Surprise Long Run

Isn’t it funny how, when you’re ridiculously tired/exhausted, it’s that much harder to fall asleep? Still reeling from the long weekend and all the events that went down, you’d think I’d be passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Nope.

So when the alarm went off on yet another dreaded Tuesday this week, I didn’t even have to wake up. I was awake.

Not a surprising way to start that day of the week. Why do Tuesdays have to be so stupid?!?!

Coworkers are surely going to start gossiping. Either about my bloodshot eyes and how they came about or the threat of my heart exploding from the amount of coffee being consumed. Maybe both.

Had I been forced to sit in the traffic that has plagued my commute the last week or two, the gym would not have happened. So lucky for me, Kim and Maggie were available for a run on the trails near my office!

That doesn’t mean I didn’t drive around 10 minutes longer than necessary being semi-lost. But hey- at least now I know where to go next time…

This was the first time I’ve met up with either of them and I was excited. My coworkers were nervous. Because when you leave the office in running gear and people inquire about your whereabouts, do not say “going to go run in the woods with strangers.” It won’t go over well.

Hilariously enough, we planned every detail except for how far we would actually run. Being as how I’ve eased up on the running since my half marathon a few weeks ago, I was a bit uneasy about not knowing this one weeeeee lil’ detail.

Especially since these girls, and another running buddy that joined us, are marathon runners.

Uh. What exactly was I getting myself into?!?!?

Most of my runs during the week have been 3-5 miles. And, if we’re being honest, the majority of them as of late have been closer to 3. No real reason. No excuses. That’s just the way it’s gone down as of late.

But I surprised myself! MapMyRun was horribly off (what gives, iphone app?), but Kim helped me figure out that I had done approximately 7 miles (we kept it at a conversational pace) after meeting them on the trail.

And only one bug was snorted in the process. Solid win. 7 miles on a Tuesday. A freakin’ Tuesday! Maybe that’s what I need to start doing more often to make Tuesday seem less sad and pathetic?

Who woulda thunk it?

Someone remind me of this next week.

And since I know you were concerned, I’ve slept like a rock ever since.

Happy sigh.

All Done… Almost

After yesterday’s post of discussing all the weird and unusual things that can happen while running outdoors, I decided to take my chances and do just that.

Run outside.

Now that daylight savings is in full swing, combined with my getting home from work early on certain weeks (5ish), getting in a few miles around the neighborhoods is completely doable.

The only issue last night was running across a few of the heavily trafficked main roads. Once I have the rush hour jerks behind me (you’re really going to attempt to run me over as I’m looking you straight in the eye, big fella?), it’s pretty smooth sailing.

I didn’t have a desire to track pace, but after consulting MapMyRun.com, I was decently happy with the 3-mile run. It went relatively well, just a little rough in patches due to the nasty wind.

This was officially the last run before my race on Sunday. Cross training tonight with some weights and the stairmill and I am DONE with this round of training.

It’s a liberating feeling. Even if I sort of abandoned the general guidelines of my Non-Plan Plan. It still counts as “training”. Because I said so.

After tonight, it’s just a matter of resting up and eating well.

Baked sweet potato fries make me feel rebellious.

Demolished.

The rest of my “prep” time will include figuring out what to wear the day of. No easy task, considering the forecast seems to swing 10-15 degrees on a daily basis.

Plus, there’s that whole “will it rain? will it not rain? Oh it’s gonna rain. Wait no- just kidding.”

I swear that entire train of thought happened within the half hour I watched the news this morning.

Decisions… decisions…

Concerns Related To Outdoor Exercise

Good morning and happy Wednesday!

I’m doing well with this week so far because it has been FLYING. And being as how a half marathon and a visit from the ‘rents are awaiting me this weekend, I could not be more excited!

That is… if I survive the week. Weird things have been going on and I’ve been subject to all the not-bad-but-still-worrisome consequences of my workout routine.

Like rats.

These are posted in quite a few alleys. Leaves a bit of an unsettling feeling, yes?

Dude. I hate rats. Worse than anything. Mice are slightly frightening and a bit annoying, but rats? They’re a whole new level of terror.My roommate feels the same way. So you can imagine the minor heart attacks we suffered when walking home from the gym at 6:30 in the morning and one darted across our path. I swear it stopped for a second to size us up. Beady eyes glowing. Just like in the picture. Unacceptable!

Speaking of mother nature’s most undesirable…

I forgot running outside again means I’ll get a minor increase in protein from swallowing bugs. If this happened on my first outdoor long run a few weeks ago, on a Friday in Lent (as a Catholic, I’m supposed to be abstaining from meat on Fridays), am I in trouble? Is that meat? Hmm.

Food for thought. Literally.

Supposedly, guys think it is sexy to see girls running with their bare long legs and sexy ponytails whipping back and forth. In my case there is no way this is possible. Because I’m the sweaty beast with the sports bra tan line who has to stop every so often to hack up a freakin’ bug and try to not completely gag and vomit in front of the neighborhood coffee spot where people are sitting out on the patio.

Sexy, indeed.

It’s also pretty sexy when you almost suffer a mild concussion from running into a door. That was more embarrassing than it was painful.

That was just as, if not more, embarrassing than hitting the grocery store fresh off a run. Society has rules for this sort of thing. And deodorant. Both of which, after 80 minutes of running, escaped me.

Seriously guys- why do you let me go unsupervised like this?!?!

Most of these things, especially the door in the face, have taught me one thing- the value of finding a dependable emergency contact.

Which I have found in my friend Mon.

The great thing about making a friend your emergency contact is you’re actually just forcing them to be your friend that much longer. The way I see it, I am guaranteed to still have at least one friend until the last race I’m signed up for- which is September. Sweet!

Luckily, I have not been hit with ALL the awkward and embarrassing perils of being a runner.

This includes the urge to pee during a race. Hopefully this will continue to NOT happen. I’ve popped a squat in my fair share of odd places (make sure to have a lookout- they’re crucial if you don’t want to be arrested), but… um… no.

Anyway, the rats, the bugs, the doors swinging open- all things I have to be aware of and take into stride.

Ah the life of a runner….

What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you when exercising? Let’s discuss. And maybe make me feel a little better about myself in the process.

Please and thank you.

Mentally Noted

You would not believe the swing in weather around here. After spending a day in rain delays and 60-degree weather, waking up to sun and 83 degrees was quite the pleasant surprise.

Because of the sunshine and the flexibility in schedule, I took to the trail by my current apartment. Funny how quickly you get knocked on your butt when not used to 83-degree weather. After completing the full 2.8-hour loop and losing half my weight in sweat, it was already nearing noon and closing in on 90 degrees. I let go of the idea of a second loop and retreated back to my apartment where I chose to hit the stairmill for 15 minutes and cool down with a walk on the treadmill.

Gonna have to relearn that, if I want to get an outdoor run in, waking up and moving around a little earlier will be necessary.

Mentally noted.

My biggest accomplishment during my Memorial Day (other than officially starting the packing/moving process)? Working on my tan lines via the outdoor running and some time pool side. Not time IN the pool, just beside it. Observing all the people hopping in, swearing, and jumping directly out. Still cold. Give it another week or so before jumping in. Mentally noted.

I hope all of you were able to also enjoy the holiday. Especially if this means grilling. Because I would like to live vicariously through you. Still grill-less, I decided to make the most of it and decided to eat what food that would be served at a BBQ.Asparagus wrap with pepperjack, zucchini, and sweet corn. Sure, a smoked flavor and grill marks would have been nice, but it worked.

I really need to make friends with more people who own BBQ grills. Mentally noted.

And with that, let’s welcome back the work week. It’s a short one, so I’m keeping my whining to a minimum.

Even if it’s Tuesday. They do generally suck, but since it’s the first day of the work week, maybe everyone will be fooled into thinking it’s Monday and it won’t be that bad.

A girl can always dream, right?

Question of the Day- Who got a sunburn this weekend?

Welcome to the Great Outdoors

G’morning!

Would you like to join me in welcoming the first full day of spring? All I can say is THANK GOODNESS.

The season was properly celebrated with an outdoor run on Saturday. Yes, the 10-mile long run and the first outdoor run of the season were done at the same time.

I’m a firm believer that as an individual, it’s a good idea to learn something new every single day of your life. Saturday, for example, I learned this was not the best combination. But I wanted to get my outdoor running started, and just took a chance.  The sooner I get out there, the better it is in the long run (pun- get it??? ahahaa). Besides, there are only 20 days until my half marathon.

Give me a second… my heart just stopped as I typed that….

Breathe…

Ok… We’re all good.

While out and without the treadmill to keep me updated, I took Saturday as a chance to recalibrate my Nike+ on the first loop around the trail. Not sure what happened, but the recalibration didn’t work correctly.

However, I do know my time for the loop averaged an 8:42 pace. Sounds about right. And considering it was my first trip outside, it didn’t hurt my feelings too much. The last 7ish miles? Safe to say the pace slowed. The miles weren’t timed and, if they were, it may have been somewhat discouraging.

Other than the slowdown in pace, everything went well. My legs felt fine during the entire run, breathing wasn’t an issue, and the temps were a little chilly but nothing to whine about- I was never uncomfortable because I had actually dressed properly. Usually I’m awful at guessing how many/what kind of layers are needed. 

10 miles… check!

I felt a little sore on Sunday and even this morning, but we’ll attribute some of that to me getting a little extra “mileage” while downtown in heels. A few random Mizzou friends I hadn’t seen recently met up for a free beer drink special (how does that happen?!?!) and some March Madness fun.

It ended with 2:00 AM pizza delivery. Just like when we were in college together. Nothing better. 

Although I’m not as young as I used to be. So sleeping in on a friend’s couch is not quite as accepted by my body. I woke up at 7:30 and got out quick.

Plus, my girlfriend I crashed with isn’t much of a breakfast person. What’s up with that?Sure, we just had pizza not that long before. But I find it’s VERY important to start each day with a solid breakfast.

Even if it requires an extra cup of coffee. And chocolate chips in the pancakes.

Just So Wild

G’Morning!

I could not be more well-rested.  After several crazy weekends of running around and road trips, I took this last weekend off to stay put and have a couple low key nights with friends.  Each night ended up with me falling asleep easily by midnight.  Only to wake up around 3:00 on my couch (groggy and confused) and having to drag myself to a more proper place for sleep.

I’m just so wild.

I was efficient with my downtime, no worries.  Caught up on emails, cleaned, ran errands… you know- responsible stuff. 

And I made stew.

Yes.  Wild.Last time I was home, my mom sent up more goods from the garden (remember- I lived on a farm). This included canned tomato juice. It’s usually used for some crazy good chili, but I’m low on ground beef and have plenty of other things around- it was time to switch it up.

Oh and I also make more honey oatmeal bread.  It’s officially an obsession.Into my massive crock pot went one freakishly large sweet potato, 2 cans of black beans, approximately a cup of corn (I just poured it until satisfied), 2ish cups of mushrooms (dumped until satisfied) and half of a yellow onion. I also threw in some jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s on a whim. Best decision ever.

Interesting fact- red onions do not make me cry. I barely cut into a yellow onion and tears are streaming down my face during a “my eyyyyyeeeessss!!!” moment.  How irritating.

Also thrown in was garlic salt, red chili pepper flakes, pepper, a little paprika and parsley. All should be tossed in according to your taste. Because I like spicy, you can be assured I used a heavy hand with each one…

Clearly I don’t follow recipes when cooking.I just sat with my feet propped up on the couch as it cooked away for 4 hours.  Ahhhh…. gotta love the crock pot.

I think my crock pot needs a manly man’s name. That way, when someone calls and asks what I’m up to, I can just say, “oh you know, I’m just resting after such a long day of work. And Hank is being a dear by cooking dinner…”

Or maybe I could make him sexy and exotic?  Cristiano possibly?  Such difficult decisions… 

Actually, it’s not.  I choose Cristiano.

Anyway, it was definitely a spicy dish (probably just Cristiano trying to get me all hot and bothered). I loved it. And now there is a massive amount of stew leftover. 

I’m definitely one to freeze almost anything, so I’ll probably keep a serving or two for this week and throw the rest in the freezer.

Thanks for dinner, Cristiano.

I really did appreciate all his hard work after a long day. After Saturday’s 7-mile run, I wasn’t sure how long my “strength training” would be.

But after all my “wild” nights of falling asleep early, there was plenty of energy to go around.  Level 2 of The Shred, 20 minutes on the stairmill, and even a quick mile run was thrown in because I felt like it.

Sure, technically there was more cardio than strength, but it’s the weekend and I do what I want.

This week’s weather is looking GOOD.  I really wanted to take my long run outside on Saturday, but there’s still a massive amount of snow sticking around. And that’s not cool.  Cross your fingers that the climb to a 50-degree day over the week will take care of a lot of it so I can hit the trails over the weekend. The treadmill and I need to spend some time apart.

Have a good day, everyone!

(Oh and PS- if you want to know where I got “Cristiano” from, do yourself a favor and google search the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. There ya go. Happy Valentine’s Day from me.)

Goose Island Rewards

So the majority of us don’t love Kristen Stewart.  And I’ve been so turned off by her for so long, I had no idea they call her K Stew.  True story…  So thanks for informing me.  I am a firm believer you learn something new everyday.  I guess we all know what I learned yesterday.

Also, my favorite character at the gym came from Ms. Salty Tooth.  Seriously- the guy kissed his muscles in the mirror?  Seriously?  I didn’t know people actually did that.

Moving on…

I did four miles last night on the trail!  And this time, I was able to finish before the rain attacked.  Whew!  And I even ran an 8:28 pace without being freaked out about being shot down by lightning.  Thank goodness.  Although I am slightly suspicious that my Nike+ is off and needs to be calibrated again (as in I think I’m a bit faster than what it says- if it were the other way around, I don’t think it would bother me at all- ha).  Being the procrastinator that I am, I’ll just worry about that later.

I know my pace wasn’t an improvement due to the copius amounts of sleep I got.  Because I slept like crap.  Maybe it was all the caffeine I took in to compensate?  Or it could have been the most filling salad of all time?Black beans, corn, and the leftover BBQ chicken I made the other day.  This is probably one of my favorite lunchtime salads to date.  Just sayin’.

I’ve also been meaning to tell you my thoughts on the edamame hummus I picked up at Trader Joe’s about a week ago…It’s ok.  But I really do like my standard chick pea hummus better.  I think this stuff is a little too creamy for my liking.  But it still works well in wraps and such.  I don’t hate it.  I just don’t love it.  Ya know?

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it recently, but this weekend I am volunteering for the Girls on the Run 5k in Chicago.  If you’ve never heard of the organization, definitely check it out because they do it in quite a few cities!  I think it’s a great mentoring program.  Unfortunately I don’t have the schedule that would allow me to do after-school stuff with the girls, but I am glad I get to help out in other ways by volunteering at the races!  And hello- I’m supposed to be helping with the tiara decorating stand.  If that’s not awesome, I don’t know what is.

Enjoy your Thursday- can you believe how quickly the week has flown by?  Love it.  Mon and I decided if we do a good job with our workouts, we’re celebrating with a cold beer.  Goose Island Summertime brew of course.  As long as weight slammer is no where to be found, I plan to kick some elliptical ass. 

That is all.  Peace out, kids…

Weight Slammer Strikes Again

So I did my cross training last night at the work out room in my complex.  And got stuck at the end of my workout with the dude that slams the weights down.  Ugh.  UGH. 

Like I’ve said before, I understand weight lifting is not a quiet activity.  But seriously- I’m terrified he’s going to break the weight machine.  And I swear that everyone jumps every time it happens.  And then we all shoot him an evil look.  But he’s too busy rocking out to his music that even I can even hear over my music to notice. 

I have choice words.

Let me know if you have any good characters at the gym.  I’ve got a few I know I’ve mentioned from time to time…

Other than that, the work out was good.  25 minute on the elliptical.  15 minutes on the stairmill.  Some weight time before weight slammer took over.  And a quick mile on the ‘mill.  Then I got the f out of there because he was still going strong.  And I’m concerned about premature hearing loss.

Plus, The Hills was going to be on.  And I’m finally in that place where I can admit it’s my guilty pleasure.  I got sucked in a little over a year ago- or whenever it was Lauren’s last season on.  I don’t even like Kristen at all.  I can’t stand Spencer and Heidi.  Why do I watch this show?!?! 

At least I had good eats.  It was a protein-a-riffic dinna’.Spinach and mushroom scramble with cottage cheese.  I’m not sure if I was really feeling the cottage cheese, but it’s nearing it’s cutoff date.  And you know how I hate to be wasteful…

Because there is always a need for some new reads at the gy, I was excited this mag came to my door:I flipped through it a little during breakfast this morning as I made Oats in a Jar with the last of my White Chocolate Wonderful.  Originally, I couldn’t get enough of this stuff, but my interest faded quickly.  I think the WCW is just a little too sweet for me and my regular consumption of peanut butter.  Still not bad- just not my favorite…

Oh and back to my Elle magazine that I still don’t know where the subscription came from- Kristen Stewart is the cover story.  Ugh.  When I saw that as I pulled it out of my mailbox, I almost threw it away right then and there.  I don’t care what people say- she can’t act.  She’s got one dimension.  It’s called “teenage angst”.  That’s all I’ve ever seen her play.  Except for when she was younger.  Then it was “preteen angst”.  But whatev- I noticed the cover also said it was the “Body Issue” so I’ve found a few good reads to keep me entertained as I do work on the stairmill.  So that’s good- because I don’t know how many times I’ve flipped through the two or three People magazines there that are four months old…

Anyways, in honor of National Running Day (yeah, it’s real- put your sneaks on and head out the door!), I’ll be doing 3.5 miles today.  Let’s cross the fingers it’ll be on the trail and not the treadmill. 

Happy Hump Day!

Slow down and enjoy the rest day…

Work has been steadily busy the last week, so I feel like this week is flying by!  No complaints… but isn’t it funny how we mostly seem to wish the week away to get to the weekend?  Then wonder where the time went?  Just a thought.

I need to slow down and enjoy my coffee tea today. 

I kept my eye on the weather all day yesterday.  Originally, it was supposed to be raining all afternoon.  But God seems to know and respect my training schedule, and postponed the rain until later in the night (perfect sleeping weather, btw).  It was another steady 8:30-paced run on my favorite trail.  Ok really, I just need to find myself a new trail.  On the “to-do” list this weekend… 

I didn’t monitor my pace at all during- as to not obsess and psych myself out.  I know I’m slower than I was a few months ago.  Maybe some of it is nervousness.  As of late, it seems I hit that five-mile mark and my body says, “back up, bitch” and starts to crumble.  I won’t be doing that until next week, but it’s still in the back of my mind.  I can’t believe it’s already been six months since I got my first injury???  That’s an entire half a year of running… nonrunning… running… nonrunning.  Stressful to say the least.

I’m not going to baby my leg forever, though.  Someone needs to be taught who’s boss.  And that’s ME.  Maybe it was the 8:30 pace, but those three miles were almost too easy.  I’m ready for more!

And because I decided yesterday that I was a bad ass, I decided a little tread and shred was necessary.  Whats up, Level 2?  Cheer squats and a v-fly?  Please…

Ok, actually that move still sucks, but don’t bring me down.

Maybe I felt so crazy because I had a stellar dinner.It’s that “old fashioned” protein we discussed in the last post.    I was grocery shopping last night and couldn’t resist when I passed the deli counter.  I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought deli… so it was a good way to mix things up!  Turkey/spinach/mushroom wrap with zucchini and yellow squash?  Yes please!

Speaking of, thanks for all the comments!  I know that eating habits and lifestyle can be a touchy subject.  We’re all set it our own ways.  Personally, I eat meat maybe three or four times on average during the week.  It works for me.  And I know I get my protein elsewhere (the point was made that there are small amounts in a lot of the things you eat- which is true and something to consider if you’re concerned about your intake).  Some people need it at every meal.  And that’s fine.  That’s even how I grew up.  I just eat differently now.  As long as you find the balance that works for you.  That’s the important part!

And the grocery shopping… what a trip.  This is not the “healthy balance” I just mentioned… ha!  I got a random coupon to Dominick’s (the Safeway brand store around here) for $10 off if I spend $50.  “Perfect,” I thought, “I’ll stock up on the necessary stuff for Jaime’s wedding cake and get some randoms I need”. 

So what did my cart look like?

Asparagus… salad mix… zucchini… squash… mushrooms… oatmeal… 2 lbs of butter… 2 large bags of powdered sugar… large carton of heavy whipping cream… 5 lbs of sugar…

I probably blew the guy’s mind.  But maybe not.  Either way.  I was laughing.  As he swiped the butter, I wanted to be like, “yeah- I’m feeding dessert to about 100 people next week- don’t judge.”  Then I realized I don’t really care that much…

Here’s to a good Thursday!  It’s actually a rest day for me, so I’m spending the night cleaning and such.  Well… maybe just the “and such” part.  We’ll see how ambitious I get.

Blown Away

Almost.  That was a great concern when I hit the trail at the forest preserve after work last night.  How is it possible that the trail is a loop and I was against the wind the majority of the time?  Seriously… I feel that physics would debate this.  But it happened.

And I swallowed a bug.  No need to eat meat for the rest of the week… my protein needs have been met.

The loop is 2.8 miles.  And despite the forces of nature, I trudged through it all.  So when Mon texted me for a Tuesday Suckday drink, I happily obliged.  I needed to finish off and get rid of that bottle of wine in the refrigerator anyways…

Before the wine, I was able to cook this mean dish up:Spinach and feta wrap with zuchinni.  I picked up some wraps yesterday and am sure I’ll be making the most of them this week!  Which means I will be using them pretty much every other meal until they’re gone so they don’t go bad.  Anyways, the spinach wrap was A-mazing.  I sauteed the spinach beforehand- I sort of prefer it that way over raw when I’m given the choice.

Oh and I’m glad I’m not the only crazy who frequents the grocery store like it’s my hangout…  Being as how I cook for just myself most of the time, I find it necessary to do so if I want to eat fresh.  Because I’ve tried stocking up and only going once a week.  This ends up with me going nuts trying to cook as much as I can the first few days and then everything else going bad before I can get to it.  So lately I’ve found that buying one or two fresh things at a time and incorporating them into a few meals with other things works best.  Any other tips for the single lady in the kitchen?

Ok guys, we’re halfway through.  So let’s put on a happy face, shall we?  Just so you know, this isn’t my happy face.  This is my “I just watched the news and traffic is a standstill in every which direction”.  Ugh.