first race of 2012

Waiting for the start of the Polar Dash 5k. See the banner
snapping in the wind? Gusts of about 40 mph made for a brisk run yesterday!

Yesterday the husband and I almost missed the first race of the year.  Once again, we signed up for the Polar Dash 5k.  We had our choice of 5k, 10k and Half Marathon, but Minnesota winters being unpredictable as they are, we KNOW we can pound out a 5k in most conditions, but a 10k or Half Marathon if the weather is truly awful?  I know my limits....so we went with the 5k.

We've done this race for the last couple of years.  It's a great way to kick off the New Year and doesn't start at an impossibly early hour after a night of fun.  We did our usual New Year's Eve pre-race prep: fondue (steak, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and had two pots going - the husband is a traditionalist and likes to cook his fondue in oil; I prefer my concoction of beef broth, red wine, dried mushrooms, herbs and garlic), I made two yummy dipping sauces: chipotle mayo and creamy horseradish; we also had baked potatoes, cheese fondue with bread and apples, and for dessert we had some Don Julio 1942 and decadent chocolates.  Who wouldn't be able to run a kick-ass race with that kind of fuel in the tank?

I assumed the race start time was the same this year as it has been for the last two years (11:00), and you know what happens when you assume.  Because of the rain/snow/ice we got hit with on New Year's Eve, I decided to look at the website as I was getting ready yesterday morning to see if there were any warnings or changes due to the weather.  That was when I noticed the asterisk:

Polar Dash 5K Highlights

• *NEW 10:15 a.m. Start Time (10K & Half start at 10:00 a.m.)
• Hot Chocolate at the Finish Line
• Unisex Polar Dash fleece
• Stained-glass medal
• Bib/gear mailing option during online registration only -- until December 16, 2011
• Bag Drop/Pick-up
• Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis is the beneficiary for this race.  It does fabulous orthopaedic work for children all over the U.S.

Doh!  So instead of 45 minutes to get ready and head out the door, we now had about 5 minutes.  How we both missed that little detail I have no idea.  I would have been so pissed if we'd gotten all the way over there and then found out we missed the race!!  It's all about planning and preparation, people!

The right shoes for the job.

Anywhoo, we got dressed and were on our way.  Found a place to park and headed for the start line.  It turned out just fine, and as a bonus we didn't have to stand around for too long since the race was starting in just 15 minutes.  Although it was warm out (26 degrees or so) it was WINDY! Gusts up to 40 mph, with a headwind after the turnaround. That made the second half feel pretty tough.  

Because of the crappy road conditions, I wore my sassy trail shoes.  They were awesome on the snow and ice! Last year we had about 2 feet of snow so I wore my YakTrax.  They were good on the snowy portions but sucked where the pavement was clear. The trail shoes handled the transitions much better and you gotta love the way they look!

So, back to the race.  It's a "fun run" which means no chip timing this year.  (Also a change from last year.)  Lots of walkers and first-timers.  Although it can be frustrating to weave through the slow traffic, it's super fun to see them crossing the finish line of their first 5k looking SO excited and you just know they are feeling that awesome sense of accomplishment!  

The race went quick!  I lost the husband after the first mile - I thought he was right behind me heading up the big hill but when I turned around, I didn't see him in the mass of runners. Heartless wife that I am, I just went ahead and ran my race, figuring I'd find him at the finish. And I did.  Garmin Electra kept pace for me and didn't pull any stunts.  It's so nice when she cooperates.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	30:13.1	3.04	9:56
1	10:20.6	1.00	10:21
2	9:55.6	1.00	9:56
3	9:35.5	1.00	9:35
4	:21.4	0.04	8:53

5k finishers!

Check it out: last year's time on the exact same course was 35:25.  I was instructed to go slow last year because I was nursing an injury, but I don't think I would have been much faster even if I pushed it.  This year, even with the ice and nasty headwind, my time was 30:13.  And I wasn't pushing it at all, I was just having a nice easy run.  I'd say that's an improvement!  (Of course now I wish I had pushed it because I could have started the year off with a PR, albeit unofficial.  Dammit!  Oh well.) And maybe if we had fueled the machine a little better the night before I could have run a little faster....nah, that's just me talking crazy.

So anyway, for day one of my challenges: move for 30 minutes - check.  Run at least a mile - check.

Clean eating?  Ummmm, not so much.  But let's not talk about that now.  

How did your first day of New Year challenges go?  

so long 2011, you was a good 'un!

This is how we decorate our workout room.

In the day to day chaos that is my life, I sometimes need reminders that while maybe I'm still not a "serious" runner (whatever that is), I did have a pretty damn fantastic year of running in 2011.  I tried a few new things, set some lofty goals and accomplished them, and learned that while I may not be honeybadger tough, I did manage to run 26.2 miles in one day, and that's pretty freaking cool.  (Have I mentioned yet that I ran Grandma's marathon this past June? No? Well, I ran Grandma's Marathon last June!)

Anywhoo, now that 2012 is upon us, here's a little recap of my 2011 experiences.  It's my love note to myself.

Goals attempted:
1. Finish my first marathon.  GOAL MET!  Grandma's Marathon 4:56:27.
2. Complete at least one race per month in 2011. On average, I met this goal.  I ran 18 races in 2011 (including one virtual race).  December was my only "no race" month - I was planning to do the Reindeer Run on the 4th but it just wasn't in the cards.  So.... I guess I didn't run at least one race per calendar month...... regardless, I'm going with GOAL MET.  'Cuz that's how I roll.  (Also, I like to show how in touch I am with the youngsters by using hip phrases like that.)
3. Get stronger and (hopefully) faster as the year goes on. Ok, so I'm really not sure that I'm any stronger, but judging by the PRs in my last few races, I think I definitely got faster!  So...GOAL MET.

I'm a huge fan of the hardware.  (Hmmmmmm, does that
make me a bling whore?)
I got my first medal at the January 2010 Polar Dash and
earned two more that year. The rest are all from 2011.
Oh, and see that big gold one? That's from Grandma's!

Some things I've learned:

1. When you find running socks you love, buys lots of them.  I now have so many pairs of running socks that they have their own drawer and don't have to mingle with my non-running socks.
2. Eggs before a long run = bad.
3. It's best to check the mirror when trying different looks for races (e.g. tying your jacket around your waist; wearing a headband for the first time; lipstick choices....)
4. 4 = the number of toenails I lost this year before finding the perfect socks
5. Tucking things with sharp edges (e.g. HoneyStinger waffle package) in the waistband of your pants (because you don't have pockets) and then running 10 miles, can lead to painful divots in your skin.  So don't do that.
6. Ice baths, scary though the concept may sound, are your friend.
7. Too many carbs and not enough protein before a workout = bonking.
8. This should be fun!  If it's not fun, change it up.
9. It's tough to accomplish big goals on your own.  To the husband: I couldn't have done most of this without your encouragement, love and support.  Thank you!! You are simply amazing.  And I'm lucky!
10. The kindness of strangers goes a really long way.  Thanks to you folks who have read my little observations on running and have been kind enough to comment, donate money to a good cause and show your support as I shuffle along towards various finish lines.  Seriously, your comments make my day.  It's been fun hearing from you and getting to meet some of you!

So what's next?  I feel like I'm getting my mojo back and am excited for the new year.  I'm sure it will wax and wane per usual but here's what I'm shooting for in 2012:

1. I'm going to complete Grandma's again and improve my time.
2. I'm going to run 1000 miles.  Yes, run, not walk and elliptical and run (see end of year totals, below), I am going to RUN 1000 miles.
3. I will run at least one mile per day every day of the year.  (the "I heart to Run" running streak challenge)
4. I will purposely move my body 30 minutes every day for the first 100 days of the year.  I may try to stretch that out for the entire year, we'll see how it goes!
5. And I must mention eating better.  Oh, the eternal struggle to not consistently succumb to my love of carbs and sugar and grease and salt. I'm working on eating clean..... this one should be fun to watch. 
6. Keep on trying new challenges and see where this adventure takes me next.

What does 2012 hold for you?  What are you excited about?

One last snapshot: Here's my mileage as tracked on dailymile.com for 2011 - includes running (560.87), walking (282.39) and elliptical miles (15.44).  Total of 858.7 miles.

1. 24
   Jan '11
2. 36
   Feb '11
3. 100
   Mar '11
4.  116
   Apr '11
5. 126
   May '11
6.  94
   Jun '11
7.  61
   Jul '11
8. 49
   Aug '11
9. 55
   Sep '11
10. 72
    Oct '11
11. 68
    Nov '11
12.  58
    Dec '11

bring on 2012

The theme for this year's Christmas Eve
dinner was Greek.  Opa!

Do you hear that hissing noise?  For this runner, 2011 is ending with a sound similar to air being let out of a tire.

I've turned into more of a walker over the past couple of months....I'm not sure why, but I just haven't been running that much.  I think it's a combination of things:
1. Working 50-60 hours per week has been taking its toll, both mentally and physically.
2.  Hello, perimenopause!  I haven't been sleeping well.  I often wake up at 3:00 a.m. or so and am then up for the day.  Could I have run on the treadmill at that time?  Probably, but I was usually trying to get back to sleep, or having given up on that happening, I would get up and work instead.
3. Jane needs to be walked every day and though I'd like to run with her more, I find that her needing to stop and do things like poop, pee and smell whatever nastiness she comes across messes with my running rhythm.  And let's not forget that when Jane takes a poo, someone has to carry it and so far, I haven't figured out how to make that someone be Jane and not me.  So, it has seemed like too much work somehow to fit in running with walking and everything else.
4.  The holidays.  I LOVE having family here for the holidays.  We hosted both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners.  But that takes some time and work, too.  I was hoping the Holiday Booty Buster Challenge would help me get back in running mode but it didn't provide enough oomph on it's own..... I'm thinking maybe because it wasn't tied to a higher goal? (see #5 below)
5. Add in the lack of a real plan heading in the direction of a real goal, and here I am, lacking enough motivation to get me out the door for a real run.  All that has lead to a lack of blogging, too.  If I'm not running, there isn't much to blog about.

Looks like it's time for some changes!

source: reference.yourdictionary.com

For a start, I'm setting goals for 2012, both personal and professional.  I've also decided that if I want to incorporate fitness back into my life on a daily basis, I'm going to have to schedule it.  If it's not on the calendar, it's probably not going to get done.  And I'm adding in some fun challenges: The I Heart to Run 2012 Running Streak one mile per day running challenge, and John Bingham's 30 minutes for 100 days Challenge (30 minutes of intentional movement per day for 100 days).  I'm also looking for some new fish to fry in 2012.  I don't want to do a repeat of 2011 with the same races and the same goals...although 2011 was a great year for me with a lot of fabulous "firsts" (first trail race, first Warrior Dash, first MARATHON!!) I admit it, I'm selfish.  I want more firsts in 2012.

And of course, I'm going to do a recap of 2011 so I can see all the things I accomplished in one year, including some things I never dreamed I'd be able to do in my lifetime (one example: run 26.2 miles in one day).

I'm thinking of it as a little love note to myself.  :)

So bring on 2012!  I'm excited for all the possibilities the New Year holds!!

How do you get yourself out of a rut?  Any advice you can share or tricks you've used to get back on track?

hbbc week 1

Well, my inaugural week of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge started off as a bit of a whimper.

I only managed to log 18 miles of running and walking.  Add another 2 points for two days of eating more than 7 servings of fruits of vegetables (yay me!) and I have a whopping 20 points so far.

Here's the breakdown, the lowdown, the tally, the score...
Saturday - 6.05 miles run, 2.36 miles walked
Sunday - nothin'
Monday - 2.53 miles walked
Tuesday - nada
Wednesday - 1.85 miles walked
Thursday - 3.51 miles run AND I'd like extra credit please, because we hosted Thanksgiving dinner!
Friday - 2.08 miles walked

If you haven't already read this book,
you should.  It's fabulous! But I'd
recommend skipping the movie.

I was hoping to run on Friday too, but wasn't feeling well so I skipped it.  I hope my illness isn't related to my cooking???  I felt even worse yesterday so I was a complete slacker and didn't do anything except lay around and watch bad movies like Water For Elephants.  I LOVED the book - I couldn't read it fast enough it was so good.  The movie was.......boring. (Although I must admit, the whole Robert Pattinson thing?  I think I get it now.)  Anywhoo, I'm still not feeling the greatest but I think I'm going to head out with Jane later and see how it goes.

Hopefully, HBBC week 2 will be much more substantial.

Oh, and in case you want more compelling workout details, I post my workouts on dailymile.com for all to see.  What's dailymile, you ask?  It's kind of like Facebook for walkers, runners and triathletes.  It's chock full of super supportive fellow athletes (and yes, if you're getting your butt off the couch and moving, you're an athlete!) who really, truly and honestly care if you prefer honey stingers over GU, folks who will give you a "WTG!" message for going on a walk with your dog, they'll commiserate when you're injured and celebrate with you like crazy when you reach a goal, whether that goal is running one mile or 26.2.  For a cowbell whore like me, it's just what I need to get me up and out the door!

post-thanksgiving thanks

Serving appetizers before dinner means I get to break
out the holiday cocktail napkin collection!

Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday - it's all about family, gathering and food!  Yesterday did not disappoint.

One of the things for which I was most thankful yesterday?  The husband knows how much I need to get out and get my run on, so he told me to go out for a few miles and he would stay home and make the pecan and pumpkin pies. <happy sigh> He rocks.

So Jane and I went out for a run.  I kept it short (3.5 miles) and it was a glorious morning for a run! All went well until we came upon a neighborhood Turkey Trot of some sort.  Jane was pretty sure that one of the families was going to break rank and murder us.  The ones with the strollers were most suspect... she kept turning around to look at them.  Yeah, that didn't get annoying or mess with my running rhythm at all.  Just for fun, I ran with both GarminElectra and my iPhone using iSmoothRun so I could compare and contrast....

Here's what GarminElectra said about the run:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	35:56.8	3.47	10:22.2
1	10:37.5	1.00	10:37.5
2	10:22.5	1.00	10:22.5
3	10:07.4	1.00	10:07.4
4	4:49.2	0.47	10:20.7

And here's what my phone said:
Running Time 00:36:35
Total Time 00:36:35
Total Distance 3.51 miles
Average Pace 10:25 /mile
Average Speed 5.76 mph
Total Calories Burned 431
Average Cadence 83
Ascend 633 ft
Descend -650 ft
Weather 39 °F, WC: 32 °F, 11mph S, 87%
Track Points 377

What did I learn in the comparison?  Not a lot.  But I like seeing the weather info.  Oh, and GarminElectra said I only burned 408 calories so I'm going with the phone info on that one - even though it doesn't matter on Thanksgiving (see below for my philosophy on that one.)

Anywhoo, back to dinner.  The husband and I typically host Thanksgiving dinner.  The number of folks attending can range anywhere from 14 to I think the most we've had about 32.  That year we had four tables set up.  This year we only had 16 so we were able to get everyone in the dining room.  A little sardine-like, but it was fun! I LOVE being with my family.

These cranberries are the shit.  In a good way.

And Thanksgiving is definitely a family affair.  If I had to cook ALL the food myself, I think I might not like the holiday so much.  But I don't have to cook it all - it's really more like a potluck - so that makes it much more relaxing.  The husband and I make one of the two (yes, our family has TWO) turkeys, mashed potatoes, scalloped oysters, pecan pies..... and my cranberry relish.  The relish is amazing.  I was pushing it on people waaaaayyyy before dinner, ("Come try the relish, it's my best one yet!") like it was the best drug on the market or something. So pathetic. But I digress.

I found the recipe in the paper.  It's super easy and only has a few ingredients.  As for nutritional value, it's better than most of what we serve on turkey day.  And besides, I've managed to delude myself into believing that on Thanksgiving, all calories null and void, and all foods are heart healthy and highly nutritious.  Right?  Am I right?? Yes, I believe I am.

So, back to yesterday. A smaller gathering because not everyone could make the trip this year, but that's ok.  And everyone is healthy this year.  HUGE bonus.  And the food was fantastic.  Friends showed up after dinner for pie (and a second dinner!)  I think everyone felt comfortable (until after eating too much, anyway) and welcome and that's what we shoot for each year.  So yesterday was a great day!

Oh, and the recipe!  Try it.  You won't regret it.  <psssst, the first one's free!>

Cranberry Apricot Relish
1 (12 oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries, about 3 cups
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar (or to taste) or mild clover honey
¼ cup finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried apricots, quartered or coarsely chopped
¼ cup dark Bacardi rum
Pick over the cranberries, discarding shriveled berries and stems. Rinse well and drain. Combine the water, sugar, ginger and cinnamon or allspice in a medium-size saucepan. Place the pan on the heat and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, or just until the syrup thickens and the ginger is tender. Stir in the cranberries and the apricots and cook, stirring, until the berries begin to pop. Immediately reduce heat to low, add the rum, and simmer the sauce about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until most of the berries have popped but the fruit is still firm and has texture. Don't cook the sauce into a mush.
Remove the sauce from the heat and cool to room temperature. Keeps at least two weeks in airtight containers, preferably glass jars.
Serve at room temperature.

According to the paper, here's the goodness breakdown per ¼ cup serving:
Calories: 104
Fat: 0 g
Saturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 3mg
Calcium: 12 mg
Dietary fiber: 2g
Carbohydrates: wait for it..... wait for it..... 24 g (no wonder I love this stuff!)

What were you most thankful for this year?  And what's your philosophy about holiday calorie consumption?