Running in a hurricane: Check

We all know about Hurricane Irene:

The HMTT (half marathon training team) meets on Saturday mornings to run our long run all together. When driving around town on Friday, all the stores had been wiped out, no bread, no milk, even the bananas were out. Winds starting to pick up and I was looking forward to a Saturday sleep in - clearly, we wouldn't be running on Saturday in the face of Irene.

OH NO. Was I wrong. I got an email late Friday that said they were watching the weather closely and as of that moment the run was STILL ON! Winds weren't expected to really pick up until after 10am - we'd be long done by then. But there was 100% chance of rain so wear a hat and lotion up and bring a smile.

This week was 5 miles.

Matthew pushed me out of bed at 530 Saturday morning. No rain as of yet. I get dressed and get in my car knowing that I'll feel accomplished and happy as soon as this run was over. Half way there the rain starts - and it gets going. 5 miles out from the meeting spot, I pull off the interstate and decide that I am in no way running in this. As I'm turning around to go home, 3 cars pass me with the HMTT bumper sticker on their cars - DANG IT! Guilt got the best of me and I made it to the meeting spot - I get out of my car and I am immediately soaking wet.

Here's evidence:

Me and my new running buddy K at mile 4.5

All in all - the weather cooperated with us. It rained consistently but for the most part was not horrible. My foot fell asleep half way through the run - that's never happened before and it wasn't because of my shoe laces being too tight. So I'll have to keep an eye on that in my future runs.

Hours later, safe in my house, we scurried to get all the laundry done, take showers and hunker down. And it's good we did that because as of this post, we still do not have power and we are out of hot water :(

Total trailing miles: 17.25 Miles
Lessons: Hats work well in rain, eating Oatmeal before my run helps with my energy and cramping

HEALTH: Half of U.S. adults will be obese by 2030.

I'm working on figuring out Twitter and in my random tweets searching I came across this article which I found overwhelming and yet, sadly, not surprised by.

The take away that I have for every one is this: it's not about drastic changes. It's in the little things.


"Losing just a little weight could offset those increases. The report noted that a 1 percent population-wide decrease in body-mass index (just 1.9 pounds for an average 198-pound adult) would prevent more than 2 million cases of diabetes, roughly 1.5 million cases of heart disease and stroke, and 73,000 to 127,000 cancer cases in the United States."


Did you know that gaining 10 pounds over the course of a decade (exactly where I'm at right now) comes down to 1 calorie a day - JUST 1!  We are such a now focused society that we forget to really think about the long term consequences of our actions. Diets don't work because they only focus on now.


So here's my challenge - what is 1 small change that you can make now to help your health?


Mine is to get up and get active for at least 30 minutes a day. Some days it may be a walk - other days I could be training for this half. But every day, I promise myself to take that time and be active.


What's your 1 thing?

Half Marathon Training Team awesomeness

I swore that I would never do a half. A 10K was plenty long enough for me. My first 10K I didn't train and I was, quite frankly, lucky to survive. My second year, Kendayl and I ran it together and we rocked it with a time of 60:30 which was an eighteen minute improvement from the year before (for me that is, I'm sure I slowed K down :) ).

So earlier this year, I signed up for my 3rd 10k and was determined to be sub 60 minutes. I signed up for the training team and everything. Sadly, I showed up to training only 1 time. Saturday mornings are not fun for training - they are fun for sleeping in. Needless to say, my training suffered as a result (because running is boring by yourself) and I didn't feel nearly as confident going in to the race day. I didn't make my goal. But I still finished and I had a blast with my girlfriends.

My goal for this half has nothing to do with a time - my only goal is to finish. But unlike 6.2 miles, I cannot show up on race day without having trained for 13.1 miles. I would hurt myself. So I signed up for the HMTT. I missed the first two Saturdays because of our vacation schedule and nearly slept in this past Saturday. Matt bet me that I wouldn't wake up - so sure enough - I did. I immediately introduced myself to people, found out that I was on Team Dragons and off we went.

Evidence:

That's me in the front with the blue shirt...

4.25 miles later - we crossed "the finish line." My new running buddy J was a trooper. We both swore we couldn't make 4 miles without stopping but said we would try our best and we never stopped during the run.

Monday was a rest day but today our schedule had us running 3 miles. I got home from Cville around 715pm and did not want to run but I knew that not letting down my new running buddies had a lot to do with keeping up with training during the week. So I went - and I'm finding that after about 2 miles, I really start to feel good and even enjoy my run.

I need to find a group to run with during the week - that's my next goal during this training.

Mileage total since HMTT training ( 2 weeks): 10.25 miles.

Singinggg in the Rain

I've been MIA for a bit just wrapping up my summer vacations before the new school year starts. (eeek!) Sorry for the absence. However, I will say I have been doing a great job vacationing and staying on track with my marathon training. Last Wednesday Mike and I left for Smith Mountain Lake with my friend Regina and her hubby and family... Needless to say we had an incredible time! It was beautiful during the day and fall like during the night by the camp fire---it was heaven! Regina is runner too; however, she is a different kind of runner than I am. She's the runner that takes off with speed when the gun goes off, aka the Hare. Meanwhile I ease into my running at a moderate (also known as slow) pace. We ran Thursday and Friday morning while I was there and it was gorgeous. I was nervous for a few reasons 1. we were running   extremely hilly trails 2. we were running extremely hilly trails and 3. Regina is fast. Although the trails were tough (that's an understatement they were brutal 90 degree vertical inclines) it was great to push myself and lucky for me Regina stayed with me and we ran, jogged, and walked together and were able to catch up along the way. By Sunday morning (the day we left) my ankles and calves were mighty sore from the inclines but I was proud that I pushed through.
Here are some pictures that Mike took of our fun weekend!  ----> coming soon

On the ride back all I could think about was how sore I was but how I had 7 miles to run before I could relax-- because let's be serious if I come close to sitting/laying down it's over. So as soon as I walked in the door I put on my running gear and headed outside to run. (I've been doing most of my runs on the treadmill because of the heat but after running the trails and realizing training outside vs. inside are two COMPLETELY different things I'm determined to most of my runs outside unless the weather interferes).
As soon as I got outside this is what the sky looked like....

Obviously this wasn't my exact scenery but you get the idea of what I was up against... nature!

I ignored the signs of a torrential down pour and started out running anyway. Every person I ran past looked at me like I was a crazy person; however, I kept on running. I hopped on the Custis Trail (holy hills!!!) and ran out 3. 3 miles and then turned around. All the while the clouds got darker and grew scarily close to where I was running. Then this started happening....

Ok again... a little exaggeration but none-the-less the thunder and lightening was right on my heels

I had to stop and walk some because this hill were brutal (Note to self: train on hills more!) But I was determined to get home before the monsoon came.
And then finally I could see it... MY HOUSE! It was less than a mile ahead and I was feeling good. I looked down at my GPS watch and realized that since I turned around a little sooner then I was supposed to I had to run past my house to get those few extra miles in. I'm sure you can guess what happened next... It started POURING.MONSOONING.RAINING CATS AND DOGS. Whatever you want to call it! I was soaked! My shoes were squeaking and I was sweaty and wet and tired but I was glad to be done!

My few days at SML really got me thinking about my training. I'm used to training in a way that makes it easier for me---no hills. However, in this case, for the race I'm running there will be hills and I need to get prepared for them. As much as I hate hills I know that I need to train on them so that come race day I'm ready.

-Kendayl


Pray that I can get better with hills!


Are hills hard for you? How do you get through those tough training days?

piggy backing...

As Hil just said... nothing too fancy here... I did 3 miles today after work and dragged Mike along with me and boy was that hilarious! He did a great job considering the last time he ran was 2 years ago!:)

I did however run 10 miles yesterday after sitting on my butt all day with Mike doing a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y nothing. It was fabulous and I was hoping I wouldn't guilt myself into getting my run in but the time 6:00pm came along I was feeling way too lazy for my own good. I turned to my sister for motivation and this is what she said "just think of why you're training (for grandma). You're healthy and can run and be active to go do it... if anything do it for her". So what did I do? I got off my booty and ran.and ran.and ran.and ran. It wasn't too bad, besides being tired. But I kept telling myself grandma is watching me so I better keep going!

What motivates you to work out or to keep going when you really don't want to?

Nothing fancy today

But I completed my 3 mile run and with the various injuries I sustained while on vacation - I'm pretty darn proud of myself.

That is all for today!

Dehydration and cramp's secret weapon....Pickle Juice?

Some history before we dive in:
When K and I were growing up we, like most siblings (kids?), had some interesting (read: weird) contests/habits/tastes. For example, we used to take a cracker, 1 matching square of american cheese and then stack as many jalapeno slices as possible to eat them to find out who was tougher. I can't heat hot food to this day so I'm pretty sure my sister won. Yet another example - we used to LOVE dill pickle juice. We would split a jar of juice or if we were lucky enough our own jars and race to see who could finish their jar o pickle juice first.

I'm very fortunate to have one of the Richmond Marathon trainers working in my office. I exploit him regularly.

As discussed my previous post, I've recently starting Bikram Yoga. In doing some research over the weekend, I learned that at 150 pounds one can expect to burn 1000 calories in a single class. Now that's not what I happen to weigh but suffice it to say that based on that rule, I'm burning my 1000 calories plus a snicker bar.

I realized after reading that information that I need to be careful to keep my body fueled and hydrated. Even more so because I'm also running.

So last night I went to Yoga right after work. I made sure to drink plenty throughout the day and then I bought a 50 oz smart water bottle at the studio. I probably finished 40 oz before the end of the night.

My run this morning: This morning, I found that I only made it just over a mile before I was cramping in my side so bad that I had to stop and walk hunched over back home. I'm assuming it was dehydration given my class last night.


Naturally - I emailed my trust co-worker as soon as I got it (he's off traveling the world) and here's the secret he says: PICKLE JUICE


Email excerpt:
Remember pickle juice (I think we talked about this, right?) quickly relieves cramping.  But you need to become less susceptible.

Following are links to 2 good sites (out of 100's) with basic hydration guidelines/tactics:

http://running.about.com/od/nutritionandhydration/a/hydration101.htm

http://www.rrca.org/education-advocacy/hot-weather-running-tips/

Before you start saying to me: "are you sure? You can't trust everything you hear from friends....not possible...yada yada blah blah." READ THIS - a study done at BYU.

Pickle juice had “relieved a cramp 45 percent faster” than drinking no fluids and about 37 percent faster than water, concluded the authors of the study, which was published last month on the Web site of the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Bottom line: I need to reserve my yoga for my cross training days - no more than twice a week and leave 24 hours between yoga and my next run.  And never leave home without pickle juice.

It's time to try new things...

I love Living Social. LOVE. Aside from cutting our social expenses down - it's really gotten me to try new things. I've tried lots of new restaurants (turns out I like Eggs Benedict...didn't know that), new services (laser hair removal, life changing) and lots of new things to do in Richmond.

That brings me to this: Bikram Yoga. aka....Hot Yoga.

This is a yoga class in a 105 degree and consists of 26 moves. So the class is the same every time you go. A LS deal came up last week for 3 classes @ $30 (50% savings) and better yet the studio is on my way home from work.

I went to my first class a week ago. I drank water all day long in preparation and nervously showed up 15 minutes before class to learn the lay of the land. The class was really mixed gender and everyone really seemed there for them. Girls wore skimpy little outfits and I quickly found out why. My goal was to survive and I DID! I also felt really great after class. I was SOAKED TO THE BONE. Afterwards, I talked to some of the girls in the class about how often they come and their advice and they said to wear little. I laughed and said that when I had their little bodies, I'd be happy to wear little clothes.

That is until the next day when I couldn't take the heat - I pulled my shirt off in class. True to most things - no one noticed and certainly no one cared.

As of last night, I've been to 4 classes. Twice I thought - there's no way I'm going to make it through this class today. But I took a deep breath and focused on what I was doing that moment. Soon enough, it was the end. Yesterday felt like it flew by. The best part - I touched my toes! I realize this is minor for normal people but I have NEVER been able to touch my toes without bending my knees. It was the one "event" that prevented me from getting the Presidential Fitness Award when I was in grade school. There's a pose 3/4 of the way through class where you're sitting down and you reach for your feet and grab your big toe with your middle and index finger and then walk your hips back 15 times - and I DID IT. Just 4 classes in and I can already tell an enormous difference. My head doesn't touch my knees yet and my elbows are not on the floor - but still HUGE accomplishment for me.

The teachers say the same thing every class and it's a great lesson for me: Don't get frustrated. Do what you can do. Push yourself. You may fall over or not be able to go as far as last time. Don't get frustrated. It's only Yoga. (But I think this principal should be used throughout my day...)

I really like this. But I have a goal - that pesky Half Marathon - so now I need to figure out how to or even if I should do both.

What new things have you tried lately (PG rates stories, please :) )

 - H

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars

a.k.a "Crack Bars"

"Simma down now!" (SNL quote for those of you quote inclined... which is usually me!) Before you go calling the police on me because I made crack bars hear me out... you'll be addicted as quick as I was.

... this is a serious matter. I was paroosing my normal food blogs and stumbled across a recipe entitled "crack bars". I was hooked immediately because a mother at my school makes cake balls also known as "crack balls" (because they are soooo delicious and addicting... only legal:) and any food with the word "crack" in it automatically means it's going to be really good! When I clicked the recipe link this is what I found... my newest healthy addiction! They are so delicious and very easy to make.

In the words of my grandma "hot diggity dog! They look so good they'll makes ya wana slap ya momma!" 

Picture and recipe courtesy of Clean Eating Chelsey (my pictures as you can see below are terrible and I knew they wouldn't entice you to make this recipe... so thank you Chelsey!)

Let's rewind for a moment. I teach during the year and nanny during the summers. The girls I nanny are like my daughters/sisters. I've been watching them since they were in diapers and now they are moving on to 2nd and 1st grade (holy cow!). I love them dearly! Last summer I started nannying the day school let out up until school started again. We had a blast but I was burnt out. So this summer I decided to work Monday-Thursday and take Friday's off for myself. Anywho back to where I was going with this... last Thursday the girls wanted to bake some goodies which was a perfect time to get this recipe underway. We went to the store and got them the cupcake mix they wanted and all the ingredients for these delicious bars. After the girls made their cupcakes they wanted to help me out as well! (It lasted for 2 minutes but they helped me get things rolling). 

So without further adieu (drum roll please.....)

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars ("crack bars") Love this blog!

What you'll need:

 

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars (makes 16-20 bars, depending on cutting preferences)

• 1 and 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 and 3/4 cups gluten free oats  (I couldn't find gf oats and regular ones don't bother... your choice)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 banana, smashed
• 2 tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 pound strawberries, divided
• 3 dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, oats, baking soda, and salt – mix these ingredients together. In another small mixing bowl, combine your smashed banana, vanilla, agave, water, and almond milk. Stir until semi-smooth and add to your dry ingredients. Stir the bar batter until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Set aside the batter.

To make the filling, first hull all of your strawberries. In a food processor, process 3/4 of the strawberries with the dates. Dice the rest of the strawberries and add them to the strawberry filling.

To assemble the bars, first spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray (or coat with coconut oil – yum!). Spread half of the batter evenly on the bottom of the pan and top with the strawberry filling. Gently drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the filling. Lastly, sprinkle the bars with coconut and cinnamon and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. 

Here's my product picture: 

                                                          Here's Chelsey's product picture:

There's clearly NO comparison! (not to self learn how to set up a food photo shoot!) Sorry for the lack of decadent, beautiful photography... I'll work on that. But seriously how can you look at this and not want to make it?! 

What's even better is that they are a great snack/treat and my favorite thing to do with them is to crumble one up and put it in my morning yogurt... YUM-O (thank you Rachel Ray for that saying).

I made a batch of these with the little girls and took them to Mike's parents boat house this past weekend because his family was in town and they were a hit! So my plan is to make another BIG batch this Friday and pack them up for my family's beach trip next week!

So there ya have it.... crack bars in all their glory! I'm tempted to play around with the ingredients and maybe try some different fruit inside this time. I'll keep you posted!

Enjoy!

PS: what should I make next?!