I Knew I Was a Runner When

This weekend, I bought Body Glide.

It was something I never though I'd need to do.  I'm still confused by the concept of chafed, bleeding nipples; it's one of the running myths that are apparently actually true, which makes it all the more terrifying, and I REALLY don't want to talk about chafed, bleeding nipples from personal experience on this blog, ever.

But, apparently, nipples are not the only things that chafe, and this weekend, I needed to buy Body Glide before I had another run.

For the record, there isn't as much daylight between my thighs when I run as perhaps I'd like, especially when it's hot and humid, like it is now.  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are fine; thanks for your concern.

Anyway, when I had the realization that this was going to be a part of my running arsenal, I had an "this must mean I'm a 'real' runner" moment.  Because I never thought I was enough of a "real" runner to need something such as anti-chafing...stuff.

I've had several of those moments since I began running nearly three years ago, and I'm sure I'll have more.  

I can rationally tell you that I am a runner.  I run.  Several times a week.  I've participated in several races and events since I decided to participate in that first Undy 5000.  But sometimes, I don't necessarily feel like a "real" runner.

Of course, running master, Bart Yasso, has spoken to this notion directly:

"I often hear people say 'I'm not a real runner.'  We are all runners; some just run faster than others.  I never met a fake runner."

I KNOW I'm not a fake runner.  But sometimes, when I realize that my monthly mileage is what some people run in a week, I don't necessarily feel like a "real" runner.  I'm not exactly sure what I'd define a "real" runner to be, but I don't run fast, and I don't run that far, so sometimes, I'm not sure where I fit into the cadre, and because of that, I sometimes feel like I'm not completely part of it, like unless I hit a certain mileage or a certain pace per mile, everyone else will look down on me as if to say, "no, you're not one of us, but you can keep trying."  

Kind of like I'm Chester, and the everyone else is Spike:

But there are those moments when I've said to myself, "NOW, I'm a runner."

And since I just had one of those moments, I thought I'd take a walk down Memory Lane at all those moments I've had thus far to help remind me that I've always been a runner, ever since I decided to run on an evening walk with Zooey.

I knew I was a runner when...

• I picked up my first race bib;
• I finished my first race;
• I went to a running store to be fitted for shoes;
• I retired that pair of shoes;
• I decided to try a 10K;
• I completed a 10K;
• I set a PR;
• I beat that PR;
• I decided to try a half marathon;
• I obtained a training plan for a half marathon;
• I picked up my race bib for my half marathon
• I finished a half marathon;
• I started keeping track of my mileage;
• I got obsessed with my mileage and heart rate and everything else;
• I stopped keeping track of my mileage and heart rate and everything else for a bit;
• I altered my training plan;
• I said, "I think I'll try trail running";
• I loved trail running;
• I made trail running a part of my regular training plan;
• I had a regular training plan;
• I signed up for a trail race;
• I couldn't do that trail race because I was diagnosed with tendinitis;
• I found "the shoe" I loved;
• I mourned when "the shoe" was retired;
• I started playing with the idea of a full marathon someday;
• I was asked for running advice by a friend (that one felt REALLY awesome, by the way);
• I felt confident enough in my experience to give that friend some advice;
• I had to buy Body Glide.

John "The Penguin" Bingham, whose book (along with Jenny Hadfield) got me through my first half marathon, said this on the topic:

"If you run, you are a runner.  It doesn't matter how fast or how far.  It doesn't matter if today is your first day, or if you've been running twenty years.  There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get.  You just run."
Well, I just run.  And sometimes, I think I run far, even if it's not as far as someone else.  I never think I run fast.  But I run, so I am a runner, and I'm glad to have become one, even if I don't always feel like a "real" one.

When did you feel like a "real" runner?

Stride Box - July 2013

It feels like I just did a Stride Box post!
Oh, wait, I did.  As you can see, I'm actually sort of on the ball this month.
One of the best aspects of subscribing to Stride Box is that the company sends out an email when the package is shipped, so I know when it's on its way, so I get to wait anxiously for a few days, knowing I'm getting a present in the mail.
This month had a bit of a theme - over half the items were for hydration purposes, which, as Zooey and I had in our second 90-degree run in a row, is more than fitting.  I'm looking forward to trying these, even though I don't usually use sports drinks during my runs, usually opting instead for gels or gummies.

Inside the water bottle:

• Gu Brew electrolyte tablet - I've had the Gu gels before and have struggled with them - too thick to "drink" but not really "chewable."  I like the fruit flavors, though, so I'm hoping that I like the drinkable stuff, too.
• HDX hydration mix - I've not heard of this before, so we'll see how tasty it is.
• Healthy to Go! acai energy drink mix - I have mixed feelings about acai; I know it's a "super fruit," but I have had some acai in smoothies that didn't taste all that great.  I've got higher hopes for this.
• Nuun electrolyte drink tab - I follow a LOT of people on Twitter who love the Nuun Hydration drinks. This is my first chance to have it, so I'll finally see what the hype is about.
• Vega Sport electrolyte hydrator - This one I admit that I have already tried, and while I'm sure some people find the lemon-lime flavor tasty, unfortunately, it tasted (to me) too much like that solution pregnant women have to drink when taking the blood glucose test to check for gestational diabetes.  I had to take that test twice, so having that flavor hit my tongue again was unpleasant.  I don't fault the people over at Vega Sport; it's just one of those memories that makes the experience less than what it should be (honestly, just thinking about that solution and that test again engages my gag reflex).
• Zym Catapult sport drink tablet - I am in intrigued with anything having to do with catapults.

The rest of the goods:

• Bearded Brothers natural energy bar - hand-made, picture of two dudes with beards, vegan.  As the child of two former hippies, I'm pretty stoked for this bad boy.  Bonus - the wrapper can be composted!
• Body Glove Surge gel - Like I said, I struggle with gels, but I am willing to try it.
• PR*Bar apple pie nutrition bar - I'll be honest.  Some of the ingredients in the hydration mixes and gels concern me a little bit, so I need to do research before I become a customer that uses anything I can't pronounce.  However, this bar contains partially hydrogenated palm oil.  The term "partially hydrogenated" is code for "this has trans fat in it."  Hydrogenating oil makes an item more shelf stable, but trans fat is, as you probably know from following the news, a very dangerous saturated (artery-clogging) fat.  While I'm sure a bit may not lead to my ultimate demise, it makes me uncomfortable that a bar calling itself "natural" and "healthy" would even use this.  Additionally, I'm trying to cut palm oil out of my family's food supply completely because of the environmentally unfriendly harvesting methods that are leading to both deforestation and possible extinction of the orangutan.  This is a bar that I will be placing aside (along with any other item that has ingredients with which I disagree).
• SpiderTech X Spider pre-cut kinesiology tape - I am intrigued by K-Tape, so when I feel the need in my legs, I'll allow this spider near me.

There you go.  Have you found any ingredients in your nutritional supplements to be lacking?  What do you look for when it comes to hydration?  Are there flavors you love (or love to hate)?  Cheers!

Even God Rested

After shin splits, tendinitis, and strep throat this year, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to beat my mileage from last year.  Even my attempt at a month-long run streak was cut short (Thanks, tonsils.  Jerks).
In an attempt to make sure I don't fail my body (and vice versa), I'm trying a little something new this month.  I'm calling it the "Even God Rested" plan.  If all goes well, I'll be running 2-4 miles Monday through Saturday.  Sundays will be reserved for sleeping in and resting.
Note to self: spending all day cleaning and de-cluttering a bedroom does not count as "rest."  Plan for a nap in that case.
Before I decide on my miles/route for the day, I have to take into consideration the following:

• how much sleep I got that night
• quality of said sleep
• temperature outside

If I didn't sleep well or much, or if the temps are too hot, I'll stick to the shorter quantity.  If I slept well and the temperatures are tolerable, Zooey and I will trek out for a bit longer.  I'm hoping to keep my weekly mileage between 15 and 20 miles.
In some ways, that doesn't seem like very many miles.  I see people on Twitter who post that mileage on practically a daily basis, and here I am hoping for that much in a week.  But at the same time, it's hot, I refuse to put my dog in danger, and I'm not training for anything at the moment, so my miles are to keep me in shape (especially after that milkshake I just had - shhhhhh!) so that when I do start training again, I'm not starting from scratch.  Heaven knows I don't want to get hurt again this year.
Of course, I don't want Zooey to get hurt or sick, either.  In order to make sure that we avoid heatstroke for her, I take quite a few precautions.  Naturally, the shorter miles are a part of it.  If it's really hot, I hose her down before we leave, making sure to get her chest.  We take frequent water breaks (two of my four water bottles are reserved for her until I can find her doggie backpack again, at which time she'll carry her own water), during which time I try to check her tongue and nose (if her gums and mouth are red, or if her nose is hot and dry, she's getting heat exhaustion) .  We run more slowly than we do during the cooler seasons.  When we get home, I take a cloth that I've wet and left in the fridge while we were gone and apply it to her chest and belly while she lays down under a fan (I have a cloth for myself, too).  Once she's cooled a bit this way, I offer her an ice cube or two, which she generally takes.
When we do head out for 4 miles, I will even let her splash in the canal for a minute.  This is not something I will do on a regular basis, as who knows what sorts of disgusting things live in those canals, especially around all the duck poop.  But if it cools Zooey's paws off a little bit, I'm willing to let her get in for a minute before we shove off again.
My mileage for June was 52.5 miles.  I'm hoping to get over 60 this month.  Hopefully resting more will end up adding more miles to my tally.

What's your running/resting schedule?  Have you found that resting more helped you physically (or mentally)?

Eat it or Starve: Patriotic Princess Edition

I'm so excited that HRH's school has begun to help me in the Eat it or Starve Battle that we wage in the Philistine house on a daily basis.  Recently, her teacher has begun to offer a once-a-week cooking class in the afternoons.  Now, this is a bunch of four-year-olds, so my kid is not going to be learning how to prepare and present a pressed duck any time soon, but it's a start.  The rules are that nothing will have any tree nuts or peanuts in them, since those are big no-nos in the daycare syndicate, as you might imagine.

HRH had to miss the first two classes due to her swim schedule, so last Thursday's class was her first.  She wasn't particularly keen on joining until she learned that her BFF K was in the class, and then she was over the moon.

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, the class made Fireworks Pretzel Sticks, Red White and Blue "Parfait," and fancy water with (gasp!) star-shaped ice cubes.

The overall goal is to get the kids more inspired and excited to help out in the kitchen and to try new foods, so after last week's class, I asked HRH if she wanted to show me how to make the treats for the Fourth of July.

"Yeah! Let's make them again!"

So today, we did.

Now, this is not going to be a post in which I give you a recipe for making Fireworks Pretzels, Et Al; I'm sure by the photos you can gather the various elements and what the procedure to assemble is.  If you need a recipe for something this simple, there are quite a few blogs out there who appear to think poke cakes with a box of Jello are the most ingenious creation ever, so you can catch those instead.  

(sorry for the snark - I'm not a fan of poke cakes and don't understand why people feel the need to post recipes that use boxed everything)

This is simply a post of how, little by little, my daughter is becoming more adventurous AND more helpful in the kitchen, and as such, becoming a young lady conscious of the foods she chooses to eat at a much earlier age than I was.

The things I did:

• Cut the butter for the frosting into cubes
• Monitored HRH around Watson (our KitchenAid)
• Helped HRH measure powdered sugar
• Measured vanilla extract
• Sliced off "the green part" of the strawberries
• Washed all the fruit
• Monitored the quantity of frosting onto the pretzels
• Whipped the cream (well, Watson did most of the work here)
• But water into the star ice cube trays and threw them in the freezer (still currently under construction as of this posting, but they are ice cubes in the shape of stars, so I'm sure you get the idea)

The things HRH did:

• Added the powdered sugar to the cream cheese icing
• Cut up the strawberries (with a kid-friendly knife, but a real knife) into bite-size pieces
• Put all the berries into the bowls
• Spooned the whipped cream over the berries
• Added the sprinkles to the whipped cream (she's a student of the Kat School of Sprinkle-ology)
• Applied frosting to the pretzels
• Applied sprinkles to the frosting'd pretzels
• Ate copious amounts of frosting and sprinkles (like I said, she's a Kat protege) 

This might not be my favorite thing for HRH to make and eat, considering the horrendous ingredient list on the pretzels (it's not easy to find more naturally made pretzel rods) and that both items had their fair share of sugar, but it's a step in the right direction (I am also terrified of the sprinkles ingredient list, but we wont go into that right now).  What I bear in mind is that this does some healthy foods, too, and as this is a holiday, I'm going to hold my tongue rather than give a dissertation on Red Dye #40.

She's not going to be eating Pad Thai, prosciutto-wrapped figs, or zucchini gratin any time soon, but that HRH was excited to eat some blueberries shows me that she's starting to realize that not all good tasting foods are not chicken nuggets and French fries.

This week, naturally, there's not a class due to the holiday, but I'm looking forward to finding out what treats we'll be whipping up soon.

Stride Box - June 2013

Yes, I know it's July.  Let's just say June got away from me.  I'm blaming it on the strep.
This is my second Stride Box, and it really is perfect for summer.  There's even a runner's icy pop!

• Skratch Labs lemon-lime hydration mix - lemon lime is basically the only flavor of Gatorade I have ever liked, so I'm sure I'll like this (and I like the ingredient list better than I like Gatorade).
• Pocket Fuel banana blue berry almond butter (two of 'em!) - right now, I'm not sure I could handle a nut butter while running; it's just too heavy for the heat (the lows are in the high 80s right now), but I can't wait to use it when the weather cools down again.
• Electro Delytes citrus bar - this also looks delicious, and the citrus is certainly on my favorite flavor profile.
• PowerICE frozen electrolye bar - I am TOTALLY using this bad boy after a hot run, and I'm on the lookout for these so I can stock the freezer with them ASAP.
• Blue Steel Sports anti-chafe cream - I can't say I've had this problem much, but high temps plus sweat plus sports bras is NOT the best equation for avoiding The Chafe, so I'm sure I'll get to give this a test drive before long.
• Due North Foot Rubz foot massage ball - HRH thought this was one of our dryer balls, so I've kept hidden away, but I am using it to make sure that tendinitis is held at bay; it feels reallllllly good!
• Lock Laces no tie shoe system - I don't mind tying my shoes, and I can tie them quickly in a basic slip knot without concern that they'll come undone during a run, but as I've recently learned about the duathlon (run-bike-run event), I think these will come in handy, since getting in and out of the running and cycling shoes can, if done poorly, add a good chunk of time to the totals.

I'm loving these monthly gift packages that are designed to help me be a better, stronger, and healthier runner, and it's helping me learn about more incredible products (even ones that I may end up not caring for); anything that can broaden my running horizons is surely only going to benefit me as a runner.  

So - bring on Stride Box July!

One Kitchen, Many Hearts - Picnic Time

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

I'm not sure I would want to have that face looking back at me while on a picnic, but they are SOOOOOO FLUFFFAYYYYYY that I couldn't help sharing it.
It's time for another OKMH gift exchange round-up.  The theme for this month is all about picnics.  I love picnics.  HRH does, too, and she's been begging me to take her down to the park at the end of the street to have a picnic again.  I would love to, but I'm not super keen on having my picnics when it's over 100°, so we likely won't be heading out again until....November.
Fortunately, when you have a fun group of friends, a picnic is basically ready made, and I don't have to schlep a basket to the park in the sweltering heat.

This month my girl Megan knew just what I needed: beer, jam, chocolate, and Pretty Things.  All of which are, naturally, PERFECT for a picnic.  Even if I take myself on a solo picnic and don't share the chocolate with anyone.  Just don't tell HRH that I didn't leave her any chocolate, OK?

The beer - Washington brews, including a Pacific Northwest Kilt Lifter in return for the Four Peaks Kilt Lifter I sent her last year.  I haven't cracked it open yet; I'm hoping to nab a bottle of the local label and do a taste test.  

The chocolate - Megan's own homemade Magic Shell.  My plan is to obtain a pint (or quart...whatever) of ice cream and indulge some evening after HRH has gone to bed.  No, Mommy doesn't always share.  She's just too young and hasn't developed a palate that would truly appreciate this deliciousness.

Various and Sundry - two homemade photo frames (she cooks, the crafts - she's the whole damn package!!!!), some decorative toothpicks (with which HRH absconded, determined that she use them on her strawberries), baby jams, a ceramic strawberry basket (which I adore - I have plastic ones, but this one is so sturdy - it's totally becoming a centerpiece for the summer!), and a some gorgeous picnic linens, all in bright colors and vibrant patterns.

I'm imagining myself sitting in the cool grass with some berries and still-chilled ice cream, onto which I might pile those berries, the jam, and the magic shell.  And then I'll wash it down with a beer.  Or two.  I'll let you know how that goes.

In the meantime, make sure that you check out the other picnic goods that were sent across the globe this month.

You'll want to see what I sent Kat.

And what Kirsten got.

And what Jeanne got.

And what Mads got.

And what Beka got.

And what Megan got.

And while it's too hot for a picnic here in Phoenix right now, I hope that you've been inspired to take yourself (and maybe your loved ones, if you're so inclined) on a picnic.  Pack yourself up some goodies and nibbles, and head out on the lawn!

Sick Soup

I don't know of anyone who wasn't fed canned chicken noodle soup when they were sick as kids.  I distinctly remember not liking the stuff with the stars, believing the long noodles were far superior.  I can't, however, remember the last time I had soup from a can.
Getting sick sucks.  Getting sick when you have a four-year-old who doesn't appear to understand the phrase "Mommy isn't feeling well; you need to let her sleep" sucks even more.  I might be able to take a sick day from work, but there are no sick days in parenting.
You know what else sucks?  Not having a go-to "feel better" food, specifically a "feel better" soup when I get down with the sickness.  Ever since I was pregnant, I have shunned most poultry (even the thought of it makes me shudder), so chicken soup, even something homemade, makes me a little uncomfortable.  For a time, I tried phở, that wonderful Vietnamese street soup, and it was delicious, but it didn't make me feel rejuvenated in the way I was looking for.
Enter Cho Dang's Korean Tofu and BBQ.
The Chandler location for the California restaurant is mere minutes away from our house, and I can't remember how or when Husband stumbled across this beauty, but I'm so glad that he did.  Not only do the dumplings hit the spot whenever I need them, but I've discovered that their spicy pork tofu soup is The Most Perfect Thing to help make me feel better.

Lava so hot it makes me sweat...

The soups can be ordered at five levels of spiciness, from "white" (not spicy at all) to extra hot.
Usually I opt for the medium, which is nice and hot without making me want to either die or drink all the milk in the world.
Last week, I either became a wuss, or they added a little extra zing to the soup, because my mouth felt like it was melting off.  I started sweating when I was eating.  Yep, that's right.  I was A Sweater.  Right there at my kitchen table.  Yet I wasn't able to stop, and so I sat there, eating my soup and sweating like a whore on nickel night a sinner in church a racehorse until my belly couldn't take it anymore.
And then I did the same thing again at lunch the next day.
I'm not sure if this soup actually does anything like ridding my body of little cooties, especially this go round, which is a combination of the common cold, an ear infection, and strep throat (super fun times!!!!!!!), or if it's more of a placebo thing, but even Husband agrees that there's something "magical" about the soup, and you can be sure that the next time I'm feeling under the weather, I'll get more.
What is your go-to food (or drink) when you get a case of the sniffles and aches?