Los Angeles Marathon: The Full Report

I knew the LA Marathon wasn't going to be my most outstanding race performance due to a recent injury and less-than-tip-top health week, but I had no idea it would be my most challenging race yet. The forecast leading up to race day was grim - first a chance of showers, then rain, then heavy rain plus wind. The percent chance inched up from 30% to 100% and the temp wasn't predicted to break 54. Yet Michelle - the friend I was staying with and racing with - and I remained optimistic. They're always wrong about the weather, right?

Wrong. Not only were they right, but they were actually fairly generous with the forecast. The really bad stuff was initially predicted to start around 10 and get incredibly bad around noon. We hoped we'd be well into the course by the time it got ugly, but instead the rain started at .60 miles on my watch and sprinkled until mile 7, where it quickly transformed into a torrential downpour. My first thought was that while it sucked, it would likely be a blip and go back to light showers. It was only 9am after all. But instead it continued to pour and the more soaked I became, the colder it seemed. Rivers were forming in the streets and forced us to run through ankle deep currents at times. But we pressed on.

Michelle and I pre-race, we had such high hopes!

All was going according to plan pace-wise for most of the first half. I started with the 3:50 pace team, but hung back a bit knowing it was a bit aggressive for me. After the first big hill they pulled away and were a distant memory. The 4:00 pace team showed up shortly after so I joined them for a few miles. I was running comfortably and hitting sub-9s consistently. I was forced to take a pee break around mile 7 due to the cold temps and lack of sweating. I ran ahead of the group thinking I could stop quickly and catch up, but unfortunately lost them. It was ok though, I was still clipping along nicely.

But things took a turn for the worse around the half point. My stomach had been cramping and my shoes felt like soaked bricks. Even the steep downhills were rough. I was on a very meticulous nutrition schedule and had done everything right - how could this be? It was the kind of thing I've heard endless stories about, runners suffering full GI meltdowns and surviving a race dashing from porta potty to porta potty. That became my fate somewhere around 14 miles. The weather had worsened and just about the time the big, puffy 14-mile blow up fell down on us, my entire system shut down. Every sip of anything I took, or even a minuscule drop of gel, sent me racing for a bathroom. I felt weak, feverish. My legs got heavier. I wanted to cry. This all went down in Beverly Hills, a part of the course I should have been loving every downhill moment of.

The look on my face says it all

I hoped it would pass, but instead it continued to worsen so I stopped all hydration and nutrition and kept moving forward. The frequent stopping made my body temperature plummet so I grabbed a heat sheet from Medical around Mile 17 or 18. I continued to run. Thoughts of a voluntary DNF were on my mind, but I was staying with friends and the cell phone number of my post-race ride was saved on my phone, which was checked in baggage at the finish. I had no one to call and feared being stuck shivering roadside while waiting forever for an official ride to the finish. So I kept going.

I hit rock bottom around Mile 20 and was forced to walk. I felt lifeless and started to worry about things like kidney damage or dangerously low electrolytes and honestly didn't know what to do. Should I keep running and try to get this over with as quickly as possible? Or should I go slow and easy and risk hypothermia? After slogging through a couple areas of shin-deep water and walking up a hill, I decided to try running on the downhill. My stomach ached and my legs were dead. I cried.

How do you like that fake smile?

While walking at a glacial pace, another runner joined me and tried to cheer me up. She was having a rough day, too, but hers was due to typical late-marathon leg pain. She couldn't seem to get going again. I had a hard time finding energy for small talk and couldn't lift my eyes from the soaking wet pavement. I saw Mile 24 ahead and thought: If I can get there, I'll run the rest. It's almost over. Then the 4:30 pace team went jogging by and I had this awful sinking feeling about just how long I would be on this course. So I started running.

My pace was slow, but improving, and I ended up passing the 4:30 group and just running on my own. As I approached Santa Monica the wind became unbearable, heavy gusts blowing head on that made it difficult to move forward at times. This was supposed to be the magical part of the course, the Pacific Ocean off to your right as you run down Ocean Boulevard. There were tons of cheering spectators and I could see the finish ahead, even though it was still a mile away. It was all downhill and should have been spectacular. I finish many races in tears because I'm overwhelmed by the experience, the support, the accomplishment. I finished this race in tears because I was hurting so much and was so thankful it was over. I crossed the line in 4:33:35, far short of my sub-4 goal but a huge accomplishment given the conditions.

Happy to be finished! Check out the water on the camera lens

I ran nearly 11 miles without any fluids or nutrition and my race splits painted a picture of my gradual decline. After the finish my body temp rapidly dropped and I was shaking violently. My plan was to hit the medical tent for an IV and have them retrieve my bag so I could call for my ride, but the walk was so long I couldn't make it. I was directed into a warming room set up at a local hotel and sat there for over an hour shivering by myself. I felt so lost. When I finally mustered up the courage to go back outside, I fought the wind and rain to retrieve my bag and call Michelle's husband to pick me up. It was then I learned she had DNFd at the halfway point. I was so relieved. Michelle has lupus and the cold could have caused serious issues.

Five hours after my last sip of fluid on the course I had my first sip of Gatorade and it didn't sit well. I waited another hour and had a hot chocolate (not just any hot chocolate, but a venti salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks!) on the ride home, it felt so good to have something warm. That didn't sit well either. By 6pm I was starving and decided to ignore my stomach and finally eat: In-N-Out Double Double and Neapolitan shake, with champagne, of course!


Somehow that did sit well and at 10pm we went out for Mexican food. We didn't just snack either, we had a full on meal with tableside guacamole, handmade corn tortillas and a giant platter of enchiladas. After not eating or drinking all day I was a bottomless pit.


My coach believes I suffered digestion issues due to the cold and extreme conditions. It's never happened to me before and I hope it never does again, but at least I know I can deal with it if it does. We ask our bodies to do so much, it's not surprising they sometimes say "no."

I may never reflect on this as a "good" race by any definition, but I'm proud of what I accomplished. I dealt with a difficult situation, made decisions and found a way to get to the finish line safely. I also had a great weekend with a good friend and that made it more worthwhile than any medal or PR ever could.

Stuff I Love: Luna Bars That Taste Like Girl Scout Cookies

During the season I consume mass quantities of sport food. Some of it is merely tolerable while others make me look forward to a workout. My favorite examples of the latter are two Luna Bars that taste remarkably like my two favorite Girl Scout cookies. What could be better than that?

Luna Love #1 - Chocolate Peppermint Stick

I discovered this bar last year and consumed it in bulk. During heavy training I largely abstain from sugar except during workouts. This delicious treat not only keeps me going, but it tastes like crushed up Thin Mints. If you like chocolate and you like peppermint you'll love this. I buy a box at a time.

Luna Love #2 - Chocolate Dipped Coconut

This is a recent discovery that I anticipate will become a training pantry staple. It didn't seem exciting at first glance but one bite had me hooked and singing its praises. This Luna reminds me of the best Girl Scout cookie of all time - the Samoa. Sport food really shouldn't be this good.

Lunas may not be the top choice for healthy nutrition but when you spend hours upon hours shunning real food and drink you have to somewhat like what you're putting into your body. And I love these. The only downside is the chocolate coating - it melts in your jersey pocket or in transition and can be quite messy. I froze them for my Ironmans last year and it helped tremendously, but you still risk coating yourself in chocolate. Because of this, my second favorite bar becomes my go-to choice for race day - Hammer Cashew Coconut Chocolate Chip. It's seriously delicious and as an added bonus is gluten-free.

My other favorite training foods:

• Raspberry Hammer Gel
• Chocolate Chip Cliff Bar
• PowerBar Gel Blasts
• Gatorade Endurance

What's your favorite?

Despite a 4am wake-up for a day trip to Cincinnati I nailed today's workout - a whole 30 minutes of running, my first since the ill-fated LA Marathon. So far, so great!

Let's Get This Party Started!

Today marked the beginning of a few things:

Ironman Training!

I was up at 5:30 and in the pool by 6:15 for a workout that kicked my out-of-shape, offseason butt. It involved speedwork, which I don't think I've done since last summer, and had me surprisingly hot for being in cool water. It felt good to do a swim that counted as an actual workout.

A Return to Clean Eating

Remember that 80/20 approach I so passionately shared recently? Let's just say I've been more on the 20/80 plan lately, particularly since the LA Marathon. Part of that was my eat-whatever-my-heart-desires phase, and part was my insane sugar addiction being fueled by massive quantities of sugar. I blame delicious treats such as this.

If you see these, run. Run as fast as you can...

April Dry Spell

No, I'm not talking about the weather, I'm talking about a mini-break from my good friend wine and pretty much everything else in the alcohol family. I'm not giving it up entirely, but have earmarked two special occasions to enjoy freely and will limit consumption to just a couple more glasses during the month. The return to training and upcoming business travel will leave me tired. I figured I owed my body a break.

I feel ready for the changes and look forward to feeling stronger in no time. I have a bike on the schedule tonight, my first double in a very long time. I'll be sure to toast my success with a nice sparkling water post-ride!

"Recovery" Weekend

Following a big race I usually allow one week of eating and drinking whatever my heart desires. But this time around, I had an unstructured rest period of two weeks to get mentally and physically ready to start Ironman training on April 4. Since I have no training to speak of, I wanted to share my finest recovery meal yet. After all, the only thing I enjoy more than triathlon is food. And wine, of course.

Last night we had dinner at Obelisk in Dupont Circle. Obelisk is a refined Italian restaurant with just 30 seats. There is no sign out front, no website, no Facebook page and no music. Just simplicity. We arrived sufficiently hungry for the seasonally-driven, five-course tasting menu and brought two bottles of wine - a Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco and a 2004 Fratelli Revello Barolo Vigna Conca. But the experience started with a cocktail of vodka, Campari, moscato rosa and lime.

The first course consisted of various antipasti, including the creamy burrata and clams above. There were also marinated peppers and a perfect arrosticini - a skewer of small, beautifully grilled lamb cubes. Just when I thought I had died and gone to heaven the fritto misto arrived - a thin slice of onion and an incredibly delicious sardine.

I was kind of full (let's not talk about the raid I staged on the bread basket...).

But the wine was poured and the meal continued. Next up was the primi, I chose a ravioli stuffed with dandelion greens and watercress with walnuts and a light, brothy sauce. For the secondi I decided on the wagyu beef and did not regret it. Aside from my marathon weekend In-N-Out Burger, I haven't had beef since the holidays and don't plan to eat any for at least a few months. What better way to say farewell than with wagyu? It was truly unreal.

The fourth course was cheese served with a grainy fig jam. Unfortunately there are no photos because (1) I ate it very quickly, and (2) The restaurant was too dark to continue my iPhone photos. Trust me, it was lovely. Dessert was even lovelier, a dried pear and ginger strudel with moscato ice cream.

Of all the restaurants I've been to in DC, this was by far my favorite. I can't recommend it enough if you're in the area and I look forward to making my way back.

While my day was free of any real training, I did spend an hour walking amongst the cherry blossoms. It was windy and chilly, but stunning nevertheless. As much as I enjoy rest and indulgence, I'm looking forward to ending this recovery and kicking off my next phase of training on Monday. Until then, I'm off to find my next meal!

NEWSFLASH - I Swam!

Since I signed up for Alcatraz, a race with a notoriously difficult swim, I decided it was time to go back to the pool. I reluctantly dragged myself there earlier this week for 30 easy minutes and while I was a bit bored, it wasn't entirely terrible considering I haven't been in the water for over two months, and really not much in the three months before that. Then last night I got to swim here, in a beautiful 50-meter pool that cuts the boredom in half.

I'll be spending the weekend in DC to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday and see some cherry blossoms. There is sure to be a lot of eating and drinking, which means many more trips to the pool since I'm still not cleared to run!

In other news, I had a big health scare with my cat Otis this week. He was sick when I got back from the LA Marathon and it spiraled into extensive tests including X-rays, ultrasound and multiple rounds of blood work. I spent about three days accepting the thought I might lose him, but in the end everything turned out ok. I have never been more relieved and thankful.


Training
Wednesday - Bike, 14.79 miles
Thursday - Swim, 1,500 meters

Stuff I Love: The Vitamix

I rarely write about products and recently realized I should. After all, a big part of our enjoyment of this sport is fueled by the gear, nutrition and gadgets we have come to rely on so much. And right now I'm in the midst of a love affair with a blender and feel like shouting it from the rooftops. So here we have it, my obsession with the Vitamix.

I recently melted my sad, average blender in a frozen banana smoothie attempt. It was literally smoking and fell apart before my eyes. I've gotten rather fond of smoothies (best breakfast ever!) and was in need of a rapid replacement. A little research revealed the market leaders - the Vitamix and Blendtec. After toiling for days over research, I settled on the Vitamix and have to admit was a little anxious over the sticker shock, but the fans of this blender swear by it.

After having it for a week I can attest it is worth every penny. This thing could grind rocks into a smooth, creamy concoction. You just layer it up with whatever fruit and vegetable goodness you desire and turn it on.

Yesterday morning I turned this:

Into this:

One minute is pretty much the max blending time needed for anything and there are no chunks lingering behind. I'm adding spinach to everything as a sneaky way to eat more greens. I'm also adding things like hemp seed, raw nuts or protein for an added nutritional boost. I even made a raw vegetable soup in it. I don't think I've consumed so much fresh produce in my life. The options are pretty much endless.

The only potential con I have identified is the size. It's gargantuan to put it delicately. It's almost the size of my New York City kitchen but I'm making room for it. I'm relying on the Vitamix to get me back on track after falling SO far off the clean diet wagon. Cheers to that!

Today's Training
Swim: 1,400m, 30:00 (first time in the pool since January... ouch)

Racing Alcatraz for TeamCindy

Last week I discovered an opportunity to participate in some pretty coveted races through a charity team called TeamCindy. TeamCindy was founded to raise money and awareness for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and honor the life of triathlete Cynthia Sherwin, who unexpectedly and tragically suffered a fatal brain aneurysm while training for Ironman Lake Placid in 2007. Her story and the cause caught my attention and though I've never raced for charity - and quite honestly have been a little intimidated by it - I wanted to do it. A friend had just shared a deeply personal story about losing her mother to a brain aneurysm and a young friend of mine survived one 10 years ago. Reading about Cindy's life made me think she could be any one of us, it just felt right.

My first instinct was to add Ironman Lake Placid to my roster that already includes two Ironmans, but my coach said that would be "crazy" so I reconsidered and decided on Escape From Alcatraz. Last fall, blogger friend Jon did a bucket list post and an amazing number of people have Alcatraz on their list. I followed up with a similar post and did not include this race. Why? Not because I wasn't interested, I honestly didn't know much about it beyond the fact that the swim is brutal and it's even more brutal to get into.

Now I'm in and I'm incredibly excited, both for the race and the challenge of fundraising. Just think how much more rewarding it will be to toe the line on June 5 knowing I contributed to something important in my own, small way. Here is my fundraising page, please feel free to share with anyone who may also feel this is a cause worth supporting.

I guess I better get back to the pool now!

LA Marathon - The Quick Summary

Let me sum up my LA Marathon experience in one word - unpleasant. Actually, unpleasant is putting it delicately. I had such high hopes despite my training setbacks and injury, and up to the halfway point I was making decent time. But things went drastically wrong, including hurricane-like weather conditions, so the day did not go as planned. In fact, it was my toughest day of racing yet. I'm working on a full report but thought I'd share a glimpse in the meantime. Here are some photos I felt really captured the day (don't tell MarathonFoto).

Someone actually raced with an umbrella and I love the various attempts at rain gear

The look on my face says it all - world of hurt

After some time to reflect I'm really proud of my accomplishment, and even happier no harm was done health-wise. I also had a really incredible weekend with a friend and that beats a marathon any day. I've thawed out, have been eating and drinking whatever my heart desires, and resting, resting, resting. Stay tuned for the full, gory report in the next couple days, complete with the most humiliating race photos of all time. Oh the humanity.

LA Marathon Preview

Before you think I did nothing but drink wine and eat burritos while in California on my last visit, I wanted to share some more training-related experiences. After the Vicious Dog 15-Miler, I did a few short-to-medium distance runs leading up to an 18-miler the following weekend. I was at a hotel in West Hollywood for work that happene to be right on the marathon course. It was perfect. I planned to cover 9 or so miles of the course, some in the correct direction and some opposite, as two out and backs.

I got a late start and was feeling less than ideal, but it started out well. As I ran down the hill just out of the hotel I came across this big mural with a little nod to the race.




Next up was Beverly Hills. This part of the course on Santa Monica Boulevard was either dead flat or slightly downhill and quite fun.




A couple turns later and I was on the famous Rodeo Drive, dressed a little beneath the standards required to shop there.




When I hit the freeway I decided to turn around and run off-course in Beverly Hills. The roads were long, wide and flat and the houses were beautiful. What better way to explore than on foot. I just love how polite they are in nice neighborhoods.




Instead of tracing my course back, I decided to stay on Rodeo Drive and explore the residential part well past the fancy shopping. It was uphill and challenging, but fun. I took it all the way back to Sunset and looped back to the hotel. From there I backtracked the course through Hollywood and was abruptly stopped when I hit the Kodak Theater... It was Oscars Sunday. I lingered for a bit to see what I could see, then turned around and headed back.




This run went pretty well considering how I felt, but I totally ran out of steam about 13 miles in. I was dragging by 15. My fueling was poor, I barely slept and my legs felt like bricks. I stopped and sat down at one point, a sure sign you have reached a limit. I thought about quitting, but then thought about the 20 miles I'd be running just 5 days later and pressed on. I've never been more happy to finish a run in my life.

My leg survived run and I wasn't in terrible pain the next day so I considered it a success. Back in New York time passed by in a flash. I did my 20 mile run and it wasn't awful, but the next few days were. I hobbled through some shorter distances and then did a final run of 10 miles last weekend. It was the first time I hit a sub-9 pace in over a month. I cried.

I'm on the plane to LA now, somewhere high over the center of the country. I have mixed feelings about this race. Even though I signed up 100% for fun I'm not sure how running undertrained with an extra 5 pounds and a bum groin will be. My former goal was under 4 hours so I think now 4:15 or less is realistic. Anything to earn my post-race feast at In-N-Out Burger!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Blog friends, it's been a long time. I didn't want to blog while on vacation and when I got home, I simply didn't have time. Work was busy, I had running and resting to fit in, and friends I haven't seen nearly enough of. I'm planning to post more details on the trip and updates on my training, but in the meantime, here are some highlights:

The Good

• Several days after the 15-mile run in California, I was able to do 18 relatively trouble free. I ran 20 this past Friday and am now in taper.
• Wine country was stunning. There really aren't words so I'll post pics.
• I ate at phenomenal restaurants and stayed in Justin Bieber's suite at The London in West Hollywood (no worries, Biebs wasn't there).

The Not so Good

• This injury persists so I've missed a great deal of running. I'm nailing the long runs (albeit slowly), but the shorter ones in between have been challenging. That means 26.2 is going to hurt. A lot.
• After being gone for a week I have more catching up to do than you can imagine. It means long hours and late nights.
• Those phenomenal restaurants? I gained a phenomenal 5 pounds. So much for progress!

I'm planning to see a doctor about the injury after the race. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned and disappointed. I have a huge, long season ahead and really want it to be injury free. I won't be able to run the race I was planning and sub-4 is beyond a long shot. But at this point I'm thankful I can still race, and there is a decadent meal at In-N-Out Burger waiting for me at the end. That will have to be enough.

On the Upswing

After two days of rest and travel to the West Coast I attempted my 15-mile run and was successful in finishing relatively complication free. The biggest challenge wasn't my leg or foot, but a very terrifying encounter with a dog looking pretty much like this, minus the leash.


I saw a different loose dog as I approached so I turned off the iPod, crossed the street and picked up the pace. As I passed the house, there were two smaller dogs in the fence barking furiously but the loose dog was nowhere to be seen. Then seconds later the larger, far scarier beast charged straight toward me and came within inches. I screamed, threw a water bottle at it and leaped into a muddy ditch to put some distance between us. Thankfully he retreated and didn't attack me. This was just before Mile 4 and it took quite some time to regain composure. I was running amongst ranches and lemon groves, stunningly beautiful, but opted to do nearly 9 miles on a 2-lane highway to avoid more loose dogs. Such a shame.

But the leg held up and I was able to pick up the pace in the final 4 miles, a very good sign. I wouldn't say I'm out of the woods just yet, but I feel relieved at being able to get back to the schedule even if cautiously at first. I rewarded myself afterward with some post-run refueling in Ventura.


We drove up to Central Coast wine country in the afternoon and had a lovely evening. It's breathtaking. I could just sit outside and enjoy the view from our outdoor kitchen that is roughly twice the size of my entire New York City apartment.


We lit a fire, assembled a snack buffet and enjoyed some of the day's purchases before sleeping 9 blissful hours. Vacation is a wonderful thing.

One Day You're Up, The Next You're Down. So Very Down

What a week. Work exploded and I had to retreat from the blog world and other lovely things like eating properly and sleeping. I have never felt so thinly spread in my life, not even during the final build for Ironman so that's saying a lot. I'm a master at juggling and I managed to keep most items in life afloat (minus the sleep thing). So looking back on the past 7 days, it started at an absolute high and has ended at an absolute low.


I had a good long run in Central Park followed by an incredibly fun dinner and night out with a good friend. I went to Core Fusion the next day and hopped on the train to Westchester for another great night out with a friend. Sunday was busy, but productive and happy. I had another great run, a speed work session. Life was good.

Then I woke up Monday to a nagging pain in my groin and figured it was nothing. I ran again, this time it was horrible, and work simultaneously blew up. I couldn't sleep and each day made me feel less and less like a human being. By yesterday I was in a foggy stupor and wondered how I'd keep going. But I managed to get to another core class, keep handling work, pack and prepare for my next Cali trip, and attempt another run.

Only the run didn't go well. I started out stiff and the groin pain increased as I continued. At times I didn't notice it at all, but if I stopped at a traffic light and started up again it was severe. Sitting at my desk was fine, walking around the office was unbearable. It seems to be Pubic Symphisitis (yeah folks, I don't make this shit up) and it is likely from running on black ice in less than ideal conditions and forcing my hips to stabilize. I should have just stuck to the treadmill.

I'm trying not to let it get me down. I am flying to LA tomorrow so it's a rest day, and Saturday I'll attempt a long run. I hope it goes well. I'm in my final build for the marathon so if I have to take an extended rest I'm out of the race. I've had enough 26.2 mile slogs to not need another so I won't force this race if it wasn't meant to be. Please cross your fingers for me.

The Diet Debate

Over the past few years, food has become a hot topic. It felt like everyone was reading or talking about The Omnivore's Dilemma. Many of us started questioning what we ate and realized we weren't as healthy as once thought. Then Food, Inc. came along and rocked our worlds. If you had the same reaction as I, you never saw food the same again and hopefully never ate certain things again.

Beyond exploring the origins of food, multiple theories about diet began surfacing. The Paleo Diet claims to be how we were born to eat. The China Study and upcoming film Forks Over Knives make the case for eliminating animal products entirely to combat chronic disease. More and more people are experimenting with vegetarian and even vegan lifestyles. And on the extreme end of the spectrum are the fruitarians (30 bananas a day... no joke).

How do you wade through the mountains of information and land on the right approach for you?

I've shared bits of my personal journey to better eating over the past year, often in the form of complaints or frustration. In mid-2009 I gave up all refined sugar and grains, opting for a much cleaner approach to eating. This was to increase fat metabolism and improve body composition for my first Ironman. While I desperately missed pasta, bread and chocolate, it worked. I looked and felt better than ever before and it wasn't that challenging of a change.

Following the race, I lapsed back to my old eating habits and paid the price with how I looked and felt in 2010. After struggling through two more Ironmans at sub-optimal race weight and a gluttonous offseason (see this post about a week of eating in Wisconsin, it sums it up nicely) I decided to make a change. I started with a 5-day juice cleanse to kick start a better approach to 2011 and was surprised by the results. Not only did I lose weight I have since kept off, but it drastically changed how I eat. I had to phase out sugar, alcohol, caffeine, animal protein and dairy prior to the cleanse and ease back very gradually post-cleanse. Around that time I started dating a mostly vegetarian so some foods never made it back into my diet. I had a tenfold increase in my vegetable consumption and while I've had coffee occasionally, I'm not the cracked out addict I was before.

So what does all of this mean? As an athlete I think it's incredibly hard to strike the right diet balance. We're told to eat carbs and unfortunately tend to seek highly refined sources. We're told we need protein so we overload on chicken breasts. Vegetables are lower in calories and lack "substance" so we consume far less than we should. Most of us do ok with this approach and are healthy for the most part, but I felt I could do better.

I still indulge, particularly when I go out to dinner and travel. I drink wine... a lot of wine. I eat cheese when the mood strikes even though I gave up dairy. I eat chocolate just about daily. I eat really good bread when the opportunity presents itself. I eat fish occasionally and turkey, chicken or pork even less occasionally, and since none are the mainstays of my diet, I enjoy them so much more. I feel better, I've lost 11 pounds since mid-December and am on track to reach my ideal race weight by Spring. I still haven't figured out where I live in the diet spectrum - not quite Paleo because I eat unrefined grains; not quite vegetarian because I occasionally eat meat. Since food is a passion, I'll never take it too seriously and will aim for 80-85% "good" and 15-20% "fun." Seems like a great compromise to me.

Happy People Come From California

Woke up in wintry NYC, spent my afternoon here

I've decided it's not just the cows that are happy in California, it has to be everyone unless they've never bothered to pause and notice how perfect the weather is. Just in time to stave off seasonal affect disorder, I had three blissful days in Southern California. It was the perfect combination of doing fun things that were incredibly laid back and doing absolutely nothing, which was so nice for a change.

Afternoon picnic in Malibu

With early travel and a leisurely day picnicking on the beach and drinking wine, Friday was rest. Saturday was my long run so I went to Santa Monica and ran South along the beach to Venice and back. The scenery was beautiful and the sun was shining, but I felt awful. I had a nasty cold all week and didn't do a bit of running, plus I was totally under fueled and paid for it. I still managed to enjoy it and finished it with a 60-minute massage. So not a bad day.

Sunday was pure relaxation. I slept late, had the best pancakes ever and lounged in the sun for hours. Sometimes doing nothing is more enjoyable than something and it's nice to slow down and take it all in. Even though I was on the red-eye and in the office all day I feel completely refreshed. I'd say that was the perfect weekend.

Silver Linings

During every race plan I seem to have rough patches where the best laid plans go totally awry. But rarely do the patches include a bright side. This week was the exception. Thankfully it was a rest week so I didn't miss anything critical, and ultimately gained a few things. Here's what happened:

• Monday - Came down with the latest viral plague circulating NYC. I skipped a 30' easy recovery bike, no big deal. Stayed up late packing for a Wednesday business trip to New Orleans followed by a fun weekend trip to California.
• Tuesday - Felt like a bus ran me over. Skipped another 30' easy bike and had hell break loose at work as Snowpocalypse Part III proceeded to force us to cancel the New Orleans event. I was left with no way to get to CA from NYC so I quickly found a solution and salvaged my weekend. Silver Lining Number #1.
• Wednesday - On the mend but instead of Snowpocalypse, we were blanketed in ice making the day miserable. My coach advised me not to run or bike, but said I could go to Core Fusion if I felt up to it. Silver Lining #2. I went and absolutely loved it. I also finished packing and was totally ready to go for my sunny weekend getaway.
• Thursday - Started the day with an early Core Fusion class and had my running stuff packed up for a post-work treadmill session. The day turned to crap and I worked 11 hours so the last thing I felt like was the dreadmill. I came home and had wine instead.

I made it to Core Fusion 4 times this week, which was my goal, so I may not have done any marathon training but I discovered something new that will benefit me not only in my sport, but also in my life. And the best part about this week is that it's ending in California (Silver Lining #3). I arrive tomorrow morning and intend to completely check out and enjoy my time there.