kitchen mishaps

It turns out that our group run originally scheduled for this morning was postponed until tomorrow due to a snowstorm we were supposed to be pummeled with. Of course Oklahoma weather being Oklahoma weather-like, nothing ever happened. Believe me, I waited up as there were great plans in the works to commence at the fall of the first flake! So with an extra day on my hands and a freezer full of half-used packages of fruits and nuts and the like, I decided to do a little experimenting in the kitchen. First thing's first - the success of the day was a yeast bread that allowed me to use up the rest of a cooked millet, aramanth, and quinoa mixture (yes, this sounds like bird food, but no, it's meant for human consumption) and the remainder of some agave nectar hanging out in the pantry. I'm defining success by taste, by the way, and not appearance since it came out of the oven with a sunken middle. Anyway, while the bird food bread was rising (only to fall as it baked??), I moved on to this sourdough cherry and pineapple coffee cake concoction that I thought might be a fun change to bring for the group tomorrow. Now before anyone gets too excited, this turned out quite disastrous and will not be making an appearance. It seems you can't just stir frozen cherries and a can of crushed pineapple into batter without the entire dish turning a violent orange as it bakes. Remember Bridget Jones and the blue soup? That's what it was like, only scarier...no food should be that color! This was the sort of thing that could only be brought to a child's Halloween party. Luckily I've got a back-up loaf in the freezer that is not deflated or of demonic color.

Many of you know I'm an NPR junkie and listen to NPR podcasts when I'm running. Well, while frittering about the kitchen I was listening to this new non-NPR podcast (new to me, at least) called The Extra Mile. It's this fantastic piece that a guy called Kevin has put together. Runners around the world call in or email audio clips with stories about their training, racing, recovery...whatever, and they are compiled into various episodes for our listening enjoyment. It features snippets by everyone from Bart Yasso to a random lady who goes by Petra out of London....a sort of 'for runners by runners' collection. You can subscribe for free through iTunes and I just downloaded four more episodes to carry me over those hills tomorrow. I'm so excited! Sorry NPR. I promise you'll stay in the rotation! Anyway, since I don't know how to put a link in this text, I'll add the site to the list of blogs I follow in case any of you want to be a giant podcast-loving nerd, too.

this post's for you

Yes, Willie, this one is for you. It seems I've been dragging at the end of your blog roll for quite some time now, and it's time I move up, even if only for a brief moment. I thought it was bad when you had to say something to me for the third or fourth (or twelfth!) time, but then my sister who NEVER keeps up with this sort of thing mentioned it. Apparently that still wasn't enough and it took someone who has joined our running group and whose name I don't even know to get me into gear! I'd like to say that I have a good reason.....you know, like nothing blog-worthy to post on, no time, spontaneous implosion of my computer and all those I have access to, but all that would be untrue and I'm a pretty terrible liar. My only excuse is that I've been sidetracked with meeting new people, catching up to the rest of society on pop culture, and vampire books. Those are valid reasons, right??

For those of you who are scratching your head because the title of this post sounds vaguely familiar, you caught me! I nabbed it from that timeless Anheuser Busch slogan, 'This Bud's For You.' I found a random can of Budweiser in my collection and just experimented with an Italian Herbed Beer Bread to bring to the training run tomorrow. I've got to say, my kitchen smells fantastic! Who knew that something good could come from a can of Budweiser?! Speaking of which, the timer is yelling at me so I'll hit 'post' now. I mentioned earlier that I do have some blog-worthy topics, so the next post will actually be running-relevant. Stay tuned....

a week of mondays

Seriously! It's Friday people! The day of anticipation for the weekend, wearing jeans to the office, and happy hour. Yet it still feels like Monday and it has every day this week. Monday felt that way just because it was Monday, and funnily enough, they tend to do that. Tuesday, I started my day by exploding oatmeal all over my stove. It seems that in my sleepy stupor, I turned the burner to high instead of low, and well, we all know what happens when water gets really, really hot. Along the same lines of food mishaps, I made a giant pot of delicious tuscan white bean, kale, and smoked bacon soup the night before for weekday lunches only to discover through a mouthful of grit that I didn't wash the kale. I hate waste, so I've been eating fantastically flavored, yet, very gritty soup all week. Yesterday Henry (my super-cool, but extremely curious dog) found a yummy little treat in the grass that he deposited right in the middle of my living room a short time later. He's not delicate when he gets sick, either....it's like he's trying to turn himself inside out or something! And finally, this morning I wake up and my oven timer is going off! It's this constant "eeehhhhhhh" sound, much like "the most annoying sound in the world" from that movie Dumb and Dumber! I first heard it at 5:00 a.m. and when I left for the office at 7:30, it was still drowning out the voices in my head. Hopefully they were able to fix it before I get home otherwise my sanity my permanently be in jeopardy. I won't bore you with the office-related "Monday incidents," as they are meaningless to someone who doesn't work here.

Tomorrow is our second group run for the marathon training. It's only eight miles, for which I'm thankful because the temp is going to be low and the winds high....very Oklahoma-like. If only I had time to go get the heated gloves before tomorrow.... Maybe I'll try to hang with the fast guys again. The quicker we finish the quicker we get coffee.

I started the FIRST training plan this week, as well. It's that three-runs per week plan (speedwork, tempo, and long) that many runners have used to qualify for Boston. I'm not concerned with a BQ at the moment....just something to mix up my runs. I'm pretty loose about it, though, as I've already added an additional run this week. I am following the prescribed speeds, though. Just for the record, this week my runs have been:
Tuesday morning: speedwork - 6 miles
Tuesday evening: running off the "Monday" feeling - 3 miles
Thursday morning: tempo run - 6.5 miles

Anyway, this post is becoming rather boring so I'll sign off. More will come your way later!

wishes and dreams

I just got home and Sleepless in Seattle is on. The little kid has just called into the radio show and that particular episode was titled "Wishes and Dreams," so that's where I nabbed the title of this post from. It's fairly appropriate because I was just attending a Sneak Peak Open House for some good friends of mine who are FINALLY opening their own gym. It's been a goal of theirs for several years, but you know how much time and money these sorts of ventures take. In any case, they are seeing their "wishes and dreams" come to fruition so we're all really pleased for them.

This morning started the 2009 OKC Memorial Marathon training. We had around 125 runners show up for a six mile run! I'm really proud of this because a) we have one of the greatest marathons in the country, b) this training group started and grown in 2001 by a hero, and c) I'm honored to be on the newly formed committee to keep the training up to that hero's standards. The Oklahoma wind notwithstanding, it was a beautiful morning! Sunny, clear skies and a relatively mild temp of 49 started us out. Of course I was running with three friends who are significantly faster than I am, so my focus was more on the voices in my head screaming "what the @#$%@$# do you think you're doing?!?!" I could have easily dropped back without anyone giving it a second thought, but pride and curiosity to see if I could hang wouldn't let me. I kept up, but sweet mother! By the last half mile, I was contributing nothing to the conversation because I decided that breathing was slightly more important than talking.

Afterward, a few of us jetted over to another area lake to do an annual trail run organized by a friend of mine. He has a 50K and 25K route marked, but you can run whatever distance your legs will take you. Mine only took me seven miles. I started out with the same speed demons from the road earlier, but we grouped off fairly quickly. I ran the last half alone on the trail, and as much as I love running with others, it was rather enjoyable being talked to only by the trees. I'll never be one that only craves solitude when running, but it's a nice change from time to time. I ran back to the start (after turning the wrong way out of the trail head and tacking on an extra hill... I have no idea why I can run the trails with perfect direction and get turned around once I get out!), and waited for my coffee compadres to get back. We headed over to the nearest Starbucks, which, by the way, is NOT just across the interstate as the sign says, and replenished the depleted coffee supply in our bodies. I'm convinced that I need to be at least 98% coffee in order to be fully functional. Medical doctors would argue water, but you know how studies are always contradicting themselves....

While sitting there, we got in a conversation about wine - how bad Oklahoma wines are, how good wines in the rest of the world are, and the joys of Missouri's cotton candy flavored wine. I kid about that last part..... not about the fact that they have cotton candy flavored wine, because they do, but about them being joyous. They are only joyous in the sense that you have something to laugh about, not joyous in flavor. Well, it just so happens that there is a swanky little wine store just a few doors down that custom blends wines for you and will even customize labels! What better way to end the morning than a little bit of wine tasting! We walked over to discover some very interesting blends, such as black currant merlot, raspberry zinfandel, and a nontraditional ice wine (can't remember the flavor of that one). He also let us try a FANTASTIC old vine zin and an incredibly bold barolo. He teased us with the description of a Chilean rioja before telling us that it was no more....sold out at Christmas. Anyway, the place is called Vintner's Cellar and it's on 15th and Bryant in Edmond. Check it out if you get the chance.

So with 6 miles on the roads, 7 miles on the trails, good coffee, and an impromptu wine tasting, it was a great first day of OKC Marathon training and I'm looking forward to next weekend!

resolution running

Well, I ran it, although it was about a minute and a half slower than my normal 5K time. I'm guessing, anyway, as the link to the results isn't posted yet. I did place second in my age group, but I don't think that my age group was well-represented this morning. Truthfully, it wasn't that bad. The wind was ridiculous, but since the race was an out-and-back, it was at our backs for the second half. Also, I was entertained by another runner's musings on nutrition, supplements, and IBS. It's funny what runners talk about to pass the time....usually it goes from current running and injuries to digestive issues to food. He was doing most of the talking, though, as I was using every ounce of energy I had to move my wine-filled legs. Afterward, a group of us met at the nearest Starbucks to warm up and rehash the prior evening's events while waiting for the annual Runner's Brunch.

Being New Year's Day, there was a lot of talk of resolutions. I heard everything from eat more fruit to doing more yoga to just making it to the year 2010 (probably the most logical goal, eh?). One runner's wife who comes out and cheers everyone on (seriously, she's fantastic - loud, energetic, makes signs.... she needs pom poms!) randomly decided to walk the course today with some of the injured runners. She enjoyed it so much that her resolution was to start entering the races to walk with the possibility of working up to jogging. Good for her! I tend not to make resolutions in the traditional style, but decide to actually do something that I'd been wanting to do. For example, last year I decided to start working my way down the list of restaurants that I'd been wanting to try out. Naturally I stuck to that! This year I plan to successfully can things. I don't have a garden (my thumb is actually on the opposite side of the color spectrum from green!), so I don't really know what I'll can or where I'll get it from, but I will can something. There's a very real danger of botulism poisoning from improperly canned goods, so I guess by successful I mean that I can eat whatever it is without dying shortly after. Anyone else set goals for 2009?

happy new year!

Just a quick post to say Happy New Year to all two readers of my blog! ;} I'm trying really hard to be excited about the Resolution Run that's taking place in an hour, but the 20 mph winds and the location (Overholser is my least favorite place to run) are working against me.....not to mention the fact that my body is protesting all the cheese, chocolate, and wine from last night. I don't understand that. Haven't the French proven that those are the staples of a healthful diet??? I mean, cheese is loaded with calcium and the chocolate and wine are full of antioxidants. If anything my body should be thanking me for keeping my bones strong and waging war against cancer, right?! In any case, this should be an interesting three miles. We'll see if I have anything to add later, so stay tuned.

finishing white rock

I'm back, now, to finally finish the White Rock post.....only 9 days later, I know! As you last read, I was able to sign up for the half, and like a kid whose parent just gave into a candy request, I immediately perked up and bounced around the expo with a ridiculous grin on my face. How easy this run was going to be now! I thought nothing of my skimpy salad dinner (can't have pasta) and glass of wine at this great little Italian joint that our group went to that evening. So unconcerned was I, that I even used the complimentary card that came with the room for a second glass of wine that evening at the hotel bar. Without boring you with the details, the complimentary wine turned into a complimentary Widmer Heffeweizen (can't turn down a beer from such a fantastic Oregon brewery!), which turned into a second one of those (impossible to argue with a New York transplant Croatian soccer player!). So two glasses of wine and two beers later brings me to 11:45 p.m. and mildly concerned about the dehydration and sleep deprivation that is ensuing. Notice I said "mildly." After all, I'm only running the half. So I say goodbye to the generous bartender and new hotel friends to take care of all the pre-race preparations before getting into bed.

I beat my alarm clock up the next morning, wide awake and starving. I quickly packed my car, while getting dressed, fighting with the chip, and running water through the coffee pot to heat up and put in my thermos for a start-line breakfast. Twenty minutes later, I was across the street picking up a friend to head over to the start line. This was his first marathon, so he was nervous and excited and dutifully soaking in all the tips and tricks of veteran marathoners. For example, I showed him how to make oatmeal without a microwave or stove. For anyone wondering, you just pour hot water (hence the thermos of hot water) over oats in a styrofoam cup, stir some peanutbutter in, and put the lid on for a few minutes. I then use the end of a plastic spoon (borrowed from the continental breakfast layout) to slice a banana into it. A bit unconventional, but you must admit, resourceful, and we have the perfect pre-race breakfast right there in my car!

We then find the rest of our crew and head over to the start line. We're fairly close to the front because one of the group members is trying to BQ and the others are naturally fast enough to be up there. There we stood, freezing and closely huddled trying to block the wind while our friend announced all the things one announces at the start of the race and waited for the gun to go off. Once it did, we shouted out final "good lucks" and were off.

Unfortunately, I don't remember as much from the race as usual. I was concentrating so hard on running lightly to avoid IT band issues and trying to catch up on my water intake. As you can imagine, I started in a deficit due to the previous night's festivities. I was also trying not to be angry with myself, as I'm usually much more responsible than that. In any case, I do remember loving the course - the scenery, at least....not the surface. And the crowd support was really quite good. There were cheer squads, groups with motivating "Rocky" songs, and excited little high-fiving kids along the way. That, and my physical misery, pushed my legs to run an 11 minute PR. How's that for a shamelessly, boastful way to announce that on my blog?! Truthfully, though, the only explanation I have for shaving that many minutes off my time is that I was so uncomfortable that I just wanted to be done!

After crossing the finish line, I made my way through the food and water tent and then headed over to the beer arena, where I ran into a friend who had come down to run the relay. We cheered on the finishers for a while before heading out. I celebrated the end of the race with a trip to Whole Foods, where I sampled cheese, found some exotic spices, and made friends with the wine guy while waiting to meet some of our group members for a late lunch before heading north. There, we ordered one of everything on the menu (almost kidding) and compared notes on the previous few hours.

As it turns out, the only one of us who had a good run was the first timer. It was cold and windy, and we were all dehydrated (although not all self-induced) and crampy. I'm glad that if any of us had a better time, it was the newbie, because it left him wanting more. He's already looking forward to the next one! Me? I'll just toast to finishing this one upright.