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If you live in New England, chances are that today you are being deluged with downpours and whipped by chilly winds. At least thats how it is in Boston. It also, as my luck has it, was the day I planned to run 21 miles. Now I could have planned the longest run of my marathon training for last Saturday, a still, sunny, mid 50’s spring day. But that wouldn’t be exciting, would it?

So this morning, I woke up dark and early. Then I went back to bed for an hour of deep sleep that felt great. I mapped out my running route while eating a bowl of Greek yogurt and peanut butter topped with some chocolate covered Goji berries. Yum!

I REALLY didn’t want to run. I left the house in shorts and after 2 blocks turned back home to put pants on. The forecast said it would be 52, but it felt closer to 32.

Back at home, I considered just staying. That would have been nice. But I headed back out and along the South Boston waterfront where the winds felt like a hurricane. I was soaked about 1/4 mile into the run. The first 6 miles or so were brutal, and I considered quitting about 25 times. The dialogue in my head was literally, “I can quit and start over tomorrow.” “But if you just keep going you’ll be done and can enjoy the weekend.” Back and forth back and forth. I changed my route a million times and after about 8 miles decided to focus on time, just running for 3 hours and 40 minutes. I spent a looooooong time running around Beacon Hill just to make sure I got in a quality run. The mental struggle went on, but it got a little quieter the further I got. Once I was 15 miles in, there  was no way I wasn’t going to finish.

With about 45 minutes left, my iPod died 🙁 So I ran the last bit listening to the wind and the traditional Irish music blaring from South Boston pubs. That kept me going.

I arrived home FROZEN. I couldn’t put my key in the door or turn the doorknob my hands were so numb. Needless to say I ignored the advice to ice and hopped in a hot bath with a bath bomb that I got at Lush in Harvard Square yesterday (more on that later). And here I am, in my bed, blogging and catching up on Real Housewives of NYC.

I had a great afternoon and evening at a Yukon Salmon event with Oldways, followed by a beer tasting at Cardullo’s in Harvard Square and dinner at The Red House. I will be back later with photos and a full restaurant review.

Before I head out, I did want to announce that the lucky winner of Secrets of a Skinny Chef is Nicole from Making Good Choices! Congrats Nicole! Please send me an email to traveleatlove@gmail.com with your address so I can have the book shipped to you.

Have a great Saturday everyone! I am off to do some Napa and Sonoma planning!

Tags: Boston, running

Glorious weekend! Saturday was a feast for the senses, and stepping outside has never felt so good! I started the day off by blogging about spring, then read a bunch of other blogs and did some other bloggy work.

Then the husband and I went to Castle Island in South Boston. Castle Island is a beautiful place to walk, run, or picnic and provides a nice paved loop that juts out into the bay. I love going there not only for the views and the lovely ocean air, but also for the zillion dogs out walking and running! So cute. There is also a refreshment stand, Sully’s, that sells all sorts of delicious treats. If you live in Boston and have never been, I would definitely suggest going.

After our 2.5 mile walk, I went for a run and did a hill workout. I felt great! This weather makes me feel so much looser and more free, and I think more of my energy is directed to running rather than my aches and pains.

I was ravenous when I returned home, and French toast was all I wanted. I made a simple egg and milk blend with freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg for dipping the bread. Then we cooked it up and topped it with a mix of organic maple syrup and agave nectar.

 

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We had our French toast with Trader Joe’s Organic Cranberry Green Tea. Since reading The 02 Diet (post to come this week), I have been trying to integrate more green tea into my diet. For some reason regular green tea makes me nauseous – to the point where I almost had to leave work one day. But this cranberry green tea blend tastes great and makes me feel fine.

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After eating, we spent some time just lounging around the house with the windows open. My cats loved it.

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This is Scout’s favorite time of year. She actually looks at the windows in the middle of winter and squeaks at me to open them.

Since the hubby didn’t have to work, we decided to go on a little date to celebrate the nice day with some food and wine. Since we have been talking about Morton’s a lot this week after my events post, he chose Mortons’ Seaport location for our dinner. We had previously only been to the Back Bay location and thought it would be fun to go somewhere near the waterfront.

We were able to get a reservation and were seated right at 7:00. Water glasses filled, and a giant loaf of bread served, we were then shown a presentation of the menu which involved a staff member going through the starters, sides, cuts of meat, fish, and any of the desserts that needed to be pre-ordered. Its fun to see how much attention is paid to the quality of the food.

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We started with oysters on the half shell, of course. I don’t think we ever go to a restaurant that has oysters and NOT order them. These came with an entire little cup full of just horseradish, plus a separate cup of cocktail sauce. I was in spicy heaven!

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I really wanted to have a couple of appetizers for my meal, as I often do. I ordered the tuna tartare which was stacked with avocado and served with a little side of cucumbers and tomatoes. I had a nice soy flavor to it, and the avocado and super fresh tuna went perfectly together. This was a pretty spectacular and healthy dish.

 

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On the not—so-healthy side, the hubs and I split a wedge salad topped with homemade, out of this world blue cheese, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, and crispy bacon. Quite obviously not the healthiest option on the menu, but it was oh so good. Morton’s does sides and salads incredibly well.

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We each had a glass of wine with dinner. I stuck with the spring-like theme of the day and had a glass of Lunetta Prosecco. Light and bubbly, it was like honeydew melon in a glass. So refreshing. The husband’s wine, however, was amazing. He ordered the featured Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, Krug 1881. It was blissful. A big, dark red Cab, it had a slightly woodsy nose to it and tasted of dark fruits. It almost coated the sides of the glass. If you can get your hands on a glass, definitely do!

After all of that, we were too full for dessert, and I was tired from so much fresh air! We headed home and watched some Mad Men before konking out at around 11.

I love how alive I feel right now! I normally find Sundays to be a little depressing, but today has been another great day of walking dogs at the MSPCA, walking around Castle Island, and I am off to a Yoga Nidra workshop.

I’ll be back later! Make sure to enter my giveaway if you haven’t already!

Tags: Boston, breakfast, Dining out, Food, giveaway, running, spring, tea, wine

Thanks to the help of some blogger friends (Elina & Melissa) I survived my first 20 mile run of my Boston Marathon training. I am planning on doing another 20 mile run in 2 weeks and am toying with the idea of a 22 miler the last weekend in March before tapering back big time.

I spent the week prior to my run eating REALLY well. We normally eat good food, but I bought another tub of Super Red Drink Powder, which I have been drinking every morning or evening, depending on my kale smoothie schedule. Our smoothies have been veggie powerhouses, and I even ate lean chicken a few times. I have been trying to introduce new sources of antioxidants, have been drinking more green tea and in general spent lots of energy focusing on feeling good for the run.

I woke up Saturday morning, confirmed my route online, and suited up before eating 1/2 of a banana with 2 spoonfuls of almond butter and a cup of green kombucha tea.

It was snowing lightly when I started, but before I went 1/2 mile, the sun came out and the South Boston waterfront shone in the light.

Running along, I felt great overall except for frustration #1. I was too full and started cramping up. I let about 40 minutes pass after eating, but even after years of running, I can not seem to figure out a good eating before running balance. It is almost better if I go on an empty stomach, but being super hungry isn’t fun either.

If you have figured out a good running before eating strategy – How soon before a run do you eat? What do you normally eat?

I was able to stretch my sides a little and to eventually get over that full feeling. . . and then spent most of the run with a growling stomach. Then the doubt started to kick in. Even though I have completed many races, including 3 marathons, I still doubt myself on pretty much every run. Do I need hypnotherapy? Positive self talk helps to an extent, but I feel like the negative thoughts drain energy, and I would like to banish them forever if possible!

What do you do to keep a positive mental outlook on runs? Do you ever feel like your mental state totally throws a workout?

My final frustration is the biggest. Overall I am in great cardiovascular shape. I can run at a good pace without breaking a sweat for a long time and don’t have trouble gasping for air or feeling tired in that way. What does happen is after a certain number of miles, maybe 13 or 14, my legs start to kill me. Obviously, some of this is normal, but it is frustrating to have to stop and walk or stretch when I feel like I am not even pushing myself! I would love for my legs to feel less painful. Its not even fatigue, it is just aching all over.

Do you have any suggestions on how to curb leg pain in longer races? Is it weight training for stronger muscles? Stretching more during the week? Popping ibuprofen during the race?

Any and all tips are welcome! And if you have any training questions for me I am happy to answer them.

 

Please consider my charity raffle for The ALLY Foundation! $10/ticket at http://firstgiving.com/meghanmalloyteamally

The prizes so far? A custom me & goji mix, a one month membership to Healthworks fitness, a case of wine from Wine Cellars of Stoneham, a tour and private tasting for 10 at Westport Rivers Winery, and a $100 Williams Sonoma gift certificate. There aren’t a ton of entries, so there is a good chance of winning!

Tags: fitness, marathons, running, training

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