Marathon Training

In marathon training news, Brian and I are in week 15. We are gearing up for a 20 miler on Saturday. Not only do we need to make sure we run the miles and wear the right shoes and gear but we also need to learn the right foods to fuel with the night before the run as well as during the run and how to properly hydrate.  Here are some tips we have learned along the way. Disclaimer: I'm not an expert so these are just from personal experiences.

Shoes & Gear- I can't speak highly enough of our experience at Road Runner Sports. We went there early on in our training to make sure we were wearing the right shoes. At RRS they analyze your gait and stride on a treadmill. They record you while you run and make the recommendations based on your mechanics. Aside from shoes, dry fit and wicking clothing and socks are important. This can reduce blisters and chafing because the material wicks sweat away from your body. Make the change, your body will thank you for it.

Pre-Run Fueling- We are still experimenting with what works best for us the night before a long run. I can tell you what doesn't work - drinking alcohol (more than 1-2 glasses of wine) and having tapas for dinner. Tonight we skipped out on FFDN and stayed in and made dinner. I made a slow cooked bolognese and we ate that with spaghetti and garlic bread. The Friday night before our 18 miler we both had different pastas from Barolo (decent food, bad service on the night we went) and I think we were properly fueled for our run the next day. Most marathons host a pasta/spaghetti dinner the night before race day so there really must be something to pasta and carbo loading. They are the experts after all.

For breakfast, about 45-30 min before our run we usually have peanut butter, honey & banana sandwich and a glass of water. This is a great combination of carbs, protein, and potassium (keeps you from cramping).

Refueling & Rehydrating - During our long runs we have been carrying a hydration belt and putting a nuun tablet with our water to help replace electrolytes and rehydrate. There are so many options when it comes to refueling. Go to any running store and you'll see products that range from gels, gummies, beans, and more. These are the products we have used so far:

GU Energy Gel

PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts

Sport Beans

GU Chomps

Of these different products, we have used the PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts the most. We recently tried the GU Chomps with caffeine on our medium long run on Wednesday as recommended by our friend, Andrea. We really liked them and are going to use it for tomorrow's run as well.  

Speaking of tomorrow's run, it's time for bed. Gotta rest up since we'll be up early pounding the pavement.

Blogging FAIL

Here I go again talking about how bad of a blogger I am. I think part of it is I'm still trying to find my voice when it comes to blogging. My initial theme for this blog was to document my culinary adventures. I think in order for me to blog more I need to expand the theme of the blog. I still want to write about the restaurants I try and the recipes I attempt but I think I also just want to write about my life in general. So an all purpose blog if you will. 

My life right now consists of work, running/training, wedding/honeymoon planning, and foodie adventures. So I guess for now that will be what this blog will be about.

Brian and I are currently in Week 11 of marathon training. Our long run for this week is 16 miles, just one mile longer than our longest run to date. So far we are doing well with training and just putting in the miles. One thing we have both noticed that has helped us recover from our long runs is the dreaded and beloved ice bath. What is it you ask? Exactly what it sounds like. You sit in a bathtub of ice cold water w/ ice cubes for about 15 minutes. It hurts so good. Sure, my legs turn shades of purple and red and are cold to the touch even as I'm taking a hot shower afterward but the pain experienced in that brief period of time isn't so bad compared to having sore and tight muscles for the next few days.

Speaking of the next few days, Valentine's Day is coming up. We are planning to stay in and just cook a delicious meal together, which is what we love to do anyway especially on big holidays like this where restaurants are overbooked and overpriced. Which reminds me I still need to find some recipes for our V-Day dinner. 

I still have some restaurant write-ups to post - promise!

Let's try this again, shall we?

I don't really do New Year's resolutions but I do set some goals at the beginning of the year. I know that we are nearing the end of January already but it isn't too late to list them here and put them out there is it? 

Goals for 2010

1. Run and finish the Tacoma Marathon

2. Learn how to use our Digital SLR better and take awesome pictures

3. Blog

1. Run and finish the Tacoma Marathon

I am doing well in regards to this goal so far. Brian and I are in Week 8 of Marathon Training. We just have to stick to our training plan and put in the miles and we should be able to finish the race. We won't be breaking any world records, but I think we will have a respectable time

2. Learn how to use our Digital SLR better and take awesome pictures

We took a beginners class offered by the camera store where we bought our SLR. It was a great class and made all those intimidating terms like "aperture", "ISO", and "shutter speed" make more sense. Now we just need to practice more.

3. Blog

I have a few drafts of posts in my head and pictures to go along with it but now I just need to sit at the computer and type it out. Now that football season is coming to a close, I should have more time to organize my thoughts and pictures. Also I really need to just write. It's not like my posts have to be award winning. They just need a point of view and some pretty pictures!

Just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean we haven't eating or cooking. Friday Foodie Date Night is still going strong. We missed a few Fridays due to the holidays but other than that we have tried some "new to us" restaurants. I can't wait to blog about it.