Ropes and Nipples Before 7:00 a.m.

It’s double workout day. I went to spin this morning at 6:00 a.m.and am trying to get motivated to go back to the gym and get on the treadmill for six miles. Just had big bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and dropped some kids off at the pool.

I was supposed to run some gorgeous trials with Joie today, but it’s pouring rain here and I’m not into slugging my way through the mud. I only do that when I run the Muddy Buddy.

This HIM (half ironman) training keeps forcing me out of my comfort zone. Today was my second spin class ever. I try to pretend I know what I’m doing. Towel on the handlebars, check. Look really cool and effortless when you’re out of the saddle, check. Wipe my scum off my bike at the end of the class, check. Do not remove bike seat at the start of class and risk impalement  just to be cool.

Today the instructor, Zach, brought out these ropes at the beginning of class. WTF? Ropes? I panicked. Are we going to make a noose? Tie all our bikes together? Hang them from the ceiling and climb them and ring the bell at the top like in gym class?

I quickly learned we were going to pretend to be on the Biggest Loser.

The deal was at any point during the class you could go to the ropes and do one minute intervals. In front of everyone. I debated. No one would care if I did or didn’t. But I did. Twice. And it was hard. There was a learning curve. During my first interval I squatted really low like a dork taking a dump. Didn’t go well. Second set, much better.

When you are done with your interval and making your way back to the bike for some reason your headlights come on big time from the exertion, I suppose. I noticed it wasn’t just MY headlights, but everyone’s. Interesting. Ropes and headlights all before 7:00 a.m. Good morning nipples!

Trying to fit in all my workouts in a given week is proving to be a challenge. It is much easier to just run than to run, bike, swim, and do yoga. It is requiring creativity. But, I am doing it. Last week my goal was 7 hours of workouts. I did 7 hours, 18 minutes (Type A overachiever) , so success!

Here are some more wise nuggets from the Training Bible.

A bit on setting your race goals

1. Make them measureable. How will you know you met your goals? Don’t say “Run faster,” say “Finish my 10K in under 45 minutes.”
2. Make them under your control. Don’t base them on what other people might do (for example, it’s risky to say a goal is to win your age group because you never know who will show up, like Kara Goucher). You only have control over yourself, your own training and your motivation.
3. Make your goal stretch you. Don’t make it too easy to achieve. Or so difficult you will get exasperated and quit.
4. State your goal in the positive. For example, if you say, “I will not crap during the run,” you are sending a message to your brain to crap during the run. Instead say, “I will have clean pants the entire run.” Or if you can’t relate to crap, here is another example. Instead of saying “Don’t get a running injury,” say “I will lower my risk of injury by running only when recovered.”

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Don’t forget my Champion giveaway. Since there will be one female and one male reader, here is a tip. Those with penises have very good odds right now, so get in there and enter.

SUAR

Eating for Two

No, not that kind of two. Two hours, you fools. Gotcha

Today’s workout: 1 hour spin, 1 hour yoga.

This makes me very hungry. I don’t talk about food much on this blog because I am just eating three squares a day with snacks thrown in and popcorn with parmesan cheese or cinnamon sugar pita chips at night (if you haven't tried the Stacy’s Cinnamon Chips you are seriously missing out on one of the joys of life).

Stacy’s: if you are reading this because I am sure you are please send me a case or two. I have already done a review (see above).

Here’s the scoop. It is hard to get enough calories when you are working out a bazillion hours a week cross training like a maniac to train for a marathon because you can’t run much. And, then when you do run, you poop so much you lose 20 pounds.

Okay, a bazillion hours of working out is an exaggeration, it’s more like 8 to 10 hours, which I don’t think is very extreme. I mean for marathon training with mostly running, you would probably be putting in those hours. But, if you figure that is probably in the neighborhood of up to 6,000 or so calories burned, there’s a lot of make up eating to be done. This is where it gets fun.

It is 12:30 p.m. Today I have had:

• 2 cups of coffee with healthy splashes (i.e., tablespoons) of half and half. Can’t drink it any other way
• 1 English muffin with generous scoop of almond butter and jelly
• 1 banana
• 1 Grande extra fat Chai
• 1 “kitchen sink” salad. I am on a “kitchen sink” extravaganza. Usually it involves eggs where I scramble up two or three eggs with anything in the refrigerator: leftover pinto or black beans, spinach, avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato and pair it with a tortilla.  Today was a salad with lettuces (I love how in Costa Rica they call it “lettuces,” kind of like how in Europe they call it “getting your hairs cut”), spinach, carrots, avocado, blue cheese, craisins, black bean burger all tossed with a healthy does of Annie’s Goddess Dressing. Superb I tell ya.
• 3 Snickerdoodles. I have been on a baking roll these past two weeks. My daughter told me she needed some snacks while they did their standardized testing last week (called CSAPs in Colorado) and wanted cookies. I do whatever she tells me, so I promptly baked some CSAP Butterfinger cookies. When those ran out I made some CSAP Snickerdoodles. Let me share:

Butterfinger Cookies (also called Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies):

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. package) Heath “Bits ‘O Brickle” Toffee Bits, divided

Heat oven to 375°.

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of bits; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons or by using a 1-inch cookie scoop about 2 inches apart onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet; press the top of each cookie down slightly with a fork and top each with reserved bits.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not over bake. Cool for two minutes and remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Seriously, incredible cookies and the shortening is so gross and lardish that these things stay soft forever.

Short-Cut Snickerdoodles (to make really fast in a pinch when you have yellow cake mix on hand and are out of Cream of Tarter, because we all forget to stock up on that weird ingredient that we only use for one thing):

1 box yellow cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix and roll into balls and into sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.

Told you they were easy. And super good. Really they are.

Go make some cookies now. My daughter wants you to.

Foods I can’t live without and are staples in our house:

Avocados
Bananas
Amy’s Goddess Dressing
Stacy’s Pita Chips
Whole wheat tortillas
Oatmeal (w/brown sugar)
Half and Half
Morningside Black Bean Burgers
Clif Bars
Fresh spinach
Eggs
Cheese, any kind
Beans, any kind (but favorites are cannelini, kidney and pinto)
Salsa

I thought my running clinic went well last night. Before I went I told Ken I was a little nervous. He very supportively said, “Do you think you will crap yourself in front of the group? Or just have bad gas?” That made me feel a lot better.

If I do one again I would tweak some things, but I had a good turn out and discussion. Thanks again for your input.

Don’t forget my Twist running shirt giveaway HERE.

Do you eat a ton more when you are training? What’s your go-to recovery lunch or dinner?

Any foods you can’t live without?

 

SUAR