Chasing Kris

I'm trying to reduce the amount of grains I'm eating, mostly to give my body some whole foods that are unprocessed to run on.  This means no cereals, granola bars, toast, etc in the morning.  One tasty treat I've been enjoying lately is a protein smoothie. 8-12 oz Coconut Milk (I like the vanilla flavored because I still crave SWEET) 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 1/2 a Banana 1Tbsp Peanut butter (or Almond) 2 Tbsp Agave (adjust to taste) 2 Tbsp Organic Rice Protein (any protein powder is fine, I like this because it's vegan and very simple) Add enough ice to make it smoothie consistency and blend in a blender or Bullet-type unit. I drink this an hour or so before a run.  It seems to keep my energy flowing, I think it adds some hydration and the protein keeps me from having any blood sugar drops/spikes.  Add some mixed nuts on the side and you've got a great snack!

About a month ago, I started meeting with a new running group to get ready to run the Eureka Schools Foundation (ESF) FundRun .  This is a race to support the Eureka Union School District, and it's a really fun event.  It's a low key, unintimidating community race that offers everything from pancakes for non-runners, a dash for kids, a 5k and a 10k.  Overall, it seems like an approachable venue and an achievable goal. I've run one 10k before, a few years ago.  It was the Shasta Regional Medical Center Turkey Trot in Redding, CA.  I trained for about 4 weeks and ran the distance on sheer determination.  Afterward, my body let me know that it was not happy with the decision.  I had terrible knee pain the last 3 miles of that race, with stabbing pains in the outside of my knee.  My husband, who has a decade more experience running than I, assured me that I was not causing any permanent injury and was very supportive during that race, especially since my stubborn nature enco