Boston Marathon, week #5

First peak week, dominated. Okay maybe not quite dominated, but over with. And I can sigh a big breath of relief.

The goal was to get in about 60 miles total, with an 18-19 mile long run and a 4x2-mile threshold workout. The weather wasn't too cooperative... half my runs were on the treadmill. (Boo.)

Thanks to my buddy MLK Jr., I had last Monday off school, so I tackled a beast of a threshold workout on the treadmill. The wind chill was near 0*F so there was no way I was battling crazy winds and extreme cold with that long of a workout.

My torture of the day was 4x2-mile @ 6:32 with 1-2 minutes standing recovery. Basically, I set the treadmill to 9.2mph with a 0.5% incline and ~~ran~~ sprinted 2 miles... and then hopped off for a minute while the belt ran on wildly without me. I didn't want to waste time slowing down and then getting back up to speed. After a minute of standing awkwardly on the treadmill rails (trying not to fall and make a fool of myself), I would hop back on and start sprinting again. Repeat X 4. It really wasn't too bad, until the last 1/2 mile or so of each repeat. I hit my splits pretty consistently - 12:57, 12:55, 12:55, 12:55. (It's not too hard to be consistent on a treadmill, just don't give into the temptation to press the 'STOP' button.)

Due to a miscommunication with a cupcake order pick-up, I did not have time to cool down on the treadmill. Once I got home and straightened that out, I headed out for a 2-mile death march cool-down. In the 0*F weather. Might have been the longest, coldest 2 miles of my life.

Other notable workout - 18.5 mile long run. On the treadmill, yet again. It was snowing and torrential wind-blowing outside and I didn't want to deal with it by myself. For some reason, I can deal with crazy weather as long as I'm running with people, but by myself, I'm a complete pansy. Oh well, I still got it in, and my legs felt good.

Weekly Rundown 1.21.2013-1.27.2013

Mon - 4x2-mile @ 6:32 (12:57, 12:55, 12:55, 12:55); 12.2 miles total

Tues - 8.1 miles easy

Wed - 7.7 miles easy AM; 3.2 miles easy PM

Thurs - Off

Fri - 18.5 miles LONG (7:49 avg)

Sat - 4.3 miles easy

Sun - 8 miles easy

Total - 62 miles

Random exciting tidbit of the week -

I have discovered the joy of COMPRESSION SOCKS! Oh my goodness, why did it take me so long to find these? I've always shied away from the $$ price tag, but they popped up on my new favorite website - Steep and Cheap. (They post outdoorsy-type athletic gear deals throughout the day, and stuff is way marked down. It's kind of a game of chance though, but I love checking the site throughout the day to see if there's anything exciting.)

I got these socks (originally $50) for just $17. And I wish I would have bought 3 pairs. They felt so good on my legs after my long run... and I swear they helped me recover faster. (But it could all be in my head... who knows.) And the pink is so much fun. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Happy running!

The Arrival of Something New...

Woo hoo for the last Friday of the school year! And only one more day of school next week. (And then a couple teacher workshops...) Another reason to be excited? Our fridge came today!! Isn't she a beauty? It is so nice to have a fridge again. You don't realize how much you miss a full-size refrigerator until you go a couple weeks without it. A bit bare... but that can be solved easily. Bottom-drawer freezer, containing the essentials: moose tracks & Diet Dew trying to get cold asap. Anyways, I'm just popping in to share my beautiful new appliance. The baking monster has taken over, and I'm in the midst of making 150 cupcakes for a graduation party tomorrow. First big baking project in the new kitchen! I'm loving all the counter space. Mmm... chocolate buttercream! Making good use of the baking nook! :) Adios!

The Essential Summer Dessert

Last weekend, my Business Man and I hosted a fiesta for some of our friends in the Bean Town. While everyone enjoyed the food, I think dessert was the biggest hit. (Surprise, surprise.) We had brownies (from a box, the horror!) topped with chocolate ganache, and fruit pizza . Fruit pizza is most definitely my "go-to" summer dessert. Since it's the official 1st day of summer, I thought I'd share the recipe! It's delicious without being too heavy or rich. And it's most definitely healthy, because you are eating fruit, right? The recipe I use is my mom's... she's been using it for years. It starts with a basic sugar cookie base, topped with a cream cheese-whipped topping, and then all the fruit your little heart desires! I usually go with strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. But raspberries are really good, too. Even better when you pick the fruit yourself! (Picking berries on our honeymoon last July.) ...

2011 Flying Pig Marathon Race Recap

Marathons are hard. But before we get to the actual marathon, let's rewind a bit to Saturday afternoon. We arrived in Cincy around 2pm, and hit up marathon expo. Goodness sakes, I had never seen a room so large filled with so many runners. Everyone was so excited, you could almost feel the energy. We weaved our way through the exhibitors and what they had to offer. (Think free dark chocolate almond granola samples! Yum! I also might have snagged some info on the Disney Half & Marathon in January... we shall see.) We also stopped for a few fun photo ops. Posing with a balloon flying pig. These were everywhere! Flying pigs with all sorts of themes. They were so cute! After the expo, we headed to our early-bird dinner. We had the luxury of dining at Maggiano's Little Italy (major carb-loading!), and it was a fantastic dining experience. The service was great , and the food was delicious as well. None of us had ever eaten there, befo...

Livin' the Dream in Lima

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