BYOB

The March/April issue of Women's Running features an awesome online service that allows you to build your own bar. YouBar was created by a mother and her marathoner son, putting a healthy spin on customizing your own nutritional energy snack. With nearly 50 different ingredients such as peanuts, goji berries, and almond butter, you can now tailor a bar to your own tastes that also meets your dietary needs. The website is easy to use, and while you are building your masterpiece a complete nutritional facts list appears in the upper right corner and quickly crunches the numbers as you customize your creation. The coolest part? You get to name your bar. I'm still working on that. Clairathon bar? Last call bar? Bar belle? The options are endless. Check it out!

We Can Do It

My marathon training plan had tapered down to a mere 15 miles this last weekend, and I was wondering where on earth I would find the drive and energy to knock this one out. With less than four weeks until showtime, I must admit that I am tired.

My running group rocks. This year I happen to be the only one training for the marathon, but I haven't run a single long run solo. The ladies have changed their schedules, e-mailed encouraging words, and staggered start times to make sure that someone is running with me the entire distance. I cannot believe how awesome these women are.

I have had some difficulty navigating through a most useful website, Mapmyrun.com, and while I can't imagine a running life without it, I am still having to consult my fellow runner, Kathy, to help me out. She graduated from Duke so I figure she can do anything. Sure enough, she whizzed through the program and provided us with a beautiful 15 mile run.

We tried something new, the PowerBar Gel Blasts in cola flavor. They taste like the good old gummy coke bottle candies I used to love as a child, and they pack a pretty nice little energy punch. I love them!

So thanks to my running mates, I completed my training assignment feeling stronger than I had imagined.

Hard Core

I have found that Runner's World has the most thorough and helpful online site. Throughout my preparation to run the Napa Valley Marathon, I have become hooked on the heading Training. (And I must admit that while it's not nearly as interesting, I have more recently been consulting the heading Motivation.) So I found a great article called FAST ABS.

I have been intermittently faithful to some kind of powder puff routine of basic crunches, but as the article criticises, one really needs to work the deep core muscles to truly make a difference and provide the stability and strength that running mile after mile requires. The benefits not only lend themselves to speed, endurance, and hill work, but also prevent common injuries involving the knees, lower back, and hamstrings.

There is a detailed description and drawing of each exercise and the recommendation is that this 15 minute workout be done right before or after running, three times a week. It seems that is a minimal commitment that could produce monumental reward. I am starting today.

And to celebrate my efforts, I am going to exercise my baking skills and try a Strawberry Rose Buttercream cupcake recipe from my friend Gale. They sound delicious and they're pink.

Twisted Sister

My sister is older, wiser, taller, more focused, and did I mention wiser? Well one day she had a colossal lapse in judgement and calmly asked if I wanted to run the 2007 Los Angeles Marathon with her. This would have made sense had either of us been runners.

I had been jogging somewhere between two to four miles on a somewhat regular basis over the past several months, but my sister was more of a hiker, a fast walker, a swimmer, and a shopper.

As the younger sibling I rarely hesitate to do what my big sister tells me to do, so that was it. Still in shock and full of fear, I signed up for the marathon.

My sister joined a group called the LA Leggers , a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that offers members training and an educational program that enables individuals to attain their own personal goals in running half and full marathons. I was most impressed.

We trained for months and ran our longest run together during the Christmas holiday, and before we knew it that weekend was upon us. The temperature was uncomfortably warm, somewhere in the 80's. The race started later than usual, the sun was out, the course was hilly, and the crowds were thick. It was more difficult than I expected and I repeatedly chanted "don't ever do this again" in my head.

So now as I am training for another marathon I occasionally ask myself why on earth I am doing this. Then I remember where I got my crazy. My sister. She never ceases to amaze me. And while her running wings have temporarily been clipped due to giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, I can't wait to run the next race with her.

With one month left in my marathon training, I am dedicating all of this hard work to my sister. I would have never accomplished this without her.

A Pinot by any other name...

Upon completion of my 19 mile run on Saturday, I headed for St. Helena Cyclery, the closest source of Clifbar's Clif Shot recovery drink. Much to my dismay they were closed! So disappointing. I have yet to try this product, and while I favor vanilla vs chocolate, I am eager to sample both. My other local supplier, the Napa Running Company is a good 20 minutes away. Too far in a time of need. So I skipped across the street and consulted another local home to the "recovery drink", the St. Helena Wine Center. I purchased a bottle of Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007 as my own little reward for the three and a half hour run under my belt.

My father is an amazing cook, and lucky for me, my parents live close by. He has lately been inspired by a french cookbook, The Complete Robuchon, by Joel Robuchon. All I heard from the recipe was chicken and creme fraiche and I was sold! It was amazing, and well paired with Pinot.

Tasting notes include aromas of cherry, plum, raspberry, violet, pepper, and strawberry. It's all very nice, and then they throw in something absurd but surely accurate, like black fruits, cola and leather... whatever. I very much enjoyed the wine. It is delicate but deliberate. I would almost run 19 miles for it again.


"To create a little flower is the labor of ages." - Blake, William

Mix it up

The Rookie Marathon Training Plan I am following delegates Mondays as cross training days. The idea is to mix it up for one day a week and the suggestions include "walking, biking, swimming, and any other activity that does not involve running." So I thought about it and I came up with baking! Does that count? Probably not.

Over the years my sister has supported and even encouraged my obsession with the color pink by gifting me with many of the fabulous, pink kitchenAid appliances. They make cooking or baking an absolute delight.

So I assembled my pink standing mixer and decided to whip up some cupcakes, another obsession, to celebrate a birthday at work. Running out of time instead of energy, for once, I must admit I cheated and used the Betty Crocker Super Moist dark chocolate cake mix. However, I did take the time to find an amazing recipe for a bittersweet chocolate frosting from the Epicurious website. It is unbelievably delicious. I would make it again and again. For a splash of color I topped each cupcake with a fresh raspberry. People cannot stop raving about them.

While it was a nice and necessary diversion from the schedule, it only took a couple of cupcakes to convince me to get back to running.

What are friends for?

Friends are for getting you up and out of bed, out the door and ready to run by 6:30 a.m. on a cold Saturday morning.

I am nearing the end of week eleven of The Rookie Marathon Training Plan, which today calls for an "Easy 17-18 miles." Sure. Just take it easy while you repeatedly pound pavement for three hours. Most enjoyable. I was about to throw in the towel when two of my running friends joined me and propelled me through most of these miserable miles. Thank-you Missy, I now call Missy Mitochondria (you have never seen anyone pull power out of a hat like this fiery Italiana) and thank-you Gale, a.k.a. Gale Force Wind (ridiculously strong, fast, and quietly persuasive).

Running 17.5 miles does not feel good. I belted up with Strawberry Gatorade which I bought because I liked the color, and have remained faithful to the black cherry Clif Bar shot bloks. So we set out in about 39 degree weather and ran through forests, vineyards, and neighborhoods for about three hours, until my vision was blurred, my feet were numb, my patience had thinned, and 17.5 miles were finally behind me!

The reward? I made myself a breakfast sandwich with the world's best english muffin from The Model Bakery, topped with egg and prosciutto. Delightful.