big cups

Yesterday afternoon my coworkers and I were all craving chocolate.  We started naming all the candy we wanted to eat and I threw out "reese's big cup."

They had never heard of it!  This morning I swung by CVS on my way to work to bring big cups for my coworkers... only to find that one of my coworkers brought them, too!  Now we each have two big cups to enjoy for the day!! This day is already a winner!

August run total: 140 miles

I missed it!

Today I realized that I've run 1033 miles so far this year - I missed the 1000 mile mark and didn't even know it! The best part?  My average pace has been 9:04 - right where I want it to be!

Had a great weekend with the girls.  But more on that later - Dave and I are off to tape and paint another room!

reader recipe poll: tomatoes!

For some reason I thought July ended on the 30th, so I mistakenly gave my July running total early.  Turns out I ran again on Saturday morning at the family reunion!  It was a fun way to get to know Dave's cousins.

July running total: 175 miles

It's the second reader recipe poll!

Which recipe should I make?

• tomato pie
• basil tomato and crouton casserole
• roma tomato salad with feta and garlic

Created on Aug 2, 2010

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

I'll end the poll Tuesday at noon!

Canada was crazy fun and really beautiful, but it's a full day back to work and getting the house in order.  I'm off to get a few things done!  I'll be back!

(Sarah, here's a post where I've talked about yassos and what they are.  Thanks for asking!)

trust Hal

I use Hal Higdon's intermediate program as a guide for my marathon training.  This week the long run was 12 miles and I thought "12 seems too small.  I'll do 15."  HA.  With last week's high mileage combined with the yassos yesterday my legs felt like rocks.  It took some convincing to squeeze those 12 out this morning.  And the three stupid deer flies that bit me did not help.  I hate those things.


Bizarre part of the run: I passed a train that was stopped on the tracks.  The conductor was on the balcony of the train brushing his teeth.  Random.


I got home and stretched, then cooked up some lentils and veggies for breakfast.  We're driving to Canada today for Dave's family reunion and I wanted something that would really hold me over in the car since we'll probably just pack snack stuff for lunch.  Lentils with sauteed onions, chopped broccoli, and sweet corn, plus flaxseed corn chips!


July running total: 161 miles
July swim total: 1 mile (Whoops.  Looks like I need some more pool time.)


Have a great weekend!  And check back tomorrow - I have a post scheduled to go up while I'm gone!

out with the old

After 3 months it's time to say goodbye to these guys:

These shoes took me through 10 weeks of training, one tough marathon, and a month of recovery/ramping up again for the next race.  I've logged 415 miles on them and my legs and hips are really starting to feel those miles during my runs.  So it's time to retire them and bring out the new guy:

Remember these?  I got them for free.  I think knowing I'm wearing free shoes will make me faster.  Yes?  

Total June runs: 118 miles

Total June swims: 4 miles

I'm bummed my June total is down from normal, but I took a week off to move, which lost me about 40 miles.  Oh well.  All the more reason to go hard after July mileage, right?

weather.com

I was 3 minutes into my run when the lightning started, so I quickly came home.  I checked weather.com to see how long the storm would last and had to laugh at this:

Really?  There's lightning and torrential downpour, but we should really just be concerned about the thunder?  Thanks, weather.com!  Guess it's safe for me to get back out there!

Mosie handled the storm by darting from room to room, nervously eyeing the windows, and occasionally huddling beneath the table.  Super skittish freaked out kitty.

I ate some broccoli and a bruschetta boca burger (delicious!) while it stormed, then headed back out once it cleared up for a short but super sweaty/humid run.

May running total: 153.5 miles

20 = done!

Highlights of a good, but mostly unremarkable run:
Mile 9: Bathroom pit stop at the assisted living facility.  This is becoming a long run norm.  Thanks, old people.
Mile 10: First Gu: chocolate outrage.  Tastes exactly like brownie batter.  For some that could probably be stomach-turning in the middle of a run... I found it amazing and delicious.  I want more of this.  Maybe just for dessert.
Mile 15: Ipod starts randomly turning the volume up to full blast.  Ear drums split.  I finally fix the problem by putting the ipod on lock (duh).
Mile 16: Time for the vanilla gingerbread Gu.  Made the mistake of squeezing the packet and seeing the yellow glittery gelatin... shoved it in my mouth anyhow.  Tasted like a gingerbread cookie with frosting.  Not my most favorite thing mid-run, but felt like a sugar jolt.
Mile 18: Vanilla Gingerbread burp.  Not delicious.
Mile 20: 3:07:27, not including the bathroom and a few short stops where I had to readjust the camelpak so it didn't rub my skin raw.  Glad to be done, but if I had to keep going, I could have I think.

I'm off to make a veggie burger wrap and to head to Richele's class!


April run total: 144.5 miles
Swim total: 8 miles

mmmm SYRUP

Last night we had friends over for dinner.  Since they have kids - Calista (5) and Ana (3) - we decided breakfast for dinner would be a good move.  I found a recipe for oatmeal flaxseed pancakes and we scrambled eggs and had cantaloupe and apples.  The pancakes were really dense - I had 2 and they actually filled me up!  In the end we only had 3 leftover pancakes, no eggs, and no more fruit.  So I think dinner was a success?  That and Ana ate 3 pancakes (more than any of us except her dad - she tied him) and would chirp at random intervals during dinner "mmmmm SYRUP!"  After dinner we played Chutes and Ladders and CandyLand.  We had so much fun!  Calista and Ana are such well-behaved little girls, very intelligent, and not intimidated by adults.  We really like hanging out with them.

My first date with my new shoes last night didn't go quite as planned (kind of like my friend Nicole's first date with her now-husband where she ended up puking at the restaurant and having to go to the ER...).  I ran about a mile.  On Saturday during my long run I tweaked the muscle in my high inner thigh (groin/thigh... throin?).  Yesterday I could still feel it as I ran and I decided to not push it (and then ruin the rest of my runs this week).  So instead I enjoyed the gorgeous sun and had a nice walk home.  The shoes felt good though!

Fingers crossed that this morning's run goes well!  Then baby day, a stroller sun walk, and who knows what else!

March run total: 134 miles
swim total: 10 miles

from Grand Rapids, with love

I tried to get a long run in on Sunday before we left for Grand Rapids but it did not happen.  While I'm not technically sick, my throat is still weird and my energy levels - especially with running - have taken a big hit.  I did 3 miles and called it done - I felt off physically and mentally.  Oh well - it got Dave and I in the car and headed to GR that much quicker!

We got to our hotel and checked in (the checkin girl gave us a formerly handicapped room that is bigger than most.  It is seriously SO spacious.  I could host a yoga class in here!) and watched the third period and overtime of the US/Canada hockey game.  We were kind of glad we were only around to watch the end.  It was fun, but neither of us love hockey enough to watch an entire game.  We were sad about the US losing for about 2 minutes and then we got over it.  We ate leftovers, explored the hotel, then headed over via skyway to the arena!  It was so nice to leave our coats and everything in the room - we just filled our pockets with tickets, IDs, a little cash, and chapstick (for me).  Once at the arena we bought some popcorn (for me, of course) and a pretzel with cheese (for Dave).  I love me some popcorn.

Michael Franti and Spearhead came on first and they were soooo good!  I'm going to be searching itunes later - I'm pretty sure I need some of his songs to run to.  And then John Mayer came on and all the little preteen girls and soccer moms shrieked in delight.  Toward the end of the concert Dave and I were both feeling it - we go to bed e.a.r.l.y. most nights and this was way past our bedtime.  I'll confess - I fell asleep for a little bit.  After the concert we walked back to our hotel and crashed out.  We slept in a little bit this morning and we're heading out soon for a big breakfast and to explore the city a little!

I know I promised pictures in this post, but all the pictures from the trip so far are on Dave's iphone... which died.  And the charger got left at home.  So pictures will come later on - I'm taking the camera in my purse for the rest of the trip!  If you're bored, we're going here for breakfast.  Scan the menu and take some guesses on what I'll get!  Or just go to the website because it's seriously cute and the food sounds so amazing!!

February run total: 130 miles

bad habit

I have a really bad habit of forgetting deodorant.  I forget to put it on about 95% of the time.  Whoops.  I've been trying to get better about putting it on for the gym, because running in close quarters in recirculated air is a lot different than me streaking past someone on the street.

Anyhow, that all came to mind because I actually remembered to put on deo before I went to the gym this afternoon.  Baby steps.

I was reading Runner's World before I went and decided to try a treadmill workout mentioned in there.  You run a mile at a "comfortably hard" pace.  Since I knew what I was in for I chose to start my first mile at my "normal" pace.  Then every half mile you increase your speed by a tenth.  You do this for 45 minutes.  It sounds simple... and it is.  But holy cow, what a workout!  I started at 6.9 and ended at 7.7, after 42 minutes and 5 miles.  I slowed down to 7.0 for a mile, then increased by .2 or .3 for the last mile, ending at 8.0.  The thought is that it keeps your body from slowing down toward the end of races, helping you attain negative splits.  I kind of ruined it by slowing down for a mile there toward the end, but I still think it was a good speed workout.  Plus, it definitely helped beat treadmill boredom.

We're having the best sandwich ever tonight for dinner.  So excited!!

January runs: 106 miles

'09 running review

I haven't kept track of my running for all of 2009, but I have a log of it from May 1.  The totals:

May: 69 miles
June: 76.5 miles
July: 140 miles
August: 152 miles
September: 175.5 miles
October: 186 miles
November: 154 miles
December: 105 miles
Total: 1058 miles

Naturally the goal for 2010 is to beat that. :)

Yesterday I used Christmas money to buy a subscription to Runner's World magazine.  I'm excited to get it at home and read it at leisure instead of going to the library and downing it in one sitting.

Happy New Year, all!  Here are a couple picture highlights of my favorite parts of 2009:

Honeymoon in Cancun.  They had a crazy new years party at our resort, complete with dancers in spandex hopping around as mermaids, and women in lingerie dancing to Pussycat Dolls' song Buttons.

New niece - Lydia Cate Bergdall!

Ran the Indy half marathon again - my 6th time!

Wonderful new friends, Amanda and Erin.

New addition to our family - the one cat to rule them all!

Spent time with these crazy kindergarteners...

Being back in the same city as Richele.  And another half marathon... and a new PR!  My first time going sub-2 hours.

Another new niece - Clare Frances Mack!

Time with these incredible women, my oldest friends.

My sisters and best friends.

One year with my bestest friend and love.

hello, december!

November runs totaled 154.  Not my highest month, but still decent.  I'm very happy with it!

So weird that it is December already! And that it was sunny and 52 today and I ran outside in a long sleeve t and capri pants. Love that.

I bought a pair of black long underwear at Walmart this morning - I thought they could serve as both running tights (in milder weather) and under my sweatpants when it's really cold.  I tried them out today... and got about ten steps before they were midway down my butt.  So those are getting returned.  And the search for running tights/winter running pants continues...

We leave for Dallas Thursday morning!  Here's what needs to happen before then:

1. Grocery shop.  That sounds counterintuitive, but we need some fruit and some food for the road - you know I can't go more than 3 hours without a snack.  Or sometimes 2 hours.
2. Get the suitcase from the attic.
3. Pack.  
4. Finish book on CD from the car and return to the library.
5. Go see my cousin Jodi for a haircut!
6. Return stupid tights to Walmart.

I took care of some bills and stuff today and got some other little things out of the way.  I am so excited for time off, new people to meet, friends to hang out with, and warmer weather to run in!  YAY!!!!

Off to make dinner - we're having wheat waffles tonight!  I love breakfast for dinner!

Question: Have you started Christmas shopping yet?  I'm always behind on this... I love giving gifts but I'm not always very good at thinking of gifts to give.

happy halloween!

Beautiful fall day today: cool, bright, with whipping winds!  I got a good run in this morning - finished off 10 and came home, blew my nose, then felt pretty good, so I went out for another 4!  I had hoped to do a long run today, to get ready for next weekend's trail race, but during my first run didn't think it would happen, as I felt somewhat tired and lazy.  But in that space of 3 minutes at home I got totally recharged!  I'm feeling much better about next weekend's race - even if I'm still nervous about doing the miles on grass rather than road.  In the middle of my first run I got an unexpected surprise - my friends Josh and Shannon!  Josh and Shannon live in Marion but were up visiting their grandma in Goshen.  I heard some honking and yelling behind me and it was them!  We got a quick hug or two in before they sped off.  Fun!

Despite only hitting my 45-50 miles/week goal once (maybe twice, depending on tomorrow), I still managed to get 186 miles for the month of October!  I have yet to figure out November's goal - maybe still to aim for 45-50... and to just keep running despite dropping temps and increasing winds!  Any suggestions for what my goal should be?

In honor of Halloween we had pumpkin pancakes for dinner, modified off this recipe (pumpkin instead of peanut butter).  I LOVE our big electric griddle - I could get six pancakes on it at once!  I also revisited a fact I already knew: I'm impatient.  I always try to turn pancakes waaaaaay too early.  This often results in edible but funky looking pancakes.  You'd think I'd learn after one or two.  Not really.  Most of the batch was rather odd shaped.  The recipe, incidentally, will certainly be repeated, with pumpkin or peanut butter.  Not sugary and nice and dense with the whole wheat flour.  I love breakfast for dinner!

The rest of the night we're staying in - no parties to go to, and I'm pretty excited to just chill at home anyhow.  Did any of you dress up for Halloween?

Poll: do you prefer candy corn or candy pumpkins?  Dave's a corn guy but I'm a fan of pumpkins.

sept. summary

My goal for September was 175.  I hit it with 175.5... I only needed to do 4 miles yesterday and since I was in Marion, it was right before dinner instead of in the morning, and it was pretty windy, I contented myself with doing the bare minimum.  To be honest, I later regretted not working my body a little harder, but I'm sure it's enjoying the rest.  Today is a rest day, so that is the final total!  My goal for October isn't a final number but a weekly sum - right now I'm running about 40 or 41 miles a week.  I'd like to hit between 45 and 50 weekly for October.  I hope the weather cooperates!

I picked up a different book on CD this week - The Best American Short Stories of 2001.  Great things about this: Barbara Kingsolver was the editor.  She also wrote and read the introduction, which was fabulous.  And she has a great reading voice.  One of the stories, while really well written and beautiful, was also slightly bizarre.  A woman kept finding baby parts - real ones - in her house.  Started with a hand, then a shoulder, a torso, a penis, etc.  She stitched them together when she had all the parts but the baby died.  It was... strange to say the least.  But also well written.

This morning I went to the dentist (I am one of those freaks that really loves going to the dentist - you get out of work, you watch tv, you leave with super clean teeth, and you get to talk with really nice, friendly people).  My hygenist informed me that she heard they're calling for a particularly rough winter.  So I checked the farmers almanac.  Read it yourself here, but essentially she's right.  UGH.  I quickly learned last winter that northern Indiana's iteration of winter is about ten times more horrible than anywhere else I've ever lived - the wind! the insane sub-zero temps! the snow!  I'm already dreading it...

Are any of you winter time runners?  What do you do to stay warm running outside when it gets really cold?

august round-up

I ran 140 in July, so I decided I wanted to hit 150 in August. My final total was 152 - just over. I really think the fruit has helped these past two days - my legs have felt much much better. Bananas are definitely proven to be great for runners, but I'm building my faith in all fruit for that.

It's incredible to me that what used to be a longer-ish runs for me are now my daily runs. Earlier I commented that the book Born to Run changed my attitude about running and really helped me get to the level of running I'm currently at. And I do believe that. If you like running at all (or just want to read a phenomenal story) get that book. It is so dang worth it. But something else I've learned as I've been running, especially in the past two months, is that the capabilities and desires have always been there, hidden or dormant or trapped. And the book maybe helped me see them, but it was God who really helped me release them. Running has been an incredible way for me to experience the strength of my own body, the possibilities I possess. I run now for positive reasons - its healthy, it feels good to be outside and moving, I like seeing how far I can push myself, pure enjoyment - instead of the old reasons - mainly ones tied to negative self-image and weight issues (neither of which really helped me enjoy running or go very far... and I always quit after a bit). Running has been a way for God to really break down some old lies that I believed about myself and to heal me. I am an incredibly different person mentally in regards to my body and my self-image at the end of these two months than I was at the beginning. Running was definitely the key, but God was the one turning the key. I didn't really want this entry to be a sermon, but I also felt strongly that I needed to give God the credit for what He had done, and not say it was just running or just a book. Both played a large part, but they weren't THE part. September's goal is 175, just to see if I can. I am thankful for new freedom and continued growth.

Egg roll update: couldn't find egg roll wrappers in the grocery store (new leads have suggested the produce section??) so used corn tortillas instead. The filling tasted really good but I thought the tortilla was a bit too much for the filling... so I still want to try it egg-roll style. If all else fails I might get phyllo dough and try it that way. Still, a good recipe. And the filling really was delicious. Would be excellent as a salsa-like dip for tortilla chips.

Also got a new basil plant from Meijer - a bigger one. Trying to grow it indoors and hoping it keeps. I probably need to get it a new pot this week. I should move my oregano now, while it's still alive, and before an early frost comes in (which seems likely considering it's AUGUST and 45 degrees this morning). Our friend Irene gave me a tiny hen and chicks plant. She said the chicks should start coming out in a week. I am very excited about this plant!!

Also. Random: Dave and I have watched the Bourne Trilogy this weekend and in the movies the killer/assassins are called "assets." We have taken to calling Mosie "The Asset" when she is in play mode since she loves to stalk and hunt.

July challenge

The July 100 Challenge is over, and I rocked in 140 miles! It's mostly exciting because I'm not sure I've ever had that much mileage, and really enjoyed all the miles while doing them!

And last night I noticed that I do indeed have the start of little beans growing off the stalks. Finally! Hopefully they'll make it to full growth and not be ravaged by the squirrels.

We're off to Chicago this weekend for Mark and Lauren's wedding. Will maybe post a picture or two next week!

run log/races

Why I run: In general, I love to run.  Of course, there are some days when I just don't want to do it, or when my legs feel heavy and tired, when I can't find the groove, when I just feel slow and lethargic and grumpy about it all.  But most days, I love running.  I love the solitude - time to think, to pray, to listen to my breath and pounding feet, or to just enjoy some silly music.  I love running the sun up, love getting really sweaty and whole-body tired.  Running clears my mind, balances me out, gives me energy, and challenges me.  No two runs are ever the same.

Checkout the book Born to Run. It'll change your running world.

Weekly Run Log:

Races!
Upcoming
Grand Rapids, MI marathon October 17, 2010
Veteran's Marathon, Columbia City, IN November 13, 2010
Indianapolis, IN half marathon May 7, 2011

Past
Presque Isle, PA marathon September 2010 - 4:53:57
Sunburst Marathon, South Bend, IN June 2010 - 5:11:29
Indy half marathon May 2010 - 1:54:35
W.O.O.F. 16 mile trail race Nov. 2009 - 2:45:39
Fort Wayne half marathon Sept. 2009 - 1:58:23
Indy half marathon May 2009 - 2:14:47
Indy half marathon May 2008 - 2:47:59
Indy half marathon May 2007 - 2:43:24
Indy half marathon May 2006 - 2:29:38
Indy marathon Oct. 2005 - 5:12:07
Indy half marathon May 2005 - 2:34:55

the Indy half marathon through the years

I use Hal Higdon's intermediate guide when training for a marathon.