tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85964798831260375012024-03-05T06:07:25.183-06:00The BakersRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-17550656111998607542016-05-18T10:28:00.000-05:002016-05-18T10:32:20.804-05:00Honey-Lime Sweet Potato Black Bean TacosTacos are one of my favorite foods! I ran across <a href="http://www.thechunkychef.com/honey-lime-black-bean-and-sweet-potato-tacos-sundaysupper/">this recipe</a> a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. So delicious! I didn't make the honey-lime cream sauce to go on top, just the filling. In addition to tacos, I think this filling would be delicious in quesadillas or enchiladas! <br />
<br />
<b>Honey-Lime Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos</b><br />
<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes<br />
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp paprika<br />
1/2 tsp chili powder<br />
1/4 tsp ground coriander<br />
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
1 small yellow or white onion, finely diced<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 (14.5) oz can black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained (the second time I made this recipe, I ended up adding 2 cans of black beans, just to stretch the filling a little further)<br />
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained<br />
3 Tbsp honey<br />
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice<br />
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves<br />
Tortillas (I went with corn-wheat blend)<br />
<br />
INSTRUCTIONS<br />
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, set aside. Peel and dice sweet potatoes and place in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add in paprika, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne and salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, then pour onto prepared baking sheet.<br />
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized, stirring once halfway through baking.<br />
While the potatoes are roasting, in a large skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute about 5 - 6 minutes, adding in garlic during last minute of cooking. Reduce heat a bit, to medium-low, add in drained and rinsed black beans, and corn, and heat until warmed through.<br />
Add in roasted sweet potatoes, drizzle with honey and lime juice and cilantro. Stir to combine well. Serve over warm tortillas with desired toppings.<br />
<br />
I topped my tacos with a little bit of hot salsa and crumbled cojita cheese, plus had some lime-cilantro rice on the side. I actually bought some pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds) to put on top as well, but forgot about them! But that's another good topping option. The recipe made lots (especially after I added the extra can of beans), so we'll be eating leftovers for days!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-34682528572665979882016-01-24T18:40:00.001-06:002016-01-24T18:41:01.340-06:00Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup<a href="http://ohmyveggies.com/lentil-stuffed-pepper-soup/">This soup</a> was delicious! I made lime-cilantro rice to go along with it, adding the rice separately was a great idea. Michael and I ate this for a week, our friend Elliott also had it with us for dinner one night. When I said I was about to throw the leftovers away (they were a week old at that point), he asked if he could take them home instead! <br />
<br />
I've been trying lots of new recipes since cutting out meat and Oh My Veggies has been a great resource! Lots of delicious recipes and beautiful photography. If you have any suggestions for vegetarian recipe sources, I'd love to hear them!<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 cup uncooked brown lentils, rinsed<br />
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1 yellow onion, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced<br />
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced<br />
1 teaspoon dried thyme<br />
1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1 (15-ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes<br />
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce<br />
4 cups vegetable broth<br />
2 cups water<br />
10 ounces cooked brown rice (optional)<br />
Fresh parsley for serving (optional)<br />
Instructions<br />
<br />
In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent.<br />
Next, add the garlic, bell peppers and dried herbs, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, water, and lentils, and stir everything together. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil then reduce it to medium and cook for about 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.<br />
Serve the soup warm with fresh parsley and add brown rice as desired on top of the soup.<br />
<br />
Read more at http://ohmyveggies.com/lentil-stuffed-pepper-soup/#VfelxQ1bwGZ045Kg.99<br />
<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-25734341029362985052015-12-06T18:44:00.001-06:002015-12-06T18:44:15.288-06:00Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean TacosI've made <a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/09/roasted-veggie-black-bean-tacos/">this recipe</a> 3 times since I first came across it, it is delicious and versatile! You can mix up the veggies to use almost anything you want. Last time I made them, I added some cubed butternut squash. The leftovers are also wonderful, I put the taco filling over lime-cilantro rice.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
3 medium tomatoes, cored and seeded, diced* (1 1/2 cups)<br />
2 ears corn, kernals cut from cob (1 1/2 cups)<br />
1 medium zucchini, diced (1 1/2 heaping cups)<br />
1 medium yellow squash, diced (1 1/2 heaping cups)<br />
3/4 small yellow onion, chopped (scant 1 cup)<br />
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp chili powder, divided<br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed and warmed<br />
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice<br />
Corn or flour tortillas for serving<br />
Queso fresco, for serving<br />
Sour cream and Mexican hot sauce for serving (optional)<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place first 6 ingredients in a mound on a large baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, canola oil, cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and salt and pepper (I used 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, but you can adjust to your taste). Drizzle oil mixture over veggies on baking dish, then toss to evenly coat and spread veggies into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, then remove from oven and toss (then spread into an even layer again) and return to oven to roast 10 minutes longer (or until they've reached desired doneness).<br />
Near the end of veggies roasting, toss warmed black beans with salt and remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder. Once veggies are done roasting, add black beans along with chopped cilantro and drizzle lime juice over top and toss. Serve warm over tortillas (I preferred corn vs. flour, I tried both. I recommend heating about 1/2 - 3/4 tsp veggie oil slightly over medium heat in a non-stick skillet, add corn tortilla and swirl. Cook until golden brown in spots, then lift, add another 1/2 tsp and repeat). Top with Queso Fresco, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.<br />
*Dice all the veggies about the same size so they all cook evenly, except for the tomatoes (and corn obviously). I diced the tomatoes bigger because they shrink the most since they have a higher water content than the others.<br />
<br />
Recipe Source: Cooking ClassyRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-21855465601217669102015-08-30T20:31:00.000-05:002015-08-30T20:31:01.532-05:00Roasted Vegetable Baked ZitiI have actually made this recipe several times since I first came across it. I have been splitting the baked ziti (well, more accurately, penne or rigatoni since I can never seem to find ziti) between two pans and freezing one. It freezes great! I just leave off the last sprinkle of mozzarella, cover the dish with plastic wrap and press down to keep out air, then add foil on top.<br />
<br />
Original source: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/12/roasted-vegetable-baked-ziti/ <br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
ROASTED VEGETABLES<br />
1 crown broccoli <br />
1 medium zucchini<br />
1 medium yellow squash<br />
1 medium yellow onion <br />
1 red bell pepper<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil <br />
salt and pepper <br />
½ tsp dried oregano <br />
PASTA<br />
¾ lb. (12 oz.) uncooked ziti <br />
1 cup ricotta cheese <br />
1 large egg <br />
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided <br />
salt and pepper<br />
1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce (or a batch of your favorite recipe)<br />
Instructions<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop red pepper into matchsticks or large pieces, slice the onion, cut the squash into quarter rounds, and cut the broccoli into small florets. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and seasonings.<br />
Divide the chopped vegetables between two baking sheets covered in foil. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly charred on the edges. Stir once, half way through roasting.<br />
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until al dente). Once cooked, drain the pasta and return it to the pot with the burner turned off. Add the sauce and toss to coat.<br />
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, the egg, one cup of the shredded mozzarella, ¼ tsp salt, and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. Stir until smooth and even.<br />
Coat an 8x8 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread ⅓ of the pasta and marinara sauce over the bottom. Layer ½ of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, then ½ of the roasted vegetables. Repeat these three layers, then end with one final layer of pasta and sauce, and the final cup of shredded mozzarella.<br />
Reduce the heat in the oven to 375 degrees and bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese on top is melted and slightly browned on the edges.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-46828167991952059862015-08-30T20:22:00.002-05:002015-08-30T20:22:59.088-05:00Southwestern Black Bean Salad with Citrus DressingOriginal source: http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2014/01/southwestern-black-bean-salad-with.html <br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
15 oz. can black beans<br />
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, diced<br />
1 cup corn (I used frozen, thawed)<br />
1 large orange bell pepper, diced<br />
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced<br />
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed<br />
<br />
{For the dressing}<br />
Juice from 1 large orange<br />
Juice from 1 1/2 limes<br />
1/4 tsp. cumin, or more to taste<br />
1/2 tsp. agave (or honey)<br />
1/8 tsp. salt<br />
Optional: cayenne pepper or chipotle for a kick!<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until agave/honey is incorporated. It should yield about 1/2 cup dressing. Set aside.<br />
In a separate bowl, combine the beans (rinsed and drained), tomato, corn, red onion, bell pepper, and roughly chopped cilantro.<br />
Add the dressing and toss to combine.<br />
Best if chilled 1 hour (can be longer) before serving.<br />
Stir well before serving, as some of the dressing gathers at the bottom.<br />
<br />
Yum! I had this as a side dish to a veggie burger, then mixed the leftovers with quinoa to take for lunches for a few days. Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-91941086053341908702014-03-26T21:18:00.002-05:002014-05-25T10:08:10.156-05:00Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2014After a long hiatus, it's time for a running update!<br />
<br />
Right after my marathon in <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2013/12/whine-not-another-marathon.html">December</a>, I experienced severe IT band pain every time I tried to run. I saw my doctor, who sent me to an orthopedic doctor, who then sent me to physical therapy. By the time I got to physical therapy, the IT band pain was much better so my physical therapy involved strengthening my hamstrings and quadriceps in order to prevent the injury from happening again.<br />
<br />
So the last few months have been focused on recovery and building my mileage back up. I did a couple of shorter races and also ran/walked the Cowtown Half Marathon with a friend who was doing her first. Meanwhile, I still had the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on my mind. I had signed up to run (my fourth time!) very early so that I could get the best price. I had a PR in mind when I signed up, but this was before the IT band issue came up. Even though my IT band was doing better, it still didn't feel completely healed. I also felt like I was generally much slower than before my injury. I knew I could finish the distance, but I felt discouraged about how my performance would go. <br />
<br />
Luckily, my race ended up going better much better than I expected!<br />
<br />
Michael had originally signed up to run as well, but after his training got derailed, he decided not to. Which meant that he was my chauffeur and cheerleader for the day! He dropped me off as close to the starting line as he could get, which was nice. I didn't have to walk far at all and immediately made my way to Corral 5. The weather had been warm in the days leading up to the race, but the temperature had dropped a little bit. I think the high for the day was predicted to be in the low 50's and it was in the 40's when we started, plus there was a chance of rain in the forecast. I wore shorts, a short-sleeved tech shirt and a long-sleeve half-zip tech shirt. I also wore a hat (in case of rain) and decided to wear my <a href="http://www.pro-tecathletics.com/56978/586620/Knee/IT-Band-Compression-Wrap.html">IT band compression wrap</a>. I bought the compression band a couple of months ago (before physical therapy), hoping it would help with the IT band pain and while I don't think it's a cure, I do think it has helped keep the IT band from becoming more inflamed. In any case, I figured it wouldn't hurt to wear it.<br />
<br />
My corral started only about 5 minutes after the gun time and off we went! Immediately, I was feeling good but tried to keep myself from going out too fast. I settled into what felt like an easy pace. I was surprised when my watch beeped at the first mile and saw that I had run that mile at a 9:32 pace. I didn't feel like I was going that fast and certainly didn't think I was running faster than about a 10:00/mile. So I made a mental note to keep it easy, but each mile ticked off a little faster. <br />
<br />
We ran through downtown, then uptown and into Highland Park. The first several miles were a gradual uphill. I stopped at most of the water stations to get fluid. I didn't feel thirsty (especially since the temperatures were cooler) but wanted to make sure I was staying hydrated. I mostly just drank water, but I did get Gatorade at a couple of the stations. I also took a couple of Honey Stinger chews every 3-4 miles (with water). <br />
<br />
I knew that my parents and Michael's mom would be around the 6.5 mile marker, so I looked forward to seeing them. I kept telling myself that once I saw them, I would slow back down. Around the 6-mile mark, the 2:00 pace group caught up to me and I realized that the DRC training director (Vishal) was the pacer! I asked him what corral they had started in (they started in 7, I had started in 5) and chatted with him for a minute. I debated trying to stay with the pace group, but knew that trying to run a sub-2:00 half marathon would be really pushing it! Instead I let them pass me after a while and looked forward to seeing my family.<br />
<br />
Sure enough, they were in the same spot they have been for <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2013/03/dallas-rock-roll-half-marathon.html">the last 2 years</a>! Although this year they didn't get good pictures, my dad only managed to get one after I had passed them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQV_btQTCh9hXjnyzUVNvi2gfcMM18MC2mnOPen_4b4FyYjWOBqRHBGRpSllt4kXa-fVoqjLqhaguS3ukCQ0JriFiVBqZAef0YVVDuskMELrtkBXb4y2EFoKArJfrwlcgw6Cx9bNGvo4t/s1600/RR+Becca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQV_btQTCh9hXjnyzUVNvi2gfcMM18MC2mnOPen_4b4FyYjWOBqRHBGRpSllt4kXa-fVoqjLqhaguS3ukCQ0JriFiVBqZAef0YVVDuskMELrtkBXb4y2EFoKArJfrwlcgw6Cx9bNGvo4t/s320/RR+Becca.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dnSMsCpCUWcGntHDjplaypkazySoFk5T8P6xTcSggGHinLDAfgSsqHFviR5HFbwXveFMx5Pd3dR3JmYKwuE7uUUU74Fl-hvEbftZ8nj9sAsPBexCkxL9WX1TpFGIoHmOrrKO2B5Ffy9V/s1600/RR+Ann+Michael+Bev.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dnSMsCpCUWcGntHDjplaypkazySoFk5T8P6xTcSggGHinLDAfgSsqHFviR5HFbwXveFMx5Pd3dR3JmYKwuE7uUUU74Fl-hvEbftZ8nj9sAsPBexCkxL9WX1TpFGIoHmOrrKO2B5Ffy9V/s320/RR+Ann+Michael+Bev.JPG" /></a></div><br />
(I have a GPS app on my phone that allowed Michael to track me, he was showing his mom that I should be coming soon.)<br />
<br />
After the halfway point, I kept expecting my IT band to start hurting, which would slow me down. Surprisingly, I continued to feel good! We crossed 75 Central Expressway and passed the Run On! store on Mockingbird, which had a huge crowd out to cheer! Right after I passed Run On! (about mile 8), I stopped to stretch. My IT band was feeling tight, but not painful, and a good stretch helped loosen it up. Once we turned onto Skillman, the rest of the race was a gradual downhill. I continued to feel good and even managed to pick up my pace slightly after the 10 mile mark. I stopped once more in mile 12 to stretch again, then we were in the home stretch!<br />
<br />
I had planned on really pushing my pace once we got into Fair Park, however my stomach suddenly started to feel upset. It wasn't bad enough that I thought I needed to stop, but I was a little afraid to try to run any faster. We made several turns coming into Fair Park and this time I knew that there was a photo op before the real finish line. (Last year, I thought the photo op was the finish line at first!) I also saw Michael, he had managed to make it to the finish line just in time to see me! I crossed the finish line still feeling a little queasy but luckily as soon as I stopped running I felt better. I looked at my watch and saw 2:05 and some change, which I was very happy about! <br />
<br />
I grabbed some water, Gatorade, a bag of pretzels and a couple of Power Bar protein bars on my way through the finisher's chute. I found Michael pretty quickly and we headed out! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PwnE0uGYyPu6LJMyLNh5FeFhK-AmPTpxN5387c-EQplvffhHngWFie9fgXjqEqgUNzGf2Ni3eH8sJCqfU3I7igXwW_s0RMXc5xAUTRrxDON5huTBktFeA1ndiXRdGuVpE7jpR7SzFTlh/s1600/RR+medals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PwnE0uGYyPu6LJMyLNh5FeFhK-AmPTpxN5387c-EQplvffhHngWFie9fgXjqEqgUNzGf2Ni3eH8sJCqfU3I7igXwW_s0RMXc5xAUTRrxDON5huTBktFeA1ndiXRdGuVpE7jpR7SzFTlh/s320/RR+medals.jpg" /></a></div><br />
One more medal in my Rock 'n' Roll collection! This was the fifth year that Rock 'n' Roll has put on a race in Dallas, hence the big 5. I noticed several runners that had special "Veteran" bibs indicating they had run the race all 5 years. Pretty cool! (I didn't run the race in 2010, the first year it was in Dallas.)<br />
<br />
Another great Rock 'n' Roll race in the books! My official time was 2:05:15, which is not my best time but far from my worst! It was a big confidence-booster for me after my injury recovery, so I call that a win.<br />
<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-8532755623823481632014-01-05T15:41:00.000-06:002014-01-05T15:41:12.979-06:00Chunky Lentil and Vegetable SoupSo I am currently sidelined with an unhappy IT band. While I'm waiting for it to heal, I've been biking to keep up my cardio. Last night a cold front came in and also brought strong wind gusts, up to 25 miles an hour. I decided to set out on a long-ish bike ride on the White Rock Creek Trail this morning. Heading south on the trail was cold and windy, I realized that my gloves weren't keeping my fingers very warm. After 30 minutes heading south, I turned around to head back north and realized I'd had a tailwind the entire way! I tried for a few minutes to struggle against the wind, but my hands were painfully cold and I realized it would take me about twice the amount of time to get back to my starting point. After less than 10 minutes, I took shelter in the nearby tennis center and called Michael to pick me up. The cold and wind was just too much for me!<br />
<br />
After I took a hot shower to thaw out, I made myself some <a href="http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/01/chunky-lentil-vegetable-soup/">hearty soup</a>. This soup was really easy, delicious and inexpensive!<br />
<br />
I didn't have any paprika, so I subbed some chili powder which I knew had smoked paprika in it. This definitely cranked up the heat, so I ended up adding a little sugar to cut the spiciness. It was still delicious, but I think the smoked paprika would definitely add some depth so I will use that next time.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
2 Tbsp olive oil <br />
2 cloves garlic <br />
1 medium onion<br />
½ lb. (3-4) carrots <br />
3 ribs celery (I left this out)<br />
1 (15 oz.) can black beans <br />
1 cup brown lentils <br />
1 tsp cumin <br />
1 tsp oregano <br />
½ tsp smoked paprika <br />
¼ tsp cayenne pepper <br />
Freshly ground black pepper <br />
1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes <br />
4 cups vegetable broth <br />
½ tsp salt <br />
<b>Instructions</b><br />
Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Cook both in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, slice the celery and peel and slice the carrots. Add the celery and carrots to the pot and continue to sauté for about 5 more minutes.<br />
Drain the can of black beans and add it to the pot along with the dry lentils, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Finally, add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and vegetable broth, and stir to combine.<br />
Increase the heat to medium high and allow the pot to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, test the lentils to make sure they are tender. If not, continue to simmer until they are tender.**<br />
Taste the soup and add salt as needed (I added ½ tsp). Serve hot.<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-57578707396173291662013-12-27T18:45:00.001-06:002014-03-18T18:40:21.621-05:00Everything White Bean HummusI came across <a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/06/everything-white-bean-hummus/">this recipe</a> 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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
<b>Everything Hummus</b><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
3 cups cooked cannellini/great northern beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)<br />
6 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling<br />
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil<br />
1 whole head of roasted garlic<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons dried minced onion<br />
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds<br />
1 tablespoon poppy seeds<br />
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic<br />
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br />
crackers for serving<br />
<br />
directions:<br />
In a small bowl, combine dried onion, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Toss to mix.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Add hummus to a bowl and drizzle with extra olive oil. Pour everything seasoning overtop and serve immediately.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-11255010099644055922013-12-16T20:45:00.001-06:002013-12-16T20:46:00.224-06:00Whine Not Another MarathonAfter 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!<br />
<br />
I ended up deciding on the <a href="http://www.running-the-distance.com/">Texas Whiners</a> 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 <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/">Marathon Maniacs</a> club (3 marathons within 90 days) and I just wanted to run a race like I had planned on.<br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgcrd9cwaTDShmdAIbc8DfwsgNxrn_B4LiykYtMZc4Ly0uB_Diepcp6Yeb5_tDTuLsUTH7MW-PFUEmCa6dN1DLZgO7H3UEOQHDr17c_by42VxMFp4FhSsa4jPNKMyUoI6osCKCPJPUVtx/s1600/Whine+Not+swag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgcrd9cwaTDShmdAIbc8DfwsgNxrn_B4LiykYtMZc4Ly0uB_Diepcp6Yeb5_tDTuLsUTH7MW-PFUEmCa6dN1DLZgO7H3UEOQHDr17c_by42VxMFp4FhSsa4jPNKMyUoI6osCKCPJPUVtx/s320/Whine+Not+swag.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYlpIQUnp46cmg8nEYygEQ2L6NcFbvZkedguwK3Lolj7PKMuHSmuTYJ_8kIWBdwcvWeZUUWXysDEZZ5hUzgqPgo2mo3MvGYoZHX680SbKn3Sx_gQ8sflueXfHuSxto7XEoN9U2hknHICe/s1600/Whine+Not+Stacey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYlpIQUnp46cmg8nEYygEQ2L6NcFbvZkedguwK3Lolj7PKMuHSmuTYJ_8kIWBdwcvWeZUUWXysDEZZ5hUzgqPgo2mo3MvGYoZHX680SbKn3Sx_gQ8sflueXfHuSxto7XEoN9U2hknHICe/s320/Whine+Not+Stacey.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHyOe2g62STl0vvgCaBHppBstC8Czwo-HNvxhpBB11MID7oDRSK0f7pGnY2JTLuOsvQkbq3CCuKVD4S_qADc4LeC-6aRpo9X09-itD-uTYpTuuH11zwUd5CV1o-SSJyiE8NR1plZN0a17/s1600/Whine+Not+Stacey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHyOe2g62STl0vvgCaBHppBstC8Czwo-HNvxhpBB11MID7oDRSK0f7pGnY2JTLuOsvQkbq3CCuKVD4S_qADc4LeC-6aRpo9X09-itD-uTYpTuuH11zwUd5CV1o-SSJyiE8NR1plZN0a17/s320/Whine+Not+Stacey+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
She is an awesome spectator and an awesome friend to come all the way from Ft. Worth to cheer!<br />
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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!<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE">"What Does The Fox Say"</a> to entertain ourselves.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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. <br />
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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!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKSUZqmCen5ba6r1QvhhNMnpj2UQtLbB-RjRc_WD2JmWXztxcCeLzA9JZHPWZKarWMKlm4OjUbJOq51lPkug3qwMj8N8Kcuoyl_wQKdm5ekljT4w6r-rlqMqSYi79HVrsGdmKLXquZVkp/s1600/Whine+Not+Marathon+with+medals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKSUZqmCen5ba6r1QvhhNMnpj2UQtLbB-RjRc_WD2JmWXztxcCeLzA9JZHPWZKarWMKlm4OjUbJOq51lPkug3qwMj8N8Kcuoyl_wQKdm5ekljT4w6r-rlqMqSYi79HVrsGdmKLXquZVkp/s320/Whine+Not+Marathon+with+medals.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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 <a href="http://elfenix.com/">El Fenix</a> for some post-race grub! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxl3JGLcPEG36zZzKPj1JeDpKUouAECo6x1_TZotjDRlQ6AaFM_pidvgBl753HmL61dMdxy8zhTW02-c93zWLaNR3ZmhRxx2au-tY9rF9qUAlOz-bnY0r4IGS5LNxUBvzqQ4IMABVoH_-/s1600/Whine+Not+Marathon+El+Fenix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxl3JGLcPEG36zZzKPj1JeDpKUouAECo6x1_TZotjDRlQ6AaFM_pidvgBl753HmL61dMdxy8zhTW02-c93zWLaNR3ZmhRxx2au-tY9rF9qUAlOz-bnY0r4IGS5LNxUBvzqQ4IMABVoH_-/s320/Whine+Not+Marathon+El+Fenix.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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 <a href="http://members.dallasrunningclub.com/clubportal/EventDisplayNew.cfm?clubID=201&EventID=186317&mo=1&tDate=%7Bd%20%272014-01-05%27%7D">Frigid 10k</a> on January 4, the <a href="http://cowtownmarathon.org/">Cowtown Half Marathon</a> on February 23 (I'm going to pace Stacey through her first half!) and the <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/dallas">Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon</a>. I also have a few trail races in mind but haven't signed up for any yet.<br />
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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!<br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-58616554462763811102013-12-08T16:51:00.001-06:002013-12-08T16:51:29.290-06:00Dallas Marathon: CanceledDallas has been hit by a major ice storm. As a result, the Dallas Marathon sent out this statement on Friday afternoon:<br />
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"2013 METROPCS DALLAS MARATHON CANCELED<br />
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Safety of our participants, as well as our volunteers and spectators, is our primary concern on MetroPCS Dallas Marathon race weekend.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Additionally, the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon Health & Fitness Expo for Friday and Saturday has been canceled."<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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So after a weekend to weigh my options, I decided to sign up for a marathon next weekend! I will be running the <a href="http://www.running-the-distance.com/">Whine Not Another Marathon</a> here in Dallas. It is a small race (capped at 50 runners) and consists of 8 (!) loops around <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/trails/bachman.html">Bachman Lake</a>. This should be interesting after my extended taper and hopefully I'll be feeling better after my graceful fall.<br />
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This week's plans:<br />
Sun 12/8: Rest (I've done lots of stretching and foam rolling today)<br />
Mon 12/9: Yoga (and a short run if the streets in my neighborhood are thawed)<br />
Tues 12/10: 9 mi lake loop<br />
Wed 12/11: Rest or yoga<br />
Thurs 12/12: 30 min recovery run<br />
Fri 12/13: Rest<br />
Sat 12/14: 2 mi<br />
Sun 12/15: 26.2 mi! Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-35902982921023008842013-12-01T15:41:00.001-06:002013-12-01T15:41:28.697-06:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 20 Complete! Last week's workouts:<br />
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Sun 11/24: Rest<br />
Mon 11/25: Elliptical 30 min + lower body strength training<br />
Tues 11/26: Pace :50 <b>5.23 mi, 49:33</b><br />
Wed 11/27: Yoga <b>Post-run Stretch and Flow podcast, 25 min</b><br />
Thurs 11/28: Dallas Turkey Trot (8 miles) <b>1:15:10</b><br />
Fri: 11/29: Rest<br />
Sat 11/30: 9 mi <b>9.56 mi, 1:41:09</b><br />
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Everything felt good this week, no more ankle/shin pain, whew! I think the massage last week really helped. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.thetrot.org/">Dallas Turkey Trot</a> 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 <a href="http://www.thetrot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Screen-Shot-2013-11-12-at-11.27.31-AM.png">the course</a> 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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNBZL-Sjrn_eAst3N-TpPKKIyCg-6ih_7U44GrdxRyzYJYllzIO790bbOTAWvX0AOkk7gKcSFurLz7IrK5v7p7CL3Xv7lLwzns6vrR7J9_SGqQNQVY-eG7PsoZzaPtAxqWuN7gNekMZgh/s1600/Becca+turkey+trot+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNBZL-Sjrn_eAst3N-TpPKKIyCg-6ih_7U44GrdxRyzYJYllzIO790bbOTAWvX0AOkk7gKcSFurLz7IrK5v7p7CL3Xv7lLwzns6vrR7J9_SGqQNQVY-eG7PsoZzaPtAxqWuN7gNekMZgh/s320/Becca+turkey+trot+2013.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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!<br />
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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.<br />
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Jessica took this gorgeous picture.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Race week plans:<br />
Sun 12/1: Rest<br />
Mon 12/2: Base/easy :30<br />
Tues 12/3: Pace :40<br />
Wed 12/4: Yoga<br />
Thurs 12/5: Recovery :30<br />
Fri 12/6: Rest<br />
Sat 12/7: Recovery 2 mi<br />
Sun 12/8: Race day!!!<br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-42201182975093376192013-11-25T21:16:00.000-06:002013-11-25T21:21:56.702-06:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 19 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 11/17: Rest<br />
Mon 11/18: <strike>Base/easy :50 + strength training</strike> <b>1.3 mi run/walk + 20 min elliptical</b><br />
Tues 11/19: <strike>Pace 1:00</strike> <b>Power Yoga 2 podcast (25 min) + strength training arms and abs</b><br />
Wed 11/20: Vinyasa yoga 1:00<br />
Thurs 11/21: Base + strides 1:30 (plus I have a massage scheduled) <b>5.63 mi, 1:02:42</b><br />
Fri 11/22: <strike>Recovery :40</strike> <b>Rest</b><br />
Sat 11/23: 14 miles with fast finish <b>14.42 mi, 2:29:35</b><br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 11/24: Rest<br />
Mon 11/25: Elliptical 30 min + lower body strength training<br />
Tues 11/26: Pace :50<br />
Wed 11/27: Yoga<br />
Thurs 11/28: <a href="http://www.thetrot.org/">Dallas Turkey Trot</a> (8 miles)<br />
Fri: 11/29: Rest<br />
Sat 11/30: 9 mi<br />
<br />
Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-24354165418336154522013-11-17T16:24:00.002-06:002013-11-17T16:24:51.082-06:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 18 Complete!Let the taper begin!<br />
<br />
Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 11/10: Rest<br />
Mon 11/11: Base/easy :40 <b>3.5 mi, 38:40</b><br />
Tues 11/12: Tempo 1:20 <b>8.53 mi, 1:21:41</b><br />
Wed: 11/13: Vinyasa yoga <b>1 hour</b> <strike>OR strength training</strike><br />
Thurs 11/14: Base plus strides 1:30 <b>8.02 mi, 1:27:07</b><br />
Fri 11/15: Recovery :50 <b>3.14 mi, 39:59</b><br />
Sat 11/16: 22 mi long <b>22.44 mi, 4:04:07</b><br />
<br />
This week's training was great, I feel like I am finishing the season feeling confident about the Dallas Marathon!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBaHQJLCakgRkqNLBcbNsH-sH6yJiYKbBH2zsFp6No3iVmYdMQ5A4rE0lzLL-3Jx2W1ToosMkLjy8KD3rRBYvL8JT2thiRvOEpjvn5BDT6ydN0C_tQvexy5xwhwi1arJa4YqO7iYrXXmG/s1600/3+70+22+mile+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBaHQJLCakgRkqNLBcbNsH-sH6yJiYKbBH2zsFp6No3iVmYdMQ5A4rE0lzLL-3Jx2W1ToosMkLjy8KD3rRBYvL8JT2thiRvOEpjvn5BDT6ydN0C_tQvexy5xwhwi1arJa4YqO7iYrXXmG/s320/3+70+22+mile+run.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Post-run: me, <a href="http://accidentalremnants.blogspot.com/">Brandon</a>, <a href="http://clayhastheruns.blogspot.com/">Clay </a>and Jessica.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 11/17: Rest<br />
Mon 11/18: Base/easy :50 + strength training<br />
Tues 11/19: Pace 1:00<br />
Wed 11/20: Vinyasa yoga<br />
Thurs 11/21: Base + strides 1:30 (plus I have a massage scheduled)<br />
Fri 11/22: Recovery :40<br />
Sat 11/23: 14 miles with fast finishRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-2342862916644321352013-11-10T16:48:00.002-06:002013-11-10T16:48:47.416-06:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 17 complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Mon 11/4: Strength training (legs) <b>+ 15 min elliptical</b><br />
Tues 11/5: <strike>Base/easy 1:20</strike> <b>25 min Yoga for Runners podcast and ab work</b><br />
Wed 11/6: <strike>Vinyasa yoga</strike> <b>7.1 mi, 1:16:21</b><br />
Thurs 11/7: Base plus strides 1:30 <b>7.87 mi, 1:26:48</b><br />
Fri 11/8: <strike>Recovery :50</strike> <b>Rest</b><br />
Sat 11/9: 18 mi long <b>18.61 mi, 3:18:48</b><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnPy37cePUQFqQJ5py1J3fRfxRu4sVrknoTKntugPhR-27p85DO1QJGtC9u8B7htneLkjhKqV0MLKld9NEj8Udwo3zkKpREEDRpJgguF9FTZt-qT5nN26jJ__M4NVlTYvNC9NA_pCNdbT/s1600/3+70+18+mile+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnPy37cePUQFqQJ5py1J3fRfxRu4sVrknoTKntugPhR-27p85DO1QJGtC9u8B7htneLkjhKqV0MLKld9NEj8Udwo3zkKpREEDRpJgguF9FTZt-qT5nN26jJ__M4NVlTYvNC9NA_pCNdbT/s320/3+70+18+mile+run.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We took a picture at one of our water stops. I think we were about 10 miles in?<br />
<br />
Back row: Me, Leslie, Kate, Kristin (pace leader), Andrea, Diana<br />
Front row: Michael, Jeanette, <a href="http://clayhastheruns.blogspot.com/">Clay </a>(pace leader), Brandon, Myriam, Brad<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 11/10: Rest<br />
Mon 11/11: Base/easy :40<br />
Tues 11/12: Tempo 1:20<br />
Wed: 11/13: Vinyasa yoga OR strength training<br />
Thurs 11/14: Base plus strides 1:30<br />
Fri 11/15: Recovery :50<br />
Sat 11/16: 22 mi long<br />
<br />
Hard to believe that Saturday will be our last long run of the season! <br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-1208091977702073842013-11-04T21:14:00.000-06:002013-12-07T19:00:42.636-06:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 16 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Mon 10/28: Vinyasa yoga 1:00<br />
Tues 10/29: Progression run 1:00 <b>5.97 mi, 57:00</b><br />
Wed 10/30: <strike>Recovery run :50</strike> <b>Strength training, arms and abs</b><br />
Thurs 10/31: <strike>Strength training</strike> <b>4.77 mi, 50:56</b><br />
Fri 11/1: <strike>Base + strides 1:30</strike> <b>Rest</b><br />
Sat 11/2: Rest<br />
Sun 11/3: DRC Half Marathon <b>13.1 mi, 2:01:20</b><br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
I decided to rest Friday and Saturday to make sure I'd be ready for Sunday's <a href="http://drchalf.com/">DRC Half</a>. 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/237954683/">The course</a> 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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC6-tfd6lIpeS0GHirFGrJzXIlA9jJz-63HwPnCz42Oe1gO8eENL_KnBZhyhtU8o9Cyyh4WxEEsPxTWG_tINQo8VarkQ2cPz59KYuG8XwIkyApLplWh7tolrw1Ji-Ip2E8LhtoLqnrzw8/s1600/Becca+DRC+Half+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC6-tfd6lIpeS0GHirFGrJzXIlA9jJz-63HwPnCz42Oe1gO8eENL_KnBZhyhtU8o9Cyyh4WxEEsPxTWG_tINQo8VarkQ2cPz59KYuG8XwIkyApLplWh7tolrw1Ji-Ip2E8LhtoLqnrzw8/s320/Becca+DRC+Half+2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyag3GnW-ManWv3stQf5k1VFg2sEhaRZAutORtbP-9HYOUH2HeJoLq9cikMuv31qEVSGKIfHUtl6hqkzfDx184slkgu4vKvJ2M1FnA7czjfoe7wzgr71VPP6rYnkN1YSy0S9IlP95RLLI/s1600/Becca+DRC+Half.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyag3GnW-ManWv3stQf5k1VFg2sEhaRZAutORtbP-9HYOUH2HeJoLq9cikMuv31qEVSGKIfHUtl6hqkzfDx184slkgu4vKvJ2M1FnA7czjfoe7wzgr71VPP6rYnkN1YSy0S9IlP95RLLI/s320/Becca+DRC+Half.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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!"<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.lakewoodbrewingcompany.com/">Lakewood Brewery Company</a> beer to celebrate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWzuggVUdfh_Vt24W8AG4PGwSOhNjKp5dd_46POKxiYbEvrEqbakC6Pi3gGWnGjwc1btkSso5Ftu9k4wJsQcRuaQ-I1uyCJy9lxScbxILMPLP33hwmElzXex_JnWYeJYnrvD9SeyVr79z/s1600/Becca+Brandon+DRC+Half.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWzuggVUdfh_Vt24W8AG4PGwSOhNjKp5dd_46POKxiYbEvrEqbakC6Pi3gGWnGjwc1btkSso5Ftu9k4wJsQcRuaQ-I1uyCJy9lxScbxILMPLP33hwmElzXex_JnWYeJYnrvD9SeyVr79z/s320/Becca+Brandon+DRC+Half.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Running and beer, what could be better?<br />
<br />
My official time was 2:01:20, much better than I would have thought I could do and about 10 minutes faster than <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2012/11/dallas-marathon-training-week-15.html">last year</a>! 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.<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
<br />
Mon 11/4: Strength training (legs)<br />
Tues 11/5: Base/easy 1:20<br />
Wed 11/6: Vinyasa yoga<br />
Thurs 11/7: Base plus strides 1:30<br />
Fri 11/8: Recovery :50<br />
Sat 11/9: 18 mi long<br />
<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-70508936997566582022013-10-27T18:25:00.000-05:002013-10-27T18:25:17.498-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 15 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 10/20: 5 mi, 55:53<br />
Mon 10/21: Rest (I have a massage booked, can't wait!)<br />
Tues 10/22: Intervals 1:00 2:2 <b>6.25 mi, 1:00</b><br />
Wed 10/23: <strike>Strength training</strike> <b>Base + strides 6.75 mi, 1:12:43</b><br />
Thurs 10/24: <strike>Base + strides 1:20</strike> <b>Lower body strength training with 15 min elliptical warmup</b><br />
Fri 10/25: 50 min recovery run <b>4.38 mi, 52:19</b><br />
Sat 10/26: 20 miles long <b>20.83 mi, 3:49:23</b><br />
Sun 10/27: Fired Up 5K <b>3.1 mi, 29:41</b><br />
<br />
Week 15 was one of my favorite weeks so far in this training season!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Sunday morning I ran the Town North YMCA Fired Up 5K. This is a small race right in my neighborhood and benefits our YMCA. <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2012/10/dallas-marathon-training-week-14.html">Last year</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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.)<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Mon 10/28: Vinyasa yoga 1:00<br />
Tues 10/29: Progression run 1:00<br />
Wed 10/30: Recovery run :50<br />
Thurs 10/31: Strength training<br />
Fri 11/1: Base + strides 1:30<br />
Sat 11/2: Rest<br />
Sun 11/3: DRC Half Marathon<br />
<br />
I am not sure what (if any) goals I should set for the half marathon. My pace leader <a href="http://clayhastheruns.blogspot.com/">Clay </a>is going to be pacing for the 2:05 group, so I may join him.<br />
<br />
Have a happy and healthy week!<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-86604172999852579662013-10-20T21:02:00.000-05:002013-10-20T21:02:20.282-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 14 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 10/13: Strength training (plus lots of stretching and foam rolling!)<br />
Mon 10/14: base/easy 50 min run <b>3.77 mi, 41:38</b><br />
Tues 10/15: 4x1200m speedwork <b>5.16 mi, 50:28</b><br />
Wed 10/16: Yoga 1 hour <br />
Thurs 10/17: base + strides 1:20 <b>6.58 mi, 1:12:58</b><br />
Fri 10/18: recovery 50 min run <b>2.93 mi, 35:38</b><br />
Sat 10/19: 18 miles long <b>18 mi, 3:12:55</b><br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2012/11/dallas-marathon-training-week-17.html">face-plant</a> 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!<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://rebeccaandmichael.blogspot.com/2013/09/dallas-marathon-training-week-7-complete.html">occasionally </a>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!<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 10/20: 5 mi, 55:53<br />
Mon 10/21: Rest (I have a massage booked, can't wait!)<br />
Tues 10/22: Intervals 1:00 2:2<br />
Wed 10/23: Strength training<br />
Thurs 10/24: Base + strides 1:20<br />
Fri 10/25: 50 min recovery run<br />
Sat 10/26: 20 miles long<br />
Sun 10/27: Fired Up 5K<br />
<br />
Have a happy and healthy week!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-16064530149389452952013-10-13T10:19:00.002-05:002013-10-17T21:34:16.110-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 13 Complete!Last week's planned and actual workouts:<br />
Sun 10/6: 1 hour yoga<br />
Mon 10/7: Base/easy 40 min run <b>3.57 mi, 39:56</b><br />
Tues 10/8: 9x hill repeats <b>6.64 mi, 1:17:19</b><br />
Wed 10/9: strength training <b>15 min elliptical warmup, legs and abs</b><br />
Thurs 10/10: Santa Fe 5k <b>3.1 mi, 28:21</b><br />
Fri 10/11: 1:10 base + strides <b>4.68 mi, 57:00</b><br />
Sat 10/12: 18 mi long <b>17.85 mi, 3:14:07</b><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://friendsofsantafetrail.org/">Santa Fe Trail</a>. 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!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj109g61z-4zKpLaTdvxe4SnAR72Dha7tFw9nndLZIwfyvHr1vVRaClEFuFlc2Jmze5J_UuKwyqFliNQr7knf6YUB-SwaAiDB9bRA22-J0Gzg_9N1sb_J4VuKwTnS1kD3Wkj5UsiiMHtW-/s1600/Santa+Fe+5K+finisher+mug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj109g61z-4zKpLaTdvxe4SnAR72Dha7tFw9nndLZIwfyvHr1vVRaClEFuFlc2Jmze5J_UuKwyqFliNQr7knf6YUB-SwaAiDB9bRA22-J0Gzg_9N1sb_J4VuKwTnS1kD3Wkj5UsiiMHtW-/s320/Santa+Fe+5K+finisher+mug.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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! <br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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, <a href="http://clayhastheruns.blogspot.com/">Clay</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.katytraildallas.org/site/PageServer">Katy Trail</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
Sun 10/13: Strength training (plus lots of stretching and foam rolling!)<br />
Mon 10/14: base/easy 50 min run<br />
Tues 10/15: 4x1200m speedwork<br />
Wed 10/16: Yoga 1 hour <br />
Thurs 10/17: base + strides 1:20<br />
Fri 10/18: recovery 50 min run<br />
Sat 10/19: 18 miles long<br />
<br />
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.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-4199613778285340422013-10-13T09:26:00.002-05:002014-01-05T15:41:45.746-06:00Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mediterranean-barley-50400000111134/">This recipe</a> was super easy and made really delicious leftovers! I will definitely make it again.<br />
<br />
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! <br />
<br />
<b>Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula</b><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 cup uncooked pearl barley<br />
1 cup packed arugula leaves<br />
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper <br />
3 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil<br />
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br />
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper<br />
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios<br />
<br />
Preparation<br />
<br />
1. Cook barley according to package directions, omitting salt. Combine barley, arugula, bell pepper, tomatoes, and chickpeas in a large bowl.<br />
2. Combine lemon juice, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over barley mixture, and toss. Sprinkle with pistachios.<br />
Susan Russo, Cooking Light <br />
APRIL 2011<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-51487517096367047932013-10-06T21:27:00.000-05:002013-10-06T21:27:20.861-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Weeks 11 and 12 Complete (Kind of)Week 11's planned and actual workouts:<br />
Sun 9/22: Rest<br />
Mon 9/23: Base/easy run 3.83 mi, 42:54 + 1 hour vinyasa yoga<br />
Tues 9/24: 6x800 speed workout <b>6.51 mi, 1:03:08</b><br />
Wed 9/25: 50 min recovery run <b>3.65 mi, 42:46</b><br />
Thurs 9/26: Strength training <b>(uppper body and abs)</b><br />
Fri 9/27: 1 hour base + strides <b>4.87 mi, 55:34</b><br />
Sat 9/28: <strike>16 mi long</strike><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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, <a href="http://clayhastheruns.blogspot.com/">Clay</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://healthylivinginthecity.com/">Kim </a>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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXCHRUW1wimSfiyy9zVtG86VLoHo2S717SouyIFKQUVZaQnJXBK87PBXS8SgknPTUcrpDwQv6AhuBYULseFVoh-W1NG_zwxVLFrPJcr6oflhUW2bhkrx7uPorPTr3wDL_7c660BIGuZ1Q/s1600/The+Loop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXCHRUW1wimSfiyy9zVtG86VLoHo2S717SouyIFKQUVZaQnJXBK87PBXS8SgknPTUcrpDwQv6AhuBYULseFVoh-W1NG_zwxVLFrPJcr6oflhUW2bhkrx7uPorPTr3wDL_7c660BIGuZ1Q/s320/The+Loop.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Looking back at the start/finish line as the rain was moving in.<br />
<br />
My official finish time was 1:35:57, an average of 10:19 min/mile. Not bad considering the humidity and my low expectations. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 10/6: 1 hour yoga<br />
Mon 10/7: Base/easy 40 min run<br />
Tues 10/8: 9x hill repeats<br />
Wed 10/9: strength training<br />
Thurs 10/10: Santa Fe 5k<br />
Fri 10/11: 1:10 base + strides<br />
Sat 10/12: 18 mi long<br />
<br />
Have a happy and healthy week!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-8246698435426711612013-09-23T21:49:00.001-05:002013-09-24T06:43:46.933-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 10 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 9/15: Rest<br />
Mon 9/16: 40 min base/easy run <b>4.25 mi, 49:07</b> + 1 hr sweaty vinyasa yoga<br />
Tues 9/17: Hill repeats x 7 (eep) <b>5.46 mi, 1:30:42</b><br />
Wed 9/18: 50 min recovery run <b>4.13 mi, 48:38</b><br />
Thurs 9/19: Strength training <b>(with 10 min elliptical warmup)</b><br />
Fri: 9/20: 1 hr base + strides <b>3.14 mi, 35:33</b><br />
Sat 9/21: Tour des Fleurs 20k <b>12.4 mi, 1:04:45</b><br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.)<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.dallasarboretum.org/">Arboretum </a>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!<br />
<br />
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(My visor has a reflective logo on it, I was not headed into the mines.)<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://tourdesfleurs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2013-TDF-Course-Map2.png">course </a>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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WSoV2pxTaKIQVfCzeSY4GPFKRlWv7my_KArJi5_EBmNw1X5Ok5n8MSLbo-SjkhTnrDHs1xlw9jYzR_6CtAJnWRK9UNdVISNpaQHDliBK2w1XzR1ZGlXzACOj68sDKNH_4wRH_pAI9Uu1/s1600/Stacey+Becca+after+TDF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WSoV2pxTaKIQVfCzeSY4GPFKRlWv7my_KArJi5_EBmNw1X5Ok5n8MSLbo-SjkhTnrDHs1xlw9jYzR_6CtAJnWRK9UNdVISNpaQHDliBK2w1XzR1ZGlXzACOj68sDKNH_4wRH_pAI9Uu1/s320/Stacey+Becca+after+TDF.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 9/22: Rest<br />
Mon 9/23: Base/easy run 3.83 mi, 42:54 + 1 hour vinyasa yoga<br />
Tues 9/24: 6x800 speed workout<br />
Wed 9/25: 50 min recovery run<br />
Thurs 9/26: Strength training<br />
Fri 9/27: 1 hour base + strides<br />
Sat 9/28: 16 mi long<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-9356845227257032772013-09-15T17:58:00.000-05:002013-09-15T17:59:09.043-05:00Dallas 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)<br />
Mon 9/9: Rest<br />
Tues 9/10: Intervals 3x2 mi <b>7.03 mi, 1:11:33</b><br />
Wed 9/11: <strike>50 min recovery run</strike> <b>Sweaty vinyasa, 1 hour</b><br />
Thurs 9/12: <b>5.01 mi, 59:16 (base + strides) + </b>Strength training <b>(arms and abs)</b><br />
Fri 9/13: <strike>1 hour base + strides</strike> <b>3.95 mi, 47:35 (recovery)</b><br />
Sat 9/14: 16 miles long <b>15.81 mi, 2:48:48</b><br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.nathansports.com/hydration/hydration-belts/speed-2">hydration waist pack</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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!"<br />
<br />
After the long run, I joined some friends for breakfast at <a href="http://www.buzzbrews.com/">Buzzbrews</a>. This was a mini-reunion of my training group from last year, we had a great time catching up! And breakfast was delicious!<br />
<br />
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Of course I blinked, I promise I had not nodded off at the table!<br />
<br />
This week's plans:<br />
Sun 9/15: Rest<br />
Mon 9/16: 40 min base/easy run + 1 hr sweaty vinyasa yoga<br />
Tues 9/17: Hill repeats x 7 (eep)<br />
Wed 9/18: 50 min recovery run<br />
Thurs 9/19: Strength training<br />
Fri: 9/20: 1 hr base + strides<br />
Sat 9/21: <a href="http://tourdesfleurs.org/">Tour des Fleurs</a> 20k <br />
<br />
Have a happy and healthy week!<br />
<br />
<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-73951494715722682412013-09-08T15:53:00.001-05:002013-09-08T15:53:44.554-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 8 Complete!Last week's workouts:<br />
Sun 9/1: 6.5 mi trail run, 1:16:54<br />
Mon 9/2: <b>75 min</b> vinyasa flow<br />
Tues 9/3: Speed workout, 8x400's <b>5.75 mi total (not sure on the time, my watch ran out of batteries)</b><br />
Wed 9/4: Recovery 45 min run <b>3.25 mi, 37:00</b><br />
Thurs 9/5: Lower body strength training <b>(with 15 min elliptical warmup)</b><br />
Fri 9/6: 60 min base + strides <b>5.27mi, 59:21</b><br />
Sat: 9/7: 14 miles long (part of that will be the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile race) <b>Total: 13.94 mi, 2:30:02</b><br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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. :) <br />
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We found Jessica and got in line for breakfast, provided by <a href="http://www.therustytaco.com/">Rusty Taco</a>, 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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This week's plans:<br />
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)<br />
Mon 9/9: Rest<br />
Tues 9/10: Intervals 3x2 mi<br />
Wed 9/11: 50 min recovery run<br />
Thurs 9/12: Strength training<br />
Fri 9/13: 1 hour base + strides<br />
Sat 9/14: 16 miles long <br />
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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.<br />
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Have a happy and healthy week!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-64182738217274112062013-09-02T09:43:00.000-05:002013-09-02T09:43:44.241-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 7 complete!Last week's planned and actual:<br />
Sun 8/25: 45 min walk<br />
Mon 8/26: 2.79 mi, 30:25<br />
Tues 8/27: 5x hill repeats <b>4.6mi, 52:00</b><br />
Wed 8/28: Recovery 45 min run <b>3.34mi, 42:08 + 60 min sweaty vinyasa practice</b><br />
Thurs 8/29: <strike>Yoga and/or lower body strength training</strike> <b>Rest</b><br />
Fri 8/30: 60 min base + strides <b>5.09mi, 59:04</b><br />
Sat 8/31: 13 mi long <b>13.35mi, 2:28:40</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://drctrainingprogram.com/workout-definitions/">springing and binding</a>, basically long strides up one side, recovery jog as we went down, then high knees on the way back up. Whew!<br />
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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!<br />
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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 <a href="http://friendsofsantafetrail.org/">Santa Fe Trail</a>, 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.<br />
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Sunday morning, I got up early and met a trail-running group at <a href="http://www.dorba.org/trail.php?t=2">Big Cedar Wilderness Trail</a> 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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicFABzoP0X-MRjZ1i9fxZe5VxJb0RwnsvbfVx2Pw_5NMXlm5MgehyphenhyphenhetAKqDH4pUNLkzkbJ0T4H9Doh9DICewySRB79movi_mGXOwaUW5_weOhL5rI1ZXZYktUBCT8KhIyOn6WzQI6YLX/s1600/Big+Cedar+9.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicFABzoP0X-MRjZ1i9fxZe5VxJb0RwnsvbfVx2Pw_5NMXlm5MgehyphenhyphenhetAKqDH4pUNLkzkbJ0T4H9Doh9DICewySRB79movi_mGXOwaUW5_weOhL5rI1ZXZYktUBCT8KhIyOn6WzQI6YLX/s320/Big+Cedar+9.1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A group shot after the run.<br />
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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?<br />
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This week's plans:<br />
Sun 9/1: 6.5 mi trail run, 1:16:54<br />
Mon 9/2: 1 hour vinyasa flow<br />
Tues 9/3: Speed workout, 8x400's <br />
Wed 9/4: Recovery 45 min run<br />
Thurs 9/5: Lower body strength training<br />
Fri 9/6: 60 min base + strides<br />
Sat: 9/7: 14 miles long (part of that will be the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile race)<br />
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Have a happy and healthy week!<br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8596479883126037501.post-22771727077166705852013-08-26T17:31:00.001-05:002013-08-26T17:31:44.093-05:00Dallas Marathon Training: Week 6 complete!Sun 8/18: Detox flow yoga podcast (20 min); upper body strength training<br />
Mon 8/19: 2.9 mi, 31:39<br />
Tues 8/20: Base/easy 60 min run <b>5.65 mi, 1:01:01</b><br />
Wed 8/21: Recovery 45 min run <b>3.81 mi, 44:49</b><br />
Thurs 8/22: Rest<br />
Fri 8/23: Base/easy 50 min run <b>4.3 mi, 51:47</b><br />
Sat 8/24: 12 mi long <b>12.41 mi, 2:16:54</b><br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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After our long run on Saturday, Michael and I hit the road for <a href="http://lostpines.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html">Lost Pines</a>! 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. <br />
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Sun 8/25: 45 min walk<br />
Mon 8/26: 2.79 mi, 30:25<br />
Tues 8/27: 5x hill repeats <br />
Wed 8/28: Recovery 45 min run<br />
Thurs 8/29: Yoga and/or lower body strength training<br />
Fri 8/30: 60 min base + strides<br />
Sat 8/31: 13 mi long<br />
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We have officially exited the "Base" portion of our training and are entering the "Strength" portion. Time flies!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002685378288914447noreply@blogger.com1