A "training" Week + Holiday Lake50k 2/10/14-2/16/2014

Unfortunately, I missed my recap last week but there wasn't really all that much to talk about because...well...I didn't really run all that much.  This was partly due to the massive storm we had last week that dropped 22" of snow on the New River Valley!  However, the few days I did run were special because they were in the middle of a massive snowstorm.

Monday: 9.1, 450' 1.5hr
On Monday, we had our weekly VT Ultra group run.  I forgot that we had moved the run back from 7:00 to 7:15 and left my house as if we were running at 7:00.  Once I was out and about in the cold evening air, I realized that we were running later and managed to squeeze in a few extra miles on the way.  After the run, I made my usual stop at Moe's and then grabbed the bus home.  These Monday night group runs are really nice because after a long weekend of running it would be easy to not run but they get me out the door and even sometimes make me do more miles than I bargained for.

Tuesday: Rest

Yep.  After a long weekend of running and a few more miles than I had planned for on Monday, I gladly welcomed a "rest" day.  Although I didn't get out for a run I did make an awesome calzone for dinner that I whipped up from scratch.

Wednesday: 6, ~400' 1hr

On Wednesday, Michelle and I packed up our refrigerator, Gillie, and a few days of warm clothes and headed over to Michelle's parents to hunker down for the storm.  Last year, we had a lot of issues with losing power at our place and unfortunately lost a full refrigerator of food as a result of a power outage that lasted a few days.  Around two, the snow started falling heavy and continued to amass overnight and through half of Thursday.

Despite the heavy snow, I put on a few layers and headed out into the snowy evening.  The snow falling in combination with a strong wind was pretty brutal and I was wishing I had snow goggles but had to settle for sunglasses...which didn't really work because it got dark pretty early into my run, which meant that my tinted shades made it near impossible to run in.  I took the TS4 with me on the run and grabbed a few photos of me playing in the snow!

Pretty amazing to see how dark it got in the hour I was out running!

Thursday: 6, ~350' 1hr

I managed to get out on Thursday and get in another 6 miles despite the 20+ inches of snow on the ground.  My run was limited to the streets that were plowed but I was happy to get in 6 when most folks in Blacksburg were post holing to run two or three miles.

Before my run, Michelle and I went out to enjoy the snow and the day off from classes.  To put in perspective the rarity of Virginia Tech canceling classes, consider the following: In the 142 year history of Virginia Tech, Thursday and Friday were the 9th and 10th snow days.  Ever.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Race Holiday Lake 50k - 16th

If you missed my blog earlier in the week about the race, you can check it out HERE.  I read this earlier in the week and had to share as it describes the race better than I can.

"You could try to run in another runners tracks, but you quickly found out that the snow never really packed down because it was wet…it just kind of slid somewhere else. Fail. Or you could just make your own brand new tracks in the crust – predictable, but immediately tiring and wet below the crust. Fail. Or, you could simply run straight ahead, not thinking and just taking what came to you, which made for really unpredictable footing. Fail. So there you have it, that’s what the FIRST loop would be like – trying to get good footing and failing. Trying to get some semblance of a normal running stride and failing. Trying to get into any kind of zone and failing. You get the picture."  John Anderson

It was a crazy race and one for the memory books.
  

Totals for the week:

Distance: 53.4

Elevations: 3150'

Duration: 8.75hr

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 6/20/13-7/3/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's edition includes the latter half of June and first few days of July and while it may not be an all encompassing post like some of the more recent Where's Waldo Wednesdays it's still a pretty good recap of what's been happening around here!

The Week's Happenings

Last Wednesday marked the end of the first summer session, well at least for the physical class meeting, and aside from a paper on my philosophy of teaching that is due on Wednesday the class is done!  It's pretty awesome to finish an entire class in four weeks.  Yup!  Just 12 three-hour class meetings (we only met Mon.-Wed. and the last week of classes was cancelled).  Despite the abbreviated schedule the quality of the class did not decrease.  We managed to go through four books in a month.  Quick like a Band-aid!  Michelle and I have been enjoying the relaxed school schedule and taking in all that Blacksburg summer has to offer including the Summer Solstice Fest that was put on by Downtown Blacksburg.  Blacksburg summers are the best!  Hands down.

1. SUPing (Paddleboarding) Claytor Lake - Two Thursdays ago, I made the short trip down the interstate to Claytor Lake State Park to take out the paddleboard and do some recon on a possible camping trip that Michelle and I are planning.  The previous Saturday, we had gone down to check out places to put-in the kayaks and paddleboard but there was a big festival at the park and we wanted to avoid the crowds and more importantly all of the boats.  We opted to use the public boat launch, where the Virginia Tech crew team launches their boats, located immediately before the gate to enter the park, which was free and provided a nice area to put in the kayak and paddleboard.  However, on this particular occasion I opted to pay the three dollar fee and go inside the park to explore the other end of the lake.

The trip also served as an excellent opportunity to test out an E-case that arrived on Wednesday that I had won from the Cascade Design weekly Facebook contest a few weeks earlier.  After driving around the park, I decided a little cove near the public beach was a good place to put-in and got all ready to go.  The great thing about paddleboarding, aside from the amazing workout, is that you really only need a board, paddle, and PFD (well maybe you don't need the last one but a smart person does).

The E-case keeping my iPhone and car key safe (and dry)!

I didn't paddle the whole time I was out on the lake. The board is a great place to relax and enjoy that day.

Nor did I stay on the board the whole time.  One thing that is really nice about paddleboarding compared to kayaking is the ability to get in and out of the water with ease. I brought the Panasonic P&S with me, which I used to take most of the photos for this post.

I went out for a little under two hours and managed to paddle 3.5 miles, which felt pretty comfortable but toward the end I noticed I was a little fatigued and that my form degraded a lot.

2. PIZZA PIE! - Michelle and I love making pizza...well more like I lOVE pizza and thus we eat it pretty often but Michelle doesn't seem to mind.  I was fortunate enough to receive a KitchenAid Artisan mixer for Christmas from my parents, which makes dough making a breeze.  Pizza is definitely my favorite pre-race meal, pasta is usually my big race safe choice meal, but with the Downtown Sundown not until the following evening I felt okay eating it the night before and didn't worry about it bothering my stomach during the race.  I decided to film the making of the pizza now that I have made it enough and can put it together pretty quickly (minus the hour required to proof the dough).  Unfortunately my battery died twice during the filming so I wasn't able to get a few shots I wanted including adding the flour to the mixer and a shot of the final product.  I did manage to grab a (blurry) photo before we dug in though.

Feta, tomato, and basil pizza.

3. Downtown Sundown 5k - Every summer downtown Blacksburg puts on the Summer Solstice Fest, part of which is an evening race, the Downtown Sundown 5k.  I wrote a whole race report about the event, which you can find HERE or by simply scrolling down on the page because it's the next post after this one.

4.  Gnocchi! - I had never heard of gnocchi until I came across an interesting post on a blog a few years ago that made me want to try them.  The first time I tried to make them...it was a disaster.  As were numerous following attempts (including a particularly embarrassing attempt at making sweet potato gnocchi) and I had nearly given up on them, even after I had my mom buy a potato ricer but then a video was posted that inspired me to give them another try.

The finished product.

Similar to the pizza video I made, I put together a quick film of me making gnocchi.  You can tell that there is a large influence from the above posted video from Fast Boy.

5. Downtown Blacksburg - In case you can't tell, we LOVE Downtown Blacksburg.  The sense of community is unparalleled and is most evident during the summer with a plethora of festivals and activities.  Last Friday, after an amazing dinner at THE townie bar: The London Underground, we stumbled upon a concert going on in downtown on Henderson Lawn and decided to enjoy the live music.

Henderson Hall.

Music on the Henderson Lawn.

The cupcake craze came to Blacksburg last year, via Gobble Cakes on College Ave., but Michelle and I had yet to stop in and enjoy one.  However, Michelle was kind enough to buy me one we while enjoyed live music.  I was disappointed that they didn't have an espresso or cappuccino flavor but the chocolate peanut butter was pretty delicious, at least the cream cheese icing was.  The actual cupcake left a little to be desired.  

6. Hokie Wedding - On Saturday, Michelle and I had the privilege of watching two of our friends get married.  This was our first Blacksburg wedding and it was done in true Hokie fashion including an appearance by the Hokie Bird!  The ceremony was beautiful and took place in War Memorial Chapel.  Afterward, we headed over to the Merryman Athletic Facility, which in all of my years at Tech I had not been in, for the reception.

Michelle and I, pre-wedding, in front of the War Memorial Chapel.

The view of the Virginia Tech practice field and lane stadium from the Merryman Facility.

Michelle and I with the Hokie Bird at the Reception.

7. Rest In Peace MacBook Pro :-( -  During the writing of this post, my MacBook Pro met its untimely demise via a healthy does of Airborne, which while apparently is good for people trying to prevent getting sick is not so good for computers.  Believe it or not, I was actually going to publish this post on Wednesday...alas it was not to be.  The "incident" as it will hence forth be referred to caused an impromptu trip to Northern Virginia Thursday morning, which although not terribly productive from a computer standpoint (the Mac guy told me what I already knew, it was toast) I do get to spend the next few days with my family, including my dad's birthday on Saturday.

8. I WON I WON I WON - After a terribly depressing evening because of the demise of my computer, and a few choice words, my night had a glimmer of hope when I received the following mention on Twitter:

Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet! Email info[at]http://t.co/SYkmdoGfRp for details #SeeTheFuture http://t.co/7lqAh0tP5r
— Recon Instruments (@Recon) July 4, 2013

I managed to win their daily giveaway, which landed me a pair of these:

To say that I'm SO EXCITED would be a huge understatement! "@Recon: Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet!" #SeeTheFuture
— Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 4, 2013

Hopefully I'll receive them sometime in early December when the first deliveries are scheduled to begin, or at least according to their site.  The fact that I wanted these so bad but were obviously way outside of my budget...given that I'm a student makes it that much more exciting! CAN'T WAIT!

Interesting Internet Findings

I found the below videos pretty awesome so I decided they needed to be shared.  

1. The video quality isn't that great but I thought this was pretty neat, particularly the way he changed from location to location and throwing the camera.
2. This is just a super awesome video of people kitesurfing with some cool color added to the water.
   
3. During the summer of 2009, I had the privilege of meeting some incredible individuals with disabilities and this video only exemplifies what I learned.  The only important part of disABILITY is the ABILITY part.
   
4. This guy is out of his mind.  Only three professional cyclists have ever completed what this guys is attempting, cycling all three grand tours in the same calendar year.  If he finishes it, he'll be the first recreational cyclist to do it.
   
5. I tweeted this earlier in the week but for me, running is community.  Regardless of distance or type of running, we're a family.
   

   Running to me means family. An eclectic and diverse family.1 or 100 miles doesn't matter. Different. Not better. http://t.co/BWilQvcTVw
   — Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 1, 2013

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 6/?/13-6/19/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's edition encompasses...ermm...June? so it's somewhat of a month in review so far.  Also, that means this post is probably WAY too long for you so you may just want to skip through to options of interest.

The Week's Happenings

Honestly, there hasn't been much going on around here the past few weeks so I really don't have a whole lot to post about.  Michelle and I have been enjoying cooking and I feel like we're finally finding our niche of what we like to prepare/cook/eat.  One observation is our gradual shift toward a more plant-based diet.  I don't really have an interest in pursuing a vegetarian or vegan diet, or labeling our eating habits for that matter but instead focusing on eating foods as close to their original state as possible.  I've persuaded Michelle to try a vegetarian diet next spring just as an experiment to see what we think of it.

1. Learning to run again.  Well.  It feels like I am at least.  The arrival of warm weather has forced me to adjust my expectations when heading out for a run.  I learned this first hand last Thursday when I went out for a longish run in the morning that left me feeling humbled, and destroyed by the end.  It was the first double-digit distance run I had attempted since TNF 50 earlier this month and I knew early on in the run it was going to be rough day.  It was apparent that skipping breakfast, aside from a yogurt, and a measly dinner the night before had put me in a calorie deficit which caused me to run out of energy quick.  Fortunately, I had received my June StrideBox a few days earlier and decided to bring along a few items from it, which without I would have been in serious trouble.  Welcome to Bonkville.  I downed one of the green citrus chews below and began to feel better within a few minutes and continued along the Huckleberry trail out to Christiansburg.  On the return, around mile 8, I was feeling empty and defeated and began to walk.  It's easy to beat yourself up when you get into one of these situations.  I was thinking to myself, "I ran 50 miles two weeks ago and now I can't do 8?"  I'd be lying if I said I was positive the entire time but I try to keep things in perspective and appreciate the opportunity of the present and kept telling myself, "if it were easy, everyone would do it" and "it's the hard days that prepare you for tough moments in life."  Eventually...I finished the run and hopped on my bike to pickup groceries and race the storm home, narrowly escaping the epic downpour!

June StrideBox contents.

Details of my tough run.

2. Enjoy the moment.  It's been a slow progression for me and I still battle daily/hourly to simply slow down and enjoy the moment.  I think as a goal oriented individual it is difficult not to look to the future and simply enjoy being in the present.  On Friday, Michelle and I enjoyed a relaxing morning before taking a picnic lunch to Bissett Park.  We enjoyed just laying around in the sun and the gorgeous weather the day had to offer. It was fantastic practice for being content with the current and not thinking about everything that "needed to be done."

 We brought Gillie along which we don't always do and really need to be better about.  It's super easy to make excuses or not want to deal with the additional effort of packing a few bottles of water for her but the payoff is huge.  She's an outside dog and to see her so happy is totally worth the extra five minutes...and the occasional constant untangling of the leash from our chairs.

3. Starlite Drive-In - Furious 6.  With the upcoming switch to digital projectors from 35mm, Michelle and I figured we needed to see a movie in a drive-in before there weren't any around anymore so on Friday evening we headed just down the road to the Starlite Drive-In in Christiansburg to see Furious 6, the sixth installment in the the Fast and Furious franchise.  They have two showings a night, with the first beginning around 8:45ish and the second immediately upon the conclusion of the first. 

 

The entrance to the drive-in.  The screen is actually on the back of the large structure with the star painted on it.

The shot above on the left is the screen, obviously this was early on before everyone else arrived which made for a clean photo opportunity.  You can either tune your radio to 90.3FM to listen via car stereo or use the speakers that you can hang on your door (above right).  We opted for the latter and decided not to put it on the side of the car because the volume was high where it was.

4. Early morning run and enjoying Blacksburg.  I was struggling to get out of bed Saturday morning, especially after Thursdays demoralizing 12 mile run.  I find that previous statement funny.  When you think about it, the fact that I have the ability to run 12 miles at a whim even if it was at roughly a 9 min and change pace is nothing to scoff.  I think we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves all the time.  Breathe.  Enjoy the moment.  I managed 8 miles and felt good for most of the run which was somewhat redeeming.

We headed toward Blacksburg to visit the farmers market and then stopped and grabbed a bite at Moe's.  Afterwards, we walked around campus and showed Shannon, Michelle's friend from Radford, some of the cool things on Tech's campus.

Michelle and Shannon at the Pylons overlooking the Drillfield.

We headed over the Hahn Horticultural gardens, which are neat but we never make the time to get over there so it was nice to see everything in bloom. We noticed immediately upon entering they were setting up for a wedding and what a gorgeous setting it made.  However, I felt bad for the folks who were going to be sitting through a wedding with the TERRIBLE gnats that would not leave us alone while we were there.  We ventured down to the little pond and checked out the tent they had set up and were in the process of decorating.

  

Lily pads in the Hahn Horticultural Garden.

5.  Foodography.  It's no surprise that I like to cook but I always take photos of the food and feel it never does the meal justice to how it actually looks on my plate.  The colors always seem to be off and the entire meal just looks kinda...blah.  I would say that I make a good effort to plate food in an exciting and visually appealing way and have been taking lots of photos trying to figure out what I think looks good.  I'm happy with how the photos below have come out and hope that they will drive me to improve, both in cook/plating and taking the photos.  I'm all ears for suggestions...and all stomach for suggestions too!

I've been a bit of a wrap addict lately.  They take practically no time to prepare, under two minutes, and I can pack lots of good tasting, and nutritionally dense, food in a non-messy portable-handheld.  They're AWESOME!!!  And they photograph well too...or at least I think so.  The chips...well...yeah.  I have tried to cut out all things in the past and I always binge or overeat on something else.  These were the Kroger brand organic sweet potato chips.  They're delicious.  The side was just some plain greek-yogurt with bananas and blueberries and a dab of agave over the top.

Why am I writing all of this?  Because when I first tried to be aware of what I was eating, or how I still feel on some days, is that it take too much effort or cost too much or yada-yada yaya.  It doesn't.  It can be quick and simple and most importantly.  Cheap.

Instructions:

1. I use the Mission brand wraps, I'm sure any will do, and put them between two wet, not damp, paper towels and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds.
2. I spread some type of hummus or spread on the wrap which helps the wrap stick to itself and keeps everything sealed, although as you can see in the photos above I need to more toward the edges.
3. Next, I place spinach down as a moisture barrier between the wrap and hummus and everything else, which I think helps if you plan to not eat it right then.
4. I have been cutting thin slivers of a red bell pepper and using a peeler to make thin shavings of carrots which give a nice texture to the wrap.
5. I put on cheese and lunch meat and then seal it up.  I've found that I like the fold the sides in method and then start rolling to get a nice burrito-like roll.

4.  Self-portrait running photos.  It's not as easy as one might think.  Especially if you want the photos to be somewhere remote along your run because then you have to haul the camera with you and that presents a whole new challenge.  I've had a Gorillapod for a few years now but rarely make the effort to use it how it's intended.  The neat flexible digits allow you to wrap it around or position your camera on almost anything which is cool in-and-of-itself.

I thought the graffiti on tunnel in the photo below would make for a cool addition but it's hardly noticeable.  Anyone have suggestions?  Granted I was using the Panasonic TS4 which is a great camera but I'm not sure I had it set properly for taking this type of photo.

I decided to try a different location, which was actually just on the other side of the tunnel but actually used the Gorillapod this time and place the camera along a fence post.

meh...so it was a valuable learning experience.  I think one thing that is neat is the opportunity for other folks to see where I run.

On Tuesday, I registered for the Summer Solstice 5K, which is a run put on by RunAbout Sports that begins at 8:30PM this Saturday.  $19 is difficult to beat for a registration fee and I think it will be really fun to run at dusk...glow sticks are provided!

Interesting Internet Findings

1. From Addict to Ultra runner Western States is this weekend, which is pretty much the Super Bowl of ultra running.  I'm a huge fan of reading memoirs and stories triumph so I thought this article was a great read (and not too long) from the 2012 winner, Timothy Olson who runs for Pearl Izumi. Read it HERE.
2. GO. OUT. and. RUN.  At least that's how this video makes me feel! 
3. Talk about a close encounter!  This is absolutely frightening!
4. It's no surprise that I love pizza and Michelle and I make it pretty often around here but there's something about having a pizza delivered to your front door...but this brings a whole new meaning to carryout or delivery! 

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 4/25/13-5/15/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's post is somewhat of a triple? double header because I missed last week but there are some fun/important things to include...so you get three two for the price of one.  Also, that means this post is probably WAY too long for you so you may just want to skip through to options of interest.

The Week's Happenings

It has been a busy couple weeks around here.  This morning, I took my last final for the semester bringing the first year of graduate school to a close.  It has been a phenomenal year but boy am I glad that it's over.  I have to admit, I was shocked when I learned that I would need 18 additional math credits to be a "highly qualified" teacher per Virginia requirements, especially considering my undergraduate was in engineering, a math heavy major.  I have truly enjoyed being back in the classroom and a student at Virginia Tech again but look forward to having my own classroom and beginning my career as a secondary mathematics teacher.  I now have a couple weeks off before beginning my first of two summer sessions the Tuesday after memorial day.  I plan to head to the Outer Banks with my parents and grandparents for a week this Saturday, unfortunately sans Michelle as her summer session begins next Monday.

Here's a recap of the past couple weeks:

1. I Scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  A few weeks ago Michelle and I received the ice cream maker attachment for our KitchenAid Mixer (which WE LOVE!!!) from my parents (Thank you again!) as an engagement gift and have been making lots of delicious sorbet and ice cream!  Our first attempt was...well...a valuable learning experience.  However, the next attempt which was not ice cream but instead a mango sorbet was much more successful...and delicious.  The recipes have all come from a book that my parents bought with our ice cream maker, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, which has over 500 recipes.

2. Running and riding to recover.  Having run Promise Land the previous Saturday it took me a few days to get my legs moving normally again (i.e. not walk down stairs funny).  I had hoped to get out on a ride Saturday after returning home from the race but the weather kept us indoors (read: not riding but eating Cabo and drinking "recovery" margaritas") but on Tuesday I managed get out for a nice active recovery ride.  I'm ashamed to say that the Madone, and all of the bikes for that matter, have collected a serious amount of dust.  Pretty sad but with the weather finally actually feeling like spring we're doing out best to dust them off.

Recovery Ride on the Huckleberry Trail!

I'm really happy with how I recovered from Promise Land, only taking off Sunday and Monday and getting in my first run on Wednesday.  Considering that I ran 34 miles on Saturday I was very pleased to get in 31 miles  for the week right after an ultra, much better than recovering from a marathon.  

First post-Promise Land run

On Friday, I headed over to Radford to give the Subaru some love and get in a run with Michelle.  We went out for a very relaxed trot in Bisset Park down on the New River.  I had run the path that links Bisset Park and Wildwood park on previous runs but had never noticed the trails that were higher up on the sides of the valley until...well I was running slow enough that I actually looked around.  We did an out-and-back and I convinced Michelle to "explore" with me on the way back.  It was a much cooler run on the trails!

Trails in Wildwood Park Radford, VA

Massive fallen tree.

Run in Bisset/Wildwood Park.  After we returned to Bisset Park, I went out and few a segments on Strava and managed to get two of the three I went for.

On Saturday, I headed out to Pandapas and managed to get in 8 miles.  I had initially planned to do more but judged it by how I felt and decided 8 was sufficient.  The beauty of Jefferson National is incredible, I've really fallen in love with running on the trails.

Poverty Creek

Poverty Creek in Jefferson National Park.

8 Miles in Pandapas (Jefferson National)

3. McAfee's Knob Sunrise Run.  In case you missed my post earlier last, I ran to McAfee's Knob at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning. Read all about it HERE.

McAfee's Knob Panaroma

4. Stride Box!  A few weeks ago I participated in my first RunChat which is a Twitter chat that occurs on Sunday evenings using the hashtag #RunChat.  Runners from all over the world join for an hour to participate in a question and answer format discussion that usually involves five or six questions.  The sponsor for that particular RunChat was StrideBox, a monthly subscription for runners ($15) that sends a box to your door once a month with different nutrition and running products, I decided to enroll for May to see what all of the craze was about.  I received my first box last Monday and was pretty excited to see what was in it.  I have to admit that I'm not too excited about the shoe product that came in box, mainly because I don't really think I'll use it, but the nutrition alone in the box was worth more than $15.  I want to give the subscription service a fair try but I'm not too sure how long I'll stay enrolled.

May StrideBox

5. BodPod Testing!  There are plenty of disadvantages of going to large school but every now and then some of the advantages really make it worth it, in this case access to BodPod testing is one of those advantages.  I wanted to take advantage of the free BodPod testing week in the fall but never made it over to that side of campus.  However, for a small fee students can schedule a BodPod test at almost any time.  I have been using the Withings Wi-Fi scale for a few years now but always wondered about the accuracy of the body fat measurements it provides, it uses electrical impedance.  I weighed myself on Wednesday morning, which happened to be the last day of classes (Yay!), and headed over to McComas, one of the gyms on campus.  The Withings Wi-Fi scale provided the following information:  Weight=155.4lb and 12.7% fat.  

I let the student doing the analysis know that I write a blog and wanted to grab photos and he had no problem and agreed to take a few of me in the BodPod.

McComas Fitness Assessment Center

The white cylinder to the left of the BodPod is used to calibrate the machine.

The entire process took about 15 minutes including changing into compression shorts I brought with me and the three tests.  Super easy!  Each test takes about a minute and uses the volume displacement between the chamber you sit in and the chamber behind the seat with your weight measurement (notice the scale at the very left in the left photo above) to determine your lean and fat mass.  The only instructions are to breath normally and try to avoid large movements.  

Read more about how the BodPod works HERE.

I was really surprised by the results, which have a tolerance of 2% but hey, I'll take 8.7% fat or 10.7% for that matter!

6. Running and Eating.  The rest of the week was well...uneventful and mainly involved running, eating, and repeating. On Thursday, I went out for the last group run of the semester with the UltraVT gang and we got in 7 miles and explored a few trails I had never been on.  Running with a group has been awesome!  Not only do I genuinely enjoy running with everyone but I feel like I have learned a lot as a result.

Thursday Night Group Run

Michelle and I took Gillie for a nice long walk on Friday afternoon and it was just fantastic to be outside and enjoy the spring weather.

Gorgeous day for a walk.

Gillie enjoying being out and about!

We've taught her to drink out of water bottle.

After our walk I headed out for a quick run and just barely managed to beat the rain on my way home.  I was really fortunate because it poured for the rest of the night!

Taco salad with fresh corn, avocado, sautéed onions and poblano peppers, and we made taco bowls from these neat trays my grandmother bought us.  Run, eat, and repeat.

On Sunday, I headed out for a long run in Pandapas and managed to get in 15 miles.  I brought along with me a few items from May's StrideBox to try.  I really liked the Bonk Breaker PB&J, it was delicious and hit the spot around mile 7 or so.  The Honey Stinger Cherry Cola gummies were good but I'm not sure I'd buy them if I saw them in a store.  That's part of the beauty of StrideBox is the opportunity to try new products for cheaper than I would have purchased it in a store and also try things I may not be inclined buy normally.

Honey Stinger Cherry Cola Gummies and Bonk Breakers PB&J.

The run was not one of my smoothest runs feeling slow and tired from the start but I'm really proud of myself for finishing the run and not calling the day early.

After my run, Michelle and I made some awesome Huevos Rancheros...and as Michelle puts it, "it was freaking good!"

The spread on the tortilla was so flavorful and Michelle made the salsa fresh that morning.  RECIPE.

7. I WON I WON I WON...again!  I should go buy a lottery ticket because I'm on a lucky streak.  A few weeks ago I won a book, Learning to Fly by Steph Davis, from Clif via an Instragram reply.  On Sunday, I participated in the RunChat again and replied to a few of the questions throughout the hour.  I must have turned off the connect Twitter notification because the tweet that notified me that I won went unnoticed for couple hours, granted we were driving home from the afternoon at Michelle's parents, but I was very excited once I realized I had won!  Two of us had won a copy of The Runner's World Complete Guide to Minimalism and Barefoot Running by Scott Douglas which I think will be an interesting read.  Can't wait to get it in the mail!

Congrats to @rbsherfy and @brignut44! You've won the @mescottdouglas book. Please DM me your mailing address. #RunChat
— David H. (@RunningBecause) May 13, 2013

8. Grocery Ride.  As I mentioned earlier, all of the bikes collected a fair amount of dust over the winter.  Michelle and I decided we would go for a ride on Monday evening and that we would pick up some groceries on the way.  It is incredible how cheap it is to eat healthy.  We only shopped in the produce section and I bought kale, two english cucumbers, tomatoes on the vine, and fuji and gala apples for only $6.*#.  Pretty awesome!  Even better is that we rode there...and most of the way home.  The hill home is not too bad...if you don't mind getting sweaty every time you want to go home but the bus also has two slots for bikes on the front, which we took full advantage of.  Hey, we still rode 5+ miles to get the groceries instead of the typical American who hops in their car!  I brought my camera along and grabbed plenty of funny photos.

The ride was pretty casual...and at this point Michelle seemed to be enjoying it.

...and well...not enjoying it that much here.  The photo was just too good not to share.

Blacksburg is a gorgeous place to live!

After picking up the groceries.

Once we were on the bus, Michelle was...not pleased I was taking this photo but again...too good not to share!

9. Runble in Pandapas...or tumble in Pandapas.  Michelle and I are trying to run together.  I say trying because well...it's a work in a progress.  And progress is slow.  Anyone have suggestions?  Seriously, leave them in the comments...we'll try anything.  To complicate the situation, we decided to bring Gillie along for our run in Pandapas yesterday and Gillie doesn't really get the whole "pacing" thing.  Again, a work in progress.  This was Michelle's first run in Pandapas and we decided to do an eeasssy out-and-back along Poverty Creek.  I started out with Gillie and eventually, once she was more tired, handed her off to Michelle.  We "agreed" beforehand we would run about four miles and I tried to show Michelle the beauty and appreciation for the woods I've gained over the past few months of running in Jefferson National.  It was going good until Gillie decided to cross paths with Michelle and stop.  I had just pulled out my camera but just missed the acrobatics occurring right in front of me.  It was America's Funniest Home Videos worthy.

Michelle made us chocolate waffles before we ran.  Everything was from scratch including the chocolate batter, whipped cream, and strawberry syrup.

Michelle wanted to try out her hydration belt she picked up as she begins to train for the Hokie Half in September. 

Believe it or not I snagged this one while running...not too bad.  Also, this was pre-tumble as I have Gillie's leash in one hand and the camera in the other.

Michelle displaying her souvenir from her first trail run.  It's like a right of passage but maybe my "Welcome to trail running!" wasn't appropriate?

Around the lake we came across a few Geese that were very protective of their goslings and hissed at us we ran by.

"Guys, this running this is hard!"

Interesting Internet Findings

1. Active Google Glasses? Recon Instruments releases video for their new "active" Google glasses competition...and they look AWESOME! (via @DCRainmaker Tweet)

Impressive: Camera, ANT+, GPS, WiFi, BT. RT @recon: The Recon Jet, the groundbreaking Heads-up Display for sports reconinstruments.com/jet
— Ray Maker (@dcrainmakerblog) May 15, 2013

2. Want to run the ING NYC marathon?  Getting into the NYC marathon seems to be a bit of a hassle.  You can do the 9+1 guaranteed entry where you either have to run 9 of the NYRR races in addition to volunteering for one of the races (or donate $1000 instead of racing) in a calendar year or can go through the application (lottery) process.  Well there may be another New York marathon, or two, in the next couple years one of which will be run in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. Read it HERE (via Runners World)
3. Music video from space? A few Where's Waldo Wednesdays ago I posted a video from the Canadian Space Agency about what happens to tears in space.  The commander of the space station, until yesterday that is, released his farewell video, Space Oddity, as a sendoff and it went viral.  Check it out below:   
4. Behind the Shoes - The Boston Magazine Cover featuring shoes of Boston marathon runners.  Read it HERE (via +RunChat Twitter).

And with that...you're pretty much caught up on everything we've done over the past few weeks.  I'll save today's horrific run for another post.

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