broadcasting from the san gabriel valley

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Runner's Diet

I must admit.....while I enjoy eating healthy, it hasn't been a consistent practice of mine. Many things in the past have impacted my stray from the better foods, most of all, time. Oh....and laziness too. Just a couple weeks ago instead of walking across the street to the Vons near my work, I opted for a Pop Tart to satisfy my need for sugar. Breakfast has tended to be something of an afterthought while racing to leave my house by 6:18AM and typically pops into my head while in line at the Starbucks as the muffins and chocolate croissants glare me in the eye. My AM willpower has traditionally been stronger and rarely did I fall victim to one of of those S.O.B.'s. I was on a big Luna Bar kick but recently, I realized that processed soy is not a friend to the migraines so away they went.
So here I am. Very serious about running my first marathon in roughly 20 weeks and in a total rearrangement of lifestyle choices from sleep, to schedule and now, diet. I have been reading up on running diets and interestingly enough, many of the foods listed are also ones that are suggested for migraine sufferers such as Omega 3 fatty acids. I had just recently stocked up on the Bob's Red Mill Muesli (contains all the grains plus the miracle flaxseed!) and have been religiously eating it in yogurt each morning. There. That covers a healthier breakfast!



With the importance placed on the Omega 3's, I have been eating fish on a more regular basis. Tuna and Cod Fillets are what are easiest. I have been buying the frozen breaded fillets from Whole Foods and found them to be great with some lemon and a side of veggies. Probably not as good as fresh frozen but there is that time complication of mine! I have also been making an honest effort to get more fresh fruits and juices. Oh...and nuts too. Also, in paying attention to the migraine factor, I have been attempting to purchase foods without additives and spending the extra for the organic produce. The last migraine I had a couple weeks back had me nauseous just looking at foods with high amounts of bad-for-you food chemicals. A box of microwave popcorn pushed me over the edge. I kid you not.

The funny thing is I have been pretty on point the past few days and with the food I have been eating, I have somehow naturally dropped the breads and chips and crackers that I am used to filling up on. I feel pretty good and I had a tremendous run this afternoon. Only 4.75 miles, but I ran the uphills like nobody's business and got some good speed towards the end. I felt as if I could have kept going but I wanted to pay close attention to the lingering soreness in my lower legs from the trail race Sunday.

With all that being said, I've got to leave in one vice for sanity's sake and while I can cut out the Pop Tarts and potato chips, I will still allow myself to have an occasional soda........

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Maliboo-yea


Today's run at the Malibu Canyon Trail Race was great. There were surprises as well as things to be expected. When I arrived to the state park around 7:30 this morning, the temperature was a chilly 47 degrees. 47. That is the coldest I have experienced thus far this fall. I was so happy because I could totally justify my purchase at TJ Maxx yesterday: a black running fleece with thumbholes. The thumbholes are perfect for covering the top half of the hands during chilly weather and came in handy this morning.

After a quick check in and stretch, we watched the marathoners and halfers take off promptly at 8. Us 10K runners gave them an ample 10 minute head start as to avoid any mix up during the first turn-off as the 10k was to turn in a different direction. Once the race began, I was ready. The first mile was fairly easy although I was maintaing an easy stride in anticipation for the hills to come. Once we hit the first big climb, the pack thinned out with the faster runners leading the way and the walkers trailing behind. While each runner established their own unique pace, one thing that happened almost in unison was the removal of the fleeces. Like clockwork, in the middle of the first climb, at least 4 fleeces took up residence around their runner's waist. As this happened, I too felt the heat building up and followed suit.

Around the second climb, I had to drop to a speed walking pace. The incline was so steep and the terrain was rough. I continued a mix of speed walking and running throughout the middle two miles. Maintaing a consistent speed was tough. As I was running, I realized that one of the most difficult things about trail running is the mental exhaustion. In a road race or road run, I tend to look ahead in a way you would while driving. On the trail, I was hyper focused and constantly scanning the ground beneath to avoid loose patches of gravel, roots and rocks. I couldn't zone out the way I normally do when I run so there was a physical AND mental challenge with this run. There were portions where the trail was single track so I had to either speed up or slow down depending on who was in front or behind me. There were times were I was running far faster than I would have liked to (on the downhill single track portions) knowing the chances of tripping and falling and possibly going face first into a rock. Luckily, that didn't happen.

I finally reached a point in the race where I was in the 2 mile home stretch....on fire roads and asphalt! Knowing how much I walked, I figured I was going to get a pretty crappy time. A PR course this aint! However, I took full advantage of the more familiar running surfaces and hauled it to the finish line. Lucky for me right as I was coming to the fire road, this song popped up on the ole iPod:

(I really need to figure out the beats per minute of this song because considering I crossed the line at 1:17, I must have been back to better than road race pacing time to make up for my super crappy time in the hills. )
With The Cult as my soundtrack, I sprinted to pass this woman who was what appeared to be light years ahead of me and eventually caught back up to two guys who I was pacing myself behind. I was so inspired, I hit my back button and listened to it again. I kept The Cult pace up and then Jay-Z helped me finish the race.

At the finish line, Coastal Trail Runs had us covered! Cinnamon rolls, brownies, candy, Cliff bars, PBand J sandwiches, fruit, waters, sports mix....everything that one could possible dream about eating after a run like theirs. I decompressed, had some PB and J and Cliff Bar Sports Drink Mix (not bad) and walked to my car feeling pretty good.

I arrived home to have some freshly made Chemex coffee. I took a shower, went to work and my client wanted to go on a mile hike......uphill. Go figure. I did and while it was painful on the legs, it was nothing compared to the course this morning.

Verdict? Coastal Trail Runs rock!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Small Personal Items and Running Jams


With the Malibu Canyon Trail run tomorrow, I realized that I needed to figure out a better method for carrying things. I also realized that it might be a good idea to carry the cel phone in case of a wrong turn in the Santa Monica Mountains. This need brought me back to A Runners Circle this Saturday morning. I found myself a bit overwhelmed over at the running belt wall, but in the midst of decision making my eye was drawn to the candy colored SPIBELTS. Honestly, the first one that caught my eye literally had candy colored polka dots on the pocket. However, my inner desert child directed me over to the turquoise one. I have to say...I love the simplicity of the streamlined waist band and the stretchy pouch. We shall see how it holds up tomorrow.

I have also been in the business of updating my iPod with some more running jams. I am very picky about what songs keep me going the distance but once a song has been granted access to the running playlist, it seems to have found a permanent home. I never grow tired when Lupe's "Gold Watch" pops up during a run. In fact, the more I hear it, the harder I want to run. With that being said, I never grow tired of finding new songs of that caliber. Most recently, as in yesterday, I made the decision to add three songs:

Run the World


This song is a favorite with some of the high school girls I work with. For good reason. Inspirational and catchy. Enough said.

Orange Crush


Yes. Follow me as I kick some butt throughout the streets of Los Angeles.

And the Winner Is


Not just a title....this song is currently my number one song. As I was running along Colorado yesterday, this gem popped on and I was able to hold on a pretty significant speed increase. ITS A CELEBRATION BITCHES!!!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Totally M.I.A.

The title of this post pretty much sums up where I have been in the blogging world as of late. I have good reason though.....in addition to the school year getting back in full swing over in Culver City, the second job at the Help Group is also in full swing. So, while I see roughly 19 kids at my full time job for therapy each week, I am now driving all over Los Angeles and working with three additional clients in their homes as a Life Skills Coach. The coaching position is much less clinical and focuses more on learning skills that help the clients with whatever social or occupational deficits they may be having challenges with. So in other words, none of this 'tell me about your mother'.....coaching is more along the lines of 'let's see how to organize this backpack more efficiently.' It is a nice change from the heaviness that tends to linger around my daytime office when the kids leave.

Things are busy and I am on the freeway for way too many hours of the week. I did however go for a run today AND watch my DVR of the season finale of Breaking Bad. A pretty nice Monday evening....I am really appreciating the evenings when I can just come home after my day job! ;)

I did also buy a pair of Vera Wang boots. One of the perks of having a paycheck arrive each week!

(Imagine these but in black!)

I have a feeling that for awhile my posts may be fleeting until I master the art of juggling all of these events around!