Friday Runnin' and Beats Giveaway Winner!

I had a great run this morning in my new shoes, the Mizuno Wave Sayonara. So far, I've run 10.2 miles in them today and yesterday and I am really liking them! They are stiffer than my old shoes (Mizuno Evo Cursoris) and not zero drop. I feel like they provide me more support, combined with my SuperFeet orthotics, and I haven't had any tendinitis pain in my ankles so far. I am hoping that getting the proper support for my feet is all it takes to cure me of my ankle issues. We'll see after I put more miles on these.

Lately, I've been doing relatively shorter runs compared to during my marathon training. Today, I ran 10K pretty hard, and pushed myself to run sub-8 mile splits. Success :) I averaged a 7:47 pace.

Mile 1- 7:32
Mile 2- 7:49
Mile 3- 7:58
Mile 4- 7:54
Mile 5- 7:50
Mile 6- 7:44
0.2 mile nubbin'- 7:35

Not gonna lie, this was tough for me. The route I ran had rolling hills, and I was struggling. The last 0.2 miles was all uphill, and I ran as hard as I could. Like wheezing at the top hard. It felt great to pick it up at the end, though!

I am still deciding whether or not to run the Turkey Chase 10K on Thanksgiving. Although I will most probably PR from last year's 52:10 time, I don't know if I will be mentally prepared to race it. I want to have more time to train specifically for the distance. I am targeting a 10K in April, Pike's Peak, so I want to work towards building speed for that.

Still, I might run it just for fun. I'll probably decide last minute.

And now, the winner of the Beats by Dr. Dre Giveaway! 

Click HERE to see if you've won!

Read More

Skinny Twice Baked Potato

Whoever said potatoes are bad for you is seriously misinformed. Potatoes can be a healthy source of vitamin C, potassium, and other minerals such as iron. Prepared the right way, they are not just empty calorie bombs. And yes, they are rich in carbs, but they are complex carbs, which when consumed with the skin for added fiber, can provide a slow release of energy. A perfect food for runners.

One of the healthiest way to prepare potatoes is to bake them. I like to throw some potatoes in the oven when I'm baking other things to utilize the otherwise wasted oven space. Baking extra potatoes means I can use them for other recipes, such as twice baked potatoes.

My recipe for a healthier version of twice baked potatoes uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and a minimal amount of butter. I topped it with a flavorful, sharp and nutty cheese and served it with a salad for an easy lunch.

Read More

How to Stay Motivated in the Winter

It's starting to feel like the holiday season with decorations popping up in shopping centers, daylight savings time, and the chilly temperatures. We just got hit with a cold front, and it's now bone-chilling cold! As the temperature dips below freezing, my motivation to go outside to run follows suit. Here's a graph to illustrate my motivation as a function of temperature:

© Run Fast Eat Lots

As you can see, motivation plummets once it's below freezing. Like this morning. 28 degrees and I did not feel like going outside to run.

During the winter, it's easy to hole up indoors where it's warm instead of braving the icy wind and snow. Combined with indulging in extra servings of pie over the holidays (because I totally deserve it), it's easy to put on the pounds and lose fitness over the holidays. I've already succumbed to the pie; I made one last Thursday and basically ate the entire thing on my own. 

But even though this time of the year is kind of an off-season for me, I want to keep my fitness level up. I'm not really training for anything, yet, so it's hard to stay motivated sometimes. Here are some tips to stay motivated to work out this winter:

1. Invest in some winter running clothes. Dressing properly for the weather makes a huge difference and being outside less painful. Hats, warm running tights, gloves, and sweat-wicking base layers are winter running essentials. Make sure that your core is warm; vests are a great option. 

2. Plan your route so you can drop layers mid-run. Run a few miles to warm up, and then loop by your house to drop the warmer layers. That way, you can stay at a comfortable temperature throughout your run.

3. Hit the gym or indoor swim center. Sometimes it's just too darn cold to run outside. Strength training and cross training is important for runners, so take indoor training as an opportunity to focus on that. 

4. Invest in your home gym. Or if you have some neglected equipment, use it during the winter! I don't have a gym membership (yet), but have a decent home gym with free weights, medicine balls, a balance ball, and a lot more stuff that I don't really use. Insanity and P90X workouts are great, and I usually do them when I'm not running or cycling. 

My gym is in my basement, and the workout area is covered with an interlocking equipment mat to protect the floor. It's better than working out on a hardwood floor since it's softer and a bit springy. You can find some mats here on Amazon.

5. And finally, the best way to stay motivated is to sign up for another race! This definitely works for me, as it gives me a goal to work towards. My only upcoming race is a Turkey Trot, but I'm on the lookout for more races in the near future.

Read More

Weekend Eats and New Running Shoes

Happy Veteran's Day! If you have today off, I hope you are enjoying it :) I have to work today, but it still feels like a holiday because the rest of my family have a day off and we went out for lunch.

I've been eating out a lot lately! On Saturday, I tried a local BBQ place that I've never been to before with my brother. He had a Groupon and I was mooching ;) It seemed like a pretty popular place, and there was a 20 minute wait. The place has BBQ ribs, wings, skillet mac and cheese (a lot of different kinds), and great craft beer! 

We got a "half" order of the onion loaf, a huge mound of fried onions. It came with a huge knife stuck in the middle of it, and it was really like a loaf! Super greasy, but delicious. Ugh, we ate most of this thing between two people.

I went with the pulled pork plate, which came with cornbread, coleslaw, and chips. The bbq pork was pretty good, though it could have been a bit moister with a smokier flavor. The cornbread was also a bit weird and dry... there were small green specks with a slightly fake jalapeno flavor.

Today, I went out to use another Groupon at Nando's Peri-Peri, a South African grilled chicken place. I went with a grilled chicken breast wrap with grilled corn and shared a plate of hummus and pita bread. I love their spicy sauces because they are acutally SPICY, not wimpy spicy.

The hummus came with an adorable little bottle of "Peri-Peri drizzle". I think it was some kind of seasoning oil.



And even though I was stuffed, there was a 16 Handles right across the street so that had to happen. And now I'm about to explode.

And although my blog is called Run Fast Eat Lots, I've only been living up to half of my name. Eating a lot, but not a lot of running going on. On Saturday, I biked 15 miles and this morning, I ran 5. I also tried to go shoe shopping on Sunday and tried a bunch of shoes on, but didn't end of buying anything. Fail.

I finally decided on what shoes to get this morning, and ordered online. I decided to go with the Mizuno Sayonara and saved $30 on Amazon. Now I have to wait until Wednesday until they arrive!

YAY new shoes :)

Read More

Pumpkin-Apple Crumble Pie

Tis the season for pumpkin and apple pies! I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving, since it's my favorite holiday. Obviously because of the copious amounts of delicious holiday food and socially acceptable displays of gluttony.

I wanted to make a pie, and couldn't decide between apple or pumpkin. I couldn't make two pies, because I shouldn't have that much pie around the house at one time. Such a dilemma.

So I solved the problem by making a pumpkin-apple pie hybrid. A Pumpple pie? Applekin pie? Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious.

Read More

Beats by Dr. Dre Review and GIVEAWAY

This post is sponsored by Staples. 

If you ask me what my essential running gear includes, I would have to say my music. I almost always run with earphones (unless a race doesn't allow them). Music has helped me get through tough runs and stave off boredom during my long runs. I listen to Pandora stations on my phone (my faves are Imagine Dragons, Passion Pit, and Lindsay Sterling). I don't use fancy earphones, though, and I've been using those cheap Apple earphones that come free with iPods. Many of them have been killed by my sweat. They work for me, and I don't have a problem with them falling out, so I never felt the need to try other earphones.

Although the Apple earphones have been working for me, the sound quality really isn't that great. I decided to get the in-ear urBeats so I could try them for running, and after testing them, I can definitely hear that the sound is richer. The tips of the earphones are also designed to seal into your ear and block out noise. 

Beats by Dr. Dre urBeats Review

$99.95 at Staples 

Opening the urBeats packaging:

Upon opening, you get your earphones. Lift up the little tab, and underneath are a few accessories.

Read More

Time to go Shoe Shopping!

It's time to go shopping! Running shoe shopping, that is. I bought my last pair of running shoes in June, and have been training in them all summer and fall. Running shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles, and I've definitely logged at least that many miles in this pair.

I currently run in Mizuno Evo Cursoris's, and I really love this shoe! It's really light weight, zero-drop, and minimalist. The toe-box is also very roomy and breathable. Unfortunately, I feel that the foam isn't very durable. On the soles, there are spots in the forefoot area that aren't rubber, and they look pretty chewed up, now. 

I am considering buying another pair of the Evo Cursoris, but I am looking into other shoes, as well. Maybe something a bit different. I am considering Saucony Kinvara 4, Saucony Virrata, and Mizuno Wave Sayonara. 

RunBlogger.com is a great resource for shoe reviews. However, I am terrible at making decisions, and the more I read about different kinds of shoe, the more indecisive I am! For my next shoe, I am looking for a shoe with slightly more cushioning than my current shoes, but still lightweight. I do like "less shoe" on my feet, but I probably need a bit more cushioning and support.

I have a small confession. During marathon training, I've been dealing with some nagging pains that I should have addressed, but didn't. I didn't want to ease off on the training, so I just tried to manage the pain. Stupid of me, I know.

My posterior tibial tendon gets inflamed on longer runs, especially my left foot. After the marathon, my inner ankles were really tight for a couple of days, and pretty painful. The pain is caused by my arch collapsing as I overpronate. 

To fix the problem, I am easing off on the running for the time being. I am also going to try orthotics that give me arch support. I went into my local running store today and got a pair of Superfeet Carbon insoles. They were a bit pricey, but if they help with the tendonitis, then it's definitely worth it. 

For the next few days, I'm going to break these in. I'll report back on how they are working for me!

What is your favorite running shoe? Any suggestions for a new pair of shoes?

Read More