PR at the Madison Half Marathon

It has been a tough year to run a marathon. The cancelation of the Madison Marathon, due to severe temperature (predicted to be in the mid 90s), was the third Wisconsin marathon to be canceled in the month of May. First it was La Crosse on May 6th, which was canceled a few hours before the start as a result of lightning and thunder. Then the Green Bay Marathon on May 20th (mid-race) because the medical staff was overwhelmed with runners fainting, collapsing and being severely dehydrated. The Madison Marathon staff and Board of Directors made the right decision, as the majority of the participants have not adequately trained in hot humid conditions. Sure, a few experienced athletes would be able to hydrate and run a smart race, but the majority would have put themselves in a dangerous situation.

Fortunately the half marathon was on my agenda and I was not disappointed with the decision (though it did affect my overall place).

Bearing the morning heat, roughly 5,000 runners made their way to the Capital to begin the half marathon. The race started promptly at 7:12am with temperatures hovering right around 70 degrees, which is definitely manageable for most athletes providing that the volunteers at the aid stations would be on top of their game.

I was able to maintain a somewhat consistent pace (more so than CrazyLegs). Below are my splits:

Mile 1: 5:30

Mile 2: 5:31

Mile 3: 5:30

Mile 4: 5:41

Mile 5: 5:08

Mile 6: 5:45

Mile 7: 5:45

Mile 8: 5:50

Mile 9: 5:47

Mile 10: 5:46

Mile 11: 5:58

Mile 12: 5:57

Mile: 13: 6:00

Time - 1:14:39 (5:42/mile) - Personal Record by 44 seconds!!

Place - 7th overall, 3rd in the M20-24 Age Group

The family! Kurt, Kathy, Trish and Jess. Thank you for waking up at 4:00am to watch me run!

Running a PR is great, and I am definitely excited that I was able to accomplish the aforementioned endeavor, though I know there is always room for improvement. I did identify three factors that I am fairly certain will facilitate a faster race next time.

Laura, my "Official" Photographer :)

1) Hydrate early in the race. By mile 11 I could tell that I was dehydrated and had trouble maintaining a fast pace. My face was hot, my head hurt and I was a little delirious. I finished the race without taking a single cup of water or Gatorade... I have done it before so I knew I could do it again, though not in these temps.

2) Start slower, get faster. Getting out too fast escalates the heart rate too quickly, which in turn burns more carbs (long-term energy storage) than fat (quick-use energy). By hitting the 6:00/mile pace for the first few miles instead of the last three, I would be using more efficient storages of energy and not running into any "walls."

3) Different shoes. I used the Asics Hyper Speed 4 - they work for track workouts and shorter races, though when used for 13 miles on solid concrete, they don't do so well. The lack of cushion and constant pounding was painful and bothered me for the latter half of the race.

Kudos to my roommate, Luke, who accomplished a huge feat of running 13.1 miles in under 2 hours! (1:56:40 to be exact) For someone who only ran 7.6 miles prior, he managed to throw together a very remarkable time.

Carrot Cake w/ Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

There is something primal about the woods. It is often described in books, magazines and articles, though it cannot be captured with eloquently phrased sentences. Myriad people have beautifully described a scene in the woods, or a gorgeous rock outcropping, and I admire them, as they have inspired many individuals to step outside and enjoy mother nature. I can conclude from my outdoor experiences that there is not any one element, rather a symphony of variables functioning together in harmony that allow man to connect with nature.

I experienced an isolated trail run through the woods of Blue Mound State Park this morning, crunching dry leaves underfoot, hearing small animals scurrying away in fright and birds communicating with one another. It was an interesting change of pace from the routine pavement running, which varied from 7:00/mile to 9:00/mile (struggling on the technical terrain). Overall I had a great time.

Shortly after my run I ventured over to my garden at Eagle Heights, to quench the thirst of my thriving plants. Boy, those guys are thirsty! I planted the majority of my garden three days ago and am already seeing Ruby Red Swiss Chard sprout up, as well as the Brandywine Tomatoes and Summer Squash. Looks like I will be having a harvest this Fall after all!

If you have been following my blog for a while, you may have identifying a trend... carrots. I seem to throw them in about 95% of my baking. Carrot cake is probably my favorite, though that does change seasonally, just like vegetables right? Anyways, I really felt like nailing an outrageously awesome cake today and I just happened to have 2 lbs of Organic local carrots in my fridge! (Ok, maybe I keep them there for baking and snacking, but just go with it)

I found a recipe for a gluten free carrot cake on elana's pantry, though I do not use almond flour. One, it is expensive, and two, I have 5 lbs of whole wheat and white (unbleached) flour in my pantry. Someday I may make the switch, though today I used a blend of white and wheat. Moreover, I made some other slight alterations to the recipe. Normally I will stick to what is recommended as they have proven results, but I felt compelled to be a little creative today. Also, my recipe only makes one loaf, which is why I cut back on flour and eggs, though not on the spices!

Carrot Cake
150g (about 1 cup) 100% whole wheat flour
150g (about 1 cup) unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

3 large cage-free eggs
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
1/4 cup 100% pure canola oil
224g (about 1 3/4 cups) finely grated Organic carrots
*I grate my own carrots by hand, which adds a substantial amount of TLC to the loaf

1/4 cup raisins (36g)
1/4 cup golden raisins (36g)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (64g)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup shredded coconut flakes (1oz, 28g)
4oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Calories: 275, Carbs: 38, Protein: 6, Sugar: 19, Fat: 9, Sodium: 190, Fiber: 3
Spreadsheet of the ingredients

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, agave and canola oil.
3. Add the grated carrots, raisins and walnuts to the wet mixture.
4. Slowly stir the wet mixture into the dry.
5. Pour the batter into a standard bread loaf pan.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
7. While baking, add the sugar, coconut flakes, room temperature cream cheese and coconut oil to a mixing bowl and combine with a hand mixer.
8. Once done, remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack, until you can no longer resist.
9. Spread with coconut cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

Lax Half Marathon

Due to another unforeseen circumstance I finished 2nd at the La Crosse Fitness Festival Half Marathon.

It is actually quite humorous as to why I came in second place. I will elaborate more on that below, but first I need to highlight my previous races to illustrate why this race today ends with a laugh.

2010 Maple Leaf Half: 1:15:23 2nd place (lost by 5 seconds)
2011 Oshkosh Half: 1:19:13 8th place (38 degrees and raining)
2011 La Crosse Half 1:19:24 5th place (was winning, took a wrong turn at mile 13)
2012 La Crosse Half: 1:16:42 2nd place (unforeseen circumstance below)

I groggily climbed out of bed at 4:00am to eat my pre-run meal consisting of a slice of toast with Parker's PB, half a banana and a bite-size Snickers. As I was waking up I realized that it was raining... I very much dislike running in the rain. Of course, no one enjoys racing in the rain (well, maybe a few individuals), but I always have a difficult time staying warm and mentally getting into the race when the weather is constantly fighting against you.

After checking the weather forecast several times, the Fitness Festival Officials posted that the Half Marathon had been delayed until 8:30am from its original start time of 7:00am. The Full Marathon had been canceled, though they did allow the marathoners to participate in the Half. Great for them, not so great for me.

"Runners take your mark, get set, GO!" the starting official shouted into her microphone. A few of us darted from the starting line, attempting to get ahead of the pack, vying for a front position. Ramon (a great guy I met in La Crosse through running) and I decided to hold a steady pace for the first mile (6:00/mile), which was perfect. My goal was to slowly drop my pace until I was running 5:30/mile for the last four miles.

Mile two did not go as planned. Two runners took off at a pretty good clip and I made a decision to stick with the front runners instead of trying to reel them in later on in the race. Our second mile came in at 5:30/mile - way too fast. I knew I would pay for that later on. We held steady for a few miles thereafter though one runner picked up his pace and edged away. Looking back, I should have gone with him, but I made another mistake here. I misjudged him due to his apparel. He was clad in conventional running shoes (instead of racing flats), longer shorts (not splits like my Jubilees or Puzzle Box), crew socks and a backwards mesh cap. Nothing out of the ordinary for a runner, in fact he looked just like someone participating in a marathon. But not someone who would be leading the pack of a half. It just did not add up in my head. I let him go and thought that I would be able to catch him in a few miles. That never happened.

He slowly but surely widened the gap between first and second, eventually creating a gap big enough where I lost sight of him. This was tough mentally, as there was absolutely no one ahead (or behind) that I could compete and pace with. I did my best to push ahead as fast as I could, and with the encouragement and support of my girl throughout the course, I surged ahead to the finish.

I came in at 1:16:42 (5:51/mile), 2 minutes and 41 seconds after first place. Here is the funny part: the first place finisher was supposed to be running the Full Marathon, but due to the severe weather I had mentioned earlier, the marathoners ran the half instead.

If mother nature had not decided to throw a torrential storm our way, I would have most likely finished first. Hah. There's always another race to run (like the Madison Half Marathon and the Maple Leaf Half Marathon) so I'm not too upset about it. He ran a better race than I did and deserves to take the trophy.

In addition to Laura providing phenomenal support throughout the race, she managed to capture quite a few quality photos of the race and most importantly, provided me with my Castle Rock Organic Farms Chocolate Milk. At $2.79 for a half pint, plus a $2.00 deposit on the bottle, it can be a little expensive but let me tell you, IT IS WORTH IT!

Happily clutching a cold bottle of chocolate milk with Ramon

I was late to the awards ceremony, where I received a potpourri of prizes. From blue flip-flops to a mesh cap, socks, trophy, cinch sack and water bottle, it was interesting. The best prize, awarded to top finishers, was a brightly colored vase adorned with flowers. That went straight to my girlfriend.

Excited about our top finisher prizes

My motivator, milk-carrier, photographer and best friend

Post-race we both devoured some tasty Sweet Potato Pancakes that Laura discovered not too long ago. She didn't think they turned out well, which may have been the case due to my mixing/mashing of the sweet potatoes, but I thought they were delicious and consumed about 2/3 of them.

Venison bacon and sweet potato pancakes. Perfect post-run meal.

Shout out to my sister, Trisha, who completed her first half marathon last Tuesday in FRANCE, of all places. My uncle completed his first half as well, a day before turning 50! Congrats to both of you!

My experience today is not necessarily negative or upsetting, rather a motivation to increase my mileage and intensity of my workouts. I have two more half marathons this summer, as well as an 18k trail run coming up, which I plan to attack with renewed vigor.

Chipotle Black Bean and Bulgur Burgers w/ Avocado Compound Butter

I SEE GREEN!!! My purple tomato seed decided it was his time to shine and sprouted this morning! He's only about 2 mm tall, but is straight and a vibrant green. Woohoo!

Shortly after this astounding discovery, I laced up my Asics Hyper Speed 4's and headed out for a speed workout. Today that consists of 4 mile repeats (1.11 miles) near picnic point. I did an easy 5-mile warm-up to loosen the muscles. The first mile was fast at 5:16/mile pace and I was able to sustain a 5:18 pace for the next three miles! This was significantly faster than last week where I struggled to hold a 5:35 pace.

Returning home from the run at 11:00am and having only consumed 280 calories of food so far, I was starving. A quick protein shake held me over until I was able to assemble my super nutritious meal.

Chipotle Black Bean and Bulgur Burgers with Alton's Avocado Compound Butter, sliced heirloom tomatoes and local Organic red leaf lettuce.

The burgers I found on Cate's World Kitchen blog. Unfortunately I do not have a food processor and was forced yet again to use my hands. I couldn't help but smile when I was squeezing the mix together with my hands... if only my mother could see me now :p

WOW! Either I was absolutely starving after 11 miles or I threw together a pretty awesome meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 a white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 canned chipotle chile, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Nutritional info - Chipotle Black Bean Bulgur Burgers

Calories: 106.40 

Carbs: 18.04 

Protein: 4.55 

Sugar: 1.05 

Fat: 3.21 

Sodium: 75.60 

Fiber: 4.57

Of course, I consumed three for lunch :)

Pumpkin Chia Muffins

After an inspiring Easter Weekend in Wausua with Lor's family, I returned home to Madison and immediately began cooking. With an apartment that is completely depleted of food, I was forced to scrounge around to make dinner. I found a butternut squash conspicuously laying on the bookshelf (decoration or misplacement I do not know) and decided to roast it. After adding pure maple syrup (thank you Debbi!), chopped walnuts and craisins, I had a nice side dish. As a result of always having potatoes and onions on hand, as well as a carton of farm fresh eggs (thanks again!), I made one of my favorite wraps: barbequed and sunny-side up. The scallions would have added a nice touch, though I was forced to omit them this time around.

This morning, after a short 6 mile run around the Capital, I felt compelled to bake something. I have a fantastic set of new mixing bowls thanks again to Lor's mom, and wanted to put them to good use. I almost always have the majority of the baking essentials on hand, which prompted me to find a recipe that didn't require anything extraordinary. I noticed a can of organic pumpkin hiding behind the squash and decided to make some healthy Pumpkin Chia Muffins. 

Pumpkin Chia Muffins

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white unbleached flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

1 can (16oz) pumpkin

2 cage-free eggs

1/4 cup E.V.O.O.

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup craisins

Calories: 189 Carbs: 28 Protein: 4 Sugar: 13 Fat: 7 - makes 12 muffins

*My ingredients list is very similar to the one found on Oprah.com though I did lower the all natural sweetener from 1 cup to 1/2 cup, as well as tossing in some craisins. Walnuts and craisins pair exceptionally well with pumpkin.