150 Days Paleo + Football carnitas

Today is my 150th days since I committed to a new way of eating.  I did it to combat a slowly increasing weight gain despite training for and running 5 half marathons in a year.  I did it to be a better runner.  I wanted to be stronger, faster and experience more rapid recovery.  Amazingly, Paleo has done all those incredible things.  150 days ago I held SUCH doubt that cutting out whole food groups was even good for you.  I was willing to join a friend on a journey, test it for 30 days and then make a decision.  I'm glad I did.   Those days where I just want pizza, or a cinnamon roll or fruit snacks . . . . I think about if I want to go back.  Back to bloated, frustrated and not satisfied with my results.  Nope, 150 days later and I still believe in Paleo.  I fall off the wagon and succumb to temptation but Paleo is forgiving and totally helps me drop those insta-pounds that come with eating forbidden foods.

To celebrate my 150 days, I've got a recipe for you!!!  This one comes from Momgonepaleo.com and its the BEST CARNITAS recipe I've ever tried.  Great for football games and I recommend topping it with a bit of mashed avocado mixed with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  (Frank's Red Hot Sauce is my current obsession).  I did make a few changes to the original recipe, so if you'd like to see how it was originally suggested that you do check out the link.

CROCK POT PALEO CARNITAS from momgonepaleo.com

Ingredients

For the rub:

• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the Crock Pot:

• 3lb pork shoulder
• 1 sweet onion sliced in thin strips
• 1 small can of mild green chiles
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• A few shakes of sea salt and ground pepper

Instructions

1. Mix your rub together and rub onto all sides of the pork shoulder. 
2. Place the sliced onion, and bay leaf on the bottom of your crock pot.  Place the spiced up pork shoulder on top. Add the green chiles and the chicken stock along the sides of the meat. Avoid rinsing the spice off the meat. Sprinkle a bit more sea salt and pepper on top. 
3. Cover and let cook on Low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.
4. Once done, remove pork from crockpot and shred with forks. Place in bowl of holding dish
5. Strain remaining crockpot contents, SAVING BOTH THE LIQUID AND THE SOLIDS. 
6.  Return the solids (consisting of bits of pork, and the cooked down onions and chiles) to the crock pot. 
7.  If you have a gravy separator, use it to separate the fat out of the liquid.  If you don't have one, allow the liquid to sit a bit and it'll separate.  Carefully skim off as much fat as you can.  
8. Put the PORK back in the crockpot and use the remaining liquid to add some flavor back into the carnitas.  I used just about a cup of liquid, you should use all of it.  
9. Serve on a bed of lettuce or however you wish to enjoy your carnitas!  

A look back at 2012

My blog is only 4 months old, but all the cool kids are doing recaps of 2012. 2012 was a year of big things for me as a runner. It's the year that I really proved to myself and the world that "yes, a chubby girl can do great things". I really focused on educating myself about running and nutrition. I set lofty goals and did really adventurous things. I wanted to reach out to other runners and I wanted to inspire non-runners.

I wanted to run 3 half marathons in 2013. I ran five. I wanted to make running less expensive for my family's budget. I found groupons and deals, signed up for memberships that offered discounts and was awarded a sponsorship with The Girls On The Go race series. I wanted to move on from the run/walk/run method and run an entire half marathon. I ran the entire Silver Strand Half marathon.

I wanted my children to experience the rush of crossing a finish line. They ran their first races as 1ks and 1 milers. And I wanted to instill a sense of personal pride in taking control of their health. They both look forward to running 5ks with the whole family now. Running is part of who we are now. I've run 2 halfs with my momma, my first race with my husband by my side and both kids have a wall of ribbons, medals and bibs. What could be expected of a family descended from a man who ran over 700 miles of races last year. That's my dad, the crazy ultra runner and my biggest motivation during my runs.

I also ran with friends. I discovered that runners are the best people out there. Giving, enthusiastic about life, and real. I helped a friend run her first half marathon when she needed a race morning sitter. I've helped friends with training plans and through running issues. But they've given back tenfold this year. I signed up for two extra half marathons because they wanted me too. I ran faster with them by my side. And one special running buddy volunteered at the Finish Line to award me my medal. Running Buddies are special.

Late in 2012 I started my Paleo Diet. And about a month after, I started this blog. It's still young and I'm still uncertain of what I'm doing with it. But a few people have said that I've helped them start their paleo journey. I hope to continue to do so by sharing my own journey.

For 2013 I want to do it all over again. I I'm shooting for 8 halfs in the new year. Our family will be running the Firecracker 5k in LAs Chinatown to earn cool Year of the Snake medals. And I'll be running the SoCal Triple Crown to earn the challenge medals with my friend Dave. And I plan to continue to cook and eat like a caveman, since it's only brought good things to me and my running. Good Fortune to all of you in 2013! And I hope you're back here reading next year's recap with me!

Twofers, marathons, and Wheat Thins

The Hubby and I are both runners.  He prefers the mud covered intensity of Obstacle Course Races (OCRs) like Tough Mudder, while I'm a dedicated Road Racer.  With two racers in the family though, we have have to have a MASTER calendar of all the events we're signed up for.  "Check the Calendar" is an often heard phrase in our house, and it's an instruction to go check the desk size calendar that's attached to our brag wall.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I'm running TWO races in the same weekend.  I often get carried away by race sign ups when they offer discount codes or when a bunch of fellow racers are all signing up.  That's what must have happened when I managed to sign up for BOTH the Electric Run in Del Mar, CA and the Cardiff Kook in Encinitas, CA on the same weekend.  I've never run a two-fer before, but there's a first time for everything.  And luckily my two-fer is just two 5ks.  Some day I might feel up to running a 5k followed by a 10k or even a half marathon the day after.  Right now I'll stick to accidentally registering for two small races.

During Thanksgiving Break my Daddy (a 100 mile Ultramarathoner) told me I'm ready to run a marathon.  Since I'm like him in every way (except for that crazy 100 mile race thing he's got going on), he must have known that his comment would circle around in my head until I couldn't ignore it.  I found myself checking the most "walker friendly" marathons at MarathonGuide.com  Perhaps this time next year I'll be planning to do one of those . . . if I haven't worn out the legs running 8 half marathons in 2013.

Runners need carbs and lately I find myself fighting against eating conventional processed carbs.  I miss the crunchy saltiness of crackers.  My flaxseed crackers are great, but they're quite delicate, which makes them useless for dipping.  Thank Goodness for inventive cooks who make low carb/paleo versions of brand name crackers!  This recipe for "ALMOND THINS" was found at a website called lowcarbfriends.com, a message board for those following the gluten free or low carb lifestyles.  And I am EVER grateful for this recipe!

Almond Thins

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 packet of Splenda
• 1 egg white
• pinch of salt, garlic powder, & onion powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 325. 
2. Mix ingredients well. 
3. Place mixture onto a well greased piece of tin foil. Lay a piece of saran wrap over top of mixture. Use a rolling pin to roll out to a cracker thickness. Gently remove saran wrap. 
4. Sprinkle more salt on top if desired and press lightly into dough. Score with knife or pizza cutter into 1.5 inch squares. 
5. Lay tin foil on rack in oven. Bake until golden brown about 10 minutes. Makes around 30 crackers.

Nutritional info: serving size 7 crackers fat 13.1g  sat fat 0.9g  cholesterol 0mg  sodium 12.8mg  carb 5.7g  fiber 2.8  protein 6.4g

Running, maple syrup and brownies

As the end of the year draws near, I'm feeling the pressure to reach my milage goal of 600 miles in 2012.  I set that goal in January, feeling that it was a lofty goal and unlikely to be reached.  Color me surprised when I looked at my totals and found that I only had 21 more miles to go!  With 2 weeks left in the year, I definitely think I'm going to make it.  I've run about 1/3 of this year on the Paleo diet.  I definitely feel that my recovery is faster, which is ideal when I've got back to back half marathons in every month.  The weight I dropped going paleo has helped too.  Less weight is more speed and less damage done to my structural muscles.
Besides my milage goal, I also had a goal of running three half marathons in 2012.  My very FIRST half marathon was the San Diego Rock n Roll in 2011.  I thought I'd push myself and do 3 times that in 2012.  As of right now, I have SIX half marathon medals hanging on my Brag Wall. That means I ran 5 halfs in 2012.  I never thought I'd be so into a physical sport.  And paleo just makes it better.

I had to teach myself about Maple Syrup and the grading of it this week.  A recipe I wanted to make required GRADE B maple syrup.  And apparently maple syrup is NOT the stuff I've been putting on m pancakes forever.  Apparently that stuff is just corn syrup with flavorings added to it.  If YOU want to learn more about maple syrup, the Huffington Post has a great article on the differences in grades of the sweet stuff and what they are used for.

You may be asking yourself, "Well, what was the recipe??" I aim to please, so here it is.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bites by Paleo Parents

• 2 bananas
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 C coconut oil, liquified
• 1/2 C maple syrup, we recommend Grade B
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 C almond flour
• 1/2 C cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ENJOY LIFE chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer or food processor, combine all of the wet ingredients (bananas should smooth out)
2. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips
3. While mixing on low, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined
4. Sir in chocolate chips to the dough
5. Using a silicon mini muffin pan or mini muffin liners on a metal pan, scoop the dough until almost full into mini muffin pan
6. Cook at 350 for 10 minutes

Makes 4 dozen; store chilled and let come to room temperature before serving or eating. 

Nutritional info
Serving size 1 mini muffin 107 calories 7g fat 4g sat fat  32mg cholesterol  11.6mg sodium  9.2 carbs  1.4g fiber  2.6g protein

Running to make a Difference

Runners are selfish people.  We run to get thin.  We run to get "me" time.  We run for glory, for medals, for prizes.  But we can also be the most UNSELFISH people too.  In 2013, my hubby will be running the LA Marathon as part of Team Autism Heroes, a team for Train 4 Autism San Diego.  He plans to run 510 miles when the milage for training and the race are totalled.  Please consider helping him get to his goal of $510 ($1 for every mile run towards this goal) by making a donation at his 

TRAIN 4 AUTISM DONATION PAGE.  

Runners making a difference by doing what we love.

Race Review: Silver Strand Half Marathon

The Silver Strand Half Marathon - November 11, 2012

• Location: From Sunset Park in Coronado to Imperial Beach Pier
• Distance: 13.1 miles
• Surface: paved highway, city roads

I'm spending today gingerly lowering myself onto toilets, and grimacing every time I go up stairs.  But I'm also glowing with accomplishment and pride for having completed my 6th half marathon.  It was a great race for lots of reasons: The last half marathon in San Diego for the year, running it with some dear running friends, planning to have my family at the finish line for the first time.  Emotionally, it was a great race to wrap up 2012.  

Running with friends 

Even from a Runner's perspective though, it's STILL a great race.  

The sign up was easy, and two weeks before the race they sent a confirmation through the mail!  I don't think I've ever had a race send me the race day instructions in the mail before.  It was oddly sweet.  The parking was the most complicated part of the sign up.  You had 4 options for parking.  Since it's a point-to-point race you could either park at the start, park at the finish or be dropped off.  Having to make a decision WEEKS (or in my case MONTHS) before the race about parking was a little confusing.  The packet pickup at Road Runner Sports was efficient and quick.  The tech tee race shirt was of a good quality (although I'm not a fan of gender neutral shirts).  

The day of the Silver Strand came after 3 days of rainy weather.  This being San Diego, it kind of wigged most of us out and we had debates over what we were going to wear.  I decided on the "Ultra runners" uniform: split leg shorts with clothes to keep my core warm.  I had my Girls on The Go tech tee, my Sugoi sleeves and my new Nike runner's gloves.  I was definitely chilly when I got to the start area but as the sun came up I was fine.

The start area was well set up.  It was obvious where gear check was, and race day registration, and the port a potties.  I was glad that they offered gear check!  It seems like a lot of races aren't offering that perk anymore.  I like being able to have my favorite post-race treats (Honey Stinger Chews and Cherry Juice) at the end of a race.  The race announcer was easy to hear, and had lots of jokes, especially for those who had mistakenly come north for the 5k instead of being about 10 miles south!  The race did start a few minutes late, but once it did, the small crowd of 4500 went across the timing mats pretty quickly.  I started as far back as I would let myself, and it only took me 3 minutes to cross the start mat.  

So flat!

The course was one I was mostly familiar with.  I run the Silver Strand as part of my training runs. It's flat, and although its a bit windy, it's fast.  The majority of the course was run on the Silver Strand Highway and was indeed flat.  There were only 3 inclines, a bridge over wetlands, a slight uphill into residential homes and a long incline inside the Weapons Station.  Nothing that a little extra arm pumping and a good attitude can't handle, even at mile 10.  There was a bit of cambering to the highway, which I hadn't expected (having run only on the bike trails on the northbound side of the highway) but there was always a flat spot to be found.

The aid stations were excellent and well manned by volunteers.  They were stationed about every 1.5 miles of the course, usually right when I'd need them.  The volunteers seemed to consist mostly of high school or college students, and they were cheerful and encouraging the whole way.  They appreciated when I cracked my "Who's got the GLUTEN FREE water?" joke.  Or at least pretended to.  They offered energy chews at mile 6, which I chose not to take.  I carry my own fuel with me.

Every race has its challenge, and in the Silver Strand it has to be the miles 10-12, where you run into the Naval Weapons Station in Imperial Beach, and run a 2 mile switchback.  I had the benefit of running into my friends as they finished the switchback during my mile 11.  Having to run 1 mile out, only to run 1 mile back is definitely mentally difficult when you're so close to the finish.  Throw one of the only hills on the course into that mix and its a killer challenge.  We don't earn a medal for it being easy though! 

My amazing friend Dave volunteered at the Finish Line so he could award me my medal.  

You know its a great race when by mile 9 you're already thinking that you want to run it again next year.  I like the sentiment of the race, that its the LAST half marathon in San Diego for the year.  A nice bow to put on your accomplishments.  I'll be back Silver Strand, after I run some more hills, and I'll finish you faster.  

Taper week (again)

Guess what I got in the mail yesterday??

It's my Silver Strand Race Confirmation!

It's so quaint that they mailed it!  It harkens back to the early days of racing, when you still had to SIGN a race entry.  But with only 4,500 entries allowed, it's definitely a smaller half marathon than what I have been racing in.

Taper has started which means I'm anticipating some moodiness, some freak outs about how my legs feel (already happening), and excitement about race morning.  This will be my 6th half marathon in a year and a half and I still get excited about race day.

I'll be doing just light 30-45 minute runs this week.  Just enough to stretch the legs and keep them limber and loose.  I'll be eating my normal calorie restricted diet until Friday night, when I get to start my carbo loading.

I'm also running my 13.1 miles to support Run 4 NYC, a virtual race that is raising money for the Red Cross efforts to aid the people affected by Super Storm Sandy.  So far they'd raised $3,070!  You can choose to run a 5k, 13.1 miles or 26.2 miles as part of the effort.

Race Review: The Color Run San Diego

The BEFORE Pic

The Color Run San Diego - November 3, 2012

• Location: Qualcomm Stadium
• Distance: 5k
• Surface: paved, parking lot

I'm addicted to Color Runs.  I hate mud and obstacle courses, but apparently running through gauntlets of people throwing colored cornstarch are just fine.  I've run three in 2012, and now I'm very interested in the upcoming Neon Run in 2013.

I ran my first Color Run in Sacramento, CA with my extended running family.  The differences in that race in April and the San Diego Color Run make it apparent that the race's organizers have found quit a bit of success.  First of all, there were 30,000 people signed up to become human rainbows.  That's enough people that they needed two waves, a 9a and a 1:30p.  It's also a record number of signups for the Color Run.  

image credit: The Color Run        
Wave 1 wrapped up around the
stadium parking lot!

The second indication that these runs have been profitable for the organizers is the introduction of their mascot: Runicorn.  A rainbow-maned unicorn wearing running shorts and a Color Runner Headband, he's definitely not necessary for a race.  But he and the t-shirt cannons and Color Throw Stage all add an element of "festival" to the event.  And this is definitely not a race for Serious Runners.  It's a gateway race into running for those who haven't found their reason to join the rest of us.

The sheer number of racers made it impossible to start of at a decent pace. The race organizers make no attempt to keep walkers and people with strollers or slow moving children at the back of the corral.  But again, this isn't a race for serious runners.  Once you get past the walkers and the strollers and the beefy young men who don't realize that 5k is longer than they've ever run (and so they're sweating and wheezing and walking), you can run at your pace . . . .  Until you hit the Color Zones.  

When I ran the Sacramento Color Run, there was a good deal of humidity, which seemed to keep the color dust under control.  At the San Diego Color Run, the Color Zones were a COMPLETE blinding experience.  The organizers did suggest that runners stay to the left, walkers to the right.  But I did NOT feel safe running through the Color Zones with the lack of visibility.  I didn't see anyone run into a volunteer, but I came close a few times.  

The After Pic                              
image credit: Jeffrey Hoffman

The location of Qualcomm was good.  There was ample parking, along with the availability of the SD public transit system.  The trolley system here in SD is great for events at Qualcomm, as there's a trolley stop for the stadium itself.  The parking lot provided space for both the pre/post-race festival and the race course itself.  The actual SURFACE of the race wasn't very good though.  The parking lot is riddled with potholes, cracks and metal gratings.  All increase the chance of turning an ankle or tripping.  And these hazards were not marked off with neon paint or cones, which have been present in other road races.  

The Finish Line provided water and granola bars, sufficient for a 5k distance.  My running buddy noticed that they had brought in a tanker truck for the water, which I had never seen before but seemed like the BEST IDEA for providing water at such a large event.  Kudos to the organizers for taking that extra measure.  

Color Toss Finale
Image Credit: The Color Run

The best part of the Color Runs is the COLOR TOSS Finale.  Not many race experiences give you the opportunity to come together as a community is such a grand celebration of effort.  For many people, the Color Run is their FIRST 5k, and hopefully its not their last.  In 15 minute intervals, starting from when the first people cross the finish line, the DJ at the Color Stage count down to the color tosses.  With music blaring, you all open up your color pouches (provided in your race packet) and toss the colored cornstarch in the air.  The scene from a distance is fun, but being in the color cloud is almost euphoric.  It really encompasses the feeling of "I JUST RAN A RACE!"  It's a physical manifestation of Runner's High.  

Will you likely get a new PR at a Color Run?  No.  Will you have a fun, colorful time with some of your favorite runner friends??  YES!  

Massage for Runners

I promised I'd come back and give you my opinion of massage for runners after I got my first one.  I was fortunate to have received a complimentary 1 hour massage from San Diego Spine and Rehab from a 5k I had done earlier in the year.  After running 10 miles of hills on Sunday, I figured what better time to get a massage than when I could hardly walk due to tight hip flexors.

San Diego Spine and Rehab is NOT a "Spa".  You don't walk in to an elegantly decorated foyer with piano music tinkling in the background.  It's a medical treatment facility, where they provide rehab and theraputic treatments.  Being a runner doesn't mean that I forgo girlie stuff, but my inner runner was glad that this seemed like a place where they'd KNOW how to treat my muscles.

After an initial interview with a licensed physician (who tried to sell me on getting chiropractic exams and treatments) I was taken back for my massage.  It was definitely a painful experience.  After a few questions about my activity level and where I exprience pain she started up at my neck and shoulders.  From there she moved down to my glutes and legs.  The massage therapist informed me that my Ilotibial Bands (IT bands) were tight and she proved it as she manipulated my muscles.  I didn't even I had any overly tight muscles until she proved otherwise.

I didn't run today because I had run the three previous days in a row.  But I do think that I'd be much more sore and gimpy from my 10-mile run had I not gone to get a massage.  Despite the pain and the soreness from the areas she worked extra hard, I've already booked my second appointment for the day after the Silver Stand Half Marathon.  Hopefully, these treatments will help my overall recover and in the end, help me PR in at least one of my races this season.

How I stayed paleo on a busy weekend

Anyone else surrounded by candy and Halloween treats?  Man, do I want a Twix right now.  But I'm gonna stay strong, although I promised myself a mini-binge ON Halloween.  After all, who else is going to eat the Almond Joys and Mounds bars that my kids hate?  (Hey, Coconut, almonds and chocolate are paleo)

This was the last weekend before Halloween, so of course it was crammed full of parties and events. On Saturday, my 11 year old and I ran the Spooktacular 5k.  We were the cute mommy/son pair dressed as Superman and Super girl.  This was the inaugural race and I hope they run it every year.  Lake Murray is am awesome location, with gentle rolling hills that provide a challenge for those who make 5ks their preferred distance.  The medals and bibs were adorable.  There was such a great turnout of costumed runners too!  A decent sized vendor fair, with 2 races and a few local businesses represented.  I'll definitely run this again.

We followed up the race with a Halloween party for military families at the Harley-Davidson of San Diego.  Put on by the USO, they offered BBQ, games and trick-or-treating.  I knew that BBQ meant hot dogs or hamburgers, probably chips or beans too.  So with mine and my son's special dietary needs, we just bypassed the "free" lunch and I let the boy choose McDonald's for his awesome effort at the 5k.  I find that being paleo, I have to skip meals at events often.  I have had luck calling ahead and asking for a special meal.  But only when its an event that I've had to pay for my dinner.  I've also found that being paleo, places like McDonalds are NOT a fun option.  Even their healthiest options, the salads and wraps, contain CHEESE and LEGUMES.  So I have to be prepared to do some doctoring.  I order the bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken.  I have to painstakingly remove ALL the cheese from the salad.  If I'm lucky, the preparer has clumped it all together.  Ironically, this is something I HATED before I was paleo.  Then, I make sure to bring an avocado with me and instead of dressing, I cut up my avocado and add it to my salad.  I like to mash it with a bit of salt.  Yes, it takes me forever to start eating, but I'm MUCH happier with my lunch this way.

We got a short respite from Halloween events and during that time I ate an early dinner.  I tried the Coconut Chicken Curry from Fitzee Foods and coupled it with some Coconut Paleo bread from Julian Bakery.  It's nice to have some pre-made meals that are ready when I'm hungry on busy days like that.  We would shortly head off to an elementary school Halloween Carnival where my family would indulge in pizza, nachos, pretzels, popcorn and soda.  I was able to resist temptation by eating ahead of time.

I made sure to hydrate throughout that busy saturday because the next morning I got up to run a distance runs on hills.  I am committed to besting my PR of 2:48:24 at my next half marathon.  That means hill workouts!  I did 10 miles at a 15 min pace.  Slow, yes, but man did my hip flexors get a workout!  That means that my run did exactly what I wanted it to do.  I did get to refuel with a carne asada burrito, but the only non-paleo thing in it was the tortilla itself.

Paleo on a busy family weekend is completely possible.  You just need to pre-plan, have meals ready to go and be flexible when you're dining out.

My Favorite Race Gear

The night before a race is fraught with anxiety and excitement.  Did I eat right?  Hydrate enough? Has my training been adequate? DID I FORGET ANYTHING???

 Brooks put out this adorable checklist for race day, but I have my specific FAVORITE race day items that I HAVE to have.  I'd feel naked without them at the Start Line.

My Favorite Race Day Gear:

1. Brooks Glycerin 9 - This is an older model of the Glycerin 9s.  And they are my favorite shoe.  I buy them at clearance sales or at once worn sales.  I ALWAYS have a "new" pair waiting for when I've worn down my current pair.  To find YOUR favorite show, you should go to a running store where they offer you a personal fitting.  Yes, they cost twice as much as nikes from a shoe store.  But you're paying for the expertise and the gaurantee that you're running in a shoe that is made for your foot and running style.  Good fit = Less injury!

I love my shoes

2. Glide - This is a skin lubrication to prevent friction and the heat and pain that come with friction.  If you're new to running I reccomend investing in a tube of this.  It makes a WORLD of difference.  I put in on the entire bottom of my feet and sometimes at the waistband of my pants.  Many women need it for chafing that happens from sportsbras and men use it on their nipples to prevent those dreaded RED badges of courage.

3. And while we're on the topic of lubrication: CHAPSTICK.  I'm a mouth breather when I run.  It helps me maximize oxygen intake.  I don't care that I sound like a freight train coming up behind you.  It should just make you run faster.  I'm pretty sure I've helped people PR just because they didn't want to listen to me.  But chapstick protects my lips from the sun as well as from the effects of 3 hours of mouth breathing.

This belt has saved my
phone more than once

4.  iFitness Belt - I bought my first ifitness belt in Hawaii at the expo for the Diva Half marathon.  Bucking all race wisdom about NOT using brand new equipment on race day, I was so glad I had it.  The day was so hot and humid that in order to finish 13.1 miles I had to continuous;y dump water on myself.  My phone, tucked into the waterproof belt, survived!  I love my iFitness and now have several.     They all have a handy bib holders too, which mean NO safety pin holes in your favorite tech tees!

Can't run without a
bondi Band headband!

5.  Bondi Band Headbands - I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product!  The sweat wicking ones definitely live up to their promise!  I can run without getting sweat in my eyes and they are SUPER cute, with images and sayings for every runner.  

If you have a piece of essential gear, please share it with me!  I'm always looking for new ways to make race day and training more comfortable.  The better you feel on race day, the better you perform!

She Runs Paleo . . . with Friends

The Cupcake Classic Crew

One of the most wonderful things about running is the friends I've made through it.  I am constantly motivated by their successes and struggles and I am proud to have inspired some to take up running.  Today I took part in the CUPCAKE CLASSIC 5k.  This was a virtual race put on by Run with Jess, where you simply had to run a 5k (3.1 miles) anywhere, anytime during the allotted time frame.  I run a similar monthly race for my Facebook 5kers group, which you are free to join in.  I offer prizes like Jess, but at a MUCH smaller level.  

Paleo cupcakes!!!

My dear friend Amanda organized our little local Cupcake Classic and we convinced her that we needed to have a potluck post-run feast.  Amanda is an AMAZING baker, and promised to make me paleo cupcakes.  I held my breath, hoping for the best but not knowing what to expect from a paleo dessert.  (I know, I'm on day 73 of the Paleo Diet and hadn't tried to replicate desserts???  What can I say, I'm not a sweets person)

Race day greeted us with RAIN.  I live in San Diego, rain doesn't happen.  Except on days that I promise my children that if they run 3.1 miles with Mommy they'll earn themselves both a shiny medal AND a plate of Miss Amanda's cupcakes.  I'm happy to say that my kids take after their mommy and the rain didn't bother them one bit. 

Amanda had plotted out a 5k course for us from her house to beautiful Mission Bay.  It was a quick run, and everyone did SO well!  We had 16 people show up to run with us, making it feel like a REAL race event.  

The post-race feast was great.  Amanda never does anything on a small scale and had made 5 different kinds of cupcakes, including MY paleo cupcakes.  I also made sure to bring protein in the form of Bacon-Egg Cups and I also brought apples from the Apple Picking trip my kids and I went on.  It's easy to stay paleo when you have thoughtful friends.  

I'm sharing the recipes from the party below.  I certainly hope all runners have a group of runner friends that will laugh with you when you tell them tales from race day and give you advice when you struggle.  I'd be nothing if it weren't for the support from these wonderful people.  

Today's Paleo Goodies can be found here:

• The icing used was from Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut Flour
• Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes
• Bacon-Egg Cups

Run Recovery

After my first Hill Work session, I was inspired to write a post about stretching.  I wanted to throw up a bunch of stats about how many people don't stretch and how they injure themselves more often.  Imagine my surprise when my Googling brought up articles about studies that show stretching may be useless.  

However, from Runner's World: "Few running practices are as hallowed as stretching. And none have been debated as much in recent years. Studies have failed to reliably show that the addition of stretching to a warmup before activity reduces overuse injuries. "The jury's been out on stretching for about a decade," says Michael Ryan, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "And as far as I can tell, it hasn't come in yet." Yet few experts in the field are ready to abandon stretching. The reasoning: Runners are tight in predictable areas, they get injured in and around these areas, and therefore they should increase flexibility in these areas. The muscle groups at the back of the legs—the hamstrings and calf muscles—stand atop most lists of "best muscles for runners to stretch." Hamstring and hip-flexor flexibility seems to improve knee function (several reports link poor hamstring and hip-flexor flexibility with "larger knee joint loads"), and calf flexibility may keep the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia healthy."

I am a faithful stretcher, due to the work I did with a Personal Trainer for years.  My favorite stretches include:

Calf Stretch
Photo found at Mayo Clinic

Hip Flexor Stretch
Photo found at Mayo Clinic

My favorite Hamstring stretch
Photo found at Runners World

Sometimes regular stretching doesn't quite relieve you of the stiffness and muscle knots that can come with endurance training.  That's when you need every runner's Best Friend: a foam roller.

  

Foam rollers are high density foam cylinders 6" in diameter.  You use your own body weight to massage out the knots in your hard worked muscles.  Its a good alternative to weekly massage therapy visits, saving you tons of money, and it can be done while you watch tv.  Easy AND inexpensive!  Sorry for the Cheesy Video from Diet.com, but foam rolling is best taught through example.  

When regular stretching and foam roller use isn't enough to keep up with your training, you can use Sports Massage to help rid your body of lactic acid build up and to help your muscles recover faster.  I'll be trying massage therapy for the first time soon.  I'll make sure to post all about it and let you guys know if I survive.

You're crazy if you like hillwork

I love a flat course just as much as I love breaking a Personal Record.  And usually they go hand-in-hand.  But I've hit a speed bump in my pace.  I'm slow, and probably always will be.  I'm asian, our people aren't known for breaking world records in the running community.  But I want to get faster.  I've trained for endurance the last 6 months, and I've changed my diet to help with recovery.  Now it's time to face the fact that without speedwork, I'm not going to get any PRs anytime soon.  And as Legendary Runner Frank Shorter once said, "Hills are Speedwork in Disguise".

I've never focused on getting faster, just finishing.  It was enough to cross that finish line and get my medal.  I did earn some PRs along the way, but I want to beat my current PR of 2:48 earned at the Inaugural San Diego Half Marathon in 2012.  So adding hillwork is new to me, and I've had to do a bit of research.

Two great articles on hillwork can be found at:

• Active.com : Speedwork in Disguise.  To paraphrase a portion of the article, speed doesn't come from the foot pushing off the ground.  It comes from the ability to bring the opposite leg forward FASTER.  Hillwork is resistance training and makes the hip flexors STRONGER and able to react FASTER.  
• Running Times Magazine: Hit the Hills.  Besides having great descriptions of different types of hill workouts, this article addresses an additional benefit of hillwork: Improved form.  Running hills will tire you out and mimic the fatigue that comes with the end of a race.  If you practice maintaining proper running form during these workouts, you're working towards running injury free, running faster and having a GREAT finish line photo.

As for my race training, I plan to add Hill Sprints at the end of one of my weekly short runs and my distance runs will be Hilly Up-Tempo Runs.  I'm not looking forward to the WORK but I am looking forward to the RESULTS.

Confessions of a Paleo Runner

I know some of you have been waiting for the post about my in-race fueling.  WHAT DO I EAT DURING A RUN?  It's a question asked by every beginner endurance runner.  And for those of you who have come looking for Paleo solutions to that question, I have a confession.  *stage whisper*  I don't stay Paleo during my races!

Before you close your browser tab in a huff, please consider this:  Dr Cordain supports using non-paleo  foods during an endurance event in his book The Paleo Diet for Athletes.

"Serious athletes, however, when it comes to immediately before, during, and directly 

after workouts,  need  to bend the rules  of  the Paleo Diet  a  bit  since we're  placing 

demands on the body that were not normal for our Stone Age ancestors. Hour after

hour of sustained high energy output and the need for quick recovery are the serious 

athlete’s unique demands. This requires some latitude to use non­optimal foods on a 

limited basis."

If you are participating in training or a race that's longer than 1.5 hours, you will need to supplement with high-glycemic index carbs.  You COULD carry a candy bar with you, but if you're trying to be as paleo as possible, sports drinks are a better option.  I prefer CYTOMAX brand sports performance drink.  It's a bit lower in sugar than Gatorade.  Rob Wolff also prefers CYTOMAX for endurance events.  

  

You will need 200-400 calories of some sort of carb replacement for every hour that you're performing.  This is of course based on your body size.  Smaller people need less than those big burly guys.  I sip on one serving of cytomax the first hour, then I use a GU with caffeine at the beginning of the second hour  and if I'm nowhere near the finish line, I'll use another GU without caffeine at the beginning of the third hour.  That's a total of 300 calories over 2 hours for me.  I feel great using this combo, and only occasionally have had GI distress after a race.  

If you are determined to stay paleo, I would recommend carrying 1/4 cup of raisins in place of gu and you can make your own electrolyte drink.  The raisins are an EXCELLENT source of carbs.  I found this electrolyte replacement drink at Mark's Daily Apple:

1. Slightly heat some coconut water on the stove. Don’t let it get anywhere near simmering. Just let it get warm enough to melt the next three ingredients easily.
2. Add a few dashes of sea salt, preferably one with high mineral content. Sea salt provides sodium, an important electrolyte, plus trace minerals. You’re going to be burning through a lot of it during the race.
3. Add honey, preferably raw and from a local farm (remember, many store bought honey isn’t actually honey anymore).
4. Add blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses comes after the third boiling of sugar cane. It contains less sugar than either white sugar, brown sugar, regular molasses, or dark molasses, but far more minerals and electrolytes. See, sugar cane is a plant with roots that stretch deep into the soil to extract nutrients (some research suggests sugar cane roots may go down as far as six meters). Very few of those nutrients make it into white or brown sugar, and regular and dark molasses contain some, but it’s blackstrap molasses which gets the bulk of the minerals. So, when you add just a couple tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to your energy drink, you’re getting more than twice the potassium than a banana, more calcium than a cup of raw spinach, and almost 100 mg of magnesium.
5. Mix it all together until everything melts and it’s a dark brown murky viscous fluid. I didn’t include specific amounts, but start with a couple tablespoons of each sweetener and the juice from one coconut (or one carton of coconut water). You’ll be cruising for the first bit of the race, thanks to your effective pre-race training and fueling, but when you really start dipping into your glycogen stores, having a banana or two and a bottle of high-potency Primal energy drink will prove useful.


Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-fuel-a-marathon/#ixzz2920LHavY

Paleo on the Road

It is indeed Happy Hour when your
paleo-friendly apps are 1/2 off!

I celebrated Day 60 on the Paleo Diet on Monday!  It feels like quite the feat, considering that my last 3 days of were spent eating while traveling to San Jose for the San Jose RocknRoll Half marathon.  It was my first real experience of trying to stay paleo while not being able to cook and refusing to succumb to peer pressure to "just eat like a normal person".  I must have explained the basics of Paleo about 30 times this weekend, each time we ate with a new group of people.  My mom and I traveled with her running buddies, about 14 amazing women who were determined to live it up and run it out.

My race weekend started Friday evening, with a meal at The Counter with my family.  I'd reviewed this downtown San Diego restaurant just recently.  Before taking me to the airport, we decided to carb up at our favorite Paleo-friendly restaurant with sweet potato fries.  I also had a "burger in a bowl" for the iron.  It was going to help my body store and use oxygen more efficiently during my big race.

Not a pretty breakfast but
 it tastes good

Saturday morning, Mom and I woke up at 4 am to see my Daddy off on his 100-mile race.  He'd be running the Rio Del Lago 100 all of saturday and he'd planned to finish around the time we'd be getting up on Sunday morning to run our own race.  A Larabar and a banana continued the carb up while I shivered in the pre-dawn, waiting to see Daddy off at the start line.  (As a note: not ALL Larabars are paleo.  Stick to the ones that contain only dates, tree nuts, fruits, and coconut.  My favorites are Coconut Cream Pie, Lemon Bar, and Key Lime Pie)  We then headed home to pack for our own race.  I completed my carb up with an eggs, avocado and sweet potato breakfast.  That was the last time I was going to get to cook for myself before my race.

After arriving in San Jose (by the way, a car with 4 middle age and older women will need to stop at least 3 times to pee during a 2 hour road trip), we checked in, picked up our bibs and explored the expo.  One of the great things about Paleo is that you don't experience the drop in blood sugar that you did before when you were eating processed carbs and sugars.  So while everyone else was getting cranky, I was holding on pretty well.  We lunched at Baja Fresh, which isn't an ideal paleo choice.  But I made it work, ordering a Mango Chipotle Chicken Ensalada.  I suspect that the mango salsa and chipotle sauce contained sugar and possibly soy . . . but overall it was a paleo-ish choice.  I avoided eating the tortilla shell and asked for NO cotija cheese (even though I REALLY REALLY love cotija cheese).  For a pre-race lunch, the chicken salad option was probably the best choice.  It's heavy on fiber, high on water content and low on binding meats.  Red meat can take longer to move through your system, which may make you feel heavy on race morning.

Dinner was probably the most difficult to handle.  All of the group we were racing had arrived and there was much discussion on eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory.  Italian restaurants are nearly impossible for Paleo people, I try to avoid them all together.  It's a lesson that "Gluten-free" does not equate to Paleo.  Luckily they couldn't take our group of 14 for at least 2 hours, so our group ended up breaking up into smaller ones and Mom and I headed to a 50s themed Diner called Peggy Sue's.  They are a counter Service, sit down restaurant.  They're menu was simple and easy to alter for the Paleo diet.  I had a spinach salad (that was of massive proportion) and a bunless bacon, pineapple burger.  Once again, loads of iron to help with oxygen use.  I am also a proponent of fiber on the day before the race.  It'll help you with that pre-race elimination that is oh so neccessary.  (I wondered how long it'd take me to mention poop on my blog).  Everyone's fiber needs are different.  It's important to experiment during the training cycle to see how much fiber you can take in to help you on race morning.

 I woke up on race morning feeling amazing.  I had nine hours of sleep, and maintained my paleo diet while traveling.  Mom and I ordered room service and split a meal.  I got the eggs and bacon, she got the tomato juice and english muffin.  It's nice to travel with a non-Grok!  After breakfast I was feeling even better!

My race review has already been posted.  I've had people ask about my IN-RACE nutrition and will explore that in my next post.  If you have any questions about pre-race nutrition or about staying paleo while on the road, please feel free to ask!

  

Race Day Ready and still Paleo!

One Down, Six to go

The San Jose RocknRoll Half marathon is over!  I finished in 3:14:24, with an overall place of 8750 out of 14,000 runners.  I accomplished both goals that I had for this race: to stay with my momma and to get her a Personal Record (PR).  She beat her former PR by 10 minutes!  She now has an very unflattering nickname for me (rhymes with yahtzee witch) for pushing her, but I know she's also very grateful for that PR!

20 hours to go!

I went into this race weekend with one question: WHY SAN JOSE??  I understand the appeal of most of the RocknRoll cities.  San Diego is a vacation destination, Portland is full of culture, Los Angeles has tons to do . . . but San Jose???  Once on the course, my question was fully answered.  It's FLAT, and I mean FLAT.  It's definitely a course you can PR on.  It's also shady.  I did sunburn a bit, but who wouldn't after being in the sun for 3 hours?  The weather was a perfect 60 degrees at race start and stayed cool all morning.  The city is beautiful and clean and they shut down ALL the streets for us.  I'd recommend the San Jose RocknRoll to anyone who wants to run a half marathon.

The Brooks mirror of awesomeness

There were some negatives to this race and the location.  It is a big convention city, however there seemed to be a lack of accessible restaurants that WEREN'T pricey.  And it was difficult to stay Paleo in San Jose.  They definitely do not cater to "alternative dietary lifestyles".  You definitely need to speak up and ask for your food to be altered.  The bunless burger was my staple this weekend.  Another negative was the gear check for this race.  It consisted of our bags being left in a gated off area, on the street.  I definitely didn't feel comfortable leaving my gear check bag, even thought it only contained my post-race flip flops and my fruit snacks (my non-paleo post-race indulgence).

Watching the preview of the
completely flat course

But overall I'd give this race an "A".  The sponsored hotels were a 10 minute walk from the start and a 5 minute walk from the finish.  The post-race beer garden poured HUGE cups of beer, the post-race party had a great concert and the secure area had great post-race fuel (bananas, oranges, chocolate milk, Marathon Bars, bagels, pretzels, water and Gatorade).

As for how I feel?  I feel great.  My feet are sore and I'm tired but my muscles already feel pretty recovered.  I'm attributing it to my 60 days on the Paleo diet.  Loads of protein to help with recovery, and my use of fat to fuel over carbs allows my body to do less damage to itself on an endurance run.




For my Paleo followers, my next post will be on how I stayed Paleo all race weekend.  

If you're interested in running my next half with me, that'll be the Silver Strand Half marathon on November 11, 2012.

Thanks for the fun run San Jose!