Using Beef as a protein source in your diet for the athlete

For those of you who don't know me, my BS is in Animal Science and my MS is in Food Science: Food Safety.  I  focused on pre harvest food safety, as in influencing food borne pathogens from farm to fork, mainly at the farm level.  My thesis project was using cattle diets to reduce acid resistance in pathogens shed from feedlot cattle. Even though I don't work on the field I studied so many years, I do keep an ear out and constantly read papers on food safety, food outbreaks, and food in general.  When I saw that Kansas had a Team Beef that was comprised of athletes spreading the word at races and events about the importance of beef in a health, well rounded diet, I felt like this was the perfect team to be on.  My family eats a variety of foods and proteins but we LOVE our beef.  We support a local farmer and buy a side of beef to stock our freezer, as well as hunt down good deals at the fresh meat counter at our local grocery store.

I know sometimes it is hard to decipher the research that comes out on a sometimes daily basis.  Eat this, don't eat that, this is safe, this isn't.  Buzz words are thrown around like all "natural" and "organic", and "hormone free".  Most consumers don't know what to believe or what to think.  It is hard to navigate these articles and these scientific findings.  There are some pretty established facts about using Beef that can't be denied.  Here are a few of my favorites:


 -A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants in the BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) study experienced a 10% decrease in LDL cholesterol from baseline when they ate lean beef daily as part of a heart healthy diet and lifestyle containing less than 7% of calories from saturated fat.

-A 3 oz. serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000-calorie diet and it supplies more than 10 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for 10 essential nutrients. On average, a 3 oz. serving of lean beef (about the size of a deck of cards) contains about 150 calories and is an excellent source of six nutrients (protein, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 , niacin and selenium) and a good source of four nutrients (phosphorous, choline, iron and riboflavin)

-A substantial body of evidence shows protein can help in maintaining a healthy weight, building muscle and fueling physical activity – all of which play an important role in a healthful lifestyle and disease prevention.

 -Beef is also a natural source of the polyunsaturated fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Although the research on CLA is still evolving, evidence suggest this fatty acid may have positive effects on cardiovascular disease, body composition, insulin resistance, immune function and bone health.


"Recipe/photo/information courtesy of The Beef Checkoff www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com"

These are just a few of the amazing facts I learned through my orientation.  I am going to start doing a series of posts on how to use Beef in your daily diet.  I am currently going through a 30 day protein challenge through the Kansas Beef Council and learning lots about protein  and food journaling.  I have also discovered some amazing info graphic sheets about using beef as part of a diet when you are an athlete.  Here is my favorite one:

http://www.kansasbeef.org/CMDocs/KansasNew/beefbig10nutrients.pdf

and this one:

http://www.kansasbeef.org/CMDocs/KansasNew/Protein-Benefits-Infographic_ARMS100214-04.pdf

So check them out and learn a lot about beef!!!!  It is my favorite protein source and I can't wait to represent them this spring and summer in my races by wearing my jersey and answering lots of questions!

First Week of Official training for the Heartland Series and a Confession

Even though my hubby has had the man flu all week, I have managed to get in all of my runs.  I am so thankful that he was able to suck it up, so I could get out and get my training in.  The week looked like this:

Monday: An easy 5 with some 30 second pick ups littered throughout.  Ran with Mel so had good conversation and the miles flew by.

Tuesday: Strength training with some killer exercises my coach put together including some one legged squats (ouch) and some good old crunches.

Wednesday: an easy 5 with Mel again.  We aren't doing official speed work yet, so more just easy runs this first week.

Thursday:  a day off.  A time to catch up on laundry and dishes and and and..Sigh.  Why do they call it a rest day when there is actually no rest involved at all?

Friday: an easy 4 with the two nuts Deuce and Stella.  I had promised Deuce we would have some mommy and me time, but Stella really wanted to go.  I had heard that many people had seen coyotes lately, so I thought two protectors was better than one.  I tried letting them both off at the same time to get their runs out, and stella pretty much tried to kill deuce for 2 straight miles.  Put them both on leash to head back, was tired of yelling at Stella to BE NICE TO YOUR BROTHER.  Sometimes i feel like I have three toddlers instead of one.

Saturday: A long run of 9 miles.  I sure do love running in the winter.  Sleeping in is glorious, even if it is only till 7:30 am.  Went out at 9 am on my beloved long run road and several Run to the Top podcasts cued up.  Felt like 14, but there was hardly any wind and the sun was up, so I felt great.  Glad I got out today, it's suppose to be -14 tomorrow, BRRRR!

Sunday: Another round of strength training.

Total mileage: 23 miles

A great first week to get back in the saddle of training.  I am going to miss Mel next week as she is out of town, so hoping my coach is nice to me and doesn't throw anything too crazy my way.  I ran all of my runs in my new ascis shoes, and other than some general soreness, am feeling pretty good overall and glad that I got the shoes.

Now for the confession.  It pains me to say this but, I have gained weight. Not just a little, according to when I weigh myself, 8-10 lbs, which is a TON for my little frame.  I knew my clothes were fitting a bit tight lately, but I tend to try and stay away from the scale.  Years of weight watchers made me hate the scale, and I am in the best shape I have ever been in so the scale doesn't matter usually.  I judge it more on how my clothes fit, so when I could barley squeeze the button close on my jeans the other day, I thought wow, what am I up to now.  Gulp.  I was expecting a few pounds, but not that much.  I know I was pretty good during the holidays, because I had the stomach flu and couldn't eat.  I think it is an additive effect of doughnuts before grocery shopping, and fancy coffee with whipped cream and flavors, and christmas candy on sale.  I know on my trip I was bad, because I only travel once or twice a year, so I like to enjoy myself, especially when all food and drink is free.

So, what am I going to do?  Well, I have made significant good changes in my life the last few months during and post Chicago training, so I am going to continue doing those things.  I am keeping a water bottle at my desk and trying to get at least 3, 16 oz water bottles drank a day with my Nuun tablets.  I have replaced my lunch diet soda/flavored tea with Nuun Energy tabs.  I try to drink Nuun + water at dinner, instead of my beloved beer( i am a huge fan of craft beer and usually have one at night with dinner).  I try and just do black coffee instead of fru fru mochas.  I eat hummus and veggies for lunch, versus going out to eat.  We also meal plan and grocery shop weekly, and try to have 4-5 meals planned for the week, so the eating out trips are minimal.  I am trying really hard, and i just need to buckle down harder.  The trips are done for 6 months till we go to Colorado for Mel's wedding.  The Christmas candy and goodies are all eaten and gone.  I am back to enjoying black coffee and I am back to more miles running.  I am hoping that all of these little changes are going to add up and that I am going to be back down to my racing weight soon.  I am trying not to dwell on it, but I did want to get it off of my chest and put it out there for accountability.

See, I feel so much better now.  Have a great weekend!!!!!

A bump in the road part three and the first OFFICIAL week of training starts

I thought I would update my bump in the road story.  For those who are lost and have no clue what I am talking about, you can go read about my bump in the road here and here.  Basically, I had a breast cancer scare that was followed by a flurry of Drs, Radiologists, and biopsies.  My path report came back benign, but my Radiologist Dr. felt uncomfortable with the results, which made me feel VERY uncomfortable.  I am very lucky in that I know many people in research and industry, who are in this area of cancer research.  Through reviewing the path reports with them, I was feeling a lot more comfortable with the wait and see method.  My primary care physician had suggested a consult with a surgeon, which I felt would really put my mind at ease to have basically a third set of eyes watching.  I had my appointment Monday, and I came out feeling a ton of relief.  My new surgeon did a great job of going over every ounce of my path report, complete with pictures (I am a visual learner).  To break it  down to a super easy level, I have some cells in a duct in  my breast that are abnormal.  They are not cancerous and have probably been that way most or all of my life.  They could have come from a trauma to the breast,  including running, or all of the sports I played while I was growing up.  He feels very confident that waiting and watching is the best option, and wants to do the mammogram at his office, while he is present at my 6 month follow up.  While he felt that the Radiologist DR had to go in and do a biopsy if he even had a smidgen of doubt that it was cancerous, he felt like since the lump was super tiny (1 mm) and that it couldn't even be felt upon palpation, that probably monitoring more closely would have been a better option.  I guess I am on the fence.  I feel like knowing that it isn't cancer was worth the pain and the compression bandage for a few days.  I probably would have erred on the side of caution anyway and asked for one.  I will have my next mammogram in six months so stay tuned for updates:)

Just a quick update on running.  I have pretty much kept up my running since the Chicago marathon, mainly for the mental benefits it gives me.   Of course I took some time off, and then had a few very light weeks with lots of cross training to ensure full recovery.  I have a good base built for this upcoming training year, and will start my official training this week for my spring full of half marathons.  I am still using Coach Jenny (meet her here), and still love her strategy for me.  I run 4 days a week, usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, with strength training on Tuesday and Sunday, and a complete rest day on Thursday.  I usually do two speed work sessions a week (repeats, tempo runs, fartleks, or progression runs), two easy runs a week, and a long run on the weekends.  I have lots of wiggle room to shuffle runs and work outs around if needed.  You know good ole life, it likes to mess with you, especially if you are super Type A like myself.  I really love the fact that Coach Jenny gives me specific strength training work outs.  I don't do well with, "hey, go to the gym and work out", because I will find myself on the treadmill every.single.time.  She specifies the exercises and the reps, with three rounds expected,  but also with the ability to reduce reps or lighter weights if needed.  So far, I have been able to borrow any equipment needed for my strength training, thanks to my wonderful running friends.  I am also continuing to do at least two runs a week with my speedy friend Mel and sometimes my long run.  This is a HUGE advantage because accountability is very important in the winter time, and honestly, I really don't love speed work and she does.  She is also faster than I, so chasing her helps me stay in the allotted pace I need to be in per my coaches instructions.  I am really excited for this training cycle, and really excited to try and hit my goal of a 2:05 again this year in the Heartland Series halfs.

In closing this random post, I came back from my trip to find out I now have a dare devil on my hands.  Can't wait till he can ride his bike long enough to accompany me on my easy runs:)  Thinking maybe elbow and knee pads might be a future purchase as well.

Stunt Puppy-Gear for active dogs!

I have blogged about the great products at Stunt Puppy, as I LOVE their running leashes.   I love the fact that they are hands free, and bonus, made in the USA!  Our own local running store carries a variety of the running leashes in store, including the Go dog Glo running leash, which is my go to when it gets dark early and I am running after work.  I contacted Stunt puppy a few weeks back to see if they have an ambassador program, since I am such a big believer in their products.  Much to my chagrin, they don't have a program in place, BUT they wanted to send me some free products to try.  Since I am huge user and lover of the running leashes, I decided to try the non-running leashes (which are also hands free) and the new Go Dog Glo Dry collar, made with reflective Biothane.

The first thing I noticed about the collar was that you could attach a leash to it on a ring OR you could use it as a martingale.  I love using collars with martingale options.  I have heard too many stories about dogs pulling out of collars, and then having horrible accidents, so I am a big fan of a collar that won't come off.  I also like the nice durable easy to release plastic snap, that can handle up to 225 lbs of pull. Note that this is not an break away collar, or a collar I would leave on a dog unsupervised.  

I can see this collar being very useful for walks at low light, or after dark, and for dogs that like to do water type activities due to fact that it has the biothane.  Plus, it will never stink, since it will stay dry, and not absorb water!  

I also like the fact that with the two D rings you could put tags on one ring and the leash on the other.  It is always a pain to try and leash up on a D ring that is already full of rabies/microchip/phone number tags.  With two rings, you don't have to worry about that!!!  And again, don't forget that all is made in the USA!  

Now on the leash.  I LOVE hands free and this leash is the softest most durable material I have ever seen.  Straight from their website  the leash is made of "tubular webbing used by climbers and firefighters, it's the softest, smoothest and most comfortable leash for you and your best friend".  It's a five foot leash that can be a hands free leash or a hands on leash or even around the shoulder leash.  They can also tailor the length if you need a custom length, which is super nice.  They come in 5 colors and again are made in the USA!  The every day leash also has the "traffic loop" near the collar that I just love, so that you can pull your dog in closer if you are in a crowded situation or for running, about to cross a busy street or have a car coming by.  I LOVE the versatility of this leash and highly recommend it for every day use.  

I just can't say enough about their products.  Stella Ella and I LOVE (notice I use the word LOVE several times:) them and use them every day.  They are durable and colorful and ship quickly.  We are lucky that our local running store carries their products but if you can't buy local, you can find their products in their web store or on amazon.  Thank you to Stunt Puppy for sending me some products to try!!!!  Your quality surpasses all others, and I can't thank you enough for making awesome products for us who run with dogs, but also to those who just need an everyday leash or collar!  

My Trip to Road Runners Sports San Diego

Okay a few years ago I was looking for a place to get running gear at a good price.  We have a local running store, and I try and support them as much as possible, but sometimes you just need a good deal.  Especially if you are putting in enough miles to need shoes fairly regularly.  Enter in Road Runner Sports.  I had several running friends who used them for shoes, and were part of a VIP program that got the really good prices on shoes and gear AND free shipping AND a 90 day take back program if a shoe didn't work.  I decided to start ordering from them and LOVED the process and the prices.   I totally forgot that they were located in San Diego, so when I texted a friend about local running stores to visit, he reminded me that Road Runners was in San Diego, and not too far from our condo.  It just so happens that several of the people who traveled with us were interested in going to the store as well, after I explained the very thorough fitting process they go for.  I had read about how great the whole process was from STUFT mama's blog, and I was not disappointed at all!

Let me explain the process if you have not ever been.  You go in and sign up for an appointment first.  We went in on a rainy Tuesday morning, and it was not crowded at all, so I am not sure how long wait times could be.  After signing my name, they called me back almost immediately.  First of all, we went over everything I wanted to accomplish, and what I was looking for with my shoe, and what I had been running in and why.  In the picture above, you can see my technician for the day Rosario, who was VERY helpful/knowledgeable and listened to everything I had to say(and those who know me know I can say A LOT).  My main concern was post injury and post PT, that something might have changed, and that maybe I needed a new shoe than what I was running in. I still have fairly regular ankle pain in my left leg and my tendon gets angry still to this day if I do a bunch of hill work or high intensity.  We filled out a survey together on a very large TV/computer screen, as well as on a pad of paper that i got to take with me.  

After the process, I also immediately got an email with all of the specifics that Rosario found during my video taped run.  I was then instructed to take off my shoes and socks, roll up my pants, and step on a pressure plate type of instrument that can tell you about your arches and pressure points.  My arches were not high nor low, so that hasn't changed at all.  Next, you are instructed to get on the treadmill barefoot, and run while your technician video tapes you briefly.  Newbie runners, do NOT worry about running in front of some one.  It is VERY brief and NO one judges you about your lack of fitness if you are new to running.  The process is very quick and you get a wealth of information about what you need for your running style/body type.

After going over the results of your video,  you are asked if you would like to have custom inserts made.  There is NO obligation to buy, so I highly recommend doing this process, even if you don't think you will want them.  It is really nice to try them out, and they are custom made specifically to your feet, so very specialized to you.  Let me back up about my video.  I had some disheartening findings.  My feet looked even more turned out than normal, even when I had shoes on.  I really thought I had this way more under control than the video showed.  It really made me sad that it appears we have made no improvement:(  What was even more interesting was that now my ankles were rolling in, something we have never seen on the previous videos.  I really don't think it was there previously and that we missed it, I think it is a relatively new issue.  The good news is, stability shoes can help with this issue, and while I LOVE my sacouny Kinvaras, I was willing to try out some stability shoes as long as they were low on cushioning.

I was lead to a seating area where a new technician came and helped me with shoe selection.  Based on Rosario's suggestion as well as his,  I needed a stability shoe with low cushioning.  I was trying to be unbiased about brand and color, but honestly, it was hard.  Some of the shoes he pulled were UGLY!  I also had indicated that I was interested in trail shoes, so I tried a few of those as well while I was there.  

In the end, after trying on, running in, and re videoing, I found a winner.  I never would have guessed the Asics Gel DS trainer 20 would have won, but when I put them on, they fit like a glove.  The part that sold me more than the fit was the fact that when I ran in them, I could see immediate results on the video.  The ankle rolling stopped altogether in my left foot, which was the worst of the two, and was about 90% corrected in my right foot.  The toeing out was also a tiny bit better as well, in both feet but still not where I want it.  Oh well, I am a work in progress.  I also found a trail shoe that I would really like to purchase, once I start trail running more.  

The best part is that even though the shoes I found were a hideous color, the price for VIPs was perfect, AND I walked away knowing without a doubt that i had the right shoe for comfort and for the issue I was having.  I didn't just blindly pick a shoe based on fit or color, it really did fix the problem.  I like knowing that my hard earned money isn't being wasted.  I highly recommend if you are EVER in San Diego that you visit.  We were there for three hours, but we all walked away with new shoes and socks, AND free shipping of our purchases back to home, since we were traveling.  I also ended up with another piece of gear I needed, some cold weather pants that I can't wait to try out tomorrow.  All in all, 5 stars for all of the techs working there!!!!  Incredibly knowledgeable in every type of shoe, sock, piece of gear, everything really.  I will for sure be going back next year for a re evaluation.  PLUS, they have in stock WAY more shoes than any of our local smaller stores, so spend time trying on and trying out as many shoes as you can.  It really is worth the time to find the best fit for you and to do this type of analysis once a year.  Thank you Road Runners Sports for such a great experience!  I wished I lived closer, i would be in way more than my budget could probably handle:)

  

A business trip

Get ready for lots of sunset/beach/rainbow pictures:)

Been radio silent all week due to a business trip.  Just hijacked my boss's nice laptop for a second to write some thoughts.  First of all, I always hope to get more running in that I actually accomplish, and this year I had a valid excuse and surprisingly it wasn't an illness.  San Deigo had the worst rains they have had in years this week.  We even at one time had multiple tornado warnings while we were in meetings.  Funny thing is, back in Kansas, they had multiple small earthquakes.  Go figure!  I was lucky in the day that I got here, it was sunny and warm to me (60s and all of the runners were completely bundled up) so I headed out to catch the sunset and run a little.  Unfortunately, I could only get about 3 miles in of running back and forth on the beach front but I am NOT complaining.  The views, when I wasn't dodging others watching the sunset, was amazing!

I so love running and hearing the waves crashing.  It was so meditative, well, when not dodging people on the side walks.  FYI, I am NOT use to running on sidewalks, but the traffic is SO crazy here I did not dare try running in the roads.

 Let me tell you about the amazing hills here!  I got such a great hill work out in just trying to get 3 miles in that I emailed my coach and asked if I could just do hill repeats rather than straight mileage.  She agreed but then the weather turned nasty for the rest of the week.  I don't mind rain, I won't melt but I do mind high winds and palm fronds falling all over.  Plus road were flooding pretty quickly causing motorists to have major issues.

Due to the weather, we spent a lot of time indoors during our sight seeing period of our trip.  My boss is always super nice about letting us come down a day or two earlier so we can see some of the sights.  

 We took in Balboa Park during one of the rain storms.  I visited the museum of Natural History and when the rain stopped, we all visited the botanical gardens.

I did a strength work out too, since I was forced inside one morning due to high wind and rain.   

We also visited the Birch aquarium.  It was small but the exhibits were really good!

I really LOVED the sea horse exhibit and the Giant Octopus.  He or She came out and put her/his tentacles on the glass, so we all got some octopus love pictures.

 During our meetings, which was a user's group meeting for customers of Bionano equipment, we were treated to many San Diego sights and eats.  One of the nights, we got to take over White Labs brewery, and not only taste the yummy brews, but also tour their state of the art facilities.  I highly recommend going to the tasting room if you are ever in San Diego.  The brewers were very knowledgeable and passionate about what they do.

 They only had one stout,  BUT it  had 96 strains of yeast, and was one of the best stouts I have ever tasted.  It was my favorite, but I also tried several porters, and some lighter beers to compare.  We were also treated to authentic street tacos.  I was brave and tried the fish taco, but just couldn't do it.  Just not a fish person, but at least I did my three brownie bites before I gave up.

We also had a family style dinner at a very yummy restaurant thats name escapes me.  They did have very interesting decor.  Maybe I should sell all of my Breyer models for decor for restaurant?

 I did finally get my hill repeats.  8 repeats on with two on each of four different hills, and they were killer, with my recovery jogs going straight into this view.  Heaven.

My San Diego trip is coming to a close, as we are heading back to snowy cold Kansas today.  I am going to do a separate blog on my experience of going to Road Runner Sports, because I had the most amazing experience ever there!!!!  I have had so much fun, networked TONS, and learned SO much!  BONUS.  didn't get the stomach bug or a bad cold, so was able to truly enjoy many, many fine San Diego brews.  I love coming every year and can't wait till next year!!!!

Running by the Numbers 2015

Okay I wrote a post like this last year last year, and it was kind of fun, so I thought I would write one for 2015.  I have even added a races tab to my  blog, not to brag at all, but more for me to see the progression.  I love seeing improvement, because I work really, really hard to get that improvement.

First of all Happy New years!  We went to a kid's party that Andrew's best friend's mom hosted.  We had a veggie tray, a fruit tray, cupcakes and summer sausage and cheese to eat with a few adult beverages for the big kids.  The kids had FUN!

We had silly string and fake champagne toast at 9 pm complete with a netflix count down:)  Those kids are party animals!  We headed back to the house and watched the ball drop at 11pm our time in new york, and then headed to bed.  I had a long run scheduled for the morning, so I couldn't be a party animal and honestly, I was ready to go to bed at 10.  I made sure to drink my Nuun with electrolytes before bed to equal out the adult beverages.

To follow the format that I used last year here are the numbers I collected to sum up 2015

Number of miles I ran: 1200 even.  I had to go run half a mile to get that number last night:) I am still in disbelief.  To go from 828 with an injury to 1200 and perfect health is mind blowing.

Biggest mileage month: 154 in august.  I am still so excited that I finally had a few 100 mile months.  

Number of Races I did this year: I have written down 13, but I swear at one time i had a list of 14, but can't for the life of me remember the one I am missing.  Check out my new races page for the list!  I  did 1 marathon,  5 half marathons, 3 10 ks, 1 10 mile technical trail race, 2 5 Ks, and 1 two miler.  

Number of DNS: One 10 K, the speedy PD.  I just didn't think it was smart to do that much racing while I was training for Chicago.  Of course I decided that after I paid the entry fee but the Speedy PD benefits Parkinson's disease research, so I am glad to have given my donation to a worthy cause.

Half PR: 2:06 at Rock the Parkway which is my A race for the spring.  Still wanting a 2:05!  Hopefully this is the year!

10 K PR: 56:43 at the Vet school's Dog and Jog.  Cool weather made this possible because this course was a double loop with some killer hills!

5K PR: 27:40 Tails on the Trail 5 K.  I need to do some road races this year to see what I can do on flat.  I think my marathon training helped up my speed.

2 mile PR:  Well, this isn't fair because this was my first year.  17:52.  I was also coming back from my injury so I played it safe.  This year hopefully I can push it and get a better time.

10 Mile PR: 2:31:50.  This was my first stab at this distance, and it was on a super technical trail.  I am hoping to get that number way down in a road race.

PB:  Pretty much every course I re did this year was a PB.  The proof  is in the pudding.  I worked super hard last winter no matter what the weather to get these times, and i am super proud of accomplishing everything I accomplished.  This is all made even better by the fact that I had a doctor last year tell me to quit running and find a new hobby due to my biomechanics and injury.  I would love to visit his office some time and show him my marathon medal:)  

I had hoped for an epic year, and I think I accomplished that.  I am looking forward to improving my times even more this year, but even if I don't, I am just super happy to be healthy and running!!!!!  I love meeting new friends and am looking forward to meeting some of my blogging friends I have met via the computer this year in person!  I am also excited to train for the Heartland Series with Mel G and have my mom run the 5 K at Running with the Cows again this spring.  

I am also looking forward to hopefully another injury free year and another fall marathon.

 2016 here I come!!!!!