Ragnar Relay: How Do you eat during a 24+hr running relay?

Relay exchange in Vail

27 hours, 12 people, two 15 passenger vans, 189 miles of continuous running at altitude from Breckenridge to Vail to Aspen.  Sound crazy?  It was.  It was also exhilarating, exhausting, amazing, beautiful, and soooo much fun!  I just completed the Ragnar Relay in Colorado with my team, Last Call.  We all had 3 legs of the relay and ran from 8:30am September 7th 2012 to 11:30am September 8th 2012.  Everyone on the team was super awesome, and we ended up getting second place in our division and 18th over all out of at least 160 teams!  

How in the world do you prepare for an event like this?  (You may also be asking WHY you would ever want to do this!  It was an amazing experience, I promise!  The trick is having an awesome team.)  Training depends on the length of your total mileage, as everyone had different amounts of running to do.  I had 20.1 miles total for my 3 legs which was the longest.  It also depends where you are starting at in your fitness level and how long you have to train.

Another question: what do you bring to eat on an event like this?  That is tricky.  Running 3 times within 24 hours makes food/drink intake a lot more complicated than training just one time a day.  What can you eat that can sit in a van or cooler all day and will re-fuel you throughout the relay?  This of course fascinates me since I am a dietitian.  There was probably no 2 people in the entire event that ate or drank the same things.  I know the concepts of sports nutrition and recovery, as well as nutrient timing and metabolic efficiency.  However, maybe much to the shock and dismay of some, I didn't always practice what I preach.

What I went into the race with (knowing I was not going to eat it all but wanted options):

My food stash for the relay

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder
• Dried figs
• Nut and berry trail mix
• 2 apples
• Kind nut/protein bars
• 1 Lara bar
• 1 Breeze Bar
• 2 packets of Justin's nut butter
• 1 almond butter and banana sandwich
• 1 container of Greek yogurt
• 1 small scoop of chia seed protein pudding
• 4 no bake peanut butter cookie balls

 I ate regular breakfast and lunch with my food I brought before and after my run at 12pm (8.8 miles).  I also drank about 8oz of sports drink afterwards.  I had a dinner of oatmeal and protein powder mixed together plus a banana and nut butter around 5:30pm.  I ran next at 10pm (suppose to 4.6 but ended up being 3.6 miles).  I snacked a little on bars after my late night run, but I wasn't hungry to eat something substantial after that.  For my 6am run (6.7 miles), I didn't eat much before, but I was hungry a few hours after.  I didn't eat all my food, but I was glad to have all my options.    

The rest of that day and into the next day, I didn't eat much.  I just didn't have an appetite.  I know that is a critical time for muscle recovery, but I couldn't do it.  As another nutritionist on my team and I were talking about this, we decided you just have to do the best you can.  Sometimes it's not perfect or what you know it should be, but it's ok in the end.

We had people on our team that ate almost nothing and drank diet coke, people who ate meals plus good servings of snacks in between runs, some focusing on a paleo foods only and lots of variance in between.  Some people ate gels on their runs, some didn't take anything.  Everyone is so different; yet we all accomplished our goal. 

The human body is fascinating.  It can endure a lot.  Everyone is different.  If your nutrition isn't perfect, you'll still be ok.  Some people were recovering from injuries, some people got lost on their running legs, and some runs it took a lot of mental coaching to get through or get excited about.  I think this experience confirmed running is mostly mental; your body can push through more than what you think it can.  

If you are a runner and haven't done a relay like this before, I'd encourage you to do it!  If you want more information on sports nutrition, I know some awesome sports dietitians that are full of practical advice.  Check out Fuel4mance for more information.  Also, if you're not perfect in something that you are technically "an expert" in, give yourself a break and ENJOY the experience!

Finish Area for the Ragnar Relay in Snowmass

 

Broccoli for Breakfast: Besaw's Restaurant Review

Original bar from 1903

Restaurants like Besaw's in Portland's Northwest side are one of a kind and a rarity these days in more ways than one.  Not only is there the original 1903 bar in the restaurant, but their use of local ingredients is quite impressive.  I was fortunate to visit there for breakfast while in town for the International Food Blogger's Conference.  Besaw's was first opened in 1903, and with the same original bar in the restaurant, it feels a little like stepping back in time.  The short version on the history of Besaw's is it started as a bar back in the turn of the century and food was added on the menu after Mr. Liberty sold his share of the company to Mr. Besaw. 

Homemade ketchup and jam

Besaw's is committed to being a sustainable, locally sourced restaurant.  They use as much local food as possible.  They even have a garden in the back of the restaurant, use local, grass fed beef, local cage free eggs and 100% hormone free dairy.  It doesn't get much better than that!  They make their own marionberry jam which is delicious on their sourdough toast.   As a ketchup lover, I was a big fan of their in house made ketchup too.

For breakfast, they have a wide selection of dishes.  I love egg dishes when going out to breakfast, so I decided to order 2 egg breakfast that comes with sourdough toast and garlic rosemary potatoes.  I ordered a side of seasonal vegetables not knowing what I would get.  I was pleasantly surprised when a plate full of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and onions came back.  Some  people may turn their nose up at eating a side of broccoli and cauliflower for breakfast, but I was delighted!  They were well seasoned, not overly cooked and added some color to my egg plate.

Yum! Eggs, toast and garlic rosemary potatoes

Broccoli: it's whats for breakfast

Sure you can put non-traditional vegetables in an omelet.  But what about just as a side dish?  I was challenged to start using different veggies for brekafast more on my own.  Would you do it or do you associate certain vegetables as lunch/dinner only?  Mad props to Besaw's for serving delicious, local, out of the box meals.

What is Food Styling?

Yesterday my roommate and I took a tour of Souders Studios in Golden, CO.  This studio photographs food and beverages for different restaurants, food companies, cookbooks and beverages companies.  Companies like Red Robin, Max and Erma's, Atkins and many others use Souder Studios.  We got to see their high end equipment and some of their finished products.  Everything was very professional, creative and beautiful!  It was so fun!  Yesterday they were taking pictures of Atkins bars.  Even simple shots with these bars can entail a lot of detail and adjusting!
Do you love food?  Do you love taking pictures of food?  You can spot a foodie if someone is always posting pictures of food on instagram, facebook or twitter.  Food styling is actually a profession that merges photography and cooking.  At Souders, they had professional expertise on both ends.  They have a professional chef, Stephen Shern, that cooks food and photographers Rick, Robin and John.  They offer tours, and you can see pictures of their studio on Souder website.
If you want some practical tips you can incorporate in your own food photography, desserts for breakfast has an article on current food photography styles and trends.

Just some of the plates and cups they have for pictures!

Kitchen at Souders Studios

Atkins bars getting ready for a photo shoot

Here are just a few examples of photos from Souders Studio:

 

 

Souders Studios has weekly recipes with pictures posted on their website.  This week's is charred tomato and onion salsa......yummmmm.

 

Healthy Chocolate Berry Pudding

Do you like the consistency of pudding and gel foods?  A pudding recipe I love is chocolate chia seed protein pudding.  I'm also a fan of putting chia seeds in drinks (water to tea to smoothies) so that it forms a gel like consistency.  What about you? I have another recipe for a delicious pudding that I LOVE!  This one is chocolate pudding and would also be great for kids.  Unlike the boxed kind in the store, there are no artificial ingredients, it is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and protein.  It is loaded with fruits, so no need for extra sugar.  The recipe is from One Green Planet's Raw Chocolate Berry Pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 large handful frozen strawberries
• 1 large handful blueberries
• 3-5 dates or prunes (I used prunes)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons cacao
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (or more, add as needed) (I used soy)
• 1 tablespoon nut butter/coconut oil to make it creamy
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (My optional addition)

 Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together until silky smooth.  Top with optional fresh mint leaves.  Serves 2-3.  The consistency is like a thick smoothie.  It is sweet with a subtle chocolate flavor.  Delicious breakfast, summer treat or post workout recovery snack.

 Another favorite pudding recipe is a Turkish gum pudding.  I was lucky enough to have it in Istanbul, and it was so good!  Although not as healthy ;-).

Nutrition Labeling Current Trends: Helpful or Harmful?

Do you look at nutrition labels when grocery shopping?  Most of us who are health conscious do.  I know I am always looking at the nutrition facts even for foods that I know I don't want.  What factors are important to you when buying food?  Ingredients, calories, fat, sugar, fiber, protein?  According to research in 2007-2012 from the European Food Information Council cited in www.foodnavigator.com, price, taste and brand over rule nutrition labeling.  The research suggests people know how to read a nutrition label but don't usually make food choices based on nutrition.  Instead, pricing, taste and brands are more of an influence for purchasing something.  Food Navigator also notes that shopping in a hurry or feeling pressured makes us more likely to choose foods based on taste, price or brand over nutrition.

So how can people make more health conscious decisions, especially when in a hurry?  What about health claims or eye catching nutrition symbols on packages?  Many foods have colorful or stand out health claims or symbols on packaging.  Consumers can just look for these symbols and be able to make healthier choices, right?  Well, maybe not according to another European study from Food Quality and Preference cited in www.foodnavigator.com.  Nutrition claims may have a negative effect on perceived quality of food according to their research findings.  Researchers studied people's perception of a regular biscuit and a non-sugar biscuit.  Information on the biscuit packaging had a strong influence on perception of how the biscuits were going to taste.     

These 2 studies suggest we make decisions to buy food products based on price, taste and brand instead of nutritional quality.  When foods have nutrition claims on the packaging, this may actually cause a more negative perception on sensory indicators like taste.  Do you agree?  These studies were done in Europe.  Do you think the results would be different here in the US? 

How can we shift consumers to make food choices based on nutritional quality instead of taste and price if nutritional claims don't seem to help?

What's Good About 100% Maple Syrup?

Pure Canadian Maple Syrup

When you think of maple syrup, what comes to mind?  Pancakes, french toast.....breakfast?  Let's open up the horizons a bit as I did for this article.  What's the reason we should want 100% pure maple syrup in our diet?  Isn't it just full of sugar?  Maybe.  The kind that we typically use in the US is, but pure maple syrup has a lot of nutrition to offer.  In fact, Canadian maple syrup may be the next super food, according to researchers from the University of Rhode Island.
The typical kind of syrup we use in the USA do not actually contain any pure maple syrup at all.  They are often full of high fructose corn syrup.  Eighty percent of maple syrup is produced in Canada.  Pure Canadian maple syrup, which is very dark in color, is loaded with antioxidants- 54 different ones per 1/4 c serving!  That is as much antioxidants in a raw tomato or broccoli.  Pure maple syrup also has 100% Daily Value for manganese, 37% DV for riboflavin and 18% DV for zinc.  It is also a good supply of calcium, potassium and zinc.  It is naturally lower in sugar and calories compared to honey and corn syrup.
Pure  Canadian maple syrup can be a healthy part of an athlete's diet.  Because it is high in minerals and electrolytes, pure maple syrup can be used before, during or after exercise for fuel and recovery.  I tried out a few recipes using 100% maple syrup, and they were delicious!

Fruity Maple Refueler Shake for Post Workout

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (or any berry; I used cherries and blueberries)
• 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/2 frozen banana, cut in chunks
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in blender; whirl until smooth. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 portions (about 10 ounces each)
Per Portion: 254 calories, 52 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 4 g fiber

The finished product

This shake was the right amount of sweetness, and it had a great texture.  This would be good after a long run, bike or hike.  Add a scoop of protein powder if you want more protein. 












Maple Energy Squares
Ingredients:

Maple Energy Squares- yum!

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or you can use whole wheat or GF version)
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries or cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine oats, dry milk, sunflower seeds, flour, maple syrup and eggs. Puree until almost smooth, about 10 seconds. Stir in blueberries, apricots and almonds. Turn into prepared pan. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown and bars are set.

Yield: 16 squares
Per Square: 300 calories, 45 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 10 g fat, 4 g fiber

These can be a great anytime snack.  They are full of dried fruit and nuts- great combination with a touch of pure maple syrup.

There are many more maple syrup recipes to try that look delicious and unique.  Try adding maple syrup to recipes to get its nutritional benefits!  Make sure to get 100% pure maple syrup at the store and not the fake stuff.  Check ingredient labels to make sure syrup only contains maple syrup and not added sugars.

Tribute to Cherries

What's your favorite way to enjoy fresh picked cherries?  When I went back home to Michigan last week, I was able to go to the Cherry Festival in Traverse City.  I grew up in West Michigan, but I have never been to the festival before.  I was so excited to go, and I was not disappointed!  Cherry dishes and products were every where.  Northern Michigan prides itself as one of the top cherry producers in the US.  Even though the cherry crop was hit hard with adverse weather conditions earlier this spring, there was still lots of celebrating and cherries to go around.  (Even if they were a lot more expensive than normal.) Cherries have many health benefits and can be used in a variety of dishes.

Food to Farm Buffet

For lunch on Friday, I got to go to the Farm to Fork grand buffet.  We enjoyed the following dishes:

• Fresh fruit salad with dried cherries
• Cherry Romaine mandarin salad
• Wild rice with a cherry concentrate and dried cherries
• Fresh Michigan white fish with a cherry butter sauce garnished with dried cherries
• Roasted pork loin with a cherry brandy sauce
• Cherry lemonade
• Homemade cherry pie

I was happy to see local foods, like Michigan white fish, but I was hoping there would have been more fresh cherries used in the dishes along with other highlighted local ingredients.  I'm guessing the extremely low harvest this year may have limited fresh cherry use.  Incorporating dried or fresh cherries in things like salads, rice/pasta dishes, meat dishes and with vegetables can really add flavor and texture to dishes.  Click here for more healthy cherry recipes.  

Cinnamon Cherry Peanut Butter

When walking around Traverse City, the local shops had cherry food products that you would not have thought of before.  My personal favorite was Naturally Nutty, a northern Michigan nut butter company that has a cinnamon cherry and chocolate cherry peanut butter and white chocolate cherry almond butter.  Amazing flavor, and they also have flax and hemp seeds.  You can order Naturally Nutty on the website if you don't live in northern Michigan.  There were many other food products that looked delicious.  Try adding cherries creatively to your favorite foods.  What can you come up with?
Some other fun products:

Cherry Tortilla Chips

 

Cherry Pasta Sauce

Peach Cherry Salsa

Triple Cherry Granola

 

 

Cherry Wine

 Besides tasting great, cherries offer a wide array of health benefits.

•  Tart cherries are among the highest for antioxidant capacity
• Anti-inflammatory.  
• Reduce risk for cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol 
• May improve sleep patterns
• May aid in muscle recovery post exercise

Choose Cherries suggests 1-2 servings of cherries per day for health benefits, and a serving can consist of 1/2 c dried, 1 c frozen, 1 c juice or 2 tbsp juice concentrate.

Even though cherries may be harder to find this next year, try to stock up on this power house food.  How will you use cherries in different ways?