GO Marlow!

I just finished seven weeks of a liquid diet from having jaw surgery and roughly three weeks ago I was given the “OK” to run, swim, etc. When I mentioned I was able to run again (while still on a liquid diet), a lot of people started asking me what I was doing for food/nutrients. Being so active and not being able to eat much I needed to make sure I was replenishing my body so it didn’t start eating i’s own healthy muscle. Here are the products I recommend:

I’ve bought protein powder in the past and literally had to plug my nose while I drank it. This one actually tastes decent (especially when you mix it with fruit or peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder). I can even mix it in just water and drink it and honestly I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do that with a protein powder.

This is a super quick drink to grab after a workout and supports lean muscle building by replenishing your body with the right amount of protein and vitamins/minerals.

Mix1 was one of my favorite finds when I was looking for drinks with the right nutrients for me. Not only do they taste good but they are made with Whey Protein Isolate and no dairy. Yes milk is good for you especially if you’re running a lot, but too much dairy can cause weight gain so it’s nice to break it up with other drinks. These are also all natural, full of antioxidants, and a super light/quick drink before or after a workout.

I gotta be honest here though, nothing compares to real food. I’m looking forward to getting back into my routine and CHEWING my nutrients.

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I am SO excited about this new race. I mean, I was excited about the last one too but this one just feels so much different. Your first race is kind of like your first relationship – you don’t really know what to expect so you just kind of go about it the best you can. And just like a first relationship, you learn and grow so much by the time the next one arrives.

One of my goals for this race is to not let it consume me. For my first half-marathon I lived and breathed it – it’s all I thought about and it played a huge role in my every day life. I’m not saying I won’t think about this new race a lot (because I will) but I won’t let it keep me from my life as much as the last one. What’s nice though about a second race is that by now running is a complete habit – I don’t even think about it, it just becomes part of my everyday life. It’s sort of like a career – you know you have to go to work so your body/mind just sort of take you there without any questions asked. Running is that for me now.

I also feel more motivated for this race. I was motivated for the last one but this one’s a little different and my guess is because I’m doing it 100% for someone/something else. I’m running to raise money for suicide prevention and I could potentially save a life with this money. When I think about it in those terms my legs suddenly grow rockets and move.

Maybe all the people who have said to me “I can’t run, but I wish I could” just need this type of motivation. Maybe if everyone tried to run for a good cause instead of only to be fit (don’t get me wrong though – running for fitness should be a main focus too!) they would be more motivated. Try thinking of something that really means a lot to you, attach it to how you can make an impact on it with running, and presto! Motivation.

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This has been something I’ve wanted to write about for awhile, something that I think about a lot…

It’s been almost a year since a great friend of mine committed suicide. Landon. He was a great guy with a huge heart, an amazing sense of humor, and an incredible love for adventure. Like most suicides, it was something that shook a lot of us that knew him. Why would he ever do that? Why wouldn’t he have talked to someone? This has to be a joke, right?

Before I started running it used to weigh on me a lot. I thought about it daily and continued to beat myself up over it with “Why didn’t you call him back the day before like you said you would?” or “Maybe if you were more concerned with his life than what was happening in yours you would have seen this coming.” But then, I started running.

I started to find that the more I ran the less it weighed on me in a negative way. It still weighs on me, but completely differently. Now I think about it more so in one of those “light bulb” sort of ways. I had a thought while running one day that running could truly be the prevention to suicide. I started to think “What if Landon had been a runner? Instead of pulling that trigger would he have gone for a run?” And coming from a runner, I can honestly say that if I was ever at such a low point in my life now that running is the first thing I’d turn to. Never would I pick up a gun, a bottle of pills, etc. Instead, the first item I’d pick up is my pair of running shoes.

I’ve signed up for another half-marathon this coming October, the Los Angeles Rock n’ Roll Half-Marathon. I’m running this race in memory of Landon, those who have been affected by suicide, and those standing on the ledge waiting to jump. My goal is to raise $1,000.00 to promote awareness for suicide prevention. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to an organization titled To Write Love On Her Arms.  This non-profit organization does an amazing job of spreading the word about suicide and its effect on those in the darkest of places as well as those in their life. The people who work with this organization travel around to concerts/festivals, speak at conventions, and shout it at the mountain tops to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

I think about Landon a lot when I run, especially when I race. So this race is for him, my Race Against Suicide. I can always hear him yelling “Give it the onion!” as my legs hit the ground one after the other. I never really knew where he got that saying but it was his way of telling me “Give it all you got!” I smile every time I hear him say it in my head while I’m running and sure enough my legs pick up the pace.

You can donate for my Race Against Suicide via PayPal to raceagainstsuicide@gmail.com or by clicking the DONATE button on the right side of the GO Marlow! blog.

Please spread the word, I’d really like to outdo myself on this one and I need your support and your vocal cords! From the bottom of my heart in advance, THANK YOU!!!

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One of the fun parts about entering a race is you get a goodie bag with all kinds of random things in it – gift certificates, energy bars, sports drinks, etc. In one of my goodie bags from a previous race I found a flyer for something called RoadID.  RoadID is a company that makes wrist bands, dog tags, shoe clips, and ankle bands with emergency information engraved into them for runners, cyclist, etc.

I used to run with just my iPod, then after almost getting hit by a car about five thousand times I decided to start running with my ID and health insurance card so if I was ever hurt, people would know who I was. But then I started thinking that although both of those cards say who I am and where I live, neither of them actually give my medical or emergency contact information.

I ordered my RoadID today. There’s a couple different styles you can choose from and I went with the Wrist Band Elite Interactive which says my name and then a toll free number/website that let’s emergency response people contact for more information. I’ve setup a profile online with emergency contact people, health insurance information, allergies, and doctor information – all which can be changed as needed.

Now I can run without my ID, health insurance card, etc. and know that if anything was to happen to me I could be taken care of and people would be notified. And even if it’s never used (let’s hope there’s no need for it) at least I know my mother has peace of mind and is sleeping soundly at night knowing I’m running safe.

I highly recommend getting one. It’s such a small price to pay (and they’re really not that pricey) for something that could potentially save your life and keep you safe to continue running and being active. www.RoadID.com

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It’s about time for me to sign up for another race, start another challenge, and raise money for another cause. BUT before I can do that I need to pay it forward from my last race. As promised, I said I would donate $1.00 to One World Running for every $5.00 raised towards my education during my first half-marathon.

And here it is! TA DA!

To recap:

One World Running is an organization with an amazing concept and team of people behind it. Based in Colorado, this non-profit organization collects old running shoes, washes/cleans them, and sends them to kids in need – to promote health, fitness, and knowledge about being active.  Not only do they donate shoes to kids in need but they donate them, travel to those kids, run races with them, and continue to educate through the power of running.  These funds donated by GO Marlow! will help with shipping costs to send donated shoes to kids in need.

I have a new race I’m about to sign up for but that’s a whole other blog. Stay tuned…

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On my way home tonight from work all I could think was “Yessss! Tivo has The Great Food Truck Race waiting for me!” But as I walked up the steps of my apartment I noticed a package propped against my door – a package with the Running America DVD in it. TV plans definitely changed and I threw my bag down and popped it straight into the DVD player.

Running America is a documentary about Charlie Engle (one of the guys from Running The Sahara) and Marshall Ulrich (another ultramarathoner) running across America. (I’m sure you could’ve guessed that from the title but I’m just here to reinforce the obvious). The movie starts in San Francisco and ends in New York City – all during a time when we as a country are voting a new president into office after Bush.

I’ve noticed in these running movies that I find myself attaching my own experiences to the words and actions of the runners on screen. There’s a point where Charlie physically breaks down and with that physical breakdown the domino effect of a mental breakdown is soon to follow. He begins talking about why he runs and mentions being addicted to alcohol and drugs for 10 years and then changed his life with running. Running fills this hole that some runners can’t explain (a hole that he once filled with drugs and alcohol). And when he physically broke down he didn’t have that running drug, that addiction. He felt defeated.

I had a moment sort of like this while recovering from surgery; defeat. When running becomes such a huge part of your life (filling whatever voids you may have, and making you feel physically/mentally amazing) and then you have that taken from you it’s a sudden feeling of frustration, defeat, and uneasiness. Sometimes you don’t realize how big of a part of your life something is until it’s not there anymore. I’ve learned to be thankful daily for the ability to do what I love, and I’m sure Charlie has too.

Running America was good (trying to run over 60 miles per day from the west coast to the east coast, that’s pretty honorable and incredible), but I’d have to say Running The Sahara still has my heart and that documentary will forever be at the top of my list of favorite movies. I mean, I cried like three times during Running The Sahara and not because I was sad! When a movie hits you like that it’s definitely a keeper.

You can purchase both Running America and Running The Sahara at GO Marlow!. Since GO Marlow! has teamed up with the distributor of these DVDs please know that part of the proceeds from each purchase will go directly to GO Marlow! funds to help with my education as well as other future challenges.

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I’ve realized my blogs lately have been pretty sporadic and I haven’t kept up on this as much as I’d like to. I must say though that most of my blogging ideas come to me when I’m running (or when I’m in the shower…don’t ask) and unfortunately I hadn’t been running for the past month while recovering from jaw surgery. But guess what?! I’m back in action!

I went to the oral surgeon the other day to get my splint taken out of my mouth and that same day I was supposed to be able to begin chewing food again. When I heard the dreaded words “Liquid diet. Three more weeks.” I wanted to scream. But then my doctor made up for it with “You can run though.”

My first run (post-surgery) happened two days ago and I’d have to say it was a pretty difficult little trot I did. The first two miles I felt what I felt when I first originally started running a lot a few months ago, but after two miles it was sort of like learning to ride a bike again. Once I hit my “I can still totally do this” point, I had the most ridiculous grin on my face – people were probably thinking “Why is this fool smiling while running down the street?” It was a beautiful thing.

It got me thinking though; we were all kids at one point in our life. Kids run, jump, play, and spend a majority of their time being anything but sedentary. We all grew up, became older, and at some point a lot of us began saying “I can’t.” “I can’t run. I can’t be active.” The thing is though, you used to be a kid and that kid could run and be active. If running is like learning to ride a bike again then you can do it because it’s something you already know how to do but maybe just haven’t done in awhile. Why not try?

I’m happy to be running again. Whether it’s a two hour run or a thirty minute one, there’s just something unexplainable that it does to my day. Maybe it’s because that hyper little kid inside of me gets to play again. It’s like I’ve been grounded from going outside to play with the neighbors and Mom has finally said “Ok, you can go play with Billy now.”

I’m finally ungrounded. Thanks Doc.

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This weekend was my first weekend back in action where I physically felt ok going to the gym post-surgery. Though I can’t do any impact sports yet (no running still, oh the agony) I’m able to do pretty much anything else (ie. stationary bike, stairs, elliptical, weights, etc.)

There’s something I remembered while at the gym this weekend and that was that it’s one of my favorite places in LA. I mean, it’s not my ALL time favorite (trust me I’d rather be at Six Flags or a winery) but it’s up there on the list.

Why? Because the gym is one of the only places where I really couldn’t care less what I look like or smell like. I’m that really sweaty person at the gym – you know, the one that you don’t want to get on a machine after they’ve finished. But the more I sweat the better I feel so bring it on! Some people get grossed out by sweat but I cheer for the sweaty people.

Don’t fear the Sweet Sweat:

• It helps regulate body temperature to keep you from overheating
• Releases harmful toxins from the body
• Cleanses the pores in the skin
• Produces a natural antibiotic called Dermcidin – which helps kill harmful bacteria  (This is actually super new news to me. A natural antibiotic created by sweat so I don’t pick up H1N1 on the stair master?? How awesome is that?!)
• And the best part is that it just makes you feel like you’ve worked hard and accomplished something

I’m sure at the gym I smell horrible, look ridiculous, etc. but I don’t go to the gym to impress anyone besides myself. I love that when I look around at everyone there, I’m reminded we are all there for the same reason – to sweat and to better ourselves.

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As I reached for some cocoa powder tonight for a shake, I remembered something I read once about chocolate and thought I’d share (maybe the rest of the world knows this and I’m just now finding out? Either way…)

So I’m sure most people know that chocolate can actually be good for you. Though it can be fatty and full of calories, a little bit daily could actually be beneficial because of the amount of antioxidants it holds. (Did you know dark chocolate has eight times the amount of antioxidants of strawberries?? I mean, I knew dark chocolate had a lot of antioxidants, but… EIGHT times more than strawberries?? Amazing.)

Here’s what was news to me though: Drinking milk, while kicking up your feet and eating some dark chocolate, can actually decrease the benefits of chocolate. Milk is good for you, chocolate is good for you, but together they aren’t the greatest. A study done by researchers from the University of Glasgow and Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research found that dark chocolate was found to boost blood antioxidant levels by almost 20%. They also found though that this same chocolate when accompanied with a glass of milk doesn’t seem to have the same effects. They believe that the proteins in milk bind with the antioxidants in the chocolate, which keeps the antioxidants from absorbing at the same extent they would when chocolate is eaten alone.

I am addicted to chocolate. Not only does the fat in it help my runner joints and the antioxidants help keep my heart free of disease, but hot damn it’s delicious! I’m pretty sure I single-handedly keep chocolate companies afloat. Now though, I think twice about what I wash my dark chocolate down with. If I’m going to indulge I might as well get some benefits from it, right??

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While I’ve been pretty inactive recovering from jaw surgery, I’ve watched quite possibly every movie at Blockbuster. Yesterday I watched a documentary called “Running the Sahara” and it was seriously incredible. The documentary is about these three guys who run across the Sahara Desert – 140°F ground temperature, approx 4,300 miles, roughly 100 days (about two marathon runs per day). Most people will never run a marathon in their life and these guys ran TWO a day for around 100 days. I can’t even fathom it.

In the beginning of the documentary each of the guys give a brief introduction of themselves. One of them, Ray Zahab, says this:

“For me, ultra running is 90% mental and the other 10%…is mental. I have know clue how I do this shit. I wasn’t fit before, I’m not a great athlete. I was a smoker and a drinker. And then I started running on a whim…and why? I don’t know. I have no clue why, but I know that I’m driven when I do it.

I just started running two years ago. I made a change from sedentary and partying lifestyle overnight, like a switch went off in my head and I said “I need to change my life. I need to do something different… I just have to do something different. This just isn’t working anymore.”

I can relate so well to what Ray said. Being a runner sometimes you don’t know how you do it or why you do it but you just know that when you do it, it feels completely right – and like he said, you’re “driven”.

When I try explain why I started running, sometimes I’m not sure people fully get it. But Ray said it best when he said “a switch went off”. That is exactly what happened to me. I was a partier, a binge drinker, overweight, and for the most part sedentary. I woke up one day and said the same thing, “I need to change my life.” Something just clicked, and whatever that something was… thank God for that.

Running is a sport I consider to have no boundaries; it can pretty much be done anywhere and the distance/speed is up to the runner. Your boundaries and limitations are what you make them. Ray was running for two years before he ran 4,300 miles across the Sahara Desert. Props to him for showing people what can happen when you set your mind to it.

Will I run across the Sahara Desert one day? Who the hell knows, but what I do know is I love the endless possibilities to running and the unknown of where it may just so happen to take me one day.

I highly recommend this film. Even if you’re not a runner, rent this. It may help you understand your crazy runner friends or just see the incredible strength behind the human body and mind.

(Blockbuster unfortunately didn’t have it, but it can be rented from Netflix or  iTunes!)

If you end up loving it as much as I did you can purchase it by clicking the image below. Proceeds from part of the DVD sales will be going to GO Marlow! fundraising.

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