Surprises are AmazingCakes

This past weekend I participated in a local 5k in conjunction with the LLUMC PossAbilities sprint triathlon. And guess what? I WON. Came in 1st, female overall and 1st in my age/sex group. My only goal for the race was to PR, but if I  felt like it wasn't happening not to go all out because my goal 1/2 marathon race is this week. 

I finished the race in 22m:44s with an average pace of 7:20/mile, almost a full minute faster than my previous 5k record of 23:36. It is an amazing feeling heading towards the finish line knowing you are going to finish that distance faster than you have ever run it. It was a triple-layer amazingcake finding out that I won. The icing on the amazingcake was the group and community that participated with me. 

It wasn't a race I had been planning to run and if it was up to me never would have registered. If I wasn't part of  The Energy Lab community, Sunday's race would never have happened for me. Cindy, posted on our group's training page that she registered for the triathlon and invited others to join her. Others soon joined in and when I found out that you could register for the 5k run--I joined the pack. 

Jill Rooks (pictured above, bottom right), founder and owner of The Energy Lab, is the inspiration and success behind our group. She helps us find the motivation within ourselves and breakthough mental barriers. As you may know, I broke my kneecap in 2012 and used that setback to motivate myself to become the fittest I've ever been. No excuses. 

I've become stronger and faster-my race performances have demonstrated this. The proof is in the amazingcake. Key ingredients include the addition of speed/tempo workouts (training with a purpose) and my focus on cross-training and building core strength through the many classes and training options at The Energy Lab. It's the Lab itself that's the cake pan.  It's more than a place to workout. It's a community of supporters and inspiration. The sense of belonging that makes it special. It's a place where magic happens. Every day. And I'm no where close to being fully baked. I'm still rising. 

This week, I'm focused on Sunday's race with the momentum of this past weekend's victory. I'm ready. I've got this. And I'm tapering for REALS {meaning your won't see me at classes this week}.

(Note: Most everybody else in the first picture above is way more hardcore than me. All I did was run. Though they did semi-convince to try the triathlon next year.) 

Remember what the doorknob said

Feed your head.

Historically my training for races has either been:

1. No training--just run (pre-2010/2011)
2. Join a marathon training group and follow the schedule for increasing mileage for long runs (2010-2014). Run throughout the week, just to run.

I now follow a specific guided training plan, one with the goal of running a sub 1:45 half-marathon.  I have 10 days left until my final race of the Spring season (OC 1/2 Marathon) and I'm looking forward to off-season. I'll start an 8-week base-building training plan in June leading into an 18-week training cycle starting in August for my fall marathon (California International Marathon). 

These training plans have scheduled track workouts, tempo runs, long runs. What they lack is mental training; training for mental toughness.

I follow my training plan, I eat pretty well and have a good work/life balance. However, I often struggle with feelings of self-doubt, feelings of not being good enough and feelings of not belonging. I struggle through my speed and track workouts because I dread them. Because I have already decided in my mind that I'm not fast and I'm not going to hit the goal pace.

One thing that has been helping this year is using the Believe Training Journal for my run log. It's more than just a training log. It's a workbook for goal-setting and getting my mind right. There are spaces for post-race analysis and brain-storming negative thoughts and positive rebuttals; There's space at the beginning of every week to answer a question or to give an example. Last week's:  A good example of your resilience. My answer was my LA 26.2 experience. As horrible as that race was for me, I've bounced back stronger and more confident. 

Training my mind and training for mental toughness is key to improving my performance and life in general (self-doubt works its way into all aspects of life). 

This article (Improve Your Run with Mental Toughness Training) simplifies the process:

Thinking à Feeling à Performing

During my training break and as start my fall training, I'm definitely going to incorporate some mental tricks.

30 minutes or less (Recovery is where the MAGIC happens)

I think about food. I think about food often. Strike that. I think about food constantly. More so when I'm on a long run or during a hard workout. Fantasizing about the big honking burrito (breakfast or veggie or bean & rice?) and where I will buy it (Oscar's or Alberto's or PK's or Chipotle?) gets me through to the end. 

Something happens when I finish--I'm weirdly not hungry (this is, actually, pretty common). Food is the last thing I'm thinking about. Trainers, articles, experts have always extolled the necessity of post-workout nutrition. About how it's vital to eat something soon after you finish. Until recently, I've always poo-pahed this advice. I'll eat when I'm hungry. I have no problem eventually replacing the calories I just burnt (see: big honking burrito).

See--That was the problem with my thinking. Post-workout nutrition is not just about calorie replacement. I finally had a light bulb moment when I realized (or truly listened to the pros) that it's all about recovery so I can nail my next hard workout. It's about refilling my glycogen stores (The Importance of Glycogen Stores to Runners), helping my muscles recover, getting me ready for my next round. Research shows that your muscles absorb these nutrients 3 times as fast in the first 30 minutes after as compared to other times. And here is my Super Lightbulb Moment: Any progression, any improvement from my workout is gained during the recovery phase! And there is no way I'm not going to squeeze the most out of a killer track workout. RECOVERY is where the MAGIC happens. I'm preaching it. 

Now after a run or tough workout I always eat something within 30 minutes of finishing.  Usually a Picky Bar, because they are amazingcakes and formulated to have that perfect ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein that is optimal for recovery. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just 100-200 calories, mostly carbs with a bit of protein. Chocolate milk is a common recovery snack.

My own anecdotal evidence is that I'm performing and feeling better during my runs and workouts. Getting nutrition right, along with following a training plan to meet my running goals, resting on rest days seems to be working for me. 

Some reading:

Refuel to Boost Recovery

Nutrient Timing Is Everything For Runners

The 3 Keys To Proper Nutritional Recovery

And a short video that explains it:

How Important Is Eating After A Workout?

Eat the Cookie!

This post is inspired by a Remy's World column published in the January 2013 issue of Runner's World entitled: Resolved: Eat the Damn Cookie.  Remy's World is a humor, tongue-in-cheek column and Mark Remy in this column pokes fun of runners who hem and haw over eating a cookie. His point  is that as runners we can eat the cookie or other treats on occasion. It's not a big deal.

Here's the thing: There probably is butter in that cookie, probably a lot of it, and those are chocolate chunks, and it is relatively high in calories. (And no, cavemen did not eat cookies. You know why? Because no one ever offered them one. Trust me – if you could travel back to the Paleolithic era with a plate of warm Toll House, they'd be gone faster than you could say, "Eat clean." You'd probably also be killed, but that's neither here nor there.)

In the grand scheme of things? In the truly big picture? None of those "red flags" make one whit of difference. Not one. And all the agonizing is a sorry waste of time and energy. Eat the Damn Cookie.

I bake and eat cookies (and cake and pie) all the damn time. My overall diet is a B+, meaning I eat lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein. I'm pretty consistent in my day to day diet.  Yet, I still treat myself --but here's the caveat. It's gotta be worth it. Quality ingredients, most likely not store bought, tastes great and definitely not healthified (that should be a word). No fake substitutions. No banana (unless it's real banana bread!), no applesauce for the butter, no fake sugar. I love food and I love eating. I know how and what I need to eat to fuel my body for my activity level. I know what works for me. 

Wendy's Go-to Cookie Recipe

I make these cookies all the time. I freeze cookie dough balls to have on hand for cookie emergencies. I play with the add-ins, depending on what I have on hand or what I'm in the mood for--left over Halloween candy, nuts, dried fruit, different types of chocolate, Smarties. A white chocolate chip, dried cranberry, almond cookie is always good. Add a tsp of cinnamon. Be creative! (or frugal--use what you have). Even if you plan on baking the whole batch, freezing the cookie dough balls bakes a better cookie. 

• 12 ounces bread flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 sticks of butter
• 8 ounces of brown sugar
• 2 ounces of sugar
• 1 ounce of milk
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 10 ounces of chocolate chips (or other add-ins)

1. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt.
2. Melt butter in small saucepan over med-low heat. Cool.
3. In large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix sugars with the melted butter on medium speed for approximately one minute.
4. Add milk, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to sugar/butter mixture until combined. Scrape bowl as necessary.
5. Mix in flour mixture (low speed) until *just* combined (don't over mix--you should still see some flour. It will all get mixed in when you add the chips).
6. Mix in chocolate chips.
7. Transfer cookie dough to small bowl used for flour (re-use dishes=less dish washing!), cover and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
8. Form cookie dough balls using a disher (or ice scream scoops) or a spoon. I like using dishers because then each ball is the same size. I use various sizes depending on the situation. If I'm making cookies for home use, I go bigger (#40). For a potluck, smaller (#60). I've made giant cookies and teensy tiny cookies.
9. Freeze cookie dough balls. You can skip this step, but as I stated--they bake better when frozen. If anything, place in freezer while oven is pre-heating.
10. Pre-heat oven to 375F. 
11. Use parchment paper or a silpat to line a cookie sheet. Place 6 to 8 cookie dough balls evenly spaced on sheet.
12. Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on size adjust time. I prefer cookies slightly underbaked, so less is more. Remove to rack to cool. Eat and Enjoy! 

2015 Los Angeles Marathon - Part 2

Yes, the heat was bad. Earlier in the week, the LA Marathon organizers changed the start time from 7:25 am to 6:55 am. They reported that there would be water and Gatorade at every mile, that there would be cooling buses, cold sponges, ice.

I was seeded in the open corral because I hadn't run a qualifying marathon in 4 years. This was a bit chaotic because most of the 21,000+ runners are seeded in this corral. Faster runners should be in the front and slower runners in the back. As any experienced racer can tell you, this doesn't work. Because of the crowds and the self-placement mess, I was hoping the crowd would help me pace myself. I'm usually "RACE!!!" right from the start.

One week earlier, I ran a 5K race using Lauren Fleshman's How to Run the Perfect 5K advice. Not only did I PR, I felt awesome and not tortured like I usually do for 5Ks. My plan was to do something similar for the marathon, but longer. I would run the first 8-10 miles at a comfortable pace, a pace that felt like something I could maintain. The next 8-10 miles I was going to focus on form: my stride, posture, etc. The final 6 miles; Go for it--with a kick at the last mile. Not only would I finish in sub 4:00, I would finish close to my BQ time of 3:45. Ha ha ha ha! ROTFL. 

Best laid plans...

Mistakes I made:

1. Weather--I thought I was stronger than the weather or that I do okay in heat. Maybe I do, but I didn't on that Sunday. Even though I felt like I was running at a comfortable pace at the start of the marathon, I probably know I should have deliberately run much slower. 
2. Taper--I tapered like I do for half-marathons. It works for halfs, maybe not for fulls. If I'm running a marathon, I need to taper marathon-style. 
3. Training--I've been following a training plan to run a half-marathon in sub 1:45. That's been my primary focus. Of course I also completed my long marathon training runs, but all my speed & track work outs were geared to the half-marathon. I don't know if this made a difference or not. The next time I'm running a marathon, I'm specifically training for a marathon. 
4. Sleep--I did not sleep at all the night before. Not a toss & turn all night kinda sleep. It was I'm-so-amped-up-I-finished-my-two-books no sleep. We stayed in Downtown LA--at the Millennium Biltmore--and it was noisy. Plus my brother (who I was rooming with) snores. The combo of heat + no sleep did me in. 

Me at Mile 18. 

What worked:

1. Nutrition--My nutrition was spot-on. I can tell at the start of a race or a run  if my nutrition is off. If I didn't eat enough the day before or if I timed my pre-race meal too late/early. My go-to meal for long runs or races is a whole-wheat bagel (only ones from Stater Bros) with nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew) & a banana (sometimes an apple). When I'm racing, it's always a banana. Also, sometime in the middle of the night (see no sleep, above) I ate a Picky Bar & an apple. I planned on consuming 4 gels during the race. I used five. 
2. Perseverance/determination--I'm very goal-oriented and perseverance is one of my strengths. I was tested. This race tested me. It tested my determination as I've never been tested. I had to dig deep. I cried. I struggled. I finished. 
3. Spectators/Support--The spectators were awesome. The signs, the snacks (hot dogs at Mile 4!), the hoses & water. Especially poignant was the support from fellow members of the Oiselle Flock--Laura at Mile 18 (& photag of the picture above) and Kimberly at Mile 23.  
4. The Last Mile--Oh, man. I kicked it for the last mile. My music ran out on my playlist(!)(I made the playlist longer than I thought it would take me to finish) and I saw that if I pushed it, I could make it to the finish faster than my previous PR. I ran hard. It was a 9:30+ min/mile pace, but I kicked and it worked and I ran across the finish line. 

Moving forward: 

As I was finishing the race, my thoughts went like this--Why the hell am I doing this? People aren't meant to run marathons. I'm never running a marathon again. Half-marathons are my go-to distance. Why don't I just stick to halfs? Never again. This sucks, etc. 

By the time I was on the shuttle from the finish line back to the hotel, I was already planning my next marathon and starting to incorporate lessons learned from this marathon. My plan is to train for and run the California International Marathon in Sacramento, CA on December 6th of this year. I will run a stronger and more strategic race. See you at the finish line!

2015 Los Angeles Marathon - Part 1

"If you don't occasionally fail, you are not setting your goals high enough".

I bonked. Bonked hard. The 2015 Los Angeles Marathon was my first marathon in 4 years. My first since breaking my knee. I had goals for this race. My BHAG: run it in sub 3:45 to qualify for the Boston Marathon. My more realistic goal: run it in sub 4:00. As I struggled to the end, my goal became: Finish. 

It took me a long time to finally decide to run a marathon again. Once decided, it took a long time to actually register for it. Half-marathons are my go-to distance. It's the distance and the race that enjoy and have progressively run stronger and improved my times through my training. I enjoy training for a marathon (I trained with my group last year, but didn't race 26.2). I love my Sunday long runs. I'm not too keen on racing a full.

 Three weeks before the race, I ran my longest distance in this training cycle: 21 miles. It was a great run and I felt prepared and ready for the marathon.

So what happened?

Heat. Heat happened. As race week approached, predicted temperatures for marathon day were creeping towards 90F. I started to get nervous because I had heard horror stories from my running group about last year's race where temps reached 81F at the finish line. 

I can't blame the heat. Lots of runners that day ran strong, albait slower. I received plenty of advice to throw time goals out, race slow, drink plenty of water, pay attention to your body. 

I naively stupidly thought that I could handle the heat, that although it would be uncomfortable I could push through it and meet my time goals. I worked hard to train for the race, I completed all my training runs, I hit the track, I ran in the dark. I didn't want to run the race slow. The reason it took me so long to decide to run a marathon was that I wanted to be able to run it fast {for me}. It might not be pretty, but I could do it. Ha!

I made plenty of other mistakes. 

To be continued in Part 2...