Exploring my inner Tarahumara

To say I was sore when I awoke this morning would be a massive understatement. That is the funny thing about being sore though, you kind of get used to it. You grow numb to the lactic acid buildup. You learn the difference between feeling exhausted physically or mentally, and when you can distinguish, you can push through.


Judging by the above paragraph you would think today would have been a workout of epic proportions, you'd be wrong. Today was a rest day. :-) However, the above is still relevant here. I was both physically and mentally exhausted, and rest was needed.

In an effort to stay on track, I decided today would be the day to start experimenting with my Running Food Chia Seed. Excerpt time!

• Chia is high in fiber, omega 3,’s 6’s and 9’s (in the correct ratio your body needs), antioxidants, and vitamin C. Running food has 16% of your daily value of calcium, plus boron and magnesium, which help your bones absorb the calcium. It can help lower cholesterol, increase energy levels, level blood sugar, induce weight loss and aid intestinal regularity. Best of all Running Food is not a manufactured supplement, it is completely natural.
• Chia forms a gel when added to water or the digestive fluids in your stomach, slowing the digestive process, and allowing the nutrients to be slowly absorbed in your small intestine for a more efficient absorption of the nutrients. With more of the nutrition used by your body, rather than passing through, you keep your high level of energy in tact. And it helps you feel fuller longer. Bottom line: you have better nutrition, more energy, and are hungry less often.

I will be talking more about Chia seeds as time goes on, but I wanted to just briefly introduce them for the time being. 

So today I decided to try three different Chia recipes.

The first is pretty basic, Chia and water. I used 20 ounces of cold water and 2 tbsp Running Food Chia Seed in a Polar Water Bottle. I noticed a slight nutty taste, but the consistency was pretty easy to deal with. I expected more like a Gu Energy Gel, but I would say it was halfway between that and water.

The other two recipes both come from the "Born To Run" novel. The first is called Iskiate, or Chia Fresca. 

Ingredients:

• about 10 oz of water
• 1 Tbsp dry chia seeds
• a few teaspoons lemon or lime juice
• honey or agave nectar, to taste (optional)

Stir the chia seeds into the water; let them sit for about five minutes.  Stir again, and let sit for as long as you like.  The more it sits, the more gel-like the seeds and water become.  Add citrus juice and sweetener to taste.

I made two big mistakes with this recipe. First off, I thought I read a few TABLESPOONS of lemon juice, and for some reason I added way too much honey as well. In addition, I put this in a nice tall clear glass, so I was able to SEE all of what I was drinking. The combination of those errors made this sickeningly sweet drink impossible to get down. I will be trying it again with just the lemon juice, and hold the honey in cast I need just a tad to cover up the nutty taste.


The last recipe I tried was also from the Born to Run book, called Pinole. 



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cornmeal, ground as fine as possible
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar
• chia seeds (optional)

Toast the cornmeal in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns light brown, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, mix in cinnamon, and sweetener or other spices, and desired amount of water to reach a paste-like consistency. Place paste on a flat cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

The only thing I did to alter the recipe here was to add 1/2 of a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I was hoping this would help sweeten up the mixture before baking. The result turned out to be like a flatbread/cornbread consistency, but VERY bland in taste. I will be making this again very soon, and using some brown sugar instead of honey and possibly some splenda.


The moral of the story here is that while NONE of the recipes I made worked as well as I had hoped, I felt accomplished for trying. In some ways I felt like I was connecting with a culture that I will likely never experience in person. 


I did do SOME exercise today, in the form of a 50 yard footrace/sprint against my roommate's daughter. She is 7. I won. Booya.


Tomorrow morning I am doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with the roommates. I am just doing the 1 mile fun run, because the other races cost a bit too much to enter when you are a broke guy. I will be wearing the Vibram FiveFingers tomorrow for the first time during a race.


Hopefully you'll all tune in tomorrow for more fun times.


Josh