TOL-When 200m Runs Are Homework

Date: October 7, 2015

Author: astottler

Alternatively titled, “When 200m Runs Feel Like Death.”

After yesterday’s WIAW fun, I thought I’d continue the link-up trend another day for a new to me link up-Thinking Out Loud. This is basically a chance to share random thoughts in a way we can pretend is organized. Yay!

So here we go-shall we?

The title of this post. For my exercise physiology class, we have to chose an exercise (from a list), do a timed trial, then design a training plan to improve by the end of the quarter. I chose the 400m run-so glad I didn’t choose the mile because the 400m is over so much more quickly! Plus training. Anyways-I did my timed trial yesterday. I ran 9 miles and taught a spin class on Monday, but I’m pretty sure that my legs were aching Tuesday night from that little 400m. It’s amazing how much different sprinting is! I did my first training workout this morning. I expected it to be practically nothing-I was only running a mile!-but it knocked me the heck out. Whew. I did a 400m warm up followed by 6 200m all out sprints with recovery in between. My legs still hurt. I think I should see some improvement!
Since I wasn’t doing a long sweaty workout, I slept in a bit and went straight from the track to class. Zero to presentable in 10 minutes flat.
Lemon Luna bars taste like summer to me. I haven’t had them in a while!
Fun fact-exercise increases the size of your heart, but different exercises do this differently. Resistance training increases the thickness of your heart, while endurance training increases the volume.
When I look at old pictures of myself, I always think my hair looked so much better. Not that my hair is bad, but I feel like it used to be fuller/thicker/straighter. I’m trying to stop sleeping with my hair up in hopes that this will change.
I’m at that point of half marathon training where things tend to be a grind, phantom pains pop up, and everything aches. At my softball game, I felt so slow, old, and creaky. Granted, this was after 9 miles+a spin class, but still, I think it’s time I gave my body a little more respect. Especially with my intense 1 mile workout this morning, I’m realizing I need to be putting fewer footsteps into my fitness going forward. I’m sure this won’t be my last half marathon (knocking on wood of course), and I’ll definitely still keep running because I like how it makes me feel, but I need to be more efficient with my footsteps, and with high impact exercise in general. I’m also limiting myself to 3 weight lifting sessions a week (including Crossfit) because while that may not be a lot of footsteps, it can be a lot on the joints, and I had various things pop up over the summer from lifting so heavy. Plus, I need to be kind to my healing shoulder!
I’m one of those people who dwells on the past, and now more than every that I’m a senior! As I do things for the last time, it’s like deja vu. I also miss being a freshman! Honestly I think I view that time now as far better than I did at the time, but I miss a lot of aspects about it, like rowing, the freshman dorm community, freshman experiences, and that freshman eagerness. Then vs now-oh hello baby face!
I’m also so nostalgic of my freshman fitness level. #rowing Seriously guys, I was so fit. With my new plan to do less high impact exercise, I’m hoping to build my fitness by hopping on the erg again. I always miss my old workouts!
I have been at school for 3 weeks and I still find cat fur on all my clothes.
I can’t believe I’m a senior in college. I know I keep saying that, but where the heck did the time go? I feel like it was yesterday that I was that easier baby-faced freshman. I’m determined to make the most out of the year and out of the future.
I’m so happy I dropped a class. I finally feel like I have time to devote myself fully to my other classes, and with the super full schedules I’ve had in the past, I haven’t always felt I’ve been able to.

What are you thinking today?

Did I Mention Our Chef is Awesome?

Date: October 5, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hello! I hope everyone’s week is off to a good start! I’m currently feeling pretty darn good!

Yesterday, I spent the day slaving over a problem set and after office hours that night, I decided to drop the class. It’s not a major requirement but it is a vet school requirement to take a semester of Biochem. Since that means 2 quarters for me, I decided I will do it off campus a different quarter. Naturally, this meant reworking my schedule for this quarter and the next 2, but now I have some awesome classes to look forward to!

Meanwhile, as my health improves, I am more able to make the most out of my dining situation-I live in a house with a chef 5 days a week, and he’s freaking awesome. I don’t think there’s a cuisine he hasn’t mastered.

For starters, there is an awesome salad bar for lunch and dinner which is always a solid option.

Fresh falafel, greek salad with feta, and hummus.

Salad, vegetarian meat loaf, brussels sprouts, and mashed potatoes.

My typical breakfast consists of plain yogurt, banana, and sunflower seed butter.

The most popular lunch-Tuscan lunch. It’s a fancy cheese spread with caprese salad, deviled eggs, stuffed tomatoes, avocado, and fresh bread.

Fresh vegetarian sandwich with avocado (I ate the insides), spinach salad, quinoa salad, and corn chowder.

In other life news, I did my 9 mile half marathon training run. Tapering= <3. I just didn’t get it done yesterday so I squeezed it in after class today. I did some nice hills, and the run was uneventful, which seems to be a good thing for a training run. The running route was nothing interesting though, I will say. Sometimes you just have to get it done. THEN, this evening I taught a spin class. I’m LOVING teaching on campus! Needless to say I’ve been scarfing down food all day. Next up for the evening is my slow pitch softball game! While my shoulder is far from 100%, I’m just grateful I can swing a bat!

Nike Women’s Half SF Preview

Date: September 7, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hello! Today, I had my first “real” long run of half marathon training. By real, I mean above what I might do while not training for a particular race. 6 miles is routine. 8 is half marathon training. Since school hasn’t starting and my puppy was going to be at her playgroup all day, I thought I would take the opportunity to go up to San Francisco and train on some hills.

When I ran this race 2 years ago (Nike Women’s Half), the course was different. The course this year is sort of like a backwards version of how it used to be.

If I had to guess why they changed it, it would be to not have to close the Great Highway and to make the hills a little better. Do you see that big downhill around mile 12? That 300 feet of fast elevation gain used to be a pretty brutal hill in the past. Just based on the course map, my experience today, and my experience in previous races, the hills should be not nearly as bad as in the past! I wanted to get at least one hill in from the race in my run today, so I started in Golden Gate Park and worked my way over to the Golden Gate bridge, taking the following route (about miles 5-10 of the race).

Granted I’ve been training on worse hills this summer, but the hills during this portion were not bad-I think running the reverse of this portion actually was worse.

I haven’t spent much time in Golden Gate Park besides during races, so I took lots of pictures. I was able to park on a side street right at the Western edge of the park, by the windmill.

It was an absolutely beautiful day in the city-75 and sunny! What?? I actually got to see the amazing views that I missed running this race the previous time because it was super foggy and you couldn’t even see the beach/ocean!

Golden Gate Park is nice. I should spend more time there.

First view of the bridge!

I ended up stoping regularly to make sure I was staying on track. I didn’t think I was, but I think I actually stuck to it pretty well until I reached Lincoln Highway, which I was supposed to run up, but there was no sidewalk. Instead, I cut down into a parking lot and got some good views of the bridge!

The return trip was actually better than expected, and I was surprised by how strong my legs felt with the increasing distance. I’ll take it!

Also-compression socks are magic. I put them on immediately and my legs felt great the next day. I mistakenly thought I was near Dynamo Donuts, and was thinking about them the entire second half of the run, so I decided to make the 20 minute drive there, especially since it was right by the freeway!

This time, I got a gluten free lemon buttermilk donut and a decaf iced latte.

Since my entire post-run lunch was sugar, I decided to stop for a hummus and avocado sandwich at the place across the street.

After leaving the city, I went to pick my puppy up from her play group and she was tired!

After a relaxing afternoon, my evening ended on a delicious note when we went to the Greek Festival down the street (it happens every year during Labor Day weekend) and picked up some Greek food for dinner. Spanikopita, or pastry with spinach and feta, is my favorite, but we also had Greek salad (traditional Greek salad doesn’t have lettuce) and chicken kebabs.

For dessert, I had my favorite-Galaktoboureko-which is phyllo dough filled with custard and soaked in honey. Plus, this is one of the only non-nut desserts!

Have you ever run a Nike Women’s Race?

Speedwork Round 2

Date: February 5, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hey guys! I haven’t done a “normal” post in a while, let’s let’s hop to it!

This morning, I started out with a track workout. I’m following a 3 week cycle for my track workouts: 10x400m, 5x1000m, 6x600m. Today was 10x400m, so the second time through the cycle. I have to say, it was night and day different from my first round! It may be that it was warmer because it’s going to rain here soon, but I just felt 1000x better and faster. Go figure!

After a long bike ride back (why do I live on the opposite side of campus?), I stopped at the dining hall for breakfast for my current usual-eggs with cream cheese, some type of fruit (today was mandarin oranges), and a pancake with butter.

While we’re at it, yesterday’s breakfast in the room was a good one too. Cottage cheese, berry compote, and sun butter.

Since I was done with class by lunchtime, I decided to head back to the dining hall and save one of my pre-made lunches for another time.

The flatbread was the star of the show.

Bleu cheese and pear, with a blueberry balsamic reduction. Um, what?? Seconds were necessary. Plus a coconut lemon macaroon bar.

I spent the afternoon running some errands and doing other work, before going to an evening spin class. I did a few minutes of rowing and abs beforehand since I was early. The spin class was pretty good. I miss my classes back home, but I really need to get back on the bike! I’m actually doing a Spinning workshop on Sunday. For Spinning certification, I need a certain number of continuing education units every 2 years, and this workshop counts towards those. I’m excited-I’ll be sure to recap what I learn!

No picture of dinner today because I’m lame, so here’s yesterday’s.

Chicken caesar salad, roasted carrots, quinoa, and a shepard’s pie. I’ve never had shepard’s pie before and wasn’t a big fan. Plus it said vegetarian, and I didn’t trust that and couldn’t tell what meat might have been in it. So that’s that! I hope everyone’s week is going well!

Any plans for the weekend?

I’m also going on a field trip, which should be cool!

Breaking Free from the Suffocating Grip of Social Media

Date: January 8, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

That’s quite a title, isn’t it?

A lot of people talk about how we need to step back from our phones and computers and experience the world more.

You’ve all heard it before, right? Put down your phones and pay attention?

In preparation for a lot of hard work to come this quarter, I deleted al social media apps from my phone.

And I feel so free. I felt like my social media was pulling me down and strangling me. Like I couldn’t get away. It was a hassle, but I couldn’t break free. With a new quarter and a new routine, I did something I’ve never done when I removed them all from my phone. And my gosh it feels great.

I’m less distracted when I’m doing homework. I don’t surf social media right before bed, and it’s much easier to fall asleep. I’m more focused in everything. I don’t feel the constant need to be checking my phone. Instead of surfing Instagram when I had a few minutes of downtime, I pulled up my GRE flashcard app. Over lunch, I read a couple of relevant news articles.

But most important of all? I feel like I’m regaining my intellectual curiosity-my desire to learn and my ability to sit down for 2 hours reading a textbook. It’s incredible. I finally feel like myself again-the post-social media person before all those apps on my smartphone.

Honestly, that’s all it took. I read some blogs on my computer, but it’s not the time and focus suck that was the infinite hole of twitter on my phone. My gosh, it’s amazing.

So-let’s catch up?

Tuesday was crazy busy-workout, coffee, class, class, class, rush back, drive across the bay, fit in reading in the extra minutes before I taught. Class went really well! I selected an upbeat and energetic playlist for the first week of the year! I’m teaching again next week too.

I stopped by Tin Pot (best ice cream EVER) on the way back to pick up ice cream before meeting up with one of my best friends and former roommate. She’s abroad this quarter, but stopped by before she leaves later this week. While catching up from winter break, I heated up some leftover butternut squash soup that I brought back with me when I returned to school.

We stayed up until midnight chatting. She came to my Physics class the next morning, which I’m sure was an interesting experience given she is an English major. That evening, we went to a Korean place for dinner. I had Bibimbap with chicken.

This is a rice bowl with various spiced veggies, chicken, and an egg cracked on top. It’s served in a hot stone bowl, and the rice gets nice and crispy at the bottom!

This morning, I went to the track to do 10x400m repeats. I biked all the way across campus, only to find that the track was closed for maintenance..

I ended up running on a path next to the track. Each length was .15 miles, so I did 16 of those at a fast pace. It was probably an even better workout than what I had planned!

And since I had a 9am and coffee was on the way back…

And now I need to go. Give some thought to social media!

Thoughts on social media?