5K Tour de Texas

http://images3.cpcache.com/product/16967673v3_480x480_Front.jpg

This September marks the return of Kevin and Katherine to the racing scene after a much needed hiatus from marathon training. Please, if you come, take pictures only before and after the races, otherwise the flashes might distract us from our task at hand. If you bring flowers, make them be pink and odoriferous. Clap only when we're done. By the end of the season will be selling autographed sweat bands (sweat included) and snotty Kleenexes (snot included) to raise money for allergic to sitting research, which may or may not go to a down payment on a cabin in the mountains. Please give freely. :)

Races currently scheduled to be attended (by us) are as follows:

• September 11, 2011: Run to Remember 5K
• September 17, 2011: Brownwood Celebration Locomotion 5K
• October 29, 2011: Halloween Hustle 5K
• November 19, 2011: Turkey Trot 5K

More than likely there will be t-shirts aplenty, medals to be won (not necessarily by us), and Gatorade to be had.

In the meantime, I'd like to share the following Haiku in honor of my former Slam Poetry days (which a friend reminded me of recently on Facebook). Not that I ever read aloud, or was very good at poetry, but I was very inspired by those who did and were.

Gut Rot

Piff on you, you milk
From cows that turns to gut rot
Goat milk is my friend

Kabobs a la Katrina

Balsamic vinegar smells really good. But not when it's in a puddle on the pantry floor after falling out of a ripped grocery bag. So the following is a recipe from one of my sisters-in-law after a second go around with a new bottle of vinegar. It's mighty tasty and pretty fun to make, especially if you have everyone construct their own kabob. Just remember to double bag your glass items. :)

Ingredients

• 2 mostly cooked boneless chicken breasts (cut into 2" cubes)
• 1/2 or whole green bell pepper
• 1/2 or whole onion (cut into chunks)
• Balsamic vinegar
• Any other veggies you want (yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, potato, etc...)

Skewer chicken and veggies. Brush w/ balsamic vinegar. You can dip the ingredients in a bowl of vinegar intead of brushing, but it gets kind of messy and balsamic tends to stain. Broil on low for 15 minutes (5 kabobs). Serve w/ rice.

Allergies, allergies, and more allergies. Where do they come from?

I just had a great question this week on an old blog entry of mine and I started to type a short answer, but then got carried away! So, as to reap the benefits of several hours of contemplation, I'm re-posting my answer here, but with some pictures for illustration. First is the question and then my answer.

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Jen said...
I was wondering what you thought might be the cause of the escalation in food allergies reported in the kids in this study? http://www.dailyrx.com/news-article/peanut-allergies-appear-more-prevalent-14145.html

Why do you think it seems that there is such a higher instance of this in recent times?Do you think it is because of better medical tracking giving a more accurate picture or changes in the environment?

____________________________________________________________
Katherine said...
Jen,
Good question! I'm definitely not an expert, but I have heard several theories about why people have allergies. The most prevalent one is the "hygiene hypothesis" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy#Hygiene_hypothesis).

At least this person uses a toilet.

In case you're not familiar, this theory suggests that our society has become increasingly too clean and therefore our immune systems do not develop properly as it shapes and changes throughout our lifetime. Somehow fighting off diseases and infections and gaining more experience with unfiltered air and un-washed foods is somewhat essential to our growth according to this theory.

Some scientists behind this theory go so far as to say that our immune system is built off of that of "early man" where it was necessary to have an extremely high-functioning immune system.

"Early Man" hadn't invented wipies much less the wheel.

Some say we still have that same immune system, but it's no longer getting a complete workout (like having a V8 engine with a bazillion horses, but never going above 30 mph). As a result, it's "bored."

I think it's the hat that's the problem.

I'm not sure how these theories fit with the idea that we can also inherit allergies from our parents. Genetically speaking, what our parents' immune system "learns" while they are alive does not pass down to us. If they get a cold before we are born, we won't somehow be magically immune to that same cold after birth (otherwise I'd be like "my parents version 2.0").

Me 2.0. Don't I look dapper?

We can still become infected by the cold our parents once had. We can only inherit their genotype or the blue prints of an immune system. So "hygiene" can't be the only explanation for why there may be more cases of allergies today.

Like you said, better medical tracking could also be an influence on the statistic you found. Doctors might be keeping better track of this information. Also, it's common knowledge in the medical field that once a pharmaceutical company advertises a drug for some medical problem, people will see their doctor and ask about that medical condition at higher rates than during the previous time period before the advertisement.

Disturbing. Click to view a large image.

Knowledge of allergies and medications for allergies have grown exponentially in the last decade (according to my own observation). More and more people might see information in the news media, infomercials, books, etc, and then realize "hey, you know that problem I've been having? It might be allergies." Then they go to their doctor.

Yes, because I always equate fiber with a sexy stomach. I'm going to go now and talk with my doctor about Benefiber [said sarcastically].

In summary, nobody really knows why we have allergies (and as a result, why there are different trends in allergies). I'm sure you were anticipating that answer. :) Allergies have been a pseudo-scientific area of study for quite some time.

My husband and I are planning to have kids in the next few years, and it's a real concern what genes their going to inherit. All I know is that, Lord willing, we're going to encourage our kids to be as active as possible and to be healthy eaters because I know that's what has really helped me.

Thanks for your question Jen!

I Hate Numbers, But I love Salad.

So, you may have noticed that I haven’t been keeping track of my exercise using my handy little widget on the side of my blog. The marathon didn’t kill me or my interest in working out. I’m still alive! Exercise-wise at least. However, I haven’t been keeping track of times. I need a break. I can only take so much of the numbers game before I burn out. Keeping track of my times just makes me want to improve each and every time I’m on a bike or running on the pavement. That’s mentally tiring not to mention physically impossible.

Most of last year I was constantly thinking, “that’s my third mile at a 10:30 pace. I need to pick it up a little more so that by mile 8, I’m not so behind my target time.” Instead, I’d rather be thinking one of the following.

• “I’d like to make spaghetti tomorrow night. Maybe I can use that new recipe that calls for basil.”
• “Should I watch ‘My Princess’ Korean drama or “My Girlfriend is a Nine Tailed Fox’ Korean drama after the run? That Nine Tailed Fox is going to eat somebody’s liver at some point. I know it!”
• “I wonder if I can fit more clothes in my closet if I organize mementos from childhood a little better.”
• “Hi! My name is Tonje. I’m a little pretty girl trapped inside a grownups body. I don’t wanna be. I don’t wanna be a crappy house wife.”
• “That was three miles. I’m done!”
• “I shouldn’t eat beans before a run.”
• “Man! Kent just farted.”

These are all preferable topics to consider while I work out rather than numbers. Well, maybe not the beans...or Kent's farts.

Plus, I’m no long running like a gazillion miles where it’s fun to look back and think how cool/insane my previous 15 mile run was.

A few other reasons to lay off the record keeping: I’m not training for anything, I don’t like math so much, I’m not keeping track on my weight, and also, my watch broke.

All of these things have contributed to my hiatus. I’m sorry if I’ve let you down. Please don’t cry. I’ll be back sometime next year with more number crunching. But right now, it’s fun to just run/bike/dance/weight life/whatever with no set goals.

So, instead Kevin and I have been working out regularly almost everyday. We do keep to a schedule to some degree, but it’s not fixed by distance, sets, or time by any means (see below). You might say this is crazy, but keep in mind that I sit at work for 8 hours during the day. I’m ready to move when I get home!

• Monday: Run
• Tuesday: Strength training for 45 minutes and 1 hour dance class
• Wednesday: Run
• Thursday: Strength training for 45 minutes or freestyle swimming
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Bike
• Sunday: Bike

To fuel our hot summer exercise, I've been getting pretty creative with cool salads. Here's a list of my favorite ingredients for salads that make my meals jam packed with taste and energy. If I had a salad every night for dinner, I'd be happy. But I have a husband. I think that would kill him. :) I want him around so I have to make all my salads count.
 
Ingredients
cool winter squash (my favorite is butternut)
raisins
carrots
cooked (and cooled) zucchini or yellow squash
cooked onions
cooked broccoli
bell peppers
celery
cucumber
cooked (and cooled) brussel sprouts (from fresh, not frozen)
radishes
sunflower seeds
MEAT
 
For a Non-traditional dressing

• tbl spoon grape seed oil
• tbl agave nectar
• salt and pepper to taste

Forbidden Pizza Love

Love.

Have you ever made a pizza that you'd sell your car to eat? I have. Just now. Of course, I have the supreme honor of co-owning (with my husband) a 1995 Ford Taurus. But that's still saying a bunch considering it's still worth a couple of hundred smackaroos. Maybe five. I'm not good with numbers.

Anyway, back to the pizza.

The pizza that I made this weekend was freakin' awesome!!!! Da bomb!!!! I basically mixed the best ingredients from all previous recipes together in one insanely cool, yummy in the tummy, MASTERPIECE. I'm totally not bragging. Kevin loved it too.

But it's all gone. And now all I have is the picture above picture. And two other pictures that aren't quite as good.



Darkish picture of whole pizza.



Strange lighting picture at an oddish angle.

The dough was a perfect combination of crispy and chewy. The cheese didn't taste like the way goats smell. The veggies were well done, but not burnt. The sauce was super spicy and plentiful in every bite. But there's no more. I ate the last two pieces yesterday. I'm not sure what else I have to live for.

Wait a minute! Wait a minute. It's just pizza. Get a hold of yourself girl!

Here's the recipe

• chopped zucchini
• diced onions
• chopped brussel sprouts
• shredded sheep cheese (yes, sheep, the hard cheese, from a wheel)
• 3/4 pound all natural pork sausage
• chopped celery
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 package of Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix (Gluten Free)

Cook according to the Bob package.

Side note:
I just noticed that I have a tag called "pizza dogs" (see list of tags on the bottom-left of the page). [Update: tag no longer available]. That's wasn't intentional. I've never eaten a pizza dog in my life. Truly.

Summer Night Runs and Bean Bloat

Watch out! They may be small but their feisty!

It’s hot. It’s summer in Texas. So the runs outside have been pushed to the time slot after sunset. That means what I eat after I get home from work is super important for a pleasant run. And like placing a keepsake in a safe spot and then forgetting where it's located, I've evidently misplaced all of the important techniques of late night running. Hey! What can I say? It’s been a while. So let's review the disasterous consequences of poor food choices before a run.

My wake up call came on Wednesday night of this week. Kent, the Super Border Collie, and I start off at a respectable sub-9:30-minute-per-mile pace on our 3 mile run. Kevin’s close to the curb with Kaiya. We’ve both got a buddy system (leashes tied to belts). Kent’s breathing like an asthmatic. Kaiya’s sniffing everything in sight. I’m feeling the cool breeze that’s missing while the sun is out. We’re having fun. Then a mile into the run, I develop a sharp little knife pain in the gut and it dawns on me...

Oh yeah! I need to watch what I eat before these evening runs. Crap. Literally.

During the second mile, that sharp knife pain in the gut turns into a larger knife pain (let’s say a cleaver or bowie). Then ye olde rock in the gut appears. That’s the rock that makes you feel like you’ve gained about 10 pounds around the middle. It’s also the rock that, like molten lava from a volcano, likes to push upward towards the lungs, providing an itty bitty working space. But it's not a rock; it's gass in the stomache. Then, because I had beans for dinner, bean bloat rears it’s ugly head. I look like I’m a couple months pregnant. But no, family peoples! It’s the beans.

This is a man-gut. Mine's not this bad.

So I'm about to resign myself to suffering through it all. And it dawns on me. I’m not training for anything. There is no half-marathon or marathon in my future. I’m not living off a schedule ("schedule" reads “torture”). I can walk off my aches and pains. So that’s what I did. I don’t like walking during my runs because I like to maintain a good steady workout, but hey, one walk is not going to kill me.

They're not that bad! Just don't eat'em before running.

So my dad likes to keep several things in mind when he’s buying or selling retirement stocks/mutual funds or the like, but one of them is the old saying “buy low, sell high.” It’s a good mantra for forcing one to think before one acts. I think I need to find something just as catchy on days when I run after dinner. How about the following. Perhaps they could be made into t-shirts? Perhaps you can come up with better ones?

• "Eat smart, run smarter."
• "Eat smart, don’t fart."
• "Feed the run, not the tum-tum."
• "Want to run? Don’t eat a ton."
• "Run to end bean bloat."
• "Don’t eat and run."
• "Friends don’t let friends eat beans and run."

While I decide on the best slogan, here’s my personal list of guidelines for when I’m running after dinner. I really need to force myself to go through this list before each run! If you want more tips on digesting beans in particular, try out this great article at http://www.lbveg.com/Articles/digestingbeans.php.

• Don’t eat nuts, dried fruit, chips, beans, or milk products (goat or otherwise) for dinner.
• Eat foods low in sodium and fat for dinner.
• Don’t go back for seconds during dinner.
• Drink lots of water during and after dinner.
• Don’t drink a lot during the 30 minutes right before a run.
• Wait at least 3-4 hours after eating dinner before running.
• Don’t get frustrated by digestive issues on the run. It'll be okay, little one. It'll be okay.

Oatmeal Morning Mash Up

That Ain't Mud

What tastes like oatmeal cookies, but it's healthy for you? That'd be hot oatmeal cereal. My latest good friend...for breakfast that is. Ha! Thought I was going to say something brilliant like "a rainbow, because it's pure and refreshing" or something, didn' ya? No. People. This is a food/exercise blog. :)

Oatmeal is gluten free and I make it up cheap and quick. I love it. L-o-v-e  it! We buy the largest tub of whole oats we can get our hands on. Here's my current favorite recipe. Use whole oats or steal cut oats (the less processed the better).

Big Tub

Ingredients
1/2 c whole oats oat meal
1 tbl Splenda or Truvia
1 tbl coconut flakes
1 tsp cocoa powder (or carob powder, a cocoa replacement)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tbl dried fruit or nuts (optional)
1 c water or low fat milk (cow, soy, coconut, almond, flax—you’re choice; it's all good)

Microwave Directions
Mix all ingredients together and microwave on high for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Make sure to use a microwave safe container that can hold at least twice the amount of ingredients listed here (it'll expand when cooked like a creature surfacing from the black lagoon). Feel free to mix and match ingredients. You might try adding a little allspice, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, turmeric, or cloves. Slice up some fruit like strawberries, peaches, pears, or apples. No two oatmeal bowls need to be the same. Just add a little spice at a time at taste it before adding more and cooking (raw oats are safe to eat).

Calories
About 250 according to http://caloriecount.about.com/ and http://www.quakeroats.com/