Joy Luck Run September 28, 2008

For the past couple of months, my runs have been consistently slowing down. My easy pace has slowed about 30-40 seconds, while my perceived effort levels have increased, so that it feels like I’m expending more energy running 9:40’s than I used to running 8:50’s.  My long run paces have slowed even more, to the 10:xx’s.  NOT COOL.  

And then Thursday I had something of a running breakthrough.  I’d struggled to maintain my 8:30 tempo pace the morning before, but this time I was running high 8’s without much effort, my legs turning over in long, easy strides.  It may or may not have been the free, promotional Coldstone ice cream waiting for me at the end of my 6 mile loop, but either way, I was happy, inspired even.  I’d gotten some of my old mojo back! (knock on wood)

Then Saturday – long run day, also known as the Day I Have to Wake Up At the Asscrack of Dawn to Deliberately Inflict Pain on my Body.  I headed out for the trails, planning on 17 or 18, and for the first time in a very, very long time, took my iPod with me.  I never run with music because I try to train my mind to talk me through the tough miles, to build mental endurance, I guess.  But with some mild training burn-out, I figure anything I could do to just make this one run fun would be worth it.  I started slow, letting my legs again get used to the crazy dips and climbs in the woods.

A few miles in, I had some extra mileage from a few detours I took and getting lost and backtracking, so I decided to go for a full 20 miles.  The Garmin beeped at mile 5 and read 9:46; my easy, long run pace is supposed to be 9:53.  Slow down! I yelled at myself, knowing I’d probably bonk halfway through.  Starting on my second, 6-mile loop, it felt like I dropped pace a bit but the Garmin kept beeping 9:23, 9:24, 9:30.  The beginning of my 3rd loop – Mile 14 – was a friggin’ 9:05 mile.

My splits from the last 3rd of the 20 miles read 9:05, 9:24, 9:36, 9:30, 9:26, 9:32, and I ended the 20th mile with an 8:55 pace.  So that’s 20 miles in about 3 hours and 13 minutes.  I didn’t count the few times I paused to chug water and Gatorade, and suck down a few gels, but now I’m thinking maybe I should, since those stops probably refreshed my legs.  On the downside, every time I stopped, giant mutant mosquitos swarmed toward my bare skin, and I now have 5 or 6 humongous bites over me.  I probably looked like I was having a seizure, running and trying to scratch my thighs, neck, underarms, etc.  

I’m not sore AT ALL today (that 8 bag pound of ice I bought and dumped into my bath probably helped, even though I screamed my head off), although I am itchy as all hell EVERYWHERE (do you think they make bug-repellant Bodyglide?).  Needless to say, I’m pretty pumped now for the even higher mileage and tougher training coming up!  I am TOUGH!  I eat PAIN for BREAKFAST!  YEAH!

*   *   *

 

Fried Rice with Sausage Links

Actually, I eat fried rice for breakfast.  I wanted something brunchy today, and sausage links were on sale at the grocery store.  I had some leftover brown rice in the fridge – the key to making fried rice is to use rice that’s been sitting in the fridge for at least overnight so it has the right hardened texture – and mixed it up with some chopped cucumber, tomato, and scrambled eggs, seasoned with some chicken powder and a dash of soy sauce.  Grill the sausages, load up on the rice, and enjoy!  Yummier than pain, I would imagine.

Fiancee and I tried out a new Thai restaurant the other night, and although the food was absolutely fantastic and the service impeccable (hello, cute old Asian lady who reminds me of my mother!), at the end of my meal, I got this in my fortune cookie:

 

WTF

What the hell kind of fortune is this?!!?!  What, just because I eschew perfume for Bodyglide, just because my hair is perpetually up in a running-convenient ponytail, just because my power calves are too muscular to fit into sexy stiletto boots, this means I have lost my girl card?  Whatever happened to the good ol’ “You will make a trip over water soon!” or “Good health will be yours for a long time”?  Or even the language-butchering, learn Chinese words ones, I would take those over this.  I am very feminine, or at the very least, I still have toenails to paint.

ETA: I AM SO EFFIN’ EXCITED FOR THE NEW AMAZING RACE ON CBS TONIGHT!

Waterlogged Chicago Half Marathon September 19, 2008

I guess I’m long due for a race report, even though I posted one on the RW Forums a while ago.  The Sunday morning weather in Chicago was horrible – pouring cats and dogs and chilly.  I was bundled up in a fleece and bathrobe at 5:30 AM on the couch, shivering while trying to eat my pre-race cereal.  Trish and I got to the start line and stood around in the 2:00 corral, sizing up other runners and trying to control my urge to throw up (nerves!).

I’m really skeptical of people who say things like the early miles of a race went by fast.  A mile, for me, is NEVER as long and arduous and slow than when I’m racing.  I can say that Miles 1-6 went by without a hitch, there was a point when I thought, hm, I may be starting out too fast.  Not that I did anything about it.  I also broke the cardinal rule in racing – NEVER TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.  I had clipped a newly bought pocket to my shorts, but the water soaking it through weighed it down.  Every quarter mile or so, I’d have to pull up my shorts because my underwear was starting to show.

 

Trying to Catch Up

Lookit that form!  Back straight, shoulders relaxed.  Much better than Miss Something Something 87 in front of me.  Then again, she’s in front of me.  I think that might be Fred Durst trailing behind my slow ass.

At Mile 7, the “comfortably hard” pace turned brutal.  My legs were still holding up, but my stomach was starting to feel unsettled and knotty-feeling, as they usually do when I run hard and long.  Not painful, exactly, just like they really want to lie down and digest some real food.  I had to slow my pace a bit in the last half.  Each mile closer to the finish line seem to drag on further than the one before it.

This is usually the point at which I stop caring.  Some people will try to stick with a someone running slightly ahead, others will focus on picking off those in their immediate vicinity.  Other people use their mental strength to make up for what they’re lacking in physical strength.  My mental strength is like a smarmy, gum-snapping, foot-tapping 13 year old girl.  ”There’s, like, 11,000 runners,” it says.  ”So you want to, like, be in 3842nd place instead of 3874th place?  Um, whatever.”  It’s actually kind of hard to argue with that logic.  

I did manage to kick up a sprint for the last third of the race, and finished in 1:59:40.  I was hoping for 1:55, but there will be other races to better my time.  Despite that, I know I ran HARD because the next day, my legs felt like they were run over by a semi.  I had to waddle down steps and desperately wished for a shirt that said, “I’m not disabled, I just ran a half marathon yesterday.”  

 

Smiling Because We Can Stop Running Now

And now…back to my regular scheduled marathon training.  Only a little over 2 months!  8 weeks!  56 days! 1,344 hours!  (Can you tell I’m starting to panic a little?)  

*   *   *

Trish and I went to Red Light last night.  She gave me some awesome birthday presents, including Dean Karnazes’ “Ultramarathon Man” as inspiration for Philly.  And I have to say, only a runner would appreciate a box of Vanilla Gu in their birthday bag.  Onto the pictures!

 

Steamed Dumplings

 

Chicken and Rice Noodles in Madras Curry

Asian Paella

 

Tempura Sweet Potato Fries

BARF-O-RAMA September 14, 2008

OH MY GOD I’M SO NERVOUS I’M GOING TO PUKE.

25! September 11, 2008

I am a quarter of a century old!

I started off the day with a wonderful, cool 6 mile run, and then was met with homemade brownies, a balloon-and-streamer-ed desk, and lots of birthday wishes.  Including this:

I guess I am officially “that runner girl” in the office, the one where if you ever get stuck in a mid-conversation awkward silence, the default question to break the ice again is, “So how’s the running going?”  I told my parents my half marathon was this weekend, and then BOTH of them, at different points in the parental catch-up, inquired after whether I had solved the problem of needing to go while I’m running.  What the hell?  Leave my bowels alone, parents!  

(And to my dad – thank you for offering to forward me the $3 check you received from the IRS.  That will go a big way towards making rent this month.)

*   *   *

I made this squash and chicken orzo stew last night.  I’ve been on a big yellow squash kick this summer, and this was a simple, fast, hearty dish I whipped up in one pot.  

 

Squash and Chicken Orzo Stew

Ingredients:
- 3 medium yellow squash/zucchini
- 3 carrots
- 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- lean chicken breast, diced into small cubes
- orzo
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large pieces of ginger
- 3 whole scallions, cut into halves or third (you want big pieces)
- water & chicken broth (or chicken bouillon cubes/power)
- pepper

You basically sautee and remove the chicken, then sautee everything else in the pan with the garlic.  Meanwhile, cook the orzo until al dente and drain.  Cover the squash, onion, carrot, and tomato mixture with water or chicken stock (if you are using water, sprinkle in the chicken bouillon cube or chicken powder to taste – it’s just like salt, but with more flavor).  Throw in the giant pieces of ginger and scallions – the flavors will come out with the simmering, so it’s not necessary to mince or dice them, and it makes it easier to remove before serving.  Simmer on low, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, then add both the orzo and chicken.  Season with any additional salt and pepper, and spoon into a bowl to serve.  Garnish with scallions.  Makes a heaping pot of delicious goodness, perfect for the newly chilled weather in Chicago.

Get Your Bibs Handy (Gargantuan Food Post) September 7, 2008

 

I’m back to the oft-gray south burbs of Chicago after four glorious days of sleeping in and a landscape of beautiful green and blue stretches of alternating countryland and water.  I didn’t run as much as I should’ve, and more and more, I’m realizing that while this whole marathon business is kind of exciting, I will be really really glad to just go back to lesser (and less time-consuming!) maintenance mileage.  Anyway, I had a great time in Door County, but you’re all here to ogle and stuff your guts vicariously through my gluttony.  All that delicious food out there isn’t going to eat itself, you know.

Fred & Fuzzy's Munchies Basket (fries, onion rings, cheese curds, chips, chicken poppers, cauliflower fritters

 

Whitefish Sandwich & Sweet Potato Fries

Key Lime Pie

 

Bacon Burger at Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor

Ice Cream Sundaes

 

 

Andouille Sandwich at DC Deli (Andouille, grilled onions & peppers, creole mayo, French roll)

 

Crab Cake at Inn at Kristofer's

Fiancee's Filet Mignon

 

Shrimp Kristofer's

 

Bumbleberry Pie (blackberries and Door County cherries)

 

Lemon Roll

Door County Cherry Scone

 

Seared Sea Scallops

 

Jalapeno Corn Chowder

New York Strip (he likes his red meat, can you tell?)

 

Roasted Tomato Cioppino

 

Chocolate Cake

 

Cold Lemon Souffle

And now I’m ready to go on a diet of lettuce and brown rice.

Pit of Fire September 1, 2008

Don’t sweat, I’m still here, guys.  I know you are worried about a lacking of posting presence lately (ok, fine, just one of you – thank you for humoring a young, fragile ego), but I just wanted to get some good food photos in. 

I ran my first 20 miles yesterday.  Sometimes, the runs that start out as the worst ones end up being the best.  A mile into it, I got excrutiating shin splints.  I would never recommend beginners run through pains, but I know my legs well enough to know that sometimes my calves and Achilles are so tight that I just need to shake out my muscles and slowly warm them up.  They stuck around long enough to really dampen my mood, but finally went away around Mile 3.  And I ended up rocking the rest of the 17 miles.

I ran slow, pacing myself; it was more important to finish the distance than to keep a plug-and-chug pace.  I had plenty of water and Sharkies on hand, and would’ve had Gatorade if someone hadn’t STOLEN MY PRE-PLANTED BOTTLE.  (Who steals a bottle of Gatorade?!  It’s yellow, I could’ve peed in there.  Next time I will, just to teach them a lesson.)  However tired or hot I may have been, I told myself it wouldn’t last forever, that I would be sitting in an ice bath in another hour, half hour, ten minutes, that you’re supposed to be tired during such a long run.  I kept telling myself to just enjoy the ride.  I will only have one first 20-miler in my entire running life, and this was it, this was my glorious, momentous, mythical 20 miles.

(I know, I have to stop saying 20 miles.  I just still can’t quite wrap my head around it.  I don’t even drive, so I have no idea how long it is, and once you’re doing 15, 16, and 17’s somewhat consistently, you start developing an immunity to high numbers, it doesn’t sound as impressive to you as it once did.  So…20 MILES, 20 MILES, 20 MILES.  There, I think it’s out of my system.)

At Mile 13, I dropped my water bottle off in the yard of a guy washing his car.  I asked if he could just watch it for me while I did a few miles out and pick it up on my way back, and he said, “Sure.  You training for a triathlon or something?”

“I have a marathon in November.”
“Cool.  What made you decide to run it?”
“Insanity.”
“Hey, better you than me.”

Strangest things seen on yesterday’s run:
- pink porcelain toilet lying in the road
- a clown driving a truck (probably on a way to a birthday party, but it stills threw me off to look over and see Pennywise in a pick-up) 

I’m sore today, but not as sore as I expected, thanks to steady pacing.  I did a very slow 3 recovery miles today on the treadmill to try to flush some of that lactic acid out of my system.  I’m going on vacation next week – which is also supposed to be my cutback week.  I’ll be slicing off my long run, but I can’t resist running around beautiful Door County, so the plan is to get in consistent 9’s and 10’s during the week, run all around the water, through the gorgeous trails, and crosstrain with swimming, biking, and horseback riding.  I am stoked!

*   *   *

Some friends and I went out tonight for Korean BBQ.  We drove up to San Soo Gap San up in the north part of the city, and feasted on lovely, lovely meat.  So much delicious meat.  If you’re not familiar with Korean BBQ, it’s a method of having diners grill their own dinner.  There’s usually a small grill in the center of your table, you order from various raw, marinated meats, and walk out happily stuffed and smelling like fire and grease.

 

Millions of Free Side Dishes

 

Pit of Fire

 

Glorious Meat

Like any really good, authentic Asian place, the service is a little bit lacking, but the meat was absolutely delicious.  So flavorful and tender.  Afterwards, we went to Saint’s Alp in Chinatown for dessert.  (I like to hang out with people similar to myself – insatiable.)

 

Mango Sundae

Mango Crepe

I will try to post what I can on vacation, since there will be (predictably) lots of eating.  Enjoy your Labor Day, everyone!