Monday, April 18, 2011

Shins, Abs & Sweet Potatoes


I added a 1/2 mile to my run today and I'm not sure it was a wise choice because my shins have been hurting. I've never had shin splints before and I hope it won't be the next running ailment to add to my ever-growing list. But, my first race is just five weeks away so it really isn't an ideal time for rest. I'm happy to hear any advice anyone may have on successfully dealing with shin pain (but please don't say rest!).

Today's fun run track: "She's a River" by Simple Minds. Other distance-running tunes I've enjoyed lately: "Lose Yourself", Eminem; "Clocks", Coldplay; and "Beautiful Day", U2. Have any good running tunes to share? Please post!

I also managed to get in 30 minutes of strength training, which included a grueling 15 mins of ab work compliments of a dear friend/workout buddy and her Bob Harper DVD. Thanks for the motivation (and the food)!



Quick & Easy Healthy Dinner side:

Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries, Apricots and Pecans

Prep Time: 15 mins
Serves: 6

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb fresh cranberries (I used frozen)
1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped (I used walnuts)
8 dried apricots, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly mist an 8 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
3. Mix potatoes and cranberries in baking dish. Add pecans and apricots. Stir just a bit so pecans and apricots stay near the top.
4. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

2/3 of my girls are not huge sweet potato fans, but all three of them gobbled this up. I served it with Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers on whole wheat buns with hummus and melted cheese.

Living Healthy magazine notes that sweet potatoes, used in this recipe from The 4 Ingredient Vegan, are rich in vitamins C and B6, and that they also contain good amounts of manganese, copper and fiber.





4 comments:

  1. Fill up a styrofoam cup with water put in freezer. Take out peel away some of the cup and rub on your shins and calves several times a day. A bit of Lou Chesla advice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also, massage the sore parts to keep the blood flowing. Rotate the ankles. If you are so brave take an ice bath. Do these things until race day to avoid reoccurrance. Swelling and pain are usually a sign of a problem that has been brewing for some time. You have probably had swelling well before this pain set in. Couple this with some ibuprofen and add some shin stretches to your pre run regimen. And at night elevate your legs while icing. I am not a fan of compression socks but they may be helpful as well... linsocks.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks so much for the advice--I will give it a try!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just reading this, but I've always found it to be a case of too much too soon. You can pick up an 'ice' pack at any PT place (There's one near Shack's.) and they're nice and big so you can just lay it over your legs (or back or any other body part that ache). Then ice it 2-3 times a day for 15-20 min at a time. Stretch and massage, too. Hope that helps.

    ReplyDelete