Today my brother and I ran 22 miles and he struggled a bit with tight calves and aching hips.  I hope he figures out what the problem is because he is signed up to run a 50 miler in October.  After a quick shower, Jada and I headed out to our favorite place these days, the dog park.  It's a little embarrassing to say that I absolutely LOVE going to the dog park and just hanging out.  The people are great and the dogs are wonderful.  I would never have gotten involved there if I hadn't had surgery and been off work.  Just another blessing I got with being on medical leave. 

My friend Suz and I talk frequently about nutrition on our runs.  We discuss foods, cooking and just plain eating.  Our topic usually is around a gluten free diet.  I am basically gluten free and have been this way for over a year now.  I have found it to be easy  and I do believe that I am healthier because of it.  The Paleo diet is also a hot topic with us these days.  I am not so sure about removing beans and grains from my diet but I definitely am interested in decreasing these foods a bit. I think as athletes we need to be concerned with our diet.  You can't expect your body to perform at a high level if you are not feeding it with healthy foods.  Doing a little research can go a long way towards making you a better runner if you just heed the advice, and dump the sugar and flour in your diet.  I may be skinny, but I eat a lot of food and I am strong.  You need to be strong to be an endurance athlete.  Changing your diet by simply cutting back significantly on starches and dairy and replacing those lost calories with fruits, vegetables, and very lean meats can make such a difference.  Cutting out breads and pasta's were huge for me.  I was addicted to bread and taking that out of my diet was difficult at first.  Now, I never even feel tempted and I feel so much better.  I also feel like my running is better too.  Challenge yourself to eating more healthy.  It can only help you, and you might lose a few pounds!  Happy trails!