Rules of the road.

The ethics of what constitutes a “walk” have been on my mind a lot lately. Can I, for example, get a ride from someone to a campground or hostel or hotel if it goes out of my planned route? Can I Uber a few miles and then get dropped off at the same location the next day thus not losing any mileage? But what if it’s raining, like, really hard? 

I’ve kicked around the various scenarios and come up with the following commandments. 

• No wheels, no wings. The only way to avoid gray areas is to just avoid rides altogether. I will not accept rides in cars, or bikes, or hoverboards. No helicopters or planes either. Not even with the intention of going back to the pickup spot at a later time. Only if my immediate safety is compromised will I get in a car. Staying alive takes precedence. 
  
• $10 per day maximum, no rollover. This takes effect today, since the first two days were a little over budget. I’ve gone on this walk to minimize my life, so getting all fanciful with meals and hotel rooms sort of defeats the purpose. Note: there will be pre-planned circumstances such as friends and family visiting where this will not be in effect, but standard walk-alone days have a $10 cap. 
• No caffeine. Water and lemonade and the occasional Gatorade. 

As I think of more, I will add to this list, but this gives me a good starting guide. 

All the Juicy Details About The Phx Marathon Weekend

Hi! Now that I’m back to semi-normal from my whirlwind weekend of the Phoenix Marathon, hanging out with SR, a family party and tons of good food I’m ready to face reality. But first, let’s talk about all the good stuff from my adventures…

1. I set out to Phoenix Friday and packed all the essentials – running gear, pre-race must haves, extra chocolate bars, lots of prayers, Spark, O2 Gold , a back out plan in case I wanted to bail at mile 11…

2. SR picked me up from the airport and we explored the area in a golf cart. She’s living in a retirement community because she retired from blogging.

We got ice cream and donuts to carb load for the race.

Sadly I couldn’t partake in the ice cream party because I was trying to avoid dairy. My cold illness situation is still hanging around and I wanted to try and not partake in anything that might increase my mocos (while still running a marathon because that’s a smart choice right).

3. SR’s fam has a candy drawer. I thought this was funny and she didn’t get it. Ha! Like everyone in her life has a candy drawer.

Do you have one?

4. SR and her mom set up this awesome dinner spread. I usually eat some kind of stir-fry situation with TONS of rice before a race. It’s my go-to pre race meal. So they were super super nice and made an epic spread of food for me to attack. It was so good!

5. We hung out and stuff Friday night, nothing exciting since Saturday morning wake up call was at 3:30am.

6. Race recap here.

7. After the race we headed back and got cleaned up. Then, SR and her mom put out another HUGE spread of food for us to make salads (our go to post race food, the more indulgent stuff comes later when my stomach has settled).

8. The rest of the day involved relaxin’ and eatin’ with the pups.

I’m not usually a small dog person, but this is Baxter and he’s like a real life teddy bear.

I didn’t hit the hot tub because I had reached my sun limit for the day.

9. Shortly after that I had to head to the airport to go home. My Nana’s birthday was Sunday.

When I got home Ben and I hit up a Chinese buffet. They have french fries. Enough said.

10. What I wore to the Phoenix Marathon

ProCompression Visor and short socks.

Costco Tank (SR and I both wore one, unplanned)

Champion Sports Bra

Moving Comfort Shorts (similar // similar)

Newton Running shoes

Question: Do you have a candy drawer? 

What was the BEST thing you did this weekend?

The post All the Juicy Details About The Phx Marathon Weekend appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Sexy Hip Rolls Workout

How do I define sexy? It’s feeling beautiful and confident, no matter your size, age or ability. Sexy is how you feel on the inside, and this fun workout will definitely help give you that feeling. Hip rolls will help define your abs as we also engage the thighs. We will do the hip rolls sequence, hit the floor quickly for some targeted abs, then finish with another round of hip rolls. Have fun with it, my beautiful friends!

>> Cardio Chair Dance & Leg Sculpt Workout

The post Sexy Hip Rolls Workout appeared first on Yum Yucky.

Thanks, dude.

Reader Questions #27

As I mentioned last week, I'm bringing back the Reader Q&A. If you have a question you'd like me to respond to on the blog, you can email it to me at questions@runsforcookies.com (I don't respond personally to these emails--they're just for the Reader Q&A). I have an inbox full of questions right now, so I'll pick 2-3 to answer about once a week. Today's questions are about running...

Q. At what speed/pace do you consider someone a runner? I ask because I currently run intervals at 3:1 and my average pace is usually between 10:30-11:15 per mile. I'm not sure if I should call myself a runner or jogger. Can you still be considered a runner if you run intervals? What pace would be considered a runner and/or what pace would be considered a jogger?

A. I love this question, and I could seriously write a whole post about it. When I first started running, I refused to call myself a "runner". I was barely able to run a 13:30 pace, and I "only" ran a few miles each week. In my mind back then, a "true runner" was someone like my friend Renee, who has been running for years, who is fast, who regularly runs races, who is thin, etc. I was not a runner.

Eventually, I became very comfortable with that term when I was running regularly three times a week and following a training schedule. I had run several races, and it was my exercise of choice. It took nearly a year before I felt comfortable saying, "I'm a runner". And then, as a new runner, I despised the word "jogger"--it felt offensive, like what I was doing wasn't hard work. If someone called me a jogger, I outwardly smiled but really wanted to punch them ;)

Image source (used with permission)

Now, however, the word "jog" doesn't bother me in the slightest, and I even use it regularly myself. I use the word "jog" to mean running at a slow, easy (for me) pace. Depending on the person, it could be a 7:00 pace, a 10:00 pace, or a 14:00 pace--it just depends on the runner and what is easy or hard for him or her. For example, when I run intervals, I might say that I ran half a mile hard, then jogged a quarter mile, then ran half a mile hard, then jogged a cool down. In that case, the "jogging" is just a way of saying "easy running".

To be very technical, the moment that walking becomes running is when both feet are off the ground for a moment. When you are walking, one of your feet always has contact with the ground; to switch to jogging or running, both feet will be off the ground for a split second. So, whether you're running a 13:00 pace or a 7:00 pace, you're still running. And if you run regularly, you're a runner :)

About the intervals, this is just personal opinion. I believe that running intervals is still running, and I think you can still call yourself a runner if you run intervals. There will be some people who disagree, but in my opinion, it's still running. I dare anyone to say that I didn't run the Chicago Marathon just because I walked through all the water stations! ;)

Q. So I have been doing strength training 3-4 times a week for 8 years. This fall I got frustrated with the lack of weight loss progress and decided to get moving more. I started with walking and moved through a "Couch to 5k" app. My goal was a 5k on New Year's Day. I was hoping to finish in 40 minutes and finished in 37:45! So thrilled! So I decided then that my New Years Resolution would be one 5k per month for the year. So I'm trying to run 3 miles three times a week. I've done 2 more 5ks since then. Your b-day one and one in February. Both were slower than the first. How can I increase my speed and endurance? I rarely can run the 3 miles without walking. I don't really want to run further, but I would love for the 3 miles to be more comfortable and quicker! Close to 30 minute 5k by December? Is that doable?

A. First, I think running one 5K per month for the year is an awesome goal; second, congrats on finishing much faster than you anticipated!; and third, I absolutely think it's possible to hit a 30-minute 5K by the end of the year.

It's best to work on either speed or distance at one time--not both. Since you're currently running three miles, and you don't want to increase the distance, you're off to a great start. (For someone who hasn't yet been able to hit that distance, I would suggest increasing distance before worrying about speed. It's called building a "base", and it's a super important part of training. It should just be a lot of easy effort running, gradually increasing distances over time.) 

If you've run three miles without walking before, you know that your body is capable of it; so it is likely just a mental block that keeps you from being able to do it every time you run. I would suggest running SLOWER until you are comfortably able to run the whole distance. It sounds counter-intuitive, but trust me. The three-mile distance will eventually feel quite easy! (Before I was a runner, I never dreamed I'd say that sentence, haha.) Run at a very easy pace to where you feel like you could probably walk faster than your run. At that point, you may want to add just a little distance (maybe four miles instead of three) so that the actual 5K distance will feel easier; but if you want to stick with three, that's fine, too.

Once you're running three miles at a time comfortably, I would start to work on your speed. You don't want to push yourself hard every time you go out for a run; most of your running should still be at a very easy effort. I would suggest once a week, adding in some speed work. Speed work options are endless, but here are a couple of simple ones you could use to get started:

400 meter repeats: These are quarter-mile intervals where you run hard for a quarter mile, then jog or walk very easy to recover, and then repeat. You can use the McMillan Race Calculator to determine what your speed should probably be during these 400's, but to keep it simple, I would say just run at a hard effort. Not an all-out sprint, but faster than your 5K pace. Then, the recovery portion should be roughly half the amount of time of the fast interval (so, if you ran your quarter mile in 2:30, then you would walk/jog for about 1:15 before starting the next interval). You could start with 4 intervals, and then slowly build your way up as you train, until you're able to do 10-12 intervals. (Always warm-up for at least 10 minutes before doing these, to avoid getting injured.)

Tempo run: Start out with a warm-up of about 10 minutes (jogging, or even fast walking). Then run at a moderately-hard pace for X minutes (start with maybe 10 minutes, and build your way up to 20 or more). The pace should be difficult, but not so hard you can't speak. You should be able to say a few words at a time. You'll feel like you want to slow down, but you know that you can keep going at that pace. (Again, you could use the McMillan Calculator to determine a good pace, but for now, I would keep it simple and run by feel). 

Hills: This isn't an option for me, because I don't have any hilly routes, but if you happen to live near hills, they can be great at making you faster! Just pick a hilly route, and run at an easy pace until you come to a hill--pick up the speed until you get to the top of the hill, and then jog again. These simulate intervals, because they get your heart rate up high from the effort, even though you aren't going as fast.

Again, you want to keep the majority of your time spent running (at least 80% of it) at a low intensity. Most recreational runners (myself included, until a few months ago) run their easy runs too hard and their hard runs too easy, which keeps them from reaching their full potential. I've had a lot of success at getting faster since I started obeying this running "law" ;) 

Make sure you share a picture when you hit that 30-minute 5K! 

---

Tomorrow is Leap Day! I'm going to be running the second "annual" Leap Year 4-Miler. I ran it in 2012, and my time was 35:15 (8:49/mi). Nathan is going to pace me tomorrow, so I can hopefully run my 10K goal pace of 7:55/mi. However, I was thinking it would be kind of cool to take 4 minutes off of my previous race time (4 minutes for 4 years, because Leap Day), for 31:15 (that would be a 7:49/mi pace). It would be really tough, but it IS possible, so we'll see. 

The race is in the evening, after sunset, so that could make it more challenging (I wish it would start a half hour earlier). Also, it's supposed to be very windy, and wind is my nemesis. My goals:
"A" goal: If I have a REALLY good race, I could probably do sub-31:00 (7:45/mi).
"B" goal: Take 4 minutes off of my last Leap Day time, for 31:15 (7:49/mi)
"C" goal: A sub-8 pace, for a time of sub-32:00.
"D" goal: Just finish.

At my 5K a few weeks ago, I managed sub-8:00 for my pace, so I really should be able to do that tomorrow. I don't want to push the pace too hard in the beginning and crash before the finish, though; so most likely, I'll have Nathan pace me at 7:55 for the first 3 miles, and then see if I can push it for the last mile. And in about 6 weeks, I'll be doing it for my 10K! (I hope so, anyway)

When You’re LAST To Start the Phoenix Marathon (Results and Recap)

Hello! I ran the Phoenix Marathon yesterday. It was hot and fun and sweaty and a bit ol’ blast. I miss running with SkinnyRunner! Here is my recap of the race and results and a little bit of the fun. I was going to post all the fun, but this post became 26 pages long.

Let’s start with race morning. We woke up at 3:30am and got ready in 15 minutes. I took my oatmeal and iced coffee to go.

SR and I made great time to the race but hit a ton of traffic near the freeway exit and tried to find our way to the parking. Long long long story short a police officer helped direct us to the correct area but we were still caught in a lot of traffic and knew we were going to miss the last bus to the full marathon.

The Phoenix Marathon is a point to point course so you have to park near the finish line and take a bus to the start. The last bus to the start is 5:15am and we weren’t even near parking at that point. So, we resigned ourselves to running the half and just tried to get there in time.

We parked and were advised by a parking attendant the last bus to the marathon was gone. Okay.

Then, a crackle came over their walkie talkie and someone said “There is one bus left, tell them to hurry!!!”

We took off running to another parking lot to catch it. I was the second to the last person on the last bus. We barely made it.

By the time the bus got to the start the gun went off and the race had started! We hit the porta potties and crossed the empty start line almost ten minutes after the gun time.

This was the start line when we got there:

The race:

The first miles of the course are in a gorgeous area surrounded by cacti and open land. I love it. I love places like this! The course is net downhill, but just felt flat to me not an obvious elevation drop like the course elevation shows. (I think that’s because I just ran Revel City so it’s by comparison.)

It was hot though. And I’m not in full marathon shape so it was a pretty rough race for me. I felt great until mile 17ish (just like at the LA marathon) and then just hung on for dear life.

It went well considering the weather and my need to train more. But I am happy with another long run in the books. And I had a lot of fun running with SR.

Trent! It’s been so long since I’d seen Marathon Man!!

That’s SR’s sexy legs:

On the course we spotted Brian, Emily, Carlee around mile something (I have no idea because I was too tired to be of sound mind and body).

The finish:

Q: You know what the best part of running a marathon is?

A: When it’s over.

Phoenix Marathon Results: 4:04:26 Pace: 9:20

Actual pic of me after the race…

I didn’t feel like eating a ton after the race, which is a bummer because the post-race food was epic. They were handing out BBQ and fresh French Toast from a local restaurant. Like, epic thick French Toast!!

I made SR get some because it’s good for you.

Then, we went to relax and eat all the things and drink all the things.

It was so good to meet new runners and old friends who I hadn’t met in person. Runners are good people.

Question: French Toast or Pancakes? Or Both?

The post When You’re LAST To Start the Phoenix Marathon (Results and Recap) appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Logistics & Strategy.

I’ve had a lot of questions regarding route. Here’s the current...

I’ve had a lot of questions regarding route. Here’s the current tentative-will-definitely-change plan.

Major cities I’ll be walking through:

Laughlin, NV
Durango, CO
Wichita, KS
Kansas City, MO
St. Louis, MO
Louisville, KY
Cincinnati, OH
Philadelphia, PA
New York City
Boston, MA

Easiest Curry Recipe But Not Really a Recipe

Hello from Arizona!! I am on a super last minute quick trip to see my long lost friend. First let’s talk about the easiest curry recipe of my life. It’s not a real recipe since I just threw a bunch of stuff in the crockpot and called it dinner.  But it was so good I wanted to mention.

I made this out of laziness and need for a lot of good food. Anyone else out there lazy and hungry all the time? Just me?

Step 1: Place 1 bunch of frozen chicken tenders in the crockpot. Pour curry sauce over. Cook on high for 3 hours. Add chopped potatoes. Cook for another 1 hour.

Serve up with quinoa or rice and veggies. I sprinked some almonds on top too. It was so good.

Then, I packed up and got ready for a flight. I used to travel for races all the time, I feel like I don’t as much anymore.

Anyway. I used to be so good at packing for a race so I tried to remember all the essentials.

This morning I did a short shake out 4 mile run and headed to the airport.

Flying out of Orange County is so much easier than LAX. Yah!!!

Bathroom selfies are not classy, but neither am I.

And less than 90 minutes later I was reunited with my partner in life, running and donuts…

SkinnyRunner! I heart you (and donuts).

We literally just drove through Dairy Queen in a golf cart. She knows how to have a good time.

Talk to you later!!

Question: What are you doing this weekend?

The post Easiest Curry Recipe But Not Really a Recipe appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

What a difference the last 20 pounds makes!

As you all know, I gained quite a bit of weight in 2014; and in spring 2015, I became the heaviest I'd been in over four years. I recently wrote about why that happened, and in August 2015, I started calorie counting. Over 15 weeks, I lost 27 pounds and got back to my goal weight. I was thrilled, because I never thought I'd see 133 on my scale again! Even though I wasn't trying to continue losing, my weight has continued to decrease, and I am now the thinnest I've ever been!

In 2010, when I'd lost about 100 pounds, I wrote a post about all of the non-scale victories I noticed since losing the weight. That remains one of my most popular posts, and people always tell me how much they can relate to the "before" side of me.

One hundred pounds is a LOT of weight to lose, and of course the changes were very noticeable from the 253-pound version of me. I got comfortable over these last few years of maintaining 100+ pounds lost, and had started to take a lot of those things for granted. When I gained nearly 30 pounds in 2014, I started to notice some of those things, because they were starting to reverse.

Yes, losing 100+ pounds made a world of difference in how I felt; but surprisingly, going from 160 to 123 has made quite the difference as well. While weighing 160 wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as weighing 253, I definitely didn't feel my best. I'd like to write some of the changes here, so that people who don't have a lot to lose can see that those last pounds really do make a big difference. And, in my opinion, it's worth putting in the effort to do it!

When I was at 160 pounds, I tried to convince myself that losing the extra weight was just cosmetic--according to my medical numbers, I was very healthy! I even wrote a blog post when I discovered I was a size 10, and I convinced myself to embrace the new size. But having lost that extra weight now, I realize that it wasn't just cosmetic. There are a lot of things that improved, and have made life a little easier.

When going from 160 to 133 (and then 123)...

*My running pace improved significantly, even without training. At 160, I was injured, and I stopped running altogether for 6 weeks in August to heal the injury. The next time I ran, I was 14 pounds lighter, and my pace was actually faster than it was before I stopped running. In August of 2015, my pace was 11:00+ minutes per mile; in October 2015, after taking 6 weeks off, my pace was under 10:00 per mile. That was solely due to the weight loss, because I hadn't run at all during those 6 weeks. And just recently, I actually PR'ed my 5K, running a 7:57 pace!

August 2015 vs. February 2015

*My clothes started to feel much more comfortable almost immediately. At 160 pounds, I was wearing size 10 (or 8 on a good day). Within a couple of months, I was back in my looser pairs of size 4's, and then when I got to 133, I was able to wear ALL of my jeans again. These last 10 pounds (going from 133 to 123), I've actually dropped another size, and I had to go buy several pairs of size 2 jeans!

Size 10 (Sept 2014) vs size 2 (Feb 2016)

*I became much more satisfied with smaller portions of food and drinks. When I was binge eating during 2014 and 2015, and consequently heavier, I never felt satisfied. I felt like I could eat endless amounts of food. But losing these last 30-something pounds has made me get used to smaller portions. I never thought I'd see the day where I only wanted two slices of pizza, but here it is. A third slice would make me feel overly full.

*Likewise, I've become a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. At 160 pounds, I was able to have several drinks with barely a buzz; but at 123, I feel plenty happy with just one glass of wine. If I'm feeling really crazy, I'll have two ;)

*I have a lot more energy now. I didn't realize it when I was gaining weight, but I started to feel more lethargic and get lazier. I wanted to sit more and move less. Getting back down to a healthy weight has given me motivation to move more. I start to get antsy if I sit too long.

*I have chronic back pain due to arthritis and a couple of bone spurs on my vertebrae, and the weight gain exasperated it greatly. I remember going to the county fair with my family in early August, and we had to leave earlier than we would have liked because my back hurt so badly. Losing the weight didn't eliminate the pain entirely, but it has gotten much more bearable. Some days, I don't even notice it, which is saying a lot! I can actually comfortably sleep on my stomach again; before, my back hurt too much to do that.

*My confidence has soared since losing the extra weight I'd picked up. When I had gained a noticeable amount of weight, I always dreaded running into people I knew, and I hated having my picture taken. People talk about these kinds of things, and considering my weight loss had been so public, I knew people would speculate about what had happened to make me "fall of the wagon". Getting back down to goal weight (and below) has made me feel so much better about myself. I don't dread seeing people or having pictures taken.

*Since my body fat is at an all-time low right now (under 19%!), I'm noticing things about my body that I've never seen before. I can see muscle definition, particularly in my arms, thighs, and even my lower abdomen. I've never had the desire to look muscular, but being able to see the muscle means that there isn't much fat blocking the view ;)

*I don't feel like a "phony" anymore, particularly with the From Fat to Finish Line documentary being released very soon. In the film, I was at my goal weight; and since then, I was dreading the release of the film because I was 27 pounds OVER my goal. I felt, for lack of a better word, like a phony. Now, having lost the extra weight and actually being under my goal weight, I feel proud for the film's release. I'm obviously not trying to hide the fact that I had gained weight, but if people check up on me to see if I've kept the weight off, I am glad to show that I am under my goal.

*When I was noticeably over my goal weight, and received some hurtful comments on my blog about it, I became very self-conscious. I constantly felt so much pressure to lose the weight, but I was having such a hard time actually doing it. The stress and anxiety was a big binge trigger for me, and I felt better when I was eating (only to beat myself up for it later).

For a year or so, I spent SO MUCH TIME thinking about my weight and feeling like I'd let everyone down. I feel like I missed out on a whole year of my life because of stressing over my weight! I wish I hadn't had that reaction, but the fact is, I did. I can't even describe how much better I feel now that I don't have that hanging over my head. I wrote a post called "Get it over with", which explains all of this in detail, and now I have gotten it over with. This new headspace was completely worth dropping the extra weight I'd picked up.

---

It's kind of amazing how much difference these last 20-30 pounds have made. Obviously, I hope that this is the last time I'll have to lose it; but in some crazy way, the extra pounds made it kind of nice to be reminded of what extra weight does to my mental and physical well-being. I think these last 10 pounds were probably cosmetic, but going from 160 to my goal of 133 made a world of difference! I hope I don't need reminding again ;)

The Walk: Questions and Answers.

Two nights ago, Alexis and I had an ice cream date on my last night in the city.

Why My Only Friend Unfriended Me

Hello! How are you? I’m pretty good because I got a NEW pair of running shoes from  Newton!! New running shoes are the best best best. Am I right?

I ran an easy 6 miler because I have a race this weekend. It’s a very very  last minute thing that I got talked into by the artist formerly known as SkinnyRunner. I think she just wants to hang out so I can return that deodorant I borrowed from her last year. Typical.

I’m headed to see her tomorrow but it’s TBD if she picks me up from the airport because now we’re fighting. It all started innocently enough with the usual race and running talk, but then it got ugly.

 

 

Any guesses on what I sent that made her disown me?

Scroll for the picture…

 

 

 

 

 

This is what I text her:

Oh, it’s just the usual girly kinda fight about how I totally grossed her out that I text her a pic of my toenail falling off. That is the kind of quality stuff you can expect when we’re friends (note to self: don’t give Monican your number).

Context of the situation: None. I just thought I’d send it out of nowhere.

So, if you’re on the fence about whether or not you LOVE or HATE running that picture might have pushed you over to the dislike side since it’s the worst.

It’s gorgeous outside so I took this party outside on the patio this afternoon. So nice!!! All I need now is a cocktail and I’ll be set.

Question: How many toenails are you the proud owner of right now?

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