Amy Reinink

The following email arrived in my inbox earlier this week, just a couple days after I mourned the end of the open-water swimming season:

4.4 MILE GREAT CHESAPEAKE BAY SWIM PUBLIC OPEN-LOTTERY 2012 REGISTRATION OPENS ON TUES. NOV. 1, 2011 BY 8 A.M.

Lottery Registration will remain open to all until Tues. January 3, 2012, 8 a.m. when the ability to register into the lottery will be closed.

4.4 NAME SELECTIONS WILL BEGIN ON WED. JANUARY 4, 2012. 8 A.M.

Name selections will be conducted in random batches of 50 within each selection round.  This process will continue until the confirmed entrants reach the count of 700.  Emails will be sent to all selected from the registration list with detailed on-line entry instructions.

Details here.

Swimming across this bay once wasn't enough for me, apparently.

Is there any surprise that I’m planning to re-up?

From the moment I finished the 8th Annual Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash Open Water 5K Swim in 2010, I started looking forward to the 9th annual race on Oct. 1, 2011. The scenic, homegrown race was one of the prettiest, friendliest athletic events I’ve ever participated in, and this year’s race didn’t disappoint.

I didn’t train quite as much for this year’s race, thanks to lots of unexpected summer travel, a bad head cold that kept me on the couch and out of the pool for a week and a wave of major deadlines the two weeks before the swim. (And a stone in my shoe, and the sun in my eyes … ).But in so many ways, I enjoyed this year’s swim even more than last year’s. Here’s why:

Last year, we woke up at 4 a.m. to make it from my parents’ home in New Port Richey, Fla., to the swim in Siesta Key, Fla., by 7:30 a.m. This year, we decided to make a mini-vacation out of the swim, renting a two-bedroom condo across the street from the beach and spending 48 hours enjoying all that Siesta Key has to offer. The night before the swim, we sat on a lovely Key West-style front porch and ate fresh seafood for dinner. The day after, we lounged on the beach. If you’re considering doing this swim: Stay in Siesta Key as long as you possibly can.

My view from the beach post-swim.

Last year, 5K was the longest open-water swim I’d done, and I went into the race not knowing what to expect, and without a solid plan. This year, with the confidence of a 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim finish under my goggles, I knew just how I wanted to approach this swim: I’d take the first of my two laps around the course easy, then turn up the heat and “race” the second lap if I felt good. And I did just that. The first half of the race, I swam to the rhythm of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” and simply appreciated the turquoise water I was gliding through and the lovely sunrise ahead of me. I sped up and switched to “Smoke on the Water” for the second lap (watch this video to the end, and see if you don’t swim to the tune of that song, too).

I felt peaceful, not nervous, pre-race.

The confidence that I would, in fact, finish the race let me focus on how every stroke of the race felt, not on outcome-based goals. This meant I felt like I was doing OK during the best and most powerful times, but also during the challenging times. For example, the first 500 meters, I couldn’t see the buoys at all, thanks to the aforementioned sunrise (turns out the neon-yellow buoys were bright, but not brighter than the sun). Rather than freak out about this, I simply stopped to tread water every once in a while so I could remove my goggles, squint into the distance and get a clearer view of the next buoy. I didn’t freak out about the zig-zagging I did because of the poor visibility, just accepted the conditions as part of the swim and moved on.

Not even the Cuisinart start freaked me out.

Same deal in the last 500 meters or so, when my shoulders remembered they hadn’t properly trained for this and kind of crapped out on me. I simply thought: Hmm. A few more meters in the pool may have helped. Oh, well!

I’m grinning because a daiquiri is in my future.

My main goal for the race was to accept whatever my finish time was without any harsh self-judgement—which made the fact that I finished in 1:35, just a few minutes slower than last year, for third in my age group all the sweeter. I’m not usually one to strike a finish-line pose, but on Saturday, I spontaneously threw my arms up into a victorious “V” as I approached the finish. It just felt that good.

Happy enough to ham it up on my way to the finish line.

After the race, Steve and I headed to the Daiquiri Deck, the event’s title sponsor, for a post-swim lunch—something we missed out on last year by heading home right after the race. Can I tell you how amazing this lunch was? We got nachos with crabmeat, lobster meat and shrimp, and a side of mahi bites—wonderful little bite-sized pieces of grilled fish caught fresh in the Gulf. Our waitress recommended a blend of three of the dozen daiquiri flavors the place offers, telling us it would taste like a popsickle. She was so totally right. Steve compared the flavor to a bunch of crushed-up Smarties, which seemed about right to me, too. If you go, get a combination of the electric lemonade, the green parrot and the grateful deck. Trust me.

That drink tasted every bit as amazing as it looks.

And of course, everything I loved about the swim last year was still true this year. The Sarasota Y Masters run a well-organized event on a dime—just $30 for USMS members! Participants get a nice T-shirt, a medal (new this year) and a chance to win some really cool door prizes, including a wetsuit worth $400. I felt a strong sense of place throughout the race, from the local caterers like the Broken Egg to the turquoise-colored T-shirt and medal. I also felt a strong sense of community, with people aged 9 to 82 participating. Yes, 82.

And really, if you’re into open-water swimming, how can you beat swimming along what’s been repeatedly called the best beach in the country? The scenery makes it easy to understand why the event has grown every year, and why more than 400 people participated this year.

Have you seen a prettier beach? I haven’t.

Some swimmers were disappointed by the lack of hardware for age-group finishers (last year’s awards ceremony took three hours, so organizers decided to skip age-group awards altogether this year). I personally didn’t mind, and the lack of a big ceremony meshed rather well with my goal of taking the focus off the finish time and place, and instead just appreciating the experience. But I get it, especially for the kids who participated, and hope the race organizers figure out a way to recognize those who wish to be recognized next year.

This was reward enough for me.

My only complaint? The sea lice struck again. They didn’t bug me during the race this year, but I’ve spent the past three days trying not to reach under my shirt and itch my belly in public. There’s not much organizers can do about that, though.

My only regret: That the open-water swim season is over, unless I head farther south for my next race!

The start of last year's Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash 5K swim.

Can you imagine a prettier place for an open-water swim?

Finishing the Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash last year.

I’ll be in Florida on Friday, so I won’t be posting that day. Wish me luck at the swim early Saturday morning!

If you’re a college football fan, you already know the game I referenced in my post on Friday didn’t end quite as we’d hoped.

CU's loss was not a result of our lack of willingness to show our school colors in enemy territory.

But I didn’t leave Columbus empty-handed, and managed to snag a recipe for what was billed as “the best hummus I’ve ever eaten” by our waitress at Cap City Fine Diner, a diner serving fancy-pants versions of traditional diner favorites.

My post-game meal.

I have this theory that hummus contains some sort of magical healing property for runners, which would explain why we’re all so obsessed with it (admit it—I’m not the only one who considers it a food group). So when I determined that Cap City’s red pepper hummus was, in fact, better than anything I currently make at home, I asked for the recipe—and got it! I’m sharing it with you here.

I'm smiling because I know how to make this at home.

This is tweaked ever-so-slightly for two reasons: The recipe I was given was 1. designed to make a gallon and a half of the stuff and 2. probably not intended for distribution. It’s how I’ll make it in my kitchen at home.

Cap City red pepper hummus

1 can chickpeas

1 roasted red pepper

1 TBSP chopped chipotle peppers

2 minced garlic cloves

2 TBSP tahini

1 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

cilantro, to taste

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Puree all this. Serve. Try not to eat the whole vat in one sitting.

That wasn’t our only score of the weekend, as we also stopped at the lovely and delicious Northstar Café before heading back to D.C. Sunday morning. CU fans have an ugly habit of, after suffering a loss on the football field, noting that we kind of still win at life, and I couldn’t resist wearing my “Sea level is for sissies” shirt from the Bolder Boulder 10K to express that.

Confession: This breakfast burrito was so delicious, and the restaurant so charming, I had to admit that Columbus was a pretty cool college town, too.

My breakfast burrito had sweet potatoes in it! And my T-shirt had smug state pride in it.

Back in March, when I was just beginning physical therapy after an ACL tear, I wrote a post about how I was inspired by something Tim Tebow said as University of Florida’s quarterback. I worked in Gainesville for most of Tebow’s years at UF, and I noted in the post that he’s an athlete I love to hate and hate to love and still somehow ended up quoting prominently in my blog.

But as I prepare to road-trip to Columbus, Ohio, with Steve this weekend to watch our beloved University of Colorado Buffaloes take on the Ohio State Buckeyes, I realized I would be remiss if I didn’t also write about an athlete who inspires and motivates me more than Tebow ever could. And I’m not even talking about CU grad Kara Goucher (in the running world, this is like saying Peyton Manning was my school’s QB while I went there, right?).

I’m talking about CU’s senior running back Rodney “Speedy” Stewart, whose 191 yards last weekend (he rushed 19 times for 98 yards, and also caught seven passes for 93 yards) helped propel us to our first victory of the season over our in-state rival, Colorado State University. You’ve probably already deduced that this means we’re not having a winning season. We haven’t for a while.

Stewart fights for every yard. Photo credit: Coloradoan.

But I’m not writing about Stewart because of his stats, or our season, or for any reason other than that he’s 5-foot-6—an inch shorter than I am—and 175 pounds, and routinely goes toe-to-toe with 300-pound monsters and *wins.* He reportedly bench-presses 400 pounds. It’s unlikely he’ll play after college, which makes his successes even more impressive—he’s playing for the pure joy of the game, not for some potential future paycheck. He’s an inspiration to underdogs everywhere, including me.

Stewart is from Westerville, Ohio, less than 30 minutes from Ohio State, but recruiters there didn’t give him a second look. I have a feeling this game will be an emotional one for him. A fun plot twist? Our new coach, Jon Embree, *was* recruited by Ohio State … but his recruiting trip convinced him he’d be better off closer to home, and became part of national-championship-winning CU Coach Bill McCartney’s first recruiting class (according to this Denver Post story).

Not inspired by Speedy? How about our mascot, Ralphie?

Photo credit: Coloradoan. 

Yeah, that’s right—our mascot is a live freaking buffalo. It takes several dudes running at full speed to steer her across the field. Each of those dudes gets a scholarship. Fun fact? I wrote a story about the Ralphie program as one of my first stories for the school paper.

Wish us luck this weekend!

When Buck, a ski-patrol buddy of mine, told me last winter that he was training to become a stand-up paddling instructor with Potomac Paddlesports, I was fascinated. He told me that during the summer, he’d be taking groups of students and fellow SUP aficionados to the C&O Canal National Park near Old Angler’s Inn, where they’d head out to still water, stand on large, inflatable surfboards and propel themselves through the water with a large paddles.

Photo credit: The Washington Post. My friend Buck is the one wearing the cool hat.

Incredible, right? I got really excited about pitching what I was certain was a cool new story about an emerging fitness trend, imagining all the magazines whose readers would be as fascinated as I was. Not long after that, SKI magazine published a piece about how SUP can help build a “crud-ready core,” and hone your balance in the off-season. A search on Outside magazine’s website turns up hundreds of items, including a story about people doing yoga on paddleboards. The Washington Post even wrote a blog post about Buck and his band of merry SUP-ers, and included SUP on its Summer Bucket List.

But just because I’m late to the party doesn’t mean I can’t join in, and last night, I got the chance to take a lesson with Buck. It was a gorgeous night to be on the Potomac, and Buck filled me in on the history of the C&O Canal National Park and of the sport as we walked from the Old Angler’s Inn parking lot down to the river. Turns out we’re *all* kind of late to the party, considering SUP actually started centuries ago in Hawaii or Polynesia, as a precursor to canoes.

Also beating me to the SUP party: Jennifer Anniston.

As soon as we got on the water, I understood why the party’s so big—SUP is a freaking blast! I’m obviously biased, since Buck’s a good friend, but he was a fantastic instructor, and after a few quick lessons on how to get back on the board after falling, how to actually stand up and how to paddle forward, we were cruising down the river, chatting as if we were in a coffee shop. You know how people sometimes meet for a walk rather than a meal? I’d like to conduct all meetings, personal and business, while floating down a calm river on large, inflatable surfboards.

Photo courtesy of Potomac Paddlesports. This shows Buck at his best.

Buck also showed me the paddle strokes that racers use, which left me breathless, and gave me an understanding of how this could be a serious workout if you wanted it to be. I also learned that the people who are really good at SUP do it in rapids. Mind-blowing.

I was happy to just float along and be in the beautiful moment on the river.

Have you ever tried SUP? If so, what did you think?

“Really?” you’re likely thinking. “Motivation via brunch? She must have really wanted to write about her brunch.”

OK, fine. I partially just really want to write about my brunch. But it’s because it was the kind of brunch that motivated me to eat better, live better, be better than I did before I walked in the door, which fits the Motivation Monday theme perfectly.

Let me explain. Ever since starting this blog, I’ve made it a goal to try one new local, in-season fruit or vegetable per week. Ever since writing about disordered eating among women runners, I’ve been thinking more seriously about what I put in my body before and after I ask it to complete hard workouts, and focusing on making sure every workout I do is fully supported by rest and nutrition.

To say that this awesome brunch with a lifelong friend in a farmhouse-chic restaurant serving food from local producers supported my training yesterday is a vast understatement.

See the wood stacked in the background? It's for a wood-burning oven. I also love the visible rows of canned veggies.

Baltimore happens to be halfway between me and my lovely friend Alexis, and we chose to meet at Woodberry Kitchen for brunch partially because of this description: Features the seasonal best from local growers and emphasizes organic meats and sustainable agriculture. Our goal is to nourish and delight our guests with cooking grounded in the traditions and ingredients of the Chesapeake region. That, and Tom Sietsema’s fantabulous review a couple years ago.

The company was reason enough to drive to Baltimore.

How cute is my brunch date?

But a maple latte (sweetened with real maple syrup) and homemade yogurt with Cybee’s honey and Reid’s apples? That’s just overkill.

You could really taste the maple in the latte. And that honey! (!!)

Especially when you follow it with housemade pecan challah French toast with blueberry-plum compote …

Lex's brunch. I'm definitely motivated to make plum compote at home—yum!

… and cast-iron-skillet eggs with squash, sweet peppers and skillet potatoes.

Why was this the first time I ate squash for breakfast? Delicious with eggs!

Is it any surprise that, after sitting to chat (and digest) a while, then driving the hour from Baltimore to my pool, I finally knocked out that long swim to cram for the Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash 5K Swim? The 5,000 meters (actually, 5,500 yards, which translates to about a 5K) felt smooth and easy, leaving me feeling confident that my general fitness and training base for swimming will translate into a fun, not-too-painful race on Oct. 1.

What’s motivating you this week?

Oh, how I wish this title referred to the way I sometimes study course maps as if they contain the code to a safe full of money, and not just the route for a 10K!

Instead, it refers to the fact that, as previously discussed, I’m not exactly trained for this for the Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash 5K swim on Oct. 1. I’m not *untrained*, which is something different (I’m looking at you, 2006 Gate River Run 15K). I’m in perfectly good shape, swimming-wise and other-wise, and feel confident I can cover the distance. But I haven’t been in the pool a ton over the past few weeks, and will be spending the next two weeks (gah! only two weeks left!) cramming for a race I feel only partially prepared for.

Cramming is such a widespread phenomenon, Runner’s World had a story within the past year about how to “train” for races of various distances in a week. They weren’t encouraging people to skip the “couch to 5K” program, but instead to do what I’m doing: Sharpening the edges around a reasonably fit person to ensure you’re ready for an event that took you by surprise.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: I would have included the link to the aforementioned story. But I couldn’t find it within 30 seconds, and, as evidenced by the fact that I’m posting this at 4:30 p.m., and by the fact that I’m writing about the swimming I haven’t done, it’s been a crazy-busy day. My apologies.]

So here’s my cram-tastic training plan:

• Get to the pool three times per week leading up to the race. Continue to run on non-swim days so I don’t end up cramming for the Marine Corps 10K as well.
• Swim the distance of the race, 5,000 meters, at least once, preferably twice, before race day.
• Temper expectations now. Treat the race as an especially scenic workout whose time doesn’t matter. Practice blaming the fact that I was slower than last year on unbelievably strong longshore currents in the Gulf of Mexico on race day.

Sounds good, right? I’m not going to make the rookie mistake of overtraining to compensate for training I simply didn’t do—my opportunity to gain real strength and speed has passed, so my goals are gaining confidence (pre-race 5K swim) and sharpening the edges.

Have you ever crammed for a race? If so, what was your strategy?

I’ve been laying flat on my back all week with this stupid head cold. But that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming about, and making plans for, my next adventure: Siesta Key, Fla., for the Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash 5K swim Oct. 1. And yesterday, I made reservations to stay at this Florida-riffic resort, the Ringling Beach House:

I’ll sleep there. Better yet, I’ll swim here:

Can you imagine a prettier place for an open-water swim?

Last year, after interviewing Atlanta-based running coach Janet Hamilton for a Women’s Running story, I wrote a post titled “Fitness tip of the week: Listen to the whispers” based on the following insight from her:

“If you tune in to your body’s little whispers, it will never have to shout at you,” she said.

A year later, I have, indeed gotten better at paying more attention to my body’s whispers—noticing when the soreness in my quads hasn’t abated several days after a hard workout, or when I feel a twinge of pain in my hip or knee or ankle. But over the weekend, I realized that while I’m lots better about listening to my body’s whispers, I’m still not adept at actually following its advice.

I noticed I was feeling run-down and off-balance two Fridays ago, when I had a swim date with Katie at Run This Amazing Day. I felt icky and tired in the water, and retreated to the hot tub, making moany-groany noises, after about 1,000 meters (I’d planned for at least 3,000). This icky feeling, which persisted throughout the weekend, was my body saying: “Psst. Hey. Take it easy on me, huh?”

Instead, I proceeded to attack my weekend exactly as I’d planned, staying out late for a birthday party Friday night, backpacking the next two days, then sailing through my planned workouts that next week. I should have come as no surprise that this past Friday, I woke up with a killer sore throat that has mostly kept me in bed all weekend. This was my body saying: “GOOD GOD STOP NOW YOU HORRIBLE MADWOMAN!” It’s beyond shouting—it’s writing that message on the mirror in red lipstick, horror-movie style.

So how am I motivated by this turn of events? I learned something important about my body, albeit the hard way. As people who run, swim and otherwise move their bodies, we have a gift of being extra-attuned to those whispers. And if we’re smart—which I certainly will be in the future—we’ll not only pay attention, but will act accordingly.