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Lead Stories: Sunday, July 20, 2008

Book Review: “Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes” by Monique Ryan

Posted July 19th, 2007 at 12:06 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Hydration, Race Prep & Recov, Special Features, TFS Reviews

While the most elite competitive athletes have the luxury of a team of coaches, advisors, and dieticians to consult with on a regular basis, the average endurance athlete preparing for an event isn’t so lucky. That’s where Monique Ryan comes in. A nutrition expert who has worked with professionals for over 20 years, Ryan has recently released an updated version of her book, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. The lengthy volume is a thorough, well-researched, and invaluable resource, with specific advice for athletes with a range of dietary needs according to their sport and level of training.

Ryan has divided the book into three segments. Part I has a broader focus, with an outline of general dietary needs, regardless of sport or the intensity of your training regimen. Ryan clearly outlines different macro and micro nutrients necessary for daily living, along with their roles in wellness and the best ways to incorporate them into one’s diet. But the guide doesn’t stop at food – hydration is a key element to prime health and elite performance, and Ryan offers substantive information on the intricacies of maintaining adequate hydration, from the ins and outs of caffeine to the problems associated with alcohol consumption. This section of the book is bolstered by a number of quick and easy-to-read charts and diagrams outlining nutrients, sources, and recommended intake levels, making the science of nutrition easier to digest.

Read the rest of this review at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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Book Review: Warwick Ford’s
“Fun on Foot in New England”

Posted July 16th, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Whether you’re a first time visitor or you live and breathe Red Sox and clam chowder, “Fun on Foot in New England”, the new guide to running and walking America’s east from guide-writing pro Warwick Ford and his wife, Nola, is an invaluable resource for those seeking diverse areas, both well-known and obscure, to explore in the eastern region.

While Ford is no stranger to the world of running and walking guides, having penned the award-winning “Fun on Foot in America’s Cities”, his new guide offers a more in-depth profile of the region (including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) he has called home for more than 10 years. Rather than brief descriptions of common walking and running routes, this detailed resource offers a variety of paths and loops throughout New England, each one outlined with a clear map and step-by-step steering for easy navigation.
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Book Review: “Running with the Buffaloes” by Chris Lear

Posted July 16th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Paul Petersen

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Books, Cross Country, Track & Field, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run for an NCAA cross country powerhouse? Have you ever wanted an inside look into the minds and workouts of a D-I national contender? “Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men’s Cross-Country Team“, by Chris Lear, brings all of those perspectives, and much much more.

“Running with the Buffaloes” chronicles the 1998 Colorado University cross country season, day-by-day, workout -by-workout, race-by-race. The book takes you through the intense three-month season via an easy-to-read narrative that flows smoothly amidst team activities. Each day of the season fills its own short chapter, which not only makes the book consumable for people with short attention spans (like me), but also makes it hard to put down!
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Book Review: The Vegan Family Cookbook

Posted May 30th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Special Features, TFS Reviews

If you’ve ever tried converting a favorite recipe to suit a particular dietary need – from gluten-free to diabetic– you know the challenge of modifying ingredients to make it taste like the “real thing” you and your family have come to know and love.

For longtime chef Brian McCarthy, the transition to a vegan diet 10 years ago meant taking on the task of transforming the mac and cheese, birthday cakes, and turkey dinners he and his family were accustomed to enjoying. McCarthy brings his experience and know how to The Vegan Family Cookbook, a collection of over 400 recipes that offer vegan options for every event, from a speedy dinner to a traditional holiday meal.

The book is divided into 10 sections, each featuring an impressive variety of dishes. The recipes themselves are easy to follow, and McCarthy offers helpful tips on combining different recipes (like homemade breadsticks with marinara sauce) or adding variety by mixing up the ingredients (four different adaptations for his hummus recipe will add flair to this traditional dip). Readers will likely recognize standard fare, like vegan versions of chili, banana bread, and coleslaw, but McCarthy adds more exotic items as well – mushroom and wild rice crepes are far from a “traditional” family dinner, but may soon join pizza and burgers on your family’s list of favorite meals.

Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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TFS Book Review: “The Pump Energy Food” Cookbook

Posted May 28th, 2007 at 5:59 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Special Features, TFS Reviews

With obesity in America at epidemic proportions, we need fewer restaurants boasting oversized meals heavy on deep fried foods, and more people like Steve and Elena Kapelonis, the owners of The Pump Energy Food restaurants in New York City.

The Pump promotes active and nutritious lifestyles by offering a delicious, healthful menu without using or including any butter, egg yolks, bacon, white bread, mayo, or fried foods. While those lucky enough to live in New York can get their fill of healthy fuel at one of Pump’s five locations, athletes looking for recipes that promote fitness and energy will find their culinary match with “The Pump Energy Food: A Revolutionary Cookbook and Eating Plan to Create the Body of Your Dreams“.

More than just recipes, the book is filled with advice for those who want to lose weight, build muscle, and/or increase energy…
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Book Review: “Thrive” by Ironman Triathlete (and vegan) Brendan Brazier

Posted May 22nd, 2007 at 9:50 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Ironman triathlon champion, overall elite athlete … and vegan? Anyone who still thinks a vegan lifestyle can’t support intense athletic training hasn’t met Brendan Brazier. A professional athlete who consistently places at the top in international Ironman triathlon events, Brazier is a formidable example of the potential for a plant-based diet to yield impressive athletic results.

In his bestselling book, “Thrive: A guide to optimal health & performance through plant-based whole foods”, Brazier goes beyond merely guiding readers through the world of vegan nutrition, and instead offers an entirely new way of seeing food: as the fuel necessary not only for sports, but for overall wellness.

Brazier argues that stress – whether physical or emotional – has a powerful connection to eating, exercise, and attitude. According to him, stress can be beneficial; the right balance of exercise can strengthen the body, clear the mind, and promote natural healing. However, Brazier rightfully points out that the North American lifestyle is a magnet for negative stress: from our unhealthy eating to our sedentary exercise habits, Brazier offers studies that support what so many already know – Americans are overworked and unhealthy, and our bodies and minds are suffering as a result.
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Book Review: Dr. Kerrie Saunders’ “The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention”

Posted May 21st, 2007 at 8:51 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Nutrition, Vegetarianism, Special Features, Health & Fitness, TFS Reviews

For the average American, dinner probably means sitting down to a plate of meat, rounded out with sides like white bread and potatoes, and polished off with an after-dinner bowl of ice cream in front of the television. If this sounds familiar, Dr. Kerrie K. Saunders has written a book you need to read. A practitioner of integrative medicine, Dr. Saunders penned The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention to argue that a diet based on “the new four food groups” can prevent or cure the epidemic ailments, from obesity and diabetes to cancer, that are increasingly prevalent across North America.

Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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Book Review: Dr. Ruth Heidrich’s “A Race for Life”

Posted May 16th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews

For many athletes, getting up at the crack of dawn for a daily jog can seem like a daunting task under even the most mundane of circumstances. Now imagine contemplating a six-mile run, three days after a double mastectomy. Seem impossible?

Not for Dr. Ruth Heidrich, who, after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 45, transformed her life with a vegan diet and an intensive training regimen. In A Race for Life, Heidrich combines her own incredible story with frightening facts about the current health crisis threatening North American culture, and wise advice for everyone from the novice exerciser to the seasoned athlete.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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TFS Book Review: Pam Reed’s “The Extra Mile”

Posted May 3rd, 2007 at 4:51 PM by Emmy Stocker

Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews

With all the hype about Dean Karnazes’ 50 marathons in 50 days journey, it seems anti-climatic to read Elite Ultra marathoner Pam Reed’s new book, “The Extra Mile: One Woman’s Personal Journey to Ultrarunning Greatness”.

But women and men runners of all levels (especially those who have or want to run an ultra) will find motivation and inspiration in Reed’s story. She explains how her passion and hard work helped her overcome obstacles and helped her excel in the Ultra running world. She proves that the Ultra-world is one where women can compete equally with men, and triumph overall (she sites Ultra running great Ann Trason and others).

45 year-old Pam Reed, a mother of 3 boys and resident of Tuscan, AR, is best known for her overall wins at the 2002 and 2003 July Badwater Ultras (a 135 mile run from Death Valley to Mount Whitney, where temps can exceed 120 degrees). She also is the first ultra runner, female or male, to run 300 miles non-stop (“I felt like Tuscan’s Forrest Gump,” she says). Reed covers these events descriptively.
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TFS Book Review:
U.S. Multi-Sport Directory

Posted March 1st, 2007 at 10:30 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews

The U.S. Multi-Sport Directory, now in it’s fourth edition, is an excellent resource for passionate athletes looking to stay fit and have some extra fun on their next road trip or vacation.

The popular publication, co-authored by triathletes Warren Knoll and Hubie Krawczyk, offers 260 pages of event listings and other helpful information for endurance athletes. It is color-coded and organized by region (ex. - Pacific, Northeast, International, etc.); listing the pertinent information for a majority of the year’s triathlons, duathlons, marathons, ultra marathons, adventure races and cycling events.

The authors have also compiled listings of running camps, coaches, clinics, new products and even some tips for race directors. Future editions would benefit from the inclusion of additional race information (course descriptions, amenities, etc.), such as the the details offered about running routes in Fun on Foot in America’s Cities.
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