The Triathlon Rx

This morning, I sent out a message to my tweeps (tweet + peeps) a morning message lookin’ like this:

And that’s still pretty much my current status – coffee at hand, lap top in.. lap, feet up on the coffee table, and Twin Cities Live on TV. Ahhh how much do I ❤ Sundays!! (That post is from April 2008!!) It’s a pretty clearly established fact.

TRAINING:

On tap today is the classic Sunday Long Run. And by classic… I have no clue what I really mean only that “traditionally” long runs are put on Sundays in a training plan. My long run days were Sundays a few years ago when I was doing my first marathons.. then they switched to Saturdays.. then they switched to Fridays when I started running with the “Mom’s group” … but recently I have been feeling the Sunday Long Run again.

Throwback from a Sunday daddy/daughter LR – I miss him biking along with me!!

My biggest hang up with doing my Long Runs on Sundays came when it started interfering with going to church. Religion is not something I try to talk too too much about on the blog… I know it’s my site, but the focus of Dr.TriRunner is running, triathlon, training, cross training, nutrition, injury prevention, eeettttccc, not my faith. If you haven’t noticed, I do tend to throw in some of my favorite passages or quotes, but I could just as well be quoting Ghandi, Dr. King, or Martha Stewart ( ), and no one would object.

My bad.. back on track. Sunday Long Runs started to cut into my time with G-O-D, and all my buddies at church! I definitely have a “family” there! Lately though, or more accurately, since I moved back from Boston… my church has undergone some changes and they’re ones I’m not sure I’m down with. My solution? iTunes – obvio!

Two things to know: 1) I almost never run + listen to music. It’s basically treadmill only, or days I’m having a bad day/run and need to distract myself. 2) I have a huuuge variety of music on my iTouch, but I would say that 80% of it is stuff like Ying Yang Twins… Three 6 Mafia… Lil Wayne… you get the picture. Not exactly Sunday School material.

Sundays, however, and now at random times throughout the week when I’m feeling rather reflective, I’ve started listening to sermons on the iTouch! I don’t know how to link to iTunes.. but I’ve really been enjoying a podcast called Breakaway Ministries – a free podcast and a weekly bible study done out of Texas A & M. Ben, the guy who runs it, is awesome. He makes you laugh, he makes you cry, and most importantly to me, he knows his audience. He’s talking to college aged kids, and the topics and messages that get pulled out of the bible are pertinent to them/us/me. If you’re into that kind of thing at all, I’d definitely recommend you check it out! I know I’m not the only one who listens to sermons on their ipod – haha I won’t call any of you out. Do you thing ladies!

GEEZZZZZ… long story short. Podcasts = my temporary solution to Sunday Long Run/Church dilemma.

Todays Sunday run: 13-15 miles… or 10. I really don’t have a “plan” ATM for long runs, since I’m not training for anything long distance. My next BIG RACE – USAT Collegiate Nationals – only has a 10K run since it’s an Olympic, and I know I got that covered. (34 days away!!!) It’s based on how I feel.. the weather.. my plans for the day. As my boyfriend says, on Sundays I “Do what I want!”

READER QUESTION #1:

When do you do your long run/ride/whatever? Do you have sacrifice anything that day to get it in?

ETC:

In accordance with my last post, I want to share some things with YOU that are goooood and full of happy-positivity. Hahhaha.. that sounds ridiculous, but I’m going to roll with it. I apologize to my non-Minneapolis or Midwest readers, because this is sort of geared towards them (/us!), but it’s also geared towards ALL YOU FOODIES, so check em’ out!

1. Fork the Fire

If you’re from the Twin Cities.. you probably heard about the fire that burnt down several businesses on 50th & Bryant in Minneapolis. Included in the businesses lost were Patina, and two restaurants, Heidi’s & Blackbird. Today, Sunday the 14th, over EIGHTY restaurants are chipping in and participating in Fork The Fire, in an effort to help rebuild the lost businesses! Please check out the list of participating restaurants and maybe swap your dinner plans to go to one of them!

2. Hungry in Southwest

Just last Thursday as Kate and I were enjoying enormous bowls of Pho, we were talking about how we want to be around people who are just enjoying life!! Hungry in Southwest is a blog that is written by Teddy, a young guy living in Southwest Minneapolis with hopes to someday open his own restaurant.  He goes to all these independent restaurants in SW Mpls (my hood!!) and gives reviews, but what really shines through is that he ispassionate about food and really enjoys what he’s doing! He also writes at The Epic Sandwich, which makes me drool just reading it. Hah – I better get my butt out the door on this run!

3. The Heavy Table

Sites like this totally think of my girl Mellissa and all the awesome restaurants she goes to. The Heavy Table is another Minneapolis/MN site (magazine?) that is “interested in small, neighborhood restaurants; ethnic eateries with a story to tell; great home cooking; Upper Midwestern culinary traditions; stuff that’s hilarious; recipes that work; recipes that fail spectacularly; current events; local food; heirloom food; and people at all levels of the food creation, preparation, distribution and consumption chain.” And basically, people who love good food. I’m down!

READER QUESTION #2:

For mis compadres from the MiniApple, and everyone else all around the world – If you could only pick ONE, what would you say is your favorite restaurant?

And with that kiddos, I need to say adios and get my run on! I have no real route in mind, but I do plan on swinging by la casa de mi madre and swooping her up for a 5 mile [recovery] interval. The SUN is trying to shine here, but clouds are putting up a good fight. Either way, I think know today is going to be a lovely day!

Preview of what’s goin on NEXT WEEKEND:

Yeaaaah boy.. get those racing shoes out! ! I’m outta time (only got for minutes – hey! Hahah I swear that really did just come on!!)
-E

[EDIT -- EDIT -- EDIT -- EDIT -- EDIT]

14 miles accomplished! I ran over to my mom’s house and did the last 5 with her. The sun DID break through, it’s SIXTY FOUR DEGREES (could that possibly be right WCCO??) here in Minneapolis, and it most definitely is a lovely day!