Food & Relaxation in the week of TAPER

Tapering is never easy... I definitely look forward to it, but holding myself back from running 5 miles because I want to is SO hard. I ran 10 miles yesterday and the furthest I plan to run this week (/will allow myself to run) is 3.1 miles. This week I have committed to relaxing, eating healthy, and crossing things off of my to-do list that I haven't been able to do since I moved home from California.

I can't believe I've already been home a month!! I miss California sooo much, but hey, I'll go back soon - it's only a matter of time. Since being home, I think I have taken a greater appreciation for things I used to take for granted - like the convenience of a real mall, grocery stores other than Whole Foods, Safeway & Trader Joe's (trust me, they get old after a while!), and hills on my runs. MOM's Organic Market is hands down my favorite grocery store. Seriously, this store got me through college. I would ride my bike or run to the one in College Park and just meander through the aisles, without even buying anything sometimes. It was therapy for me. Now I'm home and it's still like therapy for me :)

As some of you may have heard, I had a pretty nasty fall on my run Thursday--I could barely walk Friday and Saturday and somehow I woke up yesterday with very little pain, allowing me to squeeze in my 10 miler. This week my goals are : figure out what I'm wearing for race day and make one kick ass playlist (even though I probably won't even listen to it as I run).

Today was my last day of work until next week when I get back from the New York Marathon. As soon as I got off work, I came home and COOKED ! It's been way too long - the kitchen has been calling my name. For about two hours, I cooked spaghetti squash, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, chicken, and sweet potatoes! Hopefully this will keep me fueled for race day. I also had a great evening sweat date with myself at Bikram Yoga Columbia  -- I've never cried during yoga, but tonight I definitely did - hey, there's a first for everything!!

Things I'm scared of this weekend:
1. Oversleeping - it happened for the 2011 Army 10-miler, and this year I'm not trying to miss the boat to the start (literally).. I have accepted the fact I will get very little sleep this weekend
2. Being hungry at the start - I won't actually start running until like 10:15 on Sunday morning....maybe I'll stop and get a steak dinner mid-marathon?
3. Sucking. Rule #1: Don't suck

Other than that, nothing. Bring it on world!! xoxo


PS - My goal is to head West again in January -- stay tuned :)

It's time to taper!

In my opinion tapering sucks. When you are training you can't wait until it's time to taper, and then when it actually is time to taper, all you wish you could do is run. Since I had (well, in my opinion) sub-par running experiences last weekend, I decided to make my 13 miler today a chance to make up for it. I laced up my good ole Saucony Guides and took trit trot several times around Centennial Lake.

My main issue last weekend at the Baltimore Running Festival was not the fact that I hadn't been training, it was the fact that you aren't supposed to think about anything when you run, and I was thinking about literally everything there was to think about when I ran. Today it was a struggle to get to mile 5, but once I was there I could have kept running for a full 26.2! Alas, I had to force myself to stop at 13.1. There were two old guys that made the run enjoyable - one was playing a harmonica and the other cheered for me every lap I made.

My goal for the next two weeks is to figure out what I'm wearing on race day, stay healthy, and remember it's TAPER TIME!

Baltimore Half Marathon 2013

Me after my 8th half marathon!
Finished in 2:14

It wasn't pretty, but I did it!! I just completed my 8th half marathon! This was my 4th year in a row doing the Baltimore Half Marathon and I struggled. Should not have had that whole wheat bagel with PB on it before I started!

In light of what happened in Boston back in April, his year there was an obvious increase in security for the Baltimore Running Festival. This was also the first year that Under Armour wasn't the head sponsor -- and I think it was pretty obvious to those of us who have done the run in years past. Maybe CSE decided to spend more of their money on security - who knows. My only real complaints about the race were:

• The starting line was moved and as soon as we made our first right there were cars and even a bus of Relay runners blocking the path of 10,000 half marathoners. 
• There were some water stops without volunteers - or an adequate amount of volunteers. 
• Around Lake Montebello there weren't as many bands as there normally are , which made that part of the race a struggle for some of us. The second half of the race was A+ in my book - the Tiger by Union Memorial and all of the upbeat music made the second part of the run leaps and bounds better than the first!
• Runners were told that the finish line was being moved closer to Camden Yards to eliminate some of the congestion in the Finish Line Festival. I'm not sure if it was because I was 18 minutes slower than my time last year, but the Finish Line Festival was more crowded at the entrance than in years past. There were lots of tables with the medals in areas that would normally be open. At the Finish Line Festival, there was also no composting or recycling. Was UA paying for this? Not sure, but this is something I don't know why they got rid of. Last year they had composting & recycling teams! 

Other than that, I enjoyed the race. Baltimore always has a great Running Festival and I am looking forward to next year!

Funny Running Videos

Here are some funny running videos I have come across. Posting these now since it is officially fall, which is marathon season! Best of luck to everyone with their final weeks of training!
Marathon Thoughts
Marathon Runner's Monday Morning at Work
The 8 Stages of Running A Marathon