Country Music Marathon

It's almost time!

And yes, I am beginning to freak out. No, I didn't train enough... No, I did get to my goal race weight... No no no...

So I am trying to focus on the positive! Like non race things... like where to shop and eat. =)

Since Huntsville is currently without decent grocery shopping, I will definitely be heading to Whole Foods and Trader Joes to pick up some yummy treats. Because this race cost a huge enterance fee, plus hotel, gas, etc... I am on a budget for meals! When GF and on a budget, planning is key. After some googling I found what I was looking for. It took awhile b/c I was avoiding all southern food...and being in the south, that is like 90% of all the eating options. But I'm not a chicken fried steak kind of person, and shrimp & grits as a pre-race dinner sounds gross.


To avoid high costs, I have decided to buy dinner from Whole Foods. This will likely be some soy sauce free brown rice sushi. I love their tuna/salmon rolls. And it is a good dinner for before a big race. The brown rice makes it hearty and filling. The fish lends a grease free protein source. And the fat from the avocado makes increases the satiety level and makes the calories be digested more slowly. I think I'll add a smoothie or side salad too.

Lunch is the cheap option for going out. I found this place called PM. Its a little sushi cafe, with affordable meals. No I won't be having sushi for both meals, that would be overkill (though still delicious). At PM they have salads, rice bowls, sushi, desserts, and even thai nachoes (yum!). Their featured rice bowl for Fridays is a duck and pineapple fried rice bowl. That is what I am going for and requesting fried rice without soy sauce usually isn't a big deal. If I'm lucky they'll serve bubble tea too, though I didn't see it on the menu (hey, a girl can hope!).

Okay well that's my positive note for Nashville. I should probably start thinking more about the actual running part of this trip...

Toenail Debate...

Having 10 toenails is normal.
So...
Does having 11 make you a freak or a more evolved person?
Hmm....

Right now I'll stick with freak. But whatever, I'm still wearing sandals. Hopefully one will fall off soon and I can return to having beat up, but not freakish feet.

Marathon Breakfast

Alright, so normally I don't eat before runs. Maybe a banana if I know I'll be out for a while, but generally thats all. Well in order to achieve better results, I am working on perfecting a breakfast that will be hearty and healthy, without upsetting my stomach! I tend to get mad GI upset before races. This has nothing to do with gluten, but with the fact that I am a ball of freaken nerves before a race. Normally I don't get too stressed or anxious about anything life throws my way... until it throws me a starting line. Then forget it, I'm a wreck.So this breakfast needs to have enough calories and carbs to fuel 26.2 miles... but no grease, no fat, and nothing too refined ( i don't want to crash at mile 20 b/c of silly simple sugars!). Oh and this breakfast should have some vegetables in it b/c I am always looking to stuff more roughage down my throat. Of course it has to be GF, but that's obvious.


Here is what I've come up with...



GF Oats, dried cranberries, shredded zucchini, walnut pieces, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fleur de sel. Very tasty. Add a little milk if you want!
I made a large batch so I can have this healthy treat all week long.

BLT

Does it get any simpler or more delicious than a BLT? It does if you use Maverick Ranch's uncured, all natural bacon and a spread of avocado mashed with vegannaise.

The 'bread' is a skillet flat bread that I conjured up using buckwheat, millet, flax meal, and other GF friendly stuff. =) I love being 'forced' to eat healthy whole grains instead of that shit tasteless white bread. Bummer....

Eating this way gives us glutarded athletes a huge advantage. Or glucose levels aren't prone to spiking as much since our diets are high in unprocessed, fibrous grains. Advantage goes to GF eaters!

Wellness Screening

A great part about working in wellness is that I get to partake in regular screenings. Some people may despise cholesterol checks and such, but I thoroughly enjoy them. If I could, I'd have my finger pricked daily just to track the numbers for fun. Knowing glucose, cholesterol, and all that fun stuff is a great starting point for improving nutrition. Can't fix it if you don't know its broke right?

Here are todays results:

BMI = 20 (okay I already knew that one...)
TC (total cholesterol) = 179
HDL (the good stuff) = 65
LDL (bad stuff) = 86
TRG (triglycerides) = 141
GLU (glucose) = 83
Iron = 10.5

Overall these are great readings. All in the 'optimal' readings, though I do think the HDL should be higher. There is one reading that falls into the 'red zone'; iron. Blasted iron. My celiac disease causes me to be chonically anemic. I suppose that's better than constant GI issues, but still, as an athlete I need my iron!!! Sigh, guess it is time to call the hematologist again and set up those pesky iron transfusions. I am impressed that it is the first time in a year I am having to go in for more iron... last yr I had two, 3 month sessions of injections. So this is a positive progression. And a reason to eat a hunk of steak (of course I know that won't help, but still...)

Glutarded Easter

Holiday meals are a struggle for all new glutards. Avoiding some of your old favorites, stressing out about consuming some hidden gluten, getting annoyed with family members that ask if you're on a 'low carb' diet... the list goes on. I've had my fair share of those, well okay, one years worth of glutenless holiday meals, but I've got it down now.

This Easter Tyler (my husband) and I were sans family, so it was just dinner for two. Since I had the Oak Barrel 1/2 marathon the day before, I started the day with a 3 mile, slow recovery run. My legs were screaming 'stop moving' the entire time. They burned and ached, so I decided not to push it. After the short bout of exercise, it was time to concentrate on the eating. Of course, there was one thing to do before the cooking began; pour some mimosas. I don't think any Easter morning would be complete without mimosas.

Like any traditional holiday dinner, we started with the meat. Ham in this case. I scored the top, rubbed on a mix of mustard, spices, honey, and OJ then shoved the giant hunk of animal flesh into the oven. In no time it was smelling delicious. We wanted a light, spring meal so our sides consisted of charred asparagus and a cold potato salad. I think the salad was the highlight of the meal. Steamed and cooled fingerling potatoes, sliced radishes, chopped sugar snap peas, and sliced red and yellow bell peppers all tossed lightly in a Caesar dressing. Yum! (and yes, most caesar dressing do contain gluten in the form of soy sauce, so make sure you find one without that harmful ingredient).

This meal was everything I hoped it would be! We finished the day with some chocolate covered strawberries. I've never missed gluten less!

Oak Barrel 1/2 Summary

With my standard pre-race sugar free redbull and my game face on, I was ready to head out to TN and do some running. And this was my first race as a Fleet Feet runner!!

Let me tell you that my mood definitely faded from there...

First of all I was driving Tyler's BMW Z4 to Lynchburg. Sweet ride right? Ha, hardly. This was my third time every driving stick shift and the first time I was doing it alone. Stress level through the roof!!! Absolutely not what I needed before the race.
Sigh.
But I got there with no visible damage done to the vehicle.
Of course as soon as I park, the sky darkened and the sounds of thunder rumbled fiercely. Minutes later, the down pour began. I was hoping to make this 13.1 miles more like an 18 miler with some warm-up and cool-down miles... but quickly ditched that idea when the rain began. Sigh again.
On to the start line... huddled together with the mass of runners not wanting to get soaked an early then we must. When the starting gun fired, I was off! I tried to stay with the front group, but my recent history of starting too quickly and dying later in the race came into mind, so I backed off a little. Wet, but running well the first few miles... until the hills began. Since most of my training was done is Florida, I have little concept of hills. A causeway is all I had for any incline training, and I was just fine with that. Flat, fast running was perfect! Ha, I was not prepared with what was to come at after mile 4... A mile long climb. At one point I just stopped. Only for a split second, but my legs did cease to move and I wondered if I could actually survive this 'hill'. But I took a big, deep breathe and kept on truckin'. It didn't feel much like running for the last quarter mile of that climb, more like I was on a stair machine. UGH. You can imagine how relieved I was to get to the top. Down never felt so good. The rest of the course was rolling hill with a short, steep hills to conquer. The worst part was my swamp feet. It was raining pretty hard at one point and my shoes were soaked. Every step was uncomfortable and squishy. It was my first time being jealous of the lone barefoot runner. The last 3 miles of the race were pretty flat which restored my joyful mood.

I crossed the finish at 1:37:32. Not a PR, but a definite accomplishment!! I ended up with second place OA Female. =)



This is the finisher's 'metal'. It's engraved on a piece of oak barrel!


The only thing cooler was this! My 2nd place OA Female reward... Half of an oak barrel lid!

Day Before Racing

I've decided to do the Oak Barrel 1/2 Marathon in Lynchburg, TN. This decision came just days before the actual race... so of course, I was going through a list of pre-race anxieties; Did I train enough? Did I really train at all?? Should I be doing such a hilly course? What should I eat today? How much should I run? and so on....
Well to answer a few of those nagging questions...

I ran an easy 6 miles this morning. I figured that should be enough to keep my legs loose without over doing it. Some core work also got done. Nothing crazy, just a mix of p90x and insanity moves.

As for the eating... Yum. Before a race, especially one of longer distances, it is really important to eat well the day before a race. Nothing greasy, too fatty, too light, too much dairy... oh the list goes on. And us poor celiac athletes... we have finicky stomachs which is only amplified by pre-race gitters.

I found a bag of Bobs Red Mill Pizza Dough in the pantry and whipped that up with a bit of skim ricotta, mozzarella, handful or canned tomatoes, basil, and caramelized onions.


The result was perfection. Just because we can't eat normal gluteny pizza, doesn't mean we can't have a delicious alternative!

Prana Bars

Gluten free bars at their best. These are super tasty, come in a good variety of flavors, and contain nutrients to promote athletic performance. However, like most bar foods, they are pricey. I think I'll try to whip these up myself...shouldn't be hard since they are made of ingredients I have in my pantry.
When I get the recipe down, I'll post it!

Caramalized Onion Salad

In my attempt to eat lighter dinners, hearty salads are a delicious and satisfying option. I know us celiacs get sick of salads, but this one will not let you down. Its simple but not at all bland.

Most people immediately associate salads with health food, but some salads can fall short in the nutrition department. They can contain fried items, too much cheese, fatty dressings, etc, and some restaurant salads can top 1000 calories! This salad delivers the nutrients a runner needs and nothing extra. Spinach is loaded with iron, walnuts contain healthy fats, and the balsamic vinegar has enough flavor that no extra dressing is needed.


Recipe:

4 cups Baby Spinach
1/4 c. Walnuts, halves or pieces
1 Yellow Onion, sliced
1 tbps Olive Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 c. Shredded Chicken
1 ounce Blue Cheese, crumbled ( I used stilton)

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onions and saute over med-low until nice and caramelized. Stir in the balsamic, walnuts, and chicken. After about two minutes, remove from heat. Divide the spinach onto two plates. Top each pile of green with half the onion mixture and sprinkle with the blue cheese. Enjoy!

Bloody Toes

This is my left foot after the Rocket Run 10 miler. Not sure why my toes feel the need to explode lately... but peeling a bloody sock off my foot after a run is something I could do without. Must be my new Mizuno sneaks... but I love them!

Oh well. Sandals are overrated.

Rocket Run 10 Miler

Problem... my training runs have gotten better... good right? Except that my racing has gotten worse. wtf.

This morning I competed in the Rocket Run 10 mile race.

I was feeling good going into it. Woke up early, hydrated, showered, ate a piece of gluten free banana bread... I'll post the recipe soon, promise!

Finished 2nd female overall... but that really doesn't mean much when I didn't meet my personal goal. My pace per mile was 7:09.
Not bad you think... well you're wrong. If I can run a 13.1 race with a pace of 7:06 min/mile, then I should be able to run a ten miler a bit faster. Sigh.

Maybe I trained too hard this past week. Or maybe I'm getting worse.

I definitely was having trouble pushing myself. Mentally, I just couldn't go faster. Which was frustrating. There were no IPODs allowed, and the course was boring. No spectators, no scenery, nothing. Still, should have done better.

Race Results

Next time.

New Training Run

Today I tried something different. Its come to that point... the one where I've realized that in order to get better PRs, I must really step things up. Run run run, that's been my plan... but now its time to put more emphasis on speedwork, rest, tempos, and all those other specific type runs.

So today I tried one out.

The point is to split your goal race distance into smaller segments and take rest breaks in between intervals and preform the running segments at race pace.

Here's how I did it...

2 mile warm-up at 7.2 mph
3 miles at 8.6 mph
5 minutes rest
3 miles at 8.6 mph
6 minutes rest
3 miles at 8.6 mph
1 mile cool down at 7.2 mph
= 12 miles total.

Verdict:

This was a very hard run to complete! Goal race pace for 9 miles is difficult to do on a treadmill, without the actual race day anxiety and adrenaline.
I will definitely be adding this run to my training. We'll see if the effort pays off.

Pain free

Due to thunderstorms this morning I had to hit the gym for a treadmill run. Today I was hoping to get in 8 miles... normally that'd be no problem, but due to recent tendinitis anything over a slow 6 has been impossible.
Well today I made 10!! and without pain or tightness. I didn't take the pace much under 8min/mile, but it still felt great to do decent mileage. I also felt like I could keep running past ten miles... but felt I shouldn't get too greedy with it! No need to over due it, I want to be fully healed!

This run makes me think maybe I won't have to switch from the full to the 1/2 marathon on April 24th. Fingers crossed. I'm very late on my marathon training and hate feeling so unprepared for a race. Sigh, we'll see in the weeks to come...

I'm a racer, I'm a racer!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's official... the Huntsville Fleet Feet has announced their 2010 racing team... AND I'M ON IT!

Honestly I'm baffled.
and delighted, excited, anxious, and oh yes...completely terrified and intimidated.

Woot. Did I mention Super Freakin' Excited?!?

CHECK IT OUT!

So not sure what I have to do yet... but can't wait to get more info!

Right now I know I have to get faster. Much faster.
My goal is to train hard and lose some winter weight. I've got a good 5 pounds packed on and shedding that would definitely help my speed. Time to make a running schedule and stop eating gummy bears.

I'm in Love....

I've always been a GU fan. Easy to carry on a run, gluten free, and tastes better than the other energy gels. The roctane are delicious, but too expensive in my opinion. So I stuck with the espresso love flavor for the most part. Until recently that is... I picked up a free Gu at a race and it happened to be one of the new Jet Blackberry flavors. Reluctantly, I took it on a 12 miler and at mile 6 when I sucked it down... OMG was I amazed. It is so flavorful and delicious... I'd gladly eat this for dessert running or not. So I bought a case.
Thank you GU for fueling my runs.

Tuna Rolls

I was feeling great after a 12 mile run with an ave pace/mile of 7:27 so I wanted some healthy grub to keep my high going.
A chunk of tuna in the fridge was calling my name...
After marinating the tuna in a little gluten free soy sauce and lime juice, tyler seared up the seafood (just seared, we like it RARE) while I sliced and diced some plants. Carrots, romain, red onions, cilantro, mango, and cucumber along with slices of tuna got rolled up in rice paper. I dipped them in a bit of sweet pepper sauce and devoured them.

It's easy to come home from a run and scarf some junk food to replenish, but sometimes...usually... its worth the effort to prepare a fresh, clean meal.

Bad Races

I suppose everyone has a bad race. It makes sense... we all have poor training runs every now and then. But I've been lucky and have always PRed and had a good performance at every race.
Until the Reedy River 10k in Greenville, SC that is....
I had taken a full 6 days off to try and cure my semitendinosus tendinitis. It didn't work at all. At the start line I had that feeling of dread. This just isn't going to go well I thought... My heart was beating out of control and I hadn't even taken a single step yet. Sigh. I took off at the gun anyhow. Got through 2 miles at a good pace, but then it caught up with me. I crashed hard. Couldn't keep up. Breathing was labored, heart was racing, tendon was so tight I thought it might just rupture. During the final mile I was passed constantly... one weekend jogger after the next overtook me with ease. Damn. I could barely hold back the tears, and once I crossed the finish line, I wanted to hide from the embarrassment. Sigh. Tyler told me to suck it up. I hate being married sometimes.

So that was my first (likely not my last) bad race. And yes, I still ate ice cream afterwards.

Mercedes 1/2 Marathon

PR!! 1:32:51

I'll take it.

My first time to Birmingham, AL and I enjoyed the weekend trip. This race was on Valentines Day which proved to be problematic...
Hubby took me out for an awesome dinner Saturday night at Hot&Hot Fish Club (http://www.hotandhotfishclub.com/) and I had too many martinis. Not the best thing before a race. But oh well, those fresh squeezed grapefruit martinis were well worth it. For dinner I ordered the rabbit loin over greens with wild mushrooms, a poached farm fresh egg, and a warm bacon vinaigrette. Most delicious thing I have ever tasted.

The course was a bit hilly, but the worst thing was the weather. A frigid 30 degree start temp made me cringe. My Florida blood was not happy. Overall though, it was a great race and I will do it again.

Post Run Meal

I just finished a 14 mile run. Due to heavy wind gusts, I logged these miles on a treadmill. Boring, but still effective. And still deserving of a good post run meal. This has got to be one of my favorite options.

Best part is it is very simple to prepare this when you're exhausted after a hard effort. In just 5 minutes you can have a healthy meal to fuel your recovery.

Used here...

Brown rice bread (I like Food for Life)
Garden vegetable cream cheese
Alfalfa sprouts
Roma tomatoes
Smoked salmon
Dijon mustard

Toast the bread, then assemble the ingredients. Ta Da! You have a meal! Easy as that.

Salmon is a great ingredient for athletes. It is very high in omegas which boosts oxygen flow, clears free radicals, and improves your mood. I love having smoked salmon on hand b/c of how easy it is to incorporate into meals without having to cook a fillet.

HIIT

I logged 65 miles this week. A good weekly mileage, but I didn't take an 'off day'. Oops. Honestly I really hate taking rest days. However, after years of running, I have learned the hard way that they are completely worth it in the long run. I've definitely had my fair share of overuse injuries simply due to this hatred of rest. So for the past few months I have stuck true to taking rest days, even just one a week. Except this week that is. So tomorrow it is a going to be a day off. Now I can't manage just taking a day to sit on the couch, so when I say 'day off' I mean just off running.

So what exercise will I being doing tomorrow? P90x. I am determined to get more toned and work on HIIT workouts in addition to my endurance training. HIIT is praised by trainers and scientific research to be the best at building definition due to the increase rate of fat burning these workouts cause. Supposedly they burn calories for days after the workout is completed (EPOC).

This is a hard concept for us endurance athletes to grasp... How can doing some jump roping and mini sprints be better than a 12 mile run?!?! Well it may not in fact be 'better', but these intense short bursts will definitely help create a well rounded athlete. HIIT will help preserve the muscle tissue that endurance breaks down, which in the long run will help to increase speed over a longer period of time.

I can't help it, I still remain slightly skeptic. But I'm willing to put this to the test. So my 'rest days' will now be HIIT workouts. I'm going to begin with these P90x workouts. I hear they're rough though all workout DVDs make me think of leg warmers and sweatin' to the oldies.

I'll let you know how it goes.

DeBoles Doesn't Make the Cut

When I first saw DeBoles gluten free pasta at Walmart, I was thrilled! Gluten free pasta finally at Walmart and finally at an affordable price. I should have known it was too good to be true. Somethings are worth paying for; like flavor. After two attempts at cooking this pasta, I gave up and threw out the box. This stuff tastes horrible. UGH. Being Celiac doesn't mean we have to suffer! It was gummy, fell apart, and completely flavorless. I mean most gf pastas I've tried taste great. Even my gluten lovin' husband prefers corn spaghetti over the normal stuff. So DeBoles can't blame their poor quality of product on the lack of gluten. Sigh, someday there will be affordable pasta, but don't even bother trying to get by on this junk.

12 Mile Cookies

Yesterday I had a 12 mile run. It was an easy run, well, just slower than a tempo pace. I enjoy my 12 milers. They let me reflect and focus and get that runners high we all enjoy so much. Of course it was pouring rain outside and I was stuck indoors on a treadmill.

When doing a long run, the body needs fuel! When I'm running 12 miles or less (and not racing) I don't eat anything during the run. So I need a meal before hand to keep me going. 1-2 hours prior to running seems to be the best time to eat without making you feel sluggish and groggy.

Now even though I am a dietitian, this doesn't mean I eat vegetables 24/7. Sometimes I need something sweet and caloric. These cookies are awesome for preparing your body for an endurance event. They are still healthy though! I've used some 'too ripe' bananas, walnuts, quinoa flour, and honey to make these cookies. It is my personal philosophy to incorporate 'super foods' into every meal, even if that meal is cookies!

Breakfast for Performance

When I'm going to be working out later in the day, I know I need a hearty breakfast to fuel my performance. Being celiac cuts out many options here, but not to worry. Cereals are poor performance foods, and bagels are loaded with the wrong type of carbs, so being celiac actually helps restrict you to healthy foods.





This meal is loaded with healthy carbs, fiber, protein, and flavor! The carbohydrates used here are low GI foods, meaning they will keep you full and keep your blood sugar stable.

Serves 2:

1 c. Diced pre-cooked potatoes (use sweet potatoes, or purple ones like I have!)
1 c. Kidney Beans (rinse and drain)
1/4 c. Onion - diced
3 Eggs (organic or farm fresh)
1 handful Parsley
1/4 c. Sharp Cheddar - shredded
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

Saute the oinons, beans, and potato in the oil. Stir frequently to avoid burning. You want the potatoes to get a bit crispy. When this happens, crack the eggs in the skillet over the sauteing ingredients. Let the eggs cook until the whites become solid. Add the parsley, cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs to your desired preference. Enjoy!

Intro...

I run. Competitively. I am a Celiac. Now you see where the trouble begins...

This blog is being created to help other glutarded athletes properly fuel for their training. I'll be posting my own workouts/training along with recipes, photos, and product reviews.

Now... If you're wondering how this information can be useful to you... I am a registered dietitian. I know food inside and out. Through educational training, and real life experience of Celiac disease, I want to help those following a gluten free lifestyle to get the most out of their diets. This diet can be very hard to follow for endurance athletes. We need carbs! I was eating bagels before cycling centuries and pizza after half marathons, then came the dreaded diagnosis! What to do... I ate rice. Alot of it. Now its been a year and a half since my diagnosis and I have a whole new way of eating and dealing with this condition.