Wednesday, January 4, 2012
New years resolution?
New Years brings many different resolutions, promises, wishes, goals, changes, etc, etc, etc. I never get into New Years resolutions too much, because I’ve always been under the mind frame that you don’t need a holiday to make a resolution, or you don’t need a holiday to make a change. The way I see it, New Years resolutions fall under the same category as diets. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about – I’ve heard it many times – “oh yeah, I need to lose weight, I’m starting a diet on Monday” or “I’m going on a diet the first of the month.” Why? Once you have determined something that you want to change, why not get started right away? Ok, I’m getting off track. Anyway, I’m not making any New Years resolutions because I like to set goals and make changes whenever applicable, not just one day a year. However, I do want to challenge myself to a challenge! I’ve seen/read about different challenges that some of my friends are doing. One of my friends Nancy (see blog) is doing a abb/strength training challenge. Chris’s Cross Country team is doing a mileage challenge. I’ve decided that I want to do a January Hours Challenge with myself (but obviously feel free to join!). For the past couple years I’ve recorded probably 90-95% of all of my workouts. I almost always record the workout duration, and sum up weekly and/or monthly totals to see how much time I spent working out. One of my friends Sev really got me hooked to tracking hours as opposed to miles…which by the way, you should too, but that’s an entirely different discussion. Anyway, I’m going to log as many hours as I can this month, and see what that amounts to! I know ahead of time it’s not going to be anything ridiculously crazy, because I also have 5 hundred bajillion other things going on and that I’m responsible for (like my job)…but I’m going to take this challenge seriously and do the best that I can. Yes, that will probably mean less chair time, less TV time, and less computer time, but it will be good for me! Stay tuned. I will update weekly with my total hours logged, how my body is feeling, and what kind of workouts I did. Sometimes I need an incentive, no matter how small, to kick my butt into gear. Maybe you do too. I challenge you to challenge yourself.
Old shoes? DO something with them!
Apparently it is convenient to stop in Houston when flying from Detroit to Seattle (it’s on the way, right?) so I get to spend most of my day sitting in an airplane anxiously awaiting the next five days that I get to spend with my boyfriend. Knowing this ahead of time, I was sure to pack lots of reading material. I packed a couple books and the latest Triathlete magazine that was graciously given to me in my bag of Christmas presents from the Inch’s. I’ve paged through Triathlete magazines before, but never realized how much reading material they contain! This single magazine kept me busy during the entire 2.5 hour flight from Detroit to Houston. Not only was I glad to have something to do, but it also kept me distracted by the situation I was dealing with; super obese man whose rolls engulfed half of my seat. His stomach made my arm rest turn into the middle of a fat sandwich. Yeah, you get the picture. I was a little uncomfortable, but still thankful that I got a seat on the severely overbooked flight. Anyway, this magazine was filled with great info, but there is one thing particularly that I want to share:
New Uses for Your Old Kicks
If you’re replacing your running shoes at a healthy rate of every 3-5 months, you’ve probably amassed quite a collection of “painting sneakers.” Put your shoes to good use anddonate them to one of these programs.
Shoe4Africa will take shoes with at least 100 miles left on them to be used for the prevention of hookworm and to promote health and fitness programs in Africa. Learn how to ship your shoes at Shoe4Africa.org
Nike Reuse a Shoe recycles every part of the shoe: The rubber of the outsole is melted down for running tracks, the upper fabric goes into padding under basketball courts and the foam from the midsole is used on tennis courts. Find drop-off locations at Nikereuseashoe.com
Started in 2004 after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, Soles4Souls collects new and used shoes to help with crisis relief and eliminating poverty. Find drop-off locations at Soles4souls.org
You can donate the shoes you just raced in (you’ll receive a pair of replacement flip-flops) to Give Your Sole, an organization that gives moderately worn shoes to local shelters in the town of half and full marathons. Giveyoursole.com
Ask if your local running store has a shoe donation program. Many will often partner with an organization. More programs can be found at Recycledrunners.com
I didn’t know about any of these programs and I am really excited to visit their websites and send off my old shoes! I am extremely lucky to be able to be a part of the Runners World shoe testing, which basically involves getting free pairs of brand new not-yet-released shoes, running in them, and then evaluating them. However, this program has completely turned me into a shoe hoarder. Every runner knows that you only run in one pair of shoes at a time (for the most part), so what do I do with 15 pairs of running shoes? After receiving a new pair of shoes, I always run in them right away to make sure I can give a thorough evaluation. After I’ve put 15-20 miles on them, I decide if I like running in them, or if I don’t care to ever run in them again. If I don’t like the way the feel or the way they fit, I put them in another category; “to walk around in”, “to wear grocery shopping”, “to wear to the pool”, “to wear with certain outfit”, “to get dirty”, “to get rid of asap”. As you can probably tell by all of my categories, I have way more shoes than I need. I usually have a hard time parting with running shoes; however after reading about these different organizations that send shoes to people in need, I can’t wait to get rid of them! I urge you to do the same.
New Uses for Your Old Kicks
If you’re replacing your running shoes at a healthy rate of every 3-5 months, you’ve probably amassed quite a collection of “painting sneakers.” Put your shoes to good use anddonate them to one of these programs.
Shoe4Africa will take shoes with at least 100 miles left on them to be used for the prevention of hookworm and to promote health and fitness programs in Africa. Learn how to ship your shoes at Shoe4Africa.org
Nike Reuse a Shoe recycles every part of the shoe: The rubber of the outsole is melted down for running tracks, the upper fabric goes into padding under basketball courts and the foam from the midsole is used on tennis courts. Find drop-off locations at Nikereuseashoe.com
Started in 2004 after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, Soles4Souls collects new and used shoes to help with crisis relief and eliminating poverty. Find drop-off locations at Soles4souls.org
You can donate the shoes you just raced in (you’ll receive a pair of replacement flip-flops) to Give Your Sole, an organization that gives moderately worn shoes to local shelters in the town of half and full marathons. Giveyoursole.com
Ask if your local running store has a shoe donation program. Many will often partner with an organization. More programs can be found at Recycledrunners.com
I didn’t know about any of these programs and I am really excited to visit their websites and send off my old shoes! I am extremely lucky to be able to be a part of the Runners World shoe testing, which basically involves getting free pairs of brand new not-yet-released shoes, running in them, and then evaluating them. However, this program has completely turned me into a shoe hoarder. Every runner knows that you only run in one pair of shoes at a time (for the most part), so what do I do with 15 pairs of running shoes? After receiving a new pair of shoes, I always run in them right away to make sure I can give a thorough evaluation. After I’ve put 15-20 miles on them, I decide if I like running in them, or if I don’t care to ever run in them again. If I don’t like the way the feel or the way they fit, I put them in another category; “to walk around in”, “to wear grocery shopping”, “to wear to the pool”, “to wear with certain outfit”, “to get dirty”, “to get rid of asap”. As you can probably tell by all of my categories, I have way more shoes than I need. I usually have a hard time parting with running shoes; however after reading about these different organizations that send shoes to people in need, I can’t wait to get rid of them! I urge you to do the same.
Christmas dinner :)
Ok, I just have to share with you all my Christmas dinner! My dad was going for the whole quality vs. quantity theme this year, and I think he really nailed it.
-Freshly sliced tomato and spinach topped with a grilled Salmon filet
-Tomato-cucumber-parsley quinoa tabbouli (added to favorite recipes!)
-Roasted potatoes and roasted beets
-Leelanau Cellars Cranberry and Raspberry wine
Yum!!
 |  |
Merry Christmas!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The first half of my holiday break was spent at home with my parents. Sometimes I feel like Leelanau County is a whole different world in its own. There was one run in particular that I went on that kind of sums up what I’m trying to get at; on the 7 miles of paved roads that I ran on, I saw 1 truck, 3 horse back riders, and 17 turkeys. It’s not your typical scene, but it’s peaceful, homey, and keeps things interesting to say the least! I spent the first half of my break basically catching up on sleep and being lazy. It felt great, and fueled my itch to really jump back into a consistent training plan. One other thing that I did while I was home was bake, and more specifically experiment with baking! Here is one experiment that deemed itself successful:
Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Directions
If there is one thing that I’ve learned about my mom and cooking, it’s that she never follows the recipe. She told me that we had a Tupper Wear of homemade applesauce in the freezer and to use that to replace the majority of the butter that the cookies called for. Swap applesauce for butter? Sounds interesting. I used ¾ cup of applesauce (unsweetened) and ¼ cup butter.
Directions
If there is one thing that I’ve learned about my mom and cooking, it’s that she never follows the recipe. She told me that we had a Tupper Wear of homemade applesauce in the freezer and to use that to replace the majority of the butter that the cookies called for. Swap applesauce for butter? Sounds interesting. I used ¾ cup of applesauce (unsweetened) and ¼ cup butter.
Mixing it all together...
 |  |
Voilà!
The small amount of butter kept the cookies from sticking to the pan. The applesauce kept the cookies extremely moist, and also made them a little more dense. The pumpkin made the cookies taste delicious (because pumpkin is the best), and the oatmeal and the raisins gave the cookies a delicious hearty texture. Not only would I call this experiment successful, but I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone who is looking for a delicious, hearty, and healthy treat to make.
What to do with the left over canned pumpkin? Mix it with your oatmeal for breakfast! Delicious...
2012 in regards to triathlon.
My training has been about as consistent as Kim Kardashian’s relationships lately…but I’m not complaining. After completing my season last year with Lake Stevens 70.3 in August, and then an Olympic distance race one month later, I needed some serious time away from the sport. I was mentally burned out and my body was just exhausted all the time. I told myself I deserved a good month off. I could still workout, but only when I wanted to. On days that I couldn’t decide if I wanted to lay on the couch or go for a run, I would lay on the couch. For once, it felt wonderful to be a complete couch potato. My student teaching started, and before I knew it, my days were filled and I was back to the busy hustle and bustle that my life usually consists of. This “good month off” that I promised myself very quickly stretched into two….then three. I would sneak in workouts as much as I could, but every workout lacked structure.
Here are the positives:
-I gave my body a rest
-I gave my brain a rest
-I caught up on 3 years worth of sleep deprivation
-I discovered TV shows that are entertaining
-I had time to cook and discover new recipes
-I read
-I had time to make this website
-I made student teaching my biggest priority
Here are the negatives:
-It’s hard to get back into a schedule after taking time off
-I’ve started to look like a real couch potato
-Speed work is hard!
Here are the positives:
-I gave my body a rest
-I gave my brain a rest
-I caught up on 3 years worth of sleep deprivation
-I discovered TV shows that are entertaining
-I had time to cook and discover new recipes
-I read
-I had time to make this website
-I made student teaching my biggest priority
Here are the negatives:
-It’s hard to get back into a schedule after taking time off
-I’ve started to look like a real couch potato
-Speed work is hard!
This is what I look like curled up on the couch.
|  |
Whenever I make lists like this, I always make sure I have at least one more positive than negative. As you can see, that wasn’t an issue in this case. When I look at this list, I am perfectly content that I took the time off that I did.
So what does 2012 hold?
The New Year isn’t just going to bring in lots of champagne or kisses at midnight for me…it’s also going to be the beginning of my next set of training.
The first (planned) race that I will be doing after the long, dark, cold winter is going to be American Triple T. This race is very unique in many ways.
First…it’s a whole weekend of racing.
Friday evening: 250M swim, 5 mile bike, 1 mile run
Saturday morning: 1500M swim, 40K bike, 6.55 mile run
Saturday afternoon: 40K bike, 1500M swim, 6.55 mile run
Sunday morning: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run
Second…located in Portsmouth, Ohio, this race has some serious climbing. These hills are the kind where you would do anything to have a granny gear magically appear on your big chain ring. The bike course is pretty technical and very challenging. The run is entirely on a dirt two-track road…an out-and-back that literally goes uphill for 3.25 miles and then downhill for 3.25 miles.
Third…you have the option to do this race solo or as a “team”. Racing as a team means that the second two races you must race side by side with your teammate. I’ve competed (or shall I say finished) this race twice already. The first year I did as a team with my amazing training buddy and friend Emily Bolthouse.
So what does 2012 hold?
The New Year isn’t just going to bring in lots of champagne or kisses at midnight for me…it’s also going to be the beginning of my next set of training.
The first (planned) race that I will be doing after the long, dark, cold winter is going to be American Triple T. This race is very unique in many ways.
First…it’s a whole weekend of racing.
Friday evening: 250M swim, 5 mile bike, 1 mile run
Saturday morning: 1500M swim, 40K bike, 6.55 mile run
Saturday afternoon: 40K bike, 1500M swim, 6.55 mile run
Sunday morning: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run
Second…located in Portsmouth, Ohio, this race has some serious climbing. These hills are the kind where you would do anything to have a granny gear magically appear on your big chain ring. The bike course is pretty technical and very challenging. The run is entirely on a dirt two-track road…an out-and-back that literally goes uphill for 3.25 miles and then downhill for 3.25 miles.
Third…you have the option to do this race solo or as a “team”. Racing as a team means that the second two races you must race side by side with your teammate. I’ve competed (or shall I say finished) this race twice already. The first year I did as a team with my amazing training buddy and friend Emily Bolthouse.
Although the race had its ups and downs, we had a great time racing together and enjoyed ourselves enough to sign up for it again! The second year I participated in this race (last year) I raced solo. I can hardly say I raced though, because my IT band was so bad that even my walk looked like a gimpy hobble. My plan going into the weekend was to do every swim+bike and then drop out of the race for the run portion, knowing that the only place running could take place was in my wildest dreams. However, being the stubborn athlete that I am, once in the race, I put my head down and stayed determined to finish (even if it meant walking/hobbling the entire run course). Although the weekend was long, and the running portions of my races took just about double the time to complete, I learned a lotabout myself on that course and I am proud that I toughed it out…letting my ego get smashed into the gravel.
I’m not sure what compelled me to sign up again…oh wait, I do; one of my best friends Nancy said that she wanted to race as a team with me! Team Hoof Hearted will be destroying the course at Triple T this year and I can hardly wait J
Nancy just competed in her first Ironman this past fall and did amazing.
I’m not sure what compelled me to sign up again…oh wait, I do; one of my best friends Nancy said that she wanted to race as a team with me! Team Hoof Hearted will be destroying the course at Triple T this year and I can hardly wait J
Nancy just competed in her first Ironman this past fall and did amazing.
She is one of the most dedicated athletes I know, and I loved joining her on some of her long Ironman training workouts. She somehow juggled Ironman training, PT school, a boyfriend, friends, CMU tri club, and a billion other things that she does all at the same time. The most inspiring part about Nancy though, is that regardless of how many things she has on her agenda, she performs everything with a quality and level of excellenceunmatched by others.
Many adventures to look forward to! I can’t wait to see what all this new year brings…
Many adventures to look forward to! I can’t wait to see what all this new year brings…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)