I can’t believe it’s not even July yet and we’re already having one of those “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” type of weeks. Shit, it’s going to be a long summer.
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But the fact of the matter is, much of fall marathon training happens in the summer, and there’s nothing else to do other than to suck it up and get used to it. Tuesdays are workout days, but I wasn’t sure what to go with given the weather and my lack of recent speedwork. Betsy and I decided to meet at our spot and wing it, but by the time I got to the bridle path I had an idea in mind that sounded doable:
2 x 10 minutes at tempo pace with 2 minutes rest in between
Not horrible, but still significant? Betsy was down so after a finishing a little warm up we were off. The conversation went from coherent discussions to grunting as the minutes clicked away, and while the second repeat was much harder (obviously), we finished pretty much where we wanted to be.
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I forgot to hit pause during our water stop (oops), but the tempo miles were right around half marathon pace. For my first tempo in a long time I’m pretty happy with it, but the fact that the workout will double (4 x 10 minutes @ tempo) in a few weeks will definitely be challenging (yikes).
milk vs. milk vs. milk
Since Betsy is working on her Master’s in nutrition and starting her dietetic internship soon, our conversation almost always transitions to nutrition. On Tuesday we got onto the topic of milks and the current “cool kids” in the dairy isle – mainly coconut milk and almond milk – and how they stack up to the more standard cow’s milk and soy milk.
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cereal with soy milk, my current favorite
My biggest beef with almond, coconut and hemp milk is that they just don’t have the protein found naturally in soy and cow’s milk (some brands make a fortified version, which is a little better). So drinking these guys as a recovery tool following a workout isn’t going to provide the ideal 4:1 ratio of carb to protein to replenish glycogen stores and rebuild muscles (more here, if you’re interested). Here’s a little table I made for a class a while back:
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If you’re drinking almond, coconut or hemp milk as a vegan, it’s also really important to keep in mind the (lack of) protein and make sure to get it from other sources.
Another thing about coconut milk is the naturally high saturated fat content. While the saturated fats found in coconut milk may be structurally different than those found in animal products, they’re still saturated fats and when consumed in excess can increase the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Sometimes I think this fact is overshadowed by the semi-newness or “cool factor” of coconut milk.
In the end, it all goes back to moderation. I know I love me some coconut milk coffee creamer, but for the most part I stick with cow’s or soymilk for post-workout recovery and cereal.
What about you? Have a milk preference? Did a workout in this awful humidity?
