Narrowing My Options

As June is rapidly approaching, I've downloaded Hal Higdon's Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide on my Kindle and am devouring it. Counting back from the MCM date of Sunday, October 30, 2012, I've arrived at 10 June as a starting point for a 16-week training program. Most plans are around that duration. But now I'm struggling with which plan to use. When I was a young buck running my first marathon in 1999, I didn't use a plan. In fact, I think the longest run I'd ever done was around 3 miles at that point. But I was only 19 and made of "bubble gum and rubber bands" as my husband likes to say, so putting that sort of strain on my body wasn't really a big deal. Now, in my 30s, I am wiser and more brittle:) 

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For the Quintiles Half, I was using Hal Higdon's training plan, but spent the first 5 or 6 weeks accidentally following the NOVICE one and thinking it was too easy (my fault for not reading properly!). Now I'm ready to select a plan for my upcoming marathon. That's where you guys come in. I NEED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS! 


So far I've considered these:


Runner's World Marathon Plan


Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 Training Plan


Rick Kimbal's Marathon Training Plan


But in searching for a plan, I've found that several plans come with a price before you can actually see what you're getting yourself into. I haven't actually gotten to the portion of Hal Higdon's book that states the plan, but I think it's included, so that would be a plus for going with his program. 


If any of you have helpful hints or advice as to which program worked for you and why you liked it, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance!

Big Discovery, New Shoes, and Some Interesting Products!

On Wednesday morning, a fellow Stroller Warrior posted an invite to a CrossFit Workout the following morning. Lo and behold, this event was taking place in my "backyard!" I live about 7 minutes from MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) New River. Apparently, for the last 10 months, MCAS has provided the space and equipment necessary for any CF workout you could imagine! Who knew? What a big discovery. The best part is this: they have an enclosed play area for kiddos, or if they don't want to play there, you can have them right beside you in the stroller as you workout. HUGE BONUS! 

So with the Weasel in tow, we headed to MCAS, located the warehouse that enclosed the gym and met up with some ladies to grab a quick workout. There were two active duty Marines on hand to instruct us and provide us with the WOD. We did a 1k row to warm up and then got right to the WOD: 15 minute AMRAP - 6 toes to bar, 8 hand release pushups, 12 squats (repeat 3 times), 400m run. That Thursday morning, there were approximately 15 ladies kicking butt at this huge gym...it was AWESOME!

Sorry for the awful pics, but I only had my iPhone.

After the workout, I decided to drive down to Wilmington to visit TrySports in search of some new shoes. I'm a mid to forefoot striker, and I was desperately in need of new ones:

The fella at the store watched me run, listened to my concerns, and then gathered up several pairs for me to test on their treadmills. I have been a loyal Saucony wearer for YEARS, so I fully intended on selecting yet another pair. After testing Sauconys, Brooks, Newtons, and Asics, I was shocked to find myself veering away from my "old standby" and selected the Asics! 

Since we were in Wilmington, home of many hippies, Weasel and I decided to hit up the Tidal Creep Co-Op where we ate some lunch and did a little shopping:

I grabbed several of these packets in search of some new great sources of protein and other healthful boosts:

I'll have a review later, but I'm stoked to try them out. And I even got some to send to Jess over in Afghanistan! After we got home, we hung out for a bit and then after a total nap fail, I packed Weasel in the car, headed back to MCAS and did a 3 mile loop to test out my new kicks. I'm happy to report that they feel great and I already notice a difference in the way my feet and legs feel with full cushion and support! Talk about a great day!!

Fitness Is Fun

I am a self-proclaimed runner. I hate exercise classes, lifting weights, and other indoor fitness venues. Sometimes I do CF because I love the short intense workouts it offers, but mostly, I stick to running. It's easy to run with a toddler. If I want to hit the gym, I have to try to time it right so that there is space available in the daycare. If I want to CF while Weasel is awake, I know she is going to want to participate and mostly just be underfoot the entire time. (It's a true test of my patience some days:)


A few weeks ago, my husband's company invited spouses and family members to run the obstacle course, fight with pugil sticks, and participate in SemperFit training (this is a mobile training unit that specializes in functional fitness). I was hesitant at first since I couldn't tell you the last time I did anything like this, but I dressed in my workout attire and headed to base. 


We were immediately instructed on how to complete the O-course (obstacle course) and two Marines demonstrated various techniques to complete each obstacle. Being a former Marine, I wasn't really paying attention, but rather, praying that I could actually tackle each one without injuring myself! I decided to give it a go, and successfully made it through. Boy was it exhausting, but satisfying!

I actually made it to the top! (it's all about technique)

After a few minutes of recovery, I decided to join in the SemperFit class in progress. We did about a thousand squats, crazy jumping maneuvers, and enough pushups to make me want to cry. But I can honestly say, it was one of the best workouts I've ever done.

This is why I don't do group exercise...I look totally ridiculous:)

Finally came the best part of the day. Jason and I donned protective equipment after a brief demonstration, and I got to take a pugil stick or batons while he had NO "weapons" and we fought:

Even the Weasel participated!

We only fought for 2 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime! What a fun way to spend a Friday morning! And while I love running, what a good reminder that fitness can be fun and not every workout has to involve a jogging stroller. I was sore for 3 days following this craziness!

Friends Make Me a Better Runner

We live in Eastern NC. And while technically it's still spring, it's HOT here! So on Tuesday afternoon, I messaged my running buddy, Jill, to ask if she wanted to do a longish (6-7 miles) run the following morning. Last week, we knocked out 8, but didn't start our run until 10:30 and it was way too hot. We wised up and decided to get it done earlier this time around. She told me that another friend posted her intentions of running 10-11 on our Stroller Warrior site, and was asking for partners for some or all of the run. We jumped at the opportunity to add more friends to our training, and met Nicole at the trail by 8 am. While it was still warm, the trail offered some shade in several spots and with rain in the forecast, we had a bit of cloud cover. 


We set off, Jill with Liam, and me with the Weasel in our strollers, and Nicole running solo. The first 5 miles flew by. We chatted non-stop and kept a good pace (1- 8:16, 2- 8:24, 3- 8:32, 4- 8:36, 5- 8:35). The trail provided enough room for us to run three across and it was nice to hear each of our GPSs click off the miles (they have fancy watches, but my iPhone app - RunKeeper - actually announces the pace you're keeping:). At the turn around point, I claimed that we needed to stop so I could open a juice box for the Weasel. In reality, I just needed a break and a chance to sip some water and down a few Honey Stinger Chews:) 


We turned and headed back to the start. While the pace slowed a bit, the conversation continued. Knowing we would be just shy of 11 miles since the turn around only took us to 5.45, I suggested a short turn off out-and-back to add the mileage BEFORE reaching our vehicles. We ended up back at the starting point at 1:38:46 for a total of 11.1 miles! (second half splits: 6- 8:54, 7- 9:28, 8- 9:00, 9- 9:06, 10- 9:36, 11- 9:25) 


Funny thing about this run, Jill and I aren't training for anything. We just heard about the opportunity to run 11 miles and jumped on it. That's just one of the reasons I LOVE this club. Nicole is preparing for another half marathon this coming weekend and another one the following weekend. She's a machine. She runs everyday, mostly in the wee hours of the morning. And she is ALWAYS smiling. 

Me, Nicole & Jill at the finish

How could you NOT have fun with these ladies?!

After the workout, Weasel and I hit up the local grocery store to get dinner items for tonight and tomorrow. Then we headed home and had lunch. I had leftovers - chicken breast stuffed with spinach, feta and onions, on a bed of whole wheat couscous. 

Then, Weasel helped demonstrate her own techniques on my beloved foam roller:

So it's days like this when I absolutely love being a stay-at-home-mom. Hard to complain, right?! And the true sign that it was a successful day - I actually showered within an hour of finishing my run! (Typically I forgo the shower and play with Weasel:) Lastly, a shout out to Weasel and Liam who were perfect angels throughout the entire run!

Food War - Husband VS Wife

I'm not sure how other families operate, but in our household, I do the weekday cooking and my husband takes over the kitchen on weekends. As a stay-at-home-mom, I don't think this is a bad setup. Unfortunately, we (my husband and I), don't exactly share the same ideas of what "good, healthy" dinners are. When Jason is deployed and it's just me and the Weasel, we probably eat meat once or twice a week. In Jason's mind, a meal is NOT a meal unless it contains meat as a protein source!  


I love adding new grains and veggies to my existing cache of recipes. Jason would be happy if I added sausage to everything. So in our house, it's:

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Versus

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So how do those of you in a similar situation make it work? How do you have happy meal times where both parties are happy? I tried to sneak zucchini into our spaghetti with meatballs and sausage the other night. That resulted in a happy me and a pile of zucchini on my husband's plate. I'm running out of ideas. My garden is in full bloom, so it's easier to convince him that we HAVE to eat salad as our side dish or the lettuce/radishes would go to waste, but I'm struggling. 

Making two separate entrees is not an option because our food budget is already too high in my opinion - particularly when we factor in that we don't always feed Weasel what we're eating (i.e. if we eat a spicy meal, she gets something different). So I'm open to ideas...

Salads are the Perfect Summer Food

Yes, I know it's only April, so technically not yet summer, but it sure feels like it down here in Eastern NC (and I'm sure it felt like that for all the Boston Marathon finishers!). I recently harvested a bunch of lettuce from my garden and we made huge salads for dinner. I thought I'd share mine with you:

Homegrown Lettuce & Spinach

Grape Tomatoes

Frozen Corn (cooked)

Black Beans (from a can)

Green Peppers

Cucumbers

Southwest Style Chicken (Deli Section)

Red Quinoa (leftovers from a previous meal)

Sliced Oven Roasted Almonds

I think I'd eat this every night if my husband was on board. Delicious, filling, and super easy! 

SW Take On The SemperFit 5k

Living near a military base definitely has it's perks. One of those is frequent free 5ks to participate in. These are just small races organized by SemperFit to promote different causes. On Friday, they held a 5k to support awareness of sexual assault prevention and discussion. So that day, instead of our usual workout, the Stroller Warriors decided to participate. There were over 100 Marines and family members present! The SemperFit crew came out with their van and did a short warmup with the participants and handed out tons of raffle prizes to include shirts, bags, and Timex watches! 


The race was scheduled to start at 11:30, so at about 11:15, I took off down the trail for a short warmup jog. After that, we did our best to gather the SWs for a photo op. The club has gotten so big, that we had to take two pictures to get everyone in:

As the coordinators indicated the start was looming, I headed to the front of the pack. Typically, stroller runners start in the back, but on that day, I didn't feel like having to weave around a bunch of people, so I took my chances at the start. I was standing next to these amazing women pushing TRIPLES, so I didn't feel too bad:

The one with the red stroller is on of our club members and she's amazing! She finished third for the women in 22:10!

The start was signaled and we took off at a good pace. I did my best to hang with Jane (the one with the red stroller). She's pushing well over 100 pounds, so as I only had the Weasel weighing in a 27.2 pounds, I decided to try my hand at picking up the pace as we headed towards our second incline (we don't have actual hills in Eastern NC). It worked and soon I was the lead female. We hit the first mile marker at just over 7 minutes and I started to worry. I don't run this fast! Instead of stressing over it, I just kept pushing the pace and trying to pass Marines. I got to the turn around and started to head back to the start. It was great motivation to see my fellow Stroller Warriors and cheer for one another!

I came across the finish line at 21:20, by far my fastest 5k with the stroller and I was thrilled! The Weasel was passed out, so I stationed her along the side of the path and cheered my fellow runners in. The 5k ended with on of our SW's husbands who suffered several serious injuries in Afghanistan about 9 months ago walking in with the assistance of a cane. It was inspiring to say the least, particularly, because doctors told him they weren't sure he would ever walk again. He's come so far in his recovery, and were were thrilled to be a part of this big day in his life!

So while I just blogged about not having time to write posts, I really wanted to recap this day! It was a good one and an inspiring one to say the least!