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It’s been 32 weeks since I became a “party of two” runner, and those weeks have been about as up and down as your least favorite race course. As I come down the home stretch of this marathon, here’s a little update on my first experience running through pregnancy.
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When it comes to running guidance, some people think cats are the go-to training advisors.
But what about that running buddy sitting patiently at your front door, thumping his tail and looking longingly at his leash? I think he has wisdom to offer, and my fellow dog-owning Saltines agree. So here’s a few tidbits we’ve picked up from our own pups that we think will guide your running journey!
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The great debate of high mileage vs. low mileage is as hotly contested as the twist and pull vs. single bite debate when it comes to Oreos. Some debates have clear winners (twist and pull, you savages). The running mileage debate, however, is a bit more complicated.
Two years ago, you’d have found me smugly but quietly saying the low mileage argument was a load of garbage. I believed high mileage—as high as you could tolerate—was the only way to train. But fast forward 27 months, add a sacral stress fracture and torn labrum, and I’m singing a slightly different tune. Read more >>
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Runners are creatures of habit. We run our same routes over and over, stick to our training styles and hate having our routines disrupted. But those routines can be upended by a few things: work, family schedules, illness, injury, pregnancy.
If we’re being honest, many of us would admit we ask ourselves how any of those changes will impact our running. Including me. Two months ago, I was that person. Only this time, it was two of those factors: returning to running post-injury while pregnant.
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Just in time for holiday party season, we’re serving up a bunch of recipes that pay homage to our own personal flavor within the Salty Running melting pot. I feel #blessed to have snagged avocado as my namesake as it’s one of my favorite ingredients (and let’s be honest, stand-alone snack).
Avo toast peaked sometime during the last year and is on a downward trend (though you’ll pry it from my cold, dead hands), so here’s something a little different to serve up for a party … or just a Tuesday. And good news, it’s almost as easy as smearing avocado on a piece of toasted bread. Almost.
This recipe is vegetarian but would be equally delicious with some shredded chicken. The quinoa adds some good protein, so if you’re looking for a meatless light meal or app, this play on deviled eggs is a quick and tasty option!
Prep Time: 20 min
Serves: 4 (2 halves per person — multiply as needed)
Ingredients
Directions
1. In a small pot, prepare 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Let cool slightly
2. Dice peppers and onions and sauté in a small pan. Once the peppers and onions begin to breakdown, add 1 tsp of taco seasoning. Cook until tender and slightly browned.
3. While onions and peppers and quinoa are cooking, cut each avocado in half lengthwise and twist apart. Remove the pit.
4. Gently cut the avocado in a cross hatch pattern, being careful not to cut through to skin.
5. Using a spoon, carefully scoop the sliced avocado out of the skin and into a bowl, breaking apart the small cubes. Set aside the skins.
6. To the bowl with the avocado cubes, add sautéed peppers and onions, black beans (rinsed), cooked quinoa, remaining taco seasoning and 2 squeezes of lime juice.
7. Scoop mixture into avocado skins. Drizzle with hot sauce of choice and enjoy!
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I know I’m not the typical Salty contributor and you’re probably wondering how I got my paws on this post. But rest assured, the humans know I’m here. Avocado belongs to me and asked if I would be interested in guest posting to share my experiences and expertise on how to train for a 6-legged 5k.
Of course, I was excited. The humans rarely ask me for running feedback, which I can’t seem to make heads or tails of seeing as I’m twice as capable as them (double the legs, duh). Anywho, happy to share my take and offer a little guidance to any of our pup readers looking to take on this challenge with their human.
To begin, let’s talk about training, and not the kind that involves us fooling our humans into countless treats until we “learn” to stay. As a rescue, much of my early days were spent on the run so the cardio and endurance came naturally to me, as it does for many. If that’s the case for you, the most important thing in training is learning that there is, in fact, another speed besides “Go” or “squirrel.” It takes practice and patience to hone those skills. Personally, I think the most challenging part for us pups is teaching our humans to heel. In my experience, they have a tendency to want to keep a consistent speed. Humans, am I right? While it’s not in our nature, allow them to lead for the most part, but don’t be afraid to add that occasional fartlek training, especially in particularly wooded or squirrely areas.
If endurance isn’t your forte, it’s important to start by getting those miles on your paws. Morgan’s mom, Chicory, wrote about this here. Be consistent and try to get your human out with you at least a couple times a week. Pups, most of you know the basics on how to do this but a few effective tactics include: whining incessantly, destroying precious property, pooping in the house and the one I’ve found most effective, an uncontrollable bout of the zoomies. Get out and practice these 2-3 mile jogs a few times a week until you start to feel like that dash-out-the-door energy becomes more sustainable.
When it comes to race day, it’s up to you to help push (or in this case pull) them a little when they start to slow. Don’t be afraid to let that race day adrenaline take over and pick up the clip toward the end. Sniff some butts in front of you and work that tail. There are treats at the end so when your four dogs start barkin’, just remember, it will be worth it!
Most importantly, have fun! The majority of us pups are your average fur-to-5k type, so take off the pressure. The likelihood of you making it to the PuppyBowl is pretty slim so just enjoy it! Your humans will thank you and you’ll likely score an Insta feature (#goals). So buckle down that collar and get your furry butt in gear — it’s 5k season!
Reminder: Check with your vet before starting running with your dog. This post gives some guidance on the age and types of dogs suitable for running, but always get the go-ahead from your vet!
Any training tips from humans or pups on 6-legged 5ks?
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I’m five weeks in and it’s already starting. The aches and pains, the fatigue, the daunting idea that the finish line is so far away, and the worst roadblock of all: the mental burnout and self-doubt.
No, it’s not marathon training. This time it’s the opposite — injury recovery. And damn, it can take a long time.
What I’ve learned, though, is that recovering from a serious injury is a lot like training for a marathon. You know, minus all the running. Read more >>
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Hi Spicy Friends!
I am super excited to be joining the ranks as one of the newest flavors in the Salty Running repertoire. As the Avocado of the group, I’m hoping to add a certain amount of good fat to the crew and if you’re wondering, yes, I do make a mean toast. Although I am currently on the DL after hip surgery to repair a labral tear, I’ve still got some big goals and I’m learning some even bigger lessons along the way.
I live in Boston and when I’m not running (or at the moment, thinking about running), I can be found exploring a good hiking trail with Mr. Avocado and my dog, Lincoln, traveling or wishing I was traveling, or scoping out a good brewery.
My running journey started toward the end of college when I decided on a whim to train for and run a half marathon. I’m one of those runners who loathed running in high school, then used it to fight off the beer and late night dining in college — and then fell down that slippery runner slope after one race. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good long run.
After college, I continued to run but it wasn’t until April 21, 2013, that I decided to finally run my first marathon. My now-husband and I had gone down to the finish line of the Boston Marathon to catch some friends cross the line. After waiting in a bar one block away from the finish, a series of tiny, seemingly insignificant events prevented us from walking out onto Boylston Street exactly as the first bomb went off. As we walked home through the haze and devastation that day, I decided it was finally time to run my first marathon and I vowed to do everything I could to qualify and return the next year in honor of everyone who could not. That was the push I needed and 6 weeks later, I ran the Buffalo Marathon in a painful 3:29. When I passed my family at mile 20 I yelled, “I’m never doing this again!”
Oops. I have since run 6 marathons, 3 Bostons, a handful of halves, tried 2 coaches, battled one eating disorder, missed running sub-3:00 by 42 seconds at Boston, had one sacral stress fracture, a hip surgery and a partridge in a pear tree.
The rest is a blur of training and racing and finding my way within the world of running. There have been some extreme highs and some heartbreaking disappointments, but that’s what I love about running. Nothing else in the world can bring me such a rush, whether good or bad. And nothing else has taught me more about pushing myself to new heights or about accepting defeat and all of the lessons that come along with the heartbreak of failure.
My running journey has had about as many ups and downs as the back half of the Boston Marathon course but I’m not willing to give up yet. Instead, I’m excited to share more about my road to recovery, my quest for sub-3 and all that this sport has taught me along the way. So I’ll be over here offering unsolicited commentary on coming back from injury, fighting off the inner demons that come with running and mostly just showing you photos of my dog.
