Spring Lake 5 2012

The Spring Lake 5 was this morning this was my 4th time running it, Conor’s third, and the first time we all ran it together as a family–Finn and Ray’s first race ever and first time ever run/walking 5 miles.

This was the 36th year of the Spring Lake 5 Mile Race, http://www.springlake5.org/?page_id=170 and it is the largest road race in NJ.  This race is always so nicely organized from  registration (which fills within hours) to the great swag and easy exit out of this small shore town.  We love Spring Lake, it is only 20 minutes from our house and we get a beach locker there every year (thanks to some good friends in town).  I even put our lock on our locker today–it is officially SUMMER!

Well, there was a lot of debate pre race about what our plan was–would Conor and I run it together and try to beat 45 minutes, would Ronan run it with us, would we all stick together knowing Finn and Ray would need to walk the majority of the race……we debated the weeks before, the day before, in the car on the way there and right when we started to run….ultimately we decided Conor and Ronan would run together (Conor was told he could not leave his brother) and Finn wanted me to run with him and Ray.  In hindsight, Ronan should have stayed with us–he needed to walk a lot (it was 85 degrees and he had not trained) and he would have had more fun.  Conor should have been allowed to run his own race—-next year.  That is if I can talk Finn into running again…I have a whole year to work on him.

The boys and I pre race–even at 7:30 am the sun is out and BRIGHT.

The boys got a kick out of Ray being a “woman”

Ray and I pre-race–don’t know why I am standing so awkwardly.

Ronan pre-race–got love my little freckles–his is my mini-me.

Finn pre-race (he was so nervous). He kept holding my hand throughout the race–that alone was enough to convince me that this will be an annual family event.

Conor pre-race–he was not a happy camper since he got his bottom braces on yesterday–Ouch!

Ran into a friend and fellow Bosom Buddy after the race–I don’t know what I am looking at though…

Family post run!

      Laps6

View Splits

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 1:10:38.2 5.13 13:46 1 12:18.0 1.00 12:18 2 13:10.0 1.00 13:10 3 13:35.2 1.00 13:35 4 14:54.1 1.00 14:54 5 14:25.8 1.00 14:26

Just Another Wednesday Run

I headed out this morning, running to the Colts Neck Library, where I moderate the Bosom Buddies Breastfeeding Support Group.  I love that running there and back has become a routine.  I ran 7 miles there and 3 mile home last week and I knew I did not have it in me for 10 today.  I figured I would run 4-5 miles there and then straight home (3 miles).  It was warm out but it was the humidity and the fact that my legs were pretty spent from spin yesterday that did me in.

I had to stop lots (about every mile) to catch my breath–that is not like me.  By the time I got to the library, I was so sweaty and SMELLY, I was worried that I would scare some of the moms away.  You know when you have been working out hard and you get a whiff of yourself and you get offended by your own smell–that was me today.

I ended up running 7.3 miles, but at one point I forgot to turn my watch on…..oh, well.

      Laps8

View Splits

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 1:07:10.6 6.86 9:48 1 10:06.8 1.00 10:07 2 9:50.2 1.00 9:50 3 10:09.5 1.00 10:09 4 9:47.5 1.00 9:48 5 3:02.3 0.30 10:14 6 9:35.2 1.00 9:35 7 9:35.4 1.00 9:35 8 5:03.8 0.56 9:03

Raw Cookies

I have been trying to make raw foods the majority of my food intake (eliminating or limiting processed/packaged foods) eating foods not cooked. I have been limiting dairy for years, but recently got stricter with myself (I am even thinking of getting rid of my weekly pizza —that is my cheat meal). I probably eat 75-100% raw depending on the day and then cooked items are vegan–i.e. vegetable soup, quinoa, roasted veggies….

I am in love with my raw snacks and try to make a batch of cookies or snack bars at least once a week. Today I made my version of chocolate chip banana cookies.

Cookies:
1.5 large ripe bananas mushed

1 cup cashews ground

1/2 cup walnuts ground

Dates—4-7 throw in the food processor with the nuts to make the nut mixture moist

Almond butter

1 cup flax meal

Egg (yes, I eat raw eggs–feel free to add your egg substitute here)

1 tbsp maca powder

1 tbsp cacao powder

1/2 cup cacao nibs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix in bowel—you can refrigerate or freeze individually. I don’t have a dehydrator but I attempt to dehydrate in my oven. Pre-heat oven to 300 then turn off and place cookies on cookie sheet in–leave until oven not warm–I often forget about them:). Once removed from oven or dehydrator, refrigerate. They last a couple of days if they aren’t devoured immediately. Here is a photo before I dehydrate them:

Group Run This Sunday May 27th 7:30 am

Nikki and I will be meeting at Thompson Park (the parking lot near the playground) this Sunday for a Memorial Day weekend run and we hope you can join us.

Please email or text us if you plan on coming due to the holiday, thelactationlady@gmail.com or Facebook message us individually or through the Racy Runners Fanpage.

Spicy Hot Tomato Carrot Soup

This is one of my favorite soups; although, I never make it exactly the same way. Today’s recipe:

3 garlic cloves
1/2 large yellow/sweet onion
Big heaping handful cilantro
Jalapeño pepper
—-put all 3 in food processor then add to pot with some olive oil and simmer

4-5 vine tomatoes
8-10 carrots
Red pepper
Tofu
One cup vegetable broth
Mix in vitamix (or whatever blender you own)

Add everything to pot and simmer on low all afternoon. I seasoned this with black pepper, curry and cayenne pepper. You can season anyway you like–I like hot and lots of flavor,

I usually throw in any vegetables that are on the verge of going bad–today’s lucky winner was the asparagus. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

First Official Long Run of our Marathon Training

10 Miles DONE–but my legs are sooooooo TIRED, particularly my hamstrings.  It was hot but it was not too hot or incredible humid today—why was I so spent?  I did not run the last 2 days because I knew I wanted a long run today.  Today was the first official long run of our Marathon training.

Nikki and I are running our first marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, in November and to say I am a wee bit worried about training in the summer (hot and humid months) would be a huge understatement.  I am actually petrified–so much so that I think it affected my run today. Mentally I psyched myself out.

I think we are also running our long runs too fast.  Running your long run a minute or two slower than your typical race pace is what is suggested which means we should stick with 11-12 min/miles since our race pace is 9:30-10:30 although hopefully we are getting faster.  I know that running slower will help ensure #1 that we finish the long run (especially when we run past our 13.1–the furthest either of us have ever run) and #2 that we remain uninjured.  Since we are training together we need to remain injury free.  I would love to say we will run together on race day but the reality is Nikki is faster than I am–but thankfully she will train with me:)  I swear I would not run as far or as fast if it were not for her company and for that I am so grateful.

I have also come to the realization that I love the training part–more than the race.  I love having the race as a goal, marked on the calendar, working towards it–but the race itself is sometimes a let down.  I tend to “run” the races I am in and not “race” them–mental thing (so I end up running training runs faster than the actual race).  I will work on this, but I want to find a balance too–I want to enjoy my first marathon.  I will be running in Philadelphia and I want to soak up the ambiance and experience.  I want to finish the race happy and content–not broken and vomiting.  I guess I am a runner and not a racer….

      Laps11

View Splits

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 1:42:12.0 10.01 10:13 1 9:52.5 1.00 9:53 2 9:50.6 1.00 9:51 3 9:45.3 1.00 9:45 4 9:52.6 1.00 9:53 5 10:29.8 1.00 10:30 6 10:21.1 1.00 10:21 7 10:20.4 1.00 10:20 8 10:17.4 1.00 10:17 9 10:38.1 1.00 10:38 10 10:38.3 1.00 10:38 11 :05.8 0.01 11:42

My post race smoothie (after a trip to Starbuck that included a Venti Soy Latte–had to bribe Conor and Finn with Starbucks treats since they had to wait on the Lacrosse field while Nikki and I ran) was a Happy Shake compliments of Stacy Stowers (please follow the link for the recipe) You can’t tell by looking at this photo but this shake is thick enough to eat with a spoon–sooooo filling and a great post run snack:

Ut Oh, I Am Scared, I Forgot Running in the Heat/Humidity is my Kyptonite

It is a GORGEOUS day here in beautiful Colts Neck, NJ.  I knew I was going to run to the Bosom Buddies Breastfeeding Support Group today; I moderate the group and we meet every Wednesday at the library here in town (about 3 miles from my house).  I have wanted to do a longer run on Wednesday and running before and after group was the only way to make it work.  I was rained out the last two weeks and I was going to run today whether it was raining or not.  I had already warned the moms that I would be sweaty and smelly.  I headed out and felt good as I tackled my first hill, but by mile 2 I was spent.  Too many workouts yesterday and the humidity (it was not that hot this morning) began to take it’s toll.

I ran past Big Brook and the water looked so welcoming–I wish I could have gotten my feet wet.

Even the horses looked tired–the shadow on the right side of the picture is a beautiful black and white horse that normally says hello, but today was far to interested in eating grass.

 By the time I got to the library 6 miles–I was tired.  So when I ran into one of the moms walking the library loop, I joined her for .5 mile.  It was so beautiful and it was nice to walk and talk.

 

We had a great group today, but the run home was HARSH.  My overall running pace was slower but I walked a wee bit in mile 3 & 8 and I kept the watch running when I walked around the library.  I could have pushed my self for 10–but I was sooooo done at mile 9.38.

    Laps10

View Splits

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 1:43:32.5 9.38 11:02 1 10:21.4 1.00 10:21 2 10:12.4 1.00 10:12 3 10:19.4 1.00 10:19 4 10:50.9 1.00 10:51 5 10:24.4 1.00 10:24 6 9:01.7 0.87 10:23 7 13:00.6 0.65 20:07 8 10:05.4 1.00 10:05 9 9:54.5 1.00 9:55 10 9:21.8 0.87 10:48