Archive | August, 2011

Overcoming Fear

24 Aug

Last weekend, a couple of college friends came down from San Francisco to stay with us.  It was especially awesome because we went to school together in Ohio and most of our friends still live in the Midwest (despite Jared’s incessant efforts to convince them to move to paradise on earth San Diego).  What made it even more special: we got our boys together for the first time!

On Saturday, the six of us drove to Fiesta Island, which is a dog friendly, leash-free island of doggie utopia.  Really, it’s just a plain, old, flat island about 4-5 miles around, with a couple of trees, tons of open space to run, and sandy beaches all the way around.  Like I said, doggie utopia.

As soon as Sully sees the water and realizes he’s not on a leash, he sprints for it.  He splashes in, swims a bit, runs back and swims again before sprinting back to us, shaking off and looking at us with the sparkliest I’m-the-happiest-dog-in-the-world eyes.

Buster, is a happy, bouncy, bright-eyed pup all the time; however, he’s not as blindly trusting of moving water as our naive boy.  So Josh and Claire took turns walking Buster out a few yards, then setting him down in the water to swim back.  And big buddy, Sully, stayed with him every step paddle of the way.

Buster was clearly uneasy about the water, but soaked up every last ounce of praise from his mama and papa after he swam back to shore.

Sully was also extremely proud of Buster for facing his fear; unfortunately, Sully has a shorter attention span than Dory from Finding Nemo and kept running off to chase jet skis.  Side-note: Sully has a funny fascination with boats, jet skis, kayaks, surfers, paddle-boarders, water-skiiers–pretty much anything out on the water.

After two hours running wild on Fiesta, our boy was tuckered out.

Back home, clean and dry, our pups got “naked” together and roamed around the house without their collars.  Old man, Sully, was just plain pooped, while Buster was absolutely glowing with pride.  He is seriously one of the happiest dogs I’ve ever met.  I mean, check out that giant smile:

Lil Buster-boy got me thinking about overcoming fear and doing things that scare us, so I’m cooking up a post on that, but in the meantime, I’ll leave you with one of hubby’s all-time favorite quotes from Who Moved My Cheese:

“When you move beyond fear, you feel free.” (-Spencer Johnson)

What fears have YOU overcome?

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

23 Aug

Let me start this off by sharing that Jessica is currently in third place for the Stay Classy Award for Volunteer Of The Year.  Voting ends this week, so it’s not too late!  Keep voting and spreading the word!  

Most importantly, Jessica is doing extremely well.  She just finished up her second round of chemo, which went light-years better than round one.  She’s rocking her typically awesome attitude, despite the fact that her hair is falling out rapidly.  If she’s even a tiny bit sad about it, you wouldn’t know.  Her outlook is: “Oh well, I’m too busy beating cancer to care.”  I am floored by her faith and courage every. single. day. 
“Optimism is the foundation of courage.” (-Nicholas Murray Butler)  
I am also floored by the overwhelming kindness and compassion of all of the friends, friends-of-friends, friends I haven’t spoken to in years, distant relatives, acquaintances, complete strangers, and strangers-of-strangers, who have all taken time to cast their votes for Jessica, spread the word, and say a prayer for her.  
A million Thank Yous to everyone who has voted and continues to rally for more votes!   
Truthfully, I’m shocked she’s not in first place based on the countless emails, messages, comments, tweets, and texts I’ve received notifying me of another vote (and prayer) for Jessica.  I could be frustrated by this, but if I’ve learned anything from our little warrior, it’s that this is not something worth being upset about.
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out.” (-Barbara Johnson)
You might remember, I hosted a giveaway in hopes that it would inspire tons of extra votes for Jessica.  The post got hundreds of “hits” and I received numerous emails from readers who voted; however, I didn’t get nearly as many comments as I’d hoped.  There were 13 comments, and so I went to Random.org to select the lucky winner of the iPod Shuffle and voila:
cid:image001.jpg@01CC60C8.EBA77E10
Comment #9 came from “breathensmile,” who, go figure, is my husband.  I’m not sure if he even wants an iPod Shuffle, but I’ve (lovingly) deemed him ineligible for the prize.  Sorry, hub, your eternal prize is ME!
And the next go-round with Random.org spits out #13, which is…
Lastly, in case you skipped over everything else I wrote, or the gazillion-jillion other pleas I’ve thrown out to the universe, pleeeeease GO: Vote for Jessica’s Jackpots for Volunteer Of The Year! 
 

Long Run Nutrition

20 Aug

Earlier this week, Cely at Running off the Reese’s wrote an informative and (as always) entertaining post about running nutrition.  And it changed my life.  Okay, not really… though the barfing unicorn did make me choke on my coffee (I’m alright though). 
No seriously, she linked to this article on Marathon Nutrition.  Based on the chart in the article, I’ve been extremely under-fueled for just about every long run and marathon that I’ve ever done…
In the two or three-ish years that I’ve been running long-ish distances, I’ve never been loyal to one particular product, brand, nor fueling schedule (though if anyone’s looking to endorse me, I am, most certainly, a loyal person!  Especially if you have espresso, chocolate, and/or vanilla flavored anything!).  Generally, I don’t eat before I run any distance and if I do, it’s something like 100 calories of jellybeans or a rice cake… maybe two.  Then, I’ll eat 100 calories of gel every 6-8 miles… if that. 
This past Saturday, I consumed 300 calories before and during my 18 mile long run.  According to Mister Chart, “light” carb intake would be 175 calories per hour, so I should have had something like 500 calories during the run, PLUS pre-run fuel.  It’s hard to imagine more than doubling my calorie intake, but I can’t help wondering if my fueling habits are holding me back from becoming the next Kara Goucher.
My immediate reaction was to email my coach (a.k.a. my dad) and inform him that I’m rethinking my fueling strategy and that I’m going to start experimenting with more calories during my long runs.  I got the following response: 
Meg – Save money by running faster!  It only takes 4-1/2 gels to run a marathon at the 6:00 to 6:30 pace versus 8 gels at the 9:00 to 9:30 pace.  But seriously, this looks like good advice. –Love, Dad
Gosh, I love my dad. 
In the research I/we have done, the general consensus is to start refueling one hour into training, to preserve glycogen and tap into the body’s fat stores.  Oh, and I guess it’s kind of important to eat one hour prior to longer training runs to stabilize energy levels and increase fuel efficiency (who woulda thunk).  This awesome article has all the deets if you’re hungry for more.
Lesson #1: I should be eating 200-250 calories one hour before running longer than 90 minutes.  And Lesson #2: I should start refueling one hour into the run, aiming for 150-225 calories per hour.
I’ve been around the block when it comes to runner’s fuel.  I’ve tried hydrating with Gatorade and G2, Cytomax, Nuun, Ultima, and most of the time, plain old water, which is my favorite since fruity flavors make me belchy.  I’ve eaten Jelly Belly Sport Beans, Clif Shot Bloks, Gu Chomps, Sharkies, regular jellybeans, and gummy fruit snacks.  And I’ve sucked down a whole lotta gels: Gu Energy Gel, Gu Roctane, Clif Shots, Hammer Gels, and Chocolate Agave #9 Energy Gels. 
As for pre-run fuel, I’m always guzzling water and/or an electrolyte drink.  I’ve tried eating a banana with peanut butter, an apple, oatmeal with dates, rice cakes with almond butter, Larabars, Sport Beans or Bloks, and most of the time, nothing (gasp!). 
I still don’t have a clear vision of what exactly I’m going to start experimenting with (we have a ton of Gu packets and I might pick up some new products to sample at the AFC Half Marathon Expo tomorrow), but here’s my goal schedule:
  • 1 hour before go-time: Eat 200-250 calories.
  • Until go-time: Drink 16-24 ounces of water with an electrolyte.
  • 1 hour into the run (and every hour after): Consume 150-225 calories.
  • Hydration: Carry a 16 ounce water bottle with electrolytes to drink during the first hour (and avoid crowded aid stations at races), and continue to take a small drink at every mile (or aid station) from there.  

*I usually stay away from the electrolyte drinks offered at races because I absolutely hate how sweet they are (Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, Cytomax, etc.) and some of them aren’t guaranteed to be gluten-free, so I’ve always stuck to water, water, water throughout long runs and marathons.  So, one experiment will be to carry Nuun tablets with me and/or have Jared hand off a water bottle with Nuun late in a training run to see if it helps or makes any kind of a noticeable difference.
I sure hope this is worth it!  And that I don’t gain a whole bunch of weight… or crap my pants or some poor neighbor’s lawn… And I sure hope I can find some fuel that I love (or can get for free, because, shoot, this stuff can be pricey!).
How do you fuel up for a long run or race? 

What are your favorite products and flavors?

Busy busy bee

18 Aug

If it wasn’t obvious by the title, I’ve been busy, busy, busy.

For those who don’t follow me on DailyMile, you’ll be happy to know I survived Saturday’s long run (special thanks to hubby, who biked with me for several miles in the beginning).  And then I went on to have an awesome weekend with our out-of-town visitors.  
We had two friends (and their bouncy dog, Buster) visiting from San Francisco and another friend was in town (with her sweet old man-dog, Rusty) from Tehachapi.  I spent a lot of time on my feet between the 18-miler, roaming around Fiesta Island for two hours while Sully, Buster and Rusty went wild, walking around PB, and exploring City Fest in Hillcrest.  Sunday night, I got slammed with muscle soreness and tossed and turned all night just trying to stretch out my angry muscles.
With that said, and with a half-mary coming up on Sunday, this week has been a major cut-back week.
Sunday is the AFC Half Marathon, which Jared and I will be running for the second year in a row.  It’s definitely a favorite–though it probably has more to do with last year’s PR, than the actual race.  Nonetheless, I am STOKED to be racing again after a five week hiatus because I feel like I’ve lost my mojo and nothing fires me up more than racing. 

Voting ends next week and my Giveaway will end on Sunday, so go VOTE FOR JESSICA!  Also, leave a comment on the Giveaway post if you want a shot at the iPod Shuffle.

I would rather run a marathon than an 18 mile training run

13 Aug
Tomorrow, I have 18 miles on my marathon training plan, which will be the longest training run I’ve done since March (when I ran 18 miles before work.  Um, how’d I do that…?).  Since then, I’ve run 4 marathons, 3 half marathons and a 25K, and yet, I’m still embarrassingly intimidated by a “measly” 18 mile training run with no pace goals  and no expectations beyond simply completing the distance.  Should be a piece of cake, right?
Well, the truth is training runs are more daunting than races–to me, at least.  I’ve been stalking runningintheusa.com all week, hoping a half marathon will pop up on the schedule, but it hasn’t, which means I’m faced with the challenge of running 18 miles, all on my own.  
Without cheering spectators… 
Without smiling volunteers handing out Dixie cups of water and free packets of Gu… 
Without other runners to chat with or chase down… 
Without a medal and a beer garden waiting for me at the finish… sigh…
Cue the violins, right? 

Here’s my plan for making these long training runs as fun as races (because, there will be more of them):

1) Buddy-Up: Have hubby bike or run (part of the way) with me… bribe Ashley, Muffin and others into running with me!

2) Break It Up: Plan stops at public water fountains for fuel breaks.

3) Fuel with Faves: Shot Bloks, jellybeans, Peanut M&Ms and coffee/chocolate/vanilla gels.

4) Find Fun Distractions: Run the beach boardwalk where there are always lots of people walking/running/biking, bulldogs skateboarding, children selling “free seashells,” etc.

5) Jam!: Add new music to the shuffle.

6) Embrace Photo Ops: Carry a camera and take photos.

7) FRO-YO!!!!: Who cares about a medal when there’s self-serve fro-yo from YOGURTLAND!

8) Post-Run Mimosa Brunch!  A spicy Bloody Mary (or two) will do the trick, too.

“There’s no magic to running far or climbing Everest.  Endurance is mental strength.  It’s all about heart.” (-Bear Grylls)
And while I’m out running, GO VOTE FOR JESSIE & ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

Jessica’s Hope & GIVEAWAY

9 Aug

Ten years ago, in the fall of 2001, I was settling into my freshman year of college when I got a call from my aunt.  My mom and my sister were too heartbroken to share the news with me: my seven year old niece had a brain tumor.

I vividly remember standing hand-in-hand with my family, surrounding Jessica’s hospital bed, praying with every ounce of my being for a miracle.  And then we waited for what felt like days, hours, decades.  We waited and waited.  In all my life, I have never had a heavier heart than I did the day Jessica was wheeled off to have that incredibly scary and incredibly risky brain surgery. 
And it was the most extraordinary miracle when she regained consciousness, softly singing: “Jesus loves me, this is I know…”
Regrettably, Jessica’s fight doesn’t end there.  The cancer that first invaded her body in 2001 has recurred again, and again, and again.  In truth, I’ve lost count. 
Jessica’s 16th birthday in the hospital, 2010

Our sweet and courageous survivor, Jessica, has bravely faced ten years of MRIs, radiation, finger sticks, blood draws, chemotherapy, clinical trials, medication, surgery, IVs, physical therapy, appointments, hospital beds, and bad news. 
A few weeks ago, she got some more bad news: the tumor at the base of her spine had more than doubled in size in just a couple weeks time.  Wrought with pain attributed to this aggressive growth, Jessica was admitted into the hospital and she is now courageously undergoing an extremely potent round of chemotherapy.
Despite years of battling cancer, Jessica has maintained awe-inspiring faith, often comforting those around her, saying: “I’m not done yet.“  She’s been beating the odds for ten years and believes with all her heart that this journey is God’s plan for her.
Jessica and her team of family and friends, a.k.a. “Jessica’s Jackpots,” have been working with CancerFree KIDS to support pediatric cancer research to find a cure.  Because of her work with this incredible organization, Jessica has been nominated as “Volunteer of the Year” by the social fundraising group, Stay Classy.

And here is where I am asking you–no, begging you, to please, please, PLEASE vote for Jessica: http://classyawards.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/voting

  1. Scroll down to Individual/Group Categories,
  2. Click on “Volunteer Of The Year,”
  3. Click the VOTE button for “Jessica’s Jackpots,”
  4. Finally, Click the “Submit My Votes” button at the top of the page.
Jessica is currently in fourth place and while I know I am extremely biased, she deserves this award.  And truly, she needs it. 
Jessica, Amy & Clara at the Butterfly Walk benefiting CancerFree KIDS, 2011
Jessica’s Jackpots at the Butterfly Walk, 2011

Jessica, and her entire entourage of family and friends, draw strength from raising awareness and funding for childhood cancer research.  And your vote will help raise money for CancerFree KIDS. 
More importantly, it will keep Jessica’s hope alive.
Because this means so much to me, I am making this into a GIVEAWAY by raffling off an Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB (4th Generation–the newest model).  You choose the color!  

Why an iPod Shuffle?  Well, I’ve been glued to my beloved Shuffle every day since Jessica’s latest recurrence.  Emory Austin said it best: “Some days there won’t be a song in your heart.  Sing anyway.“

To ENTER for the iPod Shuffle:

  1. You MUST VOTE for Jessica’s Jackpots and leave a comment telling me you voted.
  2. For additional entries spread the word:
    • Email everyone you know,
    • Post on your Blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter, then…
    • Leave another comment for each way that you’ve spread the word about Jessica/this giveaway.
The giveaway will be open until Sunday, August 21st at midnight (California time).  I will announce the winner on Monday, August 22nd.
Thank you for voting.  And thank you for sharing your hope.
“Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” (-Christopher Reeve)
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