lgsmash - Page 3 of 45 - Choosing My Own Adventures

Fitness: Does A PR Count If It’s Not During A Race?

Posted on April 1, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

I have a question for my friends in the blogosphere who compete in individual events/races, like swimming, biking or running race. Since I don’t swim or bike, I’m talking specifically about running but this question applies to any event/race in which you could compete in the distance on your own (ie: not in an organized race).

Here’s my question: Does a PR (personal record) count if you didn’t achieve it during an organized race?

This weekend, I ran a fast-for-me 5k at Wash Park by myself. I’d just walked a couple of laps with my friends but after they left, I decided to run one last lap on my own. So no one ran with me – just my trusty Garmin on my wrist.

I’ve been running faster than I used to (pre-surgery days) and as I got halfway around the park, I noticed that my pace was much faster than what I consider ‘normal’ for me – but I felt good and decided to see if I could keep it up for the rest of the lap (2.5 miles). Holding that pace soon became challenging – but still doable. As I got closer to finishing my lap, I decided I would run a bit longer to make it a non-official 5k.

Much to my surprise and excitement, I finished my 5k in 27:22.

That is CRAZY to me! I have never trained to run a fast 5k or raced an organized 5k – they’ve always been a fun run with my friends or family – so I think my 5k OFFICIAL PR is like, 30 or 31 minutes. Not awful but certainly slower than the 27 minutes I ran yesterday!

When I finished, I wondered: does this count? Can I call this my new PR?

When I came home and asked Alex what he thought (he used to run Cross Country in his younger years), he said he wasn’t sure but didn’t really think non-race PRs count. Because there are no official timers and because the person runs solo, there is room for speculation: did you stop your watch if you walked? For a bathroom break? Did your watch measure the correct distance? Did the GPS track you accurately?

I definitely see the point but at the same time, I ran harder than I ever have for 3.1 miles and too bad it was by myself and not during a race! I think non-race PRs should definitely count. Like Mel said, paying $30 and getting a race t-shirt doesn’t make it anymore official. (Okay, well, maybe a little bit.) Official timers are nice to have so a PR can live in internet race results history forever but that shouldn’t be the End All Be All of a PR.

For now, I will call this my 5k PR at 27:22. And maybe on May 31, I can set an OFFICIAL PR at the Underwearness 5k I’ve just signed up to run and remove any doubt of it being official!

Life: When Life Gives You Crazy, Hug A Pup

Posted on March 28, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

These days, things are a little crazy over here in lgsmashland.

There have been some changes at my work – exciting changes but changes nonetheless – that have left me with far less free time than I’m used to. It’s meant parking myself on my couch in the evenings and some weekends to take care of biznass and a lot less time to do things I choose to do.

But you know what? I’ve found it’s a lot easier to work after work when I’m in my ‘comfy cozy clothes’ at home instead of my office. And especially when a furry little pup jumps up right next to me. Even if she’s onto of my papers. There’s always a silver lining.

Life lesson: when life stresses ya out and gets crazy – hug a pup.

This is just a little blog post for me to remember the craziness of the past few and upcoming weeks. This too shall pass!

Fitness: Eating Before Exercising

Posted on March 26, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

A while back, I asked y’all what you typically ate before working out in the mornings. I was trying to eat gluten free and was struggling to find a non-gluten alternative that would work for me.

I was blown away by how many of you suggested not eating before working out in the morning. Even Alex and a few ‘in real life friends’ swear by it! I was skeptical but decided if you all had success with it, I should give it a shot, too.

So I did. And it was not pretty.

I’ve been meeting some friends to run in the morning before work and a few times, I met up with them on an empty stomach. I ran 5 miles and survived but had that sick-to-your-stomach, must-eat-food-now feeling about halfway through.

After 2 runs with that awful mid- and post-run stomach ache, I decided to do what I know works for me and eat before I exercise. As I learned in winter camping, I had to figure out what works best for me – not my husband, not my ‘in real life friends’ and not my internet friends. I love you all but I’m not you and you’re not me.

The first run after implementing breakfast? Like night and day. I felt energized and was able to run, shower, get out the door and get to work before that post-run hunger kicked in. So these days, I’m eating before I exercise. And I’m eating non-gluten-free, regular bread.

Regular wheat bread smothered with KROGER BRAND Nutella. Who knew there was such a thing!? It’s amazing and half the price. And this one in crunchy!

My point, folks, is that you need to do what’s best for you.

It’d be wonderful if there was a One Size Fits All for many things in life but unfortunately, most things don’t work like that. And it’s SO easy to get caught up in what you SHOULD be doing because so-and-so is doing that or so-and-so said to – but when it comes down to it, if it ain’t working for you, who cares what they say! Figure out what works for you and do it.

But if it includes Kroger brand Nutella, I’ll keep doing what you’re doing.

Life: Snow Daze Means Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on March 25, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

This past weekend, Denver got hit with SNOW! Unlike snow storm forecasts in the recent past, this storm actually delivered. It started snowing Friday night and it was still falling hard on Saturday morning, continuing throughout the day.

Snow Daze // lgsmash.com

Philly loved it.

Fortunately, my Saturday consisted of working from my couch so I settled in to enjoy the gray, cold day from my apartment. But it didn’t feel right to be stuck at home on a snowy Saturday with no real plans without a little something special. Homemade cinnamon rolls would do the trick!

Snow Daze Cinnamon Rolls // lgsmash.com

Corrie posted these No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls last week and I pulled up the recipe. We had everything! Except for milk – we used half and half instead of milk in the recipe here. Given her success and the lack of steps in this recipe, I gave it a shot. I tried homemade cinnamon rolls once before and they did NOT turn out well. Looking back… it might have been the whole cooking-them-sideways thing that ruined them.

Anyway, these turned out AWESOME. It was so easy to make, took less than an hour from start to pulling out of the oven, tasted delicious and were soft and doughy – everything a homemade cinnamon roll should be.

I made us 12 cinnamon rolls – enough for 2 breakfasts for 2 people with a few left over. On Sunday, I reheated them in the oven (200* for 10ish minutes) and they were divine. Even better than fresh outta the oven the first time. The cinnamon sugar on top got a little crispy but the roll was still deliciously soft. (PS – could probably reheat these in the microwave too… we just don’t own one).

This recipe made it into Alex’s Book Of Successful Recipes – one of my few contributions! He is definitely the master cook over here.

So – if you’re looking for an easy, fast and super delicious cinnamon roll recipe, you’ve found it. Go make it. Seriously!

And the snow on Saturday? Already melting. In fact, it’s supposed to be in the mid 50*s here this week. Goodbye snow and goodbye winter!

Fitness: 2013 Races – Registered!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

One great thing about Colorado is that there is never a shortage of new, fun races to try. Whatever your running flavor, Colorado has it – road races, mud runs, obstacle runs, overnight relays, ultra marathons & 100 mile ultra marathons, running up mountains, running in snowshoes. And that’s just a tip of the running races! Never mind the array of non-running sports! You name it and out here, you can do it.

In the 4 years that I’ve lived in Colorado (FOUR YEARS!!), I’ve found a lot value and joy in running and have stuck to ‘traditional’ races. Races that are run on a road, put on by a big-name sponsor and have LOTS of runners. Absolutely great races and I’ve valued the experience and lessons I’ve learned from them.

But this year, I’ve been feeling the pull to explore different races – as I alluded to yesterday. To break from my safe mold. Not because I’m an excellent runner but because I was tired of the same old predictable race. So I went with my heart and have registered for races that are a bit less traditional and a lot more exciting to me right now.

Garden of the Gods 10 Miler. Cannot wait for this one! This is a hilly race through the stunning Garden of the Gods park. It’s on my race bucket list and when registration opened, I signed up ASAP. And ya can’t beat a registration price of $32!

Source: gardentenmile.com vialynne on Pinterest

Mt. Evans Ascent. Honestly, this race scares the pants off of me. I had (have!) butterflies and clammy palms when I registered. Basically, this race starts at the base of a 14er (mountain that is 14,000 feet tall) and ends at the top. Total distance is 14+ miles – which will be a new personal distance record for me, 11 of which are ABOVE TREELINE. Where the air is too thin for trees to grow. *gulp* While I hope I look like this girl, I’m pretty sure I’ll be gasping for air instead of cruising along.

(Photo here)

Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. A downhill half marathon in the mountains! After a hilly 10 miler and running up a mountain, I’m looking forward to this very scenic, downhill half in the mountains. This race will have a lot of runners (and it sold out during a special discounted pre-sale) but I’m allowing it because, well, it looks badass.

And in between those big races, I’m looking at trying a trail race and maybe a 5 or 10k, if the price is right. This girl has a busy summer without factoring in races (travel, hikes, backpacking trips, concerts – to name a few!) so I’m not too concerned with The Perfect Race Schedule. I like to use running as a method to my other madness, like long backpacking trips, so a few awesome sounding races to keep me interested and happy will fit the bill for my summer schedule.

Fitness: Trail Running at Green Mountain

Posted on March 18, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

Man! Have I missed the boat with trail running or WHAT?! This weekend I went trail running for the first time ever. I’ve hiked, snowshoed and skied trails but never run ‘em. But now I’m jumping squarely on the Trail Running Bandwagon.

This year I’ve been trying to change up my running game a little bit. I’ve felt uninspired by running on the same roads and sidewalks I usually do, by registering for the the same traditional road races I’ve always run. So I’ve picked different races to register for and have been wanting to give trail running a shot. I mean, EVERYONE in Colorado runs on trails (I’m looking at you: Paula, Courtney, Sarah, Heidi, Erin, etc, etc. I know I’ve forgotten some of y’all) so I keep seeing and hearing about how awesome trail running is but have been too scared to try it alone. (Must remember: Never Let Your Fear Decide Your Fate). I knew trail running would be a new, fun challenge that would keep me interested in running.

Lucky for me, Heidi mentioned that the Boulder Running Company had an organized run at Green Mountain and I invited myself along. We ended up running sans group which was probably for the better for my first time, in my unprofessional opinion.There was no self-inflicted peer pressure to keep with the group or run a certain distance. We ran how and where we wanted.

(Heidi’s photo – Her husband took this. See that teeeeny tiny little yellow spec on the trail on the left? That’s us!)

First things first: I had NO idea that 1) Green Mountain existed and had trails and 2) that it’s within 20 minutes of my apartment. This place is perfect for runners, hikers and mountain bikers – we saw many of each on the trails.

Heidi shared her trail running tips with me – go slow and don’t look at your pace, pick your mini-target distance (spot on the trail to run to to stay motivated) and to just keep breathing – and we took off!

We ran and walked equal parts – sometimes walking because it was a ridiculously hard incline and sometimes because we busy talking. It’s a lot harder to talk and run on trails, I quickly found out. At one point, we ended up in a residential neighborhood and had to run on the sidewalk to get back on the trail we wanted – in that moment, running on the sidewalk, I knew I was a goner – trail running already had my heart! Running on the sidewalk felt so boring!

We weaved our way through different trail loops for a grand total of 5 miles. And managed to inadvertently look like twins.

(Heidi’s photo)

It definitely is harder to run on trails than on the flat sidewalk but I really enjoyed the challenge. It’s the challenge I’ve been looking for, I’ve been needing. My legs and body were way more tired after these 5 miles than my Tuesday/Thursday morning 5 mile runs. (And my booty is SORE today! Uphill running will whip my booty in shape for sure.)

My goal this year is to build a better, more solid base of fitness so I can do the things I love better and longer so adding trail running into my run schedule will absolutely help me achieve that. And running on a dirt trail, rather than a sidewalk next to cars, does not suck. I mean, THE MOUNTAINS ARE RIGHT THERE!

Crafterday: Baby Onesie Cupcakes

Posted on March 16, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

As I was trolling Pinterest over the holidays, I saw these adorable little onesie cupcakes that would be perfect for a baby shower or expecting mom. I saved it away and waited for the next baby announcement from our family or friends. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long!

I followed the tutorial here, hit up Michaels for cupcake boxes and fun baking cups and Target for pink onesies and baby socks.

Take one onesie and one sock, fold the onesie in half and roll length-wise.

Place in a baking up and place in the cupcake box. Repeat 4 times until you have a box of ‘cupcakes’.

If you bought 4 pairs of socks like I did – I didn’t see packs of 2 pairs at Target – you’ll have 4 leftover socks. I was sending my box in the mail so I included these extra socks in the package. If you were to give these onesies cupcakes at a baby shower, you could include the extra socks in a separate envelope.

I love how much more special the presentation of these onesies are as a cupcake than just wrapping onesies and socks as they come – which is honestly, how I usually would send a gift like this. After how easy this was to make, women in my life who get pregnant – you now know what to expect from me!

5 Things I’ve Learned From Winter Camping

Posted on March 14, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

For the last 7 weeks, Alex and I have been learning about how to camp and backpack in the cold, snowy winter through the Colorado Mountain Club’s Winter Camping School. Our school consisted of 3 classroom sessions and at least 2 overnight trips. Winter camping is similar but very different than summer or fall backpacking – mainly in that it takes a lot more TIME to plan and execute a trip and more GEAR to be prepared and stay warm.

Outside of the technical knowledge and gear I acquired (of which there is a lot!), I took away 5 things from winter camping that have directly impacted my non-winter-camping aspects of life.

1. Figure out what works best for you. In the classroom sessions, we discussed the right gear to have, the right foods to eat, the best methods for staying warm, etc, etc. These were supremely helpful in learning about what to bring and how to operate in cold weather but ultimately, it comes down to figuring out what works for YOU. Just because Alex can sleep with just running tights and a long sleeve shirt and be warm doesn’t mean that will work for me. Everyday application: Figure out your own system and make it work. Don’t compare yourself to what others are doing.

2. HYDRATE to stay warm. This was a HUGE learning for me. Every time Alex and I went skiing and when we went on the first overnight trip, my fingers and toes got really cold and I couldn’t figure out why. I had the proper socks and gloves on, I kept moving them around to keep the blood flowing but I couldn’t get warm. On the overnight, Alex told me to drink water – Hydration helps keep you warm. Of course! I’d forgotten! After Alex reminded me and I drank water, I noticed my fingers and toes were less cold. Since then, I’ve made a concerted effort to drink water on a more regular basis… and my fingers and toes have not gotten cold. Not skiing in Telluride, not camping in a blizzard. Everyday application: Drink water!

3. Proper nutrition and timing of eating is key. Along with #2, eating the right things at the right times help keep you warm, too. Backpacking – and backpacking in the winter – burns a lot of calories that need to be replaced. Calorie dense foods are imperative! And eating regularly (for me!) makes a huge difference in my comfort and warmth. Timing is also critical – eating dinner early enough in the evening means your food will digest and keep your furnace (metabolism) burning until you’re ready for bed. Before bed, eating chocolate (or those Reese’s Eggs) will keep your metabolism running for most of the night. This relates back to #1, too – my eating needs (type and timing) are VERY different from Alex’s – I recognize this and don’t try to keep to his schedule. Everyday application: Know what and when your body needs to eat – to keep warm or to keep from getting grumpy.

4. Plan ahead. It takes more detailed planning to have a successful winter camping trip than a summer/fall backpacking trip. From routes to weather to avalanche danger to equipment, all bases must be covered in advance. Be aware of the dangers and obstacles you might encounter. Everyday application:Do your research before jumping into a new activity.

5. Have fun! After safety, FUN is the objective! It’s fun to architect snow structures and build kitchens. It’s fun to spend the weekend camping with other crazy people who love exploring the mountains in the snow. It’s fun to snowshoe in the dark, under the stars. Everyday application: If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, find something else to do.

Similar to Heidi’s post, what we learn on the trail and in the mountains always applies to ‘real life’ off the trail. Some of these things apply more directly to life than others (Figure Out Your System, Hydrate, Have Fun) but all are important life lessons.

Who knew backpacking could teach me so much about life?!

Colorado: Winter Camping At Second Creek, Colorado

Posted on March 11, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

This weekend was our final winter camping class/overnight with our Winter Camping School through the Colorado Mountain Club. You may recall that our first overnight trip ended in a trip to the ER instead of camping so Alex and I were both looking forward to this weekend as a ‘redemption’ trip. Cliff notes version: This trip was successful on all counts!

We met our group super early Saturday morning to head to Second Creek Trailhead. As Denver was under a winter storm warning (ie: BLIZZARD. Yes, we camped in a blizzard.), we wanted to get an early start to give extra travel time on the road. Second Creek is just past Berthoud Pass and just before Winter Park Ski Resort. The roads were pretty slick and I was happy that Alex and I were riding with a friend who has 4 wheel drive.

The weather was pretty gray, snowy and cold all of Saturday. We hiked about 1.5 miles in to our camp site and started to build our shelters or set up our tents.

Alex and I opted to sleep in our tent rather than build a snow shelter since we hadn’t had the opportunity to try our new 4-season tent last time. (A 4-season tent is basically a tent that is suited for winter camping in addition to spring/summer/fall camping. Those are called 3-season tents).

Because it takes significantly less time to set up a tent than build a shelter, we helped make a kitchen for the group after we’d set up our tent. A Winter Camping School group had camped in this same spot a week before and was kind enough to leave their kitchen so we just cleaned it up and made it longer to accommodate our large group.

In the video, you can see 2 girls building a snow trench (like the one in this post) where they spent the night on Saturday. We had one other camper (Hi Josh!) build a snow cave (2 actually – the first cracked and was unsafe to sleep in) where he successfully spent his Saturday night.

Below is the entrance to the first, failed cave. To give perspective, Alex is 6’2″ sitting in the opening. Inside, Josh had carved out a huge, open space where he would have slept.

Remember that blizzard I mentioned? It dumped snow on Saturday. I’m not sure the final accumulation but we frequently brushed off this much snow throughout the day.

One perk to camping at Second Creek is that a new Grand Huts Association hut, Broome Hut, was opened recently nearby and this new hut included a ‘warming hut’ for public day use. (Heidi and Heather have great posts about what to do on a hut trip.) We hiked up to check it out and get out of the blowing snow for a little bit. Our group then made the executive decision to hike back down, grab our stoves and dinners and make our food in the warming hut. You may call this cheating, I call it resourceful.

Many jokes, riddles and songs later, we packed up and hiked back down to camp for the night. This was definitely the coolest part of the trip to me – the snow had stopped and the clouds had cleared so we were snowshoeing in the silent, black night with nothing between us and the stars. It was incredible.

Honestly, I was nervous about getting cold overnight but I was super comfortable and never once felt cold. I used a down sleeping bag rated to 20* (meaning: it should keep me warm at 20* and above), a fleece liner and 2 Thermarest sleeping pads (one inflatable, one closed cell) and felt warmer than I ever have summer backpacking…on the coldest night I’ve ever camped. A little knowledge and a little gear can go a LONG way.

On Sunday morning, we woke up to a warmer morning with light snowfall – which soon burned off into a beautiful blue sky.

We made breakfast, packed up and hiked out.

The contrast between Saturday’s cold and crazy snow and Sunday’s warm blue skies was insane – it was hard to believe that just 12 hours earlier, we were wearing ski goggles and down coats when, on Sunday, when we all were peeling off layers to cool down for the hike out. That’s crazy Colorado weather for ya.

I loved pretty much every part of this trip – there isn’t a thing I would have done differently (except bring a toothbrush! I’ve misplaced my travel toothbrush somewhere along the way.) and I feel really excited to give winter camping a shot with a smaller group, putting our skills to the real test.

Through this course I’ve learned so much – about camping, camping in cold weather and myself. We’ve gained knowledge (and gear) in these past 6 weeks that will allow us to explore the mountains in a fun and an ‘unconventional’ way in the winter for many years and trips to come.

Life: Birthday Video (And Cake Failures to Cake Balls)

Posted on March 8, 2013 by lynne @ lgsmash

As I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6th, the night before my birthday, I realized that while I may not feel older, I definitely AM older. 21,22 or even 25 year old Lynne would not set her alarm to get up before the sun to run 5 miles. Heck! 22 year old Lynne didn’t even care about running! 25 year old Lynne would probably run but not until late morning or early afternoon.

I was struck by how different my life and choices are these days. And how much better video is at capturing a memory, a story, than straight photos.

So as I went to bed on the last day of my 26th year, I decided to make a video of how I spent my 27th birthday. Of the things I did, the places I went. I forgot to take a photo or video of the little happy hour gathering we had – too busy living in the moment to remember to document it but that happened too.

This video certainly is not great as I’m a very much a n00b video maker but I know it will be fun to look back in 10 years and think, MAN. I had time to watch a movie in the afternoon?! And make a cake?!

(YouTube tried to ‘stabilize’ my video so it might look a little screwy. I turned the fix off but it’s taking a while to process so it may look funky for a little bit longer. And it looks like a photo is sideways. Did I mention I’m a n00b?)

As you can see in the video, the coconut cake I was so excited to make and eat was an epic fail. It came out of the oven concave and stuck to the pan – despite greasing and flouring the pan. When I tried to coax it out of the pan, it crumbled into pieces. The recipe came from a Cincinnati newspaper clipping and had no high altitude considerations so I think that might be the culprit of the failure.

But a failed cake means a try at cake balls!

I was too tired to make the coconut icing last night so I just used a store brand chocolate frosting that I had in my cabinet.

To make cake balls:

Fail at a cake. Put failed cake in a big bowl and crumble until fine. There should be no big chunks of cake.
Add icing (straight from the container at room temperature) and using the back of a spoon, mix the icing and cake thoroughly.
Form cake & icing mixture into little rolled balls and place on waxed paper in a container. I used a 13 x 9 baking pan.
Put in refrigerator until chilled.
Enjoy!

I’m not a huge fan of sweet things so these aren’t my favorite but they’re pretty good, as far as sweet things go. Alex really likes them. I think I’d like them better with the coconut icing instead of store bought chocolate so I’ll have to give this another try.

But cake balls mean it’s easier to share with friends than bringing a giant cake to a group of people. I’ll be bringing my cake balls to share with my winter camping friends tomorrow so hopefully there are some sweet tooth-ed people in my group!

(And yes, I’m winter camping tomorrow despite the winter storm warning in Denver and the mountains and the expected 2 feet of snow. Send your warm thoughts to my feet!)

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