Our "backyard" is in the Wall Street Journal

Trails in the Northern California foothills (our backyard and fond running grounds!) made the Wall Street Journal this month. Check out this article on over-training for an endurance race.

The featured coach in the article, Julie Fingar, is also a coach for my current running group, Sacfit. She organized the Sierra Nevada Endurance Run (12km) I ran last weekend in Granite Bay.

Running trails bright and early Saturday morning, as the sun peeks over Folsom Lake, is a beautiful, fresh way to start a weekend. I'm so grateful it's my backyard!

The 17 mile long run on my schedule this weekend is looming over my head. Dread.

When I received an email from Active.com today with an article on "3 Tips to Keep Your Marathon Training Runs Fresh", I clicked eagerly and thought, Oh, just in time. Please help me keep my mind busy.

What I expected was some advice on how to entertain myself, like funny things to think about, talk about with fellow runner, or look at on the trail. For example, a mind game to play, top ten places I want to travel, or heck... birdwatching.

What I got instead was a complicated list of ways to run differently over the time period. Warm up, then run for a mile at this pace, then for this many minutes at another pace, back to a slow pace for however many miles, fast for another set of miles....... Are you kidding!? Not happening.

I am interested to see if I can come up with a better set of tips this weekend. I have 17 miles to think of some after all. So, I'll report back next week - that is, if I make it with out passing out and forgetting all of my thoughts! ;)

Butter or Bodyglide?

Tonight I sat down to watch Julie and Julia after dinner--which made me feel guilty since I ate leftovers instead of cooking a nice meal. I have seen the movie a few times before but when you relate to a film as I relate to Julie and Julia's love of food, it's always engaging and never tiresome.

When Julie rounded her 56th recipe, a thought struck me: I have a food blog, kind of! I blog! Or, I'm supposed to anyway. It took a movie about a cooking blog to remind me that I should blog about my own hobby, running. Ironic. And I'm guilty, again. Actually, one of Julie's funny comments sparked my memory. I think it went like this: "...and I'm sweating, which isn't a surprise because I've been spending all of my time cooking fattening foods instead of exercising." Which prompts me to remind you all of why I run.... so I can eat! But over the past four months I've been guilty of picking up butter over bodyglide. Not really a stick of butter, but guilty pleasure-foods like chocolate or baked goods made with butter. And my pants are tighter to prove it.

Right. I'm going running bright and early tomorrow morning. 10 miles. That should work off the slice of cake I had last night at a dinner party... or will it buy me the extra calories I'll have for Ella's five-course Farmers Dinner Sunday night? Maybe first I should focus on burning off what I gained.

Movie moment: Julie just blogged about having to cook an aspic. Ick. Jello-meat mold? Quite frankly, it looks like my worst nightmare and I'm pretty sure Leah would hate it too. All around bad food, not supported by the Wellness Task Force (unofficially).

So what's up with my blatant lack of blogging anyway? Following the Shamrock'n Half Marathon, I failed to set another plan and when I stopped training, I stopped running eventually. I wish I could say I dropped off to pick up another brilliant, worthy activity like... cooking or learning to cook like Julia Child. But I can't say that. I got lazy. However, today I'm looking forward to 10 miles tomorrow. I joined another running group, this time with SacFit and I'm back on track! They started out the first week with a 7 mile long run so I had to woman-up, like Julia Child dove in to her French cooking class for "professionnels", a little out of her element but with determination!

Movie moment: Yet another a-ha moment! Irma Rombauer (or the woman playing her) is on screen as the author of the Joy of Cooking. I've seen the cookbook on my mother's kitchen shelf, though it's NOT the sole reason my mother is such a great cook. Wait a second, I was at Rombauer Vineyards in Napa on Monday and noticed a shelf of the Joy of Cooking cookbooks. Get out! Two and two together: the Rombauer Chardonnay that I love is the same as (or at least related to) the Rombauer chef who Julia Child loved? Confirmed... and stashed in memory for trivia.

More movie scenes, quotes and hopes to which I relate:

• The political undertones. I won't specify which, this being a work-related blog and me working for a non-partisan organization.
• Pearls and feel-better martinis in the afternoon.
• Brie. "Is that not the most wonderful cheese you've ever tried?" - Meryl Streep as J.C.
• The scene where she almost gives something up because it got difficult and tiring and interfered with other aspects of her life.
• Inability to resist exclaiming, "Yum!" during a really wonderful bite.

I guess I'm still not writing much about running.. but it is not as much fun as cooking or eating gourmet food. However, I do have thoughts on running. And they would be:

• Early morning is the only sane time of day to run in Sacramento in the summer.
• A really good run can be as invigorating to my brain as Julia's boeuf bourgignon is to supposedly everyone's taste buds. It's an "ahhh" instead of a "mmm."
  
• California International Marathon. California International Marathon. Wish I had a close friend or running partner to run it with me. Can I run a marathon on my own? Do I even want to? I told myself this was the year to complete a full marathon and I've told people that I am doing it so I have to stick with it, with or with out a partner.
• Bodyglide helps prevent chafing, at least until I stop eating butter (and I mean all fattening foods) and my thighs shrink back again, if that happens.
  

And tonight's food theme continues... An email from Active.com just popped up with an article on "4 Summer Salads to Fuel Your Runs." Wonderful! I am a salad fiend usually, despite whatever ideas you now have from my butter talk. Salads are especially delicious when it is hot out--the cool, crisp bite is so refreshing and healthy. I caught some slack from a friend recently about how I would miss essential nutrients if I ate a plant-based diet while training. The tips in this article, like adding salmon, solve the issue.

Julie has been through an array of emotions tonight, trying to reach her goal and cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook. She did it! Feel-good movies do wonders for the soul! A really great run or a really great meal can do the same.

BON Appetit everybody! (... and watch the butter.)

Plane Peanuts

No, not plain peanuts. Plane. As in I’m flying through the air and the only thing I’ve had to eat in 4.5 hours is a small bag of Southwest peanuts. Just one bag. That’s all I was offered. Yesterday on my way out, I was offered two bags of pretzels. Is this peanut discrimination? Maybe I didn’t flash a big enough smile to my flight attendant. Dang….

Ah cripes. I just read the label and my plane peanuts are made with canola oil.

While at a conference in Los Angeles this week I met a woman who spoke to me about canola oil. Sounds like it’s the new gluten that could affect oodles of people. So the question arises, what is canola? Second question, I don’t believe there is a canola plant…is there? I’ve never visited a canola farm. I don’t think I can crush canola nuts into fresh “canola butter” at Whole Foods, like I can with peanuts, almonds and even cashews. So what is this oil? Is it saturated? Unsaturated? I know it’s not hydrogenated because you can purchase it in liquid form (hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature). If anyone has an answer to this perplexing question, I’d love to hear from you. Is this another item I need to try and steer clear of like phthalates, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and red dye #40?

Well, I’ve lost my train of thought, so I guess today will be about peanuts and the canola oil they are sometimes roasted with. (Actually, here is another query. Why aren’t peanuts roasted with peanut oil? And, these must not be “roasted” because that’s an oven thing, not a tossing in oil thing, right? Do peanuts really need more oil?)

Strike a Stranger…Read on, this is not what you might expect

How did I miss this? International pillow fight day? Really? Who knew? Apparently April 3, 2010 was the day to play. Cities around the globe had meeting centers where people could, of all things, strike a pillow at a stranger. There are some rules.

1. Bring a soft pillow. (No impaling strangers with those brick-like pillows you find in some of the cheaper hotels.) Pillows with loose feathers are encouraged. (Who cleans up this mess, by the way?)
2. Be inconspicuous. That’s right. You’re supposed to somehow hit this old softy until the ringmaster blows a whistle to announce the pillow circus. Perhaps this is supposed to be the equivalent one of those new “flash mobs.” (I’m sure nobody noticed the pregnant-looking men and women meandering about.)
3. This next one is not a rule, but it’s encouraged. Somehow it conflicts with the “be inconspicuous” rule. Wear a costume. That’s right. If you feel so inclined, don a hokey costume. What does a “pillow-fighter” wear these days? Perhaps a goose costume to pay homage those who gave their plumes in the line of duty?

Well, whatever the case, I say Mark Your Calendar for the 2011 Pillow Fight! To find out if your city has a gathering location, visit…what else?...pillowfightday.com

Shamrock'd and Shamrock'n

7/9/10: Wow, I logged on today to write a blog entry for the first time in many months and saw the draft below. Why I forgot to complete and publish it, I don't know but here it is in all its practicality and lacking wit or charm. Wit/charm promised in my next entry. Enjoy.

Luck o' the Irish. I ran my third half marathon, the Shamrock'n in Sacramento, CA, on March 14th in personal record time. I set a goal to run 13.1 miles in under two hours and wound up "PR" ("Personal Record", serious running term, new to me) of 1:53:43.

Or was it not luck but, rather, my training efforts paying off? My two previous times were 2:12 and 2:16 so I knew going in to this that I'd have to work hard to shave 15 minutes off my time. Once again, I joined a group training program. This time with Fleet Feet Sacramento. We met every Tuesday night for speed workouts and Saturday morning for long runs. I took training more seriously this time than the previous two because I was financially invested in the training (since I paid a fee) and I had set a goal time months in advance.

This time around I also ate more. I didn't overeat. Well, actually, I gained a couple of pounds so I probably consumed more calories than I burned (which is certainly not necessary!) but my point is that I had more energy. Food really helps move the body along. Even on race day, I made sure I woke up early to eat a cup of oatmeal with almond butter and banana - and to drink my does of coffee, of course. I heard my coaches rave about the benefits of coffee/caffeine to runners -- increase blood flow, etc. I definitely noticed the perk! Are you looking for tips on fuel? Active.com just posted a great article on the best natural foods for runners.

In short, train, fuel and you'll improve or even PR!

7/9/10: The great feeling I had right after this race should have been motivating enough to continue to improve my technique, time, or whatever. As you'll learn in my coming entry, it was not enough and without reason.

Elated After My First 5k Today

I don't know how to express my excitement over the response to My First 5k, powered by Whole Foods race. This idea of a hosting a 5k race started two years ago - just a pipe dream then and not even really encouraged by the Task Force members because there was so much other work to do. However, the "teacher" in me won out. I love my job, but I miss the human contact; the direct services with people teaching and learning and thriving together.

Whitney and I met with Whole Foods in August and, remarkably, they agreed to sponsor the race and our Fit for the Holidays (FFH) program leading up to it. At that time, a few other FFH and/or race sponsors jumped on board including Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, HealthyDiningFinder.com, Capital Athletic Club, Beneficial Wellness and Dairy Council of California. Since August it's been rush, rush, rush trying to pull the pieces together. In October we held our kick-off event for FFH and for the past three months we've been working with some amazing folks to prepare them for this race. What a thrill--no, an honor--to watch the growth and excitement in these runners/walkers as we neared the race.

Have you ever worked with someone so confident that it made you feel like you didn't know what you were doing? Try working with Rich Hanna and Capital Road Race Management. Rich is the ultimate race KING in the Sacramento area and he knows what he's doing. I had a million questions for Rich, like, "Do you supply garbage cans?" or in a panic, "I can't picture the race set up. Can you help?" He would laugh a bit and reassure me that everything was going to be okay.

Two weeks before the start of the race we had to order shirts and medals. Because of the holidays, we needed to order early. Guessing at our response, we ordered 624 shirts in various sizes and 125 medals (total for both first timers and children.) At that time, we only had 200 people registered and Rich felt generous in ordering the number of items he did. So, I pushed ahead and filled 500 Whole Foods bags (which are the coolest bags!) with all kinds of goodies from Nordic Naturals, EnviroKidz, bottles from Extra Space Storage, The FruitGuys, Dairy Council, Wells Fargo, Fleet Feet and others. Despite Rich's confidence that we would have 500 registered runners, I thought that I would have to lug several hundred bags back to the office. So, when I spoke with Rich a few weeks before race day and he assured me the numbers would go up, I doubted him. In fact, he told me today that I made him doubt himself! How terrible is that??

You see, I feel a sense of responsibility not only to our runners/walkers, but to our sponsors and partners as well. I want them to feel like it was worthwhile for them to partner with us, that we bring an energy and support that will want them to remain as partners. It was important to me to have 500 runners to: 1) cover our costs and 2) make it beneficial to our partners/sponsors. My fears dwindled as the last two weeks progressed. Just over 500 people registered online by January 1, with an additional 100 paper registrations (give or take) already in Rich's hand. At packet pick up and registration on Saturday, January 2, we registered another 70-80 people and probably over 100 on race day. Wow. I know 99% of those participating don't know me, or the Wellness Task Force, or our work, but I took the support personally and I wanted to hug every person that came.

My youngest daughter, she's 4, raced in the Kids' Winter Fun Run along with 60 or 70 other children. What an incredible sight to have all of those beautiful kids running their little hearts out! Chasing the crazy guy (Rich!) with the huge #1 foam finger and being chased by two gigantic fruits & vegetables (thanks to our Network for a Healthy California for having folks in the banana and broccoli costumes). Hearing the parents cheer on their little ones and seeing the happy, smiling faces, is something I'll never forget. It comes second only to seeing the hundreds of runners with yellow bibs.

Wow. Again. The purpose of the is race is three-fold. First, to bring families and communities together. Second, to kick-off a great running year for all our veteran runners. And third, to encourage people to at least try their first distance walk/run. At 3.1 miles, it can seem awfully daunting to people to finish that distance. But so many did! Yellow bibs flew around the course, smiling, chatting, and cheering each other on. To be a part of someone's first race is the highlight of my year. Okay, so the year is only three days old, but it's going to be tough to beat that. We did that. Whitney and I and our Task Force partners, our supporters, family and colleagues...we did that! We were a part of life-changing moments for people today. I am forever proud of everyone who pledged to make a difference for themselves today. Congratulations to all of the FFH folks who finished the race today! Congratulations to my sister who completed her first 5k today! Congratulations to everyone and their children for helping make this an amazing event!

Oh, and just one more time. Thank you to our many sponsors and partners, to Rich and his team and to the Task Force volunteers: Whitney, Ronelle, Jen, Philip, Jessilyn, Connor, Seth, Jordan, Greg, Mikayla, Sara, Kristen, Richard, Noah, Bruce, Rebecca, Hallie, Paul, Tracy, Kelly, Mike, Amy, Brian, Karen, Ken, Kenneth, Stacey and my darling husband who forgives my late work hours and always helps at my events, Tom! I am forever grateful.

Cheers to a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year to each and every one of you!