Denouement

The "out of shape elite runner" was from when Sasha met Katie from the first time, but I thought it went more like "...an out of shape 2:30 runner" !!

How is it that I can remember things like this but forget what I had for breakfast yesterday or where I put my keys?

Bonnie

Nice run! Gald the limbs are okee dokee. Congrats on the 121 ;)

How long do you ice? I get a little nervous after they are numb for a while :)

You are out of shape 2:30 marathoner already. To be in shape, just come eat at our house for a week, learn, after that do not eat anything we would not.

Great job Michelle! Glad you're taking care of the aches and pains.

Bonnie, I remember random things too, like almost every phone number I've ever had. I lost my watch today though.

I can not lose weight while I'm trying to run aggresively. I get weak. But being a bit lighter would make running easier on my old joints. I totally read over what the Pachev's eat, and I asked Josse this morning-- but I'd love if you listed your power foods and eating strategies.

Michelle does not have power foods. She just runs a lot of miles. Your weight goes down when you do that regardless of what you eat. However, the injury risk is a different story.

Michelle, what is your mileage plan? Do you want to stay at 80 for a while? Up? Down? Is this part of your marathon peak training?

How many questions can I ask in one comment?

Sorry Michelle to get on the soapbox over here on your blog :) But Sasha, I wish what you say were true of women in their 40's, who have a family history of GIGANTIC northern european size women. My physical tendancy is to weigh somewhere near 180lbs. It's tricky for some of us to a maintain a resonable weight even at 50+ miles a week (even eating healthy good foods). I know healthy food is vital in order to run 80+ a week. So I'm looking for good fuel, high impact food suggestions, like the ones you and Sarah provide on the recipe blog. I noticed MarcieJ lists some of her foods. I was just asking...I don't mean to be causing a scandle! Sorry.

I agree with Luzylew, after 40 metabolism slows down, no matter how thin or healthy you are in your younger years. Finding the right foods that give you what you need AND watching how much you eat are required, no matter how many miles you run. This is especially true for women (who also have to battle a whole bunch of hormone level problems, osteoporosis, etc. as they move from 40's to 50's).

Unfortunately we do not have enough data for women over 40, or any age for that matter, that really eat healthy rather than only try to eat healthy when motivated. We need volunteers. If you want to be one try this - eat strictly healthy, no excuses, no exceptions while you run your normal mileage. Do not restrict the amount, only restrict the types of food. Do not count your calories, WW points, or grams of fat. Just eat! If you do not see it on http://recepes.fastrunningblog.com/, ask before you eat it. Monitor your weight. My prediction - regardless of your age, your weight will gravitate to where it should be. For most people it will go down. It may go up a bit or stay the same in some cases if you lacked muscle mass or bone density at the start. But in all cases you will run faster.

Although, I am more middle of the road than you and Sarah, I'd say I'm 80% there already. My Dad was a very successful body builder (in the days before steroids) and a runner and so I grew up knowing and seeing firsthand what it is to get body fat down to 4% before a competition, and yet also have stamina to run. But he was a MAN, with a fast metabolism, and very strong. I've been around health and fitness fantatics all my life and I worked at the Good Earth Health Food store for 5 years in my youth (hence my love of both the running and the recipe blog!). I'm not a food dummy AND, I'm willing to try the experiement But I'm not sure I can give up dark choclate (70% cocoa)--which I personally have found to be a power food (and I don't mean the multi-level acai product marketing brands!). But I will try it 'no excuses' for two weeks. I'll try anything for two weeks. Shall we measure and weigh in or how sceintific do you want to make this? Because if we are successful here, you could become a millionaire (note: this is a little toungue and cheek, but I am willing). So yes, game on-- let me run out for a bottle of Bragg's Amino Acid--I'll be right back.

Sorry to hijack your blog Michelle. I, unfortunately, won't be able to participate in the experiment. I am too busy to redesign my food cupboard at this time. I will be giving Luzylew (and another other over 40's crew) my full support!!

Bonnie

Two weeks is not enough to see statistically significant results. Make it two months.

It will work, but if it had any multi-millionaire potential, the blog itself would have done it already. Discipline does not sell, shortcuts do. If you are smart and want to succeed, go for the worst selling discipline over the best selling shortcut.

How about bargaining, does bargaining work? I'll give it one month as long as you conceed the dark choclate factor. Because without dark chocolate, I tend to become homicidal. Please don't say no excuses....

I think an occasional piece of pure, dark, organic chocolate is just fine if it keeps you from eating a Hershey's bar.

Honestly though, I think the benefits of eating a pure diet multiply over a lifetime. Two weeks or even two months will only give you a glimpse of how good you can feel and how efficiently your body might be able to run if given the right fuel. Hormones, bone density, body fat (way more relevant than how many pounds you weigh) cannot be changed so quickly.

Muscle soreness, energy, recovery from hard workouts, overall health are all even more important than the types of workouts we do. One can do all kinds of track workouts(or asphalt, if you're the risk taker type) but it won't necessarily make you any faster if you're getting sick, injured, or lack energy due to poor nutrition.

Michelle could REALLY run a lot of miles if she quit eating those Teddy Grahams!! (put down that kiddie food, Michelle!)(I'm only teasing)

You guys are so funny! I go away for 7 hours and my blog is hijacked! I love the discussion.

Ok-I'll respond to comments from the top.

Ding ding! Bonnie won the trivia on the quote. You deserve some teddy grahams!

Marion-I ice about 8-10 minutes if its a true ice bucket or a piece of raw ice I am rubbing on my leg. If it is an ice pack, it's not as icy so I go 15-20 minutes.

Sasha-so glad I am an out of shape 2:30. My goal is to run 2:30 while still eating chocolate (the hersheys kind none of that super dark stuff for me).

Luzy- Sasha is completely wrong that I don't have power foods. I typically have oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, and I typically keep to high fiber, high carbohydrate foods.

I am running out of time to comment so I will just say that the last time I bought a box of teddy grahams, I ate about 1/16 of the box over a week when I used to eat 2/3 of it, so I am doing better on that front. I haven't had restaurant french fries in 9-10 months (day of St. George - curly fries at Arby's). Some strategies I have is to not order as much food as I used to at restaurants-I tell myself I'm not going to starve and I can have some more food later if I get hungry. I buy whole wheat bread only, whole wheat pasta. I am a middle of the roader for sure, but I don't do fried food, and I have been better lately than ever at eating well. Today I drove for four hours to my sisters and back and I was so tired and really wanted a soda or slurpee on the way home but I am proud to say I got a V-8 splash. Not as good as squeezing my own juice from my garden, but I don't even have a garden and am a very busy woman without one.

Katie - you keep teasing me about the teddy grahams. Some day I may convert to eating piety, but for now I'm walking the line.

My input on this subject is I see great benifit in a clean healthy diet, I can run more mileage than I ever have. But like I told you Luz you have to find what power foods work for you. They are differant for everyone. Mine are 7-grain ceral w/bananas or some kind of fruit in yogurt flavored with pure maple syrup and walnuts. The other one is black beans. But you said whole grains make you gain weight, so your power foods are going to be differant than mine, Michelles or Sashas.

I would say you would do better on a higher protien diet, knowing you body type and muscle content. You just have to experienment and see what foods make you feel the best and go from there. I agree with Katie about the chocolate. I get some really good dark chocolate from good earth and eat a square here and there. And a bar a day if I am hormonal:)

Thank you for these great food suggestion. I do have, but have not used my 7/9 grain cereal recently, and I do need complex carbs-- but oats are not my first pick (I know, food of running gurus everywhere). I paticularly appreciate the high protein suggestion for my body type, and I'm really sure Josse's right on. Black and kidney beans are now on the menu! Obviuosly I'll experiment a little, but I appreciate these suggestions! I have to confess, I'm not generally not a refined flour/sugar kind of person, but I too love Teddy Grahams and sometimes get them even though my kids won't eat them. I'll be off the grahams for now, so eat some for me and I'll report my progress on the pure eating month.

P.S. Michelle, I love how that last entry turned into a sort of confessional. I think you pretty much could tell people diet coke and curly fries are the way to go right now, and we might actually have to believe you with all those miles and speedy running...

Luz - If there is a food that you feel you cannot give up for reasons of comfort or taste, that would be the most important one to give up even if it in the end turns out to be a harmless or even helpful "power" food. If it is indeed a helpful food, you may not need to do it for long, but for a few months to prove to yourself that you can. The reason would be to develop a mind that is able to see past comfort, that can prioritize excellence above comfort, a mind that has no fear of sacrifice. As valuable as this quality is in running, it is even more valuable in many other aspects of life. To develop, maintain, and perfect it would be one reason to run.

Sasha, that is cold. I feel like Abraham (of Abraham and Isaac). Geez man, you russians could learn a thing or two about mercy (I mean after all, Abraham really didn't have to go through with it). I think I like Michelle's answer better... you know I'm just kidding, I'll do it --this month--for the sake of the purity experiment.

If my moral values were lower and if a tobacco company sponsored the event, I could create a marketing campaign that would get smokers to run sub-2:50 marathons (men), and sub-3:10 (women). First we make sure they have enough natural ability to run 20 minutes faster than the target to start with. Then we make sure they train and eat healthy, and have no other vices. Then we find the amount that they can smoke so that the damage to marketing effect ratio is minimal. I suspect we could even have them take a puff at mile 25.

Do not be fooled by the elites who are slacking off in their recovery procedures. Because Quality X is such a huge factor, they can become a poster child for pretty much any vice that 95% of the population is subject to because the probability of finding someone with enough Quality X without that vice, and who is willing/able/knows how to/actually will train is essentially zero. The moment the vice loosens its grip on the general population, the folly of that vice with regards to distance running becomes apparent. Those who engage in it are now off the podium. Now that the probability of finding somebody with comparable Quality X who will train the same and is vice-free is more significantly above zero the vice-ridden high Quality X runners now have to race them, and they lose.

I'll put my two cents in..Luz..you are a stinker for teasing Sasha...an adorable stinker.

I think that trying it for a month is a good idea. But I also think that trying to find something that works for life is an even better idea. I agree that if you crave a certain food....like chocolate...a healthier version is better for you and okay occasionally.

I tried no dairy for a year. I couldn't do it for the rest of my life. Some people swear by an all raw diet and thrive on it. Research the different types of diets there are but strive for whole natural foods that bring you health and happiness.

You know, I'm so overly-serious about a lot of things. I get really wound up over things most people don't care about. So I personally get teased like this all the time. So I should know better.....Shame on me. But I am really serious about discovering food changes over the next few months. I want food that can pack a punch, clear my mind, and maybe help keep my upper arms from being flabby enough to chaff.....I spent an hour today at Good Earth picking up amino acids, calcium/magnesium, agave syrup, and then at the grocery store for brown rice, beans, collard greens. I truly can't promise to quit choclate for more than a month, unless something miraculous occurs that makes it worth it. I know Sasha is right regarding the 'sacrifice' part of discipline and the lengths one must go to acheive personal greatness (for mine will only ever be 'personal'--no podium for me). But any sacrifice/learning/habits I pick up on the purity experiment (which is what I'm calling it) will only serve me in the long run. It's been a while since I've had a refresher course. So teasing, or not-- I am serious about doing it (and I know, a month isn't really what it's about....but I have to start somewhere).

I guess I was trying to say that you shouldn't really have to quit anything that you love....like chocolate...just make some changes that you can stick to and feel good about.

Have you thought about flax seed oil? That is good for women's health...I don't know much about it but I have a way of guessing what might be good for someone. I sprinkle flax seeds here and there and played around with those crackers but I think that may be a power type food your body would respond to....good luck you cute lady.

FLax seed oil is exceptional and a very good nutrient to add to any persons diet :) I add it to my smoothies! It's high in essential fatty acids and vitimin E. Just keep it in the fridge, it goes rancid easily. :D