3 days to recover

My legs are finally feeling better after 3 days. I ended up registering for the 1.15.2012 R&R in Arizona because of the cost and timing. While the registration fee for the race is doubled that of the IMS, flights and hotel came out lower. Also, I really don't want to train through February considering we still want to do the Lake Stevens half ironman in August. The crowd at R&R won't bother me much, mostly because I assume I will be closer to the front of the pack so less bodies to dodge. Friend Erik ran this last year and said it's a very fast course but he didn't like the massive amount of people.

Everything is booked except for the rental car, so I'm committed. I'll have to train hard for the next 6 weeks and hope to kill it. Wish me luck!

Sign-Up for Arizona Marathon today

*Sigh* Yup, didn't quite meet the BQ time in the Seattle Marathon with my time of 3:48:10. I was doing GREAT up through mile 17-18. My half way split was a PR of 1:41, but then the back end came and the last 6 or so miles were all hill, coupled with rain, wind, cold, and at one point, there was hail. The ending was such a disaster. There was a reason I stopped supporting this marathon a few years ago (the race director was an evil wench), and now, I will vow never to run this one again, for a different reason.

Today, I have to choose between the R&R Arizona marathon on 1.15.2012 or the IMS Arizona Marathona on 2.19.2012. I figured it would be best to just find the earliest marathon to try and get this BQ thing done, so that I could use this past weekend as a training run. I'd prefer the timing of the R&R, but the course, cost and size (small) of the IMS is much more appealing. I will likely go with the latter.

My legs are super sore. I'm hobbling around like a goofball. It was soooo cold out there, but the asics arm warmers I purchased at the expo were fantastic - so glad Bri recommended them!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

My first time running the Seattle Marathon. I really hope that the weather will be decent; that I do not injure myself before then; and that I qualify for Boston.

Only after training for about 7 weeks, I'm sure I'm fully unprepared for this. But what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger, right??

On a high note, two of my friends rocked the Arizona Ironman this past Sunday, and my coworker volunteered at the event and then signed up for 2012 this morning. I will definitely try to volunteer next year and cheer her on! Then, maybe, just maybe, 2013....

12 days until marathon!

I've barely begun to train and it's already time to taper down. I feel super ill-prepared for this marathon, but at least I'm not injured like I was during the last one. Between now and the 27th, my goals are to eat healthy (no junk, no booze) and try to combine bike and swim with a little bit of running.

Two of my friends are doing the Arizona Ironman this sunday and one of my coworkers is actually volunteering at the event (I think she wants to sign up for it next year. crazy woman!) Good luck, #229 and #949!!

Training Log

I've decided to share my training log: KL Training Log
It's nothing fancy. I've kept track for years. Even before this file was created, I used to track on manual paper. It's nice to be able to reference what I've done. I haven't really been able to successfully stick to a plan, so I usually don't bother. I find that writing down what i actually did is enough to motivate me for the next day.

Apple Pie!

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
•  tbs. of vanilla to the syrup
• dash of nutmeg
• tsp. of cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 (less 1 tbsp) cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•  6 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 egg white

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Brush bottom of crust with egg whites to keep it from getting soggy. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Gently pour most of the sugar and butter liquid into the apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the rest of the liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 50 - 60 minutes in the preheated oven until apples are soft.

Avocado Bruschetta

Guacamole Bruschetta

Yield: 12-15 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 6 min

Ingredients:

½ loaf French bread
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes, medium chopped
2 avocados, medium chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Slice the French bread on the diagonal into ½" rounds and place on a baking sheet.
Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out).
Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime juice.
Spoon a portion of the mixture onto each of the garlic toasts and serve.

Guacamole!

Ingredients

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Greenlake!

Ran around Greenlake 3 times with CH last night. One of the reasons I prefer to run solo is because I tend to pace others, so it ends up throwing me off and I can't get into my preferred running zone. Well, turns out CH's pace was perfect. We averaged 8:25 per mile, which is a push for me when it's not a race day, but that's about where I want to be for a full marathon. The standard rule is that you end up running about 30-60 seconds faster during a race, so knowing that I can do 8:25 is pretty satisfying. He had his book on tape and I ran without any music. The weather was nice and the sun set just as we were finishing up. Couldn't have asked for a better training day.

Creamy Cajun Chicken (or shrimp??) Pasta!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips (I also tried this with shrimp - much better!)
8 ounces linguine, cooked al dente (I used whole wheat linguine)
3 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1/4 nonfat milk and the rest whipping cream)
3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used fresh minced garlic)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through. Pour over hot linguine and toss with Parmesan cheese. I found the original recipe to lack flavor, so i threw in a few dashes of Slap Yo Mama (or any go-to seasoning of your choice) and it was way better!