I honestly don't have too much to say about this one, guys.
I've gone into races unprepared and I'd feel a lot better if I'd been slacking during my training for this one. I played by the rules, I stuck to my training plan but it was just a bad day.
The race was wonderful, the support was stellar and I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone.
I had wonderful personal support as well, Jenn was by my side every step and if it hadn't been for her I'm not sure I wouldn't be laying in a ditch somewhere in Springfield right now.
There are parts of the race I don't remember at all, which is probably just as well.
All I can say is that I finished and its behind me.
Illinois is next and it will be a better race.
Have you had a really bad race? How did you get through it? How did it effect your next race?
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Friday, April 8, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Seen On My Run...
You guys know the hash tag #seenonmyrun ? (Yes, I have a Twitter obsession, I'm sorry if you don't.)
Today I started with an awesome #seenonmyrun. (Jesus statue by the side of the path -awesome, right?) Then things got weird.
This morning was cold and snowing and miserable but I have a half next week so I had no choice but to brave the elements. The other members of our group evidently didn't feel compelled to leave the warmth of their homes and I don't blame them at all. It was just a group of two today, Michelle and myself.
Michelle and I decided to go the opposite direction on the path that we typically do just for a change of scenery. We run in the Cook County Forest Preserve and some areas of the path run along side neighborhoods and busier streets. Other areas are deeper into the woods and quite deserted. The path is a 3.25 mile loop. We planned to do two loops this morning.
I have to preface this by saying that we always stick together on these runs, we try to stay alert to our surroundings and we see a lot of the same people out on the path every week. That said, we do not run with pepper spray. I have always felt safe enough in a group that I never felt compelled to purchase any. I never go out on that path alone, if I run by myself I run through the neighborhoods and check in at home or with a family member a few blocks away during that time. I try to keep myself as safe as I can.
A mile into our second loop we were approaching an area that runs directly along side a neighborhood. I saw a man approaching us, walking fairly slowly. He wasn't wearing running clothes, he wasn't with anyone and he wasn't walking a dog - the vast majority of the people we see fall into these categories. I did notice he had a phone in his hand that he was pretty fixated on, but nothing else about him seemed that strange. After he passed us, Michelle said she thought he exposed himself to us. I honestly hadn't given him that good of a look but I commented that he wasn't really dressed for a run.
We decided we would keep an eye on him. Within a few moments, he turned around and started walking the same direction we were - still very slowly. We had reached a neighborhood by then and got off the path and walked close to the houses to see if he would pass us. We had to slow down almost to a crawl before he strolled past us. Michelle was right: He was walking around giving a show.
At that point we knew we would not be getting back on the path. The next mile is the most deserted part of the path, there were few people out with the morning being so cold and he was walking so slow we would have no choice but to pass him - putting him behind us and out of our line of sight again. We opted to walk through the neighborhoods to my parents house and got a ride back to pick up our cars. I made a report to the police and they went to investigate but called me back a short while ago to let me know they didn't see anyone but they will be increasing patrols in the area.
There's every chance this man is a harmless flasher but people who exhibit that kind of behavior often progress toward other less harmless acts and I'm not going to lie, I just had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
I know most my readers are women and I really want to encourage all of you to be cautious when you run, even in a group. Don't run alone in the woods and no matter where you run be sure some one knows your route, be sure they know about how long it will take you - check in with people - response time is critical in any abduction. The first thing my mother said when we walked in the door was that she thought I'd been gone a long time for a six mile run - if our morning had ended in a different way her having that information could have been very important. Above all else, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. If you have a bad feeling about a situation, trust it, get out as soon as you safely can.
If you're in the south suburbs of Chicago, be on the lookout for a white man in his twenties on the Forest Preserve trails that sticks out. Today he wore jeans, a black coat, white (non athletic) sneakers and a white ski cap. Cook County Forest Preserve Police have been notified and did check out the area but stated they didn't see anyone matching the description.
That's all for my public service announcement.
Lincoln is next week - be on the look out for race report Sunday!
Today I started with an awesome #seenonmyrun. (Jesus statue by the side of the path -awesome, right?) Then things got weird.
This morning was cold and snowing and miserable but I have a half next week so I had no choice but to brave the elements. The other members of our group evidently didn't feel compelled to leave the warmth of their homes and I don't blame them at all. It was just a group of two today, Michelle and myself.
Michelle and I decided to go the opposite direction on the path that we typically do just for a change of scenery. We run in the Cook County Forest Preserve and some areas of the path run along side neighborhoods and busier streets. Other areas are deeper into the woods and quite deserted. The path is a 3.25 mile loop. We planned to do two loops this morning.
I have to preface this by saying that we always stick together on these runs, we try to stay alert to our surroundings and we see a lot of the same people out on the path every week. That said, we do not run with pepper spray. I have always felt safe enough in a group that I never felt compelled to purchase any. I never go out on that path alone, if I run by myself I run through the neighborhoods and check in at home or with a family member a few blocks away during that time. I try to keep myself as safe as I can.
A mile into our second loop we were approaching an area that runs directly along side a neighborhood. I saw a man approaching us, walking fairly slowly. He wasn't wearing running clothes, he wasn't with anyone and he wasn't walking a dog - the vast majority of the people we see fall into these categories. I did notice he had a phone in his hand that he was pretty fixated on, but nothing else about him seemed that strange. After he passed us, Michelle said she thought he exposed himself to us. I honestly hadn't given him that good of a look but I commented that he wasn't really dressed for a run.
We decided we would keep an eye on him. Within a few moments, he turned around and started walking the same direction we were - still very slowly. We had reached a neighborhood by then and got off the path and walked close to the houses to see if he would pass us. We had to slow down almost to a crawl before he strolled past us. Michelle was right: He was walking around giving a show.
At that point we knew we would not be getting back on the path. The next mile is the most deserted part of the path, there were few people out with the morning being so cold and he was walking so slow we would have no choice but to pass him - putting him behind us and out of our line of sight again. We opted to walk through the neighborhoods to my parents house and got a ride back to pick up our cars. I made a report to the police and they went to investigate but called me back a short while ago to let me know they didn't see anyone but they will be increasing patrols in the area.
There's every chance this man is a harmless flasher but people who exhibit that kind of behavior often progress toward other less harmless acts and I'm not going to lie, I just had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
I know most my readers are women and I really want to encourage all of you to be cautious when you run, even in a group. Don't run alone in the woods and no matter where you run be sure some one knows your route, be sure they know about how long it will take you - check in with people - response time is critical in any abduction. The first thing my mother said when we walked in the door was that she thought I'd been gone a long time for a six mile run - if our morning had ended in a different way her having that information could have been very important. Above all else, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. If you have a bad feeling about a situation, trust it, get out as soon as you safely can.
If you're in the south suburbs of Chicago, be on the lookout for a white man in his twenties on the Forest Preserve trails that sticks out. Today he wore jeans, a black coat, white (non athletic) sneakers and a white ski cap. Cook County Forest Preserve Police have been notified and did check out the area but stated they didn't see anyone matching the description.
That's all for my public service announcement.
Lincoln is next week - be on the look out for race report Sunday!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A Short Note About Cross Training
I'm not going to beat around the bush here, guys.
I absolutely suck at cross training.
Its something I've been working on. I logically know cross training with make me a better runner and a better athlete all around. I also know that when I'm training for a triathlon I feel much stronger.
When it comes right down to it, I am lazy about cross training. I tell myself its more important that I don't miss my running workouts. But really, I should treat both as equals.
So this week I am being very intentional about cross training. I have successfully cross trained both yesterday and today. Three more days to go. Tomorrow I think I'll swim and Thursday (technically my rest day) I'm planning yoga.
Do you struggle with cross training? Are you more likely to skip a scheduled run or cross training work out? How has cross training helped you?
I absolutely suck at cross training.
Its something I've been working on. I logically know cross training with make me a better runner and a better athlete all around. I also know that when I'm training for a triathlon I feel much stronger.
When it comes right down to it, I am lazy about cross training. I tell myself its more important that I don't miss my running workouts. But really, I should treat both as equals.
So this week I am being very intentional about cross training. I have successfully cross trained both yesterday and today. Three more days to go. Tomorrow I think I'll swim and Thursday (technically my rest day) I'm planning yoga.
Do you struggle with cross training? Are you more likely to skip a scheduled run or cross training work out? How has cross training helped you?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
One Week
Last Monday, I made a big change. I did not blog about it, because I honestly had no idea what would happen.
One week ago, I went Gluten Free.
It has been suggested that eliminating (or severely restricting) gluten might relieve some symptoms of a minor medical condition I have. I do not want to mention what this is or what sort of symptoms I have because I am not a medical doctor nor am I a nutritionist, and I don't want anyone to take this as advice in any way, shape or form. I am just a casual blogger and runner trying to keep herself healthy - I'm not looking to be an example or offer medical advice.
So I went for it. For one week now, I have been gluten free. And around the middle of the week, I started to feel a difference.
There have been challenges, especially with making my lunches. I know there are gluten free restaurant options but I am trying very hard not to resort to that, opting instead to prepare my own fresh meals. I hit one small bump on Tuesday and I'll be sure to share that story later (in retrospect, its actually funny).
I have essentially eliminated all processed foods from my diet. And I like it! I like that I can look at my meals and identify every ingredient. I like that I've been cooking more this week (yes, using that silly crockpot). And I like that my meals are more satisfying.
I don't feel restricted, to be honest. I told myself this first week I wasn't going to stress about calorie counts, but to be honest, I haven't needed to. I've actually lost a rather shocking amount of weight this week - most of which was probably just water weight, but still nice to not see the scale go up.
When I first made my decision, I commented to a friend that while I hoped it worked so I could physically feel better, I kind of didn't want it to because it seemed like such a chore. This was a daunting task at the start. But I'm feeling good about it now, I feel confident in my decision and while I do have a bit more work involved in meal planning now, I feel its totally worth the effort.
Have you ever made a big change to the way you eat? Did it stick? Why did or didn't it?
One week ago, I went Gluten Free.
It has been suggested that eliminating (or severely restricting) gluten might relieve some symptoms of a minor medical condition I have. I do not want to mention what this is or what sort of symptoms I have because I am not a medical doctor nor am I a nutritionist, and I don't want anyone to take this as advice in any way, shape or form. I am just a casual blogger and runner trying to keep herself healthy - I'm not looking to be an example or offer medical advice.
So I went for it. For one week now, I have been gluten free. And around the middle of the week, I started to feel a difference.
There have been challenges, especially with making my lunches. I know there are gluten free restaurant options but I am trying very hard not to resort to that, opting instead to prepare my own fresh meals. I hit one small bump on Tuesday and I'll be sure to share that story later (in retrospect, its actually funny).
I have essentially eliminated all processed foods from my diet. And I like it! I like that I can look at my meals and identify every ingredient. I like that I've been cooking more this week (yes, using that silly crockpot). And I like that my meals are more satisfying.
I don't feel restricted, to be honest. I told myself this first week I wasn't going to stress about calorie counts, but to be honest, I haven't needed to. I've actually lost a rather shocking amount of weight this week - most of which was probably just water weight, but still nice to not see the scale go up.
When I first made my decision, I commented to a friend that while I hoped it worked so I could physically feel better, I kind of didn't want it to because it seemed like such a chore. This was a daunting task at the start. But I'm feeling good about it now, I feel confident in my decision and while I do have a bit more work involved in meal planning now, I feel its totally worth the effort.
Have you ever made a big change to the way you eat? Did it stick? Why did or didn't it?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Meatless Meals
I just finished putting together dinner for my family. There's a big pot of Tortilla Soup on the stove and the house smells really good. Tonight, my family is going meatless (they don't know this yet, shhh!!!)
I want to say that I am not a vegetarian, vegan or even close. I like meat. I eat meat. But I do not think you need to eat meat at every meal, every day. I firmly believe that meat in moderation can be a part of a balanced diet.
I know I have a couple readers who have previously commented they do not eat meat. I think this is a valid dietary decision as well.
Lately, I've seen a few too many documentaries and television shows about food. I don't feel compelled to eliminate meat from my diet but I do feel I need to be more responsible in my consumption.
My family is not always very appreciative when I prepare meatless meals, they feel they are not healthy or incomplete. I've provided vegetables, protein and even some carbs in tonight's meal, so I don't feel this is true. Yes, I cook some things that are not healthy when requested (usually for a birthday or holiday). On a day to day basis though, I try to provide my family with healthy, well balanced meals (that taste good) because I love them all and I want them to be healthy and live for a long time. So tonight, I'll probably have some complaints about dinner. I'll probably be a little grumpy about that. But everyone in this house is an adult so they'll eat the meal that was provided - and I'll feel good knowing that tonight everyone ate a healthy dinner.
What's your take on meat? Have you seen Food Inc. or perhaps Oprah's recent show about food? Did either impact your views on what you put in your body?
I want to say that I am not a vegetarian, vegan or even close. I like meat. I eat meat. But I do not think you need to eat meat at every meal, every day. I firmly believe that meat in moderation can be a part of a balanced diet.
I know I have a couple readers who have previously commented they do not eat meat. I think this is a valid dietary decision as well.
Lately, I've seen a few too many documentaries and television shows about food. I don't feel compelled to eliminate meat from my diet but I do feel I need to be more responsible in my consumption.
My family is not always very appreciative when I prepare meatless meals, they feel they are not healthy or incomplete. I've provided vegetables, protein and even some carbs in tonight's meal, so I don't feel this is true. Yes, I cook some things that are not healthy when requested (usually for a birthday or holiday). On a day to day basis though, I try to provide my family with healthy, well balanced meals (that taste good) because I love them all and I want them to be healthy and live for a long time. So tonight, I'll probably have some complaints about dinner. I'll probably be a little grumpy about that. But everyone in this house is an adult so they'll eat the meal that was provided - and I'll feel good knowing that tonight everyone ate a healthy dinner.
What's your take on meat? Have you seen Food Inc. or perhaps Oprah's recent show about food? Did either impact your views on what you put in your body?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Lesson Learned
I do a lot of cooking in a slow cooker. I cook the majority of my family's meals but I'm almost never home from work before 6:30 - and I don't usually want to cook then. So my solution is to throw everything in a slow cooker and let it simmer away while I'm out earning my living.
Mondays are almost always slow cooker days, the day is a bit more bearable when you stop and think that while you're working, your dinner is cooking itself and will be waiting when you get home. Usually on Sunday afternoon or evening I do whatever prep is involved with my meal. All I want to have left in the morning is to dump every into the pot and turn it on while I'm drinking my coffee.
Yesterday (Sunday) I was lazy. Its extremely rare for me to have a Sunday with no family obligations or massive piles of laundry - or, well, anything. I had nothing on the calendar this Sunday. So I did what I wanted to do: I finished my grocery shopping and I sat around reading food blogs. All. Day. Long.
I started a new nutrition plan today and I had a lot of recipes to look up and research to do still. So my Sunday afternoon slipped away. And so did Sunday night. Then I did the one thing that for some reason usually makes me feel accountable - I tweeted I was going to get up and work on Monday's dinner. Well Tweeps - I didn't follow through. I fell asleep in my bed watching an episode of Gilmore Girls instead.
This morning, I had work to do. I had breakfast to make. I had lunch to make. I had dinner to make. Three meals all before work? It all started pretty innocuously. I poured my coffee, got breakfast started and then turned my attention to dinner.
It still wasn't too bad at this point. Yes, it was cutting into my GMA watching, but there's consequences for being lazy, right? I had picked an easy enough recipe, I had to cut up some veggies but really scrubbing potatoes and carrots was the most strenuous thing I had to do. I was feeling darn proud of myself. Until I started on the liquid portion of my dinner. This is a stew like recipe (I'll share later) and it only has a little liquid - stock and white wine.
There is always wine open in this house. We drink wine with dinner pretty much every night. But today, when I needed just a half cup of wine, I couldn't find any open. I kept digging through the fridge sure I'd find a half empty bottle of wine. I did not. So at 7a.m. on a Monday morning I had to open a bottle of wine. As I was standing over the wine rack in my fuzzy slippers while my father questioned if I was drinking before work, I realized this all could have been avoided if I'd just quit procrastinating the night before. Ah, hindsight.
Lesson Learned. Procrastination: 1; Becca: 0
Mondays are almost always slow cooker days, the day is a bit more bearable when you stop and think that while you're working, your dinner is cooking itself and will be waiting when you get home. Usually on Sunday afternoon or evening I do whatever prep is involved with my meal. All I want to have left in the morning is to dump every into the pot and turn it on while I'm drinking my coffee.
Yesterday (Sunday) I was lazy. Its extremely rare for me to have a Sunday with no family obligations or massive piles of laundry - or, well, anything. I had nothing on the calendar this Sunday. So I did what I wanted to do: I finished my grocery shopping and I sat around reading food blogs. All. Day. Long.
I started a new nutrition plan today and I had a lot of recipes to look up and research to do still. So my Sunday afternoon slipped away. And so did Sunday night. Then I did the one thing that for some reason usually makes me feel accountable - I tweeted I was going to get up and work on Monday's dinner. Well Tweeps - I didn't follow through. I fell asleep in my bed watching an episode of Gilmore Girls instead.
This morning, I had work to do. I had breakfast to make. I had lunch to make. I had dinner to make. Three meals all before work? It all started pretty innocuously. I poured my coffee, got breakfast started and then turned my attention to dinner.
It still wasn't too bad at this point. Yes, it was cutting into my GMA watching, but there's consequences for being lazy, right? I had picked an easy enough recipe, I had to cut up some veggies but really scrubbing potatoes and carrots was the most strenuous thing I had to do. I was feeling darn proud of myself. Until I started on the liquid portion of my dinner. This is a stew like recipe (I'll share later) and it only has a little liquid - stock and white wine.
There is always wine open in this house. We drink wine with dinner pretty much every night. But today, when I needed just a half cup of wine, I couldn't find any open. I kept digging through the fridge sure I'd find a half empty bottle of wine. I did not. So at 7a.m. on a Monday morning I had to open a bottle of wine. As I was standing over the wine rack in my fuzzy slippers while my father questioned if I was drinking before work, I realized this all could have been avoided if I'd just quit procrastinating the night before. Ah, hindsight.
Lesson Learned. Procrastination: 1; Becca: 0
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Spaghetti Squash
I'm way overdue for a recipe on here. My stomach hasn't been feeling great this week though, so I don't really have anything clever to say about this recipe or food in general. I usually grill up some chicken for my dad when I make this because he likes meat...but super low cal recipe, its basically just a big pile o' veggies.
Oh, and please be super careful hacking into the squash, its tricky.
Oh, and please be super careful hacking into the squash, its tricky.
Spaghetti Squash with Feta
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Medium Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Zucchini, Sliced
1 Summer Squash, Sliced
4 oz. Feta crumbles
Halve Spaghetti Squash, remove pulp and seeds, and bake, face down on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Sweat onions in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil (if you have the time, go crazy and cook them down until they caramelize, its a nice addition) add garlic, zucchini and summer squash, cook until tender.
Remove cooked squash from oven (you will be able to easily puncture the rind with a knife or fork when its fully cooked). Pull a fork through the cooked squash and scoop out. Toss with cooked zucchini and summer squash, then add feta and toss again.
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Medium Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Zucchini, Sliced
1 Summer Squash, Sliced
4 oz. Feta crumbles
Halve Spaghetti Squash, remove pulp and seeds, and bake, face down on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Sweat onions in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil (if you have the time, go crazy and cook them down until they caramelize, its a nice addition) add garlic, zucchini and summer squash, cook until tender.
Remove cooked squash from oven (you will be able to easily puncture the rind with a knife or fork when its fully cooked). Pull a fork through the cooked squash and scoop out. Toss with cooked zucchini and summer squash, then add feta and toss again.
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