Topsy-Turvy

It has once again been far too long since I posted anything. The title pretty much sums up how I have been. My life has been extra crazy recently: my husband and I separated in February, and I moved at the beginning of March, so I have begun a new chapter of my life. It's a good thing, but not without some adjustments and growing pains. We have, so far, managed to keep things fairly amicable and have filed for divorce without the aid of lawyers. The dogs and I are getting used to apartment living - it has been awhile for me, and it's all new for them - and I am enjoying my much shorter commute to work. I think we are starting to settle into our new routines, and we're all happy the weather is finally starting to resemble spring!

Now, onto the belated race reports! Since my last report, I've knocked out three more:

Race #5: Fireside Frostbite Five Miler (2/22/14)
I had not done this one before, and was not aware of just how big it was. There were 1258 finishers, compared to Feel the Love with just under 300, or Shiver by the River with around 475 for the 5 and 10k combined. For a winter race, it was remarkably big. Even though I knew a handful of people racing this one, I never saw any of them in the crowd. I was running a little later than ideal getting out there, and parking was pretty crowded, but I managed to score one of the last spots in the parking lot of the school where the race was held. The high for the day was relatively warm, and it was supposed to be around 40 degrees by the time the race was due to start. However, as soon as I stepped out of the car and nearly slipped and fell I realized the ice had not all melted yet. The race organizers were working hard to get salt down along the course and school grounds to help melt it and prevent any injuries, and delayed the start by 15 minutes to give things a chance to thaw a bit more. But the sun was shining, and it was a nice day for a race (once the ice melted).

As I headed to line up for the start I realized there was a good-sized snow bank lining the street, between the sidewalk I was walking down and the road we would be running down. Others had clearly gone before me, so I thought I could safely step where someone else had stepped before to get across. So, I put my right foot into a shoe print in the snow bank to hop over, and as soon as I transferred my weight to that foot I sunk in, right up to my knee! I tried to continue forward by I was good and stuck and had to put my left foot back down on the pavement in order to free my right. It must have been pretty comical watching me flail around. My shin stung too, which I thought was odd - it was just snow, afterall - but I realized after I got home that it was icy and hard enough that my leg got scraped right through my tights. Attempt two got me over the snow bank and into starting position.

After that, the race was uneventful. The ice had mostly cleared and there were just a few slushy spots left. I finished in 50:25, neither my worst nor my best 5 miler. I don't remember anything noteworthy about the course, but the availability of indoor bathrooms at the start/finish (inside the school) is a definite plus in my book!

Race #6: Athlete’s Closet Winter Series March St. Patrick's Day Themed 5 Miler (3/1/14)

This one was another race I had not done before, and a bit of an adventure. A running store out in the suburbs organizes a winter series, and this was the last in the series for the year. Besides being inexpensive and closer than the Shiver by the River races, this one was dog-friendly, so I could take Pinky! My awesome friend, E, agreed to drive both of us out there. I was in the thick of packing and moving (moving day was the next day), so I almost bailed on this one. It was a nice break, though.

Race day morning she picked Pinky and I, and we made our way out to the race. Neither of us managed to come up with anything St Patrick's day-themed, but we made it out in plenty of time for the start. Pinky didn't know quite what to make of everything. Bib pickup was in the running store, and the start was around the corner in a residential neighborhood. This race was tiny, with just over 50 finishers. It was a great intro race for Pinky, not too big and overwhelming! We got to the start point and the block was lined with cars on either side, and the racers in the middle of the road. 

Just as we were getting ready to start the race, someone from the Fire Department came through and yelled at the crowd and race director that we could not be in the road. Apparently the neighbors hadn't been made aware of what was going on either, because several people in front of their homes were confused and wondering what we were doing. A hothead or two in the crowd tried to engage with the fire department representative rather than just getting out of the way until they were gone. Finally everything got squared away and we lined up again, and this time actually got underway. The course looped around through the neighborhood twice to complete the 5 miles. We made it about 2 blocks when Pinky had to answer the call of nature and made  a sudden stop right in front of E. It would have been a great moment for a video camera to capture, as E hurdled Pinky to avoid getting tripped. After that little snafu we got back to running and made it through the rest of the race without event. About a block of the course was along a pretty busy street and we were forced to run with traffic for it; that portion was a bit nerve-wracking, but we made it through alright. Pinky was thrilled to sprint it in to the finish chute, and I think we were probably quite the sight with her ears flapping and me trying to keep pace with her. The volunteers seemed pretty amused. 

Afterward the three of us returned to the running store for refreshments and the awards ceremony. Overall it was a bit of an adventure and I don't know if I would do that one again, but it was a nice afternoon and offered a chance to catch up with E. Plus, 6 down, 24 to go!

I still owe you one more race report, but bed is calling. Next up will be the story of the Race #7: The inaugural Love Run. It's too good of a story to rush. Plus, this weekend I head to DC for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler! I can't wait for that one; the weather looks good, a couple of running buddies are taking the same bus down and back with me, and another is rooming with me which should be a great opportunity for us to reconnect (it's been awhile) as well.

And as a reminder, along with the craziness of running thirty races in one year, I'm aiming to raise $3,000 for Girls on the Run Philadelphia. If you're feeling generous, please go to tinyurl.com/joy30for30 to donate. Any amount is very much appreciated, I still have a long way to go!

Inspirational Reading for Your Snow Day

If you're in the area getting hit by Winter Storm Pax: happy snow day! If not, I hope you're enjoying warmer weather and clear, ice and snow-free streets and sidewalks. I enjoyed my snow day by catching up on some sleep and making pancakes and tempeh bacon for brunch. Yum!

Sometimes the cold dark days of winter get me down a little, and I need a little inspiration. I shared some of blogger James Clear's work before, and now I want to share from another blog I enjoy: this awesome post from Nerd Fitness. This one definitely hit home for me. I am absolutely one of those people that feels the need to finish what I started, whether it's still enjoyable or not. Sometimes it is important, sometimes it isn't.

Enjoy! Come back and tell me how you're going to work on "leveling up".

Race Reviews (4 of them) with a Side of Biking

I have once again been remiss in posting, but the good news is I have four races under my belt for 2014 already to tell you about. Just 26 more to go!

Race #1: New Year's Eve 5k

As the name suggests, this race takes place on New Year's Eve, but starts right at midnight - so it was my first official race of 2014! There was an open bar and buffet at a bar by the ballpark leading up to the start of the race, and then we headed out into the cold to run a 5k through the parking lot. The course itself was pretty boring. What made this one special (besides being at midnight) was the NYE fireworks display going off right overhead while we were running. It was pretty awesome to get to watch fireworks for the duration of the race. It was quite chilly so I was highly motivated to finish quickly and pulled in a new PR (by a few seconds). One of my awesome co-workers joined me for this one, which made it all the more awesome. It was really a great way to start out the year and my 30 for 30 challenge!

Race #2: 38th The "Mayor's" Icicle Ten Miler (1/12/14)

With winter weather in full-swing (and a good dose of laziness) I was woefully under-prepared for this one. My steadfast running buddy and her partner do this one nearly every year and invited me along, so I was able to hitch a ride with them and had a buddy to run with. It's a smaller race, but has been growing. This one is in Wilmington, out of the Central YMCA, which is quite nice. Packet pickup is indoors, along with use of the locker rooms. Indoor bathrooms are definitely a plus, especially in January! We took dry clothes and were able to shower and change afterwards, which helped warm us up and made the trip home more pleasant. The course is fairly hilly, and neither of us were as fit as we would've liked so it was one of our slower 10 milers. But we made it through, and got to enjoy brunch at a nearby pub/restaurant where the after-party takes place before heading home.

Race #3: Shiver by the River #3 (2/2/14)

I had intended to run the Lehigh Valley Road Runners Superbowl 10k but it sold out before I registered. Oops! I also considered a 5k in West Chester on Saturday, which is about a 30 minute drive from home, but I joined a fun run at City Sports for the unveiling of the new Brooks shoe at 11pm the night before and it made for quite a late night. Totally worth it, but I didn't make it out of bed in time to get out there. So, I made the drive out to Reading for the third of the four race Shiver by the River series. The series is also on the smaller side, and pretty low-key, but nicely organized. I appreciate that the start is at 11am also, because it is a 1 1/2 hour drive out there. Also, it's only $15 per race, or $40 for the entire series. There is a 5k and 10k option, just two loops instead of one. I was tempted to just do the 5k (another chilly day and I still haven't been training regularly), but I figured I had to justify the long drive and stuck it out for the 10k. I wasn't aiming for a particular time since I'd been running irregularly, so I went a little slower than I perhaps could've, although not quite as slow as intended.

Race #4: Feel the Love Couples 5k (2/8/14)

This one took place in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, put on by the Bryn Mawr Racing Co. Of course the proximity to Valentine's Day makes the theme fairly obvious. This is the first time I had done this particular race. It's a twist on your average 5k: the awards are based on a "couple" team, and each person runs the loop in opposite directions. You get to see each other a few times along the course this way, and the awards are based on your combined time as a couple. You can sign up with your partner, or ask to be paired with someone, or just run as a loner (but then  you're not eligible for prizes). It was pretty cute. Another unusual feature is the fact that it started at 3:30pm. Given that it takes place in February and was pretty chilly even at this hour, I have no complaints about this, but it was definitely a departure from the normal race start times in the early morning. If you're not a morning person (like me), this is a pretty great race. Also, this one had the cutest race shirt of the year so far, and was quite affordable at $20 advance. The course wasn't the most scenic, but there was a nice stretch along the water where we got to see some of the huge ships docked out there. It's advertised as being "flat and fast", and it was indeed quite flat. I had a nice surprise with this one too, when I saw my running buddies at bib pickup before the race (the same ones I went to Wilmington with). I wasn't expecting company for this one, but they'd gotten an entry given to them at the last moment and ended up coming. So I once again had a running buddy, which was a great bonus that made it more enjoyable.

And that brings you up-to-date on my 2014 races. Next up, the Frostbite 5 miler on Feb. 22nd!

I think I'm off to a pretty good start, I just need to get back in my groove with running regularly. We've had quite the winter with lots of snow and ice and bitter cold temperatures, so I have found it challenging to get out the door to go run. I could hit the treadmill instead, but that comes with the logistical challenges of getting to the gym in the morning before work, or keeping my evening schedule clear so I can get there afterward (and keeping my motivation up). We just got even more snow this evening, and more bitter cold temps forecasted for the week, so winter is showing no signs of mercy just yet. Spring can't come soon enough! 

To switch things up a bit (and avoid the cold), I joined the T3 triathlon club's indoor "Biking for Breakfast" event today. Now, I don't actually do triathlons, so I'm a bit of a poser (although I openly admit this). I might venture into the world of duathlons one day, if I can get a decent bike. And figure out how to ride without sitting and walking hurting for the next 2 days. Okay, it hurts right now, and I'm anticipating it will take a couple of days to go away. I definitely see the utility of the padded shorts. 

That aside, it was a good workout and a fun crowd. The club really is a great group of people, and we had awesome volunteers cooking pancakes and waffles for us too. I brought a vegan and gluten-free waffle batter that they kindly cooked up for me, so I even had a yummy breakfast awaiting me when I got off the bike. Philadelphia Bikesmith, who hosted us, was awesome and set both me and my brother-in-law up on bikes and trainers for the workout. It was an all-around good time. In part due to this awesome event, I decided to go ahead and renew my club membership. I didn't feel like I made great use of it last year, but the board is really on fire this year. Since I'm considering dabbling in the world of biking in the near future, and they've been doing a great job cranking out awesome events, I think it's going to be totally worth it this year.

On that note, I need to get some sleep! I'd love to hear if anyone has tips on how to bike more comfortably, or favorite cold weather workout motivation!

Spring race lineup!

Happy holidays everyone! As we speed along toward January 1st, I have been working on my race lineup for my "30 for 30" project, and I think I have my spring races pretty well ironed out.  Don't forget part of my goal for this is to raise at least $3000 for Girls on the Run Philadelphia! I really appreciate any donations, of any size, and if you have any fun ideas for fundraisers, I'm open to suggestions.  You can make online donations at my SoleMates website. I'm going to offer suggested donations below, if you'd like to donate in support of a particular race.

Here's the plan:

1. Ushering in the New Year with a midnight 5k! (Suggested donation: $5.00 for a 5k!)
2. Shiver by the River 5 or 10k - the second race in this 4 race series takes place on 1/5/14. I'll shoot for the 10k. No frills, but you can't beat $40 for 4 races! (Suggested donation: $10.00 for a 10k)
3. The 38th "Mayor's" Icicle Ten Miler on 1/12/14. (Suggested donation: $16.00, because 10 mi roughly equals 16k!)
4. I'm still on the fence for this one, but if anyone wants to join me, I'm game! The 7.2 mi "Chilly Cheeks" Trail Run on 1/26/14 in Reading, PA sounds like fun. Carpooling is welcome. (Suggested donation: $7.20!)
5. I missed on the boat on the Lehigh Valley Road Racers' Superbowl 10k (that one fills up early!), so I'll be doing Shiver by the River #3 on 2/2/14. (Suggested donation: $10.00 for a 10k)
6. On 2/8/2014, join me for the Feel the Love Couples 5k at the Philadelphia Navy Yard! ($20 if you register by 12/31!) It sounds like a fun concept where you and a partner (optional) run loops in opposite directions to cheer each other on during the race. You can also run as a loner, or ask to be assigned a partner. I haven't done this one before, but it sounds cute. (Suggested donation: $5.00 for a 5k!)
7. To wrap up my birthday month, I'm hoping to make it out to Phoenix for the first 2014 Arizona Free Half Marathon on 2/23/14. By mid-February I usually need a break from the dreariness in Philly, so fingers crossed that I can find a budget flight and get out there. Backup plan is the local Fireside Frostbite Five Miler. (Suggested donation: $21, because 13.1 mi is ~21 km.)
8. In March, wrapping up the Shiver by the River series on 3/2/14. (Suggested donation: $10.00 for a 10k)
9. Not yet registered, but most like the Caesar Rodney 5k in Delaware. (Suggested donation: $5.00 for a 5k!) I was thinking of doing the half, but I think I'll save up my energy for the next weekend. BUT, I can be talked into doing the half. If I get a $21 or greater donation for this one, I'll do the half! Just comment or send me an email and tell me you're donating and want me to do the Caesar Rodney half marathon.
10. The inaugural Love run! A new half marathon on 3/30/14, by CGI Racing. I did their Unite half marathon spring of 2013, and it was very nice, so I'm looking forward to this one. And I will be officially doing it as a SoleMate for GOTR Philadelphia! (Suggested donation: $21, because 13.1 mi is ~21 km.)
11. I'm also very excited to have gotten into the iconic Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC, held on 4/6/14! This should be a real treat, with getting to see some DC area friends on top of a super fun race. Can't wait! (Suggested donation: $16.00, because 10 mi roughly equals 16k!)

There will be more fun to come in April and throughout the rest of the year, but that's enough for now! I'd love to see you out there either as a runner or waving from the sidelines, and welcome your financial support for GOTR. It's going to be a fabulous year!

Another inspiring blogger

I'm not feeling inspired to write anything at the moment, but I just read this great post by another blogger. It's about running, but not only that. I think it's very inspiring, and I hope you enjoy it as well: http://zenhabits.net/ultra/

Vegan Thanksgiving and getting ready for 2014

I'm having a hard time believing it is December already, and we are almost into 2014. It seems like this year has flown by. A sure sign of aging, no doubt.

I wanted to share what our first all-vegan Thanksgiving dinner consisted of. Most years we end up doing a feast with lots of non-vegan Thanksgiving, so although lots of the sides and rolls are vegan, there is still a turkey. We've just had our little turkey-substitute on the side, like a Tofurky Roast. We did not travel for Thanksgiving this year so we got to have our own little vegan feast with my sister and her husband (also vegan)! I decided I wanted to make our own turkey-substitute rather than buying a commercial product. This was our menu; sorry, no pictures because I never think of things like that!
First Course:

• Thanksgiving Salad

Entree:

• Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf
• Bourbon Sweet Potatoes with brussels sprouts - these are always a hit with the omnivorous crowd as well. Just use Earth Balance or a similar vegan product in place of the butter, or you can even omit it and they're still delicious. To add some green I threw in some brussels sprouts. Tasty! (You can check Barnivore.com to find what brands of bourbon are vegan-friendly; that goes for any alcohol. If you're curious, they also explain why some AREN'T vegan.)
• Cranberry Chutney - I prefer a cooked cranberry sauce, and I've made a version of this for a few years now.
• Steamed broccoli
• Latkes - in honor of the one and only Thanksgivvukah in our lifetime, with vegan sour cream and applesauce, of course!
• Butterhorn Rolls - this is a beloved family recipe. The original, as you may guess from the name, is slathered in butter. We've done them very successfully for several years with Earth Balance. I also attempted a gluten free batch this year - that's going to take a lot more perfecting. I still ate them all over a few days, but they definitely weren't quite right. 

Dessert:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie

The pies were a bit experimental, and I can't say I am entirely happy with the way they turned out. I attempted to make a vegan/gluten free crust by simply substituting for an ordinary pie crust recipe. It was not very successful. The pumpkin pie filling however, was delicious. I have to track down a link to the recipe we ended up trying. The original plan was to use a recipe that I had made before substituting MimicCreme for the evaporated milk it called for. I wasn't able to find MimicCreme*, so plan b was to use full fat coconut milk (canned) - you can also use the cream layer off of coconut milk to make a whipped topping. But the store was also sold out of full fat coconut milk when I was doing Thanksgiving shopping; I'm imagining all of the other vegans were doing the same thing! In the end my sister found a recipe online which called for cashews blended in with the pumpkin and other filling ingredients. It was very tasty, and I would absolutely make that one again - just with a better crust next time.

Aside from not being thrilled with the pie crusts, everything was tasty. This was the first time we tried the "meatless loaf" and I thought it was really yummy. DH wanted gravy, so he made some later on to go with leftovers. The rest of us were happy with the cranberry chutney over it.

Now that we're through Thanksgiving and Hannukkah, and rolling right through December, I imagine a lot of people are starting to think about the New Year along with me. If you like to set ambitious goals or resolutions, let me recommend checking out another excellent blog post from James Clear. As I was reading I was reflecting on how this seems to be true for me - the habit and identity of being a runner definitely went hand in hand. I love the concept of setting your identity and then working toward it, and I think there are a lot of reasons why this is more likely to work than just saying "I want to lose weight" (or whatever it is you may want to accomplish).

What identity will you choose for yourself? I think mine needs to be, I am a person with an organized home! 

* I just figured out why I couldn't find MimicCreme when I went to the company's website. Apparently they are going out of business. So sad! They made some wonderful products.

Philadelphia Marathon Recap

This last week flew by! I've been enjoying some R & R post-marathon - no running for a week or two. I feel pretty back to normal now. October and November have been pretty crazy for a lot of reasons. For one, my mom has been in town helping with a bunch of projects around the house, which resulted in things being pretty topsy turvy around the house. The end result is nice - a pretty little powder room from the disaster of a half bath in the basement, finally baseboard and base shoe all around, the stairs down to the  basement are nicely finished and now have a hand rail, and pretty new interior doors throughout. There was lots of organizing as well. Now that my mom has flown off to her next destination, things are a little quieter.

So, I'm just now getting around to doing a race recap. The 20th anniversary Philadelphia Marathon was my third full marathon. I have mixed feelings about the outcome. My plan was to start with the 4:45 Clif Team pace group, which I did. The race got off to a good start, I stuck to the plan of fueling with my Tailwind Nutrition drink I was carrying in four 8 oz bottles on a waist belt, and hung with the pace group. The pacer was aiming for 10:30 miles, and walk through the water stops. This felt slightly challenging, but was doable...for the first 30k. At that point, I started to drop back. My neck and shoulders were tense and sore, and I couldn't seem to relax, and my hip flexors and IT band were also hurting. I tried to convince myself I could hang in there with the group, but it just wasn't happening. My splits went downhill pretty fast after the 30k mark. At this point I gave up on a 4:45, but was still hoping to break 5:00. I was doing some walking, but still a good amount of running through Manayunk and up until the last few miles. I definitely struggled at the end. There were a few bright moments, with the crowd cheering in Manayunk. One of the best pick-me-ups was when a fellow tapped me on the shoulder around mile 23, I think, and said he'd been following me for a while and it was keeping him on track. I told him I was struggling myself, but I was happy to hear I was helping him out in some way. It definitely kept me going for a bit!

My finish time was 5:01:35, not quite what I was aiming for. However, compared to 5:24:32, it was still a big improvement over last year. A few things that I think went "wrong" or I could improve on:
1. My lower back had been bothering me the week leading up to the race. Maybe the tension there led to the early onset of neck/shoulder pain and the hip flexor/IT band issues. I did not have nearly as much discomfort during my 18 or 20 mile training runs, and this set in around the halfway mark if I recall correctly. I did some stretching during the week, but maybe a good massage or some serious foam rolling would have helped release some of that tension and set me up for a better race.

2. I did drink all 32 oz of the Tailwind Nutrition drink, and had about 1/2 a citrus Clif shot (all I felt I could stomach at the time). Late in the race I mostly just wanted water, but all told I only took in about 450 calories - around 111g carbs. For a 5:00:00 run, with 30-60 g of carbs recommended/hour, or 150-300 g carbs total, that was on the low side. It was also warming up late in the race (around 60 degrees!), which was lovely, but also contributed to dehydration I'm sure. I'm not great at hydrating in general, so I suspect I was somewhat dehydrated going in, and certainly didn't improve during the race. I probably need to work on both my endurance to improve my ability to burn fat for fuel while running, as well as refining my fueling and hyrdation during a race. In general, I feel like I've done pretty well in training with a beverage for fuel since it seems like a big hit of sugar all at once from a gel is too much for my stomach, and I can meter it out better with a drink. I've tried the Clif Bloks in the past and liked them pretty well, but I'm not great at remembering to take them as often as I should, and now with my current mouth bling (i.e. braces, yes, at almost 30), gummies are a problem. I think fueling and hydration might turn into a separate blog post or several.

3. There's a fine line between challenging oneself and overreaching. The 4:45 goal was definitely a stretch. My 18 mile training run was strong and I completed it at around an 11:00/mi pace. My 20 miler was not quite so good. I had a little niggle of doubt that I could pull it off. Maybe if I had been more confident it would've helped. Maybe if I had started out a bit slower, I would have had some gas left in the tank for the finish and could've potentially finished in under 5 hours, if not the 4:45 I was shooting for. Maybe one or two more 20 mile training runs would help me feel more prepared (and perhaps build endurance as noted above). Lots of maybes.

I have to give a shout-out to Team Philly for the great support and coaching throughout the season, particularly the weekend long runs.

Did you run long recently? What have you found does or doesn't work for you in training and fueling?