Almost a week later and I finally have time to give you the run-down on the Flying Pig.

I’ll save you any suspense (because I KNOW you all have been chomping at the bit to know how I did *it’s called sarcasm people*) and tell you that I finished the race in 4:18:58. That’s 12 minutes and 10 seconds faster than my Marine Corps time. Not going to complain about that!

So where do I start?

I arrived in Cincy on Friday and headed over to my aunt and uncle’s house. I had a great evening doing some heavy carb-loading at a fantastic Italian restaurant with my uncle and cousins. Unfortunately my Aunt Janie was out of town last weekend, but we managed to catch up at the airport before I headed home/got screwed by TSA and US Airways and missed my flight.

But I digress…..

Saturday morning I woke up in the sun-filled guest bedroom (living in a basement I’m always amazed by how refreshing it is to wake up to sunlight) and headed over to the Expo to get my race packet and figure out where to park on race morning. I was pretty impressed with the Expo, but my one complaint was how tight the walking space was between the booths. It was super-crowded – even when the Expo opened at 10am – and I found myself speeding through the expo because the crowds were getting to me. I did however, pick up a new Nathan hand-held water bottle, some Honey Stinger Chews, Compression Sleeves and Nuun.

After the Expo, I spent the rest of the day following my uncle and cousin around to their personal training session, resting/watching Game of Thrones, pounding water and Nuun to make sure I was fully hydrated for the race and enjoying a fabulous dinner at Honey with my uncle. Vegetarian Risotto = great pre-race fuel.

I woke up Sunday morning at 4:45am and got dressed, ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter, jam and sliced banana. By 5:15am I was in the rental car headed downtown. I was worried about the parking situation, but was able to park in a garage (only $5 dollars!!!!) about a 10-minute walk to the start line. THANK YOU CINCINNATI FOR YOUR CHEAP PARKING AND TRAFFIC-FREE STREETS!

I headed to the start line and spent the next 30 minutes using the bathroom in the Bengals stadium and getting immediately back in line to go again. It helped the time pass and ensured I wouldn’t need to make any pit stops during the race. THANK YOU BENGALS STADIUM FOR NOT HAVING GROSS BATHROOMS!

At 6:15am I headed to the “Pig Pens” (aka Corrals) and got ready to run. My whole intention going into the race was to shoot for a 4:10 finish. At the Expo the day before I upgraded my Pig Pen from E to D so I could run with the 4:10 pace group. I immediately found the pacers (John and Stacey) and stuck close to them. The race started promptly at 6:30am and we were off. THANK YOU FLYING PIG FOR STARTING ON TIME WITH THE HEAT IT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!

Seriously, the race is a total blur. The pacers were amazing, keeping us exactly on pace with about 25 seconds in the bank. They coached us up and down the hills telling us when to push and when to take it easy. Pacer John and Pacer Stacey had the BEST attitudes the whole time, I couldn’t believe it. I paid so much attention to their words of wisdom and positive talk that they got me up the big hills no problem. (NOTE: I’m so glad that I made sure to incorporate hills on all of my runs – I believe it made a huge difference). I also saw my uncle between Mile 10-11 and as anyone who has run a race knows, seeing someone you know is the best thing ever. THANK YOU GORDON FOR BEING THE BEST SPECTATING UNCLE EVER!

Pacer John’s wife was on the course (I think somewhere around Miles 12-15???) and had towels soaked in ice water to give us. THANK YOU PACER JOHN’S WIFE!

Starting at Mile 5 I was grabbing a cup of water to drink and a cup of water to pour over my head and arms. It played a huge role in keeping me cool and fresh, but by Mile 17 though I wasn’t feeling too hot. We hit the stretch of highway that had absolutely no shade and the heat was finally getting to me. Coupled with the fact that my calves started seizing up on any incline, I was beginning to question my ability to stay with the pacers. I made a promise to myself to make it to Mile 19 and see how I felt. Well by Mile 19 I was worried that if I didn’t stop and walk I would pass out. My heart rate was off the charts and I was really nauseous. THANK YOU BODY FOR NOT BREAKING DOWN UNTIL LATE IN THE RACE!

It was tough making this decision. Between Mile 18 and 19 I had a conversation with myself to try and determine if I was having a mental or physical breakdown. If it was mental, I would stay with the pacers, if it was physical, I would slow my roll. It only took me a couple minutes to determine it was a physical one. I wouldn’t call it “bonking” but I knew that I was slowing down and if I didn’t stop to walk (not just slow my pace) it could get really messy. At this point, I was so proud of the race I had already run. Given the heat and the hills, I couldn’t have been happier with my performance, so when I hit the Mile 19 marker, I stopped running and got walking. It was really sad to see the pacers slip away from me, but I knew I made the right decision. THANK YOU PACER JOHN AND PACER STACEY I COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU – IT WAS SAD TO SEE YOU GO!

From Mile 19 to the finish I walked and ran. I made a goal to keep the 4:20 pacers behind me, but if they did come and pass me I would finish the race running with them. My strategy was to walk the hills because at this point anytime I ran uphill my calves felt like they were getting pulled up and through my head. I got more energy as the miles passed and pretty much ran the entire last mile. THANK YOU FINISH LINE, IT WAS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!

The crowds for this race were like nothing I’ve ever experienced. There were people everywhere cheering you on. I heard before the race that the Pig spectators are the best, and they were right. Having strangers cheer for you and keep you going makes all the difference. THANK YOU FLYING PIG SPECTATORS, IF I COULD GIVE YOU ALL A HUG I WOULD!

Crossing the finish line was the best feeling EVER. I always thought that walking during a marathon would feel like failure, but not only did I beat my first marathon time, but I was proud of how I ran. Yes, if there had been fewer hills and cooler weather I probably would have gotten a 4:10 BUT I DON’T EVEN CARE!!!! THANK YOU FLYING PIG MARATHON FOR AN AWESOME RACE!

I trained hard for this race. THANK YOU HOT BIRD RUNNING FOR HELPING ME TO KICK MY OWN BUTT!

I managed to train hard while flying all over the world. I managed to train hard while dealing with some very tough personal stuff. I managed to train hard during allergy season (which believe me is a feat in and of itself). I managed to train hard while I deserted my running partner (aka Rooney) in order to meet my goals. I worked my butt off and don’t give a flying pig that I walked. THANK YOU LIFE FOR NOT GETTING (too much) IN THE WAY!

Once I crossed the finish line I got my photo taken. I never do this but I was so HAPPY! I promptly cruised through the post-race food line which thoroughly disgusted me. Sponsored by Walmart and Sam’s Club, they served up Doritos, cookies, doughnuts, fruit in jello and other processed nonsense. There was one small table with fresh fruit where I grabbed a banana. I also had half a bagel (no doubt processed so it will never grow moldy). Please bear with me while I rant for one second, but I just finished running 26.2 miles – I DO NOT WANT TO FILL MY BODY UP WITH FAKE CRAP! Seriously, I couldn’t be more impressed with the Flying Pig Marathon, but this totally disappointed me. NO THANK YOU’S HERE….

I hustled from the finish to my car and headed back to the house. There I chatted with uncle and cousin about the race as I took my shoes off. I knew that something funky was going on because the tops of both my shoes had blood on them, but my feet didn’t hurt so wasn’t sure what happened. Well, I officially am the recipient of the most disgusting blister ever. (Don’t worry, I won’t show you). The blood apparently came from blisters popping on both of my big toes, but the entire top part my second toe on my right foot is one big blister. I seriously want to puke every time I look at it. Thankfully though, those were my only war wounds. THANK YOU FEET FOR STICKING WITH ME DURING THE RACE!

My cousin Zoe and I headed to brunch, we watched an episode of Law and Order: CSI and I headed to the airport. I’ll save you the story of how I was in the security line for an hour and 20 minutes and was only halfway through by the time my flight was scheduled to leave. The gate agent wouldn’t hold the plane, so 16 of us missed the flight back to DC. I headed back to my aunt and uncle’s infuriated, but happy to have a place to sleep and crashed pretty early. THANK YOU AUNT JANIE AND GORDON FOR HOUSING ME FOR AN EXTRA EVENING!

Rob picked me up in DC on Monday and after a delicious reward of Five Guys (If my consumption of Five Guys makes you question my rant above, let me clear, I love “bad” food, I just prefer it to not be processed), I spent the rest of the day watching the rest of Season 1 of Game of Thrones, getting up after every episode to get some blood flowing in my legs. You might not know this, but after a big race or intense exercise session, sitting on your butt is exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. FACT: moving around helps the lactic acid from building up and reduces soreness. THANK YOU ROB FOR FULLY SUPPORTING MY LAZINESS AND WAITING ON ME HAND AND FOOT!

Rooney seems to have forgiven me for ditching him on runs because he spent the entire afternoon curled up at my side. Thank goodness. THANK YOU ROONEY FOR FORGIVING YOUR MOTHER FOR PUTTING HER INSANE RUNNING “NEEDS” FIRST!

So that’s my Flying Pig Marathon recap.

I’m a happy camper. I’ve been celebrating this week by sleeping in until 6:30, doing yoga and getting a massage. We’re back to business next week, but in the meantime I’m enjoying my time of rest.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

To all of you that read my blog (and let’s be real, it’s really just my family and a few close friends) you may have noticed that I’ve taken a little break. The blogging hiatus unintentionally started with a week of work in Paris. Upon my return, work became increasingly more demanding and time-consuming. Pile on top of that marathon training and trying to find balance and enjoyment in my everyday activities, blogging fell by the wayside. Feeling more pressure from my job has directed my focus when I’m not working to taking care of what needs to be taken care of and spending quality time with the people I love. I’m not ditching the blog, in fact during this break I’ve come up with a lot of ideas and concepts I’d like to roll out. They will happen, it’s just a matter of time.

I’m no longer going to put the pressure on myself to blog 5-6 times a week when sometimes I don’t have much to say. My motivation to blog is not to increase my pageviews or get advertising revenue, but give to people some insight into my two favorite activities: running and cooking. I probably won’t ever be that blogger that comes up with unique and original recipes, but what I will give you are other’s recipes that are tried, tested and recommended. They will be mostly healthy, with a few treats thrown in. I will also continue to try and give some perspective on how live an active lifestyle while dealing with a busy, hectic schedule.

And just to show you I haven’t been totally idle and lazy over the past few weeks, I figured I’d share some of the things I have and haven’t been doing.

What I have been doing:

I’ve been cooking. A hell of a lot. Even working later, more stressful hours, I’ve been coming home wanting to hit up the kitchen. Some of the items on the menu include vegetable and rice burritos, millet and creamed corn, beef and bean enchiladas, orzo and vegetable salad, and miso-glazed salmon. They were all a hit, and I’m sure I’ll be making them again, so look forward to some tasty (and healthy) recipes soon.

I’ve been running. Since the Flying Pig is this coming Sunday I’ve been tapering for a couple weeks. Thankfully I’ve been able to shake off my horrific 2nd 20-mile run and get some quality runs in. The interesting thing is that I haven’t even really thought about the marathon until a couple days ago. I’ve been so busy and focused on other things, that flying to Cincinnati to run a race has been the farthest thing from my mind. I’m getting in the zone though and trying my best to visualize an awesome race, as well as get those positive thoughts running through my brain. It’s going to be a hot race, which is quite concerning, but it is what it is. I’m only asking myself to commit to running smart on Sunday.

I’ve been watching some damn good TV. Thank god Mad Men and The Killing are back. I’ve had some great early morning stretching sessions soaking in the goodness. Nothing like trying t solve a murder before work. We also sucked it up and got HBO this past weekend. Hearing such great things about Game of Thrones, Veep and Girls, I couldn’t resist. Rob and I watched the first episode Game of Thrones on Tuesday night and I’m hooked. However, if “twin”-cest makes you uncomfortable I suggest you look the other way.

I’ve been spoiling my dog. Wonder why all of the Rooney pics? Well May 2 was his adoptionversary. I have no words to explain how much joy this crazy dog has brought into our lives. The first year was a bit rocky with chewed footwear, trips to the emergency vet, 2 calls to Animal Poison Control, ingestion of a dead squirrel and killed chickens, but year 2 was even better. Roo is my running partner and couch snuggler. I’ve come to terms with the fact that he loves his pops more than me, but that doesn’t stop me from confessing my love to him 30 times a day. To celebrate, Rob bought him his favorite bone and dog toy. I took him to the dog park (which we usually don’t do during the week) and baked him a cake. I would have thrown him a party if it meant my friends and family wouldn’t put me in an institution. Try telling your co-workers you have to leave work on time in order to bake your dog a cake. Nope, nothing weird about that.

What I haven’t been doing:

I haven’t been lifting weights. This right here is killing me. I was using my TRX up until I left Paris, but the combination of preparing for a marathon and a nutty work schedule has brought on a level of exhaustion I haven’t experienced in awhile. Given that, I’ve been taking full advantage of rest days, and sleeping in until 6:00-6:15 (how pathetic is that) and focused on core work and stretching. Rather than think about the upcoming race, I’ve been fantasizing for it to be over so I can focus more on strength training. I’m squishy and I don’t like it.

I haven’t been sweating the small stuff. When I get super stressed out I tend to focus on all the little things that haven’t been getting done. That in turn exacerbates my stress and morphs me into a fire-spewing monster. Working at overcapacity the past few weeks I’ve known that I’m not going to be able to do everything I want to and I’ve just rolled with it. Guess what? I’m less stressed out, calmer, happier and actually getting almost everything accomplished. Who knew.

I haven’t been grilling. Rob has been dominating the grill. We bought a charcoal grill over the winter (random I know) and over the past few weeks we’ve used it to grill burgers, hot dogs, vegetables and chicken wings. Chicken wings? Yes my friends, Rob grilled hands down the best buffalo wings I have ever tasted. These will be repeat offenders over the summer so I’ll make sure to pass along the recipe, but note, while I’ll be giving you the recipe, I take none of the credit. I’m drooling just thinking of these…..

So that’s what I’ve been up to. I’ll be sure to fill you in on how the Pig goes.

The only words I have to describe this week’s long run is messy. I think I was doomed at the start. After an insane week at work, by the time Saturday morning came along I was feeling a level of exhaustion I haven’t experienced in awhile. I got started way to late (8:30am) particularly considering the heat. Given it took me so long to get my butt out of bed, I ate very quickly and immediately went out the door. Within a few miles my legs already felt like jello and the sun was blaring down on me. Soon realizing this wasn’t going to be my best performance I just committed myself to finishing the run no matter the time. The final 6 miles in Rock Creek Park I went to every bathroom I found and poured cold water all over myself to help with the heat. I finished my final mile running (more like shuffling) uphill to our apartment and promptly crashed.

There were a lot of things that contributed to the worst run I’d ever had:

1) Pure mental and physical exhaustion that had built up over the week.
2) Waking up too late.
3) Not waiting to digest my breakfast.
4) Drinking way too much water during the run (I was so thirsty and wanted something cold down my throat – I couldn’t help it).
5) My allergies are getting on my nerves.

I’m actually not too bummed about it because the first 20-miler I did a couple week ago was awesome, so I know I’ve got it in me to push out a great race on May 6. In fact, I’m looking forward to tapering and resting this tired body.

Heading to Paris today isn’t going to help me rejuvenate, but at least I won’t have to bang out another 20 the day I get back like I had to last time. It’s the little things right?

This week’s numbers:
Total Runs: 3
Total Strength Workouts: 3
Total Mileage: 31.4

So I came across an interesting recipe in the March issue of Shape Magazine titled “Quinoa Mac ‘n’ Cheese”. I was automatically intrigued and purchased all the ingredients to whip it up.

As I cooked it up I realized it’s incredibly similar to the Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese recipe I posted a few weeks ago.

While the main ingredients are the same – quinoa, spinach and cheese – the flavor is totally different and just as delicious as the first dish. Adding in Boursin packs a big punch and is an interesting addition to a tasty, healthy weeknight meal.

Quinoa Mac and Cheese
adapted from Shape Magazine.

Ingredients

1 large leek, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and strained
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2.5 ounces Boursin cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 cups quinoa, cooked
cooking spray
1/2 cup panko

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and garlic sautéing until soft stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Squeeze any remaining water out of spinach and add to pan, cooking another 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk eggs and stir in cheeses. Add quinoa to a large bowl and mix in leek-spinach mixture. Add cheese-egg mixture and stir well to combine. Spoon mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Spread panko on top and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cook for 25-30 minutes until panko is golden brown.

Serves 4.

I think I’ve professed my love for greens before.

Raw or cooked, I like to make them a part of every meal.

This recipe gives you a tasty bowl of cooked down greens that are tender and flavorful. A perfect side dish for any meal.

Braised Greens

I like to make a big batch of these on a Sunday so that I can just reheat and serve along some fish or other protein during the week. Also, if you don’t love spice, just don’t add the crushed red pepper

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, sliced thin and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 pound chopped greens (swiss chard, kale or collards)
salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper, broth, greens, and a bit of salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the greens should be tender and add salt and pepper to taste. Put greens in a serving dish removing from pot with a slotted spoon.

Serves 4.

I give this past week’s training one big “Hell Ya!”. Not only did I get 3 strength/TRX sessions in, but I hit all of my times on my track, tempo and long runs. Staying within my target pace during my long runs has definitely boosted my confidence for the Flying Pig.

You can see the TRX workout I’m doing here. I’ve been a huge fan of Rachel Cosgrove and this is an awesome workout (in fact if you are interested in starting to do some serious strength training I highly recommend you pick up her book, “The Female Body Breakthrough”). I’m adding in some additional abs and upper body circuits and also think that focusing single leg work is helping my running.

This week’s numbers:
Total Runs: 4
Total Strength Workouts: 3
Total Mileage: 29.4

I know it’s not the season for Brussels sprouts, but when I came across this recipe I couldn’t resist.

I’ve never added the tasty little vegetables to pasta, but I’m glad I did.

Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs and Blue Cheese
from The Food Matters Cookbook.

If you don’t love blue cheese I’d suggest swapping in goat cheese. You’ll still get the bite that the blue cheese brings to the dish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces whole wheat rigatoni
1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
4 ounces gorgonzola
1 cup dried figs, chopped
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta vegetables are just tender. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and drain the pasta and vegetables. Return pasta and Brussels sprouts to the pot.

Stir in gorgonzola, figs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a splash of the pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as necessary. Spoon pasta mixture into the pan.

Bake for 10 minutes and add most pasta water if the dish looks dried out. Cook another 10 minutes, until pasta is bubbling.

Serves 4.

I want to master the top knot.

I adore this hairdo. How hard could it be right? Well knowing me and my hair it will be incredibly difficult to do and look chic. Typically when I try to “do” my hair I end up a sweaty mess from trying to manipulate strands this way and that only to have me settle on wearing my hair down and straight (because that’s all it really can do).

I want this outfit.

Too bad it costs a bajillion dollars.

I want a vacation.

Yup. I need a break from reality. Don’t know when it will come, but when it does it’ll be much appreciated.

Let’s talk for a second about excess.

We have a great debate in our house about how much is too much.

The conversation usually comes up when we are eating crackers and dip.

While Rob is constantly in pursuit of the perfect bite making sure he has the exact ratio of cracker to dip. I use my cracker as a means to scooping up a huge amount of whatever tasty goodness we’re snacking on.

He thinks I’m crazy and I think he’s crazy.

This approach of no amount is too much prevailed during my early cooking days, but I’ve slowly learned that sometimes you CAN have too much of a good thing.

I went over the edge with this dish. While the original recipe called for 1 cup of asparagus, I threw the whole pound on there. Oops.

The pro? You’ve got a whole lot of yummy roasted asparagus to nosh on.

The con? You can’t see the farinata underneath.

I’d say the pro outweighs the con.

Asparagus, Tomato and Onion Farinata
barely adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3/4 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°

Combine tomatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, toss to coat. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast 10 minutes. Stir mixture and roast another 10 minutes. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Whisk together 1 cup water, flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons rosemary, salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and let stand 30 minutes.

Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in oven.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and stir. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon red pepper. Cook, uncovered, 18 minutes or until onions are golden, stirring frequently. During the last minute, add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and stir in asparagus.

Carefully remove cast-iron skillet from oven. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Stir batter once and pour into skillet. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and top evenly with onion mixture and tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake an additional 12 minutes or until center of dough is set. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges.

Serves 4.