#232 Matt Frazier stopped in Lincoln!

On my List of 1,001 Awesome Things To Do Before....list, #232 is to attend a book tour/signing by an author that I love.  I did that!  I intend to do it any time I get the chance, but I think this is the first.  No, not true.  I met Isa Moskowitz at a bake sale in Omaha and she signed my Vegan Cookies cookbook, but that was a few years back, way before I had The List.  Plus, its on the list to meet her again (maybe when she gets her vegan restaurant open?!?)

Matt Frazier writes a blog that I read regularly called The No Meat Athlete and his book, Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self just came out a few weeks ago.  On his book tour, he made a stop at the Lincoln Running Company and Willa and I made sure we could make it!  Matt is an ultramarathon runner who just happens also to be vegan.  He spoke about his training, what he eats, what he wears, goal setting, strength training...all kinds of good stuff!  He was very informative.  I haven't read the whole book yet, but I did just try out one of his recipes (for buffalo hummus) and it was so good.  I don't know why I hadn't thought to put buffalo sauce in hummus before but it was genius.  I am very excited to try the rest of the recipes.  Aside from recipes, there are also training plans for various distances in the book.  A great read for anyone who is thinking of getting into distance running or anyone looking to replace some meat with some healthier options in their diets.  He doesn't get in your face at all about the ethics of a vegan diet, as some vegan writers do.  He makes some good points, for sure, but he also acknowledges that even just a reduction in red meat consumption can make huge positive impacts on your health and your training.  If you're curious, you should check it out!  I'll loan my copy out after I try a few more recipes:)

Part of a marathon, 2013

Geez.  The marathon is already old news, but I suppose I could share a few pictures anyway.  As bummed as I was about not running the whole 26.2 miles, I did at least beat the time that I was hoping for, which was just to be under 2 hours.  I came in at 1:58:58.  Before this year, my best time was 2:09.  I felt like I could have maybe even done a bit better, but I also felt really good when it was over, so maybe I'm glad I didn't push it too much.  There is still a lot of room for improvement, I've set a few running-related goals for myself recently, as you will soon see.  Turns out that for a normally 100% NOT competitive person, I do want to run faster than most people.  Definitely faster than the person I was the day before. Thanks to everyone who was out on that cold Sunday morning to support all of us goofy runners! And also to everyone who helped me out by drinking margaritas with me all day afterwards:)

Bummered. Big time.

Willa started playing soccer and it is hilarious.  There is always at least one kid on the ground, one kid picking their nose, 4 kids running the wrong direction, someone crying, and 2 kids refusing to play.  So entertaining.  At home, she seems to understand the basic idea of soccer, and of competing with the other team, but as soon as she gets on the field, she kind of just runs around, kicking the ball when it has accidentally been placed right in front of her.  Oh, well.  At this point, I'm just glad she is willing to go!

The thing I am bummed about isn't related to soccer really.  Its just that I emailed the Lincoln Track Club to change my registration from the full marathon to the half.  I was doing pretty well with the training up until I needed to do an 18 and 20 mile run.  And I didn't do them.  I could give you a list of reasons why, but they would sound whiny and generic and make me feel more pathetic than I kind of do right now.  So I won't.  I AM very excited about the half, though.  I think I can shoot for a pretty decent time, maybe taking 10 minutes or so off of my half PR. which is 2:08:40.  I think I am making a smart decision.  I still plan to run the full marathon, for sure.  If I wait for Lincoln, maybe in 2 years.  I spent my night shift last night writing out a sort of "bucket list" for myself, and qualifying for Boston may or may not have been (but probably was) on it.  So I guess it would be best not to butcher my first marathon the way I did my 16 mile run:)  So, if you plan to be a spectator at the marathon on Sunday, look for me in the first 13 miles.  And then look for me later to be drinking margaritas, as Sunday is also Cinco de Mayo.  And, tequila does NOT contain gluten.  But that's a fun story for another day!

Marathon training update

Yes, that is a picture of Willa demonstrating how best to use a blood pressure thingy.  No, it has nothing to do with me running.  I think my ADD is getting worse as I get older.  And also, I don't take pictures of myself running.  (And as a side note: do you guys have the Vine app yet?  Because the video I posted on there of Willa playing doctor that day makes me almost pee my pants every time I watch it.  And she gets so mad...Did she swallow the giant marshmallow?  She needs to barf it...I even laugh when I type it:)  

Back to running.  Let me start by telling you that I am still very much looking forward to the marathon and am still planning to run the full thing.  That being said, I was very mistaken about how exactly that happens.  What I mean is, I really thought in my mind that a person could just run and run and run for any amount of time, but they would just feel tired or slow down significantly.  This is the belief I had after running a few half marathons in the past, and doing a few training runs that were in the 10-13 mile range.  Last weekend, I had a good chunk of time and the schedule called for a 16 mile run.  The weather was perfect.  Cool and a little rainy.  Just right for a few hours worth of running.  The first 10 miles were awesome.  10-13 were very, very slow.  At around 14, my body stopped moving forward.  I stretched a lot and made it go to about 15, and then I walked half a mile.  Then I resumed running till I got back to my car, but I'm pretty sure that "running" was actually slower than the walking.  It hadn't occurred to me that my body could just decide it wouldn't run anymore.  I had made a few vital mistakes.  I think the most major of mistakes was not having anything along on the run to eat or drink.  When I left my house, I hadn't intended to do the full 16 miles, so I didn't take any portable snacks with me, and all I had was a big cup of water.  It would have been really inconvenient to run with a cup and straw.  Duh, Allison.  Pretty sure you are supposed to replenish carbs and electrolytes AT LEAST every 60 minutes during a long run like that.  My second major mistake is that I just plain haven't been running enough.  I have been hitting almost all of the long runs, but almost none of the midweek, shorter runs.  I think that would really help.  So, from here on out, I am going to make sure to run at least 4 times a week, hit the long runs, take along one of the many gu packets I stocked up on and maybe some dates, and ideally have a buddy who will ride a bike to carry my water.  And a banana. And me, when my legs stop working.  

There were a few other minor issues with my 16 mile run.  The first is that I ran on the Mopac Trail, which takes you almost immediately out of town, but you only come across one porta-potty on the trail and it is about 3 miles in.  Whattayado when your big cup of water attacks your bladder half a mile in?  Well, you could tiptoe into a cornfield, only to realize that on the other side of the cornfield is a country club.  Or you could keep on running until you come to a horse trail that is pretty tree-lined and just stop caring what other people think.  The second issue was a tiny spot of underarm chafing.  I wondered just how necessary runner's lube would be.  I got my answer.

Dirty Girl (Mud Run)

I did a mud run with these 2 lovely ladies a few weeks ago.  A mud run is definitely something you can't do without a smile on your face.  Very much looking forward to doing others in the future!  And many thanks to Tiff for mixing me a few drinks afterward:)

Exploring a new bike trail

Now that it isn't 1,007 degrees out every afternoon, its the perfect weather to go for bike rides!  So that is what we did all afternoon.  My mom grabbed us some bike trail maps the other day when she was in a bike shop and Brad spent some time studying them.  Low and behold, he found a trail that is in our neck of the woods!  The Oak Creek Trail starts in Valparaiso and ends in Brainard.  If you go from start to finish, its around 13 miles.  We didn't make it quite that far on this trip, but we made it far enough to know that this trail is gorgeous, and that we want to go back every Sunday until it snows.  Maybe we'll even get snow tires for our bikes and go then.  Its a limestone trail, like the MoPac, and it is very shady and tree-covered most of the way.  There are fun little horse trails that branch off the main trail, as long as your idea of fun is to dodge big piles of steaming horse poo.  I'm thinking that this trail could be very beneficial to my marathon training.  Its even a perfect distance.  Half marathon out, half marathon back...I don't think this is a coincidence.
And here is my super-proud mama moment from today.  For about 4 miles of our ride, Brad ditched his bike and rode mine so that I could get in a run.  Willa stayed in her cozy little bike trailer.  When we got back to Brad's bike, I asked Willa if she wanted to get out and stretch her legs for a bit before we finished our bike riding.  She got out...and ran!  And ran and ran and ran.  Just like mama.  I didn't time how long she kept on running, but I bet it had to have been half a mile before she agreed to get back in the trailer.  I just loved seeing her run like that, after seeing me do it.  I read a lot of fitness blogs, written by women/moms whose main focus is living a healthy lifestyle and role modeling that lifestyle for their daughters.  It made me so happy to see that working in our family.  I want so much for Willa to be a healthy, strong little lady who is proud of her body and all that it can do.  We might be on the right track:)

Bitten by the bug...only about a month too late

I'm not really sure why I ever go through these periods of NOT running.  I think it usually just naturally coincides with my hatred of winter and my desire to hibernate for months.  This year, my running strike continued right on through the few weeks that registration for the Lincoln Marathon was open.  I had a whole conversation with myself (hopefully in my head, but I guess if it happened out loud I'm sure I was having it at work while all the kids were asleep.) about how I hadn't run in forever, didn't really feel like running anytime soon, my preference for curling up with a blanket and Dexter on DVD...the list could go on and on.  Needless to say, I didn't register.  And now, I'm kicking myself for it.  I did the same thing two years ago and instantly regretted it.  Could someone please remind me in like November of this year to just pay the stupid $40 because I will be glad that I did come February?!?  So, I've been running.  Just on the treadmill for now.  And I found a race that looks really fun to keep me truckin'-Run for the Bridges at Wilderness Park.  Since its really creeping up quickly, I only registered for the 6 mile race.  That should keep me satisfied for awhile.  Plus, I've never done a trail run, so there is the added fun of trying something new!  Aaaaand, here's the REAL kicker.  Brad wants to do it with me!  I'm going to have him look over a 10k training schedule before I pay the registration fee, but I'm super excited that he's even considering it!  What is the world coming to?  Last year, I got him to go hiking and now this year, running?!?  I've heard talk of the world coming to an end this year.  If I happen to get Brad to eat vegetables, I will let you all know so you can start making plans for your last few days on Earth...

A first

On Saturday, after my big nap, I went for a run around my new 'hood.  Not being someone who grew up in the country, I sort of forgot that each side of a section is an actual mile.  I hadn't done any running since, oh, June?  4 miles was brutal but I made it and loved every second of it.  The land around our home is beautiful and I would like to share it with you!  I need to find time every day to run a similar route.

I might try to steal this cute little camper-thing I stumbled upon.  It doesn't look like the owners use it, right?  And yes, I was actually running when I took these pictures.  Notice that they aren't the slightest bit blurry.  That gives hints at my pace.  Molasses slow.

Should I share a recipe??? Why not?!?

I have been trying to make a very concentrated effort to change a few of my eating habits lately.  Not really for weight loss (although that is never a negative side effect of any change!) but more for the purpose of being a good role model to Willa, to have more energy, and to make good use of the things that are coming out of our garden and from the farmer's market.  I am a big fan of the "clean eating" movement, however I am just not dedicated enough to say I do it with consistency.  I am also a vegetarian (who sometimes eats seafood but avoids butter and cow's milk).  And thirdly, I have a huge sweet tooth, especially when it comes to baked goods like cupcakes, muffins, and scones.  I would kill for a scone right now.

Some of the changes that I am really focusing on for now, until they become habit and I can pick some new ones to work on, are:

-drinking TONS of water.  I used to be really bad about drinking water.

-having green tea at least once a day.  I love the stuff, and I feel like taking the time to make tea helps me to slow down for a bit during a busy day.

-having protein with each meal.  Whether it be eggs, hemp protein powder, almond butter, beans, tofu, or seafood.  Get it in there!

-Making the largest portion of at least one meal a day be veggies.  Lots of veggies.  I've really been digging bell peppers, kale, and zucchini.

I'd say these things are allllmost ingrained in my day.  Some things I'd like to work on next are buying more organic and local produce, limiting sweets to things that people have baked and that look delicious rather than just sweets that are available, and getting back into making green monsters for breakfast.  If you've never had a green monster, those things are like crack smoothies.  I always feel so happy and energetic after I have one!  For some reason, I get annoyed with having to use the magic bullet to make them though.

Now, you know way too much about my eating habits.  Let me share with you something really easy that I made and popped into the freezer for when I am too rushed for breakfast, or for when I need something sweet and chocolatey.  I found the general idea for this recipe here.  I just sort of picked and chose what I wanted in my protein bars and this is what I ended up with:

2 mushy bananas, 2 cups oatmeal, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, a handful of dried cranberries, a handful of mini chocolate chips, a big spoonful of almond butter, 2 heaping spoonfuls of hemp protein, 1 spoonful of ground flax, a few dashes of cinnamon, a tiny bit of vanilla extract and then enough agave and coconut oil to make the mixture sort of "wet."  Just a drizzle of both.  I mashed all these things together and then pressed the mixture into a cookie sheet.  I stuck the cookie sheet into the freezer for about an hour and then cut the mixture into bar shapes.  Wrapped them individually in saran wrap and put them back into the freezer.  They are really good.  The blog I borrowed the recipe from has a whole list of other ingredient options.  I would like to try them with dates and maybe with a little instant coffee.  Or maybe a variation that makes them seem like carrot cake?!?  Oooooh.  I just thought of that!  The picture below is from the yoga blog, but mine actually looked pretty much just like that.

I DARE you to work out with this girl!

If you are a reader of this blog, then that means you are either my mother or someone who knows me equally as well (most likely) and therefore you know that the chickie-poo on the left of this picture is my cousin, Katie.  If you are that one person showing up on my stats from Russia, then let me introduce you to my cousin Katie!  She is one of my most favorite people.  She is also a hair stylist to my hairs.  And thirdly, she is a huge fitness inspiration to me!  So, a few weeks ago I was in Katie's salon for a little emergency hair help.  It turns out, the nitrates in the water at the mini-farm were destroying my hair during the time that our water softener was not functioning.  So Katie was nice enough to squeeze me in and do some repair work.  (The end result: soft, manageable hair.  She is so good...) While the conditioners were doing their thing, Katie and I were having some green tea and chatting and she suggested that we schedule some time to ride bikes together.  So on Saturday we did just that and it was great fun!  We left from Katie's house, in the southeast part of Lincoln and took various bike paths/sidewalks to the Haymarket where we had a light lunch of salad, hummus, and sangria at the Bread and Cup.  Next, we rode from the Haymarket to Lazlo's on 56th and Hwy 2 for a quick glass of white wine and lots of water, then back to Katie's.  I really wish I would have borrowed Brad's bike speedometer thingy, because that seemed like a lot of miles!  My legs (and bum-bones) were sore!  I had almost forgotten how great a bike ride can be.  I really like to run, but sometimes biking is the way to go, you can cover so much distance.  The bike trails in Lincoln have got to be one of my favorite things about this city.  Now that I got that taste of biking, I want more!  I want a bike for my birthday.  I want to learn how to properly use the gears.  I want padded shorts:)  Just kidding but really, ouch.  Another bonus to our workout is that we both got to cross something off of our goal list, which was to ride with traffic on the street in downtown Lincoln.  We were a little nervous about that!  A big thank you to Katie for the great idea and the great company on a hot Saturday afternoon.  Also, thanks to Alicia R for unknowingly letting me borrow her awesome bike.