261 Fearless – The Story of Kathrine Switzer

I wanted to pay homage to Kathrine Switzer who changed the world of running for women. In 1964, she entered the Boston Marathon, unbeknownst to the officials that she was a woman. Now, it was not explicitly stated in the rules that women could not enter as race participants, contrary to popular belief. She had signed for her entry form with her first two initials and last name, which was how she signed all official documents, and was granted entry. At the beginning of the race, she describes the lack of order, or rather appropriately called chaos, that she was thrown her bib number without inquiry of her sex and pushed in the direction of the starting line.

Kathrine Switzer had been training with the mens cross country team in college and was 20 at the time of the race. She had well prepared herself for long distance, which at the time was thought to be too grueling of an event for a fragile woman to physically put herself through. Yet, she had made it to the starting line.

During the race, A race official named John aka “Jock” Semple, who was himself was a runner, caught wind of the fact that there was a woman running in his race. He pulled up in a van along side her, jumped out, and tried to tear off Kathrine Switzer’s number and push her out of the race. Below is the iconic picture.

She took off running as her coach screamed “Run like Hell!”.

Though she was banned from racing for a couple of years, she continued to pursue the opportunity for women to run in marathons and long distance. Her bib number 261 became iconic, a symbol of fearless in the face of adversity.

Today, Karthrine Switzer has published a memoir of her life called “Marathon Woman“. I would highly advise reading it as it has inspired me not just a runner, but as someone who is so proud to be part of such an open arms and accepting community these days. Running was a venue to make a change in political and social thoughts, etiquette, and laws. Running is progress, progress toward a finish line, towards a goal, and as we saw with what Kathrine Switzer has done, progress toward a better future.

I had the pleasure of starting in the same wave as her this year in the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. At 70 years old, she ran a 4:48:21. To put that in perspective, Tiki Barber, retired NFL player, who played for the New York Giants for 10 seasons, at age 42, ran a 4:38:15. Just 10 minutes faster than Kathrine.

I hope her story inspires all of us, whether we are runners or not, to step out of the box and do something courageous in the face of adversity.

Please see her online organization 261 fearless: http://www.261fearless.org/

I would encourage those who are runners to either seek out a 261 fearless club or have the courage and start your own in the area you live in.

 

 

Golden Milk 5-minute Recipe

Haldi Ka Doodh which means Golden Milk.

This is a semi-sweet savory tea that is perfect in the evening after dinner or before bed time. Turmeric is a root that has powers of healing due to its anti-inflammatory properties. I started incorporating ground turmeric root in our diet specifically for anti-inflammation. It’s been a great drink for after hard workouts for running or after strenuous yoga. The recipe I use is a variation of some of the recipes I have read about and I finally settled on the amounts that satisfy my taste buds.

I would describe this drink as warm, soothing, savory, nutty, creamy, and all around delicious. This is a great drink to warm you during the winter as well while enjoying all the great benefits it has to offer.

This is a quick recipe ready to touch your lips in minutes.

1 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 cups of light coconut milk
1 1/2 – 2 tsp of ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger (or fresh)
1 tbsp coconut oil
maple syrup or agave to taste
pinch of black paper for enhanced absorption (optional)

Some nutritional benefits:
Turmeric
anti-inflammatory
increased capacity of antioxidants
increased neurotrophic factor which increases brain function

Coconut oil
increases healthy cholesterol HDL and converts “bad cholesterol” LDL to HDLs
promotes heart health

5K races

I wanted to write a quick blurb about 5Ks. There are a number of reasons why 5K races are fantastic races to participate in.

1. Great goal for beginners. It is a short distance of 3.2 miles. This distance may be daunting at first, and I certainly remember thinking as a new runner, “Isn’t that basically the equivalent of a marathon?”. However, it is easily attainable when you break down the training. I will talk about training below farther down in the blog.
2. Excellent to use as training for long distance running. For seasoned runners, it is great to use races as motivation for training. A 5K is a good way to kick off training for your next half or full marathon. It can also serve as a tempo run, paced run, or speed workout. And of course there is the added bonus of racking up a tshirt for your collection of races.
3. Camaraderie run. There are various races that are put on for charity that you can support while running, jogging, walking with friends. There are fun races such as the Neon Run, the Color Run, and the classic Turkey Trots which family and friends all gather to engage in a good time revolved around running. It may be so much fun, you don’t even realize there is a struggle!
4. Travel and Site Seeing. Races are all over different cities in different states, so it may be a great excuse to travel with family or friends with one of these. Maybe this will serve as a venue for running goals such as running one in different cities in your county, running races by the same charity in different states, and a reason to run during abroad vacations over seas.

I ran 5 five or six 5Ks when I was first starting out as a novice runner. I was able to get my family involved who really weren’t at the time the get-up-and-go-exercise type. My very first 5K, I ran in 33 minutes. For a 26 year old, I should have been faster, but I was pretty satisfied with just finishing. And yes again, I mention the shirt and how much I loved it. After catching the bug for running in my first race, I wanted to work on speed.

Below I have listed some great training apps and plans for 5Ks. Within in these training plans, there are variable tracks for novices, intermediates, and those of you aiming for PR goals.

Hal Higdon Training Program: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50932/5K-Training-The-Most-Popular-Racing-Distance. There is an app for this.

Jeff Galloway interval training (walk 1 minute, Run 1 minute): http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k10kschedules/. Also has an app for this type of training. I personally used this for my 5K runs and my recent marathon training. I found it to suit my body and fitness the best so far.

Couch to 5K plans: https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx. Of course there is an app for this as well. There are walking plans if you are trying to build cardio first before running.

Here are a few pictures of some 5Ks I had run over the years that were pretty fun.

The Run for America Underwear Run in Central Park, Manhattan, New York, NY 2012 (my first 5K, a little on the chubbier side and bearing it all. Below are two of my roommates and a classmate. I was the not exactly in shape next to these guys…)

New York University Doctor of Physical Therapy 5K 2013, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY:
It was a lousy 40 degrees and we were all trying to keep warm before the start of the race.

The Neon Run 2013 Candle Stick Park, San Francisco CA: with my best bud Jared. Ladies, he is a much better runner than I will ever be. Literally born to run, but one of the best encouragers when I decided to take up this sport.

5K in San Jose, CA with my mom and dad: Got them to run/walk with me and it was a fantastic bonding experience. I PR’ed by 10 minutes running 23 minutes total.

New York University Doctor of Physical Therapy 5K, Park Slope, 2014: This was my SF crew, home away from home. They came out to support physical therapy research in the snow! A high of 36 degrees during the race.

 

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

Kale is King Smoothie

It’s not easy “drinking” green. But with this homemade smoothie I was in heaven. Goes down smooth and tastes delicious.

Ingredients:
1-1.5 cups Kale
1 Banana
1 cup Pineapple
2 tbs Chia Seeds
3/4 cup Almond Milk
Agave (to taste)

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.

• A few side notes on the ingredients:
  Kale – prewashed and chopped from Trader Joes
  Pineapple – frozen pineapple from Trader Joes
  Agave – Blue Agave (also from Trader Joes)

Hope you enjoy this smoothie!

Happy Healthing!

xoxo,
Dani

DRINKABLE PEANUTBUTTER CUP

This is basically dessert in a cup with a healthy twist.

Ingredients:
1 banana
2-3 tbs peanutbutter (I used organic unsalted)
2 tbs Cocoa Almond Spread (from Trader Joes)
Chia seeds
1.5 cups Almond Milk
1 tsp Turmeric (maybe less if you are sensitive to the taste)

Why Turmeric? There have been multiple studies that reveal turmeric to be a natural anti-inflammatory agent and aids in digestion. The real question may be, Why not?

Drink it as a smoothie or place it in the freezer for a delicious treat later.

Happy Healthing!

Berry Glad I didn’t Say Banana?

Okay, so there’s also banana in this. Give yourself a boost of berries in this smoothie (with banana)!

Makes two servings.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of mixed berries (this has raspberries, blue berries, strawberries)
1 banana (small or medium)
1-2 table spoons of chia seeds
1.5 – 2 cups of almond milk
1 Table spoon of agave (or to taste)

For a more healthy dessert, you can freeze the smoothie and then add a dollop of cool whip.

Enjoy cheers to health!

Running

In my late 20s, I decided to take up running. I was horrible shape and was thoroughly winded by the time I reached half a mile. As I persevered to work on achieving a mile (which admittedly took me a while), I discovered the benefits it provided for me physically and emotionally. And that came from just a short distance. Fast forward to 6 months later, in which I had signed up for various 5Ks and ventured on to 2 half marathons and recently finished, well struggled through, my first marathon. For me, running was a new sport and new identity which I have taken an affinity to and has become a lifestyle.

Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing you to rapidly move through time and space. The places running can take you are incredible and the camaraderie you gain is unparalleled. Many have found expression of freedom through running, symbolically, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. The history of running is rich with inspiration, excitement, and glory, everything from 800 meters to marathons and ultramarathons.

It is my hope that whether you are contemplating running, an amateur runner, or an avid seasoned runner, that you will find this part of the blog enjoyable and helpful. I will provide tips on running, books I’ve read related to running, stories of inspiration, and upcoming races of interest.

Stay tuned for more!

 

Plant-Based Diet

Aside: Below you can find the hyperlinks to the books I mention below, by clicking on them it will bring you to the amazon link directly. Happy reading!

Recently, I watched the Netflix documentary “What the Health”.  I don’t think I have gone anywhere, including work in which one person hasn’t brought this documentary up. It did spark in me and my significant other a want to return to our vegetarian diet we were on a few years ago. We were inspired to try the plant-based diet not due to being fear struck by the documentary, but because we want to live a healthy lifestyle and were inspired by our role models who are ultra marathoners and athletes that are plant powered and fueled completing human feats in the heat of competition. I will say, please take “What the Health” with a grain of salt, as there are many diets that work for many people. I like to think of a diet as committing to a healthy lifestyle, not just something we go on and off constantly to shed a few pounds here and there.

Maybe 5-6 years ago, I read Finding Ultra by Rich Roll and Eat and Run by Scott Jurek both whom are world wide renown endurance athletes. I had started running in my late 20s and was looking for inspiration to up my mileage to marathon length. I thought, if they can put their bodies through these fantastic journeys of 100+ miles and triathlons, I can finish a marathon. I learned more from these books about a well rounded and balanced life than just about running. These two books brought to my attention the importance of diet. Both athletes are completely plant-based tackling these long distances in less than friendly terrain. I had toyed with the idea of being completely plant-based and I was already a vegetarian that dabbled in some fish and still ate dairy. I am now fully converting to plant-based and these books offer an abundance of reasons to choose a plant-based diet. For more info on the books themselves, refer to the Running page of this blog.

There are many websites and books I use to meal plan. But there are a few that are my go to meals.

Thug Kitchen and Thug Kitchen 101.  I have both of these cookbooks, they were recently published in the last couple of years. The meals are delicious, filled with new spins on seemingly boring vegetables, incorporating everything from pan fried and baked dishes . One of the things I like is that the ingredients necessary do not break the bank. Also, I have found that my non-vegan friend also enjoy these dishes as well. The recipes are hilarious to read given the amount of cursing (so don’t let your kids go about reading them without permission), but if you’re not into that, then they truly offer a variety of vegan/vegetarian friendly meals. Featured recipes have asian, latin, and classic American flavors available. Both books contain grocery lists of regular ingredients you will need for a lot of the dishes.

 

Passionately Fit

Passion, Perseverance, Predetermination

I wanted to take time to explain why I chose the three “P” words to represent the blog. I feel they truly serve as foundational pillars for maintaining a fulfilling, healthy, successful, and balanced life style.

Passion: noun. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. I am IN LOVE with the work “Passion”. Recently, I was listening to a podcast, where a world renowned ultra runner named Samantha Gash had explained that the latin root for the word passion actually means to suffer. So when someone said to her “I am so passionate about this”, she would ask if they were willing to suffer for what they indeed were so called passionate about.

Perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. These days it is difficult to stay on a focused path be it fitness, training for endurance, or eating healthy.  Especially with all the distractions and temptations we have easily accessible such as delivery foods, fast food, busy schedules, overtime at work, etc. But when we persevere, we get that much closer to our goals. 

Predetermination: verb. the ordaining of events before, or a purpose formed beforehand. I believe this is being goal-oriented and predestining success in whatever endeavors you may choose.

These three pillars, in fact, serve as accountability, checks and balances. Without one of these, it is more difficult to succeed in goals or reach aspirations. And I believe by incorporating each of these, you have the solid foundation to tackle not just sports goals, fitness goals, or diet goals, but life goals.