Eat to Run or Run to Eat?

I guess this is always a good question. Sure, I love to eat and try new foods. In fact, even my husband called us foodies the other night as we were preparing dinner. Maybe I can work on doing both in moderation!

I may be capable of this, but nothing Scott Jurek did was in moderation. I finished reading his book Eat & Run a few days ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I made a lot of connections with him that I really hadn't expected. 

To begin with, the setup of this book was unique. Each chapter started with a thought-provoking quote that could be related to running, or sometimes even life in general. Then, the chapter focused on individual races. It gave background on what he did to prepare, what was going on both in his mind and in his life at the time, and how he raced and performed in each event. Most chapters offered a running tip, expanding on what he had learned or tried in each race. Finally, the chapter ended with a recipe. Eating and running, a perfect combination.

Now, back to the connections. He is a deeply thoughtful person. He analyzed everything, but most especially what he put into his body, what he expected of his body, and how his body performed. His leanings veered toward Tao beliefs made sense to me as I have done some reading on this topic before, sparked by another book, A Million Little Pieces. I totally agreed with everything he said about yoga. I spent one summer doing yoga 5-6 days a week and noticed a remarkable improvement in my running form. He and I both benefited from the relaxation and meditative part of yoga as well. Finally, I enjoyed his ability and desire to experiment with the food he was fueling himself with. He really kept me engaged with not only the recipes but with the science and reasoning behind his decisions to use specific ingredients.

Can I just say that I was beyond impressed with his accomplishments? Mind you, I have only run two full marathons and the idea of an ultra does not even appeal to me, not one little bit. Yet, I just kept reading how Scott continued to push his body to reach his maximum potential, always seeking more. The mental fortitude of this man is unbelievable! He has used his life experiences to help push him past mountains, figuratively and literally. Here again, his circumstances ignited his desire to escape past the ordinary and into the world of the extraordinary, not just to be the winner, but to break records as well as find something more powerful in his body, but more importantly, his mind. 

There was one thing about the book that bothered me. And perhaps I've just read too deeply and not taken into account that this was a glimpse at his life. I found myself sad about his story. I am in awe of how hard and far he can push himself. He is constantly reaching toward the "nothingness", toward feeling nothing in his body and mind and I can't help but feel that sometimes it may be at the expense of finding connections with others. In the end, this may just be what it takes to become a true champion in the sport. From reading Scott Jurek's story I hope I can find enough grit within me to push beyond what I think I'm capable of when running, maybe even reaching that PR that's been eluding me for several years.

State #9 - Cincinnati, OH

My fabulous traveling running partner and I completed The Flying Pig Half Marathon on Sunday, after running the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon on Saturday.

After running the Mini Marathon, we had a shower and breakfast, then headed right to the next expo wearing our shirts and medals. We got such fun reactions when we indicated we were going to run another half marathon the next morning. We picked up lots of goodies at the expo: a nice fitting tech shirt complete with a pig tail on the back, a poster, and a perfect sized collapsible cooler, in addition to a whole lot of samples.

Bright and early the next morning we headed to the stadium for the start. A really nice touch was that each "pig pen", otherwise known as a corral, had several porta-potties inside. This really eliminated the long lines usually associated with the start line area and people were more willing to enter their corrals instead of milling about. After a touching rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, a moment of silence was held to honor the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. That was followed by an enthusiastic audience sing along to Sweet Caroline. And, we were off.

A bit sore from our run the previous day, we took this race nice and easy. The course traipsed around some neighborhoods and over the Ohio River. There were "party zones" for spectators, but they were few and far between; honestly, nothing like the spectator support we had experienced the previous day. There were a couple of rolling hills and one steeper hill from about mile six to eight, and these Florida girls had to walk for a few minutes. The view of the church at the top of the hill was spectacular - such pretty old architecture.

Thankfully, we finished just in time to avoid the rain. The finish area was large, and a lot of vendors were there, however, they were selling their wares. I had not experienced the sale of items at a finish area before and was not prepared as I usually don't carry money when I run. This was a bit disappointing as I would have liked to try some of the offerings.

The picture waited until we had hurried back to the hotel (in order to stay as dry as possible). All in all, it was a great trip. We decided we would try to make a "double" weekend a yearly event.

A Pseudo Liebster Award

I really enjoy reading Katies' blog, Runs for Cookies, every day. This morning she answered questions given to her along with the Liebster Award and then she asked her readers to answer the questions as well. Feeling like I was given a pseudo Liebster award myself, my answers are below:

Who was your biggest role model as you first started running?
When I first started running, I had joined Team in Training. We had a great team, with awesome coaches, and a fantastic team leader. Over the years, we have all remained close and I still run with many of those wonderful people. They keep me on track and accountable. And, we have so much fun on our many adventures!

Another person that comes to mind is Mike. When I first moved to Florida, I heard that he was running the Disney Marathon. He was just a regular person - a parent of one of my kindergarteners- and I was just in awe that he was going to do something like that!

What is your best running memory?
So far, I think I would have to go with completing my first full marathon. A group of us girls had entered the lottery to run the Nike' Women's Marathon, not really thinking we would get picked. Surprise! I had to be convinced that if we did get chosen, I would be running my first full marathon. This was also a very new experience for me, as I had not traveled by myself, without my family, ever.

Needless to say, we had the best time! We biked across the Golden Gate Bridge, rode the trolley "the right way", spent time at the pier and indulged on a wine tour (yes, the day before the big race). We enjoyed the challenging, yet beautiful course, stopping for pictures along the way. And nothing says marathon finisher better than a little blue Tiffany box. Can you believe we even toured Alcatraz that same afternoon?

The time you now spend running: what was it filled with before you started running?
I have no idea! I think what I like most is that life comes in phases. I know I have certainly enjoyed each and every phase my children have gone through...although, sometimes I'm happy when "that phase" is finished. I have only been running for five years now, so I'm thinking that prior to running my days were filled with taking care of my kids and helping them to participate in their many activities. They are teenagers now so they don't need as much of my time. Also, I can just walk out the door and say "I'm going for a run!" (which leaves me with no excuses for not going). I think my daughter said it best, when I once jokingly said I was giving up running; she simply said, "You can't, it's a part of who you are!"

What is your favorite tv show?
I know I'm a little bit behind the times but I just finished watching Breaking Bad...what a great show! Next, I'll move on to season 2 of The Following.


What is one habit you won't give up, even though you know it's not the healthiest?
Chocolate, of course! Although, I have been trying to make healthier treats, like these Almond Butter Cups.

If you could have lunch with someone famous, who would you pick? 
That's a really tough one to answer. I might pick Kevin Bacon, but I'm not sure I'd be able to actually speak to him. Then again, I really might enjoy dining out with Anthony Bourdain. He might take me somewhere exotic to eat! Of course, there's always Kara Goucher, she might be able to give me some good tips for sticking to a training plan. I think my list could go on and on!

What is your favorite season for running?
I live in Florida, so any season but summer is good for running. Of course, there's always a fall race on the schedule, which means I run all year long!

Describe the one route you would be okay running over and over for the rest of your life.
I love to travel and run in new places, but the route I run every Saturday is wonderful. We start at a park, run up and over two bridges (the closest we can get to hill training) and then along the boardwalk at the beach. Catching an early morning sunrise on your run, or stopping to watch the dolphins play never gets old.

 
If time and money were not a factor, where would you choose to go on vacation?
Right now, I'd just continue with my quest to run a half marathon in all fifty states. I have been enjoying touring the country. If time and money were not a factor, I'd be able to spend more time in each place and really appreciate it. I also might be able to complete this goal a bit faster.

What is your favorite pastime other than lacing up the running shoes?
 I like to read, cook (and eat), kayak, go to the beach and travel. Any time I can do any of those things with Chris, it's that much more special.

State #8 - Indianapolis, IN

This is one race I can't say enough about!

First off, we were planning to travel to do the Flying Pig Half Marathon and one of my running partners told me that Cincinnati was within a short driving distance of Indianapolis. Well, this stunning piece of information led to a bit of research and to the realization that there was indeed another race being held the day before the Flying Pig. The question was, could our bodies handle doing two in a row? Our thought: we were saving money by running twice and only flying once, so even if we had to walk the second race we were going to try it! We immediately registered for the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon and pushed our training into high gear.

State #7 - Jaffrey, NH

We were headed up north, or home to us, for a vacation visiting with family so I was looking to see if I could incorporate a race in New England to add to my medal collection. The kids whined and asked if we were ever going to be able to go on vacation without me running again! Oh, eventually...was my response.

State #6 - Seattle, WA

It seemed like it was on a whim that my husband and I decided to travel to Seattle. The plans came about when deciding what to do with our tax refund. Why not go on vacation? He had never traveled to the west coast and of course, I am always up for a race. Airline tickets were booked and I registered for the Rock N Roll Seattle Half Marathon.

State #5 - Matewan, WV

This was one of those races that came together at the very last minute. We were waiting for school to get out (I am a teacher) and for work schedules and time off to be approved. So, about ten days before the race we went into fast-paced planning mode. And so it was that on June 7 we loaded up my new car to drive to a little half marathon with a big mountain in the middle of it.