October in Review

I arrived back from a truly wonderful conference experience late yesterday afternoon, and I spent the evening grading a set of papers and unpacking. Today I have lots to do - classes to prep for the week and more stacks of exams and papers to start marking. The conference was definitely worth it, but I will need a couple of days to catch my breath and probably at least a week to get (mostly) caught up on everything else. I can't believe it's already the end of October and that today is Halloween! I'm really not ready to review this one, but it will go in the books whether I want it to or not.

Halloween 2005 as Cleopatra

My fitness and health goals for October were:
-Maintain my food journal every day. I did pretty well with this. I missed one weekend earlier in the month, but I managed to jot things down and log them later while I was at the conference, so I consider this one a win.
-Be active for at least 30 minutes at least 5 days each week. Other than the week that I was sick, I at least did yoga, walking, and biking that added up to 30 minutes at least five times a week. I'm hoping to build on this to get back into regular running next month, but more on that later.
-Try at least one new healthy recipe and do a food post. I did this. I also made a number of favorite, healthy recipes, including a hearty chili and a potato leek soup that I didn't blog.

Halloween 2008 as Inigo Montoya

My writing/professional goals for the month were:
-Finish writing and present a conference paper. Yep. I was pleased with how this paper turned out and got some good feedback and questions when I presented it. The next stage will be some continued research and expanding this into an article.
-Make progress on revising an article for publication. This one has to go into the books as a fail. I was doing a good job of logging a couple of hours of week of work on this during the first half of the month, but then I dropped the ball when I got ill, so I haven't looked at the article manuscript for over two weeks.
- Look into funding opportunities for a summer trip to the archives. Done. I applied for one grant and made a list of a couple of others that I'll be applying for in the near future.

Halloween 2010 as one of about 200 black cats running a 5K

This week was probably even more hectic than September was for me. I graded mountains of papers and exams, wrote lots of lectures, workshopped some research at a working group at my university, started running a bit again and ran a 10K, took a group of students on a field trip, and spent 4 days conferencing half-way across the country. October was incredibly busy, but it was somehow easier to get through than last month was. If I had to guess why, I would argue that healing from my injury and being able to log some pain-free miles again did wonders for my mental and emotional state and my ability to cope with things.

How was your October? Will you be partaking in candy today? Happy Halloween!

Brief Hiatus

I'm off to the airport in a couple of hours for a conference trip. I love going to conferences and really getting to feel the pendulum swing in the scholarly direction. I also am getting to that point in my career when conferences are starting to provide an excellent opportunity to meet up with old friends and colleagues and catch up on their lives. Since the conference is in Fort Worth, and I went to university just a few hours up the road, a number of my college friends live in the area, so I'm also going to be able to have dinner with my college roommate of 3 years, my best girlfriend from college, and another good friend on Saturday night.

My best friend and college roomie and me (and part of my left boob) at my best college girlfriend's wedding in 2008

So exciting but busy times are ahead of me for the next couple of days. I have a stack of papers to grade and a lecture or two to write somehow while I'm traveling as well, so I'll be taking a few days off from blogging. I'll be back next week with tales from my travels and hopefully some news about where my training will be going over the next couple of months.

In the meantime, I would love to know if you have any Halloween plans! Are you getting dressed up? Do you have kids who will be trick-or-treating?

Race Report: Mankato 10K

Yesterday morning I ran a 10K in Mankato. Because I haven't run much in the past few weeks and because I was sick earlier in the week, I really didn't have any expectations for this race. I just wanted to have a good time and make it across the finish line. While I didn't PR (or even really come that close to doing so), I had an amazing time, ran a progressive run with no hip pain, and felt my love for running rekindle during the second half of the race.

The 10K was one of several races put on in Mankato this weekend. The Mankato Marathon was in its second year and, having run the half-marathon last year, I could tell that a number of improvements had been made to the race, and the number of participants had at least doubled. On Friday there was a 5K and a Kids' 1K run that around 250 children participated in. The Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10K races all started at the Minnesota State University parking lots. Last year all three events started at the same time and the field was pretty crowded at the start. This year the 10K started a half hour earlier. The good thing about that was that opened up the field for running. The bad thing about it was that I didn't get to see many of my 13.1 and 26.2 peeps before the race started.

The weather was perfect for running - chilly and clear without any wind to speak of. I was freezing as I lined up and waited for the race to start, but fortunately I had timed it well and only had to wait for a few minutes. Before long the gun fired and we were off. My plan was to start out slowly and walk if I needed to. I hadn't run for a week because of illness, and I didn't want to overdo it and end up with a reinjured IT Band.  I was enjoying myself, smiling and thanking volunteers and occasionally chatting with other runners. This part of the course went from the university through some residential neighborhoods and there were some spectators out cheering. There were a few challenging inclines, but nothing as hilly as I know the marathoners faced.  Around mile 3 or so the course went downhill for about half a mile. I coasted down hill and chatted with a runner from Iowa who was running her first 10K for a few minutes.

Right before the mile 4 marker, a family in an SUV drove by twice, honking and cheering. This definitely put some pep into my step. I had already sped up a bit, but I realized then that my hip felt fine. My lungs felt pretty good, too. I decided to speed it up and see if I couldn't pick off some other runners. (This was less about being competitive with them than giving me little goals to shoot for.) Even though I was Garminless and watchless, I could tell by feel that I had dropped my pace from something close to an 11 min/mile to something closer to a 9 min/mile for the last two miles. The 10K, half, and full all ended in downtown Mankato and rather than rounding a corner into the finish this year, it was a straight shot. Runners could see the finish from quite a distance away. I thought this was an excellent change to the course because I could gauge exactly when I should gun it for my final kick. I finished in 1:04:27 -- like I said, not a PR, but a fun race and a progressive run for me. 

After making my way through the finishers' chute and getting some water and some post-race snacks, I met up with M. and Bailey (who had made some friends). I did some stretching, used a washroom, and got a cup of coffee.  Then I made my way back to the last stretch before the finish to wait for the half-marathoners to start finishing. I missed the first place male half-marathoner, but I got to see the second finisher and the first female half-marathoner speeding her way toward the finish. There were also some 10K runners still coming in, including a shampoo bottle. Happily, I got to see several of my half-marathon running friends. After about an hour, though, I decided I was getting too cold, and that we should get headed toward home.  I wish I had been able to stay for the marathoners to finish, as three of my friends finished their first marathons yesterday, but I am traveling this week and I need to try to stay healthy.

It was a fun time and a great event. The volunteers were plentiful and friendly. The swag was pretty good, and it seems like some of the first-time kinds of organizational kinks were worked out from last year. I'm not sure where my next fall marathon will be, but Mankato is a possibility.

How was your weekend? Any races? PRs? Autumn camping or hiking trips?

Three Things Thursday

1. I came down with a bug this week, and it hit me like a sledgehammer. Monday during my bike commute my body felt like lead, and when I woke up on Tuesday I felt like crap. I actually took a sick day yesterday, and, though I don't feel quite back to 100%, I'm feeling better today. Must be well in time for the 10K and a conference that I'm going to next week!

2. My efforts to slow down, to multi-task less, and to be more mindful and present in the moment, even the mundane ones, are meeting with mixed results. This will definitely take time, but I can already tell the difference in my mood and my outlook.

3. I wrote a couple of guest posts for other bloggers that have run this week. If you have an interest in my thoughts about transitions in my style, check out my post over at Narrowly Tailored, or if you want to see an outfit of the day kind of post, head over to An Epic Battle in High Heels.  Thanks to both S. and M. for letting me guest post for them! If you like style and smart writing, I definitely encourage you to bookmark both of their blogs.

Nostalgia: Two Year Anniversary of My First Marathon

Two years ago I ran my first marathon. It didn't go perfectly. It wasn't fast, and it wasn't always fun, but it changed my life. I became a marathoner. Before that I had run a couple of 5Ks for fun, and I had run a 10K and a half-marathon as part of my training for that 26.2. But nothing could compare to the feeling of elation that I experienced when I crossed the finish line of the Columbus Marathon in 2009. It is still my proudest running moment and I still consider it one of my greatest accomplishments.

My TNT Group

It was a chilly morning, and I cut off the bottoms from a pair of tube socks to wear them as discardable arm warmers with my TNT singlet. I ended up never taking them off. I finished getting ready and headed down to the Hyatt in downtown Columbus to meet up with my group from Team in Training to have a bit of breakfast and some coffee and snap some photos. I used the bathroom a couple of times, but (TMI warning) I was too nervous to poo. Before long it was time to head out to the start line. I lined up with the 5 hour pace group and we were off.  The pacer's name was Larry and most of the people running in the group were women, so someone started referring to our group as Larry's Ladies. It was such a fun group with both first-timers, like me, and veterans. I ran the first 14 miles with them and was feeling pretty good. At around mile 13, a friend who was also running the marathon decided to DNF, which was hard for me to handle emotionally. At mile 14, I stopped to use a biffy, and I lost my group. That was also a momentum killer for me, and I started to struggle a few miles after that. But I continued to put one foot in front of the other, running some, walking some, and I made it to the finish. And when I did, I knew that I wanted to do it again. I knew that I was strong, tough, and would endure. I was a marathoner and had accomplished one of my life goals.

About to cross the finish line

I know that someday here before too long, I will run a third marathon. But for today remembering my first one is enough.

Injury Recovery Update and a Race Decision

This weekend I was able to do a 4 mile run.  I had more or less decided that if I could get through a 4 mile run without any pain that I would plan to go ahead and run the 10K that I am registered for next weekend. Going into the run I was cautiously optimistic.

I got up Saturday and met with my running group, which meets up with an even larger group of local runners on Saturdays. Most of them were doing 8 or 9 miles, as their last long run before the Mankato Marathon or Half-Marathon. I had decided that I would just do an out and back 4 milers. My plan was to keep it nice and easy, but I was apparently so excited that I started out a little bit too fast (around a 9 minute mile for the first mile) before I slowed it down for the other 3 miles. I chatted with a running friend on the 2 miles out and they just flew by, as we talked about work and buying running gear for cold weather. I turned back and took a couple of short walk breaks on the return just to be on the safe side with my hip. At the end of the run, my IT band felt tired but I didn't have any pain, so I decided that I'll run the 10K next Saturday and then continue another few weeks of keeping to low mileage and easy running.

The group this past Saturday

My running group got together at our coach's house for breakfast a little later that morning, and in a total blogging fail I took my point and shoot with me but forgot to take a single picture. I was too busy enjoying all the delicious food and chatting with running friends that I hadn't seen much for the past few weeks since my running schedule has been so sporadic because of my injury. It was great to hang out with them and catch up on their training and their lives.

I'm excited to be able to run the 10K this upcoming weekend. After several weeks of minimal running, I'm just really grateful to be able to be able to hit the pavement again. My conditioning has declined after 5 weeks of minimal mileage, and I want to make sure that I don't wind up sidelined again by going out too fast, so I have absolutely no time goals for this race. I just want to have fun and enjoy running it.

I spent most of the rest of my weekend hunkered down and working, so it was a treat to be able to run and hang out with running friends on Saturday morning. What did you do this weekend?  Any races, awesome brunches, or football games?

Foto Friday: Fall Faves

 1. Foliage 

 2. Boots and Sweaters

 3. Hiking

4. Pumpkin anything

 5. M. - a perennial favorite

What are some of your fall favorites? 

A Bedtime Reading Revelation

A couple of weeks ago, I had finally finished reading the book I had been reading at bedtime for the past several weeks, and decided that I wanted to read Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I've always wanted to read and which I had downloaded a couple of months ago for free. That Saturday night I snuggled up in bed with my Kindle and read a couple of chapters before my eyes were so heavy that I had to sleep. I had such troubled dreams that night about wolves and creepy, red-eyed historians that I had no choice but to blame the book. Apparently, I am far too much of a chicken to read Dracula right before bed, which is the only real time I have for leisure reading these days.

Unable to make a choice about what book I wanted to read instead, I decided to get caught up on some of my magazine subscriptions and started reading my October issue of Yoga Journal. Perhaps because I haven't been able to run very much lately and because its that time of year - less sunlight, more grading of midterms, the feeling of too many responsibilities and not enough time to handle them all - I have been feeling extra anxious and extra rushed.  As I was I was reading, one article in particular really resonated with me. Maggie Lyon Varadhan's piece "Trickle Down" about connecting with the sacredness of every day life. The author suggested that by approaching the mundane as sacred we can open ourselves up to moments of peacefulness and grace.

This article spoke to me. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use more peace and grace. Lately I've been feeling so rushed and overwhelmed that I have been approaching too many things with haste and some with lack of care. My mental state and my home had both become messy as a result. What if I even approached grading midterms, putting away dishes, and flossing my teeth with the intention and appreciation of a sacred act? It might take more time to get through a stack of papers or to send an email, but it might be worth it. I might do a bit less but be able to give and to get a bit more.

So I'm trying to retrain myself to approach things on and off the mat differently and, if nothing else, to remember to take a pause and to breathe.  

Two Miles and a Thank You

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much to those who commented on my last post. I gave myself permission to throw myself a pity party and letting myself legitimately feel upset, disappointed, and out of sorts actually helped me to work through those feelings better than if I had tried to slap on a smile and accept all of this with stoic fortitude. The fact that you were all so supportive reminded me of one of the many reasons that I run: the running community rocks! I appreciate your readership and kindness more than I can say.

I have been able to manage two short runs these past few days without feeling IT Band pain. This past Thursday I ran three 6 minute intervals with a couple of minutes of walking in between. Yesterday, I met up with my dear friend Suzie for an easy and social 2 miler. My hip felt tired at the end of both of these runs, but I experienced no pain or cramping. I'm going to keep the mileage low and mix in a couple of days of active rest in between runs for the rest of the month to be on the safe side, but I'm delighted to be running again! I think the chiropractic care - especially Graston Technique - and the two weeks off from running with continued stretching, foam rolling, and icing, have helped me make significant strides in coming back from this.

I cannot tell you what a difference not running has made in my outlook and anxiety level. Yoga and cycling have helped a lot, but I have missed burning off negative energy and the thought-clearing process that running provides me. This has been such a reminder for me to not take my health for granted and also to make sure to carve out time for self-care and exercise. Once I stopped training for Chicago, I really let grading and other obligations slip into that hour or so a day that I had been using for training when I still should have been preserving that time for me - for my physical, mental, and emotional health. I need to remember that even if I'm not running 6 miles, I still need to give myself that time. I'm a better person when I do.

How was your weekend? What did you do? Any races? Any social runs? Any delicious meals?

Sulky McSulkerson

I am sulking.  I spent weeks training for the Chicago Marathon, which a mere four days away, but have been sidelined for the past few weeks because of an ITB injury. I ran two friggin' 18 milers before this happened. I ran countless 4-6 milers and 12 weeks worth of long runs. I know injuries happen, and I know that I will be running again soon. I have tried to keep a positive point of view about all of this, and for the most part I have. But the disappointment I'm feeling this week is bitter.

So I sulk. I'll stop sulking soon, but I'm giving myself permission to feel shitty about this through Sunday.

On the Table: Autumnal Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Quinoa Salad

The other day Rose-Anne posted about her intention to make this recipe for Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad from Orangette. I had a butternut squash on hand and had been pondering what to do with it since M. is in the anti-squash camp. When M. suggested just having salads for dinner last night, I decided that I would make a variation of this salad and have it for dinner (while M. had his own salad) and take the leftovers for lunches this week.

Ingredients for the salad:
One butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cans of chickpeas
2Tbsp of olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup of quinoa

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F. While the oven is preheating, peel, deseed, and cube the squash. Place it on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, toss to coat.  Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. I used my rice cooker to make it and used one cup of the dried grain and 2 cups of water.

Finely chop the onion. 

Open and drain the chickpeas. 

Mix all of these ingredients in a large bowl. 

Ingredients for the dressing: 

2 Tbsp of tahini (stir well)

2 cloves of minced garlic (you can use less - I like garlic)

3 Tbsp of lemon juice

1/2 tsp of mustard (I used a fancy mustard my mother-in-law brought me back from a trip to France)

1 tsp of honey

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

2 Tbsp of water

3 Tbsp of olive oil (I could have managed with just 2 but I got a bit zealous)

1/2 tsp of sea salt (more or less - to taste)

Directions: 

Add each ingredient, stirring with each addition. Then dress the salad, stirring until the dressing coats all of the salad more or less evenly.

I really like this combination and will definitely be making this again. The butternut squash adds a lovely hint of autumn to the salad, and it was easy to make and very filling.  If I'd had fresh parsley and/or feta on hand, those might have made lovely additions to this dish.

Are you a fan of butternut squash? What's your favorite way to eat it? Are there any foods that are fall favorites for you?

October Goals

Well, after the month that was September, I am going to try to get back on track in October with my goals. October is one of my favorite months. I love fall with the crisp mornings and changing leaves. I love college football being in full swing. I love Halloween. I love pumpkins and pumpkin spice lattes. Hopefully, October will show me some love, too.

Before running a Halloween 5K Fun Run last October with running buddies

I will be using a sticker calendar (the cousin of Rose-Anne's star chart) to note my progress on a couple of my fitness goals. I'll also be relying on peer pressure in the form of a couple of working groups - one real at my university and one virtual through Facebook - to prod me to make sure I'm carving out time for my research and writing. It's midterm time, so I'm bogged down with grading, but I need to try to continue to seek balance between the demands of my job in terms scholarship, teaching, and service.  Since being on GAAD, I have tried not to reward myself for meeting goals with shopping, but I think it may be time to bring back the carrot.

So without further ado, here are my goals for the month.

Fitness/Health Goals
- Maintain my food journal every day for the month of October. - If I succeed in this, I will reward myself with a hair cut and color in early November.
- Be active for at least 30 minutes at least 5 days each week in October. Hopefully, in another week or so I'll be able to ease back into running, but until then I need to stop using all of the time that I would normally spend running grading papers, writing lecture notes, or reading blogs. I need to continue cycling when possible and hit the gym more. I'm also considering joining a local yoga studio this coming month.
- Try at least one new healthy recipe this month and do at least one food post here on the blog. We all know that I am no food blogger, but I would like to get better at taking photos of food and the only way to do that is to practice.

Writing/Professional Goals
 - Finish writing and present a conference paper. I have firm deadlines on this obviously, but I'm still listing it. I'll be presenting what I have to a research group at my institution on the 12th, so the goal is to have a complete outline and at least 6 pages of text by then. After I get some feedback from them, I'll finish and edit the paper. Ultimately, the goal will be to turn this research into part of a journal article, so I'm looking forward to getting feedback at the conference, as well.
- Make progress on revising an article for publication. Spent at least one hour 3 days a week on this project. When I have submitted this article to a journal, I can start looking into getting a new Garmin to replace mine that died.
- Look into funding opportunities for a summer research trip to the archives. Get a basic grant proposal together and apply for any applicable grants that are due in October or early November.

What are your October goals? Do you have an A race that you will be running this month? Any writing projects you hope to start or finish? I'd love to hear what's on your agenda for the month!