A Case of the Runs

 If you're following along, here is the fifth week of training according to the 4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon book.  The paces below are specifically for the 4-hour goal .  If anyone would like the paces for 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, or 5:00, I can start posting them alongside my plan if you let me know. I am also posting on DailyMile , but everything (and more!) will be posted here as well.  This "Marathon Training" series  is an experiment for me both in fitness and in blogging, as I am going to go into more detail than in previous training cycles, documented on my Training page. ------ Last Week in Review: Here is the original schedule from last week and my comments/modifications.  I printed out my schedule and put it at my work desk to keep me motivated.  I love crossing stuff off!  (Yes, I know the calendar is a bit cryptic, but Google calendar does waaayy too much auto-filling in my entries!) This week went well, with mileage totaling...

I am not a very girly girl, but there is a girly ritual that I must do several times per week: putting on my post-gym face I never used to wear makeup before I started working, unless it was a special occasion.  I don't believe women HAVE to wear makeup to work, but as a young person trying to fit in so I will be regarded and not mistaken for a 15-year-old, I had to learn really quickly . As such, putting on makeup is so intricately related to my gym-going that I thought I'd do a post on it, and how I do it, etc.  Should be fun, right?!  I should disclaim that I don't like having any makeup on my face when running, so if I work out after work, I wash it off beforehand if I can.  Not one who puts on makeup for a race! ------ Over the years, I've tried to get away with cheap makeup , which didn't ever work too well on me for some reason.  So I was conned (i.e., suckered) into getting a higher end eyeshadow palette, but seriously, in all the money I will ...

I have been among the lucky people to have not killed any of my cell phones/cameras/MP3 players/etc. by dropping it into water or sweating through them.  Still, one can never be too careful.  I sweat a ton and sometimes hold my electronics while running.  I was sent a sample of the "Bheestie," which claims to soak up water from devices when you zip 'em up in the bag you see in the picture. Now, I hear that a bag of rice might work similarly, but for delicate electronics that require some serious business, this little piece of "gear" is supposed to do the job much better. Obviously, some items might be beyond rescue, but this might be worth a try. Ever had any little accidents with your electronics?

As I may have already mentioned , I have been trying to eat more protein lately (nuts and egg whites come to mind first... no dirty).  After a short period of doing this, I have noticed a whole lot more muscle tone without changing my workout regimen at all!  I wish I had taken some comparison photos, but seriously, I have noticed a difference in a matter of two weeks. To help these efforts, the lovely folks at Sun Warrior sent me a couple of samples of their raw vegan protein powder to try.  I have tried some other powders in the past that have simply made me gag (vegan or otherwise).  This is the main reason I don't use whey protein powders, besides the fact that they are often chemical-y, they never taste good.  (NOTE: For those of you keeping track, yes, whey protein DOES contain lactose, but it's been processed and usually doesn't upset my stomach.  Therefore, I very occasionally will drink whey protein if I am using the juice bar at...

In my efforts to accurately track the distances I run outdoors, I have tried going by: time estimated distance then finally, gadgets After the death of my third Nike+ Sport Kit chip, I decided that enough was enough, and after months of waiting, the Garmin Forerunner 405 came out. I brought mine online at REI.com . The price was $299... ouch. I was originally going to opt for the green one (the other choice), but for the sake of matching more of my running outfits (like I try to be fashionable when I run... hah!), I finally chose black . When the watch came, I had to charge it overnight and do some setup. It charges via a clamp with two "electrodes," connecting to a USB cord, and finally, an AC adapter (see below for my messy peripherals). My first run with this was a 10-miler in the park near my house. I was surprised that it picked up the signal so quickly, and when I pressed the Training button, my pace and distance appeared instantly. I did not read the instru...

(NOTE: As I mention HERE , this will be the second-to-last restaurant review I do on here... for now.) "The Ukrainian" and I really love our BBQ joints.  It was one of the highlights of our trip to San Antonio some months back, and although it's not a common dinner choice for us, we always love it when we go. This is ironic for at least a couple of reasons. First of all, I try to be meatless.  Yes, I went back to fish about eight months ago, but I don't think I could ever munch on things like ribs again. Second, I don't like the taste of grilled food very much.  That char-ish taste, especially on veggies, is kind of icky to me.  Thus, when I attend friends' barbecues, I kind of squirm when they offer me grilled veggies in lieu of meat.  At home barbecues, I normally eat chips and salad. :$ Anyway, this place is called Woodranch and is located as part of a large mall in Arcadia, CA.  Apparently, I didn't learn my lesson about mall food the las...

I got really lucky and won a tub of Amazing Meal from the Sweet Salty Spicy blog a while back. You may have read my review about Amazing Grass , of which I am not really a fan.  However, the Amazing Meal, especially in this Vanilla Chai flavor, is actually quite good! Check out the nutritionals!  The protein content is awesome! I have been sometimes shaking this up with various non-dairy milks .  You have to make sure it all breaks up before you end up with some green blobbies in your drink, but it's actually quite tasty and decadent. The second way I have been using this is in "baked" treat form... but I'll save that for another time.