12 Wheat Thins and a Spoonful of Chia

Just wanted to start this blog out with a bang. Badda bing, badda boom.

Yesterday, we were scheduled to run 15 miles. We chose to run a route that included a trail run at Chautaqua. But this did not go as intended. Allow me to explain. Jamie and I read this book called "Born to Run," which is a must read if you're even remotely interested in running. Anyway, we've picked up some pretty radical ideas from there, such as barefoot running, and these potent little buggers called chia seeds. Yes, we're talkin' "ch-ch-ch-chia" seeds. They're one secret of the Tarahumara people, who are legendary long-distance runners. These folks are known to run 60 miles a day...just because they can. Supposedly, one tablespoon of chia seeds can sustain a person's energy for 24 hours, because they slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Which means increasing endurance. So, Jamie and I headed over to our local chia seed provider, Whole Foods, and picked up a bag. The best way to consume them is to soak them in water and they form this funky gel (because they absorb 9 to 12 times their body weight in water), which you can then mix into yogurt, juice, smoothies, and just about anything. So here's a couple pictures of these babies:
From my house, we ran up 9th street to Chautaqua, which, if you're familiar with Boulder, means we ran at least the first three miles uphill. And I mean super uphill. So the warm up was a bit more brutal than what we're used to on long run days. And let me be honest, I wanted to quit when we were barely 3 miles in. But I'm a tough cookie these days, and there was no way I was going to call it quits so early. Jamie handled it like a champ, of course. So we pushed on, trying to conquer 5.7 miles out on this difficult trail, and 5.7 back. But we also had to beat the sunset, because darkness on a trail spells disaster. Especially for someone like me, who is so very prone to sprained ankles. We were going back and fourth, trying to decide if we should just head back early and tack on some extra miles when we got back onto pavement. It was a tough call, but ulitmately we decided it was best not to risk it, we both want to be able to run that marathon, so injuries have to be avoided at all costs. This time, we thought we should try to bring some food. Although, one of the magical things about chia seeds is that they help you stay full longer, so we never really felt hungry on this run. But I did bring along 12 wheat thins, of which we only ate 2 each. Here they are, in all their glory: So we turned back on the trail earlier than expected, but we ended up running about 13 miles still. Which is really hard to be disappointed about because that was the most difficult route we've run so far. We plan to head back to the same trail on a short run day because it was really beautiful and very quiet. As for the chia seeds, they're quite miraculous. Aside from the previously mentioned benefits, they are loaded with Omega 3s, they help you stay hydrated longer because of their gelishness, they're a complete protein so they aid in repairing muscles, and they're totally wacky to play with and eat! Jamie and I both felt that if we hadn't ended up on such a challenging trail, we could have easily completed 15 miles, and probably more because we never "hit the wall" on that run. We usually "hit the wall" at miles 9-11ish. So, in my own humble opinion, I'd say that the Tarahumara have really tapped into something special with those chia seeds, I really do believe they made a huge difference in our running performances yesterday. The wheat thins...not so much.