She Likes Purple

Half-Marathon Training: Week 9

I am halfway through my training. This means I'm supposed to run a half-marathon in nine weeks. Acutally, less than nine weeks, if you can believe that, which I cannot at all. Oooooh, nervous tummy.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

This week was kind of weird because Mike's schedule was turned upside down at work and my running partner was out of commission, so lack of Kyle-wrangling and lack of motivation prevented a couple runs. I got the long run in, though, which perhaps foolishly makes this week a success in my eyes.

Monday: Should have been a 3.5-mile run

I bailed on this morning's run because Kyle is doing this really adorable* thing where he wakes up like a million times a night requesting various things like juice or more blankets or kisses or NON-WHITE SOCKS I AM NOT KIDDING. I love my son, you know this, but, MAN, does eBay sound appealing when I blurrily see 3am and 3:30am and 4am, all before I'm supposed to be up at 5:30 for a run.

*HAHAHAHA NOT ADORABLE AT ALL

Kristie and I did make it to yoga on Monday night, for a great fire series class, though

Tuesday: should have been a 2-mile run

Crossed wires foiled this run.

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday

Yoga 

Friday: cross

I did a 30-Day Shred video for my cross

Saturday: should have been a 3.5-mile run

I squeeeeeezed in a 1.75 mile run (I had about 20 minutes before I needed to get ready for dinner), and it was fine. I was proud I got out and ran around my neighbhorhood when I wanted to bail since I was so short on time. Good reminder that doing something is better than nothing, I guess.

Sunday: 5-mile run

I really can't believe I did this and that it wasn't even that bad after basically taking a week off from running. It was boring, more than anything. I mean an hour of running (well, 55 minutes) is a long time to do any one thing without stopping unless that thing is watching the CW (just me?). But, this was ... kind of nice? I guess? I mean, I rarely feel fantastic during a run. It's always about 10 seconds after I stop when I feel I can and should conquer the entire world, but this run was kind of enjoyable for a while in the middle.

I rewarded myself with coffee and a Target trip. It was a nice morning indeed and then Kyle and I went to the park and made cupcakes together for Mike's birthday. Sunday win!

***

A couple questions for you:

1. What workout videos do you love? I am a tried and true 30-Day Shred loyalist but my copy broke and while I can occassionally download certain levels from my DirecTV queue, I'd love to pick your brains about other awesome videos I should be trying instead.
2. What do you eat for breakfast/lunch (if it's relatively healthy)? I'm really struggling with my diet. I'm making poor choices and eating too much (especially at night) and I just need a little eating inspiration. So, tell me what YOU eat for breakfast and lunch, especially if it's good for you and also just plain good.

Until next week!

Half-Marathon Training: Week 8

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

***

I fear this is becoming a running blog, and that's not what I want, but I also know that life ebbs and flows. There will be a time of inactivity ahead of me, when my greatest daily accomplishment will be clearing out my DVR queue, and when my ass is deeply imprinted in my couch during that time, these posts might inspire me off of it. So, I write them. Because it feels like something I'll enjoy looking back on one day.

Monday: 3.5 miles

I remember this one kind of sucked. That's all I remember, so let's leave it at that.

Tuesday: 1 mile (speed training)

We were set to do 1.5 miles, but I cut mine short and did a mile at about a 9:30 pace.

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday: 2 mile morning run + evening Zumba

We had 3.5 miles on the plan, but we knew a Saturday 5K was ahead of us, and we wanted to ease up a little on the running beforehand, to give our legs a break so we could leave it all on the course on race day. These two miles felt great, though.

Then, that night A'Dell and I took a Zumba class together, and it was ... different. Odd. Weird. Not bad, though, and definitely more a work-out than I anticipated. I looked like a complete and utter idiot throughout, hands down, but I am actually quite familiar with that feeling. I also now vow to take a salsa dance class at some point in the future. My hips really should move better than they do.

Friday: yoga

Kristie and I continued our 6am work-outs and dropped in on a yoga class at a local studio (they offer an introductory 10 days of limitless classes for $10!). I stretched out my tight right leg, and it felt great. Even though we got in trouble from the noise police pre-class. Yoga ain't messing around.

Saturday: 5K

Recap here!

***

My question for the day: When do you work-out best?

See, Kristie and I get up before paper boys (it feels like) to get in a work-out before 1) our boys are up, so we don't miss any more time with them and 2) work. We knock out our work-outs (most often) in the very very very early morning, and I am not a morning person, you should know. But, man, nothing feels better than getting it out of the way that early in the day.

So, yeah, I never thought I'd say this, but I might prefer morning work outs, even beyond training. You?

Race Recap: Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest 5K

Last year, the Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest 5K was only my second 5K to finish, so it felt good to return to the course this past weekend and see if I could smoke my time. Last year, it rained the entire race (which I actually didn't mind) but this year it was the exact opposite: really sunny and really warm.

I've been training for my half-marathon with Kristie, but we're lucky to have other friends who run, too, and this group of ladies has dubbed itself the Running to Drink Team (fitting, right?). We run, we brunch, we laugh, we high-five. They're fantastic.

We even have our own signs bedazzled for us.

We all run at slightly different speeds, but Kristie and I took off at the start together. Pretty soon after that, though, she pulled ahead. It was hot, and I didn't want to force myself to go any faster than I could, especially not at first. I knew the run was going to end on a tough hill, so I tried to focus on that as I slowed down a little.

My initial goal was to finish under 33 minutes but not even a half-mile in, I didn't think that was going to happen. The sun! Oof, it was a bitch.

I somehow caught back up with Kristie around mile two, and that re-energized me to push on. On that last, horrible hill, I saw my friend's husband, holding the sign above, and it was then that Mumford & Son's "The Cave" came on, which pushed me over that hill, feeling pretty good.

Then, right at the finish, I saw Mike. All it took, and we finished strong!

Last year's time: 45:38 (a 14:41 mile)
This year's time: 31:17 (a 10:04 mile)

I shaved over 14 minutes off my time and over 4 minutes off my mile pace. I'm running another 5K this weekend (in addition to a five-miler) and I'm hoping to finish under 30 minutes, if the weather cooperates and everything else falls into place. Cross your fingers!

It was a hard but good run with an incredibly supportive group of friends around me. We headed to The Pour House afterward for oh-my-goodness-so-good food and cheap brunch-y drinks.

It was such a nice day.

(Well, until kick-off of the second half of the A&M game. Ouch.)

Half-Marathon Training: Week 7

Thanks for the comments on last week's post. For being such a solitary activity, running has given me a surprising community within my already-awesome blogging community, and I consider that a real gift. It's really wonderful to know you're reading and following along.

So, here we go.

Monday: 3.5 mile run

It inched back up into the low 100s and high 90s early last week and that made running tough again. Kristie and I met after work and tackled 3.5 miles but it was awfully warm, making the run kind of awful. (I will not mention that Kristie made us run uphill the last half mile except, oops, I think I may have just mentioned it.)

Tuesday: 1.25 speed run

These speed runs are tough. Our usual pace is 10:30-12 minute miles, depending on incline and weather, but we kick it up to 9-9:30 these mornings. Good for our endurance, bad for our everything else's. We treat ourselves to coffee after our early morning runs, and on this day, coffee was the only thing getting me to the end.

Wednesday: rest

Same as always. Rests are easy as pie.

Thursday: 3 mile run + cross 

Kristie and I did hills on this run and I actually felt pretty great throughout. The weather was breezy and cool, and something just clicked. I had plans to Zumba after work but they fell through so I did nothing instead. Nothing is actually not a very effective cross work-out, just so you know.

Friday: rest

I took my mom out to eat for her birthday (happy belated birthday, mom!) and enjoyed pizza, a glass of bubbly, and an early bedtime. This was one of the best rest days ever.

Saturday: long run (4 miles)

I have not run this distance in training .... nearly all year. I was nervous the entire drive to the trail, and I just couldn't shake the fear that I'd probably fall over before finishing four miles. My calf and ankle felt tight for a while, too, but the trail was the perfect choice. We passed so many friendly runners and we did a nice two-mile out and two-mile back run. It passed quickly, which is the first time I've ever said that in the history of ever. I also ran this one with a borrowed Camel Bak (thanks Kristie!) and while it felt a little odd, it was great to have water right there when I needed it. This was my week's best run.

{Start of our run; pretty trail at a local park}

After our run we got coffee and walked around the small, local farmers market. It was a nice morning, followed by lunch and a nap with my boys.

***

Speaking of support, what are you training for (if anything)? When and where is your next race or event? Tell me all about your plans, so I can send you virtual high-fives when it's time.

Half-marathon Training: Week 6

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

***

Let's just dive right in since there are only two or three of you reading these weekly updates anyway. Hi all three of you!

Monday & Tuesday: rest

Monday was an epic roadtrip of suck and Tuesday was recovering from that epic roadtrip PLUS a feverish toddler PLUS being back at work and tackling a full inbox. Rest  might not be the right term but it wasn't training.

Wednesday: 3 miles

I was home Wednesday for a funeral, but I managed to meet up with Kristie after Kyle went to sleep for a nighttime run around a nearby neighborhood. I was emotionally zapped so I thought it would suck, but it really didn't. It was pretty great, actually. The cooler weather helped, but it's supposed to be balls hot again early this week, so, you know, THOSE THREE DAYS WERE NICE TEXAS.

Thursday: Cross

I did nothing. I have got to start doing my cross. Thankfully, I have Zumba classes lined up this week and maybe some boot camp in coming weeks.

Friday: Shoulda been 2 miles

We decided to spice things up (sounds exciting, right? but this is still RUNNING we're talking about) and do just one mile instead of two but at a much faster pace. Ooooooof. That's the sound of my lungs shredding in my chest. We did it! One mile at about a 9:30 pace instead of a 10:30-11 pace. It wasn't all that easy, but it was quick, and we treated ourselves with coffee afterward. If we ran our entire half-marathon at that pace, I could be drinking champagne at just over two hours after I start. I'll be dead, though, so that could be a problem. (But, dramatics aside, we're hoping our speed training helps any issues the slight altitude of Vegas might cause.)

Saturday: Should been 3.5 miles

Oh friends. THIS WAS NOT A GOOD DAY. I've had bad sinuses all week, so I asked Kristie if we could run in the afternoon instead of the morning but I didn't check the weather like a normal trainee, so when we started running, I was all, "Texas has been much cooler lately and it'll be grand and, wait, it's kind of sunny and warm and why am I seeing spots and feeling light-headed?" I made it 2 miles before walking and sitting and then walking some more.

It was discouraging. It was embarrassing (Kristie made it through the entire 3.5 miles) and I just wasn't sure how I'd ever get to a half-marathon finish line after wimping out 2 miles into a 3.5 mile run.

I whined on Twitter, which is not something I'd recommend, but it does give you a nice, short pity party and sometimes that IS what you need. It also gives you a lot of encouragement from strangers and friends who get it. They've been there. One run won't define your training and you can feel down and discouraged as long as you don't stop training. This week is a new week and I've got a nice game plan lined up for it (although, this weekend we're running FOUR MILES and I've maybe ran that distance twice in my entire life outside of actual 10K races. I COULD BE A WEE BIT TERRIFIED.)

Still, bad runs HAPPEN. I hope that if anyone reads these training posts in the future, they'll see I made it to the race even after such shitty training runs, and if they are inspired by that, oh my god so totally worth it.

***

My question of the day is: How do you hydrate on longer training runs? 0-3 miles is no big thing, but I can tell I'll need some water from here on, but I hate stopping to drink at public fountains or restaurants because it messes with my pace and rhythm. Any product suggestions? I'd love to carry water with me, without having to hold it?

Girl's Weekend in Santa Fe

After we stayed (quickly) in Santa Fe this summer, I knew I wanted to go back. But, Mike is strange about visiting a place we've already been, even a place he likes. He thinks there are so many NEW AND AWESOME places in the world, there's no reason to ever visit the same place twice (except for Vegas, we are tried-and-true Vegas loyalists). Finally, a quirk that will make you think he's the crazy one! It's exhausting being the only one in a relationship to get strange looks.

But, we were in Santa Fe for a whopping 12 hours and did approximately ZERO sight-seeing unless the must-see sights in Northern New Mexico are the discounted rooms at the Econo Lodge.

When we got back, I couldn't stop raving about the little we had seen and I was itching to return. It just so happened Kristie's birthday was a couple months away, so we set about planning a girl's weekend.

A wild and crazy people-packed weekend turned into a weekend with just Kristie, my mom, and myself, which seems a bit of an odd group, but it turned out really quite perfect.

Friday Night

We drove and drove and drove into Santa Fe (stopping in Amarillo for a tasty lunch at BL Bistro), and I quickly realized drives go by much slower when you don't nap through them (as I did the first time around). We checked into our hotel (The Lodge at Santa Fe, which had delicious margaritas, a very nice, if frightened-by-us staff, and slow-as-molasses wifi; eh, two out of three ain't bad), and headed down to the Plaza where we ate at The Shed. We were warned the wait would be horrible, but we waited no longer than a half hour and shopped in the nearby stores during that wait.

{The taco plate that I ordered.}

{Tasty but super overpriced 'rita}

{Pre-dinner photo ops}

We turned in early Friday night because we had a big half-marathon training run planned for the morning.

Saturday

We got up, got dressed, and took to the local neighborhood streets to tackle 3 miles and ... my lungs jumped out of my chest about a half mile into it. They were like, "We do not agree with this plan, we'll wait right here." Basically, the (much) higher altitude did a number on us. I finally managed to run a total of 2.5 miles and I didn't regain my breath until about five minutes ago.

We treated ourselves post-run with a belly-busting but OMG AMAZING brunch at Chocolate Maven Bakery. I got the Eggs Madison (smoked salmon Benedict-type dish) but the real star of the table was my mom's Almond Raspberry French Toast. People. This was a life-changing dish and if you ever make it to Santa Fe, you have to immediately go to Chocolate Maven and order it. (With a side of mimosa because why not, you're on vacation.)

{Pastries!}

{I weirdly love milk mixing into iced coffee}

(We even stopped back the next day to get some pastries.)

After brunch, we headed back to the Plaza to peruse an arts festival that was happening the same weekend and a few of the local shops and churches.

{Here is a picture of pretty Santa Fe! And ... a trash can.}

For dinner Saturday night, we tried Rooftop Pizzeria, which was good, but not great.

Sunday

We got up early and headed down south about a half hour to Tent Rocks Park. I wasn't feeling the hiking vibe, but it was Kristie's birthday and she was most defnitely feeling the hiking vibe. I tried to perk up, for her, but I imagined I'd get about a hundred feet and opt to wait on a rock instead.

"You hike! I'll ... sit near hiking!"

For whatever reason, though, the hike turned increidble rather quickly. We had great conversation, lots of water and, once we asended high enough, the most amazing views I've seen since being at the Arches this summer. Oh Texas. Where are your pretty views, I ask?

Anyway, it was incredible, and I'm so glad we took the time to do this. (It took about two hours, total, from start to finish.) A special shout out to my mom, who rocked the hike. I hope I'm as active as she proved to be when I'm her age.

After the hike, we stopped at Trader Joe's because THAT IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NEAR A TRADER JOE'S AND DO NOT HAVE ONE AT HOME. Can I just say take a moment to say that TJ's dark chooclate peanut butter cups are made of evil and addiction because they are just about the most delicious things on this planet. Do not buy any if you like your waistline. Trust me on this one, my friends.

We took mid-afternoon naps and while there is no way we needed more sleep after 10 hours the night before, we indulged anyway. Lots of sleep at night + naps during the day = why vacations ARE SO AWESOME, am I right?

Sunday evening, we walked around and shopped a little (there was a pretty fantastic bookstore we popped in and browsed) before searching for a dinner spot. Oh man, this is why I like to thoroughly plan out my vacation meals in advance with spreadsheets and everything because we ended up walking around for an hour, browsing menus and prices, trying to find the perfect place with nothing more than our eyes. Most places were all wrong. Either there were no vegetarian options or the prices made our stomachs turn and we nearly fell over from exhaustion and hunger and sheer annoyance by the end of the hour. We finally settled on the Rooftop Cantina, which ended up being a great pick. I got the tastiest drink ever made and it came out purple, which, come on, forced me to have two. A purple cocktail that was delicious. MUST HAVE MANY.

Then it started to rain (cool storm-coming-in photo immediately above), so we rushed to the adjoining (pretty fancy) restaurant and decided to have dessert there.

Oh guys.

I wish I could tell the story and do it any kind of justice but it was a hilarious hour. We were clearly not fancy enough to be in this place and the staff clearly knew this. I said it was "Pretty Woman: Fancy Restaurant Edition" and it really was other than the part where we weren't dressed like hookers. The staff didn't actually ask us to leave mid-meal, but I know it crossed their minds. For instance, the hostess listened to us talk about having dessert there, even peruse the dessert menu right in front of her, and when we asked for a table, she said, "Well, I'll have to see. If we can find one. For you."

We headed back to the lodge after stuffing ourselves with dessert and champagne and paying. Our credit cards work just like the rich! Just not as often as the rich.

(After we got back to the lodge, we drank a little more, and I prefer not to talk about that. Poor decision the night before a ten-hour roadtrip, I KNOW THIS NOW.)

Monday

We got coffee at Burger King, a fine Santa Fe estalishment, if you didn't know and headed out of town. We got home hours upon hours upon hours upon HOURS OMG WILL THIS ROADTRIP EVER END later. (Shout out to Kristie who did most of the driving while I did most of the not driving.)

***

It was a lovely weekend, and I'm so glad I got the chance to go, both because of the company and the scenery. If you ever get the chance to visit Santa Fe with a couple of your favorite people, do it do it do it.

Half-marathon Training: Week 5

Wow, I'm not doing a fabulous job at writing anything other than my training recaps. I'll hit publish on a few drafts soon, swear it. For now, more training!

***

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

***

Monday: 3 mile run

Just didn't do it. I wanted to sit on my couch when I got home, so I did.

Tuesday: 2 mile run

I did this! But have no recollection of it. Good/bad? Who knows!

Wenesday: rest

You know I rock the rest days. This was no exception. I'm sure this rest day included Teen Mom, Awkward, wine, sleep. Etc, etc.

Thursday: 3 mile run

Kristie and I ran this early Thursday morning, and it was my best run to date. I looked down at my phone and realized we had run a little over two miles WITHOUT ME WANTING TO DIE. At that point, running another mile was no big thing. Okay, that's not entirely true. A mile of eating chocolate or blog surfing is no big thing; running a mile is always RUNNING A MILE, but it really wasn't awful. It's like training is, uh, working or something. It was just what I needed.

Friday: rest

I drove ten hours to Santa Fe this day, so I didn't totally rest, but there was no cardio, none at all.

Saturday: 2.5 mile run

It was supposed to be 3 miles, but OH MY NEW MEXICO ELEVATION. I turned to Kristie a half mile into our run and said, "Uh, I'm having a hard time breathing." I stopped and started and finally finished 2.5 miles but it was the worst run of my life. Not physically, in that my legs and hips and such felt okay, but I just couldn't catch my breath at all. Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet above sea level and Fort Worth is at like 50. (Vegas is at 2,000, which is where I'm running my half-marathon, so if you have any tips for altitude training at low altitude, I'd love to hear them!)

Sunday: cross

We hiked Tent Rocks for a couple hours, and I officially love activities that also fill my cross training need, so I'll be looking for more of those to do over the weeks. It was such a great time.

***

A couple weeks ago, Becky asked: What kind of stretching do you do before and after your runs, and what kind of strength training are you doing on your non-run days?

Great question! I walk for at least five minutes (or a half mile, usually) before every single run, no matter what. I don't know if this actually helps, but two years into running and I'm injury free (so far! quick! knock on some wood!). I also stretch out my calves and ankles after most of my runs beyond 2 miles.

I try to space out my runs, so I'm not running on back-to-back days, but but I don't find this as much of an issue if one of the runs is a short, speed-focused one.

Finally, I think strength training is great for any kind of training/fitness routine, and I usually just lift some free weights at home, but I'd recommend any of Tina's Carrots & Weights exercises, if you're looking for type and variety.

Any other questions, yo?

***

Phew, there you have it, guys, week five. Refocusing on my question of the day: Any tips for higher altitude training at low altitude? Is it just a speed issue to strengthen your lungs or are there tricks I'm not aware of?

http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/2011/08/half-marathon-training-week-4.html

Half-Marathon Training: Week 4

Last week was pretty great, in terms of training, but in terms of the scale, shiiiiiiiit it was frustrating. More on that below, but let's touch on my day-to-day stuff, k?

***

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

***

Monday: .7 mile run

FAIL! Well, fail because on the way to my 6 am (what-should-have-been-a-two-mile) run, I realized I had a 9 am meeting and I needed to take Kyle to school and I was cutting it awfully close with all I had to do between Run and Work. I basically just planned this one really poorly and it affected where my mind was at.

Tuesday: 1.5 mile run

Officially the shortest run left on my training. From here on, everything is 2 miles and longer. So, I took advantage of this final short run and upped my pace. Felt great.

Wednesday: 2.5 mile run

This was tough, but I didn't want to stop and that's progress, people.

Thursday: Rest

I rock the rest days. I should train for a nap marathon next.

Friday: Cross

I did the 30-Day Shred (Level 1) and it felt good to do something other than run. But, I always forget how hard it is to work-out at home. I can talk myself out of it so much easier than going outside of the house to work-out. I went back and forth on this work-out for a solid hour -- should I? shouldn't I? the couch, it is just so COMFORTABLE, you know? -- but as soon as I was done, I was in mega-productive mode and cleaned the entire kitchen. So, you know, first step is always the toughest, proved once again.

Saturday: Long run + Unplanned Torture

Kristie and I met at 6:30 for our first 3-mile run. It felt pretty great, actually. The last half mile sucked and there was a slight hill at the very end that I could have punched right in the face if that were possible, but it was one of the easier runs overall, so far.

Then, I talked Kristie into a yoga class with me later that afternoon, and she was game. I thought stretching post-run would do us good but OH HA HA HA I should really read websites better. We ended up doing a Barre class. Barre is not yoga. Barre incorporates strength and balance with ballet technique and makes for a really intense work-out. Kristie looked at me ten minutes in and her eyes basically said, "You've got to be effing kidding me?"

It WAS a fantastic work-out, I should say, and we both enjoyed the studio (Urban Yoga in Fort Worth) and our teacher. I'd gladly do it again. We just weren't prepared for the intensity, after our morning run.

Sunday: reeeeeest

My muscles would have forced this if my plan hadn't already.

***

Onto the scale.

I thought I'd monitor my weight throughout my training to make sure I wasn't fueling up too much and gaining unnecessarily, but I have this long, boring history of giving the scale a lot more attention than it deserves. It goes down down down and then spikes up for no discernible reason (or no valid discernible reason). It can derail all my positivity by just not budging one morning. It's a pat on the back one day and a slap in the face the next and it can become a measuring stick over 1) how I feel and 2) how my clothes feel.

So, I'm going to quit checking in so regularly. I'll continue to try and eat as healthy as possible (I'm keeping track on MyFitnessPal) and maintaining my work-outs but stepping on the scale so often is just screwing with me right now.

***

I'm back next week with some answers to a few questions I've received about my training. If you have any more, I'd love to hear them!

Half-Marathon Training: Week 3

Week 1
Week 2

***

Last week was rough all around. Mike was out of town, Kyle got sick, our a/c broke, my motivation was in the gutter. I'm surprised I got through any workouts at all, truth be told.

Monday: Rest

I kicked this one's ass!

Tuesday: 1.8 mile run

It was supposed to be 2.5, but I couldn't get through it. It was just rough, rough, rough. I blame my outfit, in part. I was wearing new shorts that ended up being ridiculously uncomfortable and I couldn't focus.

Wednesday: 2.2 mile run

This was supposed to be 1.5 but to offset the day before, I ran extra. This run was the exact opposite. Awesome, felt great, the music was fun, all around good. (I was supposed to do weights when I got home but solo parenting exhaustion trumped that plan. I went to bed early instead.)

Thursday: (supposed to be) cross training

Fail

Friday: rest

I did! I rested!

Saturday: 2.5 mile run

This day was just nuts. I know you can squeeze in a workout anytime, if you really want, but sometimes life really does take over.

Sunday: 2 mile run

Did it and felt great.

***

Yeah, not my best week, but those weeks are going to happen, I think. Gotta shake 'em off and focus ahead. This week, our a/c is fixed, Mike is back, my running buddy and I have big plans for our longer runs, so I'm feeling better.

Last week, Erin asked in the comments "when do you run?" and I thought I'd answer that. I alternate between running at 6 am (usually two runs a week) with Kristie at a local park or in one of our neighborhoods and at 9 pm when Mike gets home from work. My night runs are usually on the treadmill, at least for now when it's still 95+ degrees out. On the weekends, I squeeze in a run anytime I can, but I really prefer running early in the morning. It gets the weekend started on the right foot and keeps me accountable on Friday nights. I'll have to adjust as my distance increases, so I'll keep you posted.

Anyone else have a question? I'd love to answer.

If not, I have two questions for you:

• What's your favorite healthy living/running blog?
• What's your favorite healthy dinner recipe?

***

(Oh, I also guest posted on Trading Up Downtown on how to stay motivated to train when the weather is awful. Check that out!)

Half-marathon Training: Week 2

For any newcomers, I'm training for my first half-marathon. Since this isn't necessarily a running/fitness blog, I'm going to try and keep training thoughts and updates to one post per week.

Week 1

***

Monday: 2 mile run

I have no recollections of this run, which probably means it was awful.

Tuesday: 1 mile run

Happy to report this was a piece-of-cake run.

Wednesday: 2 mile + strength

A pretty tough and discouraging run. I left wondering how on earth I'm going to do THAT distance 6+ times in just a few months, but I powered through and then went on to do a Carrots N Cake weight-lifting workout (which was incredible since I felt great during but also felt really sore the next day; highly recommend her Carrots N Weight series).

Thursday: 30 minutes of cross

I tried to do the entire Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism video until our DVD player crapped out on me about half-way through. I think the fitness gods were trying to tell me to watch Parks & Rec re-runs instead.

Friday: Rest

Ate and drank with Kristie, which is a great form of rest, if you ask me.

Saturday: 2 mile

I had plans to run this with Kristie on a local trail we love, but it rained (!!) with a side of lightning, so I had to cram this in at the gym later that afternoon. It was a great run, though, and it helped restore the faith Wednesday's run totally stole.

Sunday: 1.5 mile

This was an extra run for the week since Mike is out of town for a few days, and I'm not sure how easy it'll be to stick to my upcoming training schedule. It was fine, nothing too tough or too easy about it.

***

A question to leave you with: I'm really coveting this Garmin watch for training and for race day but, holy price tag, right? Any other similar watches you would recommend or is this price absolutely worth it?

Half-Marathon Training: Week 1

On my training program last week were four short runs (1.5 + 1 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 5.5 miles) and 30 min of cross-training. I checked off each run but (hangs head) didn't do the cross. I can tell it's going to be a struggle when the activity is left entirely up to me and isn't as specific as "run one mile."

Let's talk about my runs though.

Run 1: 1.5 mile

I ran at 6 am last Monday morning, with Kristie. We ran in my neighborhood and even though it wasn't easy -- oh, it's hot even at 6 am -- it was nice to get the run out of the way early in the day. I also can't speak highly enough for running with a friend. It's such great moviation for getting out of bed. 

Run 2: 1 mile

I ran this on Tuesday, on the treadmill, and it was just plain tough, start to finish. One mile! So measly! So ass-kicking!

Run 3: 1.5 mile

Another on the treadmill, but not tough at all. This is the hilariousness of running: one mile is horrible one day and a breeze the very next.

Run 4: 1.5 mile

I did this on a (kind of hilly-ish) trail, and it was pretty tough. I couldn't get in stride, I was sweating after a minute (again, hot hot hot, even at 6:30 am).

All in all, kind of tough runs, even though they were all short, and no cross training at all. An okay first week, but I hope the hot weather is the culprit for zapping my energy and drive, and as it gradually cools, I'll stop hating life and exercise.

A couple questions for you, though. Any cross-training activities you enjoy while race training? Also, any songs you're loving right now while you kick ass at something?

Half-Marathon Training

I'm training for a half-marathon that I'll run in Las Vegas (the Strip at Night). Mike promises to wait at the finish line with gallons of champagne for me. (Or, fine, a glass, but my mind is totally going to visualize gallons as I run.)

The training program I found and really liked was a 12-week program for beginners, but since I want to feel ridiculously confident about this race (and because I needed a plan to stick to now) I modified that plan and stretched it out to cover 18 weeks.

For those who want to follow along, I have my training mapped out in Google doc form (if you're training/running too, and want an invite to the doc, let me know!):

{Click on the image to enlarge!}

One of my crazy sidebar list items is to run 11 miles on 11/11/11, so that's worked in there, through two runs that day. We'll see how that goes down!

I'm just two runs in, so I shouldn't be all Braggy McGee, but I am happy with the plan. It feels more "doable" than "holy shit balls." And I credit adding a few extra weeks of padding to the Couch to 5K for my success with that program.

I'm trying to get my runs in outside, at the crack of dawn, before the heat really gets impossible to deal with, but I'll be on a treadmill for some of these (esp the Tuesday runs, due to scheduling). At least until the weather gets nicer. (WHEN WILL THE WEATHER GET NICER OMG?)

I may try to do some sort of weekly update as I train -- I'm not sure if that's something anyone would even want to read -- but it might be fun to look back on. (I had a Tumblr account for these-types of posts, but I abandoned it because one more site to manage turned out to be a straight-up awful idea.)

So, yeah, 13.1 miles. Soon-ish.

What Would We Do?

Wow, thank you to each and every one of you for your comments and emails about my crazy idea. I've been thinking a lot more on this and also talking to a lot of smart people and making Google spreadsheets so, yeah, it's early and this could be a 2013-kind-of event, but I still have a good feeling about it. A scary, what-the-hell, am-I-crazy? good feeling, but a good feeling all the same.

I have added all of you who offered up your help to one of those aforementioned spreadsheets, so you'll likely regret your (too kind) offer soon enough, but I shall make it worth your while with ... gratitude? Cupcakes? Champagne? Something, for sure.

There's a semi-famous question I hear often, that goes, if you knew you couldn't fail, what would you do? I'd do a lot, truth be told, and one thing would be to do this, to figure out and fine-tune this cause and then throw a big, fun event to celerbate that cause. Maybe I'll fail anyway, we'll see, but you don't have to be good at everything right? (Oh man, I hope not.) You just have to be willing to find out, I think.

So, tell me, what would you do? If you knew you could do it?

So, I Have This Idea

Since Kyle turned 8 weeks old and my own clouds lifted, I've felt a need to do something for new moms, especially for those moms who are feeling crazed, anxious, and exhausted with the beautiful (but oh-so overwhelming) responsibility of being a parent. Kyle had colic, and that contributed to those first two months being so hard, and I also had anxiety-induced insomnia, so he screamed during the day and I was awake all night, and I felt like I lost my mind a little bit.

What was harder than all that, though, was the feeling that no one really understood. No one looked at me and said, "I get it, and you're doing great," and when I sum up that time I can think of only one word: lonely. I'd walk around my house, even when it was filled with people, and I'd just feel alone. I'd look at Mike from across the room and ache. I'd scream and cry and break down and instead of feeling cared for, I'd feel judged.

Because of those two, hard months, my advice to any parent would be to find a community, find a group of people you click and connect with and trust and just talk to them, often and honestly. Find a church, a mom's group, a book club filled with other parents, a blog community that you can take offline, anything at all that will let you feel part of a group. And to the women out there whose friends are having babies, take them food, a bottle of wine, a DVD, look them in the eyes and tell them they are rockstars and that if it sucks, you get it, and it won't suck forever.

With all that said, I've still felt this need to do something to help new moms. I feel it's my cause, as kind of cheesy as that sounds, but beyond that feeling, I've been completely at a loss as to what to do.

I wanted to raise money for new moms for my upcoming half-marathon, but how? Who do I decide to give the money to? Do I just take donations and then choose where it goes? That felt shady.

I've thought about organizing a site of resources for friends and family of new moms to more easily provide food and house cleaning and restaurant gift cards for the new moms in their lives, but that felt vague and weird and who do you specifically market to? And it's not brand new information, it'd just be consolidating information already out there, so that's not exactly a new service.

Then, over the weekend, I was reading a running magazine and there was an article on starting your own race. I thought, okay, yeah, this could be awesome. Picking a cause (post-partum depression, single mothers, or something like that), and then trying to organize a race to raise money for that cause.

That sounds like kind of an insane amount of work, yes it does, and I do have a job and a family and a very full DVR queue, but how incredible would it be to pull off? It combines something I've had a longing to do (provide support for new moms) and something I credit with helping me become the mother I am today (running) into one cool event.

Still, this could takes years and years and then not happen anyway. This could be a really stupid undertaking, in hindsight. But, if someone told me today that it would happen one day, I'd start working, so I figure that's a sign to start working anyway.

My dad was a race director for years, so I'll be picking his brain when he comes to town for a visit this week, but you're the smartest people on the internet, so I'd love to know what you think. Do you have any thoughts or advice or resources you could share? People you know who I could talk with? Maybe you could pass this link around to other smart people? I wouldn't ask if I didn't think we could make a really cool thing happen here. So thank you.

I truly believe it takes a village to raise a happy child, but more than that, it takes the right village. I want to organize the right group and the right event for the moms out there who don't yet have that village.

I hope you'll help me.

To Catch You Up

(In list form, to give you the foolish impression this post is cohesive, when it totally isn't.)

1. So, I caved and flipped on the tv this week. IT WAS GLORIOUS, BY THE WAY. Apparently my breaking point is sacrificing The Bachelorette because going without tv was harder than all the days without meat or cheese or chocolate or booze combined. My whole idea behind doing away with my DVR queue was to read more, to meet that goal of reading 25 books this year, and I realized quickly I just need to turn off the tv more often, instead of never turning it on. Never turning it on is depressing, and no one should voluntarily be depressed.

2. Kyle's officially in a full-size bed. I'd be sobbing over my baby no longer being a baby if it weren't kind of nice to read bedtime stories while laying in a new bed instead of uncomfortably sitting cross-legged on the floor. He'll also occasionally request for Molly to sleep with him, until about a half-hour later when he screams for me to come take her away, she won't stop moving, "GET OFF MOLLY." Oh that poor, poor dog.

3. Hey, speaking of Molly's endless supply of patience, we've given Kyle his first chores around the house, aside from picking up after himself and helping me with the dishes (which he loves, don't feel badly for him). Every day he has to put up his shoes and feed Molly, and he takes a lot of pride in these tasks while also taking his sweet, toddler-loving time with them. So, Molly just sits there, waiting for him to scoop up enough food for her before dropping it into her dish, which could take entire minutes. She just sits there, staring at me like, "HAVE YOU NOT TORTURED ME ENOUGH, WOMAN." I swear, it's shocking that dog doesn't constantly chew my good shoes or pee all over my pillow.

4. I recently found Barnivore, a great site for vegan-friendly booze. You are welcome, if you ever find yourself in a similar Crazy Vegan Situation.

5. The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Championship, I'm sure you heard. I want to be really thrilled about this because it's exciting! Go Mavs! We were the underdogs and Dirk seems like a really decent (albeit unattractive) man! But. Yeah. I'm just not a basketball fan. I was happy to see them win, sure, although by "see them win" you do realize I mean "realize they won when my Facebook feed erupted in exclamation points"?

6. I re-discovered Kelly Willis the other night, a Texas country artist I used to listen to a lot in high school and college. One of her songs, "Not Forgotten You," was perhaps THE song I got over my first love to, and as I stumbled upon it in a random way, I couldn't believe it had been over ten years since I wore out my CD playing this song on repeat. It took me right back. What break-up/moving-on song is like that for you?

7. My son is cute, let me show you.

8. It is so hot in Texas. I complain my way through every summer (and, admittedly, every winter), and I know it's annoying, but it's also just so miserable. The other day I picked Kyle up from school, and we had to run to the store. As we got out of the car, I said, "Ugh, it's hot," and Kyle said, "GO AWAY SUN! IT'S TOO HOT!" I was proud, I can't lie. 

9. I've signed up for the Rock N Roll Las Vegas half-marathon, this December, so we'll be traveling to Vegas for that. It falls a month before my 30th birthday, so we're combining the two celebration-worthy events and while I'm really excited (I'm one of those people who falls very much into the I Love Vegas camp), I also think it'll be quite the interesting trip. The first two days will be all run, run, run, sleep, sleep, sleep and the last two days will be all I AM GOING TO BE THIRTY HAND ME THAT BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. My body is going to be drastically flip-flopping between "I am so proud of you!" and "YOU ARE FIRED!" But, hey, if you are looking to run a half-marathon down a neon-lit strip at night and then celebrate with lots of bubbles, come join me!

10. Kyle calls umbrellas "kites" and, yes, I did die of the cuteness the first time he did this, if you're wondering.

How's That Vegan Stuff Going?

I miss sour cream.

In all honesty, though, this whole Vegan Summer hasn't been easy so far, and it's not yet been a week. Hold me. Surprisingly, it's not the cravings that are tripping me up or the smell of a juicy burger, it's accidentally screwing up.

I nearly ate guacamole the other day that was made with some chicken additive or broth or something. I ordered tomato soup tonight that clearly had cream in it. I know a sprinkling of cheese has worked its way into my mouth at some point because, turns out, a lot of things are sprinkled with cheese (and scraping it off is sure to leave something behind). I wouldn't be surprised if my veggie burger was on a butter-toasted bun the other day.

I'm trying my very best, and making super tough choices, and I think that's pretty damn good. This isn't easy, but it's also not worth throwing in the towel because of the occassional (and unintentional) screw up.

I'll keep pushing forward, knowing at the end, I'll probably have consumed animal products at least 10% of the time. But that's 90% of the time I'm sticking to a goal. I can live with that.

I went to the store the other day and stocked up on more produce than I had stocked up on in a while, I bought almond milk, and the good hummus and some veggie sushi, too. I'm reading labels like a crazy person, and I am asking real and in-depth questions about my food, and that's a huge bonus to all this. I can't be perfect, but I can try to be. If that makes any sense at all.

Now, it's time to start running. I took off too many weeks between the end of March and now, and my half-marathon is a (short) six months away.

I do hear there's a nice vegan alternative to sour cream. So there's that.

I'll keep you posted, of course, and I'll share some recipes and fun finds at Food Lush (and here too), over the next (gulp) 12 weeks, and when the 12 weeks is over, you're all invited to the cheese and wine party I'm going to throw.

When I Feel Sexiest

This week at Style Lush we have a couple giveaways you might want to enter. One, for a funky zipper brooch and one for a massage candle. The latter's giveaway entry question is: when do you feel sexiest? It's something I've been thinking about myself.

First, I don't shy away from the topic of sex. If you're my friend, you know this. It's sex not calculus, so I have some thoughts on the subject, and I'm not embarrassed to pour a glass of wine, laugh with my friends, and talk about the past, the present, and our preferences. But there are some people who talk about sex in a way I don't quite understand. Making weird jokes about their date nights, typing "wink, wink" into Twitter when they refer to their husbands doing the dishes. I mean, maybe it's just me, but the fact that you have sex with your husband or partner or mailman does not gross me out. What grosses me out is being a spectator to your foreplay.

So, this post will not be about actually having sex with Mike. You're welcome!

But, feeling sexy is a damn good thing, am I right? Feeling sexy, I'd argue, is even better than someone thinking I'm sexy, and it's why Mike has said he prefers me at my happy weight, although he has no idea what that number is. He loves me at any weight, obviously, but he likes when I skip the towel after a shower or don't pull away from him when he touches my stomach, so whether that's 132 pounds or 232 pounds, he doesn't care, as long as I don't care either, you know? Basically when you feel sexy, you are sexy.

So, being at my happy weight is one really obvious answer to this question, but there's more to it.

I also feel sexy...

....right after I run and especially right after a race.

....in a new, very flattering pair of jeans, and it's one reason my first splurge after I reach my goal weight will be a new pair of investment jeans.

....when I have a little bit of a tan, which is why I think of my beach vacations first when I think of feeling sexy.

....in a t-shirt in jeans.

....after one glass of wine or champagne.

....on summer nights, especially in June, when it's not August-hot yet, and you can sit outside in hopes that a breeze will blow through the air. (Not summer days, mind you, as I am not Tim Riggins who can pull off the dirty, sweaty, sexy thing.)

....in heels. I don't wear them often, but I should. I always walk a little more confident when I do.

....in Vegas. I love Vegas because it just encourages you to have fun and forget about whatever it is you're currently stressed about. It basically whispers in your ear, "take this drink, wear this short skirt, and have some fun."

....when Mike and I are laughing together.

....when I go for a hike. I love hiking, which is really just walking on an incline, I know, but it's still one of my favorite forms of exercise.

....when I cook.

....when I two-step, which I do so rarely these days, and I should change that.

....whenever I am traveling. I pick my best outfits, I am so much more easy going when no one or nothing is relying on me, and I can just wander and breathe.

....in hindsight. Don't you always like a picture of yourself when you haven't seen it in ages? Basically, I'll never feel as sexy in the moment as I think I looked in hindsight. Unfortunately.

Now, this doesn't mean every time I do one of these things I want to have sex, which should make you feel good if I ever invite you over for dinner or you've been out with me when I'm in a t-shirt and jeans, but we all know that's not what sexy really means, right?

It's a state of being comfortable in your own skin, being at ease, being happy with the moment, and it's not something we should shy away from striving for.

So, tell me, when do you feel sexiest?

Cowtown 10K

I ran my 10K this past weekend and I beat my personal 10K record by 8 minutes! I finished in 1:11, which isn't the most impressive time in the entire world, but I ran (jogged?) the entire time and if you had told me a year ago that I'd run for an hour straight some day, I would have taken a nap at the mere suggestion.

My first 10K, last November, was tough. I remember miles 4-6 being nearly impossible and I had to dig down deep into reserves I wasn't even aware I had in order to finish. This race was just the complete opposite. I wouldn't call it a breeze but miles 1-4 were actually really enjoyable and even those last two miles, when things got harder, I knew I could (and would) finish just fine and I'd feel great on the other side, which I did.

The race atmosphere helped a lot. I grew up going to dozens of races and there's still that same race magic today that I remember from my childhood. There's just nothing like "race day" in terms of inspiration and encouragement and community.

In fact, I went back to the Cowtown the next morning to see Natalie and Kristie run (and kick ass at!) the half-marathon, and I got to hang out around the finish line for about an hour and there's just nothing as inspiring as seeing hundreds of people -- all different shapes and sizes and ages -- pushing themselves toward a goal.

When things did get a little tough during my race, I thought of all the moviating words and emails and Twitter notes I've gotten from so many of you. I really do owe my little blog and the friends I've made through it so much. I don't think I'd be running races or meeting goals or trying to be better without you.

Thank you so much.

(Now, off to buy my necklace!)

I am a runner

I'm running a 10K this weekend, my second ever. I'm nervous but excited.

When I finish, no matter how long it takes, I'm heading straight to my computer to click purchase on this "I am a runner" charm necklace.

Well, right after I take a nap.

On Running

Kerrianne wrote a post on running and it got me thinking of all the different exercises and forms of ass-shrinking I've tried over the years and how running has easily been the most therapeutic, soul-healing, enjoyable one I've found.

Less than a year ago, I couldn't say anything about running because I never, ever did it. I mean, I think I could have managed to attempt it I needed to outrun zombies or wild animals but for kicks? For no other reason than TO RUN? Yeah, no, not while I owned a couch.

Now? I love running.

I love it, mainly, because it's alllllll mental. Well, mostly mental, I mean there is that pesky heart-rate-rising, sweaty element to it, too. But, you can't just call-in running or half-ass running (not for any considerable distance, anyway) and, from my personal (newish) experience, there are so many times when you have to become your own biggest cheerleader in order to keep going.

I ran 6.2 miles last month and I had to talk to myself -- positively, nicely, encouragingly -- the entire time. In fact, when my sister asked me specifically what I said to myself to push on when all I wanted to do was stop and collapse, it was this, "You're a runner and runners run." (Yes, that's a lot of word repetition but, damn, it helped.)

In short, running has made me nicer to myself in a way therapy, falling in love, good friends, or Oprah never could, and that is really something.

The other night I had a great run, one of my best, and I wish I could bottle how I felt during and after because it'd sure be marketable. But it's not always like that. Sometimes a run sucks because I can't get my head right, so it's all I can do to make it a mile or two before wanting to die (or punch something). Sometimes everything hurts and sometimes nothing does. Sometimes I don't like it and I hate that I'll have to do it forever in order to meet goals or keep goals and other times I think I want to run for a living.

Just like anything else in life, running is a process and for every step you take forward there will eventually be a step you take back. That's damn annoying but that's also just how it is with: life, parenthood, marriage, friendships, work, and on and on and on. You either find the grace or stop doing it.

During that great run the other night, Mumford & Son's "The Cave" came on and if there's a better song for pushing you across a metaphorical finish line, I haven't heard it. Damn, that song is motivating. Especially this part:

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways

For me, that noose is a million things: carbs, fights with Mike, insecurity, my thighs, comfort eating, money woes, whatever. I could hang myself in a million different ways if I wanted because there will always be a million different ways to, and it's always going to be a fight to save myself, but running has whispered this tiny little secret to me, and now when I feel the noose tightening, I run.

(There are a lot of metaphors in that paragraph. I hope you got through it without rolling your eyes too badly.)

It's not that I'm fixed or that I always choose a run over a piece of cake or that it's a cure-all, it's just that I'm choosing it more than I ever did before. And if there's ever a way to change your life, if there's ever one thing I can say to someone who's feeling hopeless in order to encourage them to take that first step away from hopeless, it's this: just choose something good for you more than you ever did before.