Crush the Doubt

Doubt. It's something that can creep into any athlete's mind at any given time. I definitely had a lot of it last week. When you can't mentally focus it can really affect your training. My knee has been up and down lately and my long run the weekend before felt like the most garbage run I've had in a while. But, I'm always one to preach about not getting down on yourself even if your performance is lacking. I legit cried for a moment during that run as I was coming into the home stretch. "I don't know if I can do this", I said out loud to my husband who was cycling next to me. Going for a personal record can bring on some of the toughest training. After I got home, I snapped out of my funk and focused my mind back to what mattered. Today. One day at a time. The race isn't for another 8 or so weeks. One day will not make or break the finish. This past week, I took some time off of running to give my knee a rest. I cycled Monday through Wednesday. I feel like biking workouts are harder than running workouts! Tuesday was roughly 86 minutes in the saddle full of different intervals and a heavy climb. I got my butt handed to me but it felt SO good. Sometimes you have to power through that fog to really see yourself again. If you're ever having doubt in yourself, just stop and take a moment. Breath. Rise up. Say to yourself "You are strong". That's something I learned from my yoga instructor. 

I'm going to try and get through this quickly as I can since I only have 23% battery left. The charger is on the other side of the room and I'm content on the floor icing my knee. Give me a break. This entry will probably be shorter than the others. 

During my Whole Foods order this past week, I put some JUST Egg in my cart to finally give it a try. I typically am just one to make tofu scrambles when I want something that's "egg" like. I'm all for trying these new fad vegan foods, though. 

So, for starters, it was $4.99 for this 12oz bottle. I still buy eggs for my husband and they are $5.99 for a dozen (Vital Farms; it's the only brand I'll buy because it's as close to 'humane' as I can get). There weren't any real instructions on the bottle. It literally just says "scramble like an egg". Okay. I ended up going to their website to get a better idea of what to do. Oil? No oil? Butter? Do tell me so I don't mess this up. Their site confirmed to add some oil or butter to a warm pan. I poured enough in the pan to basically coat the bottom, as seen above in the background. They start to bubble as they get warm so I moved them around, as you would with eggs. As they started to become closer to being done, the serving was smaller than half a piece of bread. I ended up cooking the whole bottle to make enough to feed us. I eat a lot of food, what can I say.

They definitely do turn out fluffy but again, you need to make a lot to get a good portion size. Overall taste? Not terrible. Definitely doesn't taste like eggs, but not terrible. Not delicious either, though, in my opinion. I do like that they are cholesterol-free. Would I buy it again? Probably not. While I do appreciate that there is a plant-based egg replacement option, I think you're better off just cooking up some tofu. I definitely would get more of a serving size from 3-4 eggs than the whole bottle of this stuff. Maybe you've had JUST Egg and loved it. That's great! We all have our own sense of taste and likes. I am curious about their mayo but I think I'll stick to making my own. Not all of these fad vegan foods taste amazing. However, it makes me happy to see so many options available. I think the number of people trying plant-based diets has increased, especially during these pandemic times. Go team plants!

Times Like These

"It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again..."

I figured it was appropriate to start this entry with a Foo Fighters song for two reasons. The current circumstances of probably every one of us are totally off schedule and we're learning to adjust to a (hopefully) temporary normal. The second being that I had tickets to their upcoming 25th-anniversary tour and it's been postponed until December. That really put an imaginary dagger in my heart but it's definitely for the best. 

Before we go way into that rabbit hole, let's glance over how training was last week. Strides were the magic word for week three and I loved every minute of it. It's been quite some time since I've done an actual prescribed workout of any type of help with speed or drills. When my coach put it on the schedule, I was so amped up! Strides aren't anything long but to really get your legs fired up for those short bursts just feels so good. Here's a clip from Friday's run which was probably the most consistent, pace-wise.  

We had a real s-show of weather during the week. It rained for roughly four days. Wednesday (3/11) was met with some light drizzle, to begin with, followed by a downpour as I got halfway into my strides and drills. I don't have access to a treadmill anymore so not going out isn't an option anymore unless I opt for biking instead. You never know what race day will bring. Don't be afraid of a little weather. 

I started week 2 of the Argentina series on my bike. This endurance ride was quite the challenge and boy did my legs start talking to me. Once you finish those last few minutes before the cooldown, it's like that fire just grows and grows! It's definitely been a great compliment to my running.

So yeah, about this crisis we're living through right now. Crazy, ain't it? I've seen some majorly disappointed people on the internet after races getting postponed and canceled. I mean we're talking major races, people. Boston, London, even the Barkley Marathon! While my race wasn't scheduled until May 2nd, I wasn't really holding my breath. Sunday, our governor put out a statement of limiting groups to 50 people or less. "Well, it's only a matter of time now," I said to myself. Sure enough. Sunday evening, I received word that my race has been postponed. Now, last year I dealt with my first deferment but this is totally different. While at that very moment I felt super upset/sad, I quickly shifted gears. This is for the better. I've definitely learned that you can't think of yourself in these moments of bad news after bad news. I texted my coach and told her I'll keep training and I'll run on my own on May 2nd if I have to. They are offering a virtual option so that's what we'll do. The actual in-person race did get rescheduled to July but twelve hours in that summer heat? I'm not about that. We'll still carry on and break so many barriers! 

We have a joke in our house right now and the saying goes, "Covid-19 is sponsored by Amy's". 

Amy's is really the only "premade" food I buy. That pizza is SUPER good, especially if you throw some vegan feta on it. The Indian-flavor burrito is my new favorite. I stopped doing my full grocery shopping in the store a while ago and now do delivery with Amazon Prime but decided to make a trip last Friday to Whole Foods myself. The cashier asked me if this was "doomsday prep" and I said, "Nope. This is a typical day!". She laughed. I don't believe in keeping major access amounts of food in your home. I never understood why people had pantries full of crap all the time but never ate any of it. I also hate the thought of wasting food. If you come to look at my fridge on Friday's, it's typically empty minus some beer or other beverages. Did I grab a few extra things that I otherwise wouldn't this time around? Guilty. But, trust me. We'll eat it all. As a runner, my metabolism works like a stage 4 Audi S6. You probably don't know what that means but it's a super-fast car. Just because we're being told to stay home doesn't mean you can't eat like a normal human being. I still have plenty of produce and am still eating my normal staples every day: oatmeal, almond butter toast, this new shake recipe that's THE BOMB. 

Yep, that's a quality picture I took with my phone of a YouTube video so I could remember it. I know, please give me an A for effort. Paula Findlay shared it and I don't know when I'll make something different because it's been super refreshing after my workouts. Side note: the word 'triathlon' keeps toying in my head. Future endeavor? 

I will share a tea recipe I tried today. In the midst of all of this sickness going around, you better be keeping up on that immune system. If you don't eat like an idiot all of the time, hydrate, and maybe get a little movement in, you'd be surprised how much you can fight off. I've incorporated turmeric into my daily diet almost every single day in the past 6 months or so. It's a great anti-inflammatory! I buy the actual root of it but you can also buy the pre-ground stuff in the spices section at your local store. A little goes a long way. I just throw mine in smoothies most of the time and add in a little pepper. That aids in the absorption of turmeric. I recently found this tea recipe and had been wanting to try it. I'm big into herbal teas and it's pretty great! 

It's super easy to make. You just need a lemon, ginger, turmeric, and a dash of cayenne or pepper. Heat it up, strain it, and voila, you have tea. Super easy, super cheap. I'll link the real recipe here. 

Well, for now, we carry on. I hope you do too. 

Friday the 13th

Anyone else get a little superstitious on days like today? I mean, let's talk about that moon. The last full moon of this decade. DECADE. It's crazy that we're about to turn the clock to not just another year but another 10. 

12/11/2019, not my house^

Well, first and foremost, we've moved locations! WordPress was great to me but my hosting fees got way too high and, quite frankly, this is a hobby, and hobbies shouldn't cost a ton (running not included). I set out to do this for fun and not for a monetary value. The only other blogging site I knew of was Blogger so that's where we will call home for C&C for now! I'm still trying to tweak some things so it's going to look a little weird. I was able to import all of my old posts so if there is something, in particular, you remember reading about in the past, you can still try and search for it using the box on the left sidebar. 

Speaking of hobbies, I've taken up a new one! I've tried to really get into knitting these past few years but it just takes me forever. A friend suggested crocheting and boy, is it SO much better. And yes, it's a cheap hobby. I learned how to crochet watching YouTube. Yep, I'm not even kidding. You can learn anything on that dang website. I've finished two projects so far in a little less than a month's time and plan on finishing #3 by next week. Hooray for homemade Christmas gifts that don't break the bank!

My bag of tricks

So, how's running going? The miles are piling on. I texted my fellow Volée bird, who is coming into Phoenix to run the race with me, that she might have to piggyback me to the finish line. In all seriousness, workouts have been fine. I've accepted that I'll never be where I was at and, to be honest, I like going slow and steady. Time on my feet is more important than anything right now. I've managed to make it up to roughly 30-35 mile weeks so far. My longest jaunt has been 10 miles and it felt refreshing. I know I've written about it before but I'm so glad I've jumped off the "fighting for PRs" bridge and now float on the lazy river of actually enjoying what I'm doing. If you like getting those fast times, that's great! I found that it was really eating up my soul and I lost touch with why I'm a runner. I finally said to myself, "Hey, I have this crazy idea! Let's run a race and have fun for once!" 57 days to go. I have some big plans for post-marathon. I'll give you a hint: it involves more dirt and less pavement.

Post-10 mile run 😀

There is still time to register if you feel like flying to the Southwest to escape the winter blues. You can use the code BRITTERS10 and receive $10 off the half marathon or full marathon! Let me know if you're running! 

Let's backtrack to Thanksgiving week since, well, I haven't written in a while so why not a big 'ol recap. The family came to down for a few days. We managed to break a new Jenga record. We also visited Sedona, which is home to my favorite Starbucks. I know, that sounds super cheesy, right? But just check out this view:

Yeah, I could sit on that patio all day. I even managed to cook an entirely Vegan dinner.

Vegan spinach dip in bread bowls. Could carbs get any more glorious looking?

So, the second picture includes mashed red skins, homemade Vegan biscuits, Tofurky, Vegan stuffing, and Vegan green bean casserole. It was all seriously so good, even the family enjoyed it. Even the gravy was plant-based! I'll probably do a repeat for Christmas but swap out the "turkey" for Tofurky's ham roast. If it's as good as their Tofurky, it'll be another great treat. 

While we're on the subject of Veganism, if you remember, I took a pledge to become Vegan for 30 days in November. 

App: Quit Meat

I downloaded this fun little app called Quit Meat to track my progress. Now, this screenshot was on 12/2/2019. I managed to be Vegan for 28 of the 30 days. I had a few slips on foods I didn't even think twice on. It happens! I'm still very proud of myself for taking on this journey. I'm a data geek and it's cool to see all of this. I've decided to keep it going as long as I can. If I do manage to have something non-vegan but is vegetarian, you can add it in. For example, if you consume any type of dairy or eggs, you can input it into the app. I've been vegetarian for quite some time and barely consumed any dairy as is so the transition wasn't too difficult. I even managed to make dishes at restaurants Vegan. As I've mentioned on my Instagram, don't be afraid to ask your waitress if they have a vegetarian menu or if you can customize dishes. You'd be surprised how many places will go above and beyond to cater to different lifestyles. See, I said lifestyle and not diet. Because that's what it is. This isn't a temporary endeavor. It's great to see how the plant-based community is so much stronger than it ever has been. For the record, though, if you are a meat-eater, please know I don't think any less of you. You do you and if that means you like eating meat, great. Get on down with your bad self. I want my friends to know that I still respect them even if it means our eating choices are different. I would hope you'd think the same about me. This is a judgment-free zone! Just be open to what I eat. I bet I could blow your tastebuds away with the things I enjoy. I've voiced my opinion on this before and that wasn't really right of me to do so. Come on now, let's hug it out.

I don't have a recipe share this time around as I've been busy trying to move things about and whatnot. I haven't cooked anything epic in over a week! I do have recipes for my Thanksgiving dishes so let me know if you want any of those. For now, I leave you with Whole Food's Vegan margarita pizza. I ate 5 pieces. Carbs are good for you, don't know you this?!

We'll see you next time. Hopefully sooner than later. 

Achievement Unlocked

I didn't know whether or not to start this entry with my great news or to share the pizza I had. I'm going to go with the latter.

I take my snacks very seriously, you guys. Yes, this was a snack. Pizza is a very important food group in my life. If you've been living under a rock, Whole Foods has one hell of a salad bar, hot/cold bar, AND a pizza bar. This here is their vegan BBQ chicken 'za and it was fantabulous. And no, you don't have to be rich to shop there. That's a big misconception. It's quite affordable if you know to buy the right things. The end!




Just kidding.




Let's talk about why we're really here. I could go into this huge lengthy paragraph about therapy and what not but I'm a little busy today so let's make this easy: I GOT CLEARED TO RUN!

You and me both, Brad. My therapist said I could start with some walk/jog progressions. Nothing heavy or fast, just some light work. I'm totally okay with this because, well, I get to run! He also told me it's time for new shoes, which I was aware of, but appreciate him keeping an eye out for that. I was well overdue for a completely new analysis anyway. It's been a few years and I've just been buying the same shoes each cycle. I've been a huge fan of the Saucony Guide. I was told many years ago that I over-pronate and needed a good, stability shoe. It helped a ton. That was then, though.




Clearly there are no Hansons Running Shops in Arizona but damn, that would be awesome. I do truly miss them. Alas, I went to Road Runner Sports in Scottsdale, hopped on the treadmill for a gait analysis and was on some machine thing to measure whatever else it does. Side note, getting properly fitted for shoes is SO FREAKIN' IMPORTANT. Stop going to Dick's Sporting Goods and buying whatever shoe says "running" on the sign next to it. If you do this sport on the regular, do yourself (and your body) a favor and treat it the way it should be. The lovely people at our local running stores are there for a reason. Let them help you. If you PR, maybe send them a card or something.




Okay, phew. Back to the analysis. I learned so much. I don't pronate as much as I used to, my arches are flatter, and my true foot size (not shoe size) is a 7. I also would benefit more from a wide shoe. I literally said out loud to the poor guy, "NO WAY THIS IS RIGHT". You guys, change doesn't scare me in anything that doesn't involve running. When it's my running, I'm pretty set in my ways. I wear this shoe, these shorts, body glide these parts, same song, and dance every day. I think I scared him a bit but I reassured him that I trusted him and that I'm willing to try anything new. A clean slate, once again. I tried on the new Saucony Guides. Remember when I said I loved that shoe? I do not like the new model. It felt heavier and not as comfortable. I tried the Ride ISO and really liked it. The wideness was just right. The Brooks Ghost was too narrow and quite frankly, not for me. And then there was Hoka. I have never even put a pair of Hokas on my feet before but I always knew they were a great company. My husband is a huge fan and they are the only tennis shoes that have successfully fit his extremely picky feet. I put on the Clifton 6 and didn't want to take them off. I also tried the Bondi but the Clifton definitely was a gamechanger. I walked around. Walked some more. I ran on the treadmill. I was probably on the step right before you reach heaven. I walked around with one foot in the Ride ISO and one in the Clifton. Probably looked silly but whatever it takes. I made my choice and walked out joining team Hoka.

Does color really matter? No. But this shoe comes in black with teal soles that look incredibly badass but alas, it didn't come in a wide. Though I was very excited to have new shoes as would any runner feel, I still felt a bit skeptic. Would they actually work? What the hell am I doing without Saucony shoes? I don't know how I feel about this. What if they don't work? Literally, I don't think I've ever been so unsure of something I'm so sure about. But the only way to find out is to test them.




After talking with my coach because at this point I'm friggin' lost as to how and where to begin aside from just going, she gave me advice, I programmed a workout and went.

Aside from my heart rate going into shock because I haven't done any type of cardiac activity in almost two months, it felt good. It felt good to press start, it felt good to breathe the air, it felt good to see all of the people I would always see at the park walking. I went with comfort and enjoyment. For a split second, I thought my knee was going to act up but I also believe it was my mind expecting it to. It felt fine! But the shoes, how did they feel? I didn't feel them at all and I mean that in a good way. They are so light, it's almost mindblowing. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say they will carry me across the finish of my next race because I still have time to adjust but, for now, they'll most certainly work.




Back to recipe sharing, yay! Fall is slowly coming here to Arizona. When I say slowly, I mean it's still in the mid-80s to low 90s, but it's not 100+! This time of year, I certainly get a big craving for comfort food. I mean, I do all the time but like especially right now. My favorite chili recipe was simmering on the stovetop yesterday. Fartlek chili isn't just for runners! It's so hearty and delicious. I used Beyond Meat's ground "beef" myself, which worked great, but regular or turkey works too if you're a meat-eater! I also used one green pepper and one red instead of 2 green. I simmered mine for an hour and paired it with some Bob's Red Mill gluten-free cornbread! It also makes enough leftovers for a few nights. You can find the recipe here!

I swear, one day, I'll be better at this whole food picture stuff. We'll continue the week of slowly base building, progressing, more therapy, and everything in-between. See you next time and thanks for coming!