I don't have a cute way to say it, and my husband and I didn't take any of those cute announcement pictures you see on Facebook, so I'll just say it: I'm pregnant! We're expecting a baby mid-July, and I just completed the first trimester.
What does this mean for Treading on the Heights? I've gotten the go-ahead from my doctor to keep running, and I plan to do so until as late as possible in the pregnancy. So, I'm excited to blog about pregnancy and running!
In the early weeks, I didn't have morning sickness, but I felt sick if I got too hungry, including while running. I was also constantly exhausted, and didn't manage to run more than about five miles at a time, running four or five times a week. That has passed, for the most part. I've recently completed a few nine-milers and am back to running six days a week.
When we found out about the baby (and even before), I really enjoyed reading blogs about running through pregnancy, and I'm looking forward to sharing my journey here!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Friday, November 1, 2013
Friday Five: El Paso Running Weirdness
I grew up in a part of Texas that sees regular precipitation (usually), and therefore maintains a certain amount of humidity and boasts abundant vegetation. We lived briefly in Georgia, and the same can be said of the climate there. So, running in El Paso is a different experience.
Despite the weird, and minus the creepy wildlife, I've loved being a transplant to El Paso!
The Five Strangest Things About Running in El Paso
1. Crunching dirt curls instead if leaves in the fall. Man, I miss leaves.
2. Sweat evaporates. Instantly. It's great--I can go to the grocery store after I run without changing. But that salt residue can be embarrassing.
3. There is almost no grass whatsoever to run on. There's also no grass in anyone's yard.
4. Tacos after races are a thing. Sometimes taco trucks. Taco-less locales are seriously missing out.
5. The wildlife: other places, you might see a bunny or a deer on your morning run. Here, I regularly see coyotes, quail, and enormous jackrabbits, along with the occasional rattlesnake, non-rattle-snake, tarantula, and escaped chihuahua.
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| This picture gives me the creeps. But I took it. |
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| And this one. |
Thursday, October 31, 2013
October Summary
Happy End of October! Yes, I know it's Halloween.
This year, though we don't have kids, my husband and I have been talking a great deal about Halloween, and what exactly Christians should do with the holiday. I dislike the gory, grotesque imagery it's become steeped in recently. (I say recently, could it be I just didn't notice this stuff as a kid?) A house in my neighborhood has severed heads on its lawn. But I do like costumes, and it could be so fun for kids, minus the scariness.
In the course of our conversation, we've read several articles about the topic. This one is a good place to start. It gives the history of the holiday and discusses Christian options. I like to hear thoughts on this, so if your family has a cool Halloween celebration or alternative, let me know in the comments! As for us, we participated in a Trunk-or-Treat last week and tonight we're helping at our church's fall festival.
Anyway, on to the summary!
1. About 80 miles. I cut my running mileage and did some cross-training (pool and weights) to let my foot rest and heal. Which brings us to...
2. The foot is feeling a little better. That is, when I take care of it. When I forget to ice and stretch, it lets me know.
3. I bought my first pair of ankle-length tights in, well, ever. Yes, I had been braving winter runs in leftover high-school tights--you know, the extremely shiny ones that are impossible to get your foot out of. It was time.
1. Suddenly, new readers! In October, my blog views more than tripled. So if you're a new reader, welcome! And thanks for reading!
2. Nine books. I kind of went through a reading slump, which might have had something to do with reading Tolkien's The Book of Lost Tales: Part 1 of The History of Middle Earth. It was dense. I finished, but I don't recommend it unless you're really, really into Tolkien.
Highlights:
Looking for Alaska by John Green. This summer, John Green broke my heart in The Fault in Our Stars. (If you haven't read it, do it! But only if you want to cry). Looking for Alaska was his first novel, and I loved it.
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive A Mass Extinction by Annalee Newitz. Though this was not what I was expecting (I expected more strategies for surviving things like earthquakes, asteroids, and the zombiepocalypse, and it's actually about how the human race will survive), it was still an interesting read.
3. I discovered baked apples. At a corn maze and rib cook-off in Las Cruces, we sampled about eighteen different ribs (that's too many ribs, in case you were wondering), and where I traded both of my dessert tickets for this deliciousness:
4. And finally, my favorite image from fall so far:
This year, though we don't have kids, my husband and I have been talking a great deal about Halloween, and what exactly Christians should do with the holiday. I dislike the gory, grotesque imagery it's become steeped in recently. (I say recently, could it be I just didn't notice this stuff as a kid?) A house in my neighborhood has severed heads on its lawn. But I do like costumes, and it could be so fun for kids, minus the scariness.
In the course of our conversation, we've read several articles about the topic. This one is a good place to start. It gives the history of the holiday and discusses Christian options. I like to hear thoughts on this, so if your family has a cool Halloween celebration or alternative, let me know in the comments! As for us, we participated in a Trunk-or-Treat last week and tonight we're helping at our church's fall festival.
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| The least-scary car of them all: we decorated as a Texas A&M tailgate party. |
Anyway, on to the summary!
October Running Things
1. About 80 miles. I cut my running mileage and did some cross-training (pool and weights) to let my foot rest and heal. Which brings us to...
2. The foot is feeling a little better. That is, when I take care of it. When I forget to ice and stretch, it lets me know.
3. I bought my first pair of ankle-length tights in, well, ever. Yes, I had been braving winter runs in leftover high-school tights--you know, the extremely shiny ones that are impossible to get your foot out of. It was time.
October Non-Running Things
1. Suddenly, new readers! In October, my blog views more than tripled. So if you're a new reader, welcome! And thanks for reading!
2. Nine books. I kind of went through a reading slump, which might have had something to do with reading Tolkien's The Book of Lost Tales: Part 1 of The History of Middle Earth. It was dense. I finished, but I don't recommend it unless you're really, really into Tolkien.
Highlights:
Looking for Alaska by John Green. This summer, John Green broke my heart in The Fault in Our Stars. (If you haven't read it, do it! But only if you want to cry). Looking for Alaska was his first novel, and I loved it.
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive A Mass Extinction by Annalee Newitz. Though this was not what I was expecting (I expected more strategies for surviving things like earthquakes, asteroids, and the zombiepocalypse, and it's actually about how the human race will survive), it was still an interesting read.
3. I discovered baked apples. At a corn maze and rib cook-off in Las Cruces, we sampled about eighteen different ribs (that's too many ribs, in case you were wondering), and where I traded both of my dessert tickets for this deliciousness:
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| Don't let the rib distract you from the amazingness of this apple. |
I think baked apples just sounded dry and not desserty enough in the past. Oh, how wrong I was. I'm going to try to replicate it in my kitchen sometime.
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| Hiking in Cloudcroft, NM |
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Guess What Time It Is!
It's that time of year again, folks! What time of year? When it's annoyingly dark late into the morning and early into the evening? Well, that too, but I'm talking about NaNoWriMo. In case you weren't aware, November is National Novel Writing Month.
Besides running, one of my other passions is writing (and reading!) I've participated in NaNoWriMo before, and found it to be just the kick-start I needed.
I'm not saying you can't write a novel any other time of the year. But NaNoWriMo is fun. The website has helpful writing tools, weekly pep talks from published authors, and, best of all, motivation. There is no better motivation than telling people you are participating in NaNoWriMo. When November ends, you won't want to tell them you dropped out and didn't write your 50,000 words. So, if you think you might have a novel, memoir, or book of non-fiction in you, there's no time like now to give it a go!
I'm not saying you can't write a novel any other time of the year. But NaNoWriMo is fun. The website has helpful writing tools, weekly pep talks from published authors, and, best of all, motivation. There is no better motivation than telling people you are participating in NaNoWriMo. When November ends, you won't want to tell them you dropped out and didn't write your 50,000 words. So, if you think you might have a novel, memoir, or book of non-fiction in you, there's no time like now to give it a go!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Friday Five: Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading
Not all of these are brand-new or coming out soon, but they're all new to me!
1) Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath
This came out October 8th, and I just got on the waiting list for it at the library. It's a look at how eating, moving, and sleeping affect our health, along with practical, research-based ideas for maximizing the ways we benefit from them.
If you're a runner, there's a good chance you've heard of George Sheehan. A past medical editor of Runner's World magazine and the author of several books on running, he has no doubt had a profound impact on the sport. This new collection of his best running articles comes out October 29th.
3) The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein
3) The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein
Out since August, this is one I'm really excited about! It's a discussion of genetics and sports performance and the questions we have all wondered about as athletes: What makes someone great at their sport? How much of an athlete's ability is nature, and how much nurture? Why can two athletes complete the same training and respond differently?
4) Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan
Pollan's new book came out in April, but I hadn't heard of it until yesterday. Having enjoyed his earlier books on food, I'm interested in his take on cooking. In Cooked, he writes of his experiences learning from masters of a wide variety of culinary techniques, and comments on our modern removal from food preparation by relying on the food industry to do much of it for us.
5) David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
I always learn something when I read Malcolm Gladwell, and I expect his new book to be no exception. His exploration of the history and science of underdogs was published October 1.
Bonus: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step-by-Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations by Ree Drummond
I didn't include this in the five, because it's a cookbook and not technically a book you read (though I have been known to actually read my cookbooks). If you don't read The Pioneer Woman, you really should. Her writing is hilarious, her recipes are delicious, and her photos are gorgeous. I'm sure her new holiday cookbook will be more of the same! Look for it October 29.
4) Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan
Pollan's new book came out in April, but I hadn't heard of it until yesterday. Having enjoyed his earlier books on food, I'm interested in his take on cooking. In Cooked, he writes of his experiences learning from masters of a wide variety of culinary techniques, and comments on our modern removal from food preparation by relying on the food industry to do much of it for us.
5) David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
I always learn something when I read Malcolm Gladwell, and I expect his new book to be no exception. His exploration of the history and science of underdogs was published October 1.
Bonus: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step-by-Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations by Ree Drummond
I didn't include this in the five, because it's a cookbook and not technically a book you read (though I have been known to actually read my cookbooks). If you don't read The Pioneer Woman, you really should. Her writing is hilarious, her recipes are delicious, and her photos are gorgeous. I'm sure her new holiday cookbook will be more of the same! Look for it October 29.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Dealing with Disappointment
This past Saturday, October 19, I had hoped and planned to run a 50k at Palo Duro Canyon. But I didn't. Because of my foot injury.
On an injury-healing level, I am okay with this. It's probably not smart to run 31 miles on a foot that doesn't feel great at less than half that distance. But on a competitive, race-loving level, I am pretty disappointed, to say the least.
And so, since I am a list person, a list of things that are helping me be less disappointed.
1. God has a plan. You know the saying, "When one door closes, another door opens?" This is one way God works. When what I wanted isn't working out, chances are it's because He has something different in mind. His plan is always perfect--He is the God who works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
And I know this. My head knows this, at least. But it's hard to believe on a deeper level sometimes, because it doesn't always translate to immediate, tangible results. I can rarely say right away, "I see! This happened because you had this in store for me, Lord!" I just have to trust that His plan is perfect whether I ever see His reasons.
2. If I'd tried, it could have gone badly. I am very much a "what-if?" person, and I hate the thought of dropping out almost as much as not starting (this iRunFar article on dropping pretty much sums up how I'd feel about it, although I don't have sponsors). I could have had to drop out because of my foot, or I could have finished the race and done significant damage, further postponing my return to running. What-ifs don't usually keep me from doing things, but in this case, the risk was probably greater than the benefit.
3. There will be other races. Not right away. The El Paso area has a dearth of ultras and is far from pretty much everywhere that has an abundance of ultras, so I don't know for sure when my next long race will be. But I am confident that I didn't just miss my last chance to run a 50k ever. And that is comforting. In the bigger picture of my long-term running career, this one race is just that: one race.
4. I can just run. Because I'm no longer training for anything in particular, I can just run how I feel and enjoy it, and give thanks for every run I have on which my foot feels decent. And maybe that's what I need right now.
On an injury-healing level, I am okay with this. It's probably not smart to run 31 miles on a foot that doesn't feel great at less than half that distance. But on a competitive, race-loving level, I am pretty disappointed, to say the least.
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| Here! Here is where I wanted to run! Image from: TPWD |
And so, since I am a list person, a list of things that are helping me be less disappointed.
1. God has a plan. You know the saying, "When one door closes, another door opens?" This is one way God works. When what I wanted isn't working out, chances are it's because He has something different in mind. His plan is always perfect--He is the God who works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
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| image from: www.uwood.net |
2. If I'd tried, it could have gone badly. I am very much a "what-if?" person, and I hate the thought of dropping out almost as much as not starting (this iRunFar article on dropping pretty much sums up how I'd feel about it, although I don't have sponsors). I could have had to drop out because of my foot, or I could have finished the race and done significant damage, further postponing my return to running. What-ifs don't usually keep me from doing things, but in this case, the risk was probably greater than the benefit.
3. There will be other races. Not right away. The El Paso area has a dearth of ultras and is far from pretty much everywhere that has an abundance of ultras, so I don't know for sure when my next long race will be. But I am confident that I didn't just miss my last chance to run a 50k ever. And that is comforting. In the bigger picture of my long-term running career, this one race is just that: one race.
4. I can just run. Because I'm no longer training for anything in particular, I can just run how I feel and enjoy it, and give thanks for every run I have on which my foot feels decent. And maybe that's what I need right now.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Monday Munching: Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars
It's Monday.
I hope your Monday face doesn't look like the grumpy cat's, who, by the way, is my favorite cat on the internet. She doesn't have anything to do with this post; I just really love the grumpy cat.
I've been meaning to share this recipe for a while, mostly because it has revolutionized breakfast, and mornings in general, at my house. I spend much of my Pinterest time (when I'm not looking at grumpy cat pictures) looking for healthy recipes. Healthy lunch and dinners are easier, but healthy breakfasts were another story. We eat a lot of smoothies, but you can only eat smoothies every day for so long before it starts to get old. And if I'm heading out on a long run and want to eat first, I don't exactly want to take the time to make one. I had been seeing tons of pins for homemade larabars, so I decided to try them out. (I'm calling mine fruit and nut bars because I think Larabars is actually a brand name). I started out with the recipe here, but I changed it up so much I'm going to share my own.
Fruit and Nut Bars
1+ cups pitted dates
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds, or other seeds or nuts
1 cup dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, or a mixture
pinch of salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons honey
optional: shredded dried coconut, a dash of vanilla, lemon or lime juice, cinnamon, etc.
In a food processor, pulse almonds and seeds until finely chopped. Pour into a bowl. Add all other ingredients to food processor, and process until mashed and mixed together. If it forms a ball, stop and break it up. Then add nuts again and process until mixed. Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch square pan and chill before cutting into bars. You can leave them in the pan and cut as needed (what I do), or remove them all and package separately for convenience.
I eat these before long runs and have even taken them with me to eat on the run. They digest pretty easily, and you can change the proportion of fruit to nuts if it doesn't work for you. There are endless possible variations, so I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing every morning. And a pretty short prep time leaves me with enough bars for about a week! Perfect.
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