2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Complete!

Training one week before Marathon in Aguascalientes, MX

I am so humbled by the overwhelming support and well wishes from all of my friends, family, and colleagues as I trained for and ran the Chicago Marathon.  I felt such a sense of community from all over the world as I trained in Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chicago. I learned that I had community in so many places; so many people invested in my wellness and success.  I was so touched by the love and sincere care I was given.  In Mexico, just a week before the race, my colleague, Bernardo, picked me up at 6:30 a.m. to run a 10 k on the linea verde.  The first day he ran with me being left with legs like jello! The next day he followed me in the car to make sure I was safe.  The training in the mountains of Azerbaijan, Guatemala, and Mexico kicked my butt!  After these mountains, the little bump called a hill at the end of the marathon was nothing!

It was a difficult journey.  I had some setbacks - a sprained an ankle in Guatemala that never totally healed going into the race, a horrible setback with all the crazy autoimmune issues I have, that lingered well into two weeks before the race, and doing something as daunting as running 26.2 miles, something I had never done before, felt quite scary.  I challenged myself in new ways, including the acceptance that I was not going to be running my personal best and recognizing my own limits.  I learned that I just needed to relax, have fun, and finish strong.  And that is what I did! I always said, if I wasn't smiling when I was running, I didn't want to do it.  I certainly didn't smile during a lot of the training.  It was hard work and pushed me to my limits.  I could feel the training take a toll on my body, convincing me I would never do this again!  However, keeping up with the rigorous training and finally finding the best way to manage the fatigue as a result of the impact on my adrenal glands put me in a place where I could definitely smile and feel strong throughout the race. I received some good last minute advice from Dr. Mario Gonzalez and it worked during the race.  I did keep thinking at some points on race day: "Why would anyone do something like this? To support a cause you really believe in?"  Of course, there was my answer - running for Taller de Jose and the folks they accompany on their journeys was enough motivation to maintain my level of commitment.

In the last week before the race, eating well was key to my success.  My colleagues in Mexico were very understanding and supported me in not eating any sugar, wheat, or corn (although I have to admit I did have some shots of Mezcal on one of the days).  I didn't want to risk any symptoms emerging before the race now that I had things relatively under control.  How we fuel our bodies is so important, and I learned that more than ever as I pushed my body to it's limits with the training. 

My absolute favorite part of the race was running through the Pilsen neighborhood.  I couldn't help but stop three times to dance to the music, engage in some serious cheering with the spectators and receive many hugs! I ran shouting "¡Que viva Mexico!" "¡Que viva Pilsen" "¡Si Se Puede!" Nothing like this experience to remind me why the struggle to fight gentrification is so important.  I don't want the beauty that is this neighborhood to be pushed out!  I can't imagine a marathon without Pilsen as it is now..... This is what I looked like at mile 19 in Pilsen! Mi gente in Pilsen gave me the energy and boost I needed to go on to mile 20 and more!

I do have to give a shout out to my partner in life, Rolando Villarreal Sosa, who faithfully followed me at different points on the journey to make sure that I had paleo friendly fuel and my Nunn tablets throughout the race as I don't eat what's available on the course including the Gatorade.  I got to see him at various points for a hug, kiss, and some running fuel.  He made my bulletproof coffee that I have on race days - the butter and XCT oil in my coffee.  Ready to fuel and run on fats! As I have said a million times, no carb-loading for me.  At the end, in my last mile, Rolando was there to cheer me on, and a woman said to him, "Is that your wife? She looks great! She's still running!" and he responds, "Yep, that's my wife!"

Honestly, I don't know if I will run another marathon again given the toll the training took on my body, but I am hungry for some PB times on some half marathons! I'm hungry to start running again this week! I learned how important it is to keep up my grain free eating and I'm more committed then ever to eating well.

Thank you, thank you so very much to every single person who donated, cheered me on, tracked me during the race, and sent me some positive energy on race day.  Thank you to Cheryl and Kevin - Cheryl who gave me a big hug early in the race, and Kevin who shooed me on, saying "go, go!"  LOL! Georgina and my compadre Eleazar who did the same at the Jumping Bean.  Also a very special thanks to my son Atzin Villarreal Sosa.  If he only knew how much I respect him and love him.  He was a huge support this summer during the hardest part of the training. This race felt as "easy" as it did because of the ways he pushed me and challenged me as I trained.  I appreciate him and every single one of you!

My view of the finish line!

Almost there! At 40k!

Right after Pilsen, still smiling, still feeling strong at 33 K!

All done!

Celebrate!

Waiting to start the race!

This is the flower I chose to wear in my hair that day.  Part of my race routine.

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Lime Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 mangoes
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 TBS fresh lime juice
• 8 medium dried dates
• 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
• 2 cups ice cubes

Mix in your blender and you have a delicious smoothie!  Enjoy! 

Chicago Marathon 2017 July Training Update

We ran 12 miles!!

Enjoying a little rest and a treat.

Rolando cooling off at the water fountain.  Beautiful night.

These photos are from my 12 mile run this weekend!  Mom running the Chicago Marathon is a family affair.  Atzin, my beautiful son, was my pacer.  He ran along side of me to correct my form as I got tired and kept me at a 10-11 minute mile pace.  He would often begin his sentences with, "Mom, I don't mean to be critical, but..." Rolando rode is bike, meeting us at the Oak Street Beach.  Yes, Atzin and I ran ALL the way from my home in Little Village, to and around Navy Pier, then about 1.75 miles north of Navy Pier and back to Navy Pier.  It's 9 miles from my home to and around Navy Pier, so we had to run an additional 3.   

The last several months have been crazy and full of ups and downs in terms of my training.  For a moment I thought I might not actually be able to do the marathon.  In my last post, I shared my travels as well as the set-back I had with my training due a "flare up" of autoimmune symptoms most notably the chronic fatigue and severe joint pain and inflammation.  Prior to this I was already running 8 miles without a problem.  Suddenly I was struggling to run slowly for 1/2 an hour (and I did quit several times).  I can't even tell you how demoralizing that was to feel like I had almost no energy or strength for a "simple" half an hour, slow run.  However, I was determined to keep running at least that 1/2 an hour, telling myself this was psychological training for the marathon - to keep going when my body is telling me I can't go any farther.  One important lesson that I learned from this is to not take for granted my current level of health.  I had almost forgotten what experiencing pain and fatigue was like given that I have been on a gluten free diet for about 10 years and a grain free diet for about 7 years; therefore, symptom free for all this time. The gluten free/grain free diet has been absolutely transformative for my life and I really believe all that I have accomplished at this stage in my career is largely due to the vitality and health I've experienced over the last 8 years especially. 

It did take me nearly six weeks to recover from the way I ate while traveling.  This was demoralizing and meant that I had to really make additional changes to support my recovery.  I normally eat more grain free "ish" and do not adhere to a more strict Auto Immune Protocol.  For the last month and a half, I have been eating closer to an autoimmune protocol diet and have now begun to re-introduce some things that I used to eat like nuts and seeds. (Love those almond meal or almond butter pancakes!)

For more information on the autoimmune protocol, I recommend viewing or watching Sarah Ballantyne, PhD.  She provides the science behind this approach so that you know this is an evidence based approach, not some sort of dietary fad.  There are also some really good podcasts on the Paleo Lifestyle.  Finally, there are so many good books and cookbooks out there, but one of the first I read that really helped me move from gluten free to grain free was The Grain Brain. 

Sarah Ballantyne, PhD Weight Loss and Reversing/Stopping Autoimmune Disease

A list of podcasts on the paleo lifestyle

The Grain Brain

Okay so back to my running....(I know, I'm kind of on a soapbox; but seriously, learn as much as you can about how we nourish your body There are so many misconceptions out there and what we eat is truly the first medicine). 

So what were some examples of my meals or snacks this week?

Kale Avocado Salad  I ate this salad I think twice in the last two weeks.  It's so good and easy to make.

Chipotle Lime Salmon

Carrot Cucumber Apple Juice

This is how I have been fueling pre-run.  These are Chocolate Energy Shots

Yesterday before my long run, I had these AIP and Paleo Cococut Turmeric Bites. It was unbelievable.  I had eaten a late breakfast/really sort of lunch meal.  Then, didn't feel hungry the rest of the day.  I set out to run at about 6 pm and only had two of these and a chocolate energy shot above.  I didn't feel any need to refuel during my run, and honestly, wasn't even hungry after the run.  I was able to sustain a really good pace over 12 miles with these two snacks. 

Okay, with this recipe, I will sign off.  I have so many more to share!  It's been fun to explore and experiment with different recipes for my runs and to aid in my recovery.  I have my energy back, and I feel great on my long runs (except the last two miles of that 12 mile run yesterday)! I was just extremely grateful when on my run two weeks ago, I felt a shift, and felt like I was back!

Just to remind everyone, I am running for Taller de Jose.  This organization is truly remarkable and serves the Latinx community in a way that no other organization does.  They truly walk with people in finding solutions, and work from a basic philosophy of love and respect.  Imagine what our social service world would be like if service providers worked from a place of love?  Please help me to meet my fundraising goal for Taller de Jose.  Thank you!

Click and Pledge - Make a donation here!

Coconut Turmeric Bites

I loved these!  This was amazing.  Before my 12 mile run, I had three of these and one Chocolate Energy Shot.

I felt amazing.  I drank water, but had no need to re-fuel during the run, even though I was carrying some dried apricots and dates for during the run.  These are really yummy as well and anti-inflammatory, so I seriously recommend these.  They are also no-bake, so they can whipped up on a hot day, no problem.  They are also both Paleo and AutoImmune Protocal (AIP).

Inflammation by the way doesn't just affect those with autoimmune diagnoses, but also is the root cause for other problems such as cardiovascular disease, inability to lose weight, chronic pain, headaches, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vanilla Cake Batter Coconut Butter (you can use other Coconut butters too, but I just though the flavor of this one would go really well with the turmeric. 
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 TBS coconut milk
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• pinch of black pepper (don't use for strict AIP)
• 1 TBS raw honey (optional). 
• Shredded coconut for coating the outside of the bites. 

Instructions:

1. Add the coconut butter and coconut to mixing bowl and stir well to combine.  The coconut butter should be soft, but not melted. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients and combine. 
3. Roll them into about 1" balls with your hands, then roll in the coconut flakes. 
4. Place on a plate lined with parchment paper (I used the teeny little silicone muffin cups - they are the perfect size). 
5. Place in the regrigerator and chill.  
6. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Energy Shots

I have been exploring ways to use my XCT oil, which has become part of my running routine when I run either longer runs or run in a race.  I'm not one of those, oh have bullet proof coffee every morning.  I very much enjoy it on race days or long run days, but not on a regular basis.  That's just me. 

I've also been exploring paleo ways to fuel my runs so that I'm relying on pre-bought stuff that often has ingredients I don't want.  I DON"T want to run my marathon and drink gatorade or eat protein bars that I wouldn't normally eat - so this means I will have to have my own foods and drinks on the course. 

So this is something that works well me so that I don't have to make that bulletproof coffee.  I can just take one of these blocks and satisfy my chocolate cravings as well. 

So what about the ingredients in these blocks?

Coconut milk:  Contains more potassium than most sports drinks, also has magnesium which helps replenish electrolytes.

MCT or XCT oil: a highly concentrated form of coconut oil that the body can immediately process and use for fuel and immediate energy and to help mental focus. 

Raw cacao: Rich in theobromine provides a sustained energy source. 

Raw maca: A significant source of B vitamins, increasing stamina and combating fatigue.

So here's the recipe:

2/3 cup of organic canned full-fat coconut milk
2/3 cup filtered water
2-4 TBS XCT/MCT oil
2-3 TBS  maple syrup or raw honey
3 TBS of grass-fed gelatin
3TBS raw cacao powder
2 TBS raw maca powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk well. Turn the heat to medium low and cook until just warmed, do not boil.

Pour into the molds of your choice and refrigerate for about an hour to set.  They can keep in the refrigerator for a week, but I froze mine into three baggies with 8/10 blocks each and take out one bag at a time to put in the fridge.  I have also just popped one in my mouth frozen.  They are tastier unfrozen though.  

Carrot Cucumber Apple Juice

This was a refreshing and tasty juice
8 carrots
2 cucumbers
4 apples
1 lime
1 inch piece of ginger

Juice all ingredients in your juicer as recommended.

Chipotle Lime Salmon

I love this recipe because it is so fast and easy, I actually made it after a long day, when I was making dinner at 11 pm.  It takes 20 minutes. 

1 lb salmon, cut into 4 fillets
1-2 TBS olive oil
2 limes, sliced in half
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp chipotle powder

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Place salmon on metal baking sheet
Rub each fillet with olive oil.
Squeeze lime juice from one-half onto each fillet
Turn down oven temperature to 275
Place salmon in the oven and cook for 12 minutes.

That's it!  You have a delicious piece of salmon!

Training for the Marathon Part 2

Marathon Training Update!

Hello friends and supporters!  I had planned on doing at least a monthly update --- but I am long overdue!!  I do want to thank those of you who have donated to this cause already.  It is because of you that I kept up the training, sometimes against all odds.  When I’m too busy, it’s too cold, I don’t feel well, etc., I remember all of you, and your commitment and generosity inspires me to do it!  There were several times I knew I wouldn’t have gotten up and out of bed early in the cold weather without your support!

So a lot has happened since I first announced that I would be running in the Chicago Marathon with Team Taller de Jose back in March.  Of course the first major obstacle was just the mental part – thinking to myself, really, I’m going to do this? What did I get myself into? I can’t do this…. Etc. etc.  This meant that my first goal was simply to begin building my confidence.  “Official” training didn’t start until May 16^th, but I wanted to be in a really good place before May so that I’m starting already feeling like those long runs will not be a problem and wanting to be in a place where I could actually run a half marathon at the start of the training season.  I had read somewhere that I actually shouldn’t increase my mileage too much until closer to the race (as in probably during training season) so that I don’t risk injury and over-training.  However, because of my traveling, Coach Mark recommended that I do increase mileage, understanding that when I travel I may not be able to run at all or may not be able to run long distances. 

My first trip was “local” – as in within the U.S.  I was in San Diego for the School Social Work Association of America conference and board meeting.  This was fantastic.  I had perfect running weather and got a good start on my “building confidence” goal.  Most of the days I was there, I ran along the bay, enjoyed myself, and did okay – was slower than I would have liked, but I could do the distance I set out to do.  Of course, then I looked online for places to run in San Diego and noticed one place that was listed as “beginner” and had hills.  Well, for my flat lander self from Illinois, those hills did not feel like “beginner” hills!  They kicked my butt! I was very glad I chose beginner hills!   Here’s a picture from one of my runs along the bay.  I would be embarrassed to show you pictures of the “hills”

Next, I had two more “local” trips.  I was invited to do a professional development workshop at University of Maryland and then the following week at Eastern University in Philadelphia.   I was able to do both outdoor running in VERY cold weather and some indoor treadmill running on these trips.  Did I mention I was freezing!  I wasn’t adequately prepared for my outdoor runs as I was trying to pack light.  Nothing like freezing cold weather to make you want to run REALLY, REALLY fast to get it OVER WITH! 

Following this trip, we had our wonderful colleagues from Mexico and Ecuador visiting Dominican University as well as a colleague from Ireland doing field research with the Chicago Irish community.  The colleagues from Mexico and Ecuador arrived the weekend of the Shamrock Shuffle.   In solidarity, my husband ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8 k with me.  This was also a wonderful opportunity to meet and run with my team – Taller de Jose!  Here is the picture of our group.   

Lots of eager faces running for a great cause! I hope this picture is inspiring to many of you regarding the small but mighty group of people running to raise money for Taller de Jose.  For those who don’t know, Taller de Jose offers accompaniment to people, connecting them to services and services to people.  Accompaniment is a way of walking with people, listening to people fully, being present, and doing your work with love.  Those receiving services feel they are treated with respect and experience the power of  being heard.  While other organizations have experience a drop in undocumented or unauthorized service user, Taller de Jose’s numbers have continued to grow, which is a testimony to the trust that the community has with them.   If you would like to donate to this cause at the end of the update, I will post the click and pledge link.  Here is the link for Taller de Jose in case you would like to learn more about them:

http://tallerdejose.org/wordpress1/index/

In April, I was off to Germany and then Azerbaijan for some work related to the Fulbright project.  This was an ideal opportunity for training.  I had the opportunity to run along the river in Frankfurt.  Actually because I could withdraw money from an ATM and was having a hard time exchanging dollars oddly enough in Europe, I had no money for public transit.  I couldn’t pay with credit card either because I had no pin number for my credit card as I do not use them for cash.  So I had no choice but to walk or run everywhere.  I think I averaged about 10 miles of walking per day, plus 4 miles of running.  On one of my runs, it got kind of dark on my way back, and I was actually kind of scared because I was running on a fairly deserted path (don't tell Rolando please), so this was quite a motivator to run fast and furious.  Yep, I had pretty good time on that run.  

Once I got to Azerbaijan, my goal was to run at least one half marathon by the time I left the country.  The first week, with some jet lag and a tight schedule, I only got about 3 runs in including the first day I arrived.  I could wait to run along the Caspian Sea.  As I have said, this is one of my absolute favorite countries for running.  The weather is perfect, the sea is beautiful, and if you want hills, you got ‘em.  Plus, it’s really safe and I can go out even at night if I want.  The boulevard along the sea is always busy with people.  Indeed, my running benefited tremendously from being there.  I also was able to get back into a routine of morning runs the second week I was there.  I ran long distances along the Caspian Sea.  I didn’t make it the full half marathon because of time constraints, but I did run at least 8 miles about three times.  I went out for three days to a beautiful region area and was able to get in a daily 30 minute run before work started.  Even though they were short runs, because of the mountains, they improved my long distance running immensely.  When I got back to Baku and ran along the Caspian Sea again, I totally kicked butt and ran fast and effortlessly for about 6 miles, and completed a total of a little over 8 miles.  I also went on an “easy” hike – yeah right, it was a steady and steep incline for 3 miles.  It was amazing, but again, excellent training.  Hiking those mountains is one of the best ways to train for the marathon.  Seriously.

I then spent a week in Chicago before going off to my next destination.  When I arrived I had a beautiful mother’s day package from my Atzin.  What an amazing, wonderful, and thoughtful son.  He bought a Polar watch for me with all the bells and whistles to assist in my training.  I used it that week, and again, felt like I made some very good progress.  I did tempo runs, Fartlek runs, long runs, easy runs, etc. according to the training schedule I had written down.  Rolando also gifted me some wireless headphones to go with my new watch for Mother's Day.  The watch downloads music so I no longer have to carry a phone, IPod or anything.  Feeling good, strong, and ready to train for that marathon!  One of the things I liked about this new device is the feedback it gives me.  So when it rates my workout as "extreme," I feel like a total bad-ass!

Then comes Guatemala with my colleague Jack and 11 amazing Dominican students.  Going to Guatemala is like going home for me.  I have so many wonderful relationships and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to visit human rights defenders and friends in this country.  It is such a beautiful example of continued resistance and resilience of a people.

I start out well, running on 6tha calle, a street blocked off from traffic with only pedestrian traffic allowed.  Which I don’t have a picture of course, because I go out running with absolutely nothing, giving the safety precautions I have to take when I run there.  I was looking forward to the hikes in the Ixil area because they are arduous and long.  While I don’t run in Ixil, I get excellent training with the hikes on those mountains.  However, I began to not feel well.  All my old symptoms were coming back – weak joints (I sprained one ankle on a hike), pain in all my joints - knees, ankles, hips, elbows, among other symptoms.  I was in constant pain when I sat, when I walked, when I woke up, when I went to sleep.  It was seriously awful.  One day I just cried, mostly because I’m so used to being active and I was in so much pain, and it was just constant – no relief.  The only thing that felt good was lying on the bed with my pillows under all of my joints (knees, ankles, elbows, wrists, etc.).  I was frustrated and did not feel well.  I think the eating of certain things in Azerbajian that contained wheat and too many sweets, combined with the corn, wheat, and beans in Guatemala took their toll.  I got back to Guatemala City from the Ixil area and cleaned up my diet.  Despite this, the symptoms did not decline.  Slowly but surely, a day before I was leaving, I finally got some relief.  I was only in pain on part of my body and it came it went, so I had some relief – that I could manage.  However, my ankle was still hurting and I couldn’t run. 

Despite challenges with my body, I left Guatemala tremendously inspired by the many men and women human rights defenders risking their lives to demand justice and things like clean water, consultation before imposing mega projects likes hydroelectric dams or open pit mining.  These women and men have survived war, genocide, militarization, criminalization, death threats, and the loss of their loved ones through extrajudicial killings, massacres, or disappearances.  I thank them for sharing their stories.  It is a gift to be in their presence and earn their friendship. 

Finally, I’m off to Nicaragua to meet social workers and understand more about the history of social work in this country. What an amazing place!  I love it and love the stories I am hearing from so many people who wanted to share their perspectives on politics and their experience during the war.  Well, guess what? I’m in the land of the song: “We are children of the corn” – they eat corn in everything! And that is one of the foods that causes the inflammation, pain, and other problems.  Oh crap.  Okay, so my ankle is feeling better – still hurts, but I feel safe walking and the little inn where I am staying has a small pool where I can do laps in the pool.  I joined a gym for the week I am here as well.  So I’m surviving physically trying to totally not lose the gains I made in Azerbaijan, Germany, and Chicago.  I have a few moments close to tears thinking “I can’t do this.” I am worried about getting back on track with my eating and getting my health back.  Really this not eating well affects me in so many ways, maybe not visible to people, but yes, it does impact me in ways you don’t even know.  I am very committed however, to get home, figure out how to get my health back on track ASAP, and continue training.  

I do feel incredibly blessed that I have had the opportunities to meet such amazing women and social workers, and just other folks who have worked hard for a just society and work hard for peace and human rights.  I’m going to take this inspiration with me and hold it close to my heart as I run for the silent heroes back home.  All the undocumented men and women, who are heroes every day they go to work, pick up their children at school, go to church, or reach out for help.  I run for them.  I run to spite all the conditions and economic injustice that led to circumstances where they had to leave their family or community.  I run to make my own country a safe place for new immigrants and people of color who have lived in the country for generations but are still seen as foreigners or not true “Americans.” 

Thank you to all my friends and supporters.  If you would like to donate, please go to this link where you can make a donation.  I have committed to raising $1,500 and I'm only 1/3 of the way there!  I've got a lot of work to do! 

https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/tallerdejose/campaign/chicagomarathon2017/fundraiser/LeticiaVillarrealSosa/Donation/ 

Seafood Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a great meal and naturally paleo (without the rice). In this picture above, I used "riced" broccoli, but you can use riced cauliflower, or no rice at all.  It's funny, because my husband said, "well, shouldn't it have something with it, like rice or something," and I was like, "think out of the box! Not everything has to have a grain as a side with it!"  So to please him, I made the "riced broccoli", otherwise I might have just eaten it plain.  It has tons of veggies already.

Ingredients:
1 lb Alaskan cod fillets (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 lb shrimp (shells removed)
2 cups chicken broth
2 red bell peppers
4 carrots, julienned
1 leek, diced
a pinch of sea salt
1 TBS chili powder (I used New Mexico red chili - but any is fine)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 TBS of butter
Hot sauce to taste (I happened to have two hot sauces from a recent trip to New Orleans - a chocolatey flavor one, and a more traditional red hot sauce). 

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute carrots for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the bell peppers, leek, and garlic and saute for another 4 minutes or so.
3. Add all the spices and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Throw in the fish and shrimp and simmer until the fish is cooked and begins to flake.
5. Add the hot sauce of your choice and to your taste.
6. Serve in bowls just as is or on top of cauliflower or broccoli rice.

Shredded Vegetable Egg Muffins

Adapted from Paleo Magazine Feb/March 2017

Ingredients:
12 large eggs
3 medium carrots (peeled and shredded)
2 medium golden beets (peeled and shredded)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 cups of standard muffin pan with liners (I use the silicone and lightly spray with coconut oil). 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Divide the batter equally into the muffin tins w/ liners.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Dehydrator Plantain Chips

Plantains are a staple in the Ecuadorian diet.  I do very well in Ecuador on a Paleo diet because plantains are the base of so many things.  So as you all may know, I'm going to be increasing my running mileage in preparation for running the Chicago Marathon and wanted to find ways to fuel my long runs.  Plantains are definitely one of those foods that I will be using.

What I learned about dehydrating plantains is that these are a really good source of resistant starch, which is good for your gut.  When they are dehydrated on a low temperature, you preserve the resistant starch and promote healthy flora.  This resistant starch is broken down when you cook them in high heat.  These were fabulous and definitely easy to carry for hiking, long runs, etc.  Enjoy!

Here's what I did.

• 4 plantains (I used ripe ones - this depends on your preference - ripe are sweeter). 
• Coconut oil spray
• sea salt

1.  Slice the plantains thinly (some folks use a mandolin, I just sliced them with a knife).
2.  Lightly coat with coconut oil.
3.  Add sea salt to your taste.
4.  Place on dehdrator racks.
5.  Dehydrate for about 12 hours, until thoroughly dry and crispy at 118 degrees. 

It's that easy and simple!

Training for a Marathon on a Paleo Diet

Training on a Paleo Diet

This is my first blog that will track how I do training for a Marathon on a Paleo diet.  I consider this my first real week (psychologically speaking) of training.  I am going to do this blog because I can't find much at all on training for a Marathon on a Paleo diet.  I guess one of the reasons for that is that it's not really Paleo to run a Marathon - it's not like our ancestors ran marathons - maybe walked and walked for days, but certainly not run long distances.   So most Paleo folks, I think, are more inclined to do cross fit type of stuff or things like that.  Of course, I don't fit into the community of runners either - as the pre-race day party for my training group includes the traditional "carbo" loading event full of pasta, which I will not be partaking in - zucchini noodles for me, thanks!  

One of my goals with this marathon is to blog about what it’s like to train for a Marathon on a Paleo diet – no pre race carb loading with pasta and other stuff like that…. Nope.  So I’ll tell you what I do instead…and how I fuel my long runs. Of course the main goal is to raise money for Taller de Jose (read below). 

This week my menu included:

Breakfast: 

Nopalitos con Huevo

Broiled Grapefruit

Shredded Vegetable Muffins

Nut Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins

Lunch:

Basically either breakfast or dinner leftovers

Sardine Salad

Dinner:

Seafood Jambalaya

Zucchini Noodles with Marinara Sauce and Lean Ground Beef

White Chicken Chili

Snacks: 

Plantain Chips

Pan de Yuca

This week, my training was not too different than my normal routine and the diet questions and changes in carbs won't come up much until I really start to increase my mileage.  I will keep you posted on how that goes.  However, while I am open to including rice or other gluten free grains in my diet if needed, I'm going to really try to give this a go with a fairly strict Paleo diet (which does include things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yucca, and plantains for me).  It's not accurate to say that a Paleo diet does not include carbs - it just does not include the highly processed or inflammatory grains. 

This is the message I sent to my friends about my decision to run the Marathon:

I never thought I would run a Marathon - but have really enjoyed running - as a “late bloomer” - I started running in my 40's and have been running now for about 4 years.  I remember my very first run, it probably lasted a whole 7 minutes with my son Atzin pushing me from behind saying “You can do it Mom!” Running has become a true pleasure and meditative practice for me.  I have now run two half marathons and countless 5K’s, 8K’s, and 10’Ks. 

Oh, I digress, back to the Marathon.... So I said to myself, if I ever run a Marathon, I would have to do it for a cause that I really believe in . . . and have always had in the back of my mind that I would run for Taller de Jose, an organization that serves as a resource center offering services of accompaniment.  They help people connect to services and services to people - that sounds simple, but they do so much more than that!  I became acquainted with Taller de Jose through my students at the Graduate School of Social Work, Dominican University.  I had a student in my class who was doing an internship there and what she was doing sounded amazing.  I made an appointment to visit the agency, and have since been partnering with them on various projects, and we have had many students do their internships there. 

So what’s the big deal about accompaniment and Taller de Jose? 

Well Taller de Jose offers all of their services for free – they do not charge a penny for their services.  That’s the first thing to get out of the way, in terms of why there is such a need for donations and fundraising.  Because their services are free, it means they serve many of the undocumented folks in Little Village, Cicero, and other areas in the Chicago/Chicago Metropolitan area that otherwise, would have nowhere else to turn.  My goal is to raise $1,500 dollars for them. 

Second and more importantly is the way that Taller de Jose transforms lives.  I have been in social work for over 20 years and I know that there are so many barriers for the Latinx community to access services and I also know that they are not always welcomed.  Let me share some of the quotes from service users who have had experiences at Taller de Jose that I collected during my focus groups (one of the projects I did with them was to help them identify their model):

“Oh without a doubt, TDJ helps so much.  When I came here, I came with my head down and oh, they lift your spirit (begins to cry) because at other places, I had been stepped on, treated like zero.  I am documented, and it’s the same thing, because of language or because of your skin color.  They just look at you and make assumptions.”

“My compañera is an interpreter, she helps me, she goes with me to court, she helps me fill out papers, she is with me.  She has been with me from 8 am until we get out at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. “

“I felt, I felt like I was being saved actually.  I was like, you know because I’ve called millions of people you know throughout my situation to see who can help me and my children and my mom and no one has taken the time to listen, and when she took the time to listen that made me feel wonderful.  I felt like I was being saved like someone actually cared.”

So you can see by these quotes that the website just doesn’t capture the depth of what their services provide.  It’s not just about the tangible, connecting people with resources, but it’s the way they do it and what happens when a human being feels respected and heard. 

So what is accompaniment? Here is the definition I came up with:

“Accompaniment in this context is defined as a relationship between the service user and the compañera/o grounded in values of dignity, unity, mutuality, love, and respect that uses interdisciplinary knowledge to navigate mainstream institutions, build capacity, and create more accessible and responsive systems.”

So if you would like to support my efforts and donate to Taller de Jose, here is my donation page:

https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/tallerdejose/Campaign/chicagomarathon2017/Fundraiser/LeticiaVillarrealSosa/
 Donate to my effort to run for Taller de Jose - click and pledge page

If you want to learn more about Taller de Jose, here is their webpage:

http://tallerdejose.org/wordpress1/index/

Taller de Jose Facts and Stats Page:

http://tallerdejose.org/wordpress1/index/our-services/factsandstats/

I will keep you all posted on my journey!  I can’t say I’m not kind of nervous about both the fundraising AND running a marathon! I’m still sitting here as I write, thinking “I can’t believe I’m really doing this!

In peace and love,

Leticia