Thursday, July 21, 2005

Ouch- I fell

Yesterday, I took a spill.

I went for a 3 mile run yesterday. It was hot and humid. My sinuses were bothering me. At around the 2.3 mile point, my ankle overturned and I simply lost my balance. To shield the fall, I landed on my left knee and both my hands.

I was near the house so I went promptly home. I needed five bandaids and developed an enormous bruise on my hip.

Today, I am not sure I want to run my 6 miles on the street. There are hazards!

I don't think anyone saw me. I hope no one saw me! How embarassing. I can picture someone pointing to their kids and saying see- that is why it's important to listen to your parents when they tell you it's too hot to run outside.

I am not sure what went wrong. I had water. Should I have been drinking gatorade? I didn't even feel out of it and tired. Perhaps it really was the sinuses. My ankle didn't even turn over bad enough to sprain or anything. I should have maintained my sense of balance.

So today I would really like to run on the treadmill. I am taking no chances.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Marathon Progress

Just thought I'd give you an update on my marathon progress.

Yes, I'm still training. The longest I've run so far is 10 miles. The weather here has been hot and humid, which makes some of the runs tough. Sometimes, I feel tired and a bit out of it during the runs. But afterwards, I am so happy I completed that day's training!

Yesterday I ran 7 miles. Today is a rest day and boy do I need it!

I've been thinking a lot about nutrition. My calorie needs at this point are pretty high. I have to make sure I am eating enough because I bet that will make a big difference in the way I run.

Today, I am going to do some strength training for my abs and upper body.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Cayenne Pepper

I've been doing a lot of cooking with cayenne pepper lately. It's been hot out and even though cayenne makes you feel hot sometimes, it actually helps you sweat, thus making you cooler.

I like to use this seasoning when I have a cold. I feel it opens my sinuses and helps loosen any excess phlegm and mucous.

Cayenne Cold Syrup

2 T honey
1 T lemon juice
dash cayenne pepper
one garlic clove, chopped

Mix all ingredients together in a small dish. Let stand about 1/2 hour so the flavors can meld together. Take one tsp. 3 times a day until systems subside.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Shaklee Products

Check out this link: www.shaklee.net/spiro.

I've used the Shaklee protein powder and multivitamin before. I loved the taste and absorbability of the protein powder, and the vitamin didn't give me heartburn or nausea, two problems I usually have.

So, when my Uncle Spiro started selling the products, I decided I would give him a plug. :)

Monday, July 11, 2005

Honey for Endurance Atheletes

The marathon training is going strong! Today I ran 10 miles in the intense heat. For the second time, I tried eating those nutrition gels.

Overall, it was not a good run. The gel I liked the taste of the best is the "Gu" brand. But, all the gels I've come across except for the Cliff Brand have caffeine, and I don't react well to caffeine.

So I did some digging, and I found out that honey is great for endurance. I LOVE honey. It is a carbohydrate/ simple sugar that has always agreed with me. I remember going to the apple orchard and buying honey sticks. I don't gag on the honey sticks and they don't have caffeine.

Bring it on!

Great Resource for Herbal Medicine

There is one website I frequently go to when I want information on medicinal plants:

www.botanical.com.

It is the online version of Mrs. Maude Grieve's A Modern Herbal.