Sweat Junkie

Strava GU 100,000 Mile Challenge – FREE GU!

2012-03-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

I knew I could get you to read this if I included “FREE GU” in the title…there really is free GU involved, so keep reading!

Andrew has been using Strava for a little while now and he was telling me about this crazy cycling challenge he has entered (climbing 105,000+ feet in 45 days for a free water bottle or something). Strava is a website where you can track your running and cycling adventures and compete with fellow runners and cyclists. It is free to use but you do need some way of tracking your distance via GPS (GPS watch or using their app on your phone). Anyways, this morning Andrew mentioned that there is a challenge for runners, so I checked it out and I am signed up.

Here are the juicy details for the GU 100,000 Mile Challenge:

The challenge runs from March 9 through April 9.
If you run 100 miles during that time, you will receive an 8 pack of Peanut Butter GU.
If you run 150 miles during that time, you will receive an 8 pack of Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel
If you run 200+ miles during that time, you will receive a mixed box of 24 Energy Gels
If everyone in the challenge runs a combined 100,000 within the 31 day period, all participants will receive a special GU VIP card for discounts (up to 35% off) and special offers from the GU website.

Pretty cool, right? Right now there are 954 people signed up. I’m spreading the word because I know so many of you run 100+ miles in a month and really love GU and free stuff. Even if you don’t think you can run 100+ miles, you should still enter for the GU VIP card if you are a fan of GU.

For more information on the challenge, check it out HERE and sign up! If you're interested in the crazy cycling challenge, you can check it out HERE.

Happy Friday everyone :)

Three Things Thursday

2012-03-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

ONE
I signed up for my 3rd half marathon yesterday! It's only 24 days away but I feel pretty good about it since I was able to run 11 miles last weekend. If there is one thing that I gained from training for a marathon (without actually running the marathon...) it's that I am not as afraid of the half marathon distance anymore. Yes, it is still very difficult and it still requires a good bit of training. But when you train for a marathon, going beyond 13.1 miles becomes a routine part of long runs and your mentality about the distance changes. I know I will still probably be crazy nervous come race day, but I would have never made a "last minute" decision to sign up for a half marathon like this before.

TWO
I am running my first trail race (5K) on Saturday!

I'm pretty excited, but a little bummed/nervous about the weather forecast for tomorrow and Saturday:

Can you say, MUDDY? I think it could make it fun though and really the only reason I'm bummed is because I really don't want my pretty new trail shoes to get muddy...but I guess that's what they are for, right?

I'm okay with road races in the rain after my experience at the Blue Ridge Half Marathon, but if you have any special tips for running on muddy trails in the rain, send them my way!

Andrew is running this race with me, so at least I'll have some one there to help me get my face out of the mud after I face-plant.

THREE
I made some dairy-free chocolate ice cream last night. It was very easy to make and I am eating some as I type this so I can attest to the fact that it is also delicious! Don't be fooled though. This stuff might be dairy free, but it's not good for you! At all.

Ingredients:
1 can full-fat (i.e. not lite) coconut milk (note: this is not the same stuff that you buy in the carton...the cans are usually found in the Asian section of your grocery store).
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup of sugar
4-5 crushed up Oreos (I used the chocolate w/ chocolate filling. Yes, milk's favorite cookie is dairy-free!).

Mix the coconut milk, cocoa powder, and sugar in a bowl and pour it in an ice cream maker. It took mine about 20 minutes to turn into something that resembled ice cream, then I dumped in the Oreos and let it go for another 5 minutes.

When I was looking up recipes (I found this one here, btw), I read that if you don't have an ice cream maker you can just freeze this in a container and stir it every hour or so.

It's nice and soft right after you make it, but it will harden up a lot once it goes in the freezer. Just take it out a little bit in advance to make it scoopable.

Weekly Sweat Report (2/19 - 2/25)

2012-02-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

Last week was another good week!

Sunday - rested & enjoyed this:

Monday - Ran 10 miles in 1:46 (10:38 pace). This was the first time that I have run double digits since hurting my back last October. It was really great to be able to do that! I ran in the hilly neighborhood that I like to run in during the week sometimes, so that added an extra challenge. I had 811 feet of elevation gain throughout the run. I walked up some of the tougher hills ~~because they were too beastly to run up~~ to be able to conserve my energy for the run.

It snowed the day before but it was really warm on Monday, so there was a lot of melting. It was still pretty running around with snow on the grass. This was pretty, too:

Tuesday - rested.

Wednesday - Ran 2.5 miles in 25 minutes (10:00 pace) on the treadmill. Although that pace doesn't sound particularly speedy, I was did some speed work on the treadmill. I walked 1/2 a lap, then did one lap at my normal, comfortable 10:00/mile pace. Then I did some 1/2 lap speed intervals separated by 1/2 a lap at my normal pace to recover. I gradually increased the speed of the interval, starting at 6.5 mph with the first interval and ending at 8 mph for the last interval. I cooled down with 1/2 a lap at my normal pace then walked 1/2 a lap. It was fun to be able to run fast and I hope to be able to do this workout more often to help me get faster.

After getting my sweat on, I lifted weights and did a little core work for 40 minutes.

Thursday - Rode 12.26 miles in 51 minutes (14.6 mph). It was nearly 70 degrees outside on Thursday so I figured it would be a great day to ride outside with my clipless pedals for the first time. I was nervous about falling (because everyone does eventually), but I am happy to report that I didn't fall! It was a little awkward trying to get going but I'm sure I'll get better at that with practice. Andrew was really patient with me and helpful at teaching me how to get clipped in without falling. I could definitely tell a difference riding with clipless pedals and cycling shoes vs. normal pedals and running shoes. It makes riding more efficient, and I see how these could help me go faster and climb easier.

Friday - rested. I worked a 10 hour day at work so I was beat.

Saturday - Rode 10 miles in 46 minutes (13.1 mph) on the indoor trainer. Since I didn't do anything on Friday, I just wanted to do a little something to keep my legs moving. It was cold and windy (20-30 mph) so I didn't really want to run or ride outside. I knew that I would be doing a long run the next day so I tried to take it easy.

I got my long run done today (Sunday) and it was great! It was one of my best long runs in a long time. Of course you'll have to wait till next week for all of the juicy details :) On the agenda for next weekend is the Explore Your Limits 5k, which will be my first trail race.

Have a great week!

If you want to _, you have to _.

2012-02-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

I was thinking this week about some of my goals for this year. One of my goals is to run a faster half marathon. Another is to get stronger. I started thinking about how I am going to reach these goals, and I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Dave Ramsey:

"If you want something you've never had,

you'll have to do something you've never done."

While Dave Ramsey is an expert on financial advice, I think this advice can be applied to pretty much anything we want to do.

If I want to run faster, I have to run faster. If I want to get stronger, I have to lift more/heavier weights. I won't get any faster running at the same slower pace that I have become accustomed to. I won't get any stronger by lifting an amount of weight that seems easy. I have to do something I've never done.

If you want to get out of debt, you have to spend less money than you make. If you want to lose weight, your "calories in" have to be less than your "calories out". If you want to live in a spotless house, you have to clean it. If you want to get more sleep, you have to go to bed earlier. You have to do something you've never done.

Anything worth achieving isn't going to just happen. You have to work for it. You also have to want it; achieving the goal has to matter to you. Otherwise, you'll find an excuse. You'll revert back to your same way of doing things and you'll get the same results you've always gotten.

Source: leftonamelia.com via Renee on Pinterest

But wanting to reach your goals doesn't make the journey easy. There will still be roadblocks. You will be tempted to take the easy road back to your old habits.

Running slow is easy. It's easy for me to say that it's not convenient or exciting for me to lift weights. It's so easy to rationalize spending money on something you don't really need. It's easy to just keep eating whatever you want. It's easyto let the dishes and dust bunnies and laundry pile up. It's easy to stay up past your bedtime.

Source: fromupnorth.com via Kelly on Pinterest

When you're tempted to give into your excuses, you have to remind yourself that it will be worth it. When I can run faster and look at myself and tell that I am stronger, I will know that it was worth the hard work and sacrifice. When you're out of debt, when you've lost weight, when your house is always clean, when you're always well-rested, you'll know that it was worth it. Use your desire to reach your goals as motivation to keep going. Be patient and remind yourself that nothing is impossible.

Source: Uploaded by user via Leigh on Pinterest

Weekly Sweat Report & A New Toy

2012-02-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

Last week was really great for me in terms of running. I felt like all of my runs were pretty good and I actually had more running miles than cycling miles, which hasn't happened in a while. I did my long run for the week today (Monday) so it won't show up on my Sweat Report until next week. But I am happy to report that I ran 10 miles today, my first double digit run since October 23rd when I ran 20 miles and hurt my back shortly thereafter.

Something else exciting about this week is that Andrew and I started trail running! So far it has been a lot of fun, but definitely a lot slower than pounding away on the pavement.

Sunday - Rest (this was the day after I rode 26.2 miles on the indoor trainer)

Monday - Ran 6.5 miles in 1:09 (10:33 pace). I started off slow and kept my run at a comfortable (slow) pace for most of the run, but I managed to finish it off strong with a kick. It was cool, cloudy, and quiet on this run like it is before it's going to snow (it didn't actually snow, though).

Tuesday - Rode 14 miles on the indoor trainer in 1:02 (13.6 mph). Then did a quick circuit of a 30 second plank + 10 push ups + 10 lying leg raises + 10 tricep dips. I did this 4 times and it took about 10 minutes.

Wednesday - First trail run! Ran 3.09 miles in 35 minutes (11:15 pace).

Thursday - Ran 6.5 miles in 1:08 (10:30 pace). This was another great run. It was cool and wet out (but not raining). Since it was cloudy and later in the afternoon, I wanted to be seen. Do you think I was bright enough?

When I got home I did a circuit of a 30 second plank + 10 push ups + 10 lying leg raises + 10 tricep dips + a 30 second wall sit + 20 lunges (10 each leg). I did this 3 times and it took about 15 minutes.

Friday - Rest!

Saturday - Second trail run! This time we did a 5.5 mile loop. The loop had lots of ups and downs and some parts were also pretty rocky, so we were forced to walk a little bit more because of this. Really it was more of a run/speed hike (14:00 pace).

I am really proud of Andrew for sticking with me the whole time. I should remind you that he is a cyclist, not a runner (well, ex-runner), so for him to go all 5.5 miles was really great.

It was a really nice day out and really warm (61 degrees). Of course we were expecting a snowstorm the next day so it was strange to be out in a tank top.

On Sunday I rested and enjoyed catching up on my laundry, cleaning, and sitting by the fire. We watched as the snow fell and fell and fell. This morning we woke up to about 6-7 inches of snow and some of the most beautiful sights.

It all melted away pretty quickly because the temps quickly climbed up to nearly 50 degrees. We both already had the day off from work so it was nice to be able to spend another day together. We actually went out to Best Buy and bought a laptop for me! I have wanted one for a while so that I can sit downstairs and work on the computer (and by "work" I mean blog and be on Facebook) instead of spending a lot of time on the computer upstairs away from Andrew. It will also be nice to be able to take on trips. I definitely didn't need one, but if I'm going to work mandatory overtime I think I can justify spoiling myself with a few things that I want.

So that my new laptop doesn't get jealous of the introduction that my cycling shoes and running shoes received on this blog, I would like to introduce you to my new laptop, also known as Little Baby Lappy (LBL for short).

I am writing this blog on LBL right now and so far I am loving it!! I think LBL and I are going to get along great.

Have a wonderful week!

PureFit Bar Review

2012-02-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a delicious nutrition bar from PureFit. I was very excited to try these bars because they boasted to be "the all-natural, gluten-free and wheat-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher, high in protein, diabetic-friendly, that tastes great nutrition bar."

How Did They Taste?
PureFit Bars come in 5 delicious flavors: Granola Crunch, Almond Crunch, Berry Almond Crunch, Chocolate Brownie, and Peanut Butter. I honestly really liked all of the flavors, but I think peanut butter was my favorite. They all had a very similar taste and texture though, if that makes sense. One thing I will note is that the texture is pretty thick and chewy, so you will probably want to have something to wash these down with. This isn't necessarily a bad quality though...kind of like eating a peanut butter sandwich!

Nutritional Facts & Thoughts
One bar contains 210-220 calories, 24-25 grams of carbohydrates (10-14 grams of sugar), 2-4 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein, and 6-7 grams of fat.

I really appreciate the nutritional breakdown of these bars. They follow the "40/30/30" ratio of the Zone diet (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat). I also liked how they had a high amount of protein but still had a sensible amount of calories in them. A lot of bars that I see are unfortunately just the opposite; too high in calories and too low in protein.

The ingredients in PureFit bars (can be found here) are all-natural. PureFit bars do not contain any artificial sweeteners, trans fatty acids, or hydrogenated oils. PureFit bars also do not contain any wheat, gluten, or dairy. This is important because these ingredients can easily cause tummy troubles, whether you are allergic to these things or not. They also have a low glycemic index and they are diabetic-friendly, meaning that you won't crash after eating one. PureFit bars are also Kosher and Vegan, making them a great choice for pretty much anyone.

PureFit bars also claim to not melt in their packaging, so they are great to take on the go.

Performance
I tried using these bars for my shorter weekday afternoon runs and they worked great. I ate half of a bar before my run because I'm always a little hungry and tired after work, and I ate the other half after my run to hold me over until dinner was ready. They didn't cause any tummy problems and gave me the energy I needed to not feel tired on the run.

Although I didn't try these while biking, they also seem like they would be a great snack to take on a long bike ride, especially since they don't melt.

Price
The price of a box of 15 PureFit bars from the PureFit website is $34.35. That comes out to $2.29 per bar. In my (very cheap) opinion, this is a little pricey. However, remember that you get what you pay for. When you order additional boxes the price per box goes down (4-6 boxes is $32/box, 6-9 is $30/box, and 10+ is $28/box). There is also a sample kit available for $9.95 which contains 5 bars (one of each flavor) if you aren't ready to commit to a whole box.

If you would like to order a box of PureFit bars from the PureFit website, you can use the coupon code PROMO25 for 25% off of your first order.

I did a little searching and found that you can buy a box of PureFit bars from Amazon for $27.99 with free shipping, which takes the price down to a more reasonable $1.86 per bar. There is also a "subscribe & save" deal on Amazon where you have PureFit bars automatically delivered on a regular basis (you choose from every 1 to 6 months) and the price goes down to $26.59 per box ($1.77 per bar). It looks like this is only for the Berry Almond Crunch bar and the prices are different for each flavor.

Final Thoughts
Overall I really liked these bars. I loved the nutritional aspects as well as the taste. If I could find a good deal on these bars I think I would eat them on a regular basis. One thing I wish PureFit would sell is larger boxes with multiple flavors because I feel like I might get sick of one box being all one flavor. Other than that minor detail, PureFit bars definitely get my stamp of approval...

They also get a stamp of approval from someone else...

On the back of the PureFit bar wrapper:

"Millions of dogs and cats are euthanized each year because shelters can't find homes for them. Rather than buying your next pet, PureFit encourages you to consider adopting from a shelter and save a life."

Legal mumbo jumbo: I was contacted by PureFit and asked to try these bars. I was sent 5 bars free of charge and I was not otherwise compensated for this review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I did not feed my cat any PureFit bars.

Wordless Wednesday (because that's all I have time for these days...)

2012-02-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

P.S. This is me on today's trail run :)

Weekly Two Weeks of Sweat Reports 1/29/12 - 2/11/12

2012-02-12T18:14:00.000-05:00

I was rather absent from blogging (and reading blogs) this past week. Sometimes I feel guilty when I don't get to blog as frequently as I would like, but then I remember that there are only a million things above blogging on my priority list. My husband, my family, my job, exercising, preparing healthy meals, church, sleeping, and relaxing (plus some things that I'm sure I'm forgetting) all rank way higher than blogging. So when those things start to consume more of my time than usual, blogging gets pushed to the side (as it should).

This is what happened this past week, and what I feel will be the case for a while now. We were informed this week at work that we are required to work 20 hours of overtime a month from now through likely the end of September. So, needless to say, there goes another 5 hours of "free" time each week that I was pressed for in the first place. I'm bummed about having to work the extra time, but I think I've figured out a way to work it in a way that will have a minimal (but still negative) impact on my schedule. In any case, I will probably have less time for blogging, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me as often.

I was behind in posting my workouts from two weeks ago so I just decided to do two weeks at once...

Week of 1/29/12 - 2/4/12
Sunday - Rode 15 miles on the trainer in 1:08 (13.2 mph pace). Finished it off with my (30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4.
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Ran 5 miles in 52 minutes (10:22 pace, which is really good for this neighborhood). It was so nice and warm outside that I wore a skirt and a tank top! (I know I'm still wearing my jacket in this picture...but I promise I shed it after running for like 2 seconds).

skirt from Running Skirts that my awesome husband got me for Christmas

Wednesday - Rest (I was busy buying my new running shoes!)
Thursday - Rode 14 miles on the trainer in 1:02 (13.6 mph pace) while watching the Biggest Loser
Friday - Ran/Walked 3 miles in 39 minutes (12:50 pace) and lifted weights for 25 minutes. I was running in my new shoes and they felt great, but I was just exhausted so I just wasn't feeling it. It could have been that my day started with stepping in poop.
Saturday - Rode 10.5 miles in 45 minutes (13.9 mph pace). I woke up early to get a quick ride in before we went out of town for the weekend.

Week of 2/5/12 - 2/11/12
Sunday - Rest. We were traveling so I didn't get a long ride/run in this weekend.
Monday - Rode 15 miles in 1:04 (14.1 mph pace). Did my (30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4, then did (10 lying leg raises + 10 tricep dips) x 4.
Tuesday - Ran 6 miles in 1:02 (10:15 pace - fast (for me) in this neighborhood). This was my first run outside in my new shoes and it was a SUPER run. I think it was the pack of peanut M&M's I devoured at work. This is what it looked like when I was done running:

Wednesday - Rode 14 miles on the trainer in 1:02 (13.5 mph) while watching the Biggest Loser.
Thursday - Rest. I know this is a huge excuse, but I didn't have time to work out on Thursday.
Friday - Rest. Again, no time.
Saturday - Rode 26.2 miles on the trainer in 1:56 (13.6 mph pace). This was my longest ride on the trainer to date. It wasn't terrible, but I was definitely wanting it to be over towards the end!

Andrew and I were going to break in our new trail shoes this weekend, but it was freezing and super windy, so we spent most of the weekend indoors. We (yes, both of us!!) are signed up for the Explore Your Limits 5K, which is on trails but described as "a great race to introduce runners to trail running." It is on March 3rd, so I'm sure we'll hit the trails at least once before then.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Happy Friday!

2012-02-03T19:37:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to do a quick post to direct you over to my very first guest blog post! It is on what many of you would call a "non-running" blog...but fear not! It's still about running. I decided to write out my top 10 tips for those who were new to running or walking. Please check it out HERE.

On a completely unrelated note, I just wanted to share something humorous (though it did not seem so humorous at the time) that happened to me today. I was on my way to work and I started to smell something funny. Like poop funny. When I was almost to work I was cringing because I was 99% sure that I had stepped in dog poop in the 15 (non-grassy) feet between my door and my car. Seriously? I was furious at the irresponsible person who didn't pick up after their dog.

So I got out of the car at work and sure enough, I had stepped square in some poop. And I had also gotten it on my floor mat in my car. Awesome! I texted Andrew to tell him about this and he informed me that I hadn't stepped in dog poop. No, I had stepped in CAT poop that was right INSIDE the front door.

AAaggghhh. CAT!

I tried to clean off my shoe in the bathroom at work, but it was still super stinky (shocker! poop = stinky!). Then I remembered that I had packed my new shoes in my gym bag so I went out and changed into them. I was glad I had decided that today would be a gym day!

I was thinking that the day could only get better, but my motivation at work was seriously lacking, as it usually is on a Friday. This was only compounded by the fact that we lost all of our power right after lunch. It came back on pretty quickly, but we didn't have any network connections and none of our programs would open up for about 45 minutes.

So that was my HAPPY Friday...here's to hoping that the weekend will only get better!

Oh, and here's an awesome video about Fridays. This is a good look into what a lot of my Fridays feel like. Enjoy!

Introducing: New Running Shoes!

2012-02-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Remember how I introduced you to my pretty new cycling shoes a while back? So as to not make my first sweaty love (running) jealous of my second sweaty love (cycling), I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to not one, but TWO new pairs of running shoes.

I went to Fleet Feet last night and as usual, they were so helpful in suggesting shoes that would be right for me based on my foot, gait, etc. Although I have always been a loyal Asics customer, I walked out with two pairs of Brooks! I haven't actually run in either of these (except in the parking lot in front of the store), so I can't really say I love them yet, but I am very optimistic.

First, the Brooks Ghost 4:

When I was trying them on I loved how cushioned they felt and also how light and springy they seemed. The Asics I wore before could feel heavy and clunky at times, so this might take some getting used to (or I could ask myself why I waited so long!). I'm definitely excited about logging some miles on these shoes. I'm hoping that these will help with some mild big toe pain I've been feeling as I've started to run again after hurting my back.

Up next, we have the Brooks Cascadia 6:

These are a bit similar to the Ghost, except they are made for the trail. These also felt surprisingly cushioned when I tried them on. I'm really excited about these shoes because one of my goals for 2012 was to buy some trail shoes (check!) and start doing some trail running. While I actually haven't run on a trail yet, I can no longer use the excuse of "but I don't have trail shoes!". I think I have also successfully convinced my husband to go purchase some trail shoes too and start ~~chasing me around in the woods~~ running with me on some trails.

I also tried on the Saucony PowerGrid Cortana (a road shoe) and the Saucony ProGrid Xodus 3.0 (a trail shoe similar to the Cortana). These both come with the 4mm heel-to-toe offset that everyone is raving about right now since it is supposed to be more "natural". I could definitely feel that difference in the offset when I ran around the parking lot in them. Both of these shoes also felt super cushioned and comfortable.

It was a tough decision, especially since I am really indecisive. But in the end, considering all factors of how they fit my feet, how the felt when I ran, as well as looks and price, I decided to go with the Brooks. Hopefully these will work out for me, but the great thing about running shoes (expensiveness aside) is that if you don't like them, you only have to live with them for 300-500 miles before you can try something else. I'm hoping to try out my Ghosts on a short run tomorrow, and maybe by next weekend I'll be ready to test out the Cascadias.

Have you found your "perfect shoe" or are you still on the hunt?
Obviously I'm still on the hunt! I think finding the perfect running shoe can be harder than finding the perfect pair of jeans.

Are you loyal to one brand or do you like to mix it up?
I have run in Asics for quite a while. When I first started seriously running about two years ago I wore the Nimbus 11 and it was the first shoe that let me go long distances without a lot of knee pain, so I figured it was the right shoe for me (ha! Really I could go longer distances because I was consistently running and slowly building my base). Naturally I got the Nimbus 12 next (x2) and I was pretty happy with them. Then I switched to the Kayano 17 and I haven't been that happy with them. I realized it was silly to only consider one brand so I was very open to trying on Brooks and Saucony shoes this time around. When I was in middle and high school I was a fan of Adidas and you weren't cool unless you had a pair of the New Balance 802s. I think that was just a fad at my school but I definitely went through a few pairs of them.

Have you tried either of these shoes that I got? Thoughts?

Looking Back on January

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already February!

I started the year off on the wrong foot by having the stomach flu for the first week of January. That meant not doing much of anything. To make myself feel a little better, we signed up to do the National Capital Tour de Cure 50 mile ride on June 3. It is a charity ride that supports the American Diabetes Association. I would really love your support (if it is within your means)!

So that I could consider myself a real cyclist (ha!), I converted to using clipless pedals and cycling shoes (I have yet to wear them off of the trainer though so I can't cross that goal off the list yet). In mid-January I was able to run 7 miles pain free and it made me have crazy thoughts about doing the Blue Ridge Marathon. I think I have (mostly) talked myself off of this cliff. This past weekend I ran 9 miles by myself and I really enjoyed it.

Although it didn't start out so great, January was a pretty good month. I have been LOVING the very mild winter that we have been having but I'm sure as soon as I say that it's going to turn cold and snowy. Honestly I'd be perfectly happy if we didn't have much of a winter. If it's not snowing enough to get me out of work, I want it to be warm enough that I don't have to bundle up when I go outside!

Here were my monthly totals...

Running Miles: 37
Cycling Miles: 113

I'm a little behind in even meeting my "B" goals for yearly running and cycling mileage, so I'm definitely thinking that my "A" goals are not going to be happening this year, and that's okay! I still think the "B" goals are very attainable, especially since I'm more active in the summer than in the winter.

Bye bye January! Hello February!

How are you doing with your goals so far?

Weekly Sweat Report (1/22 - 1/28)

2012-01-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday - Rode 25 miles in 2:06 on the indoor trainer (11.9 mph pace). If you recall from the week before, I took a rest day on Saturday (my usual "long run/ride" day). I just felt like I needed to do something that required endurance, and this definitely fit the bill. I kept messing with a setting on my watch so I think my distance (and therefore my pace), was a little on the low side.

Monday - Rested. Yeah, my legs were a little tired after that ride.

Tuesday - Rode 12 miles in 51 minutes (14.1 mph pace)

Wednesday - Ran 4 miles in a hilly neighborhood in 43 minutes (10:40 pace). It was a beautiful day! When I got home I stretched then did about 12 minutes worth of some core and arm exercises:

(30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4
(10 lying leg raises + 10 tricep dips) x 4

Thursday - Lifted weights at the gym for 45 minutes. My core was really sore for some reason from whatever I did the day before so it kind of hurt. I always feel a little lazy when I only do weights, but I guess it's better than nothing, right? I was thinking of doing a mile or two on the treadmill but I forgot to pack socks, so that wasn't going to happen.

Friday - Rested.

Saturday - Ran 9 flat miles in 1:33 (10:16 pace). This run was GREAT! I was a little overdressed so I got a little hot (I prepared for the 15 mph winds they were calling for...which didn't happen until way later in the day). I was running solo on this run and I liked it (although running with someone would have been great too!). I took a few walking breaks whenever I felt that I needed them and I managed to keep a pretty steady pace the whole time. I wanted to push it to 10 miles but I decided to be good and stopped at 9 since my last long run was two weeks ago and only 7 miles. This is my longest distance post-injury so that gave me another reason to smile.

I did a lot of stretching and tennis ball butt massaging when I was done. My butt/hip were definitely tight on Saturday and Sunday but thankfully my SI joint (the one that I sprained) didn't seem to be hurting at all!

Running Solo

2012-01-28T16:31:00.001-05:00

One of the many things I love about running is that it lets me just spend time with me. I get to think things over with very few distractions. No TV, no computer, no music, no to-do lists. Just me and my thoughts for however far I decide to go.

Most of my long runs last year were with my running buddy, which I loved because having someone there with you makes the miles go by so much faster. I also loved how our friendship grew as we continued running together. We would talk to each other about all kinds of things and we'd help each other work through problems, even if that meant just listening to the other person vent.

I grew so fond of running with another person that I was not looking forward to my long run today because I knew I'd be by myself. With no one to talk to I figured the miles would drag by and I would be bored to death. While I did end up looking at my watch a little more frequently, my run was great. I didn't get bored with myself and I felt mentally (and physically) refreshed when I was done.

I had forgotten how much running helps me to think and work through things in my head. I don't finish every run farting glitter and rainbows, but I always feel way less stressed about everything and more prepared to deal with day-to-day challenges. I know that this time alone helps me to be a better wife, friend, daughter, sister, and employee. Whenever I don't get this time, this is why I start to go bonkers (that and the endorphin withdrawal).

So as much as I love running with someone, I was reminded today how much I also love to run by myself. I was also reminded of how important it is to just take a step away from all of the distractions in life and just spend time thinking, praying, or just zoning out.

Source: fitsugar.com via shellie on Pinterest

Do you prefer to run solo or with a friend?

Weekly Sweat Report (1/15 - 1/21)

2012-01-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

I'm a little behind, but here we go...

Sunday - Ran 7 miles in a hilly neighborhood in 1:17 (11:02 pace). I walked up some of the hills but I felt great! This had me thinking some crazy marathon thoughts.

Monday - Rode 10 miles in 49 minutes (12.3 mph). Followed it up with alternating a 30 second plank and 10 push ups x 4 (i.e. 2 minutes of planking and 40 push ups)

Tuesday - Rode 13.5 miles in 1:05 (12.4 mph). Did my (30 second plank + 10 push ups) x 4 again.

Wednesday - Ran 5 miles on the treadmill in 54 minutes (10:53 pace). I did some crazy hill intervals. They are the best way to tell if you are out of shape and they are also the best way to get in shape!! If you can understand this, you get a gold star:

.25 mile walk/warm-up
1 mile run @ 5.8 mph @ 0%
2 minute hill intervals separated by 1 minute of recovery at 0% in between: 2%, 4%, 6%, 4%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 4%, 2%. The hill intervals and recovery minute were a little slower at 5.7 mph
Ran .75 miles at 0% a little faster (.25 @ 6.2 mph, .25 mph @ 6.4 mph, and .25 @ 6 mph)
.25 mile walk/cool-down

So yeah, kind of confusing and I totally made it up as I was going, but it was a really great workout.

Thursday - it was cold outside but I managed to get out and run 3 miles in 30 minutes (10:00 pace). It was a good run! My legs were tired though. This streak that I was on is very unusual for me.

Friday - I took a rest day

Saturday - I took an unintentional rest day...sort of. I worked in the morning and was thinking about getting a run or a ride in during the afternoon. I wasn't feeling and I also needed to go pick out a new pair of glasses. Since I am the most indecisive person ever (I am going to have to wear these glasses for the next two years so it's kind of a big deal!), and they didn't have much of a selection, it took me forever. By the time I was done, I was exhausted and it was time for dinner.

My back and right hip area has been sort of feeling a little tight since Friday. Almost like it needed to "pop" but mostly just like I needed to stretch and foam roll it a lot. I went to the chiropractor again today so hopefully that will help it. I'm still on the fence about training for the Blue Ridge full marathon. Sure, I can probably do it, but will I enjoy training for it? Probably not since it's cold and I'll probably be running alone. Will I be mad at myself if I seriously hurt my back again? You betcha. Part of me also just wants to be doing more races, and you really can't do that when you're locked into marathon training. So, those are my thoughts for now. They will probably change tomorrow!

I will leave you with a little inspiration from one of my favorite running quotes...

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Bree on Pinterest

Five Things I Want

2012-01-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

ONE
The Clean Bottle Runner

My Nathan Handheld has served me well, but the elastic is starting to give. Plus, this bottle looks AWESOME because it can hold my iPhone. I usually carry my iPhone in my iFitness belt (which also serves its purpose very well), but honestly sometimes I just don't feel like having something tight around my waist and I haven't been able to keep it from riding up when I am wearing tights because there is nothing for it to stick to. I don't listen to music on my phone when I run, but I do always feel much better (safety wise) when I have my phone with me. I feel like this bottle might get a little heavy with my iPhone in it, but at least I will develop some nice guns in the process...and I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's only $19.99 on the Clean Bottle website, which is really reasonable and comparable to most other handhelds. Here's a video about this bottle:

TWO
Everything Saucony Makes in ViZiPRO Pink. Especially the Protection gloves:

The gloves I have now (Nike LIVESTRONG Lightweight gloves) are alright, but they are just fleece gloves so if it's windy at all or super cold outside my hands get cold. Sometimes they warm up after I have been running, but not always. These are wind and water resistant. And super bright and cute. AND they come with an LED light. How cool is that? They are a bit pricey at $50 (on sale on the Saucony website for $38), but I have found them on Running Warehouse for $29.88. But, I think I would need an extra small and they don't have that size in the pink. Womp.

I'd also take the Ethereal Vest (Regularly $80, on sale for $44.88 on Running Warehouse)

While we're at it, I'll also take a pair of arm warmers (Regularly $30, on sale on the Saucony website for $18 and on Running Warehouse for $17.88)

(ok - this was really 3 things, but I really just want the gloves)

THREE
I need a good base layer to wear while running. All I have right now consists of either thin short sleeve t-shirts, thin tank tops, or super thick (and too hot) Under Armor shirts. I like the look and simplicity of the Nike Miler Long Sleeve top (regularly $42, on sale on Running Warehouse for $29.88).

It looks nice and long. I can't stand short tops. Or ones that ride up. Any recommendations for a good base layer that isn't too thick?

FOUR
Thankfully it hasn't been brutally cold so far this winter. Unfortunately I have a feeling we will have a few bursts of cold before it's springtime though. I have noticed my toes getting really cold on my past two outdoor runs. I think I need some thicker/warmer socks. Right now I'm wearing my Balega Hidden Comfort socks, which is also what I wear in the middle of the summer. I might try wearing my thicker cycling socks that I recently acquired and see how they work. In the mean time I've been trying to research socks online. When I'm looking at socks online I have a hard time determining if they are meant for cold weather or warmer weather, because often it doesn't say.

There is no question that these Drymax socks are meant for cold weather. Why? Because they are called "Cold Weather Running Socks". They look promising. They are regularly $15, but are on sale on Running Warehouse for $12.95).

Again, any recommendations for socks that are made for running in cold weather?

FIVE
Something unrelated to running...I want a new iPhone case. I have dropped mine a few times so the bottom is cracked and there are some nice scratches on it (thank goodness for cases, right?).

I like this one on Amazon for $21.99:

I'm also tempted to get one of these (from Zazzle.com) for $39.99:

And that's all...for today. All of this would cost $200 so I don't think I will be buying all of it anytime soon. I did, however, sign up to work overtime tomorrow morning for the sole purpose of buying a new pair of running shoes (wow...I am so punny...sole purpose...running shoes...bah ha ha). Hopefully I will have some money left over to buy a few of these things.

Disclaimer: I was not asked to brag about these things that I don't even have.

Crazy Blue Ridge Marathon Thoughts

2012-01-19T19:13:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I ran 7 miles. 7 slow, hilly miles. It was tough, and I did walk up some of the hills, but my feet took me 7 miles and that’s all that matters. My quads were sore the next day from not having done any downhill running a while, but my back didn’t hurt at all.

Before this run I was dead set on dropping down to the half for the Blue Ridge Marathon that I’m currently signed up for (I signed up last year right after I ran the half...must have been on some sort of runners high. That and prices were 50% off!). You know, the one that has 7,234 feet of elevation change in it? America’s Toughest Road Marathon. The one that is only 14 weeks away.

I told myself that I shouldn’t start training for another marathon so soon after being injured. Especially this marathon. I told myself that I should just take it easy and focus on running half marathons for a while (side note: half marathons are only “easy” with respect to a full marathon). I don’t know if you noticed, but running a full marathon was NOT one of my goals for 2012.

Endorphins do crazy things to me. They can make me think that I can do the impossible. Ever since running 7 miles last weekend (which is my longest distance post-injury), I have been toying with the idea that I can actually do the full Blue Ridge Marathon. Why do I have to have these crazy thoughts?! Why can’t my competitive self just be content with 13.1?

I love to challenge myself and dream big, but honestly these thoughts are kind of frustrating. It’s frustrating because I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to live in constant fear that I will just get injured again. But at the same time I want to be smart. I want to run injury-free, even if that means understanding (and obeying) my current physical limitations, whatever they may be.

While I was still injured I had made up this crazy 20 week training plan that would have me ready in time for the full Blue Ridge marathon. And then I didn’t get better in time to even start with this plan, thus I decided that I would run the half. Now I’m only 14 weeks away, so time is obviously not on my side right now. I’m wondering if the fact that I didn’t get better in time to start training on time is a sign that I shouldn’t attempt training for a full right now…or is that just me listening to the negative voices in my head telling me you can't do it?

Anyways, call me crazy, but I’m thinking about it. I really don’t know if it will work out. If it doesn’t, that’s okay. It’s not like I’ve never backed out of a marathon before!

Right now I'm thinking that I'll try to follow a training plan to increase my mileage, and if I feel like it's too much at 16 or 18 miles I will back off. And if that's what happens, at least I will be extra prepared for the half marathon. This plan is definitely subject to change at any time. Like tomorrow. Or the first time I attempt running 10 miles.

Wordless Wednesday: Invisible Bikes!

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Source for all images: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Weekly Sweat Report + Zipfizz Winners

2012-01-16T17:55:00.002-05:00

One of the things I wanted to start doing in the New Year was to start a weekly "sweat report" listing all of my activities for the past week. I was great about this when I was doing marathon training, but since I haven't been following a set plan I haven't been talking about my workouts as much as I would like to on the blog. Sweating is what this blog is supposed to be about after all!

I know I enjoy reading other people's weekly workouts because they inspire me! And they also remind me that even the toughest of people are only human and miss a workout or take a rest day. Hopefully my weekly sweat report will do the same for whoever is reading (and cares). If anything, it will be a good way for me to keep track of how I am progressing with my goals for the year.

1/1/12 - 1/7/12
To start things off with a boom, I really didn't do much the first week of the year. I was sick with the stomach flu, which really sucked. From Sunday - Friday, I was pretty much in the bed. On Saturday I walked 4.31 miles outside (hilly neighborhood) in 1:10 (16:16 pace - this is actually a brisk walking pace for me and my short legs).

1/8/12 - 1/14/12
Sunday - Rest. Believe it or not I was sore from my walk. I think it was the fact that I layed in bed for a week before going on a long, hilly walk.
Monday - First sweat of the year. Rode 15 miles on the indoor trainer in 1:07 (13.4 mph pace).
Tuesday - Rest (I had a chiropractor appointment after work so honestly I didn't have time).
Wednesday - Ran on the treadmill at the gym for 3.5 miles in 39 minutes (11:11 pace): walked .25, ran 3 miles, walked .25. I felt out of shape. Then I lifted weights and did some core work for 45 minutes. It felt good to flex my muscles but I felt like I was going to be sore the next day.
Thursday - Rode 12 miles on the indoor trainer in 59 minutes (12.1 mph). This was my first ride with my new cycling shoes! The pair I wore on this ride was a little too small.

Friday - Rest.
Saturday - Rode 10 miles on the indoor trainer in 53 minutes (11.4 mph pace). I tried a larger size shoe on this ride. They are too big. I sent both pairs back and ordered the half size from another place. They better work :)

And now for the Zipfizz winners...

There were 37 entries. The first number that Random.org generated was #23. The second number that Random.org generated was #27 (I usually do screen shots of the numbers that Random.org generates, but I'm feeling particularly lazy right now so you're just going to have to trust me!).

Comment #23 belonged to Mary (no blog to link to when I click on your name). Comment #27 belonged to Clarinda! Ladies, please e-mail me with a mailing address and I will forward it onto the friendly folks at Zipfizz and they will get your prize on the way!

Don't Discuss Bloomers with Every Man You Know

2012-01-13T18:11:00.002-05:00

I first spotted the list of Don'ts for Women Riders on the Bicycling.com blog, The Hub. The list was originally posted by Lists of Note. Back in 1895 there was a big fuss about two women who showed up to a Unique Cycling Club of Chicago event wearing *gasp* short skirts over their bloomers. Apparently one of the laws of the club was that you had to wear bloomers and knickerboxers.

(source)

The women were asked to remove their skirts and they refused. Some people "fell" on the skirt-wearers, and left them standing there in their bloomers. How emburrisin'!

An article about this incident was published in New York World, and below it was this list (with my commentary added in pink):

DON'TS FOR WOMEN RIDERS

Don't be a fright.
Don't faint on the road. So, don't forget your Gu Chomps?
Don't wear a man's cap.
Don't wear tight garters. They would probably faint on the road if they saw today's cycling apparel.
Don't forget your toolbag. This is probably the only good advice.
Don't attempt a "century."
Don't coast. It is dangerous. What!?
Don't boast of your long rides. So much for Daily Mile.
Don't criticize people's "legs." I'm curious why "legs" is in quotations...
Don't wear loud hued leggings. Like these?
Don't cultivate a "bicycle face."

Second image that came up when I did a Google search for "bicycle face" (source)

Don't refuse assistance up a hill.

(source)

Don't wear clothes that don't fit. Wouldn't want your bloomers to fall off!
Don't neglect a "light's out" cry.
Don't wear jewelry while on a tour.
Don't race. Leave that to the scorchers. I'm going to assume we don't want to be a "scorcher".
Don't wear laced boots. They are tiresome. Aren't they still?
Don't imagine everybody is looking at you. Wait, What!? They're not?
Don't go to church in your bicycle costume. Who would go to church dressed like a bicycle?
Don't wear a garden party hat with bloomers. They would totally clash.

(source)

Don't contest the right of way with cable cars. This is the second best advice.
Don't chew gum. Exercise your jaws in private. I'll take Things That Sound Dirty but Aren't for 200, please.
Don't wear white kid gloves. Silk is the thing.
Don't ask, "What do you think of my bloomers?" The first rule of bloomers: you don't talk about bloomers.
Don't use bicycle slang. Leave that to the boys. Here's a whole dictionary of bicycle slang, in case you need to brush up on your terminology.
Don't go out after dark without a male escort. Obviously they had a different definition of male escort back then.
Don't go without a needle, thread and thimble. You can never be too prepared.
Don't try to have every article of your attire "match."
Don't let your golden hair be hanging down your back.
Don't allow dear little Fido to accompany you. What about a cat?

(source)

Don't scratch a match on the seat of your bloomers.
Don't discuss bloomers with every man you know. Except for male escorts.
Don't appear in public until you have learned to ride well. These Olympic women obviously have some more learning to do.

(source)

Don't overdo things. Let cycling be a recreation, not a labor. Wouldn't want to break a sweat!
Don't ignore the laws of the road because you are a woman.
Don't try to ride in your brother's clothes "to see how it feels." NO PANTS ALLOWED.
Don't scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.

(source)

Don't cultivate everything that is up to date because you ride a wheel.
Don't emulate your brother's attitude if he rides parallel with the ground. I think they meant leaning into a turn, but this is what I think of when I hear "riding parallel with the ground":

riding parallel to the ground = never good. (source)

Don't undertake a long ride if you are not confident of performing it easily.
Don't appear to be up on "records" and "record smashing." That is sporty. Call me sporty.

Wordless Wednesday: Introducing...

2012-01-11T05:41:00.000-05:00

My Diadora Aerospeed 2 Road Shoes!

I'd say they match the pink in my bike :)

Zipfizz Review & Giveaway

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try out a few samples of Zipfizz, an energy drink that provides healthy energy.

Here are a few quick facts about Zipfizz:

No sugar! It is sweetened with Xylitol and Sucralose.
Each serving only has 10 calories and 2 net carbs.
Each serving also contains 41,667% of your daily value of B12 (no, that was not a typo!).
Zipfizz also contains vitamins C, E, all B vitamins, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium, manganese, chromium, and sodium
Zipfizz contains the amino acids arginine and taurine
Zipfizz contains green tea extract, grape seed extract, ginger, and ginseng
Zipfizz contains 100 mgs of caffeine
Zipfizz comes packaged in small single serving tubes.
The flavors of Zipfizz include Berry, Citrus, Grape, Orange Soda, and Pink Lemonade. I was also sent a special edition flavor of Orange Creamsicle.

Mixing together a serving of Zipfizz is super easy, and I was happy to find that the powder dissolves completely and doesn't clump up at all, which is one of my least favorite things about some powdered drink mixes.

The individual packaging is very handy and convenient. It is easy to open and you don't have to worry about it breaking and spilling powder everywhere.

So far I have tried the Orange, Creamsicle, Pink Lemonade, and Grape flavors, with my favorite being the Grape and my least favorite being the Orange and Creamsicle (I have not yet tried the Berry or Citrus flavors just due to forgetting about it until later in the day and not wanting to be up all night!).

The thing that stands out to me the most about the taste is that this stuff tastes SWEET! Almost a little on the too sweet side for me, but others may like that. However, knowing that the drink doesn't have any sugar in it helps me to feel better about drinking something that tastes so sweet. I will also add that there is a slight "vitaminy" aftertaste that I wasn't a fan of. As the name suggests, the drink is a bit fizzy (effervescent), too, which I really like. Overall I would say that the flavor is good, but I don't know if I would chug one of these everyday.

When I first saw that there was 41,667% of your daily value of B12 in one serving, my first thought was that this amount is super excessive and possibly not good for you. I asked the folks at Zipfizz about this and I was told that this amount is the equivalent of getting a B12 shot from your doctor. Also, all the vitamins in Zipfizz are water soluble, thus your body will flush out the excess of vitamins.

Since the taste was really sweet, I couldn't drink Zipfizz all at once, so the release of energy was probably a little more gradual for me than for someone who drinks the whole serving at once. I wasn't bouncing off the walls or anything, but I did feel like I had a good bit of energy.

On the Zipfizz website, a box of 20 tubes is $37.99, which comes out to $1.89 per serving. That seems a little steep to me, but when you consider that it's pretty much like a (super) multivitamin, it doesn't seem as expensive.

Zipfizz was kind enough to offer to send TWO of you a sampler pack of Zipfizz. Not only will you receive a sample of each of the 5 regular flavors, you'll also receive a Zipfizz bottle!

Here is how to enter...
Note: you must leave a comment below to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry for them to count!

Required:

You must be a follower of this blog (let me know if you already are!) (+ one comment/entry only)

Additional entries:

Follow Zipfizz (@Zipfizzcorp) on Twitter HERE (+ one comment/entry only)
Share a link to this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter (include @Zipfizzcorp and @sweatylauren in your tweet) (+ one comment/entry PER DAY - Yes, you can share it each day for more entries! Just leave a separate comment each day.)

This giveaway will be open through Saturday, January 14, 2012 and TWO winners will be announced thereafter in a separate blog post.

If you still have questions about Zipfizz, please visit their website: www.zipfizz.com. You can also check them out on Facebook HERE!

Disclaimer: I was sent samples of Zipfizz to try free of charge. The opinions expressed above, whether positive or negative, are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. The samples are being provided to the winners free of charge. No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway.

(Almost) Crossing off Some 2012 Goals

2012-01-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Despite the fact that I have barely done any physical activity so far in 2012 thanks to coming down with the nastiest case of the stomach flu I have ever had, I'm already on my way to being able to cross off a few of my goals for 2012.

First, Andrew and I signed up to ride in my very first cycling event. We are doing the Tour de Cure (50 mile option) together on June 3, 2012. This is a charity event and the money supports the American Diabetes Association in an effort to STOP DIABETES! I will beg more later, but if you would like to get your 2012 donations rolling, I would appreciate your gift! Click on the badge below to be directed to my page.

Secondly, I am on my way to being able to cross of my goal of wearing real cycling shoes and using clipless pedals. Andrew ordered some clipless pedals from Amazon for me and I just placed my order for my first pair of cycling shoes.

If you have ever shopped for women's cycling shoes, you know that the selection is terrible. The shoes are either mostly all white and boring (and will therefore get dirty fast), just downright hideous, or cost between $250 and $500. I really would have been okay if I had gotten a boring white pair, but after much debate I went with these beauties and I can't wait for them to come!

I hope that they are as bright (if not brighter) as they look in this picture. I have some splashes of HOT pink on my bike, so I'm hoping that they will look awesome with my bike. Oh, and I'm hoping they fit because I didn't try them on.

I also ~~hope~~ know that they will look awesome with my Team Tough Chik cycling kit.

I joined the 2012 team and I am SO excited to be a part of such a wonderful (and TOUGH) group of ladies! What is Tough Chik, you ask?

From the Tough Chik website:

Tough Chik is not just a clothing line, it is an outlook on life. All women have a personal story that makes them tough and our goal is to celebrate Tough Chik triumphs in a creative way. We want to revolutionize women's performance apparel by linking it to something more profound than just pretty designs.

As Team Tough Chik, we are designers, marketers, runners and cyclists that feed on creative expression. We are proud of our shin splints, scars and pedicures. We strive to support women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds who celebrate life and seek to conquer its challenges and adventures.

I also ordered the tri top, which I plan on RUNNING in (no triathlons...yet).

Lastly, I am happy to report that I have already met my weight loss goal for 2012! Yep, in just a few days I went from 130 to 125.8! How'd I do it? That's easy! I got the stomach flu, which entailed only eating about 500 calories each day, going to the bathroom more times than I can count, becoming super dehydrated, and pretty much feeling like death.

Only joking ;) Now that I'm feeling better and I have my appetite back and I'm hydrated, I'm pretty sure I'm back at the weight I started. That is NOT the way I wanted to lose weight!

How are you doing with your 2012 goals so far?
Besides the ones above, I'm getting a slow start.

I hope everyone has a great week! Come back for my Zipfizz Review & Giveaway that will (hopefully) be posted tomorrow!

A Non-Sweaty Start to 2012

2012-01-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

I really wish I could say that my 2012 started off strong...that I went for a 20 mile bike ride and a 6 mile run. But that is not the case! Shortly after writing out my goals for 2012, I took a shower and started feeling weird. My heart was beating faster than normal and I started to get a bad sinus headache. Oh great, I thought, Andrew has given me his cold as a late Christmas present. How nice! To be fair, I give him my colds, too...we like to share like that! And what I have ended up not being what he has.

I struggled through the rest of the afternoon of New Year's Eve. I started to get a stomach ache and then I had a slight fever (99.6) and some chills and nausea. Fun times, right? For the first time in as long as I can remember, I didn't watch that big shiny ball drop and see the clock tick over to 12.

On New Year's Day I woke up feeling better...until I ate something and my stomach ache came back. I was able to eat semi-normally but tried to eat bland food and drink a lot of water. I didn't really have much of an appetite though. After consulting with Dr. Google, I'm pretty convinced that I have a case of the stomach flu.

I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that I'm spending my last day off from work in between my bed and the bathroom...and making this short visit to the computer to do a blog post. It should really be a crime to be sick on a vacation day. Doing any kind of physical activity is out of the question, so I'm going to have to wait for another day or two (hopefully not more) to fight the newbies at the gym and get a start on my running and cycling goals for this year.

I'm kind of bummed about not being able to attack this year's goals head-on, but it is also a reminder that I'm not invincible. Oh, and I still have 363 days left in the year. So for now I'm going to cut myself some slack and try not to be too jealous of all of my imaginary friends who are already accomplishing great things in 2012. I'll be cheering you on from my great porcelain throne!

Goals & Resolutions for 2012

2011-12-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about 2012. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year! I really love writing down my goals because I'm excited about the chance to cross them off and prove to myself that I can accomplish big things. I've tried my best to make these SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely), and I will be making a new tab on the blog just for my 2012 goals so that I can track my progress throughout the year. I will try to remember to take another look at my goals in July and make adjustments as necessary, whether it's raising the bar or lowering it.

For running and cycling, I have "A" and "B" goals. My "A" goal is slightly out of my reach, but not impossible with enough determination and dedication. However, I also know that life happens. I am coming off of an injury so I don't want to push myself too hard and injure myself again. Which is why I have my "B" goal, and I will be more than happy if I meet my "B" goals instead of my "A" goals. It's also important to look at them together; if I was just running or just cycling, my "A" goals would be more attainable. However, when I'm doing them both at the same time my "B" goals are more likely attainable.

Running Goals

"A" goal: 1,000 miles
"B" goal: 800 miles
Buy some trail shoes and start trail running...and convince Andrew he needs to do this with me because I won't be doing it by myself. Yeah, I'm not big on running around in the deserted woods alone!
Run in more races. Last year I participated in a whopping TWO races. I was marathon training for most of the time, so at least that is understandable. I'm pretty sure I can handle doing more than two races this year!
Run in at least 4 half marathons. Right now I'm thinking of these races (these specific races are not necessarily part of this goal): Martinsville 1/2 Marathon (March 24, 2012), Blue Ridge 1/2 Marathon (April 21, 2011), Trail Nut 1/2 Marathon (if I am trail running by then...May 5, 2012), Star City 1/2 Marathon (November 2012). All of these are close to where I live in order to keep costs lower. I may consider traveling for a few races, but I will make plans closer to race time if I do.
My current 1/2 marathon PR is 2:14. I'd like to get this down to 2:05.

Cycling Goals

"A" goal: 2,000 miles
"B" goal: 1,500 miles
Start wearing big girl cycling shoes and using clip-in pedals. Right now I wear my running shoes and pedals with straps. As some Jamaican dude told me, I need to become one with the bike. If you're not familiar with cycling, this type of shoe and pedal attaches you to the bike, so your legs aren't free to come off if they want (until you maneuver your foot in such a way as to "clip out"). ~~Some people~~ everyone falls down at first when they forget to clip out of their shoes when they come to a stop because you are attached to your bike and you can't put your foot down. I am, without a doubt, going to fall.
Do at least one cycling event. This will be a first for me! I have my eye on Storming of Thunder Ridge (35 miles on May 20, 2012) and/or the National Capital Tour de Cure (50 miles on June 3, 2012).

Other Fitness Goals:

Lift weights for a minimum of 1.5 hours per week (preferably two 45 minute sessions).
Do yoga once a week (I have a feeling this isn't going to happen...just sayin').
Keep stretching and foam rolling.
GET TONED! There are parts of my body (thighs and stomach) that wiggle more than I'd like for them to. Let me emphasize that I don't think I am fat and I am already pretty muscular, however this is always room for improvement!
Remember to have fun!

Nutritional & Weight Goals

Eat like an athlete should eat

Just because I exercise regularly does not mean I should eat ice cream every night! I am going to try to cut this back to one night a week. WHAT?!
Eat more veggies. I pretty much only eat them at dinner time right now.
Eat less sugar. I'm not so much concerned about sugar in fruit, but there are other things that I could cut out to reduce my sugar intake (like my Greek yogurt with 15-20 grams of sugar - eek!).
Eat smaller portions. I should not be putting the same amount of food on my plate that I put on Andrew's plate.
With that said, I still need to make sure I am eating enough when I need to. I don't function when I'm not properly fueled.

Goal weight: 124 - 126 (I am 5'2")

To give you an idea, my current weight is 128.5 - 130, depending on the day. In 2009 I was closer to 145, so I have definitely come a long way! My lowest weight was 127 in November of 2010, so my weight has been pretty stable for a year now.
This doesn't seem like a huge goal, but anyone who has lost weight knows that those last few pounds are often the hardest!
Let me emphasize again that I don't think I'm fat, I just think I could be leaner and thus more efficient at running, cycling, etc.
If I meet my "GET TONED!" goal above and not this one, I will be happy. We all know that muscle weighs more than fat.

Other Goals & Resolutions

Manage my time better. My life is BUSY during the week, but I know that I could waste less time with certain things.
Keep my house cleaner (I've already made a "cleaning schedule" so that everything doesn't have to wait for Saturday/Sunday).
Get 8 hours of sleep. Right now I get between 7 and 7 1/2 hours. This means I need to go to bed at 9 PM, which is really hard for me.
Finish saving money for our emergency fund (6ish months of expenses).
Start saving money for a down payment for a house.
Spend more time doing fun things with Andrew. We are fairly good about this, but sometimes I need a reminder to not get so caught up in my own life that we don't do anything fun together!
Anonymously pay for a stranger's dinner at a restaurant.
Work hard. Play hard.
Be able to look back on 2012 and say that it was a GREAT year.

My 2011 in Review

2011-12-29T09:54:00.000-05:00

2011 was a pretty good year, but I'm looking forward to making 2012 even better. Before I talk about my goals in 2012, I wanted to take a look back at the happenings of 2011...

In January, I started training for my second half marathon.

From January to February, I had to spend 4 weeks away from home for training for my new job. It sucked and it was like being in prison. Okay not really, but I hated it.

In February, Andrew and I finished paying off $43,000 in student loans and car payments (mostly student loans). We had been working on this since April of 2009. It felt so great to be debt free!

In March, I was still training for my second half marathon. I started this blog! My husband bought his road bike and started biking a lot.

In April, I ran my second half marathon.

Also in April, we took our first week long trip alone since our honeymoon.

In May, I turned 24. I ran my first 10K.

In June, we went to the beach with my parents.

I made the mistake of running 4 miles barefoot on the beach.

I bought my first ever road bike.

In July, I began training for my first marathon. Andrew and I celebrated our third anniversary.

From August through October, I did a lot of running in preparation for my marathon. My biggest accomplishment was running both of my 20 milers (the first one was better than the second time!)

In September, Andrew rode in his first half century ride.

In October, I hurt my back and couldn’t run anymore.

In November, I didn’t run my first marathon. I watched my running partner run her first marathon!

I went to the chiropractor. A LOT.

I rode my bike a lot instead.

In December, my husband turned 27. My back started to feel better and I began running again.

Total Running Miles in 2011: 884

Total Cycling Miles in 2011: 786

Looking back, I had a pretty good year. But I'm looking forward to making 2012 even more epic! I'll be posting my goals for 2012 soon.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a few days early, but I wanted to share our Christmas card for this year and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

And don't forget what Christmas is all about...

Walter the Farting Dog

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

I like to try to stay on the topics of running, cycling, fitness, cooking, health, and inspiration on this blog, mostly because I don't want this blog to become my platform for aimlessly rambling about my life. However, today's post is quite the exception. It has nothing to do with running (although sometimes we have to fart when we're running...maybe it is related after all!), and I will warn you to stop reading NOW if you're not a fan of bodily function humor. It was too funny (to me, anyways) not to share, and I don't think it's necessarily appropriate for my family blog that gets automatically e-mailed to my grandma when I hit "publish". So, here we go.

Andrew and I were in Barnes & Noble yesterday getting a few books for my nephew for Christmas when I came across this book:

Walter the Farting Dog, by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray.

I was immediately intrigued, so I began reading. I snapped a few pictures of some of the best pages. The book starts out with a family who gets a dog from the pound. Nobody wanted him but they took him in. He smelled, so they gave him a bath.

"Mother walked in and said, 'He still smells awful.' And that's when they got the first clue. The tell-tale bubbles in the water. 'He's probably just a little nervous,' said Mother, hopefully. 'His stomach must be upset.' But Walter's stomach wasn't upset. Walter's stomach was fine. He felt perfectly normal. He just farted a lot."

So the family took him to the vet, who clearly defines "Farting" as "rectal flatulence"...I think the next time I have gas I think I'm going to say, "Sorry, just a little rectal flatulence..." Also, I really LOVE how the artist illustrated the farting gasses in all of the pictures. Look closely, it's not the glare! It's a fart. That you can see. Amazing.

Poor Walter got farts blamed on him all the time. Sad, right?

"'He has to go back to the pound,' said Father. 'No, Daddy, please,' begged Betty and Billy. 'Don't send Walter away.' 'He goes tomorrow,' said Father. They pleaded. Walter Farted. It was all over. That night, Betty and Billy cried in their beds, and Walter looked at them unhappily. 'Oh Walter,' said Betty, 'you've got to stop farting.' 'Because Father is going to send you back to the pound tomorrow,' said Billy."

So Walter knew that he didn't want to go back to the pound so he decided that he would hold in all of his farts (as runners we know that is never a good idea...). Walter got pretty uncomfortable and he felt like he was going to explode (been there...). Then that night some burglars came into his family's house and started stealing their valuables...

"That's when Walter let it fly. It was the worst fart of his life. It made a tremendous noise and shot him across the room. A hideous cloud filled the air. The burglars clutched their throats, unable to breathe. With tears in their eyes, they raced for the window. They tried to grab their bag with all the valuables in it, but their arms were too weak. 'Let's...get...out...of...here...'"

Yay! Walter saved the day with his massive fart!! SPOILER ALERT! As you can imagine, the family was forever grateful for Walter's farts so they didn't take him back to the pound after all. Walter and his family (and Walter's stinky farts) lived happily ever after. The end.

I'll make this post somewhat related to running...
When you're on the run, do you hold your farts or let 'em fly? (Oh come on, don't pretend like you never have to fart on the run!)
If I'm running with someone I hold them. If I'm by myself I check behind me and let loose! I know, how considerate of me, right?

Check out the other books in the Walter the Farting Dog Series (oh yes, there is a whole series!):
Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach
Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise
Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog
Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale
Walter the Farting Dog Farts Again
Walter the Farting Dog and the Windy Day

My Slow (but SURE!) Return to Running

2011-12-21T12:14:00.002-05:00

It occurred to me today that I’ve been bad about keeping all of my readers updated on how my return to running is going. I mean, this blog is supposed to be about being active, right? Unless you follow me on Daily Mile (if we're not friends, you can find me here), I've left you in the dark and I'm sorry! I’m sure that you’ve all been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about it and thinking about it has probably kept you up at night. Okay, maybe not.

I’ve been quiet about it mostly so that I don’t jinx myself. I’m afraid that I’ll say "things are going great, I don’t have any pain, and I feel like I could run forever!" and then I’ll push myself a little too hard and end up right where I started. Silly, huh?

I would say that my return to running has been going okay. Not great, but not terrible. I have been running about twice a week and going for 2 to 3 miles each time. I don’t run the whole way through and I take walking breaks every ½ to 1 mile. And when I am running, it’s slow. I can tell when I have pushed myself a little too hard because I’ll be in a little pain afterwards or the next morning, which is a little discouraging.

This is what my slow return to running has looked like:

Monday, 12/5/11 – This was my first attempt at running since hurting my back. I ran a whole mile in ¼ mile increments, separated by ½ mile of walking. It felt SO weird to be running and it didn’t really feel "right". Total (walk + run): 3.5 miles in 55 minutes.

Friday, 12/9/11 – I felt pretty amazing on this run. The chiropractor had applied some kinesiotherapy tape on my back/butt and I could really feel it helping. I ran a total of 2 miles (in ½ mile increments, I think…didn’t write that part down) and walked 1.25 miles (in ¼ mile increments?). Total (walk + run): 3.25 miles in 43 minutes.

Sunday, 12/11/11 – Another good run. I ran a total of 1.25 miles (in ½ and ¾ mile increments) and walked a total of .75 miles (in ¼ mile increments). Total (walk + run): 2 miles in 26 minutes.

Tuesday, 12/13/11 – Ran a total of 2.5 miles in ½ mile increments. Walked 1.5 miles in ¼ mile increments in between. My back didn’t really feel quite as good on this run as on the previous runs, so it was a little discouraging. Total (walk + run): 4 miles in 53 minutes

Thursday, 12/15/11 – It was really nice outside so I headed to the park to run. I ran a total of 3 miles in 1 mile increments (yay for whole miles!) with a little bit of walking in between miles. I felt pretty good during the run, but I could definitely feel a little tightness in my back and in my right hip. I stopped to stretch a few times. Since this was my longest run post-injury, my back was not surprisingly hurting more the next day, so I was a little bummed about this. I probably pushed my speed a little too much and running outside might have made it a little harder on my body (all of my other runs were on the treadmill). Total (walk + run): 3.64 miles in 42 minutes.

Tuesday, 12/20/11 – My back felt better after taking it easy over the weekend and my chiropractic appointment on Monday, so I ran on the treadmill. I ran a total of 2 miles in 1 mile increments and walked .75 miles in ½ mile increments. I was going to push it to 3 miles, but after 2 miles I felt like my form was getting sloppy, so I stopped (yay for being responsible!). I'm glad I did because I feel fine today and that makes me happy! Total (walk + run): 2.75 miles in 35 minutes.

I am very grateful that I have been able to run this much, and I am only discouraged with how slow recovering from an injury can seem. Anyone who has been there knows what I'm talking about! My chiropractor continues to encourage me to run and increase my distance (I love hearing that from a doctor!). When I tell her that I don’t feel any pain during my run but I will hurt a little afterwards or the next morning, she tells me that I won’t feel it because I love it so much. (Me? Addicted to running? Yes.) At least she understands. So that means I just need to be careful.

On days when I’m not running, I’m either riding my bike on the indoor trainer for about 45 minutes, going to the gym and lifting weights for an hour, doing a 40 minute yoga video on TV at home, or playing a little Wii Boxing (super fun, and my arms BURN after about 5-10 minutes). I still take 1 or 2 rest days each week even though I’m not doing that much, and usually this is either due to scheduling or just the fact that I still want a break!

I’m not sure what my running and exercising schedule will look like over the next week with Christmas and traveling, but I’m ready to hit it hard in 2012. I'll be thinking of my goals over the next few days...

100 things

2011-12-20T21:16:00.001-05:00

In celebration of getting my 100th follower the other day (Thank you, Kristin @ Goals are Dreams with Deadlines), I’m sharing 100 random things about me so that all of you can get to know me a little better. So, here we go…

Green is my favorite color.
I’m afraid of the dark.
My bus driver in middle and high school was my mom’s sister’s husband’s brother’s ex-wife’s sister.
My middle name is Elizabeth.
My sister named me because she knew someone with that name and liked it.
I don’t like traveling a lot.
I love the beach but I don’t like when everything gets sandy.
I’m afraid of getting in the ocean because I can’t see the bottom.
I don’t eat seafood, except for shrimp.
One time I fainted after I hit my funny bone on the freezer door (I hit my ulnar nerve just right and it caused vasovagal syncope, per Google).
I don’t like olives.
I have a brother who is 37.
I have a sister who is 34.
I’m pretty sure I was an “oops” because I’m 24.
Mushrooms gross me out.
I took 5 years of Latin.
I lather French fries in ketchup.
I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua when I was in high school.

They were running after us because we were throwing candy out of the windows :)

I wish I could own my own business but I don't really have any good ideas.
If I could live in another state, Colorado, Texas, and Alaska seem like they would be cool, even though I have never been to any of them.
I don’t think Alaska would work out because I really hate being cold.
I sweat more than my husband (and most people, for that matter).
I really love ice cream.
I’m shy.
I think mountains are beautiful.

Yep, that's me. This is from when I was in college.

I wish I could foster kittens.
I can’t because I would probably keep all of them.
Sometimes I want a dog. That feeling usually fades when I drive past someone walking their dog in the cold/rain.
I believe God paints pretty sunsets and sunrises for our enjoyment.

I need a lot of structure to be productive.
My hair is natural but I’m pretty sure most people don’t think it is.
I like to go shopping, but I would consider myself pretty frugal.
I don’t think I could ever be a stay at home mom.
I think the concept of breast-feeding is weird/gross.
I’m afraid to go too fast on my bike when I go down hills.
I’m a morning person.
I would be so lost without my husband.
I’m quiet.
I am really bad at reading out loud.
I wish I had more time to read books.
When I get behind on reading my magazines I get stressed out.
I should probably clean my house a lot more than I do.
My grandmother gets anonymous $100 bills in the mail every month.
I’ve never been to Disney World.
I don’t like leather seats in cars.
I work in a cubicle.
I don’t floss regularly enough even though my dad is a dentist.
Sometimes I forget that my iPhone is a phone.
My husband proposed to me on 7-7-07 over a campfire and s’mores.
I don’t like camping because I like showering and sleeping in my own bed.
Sometimes I find my cat’s hair in my food and I’m okay with that.
I can make three loops with my tongue.
I wish I was one of those naturally funny people.
I can’t keep a straight face.
I can juggle.
I can never find jeans that fit right.
I used to be obsessed with Dave Matthews Band.
I played the cello in middle and high school.
I like making things but often don’t finish projects because I get distracted and forget about them.
I don’t iron my clothes. I put them in the dryer for a few minutes if they are wrinkled.
I don’t wear a lot of jewelry.
I switched to watching a different local news channel because they (the one I used to watch) did a really negative/misleading news story on my workplace.
I always want to anonymously buy someone’s dinner but I never follow through.
I drink coffee every day.
I would probably be more productive at work if it weren’t for my iPhone.
I love getting mail and packages.
I don’t like it when people think that rules don’t apply to them.
I try to change recipes a lot and it usually doesn’t work out like I planned.
My purse is a disaster.
I don’t like talking on the phone.
I’m competitive.
I want to live in a log cabin.

(source)

I’m stubborn.
I love the snow and I want to snow so badly!
I like to obsessively track the weather when it might snow.
I don’t like driving in the dark.
I’m bad at keeping in touch with people.
I have 2,836 e-mails in my personal e-mail inbox (they are not all new, I just haven’t deleted them).
I love the smell of fire.
I usually always clean my plate even if I’m full (unless I’m about to explode) because I hate wasting food.
When I was little, I ripped out lightning bugs’ glow-butts and smeared them on my arm.
French fries dipped in a frosty are delicious.

(source)

My husband and I honeymooned in Gatlinburg, TN.
I always botch the pronunciation of Chipotle. I always want to put the L before the T.
I like tracking hurricanes and watching hurricane coverage.
I once told a stranger I came from K-Mart.
I wish I had more time to write good blog posts.
I’m short (5’2”) and I like it.
I don’t think I have very good self-control when it comes to food. If it’s there, I’m going to eat it.
I’m bad at remembering names until I’ve met and interacted with a person a few times.
I like to fish but I make my husband get the hook out.
I don’t like big cities.
I like supporting local businesses but I’m not going to stop shopping at Wal-Mart or ordering things online.
I don’t consume alcohol but I don’t judge people who do as long as they are responsible.
I always feel like I need new clothes even though I have a closet full of them.
I watch Fox News.
I played on my college’s tennis team (we were Division III so we weren’t superstars or anything).
I don’t remember my dreams very often.
I can’t focus on anything when I’m in a crowd of people (like at a party or dinner) and there is a lot going on around me. I usually just zone out and it makes me really tired.
I don’t follow or care about famous people (actors, elite athletes, etc.).

A Bunch of Salad Haters!

2011-12-15T20:13:00.005-05:00

As I strive to take steps to make my own life healthier, it becomes apparent to me that I am not the norm and being healthy is weird.

Today at work we had our team Christmas lunch at a restaurant close to our office. A few days before our lunch we had to give our orders to one person on the team and she faxed it over the day before so that it would be all ready when we got there. The restaurant is good, but the majority of their offerings are fried and covered in bacon and cheese. So I opted for what sounded like a delicious salad:

Baby Greens - Fresh field greens, sliced strawberries, sundried cranberries & candied pecans served w/ goat cheese croquettes & a Raspberry Vinaigrette.

It looked something like this but much bigger (it filled me up and I like to eat a lot):

(not really my salad. source)

Now don't get me wrong. I love a good burger and french fries. I love bacon. I love cheese. I like mayo on my sandwiches. I eat ice cream almost every night (it's churned!).

(source)

And I definitely could have ordered a burger and a side of their amazing sweet potato fries, but I knew that if I did, I would regret it immediately, feel like crap, get really sleepy when I got back to the office, and most likely not go for a run after work. Healthy body = healthy lifestyle = healthy choices.

Before we left, everybody's meal choice got sent out in an e-mail just to make sure everything was right and to remind people what they had ordered. I looked and saw that I was the only person who had ordered a salad.

As we were walking to the restaurant a friend of mine made a joking remark about how I had to be healthy and order a salad. When we got to the restaurant and got our food, I was definitely the odd one out. I know they wouldn't do it to be mean, but I felt like I was being a little judged because I ordered a salad. Yes, everyone's food looked delicious and I am in no way judging them for their food orders either (see above re: my love for french fries and ice cream). I just thought it was interesting that making a healthy choice was so abnormal.

I remember reading this post from Run Faster Mommy that talked about how some people are annoyed when they read a person's Daily Mile updates on Facebook ("Lauren ran 20 miles in 3 hours and 36 minutes and felt great!"). She made a great point that even if we seem obnoxious just for being proud of our accomplishments, hopefully it will inspire others to do the same.

No, I don't think I'll be inspiring anyone I work with to be healthier just because I ordered a salad, but I should never try to hide the fact that I'm trying to live a healthy life. If it influences others to do the same, great! If not, that's okay too, but they shouldn't try to drag me down with them.

Have you ever felt judged for trying to be healthy?

DIY Medal Hanger

2011-12-13T20:36:00.008-05:00

Until a few days ago, my "medal hanger" consisted of my medals (all two of them!) draped on the post of the lamp by my bed. There are so many cool medal hangers out there (like these from Gone For a Run), but I had an idea to make one that nobody else had. It was a pretty easy project and it was much cheaper than a lot of the ones you can buy from stores or online...all of the supplies were well under $15 total.

A few weeks ago I headed to my local Habitat ReStore and picked up a bunch of used knobs for only 25 cents each (I bought 16 but only used 13...they cost $4.40 total with tax).

They were all unique; some are old and very worn, while others look brand new and modern. If you can't find these used, you can buy them new from places like Lowe's, however they will be more expensive ($0.75 to $2+ each).

I also purchased a 1x4 from Lowe's (for between $2 and $3) and had Andrew cut it and drill holes in it for me. This is probably the hardest part, but it took him all of about 2 minutes and he was excited because he got to play with his tools. I'm not handy like that, but I know some of you are (or at least hopefully you have a handy friend or husband!).

The other supplies I needed were some scrapbook paper ($4 maximum, if not already on hand), Mod Podge ($5, I had some already), and a spongy brush ($0.75).

I cut pieces of scrapbook paper and just kind of randomly glued it onto the wood. You could also cut out a bunch of clippings from running magazines if you wanted to make it more running specific. This is what I was going to do at first but I decided to go with the scrapbook paper instead. Another idea is to use old race bibs to cover the wood.

After I glued everything down, I trimmed the edges and applied a topcoat of glue. After it dried I screwed the knobs in. Here's the final product:

I haven't put it up yet, but you get the idea! I'm also hoping to make a bib holder like this with the leftover wood.

I RAN!

2011-12-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned previously, my chiropractor encouraged me to start running again. So on Monday afternoon I headed to the gym with one goal: run. There were no goals beyond that. I didn’t care if I ran 10 steps and called it quits, I just wanted to try running. My plan was to walk ½ a mile, run ¼ a mile, walk ½ a mile, run ¼ mile, etc. I wanted to run ¼ a mile 4 times for a grand total of 1 mile. That was my plan, but not necessarily a goal.

I was excited and nervous as I slowly increased my speed from walking at 3.5 mph to ~~running~~ ~~jogging~~ shuffling at 5 mph. It felt weird to be moving like that and my legs were all like, what in the world are you doing? While my back didn’t feel spectacular, it didn’t hurt more than it hurt when I was walking. My right hip felt tight as did my right piriformis muscle. It didn’t feel right but at the same time it wasn’t sending shooting pain throughout my whole body with every step like it used to.

I was able to run ¼ a mile 4 times and I was very happy that I was able to run a mile. I was hoping and praying that my back was actually better enough to handle that and crossing my fingers I wouldn’t be regretting it in the morning. Although I was happy about being able to do this, I was still a little disappointed in the way that it just didn’t feel right. Thinking about this later though, I’m sure most of this was because I haven’t run at all in 6 weeks.

On Tuesday morning I woke up and I was a little sorer than the day before, but nothing major. On Tuesday afternoon I had a chiro appointment and I told her that I had tried to run. She didn’t seem too concerned that it didn’t feel right, and she was pretty happy for me that I ran a little bit. She could tell that I was scared to start running again, but encouraged me to keep running (but you know, not try to do a marathon next week or anything). The e-stim and ultrasound felt so good on my back. She also put some more kinesio tape on my back/butt. She said that now that the SI joint has stabilized, it has moved to affecting more of the muscles around the joint than the actual joint. This is why it seemed like my pain was moving around a little bit, and this is also why it’s still really important for me to do a lot of stretching and strengthening. She changed me to only having one appointment per week, so that means she thinks I’m getting better!

Yesterday after the chiro appointment I headed to the gym to lift weights and do core work for 50 minutes. I felt pretty good the entire time. This morning (Wednesday) I woke up and my back felt GREAT! Usually my back pain is the first thing I notice when I get out of bed. My pain is always the worst in the morning, too, and it generally feels a little better throughout the day. So to wake up and hardly notice it is huge for me! I’m hoping that I’m actually getting better and I’m not just feeling better because the tape is on there (the tape has fooled me in the past!).

My plan is to ride on the indoor trainer this afternoon and maybe attempt running some more on Thursday. I don’t think I’ll be starting any marathon training anytime soon, but at least I see myself running in the near future. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Monday Motivation: Courage, Part 3

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

I saw this quote on the Running Chics Facebook Page and loved it. It can be tough to keep going when things aren't going our way. But if we never risk failing, we'll never know if we can succeed.

Part 1
Part 2

In My Dreams

2011-12-03T12:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Clarinda wrote a post about a strange dream she had that included a few other bloggers. I just happened to show up even though we have never met in real life. Some people might think that's weird but if you read peoples' blogs regularly enough you really feel like you begin to know them as if they were a FiRL (Friend in Real Life). Other bloggers will know what I'm talking about. Strange but not creepy.

Aren't our dreams a little weird sometimes? You can dream about something that never even happened but it can feel so real. You can dream about things that happen over and over and over in your life. You can dream about things you're afraid of or dreading. You can dream about things you really really want to happen. Sometimes I think you can even dream about something that is going to happen.

Last night I had a dream that I was running. And it didn't hurt. I've actually had this dream a few times. I'm not always running, but in my dreams I'm always moving around without my back hurting. And it's awesome.

My back is feeling better and better as time goes on. Some days it hurts more than it did the day before, but overall I know am getting better! On Thursday my chiropractor asked me if I had run yet and I said no. She actually suggested that I slowly and gradually try to start running again since my back is starting to feel better. She recommended running 1/4 mile, walking 1/2 mile, running 1/4 mile, etc. And of course I need to stop immediately if it starts to hurt (no I'll just run through it attitudes are allowed!).

This makes me nervous. What if it starts to hurt? What if I don't feel it and I totally screw up my back again? I know that only I know when I'm ready to run so I don't technically have to listen to my doctor (and if I don't feel like I'm ready then I won't do it!). But if I want to run again one day I am going to have to, well, start running. Sometimes those first steps can be the hardest and the scariest because you don't know how things are going to turn out. So yes, I'm nervous about running 1/4 mile, but it's time to put my big girl pants on and do it. So here's to hoping that my dreams will come true.

P.S. Please give me feedback on the background on my blog. Love it? Hate it? Too crazy? Thanks!

Perseverance + Desktop Backgrounds

2011-12-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

So I have discovered that I really enjoy making these inspirational pictures with quotes, definitions, sayings, etc. I created a new tab on my page just for these images so that you can see them whenever you want! They would make a great desktop background for your computer. The one above is made for a widescreen monitor but I will make some for standard monitors as well. For best results, click on the image to view it larger before you try to save it. If you re-post them on your site, please be kind enough to mention me (and please don't crop out my website name or I will have to put a huge ugly watermark on all of them).

If you have a favorite quote or saying that you would like to see made into an image like this, let me know and I'll make it just for you!

Never ever EVER give up

2011-12-01T15:51:00.001-05:00

I was very inspired by this article that I read the other day about Monique van der Vorst, who became paralyzed in one leg at the age of 13 after a routine ankle operation caused nerve damage. She had just taken up cycling prior to the operation.

She was confined to a wheelchair for 13 years, during which time she took up hand cycling and competed on national and international levels. She won six European and three world championship titles. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons!

Tragically (or though it may have seemed), she was hit by a car in 2008. The accident caused damage to her spinal cord and she was completely paralyzed from the waist down. Later that same year, she won two silver medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

In 2010, while training for the 2012 paralympics and when she considered herself to be in the ‘best shape ever’, she was involved in yet another accident (which again, probably seemed really tragic at the time). What happened here is amazing. “Her body went into spasm and she started to feel tingling on first one foot and then the other. By the end of the year, she was walking again.” Wow.

“She has now swapped her hand bike for a regular model and has started racing competitively. Earlier this week, she was signed by the Dutch Rabobank’s women’s cycling team, where she will train with some of the world’s best…Mr. Eisenga [Rabobank’s press officer] said, ‘When we met Monique, we saw an athlete with incredible willpower and the right mentality for sport.’…Asked if she might make it to the Olympics, he said: ‘In sport, everything is possible.’”

While it is truly miraculous that through a series of tragic incidents van der Vorst regained her ability to walk, what inspired me the most was her drive and determination when she was paralyzed. She never gave up. When she was faced with challenges it only made her push herself to a new level of excellence.

I can’t help but try to apply this story to my situation. While I am far from being paralyzed, I’m faced with an injury that has kept me from running. My back is feeling much better than it did 5 weeks ago when I first hurt it, but it’s still there and I know I’m not ready to run yet. I have been cycling, lifting weights, doing yoga, and walking.

Part of me has enjoyed this break from running because I’ve been able to do different things, but I have also really missed being able to just go for a run. I really do think (and hope and pray) that I will return to running soon, and I really do want to be able to run at least one marathon in my life. But I have also considered that maybe my body just can’t handle the stress of running a marathon without breaking. And you know what? That’s okay.

Yes, I am going to try again. I am going to try my hardest to never give up. But if I find that running a marathon is not what I’m supposed to do, I am going to be the best at whatever it is I AM supposed to do. I want to run more (and faster) half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks. I want to start running on trails. I want to be a better cyclist and not be so afraid to let go of the brakes when I’m going downhill. Regardless of what I’m doing, I want to make fitness a priority for the rest of my life.

I’ve always felt like every true runner has to run a marathon at least once. But then I’m reminded of this quote by John Bingham, which says, “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” So true.

Please don’t read this as me giving up on myself and saying that I’m never going to run a marathon. While I can’t guarantee that I will run a marathon, I can guarantee is that I will try. And if I fail at that, I’m going to try to succeed at something else.

We can all learn from Monique van der Vorst. Whatever you're doing, always give it your best and try your hardest. And no matter what your circumstances, never ever EVER give up.

Monday Motivation: Courage, Part 2

2011-11-28T17:41:00.000-05:00

Did you miss Part 1? Check it out HERE.

Social Media Updates

2011-11-27T15:05:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to make you all aware of a few things. Since I changed the name of my blog from The Running Cook to Sweat Junkie, I updated Facebook and Twitter as well.

Unfortunately, Facebook won't allow you to change the URL of your Facebook page (which was www.facebook.com/therunningcook), so my only option was to create a whole new page. That means you need to go here: http://www.facebook.com/sweatjunkie and "Like" me.

My Twitter username has also changed from @therunningcook to @sweatylauren. Since Twitter is cooler than Facebook, you don't need to do anything and if you are already following me, you will just see my tweets show up under my new name. If you're not following me yet, go here to follow: https://twitter.com/#!/sweatylauren.

If we're not friends on Daily Mile yet and you want to see how I'm getting my sweat on, you can find me here: http://www.dailymile.com/people/LaurenH11.

On Klout (which I have yet to completely figure out), you can find me here: http://www.klout.com/#/sweatylauren.

I think that's all for now. Thanks for bearing with me through this transition! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and long weekend!

Time for me to go lift things up and put them down!

Dusting off my Garmin

2011-11-26T11:41:00.006-05:00

Since I haven't been able to run in a month, my Garmin has been sitting on our desk, unused and collecting dust.

With it getting dark so early and it being colder outside, my means of sweating over the past month has mostly consisted of riding this beaut inside for 45 minutes to an hour without knowing how far I've gone...

That is, until a few days ago when a new toy came in the mail!

Garmin speed & cadence sensor + Garmin bike mount = data nerd is happy once more.

The Running Cook has moved!

2011-11-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

Effective today, "The Running Cook" has changed to "Sweat Junkie". My domain name is www.sweat-junkie.com, however if you go to www.therunningcook.blogspot.com, you should get redirected here. If you're already following, you shouldn't have to do anything!

Also, you can now e-mail me at lauren@sweat-junkie.com.

Thanks!

P.S. No, I'm not having an identity crisis!

P.P.S. Please don't mind if things look weird on here for a while. I'm changing a few designs, but nothing major.

Thanksgiving: Pinterest Edition

2011-11-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

Source: classy-in-the-city.tumblr.com via Maggie on Pinterest

Source: libby-bonjour.blogspot.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Melinda on Pinterest

Source: fitisthenewbeautiful.tumblr.com via Journal on Pinterest

Source: rebeccacooper.blogspot.com via Becky on Pinterest

Source: designwithlife.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: callmeblessed.com via Angel on Pinterest

Source: whatinspires.me via Liz on Pinterest

Look Who's Late to the Versatile Blogger Party!

2011-11-23T17:33:00.000-05:00

About a million years ago I was tagged by Emily @ in the between and XLMIC @ Taking it On to participate in the Versatile Blogger game.

The "rules":
1. Thank the giver (Thanks Emily & XL!)
2. Share 7 random things about yourself (see below)
3. Tag 15 people (below).

One.
I’m a nerd. I really love Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and utilizing formulas in spreadsheets. I finished 4 years of college in 3 years (part of this is thanks to a few credits I picked up in high school). I really loved my accounting, information systems, and operational management classes in college. My job now has nothing to do with this stuff now, and that makes me a little sad.

These are not really my glasses.

Two.
The first time I spoke to my husband I was wearing a Santa Clause outfit. HOT.

(he is the one in the back with his eyes closed...he's still a blinker)

The next time we spoke I was wearing a Jeep t-shirt, which I still have and probably always will.

He told me that he liked my shirt. We both drove and loved Jeeps so that’s how we started talking and we realized we had so much in common. The rest is history.

Three.
I’ve never changed a baby’s diaper in my life. I babysat kids 2 times when I was younger, but they were old enough not to crap their pants. I want to have kids one day, but I don’t consider myself “good” with kids. They kind of scare me. I’m hoping God will just give me those skills (to include diaper changing) whenever we decide to have kids. Yes, I am going to be that girl at the hospital asking the nurses how to change a diaper. I’ll probably be referencing Google and YouTube a lot (fun fact: if you type "how to change a diaper" in the YouTube search, there are 9,440 results. I think I'll be okay).

Four.
We haven't gone in a while, but Andrew and I like to go shooting together. I have my concealed carry permit. So you know, don’t try to be a creepy stalker or anything.

Five.
I can fall asleep in about 3 minutes. If it takes me any where near 10 minutes to fall asleep (or heaven forbid, 20 minutes), I consider that “having a really hard time sleeping”. Also, I always make a noise (a hum/grunt noise) and/or have a full-body twitch when I’m falling asleep (right before I’m actually asleep). That’s how my husband knows I’m asleep and he thinks its funny. Sometimes making my noise and twitching wakes me up.

Six.
I have the worst poker face ever. I am so terrible at keeping a straight face when I need too.

Seven.
I live in the same city where I grew up and I have no intentions of moving. I also went to college here. I don't get out much! I love where I live and I love being near my family.

Okay, your turn. I picked these completely randomly, however they are "newer" followers of mine (which means I am going down my Google followers list and seeing who else has a blog!):
1. Jeanette @ Journey to Health & Happiness
2. Jen @ Concrete and Coffee
3. Corrina @ Mama Needs to Run
4. Katherine @ Neon Blonde Runner
5. Candice @ I Have Run
6. Zaneta @ Runner's Luck
7. Lisa @ Early Morning Run
8. Jen @ Running with the girls
9. Michael @ Slowly Tri-ing
Okay - now blogger is being stupid and slow so I can't click on any more names right now. Seriously, if you want to play along, consider yourself tagged!

Changes @ The Running Cook

2011-11-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

Sometime soon, "The Running Cook" will change to "Sweat Junkie".

I just wanted to let you know before I did it, so that you weren't all like, "Who the heck is 'Sweat Junkie' and why is their blog showing up in my Google Reader?!" I will have my own domain (I will let you know what it is once I actually do it), but you should get automatically directed there.

I loved everyone's suggestions for blog titles. Some of them that I really liked were already taken. This is a spin off of Emily's suggestion of "Endorphin Junkie" (that one was taken, too). Sweat Junkie seems to fit me because not only do I sweat a ton, but in this break of no running I have realized more than ever that I'm addicted to sweating.

That is all. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

PS - I will be gradually making some design changes on the blog, so please ignore it if you come here and it's all jacked up or it looks like it changes everyday! Thanks :)

Monday Motivation

2011-11-21T06:14:00.000-05:00

Richmond Marathon Spectating Report

2011-11-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't been keeping up, I was supposed to run in my first marathon last weekend but instead I had my very first DNS (did not start, for all you non-runners) due to injuring my back. While I was bummed about not being able to run, I would not have missed the opportunity to cheer on and support my running partner for anything!!

Andrew and I traveled to Richmond the day before the race. It was a beautiful day, although a bit cool and breezy.

View from Afton Mountain on the way

We got to Richmond around 2 and headed to the expo to pick up my $80 t-shirt that I can't wear with pride. The expo was busy and a little overwhelming, but it was fun nonetheless. We met up with Grace and her husband there and walked around for a little bit with them. Then we decided to go check out the start/finish area just to get an idea of where everything would be. After that we went out to eat at an Italian restaurant so that Grace could carb up! Grace had everything planned out as far as where she wanted people stationed so that she could hand off gloves/jackets and pick up more water and fuel. So once we had everything planned out, we went our separate ways for the evening.

The race started at 8 AM and it was a chilly morning with temps in the low 30s. The temps warmed up into the low 60s and thankfully it was sunny and not too windy, so it really wasn't that bad. Since Grace wanted us to wait at mile 13, we didn't go to the start since it would have been really crazy and hard to find a place to park. We actually didn't leave the hotel until 8:30, and we headed straight for mile 13.

Mile 13 was a "Party Zone" so there were lots of people cheering in this section. It was pretty fun actually. I got a pretty sweet cowbell that I intend on using at all future spectating events. The excitement really started to build as the runners started to show up. Shockingly, the Kenyans were winning.

Here's me being an AWESOME spectator with my messed up hair, cowbell, and Team Sparkle skirt (It was our plan to wear matching skirts as we ran. Grace still wore hers so I wore mine over my jeans!):

Names were printed on the bibs, so it was fun to cheer for complete strangers by name. Andrew thought this was a little weird, and I was a little embarrassed because it's not really my style either. I did it a few times anyways and the runners would usually smile and say "thanks".

It was so exciting to see Grace round the corner and come our way.

I walked quickly next to her for a little bit as she gave me her gloves and her jacket. I poured some water into her handheld and handed her a bag of chews and a fig newton. She seemed to be doing great at that point, and I was really excited for her.

Off she went and off we went to wait for her at the finish. Traffic and parking downtown was a little crazy because of all the people and the road closures. We had plenty of time to spare though, so it wasn't a big deal.

Once we parked, we found a spot to wait that was about 200 yards away from the finish. Runners from the half and full marathon were continuously approaching the finish, so it was pretty exciting. The last 1/2 mile is downhill, which was brutal for some but a great opportunity for others to ~~sprint like crazy maniacs~~ finish really strong.

I absolutely loved watching everybody approach the finish. Some people were smiling. You could see pain on the faces of others. Some people were crying (from happiness and/or pain). Some people looked like runners. Others looked like average people. Some people were sprinting. Others could barely walk. The crowd was supporting all of the runners, and the runners were supporting each other.

One of the notable things I saw was one guy finishing the half marathon on crutches. Crazy beast.

I was so excited when I saw Grace coming towards the finish.

Her official time was 5:07! Woohoo!

Me with Grace after she finished.

I am so proud of Grace for finishing and doing so great. I wanted to be out there with her so much, but there was nothing better than seeing her cross the finish line and accomplish something so awesome and something that she had worked so hard for.

After the race we went to a few bike shops, ate a late lunch, and headed home. It was a really fun trip, and I hope to be able to spectate at more marathons in the future. Oh, and I still hope to be able to run in one too ;)

3 Weeks

2011-11-17T18:36:00.000-05:00

It has officially been 3 weeks since my last run.

I really appreciate everyone’s encouragement and praise of my good attitude about all of this, but I just need to be honest and say that my thoughts and outlook are far from positive right now. I know people are struggling with problems way worse than this and I realize that I am a very blessed person, so I feel bad for even whining about it. But this is my blog so I’m going to anyways. Honey badger don’t care!

My back still hurts. It doesn’t hurt as much as it did 3 weeks ago, but I know that I would really screw it up again if I tried to go for a run today. The Richmond Marathon has come and gone. In some ways I thought that its passing would make me feel better, but it has only made me feel worse. There’s no way my back can miraculously feel better and I’ll be able to run it because it has already happened. Now my focus is not on whether or not I’ll be able to run the Richmond Marathon, but if I will ever be able to run a marathon or be able to do any kind of distance running at all.

I know that people have recovered from injuries far worse than what I’m dealing with, but right now I’m really having a hard time being patient and keeping an optimistic attitude. I know I said that I enjoy cycling, but not being able to run has made me realize how much I actually love running. You never know how much you love something until it is taken away. Also, cycling is kind of boring right now because all of it is inside between the colder weather and it getting dark so early. And what’s more, I learned the hard way that the fat seats on the bikes at the gym make my pirifomis muscle want to scream. I would love to add swimming to the mix, but I’m missing that whole “having a pool at my gym” thing.

I’m signed up to run the Blue Ridge Marathon on April 21, 2012. I signed up last year right after I ran the half marathon because prices were super cheap. When I realized I wouldn’t be able to run the Richmond Marathon, Blue Ridge became by back-up plan. Earlier this week I began designing a 20 week training plan that will hopefully prepare me to finish this marathon. The problem? 20 weeks from the race begins the first week of December. I’m not even sure if I will be able to start training for this race on time. Oh, and did I mention that the Blue Ridge Marathon claims to be *ahem* America’s Toughest Road Marathon with 3,620 feet of elevation gain (7,234 feet of elevation change)? Even if I’m feeling 100% better this would be a daunting task (don’t worry, the marathon is in my hometown so I’d have plenty of opportunities to train on these hills!).

So I’m clearly pretty depressed about still not being able to run right now. I get sad when I read other running blogs and my twitter feed and see that everyone is having fun without me. My attitude towards everything else in life has suffered as well, even though I know I shouldn't let this affect the rest of my life. I know that my happiness in life should not depend on being able to run, but it’s so hard when you’re not able to do something you’re passionate about, even if it’s just putting one foot in front of the other.

There’s no real positive point or end to this post; I just wanted to express how I’m feeling right now. I’m not sure when all of this will resolve, which is ultimately why I’m so frustrated. So anyways, this concludes my whining (for now).

On a happier note, I’m signed up to walk the Drumstick Dash (5K) with my mom on Thanksgiving morning. It will be fun, even if we’re just walking. I think I heard they are expecting somewhere around 15,000 walkers and runners, and it all helps to support the local Rescue Mission. I would love to be able to run the Jingle Bell Run (5K) on December 10th, but I might end up walking that one too!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

2011-11-10T05:30:00.000-05:00

This post was inspired by a tweet I read yesterday from Tough Chik. The tweet said "Two steps forward and one step back is still ONE STEP FORWARD". I read it, loved it, and retweeted it. I kept thinking about this saying yesterday and I thought about it a lot in the shower this morning (I do my best thinking in there!). I liked it so much I made my first inspirational picture!

Yes, these are my legs. Yes, I used my camera's self-timer. No, I was not actually walking. Yes, I looked silly. No, I didn't care.

Being injured and not being able to run my first marathon is definitely a step backwards. Yes, it really sucks that I put in 15.5 weeks of training, made it through all of the hard weeks, and got all the way to the taper before this happened. It’s so easy to focus on the negative and so easily forget the positive things that I have accomplished. Training for this marathon has increased my physical and mental endurance to a level I never thought was possible. I ran 20 miles. Twice. And before that I ran 15 miles. 17 miles. 18 miles. Each of these longs was a big accomplishment for me. Even though I’m not able to put my training to use and run this specific marathon, nothing can take away my past accomplishments.

Life is a journey and we’re not always moving in a straight line. Sometimes we have to take an unexpected detour and we don’t reach our destination on time. Sometimes we have to turn around because we’re lost. Sometimes we run out of gas and we have to stop completely. We can map out a perfect route, but chances are things won’t go as planned. We hit bumps in the road and it forces us to make decisions we weren’t necessarily prepared to make. We have to change our plans and adapt.

The important thing is to not let your one step back turn into two steps. Because then two steps turn into three, and it’s a slippery slope from there. Analyze what went wrong. Ask yourself if what happened was completely out of your control or if you could have prevented it. If it was out of your control, there’s not much you can do but pick up the pieces and move on. Stressing out about whatever happened is not going to make anything any better. If it was within your control, take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from happening again. This won’t just magically happen for you. It will require hard work and dedication. It won’t be easy to do, but it will be worth it.

In my case, the cause of my problem was weakness. Once I got into higher mileage, I spent most of my time focusing on running and I didn’t make time for strength training, core work, or a lot of stretching. There’s really no excuse for that, but I could whine and tell you I didn’t have time or I was too tired from running so much.

A lot of our setbacks are ultimately caused by a weakness. We’re not perfect and we all have weaknesses, which is why our journeys don’t always turn out like we planned. But we can make small changes to make ourselves stronger; there is always a way to strengthen a weakness. Make a plan to implement these changes into your life and be patient as you gradually begin to see results.

Once we address our weaknesses and become stronger, we’re better able to adapt to the situations that caused our setback before. You will become stronger than when you were at "two steps forward" and you’ll progress to three and four steps forward. At this point you may look back on your setback and actually be thankful for it, because you know it helped make you stronger.

Back Update and Info on Kinesio Tape

2011-11-08T18:05:00.001-05:00

My back is feeling so much better and I am so happy that I am almost back to walking without pain! It still hurts a little bit when I am going up the stairs or if I am off-balance (i.e. walking with my purse on one side). I have enjoyed cycling during this break and my legs have been getting a good workout. I also did some upper body strength training and core work yesterday so my upper half is pretty sore today. After feeling rather slothish over the past week and a half, it felt good to be sore.

I wouldn't trade feeling better for anything, but it makes having decided not to do the marathon tougher on me. It has me wondering if I did the right thing, but my doctor reassured me that I made the right decision. I know this was the smart thing to do, and I'm trying to plan out my next move!

Yesterday my doctor applied some Kinesio Tape to my butt area (since my pirifomis is also bugging me). I had heard of Kinesio Tape before and I received a sample of KT Tape with my Team Sparkle Skirt. But I hadn't used it yet because I really didn't know what the heck to do with it and I would probably have just put tape on myself unnecessarily and incorrectly. I have noticed a big improvement in my back over the past 2 days. I'm sure I'm just getting better, but I think the Kinesio Tape has definitely helped out!

source

Kinesio Tape can be used to help treat ailments all over your body. My doctor gave me a handout on the benefits of Kineso Tape:

It helps to reduce pain by causing the body to release endorphins and enkephalins (the body's natural pain relievers).
It helps (chiropractic) adjustments hold by gently supporting the area.
It reduces swelling by improving lymphatic flow
It reduces muscle spasm by reducing muscle fatigue and over-contraction.

I also checked out this article from How Stuff Works. Here's some more info from this article:

Kinesiology = the science behind muscular and skeletal movement
The Kinesio Taping Method was developed by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1979
"This taping method gently lifts the layer of skin and attached tissue covering a muscle so that blood and other body fluids can move more freely in and around that muscle."
"Kinesiology tape is applied on top of an injured or strained area to stabilize it, but care is always taken to ensure that a muscle or tendon is never encircled with a ring of tape. As you move, the tape, skin and connective tissue (or fascia) over the muscle or tendon also move, pulling slightly away from the muscle and creating space for lymphatic fluid to flow around and cleanse the inflamed tissue."
"To ensure a full range of motion for the wearer, Kinesio Tape is very thin and made with a porous cotton fabric. The fabric lets the skin breathe and has an elasticity comparable to that of the skin and muscles. The sticky side of the tape uses a water-repellant, medical-grade acrylic adhesive that further supports the muscles and connective tissues. In addition, the tape can stay put for three to four days even through sweating and showering, and Kinesio makes a waterproof tape for use on hands and feet"
"Its primary benefit over traditional athletic tape is that it's designed to allow freedom of movement and flow of body fluids to speed the healing process."
"Before you attempt taping, get informed. Even if you're familiar with the muscles you're treating, applying the tape incorrectly could do more harm than good."
"Perhaps the biggest challenge in using kinesiology tape is that you can't always use it correctly by yourself. If you're treating muscles in your back, for example, getting the correct tape placement could be difficult, if not impossible, on your own. If the muscles you're treating are difficult to reach, consider getting a kinesiology tape buddy who's willing to learn to help apply the tape properly."

On the KT Tape website, you can find instructional videos on how to properly apply KT Tape. Again, if you're not sure, you should probably check with a doctor first.

Have you ever used Kinesio Tape?
This is my first time! (I know, I know...TWSS)

P.S. Keep those blog name ideas coming! I really like a lot of them!

I'm thinking about changing my name...

2011-11-06T14:09:00.002-05:00

My blog name, that is. And I need your help!

I will be the first to tell you that this blog has been less about cooking and food than I thought it would be. It turns out that taking fancy pictures of things you cook and uploading them and writing out how to make it is more time consuming than I thought. I'm totally okay with that and of course I do occasionally do recipe posts, but I think the title of my blog has become misleading. I still have a passion for cooking (mostly just eating good food). But the blogging about it part? Not so much.

Secondly, since I haven't run in a week and a half (due to injury), I have had some time to reflect. And time to ride my bike. And time to lift weights. I have come to the realization that it doesn't so much matter what I'm doing, it just matters that I'm doing something.

Yes, I miss running terribly right now and I am devastated that next weekend will come and go without me running in the marathon I have trained for over the past 17 weeks (15.5 weeks of pre-injury training). Trust me, I know it really sucks! But I know I will run again sometime, hopefully sooner rather than later, and when I do I will enjoy it again.

In the mean time, I've also enjoyed riding my bike. I want to be able to cycle more. I also want to start swimming (I don't have the means to do that right now, but it's something I want to do). Who knows, I might even cross over to the dark side...

Reflecting back on my active pursuits throughout my life, I remember always loving whatever I was doing. When I was in elementary and middle school I loved playing on a soccer team. When I was in middle school, high school, and college, I loved playing competitive tennis. After college and in the beginning of married life, going to the gym was enough for me. A year and a half ago I fell in love with running.

It might sound like I just have trouble sticking with one sport, and while that might be true, it's clear to me that I love whatever I'm doing. I love sweating. I love challenging myself physically. I love how it makes me feel healthy and makes me a better person. I feel this way no matter what activity I'm doing, as long as I am doing something.

So with that said, I'm thinking of making my blog title less running-specific, if that makes sense.

Here's where I need your help! I'm thinking that I want my blog title to have something to do with sweating or endorphins or something. After all, sweating and endorphins are what I ultimately love. Also, I sweat A LOT. I'm not trying to copy anyone (like Emily @ www.sweatonceaday.com), and the domain names for the first few names I thought of are already taken (Sweating it Off, Sweat it Off, Sweating it Out, Sweat it Out).

The next name I thought of was Sweaty Life, but I'm not 100% sure I like it yet.

possible logo?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail if you have any ideas. Thanks!

P.S. In the mean time, please don't go out and steal the domain name sweatylife.com.

Inspiration from Eleanor Roosevelt

2011-11-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

I have been so overwhelmed with everyone's support as I have been dealing with my injury and making the tough decision about whether or not I should run my first marathon next weekend. On Friday I received a sweet e-mail from my awesome sister-in-law with some quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt that she discovered in the book My Year with Eleanor. I found them to be very encouraging and inspiring so I thought I would pass them along!

"Nothing alive can stand still, it goes forward or back. Life is interesting only as long as it is a process of growth."

"Looking back I see that I was always afraid of something: of the dark, of displeasing people, of failure. Anything I accomplished had to be done across a barrier of fear."

"Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart. Don't be concerned about whether people are watching you or criticizing you. The chances are that they aren't paying any attention to you."

"The encouraging thing is that every time you meet a situation, though you may think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it you find that forever after you are freer than you ever were before. . . . You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'"

"My life can be so arranged that I can live on whatever I have. If I cannot live as I have lived in the past, I shall live differently, and living differently does not mean living with less attention to the things that make life gracious and pleasant or with less enjoyment of things of the mind."

"Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product . . . For what keeps our interest in life and makes us look forward to tomorrow is giving pleasure to other people."

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear, for newer and richer experience."

"A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humble and deals charitably with the circumstances of life."

"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down."

"We are constantly advancing, like explorers, into the unknown, which makes life an adventure all the way. How interminable and dull that journey would be if it were on a straight road over a flat plain, if we could see ahead the whole distance, without surprises, without the salt of the unexpected, without challenge."

"About the only value the story of my life may have is to show that one can, even without any particular gifts, overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable if one is willing to face the fact that they must be overcome; that, in spite of timidity and fear, in spite of a lack of special talents, one can find a way to life widely and fully."

Thanks again Katherine!

Injury Update and DIY Ice Packs

2011-11-04T14:31:00.000-04:00

First, let me say thanks to everyone who left encouraging comments, suggestions, and sympathized with me and my injury. I really appreciate it!

Yesterday when I was at the chiropractor, she told me that I have sprained my sacroiliac (SI) joint and pulled my piriformis muscle. For those of you who have never heard of those two things, here are some pictures courtesy of Google:

source

Some more information on this injury (the text in pink is from this website):

Sprains of the sacroiliac joints are caused by excessive movement, this can occur in a one off event such as a fall or car accident or more commonly developed over time due to repetitive micro-trauma (I'm pretty sure running = repetitive micro-trauma).

Excessive stress on the joint capsule causes microscopic damage to the ligaments surrounding the joint. The joint then becomes inflamed and painful.

The body reacts to this by instructing the muscles to tighten up to prevent more damage but this muscle spasm tends to last for longer than it is useful, resulting in more pain (awesome!).

It is common to get referred pain from the muscles that go into spasm. The most commonly involved are the piriformis (that's what I pulled), gluteal (buttock) and psoas muscles.

Problems with the hip, knee and feet can all put increased pressure on the sacroiliac joint, which can become painful over time due to repetitive strain (Remember when I rolled my ankle really bad nearly a month ago? Even though my ankle was feeling strong enough to handle 20 miles twice, it definitely could have thrown off my stride and put pressure on the joint. The pain I have now is on the same side as the ankle I rolled.).

Some signs and symptoms of SI dysfunction from another website:

Pain located either to the left or right of your lower back. The pain can range from an ache to a sharp pain which can restrict movement. (It's sharp when I walk and a little achy when I sit)
The pain may radiate out into your buttocks and low back and will often radiate to the front into the groin. (Definitely a PITA!)
Occasionally there may be referred pain into the lower limb which can be mistaken for sciatica. (At first I thought it might be sciatica)
Classic symptoms are difficulty turning over in bed (I had a hard time sleeping comfortably last night), struggling to put on shoes and socks (this hurts really bad) and pain getting your legs in and out of the car (this only hurts getting in and out of the passenger side when I have to put my weight on my right leg).
Stiffness in the lower back when getting up after sitting for long periods and when getting up from bed in the morning (yep).
Aching to one side of your lower back when driving long distances (mmm hmm).
There may be tenderness on palpating the ligaments which surround the joint (and check).

So, I'm pretty sure that's what I have. Unfortunately I'm not feeling much better and that's frustrating to me. This isn't really the kind of injury that gets better quickly (according to my consult with Dr. Google) so I'm not blaming the chiropractor for not being able to fix me as quickly as I'd like!

I told the doctor today that I was pretty sure (at this rate) that I'm not going to be better in time for the marathon next weekend. She agreed. I mean, it still hurts just to walk and I haven't run in over a week now. Of course if I'm still hurting this way next Friday, there is no way I'm going to think about doing it and I don't need a doctor to tell me that doing it would be dumb! The doctor told me that if I'm feeling better next week, I could probably make it through with the endorphins (nature's pain killer). But, as I suspected she would say, the joint is still going to be weak because it won't have had time to properly heal by then. If I run it, I'll probably be in a world of hurt and not be able to run for a while. That is not what I want at all. Having this pain for a week so far has been enough! I want it to go away ASAP because it's awful.

So I haven't made my final decision, but I'm seeing my little dream of running a marathon temporarily flying away. The doctor was at least encouraging and told me that getting through this would probably make me a stronger runner in the long run (no pun intended), which is just what I needed to hear!

Part of the treatment for this injury, as it is for many others, has been ice. Ice acts as an anti-inflammatory which helps to reduce pain and aid in recovery.

We have a smaller ice pack, but I wanted a larger one to cover more of my back at one time. I tried using bags filled with ice but they weren't as comfortable as my ice pack. I've also used bags of frozen veggies before, but they start to smell weird if you leave them out too long. I looked online and you can buy some larger ice gel packs for anywhere between $20 - $40. That's a little steep if you ask me. So, I did a little Googling and learned how to make my own ice packs.

It's super easy. All you need is a gallon size ziplock bag (or 2 if you double-bag), rubbing alcohol, and water.

Pour the water and rubbing alcohol into the bag in a 3:1 ratio (I ended up using 4.5 cups of water and 1.5 cups of 91% rubbing alcohol).

A lot of the sites suggested adding food coloring to the liquid so that you wouldn't confuse it with something edible. I don't really know how in the world you would confuse this with something edible, but I decided to label mine "ice pack" in case I ever opened my freezer and thought about eating it. Also, if this thing ever leaks, I'd rather have clear liquid all over the place than blue or green liquid. And speaking of leaking, I would recommend double bagging the ice pack and maybe also reinforcing the sides with some duct tape or packing tape just in case.

Let it freeze. Duh.

I took a low quality video with my phone so that you could see how it stays flexible and gel-like. This is straight out of the freezer and it's been in there for almost 24 hours.

This thing is super cold, so make sure that you don't apply it directly to your skin.

Injury, A Tough Decision, and Advice Needed!

2011-11-02T16:56:00.000-04:00

Last week I was hit with an injury. This is where it hurts:

The red circles seem to be sources of pain and the arrows are where it feels like it's radiating. Also, I don't have red hair but this picture makes it look like I do.

About 2ish weeks ago I started having a little intermittent tightness in my lower back. It just sort of felt like I needed to give it a good twist and pop, but I couldn’t. I ignored it and for the most part it didn’t bother me. I ran a tough 20 miler last Sunday and I wasn’t feeling any pain in my back, though I might not have noticed it because I was too concerned about not throwing up. I took a rest day on Monday and cycled on Tuesday. On Wednesday I ran 4 miles. I was definitely feeling the pain at the beginning and during my entire run, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop.

When I got out of bed on Thursday morning I could barely walk. Each time I took a step and shifted my weight to my right side, I felt a super sharp pain in my lower back/butt/hip on the right side. It made me wince with every step and I knew something was wrong. I could tell it was definitely not a pulled muscle or something; this was nerve-related and I have never had any problems with this before. There is a very big difference in the pain that comes from muscle soreness and the pain that comes from a nerve being pinched or compressed in the wrong way. It sort of sends a shock through your whole body.

I generally don’t go to the doctor for things that I consider minor aches or pains, and I don’t go when I have a cold. But this was so bad that I immediately checked my insurance provider directory for a chiropractor, called them, and asked if they could see me as new patient the same day. Thankfully they could see me within just a few hours.

When I got to the chiropractor she moved me around in all different directions and asked which movements hurt. Leaning forward felt better but it hurt when I came back up. Laying on my back and sticking my right leg up in the air and having my toes pulled down towards me hurt. She took some x-rays then did some adjustments with a drop table and an activator. She could tell that something was off because there was about an inch difference in my leg lengths. Then I was hooked up to an electrical muscle stimulator (e-stim) and I also received ultrasound therapy. She told me that my x-rays showed that the space between two of my lower vetebrae is a little bit narrower than it should be and it could be pinching my sciatic nerve. Also, she said the piriformis muscle could be tight and could also be irritating the sciatic nerve. I’m also feeling it in my hip/sacroiliac joint, so I really have a few problems going on here. She said I’ve probably had this for longer than I think and I have just pushed through because that’s what athletes tend to do. I have been to the chiropractor 4 times now for adjustments, e-stim, and ultrasound. I go back again tomorrow and I have 3 more appointments set up for next week.

I am definitely not in as much pain as I was in last Thursday morning, but I’m not getting better as quickly as I would have hoped. Every morning when I get out of bed I’m hoping that the pain will have gone away, but it hasn’t. Each step still hurts. Bending down and standing on one leg to put on a pair of pants or a sock hurts. I can’t imagine what running would feel like right now.

I haven’t run for a week now, though I have tried to stay active on the bike. As you can probably imagine, I’m getting nervous about my marathon. It’s in a week and a half. Here’s what’s going through my head:

If I DON'T Do It:

I have trained specifically for this race since July. I have run countless miles specifically for this event. I have run 20 miles twice. I have invested my time. I have spent pretty much every Saturday morning running and every Saturday afternoon recovering. I have spent money on clothes, shoes, running accessories, fuel, and a registration fee. I have wanted to do this for some time now. Not being able to start my first marathon would be devastating for the obvious reason of having already invested so much time, energy, effort, and money into accomplishing this goal. It would feel like I have wasted a lot.

I have been training with my running partner the whole time. I would feel terrible if I wasn’t able to run it with her. I know that she has trained just as hard and she is perfectly able to run 26.2 miles without me, but I would really feel like I was letting her down.

I really don’t want to have to tell people that I didn’t run it. I’ve been talking about this for months now and I would feel like a failure when they ask me how it went and I have to tell them that I didn’t even start.

Towards the end of my training I kind of decided that I wouldn’t do another marathon. Apparently this feeling changes once you cross the finish line (or at least once you’re over the soreness…). If I don’t do this now, I feel like I won’t have the drive to train for another one. Not only that, but I’m sure I’ll always have the fear in the back of my head that if I train for another marathon I’ll just get injured again.

I don’t want to use this as an excuse not to run if I’m really okay. I was scared enough about doing it when I was feeling fine, and I don’t want this to be an easy way out (or be perceived in that way by others - yes, I do realize that I'm overly concerned with what other people think...).

If I Do It:

I’m worried I won’t be able to finish. I don’t know what kind of effect not running at all for 2.5 weeks beforehand is going to have on me during the race. Also, even if I’m feeling fine before, I don’t know if this will start hurting badly midway through the race. Honestly I’d rather not start than not finish.

I’m worried that I will cause further injury and damage to my spine that could last longer than it has now. I want to be able to keep running after my marathon (after I recover). I don’t want to decide to run based on my emotions then end up in worse shape afterwards. That would just be stupid. I’m planning on asking my doctor her opinion about this, but I have a feeling she won’t be able to give me a straight answer. Thankfully she has done a century ride (kind of like the marathon of cycling), so I think she understands that I’d like to do this if I can. She’s also a doctor so hopefully she won’t recommend that I do something that would cause further injury. I’d rather explain to people why I didn’t start this race than why I can’t run/walk at all anymore.

Things I’m trying to keep in mind:

There will be other marathons.

Running this marathon does not define me as a person. Doing it does not make me any better; not doing it does not make me any worse.

My bib# is 6205. Psalm 62:5 says “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” I can hope that God will allow me to run this marathon, but my hope does not come from running a marathon. The next three verses are also my favorite…Psalm 62:6-8 says “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” This is encouraging to me whether I do it or not!

I have already accomplished so much. I have run 20 miles twice. A year ago I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me that I could run 20 miles.

What I’m worried about with NOT doing it is purely emotional (notice that it says “I feel like…” for every concern). I will probably eventually get over it. What I’m worried about with doing it is physical. If I do it and get injured, I may or may not get over that. Keep in mind that this isn't muscle-related pain, but joint/spine/nerve-related pain.

I’d rather lose a registration fee than drop $$$$ fixing any damage I do. Of course I’m not guaranteed to get injured and cost lost of money, but it’s a risk.

So that’s what’s going on in my mind right now. I want this to get better and I want to run my marathon. I’m hoping that it will feel better and I’ll be able to do it, but I’m also trying to be realistic. Come next Thursday/Friday, if I feel like I feel right now I probably will not be starting my first marathon. I feel like I always come through, but generally everything I experience is a little more acute than this.

If you have any advice or if you’ve been in this situation before or experienced this type of injury, I’d love to hear from you. Sorry this post was so long, but I really had to unload what I was thinking!

Fuel Sampling Giveaway Winner

2011-11-02T05:38:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to announce the winner of the Fuel Sampling Giveaway.

There were 67 entries and Random.org picked comment #9, which belongs to Jen @ Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood!

Congrats, Jen! Send me an e-mail (therunningcook@gmail.com) with a mailing address so that I can send you your winnings.

Thanks again for everyone who entered. I hope my reviews were helpful to at least one person! Hopefully there will be more to come.

Egg Muffin Cups

2011-10-29T11:36:00.000-04:00

Since I've postponed my long run until tomorrow due to the weather and my back hurting (more on that later...), I thought I would share a recipe! This a very yummy and easy recipe that is great for "breakfast for dinner" nights. Or breakfast for breakfast mornings.

I usually eat 2 egg muffin cups, just to give you an idea. You can make as many egg muffin cups as you would like, but here are the ingredients needed for one egg muffin cup:

cooking spray
one slice of bread
one whole egg
2 pinches of shredded cheddar cheese
2 pinches of "real" bacon bits ("real" as in the softer kind, not the crunchy kind)
a few dashes of pepper

To make, spray a muffin cup with cooking spray and press a piece of bread down into the cup. It doesn't have to be pretty, just make sure it covers most of the cup and be sure to really squish it down.

Put a pinch of cheese and bacon bits into the cup and season with a few dashes of pepper. Push this down too so that the egg has plenty of room.

Crack an egg into the cup.

Top with another pinch of cheese and bacon bits as well as a few more dashes of pepper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. I like my yolks a little runny, but my husband doesn't. I guess I'm more of a Salmonella risk taker. So I take mine out at closer to 16-17 minutes and leave his in a little longer. They will continue to set a little bit once you take them out of the oven.

I wish I would have taken a picture of one after I had cut it open, but I didn't so you'll just have to make them for yourself to see :) Enjoy!

Do you ever fix breakfast for dinner?

3 New Things I Love Thursday!

2011-10-27T16:53:00.001-04:00

1. My new iFitness Gel/Bib Holder

You may remember my previous review of the iFitness Ultimate Race Belt. I still love this belt very much and I wear it on all of my runs so that I can carry my phone and gels with me. But I saw a picture of iFitness's gel/bib holder and I really wanted one to wear during races so that it would be less bulky. Since I don't need my phone during a race I don't really need anything with a pouch. This belt is great and it holds up to 6 gels and it also has toggles for holding your bib numbers so that you don't have to pin up your nice running tops and you can make a last minute wardrobe change with ease.

They aren't available online right now, but you can call them and order one very easily (866-334-3960...they are super nice!). They also come in blue, yellow, and black. The cost (when I ordered it) is $10.95 + shipping. Not a bad deal!

I wore it this past weekend since my husband was riding next to me and had a phone. It was very comfortable and it did a great job of holding my gels!

2. My new Amphipod Xinglet

It's starting to stay dark for longer in the mornings and get dark earlier in the evenings. I bought this for my last 20 miler (the good one!) when we had to start in the dark, but I know I will get a lot more use out of it. I wore it on a weeknight run in the neighborhood and I noticed that cars were giving me more room than usual. Maybe they can't see me as well as I think?

I like this because it's not like the unfashionable huge mesh vests that I usually see. The straps around the middle and over the shoulders are fully adjustable. It has a plastic closure in the back (or front...depending on how you wear it) that makes it very easy to put on and take off. I found it very comfortable to run in and I didn't even notice it was on! After I got this I started to notice many other runners with the same thing, so I guess I'm one of the cool kids now. It's very bright and very reflective, which I guess is what we're going for here, huh? They also make another model that has a little pouch on the front to put things in.

You can probably pick one up at your local running store (and if not I know they sell them online) for about $25. Anything that makes running safer is worth every penny to me.

3. My new Moving Comfort Juno Bra

No modeling pictures here, but I am pretty impressed with my new sports bra. I went to my local Fleet Feet and got fitted, which is really good because I probably would have ordered the wrong size if I had tried to take my measurements myself and didn't try anything on first. I used to wear (and still wear when this one is dirty) just a normal Champion compression bra, but I felt like they stretched out too much too soon and didn't do that great of a job holding the girls in place. I am short, so I feel like bra straps are always too long for me and therefore the bra never provides the support I need it to.

What I love about the Juno Bra:

It has an adjustable back closure (like normal bras) but it is still a racer back bra.
The shoulder straps are adjustable, which is great for short people like me :)
It has some slight padding, which is great for when you're sweaty and cold if you know what I mean.
Since it's so adjustable, you can make it as tight as you need it to be, and that means less bouncing.
It comes in regular bra sizes (34B, 36C, etc. vs. S, M, L), so you are actually getting a bra that fits right!

The only thing I don't like about it:

it costs $52. I don't even spend that much on regular bras.

The opinions expressed above are my own. I purchased all of these items myself and I was not asked or compensated to say such nice things about these companies' products.

Marathon Training: Week #15

2011-10-26T20:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted! I started on it on Monday and didn't have time to finish. It's sort of long, so I apologize in advance.

This ended up being a tough week for me. In case you missed my rant on Saturday morning, I started feeling like I was coming down with a cold on Monday and Tuesday. The person in the cubicle next to me at work has been sounding like he's been coughing up a lung for 2 weeks now, so I'm pretty sure his germs jumped over the wall and attacked me. Honestly, I'd rather have this happen now than right before the race. I'm trying to find the silver lining of getting sick!

Anyways, my cold hit me the worst on Wednesday. I couldn't breathe through my nose and I just felt icky. Thursday I wasn't feeling so great either but I at least managed to get in a short run. Friday was a rest day and I was more than happy to take it. I actually got a decent night's sleep on Friday night and I was able to breathe through my nose.

On Saturday morning I was coughing a little bit but I thought I'd be okay. I ate breakfast and immediately felt like I was going to throw up. What the heck? I started to get dressed for my last 20-22 miler, and my body was just revolting. I felt terrible, but I had to bail on my running partner. I went back to sleep for a few hours and then we took care of our Sunday errands on Saturday so that I could try to give it a go again on Sunday. Sunday didn't go quite as I had wanted it, but I got my run in.

Okay...that was the short version, now for the long:

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
Rested!

Monday
On The schedule: rest or cross-train
Rode on our indoor trainer for 48 minutes (not sure how far I went but it was an intense ride!).

Side note: If you're like me and too cheap to download the latest hits and you're looking for some good beats to listen to on your iPhone, check out "Spin Cycle Radio" on the I Heart Radio app or website. I listen to it while I'm on the trainer and it's pretty good. It has nothing to do with spinning or cycling, but it has a pretty good beat for it.

I wore my heart rate monitor just for fun. I haven't gotten into heart rate training, but I would like to one day. This is what it looked like:

My average heart rate was 145 bpm (78% of Max) and my max was 178 bpm (95% of Max). I tried to do some intervals with increased intensity, so that's why it looks a little jumpy. I checked out this little chart below and that seems about right for my age and intensity of the workout.

Has anyone else ever done anything with heart rate training?

Tuesday
On the schedule: Run 5 miles
I participated in the Cupcake Classic 3.7 Virtual Race put on by Jess from Run With Jess. It was in celebration of her 37th birthday and this was my first virtual race! I decided to have fun with it...since I was running with my Garmin, I "drew" out "JESS" with my run. Yes, I planned out my route in advance.

Have you ever "drawn" anything while you were running? I previously posted about drawing out my initials.

My route just happened to take me by out local cupcake shop, so I snapped my race photo with the sign so that I could get a bonus point for having a cupcake in my picture. It's not a real cupcake, but trust me...I would definitely have gotten one if I could! Happy Birthday Jess!

I finished the 3.7 miles in 36 minutes. Since I was supposed to run 5 miles, I tacked on another 1.35 miles in 13:45, for a total of 5.05 in 49 minutes.

Wednesday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
My cold was hitting me hard. I didn't run at all on Wednesday. I didn't do much of anything actually. Sometimes it's best to listen to your body.

Thursday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
I still wasn't feeling so great, but I felt like I had do to something. I recruited my husband to go on a walk/run with me and we went 3 miles in 33 minutes. Andrew used to run cross country in high school, but now he prefers being a cyclist. I really appreciated him going on this run with me and he did great! It was nice to spend some time together, too.

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Rested! And prayed that I would feel okay for Saturday's 20-22 miler.

Saturday
On the schedule: Run 20 miles (we were going to attempt 22 just to feel better about ourselves)
If you read my post from Saturday, you'll know that this didn't go as planned. I was freaking out about missing this run and I was trying to figure out what to do. Should I try again tomorrow? What if I can't do this tomorrow? Should I try it next weekend or will that totally mess up my training by having only a 2 week taper instead of a 3 week taper? I was frustrated and worried, and this was not helping me to feel any better physically.

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
I decided to attempt my 20 miler again on Sunday. I woke up at 5:45 to try a repeat of how Saturday was supposed to go. I fixed the same breakfast and a cup of coffee and sat down to eat. Two bites in and I started feeling nauseous again. NO! This CAN'T be happening. I gave it 10-20 minutes and tried a few more bites, then went back upstairs to seek comfort from my still sleeping husband, who is always amazing at telling me that everything is going to be okay. I crawled back into bed and slept off and on for a good hour. I decided that I would try to eat breakfast again and I was successful, except that it took me about an hour to do so since I still felt sick.

I researched online whether it was okay to do a 2 week taper instead of a 3 week taper (thinking that I could push my run off until the next week). Apparently if your training plan doesn't call for one, you shouldn't try to do a 2 week taper. I came to the conclusion that I should at least give it a try. I'm not going to run any miles while I'm sitting at home. If I have to stop after 5 miles, well, I tried and I would figure something else out.

After I decided this, I started to feel better. I got ready and I asked my husband to come with me on his bike in case I needed anything or started to not feel well, and just to keep me company since I was in this by myself. He willingly agreed and I love him SO much for this. I kind of figured he could ride his bike about a mile or so ahead and turn around to check on me. No, he ended up staying by my side the entire 3 hours and 42 minutes and I couldn't have done it without him because I totally would have given up on myself. Now that's some love right there :) He's pretty awesome.

Anyways, back to my run. I didn't get started until 10:00, which is usually about the time I'm finishing. This threw me off and it had started to warm up considerably. The first 6 miles went really well. I stopped at the hospital to use the bathroom then made a stop by the car to refill my water bottle. The next 5 miles were okay but I remember looking at my watch at mile 8 just dreading however many more miles I was going to run.

At mile 11 I refilled my water bottle again and told my husband that my "goal" was going to be 18 miles. I thought that if I could make it to that then I would be happy, but deep down I knew I wouldn't feel okay about it. Off we went in another direction for 5 more miles.

At mile 14 I just had to stop and stretch for a little bit, and at mile 16 I stopped again to refill (I was drinking a TON...it was a little toasty). During this pit stop I didn't feel very good and almost called it quits. My husband supported me either way, and reminded me that only I knew how I felt! I decided that I could "run one mile that way and one mile back" for a total of 18 miles.

So finally off we went again. I was pretty slow by this point but I was still moving forward. At my one mile turnaround point, I didn't turn around. Maybe I could make it to 20 after all. I ended up turning around at the 1.5 mile point, which would put me at 19 miles at the car. When I was running towards the car another runner (a complete stranger) ran past me and told me that I was doing a great job and to keep it up. Obviously he could tell I was struggling but I doubt he knew that I was nearing the end of a 20 miler. Hearing that was very encouraging and motivating! Then my dad rode past me on his bike and told me how proud of me he was, and this also meant a lot to me and helped me to keep going.

Back at the car I was at 19 miles. Was I hurting? YES! But was I going to stop? NO! So I kept shuffling for another .5 miles and turned around again. My watch beeped for the 20th time and I have never been happier about finishing a run!

This 20 miler was way worse than the last 20 miler, but at least I have reasons. I was fighting a cold and nausea so my body was already working hard at combating that. It was *ahem* about to be that time of the month the next day. We all know our bodies pretty much revolt when you ask them to do anything during that time. I started my run nearly 3 hours later and it was hot. I didn't have my running partner with me. Of course Andrew was on his bike next to me and I could NOT have done it without him, but he was going at my pace and not pushing it. I feel like I run faster when I'm with my running partner.

I guess that's what I get for having such a spectacular 20 mile run last time? Let's just hope the marathon is better :) My time ended up being 3:42 (11:08 average pace), which is 5 minutes slower than the last 20 miler. Not terrible, I guess!

Fuel Sampling Giveaway!

2011-10-24T06:00:00.014-04:00

Over the past few months I've been trying out a few different types of energy gels. If you missed my previous reviews, you can check them out here:

Fuel Sampling #1: Clif Shot Energy Gels
Fuel Sampling #2: Gu Energy Gels
Fuel Sampling #3: Chocolate #9 Gels
Fuel Sampling #4: Carb BOOM! Energy Gels

I know I have only scratched the surface in the world of fueling, but it's a start! I have definitely come a long way from my first half marathon when I fueled with absolutely nothing and drank only water (and felt like dying afterwards). There are definitely other brands that I have wanted to try (and attempted to try...) and I am so thankful for the companies that were generous enough to send me samples to test.

So now here's the fun part: a giveaway!!

Here's what one lucky reader will win:

1 24 pack box of Carb BOOM! Energy Gels
3 Gu Gels: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Outrage, and Jet Blackberry
2 Gu Roctane Gels: Blueberry Pomegranate and Pineapple
1 Clif Shot Energy Gel: Razz
3 Chocolate #9 Energy Gels
1 coupon for a free PowerBar product

And here's how to enter:
Note: you must leave a comment below to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry for them to count!

Mandatory:

You must be a follower of this blog (hit the "join this site" button under "follow me" on the left). Let me know if you're already a follower!
(+1 comment/entry)

Bonus entries:

Like The Running Cook on Facebook
(+1 comment/entry)
Follow The Running Cook on Twitter
(+1 comment/entry)
Share a link to this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter (include @therunningcook in your tweet) (+1 comment/entry each)

This giveaway will go through Monday, October 31, 2011, and the winner will be chosen using random.org and announced thereafter! And since running is actually not a cheap sport, this giveaway is only open to those who have a mailing address in the US. Sorry non-US readers - sending things to other countries is expensive!

These products were provided to me free of charge in exchange for a review and giveaway on my blog. The opinions expressed in the previous reviews are my own.

22 Miler DNS...yet.

2011-10-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

I need to vent. Scream in my pillow. Throw a little temper tantrum. Punch something and cry.

Today was supposed to be our last super-duper long run. We were planning on running 22 miles. Earlier this week I began developing a not-so-lovely cold. I could feel it coming on on Monday. It hit me the worst on Wednesday so I didn't do anything. Thursday was better but I took it easy. Friday was another rest day. Last night I was actually feeling okay and I got a good night's sleep actually breathing through my nose.

This morning I woke up and I felt like I was almost over my cold. My plan was to go forward with my long run for as long as I could stand it. After I was done with breakfast, my face started to feel really hot (even though I wasn't overdressed), and I started to dry heave. Well, crap.

I don't know if I was nervous about running the distance with a cold, or if this was actually from my cold, or if something wasn't right about my breakfast (but how can you mess up an English muffin with peanut butter, banana, and honey?). I tried to take my temperature, but I'm pretty sure our thermometers aren't working correctly and I had just eaten breakfast and drank coffee, so I didn't trust whatever number showed up. I would feel fine for a minute, so I would pretend to run around...and then I would have to run to the bathroom because I felt like I was going to lose my breakfast.

I didn't know what to do. I knew I could run tomorrow, but I knew my running partner couldn't. I really didn't want to bail on her for our last long run. I also really didn't want to vomit on her. What if I end up not being able to run tomorrow? And running tomorrow by myself is going to be booorrring. What if I feel this way on race day?

I ended up bailing and I feel terrible for doing so, although I would never expect anyone to run with me when they feel that way and I know my running partner understands because she's awesome. I slept from 7-10. I feel a little better now, but the thought of running right now just makes me feel uncomfortable. So please pray that I'll feel better and I'm able to run tomorrow.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Fuel Sampling #4: Carb BOOM! Energy Gels

2011-10-21T16:22:00.000-04:00

For my final Fuel Sampling, I'm reviewing Carb BOOM! Energy gels. I'm sorry for the delay in reviewing my final brand of energy gels...let's just say that marathon training has kept me busy!

I had never heard of Carb BOOM! until I was actually searching for different types of energy gels to try out. I came across it on the Road Runner Sports website and then I did a little more investigating on their site.

Here's what I found out about Carm BOOM!...

Carbohydrates: Carb BOOM!'s carbohydrate composition consists of a special blend of 22-25g of complex carbohydrates and just 2-4g of simple sugars to maximize energy delivery to working muscles.

Electrolytes: Two essential electrolytes (sodium and potassium) are present in Carb BOOM! to effectively assist rehydration, aid in key metabolic reactions and help replenish electrolytes lost in sweat.

Real Fruit. Real good: Carb BOOM! is a great tasting energy gel made from super concentrated complex carbohydrates and flavored with real fruit.

Nothing Artificial: No artificial flavor, color, or sweetener

Carb BOOM! energy gels come in six different flavors: Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Vanilla Orange, Grape Pomegranate, Apple Cinnamon, and Banana Peach.

I really liked most of the flavors. My favorite flavor was the Apple Cinnamon because it tastes like apple pie filling (amazing!!!). The only flavor I didn't really like was the Banana Peach because there was something weird about the texture. Since it is made with real fruit, I'm assuming that the banana made it a little chalkier than normal. The rest of the flavors had a nice taste. They seem a little on the sweet side, even though they aren't loaded with sugar. I think it's probably the fruity flavor that makes them seem sweet though. I've come to find that I personnally enjoy chocolate flavored gels better than fruity flavored ones, so this is really just a personal preference.

Nutrition facts: each gel has 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 27 carbohydrates*, 3 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, 50 mg of sodium and 50 mg of potassium. Carb BOOM! gels are gluten free and vegan, but not kosher at this time.

*Just a note: Carb BOOM! lives up to their name - this energy gel has the most carbohydrates of all the gels I have reviewed.

Ingredients: each gel has slightly different ingredients since they are different flavors and made with real fruit. I won't list all the ingredients for all of the flavors, but just so that you get an idea, here are the ingredients listed for the apple cinnamon: maltodextrin, filtered water, apple puree, apple concentrate, citric acid, potassium citrate, sea salt, cinnamon, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (preservatives).

I did not experience any stomach problems with these gels, likely thanks to the low amount of simple sugars in them!

The consistency of the gels was a little thinner than most of the other gels I have tried. If you've had problems with eating some of the thicker gels then maybe these would be an option for you to try.

The packaging was slightly larger than a Gu gel is (only comparing it to that for comparison's sake since most runners probably know how big a Gu is). It was a little hard for me to get it into my gel holders on my belt, but I did get it to go in. The gels were easy to open on the run, too.

Carb BOOM! is available at many GNC stores and is also available online. On the Road Runner Sports website, a 24 pack is currently selling for $26.99.

Bottom line: I like the nutritional aspects behind Carb BOOM!'s gels. The fact that they are more natural and contain the highest amount of carbs without being loaded with sugar is definitely a plus. However, I wish they had non-fruity flavors as all fruity flavored gels (any brand I've tried so far) seem a little too sweet to me!

The folks at Carb BOOM! were nice enough to send me a whole extra box (24 pack) to give away.

For now, this concludes my fuel sampling reviews. There are others that I want to try in the future, but I think I've been a guinea pig for long enough (for now anyways)!

If you missed my previous Fuel Sampling reviews, check them out here:
Fuel Sampling #1: Clif Shot Energy Gels
Fuel Sampling #2: Gu Energy Gels
Fuel Sampling #3: Chocolate #9

The opinions expressed above are my own. I was sent Carb BOOM! Energy Gels by request to try out and review on my blog.

Marathon Training: Week #14

2011-10-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I'm almost done! I have only one more 20-22 miler left, then it's taper time. This past week was pretty good. I felt a little sluggish on most of my runs during the week and I'm pretty sure that it was because my legs were tired from running 20 miles (I mean, I don't know WHY I would be tired...). I felt recovered before Saturday's long run, so that was promising.

Before I get into the weekly recap, I feel like I need to say I'm sorry for being such a bad blogger. I have so many things to write about but so little time to actually sit down and write about them. Maybe this will be better after the marathon...or maybe not? Not only do I not have a ton of time, but I sit in front of a computer and type all day long, so sitting in front of the computer and typing isn't really what I want to do when I get home. Okay, enough of the mopefest. On with the recap!

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross train
Rested!

Monday
On the schedule: rest or cross train
Enjoyed a short/slow ride with Andrew through a really nice neighborhood (where I would really love to live one day but could never afford it). We rode 9.36 miles in 49 minutes (11.4 mph pace).

Tuesday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
Ran 5.03 miles in 56 minutes (11:01 pace) in the rain! I love running in the rain!

I ran slowly because there were wet leaves everywhere and I didn't want to slip and face-plant or break my tailbone or something. There were also a lot of hills and my legs were still feeling Saturday's 20 miler, so I probably would have gone that slow even if it wasn't wet.

Wednesday
On the schedule: run 8 miles
Ran 7.5ish miles in 1:25? (11:20ish pace?) I forgot to wear my Garmin but I was running with my running partner. Her Garmin didn't get a signal for a while so we just (generously) guestimated how far we went while it wasn't recording. I was still feeling the 20 miler and I had to pee for most of the run. I was really glad that this was our last longer run during the week. I really don't like running 8 miles on a weeknight.

Thursday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
Rode on our sweet new indoor trainer for 46 minutes (11ish miles?). This is definitely a much harder workout than riding outside and you don't need to ride as long to feel like you've gotten a good workout. I'd equate it to a spin class. I'm currently waiting for it to be my turn on the trainer so I snapped a picture of Andrew riding on it.

I love seeing my husband in cycling clothes :)

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Rested!

Saturday
On the schedule: run 12 miles
Ran 12 miles in 2:11 (10:54 pace). It was a beautiful morning out and we finished our run before it got too windy. 12 miles felt really easy compared to last week's 20. We spotted lots of spectacular Halloween decorations along the way, too. I did attempt to roll my ankle twice during our run though. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as when I did it the week before and I was able to run right through it for the most part, but it still made me nervous. What if I do that on race day? Clearly running on roads can be dangerous for me this time of the year because of so many acorns and leaves all over the place just waiting to sprain my ankle or make me fall on my face! Everything is so gorgeous out so I hate to continually look down at my feet.

After my run, I spent the rest of the day with Andrew and my in-laws. We went out to lunch at Panera then went to the Peaks of Otter, which is about an hour away with views like this along the way:

I love the fall and where I live!

That evening we ate at our favorite local barbecue place then indulged in some of our favorite (locally made and most delicious) ice cream. I got pumpkin flavor and it was amazing. I'm pretty sure I consumed more calories than I burned on my run.

Okay, I think it's my turn on the ~~torture machine~~ indoor trainer. Less than 4 weeks to go!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T05:34:00.000-04:00

Only one more month until I become a marathoner!

Freak out mode = engaged

Marathon Training: Week #13...the big 20!

2011-10-09T21:09:00.000-04:00

This was a big week for me! This week was my first ever 20 mile run...definitely a big milestone for anyone training for their first marathon. Hitting this milestone once again made me realize that nothing is impossible!

source

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross train
Rested!

Monday
On the schedule: rest or cross train
I actually decided to swap my schedule for Monday and Tuesday so I ran on Monday instead. The weather wasn't so great for biking (cool and cloudy) but great for running! I had a really great 5 mile run in 51:20 (10:15 pace). I really enjoyed myself on this run. The best part: I found a quarter.

Tuesday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
Rode 14.8 miles in 1:00 (14.8 mph pace for those of you who can't do math) with Andrew. It was still pretty cool outside so I'm glad I wore my long sleeves! I liked cycling on Tuesday to break up the three days in a row of running. Maybe I will keep this up.

Wednesday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
I got a late start on this run so I probably should have eaten more than a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie before starting. About 1.5 miles in, I my stomach started to growl, I started feeling a little lightheaded, and my legs felt like they could give out. I could have pushed through, but I knew if I did (based on past experiences...), bad things would happen (migraines, vomiting, etc.). So I decided to walk another 2 miles and call it a day. I ended up going 3.48 miles in 45:47 (13:08 pace). As I was walking I remembered my no pressure revelation from last week and told myself that it was okay. I mean, I really should practice for when I'm going to have to walk during the marathon, right?

Thursday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
It was a perfect day for a run. Beautiful blue skies, perfect temperature, low humidity...just perfect! I was also excited to try out my brand new sports bra (Moving Comfort Juno = AMAZING!). I was one mile into my run and I had just finished running up a hill. I had turned around to come back down and I was catching my breath and looking up at the pretty blue sky when BAM! I totally rolled my right ankle on an acorn. It hurt. So. Bad. It took my breath away and made me say bad words it hurt so bad. I ~~walked~~ limped for about 100 yards then was able to walk normally for a little bit. I slowly began to run on it again (surprisingly without too much pain) and then I had to make a decision: go back to the car or finish my run? Being the extremely stubborn one that I am, I decided to finish my run. After all, my run the day before wasn't so great. I decided that I would run back and forth closer to my car instead of going on a loop farther away just in case. The rest of the run wasn't terrible, but I went slowly and was really concerned about being able to run 20 miles on Saturday. I ended up running 5 miles in 56:56 (11:22 pace). When I got home I immediately iced and elevated my ankle and popped some ibuprofen.

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Rested! I totally babied my ankle all day. I wore my compression socks to work and took my ice pack along too. When I wasn't at work I was at home with my leg elevated and iced.

I took ibuprofen every 6 hours and tried to gently massage my ankle and stay off of it. I really do think that all of this babying helped my ankle feel better so quickly. I had my doubts about running, but I wasn't limping so that was a good thing. My backup plan for Saturday was to run as long as I could with my running partner then I would hop on my bike and ride next to her for the rest (I would feel terrible if I had to abandon her!).

Saturday
On the schedule: run 20 miles
Even though this was only 2 miles farther than my longest distance, I was still nervous about this run, especially with my ankle. We started out earlier (6:15) so it was still dark out. I had never run in the dark, but I actually enjoyed it but I wouldn't do it by myself though. And also I think my headlamp bobbing around and not being able to see everything around me made me a little nauseous. Thankfully that feeling passed as it got light out. I was definitely feeling very superheroinesqe in my attire.

Don't mind my morning face here at 5:20 AM.

The first 4.5 miles were in the dark. I was going a little slow on purpose just to be extra careful with my ankle. It was surprisingly feeling okay but I didn't want to roll it again since it was probably a little weak. After 4.5 miles, we made our first pit stop to refill our water bottles and use the bathroom. Then we went in a different direction for another 6 miles and stopped to refill again. Another 4 mile section in a different direction, and we stopped to refill again and use the restroom (yes, again...at least we were properly hydrated!). After the last stop we only had 6 miles left, so off we went in another direction for 3 miles and turned around and came back. My knees and feet were achy when I was done, but my first 20 miler went way better than I expected! I felt that it was better than my 18 miler and I could have gone farther if I had to. Being still vertical (and feeling generally okay) when we finished definitely gave me the confidence that I can do this!

Seeing this on my watch made me so happy! I hate to be boastful but I am really proud of myself (and my running partner) for successfully hitting the 20 mile mark. Later in the afternoon I took a look at our splits and I was even happier to see that they were fairly consistent! Some walking breaks are longer than others because we're fueling. We didn't start out way too fast and our last mile was actually the fastest (we skipped our last walking break).

Our final time was 3:36:28 (10:49 average pace w/ 1 minute walking break every 10 minutes), and looking at our previous stats we had a slightly faster pace than our 18 miler (10:56 average pace w/ 1 minute walking break every 10 minutes). Woohoo!

Only two more weeks and then we start to taper! Yikes!

How to Cook Running Chicken

2011-10-04T21:09:00.000-04:00

Apparently that's what someone searched for and came across my blog. Gotta love Google Analytics!

Since I clearly have nothing better to do with my life besides analyze my blog stats (oh, don't act like you don't do it too), I was curious to find out exactly what else you would find if you searched for "how to cook running chicken". My blog came up as the 4th result with this post, which included a chicken recipe. Most of the other results were about cooking chicken at the correct temperature and building chicken runs and coops.

Just for fun I clicked on the images tab and found this picture that I thought was worthy of sharing:

source

So, just in case you're ever wondering how to cook running chicken, apparently my blog is a good source.

What's the strangest thing someone has searched for and landed on your blog?

Marathon Training: Week #12

2011-10-03T20:50:00.000-04:00

After experiencing some pretty bad foot pain during week #11, I took it pretty easy last week. I needed it physically and mentally, and right now I'm so glad I decided to cut myself some slack. I'm feeling much better now (physically and mentally) and I'm feeling pretty good about taking on the rest of marathon training.

I realized last Thursday what had been getting me so down about marathon training. Weeks #10 and #11 were kind of rough, and it took an ugly little bruise to get me to slow down enough to realize exactly what was bugging me:

Pressure.

Pressure to run X number of miles on this day. Tomorrow you have to run X number of miles. The next day you have to run X number of miles. On Friday you can take a rest day. On Saturday you have to run X number of miles. Then you can have a rest day and a cross-training day. Then you have to start it all over again.

I had gotten to the point where I didn't want to be told exactly how far to run because it wasn't making it any fun and I wasn't enjoying it! It's like when I was younger...I really wanted to clean my room because I liked the way a clean room felt and I knew my mom would appreciate it. When I would get started on it, my mom would peek her head in and ask me to clean my room. Ugh, Mom, can't you see I'm already doing that!? Now I don't want to clean my room because you told me to do it and now I'm only doing it because you told me to!! (okay, please someone tell me I'm not the only one like this...).

So this past week I told myself I would take it easy. I took two rest days after my long run (instead of a rest day and a cross-training day). On Tuesday I rode my bike. I was going to bike again on Wednesday but I decided to go for a walk/run instead. My foot was feeling okay and I didn't feel like I had enough time to get a good bike ride in. I didn't really care how far I went or how long it took me, and I took my time and walked up all of the hills. It was a no-pressure run and I really enjoyed it.

On Thursday I went for another run. 5 miles was on the schedule, but I told myself I'd only go as far as I felt like going and I could stop at any time I wanted. I walked up some hills, but this was seriously a great run! I completed all 5 miles because I wanted to, not because it was on my schedule. It was on this run that I realized it was the pressure of marathon training that was getting to me. It was making running into a chore, so I didn't enjoy it. Realizing this, I told myself I'd try not to let the pressure get to me too much and I reminded myself that I really do love running!

Another thing that got me excited was when I looked at my calendar at work, which has all of my scheduled miles written on it, I realized that I only have 3 more weeks of training before we begin to taper! Seeing that was definitely like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Last week after I had my "no pressure" revelation, I was considering only running 2 days during the week and doing 2 days of cross-training (instead of 3 days of running and 1 day of cross-training). But after seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I think I'm going to try my best to get my miles in like the schedule calls for. If I'm feeling fatigued (as I likely will after my 20 miler this weekend), I won't pressure myself into running and I'll reassess and decide what's best for me at that time. Regardless of what I decide to do, I won't pressure myself (or try not to anyways)!

An update on the foot: it's feeling much better! I changed my lacing to completely skip the second eyelet on my shoes. I did it on both sides ~~because I'm OCD~~ so that it would be even. I also made sure to not tie them too tight.

The spot below my big toes on both sides still hurts sometimes, but I have had this pain off and on ever since I trained for my first half marathon, and I think it's just something that happens to me when my mileage increases. It usually goes away and it doesn't hurt the entire time I'm running.

Now that I've written a novel of an introduction, here's how training went last week:

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
Rested!

Monday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
Rested! Yes, again! Sometimes you need 2 rest days after a really long run. I was going to ride my bike, but the weather was bad. I had told myself that if the weather was bad I'd just go to the gym, but the thought of that just made me want to cry! So I stayed home :)

Tuesday
On the schedule: Run 5 miles
Rode 21.38 miles in 1:23 (15.5 mph). I had a great ride! I usually like to ride with Andrew, but he has been swamped with meetings after school recently. It's kind of boring riding by yourself sometimes.

Wednesday
On the schedule: Run 8 miles
Ran/walked 2.41 miles in 28 minutes (11:40 pace). I went with Andrew to my parents house so that he could practice shooting his bow (opening day of bow season was this past Saturday!). While we were there I did the ~~hilly~~ mountainous loop near my parents' house. 383 feet of elevation gain over 2.4 miles = beast. Yeah, I was walking most of the uphills.

Thursday
On the schedule: Run 5 miles
Ran 5 miles in 54 minutes (11:40 pace) and enjoyed it! I did walk a bit of the uphill (514 ft. of elevation gain), but this was when I had my no-pressure revelation, so clearly I wasn't trying to pressure myself into getting a fast time. I also stopped to snap this picture. It was a beautiful day and I love seeing my mountains in the distance!

Friday
On the schedule: Rest
Rested! I also ate pizza and cupcakes for lunch. We had a party at work. I regretted it later. But it was so good! I was hoping that my body would forgive me later and allow me to run 13 miles the next day. I would have never done this before if I was running a half marathon the next day!

Saturday
On the schedule: Run 13 miles
Ran 13.11 miles in 2:19 (10:36 pace). I needed this cut-back week so bad. I ate terribly the day before so I was a little worried that my stomach would misbehave (I wouldn't blame it if it did!), but thankfully I was fine. It was no 1/2 marathon PR or anything, but it was still a good run. I realized that I have definitely come to a new level in my running because I thought running a half marathon was "easy". If there is one thing I have gained, it's a different perspective on that distance. I think after my first marathon I'll be running in more half marathons because they will seem so much easier! This is not to belittle any of you who are training for your first or subsequent half marathons - they are certainly no walk in the park and I once thought running 13.1 miles was impossible. But as I'm setting new distance PR's every other weekend, I'm realizing more and more that nothing is impossible!

Thanks again to all of you who read my recaps and leave such encouraging comments. I really do appreciate it and I hope these are helpful to at least one of you!

Things to remember:

1. No Pressure!

2. Don't forget why you're running.

3. Don't let numbers on a piece of paper make you hate running.

Marathon Training: Week #11

2011-09-26T19:02:00.000-04:00

Let me apologize in advance if this gets too long/emotional/boring. These recaps are mostly for me to have something to look back on and see what I did wrong or right and to improve in the future (or remind myself to never train for a marathon again - only kidding...sort of). Also, there are some bruised foot pictures at the end so just prepare yourself for that if you are weird about feet. They're not terrible and I don't have black toenails.

This has been a tough week for me. Looking at our training schedule, this past week had us running our maximum weekly mileage (36 miles, which is one more mile than the week we do a 20 mile long run). So really, it's no surprise that I would have a rough week. I mentioned last week that I really didn't like running 3 days in a row. I really appreciate all of your comments and suggestions. I haven't really decided what to do about it yet and I don't feel like I can switch training schedules this late in my training. I may in fact alter my weekly schedule to only run 2 days during the week and do more cross-training on the bike. Thoughts?

This week I decided that instead of 5-8-5, I'd front-load my mileage to get it out of the way and do 7-6-5. It's the same number of miles, but by doing that I thought it would be mentally easier to have something to look forward to the next day (today's run is easier than yesterday's!).

Sunday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
I used this as my rest day. I was pretty tired from my 17 miles.

Monday
On the schedule: rest or cross-train
Rode 16.76 miles in 1:09 (14.5 mph) with Andrew. I love being able to ride with him. It was a little cool outside but it felt nice!

Tuesday
On the schedule: run 7 miles
Ran 7 miles in 1:10 on the treadmill (10:00 pace). This was actually a good run on the treadmill. I did it after dinner, which is always questionable, but I was okay! I stopped once after 2 miles to go to the bathroom but when I got back on the rest of the run went really well.

Wednesday
On the schedule: run 6 miles
As you can see, the week started out okay, but on Wednesday I was tired. I stopped my run early because I was stressed out. I was stressed about marathon training, stressed about my job (I've been in a new position for 9 months and I have days when I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing), stressed about having to spend $1,000 on vet bills for my sick kitty (he's doing okay now!), stressed that the vet wanted to schedule a follow-up appointment during my long run and my husband couldn't take him either (I got the appointment moved!), stressed about being tired and not getting enough sleep (still working on that one), and stressed about not getting to spend as much time with my husband as I would like (because of all these other things listed - still working on that one too, but I am so thankful to have the most understanding husband who is so supportive of my training).

I was running on the treadmill on Wednesday, hoping to get in 6 miles. At mile 3 I just gave up. I actually got off to go to the bathroom and I just never got going again. Physically I felt okay, but not spectacular. After 3 miles it was already past 8:15 PM (supposed to go to bed at 9!) and I just felt like I needed to be at home taking care of things in order to feel less stressed. So I left! Later on right before I fell asleep I ended up having a little break down that involved crying, but my husband consoled me and made me feel much better about things (he's so good at that!). Sometimes I just need a good cry to make myself feel better. I hope I'm not the only one (Mom, if you're reading this, I PROMISE I'm okay!).

My run ended up being 3.04 miles in 32 minutes (10:31 pace). I was debating making up the mileage the next day but I decided just to move on. Sometimes that's best!

Thursday
On the schedule: run 5 miles
I tried to look at Thursday as a new day and thankfully I was running with my amazing running partner and that always seems to make a run 100 times better! I forgot my watch so I tried to use the Map My Run app on my phone, but apparently I paused it as soon as I put it in my running belt, so I really don't have an exact time. I know I ran about 5 miles and it probably took about 55 minutes. At this point in the week, I really didn't care how far/fast I went. There was some walking involved, but we both needed it!

During our run, I came to find out that we were both having the same thought of, "I AM NEVER TRAINING FOR ANOTHER MARATHON AGAIN...IT'S CONSUMING MY LIFE!". Sometimes knowing that someone else is going through the same thing makes it easier to go through yourself. We both feel like all of this training will be "worth it" when we cross the finish line, but training for a marathon is such a huge time commitment when you have a full-time job and a life (okay, I really don't have much of a "life", but still). Thankfully I know that this is only temporary and in the end it will be very rewarding! It's also obviously physically demanding and it's not like you can run 18 miles then go do a million other things the rest of the day (maybe some of you can, but I sure can't). Anyways, it was a relief to know that I wasn't the only one dealing with being stressed out about training.

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Ran 8 miles in 10 minutes. HA - JUST KIDDING! I rested. Really? Me not rest? After this week? I don't think so.

Saturday
On the schedule: run 18 miles
Ran 18 miles in 3:17 (10:55 pace). I was slightly nervous about this run, but not too nervous actually. The 17 miles the week before had gone pretty well and this was adding just one more mile. How bad could it be? It was humid outside, which I feel like always makes me feel terrible and go slower, but we actually had a slightly faster average pace than last week's 17 miles when it wasn't as humid. Really the first 13 miles weren't too bad and seemed to go by without a hitch. When we stopped at the car for the last time to refill with 5 miles to go, I noticed that the top of my left foot right under my big toe was hurting a little bit but I didn't think it wasn't anything I couldn't run through. Over the next 3.5 miles it didn't bother me way too much, but I could definitely feel it. The last 1.5 miles were a bit painful honestly, especially when going downhill. I had to land and push off of my left foot gingerly to avoid pain, but I knew we were almost done so I pushed through. Stubborn, much? I don't think it would have made too much difference if I had stopped anyways. When I was done I took off my shoe and inspected my foot. I could tell it was red and pointed to right where it hurt, which also happened to be right under an eyelet where the lacing comes out. I loosened my shoe and put it back on to go home. When I got home, I took of my shoes again and took this picture of my foot:

Looks kind of bad, doesn't it?

I took an ice bath, and when I was done my foot looked like this:

Less bad, but still a noticeable bruise. It didn't hurt to walk, but it hurt when something (like a shoe) would touch the top of my foot. I made the mistake of Googling "pain and bruising on the top of my foot" and I start thinking that I have a stress fracture and freak out that my first marathon will be a big fat DNS. If I am truly hurt, that's okay, although I will be devastated. For now my conclusion is that my shoes were laced too tight or incorrectly. I found these videos from Runner's World, so clearly this is a common enough problem!

Skipping eyelets:

Parallel lacing:

On Sunday the bruising had gone down; it was a bigger splotch and a lighter red color. Today (Monday) my bruise is completely gone. I can fully support my weight on my toes and it doesn't hurt to walk. It still hurts a tiny bit if I put pressure on the spot where the bruise was though. I ran in these shoes during my 17 miler, and while I had some toe pain on both feet, I didn't have this bruising on the top of my foot. I don't know if it's the actual shoes, or if I just had one of them laced to tight, or if it's something totally different (please don't say it's a stress fracture, please don't say it's a stress fracture...).

My plan is to take it easy this week (biking instead) and run again on Thursday (maybe) and Saturday to see how I feel. Thankfully this is a cut-back week and I have never been so excited about only running 13 miles in my life! If it still hurts after changing my lacing, I'll go to the doctor.

Anyone ever have this problem or have any suggestions?

Again, sorry for the lengthy recap...if you made it to the end you should get a prize!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-26T17:23:00.001-04:00

First, sorry for being MIA from the blog the past week...I'll get into why in my next post, but first I just wanted to make it up to you all with some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Okay, sorry...not actual cookies, but a recipe for some! It's not the same, I know!

This recipe comes was adapted from this recipe I found on www.allrecipes.com. I changed it around to make them healthier so that I wouldn't feel so guilty about eating ~~one~~ ~~a few of them~~ all of them.

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (you can use 2 cups all purpose flour if you want!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

To make:

Combine the pumpkin*, brown and white sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce, and egg.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour (all purpose and whole wheat, or completely all purpose), baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.

Dissolve the baking soda with the milk. I thought this was sort of a weird step but I did it anyways (i.e. I'm not sure of how significant of a step it is and I don't know that much about baking and I wasn't about to screw this recipe up).

Pour this into the wet pumpkin mixture.

Pour the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla and chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (you won't be able to tell that they are "browning" but they will become firm).

This recipe makes about 30 cookies, depending on how large you make them (I don't skimp!). I plugged the ingredients into My Fitness Pal and came up with about 120 calories per cookie, 3.8 grams of fat, 20 carbs, and 10 grams of sugar (compare to a Kroger Bakery Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie which has 240 calories, 10 grams of fat, 36 carbs, and 21 grams of sugar...that means I can have two of mine, right?).

Most of the calories come from the chocolate chips, and you will probably never hear me say this again, but I think the cookies have a little too much chocolate in them and it overpowers the flavor of the pumpkin. So maybe next time I will reduce the amount of chocolate chips and see how it goes. They are still definitely delicious though! I find these particularly yummy when they are cold, so I store them in the refrigerator. Let me know if you try them and how you like them!

*A can of pumpkin has about 1.5 cups of pumpkin. If you're looking for an idea for something to do with the last 1/2 cup of pumpkin, try making a pumpkin smoothie!

Marathon Training Week #10

2011-09-18T17:03:00.001-04:00

Only 8 weeks to go! I would describe this past week as alright. Synopsis: I didn't get my cross-training in on Sunday/Monday and I was sad that I didn't get to ride my bike. Tuesday's run was good. I felt terrible after Wednesday's run (although the run itself wasn't too awful), and I was mentally and physically defeated by a 4 mile run on Thursday. Saturday's 17 miler went really well, but I'm pretty tired right now.

I'm heading into the peak mileage week next week (36 miles) and I'm just a little worried about getting fatigued and not having good runs. I don't really like running 3 days in a row during the week. I understand that I'm training for a marathon and I need to build up my legs, but by the time I get to Thursday's run I'm too tired to care enough to make it a good run...which leaves me asking myself, "what's the point?".

For example, this past Thursday I was supposed to run 4 miles. After 2 miles I called it quits; my toe hurt, my back hurt, I was tired, and I didn't want to be out there running. So I stopped at 2.25 miles (25 minutes). If I had been biking, I probably could have gone for at least an hour. I obviously prefer running only 2 days during the week (with a long run on the weekend), and being able to do more cross training (2 days of biking). But again, I don't know if that would hurt me or help me.

Thoughts/advice?

Here's how this week's training went:

Sunday
On the schedule: rest/cross-train
I made this my rest day. We bought new furniture and we spent most of the day moving out our old stuff to make room for the new! I didn't do much lifting though so I can't really say it counted as cross-training ;)

Monday
On the schedule: rest/cross-train
Since Sunday was a rest day this was intended to be a cross-training day. I was just so excited about getting my new furniture that all I wanted to do was sit on it!! So I did. Can you blame me? (note: our old furniture was my parents' 30+ year old This End Up furniture that has, to put it nicely, been around the block a few times. After being married for 3 years and with my incessant complaining about how much I didn't like it, we finally got new furniture).

I love my new furniture!

Tuesday
On the schedule: Run 4 miles
Ran 4 miles in 38:20 (9:35 pace) on the treadmill. I started my run at 6 mph and gradually increased my speed and ended at 6.7 mph for the last 1/4 mile. It was a progression run, but with no real rhyme or reason. I felt pretty good about this run.

Wednesday
On the schedule: Run 8 miles
Ran 8 miles in 1:22:52 in a hilly neighborhood (719 feet of elevation gain, 709 feet of elevation loss) (10:21 pace). It was HOT. Even though I walked 3 times, I pushed myself pretty hard (maybe harder than I should have). My usual pace for this neighborhood with the hills is closer to 11 minutes/mile. When I got home I made the mistake of not eating anything right away and after I had showered I felt like I was going to vomit. Not cool.

Thursday
On the schedule: Run 4 miles
Ran 2 miles and walked .25 miles in 24:34 (10:54 pace) outside. It was nice and cool out and my plan was to run EASY. After about a mile I just started to feel tired. Then my toe started to hurt, my back hurt, and I wanted to go home and curl up on my new couch. After 2 miles, I was defeated. I gave up. I began to wonder how in the world I would run 17 miles on Saturday. I was defeated both physically and mentally and I'm not really proud of it. It took some pep talking when I got home to make myself feel better. I was reminded that we're not defined by our bad runs because we all have them every now and then, and it's okay!

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Rested! We actually ended up having to take our cat to the emergency vet on Thursday night because he wasn't going to the bathroom and was obviously in a lot of pain. He ended up having a urethral obstruction, which can become deadly if it isn't treated quickly. We didn't get home and to bed until almost midnight. On Friday morning I had to pick him up from the emergency vet and take him to our regular vet, where he still is and will be for a few more days. He should be okay, but I sure do miss him! Yes, I know this has nothing to do with running, but my point in telling you this was to let you know I was very glad Friday was a rest day!

"I didn't do it!"

Poor baby needed a catheter :(

Saturday
On the schedule: run 17 miles
We did it! We ran 17 miles in 3:06:42 (10:58 pace). The weather was much cooler and we feel that this really helped us out. In comparison to our hot and humid 15 miles two weeks before, we ran at a 20 second per mile faster pace, which was really encouraging! Along the way I drank about 66 ounces of nuun and I ate 3 Gu gels. At our second pit stop, I also ate a fig newton (I'm trying to experiment with eating some "real" food on my long runs). Since it was cool, I also chickened out and didn't take an ice bath because I didn't want to be cold again! I made sure to do some extra foam rolling and stretching to make up for this though. Besides being a little sore and tired (no more than usual), I'm feeling okay today. I know I was super hungry yesterday, and I see why it's not unusual for people to gain weight during marathon training :)

Another thing that's not unusual to see while marathon training?

Loads of unfolded laundry. Can anyone relate?

Foodie Friday: Creamy Chicken with Tomatoes

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been slacking with the recipes. This blog is supposed to be a mixture of running and cooking/food, but I feel like it's mostly about running. Oh well!

This recipe is in my regular rotation because it's fairly inexpensive, easy to make, relatively healthy, filling, and delicious! It makes about 4-5 servings.

Ingredients:

Approximately 1.5 lbs of chicken (I use breast tenderloins)
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use 98% fat free)
one yellow onion, diced
1/2 (heaping) teaspoon of basil
1/2 (heaping) teaspoon of oregano
cooked rice or quinoa

To make:

Preheat oven to 350.
Place chicken in baking dish.

Combine diced onion, can of undrained tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, and spices in a bowl.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and lift the chicken slightly to allow some of the sauce underneath.

Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour or until the chicken is done.

Serve over rice or quinoa (I prefer rice but in this picture I used quinoa).

Enjoy!

Attention: nuun-lovers!

2011-09-15T13:41:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post for all you nuun-lovers out there! nuun is currently on sale on The Clymb for $14.95 for a 4 pack. It’s regularly $24, so that’s a pretty sweet deal if you’re looking to stock up! There are two options: a box with Grape, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Tropical, OR a box with Citrus Fruit, Tri-Berry, Orange, and Lemon-Lime. The deal is good for about 3 days or until they sell out, so hurry up!

P.S. It’s free to join The Clymb and they have tons of sweet new deals each week. Just click HERE to join!

Marathon Training Week #9 Recap

2011-09-13T17:50:00.000-04:00

We're half way done already?! I know we still have a few long, hard runs ahead of us, but I can't believe we're already half way through!

Here's how this past week's training went:

Sunday
On the schedule: cross-train
I used this as my rest day because we had family in town and we were busy spending time with them! We had a busy day after my 15 miles the day before, and we stayed pretty busy on Sunday, too. I was pretty tired all day honestly.

Monday
On the schedule: rest
I made this my cross-training day since I rested the day before. I wanted to go on a real bike ride, but it was raining. So I went to the gym and rode on the spin class bikes (I feel like they are better than the standard bikes on the floor, plus I don't feel as weird standing up and "climbing" if I'm in the spin class by myself as opposed to out in the open). I don't really know how far I went, but I went for 45 minutes so I'll guesstimate about 11-13 miles.

Tuesday
On the schedule: run 4 miles
Did some weights for 30 minutes then ran 4 miles on the treadmill in 37:46 (9:26 pace). For this run I ran the first mile at 6 mph to get myself warmed up. Then I increased the speed by .1 mph each 1/2 mile until I was done, with an additional .1 mph increase the last 1/4 mile. Progression runs are so easy to do on a treadmill! (Read more about progression runs HERE and HERE)

Wednesday
On the schedule: run 7 miles
Ran 7 miles in 1:17 (11:02 pace) outside in a hillier neighborhood (635 feet of elevation gain). It was really nice outside thanks to some clouds and cooler temperatures. I was also running in some uncharted territories so there were new things to look at and it made the time go by faster! I also was running with my running partner, which also helps the miles to go by faster. I felt pretty good!

Thursday
On the schedule: run 4 miles
I decided to bike for 20.35 miles in 1:27 (14.1 mph pace) instead. It's not that I didn't want to run, but it was so nice outside and I really wanted to ride my bike. I rode with my dad for part of it, then my dad rode with my mom for the rest of the time (she likes to go slower...not a bad thing!). I know I've said this before (but I'm going to say it again to reaffirm it in my own mind), but I really don't think missing a 4 mile run every now and then will hurt me. Sometimes I just need a break from running before I get burned out!

Friday
On the schedule: rest
Rested!

Saturday
On the schedule: run 11 miles
This was another cutback week and I was SO thankful for it. It was also beautiful and cool outside so it made for a really great run. We ran 11 miles in 1:56:13 (10:33 pace), and we took 1 minute walking breaks every 10 minutes. To be honest, this run seemed "easy" to both of us and we felt like we should have been doing more! I NEVER thought I would say that about an 11 mile run. This was a confidence-boosting run, for sure.

I'm already looking forward to the weather forecast for this weekend:

Achiva Native Energy Winner

2011-09-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

I know I said I would announce the winner this weekend, but I got a little sidetracked because we bought lots of new furniture! I'm currently waiting for it to be delivered (any minute now...), so we spent Saturday shopping and Sunday moving out all of our old furniture!

Anyways, the winner of the Achiva Native Energy Giveaway was...

Comment #6, which belongs to Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner!

Congrats Vanessa! Send me an e-mail (therunningcook(at)gmail(dot)com) with a mailing address so you can try it out!

I'm A Poet and Didn't Know It

2011-09-08T21:29:00.000-04:00

Endorphin Warrior just launched their 1st Annual Haiku Contest. The first place winner gets a $50 gift card, second place gets a $25 gift card, and third place gets a $15 gift card.

You see, I would really really really really love to have one of their leather cord bracelets. I love the way they look and I would love to have an inspirational reminder right where I can see it.

I like the "fearless" one because I am just the opposite of that. I know that I need a constant reminder not to live in fear of finding out just what I'm capable of. It can be scary to test your limits or try something new, but generally things turn out okay and you begin to realize your potential. But before you can realize this potential, you have to put your fear aside. You can't live in fear of "what if...". What if I get injured? What if people make fun of me or think I'm weird? What if it's difficult? What if I fail? If you live in fear of the unknown, you'll never know what's possible.

I also really like the "twenty six point two" bracelet, in anticipation/celebration of my upcoming first marathon, which will likely be one of my biggest achievements so far in my life and something I’ll be very proud of.

They have several other inspirational bracelets (as well as shirts, hats, pendants, and rings) but I think if I had to choose, I'd pick the "fearless" bracelet...but I really do love all of them!

I think they look awesome and I’d really love one (have I mentioned that?). Since I’m ~~cheap~~ frugal and they are $48, I decided to enter the contest in hopes of being able to get one.

I really used to hate writing poetry in English class in high school, mostly because I thought my poems were terrible. At first I thought this contest sounded lame because I thought I wouldn’t be able to write anything decent. I’m not trying to toot my own horn or claim victory, but surprisingly I came up with not one, but four haikus that I think are alright (although slightly cheesy)! I’m sure other people will come up with much better ones, though.

In case there are any other poetry-writing-haters out there who don’t remember what a haiku is, a haiku is a type of poetry that comes from Japanese culture. The most common format (in English) is made up of three short lines. The first line contains 5 syllables, the second line contains 7 syllables, and the third line contains 5 syllables (for a total of 17). For the contest, entries are not limited to that format, but they must be 17 syllables and generally about training, running, cycling, working out, fitness, etc.

So, here were the haikus that I entered into the contest:

My feet hit the ground
With each stride I feel release
The day’s stress is gone

Sweat drips down my face
Endorphin Warrior* I am
Transcending my bounds

Breaking through the wind
The rhythm of my cadence
Music to my soul

Testing my limits
Surpassing my boundaries
Never looking back

*After I already entered this one, I realized that “Warrior” actually has 3 syllables instead of 2 (I pronounce it “war-your” rather than “war-ee-or”), so I guess this one would technically be disqualified. Oh well. Maybe they won’t notice?

Feel free to let me know what you think, but please don’t make fun of my (lack of) poetry writing skills.

If you would like to enter the contest, check it out HERE. They will take entries through October 31, 2011. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter, too! And feel free to buy me a bracelet.

Wordless Wednesday: WHOOPS!

2011-09-07T05:32:00.000-04:00

I took this picture yesterday at the gym. It's very important to get back NI shape once the kids are back NI school.

I'm wondering (1), if they did this on purpose (I don't think so) (2), why none of the staff has noticed because the signs are all over the place, and (3), why nobody else said anything or if anyone else noticed (clearly I didn't want to speak up and say "umm...did you mean to spell 'in' wrong?").

Sweat Junkie

Strava GU 100,000 Mile Challenge – FREE GU!

Three Things Thursday

Weekly Sweat Report (2/19 - 2/25)

If you want to _____, you have to _____.

Weekly Sweat Report & A New Toy

PureFit Bar Review

Wordless Wednesday (because that's all I have time for these days...)

Weekly Two Weeks of Sweat Reports 1/29/12 - 2/11/12

Happy Friday!

Introducing: New Running Shoes!

Looking Back on January

Weekly Sweat Report (1/22 - 1/28)

Running Solo

Weekly Sweat Report (1/15 - 1/21)

Five Things I Want

Crazy Blue Ridge Marathon Thoughts

Wordless Wednesday: Invisible Bikes!

Weekly Sweat Report + Zipfizz Winners

Don't Discuss Bloomers with Every Man You Know

Wordless Wednesday: Introducing...

Zipfizz Review & Giveaway

(Almost) Crossing off Some 2012 Goals

A Non-Sweaty Start to 2012

Goals & Resolutions for 2012

My 2011 in Review

Merry Christmas!

Walter the Farting Dog

My Slow (but SURE!) Return to Running

100 things

A Bunch of Salad Haters!

DIY Medal Hanger

I RAN!

Monday Motivation: Courage, Part 3

In My Dreams

Perseverance + Desktop Backgrounds

Never ever EVER give up

Monday Motivation: Courage, Part 2

Social Media Updates

Dusting off my Garmin

The Running Cook has moved!

Thanksgiving: Pinterest Edition

Look Who's Late to the Versatile Blogger Party!

Changes @ The Running Cook

Monday Motivation

Richmond Marathon Spectating Report

3 Weeks

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

Back Update and Info on Kinesio Tape

I'm thinking about changing my name...

Inspiration from Eleanor Roosevelt

Injury Update and DIY Ice Packs

Injury, A Tough Decision, and Advice Needed!

Fuel Sampling Giveaway Winner

Egg Muffin Cups

3 New Things I Love Thursday!

Marathon Training: Week #15

Fuel Sampling Giveaway!

22 Miler DNS...yet.

Fuel Sampling #4: Carb BOOM! Energy Gels

Marathon Training: Week #14

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

Marathon Training: Week #13...the big 20!

How to Cook Running Chicken

Marathon Training: Week #12

Marathon Training: Week #11

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Marathon Training Week #10

Foodie Friday: Creamy Chicken with Tomatoes

Attention: nuun-lovers!

Marathon Training Week #9 Recap

Achiva Native Energy Winner

I'm A Poet and Didn't Know It

Wordless Wednesday: WHOOPS!

If you want to _, you have to _.