Food is Fuel

I know that the Biggest Loser is a popular show with a lot of my friends, family, and co-workers. The show has me thinking about how we use food as fuel, especially in training. Those who train for rigorous events eat lots of proteins, carbs, some dairy for bone health, and drink lots of fluids for hydration and electrolyte consumption.

One of my jobs related to food is helping to produce a weekly cooking show called "The Dish." It airs here on the local CBS affiliate every Friday at 10am. The "star" chef of the show, Meg, is a runner. The show tends to lean more towards teaching healthy cooking. Healthy cooking for your family, for events, and in everyday life. We tend to cook a lot of fish, lean meats, and we make a lot of soups. Of course this being the winter season, those foods are prevelant. So if you are looking for fun healthy recipes that are relatively simple, check out the website.

One idea that I had was doing a cooking show around the Flying Pig. We could do a show that would demonstrate what kind of meals that are smart to have the night before a race. I know that it's typical to carb load the night before. Sometimes though, restaurants aren't always the healthiest places to get a good last meal before a race. We could do a show that was pasta themed? Pork themed (The Pig)? When to consume the food? What to eat the day of? These were just some of the ideas that I was kicking around. What do YOU think. If you could watch a show on nutrition for marathoning, what would you want to know or see? Let me know.

The fun thing about shooting the show every Thursday is that we usually get to eat what is made. Today we did doughnuts (Not so healthy) for the first show; we did pan seared salmon and ragout for the second show. I had a few bites of doughnut, a salmon fillet and some of the ragout. All were tasty of course. My lunch was jumbalaya with sausage, an orange, and granola bar. Unfortunately, I ate that kind of late before I had to run. Boy could I feel it tonight. So, here are my stats for my run.

Stats: 5 miles, 32:33, 6:40 pace, Indoors, 71 degrees.

Splits:

M1--6:31
M2--6:31
M3--6:31
M4--6:31
M5--7:18

I could start feeling my late lunch towards the end, so I had to slow down a bit. I walked for a minute to let my stomach settle, and then continued on for a 3 Min. 1/2 mile. Not a bad way to finish out. I wish I didnt have to walk at all.

Well, no workout for me tomorrow. YAY. I get a day of rest. I need it.

Good nite bloggie friends. Friday is upon us.

What's it Worth?

Im just sitting here drinking my first cup of coffee for the day. I've been thinking about New Orleans a lot since the race is only 44 days away. I frequent NOLA.com quite often.I like to visit the site to keep up with the news of the Crescent City. The Times-Picayune posts pictures of the happenings around town. It's really a pretty good site to keep me informed about Nawlins.

One article that was just posted on Monday caught my eye. It gives details of the lawsuits against the Army Corp of Engineers for 3 quadrillion dollars. Yep. That's $3,013,283,057,589,910, to be exact. And no cents. Crazy huh? I can't even fathom a number like that. From what I understand, the residents of New Orleans have to file a Form 95 claiming their suit against the government. The residents are told that they will not be able to get one dollar more than what they claim. They are asked to put down a high number. 3 quadrillion is a high number. LOL.

In any other case, I suppose I would say that the person who claimed this was crazy. That maybe they are just money-grubbing and looking to cash in on a catastrophe. The problem is, the government admitted that the levees failed due to poor engineering. That the levees, when they were built, were only meant to withstand a category 3 hurricane, not a category 4 or 5 like Katrina was. They admitted it. They messed up. Im sure after being on a rooftop for days on end, and with the levees failing due to poor engineering,and maybe losing a loved one during the storm, that frustration and anger increases exponentially. I can't even fathom the mounting anger that one would feel. So is 3 quadrillion dollars a little high? Not in the minds of the victims. Not in the minds of those the government failed. We will see here in the future how the lawsuits play out. All I DO know is that this will be the costliest U.S. disaster ever.

One side note. The U.S. debt at this moment is 13.2 trillion and change. 3 quadrillion just makes that number looks so tiny.

Tired Legs=Hard Run

Tonight was a hard run. Ive been running the last 3 days and have gotten back into a regular regimen. I guess that's why my legs were tired tonight. Usually, I can just run on tired legs and things work themselves out. Not this time. I felt gassed and was sucking towards the end.

Here are my splits to prove it.

Stats: 7 miles, 48:32, Indoors, 72 degrees, 6:56 pace.

Splits:
M1--7:05
M2--6:37
M3--6:56
M4--6:49
M5--6:50
M6--6:40
M7--7:37

As you can see, I was gassed at the end. It sucked big time. I just felt like I had no juice. I really need some rest. Tonight will be an early bed night. I'm tired and just need some good sleep. I know that will fix things right for tomorrow.

Something that got me thinking earlier this evening though were some of the comments about the Biggest Loser. It was what aimee roo posted. She mentioned that if we joined the challenge, that we wouldn't have nearly as much to lose as them, but it would still be fun. That's never been more right. I was thinking that joining the BL challenge would be a great way to have some fun while losing weight, but still reach our workout goals. I feel sometimes that I get so caught up in training for an event, that I forget to just have fun. Thats what working out should be...FUN. Or at least try to MAKE it fun. Doing something different like the BL challenge would helps us mix up our workouts a little bit. Maybe it would give us a different perspective on how we train. Or give us another reason to stay fit and healthy. So thanks Aimee Roo..for putting that into perspective.

Biggest Loser Couples...

One of the few shows that my wife and I do enjoy watching together is The Biggest Loser. I missed last week's episode and was really excited to catch last night's show. We've watched the last couple of seasons together,and were eager for this season to start. I think the main reason is that it's couples working together to lose weight. We really made a connection last nite with Curtis and Mallory. We felt they were a genuine married couple that were there for the right reasons. They really seemed to be having a good time and enjoyed one another's company during that two weeks of training. We connected with their emotion of fighting together to lose the weight. My wife said to me,"I really like them. They seem really nice. They are my favorite." Well the other participants on the show thought the same thing and voted them off. I felt bad for them for some reason. I really liked Curtis because he was just a nice guy during the whole episode. He was everyone's "Big Man." Mallory cried because she wanted to stay so bad. So much for having a strong character and relationship. That won't get you anywhere on the Biggest Loser.

We did enjoy the "catch up" segment at the end. It was amazing to see how much weight they have lost together at home. I think they will be just fine. They just needed a push, shove, and some motivation to get them on their way to a healthier life.

With the Biggest Loser, Mrs. H. and I have considered joining the National Biggest Loser Challenge. I think the projected weight loss goal is 1.2 million pounds. How about you? Would you consider joining? Let me know. If you want to know more about joining the club, go here.

Running Background

I was recently asked about my running background. So here it is. Actually, I dont have much of a running background. At least not an exciting one. I played sports in high school; football and basketball. Then I played intramural sports in college. I remember my freshman roommate and I hitting the rec center at least once or twice a day. This continued on throughout my 4.5 yrs in school. Basketball, lifting weights, and sweating up the Nordic Track became a part of my daily life. It was easy to work out then. Just get a group of friends together, go to the rec, and work out. We would work out between classes or at night.

After college though, became the challenge. I moved home after school to look for a job, so I just started running. I needed something that I could do that would keep me in shape and was relatively easy to do on my own. When I wasnt looking for jobs, I was out running. It was great. I never did think about running competitively though. I just ran for the joy of running.

Then I got married. That changed things quite a bit. We moved around some and I was working longer hours. We lived in Cleveland and it was hard to stay motivated to run in the frigid winters that NE Ohio brings. So my running tapered off. A lot. It wasn't til we moved to Cincinnati that I became a regular "runner."

And that's where we are today. Cincinnati. Running. Competitively. My wife decided that she wanted to run. She wanted to run the Cleveland Half Marathon, and she started training. That's when I decided that I wanted to as well. Ive always enjoyed running, and this was the time and place to do that. So we trained for the race and ran successfully. Afterwards, we made running a daily habit. So we ran the Columbus Marathon this past fall and have enjoyed running ever since. We set new goals for ourselves and continue to challenge ourselves.

Running is something that we enjoy doing. We are embracing it more each day. We continue to challenge ourselves. We challenge each other. We give each other support and try our best. For any other reason, we do it for the travel,food,and the medal. More importantly, we do it for ourselves.

So that's my running history...

Knight Runner!

Stats: 4miles, 28:49, very windy(about 25 mph), 61 degrees

Tonight I went running with Rhoda again. Im not exactly keen on running outside at night. I guess my biggest fear is getting hit by a car going through a crosswalk. The other fear is stepping on a crack I dont see or in a hole that happens to jump out and snag me. I am a Knight Runner though. I enjoy running in the evening time compared to running in the morning. I LOVE coming home and hitting the pavement after work. I have so much pent up energy from the day. Whether it is work related, extra food in my system, or just restlessness, i really enjoy running at night. Ive found over the years that I am not a morning runner. I hate running in the morning for the most part. I hate getting up early on my weekend trying to run when all my body wants to do is stay in bed. I much rather prefer hitting the streets at night with a body full of unused energy. If there was some way i could bottle up my extra energy throughout the week and use it on the weekends, Id fly like K.I.T.T....Only without the cool flashing nose on the front.

Speaking of which, i used to watch Knight Rider religiously when I was a kid. And I know that if I WERE asked to make a futuristic version, i would NEVER use a mustang to make my K.I.T.T 2010.

My new shorts that I ran in tonight felt futuristic though. My new Nike Dri-Fit worked their task superbly. I stayed cool and dry throughout my run, never once feeling like i had on some heavy shorts. They were light and moved with my legs comfortably. They are a little longer, just above the knee, yet, I did not feel constricted. I really would buy another pair of these shorts. I would eagerly suggest these shorts to anyone looking for a longer pair of running shorts that aren't restricting.

New Orleans Runnin'

So the BCS Championship game last night got me thinking about my run in New Orleans. The beginning and end of the race start at the Superdome. If you've ever been to New Orleans, you know that there isn't a hill anywhere in the city. One of my relatives who lives there says, "The only hill that there is in New Orleans is in the Zoo." So that is encouraging I suppose. From what I can plan in my mind, the course will be pretty flat. I can imagine running down St. Charles through the Garden district to Audubon Park and back will be a pretty run. I love the Garden District of New Orleans. It's one of my favorite spots in the country. Since we are only running the half marathon, we wont be running through the Quarter. We end at the Superdome again while the marathoners take off through the Quarter onto Bourbon St and then a large part is ran down Poydras. Can't wait to run Nawlins'. Here is a fun map of the race course for you to see. If you want more information on the race, go to http://www.mardigrasmarathon.com/

GRRRRRRR Tuesday

Unfortunately today is GRRRRR Tuesday. Last night the Buckeyes lost, the toilet wouldn't stop running, and now I'm having major issues that I'm having to troubleshoot here at work. So now I have to try and fix two toilets at home and try to solve all the worlds problems here at work.

All I have to say is...GRRRRRRRRRR

Anyone else having a grrrrrrrrr Tuesday?


If not...Happy Tuesday!

Tuesday Morning...

It's Tuesday. A warm Tuesday in January to say the least. 61 degrees as I left for work at 7:15 this morning. I cant believe how warm it is. I dont know that I like it. It's very weird having the Christmas decorations still up and spring-like weather is upon us. Oh yeah---I have to take down the Christmas decorations.(Adds to my TO DO list).

Speaking of January, the college football season is now over. Congratulations to the LSU Tigers.They earned it I suppose.I believe that this bowl season just proves even more that a playoff system is needed for college football to crown a legitimate champion. It was tough to watch the Bucks lose last night. Im sure that those guys are wondering how they could lose another championship game.There is a lot of work to be done toward next season if they want to get back to the same place.
And since January is here, are you enjoying your new Christmas gifts? Or are they stil in their boxes waiting to be used? Like I said in my last post, ill share a few more items I got as gifts that I can't wait to try out and report on. I got some great Nike Dri-Fit wear. A shirt, shorts, socks, and a runner's jacket (Thanks Sis.) Not only will I be more comfortable running now, but I will also be stylish.I will run in my new apparel and report back on my findings.

I do ask that you be patient with pictures on this blog. For some reason, I'm having a little trouble with my Sony Cybershot. The barn doors won't open when you turn on the camera. They get half-way open, and then get stuck. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did you fix it? I would like to know. I'm either going to try to have it fixed, or I may get a new camera altogether. Is this a common problem with the Cybershot S600? If anyone that's reading this knows, please fill me in. It's frustrating. This is a relatively new camera (a year old) and shouldn't have this problem. Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Fun Christmas/Birthday gifts

I thought i would just take a break from watching OSU getting scored on again. So...wanna see what I got for Christmas/Birthday? Thanks to Mom and Dad of course! If these two new tools dont make you home rehabbers salivate just a little bit, NOTHING will.

Here ya go.



First a new jigsaw. What a lovely tool. Ive been wanting a new jigsaw for some time now to cut out specific pieces, make edge cuts, and make STRAIGHTER cuts. This new jigsaw has a laser level built in which i LOVE. Its a wonderful B & D tool.





Next I got a new heat gun. We have 17 windows in our house as well as 10 doors that all need refinished. First thought, its paint strip time. This heat gun has ALL the attachments, includint the 3 different types of scrapers to get into those hard to reach places. Three settings of heat and two different attachments for heat dispersion. MMMMMMMMM...POWER TOOLS. Next time Ill post some pictures of some great running gear that I also got for Christmas. I do enjoy Nike Dri Fit wear.

Best.Shoes.Ever

As I was running with Rhoda this evening, i was looking down at her and then at my shoes. Im not sure why, but I was. I was thinking about my pace, stride, planting of my foot, how it feels, and finally, my shoes. My shoes are the Mizuno WaveRider 10 and perhaps they are the best running shoes made. Ive worn several different brands, previously Nike because I have narrow feet and they fit well, but then Mizuno came into my life. I love the WaveRiders. This is my second pair and I dont think ill wear anything else. They are cushiony in the right spots, give me much heel support, and really keep my legs fresh after a long run. They really adjust to my foot well and I feel like I have great push off from them. They are light enough to keep my legs from getting tired on long runs, yet durable enough to withstand mile after mile I put on them. The comfort level in these shoes are superb to any others ive tried. I know ive seen lots of runners wearing these in races, and I know why. They are really a great shoe for long distance runners. Keep up the good work Mizuno. You really make a great running shoe.

What kind of shoe do YOU wear? What other great shoes are out there? What are some BAD running shoes that people should steer from? Let me know.

Now...off to watch the Bucks. Good nite bloggies. Take care of yourselves AND each other.

We got an UPGRADE

Mrs. H. and I bought our Christmas present to each other last weekend. Living room furniture. I know, I know, I can't believe it either. What started out as a trip to buy a new chair, ended up with us saying "Oh, thats a nice living room set." So with a trip to Furniture Fair, we came away with this sofa, matching chair and 1/2, and an ottoman. Well, not THIS ottoman. We bought the one that matches the sofa. We are looking to purchase the leather one in the picture soon.

To say the least, we were very pleased with our experience at FF in Cold Springs, KY. Our salesman Bill was very helpful. He gave us all the details of the furniture, was pleasant to converse with, didn't try to talk over our heads, and most of all, made us feel like we were the most important ones in the store. Heck, he even took the cushions off the sofa and stood on the springs. He took care of us and I feel good about that. There is still some good customer service in the world...You just have to look a little harder to find it.

70 Degrees in January??

Yep...Its supposed to be close to 70 degrees here today. I cant believe it. I mean, is the world coming to an end? We have the 60's in the midwest and horrendous storms on the west coast. Global warming or just a really crazy weather system? All I know is that its going to make for a great running environment for tonight after work. 4 miles with the dog should be a good time. I need to get some exercise in before "the game" this evening so my mind is clear and I can focus on what's REALLY important. The BCS Championship game. GO BUCKS!!

What's more important than the game tonite is that New Orleans is really benefiting from this bowl season. 3 bowl games over the holidays only brings in much needed revenue to a rebuilding city. Im excited to be in NOLA in February to see how things have changed. My wife and I will be doing some volunteer work( I HOPE) while we are there for the marathon. I keep thinking about running...running on the levee...running along the mighty Mississipi...running. Thats where my thoughts are right now. I can't wait to run New Orleans.

Oh yeah..and my Falcons lost last nite. 63-7. All I can say about that is a football team can't turn the ball over 4 times in the first half against a team that averages almost 600 yards of offense a game. At least they got to play in a bowl game. I wish they hadn't got destroyed though.

Happy Birthday to...

ME... and some slightly more famous people.

Famous People born on January 5th:

1931 Robert Duvall (actor)

1946 Diane Keaton (actress)

1969 Marilyn Manson (singer)


On This Day In History:

1759 George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Curtis.
1933 Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco.

January 5th is also:

11th Day of Christmas
Feast of Saint John Neumann (Catholicism) - Saint John Neumann is the earliest US citizen to be canonized.

It was brought to my attention that a former schoolmate of mine, who is 2 years older than me, also has a birthday today. Thanks Gretta for the info. Today was a good day all around. I got to see my grandpa for Christmas/New Years/Birthday all wrapped into one. It was good to see some of my family. I did have a good time. It was chilly and windy, but usually for my birthday I am dealing with blizzard conditions and freezing temps. So, no complaints in the weather department for my bday...

EXCEPT FOR---


RUNNING TODAY

Mrs. H. and I ran 6 miles together today. Talk about treacherous. Not because of road conditions, snow, or the cold like one would think on January 5th, but WIND!!! Lots and lots of WIND. Going out was great for the first 3 miles. A nice strong tailwind that got us going. We cruised at about 9 min. miles. Things were looking good until we turned around to go back. HAHA. We averaged 10 min miles on miles 4 and 5 and then hit 9:22 on mile 6. I would say this was a great time considering we were running into a 50mph head wind. It was CRAZY!! Mrs H's exact words were...*I wish you were bigger so I could have drafted off of you more.* Thanks I'm small. I know it. I'm probably not the best draftee. But who is in a typhoon? I dont know. Im pretty sure I saw ToTo flying by at some point...Seriously. The wind was horrendous.

Well...that wraps up my Birthday/Christmas/New Year's Day with my family. There is ONE little thing I do have to mention...


GO BG!!!

My beloved Falcons will be playing in the GMAC Bowl against TULSA tomorrow.

GO FALCONS!!!!

"Ay Ziggy Zoomba"

Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zoomba

Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Ze

Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zoomba

Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zi

Roll along, you B-G warriors

Roll along, and win for B-G-S-U.

28 for the 4th Time

Yes...tomorrow is my bday. Ill be 32. Yes. 32. I can't believe it. This year i will be 10 years removed from college. *SCARY*. I think I have accomplished a lot, but of course, there is a lot more to tackle in the future. As to think about it, age IS just a number. If we didn't have birthdays, we wouldnt know how old we were in numbers, we would go by how old we FELT. I guess I feel pretty good for my age. Is this what I SHOULD be feeling at this age? I hope so.

Sar and I will be spending the weekend with my fam for my bday/christmas. It should be a good time. Im looking forward to seeing my fam and spending time with them. Until next time, carry on.

Pondering...

Happy '08

Well, its a new year. Here it is '08. Everything is anew...right? Pretty soon, ill be another year older and hopefully a little wiser. I know I havent been posting much as the holidays have been a little crazy. The driving miles have built up over the last month to see family and friends. Now its back to reality. What am I going to do when i have to work 5 days next week. EGAD!!.

One thing I AM pondering is what to do with this blog. One part of our lives that is important to us and I feel inclined to write about is our running. Mrs. H. and I have been running competitively for a little while now. We are running the New Orleans half, I am planning on running the Cleveland full and hopefully Chicago as well. Also the Cincy 10k is up for me too. Running has become an important part of our daily lives. We plan around it, keep schedules for it, dont miss it, train for it, sleep for it...yeah, um, its important. So I feel that I might somehow intertwine a bit of that into this blog.

I feel like this tiny slice of the www might expand a little bit to incorporate more of what we do at 316 Prospect.


Thanks for reading.

Mr. H.