Stinky, smelly dance party

Two posts per week? For real, Danielle? I've SO been slacking in my updates, and I fear it might continue for another two weeks. I don't talk about what I do a whole lot on this blog, but you gotta believe me when I say I've been busy! I'm in the midst of starting a nonprofit organization, which includes filling out a 23+ page IRS application with the aid of an attorney. Additionally, I'm the Local Arrangements person for a HUUUUGGE national flute convention coming to CLT in less than two weeks. So I apologize from the deepest depths of my heart for scant postings until all this is over (on August 15)!!

Ok, now that my whining is done...

On Friday I made it back to the gym for some cross training and weight lifting. I walked 2 miles on the treadmill at a 10% include and then hopped on the stair machine for another 10 minutes, in preparation for my Grand Canyon run in September (more on this later!).

I declared Saturday a rest day, and this morning I went out for a late morning 6 miler. Because so much rain moved through last night, it was pretty cool outside (well, 80s with no sun). So my 10:00 AM run felt awesome! I was at my own little dance party with my tunes, which I'm sure amused all the cyclists out on the road this morning (it was like the Indy 500 for bicycles). But really, how can you not have a good run when you're doing the Thriller Dance?


Afterwords, I headed to the gym for some more NROLFW. And again, it was just me and the really buff dudes. At one point, I was eyeballing all the guys to see which one was stinking up the place so much.

Then I realized it was me. Eeewww.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relatively stink-free start to their week!

Do you ever surprise yourself with how much you smell after a workout?

Do you ever dance or sing to your music while you run? Have you ever been caught? (do you care??)

I'm answering your questions tomorrow, so this is your last chance to ask away!

Slow Run, Quick Post

Today was another hot and long one. I did my very best to get up and out as early as possible... which led to a 7:09 AM start. Why is this so hard?? (TWSS)

The plan was to go out and back 5 miles, switch water bottles and then go out and back for another 2, which would total 14 miles. I kept a fairly consistent pace for the first 10 miles and felt pretty good. I averaged around 10:45 per mile. I would be ecstatic to have that pace for the marathon.

When I got back to my car, I was going to just take a sip of some cold water. A sip turned into a gulp, which turned into 3 gulps which pretty much turned into the entire 16 oz bottle. Downed all in about 30 seconds.

So let's talk about this stupid mistake of mine. Although it tasted sooooo good and refreshing at the moment, I should NOT have downed it all that fast. When I started running again, guess what I felt like? A bloated manatee with a water table up to my throat! For two miles I was burping and cramping like crazy! And the thing is- I knew this would happen if I drank all that water, but I did it anyway.

It was definitely worth the two 12:50+ miles that ensued though. Oh well.

The last two miles, things felt a little put back together. I finished 14 miles in 2:33:50. Not Kenyan-style fast, but good enough for me!

Although the heat today was every bit as bad as the heat during my last long run, I ran on a more shaded running path. I think this made all the difference in my stamina this morning, but it was still balls hot.


I knew I stayed hydrated enough on this run because by the time I got home, I was starving! I made a "kitchen sink" smoothie- basically all the left over fruit in my fridge from the week, plus a cup of greek yogurt and the last of my protein powder.

1 banana
handful of watermelon chunks
1 cup of cantaloup
handful of spinach
vanilla protein powder
handful of ice cubes

Despite it's baby-poop color, it smelled good enough for Max to brave a little begging.


A few hours after my smoothie and lunch, I had a PB&J sandwich, polishing off the peanut butter jar and thus giving me and Little Paws about 2 hours worth of entertainment.


I also found what I think is the best solution to my black toenail issue. Now you see it:


Now you don't!
Go ahead, you can be jealous of my sock tan line.



Don't forget: I was tagged for a Q&A post- go ask your questions here. Only two people have posted so far! You know you want to learn more about me =)

How do you entertain your pet/child?

What's the worst running induce tanline you've had?

Playing Catch-Up: 7 weeks of recap

It happened again: I've been running but I haven't been blogging! Ooopsies- sorry! I had a good friend over for the weekend so blogging got pushed to the side (excuses, excuses, I know).

Weekly Recap
I'm going to start doing weekly training recaps on Sundays or Mondays. I'm now on week 8 of my training schedule, so here's a quick review of the past 7 weeks:

Week 1: 16 miles (the week I revealed my marathon goal!)
Week 2: 28 miles (15.5 LSD)
Week 3: 4 miles (flute retreat in the mountains gave me one trail run)
Week 4: 37 miles (my first 20 mile run in the woods)
Week 5: 26 miles (with a Midnight 10k PR)
Week 6: 32 miles (a successful 3/1 pace run and a really fun 15k Trail Race)
Week 7: 37 miles (18 LSD in crazy heat!)

So much for that 10% thing (where you're only suppose to increase your mileage by 10% each week)! My goal for the coming week is to incorporate more cross training into my schedule and master the art of hydrating!

On an unrelated note, the lovely Megan at Watch MeGo Run tagged me for a Q&A type thing. You get to ask me anything you want and I have to answer you. It's like Truth or Date without the Dare part.

In return, I tag these people to do the same (mwuahaha!)

Melissa and Mihkel at 72 Runs
Ashley at Redonkulous runner
KT at Training Like a Girl
Rebecca at Thru Thin and Thick
(my apologies if you've already been tagged)



So ask away! What do you really want to know about yours truly? It doesn't have to be running related =)

Homemade bread

Say hello to my new best friend: the Artisan Series 5 Quart Kitchen Aid Mixer, or as I like to call him, Red.


David got me this beauty for our anniversary after some pretty strong hinting on my part (I might have also told him the color I wanted). We tried out a brownie recipe first, but I knew what I really wanted to make: bread! I love homemade bread (who doesn't?!) so I set to work assembling the ingredients.


This recipe is super easy with a mixer that has a dough hook that will knead the bread for you. If you don't have a mixer, no problem. Just roll up your sleeves and prepare to knead! This recipe yields three huge loaves but it can easily be cut in half. You'll need:

3 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 .25 ounces packaged active dry yeast
2/3 cup honey, SEPARATED in half
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups who wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
vegetable oil
A spoon dog... he helps too

So if you don't want lots of bread, half all the above.

In a big bowl (AKA- the mixer bowl!) combined 3 cups warm water, yeast and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups bread flour and stir to combine. Let stand for 30 minutes so it gets big and bubbly. (if you're baking this in winter time, you might need to put the dough mixture somewhere where it will get a little heat, like on top of the dryer or in the oven with the oven light on. Just make sure you don't get it too hot or you'll kill the yeast. Same goes for the water).

Before:

After 30 minutes:

Punch it down a little and then add: 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey and salt. Stir in 2 cups of whole wheat flour. If you've got a mixer going, continue to add flour until the dough ball forms. If not, flour a clean surface and start kneading. It'll take another 3-4 cups flour, but you want it so it's not sticking to your hands or the counter.



Put it in a big greased bowl (vegetable oil works well) and turn it to coat the entire ball. Cover and let it rise until doubled (the longer you wait, the more it rises).

Before

After 60 minutes

Punch the dough out and divide into three loaf pans. Cover and let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Lightly brush loaves with butter when they're done so they don't get hard. Cool... and enjoy!!!



Do you have any recipes that I should try with my neeeeeew mixer??

You're tired, you're NOT dying!!

The training plan said 18 miles. And amazingly... 18 miles is what I did. It wasn't easy at all, but I fought through it and finished. I wish I could say this run was all smiles and rainbows, but the truth of the matter is: it was damn hard.

Even though I already had one 20 miler in the bank, I knew this run (of 'only' 18 miles) was going to be completely different. That 20 was on the trails with lots of people and at a very leisurely pace (4:42). This time, I was on my own and on the roads.

I decided to run around the hilly neighborhood that I used when I was training for the Hickory Half. Even though it was less shaded than my usual 'long run' route, I thought it would be better because I would be running by my car frequently (to switch out water bottles) and it's right next to my gym (which meant I would have a bathroom should the need arise).

The first 9 miles felt great. I finished my audio book, Nicholas Spark's The Last Song and was blubbering like a fool the entire time because it's SO SAD (turned out to be more than a sappy love story)!!

Around mile 11 I was suppose to get back around to my car to get more fluids. Turns out this was one mile too long to wait. When I got there I had been out of Gatorade for nearly 20 minutes and had already started getting behind on hydrating. It took a lot of self control not to chug the three bottles I had in the car on the spot. Instead, I switched to a new bottle of Gatorade and chased my Gu down with some water. Then it was off again.

In less than 20 minutes, my 22 ounces of Gatorade was GONE. It was hot. By the time I got back to my car for my third bottle, I could tell I was fading quickly. If there's one thing I've learned from crewing my dad on his (insane) ultras it's that you have to be one step ahead with hydration. By the time you feel it, you're depleted and once you become depleted, it's near impossible to get back out of the danger zone.

I sucked down my third bottle of Gatorade almost as quickly as the one previous. With three miles to go, I was becoming very unsure of myself. When I stopped to walk, heat radiated off my body and I became uncomfortably warm. When I ran/jogged/limped, I felt like I had absolutely nothing in my tank. I did so much internal whining that I actually had to stop and give myself a stern talking to.

Look, Danielle, you're tired- you're NOT dying. Suck it up and finish!

I did more walking than running during the last two miles. I was craving ice cold water, and I could feel my stomach cramping. It was like it couldn't decide if it wanted to throw up or if my intestines were going to explode (TMI sorry).

I finished up and only had ice cubes left in my water bottle (I fill a bottle with ice and water as my post-run drink, and all I had left were a few ice cubes). I immediately popped some ice in my mouth and drove home- I was in desperate need of water!

I'm happy to report I made it home and drank like a fish. My stomach has been disgruntled all day, still unsure of what it wants. Food or a toilet.... it's been a toss up =) The reason why I felt like my insides were on fire? This:



I'm DEFINITELY starting earlier for my next long run. And either I'll make more frequent stops for water bottles or I'll try a camelbak. Whichever I choose, apparently 88 ounce of fluids is not enough for a 3 hour run.

Lesson learned, right? I still pushed through and completed 18 miles in 3 hours and 20 minutes, at an 11:07 pace. And I have NO shame in that!!!


What do you say to yourself to push through hard runs? Do you have a 'mantra?'

Tell me about your hardest run to date!

Race Pictures

I married a goober. Seriously, look at these pictures.


And there's a half dozen more of him looking awesome. I swear, the boy never takes a bad picture. I, on the other hand, look miserable in all but one shot:

Oh, and then there's my "I'm trying not to die" face:


I hit up 6 miles yesterday morning before work, which was good because David took me out to the fanciest restaurant in the world for dinner last night. And I think I ate my week's worth of calories and fat in that one meal: lobster ravioli with scallops in creamy cheese sauce. But it was oooooh so good!

And then there was dessert: a piece of chocolate cake as big as my head! We shared the piece and still brought half of it home!

Also: I'm never letting David have camera duty ever again. This is the only picture he took of our 2 year anniversary! Boys....

With all this yummy food sitting heavy in my belly, it was off to the gym this morning to burn more calories. The plan was to get 5-6 miles on the treadmill before lifting some weights. I put in three miles and called it good- I think the chocolate went straight to my calves and quads because they felt seriously lethargic. I did get some quality lifting in though, and I'm officially halfway through the first NROLFW stage!

Tomorrow is a rest day (or cross training, since I can't stay away from the gym) before my 18 miler on Thursday. Maybe one of these days I'll do a training week recap?



What's the yummiest meal you've ever had? And your favorite dessert? (if you say fruit, we're no longer friends)

Are you a photo-goober like David or do you get bad race pictures? If you dare to share a photo, link it up in the comments section!

A bit of mushiness

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with running, so feel free to close your browser now if that bums you out.

But- I hope you'll stay! It's time for a trip down memory lane...

Two years ago today, I married one of the greatest guys on this planet. While I was busy getting pretty....


He was busy thinking about this....


After a short ceremony, we got the go ahead to do the kissing stuff...


And then we were declared husband and wife!


Being as how we're both University of Florida alums and huge Gator fans, it only seemed appropriate to have a Gator themed reception (a tough pill to swallow for the Buckeyes on my side of the family and the Seminoles on David's side!).


We had a great day with family and friends! In the past two years, we've had some of the most memorable, frustrating and wonderful times of our lives.

Maybe I'll do another post on the amazing food we enjoyed while in Italy, Germany, and Austria for our honeymoon?


Ok, normal blogging to return tomorrow. Thanks for being patient =)

River Bound 15k Trail Run Report

The alarm went of at 5:45 this morning to allow optimal time for coffee consumption and e-mail checking. Shortly before 7:00 AM, David and I headed out the door to arrive at the US Whitewater Center 20 short minutes later for the River Bound 15k Trail Run.

We could not have asked for better weather than what we had today- low 70's and cloudy. Perfect! We picked up our bibs and race shirts before making the short walk around the whitewater river to the starting line. There were about 4 bathrooms along the way, which was perfect for my overactive and nervous bladder.

There was a bit of standing around as we waited for the race to begin. When the race director got to the starting line, he started giving instructions sans a megaphone so nobody really heard him. Eventually we heard the word "go" yelled and we were off!

This was the first time I'd been to the Whitewater Center, so these trails were new to me. I had no idea what to expect, but figured there would probably be enough people in front of me to follow in case the course wasn't well marked.

Not only was the course incredibly well marked and staffed (three water stations I believe), but these trails were possibly the best groomed single track trails I've ever run on! Typical to the Carolinas, the large majority of the run was on packed red clay trails.

David and I started in the very back of the pack. Neither one of us had mega time goals, so we were perfectly content bringing up the rear. For the first few miles, I was quite alright with the slower runners ahead of me on the single track trail. In fact, it was probably better that I was behind them and pacing myself than in front of them and going out too fast.

After mile two though, I announced my passing and surged ahead, all by my lonesome. I really struggled to convince my body to run for the first 3-4 miles. But once I settled into a good pace and got a rhythm going, things started to loosen up and I felt pretty good!

That's not to say there wasn't a fair amount of passing going on- all those people who surged off at the beginning I was now catching up on. I came up on a group of girls that I knew I had to pass- not only were they tiptoeing down the hills but I'm betting they were all in my age group ;) Needless to say, it was a great feeling to pass two dozen people who were running out of gas (a few might have tripped on the trail or stopped at water stations to drink... 'aint no thing, I'll pass 'em up!)

There was a fair amount of up and down hills. It was on the downhill that I was able to catch a lot of people. Why fight gravity? Let it rip, and if you fall- you fall! I had a blast flying down hills and around corners, hopping over logs and leaping over muddy pits. I'm not sure I'll be able to go back to the roads ;)

Finally, we came out of the woods and heard music and shouting. On the home stretch, there was a girl not too far ahead of me. Though I was pretty much out of steam, my goal was to catch up to her and finish. Just as I got to her side, I felt like an awful jerk for passing her up and finishing a millisecond before her. So... I slowed a bit and let her cross the finish line first. Come to find out she was in my age group! Shoulda passed her up too. Oh well. Neither of us won any age group awards, although if I had been two minutes faster (or two years younger) I would have gotten 3rd. Perhaps next year?

I wish someone could convince that boy of the evils of cotton!

Water and ice cold Powerade was waiting for us at the finish, as well as a handful of sponsors. One race sponsor, GoLite, was giving away shoes via bib number raffle. I started chatting it up with the gentlemen at the tent when one asked what my shoe size was. Turns out I didn't 'win' a pair, but they gave me one anyway! Wow... thanks!!! They gave me this awesome pair of black sandals, according to their website, an $80 value!

After David crossed the finish line, we started meandering around the park. This place is one of the coolest places I've ever been- like Disney World for the outdoor enthusiast! They had ziplines:

And whitewater rafting where you can choose your own class of rapids. How cool!

Oh no! Everyone fell out!

The race directors and sponsors did a great job of organizing and implementing this race. We had a great time and will definitely be back next year!

(PS- Megan from Fit Crafty English Teacher is giving away a RoadID! Go check her out!)

Perceived Effort vs. Actual Effort

Some days, I feel like I'm running so hard and so fast I'm about to lose a lung. When I look down to my Garmin, I'm only running an 11:30/mile. And some days, I feel like I'm losing a lung because I'm practically flying at the speed of light (aka- 9:30/mile). Most of the time when my perceived effort is so drastically higher than my actual effort, it's on the second half of a long run.

When I was getting ready for half marathon #3, I did 3 (or 4?) 10 mile pace runs. I chose a speed I thought I could sustain for every mile. On pretty much every single run, I went out too fast and ended up tanking for the last three miles.

This morning, I had "10 mile pace" on my schedule. I decided to try Hal Higdon's 3/1 run:

"A 3/1 run is one in which you run the first three-fourths of the distance at a comfortable pace, then accelerate to near race pace over the last one quarter of the workout. (You should finish refreshed, not fatigued.)"

For my first 7 miles, I attempted to keep a near 11:00/mile pace, and then tried to make the last three miles consecutively faster. The result?

Wild success! Keeping 11 per mile was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I ran slowly until the mile was almost complete, then started walking to slow the pace down. Each walk break allowed me time to recover and run the next mile just as strong as the previous (why, hello Jeff Galloway!) I averaged just about 10:50/mile for the first third, then I finished strong:

Mile 8:10:28
Mile 9: 10:22
Mile 10: 9:24

Eventually, I'd like to get my conservative speed just a little quicker. Alas, Rome was not built in a day.

When I got home, I tried some protein powder I received in the mail from Kari @ Running Ricig's giveaway: Gotein!



I tried the strawberry because I felt like it had the most to prove. Vanilla can pretty much mix with anything, and I automatically like anything chocolate. Strawberry, on the other hand? If I liked the strawberry, then I'd be bound to like the other flavors. So I mixed it up in water (as per the instructions) and headed back out the door to take Little Paws for his morning walk.

(Yes, I do make him carry his own poop bag, thankyouverymuch!)

After the first sip, my reaction was: meh. It tasted like watered down milk. But the more I drank it, the more I grew to like it. I'm sure I'll love the other two flavors, whether I put them in water, (soy)milk, or a smoothie.

But will I buy it?

Probably not. There are only 17 grams of protein in each serving, and at just over $2 a pop, I think I can find more bang for my buck elsewhere. Sorry, Gotein! Flavor is good, convenience is nice, but you're just a little too expensive. Live and learn. Huge thanks to Kari for sending it to me!!


It's almost Friday!!! What are your plans for the weekend? Hubs and I are going to be running the River Bound 15k Trail Run!! (and he thought I couldn't turn him into a runner! ha!)

(a somewhat) Failed run inspires double header

This morning's goal: 6 miles

This morning's reality: 4.5 miles

What happened? I wasn't properly hydrated to deal with the heat and humidity this morning. Bad, Danielle, bad!!!! I was dragging for pretty much the entire run this morning, but I can usually push through that. What concerned me was I wasn't sweating as much as I should have been for how hot it was. Then I got goosebumps and chilled. In 90 degree weather. So I bowed out and let Heat win (yes, I realize the irony in this post since it's been one short day since I declared my love for running in hot weather).

Last night, I should have either chosen the beer or the wine for dinner... not one for dinner and the other'n for post-dinner cocktail. That started my dehydration. Oops. This morning, I should have had more than a cup of coffee before heading out.

Lesson learned. In the summer, hydrate the night before AND the morning of. (It's just so dang hard to figure out how much to drink the morning of without having to pee every 5 minutes during the run... or is that just me?)

BUT- because I might possibly be the most stubborn (or obsessive compulsive) person in the world, I went back out this evening to finish up those last 1.5 miles (and then some). David and I headed out the door after I finished teaching this evening, and I was a little worried since the temp still read nearly 100 degrees. I ran the first loop with him before heading off on my own (each loop is 1.7 miles). True to style, I went all out on this loop because, you know, I had to prove myself. The result was 1.8 miles in 16:22.

Yes, I'm quite happy with that, I think I'll call it a day!



How do you deal with the heat?

Any hydration tips?

Are you a fan of double workouts?

Three Things Monday

No, it's not a new blog series. I just have three things to share and it just happens to be Monday =)

1. I put in my first speed workout since the Hickory Half and it felt goooooood! It's crazy how quickly I lost what little speed I had acquired and I was starting to get down on myself. I know speed is relative to the person running, but comparatively speaking, I was running slower (about 45-60 seconds per mile slower... boo!). This morning I set off for a one mile warm up followed by four 800's at... whatever pace I felt strong at =) My splits were: 8:33 / 8:54 / 9:10 (big honkin' hill) / 8:51. In the end, I finished just over 3.5 miles in 35 minutes. Sub 10 minute miles- I love you!

2. I love running in warm weather. Before you stop following me for saying such blasphemous words, hear me out. I love running when it's hot for two reasons: I don't have to wear layer upon layer upon freaking layer to stay warm, and I get to enjoy smoothies after my runs! In fact, I think I enjoy creating the smoothie more than drinking the smoothie.

I'm pretty late to the game, but I've just discovered the wonderfulness of smoothie-in-a-bowl cereal! Yuuuuum =)


Also recently discovered, green monsters. I've tried them before but never took a liking to them. Well, I gave it one more shot this morning and after some trial and error, found a combination that I could deal with.

-handful spinach
-half banana
-handful frozen pineapple
-splash of vanilla coconut milk
-handful of watermelon
-handful of ice cubes
-vanilla protein powder

As you can see, my measurements are far from exact!

3. While picking up the mail before work this morning, this dude came walking by and saw my 13.1 sticker. He looked at the sticker and then looked at me... I could tell he was sizing me up (do you ever judge the person driving a car with a 13.1/26.2 sticker to see if they could actually run it? umm... guilty!). We exchanged discreet head nods, then I saw "trainer" on the back of his shirt. Yep, I felt pretty bomb-diggity cool!

With another Monday behind us, I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far. Will you answer my questions?

Do you ever size up the person driving next to you if they have a 13.1/26.2/70.3/etc sticker?

What's your favorite smoothie combination?

What's you're favorite season to run in?

Marathon Training Schedule

I have 121 days left until the Savannah Rock 'n' Roll marathon on November 5th. I started marathon training about four weeks ago. So now that I'm almost a month into my training, I'm finally getting around to sharing it with y'all.


Other Training Schedules
I consulted five different training schedules before eventually making my own. Hal Higdon's Intermediate Level I, Marathon Training Academy Beginner's Plan, Nike Plus Marathon Training, Marathon Training dot com, and the Run Less, Run Faster program (GREAT book!!). The only way I could really compare all these plans was to put them on the same calendar. Oh, and I got to use lots of highlighters =)


Once I was able to compare/contrast each plan, I came to some of my own conclusions. While Hal Higdon's plan has a great, steady mileage buildup, it looks a little boring and only has two 20 mile runs. Marathon Training dot com has incredibly high mileage, but three 20 milers (that's a plus). Marathon Training Academy has lots of cross training (good!), hill work (exciting!), but it only has you running three times per week (bad) and only two 20 milers (bad). Nike Plus was just too much mileage, in my opinion. And the plan in the Run Less, Run Faster book is just a little too advanced for a first time marathoner (but maybe for round two? If there is a round two, that is).

MY Training Schedule
Where does that leave me? I basically averaged out the long runs from each plan and incorporated them into my own plan. The long run takes up a third to a half of my weekly mileage, and then I split the rest of the miles between three other runs. A typical weekly run down looks like this:

1 Long Run
1 Tempo/intervals or Pace Run
1 Short run before weightlifting
1 Medium run on hills
2 days of cross training

I have three weeks of steady mileage buildup, and then step back for one week. The most miles comes three weeks before the marathon (38 miles). I have four 20 mile runs, one of them being last week's trail run.

NROLFW
I picked up my weight lifting program again this morning. Back a few weeks ago, I decided to put NROLFW on hold until the knee issues subsided. But I got through an entire 5 miles with absolutely ZERO knee pain today (yayayayayay!!!!) and that meant: back to man land! I'm going to lift only two days per week, with light weights for my legs and back, and heavy weights for my shoulders/chest.





If you're an experienced Marathon, first of all- congratulations!!! Second, would you add or take away anything to my plan?

Foot maladies

You know what logging 36 miles (20 of those in wet shoes and socks) in five days gets you?

An application for the Black Toenail Runners Club!

Yep, one of my little piggies is biting the dust. I took photographic evidence of the darkening toenail, but my feet are so gross I can't bring myself to make them public. You're welcome!

I've dealt with lots of blisters, calluses, and blisters underneath calluses... but black toenails (and loss of toenails) terrify me! It gives me the willies to think that my poor little, once pedicured, toenail will one day soon bid me adieu. Part of me is proud to show off my badge of honor, but the other part gets slightly nauseous at the thought. I know, I know... shut up and run!

(And you thought this blog was all about me whining about my knee!)

Lucky for me, I just started reading a book about foot TLC, Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. I've just skimmed it, but it looks like a great resource for any runner or hiker who deals with foot maladies (hot spots, blisters, stubbed toes/bruises/sprains/strains, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, and much more).

Of course, I skipped to the chapter, "Toenail Problems" but I'll spare you the nitty gritty details of sticking a pin into a blackened nail to relieve the blood. Uuuuuugh! (I'm hoping I won't have to do that!)

Instead, I wanted to share what the book said about an issue we've all experienced (or will soon experience): blisters!

Of course, the easiest way to treat blisters is through preventative maintenance. Vonhof says there are three factors that contribute to blisters: heat, friction, and moisture. These three things combined lead to blisters. But if you can eliminate one of these three factors, you can eliminate blisters.

The first line of defense for preventing blisters include powders, lubricants, and certain socks.

• Socks with sweat wicking properties can reduce the amount of moisture on your feet. Cotton socks provide no moisture wicking properties and make your feet more prone to blisters. Stay away from them! Try to find synthetic blends from polyester, acrylic, Coolmax, or Teflon. These types of material will keep your feet dry and thus protect your feet from blisters caused by moisture.

• Powders reduce friction by removing moisture on the skin, which reduces friction between the feet and socks. As your feet absorb the powder or if you run through water, make sure you reapply. Some powders to consider are: Gold Bond, talcum, or corn starch.
  

• Lubricants protect the parts of your feet that are constantly moving, which can reduce chafing, which reduces friction. Vanhof warns that though lubricants provide initial relief from blisters, that after lubricants wear off (60+ minutes) your likelihood of blisters actually increases... so lube up at frequent intervals. Some common lubricants include: Lanolin and Vaseline, Bag Balm, and BodyGluide. These are the same types of lubricants runners use to prevent chafing to unsightly areas.
  

Of course, there are many other strategies to preventing blisters, but I think these are the main ones.


Do you have any words of wisdom to add about blisters?

Can you offer me any encouragement about my poor black nail?? Like... it won't hurt, or it's no big deal, or you'll hardly notice it falling off? =)

Kiwanis 10k Midnight Run Race Report

Hello blogging world! First of all, I apologize for my scant updates lately. I'm happy to report that we've returned to Charlotte all safe and sound.

And now... I know you all have been dying to hear about my 10k Midnight Run. Right?? ;)

The Midnight Run happens every year at... well, midnight, in Dunedin, Florida. There is a one mile fun run, 5k, and a 10k. The race course takes you down the Causeway and into Honeymoon State Park. It is very humid, and very warm. Think long lines at Disney in July with 200 people who forgot to put deodorant on. Now turn off the lights. You've got the Kiwanis Morton Plant Midnight Run!!

We arrived in Dunedin with plenty of time to pick up our bibs, warm up, and walk around a bit. The 5k started almost an hour before the 10k, which would have given me the option to 'warm up' for 3 miles had I wanted to. I declined.


Honestly, I had no expectations going into this race! I had run 20 miles less than 2 days before and I was still on edge about my knee. I just wanted to enjoy myself, feel good, and run as pain free as possible.

At 12:15, the gun went off for the 10k start. There was a decent amount of runners for the 10k, although not as many as the 5k. Maybe it was all the 5kers that left their BO stink on the course (it was seriously potent)!

Like I said, the course was an out-and-back that began on a causeway, went into Honeymoon park, and then turned around again. There were two water stations that we passed twice, giving us a total of four water stops. At the turn around point, a giant American flag was draped over a truck blaring Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Very appropriate for a 4th of July run!

(above picture 'borrowed' from here)

They did a great job illuminating the course with "luminaries" which was just a fancy way of saying milk jugs with candles in them. It was very pretty.

(above picture 'borrowed' from here)

I had no goal in mind when I started the race. But I ran the first half at a really strong pace- which was really a huge shock as I thought I'd be dead from Saturday's 20 miler. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt strong and I had lots of energy!

Around mile 4.5 I was starting to feel very fatigued. Up until this point, I had not taken any walk breaks. Had my dad not been running with me, I would have seized the opportunity to appease my screaming lungs and (now) fatigued legs with some walking TLC. Alas, he would not let me stop (which I later thanked him for) and I'm proud to say: I ran the entire 10k with NO walk breaks! A first for me!

As we rounded the corner for the finish line, I gave it all I had. In fact, I ran so hard my iPod flew off my waistband! For a split second, I thought about stopping 10 feet from the finish line to get it, but I could hear my dad yelling, "Go go go! Don't stop!!" After they cut my timing chip from my shoe, I slipped underneath the tape and back the side to try and find my iPod. Luckily, a kid grabbed it and handed it to me. What an angel!

Peace! Or is that 'love?'

According to my Garmin, I finished in 59:15. According to their chip time, I finished in 59:32, and according to my iPod, I finished in 60 minutes and change. Since the iPod flew off, and there was no start map for the timing chip, I'm going to go with my Garmin time.

David ran his first 10k, so he got an automatic PR of 1:14!!!

(running a part again with David... Live Long and Prosper! I don't know why I'm so dorky. Sorry)

Volunteers for this race were GREAT, as was the organization, course, and course markings. I wish there had been a starting mat for a more accurate time, but oh well. The only bad part about this race? The food!! Room temperature water was provided, as were bananas and little boxes of Wheaties. Seriously guys, that isn't enough!

Before the 90 minute drive home, we stopped at a gas station to pick up some snickers bars, pretzels, and Gatorade. Yum!

Chip Time: 59:32
Overall Pace: 9:32
Overall Place: 267/495
Age Group (25-29):12/25