nutrition

I knew the minute I started laying out my grocery items on the conveyor belt that I would find myself explaining my strange purchase to the clerk.

Clerk: Wow…you must really like tuna fish and macaroni and cheese…(beep, beep, beep….as my items were run across the scanner)

Me: (I decide to go with the short version) It’s not all for me. I am training for the ING NYC marathon. Each mile I run I donate one non-perishable food item.

Clerk: Hey, that’s a great idea! This food is really nutritious. Next time you might want to add mushroom soup. I always mix tuna fish and maraconi and cheese with mushroom soup. You said you were running a marathon? (she gives me a scrunched face, followed by a shrug) Good luck.

Me: Thanks.

Ayup, today I purchased and promptly donated 56 non-perishable food items. It appears that I have now donated a tad over my current mileage. Needless to say I didn't write down the exact number of items I needed to donate and simply erred on the side of buying/donating too much.

Most of which was canned tuna fish, maraconi and cheese and a boat load of pasta. Each item is on the ‘most needed list.’

Remember when I wrote that during the month of September for each mile I ran I would double the number of non-perishable food items I would donate?

Turns out a generous family has pledged to do the same for the Greater Chicago Food Deposity. 

For each $1 a person donates, their gift will be matched.

Related Link: Helping the Hungry for 30 Years: A Public Awareness Campaign 

Check out this film created by Blame Society Productions called Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager #1.

Next time you are in the grocery store and in need of a laugh, just think of Chad...

Miles ran - 8

Do you remember being a kid and trying to make a HUGE chocolate chip cookie?

Trouble is, without the proper baking oven, you end up with a burnt crust and a gloppy mess of uncooked dough in the center.

Do you like your cookies firm and crisp? Or soft and moist? When it comes to finding (and eating!) the perfect chocolate chip cookie,  there may not be one, but Carol's Cookies try to combine the best of both worlds.

Bakers roll freshly prepared dough into fist-sized snowballs in order to create their famous handmade gourmet cookies with a moist, chewy center and a crispy, crumbly outside.

(image from Carol's Cookies Web site)

One chocolate chip cookie with no nuts weighs in at nearly one-half pound! Now that is one BIG cookie. 

The cookies are sold in grocery stores in single servings - typically wrapped in a clear plastic bag or plastic wrap. What you won't find on the packaging is the nutritional information. For that, I had to make a special request over the phone using the number listed on the company's Web site.

Turns out one cookies packs in 920 calories and 44 grams of fat.

(click on the image to enlarge the nutritional information)

I obtained the nutritional information by contacting Carol's Cookies and making a formal request. A few days later I received an email with the nutritional information posted above.

If you buy more than one Carol's Cookie at a time you can freeze them to maintain their freshness. Ready to consume a frozen cookie? You'll want to wait at least two hours for it to thaw.

A warm Carol's Cookie (approximately 10 seconds in the microwave) and a glass of cold milk...ahhh...chocolate chip cookie decadence!

Is it true that the lighter you are the faster you’ll run? Runner’s World columnist Amby Burfoot reported back in 2007 that for every pound a runner loses they gain an average of 2 seconds per mile.

The reasoning behind the research → the lighter you are the less energy your body requires to carry you the distance to the finish line. In more complex terms, your maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) increases when you drop unnecessary pounds.

The important part of that last sentence is ‘unnecessary pounds’ because a runner doesn’t want to lose muscle in their quest to reach a lower weight. Read elite marathoner Tera Moody’s interview with Philip Hersh from the Chicago Tribune about her battle with anorexia.

Most runners will admit to knowing that in order to run strong they need to fuel their body with nutritional foods. It’s the physical act of eating well that is often the greater challenge than lacing up a pair of running shoes at 5am. Strange, I know. You may take comfort in knowing that you're not alone in the battle against the bulge, after all the weight loss industry annually rakes in an estimated $58.6 billion.

Studies show that keeping a food journal is a great way to become more aware of your eating patterns and food choices. Armed with that knowledge you’ll have a better chance of recovering faster following your long runs, carbo-load wiser before races and in general feel better about the occasional food indulgence.

You can get started tracking your daily diet today with an online food journal.

• The Daily Plate (Free!)
• SparkPeople (Free!)
• Nutridiary (Free!)
• Fitday (Free!)
• MyFoodDiary.com ($9/month)

Related Links:

• Does Weighing Less Improve Running
• Fat As a Fuel for Runners? You Betcha!
• Tera Moody Can’t Sleep
• BMI Calculator
• The Bathroom Scale: A Metal Monster?

Today was my shot day AND the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon expo at McCormick Place. (I put in my six miles after the expo.)

Here is a photo of the city of Chicago I took while stuck in traffic. I love this city.

 I finally made it - $19 in parking later...