a run through central park | new york

A few weeks ago I emailed my friend Ellie - one of my closest friends from college and former DC roommate - about visiting her in Brooklyn. Within a few hours, I'd picked out buses and started planning our weekend. What I didn't know is that Melanie and Pam - my two other closest girlfriends - were going to be in town the same weekend from Boston and Kansas City, respectively. The luck! I could hardly contain my excitement.

I rolled into town near Penn Station around 11:00pm on a drizzly, gray Thursday night. Ellie and I devoured slices at a local pizza joint and began the long trek back to Brooklyn.

Let me say that very time I visit New York, I spend the first 24 hours so enchanted by it that I start imagining my soon-to-be life there. When the clock strikes 36 hours, I remember how big it is. The city is ginormous, and it takes approximately forever to get anywhere. That's why bars stay open until 4am - it takes all night to get to a destination and the rest of the day to return home underground. NYC is grooming vampires, is my theory.

But back to the first 24 hours. We crashed around 1:00am, and for the first time in weeks I slept past 8:00am, and it was glorious! Forget the city that never sleeps, New York is the city of soundless sleep! Ellie and I hopped on the subway for a 45 minute trip to the Upper West Side, where I promptly fell head over heels in love with everything, but mostly with Central Park, luring me in for a run.

Since taking nearly a month off of running to recover from a stress reaction in my right tibia, I've been adhering to a vigorous training plan. I work out six days a week, but I only run on three of those and only on tracks and trails to protect that leg. Unfortunately, two weeks into training, the injury is back. I have another ortho appointment next week. I've been battling with myself over whether to keep training until then. I'd decided to stop, but when I knew I'd be near Central Park, I brought my running clothes anyway. 

I hemmed and hawed standing under shaded trees in the Park until I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not in New York very often, and it's Central Park - the world's most famous, beautiful urban park! I ran along a shaded path with rolling hills for about half a mile before cutting over to a track that runs around a reservoir. The track is soft - gravel and worn from the runners before me. I took it easy, stopping twice to snap photos of the incredible Manhattan skyline reflected in the water. The track is 1.58 miles around, bringing my total run to just over 2.5 miles back to where I started.

The weather was a breezy 70 degrees at 10am, my leg felt better than it had in weeks, and I had an entire weekend with friends I don't see often enough in front of me. I got lost in the views of skyscrapers and decided if I lived in New York, I'd run in Central Park every day. Or at least as often as I could commit to the commute.

whole30 challenge + a running injury

I have a confession to make: I haven't run in 3 weeks.

After my first race - the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, I was so sore I limped for two days. In the weeks preceding the race, I'd started to experience pain on the inside of my lower right leg. By the time I finished the race, I knew I couldn't ignore it anymore. But... I did. I gave myself a week to rest and let the pain subside, and then I took to the road again. I only got in a few more sporadic runs before I admitted defeat and made an ortho appointment.

The appointment was awful. I waited an hour to see the Dr. and finally picked up my bags to leave - I had to get back to work. As I walked out of the door, annoyed and upset that I was leaving without an answer or remedy for the pain, he walked in. He spent a grand total of 5 seconds looking and feeling my leg. I'm not exaggerating. And the first question he asked me was, "Do you have to run?"

He didn't order an X-Ray or an MRI. Instead, he told me in a monotone, rote way that I have a stress reaction, should take time off running, and that if I don't want to stop running, I need to take anti-inflammatory medication, ice it after every run, and see a physical therapist. I left nearly in tears - feeling as though he gave me a generalized diagnosis, not one specifically for me.

That said, I researched stress reactions, talked to other runners, and I feel confident that the diagnosis was correct. I learned that stress reactions are most often caused by taking on too much mileage before your body is ready and running hills before your body is ready. Guilty on both charges, I'll admit. (And if the pain returns, I'll definitely be seeing another ortho!)

While my leg heals, I've taken on swimming, and I love it. I've also gotten back into yoga. I plan to pick back up running this week or next week, and this time around, I want to be more disciplined about incorporating swimming and yoga in my cross-training routine.

I had planned to run two races this summer - the Biggest Loser 10k this upcoming weekend and the Annapolis 10-miler in late August. I won't even attempt the BL10k as Is haven't trained at all, but I still want to run in Annapolis. Honestly, I'm terrified. Building up to 10 miles wasn't as scary when I was running 6, but after nearly a month off running, with only 6-7 weeks to train, is it possible for me to be prepared? Annapolis is hilly, and I plan to primarily train this time around on tracks and trails. I'd love any advice from runners out there!

In preparation for Annapolis, and in the mindset of wanting to feel healthy all over - mind, body, and spirit - I've decided to take on the Whole30 challenge. Essentially, it's 30 days without sugar, processed foods, alcohol, grains, and dairy in your diet. Zander and I are doing it together, and I'm excited for it. We tend to eat only meat and vegetables during the week so that won't be too difficult. But the weekends! That'll be my trouble spot. Help keep me accountable?

I plan to blog about my Whole30 journey at least once a week and share a few recipes. Today, I'm going to share my favorite breakfast on-the-go recipe: a crustless quiche. It's easily made Paleo/Whole30 friendly. Enjoy!

Whole30 week 1: Crustless Quiche

ingredients

6 eggs 

1/4 cup milk (whole30: substitute almond milk or water) 

half pound bacon

large handful fresh spinach 

one small diced tomato (or 1/2 large)

1/2 diced medium onion 

pinch salt

teaspoon pepper

optional: cayenne & shredded cheese of your choice (omit for Whole30)  

steps
1. lightly grease a 9" pie pan
2. preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)
3. heat a skillet over medium-high heat
4. cook bacon until golden brown and crispy - drain excess fat on a plate lined with paper towels
5. drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease & lower heat to medium
6. saute onions and spinach until the spinach is wilted and the onions are translucent and aromatic
7. beat your eggs in a medium mixing bowl. add milk and spices
8. once cool enough, chop the bacon into small pieces
9. stir the bacon, onions, spinach, and diced tomatoes into the egg mixture
10. pour into the pie pan and bake approximately 30 minutes - until the eggs have set. If you plan to reheat pieces for work, feel free to remove from the oven 2 minutes early (slices will be reheated in the microwave)

capitol hill clasic 10K | race recap

I want to be one of those people who exclaim after a race how easy it was, comparatively, to the training for it, and how the miles flew by! Alas, I am not one of those people. The Capitol Hill Classic, my first ever race and first time running a 10k, was, I'll just say it, hard. It was hard!

I expected adrenaline to be the driving force, to have it carry me through much of the race. That was not the case. After the first 5 minutes or so, the adrenaline wore off, and it felt like any other run. Except on this run, I found it really difficult to distract myself and get out of my run and into my head. I made it a goal to run straight through to each of the water stops, placed at two mile intervals, and then to walk through those.

Miles 1-2 
I felt tired by the time I reached mile 1. I know myself and body enough to know that I wasn't tired at all, but I was focusing on my running instead of anything else. I kept hearing the runners around me, the crowds (that was nice, though!), and I struggled to find my groove. Mile 2 was better as I started to calm down and get into my zone.

Miles 3-4
Mile 3 was my best mile of the race. I got completely lost in my music and thoughts, and I'm pretty sure I fist-pumped my way around one bend in the road. Right around mile 4, it started to rain. It felt humid all morning, and the rain was a wonderful reprieve. Mile 4 was also my slowest and worst. I hit a wall, and I had to walk at two different points for short intervals. Mile 4 also had a decent-sized hill. I did some of my best running of the race on the hill but petered out once things flattened out.

Miles 5-6
The second I passed the 5 Mile marker, I felt a euphoria unlike anything I've ever experienced. Running highs are incredible, and I've experienced them occasionally in training runs, but this... oh wow. Oh wow! I knew when I saw that marker that I was going to finish, that I could do it, that I had already done most of it. I couldn't stop smiling. I knew that Zander, Matt, and Matt's boyfriend Ryan would be cheering me on at 5.5 miles. I used that as incentive and picked up my pace.

At the 6 mile marker, I thought I was done. I got emotional.... and then remembered 6.2. I still had a little ways to go. That last .2 sounded like the longest distance when I realized it. But when I rounded the corner and saw the finish line, I mustered up every bit of energy I had left in me, and I sprinted.

The finish 
I got emotional as I crossed the finish line. I bent over panting, and I had a silly stupid smile plastered on my face. I checked my RunKeeper app when I could breathe again. It was way off, saying I had run 6.6 miles at an 11:00 minute/mile pace. I met up with my friend Courtney and congratulated her for her PR.

Results 
I ran at an 11:28 minute/mile pace, which is close to what I anticipated. I don't know how I feel about it? But I guess I am a little disappointed. I'm glad I have a race under my belt, and I ran 85% of it. I didn't sleep well (at all, eek) the night before, and I've had a cold all week that I felt coming on Saturday evening before the race. I'm not sure how much, if at all, those factors affected my run, but I'm excited to see how I'll do in another one. Another one!

Next up 
I'm planning to the run the Biggest Loser 10K in July and tentatively the Annapolis 10-miler in August. After this race, I truly wonder if I'm insane for doing it again.

And now... 
I was limping the day after the race. I erred by not icing after the race (such a dumb mistake), and my calves were so tight it was painful to walk. On top of tight calves, the pain in my right inner leg (posterior shin splints?) returned with a vengeance, and I'm still sore today. I need to see a doctor or talk to someone to figure this out before I start training again.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me for this race and offered such great advice. A great, huge, big thank you to the guys in my life who were there to cheer me on. It meant so much to me!

run 365 update | 10k training

I'm running my first ever race this Sunday. I'll be participating in the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, and I... am... nervous. To say the least. I haven't slept well all week, getting part excited and part butterflies about the next day's run. I've never "tapered" before. I don't know which night I should "carb load" - is it the night before the race, or is it two nights before the race? I have no clue what to eat the morning of the race. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I tend to not eat before my morning runs because I'm, no pun intended, running out the door. I'm nervous about finishing, too - namely, will I?! When there are no stoplights giving me built in mini-breaks, will I be able to run 6 miles? And there's this little nugget: I've never run 6 miles before. My training has taken me up to 5.1 miles. I've read that the endurance you've built in your training and adrenaline from the race get you through the last bit, but is that just a thing people say? And what will my time be? I have no clue what my race pace is for a 10k. I'm not even sure I have a goal besides finishing. Actually, I take that back. I do have a goal. Just one: I want to dance across the finish line.

Training 
I've averaged 3-4 runs/week since the beginning of March January (but took most of Feb. off because of travel). My fastest run came in at 9:23 minutes/mile on a 4.5 mile run. The running app I use, RunKeeper, must have had a glitch, because that run was chock full of hills, and I've never run that fast. Or maybe it was a great day? A more normal average for me is around 11:00 minute miles, as you can see from the screenshot of my run yesterday.

Hills 
I enjoy running rolling hills. I just laughed out loud typing that it's so crazy for me to say. Moving to Cleveland Park in February changed my running forever. It's a far hillier neighborhood than any I've ever lived. No matter which route or direction I take, my biggest choice is whether I want to run uphill first or last. I read or heard somewhere or other recently, "Uphill takes more than downhill gives." I don't know about that? There are some downhills that give a lot.

Get out of the run and into your head, self
I like to tell myself to get out of my run and get into my head. Physically I am capable (I tell myself), but mentally it's a whole other game. My best runs are when I get so distracted I actually laugh or tear up because I'm so invested in my thoughts. I read a tip from one runner to jot down things about which to think on your run on your hand. I might try that.

New kicks
I started having pain on the outside of my right leg after 3+ mile runs bad enough that I'd limp when I stopped running. I went to PR Running in Cleveland Park, and within minutes of analyzing my feet on their high-tech machines, and looking at my shoes, the expert working with me said, "You shouldn't be running in these." He pointed at the outside of my right leg and asked, "Are you experiencing pain here?" It blew my mind. Since getting new shoes, I have not had pain again in that area, but unfortunately have been experiencing pain on the inside of my right leg above my ankle...

No pain no gain?
I did some internet sleuthing, and it sounds like I may be struggling with Posterior Shin Splints. Causes listed: flat feet. Yeppp, that's me! (And I learned at PR that my right foot is flatter than my left, which makes sense why the pain is only in that leg.) It makes me (even more) nervous for my race this weekend, but I'm going to rest for the next few days and ice it. After the race, I need to look into arch supports, I guess... (grumble). 

So... 
I'm proud that I broke my 3 mile wall, and I'm really excited to dance across that finish line!

I made it a goal to run 365 miles in 2013
 run 365

run update + giambotta recipe

I blogged last week about my fear of running and my 3 mile wall. Last night, I finally beat that fear and my doubts. To make myself do it, I started by mapping out a run. I know if I plan for it, if I give myself a route, I'm more likely to stay on it.

The first 2 miles were hilly, but I kept a steady pace and managed not to stop. The next 1.5 miles were level or downhill for the most part, which helped give me the confidence I needed to keep going (also, I wasn't so tired, but I wanted to stop? Mind over matter.) Then came that last half mile.

I live on a hill that is not insignificant. It's a full 1/3 mile. Ending my first ever 4-miler on a hill felt like an impossible ask. And then I turned up the volume on my iPod, skipped to the next song with a hard beat, and I ran it. I sprinted the last two blocks home. It wasn't a fast run, and most certainly probably wasn't pretty to see! but I didn't walk, and I finished.

I also registered for my first race yesterday. I'll be running the Capitol Hill Classic 10k on May 19th. After last night, I know I can do it, and I honestly think I'll be trained for it well before it's here. That feels pretty damn good, you know? So thank you to everyone who encouraged me via here or facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. Letting y'all into my fears held me accountable for overcoming them.

Onto what I ate post-run.... 

Ciambotta (sometimes called Giambotta), or Italian vegetable stew found in the southern regions of Italy. It. Is. Bomb. It's my new favorite one pot meal. If you have leftover veggies you need to use, some chicken, beef, or vegetable stock/broth laying around (wine would work, too!), canned or fresh tomatoes, and seasonings, you've got this dish practically made. Here's the recipe. 

fear of running

I'm scared to run. I'm scared to keep running. I'm scared to keep putting my feet one in front of the other until I reach my goal. I'm terrified that I'll never run more than a couple of miles at once, fearful I will never wear a race bib because I won't be able to finish. I'm scared that I'll be embarrassed that I made so public a goal - to myself and to all of you - that I'd run a half marathon this year. I'm scared I'm going to fail.

So I stop running. 

I put on my running shoes most days of the week, and I go out, and I hit the pavement or the trail, and I hit it hard. I run hills, and it's really hard, and my lungs are probably going to collapse, and I'm certain I'll be found dying on the roadside, but most days I still lace my running shoes, and I hit the road. I run 2 miles. I run 3 miles. But never more. I stop.

Once, I ran 3.5 miles. Back in January going into February, I hit the day on my training plan that asked me to run 4. I laced up my shoes, and tightened my ponytail, and within half a mile, I was so exhausted, for no reason that made physical sense to me. I felt paralyzed. So I walked the rest of a mile and called it a day. I didn't run again for a month.

I'm back up to 3 miles now - I got there in a few weeks, and it's not so hard for me, except for the hills - those will never be easy; I don't want them to be easy. I want to feel the pain, feel the burn, and feel the rush when I reach the top and hit my stride on the way down. I feel that way - excited by the challenge of hills, so why can't I feel that way about distance?

I'm scared 3 miles is my wall, my limit, my pinnacle, and that I will never get beyond it. In my mind, 3 miles is a lot, it's crazy - I ran three miles! I didn't grow up around very active, athletic people. I didn't have a friend who was a distance runner until I was, what? 24, I think. She ran a half marathon, and I cheered her on, and it was inspirational, and she was incredible. At the time, I ran a mile a day to try to get fit. I thought that was impressive!

Since I've moved to D.C., I'm surrounded by distance runners, triathletes, Ironman finishers. Every one of them amazes me. I think every distance runner is superhuman, because it's a superhuman feat to put your feet one in front of the other at the pace they do for 6 miles. 10 miles. 13.1 miles. 26.2 miles.

I want to meet my goal of running a half marathon this year. I know that I'm physically capable of it. But I'm scared to fail, scared that I'm wrong, that I don't have it in me, that my body can't physically handle it, that I'll pass out on the course, not make it to the finish line, finish past the allotted time.

I'm scared to run.

Where are you on your 2013 goals?