No turning back now

I just filled out the online registration and am all set to run the Publix Georgia half. My parents generously paid the registration fee as an early birthday gift (thanks, Mom and Dad!). I will admit that I felt nervous clicking the submit button. This past week was rough for me... I strongly dislike running outside in the cold, and I have been letting negative thoughts have way too much control. Yesterday, Jess and I ran the 2011 Polar Bear 5K, and it was more difficult than I anticipated, which only added to my self-doubt. I overestimated how cold I would be, and halfway through the route I was dying to strip off my jacket, but wasn't able to. I ended up posting a time that was my worst 5K since before the half last year.

However, there are still almost two months until race day, and I am not going to let myself be my own worst enemy. I'm going to work at changing the critical voices in my head to ones that empower me to push harder. After all, if I've run this race once, there's no reason that I can't do it again and with more confidence.

New shoes

Yesterday was my longest run of the year thus far -- five miles. I felt proud of myself for pushing my body when I wanted to give up (what you do mean it's only been two miles?!), but the satisfaction was short-lived. During my cool down, I almost immediately noticed a pain that felt like blisters on both feet at the base of my toes. I figured once I took my shoes off and took a shower that it would go away, but my feet continued to ache for the rest of the evening. Even now, writing this, they're a little sore.

Now, I know that I'm not supposed to wear cotton socks when I run, and that they can definitely cause blisters from trapping moisture. I have always used them anyway and have never had issues with blisters or rubbing of any kind, which led me to believe that it was time to get a new pair of shoes. Last year, when I bought my most recent (and only) pair at Big Peach, the employee who helped me suggested that I write the date of purchase underneath the sock liner. When I peeled it up to read it today, it said January 23, 2010. I know I've easily put 150-200 miles on those shoes, which is just the recommended time to put a new pair into rotation.

So, I drove over to BPRC Kennesaw and bought a pair of Asics Gel Cumulus 12s. I'm in love with them already, and can't wait to try them out tomorrow. 3.5 miles seems like the perfect distance.

You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the ones you skip.

That is the quote that I had been thinking of earlier (thanks, Jess!). It certainly came to mind today.

I mentioned that I haven't been able to run all week, but today everything finally started to thaw. I spent the morning doing some much needed laundry and cleaning while waiting for the temperature to rise a little, and then headed out to run. On a whim, I stopped at the fitness center to see if the treadmills had been repaired. Turns out they have been. I don't know how long they've been working, but now I feel like kicking myself for not checking sooner.

Since I was already at the gym, I decided to do today's run on the treadmill. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I was wrong. Apparently I am not at all used to running at a consistently challenging pace anymore. I have always found it difficult to maintain a steady pace when running outside, and I think that being able to manually control my speed when training (mostly) on the treadmill last year helped build my endurance more quickly.

That being said, I think I'm going to switch at least half my short runs to the treadmill (at a 1% incline), at least for now. I definitely had a moment near the end of my run today when I doubted that I would be prepared in time for the half. It was a reality check, but also overdramatic. I'm looking forward to putting in some hard work and hopefully getting a PR at the 5K next week.

Snowpocalypse 2011

That's the trendy name that Georgians have given this snow/ice storm. It began snowing late Sunday night, and now, late Thursday night, the ground is still covered with ice-crusted snow. Schools have been closed all week, which would normally give me more freedom to schedule my runs... but the sidewalks are still incredibly icy, and all the treadmills in the gym at my complex are out of order. Really? I feel like such a slacker.

I managed to get a 3.5 mile run in early Saturday morning, but that's been it for the week. Hopefully everything starts to thaw this weekend.

First race of 2011

I registered this morning for the Polar Bear Run 5K. It's on Saturday the 22nd, just about two weeks from today. According to the event website, it's a "unique road race featuring a flat course." It also features chip timing and a long-sleeved techinical shirt, apparently with the above adorable logo.

I'm looking forward to it... glad Jess registered and encouraged me to do the same!

The "glamorous" side of running

Today's run was approximately 3.8 miles. I really should get a Garmin or a pedometer or something... Google Maps isn't always accurate. 

One thing I can't stand about commuting so far this time of year is that I usually get home right as the sun is setting. Since all of the treadmills in my complex's gym are out of order, I don't have any other option but to run outside. Luckily, the temperatures these past two days haven't been too bad -- mid 40s to 50s. Although my feet were pretty cold when I first set out, by the end I was comfortable in just the light clothing (pants, tank top, fleece jacket, no gloves) I was wearing.

However, this evening I was reminded of one consequence of running in chilly temperatures...

 

(From Flickr, apparently found in British Columbia, Canada)

Yep, that's right. The need to spit. I attribute it to the fact that I don't run outdoors with a water botttle, and thus have no other method of clearing my throat or mouth. I also tend to do more breathing through my mouth when it's cold. And who doesn't get a slightly runny nose when you're exposed to chilly temperatures for a length of time?  Apparently it happens to a lot of runners. Like this guy. And this one. Anyway, I have not always been super skilled at this, and I know I'm not alone. Anyone who has run outdoors for a significant length of time must have a gross story about attempting to clear their mouth and drooling all over his/her hand or shirt.

Luckily, there is hope! Presenting...

How To Spit While You Run:

1. Determine where to spit.
2. Look around to make sure no one is in your line of fire.
3. Spend a few seconds gathering your spit all in one place, preferably the middle of your tongue.
4. Launch it, making sure your lips and teeth are out of the way.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Easy Chicken Salad

(Again from Google, not my photo but close enough)

I put this together last night for a quick lunch or dinner option over the next few days. This recipe may be self-explanatory for some people, but I had never made chicken salad (and in fact just recently began eating it), so I thought I'd share.

Ingredients:
1 - 4.5 oz can shredded chicken (I used a 12.5 oz can, so I just tripled the ingredients)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped onion
3 tbsp mayonnaise
Black pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and you're set! I used about seven tbsp of light mayo for my triple recipe and a little more onion for flavor. I'm bringing it to work on wheat toast for lunch and have enough left over for at least two or three more sandwiches.

Trial run

 

(I googled "runner's high" and found this... I could not resist posting it because a. the photo and b. the spelling are hilarious)

I went on my first run of 2011 this afternoon right after work. I am, once again, using Hal Higdon's half marathon training schedule, since it worked really well for me last year. There are actually eleven weeks until the 2011 Publix Georgia half, but since the first two weeks of the schedule are identical, I'm just omitting week 1.

If you notice, Mondays are actually supposed to be "stretch and strengthen" days, but I was anxious to get outside and just run. I am admittedly lacking in knowledge and resources for weight training, but it's one of my goals to become better informed over the next few weeks. 

Anyway, I chose a short route just to re-acclimate my body to the feeling of running outside. I am somewhat of a treadmill junkie, and although I did a lot of my training last year indoors, I'm challenging myself to move the majority of it to the pavement this time. I mean, have you seen the elevation profile for this race?

I'm lucky to live in an area with a lot of great sidewalks and hills for running. Today I ran a little loop near some office parks and restaurants. When I got home, I mapped it -- even though I've run it before, I never knew the exact distance -- and it came out to 1.5 miles, so I plan on using this as an option for 3 or 6 mile runs in the future.

The weather was close to perfect, about 45 degrees and sunny. I happened to round a corner and run into the sunlight right as the song on my iPod hit a crescendo, and I could not have felt happier at that moment to be outside, breathing fresh air and doing something good for myself. So, as "trial runs" go, this was a great way for me to kick off training and motivate me to get back out there again tomorrow.

First recipe of the New Year

I had a wonderful New Year's weekend in Nashville with my best friends, but a part of me was looking forward to today. Yes, even though it meant reentering the real world and the official end of the holidays. After eating and drinking whatever junk I wanted to for the past three days, my body definitely needed to return to a normal operating schedule. So, last night I went grocery shopping and gathered (among other things) the ingredients for my first healthy Crock Pot recipe.... 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup!

I found the original recipe at AllRecipes.com and modified it just a little according to my tastes and what I thought was convenient.

Ingredients:
2 - 5 oz cans of shredded chicken
1 can Rotel tomatoes & chiles (I used original)
1 - 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I subbed 2 tsp prepared minced garlic - the kind in a glass jar)
2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 - 10 oz package of frozen corn
Corn tortillas, vegetable oil, low-fat sour cream, reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese (to garnish)

The only thing I had to do beforehand was chop the onion. I actually used about 3/4 of it and saved the rest.

The next morning, I assembled the ingredients in the slow cooker in this order:
- Add chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, Rotel, and garlic
- Pour in water and broth
- Season with cumin, chili powder, and pepper
- Stir in corn

Then I set the slow cooker to low and headed to work! So easy. The recipe says to cook the soup on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

The finishing touch is to brush a few corn tortillas with vegetable oil on both sides, slice them into strips, and bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn! (This is someone else's photo I found on Google, since I forgot to take a picture of mine.)

Top your soup with the tortilla strips and as much sour cream and/or cheese as you'd like. The end result will look like this!

I thought everything tasted delicious. It was definitely spicy, but not too hot for my taste. It also obviously made a ton of soup, so I ended up freezing a container of it and sticking another one in the fridge.

I do plan on making this recipe again, but next time I will probably use whole chicken breasts (just remove them from the Crock Pot and shred them a little before the soup is done), low-sodium chicken broth, and maybe some brown rice. Also, the original recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of cilantro, but I didn't miss either of them. Overall, a great, flavorful but not too heavy dinner for a cold evening.