My Apologies

I had hoped to include some "What Ansky is Eating" entries during my taper. These entries would detail what I was eating including nutritional analysis. That has not happened. Between work and the Jewish holidays neither my wife nor myself has had much time work on this. I also wanted to apologize for not putting recipies on the blog as frequently as I had hoped.

Once MCM is over, I will be sure to post regular recipes. For now, I'm enjoying my taper. I hope to run 8 - 10 tomorrow and then enjoy the last 2 days of the holiday. Thursday night it's off to D.C.

Food Fest Part I

Many of the Jewish holidays involve gathering with friends or family and enjoying large festive meals. Tonight ended the first 2 days of the festival of Sukkot. The unique aspect of Sukkot is that the festive meal, weather permitting, is eaten outside in a sukkah. A sukkah is a temporary structure built outside of the home that serves as a reminder of how the Jewish people dwelled in the desert during the exodus from Egypt. When I have a chance during the next few days, I will try and post some pictures of my sukkah. With the holiday starting so late this year, many of our friends we nervous we would have to eat side in cold weather. I was also concerned about getting sick. Fortunately for us here in NJ the weather was great and it was not uncomfortable to sit outside.

I was also fortunate the the holiday falls out during my taper. It is not in the spirit of the holiday for me to run so I did not feel as bad losing out on some miles. At sundown tonight the prohibitions of the holiday were lifted and I was able to run. Since it was dark, I went to the only place in town where it's safe to run at night, good ole Votee Park. I did an easy an easy 6.56 miles just to get out and work off some of the extra calories I consumed during the holiday.



The next week is going to be quite busy between catching up on work, and 2 more days of holidays next Tuesday and Wednesday. Then, it's down to D.C. next Thursday after work for MCM. It's hard to believe MCM is 10 days away.

Going Loopy

As you can see Friday's run:



and today's run:


were very similar. Votee Park is largest park in my town. It's not particularly scenic or challenging. I run there when I want to keep my runs simple and close to home. What I like about is that there are year-round port-a-potties available which makes it a good and safe place to run in the winter.

My biggest concern during my taper is getting to MCM healthy. I've put in the miles so I know I can cover the distance. So many of my friends have been coughing and sneezing. Yesterday in synagogue the sounds of sniffling were just as common as those of prayer. I've been taking extra vitamin C, trying (I emphasize trying) to get to bed early, and reduce the amount of stress in my life. My wife is also adjusting my diet to include more foods that strengthen my immune system. Extra fruits and veggies, and red meat, etc...

Preparing for a Day of Fasting

From sundown tonight until sundown tomorrow night, I will be observing Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. One of the main requirements of the day is to not eat or drink. We are to spend most of the day in synagogue acknowledging our tansgressions and asking G-D for forgiveness.

A question I hear over and over again from co-workers and others who have never fasted for 25 hours is "how do you prepare for a fast?" Over the years, I've figured out what and how to eat the day before the fast. Now that I'm a runner, I've noticed many similarities between the way I prepare for a fast and the way I prepare for a long run or marathon.

It may come as no surpirse that the main component of a pre fast meal is is complex carbohydrates. A group of Israeli doctors studied 5 men and 8 women between the ages of 19 and 64, all healthy. All spent their fasts indoors and staying mostly in air-conditioned rooms. The researchers wanted to know whether the discomfort of a food-and-water fast could be influenced by the composition of the pre-fast meal, and if so, what basic nutritional components would promote the easiest fasting. Their findings, summarized below, were published in the September issue of the Israel Medical Association Journal.

They found that the protein-rich meal created most discomfort and side effects during the fast. Weight and blood pressure decreased at the end of the fasts that followed each of the three types of meals, and heart rates increased after the high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals but not after the protein meal. There was a 40 percent increase in blood urea nitrogen and more excretion of sodium and creatinine after the high-fat meal and least after the high-carbohydrate meal.
Water is better conserved when one eats a meal high in complex carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, beans, and other pulses. When protein breaks down, however, more water is excreted as urine to eliminate nitrogenous metabolic products from the body. (source article: Jerusalem Post, September 25, 2001)

Now that I've mentioned some scientific findings, here is how I will be preparing for the fast:

During the day:

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
• I ate a substantial breakfast of cereal , fruit, and whole wheat toast
• I will eat a light lunch in order to save my appetite for the pre fast meal

Pre Fast Meal:

• Challah bread
• Chicken soup (a Jewish meal would be incomplete without Mom's chicken soup :) ). Soup is also very hydrating and fills you up.
• Roasted potatoes
• Small Chicken breast
• Assorted steamed veggies
• I will finish the meal off with a small piece of mom's angel food or sponge cake
  

Since I am not a coffee drinker, I do not have to worry about caffeine withdrawal. If you do drink coffee, you should start cutting back a few days before the fast. Also, do not drink alcohol with your pre fast meal since alcohol causes your body to get rid of water.

Lastly, I wanted to briefly mention the post fast meal. The key here is not to eat too quickly. I usually start with a glass of orange juice. The tradition in my family is to eat cold noodles with cottage cheese. My dad and wife like to include to cinnamon.

May 5769 be a year of peace, prosperity, and good health.

Runner's Recipe of the Week

My wife and finally got around to posting a new recipe. Things have been kind of busy on the home front. I hope to post a new recipe each week but bear with me if that doesn't happen. The Jewish holiday "season" is in full swing so my schedule is a little erratic. Just to review the 2 previous recipes. The first recipe was a real 'stick to your bones' type of recipe--Ansky's Noodle Meat is good as a hearty main dish for dinner. The second recipe Peanut Butter Sesame Noodles was meant to be a side, or a snack with a piece of fruit. Now, it's time for a lunch-time treat. The following is a good recipe to use left over chicken, or to make from scratch. A fresh new chicken salad recipe: Chicken-Tarragon Salad Wraps.

I wanted to put in a recipe that is good for both carbohydrate loading (thus, the wrap--whole wheat wraps are full of good solid healthy carbs) and with a balance of fat and protein to keep with the whole philosophy that my wife and I am trying to espouse: it is not just about the carbs, it is about keeping your immune system fed while you train. If you get sick, then you may as well throw away all of your training. You could even miss your marathon all-together depending upon when you get sick. These sandwiches are good for replenishing after long runs.

Chicken-Tarragon Salad Wraps

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 3)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 Cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

6 (10 in. diameter) Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps

Preparation
Bring large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add chicken breasts; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; cool.
Mix celery, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, onion, tarragon, lemon juice, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes; stir into mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
Arrange wraps. Divide salad topped with lettuce amongst wraps. Roll salad into wraps. Slice in half and serve.

Click here to access the nutritional information and receive more information on this refreshing recipe.

Rain Delay

Today's run is being postponed by rain. No make up date has been scheduled. I know most runners enjoy running in rain but this runner does not . In the past any time I've run in the rain I've gotten sick. With MCM 3 weeks away I need to focus on staying healthy. I'll get some shorter runs in during the week before Yom Kippur which starts on Wednesday night.

Let the taper begin......

Thursday Night's Speed Workout

Since many in the group will be running Grete's Great Gallop this Saturday, Coach Bob decided to take it easy on us. Tonight's workout was a 4 mile tempo run. We began on East Drive at Engineer's Gate, ran down to the 72nd St. tranverse, across the transverse and up West Drive to the 102nd St. transverse, across the 102nd St. transverse and finished up where we started on East Drive and 90th St.

The battery on my Garmin died during the run so I don't have a workout to upload to motionbased.com. I did hear the coach call out 29:11 as I finished the run. This translates to 7:17/mile. Clearly, I ran this faster than my tempo pace. I guess I felt then need to make up for 2 days of not running. With 3 weeks before MCM I'm feeling pretty good. I'm looking forward to a solid 15 miler on Sunday and an enjoyable taper.