I can run!

The last week has been one full of movement.

Last Saturday was the Rhythm Race, which sounded so cool. A 5K at Rentschler Field, with live music along the course and tailgating after. I've done 2 other races there, so i knew the terrain could be gravel, but would be flat. Mich, Aimee and Ian were signed up, and Duncan was going to join us as a spectator. 

It was a fail. There was hardly any music and the course was lots of loose gravel that hurt and made running a real challenge. We had split into pairs, Mich and Ian walking and Aimee & I running with the stroller, except around Mile 1 Connor just wasn't having it. We tried carrying him, walking with him, everything. No go. Aimee headed back with him, and i saw Mich and Ian as i went around a turn. They were calling it quits too, the loose gravel was just too much. I finished, 41:44, and it was hard. Tailgating after was fun, being with friends, but this race was not one i'd do again. Not even water on the course or at the finish line. I've been spoiled with HMF events.

Thursday was the 3rd Extreme Scramble (5K) with Aimee. I had field work earlier in the day, so i wasn't at my best, but the course was masochistic fun. We went across the Connecticut River twice, once across the Bulkeley Bridge and once across the Founders Bridge, both of which involve a lot of stairs. The sections along the river were nice - shady, pretty, cool, and even under the Founders Bridge there was small up and downs that were kind of fun, even if they were a challenge. When we crossed the river a second time the sun was setting and Hartford looked pretty. We ended with a time of 41:21, walking the stairs and a bit of the second bridge because i was tired. 

These two scores had me nervous, as Sunday was the Old Wethersfield 10K. But how could i avoid a race in my own town? There was a 5K too, but this big kid option... i knew i could walk the distance easy, but run it? I anticipated a time around 1:20. I was afraid we'd be last, looking at the 2011 results. 

Mike lectured Aimee and i on not starting too fast, pacing ourselves, all that jazz. Well, we did, and at Mile 1 i think the clock said 12:45, which was reasonable. After that, we actually made up time on each mile, so that we hit Mile 5 at almost perfectly 1:00:00 according to the marker. The course was great, through the historic areas, along the green, and the fact that we were doing a double loop wasn't even that bad, because it was so cool and flat. We walked the three water stations and that was it. Our final time was 1:12:43, meaning we averaged 11:43 per mile! It took me a little to recover at the end, but i had run a 10K! 

It's worth noting, if i had stopped to walk, i'm not sure i would of been able to run again. I felt like a machine, as long as i kept running i would stay running, but if i slowed down i was doomed. The last mile was HARD. And that afternoon i was exhausted and sore. I need to be training more and for longer distances. Of course, i also managed to bruise my right instep, so running today isn't going to happen. Probably not tomorrow either. 

I'm so thankful for Aimee, i could find so many excuses not to do these things, but they are rewarding and fun. In just under a month we'll be doing the Warrior Dash, another big challenge. And then, maybe the half marathon. 

Yeah.

Muffin Experiments

Peach muffins

First off, although i didn't run yesterday because of the weather, i did make a rather crazy fitness choice - I signed up for the Warrior Dash.  This is a race that is around 3.5 miles, with a series of obstacles including climbing over walls, balancing on narrow boards, crawling through mud and jumping over fire.  Aimee, who is my running inspiration, as well as my brother will be joining me.  I've got until September to try and gain some upper body strength, as well as continue working on my running.

I did use the evening for productivity.  First off, i made a batch of peach muffins, using Alton Brown's muffin recipe from I'm Just Here for More Food, with a slight modification.  I used half whole wheat, half white flour (by weight).  I sifted the dry ingredients twice, to make sure things were incorporated.  I also used greek yogurt, because that's what i had.  I didn't measure, just went with what i had left in the container, which looked to be about a cup.  Because that's what i had.

I had wanted to use some raspberries in these, but sadly mine had gotten moldy, and the ones that were salvageable were too soft, and i didn't want pink muffins.

Blueberry muffin

I love the flavor the whole wheat added, but i think next time they will need a lower temperature, as the outside came close to being burned had i not turned off the oven and let them finish as the heat reduced.  These muffins were also a little more dense in comparison with the blueberry muffins i made several days ago using the same recipe except using only white flour.  I have done a little reading and learned there is such a thing as pastry whole wheat flour and may investigate such a product.  I don't believe white flour is the devil but any change to get a little better nutrition is nice.

Both batches were not sweet, nor cakey, but felt like something old-fashioned and comforting.  I'm interesting in trying a savory batch sometime soon, perhaps some sort of herb and cheese thing.

Because i made the blueberry muffins before leaving for a trip to Massachusetts for a family gathering, i froze them and found they were still great post-freezer.  They also defrosted quickly, which is handy.  I decided to freeze all but 3 of the peach muffins (two i ate for dinner, plus one for today's lunch, don't judge!).  We'll see if the flour choice has any impact there.

In related news, i recently read two posts from Food 52, one on Food Styling and the other on Food Photography.  Please bear with me as i try and learn (and also use my iPhone 4S as my camera).

FitBit

I am in love with my FitBit Ultra.  A FitBit is a teeny tiny pedometer, but calling it just a pedometer is like calling Romeo & Juliet a play.  It is, but also much more.

The happy little black gizmo is about the size of my finger, and can be clipped onto your waistband, or stuck in a pocket or even a bra.  It's much less conspicuous than any other pedometer i've ever tried, which i admit, was a concern.  I may be geeky and overweight, but i try to draw attention to neither of those things!  It tracks your steps, flights of stairs (and hills), calories burned, distance traveled and gives you the time.  All of this you can see by pressing the little button on the unit itself, or when it syncs to the website via wireless connection when it is 15' or less from the base station.

It took a little adjusting to get my mileage more accurate to my runs, initially it was overestimating my stride, and i still would like to go to the track to get some more accurate measurements, but in due time.  I've now used it for several walks, walk/runs and even a hike and found it was quite accurate.  It's been a great motivation to do a little more throughout the day, and even helped me do my chores!  If i am 'short' on my daily goals, i will walk around the house putting things away to collect steps and flights of stairs.  It's amazing how sedentary i am during the day at the office and how active i can be by just simple things like cooking, cleaning and having fun!  Even shopping suddenly turns into a mental game of how i can get in a few more steps.

For years i've heard the lines about park further away from your destination, use the further copier, and other little tricks to get more activity in your day, but never really thought hard about how they actually have an effect.  It's 20 seconds, right?  Wearing a pedometer has turned those little things into something numeric, and therefore more real for me.  Because i have a goal to work towards each day, i am inspired to try those small changes, rather than see them as something nice, but not important.

I also feel that by using the fitbit i am more accurately tracking my calories, because some days i am very active at work and other days not so much.  It's helpful for me to know what an office day looks like so i can find other ways to be active.  Similarly, when i am more active, i can balance that with a lighter workout for balance.

Although i don't know how accurate it really is, you can also use it to track your sleep.  By wearing it on your wrist (it comes with a wristband), it will track your movement and create a report of how long it took you to fall asleep and how often you woke up.  This has been very helpful for nights where i have had trouble sleeping and noticing patterns in my sleep habits.

Because it syncs with tools i am already using, primarily LoseIt and RunKeeper, it also is particularly useful.  Unlike a traditional pedometer, i don't have to enter anything.  Each time i sync, Lose It adjusts my exercise calories and tells FitBit what i've eaten.  There is a huge list of apps and sites that work with FitBit's API, and i suspect it'll keep growing.

Overall, i love this little gadget and think it will continue to be a great tool on my weight loss journey!