Mountain Masochist Overeater

Have you ever looked up the term "masochist"? Now that I've heard the definition I think the word may be used inappropriately, but in the case of my shoes...I like it! If we skip the "sexual" version of the definition, it reads something like this:

"a person who is gratified by pain, degradation, etc., that is self-imposed or imposed by others."

Yup, that's the definition of a trail runner. This all comes about because of my new shoes bear the name "Mountain Masochist".  Thanks to a guest pass at the Columbia Store I got these babies at employee pricing...which I am now disappointed to find isn't as cheap as Amazon. Bummer.

Unfortunately, since I'm traveling to San Diego, I can't add a photo of me running in them because I'm surrounded by concrete. However, after a few trail runs in Victoria, BC this past week I can attest that so far, they're awesome. Super grippy thanks to the "Gryptonite" and much lighter and more flexible than the Asics I was running in before. While I loved my Asics, the fact that they were A) super stiff and not conducive to road/trail combos and B) $20 at a thrift store and thus already pretty worn, it was time to retire them. This weekend these bad mamma jammas will get a full trail test back home in Bend.

As for the second part of this post, I decided to take a gander at my calorie intake for the day, and perhaps a travel day isn't the best day to start, but holy crap! I'm overeating...or I did today anyway. Given that my running is just now ramping up, 2,500 calories feels like a LOT too much.

On non-super-long-run days I think making the following changes is probably smart:

• No bagels.
• No cream cheese.
• Only drink half a green machine (the entire bottle clocks in at 270!).
• Eat a better, more filling breakfast (I know this rule, but somehow tend to forget it when traveling).
• Only eat Kind bars in an emergency (healthy, but also a whopping 190 cals!).

Now I do know that calorie counting as a runner isn't always necessary, but it seems I've fallen into the age old trap of "Hey I eat healthy, so I can eat as much of it as I want!" which is not the case when it comes to super rich, dense foods.

I digress.

Speaking of food, this recipe for Orzo is KILLER! Simple and delicious with grilled chicken. My advice is to add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes, and use a couple diced Roma tomatoes if that's all you've got. I used dried Thyme and skipped the lemon zest and pine nuts as well and it was still really great.

A shout out to my running buddy Little Goat: thank you so much for putting effort into my training plan. While I haven't been able to follow it to the tee given my injury recovery I'm really loving having a new fresh plan to follow. Muah!

Flats Suck and Evening Running

I meant to post yesterday to chat about the sacrifice I've had to make lately for running. It's one which:

1. I never thought I'd care about making, and
2. I never thought I'd have to make.

But, here I am....purchasing...flats. Sick.

There is nothing sexy about flats. The word itself isn't even sexy. Nothing like "stiletto" or "peep toe" or...well, "wedge" isn't that hot either, but you get my drift. Women have been wearing heels for ages because they make us look and feel confident, powerful, and yes...sexy. I like feeling sexy.

However, because of my recent ankle injury I finally gave in and purchased some flats for work. Thus far, I hate them. But I love running more. That said, flats in running I tend to enjoy. More than uphills and less than downhills (does that make me lazy?) so I guess things even out.

As for the other topic of this post: evening running. So far, it too has given me grief. Unlike morning running, where a wee cup of coffee is sufficient to clear the system and guarantee a comfortable gastrointestinal-distress-free run, evening running takes all the food I ate over the course of the day and liquefies it right around the point at which I am furthest from a toilet.

I digress.

Running today other than the above mentioned issues, was good. An apple seems to be good pre-running fuel (though now that I re-read the previous paragraph maybe it's not?) and I feel strong. My hips are a little sore from the trail-to-road transition, but my ankle feels good.

TODAY'S MILEAGE: 5.13