Running Briefs

MDRA Annual Party

Save the date for the MDRA Annual Party on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at the Edina Community Center. Join us at 11:00 a.m. for pizza and sodas. Free for MDRA members, $5 for guests. The awards program begins at 12:45 and includes the MDRA Grand Prix awards, Volunteer of the Year and the Distinguished Service Award. Prize drawings will take place throughout the day! Race entries, running apparel, local running store gift certificates and more!

MDRA Spring Marathon/Half Training Program

The MDRA Spring Marathon and Half Marathon Program begins in March! The class will have an emphasis on training for Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon but will easily accommodate those who are training for Med City, Fargo and other spring marathons. An orientation and information session will be held February 27, 2018. Check runmdra.org for location and time. Come and find out how we get our members to their first marathon finish line or help them achieve a marathon PR! The first run is Saturday, March 3. Please see the flyer in this issue for more information. You can register for the program online at runmdra.org. MDRA is the Official Twin Cities Training Group for Grandma’s Marathon!

Guaranteed entries available to the sold out Garry Bjorklund for class registrants!

MDRA Polar Bears

The MDRA Polar Bears continue to meet on Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. The runs are FREE to everyone and all paces are welcome! To find the weekly location, search for “MDRA Polar Bears” on Facebook or go to runmdra. org for more information. Whether you are maintaining your fitness, building your base or training for Boston, join us for fun winter running!

2018 Race Director’s Conference

Join us on January 20, 2018, for the 2018 MDRA Race Director’s Conference presented by Anderson Race Management. Gather with other current and aspiring RD’s and get tips from the best in the business on publications, social media/marketing, race logistics, swag and runners expectations in 2018!

The cost is $30 through January 19 and $35 on conference day. Registration and detailed itinerary: runmdra.org/programs/mdra-race-directors-conference/

Indoor Stadium Running Resumes in February

Get out of the cold and off the ice. Run your workout on the upper concourse of the U S Bank Stadium!

Mark your calendar for the last two dates of the 2018 Indoor Stadium Running season, February 12, 23. Legacy Gate entrance, $3, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 MDRA Grand Prix!

MEN Overall Daniel Strike Under 34 Daniel Docherty 35-39 Nathan Campeau 40-44 Brian Davenport 45-49 Daniel Strike 50-54 Rob Economy 55-59 Kirt Goetzke 60-64 Michael Bjornberg 65-69 Denny Jordan 70-74 Jim Graupner 75-79 Phil Erickson 80-84 Darrell Christensen 85+ Bill Fraser WOMEN Overall Kari Campeau Under 34 Kari Campeau 35-39 Nissa Larson 40- 44 Melissa Gacek 45-49 Danielle Gordanier 55-59 Lisa Hines 55-59 Carla LaVere 60-64 Andriette Wickstrom 65-69 Gloria Jansen 70-74 Rosemary Harnly 75-79 Sandra Dalquist 80-84 Dorthy Marden

2018 MDRA race schedule announced!

Race info can be found at runmdra.org March 17 Lake Johanna 4 Mile **free for members** March 31 MDRA 7 Mile **free for members** April 7 Ron Daws 25K April 14 Fred Kurz 10 April 22 MDRA Mudball Classic 4 Mile **free for members** May 27 Mississippi 10 Mile Wednesdays in August Como Park Relays August 5 MDRA 15K

September 3 Victory Labor Day Races 5K, 10K, Double Header and Kids Victory Lap

September 9 Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon

MDRA announces 2017 Award honorees

Pat Lanin Distinguished Service Award - Since 1982, the MDRA has presented this award annually to recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to the running community in Minnesota:

Gabriele Grunewald for her achievements as a runner, for her work in creating awareness for rare cancers and her perseverance in the face of hardship. #bravelikegabe.

Volunteer of the Year - Since 1984, the MDRA has presented this award annually to recognize a volunteer or group for their commitment of time and energy to the MDRA:

Mark LeDuc for his service to the running community and his work with Indoor Stadium Running.

The awards will be presented at the: MDRA Annual Party, January 20, 2018 11:00 free pizza and soda for members, guests $5. 12:45 MDRA Award Presentation and Grand Prix Awards

CHAD Austin is a long-time runner, having followed his dad out the door at the age of 10. If he’s not running, you can probably find him cross-country skiing or fat biking. He currently lives in Apple Valley with his wife Amy and their 2 daughters. He’s interested in all things running in Minnesota and you can follow him on Twitter @MinnesotaRunner.

CHAD AUSTIN

Nate Leckband is a running coach, teacher and avid runner from Eagan, Minnesota. Since 2009, he’s run over a dozen marathons and numerous races from the mile to the 50K. He and his wife enjoy running while pushing their son in the jogging stroller. You can read his blog at tchuskerrunning.blogspot.com.

NATE LECKBAND

Dan Johnson enjoyed a few years of marathoning, including Boston, New York, Grandma’s and Twin Cities. His best marathon time was 2:24 at Twin Cities Marathon in the 1980s. In the last couple years, he has reunited with some old running buddies and now runs the city lakes on Monday evenings with the Road Warriors group, sponsored by Run N Fun. In addition to running with the Road Warriors, Dan looks forward to his daily runs to and from work.

DAN JOHNSON

SONJIE Johnson is a vocational counselor, free-lance writer and a runner (often) in Dorothy Marden’s (see interview on Page 10) age category and has long been fascinated by not only her running ability but also her resilience and joyful spirit.

SONJIE JOHNSON

Jason ran collegiately at Augsburg for three years, before embarking on a wildly (un)successful professional running career. He toiled for years, collecting in excess of $30 (all gift certificates) in prize money before finally, and somewhat reluctantly, achieving the coveted ‘Masters’ designation. Capitalizing on the prestige this designation bestows upon him, Jason seeks to amass unimaginable wealth in what he imagines is the extremely lucrative position of ‘Volunteer’ in the local running community. Despite his best attempts to the contrary, he also continues his progression towards the even more exclusive title of ‘Grand Master.’

JASON CHRUDIMSKY

Senior Editor:

Gloria Jansen

Art Director:

Chad Richardson

Advertising Coordinator/Sales:

Sarah Ahlers McInerney

Photographer:

Wayne Kryduba

Results:

Jack Moran

MDRA Officers:

Dave Marek, President Randy Fulton, Vice President Jenny Harrington, Secretary Nathan Klema, Treasurer

MDRA Board Members: Lisa Richardson, Nathan Campeau,

Rick Recker, Sarah Stangl, Kathy Larsen, Dennis Barker, Kelly May, Damon Rothstein, and Wendy Jones

Contact RunMinnesota!

RunMinnesota P.O. Box 6419 Minneapolis, MN 55406-0419 runminnesota@gmail.com

RunMinnesota magazine is published six times a year and is produced by the Minnesota Distance Running Association. RunMinnesota is available through a member subscription or at select retail locations. To get RunMinnesota mailed to you, join online at runmdra.org.

WTH is a WFPB lifestyle? NUTRITION

The basics of a whole food plant-based approach to eating

Let me start by saying I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist. I’m just a health coach wannabe with an avid interest in health and wellness. With that said, this is an opinion piece, similar to my last article for RunMinnesota (Food Matters, July/ August 2017) where I explained the benefits of replacing processed foods in our diets with whole foods. In this article, I want to focus on the second half of a lifestyle that is gaining tremendous momentum, Plant-Based. Notice I didn’t say “diet” as they tend to be restrictive and rarely work long term. Instead, think of a Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) approach to eating as a lifestyle, like running. It’s a lifestyle that doesn’t involve depravation, detoxing or counting calories, but is centered on whole unrefined, or minimally refined, plants. It’s also based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (think beans and lentils). By focusing on these foods, it crowds out or min

BY CHAD AUSTIN

imizes meat, dairy products and eggs, as well as highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar and oil.

Part of the reason why this lifestyle is gaining momentum is due to the health benefits associated with it, which are almost too numerous to mention. A whole food, plant-based diet has been shown to (1): • Lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar • Reverse or prevent heart disease • Prevent and reverse obesity • Lower risk of cancer and diabetes • Slow the progression of certain types of cancer • Improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

These chronic illnesses are becoming so common that people think they’re just part of the normal aging process. I’m here to tell you that this doesn’t have to be the case. In reality, these chronic illnesses can be directly linked to the Western diet. A WFPB approach to the foods we eat can improve the overall quality of life – even after these illnesses arise.

Not only does a WFPB lifestyle positively impact our health, but also the health of the planet. Over 56 billion (yes, billion with a “b”) land animals are killed every year for food (2). The environmental impact (namely rainforest deforestation, ocean acidification, water usage, climate change) and the amount of animal cruelty associated with killing that many animals is staggering. And that number doesn’t even include the billions of marine animals killed each year. With the world population expected to increase from 7.4 billion to 9.7 billion by 2050 (3), it’s easy to see that the path we’re on is not sustainable.

Generally, I’m not a fan of placing a label on our eating habits because it typically causes confusion, leads to arguments and pushes people apart – rather than bringing them together in an effort to solve our current healthcare and environmental crises. However, I really like the term “plant-based” because you can broaden the definition to suit where you’re at on a spectrum. In the strictest sense it means unprocessed foods that don’t come

from animals. But rarely are people going to switch to a full-on WFPB lifestyle overnight. As you begin to experiment with WFPB you might start with Meatless Mondays where you exclude meat one day a week. Another approach is discussed in Mark Bittman’s book Vegan Before 6:00. As you can probably guess, it refers to only eating animal products for dinner. As a result, two thirds of your meals will be plant-based. These are great ways to introduce more plants into your diet and, chances are, once you see the benefits you’ll want to continue down the WFPB spectrum.

Let me take a few minutes to dispel the biggest myth that surrounds a WFPB lifestyle; protein. The first thing people notice about my food choices is that they don’t include meat. Typically, this leads to the question, “But where do you get your protein?” I don’t know if meat eaters are really curious about my protein intake or not, but it does show the power of the messages we are constantly bombarded with – messages paid for by the meat and dairy industries, and supported by the U.S. government. There are lots of possible responses to this question, but here are a few that I use, depending on my audience.

Medical: There’s actually a term for protein deficiency. Do you know what it is? No, because no one ever has to talk about being protein deficient. The next time you’re at your doctor’s office, ask them how many people they’ve ever treated for a protein deficiency. My guess is zero. By the way, the medical term is Kwashiorkor.

Snarky: Where do you get your fiber? Do you know that fiber is only found in plants like beans, fruits, vegetables and grains? Fiber isn’t broken down in the body. Instead, it pushes food through the digestive tract, absorbs water and helps clean the bowels. Those are all good things when it comes to health. Oh yeah, less than three percent of Americans get the minimum recommended amount of daily fiber (4).

Logical: Where do the strongest animals on the planet (think gorillas, elephants and hippos) get their protein? They’re herbivores and only eat plants. By the way, cows aren’t standing around producing protein, or calcium, for that matter. Animals get their protein from the foods they eat. For cows, pigs and chickens that means plants. I’m just cutting out the middle man, er, animal, and going directly to the source.

Truthful: I eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. And I never give my protein needs a second thought – until someone asks.

Scientific: In 1988 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics updated its position on plant-based proteins stating “Plant protein can meet protein requirements when a variety of plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all essential amino acids.” (5)

This last statement is interesting because it differs from another food myth; most plant sources lack one or more of the essential amino acids and therefore are not considered complete or high quality proteins. Technically, this statement is correct, if you look at plants individually. But, as mentioned above, if you eat a variety of plants and meet all your caloric needs, you will also meet your protein needs. I can’t help but think that most of these food myths are perpetuated by the meat and dairy industries themselves. It wouldn’t be the first-time agricultural interests influenced the nutritional information we receive. As Rip Esselstyn says in his book My Beef with Meat, “The sad truth is that the information we get about health often has more to do with politics and money than with science and fact.”

How can this be? Our government must have our best interests in mind, especially when it comes to health, right? Not necessarily. To understand, one only needs to look at the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government agency has the dual purpose of protecting American agricultural interests and advising us about our food choices. That’s a huge conflict of interests, especially when you consider that until they were sued by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), more than half of the USDA’s board of directors was made up of members from the meat and dairy industries.

I know, I know, this is a running magazine. What does this have to do with running? Well, I’m 48 years old and every year I hear about at least one runner, within 10 years on either side of me, dying, unknowingly from heart disease. That’s way too young! According to Alan Gertler, M.D., “Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. The first manifestation of a heart problem oftentimes is sudden death (6).” Those that do survive often undergo heart bypass surgery or have stents inserted into blocked passageways, followed by a lifetime of drug treatment. Unfortunately, the truth is that running doesn’t make us immune to heart disease. We can’t out exercise a bad diet.

I get it. Beliefs around food often rival that of religion and politics – and, for runners, training philosophies. But given the current state of health in the U.S., it’s obvious that the food choices we’re making aren’t working. We can no longer rely on the government to tell us how to eat. It’s time we take matters into our own hands and work to change this situation ourselves. It’s time we become more mindful of our food choices and take responsibility for what we eat. It’s time to become more empowered and recognize that we have control over these choices and that they have a profound impact on our health and the environment. It’s time, as Gandhi said, “To be the change you want to see in the world.”

With Gandhi’s words ringing in my ears, I’m taking it upon myself to help people that are plant curious, by creating an MDRA WFPB community that supports one another along this journey. Again, I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist, and I definitely don’t have all the answers. However, I am willing to share what I do know and provide support for anyone that’s interested - whether that’s two people or 2,000. If you’d like to get involved, head over to https://runmdra.org/. Once there, login and then click on the My Community link. From there you can go to the Nutrition forum where you’ll be able to ask questions, share recipes, find resources to books, websites, apps, etc. If you don’t want to join the forum, please feel free to email me directly at chadaustin@charter.net and I’ll support you any way I can. If you prefer to do some research on your own, simply google WFPB or check out http://nutritionstudies.org/ whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/ and https://www.forksoverknives. com/whole-food-plant-based-diet/ to get started.

References accessed December 6, 2017: (1) What is a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet? https://www. forksoverknives.com/what-is-a-whole-food-plant-based-diet/. (2) The Kill Counter. http://adaptt.org/about/the-kill-counter. html. (3) World Population Projected to Reach 9.7 Billion by 2050. http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html. (4) Where Do You Get Your Fiber? https://nutritionfacts. org/2015/09/29/where-do-you-get-your-fiber/. (5) My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a PlantStrong Diet, Rip Esselstyn (6) Masked Heart Problems in Men Could Lead to Sudden Death. http://www.uab.edu/news/latest/item/2051-masked-heart-problemsin-men-could-lead-to-sudden-death