Just Another Day in Studville...

Hops: The New "Wonder Drug"?

Yes, Rattlesnake can stick with his red wine if he'd like.  But I'm pretty sure I've discovered something that out-does flavonoids when it comes to speeding up the recovery process.

For just about all of the 34 marathons I've run, the post-marathon routine goes something like this...

On post-marathon day #1, I can't even imagine running or even going for a morning walk.  Everything is sore and stiff, while bending down or bending over requires a monumental effort.  

On Day #2 I may be able to go for a short morning walk.  Maybe.  

On Day #3 I'm definitely doing a morning walk, and if things are going extraordinarily well, I may go for a very slow 2-mile jog.  

On Day #4 I'm probably jogging.  

Finally by Day #5 I should be doing something that at least sort of resembles a workout.

Well, not this time!  

The day after the Hartford Marathon I managed to do a 4-mile run at 8:42 pace followed by a 26-minute easy walk.

On Day #2 I was in the gym for a full chest and tricep workout followed by 2 miles at 7:49 pace.

Yesterday was Day #3, and I did 10 miles at 7:36 pace, thereby formally ending the post-marathon recovery period for me.

I can offer only one explanation: hops.  

On the evening of the marathon I splurged by ordering a "tall" Connecticut Pale Ale at an Italian restaurant in Manchester.  Pale ales are usually somewhat tame brews, and my stomach always needs about 24 hours after a marathon to feel settled again.

Well, much to my surprise, this beer was bitter and hoppy!  If Sidewinder (an avid Coors Light fan) had tried it he probably would have passed out.  And if I didn't know better I would have proclaimed it an IPA!  Although I was worried about my stomach, I went ahead and drank the whole beer anyway in order to avoid wasting money.

Anyway, ingesting the hoppy ale was the only out-of-the-ordinary step I took in my post-marathon period.  So we'll need to conduct some scientific experiments to confirm this, but I have a feeling that bitter beer will become my recovery drink of choice from now on.

Long live hops, I say!

 

 

The Official Beverage of JADIS...

Going bananas for poetry

In honor of Valentine's Day its only proper for me to profess my love. And what better way  than to do it in a poem since as I previously proved without a doubt anyone can be a poet. So why not write a little poem about that wonder fruit, the banana. I attribute my running endurance and recovery to the banana. Its loaded with everything a distance runner would need. If you don't eat lots of bananas then there's something wrong with you.
So without further ado, the Banana Poem:

I'd love to eat a banana
It would be just the thing for me
While sitting in a tropical cabana
In fact, I could even eat three
As you know they grow in a bunch
Way up in high in a tree
They're perfect for breakfast or lunch
Rich in potassium and vitamin C
And don't forget vitamin B6
But what makes me tend to frown
About this variety called Cavendish
Is when they're too ripe and brown
They help me get through a long run
I can almost feel a natural surge
If only right now I could have one
For a banana I have a hunger urge

How to eat and exercise on Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving food consumption, activity and weight:
4:45 am: 1 large banana
5:00 - 7:04 am: run

7:15 am: weight= 166 lbs

7:30 am: bowl of mini wheats cereal with milk
8:00 am: 2 helpings of coffee cake + cup of orange juice + cup of coffee
9:15 am: 1 large apple
9:45 am: half plain bagel with honey

10:15 am: weight= 170 lbs

12:45 pm: cup of raisins
1:30 pm: tortilla chips and cheese dip + 3 large chicken nuggets
2:00 - 3:00 pm: 2 large helpings of turkey, 2 large helpings of mashed potatoes, 2 medium helpings of stuffing, gravy, 1 helping of corn, 1 helping of cranberry/apple/raisin, 2 dinner rolls, 1 helping of green beans, 2 glasses of merlot wine
3:30 - 4:00 pm: throwing football with relatives
4:00 pm: 1 glass of merlot wine, 2 slices of apple pie, 1 slice of pumpkin pie
4:30 - 5:00 pm: family walk
8:00 pm: 1 bowl of vanilla ice cream + 2 mugs of warm apple cider

8:30 pm: weight= 174 lbs

9:45 pm: sandwich of leftover turkey

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, my favorite day of the year, is 2 days away. I cant wait!
For me, Thanksgiving is better than my birthday or Christmas. My birthday tells me I'm getting older. Christmas lost its luster ages ago with over commercialism, depleted bank accounts, never-ending gift wrapping, and everybody in the recording business putting out a holiday album.
But Thanksgiving is pure and simple: giving thanks for what you have and stuffing yourself to the point that you need to waddle over to the cabinet to get the Tums. I love food! And best of all, I have no guilt. Have you seen me lately? Give me 3 plates full of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and corn and you'll have one happy guy. 
So it saddens me that my "teammates" don't share this love of food and plan on stuffing themselves this Thanksgiving. My attempts this morning to get Mr. Whole Wheat to indulge a bit on Turkey Day fell flat. He's a one plate kind of guy. He's worried about his waistline and how a few calories might affect a race 10 days later. Oh well. His loss. But if he can help a brother out I ask that he wrap up a plate or two of food from his feast and drop it by my house when he gets the chance.
Food is fuel and I plan to load up for the winter.
Enjoy the feast everyone! May the fork be with you!