Eat. Blog. Run.

Ready To Rock (I Hope!)

Apr 23rd, 2010

I hope I’m not jinxing myself by writing this, but I’m feeling really excited about Eat. Blog. Run. As in, I’ve moved from the petrified zone to the optimistic one. I’ve been training well — logging 3-4 runs per week the last 8 weeks. And I’ve been eating well too. Inspired by my fellow Shredhead pal Bill, I started to keep a food journal on April 1, which has made me much more mindful about my food choices. Even though I’m the only one who looks at the journal, it keeps me honest. I even decided to cut out desserts this month (not a light decision — I have a monster sweet tooth), which has been remarkably easy, in large part thanks to this awesome yogurt parfait. (My one exception was two days ago because I baked a lemon angel food cake — complete with lemon icing and lemon curd — for the first time from scratch for my mother in law’s birthday and wanted to see how it came out.)

Anyway, yesterday I did something that would have seemed impossible when I started experimenting with running last summer: I hit the 8 mile mark. And it actually felt good. I mean, I still don’t feel like a natural runner in the sense that I don’t run along breezily, able to carry on a conversation, but I now am at a point where after I hit the halfway point in my run, I feel an energy lift as I turn and head towards home, excited as I pass each landmark that reminds me that I am doing it. I am running. Which I never thought I could do.

My leg of The Relay is about 13 miles; I now know I can do at least 8 of that. I think I’m ready to rock this party.

Posted in: Eating, Running, Training.

(Running) Shoe Tree

Apr 20th, 2010

by Kari.

7 comments

If I were to post using only words, it would go something like this, “Yeah! Hooray! I’m so psyched! OMG! Wooooo!” I am thrilled to be part of Eat. Blog. Run. (And then I also think, “Eek! Scared! Nervous!” but I’ll suppress that for now.)

So I’ll add a photo: I can balance my running shoes, creating a “shoe tree!”

Okay, you all are groaning now. I swear I have other “talents.”

As you can see, I have three pairs:

The outside pair is my “for the trails” pair. They appear gray rather than white, even after being hosed down repeatedly, natch. The shiny thing is a RoadID shoe pouch.

The center pair is my road pair. Their blinding whiteness seems to indicate I’ve never used them, but I promise they have some miles in them. There is probably some pixie dust in there since I used them for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon last month.

And then of course the Vibram Five Fingers are perched on top, the “shoes” to which Brenna referred during the previous post: Barefoot Running. (My son picked out the aqua color. I was quite indecisive about which pair to select.)

So which will I use for The Relay?

I’m bringing my princess-approved blindingly-white ones and the Vibram Five Fingers. I haven’t decided for certain whether I’ll start out in the Five Fingers, but I expect I’ll wear them for at least one leg. After all, I do everything barefoot. My neighbors think I am completely crazy for taking the trash out in the rain barefoot, or for weeding in the mud barefoot. But, I’ll bring the standard shoes just in case my calves and shins cry foul or if I chicken out trying to do the Five Fingers on “unexplored territory.”

I know shoes are supposed to be “the most important” piece of the running outfit, but I definitely admit being fickle at this point. (Plus, I’d say my bra is the most important piece; but that is a whole different topic.)

Yet being fickle has its upsides, because I can create a tower with my shoes!

Posted in: Running.
Tagged: barefoot · eat blog run · five fingers · Running · Running Shoes · the relay

Barefoot Running

Apr 15th, 2010

by Brenna.

12 comments

I’m going to start this by saying barefoot running is completely new to me. I just started two and a half weeks ago.

Basically, the idea is that shoes can promote bad running form. If you are wearing really cushioned shoes, striking the ground with bad form isn’t going to hurt (until later when your knees, hips and/or back get sore). If you don’t have shoes on, the pain is evident much sooner and you self-correct. Some people who want to run barefoot but are worried about roughing up their feet wear minimalist shoes like Vibram FiveFingers. I ran into a guy at the park last night wearing a pair. He had really bad Achilles problems even when wearing running shoes that were fitted for him. Then he switched to VFFs and now he’s good to go.

I don’t even know when I first heard about barefoot running but I definitely remember when I met my first barefoot runner:

A few days after my magical encounter, a friend forwarded me this article with the note, “BAREFOOT RUNNING!” A few months after that, another article and then another appeared in my inbox. During this time I was training for my first marathon and while barefoot running sounded really fun, I didn’t see time for it in my training schedule. Then I saw barefoot runners during my marathon. Without even thinking about it, “You’re my hero!” blurted out of my mouth as I passed them. A few weeks after my marathon, I finished reading Born to Run. It is a really inspiring book about ultramarathoners, a superhuman tribe in Mexico that can run hundreds of miles without getting tired, and a barefoot runner named Ted. After reading it I was determined to add some barefoot runs to my training routine. I was thinking something like running on the grass after a workout. Then I went to watch the LA Marathon. There were 10 barefoot runners. One of them was super fast, finishing under 3 hours! You better believe I was shouting, “You’re my hero!”

It only took a few hours for me to realize I wanted to be one of them. That night, before I had even attempted running without my shoes on, I decided I was going to run the LA Marathon barefoot in 2011.

While I understand some people switch to barefoot running because of injuries, really I just want to do it because it seems really badass.

Posted in: Running.

Music or No Music?

Apr 14th, 2010

by Marie.

4 comments

I went running the other day and I didn’t take my head phones. I liked it as my head was free to think. But then I started thinking too much. Things like: I’m really thirsty, Is this how I breathe, My feet are loud when they hit the ground.

I may only run without music every once in a while!

Posted in: Running.

Getting Some Much Needed Relay Rest at Country Inn & Suites

Apr 13th, 2010

by Marie.

4 comments

We’re happy to have Country Inn and Suites sponsoring our stay as we race for our relay! We’ll be calling the Sunnyvale Country Inn home for the weekend as we rejuvenate in between runs on the course. Friday night will be the most important night of sleep, as van #1 will be up at 4 am to hit the road to the start at Calistoga. Yes, I said 4 am, our start time is 7:00 Saturday morning!

Here’s a little more about Country Inn and their amazing amenities:

“It’s not just a place, it’s a feeling that comes from being treated like family. As our guest you don’t just stay in our hotels, you live in them for a little while. With complimentary high-speed internet, breakfast and fresh warm cookies, you’ll feel like a part of our family. During your stay, we invite you to relax by the fire with a book from our Read It & Return Library and return it at your leisure to any of our 450 locations across the nation. And every stay earns points towards our celebrated goldpointsplus (sm) Rewards Program, which allows you to earn and redeem rewards at over 950 hotels in 70 countries.”

“The Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale is just six miles from the San Jose International Airport (SJC) and located off Highway 237, making us an ideal choice for lodging among other Silicon Valley hotels. Convenient to several attractions, we are near Paramount’s Great America, Stanford University, Mountain View Amphitheater and HP Pavilion. Outdoor enthusiasts love that we are directly across from Baylands Park and a ten minute drive from San Francisco Bay, where guests can many outdoor activities. We offer complimentary hot breakfast, free cookies, free high speed internet, a heated pool, fitness center, business center and more! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.”

Oh, I can’t wait for Sunday night after the race when I can soak in this whirl pool! I know my muscles will be thanking me!

Posted in: Running.

Moji Knee Brace

Apr 12th, 2010

by Marie.

3 comments

About 15 years ago, after a soccer injury in high school, I had a series of three knee surgeries. A.C.L. replacements, double meniscus repairs, the works. I was down for the count each time for at least six weeks. I even tried on my wedding dress with a pair of crutches. Good times. I thought I’d never run, or do any kind of aerobic activity again after the horrifically painful and rehab intensive recoveries of my knee surgeries. Over time, I tested myself with different levels of fitness and in the last five years I became confident enough in my knee to start running. It’s been pretty great. I still have pain in my knee, but I’m thrilled to run after everything I’ve been through.

So a few months ago when I was reading this awesome blog, Running Relays, I happened upon a review of a company called Moji which sells icing products for runners. For anyone actually, but obviously I thought of my knee, and my knee after running.

This ice pack is awesome and I’ll tell you why. It fits around my knee. I’ve spent a lot of time with ice packs on my knee and none of them have conformed to my knee. Frozen peas, Zip Locks filled with ice, you name it, I’ve tried it. Until I tried the Moji Knee I’d never used an ice pack that actually straps around the circumference of my knee and cools it on all sides. This thing is awesome. I keep it in my freezer and when I come home from a run I strap it on for a half hour while I cool down from the run. It’s pretty ingenious, the little gel cells freeze separately and can be thawed and refrozen as many times as you need to use it.

I love this brace. I wear it every time I get done running and pop it back in the freezer to be used over and over again.

Brilliant.

Posted in: Running, Training.
Tagged: Running

Thank you OWATER!

Apr 12th, 2010

by Christine.

3 comments

A couple of weeks ago I ran the Cambridge 5-miler to get my race mojo running. At the end, reps were handing out OWATER, an electrolyte drink. I studied the label (I apparently remain obsessed with label reading, even when sweaty and tired), liked what I saw (no nasty preservatives or artificial sweeteners), took two bottles (lemon line and strawberry pomegranate), and enjoyed them that afternoon. So much so that I proceeded to hunt down the brand at Whole Foods (I was thrilled to discover they offer a coconut flavor…I’m obsessed with all things coconut) and have been rehydrating with OWATER post-run since.

Given that I’ve been stepping up my training, today I decided to hop onto the OWATER website to see if I could buy in bulk. And while I was clicking around, I learned that they are local, right here in Concord, MA. I love when I learn that awesome products I already dig are local. It seemed a little fateful actually, so I decided to reach out and see if OWATER would consider hydrating our team for The Relay.

And they will be! And here’s why I’m especially grateful:

I’m a bit of a creature of habit and have been trying to mentally prepare myself for the fact that there will be a lot of “new” to The Relay: new routes (3 of them, actually), new people (fellow EBR runners I have not yet met), new times of day (um, running in the pitch black of night), new gear (running with a headlamp on in said pitch black of night), not to mention the new challenge of running 3 legs within the span of 30-36 or so hours, after flying across the country.

So suffice to say I will be taking great comfort in the familiar: my running clothes, my running shoes (two of the same pair), my clunky old stopwatch, my running buddies (the ones I know + my soon to be BFFs), and yes, my OWATER.

Thank you OWATER for hydrating Team Eat. Blog. Run. for The Relay You guys rock!

Posted in: Eating, Running, Training.

Blogging While I’m Running

Apr 7th, 2010

by Marie.

2 comments

While I run, I get some good thinking done and it usually has to do with blogging. I should actually run with a pad and paper!! Some of my blogging thoughts are useful for Make and Takes and some are the complete opposite, totally random. Maybe I’ll start a new blog called, Blogging While I’m Running!

Here’s a few blog post titles I came up with as I ran the other day, letting you get to know me a little better!!!