After Run Wrap

Food Heaven

Kevin and I have been l-o-v-i-n-g our new George Foreman Grill. Although we don't use it every week because we have to take a little more care to hand wash it, it's allowed us to really add that grilled flavor we've been missing.

Grilled to Perfection

So, if you've been reading, you know that I've added more carbs to my diet the day before long extra long runs. That's helped tremendously with my little issue! But AFTER long runs, it's good to pack on the protein and veggies to feed my broken down and tired muscles (pronounced mus-culls in baby talk).

This is one of my favorite meals that we've had as of late. You got your GF (that's gluten free and George Foreman! Ha!) burger wrap with dressing and tomatoes, extra tomatoes on the side with sweet cucumbers (seasoned with sugar, wine vinegar, salt), grapes, and fresh corn on the cob. Whahoo! That's a tasty meal! We cooked up a pound of 80/100 beef (got to have some fat so the GF grill doesn't create rock-for-burgers), mixed in some fresh rosemary from our herb garden, and it's a major wham-oh on the taste buds.

Sweet Cucumber Goodness!

Man! My stomach is a rumblin' just thinking about it. After run meals are the best!

Oh, and don't be fooled. I had many a hand full of grapes and almonds while we waited on the burgers to cook. Yummy in the tummy! Yummy in the tummy! [last two sentences must be read in a sing-song voice]

I Need Some Meat

Kevin and I had a pretty rapid-fire Labor day weekend of good fun, food (Katherine friendly of course), company, and exercise. One of the main events was our first lake-fishing adventure in Texas. We didn't come back with any fish, but for several good reasons: we'd never fished that lake before, we'd never fished at that time before, we'd never fished for bass/catfish/crappie by ourselves before, we'd never fished with the bait and lures suggested to us before, and we'd never fished while in a kayak before. So here's a summary of our adventure in a nutshell. Feel free to chuckle or guffaw.

We rented a tandem kayak for free and piled in with our two poles and a backpack full of fishing goodies. We head out on the water and immediately noticed the difference that is "Labor Day weekend on the lake." Lots of boats! Lots of People! The water was choppy! But we coordinated our paddling efforts and make it to the reeds across from the lake house. In fact Kevin said we were way better than last time in the tandem.

Tandem Kayak (needs anchor)

We find a little alcove and start to start to take things out and set things up. The backpack is soaked at this point. We have a self-bailing kayak, that may be why... There's also the choppy water, that might have also contributed.

Kevin takes the first plunge at casting while I try to maintain our position in the water. And that's all I remember doing for about half of our time on the lake (total time spent was about 3 hours). Our conversation went something like the following. It should be noted that Kevin has a high frequency hearing loss, and depends half on his hearing and half on his lip reading to understand what I'm saying in places with a lot of background noise. It was very loud that day.

Reeds (not a good anchor)

Kevin: "Point me to those reeds."

Katherine: "Which reeds?"

Kevin: "WHAT?"

Katherine: "Which reeds?"

Kevin: "The ones on the right."
Kevin: "Can you turn me around?"
Katherine: "Okay."
[Katherine proceeds to turn clockwise]
Kevin: "Can you turn me around the other way?"
Katherine "Okay."
[Katherine proceeds to turn counter-clockwise]
Kevin: "We're right where I want to be casting."
Katherine: "Where do you want me to go?"
Kevin: "Left."
Katherine: "I'm having a hard time staying here."
Kevin: "WHAT?"
Katherine: "I'm having a hard time staying here."
Kevin: "Just push us to the right."
[This goes on for a while]
Katherine: "Kevin, I have to say that my level of stress is v e r y  h i g h."

Kevin agreed. So we decide to paddle a ways up this clearing of reeds and try to anchor ourselves to the reeds using our stringer. That helped a bit. I was then able to fish using a jig for some crappie. I had a bite at some point. Wahoo! But neither of us caught anything. We still floated around a bit even while anchored, so we'll be looking into something a little more substantial for next time. But our good times we're over yet. Here's what happened within the last hour of fishing.

With my back turned I said, "Kevin I think I need to pee."

Kevin: "You need some meat? We'll I'm trying to get you some meat just as soon as I catch a fish."

I laughed for a good 2-3 minutes before I could tell him what I actually said.

Good times. Good times.

This is Tired

Cutie Little Pups!

Kevin and I did our longest run yet this weekend. We went out to a country road and pounded asphalt for 14 miles. I was going at a similar pace to my original half marathon, and doing that with hills. I'm very excited! But after the run, Kevin and I were blobs. Big ones. We looked similar to the two lazy pups over there on the left. VERY similar.

As the runs get longer, I'm learning things about my body (what I should eat, when I should eat, how much sleep I need, how often I should train, when I need breaks, etc). This past weekend and directly after the half marathon a couple of weeks ago, I've learned that I have a form of this not so fun symptom. So my next tactic will be to eat low fiber meals the day before a long run. Hopefully that will lessen the after-workout problem for me. But it might set me back a bit on the losing a few pounds. We'll see...

Going Faster

A Relative of Mine.

Okay, so my runs are going a little faster at this point. Last night, I ran 3 miles in 31:02 pace which is a bit faster than I've been running during the summer. I chalk it up to feeling more motivated because of the upcoming marathon. While training for the half, I was just moving forward at what ever pace felt good. It feels like I've had a mental break from the speed (not that I have any delusions that I think I'm fast or anything) and I'm ready to get back to it. Yesterday's run was also a mile marker for the year: it was cool and cloudy enough to run after work. Yeah!!! I love after work runs. Running right before bedtime tends to not give me the best nights of sleep.

On the diet side of things, I've slowly taken a lot of my "needless but tasty" carbs out of my diet. I'm having fruit and or nuts for breakfast, veggie and protein-filled leftovers for brunch and lunner (I've split my meal in half so I eat at like 11 am and 1:30 pm), a small snack at home, and a fairly good meal with a small portion of carb. My body's still growing accustom to the smaller portion sizes, but at least I'm not just craving buckets full of rice and GF pancakes the size of houses.

Run on allergy peoples!

Marathon Training Schedule and Fake French Fries

Sucking air.

The Goal:
Kevin and I have decided on the White Rock Marathon in Dallas, TX on December 5. This will be my first (and possibly my only depending on how it goes), so I'll be writing a lot about it as well as discussing new recipes to keep me motivated in the months to come.

The Plan:

In order to maximize pain and increase the possibility for a mental breakdown, Kevin and I sat down this past Friday evening and outlined a training schedule for the marathon. Ha! No, it's not that bad. A training schedule is actually really necessary so that we don't wear ourselves out with unnecessary workouts or speeds. Take a look below, and I'll describe the reasoning shortly after.

1. 8/21:     6 miles,     Fast Pace (FP)  completed, see my training log!
2. 8/28:     14.5 miles,Race Pace (RP)
3. 9/4:       7 miles,     FP
4. 9/11:     16 miles,   RP
5. 9/18:     8 miles,     FP
6. 9/25:     18 miles,   RP
7. 10/2:     9 miles,     FP
8. 10/9:     19 miles,   RP
9. 10/16:   10 miles,   FP
10. 10/23:   20 miles,   RP
11. 10/30:   11 miles,   FP
12. 11/6:     21 miles,   RP
13. 11/13:   12 miles,   FP
14. 11/20:   22 miles,   RP
15. 11/27:   6 miles,     FP
16. 12/5:     Race Day

So basically every other week we'll be working on long distance speed work (fast pace runs) while the other weekends we'll be trying to stick with the pace we have in mind for the marathon (race pace). We might have to change it up a bit because we also have the Turkey Trot 5K on November 20, and that'll conflict a bit. This type of training will hopefully ensure that we can maintain our race pace throughout the marathon because we've actually trained to go faster. My goal is to run the fast pace runs in under 10:30 per mile while a pace just under an 11:30 will be my goal for the marathon. This is a finishing time of 5:00 hours.

AAAAHHHHHHHH! Um, I'm going to try and not think about how long that is....

These times might change as the temperature drops and my heart is using less energy trying to cool me down when it's in the 90s.

Now, this schedule does not include any cross training exercises (weight lifting, sprints, biking, swimming, etc) that we will be doing during the middle of the week. We have to do other activities Sunday-Friday so that we feel adequately prepared for the long weekend runs, but we'll be a little more spontaneous about those.

Questions? Concerns? Psychoanalysis?

The Motivation:

In order to make running as easy on my muscles, joints, and mind as possible, I'll be trying to loose a few pounds or as much as possible. It's the eternal struggle. So I'm still trying to reduce calories in all my meals and snacks. This weekend, Kevin and I decided to make some George Foreman-grilled hamburger patties with french fries. Typically french fry recipes have an enormous amount of calories especially in comparison to a regular baked potato.

• Large French Fries from McDonalds (serving size is 5.4 oz, or 154 g) = 500 calories, 220 from fat
• Ore-Ida Golden Fries (serving size is 3 oz, or 84 g) = 130 calories, 30 from fat
• Small Baked Potato (serving size is 3" to 4-1/4" diameter, or 4.86 oz, 138 g) = 128 calories, 2 from fat

So how can you get the "beeest of both wooorlds" (Hannah Montana fans, please send me no hate mail)?

Fake the french fry! A childhood best friend of mine invited me over to spend some time with her and her immediate family at her grandparents house when I was in middle school, and they made this wonderful baked french fry recipe that I used this weekend. Given that I had been between 12-14 yrs old at the time, I've had to experiment few times to get this recipe right. But basically you can use Pam (with the oil of your choice) to make the fries in the oven and add only a couple of additional fat calories. Here's how it works:

Fake French Fries
Ingredients

• Slice up the potatoes french fry style (1/4 to 3/4 of an inch wide)
• Pam Spray Oil (I used the original version, but they also have corn oil and a few others)
• Salt
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder

Directions

Take a baking pan and lightly spray with Pam. I typically cover my pans with tin-foil before spraying to save on clean up time, but whatever floats your boat. Add the sliced potatoes to the pan and spread them out to where they are only one layer thick. I don't peal my potatoes because there are a lot of nutrients and fiber in the skins, but you can to make them a little more authentic-like. When they're on the pan, the fries can be pretty close together and touching to get more in. Then spray a light layer of Pam on top of all the fries. Add salt and and other spices to your liking. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown like the ones in the picture up top. You can flip them if you want all sides to be golden, but I haven't had the urge.

If you're really hungry, the fries are actually completely cooked in about 30 minutes, but they won't have that gold color or the taste that comes of it, like this picture.

By the way, Happy Belated Birthday, Lindsey! May remembering the happy times with your brother make this year and every year blessed.

Gluten Free, Milk Free Beef Stir-Fry Heaven

I was on http://www.msn.com/ the other day and noticed a link for quick recipes. So I clicked on it, fully prepared for the cheesy, gluten-filled recipes that normally saturate these types of articles, but I was happily surprised! Found a few to to print out and I tried out one later that night with Kevin.

It's called "Orange Scented Beef Stir-Fry" and the original recipes is located at http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/orange-scented-beef-stir-fry-recipe-5178?click=recipe_sr.

To tell you how good it is, Kevin and I argued over the leftovers. Kevin is not a big fan of leftovers.

It's not as quick as they advertised. I think it took us about 30-40 minutes. And of course we made a few changes based on what we had and what we wanted to deal with so I've listed out an altered recipe below. The recipe below is doubled from the original.

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth (homemade, stored our freezer)
2 tablespoons arrowroot
4 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy's gluten free)
4 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (soy)
2 pounds beef top sirloin (trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch strips)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large onions (slivered)
1 small green bell pepper (diced)
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups peas

Directions
Combine 1 cup broth, arrowroot, soy sauce, marmalade, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Heat oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until brown. Transfer to a plate leaving the juices in the pan. Add ginger to the pan and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds until fragrant. Add onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and peas then add the remaining 1 cup of broth, cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp and tender. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Stir the sauce mixture and add it to the other side of the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes think and translucent. Stir the vegetables into the sauce and return the beef to the pan. Mix well and serve immediately.

Comments
My mom came to visit a while back and fixed up some fried rice and she used some fresh ginger. She didn't use it all, so she chopped up the rest and froze it in a bag. Worked great!

Also, yesterday was my first run after the Hottest Half. It was a struggle to put on my running clothes and get out there with Kaiya. Once I did though, it felt so good to be moving again. Kevin and I have been a wee bit sore so we took it easy for a couple of days. I was pretty fast too in comparison to what I have been running (two miles in 20:06). Not sure what made the difference...

In the Words of Andrea...

That was the "hotttttest runnn everrrr!"

Here's me getting ready to pass woman in pink shirt. (I've blurred her identity).

Here's me passing woman in pink shirt. Yeah!

Okay, so let's start with the statistics

The race started a little after 7:30 at about 87 degrees and I finished up at a little after 10:00 am somewhere in the mid-90s we believe. My time was 2 hours 30 minutes and 11.26 seconds. That's exactly 7 minutes and 11.26 seconds slower than my first half marathon last January. That's not too bad considering the heat. I finished 46 out of 95 women in my age group which is about the 48th percentile. I finished 615 out of 994 runners (62 percentile). For the first 4 or so miles I was running a little under a 11 minute per mile pace. Then it got hot. I walked quite a bit at the end, about a half a mile to a mile total overall. Katrina beat me by about 7 minutes. Immediately after the run, I drank 4 bottles of water 2 bottles of Powerade and split a large cherry slush with Kevin. I was still thirsty the rest of the day.

Discuss the feel
I was hot from beginning to the end. I had the "chills" for about half of the race even though I was sucking down Gatoraid (electrolytes) and water like there was no tomorrow. If you've ever been on a long run and you've had water or an athletic drink during the process, you know there is that certain amount you can swallow without getting a cramp. Sometimes you can drink more because it's hot, sometimes you have to drink less because your body doesn't need it. Yeah, I don't remember having to limit how much I took in. It went straight through my stomach to where ever it was needed. No cramping involved. I was sweating so much that my hands were prunes by the end.

Prune:

That said, I don't think I pushed my legs hard enough. I was able to sprint by like 4 or 5 people during the last 100 meters or so. So what was limiting me?

It was my head and heart telling me "you are burning up, you better not go too fast or we'll put you in a world of hurt. We will make you pass out. You will have the biggest headache you've ever dreamed of. You won't be able to drive home."

So I listened. Kind of had to because the racing coordinators ran out of water and Gatorade towards the end and I had to run without additional liquids during the last 4 miles. That was highly undesirable and not exactly helpful for setting a PR (not that I was expecting to, mind you).

The Sun.

When I passed the finish line, I couldn't find the finishers drinks or the family. So I'm walking all over the place and I just start to cry I was so hot.

[Editor's note: Katherine has never cried after a race before. That's darn crazy!]

Then I find the buckets of water bottles. Grabbed three bottles. Downed two immediately. Poured one over my head. Grabbed ice from the bucket and shoved it down my sports bra...front and back. That felt good. So I dried my eyes and looked for the family peoples.

I found them shortly after. I remembered them cheering for me right before I crossed the finish line. Then I cried a bit again. Then I was fine.

Sounds horrible, right? Nah. I was just thirsty and tired.

Thirst.

Normally I would be scared to death of having the world's worst headache after this type of run. Didn't happen. Whether it was the cold drinks during and after the race, my pace, the short nap on the car ride home, or my training, I'll never know. But that makes me so proud and excited. Plus, my pace wasn't too bad. By comparison, I think Kevin finished 10-20 minutes slower than his target. Keep in mind, Kevin's slower pace is still faster than Katrina's and all of the family members who were running that day and he finished in 2:00:38, 210th overall, 24 out of 80 in his age group.

Overall, we had a great weekend with the family, a new racing experience, and a good base for training for a marathon this fall. Would I have run this race knowing what it was going to be like? Yes. A lot of what I experienced was expected. Thanks, Trina! Will I do this race again in the future? No. There's a good chance Kevin and I won't be running this race again unless we're just doing the 10K.

And end with the consolation
I still hold the fastest half marathon time (female division) out of Kevin's immediate family. My first half in January was in 2:23:00! Sorry Trina. :) I know you were hot and I know that achilles was hurting. But there it is. Good luck next year! I'm sure you'll beat my time at some point.

And besides that, I'm an Aunt now! And Kevin's an Uncle! Welcome to the world little Cameron!