RLAM 12K’s of the Holidays: Day III!

I’m a planning kind of girl. Give me a to-do list, an itinerary for the day, a map from how to get from A to B and I feel safe, confident and capable. Give me an empty day, and, as hard as it is for me to admit this, it takes me a little while to embrace it.

Ditto for running. I can’t just go for a run. Before I head out, I have to have a length in mind, as well as a route. In nearly 20 years of running, I’ve never thought, wow, I feel so good, I’m going to add on a couple more miles or said I haven’t found my groove, let’s turn this off 2 miles early. I have a plan, and 97% of the time–only when injury derails me–I stick to it.

Because I’m so anal detail-oriented, I also know what I’ll need for fuel and always prepare accordingly. Out for more than 60 minutes? That means I’m taking water bottle in one hand and a gel in a pocket. (Or, more likely 2 because hey: today might be the day I just decide to click off a few more miles than planned. Pigs have flown, right?)

Wondering: who else is like me? Just as there are morning larks and night owls, Democrats and Republicans, cat people and dog people, there are also planners and wingers. Planners thrive on rules and structure, while wingers fly because they don’t set their own boundaries. As much as I wish I winged, I plan.

Bottles up: you'll barely notice you're clutching the GoLite Hydroclutch.

What are you when it comes to your running: a planner or a winger? Do you pick races far in advance, train always with structure and a Garmin, rarely vary your favorite routes? Or do you enter a race on a whim, sometimes forget your watch at home, use runs as exploration?

Your answer will throw your name into the ring to win one of 10 GoLite Hydroclutch water bottles. Both SBS and I love, love, love these 21-ounce, BPA-free, biodegradable bottles that snug to your hand comfortably. The design is smart–a key pocket on the adjustable holder–and the bottle holds enough water to make planners feel safe, and wingers still feel light. It’ll quickly become the bottle you’ll grow so attached to, you become ridiculously protective of it. No, you tell your kid, you may not use that bottle at camp/school/on your bike. It’s mine.

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The eleven winners of the mini Larabars and the Larabar tee–and the healthy foods they choke down even though they’d rather not–are:

1. Rebecca: Kale, hands down. I know it’s extra green and extra ruffly, so for some reason that makes it extra good for me. I have found that I can chug a ton of it down when I make a green smoothie of it in the morning. Bananas, blackberries and a bit of orange juice helps the medicine go down.

2. Niki Harper: I cannot drink a glass of milk. Hate it. I like chocolate milk but can’t find a syrup/powder that doesn’t have a list of chemicals as the ingredients. So, I opt for chocolate soymilk…yum!

3. Terzah: The healthy food I make myself eat is….lo-sodium V8 vegetable juice. It’s not that I don’t like it–it’s OK–it’s just that I’d much prefer a tall glass of OJ. However, I stick with my morning V8, and sometimes have a second glass later in the day, because like Dimity I have no problem consuming fruit. It’s vegetables I have to make a plan for, and this juice is an easy way to get them.

4. Katie R: I dislike raw most green vegetables; however, I manage to eat a reasonable serving of them when they are seasoned with garlic salt.

5. RLR: Bananas. Something about the texture – ew. But I do eat them, especially when they are on the post-run snack buffet….

6. K: Water. Seriously. I have found since my son was born that there is a very, very fine line between being properly hydrated and needing one of his diapers. I know 8-10 glasses is good for me but I wish it weren’t…

7. Elizabeth: What healthy food do I eat that I would rather not? Salad. Yawn. Present me with a bowl of cut up raw vegetables and I’ll eat it because I know I need those leafy green suckers — but really — boring. If I had my druthers, I’d deep fry EVERYTHING.

8. Amy Johnson: I really have to force myself to eat yogurt. I burned myself out on yogurt in highschool, where I had this for lunch pretty much every day. I typically will throw it in a smoothie drink, because I know it’s so good for me.

9. Tiffany: Basically vegetables of all kinds. I have learned that roasting them in the oven though with a little olive oil and sea salt goes a long way in helping them taste better. My favorites are asparagus and brussel sprouts cooked that way.

10. Carolie: Tomatoes… I can eat them in sauces but never in a salad. If I sprinkle with a little salt and Olive oil I camn get them down.

11. Suzanne: I pretty much like everything. There are a few foods that I am not a big fan of–kale, tomatoes, celery, and onions–but I wouldn’t put them in the “hate” category.

Congrats, ladies! Please e-mail us at runmother at gmail dot com with your address, as well as what tee-shirt size you want (S-XL). We’ll give you about 48 hours to claim your Larabar love, and if we don’t hear from you, we’ll pay it forward to another winner.