Why I Run

Some days I question why I run. For health? To lose weight? A sense of pride and accomplishment? To collect medals? To challenge myself? To relieve stress? For therapy? I think for me, it's really a mixture of all these things, depending on the day. Lately though, it's really just been the biggest form of therapy and stress relief I have. See, things don't always go as planned. My life is definitely not at the place I thought it would be at right now, and it's getting increasingly harder to deal.

Everywhere I turn someone is pregnant. It's time to come clean. I was the one supposed to be pregnant right now. Before my life got turned upside down in August and my husband's career path got flipped on a dime. Now, instead, my husband is getting ready to deploy and the baby is being delayed for a year. It breaks my heart. That compounded with some medical issues, and I'm an emotional ticking time bomb.

Running seems to be the only thing I can control in my life right now. The only thing that I can say "this is what I am going to do right now" and have it happen. The only goal I know I alone I can shoot for and I alone am responsible for. It's therapeutic, when it's just me and the open road, I control how fast I want to go, and I determine if I am going to give in and quit or keep going and fight. It's really cathartic. The runner's high doesn't hurt either. So, I keep going. And I'll keep on going. I'm not going to quit. So then next time someone asks me why I run, instead of listing my myriad of reasons, I think I'll counter it with "why don't you?"

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Something about Fall just screams all things pumpkin. A few weeks ago, my friend Maria pointed me in the direction of this recipe for pumpkin cream cheese muffins with a streusel topping. I decided these would make an awesome Halloween treat  for the Hubs' office. These were awesome and a definite hit at the office! Many thanks to Maria for the recipe!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (adapted allrecipes.com)

Filling
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Streusel Topping
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar (I used 2 1/2 TBSP packed brown sugar)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Muffin Batter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (I used a whole 15 oz can of pumpkin puree)
1/3 cup olive oil (I used 1/4 cup canola oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (my own addition)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (my own addition)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (my own addition)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 24 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
2. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
3. For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
4. For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
5. Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
   
   

 

Holy Negative Split Batman!

I've been in a bit of a funk lately, nothing is really wrong, it's just that I know what I want out of life, yet I can't get it right now due to various reasons and I just feel kind of...stuck. So, I must admit, while I know running usually helps get me out of the funk, sometimes I don't always have the motivation to go out there and actually do it. I really wanted to skip my run today, after all, I skipped yesterday like a bad girl. But, Hubs called as he was leaving the gym at work and asked if I wanted to go for a run with him around the loop when he got home since it was so nice out today. I agreed and quickly got changed so I'd be ready when he got home. I decided to give the heart rate monitor on my Garmin a try today, I don't think I had it positioned right though, because at one point it said my HR was up to 213 bpm which is way too fast. So, I guess I'll have to test it out again next time and see if it makes a difference.

I am so glad I got out there tonight though, the weather was gorgeous, probably around low 60s, cool, breezy, perfect! The run was fantastic! First mile, one small walk break up the nemesis hill at 0.84-0.89, second mile, another short one along the uphill stretch around 1.38-1.40, and another at the other nemesis hill at 1.53-1.55. But holy splits, first mile: 10:33, second mile: 9:40. NINE FORTY?! Holy moly! I haven't seen a 9:xx average pace in a very long time. If you're counting, that's 2.00 miles in 20:13. That's the fastest I have done this loop, maybe ever, I really don't know, I didn't have a trusty Garmin before to tell me. PRing the Turkey Trot 5K in 2 weeks doesn't seem so far away anymore, I think I just may be able to pull it off, maybe with some more running, and lots of luck, but it doesn't seem impossible.

Negative Split and a Big Announcement!

The weather was beautiful out today, cool, mid-60s, overcast, perfect running weather in my opinion. I hate being overheated. As much as I love sunshine and warmth, running in the brutal heat with the scorching sun beating down on you is just not fun. Then again, running in 40 degree freezing downpour rain, a la this March's Germantown Half Marathon wasn't fun either. But, to me, 60s is perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and overcast allows you to not get fried in the sun. I haven't been feeling well lately, and I was thinking about putting off today's run, but I put off yesterday's and I knew I really needed to get out there. So 6 p.m. rolled around, the hubs got home from work, and we headed out to do a quick 2 mile loop around the neighborhood. I don't know if it was the weather or the fact that I was so excited about my big announcement (more on that in a bit), or if I'm just finally getting my running legs back, but I was ready and on. I ran pretty much the whole first mile no problem, took 1 short walk break to fix my stupid hair that was falling down, and another quick stroll up the giant hill that is my nemesis. According to my Garmin we finished that first mile in 10:35.

Second mile started out okay, I decided I need a walk break somewhere around 1.25ish or so, we walked a bit and then picked it back up. I struggled with the other big hill, it's usually about the part where I start to lose it and mentally beat myself up and tell myself I'm just not cut out for this. This time, I told myself to shut up, dug deep and kicked the pace up. When I saw on the Garmin screen we were approaching the 2 mile mark, I went all out, I started sprinting. Finished the second mile in 10:22, making that my first ever recorded negative split!! Woohoo!!

 

The big announcement is, I officially registered today for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Disney World on February 27, 2011!! I am so excited about this race! Being from Florida, I spent quite a bit of time at Disney in my day, and now to get to run a race through Epcot and Magic Kingdom just sounds awesome. The fact that it's mainly a women centric race is very inspiring and encouraging. I put Belle down as my favorite princess, it's really a toss up between Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella, and I know Ariel tends to get quite a few devotees from reading recaps from prior years, so Belle it is. I can't wait to run the race and get my tiara finisher medal to add to my growing collection!

End First of Week Back Wrap Up

So, I've survived my first week of being back on the wagon. Hubs and I wrapped up the week with a nice slow jog/walk around a local park here. The weather had been so nice earlier in the week, unfortunately, it didn't hold out through yesterday, it was back up to 80 degrees. It probably didn't help that we went at one o'clock in the afternoon and by then it was just brutal, and the park doesn't have much shade. We ended up doing 4 miles at a very slow leisurely pace. We pretty much ended up walking 2.5 out of the 4 miles I think, mostly because I could feel myself frying in the sun and was not a happy camper. Overall though, I am glad we got out there and got to spend some time together.

Totals for the week:
Distance: 8.07 miles, Time: 1:45:54, Avg Pace: 13:06 min/mi, Avg Speed: 4.6 mph, Max Speed: 8.9 mph

Sub-11 Again

I've been struggling to get my running legs back. It's been an uphill battle, literally, the hills in my neighborhood have been killing me. I usually walk them. My pace has been terrible, 11 and 12 minute miles. Makes this former 10:00 min/mi girl very sad, especially since at my best I was getting into sub-9 territory. But, baby steps. One doesn't take three and a half months off and just jump right back in at peak performance. But, if I really am going to run two half marathons in the spring three weeks apart, I need to get going and get back into proper running form. Step one? Try to run the hills. That's what I did today. When the hills came up, I did my best to resist the urge to walk and instead slow my pace and try to jog up them. While I still had to take quite a few walk breaks during the 2 mile loop, I finally got into a sub-11 minute mile average. Running legs may just be returning after all. And I can definitely feel it. My legs are sore. The foam roller is calling my name.

 

And, a different perspective, so you can see all the hills and just how steep they truly are:

Garmin vs. Nike+

Any runner has heard of the toys, maybe has drooled over them, and has even wondered, what's the difference? I was one of these runners. I started out with my beloved Nike+ that the hubs bought me for my birthday last year. I thought it would be a fun, and at $30, relatively cheap, way to keep track of my runs, calculate my pace and distance, and allow me to either rejoice at only having a small distance left to go, or groan at the knowledge that I have a much longer way to go. But then I started questioning its accuracy. I was told it wasn't always the most accurate tool, even after calibration, and after using it consistently for the last year I noticed that it was always a bit off. Some days it would over-estimate my distance, and other days it would under-estimate. This drove me crazy. I just wanted to know that I was running this distance in this amount of time. End of story. I did enjoy using it on the treadmill though, and since I've always heard treadmills are notorious for being inaccurate as well, I figured between the Nike+ and the treadmill screen, I would split the difference and call it good. Most of the time the treadmill was behind what the Nike+ said anyway.

As I began running more and more, and training for races, I began wanting more running toys. The prized jewel for me was the Garmin Forerunner 305. The GPS watch, to me, was the ultimate in accuracy. It would tell me precisely what my distance was, my pace, my splits, things my Nike+ was incapable of. Oh, and it has a wireless heart rate monitor, which I have yet to test, but that added bonus takes it into another universe above the Nike+.

So, now that I have both, I decided today would be the day to test the difference in accuracy, especially for the Nike+. I always used the Nike+ when running races, and most of the time it was off, which led me to believe that either the race distances were incorrect and I wasn't really racing a 5k, or my Nike+ was just not right. Although, when I ran the Germantown Half Marathon, it was pretty darn close, my Nike+ logged me in at 13.03 miles, so it was only about .07 miles off the certified race course.

Today's run was tough, considering I took the summer off and ran once in September and now twice in October, it's been an uphill battle to get back at it. My endurance is in the toilet and I just can't get going like I used to. I'm mad that I allowed myself so much time off, but then again, the heat here was enough to sway anyone from stepping outdoors. But anyway, the point of this post is the difference in the electronics and not me being out of shape. So, the Garmin put me at 2.07 miles in 25:09, with an average pace of 12:09 min/mi; Nike+ put me at 2.03 miles in 25:08, with an average pace of 12:23 min/mi. Soooo, not much difference! Overall, I can't say that the Garmin is better than the Nike+. I like the added features of the Garmin, the elevation, grade, splits, heart rate, laps, GPS, etc. I also like the Garmin's website and training interface better than that of the Nike+. But, if all you're looking for is distance and average pace, and don't want to shell out the $150 for a Garmin, the Nike+ is a much cheaper alternative and pretty good for the money!

Garmin upload, notice all the info it gives you on the left:

Nike+ upload, this is all it will ever give, the little lines behind the graph can be clicked on and you can see your pace throughout the run, but can't see the split:

Cheddar-Crusted Apple Pie

I love the combination of apples and cheese. I know it's odd, but anyone who's been to Vermont will tell you, the only way to eat apple pie is to finish it off with a slice of cheddar. I also adore the Melting Pot, and what's my favorite thing at MP? If you guessed the cheese fondue and Granny Smith apples, you would be correct! I am just obsessed with the sweet and salty combo. A Vermonter friend of mine mentioned the other day that she was making apple pie with a cheddar crust, intrigued, I decided to Google for recipes and found one from Cooking Light that I decided to try last night in addition to a menu completely comprised of items from this month's issue of the magazine. The taste of the pie was a little different, but still delicious.

Cheddar-Crusted Apple Pie (adapted from Cooking Light)
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients 

Crust:

2 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour, divided
3/4  cup  (3 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar)
1/2  cup  ice water
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  cup  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
 

Filling:
10  cup  very thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 3/4 pounds) (I used 5 large apples)
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
1/3  cup  packed brown sugar
1/4  cup  granulated sugar
1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
1/4  teaspoon  ground ginger
Dash of salt
Cooking spray
1  large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and cheese in a small bowl; toss well. Place mixture in freezer for 10 minutes.
Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup ice water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Combine 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese mixture. Add slurry; toss with a fork. Sprinkle surface with up to 1 tablespoon ice water, tossing with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball). Mixture will seem slightly dry. Dough was very, very dry at this point, I added about 1 TBSP more ice water to at least get the flour to stick to be able to complete the next step.
Divide dough in half. Gently press each half into a 4-inch circle on 2 sheets of overlapping heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll each dough half, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Chill 30 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
To prepare filling, combine apple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar through dash of salt) in a small bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over apples; toss well to coat.
To assemble pie, remove top sheets of plastic wrap from 1 dough circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray, letting dough extend over edge of plate. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Spoon filling into crust. Brush edges of crust lightly with water. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap from remaining dough circle; place, plastic wrap side up, on apple mixture. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 3 (1-inch) slits in top of pastry using a sharp knife.
Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water; brush over top and edges of pie. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.