When not to run

So remember how today I was going to run the Midsummer Night's Run in Toronto, and it was going to be awesome?  I've been running with the Running Room 5k clinic to prepare for it, and thought that this was going to be a really sweet run.


Weeeellllllllllllllll..................

Apparently disease had other plans for me.

It started on Thursday with a wicked sore throat.  I had been out drinking visiting with friends the night before, so I figured that my throat was sore because I had been drinking visiting late in a noisy place where we were talking loudly.  No biggie.  Then the stuffiness and runny nose started.  And then the sinus pressure and face pain.  And then my ears started to pop and get cloggy.  Feeling fatigued and with body aches (which I attributed to having worked long hours on Thursday and Friday in a job that requires constant standing, unloading heavy boxes, bending and reaching, etc.), I took a few days off of exercising and attempted to get sleep, though sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing made that a challenge.

I woke up Saturday morning without the sore throat (yay!), but with more face pain and sinus pressure, and leaking from all facial orifices.  Breathing through my nose was a near impossibility, and I was still kind of achy all over.

It took all day for me to decide whether or not I should run tonight.

Asked Facebook friends after describing my symptoms.  Got mixed results - 1/2 of people said "go for it", the other half said "no way".  With such disease dripping from my face, I got someone to cover my yoga class I was teaching this afternoon before the run.  You'd think that if I was too sick to teach, I'd clue in that I was also too sick to run.  Yet this remained a really difficult decision.

It wasn't until about 20 minutes before I had to leave that I was chatting with a fellow yoga instructor about how I wanted to go so badly, but I also felt like crap.  She basically said "So, in other words, you know it's a bad idea, but you want someone to tell you it's ok".

Hmm.  Touché.

I eventually decided that I needed to stay home.  Fellow teacher was right - I knew it was a bad idea for me to go.  I knew I'd feel even crappier if I went for it, even if I had walked the 5k instead of running.  I wanted to go because I have a bunch of friends who are also running, and I was really REALLY looking forward to finally running a 5k with ease.  It wasn't going to happen today.

Most runners and sport professionals suggest using the "neck rule" when deciding whether or not to exercise while sick.  If your symptoms are above the neck, you're probably ok, but if symptoms are below the neck, stay home.

Above the neck symptoms include:

• sneezing
• runny or stuffy nose
• nasal congestion
• sore throat

Below the neck symptoms include: 

• chest cough or congestion
• body aches
• fever/temperature above 99 degrees
• nausea or upset stomach

Most of my symptoms were above-neck, but the body aches were definitely still there.  After I got home, I checked my temperature and discovered it was over 100.  So, kind of glad I decided to sit this round out.  But still sad :(

For now, I'm sipping on lemon tea with honey, cozying up in my PJs, and going to bed early.  Here's hoping the disease works itself out soon so that I can run a make-up 5k in the neighbourhood this week instead :)

Vegetable of the Month

This month I asked boyfriend what the vegetable of the month should be.  His random response:

RADICCHIO!

I say that it's a completely random response because a) I'm not sure that he's ever even eaten radicchio, and b) who thinks of radicchio as the first veggie off the top of their head???

In any case, it turns out that radicchio is actually in season in Ontario right now!  Go figure!  

What is radicchio?

Though it looks like a fancy purple lettuce or a miniature cabbage, radicchio is part of the chicory family of leafy veggies, and sometimes known as "Italian chicory".  It has a deep red, purplish colour and tightly held leaves, with white veins running throughout.  The variety most often found in the USA and Canada is round and about the size of a grapefruit, however other varieties can be found that resemble endive (small football-shape)  It's flavour is quite bitter when eaten raw, but mellows when it is cooked.  You may have seen this veggie in salad mixes that have red leaves included.

So why should I eat it?

Lots of reasons!  Like most of the veggies I've written about in these posts, radicchio also boasts a low caloric value and high nutrient, vitamin and mineral content.  Like most other rich coloured veggies, radicchio also holds antioxidants!  Radicchio contains anthocyanin, like red cabbage, a water-soluble pigment and flavanoid that research suggests may be beneficial against cancer cell growth and DNA damage, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. 

On top of all those disease-fighting properties, according to the Canadian Nutrient File 1 cup of shredded radicchio will give you:

• a mere 10 calories!
• 6% of your daily folate needs
• Over 100% of women's daily Vitamin K need (90% for males)!  Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin needed to produce proteins used in blood coagulation and bone metabolism.
• Lutein, a carotenoid that plays a role in eye health and preventing macular degeneration.

Wow!!!

How do I eat radicchio?

You can eat radicchio raw or cooked.  Raw radicchio can be shredded like cabbage, or torn into smaller leaves and included with your green salad or in lettuce mixes.  It adds a slightly peppery or spicy flavour and bitterness, adding some creativity to your plain old boring salad.

If you're not into the bitter leafy veggies thing though, radicchio can also be cooked, which helps to mellow out the bitter flavour but retain the peppery qualities.  Since it's summertime though, why cook radicchio when you can grill it!

Grilled Radicchio Salad

You can add grilled radicchio to any other ordinary salad for a little something different, or have it all on its own. Simply cut your radicchio heads in half, spray with non-stick cooking spray or rub with a bit of canola oil to prevent sticking to the grill, and plop it on the barbeque for about 2-3 minutes per side until the whole thing is lightly browned.  Chop up the grilled radicchio into bite-sized bits.  From here, anything goes!  I like grilled radicchio salad with a citrusy vinaigrette (see below), a few orange segments, and walnuts or sunflower seeds.

Simple citrusy vinaigrette: combine 2 Tbsp canola oil with 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (more if you like a more vinegary dressing - I like it with an equal oil-to-vinegar ratio).  Add 1/2 to 1 tsp honey (depending on taste), orange zest or lemon zest, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  You could also reduce the honey and replace with orange juice if desired.  Try changing up the orange with other citrusy flavours like grapefruit!