Running Motivation (and a little about disordered eating)

Let's talk about motivation. Sometimes I don't actually feel like running, and sometimes I feel like running - in my head- but physically I feel sluggish and am not sure how I will actually make the number of miles on my plan.

Here's one way I motivate myself:

I tell myself, "you only HAVE to run 4 measly little miles today- 40 minutes or less. Then you're done."

Then, I get out there and run- and you know what? I rarely ever end up running 4 miles. At mile 1 I'm usually still dragging a bit, "only 3 miles to go."

Mile 1.5, "almost half done!"

 Mile 2 comes and I am already half done with my run!!!

ThenI hit mile 3 and my legs finally loosen up, I feel warm and find that I have shaved at least half a minute off of my pace. Now there's only ONE mile left. But  one mile is nothing! And before I know it, I look down at my GPS and there is LESS than a mile to go . . . But I don't want to stop! I feel great. I'm moving fast, I'm flying. I'm up for 5 miles now!

Mile 5 comes and I realize I could do one more . . .

That's how I managed to do 7 miles on Christmas Day! (TOTALLY worth it with Christmas dinner right after) I ate so well :). And then today, I managed 6.3 miles after promising myself 4, before starting the trip to my parents house for Christmas, round two.

Speaking of food, here is another way I motivate myself:

I have had a lot of trouble with food in my life, eating too much or too little, yoyoing in weight.

When I wanted to get pregnant, I spent a year "getting healthy" and got to a healthy weight. I used "My Fitness Pal" daily before my pregnancy, during, and now, when I am running so much. 

I use it as an iPhone app but it works on the computer too. It keeps track of, not only my calories, but all my nutrients- protein, carbs, etc. and gives me more calories to use when I run.

Here is an example, the Christmas Feast:

I have my basal metabolic rate on the top right, plus my exercise calories in the middle, and my total. I allow myself extra calories for Breastfeeding as well so I am in the red. 

Some might say, "why are you doing this? You're skinny! You don't need to diet!"

Well, I'm not dieting, I am controlling my eating and also making sure I eat enough because I struggle with disordered eating and can't seem to manage things naturally, without a plan. And I hope that my admitting this and sharing my strategies will help someone else.

Anyway, back to motivation:

I plan what to eat for the day and I add 4 miles of running - what I HAVE to do. Then, during my run I often think, if I do those extra miles, I could eat even more!!!

Forget messing with those miserable 100 calorie snack packs, I could have something good! Maybe iiiiice cream :).another good motivation. Running, is the most efficient calorie burning exercise I know of for ease of use and time spent.

One more note on nutrition, which I'm sure I'll talk about more later. I don't actually eat a lot of junk or just eat ice cream. I enjoy Greek yogurt, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, banana and spinach smoothies, fruit, veggies, and cottage cheese as major staples in my diet. Yum!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Merry Christmas from me, my daughter Ember, my husband, Bill, and my stepdaughter Sarah!

Oh My Aching Quads!

Well, they aren't really that bad. I can just feel them ( and my calves) when I go up or down stairs - and first thing in the morning. The second day is a little worse as usual. But not bad, really. 

Lets just say, though, I am glad common sense took over and I stopped running at twenty . . . point two. . .miles as planned. That runner's high hit me at the end and I could have gone on and on . . .

Conventional wisdom states to only up your mileage by 10% a week. Others refute that. There are article for and against right now. However, all do agree that recovery is important. That is why I am taking a rest day today. 

Here is my training plan:

This is the Ultrawomen's 50K plan. "Why this plan?" You ask. "Aren't you running a Marathon?"

Well, this plan just looked like more fun :). I like long runs. 

Also, I am really easygoing about "plans" and may or may not follow it all the way. Maybe I will only go to 22 miles and stay there, maybe I will lower the midweek or post long run mileage. Who knows? I believe in listening to my body and doing what is fun and works for me.

I am also referencing Hal Higdon's intermediate 1 plan so I have a minimum goal.

It just looked more fun than the beginner plan.

Anyway, I really like the 50K training plan because it allows awesome long runs but gives an easy week in between for recovery of muscles. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Also, I am planning on running the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, but I have to get in first. It is a lottery this year. I can run the Marine Corps 17.75 K this spring and get guaranteed entry BUT I have to get through on the computer to register without it freezing up. Registration historically fills up fast and I bet this year will be super popular- what with the lottery and all. 

So, I have a plan B. If I don't get into marine Corps, I will run the New River Trail 50K in October. It has great reviews and a reputation for being well organized.  It sounds great, and if I don't run it this year because I got into Marine Corps, I probably will next year. 

Happy Running and Merry Christmas everyone!

20.2 miles!

Today I did my longest run ever! 20.2 glorious miles and I loved every minute of it.

First, let me explain my "training" philosophy. I have trained for a marathon before so I am familiar with training schedules - but I got pregnant after getting to the 14 mile point and never finished training.

Up until last week I was just doing long runs for fun and to see how far my body could take me. But then when I hit 18 miles last week I decided to sign up for a spring marathon. I am now signed up for Rock and Roll DC. Chosen because it is close to home.

Anyway, I am mostly going with "what does my body WANT to do and feel GOOD doing." But I am using a couple training plans for reference. Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 is kind of my minimum goal ( I am just starting week 9) and Ultraladies 50K training plan is my maximum. Today, for example, I needed at least 15 miles and I felt great so I went for 20.

So, run recap:

I started out at Belle Haven Marina at 7 am. Wearing a tank top, I might add. December 22 and almost 70 degrees already! I also had on my amphipod hydration belt - my first run with it since I didn't have the stroller to carry my water.

Getting ready to start my run.

I ran about 0.2 miles from my car when I decided that 4 water bottles on my belt was too heavy, so I ran back to the car and left two there.

Also weighing heavy on my mind was the weather report on the way down of a "band of gusty showers and thunderstorms" that was due to hit in 45 minutes. I debated going to the gym and hitting the dreadmill but I had so looked forward to this adventure that I decided to chance it. Though I did regret not bringing a ziplock for my phone or putting it in its Lifeproof case.

Fortunately, 0.7 miles down the trail, I saw a clear plastic bag and wrapped up my phone. Now I was ready for the weather!

3 miles in, I was running along the water in Old Town Alexandria and stopped to take a picture of the sunrise.

I felt so happy to be alive and able to run!

At mile 5 I took my first PowerGel. I have experimented with different fueling methods including prunes, raisins, sweet potato purée, and honey, as well as different gels and have liked Powerbar PowerGel, with 8-12oz of water every 5 miles, best for its consistency, convenience, and how it makes me feel. (I also eat a tablespoon of Chia seeds in my oatmeal before a run).

I ran north along the Mount Vernon trail until I passed Dangerfield Island at 8:30. I knew some girls from my running group "Mom's Run This Town" were meeting there at 9:00 to run and I wanted to stop and say hi. So I kept running north for 15 minutes so I could turn around and get back by 9:00. I passed Regan National Airport and turned around.

At 9:00 - mile 11, I was back at Dangerfield Island and stopped at the bathroom, took another gel and stopped to say hi to the girls from my group. Then I continued south.

I was back in Old Town about mile 14 and feeling great. Visions of running 21 or 22 miles or heck, a whole marathon, were racing through my head as my pace picked up from a 9:30 mile to 9:15. 

At mile 15.8 the rain hit and hit HARD - i could barely see at firstI was about 0.7 miles from the bathroom and 1 mile from my car. I stopped in the bathroom to take my last gel and check my phone. The plastic wasn't helping much in that downpour. I took it out of its case and dried it- it seemed okay.  Then I called my husband in case he was wondering how I was doing and to let him know I had about 4 miles left and was doing fine in the rain. I wrapped my phone in toilet paper and the plastic again, stuffed it in my bra, and ran the 0.3 miles to my car to drop it off.

At the car, I also took off my Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch, dried it, and covered it with a plastic wrapper I had in my car, since it was not waterproof. Then I continued south on the trail for 2 miles out and 2 miles back to complete 20 miles.

I'm glad I ran in the rain. I hadn't run in a soaking rain before and didn't know how I would do. Would I get blisters with wet feet? Would I be too uncomfortable? Turns out, I was fine and it was actually refreshing! Now I'm not afraid to run in the rain again.

Side note: I looked up "proper care for wet running shoes" and learned I should take out the insoles and let them air dry away from direct heat such as a radiator which can dry out the materials in the shoe.

Back to the run. At mile 18 (my previous longest run - completed last week and inspiring me to sign up for a marathon- I turned around and headed back to Belle Haven and my car. I was still feeling good. Nothing was hurting but I was finally starting to feel like stopping at 20 whereas before, I wanted to KEEP GOING!

At mile 19.5 my body started to talk to me - just a little. No pain, just . . . hard to describe  . . . I was starting to feel the pounding.

At mile 19.9 the feeling was gone as another wave of "runner's high" hit and propelled me to run just a little past the Marina and finish 20.2 miles "so I could say I only had 6 more miles to complete a marathon."

Why did I stop? Well, I told my husband and toddler that I would be back by 10:30 and it was 10:25. Also, even though my body said Go! Go! Go! I didn't want to push it and up my mileage too quickly. I have never done 20 miles and don't know how I'll feel tomorrow.

I got in my car, drove home, and snuck upstairs before my toddler saw me to change into some dry clothes. Then, I had half of a large sweet potato, and some Talenti Eggnog Gelato mixed 2:1 with plain Greek yogurt. Yummy! Before cuddling with my little girl for a nap.

A perfect ending to one of the best mornings of my life.

Häagen Dazs Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

The Run: Tuesday, Dec 3. 17.13 miles at a 9:30 pace. 1,555 calories burned.

The Ice Cream: Häagen Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream. 280 calories per half cup. 3.5 servings per container for a total of 980 calories. 

Yummy! This was pure pepperminty Christmasy goodness in a bowl!

The base is white chocolate ice cream. To me it had a hard to describe flavor. It didnt taste like white chocolate (which doesn't taste chocolatey at all.) And it didn't taste like dark chocolate. It was kind of an in between flavor - like the way a chocolate mint plant smells chocolatey. I liked it.

The additives were candy cane pieces and white and dark chocolate chunk pieces as pictured on the container. Here is how they look in real life:

In my opinion, there were just enough.

 I really enjoyed this flavor after my run! I had also bought Talenti Peppermint Bark and tasted both before deciding which to eat. I am usually a huge fan of Talenti but not this flavor. The hard chocolate shavings tasted cardboardy and there was very little peppermint flavor. Definitely go for the Häagen Dazs!

Below: Christmas in a bowl.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 10

For the last year, I have been totally in love with the Wave Inspire 9's. 

I got fitted at Pacer's in Alexandria, VA, meaning they filmed me running on a treadmill and then we watched it in slooooow motion to identify if I needed a neutral shoe or one with more stability. 

It turns out that I am a moderate pronator, so I tried on some shoes for this and found the Wave Inspire 9's to be the most comfortable. They are very very light (especially in comparison to the Brooks). Also, they seem to come up higher in the back- over the heel and ankle bone so they don't give me the sensation of falling off in the back. The toe box seems roomier than some other shoes as well. 

Too make a long story short, they performed well in the slo-mo treadmill test and became my shoe of choice.

Enter the Wave Inspire 10. First, the color selection in the 9's dwindled to one color, then they all but disappeared in my size and the 10's appeared. 

And I'm torn . . . on the fence. 

The New Wave Inspire 10

Pros: They are even lighter than the 9's. They come in a grey color that clashes less with various running outfits - though I'm always jealous of men's colors (like black and Chinese red). They seem to have slightly more stability combined with a wider base. In the past, when I have had too much stability I have sometimes turned my ankle from over correction. With these shoes, the wide base makes me feel protected from that. 

Wider based 10 on the right

I wore one 9 and one 10 and walked around and felt like I walked straighter on the 10. Which brings me to the 

Cons: There is really only one but it is giving me pause. As soon as I put them on, I noticed that they felt HARD inside. I was reminded of walking on pavement, whereas the 9's felt cushy. This is a little hard on the ball of my big toe which is slightly sore right now - probably from running on worn out 9's and hitting the floor hard in Yoga class. But I am hoping, the stability correction will help and with less pressure on this area, it will heal quickly.

Currently, after 3 runs with the 10's and walking around with one of each, I am going to give the 10's a chance (instead of desperately trying to stock up on 9's) because the increased stability seems good for me.

Left foot: 9 Right Foot 10

Fartlek! (You Know You Want To)

Here's the text I sent my friend and running partner last night:

Fartlek means speed play in Swedish and aside from being probably the funniest word in the running lexicon, it's also pretty fun. Unlike regimented interval training which is usually done on a track, Fartlek is traditionally done on the trail. And instead of running through a specific, regimented set of drills (5x200m sprints etc), you set your own pace, frequency, and distance based on how you feel. 

So, you run a beautiful trail, deciding all willy-nilly when to jog and when to fly. How utterly free spirit and bohemian! I love the concept.

However, upon attempting it, once with my friend and once by myself, it turns out that I do better with a regimented plan: do THIS for x number of seconds then do THIS for x number of seconds. The self discipline just doesn't seem to be there to spontaneously say, "THAT was fun gasping for air- now I'll spontaneously volunteer to do it again!"

So, for now, I am sticking with my speed drills of 7:30 min/mile for 60 seconds then 10 min/mile for 90 seconds, for 30 minutes, 3 x a week. When the timer says too, I HAVE to do it.

Yet, the free spirited dream of Fartlek, frolicking and playing as I run along the trail, lingers in the back of my mind, and I will surely attempt it again!

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch!

The Run: Tuesday, October 8th. 13.1 miles in 137 minutes with jogging stroller 

average pace: 10:27/mi. Calories burned: 1238

The Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

1,160 calories per pint - Four 1/2 cup servings at 290 calories per serving

I love Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints, so I was intrigued by this flavor which promises "peppermint and fudge swirls" as we'll as mint chocolate cookie balls, all in a chocolate ice cream base.

When I first opened the container, I could see the white silkiness of the mint swirl amidst the rich brown of chocolate ice cream. The dark wetness of the fudge swirl was also in evidence. The tops of two sweet mint chocolate cookie balls peeked out at me- just a hint of the generous portion added to this pint.

I was most excited about the mint swirl, which looked just like the inside of a peppermint patty, so I tried it first. It did not disappoint! It flooded my taste buds with delicious, creamy, pepperminty goodness, as if someone had taken a box of junior mints, drained them of their filling, and swirled it throughout this pint of ice cream. Another bite revealed, however, that this thick swirl that you can see in the picture, quickly thinned out and flattened to a narrow ribbon of flavor. Slightly disappointing. I wished there was more. Further consumption of the pint revealed that while there were a couple areas bearing rich veins of peppermint, most of the swirls were very thin and subtle. If you bought this pint for the chocolate, you will be in heaven. If you bought it for the peppermint patty filling, you will be teased, then left wanting.

The same went for the fudge swirl. Thick at first, then quickly dissipating to a flat, narrow ribbon. This didn't disappoint me as much because the chocolate ice cream itself was so rich and creamy that an over abundance of fudge would have been chocolate overkill ( if there can be such a thing).

Lets talk more about the chocolate ice cream base. Ben & Jerry's, like Haagen Dazs, uses a very rich, dense ice cream which is revealed in the calorie count (280 calories vs 140 calories for say, 1/2 cup of Turkey Hill). But happily, this is also revealed in the flavor. A little goes a long way (and a lot goes even farther!!! :) This chocolate ice cream screams CHOCOLATE and for the chocolate lover, leaves you wanting for nothing. If the average bargain brand chocolate reminds me of chocolate milk, put in the freezer, then slightly thawed and stirred, this ice cream reminds me of chocolate truffles, frozen, then delicately softened to the perfect consistency.

Finally, the mint chocolate cookie balls! Ben & Jerry is known for never skimping or disappointing when it comes to additives and this pint was no exception. Each ball was almost as large as a marble and they were packed throughout the pint. If I wanted a spoonful without one or two cookie balls on it, I had to work around them! The balls, in my opinion, are where the real peppermint flavor comes from in this ice cream. Each is coated with a thick thick layer of chocolate with a flavor intense peppermint chocolate cookie core.

I was surprised and pleased at how strong the cookie's mint flavor was. I had come in, looking for mint, been slightly disappointed by the dearth of white mint filling, and expected the chocolate balls to be another chocolate additive overkill that I would eat some of, then work around, but I found the strong mint flavor to be cooling and refreshing. The balls themselves were crunchy, kept from getting soggy by their thick chocolate coating, but were not too hard. They were fun both to chew and to let dissolve in the mouth.

I am not a huge fan of chocolate (gasp) but I am a huge mint fan and I really enjoyed this flavor. The quality of the chocolate was good and there was enough intense mint flavor in the cookie balls to satisfy me, though I definitely wanted more white peppermint swirl!

As a recovery food, the richness and sweetness really appealed to my body as it tried to recover from strenuous exercise and I had energy to continue my day and got to enjoy one of my favorite foods, guilt free! 

What is your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor? 

What is your favorite recovery food and why?

The Case for Ice Cream

    After a long run (12 or more miles) I have found that the perfect recovery food for me is ICE CREAM! I have read about chocolate milk as "the perfect recovery food." It is perfectly balanced: carbs, protein, water, sodium, etc." So I gave it a try and it made me feel pretty good, but then I tried ice cream.
 
   Ice cream left me with almost zero fatigue and I was able to function normally in the afternoon instead of lying on the couch feeling like a spaced out zombie. I also noticed that the next day I weighed exactly the same, whereas after other long runs I had gained about 2 pounds. I have found, through online research, that this is common after a long run, which doesn't bother me because I know it is water weight that will disappear quickly, but this effect did not happen when I ate ice cream as my recovery food.
 
   My theory is that ice cream gave me the protein, fat, and carbs that my body, and especially my muscles, needed to recover properly, therefor not stressing out my body and causing me to retain water. As such, I have decided that for me, ice cream is the perfect recovery food, not to mention, the most delicious food in the world. So I decided: since I am burning through the calories with my love of running (especially long runs), why not try a different ice cream with every extra long run and review it?

    So, a few times a month, when I go on my extra long runs, I plan to pick an ice cream and share my enjoyment with my readers as I recover with the rich creamy goodness of Ben & Jerry's, Haagen Dazs, Talenti, and many more!

   In between these glorious ice cream fests, I will talk about my love of running in general. How it has healed me and made me stronger, what I have learned, enjoyed, and disliked. My experiences, products I have tried, races I have run, and what its like to run with a toddler. I may even delve into my past struggles with disordered eating, my coping strategies, and how running has saved me- we will see.

  So join me as I talk about my current obsession - running, and my love of the sweet creamy goodness that is ice cream.