All Apologies

I’m sorry!

I know, it’s been a long time since I had a chance to post.  Like I explained the last time, I had a huge deadline at work.  Seriously–if this didn’t go well, things wouldn’t have been pretty.  But luckily, with a lot of hard work (and a slight deadline extension) we completed our work and more, so I think everyone is happy.

In other news, other than spending countless hours at work over the past few weeks, running is pretty much all I did.  I’m lazy, so here’s an excerpt from my training plan, going all the way back to early September during the week when I sprained my ankle and caught the devil cold:

Enjoy this picture, because it’s the only one I have for this post.  LAME, I know, but like I said, I’ve had some other priorities the past few weeks.

If you’ll look at the last entry, you’ll see that I ran a half marathon this morning…and it went well!  It wasn’t a PR, but I’m happy for several reasons:

1. It was a very challenging course.  Out in the country and lots of rolling hills.  Not to mention that the two longest and steepest hills were in the last 1.5 miles.  Now that’s just sadistic.
2. It was extremely windy, and the wind was directly in my face for the last three miles–including while running up the two devil hills at the end.
3. I made a rookie mistake again and went out too fast.  At the mile mark I heard a volunteer reeling off times and yell “6:45!” as I passed her.  FRICK.  I’m pretty sure a “Son of a bit… gun” escaped my lips at this point.
4. I’m six months post serious injury that kept me laid up for over two months.  No matter what happened today, I went out there realizing that this day and my ability to run are both gifts from God.  As long as you use the gifts that God gave you, not much else really matters.

I finished in 1:37:28–a few minutes off my PR, and good enough for 6th place female overall (and a $100 prize!).  I’ll take it!  My friend Terry has taken to calling me “bona-fide” (I told him to watch O Brother Where Art Thou–one of my favorite movies–a few weeks ago and he did, and is now quoting it every chance he gets.  Naturally, I am getting a huge kick out of this).

In other news…

• Bone density: I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but shortly after I fractured my leg, I volunteered for a study at the local medical university that studies changes in bone density in people with stress fractures of the lower leg.  At my most recent monthly appointment, they offered to do a bone density scan on my hip so I could get a T-score that would give me an indicator of my risk of osteoporosis.  Considering that I’ve had two stress fractures, two broken wrists, three broken toes and a broken tailbone in my lifetime, I expected something dismal.  WRONG!  My T-score was 1.07–well above average!  It was good news, but a “What the heck” moment at the same time.  My husband informed me last week when we were out for a run that I have a normal footstrike on my right side but on my left I land out the outside of my foot, but don’t pronate in.  It’s surprising that my right leg is normal, because my entire right leg is actually misaligned due to an old knee injury (I learned that during the study, too, when the university’s director of orthopedics was studying my legs one day).  Probably explains the “rare” fracture I got (fibula fractures are rare to begin with, and most are near the ankle–mine was about halfway up the leg).  I likely get an abnormal amount of force on a bone that is supposed to be non-weight bearing.
• Ike: Ike has been back at the vet twice in the past few weeks.  The first time was because of intestinal issues (what else is new?).  The vet recommended a biopsy of his small intestine, but I asked if we could hold on that for awhile.  We agreed on limiting his diet to only his prescription food and training a new antibiotic that targets just his small intestine.  Fast-forward two and a half weeks: Ike wakes us up coughing, so we bring him back to the vet’s (we’re making them rich).  Treatment for kennel cough is pretty standard, but the good part was after they weighed him–he gained 2.5 pounds in two weeks!!!!!  Seeing how he is recovering from serious malnourishment, this is a HUGE deal!  It appears that we have finally found a treatment option for him that is working–I am so thankful that we have finally made some progress.  He will never grow to full size, but at least it’s looking like we can get him to a healthy weight for his stature.

Our little man hit another big milestone this week–he turned one year old!  They took the most adorable birthday picture of him at doggie daycare, but as I can’t figure out our scanner, I can’t post it.  Instead, in honor of Ike’s first birthday, I’ll share a couple of my favorite pictures of him.  Make sure you can handle oodles of cuteness before you continue.

 

Don’t Worry…I’ll Be Back Soon!

Hi all!

I have a HUGE deadline at work coming up and alas, I find myself with barely time to shower.  As a result of this deadline, I’m working long hours and weekends (plus we’ve had three weddings in the past month that we were invited to, making my “free” weekends still quite busy), which means that the little spare time I do have has been dedicated to my husband, dog, and–of course–running.  I’m not getting as much sleep as I would like, but I find that regular exercise and keeping my diet clean (rich in fruits and veggies and low on processed foods and meat) is giving me more energy than I would otherwise expect.  So, I’m continuing to make exercise a non-negotiable priority–I’ll be flexible about when it gets done, but it’s going to get done.  Anyways, I’ll be back in a week or so…thanks for your patience!

 

They Don’t Call Me Lucky for Nothing

My past few days have consisted of little more than this…

…and this…

Let’s backtrack, shall we?

I had a 13-miler scheduled for this past Saturday.  Seeing how a friend has just about talked me into doing the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon, I decided that I needed to get some trail runs in.  So, I got up before 6AM, ate, and headed down to Green Lakes for a 13-mile trail run. 

Everything was great at first.  I watched the sun rise as I ran through the cool woods and dew-covered fields.  I felt at peace and happy to be alive and running.  As I ran into a thick grove of trees about three miles in, I accidentally found myself on private property, so I quickly turned and headed back.  As I was heading back, there was a fallen tree in the middle of the path.  I had leaped over it effortlessly on my way out, but this time, my left ankle caught the log and twisted.  I let out a yelp as a sharp pain hit my ankle.  I stopped running, and stood still for a minute.  I rotated my ankle clockwise and counterclockwise, and the pain began to dissipate.  I decided to keep on running.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I completed the rest of my 13 miles without incident, but it was a hard run, and not just because of my ankle.  I should really have done the smart thing and worked in some shorter trail runs first, but obviously, I didn’t.  The next day, my ankle and left shin were in horrendous pain, not to mention my normal post-long run aches and pains all seemed magnified.  I went for a long bike ride (and popped a tire about 2 miles from home) and danced my tail off at my friend’s wedding that day, but I paid for it.  I decided to take Monday off from exercise to let my leg heal.  Tuesday rolled around, and while my leg felt better, I decided to give it another day off and make up my Tuesday run.

On Wednesday, I woke up feeling congested, but chalked it up to allergies.  By 10AM, I felt horribly congested and achy, so I left work early.  Here it is Thursday, and I still feel like poop, and I’m home from work again.  Needless to say, no running will be happening tonight.  The good news is that my leg now feels almost 100%–it must have been a minor sprain, but I probably wouldn’t have rested it as well as I should have if I hadn’t gotten sick.

I’m hoping I’ll be feeling well enough to get my weekend long run in, but it will likely be a play by ear situation.  In the grand scheme of things, missing a few workouts isn’t a big deal.  But given my history of injuries, I may need to modify my plan in order to get back on track without getting hurt.

And with that, I leave you with my wrap-up for the two weeks before this one:

• Monday, 8/24: 45min elliptical + abs
• Tuesday, 8/25: 4×1200 @6:26-6:31/mi, 6mi total (47:30, 7:55/mi)
• Wednesday, 8/26: 45min elliptical
• Thursday, 8/27: 5mi tempo @7:22/mi, 6mi total (46:18, 7:42/mi) + abs
• Friday, 8/28: Rest
• Saturday, 8/29: 12.2mi (1:42:01, 8:21/mi)
• Sunday, 8/30: Rest
• TOTAL MILEAGE: 24.2 miles

And the next week:

• Monday, 8/31: 45min arc trainer + abs
• Tuesday, 9/1: 6×800 @6:18-6:30/mi, 6mi total (47:00, 7:50/mi)
• Wednesday, 9/2: 50min bike (10.0mi, 4:58/mi)
• Thursday, 8/27: 7mi tempo @7:34/mi, 8.02mi total (1:02:12, 7:45/mi) + abs
• Friday, 8/28: Rest
• Saturday, 8/29: ~13.5mi (2:02:03, 9:00/mi) <– This is a best guess…my Garmin didn’t handle the woods too well, so this is based on how far I think that I ran.
• Sunday, 8/30: 83min bike (15.43mi, 5:22/mi) <–I had to ride the last two miles on a flat tire, hence the slower pace.
• TOTAL MILEAGE: 27.52 miles

Let’s hope that my unlucky streak is over and I can get back to normal as soon as possible.

 

Frick!

Holy crow.  Another week GONE.  It’s Labor Day weekend, and summer is over.  And I forgot my weekly wrap-up last week.  Dang it!

I have good reason for being MIA, though.  My in-laws were here from Sunday until Wednesday.  I took Monday and Tuesday off from work to entertain them, and then I worked my tail off Wednesday through Friday.  Very little free time this week!

However, I did have a good time on Monday and Tuesday.  On Monday, we took my in-laws to the great New York State Fair, where wine was drank, junk was eaten, and we walked til our feet ached.  I forgot how much I love the Fair–where else can you see hot tubs, firearms demonstrations, livestock, and a giant sculpture made out of butter, all while stuffing yourself with curly fries, taffy and cotton candy?  (I passed on the fried dough.  My stomach had taken enough abuse by halfway through the day.)  They also had a “Pride of New York” marketplace featuring all sorts of foods from the different regions of the state.  More on my finds there later!

On Tuesday we went sightseeing in the swanky little town of Skaneatles.  My high school tennis team used to call it something not very nice before matches, but now that I’m (a little) more adult I can appreciate how nice of a town it really is.  We went on a boat tour of the lake and checked out some of the fancy houses, had lunch at the historic Sherwood Inn, and then shopped around for a bit.

Now this is where it gets exciting, my foodie friends.

First, we came across the Vermont Green Mountain Specialty Store.  Now, I haven’t alluded too much to this yet, but…I love my coffee.  So does Mark.  We either buy our coffee from a local coffeeshop, or we buy fair trade Green Mountain coffee at the grocery store.  Here was a shop that featured several different kinds of Green Mountain coffee.  And it turned out that it was a candy store, too.  And if there’s one thing I love more than coffee, it’s candy.  I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement.  I couldn’t resist buying a half pound of specialty chocolates…

Little pieces of heaven on earth.

Just when I thought that my life couldn’t get much better, we came across a little kitchen and specialty foods store called Rhubarb.  I was like a kid in a candy store (oh wait…).  Long story short, after checking out all the goods and chatting with the owner, I came outside, quite a bit poorer, to my husband and in-laws who had been standing out front waiting for me for about 10 minutes after they had finished looking around.

Here is my accumulated loot from the day at the Fair and in Skankycatsass Skaneatles:

• Wild blueberry preserves (from Rhubarb)
• Raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip (from Rhubarb)
• White chocolate peanut butter (Rhubarb again)
• Salt water taffy (from the State Fair…we sent half of it home with Mark’s parents to give to his grandmother)
• CHOCOLATES!!! (Vermont Green Mountain Specialty Co)
• Maple Balsamic Vinagrette (Pride of NY Marketplace at the State Fair)
• Dried cinnamon apples (Pride of NY Marketplace)
• Wild Mountain Blueberry Coffee (VGMSC)
• Southern Pecan Coffee (VGMSC–quite possibly the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted in my life)

I got a rude jolt back to reality on Wednesday when I had to return to work, but at least I’ve got some delectable foods to enjoy.  I felt horribly drained all three days, but somehow, a little bit of chocolate or a good cup of coffee always seems to make things seem better.

On the docket this weekend: a 13-miler, my friend Lynda’s wedding, and hopefully a little R&R before another jam-packed week.  Happy Labor Day!

 

Food for Thought

Gah, sorry for not posting more this week.  I’m focusing a lot on getting up to speed on my new project at work right now and that has been taking up a lot of my time and energy.  For a multitude of reasons, I don’t want to talk about work on the Internet, but let’s just say that this week involved a lot of time on my feet and an up close encounter–I’m talking within 6 inches–with one of these guys.

I’m not kidding.  I screamed like a little girl in front of about four co-workers, too.

Enough about my week.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately…about food.  Which isn’t unusual for me, because I think about food more than almost anything else.  What is unusual is that I’m starting to realize how strange it is to think about food all the time.

Like many of you reading this, I am a big fan of food blogs.  That probably doesn’t seem strange to most of the people reading this.  But think about the reactions that you sometimes get out of people when you tell them about a food blog.  To many people, it seems odd to be so interested in what someone else is eating–and when I actually stop to think about it, it is kind of weird.  But then again, I’m kind of weird when it comes to that.  Every day, I ask my husband what he ate.  It’s not so much that I care about what he eats, so much as I want to experience food in any way I can. 

I also believe that recent events in my life have make me think about food even more than usual.  My stress fracture is one example.  I wanted to do anything I could to help myself heal, and that included eating three servings of dairy a day–a lot considering the fact that I seriously dislike milk (love yogurt and cheese, don’t really like milk–as well as soymilk and almond milk, for that matter) and that I have long held the belief that the American public has been scammed into thinking that they need more dairy than they actually do.  I’ve since backed down to 1-2 servings plus supplementation, but for awhile there, I felt like I needed that much dairy every day or else my leg was never going to heal. 

Ike’s congenital B12 malabsorption syndrome has been another factor.  For months, I watched my dog get scarily thin as myself, my husband, and three veterinarians struggled to figure out why.  The fact that something so simple as lacking the ability to absorb a particular vitamin could cause him to become seriously malnourished was scary to me–especially considering the fact that at the time, I was barely eating meat (vitamin B12 only occurs naturally in animal sources).  Ike’s malnourishment was so severe that he will likely never grow to full size–all because of one vitamin, found only in meat, that he was unable to digest.

I’m constantly on a quest to figure out what kind of diet works best for me.  I love food–whether it’s a big, fresh organic salad, or a burger and fries, chances are I’m going to enjoy it–so flexibility is key to me.  I’ve done some reading on vegetarianism, flexitarianism, veganism, and raw diets.  I find all of these lifestyles fascinating, and for awhile I worked on eliminating meat from my diet.  However, every time I tried, I didn’t feel well–I felt tired, and often I had that sensation like I was coming down with a cold.  After talking to a friend who recently started eating meat after nearly 20 years of vegetarianism (I did not tell her that at that time I had almost completely removed meat from my diet), she echoed the same thing that I felt in my gut–she felt far healthier eating meat than not.  

My diet is based around plants–vegetables and fruit are the mainstays of my diet.  Because of my struggles with  GERD, I limit grain products to 2-4 servings a day, depending on my activity level for that day.  Gluten does not appear to be the culprit–even gluten-free grains can cause a flare up for me.  Grains are another thing that if I don’t eat enough, then I don’t feel well, but if I eat too much, I feel sick.  I also strictly limit my soy intake–I think it is a worse trigger for my GERD than grains are.  I’ve done research on the food industry as a whole, and that is why I do my best to get meat that is free range and from local farmers, and to buy dairy products that are organic and/or local.  I am not advocating my diet or anyone else’s–I’m simply trying to to stress the importance of figuring out what works for you and then doing it.

I’m struggling to find some balance in being conscious about what I eat and overthinking it.  On one hand, I’m pretty active, so it’s important for me to fuel my body properly.  On the other, at what point does thinking about food become unhealthy?  I spend so much time analyzing my diet and how I feel (not to mention observing how others eat) that it seems unnatural.  Is it wrong for me to think about food so much?

My in-laws are coming to visit this weekend so that we can go to the New York State Fair.  When I gave my husband a list of the things I absolutely wanted to do at the Fair, this is what I gave him:

• Curly fries with vinegar
• Fried dough
• Taffy
• Cotton candy

I’m going to savor each bite of those foods.  Will my run the next day feel great?  Probably not (but it might…my glycogen stores should be pretty maxed out with all that sugar).  But life is too short to spend so much of my time worrying about food–especially the kind of food that I only eat once a year (if that).  I should be savoring every aspect of my life, food included.

 

The Adventures of Crazy and Lazy

Who are Crazy and Lazy?  These guys:

My parents’ dog, Bruce (aka “Lazy”) came to visit us for the weekend.  He and Ike (aka “Crazy”) are polar opposites in just about every way imaginable.  It isn’t always easy to deal with the two of them together–we normally let Ike stay outside as much as he wants when Bruce is here just to keep the separate (Bruce is content to lay around inside, while Ike would be outide every second of his life if we let him).  As my husband and I began to approach stir-craziness, we decided to get them out for an activity that has made them bond in the past–hiking!

We decided to check out Robert H. Treman State Park in Ithaca, NY.  It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it to all of us. 

Ike enjoyed the water…

And the humans enjoyed the views, especially the ones of the huge waterfall and deep gorge towards the end of the trail…

I think Crazy enjoyed the views, too…

Although we embarked on our adventure as a bonding exercise for Crazy and Lazy, we all got a pretty decent workout in, too.  The trails go up and down hills and in and out of the gorge multiple times.  To give you an idea, this was one of the first hills we climbed:

And when we completed that one, I was dismayed to discover what followed it–this:

That was literally just one of many.  I would estimate that we went up and down that amount of elevation about nine or ten times.  No wonder my quads (and arse) are burning right now.  I may very well spend the remainder of the day resting on the couch.

And with that, we closed another summer week.  I can’t believe how fast it has gone by already!

Here’s what I did this week:

• Monday: 45min elliptical + abs
• Tuesday: 8×400 (6:31/mi average pace for intervals), 5mi total (41:33, 8:17/mi)
• Wednesday: 48min bike (9.28mi, 5:12/mi) + abs + yoga
• Thursday: 3mi tempo (22:32, 7:30/mi), 5mi total (40:54, 8:11/mi)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 10.11mi (1:24:50, 8:23/mi)
• Sunday: ~2 hours hiking + yoga

I’m glad we got our hike in when we did, because there’s a thunderstorm moving in now.  That means that I have Crazy and Lazy both inside now.  So much for rest…

 

Agile Ike

When you are the proud owner of a crazy border collie, you will do a lot of silly things to keep them active and happy.

Like go to the final agility class of the season on an 87 degree day after standing outside all day at work when you still have to do a tempo run that day.

Note: I put my running gear on before class so that there would be no chance for me to back out of my run after I got home.

Seriously though, he’s a natural at it and I’m pretty sure that he is happiest when he’s running an agility course.

I think we’re going to put him through another round of obedience training (he’s about 80% solid on his basic obedience already, he just needs a little more practice) during the next session and then do an indoor agility class.

I leave you with proof  of the fact that my dog is a natural at agility…and that I am not:

 

Pasta Primavera Para Uno

I think that’s right?  Despite taking classes only a few years ago, my Italian stinks.  I’m much better at French, and I haven’t had a French class since high school.

Anyhoo…

I’ve got a ten-miler scheduled for tomorrow morning.  I’ve found that for runs of ten miles or more, increasing my carbohydrate intake beforehand helps me feel better when I run.  I don’t think that there is a better excuse to eat pasta!  Normally my husband and I have fun coming up with creative pasta recipes together, but I’m a golf widow for the evening so I had to come up with something on my own.  I present to you…

Easy Pre-Run Pasta Primavera for One.

The ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (dry) penne pasta
• 3/4 cup jarred pasta sauce (Newman’s Own is my favorite, but the Bertolli was a steal at BJ’s a few weeks ago)
• 1 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, sautee the cauliflower and broccoli over medium heat in a cooking spray coated skillet.
3. When the broccoli and cauliflower is slightly soft, add the pasta sauce.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 4 minutes or until heated through.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it and pour it into a bowl.
5. Removed the skillet from heat and pour the sauce over the pasta.
6. Add the fresh mozzarella and mix in with the pasta and sauce.  Allow to sit for about 2 minutes so that the cheese gets slightly melty.

Since I am advertising this as a night-before-a-long-run meal, I feel I must add one thing.  If you have any sensitivity issues with fiber before running, substitute semolina pasta for whole wheat and cut back on the veggies.  I eat a pretty high-fiber diet and do not normally have issues with too much fiber, so this is okay for me, but may not be for someone else.

I think it’s time to up those carbohydrate stores a little more…ice cream is calling my name…

 

Music to My Ears

I don’t normally wear headphones while running outside for safety reasons (crazy people who drive 45 through my 30 MPH limited suburban neighborhood, crazy people who sneak up behind you, crazy people in general…).  And in a race, absolutely not–when I’m around that many people, I need to be aware of my surroundings.  There might be a person trying to pass me that I should get out of the way of, or someone yelling directions that I need to hear, or heck, even someone cheering for me when I’m downtrodden and need it most.  Stories like this one reaffirm that belief for me.  I wore headphones during my first marathon three years ago and I regret it to this day. 

I also find a lot of solace in listening to the sounds of my feet on the pavement, my breathing, and the sounds of my neighborhood.  If you haven’t tried it, you should–you’re missing out on a unique and peaceful experience.  It’s one of the few times of day when I can let go of my day and be alone with my thoughts.  I’d compare it to a form of meditation–I’m clearing my head, minding my breath, and my footsteps are my mantra.

But when I’m on the treadmill or cross-training at the gym, all bets are off.  I’m inside a stuffy building, surrounded by sweaty, loud people, and all the while some crazy techno song is blaring from the speakers slowly driving me nuts.  My iPod is my friend in this situation.  I like to mix up my playlist every once in awhile, but here’s what I’m listening to now.  Don’t laugh–I’ve got some funny tastes in music.

• Say It Right, Nelly Furtado – warm up song
• Eminence Front, The Who
• Rock the Casbah, The Clash
• Mercy (Remix), Duffy feat. The Game
• Give It to Me, Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado
• Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne
• Crazy, Gnarls Barkley (this song was playing EVERYWHERE when we were in Italy on our honeymoon, and it always brings me back there)
• Hey Ya, Outkast
• Maneater, Nelly Furtado
• Breathe, Swollen Members feat. Nelly Furtado
• Bombs Over Baghdad, Outkast
• Promiscuous, Nelly Furtado
• Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5
• Under My Thumb, The Rolling Stones – cool down song

Happy Friday!

 

Weekly Wrap Up

Well, my step back week has come to a close, and what a wonderful step back week it was.  I got to go for a very enjoyable fun run, ran my first race of the year, and got myself mentally and physically rested for the 16-week effort ahead of me.  Here’s what I did this past week:

• Monday: 60min elliptical + abs
• Tuesday: 3mi fun run (26:47, 9:06/mi) – stopped every once in awhile to take in the sights at Green Lakes and to give the pup a breather
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: 4mi run (34:51, 8:43/mi) – this was a HOT, late run after Ike’s agility class
• Friday: Rest/serious housework
• Saturday: 1mi warmup (9:15/mi), 5K race (21:45, 6:59/mi) – another super-hot day
• Sunday: Rest/more serious housework
• TOTAL: 11 miles

Three “rest” days in a week is not normal for me, but there were a few reasons for this.  I had a nasty sore throat that began on Monday and got worse through Wednesday.  By Wednesday night, I was having difficultly talking, so I decided that a rest day would be wise.  Luckily, I felt much better Thursday.  On Friday, I had company coming that night so I spent my evening cleaning the house and cooking…which isn’t exactly rest, but it’s not exactly a workout, either.  On Sunday, I had a long bike ride planned, but with a heat index of 102 degrees (92 degrees in the shade!), I nixed that plan.  It wouldn’t have been a smart move.  Instead, I mowed the lawn, cleaned my master bath, and scrubbed my kitchen floors.  So again, some activity, just not really a structured workout.  And, after all, it is a step back week.  If there’s any time to take it easy, now is it.

I should be back to a more “normal” pattern this coming week.  I’m looking forward to officially being “in training” again!