Anyone who knows me well is likely aware that I have a major sweet tooth. Seriously. I cannot be trusted to keep any candy around our apartment and have it last for more than a few days (sometimes even a single day is asking too much). My love of candy, coupled with the fact that my birthday is the day after … Read More
Nutrition Experiment: Week 4, Protein – Part 2
Protein week is at an end, so lets look at the numbers. Surprisingly enough, more fat was consumed this week than during fat week (an increase of 33% was also seen compared to the control week). One notable difference this week, however, is that the fat was mainly from mixed animal and plant-based sources. Overall, protein consumption increased 15% from … Read More
My First Half-Marathon: 5 Survival Tips
Three months of training have finally come to an end and Steve and I are now less than 24 hours from our first half-marathon. While I know I’ve done (most of) the training, I can’t say that I feel completely prepared to run 13.1 miles. We’ve been a bit schedule-challenged the past 2-3 weeks, so I’m nervous about having missed a … Read More
Escaping Disappointment: Avoiding a “Bad Race”
Having run quite a large number of races at this point, I knew it was only a matter of time before one of them was going to be pretty awful. The last race I ran gave me a PR, but the instant I finished I felt as if it was a waste of time and I was ready to go … Read More
Making an Ultrarunner
“Maybe not thriving…but surviving.” That was the best Facebook status I could come up with after my first venture into ultramarathon running. Back in May, I had trained for the Madison Marathon with team DetermiNation, and after the race, my friend and teammate Meghan Ross mentioned that she was interested in running an ultra. Because I was on a post-marathon … Read More
Nutrition Experiment Week 4: Protein
Week four is here and it’s time to delve into the fun and exciting world of protein! So what the heck is protein, and what does it really do? Personally, protein brings to mind images of body builders at the gym slamming weights, drinking Muscle Milk, and yelling as they do curls. But it’s not just about building muscle. Proteins … Read More
Nutrition Experiment Week 3: Carbs, Part 2
My week of carboliciousness has given me a lot to think about. Carbs have a reputation of being the Jeckle and Hyde of the nutrition world: you either love them as a super-fuel, or you shy away from them in fear. So how do I feel after my dualistic encounter? Lets find out. Following my stellar last week of upping … Read More
Your Brain on Running
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what’s really going on inside my head when I go for a run. When you consider running in terms of the technology you utilize during a run–your MP3 player, heart rate monitor, GPS, etc.–your brain is likely the most advanced piece of equipment you take along with you. From controlling every … Read More