Shannon's Scene: Take Two

From Oops to Aha

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:48:10 -0500

Ever have a recipe, ingredient, or just lazy human moment where you turned an intended dish into something completely unexpected…and liked it?

Yes, I want to know. I may also be trying to gauge my audience. I’m thinking of creating a whole new blog environment, and over the next week or so I’m trying to get a feel for a couple of things: 1) do I have recurring readers; 2) why are they coming to my blog…whether happenstance or in search of ideas, laughs, other info.

So back to the question at hand…hey readers, what’s your ‘oops’ to ‘aha’?

One of my favorites happened when I was craving pasta but had nothing healthy in the way of sauces. I did, however, have some Sabra hummus. If you’re looking for creamy (albeit not thick) and flavorful pasta partner, I highly recommend. I use the recommended serving size which, as an added bonus, helps you not to overdo it on the pasta serving. Sabra makes a variety of flavors too, so enjoy!

How do you stay motivated? I’m one of those who needs a...

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:50:33 -0500

How do you stay motivated? I’m one of those who needs a goal, even if small, to stay motivated. Therefore, I’m encouraging others to do so as well via Amanda’s 2nd Annual Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge! Click the logo above to learn all about it.

I’ll likely be updating via The Daily Mile just FYI.

I’m also giving myself a little personal push to get to a yoga class or do some home yoga (Dave Farmar, anyone?) each day for two weeks beginning tomorrow. Who’s with me?

A week of the simple things… The general theme of my scene...

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:37:00 -0400

A week of the simple things…

The general theme of my scene is focus, whether on endurance goals, healthy living, or just embracing the doses of reality life brings from time to time. Looking back this week, for whatever reasons, whether consciously or not, I focused on the simple things life brought me.

Not having a training routine has let me just go with the flow of what my body needs, rather than what I need to push it to do for the sake of meeting a training goal. In addition to the handful I captured in the above photos, I thought I’d list a few other simple things that brought me gratitude and smiles this week…maybe they can work for you too:

Music, wine, and cooking on a Sunday evening in the kitchen
An afternoon outside on a crisp fall day…take a walk, jog, bike, drive with the windows down. Just get outside today!
Tossing a blanket with (homemade) lavender scented dryer sheet into the dryer…then wrapping up in the warmth of a lavender-scented blankie on a cool evening
Yoga
A trip to the fair, where I instantly became that kid again who journeyed with her family each year to the Texas State Fair; *highlights included munching on roasted corn while moseying through the farm animal tent…simple things
Reading
A deep, meaningful conversation. Put down the phone, the social networking, and talk to someone face to face.
A spontaneous night out to the theater with friends…it’s ok to break your routine and be spontaneous!
Declaring “couch date” and enjoying dinner, wine, and DVR from the comfort of your couch…leaving only to refill either plate or glass!
Getting yourself amped about something you’re really looking forward to… as evidenced by the photos, this was the acoustic Will Hoge/Shinedown show for me… I love music, especially live music, and especially two of my favorites who sang me through many miles of training. I was able to enjoy them from a comfy seat above the stage last night.

Wishing you a ‘simple things’ filled fall!

What do you do after a four month training period comes to an...

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:07:27 -0400

What do you do after a four month training period comes to an end and you’re left wondering what to do with this semblance of a life you’ve suddenly regained? I wonder if other first or many time endurance athletes experience this confusion of settling back into “the norm” after an event.

How have I spent the last two weeks? Wishing, foam rolling, pushing, chiropractoring, and praying away the residual pain around my right knee so that I could get back to running. Patience.

I relied more on my yoga practice as my form of activity, while trying to give my muscles what they needed… stretch therapy and a break from the impact. Mindfulness.

I also spent some time figuring out what the “new norm” would be now that I’ve returned to the land of the non-crazies who aren’t running four to five days/week. Balance.

I actually paused to notice that fall is all around me and I haven’t bought a single can of pumpkin yet! Say whaaat? And that my Rangers had made the playoffs! Awareness.

Oh and I may or may not have realized that after four months of hardly drinking , you probably shouldn’t pick back up like the champ you think you are. Zero tolerance.

I’ve never been able to juggle actual objects… but throw everything life has to offer me at once, and boy do I try to face it head-on. I’ve been quite the little clown with all the juggling I’ve done since the race. Deep breath. It’s time to put some things down, and pick them back up one by one.

So what am I doing? A little this, a little that. If I feel like a run, I’ll run. Just not 10+ miles (yet). I’ve added more yoga, a couple different styles even, into my week. I’m also not beating myself up if I want a day off. Balance. It’s not the norm to be on a marathon training schedule and I’ve had to break the mental fixation on the need for high impact activity for one or more hours all but one day a week. Not happening.

If you’ve made it this far into the post, I applaud you. My brain is a bit scattered as I try to find the balance that I ~~think I~~ knew back in April. Here’s hoping.

I leave you with some pics from my latest venture up to the nation’s capital… because that’s really the only eventful thing I’ve done since my return from Chicago.

Teaser: Yes, I’ve already identified my next event. Also, I’m cooking more… so expect a glimpse into my kitchen. Or take me out of your RSS feed. More to come!

Chicago has come and gone, and much like the days immediately...

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:49:47 -0400

Chicago has come and gone, and much like the days immediately following a vacation or holiday, it is bittersweet. Beyond elated that I ran my first marathon, but sad to see the weekend spent with friends in this incredible city, filled with such high energy, support, culminating in such a personal achievement, (and food) come to a close. With that, I give you the first part of my recap. As this was a big first for me, I decided to separate out the realities of the experience: major highs and some lows. In most cases, I prefer the “bad news” first, but this has to be an exception!

Simply stated, I met my goal. I ran a marathon this year, and I finished it. Having been a non-competitive runner since the age of 13 or so, a marathon becomes the ultimate goal at some point, whether or not it seems feasible. I focused on making it to a half, then came another, and another, etc. Six half marathons and an adventure relay later, I was ready to take it on, and set my goal for this year. Done!

I recognize I am surrounded by blessings in the form of friendships, and the added bonus was that this weekend packaged up several of those little moments you experience with them from time to time which make you realize just how lucky you are. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Pre-Sunday
We all made our way to Chicago on Friday and promptly (well, with an added side trip through Millenium Park) made our way to the race expo, took our awkward family photo (there may or may not be evidence of this floating around on Facebook… this may be my Christmas card to those with a sense of humor this year), wished to the money fairy that we could walk away with everything we wanted, saw Ryan Hall, finally realized we were all exhausted, then went our separate ways for dinner and rest.

Friday’s carb load was in the form of a tofu noodle dish from Ben Pao, an old friend named Turley (wine from Heaven), and great company as we watched Ghost Adventures and YouTube. Stop sign. Can I just say that if you’ve never watched the former, you are missing out on some entertainment gold? I can’t take this show seriously, and neither could the rest of my crew. We laughed our dinner off just in time to fire up YouTube for ‘Baby Monkey Riding on a Pig’, ‘Antoine Dodson’ (the autotune version), then learned there are way more panda videos than necessary out there. Perfect way to get my mind off the jitters and enjoy hanging out with my Chicago gang.

Saturday was perfect. Took our time getting up and around, ventured out into Irving Park for what else? Mexican food! I had to check myself though. Thanks a lot, conscience. I partook in some of the pre-meal goodness, and even stole some sips of the margarita, but I ordered a veggie-stuffed burrito the size of a juicehead guido’s arm and finished half. After a restful afternoon and evening, I made my way downtown for the big pre-race sleepover at Katy and Kristin’s hotel, (where TNT was staying).

Kristin and I laid out our race attire and accessories, got ready for bed, watched TV to get sleepy, and it was lights out. While I fell asleep fairly quickly, I was awake after four hours of sleep, and never really made it back to sleep before the 5am wake-up call.

Sunday
We made it to 10-10-10, dance partied while getting ready, ate oatmeal without spoons, chugged coffee, and met Katy and Sarah in the lobby for the walk to the start line. While we were among the first to arrive, I think we were glad, as it gave us time with the port-o-johns, stretch, photo ops (including our fave yoga frog pose which makes for great hip opener and awkward family photo #2), and time to take in the faces and energy as runners from all over gathered at the start.

Bang! 7:38am
Kristin and I made our way closer to our pacers, and before we knew it we were walking to the starting line. I fully expected to cross no sooner than 8am, but alas! Things I’ll remember about the course in its entirety are the supportive spectators and the variety of neighborhoods through which the course winds you. Snaking our way through downtown before heading north to the Lake Shore area, we were keeping a slow, steady pace. The goal was to finish, and it was unseasonably warmer than anticipated, so slow and steady was the name of the game. We really enjoyed running through Wrigleyville, the Greek neighborhood, Boys Town, etc. and I was feeling fine. The mental challenge hadn’t kicked in, my muscles felt loose, my levels felt pretty balanced, I was hydrated, and odd as it sounds, I was pretty comfortable.

Miles 7 to 13
Then it happened. The challenges kicked in, but more on those specifics in Part II. I’ll focus on what got me through some of the challenges. Immediately, I felt a meltdown coming on, but thankfully Kristin was there. I told her, “Don’t let me lose it. Not yet.” She gracefully accepted the challenge at this point, and made it her job, (as if running 26.2 wasn’t enough) to get me to that finish line. Runner comradery at its best is in the form of a great friend. Without this girl, I’m honestly not sure I would have pushed through some of those miles… which is why she claims she didn’t leave me! Thanks, Kristin!

During these miles, I had to acknowledge the pain, and let it go. Let the mental marathon begin. This is also when I really started paying attention to anything else. Well, hello spectators! We hugged the outskirts of the lanes, as it is easier to take walk breaks, stretch, and have your name cheered by the crowd! So glad I did this. Even though these people don’t know you from Adam, there’s something about hearing your name surrounded by ‘You’re an inspiration!’, ‘You can do it!’, ‘You’ve got this!’, and so on that keeps you motivated.

There were also many signs held up by folks that were both inspirational and hilarious. We saw a proposal in progress, (the girl’s name was Shannon… but I didn’t recognize the dude, moving on) a ‘You are all crazy!’ sign followed by, ‘Vaginas rule’ and ‘I’ll still love you if you poop your pants!’ for example. I kept seeing the Philippians 4:13 verse, which always resonates with me during adversity. So these stood out to me, and with Kristin’s support, got me to the half-way mark.

Miles 13 to 15
These miles were honestly a blur. I kept thinking of all the training, those who donated to the cause for which I was running, those who would benefit from the cause, and then came a much needed pep talk from Kristin. It began with taking turns listing why we are fortunate to be able to run when there are many who can’t. Then we listed reasons why others are unable to run, be they disabilities, disease, etc. The spectators thinned out a bit as we headed westward, and into the land of no shade. Thank goodness the charity block party was positioned along these miles, because, as I learned, their cheers really support my mental marathon. I needed to get out of my head and let them cheer me on. Then came the first ‘Pain is temporary, quitting is forever’ sign. Thank you very much. We also managed to do some bad math and somehow determined that at mile 15 we were into the single-digit countdown and only had nine miles left. Ha! If only that were true.

Miles 16 to 20
I kept thinking ‘Make it to 20, you’ve done it before, you know you can do it again. From that point on, it’s all downhill.’ It was sometime along these miles that I told Kristin I just had to finish, to which she replied, “No. You don’t have to finish. You CAN finish.” I’m telling you, there’s a reason they made her a TNT mentor! She also mentioned that if I wasn’t meant to run this race, then I would have broken all my toes instead of just the one! It was also sometime during this stretch that my Garmin pooped out on me. That was actually a blessing in disguise… I’m no zen runner, so I regularly look at my watch. I soon realized I was ok with this.

So let’s review the tools of my mental marathon so far:
Great friend/running buddy who refuses to run ahead, inspirational quotes/signs, name on the shirt to elicit cheers, the energy of the crowd in general, gimp watch, positive thoughts including the fact that our pain is nothing compared to those for whom we run, who inspire us, etc.

Miles 21 to 25
Again, mostly a blur, I was using each water/Gatorade station as something to look forward to, as well as goal markers. Also goal markers? Shade spots! The heat was really kicking in, and while you would think that after training in Charleston all summer, this would be nothing, it had an impact. Signs I needed to see along this route included, ‘You are stronger than you feel right now’. So true! Another favorite was another version of the pain is temporary which read, ‘Pain is temporary, bragging rights are forever’. Amen. I didn’t come this far to flop out now! I also recall the back of a girl’s shirt which had ‘Mind’ embroidered above ‘Matter’. In. Deed.

Somehow, after a cool sponge bath, a cool towel bath, several cups of water/Gatorade, we made it to 25 miles. Thank you to the man on the mic cheering us on with ‘You are about to finish the 33rd annual Chicago Marathon! You are at mile 25 and you will finish.’ I remember saying to Kristin, “I want to go hug that guy.” Alas, I needed all the energy I had left to get me 1.2 miles down…err up the incline to the finish.

26.2!
We could hear the sounds of the finish line festivities, but still had those last few meters to go. This is where the human body and its capabilities will always amaze me. Talk about pushing through adversity, what a metaphor for life. When the going was the toughest, I guess you could say I toughened up and got going! I remember mustering up a quicker pace and telling Kristin “Let’s finish this thing,” as we turned the first corner toward the finish where we could see ‘Mile 26’. When they say it’s the last .2 that really kill you… nevermind, I’m saving that for the more challenge-themed recap. We turned the FINAL corner and could see the finish. I remember stopping to walk once and thought, “WTF, it’s right there!” We linked arms and ‘Woo Girled’ our way across that finish line. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t necessarily smiling for the cameras, but I did catch sight of a wheel chair which I’m pretty sure had my name on it.

…To be continued

I survived the Chicago Marathon, my first marathon, on 10-10-10!...

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:36:21 -0400

I survived the Chicago Marathon, my first marathon, on 10-10-10! Two part race recap coming soon. Stay tuned!

Lessons from a Toe

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:50:34 -0400

So it has been a while since I’ve injured myself to the point where it hinders me from activities I do for enjoyment. In this case, a mere broken toe proved a bit of a setback in my training, and really my lifestyle. Personally, I learned through various life circumstances that identifying emotions, feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, is an important skill to master when moving through a process. Identify that feeling, face it head on, let it go. Sometimes I hang on to those moments, especially when they are few and far between, and fixate on what I should learn from it.

What can a broken toe teach you, you might ask? For me, the theme for my lesson was humility. So I had a setback. In the grand scheme of life, a broken toe is no deal breaker. What about those who have a passion for a hobby, a true gift, a talent, and have succeeded, inspired others, and continue to press on… only to have it taken away due to injuries, disease, or setbacks much greater than I could even fathom? I’m thankful I will return to my loves of running and yoga. I’m humbled. It could always be worse. I will take this with me on my marathon course.

That said, I’m grateful to report after two weeks of a true test of my stubbornness (I blame genetics for that) and patience, I stuck to doctor’s orders, and am back in the game with my first comeback run under my belt. I set out to do what I was able, mindful to quit if the pain crept into my foot or became unbearable at the toe-level. I buddy taped it for good measure and was extra conscious of my form, which is always good, and something I too often sacrifice. The heel-to-toe footfalls are going to be of extra importance, and maybe it will become habitual again (I was much better about my form earlier in my running). Funny enough, with my new shoes, I was so distracted by the fact that I tied the laces on the opposite foot a little too tightly and it dawned on me that I didn’t even notice the near mute talking my toe was doing in there on the other foot. It was tolerable, not unbearable, and didn’t feel overdone.

Since I missed the first 20-miler last weekend, I’m going to aim for back-to-back big runs. However, I plan to split this week’s long run into two days, with 10 miles Friday morning (heads up coworkers: you have permission to wake me up by whatever means necessary when I nod off at my desk), and 10 on Saturday morning. Next week, I’ll aim for the full 20 in one setting…before getting on a plane to Dallas. Let that sink in. I haven’t yet, so maybe you can do it for me.

Mid-afternoon blahs?Is the 3pm hour getting you down? Actually...

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:29:00 -0400

Mid-afternoon blahs?
Is the 3pm hour getting you down? Actually for me, it starts at more like 2pm (just two hours after lunchtime) during training days.

Lately those 5-hour energy commercials have driven me to facepalm on more than one occasion. As you know, my philosophy on caffeine is ‘treat it like a treat’ and not the norm, so naturally I don’t advocate for the caffeine-induced pick-me-ups.

What I can recommend are things that work for me when I need an energy boost and work the same for me when I need a pre-workout boost as well.

Water - I know, I know, everybody knows… but get up, get a cool burst of water, and even drink it while taking a little walk break.
Walk it out - Not surprisingly, I’m going to suggest a brief activity. Back in Dallas, my coworkers and I had a daily date to walk the stairs. We were on the fourth of a five-story building and would walk to the top, all the way down, and back to our floor around 2pm everyday.

I’d also suggest a lap around the parking lot/garage (in pairs of course) on a nice day out. If nothing else, take a lap around your floor. Just get that heart moving a little.
Light up your life - Get outside, and if you can’t… go take in the view of the outside from a window for a few minutes.
Protein boost - For me, I’m usually in need of something with some staying power and a protein boost fits the bill. Yes, I’m a vegetarian, but this deficiency has applied to people I know who are just as carnivorous as a true Texan (I’m a little crooked since I deny meat…their words not mine).

So what to eat? Nothing big, you don’t need much to get the boost you’re looking for. Try a tablespoon of nut butter, a serving of yogurt, or combine the two with half a banana. Even a small smoothie with some element of protein (whether in the form of powder or otherwise).

If you can avoid the caffeine in the afternoon, you’ll feel better, rest better at night, and the bonus is that a combination of the above will help in getting you through the rest of your afternoon until dinner and down time.

I leave you with my favorite energy snack; I use it before an afternoon run, a couple hours before a yoga class, or when I have a little hitch in my giddyup…

Protein Poof

1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp Greek yogurt (I like honey flavored)

1 tbsp chia seeds

sometimes half a banana

…mash it up, scarf, and you’re good to go!

Week in Review: Injuries can go fly a...

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:38:31 -0400

Week in Review: Injuries can go fly a kite…

Sunday Off

Monday Seated bike for an hour

Tuesday Seated bike + abs

Wednesday Off

Thursday Breaking in the new shoes for 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill + yoga

Friday Off

Saturday Rowing for runners (which is a 30-minute speed workout…was nice to mix it up finally); followed by 30 minutes of walking on the Woodway + abs

Stay tuned for injury update and why I’m not bitter. Well, I’m bitter now…so the update should probably wait!

Yes, that is wee me flying a wee kite on the big beach…

Why I’m Running Red…When Hurricane Katrina hit in...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:37:00 -0400

Why I’m Running Red…When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, my husband (at the time) and I were living in Dallas and felt compelled to be a host home to victims who were brought to the area and needed temporary housing. We opted to take in any single mother and her children, not exceeding three so that we would have plenty of space. When we took in a 26 year old woman, Erica, and her 3 year and 8 month old sons, we were overwhelmed with the support they had already received from the American Red Cross. We were prepared, and regardless were able to provide them with essentials to get back on their feet. However, their immediate needs were taken care of by members of this organization during this, a traumatic and chaotic time in our nation, and particularly at the local level.

When I decided to run the Chicago Marathon, I knew I wanted to run for charity. I saw that the American Red Cross had openings for runners outside the Chicago area, and immediately registered and continue to learn more and more about the good this organization does on a daily basis. The journey has already been enlightening and I can’t wait to bypass my goal and know that each dollar will benefit people like they did Erica and her boys during the aftermath of Katrina.

So please, consider supporting the American Red Cross through my journey to Chicago:

http://american.redcross.org/goto/ShannonGraf

Week in Review: Toe-up edition Unexpected, humbling,...

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:57:09 -0400

Week in Review: Toe-up edition

Unexpected, humbling, frustrating, debilitating… injury. This past week was plagued with an athlete’s worse fear. It wasn’t even related to my sport, it somehow involved my place of business… can I claim worker’s comp? I kid.

Sunday Recovery ride from Saturday’s 18-miler. I did about 40 minutes + abs.

Monday Rest day… little did I know many more forced rest days were in my near future. Bah.

Tuesday Treadmill interval workout for 4 miles in the morning; Dave’s holy hot power yoga class downtown in the evening. Seriously, I don’t know that I’ve ever even sweat that much in Bikram. Kudos, Dave!

Wednesday Managed to get in 7+ miles with K-Bo before the Big Bang happened to my toe:

A little over an hour after we finished, I arrived to work and as I do, went to get my laptop bag (laptop inside) from the back seat. In an unfortunate moment of butterfingers, I dropped said bag corner first onto the ring toe of my left foot. It hurt. Badly. Yet I managed to walk into the building and to my desk before noticing that it had doubled in size. In my stubborn case of denial, I propped it, iced it, even made it to my lunch date as planned. Despite my willing it unbroken, I made a doctor appointment and learned that it was in fact, broken. Two to four weeks off from running, she did give me permission to try cycling, focusing the weight onto the heel and not the ball of my foot as long as the pain doesn’t worsen.

Thursday Day 2 of recovery, elevation, icing

Friday See Thursday

Saturday First workout with gimpy-the-toe; seated bicycle for an hour

Healthy Living Blogs I’m pleased to be included among the...

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:37:06 -0400

Healthy Living Blogs

I’m pleased to be included among the many bloggers on Healthy Living Blogs, a new resource for the health blogging community. Created by Lindsey of Sound Eats, HLB is a site designed to enhance the positive community of the healthy living blog world.

OpenSky

I’ve started my shop and am looking forward to adding to it! I’m reaching out and encouraging businesses whose products I enjoy using, to become suppliers as well. In the meantime, I’m asking folks to help me out by suggesting products to add to my shop. Are you an aspiring runner who would like to see what kind of accessories I prefer? Were you curious about the rice cooker I mentioned a while back that I used to cook my quinoa? (Yes, I get these types of inquiries…that’s why many people read blogs: to learn and get ideas)

My focus here tends to be on my active lifestyle and the veggie diet that fuels it, so my shop will no doubt include products centered around those topics. I also want to include items I use for my other pastimes, such as writing (I love journals - yes I still handwrite from time to time!). While I plan to list products that I’ve used, I also request samples from suppliers of items I would be interested in so that I can provide you all with a fair review before listing/not listing it.

That said, be on the lookout for my first product reviews later this week. In the meantime, feel free to bookmark my shop for birthday and holiday ideas.

The Group Effect

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:58:06 -0400

Believe it or not, I’ve not always been a fan of running with groups. When I began running, it was actually to get away from the group/team thing. I was in high school, a member of all things team-oriented, from a competitive cheerleading squad to student council, and craved time away from my peers every once in a while.

I ran on my own as a way to de-stress, blow off steam (high school boyfriends brought the steam, did they not?), get out of the house, or simply to burn calories. No matter what my reasons were, I was accustomed to running being my solo sport.

What I’ve come to learn over time is that running is very much a solo sport because…

It is you who gets yourself up in the morning, out on the pavement, on to that next mile;
It is you who encounters the physical or mental wall on a run;
It is you who enjoys the runner’s high afterward;
It is you who chooses the songs that make up your playlist;
And it is you who feels the sense of accomplishment at the end of a race.

What I’ve also learned is each of these factors is enhanced by a community of runners. Whether it’s one of your running buddies, or a group of runners…

They can encourage you to get out of bed to meet up for a run;
They can help you push through that mental or physical wall during the run;
They relish with you in a runner’s high at the end of a hard run or race;
You don’t need your playlist, you’ve got chatter buddies;
Even though you each bring your own goals to the pavement, finishing a long run, relay, or race is something you’ve ultimately accomplished together.

I guess what I’m saying is, I’ve become a fan of the ‘group effect’ and am thankful for my community of runners, especially during this season of training!

Less than two months to support my journey to Chicago!

Thanks to Kristin, Sarah, and Katy who keep me moving each week

…and to the Charleston Chapter of Team in Training. No way would I have finished these last few weeks without your collective enthusiasm! Thanks for welcoming Sarah and me into your Saturday journeys!

Week in Review

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:47:00 -0400

Seven. Seven weeks. Seven weeks remaining. (Great, now I’m humming the ‘five dollar foot long’ Subway commercial jingle)

This past week of training proved a little challenging for me, but I soon found out I was not alone. Several folks with whom I run were experiencing some physical and mental challenges with training as well. Regardless, I got in some miles and the breakdown looked like this…

Sunday Mental health day. I literally did… not much! Kristin and I hit up Eat, Pray, Love which inspired an evening of cooking and wine. No guilt, these nights are a must!

Monday Tried out a new studio, Bikram Charleston, thanks to Groupon ($35 for 10 class pass vs. $20 drop-in fee per class? Yes please.) Anyway, I met up with Paul, who has been going steadily for a couple months and talked this place up! As I mentioned in this post, I place value on incorporating different teachers, and really different styles of yoga, into your practice. I’m glad I went and look forward to going back. Beware, you will sweat your arse off, so hydrate!

Tuesday I hit the Woodways for four miles of intervals (three on/one off again), broken up by arms + legs/butt + abs + stretching. I will forgo leg/butt strength training during an interval workout from now on, that was just bananas.

Wednesday Enter my mid-week wall. I set out for an early morning eight. Granted, I made it to seven plus, and was happy with the mileage I logged. However, something affected me in a new way.. not sure if it was the rate at which I was sweating out everything I was putting in, if stress was hitting me again, or what. Despite getting plenty of fluids, fuel, and rest, I ended up with a massive headache (not normal for this one) and persistent nausea which caused me to go home mid-day. I rested up, shook it off, and didn’t make major training plans for Thursday.

Thursday Sick day… still not up to snuff, and not sure what was up, but I rested.

Friday Determined to make Saturday’s long run, I rested, hydrated, and fueled.

Saturday 18 MILES! That’s right, I survived a jaunt from The Battery, up East Bay, over the Ravenel, through Old Village, to the end of Pitt St. Bridge and back. So thankful for the TNT group; we banded together and finished our race. Let me tell you, hitting the MtP side of the bridge (read: the one and only hill in Charleston) at mile 13 was… interesting. I had every intention of walking that beast, but the group I was with pushed each other and agreed to make it to the first arch. We did, and it felt fantastic. Ok, I’m lying, but I was proud of us.

I followed with an ice bath and was a little too tired to stretch immediately, so I listened to the legs and rested them. I may have also treated myself to a pedicure, selfishly because I wanted a foot rub and was willing to pay anyone to dish it out. Today’s recovery ride was necessary. I did some intense stretching afterward as well. Bring on the week, hopefully headache and nausea-free for all!

Week in Review: Feat. Longest Distance to Date!

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:34:00 -0400

Though my weekday mileage was lower, I enjoyed the variety in my workouts (including yoga) and had a really strong 17-miler on Saturday…

Sunday: Recovery spinning session at Eco for about 40 minutes, followed by abs and stretching

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: Mixed up the yoga routine and headed downtown for Dave’s power vinyasa (75 minutes), where I may have held tree pose to Avril’s ‘Sk8er Boi’. Whoever said there’s a first time for everything likely found themselves in a similar situation I presume.

Wednesday: Beach run (5 or so miles) to the end of IOP and back. New scenery makes for a nice workout and there’s always something/someone/some Speedo to see at the beach.

Thursday: Interval workout on the dreaded mill for 4 miles; 3 minutes on, 1 minute off for a total of lots of sweat! This was also supper club day and an excuse to load up 48 hours pre-long run! (I’ll post my opinions on carb loading sometime…notice we loaded up two days prior instead of the night before?)

Friday: OFF + enjoyed a couple of beers amidst my day of hydrating for Saturday’s killer run

Saturday: Early rise for 17 with TNT all around downtown again. I find that when I eat some oatmeal (mix-ins were tbsp peanut butter and tbsp raw honey) pre-run, those are my strongest workouts. I fueled throughout with a mix of Gatorade and water… we hydrated every 2-3 miles. Around mile 11 or so, I took a Hammer gel even though I didn’t feel I needed it, I knew I would. All in all a very strong run followed by an ice bath + stretching + night of rocking out with Will Hoge! I’m pretty sure he’s the reason my recovery went so well ;-)

TWO THINGS:

Have you had issues posting comments here or with Disqus in general? Email, DM me on Twitter,or text me please
Did you know that in preparation for hurricane season, the American Red Cross is in need of your donations? No better time to support the cause for which I’m running than now: http://american.redcross.org/goto/ShannonGraf

Tools of the trade… Myth: runners only need shoes, a...

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:28:47 -0400

Tools of the trade…

Myth: runners only need shoes, a decent running surface, and gravity. Even before I began training, there were several tools I incorporated into my workouts to make life on my muscles and joints a little easier. I wanted to take a sec to expose you to a few of my faves, both old and new.

Foam roller While some pros will tell you this isn’t the most ideal, it works for me and many of my friends as well. Warning: it does put the hurt on! But in a good way, promise. While there are several how-tos on YouTube and blogs, I say find what works for you. I have always had IT band issues with running so I focus the roller just above my knee and work from the outside of the quad muscle to the top, always rolling up toward my torso, then back down. Find the intensity you need, some will say it has to hurt to work… I disagree, but for me it just happens to hurt because I’m a rubber band about to snap! I’d also recommend waiting a few hours after your workout so the inflammation in your muscles isn’t as great.

Tennis or foam balls There are also oversized tennis balls you can find at pet stores that work to cover a larger surface area, but this is a good pressure point tool. When I have “crunchies” or knots in my shoulders, back, or just want to roll out the arches of my feet, this is my go to. Find the spot and try to relax onto it (easier than it sounds!). Sometimes this is plenty. I like to do some active release and rotate my arm, shoulder, what have you around it to work out massive kinks. Breathing is key to both this and foam rolling… take deep breaths the whole time, and try to release further with each exhale.

Yoga Speaking of breathing… to me yoga is the meow to running’s cat. Not only does the intense stretching decrease the risk of injury, increase flexibility, but the mindful breathing is so key to running.

Fuel You simply need fuel for endurance and performance. I’ll admit, I typically hate taking in food during a workout and prefer liquids (Gatorade and water mixed is my fave), but I typically can’t (and really shouldn’t) proceed past eight to ten miles without some refueling. So as of late, I’ve employed the gels/gus I love to hate. Pictured above are some various brands - find some you can tolerate. I find the fruity ones are the worst, personally! I actually like the newer Honey Stinger brand; I just started using it a few weeks ago. I usually go for a lower caffeine level, take it with a swig of water, and use one or two every three or so miles beyond the eight mile mark, alternating water and/or Gatorade along the way.

Flats This was a tough pill to swallow for someone with short limbs who relies on her precious holy heels to keep her at least within viewing range of everyone around her… but they simply will not work to your benefit while training! Honestly, this may have been the most humbling thing to accept as training picked up. My favorite trick for short legs and big feet is wearing heels, but alas I had to embrace my height (or lack thereof) and sacrifice my heels for training season. I can’t say Jeri didn’t warn me!

Chamois Butter Or Body Glide… any skin lubricant is practically a must these days, lest you end up with the dreaded bra burn or bruises under your arms (which sadly look like hickies… try explaining that one). Another one I had to just suck up (pun intended) and embrace. I hate high maintenance hobbies, so when I started spending more and more money for the sake of comfort, I would roll my eyes. But let me tell you, it’s ALL necessary beyond mile six, especially when you’re a natural born sweater!

Other tidbits…

Biofreeze rules for pain relief in the muscles

Ice baths are fantastic for anti-inflammation; if you’re a weenie like I was, ice in general is just a good idea, whether in ice pack form or a frozen bottle of water rolled up and down the legs

If you’re lucky enough to have a pool which is cool enough, I used to immerse my legs from the knees down post-run, particularly in March or April when my pool was COLD

A happy helper in the form of a chiropractor and/or massage therapist! These are the best tools. I started chiropractic back in Dallas, and later became addicted to Active Release (see my post from a while back). Here are my recs from some excellent pros in the area:

Dr. Jeremiah Jimerson (ART)
Dr. John Zipp (also specializing in stress management and life coaching)
Cole Chiropractic

Green Monsters for recovery (for me this is breakfast most days!)
My staple recipe is almond milk, spinach, ice, half a frozen banana, cacao powder, flax seed, dehydrated coconut or tbsp peanut butter, and sometimes a little agave nectar

I’m sure I’m missing something I use regularly in my running regime, but this should be enough to consider for now. Hit me with questions or other suggestions!

Week in Review

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:55:00 -0400

Sunday Should have done a recovery ride on the bike after Saturday’s 15, but opted for a day off

Monday Still feeling a little fatigued, opted for 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday Instead of a track workout, did 4 miles of intervals at 3 min on/1 min off

Wednesday Set out for a minimum of 6 miles, and ended up doing a little over 8, including the bridge, which made me a sweaty beast to say the least

Thursday Easy 4-miler around DI

Friday 90 minutes of Ashtanga Improv (series II) with Kristin proved a little too intense for the night before a longer run… we’ll be keeping yoga at the beginning of the week

Saturday Easygoing 10-miler around downtown with the TNT group; weather was perfectly overcast and breezy (still humid of course)

Two months to go, have you donated?

A year ago this week… If you’ve been on the scene...

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:32:00 -0400

A year ago this week…

If you’ve been on the scene for at least a year now, you might recall that this week marks the one year anniversary of two very memorable experiences: one high, one low.

I almost missed out on the Wild West Relay because my boy, Luther, was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma a week before I was scheduled to leave for Colorado. Two months before his 12th birthday, I had made the decision to put him down as he went from Luther to sad face within a matter of hours. Literally the day before Kristin and I were to leave for our relay, Luther let me know it was time for him to go… and for me to go heal away from our home.

What better place to mourn the loss of your constant companion than running through beautiful Colorado? It was after this adventure that I accepted running as a true passion, not just a means of “getting in my cardio” and burning calories just because I could.

As my next adventure draws near, I continue to look forward to each and every run. Today I ran around Luther’s old stomping grounds on Daniel Island… tomorrow I may do the same, as tomorrow marks one year since my boy said goodbye. If that doesn’t motivate me to get up and head down to his favorite swimming spot at the Waterfront Park, what will?

Photo courtesy of my dear friend and Chicago native, Amy, who...

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:15:00 -0400

Photo courtesy of my dear friend and Chicago native, Amy, who passes this building on the way to work. They finished painting it last week - Thanks Amy!

Where did July go? I do know one thing… my training legs carried me 94 miles last month, and I finished it off with a personal distance record of 15 miles on Saturday with the local Team in Training group. Sarah, Katy, Kristin and I enjoyed (yes, we enjoyed!) a nice run out and back over the James Island Connector, Joe Riley Stadium, The Citadel, Hampton Park, and finished up through downtown and The Battery. A great way to cross that distance threshold… thanks Kristin for cheering me on throughout the workout!

Week in Review

Sunday + Monday Off to finish enjoying family/friends time in Dallas and a travel day

Tuesday Due to late flight (thanks to Mother Nature and her stormy goodness), I missed Track Tuesday with the girls, and ended up hitting the treadmill when Mother Nature showed up again to rain out my evening plans for the track

Wednesday Quick and dirty run from Eco Fitness to the first peak of the bridge and hustled back to shower up for Kristin’s fundraiser

Thursday Katy, Sarah, and I all ended up doing some dreadmill work at the gym after 5pm, since we failed to get up ahead of the heat that morning

Friday Planned on yoga, but was extremely fatigued, so I listened to my body and enjoyed some downtime at happy hour instead, where I alternated two beers with water

Saturday 15 MILES and felt great… I’m actually starting to believe that I’ll finish this 26.2 thing after all!

I need your help! My birthday is coming up. Instead of giving Hallmark $3, consider donating to the Red Cross, won’t you?

When I’m not running… One of my favorite pastimes is...

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:57:00 -0400

When I’m not running…

One of my favorite pastimes is reading. Reading is another way I escape and I’ll have my butt on the beach with a book for hours without realizing how much time has passed. I thought I’d pause from training to share three of my favorite summer reads so far…

The Choice
Leave it to Mr. Sparks to get you emotionally involved with Travis and Gabby. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I fell in love too. I mean a dog-loving vet who wakeboards, runs, spends all waking hours outdoors, and loves a good sunset on the deck overlooking the harbor while sipping wine? Yes, please.

That’s not even the gist of the story, but it got your attention, am I right ladies? In typical Sparks fashion you’ll fall in love with the couple, get your heart broken, mended, and want to do it all over again. Nice beach or airplane read.

The Glass Castle
There are no words to describe the life of Jeannette Walls… well, except hers in this jaw-dropping memoir. I caught myself in disbelief with every chapter, and have added her to my list of female role models. You think you had a rough childhood and can’t persevere beyond family dysfunction to find success and happiness? Give this a read.

Heart of the Matter
Emily Giffin novels are my guilty pleasure. She has a way with developing characters you can truly relate with as a young professional female walking through the confusions of life in your 20s and 30s. So when her latest hit the shelves, I had to grab it. Granted it centered on a topic that stung a little, I always appreciate how real she is… happy endings aren’t guaranteed, but watching the characters learn and grow from their experiences leaves the reader feeling somewhat hopeful and empowered.

I’m always adding to my list, what have some of your favorite beach reads been this season?

PS Have you donated? Help me reach my goal as I journey to Chicago for charity!