Rethinking the To-Do List

I like lists. They keep me focused, and crossing stuff off is an almost visceral reward. This holiday season, I decided to make a different kind of to-do list. The regular December events and errands are obvious, so I have instead focused my energies on accomplishing a number of routine breaking things that are just for me. For my two weeks off from work, I signed myself on for the following:
1. Get back into yoga
2. Knit a small project
3. Run every other day (well, there had to be some routine)
4. Make several items from a newly purchased almond flour cookbook
5. Reorganize the clothes in my closets (this is actually fun for me)
6. Lunch with girl friends I haven't seen in a while
7. Start the lit review for my dissertation

Now smack in the middle of my holiday break, I am happy to say that I've already managed to do items 1-6. And I feel great!

1. When I first started teaching, I turned to yoga as a stress reliever. It was really the only thing that made my mysterious skin rashes (yes, I was that stressed) subside and I was pretty religious with twice a week classes for about a year. That was 10 years ago. So, spurred on by a Living Social deal and a Wii Fit refresher of basic poses, I have attended two classes this week. Thus far, I have managed to not embarrass myself and my neck and shoulders feel wonderful. It has made me realize how much I benefit from a good teacher and the peer pressure of being in a group - there is no way I could make myself hold those poses on my own! And, it is a great cross training counter-balance for distance running.

2. Inspired by an almost impulse buy from a trendy website (I stopped myself mid-click with an "I could totally make that myself."), I have started on this turban with some beautiful indigo Malabrigo. Learning the brioche stitch was less than relaxing, but now that I have it, I am able to fall into a nice rhythm while hubby watches sports. And, my newly yoga-lowered shoulders make knitting just that much more soothing.

3. Running every other day? Well, of course. That doesn't really merit explanation except for the fact that my husband and I did do a 4 mile race last weekend. The field was so small that I came in first in my age group and he came in second in his. Full disclosure, I was 1st of 1 and he was 2nd of 2. But first is first, dammit!

4. Still trying the Paleo plan (following the 80% rule), I purchased The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. I have now made the pear crisp, a quiche with the simple tart crust and the sandwich bread. All turned out good, but the tart crust is the best so far. Really buttery tasting with a consistency kind of like graham cracker crust. In an attempt to stay Paleo at the various upcoming family meals, I also plan to do the crumble dessert with apples and cranberries and, though it is not in the book, I am inspired to contribute a spaghetti squash casserole with almond flour topping. I may be the only one, other than hubby, who eats it but that's ok.

5. I had more fun than I should have reorganizing the two closets and one wardrobe that hold what I refer to as "my clothing situation". I got really brave with my cashmere sweaters and actually (gasp!) washed them in the washer with a wool shampoo I had seen in a magazine and ordered a few weeks back. Miraculously, it worked and - with the exception of one sweater that now smells kinda funky (like a wet goat?) from being wet - all of my cashmere is now super soft and cleaner than new. After a couple hours spent laying my eyes and hands on nearly every piece of apparel that I own, I also had a nice big bag of castaways for charity, which did put me in just a slight holiday spirit.

6. Had a great time yesterday lunching in a new spot and then aimlessly exploring shops with a friend I hadn't hung out with in ages. Sometimes my husband and I do so many things with other couples or just the two of us that I forget how girl time is importantly different and sooo needed! I have another lunch date with yet another girl friend next week and it does make me wish I was more like those housewives (with money) who get to lunch it up more regularly.

7. Uhhhh, that one, well, I have printed a couple of articles. But, really, the lit review will have to wait until next week. If only I could run and search academic databases at the same time, I would probably already be finished!

1 and done

I have learned, at this point in my life, to never say never. However, it is HIGHLY unlikely that I will repeat the City of Oaks Marathon. 1 week ago, I tackled it for my second completed marathon. I finished triumphant, injury-free (not counting blisters), in just under 4 1/2 hours. But, my god, the hills!! They were relentless, numerous, and long - at least one was over a mile of continuous incline!

After dominating the first half with a 9:30/mile pace, I must admit that I walked a good chunk of the last 9 miles - saving whatever running I had left in me for downhills and anytime I thought my spectators might pop up. Yes, my less than victorious moments of near tears and hill-cursing were successfully hidden from my wonderful hubby and friends, who with their hats and signs to distract and amuse me every few miles, made it hard not to dig deep and smile.

In the past, I have underrated the value of having familiar faces on the sidelines. Though I am always thankful for my husbands' support, I have never really had anyone else cheer me on, much less make signs, gather props and get up at 4 in the morning to travel 2 1/2 hours and dodge traffic just to help me finish a race. It definitely made a difference, and I have already signed up to run the half of the marathon they are doing this coming spring so that I can try to reciprocate.

My post-marathon plans are a bit different this time. If I learned anything from my first, it was to not take such a long hiatus afterward. So, I am already signed up for a few races in the coming months - mainly shorter ones leading up to the afore mentioned half-marathon in April. And, after taking 5 days off from running to recover, I got in a short run around the neighborhood today. It felt good. My calves were still a bit tight, but my blisters are healed, and my easy run turned out to be a 29:01 5k. Given that when I first started running two years ago, I was turning in 3 miles in just under 35 minutes, I have come a pretty long way.

And, I have already put my name in the hat for NYC again next year. City of Oaks had been my local plan B marathon this time around, so I will hope against hopes that my name gets drawn for 2012 .....and keep my eyes peeled for a flatter back-up race.

count down chow down

Well, I just finished my last pre-marathon run - an easy but muddy 3 miles in the neighborhood. It felt pretty good and, not even trying, I maintained just over a 9 min mile (fast, for me). Nothing left to do now but but go over the race day plan a few times ......and eat! I have managed to remain pretty faithful to the caveman thing (see previous post) for the past two weeks - until these last couple days, that is. I have to say, the first week was hard, but this week I have noticed my metabolism leveling out and I'm feeling pretty smug for so easily going cold turkey on dairy.

But, since the conventional running wisdom is that I need to intake 70% carbs the last three days before the race, I have commenced to cheating with grains and some of the rest of the no-nos... big time. Yesterday, I indulged in a bagel and a couple of bean burritos. Today, I've been trying to be good and just load up on 'taters. But, tomorrow, pasta is definitely in the plan. What can I say - it's tradition, or superstition, or me just still feeling like a novice and being worried about NOT following the "rules".

So, Monday I'll get back to the paleo program, but all bets are off til then. Let me just get this second 26.2 under my belt and then.... well, let me just focus on running the race and worry about the rest later.

Wish me luck!

Primal Urge

For the record, I am not a dieter. No, I am not one of those annoying people who is naturally thin (whatever that means) - I could definitely stand to misplace a few pounds. ...and, I have done the calorie-counting thing (which does work) for a few mind-numbing weeks every now and then.

So, when my husband recently announced that he is considering the "caveman diet", I was ... well, intrigued. Wanting to be supportive of any interesting and healthy-sounding move, I immediately volunteered to join him. Never having heard of this particular regimen, I really had no idea what it even was, but my husband is not the impulsive type who follows fad diets. In fact, he has never dieted OR calorie counted. And, the simple (seeming) explanation of eating only stuff pre-agricultural humans could have consumed sounded reasonable enough.

And then I remembered that I'm a "pescetarian" that loves hummus, pasta, rice, cheese and yogurt. Seafood is fine, but all grains, dairy and legumes are pretty much verboten on the "Paleo Diet" (one of the official names, as I discovered). Oh, and not to mention that I am two weeks out from a marathon, during which time I should be CARB LOADING. How do you carb load without pasta, rice, and bread???

Ok, deep breath, this is not impossible. It is a challenge, which I kinda love, but doable. I think. I have already scoured the web for advice (the No Meat Athlete is pretty helpful) and decided that my dinners away from home for work and school over the next couple of weeks are fair game for cheating in the name of carb loading.

Turns out that the whole thing is fairly complicated as there is much disagreement over such details as white potatoes and lentils (which apparently can be soaked to eliminate 95% of the toxins that would have been debilitating to the caveman digestive tract, had they been able to grow or forage them). Alcohol and protein powders are particularly contentious subjects within the caveman diet universe, but, I digress.....

Shopping for our new meal plan was pretty entertaining - and educational. Who knew all of the gluten-free foods have soy, rice and chick pea flour in them? We stocked up on almond milk, leafy greens, root veggies, coconut milk ice cream and lots of nuts. Today was the first day of an agreed-upon one week trial period before we commit to three solid weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Coincidentally, and sort of problematically, I also had a pre-planned brunch with some girlfriends at a little French place that specializes in cheesy, bready goodness. I felt pretty darn silly ordering eggs Florentine without the bread, but was later proud of my restraint. Dinner back at home was grilled octopus (he had a steak), roasted Brussels sprouts and a green salad with late tomatoes from the garden. It was delicious and didn't feel at all restrictive. Plus, I kind of like the image of myself as a cave woman near a coast who spear-fishes octopi, rebelliously eats deadly nightshades, and when necessary, runs really damn far to escape whatever happens to be chasing her.

As to the marathon, I am hoping that a few cheat nights and a whole lot of Halloween candy will be enough to carb me up for the main event. I guess we'll see.

Accumulation

Everything seems to be piling up lately - work assignments, credit hours and miles, oh the miles. I tackled 19 yesterday and nearly fell off the hotel treadmill. I experienced my first mid-run cramp - well, late-run, cramp, at mile 17.5. I powered through, but had to walk a bit to get past it and get the full distance under my belt. This was my first really long run on a hotel treadmill and it was not entirely unpleasant. It was a bit distracting having other runners and bikers cycle in and out of the exercise room, but thankfully none of them tried to get the remote or even ask to change the channel. I am guessing the site of someone so geared up (knee band, compression tights, gps watch, gels, etc.) and profusely sweaty was enough to scare them into keeping quiet about keeping up with the Kardashians.

As to those other things accumulating - credit hours - as in just 2 Spring semester courses away from my dissertation. If I had a nickle for every time someone has likened grad school to a marathon, I'd be dead (yes, a Heathers reference). But cliches are cliches because they are usually true and it does indeed feel like I am getting close to that 22 mile run and tapering toward the main event. Ah, if only it went as quickly as actual marathon training.

So, I am now 5 weeks out from the City of Oaks 26.2, and only one more super long run (22 miles) before tapering is underway. And now that it's finally Fall, my shorter runs outdoors are getting a lot more enjoyable. I have even sprinkled several 5 and 10ks throughout the season to get back into racing mode. Which reminds me that I shocked the hell out of myself by PRing a 5K last weekend by a full 40 seconds! ...and it wasn't even all that flat! Much of the race was on the American Tobacco Trail, which I have been aware of for years, but had never actually traversed. The parts through Durham are paved and pretty serene, and starting at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, seem like the perfect venue for a Saturday morning trot with my better half.

Hmmm, come to think of it, tomorrow is Saturday! ...and the forecast calls for a cool, crisp, Fall morning. :-)

Made in the Shade

Jeeezus, it's hot! It's head-pounding, rash-inducing, baby-powder-in-the-shorts-necessitating HOT. ..and that's by 9 am.

Though I love summers in the south (yes, I'm all in for magnolias, iced tea, cicadas and all the other southern pride bs), I am not above complaining about the heat and humidity. And, I must be a glutton for punishment, because I picked this particular season to begin tackling long runs outdoors. As part of my November marathon training regimen, long runs (currently approaching the 10 mile mark) fall primarily on the weekend, when it's fairly safe to traverse the 45 mph road in front of my house. Not having to drive somewhere to run is a huge plus, and if I get out by 7:30ish, it's so nice and cool and quiet, the road practically pulls me to it.

The first 30 minutes or so are blissful, but not long after that I find myself acutely aware of sun and shade. If my fancy schmancy GPS watch had a function that mapped shade, I am certain it would show that I actually run faster in the sun in order to get to the shade, where I slow down and enjoy the respite of a minimal temperature drop. Shade becomes the reward. I often change my route after looking down an unfamiliar street and deciding it is more shady than my original plan, and I am also prone to break traffic rules to run on the wrong but shaded side of the street (for shame!). I know it's mostly in my head, but it makes a huge difference when my legs feel like concrete and my head is pounding. And, thankfully, my town is pretty sleepy and the streets are all on a grid, so none of my disobedience is all that dangerous.

Now, I do not mean to suggest that my new balmy weather running habits are unusual or even admirable - there are plenty of other runners out and about this time of year in our area. However, when you scan the crowded race calendar, the near complete absence of local, organized races listed for July and August points to the fact that we all may be a little nuts.

Last year, I did my marathon in May and then basically sat out the next 3 months; so, serious summer running is a new concept for me. I also only did maybe one run a week outdoors during the entire 6 month training leading up to that race. The past few weeks, I have switched to doing maybe half of my runs outdoors, that half including my longer ones on the weekends. I find that it not only breaks up the monotony of treadmill-training, but since I have to run a pretty large part of my town to get my mileage, it gives me a far better sense of my community.

Nonetheless, I'm definitely a wimp, so I don't see myself becoming one of those people that sees their treadmill as only a last resort for extremely foreboding outdoor conditions. You know, the folks who would almost rather crack their skull on an icy trail - or buy ridiculous winter weather gear - just to get that fabulous fresh air. Nope. Not me. I still crave being able to run in front of a tv, or at the very least in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, a few times a week. Indeed, my love affair with the treadmill continues, and this current tumultuous summer fling with the outdoors is absolutely no threat to that long-term relationship.

..at least until Fall. Fall is a different story.

Give and Take

Give:
$$$ for Komen

• Hubby and I both met our team goals
• after much email hounding of friends and co-workers
• and contributing to ourselves online
• getting thank you emails from yourself is underrated
• we were not the deadbeats on my mom's team - phew!
  

Time out of an extremely busy week/weekend to enjoy time with the family

• ran early 5K and walked later 5K with ma (and pa taking pics from the sidelines)
• post-race leisurely brunch with ma and pa
• drove 5 hours with tight muscles the next day for 1 hour lunch with birthday niece

$$ to Nike for my new gps watch

• yes, finally broke down and purchased
• cheaper and sexier than a Garmin
• already had foot-pod ready Nikes - who knew!
  
• tracked my zigzags through the Komen crowd (actually 3.3 miles total!)
  
• works on the treadmill
  
• wait, I need to say it again - WORKS ON THE TREADMILL!
  
• soooo glad I waited!!

Take:
Race for the Cure

• great opportunity to try out the new gadget (and fall deeper in love)
• lesson learned - crowded race full of non-runners not a good opportunity for a PR
• gave me a great reason to skip out on half a day of my Saturday class (score!)
• 10K run/walk = more calories for big brunch (I ate my mom's grits in addition to my own huge order) and half a pitcher of margaritas at dinner

Family

• enjoyed hilariously inappropriate conversations with mom during the race (anytime you can work "tea bagging" into a conversation with a parent is good times)
• post-race brunch? yes, please!
• maybe scored some brownie points with my sis-in-law for making the trek, belated gift in tow, and happily sitting next to my newly 5 year old niece (which, if you have a newly 5 year old in your life, you know that this involves putting a lemon wedge in her Sprite, cutting her lunch into bite-sized pieces, tying her hair back - but in a side ponytail, please - and putting a perfectly negligible amount of sriracha on her noodles when she begs for some and absolutely swears she loves it)
• guilt-tripped hubby into an Ikea stop on the way back (to get our full gas money's worth out of that 5 hour drive, of course)
  

Nike+ GPS Watch

• really motivates me to get outside and run
• even though it does appear to WORK ON THE TREADMILL (cha ching!)
• uploading data via usb is way better than manually entering runs into my now clunky-seeming online journal
• did I mention it's pretty damn sexy - in a verrrry geeky/hipster way?

So, yeah - a little give, a little take. And the marathon training for November rolls on. I'm back up to 9 miles .....with just under 5 months to go and just over 17 miles to add.