Maca Root Powder, Hoka One One Cliftons, and SO MUCH RUNNING.

First of all, I was looking at my Strava data and look at this! See that really tall spike in June? That was 66.8 miles, BUT 50 of those miles were when I went crazy because I was injured and decided to bike 50 miles to make up for it. And no, I don't bike. And yes, my butt did hurt. I also got brutally sunburned because apparently that happens on a bike? Anyway, the highlighted bar in February is my current highest RUNNING week mileage, which weirdly also adds up to 66.8. I am such a believer in MAF training, because I had no idea this kind of mileage was possible on my body without injury. *KNOCKS ON ALL THE WOOD*

Things I've learned this week: running 32 miles and then trying to continue training by running six miles two days later is going to suck. The third day (12 miles) isn't any better. And the 4th day (8 miles) is probably going to feel worse. However, if you go to bed earlier than your Grandmother at 7:45pm on a Thursday night, 12 hours of sleep should do your legs some good. SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT. Don't be that person thinking you can squeak by with 4-5 hours and be perfectly normal. You're either a freak of nature, or you're lying to yourself.

I thought my recovery from the 32 mile would be a little bit faster than it was. Then again, it is quite a feat to conquer, so I'm amazed that my legs were able to continue as tired as they were. The soreness was primarily in my quads, I think from the 1300 ft of gain that I wasn't prepared for. It was a bad time to move my office seat to the 2nd floor. :| Stairs were not my friend.

Surprisingly, my paces weren't too shabby despite the extremely heavy and sore legs. It was reminiscent of the days when I was sore from horse back riding, but not as bad I guess. I cranked out one of my fastest runs ever on Thursday. A 10:05 pace average for 8 miles. The weird thing is that it felt slow! I have made major progress since the last time I did this run in early December, considering that this is after my 50k and my legs were still so sore. I chopped 50 seconds a mile off in three months! I'm sure it's even more if I actually gave my legs a break long enough to let blood flow back.

Earlier this morning (MUCH earlier) I finished my longest run of the week. A measly 24 miles.

Just kidding, it's not measly. In fact, I kept longingly gazing into the ocean and any hotel pools that I passed by. I was so tempted to jump in to give my legs an icy relief. They just aren't used to so much abuse! The temperatures were also quickly rising, despite me getting out of the house at 7am. Sorry East Coast/Mid West, but our temps are actually pretty warm out here. It was 78 degrees in our house mid day.

The heat was rough on me, and by 12 miles my heart rate started climbing past my 149 MAF hr. I managed to keep it at or below 160 for the remainder. The sun was brutal, as you might be able to tell from my wicked runner's tan line. I guess that's one downfall of the compression socks.

Prior to the run I freaked out because I realized I didn't order any Injinji toe socks to keep my little toe blister at bay. I found this awesome wiki page that showed step by step instructions on taping, as well as describing the different types of tape and methods. I'm definitely bookmarking it. The tape actually worked out great. I felt my toe hurting a little at the end because of the swelling, but it remained blister free!

Oh, and I got new Hoka One One Clifton's! As usual, they were a dream straight out of the box. I really wish the tongue was thicker. I put in both of the insoles to give a tighter fit, but they were cushy and a smooth ride. I didn't realize that my shoe collection is skewing sharply to the Teal/Yellow/orange, but at least it's consistent? I'll be alternating between the Hoka One One Valor's and the Cliftons for the next couple of weeks. Possibly my Altra Olympus' if my toes start to feel too cramped.

My shoe lineup. Valors - Cliftons - Nike Wildhorse

The Cliftons!

And that's about it over here! I have another 10 miler tomorrow, and then lots and lots of gardening!

A last little note I wanted to share is my recipe for my new favorite shake EVER. Again, I need to post a disclaimer saying that I may not be the best judge of taste right now. I haven't had sugary or carby foods in months now, so...yeah.

I recently discovered Maca root Powder. I wanted to balance out my hormones a bit for training and health reasons. Turns out it also gives a great energy boost and is a sort of superfood. Some people apparently are turned off by the taste, but weirdly I enjoy it. A LOT. I was so excited at the malty texture and subtly sweet taste it gave my smoothies.

My smoothie ingredients

So what do I do? I use my little Magic Bullet blender, and fill it about 1/3 full of crushed ice. I then put in a cup to a cup and a half of Flax Milk, unsweetened (or unsweetened Vanilla). I have tried a lot of non-dairy milks and this one hands down is my favorite as far as texture and flavor. I also put in a tablespoon of almond butter for some fat and calories, and a tablespoon of chia seeds for the Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Lastly, I use some stevia drops for flavor. I've been using the Vanilla Bean and the Peppermint drops (just maybe 3-5 drops of each) from Sweet Leaf. Blend it up and it's sooo good and filling.

I'm not into artificial sweeteners but I do like that stevia comes from an actual plant. These add just a hint of sweetness without the sugar. Oh so good!!!

That's all! Enjoy your weekends! Don't forget about Daylight Savings!