Tall Tara

I ran today for the first time in three months. Since this race. (I’m not counting an occasional CrossFit workout; running a 5k or 1600m here and there does not a running practice make.)

It may seem weird, but when you’re in a long term relationship with running like I am, it’s essential to take time off. I’m in my thirteenth year of running and I know that taking breaks from the sport is what keeps me loving it. In fact, during the three months that I wasn’t running, I was reading books about running, watching videos about running and dreaming of running.

Today’s adventure invited me to pause and notice the littlest things.

With this being my first run back, there were many things to notice. I noticed my hips and my foot strike. My hamstrings, my glutes and my ankles. My core, my arms and the feeling of my body moving. The sound of my feet on the path and my breath.

Not to mention, this little thing I noticed…

And then, to top of the day, I had a date night with my husband at a new restaurant.

Another little thing I noticed…

…how in love I still am.

Not too bad for a Monday.

I never usually write race reports. But then again, my goal for the usual race is just to finish. This year, I had an actual goal with time involved. And I had posted about it on the internets. Twice.

Since I don’t run that many races anymore, I’ve decided that when I do, I’m going to take them a bit more seriously. Not that much more seriously, because let’s remember it is me, after all…

But enough about my serious running goals, let’s talk about the Bolder Boulder as it happened almost a week ago…

–It was the first race that no carb-loading took place the night before…maybe ever? The hubby made me spaghetti squash and fried eggplant, with plantains and a salad fresh out of garden. I wasn’t missing carbs one bit and didn’t have that heavy feeling the night before the race.

–Race morning: Got up early to stretch, drink coffee and eat a banana w/ almond butter. Felt like a champ.

–Ended up in same wave as a friend and had someone to chat with for the first mile. Before I dropped her. Although, in her defense, she was suffering through a sinus infection. (Hi  Robin!)

–After parting ways with Robin, I ran the race by myself. Well, me and my watch. It’s the first time in three years that I haven’t had my husband running the race with me. I think the solo effort helped me to keep an eye on my mile splits and to push myself harder than usual. Not that he slows me down or anything, but without my husband there, I was able to fully focus on my performance. And it showed in my time.

–No water until mile 5. It felt good to keep running through the early water stations and since I rarely train with much water, I was okay not getting any until later in the race.

–After I got home and checked my results online, I realized I pulled off a negative split. Meaning that I ran the second half of the race faster than the first. This has been a goal of mine for a long time and it’s the first time I’ve actually pulled it off.

–Shaved three minutes off last year’s time, which was the very public goal that I made sure to tell everyone about. Also? I was *this close* to coming in under an hour. Like 21 seconds close. Can you guess what my goal is going to be for next year?

–Felt strong the entire time. I was passing people in the last couple of miles and that’s something I really enjoy doing. Because in years past, it wasn’t something I was doing much of.

–I did the whole thing with a busted lip. It’s a long story but suffice it to say, I’ve had prettier years running this race. (You can see a little something on my chin in the first picture and yes, it’s a big gnarly scab.)

–I honestly think that CrossFit had a lot to do with my success in this run. I didn’t do that many training runs before the race but because my core is just generally stronger, I had more power overall, less soreness in my legs and the ability to push myself when necessary. Not to mention the fact that I’ve done way more sprinting with CrossFit than ever before by myself. Sometimes I just need someone yelling at me to insure that I run short distances.

This race just gets better by the year and is the perfect start to my summer racing season. I plan to continue running this one for as long as I live in Boulder.

And because it’s apparent that I stole borrowed the photos above from Brightroom event photography, let me just say thank you to Brightroom event photography for capturing this year’s race.

(Maybe next year I’ll actually buy one? But only if you get pics of me looking good. Deal?)

Just when you thought it was safe to come back to my blog…well, it’s not. Mainly because I start another Paleo challenge today.

Why would I ever do such a thing? Oh, you mean besides this?

“Research has strongly associated the modern Western diet with the current epidemic levels of obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer.”

Well, one reason is that after the last Paleo experiment, I saw the results.

And it turns out I really like the mindfulness and challenge that go into adhering to a strict diet.

Of course, I picked a helluva week to start this thing. I know, I know…that almost sounds like a lame excuse. But with Boulder Startup Week taking place this week and a little event called Beer and Blogs that I’m helping to facilitate, I have a schedule packed with events featuring alcohol.

(Too bad I won’t be able to drink a beer. In a microbrewery. With a bunch of strangers. Talking about blogs.)

Reason #3? I’m running the Bolder Boulder in four weeks and would love to carve just a few minutes off my time. Totally doable.

Reason #4? I want to do an unassisted pullup. Or loosely translated, I want to get stronger.

And finally…this Paleo challenge, I’m in it for the metrics. Last time, we just had pictures to document our changes. This time, we’ve weighed in, taken measurements, and done two different benchmark workouts. Can you say science experiment?

(We did take more pictures, but this time, the picture is solely used in the case of a tie.)

In case you have no idea what Paleo is, here’s an easy list of what I can and cannot eat.

Other changes this time around…

• no dried fruit. I believe my coach said something to the effect of “That shit’s like candy”.
• no canola oil.
• butter is allowed. I repeat, butter is allowed. So if I get desperate at some point during the challenge, I reserve the right to eat a spoonful of butter.
• this challenge will last five weeks.
• tequila and potato vodka have been added to the list of approved alcohol; still only four drinks a week though.
• teams of two. I’ve partnered up with another finalist from the last Paleo challenge and between us, there is much potential for shit-talking and ass-kicking.
• no spousal support. My husband has decided not to join me on this adventure and knows that there will be repercussions for eating ice cream in front of me. It could get ugly.

Goodbye. For now.

That’s what my challenge looks like starting today, but what does Paleo 2.0 mean for you?

More talk about eating real food, more documenting the struggle and more sharing of recipes this go-around. According to my Lijit stats, someone keeps searching for Paleo stuffed mushrooms. Since that was one of my favorites from the last Paleo challenge, I plan on making it again AND posting the recipe here.

I have one successful Paleo challenge under my belt (top five finalist, right here)–so I know I can do it.

The question this time is can I do it without my husband. And without pissing off my new co-workers. Or killing my partner.

Stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting. At least as interesting as carb-free can get.

My birthday weekend retreat is over…as is my six-week Paleo challenge. Thanks to a thoughtful friend, I didn’t need no stinkin’ cake in order to celebrate my birthday Paleo-style. Just some pomegrante seeds and a candle.

Over the last three days, my birthday celebration has been rejuvenating.  Amazing how spending time with friends old and new, doing more jumping lunges than I can count, skiing long powdery tree runs, baking Paleo-friendly muffins, hanging with the big dogs and ending it all with a soak in the hot springs can really make a girl feel refreshed.

I spent a lot of my birthday weekend alone and there was one thought, in particular, that made me smile. I’m happier, stronger, healthier, more in love and more confident than I was ten years ago.

Take that 34.

I’m at the mid-way point of my Paleo challenge. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, perhaps it’s best to start over here with me explaining why eating like a caveman is going to be an interesting experiment.

And if you have been following me on this journey, then you already know what kind of crazy you’re dealing with and I’m excited to share the new insights from three weeks of eating the Paleo way…

• Nothing’s impossible. I mentioned this before, but when I hear people saying that there’s no way they would be able to give up sugar, I simply laugh. While it may sound trite, you really can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I’ve been off the sugar for three weeks and while I’m the first to admit that it’s a difficult thing to do, it’s FAR from impossible.

• No more Tums. My husband, blaming his “weak Jewish stomach”, used to pop Tums like they were candy. Since we’ve started with Paleo, he hasn’t needed a single one. I don’t mean that he’s weaned himself or reduced his intake…I mean the dude has not had ONE. SINGLE. CHALKY. TABLET. If you know this Jew stomach I speak of, you know that this is in fact a Paleo miracle.

• Vivid dreams. My coach warned that we might experience some changes in our sleep. I figured she just meant that we’d get more and better sleep, which has been true. But the biggest sleep-associated change I’ve noticed has been in my dreams…they’re really intense, action-packed and at some point in the night, involve a dessert. And most of the time, the dream desserts are ones that I’ve never even seen in real life. Like mint chocolate mochi sandwiches?

• Forced creativity in the kitchen. Creativity blossoms when limitations are imposed. Just because we can’t have flour doesn’t mean that we can’t have pancakes. No pasta, no problem. In addition to Paleo pancakes, my husband has blown me away with substitutions for a wide variety of our favorite dishes…from eggplant parmesan to stuffed mushrooms, hollandaise sauce to sorbet. Is this guy for real?

Photo courtesy of Andrew Hyde's phone

• Compliments. I’ve heard everything from “your skin looks dewy” (which I think is a good thing) to “your hair looks shiny”. Add in the people who’ve told me I look lean and the ones who’ve mentioned that my face seems thinner, well, hot damn. Not to mention that my CrossFit coach said that she saw my bicep bulging early one morning. (You do have tickets, right? For the gun show?)

• I’m discovering new foods. That I like. Included in this group are parsnips, turnips, brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, flaxseed meal (really?) and kale. Vegetables that I may have turned down in the past seem Different! New! Exciting! I never thought I would be saying such things about a parsnip.

• The Paleo effect on my period. (Skip to next bullet point NOW if you don’t want to read about my menstrual cycle.) My period started a full week early on this diet. According to other women who have undergone similar nutrition changes, my metabolism is revved up, which can wreak havoc on hormones. Like my fancy scientific explanation? Basically, with crazy surging hormones, my cycle is responding the only way it knows how.

• The Paleo effect on my wallet. At first, I bitched about how much money I was spending at the grocery store to eat real food. What I forgot about was the fact that we’re not really eating out anymore. And that we cook a lot for dinner each night to insure that we have leftovers the next day for lunch. Not to mention, we’re now Costco members. Say what you want, nuts really are cheaper there.

• The Paleo effect on the rest of my life. If I can do this, forget about it. I find myself watching other people eat shitty processed food and I feel stronger. Like I’ve accomplished something by saying no when asked, again, if I want a cookie. In fact, I like to take every opportunity to make people feel guilty about the disgusting crap they’re putting in their bodies. “That cookie? No thanks…I don’t eat stuff like that.” I may not have cured cancer, but the sense of accomplishment that I’m relishing in these days is almost as good as a cupcake. (I’m obviously carb-depleted.)

• It’s important to realize what you once had. Like cheese. I miss you. Oh to be surrounded by you again…

• You can fool people into eating Paleo with you. I found inspiration from Andrew Hyde, who pulled the Paleo trick on a dinner party of around twenty. We’ve done it twice now and it’s fun. Even for hardcore chicks from Montana. Who thought you might serve them “twigs and dirt”. That’s a quote from Montana, herself.

• Sparkling water is the new coconut milk. Okay, not really, because nothing takes the place of my one and only sweet love. But a glass of Pellegrino with a fresh-cut lemon sure can make you feel like a million bucks. OR at least make you feel like you’re drinking a cocktail that cost nine dollars. Amazing how fizzy bubbles have the ability to make things better. (Score one for Alka-Seltzer’s marketing team.)

Half-way there, I remind myself.

It takes 21 days to form a good habit, I remind myself.

I’m doing it for the bikini and for Belize, I remind myself.

All that being said, I’m not going to lie…this challenge is hard and I have momentary thoughts about cheating. When I smell that fresh bread out of the oven or the waft of a Frito in a meeting, for a second I consider the option of only eating a bite. Then, I realize what that one bite would symbolize and instead, simply decide to enjoy the smell.

But more importantly, I don’t cheat because there are three weeks left in this challenge and although he’s my friend, I would hate it for Andrew Hyde to win this thing.

After all, Mama needs some spending money on her honeymoon.

I love my mom.

But I also love to make fun of her. I’m pretty sure she knows that. We are a family that likes to laugh and this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time that she’s been the subject of my jokes.

(Don’t even get me started about when she was sentenced to federal prison. A comedy tsunami.)

With that disclaimer out of the way, I really enjoy it when my mom leaves comments on my blog. She doesn’t do it often but when she does, there is definitely a reason for it.

Sometimes she’s adding detail and perspective to an experience I’ve tried to recount…adding in her memories of the event. Like on my dysplasia post, when she shed light in the comments about one aspect of wearing a spica cast as an infant that I hadn’t thought much about…

The Bone Dr. had to cut the cast off about every six weeks because it would stink because of the urine and poop that would get on it. Since I was a Pediatric Nurse and worked with the Dr., he always let me take you up to Peds and put you into the bathtub and scrub you. Your skin got real scaly under the cast. You always liked that! Then I took you back to the cast room and he would put a new one on. That happened a number of times. What an experience!

Awesome Mom. Thanks for the visual. I hope you weren’t eating while reading this.

Other times, my mom is very excited about something I posted. And she just can’t hide it.

On the engagement post I wrote, lots of friends left comments and kind words. But my mom had to make sure everyone knew how happy she was, by leaving the following comment…

NO ONE COULD EVER BE HAPPIER THEN THE ONES WHO HAVE KNOWN TARA THE LONGEST…MOM AND DAD. IT DOES OUR HEARTS GOOD TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY IS ADAM ROMANTIC, AND JUST RIGHT FOR TARA. HE IS ALSO JUST RIGHT FOR OUR FAMILY! SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM AND TARA AND THE ENTIRE ANDERSON FAMILY!

Does she know she’s screaming? And does she know that she’s congratulating herself and the entire family? While screaming?

The final example of the perfect blog comment from my mom is one that showcases how badly she wants grandchildren. This is not a secret and I think she sees the comment box as an opportunity to publicly dole out some virtual guilt.

I wrote an innocent post about the eraser collection I had as a child and this is what she had to say about that…

You forgot to mention the erasers are from all over the world. One of the reasons for collecting them, as mementos from the various countries we visited, was the fact they were small enough to pack, I also have an eraser collection, which wull be willed to my first grand-child, Motivation, Huh? Mom

It’s subtle. And you could miss it if you blink. But the guilt is carefully crafted and I do believe that last bit could be construed as a bribe.

However, she hasn’t commented in months and I’m left wondering…

Mom, why don’t you comment anymore? Is it because I haven’t been commenting on your blog?

Leave a comment Ma and let me know you’re not dead on the side of the road.

This is Day 14 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to share a little bit of what I love about living in Boulder.

I know, I know…first I’m praising the skirts, now it’s the pants. What can I say? There are just some activities that call for a piece of clothing that allow you to throw a leg up or stretch out wide to find a foot hold. Bouldering is just such an activity and Verve pants are exactly what to wear when attempting such moves.

It seems like I'm defying gravity on this bouldering problem. Maybe I should rotate the picture?

I worked at a gear store when I first moved to town and Verve was a local brand that was featured in the store. The company was started by a famous climber, Christian Griffith, who had been making these bomber pants and selling them out of his garage for years. In addition to being well-made, the pants allow for ease of movement, have no pockets to get in the way of a climbing harness and are super comfortable. Then, on top of all that, they last forever. In terms of what to wear when climbing*, Verve pants are right up there next to your climbing shoes.

When checking out Verve online, I discovered some interesting facts about the company. I had heard stories about Christian’s climbing, but I didn’t know much about the evolution of his business. He went from selling chalk bags to clothing, all through word of mouth within the international climbing community. Christian was one of the very first sponsored climbers and in order to get some free marketing, he would wear his Verve pants to an Oakley photo shoot. He catered to a specific niche back when climbing was a specific niche.

As if I didn’t already just feel good wearing his pants, I then go on to find out that over 90% of Verve’s pants are hand sewn by four grandmothers in town. (While I’m as glad as the next guy that these grandmothers have jobs, I thought Boulder for sure had laws against grandparent labor.)

And for the record, I bought my Verve capris and extra long pants (yet another reason to love Christian…very few companies make extra long pants) in summer 2003. I’m still wearing them.

*Apparently, those who do yoga also think highly of these pants. And just as soon as I go back to yoga and stop talking about going back to yoga, then perhaps I’ll be better suited to talk about what an awesome yoga pant Verve is. Gah. I need to go to yoga.

Sometimes I can be stubborn. When the universe tries to teach me something, I believe that it keeps trying until that lesson sinks in.

I had something shiny, fast, fun and reliable taken from me today.

It sucks and it’s not even the first time I’ve had a bike stolen.

When I walked out of work to find my bike gone, I started reacting as I have in the past — getting angry, tears welling up, feeling sorry for myself, looking around suspiciously, and wanting answers to my many questions.

But what I didn’t expect was to feel something new.

Gratitude.

I have another bike to ride.

I have my health, good friends and an amazing husband.

I have a job and a family that loves me.

What I don’t have anymore is a road bike and while she will be missed (she was my first roadie, after all), I won’t forget her. I completed two triathlons with her and she helped me to realize that going fast could be fun. You can take away the bike, but you can’t take away the love I have for riding a bike.

Fortunately, I have research on my side with this one.

Lesson # 15,934:

You shouldn’t let your possessions possess you.

And, in happier biking news, check out a bicycle-sharing program that sounds awesome and will hopefully be coming to a town near you soon!

Imagine that…sharing bikes instead of stealing them.

[updated 4.26--I had to take that b-cycle video down because it automatically started without anyone pushing play. Sorry for the annoyance. But go check out the video on their site!]