Puff the PF Chang dragon

Escaping to a neighboring desert city for a race is a pain in my ass. Literally and figuratively. Yet, I couldn't resist the allure of the warm temps, palm trees and of course the double double animal style at In-N-Out.

Preparing yourself for a destination race is always hectic. I've only done a few races, but with the exception of one (10K)they've all been somewhere other than my home state.When there are two of you, it's just plain chaos. Trying to be thoughtful of everything makes a person insane. "What if it's cold? What if it's hot? What if these (shorts, shirt, bra, socks) chafe? What about nutrition?What are we going to eat?" It goes on and on. And on.

This race has been my birthday race for the last 2 years and was my very first hm for my 40th birthday. It's sorta like tradition. Would I let a little PIA stop me from tradition? Well, it almost did. Almost.

Within hours of the online race deadline, I sold my soul (and hubby's) to the PF Chang Dragon.

I vowed to let this race experience be a memorable one for hubby. His first half. Yet, something about racing brings out the bitch in me. Wait, it wasn't racing that did that.

Hubby would have likely worn what he had in his closet. Some netted athletic shorts from the Academy (circa 1990) or whatever else he had. I knew better. Amazingly the elastic was still good, but they could have gone at any point during the race.  So, I shopped for a good pair of running shorts for him reading every review and paying attention to fit. In addition, I had my own running gear to think about.

Packet pick up is always a hassle. I know a lot of people enjoy the expo and stuff, but I would rather get my junk and get out of there. Since hubby also had to get his packet, we had to park this year. Normally, he drops me off and drives around. We arrived at the expo from a different route which had us turned around. Nothing looked familiar. We parked at a meter and walked aimlessly for around 10 minutes. Usually you see the crowds and people walking around with their bags. Nothing. Asked Siri for some help and she said we were 3 blocks away. Did I mention I was bitchy? Yeah, I was. I hate being lost. And I was hungry. Starving. Thirsty, Tired. And my butt hurt. Seven hours in a car was doing nothing for my aching ass.

Made it back to the car and our meter had expired. No ticket. Plugged in the hotel address into my phone and got us to the hotel with no problems.  Set down our stuff and immediately went out for our run. Glorious temps. My bitchiness faded.  Running does that. My brain shifted to organizing race gear for the am. My stuff and his.

With a new city of many food choices, I did not know what to eat.  I say this like it's something new, but in fact, it's the story of our lives. Too many choices leave me kerfuffled.  We went to Target. Cause who doesn't like to visit a Target in a different city?! Actually realized I forgot my toothbrush at home.Hubby suggested I ask the front desk for one. Ummm, no thanks! Who forgets to pack their toothbrush?  THIS girl. UGH

There we were, driving around Chandler. Windows rolled down, passing by every imaginable food place that ever existed. You know when you're over tired and just need a good rest and sleep? This is how I felt about food. I was over hungry and just needed food NOW! Any other time, I would have been okay sitting in a restaurant and partaking in the atmosphere of foodies. But this night, I just wanted food and to go back to the hotel and chill. I contemplated a double double animal style but that sounded wrong in so many ways. So, I picked the most bland fast food I could think of. A grilled chicken sandwich from Chik fil A.  No fries.

BitchinRunner was less bitchy after food and shower. After catching up on my page and text messages, I got comfy in bed and brewed a cup of bedtime tea. Sleep came later at the same time the occupants next door couldn't decide if they wanted to stay in their room or not. When I finally fell asleep, the nightmares came. I got lost and didn't make it to the race. I got my period the day before the race. Oh wait, that actually happened.

Something funny that happened. We had to buy tickets for the light rail and used a 20 dollar bill. We got change back in dollar coins. Twelve of them. What's funny about that? Hubby had to carry them in his belt during the race. He jingled all the way.

When we saw the corrals start moving forward, we jumped into corral 13. Before we started running we talked about a game plan. Don't go out too fast, maintain a steady pace, take in honey stinger at mile 7 at the water station and have fun.

Despite all my efforts to loosen my glutes and hamstrings, they were yapping at me. I snapped back and pushed on.Hubby and I ran mostly together. We would get separated by the other runners, but we were always within a few feet of each other.  Miles 1-4:  9:31, 9:10, 9:10, 9:19.  The decision had been made that hubby would wear the Garmin. Best decision ever. I always talk about being obsessed with the numbers and this was the perfect solution.  I ran by feel and it was liberating. I would see him looking at the watch from time to time and while I was tempted to ask how we were doing, I knew I was okay not knowing.We passed the 2:15 pacer and I knew I was on track to PR this race. When we approached the clocks on the course, I did get a gauge for how we were doing as well.

Knowing there was an incline approaching, we took in some honey stinger before the water station and had a bit of water and a bit of gatorade.  I think it helps you prepare mentally when you know what's ahead and this was key for me. The gradual incline came about miles 6-8 with 9 being the out and back hill. When I saw the PF Chang dragon on the hill, I realized that this is where I had passed it last year. I began pumping my arms and taking in some deep breaths.  I passed the dragon up the hill and knew the downhill was coming. I glanced around and didn't see hubby. Miles 5-8: 9:17, 9:21, 9:48, 9:41. I slowed a bit to look for him. And then there he was right next to me again.  He said "Did the stinger kick in?" He said I was sprinting up the hill. He also said his knee was hurting. I asked if he needed to walk. He said no. We pressed on.

I was counting down the miles at that point. Too bad the course didn't have any more mile markers after 10 miles cause I lost track of where I was.  I was happy to be done with the inclines and was looking forward to the finish.

After the hill, the runners dispersed and we had more room to run together. We chatted for a bit and I could feel our effort slowing a bit. With a half mile left, I stopped to walk. A half mile. I was scanning the area for somewhere to vomit. Yep. I was. Hubby noticed I stopped and said, "C'mon, you have 4 minutes left in you don't you?" I said, "yes, I do" and we started running again. The urge to vomit subsided for the time being.

The finish line never looked so intimidating. It was within a few hundred feet, yet I couldn't get there fast enough. The urge to vomit was stronger than ever as I passed the finish line. My hand was over my mouth and I was once again scanning the area for a spot. When I was finally able to sit and rinse my mouth with water I felt better. Out of the corner of my eye I could see hubby was hobbling around. He was in considerable pain.

We never made it to the beer garden for our beer and I didn't get a chance to meet Briana from Mat.Miles.Medals.

Miles 9-13: 9:42, 9:09, 9:12, 9:45, 10:10.  Official time:2:04:34

The drive home was one of reflection and pain (in my ass). Nonetheless, it was a feeling of satisfaction and pride. So proud of hubby. So proud of myself.

Slow and steady wins the race?

My official time for my very first half marathon some three years ago was 2 hours 48 minutes and some change. Simply to have finished was miraculous considering I hadn't really trained for it. And I didn't really consider myself a runner.(I know) I was mainly going through the motions and crossing off my goal of completing a half marathon for my 40th birthday.

I never considered I would delve so deep into running that I would start reading books about running. Hubby had a few running books that he had collected through the years that he had been running. A few editions of  The Lore of Running and Born to Run and a few others including non running books about endurance and such. I don't know if you've ever seen the book The Lore of Running but it's a pretty big book.  Like REALLY big.  The first book I ever bought myself as a runner was The Runner's Body co written by Matt Fitzgerald.  It was concise with many illustrations. A quick read with lot's of valuable information about the runner's body.  Just the kind of book I like.  So, after a bit of research I discovered more books by Matt Fitzgerald.* I even found him on Twitter and Facebook and often joke with him about how he once almost followed me. I have become quite obsessed with Matt Fitzgerald books about running. And well, running.

For the record, it's not just me. Apparently, it has become the obsession of many. Young and old. A quick Google search about running brings up thousands and thousands of links. The content ranges from how to improve your form, how to get faster, how to find the right shoes, how to fuel properly and on and on. When I stumbled upon a Runner's World article about running slow to get fast I had to read it. And actually the article had me from the word "slow".   The Big Book of Endurance by Phil Maffetone was again, another REALLY big book. What I got from the sample read: train in a certain heart rate zone for optimal race results.    S  L   O    W.  To go fast.  

As if by telepathy, Matt Fitzgerald announced his book 80/20 Running available for pre order. Even though I didn't exactly know what the book was about, the fact that it was about running AND was written by Matt Fitzgerald was good enough for me. Plus I had just read Diet Cults by him and I have to say that there is just something about his writing that I get. Diet Cults as it's name implies is about every diet you've ever heard of and/or tried. Awesome book.

I waited patiently for 80/20 Running and then the night before the release I got it on my iPad. I started reading and I couldn't get to sleep. The information was flowing into my brain and I couldn't get enough.

I had many questions about 80/20 Running. No. I had many questions about MY running. How much of  my running do I spend at a low intensity? And how much at a high intensity, ie speed work, intervals, tempo runs.  Do I know know how to gauge low intensity? Or high intensity? So now I'll ask you : Do YOU know how much of your workouts you spend at LI or  HI ? Take a guess. Is it close to 80/20? Or is it more 50/50? Or something else? Read on. 

The 80/20 formula has been around for centuries,but the term 80/20 wasn't attached to this "formula" right away. Coaches simply put it into play with their athletes. But what is it?  Simple. Train 80% at a low intensity. Spend the other 20 at high intensity.  Now, I'm not talking about EACH run. I'm talking about your training. Now you're probably asking what is considered low intensity. Well, I will just say that for me, it's slow. Keep in my mind that MY slow is different from your slow. It is very individual. As I've progressed as a runner, my slow is someone else's fast.  And my fast is someone else's slow. It's all relative.

With all the books out there about how to improve your form, race times etc.,  I have not encountered one that tells you how to do that without injury. Until 80/20 Running. Now, he doesn't tell you specifically how to avoid injury, but the formula itself is built around some key items. One being overuse injuries. I can't tell you how many people I know right now that are suffering from some type of running injury. And having been there before, I can tell you it's no fun. At all. Down time means not doing what you love. And I haven't always loved running, but since I have implemented the 80/20 formula to my training I have had little to no running related injuries. 

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I had no running experience whatsoever 3 years ago. None. I once completed a 5k in a sprint triathlon in 2009, but that's it.  Fast forward to 2014 and I have completed 2 more half marathons, one being a very difficult trail race, one 10k and my very first marathon. And as of this post I am 260 days into my running streak. Not too shabby for a non runner. But what I have learned about running has helped me become a better runner. Not necessarily a fast runner, but a faster runner than I had been 3 years ago for my first half marathon. Every day is learning day. If you want to be good at running? Run. A lot. Want to be good at swimming? Swim. A lot. Pretty simple right? Sort of. Like anything though, you can have too much of a good thing. Running a lot or swimming a lot, or bicycling a lot leads to BURNOUT. BIG TIME. Plus, the bigger concern of over training which almost always leads to injury.

The beauty of 80/20 Running is the valuable research that went into it. There is no fluff in this book. It is a "meat and potatoes" kinda book.  Gives you what you need, including brilliant training plans for any distance, a detailed intensity control guide for 80/20 workouts and so much more.If you would rather get coaching in your ear, head over to PEAR Sports where you can purchase Matt's 80/20 Running training plans.

While I'm okay with never winning any race, it doesn't mean that I can't dream of someday placing somewhere in my age group. Slow and steady in my training will get me there! 

*******One lucky person will get a SIGNED copy of 80/20 Running in my #fewofmyfavoritethingsgiveaway happening THIS Friday. (12/5) on my Facebook Page

*Also by Matt Fitzgerald:

The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Nutrition

Racing Weight Cookbook

Racing Weight

RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel

The Runner's Body (with Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas)

Runner's World The Cutting-Edge Runner

The Runner's Edge (with Stephen McGregor)

Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners

Brain Training for Runners

Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon (with Brad Hudson)

Not related to running but a great read:

Diet Cults

Beyond 14

I went to visit my dad the other day.  He asked if I was still running.  "Yes, dad. Still running"  It was my 170th day of streaking.  The idea that I'm streaking to him is crazy. But as runners, we take "crazy" as a compliment.

I admit, it's crazy even to ME that I've gone this far with it. But crazy is as crazy does. 

So, I'm doing. 

Finally doing my first whole crazy. That's right, 26.2! That's in one month. But before I tackle that, I have another half crazy in just a week! Another first for me..a trail race. Here's hoping I can stay vertical. If you don't follow me on Facebook, you can do so here. That way you're in the loop and don't have to wait for a blog post.

Here we are, 20 weeks into my informal training plan and I've tackled a few long runs, intervals and tempo runs. When I see the long runs in my training schedule I freak out a little. The last 14 miler I attempted back in February was a huge failure. I had pain on the outside of my right knee and pushed through 8 miles with pain. Granted it was more of a hobble, then a run or walk, but I was too stubborn to stop.

Stubborn got me a front row seat on my couch for a while catching up on The Young and the Restless and yet another character change."Phyllis" was pushed down the stairwell and is in a coma with a new face and body. Pretty remarkable. In between the daytime TV drama and character switcharoo I went to work on fixing myself. No, not the stubbornness. There's no fixing that. But I'm learning.

ITBS. When I first saw this I thought of IBS. Ya. I did. It's not the same ! Shocking. If you know what ITBS is then you know it's not related to the other. Iliotibial Band Syndrome is a common injury to runners. Mostly due to overuse. I took to the internet to learn more about how to prevent it and how to make myself better. I looked at several videos and discovered this one. I highly recommend it.

Don't underestimate the power in your ass, hamstrings and quads! Strengthen them and you will never have an issue. I have been pain free since March. It's a beautiful thing. When you feel good, you perform good. Period.

Part of feeling good has a lot to do with what's on your feet. My love of Altra's is no secret. Their shoes are the best thing that ever happened to me as a runner. I put on my first pair for my HM in January and while I should have spent a little more time in them before the race, I haven't worn any other brand since. My collection has grown quite a bit. My latest is the Lone Peak 1.5 for my upcoming trail race. But before those I bought the One2  This shoe is Ah- May- Zing! Better than the Torin's which I also love. But the One2's are ridiculously awesome. Like seriously. Go buy a pair.

Besides shoes, but just as important if not MORE important is nutrition. Let's face it, there are lots and lots of options out there.  From gels to drinks and everything in between, you are bound to find something that works for you.  It may take you a while and lots of samples, but you'll get it. I found something that works.  Read on.......

While I don't have a ton of experience as a runner, I've learned a few things along the way. Mostly from trial and error, stubbornness and a lot of it from all the great pages I follow on Facebook. Besides all the great info, there is a ton of support and encouragement from this community of runners. I invite you to check it out.

Attempting the next few long runs was going to require some encouragement and support from my family and of course my FB family.  I was truly overwhelmed with everyone's kind and encouraging words. I felt confident in getting this 16 miler done. My gadgets were charged, including my Avantree Jogger*, my shoes were tied and mentally I was pumped!


Off I went one Sunday morning before the sun came up to take in the fresh air and enjoy my long run. I opted for the route that takes me through a portion of my city. It's a mix of hills, both up and down and flat in some spots. I like the variety. Bonus is smelling the bacon frying from the Village Inn, Ihop, and coffee from Starbucks. Not to get off the subject here but I read something not too long ago about how it might be possible to get the effects/benefits of carbs by just smelling them. Huh? Okay, well, it was something along those lines.  Listen, I've never been a great joke teller. I somehow manage to mess up the punch line...Every. Single. Time.

Moving on.  I cranked along the first 8 miles no problem. I didn't bring any water so I stopped at a convenience store for a little sip of water with a splash of coke. Contemplating a snack for the way back, I remembered all the advice. Stick to what you know. Don't add anything new.  Truth is, I didn't feel hungry,but it's not about feeling hungry. It's about taking in the nutrition you NEED. I finished up my coke water and after a quick assessment of my body. No pain? Check. Sweat dripping? Check. I headed back. The visualization technique I use is probably one you've used yourself. I picture myself at a certain place in my route. Say the corner of Southern and 528. Roughly 6 miles from my current location. When I get to that location, I then visualize myself in the trail that leads to my house. And so on. The last location I visualized was in front of the fridge shoveling every piece of food in my mouth. Must have been too much for my stomach to bear, because I suddenly got a side stitch with 2 miles left to go.  I was in the home stretch with a side stitch. Awesome.

When I made it to my driveway I half expected to see a group of family and friends with lots of food and balloons and such. No. Really.  And a great big sign "You are bitchin, bitchin!" (that was for Kathryn)  While I was a little disappointed there was no DJ playing my favorite songs and there was no medal with my page name "Bitchinrunner" inscribed with a "Sweet 16" on it, I was relieved and pretty amazed at my mental and physical toughness.  Later that day, my beautiful daughter and grandson brought me my favorite ice cream and some homemade lavender soap for my soak in the tub.

Just this past Sunday I went back out to the streets for the second to the last of my long runs in my training schedule. Eighteen miles was on tap for the day and this time I packed my Mazama Side Stream**  with my lemon Tailwind Nutrition***  Before my 16 miler I had some Greek yogurt with berries and honey with an almond Perfect Bar crumbled in for breakfast and it suited my needs. Trying to stay consistent with my nutrition, I had the same thing before this 18 miler.  Along the way, I sipped on my Tailwind and when I made it to the half way point I did another quick assessment of my body. Everything felt great. No pain. No GI issues.

Finishing up that day was a myriad of emotions. Tired? yes. Hungry? yes. Sore? yes. Happy? yes. Grateful? yes. Everything all at once. Beyond 14 is a special place, really. But honestly, anything beyond zero is a huge score. ;)



*SHORT REVIEW OF AVANTREE JOGGER

This wireless Bluetooth headset is just what I needed. My iPhone earbuds are good, but I couldn't keep the wires from getting tangled in my necklace. I looked for Bluetooth headsets but everything I saw was very expensive and got okay reviews. This one was reasonably priced so I tried it.

What I liked:

-Easy to link the device to my iPhone
-Range of the Bluetooth was at least 40feet.
-Sound quality is pretty good.
-Comfortable to wear.
-Inexpensive. (under $40)

-What I didn't like:

-No battery indicator. (only beeps when it's dying)

**SHORT REVIEW OF THE MAZAMA SIDE STREAM

Trying to find a product for carrying my water/nutrition wasn't a priority for me a few months ago, but just like with the headset, I searched the web for something I would be comfortable with. I almost bought the Ifitness fuel belt or the Amphipod belt then I stumbled upon this.

What I liked:

-Compact design for carrying 1.3L
-No flasks
-Sits snug on lower back, no bouncing.
-Retractable drinking tube so you don't have to stop and sip
-Quality materials
-Pockets for carrying phone, gels etc

What I didn't like:

-Hard to get the last little bit of water out when emptying the bladder.
-The adjustable belt accommodates all waists but the excess belt just hangs down.
-A little noise from the liquid sloshing. Not a big deal really, but you can hear it

I chose this particular one for now because it sits comfortably around my waist with the bladder on the small of my back. I would eventually like to try a vest one. But this one suits my needs right now.

***SHORT REVIEW OF TAILWIND NUTRITION

I mentioned how important nutrition is. We've all had those awful moments while running and hitting that wall.  It's no fun.  But as much as it's not fun, it does significant damage to your body and recovery time. Just like you, I've tried lots of stuff. Tailwind nutrition is not new to the market, but new to me.

What I liked:

-Great flavor.  Not sugary sweet.
-Easy to mix. No residue
-No tummy problems
-All in one drink: electrolytes, energy and hydration.

What I didn't like:

-I hate to say 'nothing' but since I've tried other things I was totally impressed with it.

Mixed up the lemon flavor with the recommended 24 oz of water and added to my Mazama. Sipped the whole 18 miles. Never felt like I needed anything else the whole time. Wasn't thirsty, hungry. Didn't ever hit a tired moment during that whole run. Post run I felt great. Felt like it aided in recovery. Although it could just be that since it gives you everything you need DURING the run your body doesn't need much after.


If you have any questions about these items please ask.  Thanks for reading.



Next up:
trail running and road to crazy

If the shoe fits....buy it

Take one look at me and you clearly see that I am a no frills gal. I love being comfortable.  And just like anyone, I dress up on occasion. Or should I say for an occasion. Weddings, dinner parties and date night. I have in fact gone to some events in jeans and heels. Well, not just jeans and heels. I mean I wore a top.  As if.

Anyway, I think wearing things that make you comfortable also make you feel confident. And confidence is sexy. Amiright?! The cute skirt with the 6 inch stilettos is sexy, don't get me wrong. Comfortable? Not so much for me..  But then again, I prefer comfort to awkward. You don't want to see me in any shoe higher than 3 inches. Trust me on that.

My everyday outfit is running stuff. Shorts if it's hot and a shirt. After my run and shower I switch out of the sweaty gear and into clean gear. Much easier since it requires some effort to pick out non running clothes. Plus it's comfortable.

Man, I suck at coming up with other words besides comfortable.  But what other words are there? Hold on..lemme check. *Googles comfortable* Cozy, snug, warm agreeable, pleasant.. There you go. But still not the same. Let me try a few in a sentence. 'My shorts felt snug. These socks are pleasant. My bed is agreeable '. See what I mean?! Not the same. Different.

Moving along. I will use comfortable many more times in the next few paragraphs. That's your warning.

I am not a shoe whore.  Let me just get that out there. My journey through the soles of many shoes is cause for concern. But I make no apologies. 

To all the shoes I left behind, you are not forgotten:

Nike Shox,  Nike Vomero,  Nike Air,  Mizuno, New Balance WT1010, New Balance WT101, Adidas, Puma, Brooks pure flow, New Balance  Minimus, New Balance WT810, Asics.

Sadly, it took all these tries to finally get it right.

A little over a week before my second half marathon I was shopping on Zappos for my race outfit. My mind was NOT on shoes, I swear! But as it turns out, I got sidetracked.  By.  Shoes.   Thanks to Zappos free next day shipping, my Altra Intuitions were at my doorstep seconds before I was headed out the door for my run. I read the informational and warning booklet quickly : allow time to adjust to zero drop..yada yada yada.  Laced up ... Wow! Preposterous!!  Ridiculous!  Ridiculously preposterous. 

These shoes.

Bloody hell. The voices were back.  #1: Do not even think about wearing those new shoes for your half. #2: What half?   #1: Quit playing. Don't do it. #2: It's only 13.1 miles. You'll be fine. Trust me.  #1: Don't trust anyone who says 'trust me'. Trust me. #2: STFU!        Great. Now my voices are rambling.

Just 2 miles into my half marathon, I was cursing myself. And all the people wearing the shoes they actually trained in. Damn you people for obeying the cardinal rule of new shoes. Damn you! 

I considered quitting. I couldn't imagine going another step, let alone the thousand steps that were yet in front of me. But I did. The whole time my calves were on fire. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I finished.  And with a PR no less.  But there I was laughing, yes laughing while my calves were screaming. 

Five months have gone by and I have since bought  2 more styles of Altras. Torin and Olympus. I am so in love with my Torins I bought two pair. I rotate the Olympus in with trail runs to keep my body injury free and my feet happy and 'cozy'.

No question that I will be bringing sexy back. To where I dunno.   Comfort = confidence= sexy. (Back- as in gluteus maximus-back)

If the shoe fits, buy it.

If it doesn't, move on. 

But more important, don't wear new shoes on race day.

Thanks for reading. **Bonus. I didn't use the word comfortable again.**
You're welcome !

Next up: I'm going streaking!

Training. Schmraining

Feels awesome to have a plan. I would know cause I've never had one. Well, not never. I had a plan once. My plan was to create a plan. That counts right?

I went to a dinner party a few years ago where some db was talking about how he didn't need to train for a half marathon. 'I could go run one tomorrow, with no training'.  Well, look at you, Mister fit and fabulous. More like mister ri DICK ulous.  Get. Over. Yourself.   Bitter? Me?!  NO!! Okay.. Well, just a smidge. At the time, I thought 'yeah whatever db'. Today I think 'yeah whatever DB'. Same, but different. (Capitalization on db)

Point of my story is that I believe everyone needs a plan. He probably could have gone out and ran a half marathon the next day. Was it smart to do that? Nope. At least I don't think so. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: 'You did a triathlon with no training'  AND I ALMOST FRICKIN DIED IN THE POOL. 'You also did a half marathon with little training.' AND I FELT LIKE I WAS GONNA DIE.  That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger bs is almost right. I like to say 'That which doesn't kill me makes me a smart ass'.  You know what I learned from those near death experiences?  That you are only as good as the effort you put in.  Commit with everything you have. Don't half ass it. Unless of course you have half of an ass. No. Not even then.

Lifestyle changes come as easy as spreading cold butter on toast. Unless the butter is soft, you end up with a piece of destroyed toast. But it doesn't deter you. You either eat the mangled toast, or get the butter  soft -not melted. Either way works, especially if you're starving and don't care.  But the difference is the approach. My approach, in short was to keep running and to find a healthy balance from a nutritional standpoint.    A ha!    A plan! 

Easier said than done.

My brain needed a break from all the nutrition books I was reading,  but I crammed one last book in. 'It Starts with Food' by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.  No dairy, no legumes, NO ALCOHOL!! Say what?!!!  OK, well I'm not an alcoholic, but 30 days without a vodka tonic??!  Cray. Zee. The book strongly encourages you to get started immediately. That whole 'I'll start my diet Monday' is probably why.

After 30+ days of Whole 30, I needed a stiff drink AND squishy bread. (That was just the compensation effect talking). I didn't actually have the bread.  Just the drink. X2!  Smooth!  Removing everything that could potentially be affecting my body and then slowly reintroducing those same foods back in was a great start for me.  Caveman/paleo was just scratching the surface. I am not a devout caveman. I switch things up frequently to meet my running demands. Speaking of which....

You can have too much of a good thing. As it happens, I got a running injury. Bleh.  Runner's knee. First rule of run club, do NOT talk about running. No silly. Don't over do it. Do not increase your mileage too quickly or... Or you'll end up on the couch, eating bon bons and watching
The Young and the Restless.  Can I just say that missing one single episode causes lots of friggin confusion. Especially if they suddenly replace an actor with a different one. Oy.

Months went by and my routine was anything but routine. Not running was turning me into a certified biotch. I did what I could do to tame the beast, push ups, core workouts and weight training. Deep down, I was craving a run. More specifically, I wanted to race!  I set my sights once again on the Rock n Roll half marathon in Phoenix. (Jan 2014) Birthday 43!

So, it began.  'It' meaning training. Training schmraining.  Very careful training. I couldn't deal with another injury. With many resources out there, I read a lot of stuff. Like a sponge I absorbed everything I could get in my noggin and set out to move mountains. Well, not quite. But that's what the workouts felt like. Intervals, tempo runs and long runs combined with rest days. Four workout days. I  seriously never knew my body was capable of such things. W. T. F!!! <------ backwards is F.T.W!! That's right: For the Win! I mean who doesn't like feeling like a total badass.??!!! Even if it's just in your own mind.

The beauty of all of this was I was on my way to a second half marathon WITH training.

My plan :  proper training with proper training nutrition.

I knew nothing could stop me now....

Next up: If the shoe fits...buy it

Only half (crazy) marathon

My new found ninja status had me feeling all ninja like. I practiced that cool hand thing they do and wound up flipping somebody off. Totally unintentional. I swear. No more ninja hand gestures for me and no more power to my uncle's comment. Bye Felicia. Adiós. 

Do you hear voices in your head? No? Just me? Never mind.  Let me share with you the conversations we have. Me: I want to eat that pizza and cookies and chips and pie. Voices: Do NOT eat that crap. It's bad for you. Me: But I really want it. It tastes so good. Voices: Okay, eat it. I'll make you feel guilty later. 

Here comes guilt. Oh and look who tagged along.... Thunder thighs.  Awesome. 

I did the best that I could to tame those voices by trying to eat better. Nothing helped. Then I went to my source. My brain. There were some serious cobwebs in there. I cleared the cobwebs and hit the restart button again and again. A few more times adda. Do. The. Trick. 

I was looking for a lifestyle change. Not a diet. For most people, cutting out everything they enjoy is the ONLY way, for me it was sabotage. (Cue Beastie Boy's song 'sabotage') If I was going to change my lifestyle for good it was going to require some compromise.  Nothing radical. So, I went with what I knew.  I ate McDonald's just not super size. I had diet soda instead of regular. I ate fried chicken and removed the delicious crispy skin. (Salivating). 

At home I bought those cute 100 calorie snack packs. Sneaky marketing makes you think they're somehow 'diet'. They're not. Shocker.  (And genius)  So, if they're NOT diet..*scratches head*  what's the point!?!!   Portions, duh! My medulla oblongata was putting it all together. Finally!   My food choices didn't become healthier over night. It took a while to get there. But portions were easy to change. I ate one slice of pizza, not 3(or 5). I ate chips, not the whole bag. And so on. I started to see food in a different way. And because I saw it differently, I ate differently. Happy dance. 

Let me tell you about the word 'active'. It's way different than say 'exercise'. Just the mention of word makes me sweat. But active was gentler. Like exercise's little sister. I had to incorporate some sort of activity into my life. I knew I wasn't going to get up and start running and crazy stuff like that. I am crazy. But running?! Never. I knew I just needed to get up and MOVE. Period. Again, nothing radical. I popped in the tae bo and Pilates DVD and watched. Observed.

Then I DID something radical. I created my own workout. Called 'Tae Pilates'. Get yours today for a special price of 9.99. But WAIT there's more. For a limited time you can get my bonus DVD 'crunches, push ups and more'.  . .  Ok... The DVDs aren't real. I know you're disappointed. Sorry. 

Every single day for just 30 minutes I did my Tae Pilates workout with crunches and push ups.   'Activity'   The proof was in the puddin as I like to say. My body was transforming. Like a transformer but less obvious. But more importantly my inner being was changing. The real excitement came from knowing that I got to this point because my brain was using this formula : eat better (portions) + activity = lifestyle change.  Was this formula perfect? Nope. Far from it. I was eating less junk, but not healthier. Not yet. Small steps, Danielson. [Wax on. Wax off]

This is how it was for a long while. I tried not to change too much too quickly. At least that's what I told myself. Deep down I was missing home. My mom, my sister and all my family. But I kept to the formula. 

A year of living in the East coast was 365 days too many for me. There were positives though. We visited many tourist destinations. New York, Washington D.C., Atlantic City. Went to the ball park to watch the Phillies. And my kids met lifelong friends.  But now, we were homebound. For good. As I've shared my passion for moving in my previous post,  I'll spare you the details. 

Behold! The sight of our majestic Sandia mountains brought tears to my eyes. Home sweet home. 

After a few short weeks I had the need to visit the Dr.'s office. I got on the scale and I couldn't believe my eyes. 130 lbs! Holy crap!  I thought to myself 'what if I ate healthier AND stayed active?!' Mind blown! Honestly though, what if?

For me, the hardest part was over. Not the weight loss.  Remember that was the physical part. Mentally, I was on track. For the most part. 

Six months or so before my 40th birthday I decided I wanted to run a half marathon. Talk about crazy. Perhaps it was taking me a bit longer to adjust back to the altitude. Remember my triathlon adventure? Apparently my memory was suffering as well. I had not done any long distance running. Hell, I had barely done any walking. Yet, my mind was made up. Now all I needed to do was start running. So, I did. Wasn't easy. I managed a walk/run combo for a few weeks and gradually worked up to mostly running. But  still only managed HALF of a half marathon. What was I thinking? 13.1 miles? Yeah. Clearly in over my head. 

The months leading up to the half (crazy) marathon were November and December. Yep, holidays. Yep, food. Yep, busy times. Yep, yep and yep! Hubby took some vacation for the holidays and I in turn took a holiday from my running. Plus, I was enjoying the holiday family traditions. 

I eventually made it back outside to resume my half ass training plan. The race was fast approaching! Would I? Could I?! Should I?! I would never know unless I tried. A week before the race, when most people are tapering after a vigorous half marathon training plan, I was out to tackle 10 or so miles. Call me crazy. I would be happy to agree. 

On race day I prepared myself for the possibility of having to crawl the last few miles so I wore pants so my knees wouldn't get all scratched up. Then before I actually made it to my corral I had to pee like a hundred times. Didn't help that I drank 15 gallons of fluid the day before. Oh and the lines for the porta potty? 26k people racing and they have 10 pottys. Brilliant planning. 

Waiting in my corral I started to feel what animals might feel like in a corral.  All trapped next to other animals waiting for one thing. The signal to get the hell outta there. Who is the genius that came up with corrals for racing OR for animals anyway?  And yet there I was. Among my fellow runners. Elbow to elbow. Foot to foot. It was exhilarating, I won't lie. The lying would come later at mile 11. I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to die. That I would be OK. All lies I told myself. All lies. 

The great news is I didn't die. Obviously. The good news is I didn't have to crawl. But I was perfectly fine with doing it if I had to. I finished my first half marathon in 2 hours and 48 minutes.  I couldn't have been more proud of myself. Inside and out. 

The moment I crossed that finish line I knew that I would be back for more. Not to be better than anyone else, but to be a better version of me!

Next up: Training sucks