4-Week Countdown from BSX Athletics

With about four weeks to go, we hope you’ve been using the BSX Athletics’ 8-week training plan to prepare for race day. They strive to help athletes, like you, break personal records and do so by combining wearable technologies with real life coaching to help athletes train smarter, not harder.

Whether it’s a wearable lactate threshold sensor, that looks inside the exercising muscle, or cloud-based training software for the modern coached athlete, BSX aims to take the guesswork out of training and guide decision making in real time. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for product updates, training tips and more.

Keep on training! Almost there!

Turkey Trot Charity 5K Ambassadors

Have you spoken with a Turkey Trot Charity 5K Ambassador yet? If you signed up to run or walk with us Thanksgiving morning you will hear from our amazing Ambassadors.

Our Ambassadors are a special group of dedicated and caring Y volunteers who are reaching out to all registered runners and walkers to thank you for signing up! Since our Event Directors cannot personally thank you, our Ambassadors are! Ambassadors are also reaching out to see if you have any questions and to see if you need any help setting up your online fundraising page.

You will receive an email from your local Turkey Trot Charity 5K Ambassador tomorrow and then another one right before the event. These emails are full of training tips, fundraising ideas, a healthy recipe, and details about the day of the event, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. It is a must-read!

Happy Halloween! We will be back tomorrow with our Friday recipe!

Foam Rolling for Runners

Have you ever seen one of these things either at the gym or when out shopping?

Ever wonder what it is or what it does? Well, if you are a runner, or athlete in any form, you need to get to know the foam roller.

Foam rolling offers many of the same benefits of a massage, especially when you are targeting large muscle groups. Foam rolling may not be as relaxing as a massage, but it is cheaper and can be done everyday right at home.

Foam rolling stretches your muscles and tendons while also breaking down soft tissue adhesions. By using your own body weight and the foam roller, you are able to break down trigger points and soothe tight fascia, which leads to increased increased blood flow and circulation. It may be a little uncomfortable to roll out your muscles, but it is well worth it.

Now you may be wondering how exactly a foam roller is used. Here is a video to help get your started:

For more information on the benefits and guidelines for working with a foam roller check out this site: http://bit.ly/1clPTdF

Ready to get started? Head to your local sporting goods store, order one online, or you may even be able to pick one up at super market.

Happy rolling! We know it will ease your sore muscles and improve your running!

Halloween Healthy Treats

There has been a buzz in my house for last few days about Halloween costumes. While my children are deciding who they want to be for Halloween, I am figuring out how we are going to handle all the candy,

and sugar highs. While the dietitian in me wants to hand out watermelon, (nature's candy, if only it were in season), almonds, or coins; however, I realize how quickly we would become “that” family! And as we have discussed previously, anything can be incorporated into a healthy meal plan, as long as it is done so sporadically. It goes without saying this sweet holiday is not my favorite, but we still enjoy the day of dressing up and snacking on some candy.

I have some ideas on how we can make this candy driven holiday pleasant for everyone involved.  Chew on this:

1.  Instead of Candy- you can choose to be “that” family and hand out non-candy items. I will say that my kids do get super excited about erasers, tattoos, and even pencils. So this year I am going to conduct my own study. I am going to have tattoos, erasers and other small toy-like items in my bucket with the candy. I will determine when faced with a choice how often kids choose the toy over candy. (I’ll keep you posted on my results!) I guess we won’t find out until next year, if we became “that” family. Another option to non-candy would be food with at least a little nutritional value. Dark chocolate has less sugar, pretzels, popcorn, Fig Newtons, while they still have sugar they also have other nutritional value.
2. Allow your children to choose a set amount of candy (3-5) mini pieces to devour that night. Then have them pick another set amount, ask them to choose and see if they pick a reasonable number. Once agreed upon, have that be their stash. Allow them to eat 1 piece from per day until it is gone, but keep it out of sight. You’d be surprised how after the first week the novelty wears off and they forget about it.
3. DONATE - The rest of the stash needs to be dealt with. Our local elementary school collects the candy for under-privileged children. Some dentists collect candy and in return offer from some other type of treat as a trade-off. There is also an organization that gives candy to our troops stationed overseas (www.operationgratitude.com). Get creative, but be sure to get that pillowcase full of candy out of sight and out of mind! This will benefit both you and your children.

Between now and November Annie Deremeik, our Fit N Fun Nutritionist, will be guest posting for us! Annie is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist.

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread is a popular fall treat and there are more than 31,700,000 results when you search for "pumpkin bread recipe" on Google. If this one does not suit you whether it be the sugar, gluten, dairy, eggs, you name it, there is a recipe out there for you - and feel free to share your favorite in the comment section below.

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread from AllRecipes.com
Makes 2 - 8x4 inch loaves

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 c packed dark brown sugar
• 2/3 c white sugar
• 2 c pumpkin puree
• 1 c apple sauce (or oil)
• 2/3 c coconut milk
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 c toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, coconut milk, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.
4. Mix until all of the flour is gone.
5. Fold in the nuts.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
8. Remove from oven and cover loaves with foil tightly. Allow to steam for 10 minutes.
9. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack.
10. Tent lightly with the foil and allow to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Recipe and photo source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Super-Moist-Pumpkin-Bread/Detail.aspx