Run Happy
Happy March 1st! Is everyone totally psyched?
My sweetie got me a matching “Run Happy” bracelet so I can keep smiling like him when I run.
I like to remind him that even Desiree Davila gets trout mouth when she runs. And eyes of honey badger fury.
It’s a new month so new running shoes: the New Balance Minimus Trails!
I had a glorious run in them today - John needed me to pick up something for him and I decided to run the three miles to Lincoln Park to get it and then run the three miles back - a 6 miler in 56 minutes.
When John got his New Balances, I was obsessed so I got myself a pair. I worried my feet would hurt and I would slow down but then I ran a 4 miler in them in 35:45, I knew that wasn’t an issue.
I felt like the Vibrams worked for me but they were more about “a lifestyle instead of performance.”
I love my new cute kicks. :)
I kept the eats simple today - Breakfast was a Fage Blueberry-Acai Greek yogurt and a Cara-Cara orange.
Lunch was a hummus sammie on rye toast, topped with avocado and lime dressing. Nomtacular.
Dinner was my Hearty Indian Lentil and Spinach soup - I’m not being all trendy and using a mason jar for serving. Every bowl we own is in the dishwasher. :)
And a sidecar of Ezekiel toast with Laughing Cow Swiss.
I’m off to my yoga mat - hope you are all having a great night!
Seven Things Sunday
I am grateful for…
Promises made which surprise me still.
Our Valentine’s day dinner at Takashi, which features contemporary French-American fare with Japanese influences. I am particularly grateful for chefs who will and can make a great six-course meal for a vegetarian.
If you love restaurant reviews as much as I do, here you go!
My first ten miler for marathon training - the amazing part? I can’t believe I can run ten miles at a decent clip, and not be sore the next day. The two stupid knee ouchies however, need some attending to.
Chocolate from Vosges, forged by the angels themselves. I’m also grateful for a will-power which allowed me to save them until my weekend long run. :D
Longer and warmer days…so Nigel is loving his walks again.
{Source}
The Disney Land Half Marathon in September is the final race for Disney’s Coast-to-Coast marathon challenge. It sold out last night. I was heart broken when this happened last year too especially after the Goofy Challenge.
Guess which two crazy kids got into registration in the nick of time? California half marathon in September! ;D
Our post ten miler treat - Big Star Taco! After hearing from EVERYONE that we needed to eat here, we decided our long run day was perfect.
Two and a half page waiting list to get into the restaurant itself. Lines out the door. Is it that good? Oh. My. Goodness. If G-d ate food, he would want tacos from here. Vegetarians can enjoy the portabella mushrooms or potato tacos, and the latter was my fave!
Hope everyone has a great new week ahead of them!
Blue Footed Booby Run
Look at the elusive blue-footed booby! She does a sexy mating dance to attract a mate with her blue feet!
A friend is buying her first pair of Vibrams and it brought up some of my own sizing issues. I wanted the Bikila and when I was measured, I came in at 37, the second smallest size for the Bikila. The other Vibrams come in even smaller sizes.
The 37’s felt like what I imagined Veebs should feel like - snug like a glove, with very little space in the front and back, the arches feeling like they were being massaged when I was running, and the whole contraption feeling like second skin. However, I decided to size up to 38’s because during a long distance race, your feet can swell and it’s good to have that space.
Yet the 38’s never felt like the 37’s. They felt good, but there was always a ton of room, and the more I raced and ran, the the looser they got. I used my blue 37’s in the Newton 20 miler and decided I didn’t like the fit for the Marine Corps Marathon.
I’m changing my mind now and don’t think it’s a good idea to size up in Vibrams because they don’t work in “half-sizes” like a sneaker and your foot will slide back and forth in a larger size.
I read a great tip on the Runner’s World blog if your Veebs feel a bit too snug at your suggested size: wash the Veebs in the washing machine and wear them around for a day or go for a run until they dry. They should dry molded to the foot and stretched to fit better. I’m going to try it soon!
The blue 37’s do feel more like second skin and today’s speed work felt good.
Today’s Run:
1/4 mile warm-up walk @ 12 minute pace; 3/4 mile run @ 10 minute pace; 1/4 mile run @ 9:50 pace; 1/4 mile @ easy walking pace; 3/4 mile @ 9:50 pace; 1/4 mile @ 9:40 pace. Total: 2 miles of running, .5 miles of walking.
Cardio Bunny says Goodbye to July!
{Cardio Bunny had a tough week - but an awesome weekend!}
*
I was a bit too ambitious about how my wisdom tooth would impact my workouts. Due to the pain from my removal lasting a lot longer than I had expected, I had a pretty uneven week. I only fit in one day of cardio (2.6 miles) but I decided to use the Blogilates workouts to keep myself moving. Any pounding (running or elliptical) seemed to make my jaw worse and inversions made me dizzy. This isn’t normal for everyone, even for me. My upper extractions were awesome - I was running, eating bread, nothing fazed me.
*
I did want to end the week strong and back on track so I took 6 ibu and completed an 8 mile run in two parts. 4 Miles before I saw my friends to “help them move” and 4 Miles after. I’m pretty pleased with myself because I wanted to get back on track and stick to my long run schedule especially with a half-marathon in California coming up!
*
Barefoot Running on the Treadmill vs. Barefoot Running Outside
*
With a half-marathon coming in three weeks, I’m going to go ahead and run 13.1 miles next weekend to see what the real thing might feel like on my pink Vibrams. My pink veebs changed my running routine and improved my stride. It is noticeable from my posts that I do about 80% of my training indoors and I know that raises a lot of questions. First, I depend on race reviews to learn about the “track” I’ll be running. If I know there will be a ton of hills or debris that might feel strange, I try and focus on training outdoors.
*
Unlike a lot of runners, when I started to become serious about races, the treadmill didn’t turn me off. I like the treadmill for its ease - no weather excuses, no “I don’t wanna,” and no waiting to walk over to Chicago’s lake front, the most beautiful running path outside of Central Park. I do crank up the incline: I don’t walk below a 1-2 and I practice running at a 2-4 because I think it’s a good challenge for your legs. Also, I can get through Mad Men or other Netflix shows on the treadmill, which is an extra perk. :) I understand some people get bored on the treadmill and I used to be one of them, but once I started going fast and running more than I was walking, boredom stopped being an issue.
*
My Veebs present another challenge though - the longest run I’ve completed outdoors on them was a 5K. I do walk everywhere can in them and that helps seeing how they handle on dirt paths and the road. I am not as worried about how they will feel on the road for the San Diego Half-Marathon, as much as I am worried about how it will feel to complete 13.1 miles on them. For the Marine Corps Marathon (squeeee!), I will be breaking in and possibly carrying another pair during the race and will also focus on some longer runs outdoors! I feel like a running baby in my Veebs because I slowed down significantly but I hope that I can change that this month. I definitely have no clue how fast or slow I will run outside, but to be honest, I’ve never cared as much about that as I probably should. I do the races because they are fun and I get to see new places, and I run to find different things to take pictures of. I get a lot of messages about why I don’t track my runs better, but I don’t think that will change anytime soon. Never say never though, right? :D
Awesome Afternoon
*
I tried having a dainty lunch - but frankly, I was hungry! I had waited way too long since I was lost in my work so a slice of Ezekiel whole wheat toast, with spicy Sabra hummus, and a few slices of roasted zucchini just didn’t do it.
*
*
So I enjoyed a full plate of roasted veggies - zucchini and asparagus with simple salt and pepper.
*
*
After my workout, I snacked on this sunny orange. I ran/walked five miles wearing my new Vibram Five Fingers and I love them! Yesterday’s workout was tough because it felt unfamiliar being on the treadmill and elliptical without my sneakers. Today’s workout was a complete 180 - I felt as light as air during my speed intervals and checking out my reflection in the mirror my posture was super straight. I loved hearing my feet hit the treadmill and felt more in tune with my running, if that makes sense. I haven’t experienced pain or discomfort but it definitely feels like previously unused muscles are working in my feet, calves, and back. I hope this lasts because although I can only do a 12 minute mile on the Vibrams right now, I would like to get stronger on them so I can start racing with them!
*
I hope you guys are having a great day!
Running Barefoot!
*
Check out Nigel winking at the camera! Saturday was pretty awesome - can you guess why? Look close!
*
Do you see what I see? That’s right, John and I are now proud owners of Vibram Five Fingers shoes!
*
*
John would also like some credit for picking out this sweet outfit for me! Little shorts and a red polo - I’m impressed, it’s a fun throw back to my preppy high school days! So let’s back up. Friday night, during our date night, we talked a ton about packing for our next international trip. We like travelling light but it’s always a challenge when it comes to items like suits or sneakers for working out - and I am a firm believer of doing some kind of work out when you travel! We had talked about getting Vibram Five Fingers, the “barefoot running” shoe for South America but put it off. After my deliberation, we decided that it would be the perfect workout shoe for this trip!
*
So we woke up early on Saturday and first headed out for lunch - Chipotle vegetarian bowl for me. Usually this place is a calorie-killer but I try to cut the damage by ordering a vegetarian bowl with no rice, vegetables, salsa, and guac. Ask for “light” on everything and add double lettuce! I left a quarter of the food in the bowl because heck, it’s too much even for John!
*
After, we were off to Fleet Feet and Kathleen, our lovely running aide was bringing us boxes of Vibrams. My eyes were on the Vibram Trek Sports - I really liked the colour! However, the padding felt too thick for me and I wanted more of a barefoot running experience. I wanted the shoes to feel like second skin. I tried on three pairs only: the Vibram Trek Sport and the Vibram FiveFingers Bikala - and I loved it! I really liked the colour, I liked the feel, and the sizing was perfect. I tried on a smaller and larger pair just to make sure. John had a lot more sizing issues but also settled on a Vibram Bikala running shoe!
*
We were super excited about our new shoes and after we got home, we took them out for a spin. Nigel was jealous, “Hey guys! Where are my Vibram Five Claws?!”
*
We took Nigel out for a long walk and fetch session.
*
We got to try out our Vibrams on a long walk and it was awesome. I really like walking around barefoot so getting this shoe and breaking them in will be easy for me. John’s having a slightly different experience - his left pinky is slightly bigger than the right pinky. We actually measured this to make sure because we both thought we were crazy. It’s creating a bit of pressure on that toe and bothering him - while the right foot feels perfectly fine. He will be trying to mix and match sizes before we leave!
*
*
So we’re pretty super psyched. The Vibrams will pack beautifully in our suitcases and although we don’t expect to be running half-marathons in them anytime soon, we thought we can definitely build up our strength walking around until we leave or our trip. While there, we plan on using our hotel gyms to do walk/runs to see how they work. I also love just having a sneaker-like option for the elliptical or gym without losing valuable suitcase space!
*
*
For dinner, I whipped up a childhood favorite: English muffin pizzas with carmelized onions and rosemary. For dessert, we enjoyed a box o’ blackberries and then headed out to watch Super 8 which was suspenseful and fun. We did take off our Vibrams for the movie but I can’t wait to let you know how they change my training - I am especially excited to use them for Tracy Anderson’s workout videos because they are perfect for a lighter shoe!
*
So, the million dollar question: have your tried barefoot running or Vibrams?
Hope you are all having a fabulous Saturday!
