The end of a bad running joke?

I can't even recall how many times I've posted about my issues with running fuel - gels, blocks, drinks, drink mixes, etc.

If you missed it, long story short: GI distress. Often. As in, avoided eating hours before runs (even short ones). Had evenings where I just wanted to curl up in the bathroom floor and cry from the pain.

BUT NOT TONIIIIIIIIIGHT! :)

I've been a subscriber of Kona Kase since July (more on that later), and last month one of the items was Skratch Labs hydration mix ("with lemons and limes").

Typically I avoid mixes unless people REALLY rave about them. This time was no different - I can't stomach lemon-line Gatorade anymore. Those stomach cramps were... A nightmare. A violent nightmare. Guess I thought that would be the same, and that there was really no hope for me, with the exception of the post-race Powerade runDisney has. THAT I'll drink. Go figure 😉

Anyway, this month one of the items in the Kona Kase was a Skratch Labs mix - in PINEAPPLE! Oh, how I love pineapple.

I mixed it with some water 20-30 minutes pre-run and tried it. To my surprise, it actually had flavor. And it wasn't a faint flavor, either!

Sorry, NUUN lovers. NUUN is a fabulous product, but there's not enough flavor for me.

Says the girl who uses two packets of apple cider mix per 6-8 ounces. That reference help you understand my plight a little more? Don't smite me 😉

I had a little of the mix pre-run, a little mid-run, and a decent amount post-run.

And about twenty minutes ago I picked up the bottle to drink some more. To my shock, I realized that not only was I still drinking it, I wasn't sick! I wasn't in pain! I wasn't curled up in a ball on the floor! (Although now I feel a little off, but I blame that on eating Fruit Gushers post-run - even nearly two hours later. Darn tasty things, I couldn't stay away).

I'm now feeling really good about this. I'm even a bit excited to try the Skratch with lemons and limes.

Of course I still have that flavor apprehension. I don't see that going away. But now I'm actually interested in trying other products (or at least more Skratch), with a lot less of the terror and fear that I'll be wasting my money!

I feel pretty good right now.

And to top it all off, I'm in my footie pajamas, so I'm pretty content.

Cuz that wasn't random, huh?

Basically, I like the feeling I have now.

Not like, love. This is what it should feel like post-run, not avoiding everything but water because I'm afraid I'll get sick.

Oh, and to top off my running day?

I pulled a double. They were short, due to time constraints, but I worked my tail off! 5-10% incline for a mile this morning. 2.25 miles this evening, running the last 1.75 miles of it - and finishing at 7mph! (8:30mm).

I started off with the mindset that I would wear a motivating shirt:

Nailed it 😉

I like to think I did Dumbo proud tonight!

Alright, enough of my rambling. Have a fun and safe night, everyone. Peace! 💋

Words of Wisdom (Teeth)

I had my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. Something I could've lived without, but nothing like the horror stories people kept feeding me with horrible nurses, oral surgeons not listening to people that novocaine won't work on them, that kind of mess.

Although I will say it was kinda weird and creepy because they had wrist clamps for heart rate/pulse monitors, and the cords attached to them (so yay, no sticky stuff!). I was hanging out around 68 or so, and then the oral surgeon walked in and it jumped to about 78.

Nervous much?

I found it rather... Humorous, for lack of a better word, that they told me to come in wearing short sleeves or something that could easily be rolled up past the elbow (for IV sedation)... Yeah, they stuck it in my hand.
The oral surgeon told me that in about two minutes the room would spin.
I only got as far as thinking "Man, my hand feels a little numb..." and then I woke up.

Yeah, I don't know what "room spinning" he was talking about.

I love my MIL. My husband has a bad habit of volunteering her for things and not telling her until a day or two before (or, you know, being "nice" and "volunteering" me for things... We gotta work on his communication! lol??), and she ended up taking me to the dentist AND staying in the waiting room for an hour and a half - all while being on a teleconference that she'd had scheduled.
Not to mention the fact that they actually showed me a video on how to care for my mouth AS I was waking up.

Totally slept through most of it.

And on top of everything else, she changed my bloody gauze, and even made me try to have some milkshake before she made me take my painkiller (nevermind that I didn't need or want the painkiller, she followed instructions and wouldn't let me take it on an empty stomach - and she wiped my coat when I spilled shake and dripped blood on myself).
With a mouth full of clean gauze, I told her I loved her. And that I'd never felt so attractive in my life (sarcasm, of course).

My last run was two nights ago, and ended in enough time that I had a small dish of frozen yogurt, some orange juice... I think I also had my water and vitamins, or something like that... All right before the cutoff of when they told me to not eat before the surgery.
And then waking up around 8, about an hour before the surgery... Needless to say, I was crabby because I was hungry - AND I wasn't allowed to have water or anything.

The more recent dilemma has been deciding what I can and can't do. I woke up at 7, despite having the day off... And I wanted to go for a run.
Of course, I've been pretty clear-headed since the surgery (although a bit groggy yesterday, but still pretty lucid), but I know good and well that DH and the ILs would've been all "NO! NO YOU MAY NOT!!!"
And soI didn't.
I paid credit card bills. I looked up shoes for graduation for about an hour. I spent just over an hour on the phone with my FIL (and yes, the "NO YOU MAY NOT!" was confirmed). And then I was so bored (and maybe a little tired?? But mostly bored) that I slept from just after 11 until about 2, pausing for random phone calls, of course.
I was so bored I was tempted to go into work. Of course, I'm going in at about 5 anyway for an evening training.

And here I am, awake. Very minimal pain, maybe a hint of discomfort here and there... And I've been living on Ensure shakes and pudding - the kind of pudding that has to be refrigerated! (How weird is that??). And a little bit of applesauce.
Which is tasty and all, but it blows because I would go for a burger or a spicy chicken sandwich or something if I could, but I should probably avoid that for the next couple days.

On the subject of nutrition, I've been trying to figure out exactly how to take care of myself post-run for the next week while my mouth heals. I already have a hard time with GI issues post-run, and now it seems like I'm going to be on applesauce, Ensure, pudding (cold pudding! ick), and water for ages.
I feel a bit like an old person with hardcore dietary restrictions or something.

I tried looking it up, and I found all sorts of posts from people who ran a great distance the next day, or couldn't run the next day, who felt fine or had a horrible experience, and I'm just thinking "Well, I could be out and moving around instead of laying here like a lump because I'm not in pain..."

Even better, the experience I got from my other job... They called me yesterday afternoon with an open shift on Saturday - I'd already told one person I wouldn't be able to do Saturday (the day of the NCE), but that I wouldn't be able to come in to fill out the paperwork because I work during the hours the office is open. She told me it was ok.
My phone was on silent yesterday and I dozed through the call. When I saw they'd called I was going to make DH call and let them know I was unavailable for a shift - of course he didn't do that. So I sent them an email.
I called them this morning to make sure they got the message, and was told that when "something like this happens" (meaning my wisdom teeth getting taken out) I need to call and let them know I can't work.
Uh... That's not why I can't work Saturday. I'd already spoken to someone about it - I'm not working Saturday because I paid $300 to take a licensure exam. I feel perfectly fine, and I'm not available for them during the week anyway! I don't know what wisdom teeth Wednesday have to do with work Saturday - AND I was lucid enough to send an email that was grammatically correct and had no spelling errors.

Head, meet wall.

I love them, but I'm waiting to get a call to work graduation day this time around, too. I took the day off when I graduated with my bachelor's, and ended up working an overnight :-/

Which reminds me, if you all didn't notice... I'm graduating! May 4 :)
I rewrote my career counseling essay for my written exam, and I will be graduating! As in, diploma and everything! Now to find the right shoes for graduation. MIL and I will be going after the NCE on Saturday to see what we can find.

That is all. For now ;)

"Running Diet" vs. "Healthy Diet"

While laying in bed this morning, DH and I were talking about what needed to be on our grocery list. I've got a pretty basic grocery list that gets me through just about everything (that is, I can add or subtract, but those usually stay the same).

You know, the goods: water, milk, bread, peanut butter... Cheese, because no grocery list is complete without cheese. Obviously. Greek yogurt, bagels, OJ, cereal (like Frosted Mini Wheats or Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted), bananas, stuff like that.

And sometimes there are the things that we run out of less often than the other items, and need more of at that time. Canned tomatoes, black and/or kidney beans, random vegetables, oatmeal. Maybe the occasional box of granola.

While trying to figure out how to expand our list in a healthy manner, find stuff we'd actually WANT to eat (bell peppers are not my idea of fun), stuff that works if we don't have time to cook/don't feel like cooking, stuff that will hold us throughout the work day, I decided I would look up "best foods for runners".

Or something like that.

Of course, if you've ever wondered what a runner "should" eat and therefore have looked it up, asked somebody about it, or heard about "carb-loading"/"carbo-loading", you know that big things that show up on these lists are: bananas, pasta, bagels, peanut butter, fruits (especially berries), veggies... And, you know, the occasional random obscure thing.

And yogurt. Which I love, although I usually see "plain yogurt" on those lists. Blech.

I know some people love their plain yogurt, but I think it tastes awful. Well, to each their own.

Anyway, as I was going through these sites, one after another after another, I realized that they all said just about the same thing (see above with the most popular items *coughBANANAScough*).

And it occurred to me, you can look up "What should runners eat?", "Healthy runner's diet", "Best running foods", "Best foods for runners", and whatever else pertaining to running and food... And what you get on the "yes!" list is basically what people should be eating anyway.

So how is it that a "running" diet isn't the same thing as a "healthy" diet?

Now, obviously there are some differences - some things that you may need more or less of depending on what's going on with your body.

For example, ease up on the fiber-rich foods before a run, especially a long one. It's all about the right amount and right timing, otherwise you may end up making some, uh, pit stops, if you know what I mean.

I had a doctor suggest taking calcium/magnesium/zinc supplements when I told him about the Princess Half. Fabulous idea, except when I took them I realized I couldn't take the full serving because they made me feel... off (dizzy, etc.), which was a sign that I was already getting enough of the... Magnesium or zinc, I forget which.

It's amazing to look at the "differences", and especially the similarities between "healthy" diets/lifestyles and "running" diets/lifestyles.

It also feels a bit like "healthy" eating is looked down on, is thought to be a bit "stuffy", and has a hint of "WTF is wrong with you?" attached to it. Hello, have you seen what some of the more popular foods/restaurants serve most of the time, and the stress that's been put on obesity, foods that aren't as good for you, changing up fast food, etc.? But it's also important to take into account that some of the "healthier" foods are far more expensive than processed foods, and they tend to go bad faster. I wonder if the financial aspect of this has to do with any of the (mis)conceptions surrounding the "healthy" diet. I know that when discussing socioeconomic status (SES) in my classes and talking about health, one of the things that's mentioned is people not really being able to afford to eat better.

Whereas it seems like runners who essentially eat the way they should... Are almost revered. Maybe thought to be a little nuts (no pun on the importance of eating nuts, I promise!) and maybe as "kooky" as the stereotypical vegetarian (Tofu? No thanks! My ILs eat it and I just can't wrap my head around it. My vegetarian hubs and vegetarian ILs eat it occasionally, but tends to go for stuff that's less... Obscure, so to speak). But it's often "Man, that willpower, fueling the body for their runs, etc., etc."

Ok, so these are obviously (mostly) my own points of view and opinions and hardcore ramblings and all.

Has anyone else noticed similar things?

Any and all input is welcome! ☺

Oh, and I did add soy nuts to my grocery list. (And still, no tofu!) ;)

Maybe... Marathon? Race Junkie

We're going to start off on a note unrelated to running.
Shocking, I know! But we'll get there, I promise.

I am officially done with my internship hours! I'm already 140+ hours over the minimum cumulative I needed, but I needed more hours with individuals... And I finished them up today! I am freaking psyched. I meet with my head supervisor and my instructor before class on Monday, and we'll talk about it then. I know when I met with my head supervisor on Tuesday, he told me that when people finish their hours he usually has them stop. But I'm pretty sure I have to continue all the way through to the end of the semester, so it may just result in me having my hours cut back.

Also, when I was making my outreach calls today (which helped me meet - and surpass!!! - the minimum individual hours needed), I sucked it up and called one particular client... Last time I talked to this person, s/he wasn't mad at me, but s/he was mad as can be. And I do mean MAD. And this person normally is a bit loud on the phone anyway, but that day s/he was taking loud to a whole new level. As in, I held the phone away from my hear and my team leader could hear the person. Maybe not understand him/her, but definitely hear him/her. And she (my fearless team leader) went and got me a soda to make up for the call ☺
Anyway, I called this person, and s/he was in a MUCH better mood. The concern that she/he'd had for over a month now? Taken care of.
And I was genuinely happy for him/her - AM genuinely happy. It really is amazing to know that the pieces all fell into place. It took more time that s/he would've liked, but the fact of the matter is that the end result is wonderful news.

Now on the subject of running... Technically I'm registered for the Disneyland Half Marathon... Twice. Yes, TWICE.
I'm really contemplating deferring the non-charity-organization-registration to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge.

Yes, I just said what you think I said. I've conquered a half marathon (granted, I walked most of it, but I did it - AND a crap-ton of walking around the theme parks for all four days we were there!) and now I'm really getting psyched about the prospect of doing a marathon.
And also of somewhat warmer weather, so I can take my running from the treadmill to the trail by our apartment. Only a little bit of that is related to safety concerns. From what I can tell, they plow the trails around here pretty quickly. Frankly, I think I'd be more likely to get frostbite and hypothermia than to slip, fall, and break my neck... Although I'd rather not chance THAT, either. It's so interesting: in the last year, I haven't been all that concerned about breaking bones and running (or, breaking bones in relation to running). But in the last week I was just so concerned that I would break something. My feet and legs hurt so badly that I went from overpronating to possibly underpronating (I couldn't tell, all I knew was it was out of the norm). You hear horror stories (I think one of them was in a recent issue of RW) of people running in the winter, falling, and breaking something.

Just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do it.

A marathon, I mean. Not falling and breaking something, although I suppose I could do that, too. But I mean just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do a marathon. Or a marathon AND a half (at separate times, I mean. At least right now).

And now I'm seeing all of these really cool races. I mean, they're ones that I'd noticed before, but they'd always seemed out of reach to me. A wonderful former best friend suggested the Diva Dash 5K. I'd eyeballed the Leprechaun Chase 10K, but that sold out ridiculously quickly (something tells me it's related to it showing up in the February or March issue of RW??). And oh my god, if I had my way I would sign up for the Runner's World Half & Festival. And do the entire. Freaking. Thing.

...
Is that a belated runner's high talking? I can't tell.

A half marathon seemed like a dream - a dream fit for a princess. I don't even know how I got up the guts to sign up for the Princess Half, but I don't regret it for a second!
I used to think a marathon was crazy and WAY out of reach, and I couldn't imagine spending 5-7 hours of my life (all at once!) doing such a thing...
I used to think a half marathon... Well, I didn't really even think about half marathons, to be completely honest.

Four years ago I was a freshman in college. At this time of year I'd been engaged for just over two months, I was actually liking college (the first semester was a doozy), and I was trying to envision where life would take me, but I was still somewhat unsure.

I never ever ever saw my life taking this (literal) path.
But I'm along for the ride (or run, walk, and plane ride, as the case may be), and I'm loving it.

Bring it.

(Now to wait for the hubs to get home from class so we can go run together!) ☺

The last first day of my program!

I'm gonna be completely honest, I hope wasn't my last first day of a semester in my education ever. I think I mentioned a while ago that I'm currently waiting on a decision from three doctoral programs... I'd forgotten what it was like to just... Wait. I've been checking on my applications for over a month now, and the status shown online still says the same thing:

Submitted.

It's a relief to see that word when you're concerned about whether or not a test or homework assignment got turned in, but not when you would like it to say "Under Review". I'm hoping to find out something (positive) soon.

Today (that is, Monday, not Tuesday, since it's after midnight) was my first day back at school this semester. And my last first day for my current school program!

The day as a whole started off pretty nicely. Got to my internship, did our morning meeting, ran my group... Then I started on paperwork and I thought I was going to die.

Ok, not that bad, but long story short? Cramps + IUD don't mix. I kinda felt like I was being crushed from the inside.

I should clarify, now that I have the IUD my menstrual cramps don't feel like the usual menstrual cramps. Hell, if I have them I don't notice them. All I notice is THE SQUEEZING FEELING. Yes, all bolded, larger font, and in caps is a start at being sufficient enough to describe it. Note that I said "a start".

I ended up heading home before lunch to hopefully find some food I could stomach so I could take 800 mg of ibuprofen (yes, you read that correctly: 800 mg), and get some sleep with the hope that I wouldn't oversleep my first class back. Or, you know, vomit.

I have to say, nothing makes me feel quite as... Pathetic. Yes, pathetic. Nothing makes me feel quite as pathetic as knowing that not only did I bail early because I had cramps, but that I had to take a doctor-approved dose of a pain reliever (a pain reliever that often isn't recommended for runners, unless I'm mistaken - I've heard both ways) so that I would quit feeling like my uterus was about to be sucked out of me. Which already sounds forceful and gross and agonizing and all that other (not-so-) fun crap.

On the plus side, I restarted a book I'd read (and loved) previously. Any romance novel fans, Jennifer Crusie fans, or... I don't know how to define what Bob Mayer writes, but Bob Mayer fans... If you haven't checked out Agnes and the Hitman, I HIGHLY recommend it. Especially if you've got a good sense of humor. Southern mob, a hot hitman, good food, a dog named Rhett (yes, Rhett, as in Gone With the Wind Rhett), and swingin' frying pans!

Then I got my nap, and all was well.

As far as classes go, I'm really looking forward to this semester. Not just because it's my last semester before I graduate with my M.S. (knock on wood! Comps are next month!), but because so far classes are looking good! Granted, I've only got two classes this semester, and I've only had one. But the benefit to being so far along in my program is that my internship class? There are only 8 of us, if you include our (pretty cool) instructor. My Human Growth class is on Tuesday evenings, so I have yet to experience it, but I hear it'll be pretty easy. Mostly writing. And I took a Human Growth course in undergrad, so here's hoping that helps.

It's interesting, though: There's no required book for this class. The Blackboard shell isn't even online, so I don't know who is in my class, although with some hunting I can figure out how large the class is... It looks like there are 24 people (including myself) in the class.

My internship may very well end up leading to a job. I'm unsure of how I feel about it. On the one hand, I spend 30+ hours a week there, and it would be lovely to be paid for it. On the other hand, I know good and well that not only am I waiting on doctoral decisions, but that if I get accepted I may not be able to work there. Or if I do, it will have to be part-time - which I suppose isn't horrible. Let's be honest, that's not bad at all.

Now on to running!

What, you didn't think I could make it a whole post without talking about this journey, did you? ;)

Ok, ok, I thought I could, but we're getting down to crunch time with the countdown, and I'm just excited to be going to Disney next month! Everything is just under 45 days away. About 44 days and 23.25 hours, actually - according to the runDisney website, of course!

I didn't get a run in tonight like I'd planned. Too easily distracted by the fact that I'm making our running tutus. And they. Will. Be. AMAZING! I'm going to post pictures and everything when I finish them, because the ideas I've got are so exciting!

Another reason I *may* have put off running, in addition to a lack of time and all that fun jazz when compared to everything else going on right now, is probably nerves surrounding my lovely running fuel. Since Friday's awful post-run episode of GI distress, I've gotten a couple other types of running fuel to try. I've long since established that Gatorade is not my friend. I'm adding GU to that list, although I don't know if that includes the GU Chomps, which I'd already purchased. I've bought Hammer Nutrition gels (one in Apple-Cinnamon flavor, one in Tropical), and some Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Solids in Strawberry-Vanilla, which I don't have to worry about mixing into a drink.

And excitement of excitement, Jelly Belly makes sport jelly beans! Now THOSE I'm excited to try!

There are some other brands of fuel I was looking to try. I've heard from lots of people that Honey Stingers is good, and that Nuun has really been nice for people with sensitive stomachs.

Speaking of supplements, I picked up some Calcium Magnesium Zinc, which my dermatologist suggested when I talked with him about the half a few months ago. He didn't tell me that they'd be so large!

(That's what she said)

Although I don't know what I was expecting. But it certainly wasn't to take 3 a day.

Before I go, I think I've decided on a new name for this blog. I'm thinking it's going to go from "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" to "A Runner in the Making". But it's been over a year so naturally I've grown attached to the current title of this blog, even though I don't dance even half as much as I used to. Not even close. I'm lucky if I'm gettin' down in front of the bathroom mirror nowadays.

Well, I've rambled on quite enough for the night. It's bedtime. Toodles!

An experience I'd not care to repeat

I know a couple months ago I posted about fueling for runs - before, during, and after - and that Gatorade was a nightmare on my stomach.
Well, with the half next month, I figured that now's as good a time as any to get back into checking out fuels. I believe Disney gives out GU brand energy gels and such, so I decided to look it up. I saw some good things, mostly. Some bad from some people, but nowhere near as many as had trouble with Gatorade. So I picked up three flavors of the gel to try, and one back of the Chomps chews. I decided to have one (lemon sublime) pre-run, and one (strawberry banana) mid-run.

I got to the apartment's workout room around 11 last night and - this, btw, is super creepy - I flip on the light and there's just someone in there on the elliptical! I about had a heart attack!
...
And pretty sure it's not safe to work out in the dark. Especially when using and surrounded by equipment.

Older BIL suggested that if the TV was on then maybe that was enough light.

No. It was straight up DARK. Talk about scary as hell.
A couple came in not long after I got started, so I didn't felt as, um... Weirded out. Considering the time and all.

Eventually the couple left, and I pulled out the iPad and started to watch Mulan. About an hour into the workout (so maybe 25 minutes into the movie?) I have the second energy gel.

BTW, the scene in Mulan where she chops off her hair and steals her father's armor? I watched that 3-4 times. It was wonderfully motivating. I ended up going 5.7-6.0 MPH (10:00-10:30/mile, my usual is 12:30-13:30, if that tells you anything).

I decided to keep going until the end of the movie. I made sure to take a picture of the treadmill when I hit 9.11 miles (because seriously, that's funny), but I did hit "stop" at the end of the workout instead of "pause", so no pictures of the 9.55 or 9.56 I ended with.

That's right. Yours truly finished out at 9.55-9.56 miles! In about 2 hours and 11-12 minutes, keeping in mind I used the first mile as a 20- to 21-minute warm-up. That is 2.5 miles farther than my previous longest distance. And even with walking I'm still faster than the required pace :)

I got back, uploaded my run (my first failed NikeFuel mission - short by 300-ish points, but my best yet, so I can't wait to try it again! Another shot for the "hard" difficulty. I WILL get it), and then when I got ready to shower... It hit me.

I'm sure you can see where this is going.

I spent about 2.5 hours between the bathroom floor and trying to snuggle my sleeping-like-a-rock husband, all while feeling nauseous and having a case of the shakes. It was horrible! Even the stomach cramps I had from Gatorade didn't have that impact! I finally got a shower and got o bed at about 4:15 this morning.

Let's put it this way: between my post-shower weighing and my waking-up weighing (not even 6 hours apart) I lost 8 pounds. Which doesn't put me underweight or anything, it puts me at a weight I was more accustomed to a few years ago, but it still isn't good.
TMI, but I'm not sure how much of the loss was water because I made sure to drink water pre-, during, and post-run, and especially when I thought of the risk of dehydration with the post-run symptoms, and the gels/symptoms really cleaned me out...

Part of me is going "Hey, maybe you should just try the same brand but do it differently, even more water or something! Or maybe try a different brand! You may just have to condition yourself for it."
The other part of me is going "Hell. No. Do you really want to sit through another night of 2+ hours of shakes and nausea?"

I'm quite jealous of those runners who don't experience GI problems with running. Apparent,y they do exist.

On that note, 47.5 days to the Princess Half! I'm really feeling that I can do this. I got to 7.05 miles without energy gels, 9.55-9.56 miles with. I just need to make sure I can get that last 3.5 miles in, and I'm all set!
Also, DH and I have discussed the Disneyland 10K (the first year for it!) and the Disneyland Half Marathon so I'd have a shot at the Dumbo Double Dare medal for doing the 10K and half, AND the Coast to Coast medal for doing at least two races of half marathon or greater distance, one at Disney World in Florida and one at Disneyland in California :)

Hey, Disney?
...
I'm coming for you.
I hope you're psyched, because I know I am.

(Now just some pictures to showcase some of the fun parts of last night's/this morning's run:
- 9.11 miles. Just for kicks.
- "Citizens, I need fire power!" "Who are you?!" "Your worst nightmare." (I think Eddie Murphy did the Batman voice better than Christian Bale! Haha)
- "Light me!"
- the fireworks :)
- "If you ask me, she should've brought home a man!" "Does Fa Mulan live here?" "Woo! Sign me up for the next war!"
It's the "small" things, right?)

Personal Record? Or Personal Best?

In the last week (On September 12) on the Runner's World Magazine Facebook Page they posted this question:

Do you call your fastest time a PR (personal record) or PB (personal best)?

I have to say, the majority of the time I call mine a "personal record" - that way I get to be setting and breaking records! ;) Corny, I know, but it helps get the job done!

That said, I had my own "PR" tonight... Longest run time I've done so far (well, run-walk combo, as well as total run time), AND longest distance. 5.95 mi in 80:20 (or, you know, 6.25mi in 85:25).

I know for some people hitting up 6 miles in an hour and 20 minutes (give or take) is kinda on the slow side - heck, there was a 10K today and this 13-year-old boy took 10th place out of about 4,800 people with a time of 33:50!
Boy, 13, finishes 10th among thousands in downtown Omaha's Corporate Cup
But for me, this is monumental! I know I'm still not even to the halfway point of a half-marathon/21K, and I'm still doing this on a 0% incline on a treadmill, which has been likened to going down a slight hill... But this tells me that I have a shot at doing it! It's still September, Disney's Princess Half Marathon isn't for 5 months... I have a fighting chance, as long as I keep at it pretty consistently.

Note: consistently = more than once every week or two! Haha

We'll definitely have to register in the next week before the price goes up, though. I'm terrified that it will sell out some time soon! I don't know how long registration has been open, but the race is already over half full!

Granted, the website just says it's "51% Full", but that's still over half!


A couple days ago I posted about this lovely thing called fuel. Runner's fuel.
To Gatorade, or Not to Gatorade?
I think that for the most part I'm done with Gatorade. I've ditched the energy chews and the container I had of Lemon-Lime Gatorade powder. I had no qualms about chucking them in the trash. I did, however, keep my packets of Glacier Freeze Gatorade powder. I didn't have any problems with it. Here's hoping that holds up.

I decided to try out coconut water after quite a bit of Google searching... Yup, still not really feeling the taste of coconut-related things. I may just be duking it out with water. In retrospect, I guess that's not such an off or bad thing, as long as I make sure not to over-hydrate, and to take really good care of my body before, during, and after runs. I'd much prefer that to any horrendous stomach cramps that have me curling up in a ball for the next 12+ hours.
I read somewhere that coconut water is far better when it's cold, so I've got the two bottles and one can DH bought me in the fridge. Here's hoping that helps the flavor some.

Fun fact (for anyone who didn't know): Coconut water also comes in flavors! DH bought me a thing of chocolate coconut water. It's not bad, kinda reminded me of chocolate milk, but definitely not what I was expecting. The chocolate aspect still seems kinda weird.

I'm also working on making the switch over to whole-grain pasta. It's unexpectedly tasty. I can't tell if I really remember it being gross, or if this is just a few years of listening to DH complain about the stuff tasting like cardboard... But I had some a week or two ago, and I really really like it! Enough that I wouldn't mind just buying that from now on.

Well, there are definitely some changes afoot... They've been in the works for a while now, but actually seeing a bit of progress feels amazing.

Running + Coconut Water

I posted earlier (at like 1 this morning, as I was about 85% asleep) about my not-so-lovely Gatorade-induced stomach troubles. After doing some Google-searching, I've found a lot of people recommending coconut water.
Now, I'm not much of a fan of coconut-flavors and coconut shavings and all. But I'm really hoping that I like it - or that I can learn to like it. I mean, I DID hear a bunch of good things across the board on it!
So while I was at work DH bought me a regular thing of coconut water and a flavored thing of it. Just two to try out for it. Here's hoping that this doesn't let me down.

Wish me luck! :)

To Gatorade, or Not to Gatorade?

I believe that bodies should be taken care of. A little indulgence isn't the end of the world, but bodies should be taken care of. I'm trying to accomplish this by running, but I also want to work to accomplish it by better fueling my body.

If you hasn't guessed by the title, I use Gatorade. I don't use obscene amounts of it, but I do use it. After a run that I ended with some far-from-pleasant stomach cramping, I decided to Google it and see if I'm the only one with this issue.

Well, it turns out that I am NOT. If you Google Gatorade and stomach cramps, you get a LOOOOOT of results.

I can't tell if it's the pre-workout energy or the powdered drink mix for during the workout. I don't know. I would, however, like to know what recipes there are for doing this myself. Suggestions are helpful and would be greatly appreciated :)