smoothie sailing

alright folks.  race day is edging ever nearer.  my new sneaks are breaking in nicely, and my knees are just short of breaking.  I had to dig out my trusty ol' knee braces, and man do i look smashing in them.  so far the longest run has logged in at 7 miles, with an 8-er waiting for us on saturday.  i have to admit...  the 7 miles felt good.  i get to explore new areas of the lakefront trail that i've never had the pleasure of seeing before, and as the weather gets nicer and nicer it just feels wonderful to get outside.  i'm something of an outdoor junkie, and watching seasons behind glass does not mix well with me.  i'll use any excuse to get out there, even if it's a knee-aching hour-plus run.  (hey, i said i ran it.  i never said i was fast.)

something i've learned during this whole physical experiment is that carbohydrates are my friends.  over the years i've become accustom to a fairly low-carb existence, getting most of my sugars from fruit and such.  i very rarely will eat refined sugars, don't have the patience to cook rice, don't like instant rice, and don't normally shop at a store that sells GF specialty items.  as a result, i would get exhausted quite easily on the longer runs.  my thighs would begin to feel like wooden blocks that were trying so desperately to lift a set of leaden feet.  that wasn't going to do, so i made a change.  i can't be a speed racer plodding around like that!

as simple as the physical act of running may be, the planning that goes into an hour+ run is something of a science.  but only you can solve that equation.  after testing week after week, what i found works best for me is to eat a meal of brown rice pasta the night before the long runs, a protein fruit shake (recipe below) the morning of, and then 1/2 an energy bar right before i leave.  making pizza from my favorite namaste dough mix didn't quite cut it in the energy department when that was consumed the night prior. i thought carbs were created equal, but apparently my body is not an equal-opportunity digester.

perhaps the most exhilarating thing about this whole running experience is how in-tune you become to your body.  you can feel that glass of wine you shouldn't have had the night before.  you know when your calorie intake isn't enough to support that 700 calorie burn on this afternoon's trip about the trail.  you feel your pace suddenly snap together with your breathing and miles go by and by.  sure... 7 miles isn't really a long run in the grand scheme of things, but for me, it's a little victory each time i get myself out there.  and i'm improving.  little by little but it's there and it just feels so good.  my body tells me so.

**my mostest favoritest breakfast smoothie**

put in a blender:

1/2 cup water

2 Tb plain lowfat yogurt (gotta get those probiotics in there!)

1 serving of GF, no-sugar protein powder (i like "natural vanilla" flavor)

1 small scoop GF powdered greens 

1 banana

frozen fruit of choice

blend it up!  add water or more frozen fruit/ice to get it at the consistency you like.  i love mine for breakfast when it's icy cold and super thick.  it's great to wash those GF vitamins down.  enjoy!