Water from the Coconut

Eight weeks until half-marathon "go-time." Panicccc. Actually, I do feel as if my running has been progressing, but I'm still recovering from the lingerings of a nasty cold which really threw a wrench into the gears for a solid week and a half. Coughing. Congestion. Sneezing. Symptoms that are NOT conducive to the 6-mile long-run.

Nevertheless, I'm back up and running and have recently discovered the ultimate sports recovery beverage for both pre and post-workout! Coming to a grocery store (or already in) a health-foods store near you: Coconut Water.

I decided to give it a whirl a while back because I'm constantly trying to hone-in on methods to prevent the crippling "side-stitch." For me, its onset is usually a result of eating a meal too soon before running, drinking too much water too soon before running, not having enough salt and/or electrolytes in my system, or being slightly dehydrated throughout the day. Coconut Water is the ultimate cramp-buster, I swear. Entirely all-natural with no added sugars, fat, cholesterol, colorings, chemicals or preservatives, it is low-calorie, chock-full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and boosts more potassium than a banana. Think of it as nature's sport drink.

For more than 4,000 years, coconut water has been revered as a natural source of hydration, nutrition, wellness, and beauty. Present-day, coconut water is harvested from young, green coconuts - approximately 7 months old (before the meat grows) - and is usually flash pasteurized. Naturally containing the 5 essential electrolytes the body needs to keep nerves firing, muscles moving, and to help handle stress - potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, and calcium - they help prevent muscle cramping as well.

Low in acidity with a pH of 5, incredibly, coconut water has also been used to save lives. Particularly in World War II and the Vietnam War when IV solutions were in short supply, coconut water was actually used as an intravenous solution to prevent dehydration. In fact, it is the only natural substance that can be safely injected into the human bloodstream (though drinking it, of course, is the preferred method).

There are three prominent coconut water brands on the market that I've encountered thus far: ZICO, O.N.E., and Vita Coco. They all taste pretty similar to me, though their fruit infusion flavors vary. I recently purchased ZICO's mango-flavored coconut water because it was on sale at Whole Foods. As far as the nutrition label is concerned, here's a snapshot from the back of my 1-Liter carton.

60 calories per approximately 11 oz. (1 serving). Not bad for the nutritional benefits to be gained from this miracle fruit! p.s. You can also freeze coconut water instead of regular water for ice cubes. Margarita on the coconut-water rocks anyone?

Half-Marathon: T-13 Weeks!

In a burst of inspiration at the end of 2009, I officially registered for what will soon be my third half marathon: The 19th Annual Covered Bridges Half Marathon in Vermont. I had heard about this race before; not only is the course rumored to be breathtakingly scenic, (it runs through winding backroads and over covered bridges), but it's also a supposedly fast and flat route. Excellent. Additionally, thoughts of making this destination-race into a little weekend getaway, complete with visiting family (and perhaps a post-run celebratory dinner at Hemmingways) flashed through my mind. Perfect! Click, and done.

This all seemed like a fantastic idea a few months ago. I suppose my thinking at the time was, "I've run two half marathons before, how hard can another one be?"

I'm old-school in the sense I put technology aside when it comes to organizing my life. I schedule everything into a flimsy spiral-bound monthly planner from Staples (hey, whatever works!). Today I was updating it, filling in some upcoming travel dates, when I flipped three months ahead, and oh-my, there was June. At that moment, I realized in terror (cue in Psycho theme song) that my half marathon training MUST commence ASAP with no exceptions.

Waaah.

So, it's that time to lace up my running shoes and start the training process (which at this point, basically means from scratch after a long winter hiatus). I'm going to think back to the time I trained for and ran my first half marathon in October '08. The best advice I ever received about running a race (albeit simple) was, "No one can run it for you." Taking this to heart, I diligently stuck to a training schedule and, to put it bluntly, worked my butt off. Success! My first half marathon equalled pure elation crossing that finish line. I even had two donuts waiting for me as a treat (and not an ounce of guilt after eating every last morsel of both). Let me tell you: that was a great feeling too.

On the other hand, the second half marathon I completed in April '09 was - shall we say - an...uncomfortable experience. Though I finished with a decent time, I had slacked on the training bit and paid for it by limping around for the next several days. Ouch. I definitely learned the hard way that consistency in training and sticking with a plan is the only way to go about the running-of-a-half-marathon-endeavor. After all, they don't call it "training" for nothing.

From past experience, my two most challenging aspects of training for the big 13.1 and consequential recommendations are:

1. Motivating myself to actually get dressed and go for a run. You're probably thinking, well, that's kind of a problem. Indeed, but hear me out. You see, once I'm dressed, outside and running, no sweat. I enjoy the physical exertion, time to de-stress, and cherish the moments to think about everything and nothing at the same time. But oh, rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn to squeeze in a 3-mile loop is tough. So, to combat my inner demons, I try to mentally remind myself how good and accomplished I'll feel after my run is over. I've also found a route I particularly enjoy running in Central Park. Discover a loop or route you love to run, and that will certainly help the motivation bit!

2. Sticking to a training program. I'm a big advocate of making "To-Do" lists to keep myself on track, so I do precisely this with the Runner's World Smart Coach tool. This is a brilliant, BRILLIANT method of creating a personalized training schedule, (it's also free, which makes it that much more effective to use). The online form asks you to enter some basic information about your running and goals, then calculates a personalized training plan within seconds.

You can then print this schedule out. While it's up to you to fully motivate yourself to do the actual running part, I find that this chart keeps me on track more so than any other plan I've tried creating myself. I also recommend using a big, fat red pen to "X" off your training progress day-by-day. It's amazingly satisfying to see the entire training schedule crossed off by race day and helps keep you motivated along the way. Utilizing a training schedule like this from Runner's World also provides you with guidance and safe training techniques, so you remain healthy and on-track the entire time.

My half-marathon training officially begins this upcoming Monday. I'll be sure to keep you updated throughout the entire 13-week process and race, with all my Printed Thoughts thrown in between. In the interim: June 6th - you're on!