The Influencers

I just have to put it out there that last week after writing what seemed like a novel, I was on track for that particular entry to have one of the biggest "views" ever - then Blogger crapped out and deleted my Ironman recap!  Thankfully, I saved a copy and was able to repost...but I'm irritated that I don't truly know how many of you out there were interested in the harrowing tale...but thanks for reading, and thanks for the great feedback!

Anyway, as I don't have any big events to report on this week (except for the down-to-the-wire Base Camp building finishing touches - won't go there just yet), I got to thinking about what it is that makes me who I am or want to do the things I do...Then it hit me...."I'm surrounded by a bunch of overachievers".

Plain and simple.

Annoying?  Sometimes.  Inconvenient?  Yep.  Frustrating?  Oh, definitely yes.

But it's also inspiring, uplifting, and rewarding too.  I guess the latter is so good, the former is something I just have to deal with some of the time.

There's a lot of research out there that shows it's who you hang out with that most influences your life...sounds pretty straight forward, right?  Sure, we all tend to gravitate toward people who share our interests or some common ground, but once you really get to know someone, you might find you may influence each other in either a positive or negative way.  One example that comes to mind is when you're with a friend or group of friends (particularly those ubiquitous "class parties" at school where the parent volunteers hang around to make sure the kids behave) - there's plenty of food around, but if one person isn't willing to step up and start indulging, you all might hang back for fear of looking like the little piggy of the group...at least I've seen this when it comes to the ladies....not sure if the men are ever timid when it comes to indulging...

Another is how active you choose to be - have a like-minded friend?  Much easier to stay on the ball and get out there to exercise together.  You make plans to meet, you hold each other accountable...much harder to back out and be lazy when someone's counting on you.

What about how you choose to eat?  Do your friends/family eat out most days?  Does it seem your own family tries to sabotage your diet (and I mean what you eat, not that you are dieting), or are they just as into/supportive of how you want to eat?  Do your friends or family make fun of you or shun what you typically "bring to the table"?   Not so easy to try new, healthier things when you feel like no one will go along with you.

I consider myself very lucky that my immediate family and extended family all seem to share the same interests in most aspects of how we live our lives...If I chose to be vegan (for example), I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even bat an eye, and vegan dishes would even be considered in the latest holiday get-together "menu". No one thinks anyone else is too crazy when ideas are thrown around for the next "event" - except maybe Mike's Ironman...(we still think he's a little nuts) but I digress....

What I'm saying is, while it's nearly impossible to change anyone outright, we all can subtly influence each other just by being our own good example...The more we want to be or do something, the easier it is when we have the support of like-minded individuals.

Recommended read:  "The Blue Zones:  Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest" by Dan Buettner

Ok, so it wasn't just an example...my family and I went vegan for a while before kid #3 was born...there are quite a few recipes out there that can completely satisfy the craving you're in the mood for.  The following recipe is one I haven't tried (yet), but it looks too good not to post:

Fresh Mango Cobbler - Vegan

CRUST
3 cups pecans, dry
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 Tablespoon alcohol-free extract
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup pitted dates

SYRUP
¾ cup pitted dates
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
½ vanilla bean, or ½ Tablespoon alcohol-free extract
⅔ cup filtered water, as needed

FILLING
3 to 4 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, sliced, about 6 cups

To make crust, process pecans, vanilla bean, and salt into powder in your food processor. Add ¾ cup pitted dates and process until mixed well. Sprinkle half of the crust onto bottom of pie dish, and set aside. Don’t bother rinsing out your food processor after making the crust; the leftover crumbs will add in with the syrup ingredients.

To make syrup, process ¾ cup dates, oil, vanilla bean, and water as needed to make a thick syrup. Set aside.

To make filling, place sliced mango into a large mixing bowl. Toss with the syrup. Spoon onto cobbler crust. To serve, top with remaining half of the crust. Will keep for two days in the fridge.

Yield: One cobbler.

From Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, by Ani Phyo

Ironman St. George - The Wife's View

Beware: the following post is nearly as long as an actual Ironman...

Probably about 18 months to 2 years ago, I'd be up in what was my home office and the TV would invariably be be tuned into some channel showing the Ironman Championships in Kona, or some other location with my husband glued to the screen. I'd glance over and see the leaders as they were followed by a cameraman on a motorcycle, looking nothing but serious and determined. Then every once in a while they'd capture the absolute devastation written all over some pro's face whose bike had gotten a flat for the umpteenth time and there was no hope to recover. I laughed a little at the guy who threw his tire and kicked his bike....all the while cursing and yelling in a funny accent, thinking, "who does these events, anyway? Who would be crazy enough to put themselves through 140.6 miles of what looked like pure torture?" 

I can still hear Mike gushing over the athletes and their stories - and by athletes, I mean every single participant...not just the Pro's. There were plenty of Pro's for sure, but there were also stories of a 70-something nun, a man who just recently diagnosed with Lou Gherig's disease traversing the 140.6 miles to raise awareness before his body would fail him, those doing it in honor of a loved one...no shortage of inspiration. I knew Mike was enthralled, but when he said he was going to do an Ironman, I really didn't think much of it. I've known this man for half of my life...and I should have known better!

Fast forward a bit, and you have Mike riding on a friend's dad's borrowed 10 speed that was too big. Practicing laps in the local Y's pool (this, the guy who absolutely would NOT go swimming, no matter what after he was "forced" to dig the footprint for the aboveground pool at his parent's house many years ago), reading everything he could get his hands on regarding endurance, technique, nutrition, training, recovery...running (also the guy who believed running was torture and a punishment and never ran a race until the 2008 Philly Marathon)...who was this guy? Did I know him? What the heck did he do with my Mike? 

I played along...not really thinking that things would keep progressing (again, I don't know how I disillusioned myself)...but there he was, swimming, biking and running, reading, researching and learning...he set his sights on his first triathlon - an Olympic distance race held in July. After that was a local Half-Ironman...which was on mostly hilly terrain...then came the time when he got super-serious and got ready to sign up for a Full-Ironman but the one he originally selected had sold out! The only thing left to do was sign up for the newest and most difficult Ironman out there...St. George, Utah. How difficult could it really be? 140.6 miles is ridiculous...what's a couple hills thrown in for good measure?

In retrospect, I'm glad he chose an event so early in the spring (technically speaking)...that way all the hours of training done on his bike was indoor on a computrainer...if I had to run out for some reason, I didn't have to schlep all three kids with me wherever I needed to go...of course there was the time I came back and the door to where he was training was locked because they had pestered him to no end (only happened once!)...but while he may have been largely inaccessible, I knew exactly where he was and didn't have to worry.

Oh yeah - that...worry. I come from a line of worriers. I've tried to fight it...but it creeps up on me and WHAM! There I am...stress hormones flowing, mind wandering (dark places)...I did pretty well up until the time he got hit by a car while in VA Beach...(I really wish he hadn't told me about that). So anyway, take away the worry factor, give me a few hours to get errands run by myself, and I'm pretty happy.

Fast forward even more...past the 6-7 consecutive hour "bricks" on the weekends, couple hour swims, and long distance running...we're at race week. The plan is for Mike to go ahead of us and get acclimated, ship all his gear and receive it in time...etc. Sounds simple, right? Did I mention I have 3 kids under 9? Luckily my brother in law stepped up to the plate and offered fly out with the kids and me, and Mike would come home with us when all was said and done. Sorry, Eric...you really had no idea what you were getting into.

Monday am, I wake up with sore lungs and a scratchy throat. Kid #2 starts coughing. Tuesday kid #3 starts coughing, I feel achy, tired and have a runny nose. Kid #2 still coughing. Wednesday, Mike leaves for UT, I feel like crap, Kid #'s 1, 2 and 3 all have a cold of some sort. Thursday, all 3 are still not feeling well, I still feel like crap, have found that I've literally broken out with a rash on my face from worrying, and kid #3 now has a fever. Awesome.

Friday, kids #1 and 2 seem better, but kid #3 is coughing (a lot) and continues with a fever. I worried about how he'd do with the cabin pressure...turns out that was the least of my worries. Eric picks us up at 8 am and off we go. Get to the airport, check in and....2 hour delay! Ok, no problem...just keep the kids occupied...stop thinking about the race tomorrow...next we hear the announcement "The aircraft repair could not be done within a reasonable time, so US Air is substituting with a smaller aircraft. Rows 27 and higher do not have seats on this plane". Guess which row we were in? 29. 

Eric jumps up and heads over to the gate desk...then disappears for a while. I'm NOT thinking about how we're going to get to UT. NOT thinking that Mike does not need this on his mind...WON'T. 

Head over to another gate desk with the kids in tow to see Eric talking to another US Air rep...being very patient...while surrounded with (for the sake of this blog, I'll be kind) ladies making a gigantic stink about how this airline was ruining their chance to bet on the big horse race in Vegas. Let's just say their language was more than colorful and were so loud, I think the people at baggage claim could've heard them. And so did my kids. Kid #1 in particular. As she started ramping up the complaining and the "US Air is ruining my life" diatribe, I quickly tried to diffuse the situation by telling her that "people who talk like that are dumb...they don't know how to use real words to say how they feel"...I KNOW that's going to come back and bite me later.

After what seemed like forever, closed out tickets, seemingly no way to get there but to wait until tomorrow morning....we finally get a flight plan...but instead of straight to Las Vegas then a short drive to St. George, we're now going to arrive in Salt Lake City around 10 pm CST via Houston via Phoenix. Then we get to drive from Salt Lake to St. George. A five hour drive, by the way, which will put us there around 4am. Just in time to see Mike out the door to the starting line. Ok, LET'S GO!!

After the initial debacle, the rest went smoothly, and all three kids were serious troopers. I could go hug and kiss them right now for that. They were complimented many times by the airline crew and passengers about how good they were...someone from first class even bought them cookies.

Three flights later, we're in Salt Lake City...and need to rent a car with 2 booster seats for kids #2 and 3. Only problem is they don't rent car seats if you're returning the car to another location. "There's a Target nearby" was one clerk's response...I think it took everything Eric had not to rip into her. We drove away with two boosters, 3 sleeping kids, and a promise to ship the car seats back to car rental company (shipped from NJ for nearly $80, by the way).

One stop at IHOP for what looked like an extra large cup of caffeinated coffee and we were off...again...I don't remember much of any conversation...but we stayed pretty well awake until about 1 hour away...then finally we were THERE. I've not seen Mike so happy/relieved...and thank God we got there when we did so he could have a clear head for the day ahead. I tried to sleep for a few hours...but aside from the travel induced-stress-adrenaline had a difficult time doing anything but doze off periodically. 

I specifically asked for Mike's sister and dad to go to the swim area...I don't know if I could have handled it. I think that's definitely the worst part for a spectator...You see them out there, but you have no idea which one belongs to you. There are some that lag behind, some that swim to a buoy, or boat - possibly in distress...but you have no clue who they are. Needless to say, I was much happier after receiving the text "He's out!" Whew. One down, 2 more segments to go.

The Perfect Spot

Round up the kids, back to the car, and off to the bike course. We're guessing on where to go at this point, but find what was around mile 23 and park it. I find the perfect position to snap some photos as Mike rides down the road...Eric's out ahead a bit and once I see him react, my plan is to start shooting...then kid #3 starts telling me he wants to stand with me, so I have to cross back over the road to get him...kids #1 and 2 do something to make him angry, and as I bend down to help I hear Eric yell and then Mike yell something as he rides by.... and I TOTALLY MISS HIM!!! ARGH! I believe the word that flew out of my mouth was one that those "nice" airport ladies were using....and it was loud enough for Mike to hear (and later tease me about). Great example, mom.

Back to the car and onward...we've got a few hours to kill before he comes back around the loop, so we find a very kid-friendly area with a water park, food, vendors and entertainment. Kids happily get soaking wet, kid #3 continues to cough violently if his respiratory rate increases for any reason, and I try not to think about how many miles and hours lay ahead. 

We meet up with Amy & Tom - everyone's happy to see each other and relieved we have more in numbers to commiserate with. Eventually we make our way to a section of flat road (one of the few!) where we wait by a water stop...I'm determined (!) to get some good photos of Mike this time...and thank God I've got extra hands to keep the beasts at bay while we wait. All of a sudden, someone shouts, "There he is!", I pick up my camera and indiscriminently start shooting...and see a flash of white fly by with what was the biggest, whitest, most amazing flash of a grin that I've ever seen....I'm not sure if it's because he looked happy, if I finally got some photos of him, or I'll-be-damned-if-this-guy-is-actually-having-fun, but I felt like I could've run 100 miles right after him...

Next stop - food, bathroom and wi-fi area to post one of my photos of the grinning competitor...low and behold, the Starbucks we settle on not only has free wi-fi, an endless supply of cold water and caffeine, but it's right on mile 110 of the bike, and mile 2, 10, 15 and 24 of the run. Yep, that's right - he'd RUN by us 4 times - the marathon course was an out and back loop that needed to be done twice. Torture!

By this time it's what feels like 90 degrees without a cloud in the sky. While a little bit too hot for us spectators, it's not unbearable because we can move in and out of the shade and it's dry heat. Kid #3 is quickly melting, though...the fever is back and Aunt Amy is there to the rescue...so another dose of Advil and in no time he's back to his fightin' self. The participants however must be suffering by now - you can see they are covered with salt marks on their shorts and shirts and some are already showing signs of a wicked sunburn where they neglected to apply loads of sunscreen. We estimate the Mike should be there fairly soon...and set up camp across from a water stop disguised as a country-western town and some very energetic volunteers boisterously cheering the participants on. I'm hearing some Johnny Cash, and thinking Mike'll love this part. 

I've finally got it in my head to be looking for a white helmet, white long sleeve shirt, and some crazy-looking blue and red compression sleeves on Mike's legs...and THERE HE IS!! Camera is up, trigger depressed, and a succession of shots are now taken...and that smile is still there...maybe not showing pure elation now, but still there which makes me feel relieved...he's going to do this!!!

New Girlfriend?

We figure it should be about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes until we see him again climbing up just the beginning of what seems like endless hills at mile 2 of the run. So we cross the street and wait. And wait. I'm hoping he ditches the white shirt so we have no difficulty spotting him wearing his singlet with the big giant Pro-Activity logo...my kids have devised a game using a 1/4 full water bottle - throwing it into the dirt and seeing how far it can go. Once they tire of that (and seemingly after plucking every flower and branch off poor unsuspecting plants within a 10 foot radius) they sit on the curb to cheer the runners on their way back down the hill...a cute little girl decides to sit down right next to Andrew...and he gets so embarrassed he doesn't know what to do (I only hope he stays that way for a long time!).

Finally we see him...as he passes by, he tells us to "go get some dinner. It's going to be a long night." Didn't matter - he was done with segment 2, onto segment 3 - 2/3 of the way there! We cheer for the leading women, count the people in Mike's age group as they pass by, eat some snacks...by this time my kids are covered in the dry, orange desert dirt - from top to bottom and I'm convinced that they'll each be about 3 lbs lighter after we wash them off. Every once in a while we hear the screams of ambulance sirens - and each look at each other and roll our eyes thinking, "ugh". We're also seeing a number of entrants off to the sides, either walking their bikes down the hill, or walking off course along the sides...done. All that training...for nothing? Not an encouraging sight.

After what seemed like forever, we spot the Pro-Activity logo making it's way down the hill...his hat pulled down low over his face and I just know that he's pissed - he's running slower than what he's capable of and I can see that he's beyond angry. As he comes toward us, we start yelling and screaming, trying our best to pick him up, give him our energy to carry him through. My kids can see there's something up...and I keep telling them to cheer - daddy's ok...he's going to pull through and finish...he's going to do this...don't worry....and away he goes around the bend through a side-street that he'll be out of in a few minutes. So we move further down the course to wait...and I'm relieved again the next time I see him that he's pulled himself together, looks better and gives the kids hi-fives as he passes by. Not really knowing what to say (I don't know if he's hurting physically, if he's just exhausted mentally and physically...) I yell "You WILL do this, Mike! YOU WILL!"

We walk to the middle of the road to wait for him...and see the welcome sight of that logo...another round of cheering, yelling, clapping...and he says again that we need to go get dinner...it'll be a while. We finally relent and go grab some food at a 50's themed restaurant, charge up iPhones and gear up for the rest of the night. Fearful of missing him, we quickly head back out and walk further up the run course...around the 5K remaining mark...they've got music blaring, a water stop, and some pretty awesome views. It's starting to get dark now...and I'm feeling pretty giddy - after 36+ hours of little sleep and stress/adrenaline hormones I start singing songs with my own lyrics that include anything from Mike rounding the corner - NOW, or where are you...etc. The kids are racing around and I'm pretty sure at any moment one of them will wipe out and cut themselves open...but thankfully that never happened.

Downhill 5K left

Then...we see Tom give a wave - Eric, who went out further than us let him know Mike was on his way and we all got in position to help cheer him on for the final 3.1 miles to the finish line. Only 3.1 miles to go! He was almost there and it was a sure bet that nothing would stop him now! We see him jogging toward us and start going crazy - Eric's running along side (not really legal, but at that point, I think anything goes), we're all clapping and yelling and jumping up and down...YOU ARE ALMOST THERE!!! Go! Go! GO!

He smiles (a little bit, anyway) and passes by and we all literally race to the cars to head to the finish line...I tap out a quick status update on FB as I'm running - I know there are a few waiting for each update and want to make sure they know he's on his way in...jump in the car and away we go...get close to the finish line, park, and again race to find a good spot to watch him come in. Aunt Amy & the kids wait just by the entrance, Tom finds a spot closer to the bleachers, I try to get to the actual finish line but can't (ARGH!) and wind up climbing to the top of the bleachers to try and take some more photos...

All of a sudden I see that AWESOME logo shirt come around the bend and I start screaming...everyone turns and looks at me but I don't care and keep yelling, cheering, sort of jumping up and down (knowing me, I'd miss the bleacher and fall on someone below me) and snapping photo after photo of Mike running with his arms up in triumph....HE DID IT!!! "Mike Eisenhart of Annandale, NJ, YOU are an IRONMAN!"

Well, actually, the announcer butchered his last name when he said it...but it was still for Mike...all those hours of planning, researching, reading, swimming, biking, and running all culminated into this one big, gigantic moment - the completion of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run - all in 14 hours.

I quickly weaved my way down through the bleachers and ran over to where Amy & the kids where, told them to meet in the medic area at the end of the finish line chute...we all raced over and saw him walking somewhat steadily with a couple volunteers - I started yelling his name and eventually caught up with him...grinning from ear to ear and gave him the biggest hug ever - in relief it was over, in excitement that he'd done it, and in pride and awe that he just did something incredible...

He made his way down the rest of the chute, looking more and more tired as the elation wore off. He got just through and sat down...I didn't like the way he looked...and he kept saying he was tired...I asked my sister-in-law and father-in-law to take the kids somewhere...I didn't want them to worry - and I didn't want to let Mike out of my sight... Eric hopped the fence and sat next to him trying to coax him to eat something...Mike refused and just looked very uncomfortable...I was fighting with myself at that point - not wanting to hover, but worried...finally they settled on some warm (hot) chocolate which Mike was able to sip every minute or so...I finally decided that I'll act like I'm not hovering, just hopping the fence to be with them...and started jabbering on about anything I could think of - all the people following and commenting on my FB updates, how hard the course must've been because everyone was walking, how the kids handled the day...etc. It took about 10 minutes or so, but the hot chocolate was working its magic and Mike was looking better and better...it's really amazing and scary what can happen when your stores become totally depleted. We finally got up and managed to retrieve all the bags of gear and headed back to the condo where we were staying.

Thanks again to my father-in-law and sister-in-law for cleaning up the very dirty kids who were sleeping peacefully by the time we got back - I'm sure they were asleep before their heads even hit the pillows. I honestly can't really even remember what happened between walking up the stairs to the front door and waking up in the morning...but I certainly felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted and was finally able to relax and soak up some Utah beauty...

Snow Canyon

So, now I'm no longer an "Iron Widow"...what a ride it's been and I'm certain it's just the beginning. Anyone taking any bets as to what's next?!

Don't forget the sunscreen

Whew - I'm still recovering from a super-crazy, amazing weekend.  We worked hard all week to get a partial CO for our new place so that we could have our PACER's and family members gather after the Country Run on Saturday and in anticipation of the St. Luke's Half Marathon Sunday morning.  Basically, there was not one night of full sleep to be had from about Wednesday through Sunday night and it has finally caught up with this girl.

Here's the lowdown on what went down and the things I've learned along the way (I won't bore you with details from Wed - Thurs, so we're just going to jump right to Friday):

Friday night - never leave unsanded grout on tile for very long...my tile-installer hubby had 5 of us working for nearly 4 hours to get it off the tile backsplash behind the service counter.  Lucky for him, no one complained very much after the beer arrived.

It takes 3 men to move a 1,000 lb safe, especially if one corner has a bit of a catch on it.  I wasn't involved in the actual physical labor, but enjoyed watching the "endurance" athletes trying to flex their muscles.

Bedtime:  12:45 am.

Saturday morning - Wake up time:  6:15 am.

Photo courtesy of myhunterdon.com

After running errands and picking up the kids from an impromptu sleepover (thanks, Grammy & Granddad!), rushed over to Bundt Park for the Clinton Country Run (well run and organized, by the way) to wish the 5K and 15K participants good luck.  Then off to "Loudmouth" spots #1, 2 and 3 to motivate the PACER's out on the course.  Couldn't have asked for a better day weather-wise.

Once we saw everyone on their way back to the finish line, we had to get home to get kid #1 prepped for her soccer game - quick change of clothes, lunch and off we go (too bad I got the info wrong and she wore the white instead of blue uniform - so back home I went to get the correct uniform, ugh).  Ended up being a good game - and a victory in the books.

Rush back to Base Camp and cram in the car to head out to the St. Luke's Half expo...big mistake going later in the day to this one as this was the 2nd year they didn't have enough racing shirts (jackets 2 years ago) and we have to wait until they mail them to us.  *Side-question:  if ALL participants pre-register, and the registration has been sold out and closed for 2 months, wouldn't that be enough information to have enough for ALL participants?

Breeze through the expo and off we go back to Base Camp for the pasta/social/KARAOKE party...I had no idea some of my compadres could sing...or could ham it up so well!

Grab the kids, get out the door, home and bed.

Bedtime:  10:30 pm.
*Actual time of sleep:  12:30 am.  I sincerely hope the people diligently working on the road by my house are making a TON of cash having to jackhammer and other noisy things on a Saturday night.  Thanks, DOT.

Sunday morning - wake up time:  4:45 am.

Peel the eyes open, wash and slather sunscreen on my face, get dressed in race-day gear, quickly sync up the iPod, eat, wonder what to do with a nervous stomach...grab a change of clothes for all 3 kids, make sure kid #1's soccer uniform (correct color this time!) is intact and ready, load car with a lot of crap, wake hubby, carry kids to the car, head out and get to designated meeting spot only 5 minutes late.  A record!  I'll take that as a good omen for a good finish time later...

Switch cars and pile into the one going straight to the starting line...get to destination and get kicked out of the car before I'm ready..forget my water and my GUM (oh and some bandannas, but we won't go there)!  Thank God my sister-in-law (both of them!) had some extra gum, but now I'm hoping I've hydrated enough to carry me through - at least I didn't have to use the porta-potty more than twice - the lines were longer than usual...so here we start with Lesson #1: ALWAYS pre-pack your small essentials in a ziplock bag; gum, gels or chews, disposable water bottle, sunscreen (see Lesson #5) etc. for while you wait at the starting line!

Time to line up like cattle at the starting gate...still chilly, but take off my long sleeve shirt (I'll see Loudmouths at mile 3 so I can hand it off then), get the earbuds in, iPod on, gps watch ready to go and try not to notice my heart rate is already up to 92 bpm.

And...we're off!  Nice, long down-hill to start...time to just start cruising - I don't care that most everyone is passing me right now...just need to concentrate on reigning in the excitement and adrenaline and stick to the plan of a pace around 9:15 to 9:20 for the first 5-6 miles.  Everything's on par until I feel something slapping at my right ankle and notice my left shoe is completely untied...CRAP!  Then I hear a loud voice behind me yell "Shoe's untied!"  I know the guy was trying to be helpful, but....

Pull off to the side and try to quickly fix the issue, but my cold, stiff fingers don't want to cooperate, not to mention that I have 3 gels hooked on my index finger and they keep getting in the way...off and running again after what seems like ages...so we have Lesson #2:  ALWAYS check your shoes, make sure they are tied and securely double knotted before you start!

Come up on "Loudmouth" station #1 - slap hi-fives to all 3 of my kids on the side line and keep running with a ridiculous grin on my face.  Miles 4, 5 and 6 fly by - cheering for the front-runners as they pass by going the opposite direction and wonder where the darn turnaround is...see and yell for other PACER's as I see them going in the opposite direction before and after the turnaround...a very cool aspect of this race as you'd never see them otherwise.

Loudmouth station #2 is finally here - and accidentally miss kid #3's hi-five...I know I'll never hear the end of it, so I stop, run back and make sure I get him, too...and super happy I did sporting another ridiculous grin as I get back on course again.  I'm feeling great - particularly because I'm already past mile 6 and know that if I start picking up speed, I should be ok and don't have to worry about crashing.

Enter the park.  Gravel sections, pot-hole riddled sections, lots of hills...and am able to strongly push through every single one, thanking good ol' Hunterdon County's hills for being what they are as lots of other runners are really struggling both up and down the course.  Lesson #3:  Complete your training on terrain that is harder than your race so you are FULLY prepared on race day.


My gps had my finish at 13.2 miles and I'm positive the extra .10 of a mile is from zig-zagging back and forth to avoid the big pot holes in sections of the park.  Someone could lose a leg in those things!  In the more narrow sections, I got stuck behind a large group...no space to pass on either side, but I make a quick burst out in the grass to pull out in front because I just couldn't stand the smell of onion BO that someone was giving off.  Lesson #4:  ALWAYS use an ample amount of odor protection during a race.  Your fellow racers will appreciate it.


Back to the street - and only 2 miles left!  Yahoo!  I'm picking up more and more speed...see the Loudmouths for the final time and feel like I could sprint to the finish from mile 11.  I'm running in the 7's and 8's now...completely ignoring my HR and instead just going for it.  Winding through another park and back up to the final stretch...about 3/4 mile left I start questioning my decision to run faster...but keep reminding myself it's less than a mile to go and SUCK IT UP!  Go, go, go!  Then comes the curve of spectators indicating the stadium finish is JUST AHEAD...push up the final hill to the top and enter the stadium...as I get to the final turn I look at my watch and see that I'm at 1:59 but can't see the seconds and REALLY want to come in under 2 hours so I full out sprint to the finish line - I don't know where it came from, but the motivation was there and I made it in at 1:59:51...WOOOHOOO!  I'm actually afraid of what my finish line race photo is going to look like.  I wonder if the photography company will delete it completely if I ask?   How to ensure you have a great finish line photo may wind up being another "Lesson", but I'll wait to render judgement until I actually see it.

So back to the race - as we PACER's finish one by one, we are able to find each other and it's like a long-lost reunion...hi-fives, sweaty hugs and "stories from the battlefield" are traded...those good-looking new PACER jerseys are easy to spot on our teammates as they round the track to the finish line...and likewise easy to get their attention with a collective yell from the ever-growing group of us up in the stands.

I have to say that the one thing I really like about this race in particular is the after-race food - they put a lot of thought into what they offer, and it's geared for the runner's recovery.  I appreciate that it's not just burgers and dogs - there were black bean sausage sandwiches (kind of scary looking, but quite tasty), vegetable soup, oranges, bananas, muffins and smoothies.  Well done to the race staff for bucking the usual trend.

Once everyone has completed the race and is accounted for, it's time to head for home and then to kid #1's soccer game...I hope I wasn't too stinky or crazed-looking showing up to a game in progress without having the time to properly clean myself up.  Only problem was, I may have been careful to sunscreen my face, but neglected the rest of me and am now pretty sure if I stood by a stop light, the color of my shoulders alone would cause traffic to come to a full stop.  Lesson #5:  Apply sunscreen to any skin that might be exposed to the sun at any time you might be outside.  Before AND after the event is an even better idea!


Anyway, long story short (well, ending soon, anyway), it was finally back home, laundry, some desperately needed house cleaning, dinner and some "Celebrity Apprentice" to finish off the weekend.  I still don't know who was fired - it was interrupted by the news that Osama Bin Laden had been offed by our troops, which then conjured up some old memories of September 11, 2001...a cool, crisp morning with amazing blue skies and abundant sunshine, not unlike race day.  Only difference is that this day will go down in the books as one of the best, punctuated by some long-time-coming satisfaction, in this blogger's opinion.

Bedtime:  11:45 pm.

Here's a post-race meal developed by a runner (click here) for post-run recovery:

Chicken Not Pie
"Serve this 30-minute meal atop brown rice, whole-grain bread, or whole-wheat fettuccine." 

1/4 cup olive oil, divided in half 
2 leeks, washed well, dried, and chopped Salt and ground black pepper to taste 
1 cup dry white wine 
1 cup vegetable stock 
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon 
2 boneless chicken breasts 
3 large red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes 
2 medium carrots, cut into coins 
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed 
1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Put half the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add leeks, salt, and pepper. Cook for five minutes. 

Add wine, stock, and thyme; boil one minute. Add chicken, reduce heat, cover, simmer till barely cooked (five minutes), then remove. 

Add potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer five minutes. 

Add carrots; cook a few minutes. The liquid should thicken; if not, turn up heat and cook a few minutes while stirring. 

Slowly add remaining oil while stirring. Add peas and asparagus. Cook for three minutes. 

Chop chicken; return to skillet with any chicken juices and the lemon. Warm through.

Serves 4 

Calories Per Serving: 460 
Carbs: 52 G 
Protein: 21 G 
Fat: 15 G

It's GO TIME (one of three, anyway)

So here we are, a mere 4 days away from my first official race of the season, the St. Luke's Half Marathon in Allentown, PA.  This will be the 3rd time I've run this race...so I feel like I know what to expect, BUT will never say I'm fully prepared for anything!  I'm looking at this event as a good venue to get my feet wet - and good pre-training for the one event I'm really focusing on:  Marine Corps Marathon.  DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN....

Ah, yes, the marathon I'm hoping will be the big redeemer...I've run only one other full 26.2 mile race and can honestly say that it kicked my rear end.  That was almost 11 years ago.  Things have come a long way since then...I trained in cotton t-shirts, mesh shorts, and stashed bananas on my car odometer measured pre-planned route for fuel along the way.  I did not opt to train with any music - but would've had to use a personal cd player (or maybe even a....Walkman!?)...Now, we've got wick shirts, wick shorts, wick underwear (wick-everything!), iPods, gu (or other related brands) packs, gels, bars..., and mapmyrun.com (or trainingpeaks.com) to (perfectly, I might add) pre-map any route, anywhere with the click of a mouse.  Instead of just Gatorade, now we've got Powerade, Cytomax, Liv, Ironman Perform, to name a few.  Not to mention my gps watch and heart rate monitor that I couldn't do without...So just with all these new performance-based goodies, I should PR by a landslide, right?!

I'm not going to take anything for granted...

As I've mentioned before, I'm a middle-of-the-pack kind of girl and judging by what I can do with a half marathon, I'm looking to finish at about the 4 hour mark.  Yipes.  Piece of cake for some, but a pretty tough yet do-able goal for me.  At least, that's going to be my mantra.

Now, to find the time for training....

Here's a recipe for a great breakfast for your early (yaaawn!) morning run courtesy of Whole Foods:
(click here)
Perfect Oatmeal

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2-1/4 cups water dash salt 1 cup regular rolled oats 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1 TBS flaxseeds 1 TBS blackstrap molasses 1 cup milk or dairy-free milk alternative

Directions:

1. Combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and turn the heat to high.
2. When the water boils, turn the heat to low, add oatmeal, and cook, stirring, until the water is just absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, cranberries, walnuts, and flaxseeds. Stir, cover the pan, and turn off heat. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve with milk and molasses.Serves 2
   
   
   
   

Ok, I'm just gonna go with it...

Who's ever thought that something was totally out of reach?  Or that the end result is only attainable after traversing an insurmountable path?  You might initially listen, but inside have already shot the idea down...no way.  Impossible.  That could never happen.

I, for one, can't believe that a person is capable of running an entire marathon distance in only 2 hours, 3 minutes and two seconds.  That's an average pace of 4 minutes and 42 seconds PER MILE, for 26.2 MILES (that's what Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai ran this past Monday's Boston Marathon).  Ryan Hall of California also ran the marathon and logged a personal record (PR) of 2:04:58, breaking his own American record...and according to the data published from his Garmin watch, at one point was going as fast as 3 minutes 29 seconds per mile...

These guys aren't aliens or a different sub-species...they're normal, regular human beings...who can run really fast.

We made the trek to Beantown this past weekend to watch one of my brothers-in-law make his Boston Marathon debut (read Eric's blog here).  Sidenote:  what I think I love most about my husband's family is the complete unwavering support they have for every single family member - even though it was during a "work day", there were 14 of us and 2 other "Loudmouths" who went up on Sunday, slept over and chased him throughout the course on Monday.  Some of us were merely adrenaline inducers on the sidelines, others (those who can actually keep up with Eric) supported him by running some mileage on the course with him.  **Although, I have to say I think my own adrenaline was at an all time high when it was just my sister-in-law, myself and my 3 kids in a big boat of a car...AND we had to "pick up" my husband at mile 22...but the directions that were left for us included closed roads (My poor sister-in-law has seen me at my worst...I hope she's not too traumatized).  Thank God brother-in-law #3 went to Boston College not too long ago and could "talk us down"...(anyone who knows me knows that I was born with a defunct internal compass and am about as useless as matches on the moon when it comes to navigating).

Anyway, being out on the course watching the participants, I couldn't help myself but think how ridiculously cool it was to have some of these runners going out of their way to give my four year old son a hi-five on the sidelines and grinning all the while.  Obviously we're not talking about the front runners, but they were still moving incredibly fast nonetheless.  I love that my kids have been (and will continue to be) exposed to people who push themselves physically and accomplish amazing things.  I'd love for them to grow up thinking "why not", rather than "no way" - and see a challenge as something to take on, rather than shy away from.

So if you're feeling pumped and are wondering what to eat the night before a big race, here's a great recipe:

Fresh Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta

Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, 2004 - FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 oregano sprig
• Pinch chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound dried angel hair pasta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chiffonade basil, plus whole sprigs for garnish

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Cut a small "x" on the bottom of each tomato. In batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins are easy to peel away. Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Peel the tomatoes and halve horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds, using your fingers to get them all. Roughly chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Set aside. (You can also use whole peeled canned tomatoes. Simply drain them, seed, and roughly chop).

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the thyme leaves, oregano sprig, and chili flakes and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir well. Lower the heat and cook slowly until the mixture is fairly dry, about 15 minutes.

Cook the angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the Parmesan and basil and toss well. Place in a large pasta bowl and garnish with Parmesan and basil sprigs.

Cooking in Stealth Mode

Not every vegetable was created the same.  Well, at least in my book.  While there are some that I love, some that I'd rather do without, and some that are just "meh", there's only thing that I can't get past and just "suck it up and eat"...when they're overcooked and mushy.  My mom used to serve us those previously frozen, "look at what a marvel the microwave can be!" yucky mixed veggies - not even a boatload of butter and salt could make them edible.  Rubber carrots, pasty lima beans, green beans that squeaked when you chewed them and mushy peas.  What torture it was to be stuck at the dinner table, having eaten everything on my plate but the dreaded veggies, growing colder and even more inedible by the second.  One time, I finally got wise and after everyone left the table I stuffed the cold and shriveled looking mixture in my sock and proudly announced (to no one in particular) "I'm DONE!", cleared my plate and rushed upstairs to my room...but quickly learned a handful of loose vegetables can and will migrate to the lowest point as soon as they are able and had quite a time trying to scrape them off the bottom of my foot and out of my sock.  Lesson learned.  From then on it was "quick!  cover them up in the potato skins and clear your plate before anyone notices"!  (Sorry, mom).

Fast forward, oh, 20+ years and I've vowed never to put my family through the same torture.  I think I have had bags of frozen corn, or carrots, or even peas, but NEVER that dreaded mix.  Most often we like to eat our veggies raw and for the most part my kids have no complaints.  I've gotten past the ridiculous notion that everything has to be cooked for it to be a "real dinner".

There are however some vegetables that are more difficult to serve "on the side" - no offense to rabbits, but my son flat out refuses to eat kale.  To get around this (since kale is one of the best leafy greens you can eat) I've devised a sneaky way to get him and his siblings to eat it and the best part is that they have no idea!  Bwahahaha!

Ever heard of the "Sneaky Chef" (www.thesneakychef.com)?  The whole premise is to "hide" healthy foods in every day foods so kids don't even know they are eating it.  I have to confess that I've not ever read the cookbook or seen any recipes, but taking that concept have incorporated certain vegetables into foods where it's hard for my kids to detect them.  I'm not suggesting that everything be done this way - in fact, I think it's important for kids to be exposed to all kinds of foods to develop and appreciation for them (sometimes this needs to be done MULTIPLE times!) but for the times you just don't feel like having another whine/argue/bargain/whine session at the dinner table....

Find something that you know your kids will eat (pasta with tomato sauce in my case) and think of what vegetables might incorporate nicely.  I've used carrots, kale and chickpeas in sauce before, and while the kale and chickpeas change the look of the sauce, you can hardly taste them when you blend them in (using a regular or immersion blender).  The kale just makes it look like there's extra oregano or basil in there, and the chickpeas lighten the sauce up and make it a bit thicker.  Not much extra work is involved, either - especially if you use a blender.  Perfect!

FYI, this does not only have to be "for the kids" - it's a great (painless) way to get all your daily vegetable servings in!

Here's a recipe I've been meaning to try that came highly recommended (thanks, Alissa!) - maybe this weekend...

They're billed as "Flourless Brownies"....great for those with gluten sensitivities/allergies.
(from wholefoodsmarket.com)

Makes 16

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed 
3 large eggs 
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish 
1/4 cup cocoa powder 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract 
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar 
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares. 

Nutrition

Per serving (1 brownie/about 2oz/60g-wt.): 160 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 4g protein

The Achilles' heel...or something like that...

Well, I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that I am plagued with bad feet.  Yep, uber flexible, faulty feet.   All thanks to my dad (but he's still running and playing golf on his, so I suppose it's not all that bad).

It all started back in '97 - playing in a rugby tournament in the summer on a rock-hard field in metal spikes, I made a quick step turn and felt like I had just stepped in a hole because I felt a "pop" and then my foot sank.  When I looked around to see where it was....there was no hole!  Then came the sudden realization that my foot hurt.  Like really hurt.  I hobbled off the field and took my cleat off - POOF!  Instant swelling all around the mid-foot.  Long story short, saw an orthopedic surgeon, rehabbed it, played the first rugby game of the regular season, and POP! - did it again.  My coach insisted I see another orthopedic surgeon and was subsequently diagnosed with a Lisfranc dislocation - and from what I was told it was a "one in a million chance injury".  Easy to miss, hard to diagnose, and very rare (and if not properly healed brings a lifetime of woes).  Ahhhh - should've played the lottery that day.  (Read more about Lisfranc injuries here.)  There went the rest of my rugby days...I believe I was on crutches and in a "space boot" for about 8 weeks.  The best part was that I lived in a dorm on the 3rd floor with no elevator...and the first night someone pulled the fire alarm (insert visual of a someone in a boot on crutches for the first time trying to hurry down the stairs)...ah, the good ol' college days...

After that healed up (nicely, I might add) I kept active, but didn't ever truly have any trouble until 2 years ago while training for the Philadelphia Distance Run (now known as the Rock 'n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon).  On the last long training run, I noticed that the second metatarsophalangeal joint where my second toe joins my foot felt numb - just a very strange sensation.  I didn't think much of it at the time, but noticed that it became more painful later in the day after I finished.  I couldn't really walk around without shoes on - and even then still hurt.  I made it through the race just fine (and PR'd!) but was still experiencing the painful middle toe joint and getting more worried about  it by the day.  Another long story short, I saw 2 orthopedic surgeons (one local and one in Philadelphia), was ordered to wear a space boot - for about 12 weeks total, had an X ray, MRI and finally a CT Scan...all showed....NOTHING!  WHAT?!?  I reasoned that if it HURT, there had to be SOMETHING wrong!  After all, the last experience I had I was fixed after I did everything the Doc told me! I wanted a diagnosis and a method for fixing the problem.  Isn't that exactly how it goes when these things happen?

Nope!  Not always!

Well, after I got a bit of a slap upside the head (figuratively, of course) from my own personal (and sometimes very reluctant) PT, I was brought back to reality.  There wasn't going to be a diagnosis and subsequent plan to fix my problem.  SO, I could be a big girl and do what he told me to do in the first place...strengthen my flexible foot with specific exercises to protect it from injury.  Fast forward 2 years and my 2nd toe joint is feeling great...(thanks, Mike).

So here I am, approximately 3 weeks out from the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, and training has been going well.  No aches, pains or other assorted maladies...except...from out of nowhere for no apparent reason, THIS happens:

Yep.  A big seemingly spontaneous hematoma on the pinkie toe joint of my left foot.  I swear it happened as I got up from working in front of the computer.  Not running, not playing soccer, heck, not even playing with the kids!  Completely stationary...but due to prior experience, I didn't panic and even ran 11 miles on it last weekend, all the while paying attention to how it felt as I ran and was fully prepared to throw in the towel if necessary.  Some issues you can push through, others you don't.  I guess it's all about using wisdom in determining which path to take.

Anyway, since I don't have any recipes that correspond to feet (ew!), here's a great recipe using quinoa...a super-food by any definition (see blurb after the recipe):


Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad 
 Serves 6 as a starter or side dish or 4 as a main course 


1 cup quinoa 
2 cups water 
½ teaspoon salt or to taste 
¾ cup dried cranberries 
1 cup frozen green beans or peas, thawed 
¼ cup chopped walnuts 
¼ cup sliced green onion (optional) 
¼ cup balsamic vinegar 
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 
1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste) minced 
freshly ground pepper  


1. Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water.  This removes the "soapy" covering that might change the taste.  Combine the 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in a 
medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue 
cooking until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow 
to cool for 15 minutes.   
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, green beans or peas, walnuts, 
and green onion (if using) until well mixed.   
3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended.  Pour over the 
quinoa mixture.  Toss until well blended.   
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before 
serving.  
Nutrition Information  
Calories:  234,  Fat: 8g,  Saturated fat 1g,  Carbohydrate 36g,  Protein 5g,  Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g. 


About Quinoa:

Quinoa (KEEN-wa), the whole grain super-food!
The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium, and iron, and
it is a relatively good source of vitamin E and several B
vitamins. It contains a nearly perfect balance of all eight
essential amino acids, making quinoa a complete protein
food.  Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein. Four ounces per day,
or approximately 1/2 cup, is sufficient to meet a child’s
daily protein needs.
Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed to remove the
bitter resin-like coating, which is the phytochemical
saponin. Although quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged
and sold, it is advisable to place the seed in a strainer and
rinse again at home before use to remove any remaining
residue.
Quinoa is an easy-to-prepare and excellent alternative to
white rice or couscous, or it can serve as a high-protein
breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries.
Quinoa has delightful and unique characteristics that give
it an appearance and texture all its own. The taste is a
mild, delicate, slightly nutty flavor