Day 2 - and a really good paleo peanut sauce

Last night's dinner was salmon with an asian slaw. I invented a really great dressing for it - as always measurements are approximate - I just put in splashes and adjusted to taste.

Paleo "peanut" sauce

juice from 1/2 lime
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp almond butter
1 date (pit removed)
1 clove garlic
1 small piece of ginger (@1tsp)
1 tbsp water or more if needed to thin out

blend in blender or food processor.

I used this as a dressing in a slaw made of cabbage, carrots, red pepper, green onions and cilantro. It was really good.

It begins

I wish I had a dollar for every post I've ever titled that on every blog I've had.

It's day one of my third W30. I weigh 152.4 pounds per the scale at the gym this morning. I'm happy when I weigh 143 pounds. I'm really happy when I weigh 137 pounds. But that hasn't happened in a long time. Weight Watchers told me I should weigh 135 pounds ten years ago when I asked them (and they helped me develop an eating disorder and get to 132 pounds for a fleeting moment). I couldn't leave the house ever and stay at that weight. While I'm doing this to be healthier and feel better overall I will admit that this time it is about the number too. So I may weigh myself during the month violating one of the W30 rules.

I started strong. Warmed up then ran 2 miles (see, this is about running) on the treadmill - slow - average pace of about 5.6 - without stopping, then did about 40 minutes of incline intervals on the treadmill that goes up to 20+% incline. Then did lunges, step ups and other leg workouts. Came home and had this pretty breakfast:

Breakfast:
1 egg
2 turkey/veggie patties (recipe below)
sugar snap peas
decaf black coffee
water

I have bone broth in the crock pot. I have cleaned out all contraband. Lunch might be soup or some of the mushroom meatloaf I made yesterday (I'll put that recipe below as well). Dinner will be salmon with an Asian cabbage slaw. As you'll see from the recipes, I try to bulk up my meat meals with a LOT of vegetables, and cook very improvisationally - which can lead to imprecise recipes when I try to share them.

I'm playing with keeping a visual journal for this W30 - I'll share here

Breakfast patties
1 lb ground turkey (you could also use ground pork, or pork or turkey sausage, or a mixture)
1 huge (or 2 normal sized) baked sweet potato
1/2 onion, diced and sautéed in olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced and sautéed w/the onion
1 apple, peeled and diced
herbs (I used rosemary, thyme and sage - you could also go more in the cinnamon or ginger direction - I seasoned pretty generously - probably 5 springs of thyme, 5 sage leaves and 1 sprig of rosemary)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups frozen chopped kale
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425
Smoosh that all together in a big bowl.
Form small patties (smaller than a fast food burger in diameter, but thicker) - I got 18 out of the above ingredients.
Place on baking sheet
Bake for @30 minutes or until patties feel firm

I put half in a container in the fridge for this week (a good breakfast for me is an egg and two patties), and froze the rest to eat later in the month.

Mushroom Meatloaf (my paleo meatloaf secret is dried mushroom powder instead of any kind of flour. It thickens the loaf and adds flavor)

2lbs ground beef (I've used all kinds of combinations of ground beef, turkey and lamb in this recipe and it's always delicious)
big package of white mushrooms (I got this at Costco - so it's probably twice the size of the normal package of mushrooms - I think 16 oz)
1 onion, diced and sautéed in olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced and sautéed w/the onion
herbs (I used thyme and sage - I used a lot but didn't measure)
1 egg, lightly beaten
I can diced tomatoes, drain out extra liquid (I used 1/2 jar of diced tomatoes)
1-2 oz dried mushrooms, pulverized (throw in food processor or spice grinder and crush to a powder)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425
Smoosh that all together in a big bowl.
You can either form a loaf on a cooking sheet or in a baking dish, or make meatloaf muffins in a muffin tin (the above recipe made 24 regular-sized muffins)
Bake for @40 minutes or until the loaves feel firm when poked. Check midway through the cooking time and drain liquid/fat as needed.

getting a jump on the new year

I'm so disgusted with myself that I can't wait two days to start making changes after New Years Eve. The past month has been filled with pie, and biscuits and booze and carbs of all kinds. And I feel gross.

I'm starting a Whole30 tomorrow. I've done this twice before and I always feel so much better when I eat this way.

Despite the food insanity, I've actually been really good about exercising, and I'm slowly starting to run again. I'm going to push to hit my nikeplus goal for the 30 days. I raised my goal after a 32 day streak, and have had a tough time hitting the higher target, but I'm committed and focused.

so yeah...

I'm not running. The leg/butt/sciatica thing has been fairly bad, and my foot/ankle has been hurting. I've been hitting the gym hard, and doing some intervals on the treadmill, but in general I've been avoiding pounding on anything that hurts.

pain in the ass

yeah, that's what's going on. I think I have a pinched nerve running down my butt. It seems to ache most of the time, and I don't think running is making it worse, so I did a few miles today.

I think I need a shot in my hamstring like I got a few years ago. I should call that doctor...

foot AND stomach

As I wrote on Friday, something was up with my stomach. I had my first normal meal for dinner tonight since then. So I'm exhausted and low energy.

And the change in weather is blowing up my foot/ankle. It hurts more than it has in months.

So it'll be a few more days before I run.

food poisoning?

I'm not quite sure what's going on - I worked at home today and wanted to go running at lunch, then got caught up in a project and couldn't run until 4:30. By then my stomach was bothering me - not sure if it was something I ate, but I got 1.5 miles in and was super nauseous and ended up walking home. I feel like crap now.

humid

The heat finally broke, but wow - it's thick out there. Felt pretty good today. Hoping to go long tomorrow.  (long for me is over 5)

The ups and downs of the mid-workday workout

Treadmill said 3 miles. whatever.

As the graph shows, it was interval day. Which means buckets of sweat. Which means it's a good thing I don't have many meetings this afternoon.

Races get the competitive juices flowing

Ran a 5k this morning with a couple friends. Ended up doing much better than yesterday's run.

felt good :)

I rode my bike to/from the race which was nice too. Kinda getting into the city cycling thing...

moving in the wrong direction

Not sure what's going on here. Beautiful morning. Stomach and hamstrings not feeling great.

I'm running a 5k tomorrow with some friends and will go at their pace. Which these days seems to be my pace too. Need to start doing some speedwork.

some days are just hard

today was just a slog. Gorgeous out. But I felt like I was running through quicksand uphill.

this was a just do it kinda day

I'm off today, I have a ton of errands to run and its still hot and I'm a bit sore from the past runs this week. But I decided to run my shorter loop anyway. I went out later than usual and that extra hour made it thicker and hotter. And the water fountain that I was planning on using around the midpoint was shut off. Killing any hopes of going longer. Oh well. I did it. I ran 34 miles in August despite a few days of injury time. Runs are getting longer. And I'm getting tougher about heat. And I'm still running.

I don't know what's up with these longer runs in the heat

I'm not running on any plan. I'm just running when I feel like it, and going as long as I feel like. Yet I seem to want to go longer than my old standard 3 miler. It's still awfully hot out and humid hazy thick gross. And it's not really bothering me.

I can't wait for cooler weather. And faster, longer runs.

oh summer

how I've missed your brutally hot runs. I tried to outsmart the weather and got up really early, yet by the time I got outside at 5:40 it was already 78. I felt strangely good however, and ended up running 6. I took it slow and felt like I could've gone longer.

Hip hurts a little post-run. Ankle felt ok. Hamstring/sciatic nerve is still tight.

And then I fell off my shoe...

so yeah. I'm clumsy. I was wearing some tall shoes over the weekend and twisted my ankle (on my way TO the bar, not on my way home).

I think it's ok. But I gave it a few days to stop aching. I'll test it tomorrow.

Can't catch a break...

Thanks for calling me out Em

My one reader busted me for not posting in a week. As I told her, my sciatica acts up after long periods of sitting (see last month's trip to SF), and I spent 15 hours in the car this weekend. (there are few things that make you sound more like a 90 year old woman than moaning about your sciatica)

I ran one mile today. woo. I did not track it.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and be able to go longer.

fall in August

Beautiful crisp morning. Trying to up the short runs to 4 miles.

10!

This is a big deal. My first 10 miler since I got hurt in February 2010. I slept like crap last night but decided to go out and try to do 10 anyway. I ran the first half without stopping, which is pretty good for me these days, and then took it easier coming back. I'm sore. I'm exhausted. I'm happy I did it.

Yeah.

a good run

Went out with no plan for the run, and felt good so ran 5. Thought I was faster, but I felt good and that's what's important - right?

No time trial this month since I was recovering for a few weeks. I'll get back on it at the first of the month.

testing

So I took a week+ off. Everything seems to be feeling better. I did a short run this morning (treadmill at home, got rained on mid-dog walk so dusted off the treadmill), and I'll see how everything feels in a few hours. I'm still sore from Saturday's workout - lots and lots of walking lunges. Need to get back in a yoga phase. Need to change a lot of things...

pause - reset

I'm taking a week off. The nagging aches are not getting better and I don't want to make anything worse. I know that I will feel better if I eat better, so that's happening. I had a terrible flight Tuesday that resulted in pretty bad sciatic pain and back ache. My quad has been hurting for about 2 weeks. Hip is actually the least of it. Overall I feel like crap.

If you don't track it did it happen?

I ran this morning, but didn't Nike+ it. I don't know how far I ran, or how fast. I know I got about 1000 fuel points according to my band. My hip seems to be OK without the band. It still aches a bit, but isn't getting worse, and doesn't seem to be popping out of joint as it did pre-band.

another morning, another lackluster 3 mile run

Tried running without the hip-band today. It's been hurting all the time, but not in the way the band is supposed to help, so I figured it might be making things worse, and I'd see how I feel without it.

Beautiful weather, but I'm not feeling the magic. I'm stressed out about a bunch of things and it's just making me feel like shit. Running helps, but the stress isn't helping running.

wow. that was slow.

Hot. Humid. My hip hurt. My ankle hurt. My face hurt (long story). My stomach hurt. I've been awful about nutrition and I'm feeling it. I think I hit rock bottom today, and am back on the wagon. This is dumb.

excuses excuses

It was too hot
My hip hurts
I've been working a ton
I'm sore from yesterday's work out

That's why I've been such a slacker this week. It was brutally hot earlier in the week, I hit the treadmill, I ran in 80 degrees at 6:30a.m. It sucked. Then later in the week (and weekend) work took over. I've been up for a few hours working today (Sunday) and have to go into the office in a few hours and really should go run a few miles, but my legs are screaming from yesterday's squats and lunges and I'm just worn out. Not good. I know. I need to break the cycle and run. I should have zero excuses tomorrow. And may yet get inspired today.

And yes, my hip is still aching. Should probably do something about that.

at least I ran?

Summer is here in full force. I hate summer. I got up early to run at the coolest part of the day. It was already 80. I took it slow. It sucked.

that damn app - pushing me again

I went to the gym today to run since it was stinking hot out and I only have an un-airconditioned bathroom at home (so I end up sweating enough while getting ready to need another shower). I did a mile on the treadmill, then saw I was at 99 miles on the Nike+ app, so I had to run another just to hit 100. Even though my hip kind of hurt. Not too bad. But not without discomfort.

Tomorrow I'm riding my bike to work and may do a mile or two once I get to the gym. We'll see how hot and horrid the ride is.

recovered?

That hip injury that I mentioned in my last post has been lingering. So I gave into it for a few days. I've been icing and aleving. And I think it's better. I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Didn't make my miles this week. But I know it was the right thing to do.

oy

I'm in SF for work, so was really excited for the cooler weather and change of scenery. I woke up at about 4:30 due to the time change, and my stomach was super upset this morning - made for an interesting run, including a visit to a public toilet. Not recommended. Hip is a bit sore from Monday's run. All resulted in a slower pace, but I started to feel a bit better after a few miles, so kept going. Tomorrow I'll hopefully do as much, if not a few more miles if I get some sleep and feel better.

From 11:49 to 9:57!

I've been watching a lot of Tour de France lately, and decided that I'm going to do an individual time trial each month. Today I ran the same route that I did on June 8 for my first run of this project. This is what that run looked like:

66 degrees

I ran the same route today:

 78 degrees and pure humidity

I'm super proud of myself. Especially considering the temperature differential. That pace is pretty much what I used to run. And I've been steadily getting faster. I did push a little bit today, but the pace improvement has been consistent over the past few weeks (about :10 - :20 per mile faster each run)

Month 1: a review

Today's run wraps up my first month of running anew.

It was hot and humid.

I ran 42 miles this past month (ok, Nike+ says 41.91, but I'm rounding up). I've made steady progress improving my pace, from 11:49 on that first run on June 8, to 10:21 today. I'm going to do the same run I did that first day on Monday (and at the start of each month) to see how I progress.

I also cycled 78 miles including my first ride to work in a very very long time.

I feel like I'm getting my old self back.

Things I've (re) learned:

1. I like numbers. I like tracking and I'll go a little further to hit a target. I've been using the Nike+ running app, and I wear a FuelBand, and I am motivated by the trends and streaks and data.

2. I am competitive. I don't have many "friends" on Nike+ (if you're on and want to play, please reply in the comments and I'll connect to you), but I will admit to going a little further than I planned today to retake the lead from Chris:

3. Don't touch the iPhone while running. I have had a problem with ending runs in the middle when I just want to pause or change music. Annoying.

4. I started out having the voice tell me time and pace every mile. I got depressed about my pace. So I shut off the pace narration and just had it tell me how far I'd run. Then that got annoying and disruptive too, so now I don't have the voice turned on at all, and I run as far as I feel like running, and I keep getting faster. I just keep reminding myself that I'm making progress and that's what matters. Some might say "just do it" (groan, couldn't resist)

5. There's still magic in a longer run or ride. I really missed that head-clearing time that comes after about the first half hour.

6. A three mile run is never a bad idea. I always ALWAYS feel better after. No matter how much I think I don't want to go.

7. Knowing that I committed to this blog really does motivate me. I know that I can't go more than 2 or 3 days without running, and know that I need to keep moving when I'm out on a run because the numbers don't lie, and I'm sharing the numbers.

8. I've actually had that feeling of "I need to go for a run" after taking a day or two off.

9. I'm starting to think about events. Not 5ks or 10ks, but marathons and 50ks. I know I'm getting ahead of myself but once I hit the 10 mile mark, I'll feel like I've turned a corner and I can sign up for a goal.

10. I'm excited about going for a longer, real run on my trip to SF this week. I've been running on my previous work trips, but that was more like walking with a few spurts of jogging. I'm going to go for a real run, along the bay. How long will depend on my schedule and how much time I have. I'd love to do 8 or 9 miles, but don't know that I'll have that much time before work.

11. My foot/ankle is actually feeling better! It doesn't bother me as much while I'm running, and I think I'm limping less overall (it usually stiffens up when I'm not active and I get a bit limpy when I start moving).


This week I did 13.25 miles - my most in a week so far. Next week's goal is 15. I'm going to do the short baseline run Monday, then a longer run Tuesday and Thursday, and will round out the week with whatever else I need to hit 15 on Saturday.

It's all coming togther

Had the day off today and celebrated with a 30+ mile ride. Not quite up to the whole path, but should be there next ride. Having thoughts of a century.

note that this includes time spent waiting at traffic lights. And there was a lot of that. 

soggy lunch break

I'm working from home today. Didn't feel like running when I got up, everything ached, so I got right to work. By noon I was itching to move, so I went for a quick run. My weather app told me there was a chance of light sprinkles so I decided to risk it.

The full on rain started about a mile in. My app stopped the run instead of pausing it at the turnaround. I was faster getting home - wanted to get out of the rain!

It was kind of fun.

I think my ankle is feeling better. Foot hurts less than it did a few weeks ago. Or I'm getting used to it.

I'm that cyclist who stops for traffic signals

Yes, I'm the dork who comes to a complete stop and just stands there waiting for the light to change. I'm terrified of traffic. I do not like city riding. But I decided it was time to overcome my fear and ride my bike to work.

It's been about 10 years since I last did that. And I think I did it once. I only remember the day because I stopped on my way home from work and got my belly button pierced and I remember that crouching over on the bike hurt after the piercing. So yeah, over 10 years ago.

City cycling in Chicago has improved immensely in those 10 years. Most of my route is protected bike lanes. My office has a locked bike room and a gym. It was 60 degrees out. On July 2. How could I not do this!

It was actually fun and not stressful, and I can get over the fact that I'm a nerd and I obey the law. And getting in an hour of exercise instead of an hour of commute is a pretty good deal.

And yes, my legs were sore after yesterday's "long" run.

This is why I run

Perfect morning. Great run. Finally ran long enough that I had a few miles of feeling good. This makes up for missing my longer run Saturday and Sunday.

wind + stop signs (city riding) = slooooow

Perfectly delightful ride. Not setting any records. But beats sitting on your ass all day.

re-rookie mistake

I'd planned to do my long run (7 or 8 miles) yesterday, but it was windy and very threatening when I got up, so I decided to push my run to today. I had a trainer session at 10, it's about 5.5 miles from my house to the gym, so with some detours I could fit in the run I needed.

I went about my day, wearing a pair of sandals I hadn't worn yet this year. Big mistake.

That is a huge blister on the bottom of my foot. It hurts when I walk. I don't think running for an hour is a good idea.

On the bright side (not really) our trainer session was cancelled, so we can go for a bike ride this morning.

intervals

I slept like crap last night, and needed to drive to work today so I told myself that I just had to do two miles on the treadmill, and that I'd do intervals to try to wake myself up. So I did my two miles.

and then the compulsive part of me that thinks that all runs need to be at least 3 miles added on another

Felt pretty good. I am however exhausted, and it took me about an hour to stop sweating.

3 weeks to make a habit?

I think that's the rule. If so, I'm almost there. It's week 3, and I'm still going. My routine is to take the dogs for a walk as a warm up and to gauge the temp, then go for a run first thing in the morning. Then I sit dripping, cooling down and write my post, then shower and start my day.

My biggest challenge, and this is the dumbest thing ever, is that I keep touching my phone and ending my run when I try to check distance. So I end up with records of multiple shorter runs.

Today was really humid, and my thighs felt like lead. I'm looking forward to that magic feeling on a cooler day, after I've lost a few pounds, and everything feels easy and fluid. I am starting my no-crap food regime now however. Enough talking, I'm getting back in shape for real. Running shouldn't be this hard.

took a break

From the internet, not from running. I ran 5 miles yesterday, but was in a self-imposed no-internet zone so couldn't post about it until my 3-day detox was done.

My Nike+ app was acting strange, and kept ending my run before I wanted to. There were two failed starts that I just deleted, then this two-part run.

I hit my 12 mile goal for the week and am on the cusp of getting my average under 11/mi. It was really humid, some sprinkling during the run, but I am feeling better, and I am eating less crap.

Next week - hold at 12 miles, get the speed down a bit.

It's gonna sink in soon enough - right?

Running is harder when you're fat. When you eat crap and drink every day you do not get less fat. And running stays harder.

I know this. Yet I keep drinking and eating crap and spending my entire run thinking how much easier it would be if I was in shape like I was a few months ago.

Weather is only around 70, yet I'm dripping and it felt pretty warm.

oh yeah, I remember summer running

Last week was very cool. I now realize how much that helped me in my return to regular running. Here's this morning:

phone said it was 82 degrees

I have a million excuses why this sucked, but it mostly comes down to the fact that I ate crap all day yesterday. And drank a lot of wine. I'm on vacation people! But I know I that if I eat clean I'll feel 100x better and the running will be easier. So I will get back to my healthier self. And continue to push through the hard hot days until they get easier.

My cycling is about as good as my running

I rode the North Shore Century in 2010 and 2011. 100 miles on the bike. Trained all summer. Didn't love it, but was happy to be doing something while I was rehabbing my ankle.

Last summer I had other things going on and didn't do much. Today was the first ride of the year. Slow. But pretty fun.

Elite runner run faster than I rode today. Oh well. Nice day. Fun ride. All good.

The power of imaginary peer pressure

My previous running blog was private. I shared it with a few friends. It was more of a journal, and I was inconsistent and inappropriate there.

I decided that I needed the threat of others being aware of my sloth to keep me moving, and to keep me honest. So far that crap is working on my brain. 

Today I seriously contemplated not running. Then I realized I hadn't posted a run since Tuesday. And that thousands of people* might know I was already failing. So I laced up my shoes and ran.

And then while running I really wanted to take a walk break. And I realized that those same thousands of people would know that I was slow and lazy. I thought about just pausing my Nike+, but realized that would be violating the spirit of all I was trying to do by going public. So I kept running. 

Thank you imaginary public.

That closes out week 1 at 10 miles. 4 runs. Its a start. 

Next week I will run 12 - 15 miles. And get my average pace under 11 minutes. Follow along imaginary friends. Keep me honest. 

*actual traffic stats indicate that far fewer people actually have read this blog. But thousands COULD read it.  

Put up or shut up

my board of glory

This is the decoration in our guest room. The medals and bibs from my marathons and 50ks are on the top, half marathons and adventure-type races below. The newest item here is from October 2009. That's almost 4 years ago. 

I think there's a statute of limitations on reveling in past glory, and I need to get something else on that wall, or put everything in a shoebox in a closet. 

What's the expiration date on medals? 

3rd run's a charm?

I'm getting hung up on how slow I am. I have to get over the numbers, and focus on consistency and getting stronger. I'll drop some pounds and it will get easier and I'll get faster.

Today felt pretty good. I didn't stop at all until the water fountain at the turnaround. Everything aches but nothing hurts. I remember when that happened 15 miles later.

I also remember that I usually didn't really feel good until after 3 miles of getting warmed up. So I have that to look forward to in the next week or so.

I'm going to look for a shorter race or two to sign up for this summer. And I think it might be time to go shopping for new gear. I can't remember when I bought my shoes.

Calibrating

Today was a gym day. I decided to do a short run before lifting, and since I have vowed to track all runs and not hide my slowness, I switched my app over to treadmill and started going. I had calibration issues, so ran a mile, told the iPhone how far the treadmill thought I'd gone, hoped it would somehow recalibrate and get closer for my second mile, but it didn't. So I corrected it again. Here's what the treadmill said.

Tomorrow I'll do 3 miles outside. I will be patient. I will go as fast or slow as feels right. I will remind myself that it's going to take weeks before I'm back in a groove, and I have to keep plugging away to get there.

The 100th first run

Four years ago I was training for the Chicago Marathon and the Lakefront 50k in October, and had already run the Lakefront 50K in April. I was a runner. I was fit. I loved running.

Then I got hurt. Not running. I twisted my ankle and popped my cubiod being a klutz, and ended up spending months and months and months on crutches, having surgery, and in rehab. I now have bones fused together in my ankle resulting in limited flexibility resulting in hip issues.

I've been fully mobile for the past two years. I have not yet gotten back in a running groove. I've started and stopped a few times. My life has gotten busy. I've gotten older. I've put on about 10 pounds. My knee does not like running with those additional 10 pounds. I have to wear a special belt to keep my hip in place when I run. It causes my fat to smoosh up and be very lumpy. I'm self-conscious about that, but I remind myself that it's ok to look that way while I'm doing something about it. And that everyone who sees me in real life knows exactly how lumpy I am. (although I like to think that I usually wear outfits that are more flattering than this)

For my sanity, and for my fitness I need to be a runner. I've been hiding my slow run/walk sporadic efforts. I am now going public. I am using Nike+ and will post my runs here. I am slow. I am SO slow. I take walk breaks. My runs are short. Here's todays. There will be more. My goal is 3 per week. And a half marathon in the fall.

2.21 miles. It's a start.