Playing with Intervals

I think I found my "sweet spot" as far as intervals go.  Today I ran 1:45 mins, walked 1:00 min.  And it cut 2 mins off my overall pace.  It's within "finishing" pace for my first marathon.

Early this year I decided that I would run my first marathon.  The half marathon distance had become "comfortable".  A few runner buddies decided to run the Rock N Roll San Diego Full.  It was time to face up to the challenge of 26.2 miles.

I've always used the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run method.  In the beginning it helped me face the increasing distances with a plan.  I found that the active recovery of walk intervals helped me with fatigue and prevented injury.  I could do back to back half marathons with this method.  So I've turned to Jeff Galloway to train for the Marathon as well.  I chose the California International Marathon in Sacramento, CA for several reasons.  I needed a challenge and the 6 hour time limit is scary.  I DO want to FINISH, so I WILL push myself to be better.

The training method suggested that I run 1 min, walk 1 min.  But I was finding that I was SOOOO slow.  I'd NEVER finish the marathon at the 15:45 pace that I was ending up with.  So I've slowly increased the running interval over the last few weeks.

I also found an EXCELLENT walk/run pace calculator at Endocrinology Online.  I could put in my desired finish time,  my walk pace, my chosen intervals and it told me the pace that my run intervals needed to be.  I applied that info to the intervals today and I was faster!!!  And it didn't feel like that much more effort.

Math is a REALLY great tool when you are frustrated with your running results.  

You're not running the race? Go to the Expo anyway!

I'm a Race Expo Addict.  A large hall filled with vendors hawking shoes, gear, gu and glide is my favorite place to be.  Add to it the buzzing excitement of all the runners who are getting ready for the BIG race.  Picking up a bib and a race shirt is fun, but that anxiety of the next day's race can take away from experiencing an expo.  Should I be walking this much?  Am I going to dehydrate in this super air-conditioned room?  Is it okay to take all these supplement samples??  It's much more fun to go to race expos WHEN YOU'RE NOT RUNNING THE RACE.

The RocknRoll San Diego Marathon and half marathon happens this weekend.  That means the Health & Fitness Expo is in town!  Competitor is my FAVORITE race expo.  I've been to enough to have a "favorite", that should tell you something.  I don't even need to go with someone who IS running the race.  Although I do try since expos are always more fun with a buddy.  This time I was solo, which probably worked in my favor since I could easily maneuver the crowds quickly.

Even when I'm alone I tend
to run into friends 

Runners LOVE free stuff.  I'm sure everyone does, but not every sport or hobby has expos where free stuff is expected to be found.  I have yet to find a runner that will turn down a free sample of body lubricant or energy gel.  The Competitor expos attract the biggest and most popular vendors.  This includes the Women's Half in February, another expo that I highly reccomend attending even if you're NOT running.

As soon as you walk quickly past the runners picking up their bibs (no line for me!) and the shirt pick up (sad about not getting the BRIGHT RED shirts for this year) you stop at the SAMPLE TABLE.  This is new and wonderful!!  Young volunteers were handing out packets of STARBUCKS VIA, HYLAND'S LEG CRAMP OINTMENT and some body lubricant.  2 minutes into the expo and already I've got swag in my bag.  The next thing you encounter is the BROOKS official race gear store.  DON'T GET SUCKED INTO THAT.  It's really overpriced race gear.  Unless you're RUNNING the race, you do not need a souvenir beer glass.  And honestly, isn't your race shirt, bib AND MEDAL enough to help you remember the glory of the 2014 RnR San Diego??  Moving on, you come across the BEST expo booth ever.  The BROOKS RUN HAPPY ISLAND.  It's a runners playground, with a "bull riding" shoe, a race up a volcano and a shoe fitting station.  If you go to all three, you get passport stamps and can win some free BROOKS gear.  SOMEONE will win a FREE pair of shoes!  Some of my other favorite vendors this year were the WORLD PLANET Tuna Booth (Who fuels with TUNA?? If I smelled that on a course I'd wonder about that runner's hygiene), the TIGER TAIL booth, and the Celebration Run's booth.

        My Favorite Booths!!                     The Brooks Run Happy Booth 

Besides the awesome swag that you get at an expo, the other perk is the discounts and deals that you get.  I got coupons for supplements, kefir yogurt, sports authority, petco unleashed, and tons more that I won't actually use.  I also got a few CODES that I can share with you!

My expo swag!  ALL FREE! 

• Hot Chocolate 15k/5k on March 22, 2015 - FREE HAT with code SDHAT1
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• MarathonFOTO.com - for RNR SD photo orders use code 22350 for $10 of orders $66 and up
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• All American Hero 5k/10k Challenge August 31st - Use Code 5American for $5 off
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• Color Me Rad on Aug 23rd - Use Code RADVETERAN for free knee socks

Seeing the swag for other races is also a highlight of the race expo experience.  I was personally STOKED to see the GOLD Diva medal for the 2015 Limited Edition Diva race in Temecula.  The new salted watermelon gu was out for everyone to see.  (I personally think warm salted watermelon flavor is gross.  I went to the Women's Half expo in February and had the benefit of being part of the voting                                                                  body.  My choice, Cinnamon apple lost).  

So, if you get the chance, GO to an expo even if you're not running the race.  You could walk away with free stuff, coupons, codes, and tips and tricks to make your next race BETTER.  

Check back soon!  I'll be giving away some of my expo swag!  

Twofers, marathons, and Wheat Thins

The Hubby and I are both runners.  He prefers the mud covered intensity of Obstacle Course Races (OCRs) like Tough Mudder, while I'm a dedicated Road Racer.  With two racers in the family though, we have have to have a MASTER calendar of all the events we're signed up for.  "Check the Calendar" is an often heard phrase in our house, and it's an instruction to go check the desk size calendar that's attached to our brag wall.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I'm running TWO races in the same weekend.  I often get carried away by race sign ups when they offer discount codes or when a bunch of fellow racers are all signing up.  That's what must have happened when I managed to sign up for BOTH the Electric Run in Del Mar, CA and the Cardiff Kook in Encinitas, CA on the same weekend.  I've never run a two-fer before, but there's a first time for everything.  And luckily my two-fer is just two 5ks.  Some day I might feel up to running a 5k followed by a 10k or even a half marathon the day after.  Right now I'll stick to accidentally registering for two small races.

During Thanksgiving Break my Daddy (a 100 mile Ultramarathoner) told me I'm ready to run a marathon.  Since I'm like him in every way (except for that crazy 100 mile race thing he's got going on), he must have known that his comment would circle around in my head until I couldn't ignore it.  I found myself checking the most "walker friendly" marathons at MarathonGuide.com  Perhaps this time next year I'll be planning to do one of those . . . if I haven't worn out the legs running 8 half marathons in 2013.

Runners need carbs and lately I find myself fighting against eating conventional processed carbs.  I miss the crunchy saltiness of crackers.  My flaxseed crackers are great, but they're quite delicate, which makes them useless for dipping.  Thank Goodness for inventive cooks who make low carb/paleo versions of brand name crackers!  This recipe for "ALMOND THINS" was found at a website called lowcarbfriends.com, a message board for those following the gluten free or low carb lifestyles.  And I am EVER grateful for this recipe!

Almond Thins

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 packet of Splenda
• 1 egg white
• pinch of salt, garlic powder, & onion powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 325. 
2. Mix ingredients well. 
3. Place mixture onto a well greased piece of tin foil. Lay a piece of saran wrap over top of mixture. Use a rolling pin to roll out to a cracker thickness. Gently remove saran wrap. 
4. Sprinkle more salt on top if desired and press lightly into dough. Score with knife or pizza cutter into 1.5 inch squares. 
5. Lay tin foil on rack in oven. Bake until golden brown about 10 minutes. Makes around 30 crackers.

Nutritional info: serving size 7 crackers fat 13.1g  sat fat 0.9g  cholesterol 0mg  sodium 12.8mg  carb 5.7g  fiber 2.8  protein 6.4g

Running to make a Difference

Runners are selfish people.  We run to get thin.  We run to get "me" time.  We run for glory, for medals, for prizes.  But we can also be the most UNSELFISH people too.  In 2013, my hubby will be running the LA Marathon as part of Team Autism Heroes, a team for Train 4 Autism San Diego.  He plans to run 510 miles when the milage for training and the race are totalled.  Please consider helping him get to his goal of $510 ($1 for every mile run towards this goal) by making a donation at his 

TRAIN 4 AUTISM DONATION PAGE.  

Runners making a difference by doing what we love.