September 11th Weekend

It was a weekend of remembrance. We are and shall always be free.

On Saturday I completed my four hour run. The weather was just right - 58 degrees and clear. I was under a time crunch, but it wasn’t to see how fast I could run. See, I agreed to help with a 5K race in my hometown in the morning.

The race director was nice enough to put the “50 Steps to a Healthier Future” brochure in the runners’ packets. Getting out at 4:00 am will allow me enough time to get to the race, so there was no time to waste.

The night before, I asked Jenn if she was willing to take some pictures of me running. It’s been awhile since I’ve added any new photos. I promised that it would be at the end of the run so I would not drag her out of bed too early. We agreed on 7:30.

Less than a mile into my run, I attempted to get some fantastic pictures of the moon. Unfortunately, my phone takes cruddy pictures so they were not worth keeping. Pictures would not have done them justice anyway. There, I feel better about not getting them. 

As I stopped to take moon shot – the one in the sky that is - a car stops at the intersection behind me and just waited. That’s bizarre, I thought. There’s no traffic and the car was not moving. Shortly after, it slowly came up from behind. I felt strange....

A Push Week

This week has been a push week - pushing too hard that is.

I’m sitting at home eating a bowl of oatmeal for a snack with an ice pack on my Achilles after a job interview this morning, and a before-lunch tempo (moderate pace) run. Yes, an ice pack. I can feel some strain on my lower body from running and the brain after the interview. Maybe I should throw some ice on my head, too.

After the hills on Tuesday, which I did more than usual, I noticed twinges in my left upper thigh and I could feel aches in my Achilles. I’ve been fortunate to avoid overuse strains for many months. The way my training has been going, I can be sore after a hard run, but I’m usually feeling better by the end of the day or the next morning. Recovery has been...

Happy Labor Day and Post Week 8

Happy Labor Day!

Well, the legs and feet feel good after the two long runs over the weekend.

I successfully completed the second half of my two-day long runs: 31.3 miles Saturday in 5 hours followed by 24.5 miles in 4 hours yesterday. It’s hard to determine what was the better day. I went out faster Saturday than Sunday, which was a mistake, especially when I need to run 4 hours on Sunday. Because I never ran back-to-back really long runs, I was concerned. Would I...

Halfway Through the Most Challenging Weekend

The first half of my hardest training weekend went well. The training calls for a 5 hour run on Saturday followed with a 4 hour run on Sunday. Today I completed 31.3 miles in 5 hours. The goal is not about how fast I can run; instead it’s about time on my feet. If you recall, I have trouble holding back.

I was up at 3:00 am so I could be out the door by 4:00. I like to start early when it is cooler and so the run does not cut into family time too much.

My day began by eating a banana and bread pudding, chased with a cup of coffee. For any other training I would begin fueling 2 hours before, but I am not getting up at 1:00 am. Now onto the training mat for my daily back stretches, crunches, and leg raises. I’m fanatical about...

Eating Healthier Doesn't Need to be Complicated or Costly

We all have a dietary Achilles Heel. I’m a carbohydrate junkie and I love desserts, if you remember my Oreo Meltdown blog. So I need to make sure that I get enough protein and watch my sugar intake. Fiber is not an issue because when eating carbohydrates, I try to eat complex carbohydrates, which are higher in fiber.

This may sound complicated and a royal pain, but it’s easier than you think. Learning how to eat healthy in a fast food world is a learning experience and takes time, similar to learning various running training routines, such as intervals, fartleks, hills, and distance.

When I began running again, I naturally began making healthier food choices. First, I stopped eating a bag of...