A brief update before I vanish into the mountains and deserts of the west

Hello hello hello! I haven’t posted in ages for the simple reason that I haven’t done much in the way of Cool Things To Report, since I was just doing school and boring gym things because my stress fraction/reaction/whatever-the-hell-it-is is still lingering. The semester wrapped up as they usually do – quickly and in a flurry of activity to make up for all the inactivity of the rest of the semester – and I headed down to Texas directly after my last exam. I made good time, 7 hours the first evening and 14 the next day, then hung around San Antonio/Lackland AFB for my boyfriend’s graduation from AF basic training. So that was cool. But now I’m off for Actual Awesome Things.

1. Utah: Moab, Zion, Arches, Bryce, etc. Gonna climb ALL THE THINGS and run if my shin allows.
2. Quick stop in Nevada – Red Rocks just outside Las Vegas.
3. California! Bishop, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Monterey, possibly LA or San Diego to visit some relatives.
4. Quick stop in AZ for the Grand Canyon.
5. Back to Colorado… where I’ll be living for the remainder of the summer. What. Up. Can you say Pikes Peak every weekend? I can. Once I get my hill quads back, that is. Stupid injury.

Oh, and since I haven’t been able to run, I’ve been climbing a lot more. Got a couple V3s recently, and last night I sent my first V4, which was sweet. It was a deliciously crimpy matchy traverse. I’ll get the video up here eventually.

So yup. I won’t post for probably another month, but when I do, it will be filled with awesomeness and cool pictures of wonderfully gorgeous places and happy things. Life is great!

peace love and anything outside that makes you happy!
becca

News (and alfredo) from Stressfractureland

Hi everyone, my name is Becca, and I have… a stress fracture. It’s been weeks since my last run. I’m feeling… weird.

I’ve been going to the gym and biking, plus doing some strength stuff, and now that I have my bike fixed I’ve been biking outside when the weather allows. So that’s good. And I’m still climbing a couple days a week, and I started doing yoga. I’m keeping myself busy. But I miss running.

I’ve been making food things too. Tonight: vegan alfredo.

Recipe: one can coconut milk, 1/2 cup cashews, 2 T nutritional yeast, 1 T olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Throw in a food processor until smooth. Add flour to thicken (start with about 4 T and add as needed). Sautée red peppers, onion, and broccoli. Throw it all together, let the sauce thicken on the stove, then NOM.

That’s all for now. peace love and running!
bec

Most addictive granola I’ve ever made, and veggie couscous mix

Whipped up some granola before class this morning… and it ended up being possibly the most delicious granola I’ve made to date. It turned out light and crunch and delicious.Recipe: Mix 3 cups oats (maybe a little more), 4 T brown sugar, sliced almonds, chia, hemp, pumpkin & flax seeds to preference (and maybe coconut shreds).

Boil 1/4 C maple syrup, 2.5 T water, and roughly 4 T coconut oil (probably not 4 full T since it’s hard to scoop), and a smidgen of vanilla to boil. Drizzle it over the dry mix, stir, and bake for 35 minutes at 375, turning halfway. Let cool before eating and try not to break up the pieces when you’re turning it.

Then at lunch I made a nice little veggie/couscous mix. 1 C couscous, 2 each zucchini and yellow squash (oven-roasted at 400 until soft mixed in olive oil/rosemary/sage), mushrooms/onions/carrots sauteed, salt/pepper/creole seasoning.

 

Enjoy!
peace love and noms,
bec

Well kids, the stress fracture’s back

And this time with a vengeance, it seems. I only did 40 so far this week, with 15 (4.5 + 10.6) yesterday, and last night, the stress fracture/reaction spot was hurting quite a bit. It’s also a lot more sensitive; my cat stepped on it and that really hurt. Just as I was starting to get a good training schedule down, too… but isn’t that always how it goes? In my ideal world, I’d be doing 15-20 miles per day during the week (two runs, of course), with long back-to-back runs on the weekend, plus climbing 2-3 times per week and doing core every day. Apparently my body doesn’t care for that idea too much.

So I guess I’ll be taking MORE time off. I understand it, but I hate it so, so much. I also might actually go and get it checked out this time so I know how bad (or hopefully not too bad) it is. And I figure I need to make sure it’s 100 percent better before summer, because then, by god, you won’t be able to stop me from running and hiking and generally doing all sorts of active things that stress fractures don’t like.

peace love and running, if you can.
bec

Yay running, showers, and food

Got out to the trails yesterday between classes and work and was able to do 13-14 at a decent pace despite the trail being mostly ice, still. My legs felt so good and, once I was all warmed up (about an hour and a half, haha), the run just flew by. It was really windy (>20mph) and snowing on and off, but I was pretty protected in the woods. Just a great run, one of those where you finish and feel bursting with energy and happiness.  

Also, a couple days ago I finished reading Once A Runner (again) and was in a workout mood, so I did 6 4-minute hill repeats. Yowsa. My quads loved/hated it; I loved it. It’s always nice to remind yourself that you can have some speed. I’m going to start incorporating more speedwork/hillwork into my weekly schedule, probably just one day a week, but still something.

I’ll do a photo post later today or tomorrow, I have lots of food things to share.  :)
peace love and long hot showers after really good runs!
bec

mileage 3/11 – 3/17 (first week back!)

Well, it was my first real week back from my stress fracture… and I think I may have jumped back in a little too eagerly, since for the last two or three runs, I’ve been feeling that stress fracture spot a little too keenly for my liking. Rather than my planned 18 today, then, I ended up doing a light six – far from ideal, but I definitely don’t want to have to take more time off. Plus, I have that half this Saturday for my Pikes Peak qualifier and I want to be able to do that.

So mileage this week was light, as expected, although it was definitely a breath of fresh air (literally, ha ha) to get back out on the trails.

Monday – prescribed rest day
Tuesday – am. 2.5 (in Bare Access)
pm. 8.5
Wednesday – 10.5
Thursday – 0 (unscheduled)
Friday – 8
Saturday – 13
Sunday – 6

Total: 48.5 miles

Surprise blizzard run

Today’s weather has been so weird, alternating between mild and sunny to freezing gusting winds and driving snow. The middle of my 10.5 this afternoon fell under the latter category.

Not the most flattering picture, but it’s hard to look cute in blizzards. Not that it matters while running, anyway.

Snowy intersection. It was sunny at the beginning AND end of my run.

Climbed yesterday and the day before – my arms are sore. Hooray!
peace love and lots of things,
bec