Running, Icing, Eating

Happy 2 Days after National Running day bloggers!  Did you celebrate?

It's taper week for me, so I got out Wednesday and ran a speedy 4, which was really a poor choice, haha. My speed caused me to stop and walk between miles 2 and 3, which was fine overall I guess, but I'd like to get through 13.1 miles without walking on Sunday, so I'm going to have to make sure to start out easy, and go for those elusive negative splits. Maybe I'll need to start out the playlist with a few slower songs, and then finish up with the Thriller/Heads Will Roll mash-up from glee (this song always makes me run SO fast, I love when it comes up at the end of runs).

Regardless, I did get out there and run to celebrate. It was my first run through the arboretum since we were hit with monsoons this past week. This was more bad decision-making thanks to all that standing water acting as a breeding ground for bugs.

I had gotten my very first mosquito bite on my chest on Monday night. Well it was matched with another one yesterday morning:

Plus two more on my arm:

I have no self-control when it comes to scratching bug bites, so old-school Caladryl lotion is my BFF. I don't even care about the huge pink spots.

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Yesterdays run was a little bit different. by the end of it I had foot pain in both feet in different spots. My left foot has pain on the ball of the foot. I am praying it is not a stress fracture. My right foot has arch pain.

Despite icing, these pains are still nagging.

Not good.

I'm pretty worried about the half, but I'm icing diligently, and we'll see how it goes.

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Two things that have entered my summer running lifestyle that i'm SUPER happy about are as follows:

Banana Soft Serve

I've known about this for a while now, but for some reason failed to get around to making it. I always have bananas in the freezer thanks to a tendency to overbuy and a love for frozen bananas in smoothies. So in the sweltering heat of Tuesday, I decided it was time for banana soft serve.

This is seriously incredible. Its just bananas in the food processor until they turn into this awesome soft serve like consistency. Its so satisfying. And it's totally not that bad for me.

Love it.

I love it even more with Ahh-laska chocolate syrup.

All swirled together.

MAKE THIS NOW. 

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Second thing is inspired by Born to Run, which if you are looking for running inspiration is seriously PERFECT.

This is chia fresca:

Yes, it looks like pond water. 

It's a combo of the oh so popular chia seeds, agave, and fresh squeezed lime juice.

I've been drinking it before my runs and while the texture is a little funky (the chia seeds kind of gel) I'm still drinking it and not hating it, haha.

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Alright, time to go ice the foot some more. I'll keep you updated ;)

me! rocking the cancer kickers shirt ;)

Oh and one last thing. The only donation to my fundraising page has been ME. so if you feel like being generous every little bit helps and would be appreciated! :)

DxA2 Run To Do List

So how about a pre-half marathon to do list?

I love lists, and I don't think I've shared them enough with the blogging community.

So here we go:

1. super hydrate.
i'm talking 3L every day.

2. make half playlist
this has been a work in progress for the entirety of my (short) running career, but it need to get completed before sunday. its crazy how much good music affects runs. I swear my fastest 5 miler ever was due to the exclusively glee music.


3. carb load
started on saturday with the 3/4 loaf of multigrain bread, and will continue all week long. i'm thinking pasta for dinner tonight.


4. obtain shotbloks + bodyglide
done and done! one stop sale shop REI had these both for great deals yesterday. I was so pumped.

5. cherry juice all the time
pubmed can verify the benefits of cherry juice so i'm chugging this stuff all week too.


6. paint nails
this is going to be my thing. nails corresponding to race colors. so they'll be a lovely shade of green for this weekend. get excited.


7. further relationship with foam roller
def. contributed to the lack of soreness the past few days, so i'm going to put the moves on the foam roller and keep it intimate ;)


Anything else huge I'm forgetting?

One Week Until the Half

So sticking to the last 10 days of the training plan is going super well! Yesterday morning was the 10 mile run pre-half. I tried to mimic race day as much as possible, and tried to get out there around 8:30. I was 14 minutes late, but it was a good run. good pace, felt good. 

Here's the garmin stats:

After the run yesterday morning, I pigged out with friends at the original pancake house for a perfect post-run meal.

Post-work I took a trip to kroger and I walked away with a grocery bag that screams ONE WEEK UNTIL HALF MARATHON:

includes:

bag of ice to make my calves numb

two boxes of fruit snacks (carb loading whattup!)

take and bake bread (more carb loading!)

and ocean spray sparkling cranberry energy 

(okay these aren't really runner related, but they were on sale, i wanted to try them, and i could definitely use energy to run 13.1 miles this weekend, right?)

I felt like such a BA.

Today I stretched the muscles with an easy 2.5 miler. It wasn't as easy as I hoped thanks to 96% humidity, but I powered through.

and then it was time for a date with my favorite:

TADA. foam roller, love of my life.

feel special that you get to be graced by my sweaty post-run face with my foam roller :)

Also is it really bad that I want to buy all kinds of Dexter-Ann Arbor Run Memorabilia because it's my first half?  y/n?

Things I Learned 5/28

Things I learned this week...

the pocket in nike tempo shorts has relocated.
The other day I was about to go for a run and was shocked to find no pocket! turns out its now in the back of the shorts. good thing.

certain companies have really freaking awesome customer service
I really liked last year's training shirts for the detroit marathon, so i ordered one. they had limited sizing left, so i kind of got lucky when i ordered the one i did. I got a call the other day that the shirt I had ordered was the last one and unfortunately had some make up on the collar from someone trying it on. So they offered to send me this year's training shirt as well. So i got two shirts for $20. AWESOME.

watching glee and sex and the city makes me want to go to new york
this week's glee finale in new york, plus finally getting around to watch the end of sex and the city made me want to visit this city SO MUCH. new york city marathon 2012 anyone?

sometimes waiting around to pay bills can pay off.
A few months ago I subscribed to Runner's World anticipating my two free preview issues. Well of course, those issues didn't come until after my bill was due. I was a little upset and failed to pay the balance right away. well good thing I did because amazon has Runner's World for 8.50 for a year. Way better than the $24 for two years I was going to pay. 

TiLT: FNL, snoopy snacks, parachute, bossypants

What the eff, its Thursday again already?  You mean I can finally post the Things I love Thursday post I wrote LAST THURSDAY and failed to post?  baller.


Here we go...


Things I love Thursday!

Friday Night Lights s4 on Netflix Instant Play

I have always always loved this show, and I stopped watching it consistently when it made the switch to DirectTV, but I am so in love again. Tami Taylor, HBIC, I would love to be you when I grow up.

Snoopy Fruit Snacks

Hello best fruit snacks ever. I also love that you are off-brand and therefore CHEAP. such a good little snack.

Parachute - The Way It Was

Got my hands on the new parachute album on Tuesday and I can't stop listening to it! Burned a copy for my car, and still listen to it all day. my favorite tracks are "Philadelphia" and "Kiss Me Slowly" but the whole album is great!

Smoothie in a bowl

Made this treat this morning because I couldnt decide between cereal or smoothie. This was an awesome combination. I'm a huge sucker for jamba juice, so i bought their razzmatazz smoothie mix at costco, and rolled with the mix+almond milk+spinach, and then topped with target brand blueberry granola. SO GOOD.

Tina Fey's Bossypants

Tina Fey is my hero. I think she is so freaking hilarious. so naturally, I find myself laughing out loud, kindle in hand, looking like a crazy person. oh yes. This book is awesome.

Getting to the End of Training

Oddly enough, the combination of no school and crazy weather has left my running a little bit lacking. Ever since graduation, when I shifted my long run out of its weekend spot, my running has been a bit inconsistent. I've had a few really great speed runs, and most of my other runs have been at a similar although slightly slower pace, but I haven't been super consistent with training like I should be.

And my first half is in 10 days.

So the semi-tapering is good, but I still have yet to run my final 10 miles, and that's a little troublesome.

The weather this past week has been quite uncooperative. It's either been super hot or rainy, two things that are difficult for me to work with.

Despite the rain today though, I'm going to get out there. Pound out at least 5 and see how it goes.

I'm blogging this so even though I eaten shot bloks for no reason (I was a little hungry), I have running clothes on, and a chia fresca on the counter ready to be drunk (? is this correct grammar?), I actually go run.

I know I need to run every day this weekend, and then take it easy next week. This is how the final ten days are going to go:

Thu May 26: 5 miles
Fri May 27: 10 miles or 3 miles depending on weather
Sat May 28: 10 miles or 3 miles depending on weather
Sun May 29: 5 mile run
Mon May 30: Stretch & Strengthen
Tues May 31: 4 mile run
Wed May 31: 3 mile run
Thurs June 1: 2 mile run
Fri June 2: Rest
Sat June 3: Rest
Sun June 4: RACE DAY. 13.1 MILES HERE I COME

Okay there's my commitment.

Time to get out there and run.

BEST RUN EVER

Holy cow, I just had the best run ever.

Yes, this is my grand return to blogging, the best run ever.

Check out these garmin stats:

Yes, that does say 8:09/mi. It also says 7:46 for my last mile. I am in love.

This run just felt good the whole way. I didnt feel super speedy, I wasn't killing myself, it was just perfect.

Here's what surrounded this run so I can try and replicate next Monday:

-Going to bed at 12:45 and waking up at 7:45
-Eating dinner of a chicken sandwich at 5:00
-Drinking coffee at 5:00
-Drinking chia fresca about an hour before
-A single strawberry shot blok right before I left
-Completely clashing running attire (try brand new orange/pink bikila, blue michigan headband, black wunder unders, blue run swiftly long sleeve with a green mountain hardwear thin hoody over it)

clashing running by lauren alysse on Polyvore.com

-Working from 1-7
-Cooler weather (high 40s)
-ALL GLEE on the shuffle
-New shoes

I have no idea what did it, but this is definitely the best run I've ever had. Oh half marathon in less than 3 weeks, here I come.