Lucky Charms vs. Raisin Bran

As I stood there trying to decide which one to pour into my bowl the other morning, I realized I hadn't done a "product comparison" in a while!

A one cup serving of Lucky Charms weighs in at 142 calories, with 1g of fat, 29g of carbs, and 2g of protein. It contains 7% of your dietary fiber needs, as well as 14% of your calcium and 36% of your iron. It's also a very good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc and Manganese. The only "bad" thing is that a large portion of the cereal's calories come from sugar... not surprising with all those magically delicious marshmallows!

On the other hand, a one cup serving of Raisin Bran packs 190 calories, with 1g of fat, 46g of carbs, and 5g of protein. It contains 26% of your dietary fiber needs, 3% of your calcium, and 42% of your iron. It's also a good source of Folate and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Iron and Manganese. Again, the only "bad" thing mentioned was that a large portion of its calories came from sugars (this surprised me a little more... guess they're counting all sugars and not just the refined ones that the raisins are coated in)!

Hmmmm... both cereals fall in the "nutritious but calorie dense" quadrant, but Raisin Bran is right on the "nutritious and filling" line (with a "fullness factor" of 2.1 vs. 1.6). On the other hand, Lucky Charms has a higher "optimum health" score (4 vs. 3.25) and is apparently more nutritious (3.9 vs. 3.2)... WHAT?!? I'm guessing this is because Lucky Charms is heavily fortified, mainly because I have a hard time believing that marshmallows are a good substitute for fruit. All the same, I no longer feel quite as "unhealthy" for choosing Lucky Charms. And, I believe I might be on to something with "my Raisin Bran" (aka Frosted Flakes with raisins... they're even grrrrrrreater)!

2/5-6 Race Report

Terrible, awful, disgusting, freezing cold rain nastiness = good results?!? That's the way it looks! On Saturday, Rita and Erica dominated the Krispy Kreme Challenge, placing 2nd and 5th (females challengers) respectively. Dave and Tim also ran and did quite well, with Dave earning the fastest doughnut eating split of the group. Ok, and I have a question... is it doughnut or donut? Either way, I don't know how y'all ate a dozen of them! Brad Smythe also took 2nd in the Uwharrie 40-miler (for the 3rd year in a row), running a time of 6:46... that's crazy! And, in anticipation of our new team "merger"... Laura Frey was the 2nd female overall in the Goldsboro Heart and Sole Half Marathon! CONGRATS EVERYONE.

Krispy Kreme Update

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post this... RITA WAS THE 2ND FEMALE in the Krispy Kreme Challenge this AM!!! And and and... ERICA WAS THE 5TH FEMALE!!! However, Dave had the fastest doughnut eating split of the three...and Tim G. ran despite having a boot on his foot for the past two weeks. Y'ALL ARE OFFICIALLY MY HEROES. (male results, female results)

Upcoming Weekend

This is an interesting weekend in terms of race diversity. While Rita, Dave, and maybe others will be sprinting 2ish miles, inhaling a dozen doughnuts, and then surviving 2ish more miles at the Krispy Kreme Challenge, Brad will be competing in the Uwharrie Mountain Run (40-miles). There's also a yoga class being offered at Lululemon at 10AM on Saturday... so come on out and run, cheer, eat doughnuts, do yoga, or some combination of those four!

And, for some doughnut-related records...  Lup Fun Yau ate 6 sugared jam doughnuts (without licking his lips) in 3min. Christopher Boykin ate 5 powdered doughnuts in 3min, earning him the record. Both records were set in 2007... honestly, I'm surprised they aren't higher (guess glazed doughnuts are easier to consume)!

Strength Training

Although strength training definitely improves performance, many runners are guilty of neglecting to do so (jeez, my ToDo list keeps growing, I need to start crossing things off!). And, while going to a gym probably offers the greatest variety of exercise options, there are some things you can do at home. For portability, you can't beat the CoreSliders (or at least according to Runner's World). You can apparently do a variety of workouts to help strengthen everything from your abs, to hip flexors, to biceps. I also found this article describing two workouts you can do at your home using only dumbbells, a chin-up bar, and stability ball. Or, you could abandon all equipment and stick with plyometrics! #20

... I used to get yelled in undergrad for not taking strength training seriously. In all fairness, the trainer made us do sets of frog jumps. We looked like we were playing a giant game of leapfrog down the hall. How did he expect me not to laugh? I mean, I needed something to keep my spirits up when the soccer players laughed as I struggled to pick up the small bar... I think they could have bench pressed me!

"Stuff" for Yoga

Tank top, shorts, water bottle, towel... or maybe a little more clothing if the room doesn't feel like a tropical rain forest (aka hot yoga). There's also the whole yoga mat issue. While a lot of places will allow you to rent a mat for the session, it might be worthwhile getting your own if you plan to make yoga a regular habit (which I highly recommend for increasing flexibility, core strength, and general injury prevention). And, until I started this blog post, I didn't realize how many different types of mats there were, and that color wasn't the only selection criteria. When choosing a mat, it's important to know the type of yoga you want to practice, as thicker mats are generally recommended for more strenuous forms of yoga. It's also important to check the dimensions of the mat to make sure it's not too small or narrow. Some other things to consider are sturdiness, personal preference, and how easy it is to clean. This article provides a good summary of everything... I also found a review of a bunch of different yoga mats.

So, in the spirit of "selecting the best mat for your practice", I think I got mine at K-Mart (and it hasn't torn yet). Having said that, I can barely touch my toes on a good day, and chose it because it was yellow and bright and cheerful... probably not the most soothing of colors though... but I don't think even a gray mat would put me in a calm state! #20

Bike Trainers

I am going to do my best to review some of the basics of bike trainers (not that I usually know what I'm talking about... but I know even less about this... so, if you do, PLEASE leave a comment). That being said, there are basically 3 types of bike trainers: fluid, magnetic, and wind. This article does a good job of explaining the pros and cons of each. To summarize, fluid trainers are the quietest and provide the most realistic ride (i.e., exponentially increase in resistance), but also cost the most. Additionally, older models tend to leak (fluid trainers work by spinning an impeller through fluid). Wind trainers are the simplest and least expensive. However, they can be rather noisy and have limited resistance options (but, you can always just change the gears on you bike). Magnetic trainers are kind of the middle ground between the two. They are quieter than wind trainers and have a few more resistance options, but the ride quality is no where near realistic. There are also computerized bike trainers that allow you to program workouts to simulate courses, etc. While these are really cool, they cost a lot more and require a power source (something which seems trivial until you try and ride in a parking deck).

There is also the roller option, and I recommend reading this article if you're trying to decide between the two. Rollers are good for practicing technique, provide a more realistic ride, and don't wear down your rear tire. However, they are not exactly "beginner" friendly, and require a fair amount of balance (and coordination in general) to, well, not injure yourself.

So, while really serious cyclists might want to splurge for a fluid trainer (or someone who is less of a spaz might opt for rollers), I'm cool with the less expensive options (I have a magnetic trainer that suits me just fine). Some other things to consider... a climbing block or travel block (although my perpetual plunge downhill was fun until Nicole "caught" me and we put her Dynamics book to good use). And if your looking for some workout ideas, you can try one of these: 2 Indoor Trainer Workouts, Killer Workouts, 2 More Workouts. #20