Paula, Kara, and.....ME??

What do marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, American marathon debut record holder Kara Goucher, and I have in common?

No, its not our marathon pace or ripped abs....its our taste in jewelry! Or its that we are all suckers for gimmicks! Notice the simple black cord necklace we are all wearing? Its a Phiten Titanium necklace. Paula started wearing it first and Kara followed after her lead (yes, I am on a first name basis with them) so who am I, a 3:39 marathoner with no World or American records to my name, to argue?

So why are we all wearing this necklace? From the Phiten website:

Phiten products work with your body’s energy system, helping to regulate and balance the flow of energy throughout your body. Proper energy balance helps to alleviate discomfort, speed recovery, and counteract fatigue. Athletes find that they tire less easily and recover faster from intense physical activity. Further benefits of Phiten’s exclusive technology are more relaxed muscles leading to less stress and a greater range of motion that can be of great benefit to an athlete or anyone in any walk of life.

Titanium in a necklace to help me recover faster, feel less fatigue, and heal my injuries?? I know what you are thinking....'sucker!' But.....remember that tendinitis I had in my left knee earlier this summer? The nagging injury that bothered me every time I ran more than 7 miles and that I iced every night? Well, that nagging injury went away within a week of wearing this necklace.....and I was running more miles and longer long runs at the same time. Coincidence? I think not! (OK so maybe it is a coincidence but does it really matter? I've been running pain free since then and its not going to do any damage, so why not?!?Sometimes the placebo effect is all we need!)

Like I said, if its good enough for Paula and Kara, then its good enough for me!

New Recipe of the Week: Chicken Chili

Even though it's only October, the snow was falling in Boston today (yikes)!! Nothing makes me feel warm and cozy on a snowy Sunday than a big bowl of chili! Today I made one of Bryan's favorites that his mom has passed down to me. Rather than the traditional beef with kidney beans version of chili, this one has roasted chicken and lots of peppers. Its healthy and yummy....perfect! Served with some corn bread and tortilla chips and its a perfect meal! Enjoy :)

Chicken Chili (from Maureen)

Serves 6 (it often tastes even better the second or third day!)

2 onions, chopped
Few tablespoons of olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 – 28oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
2-4 split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)

Cook onions in oil for 10-15 minutes. Add garlic, peppers, and all spices (you can add more or less spice depending on your taste). Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and basil. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes (you can add either water or chicken stock if you need more liquid).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Separate meat from bone and skin. Shred or cut meet into chunks.

Add chicken to chili and summer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips.

B.A.A. Half Marathon Race Report

Last Sunday, Bryan and I ran the B.A.A. Half Marathon in Boston. Yes, you read that right.....Bryan ran it too!! He has run one other half marathon in 2006 so I was really excited this summer when he told me he wanted to run another. Coach Sarah put him on a personalized training plan that he followed (almost) to a T. We knew that he would get a PR in this race as his only other half marathon was run in 2:08:xx. The only question was 'how much would he beat that time?'

The weather for the race was perfect....about 40 degrees at start, no wind, and sunny. I was hoping to run around 7:45 pace and Bryan decided to run with me. The course was very pretty...starting in the Fens (by Fenway Park), weaving through the Emerald Necklace (a string of parks and ponds through the city), going through Franklin Park and the zoo, and back to the Fens. The course was largely rolling with ~4 significant hills.....a little more hilly for my liking.

I'll spare you all the mile splits but we ranged from 7:35-8:04 (hill) pace for the race. We ran the entire race together (although with the hills we didn't do much talking!) and finished in 1:42:54 (average pace = 7:51)....a 2:30PR for me and a 26 minute PR for Bryan!!! Although it was a little slower than I wanted, I am happy with how my race went and it showed me what I need to work on in the next couple weeks before Philly. I am so excited for Bryan as he ran an awesome race and has a great PR to show for it!!

Here's a few pictures from the race:

Bryan reminded me to smile for the cameras :)

Working hard....no energy for smiles!

Happy about our PRs!

Looks like Bryan has caught the running bug....he's also signed up to run the Philly Half Marathon. Guess I'll have to get over the fact that his half PR will soon be faster than mine ;)

New Blog Feature: Recipe of the (almost) week!

If you are like me its hard to work all day, come home and run for up to 2 hours, make dinner, and have some time to relax. Dinner is often the thing that suffers and we all know how important nutritious food is for our bodies....especially as runners! Crap in = Crap out :)

So I've decided to start a new feature on my blog....A recipe of the (almost) week! I'll try my hardest to post a new recipe each week. I'll focus on runner friendly foods (think carbs and protein) that are easy to prepare and are as healthy as possible. In return, please send me some of your favorites and I can feature them one week. (either e-mail me or post them in a comment) We can all use some new recipes in our rotation, right??

This first recipe came from the New York Times Online. It was billed as being a good comfort food for people that like baked mac and cheese....If you know one thing about me, you know that I loooove mac and cheese! The best parts of this recipe....it's so easy, can be made a day in advance, and it's healthy....what more can a runner want! I've made it three times and love it! My comments/substitutions are in parentheses. Enjoy!

Baked Orzo With Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups) (I used whole wheat orzo from Whole Foods this time and loved it)

Salt to taste

1 large red pepper, roasted and diced (for ease, I get the jared ones)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I use less)

2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (I've substituted various squashes and they work well)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice (I use no salt added canned tomatoes....again, its easy!)

1 or 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced

2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup, tightly packed) (I've only made it with Parm cheese so far but a coworker has used the goat cheese and likes it too. We both use more cheese than it calls for....calcium and its yummy!)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo. Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet. Add the zucchini and cook — stirring and turning over the slices, or tossing them in the pan — until just cooked through and lightly colored, about five minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo.

3. Return the pan to the heat, add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves six. (yeah right......after a long run Bryan and I could polish this off ourselves...but we don't!)

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours, even a day, before baking.

Maybe I should actually post about my training!

I realize that I haven't actually posted about my Philadelphia Marathon training recently. Things are going well and my body seems to be responding as I would like it to training. I'm self-coaching my plan this time around.....I hope I can trust myself :)

Here's how the last two weeks played out:

9/21-9/27: I took the runs this week pretty easy to let my body heal up after Reach the Beach. My quads had really taken a beating and my hips were tight from sitting in a van for 28 hours!

Monday: 4.15 miles at a super easy pace to shake things out
Tuesday: 10.4 miles fairly easy....legs were definitely feeling this one!
Wednesday: Rest day.....my calves were really tight after Tuesday's run so I took it easy.
Thursday: 7.25 miles easy with 8 x 100m strides....yep still feeling it! Also did yoga this evening which really helped loosen me up!
Friday: 4.15 miles easy
Saturday: 20.25 miles....my first 20 miler of the training. My body took a little longer to get into the groove, but by mile 5 I was feeling good. Ran negative splits and was happy to find some extra speed towards the end.
Sunday: Recovery 4.15 miles....sloooow!

Total: 50.4 miles

9/28-10/4: I decided to keep my total miles about the same as last week but added in some more quality. Legs were feeling pretty good this week!

Monday: 3 mile tempo run at lunch (avg 7:38). I ran with some of the guys I work with and they are pretty quick so this run turned into an impromptu tempo run.
Tuesday: 11.2 miles on the Newton Hills at a comfortable pace (avg 8:53)
Wednesday: 3 miles at lunch...only the fast guys showed up for our work running group this day so I was again running about tempo pace (avg 7:45). I also ran 4.8 super slow and easy miles after work before a yogalates class (combo of yoga and pilates.....didn't love it as much as my vinyasa yoga class, but not a bad substitute)
Thursday: 7.5 miles at a pretty decent clip. My body was tired and I didn't want to run, but I went out with Bryan and ended up with a great run....negative splits with the last couple miles at goal marathon pace (avg 8:19). I LOVE these surprise good run days! Finished up with a 60 minute yoga practice....streeeeech!
Friday: A much needed rest.....after running 8 days in a row, but body happily sat on the couch all evening!
Saturday: 4.5 slow and yucky miles....just felt terrible!
Sunday: 17.6 soupy and hilly miles. Where on earth did this humidity come from in October?!?! Ran 6.4 miles on my own and then grabbed Bryan and we did 11.2 miles together on the Newton Hills. We were both not feeling the run but stuck it out to average 9:03 pace....not bad given the conditions.

Total: 50.0 miles

This week Bryan and I are both running the BAA Half Marathon on Sunday. I'm still undecided on how I want to pace it, but I would like a nice new PR so hopefully that's in the cards! I'll bump the miles up a little more in the next few weeks as I peak for Philly.....legs don't fail me now!!

Reach the Beach Relay

On September 18-19th, I took part in the annual Reach the Beach Relay (RTB) that runs from Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch, NH to Hampton Beach, NH. The main idea is you have a team of 12 people split into 2 vans and your team runs continuously through New Hampshire for 210 miles until you reach the beach. This is the first race of this kind that I've ever done and boy was it an adventure and and experience I'm so glad I got to be a part of!!!

To back up, one of my coworkers has organized a team for the past couple years and asked me if I was interested. I was nervous about it but decided to give it a try. I also recruited my bestest running friend, Janette, to be part of our team. The only catch I was told was that the team always has a theme and dresses in costume....ok?? Our team name was "Tight Fit" and the picture below shows us all at the start in our costumes....

Back Row: Aquaman, Quailman, Robin, The Riddler, Batman, Superman

Front Row: Poison Ivy, Super Girl, Wonder Woman, Bat Girl, Elastagirl, She-ra

Yes, we were dressed as Super Heroes (if for some reason you can't tell, I am Wonder Woman)!! Just imagine the looks we got as 12 super heroes climbed out of two vans in the parking lot....everyone loved it and many people wanted their picture taken with us :)

I was in the second of our two vans, and when I say 'vans' I actually mean SUV....yes, imagine 6 runners crammed in an SUV for 28 hours (thanks rental car place for messing up our reservation for larger vehicles!). So after cheering our captain and first runner off, we jumped in our van, got some real food, and headed to the van transition area to chill while van one ran their first legs.

Van 2!!

In total, I ran three out of the 36 legs of the 210 mile journey. Here's how mine played out:

Leg 1: 7.54 miles after dark on Friday evening

Time: 59:43

Average Pace: 7:56 min/mile

This leg can best be described as an "M" I went up....I went down....I went back up....I went back down! Overall, I gained 600 ft of elevation and lost 650 ft of elevation. Needless to say, my quads were already taking a beating and this was only my first leg! I thought running in the dark back roads of NH alone would be scary but it was actually quite peaceful. I got worried at one point that I had missed a turn when I didn't see another runner in front of me for about 0.5 miles but then I looked behind me and saw a head lamp bobbing in the distance and was reassured (either I was still on course or the fool behind me followed me and we both missed the turn). Here is me at ~ half way of this leg where my van met me with cheers (quietly!) and water.

After van 2 finished up our first legs, we tried to catch some zzzz's. Pretty hard to do in and SUV with 6 people! Three of us with good sleeping bags went out to the lawn of the school we were parked in and tried our hand at camping. There were sleeping bags and tents set up all over the lawn....pretty funny!

From the back of van 2 somewhere in the middle of the night

Leg 2: 6.24 miles early Saturday morning

Time: 48:52

Average Pace: 7:50 min/mile

I started off this leg with a woman on another team. We chatted some about the headwind (yuck!) and it was nice to have some company. I knew I was running a little too fast but kept up with her for 2 miles....then she told me that her team had won the relay a couple years ago! Ok...I better slow down a bit! My legs were a bit tired at the beginning but they loosened up quickly and I felt really good.

I handed off the baton (neon yellow slap bracelet) to Janette and she was off on her second leg. Here's a picture of her speeding by towards the transition area....look at her go!

It was shaping up to be a beautiful day so we drove to the final transition area and napped in the sun. You'd think I would fall asleep easily but the combination of adrenaline from running and actually being over tired made it hard to sleep!

Leg 3: 3.4 miles Saturday afternoon

Time: 26:17

Average Pace: 7:42 min/mile

The final leg! I wasn't sure how my body would respond to running for a third time. I've run doubles before, but never triples! I was glad this was my shortest run and I just wanted to finish. My legs were definitely stiff and tired, but I willed them to give me one more run and they responded well.

So after 36 legs of running, countless bagels and PB&J sandwiches, a bag of M&Ms, and 28 hours and 58 minutes, team Tight Fit reached the beach!! (We would have finished 30-40 minutes sooner, but there was a mix up in van 1 overnight and they missed a runner and left her waiting at the transition area for over 30 minutes....ooopps!)

Of course we went in the water! Some more than others.....I stuck with just my legs as a quick ice bath :)

Overall, the race was a ton of fun and definitely an experience! I was pleased with how my runs went and happy to see that my pace got faster as my legs became more tired. After the fact, I think I could have run the earlier legs a little faster, but not knowing how my body would react to the whole relay thing I held back a bit.

I was great to have Janette on the team as I love running with her!! (Even though we never actually ran together except for the few steps at the transition areas...it was great to hang out again!) I also met some awesome people (and will never look at my coworker in the same way again after seeing him in is "tight fitting" costume!) Congrats to all the teams who ran (Maria it was great to see you and I wish we had been able to meet up later in the race!)

I guess now its time to start thinking about costumes for next year!

A reminder...

One of my RW friends posted this picture online. It's from the 2008 London Marathon. The three guys shown finished 1, 2, and 3....

"This $hit ain't easy. It brings the best runners in the world to their knees. Literally. And we're right there doing the same thing. Time to HTFU" -4chi

11.5 weeks until Philly.....