About the Airfield Estates Vineyard 5k

 As you can see from this years event poster with Katie front and center, we did this race last year and had so much fun we had to do it again!  This year the wine-makers dinner was before the race which we should have known was going to be trouble, but our schedules didn't make it so that we could stay another night and have a nice wine-filled dinner somewhere else...hopefully next year!

 So after a night of wine and all the foods I should not be eating (bread pudding being the worst offender) we  got ourselves to the vineyard and were grateful for the nice weather as it had rained really, really hard the night before.

They kicked off the event with a fly over by a few local planes accompanied by 'Highway to the Danger Zone' from Top Gun blasting through the sound system.  I was so overcome by the cheesiness of it I think I was laughing hysterically when I took this photo. Sooo cheese-tastic.

The race was pretty much how we remembered it, which was good because it is probably the second hardest course I've run to date (the Cinco de Mayo race at Volunteer Park in Seattle being the hardest).  As predicted, Katie got a sizable lead on Betsy and I as she has been running trails like it's no one's business.  Look at her go in my super-sweet sunnies - I think they made her even faster...

Betsy and I stuck together once I caught up with her.  We flew (as is fitting for an airplane themed event) the  last mile and a half as the hills were all behind us.  We finished in 31 minutes and change - not too bad for being far from the shape I was in before my last spat of tummy yuckiness that kept me away.

We departed the race soon after, vowing to do more races.  Next up: Turkey Trot November! Can't wait!

About Race Anxiety...

"'Chase dreams signal ideas of helplessness,' he says. 'Do something to regain a sense of control over your life."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-52177/Five-common-nightmares--mean.html#ixzz28dJzi5pX

I had a dream last night that I was running. Not a race or with anyone, just me. Alone. Like usual.  And at the beginning I was pleased and calm, passing the casual walkers as usual.  Then something happened.  A walker passed me.  I was still running, yet so slowly that I was barely moving.  My legs felt like lead despite willing them to move more quickly with all my might.  Alas, I could not pass that damn walker.

I woke up to my alarm screeching away, thankful that my cheap-o clock does not have the mind power to separate weekdays from weekends.  I wanted to get up and run, to prove to myself that my legs still worked, and all my months of training had not been wasted because of my recent time off from pounding the pavement.  Unfortunately it was 5:30 am, still dark, and I have yet to purchase a headlamp for this season.  So I went back to bed looking forward to the daylight.

The dream was back. I was in the middle of an ultra race this time with a pair of bicycling friends and I was keeping up! I was going fast! My legs were working! 'This. Is. Awesome.' I thought.  Then something happened: I got lost. My time was ruined because I hadn't read the guide signs. Again, my dream turned into nightmare. And again I awoke to my alarm - this time my phone reminding me to take my vitamins. What is the deal?!

Sounds like I may have some race anxiety, wouldn't you say? My first race since the Firecracker 5000 on the fourth of July  is coming up next weekend and I am mighty nervous indeed.  I've recently taken a significant amount of time off and have only logged 3.5 miles in the last month.  I feel weak and lethargic. Unmotivated and un-enthused.

"Get up. Get off your a$$ and get out there. Lace your shoes, tighten your water bottle down and get moving for crying out loud. Do it. Now." my subconscious self is telling me. I think I should listen.

A Shoe Review: Merrell Pace Glove

I purchased the Merrell Pace Glove after I ran my second pair of Vibram Five Fingers into the ground and got sick and tired of the hot spots that never seemed to stop forming under my big toes.  These were appealing because they still have the Vibram out sole making them very thin and light-weight, and the 'glove' in the name is spot on; they feel like a glove or sock. I LOVED them and could not wait to hit the pavement without getting those awkward glances from people 'admiring' my monkey shoes.

I continued to, and still do, wear my Injinji socks in them because (1) they are expensive as all hell and can't justify not wearing them and (2) I like the feel and movement of the lightweight version; they seem to allow my toes to move more freely than a regular sock would.

The reason I don't wear these any more, apart from wearing them out, was that after about 5 miles the thin-ness of the shoe really started to get to me.  I would develop a tenderness under my forefoot that was unbearably annoying and would leave me tender for days. Now understand, I've been running in minimalist shoes for quite a while now (barefoot, two pairs of VFF's, Saucony Hattori's, Invisible Shoes) so it's not really a matter of my feet getting used to running 'bare', which is why I decided to hunt for something with a little more meat in the end.

All in all, I put a total of 105 miles on these puppies and they did wear significantly.  But they were on the inexpensive side, so I'm satisfied by the performance.

Back In Business...

So the blog has been quiet as of late. I've been out of commission due to a recent rash of illness.

We have been very busy the last month.  We've traveled far and wide, attended a wedding, a football game, a frat party, floated a river and did some camping.  None of these activities are (easily) made "Kellie Friendly" and thus I ate whatever was in front of me - avoiding the bad stuff when I could, but not taking much time to read labels or make a general fuss about what was in my food.

I ate everything: french bread, sushi, hot dogs, hamburgers, cookies, and (of course) wedding cake. You name it, I ate it and barely batted an eye. This recklessness resulted in weeks of belly aches, headaches, joint pain, etc., etc., etc. Needless to say, I have not been motivated to do much of anything, including blog, as of late.

BUT I'm feeling better now; I went for my first run in 30 DAYS. How does that happen?! I seriously thought it had maybe been 3 weeks max. Oh well. I'm feeling better - a little more confident that I can run miles away from home and be alright - not having to worry about when the next bout of stomach cramps or fatigue is going to set in.

Picnic Fare

Tom and I love picnics in the summer time.  This last Friday I took a trip to Whole Foods to pick up a quick picnic dinner and dessert  for a surprise date night dinner outdoors.

COCONUT WATER

I found these whole young coconuts in the drink section and had to get them.  I've heard that coconut water is high in fiber, potassium and sodium and is great as a post-workout beverage.  Since Tom had just finished a cross-fit workout before I rushed him out the door, I figured this would be both a fun, and beneficial, appetizer.

MEXICAN-STYLE "NACHOS"

For the main course I hit up the burrito bar and filled a large container with layers of pulled pork, onions, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, sauteed onions and peppers and guac.  More of a 7 layer dip than nachos, but either way it was fabulous with 100% blue corn tortilla chips. 

DESSERT

For dessert I really struggled to find a cookie in the cookie isle that was wheat, dairy, and soy free.  That is until I looked down to the bottom shelf and beheld macaroons! These ones contained only coconut, egg whites, and evap. cane juice with honey. They are sulfite, lactose, soy, wheat, gluten, dairy and yeast free.  They are, however, absolutely delicious but relatively high in calories (130C for 2) so I think I'm going to make my own from now on.

Happy picnicking!

Costco & Target Food 'Haul'

Apart from posting recipes and running tips, I also wanted to provide a shopping guide by documenting the goodies that follow me home on my Monday shopping trips.  Here it goes...

PRODUCE

When I shop I literally grab anything that looks good that day.  When it comes to produce, and especially fruit that will be snacks, you just can't go wrong.  The only thing to remember with Costco shopping is that you need to know how to cook the foods you are buying in multiple different ways (or not care about eating the same thing multiple times).

PROTEIN

On this trip I was asked not to purchase any chicken (we've had too much of it lately). The steaks will get separated and frozen, the pork loins separated and frozen, turkey bacon, wild salmon will get eaten immediately, and some of the eggs will get hard boiled as snacks and the other are for breakfasts and cooking.

SNACKS

I LOVE COFFEE.  I have tried, and failed, to live without it.  Here I have purchased coconut milk to replace creamer for the coffee (add in a little bit of agave syrup and it's pretty tasty). Pistachios are God's gift to snackers, and dried cherries are fabulous for boosting energy levels.

Dessert!

I was desperate the other night for something sweet and dessert-ish that was not fruit. I am so glad I went down the ice cream isle at Safeway because I found this gem: So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice 'Cream'.   It's sweetened with agave syrup instead of sugar (yay!) and has very few ingredients and NO SOY!

We got it home and, while the texture is a little odd - it's really creamy in a strange, but good, way - it more than hit the spot!  Even if you were to down the entire two cup container, you would only be doing yourself ~500 calories of damage.

We both agreed that is is a great dessert and highly recommend for the wheat-, soy-, and dairy-free eater.

Mastering the Playlist...

If I ever have to run without music I either slow down significantly or fall victim to that little voice in my head that says 'STOP NOW. YOU NEED A MACCHIATO'.  Having the right music to keep spirits and tempo high is therefore of utmost importance - my finish time depends on it.

The main struggle has been finding enough songs that have the right 170-190 bpm tempo AND is something I want to listen to.  One website that has been a HUGE help is jog.fm (http://jog.fm/workout-songs) where you can search their library by tempo and listen using Spotify.

Once I found all of my songs it was a matter of putting them in the right order.  At first I threw them all in together and hit 'shuffle'. Big mistake. Having a fast song, then slow song, then fast, slow, etc. is exhausting and I don't recommend it. Instead, I used this handy tool (http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm) to determine the exact tempo of each song and then sort them from slowest to fastest.

This gradual tempo increase both conserves energy AND is more fun as you start to feel yourself running faster, faster, faster.  That being said, here's my list!

I love songs like 'Swagga Like Us', 'Run This Town', and 'The Distance' are too much fun to run to; I get so pumped up I forget I'm even running!  The slowest song is 170 bpm and the fastest is in the 190's ('Rocketeer' and that's why it's on there twice).  This tempo keeps me light on my feet, forces smaller steps, and keeps me on my toes and off of my heels - all things that runner's need to focus on - except with this playlist I don't need to 'focus' on it at all!

A Plan Takes Shape...

Betsy & I before the Sammamish Boy & Girls Club 5k

After finishing my last race on Sunday - and taking this week off to make sure my system has calmed down (enough) - I think it's time to start my training back up again. 


I had just gotten back from a two week recovery from shin splints when I became too ill to run and, if there is a silver lining to be found, I feel like I've become really good at starting over.

As far as diet, I think the key foods I'm going to be avoiding are those with high fructose contents (apples, pears, tomatoes, pineapple, peach), artificial sweeteners, soy lecithin (protein), and gluten (wheat protein).  The jury is still out on dairy.  I can't tell if it is bugging me or not, but it hadn't been before I got sick, so we'll see.

The one thing I learned from my last attempt at training is that my body does not like 4-day-a-week runs.  The plan I developed this time is 3 days per week with two short(er) runs and one long run on Saturday. My goal is to eventually run a half-, full-, then ultra marathon.  This longest distance, to me, seems like the ultimate test of the mind and most long distance runners I have read about say that this distance is the most fun.

My training plan is pretty laid back: I have no deadlines to meet and will be racing my usual 5k once a month during the entire thing (until August when we bump up to 10k's).  My idea for this blog is to document how the training is going and to keep a log of what works and what doesn't in regards to gear, diet, sports nutrition, hydration, music playlists, etc.

Below is a copy of my training schedule as it stands right now. The 'Rest' days will either be just that, rest, or will be a low impact activity like walking or yoga.

The First Appointment...

I've done it.  I've made my first (of probably many) doctor's appointments with an allergist.  After 15 years of struggling with food allergies/intolerances I've had enough; I am going to find out what is wrong with me.


There have been many theories along the way regarding what makes me so sick.  Milk, MSG, gluten, soy? All I can do is guess, eliminate one or more of the suspects and deal with the results.  What I often get in return is a stomach ache, itchy skin, and hives (among others).


Well, I'm done. I'm throwing in the towel.  


My first appointment is with Dr. Krouse in Bellevue at the allergy clinic.  The man on the phone said they were going to start with a scratch test to see which of those substances I'm allergic to. From there I can choose which foods I would like to get tested for.  It's a bit vague at this point, I know, but its a jumping-off point.


My goal for this journey is to FINALLY discover what it is that I can and cannot eat.  No more guessing, and especially, no more missed opportunities because I don't feel well enough to leave the safety of my house.