Decker Challenge

I ran the Decker Challenge 1/2 Marathon today. I ran this race last year (as I have many years before) and had an awful race last year. The race is brutally hilly, always windy and it is either warm and muggy or freezing cold. The weather forecast for 2008 kept looking good - cool 38 degrees and no wind. It really worked out that way, too. I had an awesome fun race and a good running time.

I carpooled with some of my Gazelle friends, Charlotte, Christy and Paula. We had so much fun meeting at 6:45 am to make our trek across Austin to the Expo Center. We all wondered what we were getting ourselves into, but all had fun anyway.

I started my race easy, about a 7:30 pace. I wanted to start at a manageable pace and keep it. I ran an avg of 7:37. So, I was very happy with my pace. The many uphills slowed me down, but the downhills were good to make time on. My total time was 1:40 and I came in 5th in my age group. I was also happy with my placement. There is a very fast,competitive women runners in my 35-39 age group. I rarely place in the top 10!!! My friend Charlotte, got 3rd place in her age group 45-49 and received a cool running shoe medal with wings. A big CONGRATULATIONS to her!

It was a great race!

New York Marathon

Charlotte and I on the Staten Island Ferry!

Well, after going back and forth trying to decide if I was really doing this marathon I did it!!! AND I am SO glad.

I flew up on Saturday morning at 7am with my friend, Charlotte, and flew back at 8pm on Sunday night! Sounds like such a short time, but we had a Blast!!! We met other Austinites running the marathon on the plane to NY and shared a taxi ride to mid-town where we stayed at the Yale Club. It was even fun riding the taxi...there was such an energy in the air. We saw flower and farmer's markets on the streets, pizza shops, china shops, and tons of yellow cabs. We arrived at our hotel after a very short ship from JFK. We then walked over to a little pizza shop and had a couple slices of pizza. We watched the locals hanging out in the pizza joint and enjoyed real NY pizza. We then walked over to the Hyatt to catch a shuttle to the NY Marathon expo. We picked up our race packets and looked around the expo and then headed back to the hotel. We then walked over to meet our friends from the airplane for dinner at Giovanni Ristorante. The meal was tasty but not my favorite from our trip!

We then headed home early (about 7:30) to get ready for the marathon and get to bed. We also watched Texas Tech beat UT. We were so upset!!!

We slept very good and got up at 6:15 for the marathon. Now for the real fun!! We then headed over to Grand Central Station, grabbed coffees and hopped on the subway to the Staten Island Ferry.

Grand Central Station-I couldn't get a good picture of clock!!!

The weather was crisp (37 degrees) and sunny. The ferry ride was beautiful. Here are a few pictures I snapped...

My friend (and neighbor), Amy, who ran a 3:33!!!

The Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry!Charlotte and I waiting in the runner's village for the marathon to start...Charlotte and Amy , right after we got off shuttle bus. There were so many port-o-potties!

We finally started the race with a smile on my face. Charlotte and I started out together on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

This is view from the bridge...I ran over to the edge and snapped this!

This is my attempt to take a picture with my sweaty phone on the course. I was running through Williamsburg.

This is me after the race. I know I look hilarious. I was a little embarassed trying to take a picutre of myself!! AGH!!! But, I had a 3:38 finish time, with no goal in mind. I just ran for fun, so I was so excited!!

After the marathon, Charlotte (who had a great finish of 3:47 with only one long run!!!), Amy and I walked through Central Park in a daze after we finished. We were also freezing. I think the high was about 44 degrees.

Amy went back to her hotel. Charlotte and I tried to get on the subway unsuccessfully along with 30,000 other people!!! Charlotte and I then tried to get a taxi with no luck, so I talked her into riding a rickshaw. I had so much fun on the rickshaw, it was so crazy!!!

This is our view from the rickshaw. Our driver was a college student from Istanbul, Turkey.

This is our view of Times Square from the rickshaw.

We then stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and then went back to the hotel and showered! We then went to a Japanese Restaurant called East and had sushi. It was so cheap!!! and good! This was my favorite dinner and my second was the pizza!

This was my favorite marathon by far and I can see why everyone loves New York City. It was so much fun!!

Healthy things I have added to my diet...

So, along with knowing the bad, you have to know the good. I have found a great juice/smoothie bar on Lake Austin Blvd. It feels like LA when you go in there.. it is called The Daily Juice. My favorite smoothie drink is called the Hippie Chick. It tastes like banana bread. It has bananas, coconut water, almond butter,hemp seeds, agave nectar, vanilla and yerba mate in it. It is great after workout nutrition.


So, I know a lot of those ingredients sound very foreign. they did to me, too. But, I have started researching and using some of these "super foods" to enhance my nutrition. For instance hemp seeds (which are in the Hippie Chick smoothie)-have 80% essential fatty acids, amino acids as well as complete and highly digestible protein. So, I have this as a post-workout healthy treat when I am in that neck of the woods!



I am also adding cocoa nibs to my yogurt in the morning. Cocoa nibs are what is left over from the cocoa bean after chocolate is made. It is also considered a "superfood". It has a very high ORAC reading (which a measurement for antioxidants). This site has some of the benefits of chocolate and cocoa nibs. If you do a search, you will find that there are a lot of different ways to add them to your diet. I bought my package at Whole Foods.

A yummy sounding recipe I found on washingtonpost.com with cocoa nibs....



Bison Steaks With Cocoa Nib Sauce

The Washington Post, February 13, 2008
Dinner in 20 Minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Features: Fast, Healthy


The bison steak medallions we used for this recipe are available at SuperFresh and Wegmans; Whole Foods Markets carry other cuts of buffalo, including flank steak and rib-eye.
The cocoa sauce complements the meat's rich, sweet flavor. Serve with a saute of mixed vegetables or wild rice and a glass of a chocolate-friendly zinfandel or syrah.
4 servings


Ingredients:
2 medium shallots
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 6-ounce bison (buffalo) steak medallions, such as Great Range brand
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup zinfandel or syrah
1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
Pinch sugar (optional)
Several sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Mince the shallots and set aside.
Sprinkle the cocoa powder on a plate; use it to lightly coat the both sides of each steak. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking oil spray and place it on the middle oven rack; preheat to 325 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the steaks and cook for 2 minutes, then turn them over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Both sides should have a slightly seared, chocolate-brown crust. Use tongs to transfer the meat to the baking dish in the oven.
With the skillet still over medium heat, add the shallots and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. Add the wine and beef broth; increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by at least a third. Add the mustard and stir to combine.
Turn off the oven and transfer the meat to the counter to rest (an internal temperature of medium-rare should register 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
Add the cocoa nibs to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; add the sugar, if using. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley leaves. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chopped parsley, stirring to combine.
Divide the medallions among individual plates and spoon the cocoa nib sauce over the top. Serve immediately.


Recipe Source:
From assistant Food editor Bonnie S. Benwick.
Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick for The Washington Post.E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.

Diet Soda IS BAD for you!

Okay, so I have a soapbox and I am a admitted health "nut" :) So, there is something that really bothers me because it has no redeeming benefits to a person...at all. It is drinking diet soda (most people drink Coke). I did drink diet soda when I was in my 20's. Then, I stopped because I found out I may have cancer (and did, but that is another story) and wanted to rid my body of anything impure. After a while, I tried to drink real Coke-a-cola and (get this), I loved it. It tastes so good and it so refreshing. But, I limited myself to one a day, then one a week and now I rarely (maybe once a year) drink it. I feel so much better to order a tea or water now. I've read different health magazines, different newspapers and different web sites over the years and I hear nothing but bad things about diet sodas (and sodas for that matter)!

Here are a few of the bad things about diet sodas:

Cause weight gain - one article from Web Md, although I found a lot more

Increased risk of osteoporosis in adults (this article is about kids- Natural News)

Increased risk of heart disease and diabetes- ABC news

I am sure I could find more. Our society is so obsessed with weight, why don't teach our kids to eat healthy and be a better role model instead of drinking Diet Cola. I have heard my daughter ask my husband why he drinks a diet drink. I think that our kids (boys and girls) should grow up with healthy body images and not think that they are fat and need diet soda because Mom or Dad drinks it.

So, now you ask, what do you substitute for it. I know a lot of people drink it first thing in the morning, so you may need to find another ritual when first thing in the morning. I suggest drinking a hot or cold tea (Benefits of tea) or water with lemon.

Anyway, I hope you think about it!

Training and other random thoughts

Well, with school starting, my workouts have been taken to a new level and it is so much fun! I ran 5 mile warm-up before our Gazelles workout yesterday with Laurie. We ran about 8.5 minute pace. Gilbert had us do a circuit workout at Austin high and we did a few new strengthening moves. A few that I loved were jumping up (and back down) with both feet together, on a box that was 2 feet high, kicking a 6-8lb medicine ball with two feet while lying down and hopping 15 times on one foot with an 8 pound weight. That last sentence was describing 3 different exercises, if I wasn't clear :) We also did lunges, push-ups (the real kind!), superman (for your back), sit-ups and pull-ups. I also swam about a 1/2 mile at Deep Eddy afterward. I am a little sore today! All in all it was a great workout.

I ran an easy 5 miles today. I teach my trail class at Wild Basin tomorrow, so we have a 6 mile run planned. I am trying to psyche myself into my Saturday (yes, I am already thinking about it) long run. I know it will be around 16-18 miles.

I have started running my Saturday long runs with my neighbor, also a gazelle and a very fast runner. We ran 14 miles last Saturday. It was great! She has one gear though-fast! We ran 14 miles at a 8:15 pace! It was so challenging. She is great for me though, she helped convince me to try to qualify for New York and I did!

Also, Austin has a new grassroots (as they call it) site to keep you informed about Austin running. http://www.keepaustinrunning.org/ It has local races posted, favorite running routes, info about the city council task force on road closures and much, much more. Check it out!

Back to Gazelles Workout!

Well, with the start of the new school year, I have gotten back on track with my training. I ran with Gilbert's Gazelles on Wednesday. We ran a 7 mile Fartleck, so it was one minute of speed and 1 minute of rest 10 times. It was a difficult workout for me, since I haven't done much speed workout all summer (3 months!). It was so hot and humid that morning! I did a Runner's conditioning class afterward and was totally dead, but still eeked out a 600 yard swim at Deep Eddy Pool. As you can imagine, I was pretty tired and hungry, but felt good that I had such a good workout.

I so enjoyed getting back into my group of running friends. I love hearing about all of our kids in school and what has been going on.

Reason for choosing to RUN a Marathon

Every marathoner has been asked "WHY do you run marathons?" I have a lot of reasons, one of my reasons is that I love the feeling of the accomplishment. President John F. Kennedy's quote "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" sums it up. No matter how many marathons I have run, I still have a hard time getting myself to do my long runs, get up early for my long runs, do my speed work, eat well most of the time, and register (commit) to the race. It is so worth is after the long runs and especially after the marathon. I do not always run the race in the expected time (sometimes I surpass it), but it is always an experience that makes me feel so good afterwards.

For anyone reading this that is not a marathoner, I have to say that I felt this way with the numerous 5K and 10K's that I did when I started running. I still enjoy the 5k's and 10k's because it is still a challenge to figure out what pace to run and just get the whole race "right". My favorite race distance is a half-marathon. If you are trying to get yourself to work out (or run) consistently, you should register for a race a couple months out. It does wonders for your motivation and self esteem. Start out with a 5K, then go to a 10K and then a half-marathon. It is great to surprise and amaze yourself!!

Training for New York Marathon

Well, I made it into New York. I have never been much of a marathon traveler, because there are so many particulars you need to be "right on" for the marathon day. Okay, was that English??? What I mean is this.....you have to watch what you eat, you can't walk too much the day before, you have to hydrate well, you can't consume too much alcohol AND you need a good night's sleep the night before (if that is even possible!)

So, back to New York. I have been a runner since 1991. I ran track and cross country in high school, but really wasn't very good or serious. I just ran because one of my best friend's ran. So, I really became a runner in 1991 when a friend of mine suggested running 3 miles on the Hike and Bike trail in Austin. I was hooked!...for a very odd reason...it was difficult for me to keep up with my friend and finish 3 miles. I loved the challenge! I had been teaching fitness classes at the time, but never felt the workout I felt from running.

So, back to New York. I had been thinking of running a marathon in the 90's, but thought it was crazy. Until, I met some other girls through Austin Fit (which I actually coached) and we trained for the Motorola Austin Marathon. These crazy girls actually had a goal time and wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon... (so the whole New York reason comes to light!). So, I was interested in "qualifying". Well, we did qualify and I am still amazed. I thought I had qualified and ran the only marathon that you needed to qualify for. However, I found out a little over a year ago that you can qualify for New York, instead of doing the lottery!!! I have been a runner for 16 years and I never knew this!!

So, back (again) to New York. I met a friend, that lives in my neighborhood, that I began running with. She told me her goal was to qualify for New York AND (get this) that I should try, too!!! Fast forward, 6 months later, at the 3M Half marathon in Austin. We start the race together and I decide (only in my head) that I would try to qualify for the New York marathon, too. I decided if I made it I HAD to go! Well, we both qualified!!! Yeah, we were so excited!

So, now I am stuck in the doldrums of a HOT TEXAS summer training for the New York marathon. Sometimes, I really wonder if I am crazy!!! I am still running, I ran 4.33 miles today. But, I do need to get my weekly mileage up.

I wish there was some way to post your runs on your blog. Does anyone know how to do this? I am still researching this whole blogging thing.

New Blog!!!

Well, if you are just joining me, I have been blogging for a few months now. I started with my family blog and am now branching into to my other love!!! Running! I want to do a few things with this blog. Keep track of my runs, track some of my best times, journal some of my crazy runs, promote my personal training business and talk about health.

Check back. I am still in the process of "building" my blog.