This past Saturday morning was one of those days that reinforced my love for running. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, we all felt great and the conversation flowed… it was the most perfect running day. (Insert heavenly choir here.)
Understand that our littletrio is comprised of moms, so in order to hammer out the mileage that is required and still take care of our kids and responsibilities, we have to start quite literally before the sun rises. We meet at 5am and run for a good hour and a half before any sunshine peeks out. (It is not as bad as you are envisioning it, I promise. Okay, I admit that waking up at 4am does kind of suck. But other than that it is not bad at all.)
This week’s goal was 20 miles. Considering the fact that we scrapped last week’s run due to an overwhelming feeling of sickness from the crew, I was more than surprised that we felt so strong.
To top off the most perfect day, a random balloon arch was magically constructed in the park by our cars sometime during our four hour run.
Lori and her longest run to date!
This balloon arch coincided exactly with our GPS 20 mile mark. So, of course… we ran through it with our arms in the air hooting the whole way. (OF COURSE we did. Like you wouldn’t?)
And I rocked it. Which shocked me. This week I only managed to get in one measly training run. No cross-training. Pathetic.
Exactly why my run this week was so shocking. I should not have been as strong as a I was. I should have needed a huge nap. The only thing I can attribute it to is my new friend the chia seed.
I know, I know. Seems every week I am talking about chia. But folks, truly….The more I read about and the more I use it, the more of a convert I become.
An excerpt from Born to Run(which, YAY, I am finally reading)…
“In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber and antioxidents. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home.”
In my own personal experience it is kicking my energy levels up so far that I barely need coffee any longer. (A good thing because I drink way too much for my own good.) I’m also staying hydrated better and have am not nearly as hungry. If you are trying your hand at any type of running program, be it a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon or full, I really recommend you give chia a try. (Frederick folks can find it in bulk at the Common Market.)
Some recipes to start you out:
Coconut Lime Chia Fresca
Ingredients
2 Tbs chia seeds
2 cups coconut water
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a glass and stir to combine. Let rest for ten minutes. Stir once more and set aside for ten minutes longer. Serve chilled. (Serves 1-2)
Vanilla Almond Chia Delight
1 1/2 cups of vanilla almond milk
4 1/2 Tbs chia seeds
2 Tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Let rest for five minutes. Stir again to separate clumping. Let rest for 1o minutes. Stir a final time and set aside for fifteen minutes longer. Mixture should thicken to a resemble a slightly runnier version of tapioca pudding. Serve chilled. (Serves 2)
My new favorite running shirt!
Have I convinced you yet? GOOD.
Sadly, my old friend the IT BAND started messing with me at mile 17.8 (or something ridiculous like that) so I am trying to take it easy and STRETCH like a mad woman. That is pretty much all I have to report. (Check out my running pal Lori’s column this week to read her perspective.)
BIG SHOUT OUT to my friend Michele who finished her first 1/2 marathon today! I am so proud of her dedication!
Who thinks it is fun to run alongside penguins and polar bears? ME!
Plus another cool location just announced on the course is the campus of Under Armour’s corporate world headquarters in Tide Point. I’m totally stoked about that as well. (After all, I buy a ton of Under Armour for my family so I’m geeky like that.) If you are a running this year’s marathon or just plain curious, feel free to take a gander at the 2011 Baltimore Marathon course map.
Fun fact – 25,000 total runners are expected to participate in this year’s festival. Wow!
So this week the gang had to split up for the long run because I had a soccer tournament. (Yes, we were attending a soccer tournament the same day that Hurricane Irene hit the area. Soccer people are nuts. And by people I mean the crazies running it.) So I ended up running the 10 miles alone on a treadmill in my basement the next day. It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, probably because I watched Julie & Julia at the same time. (One of my most favorite movies in the world.)
Oh! Completely forgot to update you on the chia experiment! I’ve been using chia for the past week and a half and I’ve noticed a few things:
I’m fuller longer.
I have more energy.
On a run, my water is lasting longer and I am not as parched.
You may want to give it a try yourself. See how it works for you.
And finally, to prove to people that I am not the only crazy runner in the world, I give you this:
I forget until I’m right up in the action. Like, at mile 14 when I am wishing that I had just SLEPT IN and that the last damn hill wasn’t on the route.
It is usually then I realize what an undertaking marathon training is.
Training FORCES me to think of myself and my body in a different way. I think about sleep. I think about nutrition. I try new strategies and buy products that confuse my husband.
Anyway, this week’s update:
We hit the crazy 16 this week. As awesome as it feels to say that out loud, there is always that little voice in the back of my head screaming “How the hell am I supposed to do 10 more?!”
But we will get there. Step by step. Week by week. GU by GU…
This week’s run was fueled by the following tune:
Don’t ask. Around mile 15 runners typically start admitting things that normal folk wouldn’t. Like the fact that some of us listen to Radio Disney even when our kids aren’t in the car. I may or may not be outing myself here.
There is something spectacular about being able to claim that you’ve run 15 miles before the majority of the world has even stirred from their beds.
Not that I love the fact that I have to get up at 4:00am to do it or anything. (Totally beside the point.) It is sometimes worth it just for the Facebook update and resulting insults and gasps from friends. Bonus: totally missed the rain!
Today’s run was pretty intense though. I’ve been on vacation so I only ran twice this week with walking (as in on the boardwalk and on the streets of New York) as my only cross training. I was pretty much exhausted. Plus, genius that I am, I didn’t eat well prior to going. (No, a half of a muffin will not fuel you for very long. Just in case you were wondering.) I brought two GUs with me but a couple of times I found myself shaky. I should have brought Sport Beans as a back up. (Face palm!)
And to further demonstrate my brilliance, or lack thereof, I figured out mid run that we are only 63 days away from the Baltimore Marathon. NINE.WEEKS. I am nowhere near where I want to be and I have only nine measly weeks to turn it around. I’m not strong enough! I’m not serious enough! I’m not mentally focused enough!
((Sigh))
So the big nutrition discussion this run was about chia seeds. (Yes, THAT chia. Go ahead, sing the jingle. I can’t resist it either.) This whole chia discussion came from Lori & Katie having read Born To Run and learning about the Tarahumara. (Now, I’ve not read Born To Run yet so bare with me…) The Tarahumara are “the running people” on which most of the book is based. They are a Mexican tribe of superathletes who run 50 or 100 miles at a time for pure enjoyment, without effort. They rely on chia to help them run these incredible distances. The girls are embarking on a little chia experiment. Turns out there are a ton of benefits to adding Chia seeds to your diet. Who knew? I’m ordering myself some this week. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
So anyway, that is the update so far. I still can’t believe the marathon is so close. Slightly panicked now….
Working momma. Flibbertigibbet. Family environs upkeep manager. Deadline juggler. Intellectual magpie... Random postings from a life of a working DC Metro mom. Unapologetically myself.
And I rocked it. Which shocked me. This week I only managed to get in one measly training run. No cross-training. Pathetic.
So the big nutrition discussion this run was about chia seeds. (Yes, THAT chia. Go ahead, 
