I’ve been stealthily training for a spring marathon without really making it official. I wanted to make sure I could get through the training before I committed by actually telling people I was doing it. I wasn’t worried about the physical demands, but more so about life’s other demands and balancing it all. I almost completely quit about a month and a half ago and my husband saved my efforts. He knows I’m a much better wife and mother when I’m getting the “me-time” that exercise provides. About two and a half weeks ago, I made it official when I registered for my home-state Lincoln Marathon. I’ve done the half there many times before and I love it. The course runs right through the University of Nebraska campus, past my old sorority house, etc. The whole run is a trip down memory lane and I never know who I’m going to run into on the course as I have lots of old friends and acquaintances that do the race.

I’m getting pretty excited for this one. I’m not stressed out about hitting a certain time and I’m feeling really good. My last long run was this past Sunday and I felt great for most of the 22 miles. I don’t know exactly what it is this time around, but I have not been overly sore or tired after any of my long runs. In fact, I’ve felt like I could run the next day (but I’ve been good and taken the day off). Last year I was tired and always sore during spring marathon training and I had trouble meeting my goal on race day. This year, I was loyal to the post-run ice bath (my kids find that hilarious – they fill the tub with ice for me and like to wait for the noise I make when I get in). I also upped my omega-3 dose post-run. I took two extra omega-3 softgels on my long run days and the day after. I’ve also stuck to a training plan (the best I could with a job, grad school, and keeping my kids priority #1).

By: Michelle Kruse

Green Eggs and “Ham”

Here’s a fun recipe to try at home with young kids. My kids LOVE the book “Green Eggs and Ham” so this is a fun, easy way to get them to eat color and protein in the morning. Put a cup of spinach in a blender with 2 eggs and liquefy – all spinach texture should be gone. Scramble with cooking spray. Your “ham” can be almost anything. We sliced apples flat and called them “ham.” We’ve used whole grain toast for the ham before – anything goes. This is so easy and takes very little time out of our hurried mornings.

By Michelle Kruse

I’m LOVING this advice and want to share it with all of you. First – know that I am a total cheapskate. I do not have the best gear, coolest running clothes or triathlon suit. Sure, I’d love to have the latest and greatest, but I can’t stand to part with my money for something I don’t NEED. I haven’t always been this way, but my husband has rubbed off on me over the last nine years.

So, when discussing Ironman and marathon nutrition with Sally Brown, MS, RD of Body Fuel, I was delighted to hear that I could replace my $2 a pop Cliff Bars with plain old peanut butter sandwiches. Brown said that although Cliff Bars also provide great nutrition, a good old PB&J will give me just what I need. She said to use my regular whole grain bread, natural peanut butter and a banana or jelly. (I love peanut butter banana, but if you’re going for a LONG workout, the banana can get kind of hot and gross in your pocket, so go with jelly instead.)

I am proud to say my PB&J sandwiches got me through Ironman 70.3 and I felt great the entire time. Combined with Cytomax or First Endurance electrolyte, my PB&J’s are perfect endurance fuel. My training friends all got a kick out of my smooshed sandwiches, but no one can argue the cost-effectiveness. On this weekend’s group bike ride (I bowed out after 50 miles, the rest of the group did 90 – I was on a tight schedule that day), I was so excited to see some converts.

My thriftiness is catching on!

By Michelle Kruse

Maybe I’m a little too easily disappointed. At least that’s what everyone keeps telling me. I ran my second marathon Saturday and missed my goal by 5 minutes. I took 2nd place in my age group (the benefit of running a smaller race), but I’m still mad about missing my goal. At mile 21, I thought I had it locked. I could run nine and a half minute miles and still finish with a Boston Qualifier (BQ). Easily done, or so I thought. Just into mile 21 was a right turn. I turned and my foot wouldn’t. The dreaded cramp. I had been so good at taking my electrolyte capsules every few miles and getting plenty of water, even eating, so why was I cramping now? I walked it out and started running again, just to cramp some more. I ended up continuing the race in this pattern and missing my goal.

My running partner, who has 29 marathons under her belt, keeps reassuring me that this was a spring marathon and that my expectations should not be high for spring races. She swears if I keep up my training I’ll run a BQ in the fall. (We’re doing the Kansas Ironman 70.3 in June, so another marathon is out of the question until that is over.) Everyone else keeps telling me my time was great and to be happy.

I think I am over it. I’m now focusing on how to get rid of my cramping problem. What am I not doing nutritionally or what am I doing wrong that is causing this? (I am cramping all the time – my feet and hands at night and when I’m writing, etc, not just during races, so something really is amiss. Am I doing something wrong with my recovery, too?) Luckily for me, my job at CardioTabs comes to the rescue. I’m attending the Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition subgroup of the American Dietetic Association’s annual meeting this weekend. I’m planning to pick the brains of the real experts in the field. What timing! I’ll post my findings next week.