even taste the hot sauce he put on his. If Frank's isn't even coming through, I know I'm not responsible for tasteless veggie burgers. Phew.

Know what else I skipped on Wednesday? A run. Really! One of my knees has been feeling a little cranky and I didn't want to aggravate it too much before Sunday. So tonight, rather than a post-run picnic, I'm going to make honey-baked chicken, a recipe from the friend I was going to run with. We've been calling it Chicken Yum Yum; hope you don't mind, Mrs. E. :)

Oh, and I'm thrilled to report that the little guy, whose tastes can often be called particular, didn't notice any difference in the way his milk tasted yesterday at dinner or today on his Chex. Thank you, meijer instant milk powder. I'm pleased to say he also ate one-and-a-half adult sized servings of Adzuki Cake and still asked for more. So there's a win for Wednesday after all!

Marathon update and mini meal plan

Believe it or not, the marathon I've been hemming and hawing over is three weeks from today. And I'm right on track! This past Friday, I completed my longest training run (ever, not just for this race) by clocking 21.05 miles--by myself! That also made it my highest-mileage week, which is pretty cool. The run went remarkably well, and I'm glad to have gotten that close to the race distance on my own. My remaining two weekend long runs are 12 miles (I'm running the Glass City half marathon that day) and 8 or 10 miles.

One minor wrench in my plan is that my Colorado friends will likely be stepping down to the half marathon, so there goes my "people I know" security blanket. I still have to see how the altitude change treats me once we arrive in CO and I start running there; I may yet join them at the starting line for 13.1 rather than 26.2. Either way, I have a great sense of accomplishment knowing I hauled myself up by my shoelaces and got back on track in a shortened time frame and have thus far remained injury-free. 

My meal plan for this week is very loose, revolving around what I have in the fridge/pantry and what I can use up while still managing to carb-load without going up a pants size. Here's how it looks for now:

Sunday - burgers and baked sweet potato slices with tomato-basil-mozzarella
Monday - loaded baked potatoes with coleslaw
Tuesday - rice and beans with chicken sausage in the slow cooker
Thursday - possibly dinner with friends (picnic style) before or after a free local 6K run
Friday - TBA... something with chicken and sweet potatoes...
Saturday - running group pasta dinner in Toledo!

Here's the deal--marathon update

While I have officially switched my registration to the half marathon on April 22nd, I've decided to get my rear in gear and try my hardest (within reason) to still run the full I'm registered for on May 6th. Just in case you think, as I have more than once, that this is a crazybad plan, here's why:

1. I've already paid for it. And it was more $$$ than the one in April.
2. We'll already be in CO for family vacation, with my in-laws. Might as well get a medal out of it.
3. It's downhill, my CO friends are at the same point in training, and are planning to race at a conservative pace with walk breaks at each aid station.
4. If I don't get #3 under my belt while the little guy still goes to daycare 3x a week, when he starts preschool I might not have a chance to train for a fall marathon.
5. If I don't apply myself and really give it a shot, knowing myself I'll obsess over whether or not I *could* have done it, thereby driving myself and The H nuts.

Today's long run was 16 miles, and I'm happy to report that although I made a major jump in my weekly mileage because of it, I planned ahead and made sure I did a solid 8-miler during the week. An old rule of thumb says that a long run can be double the longest midweek run, or equal to the total distance of all midweek runs (so theoretically I might've been good for 20... ha!). I ran the first six on my own, then met up with some friends for the remaining ten. They are much better at pacing themselves.

Split	Time	Distance
1	08:52.8	1
2	09:01.8	1
3	08:38.3	1
4	08:09.5	1
5	08:51.1	1
6	08:49.5	1
7	09:05.9	1
8	08:53.3	1
9	08:51.8	1
10	09:02.3	1
11	08:54.2	1
12	09:00.8	1
13	09:01.3	1
14	08:56.9	1
15	09:04.0	1
16	08:43.9	1
17	:03.0	0.01
Summary	2:22:00.4	16.01

It went remarkably well, considering I haven't run that far in a year or so. This was the longest I've run since the Bayshore Marathon in May. So yeah, I'll be taking a nap as soon as I'm done writing this. :)

Ah, summer

I mean, "mid-March." While I make no secret of the fact that I adore gray, blustery, cool fall days, I'm not even a little bit ashamed about the thrill I feel at waking up to 60* and sunshine at this point in the "winter." No gray, sloppy slush at the sides of the road? Nice! Time for the little guy to play outside without donning six layers? Yes please! No soggy muddy lawn necessitating careful paw-wipes each time the dog goes out? Sign me up!

Yesterday we had friends over for a delightful warm-weather meal of balsamic chicken, sauteed zucchini and asparagus, and quinoa. This afternoon, after we walked to and from church (it's only a half mile away) I made a potato-veggie frittata topped with a supremely summery-tasting grape tomato-parsley relish. Even though they're out of season, the tomatoes just tasted fresher than they did last week. Loving.this.weather.

What I'm not loving is that The H has to jet to DC for a few days--right where my sister and bro-in-law are!--and we don't get to go along. Our favorite hotel, too. Blah. :( However, I do get to eat things he can't have. Why yes, a seared albacore tuna steak and butternut bisque are on my meal plan.

Here are a few more things we'll be enjoying:

Leftover chicken, quinoa, and veggies
Hawaiian Sweet Potato Skins (Clean Eating Mag, latest issue)
Adzuki beans and brown rice (this recipe)
Girls' night! (The little guy will have homemade pizza with his grandparents)

What's the weather like where you are? I'm totally excited to run a few miles after taking the little guy to daycare in the morning. I might even make a batch of iced coffee when I'm done.

Farewell, Chicago

It's been a fantastic two weeks. We're back to the mitten in the morning. The little guy did amazingly well this time around; he didn't start asking about going home until yesterday. Meltdowns were kept to a minimum, activity levels were decently high, and food choices were indulgent but not regretted. We visited the aquarium, the Bean, the Museum of Science and Industry, and we even got to see the city from 103 floors up...

Poor guy was petrified that I'd drop him.

Overall, it's been a great trip!

My running totals for the past twelve days equal 7 runs and just over 32 miles. That's a little less than the first week of February alone, but I also got up at 7am or earlier to do it *and* walked almost everywhere--with the jogging stroller--during the day. I've never been a big fan of early rising, so to have done that five times is a victory in itself. The other two runs were an afternoon 10-miler along the lakeshore and a head-clearing five on the treadmill while The H put the little guy to bed. On the easiest of days, our walks were never less than two miles round trip. I've officially contacted the race director for my would-be marathon in April, and I'm now truly registered for the half. Still enjoying feeling "lighter" about my "new" training regime!

While we were here, I found a few new recipes--like the lentil and spinach soup I posted--in some surprising places; keep your eyes out for those soon. I also snagged a cheap copy of the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start, which I look forward to perusing and sharing (pieces of) with you. 

Tomorrow we'll get on the road after making a stop to see "the dinosaur museum" aka the Field Museum and Sue the T. Rex. I'm sad to leave the super-close Whole Foods and Trader Joe's behind, but excited for my own kitchen and friends again! Also looking forward to paying the yoga studio some long-overdue visits. Have a great weekend!

Running less and enjoying it more

That title may seem like a no-brainer to many of you, runners and non-runners alike. I haven't officially committed to switching events, but if the feeling of relief and near-giddiness I had after posting my "Reality check" is any indication, I will be doing so soon. Last Saturday was the first time I've looked forward to a long run with our running group in months. I didn't dread the distance because I didn't really *have* a distance. After being sick all week I was simply hoping to complete a run without stopping to cough myself silly. I made it six miles, in high winds on rolling hills, and felt amazing about it.

This week we're bumming around downtown Chicago with The H. Weather and timing--I have to be done by 8:15am--have forced me to the treadmill for two of my three runs so far, and I've actually (shh...don't tell) enjoyed them. I play with the speed and incline to avoid boredom, and with my headphones up loud enough, I can't hear the drone of the belt. Three and four miles have flown by! I did get outside for a nice recovery run earlier in the week, and I intend to hit the Lakefront Trail again once the snow stops and I have more than 30 minutes to devote to it. For now, I'm enjoying exploring a new-to-us city with the little guy.

I kind of thought that once I admitted I was considering dropping my marathons, I'd suddenly get back on track and prove myself wrong, but taking it easy this week and having a great time doing so just reiterates that my gut feeling is right so far. Running has to fit into my life, not (always) define it. After noticing that my midsection is getting a bit softer than I'd like, I've also realized that I *may* have been using high-mileage weeks as an excuse to eat junk as "fuel."  Cutting my miles will no doubt help me refocus my eating habits and stop using running as a crutch to eat whatever I want. To that end... I brought the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine with me, and whipped up this lemon chicken beauty in our room:

So that's where I'm at--drinking a green smoothie, watching snow bluster around the skyscrapers, planning our next sightseeing venture. Happy weekend to you all!

Reality check

Today I emailed the contact people for the two marathons I'm registered for, asking if I could change my registration to the half marathon events instead. ::sad trombone::

This is the third time I've been sick enough to fall behind in training, and that's only since training began mid-December. Yikes! Next week's long run is supposed to be 17 miles--no way could I even manage half of that now. I could barely finish five miles on Saturday, and that was on my treadmill, stopping to walk/cough/breathe every mile. I know that pushing myself through another round of illness will only make it worse, and lengthen the time it takes me to get better.

I've also been realizing over the past month or so that whenever I read or hear about someone doing a shorter race, like a half or 10K, I'm actually jealous about it. Don't get me wrong, I *love* running, but I never intended for it to feel like a chore, something I dread doing because I HAVE to. My first two marathons went off without a hitch. I was excited about those, albeit nervous and uncertain, and had a great time at each one. BUT I also stuck to the training schedule really closely and knew I'd be ok even if there was a bad run here and there along the way. So far, halfway into this training round, my bad runs have been far outweighing the good ones. Some weeks, my mileage is barely half of what it should be. That may be partly due to the time of year I chose to train (winter in west Michigan isn't exactly balmy). Regardless, it's not a good place to be mentally or physically.


We've also been traveling with The H more these days, and finding time (and a place) to squeeze in a long run on weekends away from home isn't always easy. This time around I'd been trying to alter my schedule and get my longer runs done during the week, but even that hasn't been working so well--being sick doesn't wait for the weekends apparently.


One of the race directors replied already, saying I have until the day before the race to commit to switching. She suggested I wait it out until I'm completely sure I won't be able to manage the full distance; since there's no penalty in doing so, that's what I'm doing for now. Still waiting to hear from the other one. Admitting I may have bitten off more that I could chew isn't easy, but given my current state I think it's wise. I'd much rather run back-to-back half marathons with a chance of a PR (and a much lower stress level) than risk injury or the dreaded "DNF" in a longer race.


Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cough syrup with codeine calling my name.