Tag Archives: running

Trying something new

Posted on by
2

This time last year I was training for my first half marathon.

I had never run more than 3 miles at a time and the idea of being able to run over 10 consecutive miles was just ludicrous. But before I knew it I was addicted to hitting the pavement, sipping down Nuun and gobbling up Gu. When race day came I was all full of jitters and excitement and as soon as I finished  I knew that it would not be my last race.

Today I am training to run the other half of the San Francisco marathon and it will be my third race to date. Trying to convince someone who isn’t a runner that running miles on end is the best feeling is impossible, but this weekend I had a chance to share my love of running with my non-runner boyfriend.

On our staycation we slipped on our running shoes and went for a light jog by the water. It wasn’t particularly comfortable for him to run more than a mile or so but we had a great time sharing the pavement and we successfully completed over 3 miles together. Trying something new is not always easy but setting new goals and seeing yourself succeed is a feeling that cannot be matched by anything else.

Along these lines, but certainly not as emotionally charged, I tried a new breakfast combo Monday morning – I had a hot dog for breakfast!!

Well it was a turkey dog with some eggs and avocado and it was delicious! I can’t wait to try this new combo again – let me know what you think if you give it a try.

What is something new you have tried recently?

During and After

Posted on by
2

Yesterday’s post was all about what I do before I go for a long run. Well here is how all of that preparation paid off and then how I recovered.

Because there was minimal wind yesterday morning I decided to take advantage of the running playground I live in and run across the Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s about 4 miles up to the bridge, including a major hill from the water’s edge. Once on the bridge I whipped out a peanut butter Gu to get me through the gradual hill.

Clearly I was running too fast for the radar to pick up my exact speed.

This is the view from the other side of the bridge in Marin County looking back on the city – I can see my apartment!

After running to, across and back from the bridge I traveled a total of 9.25 miles.

Immediately after taking this picture I completed my post-long run routine:

Serving of protein powder

Compression sleeves and tons of stretching

And then some TV until I cooled down enough to take a shower.

How do you recover from a long run/workout?

Pre-Run

Posted on by
2

I am about to go for a long run this Saturday morning and there are a few ways I prepare for a 7plus mile run:

Friday night I make sure I eat a nice dinner – I was lucky enough last night to head to Japan town and enjoy some fish with one of my best buddies.

Then I make sure I get into bed around 10pm, which is hardly an issue after an extremely long and busy week.

In the morning I usually eat a banana and nut butter

And then gather all of my running goodies

put on my running clothes

(Clearly my self-photography skills need some work)

and head out the door with music in hand – Here I Go….

Do you do anything special before a long run or hard workout?

Where does the time go?

Posted on by
2

What does someone look like after a 10 1/2 hour work day full of meetings and a last minute project, a long bus ride home, a quick wardrobe change, a hilly 3 mile run and an 8  o’clock cottage cheese dinner?

Like THIS:

Let’s just say I am ready for the weekend…I mean just look what I found in my freezer -

Clearly this woman needs a full 2 days of relaxation

Happy Friday!

Shoes by the hour

Posted on by
Reply

I hope everyone had a nice National Running Day yesterday!?! Did you get in a run?

At 5 in the morning I laced up my running shoes and managed to squeeze in a quick 4 miles on the treadmill.

After peeling off my socks, taking a quick shower and donning a corporate wardrobe , I slipped on heels at 7 am and walked out the door to start a full day of meetings at work.

10 hours later I left the office and poured myself into a seat on the bus. One long bus commute home and I was able to change into comfy clothes and comfort my feet in Dave’s comfy slippers.

By 10pm the shoes were off and I was in bed – preparing myself to take on today in yet another assortment of shoes.

It’s almost Friday!

Dining with the stars

Posted on by
Reply

Youtube stars that is!

Before I could eat dinner with internet celebrities I first went for an 8 mile run. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to run those stairs I mentioned the other day at the 6.5 mile mark in my run. It was great for my endurance training but at the time my muscles were cringing with every stair.

I survived and came home to stretch before running some errands and then cleaning the apartment.

A quick drive over the bridge and we arrived at Dave’s childhood friend’s house for a summer evening BBQ.

Dave’s friend is Ross, the guy who was on the reality show Escape Routes. He has made some of my favorite Youtube videos and it is almost impossible to have a bad time when you are with him :) His girlfriend, Dana, is also a talented singer and performer and has some great Youtube videos as well.

So if you are looking for something to do while relaxing this Sunday click below:



No rest for the weekend

Posted on by
2

Friday was a long 10 hour work day followed by a friend’s concert in the evening. It is now Saturday morning, and while I have two days of office-free time I am hardly sitting around twiddling my thumbs. On top of seeing friends and enjoying the San Francisco summer festivities, I have to run errands to prepare for the coming week, fit in a doctor’s appointment and squeeze in a long run. I am currently munching on some banana and sunbutter to fuel me in order to check off the running part of the to do list. The rest of the day will involve running from activity to activity so I’m sure by the end of the day I will have added a few miles to my total distance ;)

But in between the craziness of fitting it all in I certainly have time to listen to this:

Enjoy your Saturday!

WIAW – blast from the past

Posted on by
6

Based on the blog title and catch phrase it is clear that I love almond milk. While this obsession is based on taste, it is not purely voluntary, as dairy does not agree with my intestines. Even avoiding said foe does not always keep my stomach at bay and yesterday I felt the wrath of my colitis that I have not experienced in quite some time.

Due to all my doctor’s visits, first hand experience and years of practice I am able to call myself an expert on the issue and as a professional I acted accordingly. I first got frustrated at the initial signs of a flare up, then accepted the fact that it was going to be a bumpy morning and took care of myself. I went to the bathroom as often as needed, I walked around to avoid the discomfort of sitting and I thought happy thoughts. Gradually the pain subsided and my visits to the loo became less frequent and I was able to enjoy the rest of the day.

These painful, and often embarrassing flare ups, are distracting and annoying, but they always pass at some point. In the moment it feels like the world is ending, but once I make it through to the other side I experience a feeling of relief that I cannot even put into words.

Even though I was busy attending to my health needs, I still worked up an appetite. I managed to satiate my hunger, keeping in mind my bothersome colitis, with the following mini meals throughout the day.

Breakfast (before I knew what was coming) was a microwaved protein bowl and sunbutter.

It was an early morning at work (computer was turned on at 7:30am), so I had a mid-morning bar to hold me over till lunchtime.

Lunch was some steamed carrots and a turkey sandwich on a sandwich thin with hummus  (sorry no pic but I am confident you can all use your imaginations here)

and this edamame snack was delicious! I am totally buying this brand again.

By 5:30, as I was leaving work, I felt soooo much better compared to the morning and I was ready for a nice run by the time I got home. Hills have been on the back burner since recovering from injury number 2, so I decided it was about time I worked a hill run in to my training. My hill runs are normally much shorter mileage-wise but I still try to run for at least 30 minutes. Yesterday’s run involved these lovely stairs (there are four more sets of these past this set) and after running up big hills to get these stairs (and after them) I’d say I got a good hill work out in.

Definitely a workout that deserves some quinoa patties from Roam Burger :)

It’s beginning to look a lot like springtime

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday I did something I have been wanting to do for a long time…eat peanut butter GU on a long run!

I heard about peanut butter GU earlier in the year and unfortunately my injuries left me unable to run a block, let alone the hour plus when a GU is recommended. Yesterday, at the 5.5 mile mark in my 8 mile run I ripped open my GU and was so pleased with the taste! My favorite flavors are espresso, mint chocolate and vanilla, but now my go-to will definitely be peanut butter.

Has anyone else tried peanut butter flavored GU?

Because it was a Sunday we had to make our weekly trip down to the local farmers market to pick up fresh veggies and fruit.

Cherries are in season at the moment, so we picked a bunch and stuck them in the dehydrator for later.

This weekend is not only Memorial Day weekend but also the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge. The parks department put on a festival of food, history and art on the water front, so we took advantage of the beautiful afternoon to enjoy the festivities.

On this 5 mile walk we found hints of spring throughout the natural world, spotting a baby gofer and a mommy duck leading her band of babies.

The long walk worked up an appetite and soon as we got home we got to cooking.

Dinner was a combination of some leftover, homemade tomato sauce, ground turkey, farmer’s market fava beans and grape tomatoes, and a really old spaghetti squash. It was delicious.

And now it’s the best kind of Monday — a no work Monday —enjoy!

It’s not delivery, it’s d’jordan

Posted on by
1

The first half of the day consisted of lots of egg whites.

Breakfast was a microwaved protein bowl

and lunch was veggies and lettuce with Trader Joe’s Egg White Salad on top

(Notice the Costco box of almond milk under the table)

I love that it’s so light out in the evenings so I can go for a run outside before dinner. Yesterday it was mighty windy so my 4+ mile run was more about avoiding head-on wind and less about form, terrain and speed. On the way back I picked up dinner and ran swiftly back to the apartment to deliver the goods to a hungry boyfriend.

It was probably the fastest delivery ever haha

It’s FRIDAY! So tonight will not be delivery again but date night out on the town :)

Happy Friday :)