chasing the kenyans

i can and i will

2012-01-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

saw this on facebook over the weekend and thought it was share-worthy.

33 randoms

2012-01-22T18:00:00.000-05:00

the latest circulating meme is called "eleven randoms", but since i was tagged by maurlene and kandi (both worthy opponents in words with friends) my particular assignment grew to be 33 randoms.

part 1 - 11 random things about me:

i prefer plastic cups over glass, with a straw.
sometimes i try to think about where my retainers are that i lost 8-9 years ago.
when i was in 4th grade my life plans were to go to duke university, become a lawyer, get married and have a few kids by the time i was 21.
my younger sisters and i had our own swimming olympics during the '96 olympics. naturally i won all the gold medals except one - we rigged a race so that my youngest sister (5-6 yrs old at the time) would win at least one of the events.
during the winter olympics i practiced speed skating around the driveway in my rollerblades.
i'm a sudoku-holic.
i hate getting gas. josh has said he can tell based on the random credit card charges.
sometimes i just wear a long-sleeve race shirt to work because i know i will never warm up enough to take off my coat and scarf anyway.
i remember whining about 1- and 2-mile time trials in college. little did i know...
in middle school band i wanted to play the trumpet, but they put me on the flute instead.
i am so glad the sc primaries are over so i don't have to see the political commercials anymore (until the fall anyway).

part 2 - maurlene's questions:

1. What is your favourite pair of non-running shoes?
barefeet. i am in the south afterall.

2. What are you wearing right now?
sweatpants and a sweatshirt. it's been a productive weekend.

3. What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
i'm assuming you don't mean literally the first thing, as i'd probably scream. then i'd figure out which payout costs me the least in taxes. and then i'd buy a new house i guess.

4. Are you named after anyone/anything?
my middle name is slight variation of my mother's first name.

5. What is worse – being too cold, or being too hot?
too cold. and i am always cold. i may as well not buy work clothes because i always end up wearing my jacket (zipped up) all day.

6. What is hanging on your walls at home?
uhh, pictures? what else? various picture frames and 3 canvases that i've painted.

7. What is the last thing that you took a picture of?
my m&m's that i haven't eaten in 4.5 months.

8. Who is the last person you spoke to on the phone?
josh.

9. Where did you go on vacation as a child?
various roadtrips across the us. west coast, midwest, east coast, north east...

10. What is your favourite TV show?
i go through cycles. right now i'm into cake boss, gossip girl, white collar (mmm neal caffrey).

11. How many pieces of jewelry do you wear regularly?
3 - two wedding bands and engagement ring. or does that all count as one now? trying to get in the habit of wearing the earrings josh got me for christmas, it's been awhile since i've worn earrings regularly.

part 3 - kandi's questions:

1. What is the last thing you took a picture of?
see #7 above.

2. If you eat eggs, what is your favorite way to make them?
scrambled with feta cheese.

3. What is your favorite board game?
i like most all board games. lately we've played wits and wagers and blokus.

4. Do you prefer dogs, cats, or some other pet?
i don't really like pets for myself, but in general i'm definitely dogs > cats. i'm allergic to both either way.

5. i don't know what happened to question #5.

6. Cake or pie?
both.

7. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be?
i'd love to live on a tropical island, but i'm also pretty content here in the us of a. our government (both parties) seems to be trying to screw up everyday, but at least they haven't censored the internet. yet.

8. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?
all over europe. all over asia. back to the french poly.

9. What is your favorite color?
green.

10. How many siblings do you have?
3 sisters. 2 brothers-in-law.

11. If you were invited to a wedding reception but not the ceremony, would you be offended?
hmm. at first thought, i would say yes. but after i thought about it for 5 minutes i realized it was no big deal.

part 4 - questions that i'm passing on:
1. you have the skills to go pro in any sport (except running/triathlons). what sport would you choose?
2. what is your favorite vegetable?
3. they're making a movie about your life. what actor/actress would play you?
4. last book you read?
5. last text message you sent?
6. what is your favorite meal/recipe to cook?
7. do you prefer dusting or vacuuming? (and when are you coming to do my house?)
8. if you could go on vacation to anywhere in the us or canada, where would you go?
9. what something you love about where you live?
10. something you don't love about where you live?
11. what do you do when you have trouble falling asleep?

and the tag-ees who will answer them:
kim
kovas
neon blonde runner
fancy nancy
laura
runninghood
nelly
michael
glenn
ayedubbs/cclark
jill

feel free to answer a random question below too!

point five

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

monday, january 16th
- decide i will toughen up and commit to an actual comeback plan.
- remember how much i loved making excel spreadsheet training plans.
- leave plenty of clauses on plan for rest days, taking it one day at a time, etc.
- be incredibly cautious and don't build up to 20 miles/week until may.
- feel a little ridiculous because may is 4.5 months away.
- make fun of yourself because you used to run marathons.
- decide you need one more day off and schedule new training plan to start tomorrow.

tuesday, january 17th
- forget to put garmin on the charger in the morning (it's a little dead and dusty after 6 months).
- work all day.
- josh ~~makes fun of you~~ asks if you are nervous on the way home from work.
- attempt to give garmin a little juice since you're only going out for a whopping mile.*
- try to remember what you would wear for a 54° run.
- put on garmin with 13% charge.
- "bezel locked".
- do what you think will unlock the bezel.
- it doesn't work.**
- assume garmin is broken from all the non-use.
- head off on a warm-up walk.
- after about 1/4-mile, slightly lift knees higher, feel burning in your lungs and "run".
- appreciate the fact you went this direction so you can run downhill instead of up.
- announce the obvious to josh - "i'm running!"
- to which josh says "you're on the road and you're running!"
- after running for 1/2-mile, slow to a walk for the last 1/4-mile.
- notice how out of breath you are.
- make fun of yourself and claim you need to make a protein shake.

i'm running! i'm on the road and i'm running!

*i only wanted to bring my garmin so i would know when to walk and when to run (my "workout" was based on distance) as well as for the heart-rate data. i want to get back to tracking my heart-rate data because it worked well for me in the past and if i focus on that i can ignore my pace.

**it took me a full day to remember how to unlock the garmin, but i figured it out.

gone goofy, again

2012-01-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

this time, as a spectator.

back in the spring of 2011, josh got a wild hair and decided he wanted to do a marathon. (he ran his first half in the fall of 2010). he entered the nyc marathon lottery (unsuccessfully) so of course the next logical thing to do was sign up for the goofy challenge.

poll: who needs psychiatric help?

a) someone who runs their first marathon in cotton spandex and only a 14-mile long run under their belt
b) someone who runs their first marathon the day after running a half-marathon but did actually complete a good amount of long training runs
c) both a and b
d) neither. these are both perfectly wise actions.

we arrived in orlando late thursday night, and hit up the expo ~~first thing~~ around 10am friday before spending the day in hollywood studios.

saturday we woke up dark and early at 3am, got stuck in traffic on the 7-mile drive from the hotel to the epcot parking lot, and arrived at the start/finish area just in time for josh to take the additional 20-minute trek to the start line.

half-marathon day

for the half-marathon, i spectated at the start and mile 13. due to josh's anticipated pace, there wouldn't be enough time to catch him up by magic kingdom. while i waited, i took a few random photos and chatted with an older woman who's husband was running the half-marathon after having suffered a heart attack last fall, pretty amazing.

half marathon - 2:02

josh was aiming for a sub-2 (he can easily run this) and ran pretty much on target, but he had to deal with a lot of congestion in the early miles of the race due to being placed in corral d. ultimately the 3 extra minutes weren't a big deal since he still had 26.2 miles to go.

marathon day

for the full-marathon, i spectated at the start and mile 4 (same viewing area), mile 9, mile 12.5-ish, and the finish. the only way to see your runner between miles 12 and the finish is if you have a park ticket to animal kingdom, hollywood studios or epcot (i wish disney could improve upon this).

josh's goals for the marathon were a) survive, b) sub-5:00, c) 10:00/mile pace. it was his first marathon afterall, and the day after a half no less.

at the start/mile 4 i stood next to a guy holding up his ipad with "inspirational running slogan" typed on the screen (great idea to use the ipad as a "sign" in the dark morning hours). i also chatted with two older women both watching their husbands. after josh passed, i took the monorail to the ticketing center/mile 9 and josh wasn't far behind.

as josh ran on into magic kingdom, i walked over to the polynesian resort to mile 12.5-ish. all this walking and i hadn't had anything to eat yet, i was tempted to buy a $14 muffin (disney extortion fees) but was able to resist. they're all sugar anyway.

josh ran by one last time - i told him he was running sub-10:00-miles and that he could "relax" a little. i had suggested before the race that he 'just run' the first 20 miles and then pick up the pace if he felt like it for the last 6.2. he ran two 20-mile training runs and was a big baby after both of those whining about his aching legs, but they paid off. his knee was bugging him a little at mile 12.5-ish and he said he might slow down, but he held on to the 10:00/mile pace for the remainder of the race.

i met up with his parents after seeing him around mile 12 and we took the monorail back to epcot to wait on him at the finish. i commiserated with fellow clemson fans standing near me about the recent ~~basketball~~ bowl game and soon we saw josh coming down the homestretch of his debut marathon. i was proud.

marathon - 4:22

back-to-back races at goal pace, he must've had a pretty good coach.

product review: vega sport nutrition

2012-01-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

i have confessed my love for gu gels and chomps before (i'm sure i've admitted eating both as a "snack" at one time or another), but i knew i'd need to find an alternative fuel source when i went sugar-free 4+ months ago.

the people of vega sport contacted me about sampling their product, and after checking all of the nutritional facts online it looked worthy of a try. i admit i'm not doing intense workouts that require extra fueling, but should i have an adverse "reaction" to a vega sport product at least i wouldn't be stuck in the middle of a long run with the sudden urge to go to the bathroom...

Vega Sport is the first, complete, all-natural, plant-based sport performance system, specifically developed in three comprehensive stages to help you perform at your best, without compromise—before (prepare), during (sustain) and after (recover) training. -[from vega sport]

nutritional facts
vega sport prides itself on using organic, vegan food sources in their products. luckily for me, they don't use nut-based products in their bars like many other protein-type bars do (i have a nut allergy). the only products with sugar in them are the recovery/protein bars - the sugar is in the chocolate coating.

which would you want to eat? (only 1 is a vega sport product)

exhibit a

exhibit b

exhibit c

taste test
i received a sampling of each of the products and flavors, and though i have yet to try them all, the ones i have tried have satisfied my taste buds.

chocolate savi-seed protein bar - tastes pretty good. the sorghum crisps give it a nice little crunch in. does contain sugar in the chocolate coating so it was very sweet to me (because of the sugar i only tried a little and shared the rest with josh).

chocolate coconut protein bar - also tastes good. i expected to see a white center like a mounds bar but instead the coconut is hidden in with the dates, savi seed, pumpkin seed butter and such.

acai-berry mid-workout bar - surprise, this one also tasted good. fruity, not too chewy (could easily eat during a long run), but you'd maybe want to cut it up into bite-size squares and put in a ziploc bag to make mid-run eating more convenient. a similar type of chewy, granola-y bar could probably also be "diy'ed".

lemon-lime pre-workout energizer - this did not have a strong flavor like most lemon-lime sports drinks, but it did not taste bad either. the powder dissolved easily so there were no random chalky chunks. it looked like stagnant water but tasted fine. the pre-workout energizer claims to provide immediate and sustained energy, increase endurance, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and enhance mental focus and recovery. i can't vouch for the endurance boost (as i'm not exactly doing endurance-worthy workouts at the moment), but it did 'wake me up' when i drank it one groggy morning.

a river of vega sport?

i am happy to report that none of the products i have sampled thus far gave my bowels any irritation.

my only complaint is the use of sugar in the chocolate coating of the protein bars. with all the other super-healthy ingredients, it would be nice to see agave or some other natural sweetener used in place of sugar.

cost
amazon lists a 12-pack of vega sport protein bars at $32.43, or about $2.70 per bar. compare this to clif builder protein bars listed at $28.49 for an 18-pack, or $1.58/bar.

vega sport is not the cheapest, but it's comparable. some may argue it's better value for the money since the ingredients are more wholesome. in my case, it's one of the few exercise fuel sources i can have since it's (mostly) sugar-free and doesn't contain nuts.

overall, i've enjoyed the products i've sampled thus far and will definitely buy vega sport products for running fuel once my training is back up to "normal" levels.

disclaimer: vega sport sent me a sample pack of product in exchange for my honest review.

calling all units

2012-01-03T19:15:00.000-05:00

we have a 207/484 in progress.

last week

this week

i returned to work after the new year long weekend and found my new santa gnome missing. i'd really love to know the reasoning behind stealing random knick-knackery from someone's cubicle.

in other news, i received my blogger secret santa gift last week. here are my goodies from shelly of it's just one foot in front of the other:

thanks shelly!

goodbye 2011

2012-01-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

2010 was the year of nausea and 2011 was the year of irritated skin (or as big clyde said, my redshirt season). here's hoping 2012 brings a full return of "normal" health.

the obligatory mileage tally:

2005 - 735.94 (started march 14th)
2006 - 623.43 (did not log may-september)
2007 - 1335.95
2008 - 1618.95
2009 - 2025.10
2010 - 1545.00
2011 - 873.76 (no running august-december)

january - 130.10 miles. ragnar relay. 12-days of no-running; longest run, 11.5 miles.

february - 106.11 miles. had the plague. my first dnf. 14-days of no-running; longest run, 14.1 miles with the redhead!

march - 166.53 miles. nothing too exciting. 6-days of no-running; longest run, 17.35 miles.

april - 138.93 miles. new 5k pr. 11-days of no-running; longest run, 14 miles.

may - 107.24 miles. got a ride home from a stranger during a hail-storm run. ran a windy green bay marathon. 13-days of no-running; longest run, 26.2 miles.

june - 100.66 miles. went to the emergency room. new 8k pr. 12-days of no-running; longest run, 9.15 miles.

july - 59.20 miles. 20-days of no-running; longest run, 9.05 miles.

august - 0.00 miles.

september - 31.25 miles. went sugar-free mid-month. 15-days of no-running; longest run, 3.5 miles.

october - 17.95 miles, mostly walking. 24-days of no-running; longest run, 4 miles.

november - 13.44 miles, all walking. 25-days of no-exercise; longest walk, 2.55 miles.

december - 2.35 miles (one walk). extremely lazy. 30-days of no-exercise, but still sugar-free! longest walk, 2.35 miles.

"trip" of the month - tour of my own town. hey, christmas was expensive.

went to a "painting class"

(those new trendy ones where you ~~paint~~ drink wine)

dined at trio

(photo from flickr)

went to a minor-league hockey game

and learned that babies will find every morsel on the ground

and try to put it in their mouth

2011 report card: whoomp whooooomp

2012-01-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

running - F

run some marathons. preferably more than 2. D, only ran 1.
race a half-mar. i wanted to prove to myself that disney wasn't a fluke. F, didn't even run a half-marathon.
5 pr's. C-, got 2 new pr's. had hoped to include:
- 5k - sub-21 A+
- 8k - sub-35 B i pr'd but didn't break 35mins
- 26.2 - sub-3:30 F didn't happen
run lots of miles. preferably more than 2009's tally. F- 3rd worst year ever at 873-ish miles.

non-running - X because an F would be too generous

30-minutes of activity per day. F
abdominables: 25,000 abs / 250 planks. F actuals: 10,200 abs / 117 planks
commute to work via bike regularly during daylight savings. F i think i biked once all summer and it wasn't to work.
drop a few pounds. C although the only reason my weight is decent is because of the no-sugar for 3.5 months, not because i made better eating and exercising decisions all-around.

life - A+

one weekend-getaway every month. A+
cities i saw in 2011: ft. lauderdale, miami, key west, st. petersburg, rochester (mi), washington dc, hiawassee (ga), boston, milwaukee, green bay, bryson city (nc), knoxville, edisto island (sc), charleston, block island, niantic (ct), new york city, syracuse, clemson (sc), virginia beach, banner elk (nc), linville (nc). this was a fun goal and i highly recommend it. they don't have to be major trips, you could make a goal to see 12 new places in your state or try 12 new restaurants in your town.
get the tree guy out to actually trim the trees. A+
purge crap and not purchase any new clothes unless replacing something old. A, i did get rid of a bunch of stuff, mostly clothes, and i cleared out a whole dresser for josh. i was doing ok on the don't buy new unless replacing something old until september, and then went to banana republic practically every week. oops.

for anyone who thinks i'm being too hard on myself for giving myself F's (and an X) - lighten up. this is just a blog and running-talk, i'm not beating myself up for missing almost-all of my goals. it is what it is. life happens and things pop up that cause us to change our plans and i'm ok with that. i should have referred to these goals more often though - i could have done a much better job of 30 minutes a day and gone for regular walks. at least i'm winning at life?

blog superlatives 2011

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

most popular (/viewed) post: product review: gu chomps

most popular post (written in 2011): product review: sony w-series mp3 player

most entertaining (most popular non-product-review post): ten things i know about suar

most likely to walk down the red carpet: relay with ragnar

bestest blog friends (most referrals): maurlene on the run and angry runner

most studious countries (most readers):

united states
canada
spain
united kingdom
new zealand

most involved (us readers):

california
south carolina
virginia
washington
texas

most likely to succeed (common searches):

chasing the kenyans
gu chomps
goofy challenge training plan
national m&m day
ryan hall

most clueless (randomest search hits):

floppy ass running
feel wife's boob
women who eat red clay
a man in a party looking his ipad
attitude is everything little dude
fat boy cries on rollercoaster
hippopotamus vs great white
i gave up sugar for lent could this cause my legs to ache
i need support for my man boobs
my butt claps when i run
vanilla orange roctane tastes like smoked ham

looks like we need to firm up those cheeks in 2012!

(concept from running slowly to the finish)

brief summary of 2011

2011-12-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

merry christmas

2011-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

hope you and your families have a very merry christmas!

pumpkin two ways

2011-12-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

earlier this month i experimented with making pumpkin soup. it was ok. there wasn't much of a sweet pumpkin flavor to it, but i still ate it all. i didn't really measure (it's just soup after all) and threw random things in willy-nilly. i vaguely followed this pumpkin soup recipe from crepes of wrath (sans shallots).

a couple weeks later i still had some leftover pumpkin puree from the soup experiment, and i got a hankering to try to make pumpkin biscuits.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
~~1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar~~ (i didn't use any)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons molasses (i used pure maple syrup)
1 teaspoon honey

like my dough cutter?

preheat oven to 400° f. line and/or grease your baking sheets and set aside.
in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. add in the cold cubed butter and mix together with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your stand mixer, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (i don't think mine ever looked like "coarse crumbs")
in another bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, milk, molasses, and honey until well combined, then gradually add into the dry mixture with the butter until just moistened. lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. dust your hands and rolling pin with flour, then roll out to about a 1-inch thickness. cut out 2 1/2-inch circles of dough and place on your prepared baking sheets. continue until you have no more dough.
bake for 12-15 minutes, until set and golden. (yields 8-10 biscuits)

recipe from crepes of wrath.

i had more than 1 cup of pumpkin but tossed it all in the batter anyway. the biscuits still turned out ok, but i assume they would have been flakier without the extra pumpkin. it did increase the yield from "8-10" to 18-20, but we had no problem devouring the biscuits in 3 days (and by 3 days i mean barely managed to save the last two biscuits for breakfast the 3rd day).

they were amazing and i'd eat them again any day. the amazingness could be due to the fact that i haven't had a biscuit in for-ev-er because they usually have sugar / lard (soybean-based) in them. regardless, i loved and inhaled them. i will probably make them again for christmas day brunch.

little full, lotta sap

2011-12-22T08:50:00.000-05:00

to carry on my tradition (founded in 2010, it's long-running), i thought i'd share this year's tree and some of the new ornaments added this year. feel free to play along with my made-up meme - all you have to do is share some of your favorite christmas ornaments or decor.

no reject tree for us this year

"recipe for a marathoner"

received from meagan via run dmt's ornament exchange

we went to see the nutcracker ballet earlier this month

a hand-painted (from the inside!) ornament

from our anniversary trip to charleston

keychain-turned-ornament from grandfather mountain

and a clemson snowman that coordinates with

the mets and yankees snowmen

what are some of your favorite christmas (hanukkah, kwanzaa) decorations? (does anyone even know someone who celebrates kwanzaa?)

(not so) cuckoo for coconuts

2011-12-20T09:45:00.000-05:00

way back in july i received samples of phenom coconut water. growing up, i was never a huge fan of coconut unless it was on a samoa cookie, but i've since expanded my diet and even tried fresh coconut. i do like coconut milk, and coconut water is proclaimed to have a ton of health benefits, so i figured it was worth a shot.

coconut i like

i was excited to try coconut water because it is a more natural beverage than gatorade/powerade/etc and the less artificial food/drink i consume the better. it's also higher in electrolytes, which i had to keep a close eye on back in the summer with my magnesium deficiency and heart issues. i was anxious for some variety! (i can only take so many bananas and spinach salads)

i chose to sample the blueberry pomme, pineapple punch, orange guava and acai peach flavors.

per the phenom website:

"Does PHENOM™ coconut water taste like coconut?
No. The #1 reason consumers are reluctant to try coconut water is the belief that it will taste like coconut. In actuality, coconut water doesn’t taste like coconut at all, rather it has a refreshing, mildly sweet flavor."

i first tried drinking the blueberry pomme flavor at work one afternoon (after refrigerating it all morning)... one sip, blech. i did not taste any fruity sweetness as the website stated, just the unpleasant (to me) flavor of coconut water. sports drinks typically taste better/sweeter to me after a workout, so i decided to save the rest and try it again after a run. unfortunately it did not taste any sweeter when my electrolytes were depleted. i was disappointed - i had high hopes for coconut water becoming my new go-to exercise bev.

months later (/last week), josh asked what these boxes are in the fridge and where did they come from? i gave him the acai peach flavor to sample, and he found it to be "alright". he didn't think it was bad, but he also didn't really notice any strong flavor. to him it's basically water with electrolytes and a little bit of flavor, and says it's a good option for people who don't like overly sweet sports drinks.

so, i guess coconut water is an acquired taste. have you tried it? are you on team coco?

phenom water retails at gnc ($15.99 for 6x1 liters). that's the sale price and it still seems a little steep to me. it appears that only the 'regular' flavor is available right now.

disclaimer: i was sent coconut water for free in exchange for my honest review. i know some people who do enjoy coconut water, it just happens that i do not have the palate for it.

in the mail

2011-12-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

i'm a whole day early this year (vs last year)! my run with jill blogger gift exchange present is in the mail. once again i spent the required minimum on shipping because i thought flat-rate boxes were cheaper than they actually are. whoops.

unfortunately there was no hit single to include this time as dj ctk has taken some time off, but the good news is van gogh ctk was available...

covered by a fancy kleenex, can't spoil the surprise

cost of running 2011

2011-12-19T09:30:00.000-05:00

money is usually a taboo subject, but i've seen others tally up their cost of running for the year and thought it was interesting.

i've never considered the lump sum of race entries and travel expenses, but at least this will be a "light" year since i haven't even been running for the last 5 months. [wow, 5 months? geeeeze lindsay. didn't realize i'd been out of commission that long. time flies.]

ragnar florida keys (race entry): $90

ragnar florida keys (travel/food/lodging): $500 (estimated $200 plane ticket, $30/day for meals)

donut run: free

green valley 8k (dnf): $25

come see me 5k: $20

swamp rabbit 5k: $6

green bay marathon (race entry): $75

green bay marathon (travel/food/lodging): $500 ($250 plane ticket, estimated $30/day for meals)

sunrise 8k: $27.50

total cost of running: $1,243.50

i suppose that's probably a lot for the few number of races i did, but it sure doesn't seem like an expensive habit as you're signing up from race to race. i'd much rather spend money on an experience like these than have more clutter in my house that i have to tidy up and dust, and if finances were tight i'd certainly think twice before traveling to races further away.

edited to add: i am purposely not including the cost of running shoes because i didn't buy any this year. i did buy some new running attire but not much - a few pairs of shorts and 2 shirts (that i recall). that might be another $100 or so. i'm low-maintenance, i still run in cotton sometimes.

how did your running habit affect your wallet in 2011?

city of angels (la 13.1 giveaway)

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

win it!

(source)

i was supposed to run the los angeles 13.1 last year, but ended up being unable to make the trip and gave my race entry to a friend in la. i would love to take advantage of a free entry for 2012's race but as you may know, i'm not quite in shape to run a half marathon in just a few weeks.

so, i have an entry to the los angeles 13.1 to give away to one lucky reader!

the los angeles half-marathon is described as "a new scenic backdrop along the harbor of marina del rey and the shores of playa del rey. beginning at the venice boardwalk and ending at playa del rey, the half marathon and karhu 5k race will take place amidst miles of inspiring ocean views and iconic scenery. in addition, runners will enjoy course entertainment that includes fire dancers, tokyo drummers, live bands, local cheer squads and volunteer groups."

what: 13.1 los angeles
when: january 15, 2012
cost: ~~$85~~ free!

to enter: leave a comment below!

giveaway open until midnight tuesday, december 20th (east coast time). winner will be notified via email.

disclaimer: giveaway generously provided by the 13.1 series organization. i receive no compensation for giving away this race entry, but it's a race i would love to do one day!

november 2011: mile high

2011-12-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

november 2011
total mileage: 13.44
time spent walking: 4hrs 1min
other exercise: two leisure strolls after thanksgiving dinners; one strenuous hike.
days off: 25
avg temp: not recorded
trip of the month: grandfather mountain, nc

for (part of) my birthday present from josh, we were supposed to go on a trip this fall. technically we were supposed to go on said trip back in february, then march, then april, and then it was postponed til september/october in which it became my "birthday present". now it's december and our passports are not getting any action for 2011. sigh. i have, however, made josh sign an affadavit that we will take a 2-3 week (hah yeah right) vacation next year.

i did approve the downgrading of the "vacation" from somewhere tropical to somewhere within driving distance because of my skin and it's whole situation. it's just easier to stay closer to home / haul your pharmacy with you in a trailer.

so, at the recommendation of fellow life/home decor/crafty blogger katie of bower power blog (who doesn't know me but i may have stalked her for over a year) i planned a little weekend in the mountains of north carolina. specifically, driving on the blue ridge parkway and going hiking at grandfather mountain.

after a lunch at tupelo honey cafe in asheville, we hopped on the brp to "enjoy the leaves".

whomp whomp

(the fail noise again, becoming a recurring theme here)

we made it about 13 miles down the brp before coming to a road closed sign. whoomp whooooomp.

we turned around and took the road more frequently traveled to banner elk a little "ski" town with sugar mountain and beech mountain nearby. i had reserved a night at the little main street inn, a quaint b&b offering single or double suites with jacuzzi tubs and full kitchens (great value at only $89/night!)*.

(photo from their website)

we arrived after 4pm but it was a little too early for dinner, so we tried checking out some of the local shops. apparently in the winter they all close at 4pm. we settled for a beer and wine shop - i guess that's the only thing to do on a friday night - and then went to dinner at sorrentos bistro (carb-loading for all that exercise i do).

the next morning we hit up breakfast at the sugar mountain cafe and then went to grandfather mountain**. here we crossed the swinging bridge, one mile above sea level, and stood on the edge of the mountain. this whole ordeal was big for me as i am a big scaredy cat of heights. i faced some of those fears, but not all of them.

after checking out the bridge, we started up grandfather trail. i'll let the pictures do the talking. it was intense. i ran into a rock wall and chickened out just feet from the summit.

view from almost-the-summit of macrae peak

what the ladders to the top look like from 1.5 miles away

(with some camera zoom)

in summary, grandfather mountain is a worthwhile adventure.

roughly 1.5 miles in 1hr 18mins

*little main street did not compensate me in any way for the pr blurb. in fact they don't even know i blog unless maybe they googled me.
**grandfather mountain did not compensate me either***. in fact it costs $15 per adult to enter the 'park'. you can however hike in for free from a few different trailheads but i hear those are pretty intense hikes.
***while i'm clarifying/disclaiming, no business mentioned in this blog post compensated me. this trip was fully funded by our own personal bank account.

happy thanksgibbing back

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

because it was (recently) thanksgiving and i know you all need one more thing to be thankful for...

a drawering. two actually. they're not ms paint but i hope you will still enjoy:

playing "guess that movie" with my sisters

(i texted them pictures from work)

enjoying another meeting

my brain was slightly ready for the long holiday weekend. and now it's depressed.

a's to the q's (part 3)

2011-11-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

(you know, that meme from july i was answering back in august. here's part 1 & part 2.)

and now for the third installment. also the final one, unless someone asks more questions and then i may get to them by march.

Zoë said...
Pardon me,do you have any Grey Poupon?
fresh out, sorry.

Zoë said... Ok ok ok, in all seriousness:
Do you prefer a certain color M&M over another?
i group(ed) them by color and then start with whichever has the fewest. i always save brown for last, and i give josh the blue ones. if i'm feeling generous i might give him a few red or orange ones too.

Why do your bangs always look so freaking cute in pics on Facebook and such? Mine suck balls.
yours don't suck balls, i promise. i actually have an auto-immune condition called alopecia that keeps me from growing hair. it wasn't always this way, i started losing clumps of hair my junior year of college (good timing right?) and at first some would fall out, but it would regrow. a few years later, it progressed to alopecia universalis and all fell out. it sucks and i still haven't come to terms with it/myself, but i'm doing better. i wish i was super comfortable with it so that i could inspire others with the condition to do great things, but i'm not there yet. on the plus side, it's not life-threatening and i haven't had to shave my legs in 6+ years. so, not to guilt trip you, but appreciate your bad hair days!

time to fess up - who wanted to ask?

Would you consider coming to Seattle for a race to meet some of us Washingtonians in the near future?
of course! well, maybe not "near" future since i'm not exactly in any sort of shape other than round. i'm always down to travel though.

Miss Erosion said...
Do you stretch regularly?
definite n-o. sometimes i stretch before/after a race... i'm a bad role model.

What is your favorite recovery food?
hmm. it's been so long since i've been "in training" that i'm not sure anymore! after a run/workout, i like making a smoothie or a carblicious cinnamon sugar bagel. i don't know if either of those really count as "recovery food" though. i also like a healthy meal of rice and veggies.

Do you take any supplements - if yes, which ones?
yes, but not for running/exercise purposes. back in the summer i took magnesium for my heart/electrolyte imbalances, cod liver oil (because efa's and omega-3's are good for so many things) and b6 and inositol for their role in hair/skin health.

now i'm on a number of whole-food supplements from my nutritional response doc - they are the "standard process" brand so most of them are not supplements you'd see on the shelf at cvs (such as biodent or congaplex, but some are more normal like sesame seed oil or echinacea).

Johann said...
What would you rather do: Ultra or Tri?
ultra. i'm just not comfortable with open water swimming!

Do you only chase Kenyans or will you chase after South Africans too?
until i start winning big races ('cause that will happen and all) i guess i'm chasing all kinds of people :)

Christina said...
I like Johann's question about chasing Kenyans. I'll piggy back on that. Why did you chose chasing the kenyans for your blog name?
i wanted something unique/fun/catchy - i don't know if i accomplished that with the general public but i like it (and i assumed other runners would find it humorous or catchy). most non-runners think of the kenyans when they think about distance runners. now, i know there are many other nationalities with successful runners, but i think the kenyans hold the stereotype. since i don't quite run a 2:04 marathon yet, i'm still chasing after the kenyans, and all the other speedsters.

i did consider versions like "chasing paula radcliffe / kara goucher / deena kastor" but they weren't as 'catchy' to me, and i'm not a big enough fan or follower of any of their careers to warrant naming my blog after them.

Jen said...
1. What are your 1-3 favorite workouts (specifics, with approximate paces)?
i don't really like "fancy" workouts (with various interval lengths/paces). i prefer straight to the point workouts like yasso 800's (your goal marathon time hh:mm = your yasso time mm:ss) or mile repeats (goal 10k pace).

however, i did have a lot of fun with "the marlene" workout.

800@5k, 1600@10k, 3200@gmp (no rest in between them)
1000 recovery
3200@gmp, 1600@10k, 800@5k

you go straight from one interval into the next (or into/out of the recovery 1000). absolutely no rest whatsoever! it's a tough workout, but an amazing one.

2. What's the coolest place you've ever run in?
moorea, french poly. then again i've only ever run in the us or on islands. one day i'll hit up africa or something; get an action shot running from a leopard.

3. What were your favorite parts of doing Boston?
finishing :) i was nauseous/dizzy, especially near the end of the race. i did enjoy all the different towns the course runs through as well as the multitude of spectators - many of them were entertaining. there are some bare spots, but the course is well-lined with support from start to finish. it's fun to be in town a few days leading up to the race and enjoy all the excitement building up for the big day!

4. What races are on your bucket list?
i actually don't really have a running bucket list, other than to run a marathon in every state + dc. i also think it'd be cool to run all the world marathon majors (boston, london, berlin, chicago, new york) - especially to do so all in the same year (hah, yeah right).

5. What would be your ideal way to refuel and relax after a good workout/race?
eating brunch with friends and/or family. putting on recovery socks/sweats and relaxing on the couch. (i'm imagining post half- or full- marathon here, i don't think i'd need to veg out after a 5k!)

6. To be as wicked fast as you are, and to be able to push yourself during training and racing as you do, you must have some strong motivators... what are they?
honestly, i don't feel like i've been a great runner in 2011 (prior to august and the skin troubles) so it's hard for me to remember what used to motivate me. i think i was motivated a lot by the successes of my everyday training runs - i'd run my easy runs (instead of skipping them), work hard on speed days and log the long runs. getting to cross each completed workout off the training schedule was a lot better than having to admit i'd slacked off.

reading books or watching movies about pre also gives me an "adrenaline shot" of motivation. i wish i could just show up to a race one day, a nobody, and blow everyone out of the water.

Kathrin said...
Diving right in:
1) What is on your travel bucket list given the premises that money and time didn't matter?
i'm going to add in safety-concerns too, because i'd really like to explore all those troubled countries of the middle east/africa/eastern european region. i also want to do a tour of asia - china, thailand, philippines, japan, vietnam... and i hate being cold but i want to go to antarctica too.

heck, everywhere. i want to see the world!

2) Any news from the cardiologist?
like i said... i'm way behind on answering this. here's what was going on with my heart and here's the 'answer'. in recent months, i've had a lot less episodes, and i'll take it.

3) Since you are such a M&M connoisseur... What type of M&M is missing in their product line-up??
i'm not sure if i still qualify as a connoisseur of m&m's now that i'm sugar-free, but i was perfectly content with the plain and pretzel ones. i've seen the candy corn ones they had out this fall but didn't try them (did you?). i'm not entirely sure how this would work, but i think cream cheese/cheesecake m&m's could be pretty amazing.

sat to death

2011-11-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

mini-updates to address some of the various questions that have been asked recently:

sugar - haven't noticed much of a direct change. my skin is a little better in general, but that could just be from the overall cleaner diet. i think i do feel more "alert"/focused though, and i know that sugar-free is healthier all-around.
caffeine - haven't had any since june. strictly decaf or tea for me!
sleep - i haven't been the best at "no electronics at night/in the bedroom". i know i should read, but sudoku is more enticing. i'm usually not tired at bedtime, but i try to force myself to be. typically, i might sleep from 11:30-1:00, 3-6:30 (have to get up for work). not ideal! on the weekends i avoid making morning plans so i can sleep in, once i slept until 1pm. yikes. i know sleep is important for your body in a number of ways, including healing, and i need to straighten this out soon. one small victory - i'm off the sleep-aid medicine i was taking and some nights (usually the weekend) i do sleep for 7-8 straight hours.

following up on my previous post about my extreme laziness, here's an infographic to motivate us all to get up and move a little more.

via: medical billing and coding

milking it

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

not in this sense.

i'm calling myself out:

i've been milking my health issues and being lazier than necessary.

yes, for a few weeks in august and september it was physically painful to move, but it's now mid-november, and there have been plenty of days where i could have at least done something. i know i'm not ready* to resume normal levels of activity, but i do need to enforce regular walks and some ab work or lunges or something. i may not be gaining weight due to the no-sugar but i am getting 'looser'. plus, week after week of next to 0 activity is just not good for me!

so thursday after work, i went for my second (!!!) "workout" of the month. pathetic that it was the 17th and only my second time exercising, but i blame that on my 100+hour paystubs. unfortunately the bank account doesn't reflect the 100+ hours because i've been a little plastic happy at banana republic and ny&co (purple corduroys!) and off broadway shoes and you get the picture.

i haven't worn heels since april,
but that's ok let's buy some new ones anyway.

thursday (11/17) workout - 2.5 mile walk @15:00/mile, 48°
a few abs, squats, pushups and a very quivery 2-min wall sit.

anyway. i'll probably wake up sore tomorrow, which is even more pathetic.

*in my opinion i wonder if my issues stem from or are influenced by some whack cortisol and/or hormone levels which are influenced by exercise and stress (in my case both stress from work-life 2009 to present as well as the stresses of marathon training) and are not helped by a lack of sleep (haven't slept well in 2 years or so). but i'm not a doctor. this is just a theory.

unpaid, perk-less advertisement:
sign up for the 2011 bloggy gift exchange over at runwithjill! last year's was super fun and it's a great way to 'meet' a new blogger or get to know one better. go sign up and join in the fun!

what i sent my secret santa last year

m&m's: missing in action

2011-11-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

many of you have left comments regarding m&m's and their status in my life.

m&m's given to me the week of my bday (september)

(for those of you who don't know, and i'm not sure how you could have missed the boat, i ~~have~~ had? a slight addiction to m&m's. they even have their own category here on the blog.)

so where has all the m&m talk gone?

back in sept, i started seeing a nutritional response doctor for the various skin/health issues going on, and she didn't waste anytime cleaning up my diet. for two weeks, i did not eat wheat/gluten, corn, eggs, sugar, or american cheese. after two weeks, i was allowed to slowly start working things back in my diet except for eggs and sugar (i can have agave and honey though).

yes, you read that correctly. i haven't had sugar since 9/14/11 (58 days!)

so no, i did not hoard the halloween candy. it's worked out though, keeping me from blimping up while i'm not running, and i haven't had bad cravings (surprisingly). at my initial visit, doc said typically people go 3 months without sugar to let their body cleanse itself (or something like that). i immediately calculated this out to just before christmas, and she laughed when i said it was manageable because i would still get to have christmas cookies. now i am actually thinking/hoping to stay sugar-free. unsweetened applesauce is now delicious and i have to water down juice because it tastes so sweet!

josh found this gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free cookie recipe and he's made them for me a few times. they're good, obviously not as satisfying as a real chocolate chip cookie, but i still have no problem plowing down the whole batch in a couple days. by myself.

ingredients:
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cup uncooked quick-cooking gluten-free oats (not quaker)
1/4 cup skim milk
~~1/2 cup raisins~~
~~1/2 cup walnuts~~
1/2 cup carob chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

note: carob chips look just as delicious as chocolate chips, but have no flavor.

the jester of tortuga

2011-11-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

60.5 hours worked this week (that i billed anyway). i hope that is a reasonable enough excuse for being late on drawing winners!

winners of the 25 shutterfly holiday cards:
meg of meg runs
kovas of midwest multisport life
krystyn of someday i'll get there

since i have all of your emails already i'll be sending you an email with your coupon code. i will also give you my home address so you can include me on your holiday card list :) if for some reason you do not want the cards let me know and i will choose another winner.

shutterfly coupons for everyone:
JC87-2ACW-B0CC-77T1ZY
$10 off an order of $30 or more
valid til 11/7

SHIP30
free shipping on orders $30 or more
valid til 11/21

thanks everyone for entering!

and now an unrelated video for your entertainment

(uncensored version here)

october 2011: finding the podium

2011-11-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

october 2011
total mileage: 17.95
time spent ~~running~~ walking: 4hrs 10mins
other exercise: 3 bodyweight/plyometric-ish workouts
days off: 24
avg temp: 56°
trip of the month: virginia beach

i now understand how people go mia from blogging and don't return. i'm already wondering if i should even bother anymore. i haven't had much to say - i've been keeping a "health journal" for about 5-6 weeks now to try and document changes (good and bad) with what's going on and the various "remedies"/treatments i'm undergoing. but none of that seems relevant to a "running blog". when was the last time i actually blogged about running anyway? this offline health journal makes me realize that my handwriting sucks! so messy.

i've also been super busy at work for the past two weeks. my boss was moved to a new project and left me in charge! (scary isnt it?) i think i've done more work in these two weeks than the past 5 years. it's good though, and it's nice to be busy - less time to boredom eat! (i'm so bad at that...) unfortunately it leaves me with less time to ms.paint and for that i apologize. what's more unfortunate is that sometimes i have to bring work home-even after working a 10+ hour day. shudder.

i count hauling this box to/from the car as a workout.

prior to work getting crazy busy i went to virginia beach for a long weekend to see one of my best friends from college and shop for bridesmaid dresses for her wedding.

the chosen dress, but in pink.

other random stuff about october:

we had a construction rodeo at work

i came in second place on the mini-excavator

gotta find a way to get on some sort of podium!

though the neighbor-kids play in my yard, i still give out the good candy.
at least i'm not the neighbor giving out deodorant.

i attempted to decorate for the trick-or-treaters with glowsticks-in-balloons.

whomp whomp (that's the fail noise for those of you unfamiliar)

here's a "better" shot -

it sorta gives you an idea of what it should have looked like.

that's my october in a nutshell. thanks for allowing me to live vicariously through your training runs, cross training and pr's this year. and even more thanks for not abandoning me... at least i'm telling myself you guys are still out there and anxiously awaiting a run report or new ms drawering.

giveaway update: sometime in the next day or so i'll announce the winners of the shutterfly christmas cards. bear with me, work is taking over my life.