Sunny Bunny
Today couldn’t have been any prettier. Everything feels like a treat when it’s bathed in golden sunlight. :D
I went a little crazy this morning at breakfast - I didn’t feel like eating the usual meals and packed these half-pints of berries I got.
Yeah, I worked through them speedily. :)
Lunch was just a quick iced coffee and Kind Bar eaten on the go but dinner made up for that.
Cold roasted asparagus alongside lentils and wild rice + hot roasted Campari tomatoes and Baby Bellas.
I’ve been eating the baby bell peppers raw with hummus but roasting these little guys are even sweeter than regular bell peppers.
We’re off to meet some friends for drinks and plan our fall marathon - hope everyone had a great day!
Marathon Monday
“Occupy” Monday was spent working at home, healing up from the Fargo Marathon, and getting some important errands completed.
First up, we got vaccinations for our trip to Africa. Because of the best nurse ever, it was the first time I didn’t feel pain from needles. Oh happy day!
Then we stopped off at my favorite running store, Running Away Multisport, and got new shoes.
John got the new New Balance Zeros but oddly, I didn’t like how they felt and went with the shoes I lost on the course, the New Balance Minimus Trails.
Monday continued on a fun and lucky note with a trip back to O’Hare airport.
When we were leaving for Fargo on Friday morning, I left my laptop charging in Terminal 2 of O’Hare report - something I didn’t realize until we got to Fargo.
This added stress and tears to our weekend and although we tried to put it out of our mind during the race, that’s easier said than done.
On Monday, an employee from O’Hare called me after getting one of my teary messages. Someone had found it charging and turned it in. I’m typing on it with a pear-shaped bully butt on my feet. :D
I’m a lucky girl and very grateful for good people.
We ended the night with two awesome things: dinner with a new friend and dinner at a new place, Smoke Daddy!
Smoke Daddy is one of those placed that reminds me how much I love our Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood, It’s an adorable BBQ joint and the service and food are top notch.
It was too cold to eat out but there’s a great area with twinkling lights perfect for a date night.
I’m always happy when we eat with other meat eaters because John gets to share his dish. John and our friend ended up getting ribs and sweet potato fries - he ate most of those. :D
I had sides. Glorious Sides - macaroni and cheese and peppery corn bread. So good, I didn’t want to share!
I don’t eat mayonnaise but Smoke Daddy’s cole slaw is made with more of a vinegar base and the cilantro gives it something special - I have to make this at home!
And then we shared a skillet cookie because no marathon is complete without a skillet cookie.
There’s live entertainment every night and she was great - singing country songs and reggae all night.
Whew! It was a exhausting Monday for some of us…but great start for the rest of us!
Going Far in Fargo
So I finished the Fargo Marathon…with a P.R.
Fargo is different than other marathons I’ve run in that the chip was not on my bib but tied to my shoes.
Oh, my poor shoes.
Yes, I lost my shoes on the course.
Or more precisely, I threw them away.
I got a rock in my shoe at mile 17, and it cut my foot so badly that keeping the shoe on was agony.
So I tried to throw away just one, but running on one shoe is even worse. So by mile 18 I had thrown both away (I carried the chip in my hand), and ran the last 8 miles barefoot
And this was the result.
Running barefoot was horribly painful and I ran the entire time with tears in my eyes. I kept looking for smooth parts of the street to run on and grass but there were pits and twigs everywhere.
And to add insult to injury, my (fully charged) Garmin died partway through the race.
I somehow still managed to reach my goal.
I may have cried those entire eight miles, but it didn’t matter when I crossed the finish line and found John.
My time of 4:13:53 at the Fargo Marathon was a 20 minute improvement from my Marine Corps Marathon time of 4:32 and my pace improved from 10:18 to 9:50 minutes/mile.
I also ran the half in 2:06:57, my fastest half on record. :)
John also had a tough race, but he finished in 4:10 - a p.r. for him by 17 minutes!
Fargo’s Marathon was one of our favorites - the course is beautiful and the people were lovely. Practically every quarter mile, people were handing out water and treats at unofficial aid stations.
Everyone called out “Honey Badger” because I had written it on my bib instead of my name.
Even with perfect conditions, the race was a tough one.
But as my favorite sign from the course said, “Ambition never looks back.”
Getting Ready for a Marathon
First, there’s the carbo-loading.
Getting my race prep pile ready and modelling my race day outfit.
Not being able to fall asleep from all the excitement and crashing…two hours before the race.
Waking up to marathon alarm - thank goodness, I cleverly placed it across the room.
Shocked as always that God created a 5am in the morning.
Getting my first shot of caffeine and sugary gel at 5:05…and hitting the starting line singing Eye of the Tiger.
Like a {Boss} Boo!
Breakfast Bites: Chocolate Oatmeal & Blueberry Muffins
I love cupcake wrappers. I love oatmeal. I love blueberries. I love chocolate. And I love these breakfast muffins which brings it all together. :D
My breakfasts are smoothies, oatmeal, or dippy eggs - so I decided to shake things up with some Chocolate Oatmeal and Blueberry Muffins.
These muffins are super tasty and filling and a perfect post-run food!
I avoid muffins because they upset my tummy - so I made these muffins gluten free by making my very own oatmeal flour. And instead of buying it pre-made, I used my trusty blender and made my own flour!
The flour was perfectly soft and cooked up beautifully.**
I’ve provided both vegan and vegetarian options below the fold!
Just Keep Swimming, Swimming
This is one of my favorite pictures from the Marine Corps Marathon.
It looks like a moment from a Broadway play - they are all arranged in triangle formation behind me and will break into song at any moment:
Do you hear the people sing, Singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of a people, Who will not be slaves again! (JAZZ HANDS!)
Yeah, I sing Broadway songs when I run so this could have totally happened!
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{Face Down all Your Fears!}
With only a few days left, my training was reduced but felt mentally intense.
I ran without music a lot and hours on the mat (at the studio and home) just made me focus on race weekend.
I tell myself nervousness is good and pressure is great - it makes you always want to be better than your previous reached goal. Here is my training breakdown:
Monday, 5/7: C2 Hot Yoga, 60 Minutes
Tuesday, 5/8: C2 Hot Yoga, 60 Minutes; 3.5 miles, 35 minutes.
Wednesday, 5/9: Hot Power Fusion Yoga, 60 Minutes
Thursday, 5/10: 5 Miles in 49:19.
Friday, 5/11 + Saturday, 5/12: REST DAY, PT + Foam Rolling
Sunday, 5/13: 3.1 Miles in 29:55 + Core Restore Yin Yoga.
11.6 running miles is over a 50% reduction from my highest mileage weeks and the four hot yoga classes kicked my tush.
Ramping down the running has left me sluggish, a normal thing according to the books I’ve read.
This week, the final few days before the marathon, I will run even fewer miles but I will sprint a lot to keep my legs bendy. I’m getting antsy and anxious and just can’t seem to relax or sleep.
At these times I have to ask - what would Dory do? She’d just keep swimming. :)
Happy Mother’s Day!
This morning, I was treated to a surprise breakfast-in-bed for Mother’s Day for being an awesome dog mom. :)
I had dippy eggs and an Ezekiel muffin with berry preserves that I shared with John and sweet blueberries and raspberries…
…that I shared with my dog child.
******
According to John, Nigel was very helpful with the cooking. :)
We decided instead of sending our own mother a bouquet, I would send one to John’s mom and John would send one to my mom.
This is my mom’s bouquet - isn’t it beautiful? John and I picked the same colors without realizing it - this was the bouquet I went with!
We also got a ton of camping stuff for our international adventure, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and going on an African safari!!
John’s mom carefully packed up a ton of John’s old camping/hiking/mountaineering gear and it was fun to go through it and hear about John’s past adventures.
It’s also helping us save money which I always appreciate!
Nigel was very excited about the large box! :)
The white fleece in the pictures above is my first Northface fleece and it’s as cozy as it looks. We have walking poles, tents, and our sleeping bags too!
As new as every part of this adventure will be and as nervous as I am about breaking in my boots, I can’t believe it - we’re going to Africa!
{Nigel Bear, helping me make the bed and do the laundry on Mother’s Day!}
Mother’s Day is all about having a grateful heart and I’m grateful for all the good happenings and good mothers in my life.
Everyday I’m Tapering
We are still a month away from the Farmer’s Markets opening and I’m getting impatient. We go through a few of these boxes everyday so I’m counting down the days.
My lunch this afternoon was something new - Nancy’s Cottage Cheese with fresh blueberries!
One of the best foods we ate on our trip to Russia last year, was tvarog - it has the texture of Greek yogurt (even thicker than Fage) with the bite of fresh cottage cheese.
I still can’t find cottage cheese as good in the States - everything is so salty and the consistency is off!
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{It might look like I’m resting, but this is what I call active sleeping.}
Today’s Workouts
Tapering before a marathon is always stressful for me - I need to run enough to maintain fitness but not do too much so that my legs are actually fresh come the Fargo Marathon. :D
On Monday, I went to a 60 minute C2 hot yoga class.
On Tuesday, I went to a 60 minute C2 hot yoga class and ran 3.5 miles in 35 minutes.
On Wednesday, I completed a 60 minute Hot Power Fusion Yoga class.
And today, I ran 5 miles in 49:19 and completed Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Strength routine - about 40 minutes in total!
I’m using my compression gear a lot more and trying to make sure I use the foam roller like it’s a job. Only one more week till the marathon!
I’m also cutting back on the C2 yoga classes moving forward and am running the miles a bit slower - I have to keep reminding myself I’ve done as much as I can and my body needs to rest to absorb the training.
Off to go take a hot bubble bath! Hope everyone is having a relaxing night! )
