About three weeks ago, I injured myself.  I’m not 100% sure what happened but the series of events are as follows:  went to a pretty intense strength class involving plyometrics, an easy run on the trail and a second easy run later that evening with my run club.  I am pretty certain I landed wrong in class during some tuck jumps… I felt a little twinge in my calf, achilles region but went ahead with easy run#1.   I came home, iced up the area and figured it would be okay.   However, once I stood up from sitting for awhile, I experienced a pain that was hard to ignore… I went ahead with the second run but immediately made an appointment with my active release doctor for the next day.    He said that the area was inflamed, specifically the Achilles and peroneal tendons:

pain in this region even walking

He initially suggested just taking a couple of days off before running again but after a few days, the pain was still there and it hurt just walking.  I would usually wake up without any pain but during the course of the day, the pain would build up.  I was particularly depressed the day we took our son to a college fair in Denver – as if attending a college fair for your first born doesn’t make you feel old enough, I was hobbling around on top of that!   The ART doc suggested a couple of weeks off, with permission to cross train.  He recommended walking in the pool or swimming to rehab the area.    Fortunately, I have access to a very nice pool so I followed all of his suggestions strictly.   I didn’t run, I spent hours on the elliptical and I hit the pool with my kick board.   I also made sure to get a deep tissue massage that really helped ease some of the pain and tightness.

To make long story short, I think (knock on wood) that I have averted a major injury by avoiding running through any pain and following the doctor’s orders.  This week is my first week back and I have completed several shorter runs and one long run.  The pain has diminished with each subsequent run.  I’m embracing my ice packs and foam roller but it looks like  I’m on the road (literally) to recovery.

I’ve also started taking swim lessons and hope to lose that kick board soon!

Real life has been so busy lately that I have fallen behind on the internets!   March was busy with turning 42 (happy birthday to me), running a pretty mediocre 5K on St Patrick’s day (followed by not so mediocre beer and pizza), a family road trip to the Pacific Northwest – Seattle and Portland and celebrating my daughter’s 12th birthday (happy birthday to her).    And lately I have been busy running a lot more – I’m trying a new plan, running much slower by heart rate but spending much more time running and logging many more miles (more on that later).

love Seattle!

beautiful Oregon coast

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A Recipe

I think you can pretty much put anything in a taco shell and kids will eat it… at least mine will.  But one of our family favorites is quinoa and black bean tacos.  The recipe is never exact because you can really put anything in a taco shell.. here is tonight’s concoction:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 14 oz. of cooked black beans
• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion
• sprouted tofu – cubed
• some baby carrots – roasted (because I happened to have them in my fridge)
• organic taco seasoning (or make your own: paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper)

I chopped the carrots and roasted them with a drizzle of olive oil and salt @ 425 in the oven for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the onion and pepper and sauté in a large pot with water or olive oil.  Once these veggies are cooked, add 2 cups of water or vegetable broth and the seasonings and bring to a boil.

Add the cup of quinoa to the boiling mixture and cook about 16-20 minutes.

Add black beans,  cooked carrots and mix in the tofu - Warm this mixture for a few minutes.

Put some in a warmed taco shell and add salsa and whatever other toppings that you like.

quinoa taco night!

 __________________________________________________

A Review

by Mark Modisette

FRS – (Fantastic Resiliency Substance).  Actually FRS doesn’t stand for anything per their website FAQ, but it means plenty me and my friends.  Sonal and I are always reading and researching food and drinks that are good for you or claim to help with performance.  We’ve experimented with many different types of nutrition on our longer runs and endurance events and have found FRS to be the best solution for us!

A few years ago, we were vacationing in Encinitas, CA at our favorite beach house when we made a trip down to La Jolla where a Triathlon was just getting started.  There was an FRS booth at the event and we got plenty of free samples (we love free stuff).  We both tried some on the spot and packed some in our luggage so we could try it later.

As I mentioned, we try lots of stuff like chia seeds, beet juice, hemp protein, etc…  It’s generally difficult to measure the immediate benefits of some of the things we try, but FRS proved to be an exception.  I drank an FRS before a run one day and I felt unusually good.  I did not put the two together until I had another similar experience on a run.  I realized that my legs felt great the entire run and energy levels stayed high.  I wanted to learn more so I started reading about FRS and the key ingredient, Quercetin.  The ingredient Quercetin was developed for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, which causes energy levels to go down.  Quercetin, which is made from the peels of fruits, was found to help improve the perceived energy levels of patients.

I ordered the free sample trial, which included some chews in addition to the canned drinks.   The chews have proven to be a great alternative to some of the sweeter tasting nutrition products on the market.    Overall, FRS has become our main supplement for endurance activities.  I usually drink a can with my breakfast before a run and take 2 or 3 chews just before I start running.  For longer runs, I’ll take more along the way.  They really do provide an energy boost for those longer days. Don’t take my word for it though – try it for yourself.  I have also had most of our friends in our running group try FRS and they all are now buying it regularly.

It is pricey at $2.50 a can, so I recommend shopping around – sometimes I get FRS from Vitamin Shoppe which offers free shipping and every once in a while, I can get it for about $1.00 a can!  We also rely on friends to get us a deal at local military Base Exchanges (being a formal Air Force veteran I do not feel guilty).

Some friends have even mixed it with a little vodka and loved the healthy libation.  :-)

Great product and really does what it says - If you try it and like it – you have to let me know!

Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice Drink 

I’ve recently discovered a product to help in post work-out and post-run recoveries: cherry juice.   I happened upon cherry juice on a Saturday at Whole Foods when a representative from Cheribundi was passing out samples.  The representative was talking to an older gentleman about the anti-inflammatory benefits of the juice for conditions such as arthritis.  She also said athletes use the drink for recoveries.   I sampled the juice – it is very tasty and grabbed a coupon to buy a 4 pack of the lower calorie stuff (sweetened with stevia).   It’s a bit expensive at $6.99 for a four pack, so the coupon helped.

The Cheribundi blog claims that cherries…”relieve aches and pains after a workout and speed muscle recovery.”   A recent livestrong article supports the claim as well, predicting that “professional athletes swigging tart cherry juice during competitive events might soon be a common sight.”

Not being a big fan of taking pills like ibuprofen for pain and inflammation,  tart cherry juice has become a regular drink for me for my harder workout days as well as my long run days.   I am adding it to my growing list of running staples!

- coconut water

- Mix 1

- beets

post run juice

and of course the cherry juice.

(Another great product that Mark and I have found and love is FRS.  Stayed tuned for his review on FRS nutrition. )

My sister recently classified January as “one big ass long Monday” and I think she’s right.  It is post holiday,  it’s cold and it still gets dark pretty early (although the days are getting longer).   The gym(s) are packed with resolutionaries:

resolutionary:  People who join a gym after the New Year, only to quit going within 3 months.

I couldn’t find a free treadmill, the place was crawling with resolutionarys.  -  Urban Dictionary

Fortunately for us here in Colorado, we can still run outside most of the time.. a little snow, some cold and/or wind doesn’t really stop us (i.e. Pueblo) and it has actually been pretty mild this January.    Just this past weekend, we went out to join local runners in the Winter Series race #2.  It was a bit chilly but a great, flat course!

Kathleen, me, Mark and Mo after the run!

Mark had a particularly good race.  He’s been running pretty pain free these days and is attributing part of his success to running in the Hoka OneOne shoes.   Read his shoe review:

Hoka Bondi B Review

by Mark Modisette

I am not a graceful runner.  In my mind I am a Kenyan but reality is another thing.  I tend to over stride, I heel strike and I pronate… and  I also suffer from shin splints and other various pains… you say “Mark you are old and that’s why you hurt when you run” – I have some choice words for those who say that, but running with pain kinda sucks.

A few months ago,  I was told that I should lay off running for two weeks when I went to see my new ART doctor (Active Release Technique) .  I was in about a level 7 – 8 pain when I started going to ART due to shin splints.  I was running in regular stability shoes to correct pretty pronounced over pronation in both feet – particularly my left.  They were typical stability shoes – heavy, clunky, with a high heel but they fixed my over-pronation issue (but not much else).   At the time, my shoes had about 300 miles on them and I was breaking in another pair of kicks with some off/on pain in my shins.  I did what the doctor prescribed and started running again as soon as I had the green light.  While I was down, Sonal convinced me to try out the Hoka Bondi Bs.  On my first run in the Hokas after being grounded, I was amazed by the light weight and NO impact these shoes offered. Hoka touts that their shoes disperse 80% of impact – I am inclined to believe this after now running 200+  miles in them.   In addition to the reduced impact, the shoes are comfortable and fit well.

Bondi.B

The Bondi B is marketed as a road shoe – I tend to migrate to the trail and can say that they hold up well on groomed trails as well.  The Bondi also has a “rockered profile”, meaning that the shoe has a nice toe-off feeling that aide in running hills or flats for that matter. The profile is much lower than the typical shoe – a 4mm heel to toe drop (vs. 12 mm in my stability shoe).    So while no one can accuse Hoka of being a minimal shoe (quite the opposite), they do promote a more natural running style.  I find that I am heal striking a little less, moving toward a more natural midfoot landing.   The Hokas are a relatively level shoe with a lightweight force field strapped to the bottom!

winter series 2 running in my Bondi.B

I ran in the Bondi’s for the 2012 Rescue Run and had a great race.  However, the race did have some unexpected detours that found us on more technical portions of the trails in Palmer Park. I did find that they did not perform that well on these sections.  My foot tended to move around a bit inside the shoe – so much that I was worried about twisting my ankle.  I will be getting the Hoka trail shoe or combo shoe (debating the trail Mafate  or combo/XT Stinson) for more technical trail running and I am predicting that they will perform better than the Bondi on rougher terrain.

At first glance, the price tag on the Hoka shoes are steep: average pair is about $169.  However, most runners who have reviewed them confirm that the shoes last 600-800 miles (average shoes 300-500 miles)… either way, they are worth the money.

Bottom line for me is I’m hooked on Hokas.   Some say they are an ugly shoe but  if you want to run in extreme comfort – try them. I am running pain free!

Try them, love them, buy them.  Long live Hokas!

winter series

my two cents:   Mark summed up the Hokas really well in his review.  I’ve also enjoyed running in the Bondi.Bs.   I purchased them originally just for long runs.  Talked Mark into a pair and gradually started running in them for 99% of my training runs.  I’m also sold!

Before the end of the year, Mark, Sophia (my daughter) and I registered for the 2012 Rescue Run, the annual New Year’s Day run in Palmer Park that benefits the El Paso County Search and Rescue (EPCSAR).   This is a pretty challenging course for both the 5K and 10K with the first mile being a long uphill climb, after which the 5K runners turn around and the 10K runners continue through some rolling hills before heading back down.

I tried to talk my boys into running the 5K but they were both skeptical about a post New Year’s Eve run (even with the later start of 10 a.m.) – they opted to sleep in on the first day of the year.    Waking up after a late night ringing in 2012, I definitely appreciated the wisdom of my sons and was tempted to sleep in instead of heading over to the park on what was a pretty chilly morning (temps in the 20s, windchill around 10 degrees but plenty of sunshine).

I fought the desire to stay in my warm bed, fueled by Sophia’s enthusiasm and joined the 800+ runners for the 5K/10K.  I am very happy that my daughter  motivated me to run this first run of the new year – it was a beautiful course that I had never run before – it was great to be out there and bring in the new year right!  Sophia did a great job completing the 5K and Mark ended up having a great 10K race!

Sophia's 5K finish

good race for Mark!

I enjoyed the beautiful run.

New Tunes:

Chamber of Hellos by Wire Train (song from 1983, just heard it!)

Tongue Tied  - Grouplove

Hazel - Weekend

Goodbye Horses – Garvey

Love comes Close – Cold Cave

As the end of the year approached, I started writing a ‘year in review’ but it was turning out to be a lengthy blog post that was simply summarizing what I’ve already reflected upon as the year was happening.    The injury, the trips, the races, the recipes… family and friends.    I enjoyed the look back, it was nice to remember the moments in what was a very satisfying year.

As I was looking back, what really struck me was how fast the days went by… 365 days in what seemed like a really quick trip around the sun.  It’s cliche but it feels true.   2011 was filled with some very memorable adventures and I am looking forward to the adventures of the next 365 (362) days.

me and Mark @ Garden of the Gods for a 10 miler on Christmas Day

Another thing that stood out on my trip down memory lane, is that there is always one constant in all my posts.     The person who runs every race with me.  Takes the photos, the videos, drives the car and gets my gear together…The person who sits out a run because I am injured, cranky and unable to run…most of my posts refer to “Mark” or “my husband.”   Often, he has a unique perspective and a different experience than I do.   Mark also tends to be a little more obsessed with the mechanics of running, the gear and nutrition that goes into our hobby. As such, we are thinking of starting another blog where he’ll be able to share his perspective and give some good techie opinions and reviews on various products… stay tuned.

Happy New Year, Happy New Adventures in 2012.

I ran the same two end of year races this year, that I did last year:  Briargate YMCA Turkey Trot and the Rock Canyon Half Marathon in Pueblo, CO.    One went really well, the other…not as good.

Turkey Trot 2011, November 24, 2011.

I don’t run many 5K races.  Usually if I do, it is a school event or like this race, an annual tradition.    Unlike last year when we stressed the chilly weather, we had a picture perfect day this year.   It was warm (mid-50s) and sunny!   So without any qualms (but plenty of chaos), we headed out to the race – all of us, my parents included!

we all turkey-trotted!

mom and dad

we had a fun filled holiday

The Turkey Trot was good for me… I ran a PR of 25:03 (8:05 mm) on a fairly hilly course and came in 5/146 in my age group…a pretty good day for me!

 Rock Canyon Half Marathon, Pueblo, CO, December 3, 2011

Rock Canyon is great race for many reasons: local, later start (9 a.m.), cheap ($35), a finisher’s sweatshirt and this year, a medal!  It’s also not ever going to be a PR race for me – trail, uneven terrain, a steep hill to finish… I ran the race in 1:58:55 last year and I just wanted to run something similar or a bit faster this year.   The 2010 Pueblo race was the last non-mountain race of any distance that I ran before getting injured earlier this year.

A few days out, weather forecasters started predicted “miserable” conditions for the race.  The race day weather was almost unimaginable just a few days before – when I ran in the sun, 64 degrees and no breeze!   Usually Pueblo has better weather than the north-end of the Colorado Springs area…but on this race day, it was fairly brutal down in Colorado’s ‘banana belt’ as well.    Our group was committed though – we headed out to run this race despite the cruel weather (although I think if anyone of us had said the word, we all would have been happy to stay cozy at home .)   Ultimately, over 550 people finished this race – Coloradoans are pretty intense!

The first few miles of the run proved to be pretty slick, icy pavement.   The trail itself was in good condition but the winds after the turn around were harsh!  All things considered, I ran a decent race (finished in 2:06) but it was my slowest half marathon to date…

Video by my husband, Mark sums up the day, what an adventure!

Yesterday brought another snow storm to our area – this time enough for the kids to have a snow day!   Summer time tends to be a time of less cooking at my house – mostly because we don’t have air conditioning and the heat from ovens and stoves just add to the misery of a hot house.. and also because summertime in Colorado is best spent outside in the beautiful sunshine.   That said, I love cooking in the fall and winter – a nice stew in the crock pot on a snowy day is one of my favorite things.

I experimented a bit today with some of my favorite veggies:

butternut squash, ginger

dino kale and a large white onion

I started with some chopped butternut squash and about a 1/2 inch piece of ginger in the crock pot, chopped up a bunch of delicious dino kale and of course,  the staple white onion.

While I was chopping up the veggies, I softened some dry black eyed peas in the pressure cooker…

2 cups of dry black eyed peas, soften in pressure cooker for about 6 minutes

I recently found a fragrant rosemary tree at Whole Foods, so I just pulled a bit off the tree to throw into the stew

rosemary

A very simple stew: butternut squash, kale, onion and black eyed peas.

spices: rosemary, garlic and ginger

simmer 'til dinner

With dinner in the works, I should be able to hit the gym this evening with nothing to do but eat and watch Marathon Boy (HBO Documentary premieres tonight) once I get home!

I discovered a few new tunes last week:

Balance by Future Islands

Breathe In by Frou Frou

Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club

All to All by Broken Social Scene

We literally had record high temperatures here in Colorado on Monday … only to wake up to a snowy morning today (just a couple of days later!)

snow on our trees

early taste of winter

Unfortunately there wasn’t enough snow on the roads for the kids to have their first 2011/12 snow day from school.  I actually felt sorry for the babies this morning as they bundled up and headed to their bus stops.   I fortunately had to be absolutely no where this morning!

watching the snow from my couch

As an added bonus, I was prepared for today’s weather for a change!  I went to Whole Foods yesterday to shop for ingredients for a nice, warm tofu chili which is simmering in the crock pot as I type and the snow continues to fall.

Tofu chili is easy and flexible – pretty much how I imagine any regular chili to be.

This morning, I started with the following veggies:

• yellow squash
• purple and white small potatoes
• white onion
• red pepper

in the past, I have added zucchini and even eggplant.   Veggie-wise, anything goes with this dish!

veggies

I added a few assorted beans to the vegetables.   Today, I used a short cut with canned beans but dry beans prepared in the pressure cooker work great as well!

black, kidney and pinto beans

extra firm tofu - frozen, then defrosted

I chopped up and added some extra firm tofu to the mix and spiced it up!

select a few spices

Meatless crumbles also make a nice addition to this chili.    Before starting up the crock pot, I mixed in one small can of tomato paste, a can of diced tomatoes and enough broth to make the mixture into a soup/stew consistency.    Plugged it in, set it to cook for 6 hours.   Dinner is done!

just a few more hours

So with a workout in my home gym done and dinner simmering… I am going to enjoy this early snow day.  By tomorrow, we have sun again and the temperatures warm up for what is looking to be a lovely weekend!

some of the new tunes on my iPod:

The Look - Metronomy

Chinatown – Wild Nothing

Stay Gold - The Big Pink

Poor Animal – Zola Jesus

Let me Take You Out – Class Actress

just like that – summer has slid into autumn … the leaves on the trees are changing into vibrant colors…the first few snowy days on the peak have already made the local news.

snowy peak, second week of September 2011

Fortunately the temperatures are still summer like…creating the illusion that we won’t soon be donning our tights, half zips and gloves before going out on the roads and trails!

After this summer’s Pikes Peak Ascent, I had a bit of post-event blues.   I guess when you spend so much time on the mountain (or planning trips up the mountain), you are bound to miss it a little when it’s all over!  Just like last year, I find myself slowly (key word…slow) returning back to non-mountain running. .. slow twitch vs. fast twitch and all that I guess.

I’ve also participated in a few very fun fall events:

The American Discovery Trail Marathon (relay)

The relay is always a great way to cover these 26.2 miles on the Santa Fe trail.   This year, we had two teams – double the fun!  Our team came very close to coming in 3rd for the co-ed relay category.  Unfortunately, I was the weaker link with an average 8:40 mm pace on my leg.   Like I said, I return slowly to non-mountain running!

fun group of relay runners!

our team

The Dirty Girl Mud Run (5K)

A great 5K with 11 obstacles, a lot of mud and no clocks, timing or regular race pressure – just a great time with some fabulous ladies (and for a good cause – proceeds goes to support breast cancer research, awareness & education).

looking good (and clean) pre-run

finish!

muddy, dirty girls

And just this morning, we took a trip up the Incline to No Name Creek … the trees are changing for sure!

a fall day on the Manitou Incline

self portrait

we’ll keep running this fall and to keep some structure during this season and the holidays, my friends and I have put the Rock Canyon Pueblo 1/2 marathon on the fall/winter schedule.  I ran this one last year as well – it’s cheap, local and a good time!  Can’t beat the race schwag: big, cozy sweatshirt!

A few new tunes on my iPod:

Santa Fe by Beirut

Go Away by the Coathangers

After the Moment by Craft Spells

Wild Window by Fool’s Gold

Down by the Law by the LK

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