Week 13- Cleveland Marathon Training

Saturday-20 mi, 9:38 average pace

Congratulations to my friends Jordan and Jenn for running their first full marathons! They pushed through the rain and made amazing times.

 

Another 20 mile run is in the books. Melissa decided to join me at a park about an hour away. She did some rollerblading beside me and made the first 12 miles fly by before she had to leave. Thanks Melis!

I finished the last 8 miles on my own and it was tough. I’ve never run long distances at this park, but holy hills! I’m sure the incline wasn’t too extreme, but a large portion of the paved trail was continuous rolling hills. My town where I have been training is flat as a pancake, so this 20 mile run was my only hill training to date. Ouch! I feel surprisingly good today and not much stiffness at all.

I took 2 gus, and planted water and gatorade half way through the 6 mile loop. I also had a solid meal after the run. I came down with the worst headache (maybe a migraine) of my life a few hours later. I don’t like to take any pain medicine, but I did take a little and felt better soon. Ouch again! I’m still trying to figure out why I sometimes get headaches after long run days.

The weather was absolutely perfect for this run! It was all sun, and we started around 45 degrees, and I ended somewhere near 60. Beautiful! Plus we saw a deer, and some cute little birds.

10 miles

I am getting excited for my May and June race calendar! I am running the Color Run in 2 weeks with my friend Alli, her fiance Tony, and Kevin. Next is the Cleveland marathon in 3 weeks, and then some downtime before the Port Huron Half Marathon at the end of June.

Plus a camping trip to celebrate Mitch’s 30th birthday.

Summary of the week:

Monday– 10 x 400m

Tuesday-Spin class

Wednesday-4 mi AM, 6 mi PM

Thursday-Rest

Friday-Rest

Saturday– 20 mi

Sunday– Rest

Tell me about your Saturday in the beautiful sunshine!

Week 12- Cleveland Marathon Training

Friday-Rest

I am way behind on my summary from training last week. It has been a busy week! I have 20 miles planned for tomorrow and I’m really excited. I know I’m prepared physically since I ran it two weeks ago, so it will be a mental game. I’m going to run alone while Kevin is mountain biking at a nearby park.

The weather is finally starting to improve, although we have had quite a few days of rain. This past Wednesday I ran in the morning and evening on the treadmill-so boring! I love sunny skies at somewhere around 55-60 degrees for running. I hope to be so lucky on May 19th (marathon day)!

Here are a few pictures from lately! Walking the boardwalk on Sunday morning, my mother in-law’s birthday present from Kevin and me, and a hot chocolate during my all-day homework session on Sunday.

Summary of the week:

Monday– Rest

Tuesday-3 x 1600s

Wednesday-4 mi AM, 6 mi PM

Thursday-Spin class

Friday-Rest

Saturday– 13 mi 9:20 average pace

Sunday– Rest

How is the weather in your area?

Any big races coming up?

Part 2- Nutrition to ‘spring’ up your metabolism

**My thoughts and love are with everyone affected by the tragedy at Boston.

Monday- Hip hop cardio

Tuesday- 3 x 1600s

Cucumber

My favorite thing about cucumber is the crisp refreshing flavor. I also love that cucumber is really hydrating. As a kid my mom would peel a cucumber and cut it into a few big chunks and we would munch away. This vegetable topped the Shape list of top diet foods.

Cucumber is a good source of potassium, fiber (with the peel on), Vitamin C, and Vitamin K. It is a low calorie food with a great crunch. I am usually cheap and buy the plain cucumbers, but the English cucumbers are really good.

With cucumbers you can eat it with or without the peel. I think certain recipes are better without it, but on a salad or sandwich I don’t mind leaving the peel on. If you buy conventional (non-organic), you will want to thoroughly wash the skin if you plan to eat it. Look for a firm and dark green cucumber at the grocery store. Keep them in the refrigerator.

Here are a few ways to enjoy cucumber.

1. Dip cucumber slices in hummus

2. Throw chopped cucumber in tuna or chicken salad

3. Add cucumber to all salads and sandwiches

4. Mix cucumber slices in greek yogurt with some lemon juice

What is your favorite vegetable?

Any other recipes with cucumber out there?

Week 11- Cleveland Marathon Training

Saturday-20 mi, 9:28 average pace

The focus of my week was thinking about, planning for, and running my 20 miles today. It is done! Every long distance run is a little adventure. It seems like there is always a little surprise or something that changes your plans. Today, it was rain, sleet, and snow. Luckily it didn’t hit until the last 5 miles.

I started my run with TJ and Kristy from my running group. We completed a 10 mile loop with dry conditions. The conversation is always going and makes the time fly by. We stopped for a few water breaks, and I took one GU.

Once we made it back to the starting point, I found my next running partner.

Kevin agreed to help me run the last 10 miles! He was such a trooper considering he does not run long distances. I started to get tired once we were in the teens, but another GU helped me push through. Kevin kept commenting that the rain/sleet/snow felt good, so I tried not to complain. During the last 2 miles, I frequently told Kevin “I love you”, “Thank you”, and “If I don’t make it through this-I love you”. Pretty dramatic, no?

While running today, I suffered from LSD-brain (Long Slow Distance). Symptoms of LSD-brain include poor decision making skills, problem solving skills, and difficulty with overall cognitive functioning. Some examples are…

• Near falls because of carelessness
• Difficulty crossing busy streets
• Difficulty assessing mileage and pace calculations
• Failure to press Start on watch after a refreshment break

**This condition is something I have made up and may only occur to me.

Post run I did my favorite things! Foam rolled, lounged around in sweats and compression socks, and took a nap. I drank a post-exercise Gatorade beverage, coffee, lots of water, and ate a bowl of cereal. I made cookies today too! I love a delicious cookie on a long run day.

Summary of the week:

Monday– 1000, 2000, 1000, 1000m

Tuesday-Spin class

Wednesday-7 mi tempo

Thursday-Bike 45 minutes

Friday-Rest

Saturday– 20 mi, 9:28 average pace

Sunday– Rest

Past weeks

Week 10 Review

Week 9 Review

Week 8 Review

Week 7 Review

Week 6 Review

Week 5 Review

Week 4 Review

Week 3 Review

Week 2 Review

Week 1 Review

Anyone else ever suffered from LSD-brain?

What are your favorite treats to follow a tough workout?

Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon Review

Wednesday-7 mi tempo

Thursday-45 min bike

Last weekend I completed my first triathlon. This indoor triathlon was put on by Lifetime Fitness in Shelby Township. Triathlons have always intimidated me, so this was a great chance to ease into the sport. It was a relaxed easy going race and everyone was really friendly. Plus the gym is amazing and I would love to be a member at some point! I also learned that they have a running group that heads out a few times a week. Score.

We arrived about 40 minutes early and checked in at the member activity station. They handed us a bib, locker room key, and a hat. Next, we had a tour of the triathlon areas, and the locker room.

 

In the locker room, Melissa and I set up our gear for the biking and running portions, and headed out to the pool. Basically, the transition station.

A few minutes before our swim wave started we listened to some directions. 3 whistles with 1 minute left, and then a whistle to end the heat. We had 10 minutes to swim as many laps as we could. I felt relieved to know that the pool was pretty shallow and I had a lane to myself. I threw on my swim cap and was off. I swam 13 laps in 10 minutes. Not great, but better than my anticipated 10 laps and/or panic attack.

Post swim we had 10 minutes to change and get on our bikes. It definitely went quicker than I anticipated and I was tired already! I guess it didn’t help that I had run quite a few miles the day and week before. The picture must be blurry because of my crazy fast legs. Ha.

We had 30 minutes to bike, and the spin room had loud music playing. I brought a water bottle and a sport drink. The above hat helped me look presentable after swimming. I biked 20.6 miles, despite a mess-up with my bike calculator. Melissa and Mitch rocked the bikes too.

After 30 minutes our distance was recorded, and we took our jello-legs up to the treadmills. The running section was 20 minutes long and counted total miles. I started with an 8:30 pace and only made it below 8:00 minute miles for the last 5 minutes. I was tired! Melissa encouraged me to push it the last minute.  I ran a total of 2.35 miles at 0% incline.

I loved the indoor triathlon and I want to do a few more before I attempt a real outdoor triathlon. Swimming is still a challenge for me, especially maintaining even breathing. I tend to panic and then find myself exhausted and breathing heavily after 2 laps of free style. Must practice more!

The best part of an indoor triathlon is that you don’t need any expensive gear. It is a great test of your overall endurance because you are performing 3 different sports. I love the challenge and I bet you would too!

Tell me about your triathlon experiences!

Week 10- Cleveland Marathon Training

Friday-12 mi, 9:19 average pace

Saturday-Indoor triathalon

My spring break in one word…movement! I had such a fun week with 2 long runs, an indoor tri, speed work, and hip hop dance classes. I love the flexibility that I have for scheduling my run and not having to rush out to the dark streets at 5am. I am really looking forward to summer!

Speaking of summer, my run on Wednesday was 26 degrees and windy! Yuck. Here is my latest head fashion. Baseball cap, headband, and a braid. Oh and a running jacket. Is it really spring?

This week Kevin surprised me with spin/cycle shoes! I had been complaining that my arches were bothering me during spin class, and that I may need to invest in spin shoes or ask for them for my birthday. Surprise! They came 2 months early and I am obsessed with them.

The only upset this week was my attempted speed work on Monday. The wind was kicking my ass so brutally that I gave up mid warm-up. I decided to go home, change into gym clothes, and attempt the run on the treadmill. By the time I made it home from the track, my stomach was bothering me, and I had an hour to go meet our realtor. The day instantly became a rest day, and I pushed the speed work over to my cross-train day. It was all happily ever after!

Summary of the week:

Monday– Rest

Tuesday-4 x 1200’s at 7:50 + zumba

Wednesday-10 mi, average pace 9:10

Thursday-Hip hop cardio class

Friday-12 mi, average pace 9:19

Saturday– Indoor triathalon

Sunday– Rest

Also, no house yet! We are working hard and hopefully will find something by the summer. Wish us luck! Here is a little life inspiration I thought you might like.

What were the highlights and upsets of your week?

Anyone else tried an indoor triathalon?

 

Nutrition to ‘spring’ up your metabolism

Wednesday-10 mi, 9:10 average pace

Thursday-Hip hop cardio

Kiwi

Kiwi is known for being jam-packed with Vitamin C. It also has a good amount of fiber and potassium. Kiwi has a small amount of calories, but a lot of flavor to enjoy. This makes it a great “diet food” to add to your shopping list and rev up your metabolism.

When you are picking out kiwi at the grocery store, you should look for a fruit that yields a little when you lightly squeeze it. This means that the fruit is ripe and sweet. Store your kiwi at room temperature until it is the desired ripeness, and then you can move it to the refrigerator.

You can eat kiwi with the skin on or peel it off. To peel it, first cut of the ends and then you can use a peeler or knife to trim off the skin.

Kiwi is delicious on its own, but here are some other ideas to try.

1. Add kiwi to your basic fruit salad

2. Top your greek yogurt with fresh kiwi

3. Add kiwi to your fruit smoothie

4. Make a fruit pizza with kiwi

Above: WW english muffin with light cream cheese, kiwi, and blueberries

What is your favorite fruit?

Any other recipes with kiwi out there?