A runner's body

"I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart - and that is all you need," - Sgt. Jennifer Morris.

I really hurt my ankle this weekend on that 18-miler, so I'm taking a cross training day on the bike. Which gives me the opportunity to talk to you!

If you've followed me at all you'd know that this blog is not just about running, but also my weight loss journey. I'm down 35 pounds, which I've lost all through running and Weight Watchers, and while some days I feel like I look awesome, other days I feel like I could drop 10 more pounds.

I see some of these runners who are so slim and fast as can be. I would like to place an order for one (1) runner's body, please!

But what does that take? I've been logging between 35-50 miles a week and eating 32 WW points a day. I think I would starve if I cut the points back down to 26. 

In the mean time, let me share this super tasty chick'n salad:

-Gardein chick'n, whatever kind you like the best. I like the texture of the teriyaki chick'n (without the sauce) better than the tenders, but use what you like.
-2oz mozzarella (best from a log, not shredded)
-romaine (or your favorite green-spinach, ice berg, etc.)
-fresh basil
-any extra veg you want, I used cucumbers.
-balsamic vinaigrette

1. Cook the chick'n as directed, until nice and crispy

2. Cut up all the lettuce and veg and mix it together

3. Top with cut up mozzarella, chick'n and balsamic. Enjoy.

 

Logging the miles

It's been awhile since I last wrote, mostly because I've been writing so much in the training I'm in that I couldn't bring myself to do it on my personal time, too, but I have some running success to talk about.

Last weekend I logged a 20-miler and felt pretty good during it. I was very pleasantly surprised at being able to push through it, even with it being 90° and humid. So, obviously, it wasn't a great time that I did it in, but sometimes finishing is the real victory.

 Nothing to see here with the time, just be impressed that I did it

I'm not going to act like there wasn't a motivation issue involved though. It took everything I had to get out of bed

The week following I did a 9-miler in 84 minutes, an 8-miler in 73 minutes and a 6-miler in 55 minutes. Those are good times for me, so I'm proud of them, haha!

I took a bit of a beating after that 20-miler and had to tape myself together

Then this past Saturday I had an 18-miler, and even though I pushed through it, I wanted to quit at just 2.5 miles in. You know it's going to be a loooong run when that happens. But I allowed myself a .25-.50 mile walking break every 3 miles and that made it easier to handle. At least I can say I made it through.

So, quite a few miles have been logged and there's a 22-miler looming ahead of me for this Friday. I think I can! I think I can!

Oh yea, less than 2 months till the Air Force Marathon!

Obviously, when there's been a lot of running, there's also been a lot of food. Here are a couple of my recent recipes:

Avocado chickpea tacos
(8 WW points for 3 tacos, with 1/2 cup chickpeas, and 1/4 avocado)

- taco shells
-1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-avocado
- any other 0 point toppings you want - lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, etc.

This one is so simple and so tasty. The original recipe's link isn't working, but it came from Vegetarian Times.

1. Mash up the avocado and dump the chickpeas in. 

2. Don't mash the chickpeas, just stir to coat with the avocado.

3. Scoop into taco shells and add extra fixings.
Too easy.

Just to mix things up, I also put this mixture on a sandwich using Panera's asiago cheese bread. Both versions are winners.

And speaking of Panera. Their new soba noodle shrimp salad is a must try. It's chilled shrimp, soba noodles, sesame seeds, on top of spinach and dressing. An amazing meal to refuel with after a long run.

So, the rest of this week will look something like this:

Tuesday - 9
Wednesday - 6
Thursday - rest
Friday - 22
Saturday - 4
Sunday - rest

It's going to get a little tricky after that because of a work trip, but I will adapt and overcome!

Running success

"I think when you run by someone and there's a thumbs up or encouragement, that's something that I really love. It's a brotherhood, a support and an appreciation for the effort we're all making. I think it's also about living well, living healthy, taking care of ourselves, getting in touch with ourselves, our bodies, our minds. It's a mind-body connection that running helps enhance." - Gene Baur.

I saw a lot of this runner comraderie this weekend on my 16-mile run on the Patuxtent Branch Trail. It's the 'in-the-know' head nod, like you both know why you're out there on a Saturday morning, spending hours running while your friends are still sleeping off their hangovers. It gives you a little boost of encouragement to keep pounding the pavement and finish strong...or at least finish!

I've realized though there are a couple factors that determine how your run is going to go. First, it's about 50 percent how much you've trained. I obviously didn't just decide to run 16 miles one morning, I worked my way up to it. Second, it's about 25 percent how you feel that day. Are you feeling sluggish and heavy and the heat and humidity is bringing you down, while your head feels like it weighs 100 pounds? Well, you're probably not going to be setting any records that day. Finally, it's about 25 percent how you fuel, both before and during the run. No matter how much you've trained or how good you feel when you start, if your body doesn't have the proper fuel to keep it going, you are going to crash. Hard.

I actually had these factors on my side for the most part this past weekend - I felt pretty good going into it, had a molten lava pancake for breakfast, a GU right before I started my run, and I had a Chunky Coconut Cherry Almond Butter Pocket Fuel about 6 miles into it to keep me going. Even though I did need to take walk breaks for the last 4 miles because the humidity was kicking my butt, I was okay with it because I still felt really strong.

It was so tasty, that I may have ripped it open to get every last bit

Afterward, I had a super tasty salad that was a twist on the traditional caprese. Instead of tomato, I used a sweet, juicy peach. Yep. A peach. So, it went like this: peach slice, mozzarella slice, basil leaf, repeat. Then drizzle just a bit of balsamic vinaigrette over the top. It was so tasty that I turned it into a sandwich the next day using Panera Bread Co. Asiago cheese bread. I highly recommend this.

Now, I've already had a bit of a rough start to my running week. I did not sleep well last night so when the alarm went off this morning at 4 a.m., I reset it for 6:30 and went back to sleep. So, I still have a 9-miler hanging over my head. And I'll be honest, I may not be able to fit it in tonight because it is HOT outside. I will do what I can!

 

Weekly mileage:

Monday - 9....ish...maybe

Tuesday - 8

Wednesday - 6

Thursday - 5

Friday - rest

Saturday - 20!

Sunday - 4

A much needed break

"A perfect run has nothing to do with distance. It's when your stride feels comfortable. You're on your toes trying to push it. Suddenly you realize you can open it up a bit more. You know you're at one with yourself and the environment. You're a little more alive than before you started." - Sean Astin.

I had this feeling this morning during my 8-mile run. It felt really good and I didn't have to talk myself into finishing it, which is really just a great way to start the week.

I think why I felt this good is because I didn't workout at all for four days over the holiday weekend. There were a couple instances where I panicked a little, "omg! I need to go for a run!" But overall, I enjoyed the break and took advantage of the mini vacation with the hubs. Also, the shooting pain that I had radiating from my ankle was gone this morning. Another reason why I probably needed that break - a chance for my body to heal. It's hard for runners sometimes to step back and take a couple days off, but I saw this morning that those couple days only helped my training.

Here's what I got up to, while not running:

We just moved to Charleston, so we spent some time unpacking. Oh, the gems you find while going through some stuff you haven't seen in awhile

We hung out at the beach a bit, which is my favorite place ever. The water was so warm

10 minutes after this picture that cloud behind me let loose with torential downpour, but then 10 minutes after that it was sunny again and we went back to lay out

I ate. A lot. This is an Oreo Cheesecake Popsicle

Me and the hubs grabbed a loaf of bread and black truffle garlic olive oil from a local farmer's market then sat by the river and ate

We also did some unpacking. We barely made a dent though

 

The running schedule for the rest of the week (after that great break):

 

Tuesday - 4 miles

Wednesday - 6

Thursday - 5

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 16

Sunday 2

Hustle N Bustle 10k

Sunday, me and a friend did the Hustle N Bustle 10k for the Wounded Warrior Project. I'll start by saying it was a great run and it was for a good cause, but it had a rough start. The location of the start line was a little unclear and it was a bit of a gaggle, but once we started running all the little things didn't matter. It was a great course through the woods in Prince William Forest Park and even though it was a little humid, it was pretty cool in the woods. And as usual, it included the bain of my existence - a mean hill at the turn around point. If you read my last post, it was a 40-breath hill.

It was a really pretty run

But, I'm not a very pretty runner. Yeah, running isn't cute

The other side of the spectrum from hills, is my favorite thing in the world - Sunday brunch. We went to The Cheesecake Factory, which I didn't even know they had a Sunday brunch, but oh. They do. Right before we got seated, a waiter walked past with someone's food and all I knew was I wanted THAT. "That" ended up being Factory Huevos Rancheros, which pretty much came down to 3 sunny side up eggs, on top of cheese quesadillas, on top of black beans and covered in salsa, sour cream and avocado. I don't have a single complaint and I recommend you go there this Sunday.

I also got a piece of cheesecake to-go - Mango Key Lime. Yeah. Get that, too.

Yesterday, I woke up with a shooting pain radiating from my ankle up the side of my calf, so I decided it was time for a rest day, even though that's really hard for me. I woke up refreshed today for a 7-miler before work, so obviously it was just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes rest really is the answer and even though you feel as though you're getting off track by missing a run, you'll be even more off track if you cause more damage.

Tomorrow, I'm *hoping* to knock out an 8-miler, but the long weekend is going to be a little iffy because I'll be traveling. After the holiday, it's really going to be time to start buckling down because we're just over two months out from the Air Force Marathon! Woohoo!