Rave Run

This morning I completed the first long run as part of my marathon training plan -- an 8-miler -- while meandering up a country road to the crest of a mountain ridge. The first 5K was rolling, but primarily uphill, while the second 5K was, conversely, a steady downgrade. I made up the rest of the mileage in town with a quick out-and-back and promptly collapsed from the summer heat and humidity. I think I finished in around an hour and 10 minutes.

Phew! Next week, I tackle the regionally infamous Laurel Festival 10K for the first time in many years. It will be a similar experience, but steeper and perhaps, gulp!, warmer. I am woefully underprepared since I haven't run these dirt roads in ages, but I'm glad to take on the course for the whole experience of it all.

You see, Stephen and I had explored moving back to Wellsboro several times and even made some great strides toward getting here. But without job offers or other means to return, we've accepted that at this point in our lives -- we'll stay put and try to grow our roots where we're currently planted. Still, it's when I got to the top of that gigantic climb this morning when I nearly started sobbing as I took in the scene below. They don't make hometowns like mine anymore, it seems, and it's difficult to accept that I took this place for granted growing up.  

Anyway, I was seriously jogging in the pages of a Runner's World Rave Run, and I could certainly get used to the difficulty with such a sweet reward. But I'm a bad blogger and decided not to tether my DSLR to my body or have someone bike alongside me or otherwise snap candid photos from all angles to show how badass I am. You'll just have to believe my word.

Instead, I found a few that sum up the places where I'm running/hiking this week.

sources: (1) (2) (4) (3) (5)

Stunning, no? I haven't told Stephen yet (hey, Stephen!), but I truly think I'd like to retire here. You know, in 30+ years. And to think I was so bored with Wellsboro growing up because it was a popular retirement destination! Now it's still that, but also an amazing cultural and arts center with tons of activities and events. To my friends who still live in the 'boro -- just know I'm ever-envious of you . . . to my core.

Except for the grocery prices (!!!), which I'll cover tomorrow!

I'll try to grab my parents' camera and snap some photos of the downtown during all the festival fun for another photo-dump later in the week. For now, I'm off to finish writing an article before Ada wakes from her nap (and rest these tired legs -- I also ran a 5-miler with the jogging stroller last night, ouch)!

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Beauty and the Bees

It's presumptuous to call myself the beauty in this situation. Anyway, I felt it was a story worth sharing. Getting up early is going OK. I don't love running in the AM and my body is protesting in various ways, but I'm getting my workouts in the books and finding the extra time in the evenings to be a huge relief.

We were traveling this weekend, so I decided to shift my long run to this morning, giving myself a blissful afternoon to . . . clean the house. I had planned to do between 10 and 12 miles, so when my alarm went off at 6AM, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed and changed into the outfit I set out the night before. I downed a breakfast bar, a glass of water, and was out the door by 6:10.

Success!

Three miles in, I made a quick and rather embarrassing emergency stop at the hospital to use the bathroom. (It's the only "public" restroom in my neighborhood.) But that's another story entirely. I was going to run three 4 mile loops, stopping in-between them to gulp a bit of water I left outside our house. I ducked past security guards and headed up the road another mile where I had two choices as far as routes were concerned.

I took the second option and almost immediately after turning onto that street, I felt a frantic buzzing at the base of my pony tail. Before I could even figure out what was happening (because I was still, for all intents and purposes, sleeping) STING. A sharp . . . oh-my-god-ouch BEE STING with the furious insect still caught and trying to escape my tangled tresses.

I plucked the bee out (he felt fuzzy! a chill ran down my spine) while jumping up and down . . . side to side. I may have gone into a fetal position at one point, crying feebly in consternation. If you know me and my history with bees, you might understand why this seemingly silly situation is so d.r.a.m.a.t.i.c. Before today, I had only been stung once in my life -- and that was three years ago.

How did I evade the rite of passage for so long? I run. Far, far away. To me, bees are probably one of the most terrifying forces in our universe. They out-match me in many ways with their tiny size, ability to fly, and keen stinging super power. How am I to fight back? So, I run. And until today, I guess I thought bees couldn't sting me if I was running.

I sprinted the quarter mile home, my neck throbbing and could swear I felt a stinger still inside the point of attack. Stephen says nothing was there, but -- whatever -- I started crying. This is where even I was beginning to feel ridiculous. I am 30 years old and sobbing about a bee sting. In my defense, I was seriously out of it. Oh, and on the topic of caffeine: A bee sting is a much more natural and effective way to wake for the day than any cup of coffee could ever be.

I collected myself and decided to set out again and complete just 8 miles total. The bare minimum I needed to finish to keep up with my training plan. The entire way, I avoided flower beds and low tree branches. I went (way) around any flighted, buzzing insects, even the tamest of flies. Bumble bees went about their business and my knees would turn to jelly at the sight of them.

With the run completed, I felt strong. So, for my cooldown, I returned to the scene to meet my maimed attacker. He was gone. All that remains is this nagging, dull ache in my neck and, well, now this melodramatic account.

Honey bees can only strike once, right?

If you'd like to read some practical advice on running, check out my articles for WalkJogRun:

• Stink? How to get the smell out of your running clothes
• Don't skip your long run: Tips + tricks
• Berry purple post-workout smoothie
• Pre-workout hydration powerhouse

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Running Recap

Here's last week in running. Definitely was a good one.

M: 3 easy miles (I was sick, but felt good to get out)
T: 3 treadmill miles at 8:30/mile + kettlebells and squats
W: 1 hour Ashtanga yoga DVD
R: 4 x 800s at 7:30 pace w/ warmup + recovery = 5 miles in 41 minutes
F: OFF
S: Tempo run -- 4 miles at 7:57/mile = 32 minutes
S: 15K + extra miles to add up to a long run of 12 at 8:16/mile = 1:40

= 27 miles total

This week I committed to running actual speed and tempo workouts outdoors. I have always been intimidated by these types of runs. I would dread and dread them . . . and now I know why. I set the paces too fast! Trying to do sub 7-min mile pace for whatever reason. Too hard!

So I worked with Stephen to slot the appropriate times down for my half pace goal of 7:55/mile. Surprisingly, these runs were difficult, but not at all impossible. I'm hoping they pay off, but I did start them late in the training cycle. We'll see, I guess!

I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get in my mile swim, but that's just icing on the cake.

I had originally intended to run yesterday's race as an actual race. Try to dip under 1:13 and PR for the 15K. But I had two things going: 1.) I am still recovering from a chest cold and have been getting coughing fits after hard efforts 2.) I haven't run more than 10 miles at a time since October and, with my half marathon is fast approaching, I wanted to run 12 miles, not race 9.3.


So, a half mile or so in, I settled in with some of my running buddies, and we decided to run as a comfortably hard long run. It was awesome to chat throughout the course, take our time at water stops, and finish with huge smiles on our faces despite some hills at the end. Our time was 1:16:59 (8:16/mile), not a second longer.

Stephen did great, though, and set a new PR of 52:32 (5:39/mile) + came in third overall.


Otherwise, this weekend Stephen played shoe matchmaker for me (it's been 6 months -- my shoes are dead!) and -- for once in the past 2+ years -- they aren't Nike Frees. I still love that shoe, but with marathon training on the horizon, I wanted something minimal . . . but with more cushioning.

So, I got the Saucony Virrata.

I haven't run in them (planning to do a slow three later today), so I'm not sure if I'm keeping 'em yet. But I hope to do a review soon if they agree with me. If you'd like to read more about them, Michele (NYC Running Mama) did a review recently.

How was your last week in workouts? Anyone run a race or PR this weekend?

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Crash and Burn

Mondays are always for catching up. Especially after having visitors over the weekend. The to-do list was seriously three pages long. And today, I was ready for it.

The day started off strong with . . .

• 2 loads of dishes 
• 2 loads of laundry
• 1 hour of playtime
• 2 hours of work
• 2 photo sessions booked 

It's amazing how dirty dishes and laundry pile up -- especially with a baby. I feel like I use that as an excuse, but she goes through clothes like crazy. Add to that diaper laundry. Well, let's just say the water company must be loving us this year. We try our best to conserve, but it's difficult.

When Ada woke from her first nap, I got to cooking:

• 4 cups of walnut basil pesto for freezing
• 2 gigantic spaghetti squashes -- 1/2 for freezing, 1/2 for the week
• 1 tasty dinner using some of the squash and leftover mushrooms 
• Lunch pasta and eggs, for both of us 

I haven't roasted spaghetti squash in quite some time. I didn't remember how hard it is to cut the darned then in half. So, I roasted it whole -- the oven on 400 degrees F. Just put the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, prodded a few times with a sharp knife for ventilation, and baked for 60 to 90 minutes.

THEN I cut it in half after it cooled a bit. Worked great! I'll probably just do it this way from now on to avoid random trips to the ER. (Seriously: knives + me = trouble.)

After Ada's second nap:

• 1 nursery rearranged for better access to chalkboard wall
• 1 batch of peanut butter oatmeal cookies
• 2 visitors (my parents)
• Quick cleanup of ground floor (for plumber -- estimates for kitchen/furnace projects)

Very exciting news is that initial rough estimates are looking good for kitchen project 2012. I'll have more news on this in like a week once we get some firmer numbers. However, Stephen's "check engine" light is on (again) . . . who knows what that might mean!


One huge task remained: I had to run 11 miles. My long run from yesterday -- the longest of the training cycle so far. I postponed it so we could enjoy some Sunday activities with Stephen's parents (including going to our favorite brewery for lunch, above).

But with all the kicking butt and taking names, I got distracted.

Nowhere in the above lists do you see glasses of water. I also didn't include the 4 draining nursing sessions. Yeah -- not so smart. I got about 5 miles from home at a much, much slower pace than usual, and realized I was incredibly dehydrated. It felt like I had cotton balls in my mouth. Though I was running beside a river, there wasn't a drop of drinkable water in sight.

So, I settled with running 9 miles (took a shortcut home) and feel pretty good about it training-wise. I've dropped to Hal Higdon's intermediate half plan because I've had a hard time committing to the long runs. Not because I have a baby. I just have more stuff I've wanted to do on weekends that has taken precedence.

Let this be a reminder to drink a glass of water -- right now. I'm pounding 'em like it's my job. Which, it is. If I'm not hydrated, I can't feed Ada what she needs. When I worked a desk job, I drank water like crazy. It was a good excuses to get up and walk around. Now? I admit it's more difficult to remember.

Have you ever crashed and burned with a dehydration issue? How do you remember to drink your H20?


And today on Writing Chapter Three, I have a gazillion weaning/nursing-related questions. Ada's eating like a champ -- here she is munching on some spaghetti squash. Anyway, if you can help, I'd appreciate it!

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Weekend Fun: Group Runs

As I wrote on Writing Chapter Three the other day, I've been avoiding social situations a lot lately. And there is no better example than with how much I've been avoiding joining the local runners club for group runs.

Concerns I had included: 

• I wouldn't know anyone. (That was more a concern a year or two ago.)
• I wouldn't be able to keep up with others. Or that I would end up running alone anyway. 
• I would bonk out and not be able to get home like I usually can if I don't feel like finishing. 
• I would need to use a restroom or drink water and not be able to drop home. 
• I wouldn't be able to get ready in time due to breastfeeding/etc. -- baby excuse stuff.

This Sunday, however, I had no such excuses. Ada had woken up earlier than usual. Fed earlier, too. Was on schedule to nap during the run. And Stephen was eager to watch her. Time rolled around to when I'd need to leave to join the run, so I went for it.

I'm so glad I did. Our local group has done a fantastic job of coordinating various loops from 6 to 16 (and beyond) miles. All those people you see above? For my area, that's a big crowd to draw at 8AM.

Those concerns I had?

• I now know a bunch of people in the club. And you know what? Meeting new faces wasn't half bad!
• I knew my general long run pace and asked around ahead of time to see who might be interested in joining me. My friend Sue was generous enough to let me tag along and we settled in with a couple others. I wouldn't say it was easy for me not going my usual slog, but I also felt strong being able to be more consistent about it. 
• Had I not found anyone to run with me, I don't think it would have been so bad. People were running a variety of distances, so we were always crossing paths with others. Just being part of the group was in the back of my head regardless. 
• Surprisingly, I was almost able to slip into a race day mentality. Had I run alone, I imagine I would have stopped at my house for a break or even stopped early. Being accountable made my workout better and longer. 
• I didn't know it, but our run organizers have thought of everything. Several water stops were along the loops and dropping into a local business took care of a bathroom break I needed. No biggie! 
• As I already mentioned, the stars aligned with Ada to allow me to make it to this run. But getting up a bit earlier than normal, pumping, and just leaving the house will help me in the future. It CAN be done. 

I ended my 10-miler thinking: "Why didn't I do this much, much, MUCH sooner?" I'm already making plans to do it again next weekend. Just the extra motivation I need to stay in shape over the summer months (I hate running in heat).

Do you participate in group runs? If so, what do you like/dislike about them? And if you haven't, do you have share some of my same concerns?

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Good Question: Miles or Minutes

Kimberly asks: "I am a relatively new runner and looking at training plans for my first 10K. I notice that some plans go by minutes while others go by miles. What's the difference between training with miles and minutes?"

I've always been slightly confused about why some training plans have you running a specific distance versus a specific time. To add to the confusion, the training plan I'm following at the moment has BOTH miles AND minutes prescribed. Easy runs, mostly in the 3 to 5 mile range, are written out by distance. While tempo and long run workouts are written out in time.

Why?!?!

Well, I'll be honest. I don't really know. I'm not a coach. I'm not even what I'd consider a competitive or fantastic runner. I can't exactly speak to why some plans go with minutes while other go with miles. I can, however, share the benefits I see through my experience with each type of training because I have prepared for races using both methods. So, I hope this answer is at least somewhat informative to you all.

I've been participating in road races for over 10 years now. And I found it helpful to train by time, particularly when I was a beginner. Especially for increasing long runs when my longest run ever was like 3 miles. I'm sure there are more technical reasons than this one, but even just mentally, increasing my time by 10 minutes sounded a lot easier than increasing my distance by a mile, for example. I used this method when I was preparing for my first 10K -- completing a few 60 minute runs before race day -- and I imagine that my pace was faster than 10-minute miles.

In other words, I was running 60 minutes, but likely going farther than a 10K. So, the approach prepared me well.

On the flip side, years and years later, I often don't run with a watch. As a result, I've been training by miles more and more. Mapping out routes and sticking to them is easy because it's simple to remember my two favorite 4-milers and 5-milers and my three best 8-milers. When I trained for my most recent half marathon, I depended on distance. I didn't want to dwell on my pace because coming back from pregnancy has been hard on my times. Instead, I felt the most accomplished by number of miles run and chose to ignore the speed at which those miles were completed.

But then there are those times I'm between plans and just running to run. So, I do neither.

Overall, I think I toggle between the two depending on my mood. A sort of "whatever works" scenario. If I'm feeling motivated by running 13 miles, I'll map out a route. During marathon training, if I had a 20 mile run ahead of me, I'd break it down by hours and live half-hour at a time until I reached around 3 hours total. Even with training for shorter distance races, I find I can win the mental game by training miles OR minutes day by day.


I try my best not to get hung up on either of the two and, instead, to train my best for how I'm feeling. I may not break the sound barrier, but with keeping a positive attitude -- thereby actually completing runs versus dreading them -- I've consistently improved my race times. Again, I'm not incredibly competitive, though, so you may find the following resources a bit more helpful.

Nike: Training Tip: Minutes versus Miles
Runners World: Minutes vs. Miles
COMPRESSPORT: Run Training: Measure by Miles or by Minutes?

How do YOU train? Miles or minutes? Or BOTH? I'd love for you guys/gals to weigh in.


Pssst: Check out a great sugar-free peanut butter cookie dough recipe today on Writing Chapter Three!

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Weekend Recap: The Fun Never Ends . . .

Oh, the saga with Ashley and the big, bad marathon continues. A 20-miler turned 18.5. Which really isn't too shabby, but I'm now left wondering if I may have a problem on my hands. Or, rather, on my left knee. But before we get into all of that, here's a brief rundown of the weekend's events:

Friday night was rainy and awful. So, we stayed in and watched all our favorite TV shows on Hulu. Stephen was nice enough to brave the elements and get us food from Wegmans. I had my classic Friday night favorite: a simple tomato-basil-mozzarella sandwich. Stephen munched on sushi and soup. And some of my bread. Grey's Anatomy is great this season, don't you think?


We woke up on Saturday morning at 9AM. For us, that's insanely late. We have no idea how it happened, but all that sleep felt great. However, I'm not a fan of feeling like I'm behind all day. Ugh. Soon after, we began the day with a brisk run through our neighborhood (I did 5.2 miles, Stephen did about 7.5).

I didn't at all feel like running, but the wind was pretty awesome (I love running in crazy wind), so I didn't want to let the opportunity to be blown away breeze by.


Then, we spent way too much money at Wegmans Saturday afternoon. We bought yummy cheeses (including an incredible applewood smoked cheddar covered in paprika!) and all kinds of other ingredients to make a feast. We'll get to the specific foods of that feast in another post.

But here's a preview:


I spent the rest of Saturday night -- after my cooking and baking fest -- dreading my 20-miler on Sunday morning. I just didn't want to do it. I wanted to sleep in again, I guess!

But Sunday morning arrived. I got out the door for my run around 9AM, which is the latest I've started a long run in a while. My objective was to go SLOW. To feel like I was totally, completely, 100% comfortable. Holding back, even. I took my watch, but resisted looking at it. We'll get back to my time. But miles 1 through 6 went great. I was a bit bored, but that's to be expected. It was my 4th 20 mile run this season! Just after mile 6, I felt this abrupt, SHARP pain on the outside of my left knee. It made me yell out "OWWW" . . . though it lasted only a second. Like I was jabbed with a knife.

Then went away.
20 seconds later. It happened again.
Went away.
Another 20 or so seconds later, again.


At that point, I started to get really freaked out. I mean, c'mon! Really?! Only one week ago, I had rocked a half marathon race. This weekend, I was nearly crying at a 9+ minute pace?

I haven't had problems like these in a while. My training motto has been "everything in moderation" and "gradual, gradual, gradual" . . . how could I be developing some sort of IT band issue, when that's usually from over-use? ANYWAY, I told myself if I felt the pain once more, I'd turn back (I was near this turn where I could get home in like 3 miles). The pain stopped. So, I continued on.

I stopped (as per usual) at mile 8ish at Wegmans for water. And I also needed to pee (which never happens on my runs either -- weird day!). When I walked inside, I quickly realized they had closed the entire hallway leading to the public restrooms for cleaning! I couldn't even walk past the barrier/rope to get a quick drink of H2O.

UGGGGHHHH. I needed water. Badly!


Thankfully, I remember that there are water coolers for staff in the front of the store. I decided I could live without a bathroom break . . . but I had to steal a bit of water. I got a dirty look from a cashier, but didn't care one bit. I still had 12 miles to go!

Once I was back outside, I headed for another leg of my adventure. Just an out-and-back, around 5 miles total . . . and I could then return to Wegmans to see if the bathrooms had opened up. That part of my run was relatively uneventful. But I kept thinking about how much I wasn't enjoying myself. I was bored. My heart wasn't in it. Thankfully, I had no pain. Cruising along. A hill, but I killed it.

After my second pit-stop at the big W, I headed for what I thought would be the last 7 miles of my run. I was OK for about three of those miles. Then my knee started to hurt again. Not as acutely as it had before, just a soreness. Tightness. Weirdness that made me decided to end at 18.5 miles instead of 20. With a brief walk break of about 2 minutes in there, too.


I got home, completely discouraged, cursing and telling Stephen that I'll NEVER run another marathon. I'm not built for it. That I HATE distance running. That I HATE training. I drank some water, showered, and calmed down. My knee was tender. It was hard to go down the stairs. And my knee is still somewhat sore and not its usual, healthy self. I'm trying not to completely scare myself by saying I have ITBS. But it is the IT band area that hurts. I have been massaging the area and many have suggested I invest in a foam roller. I'm on a mission to find one this evening.

I'm planning to monitor the pain for a week. I get weird injuries all the time that I think are a huge big deal and end up resolving themselves in a matter of a few days. Though, some of my friends have told me that this pain isn't anything I should treat on my own. We'll see. At this point, I'm just trying to keep my cool. I want to run Philly . . . badly. But this new development has made me think. Marathon training certainly doesn't seem like it's my thing. Very frustrated right now.

Regardless: 18.5 miles in 2:48:30. 9:06 pace. It felt slow to me. So, if I can ever run again, I'm on track to finish in under 4:00:00.

On a happy note. My friend Elizabeth (from Elizathon) has graciously offered to run the last 6 miles of Philly with me, provided I'm able to do the race. She's a sweetheart. Elizabeth: YOU ARE AWESOME! I can't even begin to explain how her offer has brightened my day. So, we'll hope for health. I have one more 20-miler before the big race. But at this point, I'm just hoping to be able to run tomorrow, relatively pain-free. I may just take the day off for rest, too.

Positive thoughts are appreciated. You guys and gals have been so great through my rough training patch.


I had a great post-run smoothie. Some of those hundreds of dollars we spent at Wegmans went toward soy protein powder. We don't normally do too many supplements. But we're glad we tried this stuff.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 banana
• 1 cup vegan protein powder (like PhytoSoy), chocolate variety

Method . . .

Toss everything in a blender and blend. Enjoy it. It's good for you!


Sunday we were also planning to see Phoenix at Cornell. But between my mood and Stephen's mounds of schoolwork, we just couldn't swing it. My friend Mark (the only guy in the photo below -- from music camp -- because we're cool like that) came down and treated us to dinner instead. It was so great catching up with him!


So, that's what we did this weekend. Feels like it went by fast! And to those of you who were interested in the change post, I did indeed dye my hair this morning. But it wasn't terribly shocking. Just refreshing the color I already had. While I'm out tonight looking for a foam roller, I may just have to sneak in a haircut. We'll see!

What did YOU do this weekend? Any great workouts or race times to report? Concerts or other events attended? Projects completed? We'd love to hear about 'em. As well, if you have experience with IT-band issues, I'd love to know how you've managed them. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Long Runs: How and What to Eat?

Along with the question we answered yesterday: How do you guys adjust your eating to fit the demands of marathon/distance training? (Which we answered in our Endurance Athletes: How and What to Eat? post) . . . we get another question: How and what do you eat before, during, and after long runs? I've recruited Stephen to answer this question for y'all. He's much better at fueling the way you SHOULD fuel.

Basically, he's the textbook example. (Or at least way closer than I'll ever be!)


Stephen writes:

It's only fitting that two of my favorite activities are attached at the hip: running and eating; more specifically, the Sunday long run and the food-tornado that follows.

Pre-Run Nutrition

I try to eat my pre-run meal 45 minutes to an hour before running long. I allow less time if I'm running short. But in all reality, it's more like 20-30 minutes. It's difficult for me to abide by the Runners World advice of eating two hours before the run/race. A 7:00AM race start or long run translates to eating breakfast at 5:00AM. Or in our case, scooping peanut butter out of a jar with a pen and spreading it over cold bread before the Philadelphia Marathon. Too early! I never listened to the "wait 30 minutes before swimming" rule either.

(Heck, I figure I've made it this far!)


In the hot summer months, I try to hit the pavement by 7:00AM or earlier, so, for me, a cup of espresso as soon as a I wake up is the best way to jump-start my engine. I would happily drink drip coffee, but it was cheaper to buy a refurbished espresso machine than to replace my broken coffee pot. Good news for runners is that caffeine in modest portions can actually improve energy, strength, and speed. In fact, I run my best tempo and interval workouts after a cup-o-Joe. I feel I am able to maintain a faster pace for longer. I wouldn't recommend drinking more than a cup before a run, or else you may find yourself desperately looking for a pit stop mid-run.

One of my favorite pre-run meals is a variation on Ashley’s Scrambled Banana Sandwich: a toasted English muffin spread with peanut butter, raspberry jam, and sliced banana. Nutritionally, it carries quite a punch. The potassium in the banana helps regulate the water in your cells, so you can keep better hydrated, and the combination of protein and fat in the peanut butter helps curb your hunger over a longer run, too.


During Run Nutrition

For runs shorter than 60 minutes, I don't bother bringing snacks or drinks. But for Sunday long runs or mid-week runs topping 10 miles, I bring along my Nathan Hydration Belt and fill one bottle with water and the other with diluted Gatorade. I fill the back pouch with a mix of dried fruit (keep your eyes peeled for our review of our new food dehydrator!), unsalted nuts (cashews and walnuts are my favorites), and cereal (Kashi Go Lean is the current favorite).

If I know I'll be running by water fountains, I'll bring an extra scoop of Gatorade powder in a plastic bag and stuff it in the back pocket. When running long, it's definitely important to drink something with electrolytes to replenish your stores and sodium to help your body retain water. I try to stay away from Cliff Shots and GU, not because I don't think they're useful, but because my stomach feels much better eating real food. In fact, we're toiling away, trying to invent our own version of GU and healthy energy chunks to bring along for long runs and races.

Let's just say: There are few stomach sensations worse than feeling 6 ounces of cappuccino Clif Shots sloshing around in your stomach at mile 23 in a marathon.


Post Run Nutrition

Okay, the post long run meal is my favorite meal of the week -- maybe even my favorite time of the week. Not because I am happy to have the long run over with, I actually savor every mile (as long as it's not 80 degrees), but because the post-run meal begins the minute I step out of the shower and ends the minute I retire to bed. It's important to replenish your fluids soon after returning, especially on cool rainy days when you don’t realize you’ve lost significant fluid. Ashley always reaches for a coconut water, which is rather expensive, but well worth it! Lately, I have been drinking chocolate almond milk, which helps restore protein to your muscles. My initial meal after running is usually delicate, something easily digestible to curb the initial hunger. Kale and garbanzo beans sauteed in olive oil works best for me. It doesn't hurt that kale is a super food packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.

. . . a few hours later, once the hunger returns (and it will after burning 2000+ calories, I like to settle my stomach with a toasted English muffin and two over easy eggs.

. . . a few hours after that -- heck -- the process goes on and on!


Once "dinner" time rolls around, my appetite still ravenous, I revert to my Elvis cravings. Mega sandwiches like The Lover and the vegetarian Juicy Lucy always hit the spot!

It’s important to listen to your body, so if you’re hungry, EAT! If you're not, well . . . if you're like Ashley and are not hungry until one to two hours after running, pay attention.

There are two important windows or checkpoints to meet after a strenuous workout: the two hour window and the thirty minute window. Replenishing your body within these windows ensure that you can properly recover and prepare for the next workout.

• Within two hours of a long run, it's essential to eat a meal balanced with carbohydrates and protein; peanut butter and jelly works perfectly, as do eggs and toast, or kale and couscous.
• The thirty minute window is your chance to literally top off your gas tank with carbohydrates. If you miss it, your body won't be able to fully recover before the next workout. Sports drinks are a popular choice, especially the newer ones bolstered with protein. But over anything on the market, I have to favor a tall glass of chocolate (almond/soy) milk after all, it's real food!

What are your favorite pre-, during, and post-run meals? We'd love to hear from you! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

If you're looking for more tips and tricks for your running training, you're in luck! We just totally re-organized our (never home)makers Run Wild page. Check it out for all kinds of running-related information.

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More Weekend Happenings

I don't usually write posts only about what I'm doing. Because if I did that, it could be rather boring! No. I try to keep the content running/recipe/motivation-related. But I'm enjoying writing weekend recaps. And there's a recipe at the end of this post -- so, if you'd rather just skip to that, feel free!

This weekend went just as fast as usual, unfortunately. Stephen planned to visit his family down in Philadelphia . . . and I stayed behind because with all the working, blogging, and marathon training, I simply have no energy to go anywhere right now. Friday, we made the most of our time together by ordering Indian takeout (like last weekend, if you'll remember) and watching the final episodes of Nip/Tuck. We're so sad to be done with this show!


Thanks to my mother-in-law, Kathy, we each got new phones Friday night. Somehow I lost mine at our weekly trivia match. As a result, I lost my entire contact list, too. Very frustrating. But it's worth it for the better text-ing keyboard! (And -- no. No fancy phones -- I refuse to pay $30 per month for internet!)

I started Saturday off early. 5:15 AM kind of early. With an excellent 8-miler after Stephen departed for PA (and on his trek send me photos of Lululemon, IKEA, and a display of Vibrams that made my heart skip and beat!). Didn't time the run, but it was speedy -- that's for sure. This is the point in marathon training when the 8 mile runs are my favorite. The 5-milers just feel like busy work, but the 8s make me feel powerful, strong. I'd love to see how I could perform in a 15K right now. I wonder if I could beat my Boilermaker PR?

My parents were up for the rest of the day. We drove through the country and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. We even took a nice 30 minute stroll through a nearby park. I wore my Vibrams, of course.


Saturday night was relatively uneventful. I watched The September Issue and ate tomato/mozzarella/basil sandwiches with some ginger brew. I went to bed as early as I woke: 9:30 PM (I'm a total rock star!).


Sunday was another early day -- but I slept in until 5:30 AM. Hah. Right? Anyway, I wanted to get a start on my long run before the sun came out. I'm so glad I did, too. I got out the door at around quarter to 7 (had to eat and wake up a bit before I laced up my shoes). But around three hours (and 20.2 miles at 9:03 pace) later, I finished my second of three super long runs for the marathon.

Only.
One.
More.
20.
Mile.
Run.
To.
Go!

Thankfully, after two weeks of soggy (worse than soggy -- these runs were more like swimming than running) long runs, it didn't rain one drop! Still, I'm dedicated. There's no question after the horror-movie-esque scene that greeted me when I took off my right shoe after the run. (There's blood -- so, you may want to avert your eyes!)


If this isn't TMI. I don't know WHAT is. Anyway, I'm still not really sure how I got the cut on my toe. I felt some discomfort at the beginning of the run. After a while, it just got better. Needless to say, these socks are in the garbage. Ugh. Less than 35 days until the marathon!

Sunday was really a blur. A tired, in-bed . . . yet cleaning the house from top-to-bottom while doing loads-upon-loads of laundry blur. Stephen drove home and ran his long run in the heatwave. (Remember last week when I mentioned how excited we are for fall? The weather gods are definitely saying PSYCHE! right now.) When I have a particularly steamy run, I usually crave juice. Water. Coconut water. Fruit. More juice. Gatorade. Juice. Did I mention a cold cup of juice with lots of ice? Limes?

OK. I sound like a crazy person, but this is how my mind gets in the last mile. When I'm almost home. Almost close enough to my blender to blend together a post-long run slurpee:


What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup sorbet (I used hibiscus-coconut water kind -- delish!)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Method . . .

1. Just put everything in a blender and blend.
2. Adjust content to reach your desired consistency. I liked mine just like this -- not too thick. Very slurp-able.

The chia seeds, coconut water, and blueberries make this slurpee a perfect recovery drink. When it's especially hot, I don't like to eat much after a run. I usually feel sick. But it's important to get some calories and water into your system. So, always be sure to at least sip on something -- even if it's only a glass of water or chocolate milk. Then eat as soon as you're able -- preferably some protein.


We've had many questions now about how we change our caloric intake during heavy training times. The quick answer is that we don't really count or "take a look" at how much we're eating, necessarily. We let our bodies be our guide. If we're hungry, we eat. We try to eat the "best" foods. Whole foods. Healthy foods. But that's not always easy. Tomorrow we'll post more info on this topic -- as well as back briefly to that mystical marathon weight gain. So, stay tuned!

What did you do this weekend? Are you experiencing the same heatwave in your neck of the woods? We're definitely not enjoying this last burst of summer. Bring on the sweaters and cider . . . the crunchy leaves and pumpkin pies, please! Well, at least for now we have pumpkin macaroni and cheese!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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