Last week I was contacted by part of the Marathon Bar team and asked if I was interested in interviewing one of their spokespeople, Dr. Janet Brill.  I checked out her website and background and her credentials are extensive and impressive!  Not only is she an expert in nutrition and dietetics, but she is also an expert in exercise physiology.  You can check out those credentials again on this post.  

So we set up our call for Friday evening and I was armed with some questions.  I had some people ask me some specific questions so I addressed them first.  This first question came from a reader but it is something I feel ALL women can benefit from.  Haley asked about ways to incorporate more bone healthy calcium into one’s diet, outside of dairy.  Truth is there are plenty of people out there who have bodies that just don’t tolerate diary very well.  Diary is of course a great source of calcium but most definitely not the only way to incorporate calcium. 

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The first thing Dr. Brill addressed was how crucial calcium is for a healthy training diet.  Bone health is something women and young girls must pay attention to.  Bone issues like osteoporosis and osteopenia are not just “old people” problems.  Without the right prevention, these problems can sneak up on very young women and certain damage, as Dr. Brill explained, are not reversible.  That is why prevention is so important!

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For those who do not tolerate dairy products well: here are some suggestions Dr. Brill gave me:

• Take Lactaid to ease the digestive issues caused by dairy
• Yogurt may be an option.  It is much easier to digest than most other dairies, has important live cultures, and also a nice source of protein
• Calcium fortified soy and tofu.  There are MANY ways you can incorporate these into recipes and very easy to google!
• Soy milk!  I can’t drink it straight but love it on cereal and in smoothies
• Calcium enriched orange juice
• Molasses: I definitely didn’t know about this one but it is calcium rich and can be used in place of sugar
• Leafy greens: collard greens, kale, okrah, turnip greens, and spinach among others
• Salmon
• Eggs (with yolk)
  

Another important factor that she explained can occur in endurance athletes in amenorrhea,  or the absence of menstruation in women.  According to The Mayo Clinic, missing three consecutive cycles are considered amenorrheic and should is means to see a doctor.  There are of course nature causes of this (pregnancy, breast feeding, and menopause) and certain medications can cause this, but what runners need to worry about is non-natural amerorrhea due to not having enough body fat and/or excessive exercise.  It can also be a sign of hormonal issues as well as some other rather serious problems.

Although missing a period is not in itself particularly dangerous, it is the causes of it that must be addressed.  It can be a result from an eating disorder or exercise addiction but can even occur in an otherwise healthy women who just isn’t fueling properly for the calorie expenditure of distance running.

Calcium and iron (which will be addressed in another post) are VERY important for everyone, but women in particular need to pay extra close attention, especially those putting such physical demands on the body.  Going without adequate levels for too long, even without being amenorrheic, can cause serious bone damage which can result in frequent and ill-healing breaks and fractures.  Dr. Brill stressed that once the damage is done, it doesn’t matter much calcium you pack in, the damage can be irreversible.  She also stressed that it  doesn’t matter how much calcium you are packing in your diet if you aren’t getting enough over-all calories.  Without enough overall calories, you are setting yourself up for these bone problems in addition to MANY other problems that will not only effect your performance, but you’re health for life including heart health and reproductive issues.

So thank you Haley for posing that question!  Let me know if you are wondering anything further and I will try to get those answers from Dr. Janet Brill!

Stay tuned for more expert advice!

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Éirinn go Brách to all!  Today is the day that all people come out and play Irish! And well…we Irish folk are a bit narcissistic so we like that.  I got to run the RnR USA Relay with Pam this morning! So much fun!  I’m SOOO behind on my blogging and recaps and I am doing my best to try to get those in.  Come May, I may have a little more time to write for fun rather than write for my portfolio, lesson planning, and rationales for graduation.  BUT there is one this I cannot do without.  And this my friends brings me to my annual rant (and yes HappiLee Running…this is partially to humor you).  I shall reinstate my explanation from last year…

False Statement.

Annual lecture time (aka hissy fit time).  Quite possibly one of my biggest pet peeves is the use of four leaf clovers as shamrocks.  They are not shamrocks.  They have nothing to do with shamrocks.  Shamrocks come from a shamrock plant (yes there is some controversy about what the original plant was).  Four leaf clovers come from rounded clover plants.  And while a shamrock is technically a form of clover, the meaning behind the shamrock is quite different than the meaning behind the 4 leaf clover.  The Shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain Christianity, and more specifically the Holy Trinity.  Because a shamrock contains THREE heart shaped leaves, St. Patrick used this to explain how the Holy Trinity is made up of three beings of love within one (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).  In tradition, the 4 leaves of a 4 leaf clover represent faith, hope, love, and luck, which is not limited or even popular to Irish tradition. 

While that is all fine and dandy…it has nothing to do with St. Patrick and thus it drives me UP A WALL when people wear these on St. Patrick’s Day. I guess wikipedia sums it up best (as it usually does), “The four-leaf clover is often confused with the shamrock. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a different significance.”  Do I take this too seriously?  Yep.  Is this a completely irrational obsession?  Yep.  Will I buy anything with a 4 leaf clover on it?  Nope.  This is also why, chances are, I will never run an event at the Shamrock Marathon.  It is named the Shamrock marathon.  Yet their logo? 

 I come from a BIG, PROUD, Irish Catholic family.  this is what we do best ; )

End Rant. 

Hey all!  A super quick post (from my phone during my quick planning break), to say that GOD IS GOOD!  My friend Erin who was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer a few months back (she’s already beat the damn this 3 times) got results from her scans yesterday.  After trying some very experimental treatments that  literally ripped her apart for the past months, HER SCANS ARE CLEAR!  No active cancer spots!  I would call this a miracle but the truth is this girl is a fighter.  She has fought so hard for this and put up with so much pain and treatment.  God is so good…Erin in my hero.  I am just over joyed!  NEVER EVER give up hope!

Hey guys!  So I was contacted by the Marathon Bar Team, an officialy sponsor of the Rock N Roll Marathon series, and offered the chance to talk one-on-one with Dr. Janet Brill, a nationally renowned health & wellness expert and author.

She will be speaking at the expo for RnR USA in DC tomorrow and Friday but I will get to talk to her personally and ask her specific questions about nutrition and wellness.  So I’m opening it up to you.  Check out her website and give me any questions you want answered!  Obviously I am very interested in running and sports nutrition but if you have a question that you are dying to ask just leave a comment, twitter it to me @crazyponytail (yes I realize this is not proper twritter terminology but I hate the phrase “tweet it”, no idea why), or e-mail me!  I’ll do my best to get everyone’s questions answered when I speak with her Friday afternoon. 

And check out her rap sheet.  Pretty impressive lady!

Education and Credentials

Janet Bond Brill, PhD, R.D., LDN
Licensed Nutritionist
Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Wellness Coach
ACSM, NSCA, ADA
Registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist (ADA #810084, Florida License #ND 0002450), Certified Exercise Technologist (ACSM #2265), Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA #85560803), Certified Wellness Coach (Wellcoaches, Inc. #1765)

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
• Master of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
• Master of Science Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
• Doctoral Degree in Exercise Physiology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
• American College of Sports Medicine, Certified Exercise Test Technologist
• National Strength and Conditioning Association, Certified Personal Trainer
• American Dietetic Association, Registered Dietitian
• WellCoaches, Inc., Certified Wellness coach

So I managed to crank out a 5K PR this weekend!  In case you didn’t know…I suck at 5Ks.  So I was super excited to get this one in under 24:30 (24:24 to be exact).  And I ran the first (downhill) mile in under 7 minutes.  And than almost died.  But full story later.  For now, here are two pictures, side by side, that my friend Tom from the store snapped.  He tooks hundreds of great photos that day but let’s just say its rather clear me and my dad aren’t at all proud of our Irish heritage.  Not one bit.

And yes…he still managed to finish and good 15 seconds ahead of me.   In a kilt.

1. I finally caved and went to PT tonight.  Working where I do, we have a lot of break relationships with local PT’s, chiros, orthos, etc.  One of these said awesome PT’s was in for an event in January and told me to come in for my back…well its March and I finally did it.  After one appointment tonight I’m already feeling really optimistic.  My back has been becoming more and more of a issue lately and it isn’t isolated to running.  Actually, its sitting or standing for too long that causes the most aches and pains.  I’m hoping this is going to help because I really can’t avoid being on my feet all day.
2. I have no idea why but in 4th grade, the girls in my class (myself included) were obsessed with fun shaped erasers.  I remember I had a toothbrush one, a crayon one, a peace sign one, and even a pig one.  He loved them.  I have no idea why because of course we would never dare use them to…erase!  So I don’t know why I am so surprised that my 4th graders love…you guessed it…erasers.  Only now they are “puzzle erasers”.  They come in a few pieces that you can take apart and put together.  Well they will literally do anything for these silly things.  So after a trip to Party City, Dollar Tree, and 5 Below, I am restocked with bribes incentives.
3. Sunday is our big party race.  Shamrock 5K downtown.  Starts at a bunch of pubs, downhill course, ends at a giant party.  The course is actually the St. Patrick’s Day Parade route so we run the race then meet up with my dad’s extended family to watch the parade.  Its a fabulous time.  And I found the best running capris ever.   

Check out this article about my buddy Ethan.  He is kicking CanZer’s ass for a second time and fighting the good fight!  Totally one of my heroes!

Keep it up, E!  We are all behind you 100%

ZohnFC!

Alright…attempt #2.

Of the many, many Disney races I had participated in before this weekend, I had never done one of their 5K’s! I was really excited when I found out one of our activities scheduled for this weekend was the Tangled Royal Family 5K. Not everyone decided to participate (like Brittany who was running her first half! We agreed that she should maybe skip this one), but those of us who war 5King it met in the lobby of The Animal Kingdom Lodge (the beautiful Disney resort where we were staying), at 5:15AM to head over to EPCOT.

Although still fairly crowded (about 6,000 participants!), it is much less crowded than the half so we drove in and parked the vans without any problem (although I still recommend giving yourself PLENTY of time to get there). Once we parked, we hopped off the vans, dropped our bags at bag check, and headed over to the party : ). Disney races always have a DJ and entertainment before the races and its always a lot of fun.

Side Note: Ms. Punk Rock Princess here, aka Kim, is just a tiny bit bad ass. I mean seriously…I spent the entire weekend with her and didn’t find out until we were leaving (from someone else of course), that she just happens to be a 3 time Emmy Winner. No big deal right? She’s so super sweet, humble, speedy, and TALENTED! And she won’t ever brag about herself…so I’ll take the minute to brag about her : ) Check out her stuff HERE

After dancing around for a bit we got in the start corrals. They aren’t assigned and are self selected which honestly was a bit hectic. But this was a fun family race so it wasn’t really an issue for me. However, if you were really going for a time I would recommend getting as close to the front as possible. I still had no race plan. After our speedy, humid gaunt around EPCOT the day prior, I knew I wouldn’t exactly be racing. Colleen brought along her little Kenzie (6yrs old) who was running her first ever 5K! It was a bit chilly out and K was shivering so I gave her my marathon blanket I had brought along (I aways save these after races and take them to chilly races. Makes an awesome throwaway). She looked super cute!

Lorraine and I decided to stick around C and K for the first mile. The crowd was pretty tight and we didn’t want Kenzie to get trampled at the start. Colleen, Lorraine, and I formed a bit of a triangle around Kenzie and let her set the pace as we took off!

I was amazed how well Kenzie did over the first mile! She was so excited and having so much fun. So fun to watch! We were all having such a blast that we all decided to stay together for the duration and have as much fun as possible. Which of course meant pictures.

We “ran” into Sharon who was doing great! We cheering her on and sent her on her way!

Totally stole the last 2 pics from Lorraine : )

Little K did so well! She was definitely getting tired but never complained. We would slow down at times when she needed it and it was so fun soaking in all the sights around us (running through all the countries in EPCOT)! Then we ran under the Ball which meant we were almost there!

Colleen was so sweet encouraging her little girl! When we had less than .25 to go she said, “Ok Kenzie, this is just like one time around the track. Take a quick rest and than really dig deep. You will be so proud of yourself when you’re done!”

And of course she was as they hung the medal around her neck ; )

Yes…this is my signature “Princess Pose” I started it on a whim back during my first Princess Half in 2010 and done is ever since. Dorky? Yep.

See?

We were all so very excited and proud of Little K! She was smiling so big and bright and Colleen was a beaming Mommy! It was so fun to see all the families out their running and walking together! This is something you don’t get to experience during the Half so it was a lot of fun to participate in the family 5 untimed k! It is untamed an event, stroller and children of all ages welcome. runDisney has considered making a timed option, but for now, it is more important for them to keep this a non-competive event, family event for don’t expect to see a timing chip for this race in the next few years.

Four lovely, PROUD Princesses! I’m so glad we all stuck together : )

After the race, we were handed water and pre-esembled snack boxes. I really like the idea of these pre-emesbled boxes, as it makes the food lines move much quicker, but I feel like it also may cause a lot of wasted food, as you given everything, not necessarily things you might eat. For example, I maybe ate 2 out of the 5 things included in the box and there is no where to give back unopened, unwanted items. Opinions?

All in all this was a BLAST! Very happy I got to experience at runDisney 5K! I would definitely do one again, but wouldn’t recommend it for someone who is really just focused on a time goal. You may get frustrated and miss out on the spirit of the event.

Yet another side note: Later in the day I was on one of the Disney buses and a little girl got on the bus. She started talking to me and told me she just turned 4 and this was her first trip to Disney. She also told me her absolute favorite Princess was Rapunzel. I had the medal from the 5K in my purse (it is actually rubber so can’t cause any harm to little ones). Because it was “Tangled” themed, the medal had Rapunzel and the other characters on it. I gave it to her and you would have thought I gave her the hope diamond. She was precious and hugged me so tight. As we got off the bus she chased after me and gave me another hug and said, “Are you sure you aren’t Rapunzel?” I assured her I was in fact not Rapunzel but that she would probably get to meet the real Rapunzel soon! All part of the Disney Magic!

Yep.  Spent another hour or so writing up a recap of the Tangled Family 5K.  Hit “Publish” and it published.  Only problem is it ONLY PUBLISHED THE TITLE?  No idea how this happened and it managed to wipe out all my drafts.  I’m bitter.  So now, before I start rewriting that post, I’m downloading Etco which I here is the next best thing to Live Writer (not available for Mac)…hopefully this will save me so future headaches.  Do you use any desktop blogging tools?  What do you like?