Probiotics anyone? Paleo, of course.

Every time I make another batch of homemade sauerkraut, I feel like a superstar.  I get lots of comments on my facebook page when I post the pictures, so why not share the process with everyone!

I bought 2 medium sized heads of cabbage (about 5 1/3 pounds).  I could have used 6 pounds to fill 3 - 1 quart jars and I will remember that next time.

Wash your quart jars and lids in very hot water, let air dry.

Peel the dark green outer leaves off of the cabbage heads, rinsed them off and set to the side, there will be a use for them later.

Cut the heads of cabbage into quarters with a very sharp knife.  Remove the core.  Slice all the cabbage as thick or thin as you like it.  I like to cut mine as if I was making cole slaw.  Divide the cabbage into two large glass bowls and sprinkle 2 teaspoons sea salt over each of them.  Meanwhile dissolve 1 teaspoon of sea salt into about a cup of boiling water.  Work the salt into the shredded cabbage (I use my hands to make sure the cabbage is well mixed).  I started with refrigerated cabbage, so I mixed it around a few times while it returned to room temperature before I started packing the jars.

Start by pouring a little of the salted water into the bottom of each jar.  This will insure that the cabbage does not have any large air pockets that could cause mold.  Pack the cabbage tightly into the jar as you add a little at a time until the jar is almost full.  The cabbage should be fully submerged.  There will be a little liquid in the bottom of your bowl, pour that in the jar too.

Here is where you use the green leaves you saved when you started the process.  Fold a leaf so that it is almost too large for the jar.  Press it down over the cabbage until it is partially covered with the liquid.  That will keep the cabbage where it belongs during the fermentation process, always covered with liquid.

Make sure you place the jars in a container that will catch overflow in case the liquid seeps out of the jar, cover the whole thing with a towel and put it in a dark place.  I put mine in the cabinet where all my large serving platters and bowls are stored, since that one is rarely opened.

In cooler weather, unscrew the lid to vent the sauerkraut every 5 days.  Taste if you wish at this time, then replace the lid.  When it is warmer, I would suggest venting every 3 to 5 days.

You personal taste and the climate in your home will determine the length of the process.

Properly prepared, sauerkraut should keep in your refrigerator up to 6 months.

There are lots of resources on the internet for fermenting vegetables of all kinds... and there are some safety concerns with regard to mold, etc.  I have not had a problem with mold, and I think that is because I make the sauerkraut in a closed jar, rather than the old fashioned way in an open crock.

PaleoFX12 - The Assignment

Hi! This will be a little different than the usual malvs2walk blog.

I had the good fortune to be able to attend day one of Paleo f(x) Ancestral Momentum - Theory to Practice Symposium in Austin Texas last week. I drove up on Monday just in time to "almost" attend the volunteer orientation tour of the facility where the Symposium was being held - Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium at University of Texas in Austin.


I met lots of my IPMG (International Paleo Movement Group on Facebook) friends and received instructions for the next days volunteer needs. Since I was going to be working the registration table the first two days of the event, Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, I was able to volunteer to help out with the Audio Visual setup (running errands) all day Tuesday. Wednesday I was charged with hauling some precious cargo to the facility. Then, let the packet stuffing begin! We dispensed with 500+ bags of assorted materials for speakers, attendees and volunteers alike in short order! We were ready to greet everyone when they started arriving around 3 pm!


Everyone who "knows" me also knows how much I love my coffee. We were on a pretty tight schedule and the Starbucks that is usually open in the Stadium lobby was closed due to spring break. I don't know Austin proper that well, so was certainly feeling deprived of my caffeine. Someone had directed me to a coffee shop in the Student Union Tuesday afternoon, so as we were finished stuffing the event packets... I headed over there at about 2:30. To my complete dismay, the coffee shop was closed. I was starting to get, shall we say "PISSY", and asked some people on the street where there was a decent coffee shop. They pointed me in the direction of Caffé Medici, right across the street from the campus. Mind you, it was almost 3pm and this would be my first coffee of the day, so I went ALL IN and ordered a 6 shot espresso with some steamed heavy cream. Where are you Robb Wolf. LOL  Anyhow, that was one of the better espressos I had in a long time, and it came with a compliment in the form of a question: "Are you an athlete?"


Back to the conference, higher than a kite, but also focused on the task at hand... get those folks processed and pointed in the right direction!  Everything went smoothly and from what I understand, Dr. Jack Kruse opening remarks Wednesday night were epic!  Wish I could have gone upstairs to listen!  I will be purchasing several of the presentations on DVD when they become available.


Thursday, and let the presentations begin!  The registration tribe leader was very gracious to hold me to only two of the scheduled time slots since I had been helping out an extra day or two, so I was able to see Robb Wolf's presentation, sit in on two important panel discussions and also attend Mark Sisson's presentation.

There are several things I want to touch on.  The first thing is that we all need to be willing to share our experiences with others.  So many people have been saved by Paleo.  It's one of the things I remember Robb Wolf saying at the start of his presentation... that at least 200 people had approached him saying, "You saved my life" in the short time he had been in Austin.  It's our duty to pay it forward, but not in a forceful, condescending manner.  We can lead by example, eat real food and move our bodies.  Learn to evolve in our thoughts just as we have evolved over time.  Paleo is not the same thing for every person, and the only way to learn what works for us as individuals is to clean out our own house and start anew.  I know I have learned something new almost every day since January 18, 2011 (my paleoversary).

The first panel discussions I attended was called "Affecting Future Healthcare & Food Policy".  This is something I hold near and dear.  I am, as are countless other citizens of planet earth, tired of large corporations driving policy.  Government officials have NO idea what they are talking about when they are talking about what humans eat, and the corporations that are behind "the food pyramid" or "myplate" are only interested in how forcing this policy down our throats will line their pockets.  The same goes for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.  There are a precious few doctors who are willing to admit that they have been wrong about the causes of diseases of civilization, and part of this panel discussion was aimed at how those physicians and dietitians who know the truth can spread it to the rest of the profession.  It should be the goal of the medical industry to reduce illness by understanding what CAUSES it rather than just mask the symptoms with another pill.  Let's all talk to our family doctor and tell them what we are doing when we get our next annual physical.  If they try to prescribe a pill for you... don't just blindly take it.  We are consumers when we enter the doctor's office, and consumers have the right to be involved from step one with their medical "purchases".  A registered dietitian in the audience asked what she should do when sanctioned by her licensing agency for spreading the truth and refusing to push My Plate toward another unsuspecting client.  Now is the time for someone to step up (are there not any Paleo attorneys willing to donate some time?) and start a legal defense fund to help these people who only want to spread the truth.

(feels like I am starting to get a little preachy here...)

The next panel I attended was called: "Future of Paleo".  Another subject that deserves some serious thought and discussion.  This thing Primal/Paleo/Ancestral Health... whatever you call it, has really been gathering speed.  I think I may have heard the words Paleo Diet a couple of years ago but never really gave it much thought.  Now, there are more and more people who have heard of it, and whether their opinion is good or bad does not matter.  When the negatives arise on the internet because some news reporter surveys 1,000 people and some of them say Paleo is not sustainable, thousands of my closest friends head on over to those websites and clear up the untruths that are being spread.  That's good for everyone.  What is not so good?  When people hide behind pseudonyms and false pictures and spread negativity.  If we are going to change the world, we need to continue to spread this message in a positive, supportive manner.  Calling each other names whether it be a vegan or someone who thinks their Paleo way is the ONLY way is not going to make any of us look credible.  We all have a purpose in this movement.  How many people have you told about Paleo?  How many of your friends and family have tried it?  How many of your friends are still headed down that SAD (Standard American Diet) path to disease?  How many people have ended their friendship with you over your determination to be a vibrant healthy individual?  Those people are still worth saving and all we can hope for is that they find their way to the truth.

I attended Mark Sisson's presentation, then headed toward the lobby to purchase "Primal Body Primal Mind" and hope to get that and my well read copy of "The Paleo Solution" both autographed by their respective authors.  Once that mission was accomplished, it was time for me to leave all this great company I had the good fortune to spend some quality time with.  I really wanted to stay for Friday's discussions, but had a prior engagement with a good friend that I will blog about in the next day or so.

I want to leave this post with a profound statement, but I think I already put all the passion I could muster into the commentary above.  I hope my story touches someone who may have been struggling and helps them choose the path to Ancestral Health!

home made Jocolat

So, this is my first attempt at a home made version of Jocolat Coffee.

1 1/2 cup Pitted Dates
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
6T cocoa powder
2T espresso beans (ground on the finest setting of the burr mill grinder)
4T coconut oil
2T coconut butter

I processed all of it in the food processor until it started to bind together.  The taste is amazing and very intense.
Spread in a cookie sheet, refrigerate for a little while, then cut into bars.  12 - 15 servings

more workout notes

Monday, February 20, 2012
Exercise Sets Reps Weight

1 walking lunges 1 10 20.0 lb
2 walking lunges 2 10
3 Standing calf raise 3 10 42.0 lb
4 Overhead Press Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
5 Bent over Barbell row 3 10 42.0 lb
6 leg raises 3 15
7 stiff legged Barbell deadlift 3 10 20.0 lb
8 Bench Press Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
9 Upright Row Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
10 Plank, front straight arm 3 2:30 in duration
11 plank, side straight arm 3 1:00 in duration right arm
12 plank, side straight arm 3 1:00 in duration left arm
I had to dump the weights on the 2nd and 3rd set of lunges. Left IT and glute still sore. Also, dropped the front plank to 2:30 so I could make sure to get through all of the repeats.
Overall, a pretty good workout. Worked out fasted, didn't start until 8:30 pm, so going to bed hungry.


Thursday, February 23, 2012
Exercise Sets Reps Weight 

1 walking lunges 3 10
2 Standing calf raise 3 10 42.0 lb
3 Overhead Press Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
4 Bent over Barbell row 3 10 42.0 lb
5 leg raises 3 15
6 stiff legged dumbell deadlift 3 10 20.0 lb
7 Bench Press Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
8 Upright Row Barbell 3 10 42.0 lb
9 Plank, front straight arm 3 2:30 in duration
10 plank, side straight arm 3 1:00 minutes right arm
11 plank, side straight arm 3 1:00 left arm


planks are getting more difficult. 3rd Strength training workout this new cycle.

Was supposed to be getting some walking/running done during the week too, but I just didn't push it.

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Stephen F. Austin State Park. In a word - Awesome! Wildlife sightings today: barred owl, pileated woodpecker, several pair of cardinals, and LOTS of deer and raccoon tracks in the mud, but no actual sightings.

did some running the first hour... 4.61 miles
second hour mostly walking... 4.15 miles
last 9:35 cool down... .6 miles
average pace 13:51
total distance: 9.35 miles; total time out 2:09:25
ate breakfast by 7 am, started the workout at 10:00, so I would call that fasted. post workout meal was a large hamburger patty, a large sweet potato and a little home made sauerkraut topped with horseradish mustard.

Again, I was supposed to lift weights this evening, but didn't push myself to do it.  I am contemplating going out for some more muddy fun at the park tomorrow morning, but I still need to get that weight lifting workout in.   Undecided for the moment. 

Workout Notes

The reason I am doing this? To keep me honest. I seriously need to do my strength training 3 times a week. I have, in the recent past, become a slacker. I got through a 50 mile race with little or no training, and scored a 2+ hour pr. That’s not how this ultramarathoning thing is supposed to work. I do know that I don’t have to do a whole lot of long distance training to do them. I really believe that heavy weight lifting, some high intensity sprinting, and some nice slow long walk/jogs will help more than trying to get in 60 – 80 miles a week.


Friday 2/17/12
Exercise Weight Reps Sets

1 walking lunge 20 10 3
2 calf raise 42 10 3
3 overhead presses 32 10 3
4 bent over rows 32 10 3
5 leg raises 0 15 3
6 stiff legged dead lift 20 10 3
7 bench presses, 32 10 3
8 upright rows, 32 10 3
9 front plank 3:00 1 3
10 rt plank 1:00 1 3
11 lt plank 1:00 1 3

Sunday, February 19, 2012
I ate a huge breakfast at around 8, drank several cups of coffee and went and visited with my mom for a couple of hours before she had to go to work.

When I got home, I prepared the rump roast I purchased yesterday by searing it, lightly sautéing the vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, turnips, mushrooms and a little garlic) and dropping it all in the crock pot.

Next, change clothes so I can get out for a longish walk/jog. It had been about four and one half hours since breakfast and I was planning on at least two hours, at most ten miles. I only took plain water to drink and one Endurolytes Fizz tablet with me. I should have no problem going up to ten miles fasted. I probably jogged 1.33 miles, racewalked 1 mile and powerwalked the rest of the first hour, completing 4.7 miles total. I kept the intensity up throughout and up until one hour forty minutes, consuming a little water about every 1.2 miles. I refilled the water bottle and added the Fizz, planning to slow down and enjoy the last 20 minutes of my walk. Good work today, no hamstring pain. 8.82 miles in 2 hours: Average Pace 13:37. I enjoyed a post workout meal of sirloin steak sautéed in lard from grass fed beef and a huge sweet potato.

I saw these lovely tame ducks at the park. I was wondering… do ducks naturally segregate? A flock of these crested ducks are always hanging out together, and then there was one. Mallard. All alone.

Rocky Raccoon 50 mile MudFest 2012!

Hello Blog, have you missed me?

Let’s go ahead and dispense with the formalities. It rained. It was muddy. It was fun! The official results not posted yet.

Arrival at Huntsville State Park Friday at around 1:30 pm found Chris and Miles working hard at getting the aid station set up. My plan was to help them, so pitched in and helped wherever they directed me, including stringing strand after strand after strand of Christmas lights and hauling supplies from the lodge. Oh, and testing said Christmas lights while a torrential downpour was in progress… interesting, but stupid. We did everything we could so that all they really had to do was unload the perishable food in the morning and start cooking. I missed the pre-race briefing, but I ALWAYS read the race document so felt I was well prepared for the race the next day.

I am so lucky to have friends like Deborah Sexton! She organized the hotel room for the weekend and the Friday night pre-race dinner at the Farmhouse Café on 14th Street in Huntsville. As usual the NTTR group was very friendly and we had a nice chat (newbies and ultra veterans alike) before going back to the hotel to get our things ready for Saturday morning.

There were 5 ladies in one hotel room and there were no problems with everyone taking their turn in the restroom. LOL. As usual, I showered and put on my base layer and my socks before going to bed. I put my timing chip on the ankle strap, drank some water and went to bed. When we woke up Saturday morning, the storm going on outside was EPIC! That had been the forecast all week, and we paid to play, so let’s get this show on the road! The 100 mile race started at 6 am, and I arrived at the park in time to see them head out through the woods in the downpour. There were some friends who offered to crew for me because another one of their friends was running his first 50, so I found them and headed to the start at around 6:50, in plenty of time for the starting gun. It is customary to check in with the timing people prior to the start of this race, so I asked where the check-in table was located. When I was told that the timing chip was the check-in as we crossed the mat… I felt a huge pit in my stomach. I had forgotten my chip at the hotel. The stream of expletives that escaped my mouth was another EPIC occurrence at Rocky Raccoon 2012! I never thought to ask for another chip, so I RAN the half mile back to where my car was parked and DROVE back to the hotel to get my chip. It was the DUMBASS runner move of the day.

When I got back to the start line, I threw my car keys at the crew and headed out to the trail. As I passed the timing tent I said, I guess we can start when we are good and ready, right? I was so angry, I think I started with 16 or 17 minutes on the clock, and I had a pretty serious time goal as far as I was concerned, having emailed a pace chart for a 13:20 finish to all my friends with a note that stated “no Crazy outfits this time, I am serious.” Starting the race late does not really qualify as serious, right? As I headed out to join 700 other crazy folks on the trail, I just tried to forget how stupid I felt and focus on the task at hand. I don’t usually run much, but planned to run/walk this race. The 50 mile course is 3 16.67 mile loops and the plan was to finish each loop as close to 4:26 as I could, that would give me an average pace of 16:00 per mile. My finish time for the previous two 50 milers I completed was around 16:45, for an average pace of 20:06; so, if I completed this one according to plan, the PR would be another EPIC occurrence at Rocky Raccoon 2012. Since I don’t have official results and splits, the part of the story where I talk about my loop times will be estimated.

Back to the story – It was not long before I encountered the first of many mud pits on the trail. No worries, the rain had slowed down by the time I started, and I expected the mud, so I just plowed right through it. Trying to go around would just slow me down, and I had some lost time to make up. When shooting for an average pace of 16:00 per mile in a trail race with an aid station every 3 to 5 miles, you need to move faster than that in order to take a minute or two to stop at the station, refill your water bottle, use the potty if necessary and then get the heck out again. I was not fooling around, just refill and run on. The mud… did I mention the mud? 700 other folks had already plowed through the mud pits once before I got to them. Every one was sloppier than the one before. The spot I was most worried about was right after crossing the dam. There was lots of slipping and sliding going on there. I almost sat down and used the hill like a sliding board, but chose to ski on my running shoes instead. I was hitting most of my miles in the 13:00 to 14:00 minute range, so totally making up for the time I lost at the start! Of course, my bad attitude for starting late was catching up with me and my back was tightening up causing my sciatica to kick in. I know, you’re not supposed to talk on the cell while you are in a race, but I called Melissa, my friend and ultra-massage therapist. She gave me some tips on how to release my lower back, which I planned to do at the end of the first loop, or risk having to drop due to the sciatica. I kept powering through and finished the first loop somewhere around 4:00, giving me plenty of time to clean the mud out of my shoes, clean my feet and put on dry socks, and lay on the ground to fix my back.

Headed back out on the trail for loop 2, right on schedule, and very proud I had made up for lost time. Aid stations are packed with ultra fare, which I am not sorry to say, is mostly JUNK. Since starting the Paleo diet a year ago, I just don’t eat ramen noodles, cookies, crackers, pretzels, candy, quesadillas and pancakes. I also don’t drink soda or Gatorade. So, I brought along my pre-mixed ultra fuel (pureed sweet potatoes, dates, pineapple juice, egg white protein powder, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, and a little sea salt all blended together and poured into my fuel belt bottles) and some home made pemmican bars. I did use some Hammer gel and Endurolytes too; it IS a race after all. The nutrition and hydration went pretty well, though I did need to pee twice during each loop. The good thing is I never had any cramping during or after the race, and I knew what to do if my hands started to swell. This time right after passing the dam, I encountered a huge tree that had fallen across the trail sometime after I completed the first loop. The conversation that resulted was hilarious. Most folks thought they just forgot seeing it the first time around. I am just thankful no ultra runners were injured when the tree fell! About half way through the second loop, my back loosened up and I was really able to embrace the raccoon and the mud! A couple of times, I shouted… “I’m five years old!!!” There was one good thing about the mud: the water was cold, so it was like a built in ice pack every 30 minutes or so, so no foot problems. Second loop finished in about 4:30, including the stop to change shoes at the end… still right on schedule.

Almost left for loop #3 without the water bottle… thanks again, crew!!! Headed out, knowing I was going to meet my second goal of finishing the race in fewer than 14 hours! My back was better, there was no more pain in my left IT band, calf and hamstring, I had my music back and charged up for the last loop, and I had my headlamp ready for when darkness fell! Nothing could go wrong from here! The best thing of all was approaching the Park Road Aid station in the dark and seeing those Christmas lights that I had helped string the day before! I knew my friends from Houston would be there to cheer me on to the finish! They even had a true Paleo snack for me: almond stuffed, bacon wrapped dates! They made my day and when I asked the time of day because I couldn’t see my Garmin anymore, I took off for the finish in high spirits! The crew expected to see me at about 9pm, just making my 14 hour gun time goal, but when I saw the clock as I sprinted to the finish; it read 13:38 hours (8:38 pm). OH, MY GOD!!! If I had started the race at 7 am along with everyone else, I would have finished at a clock time of 13:21 or 13:22, just a minute or two over my “blue sky” time goal. I never really dreamed I could do 50 miles in those tough conditions that quickly! I know in the grand scheme, and compared to fast runners my age, it’s not a big deal, but to PR by 3+ hours in a 50 mile race – well that’s freaking HUGE! So, I finish, and my crew is nowhere to be found… they are off cooking pork fajitas so their friend and I will have some hot protein to eat at the finish. I got my medal and my hugs (thanks Deb and Janice), and headed out to hot food and to revel in my personal win!

Back to the hotel, shower, sleep a few hours and prepare to work the aid station Sunday morning so I could help the later 100 mile finishers see their way down the trail with some hot food and words of encouragement.

What a great way to spend the weekend!

Music notes during the race:
At 10 miles – Sublime “40oz to Freedom” No - 40 miles to freedom!
At dusk – Opeth “Harlequin Forest” (They are the trees, rotten pulp inside, never well)



Sorry so long for a measly 50 miles, but they are my thoughts to share if you wish to read them. Thanks… malvs2walk (and sometimes she runs!)

Rocky Raccoon 25k Race Report and some other junk…

Huntsville State Park, oh how I love this place! I think I would spend some time there every weekend if it were not a 100-mile drive from my home.

I woke up at 3am on November 5, 2011, made the coffee and put my race gear in the car. Thankfully, I had leftover scrambled eggs and deer sausage left over from dinner the night before, so I did not have to worry with that. I just warmed it up and headed the Honda in a northeasterly direction at about 4am!

I ate my breakfast promptly at 5am, as my race started at 7am. I planned to run as much as was humanly possible for me in order to finish the race in a respectable time (for me). Typically, I am not a runner, but a walker/racewalker. Everyone knows that racewalking is not possible on the heavily root covered trails at Huntsville, so I usually run a little when I race there. This day was going to be different because I have been waging an internal battle with myself: Do I want to be a competitive master’s racewalker, or am I really just doing the racing because it is fun?

Packet and chip pick up was very efficient and organized! East Texas Ultra Runners Paul Stone and his crew always put on a great event. Bib #181 seemed like a good one… I watched the start of the 50k at 6am, and then walked back to my car to get my race gear assembled.

It was still a little dark outside when the race started and a friend had forgotten to bring a light. I jogged slowly from the start so the friend could benefit from my flashlight. When the sun came up enough for all of us to see the trail without the light, I bid my friend farewell and began to tear up the trail. I say that with tongue in cheek, because an average 13:00 per mile pace is not necessarily tearing up the trail. However, for me, maintaining that pace for 25k would be a huge pr (personal record) for this distance on trails. I was feeling fine, the temperature was in the 40’s for the start and it was a beautiful day! I finally figured out what caused my electrolyte problem in the past (too many Endurolytes and not enough water) so I made that adjustment. My race fuel was Hammer espresso gel/chocolate gel mixed with 2T Now Egg White Protein powder and a little coconut oil. I had a handheld water bottle filled with Heed that I refilled at the aid stations. Sadly, I left my little flashlight at the first aid station. That flashlight served me well through Tejas Trails Kapt’n Karls 3 race series, so I guess I will have to go buy another one. It is very bright and easy to carry because it came with a wrist strap. I cannot imagine what made me walk off and leave it. 

Back to the trail… I was having fun and really pushing myself, passing back and forth with a couple of runners who were about my speed. There were a couple of moments where I began plodding along, not really feeling in to the race. I had to tell myself to pick up the pace because a friend, Erin Taylor-Talcott, has recently enlightened me. She got something from our conversations that I had not noticed. It is a mental thing that happens to me about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way into my races no matter the distance. I start to feel fatigued and disgusted with myself, and I always slow down only to pick up the pace after a mile or so of feeling bad. If it were a nutritional problem, it would be time based or even based on a specific distance. I think it is my mind telling my body I suck, and I will never get any better at this thing called racing. Every time I started to plod, I would tell myself “Run, Dammit! You can do better than this.” I would run until I HAD to walk again, uphill or downhill, it did not matter.

Finally, I arrived at the H-T Rex aid station, 2.8 miles from the finish. I had been drinking more water this race, so had to use the porta-can. I looked at my watch and saw I was only 2:52 into the race, so I mugged for a photo (thanks Mariela) and ran up the hill to cover the last section of the trail. A little history about my Rocky Raccoon 25k finishes: the first time I did this race in 2008 I walked the whole thing in 3:36; the second time I did it in 2010 I ran/walked it in 3:43 (the running slowed my overall finish time); this time I ran/walked it in 3:22. I am soooo proud of this! It is only a 14 minute pr for the distance on trails, but if you consider my run/walk improvement of 21 minutes, that is a substantial improvement!

Race photos can be found here for a while... Your Sporting Image and enter bib #181.


Now for the other junk:

I would not be where I am right now had I not changed my lifestyle from Standard American Diet to Paleo Diet. NO QUESTION. I effortlessly lost 35 pounds; I eat as much as my body wants to be fed, as long as there are no grains, legumes or processed foods, very little fruit, occasional full fat Greek yogurt, and plenty of coconut oil, good quality meats and lots of veggies. I maintain this weight loss without food logging which is a definite plus. I do not have to kill myself exercising, and still get pr’s. I can lift heavier things without worrying about straining my back. My total body composition is changing. I am no longer an apple shaped woman. My waistline continues to get smaller even though I am not losing any more weight.

The question I have to answer now is this: Do I want to put the additional stress in my life that trying to be a competitive master’s racewalker will cause? I started doing marathons because I really enjoy them, and gave me a good reason to try to maintain my fitness level so that I will continue to enjoy them when I participate. Then I found ultra marathons and trail races. Those are my favorite, because even the elite athletes are welcoming to the whole crowd, even if it takes you twice as long to finish the race as it does them.

I am going to go back in time a little. My husband and I used to have a weekend drag racing car. He worked on it, and I raced it. That was so much fun, from the burnout, to staging the car at the Christmas tree! The adrenaline rush of taking off and speeding down the strip does not compare to anything I have ever done, or will ever do again. The problem with drag racing is you can be as fast as you can afford to be. I was really good with my reaction time. If .500 was perfect, I was usually in the range of .501 to .510. The other drivers all tried their best to goad me into going in for the dial-in and competing against them. Everyone pitches in some money, and you predict your finish time, the one closest to the “dial-in” wins the pot. It was not long after that, we sold the car and stopped going to the drag strip. When I thought about competing, the fun was all lost.

I would appreciate a little feedback… I have not written anything for the blog in a long time, mainly because I have been going over this compete vs. participate dilemma for a long time.  I may come back and add a photo and a couple of links later, but really needed to get this off my mind.