Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bell Organics Co-Op
Thursday, June 14, 2012
No More Marathon!
I am ready to take a break from distance running, now that my marathon is good and DONE! I cannot say that I will never do it again, although if you had asked me right after I finished, I would have sworn on my mother's grave that I wouldn't dare. It is too soon to say, but I think I can see myself running 26.2 again, but at least not for another year or two (or more). It was well worth it though, if not for any other reason than that I can look at myself in the mirror and say honestly, "you are a Marathoner!" It gives me a fantastic sense of accomplishment.
As for race day, my biggest regret is sadly wearing my Vibram Fivefingers. I love these shoes, and have no regrets buying them, it just wasn't smart of me to have only had 2ish months of training in them before the big day.
The longest I had tracked in them previously was only 15 miles. Around mile 18 on race day, my feet started to give and I kept telling myself, "keep moving, every step it gets closer, keep moving, don't you dare walk" until I could not help but limply-jog to the next water station (which, up to that point I would swig a water, toss the cup, all while still moving), and actually stop, attempt a foot stretch while guzzling water, then continuing on. Between the next water stop, I pushed through, but had to walk for a few brief moments, until dire mile 21. After the water station at mile 21, I attempted my lame quick-step, but couldn't push past the pain anymore and was forced to walk the majority of the way until mile 25. Unfortunately, that was the straight-away stretch from the mouth of Provo Canyon to Center Street in Provo, a very ugly, sunny, strip of road. Closer to the finish line you could see the crowds and hear people cheering, but it wasn't until, about a quarter mile from the finish, I saw my brother in law Mykle and 1-year old nephew telling me to, "Push through it! Finish strong!" that I miraculously started full-out jogging again until (yes, crying) I crossed the finish line. My tears came equal parts from the physical pain in my feet, and from the ecstatic joy of actually finishing. It was the most incredible, euphoric experience ever to see Michael waiting for me, beaming with pride, and my sister Sarah jumping with excitement!
Getting on the shuttle bus and talking with my neighbors about the race, passing the half-marathon starting point in awe thinking, "OK, now you have to run twice as far as THIS," trying to focus while stretching next to the fire pits, looking up and seeing a crack of dawn on the horizon, feeling the adrenaline when the gun shot off, and seeing the gorgeous scene wake up around me as I cruised through the canyon are just some of the amazing experiences that came from running a marathon. My favorite part was watching so many people around me, and talking with a few of them while we paced each other. From about mile 8 to 12 I ran with a "Marathon Maniac" (a club where you have to run 2 marathons within 2 weeks) from the Bronx who was fun to talk with. We both agreed that "everything in moderation" is another way of making an excuse for giving into bad habits; that you have to live extreme to get extreme results. He was an excellent pacer, and I crossed the half marathon mark at 2:20 almost exactly. I was psyched to finish in less than 5 hours and allowed myself to slow down a little. That was, until I had to walk, so I ended up finishing in 5:27, but like I said, by the end I was just happy to have finished.
Even though I'm not terribly proud of my time, I am very happy to say that I never once "hit the wall." Hitting the wall is a dreaded moment in running ("bonking" is the equivalent for bikers), when your body runs out of glucose and has to start burning fat directly. I've been told it feels like hell, like you need to just collapse where you are. I carried a baggie full of dates with me the entire run and had a bite every few miles to keep my sugar levels up. The pain that caused me to walk was purely from the pounding on my feet, not from loss of glucose.
I could hardly walk for the next day and half after the race, and joked with Michael at Walmart that I needed to get one of those automatic carts, like when I was drugged up after getting my wisdom teeth removed. I was dousing my feet with essential oils all weekend to ease the pain of the bruises on my feet, and by Monday, I was walking mostly-normal. By Tuesday, I was feeling great and Wednesday, the soreness was hardly noticeable. I am back in action now, hitting the gym mostly with weights, and some high-intensity cardio, but no more 10mile + runs for a while. Half-marathons seem very enticing, so that will probably be my next competitive challenge, but for now I am glad to be able to say...I did it! I ran a marathon!
As for race day, my biggest regret is sadly wearing my Vibram Fivefingers. I love these shoes, and have no regrets buying them, it just wasn't smart of me to have only had 2ish months of training in them before the big day.
The longest I had tracked in them previously was only 15 miles. Around mile 18 on race day, my feet started to give and I kept telling myself, "keep moving, every step it gets closer, keep moving, don't you dare walk" until I could not help but limply-jog to the next water station (which, up to that point I would swig a water, toss the cup, all while still moving), and actually stop, attempt a foot stretch while guzzling water, then continuing on. Between the next water stop, I pushed through, but had to walk for a few brief moments, until dire mile 21. After the water station at mile 21, I attempted my lame quick-step, but couldn't push past the pain anymore and was forced to walk the majority of the way until mile 25. Unfortunately, that was the straight-away stretch from the mouth of Provo Canyon to Center Street in Provo, a very ugly, sunny, strip of road. Closer to the finish line you could see the crowds and hear people cheering, but it wasn't until, about a quarter mile from the finish, I saw my brother in law Mykle and 1-year old nephew telling me to, "Push through it! Finish strong!" that I miraculously started full-out jogging again until (yes, crying) I crossed the finish line. My tears came equal parts from the physical pain in my feet, and from the ecstatic joy of actually finishing. It was the most incredible, euphoric experience ever to see Michael waiting for me, beaming with pride, and my sister Sarah jumping with excitement!
Getting on the shuttle bus and talking with my neighbors about the race, passing the half-marathon starting point in awe thinking, "OK, now you have to run twice as far as THIS," trying to focus while stretching next to the fire pits, looking up and seeing a crack of dawn on the horizon, feeling the adrenaline when the gun shot off, and seeing the gorgeous scene wake up around me as I cruised through the canyon are just some of the amazing experiences that came from running a marathon. My favorite part was watching so many people around me, and talking with a few of them while we paced each other. From about mile 8 to 12 I ran with a "Marathon Maniac" (a club where you have to run 2 marathons within 2 weeks) from the Bronx who was fun to talk with. We both agreed that "everything in moderation" is another way of making an excuse for giving into bad habits; that you have to live extreme to get extreme results. He was an excellent pacer, and I crossed the half marathon mark at 2:20 almost exactly. I was psyched to finish in less than 5 hours and allowed myself to slow down a little. That was, until I had to walk, so I ended up finishing in 5:27, but like I said, by the end I was just happy to have finished.
Even though I'm not terribly proud of my time, I am very happy to say that I never once "hit the wall." Hitting the wall is a dreaded moment in running ("bonking" is the equivalent for bikers), when your body runs out of glucose and has to start burning fat directly. I've been told it feels like hell, like you need to just collapse where you are. I carried a baggie full of dates with me the entire run and had a bite every few miles to keep my sugar levels up. The pain that caused me to walk was purely from the pounding on my feet, not from loss of glucose.
I could hardly walk for the next day and half after the race, and joked with Michael at Walmart that I needed to get one of those automatic carts, like when I was drugged up after getting my wisdom teeth removed. I was dousing my feet with essential oils all weekend to ease the pain of the bruises on my feet, and by Monday, I was walking mostly-normal. By Tuesday, I was feeling great and Wednesday, the soreness was hardly noticeable. I am back in action now, hitting the gym mostly with weights, and some high-intensity cardio, but no more 10mile + runs for a while. Half-marathons seem very enticing, so that will probably be my next competitive challenge, but for now I am glad to be able to say...I did it! I ran a marathon!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Vegan Bodybuilding...NOT an oxymoron!
I have recently had a spiked interest in bodybuilders, specifically vegan bodybuilders. Robert Cheeke is a trailblazer in this field and has (literally) written the book on Vegan Body Building and Fitness. He also started the ever-growing website: www.veganbodybuilding.com. Take one look at this site, and you will know that it is very possible to gain definite muscle on a plant-based diet.
"BUT WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR PROTEIN???!?" You ask???
Well, where do you get YOUR protein? How many grams of protein do YOU eat? How does it stack against the WHO (World Health Oranization) recommendations?
Have you ever heard of someone being "protein deficient"?
WHO recommends getting NO MORE than 15% of your total calories from protein daily. I usually get at or below 10%. And the only possible way to actually be deficient in protein is to be deficient in calories AKA starving. That makes sense, since everything, yes contains some protein. (Bananas? 7%. Oranges? 6%. Dates? 2%. Watermelon? 5%. Mangoes? 6%. Tomatoes? 8%. Celery? 4%.)
We are so unbelievably hardwired in our society that meat=protein=muscles. In reality, NONE of these words are synonymous. We don't need as much protein as we think to be healthy. Protein supports muscles growth, AFTER the muscles have been stressed and torn under pressure (weight training), but we still don't need to overdose on the macro-nutrient. And meat? Totally unnecessary. But don't take my word for it! Try going meat-less for a week, google vegan recipes, try them out yourself, get your own results.
The real answer to the question, "What builds muscles?" is training. Training builds muscles. Food fuels and heals muscles. Strength training, literally pulling your muscle fibers apart and challenging them to lift, push, or pull an abnormal amount of weight until it adapts, and then pushing that limit again, is what literally makes one have muscles.
This makes perfect sense. You can eat an extremely high protein diet and watch TV all day and it will change nothing in your body (except possibly give you kidney stones). Having said that, you can also weight train like crazy, push yourself to the limits consistently, be a complete "gym rat" and you will probably have a chiseled physique no matter what diet you follow. That is simply because: training builds muscle. As long as you are eating enough calories, if you are also training like crazy, you will gain muscle. Those could be plant calories, supplement calories, meat calories, grain calories, whatever. Those calories will also determine the health on the INSIDE of your body however (blood pressure, cholesterol), which you hopefully also care about. If you do care about your inner health, namely digestion, lymph system, clarity of mind, nervous system, and overall stamina, then you will (like me) be interested in vegan bodybuilding. It is the perfect connection of inner and outer health.
"BUT WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR PROTEIN???!?" You ask???
Well, where do you get YOUR protein? How many grams of protein do YOU eat? How does it stack against the WHO (World Health Oranization) recommendations?
Have you ever heard of someone being "protein deficient"?
WHO recommends getting NO MORE than 15% of your total calories from protein daily. I usually get at or below 10%. And the only possible way to actually be deficient in protein is to be deficient in calories AKA starving. That makes sense, since everything, yes contains some protein. (Bananas? 7%. Oranges? 6%. Dates? 2%. Watermelon? 5%. Mangoes? 6%. Tomatoes? 8%. Celery? 4%.)
We are so unbelievably hardwired in our society that meat=protein=muscles. In reality, NONE of these words are synonymous. We don't need as much protein as we think to be healthy. Protein supports muscles growth, AFTER the muscles have been stressed and torn under pressure (weight training), but we still don't need to overdose on the macro-nutrient. And meat? Totally unnecessary. But don't take my word for it! Try going meat-less for a week, google vegan recipes, try them out yourself, get your own results.
The real answer to the question, "What builds muscles?" is training. Training builds muscles. Food fuels and heals muscles. Strength training, literally pulling your muscle fibers apart and challenging them to lift, push, or pull an abnormal amount of weight until it adapts, and then pushing that limit again, is what literally makes one have muscles.
This makes perfect sense. You can eat an extremely high protein diet and watch TV all day and it will change nothing in your body (except possibly give you kidney stones). Having said that, you can also weight train like crazy, push yourself to the limits consistently, be a complete "gym rat" and you will probably have a chiseled physique no matter what diet you follow. That is simply because: training builds muscle. As long as you are eating enough calories, if you are also training like crazy, you will gain muscle. Those could be plant calories, supplement calories, meat calories, grain calories, whatever. Those calories will also determine the health on the INSIDE of your body however (blood pressure, cholesterol), which you hopefully also care about. If you do care about your inner health, namely digestion, lymph system, clarity of mind, nervous system, and overall stamina, then you will (like me) be interested in vegan bodybuilding. It is the perfect connection of inner and outer health.
Friday, May 18, 2012
22 DAYS!
22 days until...my first marathon!! I signed up for it last November after feeling particularly unmotivated to get off the couch and move. It has been sort of a bucket-list thing for me; I know I will either walk away from it thinking, "Wow, that was a great experience, I'm so glad I did it but I will NEVER do it again!" or, "Wow, that was incredible! Sign me up again!" I am hoping I react closer to the latter. I have a desire to like running, and when I AM actually on a run, I am loving it. The hardest part is by far taking the first step. (What a cheesy metaphor for life!)
Really though, I can tramp around all day in my work out clothes, vibrams, decked out with a headband and everything, but until I actually START running, I am just a girl walking around in spandex. No matter how good it feels to run, or to be done with a run, I have yet to genuinely look forward to the act of running. There are countless benefits: fresh air, exercise, getting in touch with your surroundings, moving your lymph-nodes, improving your circulation and blood flow, getting your digestion on track, improving your PRs, challenging your mind and body, not to mention being in a splendid environment for personal meditation. There are lots of reasons to run, one of which is competition (against yourself and/or others around you). Every day you compete against your self, your mile time, your distance etc. Race day is a chance to challenge how fast your feet can take you and how it compares to the people around you.
I don't plan on winning my marathon. I will be happy with a sub 5:00 time, I will be ecstatic with a sub 4:00 time. But most of all, I will be happy if I cross the finish line invigorated, feeling NOT satisfied with whatever time I get and determined to run 26.2 miles again, but faster. That will be determined by my attitude about the race, post run.
In practice for the big day, I just signed up for a 10K (about 6.2 miles) race with my sister-in-law Sarah a week from tomorrow. I am excited to be running next to someone I know and I think the "race-day adrenaline" will help me get even more excited for June 9th.
I always remind myself that there are people doing crazier things out there. There was a lady last year in the news who ran one of the many marathons under her belt 9 months pregnant, and after she crossed the finish line, went straight to the hospital to deliver her baby. Michael Arnstein (a huge role-model for me, and fellow raw vegan: check out www.thefruitarian.com) ran the Leadville 100 race in just under 18 hours...INSANITY. Then there are the Olympics coming up, where I can't help but think about the sprinters and endurance runners alike, and what they have put their bodies through to carry themselves so dang fast. Most amazing of all is Dr. Ruth Heidrich who cured herself of breast cancer with fruits and vegetables and now in her 70s, has finished the Ironman 6 times, and ran over 60 marathons, and is still competing! So is me running one marathon really that crazy?? I don't think so.
Really though, I can tramp around all day in my work out clothes, vibrams, decked out with a headband and everything, but until I actually START running, I am just a girl walking around in spandex. No matter how good it feels to run, or to be done with a run, I have yet to genuinely look forward to the act of running. There are countless benefits: fresh air, exercise, getting in touch with your surroundings, moving your lymph-nodes, improving your circulation and blood flow, getting your digestion on track, improving your PRs, challenging your mind and body, not to mention being in a splendid environment for personal meditation. There are lots of reasons to run, one of which is competition (against yourself and/or others around you). Every day you compete against your self, your mile time, your distance etc. Race day is a chance to challenge how fast your feet can take you and how it compares to the people around you.
I don't plan on winning my marathon. I will be happy with a sub 5:00 time, I will be ecstatic with a sub 4:00 time. But most of all, I will be happy if I cross the finish line invigorated, feeling NOT satisfied with whatever time I get and determined to run 26.2 miles again, but faster. That will be determined by my attitude about the race, post run.
In practice for the big day, I just signed up for a 10K (about 6.2 miles) race with my sister-in-law Sarah a week from tomorrow. I am excited to be running next to someone I know and I think the "race-day adrenaline" will help me get even more excited for June 9th.
I always remind myself that there are people doing crazier things out there. There was a lady last year in the news who ran one of the many marathons under her belt 9 months pregnant, and after she crossed the finish line, went straight to the hospital to deliver her baby. Michael Arnstein (a huge role-model for me, and fellow raw vegan: check out www.thefruitarian.com) ran the Leadville 100 race in just under 18 hours...INSANITY. Then there are the Olympics coming up, where I can't help but think about the sprinters and endurance runners alike, and what they have put their bodies through to carry themselves so dang fast. Most amazing of all is Dr. Ruth Heidrich who cured herself of breast cancer with fruits and vegetables and now in her 70s, has finished the Ironman 6 times, and ran over 60 marathons, and is still competing! So is me running one marathon really that crazy?? I don't think so.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Breaking in my feet to Vibrams
These are my latest shoe adventure: Vibram FiveFingers (VFFs.) After much research, reviews, and online searching, I finally bought me a pair of these funky looking shoes, that is, if you can even call them shoes, I think of them more as my "tires." Anyone who has tried them on will tell you, it feels like you are walking barefoot. You feel whatever surface you are on without having to worry about stepping on sharp objects and actually hurting your foot.
The most common question I get (and the one that I was most concerned about) is, "Is that enough cushion for you? Doesn't it hurt to run on hard surfaces?" The question, honestly, is YES and NO. Yes it is quite enough cushion, I never worry about the impact. No, it does not hurt to run on hard surfaces.
If you try, right now, to run barefoot across the room you are in, you will notice right away that you naturally run striking the ball of your foot FIRST, followed by your heel. Try it. Now try running barefoot striking heel first. You won't be able to do it and will probably laugh trying to (you can't help but look funny). That is the idea behind minimalist running: returning to our natural form.
If you pick up a VFF shoe, you will notice it feels like tire rubber. It is extremely light and flexible. I joke that I don't need to break them in, they need to break ME in. When you adjust to this shoe, you start using muscles you never knew you had! (Did you know you have over 40 bones in one foot? Crazy!)
I have had my black and pink KomodoSport LS VFFs now for just over a month and have LOVED the transition.
I am running the Utah Valley Marathon on June 9th (less than a month!) and am hoping to run in these shoes! It is a bit ambitious, seeing as I will only have been wearing them for 2 months. If I don't run the whole 26.2 miles in these, then I plan on running most of it in them and switching halfway through. Regardless, these shoes have improved my running. You can't help but improve your stride, take shorter, quicker steps, and stand a little straighter when using this footwear. I love that they are also so versatile; I use them to work out, run in, I sometimes wear them to work, and they are perfectly water safe and can be used as an aquatic shoe.
My review of these shoes thus far is a 10 out of 10. Yes, I even like the design. Don't be fooled by the funky toes, look up your local running store that carries them on www.vibramfivefingers.com and try on a pair before you judge!
What me eat!
http://youtu.be/FLqjLn0W5K0
Whenever anyone asks me about what I'm eating (only happens about 20+ times a day), I just want to refer them to this video. Please watch!
What most people don't realize (or choose not to believe) is that there is NO vitamin, mineral, or vital nutrient, nada zip zilch that is in ANY animal product that is not more bio-available and abundant, more easily assimilated, not to mention not packaged in fat, cholesterol, puss, guts, hormones, antibiotics, than ANY plant product. (The ONLY vitamin in question is b12, which is not an issue with availability, but rather a person's absorption. More than 1/3 of people are thought to be b12 deficient, so it is obviously not a vegan problem.)
The ONLY problem people have with eating their fruits and veggies is eating ENOUGH. An apple a day is not enough! "Naturally flavored" drinks do not count! Chocolate covered anything is not real fruit!
Real fruit is intact in its natural state. It has all of it's fiber and water, all of its vitamins and minerals, it comes dirty (from the ground), it grew naturally from the sunshine, and its bright colors are meant to attract you. It is perfectly designed to be eaten, thereby passing its seeds through you, and when it comes out the other end, in a perfect fertilized package to grow again. The ease of eating fruit blows my mind. 1. Pick it up 2. Put it in your mouth. How much easier can it get??
Whether you're vegan, raw, vegetarian, omnivore, whether you're a family, friend, or co-worker reading this, whether you're active, sick, healthy, fit, or tired of feeling tired, whatever your situation is: I ask you to eat a piece of fruit today! Splurge on your favorite item. Savor the sweet juiciness. Eat it fresh, eat it ripe. Enjoy the new season of summer upon us! There is NO end to the variety of fruits and vegetables available to us. Try something new! Do it today! And feel confident that you are making the right choice for your body.
Whenever anyone asks me about what I'm eating (only happens about 20+ times a day), I just want to refer them to this video. Please watch!
What most people don't realize (or choose not to believe) is that there is NO vitamin, mineral, or vital nutrient, nada zip zilch that is in ANY animal product that is not more bio-available and abundant, more easily assimilated, not to mention not packaged in fat, cholesterol, puss, guts, hormones, antibiotics, than ANY plant product. (The ONLY vitamin in question is b12, which is not an issue with availability, but rather a person's absorption. More than 1/3 of people are thought to be b12 deficient, so it is obviously not a vegan problem.)
The ONLY problem people have with eating their fruits and veggies is eating ENOUGH. An apple a day is not enough! "Naturally flavored" drinks do not count! Chocolate covered anything is not real fruit!
Real fruit is intact in its natural state. It has all of it's fiber and water, all of its vitamins and minerals, it comes dirty (from the ground), it grew naturally from the sunshine, and its bright colors are meant to attract you. It is perfectly designed to be eaten, thereby passing its seeds through you, and when it comes out the other end, in a perfect fertilized package to grow again. The ease of eating fruit blows my mind. 1. Pick it up 2. Put it in your mouth. How much easier can it get??
Whether you're vegan, raw, vegetarian, omnivore, whether you're a family, friend, or co-worker reading this, whether you're active, sick, healthy, fit, or tired of feeling tired, whatever your situation is: I ask you to eat a piece of fruit today! Splurge on your favorite item. Savor the sweet juiciness. Eat it fresh, eat it ripe. Enjoy the new season of summer upon us! There is NO end to the variety of fruits and vegetables available to us. Try something new! Do it today! And feel confident that you are making the right choice for your body.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Mike's Pina Colada
I bought a young Thai coconut a few days ago in the hope of making Megan Elizabeth's latest smoothie recipe (seen on www.meganelizabeth.com). We cracked it open on Sunday, however Michael had been waiting to use the coconut for a recipe of his own...Pina Coladas! We had two perfectly ripe pineapples chillin' by the window, and even though I was hoping to get my use out of the coconut, I couldn't help but get excited after seeing Michael so thrilled! After taking a whiff of the water, he said decisively that he didn't want to use that stuff, so I drained it and put it aside (turns out I would be able to make my cherry-vanilla-coconut smoothie after all). He carefully scraped out the coconut meat and washed it while I diced the pineapple.
1 pineapple
meat from 1 young thai coconut
6 khadrawi dates
small handful of coconut flakes (for added texture and flavor)
1 cup of water
1 cup of ice
....blended in the Vitamix....and there ya go! A perfectly refreshing drink! After taking some satisfying gulps, Michael confessed that we should have used the real coconut water. "Next time!" I said (because the coconut water was the missing ingredient for MY smoothie). I preferred my drink with one banana blended in with it to make it slightly less tangy. Michael eats loads of bananas in his green smoothies so he wasn't interested in altering the pineapple flavor. Next time I also plan on putting maybe a dash of vanilla in it...hmm we shall see.
1 pineapple
meat from 1 young thai coconut
6 khadrawi dates
small handful of coconut flakes (for added texture and flavor)
1 cup of water
1 cup of ice
....blended in the Vitamix....and there ya go! A perfectly refreshing drink! After taking some satisfying gulps, Michael confessed that we should have used the real coconut water. "Next time!" I said (because the coconut water was the missing ingredient for MY smoothie). I preferred my drink with one banana blended in with it to make it slightly less tangy. Michael eats loads of bananas in his green smoothies so he wasn't interested in altering the pineapple flavor. Next time I also plan on putting maybe a dash of vanilla in it...hmm we shall see.
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