Showing posts with label Strong is the New Skinny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strong is the New Skinny. Show all posts

Thursday, June 16, 2011

FANS 24 Hour 2011

Now that I have had several days to think about my recent 24 hour race, it is time to do a little write-up about it.


My travel to the race was rather stressful. In order to save about $150 on airfare, I flew from Austin Texas rather than Houston. It is a 2 hour drive to the airport so I had to leave my home at 2:15 am Friday in order to arrive at the airport 2 hours before my flight. Here is the funny part. I flew to Houston and had to sit in the airport for 2 hours waiting for the next flight.

The race is called FANS 12 and 24 Hour, and is held at Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis Minnesota on the path that surrounds the lake. “FANS” stands for Family Advocate Network System and is a program of Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pillsbury initiated the FANS project in 1989 with a group of sixth-grade students from North and South Minneapolis. The Project has a vision of sending inner-city kids to college or to another post-secondary institution. FANS works with the youth and their families in a wide variety of activities geared to providing support for the vision.
I paid the entry fee for the race a long time ago as I have had my sights set on doing a 24 hour race that actually has a walk division. Also, the race provides judges for a Centurion event if there are any walkers planning to attempt to walk 100 miles or more in 24 hours or less. I have had the dream of becoming a US Centurion since I attend such a contest in 2006, not as a participant but as a spectator, at Bear Creek Park in Houston. That particular race was held in February, 1 week after I completed my first full marathon in Austin Texas.

Back story… when I completed 100 miles walking the first time recently at Across the Years in Phoenix Arizona, I came home from that race feeling fat and defeated. I had gained back about 25 pounds of the weight I lost and things were beginning to hurt due to the extra weight I was carrying around. I was at a loss as to how to start a healthier program when I found out about the Paleo diet from some running friends in Houston. Since I was recovering from my first completed 100 mile race, they suggested it was the perfect time to try this new way of fueling my body. January 18 I gave up grains, refined foods and sugar (the only sugar I eat is a tiny bit of honey in my hot tea and the little bit that is in 90% Lindt Chocolate). I eat protein from a variety of sources, lots of veggies (I love my veggies) and lots of fat. It takes a few weeks for the transition from sugar burner to fat burner, so I was a real bear until about 3 weeks into the plan. Then, my energy level started to come back up and I felt stronger than I had in a long time.

I started training for FANS after about 6 weeks strict Paleo. Strict meaning absolutely no grains, sugar or processed food. Cooking the meals is simple, and it is very satisfying to eat something you prepare yourself rather than eating some crap that comes out of a cardboard box. I joined a gym so that I could get some help as a weight lifting beginner. I needed to make sure I was using correct form through the exercises so that I would become stronger instead of overdo it and injure myself yet again. I did not put together a real race training plan, which is the complete opposite of what I have done in the past when training for a long distance race. I just walked as far as I felt like walking, and made sure I did my strength training twice a week. Monday mornings were always reserved for what I call speed training with my high school racewalking friend Ruth. She needed to walk longer distances, which is what I do… and I need to walk faster, which is what she does.

Ok, so I lost all the weight my body felt like losing while I was always eating until I was fully satisfied. I only eat breakfast when I wake up hungry (a couple of times a week) and eat a healthy lunch and dinner. My skinny jeans fit me again, and I can see biceps and triceps and (my legs have always been muscular) and I am beginning to develop a waistline… something I have NEVER had my whole life.

Still training only as much as I felt like, the taper was uneventful. I went to Minneapolis feeling rested and ready for the race. It was great to meet up with Mellody and Dan and head to the race site after we checked into our respective hotel rooms. Packet pickup went smoothly and I really love the race shirt… Bright orange, it says run all day with a picture of running shoes on the front, and run all night with a picture of bunny slippers on the back. The pre-race pasta dinner was kind of an issue for me; I don’t eat pasta. So, I ate a large salad and picked up some Jimmy Dean Sausage and sweet potatoes when we stopped at Target on our way back to the hotel. I cooked that in the hotel microwave and had plenty to eat. I was filling my Hammer flasks while eating and accidentally spilled some raspberry gel on the sausage – it was delicious! I also cooked a couple of sweet potatoes for the race. I will not eat the junk food fare at the race aid station because my body would certainly reject it since I never eat processed foods. The sweet potato turned out to be the perfect ultra food for me. As I was getting the rest of my gear ready for the race, I realized I had forgotten a whole bottle of Endurolytes I bought for the race at home. I began to panic and decided that it was a subconscious act of self-sabotage. My mind was telling my body I could not possibly walk 100 miles in 24 hours. Mellody was critical here – she kept me from falling apart. I looked up local cycle shops who would surely have Hammer products and planned to shamelessly beg (and offer a bribe to) someone at the race to go and buy a bottle of Endurolytes for me. I didn’t have to beg for too long and a runner, Alison Fraser offered one of her crew members (her dad) to go and get them for me. If it was not for Alison’s dad, I would not have fared so well in the dry hot weather that was to come.

It usually rains race weekend in Minneapolis. Not this time. The sky was clear and beautiful and the temps rose to at least 86 that afternoon. I am used to the higher temps, but not the low humidity that we were experiencing. Back to the start of the race – The average pace to walk 100 miles in 24 hours is 14:17 and my plan was to walk at about a 13:45 pace for as long as I could to try and build a little time cushion in case I needed to stop and change shoes or had any problems later in the race. The day just proved to be too hot and I was only able to hold the pace for about 4 hours and when the clock reached 6 hours, I had walked 24 miles. I knew at that time I would not be able to walk 100 miles at this race. I did not let that stop me from trying to walk as many miles in 24 hours as was possible for me in the conditions that day. I just kept moving forward, following the nutrition and hydration plan I had painstakingly prepared for the race. Sometimes slow and steady does win the race; because that is exactly what I did… win the race.

I chose this race because it is the only 24 hour ultra in the country that has a walking division. People have come to FANS from all over the world to compete in the Centurion contest. I am really sorry I did not make the Centurion list. BUT, I did not give up even when I knew early in the race I would not walk 100 miles. Ray Sharp should have beaten me soundly, but the heat of the day got to him like it did to some of the runners. I spoke to one person who was having problems during the race and later found out he had been taken to the hospital. He is ok now, but we should never underestimate how important race nutrition, hydration and electrolytes are. This race keeps a close watch on participants, weighing each of us before the race, and then every 4 hours during the event. Should anyone lose or gain too much weight during the event, the race doctor pulls you from the competition and does not let you return to the race until your weight normalizes.

I never felt sick to my stomach and I only had one small blister at the base of my right heel which means my electrolyte intake was spot on. My weight only fluctuated 1.5 pounds during the race, which is also an indication I was taking good care of myself! I changed my shoes, socks and clothes one time, in order to put on a light weight long sleeve shirt and tights for the overnight part of the race.

I hope everyone who reads this will forgive my jumping around the story, but this is how my mind works. I am remembering going out at 1hour and 5 minutes remaining on the clock for one more 2.4 mile loop around the lake. I was starting to have more frequent bathroom stops towards the end of the race, and finished that last full loop in 40 minutes (including a bathroom stop). So, when I got back to the start/finish area, the 220 meter short track was set up and the timer told me I had a chance to get 80 miles if I kept moving. Ray Sharp told me he would probably walk about 78, and Marsha was gone. (Her 50th state marathon was 2 weeks out and I had seen the medical aid working on her feet… she stopped in order to save her feet for the marathon). That’s when I knew for sure the race was mine… with 25 minutes still on the clock. So I started racewalking (lmfao), if you could call what I was doing racewalking. The runner’s crews were all cheering us on, even the ones who were doing their first 24 hour race and looked like the walking dead. It felt like I was getting faster each time I went around a cone and missed getting to the finish of the last 220 meters by about 8 seconds. Oh well… I walked 80.77 miles in 24 hours. This is my personal best distance in 24 hours, all walking.

The post race award ceremony was great! If you participated in the 24 hour event… they brought your award to you, you didn’t even have to leave your seat. This was my first big win, and my hat is still a little tight, if you get my drift.

We went back to our hotel, showered and rested a little, then went out to dinner. I had the lucy (I totally forgot to ask for blue cheese :( ), and the server looked at me like I was crazy when I said, keep the bun, and give me an order of bacon on the side!

I highly recommend this race for anyone who wants to test their limits of endurance. It is a tough one because the path around the lake is mostly concrete and the bridge over one end of the lake started to look like a monster as the day got warmer and warmer, but the people who put the race on are amazing and they take great care of everyone. I just LOVE the fact that walkers are treated with the same respect as runners, although this is true at every ultra I have done, they give AWARDS to WALKERS at FANS.

This was my Strong is the New Skinny Challenge... to see just what I could do if I let my body be my guide.  I learned something about myself.  I can do things I never dreamed.  I will continue to work on my strengths, and do my best to improve on my weaknesses...  Thanks for reading if you took the time to follow my crazy train of thought this far!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Training Update

I have not written anything for my blog since April 26th, and it is May 10. I just cannot seem to get everything done that I have on my schedule. The blog is important to me, but so are a lot of other things.


I have been spot on with getting my twice a week weight training sessions done. There have been 4 since my last blog post. I am now moving away from machines and doing almost everything with free weights. I have had to drop the weight on some of the exercises so that I have complete control of the weights. Here is what I did on Mother’s Day:

leg raises 3sets 15 reps on the incline bench
back extensions 3sets 20 reps
leg press 3sets 15reps 150 lb
lunge 4sets 10reps 20 lb
dumbbell curl 3sets 10reps 15 lb
lying triceps dumbbell extension 3sets 12reps 12 lb
Standing calf raise 3sets 15reps 60 lb
dumbbell lateral raise 3sets 12reps 10 lb
bent over dumbbell row 3sets 12reps 15 lb
dumbbell chest fly 3sets 12reps 12 lb
upright dumbbell row 3sets 12reps 15 lb

Now that I have moved to mostly free weights, I believe things will continue to progress. I have a little muscle soreness (a good thing), but will be ready for the next workout! When my 3 month membership is over at the gym, I really believe I will continue to do my twice a week lifting at home. I have a complete set of weights, but I was having trouble forcing myself to use them.

Now for my walking report. Shame on me. I have only walked 3 times since my last blog post (should have been 8 walks). I really should not even count one of them, except for the fact that I really enjoyed going for a walk with my mom. She is amazing, even at her age and considering the fact she has severe arthritis; she walks 3 miles a day. Granted, she splits it up into 3 walks… but I am really proud of the changes she has been able to make since her diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Stats on yesterday’s walk with Ruth: 8.08 miles

Mile 1 - 12:25.02; Mile 2 - 11:56.42; Mile 3 - 11:53.77; Mile 4 - 11:48.78; Mile 5 - 11:44.42; Mile 6 - 12:09.94;
(average pace through mile 6 was 12:00)
Mile 7 - 12:49.86; Mile 8 - 13:44.25; .08 mile 1:09.36(to finish the lap)


Even though I have been a true slacker in the walking dept, I still believe in myself and my ability to walk 100 miles in 24 hours. Walking with Ruth has been a real confidence booster for me. I would never have dreamed that my racewalking form would improve as much as it has since I started walking with her. She has me walking at speeds that I thought I was no longer capable of walking. I guess Dave McGovern was right… that fat I was carrying around – the fat in the middle – was really only potential. Lose that fat, and anyone has the potential to walk faster.

http://www.fans24hour.org/ is less than four short weeks away. I am really looking forward to the trip to Minneapolis with my good friends, and hopefully will make some new ones!

Now, I am thinking about the Strong is the New Skinny challenge and what my goals were from the start... to increase my endurance, lose fat, and lift weights.  So far, so good.  I have had a little trouble getting the walking workouts done, but the weight lifting is progressing nicely.  I have also been really good with the food intake.  I don't really have any cheats, and am loving the Paleo diet!  When you can pretty much eat all the fat you want, how can that be bad?  I don't miss grains or processed foods at all and am really enjoying cooking again!

That's all for now... ooh, another rambling blog post ;)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

My Rant.

a home schooled High School age girl and I work out on the 2 mile asphalt loop at Bear Creek Park in Houston almost every Monday morning. We have always left our water bottles sitting under one of the benches near the tennis courts and no one has ever disturbed them. We are also aware of the men in orange suits who do a very good job of cleaning up the trash that seems to be everywhere on Monday mornings.


Yesterday, April 25, we were extending our distance to 4 times around the loop, so we both had electrolyte supplement and some nutritional product with our water bottles, so that we could stop at each loop and hydrate properly. At the conclusion of the 4th loop of a very intense workout, we approached the bench where we left our water bottles and they were gone.

I asked a couple of other park patrons and they said the men in orange suits had been cleaning in the area. I jogged over to the van and asked their supervisor if they had put our personal belongings in the garbage. One of the bottles was stainless steel that I had paid about $30 for. He was not very interested in helping me, however, one of the orange suited men who was seated in one of the back seats of the van handed my stainless steel bottle to him and he returned it to me. Whan I inquired about the full bottle of Gatorade, my friend's plastic water bottle, and my Hammer Nutrition Products red and clear plastic bottle, they merely shrugged and suggested I could dig through the trash if I was inclined to do so. I was not aware that these men were allowed to keep anything they find at the park, and isn't it ironic that the bottle they chose to keep was the most expensive one.

This park is always fairly crowded with walkers, runners and cyclists, and I have never felt the need to lock my bottles in the car. I never expected that men who are doing forced community service would be the ones to force my hand in this matter. I intend to continue to use the facilities at the park, it is lovely. But from now on, my friend and I will be forced to return to the vehicle to hydrate.

Now for a personal observation.  Before I started the Paleo diet, and until I became very settled in to the lifestyle, I would NEVER have approached this van, or said anything to anyone about my belongings being stolen.  I would have just gone home PISSED OFF.  Of course, I am still pissed, but at least I got my Kleen Kanteen back.  I will just have to place another order from Hammer Nutrition and get another Hammer bottle.

As for the workout?  It was amazing... first thing Monday morning, I went to the gym and did a full body weight routine at 6am.  Yes, I said 6am.  When I was done, I drove to the park to racewalk with my friend.  She is amazing, and we had an awesome speedy racewalking workout!  8 miles, average pace 12:14!  It breaks down like this: Mile 1 - 12:20; Mile 2 - 12:00; Mile 3 - 12:09; Mile 4 - 12:16; Mile 5 - 12:24; Mile 6 - 12:24; Mile 7 - 12:25; Mile 8 - 11:47.  It's nice to still have something in the tank at the end of a long walk!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Long Walk ;)

So, I got a little of a late start for my long walk this morning. I really planned to go out at 8am, and didn't get started until 8:30.  Not too bad, but as the day wore on and it began to get hot outside, the wind blew harder and harder.  I looked at the historical weather for the area and gusts were reported to be between 28 and 35mph with sustained winds of 20mph.  Almost as bad as the winds at Bataan, but with higher humidity.

I ended up walking 15.1 miles at an average 14:25 per mile pace.  Not too shabby, but I didn't count time spent stopped (stopped the Garmin when I was not moving).  I am finding that I need to take in more calories during my long walks since I have converted to Paleo.  When I first started marathon walking, I was trying to stay at about 100-150 calories per hour.  I am only walking most of the time, so that seemed like enough.  After all, your digestive system can only process so much while your body is on the move.  I had a serious bonk when I did a recent 20 mile training walk, so upped the calories per hour at Bataan for the marathon.  I guess that slipped from my consciousness today, and I only brought enough Perpetuem, Hammer Gel and a Larabar so the total added up to 600 calories.  That did not equal 200 calories per hour.  Need more gels for sure, and a full flask of Perpetuem.

After I got home from the park where I walk, I was kind of dead to the world.  I drank my Hammer Recoverite mixed with some Fage Total Greek Yogurt and a little pineapple juice.  YUM!!!  The only time I will drink calories is after a hard effort.

Friday, April 8, 2011

A Little Wigged Out...

...to quote a good friend.  I have recently signed up for the Hog's Hunt 50k at Huntsville State Park on April 16.  I am not sure I am ready for prime time (50k) and the big question is whether or not I will occupy LAST place. ;)  Not that it bothers me to come in last place, because I have never been, nor will I ever be FAST.  I just like to be sure I can finish whatever race I enter within the time limit.  Paul Stone, the race director, is a very cool guy.  The last time I did one of his races and was in danger of missing the cutoff due to a hip problem, I was told that anyone who comes out in these 80+ degree temps with accompanying high humidity to do 50k will be counted in the results, even if they do finish late.  I just do not like to be that person who keeps the volunteers waiting.

My friends from Houston Trail Runners Extreme will be manning one of the aid stations.  They have been warned... I may be one of the last people they see before they wrap things up for the day...

Anyway... I am leaving the house early today so that I can come home from work early and get in about 6 miles on the treadmill before dinner.  I hope to do about 15 miles on Sunday. 

An interesting note on the strength training: I am not as sore as I thought I would be.  The trainer will be in the gym on Monday when I go in for my workout... so I am going to ask him if we can add a few more items to the workout list, and up the weight just a little.  BABY STEPS... need to strengthen this back, not injure it.

Now, the new workout schedule:
Sunday - LSD
Monday - Tempo in the morning, Strength Training in the afternoon
Tuesday - Day off
Wednesday - Hill workout or Intervals
Thursday - Strength training
Friday - EZ walk
Saturday - ? might be a cycling day... need something fun here!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Blogging is Fun!

Today's strength training workout:


leg raises: 2 sets, 15 reps
leg press: 3 sets, 15 reps, 90#
Lat pull down: 3 sets, 15 reps, 40#
Chest Fly: 3 sets, 15 reps, 20#
Dumbell lateral raise: 3 sets, 15 reps, 5#
dumbell curl: 3 sets, 15 reps, 8#
tricep push down: 3 sets, 15 reps, 10#
calf raises: 5 sets, 15 reps, body weight
back extensions: 3 sets, 15 reps

decided to stay with the trainer's recommendations for a couple of weeks. The need to make sure I don't injure my back is stronger than the need to prove how strong I am.

On another note... I am really learning to LOVE cooking again.  There are so many different ways to prepare a Paleo meal, and you would just have to be LAZY to say you can't come up with anything new to eat.

Last night, I prepared pan fried turkey breast cutlets, with some stir fried veggies on the side. I ate the leftover turkey with a huge salad topped with avocado slices for lunch today. 

I went to the gym after work, which is a 45 minute drive from my work.  Did my workout, then drove home (about 15 minutes) and cooked a delicious meal for supper.

Squash with Tomatoes


.■1 zucchini cut into chunks
■1 yellow squash cut into chunks
■1/2 onion sliced
■several baby bella mushrooms sliced
■1 can diced no salt tomatoes
■black pepper
■2tsp minced garlic
■italian seasoning to taste

sautee all veggies with seasoning in a good amount of olive oil, when tender crisp add garlic and cook for about another minute, then pour in canned tomatoes and about a half can of water. simmer until most liquid is gone.

I served this over a large pan fried cod filet (wild caught Alaskan).

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Life's a Challenge

So, my hubby has not been feeling well since I got back from my trip to New Mexico.  I have been a good lil wifey and have been cooking dinner every evening, trying to get him to eat a little more veggies, and a lot less bread.  So far, so good.  Fingers crossed that he will start feeling better so I can get on with the training I need to do for FANS 24 Hour and a possible Centurion walk.  For those of you who don't know... A Centurion is someone who has walked 100 or more miles in 24 hours or less at a judged event.  The judges only look for lifting (running), and are not concerned about the bent knee rule of Olympic racewalking.

I took the whole week off of training after Bataan, which seemed like a good idea.  Rest is as important, if not more important as training.  My plan was to walk 20 miles on Sunday, but 10.75 miles seemed like enough, so I stopped there.  I had an appointment with a gym owner to discuss some personal training, so that I can feel obligated to get some strength training done.  The great deal: $110 for 3 months of membership with no extra charge for helping me with a program to build strength without hurting my back (which tends to be problematic). 

Rusty walked me through a short series of exercises, which will be my starting point.  Leg raises, leg presses, lunges, lat pull downs, chest flys, lat raises, curls, and back extensions.  These are all at beginning weight, which will increase as needed.  The thing that Rusty stressed is proper form, nd isolation of the specific muscles the exercise is intended to work, which I agree with totally.  I found I like working out at a gym better than doing it at home.  I LIKE the way I look in the mirror!  That's totally new to me.

Monday's workout (remember, I am a beginner... so don't make fun of the amount I am lifting ;))
Leg raises on incline bench: 2 sets - 12 reps
Leg press: 3 sets - 12 reps - 90#
Lunges: 3 sets - 11 reps
Lat pull down: 3 sets - 12 reps - 40#
Chest Flys: 3 sets - 12 reps - 20#
Lat Raises: 3 sets - 15 reps - 5#
Dumbell curls: 3 sets - 15 reps - 8#
Standing calf raise: 3 sets - 15 reps - body weight

Still being a good girl and following the Paleo diet, but I think I have eaten a little too much fruit the past week... Time to go ketogenic for a couple of weeks...  All for now.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Day 2, March 27, 2011 Bataan!!!

We arrived at White Sands early enough to not have the worry of waiting in a long line of cars and were able to park very close to the starting area! That is a good thing; we could wait in the car while the wind gusted to at least 40mph and blew sand everywhere! Mellody named the wind Bob and Bob really blew that day! Bob blew so hard he seemed to move the rental car, and he forced the trees to bend over! Bob was however, good enough to blow a trash bag my way so I could wrap up in it in order to block some of the wind. LOL Bagpipes played for morning entertainment as we waited for the beginning of the opening ceremony. The three of us tried to stick together in the crowd and ended up near the front for the opening ceremony which began at 6:35am. The ceremony was very moving, as the role was called. First the survivors responded “here”, followed by the role call of all the survivors who have died since the last memorial march in 2010. No one answered. One of the survivors stood throughout the ceremony. He was wearing is full dress uniform with all his medals. What an impressive sight he was, and when the battle poem was recited, several cried out with a resounding YEAH! Then it was time for the fly over, courtesy of Holloman Air Force Base. The cannon sounded, and the group of Wounded Warriors started the march. 
 We had expected a wave start, but were warned during the opening ceremony that there were just too many of us to enforce corrals, so people just mingled and got into the starting chute when they were ready. No problems with all us civilians mixed in with all the military personnel! They seemed to be having as much fun as we all were!



I stopped to shake a few Bataan survivors’ hands on the way to the starting line. They are a proud group of men, totally deserving of this event to commemorate their suffering, and remember all the lives lost in service to our country. We were now out on the marathon course. The first part was relatively flat, though at a higher elevation than I am used to. We started out on the road for about the first mile before our turn off into the desert. This desert section was rolling and sandy, with little or no elevation gain. I started out running this section until I reached a team or group walking abreast, took a breather while following them, then ran to the next group of congestion, all the while trying to stay up wind of the blowing sand. I do not usually carry my camera with me during marathons, but really wanted to have photos from this one. I took several photos during this first section. I was making pretty good time under the conditions, averaging a 14:17 mile through mile 6. Then we turned out onto the road, preparing for the climb. I really expected the gaiters I was wearing to be a lot more effective at keeping the sand and rocks out of my shoes, but no luck. I had to stop here at the aid station and dump the debris out of my shoes, and needed a quick potty stop. There was a short climb out of the main base property, across highway 70, and then up the mountain into a 40mph headwind. Mellody caught up to me, (she took a lot more time shaking Bataan survivors’ hands than I did) and we made the climb together. I tried to take a picture of us with my camera and it would not open any more. Methinks me got sand in my camera.  I was amazed that the elevation did not bother me as much this time as it had at ET. I attribute this to Paleo. Of course, my big mistake that morning was not bringing any protein along for breakfast, (should have brought the turkey jerky or the buffalo jerky along) and the continental breakfast they were serving was all pastries, so no breakfast was presenting sort of an issue for me. I was fueling with my Hammer Perpetuem and Hammer Gel, eating a few oranges, taking my Endurolytes and alternating drinking Heed with water.

I had to stop at the next turn off into the desert to mix another bottle of Perpetuem, and it was still very windy, so I took a lot longer at this stop than I wanted to and Mellody took off ahead of me. It is all good when we do the same race, we can walk together, but we do our own race. I just enjoyed visiting with the soldiers, and took off when my fuel was mixed. We were still steadily climbing, and I was feeling strong… just slow. At this point, I already knew I was not going to break any land speed records, so decided just to enjoy the event. I had heard tales of an aid stop at mile 14 (the top of the climb) that would be selling hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and cold sodas. I was glad that I tucked a $10 into my fuel belt, because I was totally out of gas. I walked up to the table and told the guy I would pay the whole $10 for a couple of meat patties. “I’m hungry, and all I need is some BEEF!” That got a good laugh and $5 in change. My maniac friend Nina was sitting down finishing her hamburger, so I joined her. Those were the two best hamburger patties I had ever eaten. Now as it is time to rejoin the marathon, I came upon a young man with a picture of a Bataan survivor on his t-shirt. When I asked if that was his grandpa, he told me no, it was his great, great uncle. The young man must have only been about 14 years old, and he was not the youngest marcher I saw that day. I thanked him for being so tough!
The course began to head around the mountain with lots of rolling terrain along the way. I was still running a little on the down hill sections, mainly because it was easier to run down than to try and walk, risking slipping as some of the downs were pretty steep. I found out later from my other friend Deb (she is a nurse practitioner and stopped to render aid more than once during the race) that one soldier had fallen somewhere in this section, breaking his leg. The view from this side of the mountain was amazing! We could see the Organ Mountains, named such because the vertical rocks on the mountain peaks look like a pipe organ! White Sands Missile Range was also visible off in the distance (at +/-4500 feet), and far below the +/- 5,500 feet we were now motoring at. A border patrol officer was stationed at one of these high points on the course, I guess his job was to make sure all the people out there had race numbers attached to their uniforms.

The course then headed back to the road, and a steep downhill. I racewalked down the whole hill, averaging a 12:30 pace at this point, which was still pretty good, coming up on 20 miles of this really tough course. My racewalking form provoked a little teasing, which I took with a grin, inviting the soldiers to “Walk this Way!” HMMM, only 10k to go, and the infamous sand pit was still to come. As I made my way through the sand pit, which seemed more like the consistency of cat litter, I came upon two soldiers who were having serious muscle cramping issues. I had enough Endurolytes for me and maybe a couple of extras, but I gave each of them 4. I really hope it helped these two guys make it to the finish! I am sure I will never know, but it was the right thing to do at the time. I thought I would be ok with what I had left and I did still have some Heed. One more time, I had to sit down and dump the rocks out of my shoes, and this time I turned my socks inside out. I was told to get up off my ass because there were only 2 miles to go. I got up and caught the sergeant who had ordered me to get up… let him know I was passing him now. LOL I kept playing tag with a couple of other soldiers and one kept threatening to jump on my back so I could carry he and his pack to the finish. I said, come on, jump on – we will go down together!


I started to approach the finish area, and even at 7 hrs 25 minutes, there were lots of cheering spectators. I thought I would try to run across the finish line, since I had done a fair amount of running in this race. My legs simply said HELL NO, and both of my calf muscles locked up completely. I was very lucky not to fall on my face. Apparently, I needed more Endurolytes than I thought. ;) I grabbed the fence, stretched out those lead calf muscles, and proudly walked to the finish line! I had the key to the rental car, so walked straight to it and my Recoverite, pineapple juice and Fage Greek yogurt recovery shake. I was feeling fine, and looking for some of my friends who were also doing the race. I found Lori Sherwood and Susan Bell, her husband Britt and their friend Terri. We took some photos, and then I went to get some of the post race food. I asked for a hamburger patty, bratwurst and sauerkraut. No bread, still Paleo all the way. I could not eat it all and was hoping I would be able to eat a decent meal later… All I kept saying all day was fajitas for two, just for me!

I also had the good fortune to meet the parents of the young man who created the Bataan Memorial March as his ROTC project. It has grown into an awesome thing over the 22 years it has been held, and this young man should be very proud of himself.

Finally, Mellody found me and we went to watch more finishers coming in. We were beginning to worry about Deb, but she finished while we were looking the other way. Mellody had a great race, shaving time off her first Bataan march in 2007, and Deb shaved a lot of time off her first Bataan march in 2006. I was just happy to have finished! I have recently completed my first 100 mile race, and the difficulty level of this marathon is right up there with that, but the difficulties we faced here are NOTHING compared to what our military face EVERY DAY. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

We had our celebration meal of Mexican food, and all I could manage was a fajita salad with fresh sliced avocados, sliced tomatoes, sour cream and a roasted green chile on top!  It was delicious... and I did have flan for dessert, because if you climb a mountain in the desert, you deserve dessert!

I won't bore you with the details of the trip home... except to mention it was uneventful.  No accidents, no speeding tickets, no heavy duty border patrol activity.  I am happy to report we were not searched by the border patrol at the point of entry! Whew!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Catching up

I tried to make a commitment to write at least one blog post a week… and I failed. Oh well, my commitment to the Paleo diet is still going well. I am still training for upcoming races, but am finding it difficult to keep up with my weight lifting.

My weight has remained constant since the last post on March 1, so that is encouraging. I think it means that I am where my body wants to be. The stretched out skin from years of my weight fluctuating up and down is beginning to shrink, and I know this will take time and real effort on my part to make the extra time I need to do my strength training. I did slack off the last two weeks as I was tapering for the Bataan Memorial Death March marathon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico (race report to follow). Now, it’s time to ramp things back up… Hog’s Hunt 50k is on April 16, and FANS 24 hour is on June 4-5.

My exercise activity since the last workout post on February 27: I have walked 61.4 miles, and done a mere 3 weight lifting workouts. I am not going to make any excuses for not getting the ST done, I promise to do better.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Great way to start the day!

So... I was off to Houston early this morning for my second training session with Ruth. She is an awesome, sweet young lady, and I think we compliment each other nicely. She is speedy, and I have endurance for the long haul.

We did some warm up drills and stretching before we started off to finish 6 miles in what we hoped to be an average pace somewhere around 12 minutes per mile. Wow, we held it for 5 miles, then did the last mile slowly for cool down. We followed the workout with lots of quality stretching and a stop at Starbucks on our way back to her house. I do my level best to maintain racewalking form during these workouts, but the soft knee is always going to be a problem for me, and I am OK with that. Just so Ruth does not pick up any bad habits from me, which I don't think she will. Her form is awesome, and I know she works on it all the time!

Oh, and, I tried a chin up on the bars at the park. I really was able to do 2!!! I have not even tried to do a pull up since I was in high school, so I am totally amazed I was able to get my chin above the bar!

Now that I have done back to back hard efforts, I don't feel obligated to any structured workout tomorrow. I have to work all day in the mattress store, so whatever happens, happens.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Specific Goals

So, I have been thinking long and hard about what I am trying to accomplish since beginning the Paleo diet. Of course, it is not really a diet unless you define diet as either 1a, 1b, or 1c from the following example. 1d most certainly is not what I am thinking when I say diet. I am eating when I am hungry and not eating when I am not hungry, simply because some silly schedule says it's time to eat.
Definition of DIET
1a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed
b : habitual nourishment
c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason
d : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight
2: something provided or experienced repeatedly

But, to clarify, I did go into this desperate to lose some weight so that I could meet a huge performance goal... talked about that already: Make the US Centurion List. I was not feeling healthy, and I was totally lacking in any confidence in my ability to meet the challenge I had already signed on for.

There has been tons of discussion on Strong is the New Skinny about how the word skinny offends, shocks, startles. I cannot let words of any kind get in the way of my goal which is to get to the body weight my genetic makeup tells me I am supposed to be. Yes, I am weighing myself, because that is one measure of progress. I am also taking measurements... mainly waist and hip. I am also paying attention to how much better my clothes fit. I may never wear a bikini (I am almost 50 and have been moderately obese all my life) but I am fine with that... this is not about how I look, it's about how I feel and meeting that performance goal.

I also understand, as I have stated in the past, that being an endurance athlete does not exactly scream Paleo/Primal... but it is what I do. I also do some lifting, and maybe as I get to the weight my body is supposed to be, I will be able to increase my lifting to help speed up the body fat loss.

Talking about food again... baked pork country style ribs seasoned with garlic, a little cayenne, thyme and rosemary. Side of steamed butternut squash and a veggie salad dressed with high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

My walking workout last night was amazing and spot on! the details:

so... the goal of these slower, steady paced treadmill workouts is to try and get my body to recognize that 13:30 is an ez pace. Start off the first mile for warm up, then increase the speed to 4.4mph or around 13:37 minutes per mile pace and maintain that pace while keeping the hr at around 70% for 4 miles at that speed, then slowly ramp the speed down in the last mile for cool down.
This was a very successful workout. 6 miles - 1:23:29 - overall average pace 13:55 - miles 2 through 5 pace 13:37 - Average HR: 128 / Max HR: 138

Next blog post will certainly contain a progress photo.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Omg, another blog entry!

Just have a few things to share today.

#1 – thanks to Strong is the New Skinny for challenging us to do better!

#2 – I want to share my workouts from Monday and Wednesday… they are on Running Ahead. It’s the website I use to track all my mileage.

#3 – I will be turning 50 on March 11, and I am truly excited about reaching this milestone. I am healthier right now than I have ever been, because I was the FAT KID all my life.

#4 – thanks to Ruth for needing a training partner on Mondays! She and I are going to make a great team. She is faster than I am, and I have more long distance endurance. So, she will help me become faster and more efficient, and I will help her increase her endurance!

I also like to talk about my meals… This morning, I had a couple pieces of bacon and one egg. I was not really hungry, but hubby cooked breakfast, so I ate a little.

Lunch: some celery sticks with cashew butter, radishes and heirloom tomatoes with olive oil vinaigrette (still not very hungry).

Dinner tonight after my treadmill hill workout: 2 small flounder filets cooked in a mix of olive and coconut oils, a small sweet potato (increasing carb intake with mileage increases) and a huge serving of mixed veggies (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, squash and onions) with garlic and olive oil.

Feeling great, off to clean up the dishes then in the shower and to bed early! Sleep is awesome!

Thanks, Jerry!

Maryann