Fall Racing: A Look Back

When I initially decided to run the Spicewood half marathon I thought of it as a nice way to get my legs turning over for a longer distance and to have some fun.  The prize was wine, so I was sold right there!  It is my experience that sometimes jumping into a race is the best way to get in a very high quality workout in the absence of a planned group workout.  Plus, racing is something I have never fallen out of love with.  It took me almost a year out of college to realize that things are different now than when I ran collegiately because I could race whenever I damn well please!  This seems obvious, but for eight years I was part of track and cross country teams where my coaches dictated when I ran, how I ran, what workouts fell where, and which races I ran (and how often).  Don’t get me wrong here, it is amazing to have that type of support and direction considering how much mental stress and effort it takes to really own your running 100%.  As it turns out, I am the type of controlling individual that feels better being at the helm and find it difficult to just let go.  And so, I signed up for the race and promptly forgot about it for about a month, until I began getting updates from the race director, that is.

After wedding number two (same guy, just go with it) I ended up quite sick as a result of family, friend, and red wine overload.  This didn’t cause me to miss more than one run, however the quality of said runs suffered quite a bit for about a week there.  Three days out from the race, halfway through a dose of steroids for the cold, and I decided to go all-in and just run the dang thing.  There are many different opinions regarding the topic of running while sick and even though I knew there was the potential of aggravating things, I let my thick-skulled half (probably more than half, in reality) prevail and kept the race on the calendar.

With a start time of 8:30AM I was given plenty of time to wake up, down a big bowl of oatmeal, and drive my way West to the Spicewood Vineyard.  The rain was coming down the entire 50 minute drive, and as I forged further West the terrain turned to giant hills that made my car work a tad harder.  Gulp.  The fact that I made it to the race venue without getting lost or even having one “oh shit!” moment of second guessing myself and directions was a huge win for me.  In fact, I made it before the crowd to grab a good parking spot and a number one spot in the bathroom line.  Right away, things were looking up.  And so was the weather.  The light rain wasn’t enough to make the balmy 62 degrees feel cool, but the overcast and gloomy skies were a welcome trade-off.  I decided to warm up on the first mile or two of the course partly to see how it felt and partly because there was a total of one road to run on out there.  The 25 minutes I ran made me feel cautiously optimistic that this course was nowhere near as hilly as previously reported  Maybe these people are easily spooked, I thought.  Maybe, they haven’t seen the hills I’ve seen in Austin and just have a wimpy reference point?  Boy did I have a shocker coming my way!

I made my way to the starting line about 15 minutes ahead as prompted and even ran into a few Team Rogue friends and got to chat for a few minutes to pass the time.  Being a small race, there wasn’t really any rhyme or reason to the way people lined up.  I think I was standing behind people looking to run 2+ hours at the very front and people asked “are you going to win??” of me as I stood waiting for the organizers to get the thing going.  I thought, well, probably considering this is a small race and no one is looking particularly threatening, but for the most part I just wanted to enjoy it and not care one way or another about my time or place.  That was not the point of this adventure and I didn’t want others’ expectations to make it so.  Feeling relaxed and calm I joined the bustle as the gun sounded and legs started moving.  Immediately and without intention I was in front behind only two men.  I kept waiting for a mass of guys to push past me, some in pursuit of a top place and time and others just not wanting a girl to be in front of them.  But after a mile or two I realized that no one was coming and that I would be running in third most likely for the duration (barring a total deflation and slow death, which I never really ruled out).

The course was much more hilly than the first mile would indicate!  I had a momentary feeling of relief at mile 1-2 as I thought that maybe the hype about the “huge hills” was just that, hype.  But by mile two I knew that I was in for a challenge as the road wound up and up.  There were some sweet downhills, as one would expect with a hilly course, and fortunately, downhill running is my strength.  This gave me a bit more umph going up into the base of each hill as I rolled off of the previous down.  When I reached the halfway point however, this was an out-and-back course in case I forgot to mention, I felt like maybe this was going to get ugly.  Upon turning around we were greeted with a monster climb, but I was fortunate in that I was no running against the entire rest of the race field.  Nearly every single runner cheered me on (definitely a perk of being a girl up front) and all I could think was, crap! I can’t say “thank you” and “you too!” to every one of them!!  I think they understood though, as I drug my body up and down those mountains one at a time.  With about two miles to go I could taste the finish of this bad boy.  It was a relief that I never died, in fact, my splits were quite steady other than the miles consisting only of large climbs, which were a bit slower.  Crossing the finish was a great feeling.  Not only was I the first woman, but more importantly I had run a surprisingly solid time given the course.  Holding 6:24′s for the race was pretty good considering, especially given how good I had felt the entire way.  Of course, the main the reason I had wanted to win the race was the prize…wine!  It was held at a vineyard after all

As this race was somewhat random for me and just plopped right at the end of a tough training week, I learned several things.  First, I realized that I still have the ability to surprise myself.  This may seem obvious, but for me it was a welcome reminder that I am only beginning my best years as a runner and have many exciting workouts, races, and experiences ahead of me.  Second, I came away knowing that even when there is no taper, expectations, or race plan going into an event, if I just relax and run my way I can come out satisfied and if nothing else, call it a great workout!  Third, I learned that hidden out there in the hill country of Texas are…F-ING HUGE ASS HILLS!! (shocking, I know

Well, the fall is over, and winter is on…next up:  BOSTON!!

Take a Ride on The Vegan Yacht!

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of attending a team lunch for work at (GASP!) a BBQ restaurant.  Needless to say, I was not happy with this dining decision.  When, at the last possible minute, someone asked if anyone in the room was a vegetarian or vegan, I kept quiet with a slightly guilty look on my face as if to say, “well, I’m not really a vegetarian or vegan, but keep that shit away from me…far away.”  Unfortunately, I am only one of many, and the “many” that I speak of do not hold my same beliefs on nutrition and health, damn!

Now, if I had to plan my own “team lunch” or “family dinner” or just pick a place to chow down, there is one place on the top of my list every time.  It sits in a grassy, wood-chipped field off of East 6th Street, conveniently located about three blocks from our condo.  The Vegan Yacht is a food truck that shares a space with about 7-8 other trucks just East of 35.  To say that the food is good is a pretty insulting understatement if I do say so myself.  Very few places can boast about their vegan menu options, let alone fill an entire menu with just that.  TVY however has many options to choose from that truly take food, not just vegan food, and not just food truck fare, to an entirely different level.

Amen, no chemicals to be found at TVY

The interesting thing about my love for this place is that I am not actually a vegan.  When I insist to friends and family that this place is amazing it is often hard for people to mentally get past the “vegan” part.  It is as if they think that they too need to label themselves as such in order to understand, enjoy, or eat this food.  What should be remembered when talking about vegans is that hey, they are people too, and you know what that means?  It means that they, like all savage meat-eaters out there, love to eat!!  And it stands to reason that they want to eat something that is not merely vegan, but something that is truly delicious as well.  Duh.

As I am clearly not a professional food critic, I won’t go the route of explaining every tidbit of each menu item, deploring the use of personally disliked ingredients, or nitpicking the shit out of it.  No, I will not do that.  Because as a non-food critic, I actually have the luxury of LOVING everything and not apologizing for it.  Don’t mind if I do (because I freaking do).  Seriously, I like if not LOVE everything on the menu.  From summery fruit smoothies, to amazingly scrumptious sandwiches and wraps, there is no way that this place doesn’t have something for everyone.  Well, every open-minded, non-vegan-judgemental person, that is.  Let’s take the next paragraph to focus on something that is extremely tricky to do right, but oh soy amazing when it is:  mock (fake) chicken and other meat substitutes…

Mock Chicken:  noun.  Meaning:  protein-rich meat substitute commonly composed of a soy base, tofu, or textured vegetable protein and magically concocted to look, feel, and (sometimes) taste similar to chicken (but actually much better).  Even to someone like me, a fearless (nearly) foodie with an interest in trying weird and interesting things, fake meat is a somewhat frightening concept.  This is likely due to all of the truly awful versions out there.  Many restaurants attempt to appease their vegan and/or vegetarian patrons with pitifully anemic attempts at making staples such as veggie burgers, fried tofu, fake meats and boring salads that not only lack in freshness but flavor as well.  On the contrary, at TVY their food doesn’t try to be something that isn’t.  It is simply good animal free/cruelty free food that packs in the flavor along with the health.

Frito Burrito

The first thing I tried at TVY was their Mock Chicken Wrap (available as an equally delicious sandwich as well) and my mind was blown!!  Having just finished a run and lacking in energy, I was STARVIN’ MARVIN’.  I mean, very hungry.  Anyhow, I sent Kamran out to hunt our dinner and I was not disappointed.  Envision a large, local tortilla filled to its gills with fresh, local ingredients including sprouts, shredded carrot, crisp apples, avocado, and of course, their signature Mock Chicken.  Besides tasting amazing, this wrap is fresh, colorful, and will definitely not leave you hungry, unless you’re an abnormally large human being, then you might be hungry still, or something.  The takeaway here is that TVY can make some mean mock chicken, but their talents do not stop there.  As the mock chicken is one of my faves, I won’t go into too much detail about their other non-meat treats, but they make equally impressive tempeh which is used in their tempeh chili, T.L.T sandwich, and other delights!

Alright, it’s probably time to move on to the atmosphere and other extraneous nonfood-related aspects of The Vegan Yacht experience.  So here we go!  The yacht is located right off of East 6th St at the intersection of 6th and San Marcos St at The East Side Drive-in.  You really can’t miss the flock of food trailers parked in a fenced-in semicircle with a large dining area of wooden tables and plastic chairs strewn about the middle.  You can make your way around the circle going from truck to truck and not see two similar offerings.  There’s an all egg trailer, a Japanese street food trailer, a British (mainly fish ‘n chips) trailer, a Mexican trailer, a newer Greek trailer, a random sandwich place with no name (that I can tell), and (GASP) an all pork trailer.  And then, amongst these gems is a diamond (too cheesy?  or not quite enough?) that is The Vegan Yacht.  There is a large parking lot next to the trailer area that is pretty convenient, but I can’t say I’ve ever had trouble parking along San Marcos St. within very short walking distance.

The Vegan Yacht, in all its glory

Once the daylight wanes a bit there are some fun twinkle lights strung all about that, along with individual trailer lights, give off plenty of light so that you may admire your food before taking a big bite.  Or so you can see where you walk and who you’re talking too, those things are important too.  Anyhow, it is always an interesting mix of individuals at this place and thankfully, dogs are allowed to enjoy the scene as well.  Which is good, because our pups are huge trailer food fans.  Probably the greatest thing about this trailer cluster is that people with very different food preferences can all find something they like.  Anyone who has trouble with this probably doesn’t like food much, so they don’t count or matter much.  But those who do, will take pleasure in the food, relaxed atmosphere, great Austin weather (usually) and good times with friends.

It is probably pretty obvious that my favorite, actually the only trailer I have ordered from, is The Vegan Yacht.  Whether or not you are a vegan is a non-issue here.  But if you like fresh, local, and healthy food, then you owe it to yourself and to the local food scene to try it out.  It couldn’t be run by a more friendly and adorable couple either, Mike and Danielle are always there and ready to serve you some meat-less wonders.  Plus, as of recently, they deliver their creations as well!  Since I live a hop away, there is really no need, but should I ever move, you can bet I will utilize this service!

Well, this is where I will leave you, my hungry Austin friends.  This city has a preponderance of locally owned and operated restaurants and food trucks that serve fresh and delicious food to make all of our tummies happy and full.  But, one of the easiest traps to fall into is habit, and I have definitely fallen into this myself.  Answering the question of, “where should we eat?” with one of three standby locations, only to miss out on the possibility of finding a new favorite.  I am happy to say that I am more adventurous than ever when it comes to branching out, and with this newfound openness have found places just like TVY to add to my ever-growing “standby list”.  So, good people of Austin, go forth through the city with an open mind and equally open mouth and you will not be disappointed

One More Ball, or Two…

Well, it has been a while since I have last sent my inner-cranial musings out into cyberspace, but the time has come to let the people know…or something like that.  After CIM I spent about a week and a half coughing up a lung, which only further justified that my stopping at mile 16 was the right thing to do.  Of course, being me, and somewhat crazy I did not rest a whole lot upon returning to Austin and kept running on and off.  After a few weeks of miles and keeping a steady diet of 16-20 mile long runs I realized that a mental and physical refocus was in order.  In my world this means that instead of pounding out a range of 80-90 miles per week I allow myself to just run.  “Just run”?  What does that mean to me?  Well, it means that I may still be running upwards of 60 miles, which for most is not a recovery period, but I am simply letting go of all expectations and relaxing.  It is not really the amount of miles that gets at me, but it is holding a high level of mental and physical intensity for a long period of time that can.  Sometimes I just need to not care if I don’t get a run in and just be.  Ohhmmmm…

Along with a busy holiday and a newly found dedication to Boston training, I also began a new job.  Working in Round Rock for a company that rhymes with “well” ; ) has been a great learning experience thus far and I am very grateful for the opportunity.  My personality style definitely calls for structure and routine, so I am happy to have a more regular and permanent outlet for my attention and energy as well as a spot on a great team.  As Kamran said, “Asia’s all growed up!”  Well, kinda.

Soon enough I will also be done (yay!) with my long drawn out research project and paper regarding psychology and communication styles between pets and humans.  The upcoming SPSP annual conference (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) I will present my poster at is the last weekend in January and hopefully not much after that my paper will be under review for publication.  As you can imagine, there hasn’t been much time in my schedule devoted to writing the paper and working on the presentation, so it will be nice to have it in my life’s “done” pile soon.  Even though I have had moments of frustration with myself for biting off this project when I already had tons of food in my mouth, I know that it is a great experience and honor to have worked under world-renowned researchers and to even be on the same byline.

First on the 2011 to-do list:

• Boston training (of course)
• Finish up research paper and presentation
• Find a wedding dress…
• …and a cake, invitations, suit for Gus ; )
• Hmm, let’s start there for now

First Half, last race prep, confidence boost

I think I saw him!!

This morning some of us Team Roguers wound our way through the streets of San Antonio for a 13.1 mile race that would double as our last race prep prior to the CIM, Dallas, or other late fall marathons.  Personally, I did not really know what to expect of a race that is double the distance I have ever competed in, but considering all of the 10 mile steady runs, marathon goal pace runs exceeding 24 miles and a steady diet of miles over the past 5-6 months, I was pretty sure that we were prepared.  Kamran and I planned on running around 6:05 for the first six miles and then 6:00 for the next four followed by a hard press to the finish consisting of whatever paces we had left in us.  It played out pretty well for us and it was amazing how easy 6:00-05 paces felt for the first 8-9 miles.  At about mile 9-10 there was a fairly gag-worthy uphill accompanied by some delightful wind, so this is where the miles started hitting my legs and the work really began.  Happy that it only felt difficult for about 3 miles though!  Kamran lost me at about mile 11 or so, but I felt that I kept him in my sights and didn’t lose more ground or focus over the last mile.  Overall not a bad first half!  I think that this distance is really fun and a great way to test your fitness at the very least.

I will remember!...the race

Here are the mile splits (a few of them were in 2-mile chunks due to missing my split for water or GU, so cut them in half for each mile):

Miles: 6:01, 5:57, 5:59, 6:08, 6:07, 6:08, 6:05, 5:59, 6:01, 6:09, 6:03, 6:13, 6:09 + 160m = 1:19:47

Today marks the three week point from our target race, and I am feeling really good about my target of 6:20-24 mile pace.  I think that I may be in about 6:20 shape, but that I won’t push my luck early in the race by being too aggressive. Hopefully this, along with a stubborn attitude and proper fueling will get me to the finish on that day with a smile when I see the clock.

 

Clicking off Workouts and Turning Left

This morning Team Rogue had another great workout in preparation for CIM and other fall/early winter marathons.  With just over four weeks to go before the gun I am getting pretty excited to see where we all land after such a great training season.  Mostly, I am extremely happy to be able to call it a great season because until about halfway through the summer I was just not hitting my groove in our base work.  At this point however, I am really feeling the strength and support of my teammates at every single run and in those tough moments during workouts.  Even though I have been on two competitive teams for four years at a crack, I can honestly say that this is the most that I have ever really felt like part of a team, at least one that truly works together and cares about one another’s success as well as their own…and I like it!!  To be truthful, I am usually a pretty solo runner in that I focus on what I need to do, what I want to do, and don’t really concern myself with those around me, but I feel like I have come a long way in becoming one part of a larger entity…I still have the cutest shorts though hehe

Today’s “SUPER FUN SESSION!!” was composed of the following:

- 2 mile warm-up to Austin High’s amazingly crappy track

- 6×1 mile cut-down at the following paces:  6:14, 6:04, 6:01, 5:59, 5:47, 5:37

- 2 mile cool-down to Barton Springs

Overall, I am feeling lightyears better than the first few track sessions that we put in.  It is always awesome to be back on the track clicking off the laps, and I love how my body starts to feel better and smoother with each repeat.  I think that we did a great job hitting our paces and maneuvering around some not-so-track-saavy individuals-this description is about 100x more polite than the one in my head ; )  Once we got to the last mile we felt free to let our stride loose and just see where keeping it smooth and in control would take us, and I am pleased to see that it took us right under 10k pace.  Perfecto!

With only 4 to 5 more quality workouts and one half marathon in between us and the start line of the California International Marathon (insert alternate race here) I am feeling good about where I stand as well as the core group who keep me working day-to-day.  I think some special things just might happen in the next month, and by that I mean some really spectacular race times and some delicious pumpkin pie entering my stomach : ) yay for both!

Soul/Sole Buster #1 an A- Effort

This morning was our third race-prep workout of the season and my very first soul buster workout.  This is somewhat of a legendary workout created by Steve Sisson using Team Roguers as his guinea pigs, and it is quite a dandy.  Though there are several variations possible, this season’s workout consisted of the following:

-4 mile warm-up

-2×5 miles at MGP (marathon goal pace) with 1/2 a mile between sets

-5.5-6 miles of intense hills in the Red Bud and Stratford area with the last 2 or so miles on the trail

-6 mile cut-down on the track, cutting down every 2 miles from MGP to Half and finishing at as close to 10k as possible

My goal paces are as follows:

-MGP = 6:20-25

-HMGP = 6:00-05

-10K = 5:40

The first two sets of MGP were pretty smooth and on pace, but the second set was a lot more difficult being that it included such hilly sections as Pecos St. and Scenic hill etc.  I managed to hit an average of 6:17 on the first set of 5 miles followed by an average of 6:22 for the second set.  I was pleased with this and felt that I never put myself in the realm of, “whoa, too much effort!”, so I knew I should have enough energy to make it to the track rather strong.

Most people dread the track 10k the most when anticipating this workout, but for me the hills were my unknown.  I am not a bad hill runner, but I run with some really strong guys who amaze me with their ability to hit awesomely fast paces up some giant hills.  Once I got up Red Bud I realized that it was all going to be fine as I fell into a rhythm that was not necessarily easy as pie, but was at least somewhat close to pudding ; )  I think that being an efficient downhill runner allows me to gain a lot of momentum going into the ups, so that is probably what saved me today.

Once we hit the track I had one stepping stone goal in mind which was to hit the first 2 miles at the intended paces.  I decided this prior to the workout because I knew that my mind needed to be in the right place to break up the track work into chunks if I was hoping to finish well.  Being a 10k track runner for the past four years, I was not scared of this part of the workout.  Mostly, I was just determined to fight the demons that were going to arise.  I hit the first two miles right on pace at 6:22 and 6:24 and felt better than I thought I would.  Even though I didn’t feel terrible, I had no pep in my step or energy to pick the pace up.  I hit the next mile at MGP at a 6:21 and decided to try to hit mile 4 at HMGP and see what happened.  I hit 6:05 and couldn’t manage to keep it up, so I backed off to MGP and finished up at 6:20 and then 6:16 for the fifth and sixth miles.  Oofda!!  I was ready for some water.  Not drinking anything for six miles maybe wasn’t the best tactical move, but I was in a rhythm that I just didn’t want to interrupt.  What followed was a pitter-patter cool-down over to Barton Springs for a soak and a well deserved breakfast.

So I have given my performance in this race prep an A- because I know that I did a great job and should be happy with it, but I also think that there is some MAJOR room for improvement when it comes to shifting into HMGP and then close to 10k at the end of the workout.  Definitely a brutal workout, but extremely satisfying to finish and know that I gave it everything I had today.  Obviously, I always question things in hindsight and wonder if I made weak-minded decisions at any point, but I think that’s only normal.  My mental strength is something that I think will continue to evolve for a long time to come, so I will keep it in mind during workouts like this as well as on long runs that test my ability to handle distance and pace.

On looking from the previous race prep to this one (2×10 miles at MGP) I am pleased to report that I had no hint of a side ache today or any day since.  Glad that it was a one-time issue and not another thing that I need to worry about and fix.  My nutrition was also improved from the first and second race prep as I took three GU’s and kept up with my water and electrolytes.  Keeping this balance and not getting behind in calories or fluids is definitely going to be essential if I want to run FAST!!!! (which I do : )

Yay for waking up at 4am to run 27 miles

Race Prep #2…Grade: E for Exceeds Expectations

This morning was the second of four race preps for Team Rogue and a step up in difficulty from the first one a few weeks ago.  The workout consisted of a 2.5 mile warm-up and 2×10 miles at MGP (marathon goal pace) with a one mile run in between the sets and ending with a mile back to the start.  If you aren’t keen on math, then I will add it up for you…24.5 miles with 20 of it at a race pace effort.  Going into this I was a bit unsure of what to expect.  I have been having really solid workouts and runs for the past month or so, but it is always hard to make a prediction about something that you have never done before.

My plan and goal going into the run was to run 2:45 marathon pace for the first ten-mile loop, which puts the pace right at 6:18 minutes per mile (give or take a few seconds given the hills, cars, and stop lights).  Then I would move into the second set at the same pace and basically hold on as long as I could with the goal being that I keep each mile at least under 6:30 pace.  This way, I would get a pretty clear idea as to whether or not I am fit enough (mentally and physically) to have a goal at or around 2:45.

We headed out for our warm-up and things were feeling pretty good, though I was a bit tired from the workouts earlier in the week.  I expected this tiredness, so I was not at all surprised.  The reasoning behind doing a race prep at the end of two up weeks is to force us to run our MGP in a less-than-sharp state and see not only what our fitness is really like, but also how our mental toughness is coming along.  After the warm-up, two salt tablets, and a gulp of water, we were on our way.  The first four miles of this route are basically uphill, thanks Steve : ) Even so, we were able to hit our target range and reach the halfway point where we intended to be.  After about 5-6 miles the route flattened out a bit and allowed me to really get into a solid rhythm where I just clicked off the steps and miles and finished it up.  I felt better the last five miles than I had during the first four, which I think had to do with finding my pace and dialing in as well as being completely warmed up.

We made it through the first loop in 1:03:01, which is right at 6:18 pace.  Yes!!!  After another set of salt tablets and some poweraid, we headed back to the start of the loop running easy for one mile.  It amazed me how comfortable I felt at this point.  I think that because my past experiences with steady runs have been at or sub-6 min paces, I had always associated them with more pain and difficulty.  I have always trained for 5k’s and 10k’s in the past, so my race paces and subsequent training paces were quite a bit faster.  But the marathon is such a different animal from anything I have ever raced or trained for, so it is to be expected that some of the new training paces also have their own unique feel to go along with them.  I am definitely not saying that marathon training is easier, but it is more of the accumulation of miles and long sets at harder paces that get me now rather than the raw speed of the run.  My exploration into the marathon and its nooks and crannies has improved a lot from this workout, and I am happy with what I have found so far.

Loop two began with a slightly faster two miles than our first loop.  I attributed this to the fact that we were warm and had found our perfect pace, so it was becoming more natural after ten miles.  Even so, we backed off a slight bit the next two miles and were at our target by the fifth mile where we had just enough of a stop to grab a GU and some water.  The last five miles of this workout are what I am the most proud of.  At mile 6ish I felt a cramp in my chest coming on.  I knew that this was something that can really hurt badly if it gets to that point.  My goal once I felt it creep in was to work through it and see what happened.  A lot of times on easy runs if I were to get a cramp (which I nearly never do) I don’t worry about stopping for a minute or so and working it out and stretching my arms up to open up my airway, but in a race I will not have that option, so I took this as a chance to see how I could deal with it while keeping my pace up.  It definitely hurt from about mile six to mile eight, but eventually I didn’t notice it much and it began to dissipate.  Through mile eight I was still on target and was a bit surprised at how smooth I felt still!  I wasn’t cranking it in by any means, but I was sitting right at 6:18-20 pace and that was just perfect.

The loop ended up being 1:03:31, which is right at 6:21 pace.  I was super happy with this outcome because I know that those lost thirty seconds were to my working on my cramp, and to me, thirty seconds is not bad a bad amount of time to give up for something that hurts like BLEEP! for miles when it happens.  After only a few minutes at the water stop we creak-ily began running the mile to the starting point.  Man, that mile felt worse than the workout ha!

As my first official race prep while training with Team Rogue, it is one that I will likely always remember.  Not only because it went smoothly, but because I was able to work through an issue that could definitely happen at any point in a race.  I now have confidence that I can deal with a cramp or something like it if it occurs again.  Along with this, I feel like I owe a lot of my success (yes, I consider having good workouts a success) to my teammates.  I couldn’t imagine having a more lively, entertaining, and supportive group than those that I train with nearly everyday.  We laugh, we pee in bushes, we choke on water, we make fun of one another, and damnit we run FAST!  Thanks guys : )

Gourmet, the Vegan Way!

When it comes to food I generally have only one major picky area and that is that I prefer to eat healthy foods and will pretty much refuse otherwise.  This isn’t just due to the effects that things like fast food and highly processed things have on health, but it is mainly because I just don’t like it!  I grew up with parents that prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home for my brothers and me everyday.  Sure, we went out every once and while or ordered pizza like any other family, but it was a treat when it happened.  In hindsight I feel extremely lucky and thankful that I was presented with foods like asparagus, squash, salmon, brown rice, and many other foods that are great for me, even if I didn’t always appreciate it at the time.

Recently I saw a show on TV where Jamie Oliver (English chef) asked a group of 20 or so elementary school students to name several fruits and vegetables.  It was extremely sad to see a child have no idea what a tomato or a bunch of broccoli was.  Unfortunately, there will probably always be areas in this country where the poverty directly affects the ability of families to afford quality, healthy foods and therefore cause children to not know what it is when they see it.  This is tragic enough as it is, but add to that people who can easily afford to eat and feed their children well choosing not to and ignoring the fact that their children are learning poor habits before they can even read.  These are the types of people who frustrate me.  Ok, I will stop shouting from my soapbox, but I think this topic is one in which many people are willing to talk about yet appaulingly lazy when it comes to actually fixing the problem.

What I really wanted to get at in this post is to show people (especially Austinites!) that there is a great place in the heart of Austin where people can eat, learn, and become inspired to cook in a healthy and new way at home.  Casa de Luz is a vegan restaurant located near Lamar and Barton Springs that caters to those who want to eat delicious, yet healthy food.  Most people that I enthusistically tell about this place are extremely skeptical about how good it could really be.  I understand that the word “vegan” can strike fear in the bellies of most people who enjoy meat, fish, and dairy, but my point is that good food is good food, and it is as simple as that.  It’s similar to travelling in a new country where someone says “eat this” in broken English and we nervously comply.  Mmm it is delicious, but what is it?  Oh, it’s year old fermented fish?  Umm, damn.  You want to hate it, but more than that you just want more!!  Obviously, vegetables are nowhere near as exotic as this, but for many (sadly) they are nearly just as rare in their diet.

Everything that Casa serves is vegan and 99% of it is gluten-free as well.  It is amazing how much flavor they pack with all-natural ingredients into their meals.  If I could eat every meal of every day there, I would.  Unfortunately, I am not rolling in the dough, so this is unlikely any time soon.  There is no salt or added sugar used in anything that they cook, so all of the mouth-watering flavor comes from the vegetables themselves or the many delicious nut sauces that accompany their food.  Recently I made it over for “first Monday sushi night” (first Monday of every month) and it was amazing.  I’d challenge anyone to try it and not love it.  Here are some pics…

Salad with quinoa, veggies, almonds

Veggie sushi, sauteed veggies, greens with coconut sauce, beans & pickled ginger

When you go to casa not only do you get salad, soup, and their entree, but there is a choice of hot or cold tea and water and an amazing selection of desserts.

New Territory

This morning after our 24 mile run I had a sudden realization that a lot has changed in a very short amount of time.  Now I could apply this statement to multiple areas of my life at this moment, but I will keep the focus narrow.  24 miles, no big deal.  Oh, we went up Mt. Bonnell at mile 18?  Yeah, I guess we did.  Whatever.  This is what I mean when I say that things have changed.  I found myself saying these things and it dawned on me that only a little over a year ago I was super proud of the fact that I had run 20 miles at one time…on a pretty flat course I might add.  Now, weekends are not weekends without beginning with a run that eclipses the two-hour mark by at least another half hour.  Pretty cool.  And crazy.

At this point in training we have about ten weeks to really focus our efforts on transforming the monster base we have created into a giant pyramid with a tip so sharp it could pop a balloon.  Well, we may not get to that point, after all we aren’t racing 5k’s, but hopefully the long threshold runs and speedy gonzales track work will get our legs (and brains) used to running fast and feeling like we want to chop our legs off at the end.  That is how I like to feel ; )  In fact, these past few weeks as we’ve transitioned from the base phase to the quality phase I have actually felt much better on my runs.  I am generally fresher and feel like I am back to home base.  Long easy recovery runs, slap-you-silly quality workouts, and long runs that nearly match our race distance.  This is essentially how our weeks are shaping up, yet there is one thing that I have not gotten back-of-the-hand cozy with just yet, RACE PREPS.

Race Prep: noun, profanity-inducer

Instead of describing what a race prep is, I will simply give a few examples of these awesome workouts:

• 2-5 mile warm-up, 3×5 miles at MGP (marathon goal pace) w/ 3-5 min recover, 2 mile cool-down
• 2.5 mile warm-up, 2×10 miles at MGP w/ 5 min recovery, 2.5 mile cool-down
• 20 miles with:  5 miles at MGP, several miles of VERY large hills, end up at track…10k broken into 2 miles at MGP, 2 miles at HMGP (half marathon goal pace), 2 miles at 10k pace, cool-down or ER visit (hehe)

Some refer to workouts like this as “marathon simulation runs”, but Rogue has trademarked them as Race Preps or Sole/Soul Busters.  I feel as though these names don’t quite get to the heart of the pain, focus, and excitement that go into these runs, but I’ll use them until I come up with a better name that doesn’t include a four-letter word or two.

With about two months to go before CIM I am keeping everything in perspective and altering my goals as such.  One goal that has been sort of forced upon me by others is to qualify for the olympic trials.  Don’t get me wrong here, I would love to do this, however I did a bit of math the other day and realized that at 22 I will have a good shot of qualifying for the next four Olympic Trials, so I feel no rush to do it this year.  This time around I will be 23 and a newbie.  For the 2016 trials I will be 27 and have many more races under my belt.  By the time the 2020 trials come around I will be a ripe 31, and still hitting it hard at 35 for the 2024 trials.  To qualify for all four trials would be an amazing feat for an amateur like myself, and you can bet your ass I will try, but if not, oh well.  I’m not a pro and I am fine with that.  As long as I can still listen to Steve tell me to do crazy things at 5:30 in morning, I am happy : )

Narrowing a bit from my previous point, I get to my thoughts on CIM specifically.  In December I feel that a solid sub 2:50 would be great.  For my first raced marathon I think that I would be a fool not to be as happy as a clam with this type of time.  That being said, I would like to see how far under 2:50 I can get it.  With my ‘A’ plan being 6:18 (2:45) pace, and my ‘B’ plan being to hold 6:25-30 (6:25 = 2:47-8, 6:30 = 2:50) pace, I think I have a solid idea of what I need to focus on in the coming weeks and especially during the remaining race preps.  After running the first race prep (and marathon) I felt very confidant in my ability to run 6:30′s for the race, so with the added training that I will have put in since then, I think my ‘A’ plan may be within striking distance.  Of course, never having raced a marathon I am planning to be humbled by the experience at least a little bit (potentially a lot).  Thankfully, these past five years Steve has been slowly building me into the type of runner who can mentally handle the physical and mental struggles that are inevitable in any distance race.  So to close this ramble, I will just say that my broad goal for this and every other marathon that I may end up doing is this:  never to give up, give in, or give less than I can at each moment because no matter what pace I go, it is going to hurt.  I have found that slow times due to fighting and keeping my head in it are infinitely less painful than slow times due to lack of heart and giving up.  I hope to keep mentally strong and let my body follow its lead.

“There is no crying in the marathon.”  Let’s hope not come December!!

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, Marathon Race Shoes Here We Go!

Nike Lunar Racer +2

As December quickly approaches and our workout schedule shifts from easy long miles to longer workouts and faster overall paces I find myself thinking more and more about which shoe I will end up racing in at CIM.  A while ago I felt like it would be no-brainer and that I would go with my Nike Lunar Racer +2′s, which I have been doing all of my workouts and some runs in for the past 6 months or so.  Not so anymore.  As a completely neutral runner with a slight frame I can get away with a very minimal shoe, but I think that the construction of the lunar racer’s upper and arch area are just not quite enough for me come mile 18+ in a full-marathon where I will be moving at a clip of sub 6:30 per mile.  Having had a bit of plantar and a shin splint appear in the past year, I decided that while it is a great shoe for my workouts, it may not quite be right for the race itself…yet anyhow.

Nike Zoom Marathoner

As I was cleaning out the closet and donating some worn shoes a few weeks ago I came upon one of the crown jewels of my shoe collection: Nike Zoom Marathoners! I haven’t worn them since the 5 mile turkey trot I ran last year, but there was a time when these flats were a mainstay in my running shoe rotation for training runs as well as workouts and races.  Why did I abandon you Marathoner??  I am sorry, it will not happen again.  With this discovery, and the fact that my current pair have less than 50 miles on them, I decided that I will start training in them with the intention of wearing them for the race.  If for some reason I don’t feel like they are right, I will move on to something else or simply run in my Launches or Kinvaras, but I think that I will be fine in the Marathoners.

Aside from the two aforementioned shoes, I have also dabbled in wearing the Brooks Green Silence (women’s edition), but being that I have narrow feet they were just too wide and loose for my liking.  I plan to train in them for easy runs until they are dead, but I don’t see myself lacing them up for any races or tough workouts at this point.  They are also not a lightweight as I like for racing and running faster paces, so that was another turn-off for me.  Oh well, at least I can say that I gave ‘em the old college try.

Brooks Green Silence (women's)

Picking a shoe to race a marathon in is nothing short of anxiety-riden because it is not like a track 5k or 10k where it is not the end of the world if you aren’t 100% comfy in the spikes that you choose.  Annoying, yes, but the race is short enough where anything that rubs or feels awkward is short-lived.  Not the marathon!  Imagine going 26.2 miles in a shoe that is either too tight, too cushioned, rubbing a hole in your foot, cutting you, or simply too firm.  Pas bien mes amis!  This is why I am thinking about it now and trying to work out the kinks in my outfit choice, shoe choice, and nutrition plan.  The only thing I want stopping me from executing is my physical limits and not my mental fatigue and external factors along the way.  I have enough trouble swallowing water as it is, so I definitely do not need a shoe emergency tacked on.

Here are some of the key elements that I look for in a racing flat:

• As lightweight as possible for the marathon it is a balance because if the shoe is too light and minimal it may be too much for my foot to handle unless I have run several 20+ mile runs and know that it doesn’t cause my foot any unnecessary stress.
• Lightly Cushioned After running a marathon in my Brook Launch I knew that for a more serious race I would want to use a shoe with less cushioning.  When you hit mile 16+ in a long run or race, the accumulation of miles, sweat, fatigue, and foot swelling or changes (my shoes actually feel looser not tighter late in a run/race) cause as shoe with a moderate to high amount of cushioning feel far too sloppy for me and lack the amount of responsiveness that I want (especially when trying to hit a certain pace).
• Free From ANY Issues or Concerns If I have even a slight concern as to a rubbing spot, and weird pain, or just an uncomfortable fit with a shoe, I take it off and put on something that I know works until I can fiddle with it or just ditch it.  To me, a shoe is somewhat like when you are on a first date because you don’t always immediately know that it is right, but you definitely know when it is just wrong!  So if a shoe feels wrong to me in any way just walking in it, then it pretty much gets the axe.
• Responsiveness Being that I have run track and cross country for the past eight years, I am used to having a feather light, almost non-existent spike on during training and races.  This means that I have become accustomed to feeling the ground well and being able to respond to any inconsistencies in footing or surface really well.  Basically, I just like to be able to feel the ground and feel like I can turn, dodge something, or shift directions on a dime.  Maybe this isn’t as necessary in a marathon, but it is something that I look for anyhow.  It is one of those personal preference aspects of a shoe (as with most things) because many people don’t mind having so much between them and the ground that they could step on a nail and not know…not me.