Running - Half-Marathon Training #30

Ten miles.  Some runs feel good, some feel bad, and some feel like torture.  This one felt like torture.  Because of a particularly nasty cold, I hadn't run in six days.  I delayed my long run for the week by two days so I could feel better and be completely medicine free for an entire day before attempting a run.  I was conflicted over how far I should run.  On one hand I didn't want to risk injury by running ten miles cold after six days of no exercise, not even yoga.  On the other hand, I didn't want to get behind on my mileage.  I compromised by running the ten miles but very slowly.  The slower pace didn't seem to matter.  Everything hurt.  I started getting shooting pains going from my hip to my toes.  What was that?  That was new.  At five miles I felt done but I still had to turn around and go home.  I started fantasizing about taking baby aspirin along to chew on during my runs.


Needless to say, it was a good day for mantras.  Some of mine today:  What are you made of?  You can do this.  You gonna quit?  Just one more step.  My favorite one though came at mile nine from a memory of Sophia.  She shouts, "Rock it baby," to accompany a double fist pump.  It turned my grimace into a smile and I made it home.  I read recently that thinking about a loved one can significantly reduce pain.  A lot of my mantras play like they're coming from a nasty trainer.  They are demanding and not at all polite.  So, after many miles of that unpleasant voice, it was a joy to think of my little girl encouraging me along.  Maybe I need to think of some more uplifting mantras.  

Gear

I was long overdue in taking water along on my runs.  My friend Sarah let me borrow a couple of belts.  She had a Nike one that held a bottle of water and had a zipper pouch for keys, snacks, phone, or whatever.  I liked it fine so I purchased the Jack Wolfskin Minibar that I'm wearing in the photo above.  Mine is actually a little smaller than hers which I like.  I felt a little goofy wearing a fanny pack out for a run.  I don't see any other runners carrying water.  They're probably not running 10 miles.

Goals

Today: Take it slow to ease back into running and not aggravate my cough.

Short term:  Try to stay healthy and on schedule.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the maximum race time of 3 hours.

Stats
Distance:  10 miles
Time:  2:02
Pace:  12:12
Weather:  Upper 30s

Thoughts

• This is an embarrassingly slow time.  I could probably walk at this pace and it would feel a whole lot better.  But, I pushed through and finished the run even though it hurt a lot.  I just looked up vegetarian joint support.  It exists.  Will try to pick some up in Denver.  Will also be looking for things to eat on the run.
• It's crazy that temperatures in the upper 30s feel warm.  I was able to take off my gloves and my hood today.  One of my reasons for training for this spring half-marathon was to have something to get me through the winter.  We have plenty of cold weather to come, but the trees are starting to bud and some brave bulbs are starting to poke through the ground.  What a happy sight!
• I've had callouses on my feet for awhile now, but I'm starting to get blisters in the same area on the side of my big toe mounds.  They don't bother me while running but they are alarmingly ugly.

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What's Cooking? - Creamy Broccoli Soup

I had some great soup when I was traveling in Spain and Portugal.  In Portugal I asked the woman at our farmhouse what her secret was for her wonderful, creamy soup.  I expected the answer to be heavy cream and careful straining.  Her answer?  Potatoes.  This recipe from Real Simple  is similar to what we were served.  Sophia and I would be happy with soup and bread for dinner, but Kenny enjoys more substance.  So, instead of following the recipe and adding Cheddar and Bagel chips, I topped the soup with a little Parmesan and served pumpkin seed rolls from the German bakery and Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausages.

I can't wait until the sun is out at dinnertime so I can take pictures of my recipes in natural light again.  We're getting close.

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What's Cooking? - Christmas Dinner 2010

Considering it is almost March, this post is a little overdue.  But I've been faithful about posting our holiday meals for the last several years, so better late than never.  My parents flew from California to Germany to spend Christmas with us, so our celebration was extra special.

Even though Kenny's birthday is a couple of days after Christmas, the tradition in his family was to celebrate his birthday on Christmas when all of the family was together.  To follow this tradition I let him pick the dessert for Christmas dinner.  This year he wanted a tart cheesecake.  The Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote was perfect.  I decided that would be sufficient for dessert but made the Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie later in the week when we had more visitors.

We spent the morning at the Nuremberg Christmas market so I only had the afternoon to cook.  I was able to pull this menu off at a reasonable dinner time with a little bit of help from my mom and dad.  Kenny was sick and resting up so he could be our chauffeur later.

The Menu
Spice-Crusted Tofu
Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries & Pecans
Maple-Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans with Pecans & Maple Vinaigrette - Substituted thin asparagus
Luxurious Mashed Potatoes
Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote
Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie
Rolls from the German bakery

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What's Cooking? - Cookie Party

Way back in December 2004 when Sophia was only two months old, I clipped this article from Sunset magazine.  I guess I knew I would be throwing some cookie parties.

Sophia had only been in first grade at the German elementary school for two weeks when her sixth birthday came around.  Since she wanted to watch a movie for her birthday party and we weren't set up to show German movies, I encourage her to just invite Americans to her birthday party and we would have a cookie decorating party with her German friends closer to Christmas when she had had a chance to get acquainted.

She of course didn't forget.  I baked and baked even though I didn't receive any RSVPs.  An American friend was going to spend the night so I knew there would be at least one friend present.  The time for the party came and almost all of the German girls that Sophia had invited showed up, plus a couple of others. We had a full house!

The recipes for Swedish Ginger Cookies and Sugar Cookie Cutouts with Royal Icing were delicious.  The girls had a good time and I swept up sprinkles for weeks.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #29

In eight weeks of training I have not missed one training run.  There have been plenty of excuses: bad knees, head colds, ice, black ice, snow, wind, rain, below-freezing temperatures, travel, darkness, busy days, a yucky tummy, dirty running clothes, sleepless nights, early mornings, etc.  But today I didn't run.  My cold moved into my chest, I'm taking pseudoephedrine, it is 11 degrees outside, and I don't want to get pneumonia like I had last year.  I'm pretty sure last year's pneumonia was due to spending the night with Sophia on the pulmonary ward of a Budapest hospital, but that's another story.

 What I did do was put my money where my mouth is and register for the Prague Half-Marathon.  I am two-thirds of the way through my training and I'm confident I can finish.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #28

A head cold and super cold temperatures made for a slower run today.  There was a price to pay for the pretty blue sky.  One of the running German soldiers had frost all over his hat.  One German soldier had no hat.  He was crazy.  I don't blame him for running very fast.  I saw a woman running with everything but her eyes covered.  Brr!

Goals

Today: Complete the run in spite of not feeling well.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  4 miles
Time:  44:25
Pace:  11:06
Weather:  11s

Thoughts

• My friend Kate said that you can improve your running pace by working on core strength.  Will have to give that a try.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #27

Runner's High.  The Wall.  Hills.  Running through sickness.  NINE miles.  This run was long enough to experience lots of things.

We went to Garmisch for the weekend so Sophia could go to ski school.  The forecast showed temperatures above freezing so Kenny and I didn't think it would be worth it for us to ski so I planned to run according to schedule.  Friday night was terrible.  We were all a little bit sick and we were in one hotel room.  Sophia was coughing and grinding her teeth.  Kicsi was restless.  We got up with Sophia at two to give her more medicine.  I had a hard time going back to sleep even with earplugs.  I started to feel a little bit feverish.  I started worrying about sending Sophia to ski school with a cold and about sending myself on a nine mile run when I wasn't feeling so great.  Finally it was time to get up.  Sophia assured me she wanted to ski.  I assured myself that I wanted to stay on my training schedule even though I felt really weak and could barely swallow any breakfast because my tummy was a little bit upset.

I decided to run around the Eibsee twice plus a little bit.  It is four miles one time around.  I had walked it before with friends and Sophia.  There was no chance of getting lost.  I remembered that it was a little bit hilly, but the hills became a challenge on such a long run.  There were times I felt like I was barely moving.  The first mile was really tough, but I fell into a groove.  By about mile 5.5 I felt exhilarated.  Maybe it was runner's high?  I felt good, I was running well, I was more than half way done, the landscape was breathtaking, and the sun was warm.  I rode that until about mile 7.5 and then I just hurt all over and had to take it one step at a time.  I didn't think I was ever going to make it to the parking lot.  The wall?  When I was done I could barely walk.  Kenny met me with Baby Bel cheese, Gatorade, and packages of frozen corn for my knees.  He takes good care of me after my runs.

I felt pretty beat up just after the run, but I recovered quickly.  My appetite was out of control though.  Kenny said for the first time in our 18 years together I led the family astray and insisted that we go to Pizza Hut for dinner.  He and Sophia wanted Indian food, a healthier choice.  

Goals

Today: Complete the run in spite of not feeling well.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  9 miles
Time:  1:45
Pace:  11:43
Weather:  30s

Thoughts

• Well, this was a pretty slow pace.  But, a couple of things were different.  First, to try and keep my knees healthy I don't usually run any hills.  This run had quite a few.  Second, I took water with me for the first time.  I slowed to a walk to take a drink after almost inhaling water up my nose while trying to drink while running.  Guess I need to use a sports bottle.
• I'm really pleased with how quickly I'm recovering after my runs.  I am able to walk later in the day and the next day with no problem.  I felt this run in just about all of my joints but it all worked out okay.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #25-26

This is what my running surface looked like just a couple of weeks ago.  And, it was barely light at the end of my run.  This week I ran on dry pavement, though I see a bit of a snow flurry outside right now, and the sky was comfortably light.  I'm sure there will be more messy running surfaces before race day comes, so I was really thankful for dry surfaces this week.  Rumor has it that springlike weather has arrived in the States.  We won't be looking for that here in Bavaria for a little while yet.  I remember being amazed  on March 1 seven years ago when we moved from Stuttgart to Fort Irwin.  It was still winter here and so warm there.


I saw the German soldiers out and about this morning.  Some were running with packs, some were walking, some were listening to a lecture standing by a mounting of dirty hay that just last week was steaming in spite of the cold air.  I think the farmers will spread it out on their fields for fertilizer.  I always run faster when I see the solders because I don't want to look like a sissy.  I never quite know what to do.  Do I ignore them?  Do I say "morgen"?  Do I make eye contact and nod?  It just feels so awkward when there are so many of them.


Goals

Today: Try not to look like a sissy in front of the German soldiers.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  4 miles
Time:  41:26
Pace:  10:26
Weather:  30s

Thoughts

• I like to eat breakfast with Sophia before she leaves for school in the morning and then go for my run.  That hasn't been working out so well for me.  I don't like running with a meal in my belly.  It makes me feel sluggish and a little bit yucky.  Kenny and Sophie are feeling a bit under the weather so we've all been taking garlic.  I took that along with other vitamins for breakfast and then went running.  I don't recommend it.  Maybe next time I'll just drink some tea while she eats breakfast.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training - #24

I came across this photo today.  It's from the long run when I got in the woods and I had to run into a nearby town so I could tell Kenny where to come rescue me.


This week I didn't do a recovery run the day after my long run.  I did a walk instead.  The recovery run did me in last week and it took several days to recover so my friend Sarah recommended perhaps I do a walk the next day instead.  That works much better!  


It was actually a pretty miserable walk.  It had snowed quite a bit in the morning but was pure, deep slush by the afternoon.  Happily, Sarah called me at the beginning of my walk and we chatted for quite awhile.  It was nice to have a distraction from the less than ideal footing.  I told her about my long run the previous day.  I mentioned that I was starting to get hungry and thirsty on such long runs.  I'm going to start carrying water with me.  She's going to lend me a couple different water bottles she has so I can decide which one I want to buy.  She also mentioned that she will take a little snack with her on runs over seven miles.  I guess it was appropriate that I started asking about these things after an eight mile run. 


Goals

Today: Walk to loosen up my muscles but not cause any additional strain.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Thoughts

• Sophia held up her leg today and told me that it is thicker than her friend's leg and that in fact, she is the thickest girl in her ballet class.  I don't know if that is necessarily true.  But, if it is, she is a healthy, strong, sporty girl and she doesn't have anything to worry about.  I'm concerned about comments like this from a six-year-old.  I'm not sure where they come from.  I'm careful in what I say around her with anything that has to do with body image, weight, etc.  And, I don't use the word thick.  I wanted to choose my response carefully.  I held up my leg and flexed my calf.  I told her to watch how the muscle moved.  Then I told her to flex her muscle too.  She liked watching it move.  I told her she's strong and healthy.  Yikes!  

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #21-23

When should I call myself a runner?  I used to say that I ran because it was a good way to burn calories but I didn't consider myself a runner.  I ran about eight miles a week.  Then I started training for this half-marathon and I didn't hate running quite so much.  I could find positive things about it besides the calorie burn.  This week I ran 19 miles.  My long run was 8 miles.  EIGHT MILES!  I didn't have to battle the elements quite so much today on my long run.  It was a little bit wet and there were patches of light snow, but the ground wasn't covered with snow.  There was no ice of any kind.  I was plagued by black ice early in the week.  It wasn't raining or terribly windy or bitter cold.  I didn't know what to do with myself so I had to battle my mind and my mental hangup over the distance.  Four miles used to be my long run.  Some days I walked part of it if my knee was bothering me.  Eight miles is double that and I'm not doing any walking.  The mileage is really adding up quickly with one mile added every week.  But, I made it through.  I tried to stop thinking about how long eight miles really is and focused instead on how great my legs are going to look in the sky high heels I want to buy for the upcoming JAG ball.  I decided against a full-length dress so the shoes have to be really great.  I think they will make nice reward for being loyal to my training.

Goals

Today: Run 8 miles and stay healthy.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  8 miles
Time:  1:24
Pace:  10:50
Weather:  40s

Thoughts

• The long runs really use up every ounce of energy I have.  I feel beat for the rest of the day.  Last week, I felt like I was recovering until the middle of the week.  Tomorrow, instead of an easy 3 mile run, I'm going to walk to help speed along recovery.
• People have asked if I've had trouble maintaining my weight.  To the contrary, I'm having trouble keeping it off.  I'm starving after my long runs.  Kenny says I'm probably not drinking enough.  He's right.  I had a few good weeks when I drank an appropriate amount of water every day because I was doing a challenge at the gym.  It was such an effort though so I quickly fell back into my bad habits.
• I have noticed that my body is changing.  First of all, I'm developing ugly callouses on my feet.  Next time I get a pedicure I'm going to make sure they don't get rid of them.  I'll need those for the race!  Secondly, I'm growing out of my jeans.  Usually I can tell if I have a few too many pounds because my shirts get too tight around the chest or I develop an unsightly muffin top.  That's not the problem this time.  Now, my jeans are too tight through the thighs.  I think it's muscles!  My friends Sarah thinks my body is just shocked with all of the running, and with acclimation to the running and regular yoga practice, the muscles should lengthen out.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #19 & 20

A strong, "warm" wind blew in and like a hair dryer melted away most of the ice.  I found one patch, but if you look at the trail beyond it is gone.  Hurray!  Temperatures were also in the 40s.  I was supposed to run with a friend but she wrote and said there was no way she was running in this weather.  I told Kenny the weather was beautiful because the temperature had doubled and the ice was gone.  I soon found out that my friend had a good point.  It was CRAZY windy.  When the wind was at my side I had to lean all of my weight into it to keep from being swept away.  When it was at my front I could barely manage to move at a 14 minute mile.  When it was at my back my legs could barely run fast enough to keep up with a 7 minute mile.  The wind took my breath away, moved the contacts in my eyes, and blew snot out of my nose.  Crazy windy!

Run #19 was my long run of the week at 7 miles.  I finished it two minutes faster than my six mile run last week.  I felt a little dizzy afterwards and sent Kenny running for my ice packs, smoothie, and crackers when I got in the door.  My knees felt good all day after the run, but I otherwise felt exhausted like I just wanted to take a nap or read a book.

Run #20 was my recovery run at an easy 3 miles.  After two miles both knees really started hurting.  I pushed on for a little bit but decided I didn't want to risk injury so I walked the last half mile home.  I didn't like to give up, but it was supposed to be an easy day.  Better to take it easy and keep up with the plan than to push too hard and get behind schedule.

Goals

Today: Run 7 miles and stay healthy.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  7 miles
Time:  1:15
Pace:  10:71
Weather:  40s

Thoughts

• When I start thinking about the length of the half marathon I start to freak out a little bit.  Basically, I have to run this long run twice.  I just need to push that ultimate goal out of my mind and concentrate on the baby steps of each run.  If I follow the plan I will be ready no matter how impossible the goal seems right now.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #17 & 18

This is a super poor quality photo, but ever since I dropped and broke my camera on a previous run I'm using a cheap video camera that we have that happens to take still photos as well.

I ran both #17 and #18 in the city.  The side streets and trails were still very icy so I stuck to the city sidewalks that had been cleared and dusted with gravel.  The weather has been so bad this winter that there is a salt shortage and they're putting down tiny rocks to help with the slippage.

I'm pretty excited because I wanted to run #18 faster, which for me is under a 10 minute mile.  I did it!  It was tough.  I'm so used to babying my knee that I'm not used to pushing myself cardiovascularly.  I was breathing pretty hard toward the end.  Bon Jovi happened to come on.  "I need a respirator cuz I'm runnin' out of breath..."  Yep, that's right.  The latest Runner's World has an article on mantras.  At times I repeated, "I am fast," and on inclines I repeated, "I am powerful.  I can do squats forever so I can run this hill."

Goals

Today: Run 3 miles in under 10 minutes.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.  Try to get a little bit faster.  Stay healthy.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  3 miles
Time:  27:37
Pace:  9:12
Weather:  20s 

Thoughts

• Feels good to set and meet a speed goal.
• Knee is feeling good.  It's probably time to register for the race and make arrangements for accommodations.

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