home home jig jig

back in austin after a relatively painless day of travel...had some PF Chang for dinner :) and just chilling at the house...more on the rest of PGH later...

pittsburgh

yesterday was nice...did the 3-2-1 workout with 15 minutes warm up and cool down...i thought the workout was fun but tough...and would have been a bit easier had there been a spot that was totally flat for me to run...but i didn't want to be on the track so the road in Fox Chapel was where i went...after a nice warm up of 1.5 miles...it was a 3 minute 10k push with 3 recovery 2 minutes at 5k with 2 recovery 1 minute fast 1 recovery....repeat three times...nice...the middle repeat was on a flat section of the trillium trail park...totally pretty to run in the quiet of the trees and the trickle of the stream...i felt good after that run...iced the knees (no time for a full ice bath) then off to pittsburgh mills...

watched the nephews play in the really huge indoor play area...they had a blast...tons of people out returning christmas gifts...i thought it was fun that we were just there to play and not get involved in any of that consumption...

mom dad and i went to OCC for dinner...it was nice to have a bit of grown up time with my folks...as always dinner was excellent...i had seared scallops with fava beans, asparagus and rice pilaf...yummy...

my brother is off to the APA in maryland today to try and get himself a tenure track job...i am keeping my fingers crossed that he gets a great one...and we are off to the strip district to check out Penzey's, primanti brothers and the local flavors of down town...

Christmas in Pittsburgh

so it has been an eventful christmas morning with the nephews, brother, sister in law, mom and dad...there was lots of truck playing going on...i don't think that the boys could have too many trucks...they are totally in love with them...firetrucks, tractors, road rollers, excavators...all kinds...it is totally an innate thing that boys love trucks...my brother said he never taught them that trucks were cool...very interesting...

i got going long, an awesome new pair of running shorts and a certificate to title nine....i am excited to add to my collection of workout clothing as it seems i am spending more time in them than in my regular clothes these days and that is only going to increase from here...

a huge leg of lamb is in the oven (ugh) and my very small chicken is about to go in...rosemary potatoes are roasting and garlic is being chopped for some wilted spinach....i have been pigging out on greek yogurt and crab and shrimps and of course the occasional christmas cookie...mom made these new ones this year...almond with bits of almond and fine sugar and sprinkles...they are tasty but i can't give up my favorite thumb prints...

the only thing that is not perfect is that j is in texas and not here to give me hugs...i miss him...and i hope that he is having an amazing and much needed rest from all of the crazy work he has been doing...also hope he has broken into the box of cookies my mom sent along just for today...

merry merry christmas!

Recovery

so i am trying to figure out the psychological effects or affects (i never remember which to use) of a recovery week...okay let me restate that...there are psychological things that take place during a recovery week....i am trying to get my head around why...with my extensive psych study in college (psy 101) i am sure that i have none of the answers...

my body knows that it needs this recovery to heal all of the little bits of muscle that i have been building over the last weeks of high mileage...my mind is saying to my body you deserve a week of lower miles, a change of pace to get geared up for the final push...but then there is the self esteem and the mood and the eating habits and the mood and the sleep and did i mention the mood? yeah...so what is really happening...

the things that i am thinking are the miles are lower this week but my eating is the same...so then i am saying okay i should not be eating that cookie because i am only running 12 miles...but i want to eat the cookie so i do...then i feel bad...that makes me cranky...weird sleeping this week too...not sleeping through the night and wondering if that is because i am not exerting the same amount of energy that i was the week before...then i am tossing at 3am...it does not help that my (crack head??) neighbor and his girlfriend are fighting then (i don't think that the f-word could be used more frequently in a 10 minute span)...so i wake up still a bit tired and that makes me cranky...and then i am cranky all day :P

so i really have no idea if it just the slight cut in the miles that is making me feel whacked out or if i would be feeling this way this week even if i wasn't training for a marathon...so i know that i should just be enjoying my recovery and relaxing...so i'll shut up...and go run my measly 30 minutes...and love every second of it.

18!

wow, i ran 18 miles today. that is a crazy feeling. the ice bath felt good, really good, after todays run. my legs were feeling stiff (quads, abductors, knees) on the last mile or two but i felt good other than that.

thanks to Jeremiah for sticking with me till the end... i left Chuck Eric and John at the MacDo (i totally think John bought some McMuffins) early on (chuck did you say "go kick ass" or "don't run too fast"? both were fitting) and was glad to catch up with some other folks that i know.

i can proudly say that i did it and biked home to tell the tale. my feet are tired so no dance parties tonight but looking forward to a nice dinner out and some sleep in time on sunday. who knows maybe i will sleep past 7am...

sold!

IMAZ fall sold out on 12.10...finally...and i bought the rocket ship :) i get to pick it up from the shop today...too bad the weather stinks for being on the bike...

have a hilly (chilly and most likely wet) quality workout tonight at the marshes...the map makes it look like we are running switchbacks up the hills in the bouldin neighborhood...i am interested in knowing what we are teaching our bodies with this workout...

sunday was 16 miles of lots of hills...ladera norte anyone?...out team bake sale at the end made it all worth while...i was even able to justify a brownie after that run...pix to come soon...so everyone can drool over the cream cheese frosting...and the great amount of cash we made for donation to the Malawi Project

my quads were sore on my shake-out run yesterday...not sure if that was the hills from sunday or playing around on the bike...either way it still feels good...progress

Drew's Bike

i'm test riding Drew's bike for a few days to see how i like it...i think we look cute together...me and the little rocket ship...very different than my Trek 820 antelope from 1992...

Leaves

crossing the congress st bridge today on my bike gave me a great view of the water and the trees along the trail...the leaves are actually changing color...it looks beautiful...nothing like fall in the NE but still very pretty...the vibrant blue sky, a reddish cast to the leaves and the dark ripples on the water of ladybirdlake...i should take a picture

30K Thoughts

so i have been thinking about this darn 30k since crossing the finish line at the Decker race. it is the only race in the DC that i need to sign up for and i was all ready to do it on Monday. then came Ruth's e-mail basically saying if you run this you will get hurt. Since this was the first time i heard anything about _not_ running this race it made me think. the 30k is on the long run schedule (weeks 11-18), is part of the DC and on Tuesday we were given a discount for $5 off the race registration. If i had not received the e-mail on Monday i would not have thought twice about registering for the silly thing. so that is what finally helped me to make my decision to run, not race, not fast, but just run it...if i need to walk i will. hopefully j will make it to the finish of this one...i will need it i have a feeling it's going to be brutal.

December??!

yeah yikes...it really is December...we kicked the month off with a great weekend...j's holiday party was friday...casino night with fake money...i really am a terrible gambler which is why i never do it with real money especailly my own....but i did get to play some black jack with Desiree Ficker and her boyfriend who is also an amazing runner and currently in 1st place for the runtex DC

Saturday was gray and relaxing with an hour watching IMHI while doing chores around the house...as i said to my buddy Chuck...cry fold cry fold...nothing like IM and laundry...after a carb filled dinner of a giant baked potato it was off to the crepe trailer for our Christmas party...crazy games like dodge ball and stick the lifesavers to your face...it was early to bed

and early to rise for the Decker 20k...yeah that was a challenge...but running with Jeremiah and Vishall was a lot of fun...i was really able to clear my mind of thoughts of the run....those bad ones that creep in sometimes...like this is really hard...and how does one course have so many hills...but conversation kept me on the right track...yeah it was a tough race but i finished strong and was happy over all...nutrition worked well too...i had a gel at 4 and some clif blocks at 8...with a recovery drink after...i liked the carboom even better than the clif gel...it actually tasted like a banana...so that was nice...i think i need to get the luna blocks...the clif ones are just a little too big for me to chew while on the run...i did like them though...i could always cut them up and repackage them...that could work...

plans for the group brunch fell through but j took me out for Indian buffet...totally yum...exactly what i wanted after a hard morning running...and what could be better after a run than an afternoon cooking...made the focaccia (started it on Saturday)recipe from Baking with Julia ...i think it is the best medium intensity focaccia that i have made...i put fresh basil, tomato, Maine sea salt and olive oil on top...it was really good...nice light open crumb...and a chewy crust...the dough was a lot easier to work with than others i have made in the past...i will make it again for sure...then some stuffed cabbage rolls (with modifications of course) for dinner...yeah those were tasty...for some reason they reminded me of my grandmother even though i don't think she ever made them.

stooodent

so it feels a little bit more official now. i actually have a UT student id and i have some idea about the classes that i am going to be taking. Yeah! it won't feel totally official until i have registered but it's a start...ok it might feel official when i have to pay my first tuition bill! i met with my adviser today, he was totally nice and knowledgeable about the nutrition program and what it is going take to get me a degree. it's looking like six semesters but i think i can do it in 5ish. i have to sit down and make a spreadsheet to really get the details down. oh i am excited already. even just talking about classes got me riled up. there is food science lab! OMG!

well off to get ready for quality workout with Team A-M-E. we are doing 1200 in the park at 5k and 10k paces. not really sure how many etc but we will see. recovery week was nice last week but today it feels like i haven't been running in a while...even though that is not true i ran yesterday...but i think i am in need of a hard w/o...did i just say that...i hope coach amy doesn't read this before we meet up she might just kick my butt

decker race this weekend. i need to be thinking about fueling during the run when, how much etc. since i didn't really get a chance to practice my fueling during the LAB this is a good time to try things out. i am thinking twice since breakfast will be a few hours before the race and we have a pretty good warm-up . i could get a gel in around mile 4or5 and again around 8 or so. hmm more thinking required...

IronBear!?

i just registered for ironman arizona 11.23.08 wow!

Turkey Trotting and Whatnot

the chilly morning temperatures did not deter me or 10,000 of my closest friends in austin from running in the turkey trot according to my watch i ran the course in 40.41...i was happy with that and was feeling good after the race...hanging out with paul watching chuck, john, amy, liz, jeff, and a few others cross the finish line until the wind picked up...yikes!...then spent a really great afternoon with j cooking up a storm...setting my first thanksgiving table (most of them have been buffet style in past years) and feeling cozy in our little house here...hosted 5 others for dinner and everyone seemed to have a great time...after our share of tasty foods...there were a few heated rounds of guitar hero on the wii....amy will soon be a guitar legend...i can't say the same about me...so the turkey stock is bubbling away, i have already had my first round of leftovers and will not buy a thing today...i love thanksgiving :)

only in austin

this morning around 7am on my way home from running at barton springs there was a man putting gas in his beamer on barton springs road...in his bathrobe...and slippers...

a few days ago in my yard i found a piece of notebook paper...written on the paper in green marker was "free hugs"

i love this town

sunday and the lab

had the "lab" this sunday up north in the brentwood neighborhood...i had been relatively nervous about this training run since i saw it on the schedule...not the nice easy pace that we have been maintaining during our normal sunday long runs...no this was 4 miles of warm-up 8 miles at marathon goal pace (MGP)and 2 miles of cool down...it was called the lab because we were to simulate race day behaviors...that is practice drinking and eating (gels etc) while on the go and practice the feeling of MGP...practice our nutrition pre and post run...all of that good stuff...we were sent out in groups of pace times...i am in the 4 hr group with several of my training buddies...so this is all well and good...but all day saturday i felt like absolute crap...from when i woke around 7am to bed at _blush_ 8.30pm the only things that i felt at all like ingesting were tea...a cup of soy pudding...and about a cup of plain rice...yeah not great nutrition for the day before a big run...it is very frustrating to have stomach issues even if you are not a runner or someone with an serious passion ok borderline obsession with food and its preparation...so...the lab was not great...warm-up was so-so...i knew the rest of it was not going to make me happy...the 10 minute mile pace was feeling not so easy and my MGP is 9 mm...ught...made the warm-up and first MGP lap with ed and the gang but was starting to struggle and really had to keep up the mental banter...there was a lot of "you can make it another half mile then you only have a mile and a half to the water stop"..."hit the next cone...one more lap...run a little faster it will make you feel better"...did the dreaded swallow a few times...and lost ed and the gang on the second lap...was glad to be alone and not having to chat with people...to try and get my head in the game and get this thing done...tried some nutrition about mile 10...hmm yeah not feeling that...gatorade wasn't even working for my tummy...so my pace gang finished about 1/4 mile ahead of me...but i finished the MGP section and just sandbagged the hell out of my cool down...got some water in me and then headed directly...with a slight diversion for gas at the 7-11 :) (they didn't have those in GA)...for the restorative waters of barton springs...due to my shivers...which i guess were caused by mild dehydration (i had a bottled of water in hand as i was soaking...and another in the car for the dive home...don't worry) i could only get half way up my thighs...even that felt good...chatted with a few other runners soaking as well...one ran 23 that day...he looked good...was his last long run before dallas...skipped breakfast with the group and went home to curl up in bed and try to get myself feeling better...illness and a bad run are not a good combo for a feel good sunday...j was still in bed when i got home...10am!!...he deserved it...so the bed was extra cozy...i was still cold...he got up and heated some tomato soup and toasted a mini bagel and made me eat...tummy was protesting but i needed something to help me recover...it worked wonders...thanks bear!...about an hour later i was feeling a little better...not 100% but better enough to do some of my post run stuff...like us my TP rollers and drink some recovery stuff...and an hour after that i was feeling so much better i had forgotten (almost) about my crappy run...and best of all i made the dark chocolate crackle cookies that coach gave me a recipe for...OMG ! they are amazing...and some mac and soy cheese with farm broccoli for dinner...not bad...so even with all that it turned out to be a not so bad sunday...there is always the next lab...right?...

Thinking

i am in the process of reading the omnivore's dilemma (thanks to j's mom for passing that along) and i came across an interesting passage that got me thinking..."if the sixteen million acres now being used to grow corn to feed cows in the United States became well-managed pasture, that would remove fourteen billion pounds of carbon from the atmosphere each year, equivalent of taking four million cars off the road"...here are my thoughts...cows shouldn't really be eating corn...their bodies were made with all those stomachs (my biology is not so great so no quoting me) for the purpose of digesting _grass_ not corn...but there is this huge system of corn driven agri-business that is in place that is going to be really difficult to dismantle...but think about it...taking this corn land and making it pasture would have a huge impact on what we as american's eat and a huge impact on the environment...the corn that doesn't go into animal feed gets made into corn syrup and corn derived food additives...if we got rid of all of that corn syrup our diets would undergo a drastic change for the better and might even begin to cut into the epidemic of obesity in this country...so by changing this one thing would could potentially be fixing two really big problems...but i am stuck with the how...how do we as regular folks dig into this...i know that i am doing my best to support locally produced foods as much as i can...but how can we make a bigger impact...i guess i need to do some more thinking...

Hills and Malawi

so tonight we ran hills...that is hill repeats...five okay i was peer pressured into six times...this is my first time for this sort of thing...r.e.s.t. is the goal...relax...no earings made from your shoulders...effort...exert some you _are_ running up a big hill...stride...think about it but it will shorten on its own...take the top...yeah pass the person in front of you and get back on your goal pace...sounds good right...yeah it's hard...and then for more fun...run backwards up the hill a few times too...it really is as hard as it sounds...but man was it fun...i know everyone must think i am a nut...but i love this stuff...and that is the whole point...it is no fun if you don't like the process...right...it's all about the process...also tonight our team talked about sponsoring a runner from Malawi...we would need to raise about $3000 to be able to bring that runner here to participate in the Austin marathon...this could be an amazing experience...i am totally down...and i would bake my little heart out and have my own lil bake sale to raise my share of the funds...and i know that we can do it...i might even take charge...you never can tell with me :P

At home in Austin

At the end of June j and i moved to Austin from Savannah and it seems a lot has been going on ever since then...i got a job working at Flip Happy Crepes It's in an old Avion trailer...we only make crepes...sweet and savory but only crepes...j and i adopted two cats who are sisters...they were rescued from a neighborhood close by...their names are brownie and betty...because one looks like a brownie...and the other reminds me of apple brown betty...i joined Rouge Running to train for the Austin Marathon in February...i figured out that since i started the program in September i have run about 220 miles and that is just the beginning of the program!...my coach is amazing and has inspired a group of us in the first timers program to set our sights on an Ironman...i am hoping to start training for multi-sport after the completion of the marathon...that is if Santa brings me a tri bike and a swim suit for Christmas...i applied for and got in to the UT program for Nutrition...in hopes of becoming a dietitian/nutritionist...i think it will be fun to be an undergrad all over again...uhh...j built a fence around our yard...i helped a little...ok mostly just moral support...though i did hammer a few nails...(and sang some indigo girls while i was doing it) i am very proud of his accomplishment...it is great feat for a small bear...and we have begun the tedious process of painting and painting it...so i guess for now that should catch y'all up to speed with things here in Texas...i am going to try this blogging thing out for awhile to see how i like talking to the world about me...and getting it out of my head...