Weekend Randoms.

I'm pleased to announce that yesterday I successfully ran a mile after ellipticizing. No pain before, during, or after. Today it's time to try a real run :) I will be using a treadmill today because the hip inflammation was likely caused in part by running on hilly surfaces, among several other things! Just wanted to share that exciting news with you.

In other news, I got a baby watermelon at the supermarket. I was too daunted by the normal-sized ones, but I was a little worried that the baby one wouldn't taste normal! Luckily I was wrong!

Yesterday we had some important business in the city, so we made a day trip out there. 

I went to Jungle Jim's for the first time... It was AMAZING. It was just like going back into a grocery store in Luxembourg :)

They had "grumpaccinos..." Apparently this is a fantastic marketing tactic because I normally would never buy bottled coffee but as soon as I saw Grumpy Cat's face on there, I had to have it. It was a need, not a want.

Today we are going to hang out with 2 of our awesome friends from Europe. One of them just had a birthday so I picked these up at Jungle Jim's for him, since we ate many of these at one point during the semester. Remember these from the UK??

When we got home, we visited our friend at their HOUSE. Yes, house. We are getting old.

This is what I saw when I went on weather.com this morning. Apparently all of the places I've lived have something in common...

Happy Labor Day!

Things Lately.

The BEST concoction ever.

Have you ever tried one of these? I'm really enjoying them lately!

I finally received my yearbook from our semester abroad and I'm still really excited that we crushed the competition on this one... ;)

My hip has still been inflamed, and I took Monday and Wednesday completely off (other than all my bike riding and walking back and forth from campus, and I'm about a mile-and-a-half so that makes a good workout in itself!). I did about 45 minutes of spinning on Tuesday, and that felt okay, plus a 30-minute foam rolling class, which maybe helped. Today I knew I had to take action since I'm still not ready to run, and I don't want all my fitness and hard work over the past several months to just disappear. I did 36 (yes, 36!) minutes of pool running early this morning before the elderly ladies' aqua Zumba took over the pool. Pool running started out slow and boring but I liked it more and more as I went along. 

I brought my cap and goggles in case I needed them to do laps but the awesome thing about pool running is that you never have to put your face in :) 

So my hair and face stayed dry and chlorine-free!

I first learned about pool running as cross-training (or as a replacement for real running when you have an injury) when Hungry Runner Girl started using it as a tool when she got injured before her marathon. She made great instructional posts here, here, and here which I've consulted to make sure I'm doing it properly! Before I saw her doing that, I thought it was something only elderly people do! Now that I've done it, I can say that it's a GREAT workout, although not as great a real running.

Hopefully I'll get to try out the elliptical in a few minutes and see if that feels okay - just to get some extra cardio! I'll be back on the roads in no time!

More Pictures, Less Words.

Snack time.

Beautifulness.

Oven works!

On Knowing When To Be Smart.

Today was supposed to be my 18-miler. Instead I did 1.8 miles and turned around and walked home.

My right thigh/glute has been achey since Thursday, when I did a 5AM run and then sat in the car for 5 hours on the way to school to move in. I've done a lot of stretching, foam rolling, kept my feet up almost all day on Friday, have iced on/off, and today was still a no-go. I decided to test the waters, but at the first sign of actual pain I stopped immediately. I know this is the right decision but it still really stinks! I'm not worried about this being a long-term injury, but I know that if I kept pushing, it could turn into one. 

My leg felt fine yesterday, so I did my scheduled 8 miles, but by the tail end of that run it wasn't feeling so hot. There was a lot going on yesterday so I was on my feet a lot walking around campus and at the grocery store which definitely did help.

This approaching week is a cutback week for me, so it gives me some leniency as far as when I do the long run when I make another attempt. If my leg feels better by Tuesday or Thursday, I have time on those days to fit it in. If it feels better by Friday or Sunday, I could do it at that point too.

Quitting in the middle of the run was really hard for me to do. Running - especially these long runs - makes me feel so strong and confident, and for that to suddenly be something I can't do really bums me out. 

I spent yesterday preparing for the long run the way I always do on Saturdays; a carb-rich dinner (risotto!), stretching, and going to bed early. I even skipped my friend's birthday party so I could get enough rest for today!

Instead of getting too overwhelmed or upset, I spent the walk home taking pictures of the gorgeous countryside around me and when I got home I put on my swimsuit and dug out my goggles and went straight to the Rec to swim laps (when I got there, it said it was closed until 6PM but that's beside the point right now). I refused to dwell on it. When I got home and was able to sit down at my computer, I looked at my training plan to figure out when it would be best to factor in this run. I stretched and foam rolled some more. I did my glute strengthening exercises and 8-minute abs. Twice. 

How did this mini-injury (I hate calling it an "injury" at all - it's just a temporary setback!) occur? I think it is DEFINITELY a result of a physically demanding week and trying to do a 50-mile week this week. Here's what my running looked like this week...

Monday : Off

Tuesday : 6 miles

Wednesday : 10 miles

Thursday : 8 miles

Friday : Off

Saturday : 8 miles

Sunday : Was supposed to be 18 miles but was actually more like 2 miles. 

Additionally, I went to Cedar Point with Alex on Tuesday and stood around all day. This was only 2 days out from my fast 16-miler. I spent the week waking up early and doing "long" runs. I did a lot of heavy lifting and moving things around on Thursday. I didn't stretch before I got in the car. 

Like I said, I definitely think that this will be dealt with and healed within a week, but it's definitely upsetting/concerning to have to skip a long run! Especially now that we're on the final countdown to the marathon (48 days). But taking a break now will pay off when it allows me to run strong and hard in a few days or a week.

Don't you worry about me - I'll get it together in a few days I'm sure :) In the mean time you can find me watching Netflix and reading my new textbooks. 

New Apartment :)

Well, this is it! I'm all moved into my first official apartment! I can't believe this day is finally here. I am so excited but also nervous/homesick (already!). 

It all started this morning when I got up and went for my run. This is what it looked like outside when I left.

Missing those long summer days already!

I got 8 miles done nice and early.

Then we packed up the cars and hit the road!

Yes, there is an oar opposite the bike. Never know when you might need one! ;)

My dad moved me into my apartment while my mom moved my sister into her dorm room. We all convened at the end and checked out each other's digs.

I'm very excited about how I decorated my new room :)

I also added a few things to the kitchen (I will be living with 3 other girls!). 

...and the living room...

Annndddd classic "me" dinner in the new kitchen!

So excited for this new adventure!

On Running Alone and Running Talk Down.

Last night ended with the usual Garmin-charging, outfit-laying-out ritual that I've been keeping up with for the last 8 Saturdays now. 

As I've mentioned before, I've done 99.9% of my training completely on my own, and the long runs are getting long enough now that I do feel a little lonely and like I wish there was someone there beside me for at least a bit of it. 

All this got me thinking about my post from earlier this week about running with partners and I thought it might be beneficial to write about running alone! Here are my best tips for running solo :

-Safety comes first. Particularly if you are going on a longer run, make SURE to tell someone your route and approximately when you'll be back. I wear my Road ID on every run and can't recommend it more. If you're on a truly long run, it might be a good idea to bring a cell phone with you just in case anything unplanned happens.

-Play some tunes. I know I mentioned my iPod shuffle a few weeks ago, and playing music (if I'm in a safe running environment) really helps. I make sure not to play it too loud so I can hear traffic and other things, but this has really helped keep me from feeling too lonely.

-Ask someone to do a couple miles with you. If you're training for something and doing long runs week after week, maybe someone will do a few miles next to you on their bike, or maybe they'll even run a couple miles with you!

-Stay focused on your goals. One of the biggest benefits (for me) of running alone is that it allows me to spend a good amount of time focusing and zoning in on my running goals. I envision the race, think about the potential things that could go run, think about the things that will go right, and imagine myself completing the marathon. My runs alone allow for the majority of my mental training and preparation.

-Enjoy the time to think. Lose yourself for a few miles. Get lost in your thoughts, or don't think at all! Meditate. Honestly, for most of my runs, I come back unable to remember what I thought about the whole time. Sometimes, those 2+ hours on long runs are my favorite quiet times. A lot of people I know don't like to run because they get bored without any stimulation other than their thoughts and surroundings. Embrace it. Appreciate it.

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Running Talk Down 08/11-08/16 (Week 8):

Monday : General Strength & Mobility, 8-minute abs

Tuesday : 1 mile warm-up, 16x400m @ 10k pace, 1 mile cool-down 8-minute abs

Wednesday : 4.6 miles easy, GSM, 8-minute abs

Thursday : 1 mile warm up, 6 miles @ 7:45 pace, 1 mile cool-down, 8-minute abs

Friday : Off

Saturday : 6 miles easy

Sunday : 16.1 miles @ 7:54 average pace

Total miles this week : 42.2 

Today's long run felt pretty great :) I did another "simulation" run, which I thing is one of the most beneficial ways to train for a marathon time goal. I did my last simulation run a few weeks ago when I ran 13.1 miles for my long run. One of the biggest perks of this type of training run for me is the added confidence. In other words, I have tangible proof that I can look at and say to myself "yes, I can do hard things!" It's not healthy to do this every week because running so hard so often would really increase risk of injury/overuse, but I think it's good for me to do this every 3 weeks or so. I'll do another 1-2 more of these before the big day.

Even if things went pretty well today it's tough to imagine doing that for 10 more miles in 2 ish months... yeesh! 

Today was my first time using GU (instead of shot blocks). My shorts have little pockets, and GU fits in perfectly and doesn't fall out or move around. This flavor truly does taste like real, melted caramel and I will definitely be stocking up on this and using this for the rest of training and on race day. This work really well and my body processed it and put it right to work very quickly as I was running. 

I was supposed to have a running buddy for the end of my run today but they had to cancel, so my parents were more than happy to join me on their bikes AND provide h2o and Gatorade. They are the best - I was glad to have their company one last time before heading to Oxford this week! I'll sure miss them on my long runs for the next few weeks. They truly have been the best support system through this first half of training. Love you guys :)

Alex's Favorite Pasta.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Alex's favorite pasta dish : spaghetti aglio e olio. I believe we first made this dish together circa 2009, when we began dating. Alex, the pasta connoisseur, will only eat spaghetti noodles if they are prepared this way. Otherwise, he's a penne guy all the way. I think this is a great, summery pasta dish that pairs well with most main courses and is yummy served warm or room temperature. I promised I would make this for him tonight and I will be eating a rice and veggies dish (GF).

We have always used THIS RECIPE from one of Ina Garten's cookbooks. Now we adapt it in our own way - a little different each time :)

Spaghetti aglio e olio has a translation that sums up the simplicity of the dish in four words : Garlic and oil spaghetti. 

Now when we make it, we typically make 2 servings, and Alex will eat them both. I'm still feeling great on a low to 0 gluten diet, but I definitely don't want to discourage Alex from eating gluten and getting the quantities of pasta and other awesome carbohydrates he wants needs and enjoys. Sometimes if he's feeling really ambitious, we make a whole pound of pasta. His abilities are truly impressive.

Start by boiling the water for the pasta in a large pot. After draining the pasta, set aside 1-1.5 cups of pasta water.

You can also start heating the olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium-low heat. Meanwhile, chop up some parsley and about 4 cloves of garlic. You can always add some white onion or other flavorful crunchy veggies that you enjoy.

Add the garlic to the pan of olive oil and let it cook - but don't let it get too brown! Now, take the pasta water and add it to the sauce pan, allowing the mixture to simmer for about 5 ish minutes. Then, add in the pasta and toss off the heat. Stir in the parsley and lots of parmesan cheese.

Voilà! A delicious, easy, and simple pasta meal :)

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Three things that made me happy yesterday :

1. My sister helped give me a "manicure"... I like shiny glitter!

2. Before every semester at college, I go shopping at Trader Joe's (my university isn't nearby to one) and pick out a favorite treat/essential. Yesterday I picked this :

3. I found these FINALLY at the normal grocery store... I first saw an ad for these on Facebook while I was living in Europe... I've been on the search ever since! These will also be coming to school with me :)

I try to eat ^ those sparingly those because they have so many artificial ingredients and are pretty bad for your teeth because of all the sugar... hopefully they last for quite awhile!

Now just gearing up for my Sunday long run... Going to spend today hydrating and resting as preparation! 

Track Workout and Running With Partners.

Post Pelaton weekend, things are settling back down over here. I'm shocked to say that I experienced no soreness from all of that riding - even (shockingly) when back in the bike saddle. I did have some pain in my quads immediately after the ride, but after a good night's sleep on Saturday night I woke up good as new. I consider this a major success :)

I had my usual Monday rest day yesterday, and today I got Alex to do a track workout with me. Yep, he's back!!! I did a 2-mile warm up and then we both did 16x400m and a 1-mile cool down. It made track work a lot more exciting just for the fact I wasn't there alone. He only lapped me twice while doing his workout ;) For those of you who are newer readers, Alex is a speed-demon runner and recently qualified for the Boston Marathon with a 3:00 marathon PR. He's definitely a huge running role model for me, and I do have lots of experienced marathoners in my life but he is one of my ultimate marathon advice gurus these days, especially since he will be running at the Chicago Marathon with me, which is extra super exciting!

Today while the track was kicking my butt I thought of something that might be interesting to talk about on the blog : running with partners! Alex is obviously a much faster runner than me (and most other runners out there), but we still like to find ways to make running something we can do together. Maybe you have a partner/boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse you want to run with, but you guys are at different speeds. Or maybe you just want to run with a friend who paces differently than you do. If you ask me, running is something that EVERYONE can enjoy together - regardless of their pace or distance abilities. 

Personally, I don't have many girlfriends who are training for marathons right now. It's not too surprising - not many 20-year olds run marathons. I do have friends who run occasionally/recreationally, and it's fun if they want to finish the last 3-4 miles of my long run with me, or if they get me through those middle miles. Doing easy runs together is also a lot of fun. One of my favorite things is hanging out with and talking to a close friend while being active at the same time.

In those situations with friends, I don't typically worry about pace at all. However, pace might be more of a concern if Alex and I run together, since we are both in training. To be frank, it isn't practical for him to run with me everyday. It would be a waste for him; he would never get close to his full potential/threshold, which just isn't a good way for him to train. But if you're running with a partner that's much faster than you, then perhaps you can do your tempo-paced runs with them, while for them that run is an easy run. Maybe they can keep you on pace for that run, or during some tough miles in the middle of a long run. Or, you can do what we did and run together on a track for your speed workouts. In the end, some workouts have to be done on our own. It's important to remember that running is something that can be social and fun, and that can be shared no matter what!

After our track workout today, we each headed to our homes and got ready for the day. Then Alex picked me up and we hit up one of favorite hangouts... the grocery store! We got ingredients to cook brunch... and I got this giant cream puff on an impulse buy. (Now it's sitting at home in our fridge...still not sure what to do with it. Let people rip pieces off? Use spoons? Try to slice it up and let the cream puff out the sides? Anyone???)

For brunch I made Alex a 3-egg mixed veggie+spinach omelette. And a blackberry/strawberry/raspberry banana smoothie that matched his shirt. 

I've been sticking to these smoothie + granola bowls. They are such a great way to get all those fruits and veggies in everyday!

(Who else is thrilled it's peach season!?)

I did it :)

I can officially say I've ridden in Pelatonia 14! The 50 miles went great and I'm really proud/pleased with how it went. 

The first thing I want to say is a HUGE thank you to my dad and my family. I could NOT have done this without you guys, especially my dad. Not only has he worked with me all summer to find the proper equipment and learn how to ride a road bike/train for this event, but he woke up at 3:30AM Saturday morning with me to drive me to Columbus so I could check in and be at the start line in time. We were having a family reunion of sorts this weekend, and on Friday night all my aunts/uncles/cousins wished me good luck and told me I could do it. My Aunt Pam gave me her bananas for fuel, since we didn't have any at home. I seriously have the most wonderful, loving family and you guys gave me the greatest boost :)

Back to the recap... 

Like I said, we had to get up at 3:30AM so we could get to Columbus in time and get my registration/riding credentials. Surprisingly, the 3:30 wakeup didn't feel TOO bad... I wonder if it's because I had some practice with crazy-early wake ups during our traveling adventures in Europe this past spring?

Check-in was easy and smooth. I got everything I needed in a snap. Whenever I've done morning-of check in for other events in the past, it's usually chaotic and takes awhile. So this experience was great. Before we knew it, I was ready to go!

I had a bike tag and this bracelet which was personally printed with my dad's contact info in case I crashed/got hurt, my birth date, and my rider ID.

My dad and I took a few selfies while we waited for them to call me up to the staging area to get going!

When they did call me, my dad went off on his own (free) bike ride near a reservoir where I rowed in MANY high school regattas! 

They staged us and then had us stand under this banner before they officially called us to go.

"Together we are unstoppable."

And we were off! The first 12 miles FLEW by and before I knew it there was a rest stop. There were too many people using the restrooms at the start line, so I took this opportunity for a potty break. I had my own snacks so I didn't stop for any. I quickly hopped back on the bike and the next 13 miles flew by, too! Another rest stop popped up at that point. That was also where the 25-mile riders stopped. I stopped for about 30 seconds to send my dad a text message, because my Road ID app had lost reception and I didn't want him to worry. Then I got going again!

I wasn't tearing it up pace-wise, but things felt VERY manageable until I got into my third hour of riding. That's when I felt tired and things started to hurt. I was drinking water and Gatorade the whole time, and I did eat a Lara bar around mile 25. I actually never stayed with a consistent group of people the whole time either - I typically lost groups if I pulled over at rest stops and people were constantly passing me and I was passing people sometimes too.

So, I had just passed 3 hours of riding and we were in the middle of endless cornfields when I saw someone that looked an awful lot like my dad riding towards us on the other side of the road. I realized it was him and started to yell "Heyy--" and he zoomed past, yelling back "I'll catch up to you!" He did turn around and catch me and said "We're only 5 miles from the finish line!" I was SHOCKED! I started to ride really hard and he even let me draft off of him. He rode all the way to the end with me and then we parted ways so I could go through the shoot and under the arch. 

I was absolutely floored when I looked at my watch and saw that I had finished in 3 hours and 35 minutes! That's about 15 ish mph. I had NOT expected that - it seemed from my training that I would finish in more like 4 hours! I was pleasantly surprised.

I stocked up on more bananas at the finish, refilled my water bottle with Powerade and got some yummy cookies ;)

I was a little upset at the finish though because I was supposed to be able to pick up my Pelatonia jersey and goodie bag. They didn't have it at the start and said it would be at the end. The volunteers there said they did NOT have them and that they were probably in the Pelatonia office which is closed on the weekends. They said I could call on Monday but that the jersey probably wouldn't be shipped. I was definitely angry and upset about this because I had paid a lot of money to be able to ride, use rest stops, eat food at the end, and get that jersey. So I'll have to call them - hopefully I can get them to send it.

As I've mentioned before, Pelatonia is a fundraising bike ride - not a race - that raises money for cancer research. I will be continuing to raise money towards my fundraising goal until October 10, and if you're interested in learning more or donating you can read my rider profile HERE. 

Today would normally be my long run day, but it's a cutback week still and I hadn't planned to run at all for a couple days after the bike ride. I actually don't feel sore or terribly fatigued, so I might go for a fun pressure-free run at some point if I still feel up to it. Or I might just take it easy :) Right now I have some serious business to attend to in the kitchen and that's all I'm thinking about at the moment (read: banana bread). 

Again, I want to say a big thank you to my dad. I could not have done this without you.

Back!

I'm back from a little unintended hiatus this week. Things got crazy because work was ending, and I didn't have too many exciting things to report over the course of the week! I'm not running very much at all - it's a cutback week! And I have a big bike ride on Saturday. I can't believe I'll be in the saddle for 50 miles. I have no idea how that's going to go... Stay tuned!

Otherwise, here's just a few things that have been going on for me since I saw you last...

I saw Oikos representatives on the street coming home from work and they gave me a free yogurt AND coupons

I discovered TWO great smoothie-making components : 

+

Not pictured : I also broke our blender :(

Turned in my badge and work phone - I'm free!

Made a killer wrap with hummus, rice and spinach.

Got my hair did :)

I've also been killing it with my 8-minute abs and General Strength and Mobility exercises this week. I have lots more time since it's a cutback week, so I'm not letting myself make up any excuses! Hope you're having the BEST Thursday!