Paleo Diet vs. Zone vs. IIFYM: Eating for Performance...and Abs

Abs aren’t just made in the gym, they’re made in the kitchen! About 10 months ago, I started on a food journey. No, not a restaurant crawl, but a food journey.

I already had the exercise part down since since I'd been doing CrossFit for 2+ years (5-7 times/week), but I wanted to experiment with what I ate to see how it made me feel. I also wanted abs… but who doesn’t.

Paleo Diet

I started by trying the Paleo diet for about a month. This way of eating eliminates all refined sugar, grains, trans fats, high glycemic carbs, processed foods, dairy and legumes. Everything that tastes good huh? 

However, this was a great place to start because it made me learn how to cook from scratch using more nutritious foods. The problem was that it felt restrictive, and I had less energy. My performance at the gym also stayed stagnant during this time so I wasn't seeing any gains. This just wouldn’t work…

Zone Diet

My next thought was to try The Zone Diet. I was able to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, each consisting of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs. Since no food was off limits, I thought I could definitely do this one!

But once I laid out all of my containers and portioned everything into them, I realized this was way too difficult to maintain. I knew the Zone Diet was bound to make me implode, so I spared myself the stress and moved on.

IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)

Then everyone at my gym was talking about this new “flexible dieting” plan, IIFYM, where you track macronutrients, protein, fats, and carbs. Targets for each day are calculated according to age/gender, body composition, activity level and goals. The plan focuses on balance and no foods are off limits. The objective is to preserve muscle and encourage fat loss without decreasing energy. Even better, there was an app I could use to help track everything!

When I first started, the numbers I calculated made me drop a lot of weight, but in turn I was very tired and unable to hit my usual lifts. Some of the bodyweight movements got better (i.e., pull-ups) since I was lighter, but my strength had dropped. At that point, my coach adjusted my target macronutrients, and I was able to maintain weight while lifting heavier. 

I used what I'd learned from earlier in my voyage and started to track track track those macronutrients. I wasn’t hungry, I wasn’t tired, and I was ready for what life brought me. Do I always hit those numbers each day? Of course not! If I want ice cream sometimes I’m going for it! I do find that if I stray too much from the plan, I feel stuffed, starving or sluggish. But IIFYM taught me how to utilize food for fuel, muscle, training and enjoyment. You put good in, you get good out.

Here is a sample menu of what I eat each day:

• Breakfast: hardboiled eggs (2-3), banana

• Snack: all natural applesauce

• Lunch: oven roasted turkey breast, fruit (whatever I have at home), some trail mix

• Snack: protein bar (Quest bar) before the gym

• Dinner: chicken with vegetables, and if I have enough calories left, toasted coconut chips (my favorite new snack)

Takeaways

So what have I learned from the Wortman food revolution?

Before, I ate for convenience disregarding ingredients and often eating something prepackaged or sweet. I now love to make my own food since I can control ingredients and adjust flavors and seasonings to my taste. I've also learned how to cook wholesome, nutritious, easy to make food in 30 minutes or less.

It's been fascinating to experiment with food to see how it affects the way I look, feel and perform. Finding the right plan is very personal and can take some time, but it's worth it. 

Marnie Wortman

By Dr. Marnie Wortman, PT, DPT, ART, CF-L1

Easy Green Smoothie: Paleo Style

Easy Green Smoothie: Paleo Style

My day…

Alarm rings, hit snooze, wake up at 6:00, out the door by 6:30.

Time for breakfast somewhere between drying my hair and brushing my teeth?

I needed something easy, quick, and filling, because the last thing I wanted was to be starving at 8:30 during a plank party.  Then, like a healthy superhero, a good friend of mine introduced to me to the green smoothie!

Green Smoothie Recipe

• Like a magic potion, you just add…

• 2 handfuls of leafy greens (any will do)

• a few carrots

• 1 can light coconut milk (the real stuff, watch the ingredients)

• some almond milk

• 1 banana (I use the ripe ones since I can’t stand to eat them)

• handful of other fruit (I use frozen because it’s easy, but any kind will work! Peaches and Pineapples are my favorites)

• 1 handful of sunflower seeds

• Sprinkle some chia seeds

(I’ve added cucumber, avocado, pumpkin seeds, coconut water, fruit juice… anything Paleo goes!)

and BLEND!

Green Smoothie

It starts off looking gorgeous and layered in the blender, but by the time its done working its magic, the color can be anything other than attractive. It is a green smoothie after all. Good thing it's healthy, tastes good and fits the Paleo lifestyle!  Added bonus is that it can help empty the refrigerator to make room for new goodies!

Enjoy!

Marnie Wortman

By Dr. Marnie Wortman, PT, DPT, CrossFitter

How I Lost 40 pounds and Got in the Best Shape of My Life!

By Linc Jenkins

This is me at age 16 modeling my speedo for the high school yearbook.  I remember it well because as you can imagine, I was not thrilled about the image of myself in a bikini bottom being captured for 1600 of my classmates to see.

linc swim team circle

At 6'4", I always had a pretty lean build, until my late 20's, when I started lifting weights and paying more attention to nutrition. In college I was about 235 after putting on about 15 pounds of muscle.

In my early 30's, I had a lot going on in my life and  stopped working out and developed some bad habits.  One of those being eating massive amounts of food late at night.  Have you seen the movie Gremlins?  Remember what happens to the little Mogwai's when you feed them after midnight?  Well, the result is not positive and the same can be said for myself.  Over time my size 38 pants no longer fit and the scale was reading 275.  My wakeup call came in the form of a trip to Macy's to buy some new dress pants and coming home with waist size 42.  I had had enough and it was time to get back on a healthy track.

Here's a picture of me at almost 300 lbs. Not many photos of that time!

linc heavy

I really like slogans because they are a good way to not only remember things easily but also to keep things simple, which is important for me.  So, I'll use a few well known slogans to share some of what has worked for me.

Monkey See Monkey Do 

Random story. During a swim meet in high school , my teammates once overheard an opponent who I had just beaten in the 50 free referring to me as "King Kong".  I guess the thought of monkeys and and my yearbook picture sparked that memory.

linc diving

So, even though I actually have been described in likeness to a primate before (insert sarcasm), this has nothing to do with monkeys. It is about inspiration and finding someone to emulate which can help you get started and visualize your  goals.

My inspiration to get into working out was Tony Gonzalez (Gonzo), an NFL tight end who now plays for the Atlanta Falcons. I'm an avid fantasy football player and back in 2004, Gonzo was my man. Any of you who happen to partake in fantasy football know what I mean.  That guy who produces week after week for your squad and whose name always seems to end up on your roster, year after year.  One could call it a man crush.

So I had just started working out with weights and saw a clip on TV of Gonzo incline pressing 100 lb dumbbells.  At the time I couldn't even come close to putting that kind of weight up, but seeing Gonzo do it inspired me and I told myself that there was no reason why I couldn't do the same thing one day.  This was a major turning point for me because a benchmark was set (pun intended) and I now had a specific goal to work towards.

You Are What You Eat 

This is coming from a guy whose family nicknamed him the "garbage disposal" because of the quantities of food I consumed and the speed at which I did so.  I had to "upgrade" to a deluxe meal plan in college, because two all-you-can eat meals a day at Chapel Hill's Lenoir Dining Hall was not enough. A typical snack for me was a Mrs Freshens honey bun that had been marinating in the vending machine in the basement of Alexander Residence Hall. Now, this strategy worked for me when I was 19; however, in my early 30's, not so much.

One of my favorite cartoons back in the day was GI Joe.  Each episode concluded with a short public service announcement where a GI Joe hero would come across some kid acting a fool and offer expert GI Joe advice.  After being quickly educated in the school of common sense, the kid would enthusiastically mutter "now I know!"  This would then of course cue the GI Joe theme music and the hero responded with the coin phrase "And knowing is half the battle".

Well, call me Cobra Saboteur because I'm rolling with this phrase when it comes to proper nutrition and fitness results. My experience has always been that working out is only half the battle.

When I got serious about working out in my late 20's, I also drastically changed my diet. I'm no nutritionist, but over the years I've found some healthy foods high in protein and low in fat that I like eating, and I stick to them. I throw in a protein bar for a morning snack every day and whey protein shakes after working out.  Once again, a key point here is that I like what I eat and it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that my body will function better as a result.

Stay in Your Lane

This is actually a Dr. Mayes saying that I really like and figured would be appropriate to close with.  For me, this has to do with genetics and body type. Whenever someone compliments me or asks me what I did to get in shape, I always start with giving props to my DNA.  Even before I knew how to spell working out, I had reasonably muscular arms; this came from Ralph Jenkins and Debra Fraley (may they rest in peace), not anything that I did.  On the same token, I had hip surgery at age 13 due to a bone tumor and now face possible knee replacement at age 37 due to severe arthritis in my knees.  So I'm gonna go out on a limb and  proclaim that I'm not an ideal candidate to be a marathon runner.  My body seems to respond well to strength training, and I enjoy it, so that's the lane I've chosen.

I'll leave you with my "after" picture which includes my amazing wife of 10 years!

lis and linc

Note about the author: Many people in town think Linc and Dr. Geno Mayes are brothers (or the same person-ha), but in fact they are only related through marriage. Linc is not only family (his wife runs the IronPT office),  but he has also been a patient from time to time. Even cooler, his arm is featured on the home page. We are thrilled that he has spilled some of his secrets for us and will definitely have him contribute again to share more about his diet and workout.

You're as Flexible as a Tree (POM 6/13)

Patient of the Month: June 2013

Meet Steve....

Not only is Steve our Patient of the Month, but he is also the person we've seen make the most changes toward better health and wellness. Since starting therapy he has purchased a bike (and more importantly a helmet), participated in his first road race, started eating breakfast, and focused on better nutrition.

We are still working on better sleeping habits, but how can Steve rest when he is busy changing the world. He has committed his life to enriching the lives of students and inner city youth, and want to take a minute to honor that amazing work as well.

At this rate, we can hardly wait to see what happens next. Steve, we know your future is bright!!

In his own words....

Occupation: Education

Injury: Hamstrings

Three words to describe me: Ambitious, Gregarious, Dedicated

What brought you to PT? I started going to PT as a preventative measure due to tightness in my hamstrings.

How have you benefitted from your PT experience (physically or mentally)? I have benefited from my PT sessions in different aspects: my hamstrings are stronger and have more range of motion. Also, I have a more confident attitude towards my workouts.

What would you recommend to someone who has the same injury as you? Strongly advise them to reach out to Iron PT and follow the doctor’s orders. You will see immediate improvement and restoration of physical function and fitness level.

Any new goals now that you are feeling better? I look forward to playing soccer on a regular again. My new goal is to sign up for a mud run later this year.

Paleo Diet Review and Gluten Sensitivity

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By Meri Mayes

We had the NYC "Marathon" Recap, so now it's time for the Paleo Diet Review. It wasn't 26.2, but it was 30 days of no sugar, grains, cereals, legumes, or dairy. Almost as hard if you ask me.

Again, my sister Melissa and BFF Kerry joined me on the journey, but I'll just share my personal experience. Because I only committed to the plan for a month, I didn't cheat at all (except a little cream in coffee).

At the end of 30 days, I still hate diets! They make you bingy, irritable, and simply aren't effective when they are too strict. But sometimes the best lessons come when you face the things you dislike most.

Gluten-Free Changed My Life___

As I mentioned in my first post introducing the diet challenge, I have suffered from stomach problems for 20+ years. Then in my 20's, I developed additional autoimmune problems that have only seemed to multiply.

Very shorty after starting Paleo, I noticed that my digestive problems (no need to recite an Activia commercial) started to diminish. About two weeks into the plan, I saw a Dr. Oz show talking about Gluten. I already knew I didn't have Celiac Disease (tested a year ago), but I teared up as I listened to the guest discussing her symptoms and how gluten-free cured them.

Dr. Oz said as many as 20 million Americans could be affected by a gluten sensitivity and not know it. Could I be one of those people? I took the sensitivity test below and sure enough my score indicated an issue.

So What's Next____________________

No one wants to have an intolerance for yummy foods with gluten, but I feel so hopeful that this could be the answer I have been looking for.

Immediately after the 30 days ended (Oct. 31st), I reintroduced dairy and legumes back into my diet. Giving up dairy was actually the hardest part of the plan for me, so I was really scared that along with gluten it might be a problem. After a week, my stomach is still great so I am thrilled. I just can't be convinced that greek yogurt and hummus are not super good for me.

Instead of a "diet", I plan to continue my lifestyle of eating mostly unprocessed foods that provide nutrition and energy. Of course I will be watching my gluten very carefully and only indulging on occasion when I am willing to accept the consequences.

Overall Review_____________________

Overall, I love Paleo's focus on food from nature rather than machines, and I would recommend it for the following reasons:

1. Health - To learn more about the way your body interacts with food. You really are what you eat. Eliminating dairy and gluten alone can give you some great insight. My hair has never been better!

2. Weight Loss - Seems to work very well. I lost 3 pounds even though I was not trying to. Girl likes her curves : ) The other girls also had significant weight loss

3. Maintenance - I would like to do strict Paleo for at least two weeks per year. I think it's a great way to reset your taste buds so you really savor food. We all agreed that sugary things seemed way too sweet after 30 days without any.

Paleo Diet Challenge: Family Style

By Meri Mayes

My sister Melissa never dieted a day in her life!

Personally, I started getting into health and nutrition when I was about 14. Step aerobics was just getting big, and my Uncle Don made my first step out of plywood. I would spend hours in my basement doing videos with Tamilee Webb (remember her) and body builder Cory Everson.

When I was about 16, I remember ordering protein bars from PR Bar before people even knew what those were. Around the same time, I started hitting the local YMCA with my best friend Jill who was kind enough to take me because I didn't have my license yet. We would take all kinds of classes and do a weight circuit in the gym. We were the youngest people there by about 20 years. I rode horses competitively and never played team sports, so this was a whole new world for me.

I also started learning more about nutrition, and there always seemed to be some great new idea out there (nothing has changed in that department). My mom and I were just laughing about those Entenmann's cakes that were all the "low fat" rage in the 90's. I definitely remember limiting high fat, fried or sugary foods and was even known to bring my own salad dressing to restaurants that didn't have healthy options.

This all brings me back to my sister! 

While I was eating carrot sticks and doing aerobics growing up, she was eating Yodels and Twizzlers. She still reminds me that she would get a Whopper everyday for lunch during senior year of high school. You might be waiting for me to say she now weighs 250, but you'd be wrong. She looks amazing and still eats what she wants. Don't get me wrong, she hits the road/gym now and does have a nutritious diet, but the girl has never met a piece of chocolate/candy she didn't like.  When we go out, she can still be found eating a burger and fries. I say...good for her!!!

I bring all of this up to say, I am so glad (and proud) that my sister joined me in this 30-day Paleo challenge. Here's why:

• I needed some accountability. I see my sister almost everyday, and I knew that if she could do it, then I could too.

• I wanted her to experience the power of choice. Everyone should know how it feels to really want something but choose not to have it. It's empowering and also makes you more understanding for the millions of people who make the hard decision to live without unhealthy food, alcohol, cigarettes, you name it.

• Gave her just one more reason to believe she can do anything : )

So we have less than a week left! Let's just say we are counting down til Halloween ; )

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Weight loss to date:

• Kerry - 10lbs

• Lis (my sis) - 4lbs

• Me - 2.5lbs. I have been battling the flu, so the gym has been out of the picture. My sister and I weighed in at exactly the same weight. Fun!

**As mentioned in earlier posts, Lis and I are not aiming to lose weight, but when you can only eat a few things, it's bound to happen.

Paleo Diet vs. Weight Watchers

By Kerry Nordling (BFF of the Mayes and 30-something trying get healthy)

HELLO!! I am proud to be a guest blogger this week at Iron PT and happy to share my story of trying to lose weight and gain a healthy lifestyle. 

Meri and I have been friends for over 30 years, and she has always been a constant support and resource in my quest to be healthy. I’ve not been terribly successful to this point, but we are back on the horse people and trying to make a HUGE change!

My Diet Black Book________________

Unfortunately, I’ve been overweight much of my adult life. I have lost 30 or more pounds three times before:

• once using Weight Watchers when I was about 24;

• once using the South Beach Diet when I was about 28;

• and last summer (2011), I lost 30lbs with calorie counting

All of the weight has come back, either after a matter of months or after a year or two.  I’ve never been able to take it off, and KEEP it off -- the goal for all of us with weight loss in mind!!

The Mountain______________________

So I began my quest for permanent weight loss and health AGAIN in May 2012. I went back to keeping a food journal (myfitnesspal.com is a great resource) and eating approximately 1,200 calories a day (I'm 5'9").

A month later, after virtually no results, I added in a personal trainer (2x a week) and a brand new shiny gym membership! Even though my whole life weight loss has been all about what I eat, not how much I exercise, I know a healthy lifestyle includes both diet AND exercise. 

For four months, I was extremely diligent in my food tracking, eating and exercise.  And NOTHING happened. Literally, nothing. I was hugely discouraged, and I was tired. Tired of eating so little, tired of working out with no results on the scale, tired of feeling like a failure and tired of being HUNGRY. Not a good combination for someone trying to stay positive and make a big lifestyle change!

The Aha!___________________________

I knew what I was doing wasn't working, so I needed to make some changes. I needed it both mentally and physically. So here's what I did:

1. Diet Change - I had been hearing a lot about Paleo and decided I would give it a try. The philosophy made sense for weight loss (i.e., cutting out triggers like sugar and carbs), and I also wanted to see if it improved my chronic IBS and migraines.

2. A trip to the doctor! After eating 1200 calories/day and not losing weight, I had to find out if there was a medical problem. All the blood work from my annual physical was normal, but my friends encouraged me to go to an Endocrinologist to determine if I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects 5-10% of women and is believed to be fundamentally caused by insensitivity to the hormone insulin. As it turns out, I do have PCOS, so this was one of my fundamental problems! Not a diagnosis I wanted, but definitely the explanation I was seeking. I will be starting on medication which should help to correct this, but the Paleo diet helped me lose 8.5 lbs. before any prescription.

Paleo_____________________________

D-day was September 24th...a VERY LONG trip to the grocery store the day before to pack the fridge and pantry with Paleo friendly foods and staples like nuts and oils and fresh fruit and veggies.

Scared out of my gourd, but ready. I was scared as I wasn’t sure I could actually cut dairy, gluten, grains, and sugar out of my diet completely. It seems like an impossible task when first thinking about it, but I can promise you it does get easier once you are into it.

I felt pretty good the first two days, and then the withdrawal from sugar hit me on day 3. I’d felt like I had a really nasty hangover - sluggish and grumpy with a terrible headache, but I knew it would pass.

The good news is that I had ZERO stomach issues the first 2 weeks and no additional headaches. I slept much better than I have in a long time, and I felt like I had more energy.

My weigh-in day is on Friday each week, and I lost 5lbs those first five days, and 3.5lbs the next week. I was in Germany last week for work, and unfortunately could not closely follow the diet plan, but I am back at Paleo as of Sunday10/14.

Moving Forward____________________

So I'm starting the 3rd week of Paleo and although I am not hungry (a VERY good thing!!), the prep is starting to wear me down.  I’d like not to wash what feels like 100 dishes a night and cut 80 fruits and vegetables for the next day, but no dice folks. It’s the way it has to be with this way of life, and if I continue to lose weight like I have and continue to feel as good as I do, then the prep is just a small thing in this quest. 

The hardest thing for me has been giving up my sugary, delicious, Carmel Macchiato each morning. When calorie counting, I used to account for this in daily calories, but it was a big calorie suck, not allowing me to eat as much breakfast as I should have. I now have a regular coffee with a bit of cream and one stevia (natural sweetener from a plant) in my morning coffee.  This is my only caveat to the diet-my only “cheat” if you will with dairy.

I do plan to keep many aspects of Paleo in my diet for the rest of my life. I think I could be nearly gluten free about 90% of the time --  less holidays and special birthdays - let’s not get crazy and say I’ll never eat cake again in my life!  I think I can also limit most sugar as well. After 30 days, dairy will likely be added back in very small doses.

So onwards and upwards…or downwards for those of us trying to lose the pounds for good-ha! The moral of the story is that one size does not fit all. I still think Weight Watchers is an amazing program, but the body changes over time and what works at one time, for one person, won't work all the time.

Good luck with your quest for health!

First week (really 10 days) on Paleo Diet

By Meri Mayes

So we survived our first 10 days on Paleo!

The Players__________________________________

Me, My Sister (Lis), my BFF (Kerry)

The Plan: 30 days on Paleo starting Oct. 1

We have actually stuck to the plan with virtually NO cheating (except for a tablespoon of Half & Half in our coffee)

Rewards_____________________________________________

- More Energy

- No Stomach Aches...pretty amazing (Kerry and I both had problems before Paleo)

- I feel less hungry overall

- Weight Loss - Kerry lost 8.5 lbs in just under 2 weeks, I lost 1.5 lbs in 10 days, and Lis lost 2 lbs in 10 days. Again, Lis and I are not trying to lose weight so we eat nuts and fruit more freely.

Challenges____________________________________________

- You must plan ahead! If you forget to pack your lunch or a snack, it can be difficult to find something that's within the plan

- A few cravings! I miss my greek yogurt and peanut butter. Lis misses her flavored coffee creamer. Ker misses her Starbucks Caramel Macchiato

- It took our digestive track a few days to adjust. We did not have any stomach aches (woohoo), but it did take the old intestines a minute to figure out what was happening.

- Not eating nutritious foods like beans, quinoa, milk seems weird

- Cost of food - if you are not used to eating "fresh" then it would be a big adjustment, but ultimately I think it's about the same because you eat out less

What I Eat___________________________________________

- Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon or a piece of fruit with Almond Butter or handful of nuts

- Lunch: leftover dinner or a salad with avocado, veggies, etc.

- Dinner: Roasted or sautéed veggies with chicken, fish, or lean steak; Curried Something; Soup/Chili; Grilled meat over salad; turkey meatballs; nothing too fancy

- Snacks: Nuts, Fruit, vegetables, A yummy smoothie with frozen berries, a little coconut milk, water, and cinnamon - delish.

Any advice for the next 20 days???

What is the Paleo Diet?

By Meri Mayes (as in Dr. Mayes' wife and business partner)

What is Paleo? Well, I'm about to find out....

The Back Story

I've been into nutrition and exercise for as long as I can remember, but things finally "clicked" about ten years ago. I simply went back to basics -- stopped eating when I was full, limited processed foods (things in bags and boxes), began running and lost 15 lbs for good. NO DIETING and here's why:

Why I've Blacklisted Diets

1. They are extreme! Moderation is my sweet spot in life and diets are extreme -- people walk around drinking green sludge and then go back to a burger and fries. What's the point.

2. They say certain foods are "bad" or evil. I don't believe that.

3. They keep life from being fun and spontaneous

4. They are complicated with rules a mile long

5. They usually don't work long-term

So Why am I Doing Paleo for 30 Days

1. Better Health! I'm not trying to lose weight, but I would like to feel better. I've struggled with "IBS" (whatever that is) and other autoimmune issues (like psoriasis and more) for a long time. I've felt particularly crappy since having my 2nd baby two years ago, so I would love to see if a diet focused on reducing inflammation can actually help me.

2. I've had a really clean diet for a long time, but I've never tried getting rid of sugar. It's a challenge I've always wanted to face.

3. To show support for one of my best friends who is struggling with weight. She just started Paleo, and I'd like to be there in the trenches with her (Keep an eye out for some guest blogs)

4. I noticed most of the Crossfit gyms endorse Paleo

5. We want of offer our patients more nutritional support, and I realize that many people need a program to get started. I'm committed to trying anything that I would ever recommend to someone.

What's the Plan?

I'm going to commit to the Paleo Diet for 30 days!! Notice I've timed it to end the day before Halloween - ha!

Can eat: lean meat, vegees, fruit, nuts, eggs, olive or coconut oil

Can't eat: Dairy, Cereals, Grains, Legumes, Processed Foods, or Sugar : (

Who's In?

My best friend and my sister Melissa; Hubby is out of the picture because he needs all the carbs he can get to fuel all that marathon training.

Wish me luck, and I'll keep you posted on my progress!

_______________________________________________________

Have any of you tried Paleo??

What are some great recipes to get me started?

10 Things I Learned From My 1st Marathon

I've often been asked what I learned from my 1st marathon and how I've adjusted training the second time around. So here are the biggest changes I've made in preparation for NYC 2012:

10. Eat more carbohydrates. I'm a better eater than most thanks to my super health conscious wife, so I typically don't over do it on processed carbs. However, to keep my energy and weight up, I've made an extra effort to get this fuel source as I really feel more pep in my run when I carbo load.

9. Increase hydration. I've made a conscious effort to maintain better hydration whether it's for a 4 mile run or a 20 miler. Preparing proper hydration (i.e., belts, packs, bottles) can be a pain, but it's worth it. Pack your water, Gatorade, GU or whatever you fuel up with and STAY HYDRATED!

8. Weigh In. I now weigh myself before and after long runs. I had lost a few more pounds than anticipated during my previous marathon experience so now I keep better track of this information and replenish fluids and calories accordingly.

7. Strength Train. Be consistent with a full body strengthening routine 2x/week. This time, I'm challenging myself to stay as strong as I was on Day 1.

6. Add a protein shake. Help your muscles repair after that 20 miler with a nice protein boost. As mentioned earlier, it also supports my goal of maintaining muscle mass.

5. Run with a group. I rarely ran with anyone while training for my first marathon, and it was very challenging (and lonely) at times. I've found that running with a group on a regular basis adds more fun to the training process and pushes you to be better!

4. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks. I love feeding my brain while I'm running now. I've enjoyed "reading" and learning on the go.

3. Wear Compression sleeves and socks. I just got some and love 'em. More on that to come.

2. Run with a jogging stoller. I didn't have any kids the first time around, so this is something I've enjoyed adding to my training.  It's a great time to spend with my girls and a good strength workout.

1. Use a GPS watch. I did ok with the Nike + feature on my iPod, but the ease and accuracy of using a GPS watch is great.