Boston

Tweet I've seen dozens of blog posts this week on the events that happened at the Boston Marathon Monday. I couldn't understand how some bloggers could post something so quickly. I am still processing what happened. It's still very raw, and I wasn't even there physically. But I was there in spirit.

I ran Boston in 2008 and 2010. Before I ran it in 2008, I found an online forum of runners who were running Boston and had run it previously. Through reading that forum (never posting myself), I learned everything I needed to know about the whole weekend -- when to get there, where to stay, when to go to the Expo, where to eat, etc. It was a wonderful resource.

Though I qualified at the 2008 race for the 2009 race, a late fall injury prevented me from running Boston in 2009. I requalified and registered for 2010, this time dragging my running partner into it as well. I went back to the online forum, and this time, began posting and getting to know the other runners on it.

Going to Boston in 2010 was very different than in 2008, because this time, I knew the routine, I had my running partner with me and I "knew" other runners in it. It was my best marathon ever -- my best experience and my personal record. And I didn't know it at the time, but it turned out to be my last marathon, as well.

This group of runners from this forum had an after-race party at a bar near Boston Common. I dragged my husband to go meet these people whom I had been conversing with on the forum. He was wary, but when I got there, it was like a big family reunion. I met in person the greatest group of people who I am proud to call friends. Since then, many have become dear friends, and I have run Reach the Beach New Hampshire with some of them.

Though Boston 2010 was my last time there, my heart has always been on the course from Hopkinton to Boston every Patriot's Day since. I am thankful that it is available online, as I have watched the live feed every year, sometimes shedding a tear or two, but mostly happy for my friends and excited to see how well they did.

This year, I watched the live feed of the race, then was checking Facebook periodically to see how these friends did. I loved seeing the photos of the smiling faces during the race and seeing awesome PRs set on what was a perfect day for running. I was so happy for everyone.

After lunch I got an email from my husband with a one-sentence news brief about a bombing in Boston at the finish line. I immediately got back on Facebook, where a local friend who is also part of the group had started a thread asking members of our group to check in and let us know they were safe. I have never felt the way I did over those next two hours. I was sick with worry, particularly for those friends who I knew were 4+-hour marathoners. I felt sick. How could someone ruin such a wonderful day and wonderful event with bombs at the finish line?

I talked to my husband, who reminded me that we stood at the finish line for a few hours for the 2008 Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. We were in a huge crowd, with 20 people deep behind us. We were in the same situation as those who were killed and injured by the blasts. We shopped at the Marathon Sports store that had its windows blown out.

When I got home from work Monday, I saw that my first tulip had bloomed during the day. Ironically, it was Boston yellow- a bright spot in a dark day.

 A few minutes after I got home, the postman pulled up and gave me a package. Inside, was a gift from one of the dear friends I have made from my group:

My heart aches— for Boston; for the Boston Athletic Association, which is a class act all the way, putting on the greatest marathon on Earth that brings in people from all over the world; for the families of those killed, injured, maimed and forever scarred; for the 23,000+ runners who had their memories of this wonderful day forever marred by these heinous acts; and for 100 or so special runners whom I am proud to call friends, whose hearts were broken and lives were forever changed. 

However, I am thankful that they have each other, and I can only pray that they will rely on each other for support over the coming days, weeks and months, as they grapple with grief, loss, anger, and the range of emotions that will impact them.

I don't know how this all will unfold. But I know a few things:
1. Runners are resilient. This horrible tragedy will not prevent the Boston Marathon from continuing its wonderful tradition on Patriot's Day. If anything, it will make us stronger.
2. I am proud to be a runner and to be part of this community.
3. God is still on the throne. We may never know why this happened until we get Home, but God is still in control.

All in for Boston.

Bringing foods back

Tweet I made it through my 4-week elimination diet, and my first day to reintroduce a food was Easter Sunday. I chose to start with the proteins I'd had to eliminate (tree nuts, some beans), so on Easter Sunday, I had some almonds. In the form of Grain-Free Lemon Cookie Tarts from Healthful Pursuit. I didn't take a picture, because mine weren't as pretty as the models. I didn't have any problems, so two days later I had some regular roasted salted almonds. No problems! This week I'm trying sunflower seeds and vanilla.

I'm still taking probiotics, cat's claw and digestive enzymes. I feel like they have made a difference in my overall well-being.

As far as racing nutrition and hydration go, I'm making progress there, as well. I got some Ironman Perform drink mix and have been using that on rides and long runs.  To my surprise, it has not bothered my stomach or GI system at all. Maybe that's because the inflammation is already reduced from eliminating certain foods. For whatever reason, I'm happy I can use it. I'm also having good luck with the Bonk Breaker bars (yesterday was the High Protein Peanut Butter & Jelly) and the ProBar Bolt chews. I did have some problems Saturday with some hand swelling during my run. That said, it was the first warm day we've had, so I tried to take in as many electrolytes and water as possible. That's a recurring problem I need to continue to work on. Two months to go! EEK!

My post-long-ride then short-transition run meal yesterday:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a chocolate-protein-banana smoothie (8 oz. Zico chocolate coconut water, 1 frozen banana, 1 scoop of Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder), and an organic gala apple. Absolutely refreshing and helps to replenish electrolytes lost in sweat.

Here are a few things I've made lately:

Waffles!! 

A lot of food bloggers have been posting waffle recipes lately, and that made me crave waffles. So I bought a waffle iron. These are Super Healthy Carrot Cake Waffles from Chocolate Covered Katie.

Enjoyed after a long run!

Cocoa Goji Berry Granola from Plant-Powered Kitchen: 

Brown Rice Pasta with Spicy Kale

I made this up. Here's what I used:
Trader Joe's brown rice spaghetti (gluten-free). I cooked this in boiling water according to package directions.
In a skillet, I sauteed one clove of fresh garlic in 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Once nearly golden I added about 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes. Then I added one bunch fresh organic lacinato kale that I had washed and chopped up into small pieces. I sauteed that until the kale was cooked through, adding a little water as necessary. Once the pasta was cooked, I scooped a measuring cup of pasta water before draining and rinsing in cold water. Then I put the pasta in with the kale mixture in teh skillet and stirred it up until it was all warmed through. It was delicious!

Kung Pao Tofu (from More Peas, Thank You by Sarah Matheny)

It was delicious served over brown rice. I did throw in some asparagus since we only had 5 stalks left, so I wanted to use them.

What have you been making lately? Have you gotten any new cookbooks?

Halfway through

Tweet I am a little more than halfway through my 4-week food elimination challenge. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at the results so far. The first few days were really hard -- I wasn't sure what to eat and I lost a few pounds. I also had a really tough time giving up my morning cup of hot herbal tea. But then I started looking at the situation differently: instead of a list of things I couldn't eat, anything not on the list was OK. That opened up the creativity channel I was looking for. So I've been eating a lot of raisins and raw pumpkin seeds, both great iron sources, peanuts, and organic carrots, in place of tree nuts and crackers.

I actually do notice a difference in how I feel. I can't really pinpoint it, other than my stomach is more settled and I have more energy. I can only describe it as I didn't know I really felt bad until I started feeling better. And that's exactly where I need to be as I train for a half-Ironman.

Thankfully I recently started using a home delivery service for organic produce and groceries, GreenBEAN, and I can customize what I want in my bin, so I've been able to get produce that I can eat. The previous co-op that I used gave you a set bag of produce, and you had to take what was in it. I ended up giving a lot to the neighbors. Yes, this costs more, but it's organic, they deliver and I can get what I want, which makes a big difference to me!

Here are some things I've made lately:

For St. Patrick's Day: 

Vanilla cupcakes with butterless buttercream icing and shamrock sprinkles.
I made these for my husband's parish fish fry.

 Chocolate Stout Brownies

 Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread with Pasta & Bean Soup with Kale  (Yes, I realize it's not Irish Stew)

For everyday:

General Tsao's Tempeh with brown rice and sauteed bok choy

Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Massaged Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin Seed Dressing

Easy Caribbean Black Beans & Plaintains (bananas in this case)

Blissful Buckwheat Granola Clusters (made with pumpkin seeds)

Quinoa-stuffed peppers (I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it was great!)

So while at first I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat enough with the foods that I'm avoiding, it has been a good challenge. It's early enough in my triathlon training that it's not a big issue. Training is going really well, and I'm feeling fueled. In working with my awesome sports dietitian, I've been trying some new supplements to help with the stomach inflammation: cat's claw, probiotics and digestive enzymes. I've used the enzymes for more than a year, and they really help a lot.

I'm also trying new fueling options while training, including ProBar's new Bolt chews and the nut-free Bonk Breaker bars (PB&J!). Both have worked out really well so far.  I'm using Infinit's custom liquid nutrition during my swims to avoid my usual post-swim dehydration and severe headaches, and it has worked really well. Coming from a running background, I've not been very good about fueling for workouts, but since I've been doing mostly brick workouts, I have had to learn to change that. My body does need fuel for a quality workout. 

What fuel do you use for workouts? 

A new challenge

Tweet For the past few months I've been working with a sports dietitian to ensure that I'm eating correctly for my training. Although I have very good knowledge of general nutrition, when it comes to training and racing, I draw a blank. Since I plan to do more triathlons again this year, I need to get a handle on it.

Part of our work together has been how to work around some of my stomach ailments to avoid issues on race day.  I always have some sort of low-grade GI distress going on, and it's something I've just lived with. My dietitian suggested a blood test that would show any food sensitivities, and I agreed to do it.

I got the results a few days ago and am now starting to process them. I was totally overwhelmed at first. While none of the sensitivities that were found are extreme, some of the foods that I love and eat every day showed the highest sensitivities: tea, cinnamon, avocado, mushrooms, spinach, oregano. Many others had lower levels of sensitivity. Her recommendation was to eliminate the ones with the highest sensitivities for 4 weeks, then gradually introduce them back.

I have been going through tea withdrawal. I drink only herbal tea, so it's not the caffeine, but the hot beverage on a cold morning that I'm missing. I'm not a coffee drinker, but even if I were, that has a mild sensitivity, too! I am also going through cinnamon withdrawal. No more cinnamon on my morning oatmeal for a while!

So today was Day 1 of eliminating foods. I did OK. I'm having some hot water with fresh lemon squeezed in to replace my evening cup of tea. I'm substituting ginger and nutmeg for cinnamon in my granola and oatmeal. The biggest issue will be eliminating some proteins: nuts, nut butters and kidney and pinto beans. I count on nuts and nut butters for a lot of protein, so I am going to have to get creative. Tonight I made some of Peas & Thank You's Carrot Cake Protein Bars for a nice snack. While it's not a chocolate chip cookie (my favorite), at least it's something and a good protein source. I did have to leave out the cinnamon, though. :(

 (Photo from Peas & Thank You)

I'm also adding probiotics and cat's claw to my supplements to help diminish the inflammation in my gut. We'll see how it goes!

ProCompression sock review

Tweet I had been wanting a pair of compression socks for a while, but wasn't sure what kind to get. I really didn't want to spend $50+ on a pair. So when I saw a discount code for ProCompression socks, I thought I'd give them a try.

I got a pair of the knee-high Marathon socks in black shortly before Christmas, but wrapped them up so I could open them Christmas Day.

The first time I wore them, I slept in them then ran a very easy 3 miles right when I got up. They felt fine all night and during the run. However, when I took them off to take a shower, I had a painful red ring around my legs where the top of the sock had been. It was pressed into my skin and felt almost like chafing. The ring lasted for a whole day.

I decided to wash them and give them another try.  Same thing happened. So I checked the company's website for return instructions, and it said they only took back unworn products within 30 days. I contacted the company via email and explained the situation to see if I could return them. The representative asked me what the problem was, had me measure my calf and checked that I'd ordered the right size (which I had), and said the pair I had received may have been mislabeled and was too small. So the representative said they would send me a replacement pair! Within 2-3 days I had a brand new pair!

I just had the chance to test out the new pair, and I'm happy to say there is no painful red ring with this pair. I did not run in them, just wore them for recovery. They also washed nicely.

I'm very happy with the ProCompression socks and very impressed with their customer service.

2012 in review

Tweet

As it's Dec. 31, it's time to take a look back at 2012. It was a very difficult and stressful year for a lot of reasons, but there were many blessings as well. 

I borrowed this list from Tsh at SimpleMom. 

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

 I got a wonderful answer to prayer in a new job in August. 

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?

Skipper (my cat) going into diabetic ketoacidosis in January and spending 3 days in intensive care, then doing everything I could to bring him back to health.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?

Learning that by running less, I run faster.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?

Not being able to run as much as my mind wants me to.

5. Pick three words to describe 2012.

Thankful, stressful, learning.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2012—don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you. (If you’re not married, have fun guessing the answers from other friends and family, or just skip this question.)

Frustrating, challenging, learning. 

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2012—again, without asking.

8. What were the best books you read this year?

"Grace for the Good Girl" by Emily Freeman.  I read it a dozen times.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?

Dan, Stacey, Andrew, Beth A., Skipper's vet

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

Transitioning from being a runner to a triathlete. It was a difficult change mentally.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?

I learned to have patience with myself. I also took a big risk in leaving a job I did well to a brand new one.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?

I have learned so much from co-leading a women's Bible study at church. I learn from the curriculum, God's word, and from the other women.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? 

I racked up the swimming and cycling miles! Totals for 2012: 

Swimming:  240,025 meters (~150 miles)

Cycling: 125.7 hours

Running: 1,280 miles, new PRs in the half-marathon, 5K and Olympic distance triathlon

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?

I tried to listen more and be an encourager. 

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?

At work: writing almost full time, working on my first magazine for which I wrote 90 percent. At home: seeing my efforts to get Skipper well pay off.

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)?

At work: waiting for a new job to come along. At home: Keeping the clutter under control.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?

Um, Facebook & Pinterest. 

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?

Spending time in the She Reads Truth devotionals and working to improve my cycling skills.

 

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?

God really does answer prayers, sometimes right away!

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2012 for you.

No matter what the obstacle or challenge, God has a way for us to get through it if we just ask and trust in Him! 

Handwritten recipes

Tweet When was the last time someone gave you a handwritten recipe, or you wrote one out for someone else? What used to be commonplace on cute 3x5 cards has been turned into a URL in an email or text message.

My friend Leslie writes a weekly column for the South County Times here in St. Louis. Today's column is about a recipe she found that her mother had handwritten and the memories it brought up.  I treasure several of my Grandma Miller's. Here are a couple:

This one was written before I was born! 

 And this one for a St. Louis favorite has a personal comment at the end:

Do you have any handwritten recipes that you'd like to share? Please do! We're looking to start a movement and want you to be a part of it!