A Little Sweat Won't Kill Me

It's Olympics time!  I could not be more excited.  I absolutely love the Olympics.  I always think that seeing all these amazing individuals compete at the highest level is so inspiring.  I sometimes wish I could be one of those people, but, let's face facts.  I am clutzy, have no eye-hand coordination, am slow, and am gettin' old.  Oh well!  That doesn't mean that I can't strive for my own version of physical excellence.

Weekly workout roundup:

Sunday:  Rest
Monday:  4.75 mile run
Tuesday:  Ripped in 30 - levels 2 & 4 (~60 mins)
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  4 mile run
Friday:  Ripped in 30 - level 4 (~30 mins)
Saturday:  9.1 mile run (7.55 miles running, rest walking; 98 mins)

Total weekly hours working out:  ~4.43
Miles:  17.85

Yeehaw.  Okay, not my best week ever, but I am happy with what I was able to accomplish.  Some weeks are just more of a struggle than others.  I am shocked by my training run this morning.  I ran the first six miles straight - the longest I have gone thus far without stopping (60 minutes).  And you know what?  It really wasn't that bad.  The first mile was rough - and I felt slow throughout the run but who cares?  I did it!  Not too shabby for a girl that couldn't run the mile in school!

What I have been really struggling with is eating too much.  I'm not eating poorly and am still focusing on whole foods.  I have just been really hungry and eating a lot.  Calorie-wise, I am eating an amount that should maintain my weight so I am not stressed about this but I would like to get a little more control back.  Is it the running?  Stress of a new job?  Who knows.  I hope to adjust soon!

Random Topic of the Week:  If you look pretty when you are done working out, you didn't do it right

I give credit to my friend Renee for thought!

So, I typically work out in the morning.  I get up at a ridiculous hour (between 4:45 and 4:55am), wash my face, change, and get my butt either on the road or down in my basement for a workout.  I like working out this early for several reasons:

1. I feel better all day.

2. I don't have to think about an impending workout while I go throughout my day.

3. I am more likely to skip an evening workout than a morning workout.

4. It's so quiet and peaceful out at that time in the morning.  The only people I see on an early morning run are other morning exercisers, who are typically always super friendly and I'm starting to recognize the faces I've been seeing more often.
5. (and most importantly) I get to shower and go from looking like a crazy, sweaty, curly-haired mess to being a normal, professional person.

I see other people running when I'm on the road in the morning and they always look powder fresh.  HOW do they do this?  I just do not understand how you can be working out and not even break a sweat or mess up your hair.  Do they just not sweat?  I feel like if I don't have to shower when I come home, I didn't get a workout in.  I mean, this is what I look like after only a 38 minute run (imagine what I look like after my 9.1 miler this morning!):

Soaked through clothes, red in the face, puffy eyes (though this might be because it was 6am), headphones all askew, crazy look on my face.  Ah yes, this is what I should look like after a workout!



I used to feel so uncomfortable with this feeling and looking this way and didn't want to be in public like this.  What I have realized is that sweat is a badge of honor of sorts.  I worked hard for that and am proud of my commitment to my health no matter what I look like!  Now when people drive by and stare at me, I don't care and like to imagine that they are just jealous of my awesomeness (and dream about my impending shower).  :)

Back to the Olympics! 

The Second Time Around...Maybe

Happy weekend!  It's been a good but busy week and Saturday.  I, once again, met the majority of workout goals (5 days per week, 3 work mornings and 2 work evenings; I only missed one evening workout but I'm cool with that):

Sunday:  Ripped in 30, level 3 (30 mins) + 20 mins elliptical
Monday:  Travel for work (i.e. "rest")
Tuesday:  AM - 39 min run
Wednesday:  AM - Shed and Shred Levels 1&2 (cut slightly short due to lack of time; 65 mins); PM - Ripped in 30, level 4 (30 mins) - FYI this combo made my thigh muscles twitch for 2 days!
Thursday:  Rest
Friday:  AM - 43 min run/walk (mostly walk)
Saturday:  8.2 miles (91 mins; broken into 6 miles running, 2.2 miles walking)
5.8 hours working out total this week

What I realized this week is that I really, really, reeaaaalllly miss my half marathon training.  I miss the focus on something other than work craziness.  I miss working towards something challenging in my personal life.  I miss being that athletic and fit.  I miss that time to myself when I'm outside doing something productive.

Now, I am only 2 weeks into my new job and all signs point to things getting very, very busy come mid-August or so.  So am I crazy to think about doing another half marathon on September 23rd?  Probably. 

I have been worried about spending the money, especially since I'll likely need new shoes again in the near future.  But, I've decided not to join a gym in my new town and I justify the cost that I would spend on a bigger race based on the fact that I don't really have any other money-costing hobbies right now.

I've also been looking at my weight fluctuations.  I have been bouncing around with the same 5 pounds or so for the past 2 months and I'm sick of it.  With what I lost this week, I am only 12 pounds away from a healthy weight for my height and I am at a point where I need to kick my butt back into gear.  I am thisclose and I seem to have lost some of my steam. 

For comparison purposes, I lost 22.8 pounds during the four months of training for the GB Half (5.7 pounds/month average) and have lost 5 pounds in the last two months (2.5 pounds/month).  Yes, I lose slow and yes, this type of training is more intense than what most people probably want to do.  I enjoy it (otherwise, I wouldn't do it).  I'm not worried about meeting my weight loss goals during this training and I don't think it will happen but I do need a kick in the butt to get my calorie burn up a little higher.

So, am I going to do it?  Maybe and most likely.  I plan to train as though I am going to complete the half in September but I am going to wait to spend the money on signing up until I know for sure I can get my body into shape in 9-ish weeks.  I completed 8.2 miles this morning and feel very good today so maybe I'm not as out of running/walking shape as I thought I was!  The jump from 8 to 13 is a big one though! 

There are several things that I will be doing differently this time around, including:

1. Being smarter about my nutritional choices
2. Being smarter about hydration - I dehydrated (and thus got very sick) a couple of times during my last training.  I would think I would be fine but really, I was not.  Water, water, water!
3. Much more cross training - I can easily bust out 30-35 miles per week but it results in overuse pain in my right foot, a loss of upper body strength, and major workout burn out.
4. Including running into training - I will not be running the entire half as my knees would never go for it but I would like to include more running as long as I am enjoying it.  If I stop enjoying it, I will walk.  No shame in walking the race! :)  BTW - I have been finding that running is much easier than walking at a clip of ~4.7 or higher for longer distances.  I have yet to figure out why this is.
5. Never training (specifically running) two days in a row.  This wasn't as big of a deal when I walked but my joints cannot handle intense running two days in a row.  This also forces #3 to happen.
6. I will not be setting any time goals - I might wear a watch during training runs but I am not going to be putting an emphasis on time.  I will be wearing a watch during morning runs as I need to be sure I get to work on time!  Why am I doing this?  I care less about being super speedy than I do about being healthy.  Being worried about time takes the fun out of it.
7. Less training time - 4 months vs 2 months, enough said
8. Listening to my body - if I start burning out between training and work, I will pull the plan and go back to basics and not run the race.  No big deal.  The goal is to be healthy not put so much stress on myself that I start faltering in other areas of my life.

So, here we go again.  We'll see how this goes!

Half Marathon Goals

Happy Friday!

Summer seems to be here to stay.  I am very excited about this.  In the past week, I have dealt with major drama (will be discussed in more detail in June), finishing my regular job, and moving.  It's been a busy and stressful week but everything seems on track.  Next up: half marathon on Sunday!

Since this is my first half marathon/long distance "race", I wanted to set a few goals.  One that I will be happy with no matter what and a few that I hope to accomplish but won't be heartbroken if I don't.  First, let's talk weather.  The forecast has been going back and forth between lots of rain or no rain during the race.  It's also supposed to be warmer than I prefer.  Nothing to worry about I think though.  I should be done by ~10am so it won't be too hot yet (hopefully!).

So my goals are:

#1.  To finish the full 13.1 miles and cross the finish line in one way or another (walking, skipping, crying, crawling, on a stretcher...whatever!) and be proud of all that I've accomplished.  I gave myself 5 months to train for this and successfully got through by myself so I want to celebrate all the work I've done.

#2.  To finish under 3 hours.  Since I'm walking, obviously it will take longer than most runners out there.  I finished one of my training 13.15 milers at 2 hours + 55 mins + 30 seconds so I know it's a good possibility that I will meet this goal.  The last 13.15 miler I did was just over the three hour mark (major headwind for 3/4 of it).

#3.  To finish under 2 hours, 55 mins.  This is reaching for me due to the heat (most of my training has been in the temperature range of 35-60F) and potential for rain (and my current stress levels), but I'd love to meet this goal!  If I don't, oh well!  I've come a long way no matter what!

Wish me luck!  I hope to post an update after the race but I can't guarantee I'll have time to do so before catching my flight.  If not, I'll post when I get back in town in three weeks! 

New Kicks

When I started trekking longer distances back in January, I also started getting major blisters on the bottoms of my three outer toes on both feet.  At the urging of some very wise people, I went to be fitted for shoes and was told that I slightly underpronate (which means my poor outer toes are getting the major work of walking).  Since my pronation issues are not that horrible, I don't get blisters at lower mileage (and can wear regular shoes).  However, it does present enough of a problem to cause major blisters at higher mileage (8+ miles). 

I was fitted for shoes and went through a giant pile before attempting to make a decision of going between two stability shoes - New Balance 860v2 or Brooks Adrenaline.  I went with New Balance as the Brooks cut into the top of my big toe (no matter what size I tried on this happened - the toe box just doesn't work for me). 

While I have loved a lot of things about my NB training shoes - they broke in easily, I have not had one blister with them, they are lightweight and breathable, very comfortable - they broke down unbelievably fast!  I literally wore through the sole. 

Now, yes, I have been doing more miles at this point in my life than I ever have (I've completed over 30 miles  in the last 5 days), I still expected that they would have lasted longer.  I needed to replace these shoes before my half on May 20th.  I really didn't have a choice seeing as my knees and hips were starting to register the impact of wearing the worn out shoes.

I made the decision to buy one more pair of the NB 860v2 shoes simply because my half is in just over 3 weeks and I didn't think it would be a good idea to switch brands and shoes completely.  Plus, these shoes break in so quickly that I don't think it will be a problem.  I am disappointed with the current quality of New Balance though.  They used to be my go-to brand with decent arch support and quality levels but this just isn't the case anymore.  Case in point:

Shoe on the right = old trainers.  Shoe on the left = new trainers (only worn 5 miles).

Oh well, live and learn, right?  The goal of having no blisters was successfully met, so I don't have anything to complain about!  The new trainers should be fully broken in just in time for my half.  Although I like the new blue, I do kind of miss the orange.  Guess that what going to grad school at University of Tennessee and teaching at a school whose colors are blue and orange will get you...and affinity for orange.

So, while we are on the subject of new kicks and breaking in shoes, check out these bad boys:

New hikers!  I have had the same hiking shoes (Merrells) for the past 8-9 years.  They made it through countless miles of hiking, camping, field work, and crazy mud messes.  They always looked new, the tread never wore, and they were 100% water proof (my new ones are not but I will be hiking in the desert mostly).  During the last field course I worked on (1.5 years ago), I started to feel their age.  I could feel every stick, stone, and pebble through the bottoms of the shoes.

Despite the good run with those, I knew I had to get new hikers before the next field course that I start on May 20th (yes, you read that date correctly, I fly out the day of my half marathon).  I went with Merrells again since I had such a great experience the last time.  These hikers are going to take me to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (and then back up again!).  Well, that is if they are broken in on time. 

Since I will be doing so much hiking, I will likely take my old Merrells along just in case I need a switch or I start getting blisters.  I do need to pick up some pronation correcting inserts for these though. 

So with all that foot talk, I leave you to have an amazing evening!  If you have suggestions of great brands of trainers that are of fantastic quality (beyond Brooks), let me know!  I'll likely be looking for different shoes around mid-summer.

Homemade Larabars and HM Training Updates

Good evening and happy Easter!  I have been traveling so much lately that I decided not to head up to my parent's house for Easter this year so my super awesome parents came down to see me! 


After eating out, my parents were good sports and climbed up the "M" (i.e. the world's largest M painted on a hillside that is located at the edge of the town I live in):

When you get to the top, you are rewarded with a great view of SW Wisconsin:

And your mom makes you pose for photos:

As you can see, it was very windy!  My feet were blown out from under me quite a few times! 

Moving along, my half training has been going pretty well and I walked a 12.1-miler yesterday in 2 hours, 39 mins, 17 seconds.  I have 6 weeks until my Half so I would say that I'm in pretty good shape!  :)

I purposely trained early for several reasons.  First, I wanted the extra time in case I got sick or injured.  Second, I wanted the extra time in case it took a little longer for me personally to work up to the distance.  Third, I wanted to be confident that I could complete the distance relatively easily.  And finally, fourth, this spring is absolutely insane.  There's no other way to put it.  It's crazy. 

I can't disclose all the details yet (hopefully soon!), but let's just say that I don't want to worry about intense training when I stressed to the max.  Some things I can share are: the week before my half, I am moving.  The night of my half, I am flying to Denver to join in on teaching a field course that will already be 2 days underway.  A few days after my half, I have every plan to hike a good distance at Arches NP, Zion NP, and then down and then back up the Grand Canyon.  This will be followed up by many hikes throughout the nearly three weeks of the field course.  Oh yes, I will do it!  Hopefully.  :)

Needless to say, building endurance, sleep, and proper nutrition will be needed over the next 6 weeks which is why I'm so grateful to be this far along in my half training!

While earlier today, thanks to having the stomach flu this weekend (or dehydration followed by water logging - still not sure which), I didn't feel like cooking.  I am feeling much better tonight and decided to work on the nutrition part!  First, I made Super Granola to help me fuel up!  I have a tendency to take the easy way out and just eat raw oatmeal on my yogurt in the morning (try it - it is so good!  Just don't use instant or steel-cut oats).  However, I like the benefits that the quinoa, flax, and chias provide.

I also thought I'd try my hand at homemade Lara Bars!  I enjoy these bars but to be honest, they are pretty pricey and many of them are made with almonds (I'm allergic).  I found this recipe that helped me get a good idea of where to start.  I decided to make a few small changes - including swapping out cashews for the almonds.  As this is my first time making these, I went with the banana bread flavor first and then decided to make the chocolate coconut chew!  I have found a huge amount of recipes (just Google 'homemade larabars' and you'll see what I mean) that I am itching to try.  Should have boughten more dates...

Homemade Mini-Banana Larabars

Makes 8 bars, 98 calories each
Ingredients:
1 banana, sliced and dehydrated or baked for 2 hours on 200F in the oven, flipping half way through* 
6 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews
Cinnamon

Combine banana chips, dates, and cinnamon in a food processor and grind until finely chopped.  Remove and empty into a bowl.  Add cashews to food processor and grind until finely chopped.  Add to the date mixture.  Mix thoroughly and press into bars.  Wrap individually and refrigerate.

*As per the recipe I based this off of, make sure you place the bananas on parchment paper or at least spray the pan before baking to avoid major sticking!


Homemade Mini-Chocolate Coconut Larabar

Makes 10 balls, 95 calories each
Ingredients:
5 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup raw cashews

Combine dates, coconut, and cocoa powder in a food processor and process until finely ground.  Empty into a bowl.  Add the cashews to the food processor and process until finely chopped.  Add to the date mixture.  Stir well and press into 10 balls.  Wrap and refrigerate.
__

Note - these are not the cutest of foods but both had an intensely amazing flavor!  On the downside, they are very high in calories and I made a colossal mess out of my kitchen making the chocolate-coconut ones (I think I needed more dates to hold the coconut and cocoa powder together better and/or a regular sized food processor - not the baby one that I got for $7 at Target - thus why these are balls instead of bars).  The chocolate ones will be headed to the freezer to eat on special occasions or chocolate cravings!  The banana mini's are headed to the fridge for after work/preworkout snacks.

What would you do?

What would you do if you had a severe asthma attack around mile 8.5 of an 11-mile training run or walk on a country road with no houses around? 

If you answers, "lay on the road and cry" you are in good company. 

This is exactly what happened to me today.  I haven't been feeling the best, my allergies are getting the best of me with this very warm winter and spring.  And although the last few weeks have been super fantastic, they have also been stressful and I haven't been getting enough sleep.  Those two factors plus record high temperatures that we Wisconsinites (or at least me) are not used to all led to this episode. 

I do not have asthma (as far as I know), however that is the closest I can come to describe what happened.  I could not breathe.  At all.  I was wheezing and my lungs actually hurt.  I was flat on the blacktop for at least a half hour before I was finally able to breathe, stopped wheezing, and was calm enough to stand up (FYI - watching bugs on the road is quite calming).  It was very scary and I will definitely be finding a way to carry my phone with me on long walks from now on!

My first 6 miles of this training walk were amazing and I made great time.  When I turned the corner for mile 7, I started walking into the wind for the rest of the walk and I think this is what started my downhill spiral (too much pollen coming in!).  That being said, I ended up finishing my 11 miles in 2 hours, 26.5 mins (1/2 hour of attack taken out).  For how much I wasn't feeling good through miles 7-8.5 and for how slow I had to walk for the last 2.5 miles, I am fine with this pace for today.

Tomorrow, I'm thinking a nice relaxing walk and extra strength training is on the menu.  It might take me a while to not be freaked out to go that long again when I'm not feeling up to par.  For now, even though it's only 9:30pm on a Saturday night (and St. Patrick's Day no less), I am heading to bed.  Today took a lot out of me!

Have a safe and happy St. Patty's Day!

Enchiladas and Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos

Happy Saturday!  Life has been crazy busy and it looks like it will continue to be for the next week.  But then, it's spring break and I have really earned the "break" this semester!  I'll have prep work but at least I'll have a little time away from the daily grind and nights and weekends working.  My birthday is also over spring break...the big 3-0! Craziness.

I feel like lately I'm barely keeping my head above water and have been slacking a little on my half training.  I'm hoping to take a quick break from work this afternoon to get some miles in today though.  It's windy and since I'm exhausted, I'm not worried about time today.  At this point, I'm just hoping to get the miles in!

Earlier this week, I had a major craving for enchiladas.  I usually am not one to cook fussy things that involve multiple dishes and rolling, stuffing, and excessive cook times.  I typically am cooking for myself only so all that work just doesn't like it's worth it.  These were totally worth the work and time though and I wish I would have made a bigger batch.  I'm starting to look at buying a new camera within the next few weeks so hopefully photos will return soon!

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
Technically serves 3.5, unless you're really hungry like I was.  Then the servings are 2.  :)
85 calories per enchilada roll

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup black beans
7 small corn tortillas
Enchilada Sauce (I used Frontera's)

In a skillet, sweat onion, zucchini, corn, and beans until soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Wet a paper or kitchen towel and wrap it around the tortillas.  Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes.  Divide the filling (veggies) and fill the tortillas with equal amounts, roll the tortillas, and place seam side down in a small baking pan.  Cover completely with enchilada sauce.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Eat up!
*

I also made slow cooker lentil tacos yesterday to avoid having to cook.  They were so good and I have tons of leftovers for the lunches and suppers this week when I know I won't have time to cook.

Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos
45 calories per 1/4 cup filling

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils of any sort
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
3/4 cup black beans
1 cup salsa
3 cups water
Seasonings to taste:  cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, S&P, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cilantro

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker and mix.  Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.  Cook for longer for softer lentils (I like a little bite to them).  Serve on tortillas with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. 

A Tenacious 10 and An Unexpected Resistance Workout

Good evening folks!  Let's play highlights/lowlights, shall we?  Alrighty:

Highlights:
1.  Today, I officially joined double digits land by successfully finishing a 10 miler.  I was supposed to complete this training walk on Friday but snow and ice got in the way.  I spent much of today putting it off until I was forced to face the fact that if I didn't leave, it would be dark before I was done.  I will say that while I finished the 10 in a decent time (2 hrs, 13 mins, 36 sec; ~4.5mph pace), I was not happy with my pacing.  I started off slower (as per usual, my first 2 miles are always the slowest), then majorly sped up and ended up burning out around mile 8.5.  I pushed through and finished though and for that, I am super proud of myself!

This was also the first time I brought something to eat along for the middle of my walk.  I brought a box of raisins and ate some around miles 7, 8, and 9.  I choked on one in the middle there...raisins might not have been the best idea but they were effective.

2.  It was a beautiful day!  Mid-40's and sunny!  I started out wearing gloves but they came off within the first 1/2 mile.  I really couldn't have asked for better weather at the end of February! 

Lowlights:
1.  While it was a beautiful day, there was a major sustained wind!  This led to two things:  1) I got blown off the trail (literally) and into the mud more times that I care to recall; and 2) an unexpected resistance workout.  My arms, shoulders, and neck are aching and it is not because of yesterday's real resistance workout!  (Maybe this should actually be a highlight as, hey, two birds, one stone!)

2. Also, the beautiful day led to a lot of snow melt which meant a very muddy, wet, and puddle-y walking trail!  My feet were soaked within the first half mile and are not feeling too fantastic right now.  I'm guessing a few blisters will be showing up by morning as I can feel them but can't see them yet.

I like the highlights the best, so let's just focus on those for the rest of the night!  Have a great rest of your Sunday!

Good Eats & Challenge/Training Updates

Sunday again?  My, how fast a week goes!  Last week I posted that I was embarking on my Eat for Fuel Challenge.  So, to update as it has been a full week, I have been working very hard and am making better choices but I haven't been hitting 100%.  I ate much better this week.  I have been choosing veggies and fruit over chips but I have been over in calories every day of the past week except yesterday.  I did lose a pound last week though so I'm not worried about being over in calories.  I have been so hungry and I am trying to listen to my body over trying to hit a number goal.  It obviously worked last week, so I think I am on the right track!  The Challenge continues!

As far as my half training, I have been backing off training a bit the last 2-3 weeks.  I needed a mental and physical break in the beginning and then work got in the way.  This past week, I was scheduled for a 10-mile walk and it ended up snowing 5-6" the night before so the sidewalks were too icy.  Never-the-less, I plan to get my 10 miles in today!  I will say that breaking the double digit barrier is a little daunting.  Here's hoping everything goes well!  I am fueling up with baked oatmeal this morning (recipe below).

As mentioned before, my camera is officially dead, so no photos of the good eats below.  I actually attempted to take pictures with my ol' trusty point and shoot but, well, they were not good.  My bday is in less than a month and since this is a big one and I never buy myself anything (never go out to eat or the movies, no extras...) I am planning to give myself a pretty good gift this year.  I need a new camera.  However, I want a Garmin watch for training and a Fitbit.  Decisions, decisions!  Suggestions on a new camera are welcome!  Also, if you have a Garmin watch of any sort or a Fitbit, I'd love to hear about these products!  I know I can't swing all three so a decision must be made soon!

Now for the good eats.  Every now and then I want oatmeal.  Before Celiac, I ate oatmeal almost every morning (the microwave/instant kind).  While gluten-free instant varieties are available, they are way out of my regular price range.  I typically do not have the time on a work morning to make stove-top oatmeal so baked oatmeal is a perfect compromise.  I make it on the weekend and have it all week!

I have also been experimenting with an alternative to a potato pancake.  My parents make the best potato pancakes but I tend to not want all the carbs and calories associated with potatoes.  Plus, I hate how long potatoes take to shred and cook.  Too much work.  I have been working with spaghetti squash as a substitute for potatoes and I guess the third time is a charm since my spaghetti squash pancakes last night tasted just like my parent's potato pancakes - oniony and crispy.  Delicious!

Baked Oatmeal
Based off of this recipe
Makes 4 servings or 6 small side dish servings

1 cup gluten-free steel cut oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup milk (any variety will work - almond, soy, cow's)
1 cup water
40 g gluten free pancake mix (or one serving, I use Bob's Red Mill again)
Cinnamon to taste
Fresh fruit of your choice (I prefer blueberries or a chopped apple)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour into a 1/2 casserole dish (I like my glass pyrex for this).  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the oatmeal is soft.  The top may be wet but that is okay.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.  Top with brown sugar or agave syrup.

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

Makes 2 servings

1/2 of cooked and shredded spaghetti squash*

15 g flour (I used garbanzo bean flour)

1/3 of a medium onion, grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat a skillet on medium high on the stove top.  Mix all ingredients together and shape into pancakes.  Spray the skillet with a small amount of olive oil.  Cook the pancakes until golden brown on both sides.  Eat up!  I like these with ketchup but I know my mom will be shaking her head and saying that butter + salt is best!

*There is a variety of ways to cook spaghetti squash however I find the microwave to be most efficient.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Wrap the cut-side of the squash in a wet paper towel and place cut-side down on a microwavable plate.  Microwave for 15 minutes (or until the entire squash is soft).  Allow to cool to be able to handle and then use a fork to pull out the shreds of the squash.  You can also bake the squash in the oven (without the paper towel).

Half Marathon - FAQ's Part I

I woke up this morning thinking about spring.  We've had a very easy winter and yet, I have such horrible spring fever!  I dug through the piles of coffee in my pantry and managed to find some left over orange creme from Door County Coffee!  The smell and taste of this coffee makes me feel like I could walk outside in a t-shirt (and not be cold).  So summery.  I'm looking forward to DCC releasing it again this spring (it's a seasonal coffee) because the stuff in my pantry was a bit stale and off tasting.  At least it still smelled good! 

A quick note - my camera has officially keeled over and only saves about 1 out of every 10 pictures appropriately (all the rest are "corrupt").  So I apologize ahead of time for not a lot of photos in my posts.  I am trying to decide whether I should get it fixed or upgrade.

I have been getting quite a few questions about my half marathon that I am currently training for.  Some have been from people that I don't know via e-mail (a first for me and very exciting - this is a pretty small blog!) and some from people I am very close to.  I thought it might be fun to do a couple of FAQ posts and also post updates on my training weekly as this will (hopefully) help keep me on track.  So here we go!  If you have questions that are not answered below, add them to the comments or shoot me an e-mail!

Why a half marathon?
I started randomly saying last summer, "Wouldn't it be cool to do a half marathon next summer?"  It wasn't a serious suggestion, just something that I thought would be fun.  I decided to sign up for the 5-mile Turkey Trot this past fall and spent all fall working towards increasing my distance and speed (yes, it took that long!).  I was very happy with my time (averaged a 13 min 3 sec pace - walking the entire way).  I felt as though I had really pushed myself and accomplished something.

After the Turkey Trot, the weather got cold, finals came around, and I got lazy.  Right before Christmas, I started to seriously consider a longer distance race.  I started walking longer distances outside and on the treadmill and was surprised at what my body could actually do.  I really don't think we give ourselves enough credit - our bodies are capable of a lot!

A few people (including my pain management doctor) have called me an "athlete" in the past couple of months but this doesn't resonate with me.  According to the Free Dictionary, an athlete is:

"A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts."

 This is not me.  I have always thought that weight loss is a huge mental game and I still see myself as the chubby kid whose gym teacher used to tell her to skip forward and backward rolls because there was no way she was going to be able to do them (I could, by the way).  So, I have something to prove to myself.  I need to prove to myself that I am, in fact, an athlete and someone capable of committing to the training for this event and completing it successfully.

I think this is a good distance for me.  It's a challenging distance to maintain a good pace and I definitely need to train my body to be in good enough physical and mental shape to accomplish this, but it is not so long that the training takes over my entire life.  I am definitely moving towards being an endurance exerciser.  I feel like I don't hit a good stride until I've been walking 3-4 miles.  After that, I usually can just cruise along.  :)

What half did you chose?  Why did you chose it?
I am signed up for the Green Bay Cellcom (Half)Marathon.

My main goal for this race is to just finish it!  While I would like to complete the race knowing that I did my best, I'm not putting a time limit on myself.  If I trip and fall on my face (hey - it's known to happen) and I need 7 hours to finish this race, I can take it.  Most races that I have researched give you a time limit that you have to finish within.  Many require an average pace of 14-16 min/mile.  While this is absolutely doable for me, I want the super-cushy 7 hour limit that the GB race offers.  The timing worked out quite well too as I will be just finishing up the semester and I don't know what I will be doing this summer yet.

Why are you walking the half?
There's a few reasons:

1. I don't love running.

2.  Last spring I made it a goal to run a full mile without stopping as I had never in my life done that.  Once I met that (and was up to nearly 3 miles running without stopping), I started having major issues with my knees and hips.  These issues continued until I was forced to stop as I wouldn't be able to walk normally and without intense pain for two to three days after each run.  I don't see the point of hurting myself while trying to be healthy. 

While I don't love running, I LOVE walking.  It's calming and great exercise without all the high impact problems (especially if you can go at a decent speed).

If you're not running, why train?
I know that I am capable of going out and walking 13.1 miles.  I could probably finish this race in a respectable amount of time even.  I mean, I hiked 12.5 miles in Glacier National Park when I was ~60 pounds heavier than I am now.

I have a reason behind why I am training and why I'm training for so long:  I'm in this for the training more than the race.  I need something to keep me on track when I am tired (or being lazy) and really don't want to work out. 

For instance, on Monday, I was having a very bad workout day.  About two miles into my walk, I wanted to quit and just call it a day.  In the past, I probably would have.  However, just the thought that I was going to be doing the half really spurred me on.  I ended up completing six miles in an hour and 20 mins.  While I was tired and didn't want to do it, my body was capable and I taken a rest day on Sunday so I knew I could push myself.

How far into training are you?  What training plan are you following
My longest training walk so far is 9 miles.  Last week, I started working on putting together my own training plan.  Since I am training over quite a lengthy period of time and am already pretty strong, most training plans just don't seem like a good fit for me (see Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Walking Program and The Walking Site's Program for good examples).

To view my current training plan, click here.  I am using this doc as a way to plan my workouts for the week and then log in what I actually did.  While I have a semi-set plan for my longer training walks (which may or may not change a little depending on weather, fatigue, etc.), I am leaving the rest of my weeks open to planning the week before.  I hope that this will give me maximum flexibility for cross training and free weights and it will allow me to alter my workout schedule based on the weather.  Let's face the truth here:  I hate the gym and I'd rather workout outside. :)


Have a good Saturday.

Outside > Inside

After an excellent week, I thought I'd top the week off with a nice longer training walk!  More than anything, I really wanted to test out my foot to see if it would still hurt on long walks.  Since my foot started bothering me last Thursday, I rested on Friday and Saturday.  I then did Ripped in 30 both Sunday and Monday with no pain.  Then, finally, I was back to the gym to walk!  5 miles Tuesday and 4.75 miles (and a 75 min yoga class) on Thursday.  All in all - I think my foot is definitely getting better!  I had very little pain this week.  I have been thinking that some of the issue was walking on the indoor track, which puts pressure on one foot during your entire walk as you are constantly going in a circle (7 laps to a mile) and the treadmill.  Indoor walks just don't agree with my feet! 

Plus, let's face it, the gym is awful.  It is always so hot and stuffy and there are too many people around!  I love to get out in the fresh air!  So, since this morning was bright, sunny, and fairly warm so I thought I'd go check out the park! 

Beautifully sunny winter day turned cloudy...
(sorry for bad photo quality - I only had my cell with me.)

I was so happy to see that the path around the park was both plowed and salted!  I don't know if I have ever been so excited to see a cleared walkway!  I set out to do 4 or 5 miles but decided to seize the fresh air and sunny weather and do a longer training walk.  I have been stuck inside way too much lately!

So....8.5 miles in 1 hour, 57 minutes!  Much better than my last 8-miler, which was around 1 hour, 56 mins.  While I'm not super concerned about my half marathon time, I would be super happy if I could finish at the pace I walked at today (4.36 mph - about 13 mins, 45s).  I can do faster (one of my miles today was around 12 mins, 30s) but I don't want to worry about burning out early on in the half so I'm attempting to learn pacing.

Tomorrow is cross training!