Gourmet Runner

The last time I posted, I subtly mentioned, "moving to Washington" among a bunch of race recaps. I wanted to expand a little, but we were in the middle of selling our house in Georgia and spilling the details online seemed inappropriate. So...yes, Tim and I sold our house in Georgia. The one we moved from Hong Kong to build. The one that taught us both how to use table saws and grout tile and put together IKEA furniture. (Just kidding. No one ever actually learns how to do that last one. It's a gamble every time.) #nofilter #justkidding #somanyfilters It absolutely was our dream house, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to tackle such a big project together. Tim discovered that he loves designing and carpentry , which are two things he never would have really had the chance to do much of in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, there just wasn't a whole lot for us in Georgia. We had friendly neighbors and plenty of space, but the long drives to ge...

Trying to recap a single race in a standard blog post is tough, but trying to recap eight months of races at once? Nearly impossible. Thankfully, I have forgotten most of the details about the races I've completed since March, which you'll appreciate since it cuts down on the reading. If my calculations are correct (they probably aren't), I ran 6 races between March and October. These varied from a one-mile race with a field of eight to a full 26.2 on trails, and they took place in Georgia, Tennessee and Washington. 1 Mile: Market Street Mile, Chattanooga, TN, June 2013 (6:48) I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. "I hate 5ks, but what could be better than running for less time and wanting to puke even more? Yes! A one-mile race!" It was actually kind of fun because they did it in heats, so I was only racing against other women between 20-29. I, uh, lost. I don't remember what place I took - out of 8 - but I distinctly remember it being to...

Although I like to pretend that you have all been waiting around with bated breath, the reality is that many of you might not have noticed that I have stepped away from blogging for...wow, has it really been eight months? Crazy. In that time my work has ramped up big time (don't worry, I still get to write from home in my pajamas), I have had the chance to run some great races and I even moved, with husband and three cats in tow, to the Pacific Northwest. So, what brought me out of my self-induced blogging retirement? Ragnar Relay Las Vegas . This was my second chance to run a relay (first being Hood to Coast 2012), and it was every bit as fantastic as I had hoped. Unfortunately, that isn't because I secretly love being cold and cramped in a van for 30 hours. It is because I like being surrounded by awesome people who want to eat, breath and sleep (or not sleep) running. If you aren't familiar with the typical relay set-up, it involves a team of 12 running 36 legs, wh...

On Thursday night, I ran a small 2-mile race that was just about 30 minutes from home - the Dalton St. Patrick's Day 2-Miler. And, uh...I really don't know how to make a post out of a 2-mile race. I ran hard, and it was over quickly. The end. I guess I'll elaborate, because otherwise there really is no point to this blog, is there? It was a weird race time - 6:30 p.m. I had a pretty regular day of work beforehand, and ate normally but avoided veggies for the day, just in case. Then I pestered my husband and made him get up, go outside and take a series of pictures to prove that I dressed up for a race. He loved it. He really loves when I make him take pictures of me for the Internet. It's his favorite pastime. I got to the race, registered on the spot and met a friend of mine to run the course as a warm-up. I think we ran the two miles at about a 10:30 pace, taking it really easy, but we did throw in a few 10-second strides at a faster pace. The race take...

Life has a funny way of forcing you to slow down, doesn't it? I ran a half-marathon PR in September, a marathon PR in November and then another marathon PR in February. When I write it all out like that, an injury doesn't just seem possible, it seems probable . The last couple of weeks have involved some IT band pain and some slight knee pain, but every day it gets better. The key (anecdotally, I'm no doctor) seems to be the magic of the foam roller. I know not what kind of sorcery is contained in that foam cylinder, but I love it. My cats like to stretch with me :) I was supposed to run a 12-hour race on Saturday, but I knew that doing so would be a terrible idea. Instead, I worked out hungover on a hotel elliptical for 20 minutes. That's the same as running for 12 hours, right? Right. Thankfully, I never had a chance to be sad about the DNS (did not start), because Tim and I ended up having a fantastic weekend. On Friday night, we went to an all-German birt...

There goes my comeback. Pretty sure last week's post was full of unicorn gum drops and happy vibes post-PR, and I may have mentioned a few upcoming races where, obviously, I was going to kick ass and take names. I may have to rethink my strategy. Last week's total running mileage? Six miles. SIX. Not 60. SIX. So, what happened? I came down with a bad case of cocky runner . You ever heard of that? Symptoms include overconfidence, a refusal to abide by the scientific laws of recovery and a distinct lack of stretching and foam-rolling. I got cocky runner BAD, you guys. After my marathon two weeks ago, I did some active recovery - 15 minutes or so of biking or elliptical, took a full rest day and then ran 4 miles on Wednesday. That, my friends, is mistake number one. I felt okay, did some minor cross-training, and then ran 12 miles on Saturday. Mistake number two. I felt fine, but sometimes I forget that the consequences of stupidity are often delayed. It's a classic...

You know that feeling of dread that sneaks up on you when someone wants to show you pictures of their family vacation/wedding/new baby? Well, you should be feeling that right now. I have missed out on over three months of splashing the interwebz with pictures of me with my hands on my hip, in the right light and at the right angle. And now, we are going to make up for lost time. The above is only slightly true. Partially. Mostly. Whatever. I actually just wanted to post about what I was up to over the past few months. I turned a quarter-century old and celebrated with a beautiful hike and the world's largest gummy bear: Tim and I also spent Christmas in Hong Kong. I was still technically working while we were there, but I got away with mostly half-days and we got to do some great hikes and runs on the trails. This is perhaps my favorite picture of all time, because it shows just how gorgeous Hong Kong can actually be when you get away from the city: Seriously amazing...

This past week has been so bizarre. I was on such a high after running in Myrtle Beach, and all I could think about was the marathon. I actually had a hard time sleeping (despite the fact that my body was exhausted!) because I kept replaying the final stretch in my mind and seeing the numbers 3:51:15 float by every time I closed my eyes. Yes, that makes me sound crazy. I get that. But I really was on cloud nine. And then....the inevitable crash. It sucks, doesn't it? An amazing PR, a new distance record or an incredibly fun race can often leave you on a roller coaster of feelings. After the rise, the weeks or months of anticipation and then the event itself, you find yourself at a loss. What am I supposed to be doing now? What am I supposed to be eating, sleeping, training? Monday through Wednesday was basically me being a whiny bitch, struggling to focus on my work, eating far too many bags of mini eggs (early Easter candy FTW!) and finding ways to fight with my husband. ...

What's up? Long time no type. The last time I posted (in November) I had just completed the Chickamagua Battlefield Marathon with a time of 4:05 and I was incredibly proud of myself. If you told me that I would be able to cut 14+ minutes off of my PR in the three months after that, I would have thought you were crazy. Somehow, I finished the Myrtle Beach Marathon with an official time of 3:51:15 this Saturday, and I could not be happier! Here's the recap, or as much of it as I can remember. Pre-Race : Tim and I decided to drive to Myrtle Beach on Thursday afternoon so that we could relax a little on Friday and not worry about rushing there in time for the expo/packet pick-up. Also, nothing says love like spending Valentine's Day in a car for 8 hours, right? We woke up on Friday morning to incredible views of the beach from our insanely cheap hotel room, and all I wanted to do was go exploring all day. Alas, that is a terrible, terrible idea before a marathon. Inste...