More Sugar Deception

As a runner, your goal is to enjoy the sport of running. Obviously, you need to take care of your equipment, which is yourself. In previous posts, I've referred you to check your labels on your drinks to be sure you realize what you are putting into your body. It can be confusing and complicated. Dr. Mercola is great at helping to decipher the facts from the fiction. Here's a great article below that caused me to pour out what I believed was a healthy choice. We'll discuss this more in future posts but take a look. Learning about sugar deception will be an investment in yourself and your sport.


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food-fraud.aspx

To your health,
Heidi J Cox

MCM Race 2 Register 10K Update and Setting Personal Goals

Yesterday's race was terrific! It was held on Quantico Marine Base and 1796 runners participated. It was cold but the sun was out and I had my best time yet. I placed 30th in my division. At the finish of this race, we all received a certificate and code to pre-register for the MCM on October 31st and I am now officially registered.

This is a BIG goal for me. Over a year ago, I set a goal for myself to run the Marine Corps Marathon. At that time, I had not run AT ALL for over 25 years. I was inspired by seeing others run this race, many who were not born runners but just people who set a goal that they wanted to achieve and accomplished it. I decided that this was something I wanted to accomplish in my life and I decided to do the same. I set a goal and began. It started with small steps, working up to the large goal. Over a year later, I am on my way.

You can do the same thing if you have the desire. All it takes is the desire and the persistence as you plan your path towards that goal. Two years ago, I would not have believed that I would be where I am today.

If you have a desire to accomplish something, set a goal and go for it. Get support and get started. You can do it!

Heidi J Cox

MCM Race 2 Register Tomorrow

I had a unique experience yesterday for a runner. I visited the Marine Corps Mararathon Building yesterday to pick up my race packet for tomorrow. It turns out that I live about ten minutes from there and I never knew it. It was pretty awesome to think that after tomorrow's race, I'll be assured a spot to register for the Marine Corps Marathon. Tomorrow's race is a 10K and it should be a lot of fun with the run on the Quantico Marine Base. It is sure to have a cross section of people running it, new to old runners. I will have some great blog material for future posts!

I have been getting back into my running routine since all the snow. I can't say I am fully up to speed but I feel ready for tomorrow's race. Starting today I'll be watching what I eat and drink. That includes no sugary drinks or those with chemicals like orange juice, Gatorade, Vitamin water etc. It will be all natural beverages and water only.

Next post after the race!

Heidi J Cox

Pasteurization Kills the Nutrients: Part 2

Last post we learned that pasteurization boils all the good stuff out of the beverage that you are about to drink leaving very little of value left. Did you check out some labels and search for some examples of healthy drinks? Your next homework is to look at these pasteurized drinks and read the label on two things: serving size and sugar grams per serving. Let me know what you find out. We'll share on the next post some startling facts about the drinks many of you thought were healthy for you!

Heidi J Cox

Pasteurization Kills the Nutrients: Part 1

Did you know that 99% of all liquid drinks sold are pasteurized? This is done for shelf life, so the retailers are able to keep the product on their shelves longer. When you pasteurize something, you are boiling it so there is very little if any nutritional value left. This includes orange juice, even if it says 100% natural, 100% juice!

"Fresh, raw juice is a “live food” with a full complement of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and enzymes. Commercially processed, canned, bottled, frozen or otherwise packaged juices have been pasteurized, again meaning the juice has been exposed to high temperatures, and many of the vitamins and enzymes have been killed or removed." (Dr. Mercola, May 14,2009)

Many people are not aware of this fact. What we are all victim to is the power of deceptive marketing. Take a look at the bottles of anything that you drink from the store, look at the sugar content and see what it tells you about the nutritional value. Check it out, take some notes and I'll continue this in the next post.

Heidi J Cox

One Week Till Race Time-Are You Ready for Your Race?

Well, the weather has been very snowy in VA this winter and almost everywhere else except Hawaii! The weather is improving and spring is here! It is time to get out there and run, consistently. The good news is it will be much more enjoyable. The spring is my favorite time of year with flowers blooming and birds singing. Enjoy the weather and get yourself in shape at the same time. Many of us do have races this month and yet we aren't all ready-yikes! Don't over do it but do get out there and work into it. I'll be running the MCM Race 2 Register next weekend. It's a 10K so I should be ready for it :{

Let me know what races you have registered for or are planning to do. Just do it. If you don't know how to find them, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.

Happy Running!

Heidi J Cox

Happy St. Patrick's Day and the Deceptive Green Drink!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! I just returned from a gorgeous run in sun and 60 degree weather. Wow, it is about time! I think I forgot what it was like to run in shorts! Before my run, I was at one of my favorite grocery stores and a liquid beverage caught my eye: "Organic, All Natural Limeade." That sounds great, doesn't it? I thought so until I read the label closer: "30 grams of sugar per 8 oz serving, 10% juice (in small lettering in the side)." The ingredients are organic, however, it contains a great deal of sugar. The moral of this story is not to be fooled by deceptive advertising. Most juices and beverages out there are not what they say they are.

Have a Happy and Healthy St. Patrick's Day!

Heidi J Cox

Nutrition and Running: Step 2

Your homework from the my last article was to examine what you eat in regards to sugar. Let's talk about food for this article (next article will address beverages). Check the labels of your food for sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and anything that ends in "ose." Here are a few examples of things that will surprise you as you read the labels: peanut butter, bread, tomato sauce, cereal, packaged oatmeal, granola bars, applesauce, most packaged fruit. Anything you eat out will have even more sugar added to it. Sugar is in almost everything. Artifical sugar is worse so don't be fooled by sugar free--you are then ingesting a chemical that actually makes you hungrier and is very unhealthy.

Check out your labels and let me know what you find. We are running to be healthier. Don't sabotage yourself by thinking you are eating healthy when actually you are not. I'd rather have my sugar in a piece of cake and move on then in my peanut butter.

Have a great night!

Heidi J Cox

Nutrition and Running: Step One

We are often very good about taking care of ourselves with the outer parts of our bodies just as shoes and other wonderful looking and feeling running clothes. However, we do not always take as much time thinking about what we eat and drink. What you put into your body can have a large effect on your running performance. I will be sharing some videos on this soon but for now let's keep it simple. I'd like you to think about sugar and how much you think you ingest on a daily basis. Don't just think of desserts but think about your entire day including everything you drink as well. Jot down how many items you have in a day that you believe have sugar in them.

We'll talk about this next time but here's an article from Dr. Mercola on fructose to get you started.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/13/richard-johnson-interview.aspx

Have a great day!

Heidi J Cox

Choosing Running Shoes

It's time to getting running. Do you just throw on any shoes you have and get running? Do you pick the ones with the best color or the brand you love from their commercials?

Well, some of us do this. It may be ok to start but eventually you will start to feel some aches and pains that are associated with inappropriate or worn out shoes. Do you need to spend a lot of money on shoes? People do but I believe you don't have to spend a bundle. Just get good advice. Make a trip to a running store that does a "gait analysis." For free, they will analyze your walk and recommend some shoes for you. You might think that they will recommend the most expensive shoe but a good place will not do this. I am amazed at the difference in the shoes that I chose for myself and the ones that were recommended for me. I feel better running and I saved money.  Oh, and don't base your shoe choice on the ones with the best color. This is about comfort, not style for once. Your body will thank you. The wrong shoes will create unnecessary aches and pains. The right ones will add to your running success!

Check it out. It's a lot of fun.  Have a great run and let me know what you find out!

Heidi J Cox

Just a Few Words on Safety

If you haven't seen my running blog videos below, please visit them. They are short but informative and I'll be continuing to add more. One issue I did address but I'd like to return to is safety. The weather will start to get nicer and many of us will be out on the road more running (or walking). Please be aware of your surroundings. Drivers are not used to seeing runners in many areas of the country that have had cold and snow. Be proactive with your safety:  don't assume that drivers can see you.  For many of you who run with your headphones on, please be extra alert. This week someone was killed by a truck in the Washington, D.C. area while crossing a road at the crosswalk and running with headphones. When you run, don't run at night, wear bright clothing, be alert to your surroundings,  look both ways when your cross streets, don't run in remote areas and if you wear headphones turn them low enough so that you can hear what is going on around you. Many of us are parents and we know this for our kids but we don't apply it to ourselves.
Get out there and enjoy the sport, the sun and the exercise but make your safety a priority so you have many years of running ahead of you!

Be Inspired Not Intimidated

I was happily running this morning on what is one of the few bright sunny (no wind!) mornings. I reflected on someone I met yesterday who truly inspired me, however, initially I was intimidated. Let me explain.

Yesterday I was participating in our church health fair. They announced that someone was going to present a brief yoga explanation to us. I looked up and saw the presenter and realized that I recognized her. I didn't know her personally, we'll call her Lisa, but I had seen her several Sunday mornings in the past couple years when she dropped off her children at the bible study that I was teaching. She has three young children, including two very active boys. "Cool, I thought. She teaches Yoga too in her spare time. " They continued to share Lisa's activites including Professor at a local college, Marine Corps Marathon runner and that she had run 16 miles before she arrived to present this am. Ok, now I was totally intimidated. I thought I was able to balance a number of things but this woman had me feeling lazy!

At the end of her presentation she walked by my table and I told her how impressed I was with her accomplishments, particularly the running of the MCM and consistent running with all her responsibilities. I asked her for some advice and told her I was preparing for my first MCM.  Lisa was not only humble but she was extremely encouraging as well. She told me that she began running just like anyone else, slow, and then her interest developed from there. With all Lisa has on her plate, her running is the one thing she does for herself. She invited me to participate in a local run during the week. She also gave me some hints about running the MCM and was very encouraging that I could certainly accomplish my goal.

The point of this story  is don't make assumptions about people and reach out and let them inspire you. We have all started at one point from the beginning. Some of us are just on a different leg of the journey.  Get out there and let others inspire you and do the same for others.

Enjoy your day!
Heidi J Cox

Carl Lewis on Taking Charge of Your Life

I had the pleasure of seeing Carl Lewis speak this past January at the First Yoli Convention in Las Vegas. Carl's story was very inspirational. As a 9 time Gold Medal Olympian in track and field, he had many obstacles in his life to overcome throughout his career. Through it all, he never gave up and kept focused on his goals.

Carl told us: "A down economy is a time of innovation, a time to take charge of your life. Go build a bridge to a new life and future. This economy is a great climate to take charge and inspire people."  So, as you think about your plans for this weekend and your goals for yourself, personally or professionally, take Carl Lewis' advice and go inspire yourself and others. There is no better time to do it!  Have a great weekend.

Heidi J Cox

Persistence!

Happy Friday,

As runners, we know that persistence is the key to keeping active and focused in our sport. There's no better person to inspire us than Lance Armstrong in his quote below. Lance's achievements began with his title as #1 cyclist in the world but did not end there as he battled cancer and came back strong to his sport and life. He is an inspiration to all of us. Never quit! Enjoy your weekend!  Heidi J Cox


"Time is limited, so I better wake up every morning fresh

and know that I have just one chance to live this particular

day right, and to string my days together into

a life of action, and purpose."

— Lance Armstrong: 7-time winner of the Tour de France
FROM NIGHTINGALE.COM

Runner’s High: Is That Why We Run?

Many of us have heard of the “runner’s high” but do we really know what it is? A search on Wikipedia described it as “… said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production. The term endorphin rush has been adopted in popular speech to refer to feelings of exhilaration brought on by pain, danger, or other forms of stress,[1] supposedly due to the influence of endorphins.” There is some question in the research whether the feeling of exhilaration from the endorphin rush is actually from another naturally released chemical in the body or from the cognitive triumph of the completed physical achievement.


Whatever the reason, we as runners know that we often feel better from running, whether we have an easy run or we have had to push through some difficult obstacles to complete it. I believe we are a unique group, those of us who are out there running in all kind of weather and terrain. Last December this was clear to me as I was running the Blue & Gray Half Marathon in Fredericksburg VA, in mid December in the pouring rain, 37 degrees on an extremely hilly course. I know my husband, as well as many other spouses, looked at us as if we were crazy that dark Sunday morning. However, we felt great a couple hours later when we were crossing that finish line! Amen to our persistence and dedication to our sport and ourselves!

Heidi J Cox, New AND Old Runner :}



^ a b "The Reality of the "Runner's High"". UPMC Sports Medicine. University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences.

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