I’m one of those people that is either going full speed or not moving. I don’t have any gears in between, which doesn’t work very well when coming back from an injury. My mind says “slow down” and “gently increase mileage” and my body says “sprint up this hill,” “pick up the pace,” and “no need to walk.”

I know I should be running at a much slower pace and mixing in walking to decrease the stress on my body (which has been very clear in the past that I was pushing too hard too fast), but once I put on my shoes and I get outside, all of those rational thoughts fall away.

But I know that the only way to reach my goal of finishing my half marathon in October is to slow down and learn to be rational while running and take preventative measures like walking even if I feel great when I’m running. And all of the hills along my long run beach route sure do help make walking seem like a great idea.

Part of getting myself to let go and slow down is to run by time instead of miles. I’m following a modified version of Lululemon’s Sea Wheeze training guide, and three of the four weekly runs are by time. This mean that when I’m walking I’m not focusing on how many miles I have left and how long it will take, instead I am still outside doing what the training guide told me to do, moving in a forward direction for a specific amount of time.

Mixing in walking has actually made my runs more enjoyable, and now that I have finished a nearly 7 mile run, hills and all (something previously thought impossible) I’m feeling stronger and more prepared. Now I just need to make it through my 8 mile run next week.

When I signed up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon I envisioned myself training for six months and then running the entire thing without stopping to meet an impressive time goal.

That idea has passed and it has set in that I am facing a new reality. With a knee injury that kept me from running for 2 months and then a foot injury delaying my training another month, I am extremely off track. Now that I have my knee and foot better, my shin is acting up from starting to dive into training too quickly, which has yet again left me with my running shoes on the floor and my feet up on the couch.

I’m not the kind of person that handles setbacks or delays incredibly well. When I have a plan I expect to follow the plan to the t and meet my every goal. Now, 10 weeks before my half marathon it’s time to realize that it’s too late for that plan and accept my reality. The good news is that my friend that I am running the race with is fully supportive of the new plan, which involves just enjoying the race, taking it slow, and running and walking as we feel like it.

And you know what, I think it’s actually for the best. I want my first half to be for the experience so next time I know when it gets hard, I know how far I can push myself, and I know what to expect from myself and the beast of 13.1 miles. So maybe I won’t have my grand finish and my time won’t be anything to write home (or here) about, but it’s still going to be a blast. So instead of stressing about being months behind on my training plan, I’m going to start from zero and see how far I get before the race. And I’m not going to stress about what I do or don’t do along the way.

I’ve been dying for a vacation. I started work in the middle of finals week, and it’s been go go go ever since. This weekend my family and I took a day trip to Lake Berryessa, exactly what I had been waiting for. I know it’s no trip to Hawaii and it doesn’t stack up against my peers who have been traveling across Europe in the wake of graduation, but it was just what I needed.

We usually go up to the lake at least once a summer, but every time it’s like learning how to water ski all over again because it’s been so long. But it turns out all of the CrossFit I had been doing had me well prepared. Normally after a few runs I’m too tired to drag myself up out of the water and my grip is hopeless against the tug of the boat. This time I was able to ski as much as I wanted and I didn’t have to let go of the rope once because my muscles just couldn’t take it anymore. I was also able to cut in and out of the wakes easier (90 percent bravery, 5 percent strength, and 5 percent skill), which I was excited about.

I know what you are thinking “Wait, you did what? Who skis anymore?” My dad grew up water skiing and spent most of his summers on this lake. It’s family tradition and none of us own anything fancy like a wake board. Or maybe I’m just trying to start a new old school is cool hipster trend.

Which isn’t to say that I never fell down. I fell a lot, but got up laughing each time. Sometimes it’s just too ridiculous to not laugh at yourself.

But one of my favorite parts, besides spending time with family and getting away from the to-do list for a while, is always the delicious food we bring. This time we had oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, a zesty and hearty quinoa salad, homemade roasted vegetable sandwiches with a vinaigrette dressing, and a mayonnaise free potato salad. For only being a day it was a blast and a great little vacation.

Never before have I worked so hard or so long on a single project. I sent at least 500 emails, pulled nearly 100 lookbooks, unpacked and resent more than 100 boxes, dug through hundreds of samples, got up at at 5 a.m. to make it to the shoots on time, ran around like a crazy person, and had weeks of stress dreams about it, but it turned out so well I would do it all over again (multiple times!).

We put an insane amount of work into this and I’m so happy with how it turned out. You should check it out, it’s out on the newstands now ; )

When I signed up for my half marathon in April, I imagined lacing my shoes and starting slow and steady in May. That has not been my half marathon training reality. After more than two months of not running at all, the October race date is breathing down my neck and I am trying to figure out how to play catch-up.

Instead of running over the past few weeks as planned, I have been “fuelling up” (read excuse for eating a dessert). I dipped into the homemade donuts from the Sunset test kitchen and tried out a new ice cream sandwich place that actually sells soy ice cream.

With only 12 weeks to go I want to hide like the family cat.

But instead I’m hitting the road three days a week and slowly but surely adding miles each and every week. If only a half marathon was only 3.1 miles, then I would be set.

It’s a bold statement (and maybe not entirely true), but I don’t groan and wish I didn’t come to class when I see jerks in the workout. When I first started CrossFit I was afraid of jerks. It’s intimidating to shove heavy weights over your head and have faith that you won’t let it come crashing down on-top of you.

Now that I’ve learned to split jerk, they are even more fun, and I can throw around a lot more weight. I know it doesn’t look like much with these plates on it, but this set was 103 lbs.

Thanks for the photos Rosa!

WOD

Find 2 rep max clean and jerk

Then

EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)

1 Power clean
3 Front squats
1 jerk
(using a medium-heavy weight)

As a journalist, I think my addiction to magazines is completely justifiable (let’s just go with it). One of my favorites is Runner’s World, but it seems like in every issue there is an article telling me that my shoes are too old and that I need a new pair. Now maybe if you run marathons or are training for an Ironman seasonal shoes are a good idea (or if you live somewhere where you really need winter shoes), but for most runners it’s a constant struggle to decide when to get new shoes.

Everyone has a different estimate of when you need new shoes (every 3 months, every 100 miles, every 500 miles…etc.), but instead of sticking to a strict number, I am just trying to make mine last as long as I can.

Ways to make running shoes last

1. Give it a rest. Have shoes specifically for running. I know they are the most comfortable shoes you own, but wearing them all day, every day will wear them out quickly and make them less supportive (or if you are running in minimalist shoes, less protective).

2. Spray them down. I spritz my shoes (all of them, not just my running shoes) after every wear to keep the smell under control. With only two ingredients, the recipe is easy and effective. My running shoes could be used as a stink bomb if I don’t keep on top of frequently spraying them.

3. Wash them. Toss your shoes in the washer on a cold, gentle cycle and leave them out to dry (no dryer!). I use a full scoop of my homemade laundry soap and spray them down with vinegar before they go in. They don’t smell at all when they come out – it’s great. I wash my barefoot shoes once a week because I don’t wear them with socks, but my other shoes get washed as needed. They come out looking like new and they won’t clear a room anymore.

4. It’s all about form. If you are dragging your feet or running with poor form your shoes will wear unevenly and leave you with unstable shoes that need to be frequently replaced. A local running shop can look at your form and make sure you are running the best you can and fit you for the right shoe for your gait.

One of the things I miss the most about being able to eat nuts is having a wide variety of granola and energy bars to choose from. Now that I go straight to CrossFit after work, I’ve been struggling to find good pre-workout snacks. With 2.2 grams of protein and 61.5 calories in each, these balls of energy should get me ready to go and not leave me with a growling stomach or fear of projectile vomiting during the WOD. Even better, they only have four ingredients and they are completely nut and gluten free. But if you don’t have an allergy you can easily make them with nuts. This is also a great basic recipe to replace Lärabars with.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted)
1 cup (about 12-15) whole, pitted dates
1 cup dried fruit: I used 1/2 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup dried wild blueberries
4 tablespoons chia seeds

 Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 5-10 times, until the ingredients begin to mix. Break up any clumps (especially any large balls of dried fruit) that have formed.

2. Leave the food processor running for about 30 seconds to get the ingredients to being to break down and look chopped. Scrape the edges of the bowl (and underneath the blade if easily reachable) with a spatula.

3. Blend for 2-3 more minutes, until a ball begins to form and you are happy with the texture.

4. Form into a square or balls. If you wish to make bars, use waxed paper to squish the energy bar dough between. Once formed into a rough square, refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight if preferred) before cutting it into 8-16 squares with a sharp knife. I chose instead to make balls because it cuts out a step and seems easier to eat on the go. The recipe made 17 one-inch balls, perfect for a small serving or two.

Recipe was adapted from TheKitchn.