I finally started PT for my hip that has been bothering me since I was 6 months pregnant with Sami. She is now 17 months old, so, yeah, I've really been putting this off.
Why did I wait so long?
After the first session, I felt a little better, confident that the PT had identified my major complaints, and some issues I hadn't even realized I was having because I was so focused on my painful hip. After my second session, I could tell my gait was different, both running and walking. I'm no longer all herky-jerky, using my body to compensate for my sore, weak, and spastic hip flexor. A few days later, I'm finding that surrounding muscles are sore, because I'm finally using them the way they're supposed to be used. I have made huge progress, but still have a ways to go.
Mostly, I'm just so glad to know that I can feel good again. That I don't have to deal with a bum hip permanently. After 20 months, I had integrated the bad hip into my life, so it's taking some time to un-integrate it. But I'm ready to do the work.
The Charlottesville Marathon was this morning. There's a half-marathon, too. I thought about running it, but really didn't want to mess up the work in progress. But now I know that the marathon - the full 26.2 - is now a matter of when, not if. I'm thinking about going easy this summer, spending lots of time with the kids at the pool, doing the 2 mile Cable Swim in July, then tuning up with a fall half. Then next spring - 26.2 here I come!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Proud mama!
Today my boy went on a run with me!
We ran about .4 mi around the neighborhood, taking prudent walk breaks. He lectured me on how to make my muscles stronger. I guess we're rubbing off on each other.
We ran about .4 mi around the neighborhood, taking prudent walk breaks. He lectured me on how to make my muscles stronger. I guess we're rubbing off on each other.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
surprise - race report!
So, I ran the 10 Miler.
I had a great week. Nothing was hurting. Nobody got sick. I ran a lot. So yesterday I decided to pick up my packet. "I can drop out at mile 3, which is a quick walk to the parking lot, or mile 5 which is a couple blocks from my parents' house," I said to myself.
I have never been so mentally unprepared for a race before. Lining up for the start, I still wasn't quite there. And then the national anthem, and then the gun. I ran right past my car, gave it a wave goodbye and followed the crowd. I purposefully started way, way back at the start, and took the first mile in about 12 minutes. (Sorry for the inexact times, but I have this new watch that I still can't quite figure out how to retrieve my splits from.) Second mile in a little less, third mile a little less, and fourth mile in a blazing 10:30. Fifth mile was fast (for me), too - I crossed the half at about 55 minutes.
A little intermission to sing the praises of this race - the cherries and bradford pear trees were in full bloom, the sun was shining, the spectators were out in full force. Little kids handed out water in the neighborhoods, bands played, a church band sang uptempo gospel, the Pink Ladies magically appeared just when hope was waning. This is a fantastic race, so well organized, so well integrated into the fabric of my hometown which I love more than any place on earth. There were even college students in tuxes, and frat boys with signs saying "quitters drink free." Today, despite my best intentions, I will be buying my own drinks.
Miles 6 and 7 are always killers, tons of hills. I think one of those was at 13 minutes and something for me. But there was yet another reason to love this race - there's an official pit stop between 6 and 7, at the Pavilion bathrooms. After taking water from every little cherubic face holding a paper cup with an outstretched arm, I really needed that pit stop!
I crossed mile 8, looked at my watch, and realized that I might break two hours, which I failed to do last year. Not a land speed record by any means, but a nice round number for me.
At the water stop at mile 9, I had more than 14 minutes to go before the two hour mark. At that point, I knew I could break 2 hours, even if I walked the rest of the way.
I didn't walk, and ran across the finish at 1:57:04 by my watch, and about 1:58:30 gun time. I felt like a million bucks, and grinned like an idiot the whole way into the chute.
I should be this unprepared for every race.
Congratulations, my fellow 10 milers, and a big shout out to everyone who makes this race go so smoothly.
I had a great week. Nothing was hurting. Nobody got sick. I ran a lot. So yesterday I decided to pick up my packet. "I can drop out at mile 3, which is a quick walk to the parking lot, or mile 5 which is a couple blocks from my parents' house," I said to myself.
I have never been so mentally unprepared for a race before. Lining up for the start, I still wasn't quite there. And then the national anthem, and then the gun. I ran right past my car, gave it a wave goodbye and followed the crowd. I purposefully started way, way back at the start, and took the first mile in about 12 minutes. (Sorry for the inexact times, but I have this new watch that I still can't quite figure out how to retrieve my splits from.) Second mile in a little less, third mile a little less, and fourth mile in a blazing 10:30. Fifth mile was fast (for me), too - I crossed the half at about 55 minutes.
A little intermission to sing the praises of this race - the cherries and bradford pear trees were in full bloom, the sun was shining, the spectators were out in full force. Little kids handed out water in the neighborhoods, bands played, a church band sang uptempo gospel, the Pink Ladies magically appeared just when hope was waning. This is a fantastic race, so well organized, so well integrated into the fabric of my hometown which I love more than any place on earth. There were even college students in tuxes, and frat boys with signs saying "quitters drink free." Today, despite my best intentions, I will be buying my own drinks.
Miles 6 and 7 are always killers, tons of hills. I think one of those was at 13 minutes and something for me. But there was yet another reason to love this race - there's an official pit stop between 6 and 7, at the Pavilion bathrooms. After taking water from every little cherubic face holding a paper cup with an outstretched arm, I really needed that pit stop!
I crossed mile 8, looked at my watch, and realized that I might break two hours, which I failed to do last year. Not a land speed record by any means, but a nice round number for me.
At the water stop at mile 9, I had more than 14 minutes to go before the two hour mark. At that point, I knew I could break 2 hours, even if I walked the rest of the way.
I didn't walk, and ran across the finish at 1:57:04 by my watch, and about 1:58:30 gun time. I felt like a million bucks, and grinned like an idiot the whole way into the chute.
I should be this unprepared for every race.
Congratulations, my fellow 10 milers, and a big shout out to everyone who makes this race go so smoothly.
Monday, March 29, 2010
looking forward
I heard a little radio bit about the 10 miler this morning, and got suddenly depressed. I am NOT okay with not running it. Two years ago, when I was newly pregnant with Sami and just too sick and exhausted to run it, I cheerfully volunteered on race day. But this year, I'm just going to try to pretend that it's not even going on. It's going to be too hot, anyway.
What gets me the most about this is that there's no one good reason why I'm not running. It's death by a thousand cuts. If I hadn't had the first case of strep, or the second. If I hadn't had the flu on the way back from Vegas. If I hadn't had the hurt toe. If I hadn't pulled my side carrying my luggage through the airport. If my hip hadn't started hurting again. If one of those things, or one of so many other little setbacks hadn't happened, I might be running on Saturday. I wish I could point to one thing and say, this, this is the thing that's keeping me from running. It's none of them, and all of them.
Truthfully, it's crossed my mind more than once to just pick up my packet on Friday and go run. I did 3 miles on Saturday, plus a pretty vigorous athletic conditioning class at the gym that's got to be equivalent to another 3. I feel pretty good right now. A few creaks here and there, but nothing insurmountable. The problem is I just don't have the "hay in the barn" as another running blogger put it. Running 10 miles 2 weeks after a 2 week hiatus, after 3 months of interrupted training is just not smart. Yeah, I could get through Saturday, but at what cost?
My physical happens to be Thursday, and hopefully I'll come out of there with the confidence and PT referral I need to keep my eyes on the road ahead, not just the next step in front of me.
The next round of races that I'm looking toward is fall. Fall is lousy with halfs and fulls around here, plus a smattering of 10K's and the like. It's a long way till then, and without the high of the 10 miler to draw from, it's going to be really tough going to make it through the summer. I'll admit to feeling a little bit lost right now. I run to reach goals, and having not reached my goal, it makes the next one harder to set, let alone reach.
I think I'll take a few days to just wallow in it, but then it's moving on, my eyes up ahead on the road, thinking of autumn.
What gets me the most about this is that there's no one good reason why I'm not running. It's death by a thousand cuts. If I hadn't had the first case of strep, or the second. If I hadn't had the flu on the way back from Vegas. If I hadn't had the hurt toe. If I hadn't pulled my side carrying my luggage through the airport. If my hip hadn't started hurting again. If one of those things, or one of so many other little setbacks hadn't happened, I might be running on Saturday. I wish I could point to one thing and say, this, this is the thing that's keeping me from running. It's none of them, and all of them.
Truthfully, it's crossed my mind more than once to just pick up my packet on Friday and go run. I did 3 miles on Saturday, plus a pretty vigorous athletic conditioning class at the gym that's got to be equivalent to another 3. I feel pretty good right now. A few creaks here and there, but nothing insurmountable. The problem is I just don't have the "hay in the barn" as another running blogger put it. Running 10 miles 2 weeks after a 2 week hiatus, after 3 months of interrupted training is just not smart. Yeah, I could get through Saturday, but at what cost?
My physical happens to be Thursday, and hopefully I'll come out of there with the confidence and PT referral I need to keep my eyes on the road ahead, not just the next step in front of me.
The next round of races that I'm looking toward is fall. Fall is lousy with halfs and fulls around here, plus a smattering of 10K's and the like. It's a long way till then, and without the high of the 10 miler to draw from, it's going to be really tough going to make it through the summer. I'll admit to feeling a little bit lost right now. I run to reach goals, and having not reached my goal, it makes the next one harder to set, let alone reach.
I think I'll take a few days to just wallow in it, but then it's moving on, my eyes up ahead on the road, thinking of autumn.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I'm *really* not running!
I think the Supportive Husband gave me cooties.
As if the flulike illness wasn't enough, then there was the painful side. As that got better, I realized how much the rest of me hurt from hunching over to compensate. So I booked a massage to fix that. However, just to put the exclamation point at the end of the sentence, my toe started hurting. I went to bed with ten good piggies, and woke up with nine good piggies, and one red, swollen piggy that I can't bend or put weight on. If I had any recollection of any kind of trauma whatsoever, I would totally believe you if you told me it was broken.
So yeah, I'm officially, *officially* not running the Ten Miler, as I am officially not running right now, and haven't run (not even in place!) in over a week.
Say a little prayer for my toe - the weather has turned balmy, and I'm itchy to get back out on the roads and trails!
As if the flulike illness wasn't enough, then there was the painful side. As that got better, I realized how much the rest of me hurt from hunching over to compensate. So I booked a massage to fix that. However, just to put the exclamation point at the end of the sentence, my toe started hurting. I went to bed with ten good piggies, and woke up with nine good piggies, and one red, swollen piggy that I can't bend or put weight on. If I had any recollection of any kind of trauma whatsoever, I would totally believe you if you told me it was broken.
So yeah, I'm officially, *officially* not running the Ten Miler, as I am officially not running right now, and haven't run (not even in place!) in over a week.
Say a little prayer for my toe - the weather has turned balmy, and I'm itchy to get back out on the roads and trails!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
yoinked
Today was the MJH8K, and I didn't run it.
I look forward to this race every year, it is the first reliable sign of spring. After a very long and snowy winter (60 inches of snow, in a place that usually gets about a foot), I *needed* this race. And guess what?
Yeah, I got sick. AGAIN. I've been sick more than well the past few months. It wasn't strep this time, but my symptoms were very similar - fever, aches, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes. The rapid test came out negative, and I haven't heard back on the culture, so that's likely negative, too.
And on top of it all, I pulled a muscle or strained a ligament or otherwise yoinked (that's the technical term) a good portion of my right torso. It's an injury nearly as stupid as the time I tripped going up the steps at the bagel shop and twisted my ankle. Like a total dummy, I messed with perfection and decided to hand carry a duffel bag rather than use my airline pilot wheelie bag when we went to Vegas (with a side trip to Zion National Park) last week. I can only move my right arm in certain directions - getting my shirt and pants on is quite the challenge, and I end up contorting myself like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat to avoid certain movements.
So I'm calling The Supportive Husband's physical therapist on Monday to get myself patched up.
I fully admit to being optimistic to the point of Pollyanna-ism, but my optimism is failing me right now. At this point, I'm just hoping to be able to spend a little time on the recumbent bike tomorrow. Lifting weights is entirely out of the question, as are running and swimming. I can't push either kid in the stroller. I know the 10 miler, 3 weeks away, is a no go for me this year.
And I feel like such a failure. I was totally on track to do it, I had padding built into my training schedule. But all those January and February weekday miles are as useless as our checked bag that never arrived in Vegas. Carefully planned and packed, but if it didn't show up on the baggage carousel, we might as well have never packed it in the first place.
I know, all those miles were good for something, regardless of whether I manage to meet my goals. Overall health and fitness, right? Cold comfort right now, as I sit swaddled in a heating pad.
And in the big scheme of things, a little yoinking really isn't that tragic. It's not like I blew out my knee or got cancer or broke my arm. So tell me to buck up, interwebs. Tell me that tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it yet. Tell me to play the glad game!
Tell me that I will kick the 10 miler's ass next year, and the sting of not running it this year will fade fast once I've got that finisher's medal around my neck.
Right?
I look forward to this race every year, it is the first reliable sign of spring. After a very long and snowy winter (60 inches of snow, in a place that usually gets about a foot), I *needed* this race. And guess what?
Yeah, I got sick. AGAIN. I've been sick more than well the past few months. It wasn't strep this time, but my symptoms were very similar - fever, aches, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes. The rapid test came out negative, and I haven't heard back on the culture, so that's likely negative, too.
And on top of it all, I pulled a muscle or strained a ligament or otherwise yoinked (that's the technical term) a good portion of my right torso. It's an injury nearly as stupid as the time I tripped going up the steps at the bagel shop and twisted my ankle. Like a total dummy, I messed with perfection and decided to hand carry a duffel bag rather than use my airline pilot wheelie bag when we went to Vegas (with a side trip to Zion National Park) last week. I can only move my right arm in certain directions - getting my shirt and pants on is quite the challenge, and I end up contorting myself like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat to avoid certain movements.
So I'm calling The Supportive Husband's physical therapist on Monday to get myself patched up.
I fully admit to being optimistic to the point of Pollyanna-ism, but my optimism is failing me right now. At this point, I'm just hoping to be able to spend a little time on the recumbent bike tomorrow. Lifting weights is entirely out of the question, as are running and swimming. I can't push either kid in the stroller. I know the 10 miler, 3 weeks away, is a no go for me this year.
And I feel like such a failure. I was totally on track to do it, I had padding built into my training schedule. But all those January and February weekday miles are as useless as our checked bag that never arrived in Vegas. Carefully planned and packed, but if it didn't show up on the baggage carousel, we might as well have never packed it in the first place.
I know, all those miles were good for something, regardless of whether I manage to meet my goals. Overall health and fitness, right? Cold comfort right now, as I sit swaddled in a heating pad.
And in the big scheme of things, a little yoinking really isn't that tragic. It's not like I blew out my knee or got cancer or broke my arm. So tell me to buck up, interwebs. Tell me that tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it yet. Tell me to play the glad game!
Tell me that I will kick the 10 miler's ass next year, and the sting of not running it this year will fade fast once I've got that finisher's medal around my neck.
Right?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Game off!
Strep again... not me....yet. The Supportive Husband was feeling a little off this morning, headed to the doctor, and tested positive for strep. Coincidentally, I had an appointment to get both kids tested for strep today, just in case one of the little darlings was the source of my illnesses. And as it turns out, my dear boy is an asymptomatic carrier. Poor dear, I think he genuinely feels bad about it.
But after schlepping two kids to the doctor, scrambling to find childcare for Typhoid Max, cleaning vomit out of the car after his delayed gag reflex kicked in a mile down the road, running to the pharmacy, making it to work, scrambling to get myself to the doctor to get tested, racing home, making dinner, fetching whatnot for the Sick Husband, putting kids to bed, washing up, making tomorrow's lunches...I look up and it's 9:30pm and I'm preparing for a restless night on the sofabed.
Good lord. Can spring come fast enough?
But after schlepping two kids to the doctor, scrambling to find childcare for Typhoid Max, cleaning vomit out of the car after his delayed gag reflex kicked in a mile down the road, running to the pharmacy, making it to work, scrambling to get myself to the doctor to get tested, racing home, making dinner, fetching whatnot for the Sick Husband, putting kids to bed, washing up, making tomorrow's lunches...I look up and it's 9:30pm and I'm preparing for a restless night on the sofabed.
Good lord. Can spring come fast enough?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Game on!
Okay, I recovered from my non-running hiccup, and got in a fantastic run and workout this weekend, plus lots midweek mileage, woooooo! I even ran to the gym (about 1.5 miles), took a 1 hour "athletic conditioning" class which involved getting my ass kicked by a sadistic little sprite, and ran home. I am feeling it today!
We had temps in the 50's this weekend, which is pretty normal for us this time of year, but seems so balmy, given the cold and snowy winter we've had. It's been nearly a month since we had a high temp that was at or above average! The snow did some serious melting, and I've got more options for running routes and times (ie before dawn). And the days are getting longer, so soon a 6am run won't be in the pitch black. And with the nicer weather, I don't feel guilty about putting one or both kids in the buggy. We've all been jonesing for a little fresh air, and even Max has been an eager passenger this past week.
My weight has stabilized, and I'm no longer losing and this is a good thing! I am at a weight that 1) looks and feels great and 2) I can actually maintain over the long haul. For the VERY FIRST TIME in my whole life, I feel like my weight is simply another measurement in my assessment of my overall health and fitness. I was totally dragging during a treadmill session and workout at the gym the other day. When I was done, I hopped on the scale, and was down almost two pounds. Instead of thinking "awesome, I'm so skinny and therefore a better person," I immediately though, "I bet I'm dehydrated." Sure enough, I struggled sleepily through the rest of the day, downed 32 ounces (or two pounds) of water after dinner, and perked right back up.
We had temps in the 50's this weekend, which is pretty normal for us this time of year, but seems so balmy, given the cold and snowy winter we've had. It's been nearly a month since we had a high temp that was at or above average! The snow did some serious melting, and I've got more options for running routes and times (ie before dawn). And the days are getting longer, so soon a 6am run won't be in the pitch black. And with the nicer weather, I don't feel guilty about putting one or both kids in the buggy. We've all been jonesing for a little fresh air, and even Max has been an eager passenger this past week.
My weight has stabilized, and I'm no longer losing and this is a good thing! I am at a weight that 1) looks and feels great and 2) I can actually maintain over the long haul. For the VERY FIRST TIME in my whole life, I feel like my weight is simply another measurement in my assessment of my overall health and fitness. I was totally dragging during a treadmill session and workout at the gym the other day. When I was done, I hopped on the scale, and was down almost two pounds. Instead of thinking "awesome, I'm so skinny and therefore a better person," I immediately though, "I bet I'm dehydrated." Sure enough, I struggled sleepily through the rest of the day, downed 32 ounces (or two pounds) of water after dinner, and perked right back up.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Clunk
.....aaaaaand I'm off the wagon again. Just like that.
I was feeling all fly and buff and powerful. Another snowstorm was forecast to give us 6-12 inches. No big deal. I played in the snow and did a lot of shoveling. And then about an hour later, WHAM, just like that, I was hit with the chills and aches, and my temp spiked to 104 (or higher, I just was so sick I couldn't even take my temp any more), and I spent the rest of the afternoon delirious in bed. By the next morning I was in really bad shape, and got to traverse snow covered roads to go to the ER, where two male nurses and a DO with a ponytail got me all fixed up.
I had strep again. Can you believe it? Turns out, I might need to have my tonsils out. Which is funny because I already had them out in 1986. So I've got an appointment with an ENT coming up to discuss my options. Super.
So, I spent most of this past week recovering. And shoveling, as we had a minor snow event in the middle of the week, and ANOTHER Snowpocalypse this weekend. We had somewhere north of a foot of snow, with a fair bit of sleet mixed in the middle. I'm not really sure. There was so much snow still on the ground from last weekend, that we never did get a good measurement. I have shoveled and shoveled and shoveled. And yet, when I heard the gym was going to be open today, I actually went. Did a little speedwork on the treadmill, lifted weights, did abs, and stretched. And spent a long time rolling around on my back on the foam roller. Aaaaaaah.
The roads around here are in good shape, but the sidewalks aren't. And there are tall snowbanks on the side of the road, so running in the early morning (ie in the dark) is a very, very bad idea. I can hit the gym early, I guess. Or try to get back into the lunchtime gym routine. And shoveling (especially with the baby on my back) has turned out to be some awesome cardio. But at some point, I need to get some real road miles in.
Did I mention we've got another snow storm coming on Tuesday?
I was feeling all fly and buff and powerful. Another snowstorm was forecast to give us 6-12 inches. No big deal. I played in the snow and did a lot of shoveling. And then about an hour later, WHAM, just like that, I was hit with the chills and aches, and my temp spiked to 104 (or higher, I just was so sick I couldn't even take my temp any more), and I spent the rest of the afternoon delirious in bed. By the next morning I was in really bad shape, and got to traverse snow covered roads to go to the ER, where two male nurses and a DO with a ponytail got me all fixed up.
I had strep again. Can you believe it? Turns out, I might need to have my tonsils out. Which is funny because I already had them out in 1986. So I've got an appointment with an ENT coming up to discuss my options. Super.
So, I spent most of this past week recovering. And shoveling, as we had a minor snow event in the middle of the week, and ANOTHER Snowpocalypse this weekend. We had somewhere north of a foot of snow, with a fair bit of sleet mixed in the middle. I'm not really sure. There was so much snow still on the ground from last weekend, that we never did get a good measurement. I have shoveled and shoveled and shoveled. And yet, when I heard the gym was going to be open today, I actually went. Did a little speedwork on the treadmill, lifted weights, did abs, and stretched. And spent a long time rolling around on my back on the foam roller. Aaaaaaah.
The roads around here are in good shape, but the sidewalks aren't. And there are tall snowbanks on the side of the road, so running in the early morning (ie in the dark) is a very, very bad idea. I can hit the gym early, I guess. Or try to get back into the lunchtime gym routine. And shoveling (especially with the baby on my back) has turned out to be some awesome cardio. But at some point, I need to get some real road miles in.
Did I mention we've got another snow storm coming on Tuesday?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lightening the load
May I celebrate a moment? I am at my goal weight. I have a 5-lb range, actually, and I'm smack in the middle of it. Truthfully, I didn't think this was a weight I could really maintain over the long haul. But since it's been more than two months since the baby weaned, and I've held this weight for four months, I think I can say that yes, this is a realistic weight for me. The last time I saw this weight was before I got pregnant. The first time. Six years ago. Okay, I was at and even below this weight for about 30 seconds my highest-mileage week when I was still nursing Max. And I was miserably hungry.
But this time, I didn't kill myself to get here. I gave up packaged cookies. I started upping my activity level around the time the baby weaned. And that's pretty much it. Mostly, I am just working hard on becoming stronger and faster, and the goal weight is a nice side effect.
I've also realized that it is time for me to give up, or at least put aside, my beloved CamelBak FlashFlo. It's just too much to haul around all the time. With my nursing days behind me now, I don't need 54 oz of water for a 10 mile run (plus all the attendant crap I got used to carrying in the pack). I've downsized to a SPIbelt, and one of those water bottles with a strap for your hand. I did get the double SPIbelt, though, mostly because my energy of choice is ShotBloks, which aren't easily strapped to anything. They need a pocket.
(And sadly, no, neither CamelBak nor SPIbelt are sponsors of this blog in any way, though I love them both dearly.)
So then end result is I'm hauling around a few ounces less than I have been. I don't know if I'll gain any speed out of it, but both my body and mind are happier for it.
But this time, I didn't kill myself to get here. I gave up packaged cookies. I started upping my activity level around the time the baby weaned. And that's pretty much it. Mostly, I am just working hard on becoming stronger and faster, and the goal weight is a nice side effect.
I've also realized that it is time for me to give up, or at least put aside, my beloved CamelBak FlashFlo. It's just too much to haul around all the time. With my nursing days behind me now, I don't need 54 oz of water for a 10 mile run (plus all the attendant crap I got used to carrying in the pack). I've downsized to a SPIbelt, and one of those water bottles with a strap for your hand. I did get the double SPIbelt, though, mostly because my energy of choice is ShotBloks, which aren't easily strapped to anything. They need a pocket.
(And sadly, no, neither CamelBak nor SPIbelt are sponsors of this blog in any way, though I love them both dearly.)
So then end result is I'm hauling around a few ounces less than I have been. I don't know if I'll gain any speed out of it, but both my body and mind are happier for it.
Click
Sometimes it all just clicks into place.
This past week, I was able to train my plan for the first time in years. YEARS. I am not exaggerating. That is what life is when you have a kid or two and a job.
I am healthy. I am uninjured. My kids are reasonably healthy (though the baby did vomit all over me while we were waiting at the pharmacy for antibiotics for her ear infection). It's The Supportive Husband's off season. The kids are sleeping well. There's no more snow on the ground, and the weather, though cold, hasn't been too bad.
I will admit to switching a run for a swim when I got the gym and realized that I didn't have a sports bra in my gym bag. But, that's why I always keep a swimsuit and goggles in my bag.
I squeezed in a run on my lunch hour. I got up in the pitch black darkness. I pushed my run till 10am to fit the schedule of my new running group, but got there early and put in an extra mile or two. I ran to the gym, lifted weights, and ran home. I did the most amazing core workout watching The Biggest Loser. Click, click, click, click. All the pieces just settled right in, and it almost seemed effortless. Almost.
Weeks like these are so rare. It feels awesome to be ahead of the curve training for the 10 Miler. This time last year I was barely training. My hip was in pain every time I took a step, and I was about to come down with walking pneumonia. Oh yeah. and I was nursing a 2 month old.
So I'm writing about this week not for you, the two of you who read my blog (hi Mo and Robine). I'm writing this for me, so I can remember that even if I only get weeks like this once every two years, I DO get weeks like this. They're out there, and there is hope for making a plan and sticking to it.
This past week, I was able to train my plan for the first time in years. YEARS. I am not exaggerating. That is what life is when you have a kid or two and a job.
I am healthy. I am uninjured. My kids are reasonably healthy (though the baby did vomit all over me while we were waiting at the pharmacy for antibiotics for her ear infection). It's The Supportive Husband's off season. The kids are sleeping well. There's no more snow on the ground, and the weather, though cold, hasn't been too bad.
I will admit to switching a run for a swim when I got the gym and realized that I didn't have a sports bra in my gym bag. But, that's why I always keep a swimsuit and goggles in my bag.
I squeezed in a run on my lunch hour. I got up in the pitch black darkness. I pushed my run till 10am to fit the schedule of my new running group, but got there early and put in an extra mile or two. I ran to the gym, lifted weights, and ran home. I did the most amazing core workout watching The Biggest Loser. Click, click, click, click. All the pieces just settled right in, and it almost seemed effortless. Almost.
Weeks like these are so rare. It feels awesome to be ahead of the curve training for the 10 Miler. This time last year I was barely training. My hip was in pain every time I took a step, and I was about to come down with walking pneumonia. Oh yeah. and I was nursing a 2 month old.
So I'm writing about this week not for you, the two of you who read my blog (hi Mo and Robine). I'm writing this for me, so I can remember that even if I only get weeks like this once every two years, I DO get weeks like this. They're out there, and there is hope for making a plan and sticking to it.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Come ON!
So, I was sick AGAIN. I have been sick - sick enough to not be able to work out at all, let alone run in the cold, for 3 of the last 6 weeks. This is crazy! Stomach bug this time. Nuff said.
Anyway, pounding vitamins C and D, eating my greens, and washing my hands till they crack. And setting my alarm for dark-thirty tomorrow morning. Of course, with snow expected tonight, I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to run or even drive to the gym at that hour. But damned if I'm not going to do SOMETHING tomorrow. Because all this sitting around is exhausting.
Anyway, pounding vitamins C and D, eating my greens, and washing my hands till they crack. And setting my alarm for dark-thirty tomorrow morning. Of course, with snow expected tonight, I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to run or even drive to the gym at that hour. But damned if I'm not going to do SOMETHING tomorrow. Because all this sitting around is exhausting.
Friday, January 01, 2010
non-race report - NYD5K
Because the snow rendered the field used for parking impassable, the New Year's Day 5K was cancelled. I was crushed - it is one of my favorite races! I always look forward to starting the new year right - running in the cold, dreaming of PR's.
So Louise and I did our own 5-ishK this morning instead. At 8:10, five minutes before our scheduled meetup time, I was having serious regrets. The Supportive Husband and I had been out past midnight, communing with our inner gypsy punks at the Gogol Bordello show.
I haven't run outside since I came down with a nasty cold made worse by two days of nonstop snow shoveling. The cold air made my airway feel "itchy." So I've been doing the treadmill at the gym, but since I can only manage about 3/4 mile before I die of boredom, I've been running 1/2 mile, hopping on the bike, running 1/2 mile, lifting weights, running 1/2 mile, doing abs, running 1/2 mile, and stretching. So I was a little apprehensive about how my body would take to running three whole miles all in one stretch.
I shouldn't have been worried. I felt great. Mad props to Louise for poking along at my conversational pace, which I know she can do while reading a book and carrying a baby. My hip tightened up a little at the very end, but otherwise I have no complaints. Airway felt fine.
No complaints - no excuses. Hello, twenty-ten!
So Louise and I did our own 5-ishK this morning instead. At 8:10, five minutes before our scheduled meetup time, I was having serious regrets. The Supportive Husband and I had been out past midnight, communing with our inner gypsy punks at the Gogol Bordello show.
I haven't run outside since I came down with a nasty cold made worse by two days of nonstop snow shoveling. The cold air made my airway feel "itchy." So I've been doing the treadmill at the gym, but since I can only manage about 3/4 mile before I die of boredom, I've been running 1/2 mile, hopping on the bike, running 1/2 mile, lifting weights, running 1/2 mile, doing abs, running 1/2 mile, and stretching. So I was a little apprehensive about how my body would take to running three whole miles all in one stretch.
I shouldn't have been worried. I felt great. Mad props to Louise for poking along at my conversational pace, which I know she can do while reading a book and carrying a baby. My hip tightened up a little at the very end, but otherwise I have no complaints. Airway felt fine.
No complaints - no excuses. Hello, twenty-ten!
Monday, December 21, 2009
NOW can I get my medal?
I'm submitting this photo with my mother of the year nomination form.
Record breaking snowfall in these parts! It was up to my thighs, so no running the past few days, though, as you can see above, I've had plenty of vigorous exercise. And I'm paying for it. My head cold has morphed into some crazy airway thing, but hopefully a little rest and I'll be good as new. Because being snowbound with two kids underfoot is so restful, right?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Ah, heck
Long run? What's that?
I've been struck by a cold! A mild cold, but I'm so stuffy, I can't sleep well, and breathing is tough. So I've been sticking mostly to the gym this week, which means the dreadmill and the bike. For some reason, I can hardly bear a mile on the treadmill, but can go and go and go on the stationary bike, so I've been putting in lots of bike miles. Today, feeling particularly lousy, I managed to look wearily at the treadmill, but I did 7 miles on the bike. So, there you go. Not necessarily the most hardcore, badass workout I could have done, but it beats sitting on the sofa wallowing in self pity. And for about 4 hours after my workout, I felt a lot better - things drained, I didn't feel freezing cold, and I was breathing easier.
But now I'm all stuffed up again, and my nose is chapped. But, I don't feel too awful, so I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. I had a really awesome morning run in the dark the other day that made me feel like a million bucks. I couldn't find my headlamp, so it was particularly dark. There were lots of Christmas lights and porch lights on, though, and I used my cellphone for a little extra illumination when I needed it. But all that dark took me out of my body a little bit, in a good way. Rather than running the same scripts in my head, I had something else to ponder. I felt light and swift, and by the time I had put in just under 3 miles, I felt I could do anything.
I was glad to have had that run just before coming down with this cold. It really inspired me to go back to getting up early to run, even if it's dark. I had no other responsibilities. For the first time in a long time, it was just me and road. Looking back on my blog posts from marathon training, it seems they're all about how I didn't do the workout I planned, or how I was battling back from the latest daycare sickness. I had all that going on - and I was nursing!! - and I still managed to run a marathon. I can certainly find room in my life for 13.2. I'm a better mom, a better wife, and a better person when I inhabit a strong, fit body. It's worth going to the gym when I'm sick, it's worth waking up so early that my whole run is in the pitch black. Even more than being worth it, it's a gift.
I've been struck by a cold! A mild cold, but I'm so stuffy, I can't sleep well, and breathing is tough. So I've been sticking mostly to the gym this week, which means the dreadmill and the bike. For some reason, I can hardly bear a mile on the treadmill, but can go and go and go on the stationary bike, so I've been putting in lots of bike miles. Today, feeling particularly lousy, I managed to look wearily at the treadmill, but I did 7 miles on the bike. So, there you go. Not necessarily the most hardcore, badass workout I could have done, but it beats sitting on the sofa wallowing in self pity. And for about 4 hours after my workout, I felt a lot better - things drained, I didn't feel freezing cold, and I was breathing easier.
But now I'm all stuffed up again, and my nose is chapped. But, I don't feel too awful, so I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. I had a really awesome morning run in the dark the other day that made me feel like a million bucks. I couldn't find my headlamp, so it was particularly dark. There were lots of Christmas lights and porch lights on, though, and I used my cellphone for a little extra illumination when I needed it. But all that dark took me out of my body a little bit, in a good way. Rather than running the same scripts in my head, I had something else to ponder. I felt light and swift, and by the time I had put in just under 3 miles, I felt I could do anything.
I was glad to have had that run just before coming down with this cold. It really inspired me to go back to getting up early to run, even if it's dark. I had no other responsibilities. For the first time in a long time, it was just me and road. Looking back on my blog posts from marathon training, it seems they're all about how I didn't do the workout I planned, or how I was battling back from the latest daycare sickness. I had all that going on - and I was nursing!! - and I still managed to run a marathon. I can certainly find room in my life for 13.2. I'm a better mom, a better wife, and a better person when I inhabit a strong, fit body. It's worth going to the gym when I'm sick, it's worth waking up so early that my whole run is in the pitch black. Even more than being worth it, it's a gift.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
beat
I'm beat. The day after my fun Turkey Trot, I started feeling not so hot. I figured it was just a little cold. I was wrong. I ended up with some strep-like infection with a side of mastitis that resulted in a fever topping out at 105 and that bought me 10 days worth of strong penicillin. My tummy is not handling it very well, and even though I'm pretty well over whatever infection I had, my electrolytes are still out of whack, and where last week I was pushing the buggy through some of the most extreme hills and feeling happy about it, this week even a walk around the block requires forethought and contingency plans. I'm continuing to improve, and am planning on at least hitting the bike at the gym on Tuesday, with the goal of doing a "long" run of at least four miles this weekend.
So yeah, another setback. But, the 10 miler is four months away so I have at least a little while to get my shit together. The Supportive Husband is on notice that I need some Saturday mornings free and clear for long runs. And my body is on notice as well! The girls have been very cooperative and have settled right down since weaning - I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I can throw away the industrial strength running bras and go back to my comfy Target cheapies. And so far my weight is holding steady, so I'm hopeful the 10 pounds extra I lost will stay lost. It feels good to be at my fighting weight and I *know* it helps my running.
So yeah, another setback. But, the 10 miler is four months away so I have at least a little while to get my shit together. The Supportive Husband is on notice that I need some Saturday mornings free and clear for long runs. And my body is on notice as well! The girls have been very cooperative and have settled right down since weaning - I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I can throw away the industrial strength running bras and go back to my comfy Target cheapies. And so far my weight is holding steady, so I'm hopeful the 10 pounds extra I lost will stay lost. It feels good to be at my fighting weight and I *know* it helps my running.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Turkey Trot Day!
I've been laying low, running-wise, knowing that weaning Sami would signal the start of training for spring races. This morning I ran the Turkey Trot. I had zero expectations - I was pushing Sami in the buggy, and have been doing precious little running. A couple of miles on the treadmill at lunch every now and again. No training to speak of, and no pushing kids in the buggy! And most importantly - I didn't have my pre-race nightmare. I did have a real-life nightmare, when I realized I had missed packet pickup, but it turns out that packet pickup continued through Wednesday, even though it was only schedule for Monday and Tuesday.
For whatever reason, my body loves this crazy, insanely hilly course. And I set a PR!! Not a "real" PR - I am truly light years away from that right now. But I set my buggy-pushing 5K PR - I beat my time from two years ago by 10 seconds!! Really, I was hardly exerting myself at all. I spent the first .75 mi caught up in the throng of non-runners, unable to maneuver through with the buggy. I stopped a few times to chat with friends. I took lots of walk breaks. My first mile was just shy of 16 min. I hit mile 2 at 29:30, and crossed the finish at 42:29. Hello, negative splits!! Am I really running faster by going slower? It appears to be so!
It was very encouraging to unexpectedly post this time. I know, 13 min miles are nothing to crow about. But I felt great, and I know now I've still got some legs on me.
I desperately need new shoes, and a new watch. I lost my cheap, plastic, 10 year old watch a few months ago, and not knowing what my pace is at any given time is a little frustrating, even at a fun run. And my shoes are nearly a year old (sinful!!), and really don't fit right. I got sweet talked in to buying narrows, and they're too narrow. I'm sorely tempted to try the new Nikes that are for overpronaters, but don't have the traditional bulkiness of stability/motion control shoes.
No black Friday shopping for me - it's Buy Nothing day, after all, but I'll be down at the shop sooner or later. I have a pocket full of coupons and I'm not afraid to use them.
For whatever reason, my body loves this crazy, insanely hilly course. And I set a PR!! Not a "real" PR - I am truly light years away from that right now. But I set my buggy-pushing 5K PR - I beat my time from two years ago by 10 seconds!! Really, I was hardly exerting myself at all. I spent the first .75 mi caught up in the throng of non-runners, unable to maneuver through with the buggy. I stopped a few times to chat with friends. I took lots of walk breaks. My first mile was just shy of 16 min. I hit mile 2 at 29:30, and crossed the finish at 42:29. Hello, negative splits!! Am I really running faster by going slower? It appears to be so!
It was very encouraging to unexpectedly post this time. I know, 13 min miles are nothing to crow about. But I felt great, and I know now I've still got some legs on me.
I desperately need new shoes, and a new watch. I lost my cheap, plastic, 10 year old watch a few months ago, and not knowing what my pace is at any given time is a little frustrating, even at a fun run. And my shoes are nearly a year old (sinful!!), and really don't fit right. I got sweet talked in to buying narrows, and they're too narrow. I'm sorely tempted to try the new Nikes that are for overpronaters, but don't have the traditional bulkiness of stability/motion control shoes.
No black Friday shopping for me - it's Buy Nothing day, after all, but I'll be down at the shop sooner or later. I have a pocket full of coupons and I'm not afraid to use them.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
catch as catch can
Is it any wonder that all my blog posts for the past year have been about how I don't have time to blog or exercise?
The baby is almost a year old - I can hardly believe it. The first year of her life has seemed to go by in an instant, except when she was crying in the middle of the night and then it seemed to drag on forever. Knock on wood, Ferber got her sleep all straightened out, though she's finally cutting teeth and that has thrown a wrench in the works. But enough sleep means that I finally crave exercise more than I crave sleep. In a little more than a week, the baby will be weaned - goodbye nursing boobs, and good riddance. Once the girls have settled down, then I'll come up with a training plan for spring races. But until then, I'm just being diligent about increasing my overall fitness level.
I gave up cookies after dinner, and lo and behold I lost five pounds immediately. I'm not only at my prepregnancy weight, but at my fightin' weight. Hallelujah! Downside: all my pants look like Hammer pants on me now. I'm doing my best to squeeze in workouts here and there. It's better to do a little than to do nothing. More days than not, I'm able to get to the gym, or go for a run or walk. And it's a great feeling. I even found the time to go to a group exercise class at the gym! Which kicked my sorry ass, by the way. I had charley horses in both calves for four days afterward. I've started doing real swim workouts, even if it's only 800 or 1000 on my lunch break. No more lazy laps - if my triceps aren't ON FIRE by the time I'm done, then I didn't do it hard enough. I did treat myself to a very lazy session on the exercise bike today - the new InStyle came, and I wanted to read it while I rode. But then I did a killer ab workout to make up for it.
Slowly but surely, I'm reclaiming my inner athlete.
The baby is almost a year old - I can hardly believe it. The first year of her life has seemed to go by in an instant, except when she was crying in the middle of the night and then it seemed to drag on forever. Knock on wood, Ferber got her sleep all straightened out, though she's finally cutting teeth and that has thrown a wrench in the works. But enough sleep means that I finally crave exercise more than I crave sleep. In a little more than a week, the baby will be weaned - goodbye nursing boobs, and good riddance. Once the girls have settled down, then I'll come up with a training plan for spring races. But until then, I'm just being diligent about increasing my overall fitness level.
I gave up cookies after dinner, and lo and behold I lost five pounds immediately. I'm not only at my prepregnancy weight, but at my fightin' weight. Hallelujah! Downside: all my pants look like Hammer pants on me now. I'm doing my best to squeeze in workouts here and there. It's better to do a little than to do nothing. More days than not, I'm able to get to the gym, or go for a run or walk. And it's a great feeling. I even found the time to go to a group exercise class at the gym! Which kicked my sorry ass, by the way. I had charley horses in both calves for four days afterward. I've started doing real swim workouts, even if it's only 800 or 1000 on my lunch break. No more lazy laps - if my triceps aren't ON FIRE by the time I'm done, then I didn't do it hard enough. I did treat myself to a very lazy session on the exercise bike today - the new InStyle came, and I wanted to read it while I rode. But then I did a killer ab workout to make up for it.
Slowly but surely, I'm reclaiming my inner athlete.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Race Report - Real Girls 6K
Hoooo boy, it's been a long time since I had one of these.
6K is a new distance for me, so I knew going in that I'd set a PR. I really had no goals for the race, other than to actually make it to the start, and hopefully also make it to the finish, preferably not last. Getting to the start, as always, is the hardest part of any race. Sami's streak of wonderful sleep came to a screeching halt last night, and The Supportive Husband and I were trading baby-soothing duties until goodness knows when. I think I got about 4 hours sleep, total. To add insult to injury, I had to pump pre-race. Oh, THAT'S why I've been holding off training till she weans. What a freakin' PITA.
I arrived pretty early, and sat in my car rockin' out to my iPod. It was quite peaceful, actually. I so rarely just sit and listen to music these days. When I finally got going, I spent some time stretching, especially my hips, which are still a little tight-feeling, even if I'm pain-free. I saw a few familiar faces, rolled my eyes at the "rah-rah" group photo (but participated anyway), and I was off.
The first good bit was all downhill to the river. Even though there weren't very many racers, maybe 150-200, the course was narrow, which penned me in a bit. This was actually a good thing, as it kept a lid on my speed for the first half-mile or so. The air by the river was cool and damp, but after the turnaround about 1.5 miles in, I headed back up the hill, with a balmy breeze in my face. My car thermometer read 74 when I arrived, which was a lot warmer than you'd expect around here for this time of year. Rain had been predicted, but it held off till after the race. I was secretly disappointed. I like running in the rain. It takes me out of my head a little bit.
At the water stop, I took a few sips of gatorade and a few sips of water to get the gatorade taste out of my mouth. This started a long portion of running on grass. Bumpy, uneven grass. The uphills actually felt really good. All that pushing 2 kids around in the buggy is really paying off. The downhills were just scary. I slowed to a walk on some of them to keep my footing.
And then, the chute! I didn't push to a full-on sprint, but I did pick it up a bit in the chute, and ended up crossing the finish at (I think) almost exactly 43 minutes. I had forgotten my watch, so until official results are posted, that's as close as I can get. At a pace of 11:32, that sounds about right. I was at a pretty comfortable pace the whole time, with a few walk breaks.
I honestly don't remember the last time I ran more than a mile or two without pushing the buggy, so it was a nice change of pace. I felt great afterward, and it reminded me why I put up with the 5:30am wakeups to do this thing. I'm really committed to training for the 10 miler, and then for the half a couple of weeks later. It's really daunting to think about right now, but I'm giving myself permission not to think about it until Sami is weaned.
6K is a new distance for me, so I knew going in that I'd set a PR. I really had no goals for the race, other than to actually make it to the start, and hopefully also make it to the finish, preferably not last. Getting to the start, as always, is the hardest part of any race. Sami's streak of wonderful sleep came to a screeching halt last night, and The Supportive Husband and I were trading baby-soothing duties until goodness knows when. I think I got about 4 hours sleep, total. To add insult to injury, I had to pump pre-race. Oh, THAT'S why I've been holding off training till she weans. What a freakin' PITA.
I arrived pretty early, and sat in my car rockin' out to my iPod. It was quite peaceful, actually. I so rarely just sit and listen to music these days. When I finally got going, I spent some time stretching, especially my hips, which are still a little tight-feeling, even if I'm pain-free. I saw a few familiar faces, rolled my eyes at the "rah-rah" group photo (but participated anyway), and I was off.
The first good bit was all downhill to the river. Even though there weren't very many racers, maybe 150-200, the course was narrow, which penned me in a bit. This was actually a good thing, as it kept a lid on my speed for the first half-mile or so. The air by the river was cool and damp, but after the turnaround about 1.5 miles in, I headed back up the hill, with a balmy breeze in my face. My car thermometer read 74 when I arrived, which was a lot warmer than you'd expect around here for this time of year. Rain had been predicted, but it held off till after the race. I was secretly disappointed. I like running in the rain. It takes me out of my head a little bit.
At the water stop, I took a few sips of gatorade and a few sips of water to get the gatorade taste out of my mouth. This started a long portion of running on grass. Bumpy, uneven grass. The uphills actually felt really good. All that pushing 2 kids around in the buggy is really paying off. The downhills were just scary. I slowed to a walk on some of them to keep my footing.
And then, the chute! I didn't push to a full-on sprint, but I did pick it up a bit in the chute, and ended up crossing the finish at (I think) almost exactly 43 minutes. I had forgotten my watch, so until official results are posted, that's as close as I can get. At a pace of 11:32, that sounds about right. I was at a pretty comfortable pace the whole time, with a few walk breaks.
I honestly don't remember the last time I ran more than a mile or two without pushing the buggy, so it was a nice change of pace. I felt great afterward, and it reminded me why I put up with the 5:30am wakeups to do this thing. I'm really committed to training for the 10 miler, and then for the half a couple of weeks later. It's really daunting to think about right now, but I'm giving myself permission not to think about it until Sami is weaned.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
I placed!!!
My standard spiel about running is that I intend to keep doing it until I place in my age group. Well, I placed yesterday! Sadly, not in running. In pie-baking, of all things. I won the "nut/other" category in the Cville Pie Fest with my "Cheap Drunk Nut Pie." I can't believe it! Unfortunately, I was too sick to attend the event - my third illness in as many weeks. So there's been a lot more baking than running going on at my house.
Well, next weekend I am racing again. I think. I signed up a couple months ago, but realized that I've never gotten any kind of confirmation whatsoever that I am, in fact, registered for the Real Girls Run 6K next Saturday. Maybe I'll look in to that. With all the non-training I've been doing lately, even starting the race, let alone finishing it, is going to be a bigger challenge than I bargained for. I'm feeling much better, and would love to go for a run this afternoon, but I'm stuck at home with napping kids while The Husband is at work. Sigh.
So, in the meantime, here's my recipe for AWARD WINNINGTM Cheap Drunk Nut Pie.
Crust (This recipe is pretty much cribbed from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook - nothing fancy here. Though I do add a little salt where they don't, since I'm making a super-sweet pie.):
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 Tbsp ice water
Directions:
Pulse flour, salt, and shortening in food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs. Scrape sides occasionally if necessary. Add ice water all at once and process until dough forms into a ball. Again, scrape sides if necessary. Pat dough ball into a disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450.
Roll out crust and place into pie plate. Flute the edge, or do whatever decorative treatment you'd like. Prick liberally with a fork, especially where the sides of the plate meet the bottom. Line with parchment paper and fill with weights - dried beans or rice work well for this. Press into corners to prevent crust from lifting up during baking. Bake at 450 for about 8 minutes.
Optional: Just before adding filling to crust, use a pastry brush to brush an egg wash (1 beaten yolk with a splash of milk) on the edges and sides of crust. This will give the crust a nice golden color once baked.
Filling (this recipe is the result of lots of research and testing, and passed the ultimate taste test - my 3 year old like it!):
Ingredients:
4-5 eggs (I get mine from the farmer's market, and am not always there at the crack of dawn, so I sometimes end up with medium eggs instead of large)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp cheap vodka* OR bourbon OR lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup raw, unsalted pecan halves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecan halves on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for approx 5 minutes, stir, and bake for 5 more minutes. Watch nuts carefully and be sure they don't scorch.
Once the nuts cool, grind half of them in a food processor to form a meal**, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with the brown sugar till combined. Add corn syrup, melted butter, vodka, and vinegar and mix well. Add ground pecans and stir till combined. Pour mixture into baked crust, reserving about 1-2 Tbsp in the bowl.
Put the remaining pecan halves into the bowl with the reserved filling and toss to coat. Arrange pecan halves on top of pie.
Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, or until filling is set. To prevent overbrowning of the crust, tent the edges with aluminum foil for all but the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool on a wire rack. Serve plain, or with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.
*A note about the cheap vodka: I heard that you can also use a little vanilla extract for part of this ingredient. Long story short, I happened to end up with a large quantity of vanilla beans, and have been making my own vanilla extract by soaking the beans in cheap vodka. This process takes months, and my extract is still mostly vodka. Really, really cheap vodka. So, having neither bourbon, nor vanilla extract, and discovering that the only lemon in my fridge was a dessiccated fossil, I used my not-quite-extracted vanilla vodka. You might even find that commercially available vanilla vodka works for you, but I've never tried it, as it is not the cheapest vodka at the liquor store.
**A note about the pecan meal - I find it makes the filling really nice and firm, and not as slimy/gooey as pecan pies usually are. It also cuts the sweetness a bit. But with a cup of corn syrup and a cup of brown sugar, who am I kidding. You can go with chopped pecans, rather than ground, but the chopped ones tend to float to the surface while baking, so they don't end up binding with the filling like the ground ones do.
Edit: Ummm, eeek! I accidentally double the amount of nuts, because I had made *two* pies for the pie fest. I'm sure it wouldn't suck w/2 cups of nuts, but it really only requires 1. I fixed it in the recipe above.
Well, next weekend I am racing again. I think. I signed up a couple months ago, but realized that I've never gotten any kind of confirmation whatsoever that I am, in fact, registered for the Real Girls Run 6K next Saturday. Maybe I'll look in to that. With all the non-training I've been doing lately, even starting the race, let alone finishing it, is going to be a bigger challenge than I bargained for. I'm feeling much better, and would love to go for a run this afternoon, but I'm stuck at home with napping kids while The Husband is at work. Sigh.
So, in the meantime, here's my recipe for AWARD WINNINGTM Cheap Drunk Nut Pie.
Crust (This recipe is pretty much cribbed from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook - nothing fancy here. Though I do add a little salt where they don't, since I'm making a super-sweet pie.):
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 Tbsp ice water
Directions:
Pulse flour, salt, and shortening in food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs. Scrape sides occasionally if necessary. Add ice water all at once and process until dough forms into a ball. Again, scrape sides if necessary. Pat dough ball into a disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450.
Roll out crust and place into pie plate. Flute the edge, or do whatever decorative treatment you'd like. Prick liberally with a fork, especially where the sides of the plate meet the bottom. Line with parchment paper and fill with weights - dried beans or rice work well for this. Press into corners to prevent crust from lifting up during baking. Bake at 450 for about 8 minutes.
Optional: Just before adding filling to crust, use a pastry brush to brush an egg wash (1 beaten yolk with a splash of milk) on the edges and sides of crust. This will give the crust a nice golden color once baked.
Filling (this recipe is the result of lots of research and testing, and passed the ultimate taste test - my 3 year old like it!):
Ingredients:
4-5 eggs (I get mine from the farmer's market, and am not always there at the crack of dawn, so I sometimes end up with medium eggs instead of large)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp cheap vodka* OR bourbon OR lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup raw, unsalted pecan halves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecan halves on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for approx 5 minutes, stir, and bake for 5 more minutes. Watch nuts carefully and be sure they don't scorch.
Once the nuts cool, grind half of them in a food processor to form a meal**, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with the brown sugar till combined. Add corn syrup, melted butter, vodka, and vinegar and mix well. Add ground pecans and stir till combined. Pour mixture into baked crust, reserving about 1-2 Tbsp in the bowl.
Put the remaining pecan halves into the bowl with the reserved filling and toss to coat. Arrange pecan halves on top of pie.
Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, or until filling is set. To prevent overbrowning of the crust, tent the edges with aluminum foil for all but the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool on a wire rack. Serve plain, or with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.
*A note about the cheap vodka: I heard that you can also use a little vanilla extract for part of this ingredient. Long story short, I happened to end up with a large quantity of vanilla beans, and have been making my own vanilla extract by soaking the beans in cheap vodka. This process takes months, and my extract is still mostly vodka. Really, really cheap vodka. So, having neither bourbon, nor vanilla extract, and discovering that the only lemon in my fridge was a dessiccated fossil, I used my not-quite-extracted vanilla vodka. You might even find that commercially available vanilla vodka works for you, but I've never tried it, as it is not the cheapest vodka at the liquor store.
**A note about the pecan meal - I find it makes the filling really nice and firm, and not as slimy/gooey as pecan pies usually are. It also cuts the sweetness a bit. But with a cup of corn syrup and a cup of brown sugar, who am I kidding. You can go with chopped pecans, rather than ground, but the chopped ones tend to float to the surface while baking, so they don't end up binding with the filling like the ground ones do.
Edit: Ummm, eeek! I accidentally double the amount of nuts, because I had made *two* pies for the pie fest. I'm sure it wouldn't suck w/2 cups of nuts, but it really only requires 1. I fixed it in the recipe above.
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