Folsom Lake 50k Recap

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Carbing up Chipotle Style

I am always looking for an easy, nutritious meal.  I like meals that offer healthy carbs and protein.  A few months back I decided that we could replicate Chipotle’s rice bowls at home.  How easy would that be?

I found a delicious recipe for homemade refried beans on one of my favorite food blogs, 100 days of real food.

I have made these beans a dozen times and they turn out super yummy every time.  Plus, using the crock pot means most my work is done by the time dinner prep comes along.

As soon as the beans are done, you can mash them to the consistency of your choice.

I then cook some organic brown rice.

Add the toppings and you are done!  Super easy for a weekday dinner.

Don’t forget the tomatoes and avacado!

If we want more protein, I’ve added shrimp and chicken to our toppings.

Enjoy!

How to Get Up that Hill!!!!

I guess I was naive when I first started trail running a year ago.  Sure I knew that there would be a roller or two on the trails that I’d be running.  And, yes, there are trails that have a roller or two.  But, mostly there are trails that have hills.  And I mean lots of hills!  Perhaps the challenge of the hills is one reason I love trail running.

Hills aren’t a bad thing.  They make you stronger, they challenge you and they can even give you the sense of accomplishment.  However, they can also defeat you at times.  By doing hill repeats, I hope to eliminate being defeated.

It’s time for me to start adding some hill repeat workouts into my schedule.  I plan on doing them every Monday.  However, I will still follow the intent of my training plan.  On an easy week, I will complete an easy hill repeat workout and on a hard week, the workout will be hard!

When I’m doing hill repeats, I think of a few things to help me get up the hill:

1.  Keep my body upright

2.  Look straight ahead or a bit up the hill, not down at the ground

3.  Pump my arms

4.  Shorten my stride

5.  Hills are my friends!

I also have to remind myself that it’s ok to walk up a long or steep hill.  Sometimes it’s better to conserve the energy for other parts of the run.  In fact, there are times when you may be able to power walk up a steep hill faster than running up it.  If this is the case, I use the time on the hill to my advantage.  I drink or I eat as I climb.

Do you do hill repeats?

What tips help you?

South of the Border Pie

What’s for dinner?

This is one of my favorite recipes for several reasons.  I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, my whole family will eat this meal, it’s nutritious and yummy!  It’s a win – win in my book.  That’s why I wanted to share it with you.

Start by cooking the onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes

Add the spices and cook for another minute.  This is what it looks like when I remove it from the heat.

Add kidney bean and brown rice and gently mix.

Add cheese and gently mix.

Add egg and milk (I mix these in a bowl before adding them).

Transfer to a lightly greased pie plate or quiche dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy with salsa, guacamole, bell peppers and sour cream.

I got this recipe from Cooking For Today by Better Homes and Gardens (Vegetarian Recipes).

Ingredients:  (I try to buy organic items.)

1 med onion (1/2 cup) chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1  TBSP olive oil

1  to 2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 15 oz red kidney beans, rinsed and draiined

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (ours is cheddar without the coloring!)

3/4 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

toppings:  bell peppers, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.

My Favorite Running Songs

Do you ever wonder what people are listening to while they run?

I often listen to the same songs over and over.  I’m trying to get better about changing it up, but certain songs have a purpose.   Did you know the song’s number of beats per minute can make you run either slower or faster?  You can read more in my post Running to the Beat.

I  made the decision to run with music for Saturday’s race.  I don’t depend on the music, but I do enjoy listening and singing to it (My kids have begged me not to sing out loud).

I put together this list of songs for my race this weekend.  I chose some songs that will help me start off slowly when I need to control my pace.  Note:  the first song is for pre race warm up.  It helps me put on my race face.

I then chose some songs that will help me pick up the pace and help me with a few climbs.  I know the course and so I was able to estimate when I would hit certain sections.

Then there’s a handful of songs  to help me speed up a bit.

I repeated some of the songs for the last 30 mins or so of the race.  These are songs that I think will give me some extra energy to finish strong.

I do have to say, there is at least one song on this list that I don’t use for it’s lyrics, but rather the music.  Sometimes I make up my own lyrics.

Do you run with music?

Do you have a favorite song that helps you finish strong?

Update week 10…….Race Week!

Here is a glimpse at part of the race course…..Beautiful!

So here I am.  It’s race week.  I’m feeling excited and nervous, but ready to run!  Unfortunately, my lower back is still bothering me.  I’m off to physical therapy this week.  It’s amazing what physical therapy can do.  Until race day, I am going to try to rest my back.  I have 2 short runs on Monday and Wednesday and then the race on Saturday.

This is how I’ve been icing my back all week.  My kids already think I’m crazy, so my fancy ice belt didn’t surprise them.

I won’t be cross training this week.  However, with Halloween festivities, I’m sure I will keep myself busy.  In addition, I’ve just started a Facebook page for EDH RUNNER ( https://www.facebook.com/edhrunner ).  If you haven’t already, stop by and check it out!   Hopefully, I’ll keep busy and won’t find myself feeling lazy or anxious in this last week of the taper phase.

Although I have extra energy that I want to use, I’ve learned that I should NOT take on any “special” physical projects.  In the past this has lead me to injury!  I’ve found that I need to keep any of those “out of the ordinary” physical projects for recovery weeks.  Wait until I show you what I’m planning!

Here is a look at my long runs over the last 10 weeks.  I was already 1/2 marathon trained and had been for a couple of months before I decided to increase my mileage.  I had just raced and finished a recovery week.  I then started my 10 week plan.  I always recommend having a good base before increasing mileage.  Us runners are notorious for wanting to run too much, too quickly.

Active just published another good article about tapering:

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3-Common-Questions-About-the-Pre-Race-Taper.htm?cmp=17-2-5570&page=2

I’m pretty sure the week will go by quickly.

How do you deal with extra energy during taper week?

Do you like taper week(s)?

Do you feel lazy?

UPDATE ON MINI GOAL:

I’ve been working on my mini goal of running the trails around Folsom Lake.  Yesterday, I finished another section.  I thought I would be able to complete this goal by the time I ran my race on 11/2, but I’m still missing a few sections.  On a good note, having this mini goal was really fun.  It gave me a reason to run new trails.  Without the mini goal, I may have just run the same trails over and over again.

My mini goal was created as an example of how to stay motivated.  You can read more about staying motivated on my post The Secret to Staying Motivated.

Completed sections are in purple.

Wanna know about one of these trails?  Just send me an email and I’ll do my best to answer your question.

Making a Race Plan

Race day is in less than 2 weeks.  Now that the hard work is done, it’s time for me to start thinking about the details of race day and make a race plan.  Having a plan keeps me calm and helps me have a good race.  I Just have to remember, no matter how much I plan things, most likely I will deal with something that wasn’t in the “plan.”

Here’s my race plan for my first trail 35k:

Pre Race Breakfast – 1 egg, oatmeal with honey

Pace – I will start at a 10:00 min/mi pace.  It should be an easy effort.  I can slow down if I find it to be too fast. This is going to take a lot of focus for me. I hope to speed up the second half and finish with a negative split.

Hydration and Fuel -Fortunately, the race website has all the information I need to make my decisions about food and water.

Aid Station                               Distance       Total Distance

Folsom Point to Browns Ravine          3.5      3.5

Browns Ravine to Planeta                   3.0       6.5

Planeta to NY Creek                            4.3       10.8  (turn around)

NY Creek to Planeta                           4.3       15.1

Planeta to Browns Ravine                  3.0       18.1

Browns Ravine to Folsom Point          3.5       21.6

Total Mileage 21.6

Hydration –  I’m still debating whether I will carry about 30 oz of water in my pack and stop once (at the turn around point) to refill my pack or if I will carry 50 oz of water and not stop to refill, but to drink at each station.  I’ll talk to a few of my friends who have run this distance and then I’ll make up my mind.

Nutrition –   I’ve been training with PB & honey sandwiches.  I will pack 2 halves and a quarter in my Spibelt and put a Larabar in my pack.  While refilling I can grab some of the sandwich pieces from the aid station.

Each half sandwich is about 200 calories.

I will start to eat about ½ hour into the race to make sure I don’t fall behind.

I will eat ¼ of a sandwich every 30 mins.

I will take 1 salt tablet every hour.

Additional details:

Wake Up Time:  __6;00am_____    (Sleep as late as you possibly can).

I lucked out on this race.  The starting line is about 15 minutes from my house.  I’m planning on sleeping to the last minute and then enjoy the short commute.  I will arrive an hour before start time.

Early Morning 30-minute run?   Yes / No  (Find safe location)

I’ll warm up for about 10 minutes before the race.  I won’t be going out fast since this is a 35k.

Check In / Registration Tasks?  Yes / No  (Get done early)

I registered on line and I’ll pick up my race bib that morning.

Dinner Reservations?   Yes / No  (Better to have a space at an early time if required.)

I’ll eat at home.  I typically do not eat out the night before a race since I have a sensitive tummy.  My pre-race dinner is to be determined.

Race Gear Laid Out?    Yes / No  (Want this done pre-sleep so you can wake & go.)

I will lay out all my gear including making my PB & honey sandwiches and filling my hydration pack.

I will charge my watch the night before.

I’ve decided to run with music.

My Goals:

I recently read in Runner’s World that it’s a good idea to set up a few different goals.

On a good day, I will go out slower than I am used to and I will finish my first 35k.  These are my main goals.

On a great day, I will finish in 3 hours 47 mins.(10.5 min/mi pace)

On an awesome day, I will finish in 3 hours 36 mins (10 min/mi pace)

Words I will tell myself when it gets tough:

I’m well trained.

I can do this!

I’m going to do this!

Pain is temporary!

(Yep, I can sound like a broken record at times.  Hopefully I will feel strong and have a great race that I won’t need to use any encouraging words.)

Thanks to Active.com and Runner’s World for some of their ideas.  If you’d like to see Active’s race plan you can click on the link:

http://www.active.com/running/articles/the-ultimate-marathon-race-plan?page=2

Do you make a race plan for each race?

Update…..Week 8………How I taper

It’s time to taper!  I’m in week 8 of my 10 week plan and I couldn’t be more excited.  My legs have been working hard.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve felt them burn a few times which is when they are becoming stronger, getting used to new distances.  And, the hills in the area have definitely helped me become stronger. My legs feel good and are now ready for a rest.  A few weeks back, I wasn’t sure I was ready to run a 35k, but I kept training, putting in the hard work and hoping for the best.  I made it to the taper phase.

By tapering, I allow my body the chance to rest and recovery which will make me feel refreshed and strong for race day.  I want to the benefits of tapering, but sometimes I have a hard time with tapering.  I get used to a certain amount of mileage/workouts each week, and I crave them.  I admit, there are times when I tend to feel a bit antsy during the taper phase. 

I saw this shirt……..Apparently I’m not the only one that gets antsy during the taper phase.

My taper phase will last 3 weeks.  During this time, I will still continue to train; however, my mileage will be reduced.  In addition, to these running miles, I also cycle to cross train twice a week.  My cycling miles will also be reduced.

Last Build week – 33 miles

Taper week 1 – 25 miles

Taper week 2 – 18 miles

Taper week 3 – 8 miles + RACE!!!

In addition to reducing my mileage and trying to relax, I also need to finalize my plan for fuel/hydration and for my race pace.

My fuel and hydration plan will come from what I’ve learned during my most recent long runs.  This is where I practiced what I thought would work for race day.  in fact, I’ve learned so much over the last 6 weeks!  I won’t try anything new on race day.  I will also take into consideration what will be offered at the aid stations since this will be the first race that I may actually stop and grab something to go.

My race pace will be based on what I was running for my long runs.  I will be able to speed it up a little bit.  Since this is a new distance for me, I will start with a pace that is really comfortable.  For me, the challenge will be at the beginning of the race.  Since I’m used to shorter races where I’m able to go out fast, I know that I need to hold back .  With a long race, if I go out too fast, I will run out of energy before the end of the race.

I have a few weeks to finalize my plan.  I’ll keep you posted.

If you want to read more about tapering, here is a good article to check out:

http://running.about.com/od/distancerunningtips/a/howtotaper.htm

Do you taper?

The Torture Band

As a runner, I am constantly moving my legs and hips back and forth.  When you add in my cycling, my legs have become very efficient at moving back and forth.  In fact, my leg muscles and the muscles in my hip area have become strong.  However, since all of this motion is back and forth, it’s possible I’m creating an imbalance in my hip area that can lead to injury.

To prevent injury, I know that I need to work on strengthening the muscles that help move my legs from side to side (lateral activities).  I continue to do some of the lateral exercises that I learned in physical therapy.  I use a torture band, otherwise known as a resistance band.  I walk a few different ways strengthening muscles in my hip area that are so weak.  Let me tell you, this burns!  However, the more I do the exercises and strengthen the weak muscles, the less pain I feel.

It’s amazing how much pain (burn) I feel from this little resistance band

I have used both a tube type resistance band and a flat type.  Either type will work.  And, I don’t spend much time doing these exercises.  A quick 10 minutes a few times a week is a great addition to my overall fitness.

Right now, I’m in need of a new resistance band.  I broke my first one awhile back and then recently snapped another one.  At first I thought, “Wow, my legs and hips must be getting really strong!”  Then I realized it had nothing to do with my strength. The band had become brittle and snapped.  This time I won’t keep my resistance band in the garage (it gets hot here!).

In addition to using the resistance band, I also do a simple leg lift to help strengthen hip muscles.

Not only are lateral exercises helpful, but I also find that it is helpful to stretch out the hip area.  My favorite stretch is the pigeon stretch.  This is definitely an area that gets tight for me.  http://beta.active.com/health/articles/pose-of-the-month-pigeon-pose

Do you use a resistance band?

What kind of exercises or stretches do you do that provide a lateral (side to side) motion?

My 5 Favorite Snacks

I’ve always been one to eat a snack between meals, but when I’m training hard, my snacks become even more important.  I’m constantly thinking about how I’m going to fuel my body.  I try to get as much protein and carbohydrates as I can with healthy choices.  I try to keep everything organic and if anything comes out of a package, I try to make sure there are very few ingredients.

Snacks have become an important part of my food intake since I eat about 3 snacks a day.  If I am expecting my body to perform well while running, then I need to give it the proper fuel.

The choices are endless, but here are 5 of my favorite, always on hand, healthy snacks:

 Homemade Granola (berries on top are a plus!) The recipe can be found here:  http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/04/recipe-granola-bars-cereal/

An organic cheese with a piece of fruit

 Apple slices  or a banana and peanut butter

 Almonds and walnuts with any type of berry
 Larabar (peanut butter cookie)

Do you want more ideas?  Lisa from 100 days of Real Food (http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/31/85-snacks-for-kids-and-adults/ ) has compiled a list of 85 healthy snacks.  Now you don’t have any reasons not to find a healthy snack to fuel your body!

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

How many snacks a day do you eat?