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By Liz, February 10, 2010 12:17 pm

Hello hello dear bloggies!

I got a great idea for a post while reading my new issue of Runner’s World magazine on Sunday. This lovely lady was on the cover.

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That’s Kara Goucher by the way. Her cover story was incredibly inspiring. In a nutshell, the article was about Kara’s mental side of running. One of her main problems in training is having confidence in herself. I guess even elites have to overcome the mental side of running, too.

I really liked the article, mostly because it focused on the mental aspect of running instead of the physical. Sure, we all need to do tempos runs, some track work and log in the long miles to prepare for a race or just stay in peak shape. However, working out our minds is something that needs to be done, too. And this aspect is sometimes overlooked.

For me, as with Kara, my confidence in my abilities and myself as a runner has been a huge drawback to my performances. I will sometimes give up before I reach the starting line. I’ve worked my way up from being a back-of-the-packer to a middle-of-the-packer and now to a upper/middle-packer. I’m not sure I will ever be up in front (unless I’m in a small local 5k), but know I have really improved over the years I’ve been running (age 15-22). However, sometimes my mind gets the best of me and I forget that I have achieved so much and gotten so much faster. I will still think of myself as the chubby girl who would usually place last. It’s a similar anomaly that occurs with people who have lost a lot of weight. They will still think of themselves as fat sometimes, even though they are at their healthy, goal weight. Bottom line: our minds like to play tricks on us. Learning how to overcome them is the hard part.

Two of the ideas the article proposed for overcoming the confidence barrier were:

1) Look to your training to give yourself confidence. If you’ve put in the work, there is no reason to doubt yourself.

2) Remember how pleasurable the feeling of running is. Lock into that zone, where your body feels in sync and the feeling of movement uplifts you.

These two tips really resonated with me. The first tip is just common sense. If you’ve done training at your race pace, done the volume of miles you needed, etc. then there is no reason to not have confidence that you can complete your race or set a PR, or whatever your goal may be. The second tip though is one I forget sometimes. To me, running is fun, and feeling the body in motion, the breathing, one foot in front of the other, torso twisting, arms pumping, heart beating is one of the best feelings in the world. The article said, that if you focus in on this feeling then your body will loosen up and let our physical abilities shine through.

I used the second tip consciously during a hard track workout on Monday.

Warmup: 2 miles and a 400m at workout pace plus 2×200m strides

Workout: 4×1200m with a lap rest in between. My times: 5:02, 5:02, 5:01, 4:58

Cooldown: 2 miles                       Total workout: 8miles

This workout was tough. Once my coach told us the workout, I shut my mind off. I wasn’t into it. I didn’t feel ready to hit the paces he set for me, I just didn’t feel like working that hard. However, during the warm-up, I told myself that I am doing the workout, so I better get in the mindset or else it won’t be any fun at all.

So I did. After the first 1200m repeat, I hit a time faster than the one set for me. Sweet! Once the workout progressed, it was harder to keep that pace, but I focused in on the feeling of running around the track, one foot in front of the other, going around the turns, striding out that last 100. It felt good, it felt right and I began to feel confident. It was a pretty darn great workout.

Running is just as much, or more, mental as it is physical. Our minds are really like the gateways to our bodies. For me, lack of confidence was that closed gate and by opening it up, I have made great achievements in my running. Sure, I still have off days and off races, we all do and will. However, trying to tap into our mental focus when it really matters is one of the keys to running success. Good luck out there! And have:

Comments (4)

By Liz, February 1, 2010 10:10 pm

Hello Hello!

So, I’m just gonna jump right in and announce my 100th post giveaway winner:

Congrats Marissa! It sounded like you needed them, too! Just e-mail me your info and shoe size and I will send a new pair of Drymax socks your way.

So, yesterday was my birthday. Yay for 22! I went to my parents house for a very lovely dinner.

I’m assuming some of you have seen Julie & Julia. Well, my dad made one of the star dishes of the movie. I had none other than beef bourguignon for my birthday dinner.

The whole meal:

This was one of the most soul warming dinners I have had. I’d liken beef bourguignon to a fancy beef stew….extremely amazing fancy beef stew. I also loved the sides. At first glance, it looked  just a small potato. Yet when ripped open with a fork, the potato turned into the perfect vessel for one of those perfect bites. And of course, you can’t go wrong with green beans. They’re like french fries I swear!

Of course, there was some wine involved. Who would I be if I didn’t accompany a good class of wine with a meal like this?

I picked up this bottle about a month ago and wanted to save it for a special occasion. And I couldn’t have picked a better occasion. I have to say, I think this is my favorite red wine at the moment. It is one of the most drinkable red wines I have found, like sipping real grape juice but with a kick. Soooo good.

And next, there was the yearly chocolate cake. Every year since I can remember, I have had my Dad’s chocolate cake for my birthday.

Pillows of chocolate heaven covered in fudge. Yeeees please!

Truly, this has been one of the best birthday’s I ever had. I was surrounded by my family and friends and felt so blessed.

On one final note, I wanted to recap my track workout today. It was 200m repeats but with a twist. Maybe I’ll call it Continuous 200s.

Warmup: 2 miles, 400m pick up and 2×200 strides

Workout: 10×200m with a 200m running rest at easy run pace between each repeat. Run each 200 repeat (not the easy 200) progressively faster as you progress through the workout. The first should be the slowest, the last should be fastest. Total, you will run 10 laps around the track equaling 2.5 miles. What I did: Started at 48 sec and worked down 41 sec.

Cooldown: 2 miles        Total miles for workout: 7

What I really liked about this workout was the fact you had to run it continuously. Firstly, you had to endure fast repeats without stopping. It was shocking how quickly the easy pace 200m rests became almost difficult. Mentally, I felt like the workout taught me how to deal with surges during a race, yet keep enough endurance to finish strong. I felt super accomplished after this workout. It gave me the itch to get on the track and race!

Well, the bedroom is calling my name. I sure can use the sleep.

G’night!

Comments (10)

By Liz, January 30, 2010 11:05 am

Hey guys!! Today is a big day in Therefore I Eat world!! It is my 100th post!!! I think that’s a pretty big milestone, don’t ya think? I started all of this in August, after reading other blogs for a while, and just decided to take a chance and try blogging. I still don’t think I’ve truly found my voice or real path I want the blog to go, but I’m just taking it wherever it goes. And one thing I know for sure is that I have really enjoyed blogging and interacting with all the other awesome bloggers and the healthy food/running blog community!

Okay, enough with the sap.

I decided to do a humble yet fun giveaway to celebrate my 10oth post. It’s nothing big, just a small gift that one of my lucky readers will have a chance of winning (and since there aren’t to many of you, the odds are good )

So what am I giving away??1 pair of Drymax socks!

These socks are my fave for running and doing just about everything else. They wick moisture (goodbye blisters!), are fitted through the arch to prevent slippage, have a wider variety of sizes for a more specific fit and are just freakin cool! I know many of you guys are into running or exercise of some sort, and even if you aren’t, they are a great, comfortable sock for everyday use.

So, here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment ab0ut anything really. (If you are a regular reader, I would appreciate a comment about what you would like to see more of on the blog.)

2) For a second chance to win, link back to my blog on yours (if you have one) and leave a second comment telling me you did. (Hey, gotta spread the TIE love, man!)

And one final legalish note: I have not been compensated or given the socks by the Drymax company. I have paid for the socks with my own money for this giveaway.

I will pick the winner on Monday….so ready….set….comment!! ……after you finish reading the rest of my post of course

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Okay, now with that business out of the way, I wanted to share a foodie discovery that blew my mind!!

The other night, the roomies and I made breakfast for dinner. My contribution to dinner was whole wheat waffles topped with yogurt sauce and blueberries. I ripped into it and almost forgot to take a picture, but I thought the half eaten pic was a good testament to how freaking delish this was!

So, the big thing about this waffle is the fact that it tasted just like cake. This tasted sorta like a white cake with vanilla frosting and blueberries. A cake-waffle!!! Soooo good.

Here’s how to recreate this amazing masterpiece:

1) Make your fave waffle recipe or use a good quality frozen waffle

2) Mix vanilla yogurt with a tablespoon of honey and a couple drops of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

3) Top the waffle with the yogurt and a generous handful of blueberries. Enjoy!

Seriously you guys, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

So tonight is a pretty big night for me. After I get off work today, I’m celebrating my 22nd birthday!!!! My actual b-day is tomorrow, but I’m gonna rage it up tonight with a bunch of friends. I’m soooooo excited! And then tomorrow my rents are cooking me a special dinner. I love birthdays! I have good feelings for my 22nd year of life. Yay!

Have a good Saturday everyone! I’ll definitely recap the night tonight and my special birthday dinner (most likely on Monday).

Now…enter my giveaway! Adios!

Comments (5)

By Liz, January 25, 2010 1:36 pm

Hey guys! Well, it’s been forever and a day since I last posted now hasn’t it?! I’m alive and well, though, so it’s all good. Hopefully you guys didn’t miss me too much.

Anywho, I have two pretty fun things to blog about today!

First up, is the absolutely amazing dinner I shared with Jacob for our 5 year anniversary.

We got all dolled up…

Sorry, but I have no idea how to turn the picture, so y’all have to tilt your head to the left to see how super amazing we looked.

After our prom-esque photo shoot, we headed out to my favorite restaurant of all time…Villa Creek.

Warning: The lighting at the restaurant was sooo low, so my food shots are pretty bad, but I will share nonetheless.

First course: Cheese plate.

There was a blue cheese, aged cheddar and goat cheese accompanied with almonds, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, sliced apples and shortbread. Too die for. We paired a Rhone White wine with this.

Second course: Spring mix salad topped with walnut encrusted goat cheese and tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette. I totally forgot to snap a pic though…the salad was inhaled before I knew it!

Entree: Oaxacan short ribs with creamy polenta and steamed kale leaves.

The meat was cooked to perfection. The meat fell right off the bone and it was pure heaven taking a bite of short rib covered in the polenta. I don’t use this word often, but this entree was seriously foodgasmic! The wine I paired with it was a Grenache. Really good!

We decided to skip dessert and get a cocktail at a local bar down the street. I sipped on my new fave cocktail, a Vodka Press. Very refreshing!

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It was a wonderful meal and a wonderful night shared with one of my favorite people in the world.

Okay, so the second fun thing to mention is that I have a juicerand I made my first juice today!! Sooooo exciting, no?

So, I went to a family Christmas gathering a few weekends ago and my aunt had a juicer she didn’t want anymore and just gave it to me! I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!

However, it took me forever to use it! Well, two weeks later, I made juice. This morning blend was ginger, lemon, celery, carrot, beet, pear, orange juice. I kinda went wild!

So, I think it’s safe to say I’m obsessed with juicing now. Sadly, it is expensive to make only 2 cups of juice, so I will have to save juicing for occasionally, maybe once or twice a week.

I drank my yummy juice with 2 scrambled eggs, salsa and 1/4 of an avocado.

Well there ya have it folks! I promise I will try not to have such a long hiatus like that for a while.

Catch ya later, track practice awaits me!

Comments (5)

By Liz, January 6, 2010 10:25 pm

Hello hello!! So it’s been a little while since I’ve posted and checked in with y’all. Truthfully, I just have not felt like I’ve had anything worthwhile or meaningful to say. But low and behold, I eventually got some nice ideas running through by ol’ noggin. It’s funny how sometimes you just have loads of ideas and interesting thoughts, and then sometimes you’re just blank. Writing is an art for sure!

So, first off, I saw I got tagged by the lovely Jen from Eat Move Love for a “10 Things that Make Me Smile” thing. Thanks!! And it’s actually really convenient, because I was already thinking of doing a “Things I’m Loving Right Now” kinda post….soooo it worked out perfectly! Now let’s get to it….

1) I’m completely and utterly in love with the french press my absolutely amazing boyfriend got me for Christmas.

I wake up every morning now craving the robust flavor of my french pressed coffee with a little half and half with cinnamon. Heaven!!

2) Roasted brussel sprouts!!!!

I have never been a big brussel sprouts gal. I actually never have eaten them much at all. But oooooh lordie! These roasted brussel sprouts rocked my world! The salmon and quinoa that accompanied them was good, but those little mini cabbages were sooo the star of the show. What is it about roasting food tossed in olive oil and spices that makes it taste so good?? It must be magic.

3) Running always makes me smile . I just started track practice again this week and I have to say, it feels so good to be back with my teammates and have that energy that accompanies it again.

4) Averie’s Creamy “Cesar” Tahini dressing. Seriously guys, this stuff is good. Today, I was on the elliptical at the gym right before dinner time and I was just dreaming about a huge salad tossed with this dressing. So, what did I do? Ate a huge salad tossed in the tahini dressing…of course! And, just gotta say, I didn’t eat all that…I shared it with my roomies. Which brings me to number 5…

5) Roommates who can cook (and are nice enough to share)!

My roommate Justin made pizza tonight. The crust was perfect, nice and crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. He topped his crust with tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, olives, onions and artichoke hearts. Oh, and he stuffed the crust with cheese. Can you say amazing? Well I can…A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! With this amazing pizza and my yummy salad, tonight’s dinner pretty much completely rocked.

6) Wine always makes me smile!

Especially when it’s wine as good as this one! I wine tasted with my friend Kailee today and we went to this winery called Lone Madrone. The whites were eh, but OMG, the reds were amazing. So amazing I had to buy my fave one I tried, which was their ‘o7 Barbera (and I don’t usually buy pricier wine). TO DIE FOR. Now, Dad…I’m sure you’re reading this, so I gotta say, you must go to Lone Madrone and taste this. You will love it! Promise! It’s right next to Hunt Cellars.

Well, even though I was supposed to say 10 things that make me smile, I’m just going to stop at 6, because these are the best 6 things that have recently made me smile.

It’s about that time now for me to hit the sack. I have a gnarly hill workout with the team tomorrow morning. My coach sure is working us hard to the first week back. It’s a love/hate thing…I love the accomplishment of a hard workout but gosh darn I hate it at the same time. I am looking forward to it nonetheless.

Adios amigos! Halfway there to the end of the first week of 2010! Crazy!