15 things you probably didn't even want to know about me

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Long runs and feeling crappy.

This last training plan has been very interesting and I've learned lots of things.   I'm training for an ultra relay in February.  I was never worried that I couldn't do it (although slow) I was worried that I would do it and feel super crappy because I didn't train correctly.  One of the issues I knew I had to address was fueling.  I'm running 32.9 miles in around 30 hours.  11.3, 11.4 and 10.2 miles. It's actually not too bad.  I was really lucky and I'm running with some badass's that let me do a moderately hard set of legs.  

Only because I LOVE Bob's Burgers.

Very important when running so much.  Fuel.  How do you fuel?  I picked the brains of lots of runners.  Some take a GU every 3 miles, some every 45 minutes and some just have a smidgen every 15 minutes.  Most of my running career I have run while subscribing to the Primal lifestyle (no grains, dairy and sugar) and because of that I used minimal amount of the packaged runners fuel.  I ate real food before and after and if my run was really long I would have one GU.  Never really any issues.  

This felt different.  I knew that if I didn't properly fuel on the first run then I would be starting behind in the second run.  SO....I picked up some Honey Stinger GELS.  The first 9-10 mile run I felt OK and fueled about every 35 minutes.  I could feel the energy difference too.  Then something just went wrong.  My body screamed NO MORE. 

After my 15 mile run I felt so crappy.  It was AFTER, but it was still crappy.  I felt nauseated and a bad headache.  It almost felt like a hangover.   I considered everything I ate and took (ibuprofen before run...salt tabs).  I did have 5 gels during the run.  I felt better by morning and just figured maybe I was a little dehydrated, but not sure.  After that I was nauseated after almost any run over 5 or any run I took a gel.  

The last straw was for me last Saturday.  I set out to do 6 miles with 5-30 second strides at the end.   It was cold but I overdressed.  I was hydrated well but I knew I needed some fuel to give the strides my best.  Well I took the gel and a good 8 oz of water.  2 miles later I was SICK.  I felt nauseated and weak and the worst was dizzy, like I was going to pass out.  No bueno. I actually had my son Daniel pick me up.  That has never happened.

  

Of course I googled it.  I've always had sort of an iron stomach when it came to eating and running and this change disturbed me.  The fuel in gels is very concentrated and needs water in order for the body to digest properly.  That is why the packets are always saying take with water.  I always took with water but I think I just stopped tolerating them.  

This story is long.  Sheesh.  

My brother told me about a book, Feed Zone Portables.  He's an ultra runner and long distance biker.  It's about eating real food for energy.  A lot of the recipes use rice, which I know my body tolerates well.  So I made the Lemon Ricotta baked rice balls.  Ingredients include: Calrose sticky rice, lemon, lemon zest, ricotta cheese, egg and sugar (I used coconut sugar).  I made 8 of them out of the recipe and decided to take two.  

That would total:   448 calories and 87 carbs.  A little high on the calories and carbs are adequate.  

SO FAR SUCCESS!!  I ran, felt great and no nausea!!!  

One lesson learned.  I can't eat one very fast.  They are actually about 4 bites each.  Having one bite about every 15 minutes is my plan for tonight.  I am looking at making something a little bit smaller with the same benefits.  I was very careful about drinking water.  I'm a sipper so I ended up drinking about 20 oz's.  They are also a little bulkier then gels but I was able to fit 2 in my belt.  I'm going to have to figure out something when I run longer next week.  

It was actually an amazing run!  Left at 8:30 and it was about 27 degrees.  I just got this shirt from Athleta.  20% off sale.  BAM.    It was awesome!  I did have arm warmers under but they got a little hot when the temp was 36 degrees when I finished.  

Athleta; Running Wild Taped Crew in LONG

On sale 39.99

Now for food and rest and running 8 miles again tonight at 4:30.

Yikes!

Who's done an Ultra Relay?  Any hints?

Your fuel during long runs?

Blog on..............

Grab your stress snacks. Tears are being shed here.

Not actually tears but dang close.  
I took 9 days off from my last half marathon, worked on my core, took a lot of ibuprofen and iced iced iced.  The pain is so hard to explain but it's definitely nerve pain and it shoots down the outside of my leg and making my knee hurt and down to the ankle.  It's crazy how bad it can hurt.  Sometimes it hurts just to walk.  

I went to the gym last week.  I wanted to run an easy 3 miles on a flat surface so I decided to hit the gym.  Well, within 1 step trying to run I was immediately hit with a sharp nerve pain from my knee to my ankle.  I tried stretching, running slower and even walking.  At about 10 minutes I gave it up and finished my 30 minutes on the cycle.  

SO depressing!  

Did some strengthening exercises.  
Came home.
Cooked.

Enough soup to last a week.  SOOOO delicious! 

(did not make or eat the bread)

The constant injuries are wearing on me.  The only time I ran without injury was when I took a couple of Pilates classes a week.  I'm considering finding a good Pilates workout on CD.  

I wanted to eat through my tears but I went for my new favorite snack.

Celery, cashew butter and craisins

I went to the sports doc last Thursday.  They couldn't figure out anything definitive.  If it's going down my leg then they (the doctor and resident) think it's my back but it's not my back.  There was other words thrown around but in the end they thought it was mechanical and sent me to physical therapy.  

Luckily my very favorite PT from the running clinic, Laura, had an opening that night!   She was just as perplexed.  We narrowed it down to my knee.  She did the Graston just above my knee (OUCH) then taped and iced it.  She also gave me a couple of new exercises to do.  

not my knee or Laura

It's been 5 days since then.   The tape is helping.  I'm also icing.  I went to the massage therapist and in her words, "that leg is just not giving it up".  It's frustrating but I really want to move on from this.  I haven't needed the ibuprofen and that's a big improvement.  Plus I get to share my "scrotee" with friends, family and co-workers!

Scrotee - when your knee is taped while bent so that when you straighten your leg your knee now resembles a scrotum.  

I have been keeping close track just to try and keep me motivated.  

Even added a couple of strengthening moves.

Just lifting a light weight with my feet.  I don't move my leg just lift my foot up and down.

Important Info:

Did you know that you can feel like shit after acutely stopping ibuprofen?  I really wanted to give my body a break and the pain was decreasing so I slowed way down and finally stopped today.  I've had a rebound headache since.  Hoping to snap out of it tomorrow.  Usually I just get really sore and feel every knot and creak in my body for a day and then feel better.  This time I had nausea and a headache.  I narrowed it down to stopping the ibuprofen.  

I'm a hot mess and when I say hot I'm talking about a hot flash!  


Work has been great.  We've had a couple of long flights during the day over the beautiful changing leaves.  We don't have our cell phones on during flight and I don't have a regular camera so I don't have pictures.  

It's been the best fall ever!  I appreciate living here in Utah more every season.

I also had a most excellent day in the OR.  Each team member spends one day in the OR intubating patients.  We work closely with the anesthesiologist and learn so much!  I did study before hand.  Have to know your landmarks!

High five for FOUR successful first pass intubations before noon!!

Looking for the perfect name for our Masters Ultra in February.  Any ideas will be welcomed!!  

Blog on........

Eating my feelings.

Have I posted about this before?  It has been my biggest struggle since my divorce and liar confession.    It just feels better to eat cookies, chocolate or popcorn as I drift off to sleep.  It has NOT been good for my health and my body.  I've stayed right around 15-20 lbs over my ideal weight since then.  Good news?  Well at least I'm no off the charts gaining weight.  I can feel it when I run.  It is really not good on my confidence.  My body is actually looking better because of all the working out, but I can feel the extra weight.  

Plus I feel crappy.  The night before my race last Saturday?  I ate a Jr. cheeseburger and fries from 5 guys and 3 Rolos, not single Rolo's, three packages.  THREE.  I wasn't even hungry!  After my race I decided that I needed to reset something!!  

Years ago I read this book and spent a good 2 years following it almost perfectly.  

source

Then I stressed out and didn't follow it exactly.  To get back on track I tried the Whole 30.  

source

My recap

I did consider the Whole30 a success.  I did not consider it something I would do again.  I spent way too much money and time that seems prohibitive on a daily basis.  It was nice to go over my first book that was Paleo or Primal and remember why I loved it so much.

Paleo/Primal/Whole30.  It's all variations of a grain free, sugar free lifestyle.  Primal feels a little easier to maintain. I did it for a couple of years.  I stayed at a weight I felt good at and I was never hungry.  Saturday I decided to do 21 days to see if I could reset to my previous eating habits.  

I won't be posting pictures or doing any kind of updates as I do it.  I can barely throw down a blog post a couple of times a month, so I won't torture you with recipes and pictures.  

I am going to stop counting my calories too.  I've been doing that for a few weeks and it helps to watch my carbs.  I'll do that on week 2.  

Here's to hoping I can pass on that cookie!!!  

What is your food weakness?

What is the weirdest diet you have tried?

  I have tried juice cleanses and those shake diets.  I think the worst was Atkins.  Which is funny because it's a lot like Primal only more fruits and veggies.  

Blog on.........

Good news. Bad News. Either Or.

 Today I started out my day thinking I had plenty of time to recap my weekend race.  

Good News:  It was a great race and I had a blast.
Bad News:  I didn't take too many pictures.

My triple medal fuzzy picture.

Good News:  I had enough pics to do a decent recap.

Bad News:   I had a disagreement with Picasa and Picasa won.  

Good News:  I can still recap later.

Bad News:  I need to kiss and make up with Picasa. 

I did a bunch of cooking so that I can start back into eating a lot more healthy.  It took forever!

Bad News:  Every time I make this bread I'll think about MILF runners funny description.  (well, not all bad)

Good News:  This was my best batch and it is DELICIOUS!

Good News:  I finally got in to see my internist for my yearly fasting blood tests.

Bad News:  I'm slinging around about an extra 8 lbs of water and BLAH from a weekend of body abuse.  

Bad News:  They can't take blood without a bruise.

Good News:  It matches my awesome bed pillows.

Not only did I get my doctors appointment out of the way I was able to get my laundry done, cook, paint my toenails and get the gray out of my hair. 

Good News:  I put on my heated mattress pad!

Bad news:  There is none!!

I hope I'm not the only one that bloats up after a relay or even a big race.  The hotter it is the more I bloat too.  (Bloat is a disgusting word - I think of a dead fish on the shore)  It's almost like a party weekend but with messier hair, no booze and plenty of exercise.  

Bad News:  The day flew by and I wish I had more time to sit on my ass.  

Good News:  So glad I got some stuff done.

Bad News:  The pictures in this post are horrid.

Good News:   I won't post them straight from my phone again.

Bad News:  I don't have a DSL camera and all my pics come straight from my iPhone.

Good News:  I will never pretend to know how to take sweet pics.

Bad News:   I will always post silly pics and probably too many.

Just thought I'd have one big blog of pics and light banter.    Now I have to dry my hair and crawl into my warm clean bed.

GOOD NEWS!!

Do you tend to get a little "puffy" after a big race or relay weekend?

What do you use to take most of life's pictures?

Blog on..........