Bargaining

Holy humidity! This morning, my dad came over to walk with the boys to the bus stop, which meant I could leave a little earlier than usual for my run. The humidity this morning was 98%--so let's just say the air was pretty thick. I had 10 miles at marathon pace (8:58/mi) on the schedule. I dread my Thursday runs, because not only are they long (10 miles for a mid-week run is pretty long), they are also fast. But I always feel amazing when I'm done, if I can tough it out!

Shortly into the run, I started bargaining with myself. I really just wanted to slow down and run at an easy pace. I was trying to convince myself that it was just fine to slow down, since I'm not going to be running this pace during the actual marathon, but I hate to give up on something when I know it's all mental. My body was perfectly capable of doing today's run; I just didn't want to!

So I told myself that if I ran the first 5 miles at goal pace, then I could run the last 5 at easy pace. That got me moving. I ran an out-and-back route that I haven't done all summer, because the last time I ran it, a black bird kept dive-bombing my head. The change of scenery was nice today.

Once I got to the turn-around point, and reached mile five, I bargained with myself again. I told myself that if I could finish out all 10 miles at goal pace, then I could run my entire 16-miler on Sunday at easy pace (10:00-10:40) rather than long run pace (9:38). Sunday's 16-miler is my last long run before tapering, so I want to enjoy it without worrying about pace. Thinking of that helped me to keep moving along at goal pace today.

At mile nine, I was really tempted to slow down and run easy, but I only had a mile to go. I started doing the math in my head: "My average pace is 8:51 right now, so I'm 7 seconds per mile faster than goal... I could theoretically run this last mile at (7 secs x 9 miles= 63 seconds ahead, so 8:58 + 63 secs...) 10:01 pace." Hahaha, the things that go through my head when I'm running! That's actually something I do while racing--figure out how far ahead of pace I am, and tell myself I could do my last mile at x:xx pace and still meet my goal.

When I got home, I was thrilled that I had actually done the entire run at goal pace, despite "allowing" myself not to--the power of bargaining with oneself ;)  I sat on the porch and drank a ton of ice water. I was pouring sweat, thanks to the humidity in the air. Why does my sweat never show up in photographs?! I actually took this pic to show Thomas what happens when you run in 98% humidity (he's going to Florida for 5 days, and is a little worried about humidity!) But I look totally dry in the photo. Trust me, I could wring out my shirt.

Ten miles at goal pace run and done!

---

I heard a few days ago that Garmin is releasing a new Forerunner next month. I'm very happy with mine, and didn't think there was much (if anything) they could possibly add to a GPS watch that it doesn't do already. Boy, was I wrong! I've been swooning over the 620 for 3 days now. There are so many new features!

One of the things I like most is that it has live tracking, which isn't marketed as a safety feature, but it's a great one. The live tracking means that Jerry could see exactly where I am from his phone/computer WHILE I'm out running. Sometimes, I want to change routes while I'm out, but I can't because I've already told Jerry where I'm going. So this feature would be awesome.

Also, another feature that has me sucked in is that it has a built in accelerometer--which eliminates the need for a foot pod while using it indoors! It can measure cadence (steps per minute), the amount of time your foot rests on the ground for each step, how high your steps are, etc. For a numbers nerd like me, this is very exciting ;)  I also measures VO2 Max, and has a race predictor (using your training runs, it can predict your race times)... can you see why I'm swooning?!

The downside is that it's very expensive--$450. However, it's being released right after I run Chicago, and I'm thinking that I totally deserve to treat myself after running what feels like a million miles over the past few months to train for this race. Since Jerry started his new job, we have a little extra money; and by staying with my sister in Illinois instead of a hotel in the city (for most of the trip), I'll be saving the amount that I would spend on the watch. It's like it's meant to be! ;) And honestly, I wouldn't feel guilty about buying it; I know that it would get used just about every single day.

---

This is kind of random, but does anyone have any tips for keeping nail polish from chipping? I always see women with painted nails that look so cute, and it makes me wonder: Do they paint their nails every day? Or are they all in on some top secret way of keeping polish from chipping? When I paint my nails, they start to chip on the first day, and within a few days, they look like this:

I used two coats of black, and a top coat. So if anyone knows something I don't, please share!

Continue Reading...

Wordless Wednesday

(I don't plan on making Wordless Wednesday a regular thing; I just thought it would be fun to post my day in pictures rather than words! Next week, I'll go back to my Wednesday Weigh-ins.)

Continue Reading...

A gross running story

Oh, man, the grossest thing happened to me while I was running yesterday. (If you're eating right now, you may want to skip down a few paragraphs). I had seven miles at an easy pace on the schedule, and when I was about a half-mile from home, I noticed a HUGE bird to my left. I was staring at it as I ran, because I'd never seen a bird like that. And while staring, I wasn't watching where I was going...

I stepped on something that felt kind of like a sponge, and I almost slipped. At that moment, there was a car going by, so I was focused on not getting hit by the car, and I didn't stop running. However, I couldn't help but think of what I'd stepped on, and I had a sneaking suspicion it was some sort of roadkill. When I got that image in my head, I was passing by the dead deer that I wrote about recently, and I started gagging from the smell combined with the image in my head of what I'd stepped on.

When I got home, I smelled the bottom of my shoe, and it was horrid. It bothered me all day, so I finally went to go look at what I'd stepped on. Turns out, it was just as bad as I thought--not to get too gruesome, but when the deer had been hit by a car, a small piece of it had landed several yards away from the rest. I was always careful to avoid stepping on it, because it was in the center of the bike path. It was literally about the size of my shoe, and my shoe just so happened to find it when I was staring at the bird. Yuck! I'm not sure how to clean my shoe without ruining it.

Today, I had 3 x 2 miles @ 8:48/mi pace with 800 jogs on the schedule. Basically, that means I would run 2 miles at an 8:48/mi pace, then jog for 1/2 mile to recover; and repeat two more times, for a total of 7.5 miles. This is one of the Hansons' strength runs.

When I took the kids to the bus stop, it was 43 degrees outside, so I wore my ColdGear running tights and a long sleeved shirt, but it turned out to be too warm to run in that. I wished I'd worn a tank, but it wasn't bad enough to go back home and change. I started out way too fast, but about a quarter mile in, I settled into an 8:30-ish pace. I was a little surprised by mile two at how tough that pace felt. It wasn't awful, but considering I ran a half-marathon at an 8:34 pace, you would think running two miles at that pace wouldn't be bad at all. I decided to run the next interval slower, as close to the 8:48 pace as I could.

I have to say, I really liked this run today. The pace wasn't super hard like it is with 400's or 800's, so I didn't feel like my lungs would explode. And because they are long intervals, I only had to do three of them. The whole run went by really fast! (I cut the cool down a little short, because I'd arrived home).

I've been a little obsessed with grits lately. I never really understood the difference between grits and polenta (today, I finally googled it and saw that it's just two different types of corn). I've made polenta quite a few times (Bob's Red Mill brand), but I have such a hard time getting past the smell of it. While it's cooking, it reminds me of a farm. You know that awful smell that hits you when you step out of your car at a farm? I imagine it's because animals eat corn, and therefore, their poop smells like that.

I recently bought Quaker's quick-cooking grits (not the instant stuff, but the 5-minute stuff). To me, it tasted just like polenta but without the awful smell. I cooked them in reduced sodium chicken broth, and then added shredded queso quesadilla cheese. Ohmygoodness, it was heavenly! So I've been making it for lunch, and topping it with an egg.

The cheese grits kind of remind me of the homemade cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese.

For Taste Test Tuesday, I bought some Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Thins. I've tried the other flavors, and wasn't super crazy about them, so I didn't really have high hopes for these. But I was craving a cinnamon raisin bagel really badly! The regular cinnamon raisin bagels were 6-8 PointsPlus each; that wouldn't be TOO bad, if I didn't add peanut butter to it, which is my favorite way to eat bagels.

So anyway, I bought the Bagel Thins, and hoped for the best. I read a tip somewhere to toast them while they're still intact, so that's what I did. That works really well, because then the outside is toasted, but the inside is still soft. When toasted after being separated, they get a little too crunchy for my liking.

I topped them with one of my favorite peanut butters--the Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin peanut butter. It ended up being really yummy! The last flavor of Bagel Thins I tried (Pumpkin Spice) turned me off because of the texture--it had that really fiber-y cardboard-like texture. These Cinnamon Raisin ones didn't have that texture, and I really liked them!

Continue Reading...

Motivational Monday #32

After a rough week, I'm finally feeling much less stressed out. I did a lot of stress eating this week, but today I felt very motivated to get back on track when I woke up. I've been super excited about this fall weather, so last night I made a batch of Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal to have for breakfast all week. I also went for a seven mile run this morning, and truly enjoyed the weather!

Again, there are lots of super inspiring stories to share today... enjoy!

---

Ang completed her first sprint triathlon on Saturday! Despite feeling like the universe was against her in finishing this tri, she made up her mind that she was going to do it--and she did. (Ang's race report on her blog). 

---

After being inspired by a friend running a half-marathon, Anne decided to take up running. She followed the Run Your Butt Off plan, and entered a 5K to stay motivated. This weekend, she and her husband ran the Color Me Rad! She was sure she was going to have to stop and walk midway, but her husband pushed her to keep going, and she ran the whole distance. She's lost about 15 pounds since she started running, and plans to work her way up to a half-marathon.

---

Debora ran her first half-marathon yesterday, after a 15+ year hiatus from running! At 58 years old, she finished in 2:09--amazing!

---

Holly just ran a Dirty Girl Mud Run on Saturday! In June 2010, she changed her diet and started exercising, and has since lost 124 pounds!

---

Katherine completed her very first triathlon on Saturday! You can read her race report here on her blog).

---

Kori completed a Tough Mudder race this weekend! She ran/walked the 12 miles on tough terrain, and completed all 20 of the obstacles. She's very sore and bruised today, but she had so much fun with her boyfriend and friend (shown in the pic, which was taken after they'd rinsed off the mud) that she is going to do another!

---

Kristen started Weight Watchers 6 weeks ago, and has lost 15 pounds! She had a big NSV happen this week, and wanted to share. Last night, her kids were chasing her around the neighborhood, and she was running hard to keep them from catching her. After a mile, she tripped over a tree root and fell hard. Despite the bruises and scrapes, she was only thinking about how great it felt that she wasn't even winded from running around with her kids! The 15 pounds she's lost has made a huge difference.

---

Despite the extremely hot 90-degree temps and humidity, Melissa completed her second half-marathon! She said she had a terrible race, due to the heat, but she is very proud of herself for sticking it out. She's been running for three years now, has lost 40 pounds, and maintained a weight 10 pounds below her goal for nearly a year!

---

Melissa got a VERY exciting e-mail... she was accepted into the Boston Marathon! She'd been working on qualifying for 10 long years, and in December, she ran her qualifying time (well, 6 minutes faster than her qualifying time, to be exact!).

---

When Naomi (on right in photo) realized that she had Sunday off work (a rarity), she decided on a whim to run the 7.2K race in her town--taking place the very same day! She'd never run more than 5K in distance, and this was her first official race. She was determined to run the whole way, and she did it! 

---

Nicki took an intimidating leap and signed up for her first 5K! She's going to be doing The Color Run. She hopes that the training will help her slim down enough to go sledding with her family this winter.

---

Nicole hit a couple of milestones this week--she reached 25 pounds lost, AND she ran her farthest distance yet (2.75 miles)! 

---

Shirlie reached two HUGE milestones this week--not only did she ride the most miles in one day on her bike than ever before, she also reached 100 pounds lost in her weight loss journey! She's been overweight her entire life, and had never been athletic; now, she's walk/running and she's turned into a biking MACHINE. She did all of this after turning 50 years old, so she wants to remind everyone that it's never to late to start!

---

Don't forget to check out the Motivational Monday Facebook post (and share your own, if you'd like)!

Continue Reading...

Family wedding

The wedding turned out to be really fun yesterday. In the morning, I had an eight mile run at easy pace scheduled. It was 43 degrees when I headed out! I was loving it--it was cold enough to see my breath :) Because it was cold, and I was feeling really good, instead of doing the 8 miles, I changed my mind and did 10--which is what I was scheduled to do today. I just figured I'd swap Saturday and Sunday.

So I ended up running 10 miles at a 9:17/mi pace, and felt fantastic. The wedding didn't start until 3:30, so after my run, Jerry and I had a pretty lazy morning. The kids were with my parents (who were also invited to the wedding; they volunteered to take the kids with them, since Jerry and I were both part of the wedding party).

I didn't want to have a stylist do my hair or make-up, so I just did that myself. I waited until the last moment I could to put on the dress. It actually went on pretty easily yesterday. Jerry drove me to his parents' house where I was supposed to meet the other bridesmaids, and then he left for his grandparents' house, where the ceremony and reception were held. As we were leaving our house, we both commented that we felt like we were heading to prom!

The other bridesmaids and I went to Jerry's grandparents' house together, and the ceremony started shortly after that. This was the first time my kids have attended a wedding, so I was curious to see what they thought of it.

The DJ announced the bridal party as we went into the tent, and Jerry (being, well, Jerry) got a little crazy and loud when we were introduced . Later, he asked the kids how they liked it:

Jerry: Mama wanted me to do something crazy when we were introduced. Did you guys like it?
Eli: Yeah. Why didn't Mama want to dance like that?
Noah: Because she's mature.

BAHAHA! (For the record, I love the way Jerry's personality comes out at weddings; he loves to dance, and he really is the life of the party).

We sat at the head table, and I was starving. I brought a Clif bar in my purse, because wedding food usually isn't very good, and I didn't think I'd eat any of the dinner at the wedding. But I was so hungry that I really didn't care what it tasted like at that point, so I got a plate of food. Holy cow, the food was AMAZING. They had a pig roast, so there was barbecued pork and smoked pork, and even though I'm not a huge meat person, I was dumbfounded at how good it was. They also had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, salad, and rolls. I ate a plate of food, and was tempted to go back for seconds, but I honestly didn't think I could fit another mouthful with that dress on (well, except for wedding cake).

After dinner, we mingled a little. I had my mom take a family pic for us...

 

Several people asked if Noah and Eli were twins. They're 18 months apart, but they are almost the exact same height and they wear the same size clothes. 

I had a piece of wedding cake, which was really good! One of Jerry's aunts made it. After I ate that, though, the dress was feeling really tight and bothersome. I so badly wished I'd brought clothes to change into!

There was a photo booth, and I knew the kids would have fun with that, so we went in and got some goofy pics (Jerry and I got some of just us, too).

The kids thought it was awesome, and they even went in by themselves. It was so cute!

The rest of the evening, I chatted with some of Jerry's relatives and watched him dance. I don't dance, but dancing is Jerry's favorite part of weddings, so he was really excited to get a little crazy. I asked if the DJ could play a Happy Birthday song for Jerry, so that we could at least sing to him, and we did. I'm glad that his birthday was acknowledged!

It started to get really cold, and I was aching to get out of the dress. We ended up leaving at around 11:00. By the time I was in bed, it was after midnight, which is super late for me. But the night was fun.

This morning, I was really glad that I'd swapped my 8 and 10 mile runs. I was feeling SO tired this morning, and really felt like my legs were heavy. I ran 8 miles at a 9:37/mi pace, and it felt hard. I put on some sweats when I got home, and caught up on laundry and paying bills and all that fun stuff.

---

Don't forget, tomorrow is Motivational Monday! If you have a picture from a health/fitness accomplishment that you're proud of, feel free to e-mail it to me (with a short description) to SlimKatie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com with the subject "Motivational Monday". I may include it on tomorrow's MM post!

Continue Reading...

Make-up

When Michigan changes seasons, the weather gets really wacky. A couple of days ago, it was 98 degrees outside. Today, the high was 61 degrees! I was actually pretty excited to go for a run this morning--five miles at an easy pace in this nice fall weather.

I wore long sleeves to run in for the first time this season! Maybe it was a little premature for the long sleeves, but I was just too excited. After getting the kids on the bus, Jerry and I watched an episode of Breaking Bad (season one--I'm trying to get him hooked on it). Then I headed out for my run.

I did my usual loop of the neighborhoods. I think I lost my mind today while I was running, though! There is a particular peninsula that I've been running ever since I started to run in 2010. It's a perfect 5K from my house, around the peninsula, and home, so I've done it a million times.

Anyway, I ran that as part of my five miler today, and I must have been really lost in my thoughts. I ran all the way to the tip of the peninsula, where there is a tiny loop turn-around, and instead of running along the other edge of the peninsula, I ended up going back the way I came. I got almost halfway home when I realized that I was doing an out-and-back rather than looping the peninsula. I know this is all incredibly boring, but it felt so strange when I realized my mistake. I was really confused for a minute!

After I showered and dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans(!), Jerry and I went to the mall. I needed some new make-up (foundation) from Macy's. This is pretty pathetic, but the last bottle of foundation I have was from when my sister treated me to a mini makeover in July 2010 (as a gift for losing 100 pounds). That's how infrequently I wear make-up! I'm finally down to the last of the bottle, so I wanted to buy the same stuff that Jeanie bought me back then.

I brought the bottle with me, and just asked the salesgirl for the same thing. When she rang it up, I was a little shocked for a minute that it was $30! But considering it lasted me over three years, I guess it's a bargain ;)

We walked around the mall for a little while, people-watching, and then headed home. We have to go to the wedding rehearsal at 4:30, and then dinner at his parents' house afterward. I hope that Jerry's parents do something to acknowledge his birthday. Tomorrow, he turns 33, but his birthday is obviously going to be overshadowed by his sister's wedding. So I'm hoping they have a cake or something for him tonight.

Noah has been really excited for Jerry's birthday. He's so sweet! He was wondering if we could go out to breakfast or something to celebrate (as a surprise for Daddy), since the wedding is tomorrow afternoon. That's probably what we'll end up doing. We have a busy day tomorrow, so I may not get a chance to write. Have a great weekend!

Continue Reading...

The infamous dress

The infamous dress.
This pic was from
when I first got it.

I will be SO relieved when Jerry's sister's wedding is over. I did great all week long, eating really well, and yesterday I tried on the bridesmaid dress. It was really tight, and Jerry had to pull hard to get the top hooked. Then I took a breath, and the hook flew off the dress! Awesome.

Jerry and I both got on our hands and knees looking for the hook. I managed to find it and sew it back on. I can get in the dress and zip it, but I can't take a deep breath in it. The dress fit wonderfully when I bought it, but five pounds makes a big difference at this size. When the bride insisted we buy our dresses in April, I had a feeling this would happen, and was tempted to order a size up, but felt like I'd manage to maintain my weight.

Anyway, I'm just going to go easy on the sodium for the next couple of days, and hopefully that will be enough to make the dress more comfortable. I just don't understand it, because I didn't binge, I was 100% on track, and felt great! Until I tried on the dress. What a way to ruin my mood.

At around 7:00 last night, our power went out. I kept waiting for it to come right back on, but no such luck. There wasn't a storm (yet), but it was kind of windy. We lit some candles, and Jerry and I ended up spending the evening with a glass of wine and chatting. It was actually really nice to have the TV and computers off for the night. By the time we went to bed, the power was still out. Finally, just before 11:00, it came on.

This morning, my dad was off work and wanted to walk the kids to the bus stop, so I was able to head out earlier to run. I was all ready to run on the treadmill, but changed my mind at the last minute and went outside. I was expecting it to be really hot, since it was in the high 90's the last couple of days, but it wasn't TOO bad--"feels like" temp of 72 and humid.

I felt pretty good for the first mile, getting it done in 8:32, but I slowed way down after that. I felt like I was still running a sub-9:00 pace, but I finished the second mile in 9:01. I was discouraged when I saw that, and just kind of decided to run however I felt like running, and not push too hard to get the 8:58 pace (read: be a big baby that I didn't hit my target). Miles 3 and 4 were still in the 9's, and then I ended up having to turn onto a side street to avoid a bunch of construction on the road. Once I turned, my energy seemed to pick up, and I managed sub-9's for the rest of the run.

About a week ago, there was a deer that was hit by a car on the side of the road. I dread going past it, because it stinks, obviously. Today, I thought it was gone, and I saw what looked like a piece of cardboard laying there. When I got up next to it, I noticed the "cardboard" was moving. There were millions of tiny worms crawling all over the deer carcass, and I couldn't even see the deer anymore. So gross.

I went to TJ Maxx yesterday to look for a possible marathon outfit. I wanted to get a tank top that had a wide enough back for writing something on it. I have iron-on letters, so I'll probably just use those to make a race shirt. Anyway, I found this purple and white one for $10, so I wore it today to try it out and see if it was comfortable. It felt fine, so now I just need to come up with something to put on it.

I ended my no-peanut-butter streak today :)  It wasn't an impulsive decision; I'd actually been thinking it over for a week, and decided today would be the day. I went 10 weeks without peanut butter! I never expected to make it that long. But I really missed it, and decided that if I can manage to eat it without bingeing, then I can end my streak early. I'm still not going to buy my new dishes until after the race, though.

I had peanut butter twice today. For breakfast, I made my old favorite of oatmeal with peanut butter, chocolate chips, caramel, and coconut; and for dinner, I had a Fluffernutter sandwich. Yes, peanut butter is just as good as I remember! ;)

Continue Reading...

50 Running Tips

I get a lot of requests from companies wanting to pay me to post one of their articles on my blog--things like, "How to lose weight fast!" or "20 Weight Loss Tips", etc. I don't accept those kinds of posts here, because my blog is a personal account of my experience with weight loss and running, not a "how to" type of website. I believe that losing weight is very individual to each person--what worked for me may not work for you, and vice versa. That's why I don't have posts full of "tips and tricks" to share.

As I was running a couple of days ago, I was thinking of all the things I've learned as a runner--not just from reading about it, but from my experience. And I had the idea to put together a post about tips for running--just little tidbits I've learned here and there. Feel free to add your own running tips in the comments!

Clothing

The ninja (or burglar) look

1. Get fitted for running shoes at a running store. There are so many injuries that can be prevented simply by wearing the right shoes! A knowledgeable staff person can watch your running form, and see if you have any issues with your feet, and recommend the best shoes for you. They may not be pretty (mine aren't!) but they will keep you comfortable.

2. Along the same lines, keep track of how many miles are on your running shoes. It's important to get new ones every 350-400 miles or so. I keep track on RunningAhead.com (you can select a pair of shoes for each run, and it totals your miles on each pair of shoes that you use).

3. If you are overweight, or you have loose skin, compression-fit clothing is very helpful in holding everything in to keep you comfortable. The bouncing of skin/fat hurts, and the compression fit hold it all tight. If you're self-conscious while wearing tight spandex, you can put a loose layer over them.

4. Wear moisture-wicking fabrics. I started out wearing cotton shirts and bottoms, and they would get drenched in sweat, feeling really heavy by the time I was done.

5. Some clothing can cause chafing (the neckline of my sports bras is notorious for it), and I've found that my favorite anti-chafing product is Aquaphor. I've tried Body Glide and others, but they didn't work well for me.

6. Wearing good socks is as important as wearing good shoes. The difference was like night and day when I started wearing wicking socks that I bought from the running store. I realized that the blisters I'd gotten were from cotton socks, and once I switched, I didn't have any more blisters.

Weather

7. Don't use rain as an excuse to skip an outdoor run. Running in the rain is actually pretty fun! You will feel like a kid again. Just make sure you wear lightweight fabrics, otherwise they will weigh you down as they get wet.

8. When running in the rain, a hat or visor works really well for keeping the rain out of your eyes.

9. If you have a long run in the rain, have a couple of changes of socks (and shoes, if you have them) ready to swap out mid-run. I did a 20-miler in the rain before, and I was SO glad I had a dry pair of socks in the car to change into at around mile 14.

10. Running in heat and humidity can make your pace much slower, and this is normal. Your cardiovascular system is still working just as hard. So don't get discouraged by the slower pace (I had a hard time accepting this!).

11. If you live in a place where you get a lot of snow and/or ice, like we do in Michigan, you can buy spikes for your shoes. I have IceSpikes, which I screwed into an older pair of running shoes. I can run on ice without slipping, which is pretty cool!

Routes

12. Out-and-back routes (where you run for a distance, then turn around and follow your steps all the way back) can be helpful if you have a hard time finishing a run. Passing by your house or car makes it really easy to quit! But if you run out for a distance, then you have no choice to to return.

13. Loop routes can be very useful if you're doing a long run and don't want to carry water or fuel with you. For example, you can break your 12-miler up into four 3-mile loops around your neighborhood, passing by your house each time. You can stop, get a drink, go to bathroom if needed, etc.

14. I like using the Garmin Connect website or RunningAhead.com to map out new routes. It's very accurate as far as measuring distances, and it helps to plan out runs in unfamiliar areas. You can also look at routes that other people have mapped out in your area.

15. I find that running alongside busy roads (maybe the sidewalk or bike path next to a busy road) somehow makes me faster ;)  So if I have speed work or a tempo run that I just don't want to do, I might deliberately choose a route that is busy. Knowing that people are looking at me makes me push a little harder!

16. On a long run, plan your route so that you stop by a friend's house (or two). It'll give you something to look forward to! Just make sure you're stopping for a quick hello and some water, and not margaritas ;)

Safety

17. Pepper spray is pretty cheap and easy to carry with you. This can help protect you from an attacker, as well as from dogs or other animals.

18. Wear bright colors and reflective gear when running on a busy road, so that drivers can see easily spot you.

19. Tell someone (your spouse, parent, friend, etc) your exact route and what time you should return. I always tell Jerry my routes, just in case something should happen.

20. Always run against traffic when running on the road. Cyclists should go with traffic, pedestrians should go against traffic.

21. Be very aware of your surroundings. I don't run with earphones, so I can hear everything going on. I know a lot of people can't stand the thought of giving up their music, so make sure the volume is low enough that you can hear a person, car, dog, etc. coming up behind you.

22. Carry a cell phone with you, if you can. This is helpful even if you're just having a bad run, and need someone to pick you up.

23. Don't make your running maps public. It's very easy for someone to see where you always start and stop your runs (your house), and it's basically giving free access to a map to your house.

24. When crossing the road or an intersection make sure you look drivers in the eye before going in front of their car. A lot of drivers don't pay any attention to watching out for pedestrians, and I've nearly been hit quite a few times. It's safer to assume they don't see you until you actually make eye contact.

For beginners

25. Pick a schedule and stick to it! I made a promise to myself that I would run three times per week, no matter what. That was in early 2010, and I've kept that promise ever since. The only exception was after my surgeries, when I had to take some time off.

26. Don't try to do much, too fast. If you start out by running six days a week, for an hour each time, you're probably going to get injured or burnt out. Start small! By having and reaching small goals, you build up the discipline you need to stick with it for the long haul. Beginner motivation will only get you so far; determination and discipline will get you to your goals!

27. If a run feels too hard, SLOW DOWN. I couldn't believe how much farther I could run when I drastically slowed my pace. You can work on speeding up later, but when you're just starting out, it's important to build that distance first.

28. Sign up for a race so that you have a goal to work toward. It's easy to start skipping runs if you're not working toward anything.

29. Don't compare yourself to others. What you think is slow may seem really fast to someone else, and vice versa. Just try to do YOUR best, and improve YOUR running.

For parents with small children

30. If you have just one or two kids, you can use a jogging stroller to take them with you outside.

31. My treadmill has been the best investment I've ever made. When my kids are home with me, and I can't get outside for a run, I can always do it on the treadmill.

32. Trade off with friends--you babysit her kids while she goes out (for a run, grocery shopping, whatever), and then she'll watch your kids while you run.

33. Plan your run around your partner's work schedule. Jerry works a swing shift, so there were some days I'd run at 6:30 AM, and other days I'd run at 8:00 PM. It just depended on his work schedule.

34. Take your kids to the high school track. While you run the track, the kids can run around and play on the football field.

35. You can let the kids ride their bikes on a bike path at the park while you run alongside them.

Treadmill running

36. Set up in front of a computer or TV, so you can watch interesting shows to pass the time. My personal favorites, that made the miles fly by: Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, 24, Orange is the New Black, The Shield, Prison Break (and I'm sure there are lots more, I just can't think of them at the moment).

37. Set the incline at 1-2%, so that it feels more like running outside. It won't feel like you're running uphill, but your legs will feel a little heavier as you run with that small incline.

38. Cover the display with a towel, so that you're not staring at the numbers slowly tick away. Only allow yourself to peek at each commercial break, or after every three songs, or something like that.

39. Do intervals. By changing the pace and/or incline every so often (from once a minute to once a mile), you will focus less on the run as a whole, and just focus on each small portion. The time will pass faster when you look at it that way!

40. Using the treadmill is helpful for pace workouts, where you have to run at a certain pace for a specified time. It's easy to just set the pace and forget it while you get lost in a TV show. It's hard to be that consistent when you run outside.

41. If you live in a very flat area like I do, you can use the incline on your treadmill to get in hill workouts. A typical grade for a hill workout would be about 5%.

42. Set a strong floor fan in front of the treadmill to blow on you while you run. It gets really hot when running without any sort of breeze, and the fan helps a lot.

Boredom

43. I do almost all of my runs alone, so it's definitely a treat to get to run with someone! The best runs to run with a partner are long runs; your pace should be a slow, conversational pace, so it's easy to chat while you're running!

44. I mentioned that I don't use earphones when I run, so I do have to get a little creative in passing the time in my head. Usually, I am thinking about what I'm going to write about on my blog that day.

45. Fartlek runs can help pass the time well. Basically, you pick a point ahead of you (a mailbox or a tree, or something like that) and run faster than usual until you hit that point, then you slow down again. Pick another spot, and do it again. That way, you're not thinking about the entire run you're doing, but just point-to-point.

46. Sometimes I try to find the most unusual thing I can while out for a run. I've seen some pretty strange things on the side of the road! The most common out-of-place thing I see? Men's underwear. I see at least one or two pair of men's underwear on the side of the road each week!

47. I don't intentionally do this, but I find myself playing the "what if" game a lot while I'm running. I might see a shirt in the ditch, and think, "What if that were a body?" And then I run through the whole scenario in my head about what I would do if I actually came across a body in the ditch while running. Or if I hear footsteps behind me, I think, "What would I do if someone were to come up and try to attack me right now?" Morbid, maybe, but it's nice to work out a plan in my head! ;)

48. Sometimes an unplanned/unmapped route is perfect for keeping it interesting! Just head out without any destination in mind, turn whenever you feel like turning, and enjoy the new scenery.

49. This is probably ridiculous, but sometimes I think about what I'm going to eat later, after burning so many calories!

50. Vary your workout, so it doesn't become routine. Include easy runs, tempo runs, intervals, long runs, etc. (Just make sure you're not doing a hard run two days in a row, to avoid injury).

---

And that's all she wrote! I hope that some of these tips are useful. And I'd love to hear tips from all of you as well.

Continue Reading...

Chicago plans

The fall weather we had recently was a big fat tease. Today, I checked out the temps before deciding on whether to run inside or outside, and saw that the high was going to be 97 degrees today. What the hell?! I've been wearing long sleeves and jeans recently, and now we're back into the 90's.

So, considering the temp and that I had intervals on the schedule, I decided to run on the treadmill. I spent probably an hour trying to find a show on Netflix to watch. There is NOTHING that sounds interesting to me! Once Sons of Anarchy has the fifth season on Netflix, I'll be able to watch that; also, I'm waiting for the second season of American Horror Story. But today, I couldn't find anything that even remotely interested me, so I just decided to run outside.

There was no way that I was going to run speed work in "feels like" temps of 100, so I figured I'd just run five miles at whatever pace my legs felt like running today. The air was really thick when I stepped outside (after my dilly dallying around, it was after 9:00). I ran a five mile loop around the neighborhoods, and my heart rate was about as high as if I'd been doing my intervals... that's how the humidity affects me. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 90's again, but it's a rest day, so I'll be in the air conditioning!

---

Remember my post from a few days ago, about the gross jar of Justin's Maple Almond Butter I bought? It was very runny and tasted like pure oil. Here is the pic of it compared to a "normal" jar of it:

The one on the left was obviously the liquidy one. Anyway, I e-mailed Justin's about it, and I just got a response yesterday. I was incredibly disappointed when I read it.

Apparently, this runny nut butter was not a fluke. Justin's is changing the way they grind the nuts--the purpose is to make it easier to spread, less oil separation, and more consistent from jar to jar. She wrote that the recipe hasn't changed, and they aren't adding more oil, but that this consistency is actually what they were going for :(

It's hard to show with a photo just how runny this new consistency is, but it's VERY runny. You can't scoop it up with a spoon without it spilling over the sides. I'm trying to think of a comparison... I guess you could say that it has the consistency of a cream-based soup. I tried to put some on an English muffin, but it just ran off the sides of the muffin. And even though I was told they didn't change the recipe, I have to say the flavor is TERRIBLE. It tastes like rancid vegetable oil.

Anyway, the woman who wrote me back was very kind, and I like that she explained this to me, but I won't be buying Justin's Nut Butters anymore, if they are going to taste like this one. Bummer!

---

For Taste Test Tuesday, I bought a box of Barbara's Toasted Oatmeal Flakes to try. I love cereal, but most of my favorites have 200+ calories per serving, which is a lot for a tiny little bowl (and I rarely stop at one serving...). I usually have cereal for an afternoon snack rather than a meal, so I like it to be lower in calories. This one has 110 calories per serving (3/4 cup).

I was expecting the texture to be very airy, like corn flakes, but it was kind of thick and dense, which I liked.

It was also sweeter than I expected (not that I'm complaining!). I really liked this cereal. It was hearty for being only 110 calories, and because of the denser texture, it took longer to chew than airy flakes. The flavor reminded me of Honey Nut Cheerios. I would definitely buy this again!

---

My plans for the Chicago Marathon have changed a bit. Andrea, who I was going to be running with for her first marathon, has decided not to run. She has a very good reason for it--she has severe sciatica that really bothers her when she runs, and her training has really suffered. She is extremely disappointed, but I think she's making a wise decision. I ran Cleveland with an injured knee, and it was a totally miserable experience! So I am not upset with her at all. Even though I signed up for Chicago to run with Andrea, I am still going to run it alone--it was a very expensive race, and I've already done the training, so I might as well!

Andrea still plans to go to Chicago with me, which is very kind of her, considering she's not going to be doing the race. We're going to stay with my sister in Rockford on Friday night, and then head to the city on Saturday (my kids are going to stay with my sister). The race is Sunday morning. We'll stay Sunday night in Chicago, and then Andrea will go to the airport, and I'll go to my sister's house for another night before coming home with my kids.

One of the things I was looking forward to about this race is that it was going to be pretty stress-free; I didn't have a time goal or anything, I was just going to run with Andrea. Now that I'll be running alone, I've had to reevaluate the situation. I've been training as if I'm going to run a 3:55 marathon (BAHAHA) but I never had intentions of actually doing that. There is no way I even want to attempt that pace! That would mean running an 8:58/mi pace for 26.2 miles, and, from experience, the last 10 miles of a marathon don't agree so well with me ;)

I think that if I were to go and give it my ALL, really bust my ass to reach a goal, I could probably do a sub-4:00 finish. However... that doesn't sound like fun to me in the slightest. I'm happy with my 4:50-something finish time from Detroit, and never had intentions of breaking that time. So, for Chicago, I'm going to go and run whatever pace I feel like running that day. I don't have a goal, I'm not going to follow a pacer, and I honestly don't care what my finish time is. I don't even have a "secret" goal! ;)

If I had to guess, I'd say my best estimate for a finish time (based on my long runs and easy runs) would be 4:30-ish (10:18/mi pace). I've been doing my long runs at a 9:30/mi pace, but I know I would feel more comfortable at a slower pace. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish in 4:15-ish, but I also wouldn't be surprised if I finish in 4:45-ish. Anything can happen! I'm just really happy with my decision to run for fun, without any goals, and just see what happens. I always enjoy races the most when I don't have a goal.

One thing that I would love is to chat with some other runners during the race. I know some people don't like to talk while running, but it always helps me pass the time faster, so I'll be happy if I can have a few conversations. I'm trying to think of a clever shirt I can make that might spark conversation, maybe something to do with my weight loss? If you have any ideas, I'd love to read 'em!

Continue Reading...