Pick up that pace!

I was telling my fellow Daily Milers (dailymile.com) earlier today that my average pace each month is getting faster then the previous month... And I thought I should share.

Here are my totals to date (copied right from my DM account)


December (just getting back into running more, after post wedding and honeymoon mayhem): 75 miles, 8:06 average pace
January: 151.5 miles, 7:52 average pace
February: 200 miles, 7:45 average pace

And today I was able to finish up my 12 mile run with an easy 7:07 mile. I could feel that I was going quick, but it felt effortless, and to be honest, pretty fantastic! Don't get me wrong, I run my tempo runs faster (and duh, longer then a mile), but the ease of that last mile was such wonderful reassurance about the progress of my training.

I can also proudly (and with no regret) say that after my run I ate a Boston Cream Doughnut in about 2 seconds flat... hmmm... Why did I order a Boston Cream? I've never done that before... Maybe I was subconsciously thinking about a little race I'm running in April...

Screw peace... give brussel sprouts a chance!

The first time I saw brussel sprouts in their natural form (I'm talking on the stalk, people) I was amazed. It was at Detroit's Eastern Market, and these little beauties looked nothing like the soggy, smelly mini cabbages that I remembered from my youth. I had to buy them, and I have been hooked ever since!

I will only eat roasted brussels. No exceptions! It's quick and easy to do, and I swear, it is the best way to enjoy these tasty morsels.

There are many ways to roast brussel sprouts, but I prefer to clean and quarter them, drizzle them with olive oil, add some freshly chopped garlic and a shake of salt, toss, and bake at 375-400 degrees until they just start to brown, just remain crisp (maybe 10-15 minutes, depends on your tastes.

Pictured above is my favorite brussel dish. I tossed the above roasted brussels with some multigrain angel hair pasta and a sprinkle of shredded parmigiano reggiano... heck yeah! I just finished up that bowl you are drooling over, and after giving myself some time to digest... it's off to hit the treadmill for a nice, easy 10 mile run.

Just in case you are still not convinced about these little bad boys... read up!

Runners World: Eat this Now!
Worlds Healthiest Foods

Crap weather, good food.

Treadmill, dreadmill... whatever... Running on a treadmill is part of being a runner in Michigan. This is the first week of this training cycle that I need to hit 45 miles, and we are supposed to be getting the biggest snow storm in 5 years. Great. Everyone is in panic mode, stocking up on toilet paper, bottled water, and gasoline... while I was in my apartment's fitness center, hammering out a quick 7 miles on the 'mill after a long day of work... and tomorrow I will go back for 10 more...

During those 7 miles, I did my first tempo run of the year, just 3 miles at a 7 minute pace... which is nonexistent in treadmill world, so I did 6:58's... and now that I am in for the rest of the snowy night, I have the most insatiable hunger. Which reminds me... Maybe I should explain why I think I can eat my way to a sub 3 marathon...

I am about halfway through this book:

Which everyone I know thinks is ridiculous, because I am hardly over 100lbs.

But here is the deal... I am obsessed with food. I love to cook it, eat it, read about it... anything! Though I already knew about 90% of what I have read, and I don't really expect to learn much more... it has enlightened me on one thing. I need to run to eat... does that make sense? Instead of trying to balance my eating with my running (which is miserable when you love food and skinny jeans, and are a self confessed yo-yo runner), I just need to run more!... Which, if you read my first post, my physical therapist already told me... so this is my plan...

eat more + run more =  a faster, healthier athlete

But if I want to keep myself lean and strong, I need to keep it nutritious... duh! I have gotten that part down pat...but I am in a food rut... so I am going to take this all as a chance to expand my recipe repertoire.

Now, I will admit, marathon runners seem to have a little extra wiggle room with eating... and naturally slim runners have even a little more wiggle room... but that doesn't mean we can run strong on doughnuts, french fries, and ice cream every day.

So this is where I am at... Trying to be a consistent runner, by becoming a consistent eater.

Maybe this is all really obvious to you, but in a world that tells it's young women that we all need to be on a diet, because a size 000 isn't good enough, this is a real revelation for me. And with young, female athletes facing the Female Athlete Triad, I hope this blog will help female runners everywhere come to love their bodies, run strong, and eat properly.