Boston Bound

1. I’m in. . .Boston Marathon here I come!

Okay, so technically, my registration is still pending because they have to confirm my time, but I don’t foresee any problems. 🙂

2. Tomorrow I am going to reveal my super secret schedule on how I manage to run 100 miles while working full-time. 🙂

3. I thought I was a bottomless pit before, but these last two weeks I don’t think I’ve ever been full. It is crazy (and slightly embarrassing) how much food I’ve eaten.

4. We had a chili cook-off at work on Friday, so I made my White Chicken Chili. Sadly I did not win. (I think the chili with bear meat probably got a lot of votes.) However, Craig and I still love the recipe.

5. I thought I was done with homework, but my boss just assigned this book, StrengthsFinder 2.0, for me to read! Say what? Actually, it is an easy read and quite interesting. It just threw me off because it isn’t often that you have to do something like this outside of school.

6. A very interesting article to read: Why I Quit Teaching.

7. I had a strong craving for pancakes last weekend, which sadly didn’t get satisfied. But, as I was laying in bed this morning, the craving returned, and I immediately knew which recipe I was going to make. After seeing Chelsey’s (Clean Eating Chelsey) picture of pumpkin pancakes, I was sold.

I didn’t have to worry about having enough pumpkin. I picked up these cans at Costco last weekend.

I changed up the recipe ever so slightly from her Brown Rice Flour Pancakes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Serves: 1 (two hot cakes)

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1 tablespoon oat flour

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup liquid egg whites

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. First combine dry ingredients in a small bowl; mix. Then stir in wet ingredients.

2. Pour half of batter onto non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook until bubbly and set; then flip to other side until golden brown. Make other hot cake the same way.

Very delicious and totally hit the spot. This recipe is almost-gluten free and almost-vegan. Both would be very easy to achieve with simple substitutions.

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These hot cakes were good fuel for my long run today. 🙂

Today’s Run

Distance: 22 miles

Time: 2:54:07

Average pace: 7:55 minutes/mile

What a good run this was. My goal today was not to stop at all, and I’m very happy to report I accomplished my goal. During several long runs this summer, I was having to stop multiple times to either use the bathroom, stops at intersections, water breaks, etc., so I made it my goal last week and this week not to stop at all.

Everything was smooth sailing until mile 7 when the winds started to pick up and get really strong! Nooo, not again! I was barely a third of the way done with my run, and there was no way I could battle two hours of intense winds! I said a quick prayer and hoped for the best. The winds were pretty strong the next couple of miles, but I strategically picked a route that would protect me from the brunt of it. After a couple of miles, surprisingly, there seemed to be no winds in the air and just the calm of a nice fall day surrounded me. Praise the Lord! God was kind to me and protected me from any strong winds because literally 30 minutes after I got back, the winds picked up and they say we are in for another round of strong winds tonight. I was so thankful I didn’t have to battle the winds during my long run today!

For today’s long run, I decided to push the pace during the last 10 miles. I actually wasn’t planning on this, but when I hit mile 12, I was still feeling good so I decided to challenge myself a little bit. Plus, I haven’t done this type of workout in a couple of weeks, so it was time to do it again.

Splits from today’s run:

1 – 8:20 –> Mile one is always my slowest mile 😕

2- 8:01 –> Ran to the post office to mail a letter.

3 – 7:59 –> Hey, look at that, only 19 miles to go. 😉

4 – 7:54

5 – 7:52

6 – 8:01

7 – 8:07 –> Nooo, not the wind again!

8 – 8:14 –> Yes, those were some hills!

9 – 8:03 –> Love running down roads that make me feel like I’m in the country.

10 – 8:01 –> Energy gel #1. Very delicious.

11 – 8:00

12 – 8:06

13 – 7:47–> Time to pick up the pace.

14 – 7:54 –> Stop at home to get some water.

15 – 7:52 –> Feelin’ good.

16 – 7:57 –> I know this mile was faster than this. My GPS must have not been picking up a good signal. Energy gel #2. I’ve never had this kind before. It was very good!

17 – 7:47

18 – 7:47 –> Stop at home to drink some water.

19 – 7:46 –> Ow, my thutt/horizontal butt crack hurts! It has been bothering me all week. The origin of some muscle must be tweaked a little. I’ve been trying to foam roll it, but it is kind of difficult.

20 – 7:40 –> Only two more miles to go!

21 – 7:36 –> Water, water, water! I am SO thirsty!

22 – 7:23 –> Woo hoo! I’m done—and I had a nice strong finish.

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And now I’ve been sitting on the couch all afternoon resting and eating—lots of eating!