Upcoming Events

Three days. That's how long it took for the Boilermaker 15K to sell out this year. I feel like every year there's this huge hype around how many people will register and how fast it will happen -- I know it was quick in 2012, too, but most every other year, we had at least a month or three.

We heeded warnings and secured spots on the first day.

Is anyone else running this race? It's one of my favorites, not just for the after-party, which is -- truth be told -- pretty incredible. And the beer. Yeah. Beer is definitely a plus. But I love the neighborhood spirit. So many fun things to see and hear along the way. Llamas, people. Llamas.

It's a challenging course, and all the activity helps distract the mind from all those hills.


The 15K is giving the half marathon some competition for my favorite distance. It's long enough to be satisfying, but short enough to allow me to get some speed. (I consider anything under 8 minute miles speedy.) Recovery time is a breeze and it never cuts much into my running schedule. I also think I have a lot of room for improvement.

Now, I will also be running a half marathon in the spring, but I'd like to make the Boilermaker my ultimate goal race. My PR is 1:13:45, set back in 2010 (race report here). Obviously, my goal would be to PR in the 2013 race. I'd like to go under 1:12, if possible. That means paces that hit about 7:40.

A lot will be dictated by the summer heat and humidity. In reality, I just try to finish feeling good because I absolutely hate summer running.


Registering for a race (I haven't had anything on the calendar for some time) got me motivated to run a steady long run on Sunday. I should be able to shave 7 minutes off this time, right? Which leads me to a question I've been asked before. Most recently, Cassandra asked it:

"How fast do you run your long runs?"

My answer won't be very helpful because I often don't keep track. I do my long runs mostly to get in the distance. I map out a route, and put one foot in front of the other. Completing the distance at a comfortable, steady pace -- without taking walk or rest breaks -- is usually my goal.

I only once a month or so wear a watch. Or if I'm running with some of my runners club friends, I'll usually find out at the end how we fared. Of course, it depends on the distance, but for training runs involved with 15Ks to half marathons, I'd say it ranges between 8:15 and 9:15 pace.

Lucky for me, I found this great article -- "In the Long Run" -- by Hal Higdon, from way back in 2002. Though it's specifically about marathoning, it's actually the article from which I based my own, and still current, long run method for all distances. Higdon writes: "Speed is of limited importance during long runs . . . they’re more about time spent on your feet."

He continues, "Experienced [runners] who do long runs at race pace risk both injuries and over-training." And then, "Generally it’s better to err on the slow side. Not every long run needs to be done at the same pace, nor does the pace within each run need to stay the same."

For those who need a number, Higdon suggests 30 to 90 seconds slower than goal race pace. It's a wild range, but just lets us all know that -- AGAIN -- speed is not the point during long runs for most of us. Other workouts on the track and elsewhere are for that purpose.

In the coming months, I'll be writing more about my plan to bring my pace down from 7:55 to 7:40 (Stephen says this is a very conservative goal, but we'll see).


All I know is that the last time I ran this race, we didn't have a cuddly toddler to worry about. I think my biggest anxiety is figuring out where we'll stay the night before. At home with a 2-hour drive to the start the morning of? Or cram the three of us into a crappy hotel room and risk not sleeping at all?

We're planning to book a room today and figure out if we'll cancel or not in the next couple months. Any racing parents out there have tips for away-game races? What should we do? We're considering leaving Ada overnight with a set of grandparents, but even that sounds like potential for disaster. Or if we bring her and drag the grandparents with us, that -- too -- could cause issues for everyone.

Hmmm . . .

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Postpartum Fitness Challenge: Month 3

I guess you could say I slacked this month on my fitness challenge (check out month 1 and month 2). Yet in other ways, I did a lot. Our half marathon is on Sunday, so the main focus the past several weeks has been on getting my long run distance up. I struggled with it -- A LOT -- mostly with finding motivation to run for nearly 2 hours when I could be eating a fantastic brunch and hanging out with Stephen and Ada.

My most recent long run was a practice half. Not with regard to speed, though. Just with not stopping home for supplies/etc.

The wind was absolutely wicked that day. Stephen said it slowed him down a good bit, too. I think I would have had more consistent mile paces between 8:50 and 9:00 otherwise. Even if not, I could bomb this weekend's half terribly and still know I could complete one in under 2 hours, which is my goal. Another goal: No stops at Porta-Johns along the way.

Last year, below, I stopped at almost all of them!


Here are last month's stats. And here's this month's:

Pushups: 45 (no change, but I didn't really push myself past this mark)
Chinups: Still 1 (same as above, I just didn't focus on upper-body this month)
Situps: 33 (up from 30 last month! w00t!)
Mile Time: ??? (Waiting on this one until after this weekend's half marathon)

My goals for the coming month with running revolve around speedwork. I've always done some sort of (very, very, very) loose speedwork, but noting in the recent past that actually challenged me to the point of improving dramatically. I did my first-time-in-a-long-time formal speedwork session last Tuesday -- eight 400s, two miles total, at 6:48 (mile) pace with 2 min rest between each repeat. Kicked my BUTT. But I know if I stick with them, I could get closer to my old race times, which would be great!

I also haven't gotten in any double workouts lately. This one has decided she HATES the BOB. Or being in strollers, in general.


Otherwise, a big focus -- as you already know -- has been on my diet. After Easter, my sugar consumption got farther out of control than it already was. As a result, I only lost one pound this month. Nothing like last month's 4 pounds. But there is encouraging news to this part! At Christmas, we had invested in a fancy digital scale. Before that, I had always weighed myself on an old-school one that was consistent, but needed to be calibrated each time. So, I pulled out that old one again this week. And I found that I'm really only 3 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, not the 6 or so I thought I was.

This puts me at 130 on the digital scale and 127 on the old one. (No photos this month -- there isn't any change.) I don't really care what the a.c.t.u.a.l number is, but to know I'm closer than I thought to my pre-pregnancy weight, which will be 127 on our new scale, has me thrilled. I definitely think by 9 months postpartum, I'll be back -- and that's what my midwife told me is a healthy rate at which to lose the weight.

Overall, I am feeling good about my activity level. I'm excited to start training seriously again after this weekend's half marathon. The sugar stuff is coming along slowly, and I still have a lot of trouble entirely eliminating it from my diet. I'll write more on that another time.

Here's to a great half marathon this weekend! What are you up to? Any races or other adventures planned?

And if you follow Writing Chapter Three, you can check out yesterday's video post full of questions and answers from our readers.

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Spotlight On: Personal Goals

Yesterday I mentioned how my dear friend Steff (from Steff Says) has inspired me to write a list of goals for myself. It seems like everywhere I look right now, I'm seeing ways I want to improve myself. Or things I want to do. Or smart ways of living more simply. Eating better. Learning more. There are so many, it's hard to choose just a few. But taking time to think about it all was an excellent exercise.

Though I didn't write out goals last year, many of them revolved around running. Now that I'm injured, I'm discovering just how focused I had become on one activity. Of course, when I'm able to run again, I'm planning to take my training to another level. But what I attempted to focus on with these goals is my non-running life.

There's a lot I want to accomplish! Some of it big, some of it silly.


FITNESS

#1: Learn to Swim. I know how to swim, just not properly. I do a weird frog leg thing and never put my head below water. I want to learn the freestyle stroke. So, I plan to try a few private swim lessons at the Y. We'll see!

#2: Learn to Love Cross-Training. What this injury has taught me is that variety is a very, very good thing. More than good -- critically important. And I need to expand my fitness horizons well after I heal (fingers crossed!). I'd like to incorporate regular cross-training (swimming, biking, yoga, strength training) into my routine, and even run fewer days per week (thinking 4 instead of my usual 5).

#3: Complete 10 Chin-Ups. Regularly. Right now I'm up to doing 5 max. I can regularly complete a strong 4. Being able to do 10 would blow my mind. I mean, I honestly never thought I'd do one! I'd also like to complete two pull-ups. (If you want to do chin-ups, but don't know where to start -- just check out this post!)

#4: Train for Speed. When I'm able to run again, I'd like to be able to incorporate speed-work into my running. Perhaps run a 5K in under 22 minutes. My fastest is 22:30. Shaving off 30 seconds is do-able, right? Too, I'd like to break 1:45 in the half marathon.

#5: Race Less. I ran 12 races last year, with PRs in most distances. But racing all the time is no bueno. Not only because it can lead to burnout and injury, but also because a lot of training goes into each event. And doing well requires concentration on specific goals. I think I may pick 6 of my favorite races. (This goal will be hard, so don't yell at me if I find myself at a few 5Ks.)


SELF-CARE

#1: Stop Biting My Nails. Yeah. It's basic. A common goal, too. I'm a nervous person and have been chewing for years -- so really want to stop. For good this time!

#2: Indulge My Girly Side. I don't know if you've gathered it from my posts, but I'm not the girliest person ever. Sort of a tomboy who likes to dress up and do all the homemake-y things. Indulging means getting one spa treatment per month. Likely pedicures so my toes look gorgeous. I never do this kind of stuff. Ever. Maybe getting my hair professionally colored for once. Crazy stuff like that.

#3: Take My Daily Vitamin. Every day! I only remember maybe 4 times a week at most. I like to try and get what my body needs from my diet, but think a multi is important, too. I need to get better at it. Pronto.

#4: Floss. Seems silly. But I get on this flossing binge right after my twice-a-year dentist appointments. It lasts like a month each time. Then I just forget. Flossing is good for gums. Good for your heart. And it's time I grow up and start doing it each day.

#5: Grow My Hair. Again -- it seems silly. But I can't seem to let my hair grow past my shoulders. I'd like to get it long-ish for once in my life. THEN I can cut it off. But I'd like to know what it's like to have hair I can pull into a ponytail without stray strands falling in my face.


FOOD AND DIET

#1: Use My Cookbooks. Learn Proper Techniques. Finding recipes online is so easy and fast. But I have quite a few cookbooks. I'd like to make at least one meal a week using these texts. Especially the Moosewood books in my collection. Too, I have several books that instruct on proper cooking and baking technique. If I can't go to culinary school, I can teach myself. Five new techniques per month.

#2: Listen to My Stomach. I eat until WAY beyond when I'm full more often than not. Part of it is from marathon training and that ferocious hunger that was always there. But now that I'm not running that much, I need to pay more attention to my hunger signals. When I eat too much, I feel UGH. When I eat slowly and really FEEL full, I'm satisfied.

#3: Try 20 New-to-Me Foods. Ahh, expanding my palate. Of course, this item will require another list. So, stay tuned for that. If you have suggestions -- please leave a comment!

#4: Relegate Alcohol to Weekends. I often talk about my desire to drink less. I don't actually drink very much. More like one beer a day. But that beer makes me tired at night. I don't need it. I'd like to swap my weekly sips for water. Then have a max of 3 drinks on the weekend.

#5: Assemble Collection of Family Recipes. I've written before how my family doesn't have many recipes to share. I'll like to hunt and find at least some . . . and then put my own vegetarian/vegan twist on them. Plus, I'll add some of my very own. A collection to pass along some day, right?


PERSONAL

#1: S.i.m.p.l.i.f.y. (Caitlin also wrote about this yesterday -- inspired by John and Sherry at Young House Love.) I'd like to get rid of clutter. Get rid of stuff I don't need. I'd like to identify at least 100 items I can purge from my house, my life. Not only will this help with our mess, but it'll also help clear my mind.

#2: Shop Less. Especially for clothes. I love shopping. I don't love spending money. But I find myself with way more new clothes than I'll ever need. New kitchen items that are mostly duplicates. This goes along with simplifying, but I need less. And I'd like to WANT less, too. I have a feeling this goal will be incredibly liberating. (I'd also like to try something like Chrissy -- wearing only 30 pieces of clothing in 30 days, mix-and-match, using what I have.)

#3: Save More. Last I checked, I'm now 27. Holy CRAP. And I still feel like I'm 18. Sometimes I even feel like I'm treating my finances that way, too. Along with shopping less, Stephen and I both need to get into the habit of consciously saving. We already have a budget, it's just a matter of sticking to it and actually putting money into a interest-earning account. Now that my car is paid off, that's a good place to start with stowing away some dough.

#4: Develop the Non-Running Me. Make time for activities not related to food or fitness. Like crafting (knitting, embroidery . . . and I'm even interested in quilting and sewing). Music (more on that below). I'd like to participate in at least 5 adventures outside my fitness/foodie self each month.


OTHER

#1: Take a Vacation. Somewhere new. Somewhere we've never been before. I love our family trip to the beach (photos here). I enjoyed our camping adventure in Maine (photos here). But most of the trips we've taken have been to places I've visited many, many times. Growing up, my parents took us EVERYwhere around the US. But there are still a few states I haven't seen. Top contenders right now: Colorado and Tennessee.

#2: Learn Photography Skills. I'd like to get better at shooting portraits. I'd like to learn more about my camera. I'd like to also figure out a better storage method for my digital files. As I learn, I'll try to share along the way.

#3: Participate in Music. In some way, shape, or form. This one may mean I pull my guitar out more often. Learn a new instrument? Maybe do an open mic? But it could also mean I get my violin restrung and participate in the local orchestra. Or join the campus chorus. Music used to be my LIFE. And now I feel like no one would ever know it.

#4: Limit Social Networking. I'm on Facebook and Twitter way too much. I'd like to limit myself to 30 minutes a day on Facebook. And 15 tweets on Twitter. It's that simple.

#5: Improve Navigation on the Blog. I think you'd all appreciate an easier way to find things. Thanks for your survey feedback, because you've given us a lot of great suggestions!


So . . . that's a long list. And I could have written many more. I tried to limit myself to think I know I can feasibly accomplish in the coming year. Making attainable goals is important, as I recently learned. I attended a workshop where we studied characteristics of successful goals:

• Make it specific.
• Write it out in clear language.
• Make it measurable.
• Give it a deadline.
• Tell people about it.

These are just a few helpful hints so you can better steer yourself in the right direction. You can best track your progress and complete what you want to achieve. It's also motivating to tell others. They hold you accountable. Etc.

To begin your list -- just think about the different areas of your life (Steff does a great job of this in her list, which is why I used it as a model), and start writing. Nothing is too big or small . . . but once you get your thought out, think about your goal and see if it meets the criteria above.


What are some of your goals? Do you regularly write out a list for yourself? If so, is it at the beginning of the year? On your birthday? Whenever you're feeling happy/sad/like you want to change the world? Tell us about your method! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Marathon Training, Part II and Our At-Home Gym

Hi. So, it's been a while since I've talked running and fitness. I've talked about my feelings and disappointments. But it's time to get busy. And by that, I mean: ONTO MARATHON TRAINING, PART II.

Originally I planned to follow Hal Higdon's Senior Marathon plan after Wineglass. But we all know how THAT race went. As well as how I came to accept my D(id) N(ot) F(inish) standing. Simply put, though, when coming up with my schedule, I had to face the facts: My muscles didn't undergo the trauma of the marathon . . . so my training need not scale back so dramatically.

What am I doing exactly?


(((Please keep in mind that I've already completed a full training plan for the marathon this season. I would never try to run the distance with only 7 weeks of preparation!)))

This is a schedule I crafted using various plans on Hal's site. The mileage is slightly scaled back because I don't want to burn out from all this distance-heavy training. What I didn't include in this chart is the cross-training I'm planning to do. I'm doing more yoga. At least one day per week. I'm doing mini spin sessions at least 15 minutes in length twice a week (after shorter runs). Oh! Each Tuesday run will be a Vibrams run to keep my feet strong and healthy.

I'm also working my way back up to 50+ push-ups (I'm up to 3 sets of 40) and chin-ups.

Yeah. That's right. CHIN-UPs! Earlier in the summer I mentioned it was a goal of mine to do one chin-up. FINALLY I'm able to do one. Just one, though. But I've done that one on several occasions now. I'm slowly trying to work my way up to 10. Hello, negatives. You're my new best friends.

To get in all this yoga, cross-training, and upper-body stuff, you'd think we'd need to join a gym. Right? Not so much. We found a way to take our downstairs areas from this . . .



To THIS . . .


What IS that exactly? Well, it's a bar. That you can connect to any doorway (in other words, it's removable when we DON'T want to feel like we're living in a gym). Perfect for doing chin-ups and pull-ups. Stephen found it at TJ Max this weekend for -- drum roll, please -- $20.



See it now?

Worth.
Every.
Penny.


Stephen, of course, does 50 pull-ups, putting my efforts to shame. But there's tons of space now to follow my workout with a round (or two) of push-ups. Yoga. Even our spinning bike has a clear path to roll and fit snugly in front of the TV for a quick sweat session.


(Not looking so thrilled there.) Usually we watch short shows like Better off Ted, Arrested Development, The Office, and The I.T. Crowd. But we'd love some great spinning DVD suggestions. I'm also thinking about getting some workout DVDs like Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred everyone's been talking about.

Here's a tip: If you have your own spinner, it's a great idea to put an old yoga mat under it if you have wood floors. It protects from scrapes and sweat!

There. That's better!


For those of you who may not remember, we snagged our spinning bike for $475 at a local sports shop. So, that plus the $20 for the pull-up bar equals just about $500. And that's, well, WAY less than a gym membership for two. All in the comfort of our own home. (Seriously, people, we're notorious for having a gym membership that we never, EVER use!) We also have a few other items, like some 5 pound weights and a kettle bell. For the most part, our strength training is all using our body as the weight.

Does anyone else gym-it at home? As the weather gets colder out, we have genuinely considered joining a real gym. However, we both like running even in the cold. And none of the gym around here are anything to write home about. We'll see. Someday I'd like to get into swimming . . . at least for now, we're not planning to build an indoor pool addition on our house.


Let us know your thoughts -- as well as if you have tips for keeping everything sweet and fresh smelling after major sweat sessions near your dining room table! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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New Fitness Goal: Chin-Up

Strength training has never, ever been my favorite thing to do. To avoid it, I do yoga. But lately, I haven't been doing any at all. Alright. So, I do push-ups. I was doing a ton of them too. I even got up to doing 80 at a time -- until I got busy. I think it's been over a week since I've cranked out my usual sets.

Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty weak. I'm also feeling somewhat unmotivated. Like I need a new goal. You may remember me mentioning in a previous post (Zero Dollar Strength Training) that I'd like to do pull-ups. Even just one would be great!

So, last night I set out to do just that. And look!


I totally rocked it -- look at me go!!! OK, no. I'm completely lying. COMPLETELY LYING, PEOPLE! I tried so very hard to do just one chin-up (because as I learned recently -- a pull-up uses an over-handed grip, chin-up is under-handed) . . . and I failed miserably. It's SO HARD!

But instead of letting that get me down. Instead of viewing my lack of ability as some sort of weakness (well, quite literally it is a weakness that is keeping me from doing a chin-up, but you know what I mean) -- I took it as a challenge. I made it a start to something. Instead of freaking out and walking home with my head hanging in shame, I did a negative chin-up. It's a building block to being able to do the real thing. You just start from the top position and slowly (in a very controlled way, using your muscles) lower yourself to the ground.


I did three repeats of the negative chin-up. Today, I hope to do five. And my goal by the end of the summer is to do a single chin-up successfully. I realize this goal may seem small, but -- at least for me -- this feat seems unimaginable!

Have you recently set any new fitness goals? What are they? And if you can do chin-ups and pull-ups like a pro, please, please, please share with me your secret to success! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaner [at] gmail [dot] com.

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