I have an admission to make: I have always thought it is funny how runners obsess about PRs.  I can fully admit this because I am what I call a "zen runner" or one who likes to run but not race.  I do wear a GPS watch, I do measure my routes, but besides that I am not much for racing.  I can run long distances (thank the Army for that) but don't ask me for my PRs.  Again, I'm not much for racing.  Enter the marathon training.  

I cannot tell you exactly whether it is my competitive nature or masochism, but I have always wanted to run a marathon by the time I was 40, which was two months ago-- the same day as the ING Miami Marathon.  Unfortunately, because of my father's illness I decided not to run it and instead spend that milestone in our lives making beautiful memories, and it was a weekend to remember.  Now, I am registered to run the Medtronics Twin Cities Marathon in October.  As I read through my training I kept reading to run certain intervals at "5k pace"  but the problem is that I didn't know what that was, so I signed for the Shamrock Race for Hope yesterday.  I could have run the distance on my own, but I honestly believe that the mentality on a training run vs a race has to be different, and boy was I right.  

Ok, so first I get there and it was a bit convoluted and disorganized.  The map for the race was hard to read and some of the people explaining the map were guessing on the route.  Eventually I figured you can always go safe by asking the cops directing the traffic; it helped she was a runner so she understood what we needed to know.  Once everything got sorted through, the peeps running the 10K went first, with us following after them.  

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously spread sauce on the crusts, and layer with remaining ingredients. Top with cashews or a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (optional).  Cook on a pizza stone for 15 minutes.

These eats were so delicious that, again with some preparation, will keep me on track for week 2.  For week 2 here is what I'm planning:

Breakfast:
Green Goddess Smoothie
Hot Lap Bowl
Herb Egg White Omelet

Lunch:
Black Beans Rice Extravaganza
Quinoa Patties Burgers
Roasted Red Peppers Hummus Wrap

Dinner:
Leftovers from lunch
Sriracha Fish Tacos
Quinoa "pasta" with Shredded Zucchini

Snacks:
Sunwarrior Rice Protein Shake
Banana with PB2

My best friend once told me: "you are such a feet person".  The comment threw off.  Did she mean that as in a feet fetish kind of way?  I was scratching my head on that one and she must have noticed my bewildered expression because she added: "I meant that you always really pay attention to your feet, any aches, bruises, blisters, etc".  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was correct.  After all my feet have been my tools of the trade for a long time.  When I was younger, I was a classical ballet dancer who took a beating on her feet, then as a Soldier my feet are basically what keeps me going.  So much so that during basic training, or field exercises the sergeants conduct feet inspection to make sure we are all good to go.  And as runner, well no need to explain that.  The bottom line is that the health of my feet are key to success. 

I have had my share of feet injuries, mostly related to running or foot marching: plantar fasciiatis, turf toe, achilles tendonitis, postal tibialis tendonitis.  The key in my fairly quick recovery from foot injuries, aside from the fairly minor seriousness of the injuries, has been addressing the issues as soon as I noticed them.  Yes, I'm oddly in tune with how my feet are feeling but I accredit that with how I have been able to bounce back.  But feet health, especially when running, also requires what I call "playing footsie" which is simply taking care of your feet by pampering.  Not only does it provide relief for tired feet but it just feels good...for the most part.  Here are some tips on what has worked for me:



As you can see from the list, a lot of tips can be done at home with items you probably already have.  But there are other tips that I recommend you visit a professional like getting a proper shoe fitting and certain foot massages using advanced techniques like the Graston technique.  Again, it is all about providing relief as soon as you feel it.  If pain is what you are experiencing then by all means consult with your doctor.  Admit it, we love to pamper our bodies but rarely do we take care of our feet but in the end it is all about how we treat our body: FEET INCLUDED.  Do you hear that runners? Be good to your feet! If we take care of them, we will reap the benefits.

Happy Eating and Happy Running!

Sharing with Fitness Friday!

I love food blogs.  It is one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place.  From Cannelle et Vanille to 101 Cookbooks, they offer an escape where I imagine myself being cool enough to hang around with these uber foodies.  They have beautiful photography and awesome recipes, which I never recreate at home.  But last week, I was visiting one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots, and the author posted a recipe for Life Changing Loaf of Bread.  Now, I don't know about you but that is a pretty bold statement.  In my head I heard the words: that's a challenge.  And I am a sucker for a good challenge ladies and gentlemen.  If you are going to make a claim like this, I must test it.  And I don't mean test it so I can prove you wrong.  But come on, if this is life-changing, I want to eat it, right?!

After I printed the recipe, I proceeded to make my way to the health store (any excuse I can get to go there)  and stocked up on all the ingredients, some which I had never heard of like psyllium husks, which acts as the binder in this recipe.  Once I gather all my supplies, it was off to baking...well not immediately, because you have to let the "dough" sit for a minimum of 2 hours (see recipe below for details).


The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread (from My New Roots)Makes 1 loaf

Woohoo! My first mud run!

Lately, I have been reading more than normal blogs and articles about Vitamin D deficiency, and wanted to share with you my Vitamin D story.  If you followed my previous blog you know that I am a hypothyroid since 2010, when my thyroid was removed due to Grave's Disease, which is a form of hyperthyroidism.   Thirty days after my thyroid was removed, I started gaining weight like it was nobody's business.  Because I am 6'1" people kept telling me it was all in my head (something I was used to hearing when I had Grave's Disease because apparently we "make this stuff up).  But as strange as it sounds, I felt myself getting heavier and there was nothing I could do to stop it since I was still in the recovery period and could not exercise.  Since then it has been a yo-yo affair between me and my weight.  I was working out furiously, eating sensibly, and adjusting my hormone medicines.  But most troubling, was the fact that I was having horrible joint pains.  My endocrinologist was excellent but I felt that at times he was not listening to me.  So, during a visit last December I once again conveyed how I was feeling and that I was not making this up; I actually asked him to put down his laptop and stop typing.  This gave him a hint of my frustration.  So, he ordered a complete blood work, not just my thyroid hormones.

The week before all this ensued, my knees were killing especially my right knee and so I made an appointment with my general doctor and she thought I had a meniscus injury... Not  what I wanted to hear.  After an MRI we discovered only some minor arthritis developing on my knee but nothing to justify the horrible joint pains I was having.  Why do I mention this?  Well, a few days after the blood work by the endocrinologist, he called me to tell me that he may have found what the problem was: a chronic deficiency on vitamin D.  After he gave me some directions, I went online and read about why vitamin D deficiency is so important especially in a hypothyroid person.  And wow, was I blown away by what I found out.  So, first the basics:  

Vitamin D is formed when skin is exposed to the sun and it is also found in food and dietary supplements.  It is so essential to the thyroid function that its status has gone from just a vitamin to a co-enzyme.  There are two major types of vitamin D. 

How does it relate to thyroid.  Researchers have found that, because thyroid treatment isn't optimal, it may not work if the body does not have the adequate amount of vitamin D for the crucial final metabolic step, which takes place at the site where thyroid hormone actually works.  Vitamin D needs to be present at sufficient levels in the cell in order for the thyroid hormone to actually affect that cell.  That is why vitamin D is so crucial. And if you decide to take a vitamin D supplement, make sure it is D3.   I normally do not get sassy with my endocrinologist but I did.  Yeap, this maybe something that would have been great to know!

And scarily enough, some of the symptoms I was having, and which I thought were because my dose was off, are the same as if you are vitamin D deficient: fatigue, joint pain and weight gain.  And here is the kicker.  I have a double whammy in the vitamin D deficiency department by being Hispanic since Hispanics have more melanin in their skin, which is a natural sunscreen and it blocks the type of sunlight that helps us make vitamin D.  So, our risk goes up the darker our skin is.  

Really?  Seriously?  Can I just get a break somewhere? Ok, I know I am whining...

Now, let's talk vitamin D for runners, which is best known for its importance in maintaining bone health by improving calcium absorption.  Vitamin D is a must have in the "injury prevention" supplements arsenal for any runner.  There are many key processes related to to athletic performance that Vitamin D affects like immune system activation and improvement of anti-inflammatory response. **Information via.  

Happy Eating and Happy Running!

In 2000, I bought my first heart rate monitor, a Polar that just monitored the HR.  Then in 2007 (yeah a big gap of time in between) I upgraded to a Suunto which was awesome albeit it had way too many features.  I still have it but it is dying and sadly it needed replacement.  I knew it was time to get a new one but this time I also wanted a GPS that was not too bulky.  I searched and researched, and after much indecision I got the Garmin Forerunner 10 and I am so happy with it!  When looking for a GPS watch I had some requirements:

The make or brake point initially became the price because, I'm sorry, I am not going to spend $300 or $400 in a high speed GPS that I need for running.  No way.  The max I wanted to pay was $200 and that shrunk my list considerably while still leaving me with some great choices.  As I did my research I kept reading nothing but great things about the Forerunner 10 especially how easy it was to use and how it is not a bulky design which makes it perfect for females.  And after using it two time, I was hooked.  

This is what I was looking for.  When I run I want to know three things- my pace, distance and time elapsed.  I'm a simple kind of girl, so too much info on a watch throws me off.  And this watch gives me exactly that: simplicity.  First, I don't need to push a bunch of buttons to start it; one button starts/stops it.   There are two main screens: the main face is preset to run time and total distance ran, while the second face shows you the pace.  As you complete a mile, the watch beeps to let you know you have completed it, which believe it or not, its a mental motivator (at least for me it is!).  For those of you new to running and still in the walking phase, you can set it for walk intervals or run/walk intervals as necessary.  Now, I have to warn you that if HR monitoring is an integral part of your training and that is something you need in a watch... keep looking because this watch does not monitor HR.  There is one feature-- the Virtual Pacer-- which compares your current running pace to your target, and I am really looking forward to trying it.  

As I mentioned above, I cannot have too much information on a watch face however, I love analyzing running information on my computer and have to admit I am a bit of a techno geek in that regards.  Which is why online support and the ability to download/track was a requirement.  Through GarminConnect, I get all this.  When you go into the site, the site automatically takes you to your dashboard, and voila!  Its a running techno geek's heaven!  Please excuse my horrible times, I just went out and had a horrible run!  Anyhow, back to the dashboard.  You get a summarized version first with a map of your run route.  

If you click on the "view details" you get the more in-depth analysis, which I find so fascinating.