Friday favorites

If I had to be honest, I've been teetering on the edge of burnt out when it comes to running. The aggressiveness of my training plan (my fault), participating in a lot of races (my fault) and being a bit tired (not my fault).

But, there has been hope.

Here are some things that I have been loving on the run lately.

1. Revisiting old routes. I've been sticking to the same two routes on my morning runs and though I like them, I am feeling a bit bored - at least with the one. So, this morning, I bribed myself with a jaunt through my old neighborhood and throwing the plan out the window to get in the miles. It was just what I needed! The river from this part of the Rivergreenway is picturesque, and I love how the trees reflect in the water. I also got to run by some grand homes whose yards were showing fall color.

2. Oiselle Flyte Shorts. I've been looking for a good compression-type short but haven't found anything in store that made me want to hand over the credit card. My favorite running store recently picked up Oiselle, and I went to check it out. I was a bit leery of the shorts as even the long version looked too short but I bought them anyway. So glad I did. The material on these shorts is so soft and comfortable that even sweat-soaked, I don't want to take them off.

3. Salted Watermelon Gu. I've been off and on the Gu train, and I even experimented with fuel-free long runs as my diet changed. I wanted to try this flavor, though, and I'm glad I did. I like that it has extra sodium but isn't as sticky sweet as the Salted Caramel. Don't get me wrong - I still like the Yeti - but the watermelon is more palatable over the long run.

Note: I really want to try the Root Beer if only for the novelty, and Gu Energy just came out with Caramel Macchiato.

4. Fall weather. I wore long sleeves on two runs this week, and there's a crunch beneath my feet as I move. Need I say more?

5. Listen up. Somehow, I had an Audible credit, and I decided to download "Gone Girl." I know I'm the last person to read the book but I'm loving it so far. I may have to subscribe to Audible this fall when I start slowing down to enjoy the runs.

What are you loving late?

Athens Half Marathon: Final Countdown

My first "A" race of the year - the Athens Half Marathon - is a mere four days away. I think I'm in a state of denial or, maybe, ignorance with all that has gone in the past week that it will actually happen. Either way, I feel so separated from the quality training I've put in that a hard-earned time seems almost out of reach.

And then I ran today.


I had 3 miles, with 2 at race pace, on tap, and I set myself up for success {insert sarcasm font}by deciding last night that I would take advantage of warming weather, sleeping in and taking Miles in the BOB. Stroller running is tough - period. Running a race pace workout is tough - period. Together, well, it was sure to be interesting.

As it turns out, interesting was a surprise run that felt hard but not as hard as it should have for the splits on my GPS: 9:07, 8:37, 8:30, 2:13 for 0.25-mile (8:54 pace).

Admittedly, I was pushing the pace out of fear, fear that I wouldn't nail the range I had in my mind for the race pace miles - 8:45-8:50 - but I didn't feel dead. I didn't feel defeated. I didn't feel like goals were out of reach. I had a bit of "help" with a couple stops, meeting requests for suckers, tying shoes and following traffic laws. But still, I was faster than goal pace and pushing 23 pounds of stroller + 28 pounds of toddler.

Does it mean that I'll smoke the course on Sunday? No. Of course not. It's the work I've done that will give me the edge then - and the work is what gave it to me today.

Training, in summary:

Plan: "Train Like a Mother" Half Marathon: Own It plan

Miles logged (thus far): 271.86

Farthest run: 14.6 miles, at 9:22 pace, on March 23 (three weeks out from race)

Fastest run: 8:34 pace for 5.75 miles (total time 49:16) on March 12. The workout was 2 x (1-2-3-2-1) intervals with 2 minutes recovery and 5-minute recovery between sets.

Most challenging run: Recently, it was my failed intervals on Friday but I think my long run on March 2 takes the cake. There was 4 inches of fresh snow, and I just could not get into it. I would have called it quits after 2 miles if I hadn't been with Joe. We manged 8.1 miles in 1:30:57, an 11:14 pace.

Shoes: I've been rotating between a pair of Brooks Ravenna 4 and Altra Provisioness 1. Both have less than 200 miles on them, and I'll be wearing Brooks on race day.

Fuel used: Rough estimate - 24 Gus (Salted Caramel and Chocolate Outrage) and 3,421 tubes of Nuun (currently using Nuun Energy Wild Berry - so good)

Biggest hurdle: No doubt, it was the weather. While I was able to stick to the weekday runs in my plan, thanks to the treadmill, I did not fulfill the long runs. Indiana was covered in snow and ice for the entirety of three months - no joke - and it made going far very challenging, if not impossible.

Greatest success: Toughing out the quality workouts. This cycle is the first time in a long time when I've put in some hard miles week after week. Even when I felt sluggish or tired, I made myself attempt the workout and only twice did I not make it through.

Goal working toward: A strong half, hopefully beating my post-baby PR of 1:58:56 at Fort4Fitness last year and coming as close to my life PR of 1:54:12 (from F4F 2010) as I can.

Will you be mine?

I love my newfound running group. It's not a secret. At least among us. I mean, I don't spend every step of a 12-mile slush fest professing my undying admiration and appreciation.

But maybe I should. Or at least show them that I care. A little bit. And there's no better time than Valentine's Day!

While I typically loathe Valentine's Day, mostly because I want to throat-punch Jane Seymour upon seeing another heart necklace commercial, I was inspired by the holiday to create some fun best running friend sentiments - perfect to hand out at the group run this weekend as L.A. Marathon girl tackles 21 miles.

"I always NUUN you were the one." Yes, my friends, that is a valentine filled with love and electrolytes.

Disclosure: These Valentine's were just for fun, because I like silly puns, and in no way related to my ambassadorship.

I made a jpeg on PicMonkey, leaving a space for a single-serve Nuun packet. I uploaded the file, had it printed as a photo at Walgreen's and picked up the Nuun there, as well. For about 50 cents a card, I have some pretty rad - and useful - gifts for my crew.

Other Valentine ideas for BRFs:

Your stride is ELECTRO-fying. It's the same concept as the cards I made, using a single-serve Nuun tab. This time, the word play is on electrolytes.

We go together like ... Put those words on a card or handwritten note and attach Peanut Butter and Jet Blackberry Gus to it for a play on PB&J.

Bottled up. Whether you tuck it inside or attach with ribbon around the neck, write a note that says, "I can't keep it bottled up any longer - I love running with you," and pair it with a handheld (this one is super cute) or other water bottle.

Won't Chew Be Mine? Attach the sentiment to a pack of Chomps, which is what my friends bring on the long runs. The strawberry are my personal fave.

And for a more personal idea ...

Let's stick together. There's a few options with this - a stick or Tiger Tail massager or a stick of deodorant or Body Glide.

After all, nothing says I love you like giving a gift that says, "I'm thinking about your nipples."

Veterans Training: Week 3

I am one of the cool kids. At least according to Justin Gillette, a local elite runner who has WON 65 marathons. So yeah, I'm cool.

The "compliment" was sparked when I announced that I had tried the new Salted Caramel Gu and it was as every bit delicious as I had hoped. So delicious that for at least a mile I imagined myself drizzling it on ice cream.

The packet, which I took at mile 8 of Sunday's long run, was part of a new fueling strategy for this cycle. In years past, for fulls and halfs, I have found myself skimping on nutrition during the run. There was something in me, maybe the prior fat girl, who hated to log that I ate 400 calories in Gu as a morning "snack." Or, maybe I thought that I had enough "stores" that I wouldn't need more than 100 calories an hour.

However, I began to reconsider this strategy as I followed Dimity's training for her Ironmother. She mentioned on the Another Mother Runner Podcast a couple times that she took in 300 calories an hour (I think) on the bike. It seemed like a lot of calories to this skimpy girl.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. A triathlete is going to take more calories on the bike to makeup for the swim and prepare for the run but also to maintain energy on the bike. If it worked for triathletes, it could possibly work for me.

Don't get me wrong - I think three gels an hour might be a bit excessive (but it would still be half the calories you were burning, depending on the pace). I am aiming for three to four every two hours, more specifically one every four miles. I am hoping that it helps with consistent energy and pacing on the long runs, aided by the addition of nuun.

What's your fueling strategy?

The week, in training:

Monday: Spin class
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)
Wednesday: 6 miles, hilish + 3.5 miles
Thursday: 3 miles + Rip (taught)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6.25 miles at pace + Bodypump (taught)
Sunday: 11.15 miles

Cost analysis

Whoever said running is cheaper than therapy apparently didn't have insurance.

Mark and I had stopped by the running store on Friday night to pick up some salted caramel Gu. As I was paying for the packets of insane deliciousness, I spotted a sign promoting 15 percent off apparel with a shoe purchase. Me being me, I not-so-coyly pointed it out to Mark, who rolled his eyes, surely thinking it was my desire for all things bright and shiny motivating that look in my eyes.

Truth be told, though, I did/do need clothes and shoes.

It seems like just yesterday that I switched to the Brooks Ravenna 4 but yesterday was April and nearly 350 miles ago. It's definitely time to consider new shoes, which retail for $110 (about five times more than a standard co-pay), as I came thisclose to my first 30-mile week of this cycle and many recommending two pairs of shoes for a relay like Hood to Coast.

And speaking of HTC, we are lucky enough to have some amazing sponsors beyond Nuun. Like Team Sparkle, which will be supplying skirts of the same name so that everyone in a 200-mile radius will see me coming. I'm ready to don it save for one thing: booty shorts. I currently have a singular pair of compression-like shorts that are three years old and have the elasticity of my 86-year-old grandma's skin (sorry, Grammy)!

I will run three legs, wearing the skirt for probably two, which means two new pairs of shorts. Or one if I'm being cheap. Sadly, I didn't fit into the teensy-tinsy Asics that were on clearance for $10 at 3RR. My favorites were the 4-inch Moving Comfort shorts, which retail for $30 (x2 = $60, three therapy sessions). They made my thighs look like crap but they felt nice and no one will see them anyway.

Oh, and of course, there are all the other costs of running - socks, bras, race entries, travel, Gu ($4.50 for the three I bought Friday, post-session latte) and the vast amount of food to satisfy the rungries.

Not that I'm complaining or looking for a handout (though, Brooks, if you'd like to send me new shoes, I'd gladly accept). Just merely pointing something out. Well, pointing out something that Mark pointed out. And, given my mental state of late, I'd probably go through four pairs of shoes worth of co-pay in therapy before I wore out one pair on the road. Thank goodness for Mark, I'd much rather run angry than lie on a couch and share my feelings.

Marathon Monday: Snack on this

I am training for the Columbus Marathon and following the "Train Like A Mother" finish it plan. These posts document my training.

This week in running:

Tuesday: 4 miles, easy with strides at end

Wednesday: 4.03 miles, with 3 at goal pace (sort of)

Thursday: 3.5 miles, easy

Friday: 6 miles, negative split

Sunday: 12 miles

Total miles: 29.5

◊ ◊ ◊

I could talk about how much I hate this weather.

I could talk about how much I hate running in this insane weather.

I could tell you about how much my body hates running in this insanely hot and humid weather.

But I'm not.

I am going to tell you about my new fueling strategy.

I've always been sort of a Gu girl. I've tried almost every flavor and can use most of the flavors with no problem though I'm not a fan of the Roctane varieties. My most recent favorites have been the Peanut Butter and Chocolate flavors (whodathunk it) but I recently found myself buying the Strawberry Banana.

For two weeks, I have carried a Strawberry Banana Gu on my long runs. And for two weeks I have failed to take it. Why? The thought of something sweet when it is 80 degrees out makes my stomach churn.

Instead, I want something salty. Something salty like cheese crackers.

I first got the idea - or craving, I should say - when I was running with Jess in Colorado.  For some reason, I had stuffed a bag of Cheese Nips that I had gotten on the plane in with my stuff for the run. When we stopped just after 6 miles for fuel, the Gu sounded gross and the Cheese Nips good. Jess encouraged me to go "rogue," and I didn't look back. They were salty and easy on the stomach though they do require stopping to chew.

This week on my long run, I faced similar circumstances (albeit with far less exciting company - sorry, Mark!) and again went for the Cheese Nips (yes another bag from the plane - I accept free food of all varieties). I carried the bag with me, munching at crosswalks.

And while it seems crazy, it's not entirely unfounded. The Cheese Nips offer the same amount of calories (100) as Gu and 250 milligrams of sodium (compared to 50 grams in Gu). The only place where the fall short is in the carbohydrates - Cheese Nips have just 15 grams as compared to 25 grams. And while it can't be said for most things in life, in running and fueling, carbs is where it's at.

It might be easily concluded that the feeling of death at the end of both my recent long runs could be because I haven't had enough carbs during the middle and not any of the right kind. But what's a girl to do? Choke down a sickening sweet gel or go with her gut?

If only Gu made a pretzel flavor ...

What's your fuel of choice? Do you find your tastes change with weather?

A Martian Invasion: 11.54 reasons to be excited

The last long run.

It's always the one that gives you headaches, makes you doubt months of training and has you wondering whether you just twisted your ankle on the twig the stroller kicked up.

Yesterday was that run. The run that should have scared me - especially since I went into it with no plan. With last week's 20K getting in my requisite 12-miler, I had no idea how long the run should be. I could do another 12 as it's normally what I do two weeks out. Mark suggested 10, though, and I unenthusiastically agreed. However, my awesome math skills while running (read: sarcasm) had me running 11.5. And it was 11.5 miles of confidence building for the race that's 12 days away.

And I couldn't be more excited. Here's why:

1. Mark and the boys ran 5.6 miles with me, and I I have to say they felt really good. I'm sure the weather helped - it was a perfect 40/45 degrees - but the pace was good yet restrained.

2. Even after I left Mark, the miles still felt good. I actually felt really good up until mile 9, when I had to take a detour to the Laundromat for a potty break.

3. I think I have my race day outfit figured out: tank top, Nike capris and Running Skirts arm warmers. The top half is subject to change based on weather but the Nike capris worked out really well.

4. I also have my fueling down. I think non-fruity flavors of gel work best for me so I'll be rocking the Chocolate Outrage and Peanut Butter Gus during the race.

5. There are other things figured out, as well. Cutting back on dairy is one. I think a cereal binge the night before the 20K gave me problems as did too much cheese on my fajitas Saturday. I'll also be avoiding beans (duh!) and high fiber breads.

6. I am unsure of a goal time for the race. Actually, my only goal is to feel like I did my best. However, my long runs of late have all been sub-10 minute pace. It's not where I used to be but I think a respectable time is in my future.

7. The race starts at 8:45, which will be perfect - not only because we'll get in just before the expo closes but because most have my long runs have started at this time.



8. I think being a part of a bigger race will help. I noticed that just seeing the turbo fast running store guys yesterday gave me a good surge of energy.

9. Mark and I are headed to the race ... wait for it ... sans baby. We've both had nights away from Miles but this will be the first time we've left him with someone else for the night. Nana and Papa are going to have a super good time :)

10. I saw a tweet from a super cool girl that mentioned her registering for the Martian 10K. Party in Dearborn!

11. I found a ton of Middle Eastern restaurants near the race. Hello, post-race lunch! (Note: I've had an obsession with Middle Eastern food since I went to Israel in 2001, and I don't get it very often.)

0.54. I logged nearly 100 miles last month, I've had a handful of 10+ mile runs and I hit several 20+ mile weeks. The training is there. Let's do this!

Nice rack

It was supposed to be a simple trip to Dick's Sporting Goods: Go in, locate Gu, buy two packets for tomorrow's 20K race and leave.

In. Out. $3.

Upon entering the store, though, I knew that I could get myself in trouble. Real trouble.  There was spring/summer apparel everywhere. The Nike skirt that I have been pining for since I saw it on a lanky girl in New Orleans and brightly hued tanks. There were patterned shorts and cute capris. And I wanted them. All. Of. Them.

I tried to keep my eyes on the prize but I quickly found myself searching for the youth section. I mean, Miles needs his own Nike shirt. I was then off to find a whistle for another project. Before I knew it, I was flipping through the racks and trying to determine just how much money I could spend without having Mark file for divorce.

That amount? I was guessing zero.

I walked away and found the Gu. I delighted in the discovery that they had the Peanut Butter, grabbed one and then a Chocolate Outrage. I headed to the checkout and was shocked to see that a pair of shorts and tank had leaped into my arms.

What was a girl to do? It's not like you can explain the situation to a store clerk. Fate had decided that I needed them and they needed me. Plus, the shorts were 20 percent off and I only have a few pairs for summer.


Note: I understand that these are obnoxiously bright but they picked me. I swear it.

If you have a better budget than me, here are some other outfits I'm digging.

YMX Elemental Flower Tank and Running Skirts Gold Ultra Swift Athletic Skirt - perfect for a short run followed by lunch

Under Armour tank, Sparkle Skirt, Old Navy Compression Shorts, Team Sparkle Race Legs and black sparkle BIC band - definitely a race outfit. I think it would be perfect for the Martian half marathon next month.

 Brooks Run Happy tee and Tempo shorts - perfect for an everyday run

Under Armour banded tank, Nike capris and Nike Free cross training shoes - perfect for Body Pump

What gear are you eyeing this season? Do you find it hard to pass it up?

Things I have decided (+giveaway winner)

*You can only run as far as your mind will allow you. I had 8 miles on the schedule - just 8 nice miles on a cut back week ahead of Saturday's 20K - and I could have done no more. How I ran 11 miles last week is beyond me.

*I would run with a MOTOACTV - even if I didn't get one for free. Reason No. 153: I forgot to turn it off after yesterday's failed second run and I was still able to use it this morning. For all 8 miles. And still had battery to spare. Anyone who has set off only to learn that the Garmin is dead knows just how awesome that is.

*I don't care what the calendar says - it's summer. Or at least spring. If you care to know my reasoning, it's not just the seriously above normal temperatures. It's more that I accidentally ate a bug on my run this morning.

*I am (finally) becoming a better runner because Mark accompanies me on part of my long runs. The little bugger makes me run faster than I should.

*Pushing Miles in the BOB sans car seat adapter is a much more manageable task.

*No matter how comfortable I find Nike Tempo shorts to be, I still think they make me look like I'm wearing a diaper. How do I know this? Well, I like to stare at my reflection in store windows as I pass. And I've seen Miles' butt in a diaper.

*Gu Roctane is not for me. I've tried several flavors, and I don't care for any of them.

*Pancakes, even if they are 7-grain, are the perfect recovery food.

*Making enough pancakes so that you can freeze them for later is much better in theory than practice.

*Biscoff spread is like crack.

And speaking of Biscoff, our winner is ...

Congratulations, Jan! Email (hlthystrides at gmail dot com) your mailing info and I'll have that sent out to you ASAP.

What have you decided lately?

Running on Roctane

Guess who's now a track coach?

And if you guessed me, thanks but you're giving me too much credit. Mr. Speedy McSpeederson, otherwise known as Mark, has joined the coaching ranks at the middle school where he teaches. He'll be specializing in the "longer" distances - aka the 800.

It doesn't really matter much to you - or me, for that matter. I'm definitely not going to let him coach me. It only affects me inasmuch that I now have the lovely responsibility of going home at lunch to take out Denali. While it could be a bit cumbersome for many, I live close to work and it's nice to get out of the office for a half-hour (and maybe stop at the coffee shop for a nonfat latte).

It also doesn't hurt if you find a box addressed to you on your front porch when you return home at lunch.

When I originally saw the box on the front step, I thought it was my (and possibly your) hat from Running Warehouse. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw it was from one of my favorite companies, Gu.

I opened the box slowly, a bit unsure of its contents.

Thankfully, there was no crazy track coach inside who wanted to make me run intervals.

Just some water bottles and samples of the new Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink in Tropical Punch ... which made me want to go run intervals.

Exciting, right? It's like the gear fairy stopped by my house with a special prize. (By the way, gear fairy, my post-breast feeding boobs need extra small sports bras and I want more shorts.) Except not. I had actually won a Facebook thingy and this was my prize.

While I'm not one to incorporate sports drinks into my fueling, I'm definitely excited to give it a try. Especially as the weather warms and even a short run requires water.

I'm sure you'll be excited to try it, too. Expect a few of these packet so turn up in my giveaway package.

And, in case you were worried about me going back to work with terrible hair, I did notice that I looked like a hot mess and made an effort to remedy the situation.

New hair + mascara + lip balm. It always makes me feel polished.

What has surprised you lately?

Disaster relief (+ giveaway)

I did everything wrong in New Orleans. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

I got little to no sleep. I ate untested foods before the race. I didn't need to go to the bathroom before the race. I tried a new-to-me fuel. I wore multiple items of new clothing.

While there wasn't much I could do about the sleep (stupid drunk frat guys), I could do something about the rest - and I should have as a somewhat experienced racer. However, looking back, I'm pretty sure I lucked out.

Running Skirt. We were going to be twinkies. Twinkies in the matching running skirts Pattie purchased us from RunningSkirts.com.

As great as the idea sounded, the reality was much different. We were both a bit self conscious about the fit of the skirt and were fearful of what it would be like to wear it on race day. While confidence was the only thing that would truly help, Pattie thought if we were able to go a size up (even though I already had) that it might be better. She called customer service to see if they would have the skirts at the expo so we could exchange them. No dice. The mums were being discontinued and sizes were limited in the warehouse - and they definitely wouldn't be at the expo. However, the lovely service rep offered to Fed Ex us athletic versions of the skirt to our NOLA hotel. At no charge.

Since the skirts have compression shorts underneath (ours were yellow - like a ray of sunshine) and are a bit longer, I decided not to (Body) Glide. I figured I would be fine. I figured wrong. The shorts rode up even on the walk to the start line and I had a good bit of chafing by the time I handed over the baton. I was lucky that a little post-race Body Glide, I felt OK but I'm not so sure I'll be doing that again.

I'm also not so sure I'll be running distances in the skirt. I think it will be great for a fun 5K (maybe this summer's Diva Dash) but otherwise, I'll be sticking to Tempo Shorts. However, I will not trash the Running Skirt folks because they went above and beyond for us. Those ladies are classy!

Zensah. Leg sleeves - everyone has them. Up until NOLA, I had been a devotee of Recovery Socks but I couldn't help but be lured by the bright colors and patterns offered by Zensah. The fact that I could wear traditional running socks with the sleeves only piqued my interest more. I ended up with a yellow pair to match my little ray of sunshine mum skirt in small/medium, and I wore them during the race. Thankfully, they didn't give me any issues like the skirt. In fact, I practically forgot I had them on during the race (as a Zensah rep said).

See the Gu there, in my hand? P.S. I cropped the hell out of this photo so you don't have to see my extra skin. Seriously, I need to wear capris to a race so I can have at least one good photo.

Peanut Butter Gu. Holy mother of God. This stuff is good. So good. I carried the packet in my hand and by the time I took it at the 5K mark it was warm and easily extracted into my mouth. I felt like I was ingesting melted peanut butter. I'm pretty sure I wasn't but still ... I think I might be putting this on my pre-run bananas.

By the way, I had a feeling I would like the PB Gu so I picked up a few extra at the expo ... for you. Since you've put up with NOLA post after NOLA post, I have a giveaway for you.

*Assortment of Gu, including PB and Island Nectars Roctane.
*Biscoff spread (I keep seeing all this crap about it and since I finally decided to try it, I thought you could too)
*A copy of "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners edition"
*Brooks Printed Mesh Cap (in white/carrot)
*And anything else I decide to throw in. (I promise not to ship Miles, even though he has been up at 4:45 every morning this week.)


To enter giveaway, tell me in the comments section what item that you can't head to the starting line without.

Giveaway will end Friday, March 16 and the winner (picked via Random.org) will be announced March 17. Entries from anonymous commenters will not be accepted.

Friday Love: Luck be a lady

Things are about to get crazy.

After bringing back WIAW this week, I thought I'd revive one of my old features - Friday Love. It might be just for today ... or it might not. We'll see.But since it's been so long, let's skip the introductions and get on with it.

Food. There's this not-so-tiny Greek restaurant not too far from our house that Mark and I love to frequent. I love the exuberant owner and his tzatziki sauce, and Mark loves the braised lamb over noodles with a starter of avgolemono soup. We'd probably eat there every week but since we try to rotate our dining out, we usually only make it once a month or so. In an effort to tide us over, I brought a little bit of Greek to us.

 

Homemade Avgolemono Soup and Greek-inspired grilled cheese.

I made the soup based on this recipe, subbing rice for orzo, and it turned out OK. I think I blended the eggs and lemon juice too much and it ended up a bit, umm, frothy.

The grilled cheese, though ... yeah. Wow. I had some white (gasp!) pitas in the freezer so I started with those. I added a slice of Provolone (broken in half, one for each side of the inside), raw spinach, diced tomatoes, chopped roasted red pepper and feta. I put it in the skillet and used the tea kettle, bottom covered in foil, to smash it down. Flip and smash some more. Very good.

Nutritionals on the sandwich: 181 calories, 8 grams fat, 12 grams protein and 15 carbs.

 Fitness. When I made my Martian half-marathon plan, I was very set on one thing: I only wanted to run three days a week. I didn't want the pressure of a fourth run as sometimes the mornings can be a bit hectic. However, with fake winter, my 5K and just a general desire, I have been running 4 days a week. And, I have to say, I'm quite happy about it. It just feels good to be running more - mentally, at least.

Life. I feel like such a lucky girl. And not just because I'm mom to the most beautiful boy on the planet. Come on, I'm used to that by now.  No, yesterday I not only won a giveaway on GU Energy Lab's Facebook page (I'll be receiving some of the new Roctane drink mix!) but I came home to find a sample from Procter & Gamble. And by sample, I mean a new full-size (desperately needed) Cover Girl mascara.

I often sign up for free samples that I see on Money Saving Mom so I'm assuming that's where it came from but I'm going to pretend the Beauty Fairy was pushing me to actually put effort into my appearance.

(Read effort as haphazardly apply minimal makeup in the car while parked in the parking lot of your office building.)

What are you loving lately?

Long time gone

Move that body: 7.03-mile run (average pace, 10:34)

I woke up this morning with a pit in my stomach that I haven't felt in a long time. The pit created by long run dread.

You know what I'm talking about. You have "x" number of miles on your schedule and you know you should run them but you look for every out you can.

I ran a hard race yesterday. It's best to rest.
I have a cutback week in the not so distant future. We'll just move it to this week. 
My sports bra is dirty.
Infants have no clue what Daylight Saving Time is. That 5 a.m. wake-up call did me in.
My running partner only wants to go 3 miles. A relaxed 3-miler would be nice.

Add about 100 more and that's what my thought process was like. I just didn't feel like doing the 7 miles on the schedule. I didn't really want to get in any miles, to be honest, but I figured 3 would be good, 5 would be a victory and 7 was not gonna happen.

Regardless, I tried to set myself up for success. I tried to think positive thoughts, reminded myself of why I was doing this and I grabbed a Peppermint Gu as an incentive to make it through. Add in a little encouragement from Mark, and I was out the door.

My husband was lovely enough to join me for the first 3 miles. They were a bit tough - my legs were tight and tired from yesterday, I still hadn't got my head all the way in it and Denali thought he was leading the pack of elites at the New York City Marathon. Once we parted ways, though, and I was on my own - only I could make it happen - I settled in a bit and the run started to feel good. Or close enough.

I nursed the Peppermint Gu for a mile and a half - about mile 3 to mile 4.5 - and it was amazing. Like Christmas in a foil pouch. I'm not sure it gave me any boost but it was a nice flavor - not sickeningly sweet - and it provided a great distraction/reward.

I started to slow down a lot as I approached 6 miles. My legs were finished. To make it to the end, I thought it might be a good idea to run-walk the last mile.

Wrong. So wrong.

After walking 0.1, it took all the energy I could muster to pick up my legs. It sucked. I stopped for a moment, stretched out and decided to just keep moving, no matter how slowly, until I didn't need to move any longer.

When I crossed that finish line (aka my driveway), I was ecstatic. Not only because I could stop moving but because I did something that I didn't set out to do. I motivated myself, I pushed through and I won. If only you could get a plaque for that ...

What did you accomplish this weekend?

Long and winding road

Pre-workout fuel: English muffin with peanut butter and sliced bananas
Workout: Ran 10.55 miles in 1 hour, 31 minutes and 48 seconds; average pace, 8:42.

I had not run more than 8 miles since the Fort-4-Fitness half-marathon. I hadn't really had a desire to go farther than that.

Yeah ... that was going to have to change.

With my recent impulse decision to sign up for the W.O.O.F., I knew I had to go out there and log some time on my feet. I was hoping to go at least 10, maybe more, but only do what was within my comfort level as to avoid injury.

That was just part of the plan. The other part of today's run was for me to head out around the nearby campus and take the back way into another near-ish park (about ~3.75 miles). Mark would then drive to the park with Denali and would run 5 to 6 miles with me. I would be happy to run with a partner, Mark would be happy not to run 10 miles and Denali would be happy just to run. We all would be happy.

I'd be lying, though, if I said the run was happy-go-lucky. I had moments where I allowed myself to become overwhelmed by not just the distance of today's run but the distance of W.O.O.F. I did my best to snap myself out of it, thinking of how I could dress up Denali to cheer me on in a couple weeks (after all it is a W.O.O.F. race), basked in the beauty of the park and thought of my dad pacing me on his bike.

I let go of most of the anxiety by the time Mark and Denali joined me, settling into an OK pace and focusing on just 5 or 6 miles with him. I took a couple Gu Chomps (Cranberry Apple) around mile 7.5. I wasn't hungry - I could still feel my breakfast in my belly - but I felt some cramping in my legs (I blame some hills) and didn't want to underfuel. I had never tried Chomps before and was quite happy with the flavor and texture.

I started to feel much better after that and by the I rounded to the car at 10.55 miles, I definitely felt like I could have gone farther with some slowing of the pace.

Good - because I'm going to have to next week.

Snarkfest and celebration of the last long run

Pre-workout fuel: Slice of whole-wheat toast with Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams and sliced banana
Mid-workout fuel: Blueberry Roctane and Chocolate Gus
Workout: Ran 12.01 miles in 1 hour, 46 minutes and 26 seconds; average pace, 8:51.

To the person (who knows me) who asked me if I really did run all the way to her neighborhood, yes. Yes, I did. And I sort of wanted to die doing it.

To the woman who almost hit me today because red lights are apparently just a suggestion, why don't you find yourself at mile 10 of a 12-mile run and just the thought of stopping gives you a cramp. If you do that, then yes. Yes, you can roll through the light.

To my legs, which felt like 30 pound weights dangling from my torso, eff you and eff you. Just because we only ran one mile over 9 minutes doesn't mean you can crap out at mile 6 and barely move by mile 11.

To my husband, who gulped all of the water at mile 11, marriage is about caring and sharing. Especially when you have 22 ounces of water for two people and 12 miles.

To the people at Target who stared at me, in my compression socks, you can stare when your butt literally hurts from running 12 miles.

To Fort-4-Fitness, bring it on! My last long run is C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E and with just one more tough tempo run to go, I am ready for you. No pain, no gain.

Brave new world

Pre-workout fuel: Slice of whole-wheat toast with reduced-fat Jiff
Mid-workout fuel: Triberry Gu at mile 4 and Mint Chocolate Gu at mile 8
Workout: Ran 11.39 miles in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 29 seconds; average pace, 8:49.

I turned over this morning and looked at the clock.

7:10. Ugh. It seemed so late and yet I just wanted to lie in bed and doze for another hour.

"What time do you want to get up?" Mark asked. I stared. "Let's just be brave and do it."

Brave? Me? But his word choice did seem appropriate. I think there is an act of bravery when it comes to running. Stepping outside to put one foot in front of the other, without knowing what lies in the miles ahead ... yeah, that's brave.

Mark and I set out for our 11 miles on a familiar route, first taking the pathway around the campus and down through the park. It should have felt great - the temperature was hovering around 50 - but I had a terrible cramp/stitch on my right side. I did my best not to lose focus or pace as I didn't want to get off to a bad start on an 11-miler. I concentrated my breathing and applied pressure with the hope that the pain would cease.

By the time we got to the park/greenway, the pain was gone. The pace felt pretty moderate and we didn't slow down any as I took my first Gu. (I opted for a Tri-berry out of my prize as I had tried it before and knew it didn't upset my stomach.) In fact, we didn't stop at all until about mile 7ish when we needed to make a bathroom stop and were trying to locate one.

The bathroom stop was made just after mile 8, which is where I took the Mint Chocolate Gu. Holy mother of all that is good! The word amazing doesn't even do it justice. It was like a York Peppermint Patty had just exploded in my mouth. And, thankfully, it caused no ill side effects, which I had been worried about and was the reason I saved it for later.

After the pit stop, it took me a bit to work out some stiffness and from there it was game on. Mark either wanted to pick up the pace or just be done as he was a good 10 feet ahead of me for the last couple miles. In the past, I would have screamed something to the effect of: "If you want to run with me, then RUN WITH ME." But I didn't. I ran what I could and he did, on occasion, fall back.

Those last miles were the fastest and mile 11 clocked in at 8:30. Mark wanted to stop at that point. The 11 miles were done, and we could walk the rest of the way home. But I didn't want to walk and so to make up for his fast pace, I made him run farther.

Wasn't that nice of me?