I love reading about Super Foods, especially for athletes!  There are so many foods that not only support our efforts to train, compete and excel, but some may do so more than others.

I read a great article in FitDay, written by sports dietitian
Holly Klamer R.D. named The Powerhouse Foods You Should Be Eating.

The foods are: cruciferous vegetables, red beans, cherries, chia seeds, avocados, pistachios, seaweed and pumpkin.

I am especially intrigued by the chia seeds!  Yes, they are the same seeds that are advertised for Chia Pets!!!  I began eating these about six months ago, and have really become addicted (in a good way) to them!

The article says: “Chia seeds have been around since the ancient Mayan and Aztec times. These tiny seeds have gotten a lot of publicity in recent years as being a nutrition power house. They are naturally high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. In fact, chia seeds are among the highest plant sources of omega 3 acids. The fiber in chia seeds is mainly soluble fiber, and when added with a liquid, will expand and absorb the fluid. This may have some benefit for helping you feel fuller longer and reducing hunger. Add 1-2 tbsp. of chia seeds in yogurt, smoothies, water or juice, baked goods, dips, etc.”

Thanks Holly, for this super information!

Give them a try and let us know what YOU think!  Thanks!  :)

We are in Chicago (actually Plainfield) with our kids, grandson and their new puppy for a few days. I decided to test my metabolic efficiency plan.

Had one piece of pizza for lunch; tried to run, a slug on the trail beat me!

Had a pear and a handful of sunflower seeds this morning.  Ran the same route and beat my own PB!!!  Am I going to stay on M.E.T?  Well, as my grandchildren would say, “that’s a real DUH-H-H.”

I LOVE being Metabolically Efficient!!!!  The food plan is simple, and I find that I am not missing the starches as I thought I would.

My trainer, Jeff, measures my body comp every Tuesday morning.  In the one week plus a few days, I lost six pounds of body fat!  Truthfully, we are not certain that is accurate, so we will retest next Tuesday for verification.  Stay tuned.

Have YOU checked out Metabolic Efficiency Training yet?  My sports dietitian, Dina Griffin MS, RD, CSSD has been tremendously helpful.  Check out www.fuel4mance.com for more help.

Walk (run?) with me on this journey.

Will you?  Please?  Thanks!!!

As I write this blog, I am listening to (and kind of watching) the movie ”Chariots of Fire!”  For as many times as I have watched it, I am still inspired by the pure determination and sacrifice of these runners!  Have you seen this movie?  If not, it is a “must see” for any of you determined to exceed your personal best!

Speaking of personal best, I am determined to exceed mine, by becoming metabolically efficient!  I am working with Dina Griffin MS, RD, CSSD, sports dietitian extraordinaire!
Check out the website Fuel4mance to see the work of Bob Seebahor and Dina Griffin.

I began with Dina last Friday with learning the basics and creating a plan with her. There are specific foods to eat for different “cycles” of training.  I am in the Preparatory cycle and so I am making different food type choices than when I am in the Competition, Taper or Transition cycle.

The bottom line of this plan is to train your body to “burn more fat and conserve precious carbohydrate stores while reducing the likelihood of GI distress.” Bob Seebohar; Metabolic Efficiency Training.

I am soooo excited to be working with Dina and learning how to become more Metabolic Efficient!!!

Stay tuned as I track my progress in this new endeavor.

Better yet, join me in it!

I have received a number of emails asking me which races I am looking at.  Thanks for asking! (I live in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area.)

Here is my list; I (probably) won’t do them all.  The * ones are races that I have done before and really enjoyed; plan to do them again. These are all 5K and 10K or further except Northville Road Runner 8K.  It is a trail run at Mayberry State Park.

4/14 Martian (Dearborn)
5/2 RunFit (Novi)
5/6 Burns Park (Ann Arbor)
5/20 Race for Your Memories (Milford)
6/2 Dexter-Ann Arbor (Dexter) Planning on this one for sure
6/9 Flirt with Dirt * (Novi)
6/23 Solstice * Northville
7/4 Hungry Duck * (Brighton)
7/23 Northville Road Runner (Northville)
9/8 Woodstock * (Pinckney)

Which ones are you interested in?  Do you have a list?  We would LOVE for you to share it with us!

I am determined not to injure myself this year, (pretty good beginning of a plan, huh?)   So, I am going to follow the guidelines in a new book I just got called “Run for God.”  It is a disgustingly sensible plan that may be difficult to follow.  Once I get out on the trail or track, it is REALLY difficult to be “sensible…”  I JUST WANT TO RUN

You know that feeling, don’t you!  I can see you shaking your heads “yep!”

So, I am going to make a commitment to you, my fellow runners: I will follow the guidelines in the “Run with God” for the rest of this month (January.)  Then we will re-visit this situation.  O.K?

My actual plan is
1. To be running 5K’s with a speed of sub 10 by Spring.
2. To be running 10K’s with a speed of sub 10 by Summer.
3. Run a half-marathon this Autumn
4. Run a full-marathon next Spring 2013.
5. Qualify for Boston ~Autumn 2013 or Spring 2014.

I will turn 65 years old this September, so my qualifying time is 4:45:59.  That is a 10.9 minute mile!  I can do that now; well, maybe not for 26.2 miles in-a-row

I have a list of 5 and 10K’s lined up.  It is difficult to find a half- marathon that is not on a Sunday…Do you know of any?  Please, let us know!

What is YOUR plan?  We would LOVE to hear it.

Let’s go to Boston together, shall we?  I can see you shaking your heads “yep!”

Wondering what YOUR qualifying time is?  Just go to:

http://www.asksasha.com/boston-marathon-qualifying-time.php

I won’t be running the Boston Marathon quite as soon as I had planned…but I am getting back on track!

My running was going very well until about mid-April when I “ran too far, ran too fast and ran too often; ” results?~a stress fracture in my tibia and  running stopped!  By mid-summer I was running again; a little more carefully, but running!

Then, mid-October, my father became ill and running stopped again… 
I sat by his bedside, every day, all day, until the evening of November 29, when our Heavenly Father called him Home.
I did not run all of December, due to the busyness of the season, the need to clean out his home, legal stuff, and on and on and on… That was my excuse…
Truthfully, I just did not have the energy to even put on my running shoes…

But now, it is January 1st, and I am determined to (first, find my shoes), put them on and start running again!

Tomorrow I will post my plan!  Will you run with me?  Please say YES!

BOSTON, HERE WE COME!

My buddy coach, Jo, (www.jochristie.com) sent me a quote that she received from Runners World. I wish to share it with you as it really “rang true” for me.

HaIf I didn’t run, my writing would be very different from what it is. To be a fiction writer, the most important qualities are imaginative ability, intelligence, and focus. To keep these going at a high level, you can’t neglect your physical strength. Otherwise, you can’t accomplish anything very intricate or demanding.
Haruki  Murakami, Novelist

I am not a fiction writer, but I do love to write!  I mostly write short stories, journal style, about my own experiences that I rarely ever share with anyone.  They are simply for my own clarification.

As I ponder that quote, I realize the correlation for myself. When I don’t run, I rarely write…or is it the other way around???  The two are certainly linked together…

I think I shall ponder this…write about it?  Run with it?  Or is it the other way around…

Have you found this link to be true for you?  We would love to hear about your experience!

Haruki  Murakami, Novelist

ruki Murakami, novelist

Do you have your Autumn schedule for your personal favorite sport?  Have you looked up the races in your area or the races in someone elses area that you would love to travel to?

It is only a few days into the Autumn season, and I have all of my runs lined up (either participating in or volunteering at) and registered for.  If I don’t register in advance, they either fill up quickly, without me,  or I get distracted and don’t go back to the registration pages.

Last week I volunteered at the race-of-all-races!  DANCES WITH DIRT!  
http://www.dwdhell.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=48

It is not for wimps; not even wimpy volunteers (which I border on being).  As the volunteer at the Silver Lake Exchange, I directed running traffic (follow the blue flags) pulled back runners who started before the “touch-off” (in a relay, one runner must touch the hand of the next before he/she could continue the course.) For those who did not heed my warnings, I got to threaten them disqualification if they did not go back… Please note:  I am 4’11” tall.  Did they listen to me?  YES!  THEY DID!  (how cool is that!)

My favorite part, however, was helping to wash down those who had  run  miles  threw knee-deep mud, swamps, and corn fields.  Not only was that FUN but very inspiring to those (like me) who need to push their goals “up a notch.”

Sign me up for next year?  Maybe!  I have been invited~want to be on my team?

I have been away from my blog for awhile; swimming, biking, running, a little competing, a few injuries, alot of having summer fun!

But, summer is winding down now; it is getting lighter later now (which is not appreciated by us morning runners!)  It is time to re-think and re-group my work-outs, swims, bikes and runs.

It is also time to set my goals for the coming season and even into next year. 
1. what distances do I want to do?
2. which races are calling to me?
3. any tri’s?
4.  what about something new or different? (Now, this thought intrigues me!!!)

How about YOU?  Where do you see yourself swimming, biking and running?  What distances do you dream of?  Which races have you always wanted to do?
Anything new and different calling your name?

As I ponder the answers to my questions (and would love to share them with you…); please join me in pondering yours (and, of course, would LOVE to have you share them with us!)

Here we go!