Gotta Run Now

Running Long on New Fuel

2012-02-17T12:12:00.003-06:00

Run Fueled by Dates and Honey, Etc.

Today's 16 mile run went well. I ran six miles with my dog, took her back home and ran back out to finish up 10 more miles in the gentle rain. When she isn't with me, people ask about her. I think it's great that even though I live in a large city like Houston, it can have a small-town feel to it, where people chat or say hello as I run by.

At the 11 mile point, I was confused, thinking that I only had two more miles to go and realized that I had five more miles to go. I felt more tired at the thought of it. Another runner flew by me and that reminded me to keep up the pace. All's well that ends well and I ended up running a progression run where you run faster towards the end than you did at the beginning. Average pace: 9:30/mi.

I came across a homemade sports drink recipe and thought I'd try it just for fun today. I mixed together sugar, honey, lime juice, salt and water. I only made a small amount because I was afraid it would taste bad. I was able to drink it, but Gatorade tastes better to me. Have you tried any new running food lately?

In addition to the new drink, I used honey on the run. That was good. Plus, I had dates, raisins and a salt tab. I ate quite a variety today. I just came across, How many carbs do you really need? I had 130 carbs, which is good. Plus, I felt great!

Orphan Hope 1/2 Marathon Race Report

2012-02-11T17:17:00.002-06:00

Won a 1st Place AG Award!

I ran in my first 1/2 marathon on trails today! My goals were to have fun running in the woods and not to fall. No falls today and I had fun! While I was running one of the things that pushed me forward was that there was a slight chance that I might place (you never know!) and I actually did place first in my age group!

I picked up my award plaque early, since I had a long drive home, and met one of the race organizers and the female master's winner and the 4th place runner in my age group, too, so even though I didn't stay for the ceremony, it was a fun finish to my race morning.

But let's back up... Before the race, I ran a 10 minute warm-up (which may have been unnecessary because we started the race slowly) and then I chatted with another half marathoner at the start.

The trail was well-marked so I didn't even come close to getting lost in the woods like I was afraid I might. This was a small race so there were a couple of moments when I couldn't see another runner, though. The alligator warning signs in the park might make some people nervous, but I've run and biked by alligators before and they just ignored me. Boring, but that's okay.

Runners Eat Cupcakes!

I only came close to falling once. Don't you love it when you almost fall, but don't? The roots weren't too bad and made it a fun challenge. I was most grateful for the roots in the muddy areas because they don't move around like the slippery mud.

The hills weren't that bad either. I was so excited when I made it to the top of one steep hill and got a view of the pretty lake. There were some volunteers/spectators who made it out to some hilly parts and "yelled me up" the hills.

I thought I'd try for a 10 minute average pace (a 2:11 finish) and keep an eye on my pace, but I hardly looked at my Garmin since I needed to look out for roots. Every time it beeped, though, I knew I was another mile closer to the finish. I wasn't sure where I was on the course and how close I was to the finish (I think the trees might have messed with my Garmin), but I told myself to run like I was close to the finish.

I didn't feel low on energy even though I didn't eat and drink much. I ate a Powerbar gel at mile 2 (too early, oops). I had to stop to yank it out of my pocket. Gloves made it hard. I drank a little Gatorade at miles 3, 6 and maybe 10. Maybe I would have been faster with more fuel or maybe I worry too much about fueling.

Finish Line Beside Raven Lake

I ran in shorts, a short sleeved shirt and gloves with hand warmers inside (love those). It was only about 40 degrees, but the clothes worked out great. In Maine, I learned that I shouldn't load up with clothes. Even though the warm-up run might not have been necessary, it warmed me up.

I don't have another trail race to compare this one to, but it didn't seem very difficult. There were even some sections that were a wide dirt road. Sometimes you had to run in a narrow section of the road because of the mud, though. About half of the time, I didn't have to worry about running into other runners on the narrow path. Most of the time, all that I saw was the dirt path and trees on either side of me (and other runners). For a short while, I saw the lake and the sunny sky. Some people might find that boring, but I liked running through the woods.

The race was held on trails in Huntsville State Park, about a 1 1/4 hour drive north of Houston so I was able to sleep in my own comfy bed last night, have oatmeal and a banana for breakfast and drive up early this morning for the 8AM start. My husband often comes to races, but couldn't make it this time. Instead, he put dog food in one of my favorite race mugs (kind of bad), nearly locked himself out of the house (really bad) and nearly started the house on fire (wow). It's a long story (and I exaggerate a little), but I'll just end with this...

Huntsville State Park

I'm so glad I ran in the Orphan Hope half marathon! I was very nervous during the drive up, but once I picked up my race packet, I felt much better. Did I mention that I hit road construction on the drive up? At 6AM? Another worry, but I arrived early anyway since I left early - another lesson learned from a previous race!

The race benefited a great cause. Race packet pick-up was easy. The volunteers were encouraging. By the time I made it to the timing board, my time was already up. I saw the cupcakes before the race and they were a big incentive for finishing - got to get back to the cupcakes! The race shirt fits and looks great. I'd like to go back next year to try for a course PR!

Race facts:
Finish Time: 2:03:05
1st female in my age group, out of 13 (ages 40-49). I'm 46.
7th female overall
36th runner overall, out of 156 (small race, but we ran with 82 marathoners and 32 relay runners, too)
My 1/2 marathon road race PR: (Oct.'07) 1:50:57

My Week of Running

2012-02-04T10:44:00.000-06:00

Can't Eat Just One!

Workouts for 1/30 to 2/5:

Monday: 9 mile run with 5 miles (tempo) and 2 miles on the more difficult (than the usual path) bike trails with my dog.

Tuesday: Rest. Monday night my shin hurt. No more problems, though.

Wednesday: 6 mile run. I loosely followed this Runner's World treadmill workout which included 5-7% incline. (A short read on treadmill incline.) I did a 30 minute Pfitzinger core workout.

Thursday: 6 mile run after eating oatmeal with raisins, banana, cinnamon, flax seeds, wheat germ, walnuts and milk. Here's a video where the elites tell what they eat before a marathon. Most popular choices: bread, bananas and oatmeal eaten 3 hours before the race.

Today I went to the dentist for a check-up, but at least I wasn't having a mammogram done...

Why I Run Reason #101

Friday: 15 mile run with some rain. Before running, I ate plain oatmeal and a banana, a breakfast of champions. During the run, I had a GU gel and GU Brew drink. It was hot and humid. No cramps this time, though. With a lot of internal pep-talk (I can do this! Faster!), I picked it up to 9:08-9:30 for three miles near the end. Average pace: 10:01/mi.

Chocolate milk tasted great when I finished the run. To make it, I mixed 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon each of cocoa powder and sugar with my immersion blender.

Then I went in for that mammogram I mentioned. They're so nice there. It wasn't so bad after all. When I got back home, I finished decorating some Valentine's cookies I made earlier and then I made pizza which my husband and I ate while we watched an old black and white movie about a heroic French couple in the midst of war.

Saturday: 30 minutes of exercises (crunches, etc.) and 5 mile run in the rain. Hardly anyone was out on the Memorial Park Loop (because of the lightning earlier, I think), but those of us who braved the rain smiled at each other while hopping around the puddles.

Strawberries are in the stores now and they're so good for you, you can eat as many as you like. Sometimes I eat fruit, yogurt and granola for dessert.

Sunday: Rest

Total Running: 41 Miles

This & That

2012-01-28T14:21:00.000-06:00

Racers Ready for the 2012 Houston Marathon to Start

I wanted to run on the hilly trails today, but another runner who had just come from the trails said they were so muddy that it wasn't worth it so I ran 12 miles on the flat trail instead. I drank Gatorade which they'll be serving at the trail half marathon that I'm running on Feb.11 - practicing my race fueling. It was a nice run on a sunny morning.

Robin tagged me for 11 Random Things. I've changed the game a little and made it 11 Answers instead. So here are her questions and my answers.

1) What is the worst thing you've ever eaten? black licorice
2) What is the most exotic place you've ever visited? Hawaii for the Kona Marathon
3) If you won the lottery, what would be the most important thing you did with the money? Running related: I'd give away running shoes and short dog leashes.
4) Biggest pet peeve? Long dog leashes. I ran towards one and the owner was on the left side of the path, the dog was on the right. I didn't see the long leash and was trying to figure out whether I should around them or through the middle. It's a good thing I chose not to run through the middle... On blogs: no paragraphs in a long blog post.
5) Are you a commuter to work? No.
6) Favorite TV show? I like cooking shows.

The Finish Line the Day Before the Kona Marathon 2011

7) Do you get enough sleep? I wouldn't mind more, like everybody.
8) Have you ever experienced what you think is a miracle? It depends on what you mean. If everything is a miracle, it takes away from the truly miraculous. Getting a parking spot is not a miracle. Being changed by God's love for us is a miracle.
9) Biggest goal for 2012? A PR! That would be a miracle! Just kidding.
10) Winter or summer? If I'm in Houston, which I am, winter. I wore shorts today.
11) Favorite person? Running related: I'm inspired by runners who run for fun and PR's.

Here's a video of 47 year old (I'm 46) four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck speaking after running in the recent Olympic Trials marathon. I found it after seeing someone who looks like her running at the park yesterday. I think she visits Houston.

Training for a Trail Race

2012-01-21T21:09:00.000-06:00

Days like this - one reason I run.

I've gotten in a few short runs this week since running the Houston marathon last Sunday. Today I did a little bit of trail running - only half a mile during my 8 mile run.

Even though my pace slows down on the trail, the time passes quickly because I'm busy looking out for roots, turns and dips in the trail. The birds were singing and there was a light rain to cool me off on this humid morning.

I'm training for the Orphan Hope Half Marathon Trail Run which takes place in three weeks. It will be my first half marathon on trails and I can't wait!

Houston Marathon Recap

2012-01-15T16:15:00.003-06:00

Wearing My Marathon Finisher's Medal!

Today I completed the Houston Marathon! It was my 7th Houston marathon and my 12th marathon. Thank you to all of my blogging friends who stopped by to leave an encouraging comment during training and for the race! I thought of you as I crossed the race mats.

Results: 3:57:09, 9:02/mi average. Age group placement: 63 out of 349. In the last 4.5 miles, 14 runners passed me and I passed 269 runners. It's not a PR (need to beat 3:54:03) or a BQ (need 3:55), but it's my second fastest time!

Waving at the Houston Marathon Start

Course: mostly flat with some bridges and underpasses
Weather: nice 42-57°, cloudy to sunny. I took off my sweatshirt and pants at the start. I wore arm warmers and gloves until about mile 4. I was comfortable in a tank and skirt the rest of the way.

Thumbs Up to My Husband at Mile 17! (I'm the 3rd from left.)

Volunteers: The race crew on Montrose were the very best at yelling your name and encouragement!
Spectators: People almost along the entire course yelled out your name, which is on your bib, like you were somebody special! : )

Running down San Felipe to Tanglewood

Race day tips for arriving at the race: We were in town about 6AM for the 7AM start and easily found a street parking space - free on Sundays at the self-pay spaces. Traffic wasn't too bad and there wasn't a line at the porta-potties yet.
Fuel Pre-run: I increased my carbs about 100 grams a day to 300 for the 3 days before the race. The morning of the race, I had 1 1/4 raisin bagels, a banana and a cup of Gatorade.
Fuel During Race: I took 5 tangerine with caffeine Powerbar gels (200 mg sodium each) with water at miles 3.5, 8, 12.5, 17 and 21.5. I drank Gatorade Endurance 6 times starting at mile 6. In Maine, I took 4 gels and I drank more Gatorade and didn't cramp, but it was cooler.
Post-marathon Food:
They had lots of food, including Oreos(!), but I could only stomach some chocolate milk and half of a banana.

That's Me Waving at Mile 21, Way Down the Road

Unplanned Occurrences:

At 1.5 miles into the race, there was a confusing fork in the road. A bunch of us stopped, ran across the road and decided to go forward anyway where I finally saw race crew who said it didn't matter which way we went.
I nearly missed my first planned stop because it wasn't where the map said it would be. Later, I had to run back to a Gatorade table.
My Garmin stopped about mile 21 for some unknown reason and I didn't notice it right away. I had been keeping a close eye on my pace up until then, but by that point, it didn't matter too much - I just ran as fast as I could. My Garmin only recorded 23.88 of the marathon.

What Went Well:

I ran a fairly even race with only an 8 second difference between 5K splits!
I ran my first mile at 9:11 and my last .88 mile at 8:24/mile.
I turned my music on halfway through the race which was nice in the very few quiet moments. Besides listening to music, I thought happy thoughts: I'm getting close to goal pace, I'm at goal pace and make it hurt - not so happy, but motivating at the end!
Sometimes I talked to other runners like Steve Boone (I met him and his wife at the Kona marathon and this was his 500th marathon!), Jack Lippincott (he said he's 38 in Houston marathon years, the number of times he has run this race!) and a runner who has run the 50 states three times!
I ran a 10 minute cool-down in the downtown area after the race to keep from getting too stiff. People told me to stop running because the race was over! ; )
My legs didn't feel heavy in the last few miles like they have in the past, but I was tired around mile 21. However, when I saw the "you only have 1.5 miles to go" sign, I felt okay about it, unlike last year when I really did not like that sign at all!
I only walked through water stops when I drank and ran up all of the hills.
They moved the porta-potties outside this year. I was afraid it would be too cold outside, but I was fine. I used them three times before the start (nerves!) and only had to wait in line once and that line only had three people in it! This was a huge improvement from previous years.
I beat last October's Maine marathon time by 5:35 minutes!

Mile 20-21 is Only a Few Blocks from Home, But I Kept Running!

To Improve:

I have a huge blister on the bottom of my right foot like the one I got after a recent long run. I felt it forming and then I think I felt it pop at mile 18. I just had to ignore the pain. It didn't feel bad the whole time, though - it just came and went. I Body Glided that area (and other places, too - no chafing today!) and wore my hot weather Drymax socks (maybe the blister protection on my old socks has stopped working because I've never had trouble with blisters until recently), but now I wish I'd worn my new padded Experia socks even though they say not to try anything new on race day. The good part is that I could have a lot of problems much worse than blisters, but I don't.
I had a cramp in my right foot like I did at the Kona marathon, but not as bad. I had to try not to wiggle my toes which seemed to make it worse.

Expo: Houston puts on a large expo. You can find anything you need: Body-glide, gels and shoes and clothes sometimes at a discount. Parking tip: I park on the street and use my credit card to pay at the self-pay machines ($1/hour).

My Garmin stopped, but the Houston marathon timekeepers got my splits, so no worries!

splits

Split	time of day	Time	Diff	min/mile	mile/h
5K	07:36:48AM	00:28:08	28:08	09:04	6.63
10K	08:04:59AM	00:56:20	28:12	09:04	6.62
15K	08:32:45AM	01:24:06	27:46	09:02	6.65
20K	09:00:02AM	01:51:22	27:16	08:58	6.70
HALF	09:06:14AM	01:57:35	06:13	08:59	6.69
25K	09:27:27AM	02:18:47	21:12	08:56	6.72
30K	09:55:25AM	02:46:46	27:59	08:57	6.71
35K	10:24:19AM	03:15:39	28:53	09:00	6.67
40K	10:53:16AM	03:44:36	28:57	09:03	6.64
Finish Net	11:05:49AM	03:57:09	12:33	09:03	6.64

Olympic Trials

2012-01-14T15:02:00.000-06:00

Today I walked over to the marathon and was so excited when I saw these three ladies who ran on to win the race. This is the 14 mile point at Shepherd & Memorial Drive.

Here are the lead men, in the 22nd mile, looking strong.

I've upped my carbs about 100 grams a day to 300 on Thursday, Friday and I'm working on the same for today: oats for breakfast, spaghetti for lunch. I read here that increasing carbs might be helpful and probably won't hurt.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow! My Houston marathon bib # is 7369 and I think I'll wear a turquoise top and black skirt.

Houston Marathon Expo

2012-01-14T07:25:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I was running my easy 4 mile run at Memorial Park when I saw a group of runners go by and I recognized Olympic hopeful Desiree Davila. I had to tell someone and telling my dog, who was with me, just wouldn't cut it so I stopped and called my husband.

I ran on and then, since, we were running on a loop, I saw her again and we smiled at each other. I ran two miles to the one mile that her group ran! I think I saw other elites, too, but she was the only one I can name without a doubt.

Amy and Tina at the Expo

Around 11AM I went to the Houston Marathon Expo. Standing just outside the convention center was an "Ask Me" volunteer who looked familiar so I asked her if she was ThatPinkGirl and she was, thankfully, 'cause she may have thought it was a funny question if she wasn't! She's running in the marathon on Sunday, like me, and training for a half Ironman, unlike me! Wow!

The expo was crowded early Friday morning so I can't imagine what it will be like today. At some places, I could hardly walk! I found good deals, though: ASICS GT-2160 shoes for $45 and ASICS shirts for $10.

I'm so excited that the Olympic Trials Marathon take place within walking distance from my home. If you see me and my Weimaraner and maybe my husband, too, come over and say hi! I'll be near Shepherd and Memorial around 9AM.

This and That

2012-01-09T19:26:00.000-06:00

This will be an easy training week since I'm running the Houston Marathon this Sunday. If you're running in the race, too, you may notice some orange paint on the trees in Memorial Park. Those are dead trees hit hard by the drought. They'll be cut down and new trees will be planted.
I recently had a blood test and learned that after taking 2000 IUs of vitamin D each day for a year, I'm where I should be. Found this interesting: Extra Vitamin D, esp. in the Winter by marathoner Camille Herron.
Normally, I use a chocolate milk powder added to milk, but today I used my immersion blender and mixed 1 cup milk, and 2 teaspoons each of Dutch-process cocoa powder and granulated sugar. I liked it.
Only 5 Days Left to the Olympic Trials Marathon! - Read how Jackie Dikos will be fueling for the marathon.
Weight Change During a 100-Mile Race- "It’s evident that we need to adjust the conventional thinking that our goal should be to maintain body weight during an endurance event."
Mastering the Art of Slow Blogging- "When you take off blogging at a sprint, posting daily or even three times per week, your idea generating and writing muscles can cramp up pretty quickly."

11 Miles & One '11 Memory

2012-01-06T11:36:00.001-06:00

I ran 11 miles today. I was hungry early into the run, in the third mile. That's unusual, but I only ate a Powerbar and a banana beforehand and I went to bed slightly hungry last night. So I went ahead and ate my very last mint chocolate gel (sniff, sniff). That's my favorite GU gel!

I ran home to get my dog for the last 5 miles and ran a marathon paced mile for the 10th mile. I didn't eat another gel or drink extra water on this hot day which might have something to do with a side ache in the last mile. After a short walk, the side ache went away. Average pace for 11 miles: 10:00.

Smile!

There's a very slight chance that we may go to Norway and Scotland like we did in March of '11. My husband needed to work there and I went along for fun. (See my Travel Page for posts and photos.)

On one of my walks in Aberdeen, I stopped to take a picture of the flowers. An elderly man stopped to offer to take a picture of me and the flowers. I gave him my camera and smiled. And I smiled. And I smiled! He had a little trouble with my camera and kept taking pictures until he was satisfied with one. Most of the photos looked like this one, but it's a fun travel memory!

I ran 2097 mostly fun-filled miles in 2011. Not every run is perfect, but most are good ones, so it's been fun! Some of the miles have been in training for the Houston Marathon which is getting closer! January 15 predicted weather is 47-60° & sunny. I'd like it a little cooler, but that's not bad!

18 Miles & Houston Pasta

2011-12-29T18:30:00.000-06:00

Only days ago I was hiking around the beautiful Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while wearing my warm coat and gloves. Quite a contrast from today! I ran around Memorial Park in a skirt and tank top. It was mostly sunny and 45-60°.

I ran 18 miles with a 9:10 average pace and ran the first 6 miles with my dog. I ran negative splits (I like the challenge) with a one mile cool down and ate a Powerbar gel at miles 5, 10 and 15, like I plan to at the Houston marathon in 2 weeks. Even though I was a little cold and even a little hot, I had a great run! Now, it's taper time!

Someone found my blog by searching for: 5 mile run with dog and chicken broth! I just can't figure out the connection of the dog and the broth (!), but speaking of food...

Pasta Brio (1/2 serving is $10)

Do you need pasta recommendations for your pre-Houston Marathon meal? There's Brio where I ate today, but it's a little far from the marathon course. There's an Olive Garden which is a little closer. There are a couple of OG's even closer, but the one at 9750 Katy Freeway (aka I-10) is in a good location (in front of Academy Sports and HEB grocery, in case you need anything) and I don't know about the others.

Even closer to the route, last year I ate pasta at Carabba's, where I usually order a half serving. There's also a Maggiano's on Post Oak, right on the marathon route. And last of all, there's a Spaghetti Warehouse, which might be good if you're on a budget, unless you can't find a parking space and have to pay for one! When I'm traveling for a race, where to eat is always a big unknown!

Garden of the Gods

2011-12-26T16:21:00.001-06:00

Fun = being in the snowy mountains, holding up the Balanced Rock.

I made a superquick trip to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (an hour south of Denver by car) for a fun little vacation. United Airlines bumped both my husband and I up to first class, thanks to lots of mileage points! Hello, big leather cushy seats!

I don't see a lot of deer so when I do, I take pictures. 22 pictures isn't too many, is it?!

We walked to the top of a mountain where we saw a runner just as I was thinking that it would be hard to run on the snowy, muddy trail. She ran off and left us in the dust, or mud, really. From the top, we could see the road (about the middle of the next photo) where our hike ended.

Today I ran 9 miles with 5 miles at about marathon pace at Memorial Park in Houston. Great run! It seems like there are more runners outside lately. Maybe everyone else is preparing for the Houston Marathon, too, or getting an early start on their resolutions.

16 Miles & PB GU

2011-12-23T14:09:00.000-06:00

Today I ran 16 miles (9:27/mi. ave.) with 4 "faster" miles (8:41/mi. ave.) towards the end in order to train my body to run faster when I'm tired. (I hope it's learning!) I hope to do a 20 mile run next week and then I'll start my two week taper. Today's 16 went by quickly. It's nice when you're enjoying your time out there and not counting down the miles, just dreaming of when you'll be finished.

I ate a GU gel at mile 5 and then at 10, too. I tried the new peanut butter GU today. It's good if you like slightly sweetened peanut butter, which I do. It tastes like PB with honey.

It was windy, cloudy and a little cool (50°) today so I was glad that I topped my short sleeved shirt with a long sleeved one so that I could change depending on how cool I was out there. I was comfortable in shorts. If you come to Houston for the marathon from a colder location, I think you'd burn up in anything more than shorts (unless a blizzard blows in), but I see runners bundled up all of the time when I'm in shorts and a tank, so what do I know?!

Recent running:

Thursday: off

Wednesday: 9 miles w/ 4 x 1200m (pace 7:54-8:14) w/ 2 min rest

Tuesday: 9 miles easy

Monday: 10 miles at 9:27 ave.

Sunday: off

Saturday: 24 miles. My blister is healing!

(I want to run 6 miles tomorrow for a total of 50 miles this week.)

Photo: Grand Canyon Trip (Nov. 2011) (Yeah, I'm still using photos from that trip. We took a bunch and they're better than a photo of my gel or my blister!)

Merry Christmas!

Longest Run: 24 Miles

2011-12-17T16:08:00.000-06:00

Hawaii/California Trip in June/July 2011

I completed the longest training run I've ever done today: 24 miles. I ran 23 miles once before and I think that helped me in the later miles at the Kona Marathon.

When I started my run today, I hoped to run at least 16, but I brought enough GU for a longer run (24 miles). At mile 3, I wasn't so sure I'd be running long. At mile 11, I was fairly sure that I'd be able to run long today. Miles 20-21 were fast and hard (but the whole run was great, really!) since it was towards the end of the run, but I knew I only had two of those miles and then - cool-down miles with my Weimaraner!

Here's the plan in simple terms: run slowly, fast, faster, slow, fast and slow (I added a cool-down). I didn't run quite as fast as I'd like (I'm blaming the wind! Mostly!), but it was fun trying to run different paces throughout the run and it made the run go by quickly. I read about the long run plan at Competitor.com.

A long run that we use here in marathon prep as a fitness booster and a fitness indicator is a long run of 6 miles, to start, that are run very slowly—a minute to a minute and 15 seconds per mile slower than marathon pace. From mile 6 to 12, run 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than whatever your goal marathon pace is. So it’s going to feel fairly hard, but it’s still in control for you. Then the next 6 miles should be at or perhaps even a hair faster than your goal marathon pace. That takes you from 12 to 18 miles. Then take one mile easy, where you run as slow or more slowly than you did the first 6 miles. And then you run 2 to 3 miles as hard as you can to finish, from miles 19 to 21 or 19 to 22.

Pre-run: 1 1/2 bagels with jam
During run: Water and Gu at mi. 5(choc. mint), 10(vanilla), 15(vanilla), 19(vanilla).
Post-run: chocolate milk, added peppermint
Average pace: 9:23
Weather: Nice! Cloudy to sunny. 50°+. Shorts today!

Unfortunately, now I have a blister on the bottom of my foot. (It doesn't seem to be from my shoes.) Have a tip for preventing blisters?

20 Miles & Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

2011-12-09T13:00:00.000-06:00

This chicken pot pie is one of my favorite meals to make. It only calls for a top crust, making it a little healthier, and if you use leftover chicken and vegetables, it comes together quickly.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Bake: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup vegetables (corn, peas, celery, carrots)
1 small potato, microwaved, peeled, chopped
cooking spray
1 refrigerated pie shell

Preheat oven to 400°.
Melt butter over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add chicken broth; cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
Stir in salt and pepper.
Stir in chicken and vegetables.
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9.5" pie pan or 11 x 7 baking dish.
Cover with pie pastry. Slit top.
Bake for 35 minutes, but once pie edges have browned (after about 15 minutes of baking), place pie crust protector or a ring of foil on pie crust edges to prevent burning.

I ran 20 miles today (9:21/mi. ave. pace) with some hills thrown in - because I'm mean! ; )

I started listening to music right away. Bad move! In the 15th mile, I was reminded of why that was a bad idea - it's something that I use to change things up when I'm tired during a long run.

So, I gave myself a change of scenery and ran in a different section of the park. That helped until I was on the other side of a long hill and I realized how very, very tired I was and that the best way back would be to run up the hill again - in my 17th mile!

When I finished, instead of some post-run cocoa, I had Borden's eggnog*. (Merry Christmas!) Once I was cleaned up, I ate some chicken pot pie.

*The first ingredient is skim milk. Win! Half of a cup is 240 calories. Lose! Sometimes, I splurge!

Grand Canyon Hiking & Running

2011-12-03T06:36:00.001-06:00

Greetings from the Grand Canyon! My husband and I vacationed for a couple of days there after visiting Zion National Park.

In the mornings, I got up and ran on the canyon rim trail. Most of my running has been hilly while on vacation, but hiking seems to work the soreness out. It was cold - in the 20's in the mornings, but I warmed up quickly. I took a very short run (.6 mile) on the steep Bright Angel Trail, just for fun. The most exciting part was seeing four elk on the rim trail when I was alone. I stopped running, called my husband on my cell phone to tell him how big they were and they slowly passed me by. Phew!

After I ran, we hiked for hours (perfect hiking weather) and took lots of rest breaks.

And just hung around the park!

This was one of my favorite parts of our hikes - close to the rim!

El Tovar Decorated for Christmas

We ended our vacation stargazing before turning in at the El Tovar Hotel, built in 1905. The floors were uneven. They felt funny to walk on first thing in the morning when you're kind of drowsy!

It was a fun vacation! I ran 15 miles yesterday here at home and five miles with my dog today. I'm running fewer miles than I had planned, but they're pain-free and I'm excited about running the marathon in January.

Zion Day 3

2011-11-26T21:00:00.001-06:00

Part of My Running Route in Springdale

Today was a really great day! It started with an 8.5 mile into Zion Nat'l Park on the Parus Trail and behind our B&B up a hill. I saw 10 deer and ran along a river with a view of the mountains. (Later, I saw eight more deer.) It felt colder today and I needed my gloves. In fact, I wore my gloves most of the day.

Crossing Taylor Creek

After warming up with some hot chocolate, we drove to Kolob Canyon in Zion and hiked up Taylor Creek Trail, a 5.1 mile hike round-trip.

Goofin' Off: Danger, Danger!

Wanted: Dry Feet!

One fun part about this hike is that you cross the creek many times, balancing on rocks. It was fun to see a bit of snow (not pictured) near the trail and a lot of snow on the nearby mountains.

Double Arch Alcove

After two hours, we made it to our destination and had lunch on a fallen tree trunk with a view of the alcove and the arch in the rock. My peanut butter and huckleberry jelly (like raspberry) sandwich on homemade bread from Zion Park Deli was the best!

The Best Lunch View: Double Arch

I did some trail running to warm my numb toes, but what helped most was getting out of the mountain shadow and into the sunshine.

This evening, we listened to some fiddlers and guitarists playing folk music, Irish and Scottish medleys and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing while enjoying hot apple cider and chocolate chip cookies. I'm counting my blessings, one of which is a healthy body. I traveled 13.6 miles by foot today!

Shoe Tree near Springdale, Utah

Last of all: something we saw today - a shoe tree. People do funny things!

Zion Day 2

2011-11-25T22:14:00.001-06:00

Grafton Ghost Town, Utah

This was a very good day, a very good day indeed!

I began my morning with a 5 mile run starting up the hill behind the B&B where we're staying just outside of Zion National Park. I saw two deer up close! Later on, we saw two foxes and more deer.

We drove to Grafton Ghost Town, a few miles from Zion and 150 years old, with a handful of buildings to look around.

Grafton Barn

View from Grafton

View on the Hike

After a short trip into St. George for lunch and unplanned outlet shopping, we hiked up to Upper Emerald Pool, a 3 mile hike, I think.

The pool was clear enough to see to the bottom.

We walked under the water spilling off the boulders and got sprinkled on and finished the day with some soup and salad at the Zion Lodge restaurant. I can't believe how many stars you can see in the sky here - amazing!

Zion National Park

2011-11-24T21:11:00.001-06:00

Hidden Canyon Trail in Zion National Park

I'm on a road trip! First stop: Zion National Park in southern Utah, a 25 hour drive from Houston. We're staying in Springdale (just outside the park) at the Novel House B&B where each room is decorated to remind you of an author. Our room reminds us of our trip to Scotland, where Treasure Island author R.L.Stevenson was born, and has a view of the gorgeous mountains.

Beautiful Zion

I ran 5 fun miles early this morning into the park and saw 6 deer during my run and many more later. The elevation makes running a little more difficult, but it was great to run in the cold (about 35 rather than 70 degrees like it has been at home). The early sunlight on the mountains - gorgeous!

Don't Look Down!

After my run and a berry pancake breakfast, my husband and I hiked the Hidden Canyon trail. After hiking up the mountain with views of Angel's Landing, where we hiked on our last trip to Zion about eight years ago, we entered the Hidden Canyon.

Arch!

Rock Climbing!

I don't know how many times I thought I'd have to turn around on the unmaintained part of the trail. This was one of them. I wouldn't have minded a chain to hold onto here.

Climbing Up Tree Trunks and Rocks

This was another one of about a handful of tough sections. And, of course, what you climb up, you must climb down which was usually more difficult.

We Made It This Far

I tried climbing the rocks here, but just couldn't make it so it was our turn-around point. Finishing the five hour hike with the challenging sections was an adventure and the views were breath taking!

Running with My Dog

2011-11-19T09:31:00.001-06:00

My Running Buddy, Zoe, the Weimaraner

I was so happy to finish today's three mile run pain-free! I haven't been able to run much for the last two weeks and I've missed it.

Recent runs:
11/4: 10 miles. My ankle felt painfully tight, as though a rubber band was tied around it. It hurt to flex my toes toward my knee. This happened last year, too, but went away quickly.
11/7: .31 mile. I walked home when my ankle hurt.
11/10: .15 mile on the treadmill. I stopped when it hurt.
11/14: I ran 5.56 miles, until my ankle hurt.

Since the Maine marathon on October 2, I've run one 18 miler. With only 8 weeks until the Houston marathon, I'm wondering how few miles I can run to prepare for it. I hope I'll be able to run two more long runs before the marathon.

I ran with Zoe today. To train her not to pull on the Gentle Leader leash, I tell her, "Zoe, slow" and give a quick pull on the leash. She's had a summer running break, but after a couple of reminder runs, she usually improves. At least we don't step on each other's feet anymore!

Apple No-Bake Cookie Recipe

2011-11-11T19:00:00.000-06:00

I've had a little extra time, since I've needed to rest my sore ankle the last few days, so I played around in the kitchen and made these copy-cat Apple Pie Larabars - my favorite flavor of the Larabars. These are really good, but they're sticky. (Update: After chilling, they aren't as sticky.) I found the base for this and many more flavors at Enlightened Cooking.

1/4 cup dates (about 7 dates)
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup apples
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Using a food processor, puree dates, walnuts and raisins. Chop the apples into small pieces in the processor. Stir in cinnamon. Roll into balls. (I made 6 two inch cookies.) Refrigerate.

I saw a recipe for bagels and a yummy sounding apple tart in Cooking Light. Since I've been running less, I've been baking more which has been fun (but I still miss running). I tried to run this week, but ended up walking home because my ankle hurt (maybe from too many miles or twisting my ankle on the trail?). On the way home, a neighbor gave me a pumpkin which now decorates my porch for Thanksgiving. That's when I'll be making pumpkin pie. Yum!

Trails & TM

2011-11-04T14:52:00.001-05:00

Houston's Memorial Park Bike Trail

Monday (10/31): I ran 11 miles. After doing hillwork on the park bridge, my husband showed up on his bike (we live just a few blocks from the park) and we went over to the park bike trails, my favorite local place to run.

I hopped over roots and around trees where the trail is narrow, finding the best place to plant my feet and looking out for branches. My husband said I run the trails faster than I bike them. That's sounds bad for my biking ability, but good for my running.

Tuesday: 8 miles on the treadmill (TM) because it was dark outside. Need treadmill motivation? Read Train for a Marathon Indoors.

Wednesday: 11 miles back at the park on the mostly flat trail, as usual. I was tired the second half, maybe because it was a warm 70°. Happiness is pulling out your Fig Newton cookies and finding them in one piece!

Thursday: Easy 5 miles on the TM before heading to the doctor for my annual exam - 2 1/2 vials of blood taken. We'll see if upping my vitamin D intake to 2000 a day helped. (Update: I don't feel any different, but my test results are good so taking extra D has been helpful.)

Friday(today): 42°! Loved that, but I shortened my long run to just 10 miles - my ankle felt funny. It's probably nothing, but I'm icing it.

Great 18 Mile Run

2011-10-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

A Pretty Bar Harbor, Maine Restaurant (seen on recent trip)

Today I had a primary goal: run 18 miles. I did that!

I also had a secondary goal: run 6 miles at marathon pace just before my cool-down mile. That's the part that I wasn't so sure about.

It was very windy and I was averaging a 10 minute pace until mile 11. Then I jumped on the Memorial Park track thinking that it would be easier to fight the wind in short spurts rather than running into it for a mile or so at a time.

My goal was 8:47 pace or better for 6 miles and I averaged 8:41. It's only a 1/4 mile track and I ran around and around it 23 times! (I ran 1/4 mile off the track.) Finishing those 6 miles felt great because it was a tough workout that I wasn't sure that I could finish.

Today I ate three vanilla Gu gels. Just for fun, I've been experimenting with eating raisins (1/4 cup) or Fig Newtons (2 cookies) in place of a gel packet while running. They work fine. Have you eaten regular food during your runs?

15 Miler & Apple Crumble for 2

2011-10-21T14:58:00.001-05:00

Maine Marathon Start 10/2/11

I ran 15 miles today. At first, it was cool outside and I didn't have any problems, but after almost two hours, it was warmer and the running got harder so I turned on some music and stopped more often at the water fountains. It's great to be adding on the miles in preparation for the marathon.

Mile 13 seemed to go on forever, but when I figured out that I was almost done, I felt a lot better and picked up the pace for a mile. And then came the lovely, slow cool-down mile, and not too soon!

Temperature: 63-70° F
Running Fuel: (pre-run) Gatorade, bagel with honey; (during) 6 shot bloks; (post-run) chocolate milk
Mile Splits: 9:40, 9:31, 9:05, 8:50, 8:28, 8:53, 9:03, 8:50, 8:55, 8:44, 8:56, 8:54, 9:56, 9:19, 9:58; Average Pace: 9:09/mile

Apple Crumble for Two
I bought some extra apples so that I could make Apple Crumble for Two (Cooking Light recipe) and I really like it. Orange juice sweetens the apples. The recipe makes two small bowlfuls and I ate one already. This is so good that I don't know if I'll be able to save the second bowlful for my husband!

Ingredients

For apple mixture:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups diced, peeled Granny Smith apple
1 tablespoon raisins
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chilled butter
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, apple, raisins, all juice and cinnamon, tossing well. Divide apple mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray.
In the same bowl that you used to make the apple mixture, combine flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over apples. (If you like topping, you might want to double the topping.)
Set on cookie sheet to make transfer easy. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

My Crazy Scale

2011-10-19T12:14:00.001-05:00

Blue Bench in Bar Harbor, Maine (Much prettier than my scale!)

Oh, the scale... The number goes up. The number comes down. And life goes on. It's not a big deal. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind losing a couple of pounds.

A few days ago, I stepped on the scale and I was finally at my goal weight. After chowing down on cake for a couple of days, it didn't make sense, but I wasn't going to argue with my scale.

A couple of days later, my husband asked me about my weight. I told him that I gained 4 pounds overnight. That seemed high and I carried on and on about how much my weight fluctuates when he finally, finally told me that he'd played with the scale this week, bumping it down a bit and then up four pounds. Are you kidding me? No!

I should have known better - he loves to tease me. The good part is that he's always making me laugh, usually at him, but sometimes at myself, and this time was no different.

I'll tell you one thing - I checked the scale for accuracy before I stepped on it this morning. I'm over my goal weight by a couple of pounds. That's okay, though, maybe he figured out a sneaky way to adjust the scale again.

Next Post: Revenge of the Wife

Not really! : )

Recent workouts:
11/17: 10 miles with 4 miles of hills (preparing for overpasses and underpasses in Houston Marathon)
11/18: 4 easy miles
11/19: 9 miles with 4 miles @ 10 Mile-1/2 Marathon Pace (Thanks to cool temps, I averaged 8:14 pace!)

Air Show and 13.1 Miles

2011-10-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

Canadian Forces Snowbirds

When my husband suggested that we go to the Houston air show today, I had no idea that it would be such a fun day. The pilots did fly-bys with breath taking head-on passes. A helicopter flew upside-down and people sky-dived from a plane, too. It was amazing!

The Maine Marathon was 13 days ago. Now I'm training for the Houston Marathon in January and I'm running more miles than usual after a marathon. You never know just how far you can push yourself until you try. The first week after the marathon, I walked a lot and I ran 4 miles. This week, I ran 35 miles.

4 Planes Oh-So-Close To Each Other

Before I started yesterday's run, I wasn't sure if I'd do a short run or a longer 13 miler. I wanted to play it by ear and see how I felt. After 6 miles, I decided it was a long run day because I felt great so I took a Gu gel and continued running. During the middle 9 miles, I averaged a 9:28/mile pace, thanks to the cooler temperature of 61-68.

I still felt great when I neared the finish and since I only needed to run a little more to run a half marathon, that's what I did... I ran a half marathon yesterday!

Mt. Desert Island Drive

2011-10-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Somes Sound Area

Since it was rainy on our second day on Mt. Desert Island (north of Portland, Maine), rather than ride bikes on the carriage roads (roads closed to motor traffic) like we planned, we took a drive across the island and down to the coast with Bass Harbor lighthouse our target.

Follow Me Down the Must-do Path

When we got there, we took a short walk down to the light house. That walk takes you right up to the lighthouse for a close look. Then we saw this other path to the side of the parking lot. If you visit this lighthouse, take this path!

Go down these steps. (See the water?)

And these granite steps, too.

Because you can get a nice view of the lighthouse from this side with the trees and the water, too.

My Husband Jumping Over Rocks

And the rocks along the water are really something! I skipped the rock fun - not completely recovered from the marathon two days before. I could walk quickly and climbed up the steps without much trouble, but going down the steps was a little uncomfortable. But, worth it, of course!

Moss-covered Ground

Except for the rain, I can't think of a thing I'd change about our vacation. On the other hand, since Texas needs rain so badly, that's changed my perspective on rain. I appreciate it more. It makes Maine beautiful and green.

Driving By a River in Acadia Nat'l Park

On the way home, we flew into Newark, NJ, and saw New York City, the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty from the plane! So many firsts on this trip - our first trip to Maine!

Previous Post: 1st Day in Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor, Maine

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Blackwoods Trail in Acadia Nat'l Park

A couple of hours after finishing the Maine Marathon, my husband and I drove a few hours north to Bar Harbor, which is on Mt. Desert Island. When we got there, we ran through the rain to get ice cream at CJ's Big Dipper ice cream store where I had delicious soft-serve blueberry ice cream. Visiting Maine = eating lots of blueberries!

The next morning, we drove to Cadillac Mountain. It was interesting to see the fog roll in and out over the mountain. We walked a lot that day - probably good for my legs.

We could see down the mountain when the fog rolled out.

A pretty drive - water falling over the rocks. The sun came out!

We drove back to Bar Harbor and separated for maybe three minutes when I spotted my husband who bought ice cream without me. I caught up to him and he put a white bag into my hand, full of yummy fudge, both chocolate and blueberry cheesecake fudge, so I forgave him!

We ate fudge and ice cream and walked along a mile long path along the bay of Bar Harbor.

Seeing the woods meet the water - what a view!

Sunshine and flowers!

Later that day, we drove to Sand Beach. There were a lot of steps down to the beach. Walking down steps one day after a hilly marathon is painful and slow.

But it was worth it! We walked along the beach and back up the stairs, which was easier for me than going down.

We ended the day with dinner at Poor Boy's Gourmet. (Make reservations and go before 6PM to save $.) I had read the lobster was good there, but we had lobster earlier that day so we split some chicken fettuccine. It was a good ending to our first day in Bar Harbor.

Next Blog Post: Mt.Desert Island Drive

Maine Marathon Report

2011-10-07T00:02:00.001-05:00

Happy (and Exhausted) After Finishing My 11th Marathon

Welcome to the blog post in which I tell you everything you wanted to know about the Maine Marathon and more!

Race Date: October 2, 2011

Results: 4:02:44, 96th out of 401 females, 7th out of 46 in 45-49 age group, 13.1 mile gun time: 2:01:30. This was my 2nd fastest marathon, my 11th marathon and my 6th state.

Course: Portland and Falmouth, Maine. Beautiful woods and bays, nice houses, hills and lots of puddles. The uphills made me feel like my lungs would explode and on the downhills I kept thinking, "Don't fall!" - afraid of the slick, steep roads.

Weather: Most of the time when I trained this summer, by the time I neared the end of a long run, I slowed down because of the heat so I'm so glad that it stayed around 53 degrees for the race. I wore a trash bag for the first 3 miles. Just make mine a size 39 - gallons, that is! I didn't need my jacket (or my arm warmers and sun glasses in the pockets!), but I'm glad I wore a hat because it rained the whole time.

Only 19 More Miles To Go!

Volunteers: I'm so thankful for the volunteers. It was not a good day to volunteer. There was a group of teenage girls who helped me up a long hill by screaming their lungs out. We slapped hands. Another volunteer cheered me on and high fived me as I ran through the intersection where he directed traffic.

Spectators: There weren't a lot, but they made me smile.

Runners: We smiled at each other when we could see each other's faces on the out and back course. (A lot of smiling going on in this race!) I saw Joan Benoit Samuelson who ran the half in 1:25. A runner came up behind me in the 24th mile and said that he'd been trying to catch up to me for 20 miles and to keep running strong. I wanted to find him later to say thanks.

Fuel Pre-run: I increased my carbohydrates by 100-150 grams for three days before the race, trying not to increase calories, too, but I failed a bit. It takes planning. Race morning, I had a bagel and Gatorade. In the middle of the night, I woke up and drank Gatorade (unplanned).

Falmouth, Maine - Feeling Good at Mile 19 (9:04 Pace)!

Fuel During Race: Mostly, I kept to the plan: one cup of Gatorade Endurance at every stop (there were 14) and not when I ate a GU gel (2 vanilla, 2 Roctane) at miles 5, 11, 16 and 21 with water.

Post-marathon Food: My favorites: locally grown McIntosh apples, raisin oatmeal cookies and blueberry Greek yogurt. They also had pizza and Fig Newtons.

Expo: It was small. They had everything I needed except safety-pins in my packet. If you need some, try craft stores. Our race packet included yummy almond butter and snack bars that I ate while hiking later.

Done!

Unplanned Occurrences: We wore our bib sideways because of a mistake they made while attaching our timing strips to our bibs, but it didn't cause me any problems.

Because of the rain, I stayed in the car as long as possible before the start. When the race began, it was the first time I ran that morning and my shoes went clip, CLOP, clip, CLOP. I think my right shoe lace was loose. It didn't hurt, so I clip, CLOPPED the entire race!

There were quiet times when the marathon was like a training run though quiet woods. My Ipod shuffle didn't work right when I tried to listen to music so it was just me and my thoughts during the race, which was fine.

We had to stop for a fire truck. I almost stopped my Garmin, but then remembered that this wasn't a training run and that stopping it wouldn't give me a faster finish time. Later, I forgot to stop my watch at the finish line. Oops!

Post-race Stretch with Food Tents Behind Me - My Next Stop

What Went Well: Except for the hilly portions, I didn't slow down until the last 3 miles. Maybe it was the training miles at marathon pace or faster, the increase in carbs for 3 days, the gel plus Gatorade during the race, the cool weather or all of those factors that helped me to feel great for most of the race.

To Improve: I checked my average pace on my watch every once in a while and was happy to be near a 9:09 average pace (for a 4 hour finish) much of the way. The problem with that is that I always run longer than 26.2 during marathons so I need to factor that in next time. However, I'm really happy that this was my second fastest marathon. I hope that with more marathon paced miles in training and maybe even more carbs in the days before the race, I might be faster next time.

Race Shirt

Special Thanks to My Best Race Support: My husband took hundreds of pictures of me while standing in the cold rain and found me on the race route twice. At the finish, he treated me like a queen, carrying all my food and clothes, opening my bottle of milk and pointing out the best porta-potty - the large one! During this vacation to Maine, we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary!

Portland Press Herald article about the marathon

Quick Maine Marathon Recap Thanks to all for your great comments on that post!

Quick Maine Marathon Recap

2011-10-04T08:47:00.005-05:00

I Just Finished My 11th Marathon!

I had so much fun running this marathon! According to my husband, I looked very happy when I crossed the finish line. It was probably the best moment of the race!

I think my finish time was 4:02:44. (The marathon page says they’re working on corrections, whatever that means.) I started easier than usual and had more energy late in the race than I usually do.

There was constant rain, lots of hills, stopping for a fire truck and running in a trash bag for 3 miles!

My wifi is terrible at this hotel so I'll post details later.

Thank you for all of your encouraging comments and prayers! It means so much to know that people are rooting for me. : )

Full Maine Marathon Recap

Sideways Bibs, Please!

2011-10-01T20:14:00.002-05:00

Race Start on Day Before Race

I'm in Portland, Maine! I went to the expo today and picked up my bib. When you see my race pictures, don't laugh when you see me wearing my bib sideways. We're supposed to! Here's part of the email I received today:

This is going to sound like either a silly request or a practical joke, but we're making an urgent request to all participants to WEAR YOUR BIB TURNED SIDEWAYS. We've discovered a problem with the tags on the back of your bibs that could cause your tag not to be read when you cross the mats if you wear your bib the way your normally would.

Tomorrow we're all going to look funny, but at least we'll all look funny together! ; )

Hill on the Race Route

My husband and I drove the race route today. I'm glad we did. It took away some of the unknown about race day. I like seeing the different styles of houses, the woods and the water, too. I'm afraid of the hills, though. ; )

Carb loading went okay. I was able to eat at least 300 grams of carbs for 3 days - that's more than usual and I wasn't sure I could do it. I hope it helps.

Tomorrow is the day of the Maine Marathon! It will be hard, but it's supposed to be. Can't wait!

3 Days Until the Marathon

2011-09-29T12:18:00.000-05:00

Race Day Outfit and Gels

By the time the Maine Marathon rolls around on October 2, I'll have run 15 1/2 miles, spread out over 4 different runs this week. (5, 4.5, 3 and 3 miles)

Yesterday I ran 4 1/2 miles with 2 miles at race pace. It was humid and 77°. On race day, it may be 45-60° with a 40% chance of rain. The only thing that bothers me about the rain is the possibility of lightning.

I'm trying to eat at least 300 g. carbohydrates for 3 days and hoping my stomach won't rebel like it has before. If it does, I'll just go back to normal eating. Has carb loading worked for you or do you skip it?

Marathon goals (something old, something new):

Run a little slower than race pace in the first 3 miles. (something new)
Cross the finish line smiling.

Gotta run now - it's time for a bagel!

Texas Hill Country Run

2011-09-23T23:33:00.001-05:00

My husband and I rented a log cabin at Settlers Crossing Bed & Breakfast about 4 hours away from Houston in Fredericksburg. On the property, there were 7 houses to rent and animals, too: deer, goats, sheep, donkeys and Bob...

Bob Ran a Mile With Me

Besides running, I sat on the porch and read. I didn't get very far in my book, though - I had to keep checking for hummingbirds at the feeder and other animals that might wander by. We happened to be the only renters at the B & B and we loved how quiet it was there.

The log cabin was originally built in 1850 in Missouri.

Looking Down the Stairs

While there, I had time for a 12 mile run. I ran each mile faster than the last plus a cool-down mile. I stopped at the cabin for water and frozen fruit that tasted great and kept me going. It was cooler outside this morning - maybe 65 degrees.

All of the animals roamed freely. It was fun to keep an eye out for them when I ran on the one mile loop that was crushed gravel and asphalt.

The baby donkey let me pet him. That made him one of my favorites!

I saw about a dozen deer very early in the morning. The sheep just stared at me just like this as I ran by.

I didn't carry my camera on my run. All of the pictures were taken by my husband or the day before when we went on a walk.

I liked the small hills there. Here I am coming up the hill to get a drink.

This 12 miler was so much fun with all of the animals, easy hills and cooler weather. I wished I needed to run longer than 12 miles, but it was time to head home anyway. I hope we can go back someday.

While in Fredericksburg, we walked through the very small tourist town and stopped at a bakery for a yummy sweet German pretzel made up of a puff pastry, caramelized brown sugar, pecans, almonds and icing.

San Antonio

2011-09-21T19:37:00.001-05:00

There's nothing like going out of town to get your mind off taper time! I've run quite a few miles on the Grand Hyatt treadmills, complete with a great city view and a personal TV. I've learned something new from all of that TV: if you eat snacks with your "other" hand, you'll eat 30% less. I don't believe it, but I might try it sometime.

Our hotel room is on the 14th floor so my husband and I have a great view of the bright city lights. One night, we ate at Casa Rio and watched the Riverwalk boats full of people go by. I've walked a lot here - over to the Alamo and on the Riverwalk.

Usually when we go out of town, we go somewhere cooler so it seems like it should be cooler, but it's not. That's one reason I like running on the hotel treadmill. I'm glad I'm reading about cooler weather in so many places - it gives me hope!

My workouts so far this week: Monday: 8 miles w/4 fast miles with rests. Tuesday: 6 miles. Wednesday: 7 miles with strides. Only 1 1/2 weeks to go before the Maine marathon!

Marathon Taper

2011-09-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

... for the Maine Marathon. Here's what I did this week...

9/12: 8 miles with 4 faster miles.

9/13: 6 1/4 miles. Memorial Park workers are busy cutting down dead trees because of the drought. This week I watched 2 pine trees being cut down.

I ran with a cute white possum. I did hillwork on the park bridge and the possum ran out from the bushes and just ahead of me down the sidewalk and back into the bushes.

Source: wildlifeextra.com

9/14: 8 1/4 miles. After warming up, it was time to start running 5 x 600m, but I was so hot (77°) that I didn't expect much. When my 2nd 600m was faster than my first one, I thought it might be fun to make a game of it. I wondered if I could run each 600m faster than the previous one and I did.

9/15: 5 1/2 miles.

9/16: 15 miles. I ate a vanilla bean Gu gel at the 9.7 mile mark and brought 40 oz. of Gu Brew with me for my other fuel. I felt great today, but had to stop at the restroom, unusual for me. I drank too much today. I need to trust my thirst. I finished the run with a very heavy 10 ounces of Gu Brew left.

Probably because I started easy and very slowly sped up and because it was only 80°, rather than do the I'm-going-to-die-soon-shuffle at the end, I was able to speed up for 4 miles. Wouldn't it be great to do that during a marathon? In my dreams! And now there are only about 2 weeks of dreaming left until the marathon!

Unusual animal sightings this week: possum, raccoon, 2 deer. And I'm not even on vacation!

Top photo: Sequoia National Park Wildflowers July 2011 Vacation

20 Miles on My Treadmill & Pumpkin Smoothie

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

I watched Ryan Hall talk about taking risks on this video and he said he didn't like to think about what his splits will be when he runs the marathon, that it seemed impossible to him. That surprised and inspired me.

I ran 20 miles on the treadmill today. This was my second time to do this and unlike the first time, this time I knew I could do it. Experience helps! Here's how I did it:

change pace, sometimes faster feels easier (really!)
run some goal pace miles to build confidence (I ran 9 at goal pace)
practice race fueling; in my head, I ran from water stop to water stop
listen to music
have a mileage goal, don't even consider quitting
have a cold drink waiting for you when you finish, like a pumpkin smoothie

This was my 3rd 20 mile run during this training cycle as I prepare for the Maine Marathon on Oct.2. 1st Try (too hot), 1st 20 Miler (treadmill), 2nd 20 Miler (warm outside)

Pre-run: cinnamon raisin bagel and 12 oz Gatorade

During run: stops were about every 2 miles: 4 oz Gatorade or 8 oz water and a GU gel (vanilla bean at mile 9.7 and pineapple Roctane at 18.25)

Although I plan to take a second gel before the 18 mile point in the marathon (at 16.6), I didn't think I'd need to take it for a 20 miler. However, my stomach felt odd so I took it and then I felt better. Eating fewer gels is something new for me, but I've been trying it out on my treadmill runs.

I'm not usually hungry right after a long run, but I can always drink a smoothie. This pumpkin smoothie is just right for a warm fall day. To make my pumpkin smoothie, I blended:

3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon wheat germ
1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Makes about 1 1/2 cups and has 314 calories, 35 g carbohydrates, 16 g protein, 7 g fiber, 4 g fat. Substitute 1/2 Tb. white sugar for the syrup to cut 77 calories. Add half a banana for 45 g more carbs.

10 Miles

2011-09-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

Healthy Snack: Protein Packed Peanuts

I ran 4 x 1200 meters with 2 minute rests. My first 1200 was only a little faster than marathon pace (goal was 5K pace), but I ran the next two a few seconds faster. I started on a quiet path and ran the last 1200 on the crowded park loop where I finally got down to about 5K pace. The crowds made it feel like a fun race and my chocolate outrage GU tasted like chocolate frosting.

My cool down felt great, like a cool-down should. The humidity was down and the wind felt great so the weather was much better than what it's been all summer even if it was 80° today.

Science Daily posted an article that says runners drink too much during races and that the main cause of low sodium in runners is drinking too much water or sports drinks. Just drink to thirst - one tip you've probably heard before.

Long Run, Then Pizza

2011-09-02T22:29:00.000-05:00

Pizza & Jane Eyre Movie (now I want to read the book again)

It was another hot day, but it might be cooler next week. I ate 3 vanilla GU gels and stopped often for water during today's 16 mile run. I didn't need any salt tabs this week, but I did drink Gatorade before my longer runs.

I had a really good 11 mile run on Tuesday. I wonder if that hot run went better than usual because of my higher sodium GU Brew that I drank while I ran - no stopping needed because of the heat. I did stop when someone asked me where I got my running skirt, though!

I took a day off from running this week because my foot hurt when I flexed it. No problems today! I hope to do a short run tomorrow and that will give me a total of 50 miles for the week. Only about 4 more weeks until the Maine Marathon on October 2!

Update: I got the short run in on Saturday making this a 50 mile week.

Tracking Nutrition & Temps, Too

2011-08-29T12:44:00.002-05:00

To keep tabs on my protein and carbohydrate intake and more, I'm using My Fitness Pal. It has a lot of foods listed in the database, even GU and Powerbar energy gels, making it easy to use.

Just before my next marathon (Maine in 5 weeks!), I'd like to increase my carb intake, something I haven't worked on very hard before. I hope it helps! (Photo: yesterday's breakfast with homemade jam.)

I'm also tracking the heat index, length and pace of my runs for Greg McMillan's heat index project. He's working on a new version of the McMillan Running Calculator to include information for running in the humidity. I can't wait to use it.

Today I ran 8.3 easy-paced miles. After my run, I cooled off with chocolate milk and frozen banana pieces that practically froze my mouth - just what I needed after another hot run!

20 Miles: Good Stuff

2011-08-26T19:59:00.001-05:00

Today's goal was to run 20 miles - my second 20 miler in this training cycle.

Good stuff I did on this hot day:

Drank lots of water: There's so much talk about hyponatremia floating around that I worry more about that than dehydration, but once I started drinking as much as I wanted, I felt better.
Found the shade: Sometimes this meant running back and forth on a .35 mile trail, but who cares if I saw the same blue jay eight times?!
Took breaks in a cool place: The air-conditioned park restroom was cool so I ate my four gels there and drank water just outside at the refrigerated water fountain. It may sound like a funny place to take a break, but I wasn't the only one who did that!
Drank cold water often: Sometimes I ran only a mile away from the fountain and then back. I have a fuel belt and a Camelbak pack, but I wanted to run with a lighter load today.
Didn't worry about my pace: Running in the heat and humidity slows me down.

Thanks, Skinny Cow, for the photo and for tasting so good, too!

Miles Completed: 20. Very happy to have finished my second 20 miler in this training cycle. (I ran the first 20 miler on the treadmill.)

Temperature: 78-91°

Felt-like: 80-95°

Average pace: 10:41

I was so happy to run in the much-needed rain yesterday, but I had my eyes out for the coyote that was seen at the end of my street who bit a small dog, probably thinking it was a rabbit, I guess. Don't worry - the dog got away. Here's a video of the news story.

And now it's time for an ice cream break!

8 x 800 meters

2011-08-22T17:47:00.001-05:00

Surprisingly, I had a pretty good run today - outside! Two weeks ago I was too hot to finish my 20 miler. After that, I stuck to the treadmill for hard runs.

Today I ran 10 miles with 8x800m run at 3:57, 3:58, 4:05, 4:06, 4:01, 4:20, 4:36, and 4:25 minutes. I'm okay with the slow-down - I'm focusing on effort because it's hot (the feels-like temperature rose from 83° to 88°). I'm glad I record my workouts - it helps to know that I did the same workout on the treadmill recently, but slightly faster and without a slow-down.

It was great to run outside. Knowing that I finished a hard 10 mile run outside made me feel great. That's one of the perks of running. And all I really needed for this feeling of accomplishment was a pair of running shoes.

Pre-run: bagel, banana, Gatorade, salt tab (No cramps today!)
During: Gu gel at mile 4.5, salt tabs at miles 4.5 and 7, water
Post-run: chocolate milk and more ice water than usual (Thirsty!)

This & That

2011-08-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

New Trail at Memorial Park Where I Run

Today I ran 13 miles on my treadmill with 10 miles at goal marathon pace. Maybe it felt like a 6-7 on a scale of 10. It was a fine run except that I wanted it to feel easier. ; )

Today's post-run drink: Jillian Michael Whey Protein (vanilla) mixed with milk - tastes good! But when mixed with water, I don't like it. I got this for about $6.50 when I used a $3 coupon from the All You magazine sold at Walmart. (All You August Coupon List)

Run negative splits... Liliya Shobukhova, 33, has a chance to become the first athlete to win the Bank of America Chicago Marathon three years in a row. She says, "In my training, I always try to run the second half faster than the first half."

Build A Customized Workout Video - I easily set a workout up for myself and will try it out soon. (Must register.)

Kind of interesting... The average male marathon finishing time is four hours and 29 minutes and the average female marathon finishing time is four hours and 59 minutes. (Source)

Pohnpei, Micronesia, in the South Pacific, is the most humid location in the world and has a relative humidity of 90 percent in the morning and 79 in the afternoon. Houston, by comparison, has 90 percent and 62. (Source)

I keep reading that bloggers need an About Me page so I added one at the top of my blog - just a little running history.

Tempo Time

2011-08-15T11:07:00.006-05:00

The Goal: Cross the Finish Line Smiling

Today's tempo workout:

Miles 1-2: slowly worked up to 9:01/mile pace
Miles 3-10: 8:19 pace (used the McMillan calculator to find tempo pace)
Mile 11: easy pace

Ten days ago, I ran 6 miles at tempo pace so I wanted to try to increase the tempo miles today. The treadmill works great for tempo runs, keeping me at a steady pace when I wanted to slow down in the last 1/2 mile. (Treadmill Pace Chart)

It seems like there are many variations of tempo runs. Have you run a tempo run lately? How did you run yours?

Know Your Tempo by Mario Fraioli

What Exactly is a Tempo Run? by Kevin Beck

20 Miles on My Treadmill!

2011-08-12T14:40:00.004-05:00

Today's goal: run 20 miles on my treadmill with a fast finish. This might be the longest treadmill run I've ever completed.

Stopping for a drink or gel at the same locations as the Maine marathon water stops gave me something to look forward to. Listening to music helped, too. I counted my steps. I was running at 180 steps a minute - some say that's a good thing. Some say it doesn't matter! By the 14th mile, I was getting excited - I was going to finish!

20 Mile Run! (Calories?! Must have passed the 999 mark!)

Mile 1: Ran 5-6mph. 1% incline for the workout. (Warming up.)
Mile 2-13: 9:34/mile pace. 6.2mph (Nice and easy. Could talk.)
Mile 14: 9:17/mi pace. 6.4mph (Speeding up felt fine.)
Mile 15-18: (How about a little faster?) 9:01/mi pace. 6.6mph
Mile 19-20: (Now, go!) 8:45/mi pace w/last 1/4 mile at 8:32/mi pace. 6.8-7mph

Running 20 miles on the treadmill wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was a little boring and in the early miles I wondered if I could finish, but I felt pretty good during the run, much better than I would if I'd tried this outside today.

Pre-run: Powerbar Performance Apple Crisp bar, 1/2 banana, Gatorade, water

During: Powerbar green apple gel at mile 9.7 (with water) and 4 oz. Gatorade at other stops which were about 2 miles apart

Post-run: Cherry Smoothie (cherries, milk, yogurt)

Wednesday I ran 9 miles on the treadmill and ate watermelon Gu Chomps. They're good, but cut a slit in the package if you take them on a sweaty run. I ran 1/2 mile intervals at 5% and 8% incline with a 2% incline rest in between the steep hills - preparing for the few hills I've heard about on the Maine marathon route.

The Marathon Long Run by Scott McMillan
Marathon Week Countdown - Creating a Fueling Plan by Jackie Dikos

Happy running!

Beat by the Heat

2011-08-08T11:07:00.003-05:00

New Water Fountain

I was all set for a 20 mile run today: 15 outside and 5 on the treadmill if it was too hot outside. The first few miles of my run were fun. I saw an armadillo, rabbits and a cardinal. My husband waved to me from across the street where he was running over on the loop. I was running on the outer trail where they put in a new water fountain: a good addition.

Just after the 9 mile mark, I was hot and had to stop in the shade. I saw my husband and walked the mile home with him thinking I'd run on my treadmill once I got home because I felt better already.

Close to home, I felt light-headed and sick to my stomach, though. I haven't felt bad like that since finishing the warm Kona Marathon. My husband carried my fuel belt - it felt so heavy for me then. I went inside and put my head down. Soon, I felt better.

I don't feel too bad about not getting my 20 miles done. At least I got in 9 and I'm glad that my husband happened to be there, too. I hope to get my 20 miles done later this week - on the treadmill probably. That might be kind of tough, but better than running in the heat.

Pre-run: peanut butter Performance Energy Powerbar

During: boysenberry pomegranate Gu Brew, raspberry cream Powerbar gel (great taste), both high in sodium

Temperature: 80-84, heat index of 85-93°

Splits: 10:02, 9:43, 9:44, 9:33, 9:09, 9:33, 10:12 (not feeling so good), 10:27, 10:13, and .24mi @ 10:26

Pace: 9:52/mi average

Miles: 9.24

Location: Houston's Memorial Park

I Actually Like My Treadmill

2011-08-05T12:09:00.006-05:00

...Because it's so hot outside! I do miss seeing nature (or most of it) and sometimes it's boring (unless you're just trying not to fall off), but compared to running outside in the blazing heat, it's wonderful!

Since I wanted to get in a little speed this week (nearly impossible outside lately), I ran on the treadmill Wednesday. I ran 8 x 800m with 400m rests during my 8 mile run. I ran most of the intervals in 3:50 - just under 4 minutes. I tried to run faster, but I thought I was going to fall right off my treadmill. That workout went by quickly.

Yesterday, I ran 7 easy miles outside and saw a dead cottontail rabbit. My hand went involuntarily to my mouth. Turned out okay, for me at least, I didn't lose my Cheerios - not nearly as shocking as the time I saw the python or boa at Sugar Land Memorial Park. Now that was an exciting run!

Here's how I fueled for today's run: I ate toast before the run and tried my first Honey Stinger waffle today after running 3 miles. (The waffle was free with a gift card.) The waffle was very crumbly and I lost some of it on my treadmill - too bad because it tasted great, like a cookie. After the run, I drank vanilla flavored Carnation milk (tastes good, 5g protein, more nutrition facts here) with a banana.

I ran 9 miles on the treadmill. I worked up to 9:09/mile pace in the first two miles, very slowly so that it always felt easy to increase the pace. Then I ran 8:32 pace for 5 miles and 7:59 pace for one mile - counting down each quarter mile in the last mile to make it through. I cooled down with an easy mile. I couldn't have done that workout outside today - too hot!

16 Miles with Nathan Hydration Belt

2011-08-01T12:57:00.013-05:00

I have a new hydration/fuel belt - the Nathan Trail Mix. The bottles hold 40 ounces and the belt has a large enclosure that has 3 pockets that are nice and big - one pocket closes with velcro and the other two are in a zippered section. The belt was comfortable on my long run. For more details, here's a comparison review.

Today I drank 8 oz. of blueberry pomegranate Gu Electrolyte Brew (high sodium - 245 mg.) at miles 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Then I ate a mandarin orange with caffeine Gu gel at mile 12 - tastes good and tangy. I drank water at miles 12 and 14. No stomach cramps today! (I had cramps during last week's 13 mile run.)

I was running along and heard a dog barking. It was so loud that long before I arrived to see what the racket was about, I was looking to see what the problem was and then I saw a dog barking towards a porta-potty, wanting his owner to come out. If that person has a blog, they'll have a funny story to write about today. ; )

Only two low points today: I felt really warm in a windless section of the run at the 2 mile mark and wondered why I wanted to quit already, but told myself to make it to 3 and then forgot about it. Later, at the halfway point, I wasn't sure I could run another hot 8 miles - just one of those random negative thoughts that pop up when you're hot.

A Look Inside One Pocket

The temperature rose from 78 to 87°. I took it easy and finished the LSD 16 miler as planned. I even ran the first and last miles at the very same pace - 10:33 with a 10:36/mile average pace for the run. Most of all, I'm glad I got through the run without stomach cramps.

The Training Continues

2011-07-29T10:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I ran 6 miles in new shoes and got in some hillwork, too. Whenever I get new shoes, I like to do my first few runs on the treadmill in case there's a problem with my shoes and I need to return them.

I ran for a mile at 1% and then a mile at 2%. Then I increased the elevation to 5 for a 1/2 mile, back to 2 for a 1/2 mile, up to 8 for a 1/2 mile, back to 2 for a 1/2 mile, up to 5 for a 1/2 mile, back to 2 for a 1/2 mile and down to 1 for a mile. In the last mile, I ran at marathon pace for a 1/2 mile just for fun. So I went up, up, up and then I came down, pretty much! Here's where I found the hill workout.

The second time I ran at 5% I noticed how much I was pumping my arms and was glad that I've been doing arm exercises. And increasing to 8%? If you want time to slow down, practically stop really, increase your treadmill elevation to 8! I think that's the steepest I've ever set my treadmill. After the hills, the 1% cool-down felt like I was running downhill!

New Asics Gel 3020 Shoes

I liked how comfortable the Asics Gel 3020 felt. I got 10% off using the coupon code "gottarunnow' at RunningWarehouse.com which you can use, too.

It was a nice break from the heat to run inside on the treadmill, but I like running outside the most. Today I ran 8 miles outside. When I finished, the feels-like temperature was 95°! No wonder my dog liked those breaks we took so much. I'm glad that I took plenty of cool water and ran mostly in the shade.

Only about 9 weeks until the Maine Marathon!

13 Miles - Done!

2011-07-27T13:31:00.009-05:00

Sunset in Spring, Texas (north of Houston)

Yesterday's long run goal was to run the last 3 miles hard. I ended up running the last 3 1/2 miles hard.

I had stomach cramps for about 3 miles so I took a salt caplet (Succeed S Caps) at miles 4 and 7 and they finally went away. I tried to drink some salty water before the run, but that tasted terrible even when I added a flavored drink.

Update: Or maybe I had cramps for some other reason. I just read about soldiers who successfully marched in the heat for about 4 hours despite only drinking water in Extreme Heat, Dehydration and Sodium Balance.

After 10 miles, I was back at home and picked up my speedy dog to run the last 3 miles with me. She helped me to keep running fast (fast is her favorite speed) until we both got tired in the last 1/2 mile. I'll just call that my cool-down!

Except for those minor stomach cramps, I felt good on my run. I did take a few breaks. I'm sure that helped.

Start: 78° w/90% humidity.

End: 83° w/90% humidity. Felt like 90°.

Mile splits: 10:19, 10:18, 10:20, 10:20, 10:24, 10:24, 10:01, 9:37, 9:36, 9:13, 8:40, 9:00, 9:21/mile. Ave.Pace: 9:49/mile.

Fuel: 3 vanilla Gu gels and 2 strawberry Clif Bloks - both taste great. I'm experimenting with taking in more fuel after reading How to Create Your Marathon Nutrition Plan.

I took gels at miles 3, 7.5 and 11.5 because that's when the water stops come up at the Maine Marathon in Portland and I just signed up for that marathon!

I've never been to Maine. My husband and I look forward to seeing the fall colors, staying in Bar Harbor on Mt. Desert Island and hiking in Acadia National Park. I can't wait to run 26.2 miles on October 2 in cool weather!

7 Miles in the Heat

2011-07-22T10:48:00.001-05:00

Today's 7 mile run was a good one even though it's still hot here in Houston. I felt good the whole time! I think I had a combination of things work for me today:

Cold drinks are great! I froze some blueberry pomegranate Gu Brew in my water bottles last night. I don't usually eat or drink anything besides water on runs that are 7 miles or less, but I've noticed in the last couple of weeks that I feel better when I do. I think it's because of the heat.

Today's Fuel: Gu Brew (no Chomps today, though)

A change of place: I did a bridge hillwork run rather than run on the usual three mile loop. I ran to the bridge (where the purple flowers grow) and did hillwork (up fast, down easy). I ran on the hill near the bridge, too, which makes it more interesting so my mind was on the run, not the sun. On the way home, I was in the shade and compared to the sunny bridge, it felt almost cool even though it was probably at least 80°.
I'm a little farther out from the Kona Marathon (June 26) and have been running about two weeks now. Sometimes a little time makes all the difference.

After running, I stretched and did some weight work and other exercises (with a swiss ball or my body weight). My goal is to do weights/other exercises three times a week. So far, 2 weeks of 3 times a week exercises: done!

Ran 10 in the Rain

2011-07-19T14:27:00.001-05:00

I was all set to run a 10 mile progression run - start out slowly, finish faster. I failed at picking up the pace, but I did complete the 10 miles. : ) The humidity rose from 80 to 86 and the temperature was around 80°. My fastest miles were miles 1 and 6. Ugh!

I guess I should stick to the flat trail or the treadmill in my air-conditioned house the next time I care about my splits. Either that, or just be glad for the hard workout that will prepare me for a race with very easy hills. Very easy!

If I'd run inside, though, I would have missed the rain. It rained the last two miles of my run. I liked the rainy smell and seeing that a lot of people just kept running even in the rain.

And now my long run of the week is done and I've rewarded myself already - half of a cupcake. I ate the first half Saturday and saved the rest just for today. (Follow @Sprinkles on Twitter for free cupcakes!)

And since I'm not quite done talking about our recent vacation to Hawaii, how about a fish picture? Snorkeling was one of the best things I did while on vacation in Hawaii - right up there with running the Kona Marathon. It was a little hard to aim the disposable camera and swim at the same time, but I'm glad that my husband shot this one of my favorite fish - it's bright pink, blue and green.

Running Fuel & Thick Yogurt

2011-07-15T12:33:00.006-05:00

I had a $10 gift card for Sports Authority so I dropped in and picked up some new running fuel. I've eaten gels and chomps but I think the flavors are new for me and I've never had a waffle on a run.

Just before my vacation, GU sent me a package of Chomps and Brew out of the blue. So nice! I drank the peach tea Brew, included in the package, before running the Kona marathon, wanting to hydrate, but not only with water. I took an empty bottle of water through security at the airport (TSA okayed it). Later, I dropped in a Brew tablet and filled up at the fountain. This worked out well and it was a nice change from water.

Last weekend at Memorial Park, the Kind bar makers were handing out Kind bars. Whenever I ran by, they gave me a bar! Kind! ; ) I'd never had these before. I saw at their site that they have lots of flavors. Mine tasted like dates, almonds and cashews (the first three ingredients) and it was good - I ate one for dessert!

I made Greek-style yogurt yesterday after seeing a tweet from Cooking Light. Into my sifter (my only steel strainer) I put a paper towel and a few spoonfuls of low-fat vanilla yogurt and about eight hours later, the yogurt was thick - like Greek yogurt and good, but I don't like the idea of straining out the whey, which is what I did. I didn't think much about it before making it - just excited to experiment with the yogurt, I guess.

I'm working on building my mileage up again after running the Kona marathon. I ran 6 miles this morning. The temperature and the humidity were both in the 80's when I ran. Still, I'm looking forward to more miles. I like longer runs. And then I'll get to try out all of my new food!

California Mountains

2011-07-10T12:36:00.002-05:00

We flew from Hawaii to California and stayed in the mountains in Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks. I saw 6 bears, many deer, 1 marmot and heard one rattlesnake which I didn't didn't get close enough to see - and that was okay with me!

To live in a little mountain cabin with my husband - maybe one a little more updated than this one, but to live under the huge trees with a creek nearby- my dream!

I'd have to get used to seeing wild animals, though. The first bear that we saw was near the General Sherman Tree, the world's largest tree by volume. A boy had been sitting with his back to the bear and turned around, saw the bear and ran. When the bear saw the boy run, he ran, too, in the opposite direction. Phew!

Mother Bear and Two Cubs

We really liked staying at the Wuksachi Lodge. I could hardly step outside without seeing a wild animal. We saw this huge bear when we came back from a hike. He chased 3 deer down the mountain and one of them ran just a few feet behind us so that we were between the bear and the deer - not so good!

We saw a smaller bear later. When a deer came bounding down the hill, the bear was scared by the noise and ran - from the deer!

One morning, I stepped outside on the deck and a deer surprised me. The animals didn't seem scared of people - just looked at us and went along with their business.

I did a little hillwork - my first run since the Kona Marathon. It felt good to run (slowly!), but the elevation made it hard - about 7600'. Uphill was hard, but downhill was fun!

A Log in the Sequoias

We're home now. I like the smell of pine needles at Memorial Park when I run - a reminder of the mountains.

Snorkeling & Eating in Hawaii

2011-07-04T01:50:00.001-05:00

More snorkeling today! This time we drove up to Turtle Bay Resort where there is a public beach. I saw even more fish than the last time I snorkeled - fish of all colors and shapes, even a sea animal that looked like blue silly string. The fish weren't very shy and swam close to me. It was like swimming in an aquarium!

My husband and I stopped at the Dole Plantation on the way back to Honolulu and saw these ruby red pineapples.

Time for a 4th of July parade at Waikiki Beach!

Last night, my husband and I shared 3 pancakes and only ate about 1/4 of the pancakes. Notice the size of my husband's hand compared to the pancakes! If one person eats the whole plate of pancakes in 90 minutes at the restaurant Mac 24/7, they get the pancakes free. That's one $15 savings I never want to attempt!

My favorite toppings: peanut butter sauce, bacon and bananas. The coconut syrup was very good, too.

For dinner tonight, I ate a beautiful beet and pear salad...

And a shared macadamian nut ice cream/brownie dessert. (This was free. I've gotten two nice desserts and a salad for free with coupons.) This was a great way to end a great day.

Snorkeling in Hawaii

2011-07-02T12:53:00.000-05:00

I had the best time snorkeling at Shark's Cove on the North Shore of Oahu. This was one of my favorite vacation days - a tie with the day I ran the Kona marathon.

Even before stepping in the water, I spotted some fish (next photo). When I snorkeled, I saw yellow fish with black stripes, blue/red/green fish and huge schools of fish, too. I could have stayed out there all day.

Well, I would if I could do it without getting sunburned - and I am sunburned now!

We cooled off with shave ice from Matsumoto. That's me in my yellow Kona marathon shirt.

My favorite parts - the white cake and strawberry cream flavors and the vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the cup. I also ate some of the sweet beans and condensed milk topping, but the ice cream was the best add-on.

The day before, we snorkeled at Hanauma Bay where my husband saw fish, but I didn't. I just got some practice using my snorkel gear. ; )

I wasn't expecting to see mongoose and was a little shocked when I saw my first one. I've seen a lot of them now, though. They run around like the squirrels do back at home.

Hike & Pearl Harbor

2011-06-29T23:59:00.050-05:00

We walked through the rain forest at Lyon Arboretum to see Aihualama Falls.

And we visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial, too - well worth the hours spent there.

Hawaii Day 4

2011-06-28T23:59:00.005-05:00

I've had almost zero trouble getting up from a seated position since running the Kona marathon on Sunday, something that sometimes bothers me after a marathon. After the race, I sat in the cool ocean water, snacked soon after and stretched a little, too. Perhaps the hilly course is easier on a body than a flat course. Maybe all of the walking I've been doing has helped, too.

We drove along the Oahu coast, stopping for a picture of Halona Beach (top photo) and then stopping to swim at Kailua Beach (next photo). The water was chilly at first, but I got used to it. We watched the parasails float in the sky. We picked up sandwiches at a convenience store where they sold Gu gel - they should sell that everywhere!

Today I ate pineapple twice and ice cream twice, too. The Hula Pie at Duke's restaurant (live music, on the Waikiki beach) was delicious and large enough for two - macadamia nut ice cream pie with a brownie crust and hot fudge sauce.

I saw three hula performances because they're everywhere - beside the Aston hotel pool where we're staying, on Waikiki beach, the outside mall.

I took 105 pictures today and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. (I do that every night lately!)

From the Volcano to Waikiki

2011-06-28T13:29:00.003-05:00

After the Kona Marathon, I was ready for some more fun. I felt great - my legs were a little sore, but I was able to walk up and down the stairs - slowly!

I wore my finisher's shirt and the shell necklace they gave us after crossing the finish line so some people stopped to talk to me about the race. The necklace is a special finishing award, but every time I see one just like it for sale at the stores for 59 cents, I laugh. ; )

At the Hawaii Volcano Park, we walked through a lava tube (a cave) and saw the red glow from the volcano.

At Punaluu black sand beach, we saw 2-3 foot long sea turtles and coconut trees.

Monday morning we left Kona airport for Oahu and drove to our Waikiki hotel. My husband and I finished the day watching surfers and boats while we shared a shave ice on the Waikiki beach.

Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 2

2011-06-27T13:29:00.003-05:00

Official finishing time: 4:20:44
Average pace: 9:57/mile
Placed 8th out of 44 in 40-49 age group. (I'm 45.)
No chip used at this race. I started near the start line. I didn't know when to press start. I didn't see the start line, but my husband did.

According to my Garmin: 4:20:42 (Really close to official time.)
Average pace: 9:52/mile
Distance: 26.41 miles (probably my own fault it was long, it's hard to know where the edge of the course is if you don't have a curb bordering the route)

Mile 25 felt like the longest mile! I stopped to walk - I was tired. I had a cramp in my right foot and when I ran, I stomped my foot down which helped a little - maybe because I flexed the front of my foot when I stomped down.

My face had salt on it when I finished. The salt, terrible leg and foot cramps after the finish - that happens on my hot training runs. Maybe taking salt tabs would have helped, but I dropped them on the course. I heard them fall out of my pocket when I grabbed a gel, but I kept running, thinking I'd be okay.

Since we were at or near the beach, it was windy. Sometimes, it was nice, but I had to remind myself to push hard into it so that it didn't slow me down. It did, though.

Since we were near the beach, I had great beach views! I could also see a mountain and part of the course went through a lava rock field. I saw flowers as big as my head. I saw pretty little bright yellow birds I've never seen before, too.

When I finished the race, my husband asked me about the heat. I said it didn't feel too bad, but only about five minutes later I felt sick, probably from the heat. Even the chocolate milk I bought the day before didn't taste good.

My husband made a few trips over to the post-race food for me because all I wanted to do was stand still with my head down. Finally, after some oranges, watermelon and cold water (no Gatorade around - that sounded good) and my husband fanning me, I felt a little better. I sat in the ocean water and then we sat on a bench and cheered for the runners finishing and soon I felt normal again.

I slathered myself in sunscreen and Body-glide beforehand, but I got slightly sunburnt on my face (that might be from driving with the jeep top down later, though). I'm happily surprised that I was hardly sunburnt. I am chafed on my back from my waistband - I think I forgot to Body-glide there.

Pre-race: Vanilla Crisp Powerbar and apple bananas (a fruit found in Hawaii, tastes like a sweet banana)
During race: 4 Powerbar gels (more sodium than Gu), 4 margarita Clif Shot Bloks (more sodium in that flavor) and lots of water. Oh, and one swallow of Ultima - volunteer mistakenly told me it was water and I didn't look beforehand. At least I didn't throw it on my head to cool off!

My goal going into this was a 10:00/mile pace if it was a warm day so I'm really happy with my finish time. It was a fun race - except for the tough parts! I'd do it again if I could! This was my 10th marathon and it was my favorite one.

Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 1

Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 1

2011-06-27T13:25:00.003-05:00

I was out the door by 4:30am and at the starting area within only a few minutes waiting for the 5:30 start. The start was only 3 miles down the street from our hotel which was on the race course. If you reserve a room earlier than I did, you can stay at the host hotel at the start/finish area.

There were only 305 marathon participants - the smallest marathon I've ever run. I never had to swerve around people because there was plenty of room. We had one lane blocked off for runners or ran on a wide shoulder and that worked out fine. There were people at corners and the turn-around to direct us. There were many encouraging volunteers and spectators.

We drove the route beforehand and when I saw the energy plant in the far distance during the race, I knew that was where we would turn off the road we were running up and be almost to the half-way point. That was a big pick-me-up as I ran up the long hill before the turn.

I loved that they had ice at the water stops. From mile 14 on, I took cups of ice and stuffed my mouth and both hands with it.

I liked the out and back course. I was able to see so many runners and we encouraged each other. At the halfway point, I told myself that all I had to do was run back to the start - it felt shorter that way. Also, I knew what was coming up after the halfway mark, even more so than from driving the course the day before.

At mile 22, my husband gave me a small throw away bottle of ice water. I heard a group of people who saw him run to give me the water let out a collective, "Aw", meaning "How sweet"!

There were a number of hills on the course, but most of them weren't very steep. I ran up all of them! I had done hillwork on the treadmill and a short bridge back at home. In the last couple of miles, seeing the runners ahead of me climbing the hills without stopping was encouraging.

I kept an eye on the temperature before the race. At 4:45AM, it was about 80° with 62% humidity and the heat index was 76° so I ran under the water misters set up on the course. In Houston, the humidity has been in the high 80's so I could barely feel the humidity at the start even though I heard other runners complaining about it. This made me glad (for the moment!) that I train in humid Houston.

To be continued at Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 2.

Here's my quick update posted just after finishing the Kona marathon.

Kona Marathon - Quick Update

2011-06-26T17:43:00.005-05:00

I'll post all about the race later, but I had a great time! This may be my favorite marathon! My finishing time was 4:20:44 - I was hoping I could run a 10:00 average if it was warm. This is a 9:57/mi average pace. : )

Overall: 91 out of 354
Females: 24 out of 149
Age 40-49 division: 8 out of 44
No chip at this marathon.

This pic was taken just after crossing the finish line and before a dip in the water. Too fun!

Time for lunch now and a drive to the volcano!

Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 1

Kona Marathon Race Recap Part 2

Kona Marathon Expo and the Beach

2011-06-25T23:59:00.029-05:00

We landed in Kona, Hawaii last night! After stopping at the farmer's market for apple-bananas (a sweet banana), we headed to Pololu Trail. The steep trail took us down to a black sand beach and took about 45 minutes to walk. The water made a sort of clicking sound as the waves went back into the ocean and fell over the rocks. We had the beach mostly to ourselves.

Later, I picked up my race packet at the Kona Marathon expo, a small expo, just like I expected. I think it took me ten minutes to see everything. That's good - I already did plenty of walking today.

For dinner, we went to the marathon pre-race dinner and I ate spaghetti and squash/zucchini covered in cheese and pasta sauce, a wheat roll and a small piece of chocolate cake, by choice! After the race, I can splurge!

A few runners, including Frank Shorter, spoke at the dinner. We saw him earlier today, too, leading a group of runners through Kona along the marathon route. He's in the gray shorts.

See you after marathon #10!

Kona Marathon Coming Up!

2011-06-20T12:00:00.005-05:00

My Ninth Marathon - Houston

I'll run my tenth marathon on June 26. I've never been to Hawaii before. I've never run a marathon and then gone to the beach and a volcano all on the same day, either.

My taper is going well. This morning I ran six miles at the park. I heard a runner tell another runner, "I will not let you stop!" We could all use a friend like that.

At the Kona marathon water stops, they'll be passing out Coke and Ultima Replenisher, but since I haven't trained with those drinks, I'll use water and gels unless I mistakenly pick up something else like the Kona marathoner who picked up some Coke and threw it on his head instead of water.

In training for Kona, I've run two 18 milers, two 20 milers, a 21 miler and a 23 miler (longest training run ever) and I've run in the heat and humidity. I'm ready! Even if the heat slows me down, it's going to be fun - I'll be in Hawaii!

The photo is from the Houston Marathon and I'm the one waving and wearing sunglasses. Doesn't everyone wear them in the rain?! (Except for all those other runners in the photo!) I trained in nice, cool weather, but race day was humid - tough race!

Taper Time

2011-06-15T09:00:00.009-05:00

Look at this running hat with pockets. I could use that!

Also at GoneForARun, I saw this ROO Hydration Bottle. When empty, it rolls up and fits in a pocket. Looks like it would be handy for vacations.

Today I ran 3 x 1000m (.62mi) with 400m recovery jogs. Times for those 1000m: 9:05, 8:52, 8:34/mile. My goal was to run comfortably fast.

While running those 1000m, I saw a couple of funny things that were welcome distractions. First, two ladies, each with a little dog, were racing each other down the running path, laughing all the way. Then, two guys with a soccer ball were kicking it across the path just ahead of me. If it came right to me, I was going to kick it right back to one of them. I didn't get the chance to try that, though.

Today I just ran 7 miles. I say "just" because I'm in taper mode now and felt like I could have run a lot farther - a good feeling since the Kona Marathon is only 11 days away.

I read something helpful at Sweat Science: we can always do more than we think we can. I'm trying to get that into my head. I'll need it in 11 days.

15 Mile Run

2011-06-13T14:09:00.003-05:00

I thought a lot about my running form today. I tried to run like the female triathlon winner I saw yesterday, my fingers relaxed and my hands close to my rib-cage, rather than letting them drop - it's a tired thing. I kept thinking about how strong she looked at the end of the race. I'm glad that my husband recorded the triathlon that was on tv for me yesterday.

After about a mile of running, I noticed that my Garmin wasn't recording my run. I hit start. It still wasn't working. Could I estimate 15 miles without my Garmin? I went into Runner's Survival Mode: yes! I've run this route a lot! But I did a soft reset and it started working. Phew! (For a soft reset on my Garmin 310XT, I hit mode & reset at the same time.)

I needed to add a mile every time I checked my distance, though. Every time I checked to see how far I had run, I added a mile - kind of fun.

I picked up the pace after 3 miles and kept it up until I finished. Seeing that I was running faster than I expected on a hot day was great. I never even thought about stopping to walk. Maybe the cooler temperature helped - only 82° when I finished (felt like 87°). When I finished last week's long run, it was 94°.

Pre-run: Powerbar bar
During: 3 Powerbar gels, 2 ClifBloks (1 at a time, between gels)
Post-run: chocolate milk and lots of ice water
Average pace: 9:48/mile

Fuel Belt Run

2011-06-10T14:40:00.001-05:00

The two things I've been avoiding, even though they're lifesavers in the summer heat, are my treadmill and my fuel belt. I'd rather be outside and I'd rather not have to carry my drinks.

Unfortunately, most of the water fountains at Memorial Park are putting out lukewarm water now so I filled my fuel belt bottles with mostly frozen blueberry pomegranate Gu Brew. It's high in sodium to keep away cramps. Sometimes I just held the cold bottle in my hand or on my face to cool myself off.

I know that some people don't like running with a fuel belt. Mine really doesn't bother me, even though I'd rather leave it at home. It's not uncomfortable and holds a lot of running gear, too.

Today I ran 10 miles at a 10:04 average pace. That's my fastest pace since last Saturday. Maybe the cold drink helped. I know it helped my brain to know I had it.

Yesterday, I ran up and down short hills in the sunshine. I hope it's good preparation for running in sunny Kona (the marathon is 6/26). I hear the marathon route isn't shaded. Running on short hills isn't boring - the time went by quickly.

Temperature during my run: 74-81° with 74-86° heat index

I blogged about Gu Brew here.

21 Mile Run

2011-06-06T14:10:00.001-05:00

Fuel for the Run: Before & During

I ran 21 miles today. It was supposed to be a progression run. But it wasn't. My run looked like this: slow, faster, slowest. That's probably because the temperature looked like this: hot, hotter, hottest!

In the 16th mile, I had an "I must stop running now" moment. I had just raced up a hill, feeling great and then it hit me - stop, now! And racing up the hill didn't seem so smart anymore.

I walked over to a tree and stretched, sorry that I'd quit and then sorry that I was so hard on myself for quitting when I heard someone ask, "Are you alright?"

I told her I was fine, that I just needed to rest. She told me that there was water up ahead. I was grateful that she stopped to check on me, not because I was about to faint (I wasn't), but because it was such a nice thing to do.

After that first stop, I took walk breaks and I stopped at the water fountains often, too. I thought, 10:00 is the new 9:30 pace - at least when it's hot. My new goal was to finish the planned miles at any pace and that's what I did.

I was hoping to start easy and pick up the pace in the Kona marathon (like I was hoping to do today), but when it's hot, that's hard. Maybe I'll plan on positive splits, keeping up a good pace until the heat slows me down. We'll see.

Temperature: 80-95°
Average pace: 10:12/mile
Salt tablets: 5 (every 3-6 miles)
Gels: 4 (I took these on a schedule like the Kona marathon water stops)

Hike. BBQ. Run.

2011-06-05T15:23:00.004-05:00

On a short trip to San Antonio on Friday, I went hiking with my family at Friedrich Wilderness Park. It was nearly 100°, but it was still fun to hike through the trees and up and down the rocky trails.

Back on the freeway, we saw a Krispy Kreme and had to stop - it was National Donut Day and they make the best glazed donuts.

Smitty's

We drove to Lockhart, known for BBQ restaurants, where we ordered a small amount of beef brisket at four restaurants (Friday dinner and Saturday lunch) - we were conducting a BBQ experiment. Our favorite brisket was at Chisholm Trail and Black's, but I liked seeing the old Kreutz and Smitty's Market buildings. Closer to home, we often eat at Rudy's BBQ in Spring, Texas, but Lockhart meat tastes like it's been cooked longer, with even more flavor.

When I got home Saturday, I went for an evening run. Since it was 94°, my basic plan was just to finish. I was a little worried about running in the heat, but after a mile I sped up and kept the pace until the last cool down mile. I couldn't believe it: the heat didn't feel that bad! I think the low humidity (27%) helped. And with that 8 mile run, I've run 50 miles this week.

North Face Running Top

2011-06-03T05:34:00.000-05:00

Here's my new top that goes with my Eat My Dust running skirt. Not only did the skirt and top work well on the run, but I'll probably wear them at the beach, too.

My shoulders were cool when the wind blew over my sweaty back as I ran through the shade. I like running clothes with pockets and this top has two pockets in the front of the straps. They're small, just large enough to hold a key or lip balm. The front is just solid blue, but there's a print on the back which I think they should have put on the front, too.

Houston reached 100° yesterday - not while I was running my 7 miles, but it was hot. I read that the Kona Marathon (June 26) might have a place where you can run under a mist of water. That would be nice.

North Face Running Skirt

2011-06-01T11:19:00.007-05:00

North Face Running Skirt

I ran 18 miles in my very first running skirt this week. Why do I really, really like my North Face running skirt?

3 pockets! I can fit 3 gels in each of the leg pockets on the boyshorts, if I want, and the back zippered pocket holds my phone.
Boyshorts - if it's windy, I'm covered.
No chafing.
No riding up.
The skirt does not flare out at the bottom of the skirt, but is straight down my legs.
Lightweight fabric. It doesn't feel heavy when soaked.
A small hole for my Ipod shuffle wire.

I found the skirt at REI, but you can find it at a number of places online if you search for the Eat My Dust skirt.

I also tried an REI brand running skirt - the REI Fleet Skort, maybe. I didn't like the heavier fabric and the flaring skirt.

I ran some 800's today. I wasn't the only one sweating on this humid morning. Just seeing other runners out there helped me to finish my 10 mile run.

In travel news, not only am I going to Kona for the marathon on June 26, but I'm also flying to Oahu so I'm busy looking for fun things to do there online. It's a fun search.

Happy National Running Day!

Tips for Finishing a Long Run

2011-05-30T16:46:00.007-05:00

Hyde Park, London

While I was running, the temperature went from 80° to 88° - and that felt like 93°! I'm getting some good heat training and that's good for the Kona Marathon in 4 weeks.

I ran the first 6 miles easy-paced. I ran the next 6 miles faster, but the last 6 miles were a little hard to finish and I slowed down. I did better than I have in the past when it got hot, though. I knew what to expect, how it feels to run in the heat and not to feel badly when I slowed down.

I tried some tricks during the last 6 miles.

I tried to hit a certain pace (until my goal was just to finish).
I broke the run down into shorter segments.
I ran in a new place for awhile.
I tried to stay with runners who were running fast.
I saved my music for the later miles.
Because of the heat, I stopped to rest and stretch. I used to think that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to start running again. Now, I know that I can always get going again.

I felt great when I was done - no heat troubles (no cramps or dizziness).

Pre-run: Powerbar Performance Energy bar and 1/2 banana
During run: Powerbar strawberry and tangerine gels (3 total), salt tab (mile 3, 8, 11, 14), lots of water
Post-run: chocolate milk with vanilla bean latte powder

Hills: Revised

2011-05-27T18:11:00.006-05:00

I started on the treadmill with a plan to run 3 or 4 one mile hills and revised my plan as I ran since I wanted to do something different from the last time.

1 mile warm-up
(1/2 mile at 4%, 4.5% and 5% incline) x 2
1/8 mile at 5.5%, 6%, 6.5% incline
2/3 mile cool-down
That's 7 miles total. (I rested after each hill. Rest = 0% incline.)

I cooled off with orange mango Powerbar sports drink which tasted good, but mixed berry is even better.

If you don't like hills, you might like to read 4 Ways to Make Hillwork Fun. Hitting new milestones is one fun part of hillwork: today I set the treadmill at the steepest incline ever. Next time: 7%, if I'm brave!

Later, I was eating giant pancakes and making vacation plans at the Fountainview Cafe with my husband. They call out your number when your food is ready. You know you're eating with a lot of older folks when someone yells out "Bingo!" when their number is called!

Photo: A hill I ran and walked up at Hazelhead Park, Aberdeen, Scotland. Some hills are just that steep!

Next Up: Kona Marathon!

2011-05-25T14:13:00.001-05:00

When you run 20 (or 23) miles in training, you need to run a marathon.

When you need to run a marathon, you check race calendars.

When your husband says he needs a vacation, you say, how about Hawaii?

Kona Marathon, here I come! June 26 is race day.

This will be my first vacation to Hawaii. I'm searching online for fun adventures on the Big Island. So far, I've found waterfalls, volcanoes and black and green sand beaches.

Last week, I was wishing it wasn't so hot and humid, but today it just seemed like good preparation for my next marathon. I ran 7 miles with three harder miles thrown in, followed by a nice cold fruit smoothie.

Finding Gratitude at 40 - Need inspiration to run long? Read how one woman celebrated her 40th birthday with a 40 mile run.

I Didn't Lose My Dog Today

2011-05-23T17:28:00.002-05:00

Zoe

I ran 16 miles today. 3 vanilla GU gels tasted good and kept me going and water fountains at the park kept me hydrated. Salt tablets kept the cramps away, one every hour.

Wind is my friend on a hot day and the 80° didn't bother me, much. I ran negative splits, from 10:21 to 9:01/mile. Average pace: 9:23 - in the heat!

When I got home, my driveway gate was open and it should always be closed. When I saw the open gate, I ran a 5 minute per mile pace (Kidding, sort of!) to the back yard where I found my dog, Zoe, asleep with her legs up in the air, all comfy.

I don't know if she knew she was free for 2 1/2 hours or if she just likes hanging out in the shady backyard. I also don't know how the gate was opened, but I think we'll turn the security cameras back on now.

And if there happens to be a Bad Guy hanging around...

My very large and scary dog is trained to sneak up on Bad Guys by running towards them with her little red ball like she wants to play. Be very afraid!

On a side-note...

Lose vs. Loose - Just because.

Progression Run

2011-05-20T14:26:00.005-05:00

Along My Running Route

Progression runs give you a pace goal to reach which gets faster during your run and that's a fun challenge.

I divided the run into three parts and the plan was to run the first part 30 seconds per mile slower than usual, the second part at the usual pace, and the third part faster, approaching marathon pace.

Here are my pace goals, followed by my actual pace:

Average for miles 1-3: 10:00/10:05
Average for miles 4-6: 9:30/9:16
Average for miles 7-9: 9:00/8:47

It was a humid 79° and I pushed hard into the wind. Seeing that I was meeting my goals during the middle part of my run gave me confidence for the rest of the run.

Garmins are great. I need mine to check my pace and distance, too, but one runner probably lost the Texas state record because he paid too much attention to his watch. At least he won the race. I hope he feels that way, too.

The talk of the town is the big competition taking place just north of Houston tomorrow: the Texas Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a marathon). I can't imagine!

Speed on the Knee

2011-05-18T11:34:00.016-05:00

My knee is holding up well. I fell Monday and scraped it, but I was able to run easy on it yesterday and it didn't feel too uncomfortable today when I ran to Memorial Park.

Today I warmed up, then ran a 7:56 mile and 8 x .25 mile with 1 minute rests (8:21/mile, 8:02, 8:25, 8:16, 8:32, 8:28, 7:41, 7:56). I finished with a cool-down run.

Next time, I'll try to keep my pace at 8:00/mile or better, but at least I sped up towards the end. There's just something about knowing that you're almost finished.

I stopped at a water fountain and a runner asked me about my knee and told me about his last fall over a short tree stump. The only fun thing about falling is getting to talk about it. Plus, my husband says it makes me look tough!

Links:

Always Ready to Race (Running Times) - I don't know when my next race will be, but I want to be ready.

Talking Dog YouTube Video - Makes me laugh every time.

Photo: 3 swans swimming during my run in Stavanger, Norway last March.

Longest Training Run!

2011-05-16T16:15:00.002-05:00

Today I ran 23 miles! I hadn't planned on running so far, but I felt great, my pace was looking good in the later miles and I knew we probably wouldn't have great weather much longer (65° when I began) so I wanted to take advantage of it.

I ate 4 vanilla Gu gels and took a salt tablet every hour to keep away the stomach cramps. I ran on the 3 mile loop at Houston's Memorial Park and on the side path beside that main path when I could because I like to run on the soft pine needles. The hardest miles were the first 3, but I just needed to warm-up. It was a great run until...

.... the 22.3 mile mark when I went splat on the gravel/dirt path! As I fell, I remembered not to only fall on my knee. My head, hands, right shoulder and right knee hit the ground first. Spreading out the misery is good for your running knees, but hitting my head wasn't really in the plan!

I stood up, dusted myself off and leaned on a tree a minute. I had gravel in my hair and a bloody shoulder and knee. Really, the only bad part was my stinging knee, but even with that, I was able to run the .7 mile home, knowing that the sooner I made it home, the sooner I could wash the gravel off of my knee.

This was my third running fall. My first was on an uneven sidewalk and the second one was on the same park path when I tripped on a rock. Maybe that's what I did today.

Before today, my longest training run was 22 miles. Because the weather was so nice, I was able to run at a 9:09/mile average just like I did during my 22 mile run last December. Great 23 mile run today - except for the "flying though the air and hitting the ground" part. I'll try to leave that part out next time!

Speedwork & Hills

2011-05-13T16:48:00.005-05:00

Today's run included speedwork - 7 x 800 meter intervals. To race fast, I need to train fast so I'm happy to get in some speedwork. It was hard, but I'm glad I did it. Besides, it makes 10 miles go by fast! It was cooler than usual, but still a little warm so I took a couple of salt tablets and I ate a vanilla GU gel, too. No cramps today. : )

Wednesday, I did hillwork on my treadmill since hills are hard to come by here in Houston. I ran 4 x 1 mile hills at a 4% incline. It was hard for me, but I'm not an experienced hill climber! Working on it! (9 miles total that day.)

I made Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies today. (I decreased the sugar from 3/4 cup to 2/3 and didn't miss it.) They were good, but my favorite oatmeal cookies have raisins and cinnamon in them so after eating one, I made some special cookies for myself with my favorite ingredients!

Photo: Taken on my run in Europe along the Dee River in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Hot 16 Miles

2011-05-09T22:50:00.002-05:00

I hope that running on hot days makes you strong, able to leap tall buildings, or at least run the last few miles of a marathon with more confidence. During today's 16 mile run, the temperature rose from 77° to 85°. Seeing other runners stop to walk or stretch made me feel better, knowing I wasn't the only one needing a break.

I used salt tablets again today, taking one at the start and two more later, but I wish I'd brought more. I think they helped when I had a stomach cramp. Other than minor cramps, I didn't have any other problems. : )

I saw some Navy Seal training on TV this weekend. They shook and grimaced while struggling to hold a heavy log above their heads. I thought about that when I felt tired knowing that a 16 mile run was nothing compared to their training.

After my run and a great Mexican lunch at El Tiempo (where I had my first ever green rice!), my husband and I visited Houston's pretty Glenwood Cemetery for the first time. With it's winding roads, shade trees and many statues, it's worth a visit if you live nearby. You can pick up a flyer with descriptions of some famous Texans buried there.

10K Donut Run

2011-05-07T15:32:00.021-05:00

Sort of! I ran through the Lone Star Stampede 10K finish line and after a high-five from another runner : ), I went straight to the food! Along with my Honey Milk, I ate a maple donut. That's what makes it my donut run!

I felt great after that short snack break but since I still needed to run back home, I didn't stay to see the results and took off running again - back home. Before the race, I ran to the start from home, about 2 1/2 miles. Kind of fun to run races close to home!

Finish Time by Garmin: 48:01
Course Length by Garmin: 5.9 miles
Weather: 70°, warm, but mostly shady route

This was my second 10K and I finished with exactly a one minute PR, according to my Garmin. I don't know if the race course was actually short or not. I hope not.

Something I've noticed is that the more races I do, the less nervous I am while standing at the start and the more I learn about pacing myself and not going out too fast. One nice perk of racing a 10K is that I didn't feel like I had to run quite so fast as I do in a 5K. One bad thing about running this 10K was seeing all of the 5Kers finish while we 10Kers had to run the course a second time. Maybe that's why my 4th mile was the slowest!

Update: The race results are up!
Chip time: 47:56
Age group (40-49): 3rd out of 35
Overall: 82 out of 375

Update on the length of the race: Since this was a certified course, maybe racing close to tall buildings caused my Garmin to have trouble with satellites, correcting in a straight line when we didn't actually run in a straight line, making it look like a short course.

Ladder Workout

2011-05-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

I planned to do some speedwork today, but not quite the workout that I accidentally chose on my Garmin. I chose workout 000 instead of 001 - an easy mix-up, right?!

It didn't take me long to figure out that I was doing a different workout, but rather than stop to fiddle with my Garmin, I tried the ladder: (.50mi, .36mi, .25mi, .13mi at 5K pace with 1 minute rests) x 2 with a 4 minute rest. Plus, I ran a warm-up and cool-down (2.3 miles each), giving me an 8 mile run total.

This workout went by quickly. I liked the changes in distance and frequent rests. I liked the 52° start, too. This is great weather for Houston in May - so cool! I'm getting spoiled!

The photo is of my yummy Beck's chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries (fries were free with coupon from a race packet!). I like eating there, sitting beneath the 400 year old shade trees. Sometimes I make sweet potato fries (recipe) at home, but I usually go the quicker route and microwave the potato and top it with cinnamon, walnuts and plain yogurt.

Did you see the video of Amy McDonaugh winning the Flying Pig Marathon (the video is fun to see - she's so happy!) and the Gretchen Reynolds' article about sugar and exercise? Bike riders did best if their sports drink contained both glucose and fructose and other info there, too. (This is the second time you've heard about this if you follow me on twitter.)

Good Tempo Run

2011-04-29T06:55:00.002-05:00

How do you run a good tempo run? You run when it's cool! 60° worked for me! (Someone asked me if I was cold out there! I wasn't cold, but it was about 15° cooler than usual.) Also, since I didn't run the day before, I was ready for a hard workout.

After a 2 mile warm-up, my goal was to run 6 miles at an 8:23/mile average (my 10K pace + 30 seconds) or less. Midway through, my mind started to wander which slowed me down - I needed to focus to keep the pace. Realizing that I only had part of one more lap around the park to go helped, too.

This run was faster (8:20/mile average), but easier for me, than last week's similar treadmill workout (1 x 2 mi. & 4 x 1 mi.). If only every day was like that! After 6 tempo miles, I ran 2 easy miles to finish my 10 mile run and then I walked for a few minutes.

I ate 3 mountain berry Clif Shot Bloks at mile 4. They tasted good, like gummy bear candy. I cut the packages in half. That makes them easier to carry in my pocket. I recently won 8 packages of Clif Shot Bloks including some new-to-me flavors! Thanks to Clif Bar and RunningWithCharlene for the goodies!

Salt Tablets on 20 Miler

2011-04-25T23:17:00.009-05:00

Today I finished my 20 mile run feeling fine. Last week I ran 16 miles and felt sick when I finished.

It was 75° when I started running today and grew warmer, but less humid, but it was the wind that was the best part. I know wind isn't always a runner's friend, but the wind blew over my sweaty skin and cooled me off. Last week was just hot and humid.

Because I sometimes have swollen hands, foot cramps or nausea at the end of long, hot runs, I use drinks and gels with more sodium in the summertime.

Today I used Succeed S Caps salt tablets (340mg sodium) in addition to Gu Brew blueberry pomegranate drink (245mg sodium) and Powerbar strawberry banana gel (200mg sodium). I used salt tabs because I only used the drink and gel last week and then I threw up - a first for me.

Today I noticed that I felt thirstier than usual towards the end of my run - not a problem, though. I think I drank more water today. I didn't have swollen hands, foot cramps or nausea. 9:47 average pace today - I was slower last week. Today I planned on 18, but felt so good (maybe because of the weather and/or salt tabs) that I ran 20 miles instead!

(On the other hand, here's a Competitor Magazine article stating salt tablets aren't a good idea, that you should just use salt packets.)

Photo: taken on my 20 mile run in Scotland

TM & Sports Drinks

2011-04-22T10:40:00.003-05:00

Running on a treadmill makes speedwork on a humid day possible. Having a cold drink beside me with the fan blowing hard - how can I complain? Yesterday I ran 10 miles on the treadmill.

Warm-up: 2 miles
2 miles faster and a 4 minute easy-paced run
4 x 1 mile faster with a 4 minute easy-paced run
Cool-down

I started conservatively and ran the last three mile repeats at the same pace, a little faster than the first three miles. The fifth mile repeat was hard. And the last one was really hard for me!

I've gotten some free sports food/drinks. I tried some new Gatorade G Series products because they were all free after a rebate. The 01 pre-workout bars tasted terrible and the 03 post-workout drink with a thick consistency wasn't much better. Fortunately, the acai blueberry 02 Perform sports drink tasted good with a light, blueberry flavor.

Have you seen the online ad for a free 20 oz. Powerbar Ironman Perform sports drink? The mixed berry flavor tasted great midway through today's humid 7.6 miler. If I see the ad again, I'll tweet about it. Update: Here's the coupon. You must sign up/register at Powerbar. Good through May 2011 and redeemable at many GNC stores.

Run for Change 5K Race Report

2011-04-16T17:05:00.037-05:00

It's a good thing I didn't have a chance to read that caution sign as I headed onto the bike trail during today's Run for Change Radio Run 5K! We started and ended on the flat park path, but mid-race, we ran through the woods. I was flying up and down short hills and around corners on the singletrack bike trail for 1.2 miles. Fun!

Brindley Bike Trail

We were warned about one fork in the trail, but I still took a wrong turn there and had to back track. That's the first time I've ever done that! Later, I got lost and stopped to ask for directions. I'm used to larger races where you mindlessly follow the runners ahead of you! It worked out alright - I picked up the pace in the third mile. I'll have to check, but it might be the first time I've done that, too!

A Little Hill

It was a very small race and I was the 1st place finisher in my age group (40 years+)! Finish time: 24:44. Mile splits: 7:48, 8:50, 8:04. Average pace: 8:14/mi.

The Brazos River

Before the bike trail was created in the woods, we lived near Sugar Land Memorial Park (30 minutes from Houston) where the race took place. I've seen a lot of wild animals there: a wild hog, a coyote, lots of snakes - even a python! Here's my Python post.

Update: 130 runners and walkers registered. $6,200 was raised through race entries and donations to purchase 310 radios for the Sudanese.