The Studly Runner

Tropicana Spa/Wellness Giveaway

2012-01-27T06:49:00.000-06:00

My family and I have been drinking Trop50, I think since its inception. I buy the one with added calcium and vitamin D (because who doesn't need more of those?) and no pulp to appease the kiddos.

What's the beauty of Trop50 besides the fact that it tastes great?
Hello 50% less sugar and calories and NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS!

Trop50 is running a cool Facebook promotion right now.

Share your motivation and receive a $1 off coupon Trop50 for yourself and $0.50 off coupons for up to 50 of your friends.
You can also enter to win a $1000 gift card.

WIN IT!
I have a $50 Spa/Wellness Gift Card from Spa Week for one lucky reader.

To Enter:
You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment you are.

Bonus Entries:
+1: Like Trop50's Facebook page and share your motivation. Tell me in a comment you did.
+1 each: Share this on Facebook, Tweet about it including @teamarcia, email, etc. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Kids we're going to make this a lightning-round giveaway. Deadline for entry is midnight TONIGHT!
Plus you might want to stop by over the weekend because a little birdie told me there may be more gift cards given away lightning-round style so no sleeping at the switch!

Good Luck!

Three Things Thursday

2012-01-26T10:33:00.000-06:00

1. I overslept until 6:30 today, which is pretty rare for this early bird, no-alarm girl. I'm thinking it's residual fatigue from the destination race weekend. I had this really weird, yet beautiful dream where I was sitting at a table at an outdoor cafe with my dad. There were stunning castles in misty mountains all around us. This worries me because my dad is having knee-replacement surgery in a few days and he's not in the greatest shape (obese, Type II diabetes) to withstand surgery. Hoping that was not a premonition of some sort.

2. I finally got a new blender after breaking the old one. It was hard to be recovery shakeless for any length of time. Even though making shakes and pureeing soup is pretty much all I ever use a blender for, I felt like I should do some research on the best one to get, yet I never got around to that. There is such a huge price range I wonder what a $100 blender does that a $25 one does not. Finally I pulled the trigger and settled on a cheap but so far more than adequate Oster.
What kind of blender do you have?

3. My bike is still not on the trainer. Our winter has been so mild I'm still riding outside. It was 35 here this morning so how could I not resist taking a spin? I'm beginning to wonder if I'll use the trainer at all this season. Not complaining!

In case you missed it: Lucy Yoga Pants Giveaway

Lucy Leggings, Pants and a Giveaway Oh My!

2012-01-25T08:08:00.000-06:00

I've said it here before: I love Lucy. Lucy and I go way back. I've got a whole zip code in my closet devoted to Lucy stuff, ok maybe I exaggerate but YKWIM. So when the peeps at Lucy asked me to review a pair of their leggings, I was more than willing.

I was sent the Cut-For-Me Leggings, which retail for $79.99 but are on sale now for $39.99, which is a steal. They're made of moisture-wicking powermax fabric that is super soft and comfy, yet gives your muscles support during strenuous activities.
I wear these for running, biking, yoga, ice skating, and as a base layer when I play out in the snow with the kids.

Aren't they cute? I love the purple accents.

The cool thing about these is that there are flat-locked seams at the bottom that allow you to cut the hem to customize the length. Perfect for those of us who are not the tallest tree in the forest...cough...me....cough.

Note: I did not cut the hem on mine because I love pulling them over the tops of my skates.

Pros

Very comfy and flattering wide waistband
No drawstring to rub or chafe, yet they stayed perfectly in place
Handy interior pocket is perfect for a key

Cons

While theses leggings are great for running, I would love to see some reflective accents

Win It!
One lucky winner will receive a pair of Lucy's newest yoga pant: Lotus Power Pants, which retail for $89.99.

This awesome yoga pant is made of the same fabulous, moisture-wicking powermax fabric with flat-locked seams as the leggings I reviewed. The elliptical waistband looks low-rise in front but stays up over your bum in back.

To Enter:
You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment if you are. Also tell me your favorite Lucy product.
Bonus Entries
+1: Like Lucy on Facebook
+1: Follow Lucy on Twitter
+1: Follow me on Twitter
+1 Each: Link this giveaway on your blog, tweet about it including @teamarcia and @lucyactivewear, share it on Facebook, email, tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is February 1st.

Good Luck!

Race Report: Carlsbad Half Marathon

2012-01-24T13:35:00.000-06:00

Wow what a weekend! It almost didn't happen for me since my plane was cancelled on Friday due to what else? Snow.
But I did get out on Saturday so I was late to the party but better late than never right?

It was 15 degrees in Chi-town when I left and we were delayed considerably while they de-iced the aircraft. It was maybe 60 degrees when I landed in San Diego. The lady at the rental car place was bundled in a parka as I stood there coatless, with legs sweating from under my jeans. We headed out to dinner immediately after I finally got there:

Clockwise from left: Irene's hubby Michael, Jill, Meg's hubby BS, Meg, Tara, me, Irene

Fast forward to race day the next morning. Jill and Meg, the full marathoners of the group, got up and out early for the 6am start. Tara and I were next. I'd be lying if I said we didn't think about pulling into the La Costa Spa lot as we passed it in the darkness on the way to the race.

Traffic into the mall parking lot was a cluster. Gear check was an even bigger one so Tara and I hoofed it back to the car at the other end of the mall to stow our stuff. By that time, corrals were going off and we ended up going off well toward the back of the pack instead of our assigned corral 3.

I ran this as a virtual race in honor of Gabby, whose picture you'll see over at the top right.

Here's Tara and I goofing off in the potty line.

Goals for this race: Just see how the hamstring holds up.
I've done no hillwork or speed training since last summer and my mileage has been minimal at best so the plan was to just have fun, not swear at the hills too much and enjoy the weekend.

So we were off. Holy hemmed-in Batman. I had to be careful not to trip. Needless to say I could not unleash the power (read go out too fast) that is usual for me at the start of a race. We started up a
corkscrewy, winding hill that I didn't even notice.

The weather was perfect: mostly overcast with a couple of peeks of sun, gentle breeze. I wore a tank and arms sleeves but took down the sleeves after a couple of miles. The course was beautiful with stunning coastal views. Pretty much all rolling hills, punctuated by a few big mothers too. Hills and I are not friends. I've tried to be cordial but to no avail. I enjoyed the ocean views and found my zen, thinking of Gabby and Sherry and ran strong for them.

By mile 6 I could feel the hills wearing on me.
I feel like I ran the first 8 or so miles well. Not blistering fast by any means, but I felt good. By mile 9 though, someone in my proximity reeked of very bad deli meat, my legs were lead and I wanted to be done. I think the deli meat smell did me in. I found Tara and we took our sweet time getting in. This is supposed to be fun right? So we made it fun. Ok there may have been some cussing. Cussing can be fun too. With just a couple of miles to go, Tara whiffed her pit and I knew the bad deli meat person was in hot pursuit. I assured her it was not she who stunk and we pressed on to the finish.

So decent first half, pathetic-but-fun back half, and our race was complete.

Meg, Irene, Jill, Tara, me

Me and the awesome and hilarious Green Girl, who came to spectate!

We enjoyed recovery Slurpees on the beach followed by Mexican food.

Weekend Highlights:

Seeing Meg, Tara, and Jill again

Meeting Irene and the Green Girl

Hamstring was completely pain free

The Caveman and the kids survived, maybe even had a good time without me!

Thank you Heather for the virtual race. I'm bummed I did not get to meet you.

What are your weekend highlights?

Do you enjoy hills?

11 Randoms

2012-01-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

The lovely and talented Marlene tagged me in some random fun. Here we go:

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 things about me:
1. My flight out to San Diego yesterday for the Carlsbad Marathon was cancelled due to snow.
2. I slipped and fell flat on my ass in said snow when I was out getting mail and walking the dogs.
3. The dogs looked on in horror as mail spewed everywhere. I got a good shot of snow up my back.
4. I was completely uninjured. Not even the ornery hamstring protested. Spry.
5. Why do I find it hilarious when someone wipes out? Even myself?
6. I booked a cruise for spring break the day after the Concordia fiasco. Defiant? Stupid? You be the judge.
8. Since I didn't fly yesterday, I worked on a cookie recipe that has quinoa in it.
9. Chocolate-covered almonds need to be banned from this house. There is no moderation for me with these.
10. I've been hitting the weights hard lately. And my weight is going up. Is it muscle? Or the damn almonds?
11. I have a plane to catch today. Snow has stopped. San Diego here I come!

Marlene's questions for me:
1. What is your favourite pair of non-running shoes?

2. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, thermal top and the shoes above with fleece socks.

3. What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Mega-yacht

4. Are you named after anyone/anything?
All the letters in my name were taken out of my mom's first name. Charmaine---Marcia

5. What is worse – being too cold, or being too hot?
Too hot for sure.

6. What is hanging on your walls at home?
Art collected from our travels.

7. What is the last thing that you took a picture of?

That would be my icy race face from Toni's virtual race.

8. Who is the last person you spoke to on the phone?
Thing 1's dance teacher.

9. Where did you go on vacation as a child?
Pretty much nowhere. We went to 6 Flags St. Louis once. That was it.

10. What is your favourite TV show?
I watch very little TV. Modern Family?

11. How many pieces of jewelry do you wear regularly?
Wedding ring, engagement ring and a pair of earrings.

Now here are my questions for those I tagged:
1. Do you have any pets?
2. Most embarrassing moment?
3. Favorite brand of running gear?
4. Dream vacation?
5. Dream race?
6. Favorite GU flavor?
7. Snow ski or water ski?
8. Do you get a flu shot?
9. Gold, sterling silver or platinum?
10. What grade in school did you enjoy most? Least?
11. How often do you get a haircut?

And finally here's who I tagged:
1. Shelly
2. Kate
3. Char
4. Laima
5. Mike
6. Lisa
7. Britt
8. Black Knight
9. Molly
10. Colleen
11. Michael

Have a fun weekend!

Remember only a couple days left for my giveaway!

TTT: Race Weekend Edition

2012-01-19T09:26:00.000-06:00

1. Weather permitting, I'm shipping out tomorrow, headed for San Diego and the Carlsbad Marathon with Meg, Jill, and Tara! Actually I'm doing the half. The desire to run a marathon just isn't there. The fact that I am in no shape for a marathon, especially since the whole ruptured hamstring fiasco, may have something to do with that.

2. They just announced a winter storm advisory for the Chi-Town area. Apparently several inches of snow are on the way, arriving mostly tomorrow. Dear Mother Nature: I ~~never~~ hardly ever complain when you pull your sub-zero tricks but I NEED to get out of town tomorrow. So if you could please hold off on your snow shenanigans until I do so, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you in advance. That is all.

3. Guilt. I haven't gone on a girls' weekend since 8/10. Yet I am struggling with major guilt of leaving the family for a long weekend. I've made exhaustive lists, stocked the house with food, made all sorts of after-school arrangements, etc. I'm getting no minimal pressure not to go (Thing 2 is a master guilt-trip layer), and I know the Caveman, the kids and dogs will be fine. Yet I feel the pressure and guilt building.

Do you fall victim to the guilt monster?

Couple more days to enter my Bolle Sunglasses giveaway!

Dogs Gone Wild

2012-01-18T11:52:00.000-06:00

google images

For the first four of the five years I've been running outside, I had just one unfriendly encounter with the canine species. In the past month, I've had 6 more. Seriously what are the odds? Is the universe trying to tell me something?

While I still have all my limbs and digits intact, I felt it very much in my best interest to review proper dog avoidance techniques.

First, let the record show: I adore dogs. Like true love. Never saw a dog I didn't at least like. Well, now maybe I have. But as the saying goes: there are no bad dogs, just bad owners, and all that jazz.

My first recent encounters were with strays while vacationing: a Jack Russell-ish terrier that took it upon himself to charge up to me, growling and snarling and a large mutt for lack of a better term, that followed me, giving me the stink eye. Thankfully all bark...and growl...and snarl...but no bite.

Fast forward to the past couple of weeks. There's a new ankle biter on one of my routes who has chased after me twice (does not scare me in the least). There's also an Irish Setter who barks crazily from his front yard while his/her dogmate (a Dalmation) looks on quietly) as I pass and only recently decided to charge across the street and chase me.

Here, according to the experts, is what you should do when threatened by a dog:

1. Avoid smiling at the dog. An aggressive dog may construe it as baring your teeth for a fight. Check.

2. Look for warning signs. If a dog approaches with his head held high or low, it's probably not going to attack. A dog whose head is level means business. Honestly I never noticed any of this.

3. Have a block. Use your leg or a stick to block the dog's teeth from reaching you. In Key West, when a pesky stray approached for the second time in as many days, I picked up a large rock. I felt ridiculous doing it but whatever.

4. Remain calm. There's truth to the adage that dogs can sense fear. A commanding "No" or "Go Home" may stop the attack. Like I said at the top, I love dogs and I think I do a decent job of ignoring them. I do firmly command them to go home.

5. Never run. This may awaken the dog's prey instinct to chase and catch animals and the dog may persue you vigorously. Um big fail. I cross the street to get away from the dog but I always just keep running and try to ignore the dog's advances. Oops.

6. Assume a non-threatening position. No eye contact. Don't face the dog head-on, keep it in your peripheral vision. Check.

7. Hello pepper spray or mace! I've carried this for years. But I haven't had the presence of mind to use it. Most recently while that Irish Setter charged out a second and third time, barking, circling then running back to his property I finally dug the canister out of my Fuel Belt. I need to keep it in a more accessible pocket. Plus it was super windy. Another solution I read about is squirting water at the dog's face. Never thought about using my water bottle either.

8. Contact owner and animal control authorities. I did not do this on vacation but I did with the dog in the neighborhood I frequent. If my dogs were doing this to passersby I'd be horrified.

Many of you were concerned that I was injured by all these dog attacks. Thankfully there have been no bites (so far) and other than a brief scare (or 6), I am fine.

Have you ever had an angry dog encounter?

How did you handle it?

Do you carry pepper spray?

Virtual Race Report

2012-01-17T08:32:00.000-06:00

Last week I helped Toni celebrate her 34th birthday and 1st blogiversary

by participating in her 3.5 mile virtual run.

Although Chi-town has been eerily deficient in the snow department this year, our first 'major' storm of the season was just getting underway when I set out. The snow came fast, with a furious wind.

Yet another icy eyelash photo op.

When all was said and done, our landscape had changed considerably.

Enough bare-grass in mid-January nonsense. This is more like it!

The going was slow and slick as the snow accumulated but I managed to stay upright for the full 6 miles.

I clocked 31:36 for the 3.5 mile virtual run.

Happy Birthday and Blogiversary Toni!

Did you miss my Bolle Sunglasses giveaway?

Do you enjoy running in the snow?

Who Needs Some Sunglasses? Giveaway

2012-01-16T06:35:00.001-06:00

We all know that protecting our eyes from the sun's rays is especially important when we're out running, riding or doing any number of other sports or activities. In addition to UVA/UVB protection, I wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from bugs, wind, debris and, now that we're in the dead of winter, the super-cold temps make my eyes water like crazy if I go out without them.

Our friends at Sunglasses Shop have just the pair to shake you out of your winter malaise. These racy Matador sunglasses from Bolle feature 100% UVA/UVB protection. Their lightweight frame fits the face well, sits comfortably on the nose and won't slip while running. Lenses are impact resistant and can be changed out for other tints if you so desire.

In addition to a great selection of Bolle sunglasses, Sunglasses Shop carries a boatload of the top brands, including Oakley, Nike, Adidas, Ray-Ban and tons more.

WIN IT!

One lucky winner will get a pair of Bolle Matador sunglasses, in their choice of red or black frames, from Sunglasses Shop. This giveaway is open to EVERYONE--I'm talking around the world, baby! Sunglasses Shop is extra cool like that. International A-listers this one's for you!

To Enter:

You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment if you are.

Bonus Entries:

+1: Like Sunglasses Shop on Facebook

+1: Follow me on Twitter.

+1 each: Share this giveaway on Facebook, tweet about it (include @teamarcia), link it on your blog, email, send smoke signals, tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is January 23.

Good Luck!

Signs It's Time to Return to the Gym

2012-01-13T06:22:00.000-06:00

Google images

You may know this is the time of year I clear out of the gym temporarily to make way for the resolutioners. It's my tradition. But this week, let the record show, I made an unlikely, unplanned, premature return. The universe was giving me signs:

1. Our water heater blew up and the gym was my only chance for a hot shower, unless I wanted to saunter down the block in my robe, knocking on neighbor's doors. May as well sneak in a workout before that shower.

2. Our home internet connection went down. Hard. For days. Imagine the time this freed up.

3. My ornery hamstring was behaving so nicely, it's virtually begging to go back to that yoga class.

4. It's finally snowing like a mother. Ok, you're right, this did not stop me from getting my run on. But I swear those plows are gunning for me.

5. Dog attack. Yes another one. Not sure what's going on with all the canine hate lately. I suspect my new lotion is redolent of beef jerky.

So yes, back to gym I went and know what? It wasn't even packed! No need to park in the next county and shuttle bus in. Resolutioners where are you? Other than two obvious ones in my spin class, everything seemed pretty status quo. Who knew?

Has your gym been packed?

Have you ever taken a total break from the internet? How long?

Aspaeris Pivot Shorts Winner!

Congrats to Shelley @ It's Just One Foot in Front of the Other

Please email me and we'll get you set up.

Thanks to all who entered and thanks to Aspaeris for sponsoring!

Stick around--more great stuff coming soon. SOON!

The Courage to Start

2012-01-09T12:41:00.000-06:00

There's a woman I see on one of my running routes lately, almost every time I'm out there. If her cotton sweatpants and hoodie with fleece jacket don't out her as a newbie runner, her bulky knit hat and mittens certainly do.

We wave and smile and I offer her encouragement. As far as I can tell, she's been at it since just after Thanksgiving. She looks a bit miserable but she's persevering....through the holidays...and the winter...huge props for that.

I wonder what made her decide to start? Does she have a vision? A goal? A training plan? Will she grow to love it? Will running take her places she never imagined?

I can't help but think back to those days when I was starting out as a runner.
I decided in January, 2007 that I'd run 'a' marathon that year. I bit the bullet and signed up for The Chicago Marathon with a couple of test-run halfs in the months preceeding.

To say I was terrified would be an understatement.

What scared me so much?
Fear of failure
Fear of pain
Neither of those came true--well the pain part did but marathon pain is much like that of childbirth. Once that medal is around your neck, you almost instantly forget the agony and you're shopping Marathon Guide for more before you can say 'maybe I should wait until I can walk again'.

Last weekend I FINALLY joined a new running group. Although I haven't run with them yet, (thanks to a single parenting gig) I gathered the kid posse and went to to the running store to meet everybody as they came back from a group run.

What scared me?
I was afraid I'd be unable to commit to their running times
As you all probably already know, this is so not a big deal. So why was it holding me back?

Like most runners, everyone in the group could not have been nicer. Plus there are some badass cyclists among them that I'm counting on to drag my excuse-filled behind to my first duathlon this year.

What will you have the courage to start this year?

What is holding you back?

Do you think I could give the new running lady an appropriate running jacket

without her feeling insulted?

Final days for my giveaway: Have you entered?

Tale of an Angry Ham: Progress Report

2012-01-05T13:04:00.002-06:00

google images

My first full hour of myofascial release with Notorious, Dr. Miracle's partner in, well, miracles, started off with what looked like a mini yoga mat covered in
...wait for it...

...on second thought, make sure you're sitting down...

...needles.
If you're joining us late and need to know what the heck I'm talking about, please catch up here.

There I laid, relaxed as a piece of petrified lumber, longing for some new-age gong music or at least some eucalyptus scent since this was costing $$$, when Notorious introduced me to the mat, saying in his heavy accent (he's Romanian BTW, more on that in a sec) "Today I talk to you about nels." That's nails to you and I. Yes, nails.

Now it wasn't one of these shakti mats. No, there was nothing pleasantly lotus-shaped or plastic about the NAILS on Notorious's mat.
I wish I had a pic of it. Next time, I'll take one when he leaves me to ~~disrobe~~ change, now that I know where he ~~hides~~ keeps it.

At first sight of the needle-covered torture implement, my mind raced in many directions:
1. Outwardly, I struggled to keep composure, hesitated and stammered um...oh..ok..
2. Inside: Fight or flight: Look for the nearest exit and flee. There's the door but the window is closer.
3. Try to keep an open mind. Surely this won't kill me. And if it does, what a way to go down. Life is all about new experiences right?
4. I wonder if that contraption has any miraculous anti-cellulite powers?

Me: Um, soooooo what is this for again?
Notorious: We use to bring endorphins into the area.
Me: Why didn't you just tell me to run here? I can bring plenty of endorphins to the area.

Notorious is having none of my humor. So I lift my angry butt cheek and hammy and Notorious lays down his mat of terror, puts a thin sheet atop the nails (I suspect all the better to soak up the gushing blood) and slowly lowers me down where I will remain for 15 minutes.

While the endorphins rush, we make small talk. This is where I learn Notorious is Romanian.

As in Romanian gymnastic team.

My mind instantly conjures up Nadia at the Montreal Olympics.

Did she lay on this very same bed of nails?

Then to Bela. Who, long before defecting to the US and becoming famous for coaching the likes of Mary Lou Retton and Carrie Strugg, brought the Romanian Gymnastic team to Olympic victory. Being the Olympic sycophant that I am, I am digging Notorious and his bed of nails more and more, even though it is less than comfortable to say the least.
Notorious went on about the benefits of therapeutic massage, myofascial release and how much better the US elite runners have performed since incorporating it, etc. Yes, yes, all very compelling, but how much blood is dripping out of me?

If you thought merely lying on nails was a treat, wait til you try to get ~~them out of you~~ off of them. Ever so slowly, Notorious peeled my ass cheek and thigh off the mat and wiped away the blood from a billion and two puncture wounds. I'm pretty sure he was wringing out the blood soaked sheet somewhere under the table but cannot verify.
I may have been lightheaded at this point and was desperate for a pack of Lorna Doones like they give out after donating blood. Ok I'm exaggerating...somewhat...there may have been less than a billion punctures...maybe more like 6.
With the bloodletting out of the way, Notorious tested my flexibility (or lack thereof) by taking each of my legs, one at a time, up as far as I could stand. Read not terribly far.
Next, a hard, dry ~~pummeling~~ deep massage ensued. Far from pleasant, but somehow I was spared cardiac arrest. Notorious found the rupture in my hamstring and worked on tearing down the, according to him, 'massive ball' of scar tissue.

Afterward he retested my flexibility by yanking each leg up (to his credit, they went up considerably higher) until I whimpered through clenched teeth.
Notorious: "Where is pen?"
Me: Pen? What pen? I might have one in my purse...
N: No, PEN!
Me: Oh pain!!! You mean PAIN!

Miraculously there was no pain in my butt or hamstrings but rather my achilles. Frankly I'd much rather have him pummel my achilles than my ass so good news!
N: Next time we work, we do more achilles.

There you have it.
Rehab in progress.
My run the day after my session with Notorious was a bit dicey but since then, the duration of the cattle-prod butt pain is progressively less. I've even had a couple of pain-free runs. I've also been able to sit for hours in the car or on planes without my butt going into convulsions. This to me is huge progress. I have not, however, dared press the accelerator just yet. I have two speeds: slow and slower. I am amazed by the difference the myofascial release is making though.

Do you get massages of any kind regularly?

Aspaeris Pivot Shorts Review/Giveaway

2012-01-04T09:47:00.000-06:00

Because I tend to be a smidge injury prone, RICE (rest, ice, COMPRESSION, elevation) is pretty much a daily ritual for me. When the opportunity arose to try Aspaeris Pivot Shorts, I was all over it.

I was a tad leery when they arrived, because they looked tiny. Would they really stretch enough to accommodate the ( according to Thing 2) 'giant' expanse otherwise known as my ornery thighs, hips, glutes?
Indeed they did. And they felt great too.

Aspaeris Pivot shorts are made from two layers of seamless, wicking nylon/spandex that compress around tired muscles helping them feel fresh (when they're anything but) all the while remaining comfortable.

Here's the under layer of the shorts. Dual-sensory compression bands are designed to guide muscles into proper position. I am not the model, in case you were wondering.

Here I am.

And again, apparently checking my bad self out. Gotta love the photog skills of a 6 year old.

So anyway, I ran in these up to 10 miles and I've done plenty of super sweaty millwork and corework in them as well. I was worried they'd get hot, since there are two layers--that has not been the case. I've even slipped them on after higher mileage and used them as a recovery tool. You know how tempermental my hams and glutes can be.

WIN IT!

One lucky winner will receive a pair of Aspaeris Pivot Shorts.

To Enter:

Mandatory: You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment if you are.

BONUS ENTRIES:

+1: Tell me why you need these shorts.

+1: Like Aspaeris on Facebook. Tell me in a comment you do.

+1: Follow me on twitter. Tell me in a comment you do.

+1 each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter (include @teamarcia), email, etc. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is January 11.

Good luck!

10 Reasons to Embrace Cold Weather Running

2012-01-03T09:28:00.000-06:00

1. More fun running gear. Wind pants anyone?

2. Nearly frozen GU is a delicacy.

3. Who cares about a Klout score? Your badass quotient will soar.

4. You'll want to pick up the pace before your water, and everything else, freezes solid.

5. Because the wildlife will be entertained when you slip and fall on your ass

and mutter some choice words.

6. Black ice = balance training.

7. Because frost-encrusted eyelashes are all the rage.

8. Wind = resistance training.

9. Who doesn't love an electrolyte Slurpee?

10. Because when you toe the starting line on race day, you'll think back to the conditions you overcame in training and you'll know you're more than ready to tackle whatever the day brings.

How cold is too cold for running outside?

I draw a line in the ice at zero.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T09:43:00.000-06:00

Before we all step off into business-as-usual 2012, I want to thank all of you who stop by here regularly to cheer me on, kick me in the ass, share advice, experiences and everything else. I've enjoyed your friendship, (real life and cyber) and it's been an honor to celebrate your triumphs, encourage you as you faced challenges and comfort ~~and cuss along with~~ you when things got tough.

I took a look back at the post I did last year at this time and was surprised and flattered to see that almost all of you who commented on that post still take time out of your busy day to stop by. For that I am truly grateful.

Although a fresh start can be made at any given moment, there's something about a new year that makes the idea even more appealing.

Something to keep in mind in 2012:

We are not our past. Our future is spotless. What we do with it is totally up to us.

Wishing you peace, health and happiness!

Racing Ahead: 4C's for 2012

2011-12-30T08:21:00.000-06:00

google images

It's no secret I did not light the running world on fire this year.
I got off to a soggy start and it pretty much went downhill from there, culminating in not one but two injuries that derailed my fall marathon plans. Oh and let's not forget the pair of BDD Pukie Awards.
Miraculously, of the 10 races I ran, I eked out AG placements at five of them.

How does one rise from the ashes of a less than stellar year?

My plans for 2012 are brought to you by the letter C:

Connection
For me running has become less of a quest for PRs/BQs and more of a way to connect with friends and just have fun.

I've joined a new running group: This includes some group coaching. For once I won't be using the plan I've followed since the beginning of time.

Here's how the racing schedule is shaping up so far. Way more destination action happening in 2012!
January: Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon
February:
March: March Madness Half
April: Blue Ridge Marathon?? Half?? Jury's still out.
May: Wisconsin Half Marathon
June: Ragnar Relay Madison to Chicago
July: RnR Chicago
August:
September: RnR Denver
October: Marine Corps Marathon
November: NYC Marathon?? I had a very vivid dream about this one just last night. Hmmm....
December:

Challenges
I will do a duathlon in 2012.
I know I said this last year and did not deliver. But I did ride Blanche a LOT and built considerable riding confidence this year. I just need to pull that duathlon trigger already.

I've become a Certified Wellness Coach. More on that coming up.

I will continue in my role as a Figure Skating Coach.

Care
I know I'm not alone on this one: I already take care of everyone else in the house, but I need to take better care of myself.
Although I know I need to see the doc, PT, chiro, massage therapist for running injuries, it still seems indulgent and I feel guilty doing it.
If I took better care of myself, perhaps I wouldn't have been injured in the first place.
As much as I loathe seeing Notorious for myofascial release (ass cheek therapy for the angry high hamstring) deep down I know this is something I should be doing on a regular basis.

Consciousness
I will continue with 15 minutes of quiet time every morning, setting my intentions for the day.

Over the past 6 weeks I laid the groundwork for new habits that include decluttering, not procrastinating, overall creating better time management and energy flow around here. I hope to stay on this path into the new year.

What one thing do you most hope to do/accomplish in 2012?

Any fun plans for New Year's Eve?

We'll be home roasting marshmallows, playing games and maybe watching the ball drop.

Running the Numbers: Key West

2011-12-28T09:20:00.000-06:00

Duration of trip: 6 days

Days spent weathering Hurricane MIL's vitriol before evacuating to ~~higher ground~~ the oceanfront Westin: 3

Number of runs: 3. 2 crapsters, 1 great and totally pain-free.

Slices of key lime pie consumed: 2. 1 great and 1 out of this world spectacular.

Cruise ships docked in Key West: 5

Cruise ships I entertained the prospect of stowing away on: 5

Visits to the iconic Sloppy Joe's: 1

6-toed cats at Ernest Hemingway's house: too many to count

4-legged fishing boat co-captains I wanted to bring home: 1

Total # of fish caught on the fishing charter: 39

Fish thrown back on the fishing charter: 37

Sharks caught: 1

Number of feet in the air I jumped when I saw that bad boy come up: 10

Giddy girls that swam alot: 2

Ice creams consumed: 2, the best of which was toasted coconut ice cream w/key lime sorbet

Attempted dog attacks while out running: 3

Circumference in inches of the boulder I hauled around in anticipation of another dog attack: 10

Times I had to use said boulder: 0 thankfully.

Gorgeous sunsets: 6
Overall a very fun trip, once we evacuated, that is...
Have you traveled with extended family?

Virtual Race Festivities

2011-12-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

On Christmas Eve, I ran not one, but two virtual races:

and the Home for the Holidays 10k.

It was good to be back home in the tundra after sweating my coconuts off in Key West...

...ok sort of...not really.

I wore some of my favorite things, doing my best to channel the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Make that a strong Sugar Plum Fairy.

I love this base layer top from Athleta almost as much as life itself.

An equally purple jacket, and a certain little gumdrop, completed my ensemble.

I got out to strong wind and temps in the mid-20's.

My ornery ham made its presence known briefly between miles 1 and 2 and,

as expected, the going was slow. Sigh.

After just a tad more than 5k, Garmin said:

But my racing day was not over.

There was a 10k to complete as well so I soldiered on until Garmin said:

I carried on, picking it up a smidge until 10 miles were complete, average pace 9:15.

Overall a fun and festive outing.

Thanks to Robin, Stephanie, Ashley and Kiley for sponsoring these races!

How have you fit in your workouts over the holidays?

Gosh Where Do I Start?

2011-12-26T08:51:00.000-06:00

I've been MIA for 10 days, in the throes of vacations and hurricanes and holidays oh my!

In order to not bore you silly, I'm thinking vacation details and virtual races will be covered in another post. Let's get to the pressing stuff:

Secret Santa!

Thanks to the blogger gift exchange, so graciously hostessed by the amazing and talented Jill,

I returned from Key West to find this:

A whole mess of tantalizing packages, festively wrapped.

Santa obviously knows what my favorite color is!

The goodies included cute socks and knit gloves, festive chocolate mint GU, cleansing towelettes, (you know, because sweaty pits are nobody's friend), Bonnie Bell lip smacker and a Champion tee! Boomshakalaka!

Since adults do not exchange here, it was really fun to have something to open.

The Problem: Santa has thus far remained secret so I don't know who to thank!

Come forward please!

Winners!
Blue Ridge Marathon Entry:
Congrats to Ginny at Happy Feet 26.2

PlanetGear $40 Gift Code:
Congrats to Debby at Weight Loss and God Whispers

Girls please email me and I'll get you both hooked up with your prizes. Thanks to The Blue Ridge Marathon and PlanetGear for sponsoring! Thanks to everyone who entered. More great stuff coming up!

Injury's Silver Lining

2011-12-16T12:33:00.002-06:00

It's been a trying couple of days.
Last night:
Thing 1: "Mom the lights on the tree outside are sparking." Screams. "Now they're on fire!"
This morning:
I got an email telling me Thing 2 spent $100 on iTunes for Bakery Doodle coins. Wait it gets better:
I entered the password without looking to see what she was buying when she asked so it's all. My. Fault.
The topper:
I get to share a house for the better part of next week with none other than Hurricane MIL. At best there will be devastation in her wake. Pray we survive.

Here's the silver lining
Injuries have a way of helping us see and be grateful for things we didn't necessarily notice before.

Even though I'm still getting the barbed-wire pain for awhile when I run, I feel like the angry hamstring is progressing nicely.
Once the pain passed yesterday, I felt like I was flying out there.
I assure you I was not. I was nothing short of giddy with delight though.

Plus it was 48 degrees at a time of year when it could easily be zero. It was overcast and windy but also joyful, peaceful, hopeful and, dare I say it? I may have even felt STRONG! That strong run was enough to neutralize the Christmas light fire, the iTunes fiasco and even the prospect of Hurricane MIL and her impending doom.

I'm just so darn grateful to run at all. At any pace.
Time will tell, but yesterday, I think I heard the trees whispering "You're on the comeback trail."

I'm grateful:

For voodoo hamstring therapy.
For strong wind. Because I grow stronger by running against it.
That we caught the fire yesterday before the whole neighborhood burned down.
That Hurricane MIL doesn't live closer. Although sometimes I'm strong enough to withstand hurricanes. And survive. Thrive even.
That even Category 5 hurricanes eventually weaken and drift out to sea.

Happy Holidays!

How do you handle family drama?

Stress Less/Weigh-In Wednesday: Late Edition

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I never quite got this post up yesterday. It was one of those insane days--you know the kind. I have so much to tell you about Notorious and the angry ham but I won't bore you with that....yet.

Stress Less: The Homestretch

I vowed this year would be different. For once, I wouldn't be the one hitting the wall, running around in last-minute hysterics, scrambling to get all the holiday stuff done. When I last reported my mid-term stress-less progress, I was gearing up for Thanksgiving dinner for 26, which, save for a couple of rude comments, went off without a hitch.

I conquered my previous failures...almost

Organize recipes check
Find something to wear to the Caveman's office party check--Many of you requested pics. Epic fail on that front see below:
Find a sitter check--Our sitter apparently had an amnesia flare-up and forgot to show. Thankfully a frantic, last minute phone call did the trick.
Plan meals for the week: Fail--Yeah still not happening. I'm cooking, just not planning the way I'd like to. Ergo, way too many trips to Tarjay (we are blessed with the Super kind with full grocery store that even carries Kombucha. I often ponder the prospect of moving in).

Without boring you with more minutia, let's just say the experiment was a success. I am indeed capable of being proactive rather than reactive, of not procrastinating, and of building what I hope will be permanent organizational habits. I said hope.

Shopping is done.
Wrapping is in progress.
Cards are out.
RSVP's are done.
Hostess/teacher gifts are taken care of.
The house hasn't exploded.
My hair hasn't fallen out. (Gray trumps out any day)
Who am I?

So what's the secret ~~of the universe~~ to less holiday stress?

Take your first opportunity to get things done.

Start chipping away at shopping/cards/decorating etc. early.
Clean up after yourself and encourage others to do the same.
Stand over the recycling bin when you go through the mail and pitch what you don't need immediately.
Deal with invites/RSVP's as soon as you get them.
Stay on top of appointments, important dates, schedules.
In a nutshell, just bite the bullet and do the crap you don't enjoy doing. Get it out of the way. You'll feel so much better.

Even if you're chipping away at the tiniest things, you're still making positive, forward progress. That feeling of flow and accomplishment is gratifying.

Simplify

Choose one hostess gift and teacher gift and buy or make it in bulk.
De-clutter and make charitable donations to Goodwill etc.
Charity is great but I often feel bombarded by too many requests at this time of year. Pick a cause or two you are passionate about and don't feel guilty if you can't honor every single request.
Make one or two kinds of cookie and customize.

Just say no

No cookie exchange for me this year.
I purposely volunteered at Halloween so I could opt out of the kids' class parties this time around, guilt-free.
Kids' activities are cutback at this time of year and I'm carpooling more.

Finally, the 'bookends' of the Stress-Less Plan

Sleep
Exercise

These are non-negotiable for me. Everything about the holidays gets worked in around my sleep and my exercise. A cranky, over-tired Marcia is not fun for anyone.

Rest/recovery

I've been taking just 15 minutes at the start of everyday. If I said I was meditating I'd be lying as my mind wanders way too much to qualify. But it's a time of quiet contemplation, when I set my intention for the day.

There you have it. No big secret really. It's a matter of setting the intention to be proactive and being mindful of what I'm doing. I achieved a much less stressful lead-in to the holidays than usual because it was my goal to do so. In previous years I'd be the one searching frantically for an open gas station on Christmas and buying out their gas cards. I'd be wrapping in the car or in the basement as guests were arriving. Believe it, this is a huge improvement for me.

Scale says:

Week 1: -1.4

Week 2: -1

Week 3: +1.4

Week 4: -0.6

Week 5: -0.8

Total: -2.4
I'm hardly lighting the world on fire with my weight loss but the scale IS moving in a positive direction, at a challenging time of year to say the least. Here's to forward progress, however minimal!

How do you minimize holiday stress?

Have you done insane last minute shopping?

Did you enter the Planet Gear giveaway?

Blue Ridge Marathon Giveaway ends tonight!

Planet Gear Giveaway

2011-12-13T06:50:00.000-06:00

Our generous friends at Planet Gear are donating one can of food to the local food bank for each 'like' they get on Facebook until December 15.

Plus, among other great things, they have a blowout sale going on right now on K-Swiss shoes and apparel you won't wanna miss.

WIN IT!
One lucky reader will win a $40 Planet Gear gift voucher.

To Enter:
You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment you are.

Bonus Entries:
+1: Like Planet Gear on Facebook and they'll send a can of food to the food bank in your honor. Tell me in a comment.
+1: Encourage your friends to like Planet Gear on Facebook by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is December 17.

Good Luck!

Just had to share:

Here's a very funny Runner' 12 Days of Christmas

by Chris Cooper, Author of Long May You Run

Birthday Week This and That and a Winner

2011-12-12T09:09:00.000-06:00

Yep, smack in the middle of holiday chaos, yours truly is getting...even...Older! Actually I never minded as a kid because things were so festive and fun and my birthday often fell on class party day. But now? Well it beats the alternative I guess.

Thing 2: "Mom who do you want on your birthday cake:

Dr. Phil, Barefoot Contessa or Kara Goucher?"

I've been planting the seeds for a bike trainer for months now.

Bike trainers grow in the ground don't ya know?
See where it says Cycle Ops Power? Yeah me neither.

Yesterday, Ye Olde Garmin would not hold a charge.

I think I have the oldest Garmin known to man. And I'm ok with that...kind of...

Geez my wrist sure is hairy.

Visions of this danced in my head.

Then Ye Olde Garmin started working again. So never mind.

Streak!

Many of you are on a running streak. Me? Target streak. Every freaking day. I am there. And, as if I even needed to defend my best mom ever title, I'm on an Abercrombie & Fitch streak as well. I drive the teenagers nuts in there, groping through their neat stacks, ultimately asking them to find sizes...not that I'm usually so high-maintenance but because I can't see a damn thing it's so freaking dark and cave-like in there. Pitch-black, heavy with the smell of ~~noxious fumes~~ cologne and oh the music. I won't even start.
I thought I was so stealthy until Thing 1 said:
"Mom you smell like Abercrombie...and why are you shouting?"

Angry ham update:

Although the ass-cheek therapy (or ACT) hasn't gotten any ~~less embarrassing~~ easier, the angry hamstring seems to be enjoying it. I managed 22 miles (not all at once) last week and the period where it feels like I'm being chased by a barbed-wire-wrapped cattle prod is getting progressively shorter. The feeling that something's flapping around in there is completely gone. I call that progress.

Collagen Sport Winner!
Congrats to Ajh from Age Groups Rock!
Please email me and your prize will be on its way.
Plus, here's a coupon code for everyone: CIP001
It's good for $5 off any NeoCell product and free shipping when you spend $20 at iHerb.
Thanks to NeoCell for sponsoring this awesome giveaway!

Are you streaking?

Need a Challenge? Giveaway

2011-12-09T21:18:00.001-06:00

Planning to stretch out of your comfort zone in 2012? Take on a challenge you never considered before? If so, this may be the perfect race for you:

The Blue Ridge Marathon, on April 21, 2012, in Roanoke, Virginia is often described as the "World's Toughest Road Marathon". With 7,234 ft. of elevation change, it may be just that. There are no less than three mountains to scale and what goes up must come down.

Why would anyone put themselves through something so physically and mentally demanding? Well there are bragging rights involved, not to mention your badass quotient will skyrocket. There's even a chance (angry hamstring and ornery Caveman willing) The Studly Runner will be there.
Best of all, the scenery is breathtaking and the field is small (only 600 runners). Take a look at this video to see for yourself.

WIN IT!
One lucky winner will receive a free entry to run the Blue Ridge Marathon or Half Marathon.
To Enter:
Tell me in a comment you are interested and why.
Bonus Entries:
+1 Each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or tweet about it including @teamarcia and @brm26pt2. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is December 15.

Good Luck!

Final hours to win Collagen Sport Protein Powder!

Tale of an Angry Ham: Injury Update

2011-12-08T15:49:00.000-06:00

Google Images

Finally seeing Dr. Miracle yesterday was like coming home as I hadn't been in since the achilles fiasco pre-Boston 2010.
I resisted the urge to collapse into his waiting arms sobbing as I shared details of the utter shambles this entire racing year has been. Honestly I had other things on my mind, namely the angry hamstring and glute, and was on the verge of a panic attack knowing I'd have to let him see and...ok I'll just say it...touch my butt.

You may conclude from this discourse that I'm somewhat of a prude. Somewhat would be a huge understatement. I am the biggest prude in the universe.

Which is precisely why the universe keeps throwing me these curveballs: remember the topless stress test? The perv masseuse in Puerto Rico? I could go on. But I won't.

I've been purposely avoiding Dr. Miracle, despite knowing full well he could help me, because I dreaded having the butt cheeks manipulated.

Ok so on with it. After considerable touchy feely on both cheekular areas, the conclusion was that I had, indeed sustained a partial rupture to the medial something something hamstring. Remember the popping sound during the yoga incident back in September? It happened then.

So here's the gig, according to Dr. Miracle:
My hamstring is partially ruptured up near the insertion point (high up in ass-cheek village)
Because I was not running due to the hip fiasco, the hamstring healed, but there's a bunch of scar tissue there now.
It's the scar tissue I tore at the Turkey Trot a couple of weeks ago.
The tearing/stabbing feeling I get when I run is the tearing scar tissue.
My ass has been constantly numb ever since the yoga incident because the torn area is inflamed, blocking off nerve endings.
You may be wondering (I sure as heck was):
How can one rupture a muscle and not have bruising/swelling?
This is uncommon but not impossible. There is internal bruising/swelling.
How can one possibly still have power in the leg?
I'm a cyborg.
Alright, alright: This is very rare but he's seen it before. He was somewhat amazed at my leg power though. Oh yes he was...
Why, when I run, after about a mile or so it feels like something is flapping around in there?
Because something is flapping around. Most likely it's re-torn scar tissue.

So what now?
1. Graston technique on the afflicted area or as I like to say: Grasston
This was horrific from a prude standpoint but not painful.

2. Heat and interferential stim.

3. Then Dr. M trotted in the newest weapon in his injury rehab arsenal: a huge 50-something dude with a thick slavic accent. I didn't quite catch his name but it rhymed with Notorious so that's what I'll call him.
Notorious is a Myofascial Release Specialist and according to Dr. M a fabulous one, not a stunt double for Fabio mind you, but fabulous all the same.
Notorious worked his magic on my freshly Grasstoned, heated, stimmed booty, all the while muttering how unhappy he was with the uber-tight state of the entire region.

I went home with my booty on ice, with directions to reheat it and stretch twice daily.
I will repeat this whole sordid affair tomorrow and twice next week. We'll re-evaluate and go from there.
Best News:
I CAN RUN!
Could. Not. Flipping. Believe. He's. Letting. Me. Run.
But I ran 6 miles (slow) today, painfree except for some stabbing at about 1.5 miles that lasted less than a mile. I'd have stopped if it persisted but it subsided when I was fully warmed up.

So, for the love of running, and because Carlsbad is coming fast, I faced my phobia head on (ok maybe not head on), and put the buns on display. No easy task for sure but I'm making progress.

Anybody have a ruptured hamstring success story to brighten my day?

What I Ate/Weigh-In Wednesday

2011-12-07T06:53:00.001-06:00

No earth shattering weight loss to report but things are moving slowly, in the right direction.

Pre-run breakfast:

The good ole banana with almond butter, with 1/2 a cup of coffee and lots of water.

Apres run:

Protein Recovery Shake: coconut milk, frozen mixed berries, Collagen Sport Protein Powder, spinach, splash of orange juice.

Afternoon snacks:

I had some (not a ton) of these while doing a craft with Thing 2.

...and I had one of these. Just one though.

Don't worry, I came back to my senses and had a decent dinner:

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

I subbed in dried cranberries for the raisins and I also threw in some toasted, slivered almonds for fun.

Scale says:

Week 1: -1.4 lbs.

Week 2: -1 Lb.

Week 3: +1.4 lbs.

Week 4: -0.6 lbs.

Total: -1.6 lbs.

Again, not the greatest week. But given the holiday party action over the weekend and reduced mileage (10 miles last week due to angry h&g) I'm celebrating the fact that I'm maintaining and even losing a smidge.

Injured Reserve Redux

2011-12-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

Last week was a cutback week and oh yes, I cut back alright.
Here's how it went:
Monday: A slow, 6-mile recovery run after last weekend's 5k (where I reinjured the ornery hammy/glute) and half marathon (where the injured h&g hurt like hell but, in my infinite wisdom, I pushed through anyway.)

Wednesday: At it again, this time I only lasted a couple of miles before realizing that pushing through would do more harm than good. So I bailed and walk/ran it in for a total of 4 miles.

Friday: Plyometric intervals on the mill, only I walked the intervals so as not to rile the angry hammy.

Saturday: Rest. Well the Caveman's work holiday party. So a marathon of food, although I did not overdo. Not that I was a saint or anything but trust me it could've been much worse. Plus surely I burned extra calories doing evasive maneuvers to get away from the lip kissers in the room. Yes, more than one.
Have you experienced lip kissers at a business event?

Fast forward to today: After resting the angry h&g for five days I gave it one last try. Great first mile, but the slightest uphill was no bueno. I turned around after just a mile and change for 3.25 miles total and put in a call to Dr. Miracle. Bless his heart he had an opening bright and early tomorrow. With Carlsbad just 6 weeks away, I can't waste anymore time with this PIA.

Are you good about getting in to see the doc when you're injured?

Have you entered my giveaway?

Motivation Monday: Stick the Landing

2011-12-05T06:47:00.000-06:00

Google Images

2011 is fading fast, you're in the midst of holiday parties, getting decorations up, shopping and all things festive and frantic. It's easy to push health and fitness to the back burner or say eff it altogether and let it all go this month, joining a billion others jamming the gym come January.
Sound familiar?

Maybe you've got unfinished business: goals you set but haven't quite achieved?
A mileage goal?
A weightloss goal?
A commitment to corework?
An exercise streak?

Don't give up! Finish strong!
If you've exceeded all expectations and had a stellar year, keep that momentum going!
If this year wasn't the best and you've been sidelined by illness, injury, or lacked motivation, don't give up! There's still time to reinforce good habits and build positive momentum that carries you into a strong, exciting new year.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are you on track to achieve the goals you set for yourself this year?

Collagen Sport Giveaway

2011-12-02T09:20:00.000-06:00

Like many of you, I love me some protein recovery shakes. They're a post workout staple around here. When NeoCell asked me to try their Collagen Sport Whey Isolate Complex, who was I to refuse?

This isn't your ordinary everyday protein, but a 4-in-1 formula:
1. Whey protein isolate helps you REFUEL--each serving contains 30 grams of protein.
2. Collagen peptides aid RECOVERY--your ligaments, tendons and muscles are made up of collagen, which breaks down during intense and/or prolonged exercise. The collagen in this powder supports flexibility and strength plus it's anti-aging too. Holla!
3. L-Glutamine and Branch Chain Amino Acids help REGENERATE by driving nitrogen into your muscle cells.
4. Vitamins and antioxidants REPLENISH your body and counteract the oxidation process.

Collagen Sport is:
Gluten-free
Sugar-free
Lactose-free
No artificial flavors or sweeteners
No fillers or synthetic ingredients

My Take:
After long/hard workouts, and after both of my races last weekend, I whipped up Belgian Chocolate Collagen Sport in a blender with banana, some nut butter, coconut milk and lots of spinach. It's delicious in a peanut-butter-cup-without-the-guilt sort of way and it keeps me satisfied rather than pawing through the pantry an hour or two later. My post race muscle aches/pains were minimal at most and very short-lived. I felt like I recovered quickly.

WIN IT!
One lucky winner will receive a big, honking canister of Collagen Sport in your choice of chocolate or vanilla.
To Enter:
Mandatory: You must be a Studly Runner A-lister (follower). Tell me in a comment if you are.
Bonus Entries:
+1 each: Like Neocell on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Tell me in a comment.
+1: Follow me on twitter. Tell me in a comment.
+1 each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, tweet about it including @teamarcia and @neocellsport. Let me know in a comment what you did.

Note: I was sent this product free of charge, however the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Deadline for entry is December 9.

Good Luck!

Thursday 3

2011-12-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

Jacked
I definitely re-pulled my hamstring in the race(s) last week. I cut yesterday's run short because no good was going to come of going longer or faster. Thankfully it was mild--if you call 28 degrees mild--so I bailed to the bike. No worries, hell or high water, I'll be ready for Carlsbad in January!

It's December!
The month defined by Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza and Santa and good cheer, overindulgence, egg nog and cookies and oh yes, my birthday! SUAR has a Shut Up & Do Good Initiative going on, which frankly, I think will be pretty darn easy for runners. Everyone knows runners are some of the nicest, kindest peeps you'll ever meet. Well all except maybe the one who accused me of eating cardboard and starving myself in WIAW yesterday.

Party Prep
The Caveman's holiday party is this weekend. Big exhale, I actually have a sitter lined up! Now if only I had an outfit. I'm sure there's one in the mass of beads, sequins, and satin madness I've got going on in my closet. I've been dragging stuff home for weeks now.

It's so easy to find great running stuff, why is formal attire such an ordeal for me? You should've seen the look on the sales lady's face when I asked her for something sweat-wicking, preferably in compression material with a nice half-zip at the neck.

Oh and yes the hair. I finally got it cut after more than a year. I was too embarrassed to go back to my normal stylist so I went to a new place. I'd planned on going a little shorter but she declined. Apparently longer is better. Well alrighty then. Here we go:

Before...

...and after.

What do you most look forward to in December?

What I Ate/Weigh-In Wednesday

2011-11-30T06:55:00.000-06:00

I started the day in my usual way:

1/2 a Think Thin bar with 1/2 a cup of coffee with a pinch of Stevia. Oh and a big glass of water.

Morning snack was a banana w/almond butter and more water.

Lunch was a big honkin' salad: spinach/romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers, nuts, berries, seeds, and some leftover asian chicken.

Afternoon snacks:

I started with some of this...

... then the train suffered a full derailment when I found some of this in the fridge.

Not that I ate a ton or anything, but still. Not my finest hour.

Ok so here's dinner:

Pioneer Woman's Butter Chicken

Except I served it over brown rice noodles instead of rice.

This is usually quite delicious. I like to make it when I have cilantro laying around. Except there's a boatload of cream in the recipe. I subbed in coconut milk instead but it came out way too salty.

On to the weigh in:

Week 1: -1.4

Week 2: -1

Week 3: +1.4

Total: -1 pound

Yeah so not a great day and not the greatest week. But with Thanksgiving in there I'm not surprised. The Caveman's holiday party is this weekend (if I find something to wear). Hopefully that won't throw me further off track.

Thanksgiving Weekend: Final Morsels and a Snark Attack

2011-11-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving dinner for 26 went off here without a hitch. The turkey was juicy and fabulous, no fights or fires like last year broke out and I even remembered the cranberries. I attribute much of the success to proper pacing (at least I can pace something properly) and doing as much as possible beforehand.

Hit:

Lime in the Coconut Cake: A little complex to make (but so worth it! Most of this went home with guests, which was just fine by me.

Miss:

Mulled Cider: I've never made this before but I thought it was quite tasty. It was basically apple cider and red wine, splashed with maple syrup. I warmed that up, floated in some sliced apples, oranges, whole black peppercorns and let it steep on the stove for about 10 minutes. Very easy. But very few takers. Boo.

Snark Attack:
Holidays are prime time for family issues to erupt. Maybe it's the dynamic involved in having certain personalities together, stress, past experiences, personal issues, jealousy, any number of possibilities.
I think I've said it here before, but the whole 'mean' thing and it's origins fascinates me. I figure that by trying to understand where a person is coming from, I can better cope with, or shall I say shake off, mean/petty/passive aggressive/etc. behavior.

Here was the mean comment of the day, (nothing earth shattering but uncalled for all the same) about the coconut cake shown above while people were lavishing praise on it, the perp who shall remain nameless, said:

"The last time you made this cake it was pretty terrible."

Offended? No. But since I subscribe to the "If you don't have anything nice to say" rule, I thought it was weird. Plus, let the record show, this was the same person who, months ago, when someone was looking at my race bling, told me I needed to 'get a life'.

Am I overly sensitive? Or was that mean?

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with mean people is that the way they're treating others is a symptom of something going on in their own lives. It's hard to do sometimes, but they deserve our compassion more than anything else.

How do you handle mean comments?

Race Report: Turkey Trot Half Marathon

2011-11-28T07:31:00.000-06:00

And so it ended much like it began. It's funny how things come full circle sometimes. This half marathon was so much like the first one I did this year it was uncanny.

This point-to-point race was done on forest preserve trails. I'd spent almost 10 years of my life living within a mile of these trails and had never even walked, not to mention run them. Until today.

I parked at the finish line early, picked up my race packet and boarded one of seemingly a zillion buses to the start. Honestly I've never seen point-to-point bus service this efficient since Boston. Impressive.

It was a mild day, windy though, with dark, gloomy skies and rain threatening. Although it was in the low 50's the 20mph winds made it seem much colder milling about the starting area. I huddled behind the gear check trailer and deliberated whether I'd check my vest or ~~be a pansy again and~~ keep it.

Goals for this race:
Find a pace where I felt strong (no speedwork since July + 5k 48 hrs. earlier = don't be too stunned if you don't light the course on fire)
Don't look at the Garmin (I'm getting pretty good at this)
Don't walk

We are off, hard into the wind, on rolling trails. It would be quite beautiful if the trees weren't bare and it wasn't so bleak and desolate outside. I am feeling good though.
By mile 2 I could feel the PIA from the yoga incident. I suspect I aggravated that pulled ass muscle in the Thanksgiving 5k because afterward it felt like my left butt-cheekular skin was tearing to the point that I needed to look and see if it was. Not to mention it's totally numb. Now my ass was really hurting and if I strided too long it radiated down my left hamstring. Nice. It hurt so bad during miles 2-4 if there were medical personnel, I would've stopped. But there was no one so I slowed and kept on. Badass, yes I am. Literally and figuratively. Maybe a tad stupid too.

The rain started at mile 5 during one of at least 3 long, mentally challenging out-and-backs on this course. At first I enjoyed seeing the leaders coming through but the turnarounds were slow.

There were also segments of the course on grass, which became more slippery and challenging in the rain.

We went up and over a bridge, pavement getting slick as it's raining harder now. We ran through an area where there are elk--very large and a very cool distraction.

By mile 9 it was pouring and with the wind, the rain lashed sideways. My bib number would blow out sideways, collect water then dump it all over my capris like a water park feature. The whole thing was getting so outrageous it was quite humorous. I glanced at my Garmin and realized somehow it had stopped it at mile 5. Ha! Plus there were no course clocks so color me clueless on time.

I was glad I kept my vest. With the deteriorating conditions, I found myself raising my mental game if not my physical one. Around mile 10 I could see the finish and if I'd turned right the finishing chute wasn't far beyond.
But there was one last, torturous out and back. I was soaked to the bone and splashing in puddles. We were on nothing more than a narrow sidewalk with runners going in both directions. Bottleneck city.
I found myself boxed in for most of the last 3 miles but didn't really care.

Girl down at mile 12, accompanied by a guy in a turkey suit, peeled down to his waist. She left in an ambulance. Bleh.
Finally one last long stretch across muddy slippery grass and I was finished. I felt like I came in strong, but thankfully nothing puke-worthy.

Finish time: 2:02

Exactly the same as at my first half this year. Under pretty much the same conditions.

See? Full circle.

Race Report: 5k Turkey Puke, I Mean Trot

2011-11-25T10:56:00.000-06:00

With no speedwork to speak of since July, I went into this race about as untrained as I've ~~ever~~ been in a long time.
Coming off the hip injury, my goal for this race was to run a strong(ish) tempo pace and use that to calculate training paces for Carlsbad. Um, you'd be correct if you guessed training had not yet commenced for that.

Things got off to a rocky start when we were encouraged via email to pickup our packets before race day. Apparently everyone obliged because the line at packet pickup stretched 2 blocks: out of the restaurant patio, through the parking lot and onto the road. I scrammed and made pickup attempt #2 a couple of hours later. Line was half as long this time and I waited 45 minutes. I've never seen anything remotely close to the cluster that occurred here.

Fast forward to race day: Warned the race had sold out and there'd be nowhere to park, I got there early and holed up in my car.
Not terribly cold, but a raw wind made me keep my jacket on (pansy), which I new would be the wrong choice but I did it anyway.

The race went off and there was an immediate bottleneck at the timing mats. That bottleneck lasted most of the first mile. The course was relatively flat but with lots of twists and turns and lots of people who lined up very badly. Walkers up front, people stopping dead, weaving, you know the drill. But it's a turkey trot, not the Olympic trials, and Lord knows I'm in no shape for any kind of performance so I went with it. What choice did I have?

By mile 2 I was roasting, my arms felt like molten lava and I cursed my pansyish decision to wear a jacket.

I did not look at my Garmin a single time the whole race and there were no timing clocks. I wanted to run by feel, comfortably hard and that's what I did. I felt strong but had no real clue what pace I was feeling strong at. It is what it is.

I watched the leaders loop around and then the 8k'ers split off. Soon we were on a small trail to the finish. All I had left was get to the end of the trail, turn the corner, run under the covered bridge and finish.

I felt like I was maintaining a decently strong pace but I was not poring it on or attempting to pass anybody. Halfway thru the trail though, it happened. Again. I felt my stomach convulse. This can't be happening again. It can't. But it was. Dry heaves, one after another. Even when I walked they kept coming. WTF??
I am so freaking close, yet I can't finish this thing?
I had to pull over and stop completely to get the heaves to subside.
Finally I cautiously resumed walking, turned the corner, gingerly plodded under the covered bridge. Crowds were heavy here and I was beyond embarrassed because I was retching again. Just before the timing mat I finally barfed sports drink up in my mouth, while I covered it with my jacket sleeve. I kept retching well past the finish line. I was so embarrassed I walked straight to the car and got the hell out of dodge.

I learned later, despite the horrific finish I still managed 3rd in the old hag age group. Totally missed out on the bling though.

I have never thrown up in a race and suddenly this year, I've done it TWICE? Apparently I've got some lactate threshold work ahead of me. Pray I don't toss my cookies at tomorrow's half marathon. That is one triple crown I do not covet.

Have you ever thrown up during/after a race?

Weigh-In Wednesday and Other Gobbles

2011-11-23T08:49:00.000-06:00

Our first two social engagements of the season happened last weekend. Wow they were fun. We are blessed with wonderful neighbors. While I didn't go crazy eating at these parties, I didn't restrict myself either. But I could tell that still I ate more than my body wanted/needed.
Week 1: -1.4
This week: -1
Total: -2.4 pounds
Weightloss + party season = serious happy dance.

Last week I joined What I Ate Wednesday at Peas and Crayons. This week I'm off the wagon, already, as I did not take pics yesterday. Chalk that up to being elbow-deep in Thanksgiving prep for 26.

Do you nibble while you cook?

Aren't these cute? No I didn't make them.

Like I'd have any candy corn left. Ha!

Punked?

I've been to Target twice in the last 24 hours. Just when I think I have everything I need for the big day, there's something else. On my second trip there yesterday my bill came to $49.33 before tax. I had a $5 off coupon when you spend $50 just smoldering, begging to be used in my purse. I threw in a pack of gum and whipped the coupon out. However, in the meantime, I had a few (no not 200) other coupons the clerk was scanning. When he got to my $5 one, my bill was below $50 so he wouldn't honor it.

Fair? Or was I punked? The total of my purchases was >$50. Hmmmm....

Thankful

That everyone in my extended family is employed (knock wood) for the first time in 4 years.
For happy, healthy kids and parent/teacher conferences last night that made me proud.
For two dogs that make me feel like Oreo filling when they snuggle up to me and haven't crapped on the floor in awhile (I know I totally jinxed that).
For everyone who stops by here to read my drivel, and for the special friendships.
That the very first person to comment on my blog so many moons ago still reads and comments and I'm hoping she'll join our relay next year!
There's so much more but there are turkeys to brine, tables to set and race packets to pick up.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Have you signed up for the Holiday Gift Exchange over at Run With Jill?

Recipe for a Rockin' Race Calendar

2011-11-22T08:41:00.000-06:00

Tis the season for a flurry of race-planning activity.
Some have their 2012 calendars already bursting with commitments, others are still in the pondering stage and then there are those seat-of-the-pants peeps who sign up on race day.

I've been slowly peppering my 2012 calendar with races lately.

My recipe goes like this:
1. Start with one, maybe 2 BHAGS (big, hairy audacious goal races).
For me that's a marathon I am passionate about. A bucket lister like London or NYC or Marine Corps.
So far I'm up in the air on this. My dual-DNS fall this year may have left me a tad gun shy.

2. Spice it up with a handful, maybe more 1/2 marathons.
They're great tune-up races. Not too long, not too short. Juuuuust right.
January: Carlsbad Half
March: March Madness Half
July: RnR Chicago
September: Denver RnR
I suspect there will be more.

3. Work in as many destination races* as possible before the Caveman grunts. All the better if these are done with friends!
January: Carslbad Half
April: Possssibly a fierce little something, to be named later.
September: RnR Denver Half
November: We'll be in NC** for Thanksgiving in 2012 visiting Hurricane MIL. In order to restrain myself from committing Hari Kari, I'll do the Gallop n Gorge 8k.

*Three destination race is a little rich for my blood. But let the record show: this year I did zero. ZIP, Zilch. Diddly squat.
** The NC trip is not a destination but rather an obligation. That race is strictly self-preservation. In fact I think my health insurance should cover it.

4. Add depth to the brew by folding in a relay.
June: 2012 is the year I FINALLY do the Ragnar Madison to Chicago!
There are still 2 spots remaining on our team. Anyone wanna join us?

5. Sprinkle in some 5k and 10k to taste
TBD

6. Get out of the comfort zone already--Duathlon!
I've been wanting to do one for two years now and still haven't pulled the trigger.
2012 will be the year! It will. It really will. Pinky swear.

How do you build your racing schedule?

Stress Less Holiday Training Plan: The Mid-Term

2011-11-18T12:51:00.000-06:00

I've been chipping away at my Stress Less Holiday Training Plan for a whole month already. Time truly flies.
Much like in a running plan, I feel like I've built a decent base by getting into a more productive routine and dealing with things I'd typically procrastinate and be caught scrambling with in the 11th hour.

When I last wrote, I got an early (for me) start on holiday shopping, and was crowing about how I'd decluttered my kitchen utensil drawers, rotated seasonal clothing and sent off a few boxes to Goodwill and a local coat drive.

My next set of goals were as follows:
Attack kitchen junk drawers check. I'm proud to say I've dejunkified three drawers. Are you amazed? You should be.

Organize recipes Fail

Order holiday cards Check! In fact they've been sitting here for 2 weeks because it's too early to send them! This is a first for me, the queen of paying $87 for overnight express delivery.

Plan Thanksgiving menu Check. I've even started the food build. You know, like carb loading for a marathon only food loading for Thanksgiving. All of my nonperishables are in the house!

Stay on top of appts., RSVPs, hostess gifts, etc. Check. After the erased iPhone calendar debacle, I created a backup calendar on stone tablet and keep it in front of me at all times...you know, just in case.

Plan and shop for dinners for the week: Fail Although I'm not running to the store as much as I was, I'm still seat of the pants in this regard. No eating out (except in NYC) or take out though.

Find something to wear for the Caveman's holiday party on 12/3. Um fail. I've been rotating between two outfits the past 4 years. Perhaps it's time to change it up? Ugh!

Find a sitter for said holiday party. Fail. I have a tentative sitter but nothing solid at this point. Boo.
Do you enjoy shopping for holiday party outifts?

Notes:

Despite the fails, overall I feel like I've made decent progress and I feel more satisfaction and much less stress than I normally would.
My house is eerily clean and organized. Definitely has a calming effect.
Just like with exercise, getting started is the hardest part. I've gained some momentum and hopefully I'll keep the ball rolling in a positive direction without hitting the wall.

Will any of this become a habit? Only time will tell!

Next Up!
Turn the above Fails into Checks
Execute Thanksgiving dinner for 26
Finish Holiday shopping--so much more left to do!
Keep the house from exploding
Enlist some help
Preserve my sanity--recovery phase

What is your biggest challenge at this time of year?

YMX by Yellowman Giveaway Winner!

Laura at Live Well, Laugh Often, Run Much come on down!

Email me and your prize will be on its way!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Thanks to YMX by Yellowman for sponsoring!

Three Things Thursday

2011-11-17T13:28:00.001-06:00

1. Temperature Amnesia
Is it just me or do you forget how to dress appropriately for running as soon as the temps dip? I felt like a total wimp wearing my jacket on my run this morning. Until I got out there. It was 28 degrees but holy wind chill Batman! I felt better when I dug up this post and realized that a jacket is pretty normal, even for me, in temps/wind like we have today.
Would you rather run in 80+ degree heat or below freezing cold?

2. Forget About the Turkey
Let's talk pie! What does your favorite pie say about you?
Apple: Independent, realistic and compassionate
Pecan: Thoughtful and analytical
Chocolate: Loving
Pumpkin: Funny and independent
My fave is apple with pumpkin a close second. In my case, independence seems to be the common thread. Um yep!

Remember that kick-ass Apple Pie With Oatmeal Struesel Crust I made awhile back?

I think I just might be making it again for Thanksgiving.

What's your favorite pie?

3. Ok Now for the Turkey
Well at least the trot. In a moment of insanity, I signed up for not one but two. A 5k very close to home on Thanksgiving morning (since I have bird duty) and a half marathon on Saturday. Given my recent hip shenanigans, one may consider me unfit to race, especially a half marathon. One would be right. Maybe it's a rebound thing from missing my fall marathons, I don't know, but I'm racing....well covering the distance may be a better description. I'm going out there sans pace monkey to just have some fun. Oh and burn off all that pie!
Are you trotting this Thanksgiving?

YMX by Yellowman giveaway ends tonight! Are you in?
Please join us in the 2nd Annual Bloggers Gift Exchange!

What I Ate/Weigh-In Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:37:00.000-06:00

With renewed focus on reeling in my weight before it gets completely out of control, I've joined What I Ate Wednesday at Peas and Crayons.

I was off to a strong start (down 1.8 pounds) last week before leaving for NYC.

Alas that progress was blown to shreds.

No thanks to this tasty morsel from Crumbs Bakery...

...and this super-sized B&W cookie...

...and a slab(s) of some of NYC's finest pie

I returned from NYC down a measly 0.2 from my original starting point.

At least I didn't gain it all back right? Yes, but darn close.

Yesterday was back-on-track day. Here's what I ate:

Breakfast/Pre-run: Half a cup of pumpkin spice coffee, lots of water and half a ThinkThin Bar

Post-run Recovery Shake: Coconut milk, frozen mixed berries, Sun Chlorella granules,

Vanilla Protein Powder, Spinach and a splash of Orange Juice

Snack: A beloved Honeycrisp with a dollop of almond butter.

Plenty of water throughout the day.

Dinner: Spicy Mango Shrimp with Coconut Lime Rice.

I made it with brown rice and used fresh pineapple instead of mango--equally delish.

I contemplated an Oreo afterward but stayed strong.

Today's weigh in: Down 1.4 pounds.

Note: My name is Marcia and I'm a Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocaholic. It's been 8 days since I've dipped into the pillow-case size bag I so stupidly, in a time of weakness, dragged home from Costco.

What is your biggest food temptation?

A New York Minute

2011-11-15T06:35:00.000-06:00

Since I'm so tired and in dire need of catching up on everything, hello laundry, blogs, mail, I'll make it quick today and share some pics of our anniversary weekend in New York. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes here and on Facebook!

First order of business: Seek out and sample as many ice rinks as possible. In one day.

1. Central Park--The Wollman rink. Uber crowded, $$$ and the ice was horrible--even immediately after Zamboni'ing. Ridonkulously rigid rules that allow only forward skating and no jumps, spins, turns. Nothing. Note to Donald Trump: Lighten up on the rules dude, we couldn't really get our skate on.

2. Bryant Park--Caveman took Thing 2 back to the hotel and we ended up sans camera. The horror.

3. Finally our iconic nightcap at Rockefeller center. Even more crowded, crappier ice, more $$$ and a smaller skating surface. But no rules at all.

Thing 1 was out of her mind with excitement.

Second order of business: Hit up Central Park for non-skating related activities.

It's still gorgeous and mild here, with leaves still near peak. Chi-town leafage is so over it's pathetic.

Carriage ride thru Central park. Check.

The kids were digging Harry our horse. Ok so was I.

And of course I ran. Loved it! Beautiful with way more rolling hills than this ~~pansy~~ flatlander is used to but still loved it. There was a bike race in progress Sunday morning, which was cool.

Toward the end of the 6-mile loop I discovered the reservoir in the middle of the park. Had to return the next day to run that. Pure awesome.

The running pics are still on my phone and I feel like this post is already too long so I won't bore you any further. For now anyway.

I'm off to catch up!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Final days for my YMX Yellowman giveaway!

Three Things and Two Winners

2011-11-10T07:03:00.001-06:00

1. Queen of Denial
I can't remember the last time I stepped on the scale. It's not like I feel terrible or my clothes are tight, but then again I haven't even tried on my smallest cords since it cooled off. I faced the music yesterday and hopped on. Yes, time to pull the choke chain. 6 pounds over Boston weight. Not huge, but enough to reel it in before it's more. Time to reinstate weight loss Wednesdays I think.
Do you have a 'weight limit'?

2. Philly
Although I say I'm at peace with DNSing 2 marathons this fall, getting my Philly corral assignment/bib number via email the other day was like a knife in my heart. If I'd have booked air/hotel, I'd definitely be there for the half. Alas, not knowing what my ornery hip had in store for me, I didn't. Waaaah!
Anybody wanna grab my race packet?

3. NYC: A Week Late
To celebrate our wedding anniversary, we're heading to NYC this weekend! I'd rather have been there last week for the marathon but I'll take what I can get. Plans include skating at Rockefeller Center, a little Broadway action and running in Central Park! Yippeee!
Any 'don't miss' things I should do or see in NYC?

Winner! Winner!
Two pairs of Agloves from my giveaway have gone unclaimed, therefore two new winners have been randomly selected:
Laura
and
Christi
Please email me to claim your prize!

Stuff I Love: Humpday Edition

2011-11-09T11:54:00.000-06:00

It rained about 2" here yesterday and it's still pouring buckets again today. Plus it's all expected to freeze tonight. Glory.
What do I do when it's all nasty like that?

A) Scream and get all crazy because I'm vitamin D deprived.
B) Head down to the dungeon of doom for a date with the mill.
C) Put on my coolest-of-cool aviator shades from Margaritaville Eyewear and pretend summer never slipped away.
D) All of the above.

The answer is D. Here I am rockin the shades after getting my sweat on.

Just imagine the attention I get from the cops in these bad boys. Even with the ratty hair.

Ponch of CHIPS fame has nothing on me.

Anyway, back to the glasses. They're not just cool, but functional too, providing polarized, 100% UV A/B protection. Their forged alloy steel frame is lightweight and resists corrosion (you know from sweat, saltwater and stuff). The Hemispheres I'm wearing come in a bunch of lens tints plus there are lots of other frame styles to choose from if you're not the aviator type. Yet another great gift idea for the active person on your holiday list....just saying.
Plus there's a huge 50% of sale happening right now. What are you waiting for?
Note: I was sent these glasses free of charge but my opinions are my own.

Were you a Ponch or John fan?

Ponch for me. Yep, definitely Ponch.

Do you even know who they are or am I showing my age again?

NonTraining Recap

2011-11-08T07:03:00.000-06:00

Here's how last week shook out:

Monday: Yoga. And I lived to tell about it. Nothing snapped or pulled; no sprains, strains or paralysis. Split shorts guy didn't even show up.
Tuesday: 6 mile run, lower body weights, hip/glute/corework
Wednesday: 15 mile bike ride, upper body weights, hip/glute/corework
Thursday: Plyo intervals on the mill, including 2 miles of running
Friday: 8 mile run. Very windy. This felt tough coming off the plyo workout. Hip/glute/core
Saturday: Rest

Then the unthinkable happened:
Sunday: REST! No thanks to a certain business obligation the Caveman had, I was relegated to single-parenting duty during the time I'd usually be out on my long run. My holy grail. My zen time. After some Oscar-worthy huffing, puffing and fit pitching, I curled up with my beloved pumpkin spice in front of the TV for some live NYC marathon action while the wind howled outside. More dedicated runners (aka not me at this juncture) would have fired up the mill. Before I knew it, morning gave way to the noon hour. There I sat, still clad in flannel bunny pjs.

The Caveman returned with an olive branch in the form of an invitation to dine at Smashburger.

In my book:

No long run + Smashburger = Flagrant Foul

Yep, foul I did and I don't even regret it. The long run happened Monday so it's all good.

So was the burger.

Notes:

I'm working on building back my mileage base (kind of a joke as I ran a whopping 16 last week-ha!). Hip is behaving, although it was a touch sore after yesterday's long run. Although I put a half marathon on the schedule for January and I'll be turkey trotting, I'm staying away from speedwork for now and just keeping everything low-key. No training pressure and no formal training plan.

Have you blown off a big run?

Did you feel guilty?

Did you enter the YMX Yellowman Giveaway?

Marathon Monday Giveaway!

2011-11-07T06:18:00.000-06:00

Congrats to everyone who raced over the weekend especially my peeps in NYC!!

To celebrate Marathon Monday, I've got something awesome from a company I love:

YMX by Yellowman

I was sent the winter cloud tank and leggings. Made of MadKool fabric that actually protects against UV rays, both are incredibly silky, lightweight and comfy. I wore the tank for running and to yoga and it wicked moisture beautifully. Most of all I loved the fabulous, distinctive design!
The leggings are not compression material and are a tad sheer. Personally, my booty is a little too shy to wear them to a yoga class but they'll make an excellent base layer for running or skiing this winter. How cool is that design on the leg? Love!

WIN IT!
One lucky reader will win a YMX tank and leggings!

TO ENTER:
You must be an A-lister (follower) of this blog. Tell me in a comment you are.

BONUS ENTRIES:
+1: Visit the YMX website, come back and tell me what you have your eye on.
+1: Like YMX on Facebook. Tell me in a comment you did.
+1: Follow YMX on Twitter. Tell me in a comment you did.
+1: Follow me on Twitter. Tell me in a comment you did.
+1 each: Share this on your blog, Facebook, tweet about it (include @teamarcia), email, tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is November 17.

Note: I was given these items free of charge however my opinions are my own.

Good Luck!

Stuff I Love Friday

2011-11-04T06:57:00.001-05:00

1. Thing 2 brought home an assignment the other day:

Disguise the turkey so it won't be eaten for Thanksgiving:

Holy turkey breast Batman! She transformed said turkey into a buxom mermaid. Complete with princess crown of course. Hilarious.

2. It's no secret I love Lucy. I'm on a first name basis with the sales associates in there. Whenever we get within a mile radius of the mall, the Caveman inevitably asks if I 'need' to go to Lucy.

Does a distance runner need water?

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year. Lucy + sale = I NEED to GO! You should too!

GO NYC RUNNERS!

What's happening for you this weekend?

Past, Present, Future

2011-11-03T07:04:00.000-05:00

Google Images

I got out for a bike ride yesterday, actually it was on the brisk side and the winds were ornery but still, I'm riding on borrowed time weather-wise so I'll take any ride I can get.

I rode Blanche, the trusty road bike more than ever this year, most likely due to injury. Funny how sometimes adversity forces us to do things we end up loving.
I rode out to an area I used to run with Thing 2 in the jog stroller, then alone while she went to preschool. All those memories came flooding back as I rode now, instead of ran, along these familiar streets.

I remembered how I was training for my second marathon, entertaining the possibility of a BQ but being too new to the the whole marathon world to have any realistic clue if that was remotely possible. My workouts in these streets inevitably were tempo runs or speedwork. I remember how strong my legs felt then: like uncoiling steel. I remember the tight schedule I was on and the stress I felt because of that. I had to be done and back before preschool let out. I ran the exact route week after week: picked up my pace at the same oak tree; recovered over the same single lane, covered bridge. It was amazing how strong these memories came back just by being here.

That was then: 3+ years ago.
Now here I am, tooling around on a bike of all things. And loving it. My morning schedule has opened up a bit. The BQ's are a reality, and now?

Rather than get all melancholy about the whole passage of time thing--is this a function of my advancing age, change of seasons, end of year? Do you get like this too? I decided to be a little more adventurous on my bike, since I had a smidge more time and I wasn't running afterall. I turned off my beaten, familiar path. I ventured onto new roads, uncharted (for me) pathways. Maybe I'd be back here to run someday when I ramp up my mileage again. Roads I'd never had the time to explore because I was on a mission and too pressed for time.
The air was crisp and carried the scent of burning leaves. There's so much out there left to be explored, literally and figuratively. Like everything in life, it's a matter of balance: cherishing but not dwelling on the memories we have, enjoying the here and now, and keeping an open mind and heart to future possibilities.

Where will running and riding and life take me over the next 3 years? Or 10 years? Or 30? I suppose that's for me to find out. For now I'm enjoying where I am. Right. Now.

How have you changed over the years?

Do you have a vision of what you'll be like in 10-30-50 years?

Halloween: Final Nougats and Two Winners

2011-11-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

I am whipped after yesterday's festivities.

The day started with a trip to Thing 2's school for the costume parade.

Here's my 'ocean sparkle fairy' in action. I swear she's a fairy of some kind. Every. Freaking. Year.

Whatever floats your boat, right?

Next I high-tailed it back to the homestead to finish up the pumpkin carving somebody started.

This is my angel/devil's last year doing Halloween parades. Time flies.

Two parades, class parties and lots of trick or treat later,

The sugar coma took hold.

While I did not go hog wild on candy, I did sample one of these:

The coveted (by me anyway) Snickers PB.

I had high hopes for this but it was ok...good even...but not great.

I'll stick with the tried and true Reese's PB Cup.

Have you tried Snickers PB?

Agloves Giveaway Winners!

Because the peeps at Agloves are doubly awesome, we have 2 WINNERS!

Congrats to

IronMom(Julie)

and

Crystal

Please email me to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Agloves for sponsoring!

Hang tight for more great giveaways coming soon!

Halloween Weekend Rewind and Other Scary Stuff

2011-10-31T06:55:00.000-05:00

Google Images

By the time you read this I'll probably be off on my broom, nine batches of Rice Krispie Treats in tow, headed to various school Halloween parades, parties and the like.
Trick or treating is after school today, which is a good thing as we had high winds and a major downpour yesterday.

Workout-wise this past week was a preeetyyy good one for me:
Monday: 8 mile run (because I missed my long run last weekend). Hip/glute/corework
Tuesday: Plyo intervals on the mill, (included 2 miles of running), lower body weights
Wednesday: Upper body weights, 10 miles on the bike, hip/glute/core
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6 mile run, hip/glute/corework
Saturday: 20 miles on the bike. Gorgeous, crisp day
Sunday: 10 mile run. Hip/glute/corework

See those days in green? They are what made this week especially special. If you hang around here you know that I've been whining about leaden, sucky runs for oh about 2 years now. On those days in green, my runs were neither leaden nor sucky. I might even go so far as to use another S word to describe them. STRONG.
Well strongish at least.
I've been working hard to get the pace monkey off my back and find a happy pace that makes me look forward to getting out there.
Although I wore my Garmin, I did not look at it until I was back home.
While in reality nowhere near as fast as they seemed, they felt strong and joyful. I felt power in my legs and my lungs. I ran negative splits. I finished strong. If only I could bottle that feeling!

Hip Notes:
My ornery hip has been behaving nicely during runs, although I tweaked it this week. Seems I torqued it in an odd way when getting out of the car: I turned my body and not my foot and got a shooting pain. I did this same thing when I 'stepped wrong' while running--the origin of the whole mess. Something's still sore in there but overall no complaints.

Congrats MCM Runners!

What's On Tap for Halloween?
Agloves giveaway ends tonight!

Stress Less Holiday Training Plan: Progress Report

2011-10-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

google images

It's been one week since I started the base building phase of my Stress Less Holiday Training Plan.
For those who missed it, it's not an exercise plan at all, but rather a framework designed to get me through the holiday season in one piece, with some degree of sanity, more peacefully and joyfully.
For the past week, I focused on two key areas:
1. Do things at my first opportunity aka no more procrastinating

Successes
I started holiday shopping. This is unheard of for me. It was a few things, but it felt amazing to get started. Typically this would not have happened until early-mid December.

Respond to RSVP's immediately. Typically I wait until just a few days before the deadline, then scramble because I can't find the invite.

Buy hostess/birthday gifts/cards for all upcoming parties. Bonus points for attaching a gift receipt and having gifts wrapped earlier than 2 minutes before heading out the door.

2. Declutter
I know, blah. I suck at this. But I'll admit it feels SO good to just move some stuff out of here.
Since it's my year to have Thanksgiving, getting my kitchen in shape is of top priority. Here's what I did:

Successes
Organized 3 kitchen utensil drawers. Because who really needs 5 sets of measuring spoons?
Plus I located my gravy boat! Score!

Donated a bunch of stuff to the school coat drive

Donated 2 boxes of stuff to Goodwill

Rotated out-of-season clothes

Challenges
My only fail this week was totally unexpected: the calendar on my iPhone was accidentally wiped out--thanks to the Caveman messing with saving data to the cloud...whatever, don't ask it's way out of my league. All I know is I almost crapped my pants when my calendar drew a big blank. Up until fairly recently I would have had a ~~stone tablet~~ backup calendar. Note to self: get a new stone tablet.

So nothing earth shattering during the first week, but forward progress all the same. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum. Baby steps, right?

On tap for week 2:
Attack kitchen junk drawers
Organize recipes
Order holiday cards
Plan Thanksgiving menu

Because I'm holding my feet to the fire on this, I'll report back on my progress next week.

Are you good at decluttering?

Go Marine Corps Marathoners!

Remember: bid early and often at the Kisses for Kate Bake Sale on Sunday!

Final days for my giveaway!

2 Yummy Things Thursday: Squash Edition

2011-10-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

Kisses for Kate Bake Sale
After exhausting hours in the test kitchen, I've finally settled on my submission:

Butternut Blondies, Brunettes and Redheads
These moist, yummy treats are made with whole wheat pastry flour, grated butternut squash, lots of autumn spices and a touch of brown sugar.
The winning bidder will get their choice of blondies (white chocolate chip) brunettes (bittersweet chocolate chip) or redheads (dried cranberries) or if you can't decide, I'll split the pan and do a combo of all three.
Bidding on these beauties and a multitude of other delicious treats opens Sunday, October 30 at Running Ricig's website. Don't miss it!

More Squash
I made this super-easy dish last weekend. So easy and so good! It disappeared long before I could take a photo. I have to admit the microwave snob in me was a tad skeptical but I kept an open mind and gave it a try. Could not have been easier or more delicious. Tastes like apple crisp without the guilt!

Acorn Squash with Apple
1 Acorn Squash
2 Apples, cored and sliced (I used golden delicious)
1T Butter
1T Brown Sugar
1T Finely Chopped Walnuts
1/2t Salt
1/2 t Ground Cinnamon

Remove peel*, seeds and stem and cut squash into 1" chunks.

Place squash into a large microwave-safe bowl along with the sliced apples. Dot with butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar, walnuts, salt and cinnamon. Cover with a wet paper towel.

Microwave for 7-1/2 minutes on full power. Remove, uncover and stir. Cook for another 7-1/2 minutes, until tender. Serve hot.

Serves 6
* To easily remove the peel without hacking off an arm in the process, gently drop the squash in a pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes, then let it sit in cold water for 5 minutes. Peel will scrape off easily once it's cool.

What's you favorite squash recipe?

Schools and Recess

2011-10-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here sipping the last of my pumpkin spice coffee (Really. The entire bag is gone and its not even Halloween) reading the newspaper ( yes, I'm that old. The Chicago Tribune is probably keeping a printing press going just for me).
Apparently there's a new career out there I was not aware of:
Recess Coach
The Coach hired at Namaste Charter School in Chicago has an annual salary of $23,000/year and is, according to the Chicago tribune:

"a modern-day schoolyard referee tasked with keeping fights and bullying to a minimum while also teaching games that could be unfamiliar to today's school children--games like four square, tag, and dodgeball."

Seriously? Schools need a coach to teach kids to play?
In my day, recess supervision was done by a teacher(s) on duty. He or she walked around with a whistle and kids would take refuge behind him/her if their game of tag got a little overheated.

The article goes on to say that most Chicago Public Schools have not had recess in 3 decades. Wow.
With school lunches already heavily under fire, I'm happy to see another component of the childhood obesity problem come under scrutiny as well.

Unlike school lunches where there's an option to pack your own if you don't like what's being served, how can a child be active if there's no time allotted to do so?

The concept of kids 'not knowing how to play' is foreign to me.

Have you witnessed this?

Did you have recess at school growing up?

Weekend Rewind: The Ultimate Sacrifice

2011-10-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Are you sitting down? I'll wait.
The weather was sparkling and cool and fabulous here all weekend. Lows in the high 30's, highs approaching 70, fall colors at their peak.
My long run did not happen.
Yes, you read that right. No run of any kind in fact, unless you count some meager warmup time on the mill.

The Caveman is in Vegas, alas I'm single parenting for an entire week.
I know this is the norm for many so I'm not whining...well yes I am...but still...

Here's how last week went:
Monday: 6 mile run, 10 miles bike, lower body weights, hip work
Tuesday: Plyometric intervals on mill (horrible and rainy)
Wednesday: Rest (wind/rain)
Thursday: Full body weights, hip/glute/corework (wind/rain)
Friday: 6 mile run, lower body weights
Saturday: Halloween party--that in itself was enough of a workout
Sunday: Upper body weights, core, hip exercises. I dragged the kids on a nature hike so don't feel too bad for us. We got out and enjoyed.

Here we are hiking. I'm probably butt clenching too, cuz that's the norm these days.

What? You don't hike with your purse?

Thing 2's latest love is her panda hat. Will. Not. Take. It. Off.

Notes
I ran Garmin-free all week for two reasons:
1. Rather than be reminded of how slow I am, I wanted to just find a happy pace that didn't include walking. Mission accomplished.
2. I couldn't find it--I found my Zensah arm sleeves though, so we'll call it a draw.

I've reinstituted my 30 pushups, 2x/day plan, which, once upon a time, was the norm for me. Until I did the 100 pushup challenge, after which I dropped pushups like a hot potato. No bueno. If I can't find my fast I'll find my strong.

I still haven't ventured back to the yoga studio since the incident. Maybe next week?

Knock wood, the hip continues to feel good--although I feel like I want someone to yank on it and snap it like fresh linens...maybe a visit to Dr. Miracle is in order...

I made some baby steps on my organizational training plan I'll share in an upcoming post.

I managed to sneak in an 8-mile long run as soon as I got the kids off to school this morning. I followed that up with 10 miles on the bike. It's still sparkling and cool. This week is off to a decent start.

What's on tap for today? For this week?

Have you entered my Agloves giveaway?

Is There a Training Plan For That?

2011-10-21T16:42:00.001-05:00

Is it just me or are you starting to get all white knuckled too when you think of how quickly the holidays are approaching?

Even though Halloween isn't even here yet, I'm already feeling holiday pressure creeping up:
Stores are teeming with toys and decorations.
It's 'my year' to have Thanksgiving.
I swore this was the year I wouldn't be rush-ordering holiday cards on December 18.
There are parties I need sitters for, names to draw, gifts to buy, menus to plan and on and on.
Don't even get me started on the hoops I'll jump through to fulfill obligations at school.

I found myself wishing a few Gu's and an ice bath or two could help keep me sane until 2012 rolls around.
How is it that I have no problem banging out a marathon training cycle but seemingly simple, day-to-day chores overwhelm me?

Then it hit me. I need to attack the holidays much the same way I do a marathon training cycle.
Much like a marathon, thinking of all that needs to be done to survive the holidays is overwhelming. But when you break a huge task down into bite-sized pieces, suddenly it's much less intimidating.

Maybe I'm the last person on earth to not do this, but what if I create the mother of all to-do lists, on a calendar broken down week by week, day by day, spelling out exactly what I need to do to make it to the finish line (January 1) without hitting the wall or even worse a DNF?

I'm sure there are a multitude of resources out there outlining just how to do this, but I'm going to model my plan after some popular marathon training plans instead:

Run Less Run Faster = Stress Less Work Faster?
Advanced Marathon Training = Advanced Holiday Planning?
Marathon Training for Mortals = Holiday Planning for Desperate Housewives?

Maybe there's a base-building phase where I cultivate new, more efficient habits...you know instead of lounging around eating bon bons and stuff.
Then there'll be some speedwork where I do some kamikaze cleaning and decluttering clearly too much pumpkin spice happening here today.
Ultimately, I'll be so efficient, there'll be no need to rush and I'll taper right into the holidays. One can dream.

But the first thing I will put on my new calendar is my runs...oh and fuel of course...and some recovery time to decompress and be grateful. Like all good runners, I know how important those things are. For running, for holiday planning, and for life. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Are you more or less efficient at home/work than you are with running/working out?

How do you stay organized?

Baby It's Cold Out There: Giveaway

2011-10-19T13:14:00.001-05:00

Just in time for our chilly fall weather, Agloves sent me a pair of their sport gloves to try out. Now, being the badass Midwesterner that I am, and because, like a dog, I seem to sweat through my paws, er I mean palms, it has to be below 25 or so for me to even consider wearing gloves when I run.
Plus who wants to fumble with gloves when you adjust your phone, tunes, fuel, and what not?

Therein lies the beauty of Agloves. They're knit from a stretchy acrylic/spandex blend and feature silver filament that provides all the conductivity needed to use touchscreen phones, iPods, etc.

Since it's still in the 40's here, I haven't yet run with my Agloves but I've done plenty of bike riding in them and have put them through their paces with my iPhone, iPod and iPad.

My Findings:
They are stretchy and fit my hands comfortably.
They wicked moisture away and stayed dry through my bike rides.
I was able to handle my fuel, iPhone and iPod with ease. They also worked great with my iPad in case you were wondering. Beyond sports, I'm thinking this is a great all around glove because you truly do not have to take it off.
I hand washed them in cool water and air dried. They kept every bit of their conductivity afterward.
The holidays will be here before we know it and these make a great gift...just saying....

WIN IT!
TWO lucky winners will receive a pair of Agloves!

To ENTER:
You must be an A-Lister (follower) of The Studly Runner Blog. Tell me in a comment you are.
Bonus Entries:
+1: Like Agloves on Facebook
+1: Follow Agloves on Twitter
+1: Follow Teamarcia on Twitter
+1 each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter (include @teamarcia), email, etc. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is October 31. Winners will be selected randomly.

Need to have some Agloves NOW?

Check out the limited-time, less-than-half-price deal going on right now at Jasmere.

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-10-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

We're in for a couple days of cold rain starting tomorrow. It took major restraint on my part to be smart with the dicey hip and not run two days in a row.

I ended up doing plyo intervals on the mill instead. The cardio intervals were spent walking incline mostly. Ok, I ran some....but slow. Hip felt good.

Running Ricig has another Kisses for Kate bake sale coming up later this month. Again, yours truly is baking. I planned to make Oatmeal Toffee Crunch Cookies but now I'm worried they'll be too fragile to ship. I spent some quality time in the test kitchen today. Want a clue? Blondes, brunettes and redheads.

To my Tweeps who saw my Amber Alert for the missing Zensah Arm Sleeves, I'm happy to report they have been located. I was panicked to say the least.

Speaking of Amber Alerts, I'm pretty sure my stylist at the hair salon has issued one for me. Either that or she put my face on a milk carton. (Do they even do that anymore?) All of my hair is long enough to make it into a ponytail for the first time in maybe ever.

google images

I've been feverishly prepping for our annual Halloween Party this weekend, plus the ones the kids are having at school. I set out in search of candy corn, not so much because I'm an addict (although I do think it might be good running fuel) but because, you know, the cooler weather brings out my crafty side. Alas, after hitting 3 stores, I was still candy cornless. Thankfully Target did not disappoint and I threw myself over four pounds of the stuff and hauled it home, only to realize later there are tree nuts involved in it's manufacture--taboo for school. Boo.

What are you giving away on Halloween?

Easing Back In

2011-10-17T13:25:00.001-05:00

First congrats to all of last weekend's racers! New half and full marathoners, PRs, BQs and priceless lifetime experiences galore. If you've got a race report I haven't been over to read, let me know. You all inspire me. The second weekend in October holds a special place in my heart as both my BQs (Grand Rapids and Columbus) were run on that weekend. Actually it's the first time since 2006 that I haven't run a fall marathon. Oddly, that's not bothering me at all. I think my body needed a rest. I could have done without the hip fiasco, but rest is good.

So about that hip: It was a light workout week with jury duty and all but, in addition to the ongoing hip/glute therapy, and quality time on the bike, I managed to sneak in a couple of painfree runs. I remain cautious but hopeful. I ran again this morning (geez it's still so windy here) for a grand total of 16 painfree miles on the newly stretched, strengthened, and myofascially released hip.
Holy snails I am slow. And it feels so hard. I have a long road ahead. But I'm trying to be patient. Being able to run at all trumps all of it .

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Jade Rabbit/Nutridel Cookies Winner!
Millerb at In Search Of come on down!
Email me to claim your prize!
Thanks to all who entered and to Mark Matthews and Nutridel for sponsoring!

Confessions/Revelations of a Reluctant Juror

2011-10-14T08:53:00.000-05:00

I've been on jury duty this week. In this county that means I need to be on call, like a fire fighter for the entire week, ready to ~~pounce~~ head in to court within a 90-minute time frame.

Confessions
This was not the first time I was summoned to serve.

Nor was it the second.

Yes, folks, I was granted not one but two extensions.

I was filled with excuses:
I'm a stay at home mom with no other childcare.
All other family members are more than an hour away.
The Caveman ~~hunts and gathers~~ travels. A lot.
Thing 2 was sick.
The mom taxi takes no holidays.
Who would let the dogs out?
Surely there were people far better suited than I to serve. Unemployment rolls anyone?

The jury commission wasn't buying any of my excuses. Although, bless their hearts, they gave me a shorter week. 4-day week=fewer trials=less need for a jury.

Finally I bit the bullet:
I found childcare. ($$$ but childcare all the same)
I hired a dog walker (more $$$ but what can I do?)
I gave Thing 1 a key so she could let herself in after school for the first time. Ever.
I got myself the biggest, fattest book of fiction, expecting to plunk down at the courthouse and read myself silly until they told me I could go home.
The thought of getting on an actual jury never crossed my mind.

I reported bright and early Tuesday, cracked open my book, and was almost immediately called into a courtroom for jury selection. Wha?

There I sat. All freaking day. In meat locker-like temps (if only my marathons could be that cool). Cell phone off so no texting to make sure Thing 2 got to where she needed to be. No calling home to make sure Thing 1 didn't lock herself out. No calling the Caveman to give him a heads up. No telling how long I'd be there. Should I have packed a bag? Left a breadcrumb trail? Sent up smoke signals?

Life for us as we knew it ground to a halt. Mom was completely out of commission.

My point in all this is not to spew on about how dare they pick me for jury duty. I know everyone's busy and everyone has their own set of circumstances. Jury duty is a sacrifice for everyone. It's also a privilege.

My point is this:
As much as I felt I could not be a juror, only when I realized I had no choice, I rearranged my life and MADE IT HAPPEN. Yes it was a PIA, cost $$$ that I didn't have earmarked for such an occasion, and turned the entire family's status quo upside down. But we did it.

It made us, especially ME, more efficient.
I planned and made meals for the week.
Had grocery shopping done instead of hitting the store 2 or 3 times.
Did housework that normally I'd have procrastinated or never gotten to.
Took care of kids' stuff, RSVP's appointments, etc. that surely I'd have waited until the deadline threatened before acting on.
Built a support network.
Got things done at my earliest opportunity, because I knew I had to.

The million dollar question:
How would my life be different if I normally operated this way?

Yesterday I was officially released from jury duty. But I'm not sure I want to slip back to my sluggish, often seat-of-the-pants way of doing things. The experience gave me a glimpse of my shortcomings but also of what is possible. Maybe I don't always need to run as tight a ship as I did this week.

But now I know I can raise the bar.

What Can You Make Happen?

Jade Rabbit/Nutridel Cookies Giveaway ends tonight!

Three Things Thursday

2011-10-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

1. Thank You!
Thanks so much to all who shared their wisdom yesterday regarding my PT fiasco. As usual your insights, resources, and recommendations were invaluable. Despite my dissatisfaction with the PT place I went to (BTW it was not one recommended by my doc, I chose it because they supposedly specialized in therapy for athletes--ha!) I have learned a boat load of hip/glute strengthening exercises that I will continue to do on my own for now.
I am seeking a myofascial release specialist though because that's something I think I need on a regular basis.

2. Somebody Ran Yesterday
Yes it was me! It was just a few leaden, miserable miles...wait...yes they were leaden but they were by no means miserable. The hip felt great!!! I was winded and wheezing, mostly because I'm still getting over last week's nasty cold. I'm not sure yet what my comeback plan is, but I am cautiously hopeful!

1. Marathon of Soup
Our glorious warm weather has been replaced by rain and falling temps. A perfect day to conjure up some soup!
First up: Roasted Sweet Potato/Tomato
Followed by Chicken Tortilla Soup
and bringing it home for a strong finish with some Classic Minestrone. Exact recipe TBD.

What's your favorite soup or cold-weather food?

Drive Away PT Clients in 7 Easy Steps

2011-10-12T07:32:00.001-05:00

1. Tell your client the human body wasn't cut out for whatever sport they do.

2. Give your client no feedback. Make them drag it out of you.

3. Start your appointment late on a regular basis.

4. Forget you're in the midst of myofascial release because you're distracted by a conversation about lunch possibilities, The Hills, tonight's going-away party for so and so, etc.

5. Don't count the reps. And if your client is counting his/her own reps, engage him/her in inane conversation to make that impossible.

6. When your client tells you something is too easy, ignore it. Or promise to adjust it next time and then forget.

7. Halfway through the appointment, tell your client you need to move onto your next patient and leave him/ her to do the remaining therapy supervised by the receptionist.

There, that should do it.
Yes, I'm cranky and I'm sure the fact that I haven't run in so long I've blocked it out only fuels the fire. I know the hip glute/strengthening/rebalancing I'm doing is beneficial and maybe I'm not the perfect patient (ya think?), but after three weeks of PT, there is no love match.
It all came to a head last week when my therapist left me mid-session for another patient (for the third time). No offense to receptionists but I'm not paying $$$$$ for therapy from a receptionist.

The last straw came when she had me doing reverse lunges, 20 on each side, on a slick surface with my back foot on a towel. While I did them she told me how 'flexible' I was. Excuse me? Flexible? Me of petrified hamstrings? Seriously? Nothing could be farther from the truth. I was annoyed to say the least.

Later that day, seemingly out of nowhere but I know better (it was those damn reverse lunges) my left hip went into full revolt, this time with pain in the high hip flexor area. Pain that left me limping. Ergo no running last weekend.
Jury duty all this week so no PT. Plus I'm so disenchanted with my therapist, I will not return. I'm considering going back to my Sports Chiro, Dr. Miracle, who has worked his magic on more than one occasion. But I don't want him kneading my butt.
It's never easy is it? Sorry my comments have been sparse. Blame it on jury duty, which is fascinating but turns the rest of my life upside down. Back to the jury pool I go today, butt clenching all the way.

Have you had a bad Physical Therapy experience?

Yin /Yang: Behind the Nyquil Curtain

2011-10-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Yin: It's a 4-day weekend here!
Yang: All of us are sick as dogs. Spent more than my share of time paging doc after hours, hitting the late-night pharmacy, playing Nurse Goodbody (ha!) to my strep and ear infected offspring.

Yang: I traded my cardio kickboxing queen crown for an anvil on my chest, hacking cough and a stint behind the Nyquil curtain.
Yin: That did not stop me from spookifying my planters.

Yin: We've enjoyed a long string of too-good-to-be-true, glorious days of 80 degree weather.
Yang: It was a good 20 degrees too hot (IMO) for the Chicago Marathon yesterday.

Yin: The heat didn't seem to have any detrimental effect on Moses Mosop. Although his dripping wet shorts looked like he pissed his pants. Can guys do that while running? I know I can.
Yin: Could Lilia ShobuyouknowwhoImean have looked any stronger in the final stretch? I think not.

Yin: I think the hip/glute exercises I'm doing in PT are helping me and I've got the firm, rounded buttocks to prove it. That's the Nyquil talking.
Yang: I had a setback in PT last week I'll elaborate on in another post.

Yang: I did not try to run yesterday. See yang above.
Yin: I enjoyed the glorious weather by logging some decent miles on Blanche the trusty road bike.

Yin: Kids are feeling better and will return to school tomorrow.
Yang: I report for jury duty. I'm on call the rest of the week so my posts may be sparse.

Congrats to our weekend racers! I've enjoyed some awesome reports! Whether you PR'd, fought through tough conditions, conquered a new distance or even spectated like I did, you are all awesome!

Did you miss my giveaway?

Winner and Books and Cookies Oh My!

2011-10-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Power Pillowcase Winner!
Congrats to Rachel at Running in Real Life
Email me with your shipping info. and your prize will be on its way!
Thanks to all who entered and thanks to Donna at Dailyologie for sponsoring!

It's been a tough week here: I got a nasty cold. That's what I get for not running I guess--sick! Other than physical therapy, bike riding and skating, I spent the week sipping green tea, reading and eating cookies.
I won't share the cold with you or the injury. But I do have a copy of the book and some cookies for one lucky reader!

The Book:

The Jade Rabbit
This is a fictional novel about a girl abandoned by her birth-mother in China. She comes to America with her adoptive parents and grows up to be a social worker in a shelter for runaway youth in Detroit. This is not a book about running, however the main character is a runner and there is a strong running undercurrent throughout as Janice (The Jade Rabbit) trains for and runs the Detroit Marathon, all while dealing with personal feelings of abandonment and the needs of the children she oversees.
Author, Mark Matthews, a therapist and marathon veteran himself, does an excellent job of demonstrating how running is often a sanctuary, a place of serenity, where one can gain perspective and clarity regarding various sources of stress/frustration/turmoil going on in other facets of life.

Buy The Jade Rabbit in Paperback or eBook on Amazon Here.
Buy The Jade Rabbit eBook at Barnes & Noble Here.

Mark Matthews will be at the Detroit Free Press Marathon Expo on October 14 and 15, signing copies of The Jade Rabbit in the Running Fit Booth.

The Cookies:

Nutridel Gourmet Cookies
NUTricious + DELicious= Nutridel. Made by hand in small batches from all-natural, high-quality ingredients, these cookies contain no animal or dairy products. There are no additives, preservatives, artificial flavoring or coloring.
I tried them all: Almond, Pecan, Flaxseed and Oatmeal
I found them to be pleasantly crunchy and lightly sweet, nutty yet chewy.
The Almond and the Flaxseed varieties are tied for my favorite.
They are delicious on their own. I had to fend off the Caveman's advances to keep these to myself....ok I shared...begrudgingly.
Pump up the protein by smearing on a little almond or other nut butter. Add thin banana slices. Pure heaven!
I also had one with a little Greek yogurt and sliced berries. Meow!
Note: These are not particularly low-calorie or low-fat cookies. But they are wholesome, natural and nutrient dense. See specific nutrition and inredient information here.
Nutridel cookies are available in some coffee shops and health clubs (mostly in California) but can be purchased online here.

WIN IT!
One lucky winner will win a copy of The Jade Rabbit and a 2-pack of Nutridel Cookies in each of the four assorted flavors.
Mandatory:
You must be a Study Runner A-Lister (follower). Tell me in a comment you do.
Bonus Entries:
+1: Like Nutridel on Facebook Here tell me in a comment you do.
+1: Follow Jade Rabbit Author, Mark Matthews on Twitter Here. Tell me in a comment you do.
+1 Each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, tweet it including @teamarcia, email it, tell me what you did.

Deadline for entry is October 14.

Winner will be selected randomly and announced soon after.

Good Luck!
Have a Great Weekend!
Go Chicago Marathoners!

My First Marathon: Chicago 2007

2011-10-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

Since it's race week here in Chicago, and because I've had a lots of questions about my first marathon, I thought I'd share the race report.

I'd watched the weather reports for days. Who am I kidding? I watched them for weeks. Heat.
The Caveman and I left the kids (then 2 and 7) with my mom and stayed at a downtown hotel. It was steamy. Already. My hot pink race day outfit went out the window. I opted instead for loose and white.

In true nervous Nelly newbie fashion, we cabbed to the starting line and, no lie, other than workers, were the first people there. It was well before 5am. Race didn't go off until 8. On some level I was hoping they'd decide to start the race earlier to avoid some of the heat. No such luck.

Being first has its advantages. You get the first shot at a fresh porta potty. But as I found out, this can also be a disadvantage:
Here's where embarrassing moment #1 occured: Fresh, unused porta potty + total darkness + hovering + unknown seat/toilet cover position (who even knew porta potties HAD toilet covers? Not I.) = um...business done on top of, rather than in where it's supposed to go.

After literally hours alternating between hitting the potty and sitting on a blanket hydrating/relaxing, it's time to line up. It's approaching 80 degrees with horrendous humidity. Already.
Caveman bid me farewell at the corral entrance. I collapsed in his arms crying because I'm afraid of what the day will bring. I am completely overwhelmed. Can I even do a marathon? Will I be ok in this heat?

I lined up well behind the 4 hour pacer. I'd trained to run a 4-hr marathon but I knew that would most likely be blown to hell in this heat.
We were off. The crowds were thick and loud. The pacer peeled off almost immediately to pee under that first tunnel almost every Chicago race goes under in the first mile.

I carried my own water. For no other reason than that's how I trained. This would really help me.
I enjoyed the early miles. Loved seeing the neighborhoods and crowds change.

Embarrassing moment #2: Shortly after taking my first GU at mile 5 (I carried gel in a flask in those days) I felt something sticky on the top of my foot. I looked down to see dark brown espresso Hammer gel pooling under the tongue of my shoe. It was sticking and pulling my skin with every step. Even worse, there was an unsightly brown racing stripe of gel running from the flask that hung on my fuel belt, all the way down my leg. And to think I wondered why nobody was running very close to me. Ha!
I stopped at water stations and furiously rinsed as best I could.

Somewhere between miles 7-10 I saw a zillion empty water bottles laying curbside and figured they must have been giving them out. I did not know the water station was out of water and people were running into a convenience store buying water.

I saw the Caveman and a bunch of friends just before the 10-mile mark. By 10 miles the sun was coming up over the buildings, my water supply ran dry and it was darn hot. The 4 hour pacer faded out of sight and I knew I'd have to slow my pace if I ever hoped to finish this thing standing up.

I started walking through water stations drinking a cup or 2 and dumping a cup of water over my head. I didn't take additional walk breaks until mile 17. It was all hot sun and pavement now and more were walking than running. Helicopters hovered.
People had their garden hoses out.
Fire hydrants were open.
Residents gave out sponges, oranges, ice and towels.
I swear it was the amazing people of Chicago that kept me going.

There was a feeling that all hell had pretty much broken loose. I came upon a wheelchair racer still struggling on the course. I offered to push him but he flatly refused.
Dawn of the Dead came to mind as it looked like the streets were filled with zombies.

At best we were death marching. From one water station to the next so we could bathe in the cups of water. Some water stations had tables overturned and most could not keep up so they poured right from the gallons.
I did not run with music so my soundtrack was sirens.
People were reeling and going down everywhere. Scary.
I felt ok. Or did I? Seeing so many suffering made me wonder if I could even accurately gauge how I felt.

Finally I heard an announcement that the race was over. Over? They wanted us to walk and board cooling buses. Race officials came toward us holding hands in a long chain, blocking our progress.
I had less than four miles left.
All of my training flashed before me. I did not come 22+ miles to board a cooling bus.
There was no way I was not finishing. Fine, I'd walk if they insisted. A bank thermometer read 93 degrees. I packed ice under my hat and in my bra. But I was there to finish.
They turned off the clocks at the mile markers. Hmm guess the race really is over. Will I even get a finish time?
I looked at my Garmin, which always gets very screwed up around tall buildings/tunnels and found it was totally turned off. Must have bumped it while sponging or icing, filling water bottles or God knows what else.
The pacers were walking. Guess it really is true. This thing is over. My first marathon cancelled.

I walked the final miles, moving over for yet another ambulance as I went over the Roosevelt Rd. bridge for a poor soul who collapsed right on it.
I turned the corner and there, shimmering in the heat like a mirage was the finish line.
WITH TIMING CLOCKS ON!

I ran the final stretch, put on my biggest, fakest smile and FINISHED that hot SOB!
4:44 felt like freaking eternity.
When the Caveman found me heading to gear check, I think I was still swearing and muttering under my breath about how I'd never do another marathon. Ha! The rest is history.

What are some of your memorable race moments?

Final days to enter my Power Pillowcase giveaway!

Whole Lotta Clenching Going On

2011-10-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

I'm in the midst of week 3 of physical therapy for my ornery hip. The diagnosis, in case you missed it:
Weak right side
Weak glutes
Overburdened left side, complete with bruised hamstring compliments of the yoga incident
Tight left hip that sits higher than the right thanks to said tightness and all of the above

What PT is doing:
I warmup by side stepping on the mill at 3 incline to strengthen my lateral hip movement.

PT does myofascial release on my left hip. Hurts so good.

Next comes some leg yanking voodoo designed to coax my ornery hip down into place.

Then we do a billion repeats of a million different exercises that all seem to involve butt clenching, bridging, lifting, lifting while clenching, step and clench, lunge and clench, clench and clench, you get the picture.
Remember how I laughed at that lady in line in front of me at Subway because I could see her clenching through her yoga pants? Yeah well that's me. My life has become one massive ass clench.

You may remember last week I was all bummed because it was me and a bunch of geriatrics all getting therapy for their hip and knee replacements.
Well friends, things are looking up in the therapy gym.
Yesterday? I had the privilege of clenching next to a collegiate platform diver.
I wanted so badly to ask her how how it feels to do a half gainer with a triple twist (who does not love Olympic diving?). But I didn't want to lose count of my clamshells.

Other Workout News:
Since last week here was a festival of rain, I rode zippo on Blanche except for Sunday. Instead I showed up for potluck cardio at the uber gym. Potluck because I'm either too lazy or too much of a dunce maybe both? to go online to see what the 8:30 workout du jour is.

Monday Cardio Kickboxing followed by PT
Tuesday Weights and PT homework
Wednesday HIT (High intensity training. Good times) followed by PT
Thursday Weights and PT homework
Friday Cardio Kickboxing (lucky me again. Eyeroll.) More PT
Saturday Rest
Sunday 30 miles on Blanche and PT homework

All of this physical therapy seems oddly indulgent. According to the physical therapist, I am to try running this Sunday. I have little to no trust in my body anymore. We'll see how that goes and proceed from there.

Have you ever had Physical Therapy?

Was it successful?

Weekend Rewind: Pumpkin Envy

2011-10-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Before school started, at the Teacher Meet n Greet for Thing 2's class, there was a bulletin board of 'wishes'. In other words, items the class would like parents to volunteer to bring.
At the time, the 6 pieces of white felt seemed boring.
The 2 dozen styrofoam balls seemed unwieldy
Then I saw it:
One XXL pumpkin. That's it! I'll bring the pumpkin! Since I love all things fall, how fun would that be?

But just as I plucked the note from the bulletin board to claim responsibility for the pumpkin, the teacher said "No pressure or anything, but just so you know the dad who brought the pumpkin last year REALLY brought an enormous one"

That one sentence changed everything. It set into motion a thought process that is not uncommon for me.

Enormous? Like what are we talking here?

Bigger than standard issue XXL for sure.

I suppose a grocery store variety would be sub par.

Do I need a van? a pickup truck? a forklift to haul it to school?

All weekend I went from pumpkin patch to pumpkin fest to farmer's market. I even eyed a robust beauty already in someone's shopping cart at the grocery store and, for an instant, considering lifting it.

What is enough?
Here I'm just talking about a pumpkin but the 'enough' theme is a common thread throughout life for many of us.

The fear of not being good enough, smart enough, fast enough, thin enough, whatever, can be paralyzing.

While I think it's more than fine to aspire to be better, faster stronger, sometimes there's a tendency to minimize or take for granted the work we've already done and the things (fitness, success, goals etc.) we've already achieved.

Sometimes we fall short of our goals. Maybe we need to retool, regroup and come back stronger. But we also have to give ourselves credit for and appreciate the effort we gave today, just as we are.

So I pulled the trigger and got a damn pumpkin. I let Thing 2 pick it out. She's thrilled with it. It's big enough. More than enough.

Do you see 'not enough' tendencies in yourself?

Thoughts from Injured Reserve

2011-09-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

There's a mind-clearing technique for meditation where you imagine setting any thoughts that pop into your head on a leaf and let it float away from you. While I am not nearly as adept at meditation as I would like to be, I often use that leaf-in-the-water technique as a way of releasing negativity, worries fears, etc. As TCM approaches this weekend, I'll be honest, I'm piling all sorts of emotional, injury-induced baggage on an entire flotilla of imaginary leaves in my mind.

My stream of consciousness goes something like this:

Damn this injury. Maybe it's a sign I need to stop this whole running thing already.
Who needs running anyway? I'll work my aggression out at a kick-boxing class.
I'll go pump some iron and get ripped!
I'll finally conquer my diet demons now that I don't need the carbs for running.
At last! On the road to recovery with some PT.
But look at all the geezers in here with their hip/knee replacements, am I one of them?
AARP here I come.
What if my best runs are behind me?

Just when I think I'm coping pretty well with the fact that I'm not hydrating, packed and on my way to the race I'm not running, I'll get an email from TCM for runner tracking signup or something else equally annoying to rub salt in the wounds.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just as race. As time goes by it'll become a blip in time. Like a rock on the beach, the sands of time will wash over it and smooth its painful edges. Without a doubt there are far bigger things to worry about, far worse issues in life to deal with. But that doesn't make it hurt any less now.

To those of you that are toeing the line at an A-race this fall, I am with you in spirit, cheering you on from afar. May the planets align, Mother nature smile upon you, your training pay off and may you run the race of your dreams.
To those of you, who, like me are sidelined with injury, illness etc., my heart is with you as I know how hard it is. Keep the faith though. We will all be back. Stronger. In body and spirit.

Hopeful Hip and a Giveaway

2011-09-29T07:20:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of my ornery hip yet? I sure am! But I feel better now that things are progressing on the treatment front.
According to the PT, I am weaker and less flexible on my RIGHT side. So I'm overusing my left side to compensate. My left hip is jacked up to the point of extreme muscle tightness on the side where it hurts. As a result, I am also holding that sore left hip higher than the right, putting me out of alignment.

We did some things to loosen all that up and bring the high left hip down yesterday. I also have some exercise homework to do and I'm sure I'll get more today when I go.

Orders are no running for 2 weeks.
This makes Philly in November a huge question mark but I can deal.
This whole injury thing made me realize how much I've been focusing on that left side because it's always the ornery one, while apparently neglecting the right.
While I foam roll and use The Stick religiously, I've also been terrible about getting massages and making it to yoga regularly, which, in retrospect, I need. Badly.
There you have it. I'm heading back for more PT today.

Now onto the good stuff.
Donna from Dailyologie makes really cute, inspirational stuff runners love and sells it at her Etsy shop.

The Power Pillowcase she sent me pretty much sums up what I hope to do when I get up most mornings. At least I can dream about running like the wind right? Remember holidays are fast approaching. This would be a great gift!

Win It!
One lucky reader will win a Power Pillowcase

1 entry: Just leave me a comment telling me you're a A-Lister (follower).
+1 each: Link this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, tweet it, email it, 1 entry each. Tell me in a comment what you did.

Giveaway ends on October 6.

Winner will be selected randomly.

Good Luck!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

My hip x-ray yesterday came back normal! At last I have the PT referral I've been yearning for. Although I never really suspected a sfx, I couldn't totally rule it out either. But now I can! Heading out for my first PT appointment right now!

Bark! Plus Burning Questions

2011-09-27T08:18:00.000-05:00

We went to a party over the weekend. A friend of ours turned 50 plus they have a new puppy, their third Border Collie!

The girls with Theo, almost 3 months old.

I often find hostess gifts challenging, especially when I don't know the people well.

With the recent cooler weather, I've had a wicked Martha streak going so I rode the momentum and made this:

Smoked Salt, Dried Apricot and Almond Chocolate Bark

I adapted my recipe from Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving by Diane Morgan and Sur La Table.

Besides being a tad nervous during the chocolate tempering process, making this couldn't have been easier.

1/2 C dry roasted, unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
2/3C chopped dried apricots
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped.
1t coarse ground smoked salt (I found this at Trader Joe's)

Line a 17x11 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

Temper the chocolate.

Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer about 1/4" thick on the parchment. Evenly and artfully scatter the fruit and nuts over the chocolate. Use your fingertips to gently press them into the chocolate so they adhere to the surface.

Immediately sprinkle salt over the top. Set bark aside in a cool, dry spot to set and harden, about an hour. Break into irregular pieces. So good, I can't even express it. Imagine the variations you could do too!

Burning Questions: I'd love to hear from vegetarians, vegans, carnivores, everyone please:
When you host a dinner party...
...and there are vegetarians attending do you provide vegetarian food for them?
...and there are carnivores attending, do you provide meat for them?
...and there are vegans attending, do you provide vegan food for them?

Weekly Rewind: Injured Reserve

2011-09-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

google images

This week I just let everything rest. I jumped to no conclusions, made no judgements or plans pertaining to running and my current plight--if I can even call it that. The Chicago Bears, namely Jay Cutler, now there is plight.

My coaching gig made it easy to shift the focus from me onto my students. For that I am grateful.
In many ways injury reminds me of a prairie burn. We have lots of them in this neck of the woods. They're dramatic and scary while in progress but after the fire is out, lots of beneficial nutrients are left behind so plants are able to come back stronger than before. Hopefully that will be the case for me as well.

Here's how I filled my week exercise-wise:
Cycling at least 1 hour every day. I've really come to enjoy the bike. It's my time to ponder the universe. It's getting brisk out there but nothing I can't handle. Still pitch black here at 6:30 am now. Blah.

Hip/glute strengthening exercises every day.

I've stayed out of the yoga studio for now. Let's face it: the class in which the incident occurred was ~~too hard~~ not right for me anyway. Hamstring seems to be feeling better, although I haven't really tested it.

Strength training 2 days

Skating 3 days

Skating plyometrics class

I tried to run yesterday, alas the nagging hip made its presence known so I stopped after a couple miles.

I finally let the Caveman cancel our hotel in Minneapolis. Funny how it took me a whole week to be able to let that go.

This may be putting myself in the lion's den, but I volunteered at our school district's 5k this weekend. It goes off exactly at the time I would have been starting the marathon in Twin Cities. C'est la vie.

My abs are sore today so I must have done something right. That's more than I can say for Jay Cutler yesterday.

What's happening this week?

Coffee Conundrum

2011-09-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

My tweeps already know this but I had gross coffee incident a week or two ago. Other than my tweet, I've been pretty much unable to talk about it until now. Oh the trauma.

I was going about my business, preparing a fine pre-run brew, when I spotted this most unsavory creature just making his way down into the coffee maker.

Imagine my repulsion.

What if I'd arrived a minute later and his entry had gone undetected?

Needless to say, there was no coffee of any kind for me that day. After an ample amount of retching, swearing and shaking of said, insect-infested coffee maker, I consulted the java-loving cyber powers that be, in search of a truly critter-proof coffee production alternative.

Behold the French Press

Allegedly the French Press makes a far superior, less bitter cup of coffee than its automatic drip counterpart. Plus it uses no paper filters that need to be replaced. I felt so environmentally green and coffee snobbish all at the same time.

My French Press arrived, I followed the directions to a tee, coarsely grinding some of my finest beans, steeping them in almost but not quite boiling water for four minutes, while stirring gently with a plastic spoon to avoid chipping the glass vessel. I poured, I stirred, I waited and at last, I PRESSED!

The grounds were forced to the bottom while coffee-infused water rose to the top. Finally I was ready to sample the brew!

Expecting an unparalleled coffee experience, I tasted.

Yes, less bitter.

But watery. Tea-like even. Shall I say it? Weak!

Despite using MORE coffee than I normally would with my ~~earwig hotel~~ automatic drip model.

I am nothing if not resilient. I will tweak and finagle. I will search out alternatives. I will OVERCOME! Either that or I'll nuke a freaking cup of tea.

How do you make coffee?

Have you used a French Press?

What In The World Am I Doing Now?

2011-09-21T06:49:00.000-05:00

Ok so it's day 4 of no running. So far my spirits are still good, probably because I'm occupying myself with things other than, you know the R word....or the M word. Today, because it's supposed to be rainy, I'll get my spin on in a group cycle class--haven't been in eons, then I'll pump some iron. That phrase always cracks me up.
But later......I'll report to my brand-new gig as a

Figure Skating Coach!

I may have mentioned that I'm a ~~washed up~~ retired competitive figure skater. Actually many years of my youth were consumed with skating. My poor mom ran a constant shuttle to the rink. Plus I was lucky enough to have a frozen pond across the street from our house so was out there constantly. Many times I'd have to shovel the darn thing off in order to practice but who cares? It was ice and I loved it. The very reason I did not succumb to the track coach's invitations was because skating was my sport back then.

Although this offer has been hanging out there for awhile, it wasn't until recently that I thought "Why the heck not?"

I love the idea of working with and mentoring kids, especially girls. So much stuff goes on in the teen and pre-teen years that can make or break a kid's self-confidence.
I don't want to look back one day and regret not seizing the opportunity.
I watch skating competitions on TV the way the Caveman watches football.

I'll be teaching classes at various levels, Plyometrics for Skaters, and filling in with private lessons a few days a week, so very part-time, which is perfect.

I am excited!

What is exciting for you today?

Take Action Tuesday and Winners

2011-09-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

First thank you all so much for your kind words yesterday. They meant the world to me.

After finally ripping off the bandaid that was the prospect of running the Twin Cities Marathon, I've been doing more than my share of ~~sniveling, whining, licking my wounds~~, riding around on Blanche, the trusty road bike, enjoying some glorious almost-fall weather and thinking.
This old cliche came to mind:

When a door closes a window opens.

Other than running, what else do I really enjoy? Am I doing it?

Or are all my 'eggs' of happiness and fulfillment in the running basket?

So I thought about the 'non-running' things that bring me joy. I hopped back on Blanche, beelined to my favorite farmer's market and hauled home a bag of my latest love:

Zestar Apples. Have you tried them?

I went all Martha Stewart. Again. I baked a kick-ass, I thought I died and went to heaven, apple pie. Not just any pie:

A Dutch Apple pie with an oatmeal streusel top. It has been years since I made a pie. This one was fabulous. I served it at my mom's birthday party so thankfully there is none left to tempt me. Even if you're not the pie-baking kind, GET YOURSELF SOME ZESTARS! So crisp and delicious!

Don't worry, I'm not going to eat myself silly while I'm on this latest running hiatus. At least I'll try not to.
I also made a doctor's appointment so I can hopefully solve the mystery of the angry hip once and for all.

Oh and I did one more thing. I accepted a job. That's right a job. 11+ years ago I traded my executive role in the marketing/advertising field for that of domestic engineer. I am re-entering the workforce. But it has nothing to do with marketing or advertising or any other kind of corporate shenanigans. It's doing something else I truly love. More about that coming up soon.

What, other than running, do you REALLY enjoy?
Are you doing it?

Champion Eco-Fleece Winners!
Congrats to
Men's outift winner: Elle at Eat, Run, Sail
Women's outift winner: Kate at Superkate
Please email me and I'll get you hooked up!
Thanks to all who entered! Thanks to Champion for sponsoring!

The Post I Hoped Not to Write

2011-09-19T06:42:00.000-05:00

I attempted 22 miles on Saturday. Weather was perfect and cool. I felt great. I'd hydrated, eaten well, rested as if this were the actual marathon. I took it nice and slow. I REALLY felt this was going to go well.

The pain started at mile 4.
The tears started at mile 5 when my pace went to hell because I was gimping.
The run/walk started at mile 6.

My mind started grasping for yet more ways around this:
Head straight for the pool.
Try a do-over in a couple of days.
Resume running right now and just see...

But I knew I had to pull the plug and let this one go.
I walked it in and, like so many other days this summer, bailed to the bike.
A couple of hours later I reconvinced myself I could "do" the marathon and spent most of the rest of the day with a fragile, hair-trigger temper (oh my poor family) entertaining then dismissing it.

Running a marathon when one is perfectly trained is hard. Why would I even consider doing one in my current condition? Lunacy.
It's only a race and I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to DNS due to injury. Still, I was surprised by how hard it was to let go. Maybe it was the quitting aspect. The surrender, even if it is much smarter to do so. Marathoners push through anything right? Through sheer grit and determination, we make it happen. But how? Why?

I spent the rest of the weekend prepping for and celebrating my mom's birthday. Five sibs + spouses + 10 grandkids = house-full of peeps. Just the diversion I needed I think. Thankfully nobody uttered a word about running. I am thankful for that.

Champion Eco-Fleece Giveaway ends tonight!

Channeling 22

2011-09-16T18:26:00.000-05:00

Google Images

After Monday's yoga incident, I unwisely got out bright and early Tuesday morning to test the hamstring and assess the damage. I managed five leaden, pathetic miles, which, save for a few jolts from the hamstring when I stepped 'wrong', were painfree. However I may or may not have been gimping the last mile or so because my hip was complaining. Again.
Since then, here's what I've done:

Wednesday: Rest and ice.
Thursday: Rest and ice.
Friday: Upper body weights, abwork and a menage a trois with The Stick and foam roller.

For mental and physical reasons, 20, preferably 22 miles NEED to happen tomorrow if I am to attempt a marathon in Twin Cities in two weeks.

Best case: 22 miles click off pain-free and I kickoff an abbreviated taper with a nice ice bath.
Worst case: The wheels come off before 20 miles and I call it a day. And a race. And a training cycle.

The cynical/practical side of me wonders why I'm so hell-bent on attempting to run Twin Cities at all and risk further injury.
The crazy/stubborn side of me loathes the idea of giving up. I've been called many things. Quitter is not one of them.
I'm not sure why, but I have a good feeling about this whole thing.

What's on tap for you this weekend?

Me: Running 22 then throwing my mom a birthday party.

GO RACERS!