Just finished a long slow distance run (8.0 mi) this morning, ending Week #4 of 10 of Half Marathon Training. I mixed it up a bit this week, because of scheduling and early morning issues. I did my interval runs at night, one at the track, one at work at a random route. I did my weekend runs on the treadmill and on the track (early morning) due to the heat, it was over 95 degrees! All in all, not bad, I survived the workouts and my body is healing up well.
I weighed in this morning as usual for my weekly checkpoint, and low and behold, I dropped another ONE AND A HALF POUNDS! I'm 2.5 lbs. lower than my two-year low, and only 5.5 lbs. away from my 10-year low. I felt leaner this week, my clothes were fitting a lot looser, and I was able to get into some shorts I bought I long while ago when I was "skinnier." LOL. As far as my energy levels go, they're very good. I've been getting a lot of good night's rest lately, so that probably has a lot to do with it. I've been busy at work, but I've been able to balance it well.
As far as the Eat-to-Live experiment, I'm doing great. I'm still on the green smoothie breakfast, in fact, I'm having one now. Kale, Bok-Choy, Collards, Romaine, Spinach, some fruit juices (acai, carrot, and pomegranate - 12 oz. total), some frozen wild blueberries, a whole necartatine minus the pit, and some ice...yummy! We ran out of bananas, LOL. Going shopping today to restock. Salads for lunch and dinner, still, with some chopped veggies mixed in, still good. I ate out quite a bit this week for lunch and dinner, but still was vegan. I did get a lot of soy proteins, beans, and rice, in addition to my whole fruits and veggies. Lots of fresh fruits as after meal snacks. Portions, overall, were decent, mostly because my workouts were long and tough this week, especially with the heat.
We had a BBQ to go to last week, and we had some leftover hamburgers (don't ask) that we had to cook up for a party. Ugh, my kitchen hasn't smelled like that in a long time, smelled like McDonalds or something. :) I had to ask my wife to open the windows and do some major ventilation because I was gonna gag in there. :) Ah well, we all survived the ordeal with no problems. I think it just re-emphasized to me how much I really don't need that type of food to survive and make it.
Disney Half is next weekend, I think I'm ready to go, although I'm really just gonna jog it. I think I'll try to get 2:30, and try as much as possible to that time without a hard effort, just easy breathing and striding. Note my real goal is to run a 1:59 in early October, which is only 6 weeks away. That's gonna be really hard to do, if my training times so far are any indication. But, we'll see how it goes.
Have a great week everyone! I do hope all is well in your lives...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The ADA's Position on Vegetarians/Vegans
My friend of many years recently found out about my drastic change in diet (well, really not that drastic, since I've been a quasi-vegetarian for nearly three years, and a vegan now for a short time) and asked a few questions:
1.) Where do you get your protein?
2.) Where do you get your calcium?
3.) Where do you get your Vitamin D?
In my research, I discovered that all of these were readily available in a Vegan diet, just as long as you maintained a plant-based whole foods diet. Eating whole vegetables and fruits, and having that be the basis of the majority of your calories would satisfy all of that. He shook his head in disbelief, and wrote off what I was doing as a phase. I can see where he's coming from, he's not in the minority, and he's not the only one to question me.
Well, I came across a very interesting paper I'd like to share with you. Don't listen to me, listen to the American Dietetic Association, and their position on Vegetarians/Vegans. Read the evidence. It's not like this is some random thing here, people who have changed their diets are healthier, leaner, less prone to illness and disease...all the stuff I've been saying for a while now.
Give it a read...let me know what you think.
http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/VegetarianPositionFINAL.pdf
Have a great weekend!
1.) Where do you get your protein?
2.) Where do you get your calcium?
3.) Where do you get your Vitamin D?
In my research, I discovered that all of these were readily available in a Vegan diet, just as long as you maintained a plant-based whole foods diet. Eating whole vegetables and fruits, and having that be the basis of the majority of your calories would satisfy all of that. He shook his head in disbelief, and wrote off what I was doing as a phase. I can see where he's coming from, he's not in the minority, and he's not the only one to question me.
Well, I came across a very interesting paper I'd like to share with you. Don't listen to me, listen to the American Dietetic Association, and their position on Vegetarians/Vegans. Read the evidence. It's not like this is some random thing here, people who have changed their diets are healthier, leaner, less prone to illness and disease...all the stuff I've been saying for a while now.
Give it a read...let me know what you think.
http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/VegetarianPositionFINAL.pdf
Have a great weekend!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Eat to Live - Checkpoint #5 + Half Marathon Training
Just finished Week #3 of my half marathon training, and it was rough. I ran a 5k simulation yesterday and gave it my all, but my all wasn't very good. :) I usually run much faster than that, but I guess I'm still running pretty slow. No worries, though. I finished a long-slow 5 miles today, and for the most part, it was fine. My ankle is still bothering me, and I'm working it vigorously, with stretching, massage, ice, etc. And my lower back has flared up me, first time in a long while. I think I slept wrong one night or something, because I haven't had that much pain in a while. So much so, that I asked my wife to get me some Motrin, which I very rarely take. I'm hoping it's just a transient issue.
As for the Eat-to-Live plan, I'm doing well. After a busy week at work, and the 3 out 5 lunches out at restaurants (still vegan though!), I weighed myself this morning and the scale the same as last week, which is what I usually expect. I'm a hard-hard loser, it's really tough for me to lose weight, so I expected a plateau somewhere, and I'm right at it. I feel good, not great. I get a few episodes of light-headedness sometimes, and I feel warm all the time. I think I need to drink more water, and probably just ease up on eating out so much, although with co-workers asking you to go to lunch, it's hard. This week, I'll do 1 less lunch out to see how that changes things. My workouts were tough this week, so that probably has something to do with it.
Next week, I'll talk more about macro and micro nutrients, and what I've learned about them through my experiences. Have a great weekend!
As for the Eat-to-Live plan, I'm doing well. After a busy week at work, and the 3 out 5 lunches out at restaurants (still vegan though!), I weighed myself this morning and the scale the same as last week, which is what I usually expect. I'm a hard-hard loser, it's really tough for me to lose weight, so I expected a plateau somewhere, and I'm right at it. I feel good, not great. I get a few episodes of light-headedness sometimes, and I feel warm all the time. I think I need to drink more water, and probably just ease up on eating out so much, although with co-workers asking you to go to lunch, it's hard. This week, I'll do 1 less lunch out to see how that changes things. My workouts were tough this week, so that probably has something to do with it.
Next week, I'll talk more about macro and micro nutrients, and what I've learned about them through my experiences. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Macro and Micro Nutrients
I knew what these were, but had a hard time understanding why they were so important. Macronutrients are those that take up calories like protein, carbohydrates, and fat. And micronutrients are those that don't take up calories like phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. For the longest time, I just concerned myself with the macronutrients, and played around with diets to limit them or divide them up. But, now, I think I know better...
The key to achieving health is to get as many nutrients as possible, in as little calories as possible. Dr. Joel Fuhrman's equation is:
H=N/C
Health is proportional to the nutrients we consume, and inversely proportional to amount of calories.
Think about this. What percentage of your daily calories come from:
1.) Animal proteins
2.) Plant proteins
3.) Animal Fats
4.) Plant Fats
5.) Refined Carbohydrates and Sugars
6.) Plant Carbohydrates
If the vast majority of your daily calories comes from animal proteins and fats, and refined carbohydrates and sugars, you've basically consumed calories with very little nutrients. And it's likely you've consumed a lot of calories.
On the other hand, if the vast majority of your daily calories comes from a plant-based diet, then you'd likely would have consumed less calories, filled a great amount of nutrients.
Why is that?
Well, because animal proteins and fats, and refined carbs have no fiber, none at all. They have little to no phytochemicals and enzymes. And the vitamins and minerals in them are also not significant. Yet, the levels of bad cholestorol and saturated fats are high in animal fats. Yet, enzymes meant for cancer cells are diverted to digest animal proteins. And refined carbohydrates and sugars are basically as empty a calorie as you can find. To top it all off, all of these types of food require just a small amount to take up a vast amount of calories. 1 lb. of this stuff could be 3000+ calories. Low nutriets, high calories = bad health.
Plant-based foods have all of the advantages, and none of the disadvantages. They are loaded with nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in their purest forms. They are easy to digest. And they don't take up a ton calories. 1 lb. of greens, for example, is just 100 calories. High nutrients, low calories = good health.
So, you don't eat as many calories with a plant-based diet, yet you get a huge nutritional and digestive benefit. You feel full because you have so much fiber in your diet. And you strengthen all of the systems in your body, including your immune and digestive systems.
Hopefully, you can at least mix in some leafy greens, and some plant-based whole foods into your diet so you can improve your overall health in the short and long term. It doesn't take long to see and feel the effects. Just after a month of making a change, you'll see and feel a difference. The human body is amazing that way. Once we get out of it's way, it finds a way to get to where it wants to.
At the very least, be educated and aware about what you're eating and why. Don't just go on auto-pilot, and just eat with no reason or thought. When someone asks you, "Why do you drink milk?" or "Why do you eat meat?", understand why and what that may be doing to your bodies. Don't just say, because it tastes good, because you're doing yourself a disservice. You and your body deserve the right to these answers.
The key to achieving health is to get as many nutrients as possible, in as little calories as possible. Dr. Joel Fuhrman's equation is:
H=N/C
Health is proportional to the nutrients we consume, and inversely proportional to amount of calories.
Think about this. What percentage of your daily calories come from:
1.) Animal proteins
2.) Plant proteins
3.) Animal Fats
4.) Plant Fats
5.) Refined Carbohydrates and Sugars
6.) Plant Carbohydrates
If the vast majority of your daily calories comes from animal proteins and fats, and refined carbohydrates and sugars, you've basically consumed calories with very little nutrients. And it's likely you've consumed a lot of calories.
On the other hand, if the vast majority of your daily calories comes from a plant-based diet, then you'd likely would have consumed less calories, filled a great amount of nutrients.
Why is that?
Well, because animal proteins and fats, and refined carbs have no fiber, none at all. They have little to no phytochemicals and enzymes. And the vitamins and minerals in them are also not significant. Yet, the levels of bad cholestorol and saturated fats are high in animal fats. Yet, enzymes meant for cancer cells are diverted to digest animal proteins. And refined carbohydrates and sugars are basically as empty a calorie as you can find. To top it all off, all of these types of food require just a small amount to take up a vast amount of calories. 1 lb. of this stuff could be 3000+ calories. Low nutriets, high calories = bad health.
Plant-based foods have all of the advantages, and none of the disadvantages. They are loaded with nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in their purest forms. They are easy to digest. And they don't take up a ton calories. 1 lb. of greens, for example, is just 100 calories. High nutrients, low calories = good health.
So, you don't eat as many calories with a plant-based diet, yet you get a huge nutritional and digestive benefit. You feel full because you have so much fiber in your diet. And you strengthen all of the systems in your body, including your immune and digestive systems.
Hopefully, you can at least mix in some leafy greens, and some plant-based whole foods into your diet so you can improve your overall health in the short and long term. It doesn't take long to see and feel the effects. Just after a month of making a change, you'll see and feel a difference. The human body is amazing that way. Once we get out of it's way, it finds a way to get to where it wants to.
At the very least, be educated and aware about what you're eating and why. Don't just go on auto-pilot, and just eat with no reason or thought. When someone asks you, "Why do you drink milk?" or "Why do you eat meat?", understand why and what that may be doing to your bodies. Don't just say, because it tastes good, because you're doing yourself a disservice. You and your body deserve the right to these answers.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Weddings...
We attending a Jewish wedding for the first time yesterday. We've attended our share of weddings in the past, mostly Catholic, with Buddhist and Muslim weddings thrown in for good measure (two of my best friends). One thing they have in common is how happy everyone is.
We really had a great time at this wedding, it was amazing. You have your share of personalities in the world, and the couple celebrating this union were about as quirky, funny, and interesting a couple as I've seen in a long time. Even the Rabbi was great, he was very funny, even though he kept a holiness and sacredness of the ceremony through the laughter. I really appreciated the couple's attention to detail in this wedding, knowing there were many people there who did not understand the intricacies of the Jewish faith, much less the details of a Jewish wedding. Everything was explained both in the pamphlets handed out, as well as spoken during the ceremony. It was a beautiful time.
For a while, I closed my eyes and the breeze blew over them. I could feel something there, I don't know what it was, but there was a peace and happiness I hadn't felt in a while. I'm so happy for them, so honored they thought enough of us to invite us and have us participate, and so blessed to see a different point of view, even though the end result ... a marriage ... is the same for many a religion.
Our diversity is our strength, isn't it? We're all different, we all have different points of view, different ways to celebrate and be happy. Isn't it amazing that we can share that with each other and learn?
We really had a great time at this wedding, it was amazing. You have your share of personalities in the world, and the couple celebrating this union were about as quirky, funny, and interesting a couple as I've seen in a long time. Even the Rabbi was great, he was very funny, even though he kept a holiness and sacredness of the ceremony through the laughter. I really appreciated the couple's attention to detail in this wedding, knowing there were many people there who did not understand the intricacies of the Jewish faith, much less the details of a Jewish wedding. Everything was explained both in the pamphlets handed out, as well as spoken during the ceremony. It was a beautiful time.
For a while, I closed my eyes and the breeze blew over them. I could feel something there, I don't know what it was, but there was a peace and happiness I hadn't felt in a while. I'm so happy for them, so honored they thought enough of us to invite us and have us participate, and so blessed to see a different point of view, even though the end result ... a marriage ... is the same for many a religion.
Our diversity is our strength, isn't it? We're all different, we all have different points of view, different ways to celebrate and be happy. Isn't it amazing that we can share that with each other and learn?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Eat to Live - Checkpoint #4 + Half Marathon Training
Just finished Week #2 of my Half Marathon Training, and a long-slow distance (7.0 mi). I did my first two weeks on a track, to minimize the impact on my achilles tendon, which is still a little tweaky. I've survived the first two weeks well enough to sign up for the Half Marathon in early October, so now I'm committed. I'm still running slow, compared to last year and two years ago, but I'm not worried about it too much.
As for the "Eat To Live" experiment, I'm at Checkpoint #4 now. And compared to last week, I dropped another TWO AND HALF POUNDS. Man, I'm telling you, for me, this is major. It is so freaking hard for me to lose even a half a pound. To put this into perspective, I'm 1 lb. less than my two year low, which took me 3 months+ of hard and intense training to achieve. I'm 7 lbs. away from my 10 year low, which took me 2 years of extreme training to achieve. I'm 14 lbs. from my high school weight, and 19 lbs from my ultimate goal. I'm thinking it's gonna take 2 years to hit, but at this rate, who knows?
Scoping out the way I feel, I feel really strong, very alert, very clean. I don't feel any different in terms of weight, per se, my muscles in my legs, back, shoulders, and arms still feel the same, fairly dense. And my clothes don't really feel any different. My abs do feel a little less "spongy" as my youngest daughter calls it, and I can pinch a lot less than before.
Again, I've stuck pretty much to the plan. Green smoothies for breakfast, love 'em. I'm adding some other greens to the mix (beet, collard, watercress -- in addition to the staples: kale, spinach, romaine, bok choy). Some of them are "challenging" to take a sushi term, but I don't really care much about the taste or texture per se, I'm more concerned with the energy and nutriets and how I feel afterwards. After one or two times, they taste quite good and refreshing. Lots of green salads for lunch and dinner, some more cruciferous raw veggies with some yummy vegan dips my wife was so kind to procure. And some inventive dishes that my wife cooked up for us, like brown rice sushi, with crunchy nori, tofutti cream cheese (a little), carrots and zucchini. Too die for stuff. We even mixed in a vegan pizza (no cheese, no meat), as well as some Tofurkey (trying to see if can we have a vegan Thanksgiving!). All in all, not a bad change of pace.
Next week, I'm gonna talk more about food again, focusing on portions, calories, etc. I was wondering during my run today, why I gained weight these past few months, even though I was quasi-vegetarian, and doing some intense strength training. Maybe the answer lies in the food I ate? We'll see... Half a great rest of the weekend! Health and Happiness to you all!
As for the "Eat To Live" experiment, I'm at Checkpoint #4 now. And compared to last week, I dropped another TWO AND HALF POUNDS. Man, I'm telling you, for me, this is major. It is so freaking hard for me to lose even a half a pound. To put this into perspective, I'm 1 lb. less than my two year low, which took me 3 months+ of hard and intense training to achieve. I'm 7 lbs. away from my 10 year low, which took me 2 years of extreme training to achieve. I'm 14 lbs. from my high school weight, and 19 lbs from my ultimate goal. I'm thinking it's gonna take 2 years to hit, but at this rate, who knows?
Scoping out the way I feel, I feel really strong, very alert, very clean. I don't feel any different in terms of weight, per se, my muscles in my legs, back, shoulders, and arms still feel the same, fairly dense. And my clothes don't really feel any different. My abs do feel a little less "spongy" as my youngest daughter calls it, and I can pinch a lot less than before.
Again, I've stuck pretty much to the plan. Green smoothies for breakfast, love 'em. I'm adding some other greens to the mix (beet, collard, watercress -- in addition to the staples: kale, spinach, romaine, bok choy). Some of them are "challenging" to take a sushi term, but I don't really care much about the taste or texture per se, I'm more concerned with the energy and nutriets and how I feel afterwards. After one or two times, they taste quite good and refreshing. Lots of green salads for lunch and dinner, some more cruciferous raw veggies with some yummy vegan dips my wife was so kind to procure. And some inventive dishes that my wife cooked up for us, like brown rice sushi, with crunchy nori, tofutti cream cheese (a little), carrots and zucchini. Too die for stuff. We even mixed in a vegan pizza (no cheese, no meat), as well as some Tofurkey (trying to see if can we have a vegan Thanksgiving!). All in all, not a bad change of pace.
Next week, I'm gonna talk more about food again, focusing on portions, calories, etc. I was wondering during my run today, why I gained weight these past few months, even though I was quasi-vegetarian, and doing some intense strength training. Maybe the answer lies in the food I ate? We'll see... Half a great rest of the weekend! Health and Happiness to you all!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
You're not a vegan...
The weekend is upon us, and after some very heavy topics about animals, cancer, diabetes, and cholesterol, I'm in a light mood still, even after the last post. Why not? Gotta by happy also, right? So, as I'm writing this, remember I'm smiling throughout...in a very light and happy mood. Don't mistake my writing for emotion, this is really tongue-in-cheek. That said...
I just finished my Saturday run, an easy 4.0mi jog and the miles just flew by, because I was thinking about what my wife told me last night. She said that her friend said (uh, second hand, eh?) "You're not a vegan...because you wear leather."
Wow.
Now my initial reaction was simply that, wow. Not knowing the context which it was said, who said it, whether or not he/she was vegan, whether or not I would get my booty handed to me in an MMA match with said person, I just said wow.
Then, it moved to something else. Thanks. Thanks much, friend, for the encouragement. It isn't enough that only 0.2% of world's population is vegan, and I'm the only 40+ male Pilipino vegan marathoner in the world. We really need that type of encouragement to get the word out about the benefits of a plant based, whole-foods ... uh ... vegan diet. It's not like we're the in the minority or on an island all by ourselves, right?
He/she is right, though. The label or characterization of "vegan" by Donald Watson in 1944:
[T]he word "veganism" denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
So, wearing leather is a violation of the vegan definition. Big deal.
Given that, let me ask a few questions. What should I do my my leather jacket that I bought 10 years ago? And my leather shoes that I bought 2 years ago? Donate them? Does that make me vegan? Should I toss them in the garbage so they go in the landfill? Does that make me vegan? Should I go and buy synthetic leather replacements right now? Does that make me vegan? Should I just dump that leather couch we bought 5 years ago? Does that make me vegan? Oh, and my wife, should she do the same for her purses, wallets, jackets, and shoes? Does that make her vegan? Now, I agree that knowing what we know now, we are extremely hesitant to buy leather. One of the first questions I asked my wife after watching "Earthlings" was "Aren't your purses made of leather?" And she said, "I know, I know...it's not good." It's not like we're ignorant to it, but really, what do you want us to do?
We don't eat animal products, no dairy, no meat. We will be very cautious and aware about our clothing and other purchases in the future. But, we're not gonna dump all our stuff and replace it with hemp or synthetic manmade materials just to say we are vegan.
On the other hand, do you drive a car? Do you have a computer, television, or tupperware? Is synthetic leather really better? Look, petroleum (gasoline for cars) and plastics (cases for computers, televisions, and base for synthetics) are by-products of crude oil, which is from dead dinosaurs. So, are you a vegan if you drive a car or use plastic or synthetic products? Do you use shampoo, cosmetics, etc. that may contain palm oil? I hope not, because the orangutans will be extinct if you continue to use those types of products. We can extrapolate and continue to divide, can't we?
Don't hate. Don't judge. Especially since you don't even know our context and why we made our choices. I am no better than my carnivore counterpart because of my choices. I am no better than a real vegan, who walks daily from their grass, solar-powered hut, to their job to save the dolphins or whales. I am no better than anyone else. The only thing I did was read a few books, experimented over many years, watched a few movies, and made my choices.
But, I am a vegan.
I just finished my Saturday run, an easy 4.0mi jog and the miles just flew by, because I was thinking about what my wife told me last night. She said that her friend said (uh, second hand, eh?) "You're not a vegan...because you wear leather."
Wow.
Now my initial reaction was simply that, wow. Not knowing the context which it was said, who said it, whether or not he/she was vegan, whether or not I would get my booty handed to me in an MMA match with said person, I just said wow.
Then, it moved to something else. Thanks. Thanks much, friend, for the encouragement. It isn't enough that only 0.2% of world's population is vegan, and I'm the only 40+ male Pilipino vegan marathoner in the world. We really need that type of encouragement to get the word out about the benefits of a plant based, whole-foods ... uh ... vegan diet. It's not like we're the in the minority or on an island all by ourselves, right?
He/she is right, though. The label or characterization of "vegan" by Donald Watson in 1944:
[T]he word "veganism" denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
So, wearing leather is a violation of the vegan definition. Big deal.
Given that, let me ask a few questions. What should I do my my leather jacket that I bought 10 years ago? And my leather shoes that I bought 2 years ago? Donate them? Does that make me vegan? Should I toss them in the garbage so they go in the landfill? Does that make me vegan? Should I go and buy synthetic leather replacements right now? Does that make me vegan? Should I just dump that leather couch we bought 5 years ago? Does that make me vegan? Oh, and my wife, should she do the same for her purses, wallets, jackets, and shoes? Does that make her vegan? Now, I agree that knowing what we know now, we are extremely hesitant to buy leather. One of the first questions I asked my wife after watching "Earthlings" was "Aren't your purses made of leather?" And she said, "I know, I know...it's not good." It's not like we're ignorant to it, but really, what do you want us to do?
We don't eat animal products, no dairy, no meat. We will be very cautious and aware about our clothing and other purchases in the future. But, we're not gonna dump all our stuff and replace it with hemp or synthetic manmade materials just to say we are vegan.
On the other hand, do you drive a car? Do you have a computer, television, or tupperware? Is synthetic leather really better? Look, petroleum (gasoline for cars) and plastics (cases for computers, televisions, and base for synthetics) are by-products of crude oil, which is from dead dinosaurs. So, are you a vegan if you drive a car or use plastic or synthetic products? Do you use shampoo, cosmetics, etc. that may contain palm oil? I hope not, because the orangutans will be extinct if you continue to use those types of products. We can extrapolate and continue to divide, can't we?
Don't hate. Don't judge. Especially since you don't even know our context and why we made our choices. I am no better than my carnivore counterpart because of my choices. I am no better than a real vegan, who walks daily from their grass, solar-powered hut, to their job to save the dolphins or whales. I am no better than anyone else. The only thing I did was read a few books, experimented over many years, watched a few movies, and made my choices.
But, I am a vegan.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Lighten Up! You're special!
Man, so many heavy topics these past couple of days. Being that it's Friday, a rest day for me during my Half Marathon Training, it's also a good idea to rest the mind as well, with something light.
Consider the following.
The percentage of people in the world who have completed a marathon is 0.1%. So, if there are 6.7 Billion people in the world, only 6.7 Million have completed a marathon.
The percentage of people in the world who are vegan is 0.2% (approximately). So, if there are 6.7 Billion people in the world, only 13.4 Million are vegan.
I was lucky enough to complete two marathons, so I'm part of the 0.1%.
I am a vegan now, so I'm part of the 0.2%.
And if I complete a marathon as a vegan (planned for 2010), I'll be part of the 0.1% of the 0.2%, which ends up being 1 in 13,400!
And if you take into account that I'm a 40+ year old Pilipino, I think I'm probably the only one in the world! :) Okay, my Pilipino vegan non-marathon running or non-vegan marathon running or non-vegan non-marathon running brothers and sisters, join me! In 2010, we complete a vegan marathon! We indeed will be rare, and special!
Consider the following.
The percentage of people in the world who have completed a marathon is 0.1%. So, if there are 6.7 Billion people in the world, only 6.7 Million have completed a marathon.
The percentage of people in the world who are vegan is 0.2% (approximately). So, if there are 6.7 Billion people in the world, only 13.4 Million are vegan.
I was lucky enough to complete two marathons, so I'm part of the 0.1%.
I am a vegan now, so I'm part of the 0.2%.
And if I complete a marathon as a vegan (planned for 2010), I'll be part of the 0.1% of the 0.2%, which ends up being 1 in 13,400!
And if you take into account that I'm a 40+ year old Pilipino, I think I'm probably the only one in the world! :) Okay, my Pilipino vegan non-marathon running or non-vegan marathon running or non-vegan non-marathon running brothers and sisters, join me! In 2010, we complete a vegan marathon! We indeed will be rare, and special!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Cholesterol
If there is a measure of health, cholesterol is one of the few that many people monitor and view as important. Weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, resting and active heart rate, etc. are all very important measures as well.
But, cholesterol is linked directly with diet, and hence directly with the disease and issues associated with a bad diet. There are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol, and HDL is the "good" cholesterol. Their counts and their ratio to each other are important measures. I won't go deep into them here, let's just say that you should get a baseline check on your cholesterol to see where you're at.
So, what causes bad levels of cholesterol is our diets? Animal products. Fatty beef, pork, chicken, etc. For the most part, plant-based whole foods have zero cholesterol, and hence "good" vegans will usually have very good cholesterol measures. Now, even you're you're a vegetarian, you could still have bad cholesterol, if you're eating a lot of oils and fried foods. Be careful there. I've said this before, it's not "wrong" to eat meat, heck, I've eaten my share throughout my life, although I'm a vegan now. But, it isn't good for you to have so much meat, with so few plant-based whole foods. We'll talk about portions of food, etc. in a later post. Imagine your diet is bacon and eggs for breakfast, a roast beef sandwich at lunch, and some chicken and pasta for dinner. How much cholesterol is in all of that? Way too much! And yet, many people eat this way and wonder why their cholesterol levels are out of control. They'll eat this way for months or years, use drugs to lower their levels, and make no significant changes to their diet.
The good news, like diabetes and cancer, is that cholestorol levels can easily be controlled and changed, without drugs, through changes to your diet. If you eat a majority of plant-based whole foods, your levels will drop signficantly. Cholesterol is not something you want to mess with. High levels of bad cholesterol are a precursor for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc. Lots of people say that "moderation" is the key, just have a meat once in a while. Well, that's great if you're completely healthy or if "once in a while" means 5-10% of your total calories. But, more often than not, after you count all of the meat, fried foods, and oils, it's way more than that. Moderation isn't the key here. You need take measurements, get a baseline. If your numbers come up "normal" then I suggest you research and find out what "normal" means. "Normal" to Americans is dangerously high in many cases. "Normal" to other people of other nations can be 2x lower. Again, read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell to understand more about cholesterol and the statistics associated. Whatever numbers you get, work to get them lower via a plant-based whole foods diet. If anything, see that changes in your diet really does effect your cholesterol numbers, without drugs.
By controlling your cholesterol levels through a plant-based whole foods diet, you'll greatly reduce your risks of a plethora of diseases and health problems.
But, cholesterol is linked directly with diet, and hence directly with the disease and issues associated with a bad diet. There are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol, and HDL is the "good" cholesterol. Their counts and their ratio to each other are important measures. I won't go deep into them here, let's just say that you should get a baseline check on your cholesterol to see where you're at.
So, what causes bad levels of cholesterol is our diets? Animal products. Fatty beef, pork, chicken, etc. For the most part, plant-based whole foods have zero cholesterol, and hence "good" vegans will usually have very good cholesterol measures. Now, even you're you're a vegetarian, you could still have bad cholesterol, if you're eating a lot of oils and fried foods. Be careful there. I've said this before, it's not "wrong" to eat meat, heck, I've eaten my share throughout my life, although I'm a vegan now. But, it isn't good for you to have so much meat, with so few plant-based whole foods. We'll talk about portions of food, etc. in a later post. Imagine your diet is bacon and eggs for breakfast, a roast beef sandwich at lunch, and some chicken and pasta for dinner. How much cholesterol is in all of that? Way too much! And yet, many people eat this way and wonder why their cholesterol levels are out of control. They'll eat this way for months or years, use drugs to lower their levels, and make no significant changes to their diet.
The good news, like diabetes and cancer, is that cholestorol levels can easily be controlled and changed, without drugs, through changes to your diet. If you eat a majority of plant-based whole foods, your levels will drop signficantly. Cholesterol is not something you want to mess with. High levels of bad cholesterol are a precursor for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc. Lots of people say that "moderation" is the key, just have a meat once in a while. Well, that's great if you're completely healthy or if "once in a while" means 5-10% of your total calories. But, more often than not, after you count all of the meat, fried foods, and oils, it's way more than that. Moderation isn't the key here. You need take measurements, get a baseline. If your numbers come up "normal" then I suggest you research and find out what "normal" means. "Normal" to Americans is dangerously high in many cases. "Normal" to other people of other nations can be 2x lower. Again, read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell to understand more about cholesterol and the statistics associated. Whatever numbers you get, work to get them lower via a plant-based whole foods diet. If anything, see that changes in your diet really does effect your cholesterol numbers, without drugs.
By controlling your cholesterol levels through a plant-based whole foods diet, you'll greatly reduce your risks of a plethora of diseases and health problems.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Diabetes
Just like cancer, diabetes hits very close to home for me. My mother is a Type II Diabetic. My father was also on insulin for many years. My mother takes nightly insulin shots, tests her blood sugar regularly, and has be very careful, like many diabetics, to watch their diet, their feet, and other things. Not to mention the costs associated with treating diabetes, we're talking about a life-altering disease that has to constantly be managed and dealt with. Diabetes affects the fundamental processing of glucose in the body, which is essential to normal bodily function. Because Type II diabetics cannot produce insulin as efficiently (Type I cannot produce insulin at all), they have to supplement with injected or oral insulin. Insulin is the mechanism by which the body can process glucose, which is used for fuel for the muscles. Too much glucose, not enough insulin...high blood sugar. Diabetes leads to a host of other problems, too numerous to discuss here. Suffice it to say, that living with diabetes is tough.
Fortunately, there are answers besides injecting insulin regularly. As many will tell you, your weight, your amount of exercise, and of course, your diet can greatly effect how much insulin your body needs. Take my mother, for example. Her "diet" previously consisted of massive amounts of Diet Coke (awful stuff), fast food, and an occasional salad. She exercises daily, but her insulin and blood sugar were difficult to control. Within two weeks of changing her diet to a vegan plant-based, whole foods diet, her blood sugar levels were in normal range, and her insulin dosages dropped dramatically. Of course, she drank water instead of Diet Coke, which helped immensely. She looks amazing, with a glow I haven't seen a while, and she's dropped 10 lbs. or so.
Catch the movie, "Raw for 30 Days" a documentary of healing diabetes simply with changes in diet. You'll see some amazing and powerful stuff. Many agree that diabetes is easily curable with changes in diet. Yes, I said curable, like "no more insulin". It takes discipline and care, and be sure to check with your doctor if you plan on trying. But, be hopeful that there are alternatives out there to help heal you.
Fortunately, there are answers besides injecting insulin regularly. As many will tell you, your weight, your amount of exercise, and of course, your diet can greatly effect how much insulin your body needs. Take my mother, for example. Her "diet" previously consisted of massive amounts of Diet Coke (awful stuff), fast food, and an occasional salad. She exercises daily, but her insulin and blood sugar were difficult to control. Within two weeks of changing her diet to a vegan plant-based, whole foods diet, her blood sugar levels were in normal range, and her insulin dosages dropped dramatically. Of course, she drank water instead of Diet Coke, which helped immensely. She looks amazing, with a glow I haven't seen a while, and she's dropped 10 lbs. or so.
Catch the movie, "Raw for 30 Days" a documentary of healing diabetes simply with changes in diet. You'll see some amazing and powerful stuff. Many agree that diabetes is easily curable with changes in diet. Yes, I said curable, like "no more insulin". It takes discipline and care, and be sure to check with your doctor if you plan on trying. But, be hopeful that there are alternatives out there to help heal you.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cancer
This is difficult topic for me. Once you've had a visit from cancer to your family firsthand, and see how it changes you, you'll know what I mean. Cancer is a brutal disease. Brutal because in what seems like an instant, it can make a totally healthy appearing person into a wilted shell of his or herself in a matter of weeks. Such was the case for my father, who died from liver cancer when he was 56 years old. My dad was always active, working around the house, busy with work, always moving around. He was smart and funny man, and I remember him fondly. He complained of pain one day while working on this car outside of the house, and that's where our family's journey with cancer began. It turns out he had Stage 4 liver cancer, and was given just a few months to live. The shock of that news, that your 56 year-old father, young and very active, had literally days to live, is something I'll never forget. Things race through your mind, regret, things I said, things I did, things failed to do. And utter helplessness and sadness. There wasn't the flurry of information we have today on cancer and all of the different possibilities. Like so many people afflicted and maybe so many even today, we were told by the doctors it was very bleak, and we had few options. Had I known now what I didn't know then, it's quite possible my father would still be here. It's not guaranteed, but if I had a chance to rewind time and do it again, I would've done things differently. To make a long story short, 5 weeks into his diagnosis, after getting several opinions and options, my family decided to go with chemotherapy. For some reason, I was totally against it, but because that's what my father wanted, I went along. Once he had the chemo treatment, is went it all went downhill. He went from ill to deathly in a matter of hours. I wish we never put him through that. 2 weeks later, he was gone.
Cancer is a slow growing disease. It takes years for a tumor to cause pain and thus be detected. But, when you are diagnosed with it, the typical response is that we have to act immediately. I think it's just human nature to do so. Once given a problem, we need to find a solution. And the solutions for cancer today are chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or experimental drugs or treatments. Depending on the type of cancer or treatment, the facility, the doctor, the patient, and variety of other factors, there's a success rate associated with each. If I ever got cancer, I would want to know that percentage for my case. And if I didn't get an answer or it was something less than 50%, I'd consider other possibilities. And surely, I wouldn't be in a hurry. My inclination is that I would never choose any typical treatment. I'd rather do nothing than go through what my father did.
The good news about cancer is that there's a lot more information now about what causes cancer and how to prevent it. Again, nothing is guaranteed, but if you take steps now to prevent it from happening, or take steps to reverse it if it happens, then maybe, just maybe you'll give yourself a better chance to survive it. I have become a vegan for this reason, to possibly prevent cancer by taking proactive steps now, while I'm relatively young.
So why and how, you may ask, does becoming a vegan prevent cancer?
Good question.
1.) No dairy. I've said this many times. Casein, the main protein in milk, is a known fertilizer of cancer. If you have a carcinogen in your body, and you drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of cheese, ice cream, yogurt, whatever, you're more at risk for having that cancer grow. Eliminate the casein, and guess what, the cancer stops. Just drink soy/rice/almond milk instead. Those plant based proteins do not fertilize cancer cells.
2.) No meat. Animal products raise cholesterol, and higher level of cholesterol lead to lots of issues, including cancer. I will talk more about this later, but suffice it to say if you're a "good" vegan (don't eat french fries and PB&J sandwiches, but instead a plant-based whole foods diet), your cholesterol levels will be very good, and you will not be as much at risk for many diseases, including cancer.
3.) Greens, veggies, and fruits! If you're a "good" vegan, you'll eat lots of these. And heck, you know this already. Eat right and exercise, right? Eat right? What does that mean? Get more whole vegetables and fruits in your diet. Everyone says this, you know it by now. Unfortunately, most of us don't get near enough of the complex nutrients that plants give. Some of us just have 1 piece of fruit per day and no vegetables. Some of us eat a small salad with head lettuce slathered with blue cheese dressing and call that our veggie for the day. These plants hold the key to strengthening our immune system, helping us to fight off disease. In the place of dairy and meat, they provide all the nutrition (save Vitamin B12) that we need. Jot down what you ate today for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if you can, measure how many calories came from plant-based whole foods. If you're talking 5-10% of your overall calories, just think about what that's doing to your body. That means that 90-95% is coming from dairy, meat, fats, junk food, or somewhere else. It should be the other way around!
Okay, off my soap box. Read this book, watch this movie, and get back to me.
"The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell.
"Healing Cancer From the Inside Out", 2008, Mike Anderson
Cancer is a slow growing disease. It takes years for a tumor to cause pain and thus be detected. But, when you are diagnosed with it, the typical response is that we have to act immediately. I think it's just human nature to do so. Once given a problem, we need to find a solution. And the solutions for cancer today are chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or experimental drugs or treatments. Depending on the type of cancer or treatment, the facility, the doctor, the patient, and variety of other factors, there's a success rate associated with each. If I ever got cancer, I would want to know that percentage for my case. And if I didn't get an answer or it was something less than 50%, I'd consider other possibilities. And surely, I wouldn't be in a hurry. My inclination is that I would never choose any typical treatment. I'd rather do nothing than go through what my father did.
The good news about cancer is that there's a lot more information now about what causes cancer and how to prevent it. Again, nothing is guaranteed, but if you take steps now to prevent it from happening, or take steps to reverse it if it happens, then maybe, just maybe you'll give yourself a better chance to survive it. I have become a vegan for this reason, to possibly prevent cancer by taking proactive steps now, while I'm relatively young.
So why and how, you may ask, does becoming a vegan prevent cancer?
Good question.
1.) No dairy. I've said this many times. Casein, the main protein in milk, is a known fertilizer of cancer. If you have a carcinogen in your body, and you drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of cheese, ice cream, yogurt, whatever, you're more at risk for having that cancer grow. Eliminate the casein, and guess what, the cancer stops. Just drink soy/rice/almond milk instead. Those plant based proteins do not fertilize cancer cells.
2.) No meat. Animal products raise cholesterol, and higher level of cholesterol lead to lots of issues, including cancer. I will talk more about this later, but suffice it to say if you're a "good" vegan (don't eat french fries and PB&J sandwiches, but instead a plant-based whole foods diet), your cholesterol levels will be very good, and you will not be as much at risk for many diseases, including cancer.
3.) Greens, veggies, and fruits! If you're a "good" vegan, you'll eat lots of these. And heck, you know this already. Eat right and exercise, right? Eat right? What does that mean? Get more whole vegetables and fruits in your diet. Everyone says this, you know it by now. Unfortunately, most of us don't get near enough of the complex nutrients that plants give. Some of us just have 1 piece of fruit per day and no vegetables. Some of us eat a small salad with head lettuce slathered with blue cheese dressing and call that our veggie for the day. These plants hold the key to strengthening our immune system, helping us to fight off disease. In the place of dairy and meat, they provide all the nutrition (save Vitamin B12) that we need. Jot down what you ate today for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if you can, measure how many calories came from plant-based whole foods. If you're talking 5-10% of your overall calories, just think about what that's doing to your body. That means that 90-95% is coming from dairy, meat, fats, junk food, or somewhere else. It should be the other way around!
Okay, off my soap box. Read this book, watch this movie, and get back to me.
"The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell.
"Healing Cancer From the Inside Out", 2008, Mike Anderson
Monday, August 10, 2009
Earthlings
Have you ever seen a movie that completely changed your view on something? I remember back when I was in high school, and I saw Platoon, with Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Charlie Sheen. Now, I was always a non-violent type, and never had aspirations to join the military. But after watching Platoon, I basically made it a point to never work for a company who's end product was meant to kill people. That ruled out a lot of companies for me after I graduated from college, but I stuck to my guns, because of the impression of that movie on me.
It's happened again. See the movie "Earthlings" narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. It's a documentary about the role of animals to humans. It's divided into sections on pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and science. It's hardcore. And like Platoon, it's very powerful and influential to me. I found myself saddened, shocked, and surprised by many things I've heard of, but never witnessed firsthand. In combination with "Food Inc." which is another movie I highly recommend, this hammered the last nail on the omnivore coffin for me. I'm a vegan now, that is my conscious choice. It's for health and for peace of mind, like I said before. But, it's also for something else I can't put into words. Something that "Earthlings" influenced on me.
The website and forums for Earthlings have comments from many people, and isn't it great that we have the freedom and diversity to have so many opinions? They range from people not caring at all, to people that think that tomatoes bleed, to folks that think that religion is worthless. I guess you can have any type of reaction to this movie. For me, it's complicated.
My initial reaction was sadness. Sadness for the animals, of course. How can you not feel that? I won't go any deeper, because it must be seen and experienced, words can do it no justice. But I also felt sadness for the people involved. Their behavior many would characterize as inhumane. I feel sad for them, maybe because I don't work where they work, I don't live their life, I am completely ignorant to their upbringing and backgrounds, and ultimately, I can't comprehend their actions. But, even more than that, I'm saddened by the lack of humanity. "Humanity and Humane" are defined as "the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence" and "characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals". After seeing this movie, it's hard for me associate humans with humanity.
See the movie for this reason, to answer this one question. And I keep hearing Joaquin Phoenix say this over and over again, "so...where's does our food come from?" Get a glimpse, understand the answers, dig for more information, then make your conclusions.
It's happened again. See the movie "Earthlings" narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. It's a documentary about the role of animals to humans. It's divided into sections on pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and science. It's hardcore. And like Platoon, it's very powerful and influential to me. I found myself saddened, shocked, and surprised by many things I've heard of, but never witnessed firsthand. In combination with "Food Inc." which is another movie I highly recommend, this hammered the last nail on the omnivore coffin for me. I'm a vegan now, that is my conscious choice. It's for health and for peace of mind, like I said before. But, it's also for something else I can't put into words. Something that "Earthlings" influenced on me.
The website and forums for Earthlings have comments from many people, and isn't it great that we have the freedom and diversity to have so many opinions? They range from people not caring at all, to people that think that tomatoes bleed, to folks that think that religion is worthless. I guess you can have any type of reaction to this movie. For me, it's complicated.
My initial reaction was sadness. Sadness for the animals, of course. How can you not feel that? I won't go any deeper, because it must be seen and experienced, words can do it no justice. But I also felt sadness for the people involved. Their behavior many would characterize as inhumane. I feel sad for them, maybe because I don't work where they work, I don't live their life, I am completely ignorant to their upbringing and backgrounds, and ultimately, I can't comprehend their actions. But, even more than that, I'm saddened by the lack of humanity. "Humanity and Humane" are defined as "the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence" and "characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals". After seeing this movie, it's hard for me associate humans with humanity.
See the movie for this reason, to answer this one question. And I keep hearing Joaquin Phoenix say this over and over again, "so...where's does our food come from?" Get a glimpse, understand the answers, dig for more information, then make your conclusions.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Eat to Live - Checkpoint #3 + Half Marathon Training
Well, it's week #3 and I'm feeling very strong, and very clean. "We don't eat any animal products!" my youngest daughter (5 years old) proclaimed during breakfast, as she was downing a green smoothie. Wow, can you ask for anything more? My wife and kids have joined me full-on, and we are each other's greatest support structure. Green smoothies in the morning are our default, can't go without them. Salads for lunch, and the occasional vegan-made meal at a restaurant with co-workers (gotta fit in with the new company, eh?). It's easy, just tell them no-eggs, no-meat, no-dairy, and you're good to go. I had a Thai dish (pad-see-ew) and a burrito on the days I didn't eat my salad at work. For the Thai dish, tofu no meat, and no eggs. For the burrito, veggie burrito, no sour cream. How easy is that? And dinner is just a salad, some steamed veggies, some beans and rice on occasion. Just simple, plant-based, whole foods.
I weighed myself after my long run today. I hate getting on the scale, because I didn't feel like I lost any weight. For me, losing half a pound is a freaking miracle. So, guess my reaction when I stepped up and the scale read FOUR POUNDS LESS than last week! Huh!? Nah, must be mistake. I got off, got back on, got off, got back on. And it all read the same. I'm only 1.5 lbs. off of my two year low weight. And if I recall correctly, it took me 3 months of hard training to get down that low.
For next week's training, I'm repeating my week #1 schedule exactly. I'll give a recap at the end of the week. For the blog, I'm gonna delve into some fairly heavy topics about health, disease, food, etc. I've been deep into thought about a lot things, and I want to share with you all next week.
Have a great weekend! Enjoy the sunshine!
I weighed myself after my long run today. I hate getting on the scale, because I didn't feel like I lost any weight. For me, losing half a pound is a freaking miracle. So, guess my reaction when I stepped up and the scale read FOUR POUNDS LESS than last week! Huh!? Nah, must be mistake. I got off, got back on, got off, got back on. And it all read the same. I'm only 1.5 lbs. off of my two year low weight. And if I recall correctly, it took me 3 months of hard training to get down that low.
For next week's training, I'm repeating my week #1 schedule exactly. I'll give a recap at the end of the week. For the blog, I'm gonna delve into some fairly heavy topics about health, disease, food, etc. I've been deep into thought about a lot things, and I want to share with you all next week.
Have a great weekend! Enjoy the sunshine!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Race Day!
Race day for me will be in early October, but it's something that motivates me throughout my training. There's something truly amazing about running in a race with 10,000+ other runners. In what other sport can you do that, participate in the same race, on the same course, at the same start and finish lines, with some of the most elite athletes in the world? Cycling? Swimming? Basketball? MMA? Uh, no. But in running, you have that and more.
In the beginning of the race, you're so pumped up, so excited with everyone's collective energy. In the middle of the race, you see all the fans lined up cheering you on, the workers at the water and aid stations helping you, and if you're lucky, you'll have family and friends somewhere along the way holding up signs and yelling for you. And at the end, you see the finish line, the culmination of weeks of training, and crossing it gives you a sense of accomplishment you've never felt before. It's truly amazing. Of course, there's pain, there's hardcore breathing, there's pushing yourself to the max. But, there's also relaxation, ease because of your training, peace and running free. You'll feel both during the race, hopefully more of the good than the bad, but don't worry, we all have our good days and otherwise.
You'll finish, most likely, somewhere in the middle. And that's great! Heck, even if you were the last person to cross that finish line, it's still great. For you, for your individual goals and aspirations, completing your training, crossing that finish, despite your time ... is all that matters. It's enough that you just finished, no need to beat yourself up for finishing 1 minute or 10 minutes lower than last year, it's no big deal. You didn't train all that time to be hard on yourself. On the contrary, pat yourself on the back, be happy and proud. Enjoy the moment, and the privilege of running. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to train and run a race, so bask in your accomplishment and cherish it.
I highly recommend you train for and participate in a race at least once. Try a 5K, which is just 3.1 miles. You can run, run and walk, jog, jog and walk, or just walk. It doesn't matter. Just enjoy the event, no matter how big or small the race. You can train for 4-8 weeks for a 5K, never having run before. Plan it carefully, take it easy, be consistent, and shoot for your goal. Get the experience of running a race with many people, it'll give you the energy and motivation to continue to exercise.
Finally, don't worry about getting passed up. Like I've said before, I've been passed by whatever and whoever you could imagine. Little kids, old men and women, young men and women, parents pushing their kids in jogger strollers, parents carrying their kids in their arms or on their shoulders, couples dressed in costumes, you name it. I just laugh. I'm not a fast runner, and I don't pretend to be. If you pass me, then great for you! I won't be too far behind, and we can share some laughs after the finish. In the end, we all finish, we all win.
In the beginning of the race, you're so pumped up, so excited with everyone's collective energy. In the middle of the race, you see all the fans lined up cheering you on, the workers at the water and aid stations helping you, and if you're lucky, you'll have family and friends somewhere along the way holding up signs and yelling for you. And at the end, you see the finish line, the culmination of weeks of training, and crossing it gives you a sense of accomplishment you've never felt before. It's truly amazing. Of course, there's pain, there's hardcore breathing, there's pushing yourself to the max. But, there's also relaxation, ease because of your training, peace and running free. You'll feel both during the race, hopefully more of the good than the bad, but don't worry, we all have our good days and otherwise.
You'll finish, most likely, somewhere in the middle. And that's great! Heck, even if you were the last person to cross that finish line, it's still great. For you, for your individual goals and aspirations, completing your training, crossing that finish, despite your time ... is all that matters. It's enough that you just finished, no need to beat yourself up for finishing 1 minute or 10 minutes lower than last year, it's no big deal. You didn't train all that time to be hard on yourself. On the contrary, pat yourself on the back, be happy and proud. Enjoy the moment, and the privilege of running. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to train and run a race, so bask in your accomplishment and cherish it.
I highly recommend you train for and participate in a race at least once. Try a 5K, which is just 3.1 miles. You can run, run and walk, jog, jog and walk, or just walk. It doesn't matter. Just enjoy the event, no matter how big or small the race. You can train for 4-8 weeks for a 5K, never having run before. Plan it carefully, take it easy, be consistent, and shoot for your goal. Get the experience of running a race with many people, it'll give you the energy and motivation to continue to exercise.
Finally, don't worry about getting passed up. Like I've said before, I've been passed by whatever and whoever you could imagine. Little kids, old men and women, young men and women, parents pushing their kids in jogger strollers, parents carrying their kids in their arms or on their shoulders, couples dressed in costumes, you name it. I just laugh. I'm not a fast runner, and I don't pretend to be. If you pass me, then great for you! I won't be too far behind, and we can share some laughs after the finish. In the end, we all finish, we all win.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Warming Up and Cooling Down
Isn't it hard enough to get up early in the morning to go for a run? Do I really have to warm up, stretch, run, and cooldown? Heck, can't I just run and be done with it?
I hear ya...
I feel this way sometimes, and it's something I have to fight often. Most times, I'm pumping myself up to go for a run, telling myself that it's all worth it, but there are times when I'm tired and lazy that I tend to stray, lose focus, etc. It happens to all of us. We have good workouts, we have awful ones sometimes.
But, when I'm doing well, I usually go through my routine. Warmup. Stretch well. Run. Cool down, stretch again, ice up. Let me take your through my routine.
Warmup. Nothing spectacular here, just a very slow jog, could be in place, could be just a walk from the car to the track, could be a few miles or laps, just something to get you warm. You don't want to stretch cold muscles.
Stretch. In the early morning, I like to do "joint rotations" and "dynamic stretching". It works well for me. I start with my ankles, rotating them in a circle in both directions, with foot pointed forward, then sideways, then backward. Then I rotate my knees, hunch down, hands on knees, and make small circles with your knees. Then hips. Hands on hips, do a hula, both directions, then go forward and back. Then more hips. I lift up one knee sideways, and rotate my foot in a circle so that my knee and hip get rotated, do both sides. Then more hips. Face a wall or fence, hold onto it with your hands for balance, kick one leg left and right repeatedly, then the other. Then turn sideways to the wall or fence. Kick one leg forward and back repeatedly, then the other. Then my shoulders. I do arm circles, backstrokes, frontstrokes, and "huggers". Give yourself a hug, right arm over left, then switch, and repeat, like Michael Phelps does before he swims. Then neck. Rotate that big head of yours in a circle, both directions. Then left and right. Then front and back. Finally, elbows, wrists, fingertips ... get them all rotated. Do more static stretches, if needed. For me, I do calves, hamstrings, and quads. After this, I feel really good, ready to roll...
Run. That's the easy part, eh? Start slowly, then get into it.
Cooldown. Your last few miles, or after your run, bring it down. Catch your breath. Slow it down. Feel good.
Stretch. This is the most imporant. If you have an inversion table, use it, even for a few minutes. If not, do some leg drains. Lie on your back, prop your legs up and just hang out for a few minutes. After that, spend some time doing some nice static stretches.
Ice. If you have any injuries, ice up for at least 15 minutes, then take off the ice for at least 5 minutes before you move around. My bum achilles always needs ice after a run.
That's my routine, when I'm doing well. It keeps me fresh and makes my runs a lot more consistent, and prevents further injury. It does take a bit more time, but the investment is definitely worth it.
I hear ya...
I feel this way sometimes, and it's something I have to fight often. Most times, I'm pumping myself up to go for a run, telling myself that it's all worth it, but there are times when I'm tired and lazy that I tend to stray, lose focus, etc. It happens to all of us. We have good workouts, we have awful ones sometimes.
But, when I'm doing well, I usually go through my routine. Warmup. Stretch well. Run. Cool down, stretch again, ice up. Let me take your through my routine.
Warmup. Nothing spectacular here, just a very slow jog, could be in place, could be just a walk from the car to the track, could be a few miles or laps, just something to get you warm. You don't want to stretch cold muscles.
Stretch. In the early morning, I like to do "joint rotations" and "dynamic stretching". It works well for me. I start with my ankles, rotating them in a circle in both directions, with foot pointed forward, then sideways, then backward. Then I rotate my knees, hunch down, hands on knees, and make small circles with your knees. Then hips. Hands on hips, do a hula, both directions, then go forward and back. Then more hips. I lift up one knee sideways, and rotate my foot in a circle so that my knee and hip get rotated, do both sides. Then more hips. Face a wall or fence, hold onto it with your hands for balance, kick one leg left and right repeatedly, then the other. Then turn sideways to the wall or fence. Kick one leg forward and back repeatedly, then the other. Then my shoulders. I do arm circles, backstrokes, frontstrokes, and "huggers". Give yourself a hug, right arm over left, then switch, and repeat, like Michael Phelps does before he swims. Then neck. Rotate that big head of yours in a circle, both directions. Then left and right. Then front and back. Finally, elbows, wrists, fingertips ... get them all rotated. Do more static stretches, if needed. For me, I do calves, hamstrings, and quads. After this, I feel really good, ready to roll...
Run. That's the easy part, eh? Start slowly, then get into it.
Cooldown. Your last few miles, or after your run, bring it down. Catch your breath. Slow it down. Feel good.
Stretch. This is the most imporant. If you have an inversion table, use it, even for a few minutes. If not, do some leg drains. Lie on your back, prop your legs up and just hang out for a few minutes. After that, spend some time doing some nice static stretches.
Ice. If you have any injuries, ice up for at least 15 minutes, then take off the ice for at least 5 minutes before you move around. My bum achilles always needs ice after a run.
That's my routine, when I'm doing well. It keeps me fresh and makes my runs a lot more consistent, and prevents further injury. It does take a bit more time, but the investment is definitely worth it.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Intervals
Interval training is supposed to help your speed. You'll see lots of marathoners and half-marathoners do track workouts to work on their form, as well as their speed. And it definitely helps. It's always better to run with a group, and if you can find one that's convenient and at your level, it's ideal. I'm not so lucky. I work out at 5am, before work, and before most people are up. And I'm usually done in 60-90 minutes.
I'm still recovering from an achilles injury, so although I'm doing intervals on TU and TH, I'm still taking it slow. On TU, I do more intense intervals in between warming up and cooling down. On TH, I do easy intervals after a longer run. And while it's still early in my training, I'm ramping up slowly. I let my ankle decide how intense my intervals are. And of course, I stretch very well before and after.
One thing to note is that you should be very careful when running your hardest intervals. You should reserve that "all out sprint" for very rare occasions, or just don't use it at all. Pulled hamstrings and other tweaky injuries happen when you go all out. Hold a little bit back, even for the short intervals, work on your form, try to be efficient, try to be faster with an easy breath and pace, try to control your heart rate by breathing deeply. And most of all, don't worry too much about your day-to-day performance. Just run.
The bottom line is that it's good to mix up the types of runs that you do. It makes it more dynamic and gives you different ideas and areas to focus on. Give it a shot. Go to a track (nice, flat, and soft!) and add some simple intervals to your normal runs.
I'm still recovering from an achilles injury, so although I'm doing intervals on TU and TH, I'm still taking it slow. On TU, I do more intense intervals in between warming up and cooling down. On TH, I do easy intervals after a longer run. And while it's still early in my training, I'm ramping up slowly. I let my ankle decide how intense my intervals are. And of course, I stretch very well before and after.
One thing to note is that you should be very careful when running your hardest intervals. You should reserve that "all out sprint" for very rare occasions, or just don't use it at all. Pulled hamstrings and other tweaky injuries happen when you go all out. Hold a little bit back, even for the short intervals, work on your form, try to be efficient, try to be faster with an easy breath and pace, try to control your heart rate by breathing deeply. And most of all, don't worry too much about your day-to-day performance. Just run.
The bottom line is that it's good to mix up the types of runs that you do. It makes it more dynamic and gives you different ideas and areas to focus on. Give it a shot. Go to a track (nice, flat, and soft!) and add some simple intervals to your normal runs.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Rest Days in Between Training
During your training for a half marathon (or any other race), it's important to have rest days in between, to give your body a chance to heal up. I used to go every day, and that lead to plateau, injury, and overtraining. Especially now that I have a sore achilles tendon, it's very important that I stretch very well before and after training runs, as well as my off days. I'll spend 15-60 minutes on my off days stretching.
My training schedule for this year's races enable me to concentrate on work and the family a bit more. Having M, W, F as rest days is really great and gives me the time I need to get a good night's sleep after work, and allows me to spend more time with the family, which is always good.
Lastly, I like the way the workouts are setup this time around. My hard workouts are on TU and TH. SA is easy (unless it's a race or race simulation), and SU is long and slow. So, I get lots of rest in between all of my hard workouts, before and after.
Don't forget to rest. Your body needs it. Avoid the temptation to train hard every day. If you're just starting, do 30 minutes walks every other day, and go from there. And on your off days...stretch and rest.
My training schedule for this year's races enable me to concentrate on work and the family a bit more. Having M, W, F as rest days is really great and gives me the time I need to get a good night's sleep after work, and allows me to spend more time with the family, which is always good.
Lastly, I like the way the workouts are setup this time around. My hard workouts are on TU and TH. SA is easy (unless it's a race or race simulation), and SU is long and slow. So, I get lots of rest in between all of my hard workouts, before and after.
Don't forget to rest. Your body needs it. Avoid the temptation to train hard every day. If you're just starting, do 30 minutes walks every other day, and go from there. And on your off days...stretch and rest.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
First Training Run!
Today was the start of a 10-week training program for an October Half Marathon. My goal is to run a 1:59, which would beat my personal best by 4 minutes. Fairly ambitious for someone with an aching achilles tendon, and also someone moving to a pretty much vegan diet. But, I'm gonna try my best.
I got up at 5:00am, got to the track at 5:30am, did an hour's worth of intervals (about 5.5 miles total), stretched before and after, iced my ankle, got the kids ready to go, and then started off to work (my new job). Man, it's gonna be a busy time, and this is with the kids NOT IN SCHOOL YET! :) But you know what, it's worth it. It's a privilege to get up early and just be able to run. It's a privilege to train and run a race. I don't look at it as work or sacrifice, I look at it as something very special.
Oh yeah...and my recovery drink? Green smoothie! Acai, Carrot Juice, Spinach, Banana, Blueberries, Ice ... Blendtec, voila! Recovery drink and breakfast all at the same time.
I got up at 5:00am, got to the track at 5:30am, did an hour's worth of intervals (about 5.5 miles total), stretched before and after, iced my ankle, got the kids ready to go, and then started off to work (my new job). Man, it's gonna be a busy time, and this is with the kids NOT IN SCHOOL YET! :) But you know what, it's worth it. It's a privilege to get up early and just be able to run. It's a privilege to train and run a race. I don't look at it as work or sacrifice, I look at it as something very special.
Oh yeah...and my recovery drink? Green smoothie! Acai, Carrot Juice, Spinach, Banana, Blueberries, Ice ... Blendtec, voila! Recovery drink and breakfast all at the same time.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Half Marathon Training - Week 1
I'm running two half marathons in the next 10 weeks. I'm training for the last one, with the first one as a "fun run" with the family. This year, I'm experimenting with a different training schedule, less overall miles, more rest in between, lot of stretching, and some interval work. Here's my Week #1 schedule:
M - Rest
TU - 5.5mi total (2mi Run + 1.5mi intervals + 2.5mi Run)
W - Rest
TH - 4.5mi total (4mi Run + 0.5mi easy intervals)
F - Rest
SA - 4.0mi easy run
SU - 7.0mi slow run
For the week, it's a total of 21 miles, which is low for me, but I need to ease into the program because of my aching Achilles tendon.
If you are thinking about starting a program or running a race, start with goal, and then choose a program that is suited to your goal. For me, I want to run a 1:59 Half Marathon, which is ambitious for me, since my personal best is 2:03. So, I've chosen a program tailored for that goal. We'll see what happens. The important thing is NOT that I accomplish 1:59, because in the end, it's not that imporant. What is important is that I'm shooting for a goal and working towards it on a daily basis, a win-win situation.
I encourage you to look for a race, set a goal, find a training program that is suited to your goal, then train and go for it. Just finishing the training, and finishing the race will be your reward. If you reach your stated goal, then great, that's a bonus.
M - Rest
TU - 5.5mi total (2mi Run + 1.5mi intervals + 2.5mi Run)
W - Rest
TH - 4.5mi total (4mi Run + 0.5mi easy intervals)
F - Rest
SA - 4.0mi easy run
SU - 7.0mi slow run
For the week, it's a total of 21 miles, which is low for me, but I need to ease into the program because of my aching Achilles tendon.
If you are thinking about starting a program or running a race, start with goal, and then choose a program that is suited to your goal. For me, I want to run a 1:59 Half Marathon, which is ambitious for me, since my personal best is 2:03. So, I've chosen a program tailored for that goal. We'll see what happens. The important thing is NOT that I accomplish 1:59, because in the end, it's not that imporant. What is important is that I'm shooting for a goal and working towards it on a daily basis, a win-win situation.
I encourage you to look for a race, set a goal, find a training program that is suited to your goal, then train and go for it. Just finishing the training, and finishing the race will be your reward. If you reach your stated goal, then great, that's a bonus.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Eat to Live - Checkpoint #2 + Half Marathon Training
We're at Week #2 of the 6-week "Eat-to-Live" program, or our modified version of it, with green smoothies in the morning, instead of just fruit. I'm doing great! We decided to celebrate my new job (starting tomorrow) with a nice family dinner at our favorite French Restaurant. Now, French Cuisine is not known for being whole-foods, plant-based. On the contrary, lots of meat, lots of dairy ... very hard to avoid. But, we agreed that this was a "free-day" and we could have whatever we wanted for this one meal. Think about it. If you did one meal per week like this, that would be 1/21 or less than 5%, which is no problem.
Here's the kicker. I looked at the menu, and I ordered:
1.) Asparagus Soup (I always get the soup at a fancy restaurant, it's just how I roll!)
2.) Romaine Salad
3.) Vegetarian Pasta
4.) Souffle, Grand Marnier
Okay, so I caved on dessert. I'm not a sweet-tooth at all, but my wife loves the souffle there, and it's a minimum order of two! I must say the meal was great, and I didn't miss any of the animal protein (save the egg-whites in the souffle). It was impossible to go non-dairy here, with the slight cream in the soup and pasta. But, I didn't crave anything I used to before, at all. In fact, the best part of the meal was the broccoli in the pasta! Funny how that goes.
As far as weight goes, I'm 5 lbs. above my low-point just 2 years ago, so I'm very close. My long term goal is get to my high-school weight, which is 20 lbs. from now. I haven't been there...since high school. :)
And as far as half-marathon training goes, I just ran a week's worth of "tune-up" runs to get myself ready for the 10-week training program. It's all in an effort to test my bum achilles tendon, which has been giving me problems for a while now. So far, so good. I just finished up 7.0 miles (slow pace) and I was fine. For the next few days, I'm going to focus on the half-marathon training, to give you an idea of what's involved.
Here's the kicker. I looked at the menu, and I ordered:
1.) Asparagus Soup (I always get the soup at a fancy restaurant, it's just how I roll!)
2.) Romaine Salad
3.) Vegetarian Pasta
4.) Souffle, Grand Marnier
Okay, so I caved on dessert. I'm not a sweet-tooth at all, but my wife loves the souffle there, and it's a minimum order of two! I must say the meal was great, and I didn't miss any of the animal protein (save the egg-whites in the souffle). It was impossible to go non-dairy here, with the slight cream in the soup and pasta. But, I didn't crave anything I used to before, at all. In fact, the best part of the meal was the broccoli in the pasta! Funny how that goes.
As far as weight goes, I'm 5 lbs. above my low-point just 2 years ago, so I'm very close. My long term goal is get to my high-school weight, which is 20 lbs. from now. I haven't been there...since high school. :)
And as far as half-marathon training goes, I just ran a week's worth of "tune-up" runs to get myself ready for the 10-week training program. It's all in an effort to test my bum achilles tendon, which has been giving me problems for a while now. So far, so good. I just finished up 7.0 miles (slow pace) and I was fine. For the next few days, I'm going to focus on the half-marathon training, to give you an idea of what's involved.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Legarza Basketball Camp
A plug for a great program. Legarza Basketball Camp has been around for 20 years, and for the first time, it was run in San Jose this past summer. My daughters had the privilege of attending the camp for two weeks and I must say, it was a great experience for all of them. And as a basketball coach myself for so many years, it was just great to see my kids play and have fun, getting this type of exposure to organized basketball for the first time. The coaching staff there is first class, and emphasize all the right things, all the best things that sports offers.
If you have an opportunity to send your kids to camp, consider choosing a sports camp, to get them moving around, and to also give them exposure to team dynamics, great coaches, and fun.
Here's a link to the Legarza Basketball Camp website.
http://www.legarzabasketball.org
If you have an opportunity to send your kids to camp, consider choosing a sports camp, to get them moving around, and to also give them exposure to team dynamics, great coaches, and fun.
Here's a link to the Legarza Basketball Camp website.
http://www.legarzabasketball.org
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