Morning! I hope everyone is enjoying the week so far. I, frankly, have been exhausted. A whirlwind trip to Denver then San Diego last weekend has left my body confused and in dire need of rest. But that’s what weekends are for, and it’s already Thursday, so life is good.
Denver is awesome – what a cool city. Joe and I talk of heading out to Colorado for the Leadville Trail Marathon in 2012 (him to run, me to support) which would be super cool. San Diego was obviously great. You may or may not know that Joe and I used to live in SD – it’s actually where we met. So, it was pretty nostalgic for us to go back together for the first time since we left in ’07. We attended our friend’s wedding which was such a great time (Congrats Clint & Conni!). We also made sure to swing by our old stomping grounds: Pacific Beach, baby. We had our first date at Zen 5 Sushi – “Rolls & Reggae” (awesome) so we had to go back. Seriously, guys, this is the best sushi in the country. It’s nothing fancy, but the rolls are SO fresh, reasonably priced, and seriously kick ass. Plus, they play reggae while you dine. Here’s some sushi food porn for your viewing enjoyment:
Oh, yes.
They have this special roll called the “Timmy Roll” which is in my top-5-favorite-foods-of-all-time-ever. It’s topped with tempura flakes and “Timmy Sauce” and is pure deliciousness. Major swoon.
Saturday morning we also managed to get in a very slow 7-miler through Balboa Park. It was pretty sunny and we were up quite late on Friday, so it wasn’t our most stellar performance, but regardless, we were pretty psyched we got a decent run in.
Anyways – I managed to get in 40 miles last week – sweet. I took Sunday off this week for a much needed rest day. Monday was an easy 5, and Tuesday I got in a super awesome run which is just what I needed. Joe just got the new Garmin 610 for his birthday and I totally snagged it for this long run. All of the runs I’ve done outside (which account for the majority of my long runs) since training for the Philly ½ have been sans Garmin. Needless to say, I’ve been guess-timating with my pace. So, I was kind of nervous for this run to see if my pace was actually increasing in prep for next month’s race. Here’s how it went down (Note: we have not figured out yet how to upload the Garmin info to our computer - we honestly haven’t tried – but will be sure to this weekend):
Mile 1: 8:00 min/mile
Mile 2: 6:48 min/mile
Mile 3: 6:55 min/mile
Mile 4: 7:08 min/mile
Mile 5: 7:15 min/mile
Mile 6: 7:05 min/mile
Mile 7: 7:18 min/mile
Mile 8: 7:23 min/mile
Total Distance & Time: 8.05 miles, 57:52
Nice. I was definitely happy with this. The first few miles were probably a little too fast for a training run, but it was reassuring I’m well on my way to a low-7/sub-7 min-mile pace for the Philly 1/2. I also should mention that around mile 4, it started torrential down-pouring. But it was actually kind of nice. And then the worst/best thing happened around mile 6: my iPod died. I sometimes freak if I don’t have audio during long runs, but it was so cool to enjoy the sound of the rain.
By the way, aforementioned iPod has still not recovered. He’s officially dead. He’s been on his way out for about 6 months now, so I’m not surprised. Time for a new iPod shuffle? Something small. Suggestions welcome.
OH I should also update you that, yes, I have started running on the Schuylkill River trail again since “The Incident”. I now listen to music much softer and have also started listening to podcasts which is a new revelation. I am hyper-aware of cyclists and actually turn all audio off completely and move off the trail before I turn. I am probably semi-OCD-hyper-aware of cyclists, though, since during my run this morning I probably looked over my shoulder about 50 times. It’s a slow healing process, I suppose. Speaking of healing, my massive bruise still looks horrific, but I can finally sleep on my right side again.
Moving on, I also wanted to thank you all for all the feedback on my previous post about body fat percentage. I’m trying to figure out the best (healthy) way to increase my body fat % without becoming obsessive with counting calories. (Been there, done that, makes for a miserable Katie). I have been more aware about incorporating healthy fats into my meals, and also increasing calories, especially around lunchtime – as my lunches can sometimes be (too) light due to the craziness of the day. For dinner on Tuesday night, I stopped by Di Bruno Bros. on my way home (danger zone!) and picked up some Salmon. Also planned to use some other healthy fats such as 2% Greek Yogurt, Olive Oil, and Avocado:
Cooked the salmon simply with olive oil and dill, steamed some green beans, added the avocado and a tomato with oregano. All accompanied with Greek yo. Yes I’m aware that I totally butchered the salmon, but it was still yummy.
I’ve also added quinoa to our meals the past couple of nights – yup – officially on the quinoa bandwagon.
I’m still on the yogurt bowl + turkey meat for breakfast kick, because I love the way it fills me up. But, I have switched to low-fat organic yogurt (as opposed to non-fat).
(Yes - that's my powerball ticket. Didn't win. Yet.)
Oh, you want a close-up of my yo bowl? Sure – it was kind of awesome today. Low Fat Stonyfield Organic yo, chia seeds, mango, blueberries, strawberries, cinnamon, and sliced almonds.
Okay, sorry this post has been all over the place. So, I guess my questions will be all over the place, too.
Tell me, What is one of your top 5 favorite foods? Do you have any nostalgic foods that bring back special memories?
Also – do you have an iPod shuffle/nano to recommend?
And (totally random but I’m doing some research) – do you use compression socks or partake in ice baths?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 05:38PM 
