A Taste of Sparkle

I took the day off from blogging and exercise yesterday because of an annoying head-cold-y feeling. I went to bed before 10! Luckily, this meant that I was up bright and early for my long run today. I was ready to tackle seven miles!

Last night, I puzzled over how to fuel before/during/after a long run (more than an hour or so). I stared at my collection of energy gels, bars, and chews comparing and researching. Eating should not be this complicated!

I made a plan and stuck with it, and it worked out really well! I felt great my entire run, so I thought I’d share.

I woke up around 6, got dressed, and poured myself a glass of water. I drank about 10 oz. while I browsed some blogs and went down to the kitchen at 6:30. For pre-run fuel, I had a slice of Ezekiel bread toasted with some PB and a banana. I headed out at about 7.

After a four mile loop, I stopped back at my house for about a minute for some water and energy. I had half a pack of Luna Sport Moons (100 calories, 24 g carb). For longer distances I probably will have the whole thing, but I figured with only 3 miles left to go, half was a good amount. Half, incidentally, was four moon-shaped watermelon flavored chews. They come in blueberry and pomegranate flavors too.

I wasn’t expected the best, but I was pleasantly surprised! They were a little chewy, but easy to get down, and they tasted good too! I chugged about a cup of water after and then finished the other three miles.

I don’t know if it was the water or the extra carbs, but I felt so good on the last half of my run. Compared to my 2 six mile runs, where I basically just dragged after mile 4, I was flying! I managed a 10:43 pace easily, and I think my pace for my last six miler I struggled to maintain a 12 minute pace! I’m going to try out a couple other mid-run fueling options before my half-marathon, but I definitely give the Luna Sport Moons two thumbs up! I know my water intake was also important. I think getting some water down before my run was very important.

When I got back, I changed into dry clothes to have breakfast before I jumped in the shower because I wanted to refuel within the short window after exercise that our muscles are most receptive. Research has shown that after a long run, a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio is advisable. Obviously this doesn’t have to be exact, so I just made sure that my breakfast contained a bit of protein and lots of carbs. I had the other half of the Luna Sport Moons and two servings of Flax Multibran with raisins and soy milk. This kept me full until lunch!

Long runs are so important because they are basically a practice run for the race; we get to experiment with what works so that we have a definite plan on race day that will help us do our best! I’m going to experiment more in the coming weeks, but if I had my race tomorrow, I think I’d do fine with today’s plan!

Run Stats:
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1:15:06
Pace: 10:43

I’m glad today was an easy day, because I was in no mood to run. It was the most humid it’s been all summer here and that combined with my lack of sleep/not drinking enough water made for a tough run! I managed a little over two miles, which is fine. I might do some yoga later to stretch out a bit.

When I got back from my run, I was in no mood for a hot meal! In fact, I was craving this combo:

Yum! Since this isn’t one of my typical meals, I’ll count it for my Mix-up your meals challenge, even though it’s not that creative. I’ll have to make up for it tomorrow!

Here it is, crunchy PB & strawberry preserves on a pita, with a carrot on the side with some almond butter, and 3 tiny squares of Green & Black’s for dessert.

After work, I snacked on half a Larabar and guzzled water to rehydrate myself.

I’m going to the Farmer’s Market today and I plan on picking up some fresh produce to create new meals with. I’m also going out to dinner tonight with my family at a place that has great salads and thin crust pizzas. I’ll update later with my Farmer’s Market goodies!

Today I had a great run! I decided not to do my speedwork on the track, but to do more of a tempo run instead. I did a 4 mile loop and pushed myself pretty hard – I was so excited to come back and calculate my pace, and it was 9:10 per mile! That’s a great pace for me, considering my 5-K pace is around 8:15-30.

I also took a chance and wore a workout shirt that I literally bought 3 years ago for “when I’m skinny enough to wear it” – well, enough with that! I wore it today and at first I was a little self-conscious, but by halfway through my run, I was working so hard that I didn’t even have time to think about how I looked! When I got back from my run, I felt great and confident – not because I am finally “skinny enough”, but because I am proud of myself for pushing myself.

Run Stats:

Time: 36:42

Distance: 4.00 miles

Pace: 9:10 min/mile

Lunch was a yummy Gardenburger hummus wrap with carrots and almond butter and three little pierogies my friend made yesterday. I had a yummy GM to drink.

Come back tonight for:

1. Flax Pak review

2. Gardenburger GardenVegan review

3. A surprise product review

And more!

My mom is driving up to visit me today, so we’re going to go check out the Farmer’s Market in the next town over and go out to dinner.

‘Til tonight,

Good evening! And I mean that – my lab only lasted one hour, so I had an unexpected extra three hours in my day! I did the most productive things I could, of course: eat, read, and blog.

The rest of today’s eats included a GM I made in a rush right before lab. It contained 1 banana, 1/2 c strawberries, 3 cups spinach, and a little over a cup of soy milk. For dinner after lab, I had my vegan pasta dish with chocolate coconut milk ice cream and a gluten-free cookie for dessert!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stop at the Farmer’s Market today. This means that I’ll actually have to go buy my kale at the store! Boo. I snuck in my workout at 4 today, a quick 3 miles on the elliptical. Boy am I sore from yoga yesterday! I’m going to do the video once more this week, but I have to wait until I can move my arms again

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Tonight I want to talk about something that I don’t give enough thought to: arch support in my casual, non-workout shoes. Truth be told, I am a terrible example. During the day, I’m either wearing flat flip-flops or a pair of Converse – neither of which has any arch support at all. If it’s important to have arch support when we’re running, it just makes sense that it would be important the other 90% of the day too! I know that walking around in flat-soled shoes contributed to my shin splints a couple of years ago, and here I am today, wearing the same kinds of shoes!

But the problem with a word like “arch-support sandals” is that it does not sound all that attractive. I may be superficial, but I would prefer to wear a sleek black sandal than some clunky “arch-support” shoe with canvas straps all over the place.

Luckily, I don’t have to choose between fashion and good-for-my-body shoes! Here are a few pairs that not only support your lovely legs and feet, but are also quite stylish

Archy Zebra by Moszkito

Senise by Merrel.

Lusaka by Born

Stunning by Earth (I also like a lot of their other shoes – very stylish! And supposedly they “burn calories with every step” – like April said, “I don’t know if these sandals really work but I wear them everywhere just in case!” )

and

Julia by Think!

Now I have to go about ordering myself a pair! I’ll let you know what I decide!

My dad and I outside the Notre Dame at sunset in Paris this past March

First, the results of grocery shopping Sunday: (I love going to the grocery store – it’s one of my favorite things to do. Is that sad? )

First I tried a Co-op that just opened in Lyme, NH. It was nice, but wasn’t big enough to have the variety I was looking for (plus I couldn’t find my coconut milk ice cream - big problem!). So I just went to my trusty Hanover Co-op.

• Organic WestSoy Lite Plain (I go through one of these every two days!)
• Once Again Organic Peanut Butter (I can see in the picture that I accidentally bought crunchy…so *NEW*)
• Once Again Organic Almond Butter
• WestSoy Pre-Marinated Tofu: Italian Garlic & Herb flavor
• Pavich Organic Jumbo Raisins (to have with cereal!)
• Flax Paks *NEW*
• Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream (chocolate flavor)

• Olivia’s Organic Baby Spinach
• SoySation “Mozzarella Cheese”
• Gardenburger GardenVegan Burgers *NEW*

• Pineapple
• Organic Carrots
• What are those in the back left? You’ll have to wait and see!

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Running and Hydration

As I’m sure we all know, it is so important to be hydrated when we run (or do any sort of exercise!). Two main ways we lose water are through breathing and sweating, which means that we lose more water during exercise (faster breathing, more sweating)

For 3 mile runs, it’s a breeze – chug a glass of water a little while before you leave, have a glass or two when you get back. However, for longer runs, this presents a problem. Going 60+ minutes without water can dehydrate the body, impacting running performance and causing symptoms such as increased fatigue, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps. So, of course, this means we need to hydrate not only after, but during our long runs!

Different Ways to Hydrate ($-$$$)

1. ($) Run repeats of a short route close to your home, for example three repeats of a three mile loop. Each time you pass your house, gulp down 4 – 8 oz. of water. An easy way to do this is to leave your water bottle in your mailbox!

2. ($$) Hand-held bottles like the Amphipod Hydraform provide a simple way to get in your H20, but may be cumbersome. I remember the time I ran with my regular iPod and had to hold it in one of my hands the entire way – all I wanted was to be done with my run so I didn’t have to hold it anymore! Also, carrying something in your hand can alter your running form, especially if you always hold it in the same hand.

3. ($-$$$) Water Belts fit around your waist and can hold anywhere from 1-4 bottles of water. Most of the ones I’ve seen have small zipper pockets to store an ID, a small cell phone, or gels. One downside of water belts is the excess weight, however this should not severely affect your running form. Also, some water belts can bounce up and down irritatingly. This Waterboy Aid Station by Brooks ($) has an elastic band designed to prevent this:

I also like the Delaney by Camelbak ($$$):

4. ($$ – $$$) Backpacks can hold a lot of water (1.5 – 3L) and have tubes that provide an easy access to water without having to pause or stop your run. They are generally more expensive than other methods of hydration, so make sure the one you buy has a comfortable fit. Improper fits can cause bouncing (imagine if you wore an incorrectly fitting sports bra!) and pain in the back and shoulders. Look for a snug fit and remember that it will be a lot heavier filled with water! Almost all have pockets for ID/gels. The Camelbak Annadel ($$) is designed especially for women and holds 1.5 L of fluid.

Personally, I think I’m going to try a water belt first. My long runs for the next few months will range from 6-12 miles, so I think a water belt should be able to carry an adequate amount of water for that. I will let you know which one I decide on

Sources:
http://www.medicinenet.com/dehydration/index.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-323–7004-0,00.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Water-Bottle-Belt-For-Serious-Runners&id=2380125

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See you tonight for:

1. What was that in the corner of my grocery goods?

2. Easy-peasy-yummy-vegan PASTA!