October 26, 2018

Chicago Marathon 2018 by Rachael Honeywood

October 26, 2018/ Greta Truscott

Chicago Marathon - The 3rd of the Majors

by Rachael Honeywood

I was mentally scarred from London marathon earlier this year and unsure of how my body would hold up when I arrived in Chicago.

As I woke on the morning of the race, the rain was falling. We had 2 hours before the race started and as the forecast was a max of 16 degrees I was relieved that it wouldn’t be a hot one.

By 6.30am Hayley and I were out of the hotel in matching Rejoov tops, the obligatory hair ribbon and nails and we were on our way to the bag drop and start. I was far more nervous than Hayley and as we entered the streets in the dark I started to fear the run. Would I be able to make it to the finish? Would my leg hold up? What was I thinking doing two marathons in a year?!

As we had left the hotel later than we had planned, due to the weather, it was all a bit rushed. We made it to the park and after queuing to be security checked our bags were soon dropped, and we headed to our starting corral D.

Months ago I had said that I didn’t want to run the race with Hayley. I didn’t want to hold her back and knew that my training for this race had been far from ideal. But I was so glad that I had her there beside me at the start line.

Luckily we were off in the first wave so we only had a short while to wait.

As we moved towards the start gate I said goodbye to Hayley and knew that I was going to run this race a very different way to any of my others. It was about finishing and getting another major ticked off.

The weather was great about 13 degrees and light rain through out the whole event. It was such a relief to not have sun beating down. But it also meant wind and being cold so it was important to stay running near others to get a bit of a barrier.

I honestly couldn’t say much about the course. It was flat, we ran over a number of different bridges. The boat tour we had been on the day before meant that I recognised some of the architecture and as there was a low fog over the city the sky scrapers were unable to be seen. But the neighbourhoods didn’t mean anything to me and certainly weren’t as iconic as Boston or London. Also due to the rain, there were not as many spectators out on the course cheering. This didn’t bother me as I had my iPod filled with tunes I love, as well as songs which friends had suggested to remind me of them when they came on during the race.

At 8 miles there was the big screen which family had sent messages in advance too. It made my heart race a little to think of Tom and the kids who once again had been so supportive of my running major marathons obsession and were proud of me taking part in this event. Knowing they couldn’t be there in person but had sent me well wishes on the screen was a good boost!

I went through 10km at a steady 50min and felt good. I decided to try and increase the pace for the next 10km. My watch was spitting out crazy splits of 2.37, 2.15 km which I knew was wrong so I was running on the running time only. It was good as it meant I wasn’t worried about my pace and just was going with the flow.

21kms was a good benchmark to hit! I had gone through it in 1.44.20 and was happy with the pace.

In the 10 days leading into the marathon I had been listening to a headspace mindfulness session on ‘competition’. This was what helped me between 20-30km. When my glutes felt tired, leg started to bug me or my right toe was rubbing I would focus on my steps ‘left, right, left, right’ this helped me to revert my mind from the discomfort and back onto running.

When I reached the 30km marker I was really relieved. 12km was achievable, my body was holding together and I didn’t feel anything like I did at the same point as London. If I could hold onto the pace I was running at I would make 3.30.

The rain increased and I was aware that I wasn’t drinking as much fluid as I probably should. I decided to drink the Gatorade instead of taking on another gel and at each station would grab water and electrolyte.

30-40km were a slog but I focused back on my steps whenever the self doubt came into my head.

In the last 2km I noticed the crowd had grown and I gave thumbs up to as many people as I could trying to thank them for coming out on a wet morning to cheer us on.

The final 800m I tried to get my head down and increase speed. While I had no speed in my legs, I saw that I was very close to getting under 3.30. However with the final 300m, on a small hill I knew that I wouldn’t get under the time.

Crossing the finish line, 3.30.10 I was once again over come with emotion. Such a Huge Relief that i had made it! It wasn’t a PB but I was as happy with my time as I was when I had run a personal best.

When the sports doctor, in May, told me that running a marathon in October was out of the question as I had a torn hamstring, I really didn’t imagine even making the start line, let alone finishing. However with the guidance of my physio, holding back on any tempo runs until the start of August and doing absolutely no speed at all in this training block I had managed a time 9 min quicker than London & only 5min off my best. This run proved that with a positive mindset it really is mind over matter.

I had wondered a number of times when I was out on the course how Hayley had been doing? Had her race gone to plan? What time had she run?

As I got my medal there she was waiting for me! She had done amazingly: 3.20, her target time! She has been such a huge part of my life in the last two years and I was so pleased to be able to hug my friend at the finish.

Tears literally filled my eyes. She told me not to cry... we had a very important photo to have taken of us together with our finishing medals!

So 3 majors down.... 3 to go.... and while the course I don’t think I will remember in years to come. This has certainly been a special race to have done it with my best running mate!

Rachel Honeywood & Hayley Kain - making memories in Chicago

September 19, 2018

Nutritious Post Long Run Meal

September 19, 2018/ Greta Truscott

An easy, tasty and nutritious post long run meal

By Lisa Sherman, Nutritionist, Whole Nutrition (Lisa can be contacted anytime for an appointment http://www.wholelifenutrition.net.au/ )

For many of us, the weekly long run is an important part of our weekly training, especially when we have a goal race and PB in mind, no matter what the distance. A key part of the long run is ensuring we replenish our energy stores and reduce inflammation post run with some wholesome, nutritious and delicious food. The recipe below is the perfect post long run meal providing a good combination of nutrients to boost our recovery and performance.

The salmon provides protein, is rich in omega-3s to reduce inflammation, plus is packed with vitamins K, C, A, E, B3, B6 and B12, all promoting cardiovascular health and increasing brain and nerve function.

The buckwheat noodles, are a great gluten free option, and provide protein, are low in fat, high in potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamins B1, B3 and B6 – all helping to support cardiovascular health and also control blood sugar.

Bok choy is rich in potassium, calcium and vitamins C, K and B6 and the garlic and coriander (I know not everyone likes coriander so you can always leave it out) are both anti-inflammatory and beneficial to the digestive system.

So next time you are stuck on what to eat post long run, why not give this simple but delicious and easy to make recipe a go. Your body and training performance will thank you for it.

RECIPE – POACHED SALMON WITH NOODLE SOUP

Serves 2

Ingredients:

ü Vegetable stock, good quality, salt-reduced – 1L (4 cups)

ü Water – 500ml (2 cups)

ü Star anise – 2 pods

ü Garlic – 2 cloves, peeled, sliced

ü Ginger – 3cm piece, peeled, sliced

ü Spring onions – 3 sliced on diagonal (for cooking), 1 finely sliced (to serve)

ü Baby bok choy – 1 bunch, washed, leaves separated

ü Buckwheat soba noodles, 180g

ü Salmon – 2x fillets (roughly 125g each), skin off

ü Soy sauce, salt-reduced – 3 teaspoons

ü Coriander – handful, leaves picked (optional, to serve)

ü Long red chilli – sliced (optional, to serve)

Method:

1. Place stock, water, star anise, garlic, ginger, 3 of the spring onions in a large saucepan, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 8mins.

2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet instructions, drain, and set aside.

3. Add salmon fillets to saucepan, cover and simmer for 4mins.

4. Remove salmon from saucepan, cover with foil and set aside.

5. Strain broth and return to saucepan, bring to the boil.

6. Add baby bok choy, cook for 2mins, then add noodles, soy sauce to saucepan to heat.

7. Place a salmon fillet in each serving bowl, ladle soup with noodles and baby bok choy into the bowls. Top with spring onion, coriander and chilli (if using).

August 26, 2018

Calcium - are you getting enough? by Lisa Sherman

August 26, 2018/ Greta Truscott

by Lisa Sherman, Nutritionist, 0413 580 608. Email: wholelifenutrition1@gmail.com www.wholelifenutrition.net.au

We all know the importance of strong and healthy bones and that adequate daily calcium intake is needed to help achieve this. But calcium isn’t just required for our bones. Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the human body and has many roles in addition to helping provide structure and strength to our bones and teeth. It is essential for muscle contractions and relaxation, nerve impulse transmission, cardiac function, energy production and helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is also needed for blood clotting, plays a role in hormone secretion, enzyme activation and maintenance of our immune function. All pretty important body functions and not just when we are exercising!

So how much calcium do we need?

The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for calcium varies depending on gender and life stage. Women and men aged 19-50 years, require 1000mg per day. Calcium requirements increase to 1300mg per day for teenagers, women over 50 years and men over 70 years.*

For many of us, we obtain our daily intake of calcium from dairy products, usually 2 to 3 serves per day. But for those that don’t consume dairy, we need to ensure we are getting an adequate daily intake from non-dairy sources. The guide below provides a helpful reference to what a day’s calcium intake looks like – both with dairy and without.

What does a day’s intake of calcium look like?

WITH DAIRY… 1 glass of milk (304mg), 200g tub of regular natural yoghurt (385mg), 2 slices of swiss cheese (395mg)

WITHOUT DAIRY… 100g sardines, a little over 1 tin (367mg), 100g tofu (320mg), 3 dried figs (80mg), 25 almonds (75mg), 1 orange (52mg), 1 cup of kale (94mg)