I'm back!

A trip to Pennsylvania, Summer Karate Camps, and Marathon training have kept me unbelievably busy for the past several weeks. I have been still cooking healthy meals and trying new recipes and products, but just haven't gotten off my butt long enough to post any.

There are just 18 days left until the San Francisco Marathon! Last year, I struggled with the hills and motivation and cramps and finished in 5:56, a disappointing time. This year, I am MUCH stronger and MUCH faster, but still worried about hills. (Oh, yeah, and let's not forget about 40 pounds lighter, too). I am hoping to beat 5 hours, but I realize that shaving a whole hour off my previous time is a lot to ask for...so we'll see.

The SF Marathon sends out a monthly newsletter for all registered participants. This month's version included an article about tapering (reducing the mileage you run in the last 3 weeks before a marathon). You can read the article here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-5958-0,00.html

I printed it out and brought it to karate with me last night. Reading it got me SO pumped up (and a little nervous) for the race! It has plenty of tips and tricks and also has a section at the end for tapering for shorter races.

This past Sunday, I did a 23.85 mile training run as my last long run before the start of my taper. It was quite adventurous. At mile 21.5, I stopped to help a disoriented cyclist with chest pain until paramedics arrived. At mile 23, I got chased by a dog. If any of you have ever run more than 20 miles, you know that at this point, you become emotional and aren't thinking quite clearly. The cyclist and the dog just completely drained me and I almost cried! Nothing a hot shower, a bowl of cold fruit salad and a Slurpee didn't fix, however! If you've never tried a Slurpee after a super hard workout, I highly recommend it!

Stay tuned for more marathon training posts and hopefully some yummy recipes. The pre-marathon nutrition plan is in full effect as I try to detox some of the junk out of my system!

Fridays mean running...

I typically run (either outside if the weather is nice, or in the gym) on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I don't particularly love running. In fact, I used to say I hated it. I called people who did it "freaking nuts". I was always that one kid in Highschool P.E. class trying to fake an asthma attack or find some other way to get out of running the mile. But guess what, it burns a TON of calories, and is great for my heart, my lungs, and my muscles. So now I do it. In fact, I ran a marathon in 2007 in Florence, Italy and one in 2008 in San Francisco and have done 4 half-marathons.

The full marathons I ran were through the National AIDS Marathon Training Program. It is a great training program that teaches you a lot and gets you ready to finish a half- or full marathon. Go to www.aidsmarathon.com if you want to check it out. I'm not sure if I will do any full marathons this year. I am tempted to do the San Francisco Marathon again just to see if I can improve my time. (I am a LOT faster and a lot stronger now). But then I am reminded of last year around mile 22 when I came around a corner to see another HUGE hill, and proclaimed, "This is the last full marathon I'm doing!"

Last year I completely geeked out and made a spreadsheet to track all my running mileage for the year. I ALMOST made it to 600 miles. In fact, I would have if I hadn't gotten sick with the flu the last week of the year! This year I have set a goal for myself of 700 miles. I am on track to get there if I keep up my schedule of running four times a week. So far I am a little past 200. Who knows, maybe I will make it to 800 this year, barring any catastrophic injuries?

I'm not sure if I will go for my run now or a little bit later. I have a 2-month-old baby nephew that I am completely enamored of, and I think I need to go visit. It's way easier when his brother and sister aren't around hogging him.

What, then, should I have for breakfast? It needs to be sweet (because I am in a sweet mood). It needs to have both complex carbs and protein in it. Some potassium would be good to help prevent muscle cramps on my run, and fiber would help me stay full longer so I won't be tempted to snack while I'm out visiting. (That's what people in my family do when they get together - they eat).

Hmmm, I'll update when I've decided and see if it's anything worth posting.