Happy Halloween!

Today is Halloween and it's almost time for the trick-or-treaters to start making their rounds! Yesterday, I participated in the HoBOOken Halloween 5K race, which had a great turnout of festive Halloween runners! I placed 572 out of 1113, with a finish time of  29:17, which is a 9:25 pace, and my PR so far! So I'll take it!

Check out a few pics below and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :)



Me after the HoBOOken 5k!





Yip Yip! (and he ran like that the whole time!)



Gu Girls! (my favorite costume!)

Hydration Information

Proper hydration is important to athletes and non-athletes alike. The weather may not be as hot anymore, but remember to stay hydrated throughout the day and especially during physical activity! Depending on where you look, the recommendations for fluid intake vary. To specifically tailor to your needs, try to drink at least half your body weight in fluid ounces. [So a 150lb. person would need to drink 75 ounces a day, or about 2.2 Liters.]

 

 

How can you monitor your hydration?

• Urine color (it should be light-colored, similar to lemonade)
• Thirst
• Body weight/sweat loss (changes in body weight from pre- to post- exercise indicate hydration status)

 

What fluids and how much should you take in during physical activity?

• For workouts less than 60 minutes, drinking water before, during(as needed) and after is a good choice.
• For more intense activity lasting more than 60 minutes, aim to take in water and/or a sports drinks
• If you tend to be a salty sweater, be sure to replace sodium loss (through foods, soups, sports drinks, etc)

 

*For a personalized plan to determine your hydration needs, seek the help of a Registered Dietitian and/or Certified Sports Dietitian! :)

Chilly Weather = Homemade Chili!

Now that the weather is really starting to get cold, we tend to want warm comfort foods! Soups and stews can be a great way to get warm and get your fill of vegetables too! This week I made a big batch of vegetarian chili without following a real recipe, just tossing in fresh delicious ingredients! Chili is super easy to make and making it yourself will fill the whole house with delicious aromas while letting you be in control of the amount of sodium, fat, etc.  Here are the main ingredients I used in mine:

-Crushed tomatoes
-Hot sauce
-Olive oil
-Jalapenos
-Corn
-Kidney Beans
-Garbanzo Beans
-Celery
-Green Peppers
-Carrots
-Onions
-Diced up Veggie Burgers :)

Whether you choose meaty or vegetarian style, chili is the perfect recipe for cold fall days! Enjoy! :)