Re-wind!

I am resurrecting this blog to discuss things other than my training (well maybe a little training but mostly the other things involved in being a healthy 'athlete'). I have a few ideas that I want to record for other people's benefit as well as my own. Two main topics you will see here are strength training and nutrition. I will start with a little bit of nutrition for now.

'Fad' supplements. Anyone remember about 2.5 years ago when the book "Born to Run" was popular? And everyone had to eat chia seeds just like the Tarahumara Indians? Well... what do you hear about chia seeds today? Not much? Right on. Nothing wrong with Chia seeds.. but they might have been a fad.

The latest now is Maca seeds. The first I heard of them was back in November on my trip to Vancouver. The local coffee shops were integrating them into coffee drinks, and in my quick non-American accent, one of the baristas thought I said I wanted maca in my drink. So I inadvertently tried it. Did I notice anything? No, not at all. I come back to the states and I am hearing it mentioned more and more. Is this a fad too? I kind of doubt it, since doing research I hear people in South America have been using it for thousands of years. But is that just because they have easy access to it? Will it still be popular in North America in two years? Only time will tell. I say wait two years on supplements. If the science and time prove it isn't a fad, then maybe it is worth trying. If you have waited 30+ years and have never tried the supplement, what is wrong with waiting two more years to try it?

Ice Age Trail 50

Last time I ran this race (in 2006) it was my first ever 50 mile run, and 2nd ultra. I went into it with not enough training and lots of ignorance. This time around I was much more prepared.

I drove the 1.5 hours to WI from Chicago land with my boyfriend and three friends: Jerry, an ultra and Badwater vet, Marie, a friend who will be doing her first Badwater this July, and Keith, a newer ultra runner, newer than even myself.

We all had the same plan, run under 9:00. In retrospect, that seems insane, how you can you set a time goal for 50 miles? Anything can happen during 50 miles. And anything did happen. I took a really harsh fall, but no broken bones, only broken concentration which lasted for about 3 miles of walking! The fall happened at mile 25, how opportune! Keith wound up racing exactly according to plan and finished in 8:48! Jerry and Marie took it a little easy, but they both finished in under 10:00. Marie and I both won our respective age groups!

I was way off my goal, and seven minutes off my 50 mile PR with a finish time of 9:28. I will take it. The age group hardware was a nice surprise!

Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/glenellynrunner/IceAge50MileTrailRaceMay2008

training update

Ok Bob here you go, I told you I stink at updating blogs! I will do so more regularly now that we have EXACTLY ONE MONTH TO GO!!!!!!!

Since the first week in April my monthly totals have looked like this:

80, 68, 76.2, 74, 81.

Planned remaining weekly mileage:

110, 70, 90, race week taper who knows.

I have a 50 mile race this Saturday. I want to place well! I hope to PR too. I will publicly state my goal as 8:50, but that seems so unrealistic.

I will of course post that race report as well as many photos.

Equestrian Connection Marathon

Results here:

http://www.racetime.info/2008Results/EC%20MARATHONO.HTM

As you can tell, I placed 4th overall. Including men. That is how I started the race, in fourth place. Not a familiar feeling to me. I had a friend to run with, thanks Steve! He was an amazingly important part of my race, I would have given up without his support. It is mostly mental afterall!

This was not a goal race, but not quite a 'training run' either. I know that I am in better shape than I have ever been, and I knew I would be able to PR. Winning the female division was just icing on the cake.

A little background, I ran a flat 50K two weeks ago, I have been doing back to back long runs on the weekends all in training for my first 100 mile race on June 7th. This is where all of the hard work will hopefully pay off.

I didn't taper for this race. Week ending April 20 (race date) included 76.2 miles.

With my posse:

With my hardware:

the almost end of the 2007 duathlon season!