Ready or Not, here I go

I officially finished Marathon training with an easy 2-miler around the neighborhood this morning.  It was another hot one too- over 70 degrees by 9:30am.  They better be right about the cooler weather moving in!

After washing off the morning run, I was off for the race expo.  I really like that the expo runs 2 days, allowing me to not move off my couch tomorrow if I don't want to.

I don't know how the free swag compares to other races, but I was pretty giddy about the free foam rollers that were being handed out.  I snagged the last one, and I consider it reward for getting there literally minutes after the expo opened.

Participant shirt, check.  Bib number, check.  Nervous, check.

And I'm back to debating this again.  5 hours is still my goal, but I'm also freaking out over the relative "heat" that is possible.  73 degrees felt like running in a sauna this morning, and my body really hates being overheated.  Would it be wrong to write "Dear God, please let me finish" on the bib instead of my pace group time?  No?

Dress Rehearsal

It was a short easy run, but my marathon outfit got its last trial run before Sunday.

Marathon Goal #4: Be super visible so the hubs can find me for pictures and that anyone that even just wants to pretend to know me can yell and cheer for me!  I'm also a little excited about my coordination and details which have nothing to do with training.  I just won't mention how tempted I was to buy the yellow Wave Riders yesterday...

New Bic Band!

Fact: Stripes make you run faster.

It was a hot one too, 85 degrees when I made it back to my car!  Not ideal but I knew it was only going to be a short run.  I also had my eyes, and stomach, on a little treat I had been craving.

Pineapple, Lemon, and Papaya generously topped with fruit, coconut, and white chocolate goodness.

My favorite fro-yo was only a block from my car, not that I did that intentionally or anything.  My frequenter fro-yo habit also got me that mound of goodness for a whopping 65 cents.  I also devoured the entire thing within about 5 minutes.  Couldn't let it go to waste and melt!

Twisting

With no job, this former student is really living up life as a stay at home wife.  I clean, I cook, I bake, I shop.  I'm also relentlessly bored; it's pretty clear I would make a miserable stay at home mom/wife.  I don't think I could handle it.  It should be interesting to see how the next few weeks go before I get my temp license and can start working again.

I have been having fun with the baking and home cooking though, and I am knocking things off my Pinterest list.  I claim zero nutritional value on last night's dinner, but it was a super yummy treat.

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Recipe taken from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/homemade-soft-pretzel-bites/ with my minor change and commentary in italics.

Can't go wrong starting with butter and brown sugar!

All ready to heat things up.

Getting the bites ready to boil

Came out kind of dark, but they're not burnt, I promise!

Pretzel pepperoni/meatball and cheese balls- dinner of champions!

Such a gross food when you think about it, but pretzel dogs were a favorite treat as a kid!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted (which apparently is 6 tablespoons)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt (skipped the salt)

For the cheese sauce: (Confession- we used some Velveeta we had hanging out in the fridge, and we didn't even die from eating plastic!  This sounds much yummier though!)
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.  (I used about half the dough for pretzel bites.  I used a bit more to wrap two hot dogs, and what was left to make pepperoni/meatball and cheese balls.   It's a 3 course meal!  I would have added some cinnamon sugar bites for dessert, but somehow this household is out of sugar.  Insanity!)

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Picking up the pace

In the midst of graduation excitement, I suppose it could be easy for me to forget that I am running my first marathon in a mere six days.  Yep, six days!  Thanks to some superior IT band pain following a 5-miler last week, I am taking my tapering super serious.  With no school and no clinic, I am stretching, foam rolling, icing, and laying on the couch like it's my job.

I've also had loads of time to contemplate with a little more thought, my marathon goals.

1. I want to finish.  Don't DNF or get picked up by the sag wagon, and I'm a finisher!

2. I want to cross the finish line running.  Even if I've been walking for miles and feel like I'm certainly in hell, I want a little push at the end even if it's only for two steps across the line.

3. I want to finish under 5 hours.  I know, I know, setting a time goal for your first marathon is like a running Bible sin.  I need a higher goal in order to push myself though.  If I don't make this one, well, I'll have a good reason to sign up for #2.

And goal three takes me into my ongoing dilemma.  Should I run my own race or join a pace group?  I know from my long runs that my pace can come and go in waves, which makes going it alone sound like a good plan.  However, I also know that I finish my long runs with 'gas in the tank', and that I rest or slow down too early.  This would be a great opportunity for a pace group to keep me moving and on track.

I'm leaning toward joining the 5 hours pace group, but I'm a little torn.  I think it would help me not go out too fast, and I would have shared support of that group throughout the race.  I also wouldn't have to constantly worry about my pace.  On the other hand, I've always been a solo runner, and that's what I'm accustomed to.  I also know, that if I can't keep pace at any point, I am going to feel defeated.  But can I really avoid a challenge for fear of failure?

Regardless of what I end up choosing though, hopefully I can say 6 days from now that I am a first time MARATHON FINISHER!

In the meantime, I'll keep carbing it up in preparation.  I've heard Red Velvet Gobs are essentially perfect racing fuel.

The Final Walk

I can't think of a better day or opportunity to put an end to my blogging hiatus.

It's a really big day in the world of ZestyNerd, with an emphasis on the 'big' and 'nerd'.  It's graduation day!  Me and 53 other people that I've spent entirely too much time with and palpated from head to toe are now Doctors of Physical Therapy.  Fair warning for anyone considering an education in PT- you touch your classmates a lot.

Me and the hubs- my rock, my shoulder, my chauffeur, my sanity.  He should receive an honorary degree just for putting up with all the anxiety, stress, tears, and more that he's endured the last 3 years!

My Mam and Pap.  Guilty- I did still have the cap on after dinner.  Whether I wanted to be congratulated by 10 women that I don't know in the restaurant bathroom or whether I was afraid of the inevitable hat head is your decision.

Just a handful of the amazing women I've gotten to meet through grad school.

And a few more!

Congrats fellow grads- we made it!