May/June favorites (nutrition, running, wellness, etc.)
I forgot to do one of these for May, so let’s combine!
Turning 40
I turned 40 on May 28 and am officially a master’s athlete. If you had asked me a few years ago my thoughts on turning 40, I probably would have said “terrified” because it just sounds old. I remember when my dad turned 40 and one of his friends plastered the house with “over the hill” balloons. Back then, and even a few years ago to me, there was something about turning 40 that seemed so final. Like, if you don’t have XX by this time, it’s all over. I think working in oncology for so long, and just during the pandemic in general, really made me realize that aging is a privilege. Making a big career change at this stage in life is also interesting and part of the reason I did it in the first place. I didn’t want to be in my 40s still miserable in my job, and ultimately not reaching my true potential. And I have invaluable experience from my past to do what I’m doing now (though good lord, social media is hard to keep up with. how do the kids do it??). So there you go. 40 isn’t that old, can be a great motivator for career changes and I’m pretty happy to still be here.
Egg tacos
I’ve been at a loss figuring out what to have for lunch lately. I’m sort of over my usual kale/farro/radicchio salad from Run Fast Eat Slow (I usually make a big batch at the beginning of the week) or sandwiches, and everything else sounds “meh”. Then I remembered my favorite summertime meal: the egg taco. They’re really easy, and as long as you have a good salsa, avocado and/or cheese, always delicious.
Tempo runs
It has been a minute since I’ve done any kind of speedwork. Over the winter I kept my mileage up but didn’t feel like doing any workouts, and with the post-Covid symptoms I had been having running has been slower and confusing the last couple of months. If you’re new here, I got Covid at the end of March/early April (during my last week of work at the hospital I had worked at for the past 9+ years, the irony still gets me), and since then have been having on and off trouble with heart rate and chest pain. I’m finally feeling like myself and for the past couple of weeks have been doing “tempo Tuesdays” with about 2 miles warm-up, 3 miles at tempo pace and about 2-3 miles cooldown. My tempo pace is pretty much where it should be and that feels good. Now I just need to figure out my fall racing plans…
Dietary supplements
The New York Times has an interesting interactive quiz on dietary supplements, which I took and (thankfully) scored 100%. The dietary supplement world is extremely hard navigate unless you have a strong background in nutrition, science, research, medicine, etc. When I was a dietitian at a cancer center here in NYC, the oncologists I worked with forwarded all dietary supplement questions to me because they either didn’t understand them or had no time to do the necessary research on them. And let me tell you, there were A LOT of questions. That’s because dietary supplement companies can make whatever the heck claims they want about their supplement without the need to prove it (WHY IS THIS ALLOWED), and misinformation on the internet and social media spreads like wildfire. I recommend some supplements to clients when they are necessary, but always make sure they’re third party tested, there are no interactions with medications or contraindications and there is a research base as to why they may be helpful. Anyways, I encourage you to take the quiz or speak with your dietitian (not internet or lay person with no healthcare credentials) if you have supplement questions.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
I took a trip to Key West with my sister for our birthday earlier this month (fun fact: I am a twin), and this book kept my attention so much I didn’t even get nervous during some turbulence on my flight back to New York. It’s probably my favorite book of the year so far. The story revolves around the friendship between an aquarium octopus and an endearing older woman. There is love, loss, grief… it’s just wonderful. I’m always partial to novels that include animals and animal perspectives. This is Shelby Van Pelt’s first novel (and another fun fact: she used to be a runner here in NYC).
Local shout out
One of my favorite restaurants here on the Upper East Side, Felice 83, recently updated their brunch menus to include paninis. I don’t know about you, but there is nothing better than a warm, crunchy panini (especially after a run!).