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Fartleks and Fat News

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OMG, alliteration.

Thanks for all of your comments to my last post :)

Tuesday morning I set out for my last speed workout before the race this weekend. Coworker John told me to do this:

5-6 pick-ups of 1 minute 30 seconds, with 2 minutes rest in between

Fartleks! I’ve probably done Fartlek workouts only a handful of times, but like most speedwork, just never had the knowledge as to why I should do them more often or regularly. According to coach John, these help with turnover and are a decent workout, but wouldn’t kill me before the race.

I kept the pick-ups at about 7:30-7:45 pace, and it was actually super fun. I didn’t want to die but still felt like I was working. That’s right, I DID A SPEED WORKOUT AND LIKED IT. Wonders never cease. Now the plan is easy running until Sunday, and hopefully I’ll be good to go (fast).

news on fat
In the nutrition world we often talk about the benefits of mono- and polyunsaturated fats (MUFAs an PUFAs) commonly found in foods like avocado, olive and canola oils, wild salmon, sardines and nuts. Eating these types of fats instead of saturated fat (fats found mainly in animal products) can help reduce cholesterol, and some (omega 3’s!) can also reduce inflammation and heart disease risk.

black bean avocado salad – yayyy MUFAs

I’ve always thought saturated fat has its place in the diet and should be eaten in moderation (especially for people at risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.), but exactly how “bad” is it? A recent study looking at cognitive decline and dementia versus fat intake found that people with a diet in high saturated fat were significantly more likely to have memory loss and cognitive decline compared to people with a higher MUFA intake. Granted, this study was conducted on people aged 65 and older (which none of us are, I’m pretty sure), but it’s interesting to see some more evidence showing the type of fat in the diet may be more important than overall fat intake when it comes to the prevention of various diseases and conditions.

grilled salmon salad from Spring Street Natural

For the record, I do think some saturated fat in the diet is ok (especially for runner peoples like a lot of us are) and definitely enjoy cupcakes, 2% Greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, etc. on a regular basis. I just probably wouldn’t tell a middle-aged individual at risk for heart disease, etc. to do the same thing.

Also for the record: I’m still not an RD (but I will be in less than a year. WOOHOO), and the above is based on my opinions and research.

Question: Do you pay attention to the types of fat you eat? Just fat overall? None of the above? Ever do a Fartlek workout?


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