Race Recap: Miami Marathon

It's been three weeks since the Miami Marathon and I told myself I wouldn't post about it until I was mentally over it. Truth is, I thought I was mentally over it after a week, but then the exhaustion and low motivation set in that was reminiscent of post-Chicago Marathon life. Marathons take a lot out of a person, both emotionally and physically, and the Miami Marathon was no different.

The Miami Marathon was actually a race I had been avoiding. I've done the half marathon twice in the past and was always afraid of the full because of the low crowd support and low number of participants that's really noticeable when the full and the half marathoners break off. I think I needed a race like Chicago to ease me into marathon running because the race is grand on so many levels and I didn't really feel or process those 26.2 miles with all the visual distractions. But, I knew I had to conquer Miami because that is my hometown race and the course is something I have ran so many times as part of my training for other races.

So, come race day I had two goals: help pace a friend to a sub-2:30 half marathon and finish with a smile. Both goals were accomplished and I felt so proud of myself for having finished another marathon. It wasn't as emotional as the first, but it was still special because I conquered something other than the distance: my fear of running a "small" marathon.

I think they said that out of the 25,000 participants only 3,000 were running the marathon and you could really notice the difference during the second half of the race. The first half went by quickly as I had my friend with me and as there was so much to see between the runners, the crowd support, and the city itself. The second half of the race felt like the smaller, more hometown races I've done where you run through neighborhoods and there's always another running in sight, but never enough runners where you feel like you were in a "big" race. Does that make sense?

Either way, during the second part of the race I was so grateful that I did most of my long-run training alone because my brain knew that I if I had it in me to run 22 miles alone, I had it in me to run 13.1 miles alone. I chose to keep up the pace I kept during the first half of the race because I hadn't ran in heat in a long time and I wanted to be mindful of the needs of my body during a "hot" run (it was actually beautiful Miami weather). With that said, cold fruit and cold beer between miles 21 and 22 were the best thing ever.

My legs started to feel the pain of running the marathon around mile 20, but I just kept moving. It makes me laugh to think of all the things I said to myself during the race to keep myself moving. The biggest help for me is to always set a mark, or set my eyes on a person that I want to keep up with and possibly pass. Miles 24-26 were a blur, but I do remember that feeling of accomplishment and badassery when I finished. Very few things compare to the feeling you get when you realize that your body moved for 26.2 miles, regardless of the time it took you to cover that distance.

Anyway, much like my brain during the marathon, my brain right now is all over the place and all jumbled up from the experience of running 26.2 miles in my hometown. I don't think I'll do the marathon again simply, but who knows? I can tell you that I am looking to keep this race my annual tradition and I'm ready to be Miami Famous in 2016 again!

 

Now the focus is on training for my 50k Ultra Marathon in March! For more on my training and the ways I'm staying strong as I train, follow along on Instagram @thecookierunner. 

 

Michelob Ultra Miami Beach 13.1 Recap

Last chance to enter the giveaway for MASH UP Conditioning!

It's test week! I can't wait for Saturday to be here so I can be done with this test. I feel like there is always something I am waiting for to pass so that I can back to "normal." I'm not sure what normal is because as soon as this test passes, I need to start focusing on getting the house organized and packed up so we can hopefully sell it quickly. I can't believe Chicago is less than four months away.

Before that, however, there is running to talk about. Running has officially become a part of my life; it is probably the only thing that I have consistently kept up with over the past few weeks of studying. I have half marathon #9 on March 2nd and this marathon also happens to be my favorite half marathon. I first participated in this race last year and loved everything about it: the company, the course, and the weather. The race did not disappoint this year.

 I ran this year's half with my running friend and it was 13.1 miles of talking, laughing, and enjoying the run. I've had a mantra the past few races of "my race, my pace" because my goal hasn't been to get a personal best, it's been to really enjoy the act of running and the sense of freedom running gives me. The course was beautiful as usual and you really can't beat the backdrop of cruise ships.

The only thing I didn't like about this race was the emotions it brought up for me about leaving Miami and all the amazing running friends I have made in Miami. This is my last half marathon in Miami, unless I fly down for one next year or we move back to the area so finishing this race was bittersweet. My goal is to run with all those great people as much as I can over the next four months.

What I liked:

• The course: it takes you down Ocean Drive and two of the most beautiful and scenic bridges in Miami. 
• Plenty of water and entertainment on the course. 
• The company. 
• Smaller race. 
• Meeting other runners like Dr. Dribble and Instagram friends. 
• Location of race (Miami Beach). 
• Energy gummies passed out at mile 8. 

What I didn't like:

• My last big Miami race. 
• The medal was OK. I liked last year's medal with the rotating detail better. At least this one has a bottle opener, right?

Next Race Recap is March 9th's trail run (so much fun!). I think I need to find a race for March 22 and March 30th just so that I can say I raced every weekend in March. 

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Ragnar Relay Miami to Key West Recap

The idea for running Ragnar Relay's Miami to Key West run started almost six months ago. My friend did it last year and loved it so much that she wanted to do it again this year. I was one of the first people to say yes and immediately claimed Runner 2 as my position. This runner had about 18 miles of running spread over three runs and one of those runs included running the 7-mile bridge down in the Keys. Now, if you know me, you know that bridges like this one freak me out. I figured that the best way to to conquer my fear was to tackle it head on by running the bridge. Running, after all, has become something that has helped me push my limits and discover new parts of myself.

The run was last weekend from Friday, February 7th to Saturday, February 8th. Because I was part of Van 1, my Friday started off with a 5:30am wake up call and getting the girls ready to spend the weekend at their grandparents' house. I was picked up by my teammates at 6:45am and we made it to Key Biscayne close to 8:00am. The nerves started setting in on the drive over and we were all afraid of getting lost and going off course. At this point, our first legs were running parts of Miami we knew, but we were still afraid of getting lost.

Runner 1 started at 9:00am with a 5.5 mile run. As soon as he took off, we hopped in the car and went to the first exchange point to wait for him. As soon as I heard them yell out "303" (our team number) my nervousness subsided and I was ready to run. My first run was 4.4 miles through Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. Because I was still afraid of getting lost, I followed the runner who started a few seconds before me very closely. I ran faster than I would have wanted to run, but it was extremely hot out and I knew this would be the only run I had to run fast.

I switched off with the next runner at the next exchange point and, again, we all hopped in the car and headed over to the next exchange location to wait for the next switch of runners. This happened all through Runner 6 when she switched off with the first runner from Van 2, Runner 7. It took us 3.5 hours to cover the first 22.8 miles of the trip to Key West. While Van 2 runners ran, we went to La Carreta for lunch and then drove down to Homestead to wait for our next legs of runs to start.

My second run was supposed to be 4.7 miles but ended up being closer to 5.25 miles. Normally, this isn't a problem, but it was uncomfortable in this situation because it was nighttime and I was running on gravel roads. This run was probably the most humbling run of all of my runs. I was running at night with nothing but the light on my head and the light of the moon and the stars. I was running through a place I never thought I would run through; I had a canal on one side and a ditch and grasslands on the other. I ran without music and felt so connected to myself and my surroundings.

It took my team about 8.5 hours to run the 48.3 miles we had to run that night. By the time we passed off to Van 2, we were all exhausted. It had never felt so good to shower and lay down. I slept hard and woke up surprisingly rested the next day even with only 4 hours of sleep. That sleep was much needed because the last set of runs were going to be the hardest. Those runs, totally 32.5 miles, were all going to be done during the day. Our van started running at 10:00am and I started running the 7-mile bridge (which actually ended up being a 9.5 mile run because I run the roads before and after the actual bridge) at 10:10am. It took me a close to 1:40 to complete the run and, fortunately for me, there was a great sea breeze and wind from the passing cars to offset the heat of the day. I felt bad for the runners after me because I knew they would be running a flat course with little to no breeze. It took my van about 5 hours to finish our legs.

Once my van finished, we headed straight to the best little restaurant and ate everything on the menu. I think this was our celebration dinner. We were so happy to be done and excited to be so close to the finish. Team 303 finished around 7:00pm and we had enough time to take one picture with the whole group. While the Van 2 people went out that night, us Van 1 people stayed in and slept. Again, I was tired!

The weird part of the run, however, was the sense of disconnect. Because we were Van 1 and finished early in the day, it felt weird crossing the finish line at night. At that point, I felt like I hadn't done anything to deserve my medal at the end of the day.

The next day, Sunday, February 9th, we drove home. Of course, we caught a lot of traffic and ended up stopping to kayak and have dinner together.

What I liked:

• It was a running vacation!
• The people in my van were freaking awesome. They were so awesome that we were talking about doing more races together. 
• The 7-mile bridge was an incredible experience. 
• I loved the Ragnar shirt and medal. 
• The course was well-marked for the most part. 
• All the van decorations. 
• The support from other runners and vans.

What I didn't like:

• The weaving throughout Miami to get the mileage. There were so many turns and getting stuck at traffic lights that the runs were more stressful than enjoyable. 
• Most of the runs for Van 1 were without support so our van couldn't stop to help or cheer on the runners. 
• The heat. 
• I didn't really feel connected to the runners of Van 2. 

Next Race Recap will be Disney's Enchanted 10K!

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Lifetime Miami Half Marathon Recap

Sunday, February 2nd marked the date of seventh half marathon and the anniversary of my first ever half marathon. This half, Lifetime Miami Half Marathon, was the same course of my first so I felt a sense of familiarity. Even so, I was so anxious right before the race. I was a jittery ball of energy that morning and I was just a tad bit nervous about hitting the 7.5 mile point of this race because that's where I mentally stumbled last year. Luckily, there were no stumbles and I can honestly say I enjoyed this race, especially the last three miles.

I went into the race with the mentality that I would run how I felt and not push myself. The first 2.5 miles of the race were very hard for me because I really, really, really had to pee. I couldn't think about anything other than peeing. It was so distracting for me and made it hard for me to really enjoy running along the water at sunrise. After I found the bathroom the race was infinitely better. I was listening to my music and found a great rhythm. I ended up getting my second best time of 2:15 and, once again, found myself thanking my legs for carrying me the distance.

What I liked:

• The beginning of the course is great and takes you along the water and the cruise ships. 
• My team had a tent so we were able to enjoy hanging out after the race. 
• The medal was so cool and rotated along three different points. 
• Expo was a lot of fun and it was a runner's paradise. I am proud to say that I only left with one pair of compression socks. 
• Signage was good along the course. 
• The last three miles are the best with all the people on the streets and the bands playing music. 
• They handed out energy chews and fruit and had water and gatorade at every water station. 
• The signs after the halfway point were hilarious. 
• The race bib was gorgeous and very Miami Vice. 
• Lots of photographers on the course. 
• Plenty of water and food for the runners once they finished. 
• Free beer. 

What I didn't like:

• There were so many people! I had to skip a few of my intervals just to make it out of the crowd. 
• There were some parts of the course that were narrow that resulted in a bit of bottlenecking. 
• It didn't affect me, but some people got stuck at one of the bridges for 20 minutes. 
• Again, it didn't affect me but they ran out of medals for the half marathoners. 
• The last quarter mile of the race is the worst because of all the turns that make you feel like you will never reach the end. 
• The line at the beer garden was long. 

Next race recap will be for Ragnar Relay Miami to Key West!

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Cupcake Camp Miami Recap

I needed a full two days to recover from this weekend before posting the recap for my charity event, Cupcake Camp Miami. Last week was a blur with late nights, cranky children, and driving around Miami meeting with bakers. All last week I kept saying, "I just want it to be Saturday already because once it's Saturday, I have done all that I can do and it's a matter of people just showing up."

Saturday came and I was surprisingly very calm. I was at the event location, World of Beer-Midtown, at 12pm and everything was set up and ready for the bakers who started showing up at 12:30pm. My biggest concern was having enough people show up for the event. Like last time, this event was promoted through the use of social media and word-of-mouth. Unlike last time, I was invited to go on a local radio show to talk about the event and Give Kids The World. Talk about amazing!

The best part of the location was the foot traffic that the event attracted. I mean, how can you not want to spend $10 that will go to charity and eat unlimited cupcakes? The event was supposed to run from 2pm-5pm and, by 3:30pm, I was worried we would run out of cupcakes! I had asked each baker to make 100 cupcakes, which I thought would be enough for my estimated number of 125 guests. Luckily, we didn't run out of cupcakes, but some of the bakers did run out and at around 4:30pm there were only 4 or 5 bakers who still had cupcakes.

The event was a success and I was able to raise $1347 for Give Kids The World. This event was better than the last one because it was more organized, the location was better, and it was less stressful for everyone involved. I received a few compliments about the event and had people asking me when the next one was going to be held. My only regret is that I didn't get to taste any of the cupcakes! I was so busy organizing and checking people in, that I didn't get any cupcakes for myself. Next time!

If I hadn't done this event, I don't think I would be as close as I am to reaching my fundraising goal of $3,000. I still have more fundraising to go and I'm hoping I will have the last $563 raised in the next three days. To help boost donations I am dedicated a mile for every donor and yesterday I ran four miles for my four most recent donors.

I'm not good about asking for money or donations, but if you can donate, please do so! My kids will thank you! My Donation Page.

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Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours: I hope you have a great holiday celebrating with those you love and stuffing your face with those foods you love.

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This Weekend

I haven't been this excited about a weekend in a long time. Usually I look forward to the weekends because it means Alex will be around and I'll get an extra set of hands with the girls. This weekend, however, I'm excited for entirely different reasons.

First, a certain someone is going to pop and we all get to meet the newest member of the family. I can't believe I'm going to be meeting my niece this weekend. My sister told me she was pregnant the day after Elina was born so I have been anticipating her due date for multiple reasons: 1) I get to meet, hold, and cuddle with a new baby; 2) I get to experience a baby as an aunt instead of a mother; and 3) it means I survived seven whole months with Elina! While Elina was growing from newborn to baby my sister's baby was growing from cells to newborn. So amazing.

Second, I'm participating in my first 5K. I am so excited about this. I've been diligently exercising and running for close to a month and this weekend I'm doing something to officially prove how hard I have been working.

The best part is that I get to run with my two biggest supporters. My girls are part of the reason I have been so strict with myself about exercising; I want them to grow up with the idea that exercise is something that is a normal part of life, something organic and not something to be done because of peer or societal pressure. I want them to be healthy and comfortable in their own bodies. My work with this is already paying off because Cati loves to exercise with me (butt kicks and jumping jacks are her favorites), she asks to exercise daily, and she especially loves to do stretching exercises.

My goal is to do one fitness event a month. This month it's the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Miami Children's Hospital 5K. Next month it will be The Color Run. My ultimate goal is to train and participate in Disney's Princess Half Marathon in February.

So this weekend: Pure Awesomeness.

Breakfast, I Love You

Breakfast is my favorite meal. I think I could eat breakfast for every meal and be completely happy. We recently went to Chuck Wagon and it reminded me so much of Boston's Mike's City Diner. I miss that place so much, especially their Emergency Room breakfast special. As always, I ordered a big breakfast and proceeded to eat every single bit of food. There's nothing more delicious and homey feeling than a warm breakfast.

 

Breakfast is even more delicious now that I get to share it with my daughter. I hope breakfast becomes her favorite meal of the day too.

Seasons 52 Tres Leches

In the fall Seasons 52 contacted me about their Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence dessert. They sent me the recipe and I gave it try, making adaptations that made the recipe easier for to me. They contacted me again this past winter, but this time they passed along a recipe that was beyond seasonal; it was a Miami staple. You really don't get more Miami flavoring than Tres Leches. I have tried a few Tres Leches recipes (here and here) and my biggest complaint with all those recipes was the level of dryness.

Tres Leches is a cake traditionally made with three milks: whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. In some cases, you'll have restaurants offering you Quatro Leches (dulce de leche is added), but your staple is the sponge cake drenched in the three milks and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. What Seasons 52 has done with their recipe is substituting heavy cream for whole milk and adding rum to the milks. They also top their cake with white cake frosting instead of whipped cream. The recipe you see below is my adaptations, but if you want the original Seasons 52 recipe head over to my Examiner page.

Before we get to the recipe, let me just tell you this is the BEST Tres Leches recipe I have made. It could have used a little more liquid, but at this point, it's just personal preference. This cake actually tasted like the Tres Leches we've had at the restaurants and I think it's in part due to the richness of the heavy cream and the addition of rum. You get a perfect symphony of milk flavors that is deepened by the rum. Note: My method of adding the milk is a little messy so if you think of a better way of doing it, let me know!

Tres Leches
Source: adapted from Seasons 52
Makes about 15 cupcakes

The cake
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, white and yolks separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole milk

The milks
5 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp dark rum

Frosting
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp milk mixture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and beat to form
stiff peaks. Turn mixer to a slower speed and add yolks one at a time. Add vanilla extract, one-third
of the flour and one-third of the milk. Repeat three times until all the flour and milk are incorporated.

Fill each cavity 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing. Make the rest of the cupcakes. Cool cupcakes to room temperature.

Meanwhile, Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream, and rum in a bowl.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, cut out the center of the cupcakes like you would if you were filling them. DO NOT discard the cut out part as you will be putting it back in. Fill each cupcake with the milk mixture and let it soak into the cake. Use a toothpick to poke the cupcake so that the liquid is absorbed all over. Once the liquid has been absorbed, pour more liquid and repeat until all the liquid is used. Place cut out part back on.

In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat until it holds stiff peaks. Using a knife or a spoon, top the cupcakes with whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy!