Shamrock Hype

Shamrock Half weekend is approaching quickly, where I'm taking part in the Dolphin Challenge: 8K on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday.

It may sound a little crazy, but who wouldn't do it for these beauties?

And of course there are shirts...

Shirts for the Half and Full. No word on what the 8K shirts look like.

And where most races give you a hat at the finishing line with your medals, Shamrock gives you A BEACH TOWEL!

I have my green outfit all picked out, and in 2 weeks I'll be at packet pickup! I have one more long run planned for today or tomorrow (depending on how I feel after class. We had a rough trail run yesterday. And the weather, tomorrow is supposed to be much nicer).  Things are getting real!

Why I Run

All through elementary and high school I was that kid who avoided running. I had so many allergies it was unreal, and they gave me asthma so I wasn't allowed outside for gym class. I was okay with that. I was not an athlete, I was the creative type. I spent my gym classes reading books.

Then, in December 2012, something changed. I felt like I had no control over my life. I had a major in school that I hated, none of my friends were going to be at school for Spring semester, and I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. 

So I picked up running.

At first it was a flirtatious relationship. I signed up for a 2 miler and struggled through that. I liked how I felt after and made the resolution to run a race every month in 2013. I trained (not as hard as I should and could have) and I finished my goal and even completed a half marathon.

Then things got a little crazy. I signed up for a running class with David Horton and fell head over heels in love with running. I wish I had started in high school because I feel like I missed out on a few extra years with my best friend. The only thing that I love more than running is my fiance. 

Running has given me a lot of things. All my life I've been the short awkward person, but running makes me feel tall and graceful. I can't dance to save my life, but I can run. It's become my crutch when I'm stressed, and after a good run I usually feel 100% better. I've learned that I can push myself beyond what I ever thought possible. If I see someone running outside while I'm in class I'm jealous that I can't get out there. I'm at the point where I don't even need to be training for a race, just running makes me happy. 

I'm not at the point where I can run every day, due to a hectic life and schedule. On days that I don't get to run, I miss it. I'm so thankful for the class I'm in this semester because it makes me run. 

As I type this, I'm very sore from over exerting myself over the last 2 days. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Soreness means you did something right and worked muscles you don't normally work. 

I like it. 

Review: Food, Inc

This past Friday night I made the impulse decision to watch Food, Inc. If you have never heard of the documentary, it came out in 2008 and IMDB describes it as "An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry." I found the documentary interesting and sometimes disturbing.

A few things I learned from watching it:

• Most of our food is grown in "factory farms" meaning that factories control what can and can't be done during the growth phase. In other words, the farmers are pretty much powerless when it comes to raising their crops.
• Where there were once thousands of slaughterhouses in America, today there are only 13. All of the meat they produce is concerned with quantity rather than quality.
• A company called Monsanto has a patent on the soybean, preventing farmers who didn't use their seeds right away from ever being able to use it.
• The USDA has very little power when it comes to food testing, as they lost a court case to the meat and poultry associations.
• Food inspection rates have dropped. In 1972 the FDA conducted 50,000 food inspections. In 2006, they conducted a little over 9,000.
• The government doesn't want to label our food. Representatives fought for years before GMOs were recognized on food labels, and the source of meat was printed on the package.
• Pretty much everything we eat is corn based. Or was fed corn. Some of these animals, such as cows, are not deigned to eat corn, but it is the cheapest food.

Food, Inc made me think more about what I put in my mouth. While I have always eaten moderately healthy, I never really thought about where my food came from, or the farmers that help grow it. There really is an advantage to not only your body but the economy when you buy local or organic. 

The farmers are told to grow what the consumers want, and with companies such as Walmart starting to carry organic products, there may be hope for America's food system in the end.