Friday, December 27, 2013

Everything White Bean Hummus

I came across this recipe online a couple of weeks ago and just knew I had to make it! I love all things hummus and I also love everything bagels. So the thought of combining the two sounded just perfect! I decided to make it for my mother-in-law's annual Christmas Day brunch. I usually don't bring a new recipe to a potluck, but luckily this was a huge hit! We brought bagel chips for dipping because, well, you know.

I didn't have any sesame oil and didn't feel like buying a whole bottle to only use two tablespoons, so I left that out and the flavors were still really good. I am certain I will be making this again, so I might get a bottle to see if it makes a big difference.

Everything Hummus

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked cannellini/great northern beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
6 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 whole head of roasted garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
crackers for serving

directions:
In a small bowl, combine dried onion, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Toss to mix.

Add beans and roasted garlic to a food processor and pulse and blend until combined the beans begin to puree, about 2-3 minutes. With the processor still going, stream in olive oil and sesame oil, blending continuously for a few minutes (and scraping down the sides if needed) until as smooth as desired. Add salt and taste, adding more if desired but remember - all of the seasoning will go on top.

Add hummus to a bowl and drizzle with extra olive oil. Pour everything seasoning overtop and serve immediately.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Whine Not Another Marathon

After the Dallas Marathon was canceled, I immediately started looking for another marathon to take its place. I had trained all season, I didn't want that to go to waste!

I ended up deciding on the Texas Whiners series, which consists of a marathon on Saturday (12/14, Whine Not A Marathon) and a marathon on Sunday (12/15, Whine Not Another Marathon). Participants can sign up for one race or both and each race is capped at 50 participants. The course is simple: 8 loops around Bachman Lake (about 3 miles around) with a short out-and-back at the end. I discussed this race with Brandon and another running buddy, Jessica, and we decided to sign up for the Sunday marathon and run it together! Brandon was determined to run his first marathon, Jessica was trying to make it into the Marathon Maniacs club (3 marathons within 90 days) and I just wanted to run a race like I had planned on.

The race is usually very small (the race director told us usually 25-30 runners at each event) but both days filled up to their 50-runner capacity due to the Dallas Marathon cancellation. I'm sure their resources were stretched to the max with all of the last-minute additions, but all of the volunteers were so nice and seemed really happy that more people signed up! I picked up my packet at the Embassy Suites near Bachman Lake on Friday evening. I got a shirt (way too big, but I know they had scrambled to get enough shirts as it was), a keychain flashlight and a rubber bracelet.


Saturday evening, Michael said he wasn't feeling well and ended up being sick all night. He was still sick on Sunday morning so I drove myself to the race site. There was plenty of on-site parking, the small lot was full when I got there at 6:40-ish (for a 7:00am start) but I parked on the street directly across from the start line/finish line/aid tent. The aid tent was stocked with water, Gatorade, candy, bagels, pretzels and I think some other "real" food as well. I did not plan on trying out real food for the first time during a race, instead I carried a couple of packages of my usual Honey Stinger Chews. Brandon had brought a whole box of supplies, pretty much anything he thought he might need during the race! His friend Serena and his parents were going to stay in that spot, so I added a couple of things to his box just in case I needed them. It was nice to know we could just drop our layers or pick something up every three miles!

Because there were no timing chips, there were volunteers set up as timers. They recorded our bib number each time we passed them and would record our final finish time. The race director (Angela) welcomed us made a few general announcements while we pinned on our bibs and tried to stay warm. (I think the temperature at 7:00 was about 28 degrees, brr!) She also had people raise their hands who were running their first marathons (Brandon was one of only a few), people trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon (again, only a couple), trying to qualify for Marathon Maniacs (Jessica and a few others), running their second marathon of the weekend (quite a few). Then she started rattling off numbers of marathons people had run. There were quite a few people with a few *hundred* marathons under their belts, the most was 549! Insane! Then we had a prayer, the national anthem and without much fanfare, we were off!

The first lap around the lake was mostly just trying to warm up, our fingers and toes were freezing! There were also a few icy patches on the trail, we made sure to avoid these. We stopped after the first loop so Jessica could use the port-a-potty and checked in with our crew. There was some confusion when Brandon and I thought Jessica was still in the restroom but she was actually just a few feet away talking to her husband and thought we just weren't in a hurry to get started again! Haha, we finally realized our mistake, but it cost us a couple of minutes. No big deal, we started on our second loop.

On the exact opposite side of the lake, my friend Stacey had set up camp! She brought a camping chair and a big white board to make a different motivating sign for every lap! She was awesome, she saw us pass by 8 times and also made friends with all of the other runners! One guy (who did both marathons over the weekend) insisted on a picture with her afterwards!


She is an awesome spectator and an awesome friend to come all the way from Ft. Worth to cheer!

What ended up being nice about the multi-loop course is that we could kind of break it up in our heads. We could focus on getting to Stacey, then getting back to the aid station. Brandon had some GI problems after the second lap and really worried about the rest of the race. He ended up not taking any more nutrition for the remainder, other than water and his own low-calorie Gatorade. A couple of laps later, Jessica started having some serious stomach issues and took some Zofran to try to combat the nausea. Unfortunately, this did not help her and she continued to feel lousy for the rest of the run. She was able to keep running, though, and we kept encouraging her!

I was feeling really good during the race and probably could have even gone a little faster. But having my friends there for company really made a huge difference, so I did not want to leave them! We had some pretty funny conversations and at one point sang what we could remember of "What Does The Fox Say" to entertain ourselves.

During the 7th loop, we saw my parents! They had also parked on the farther side of the lake, not too far from Stacey. It was good to see them, I was so glad they had made it. After the 7th lap, we realized we were in the home stretch! Jessica and Brandon were capable of doing math in their heads (I'll be honest, I'm not good at this even when I'm not 22 miles into a run) and calculated that even if we did a run/walk for the last lap we would finish in under 5 hours. I was very happy with this projected finish time, as it would be a huge PR for me! We didn't slow down that much, but we did take it a little easier on the last loop. After they saw us on the 8th loop, Stacey and my parents headed to the start/finish line.

Once we got to about the 24-mile point, Jessica said, "I hope you guys are ready for a sub-5 marathon because it's happening!" I was so excited for my own PR as well as the others' personal goals!

We passed the start/finish line and started our out-and-back. We had passed this turnaround 8 times already and we knew it was coming! We had to run past the finish line, out 9/10 mi and then back to cross the finish line again. I'm not going to lie, this part of the race was tough, especially for Brandon! I took it upon myself to push the other two for the last 1.8 miles. It seemed like it took forever to get to the turnaround point, at one point I said, "Where the fuck is the turnaround?!" We had passed it so many times, it felt like it would be coming up soon but that last part we just kept waiting for it! I encouraged the other two to not stop, I reminded them that stopping to walk or stretch would make things hurt worse. I was ahead of them, trying to be their bunny.

After we (finally) turned around, it seemed like we were back at the finish line in no time! We decided we wanted to cross the finish line together because this was the end of a journey we had started together and we wanted to end it together!


I love these pictures, you can really see how relieved we are to finish! And as much fun as a big race like the Dallas Marathon is, there is something to be said for your biggest supporters being right there at the finish line.

I somehow missed the guy waiting with our medals and made a bee-line for the water! Once I had chugged some fluids, I noticed the other two had medals and got mine, haha! I also hadn't looked at the clock when we crossed the finish (you can see Brandon immediately turned his head to see), so I asked Brandon and then got confirmation from one of the timing volunteers. We crossed in exactly 4:52:00! It was a 48 minute PR for me! The volunteer was so sweet, she said, "Do you want me to write it down for you?" Haha, no, I'll remember it!


I walked around for a minute to get my heart rate down, grabbed some pretzels and a piece of bagel with peanut butter from the food table. I also called Michael, I couldn't wait to tell him how I had done! (I had started my GPS app and sent it to Michael so he could track me from home, so he at least knew what pace I was keeping during the race.) It was great to talk to him, he hated to miss the race and was happy with how well I had done. After we relaxed for a while, we decided to hit El Fenix for some post-race grub!


I was exhausted all through lunch, I kept thinking I might fall asleep at the table! I had my mom drive me home since my legs felt like Jell-O, I didn't trust myself to drive well. Once I was home and showered, I got in bed to take a nap but then I couldn't sleep! I think I was still all hyped up on the adrenaline. I didn't sleep well that night, either, I woke up with a headache (probably from being underhydrated) and then just couldn't get comfortable to fall back asleep.

Monday morning, I took an easy walk (about a mile in 20 minutes) to get the blood flowing and then visited my favorite masseuse for a recovery massage. By the afternoon, my legs were feeling much better. I am still sore but already feeling much better. This week I am planning on taking it easy, just yoga and walking to let my legs rest.

Looking ahead, I don't plan on training for a spring full. I am going to focus on some shorter distances and trail runs. So far, I am signed up for the DRC's Frigid 10k on January 4, the Cowtown Half Marathon on February 23 (I'm going to pace Stacey through her first half!) and the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. I also have a few trail races in mind but haven't signed up for any yet.

I definitely plan on registering for the Dallas Marathon again in 2014. They promised us that those who were registered to run in 2013 would get both medals if they finished in 2014. I don't think I can turn that down!





Sunday, December 8, 2013

Dallas Marathon: Canceled

Dallas has been hit by a major ice storm. As a result, the Dallas Marathon sent out this statement on Friday afternoon:

"2013 METROPCS DALLAS MARATHON CANCELED

Safety of our participants, as well as our volunteers and spectators, is our primary concern on MetroPCS Dallas Marathon race weekend.

We met this morning with officials from the City of Dallas, Dallas Police Department and the Office of Special Events to assess the situation. Due to current weather conditions, and forecasted conditions for Saturday and Sunday, as of today at 12:40 p.m., the decision has been collaboratively made to cancel the 2013 MetroPCS Dallas Marathon.

We regret that the race will not go on as planned, but are confident this decision is in the best interest of our runners, volunteers, spectators and the general public.

Additionally, the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon Health & Fitness Expo for Friday and Saturday has been canceled."

It was such a disappointment for those of us who worked really hard training. In addition to the runners, I can't imagine the frustration of the marathon's board who have worked all year to put the event on. But they made the right choice, the conditions are too dangerous and would require diverting resources away from people still without power or highways that are still shut down.

I tried to venture out on Saturday and slipped and fell on the ice on the driveway! I landed pretty hard on my left hip (thankfully not on my tailbone) and am still store today, but I think it's just a bruise, nothing serious.

So after a weekend to weigh my options, I decided to sign up for a marathon next weekend! I will be running the Whine Not Another Marathon here in Dallas. It is a small race (capped at 50 runners) and consists of 8 (!) loops around Bachman Lake. This should be interesting after my extended taper and hopefully I'll be feeling better after my graceful fall.

This week's plans:
Sun 12/8: Rest (I've done lots of stretching and foam rolling today)
Mon 12/9: Yoga (and a short run if the streets in my neighborhood are thawed)
Tues 12/10: 9 mi lake loop
Wed 12/11: Rest or yoga
Thurs 12/12: 30 min recovery run
Fri 12/13: Rest
Sat 12/14: 2 mi
Sun 12/15: 26.2 mi!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 20 Complete!

Last week's workouts:

Sun 11/24: Rest
Mon 11/25: Elliptical 30 min + lower body strength training
Tues 11/26: Pace :50 5.23 mi, 49:33
Wed 11/27: Yoga Post-run Stretch and Flow podcast, 25 min
Thurs 11/28: Dallas Turkey Trot (8 miles) 1:15:10
Fri: 11/29: Rest
Sat 11/30: 9 mi 9.56 mi, 1:41:09

Everything felt good this week, no more ankle/shin pain, whew! I think the massage last week really helped.

The Dallas Turkey Trot was lots of fun! It was really cold that morning, which made waiting for the race to start pretty miserable but made for a good race. There were a few changes to the course from last year, making it flatter and therefore faster. I didn't really have any particular goal time in mind, I just wanted to run a good race without pushing myself too hard.


This year, they had a separate start corral for the timed runners which alleviated a lot of the congestion at the beginning of the race. Here I am in the start corral, my mom was on the other side of the fence. I hadn't thought to wear my thermal headband that covers my ears. It wasn't until we were in the windy downtown that I regretted that, so my dad gave me his thick red headband. Haha, I looked silly but felt warm!

On Saturday, I met up with my pace group for one last "long" run. It was still really chilly out and only a loop around the lake, so it was a small group that morning! But it was really a beautiful morning and we got to see a beautiful sunrise over the lake.


Jessica took this gorgeous picture.

After the run, we met some other DRC runners for breakfast and race strategy talk. Steve (our coach) and Vishal (the training program director) gave us good advice geared towards the first-time marathoners.

Well, the race is in a week! I feel much more prepared this year than I did last year. The weather is looking like it will be cold, so that is good news. I just hope it stays dry! But we can't control the weather, so whatever happens I will just have to deal with it.

Race week plans:
Sun 12/1: Rest
Mon 12/2: Base/easy :30
Tues 12/3: Pace :40
Wed 12/4: Yoga
Thurs 12/5: Recovery :30
Fri 12/6: Rest
Sat 12/7: Recovery 2 mi
Sun 12/8: Race day!!!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 19 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 11/17: Rest
Mon 11/18: Base/easy :50 + strength training 1.3 mi run/walk + 20 min elliptical
Tues 11/19: Pace 1:00 Power Yoga 2 podcast (25 min) + strength training arms and abs
Wed 11/20: Vinyasa yoga 1:00
Thurs 11/21: Base + strides 1:30 (plus I have a massage scheduled) 5.63 mi, 1:02:42
Fri 11/22: Recovery :40 Rest
Sat 11/23: 14 miles with fast finish 14.42 mi, 2:29:35

Last week did not start off well! When I got out of bed Monday morning, my right leg did not feel right. I had a lot of pain above my ankle, where it meets the shin. I started out for my run, but turned around after less than a mile because I was definitely limping. I put some ice on my ankle, foam rolled and decided to take a couple of days off to recover. I also skipped my leg workout to make sure I didn't aggravate it.

Thursday morning I went on a test run and it felt pretty good! I had a massage appointment that evening, so I let my masseuse know what had been going on. She theorized that it was the beginning of shin splints (which I have had before) and said she would work on my calves a lot during the massage. She also found a trigger point in my lower back that was causing my left hip flexor to be really tight. She really worked out a lot of knots, I left the appointment with tons of bruises! I was so sore and tender on Friday that I decided to let my legs rest.

Dallas had a huge cold front come through on Friday and with it came some rain. On Saturday morning, all I wanted to do was stay in my warm bed! But I bundled up and met my group for 14 miles. It was misting when we started out, but thankfully it stopped quickly so we didn't have to deal rain on top of the cold. But it was quite a chilly run, I don't think I ever really warmed up. My legs felt good, sore from the massage still, but nothing worrisome.

Since we're already in the taper portion of our training, I don't feel too bad about missing some running workouts this week. At this point, I just want to be healthy when I get to the starting line!

This week's plans:
Sun 11/24: Rest
Mon 11/25: Elliptical 30 min + lower body strength training
Tues 11/26: Pace :50
Wed 11/27: Yoga
Thurs 11/28: Dallas Turkey Trot (8 miles)
Fri: 11/29: Rest
Sat 11/30: 9 mi

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 18 Complete!

Let the taper begin!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 11/10: Rest
Mon 11/11: Base/easy :40 3.5 mi, 38:40
Tues 11/12: Tempo 1:20 8.53 mi, 1:21:41
Wed: 11/13: Vinyasa yoga 1 hour OR strength training
Thurs 11/14: Base plus strides 1:30 8.02 mi, 1:27:07
Fri 11/15: Recovery :50 3.14 mi, 39:59
Sat 11/16: 22 mi long 22.44 mi, 4:04:07

This week's training was great, I feel like I am finishing the season feeling confident about the Dallas Marathon!

Tuesday night our group did a tempo workout. We warmed up, then ran our tempo pace (around 8:50) for 20 minutes, ran easy for 10 and then picked it up to a tempo pace for another 20 minutes. We were supposed to do an out-and-back run but we actually figured out we could go all the way around the lake it we took a shortcut. So it was a fun, adventurous run! It was definitely a tough workout, too, the tempo pace was really hard for me to keep up with. The temperatures dropped significantly on Tuesday so at least we were running in the cold.

Wednesday I was happy to be able to make it to yoga, I haven't been to the studio in a couple of weeks. It was a great class, very challenging with lots of backbends and hip openers. Thursday my legs were pretty sore (from speedwork and yoga) but I managed to keep a pretty good pace for my run. Friday I ran a little shorter than scheduled and really slowly with some walk breaks. I wanted to make sure my legs were well-rested for our 22 mile run!

Saturday's run went great. It was actually really humid (about 95% humidity if I remember correctly) but the sky stayed overcast and there was a breeze, so it didn't feel that bad. We all made sure to take in plenty of water and electrolytes throughout the run. Myriam led us on the first 9 miles, then Clay met up with us to finish the run. (He is tapering for the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon next weekend.) We had great conversation and I think everyone felt strong through the run! I finished feeling very tired, but happy with the way my run went.


Post-run: me, Brandon, Clay and Jessica.

Now I am officially in taper mode! I'm still reluctant to set a time goal for the marathon, I think my main goal is just to beat my time last year. The weather is going to play a big factor in how confident I'll feel going into the race. At this point, the training is done and I feel like I've had a strong season. Now all that's left is to wait for race day!

This week's plans:
Sun 11/17: Rest
Mon 11/18: Base/easy :50 + strength training
Tues 11/19: Pace 1:00
Wed 11/20: Vinyasa yoga
Thurs 11/21: Base + strides 1:30 (plus I have a massage scheduled)
Fri 11/22: Recovery :40
Sat 11/23: 14 miles with fast finish

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 17 complete!

Last week's workouts:
Mon 11/4: Strength training (legs) + 15 min elliptical
Tues 11/5: Base/easy 1:20 25 min Yoga for Runners podcast and ab work
Wed 11/6: Vinyasa yoga 7.1 mi, 1:16:21
Thurs 11/7: Base plus strides 1:30 7.87 mi, 1:26:48
Fri 11/8: Recovery :50 Rest
Sat 11/9: 18 mi long 18.61 mi, 3:18:48

Tuesday evening I was supposed to meet up with my training group for an easy 1:20 run, but I had a horrible sinus headache all day. Instead, I did a yoga podcast and some ab work. Wednesday I made up the run after work. It's not nearly as fun to run by myself, especially because it gets dark so early now! But overall it was a good run.

Thursday I set out to do my 1:30 base plus strides workout and my legs were super sore! I must not have stretched well after my Wednesday night run. I kept a slower pace and didn't push it too hard on the strides. I made sure to stretch and foam roll afterwards and decided to rest Friday so I could be ready for 18 miles on Saturday.

Saturday's run was pretty good, even though my legs were still sore. I was especially sore in my right piriformis, which was unusual. However, the weather was good and we had a good group so I was able to push through.

We took a picture at one of our water stops. I think we were about 10 miles in?

Back row: Me, Leslie, Kate, Kristin (pace leader), Andrea, Diana
Front row: Michael, Jeanette, Clay (pace leader), Brandon, Myriam, Brad

It was great to have Kristin back with us! She suffered a stress fracture in her foot early in the season and hasn't been able to run with us much. She didn't do the entire 18 miles but did over half of it with us on Saturday.

This week's plans:
Sun 11/10: Rest
Mon 11/11: Base/easy :40
Tues 11/12: Tempo 1:20
Wed: 11/13: Vinyasa yoga OR strength training
Thurs 11/14: Base plus strides 1:30
Fri 11/15: Recovery :50
Sat 11/16: 22 mi long

Hard to believe that Saturday will be our last long run of the season!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 16 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Mon 10/28: Vinyasa yoga 1:00
Tues 10/29: Progression run 1:00 5.97 mi, 57:00
Wed 10/30: Recovery run :50 Strength training, arms and abs
Thurs 10/31: Strength training 4.77 mi, 50:56
Fri 11/1: Base + strides 1:30 Rest
Sat 11/2: Rest
Sun 11/3: DRC Half Marathon 13.1 mi, 2:01:20

Poor Michael has been sick for a couple of weeks and, unfortunately, it caught me this week. Wednesday afternoon, I wasn't feeling so hot and Thursday morning I woke up congested and achey. I was feeling a little better by that afternoon and went for an easy run in the neighborhood. Thursday also happened to be Halloween, so it was fun seeing the kids in their costumes getting ready to trick or treat!

I decided to rest Friday and Saturday to make sure I'd be ready for Sunday's DRC Half. I didn't have any particular goals but planned on at least starting with the 2:05 pace group. Sunday morning, I felt a lot better and my congestion was only in my sinuses, no chest congestion or coughing. The weather was very cool, but I wore a short-sleeve tech shirt and shorts. I would rather be cold waiting at the starting line than too warm later in the race. (The DRC Half does offer bag drop, but I don't tend to take advantage of this. For some reason, I am afraid that my stuff will get lost!) I parked at Mockingbird Station and used the shuttle provided by the race to get to the start line.

I found Clay, who was pace leading the 2:05 group and lined up with him and several of our 3:70 group. I looked for Brandon, but didn't see him. I knew he was shooting for a PR and was planning to start with the 1:50 pace group. The DRC Half was doing a corral start this year and corrals were not assigned but you were asked to get in one of three corrals based on your estimated finish time. The 2:05 group was starting in the second corral (estimated finish times 2:00-2:15). Our wave didn't start long after the 7:30 start time at all, before I knew it, we were off! In fact, when we crossed the start line, I went to start my watch and realized I hadn't even asked it to find my location yet, whoops! It took about a mile until it found me, so I wasn't sure of my progress during the race.

The course took us north first, then back south to run along the west side of White Rock Lake. Next, we got to go into some of the surrounding neighborhoods, including my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's neighborhood! They brought my nephew out to cheer, I think he had fun watching all the runners go by! They also got some fun action shots, I'll have to go back and add them later.

I had told myself that I would stick with the 2:05 pace group for the first 10 miles and then pull ahead if I felt good. However, once we were around the 5 mile mark, I realized my legs felt really good and decided to go ahead and speed up.


Michael's sister, brother-in-law and our nephew came out to cheer! They got some good action shots. Luke now says, "Want to see Auntie Becca run the race!"

I managed to keep a pace close to 9:00 per mile as we looped the south side of the lake. As the course approached the 10 mile mark, I tried to do some math in my head (remember my watch was off) to see what kind of time I thought I could finish with. I figured I could get close to 2 hours if I kept my current speed. I was able to keep my pace, even speeding up a little bit the closer I got to the finish line.

When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 2:03:xx, so I knew I had beat that time (as the clock was displaying the gun time and I was in the second corral). I was happy knowing that I had just finished my second fastest half marathon! It's funny how when I go into a race with no expectations, I end up surprising myself. I had to walk around a little bit to get my heart rate back down, I didn't realize how hard I had been pushing until I stopped! I got my medal and some water, said hi to my friend Jessica who was working in the finish chute, then headed into the finisher's area.

I got in line for my finisher's shirt and found a few friends to chat with. Everyone had a great race, lots of my running friends set new PR's! I think the weather played a major factor, we could not have asked for a better day for a race! Brandon and I finally found each other, he had smashed his PR goal with a 1:52 finish! That's almost 20 minutes faster than his previous PR, how amazing! He, Serena and I went to the beer tent and got some Lakewood Brewery Company beer to celebrate.


Running and beer, what could be better?

My official time was 2:01:20, much better than I would have thought I could do and about 10 minutes faster than last year! The DRC Half was a huge confidence boost and a great way to finish off Week 16 of training! It's hard to believe we're in the home stretch, December 8 will be here before we know it.

This week's plans:

Mon 11/4: Strength training (legs)
Tues 11/5: Base/easy 1:20
Wed 11/6: Vinyasa yoga
Thurs 11/7: Base plus strides 1:30
Fri 11/8: Recovery :50
Sat 11/9: 18 mi long


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 15 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 10/20: 5 mi, 55:53
Mon 10/21: Rest (I have a massage booked, can't wait!)
Tues 10/22: Intervals 1:00 2:2 6.25 mi, 1:00
Wed 10/23: Strength training Base + strides 6.75 mi, 1:12:43
Thurs 10/24: Base + strides 1:20 Lower body strength training with 15 min elliptical warmup
Fri 10/25: 50 min recovery run 4.38 mi, 52:19
Sat 10/26: 20 miles long 20.83 mi, 3:49:23
Sun 10/27: Fired Up 5K 3.1 mi, 29:41

Week 15 was one of my favorite weeks so far in this training season!

Monday's massage was so awesome! My masseuse worked a lot of tension out of my calves and hips. I will definitely see her again after our 22 mile run and of course after the marathon.

Tuesday's interval workout went great. We did a warmup mile, then 2 minutes fast and 2 minutes recovery (not sure how many intervals exactly) then 1 mile cooldown. It was a cool evening at the lake and my legs felt great after my massage. The weather was so nice again on Wednesday evening that I decided to move my leg workout to Thursday and run my base plus strides workout instead.

Saturday's long run was great, everything came together nicely. The weather was cool with a chance of rain in the forecast. We got sprinkled on a few miles in, but after that we stayed dry. My legs felt strong and the group conversations were great. (Although we all got very quiet on the hilly sections towards the end!) Our coach Steve ran with us for a while and we talked about nutrition: pre-race meals and race day fuel. I came away with a lot of good information! Once I got home I took an epsom salt bath and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday morning I ran the Town North YMCA Fired Up 5K. This is a small race right in my neighborhood and benefits our YMCA. Last year, the race also happened to fall the day after my 20-mile training run and I ran it in 34:33, my slowest 5k to date. This year, I managed to finish in 29:41! While this is not a PR by any means, I'm still surprised that I manged to finish in less than 30 minutes on such fatigued legs. I think the biggest difference is that this year, I have put more importance on recovery after a long run or hard workout.

This week is a step back in miles for us, we will run the DRC Half Marathon on Sunday and that will be our "long" run for the week. (I am counting the Fired Up 5k as my base run for this coming week.)

This week's plans:
Mon 10/28: Vinyasa yoga 1:00
Tues 10/29: Progression run 1:00
Wed 10/30: Recovery run :50
Thurs 10/31: Strength training
Fri 11/1: Base + strides 1:30
Sat 11/2: Rest
Sun 11/3: DRC Half Marathon

I am not sure what (if any) goals I should set for the half marathon. My pace leader Clay is going to be pacing for the 2:05 group, so I may join him.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 14 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 10/13: Strength training (plus lots of stretching and foam rolling!)
Mon 10/14: base/easy 50 min run 3.77 mi, 41:38
Tues 10/15: 4x1200m speedwork 5.16 mi, 50:28
Wed 10/16: Yoga 1 hour
Thurs 10/17: base + strides 1:20 6.58 mi, 1:12:58
Fri 10/18: recovery 50 min run 2.93 mi, 35:38
Sat 10/19: 18 miles long 18 mi, 3:12:55

We had more storms in Dallas this week! Monday morning it was drizzly when I woke up and the rain just got worse as I ran. I ended up cutting my planned 50 minutes short. On Tuesday, it was still raining and a cold front had moved in. I didn't feel like driving across town to our track workout (everyone forgets how to drive in the rain), not to mention run in the cold rain. So I decided to try doing the speed workout on the treadmill. I can't even remember the last time I ran on a treadmill, it usually hurts my knee. Surprisingly, my knee felt fine throughout the workout and I did all 4 planned 1200m repeats. I didn't get my pace up to the recommended speed, but did my faster intervals at around 8:30 which is pretty fast for me. I did have to cut my cooldown a little short because I was over my time limit and people were waiting for the treadmills. Nobody wants to be "that guy" at the gym!

The rain left on Wednesday, but the cooler temperatures stayed! What a refreshing change; after a hot, humid summer it seems like fall has finally arrived. On Friday, I also had to cut my run a little short only because I needed to get to work on time. I should have gotten up earlier but my bed was just too warm!

Saturday's run was great! The weather was downright chilly, in the 40's when we started at 6:00am and it never warmed up much. We had a fabulous route, running from White Rock Lake through East Dallas, Highland Park, the Southern Methodist University campus (practically my backyard growing up!) and then back through the Lakewood neighborhoods. Once we got back to the lake, training buddy Andrea took a bad spill. She scraped up her knee and elbow pretty good. (Thankfully, she didn't face-plant like someone we all know...) Travis had a bunch of band-aids, so we patched her up and a couple people stayed back while she called someone to pick her up. It looked bad, but she later said she felt much better and should be back next weekend. Whew!

Sunday morning, I met up with some fellow runners for an easy 5 miles at the lake. This group normally does trail runs on Sundays (and I occasionally join), but due to a trail closure most of the runners decided to do an easy loop around White Rock. Some of us who had done 18 miles the previous day opted for an easy 5 miles. It was a great way to shake out my legs and catch up with some of the ladies who are running the Marine Corps Marathon in just a week!

This week's plans:
Sun 10/20: 5 mi, 55:53
Mon 10/21: Rest (I have a massage booked, can't wait!)
Tues 10/22: Intervals 1:00 2:2
Wed 10/23: Strength training
Thurs 10/24: Base + strides 1:20
Fri 10/25: 50 min recovery run
Sat 10/26: 20 miles long
Sun 10/27: Fired Up 5K

Have a happy and healthy week!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 13 Complete!

Last week's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 10/6: 1 hour yoga
Mon 10/7: Base/easy 40 min run 3.57 mi, 39:56
Tues 10/8: 9x hill repeats 6.64 mi, 1:17:19
Wed 10/9: strength training 15 min elliptical warmup, legs and abs
Thurs 10/10: Santa Fe 5k 3.1 mi, 28:21
Fri 10/11: 1:10 base + strides 4.68 mi, 57:00
Sat 10/12: 18 mi long 17.85 mi, 3:14:07

Tuesday's hill workout was tough as usual! This was our longest hill workout, but also our last one for the training season. Very few people showed up, I think the 9 repeats scared some people off! But our small group did great and I felt like I finished strong.

Thursday's 5k was different and fun! I signed up for this race a while ago, it's been a long time since I've done a 5k! In fact, when I looked at my profile on Athlinks, the last one I did was in October of last year! I have also never done an evening race before, but figured it was no different than an evening workout. Getting to the race site was tough in rush hour traffic, and parking in the neighborhood was kind of a mess. I was late to the starting line, I got there almost 5 minutes after the official start time! Oh well, I just went ahead and started and caught up pretty quickly. It was actually a little fun, I got to feel fast passing the walkers and back-of-the-packers! The race started and finished at Lindsley Park, with most of the race on the Santa Fe Trail. Since my legs have been in endurance mode (not speed mode) for so long, I wasn't sure how I was going to do, but I'm pretty happy with my time. We also got these cute finisher's mugs!


There were also food trucks and beer, but I needed to head home so I didn't stay. But it was a fun race, I'd do it again!

Unfortunately I didn't stretch afterwards and when I woke up Friday morning, my legs were stiff and sore! I decided that instead of base plus strides, I would do more of a recovery pace (with a few walk breaks) and then stretched and foam-rolled.

Saturday morning, I was not looking forward to my run! I had only gotten about 4.5 hours of sleep Friday night (I went to see The Lion King at the Fair Park Music Hall, it was fabulous!), plus it was warm and really humid. I believe the humidity was almost 90% when I got to the lake at 6am! My pace leader, Clay, had been battling a cold all week but said he felt better. I was nervous about the run, I kept thinking about how my longest run (16 miles) had been 4 weeks prior, so I wasn't sure how I was going to hold up in the humidity.

Our group was small (10 runners and Clay), we started out of the parking lot with me up front with Clay. Before we even got to the lake, Clay said, "I'm calling it, I can't finish today." I turned to ask if he still wasn't feeling well and he had already turned around! I was so shocked, but fellow trainee Travis was smart enough to grab Clay's map. Poor Clay, he felt awful but he was really smart to listen to his body and give himself more time to recover. In the meantime, the 4:10 group (or "3:70" as we like to call ourselves) was on our own! I stayed up front but I am a terrible pacer so knew that I would have to rotate out as soon as we hit the first water stop. Thankfully, around mile 3 our coach Steve was waiting for us! Clay had called his cell phone and told him what happened, so Steve said he would step in and pace for us. (Steve usually starts with the fastest training group and checks on all of us throughout the run.) Haha, I was so happy to see him!

The humidity made it a tough run for all of us! Several of our members ended up dropping back (Steve was careful to make sure they knew where they were going) and we ended up picking up at least one person from the 4:00 group. The route was actually really fun, we ran along the lake, then into the neighborhoods, all the way to the Katy Trail, then back to the lake through East Dallas. Despite the humidity, my legs felt strong (probably all that extra rest!) and I was confident that I would be able to finish, even if I had to fall back. Somewhere between 7 and 8 miles, I accidently hit the "Lap" button on my watch, so my splits got a little messed up. I also apparently forgot to restart it at one point after a water stop, so I ended up about .3 miles short of what we actually did.

Most of our water stops were water fountains, but one had Powerade so I made sure to drink some as well as fill up one of my water bottles with it to get some extra electrolytes. I also ate a few Honey Stinger chews at each water stop. I was sweating like crazy, so I knew I would need the extra fuel! After we got back to the lake, we dropped even more runners but I managed to stick with Steve until the end! He finished with just 3 of the original runners we had started with (plus one we had picked up). I'm still surprised I didn't drop back, but like I said my legs were fresher than most, so maybe that helped.

This week will be busy! I have a lot of social obligations (not complaining!) but I think I'll be able to fit in all of my workouts even if I end up having to switch some around.
Sun 10/13: Strength training (plus lots of stretching and foam rolling!)
Mon 10/14: base/easy 50 min run
Tues 10/15: 4x1200m speedwork
Wed 10/16: Yoga 1 hour
Thurs 10/17: base + strides 1:20
Fri 10/18: recovery 50 min run
Sat 10/19: 18 miles long

There is a lot of rain in the forecast, so it will probably still be a humid week! It's supposed to be a little cooler, though, so hopefully that will help.

Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula

This recipe was super easy and made really delicious leftovers! I will definitely make it again.

The only change I made was that instead of pistachios, I used toasted pine nuts. We loooove pistachios and I think if I bought a bag, we would have eaten the whole thing! Plus, I had some pine nuts that needed to be used up. The great thing about a recipe like this is that it would be easy to mix up the ingredients. For example, you could easily sub quinoa or brown rice for the barley, use baby spinach in place of arugula, use cannellini beans in place of the chickpeas... the possibilities are endless!

Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 cup packed arugula leaves
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

Preparation

1. Cook barley according to package directions, omitting salt. Combine barley, arugula, bell pepper, tomatoes, and chickpeas in a large bowl.
2. Combine lemon juice, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over barley mixture, and toss. Sprinkle with pistachios.
Susan Russo, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Weeks 11 and 12 Complete (Kind of)

Week 11's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 9/22: Rest
Mon 9/23: Base/easy run 3.83 mi, 42:54 + 1 hour vinyasa yoga
Tues 9/24: 6x800 speed workout 6.51 mi, 1:03:08
Wed 9/25: 50 min recovery run 3.65 mi, 42:46
Thurs 9/26: Strength training (uppper body and abs)
Fri 9/27: 1 hour base + strides 4.87 mi, 55:34
Sat 9/28: 16 mi long

I wasn't feeling great this week, lots of sinus congestion due to the weather changing and poor air quality. But I was really looking forward to my Saturday long run.

Unfortunately, my father in law passed away unexpectedly on that Friday night. The next week (Week 12 on my training schedule) was a blur of making arrangements, extended family in town and spending time with family. It was an emotionally draining week. I did manage to get away for a loop around White Rock Lake (9.45 mi, 1:39:53) and one awful, hot run in the neighborhood (4.71 mi, 53:55), plus a yoga podcast. But I really just didn't worry about missing my workouts, I don't think one week will make or break my whole training season.

Saturday (Oct 4), we had The Loop 15k on the agenda. I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen going into this race, I hadn't been sleeping or eating well all week but still toyed with the idea of doing some extra miles after the race to make up for missing my 16 mile run. Finally, I decided just to show up and see how I felt. I was definitely ready to be back with the running community! I got to Winfrey Point a little early to make sure I could find parking as well as pick up my bib. It was really warm and humid (not sure what the temperature was, the humidity was at 85%) but there was supposed to be rain coming in with temperatures dropping. I got my bib and headed to the start line with my pace leader, Clay, and Brad, a fellow 4:10 trainee. I didn't see many other people I knew, oddly. I felt pretty good early in the race but wasn't sure how long it would be before the humidity started to get me.

Around mile 3, I ran into my buddy Jessica (who is running the Chicago Marathon next weekend) and we stuck together for the next 4 miles. It was great to have someone to chat with for a while and we were both able to keep close to a 10:00 min/mile pace. We could see dark clouds getting closer to White Rock Lake and hoped the cool front would hurry up and get here! At mile 7, she needed to take a walk break and I decided to keep running. Not long after, I ran into Michael and Kim cheering at the next water stop, it was great to see them! There were only a few water stops during this race, I think I stopped at all of them to get water.

Just as I passed the 9 mile mark, the wind started really blowing. The cool front was moving in! As I crossed the finish line, it started raining. Luckily, it wasn't pouring so it actually felt really refreshing after all the humidity. I wish it had started earlier!


Looking back at the start/finish line as the rain was moving in.

My official finish time was 1:35:57, an average of 10:19 min/mile. Not bad considering the humidity and my low expectations.

I grabbed some water and Powerade and decided to just to head home rather than try to slog out some extra miles in the rain. Next week's 18 miles might be rough but I think I can make it.

I'm looking forward to getting back to my routine this week, I think it will be nice for things to feel a little more "normal."

This week's plans:
Sun 10/6: 1 hour yoga
Mon 10/7: Base/easy 40 min run
Tues 10/8: 9x hill repeats
Wed 10/9: strength training
Thurs 10/10: Santa Fe 5k
Fri 10/11: 1:10 base + strides
Sat 10/12: 18 mi long

Have a happy and healthy week!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 10 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 9/15: Rest
Mon 9/16: 40 min base/easy run 4.25 mi, 49:07 + 1 hr sweaty vinyasa yoga
Tues 9/17: Hill repeats x 7 (eep) 5.46 mi, 1:30:42
Wed 9/18: 50 min recovery run 4.13 mi, 48:38
Thurs 9/19: Strength training (with 10 min elliptical warmup)
Fri: 9/20: 1 hr base + strides 3.14 mi, 35:33
Sat 9/21: Tour des Fleurs 20k 12.4 mi, 1:04:45

For some reason, on Monday I had 50 minutes in my head. Hey, I don't think clearly early in the morning! Tuesday's hill workout was tough, but we got through it!

Thursday night, it stormed. When I woke up Friday morning, it was still storming but there was no lightning so I braved the elements and did (part of) my run. I really dislike running in the rain. I had to bribe myself with the promise of Starbucks just to get out and do half of my run. (And then I was running late for work, so I didn't even get my Starbucks... I owe myself.)

The good thing about the rain was that it brought cooler temperatures! On Saturday morning, we had clear skies and it was only in the upper 60's. My friend Stacey picked me up for the Tour des Fleurs race. I was doing the 20k, which started at 7:00 and Stacey was doing the 10k, her very first, which didn't start until 7:40. We got to the Arboretum just after 6:00am and parked on site because I'm a member. (Otherwise we would have needed to park in remote parking and taken a shuttle to the Arboretum.) The Arboretum was all decorated for fall with pumpkins and gourds everywhere!


(My visor has a reflective logo on it, I was not headed into the mines.)

I hung out with Stacey until about 6:50, when I headed to the start line. We were off just as the sun was coming up! The 20k course ran along the east side of the lake, then up a big hill to Mockingbird, then back to the lake. Not long after we got back to the lake (at around the halfway point), I ran into Heather from my training group. We ran together and chatted for a couple of miles until she had to slow down.

Around the 10 mile mark, we turned off the trail, onto a bridge that leads to the Santa Fe trail. I actually would have missed this part of the course had I not seen other racers coming back on the bridge. I would have thought there should have been a volunteer or some kind of marking to tell us to turn onto the bridge. After this switch-back on the bridge, we finished the lake loop to end up back at the Arboretum. As I got to the finish line, I saw my parents had come to cheer! It's always fun to see them at races, they can't always make it but always have fun when they are able to.

We headed into the Arboretum so I could meet up with Stacey and our other friend Patrick. I was anxious to hear how Stacey's first 10k went, especially because she had been having foot pain in the week leading up to it. As soon as Stacey and Patrick saw me, they gave me a thumbs-down. I immediately thought Stacey hadn't been able to finish, but as it turns out the 10k route was very short, by over a mile! TDF sent out an email to participants that evening, but the lead motorcycle police escort had missed a turn and accidentally cut a mile off the course. Stacey and Patrick were very disappointed, they had trained for 6.2 miles. I remembered the part on the 20k course that would have been easy to miss and I think it was a similar problem: not well-marked and nobody to direct runners the correct way.

The good news is that the after-party was lots of fun! There was live music, food, beer and of course a beautiful day to be enjoyed!


The weather is finally starting to cool off and feel like fall! I am really looking forward to some beautiful running weather in the coming weeks.

This week's plans:
Sun 9/22: Rest
Mon 9/23: Base/easy run 3.83 mi, 42:54 + 1 hour vinyasa yoga
Tues 9/24: 6x800 speed workout
Wed 9/25: 50 min recovery run
Thurs 9/26: Strength training
Fri 9/27: 1 hour base + strides
Sat 9/28: 16 mi long

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 9 Complete!

Sun 9/8: 3.27 mi, 39:28 (I'm not sure how accurate my watch was, some of the other trail runners said the loop was closer to 3.5 miles)
Mon 9/9: Rest
Tues 9/10: Intervals 3x2 mi 7.03 mi, 1:11:33
Wed 9/11: 50 min recovery run Sweaty vinyasa, 1 hour
Thurs 9/12: 5.01 mi, 59:16 (base + strides) + Strength training (arms and abs)
Fri 9/13: 1 hour base + strides 3.95 mi, 47:35 (recovery)
Sat 9/14: 16 miles long 15.81 mi, 2:48:48

Tuesday was another tough workout. We did a warmup mile, then picked up the pace to about a 9:00min/mile for two miles, recovered for 5 minutes, then another two 9:00 miles and finally a cooldown mile. I kept up with the group for the first tempo interval, but fell behind on the second. I wasn't the only one, though, Leslie and I stuck together for the last part. Oh, and we saw a coyote just off the trail!

I had to shuffle around the rest of my planned workouts this week. But I had a good reason! On Tuesday morning, I got an email from my yoga instructor, I had entered a drawing for a free month of yoga and I won! He wanted me to come to the Wednesday night class so he could take a picture with me for the newsletter. So I skipped my planned recovery run and recovered with yoga instead.

I decided to do my base with strides run on Thursday and do my recovery/shakeout run on Friday (the day before my long run). I am just going to have to accept that my early morning runs are going to be slow! I haven't had coffee or any fuel (that would require getting up much earlier), so I just don't have the energy. I also tested out my new hydration waist pack, I like it! I wish it had more room to store stuff (my phone, ID and a bag of Honey Stinger chews barely fit) but it's pretty lightweight and comfortable.

Saturday's run went well! Early in the run, we saw two more coyotes, eek! My group was doing 14 miles with a fast finish, meaning we would pick up the pace from miles 10-13, to about a 9:30 min/mile. Because I was adding on two extra miles afterwards (for a total of 16), I didn't want to push it too much, so I stuck with my buddy Michael and our coach Kelly at closer to a 10:00min/mile pace. We got back to the DRC Clubhouse and I kept going a little further, but I misjudged when I was supposed to turn around so ended up just short of 16 miles. I ran around the parking lot a couple of times trying to get to 16, but finally felt dumb and decided to just say, "Close enough!"

After the long run, I joined some friends for breakfast at Buzzbrews. This was a mini-reunion of my training group from last year, we had a great time catching up! And breakfast was delicious!


Of course I blinked, I promise I had not nodded off at the table!

This week's plans:
Sun 9/15: Rest
Mon 9/16: 40 min base/easy run + 1 hr sweaty vinyasa yoga
Tues 9/17: Hill repeats x 7 (eep)
Wed 9/18: 50 min recovery run
Thurs 9/19: Strength training
Fri: 9/20: 1 hr base + strides
Sat 9/21: Tour des Fleurs 20k

Have a happy and healthy week!


Sunday, September 8, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 8 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 9/1: 6.5 mi trail run, 1:16:54
Mon 9/2: 75 min vinyasa flow
Tues 9/3: Speed workout, 8x400's 5.75 mi total (not sure on the time, my watch ran out of batteries)
Wed 9/4: Recovery 45 min run 3.25 mi, 37:00
Thurs 9/5: Lower body strength training (with 15 min elliptical warmup)
Fri 9/6: 60 min base + strides 5.27mi, 59:21
Sat: 9/7: 14 miles long (part of that will be the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile race) Total: 13.94 mi, 2:30:02

Monday's yoga class was an intro to vinyasa. I'm not new to yoga or vinyasa in particular, but it was still very beneficial to take a beginner's class. I learned a few new things and got a refresher on proper alignment for poses.

Tuesday's speed workout was tough! We started with a one mile warmup and then alternated 400 meters (one lap around the track) at high speed with 400 meters of recovery, followed by a .75 mi cooldown. For the high speed laps, our goal was to make it around the track in about 1:52, a 7:28 pace. My legs were crazy sore afterwards. In fact, I cut my recovery run a little short on Wednesday because I had a lot of pain in my shin. I did a lot of foam rolling afterwards and that really relieved the pain!

Saturday's run was a fun one. Our group was doing 14 miles, but a few of us had signed up for the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 Mile race and wanted to participate. So my buddies Michael and Jessica met me at Winfrey Point and we did a loop around White Rock Lake. With one shortcut, our total mileage was 8.87 miles in 1:37:39. We got back to Winfrey Point about 7:40 am for the 8:00 race. We got our bibs and headed to the start line. I also dropped my hand-held water bottle off at my car, I decided I would be fine just using the race's water stops.

The three of us started together, but Jessica turned around just after the half-mile mark. She was having some pretty major shin pain that started when we had been waiting for the race to start. She was smart and decided not to push it and risk an injury. Michael and I ran the rest of the race together. We had planned on keeping the same pace as our earlier mileage, about 11:00 min/mile. However, we were both feeling pretty good (and probably got caught up in the race excitement) and finished in 52:17 (official chip time), an average of 10:20 min/mile. My watch showed 5.07 in 52:23, and I used this for my log only because that extra .07 got me closer to our planned 14 miles. :)

We found Jessica and got in line for breakfast, provided by Rusty Taco, yum! I got two egg, cheese and potato tacos and they really hit the spot! I'm not sure that there is anything better than breakfast tacos after a long run! The weather was humid and I was definitely sweaty but I stayed well-hydrated throughout the run and afterwards.

I started off Week 9 with another trail run! This week, I met some trail runners at the Northshore Trail off of Lake Grapevine. I only did a short loop because I needed to get about my day, but it was a good way to get in an easy run.

This week's plans:
Sun 9/8: 3.27 mi, 39:28 (I'm not sure how accurate my watch was, some of the other trail runners said the loop was closer to 3.5 miles)
Mon 9/9: Rest
Tues 9/10: Intervals 3x2 mi
Wed 9/11: 50 min recovery run
Thurs 9/12: Strength training
Fri 9/13: 1 hour base + strides
Sat 9/14: 16 miles long

We actually only have 14 miles on the schedule for our long run, with 16 miles the next weekend (9/21). However, I have a 20k race on that day so I'm going to add on 2 miles this coming Saturday so I don't have to do any extra on race day.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Monday, September 2, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 7 complete!

Last week's planned and actual:
Sun 8/25: 45 min walk
Mon 8/26: 2.79 mi, 30:25
Tues 8/27: 5x hill repeats 4.6mi, 52:00
Wed 8/28: Recovery 45 min run 3.34mi, 42:08 + 60 min sweaty vinyasa practice
Thurs 8/29: Yoga and/or lower body strength training Rest
Fri 8/30: 60 min base + strides 5.09mi, 59:04
Sat 8/31: 13 mi long 13.35mi, 2:28:40

Tuesday's hill workout was tough! Our group met at Norbuck Park and ran to Flagpole Hill (and back afterwards, about 1 mile each way). At Flagpole Hill, we practiced springing and binding, basically long strides up one side, recovery jog as we went down, then high knees on the way back up. Whew!

I decided I wanted to make a Wednesday evening yoga class, so I got up early that morning to do my recovery run and my legs were crazy sore from the previous night's workout. Wednesday night's vinyasa practice had lots of warrior (lunging) poses, so Thursday my legs needed a break! Even Friday morning, they were still sore as I did my base plus strides workout. My pace was slower than it should have been, but the effort was definitely there!

Saturday morning's long run was a fun one, though very hot and humid! I drank lots of water (and some Gatorade) throughout, but I think I sweated it all out and then some! We ran part of our route on the Santa Fe Trail, which I had not been on before. Once we were back at the lake, our group kind of separated and I stayed back with Brandon who was struggling a bit. We took a few walk breaks the last mile, but finished strong.

Sunday morning, I got up early and met a trail-running group at Big Cedar Wilderness Trail for a very fun run! I was hoping for a short recovery run, but ended up starting out with some more experienced trail runners for a 6.5 mile loop. I thought after a while I would drop back, but I kept up with them out of fear of getting lost! It was a really great run, my legs felt surprisingly fresh afterwards. Because trails are (obviously) a softer surface than road, it's much easier on your feet and legs.


A group shot after the run.

Today is Labor Day, so I'm off work. It's raining and I'm about to head to a vinyasa practice at the yoga studio. Is there anything better than yoga with the sound of rain in the background?

This week's plans:
Sun 9/1: 6.5 mi trail run, 1:16:54
Mon 9/2: 1 hour vinyasa flow
Tues 9/3: Speed workout, 8x400's
Wed 9/4: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 9/5: Lower body strength training
Fri 9/6: 60 min base + strides
Sat: 9/7: 14 miles long (part of that will be the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile race)

Have a happy and healthy week!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 6 complete!

Sun 8/18: Detox flow yoga podcast (20 min); upper body strength training
Mon 8/19: 2.9 mi, 31:39
Tues 8/20: Base/easy 60 min run 5.65 mi, 1:01:01
Wed 8/21: Recovery 45 min run 3.81 mi, 44:49
Thurs 8/22: Rest
Fri 8/23: Base/easy 50 min run 4.3 mi, 51:47
Sat 8/24: 12 mi long 12.41 mi, 2:16:54

Yay, I love it when I get all of my planned workouts in! Friday morning's run was tough, I stayed up late Thursday night so it was extra hard to get up and run. I knew my energy wasn't going to be good, but I figured it would be better to run a few slow miles rather than put the run off or skip it entirely.

Saturday's run was another difficult one! Our route was extra hilly and the weather was extremely humid. It's a good thing we have a lot of great people in our group, we kept each other going.

After our long run on Saturday, Michael and I hit the road for Lost Pines! It was a great way to end the summer. We spent a lot of time by the pool and Sunday morning had a great walk on the hiking trail.

Sun 8/25: 45 min walk
Mon 8/26: 2.79 mi, 30:25
Tues 8/27: 5x hill repeats
Wed 8/28: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 8/29: Yoga and/or lower body strength training
Fri 8/30: 60 min base + strides
Sat 8/31: 13 mi long

We have officially exited the "Base" portion of our training and are entering the "Strength" portion. Time flies!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 5 complete!

Last week's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 8/11: Hip Opening yoga podcast (20 min)
Mon: 8/12: Base/easy 30 min run 3.07 mi, 34:32; Vinyasa yoga, 1 hour
Tues: 8/13: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Wed 8/14: Rest 4.34 mi, 48:19
Thurs 8/15: Recovery 45 min run 2.5 mi, 30:15; 20 min elliptical; lower body strength training
Fri 8/16: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Sat 8/17: 10 miles long 10.52 mi, 1:54

On Monday, I went to use a Groupon for a yoga studio in Carrollton, I had used one there before previously and really liked the studio. Unfortunately, I didn't read (well, didn't pay attention to) the fine print that said it was for new students only. They let me use what I had paid towards a class card so I went ahead and bought a 20 class card. It was more than I would usually pay for yoga, but I really like this studio a lot and the card doesn't expire for a year so I have plenty of time to use it.

On Tuesday, there were patches of storms in Dallas. They looked like they would pass over White Rock before my group run, but right when I pulled into the parking lot, the rain started coming down in sheets accompanied by lots of lightning. The run was delayed about 30 minutes, but unfortunately Brandon and I had plans to meet up with Michael and our friend Scott so we had to abandon the run and head out.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only day that the weather messed with my running plans! Friday morning, I got up early to get my 50 minute base run in. It was raining and when I checked the radar online, thunderstorms were headed my way. I probably could have gone out and done something, but instead I got back in the warm bed. Hey, sometimes a girl needs her beauty sleep!

Saturday's long run was great! The rain throughout the week had cooled the temperatures down and there was very little humidity. We had a nice big group and played a game our coach Steve called "leapfrog." We run two-by-two, so every mile or so, the two people in the back would move to the front of the group. It was a fun way to move throughout the group!

This week the forecast looks better, so I hope I'll be able to do all my planned workouts!
Sun 8/18: Detox flow yoga podcast (20 min); upper body strength training
Mon 8/19: 2.9 mi, 31:39
Tues 8/20: Base/easy 60 min run
Wed 8/21: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 8/22: Rest
Fri 8/23: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/24: 12 mi long

The August plank challenge is still going! I was supposed to hold a plank for 2.5 minutes on Sunday and made the mistake of doing it right after my arm workout. Ouch! I had to rest on my knees a couple of times.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 4 Complete!

Last week's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 8/4: Bike ride 8.56 mi, 45:24
Mon 8/5: Base/easy 30 min run 2.67 mi, 30:01; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 8/6: Base/easy 50 min run 4.51 mi, 50:18
Wed 8/7: Rest (getting a sports massage)
Thurs 8/8: Recovery 45 min run 3.48 mi, 41:04; lower body upper body strength training
Fri 8/9: Base/easy 50 min run 4.52 mi, 49:30
Sat 8/10: 9 miles long 9.3 mi total

Tuesday happened to be the hottest day of the year (so far) in Dallas! There was a heat advisory in effect and I think with the heat index it felt like 105. Whew! My shirt from the Too Hot to Handle 15K had come in so I decided it would be a good day to wear it. I wasn't the only one!


Jessica and Brandon had the same idea!

On Saturday, I did something a little different for my long run. My friend Stacey and I had decided we wanted to go to the Run On social run because there would be Brooks reps there to let us test the new Glycerins and Ghosts. They had also planned to do part of the social run on the new Northaven Trail so I was sold! Because I needed to get in 9 miles total for the day, I decided to run the extra miles beforehand, starting from my house and ending at the Run On store.

Michael and I went to see Kathy Griffin Friday night and didn't get home until late so it was really hard to get myself up and out the door early Saturday morning! But I did 6.3 miles before the social run and then left from the store with the crew for our run (and changed into the new Brooks Glycerin 11's). We actually ended up only doing 2 miles and only a very small part was on the trail so I was a little disappointed about that. (Usually the social runs have a 3 mile loop.) Oh, well, the company was good! I did another mile to get in my total before I joined everyone back at the store. We visited and got some Brooks goodies (tote bag and sticker) and then Stacey, Katie and I went across the street to Panera for breakfast.

Sunday morning, I planned on going to my favorite hot yoga class because it would be my last chance to use my American Power Yoga groupon before my 90 days expired. Unfortunately, I woke up with a terrible headache so a challenging, heated practice did not sound appealing. Instead I did an easy podcast at home and really stretched my hips out.

I've been keeping up with my August plank challenge, today I was up to 1 minute! I am terrible about doing ab strengthening, but it is so important to keep your core strong in order to keep your running form even.

This week's plans:
Sun 8/11: Hip Opening yoga podcast (20 min)
Mon: 8/12: Base/easy 30 min run
Tues: 8/13: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 8/14: Rest
Thurs 8/15: Recovery 45 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/15: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/16: 10 miles long

Have a happy and healthy week!





Sunday, August 4, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 3 Complete!

I was so positive about week 3, but unfortunately it didn't start out on a good note. I've had some nagging shin/calf soreness for the last couple of weeks. On Monday morning's run, I realized it was really hurting and starting to feel like the beginning of last year's injury. So I took a couple of days off from running and got in some other forms of exercise, plus foam rolled and took the same anti-inflammatories my doctor prescribed last year.

Sun 7/27: Upper body strength training
Mon 7/28: Base/easy 30 min run 2.62 mi, 28:53; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/29: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Wed 7/30: Recovery 45 min run 1.15 mi walk
Thurs 7/31: Base/easy 50 min run 15 min elliptical; lower body strength training; Baptiste Power Flow Yoga podcast 20 min
Fri 8/1: Rest 3.56mi, 38:32
Sat 8/2: DRC Cross Country Relay race + extra miles for a total of 8 7.72mi

Saturday morning, a few of us met up at the DRC clubhouse to run to Norbuck Park for the Cross Country Relay Race. Brandon and I met up with Michael at the race, we each ran a 2-mile leg and then we ran back to the clubhouse (taking a slight shortcut due to time constraints). Thankfully, my leg was feeling pretty good!


We didn't have time to make shirts like last year, so we all wore the shirts from this year's Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

The race was really fun! Team Fall Risk did pretty well.
Total 55:23
Michael 20:41
Rebecca 17:47
Brandon 16:54

I have done that Norbuck Park loop so many times over the summer that at least I knew what to expect this year! I was able to keep a faster pace than I thought I would be able to do. After I got home, I put on compression socks and foam rolled. I think this helped, my leg is feeling good today (knock on wood).

This morning, Michael and I cross-trained by riding our bikes on the White Rock Creek Trail. I forget what a good workout biking is! My legs are definitely feeling it, but in a different way than running.

This week's plans:
Sun 8/3: Bike ride 8.56 mi, 45:24
Mon 8/4: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 8/5: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 8/6: Rest (getting a sports massage)
Thurs 8/7: Recovery 45 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/8: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/9: 9 miles long

I also started a 30-day plank challenge on the first, by August 30th I'll (supposedly) be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes!




Easy Summer Quinoa

I've been wanting to try making quinoa at home, but for some reason it has always scared me. I thought this recipe would be a good way to try it at home. Plus it had most of my favorite summer veggies.

Yum! The quinoa was very easy to prepare and the rest of the dish came together very quickly. I think it will make great lunch leftovers, too!

I didn't add any wine and the sundried tomatoes I had were dried, not packed in oil. I also took the suggestion to use veggie broth because I wanted it to be a vegetarian recipe (and it's easy to make vegan simply by leaving off the cheese). It might even be good with some beans added!

Easy Summer Quinoa

Serves 4

Ingredients:
scant 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup quinoa

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped kale (about 1/2 bunch – I used lacinto kale)
1 small zucchini, chopped
salt & pepper
2 ears sweet corn kernels (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into strips
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
shaved or fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

Bring scant cup chicken (or vegetable) broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Rinse quinoa very well in a fine mesh sieve under running water (quinoa is coated in a natural, bitter coating that needs to be rinsed off) then add to saucepan, place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium-low, then cook until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots then saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and red chili pepper flakes then saute for 30 more seconds, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium-high then add kale and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper then saute for 2 minutes. Add corn and sundried tomatoes then saute for 2 more minutes.
Add white wine then scrape up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. When wine is nearly gone, add peas then stir to combine. Add chicken broth and cooked quinoa then cook until broth is absorbed. Remove skillet from heat then add basil and stir to combine. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve topped with freshly shaved or grated parmesan cheese.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 2 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 7/21: Hot yoga (60 min)
Mon 7/22: Base/easy 30 min run 2.96 mi, 30:50; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/23: Base/easy 50 min run (with my training group) 4.6 mi, 50:24
Wed 7/24: Recovery 45 min run 3.8 mi, 43:32
Thurs 7/25: Base/easy 50 min; lower body strength training, 20 min stationary bike warmup
Fri 7/26: Rest 3.82 mi, 43:45
Sat 7/27: Long run, 8 miles 8.48 mi, 1:33:17

This past week went well, I was able to do all my planned workouts. Wednesday night, Brandon and I did our recovery run together at the Run On social run, some other friends were there as well. It's always a great motivation when I know there will be cold beer and good friends there!

Our Saturday long run was great! Some rain moved through the night before and the temperatures dropped overnight. We had cloud cover and a good breeze, we hardly noticed the humidity!

I have some social plans this week, so it will be a little harder to keep up with all my planned workouts. I predict several early morning runs this week!

Sun 7/27: Upper body strength training
Mon 7/28: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min
Tues 7/29: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 7/30: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 7/31: Base/easy 50 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/1: Rest
Sat 8/2: DRC Cross Country Relay race + extra miles for a total of 8

Saturday's race should be fun! Michael, Brandon and I will be a 3-person team and even have matching outfits planned!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 1 complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 7/14: Too Hot to Handle 15K (race goal: don't die) 9.3 miles, 1:39:19
Mon 7/15: Hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/16: easy 3-4 miles (our training orientation is that night, not sure if I'll fit in my run that morning or while I'm down at the lake for orientation) Run was rained out, so this turned into a rest day
Wed 7/17: Hot yoga (60 min) OR easy 3 miles in the a.m. (32:40) and ran/walked at the Run On social run in the evening (2.85 miles, 39:00)
Thurs: 7/18: Rest Upper body strength training
Fri: Easy 3-4 miles 3.34mi, 37:37
Sat: DRC Kickoff Run, I think we'll be doing 6-7 miles 7.13 mi, 1:17:55

I was so worried about the Too Hot to Handle 15k, July in Dallas is usually crazy hot this time of year. I planned from the beginning to just take the race easy and not "race," just run it. Brandon ended up having the same goal, so we decided to start together. The race started at 7:30 at Norbuck Park, which is on the North side of White Rock Lake. I got there about 7:00 to park, but the race was much bigger than I expected! I ended up parking much further away than I'd planned, so Brandon and I didn't find each other until the 15k was just starting. (The 5k started after the 15k, which was a good way to avoid congestion at the beginning.)

We really lucked out on the weather, a storm system moved in early in the morning. The temperature dropped (75 degrees and 65% humidity) and a drizzle started as I was parking. Luckily, I keep a baseball cap in my car just in case, so I grabbed that to keep rain out of my eyes. I'm glad I did, as the drizzle continued throughout the race and ended up picking up afterwards. The cap is cotton, a tech one would have been even better. In fact, we got caps as part of our race packet and I wished I had that one! Turned out it wouldn't have helped, when I tried it on later, it was way too big for my head so I gave it to a friend.

Brandon and I ended up running the entire race together, keeping an easy, conversational pace and chatting the whole time.


The race was great, plenty of aid stations (I think 10 in total) with plenty of water and Gatorade, some stations had Cytomax. A lot of the aid stations also had misters, which would have been great if the weather had been as hot as usual. We saw several friends along the course as well.

Afterwards, there was great food and lots of people! I found Kim, Alyson and Jessica and we hung out with them while we checked out the afterparty. We had a delicious breakfast scramble from My Fit Foods (turkey, egg whites, rice and spicy pico de gallo...must recreate!) and some samples from Clif. Unfortunately, they were out of women's xsmall and small finisher shirts, so they took my bib number and told me they would let me know when more were available. (This same thing happened with the Too Cold to Hold race; it only took a couple of weeks for them to come in.)


With our medals. (Thanks for the picture, Kim!)

After a great race, I was super excited to start marathon training! Our first group run on Saturday was great, a hot and humid but fun run. Brandon and I are in the same group (4:10), as well as my buddies Jessica, Jeanette and Jackie. Brandon and Jackie couldn't make the first run, but I had a great time running with Jessica and Jeanette as well as getting to know some new faces. Our pace leaders are Clay and Kristin, I have seen them around at DRC events and I look forward to getting to know them. We also have coaches that will rotate through the groups, so we will have lots of support as we train.

I got our training plan this week. In addition to our Saturday morning long runs, we will run with our group on Tuesday nights. The first few weeks will be base-building, mostly easy runs to build endurance. After a few weeks, we'll do more speed work, tempo runs and track workouts. We are scheduled for a total of 5 running workouts a week, so three of these will be on our own.

This week's plans:
Sun 7/21: Hot yoga (60 min)
Mon 7/22: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/23: Base/easy 50 min run (with my training group)
Wed 7/24: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 7/25: Base/easy 50 min; lower body strength training
Fri 7/26: Rest
Sat 7/27: Long run, 8 miles



Saturday, July 13, 2013

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 0 Complete

Well, I am officially signed up for fall marathon training with the Dallas Running Club! Watch out, Dallas Marathon, I'm coming for you again.

I'm hoping to have a stronger season this year. I have been running with DRC's Summer Bridge program and kept pretty good mileage through the summer. I have also been doing more runs in the evenings, when it's still hot, which improves endurance. I have also added some lower-body strength training, which I think will benefit my running.

With that being said, the DRC Independence Day 10K (our time trial to determine pace groups) did not go as planned. My friend Brandon and I started together. The start was very crowded, I didn't want to waste too much energy bobbing and weaving but eventually we made it through the throngs of runners. We passed my friends Kim and Michael from last year's training group. After we passed them, we tried to pick up the pace.

After just a few minutes (we must have been around 1.5 miles in), I realized that my heart rate was getting really high. I tried to keep up, but finally told Brandon I wasn't feeling well and to go on without me. My heart was pounding and my ears felt like they were full of cotton. I migrated to the right (with the slower movers) and tried to just slow down to get it back down, but I finally stopped to walk with my hands above my head for a few minutes. I've had this happen before when running (especially in the heat), but never during a race so it was a little scary for a bit. Luckily, I felt better soon and started (slowly) running again. By the two mile mark, I was feeling much better. I grabbed some water at the aid station and powered on.

Just before the turnaround point, I saw Kim and Michael again (they surely had passed me while I was slowing down) but they were walking and Michael was limping. He had pulled something in his calf and Kim caught up to me at the turnaround. We ran together for a mile or so, she had run the night before and was taking it easy. I got some water and Gatorade at the next aid station and not long after, pulled ahead of Kim. The rest of the race was tough (lots of full sun) and I was really ready to be done! I crossed the finish line in 1:02:36, a new PR for my worst 10K time! Haha, oh well. At least I managed to average less than a 10:00 min/mile pace.


I'm interested to see what pace group the DRC puts me in. Based on my experience last year, I know it's easy to change pace groups so I'm not too worried.

This week's plans:
Sun 7/14: Too Hot to Handle 15K (race goal: don't die)
Mon 7/15: Hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/16: easy 3-4 miles (our training orientation is that night, not sure if I'll fit in my run that morning or while I'm down at the lake for orientation)
Wed 7/17: Hot yoga (60 min) OR easy 3 miles
Thurs: 7/18: Rest
Fri: Easy 3-4 miles
Sat: DRC Kickoff Run, I think we'll be doing 6-7 miles