February Update

It's been awhile.

Haven't been doing any trail running, but have been doing lots of short barefoot runs on an indoor track. Only ran in shoes twice this month! Feels great, but is taking longer than I'd hoped to transition to longer mileage. Trying to be patient and not do anything stupid ;)

With the shorter mileage, I've also managed to put on a few pounds over the last 4 months since I've continued to eat as if I were still hammering out 20+ mile runs every weekend. Peri-menopause doesn't help in that regard either.

Been trying to eat healthier, as in more natural foods and in better combinations (ie veggies, good fats, protein, and carbs at every meal). This all came to mind after watching Food, Inc.and then listening to a dietician from Nutritional Weight and Wellness give a presentation. Even "good" carbs break down to sugar and result in insulin spikes when eaten alone, which in turn can affect blood cholesterol levels, inflammation, sleep quality, yadayadayada. Trader Joe's has an awesome natural peanut butter with roasted flax seeds (the almond butter with flax is pretty good too), and I've found a few local places that sell free range/grass fed meat, organic eggs, etc. Also found some awesome wheat berry and quinoa recipes :)

I've been enjoying watching the Olympics, though I seem to hear the results before I get to see the events, which kind of spoils it. I used to participate in alpine ski racing (the major source of my current knee problems), so those events are my favorite.

Still not sure what races I'll be doing this year - the column on the right side of the page will most likely change. Probably at the last minute in many cases. North Country 50 mile is the only race I've officially entered at this point, and I'll combine that with a family visit.

Can't wait for spring!