Positively negative

With the temperatures hovering once again around the 0° mark, it meant an indoor run for this running chick. My original plan was to go 15 miles at a relatively easy pace. But, I got my new Runner's World magazine yesterday, and in the initial run through of the articles (I say initial because I read each issue about 5 times so I'm sure I absorb every last word), I learned a lot about negative splits. So, as I began my workout, I planned it through in my head. My first 30 minutes would be an easy 6.0 mph, then the next 30 minutes I'd up it to 6.5 mph, etc. until I came close to a two hour run. I decided not to focus on the miles so much as the time I was running.

It went very well, except that as I finished my half hour at 7.0 mph, I felt that twinge return to my left hamstring. And rather than risk it, I opted to end it and stretch it out. So it turned out to be another 10 mile run in 90 minutes. However, I wasn't as exhausted at the end of this run as compared to Tuesday's run.

Maybe there is something to this negative split after all? I'm thinking there is. Plus, my heart rate was in control the entire time, at 159, just like Tuesday. But if I didn't get that little twinge, I'm pretty sure I could have upped my pace and kept going...comfortably.

This excites me. Because it is difficult for me to start slow, and gradually speed up outside. But on a treadmill, it becomes a whole new ballgame.

This is going to help with my forced indoor workouts. Bonus!

Today, the Photo a Day assignment was yourself. What a better way to portray myself than sweaty and on the treadmill. It's pretty much what I do everyday, anyway. And my blog ends up with a bonus photo...

Have you tried running a negative split outdoors? Were you successful? How about during a race?

Back to normal...sorta, kinda.

Today was my first day back. I had decided last weekend that since the weather here in Minnesota was so cold, I'd take the opportunity to break from the run. I still did my daily walks on the treadmill, but held myself back from breaking out above 5.0 mph...which wasn't always easy.

I have to admit I needed the break. I was getting a few uncomfortable twinges in my right calf and my left inner thigh. Keeping the pounding down to a minimum helped. But I probably overestimated my ability to take the reins back after 10 days off. Either that, or it was just the treadmill making it harder.

I had really hoped to take it outdoors today with the temperatures hovering around 30° for the first time in a week, but with the recent precipitation, and the fact that I slid about 100 feet at the stop sign on the corner in my Toyota Sequoia, kind of told me that an outdoor run wouldn't be such a great idea. I jumped on that treadmill determined to get something done. As I thumbed through the programs, I decided to kick it up and try a jog at an elevation determined by the treadmill. So, I popped on a random elevation program at level 2 and played around with my pace. I started with a 5 minute walk at 4.2 mph and then went to 6.0 mph. I then upped it .5 mph every 5 minutes until I reached 7.5 mph. But the random elevation was messing with me and I couldn't hold that pace at the times I was at a 4% incline. So, I had to regroup...I lowered the level to 1 and then adjusted my pace so that when I was at a 0-1% incline, I ran at 7.5 mph. I adjusted it down to 6.0 mph when I was up there in elevation.

It was a long run. But really, 10 miles in 90 minutes is a respectable time. The interesting thing is that my average heart rate was 169, where typically it is in the 170s. So this was a great experiment for me to keep my pace at more than a comfortable level. I want to try something like this again but keep that 6.5 mph pace at a decent, level, elevation and try to go 15 on the treadmill. I may get my chance Thursday since the temperature should be about 0° that day...for a high. Gotta love Minnesota!

My 15-mile experiment

Sooooooo, yesterday morning, I went for it. I was pretty much caught up around the house and with work, so I got an early start and headed for the treadmill. I set it up as I typically do, random elevation at level 8. This means my elevation randomly changes from 5% to 11% throughout my walk. I had my speed set at 4.2 mph.

Since my treadmill will only allow a maximum distance of 10 miles, I had to reset the program when I finished the first 10. No biggie. A 15 mile brisk walk took me 3:35:25. I had lots to occupy myself while I treaded away. One of which was Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. Holy crud! What a show that is!!

Anyways, when I finished the walk, I imagined jogging it all that time...not necessarily running it. And I'm thinking that it would be no problem. I did break to run upstairs at mile 10 to grab an energy gel and refill my thermos. And that helped for sure for the last 5 miles.

My next experiment will be the light jog for that same distance. I'll be curious to see what the time reads for that. I really can't jog any slower than 6.5 mph on the dreadmill. It just doesn't work for me. So this will for sure be an experiment.

I finally heard back from Hal Higdon in regards to which of his marathon training programs he would recommend for me. I got the feeling he was leaning towards the Novice 2 rather than the Intermediate 1. It doesn't differ too much from the program that is offered on Runmeter. So, that being said, I may just stick with Runmeter. If I don't feel like I have gotten enough miles in any particular day, I can always do a second run or walk that day. I don't think the short run days will be my issue. I think if I focus on those long run days as my true challenge days, I'll have it made.

Have you ever run a marathon? Did you follow a training program? Which one did you follow?

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup

It's no secret I'm a soup-a-holic. There is nothing quite as wonderful as a bowl of piping hot soup on a cold winter's day. Believe it or not, you can whip up a batch really fast, too. As long as you are stocked with the right ingredients. But they are easy to grab from the grocery store on the way home, as well.

There is no easier way for me to get my family (including my husband) to eat their veggies than to make soup. You can put so much in there. And preparing it with just the right amount of "crunch" makes all the difference.

Here is an easy one. I start with half of a leftover rotisserie chicken, skin removed. Of course, you can pre-cook your own chicken as well. This is just way faster.

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup
1/2 Rotisserie chicken on the bone, skin removed.
1-2 32 oz containers of Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Stock, depending on how much soup you want to make.
2 cups water
1 cup each, chopped celery, onions, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, any variety. I used white mushrooms this time.
1 Tbls. Grape Seed Oil
Spices. I used Dorot Frozen Cubes.
1/2 cup dry Pearled Barley, prepared as directed.
Additional greens, optional.
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes.

Place the chicken, carcass and all, into a large stock pot. Pour in 1-2 containers of Trader Joe's Low Sodium Chicken Broth. If you can't get Trader Joe's brand, you can substitute Pacific Natural Foods brand.

Stay away from Swanson or Progresso brands. Their "low sodium" claims are sketchy, at best. You are better off making your own homemade chicken stock. Now, add 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.

Prepare some Barley. There is nothing like Barley in a pot of soup. Most work the same, but it is OK if you cook it in an abundance of water because you can just add the entire thing into the soup. The extra barley liquid will also help to thicken up the soup a little. I used 3 cups of water to 1/2 cup barley. This will take about an hour, so you want to get it started ahead of time.

Cut up some veggies. If you are a mushroom fan, use them! Mushrooms make Barley soup that much better. Trust me. I also used yellow onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini. They hold up well in the soup. Last minute, I'll add chopped spinach or kale for an extra punch!

Dice them the way you like! Fine, chopped, however. I do somewhere in between. And I do LOTS. At least 1 cup of each. The key to getting the right texture is to saute your veggies first in a saute pan in about 1 Tbls. Grape Seed oil. I also added 2 cube of garlic, 2 cubes of Basil, and 2 cubes of parsley, thanks to these little beauties.

I get mine at Costco or Trader Joe's. Look for them. They will change your life.

I saute the veggies just until they are tender or 8-10 minutes. Take off the heat.

Now, take the chicken out of the stock. You may have to strain it, if the bones have come apart. Just remember to strain it into another container...not your sink... 

Replace the stock onto the stove. Add the veggies and the barley. Set heat to low.

Allow chicken to cool and pull the meat off the bones.Shred it with your fingers or a fork. Add to pot.

Simmer about 15-20 minutes. 

Now, here is the kicker. Add a can of no-salt diced tomatoes. Again, I used Trader Joe's brand, but there are many other varieties out there that are similar. 

Heat for 10 minutes. And then add any additional greens.

My family LOVES THIS STUFF. Leftovers are even better. 

Serve with some whole wheat bread or rolls, and a side salad.

Run happy, and eat happy!

Keeping my cool

I'm keeping my cool. Yes indeedio. I managed to not run again today. However, that doesn't mean I can't walk. I would have liked to have gotten an earlier start this morning, but the cold was holding me back. It is soooooo cold in my house. Not because we don't turn the heat on extra high when our temperatures fall below zero, but because we have so many windows that it is just physically impossible for our heater to keep up. Therefore, we must suffer just slightly to stay warm in this excruciatingly cold weather.

The basement...it isn't heated at all. Unless I beg my husband to turn the heat on when we do our workout on the days he is down there with me. But when I get on the treadmill? No way. He doesn't turn it on. So, I was draggin' it this morning.

I have a simple theory for running this marathon in June. Endurance. Clearly, I can run. But can I stay physically active for 4 hours? That is what I'm aiming for...a 4 hour walk on the treadmill. If I can do that, I'm thinking the rest will come pretty easy. As long as I don't strive for some pace I just can't keep.

This morning, since running outdoors is not an option, I attempted my first long treadmill walk. The settings on my treadmill are limited to either 90 minutes or 10 miles. So I went for 10 miles today, knowing it would take me more than 90 minutes. And it did...about 2 hours and 20 minutes. So, I pretty much was halfway on my 4-hour journey. It went well! I had plenty to do...surfing the web, TV to watch...but it would seem my 4-hour experience will have to wait for a day when I have absolutely nothing on the calendar. 4 hours will eat up an entire morning. Plus, it may just render me useless for the remainder of the day.

I held onto a 4.2 mph pace, which was a pretty swift walk for 10 miles. And I burned some wicked calories at the same time. All in all I'd say the first experiment went swimmingly.

Temperatures here are not expected to be any better until the weekend. That will be perfect if I decide to pick up the run again on Sunday. Time will tell.

The day after...

I despise rest days. I also treasure them. But I hate them. And I love them. Conflict at its best.

I needed it. I was feeling some twinges in my calves and shins. So I know I need a break from the run. But I didn't do anything yesterday. Not even a walk on the treadmill. That is not like me.

I had 4 tweener girls in the house this weekend. That is probably enough to get anyone's heart rate up, and I prepared a heck of a dinner for them Saturday night, and breakfast the following morning, so I was on my feet a lot. Other than that, however, nothing. And to top it all off, I partook in the pancake breakfast, had buttered popcorn for lunch while watching football, not to mention a handful of Archer Farms Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds, and then a shot of vodka before bed. Yeah, pretty bad. I feel like a bloated whale this morning. And getting back into the swing today was hard.

We awoke to -13° this morning, so the hubby wanted to do P90X before his walk. This is tough for me. I count on that treadmill walk to loosen and warm me up. It didn't happen this morning, and the basement temperature read 54° at 8 am. Ooofda. But I made it though with a lot of grunts and groans. And I couldn't wait to get on this treadmill. Just getting the blood flowing and the sweat streaming is all a person needs to shake off a day of...well...nothing.

Now, I accept that I did need it. It is over. It is in the past. Time to move on and regroup, beat the bloat, and wait for the cold weather to retreat so I can get back out there. I still plan a week off of the run. But I will walk on the treadmill. And I plan to try a treadmill walk experiment later this week. I'll fill you in later.

What do you consider a rest day? And do you feel half the guilt that I do?

Well, that was yesterday!

Conversation overheard in the kitchen earlier this afternoon:

Me: I think I gotta run.
Husband: (mocking silence)
Me: The weather is so nice.
Husband: What did you say last night?
Me: I said I was ready to take a break from running, to rest up for marathon training.
Husband: And what did I say?
Me: You said I couldn't do it.
Husband: And what did you say?
Me: I said 'Oh, yes I can.'
Husband: So, what has changed?
Me: Well, for one...that was yesterday.

Why I love the run...

I love the run because...

• it grounds me.
• it is liberating.
• it is something I do that I never regret doing.
• I always feel better afterwards than I did before hand.
• every time I do it, I gain a little more respect for myself.
• every run proves I'm capable of much more than I believe I am capable of.
• it clears my mind of the stuff that holds me back.
• each run teaches me a little bit more about how my body works.
• each run teaches me how I can make my body work for me.
• it is the one thing I have complete control over.
• it improves my mental awareness.
• it improves my physical awareness.
• I rock it.
• I look damn good in neon.

Why do you love the run?

Dinner side note...

As a side note, I had the most amazing salad for dinner tonight. I was lucky in that my husband took the girls to Subway for their dinner, so I was on my own. I LOVE it when that happens. I'll sometimes opt for a Shakeology or something really simple. Tonight I made this salad...

Now, I don't normally shop at Walmart, but I stopped in there the other day to pick up a grocery item on the way home from picking up the girls and I found this product called Marketside Asian Chopped Salad. I looked on the Walmart site to share the link with you but I could not find it on their website. But you may want to look for it the next time you happen to be in a Walmart with a grocery section.

Inside is a cabbage chopped salad, like cole slaw, a ginger inspired dressing, and a bag with some tortilla strips and almonds. Don't ask me why an Asian chopped salad would have tortilla strips in it...but I digress.

Anyways, I never use the packaged dressings in these kits, but I did open it tonight and drizzled a little of it over the bag of cabbage. I then put half the package of slaw on top of a bed of romaine lettuce. I chopped up about 1/2 cup of rotisserie chicken breast, one chopped honey crisp apple, an ounce of goat cheese, and just a wee bit of the tortilla/almond packet. HELLO! It was just magnificent! Now, watch I go back into Walmart and I can't find this stuff again.

Tomorrow, I'll still have half a package left for something else inspiring. Here is the empty bag, rescued from the garbage for the purpose of showing you what it looks like...

And look! Ahhh! They are WONTON strips. Silly me!

Running with Piggies

My girlfriend and fitness partner in crime, Amanda...well, she started this thing. Working out in pigtails. Yeah, I know. I actually used to be a pigtail fanatic, back in the day. And occasionally, especially in the summer, I enjoy a pigtail style. But I haven't tried it in quite a while...until the other day...when she suggested we work out in piggies. So now, it is safe to say, I'm hooked. At least for the time being.

As far as the workout goes, I was stuck inside today. I just didn't feel like bracing the cold. Tomorrow, the promise is 40°. Typically, I don't run on Friday. But I may make an exception. I have some early appointments with the girls as they are off from school tomorrow, so I'm hoping for an early afternoon jaunt. Fingers crossed.

This morning it was unusually quiet in the house, as the hubster ran some errands after taking the kids to school. I rarely get to do ChaLEAN Extreme anymore, so I grabbed the opportunity this morning to do some Burn Intervals...with piggies.

Yeah, I know...but what the heck?

And as typically is the case, one workout is never enough. So I got on the treadmill.

I did the 45-minute cross-train program with a few changes today. I kept my walk speed at 4.2 mph. When it came time for the 5-minute run, I did 4 minutes at 7.0 mph, and the final minute at 9.0 mph. And I repeated that for each additional 5-minute run. This meant the cross-train program was a 4-miler in total.

And as typically is the case, one 45-minute cross-train program is never enough. So I repeated it.

Altogether, it was an 8-miler, taking a little over 90-minutes because of the warm-up and cool-down. And I didn't run the entire thing, which leaves me open for that run tomorrow.

After that, the lid blows off of our weather. Temperatures are not expected to rise above 0° until mid-week, so that will pretty much limit the outside run.

My plan this weekend is to find a marathon training program that I can follow. I've been looking at Hal Higdon's programs at his website. These seem a bit more feasible to me than the one Runmeter offers. I joined the forum and asked him which program he suggests I start at. I'm thinking either the Novice 2 or the Intermediate 1. Then I'll need to figure out how to program it into Runmeter.

Ah, damn technology. I'm such a sucker.

Running like a Terrorist

I wonder how many people I scared the crap out of while running today. I'm sure there were a lot of hurumph's heard behind the steering wheels of the vehicles that passed me by, considering the damn cold temperatures. But as they got closer, they were probably wondering what or who I was running from...or to.

I had quite the morning trying to figure out why my daughter's teeth hurt bad enough to keep her up all night. Getting into our orthodontist can be a logistics nightmare, so we decided to camp out in the parking lot this morning until they opened...like Jimmy Buffet fans waiting in line overnight for the front row seats. The plan worked, however, and we were able to see the doctor and make it back to school before the end of the 1st class session.

As I started back home, the temperature was displaying a promising 14°. I thought for sure that by the time I parked the car, went potty, changed my clothes, prepared my gear, and drank my P90X Energy and Endurance formula it would be at least 20°. Much to my surprise and dismay, the temperature had dropped a degree!

What the hell? Time to regroup, and add another layer. Plus, I noticed the wind had picked up quite a bit. This meant for sure a ski mask was in order. It is easier to pull this garment down under the chin than it is to get stuck out on a cold, windy day without one.

I think the picture says it all. (Notice all the tissues).

It was cold. And it took 3 miles before the feeling came back to my toes and fingers. Ugh. But at least my face was warm! Going out was against the wind, so it made coming home that much more enjoyable. By mile 6, I felt like I could have done another 6, but I held back and zero'd in for a landing. There is time for a long run later this week and I didn't come prepared this run to go long in this weather.

Another 7-miler in the books...nice and steady, despite my terrorist appearance.

How do you handle running in the cold? Or do you just skip it that day?

Adventures in Eating

Shrimp Chowder-Family Style

In my never ending quest to improve my own health and fitness, I strive to improve that of my family's as well. This means, quite literally, adventures in eating. I'm blessed in that my daughters will try anything I put in front of them. My husband, well, he has no choice because he can't cook. I shouldn't say can't cook, rather won't cook.

This all has made me a slave to the internet, constantly researching, testing, adjusting, and then recording recipes that the family might enjoy. At the same time, I try to keep them low carb, and containing little or no dairy. And this can be challenging, to say the least. For the most part, I mainly eat salad at dinner with a side of veggies, and perhaps a small serving of whatever I have prepared for the family. This works for me, as I'd rather consume the majority of my carbs and protein earlier in the day.

I stumbled across this recipe while searching non-dairy chowders. My family, well, they are soup nazi's. I don't think there is a soup I make that they won't eat. Everyone loves soup, and when temperatures in Minnesota hover around that 0° for weeks on end, soup is the way to warm everyone's mood. This one looked too good to be true. But true to form, I started changing it up immediately as I went along. The link to the original recipe is here. Of course, I doubled mine, because this family can eat. So my recipe will serve more than 4.

Shrimp Chowder-Family Style

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 large zucchini, cut into large chunks (Don't peel them. It will add fiber and nutrients and make the soup a lovely green hue)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. grape seed oil or oil of your choice, divided
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup chopped zucchini (additional)
• 3/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 24 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Salt and pepper, to taste

 Directions:

1. Steam first two ingredients in a veggie steamer or the microwave until tender. To steam in the microwave, place 1 cup of water in a large Pyrex pan, add cauliflower and zucchini, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove pan, stir, and add more water if necessary. Return to microwave for 5 minutes more. Continue this if necessary until veggies pierce easily with a fork.
2. In the meantime, in a saute pan, saute the celery, onions, additional zucchini, and carrots in grape seed oil, or oil of your choice. Cook until veggies are tender, or about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Carefully pour half the broth, coconut milk and steamed cauliflower/zucchini mix into a blender. Once pureed, pour into a stock pot, then blend the second batch. You may need to do this a few times depending on the size of your blender. Into the pureed mixture in the stock pot, add the Old Bay, Dijon  lemon juice, and butter. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth or coconut milk. Once ingredients are incorporated, add the sauteed veggies. Lower heat to simmer.
4. Chop the shrimp into small chunks. Saute the shrimp in the remaining oil and in the same pan you sauteed your veggies, until seared on the outside. Add to pureed soup. Add a Tbls. or two of chicken broth to the pan and de-glaze, scraping up any brown bits, and add to pot. Simmer for 5 minutes or so until shrimp is cooked through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a real treat, sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan cheese, or drown it in Chipotle Tabasco Sauce, like my husband does...

I added the extra chopped veggies because my family likes soup with sustanence. The liquid base with just the shrimp in the original recipe would not have been filling enough for my crew. No one even guessed, nor did I reveal that the main base of the soup was cauliflower. BONUS! If you try my version, let me know what you think! I thought it rocked.

We served it with a side salad, and some Whole Wheat Rhodes Baked Rolls. Delish!

Dreadmills and the Zing Zang

OK, the treadmill really isn't that bad...but seeing I have been forced to run on the treadmill the last two days...OK, not forced, but the weather here in central Minnesota was just too risky. Not so much the temperature, I mean, I just proved I could run at -1°, but the wind. With wind chills falling way below -10°...well, even I'm not that crazy.

I've also been hampered with the old belly gurgles, not to mention Aunt Flo, who likes to surprise me now and again by arriving on schedule. Still, despite the maladies, I overcame and managed to squeak out a few miles on the ol' dreadmill.

Saturday's workout was the 45-min cross train run. My walk speed was 4.2 mph My run speed 8.0 mph. I've posted the details before, but basically it is a warm up, followed by a 5 minute walk, then a 5 minute run. Then, a 10 minute walk followed by a 5 mile run. One more round, and then a 5 minute walk and a cool down.  It turns out to be about 4 miles...and that lately is just not good enough, so I planned to do  another round, this time ramping the run down to just 7.0 mph. But, because of the belly ache, I only made it 30 minutes into the second round. This turned out to be a 6.75 mile total workout.

Sunday, honestly, I planned to take a rest day. But my husband was teasing me all day with the prospect of a Zing Zang Bloody Mary with dinner. With that looming in my head, I felt I had to do something to combat the calories I'd be ingesting...although, a Bloody Mary is always a good drink choice for a runner. It's loaded with antioxidants  it's got the sodium of a sports drink, and a little spice to rev up the metabolism. The olives add some MUFAs, and the Vodka? Why, that's just a bonus!

But, despite it all, the dreadmill does go fast if you are occupied. Yesterday, I watched The Biggest Loser, sans commercial interruption, and today I watched some football. That makes the time go by. I had to wonder though, is dreadmill running really considered running? I mean, if I asked Miles from Runner's World Magazine, I wonder what he would say? I guess I say it is questionable. But it works in a pinch. And the weather is always fairly nice, for the most part. So, it'll stay.

What is your opinion of the dreadmill?

Minnesota's January Thaw

Yes, it is here. Well, maybe for just 48 hours, but it arrived today, nonetheless.

This meant a run. I did my long run Tuesday fearing today would be rainy, but lo and behold, we awoke to temperatures already above freezing, and the sun shining brightly. I had to take advantage of it.

I had absolutely no plan today. So, I just let the wind take me. And it did. It was rather breezy, and that determined my course. I dressed for 34°. I didn't factor in any wind chill, so I opted to take the neighborhood route since there would be less wind in my face.

My neighborhood run is rather hilly, so this run served a purpose after all. I didn't go for speed, I didn't go for distance, just endurance and a great Minnesota January Thaw run.

I ended up with a nice 8-miler. Not too long, not too short. I came home just a tad bit chilly, but I had problems warming up this morning to begin with...I don't know why.

Temperature at run time: 34°
Clothing: One layer below, plus compression socks. Two layers above, plus a hat and balaclava.

What are your most perfect running weather conditions?

I really DID run home!

If you remember, or if you are so inclined to go back through my previous posts, you will see back in October I had the opportunity to visit my sisters back in my home state of New York. My sisters live relatively close to the town where we were raised, about 4 miles or so away. Of course, I never give up the opportunity to run if I have it, and I had it while I was there.

One day, I chose to run the miles back to the house where I grew up. From where one of my sisters lives now, that distance was 4 miles in one direction, so it made for an 8 miler that day. While I was in my hometown, I took some photos of some very familiar places.

Now that I live in Minnesota with my husband and kids, I don't get back to New York as often as I would like. It pretty much sucks, because I love my sisters so very much and I miss them more than you can imagine. We used to drive our RV out there every Thanksgiving years ago, but the wear and tear on the vehicle, not to mention on our sanity, forced us to quit that endeavor. Now, I just take the flight out there once or twice a year...alone.

In my inbox yesterday, I received my DailyMile 2012 year in review. I was quite intrigued by the numbers that is says I ran last year. 1259.24. That number looked awful familiar to me, although I could not quite place it. Then, today as I was driving home from running some errands, it hit me. That is the mileage from where I live to where I lived. According to Google Maps,it actually is just a few miles more, but not a heck of a lot.

Doesn't that just put it all into perspective? Last year, I ran from here...central Minnesota, to Long Island, NY. WOW! I just impressed myself.

And maybe next visit, I'll just save the airfare and hoof it...LOL!


Meanwhile, in my never ending quest to run, and run well, I came across these at Walgreens today. I'm curious if anyone has tried them and what they think of them. I have a friend who talks of a "mint" that they used to make for runners, and I wonder if this isn't what she was referring to.

Have you tried them?

"T" is for training shirt!

"T" is for training shirt! If you are a Instagrammer, or if you surf Facebook frequently, you may notice a bunch of people participating in the Photo A Day challenge. The blogger actually did the same type of challenge last month, but it was just too hectic for me to participate. This month, though, I felt like I had a bit more time to take it on.

Today's challenge, something beginning with "T". Tuesday is piano day for my girls, so while they are in lesson, the husband and I do some shopping at Costco. Upon returning home, we gather the mail, and the eggs up at the chicken coup. I was surprised to have received an envelope from Grandma's Marathon. I didn't think I had anything mailed to me as I planned to pick up my race packet the day before the run.

Well, inside was my official "training shirt". To be honest, my heart skipped a beat. Had I really signed up for a marathon? Is this gonna really happen?

"T" is for training shirt!

It is still perplexing to me how I will be able to run 26.2 miles at one time. Today's 12-miler reminded me that I'd basically have to repeat what I just did, and then run a little more to even match what I'll be running June 22. Golly, that is a long ass run.

What did I sign up for?

When I got home, the hubster asked me how far I ran. Then he said, "That marathon will be a cinch for you."

I'm glad someone thinks so!

Today, I went long. I usually go long on Thursday's but the weather looks questionable. The sun was out this morning, and despite the chilly temperatures, I went for it. I believe it was about 23° as I made my way out the door. For me, this is reasonably mild, especially with no wind, so I didn't need the third layer on top.

My goal was to run at a reasonably comfortable pace. I think I accomplished that. I remember there was a time when an 8:30 pace was reasonably comfortable for me. Now, it seems, I have lowered that to 8:20. I'd love to get it down to 8:00 eventually, but for now, I'll aim to maintain this kind of pace for the majority of my long runs.

I had no major gripes today. I took half a pack of GU Energy Gel every 3 miles, along with a sip of electrolyte fluid, and a nose blowing break. I did attempt a Energy Chew at mile 9, but it had already turned pretty hard in the Minnesota cold. Not the best idea...so I kind of just let it melt in my mouth. But it wasn't pleasant to hold it in there. I just assume stick with the gels for now.

This flavor energy gel really has some "pep"!

What is your favorite way to re-energize during a long run?

Sunday, in a nutshell

I ran...it pretty much went the same as yesterday.

I know, I'm pretty damn ass cool.

I got some new reading material.

Educate, educate, educate! You never know what you may learn.

And I've fallen way behind on my magazine reading.

But, I met a marathon runner at Max Muscle and I'm super excited to go chat him up next time I'm in there. I'm going to write up a list of questions for him. And he is running in Grandma's Marathon, too!

Back to P90X tomorrow, and a long walk on the treadmill. Hoping to get in a long run this week. How long will you run this week?

The Five-Tissue Run

The meteorologists at the National Weather Service have been promising us milder weather for a week now, yet everyday it fails to materialize. I haven't run since Tuesday's Polar Dash. (It seems like forever and a day). I was getting antsy.

So, I decided to hit it today, regardless. I'll just stick it out until a bit later in the morning when the temperature warms up a bit. 8°. 9°, 10°. Gosh, this is taking FOREVER! 15° is my threshold temperature for a voluntary run. My friend Nick on Facebook says I'm certifiable. Maybe...maybe not.

Finally about 11:30am, the temperature looked pleasing. I dressed with a bunch of layers above and below. And I packed my tissues.

I have a method for tissue packing.

You have to pack them one at a time, in all different places. The reason for this is quite simple. When you stuff a wad of tissues into one pocket, it is virtually impossible while running to separate them, utilize one, then stuff the rest back into the pocket. It might be easy if you stopped...but who's got time for that? Runmeter is ticking away after all. I gotta keep moving!

So the idea is to put one tissue in each pocket, hole, or accessible storage area on your body. This is why I like lots of pockets. You use a tissue, and put it back in that pocket. Next time, you can use a brand new tissue, and so on, and so on. This works very well until you run out of tissues. Then you are forced to go back and use a used one. During the winter in Minnesota, this is kind of senseless, because by the time you get back to the first tissue, it is generally a frozen ball of fiber and snot. Not good.

On a typical run, I'd say I use three tissues. The amount of tissues I take generally depends on the amount of pockets I have. The more, the better, because it seems you can never have too many tissues.

Today was a five-tissue run. I think that was a first. I have been pretty congested for a few weeks now, and although I don't have a cold or anything like that, the cold-air run is great at clearing that head out.

The run itself? Ok! I managed a pretty good pace despite the respite. But it was cold. After the Polar Dash, it shouldn't even be a factor, right? Riiiiiiiight.

Side note:

Today's new bright Neon Green hoodie brought to you by Brooks Running. Love these hoodies!

Friday Weigh In

I'll be honest. I didn't forget to weigh in last week. I was just afraid to step on the scale. I was actually very good, up until Christmas Day. Just the act of doing almost nothing was enough to send me into 'eat until I barf' mode for an entire 12 hours. And not just eating, but drinking. Since I missed most of the Christmas Eve festivities (because I was cooking, preparing, cleaning, wrapping, last minute stuff), I felt the need to partake in the alcohol as well on Christmas Day. None of this helped the situation. So, I conveniently missed my weigh in.

I was good with my workouts, however. And I did keep up with my runs. I did NOT want to go into that Polar Dash without that backup. But still, I felt a little puffy.

I was even hesitant about getting on the scale today. I think it took me until the 29th to get back on track and clean out all the crap from the kitchen. You know the crap I'm talking about...the crap you pick at every time you pass the kitchen. By Saturday night, it was time to toss it all. And I did! Every last nugget.

So, I was pleasantly surprised to see today's number. It will be easy to get back down within the next few weeks. And since I have now officially signed up for my first marathon, I have a bit of work to do to get that number down and keep it down. I've decided to just use Runmeter's Marathon Training program. It is a 20-week program, so counting back from June 22, means starting day is February 3. I think this will be perfect!

The temperatures are warming this week. I'm excited to get out there! I did P90X Plyometrics yesterday. My calves are screaming. With that and Legs and Back today, it will be interesting to see if I can even walk tomorrow. But I'm hopeful!

Did you weigh in today?

I'm in!

Grandma's Marathon

The Polar Dash, revisited.

What a hell of a day! If you would have told me I'd PR on a sub-zero day, I'd have spit milk in your general direction. Well, maybe not milk, since I don't drink it. Coffee, maybe?

I didn't sleep well last night. I'm so on and off for sleep the night before these runs. Sometimes they don't affect me and I sleep like a baby, or sometimes I get a night like last night where it seemed like I didn't sleep hardly an hour. All I can do is thank goodness that I have slept so well the last three nights. That probably saved me.

I got up at 6:30am for a 9am race. I needed the extra time to go to the bathroom and maybe shove some food down my throat. My husband suggested we leave between 7:15am and 7:30am. I'm glad we did because we were able to get a primo parking spot right near the start/finish line.

I have to admit, I was getting nervous when the temperature refused to get above 0° while we made our way north to the cities. But at least it did rise. It was -12° when we left the house and rose 11 degrees along our journey. I waited until the last minute to dress completely before stepping outside the car. When I did, I was amazingly comfortable. I knew I had dressed well. I had on a pair of compression capri's and compression knee socks under 2 pairs of long pants, one pair was my UnderArmour Base 2 pants. On top, I had three shirts, including my Base 2, and then my Polar Dash Fleece jacket. I also had my Turtle Fur Totally Tubular on as a neck wrap, and my ski mask which allows my breath to aim downward instead of upward, consequently fogging my glasses. I had glove liners, and my heavy ski mittens on as well.

We arrived at the starting area about 30 minutes ahead of time because I had to pee. Trust me, you haven't truly lived until you have peed at 0° in a porta potty. The only bright side is that it didn't smell, because everything froze on contact. But it did make for an icy toilet seat.

Then my husband managed to help me crawl under a tent flap so that I could stay warm pre-race with the other unfortunate cold souls who decided to undertake this rite of passage for Minnesota runners. The crazy ones, mind you. In there I managed to get my iPhone situated since I didn't have my tech-gloves. The only part of my body I noticed getting increasingly uncomfortable were my toes. Somehow, I had forgotten all about my toes. I never had a problem with them before, but then again, I'm not lollygagging around for 30 minutes before I run.

Eight minutes pre-start time, we headed to the starting line. My husband went off to position himself as the videographer, while I looked for my pacer. I decided to go with the 7:38 pacer, thinking that was my best bet to at least get me a good start. I failed to realize, however, that he continued on with the half-marathon folks. I was basically on my own for the second half of the 10k.

The start was delayed about 7 minutes. This was not good for my toes. They were far from happy. The concrete below my feet was so bloody cold, I could feel it through the soles of my sneakers. I glanced over at a gentlemen who had actually duct-taped the toes of his shoes, to keep the heat in! Why the hell did I not think of that? The newest running sneakers are so light, that they are more mesh than sneaker. And I was paying the price. All I could do was hope the run would bring the feeling back to that extremity, and fast!

It did come back, but it wasn't fast. And it was probably the worst pain ever as it did come back. It is safe to say there were completely numb. It felt like I was stepping on a rope everytime I took a step. At mile 3, the pain finally subsided in my left foot and the feeling came back. It took the right foot an extra mile. I had a strong urge to quit between miles 3 and 4 because of this. I can't tell you how much it hurt. But I'm glad I didn't because once I got the feeling back, the race was pretty much history. I was able to keep pace. I did have to remove my sunglasses because they had fogged over and then froze. The face mask really doesn't do the job when you are huffing and puffing. And I had to keep lifting and lowering it along the route.

When I heard my Runmeter gal say "4 miles in 30:28 minutes", I knew I had a fighting chance at a PR. I just had to keep the pace up. The final 2 miles were a good combination of uphills and downhills, and I know I made up a lot of time on the downhills. At mile 6, I sprinted, at the best of my ability, to cross the finish line. I looked for my husband on the right, but did not see him, and after I gathered my Polar Dash Commemorative award and my cup of hot chocolate, I called to find out where he was. It ends up we just crossed paths, and he didn't expect me to cross as early as I did. How early? I wondered. Because although I hit STOP on my Runmeter, I never looked at the time. When I did at this particular time, I saw it read 47:07. Wow! That itself is a PR. And I knew I had hit the start button prematurely at the starting line because I had to get my glove liner and mitten back on before the horn.

It wasn't until later that I discovered my actual time was 46:04. Amazing! Stellar! SO DAMN PROUD!

I learned today that I have become a true Minnesotan. As much as I hate to admit it...

And I'm so grateful to my husband who acted as my Chauffeur and my cheerleader. He didn't have to...but he did. And I love him for that!

Yep! What a hell of a day. And what a start to the new year!