March Marathon Madness

Yesterday was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and it was about 55 degrees. If only we were running our marathon yesterday as opposed to the week earlier!

All week the weather called for rain on Saturday; the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was actually postponed until March 28th. So we knew what we were dealing with when we were going to run. On Friday, we arrived to DC around noon, missing all traffic and finding 28 license plates from different states, beginning in Baltimore. We found a parking spot in our second loop by the Convention Center and enjoyed the expo. Brooks was sponsoring the run, and they had Happy Island set up, where we rode a shoe (like the bull riding), played a racing game (think arcade style Hoppin’ Harry and Jumpin’ Jack) up Mount Crack-A-Toa. Jenn won a pair of Brooks shoes (she wears the Ghost 7) and Sean won a visor. We ran into a friend from home at the Mamma Chia booth. We left and went to the National Mall, where we grabbed lunch at a delicious sports bar and then walked around all the monuments. Our luck was only temporary. Around 5:15, we went back to the car to head to our Aunt’s house outside DC, only to find that our car wasn’t there. We knew that it was where we left it, and discovered that unlike P

hilly, when you don’t have to pay after a certain time it’s a great spot, you get actually get towed. After a phone call, we discovered our car was a block down, with a parking ticket for the tow and a parking ticket for being a spot without paying. Ok, lesson learned.

We had butternut squash soup, a side salad, and pasta with Jenn’s mom’s homemade sauce for dinner. We also enjoyed some Conshohocken Bakery bread and a small glass of wine (thanks to our Aunt, Jenn dropped the wine in the driveway upon arrival. At least it was still in the bag!). We went to bed early because we were exhausted!

Saturday morning was cold and rainy. We wore trashbags for the first time, because we knew it was supposed to get up to 60 degrees. The metro took us in, and we got there in plenty of time to use the bathroom, put our warm, dry clothes in gear check, and make it into our corral. The starting line was crowded with people from all over the nation. There were about 18,000 people at the starting line but only 2,500 people finished the marathon. There was some good pump up music, Star Spangled Banner, and then we were off, 26.2 miles in our nation’s capital. The race started around the mall with a crossing over the Potomac and then miles 4, 5, and 6 were along a scenic road along the Potomac. Mile 6 included a giant hill that was lined by huge American flags held by volunteers which was inspirational for remembering our troops. The next 5 or 6 miles before the split went through some of the neighborhood areas and there were a ton of people out supporting even in the rain. Mile 12 saw the split occur which made the race crowded with people to a very lonely race. The second part of the race was not a scenic as we did a loop in an industrial park, ran around a park, and at mile 22 hit another park that had hill after hill. Someone wanted to be cruel at the end of the race. The race finished at RFK Stadium where Better Than Ezra was belting out some tunes. Sean ran a 3:25 which was a 7:51 pace. Jenn ran a 3:58 which was a 9:09 pace. We got our awesome DC finishers jackets and medals, had a beer at the finisher’s tent, and hobbled back to the metro. Of course when we finished running the rain had finished and it actually became sunny later on in the day.

So we now have 8 states and the District of Columbia checked off our list of trying to run a race in all 50 states. So why do we do it? What better way to see a place than to join thousands of people and flood the streets. You get an up-close encounter with the architecture, get to meet neat people, and we get to see the USA one step at a time. Next up is Charlottesville, Virginia the first weekend of April.

Valentine's Day and March Snow Storms

Snow Running!

Annual Craft Ale House Date!

February was a month of inspiration and hard work. We competed in Bryn Mawr Running Company’s “Feel the Love 5k” on February 14th. As a team, we ran in opposite directions around the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. It was snowing, but warmer than 2014! Sean ran very well, he was four seconds off of his PR. Jenn PRed, running 23:14. Even though we both ran faster than last year, we actually placed lower as a team (Partners in Crime) than we did last year. It’s a really competitive and fun race.

 The other annual run that we completed this February was the Frostbite Five Miler, sponsored by the Ambler Area Running Co. This is our 4th year running this hilly (and normally always cold) race! Both of us PRed, Sean ran a 33:19 and Jenn ran a 40:05. Jenn’s hands were so cold after the race, despite gloves. It was 17 degrees when we began the race. Afterwards, we met with some members of the Conshohocken Running Club (who have been pushing us to run better) for a great picture!

We worked extra hard to fit in our miles in cold weather. We did not get to complete our final 20-miler due to snow last weekend, but we did get to run about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Yesterday, we both had a snow day, so we trekked to the gym in order to not slip and slide all over the street and  get in a six-mile tempo run. We did it, and now it is one week (and one day) until the Rock ‘n Roll DC Marathon.

This February, we worked to improve our diet and eat more vegetable and plant-based protein to help fuel our runs and athletic endeavors. We also are budgeting so that we do not waste food and try to stay at or under $165 per week on food. Our kitchen has been a busy place! See our pantry page for flaxseed blueberry muffins, peanut butter treats, beet and feta “burgers,” quinoa-chickpea “burgers,”and  vegan sriracha “mayo.” We can thank our CSA, Philly Foodworks,  for helping us to explore new recipes. Stay tuned for some turnip dishes!

While is was snowing yesterday, we began to sow our indoor garden so that we can begin to grow our own veggies to fuel us through the summer and fall. The Farmer’s Almanac online has been helpful- it sends us reminders to start planting at certain times based off of our zipcode.

Long Runs and Vandalism

Boat House Row at Kelly Drive
Picture Courtesy visitphilly.com

Saturday, February 7th marked the first of 2 20+ runs the McCracken’s are going to do in preparation for the Washington DC marathon. Jenn was doing an aerial training class in Manayunk so there is a popular lot right at the beginning of Kelly Drive that is right on the trail and maybe 400 meters from the East Falls Bridge.

We decided to set out towards Manayunk and jump on Forbidden Drive and then do a little bit of Kelly Drive to total up to 20 miles. We set off both on our ways both feeling a little unprepared. We both felt a little tired and dehydrated and not mentally ready for 3+ hours on the run. But we took our 5-hour energy (a staple for the McCracken’s in long runs) and 2 gels each. We decided to leave some water at my tire so when we pass we could grab some.

About 2 miles in we hit the main 5-mile stretch of Forbidden Drive and it was still a sheet of ice. We talked to a nice man that said it did not get better so we decided to head back to the car and do 2 loops of Kelly Drive (this would be the 2nd time we did this in 6 days!).

Kelly Drive is a great place to run. There is the Schuylkill River, the city skyline, and tons of people along the way. Jenn and I have started to run opposite directions  when we run the loop so we get to see each other a few times throughout. Training for anything has its ups and downs, and  lot of those downs are not always injuries. As we finished we both got back to a car that had a shattered passenger front window all in the car. Jenn’s North Face, zip up, purse with only a water bottle and keys were taken. Luckily nothing else was taken, but still a pain in the butt. Needless to say, the police didn’t even visit the car to write the report.

Our plans that evening were thwarted and we ended up getting our house re-keyed. Sunday, Jenn’s spare keys didn’t work in the car, so we waited 5 hours until we could get them chipped to the car. We spent a lot of time talking about what happened, and we came up with the concept of, “thus is life!” Just like we have some great runs and some bad runs, we also have great moments in life and some bumps along the way. It boils down to how you handle to bad runs and the bump in life.

Monday night, our gym called. Jenn’s keys were found in her purse outside a nursing home in the city. Only the North Face was taken and Sean’s car window was fixed. 20 miles and only one more 20 miler to go :-)

Who Dat!?

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart”- Confucius

The plane landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport around 8:30pm and we got into our hotel around 9pm. The taxi service was excellent and pretty cheap!  Jenn had been fighting a cold for over a week and Sean made sure to take Emergency-C daily in order to protect himself. The Hyatt, our hotel near the start of the ½ marathon, was  brand new and sparkling, with the Mercedes Benz Stadium lit up in the backdrop. We sat at the bar for a late night snack (some miso soup and sushi) and drank a local beer while scanning google maps to plan the weekend ahead thanks to some great advice from friends and family.

We woke up at 7:30 on Saturday and jogged to a great little breakfast spot, Merchant. We both ate the banana-nutella crepe (a sweet splurge!) and then jogged to the expo at the Convention Center. We arrive at 9:07 and it took us ten minutes to walk to the other side, it was absolutely huge! There, we had our samplings, received our 5-hour energy (we both take one before long runs) and purchased our GU needed for the next day. We then jogged back by the Mississippi (careful here, there was a lot of Cruise Ship confusion for us), showered, and headed on down to the National World War II Museum (Beyond All Boundaries and The Road to Berlin were fantastic exhibits). The whole museum was fantastic. Afterwards,we walked to the French Quarter and popped into some shops to try King’s Cake and pralines. We had a nice Italian dinner at The Italian Barrel. We split some bread with oil, tomato mozzarella. Sean had some pasta with sausage and Jenn had pumpkin ravioli. It was delicious! We sat at the bar and chatted with our waitress who gave us good advice on where to visit. After dinner, it was about 6:30pm, so we walked back through Bourbon Street and soaked up all the madness and excitement from the street, while drinking our water. We both were exhausted from all of our walking and adventures that we passed out around 8 while watching Home Alone 2.

The morning of the run, we made sure we had our Kind Bar and banana before the start. The start of the race was about 5 blocks away and as we left the hotel there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Tons of people flocked to the starting line where we listened to the mayor of New Orleans speak and a wonderful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” The horn rang and the city was filled with sounds of footsteps, cheers, and music, because as you know it was the Rock and Roll Marathon. The conditions were perfect! It was a flat race, not windy, and temperatures were in the 50s. The course went through the business district, out to Tulane University where there was a turnaround that took you back towards the business district, by the museums, through the French Quarter and a 5k out to the New Orleans Park. Sean’s goal was to run 7-minute miles for as long as he could and knew that when he hit the 10-mile mark and there was a 5k left to dig deep and run as hard as he could. He was able to do this and as he hit the 10-mile mark he knew it was going to be a special race. He finished in 1:31:22 which was a 6:58 pace and finished in 120th place out of just around 8,000 people. He set a PR by 1 minute and 10 seconds. Jenn’s goal was to complete it strongly as she was just getting over an upper-respiratory infection. Jenn was motivated by the awesome music through the course and loved the stretch through the French Quarter. Jenn also finished with a PR which was 1:49:20 which was 22 seconds faster than her 2014 Philadelphia Half Marathon. She finished in 699th place out of 8,000 people. We both were pleased with our winter training and feel strong going into the Washington DC Marathon training.

 

After we found each other in the park we enjoyed some southern music and a few Michelob Ultras, free for runners, the sun was shining and we embarked on a four-mile walk back to the hotel. We watched as people set up their homes for Mardi Gras and even got a Zulu coconut on the way! Confucius’s quote means that when you go somewhere or do something, do it with love. However, we both agree that every place we see adds to the capacity our heart can love. Each place leaves memories and footprints that we will hold on to forever.

Training through Snow

Philadelphia offers the best and worst of all the seasons- hot and sunny summers; colorful and cool autumns; blossoming and rainy springs; and snowy and cold winters. Changing seasons allows us to embrace the appreciation of all aspects of life- we see the budding of new flowers; the hot sand on beaches; the changing palet of autumn leaves; and fresh blankets of new snow.  It also forces athletes to accept the weather and persevere outside in the freezing cold or hibernate inside to a warm, but perhaps unexciting gym. Either way, a well-kept plan will strengthen anyone who rises to the challenge and completes their workout.

Each season, this plant takes a different shape

The term "unexciting" is not meant to stigmatize a gym in a negative way. Gyms are fantastic places and there is a purpose for belonging to a gym. However, when you can’t do a nine mile run outside due to the snow and poor conditions (we do have to be realistic about safety sometimes!), doing the run on the treadmill is not the ideal run. This was the case this Tuesday. Jenn was able to conquer her run by listening to some jams, taking a break, and fixating on conquering her goal. Sean did not finish as he wore some old shoes and started to blister around 5 miles. He made up some of the mileage later on that week.

We also both did our 800s on Friday night at the gym. Our plan states for us to run 6 800s as fast as possible with a quarter mile break in between. This was kind of nice to do on the treadmill because you can control the tempo. Tempo and pace runs can be great to do on a treadmill because you can push yourself and your pace to your liking. This weekend we will try to get an 8-miler and 14-miler done in the bitter cold! Wish us good luck!

Fall squash soups fuel us and are delicious. As Jenn mentioned earlier, butternut squash soup is part of her lucky pre-race meal. However, finding a recipe that makes the consistency nice and thick, but still healthy has been a feat! This soup (easy recipe under “Pantry” section), has shattered all doubts about being able to find the ideal pumpkin soup this winter. It will keep you warm through the winter months.

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Another winter nesting tool we completed was getting stains out of our white living room carpet. See “Around our Home for some great, cheap, and easy tricks! One thing we are struggling with is since we were with our pup, Jackpot from December 24th- January 4th, he has now taken to chewing on things he never used to bother with….ex. TV remotes, a reusable bag on the counter...Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him un-mad at us?

January Resolutions

2015 couldn't have started better for us! We were with our friends that we love and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to embrace the new year. A few weeks ago, we decided to re-brand the blog Jenn started a year ago to make it family oriented. It's hard to have a family and keep healthy sometimes, so we wanted to share some of our success stories- whether it involves fitness, using eco-friendly house cleaners, or creating a delicious meal. We hope that you enjoy our adventures!

We took a yoga class and meditation class at the Philadelphia Museum of Art before heading to Fishtown for our annual celebration.

On January 1st, we were able to go to the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia. While we spent time with friends, we also had moments to conspire about our resolutions. Sean wants to PR in a race this year, lift weights regularly, and spend quality time with family and friends this year. Jenn plans to think more positively about changes/challenges that will take place in 2015, to develop a stronger following in her yoga and spin classes, and meditate/pray regularly. Check out the "Cross Training" tab to see Jenn's spin classes workouts and yoga themes, as well as Sean's weight lifting workouts.

City Hall!

Today, we sat down after lesson planning and grading exams to plan out our running schedule for the next few months. We are so excited for the new year, our goals, and our transitions.

2015 RNR Washington DC Marathon Training!

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
January 4th – January 10th	10-mile run	3-mile run	9-mile run	4-mile run	6x800	Rest	8-mile run
January 11th – January 17th	14-mile run	3-mile run	9-mile run	4-mile run	6xhill	Rest	9-mile tempo run
January 18th – January 24th	18-mile run	4-mile run	10-mile run	5-mile run	45 min. tempo	Rest	2-mile run
January 25th – January 31st	New Orlean'sRNR Half (13-mile pace run)	Rest	6-mile run	5-mile run	7x800	Rest	6-mile run
February 1st - February 7th	12-mile run	4-mile run	10-mile run	5-mile run	7xhill	Rest	10-mile tempo run
February 8th - February 14th	20-mile run	5-mile run	6-mile run	5-mile run	45 min. tempo	Rest	5k-pace Feel the Love 5k
February 15th - February 21st	12-mile run	5-mile run	10-mile run	5-mile run	8x800	Rest	10-mile pace
February 22 – February 28	20-mile run	5-mile run	8-mile tempo run	5-mile run	6xhill	Rest	5-mile pace Frost-Bite 5 Miler
March 1 – March 7	12-mile run	4-mile run	6-mile run	4-mile run	30-min. Tempo	Rest	8-mile run
March 8 – March 14	4-mile run	4x400	2-mile run	Rest	Rest	2-mile run	RNR Washington DC!