Chocolate Milk to Bring in the New Year

It's been a little while, but the running has continued! We haven't had any team practices over the past 2 weeks due to Christmas and the New Year, so the runs have definitely been a bit lonely now that I like discovered that I actually like running with people. 


Running Updates:


- I got off the treadmill and made it to one of the outdoor track workouts last Tuesday night. It was probably about 20 degrees outside and for the warm up laps my feet felt numb. But the time does seem to fly when your toughing it out with others. Andddd.... a track workout followed by burritos is never a bad combination. I could get used to that...


Last week's 8 miler felt really great... truthfully, surprisingly good.   I ran out and back along the Newton Hills, covering the three big heart break hills. I figure that it's good practice since come marathon day, we'll be hitting those hills after running 20 miles. (can't wait). 


Today marked the last single digit long run until April 16th. When I think about it like that, it seems daunting and slightly unattainable. But as Sarah and I were trucking along Beacon Street this morning, I feel thankful for already having found someone who runs at the same pace as me and shares similar fears: What do you eat before a long run? How do you ignore the fact that the Boston Marathon has an incredibly large pool of elites? How many "Gu's" do you plan on running with? How do you stretch this muscle that you never thought was a muscle until you started feeling some pain there? AND most importantly, where should we put our gallon of chocolate milk as we go out for our run so that it doesn't go sour? YES YES I said it. I have leaped on the chocolate milk bandwagon after some skepticism. I don't believe there is a better post-run drink in fact. I'm hooked. You got the protein, sugar, potassium and deliciousness. Solution: chocolate milk remained in my fridge. In the future, we leave it outdoors, it's sure as hell cold enough!


We left my apartment this morning and decided to warm up with a lap around the reservoir. It was pretty foggy and misty, just a little bit such that it actually felt kind of nice since it is about 40 degrees outside. The fog persisted throughout the 9 miles and by the time we got to heartbreak hill all we could see was a faint green light at the VERY top of the hill, far off in the distant. I felt like I was in the Great Gatsby.... ha....


But the chocolate milk was safe and sound in my apartment and post-stretching, rolling, and kneading, we downed some milk a la chocolate and with that, I say, here's to double digits and more importantly, here's to a healthy New Year!

Qualms of the Bag Lady #2

I think the one piece of equipment that poses more of a problem than socks is... a sports bra. I was so happy that I actually got myself to the gym after my company's holiday party which included beer, macaroni and cheese, and cookies, that I felt pretty disheartened when I opened my knapsack and basically flipped it inside out swearing that there had to be a sports bra in one of the many compartments. But there was not. You would think by now that I had this routine down - but there is always room for error. I told myself that I had to run anyway. It was not pleasant. Not at all. Not only because of no sports bra but because I learned (the hard way) what foods don't sit well in my stomach pre-run. I can tell you this, I'm saving the beer for post run glory...