All This Running Makes Me Hungry

Think like an athlete, train like an athlete and by all means eat like one!  Nutrition has to be part of the process.  Getting ready to compete, we have shifted our diet a bit more.  We don't t do much eating out, as the healthy choices may be limited to fuel your needs.  I want to have "fast food" that is not prefab and fried.  I am  preparing more fruit,  vegetables,  lean protein,  yogurt and whole grains.  It is easy if you shop with that mindset.  When shopping I look for the freshest food I find.  Cooking and clean up is easy too.  Salads are the first course, usually with either mixed greens, roasted beets, red cabbage, tomatoes, cannelloni beans on top, with a dressing of fresh squeezed lemon juice and drizzles of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Simply fresh and delicious.  My sister has a recipe that includes spinach, craisins and slivered almonds on top!  Whatever  veggies that are fresh that you like can be mixed to suit your taste.  Cucumbers, radishes, peppers, whatever.

Arugula, Belgian endive, red bell pepper, avocado, sweet red onion was last nights salad. 

 My favorite main course lately has been taking fresh or fresh frozen fish (Halibut, Cod, Salmon) and putting in a baking dish.  I use fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt, paprika. If you line the baking dish with foil, clean up is simple.  It can go from freezer to pan, season, and then to oven.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 mins until flaky.  Easy!  I toss the potatoes in the micro wave, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and pop into the oven while I microwave the steamer bag of vegetables.
 Baked potato topped with plain fat free yogurt (more protein and no fat than sour cream)  and chopped chives, along with a steamed vegetable (I get lazy and use the Green Giant or Birds Eye steam in bags) and dinner is quick, easy and healthy.  Add a glass of  wine and we are all set!

If we have been eating well and getting our runs and workouts in, we do indulge in dessert.  Eating healthy is enjoyable this way.  

Time to go decide whats for dinner tonight!  

Time for Serious Training Plan

Two days ago I received an email from the National Senior Games that began like this.  It got my attention.  It is now 98 Days away, and after much consideration, I was at a cross roads.  Either I could just continue to maintain my level of fitness, and go and enjoy the experience of having earned the right to participate, or I can get serious and give myself the chance of a lifetime, to medal.  It is a long shot, I know.  I am not a career or elite runner.   Determination and a desire to put the weakness of the past miles behind me had gotten me to where I can be competitive.  Winning is a rush.  How will I feel if I don't try to put everything I have into this process and thus deny myself of a slim chance?   The competition is greater than any I have ever experienced.

 The Last National Games, in 2013 Medal Winners Female, 60-64 were 1st:  22:34.3 (a record time) 2nd: 25:36.5,  3rd 25:44.1.  In the last 6 months I have had a 24min. finish, and two 25 to 27min finish.  If I work hard, I have a slight chance. And a little luck on race day!

Statistically speaking  a 24 to 26  minute 5K can give me the best chance of placing in the top 5.  Will I be happy with a top 10 finish?  Only if I have given it all I have and  have trained like I mean it.  I cannot coast now.  For my age, to be able to run 6+ miles at 59 mins. is really good.  A lot of baby steps added up to get to that point and I am proud and thankful I can.  But if I am to continue the journey I started out and not be disappointed in myself, I must be all in.

Yesterday I turned that corner.  At a breezy, 60 degree sunny day, I took to my favorite track in my city.  It's tree lined and gravel, and  the only one nearby, so it  was a bit congested yesterday with many others out enjoying the weather.    My brain was telling me there were too many people on it to do the speed work I knew was called for. Was that an excuse?  Yep, but  one I didn't let myself listen to.   My pre run goal was to do a steady pace average of 9 minute miles for 3 miles for the next week.  That is with passing people, crossing a few driveways of traffic along the way, and keeping it steady.  At times, I have done 7-8+ secs. mile pace.  But on training runs, my body prefers a 9 to 10 min. pace and more miles.  Long slow training runs for me used to be 10 to  11 min./mile average if I was just enjoying it.  I moved that down to 9 to 10 min. miles for the past month.  For the remainder of March, I am going to adjust to a long training run pace to 9 min. miles. The next step for April will be to increase the number of negative splits I run and try to drop steady pacing to 8 to  9 mins per mile for 3-4 miles.   Once that feels comfortable, I know then on race day with adrenalin and extra coffee I should be able to  log a chip time of 25 to 26 mins.  If I can keep focused, and cut time off the 9 min miles I should be able to have a decent time, and feel well afterward.    I know setting a record is out of my reach.  The impressive record of 22+mins. for age 60 female 5K is not on my horizon.  But trying to be faster is within my reach.   Five  months ago when I chip timed a 24 min. 5K I was feeling great and having a good race day.  I was not actively training to cut seconds.  Now I am.  I know it is possible with enough hard work and focus.

Being an older runner, I am acutely aware of the possibility of injury.  Injury takes you out of the game.  I cannot afford illness or injury at this point.  So, that in mind always, When I slowed to catch my breath after yesterdays 3 mile sprint, I felt tightness in my knees and decided to walk an additional 2 miles and then go home to stretch.  That was enough.  Its a balance.  You need to train, but know that a fine line cannot be crossed without slowing you down or stopping progress.   Today will again be a cross train day.  The stationary bike, stretching and a Barre Class will do for today.  Tomorrow, the goal will be to run a 4 mile 9 min. per mile pace. I want to slowly build my endurance to try to get my stamina up to comfort at the 8 min. mile pace for 4 miles.  In the mean time, the race in Houston on April 4th will give me some idea of my race pace now and if my plan will be enough.

Astronauts vs Aliens-A 5.05K Race at the Johnson Space Center Houston

April 4th in Houston, Ben and I are going to challenge each other and numerous runners on either team Astronaut or Team Alien, by running through the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston.  This is a 5.05K or 3.14mile race.  The race is sponsored by Starport Services.  It is an independent and self funded program designed to promote welfare and moral of Johnson Space Center Workforce, including wellness programs, fitness and recreational services, for the promotion of mental and physical fitness.  Ben is off that day, and we are ready to have an April practice race, so after a brief conversation, he decided he wanted to represent the Alien Team.  I joined on to race for the Astronaut team, as I have never been a sci-fi fan!

For those of you in the Houston area, the race begins at 9am and kicks off a Spring Festival that will host Houston Food Trucks, a Flea Market, Craft Fair and a kids Spring Festival.  It sounds like a good way to test our pace for April, see where we stand, and enjoy a bit of Houston Fun as part of our family Easter celebration this year.

The Season Changes and the Countdown Begins

Fog signaled the first day of Spring.  Warm weather with high humidity, is not my favorite weather to run.  I did not feel like it today.  Back home in Southeast Texas with less than three months from the National Senior Games, I need to forget the fresh cold winter weather runs I had enjoyed so much.  Capturing the runs are part of my enjoyment.  Last weeks training runs were in Olean and Allegany New York, while visiting my family for my dad's 92nd birthday.

St. Bonaventure University, a favorite run when visiting Upstate New York.

 The weather in Minneapolis in July should be about like today here in Southeast Texas.....70 to 80, but I hope not this humid.  High humidity is my nemesis.  Its hard to breathe or cool off during exertion.  But, with the big race ahead on July 6th, this is a training reality that Ben and I both must get used to and build up tolerance to.  So, I headed out to my favorite track, and logged in 3.5 miles.  My time was not stellar.  The weather in Upstate New York last weekend was more to my liking for speed work.  Instead of looking backward, I trudged forward.  I did some of  the fartlek work and negative splits that I dont enjoy, each mile.   I did enjoy the views that were along my run.  The warmth that brings sweat and heavy air also brings beauty along my running trail.  Of course I had to stop long enough to capture a few pictures from my run.

Yesterday, the National Games sent an email out about the torch and the Opening Ceremonies.  The torch flame begins in Washington, DC its journey to Minneapolis in June, arriving on July 4th to open the National Senior Olympic Games.  The Opening Ceremony will end in fireworks, and then two days later I will be lined up to race.  Every day is bringing me one step closer to the race I have been planning for and running toward for over a year now.

It is more important than ever to eat like an athlete, train like an athlete, and think like an athlete.  My husband is looking for a few chip timed races we can enter to jump start our training levels.  Family and job conflicts have limited this the past few months.  My plan is to keep training and cross training, and in earnest to begin to work the fartleks and trim down the time on my comfortable pace long runs.  If I can cut a minute of time out each training run, It should make race pace faster.  At least right now that is my plan.  I think when I see that torch being brought into the stadium, I will have no problem picking up my pace.  I will do my best to the finish.  Thats what its all about.

Girls On The Run~ Core Values and Core Strength

Through my personal journey fighting back from illness, to  slow aging and to compete in the National Games for athletes  my age, I have been reaching out to show the way to a better today and better health for adults.  What's going on for children today to make for a healthier, happier tomorrow?  We hear all sorts of sad and disturbing news often related to negativity or bullying by  youth in America.  What about the good news?  Are we  doing enough to teach our kids to be confident, strong, healthy role models,  respecting themselves and others??? As a teacher, a nurse and a mother and grandmother, I believe we cannot assume all parents are instilling these values and traits in their children.  

When I began my journey, I mentioned in my first blog attempt, that when I was a girl, sports were not as available to females.  All the benefits of team sports in shaping the mental and physical aspects of growing young boys were not applying to girls.  If you were one of the 8 or 10 cheerleaders selected, you participated in a limited  way.   I am amazed at the number of adult women who do not embrace physical fitness and its benefits, but teaching and training was limited in our day.  It should be taught as a way of life from the start of public education.
 Through my beautiful niece Katie, who I am proud to say is a dedicated teacher, leader and role model for young girls at her school in New Hampshire, I recently discovered a wonderful program.  Girls On The Run,  is currently being adopted in elementary schools in New Hampshire to offer the benefit of organized sports to all girls.  The Organization is International, and in my opinion, should be adopted in all schools.  Our youth is worth it.  Our society needs it.

My niece, Katherine Hull

Selected to lead Girls On The Run at her school in New Hampshire

Girls On The Run

This is a physical activity based positive youth development program that inspires 3rd through 8th grade girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experiences based curriculum which creatively integrates running.   The program supporters " Envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams."  The program ends with a 5K run with all the girls in Girls On The Run in the state of New Hampshire.

Girls On The Run Core Values: 
*Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making
*Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness
*Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words thoughts and actions
*Nurture our physical, emotional, and spiritual health
*Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent
*Stand up for ourselves and others

For more Information contact:

 Girls on the Run International

120 Cottage Place

Charlotte, NC 28207

ph 703-376-9817

fax  704-376-1039

email: info@girlsontherun.org

PLEASE share this information and support this type of program in elementary schools everywhere.
Your call or email to your neighborhood schools to request these programs can profoundly impact lives.  This is powerful!

How Fit Are You Really? Motivation to keep you going or get you started.

I read in a Women's Running Magazine email that half of running is physical.  You must train your body and muscles to respond to the pressure to perform  The other half is mental.  It is imperative to train your mind to respond to the mental challenge of pushing through tough work outs or races.  If you read my previous post, you know I was a little down for being worn out mentally from pushing that aspect of my life too much recently.  The  3 yr anniversary of my SAH came and went last month and I forget where I have been and how far I have come.  I still need to plan more mental rest for myself than most people.  But the physical benefits of mindful eating, exercise and rest cannot be over stated.

What helped me bounce back to a brighter outlook today, was another email I received from the National Senior Games.  The newsletter was linked a super website: worldfitnesslevel.org.   In collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine's research, The National Senior Games is monitoring the fitness of its athletes via the voluntary the use of this test. The purpose is to draw attention and  track the tremendous effects derived from training and staying active at age 50 and older.

So, very curious, I clicked on the test.  The categories of questions include education level, employment (active vs sedentary) height, weight, how much sitting you do per day, alcohol use, smoking history, diet, exercise, health and daily life, illness and injury history, health services utilized.  This cannot only measure where you fitness level is, but display what things you could or should be doing to help yourself stay stronger and healthier as you age.  I honestly filled it out, and pushed the results button to see where I fit in.

The screen showed:  You are 60 years old, and your expected fitness level is 32 VO2 max
However:  You have the fitness of an average 32 yr old and your actual fitness level is 40 VO2 max.  The note following was that I should keep on going as my fitness level is above average for my age and gender.  Fitness is measured as VO2max in mL.-kg-1-min-1 Read more about VO2max and CERG at http://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/fitness-numbers.
I felt encouraged that not only am I in great shape, but I am also on track for a healthier forever after.
Thats just the boost I needed to get a work out in today!  The Senior Games are 3+ months away, and I am not getting any younger or faster sitting here!

I pushed too hard and now....

I overdid!  Pure and simple.  I had a short trip to Atlanta last week.  I needed to go to a few business meetings with my husband.  I wanted to explore the downtown by running around the Centennial Olympic Park.  I wanted to tour CNN.  I wanted to attend the Night at the Aquarium Gala.  I wanted to spend an evening catching up with an old friend.  I read a book.  I wanted to enjoy my trip.  Then two days after returning home, I wanted to drive to San Antonio, play with my grandkids and attend a 3 yr old birthday party.  The problem?  My body could keep up with all this, but my brain apparently cannot.  I did not have my afternoon nap or quiet time.  I did not  sleep well at night.  The mental stimulation of all the new things, talking, listening and processing, my brain was suddenly on overload.  I have not had this happen in months.  It sneaks up on me.  I should know better, but, hey I want to have fun too!  When I closed my eyes to try to sleep,  my ears ringing louder and sounding again like a loud buzz in my head. Headache, stiff neck, and no real rest.  Once asleep, there is no rest for this weary person, as the dream state is like a kaleidoscope on speed.  Pictures, places, words, sounds all like fast sound and video bites out of control.  I do have pills that were prescribed to calm my brain down to enable restful sleep, but if I take them, I am drowsy all the next day, even on the smallest dose.  I don't like to take them, so I don't.  My afternoon naps in effect unplug the CPU in my head and prevent overheating.  Who wants an enforced nap on a trip?  Apparently, I need to, as well as sticking to my normal routine.  The routine was key to reprogramming my brain initially, and seems to be important still.  Free forming and spontaneity must be limited for me to feel well.

So, coming home I knew I needed to get back on the routine.  Same time of day to sleep, wake, eat, run, rest, etc.  I have never been a routine driven person.  I have learned since my brain bleed, if I spend a lot of time listening, talking and processing new things, I need time to unplug and rest before going on to the next thing.  I had gotten to the point where I believed I did not need to put the routine first anymore.  I was wrong.

I am mentally exhausted.  It's tax time, and I have had to attend to those related issues, but I am planning on skipping the hour + long meeting with the accountant.  I will send Ben instead.  He can tell me what I need to do going forward without me sitting and listening to all the detail.  It takes planning to be sure to not over tax the brain.  Its like running.....you need to plan how long or how fast you need to train to reach your goal.  This has been a learning curve for me.  Part of what I must attend to, to be my best in July for the Senior Games is my brain.  The fact is that keeping a schedule and routine helps keep me balanced.  Its a good wake up call for me.  The trip to Minneapolis and the events surrounding the race I will run in will be mentally stimulating.  New places, new things, new people, meeting up with old friends, sightseeing, I need to prioritize my routine for my brain if I want to be able to run my best.  Everything is related. My weak spot is my desire to see and do everything without pause.  The pause button is a necessity to me to be at my top form.
This week I have plans to travel to Olean, New York, to celebrate my father's 92nd birthday with him and the family.  First of all, I need to schedule my brain's down time.  Otherwise I will not enjoy the trip fully, and will suffer from brain fog when I get back.  With 3 months + until race time, this will be part of my preparation, learning to control my time and still have fun.

Yesterday and today the most important thing for me to do was get enough rest.  I woke up at the same time, have been eating meals at same time, and scheduling an afternoon nap or quiet rest daily, and same bedtime is what I need to calm down my brain cells.  My runs are back on the morning schedule.  All things I have been acclimated to.  Trial and error is the way I know how to proceed.

Throwback Thursday...a few of my favorite runs

The GPS is not just the runners/walkers best friend to track miles, pace, time.  The single one thing I love about mine (Nike I phone Ap) is that is records a map and your run or walk everywhere you go.  On Vacations or trips, it logs and records your travels on foot.  I love to look back at my progress, and remembering the places we have run or hiked.   It is saved for me to help me remember.  That time Ben and I ran around Cuba Lake, June 2014!  The run along Charleston Bay, 5KTampa Bay, 5KChicago Lakefront Trail on Lake Michigan,  along the Mississippi for the Senior Games Trial, all these record speed and pace, weather conditions and a map of the route.  It is a great motivator.  For this year, we are going to try to run every place we visit, and keep a record of each run and also try to find the best run for each city, to make a list of our favorites.
Currently my favorite places to run are the trail at Wailea, and the trail at Kaanapali, both on Maui.  These trails have gorgeous ocean views, sea spray, lava fields, interesting rock formations besides almost always perfect weather.  I have had some brief rain showers pop up and I took cover under trees or rock formations until the showers passed while my husband was in  meetings.  The next day I would show him the GPS mapping and take him along.  My Nike ap is as necessary for me to run anymore as my favorite sneaks!

 The Trail above the beach at Wailea,Maui

Running on  the beach another option

 The Trail at Kaanapali, Maui

 Cannon Beach outside of Portland. Oregon

A winter run above the beach got me this photo

 Run on the beach at Port Aransas, Texas

or the Seawall in Galveston

 Cuba Lake, New York

7mile run around the lake

(We have done this summer and winter)

 St. Bonaventure University, Allegany New York

Road that goes behind the Friary beautiful any season

 The George Mitchell Nature Preserve, The Woodlands, TX

Has exercise stations along the way, plus bike trails and technical bike trails

watch out for tree roots! 

Run through Charleston, South Carolina, 

including a run along the waterfront

Run the beach  Destin, Florida

off season

To accompany each run in a different place I have enjoyed, I stop long enough to snap a few pictures to record the scenery and experience.  I hope you have enjoyed a list of some of my favorite places to run.