Running Wild

Monday, April 9, 2012

Marathon Monday: Week 14 & that time I ran 20 miles

Happy Monday, everyone!

Training recap:

26 days until Pittsburgh...less than a month! Honestly, I'm excited to get this race done with. Four and a half months of training is a lot and I'm ready to free up my Sunday mornings (instead of spending hours on the trails.) It's time to start tapering down--how exciting!

Last week was my highest mileage week thus far!! On the downside, my cross-training was sub par. I cannot seem to balance the two! On the upside, my 20-miler went so well; I recovered very quickly and today, I'm surprisingly not too sore (I'll talk more about the run below.)

Before I begin with training, I want to start with reviews of two products I'm loving.

For weeks, I hunted for the perfect yoga/gym bag. I had my eyes set on the Lululemon Bliss Bag, but I couldn't justify spending $128.00 on it.

I searched on amazon, overstock, etsy and a few other discounted sites and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Then, when I was shopping in Whole Foods last week, I came across this little number. It's the Gaiam Metro Gym Bag {on sale!} and is the perfect size to hold my gym clothes & shoes, a water bottle, and my yoga mat. For $25.00, I thought it was well worth it!

Next up: this top from Lululemon (similar top here)

*I apologize for the horrendous photos. Please excuse my messy room.

I can't find it on their website but they do carry it in stores. Personally, I always have a hard time trying to decide what I want to wear to yoga. I like wearing baggier tops, but they always ride up when I'm in downward dog.

So, props to this top for cinching the jersey at the bottom! It keeps it from riding up while providing some breathing room. This piece was pricier, but I think it was a worthwhile investment. I love it!

Training this week:

Monday: Rest day

I was exhausted from my run on Sunday. This was much needed.

Tuesday: 75-minute Restorative yoga class

Okay, Tuesday hit me hard. I was absolutely wiped out (I swear, there's something about Tuesdays!) so I decided to try a restorative yoga class.

Consensus: I'm glad I tried it, but I will not be going back. There was much more meditation and holding still than expected. Although I like the "your body needs rest" mantra that went along with the class, I am terrible at calming my mind and body. We did a total of 5 poses in an hour and I was going a little nuts by the end.

Wednesday: 5.8 miles/ 9.3 km

This run was very, very challenging. My legs were so, so, so tight and they felt like weights as I ran. My stomach was also in knots (probably due to work stress) so I struggled. But, the weather was beautiful as I ran along the National Mall.

5.8 miles/51:00/8:51 pace
9.3 km/5.48 pace

Thursday: 8.21 miles/13.2 km

This was the first mid-week long run I've done in awhile. Although it took about 4 miles to warm up, I felt great! I ran through The National Mall, crossed the bridge over the Potomac, and followed the trail past the Jefferson and back to my house.

8.21 miles/1:11/8:40 pace

13.2 km/5.38 pace

Friday: Unintentional rest day

Rested up for my big run on Saturday! (Meant to go to yoga but I ran out of time)

Saturday: 20.01 miles/32.2 km

This was a big run and the longest I'll go before my race. A variety of factors played in my favor and this run was incredible. Not only did I finish feeling strong, I actually had the energy to run more. Starting at mile 16, I was averaging 9:00/miles. I was on a high, that's for sure. This run was definitely a confidence booster!

Pre-run meal:

2 eggs over easy and 2 pieces of toast.
1/2 package of VEGA Pre-workout Energizer
4 Pink Lemonade Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews

During-run refueling:

1.5 L water (throughout run)
8 oz lemon lime Gatorade (miles 9.5, 15)
1 Strawberry Organic Honey Stinger Waffle (mile 9.5)
1 Mint Chocolate Gu (mile 15)

Post-run meal:

1 banana, peanut butter and chocolate whey protein shake
1 plate of pasta and tomato sauce

I also did an ice bath, rolled out my legs and stretched throughout the day.

On most of my runs, I will stop my watch at a traffic light, to tie my shoe, etc. This time around, I kept my watch going to simulate 'race-day' feelings. Dom and I stopped to walk at mile 5, 10 and 15 for about 120 seconds. We've read multiple articles that talk about the importance of walking. Although I'm skeptical and hate stopping because it messes up my 'groove,' I do believe it gives my muscles a minor chance to recover.

20.01 miles/3:26/10:16 pace

32.2/6.4 pace

Overall, I'm very satisfied with this time! Never in my life did I think I could run for 3.5 hours. The human body and it's ability to adapt truly amazes me.

Sunday: Rest day. Happy Easter!

Aren't these guys the cutest?!

Dom cooked an amazing brunch, followed by a nap and Easter-egg coloring. We went for a walk in the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful weather before he had to hop on a plane for business :(

Weekly Total

Miles/km this week: 34 miles/54.7 km

Yoga: 75 minutes

Strength Training: 0 minutes

Cycling: 0 minutes

Thoughts

When I started training for this marathon, I hoped to run a sub-4hr race. Now that I'm 14 weeks into training, I don't think that is an achievable goal. Marathon training is a huge time commitment; a commitment that I wasn't willing to sacrifice all of my free time for. In that respect, I probably haven't put in as many miles as I should have to guarantee a 9:15 mile pace or below.

My newly revised goal is to finish the race. A bonus will be to average under 10:00-min miles. Mental math concludes that I will have to run a 4:15:00 marathon or under to complete my goal. Wish me luck!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

my green elixir

Hello, there.

This is me, forcing spoonfuls of green goo into my mouth, after my run from h-e-double hockey sticks today.

Freshly showered, hair in knots, robe still on. I don't even have the energy to get dressed.

I'm seriously lacking some greens in my diet and I felt it hardcore on my run today.

And that's why this little green number is here to save the day.

The Green Elixir

-1 cup spinach
-1 cup kale
-1 banana
-2 cups vanilla almond milk
-1 pear

-3 ice cubes

[helps to put the liquid and ice cubes in first.]

-blend and enjoy

Here's to hoping this makes tomorrow's run a whoooole lot better.

P.S. new mint nail polish. LOVE it!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

My quest to a healthier lifestyle: 6 household changes

As I've focused more on my exercise and eating habits, I've also developed new household routines to try and eliminate unwanted (and mostly unknown) toxins. Below is a list of a few changes I've made in the past year that will hopefully inspire you to rethink the products you use at home.

1. Say goodbye to dryer sheets.

Think twice before sniffing that bounty-covered shirt.

That 'perfume' smell is made up of chemicals. Toxins. Leaching into your skin and lungs every time you put on your clothes. I didn't want to take any risks so I stopped using them altogether. In over a year, I've hardly noticed a difference in my clothing.

2. Replace plastic tupperware with glass.

There are so many chemicals in plastic tupperware just waiting to leach out into your food after repeated use and microwaving. Although glass is more expensive, it's much, much safer. I found a set of 5 Pyrex bowls for $17.99 at Macy's (50% off sale.)

3. Peanut butter goes in the fridge. If yours doesn't, ask yourself why not?

Answer: because it has preservatives in it. Yuck!

I've switched to Trader Joe's Organic Peanut Butter with Sea Salt. See ingredients list: organic dry roasted peanuts, sea salt. None of that other crap (including high fructose corn syrup!)

4. Beware of ketchup.

Just take a look at a bottle of Heinz ketchup. Third ingredient down? HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Get that stuff out of your house! Try eating Annie's Naturals Organic Ketchup instead.

5. Cleaning products: go all natural.

Yes, they are more expensive but think of it as an investment in your health. Wouldn't you prefer your bathroom to smell like lemons instead of chlorine?

6. Make-up, shampoos and body washes should all be paraben free.

Parabens are 'the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products such as soap, moisturizers, shaving cream and underarm deodorant, according to the Food and Drug Administration.'

Why should we care?

Some think that parabens may be linked to breast cancer and fertility issues. Hard facts or not, I'm not taking any chances.

Want more details? Check it out.

Paraben-free products/brands? Check it out.

Any more tips? Leave 'em in the comment section!

Monday, April 2, 2012

New twitter account!

First comes the new blog, second comes the twitter account..

Follow me @ToRunWild!

Marathon Monday: Week 13 & my kick-butt training week!

Happy Monday, everyone!

I had a great cross-training week! There were definitely days when I did not want to run, but I pushed myself out the door anyway. Gosh, does that feel good now. I will (hopefully) become a Runner of Steel in less than 35 days. Wow!

Training recap: (I think these were broken before but I fixed them!)

Cherry Blossom Kite Festival, The National Mall

On a random note, this weekend was the Blossom Kite Festival in honor of the 100th year celebration of the Cherry Blossoms. There were hundreds of kites in the National Mall and it was quite a sight to witness!

Soooo about training....to be frank, I kicked cross-training butt! 8 workouts this week, whoo hoo!

Although my mileage was down this week (intentionally because my schedule tapered down,) I tried to fit in as many strength and stretching sessions as possible. I was exhausted after my 12-mile run on Sunday, but I was so proud of myself for pushing through and for once, not feeling guilty about my lack of training.

Monday: 75-minute Dharma Flow I yoga class

This class was great for the start of the week. I'm still in the very beginning stages of developing my yoga practice and this class focused on perfecting the 'basic' poses.

Tuesday: rest day

I don't know what it is about Tuesdays, but it seems that my previous week's exhaustion always catches up with me

Wednesday: 5.1 miles/8.2 km + 75-minute Dharma Flow II yoga class

I fit in a quick run before my yoga class. The weather was beautiful and although my legs were still fatigued from my 18-miler, I pushed through.

I then went straight from my run to a 75-minute yoga class. This class was challenging and really pushed my body to it's limits. By the end of class, I was in desperate need for a hot bath and some serious hydration!

5.1 miles/45:00/8:49 pace
8.2 km/5:49 pace

Thursday: 60-minute BodyPump class

If you've never tried a BodyPump class, I encourage you to check it out. I remember going to my first class and thinking, 'this doesn't seem too bad. i'll just increase my weight.' Bahahaha boy, did my ego bite me in the butt! The next four days following my first class, I could barely sit down without using walls for support. Even getting in and out of my car was a challenge because I was SO sore!

Friday: 5.05 miles/8.12 km

I booked it during this run! One reason may be that I was running late for a Friday night shindig...BUT my body also felt very strong. I was on a mini high since my legs weren't bothering me and used that adrenaline rush to accelerate my normal pace.

5.05 miles/42:00/8:19 pace
8.12 km/5.17 pace

Saturday: 20-minute cardio session on the elliptical + 60-minute BodyPump class

My Saturday morning BodyPump class is always full because our teacher is so incredible. My gym keeps changing the rules regarding getting into the class because people (like me) would come over 30 minutes early and wait in line. Now, they've invented a ticketing system to help control the chaos, but you can only get the tickets 15 minutes ahead of time. Unknowingly, I arrived at the gym 35 minutes early and had 20 minutes to spare so I hopped on the elliptical until I could pick up my ticket. Accidental workout!

Sunday: 11.63 mile run/18.7km

Oh boy, this run was tough. I went out strong and then at our turnaround point, became mentally exhausted. I was hungry (unfortunately, I didn't plan my eating schedule appropriately) and the sound of my stomach growling always ruins my mentality. Legs are so stiff and sore now, but I'm working on stretching them out!

11.63 miles/1:51/9:32 pace
18.7 km/5.94 pace