Proper Nutrition,Hydration and Exercise

"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."– William Connor Magee

On Thursday, Alpha, Farah and I decided on running a 15 K. trail run. Madhu added another 10K by running from his home to my mine. Once together, we started running towards Browns Bar. I began in the lead but within a mile and a half was passed by my friends. When I reached Brown’s bar, Alpha was there waiting for me. I asked him how long he had been waiting and he replied “not long.” We then proceeded on the trail. When we reach my home, Madhu and Farah were waiting for us. Madhu said he was trashed and later revealed that he doesn’t eat breakfast prior to training runs. Alpha stated “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Perhaps, just perhaps Madhu might do better by eating breakfast before going on a 25K trail journey. I found some nutrition tips, based on research, in Trail Runner, October, 2010, issue 68 that you might consider.

Let’s start with 1.  . Beet juice a.   This is good for high intensity exercise. B. The abundant nitrates turns into nitric oxide in the body which may improve blood flow to working muscles and make exercise less tiring .c.The nitrates can also lower blood pressure and acts as a powerful antioxidant that mops up free radicals

.2.Yerba Mate a. This tea has an 85 mg of caffeine compared to 135 mg of coffee. B.Consuming caffeine before or during exercise stimulates the central nervous system and assists in working harder and longer. C. This tea promotes antioxidant activity against free radicals.

3. Tart Cherry Juice a. Good for faster recovery. B. The photochemical anthoycanins helps eliminate inflammation and muscle cell damage this speeding up recovery.

4. Milk a. Helps improve the ratio of lean body mass to body fat.

5 Coconut Water a. This is one of the best natural resources of potassium and other essential electrolytes that helps deal with muscle cramps.

6. Hemp milk A. This is a natural source of a heart- healthy, anti-inflammatory omega fats. B It provides about 10% of the daily requirement for iron.

7. Kefir a. This drink is laced with probiotics and helps regulate the digestive system and strengthens the immune system.

All right, the weather is getting warmer and you might consider taking advantage of these beverages. Even if you’re not running faster or whatever, you are treating your body well. Alpha, for the past couple months has been drinking coconut water after his trail runs and Carrie likes her chocolate milk. I intend to experiment with beet juice and see what happens?

Today’s plan is for Linda to ride her Rush Creek Arabian, Nails while I run on the Western States Trail. Remember; keep moving, laughing and smiling.