Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Boston Marathon - 4/18/11


It's official. I am entered into the 2011 Boston Marathon. Even though I missed qualifying for Boston at the Philadelphia Marathon by 1 minute and 17 seconds I was fortunate to receive an invitational entry from the lovely folks at John Hancock Financial Services. I am forever thankful to them for giving me this opportunity and look forward to running the historic Boston course. Now the goal is to qualify for next year's Boston Marathon at this year's Boston Marathon. i hope you will follow along as I train for this race and post my training experiences here along with other interesting tidbits about living a healthy lifestyle.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

26.2 Complete!!!

Sunday, 11/21, was the Philadelphia Marathon and I conquered it! My official time was 3:12:16. It was a cold start, around 40 degrees, but the sun came out and it turned out to be a great day for a long run. The course was mostly flat besides a gradual hill around mile 7-8, then a rather steep hill after mile 9, and finally some small rolling hills between 18-21. What was great was the support i received along the way from my cousins and my parents! They rooted me on along the back half and were there when i crossed the finish line. You can check out the results at this website, http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=103521. Many thanks to all who supported me while I trained and a special shout out to my cousins who fed, housed, and transported me in philly. It was a great experience. Now on to the next one!

I also ran an 8K (5 mile) on thanksgiving in Glen Ridge, NJ. This run has become a tradition as I have run it the last 4 years. I had my best time this year as I finished with a time of 29:56. The results for this run can be found here, http://www.compuscore.com/cs2010/novdec/a8k.htm . My brother Lee, my father, and my dog Skye were there to root me on!

I have yet to decide when my next run will be but I will post it here as soon as I find a run. I will continue to update my training and also try better to post interesting articles, recipes, and other insights relating to Health and Wellness.

Until next time, Be Healthy!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

3 days Until Philly


3 days until 26.2 around philly. Looking forward to it! Training has been going well and I am feeling great! I am hoping to reach my goal and finish in 3 hours 10 minutes and 59 seconds. This time will qualify me for the Boston Marathon. Since i started this blog I have logged 351 miles of running. I will report back with my results and pictures from the Marathon. Special thanks to my race team, Z.MESS, who will be housing me, shuttling me, and routing me on!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

13.1 Thru Boston


A beautiful morning for a 13.1 mile run around southwest Boston.I had a great support crew of my parents, brother, sister-in-law and Skye and Louis! It was a little chilly at the start but warmed up fast. The course was quite a few hills but I still managed a time of 1:35. I still have a lot of work to do if I want to hit my goal for the Philadelphia Marathon. Stay tuned for more updates on my training.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Fruits and Vege-table

Here are 20 ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Try some when making your next meal/snack.

1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, green peppers and/or zucchini.
2. Get saucy with fruit: Puree berries, apples, peaches or pears for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
3. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
4. Heat leftover whole-grain rice with chopped apple, nuts and cinnamon.
5. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low- fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
6. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite dip or low-fat salad dressing.
7. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
8. Banana split: Top a sliced banana with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
9. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
10. Prepare instant oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk in place of water. Top with dried cranberries and almonds.
11. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
12. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumbers and tomato as fillings.
13. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
14. Stock up: Fill your fridge with raw vegetables and fruits —“nature’s fast food”—cleaned, fresh and ready to eat.
15. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
16. Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup for a quick afternoon snack.
17. “Grate” complement: Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
18. Stuff a whole grain pita with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
19. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with a low-fat dressing.
20. Try this recipe for an easy, healthy snack. Surprise! Popcorn is a whole grain.

Popcorn Delight
Makes 1 serving
3 cups popped fat-free unsalted popcorn 1 tablespoon sliced almonds 2 tablespoons raisins or other dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots or dates 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon sugar
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients and toss well.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories: 230
Fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 39 g
Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 6 g
Sodium: 274 mg

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Eating Before Exercise

People often ask me, "What, if anything, should i eat before working out?" The most important thing is to definitely eat something before working out. Your body needs the energy to get through the workout. Here are some tips and a list of foods to eat that will give you a boost for your workout.

Eating Before Exercise
• Consume a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal before exercise to top off muscle stores.
• Include small amounts of protein in your pre-exercise meal(s). Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue. Adequate protein before exercise may help reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.
• Choose pre-exercise meal(s) that are low in fat and fiber to ensure optimal digestion.

3–4 Hours Before Exercise
• Peanut butter & honey on toast
• Fruit and yogurt smoothie + low-fat granola
• Oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds + skim milk + banana
• Low-fat cottage cheese + apple butter + crackers + fresh grapes
• Lean hamburger on bun with lettuce & tomato + side salad + yogurt-fruit parfait
• Turkey and Swiss sandwich + fruit + sports drink • Low-fat tuna melt sandwich + fruit cup + fat-free yogurt

30–60 Minutes Before Exercise
• Sports drink or water
• Sports gel, sport beans or gummies, sports bar
• Piece of fruit or jam sandwich
• Handful of pretzels or crackers

Tips to Take With You
1. Experiment with foods and drinks to determine the best timing and your tolerance for pre-exercise foods.
2. Practice! Figuring out what works best for you will boost confidence in eating before exercise.
3. Fuel muscles early with easily digestible carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages for training.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Soy Protein vs. Whey Protein

Protein is important part of a balanced diet as it aides in building muscle, especially after weight workouts and high intensity cardio workouts. Protein also helps in muscle repair after weight training. The market is flooded with all types of protein bars, powders, and supplements. Look carefully at the labels to make sure you are not eating a glorified candy bar. Some of these bars, even though high in protein, are packed with calories and fat. Then it comes down to what protein is better, soy or whey. The fact is, they are both are good options. While whey is a complete animal protein derived from milk, soy protein, derived from soybeans, is as complete a protein without coming from animal.

Soy protein is low in saturated fat, and it has powerful antioxidant properties that have been shown to play a role in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease. Sources where soy protein may be found are soybeans, tofu, miso, tempeh, soymilk, soy protein powder and some meal-replacement drinks. Soy Protein is a great alternative for those looking for a vegetarian protein option.

Whey protein is "fast acting" protein which means your body absorbs it quickly. Whey protein is popular with athletes because it has been shown to help build muscle and increase strength. Sources of whey protein include milk, as well as meal-replacement drinks and protein powders.






Sunday, August 1, 2010

Healthy Eating on Vacation

A summer vacation is usually not the time when healthy eating and/or exercise is on the mind. It is after all a vacation. There are ways to indulge just enough so you do not return home feeling like you need to amp up your exercise and restrict your diet. Or even worse is if you return home and just think that your plan you had been following before vacation is not working and you give up all together. Check out the tips in this article for ways to keep on track while on vacation. Hope these tips are helpful and have a great vacation!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

13.1 DONE


It was a 55 degree overcast day in San Fran. A great morning for a run. I hit my goal of breaking 1:30 and completed the run in 1:29:20. I ended up finishing 70th out of 3,541 participants. Click on the link to the right under race results to view my finish. Once on the site choose the 2nd Half Marathon from the drop down on the left and type in my name or bib #, 15297.

Now it's time to rest and recover and get ready for the Boston half marathon in October. I will continue to update my training on the right side and post some more helpful and interesting articles. Thanks for the support!

Friday, July 23, 2010

13.1 Under the Golden Gate Sun

By The Numbers:

Since I started training for the San Francisco Half Marathon, here are some of my training numbers:

77 - Days of training
215 - miles ran
12 - longest training run
3 - shortest training run
505 - minutes of swimming
146 - miles of biking

Race day is sunday. I will post my results and let you know how it went.

In the meantime, check out this article on power foods to boost your mood.



Friday, July 16, 2010

A 5 Miler, a New Half Marathon, and 5 less flavors



I ran the Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5 Miler on Thursday night. Despite the hot weather I had a pretty good run. I did not go as hard as I wanted as I am saving speed for the half marathon next weekend. Click here for my results. Also, I entered the Boston Half Marathon which is on October 10th. This will be a good run to do as I prepare for the Philadelphia Marathon on 11/21.

On another note, Baskin Robbins is retiring 5 of its flavors. But don't worry, they are adding 5 more because 26 flavors is not enough. Here is the article.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Beer Here!

You probably don't think of it when you are enjoying a nice cold beer, but calories in beer add up quick, especially when you are spending an afternoon at a bbq or a night out. And let's be honest, you are usually not enjoying a beer with a low calorie salad. Some beers can have as many as 200 calories per 12 ounces. Check out this website for calorie and alcohol content of your favorite domestic beers. Click here for a breakdown of imported beers.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

When Salads Go Bad...

Check out this article about on some not so light salads. You may not eat these particular salads, but pay attention to what goes into your next salad. Calories add up with the addition of meats, cheeses, and creamy dressings and of course the edible bowl.

2 Weeks Until SF Half!

I did my last long run before san fran half in 2 weeks. 12.1 miles this morning in 1:24.35. On my pace for 7 minute miles. I'm hoping adrenaline will make me faster in 2 weeks! Click here to view my route from this morning.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Benefits of Interval Training

Tired of your same cardio routine on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike? Try interval training to mix up your cardio workout. Doing short sprints for 30 seconds to a minute, or increasing the incline for a minute, raises your heart rate fast and burns more calories and increases your endurance. Quick sprints and then a 1-2 minute cool down are a great way to incorporate both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. It is important that you bring your hear rate down after the sprint to recover before starting your next interval. Give it a try and see how much faster the time goes by and also how much more you feel the burn. If you are consistent with interval training, over time you will see you will be able sprint longer and recover faster. Check out this article that goes more in depth on interval training and also offers different types of interval workouts.

Friday, July 2, 2010

BBQ and You

The BBQ is what the 4th of July is all about. With that said, here is a breakdown of calories of a typical 4th BBQ. These are ballpark calorie numbers as everyone prepares food differently. These are baseline and/or standard numbers before anything is added. Keep these numbers in mind as you step up to the plate this weekend. Happy 4th!

Hot Dog w/bun - 250 calories
Turkey Dog w/bun - 180 calories
4 ounce Grilled Chicken Breast w/bbq sauce - 300 calories
6 ounces of Pork Ribs - 500 calories
4 ounce Hamburger w/bun - 450 calories
4 ounce Turkey Burger w/bun - 220 calories

1/2 cup Potato Salad - 200 calories
1/2 Macaroni Salad - 200 calories
1/2 Cole Slaw - 80 calories

1/2 cup Hagen Daz Vanilla Ice Cream - 300 calories
Slice of Homemade Apple Pie (9" diameter) - 400 calories

Thursday, July 1, 2010

It's All About The Calories


My first post to this blog a week ago was all about portion size and learning how to recognize the number of calories on your plate and how many you consume in a day. Our diets adjust each day and we need to know how many calories we take in each day in order to maintain, lose or gain weight. If you follow one of the fad diets out there, the meals associated with the diets usually keep your calorie levels at a lower number then what your body probably needs to maintain its weight. The truth is, no matter what you eat, it's all about the number of calories you eat in a day. Here is the research article that shows this. The subjects in this study were divided into 4 groups and assigned one of 4 diets to follow. Whether you skip the bread, stick to fish and chicken, or go vegetarian, it all comes down to the number of calories you eat each day. Take note of the tips in the article about how to cut out excess calories in your diet. The importance of portion control and being aware of the number of calories you eat in a day is a great start if you are trying to lose weight. I will post tips this weekend on how to recognize how many calories are on your plate.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Beat the Heat


Good tips on running/walking in the heat courtesy of my friends at the Revolutionary Running Club. Check it out by clicking here.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Importance of Carbohydrates


Thanks to the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, and any other carbohydrate restricting diet out there, there seems to be this thinking that carbohydrates are bad for you and lead to weight gain. That is pure Nonsense! Carbohydrates are what give us energy. They are our body's initial energy source during exercise and it is important that include carbohydrates in your diet especially if you are doing doing strenuous activity. There are many forms of carbohydrates and this article breaks down the pros and cons on what is the best way to replenish carbohydrates during strenuous exercise. Check back soon for a post on what carbs are best for before exercise and also to include in your diet on a daily basis.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Reidro Recommends

You have heard it over and over: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many of us are constantly on the go in the morning that we consider a cup of coffee to be breakfast. Besides setting yourself up for overeating the rest of the day, unintentionally starving your body can lower your metabolism and lead to weight gain. Your body needs (the right amount of) food every 4 hours. When you skip meals your body will start to store food as fat because it does not know when the next meal will be. Eating meals frequently and consistently throughout the day will keep your body working like a well oiled machine. So, if you are bored with your usual breakfast or just skip it altogether and want a quick and easy on the go breakfast, consider what I eat. I start my day with 1/2 cup of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal. Heart to Heart is a fiber packed cheerios-esque cereal. I mix it with a handful of dry roasted unsalted almonds. The fiber in the cereal and the protein in the almonds make it a very filling start to the day and you don't need a lot to feel full and satisfied. Mix in a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit and you have a great snack for any time of the day. For a mid-morning snack I have a 6oz. low fat yogurt and a banana. Eat your breakfast and get your day started right!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Hey You, Get Moving!


A good way to stay active and keep up with your training is to put an event on the calendar that will keep you motivated. There are numerous 5k, 8k, and 10k events happening every weekend right in your backyard, especially in the summer and fall. If you are looking to get into more of a routine with your exercise a 5k is great way to get started. A 5k is 3.1 miles for those not up on the metric system. Sounds far but really is not when you break it down into segments and spend 6-8 weeks training. I started running road races after grad school and it helped me a lot to keep up with my running and try to improve my time. 5k, 8k, and 10k's are also great training races for half-marathons and marathons. These events are a great way to feel a sense of accomplishment and they are also usually centered around some sort of event to benefit charities. There is usually a crowd along the route pushing you to the finish and an after race recovery party. Active.com is a great site to find an event. Click here and enter your location to find a race in your area. Put it on the calendar and get moving!