One lump or two lumps?

The amount of sugar we consume in a day is amazing. We consume refined sugars in the form of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup which is processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and a plethora of "goodies".

Have you ever noticed on food labels there are no %DV (percent daily value) given for Sugar? I think if there was a percent value given for sugar it would be a lot lower then the amount we ingest in a typical day.

With all the "lumps of sugar" being bonked into our heads, especially during the holidays, it is no wonder why we are not able to control our diets, we get sick with the flu/colds, and then get depressed. My goal these days has been to cut out as much as possible the refined sugars from my diet and to find alternatives for my sweet tooth cravings.

5 mile Turkey Trot

Today was a perfect Thanksgiving Day for a 5 mile race. The weather couldn't have been better. We had clear sunny skies, cool 40 degree temperatures, and some light winds for the race. The course had some rollers as it weaved around the downtown area.

Pumpkin pies were given to the top 50 males and top 50 females. My goal was to come home with a pumpkin pie.

At the start line of the race we had the couch potatoes guys, two Elvis sightings, and a couple business guys dressed in their suit and tie and carrying in one hand a brief case and a turkey leg in the other. The smell of the leg was good but I didn't want to get hungry so I stayed out of the path of the wafting smell.

The run went well and I finished strong with a PR of over 8 years in a time of 28:50 and a pumpkin pie to boot.

I have to admit I am thankful for the strength and endurance I've gained this year and that my training and racing has gone so well.

My race results can be viewed here.

Camping and a Brick

My son joined the cub scouts which means I became a cub scout too. Whatever he does as a scout I have to be involve in some way or another. I have to work with him in his scout handbook to learn and earn 12 Bear badges.
The fun part of being a scout is we get to go camping. This past weekend we went on our first camp-out with the scouts. We stayed in a heated lodge with 14 kids and about 10 adults. We hiked, played capture the flag, had camp fires, and had an official flag burning ceremony. I never realized there was a method of getting rid of a flag that was no longer in use. I didn't want to mention that when our flag got trashed from bad weather, we just threw the ragged thing in the garbage. Now, I'll have to get rid of my old flags the way I was taught this past weekend.

On Sunday, I was able to spin on my bike trainer for about 45 minutes then run out the door for an 8 mile run. The run felt almost effortless. Maybe it was the bike warm-up that got my legs ready for the run because I felt like I was holding myself back from running faster than the 7 minute mile pace that I was on. Either way it was good to get a bike/run workout which I haven't done since this past summer.

Bring the kids to the track.

One of my fond running memory experiences with my four children was (and still today with my youngest) to bring them to the high school track for a run and then to watch them play on the field or in the stands while I did the serious hard workouts.

After yesterdays workout I was reminded that I got to bring my son to the track more often. We had so much fun running a mile together. He had the idea that we would run in opposite directions so that when we passed each other we would give high fives to each other. As we passed each other I would also say encouraging words to him. I tried to pace myself so that we would hit the same spot on the track together. We finished the 1 mile warm up in a time of 9:11. He still had a smile at the finish. We walked about 100 meters to the start of my 6 X 400 meter repeats and he then went to play on the exercise stations. Even though I ran my serious fast stuff I still enjoyed watching him doing pull-ups, swinging, and sitting on the chin-up bar too.

A note relating to other tri related workouts. I've been trying to swim 3 days a week. I try 2 to 3 days of strength and yoga workouts. My frustration is that I have not been sitting in the saddle for about a month now. I miss it and want to get back in the saddle. Due the winter months fast approaching it looks like I'll be riding indoors. I don't mind riding indoors but I just got to do it and hope to ride 3 days a week, maybe starting after Thanksgiving.

I'm in.

Look what came in the mail today. I get the privilege to join over 20,000 runners on April 16, 2007 for the 111th running of the Boston Marathon. I know what I'll be doing this coming winter months - training for Boston.