10 Mile Race on Sunday!

 

Well, I am about to run my first race in almost a year this Sunday! I’m pretty excited about it which is a great feeling. You know I don’t race often so having this excited race feeling is making it really fun for me!

Although I did not train specifically for the City Manager’s 10 mile race, I have been making sure to taper this week. I have been following my taper week plan from last spring’s half marathon to ensure I don’t overdo anything. I know I can run the 10 mile race distance no problem so with an easy week, I should be good to go with plenty of energy.

The weather:

The weather for this Memorial Day weekend was not looking too good although the forecast is improving. I certainly don’t need abundant sunshine and warm temperatures anyway! Overcast skies would actually be perfect for the race.

The race takes place down in Long Beach which can give you a cool breeze since it’s by the ocean BUT provides zero shade which means it can be really hot and sunny too. I am really hoping for the cloudy skies, that’s for sure.

The plan:

We are dealing with a flat course with a portion of the race on the boardwalk. I will absolutely start out easy for a mile or two just like I would for a half marathon. Somewhere around an 8:00 minute mile will be just perfect.

Starting out too fast will only backfire and I know this. So once I ease in, I intend to pick up my pace and try to hold steady until mile 8 and then give what I have left.

The best part about a 10 mile race is that it ends at 10 miles!

When I ran this race in 2014, I finished right under 1:23. It was a super hot and sunny day for that race so hopefully I can go faster this year as the weather should be more forgiving.

I would think that if I am having a good day, 1:20 or less is doable but I won’t freak out if I am over 1:20 because I really don’t get hung up on these things. Just showing up and doing the best I can on race day is more than enough.

The fuel:

I always eat breakfast before a race (oatmeal and banana). I’ve gotten in the habit as of late of NOT needing a Hammer Gel for my long runs so I am a little curious to see if I feel the need to open one half way through this race.

Laura tells me that I can probably do it without the mid-run fuel but I plan to bring a Hammer gel with me plus some jelly beans as another option. Jelly beans used to be my mid-run fuel of choice. They are easy to pop into your mouth and may be just enough for me for this race. At least I will have the option!

I will check in early Sunday morning before I leave for the race to share my taper workouts from the week. Enjoy the long weekend!

Of Interest:

What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run

My 5 Basic Tips For Running Your Next Half Marathon

[bctt tweet=”10 mile race this Sunday!! #longbeach #running #race #10miles #weekend #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Any big plans for the weekend? Anyone else running a race?

How is the weather looking by you for the weekend?

Ever run a 10 mile race?

 

Memorial Day Weekend Sentence Per Picture

 

When you stop for ice cream at Marvel the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend and realize it’s still light enough to take an outdoor picture, you know that summer has arrived even though the calendar says technically not yet.

And no, it’s not a typo – I totally meant Marvel, not Carvel! Marvel has been in business forever, it’s a landmark in Lido Beach.

Friday night’s ice cream by the beach is probably what triggered my real desire to wake up Saturday morning and head back to the boardwalk to run.

One of my favorite parts of running at the beach is packing my oats in a jar to enjoy on a bench when I am finished.

I think I am getting old because with every year that passes, I appreciate the views of the ocean and where I have lived all of my life even more than the year before.

I am becoming a regular at Chopt – I just wish they had more roasted veggies in the toppings selection.

I thought who I was getting to Citifield early Saturday night so that we could grab food, walk around and be in our seats in time for the special ceremony honoring the 1986 World Series champion team but I quickly realized that everyone else had the same idea.

We waited ONE HOUR just to enter Citifield – this picture was from the back of the line!

The Citifield food choices are overwhelmingly delicious (remember my post on what I ate when we had luxury suite seats?) but I knew before getting there that I was going with pizza.

It was our second Mets game of the year but my first ice cream sundae in a helmet for the season.

Let’s not discuss that they were out of hot fudge.

I may be a Yankees fan but I have no issue taking my son to Mets games — I especially enjoy the evening baseball games during the summer.

I spent so much of the long weekend driving all over the place to take my son to three Bar Mitzvah parties that I felt like I deserved a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee < – when did the price get so high for a medium iced coffee?!

The iced coffee kept me calm while sitting in crazy standstill traffic which had a lot of to do with everyone attempting to get to the beach, not just for lounging but to view the Memorial Day weekend air shows. They closed off the parkways heading south once the beach parking lots were full so all of the cars being rerouted ended up with me. Lovely.

When you get out of the shower and hear a lot of noise coming from your kitchen, you know your child is up to something.

I found him in the kitchen mixing up waffle batter following a recipe he found on pinterest. I get nutty when someone else is making a mess in my kitchen but since he waited for me to turn the waffle iron on, I stayed calm.

Yesterday was a rainy day (at least in the morning) so I had to run indoors on the treadmill and stare at our pool which opened this weekend but I didn’t have time to spend hanging out there just yet – hopefully next weekend!

It’s Tuesday today, don’t forget it’s Tuesday. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”weekend sentence per picture #citifield #weekend #MDW #icecream #marvel #longbeach” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

3 things you did over the weekend?

Favorite place for iced coffee?

What’s on the workout agenda for today?

Rosh Hashanah & Weekend Stuff

 

If you are looking for me this morning, I will be seated in temple for Rosh Hashanah services, most likely with one hand on the prayer book pretending to be following along with my other hand attempting to cover my son’s mouth to keep him quiet.

In the meantime, some weekend highlights:

We went to Red Mango under the assumption that we would both order the acai bowl but then I walked in and craved my favorite parfait instead.

These stunning Chanel shoes are a want not a need but I am working on rationalizing them into a need not just a want.

I mean, if I wear black to my son’s Bar Mitzvah they may be the perfect heel height and I am the mother of the Bar Mitzvah boy which means it’s basically my affair and sort of on par with a wedding day so a special shoe with a rhinestone star is necessary.

You may be starting to recognize the salad I order at the East Bay Diner– love the combination of portobello mushrooms with avocado.

I also love the onions but remove them to avoid having the onion taste in my mouth for three days following their consumption.

Amanda asked me the other day if the leaves have started to fall in New York yet and I told her no but then I ran through a pile of leaves during my long run on Saturday so I suppose I need to revise my response.

When we decided to head to Long Beach on Saturday after my long run and after my post-run meal, I knew I would need more to eat before walking the boardwalk so I made a mini oats-in-a-jar to tide me over until lunch.

Any excuse to eat another round of oats in a jar, you know?

The blogger in me found a photo opportunity while the four of us were walking so I stopped us for a picture.

I was in my “walking shoes” and the only one not wearing Nike.

Salad ordering tip: Once you pick the salad you want from the menu, check out the ingredients of the other salads and select one to have the waitress add to your order. I picked the grilled onions from another salad because grilled onions are tasty and do not leave the onion taste lingering for days.

I made what I thought was the smart decision in terms of cooking for Rosh Hashanah in that preparing all of the side dishes should happen yesterday morning because I have more will power around roasted vegetables in the morning versus the afternoon.

But I couldn’t really resist the roasted sweet potato, butternut squash and acorn squash pan which I drizzled with pure maple syrup and honey < – sweet new year right here.

My Rosh Hashanah food prep looks a lot like what my Sunday food prep would be if I actually did a Sunday food prep each week.

Roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted fall veggies, quinoa and roasted potatoes.

It’s important to note that cutting up the butternut squash yesterday brought my heart rate to a higher level than running does even though I softened that sucker in the microwave first but it was worth it, everything was delicious.

The only picture I managed during dinner was of the barely remaining brisket (or do you call it pot roast) not that I ate it because I don’t eat meat anymore but truthfully, even before I went meatless, I was never a fan which I suppose goes against my religion.

Time for me to get this day moving so that we arrive at Temple on time (and get a seat in the back to avoid annoying other congregants), enjoy your Monday and your holiday if you celebrate 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Rosh Hashanah and Weekend Stuff #jewishnewyear #roshhashanah #foodprep #weekend”]

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Which sneakers do you reserve for walking around?

Do you food prep each week? What did you prepare for this week?

Favorite fall squash?

 

 

July 4th weekend/workout recap

I don’t want to confuse you or anything but I am about to share my workout recap today, which is Monday, rather than yesterday, which was Sunday.

I gave myself a holiday weekend break from my usual Sunday morning posting so let’s take a quick look at my workouts and combine them with some July 4th highlights — it was a great weekend 🙂

Monday – Pure Barre Studio Series DVD & 30 Minutes Elliptical

Tuesday – 10 Miles

I completed Lisa’s twist on my negative split workout which had me running in a 3-2-1 pattern.

I ran that negative spit pattern three times and added a cool down mile at the end.

Such a fun and challenging way to complete 10 miles!

Wednesday – Pure Barre Mile High DVD & 3 Recovery Miles

Thursday – 8 Miles

Loved this speed workout!

• 2 miles – > warm up
• 4 miles -> .50 mile speed/.50 mile recovery
• 1 mile – > speed
• 1 -> cool down

The mile splits do not show the real picture/give enough credit to how hard I was pushing during the half miles of speed– I was really proud of my effort.

Friday – Pure Barre 60 Minute Online Workout & A Few Recovery Miles

I made the decision to order Pure Barre’s new online 60-minute workout. For $19.99, I have access to the video for one year from any device.

60 minutes is now the longest Pure Barre at-home routine I have yet it didn’t feel so long.

I really liked it but still need to do this workout a few more times before really giving my opinion.

With my workout for the day complete, I was ready for the long holiday weekend to begin.

After sitting by the pool for a bit, we went for lunch at the Premiere Diner, although I ordered my favorite diner breakfast–baked oatmeal.

The diner only makes one batch of the baked oatmeal in the morning so there’s always that chance they run out by noon but I got really lucky. With a side of warmed milk, oh it’s just so good!

Another gorgeous Friday night down at Prime (or should I say “up” at Prime since it’s considered the north shore?)

Saturday – 13.25 Miles

I ran 9 miles on my own (the 3-2-1 negative split method again from Lisa) and then my favorite fitness pal joined me for the last 4 miles.

My shoes are so dirty! I can’t even look at them.

We spent the rest of the day on the south shore, first by my parents for lunch where I combined vegetable cream cheese with a cinnamon raisin bagel because the craving told me to do so.

Our Saturday night plans were in the same neighborhood where I grew up and provided a backyard view of the Jones Beach fireworks show.

Living on the island (Long Island, that is) is just the best, especially in the summer.

I could do without humidity hair although but I guess it’s part of spending your night out on the water.

:.

Can we discuss dessert for a minute?

Someone made this m&m cake which, after searching for it on pinterest, is technically referred to as a piñata cake.

You somehow bake the cake with a pile of mini m&m’s in the center so that when you cut it open, they come pouring out. It was so cool!  

I want to make a cake like this only I want to bake it from scratch with layers of frosting between the cake layers and of course, frost the outside of the cake with chocolate fudge.

The only issue with a chocolate frosting and m&m’s is that the chocolates may clash in flavor in which case, maybe we go with a whipped cream frosting. Yes, I have given this a lot of thought since Saturday night.

Sunday – 60 Minute Pure Barre Video

After Pure Barre, my friend picked me up for a beach day down in Long Beach.

She even packed me fruit which I ate in the car before we arrived on the sand.

We walked the boardwalk, got our nails done (we both needed a manicure and getting it done yesterday meant not needing to find the time during the week), had lunch and relaxed.

So now it’s time for Monday which is never easy but hey, at least it isn’t snowing 🙂

[bctt tweet=”July 4th weekend highlights & workout recap #running #purebarre #weekend #Prime #longbeach #newyork #jonesbeach”]

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Did you have a nice weekend? Did you run a holiday race?

Have you ever made a piñata cake?

Favorite thing to order at a diner?

 

memorial day weekend & recipe links

 

I picked my son up from school the other day instead of having him take the bus and once again, just like last week, he talked me into going to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

Did I ever tell you his lunch period this year has him eating the midday meal at 9:45 am?!

I am all for eating according to when you are hungry and not going by the clock to determine your mealtime but, um, lunch before 10:00 am?

Now you understand why he is ready for dinner as soon as the last bell of the school day rings!

As for me, I am always up for my favorite salad so if you are looking for someone to dine with you randomly in the late afternoon, I am your girl.

It’s finally Friday (this week went sort of fast yet sort of slow for me) which means the long weekend is here!

I have yet to decide if I am running the Long Beach 10-miler Sunday morning. Nothing like the last minute, right?

I am going to finalize my plan this morning but part of me is now leaning towards NO and here’s why:

I want to enjoy my weekend. I don’t want a 10 mile race on my mind tomorrow when I am out for lunch and dinner because I would have to be overly mindful of what I am eating in fear of stomach issues while running Sunday morning in the beach heat.

Not to mention, I have plans Sunday (assuming the weather is nice enough which I think it should be) to spend the day at the beach which is not exactly ideal for me after running 10 miles in the beachy morning sun.

More than ready for this view again!

I am all for running races but sometimes my social life is just more important. I don’t want to run a race just to run it, I want to give it all I have and I am not feeling it (I don’t think) for this weekend.

I will certainly keep you posted!

While none of my weekend plans require me to cook, I did put together a bunch of recipe links just in case you are looking for something to bring to a Memorial Day barbeque….

 

 

Paleo And Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Kettle Corn Grilled Sweet Potatoes

20 Delicious Things To Eat On Memorial Day

59 Vegetarian Recipes That Are Perfect For Picnics

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa Salad

Apple Peanut Butter Pie Hummus <- so good!

Peach Salsa Guacamole <- super easy!

Blueberry Breakfast Cookies <- really want to make these, they look delicious

Peanut Butter & Berry Quinoa <- red, white, and blue festive for the holiday!

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Layer Bars

Super Easy Blueberry Crisp

 

Have a great weekend!

[bctt tweet=”Memorial Day weekend & recipe links #recipes #memorialday #holidayweekend”]

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What time do you normally eat lunch?

Three things on your agenda for the weekend?

 

I Ran A Great Race But Not Ready For Summer To End

 

I didn’t get a trophy this year but I must say, I was really pleased with the race so let’s discuss….

I got real lucky that it didn’t rain during the race.

I say lucky because the drizzling on my windshield as I drove to the race suddenly reminded me that I completely forgot to bring my Lulu rain jacket which I specifically bought for running in the rain.

Who forgets their rain gear especially when the last minute registration for this race was mainly because I was monitoring the forecast which was calling for a good chance of rain/thunderstorms?

After I picked up my number (and t-shirt) I headed to the slippery boardwalk for a the start.

I love taking a sneaker shot as we wait in the corrals for the race to begin.

Let’s talk corrals for a moment.

As I stood somewhere behind the 7:00 min/mile pace sign, I decided that corrals should be like shoes and offer us a half size.

I can’t wear a seven and the eight is usually too big (except in sneakers, then you always size up) therefore they make the 7 1/2 shoe size for the people in between.

I am the people in between the  7:00 min/mile and the 8:00 min mile.

I contemplated starting myself in the 8:00 min/mile group just so I didn’t go out too fast but I have learned I am better to pace myself in the seven’s and drop back if I have to because, and pay close attention to my thought process here as it is hard to explain,

If I do start faster and need to slow down, my slow down pace is still faster than if I start slower and continue at that slower pace.

And starting at a slower pace which may save my legs a little bit never gets me to speed up to the fast that occurs when I start faster.

Do you follow me?

Anyway…

I ran the boardwalk so many times this summer that I felt comfortable and ready…well, aside from my right hamstring being sore from doing a Pure Barre DVD the day before.

Can you believe it? I haven’t been sore since the first class; of all times to get sore from lifting, toning and burning.

The sore hamstring thing was in the back of my mind because I honestly never run with discomfort and I didn’t want to hurt myself. I loosened up as best I could and figured if it truly hurt, I would slow down or just stop.

Mile One:

I stayed towards the left side of the boardwalk knowing my feet were more comfortable on those planks, especially when wet. I felt good going pretty fast mainly because I knew that the faster I run the boardwalk portion, the faster we exit for the streets.

Boardwalk miles are endless miles.

The race clock said my first mile was around 7:22 (my GPS said 7:17).

I was at least 30 seconds slower than last year which was a good thing because last year I had wanted to die, throw up and never run again.

I have come to learn those feelings and negative thoughts are not what I want and only happen when I am going too fast for myself so I was really happy at this point to still feel normal.

Mile Two:

I started to feel a side-stitch developing so I slowed down for a bit just to make it go away which thankfully it did really quickly.

At this point I was hot and sweaty (it was already eighty degrees and humid) but I felt good and didn’t notice my hamstring at all.

Mile Three:

I barely remember much here but I know I skipped the water stop because I wasn’t thirsty and the race was short enough to really not need a drink.

I think I was starting to get into a groove which was making me happy.

By the 5k point I was somewhere around 23:30 which was just fine for me.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about last year’s finish time and trophy but decided it was okay to finish slower and certainly okay not to place especially since we have no idea who and how many other females in the age group were running versus last year.

Mile Four:

I realized I had power. I realized I was working hard but not konking out.

I realized that although I don’t often focus on speed work, I have increased my weekly mileage since last year’s race which has helped my endurance tremendously.

My average daily run these days is usually six miles so a five mile race was feeling comfortable in that I wasn’t completely burning out even though I was pushing myself pretty hard.

I kept telling myself that for every second I could keep up my pace or push it a bit more, the happier I would be to see a quicker time on the finish clock.

And, I knew I had it in me to give which was a nice feeling in the last mile.

I noticed in the last mile that I had been running with the same people from the start line which must have meant I paced myself fairly well.

I even pushed past two of the girls towards the finish line even though we were running pretty even in the last quarter of a mile.

The clock told me my time was 40:20 but I like to go by my GPS because it told me 39:47.

Whichever it is, I was really happy. I came in fourth for my age instead of second and I will take it because I worked hard, felt good and most importantly, enjoyed the race without any crazy why-do-I-run thoughts.

I was so sweaty that I became freezing which is a usual thing for me.

I always keep a sweatshirt in the car for races (along with watermelon, water and an oatmeal parfait in a cooler) so I headed to my car to get going.

I ate the watermelon immediately, stopped for coffee and went to my parent’s house to finish eating, shower and pick up my son.

My son and I picked up his best pal and we headed to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

I have decided that my ridiculous face in this picture is contemplating the idea of summer ending and shorts season quickly fading away.

I am just not ready to give up the shorts and the flip flops and have no intention of doing so.

I may become one of those people who continue to wear white after Labor Day or maybe I should get a job at Abercrombie where they dress in summer clothes and flip flops year round.

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When do you give up wear your summer clothes and flip flops?

Do you get cold after running? I always do!

What are your post-race necessities that you always bring with you?

Do you wear a half-size in shoes? Do you always size up in running shoes? I now size up a full size instead of just a half size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought Per Picture/Beach Weekend

 

Friday may have been all rainy and icky outside but the rest of the weekend was just fabulous.

View from the Allegria Hotel rooftop yesterday afternoon.

Last Monday I recapped the weekend with a thought per picture and I think I shall do it again.

My Pro Compression calf sleeves and I have become best friends fast.

.

After running 14.1 miles Saturday morning only to shower, eat and get ready for the beach, I made the smart decision to wear the compression sleeves until my feet hit sand.

I didn’t really care who looked at me and my polka-dotted calves while I waited online in Starbucks. I never jump back out the door so fast after a long run and wanted to ensure I felt as well and recovered as possible. Yes, the compression sleeves really do make a difference.

My friend has the only Blackberry left in America.

My stomach knows it is summer when Gino’s salads are back on my weekend lunch menu.

I always forget to say no olives. I don’t like olives but as I have gotten older, I have learned to suck it up and eat them rather than try to pick them all out.

Don’t worry, I still found time to squeeze in Red Mango although it wasn’t as easy since the Long Beach store closed which I don’t want to talk about since it upsets me more than I should admit.

Sunday morning I was lucky enough to have a friend accompany me for a boardwalk run.

If you are wondering if I have suddenly become a friendly runner looking to run and chat, that’s not exactly the case. I only ran with her for about half a mile until we parted workout ways but it’s fine because I made us both our own jars of oats and stuff as our post-workout breakfast on the beach.

You know she is a special friend when I not only share the oatmeal, greek yogurt and fruit from my kitchen but give up one of my empty peanut butter jars.

Since I don’t want to talk about the Red Mango location that closed in Long Beach, instead let’s discuss that I discovered yesterday that Tutti Frutti sells Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit as part of their wall of self-serve choices.

I went with Chloe’s Strawberry plus a plain tart yogurt mixed up with lots of berries, pineapple, granola and chocolate chips for a happy beach lunch.

It’s not Red Mango but when you crave a frozen fruity lunch or snack in the summer, this will work.

If you saw a spoon display you would take one of each like I did right? I mean, that’s why they leave them all out isn’t it? They can’t expect you to take just one.

I spent several waking hours both Saturday and Sunday lounging on the beach. When I wasn’t people watching (people either have no shame or no mirror) or chatting with my friends, I was reading Fitness Magazines.

This month’s issue was really terrific so I tried to locate a few of the links to the articles for you:

Seven Foods For Prettier Skin – absolutely agree based upon my own personal experiences with consuming these foods.

Surprising Stats About Sweat – interesting

Are You Too Healthy For Your Own Good? – great article about Orthorexia and one woman’s struggle with the not spoken about enough eating disorder.

Hope we all have an easy time adjusting to Monday. Not easy after a terrific summer weekend, is it.

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Do you still have a Blackberry?

Do you subscribe to magazines? Which ones?

Best thing you ate all weekend?

 

 

Thought Per Picture

 

Don’t let this scenic summer photo from Saturday’s long run on the boardwalk fool you.

The bright sunshine was relentless throughout the run and trying to find a shady spot was impossible to the point where if I ever run this route again in the summer, I am considering one of those umbrella hats and won’t care at all how funny I look.

My shadow makes the run look fun and effortless but that is a mirage.

Enjoying my post-run meal that I packed along with lemony water on a boardwalk bench after over thirteen miles makes life all unicorns again.

My giant magenta water bottle matches my sneakers.

Suddenly I started adding strawberry greek yogurt to the tops of my Red Mango parfaits which makes the yogurt kind of match my pink theme too.

I have always loved dining at Houston’s but don’t do it often enough anymore and really need to because dinner over the weekend was just terrific.

I also need more gigantic baked potatoes in my life this week, with the sprinkle of salt on the skin of the potato to keep my electrolytes balanced and happy.

Sitting on the beach on Sunday for relaxation purposes isn’t nearly as hot and sweaty as running at the beach Saturday morning.

I never come unprepared.

My first Acai bowl from a Long Beach food truck for lunch yesterday.

Acai blended up with I don’t know what like a smoothie topped with blueberries, bananas, granola, oatmeal and a drizzle of honey.

It is against the law to have a beach weekend without ice cream topped with sprinkles.

Just because you graduate elementary school doesn’t mean you are too old to fall asleep in the car.

Hope he is feeling refreshed for the first day of camp which starts today!

I expect him to arrive home today tired and dirty with remnants of cherry ice pop all over his mouth. That’s the sign of a happy camper.

Have a great Monday!

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Did you have a hot and sweaty run this weekend?

Ever been to Houston’s (or Hillstone)? Favorite dish to order?

Ever had an Acai Bowl?

Favorite toppings for baked potatoes? I always liked them plain.

Weekend Running Realizations

 

It’s Monday which means the first picture of the week will look like this:

I didn’t have enough time over the weekend to lounge at the beach but I did squeeze in a seven mile boardwalk run Sunday morning. Speaking of Sunday, hope you had a Happy Father’s Day.

Of course I brought my post-run breakfast to the beach with me.

My spoon matches my shoes.

I added some frozen banana chunks to the mix before leaving the house. I figured they would get all melty and add some new texture to the usual oatmeal combination. It was fun.

You know you are a foodie when frozen banana added to oatmeal is considered fun.

I even remembered to bring my sun visor with me.

Too bad I didn’t notice I was still wearing my sunglasses when I got out of the car to check that I had my visor on all pretty.

I hate running with sunglasses. Granted they are prescription which sure help me see, but still. I can’t deal with them sliding on my nose and getting sweaty.

Anyway, lots of miles this weekend means lots of random running realizations to discuss:

*Running by the beach is nice not just for the scenery and sounds of the ocean but because it is less humid and quite often offers a breeze.

Humidity makes me run slower. I realized this during Saturday’s long run which took place through my usual neighborhood loop.

The humid air is heavy which makes my legs feel heavy or at least makes it feel like my body needs more power to cut through the air in order to keep moving.

I will take humid summer air over the frigid fear of frost bite and dodging of ice runs from this past winter but it’s an adjustment.

*In the hours after a long run during the summer, I really can’t sit outside by the pool or the beach.

Even with all of the hydrating and refueling I do, I have noticed in the past that I will get dizzy, light-headed and shaky so I didn’t even bother on Saturday to attempt any time out in the sun, aside from my son’s Little League Championship game later in the day.

Little League Championship winners, thank you very much. I feel like I earned the trophy that came home just for sitting in the bleachers all season.

*I don’t really sweat until I stop moving.

As soon as I pause for a sip of water or to use the bathroom (so thrilled the boardwalk has decent bathrooms), the sudden release of sweat overcomes me.

I used to hate sweating, now I find the experience a cool release. No pun intended but sweating really is the body’s way of cooling in the form of releasing sweat.

Click here to learn why this happens.

*I spotted a father roller blading while pushing a jogging stroller on the boardwalk.

I need to locate my roller blades. I used to love to roller blade. Am I too old to skate around? I hope not.

On a side note, at what age are you too old to blast the radio and sing while you are driving with the sun roof and windows opened?

I just don’t see myself ever stopping. Will it matter when I am eighty and still want to belt out Debbie Gibson’s Only in My Dreams while driving? I say if I want to at that point, then why the heck not? Can’t I be a cool and hip senior citizen? Isn’t age just a number? Who said elderly has to been boring?

*I want to stop tracking my pace for long runs.

If long runs are all about endurance, I really should set out for two hours and leave the rest to fate.

I read this article over the weekend which stated 25 rules every runner should follow and one of them is the fact that you can’t run a long run too slow.

Saturday I was slow. Slow for me that is. I knew it was okay to be going slow but each mile and pace that chirped in my ear still bothered me.

I always like to hear that my average pace is falling somewhere in the eight minutes per mile range but that wasn’t happening on Saturday nor should it if I want to use my long runs for what they are meant for.

*Not only did I want to turn off MapMyRun on Saturday, I wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything. Not music, not the Dr. Joy Browne podcast, not even my own thoughts.

Sometimes I wish I could shut my head off and think about nothing.

Have you mastered this? Please tell me how to do it.

Running is great for exploring thoughts, brainstorming, sorting through problems and even developing recipes but sometimes, it would be nice to not to have anything to think about nor have some sudden realization you need to quickly write down before you forget it.

I am glad though that I turned on the Dr. Joy Browne podcast for the last three miles of my run on Saturday because she said something worth sharing with you today.

A caller was struggling with career choices and life decisions and she asked him what interests him, what he would choose as a career if he could do anything in the world without having to deal with the logistics and financials.

I quickly decided that I would be a cake taste tester.

Aside from being paid to eat cake, I actually think I am finally doing something that I love. Who knew writing would ever become my thing?

Some people get lucky and fall right into their true career path. Others require a journey to get there.

I suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood or something. I mean, I usually wear pink not red but this is the image I conjure up when I think about the journey get somewhere.

What career would you choose if you could do anything in the world?

*****

Do you wear sunglasses while running?

Rollerblading or Ice Skating? I like both but used to love to roller blade regularly as a form of exercise.

Last song you blasted in your car with the windows down?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Run, Beach Run and Podcasts

 

As promised, a picture from the beach yesterday.

Only difference this week is that I took the beach pictures while running.

How cool does the early morning boardwalk sun look in the sky?

I did a lot of running this weekend between Saturday’s long run (13.1 miles) and Sunday’s boardwalk run (7.50 miles).

I have a thing for taking pictures of my shadow. I don’t know why.

I also have a thing for cold oatmeal, greek yogurt, berries and peanut butter.

Totally portable, even on a hot day. I packed my favorite post-run combo in a disposable coffee cup with a lid, kept it in a cooler in my car and when I was done with my run, it was waiting for me to relax and enjoy on the boardwalk.

So Saturday’s long run was nice and relatively slow for me.

The good thing about a long run is that the focus is more on endurance and less on pace which was perfect for me Saturday morning since I woke up with my least favorite monthly visitor.

But hey, at least it arrives basically like clockwork now no matter how many miles I run these days.

I really felt fine (more to come later this week about how I helped myself to feel fine versus the bad cramps and crazy hormones from a few months ago) yet at the same time, my body was well aware of it’s guest.

As I ran at a comfortable pace, I thought back once again to the Fitness Magazine Half from April and reconfirmed with myself that racing under such hormonal conditions is just not advisable for me.

I can pace myself to run a routine run and feel perfectly fine but run a race during this time of the month where my speed would have to be almost two minutes faster per mile than Saturday’s average pace? No thanks. Not unless I want to feel sick and pass out.

Planning your race schedule around Aunt Flow could really be an unwelcome issue, that is, if I truly cared and desired to run a ton of specific races.

I don’t.

I love a good race but it means more to me to feel my best if I am going to pay money to run a course.

I read an interesting article over at Runner’s World about the people who love to run yet DON’T run races often, if at all.

I love seeing articles such as this to remind us that we can love to run without training for specific races.

You don’t need a race to run 13.1 miles.

You don’t always need to pay to run a course (hello, I just ran the Long Beach boardwalk yesterday for free yet paid twenty dollars two weeks ago to run the same stretch) nor do you need a race to make you high on endorphins and super sweaty.

Although if you want the race t-shirt, you at least need to sign up in order to pick up the race expo goodies.

I wore the Fitness Magazine half shirt yesterday because I wanted to keep my back and shoulders as covered as possible to avoid too much sun exposure while running at the beach.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, that would be the Lulu Pace Setter skirt and yes you can even fit a tampon in the inside front pocket.

Can we discuss my recent shift in listening pleasure while running?

During my long runs as well as any other run where I don’t need Pitbull’s fast lyrics to keep me moving faster, I have started turning off the music in favor of listening to Podcasts.

Not fitness related, not diet related…more like general life related discussions.

I actually can’t stand too much fitness or diet talk.

Cake talk is always welcomed but healthy lifestyle food and fitness chat, like no. Overkill.

Do you know Dr. Joy Browne? She is the best.

I used to listen to her on the radio for years and I recently discovered I can listen to her shows via podcast.

What I love about her therapy sessions is that you get to hear a diverse range of people (male, female, young, middle-aged, elderly) calling with a wide range of problems (relationships, school, career, weight, health, interpersonal, intrapersonal, divorce, children) and the best part- she calls everyone cookie and I really like cookies.

Sometimes you hear a caller with an issue similar to something you are currently going through and sometimes it is totally unrelated yet I have found Dr. Joy’s advice to be universal in application.

What I took away from this weekend’s therapy session:

*Expectations say everything about you and nothing about the person you are placing the expectations on. And, most of the time, your expectations haven’t been communicated or verbalized.

*Everyone interprets what they hear through their own stimuli, which means, you hear what you want to hear based upon your experiences. On this same thought, what you say may not be interpreted the way you meant it to be heard.

*You cannot control anyone else’s actions or reactions but your own. No one can make you feel the way you do. You are in charge of you and your emotions.

*Cheerful and stupid – the best approach to take when dealing with difficult people or situations.

Now go ahead about think about all of this while I go eat breakfast.

Have a terrific Monday!

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Do you plan your race schedule far in advance?

Do you listen to Podcasts? Which ones do you enjoy?

Best dessert you ate this weekend?

If you went to Blend, please tell me about it!