Good eats

Need healthy food that tastes great?  It's almost time for The Holidays, when most people just accept that they'll gain a few pounds at the expense of indulging in tasty treats.  But what if these treats didn't always have to be bad for you?  Why must we sacrifice our hard earned abs, just to enjoy a few nice meals with family? 

A skilled cook can easily figure out exciting flavor combinations without overdoing it with sugar and butter.  Check out the pictures provided by Chef Elizabeth Sasseman and tell me you don't want to try her cooking:

Oh and she is a stud Ultrarunner who completed the Leadville 100 this year at the baby age of 23!  So you know she understands the importance of proper nutrition for the long run.

Photo:  Chef Elizabeth Sasseman

Warning:  this is a shameless plug for my friend Liz's cooking, but seriously I'm plugging her cooking and food because after talking to her, I can tell she is really passionate about cooking healthy food for people who might otherwise not have the time to do so.  Not to mention she is a fantastic cook who makes healthy food taste great.  Its not easy to do. 

Check out here website here:  http://chefelizabethsasseman.com/
Like her facebook page:  chefelizabethsasseman
Send her an email:  chefelizabethsasseman@yahoo.com

Photo:  Chef Elizabeth Sasseman

Photo:  Chef Elizabeth Sasseman

Photo:  Chef Elizabeth Sasseman

Limiting GI Distress - Low FODMAP diets

Low FODMAP diets
Basic Application and Thoughts on Race Circumstances

Huh?  Fogmaps?  Frogmats?  Whaaa???

Up until recently, I had never heard of FODMAPs.  Then I went Paleo, and lots of new nutrition theory started sprouting up.  Honestly some is garbage and/or poorly interpreted research, but I actually think there is a lot of good scientific thought being put out there as well.  One of the term's I became most interested in, was the term FODMAP and how it was suggested to help people with digestive problems, specifically Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (1).  Then, I had the opportunity to attend an excellent seminar in our department on the topic.

I contacted the speaker afterwords, and she sent along a binder full of articles and links to another dozen studies focused on gastrointestinal health and the low-FODMAP diet (thanks Lexi!). 

So, with no further time wasting!

FODMAPs

Stands for:   Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
These are an otherwise unrelated group of carbohydrates that have a short chain length and can be fermented in the small intestine or colon and are thought to contribute to IBS in many individuals.

Examples of problematic short chain carbohydrates (2):

Oligosaccharides:  Fructo-oligosacchardies aka Fructans (found in wheat, rye, onions, artichokes) and galacto-oligosaccharides aka Galactans (found in legumes)
Disaccharides:  Lactose, maltose, sucrose (rare)
Monosaccharides:  Fructose
Polyols:  Sorbitol, mannitol, other –ol molecules

Short chain length is important to mention, as this is what makes these carbohydrates so readily fermented by the microbiome living within our gut.  What happens when we have fermentation in the gut?  Well, mostly gas, so you might start farting up a storm, but other, less amusing things happen too…

What I would suggest is that FODMAPs are mostly a component in foods that lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, whether it be diarrhea or bloating, both; these are totally not good for an ultrarunner (or anyone with a sensitive stomach).

Gastrointestinal discomfort

So what causes GI issues?  Well if you subscribe to the theories presented by researchers using low-FODMAP diets to treat patients, the etiology behind many of these GI issues is related the nervous system within the gut, known as the enteric nervous system (2,3).  Yeah, your intestines have a mind of their own.  The nerves that innervate the small and large intestine sense a variety of chemical signals as well as function as pressure sensors.  Persons with GI issues such as IBS are thought to suffer from over excessive activation of this nervous system (visceral hypersensitivity) which in turn communicates with the brain as well as activates smooth muscle within the intestine itself resulting in diarrhea and/or motility issues. 

Yet, in order for the gut to be hypersensitive, we must have some initial insult.  This is where FODMAPs and food chemicals are thought to play a role.  It is thought that the initial insult in many cases is something known as luminal distension.  This can lead to the feeling of pain and bloating, visible swelling of the abdomen, and also motility changes (3).  Based on this hypothesis, a dietary intervention has been recently implemented (mostly in Australia it seems) in order to minimize luminal distension. 

Luminal distension is though to be the result of mostly gas and fluid build up in the large intestine.  Gas is mostly a product of excessive fermentation in the colon and possibly the distal small intestine if the person has overgrowth of colonic bacteria (3).  The majority of fluids are normally absorbed  in the small intestine so that the feces is not too watery.  However, an excessive concentration of these small molecules results in poor absorption during transit through the small intestine; then they will pull water with them into the colon, resulting in luminal distension, even in normally healthy persons without hypersensitivity (3, 4). 

How to FODMAPs play into this all?  Well, diets high in FODMAPs provide large amounts of fermentable molecules to hungry bacteria in the colon and/or result in excessive fluid being pulled into the colon due to the osmotic influence of unabsorbed molecules such as polyols (3, 5).  In order to describe diets that are high or low in FODMAPs, foods have been analyzed and categorized for the various FODMAPs they contain (Table 1).    

Table 1:  Foods high in FODMAPs and alternative food choices.  Adapted from (5)

How does one approach this intervention if they feel it might be beneficial for them?  Well, I’m not an expert in this field, nor a dietitian, but what I have read suggests removing all FODMAPs from the diet and slowly reintroducing specific groups or foods and seeing if you are hypersensitive to these foods.  While some may find that they are sensitive to a wide range of FODMAPs others are only sensitive to a few select molecules.  Interestingly, this concept is already in practice and many do not realize it!  Hypolactasia (aka lactose intolerance) results in gastrointestinal discomfort including bloating, gas and diarrhea, thus people who suspect they suffer from this condition avoid consuming foods high in lactose.  Lactose is an excellent example because it highlights a very important issue concerning regulation of FODMAPs in ones diet:  individual sensitivity. 

Another case in which this is evident is the absorption pattern of fructose.  There seems to be a large range in peoples ability to absorb fructose, probably regulated by a genetic component (6).  Furthermore, the concentration of free fructose is the major contributor to fructose malabsorption as its absorption rate is determined by the ratio of glucose:fructose.  If fructose is consumed in concert with glucose, for example as  sucrose (a disaccharide containing both a molecule of glucose and a molecule of fructose), it is unlikely to cause GI symptoms, however, if one was to consume the same caloric quantity of pure free fructose, they would be more likely to develop GI symptoms.  

Are low FODMAP diets effective?

The short answer:  YES.  In people with IBS, low FODMAP diets have been shown to be extremely effective in reducing symptoms and discomfort, while re-introduction of FODMAPs usually results in the onset of new symptoms (3).  So if you’re a person with IBS this may be a dietary change that you want to consider.

FODMAPs and Running

I could have titled this section “Low FODMAP diets for the runs” but that would have been too obvious.  

How can a low FODMAP diet be beneficial for you as a runner?  Well if you have IBS, the application is pretty clear.  Those suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms are found to have changes in mood and fatigue levels after removing FODMAPs from their diets not to mention the fact that IBS induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal inflammation results in poor nutrient absorption and dehydration.  

Beyond treating IBS with a low FODMAP diet, to me, the application seems that this dietary pattern may be useful on a day to day basis when thinking about what to have for a snack before a run.  I’ve often heard it recommended avoiding foods containing too much fiber before going for a run, while lactose containing products are also often avoided.  

You know what I mean

While a low FODMAPs diet does not necessarily eliminate fiber from the pre-run snack, there is considerable benefit to limiting the amount of fermentable carbohydrates from the pre-run snack, both for you and your running partner.  Furthermore, foods containing polyols and other osmotically active FODMAPs likely contribute to increased gastric motility, a problem to which runners are particularly susceptible (7).   

In my opinion, the most important application of a low FODMAP diet is using this dietary pattern to make food choices the day before and even during a big race.  No one likes to deal with gastrointestinal issues while running 50 or 100 miles or a marathon.  Racing in particular stands out; people who normally do not have sensitive stomachs may notice an increase in gastrointestinal issues at higher effort levels (8).  Furthermore, dehydration due to diarrhea could put ones chances at finishing a race in severe jepordy.  I also think most race day (or week) nutrition strategies are also good strategies to implement when preparing for long runs and trying a low FODMAP diet several days before and up to a long run or race has the potential to be very beneficial to runners.  I should point out that the typical (although often innappriate) carbohydrate loading process involves eating a massive amount of pasta the night before a race.  If you look at table 1 you will notice that consumption of wheat products, especially large amounts, results in a large intake of fructans, thus many runners maybe be giving themselves a large dose of FODMAPs the night before an important race.  By avoiding these foods, keeping portion size in mind, and experimenting to find what works for them, some people might find some success with this dietary approach.  

Lastly, I should point out that many of the foods described above contain not only FODMAPs but other potentially irritating food components and chemicals such as gluten, salicylates, and allergens such as wheat, soy, milk proteins, amines and glutamates, as well as food additives such as benzoates, sulfites, and nitrates.  But seriously, that is an entire new can of worms.  Furthermore, gastrointestinal motility is under the control of multiple physiological systems, and can also be stimulated by caffeine and nicotine, something to keep in mind when trying to figure out why you spent 30 minutes hiding behind a tree at your last race.

Considerations

Low FODMAP diets are rather restrictive and may influence dietary quality depending on an individuals sensitivity.  Furthermore, many FODMAPs actually serve as prebiotics, thus by restricting these food components over the long term, one might change their micobiome.  If there is a reduction in fiber consumption due to the low FODMAP diet, this may influence ones risk of colorectal cancer and this should be taken into consideration.  While this dietary pattern has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for those suffering from IBS, it may not be appropriate for everyone.  It should be kept in mind that this type of diet has application for runners, but that it might not be the overall healthiest way of eating, merely a tool.  I think you will start to hear more about this type of diet (if you haven't already) as it makes its way into the USA from Australia and abroad.  

Works Cited

1.         Ong DK, Mitchell SB, Barrett JS, Shepherd SJ, Irving PM, Biesiekierski JR, Smith S, Gibson PR, Muir JG. Manipulation of dietary short chain carbohydrates alters the pattern of gas production and genesis of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome. J Gastroenterol Hepatol.  Aug;25:1366-73.

2.         Barrett JS, Gibson PR. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) and nonallergic food intolerance: FODMAPs or food chemicals? Therap Adv Gastroenterol.  Jul;5:261-8.

3.         Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Food choice as a key management strategy for functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Gastroenterol.  May;107:657-66; quiz 67.

4.         Clausen MR, Jorgensen J, Mortensen PB. Comparison of diarrhea induced by ingestion of fructooligosaccharide Idolax and disaccharide lactulose: role of osmolarity versus fermentation of malabsorbed carbohydrate. Dig Dis Sci. 1998 Dec;43:2696-707.

5.         Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: The FODMAP approach. J Gastroenterol Hepatol.  Feb;25:252-8.

6.         Barrett JS, Irving PM, Shepherd SJ, Muir JG, Gibson PR. Comparison of the prevalence of fructose and lactose malabsorption across chronic intestinal disorders. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jul 1;30:165-74.

7.         Rehrer NJ, Brouns F, Beckers EJ, Frey WO, Villiger B, Riddoch CJ, Menheere PP, Saris WH. Physiological changes and gastro-intestinal symptoms as a result of ultra-endurance running. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1992;64:1-8.

8.         de Oliveira EP, Burini RC. The impact of physical exercise on the gastrointestinal tract. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009 Sep;12:533-8.

Oils

Fish Oils
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for optimal health.  Recent evidence suggests most people not consuming a diet high in fatty fish are at risk for deficiency in specific polyunsaturated fatty acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids, especially Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid.  These fatty acids are now widely marketed as being able to cure any disease.  I won't get into what there is, and isn't strong evidence for, but will again reiterate that fact that most people are probably on the deficient side of things.

These fatty acids oxidize very easily, in fact when we feed these to mice in the lab, the diet has to be made fresh every 8 weeks even when refrigerated, and fresh diet is given to the mice every 3-4 days when at room temperature.  Look for high quality sources and keep refridgerated and protected from light (i.e. the dark amber bottles), if there are antioxidants in the oil this can slow the oxidation process.  I have heard the actual oils posses a higher bioavailability, but haven't seen any real evidence for this.

Cod liver oil is very high in vitamin D.  A vitamin with a similar deficiency/marketing story as fish oils.

Contains Omega 3s, but NOT EPA and DHA.  For a while Udo argued that the Omega 3 in this oil (alpha linelenic acid aka ALA) has a high conversion rate to EPA and DHA in humans.  Most experts agree this is totally false.

So Udo came out with an oil containing DHA

Coconut oil is a good source of saturated fat.  Hah, thats me being funny.  Seriously though, coconut oil contains some very unique fatty acids, including the medium chain length triglycerides.  It can be argued that these are burned more efficiently for fuel, but I've yet to be overly convinced by any studies (maybe I should look into this more).  There are some things to be said about some of the saturated fats in coconut oil in that they aren't common in a lot of other foods.  Saturated fat probably has a bad name in most households, and I am glad to see that coconut oil is helping people get past that anxiety.

Amino Acid Supplements

Amino Acid Supplements
Generally speaking, high dose amino acid supplements, utilizing pure amino acid sources.  While a chicken breast, or handful of peanuts may contain similar amounts of some of these amino acids, getting them in a proper ratio is very important (from what I've been told by experts in this field).  There is a strong body of evidence that BCAA (leucine, valine, isoleucine) are metabolized by skeletal muscle in order to meet increased energy demands during exercise.  BCAAs may also participate in inhibiting central nervous system fatigue (mental tiredness).

 I still don't know what dosage of amino acids is the best to use for exercise, but generally you see between 1-5 mg as a general amount of mixed or pure amino acid.  5 mg is a lot!  Remember, more is NOT always better, especially because it is important to get the proper ratios.

Other amino acids such as alpha-ketoglutarate, glutamine, ornithine, and taurine have more speculative roles that are perhaps less proven/researched.

I like that they are very clear as to what is in this supplement

Vespa is popular, but whats the amino acid breakdown/profile?

 

There exists evidence that by encouraging intramuscular carnosine synthesis beta-alanine supplementation results in lactic acid buffering within the muscle cells and perhaps increasing VO2 max under certain test conditions.  Generally thought to be more important for sprint or anaerobic workouts that generate a lot of lactic acid, recent evidence suggests there may also be some benefit for endurance athletes.  This particular supplement could have its very own blog.

Nutrition products you may or may not have seen

Not endorsing any of this stuff.  I've been listening to a lot of triathlon podcasts, and those folks are very up to date on endurance nutrition products that might give them an edge.  So, why aren't ultrarunners?  It's an interesting difference between the two endurance camps.  Let's not argue about the respective difficulties, but appreciate that there are different approaches taken to the two different endeavors.

That being said, I have compiled and grouped several different classes of supplements that may be utilized or marketed to endurance athletes and just put my random (slightly scientific) thoughts in along with them.  I think they'll be published in this order.  If you can think of any other supplement groups that might be interesting, leave a comment or shoot me an email.

Before we start, I want to emphasize:  MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER

1st - Natural Food Supplements (is that an oximoron?)
2nd - Amino Acid Supplements
3rd - Super Starches
4th - Oils

 Natural Food Supplements - Dehydrated food stuffs as well as isolated nutrients.  Usually chocked full of anti-oxidants including all the new ones such as polyphenols, isoflavonoids, catechins, and other plant phenols.  Generally speaking, the marketing behind these compounds is well ahead of the science, but there is at least some evidence that components in these products can be beneficial for endurance athletes.

Of the many compounds found in these products, the most compelling and consistent evidence supports the use of beetroot or beets in these products, as this contains nitrate, which acts on multiple systems which could enhance running performance.  Read more here:  Dietary nitrate and performance

Low calorie, but contains tons of nutrients.  Also should be a great source of nitrate which has been proven to increase endurance

Based on literature, a source of nitrate

Not sure what to say.  The publication on their website is definitely on the weak side of things.

Almost 6 weeks paleo (but not living in a cave yet)

Paleo, rambling, and stuff on the way...

  Honestly, I've been thoroughly enjoying the paleo diet.  I almost find it liberating (who would have thought eating bacon is liberating?).  There have been a couple times where I "cheated" on the diet, but honestly I'm not going to be so strict that I am miserable or turn down a piece of chocolate raspberry birthday cake that my mom baked for me.

Being in PhD candidate in a nutrition department I struggle with the concept of going against what is classically defined as a healthy diet (low saturated fat, high carb, moderate/low protein) by the higher ups.  This includes the American Dietetic Association (maybe most prominately), but one thing I know from first hand experience is that members of the ADA aren't always great at understanding the biochemistry behind a diet (no offense!), and stick to memorizing guidelines.  Well what happens when those guidelines are outdated, lack incorperation of the latest scientific knowledge, straight up wrong, and perhaps motivated by politics?

Ok, I am not going to go all conspiracy theory, overzealous, paleo promoting. There are lots of other people out there doing that, so if that's what you want, check out Robb Wolfs blog.  Hah.  But seriously, he has some great ideas, and his podcast is fun to listen to.

Lets see, first hand impressions from the diet.   I've been avoiding grains, especially wheat.  When I am hungry, lacking paleo snacks, I'll still try to avoid wheat, sometimes I can find nuts at the cafe's on campus, but I am not totally opposed to some corn chips, or Mediterranean chicken kabobs that are served on rice.  I'll occasionally grab some hummus, and although legumes are a no-no on paleo, hummus is high in healthy fats, so I am ok with that.  As I said, this is a generalized way of eating, where 90% of my food is within the optimal window, and most days are 100% paleo, but sometimes I want to sprinkle some goat cheese on my salad, so I do. When in a tough situation and I am hungry, I will resort to high-fat low carb foods that are free of processed ingredients.

Following a paleo style diet has also encouraged me to reintroduce foods to my diet that were somewhat lacking following a high carb, low fat runner diet, like butter.

Coffee in the morning + 1 tbsp (grassfed) butter + 2 tbsp heavy cream.  Ummm that is dang tasty.  Put some cinnamon in there and you are good to go for a couple hours.  I'll will have this for breakfast before long runs on the weekend and find it keeps me quite satietated.

nom nom nom

 Other foods I have been recently been experimenting with include kale, parsnips, squash, sunflower seeds, various vinegars, eggs from birds other than chickens, buffalo, and venison.  No longer am I perusing the grocery store isle looking for lean ground beef (96/4), but instead try to buy grassfed beef with normal 85/15 lean/fat ratios, and honestly, it costs a similar amount.

As a runner, who occasionally does a glycogen requiring run (ok I like lazy, slow fat burning running, most of the time), I still do need to make sure I am getting enough carbs.  Carb sources for me include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash (butternut and pumpkin mostly), fruits, and occasionally I will eat rice.

Another thing I have been doing on my longer runs, besides having mostly fat for breakfast before running, is that I have been avoiding consuming calories during them.  Doing this "hopefully" will help optimize my bodies ability to run on fat (mechanism), and I have completely multiple 3 hour runs with no calories and felt no ill effects.  If I can keep this up for the rest of the winter, it'll be interesting to see how this influences my racing in the spring. I think the concept of becoming fat adapted endurance athletes is becoming more and more popular, and I am guessing this is going to be a HOT topic in the next couple years.

Several blogs are in preparation, including an overhaul my interpretation of the data on how diet influences cholesterol levels, something grossly misrepresented by the ADA, and most MDs.  I will also explain data from the EPIC study conducted in 2003 in the UK which compares several indices of health between vegetarians and meat-eaters with a HEALTHY diet.  Lastly, I'll give my two cents on celiac disease versus gluten intolerance versus wheat intolerance.

Lastly, I keep hearing the diet term FOD-MAPs being thrown around.  I think one of my classmates is doing a presentation on this type of diet, and will listen to what she has to say, and try to synthesize some of my own thoughts on the topic.

**  Just saw this on the twittersphere thought id post it here too!  Duncan Callahan (Elite ultrarunner) talks about 1 year paleo  **

Paleo Week 3

Well 3 weeks in, and I am unsure of what to do next.  My running has stabilized to the point where I no longer feel like I don't have enough carbs in the tank and I am getting used to eating in this fashion on the regular.  Its just kinda become the norm for me to reach for a handful of almonds instead of making a PBJ for a snack.  I think I will give it a few more weeks, and as my ankle heals, test out the fat adaption during the long run.

Speaking of my ankle, I am taking my own patented "Clinthorne" approach to injuries, and just hammering away on it, in hopes of beating the weakness out.   No where near being back to normal enough to run trail, but I feel pretty good on the roads, as long as I pay attention to foot placement.

Monday:  Pissed I didn't get to run long this weekend.  7 miles at lunch.  10 in the evening.  Made a big pot of beanless Buffalo chili to eat during the weak.  Hillary thought it would be gross, until she tasted it.

Tuesday:  6.5 miles at lunch, only break during an all day experiment.  Forced myself onto the treadmill in the PM, at about 9:00 when I got home.  Ran 5.5 miles and gave up.

Wednesday:  6.5 miles in the AM before work.  10 miles when I got home.  Did 20/40's (Spring 20 seconds, rest 40 seconds) for the last 15 minutes of the PM run, dang that's hard.

Thursday:  Another busy day.  7 miles in the AM.  4.5 miles in the PM before taking a prospective student out to dinner, had a few beers, and decided I was not doing anymore running that night.

Friday:  14 miles in the AM.  Today, wearing Hokas, I felt invincible, and we had some beautiful weather.  Went for a nice 9 mile jog in the PM and nearly got run over 5-6x.  Stupid homecoming traffic, I can't believe these people graduated from college, they're terrible at driving.

Saturday:  Decided to try something new - spent 3 hours on the treadmill while watching the MSU football game.  An exciting game is a great way to pass time on the mill, but to make it more tedious, I set the incline at 15% and jogged btw 4-5 mph the entire time.  Football game went to overtime making the end of the run somewhat dangerous as I was not focusing on foot placement at all.   Ended up with 15 miles and some 8000 feet of vert.  A touch over 3 hours of running.

Sunday:  Legs were toasted up pretty good after yesterday.  10 miles in the AM, and 4 miles on the stairclimber (1 hour - 520 floors climbed) in the PM.  This was also a sufferfest, and I liked it.

Total of 107 miles without having gone long, but doing a lot of 2 a day runs.  Just happy my ankle isn't totally uncooperative.  No where near normal though.

Paleo FISH TACOS!!

Ingredients:

3 Tilapia Filets
2-3 multicolored peppers
1/2 vidallia onion
1/8 red onion
1/8 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cooking oil (Canola Oil)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
4-6 lettuce leaves

1.  Dice your peppers and onions into small pieces
2.  Heat up a large sautee pan containing oil on medium
3.  Add peppers + onion and cook until soft (approximately 10-15 minutes)
4.  Add thawed Tilapia filets
5.  Cook Tilapia, allowing it to flake and break apart in the pan
6.  Add cilantro and other spices
7.  Allow to cook until Tilapia is cooked and has fallen apart and stirred into the rest of the mixture
8.  Squeeze lemon juice from 1/2 lemon into the dish and remove from heat.  Stir a few more times
9.  Serve on lettuce leaves from iceburg lettuce and garnish with sour cream, avacado and tobasco sauce.
10.  Enjoy

Nice colorful mixture of peppers and onion 

Cook until soft and colors are melded

Add Tilapia and cilantro

Tilapia flakes apart and cooks into this dish nicely

Serve on lettuce leaves

Dont forget avacado

Paleo Week 2

Sorry to be a little late in posting.  Experiments and the writing that comes with trying to publish data have taken up most of my time as of late.

Week 2 went well.  Towards the end of week 1 I would find myself battling fatigue after about an hour into a run.  It would pass, but it was strange to be dealing with the low energy feeling.  Now I notice that it is not an issue whatsoever and I think I am beginning to be better at metabolizing fat.  I've continued focusing on a high fat paleo style diet rather than a high protein paleo style diet, which to me, makes more sense, is cheaper, and has less of an impact on the environment.

Monday:  10 miles, low HR.  Legs were tired out after the previous weeks B2B long runs.

Tuesday:  Same as Monday.  Made my garlic green beans as a nice paleo side for dinner.

Wednesday:  Felt spunky and put in a 9.5 mile tempo run in 1:03:30 in the morning.  Followed this up with an easy 10 on the trails at night.  Flank steak that marinated overnight for dinner, along with a big baked potato with avacado and sour cream (gasp not paleo?!??!).  I'm not overly stressed about being strict paleo, sour cream is delicious, and I will continue to enjoy it.  Its not like I put it on everything...

Thursday:  A easy/moderate paced 6.5 at lunch.  10 more in the afternoon.

Friday:  Same as Thursday.  Teryaki Tuni steaks for dinner.  Pretty dang good if I do say so myself.

Saturday:  Had trouble getting motivated, as college football is just so entertaining and I have no races to get me out the door to train for, which honestly, feels kinda nice right now.  Was thinking about taking a day off, when I finally forced myself onto the Poto around 4pm.  Disaster struck when I rolled my ankle nasty bad, heard a loud popping nose, hobbled to my car and put ice packs on it with no idea what to expect.  I had been planning on spending the night in my car at the trail head, and then hitting 30-35 miles on Sunday, but this idea quickly disappeared as I went to sleep in my car with a busted leg.  5 miles total.

Oops

Sunday:  Made it once around the short Poto loop for 13 miles, not especially fast, but good god was a glad my ankle at least let me get that much running  in.  Iced it out for the rest of the day.

Total of 90 miles for the week.  Planning on a few more, but right now I just want to get my ankle back to normal so I can continue enjoying the beautiful fall weather and colors.

Garlic Green Bean Recipe:  Makes enough for 2.
Approximately 1 pound of green beans
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Buy some green beans.
Clean them with water and then break off the stems.
Dice up 2-3 cloves of garlic crushing it nicely to release the garlic essence
Heat up a skillet containing about half of your olive oil
Add the green beans, allow to cook for about 5 minutes
Add the other half of your olive oil + garlic
Sautee over low-medium heat until desired tenderness is reached (I prefer mine somewhat al-dente)
Squeeze in lemon juice, and allow to cook for another minute.  Don't cook for too long with lemon juice, otherwise it will caramelize and make a sticky mess.

If your olive oil starts to run out, add some water and the beans can continue to cook/steam without a problem.

Enjoy

Paleo Week 1

First week of paleo-style eating and ultrarunner style running complete.  Overall the energy levels have felt pretty stable, which is a good thing since I was hoping to come close to that magical 100 miles this week.

Monday:  10 miles at an easy pace at the trails.  Refueled with a bottle of grape soda after the run.  Once refueling was complete I made paleo style fish tacos for dinner.

Tuesday:  10 miles at the trails at an easy pace at the trails.  

Wednesday:  6.5 miles at lunch at a very hard pace.  Ran it in just under 41 minutes.  Refueled with 350 calories of orange juice.  10 more miles at the trails in the PM.

Thursday:  10 mile road run at an easy pace.

Friday 6.5 miles at lunch at an easy pace.  9 miles at Bird Hills in the PM.  Very high intensity hill sessions.

Saturday:  5:30 am wakeup to be out the door for a 21 mile road run with Jack.  Ryan Case joined in for the first 9-10 miles.  Longest road run I have done in a very long time.  Refreshing yet reminded me why I don't generally pound the pavement for so long.  Tired out the rest of the day.  Drank about 800 ml of water and had 1 gel for the entire run.  breakfast was 1 banana slathered in almond butter.  Refueled with 500 calories of OJ and a big egg omelet when I got home.  Paleo style burgers for dinner (romaine lettuce bun)

Sunday:  Goofed around in the AM, until I got motivated and legs woke up.   Breakfast was a cup of coffee, several handfuls of nuts, an apple and a banana.  Got running by 12:30.  22 miles at the Potowotami in Pinckney.  Good old fashion fun.  Great to be out in the woods with the fall colors changing. Had to stop and eat a handful of animal crackers at about mile 17 (animal crackers - that sounds paleo right?).  Interesting run - I felt pretty fatigued at mile 9 (uh-oh), but then dialed in and felt great until I decided to have a quick snack and hammer the last 5.  Not sure if the fatigue was due to the diet, the previous days outing, or just generally not quite recovered from Woodstock.  Refueled with an Ensure, OJ, and raisins.  Hillary made some delicious chicken soup from scratch that I feasted on when I got back to Lansing.

Final mileage = 104.5 miles.  Not a bad week.  Especially since I resisted the urge several days to go for runs twice daily and just focused on the nice aerobic ten mile jog.  The new diet seems to be working well, I feel very satiated, I think because I have been focusing on getting a lot of calories from healthy fats.  This includes mostly monounsaturated fats from nuts, avacados, and olive oil, but also some omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fats from canola oil (and nuts too).  Overall, I was pleased with my ability to do back to back long runs this weekend without really needing to eat a ton of carbs in-between the runs or even during the runs.  Part of it is staying at a relatively aerobic heart rate (not always easy when I enjoy running hills).  I think I am adjusting, albeit slowly to metabolizing more fat.  Even if I'm not, I will continue to tell myself that I am.

The hardest part so far for me has been the refueling aspect.  As a nutrition student, I know how important it is to optimize nutrition during the recovery window in order to maximize gains, limit soreness, support the immune system and prepare ones-self for the next days outing.  Overall, I am sticking to things that normally work for me, which is high glycemic index sugars and a light protein snack.  Working on swapping out a chocolate milk for a glass of orange juice and a few almonds.

Going Paleo

After an exciting win and PB at the Woodstock Hallucination 100, I've been feeling...  sluggish.  I logged 28 miles the week proceeding Woodstock and 64 miles the week after.  My legs were being impetuously stubborn, while my heart rate and pace wasn't too far off what I would expect, the effort was overly difficult.

Between peaking, tapering, racing, and recovering, I think I've lost a little bit of fitness.  Maybe.  Or maybe mentally I'm out of the groove.  This always seems to happen to me after a 100.  This post-race burnout gives me a huge deal of respect for people who can string together multiple hundreds within a month, 2 months, or even a year.

After some serious beer drinking, football watching, and general chillaxing, I've decided its time to re-establish my base.  Lots of slow running with my heart rate monitor to gauge effort levels and really focus on staying in my aerobic zone.  Once a week I plan on hitting a hard tempo run or track workout to try to maintain some speed while hopefully re-establishing my base.

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got"  I'm not sure why this phrase keeps popping into my head.  Ever since I decided to wear my Hokas just for the heck of it at Woodstock, I have been interesting in changing some things up and trying some new things.

I've been a firm believer in being a carbohydrate monster to support my training.  Which is nice, because carbs are cheap, simple to prepare, easily available, and delicious.   But, in the spirit of trying new things, I'm going to try to paleo diet, with some minor adjustments for an athlete.  Its been a couple of days now, and so far I am really enjoying the new diet.  I'm not sure if there is a specific reason for trying the Paleo, maybe eating a higher fat diet will increase my fat metabolism, maybe not.  It has an almost asthetic appeal to me, as it just makes sense - eat like our ancestors who didn't have to deal with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  This really seems like the way we were "meant" to eat.

One thing that had me very interested in this diet is that the authors are both scientist, and the book (which I've owned for years) does an excellent job of promoting the science along with the philosophy.  The general goal is to remove processed foods from my diet.  I also noticed today that everything I've eaten this week has been gluten free.  I'm cheating a little bit and still making a recovery smoothie after my runs that has milk in it, as well as allowing myself some simple carbs after a run.

Weird things I've noticed:  I haven't needed a cup of coffee in the morning as urgently as usual.  I've eaten 4 dozen eggs so far this week.  My energy levels have been more stable than I recall them usually being.  I smelled ketones towards the end of my 10 miler today.

Food that has made up my week includes:  Almonds, grapes, bananas, oranges, apples, eggs, steak, nectarines, fish, carrots, potatoes, peppers, hummus, green beans, frozen fruit and vegetables, walnuts, fish, onions, olive oil, butter, and salads.

Some things are less paleo than others.  I don't know if potatoes or carrots are very paleo, but I'll never restrict nutrient rich fruits or vegetables, no matter what a diet calls for.

I'll update the ole' blog with my progress with the diet, some recipes I've come up with, as well as how it seems to be influencing my ability to train at 100+ miles a week. Also, I like this blog Primal Living

2Toms Sportshield Review

 Adios Body Glide!

                In running (ultrarunning?) circles, it seems that Body Glide is the quintessential anti-chafe product, and with good reason, the stuff works pretty well.  At least, that’s what I thought until I tried out a product in a similar market niche’ made by 2Toms:  Sportshield.  Now I wonder if I will ever use up my extra stock of Glide. 

                Last year, several of my running buddies succumbed to horrendous chaffing at Mohican, and I was sufficiently notified that I should make sure to avoid chaffing as much as possible as I made my attempt at the race.  Being given a stick of Sportshield to test out, 2 weeks before Mohican, must have been the running gods telling me to use this product.  And so I did, pretty much without having the opportunity to test it on a long run before the big one.  

                My usual chaffing areas are between my thighs, aka chub rub.  I applied a decent amount of Sportshield to the inside of my legs, and then also decided to put some on my ummm, nipples.  Friends know I can frequently be caught with duct tape covering my nipples to avoid chaffing/bleeding, but it’s kind of a strange thing to do, so I am always looking for alternatives.  Sportshield is a very viscous lube, unlike the slightly-firmer-than-peteroleum-jelly feeling that Body Glide has, Sportshield feels like a liquid.  Once applied, there is little evidence of its presence, except for the exceptionally slick feeling.  Apparently and uniquely, silicone is used in Sportshield and this makes it waterproof and very friction resistant.  Another thing I noticed was that it doesn’t seem to have that initial sticky feeling that I associate with having Body Glide between my thighs. 

                I survived Mohican, with absolutely no chaffing and I never had to reapply Sportshield, even after peeing on myself a little bit, on accident (TMI?).  I really liked the fact that I pretty much forgot it was there, and then never had to worry about it again all race.  It smells much better than Body Glide, in my opinion.  I also really like the roll-on application, reducing messiness.  I think the only downsides to Sportshield is that it can be difficult to tell how much you have left in your bottle, which I think could be remedied with the addition of a clear viewing port along the side of the product. It is also slightly more expensive than Body Glide, but I have been using my 1.5oz bottle for almost 2 months and it still sounds like there is liquid inside.  

 I have since tried it on my feet, and it also seems to help prevent hotspots.  2Toms makes another product, specifically for blister prevention, but I usually don’t run into blister problems, making it difficult for me to evaluate this product. 

**  I was given a free sample of Sportshield to test and evaluate**

Saucy Black Bean Recipe

I came up with this recipe one night, while trying to figure out what to make for dinner for my girlfriend and I.  It is quite healthy, containing healthy monounsaturated fats, high in fiber, and also containing low glycemic index carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and black beans are a decent source of iron.  It is also vegan - if that is your thing.

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans
1 large tomato (diced)
1 avacado (diced)
2 cooked ears of corn (off the cob)
1 cup of salsa
2 tbs vegetable oil (optional)
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs garlic powder
.5 tbs onion powder
.25-1 tsp cayenne (depends how hot you like it!)
1 tsp cumin

The other nice thing about this recipe is that is fairly cheap to make, if you are a poor grad student like myself.

Because canned beans always contain so much salt, I like to wash mine after I open them.  Usually just in a normal colander.  Rinse 2-3 times with cold water, shifting the beans around to get most of the salt off of them.  Add 2 cans of rinsed and drained beans into a medium-large skillet with a coating of oil or cooking spray and heat over medium

I like to buy Michigan sweet corn and use fresh corn for this recipe, but I suppose canned corn would also work, as long as it is drained.

As beans are heating up, add the corn to the mix.

Next, add your diced tomatoes and garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne.  I generally prefer the tomatoes to be cubed about 1/2-1 inch in size.  Mix gently and let the tomatoes stew.  This usually takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

Everything is stewing

Once the tomatoes are softened up, you're ready to add the salsa and avocado.  Add these into your mixture, stir gently so not to smash the avocados, and let stew another 5-10 minutes.

Salsa to help sauce it up

Avocado is full of healthy fat

Once everything is nice and stewed, you have a delicious dish ready to serve.  I'll eat this on its own, often garnished with some sour cream.  Another option is to serve this over rice.  It would probably even be pretty good eaten as a wet burrito. 

Budweiser really brings out the flavor of this dish

Hoka One One Stinson B Evo Low Review

By Jason Robertson

I had been considering getting a pair of Hokas.  While I couldn't find the correct size, Jason (who is also a shoe nerd) picked up a pair of the new Stinson B Evos, and I begged him for a review.  Enjoy!

Get the name right damnit!  Minimalist shoe label from the running store.

Fit

A little narrow in the toe box.  My left foot is larger than my right and pinky toe was slightly rubbing.  I was able to change out the standard-sized, left insole for the thinner one provided-no more rubbing and nice customization.  This was the only concern I had with the fit of this shoe.  The upper has great lock-down and provides day-long comfort.  It also has a taller (more volume) and slightly more narrow fit than, say, a MT110 or the Brooks Pure Grit.  I run a size 10 in those models and have found the 10.5 in Hokas very nice, in addition to the thinner insole in my left shoe.

Accessories:  Extra insoles and laces

Traction

Traction rocks on this shoe.  You can hear it grip on pavement and the dry hard pack we’ve experienced here in Northeast Indiana this summer.  It does lack the deep lugs of a Salomon Speedcross, but I’d say the rubber is on par with the MT110 for tackiness. I felt very secure on wet, downhill corners during my outings in the Smokies and no problems on wet rock (the Brooks Pure Grit really let me down on the slick rock during our last trip so I was very cautious and was pleasantly surprised with the Stinson B Evo).  This outsole also receives high marks for self-cleaning action.

Wear resistant, very tacky Hoka outsole, very nice!

Cushion

Goes without saying…this shoe has lots of cush.  Confidence inspiring, feels like cheating, unfair advantage cush.  This shoe has allowed me, over the past month, to become a downhill bomber.   I’ve also, at the same time, been able to handle an increase in mileage as I’ve had time off from work this summer.  My legs have not had that “beat down” feeling they usually receive from such an increase into the 100 mile per week range. 

Some might say, and mentioned by Marshall Ulrich in his review of Hokas, that having so much cushion could prevent or hinder the gains (i.e. muscle breakdown-healing, ligament, joint, tendon strengthening/changing) of running in a more minimally cushioned shoe.  I do wear and run in the Minimus 00, Kinvara and the Pure Grit a few times each week and know there is benefit in low slung shoes.  I recovered from an injury 2 years ago through a process of running barefoot and utilizing minimal shoes.  Not having a serious injury since, I want to maintain my form.  The Hokas have allowed for more vigorous miles to be put in each week and I believe they have allowed some strengthening in areas that lesser cushioned shoe might not.  For instance, pounding the down hills helped strengthen my quads.  I also noticed my ankles feeling a bit worked-similar to when I do barefoot speed work on the soccer fields.  The Hokas also allow for the same cadence and running stance that I have developed with my other lower shoes.  It is interesting to note that Playmakers have a minimalist label on the box as seen in my first picture.

Lots of cushion in these bad boys

Protection

Search out the sharpest stingers on the trail.  Nothing short of a 3” nail will hurt your foot.  I totally understand why Darcy Africa (a PI sponsored runner) would opt for the Hokas at Hard Rock, even when she has Isoseeks at her disposal.  4-4.5 hour run/hikes in the Smokies had my feet begging for more. Usually after the four hour mark of running trail, especially in the Smoky Mountains, my feet start letting me know that they’re feeling the rocks, roots and uneven terrain. No matter what I stepped on, I felt no pain.  I am very excited to try these out in some fall 50 milers and next year’s mountain 100’s.

Flexibility

Next to none.  This did make my left arch sing a little (same tightness I had with the MT100/101s).  After some foam rolling on the calf, all was well.  With such a well cushioned midsole, the Hoka is a stiff shoe.  You can’t roll it up like a Nike Free.  This is just fine with me.  The stiffness actually inspires quite a bit of confidence when rolling fast on the downs and the rockered shape of the shoe allows for a nice seamless foot strike to toe off.

Likes

·        Awesome cushion and protection.  I will never again have to choose what shoe I’ll wear on a run over 3 hours…or question whether or not to bomb a downhill.

·        Great drainage.  After the several crossings we did in the Smokies, I was very impressed.  This shoe, surprisingly, drained and dried as well as a pair of 101s, which in my opinion; earned the title for the quickest drain/dry shoe.

·        Nice alternate insole/lacing options (comes with quick lace intact-laces optional, but you have to cut the quick lace in order to remove).

·        Overall fit and wear.  I plan on wearing this shoe through next summer and have no concerns about this shoes making it to 1,500 miles-seems very durable at this point. Also, the fit and drop of the shoe does not interfere with wearing my other shoes.  I simply throw on the extra cushion, no worries about a large ramp angle when switching to a more cushioned shoe. 

Dislikes

·        Weight claims.  I read from several sources that these shoes weighed in anywhere between 9 and 10.5 ounces for a men’s size 9.  The shoes I purchased, a size 10.5, weighed in at 13 1/8 ounces on my extremely accurate food scale.  This is about the weight of a pair of Cascadia 6s in the same size.  Interestingly enough, I planned to buy a pair of Cascadia 7s.  I tried on the Hokas 1st, ran around the store, ran a 5k with Scott Jurek(! Stopped in on his book tour) in a trial pair then tried on the Cascadias.  They felt very flat and unresponsive comparatively.  I dropped the extra $60 for the Hokas. 

          The Hokas do a good job of feeling lighter than they really are.  Just        looking at them, you would think they are heavy clodders.  Upon picking        them up they feel uber light.  Same thing happens when running in      them.  They have such a good bounce and energy return, that they seem          to shrug off some ounces and feel about the same weight as a pair of Pure Grits.

·        Cost.  These are the most expensive in my shoe quiver and gave me the most wife feedback.  But, if they last as long as I think, cost will be a mute point.  Plus, they do come with extra laces and another set of insoles allowing a more customizable fit.

Writer Bio

 

My name is Jason Robertson (33 years old).  I’ve been married for 15 years, have 3 kids and teach middle school Language Arts.

I grew up riding/racing dirt bikes and fell in love with running in ’09 after finally getting the right pair of shoes on my feet, ridding myself of shin splints, and completing my first 50k. 

Jason why so modest?  Jason has run over 20 Ultras, including 3 100 mile races.  Always up for a long run,  he is a constant source of inspiration and enthusiasm.