WRD

I'm not sure I'll ever get these posted on Sunday, but I'll keep trying!

Marathon Training Week 2
Miles Ran: 19
Long Run: 9 miles
Cross-training: Not so much this week.

Pros: Got some unsolicited encouragement on my 9 mile long run Saturday by unwittingly running through a neighborhood 5K. Was kind of awkward getting cheered by middle school cheerleaders and having people try to hand me water, but also very sweet. Though I couldn't help thinking, "I'm actually running 3 times a 5K today, but thanks..."
Cons: Had a few more slips than usual this week thanks to poor planning on our part for lunches. And Friday night seems to get troublesome - we're so ready for our weekend we sometimes just feel too lazy to cook.

Tunes: I decided to try something new this week on my runs - audio books! I downloaded Tina Fey's Bossypants and it is hilarious. But it will only last me another few runs, so I am on the lookout for my next choice.
Talkies: Not much TV beyond football this week. The fella's taken over the living room most nights with Borderlands 2. I did catch a few of the return shows as the new season begins - Happy Endings, Parenthood, The Office. And I'm already into Go On and The New Normal. I'm going to run out of hours, I swear.

Favorite Recipe: We were on week 2 of the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and this week wasn't as strong as the week before, so this is actually very easy to answer this time - Coconut Chicken with Zucchini and Squash Saute. (No photo, I'm afraid. We were starving that night and just dug in!)

Methods to My Madness

I've talked a lot about eating philosophies and running theories, but what am I actually up to? Well, let me tell ya. 

I consider myself to be a mix of Primal and Optimal Paleo in terms of how we are trying to eat. Our current Paleo Plan 6 week program doesn't include any dairy, but we allow a bit of cheese and dark chocolate outside of it. We also follow the 80/20 approach right now, with an Off Day on Saturdays - generally so I can get a bagel after my long runs. I'm sorry, but one of my favorite things about running is how bagels and bananas get passed out like candy at races and I just can't give them up completely! Besides, with our stomachs getting smaller and our tolerance getting lower we can't actually go too crazy. But we do enjoy some beer and tortilla chips. Otherwise, we don't eat after 10pm and we mainly drink water or occasionally red wine. And just for full disclosure, I have also been getting a pumpkin latte on Monday's because it's autumn and they're heavenly and I like a boost at the beginning of my work week.

Pumpkin flavored anything doesn't count against me.

I have had just about every brand of shoe out there - Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, Saucony - I never seem to be able to stick with one kind. New models of the same shoe can feel so different. I currently run in a pair of bright blue Nike Pegasus 29 trainers and they feel like running on clouds. I named them Helios - a billion nerd points to anyone who gets that reference. And before you judge, they are named because you name your shoes in Nike+ - an app I adore. I just love having that woman tell me how far I've gone. Plus acheesements and NikeFuel are like crack to a gamer. I've been running to music most of my running life, but I've recently been trying nothing and audio books. My favorite sports bra is the Pocket Bra by Gracie's Gear and my favorite socks are Balega. I discovered both of these at the 2007 WDW Marathon Weekend Expo and against the advice of everyone ever I bought them the day before the race and wore them the first time while running my first marathon. And I felt fantastic afterwards. So. Take from that what you will. I have a FuelBelt that I barely fit into these days, but it is helpful. I like dry weave race shirts and I've really enjoyed my pair of Underarmour running shorts. I am also discovering the joys of calf compression sleeves post workout and I'm interested in trying compression socks for running. (My friend Desiree has recommended CEP.) I believe Body Glide is essential and BioFreeze is like Christmas for your aching muscles - followed closely by a good old fashioned ice bath. 

Nike Pegasus 29 - "Helios"

So that's me in a nutshell! I've also finally decided on my training schedule. It's a hybrid of Hal Higdon and Team in Training, with the intention of doing longer runs during the weekdays if I can but understanding that my schedule may not allow for it. Most folks suggest that your long run should be around 20-30% of your weekly mileage and some of these weeks don't come close to that, but we'll see how it goes.

I will try to actually Crosstrain on R days, but definitely on Sundays after short, easy runs.

How to Train - You're Draggin'



© DreamWorks

Yep, I'm a sucker for a pun. But my cheeky little title does have meaning! As I run best with a race goal ahead of me, it only makes sense that I then need a plan of action to really get my booty in gear. Outside of my racing seasons, motivation and mileage go way down. I'm hoping to change that in the future by doing this race right and keeping on track even after I nab my bling. Of course, that might require signing up for another race - but hey! Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

As far as training goes, I trained for my first marathon with Team in Training and I actually still have their training schedule. I even used their half and full schedules to fashion an outline for my Goofy training. In general, I do like this schedule. Monday/Friday rest days are the best. I like the idea of a recovery run and it's a nice slow, steady increase. There are 4 run days, 2 rest days, and 1 crosstrain day. The longest run is 20 miles. Here's an example week:

This time around, I have been looking into what other options are out there. runDisney is a huge proponent of Jeff Galloway's training methods. His schedule kind of shocks me. There are 3 run days and 4 rest days. While there is some variety to the running workouts, the long runs seem to be all over the place. And the longest run is 26 miles - a marathon before the marathon! Here's an example week:

I don't think this is for me, considering that I want to work on pace. And it just kind of freaks me out. I am slow and a 30 minute run is not going to get me all that far. I'm glad it's helped so many racers reach the finish line, but I don't think I would have felt confident with this schedule my first time out.

So then I came across Hal Higdon's website and learned that he has contributed to Runner's World longer than any other writer. He also ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. He seems like a pretty cool cat. And his schedule is simple and straightforward, with 4 run days, 2 rest days, and 1 crosstrain day. The longest run is 20 miles. Here's an example week:

A lot of similarity to TNT, really. The only big difference is the Thursday/Sunday swap and the weekday  mileage never goes above 6 miles with TNT whereas it's up to 8 with Hal. I also feel like TNT has a slower climb to the longest run and tends to stay around 10, 12, and 13 mile runs. In Hal's schedule you never do the same mileage, even if it's just a one mile increase. Then there's the fact that my Crossfit box has open gym on Sunday's, which I thought might work out nicely for my Crosstraining.

Even though I have begun my official countdown and training has technically begun, I'm still a little torn between TNT and Hal Higdon. I started with Hal, but I'm struggling to get longer runs in during the week, so TNT could be a better fit. Plus, I've been getting really tired by Thursday. Breaking it up so that I never run more than two days in a row might be good for recovery. I'm still not 100% sure.

Well, if there are any runner readers out there, what training method do you use? I know training schedules are just about as unique as the runners running them, but I'd still be intersted to know what works well for other folks.

WRD

I plan to actually do these on Sunday nights, but as I forgot to start it up this week we're going to have a little belated version. Nothing like starting out late!

Marathon Training Week 1
Miles Ran: 18
Long Run: 8 miles
Cross-training: Mini-WOD of planks, sit ups, push ups, and jump rope. First time in awhile for many of these, ow!

Pros: Did my first run around the downtown lake in years and found it invigorating.
Cons: Succumbed to a few cheats here and there - beer, bread rolls, office cupcakes. Eep!

Tunes: Been trying out running sans music, but did throw a No Doubt powersong in my Wednesday 4 miler. Fella's been rocking out to a Mumford and Sons Pandora station while cooking.
Talkies: Saw Bourne Legacy with friends. Love me some Hawkeye, so I'll forgive the lack of plot. Still trying to educate ourselves on Doctor Who, but somehow managed to just get sucked into Drop Dead Diva. Still not even sure how that happened.

Favorite Recipe: We were on week 2 of the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and there were honestly a great amount of tasty recipes - Zucchini and Ground Beef, Chorizo Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Bacon Wrapped Rosemary Chicken. DROOL. But I think I'll have to go with Easy Pork Loin Chops with Pomegranate Lime Sweet Potatoes. (We'd forgotten to pick up the coconut milk and flakes, so I can say this works just as well subbing in almond milk!)

Runner's World

My interest in running began with a fitness test in college. I was taking this Fitness and Wellness class as an elective to try and get into shape. We learned about lifting and aerobic exercise. At the end of the semester we had to complete a fitness test as our final exam and it included a 3 mile run in a set amount of time - I want to say 30 minutes, but maybe it was 45? Either way, it seemed impossible at the time.

I had never really ran for exercise. Maybe in volleyball in high school, but probably not considering I was the manager and never actually made the team. I focused more on violin and theatre and my love of all things Japanese back then. I didn't run. The most athletic I got was dance rehearsals for the summer musicals.

But I trained and I tried and I blasted some Melanie C "I Turn To You" and I managed to do it! I remember feeling rather smug as some of the fit college guys actually gave up halfway and opted to make it up later. While little old chubby, nonathletic me had made it through the never ending loops of that dismal track. (Granted, I think they might have been hungover.)

Around this time I received a flier in the mail for Team In Training. I'm sure I just made it onto the mailing list somehow, but for some reason I was convinced my old college roommate from England had signed me up because she had recently begun training for races and I thought she was absolutely insane. Either way, it was meant to be. Somehow I talked myself into attending a chapter meetings which turned out to be led by my boyfriend's roommate's girlfriend. I seriously had no idea she worked for them at the time. All of these random coincidences already had me reeling and then I saw that one of the race options was the 2007 Walt Disney World Marathon.

I am a proud Walt Disney World College Program Alumni. I participated in the program from June 2002-January 2003. I had always been a huge Disney fangirl and that experience really only cemented my love for life. I was a "Merchantainment Hostess", which basically translates to souvenir seller. I worked in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom and I was one of the last people to hand stitch the Mickey Mouse ears before it all went computerized. I had seen runners while stopped at crosswalks on my way to work, so I knew these races existed, but I had never imagined doing one myself.

But now, almost 5 years out of the program and 2 years since my last trip to WDW, I was eager to return. I was daunted by the $3,000 fundraising goal, but I decided to go for it. Now if you're ever looking for the best way to do your first marathon, I cannot recommend TNT enough. Their training schedule is simple, but effective. And I had such an amazing time with my chapter. They made the long runs feel short and definitely helped put the fun in my fundraising. I held poker tournaments and raffles and begged openly on Facebook until I'd gotten to $2,500. Then my mentors stepped in and offered their extra funds to get me to my goal and they managed to do so without making me feel like a failure. Honestly, I hadn't done bad for a college kid thanks to the support of my friends and family. But they made sure I hit the mark.

TNT took such good care of us. We stayed at Port Orleans and went to the pasta party before the race. Then on race day - let's just say I am convinced that no one cheers louder than the TNT supporters. And while I was slow as molasses and my pace partner with a wonderful middle-aged dad with a knee injury, I still did it! My very first marathon...

And then I was hooked. My brother signed us up for the 2008 Goofy, my husband proposed to me at the 2008 Expedition Everest, and my first trip to Disneyland was for the 2012 inaugural Tinkerbell. There is something so special about Disney races for me that just keeps me coming back for more. Of course there's the Disney magic - running through the parks and seeing tons of characters and epic swag/bling - but for me it's also a return to my time as a cast member. Being behind the scenes and seeing a side of the parks most guests don't see. Having Operations cast members waving you through. Passing by costuming and seasonal floats. Watching the fog rise off the hosed down asphalt as the sun rises. It makes me nostalgic for a time when that was my normal side of the parks and those are all good memories.

So while I do enjoy running for the sake of running and my health, I don't think I'll ever run a race further than a 10K anywhere but Disney. An important fact that I have learned about myself from my running experience these past 6 years is that I need a race goal in order to keep my training strong and on track. And nothing motivates you like the Mouse.

What is Paleo?

My husband and I were first introduced to Paleo about 6 months ago by our Crossfit coaches. At first I was incredulous. This diet seemed odd. Sure, they cut out carbs and sugar, but they ate copious amounts of bacon, they were making tons of Paleo pastries, and they were totally binging on their Cheat Day. Some even had suspicious guidelines like "alcohol is okay as long as it's a clear liquor!". I wasn't so sure how any of them were able to keep the weight off and get so fit eating like this, but to be fair most of them were working out at the box 5-7 days a week. The Paleo portion just made them feel better.

I never thought it would be for me. I love cheese and I love bread. How on earth would I manage? But we had been doing Crossfit for a month and we weren't really losing any serious weight. Which our coaches, rightfully, attributed to our diets. We would leave the box and stop by the Mexican place or grab a pizza and wash it all down with wine and beer. Not every night, but more often than we had a right to if we really wanted to make a serious change. So we decided to give it a try. We followed the basic tenants - meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. No refined sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, corn, or potatoes. We felt fantastic within mere weeks. The only downside was that we had very limited palettes or cooking skills. We made a few staples (steak, pork chops) and tried a few new things (spaghetti squash, where have you been all my life?!), but it was already getting a little old. Then my husband had his accident and we were out of commission.

But now that he is almost fully recovered we have been building our way back into eating Paleo. And this time, I started with more research. What exactly is Paleo? As soon as you call it the Caveman Diet I think folks get the gist. Eating like our hunter/gatherer ancestors - only the foods they could get and the way they would eat them. But that seems to be interpreted differently by different people. For example, what's Primal? Or why do we hear so many different rules regarding Paleo depending on who you talk to? Looking deeper down the rabbit hole can make it all seem more difficult, when really - like any lifestyle, versus a diet - it just all depends. There are so many variations and the names often get used interchangeably. (Aglaee does a great job of breaking down most of the "real food diets" here.)

Honestly, I feel like it all boils down to one thing - finding what works for you. Do you want your body to feel better, cleaner, and healthier? Seems logical that cutting out artificial food could help in that area. Are you trying to lose some weight? Kind of obvious you will need to cut down on fruit and carbs. I think my friend Kendra broke it down well for me on her blog and between her and my reading and my own initial experience I came to five important conclusions for myself:

• Don't deny yourself. Weigh your options and make a decision based on what you think is more important to you. Do you want that cookie? Okay, you might need to do an extra workout but that's up to you. Denying everything all the time will cause you feelings of resentment and make it all seem more difficult than it is.
• If you decide to eat something less than healthy, move on. One moment of weakness does not mean you're a failure - it just means you're human. I often find that I regret those decisions enough to not make them again.
• Like everything in life, moderation is key. You want to have a cheat day or cheat meal? Fine, but don't go too crazy or your body will pay for it unnecessarily.
• Variety is the spice of life. Try new foods. (Oh hai kale!) Try old foods in new ways. (Pomegranate seeds in mashed sweet potatoes - who'da thunk?!) Discover the joy of spices! My spice rack has tripled in size and I'm loving it.
• The point of these changes is to get your body to burn good fats for energy, instead of carbs. So you're basically retraining your body and training for anything takes time, effort, and perseverance.

At the end of it all, I just want to be eating healthier. For myself, for my family, for any possible future family. Now, if in the meantime I could lose some of my extra, unhealthy weight in the process - that's icing on the Paleo-friendly cake. And certainly an important component to that goal is exercise - but more on that next time! For now I'll leave you with some great Paleo Resources, stolen from around the web:

• Balanced Bites
• Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations
• Fit Bomb's Why I Eat Paleo
• Mark's Daily Apple Primal Living
• PaleOMG
• Paleo Plan Food Guide

And my husband and I have personally been using the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and it is phenomenal. I cannot recommend it enough. They really know their stuff and pair their food combinations in unique and delicious ways that work so well together. Plus the shopping lists and food menus make life so much easier for us lazy cooks!

Introductions

Well, you gotta start somewhere! So let's jump in.

My name is Liz. I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Austin, Texas in 2007. I studied English Literature at NC State University and Japanese Language and Culture at Nagoya University. I enjoy acting, video games, and toying around with graphic design. I currently work in Human Resources in the video game industry. And I have always been a lil chubs.

I love food! Food was always used as a way to show love in my family. But only recently have I begun to believe that there can be better ways to love food than to just eating anything that looks, smells, or sounds good in the moment. So about 5 months ago my fella and I attempted Paleo and we started off strong. We went with the one cheat day a week rule and otherwise stayed true. We were also involved with Crossfit at the time. Unfortunately, at the end of June he had a freak ziplining accident that put him out of commission for quite awhile and we fell off the wagon hard. I've tried picking myself back up a few times the past two months, but it just hasn't been sticking as well as it did before. So this blog is my way of holding myself accountable.

Lucky for me, I also love running. Well, mostly. I am pretty lazy, so I don't love it all the time. But once I get out there - and especially once I'm done running - I love how it makes me feel. Strong, empowered, and healthy. I ran my first marathon in 2007 with Team in Training at Walt Disney World. I actually worked in the parks for the Disney College Program in 2002 and I remember driving into work and watching runners go by during races and thinking... "good gracious, these people are crazy." Yet 5 years later, there I was doing it myself. I think my family was a little astounded that I'd actually managed this feat and my older brother, not one to be outdone, insisted we go back the next year and do the Goofy Challenge.

After that I only did a few 5K's here and there, including the inaugural Expedition Everest where my fella and I got engaged. Otherwise I mainly focused on work and wedding planning until January 2012 when I participated in the inaugural Tinkerbell Half-Marathon in Disneyland. Being back at a Disney event was so incredibly motivating and now I have added a big goal to my proverbial Bucket List - to get a medal from every Disney race! Of course, having said that, my brother then insisted we go back for a repeat of the WDW Marathon Weekend for the 5th Anniversary of our Goofy. My Goofy days are over, so I originally planned on sticking just to the Donald (half-marathon) and marking off a new race by doing the 5K Family Fun Run. But then Disney announced their 20th Anniversary Mickey (marathon) Medal and I was a goner. Who could resist such craftsmanship?!

So here I am. Attempting to meld my two worlds into one and see if this is what it takes to get me to the healthy place I want to be. I believe Paleo + Running might be just what I need to shed excess pounds and improve my pace. I am aiming to share my experiences - the successes and the failures - with running and recipes. I also hope to find other folks in the blog-o-sphere like me to share tips, tricks, and support. Thanks for reading!