It's the Little Things

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Give me a nap, a quiet house, a trip to Jamaica (that's not much, is it?) and I'm perfectly content. It also makes me happy when I pull into the garage and see packages on my front porch. So imagine how I felt yesterday when I left work early because I was feeling like crap and came home to this!

OPI Texas Collection and Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber Collection

(sorry the pic is blurry, I was shaking with excitement)

Thank you, thank you, thank you OPI!!! I admit, I have a slight obsession with nail polish and love painting my nails. So being able to review* OPI is a little piece of Heaven for me. Needless to say, this cheered me up immensely...and over stimulated me. I couldn't decide what color to try first! After a hard debate and input from Andy, I went with "I have Bieber Fever", which I don't actually have but the dark purple was too cute to pass up. I always have my nails painted, but love to do a fun color especially before a race. So now I'm all set and ready to go for tomorrow. Now hopefully this cold is better by then and I have it in me to run my heart out.

A quick recap of week 3 of 4...I survived yet again. And actually, this week felt pretty easy considering I haven't felt well. Tuesday was 10 miles with 3 ladders at 6:58 and yesterday was 10 miles with 6 at marathon pace (8:10). I wasn't sure I'd be able to get in 10 miles yesterday with how I was feeling, let alone at race pace, but I shocked myself and ran the race pace miles slightly faster at an 8:06. Leg turnover felt great and I felt like I could, and should, be running faster. I was pooped after the run which was a combination of my 4:45am wake up call and being sick, but I was really happy I got that workout in. I was so stressed about possibly missing one of these key workouts. I was planning to lift today and do light cardio but opted for a complete rest day instead. I thought if it might help me feel better for the race tomorrow it was worth it.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! It's going to be 67 degrees here today...makes me want to break out the flip flops!

*Reviews of previous OPI and Nicole by OPI collections are on my review page. Review of those pictured here coming soon!

Frostbite Goals

For a while there we were dealing with a snow and/or ice storm each week. Everything has been covered with dirty snow and I can't remember the last time I was able to see my back patio. Well, Mother Nature decided to play nice and we're finally gonna warm up this week. But not a little warm up. Oh no, we're suppose to hit the 60's tomorrow!! That's like Spring! Anxiously awaiting the warmer weather has me dreaming of all the time I'll be able to spend outside. I even started to look at some new patio accessories at CSN. We put on a new paver patio last year and I want to get some fun stuff for when we entertain. I know there's a lot of chatter about CSN in blog land but if you haven't checked them out, head on over. They have over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be swingsets, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!

With the warmer weather rolling in for the weekend I should be excited since I have Frostbite 5 miler on Saturday. This will be my 4th year running it and I set my sights on a PR**. It's a pretty hard course with a lot of big hills but I feel more trained than ever this winter and am excited to see what I can do come Saturday. Unfortunately, I woke up with a sore throat this morning and feel really run down. I had a feeling something wasn't right when I was exhausted after my run yesterday and could barely keep my eyes open at work. I had my normal Tuesday workout, 10 miles with 3 ladders at 6:58, but yesterday it completely drained me. I managed to make it to the gym to lift today but called it quits after that. I plan to get as much sleep as I can over the next few nights and hopefully knock this out of my system quickly.

**Since I'm training for a 3:35 at Shamrock, I entered that time into the McMillan calculator to see what 5 mile time would equate to a 3:35 marathon. According to McMillan, I should be able to run a 36:33 (7:18 pace) for a 5 mile race. My PR at Frostbite is a 37:08 (however, my garmin had me just under 37 minutes last year and I swear something was off with the chip timing) and I really want to see something in the 36 minutes this weekend. Last year I went into this race without much (if any) speed work so I'm hoping I can do much better this year. However, if it was an easy course, I would have no doubts that I could do a 36:33. But with how hilly the course is, I definitely have my work cut out for me.

So, my goals for Saturday:
1) feel well enough to race
2) PR
3) 36:33

My Bum Leg

If I could switch out my right leg I would in a heart beat. My entire life this leg has given me problems.  Growing up I complained of knee pain and was in and out of physical therapy to try to fix it. It wasn't until 1998 when they finally realized I needed surgery to clean up and repair my torn meniscus. Unfortunately, what should have been an easy procedure turned into a nightmare when I developed a blood clot after surgery. Not just a little blood clot but a major DVT blocking my vein from my knee to my ankle. As a result I became an expert at injecting myself with blood thinners and got pushed around the mall in a wheel chair. People are very sympathetic when they see a young person in a wheel chair and I even got to use the handicap dressing room.  After the wheel chair came a cane, which made me look oh so stylish walking around college campus. When all was said and done I suffered some pretty good muscle atrophy and couldn't bend my leg more than 45 degrees. Physical therapy fixed me up but the leg has never been the same.

I now suffer from time to time with what I call "dead leg." My leg just feels funny and tired and the only way to describe it is "dead leg." It's not painful and doesn't keep me from doing anything; it's just annoying more than anything. And the calf and ankle of my right leg is also much smaller than my left. Sounds like a lot, but there's even more...

I have an extremely painful bunion on my right foot. My big toe is growing so far under my second toe I look like a freak. The pain used to be tolerable but now it hurts while I'm running, sitting at my desk, laying around, etc. The pain has gotten so bad that I'm starting to think of a good time to work surgery into my training schedule. And I swore I'd never let the right leg go under the knife again.

I also suffer with IT band issues in my right leg. It completely seized up and kept me from running after Philly marathon in 2008 but since then I've kept it under control. I have to be very diligent with stretching it and using the foam roller or the pain sneaks up on me out of no where. Like it did last week because I got lazy. Back to rolling every day.

Then there's the Achilles injury I had last summer. When I told the Physical Therapist about my history with this leg, he seemed to think it was more than a coincidence that everything happens to this leg. I've been really good about stretching the Achilles before and after every run because it's still a little funky from time to time. No pain, but I can feel it get tired (for lack of a better term) and it's a little tender.

And lastly, and hopefully nothing else comes up, I'm suffering with some plantar fasciitis right now in my right foot/heel. Self diagnosed but 99% sure that's what's going on. Determined to nip this in the bud I started rolling on a frozen water bottle last night and a golf ball. It hurt like heck but I'm going to do whatever I can because I will NOT let this get in the way of me and Shamrock.

So that's the story of me and my bum right leg. Are all of these things related? I dunno. But it definitely seems weird that it all happens to the same leg.

Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi, cross train
Tues - 10 mi w/ 3 ladders at 6:58
Wed - lift, bike
Thurs - 10 mi w/ 6 mi at race pace (8:10)
Fri - lift, rest
Sat - Frostbite 5 miler
Sun - 17 mi

Week 2 of 4

This is my 2nd of 4 hard weeks of Shamrock training and after a successful week 1, I was looking forward to this week. Tuesday I upped my ladders and did 3 during my 10 miler at a 6:58 pace. By the time the 3rd ladder rolled around, I was a little pooped and this one took more effort, but I finished strong. And aside from a screaming sciatica, which is really bad lately, I felt great. When I took it down to an 8:30 pace to cool down, I realized how much has changed over the past month or so. The pace felt slow, almost too slow, and a little awkward. My legs wanted to go much faster...which is a really good feeling.

Yesterday I really wanted to ride the bike trainer but I was anxious about my tempo run today. Why are tempo runs so intimidating to me??? So instead of tiring out my legs, I decided to lift and ride the bike at the gym for a little bit. It's really hard to balance workouts lately to make sure I'm recovering and ready for my next hard workout while trying to incorporate cross training. I'm making it work but think it would be much easier if we didn't need easy/recovery days. Then I could fit in everything I wanted!

So today, I had 10 miles with 5 miles at tempo (7:40). From the second I started I was thinking it was going to be hard. When I realized I was psyching myself out I tried to push those thoughts out of my head. I started telling myself, "I got this" and "I can do this." After a little while of chanting in my head, I found myself cruising at a 7:40 pace and feeling good. I held this for the first 3 miles then upped the speed a bit for the last 2. While it definitely wasn't as hard as I was anticipating, I realized that I think tempo runs are boring. I like the faster pace but I much prefer the ladder work out.

As for the sciatica, I'm now sitting at my desk, hunched over in a stretch position which could easily be mistaken as me trying to push out a turd. Lovely site. But the good news is that we finally made it through an entire week without any snow or ice and I'm super excited about getting outside for my 20 miler this weekend. After 3 or 4 (I can't even remember now) straight weeks of long runs on the treadmill, I've about had it.

This Week's Food

Since things were slightly different this Sunday prepping food for the week, I thought I'd post another snapshot of what went on in the kitchen. I didn't get to make any granola bars this week but I promise to post the recipe soon since people have asked for it.

But before the food...the weather on Saturday forced me yet again to do my long run on the treadmill. I was dreading it ALL week and kept trying to think of a way to get out of it. But since I made plans with a friend to run together, I forced myself to stick to the plan. Turns out the run was nothing to be dreaded. I felt great and the miles flew by. I ran the first 6.5 at 9:05 and then the next 6.5 at 8:57. The final 4 I played with my speed and finished those averaging an 8:04 which is slightly faster than race pace. Best part, chafing was minimal. Thankfully, we are having a week without snow or ice and I'll be able to get outside for my 20 miler this weekend!! Here's a pic of the treadmill before I started on Saturday.

(Vaseline on the side, extra headband, towel, Gus, plenty o' water, headphones, Gu chomps which weren't needed)

Now...food time.

Of course, hard boiled eggs.

Grapes, picked and washed so they are ready to eat.

My fav...brussel sprouts!! Had to go with frozen this week. :-( This and the broccoli are for dinners.

Steamed broccoli which didn't all fit into this container so there's even more.

Baked sweet potato fries which turned out great. I coated in a little oil (I HATE the taste and feel of oil. Anything that makes your lips slippery grosses me out) and sprinkled with sea salt. These will be my carb with dinner.

Barley, one of my favorite grains. Made with water and a bouillon cube. Barley takes on the taste of whatever you cook it with so there are a ton of different ways to prepare it. This stays fresh for up to a week in the fridge.

The beginning ingredients for homemade cabbage veggie soup: garlic, carrots, celery, onion, bouillon cubes, cabbage and some spices.

Saute for a few minutes until soft then add water (8 cups), bouillon cubes, cabbage and other veggies.

I use green beans and cauliflower. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are soft.

Final product packaged and ready for a few lunches. It makes about 8-9 of these containers.

And finally, this is what I packed for work yesterday. A smoothie for my mid morning snack which is made from almond milk, mixed berries and 1 scoop protein powder. Then there's carrots, cabbage soup, turkey, salsa and a wrap for lunch. I ate the popcorn about an hour after lunch and then late afternoon I had the yogurt (TJ's fat free plain European style. I'm addicted to this stuff) with flax/wheat germ and grapes.

Note the wrap. That's the piece of saran wrap I'll reuse all week.



Here's my schedule for the week:

Mon - 5 mi

Tues - 10 mi with 3 ladders at 6:58

Wed - lift, bike

Thurs - 10 mi with 5 mi at tempo (7:35)

Fri - 5 mi, lift

Sat - 20 mi

Sun - swim

What Do You Do?

We have a recycle bin at work, right next to the trash can. You can't miss it; it's huge and it's labeled for exactly what can be thrown in there. Yet there are people who still throw their recyclables in the regular trash. Honestly, it fires me up that people don't recycle. I'll admit I slip up from time to time but I at least make a very conscious effort to dispose of things properly and reuse whenever I can.  Unless you live in some rural area which doesn't offer recycling, I see no reason why you shouldn't be doing it.

I sometimes wonder if besides recycling my trash, if the other "little" things I do add up or make a difference. Here are some of those "little" things I do...

• I don't like using paper towels as it is. But if I do, I reuse them if they are only used to dry an apple, or my hands, etc. And if I use one to cover my plate when I heat it up in the microwave, Andy will reuse it to heat up his dinner. I may even go as far as to then use that same paper towel as my napkin.
• I HATE using baggies. I *had* to throw one away the other day and it killed me. I rarely use baggies but if I do, I reuse that thing as long as I can.
• I reuse a piece of saran wrap used to bring my wrap into work all week long. I have a way of folding it so I know the outside that touches my desk or lunch bag will never touch my food.
• I have actual utensils at work so I don't waste plastic. And if I have to use plastic (like today I had to find a knife), I'll wash it and reuse it.
• I will NOT buy bottled water. Enough said. I can't discuss this topic without getting all fired up.
• I buy my yogurt in the bigger containers because I can't stand the thought of all those little containers filling up landfills. Think about all those little containers on the shelf in the grocery store...oh lord!
• I buy big containers of hand soap and refill soap dispensers rather than throwing away and buying new little plastic soap dispensers.
• I use reusable grocery bags at the store. Any time we end up with plastic bags they are used for scooping litter. And even then, we fill that plastic bag to the rim with cat pees and poops before we throw it out.
• Any food or take out container with a lid, gets reused for something. Those little tins from mints make great containers to hold safety pins in your running gear bag or spare change in your car. Plastic chinese take out containers are great for lunches. And glass jars are good for when you make nut butters, or to store homemade soup, or holding all those random extra buttons that come on your clothing!
• When I can, I try to buy food in containers which I know are recyclable. If there's a #1 or #5, I'll go with the plastic that is recycled in my area. Not always possible, but sometimes there is a choice.

Those are just some of the little things I try to do on a daily basis. Do they help, I dunno. They will never offset the people who don't recycle, but at least I know I did what I could and I tried. 

What little things do you do???

Oh, and since I'm talking about this, if you haven't seen "No Impact Man", I highly recommend it. It's about a young couple and their baby attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. You can watch the trailer here. They even go as far as not using toilet paper. I have to admit, that is something I just could not do...but I applaud them for their efforts to this cause.

Here's a picture of a pencil cup I made out of a tonic water bottle for my sister's desk at work. It says, "Bottle Pencils Not Water." :-)

Feelin' Good

Woke up to a sheet of ice covering everything outside this morning. It's so pretty to look at but makes such a mess and causes broken trees and power outages. When I got to the kitchen this morning I noticed water running down the wall in several spots from the skylights and the back windows. I threw open the shades and water splashed everywhere. It wasn't dripping but actually running out of any place it could. A little freaked out, I did what every Daddy girl does and I called my Dad. Turns out the windows weren't leaking but there was water trapped on the roof from all the snow we've had and it got in between the walls. Dad came up with some tool to clean snow off the roof and thankfully that stopped it. Now the rain and melting snow has some place to go other than through my walls onto my nice hardwood floors. Don't know what I'd do without that man...

In other news, I finished off January with 175 miles. I'm really happy with that considering it was the start of training and I'm only running 5 days a week to ensure I make time for cross training and lifting. I...feel...so...good and I attribute this to the cross training. Not only does it help with muscular imbalances, I really think it helps my running.  Overall, it was a strong month for me and I ended up only taking 2 complete rest days. One of which wasn't needed but I had too much fun the night before, slept in and then was too tired after work to do anything. I'm annoyed about that one. But now it's 8 weeks till race day and week 1 of my 4 hardest weeks of Shamrock training. I've been preparing myself more mentally than anything for these 4 weeks because it's harder than I've ever pushed myself before. Sort of makes me wonder how I ever qualified for Boston in the first place because I definitely don't feel like I worked nearly as hard as I am now. I think if I can get through this full week and see that it's manageable, then the next 3 will be less intimidating. I'm sure by the end of the third week I'll be ready to think about tapering.

I've also realized that I actually enjoy running more when I run faster. I know I always had these paces in me; I just never pushed myself to run them consistently. But even with that being said, I can tell the paces are getting easier and I continue to get more comfortable with them. I'm not running anything over an 8:30 except for my long runs and even then I'm keeping a 9 minute mile with increasing speed towards the end of the run. As the weeks progress if I need more recovery, I'll definitely back off the pace a bit in between the hard workouts. But for now, I love how the runs feel so I'm sticking with it. I can not wait until Shamrock!!

Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi, a little lifting
Tues - 10 mi, 2 ladders at 6:58
Wed - bike trainer
Thurs - 10 mi, 4 miles at tempo (7:40)
Fri - 5 mi, lift
Sat - 17 mi
Sun - cross train, lift