What to eat?

I hope your running experience is going well. By now you're probably playing around with food and whether it helps or hinders your running. In my own experience I have found that I run best in the morning on an empty stomach. If you're running on a regular basis you might be more hungry than usual. Making good food choices are crucial to nurture your body and help you run more efficiently. So for starters:

- Eat a mostly plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains
- Choose healthy fats like olive oil and avocado
- Eat red meat and foods high in unhealthy fats sparingly or not at all
- Choose good carbs not refined carbs (whole grains is your friend)
- Choose nuts, beans, quality protein powders (hemp and rice are good choices), fish and poultry as protein choices
- Eat a fibre-filled diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruit
- Calcium is important but milk isn't the only or best choice. Try to keep your body in balance (milk is acidic). Good calcium sources are almonds, greens (such as kale), tofu and broccoli.

Snack Guidelines
It's best to eat an hour before a run. A good snack is easily digested and will settle in your body comfortably such as yogurt, apple slices with a nut butter, banana with about 10 almonds, etc. If you have a troublesome stomach then experiment with liquid snacks such as a good smoothie.

Fluids
Drinking enough water is important. Start your day by drinking two glasses of water before you put anything else in your body. Squirting lemon or lime in your water makes it more refreshing and so is cucumber or orange slices if drinking plain water is difficult for you. When running it's a good idea to bring some water with you, especially if it's hot and/or you're going for a longer run. Remember to drink water during your runs on cold days too. Try to stay well hydrated during the day.

Recovery Snacks and Fluids
It's best to consume carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids within 15 - 30 minutes after your run. Some protein may help glycogen replacement and enhance the process of building and repairing of muscles. Good post-workout snacks include:
- fruit and yogurt smoothie
- whole grain bagel with peanut butter
- chocolate milk

Always remember to watch your portions and keep track of how you feel during a run and adjust your food choices accordingly.

A drink that I love to gulp on a hot day after a run is 1 teaspoon of quality dried wheatgrass with about 1 cup of water. It makes my cells sing.

Confessions of a soon-to-be-runner

Hi guys,

Well here we go.....

This past week was a total wash for me where the 5K training is concerned. I did my strength training and a few cardio sessions (on the elliptical) but I did not do week 3 of the C25K program.

I will however be back on track. I will be going for a run tomorrow and just continue on. Life does get in the way at times, but what's important is that you keep going strong and that's just what I intend on doing!!

I want to send a special "thank you" to Veg Next Door (VND) for that previous post...very informative and quite a few people have been asking about proper form when running...so THANK YOU!!

Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Biomechanics of running

Written By: The Veg Next Door

So you are running now with proper shoes and hopefully stretching properly afterwards. But are you running properly?

I have seen many people running too quickly, making their arms do a lot of work and running out of steam, running on their toes and insisting that it was comfortable, I've seen it all.

So here is what you should be conscious of while running. If you can run alongside an experienced runner who can check your technique that's even better. If it is not possible, then ask someone to look over the list and watch you run for a minute or so to see how you are holding up.

Here's the checklist:

* head straight and neutral
* eyes scan the horizon
* shoulders low and loose
* elbows at 90 degrees
* hands have unclenched fist
* arms drive forward and back, not across the body
* torso is tall
* hips/pelvis not tilted (think of pelvis holding a bowl of water -- don't let water spill!)
* knee has mild bend to clear ground
* stride is short with quick turnover; and
* feet land under the body between heel and mid-foot.

It is a good idea to scan your body and think of the list when you run. Proper body alignment will prevent injury.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment or drop me a line: thevegnextdoor@yahoo.ca