Mayor's Half Marathon Anchorage

Anchorage Half Marathon:  Good things!

Two days before the races we did our last run in the early morning Anchorage daylight.

Marathon runners were bused to their start, on the east side of the city.

Don, post-race, always looks fresh and happy.  Note that huge finisher's medal.

Short sleeved technical shirts for finishers

Half marathon medals were good too.

The marathon race course was well marked with orange signs.

An adequate expo

Pleasant music, no deafening rock 'n roll.

Sweet Pea spotted an eagle on the course.

More than four hundred Team-in-Training runners for Leukemia Lymphomia, from Los Angeles to Georgia to Nation's Capital, ran in the marathon and half marathon.
The sea of purple at the start, with home cities printed on the back of shirts, moved me to tears.

Hurrah for volunteers, especially this delightful person who assured us that she always saves some cold watermelon for the last runners to come in.  What a precious person!

Kids at the finish!

Views of snowy mountains at the finish to reminded us that this was really Alaska, Don's 45th state.

Signs on Lakefront Trail, Chicago

Please note that those rest rooms are not open for 6 AM runners/walkers, even in June.

Also notice delightful restoration going on.

13 miles along Lakeshore Drive and the Chicago River

Monday, June 4, 6 AM

Millenium Park, Chicago

Last Saturday afternoon in Millenium Park:  No admission charge

Gluten free ... PS

Several years ago we purchased a gluten free bread product from this company (below).  We didn't happen to use it for our guests who were eating "gluten free", so  it went unused.  For two years it sat on a shelf in our basement.  It didn't spoil. It didn't rot. It didn't mold.  No insects took an interest in it. The bread remained intact on the shelf for TWO YEARS.  I am suggesting that such a product is not real food.

For what it is worth, this is the label for a gluten free cake mix.  Great ingredients?!

Sweet pea spotted this owl on yesterday's early morning walk.

This is the trail.  What a delightful sign this is for walkers and runners!  We "travel."

An alternative to stuff in a box:  a fresh fruit bowl topped with organic low fat yogurt (sweetened by the fruit).

Gluten Free Junk Food

For decades we were the eaters of whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole grain crackers and chips. Going gluten free four and a half years ago made finding whole grain products much more complicated. These are some labels from our kitchen. I'm not particularly proud of having purchased some of them.

Food products with many more "starch" ingredients can be found on the grocery shelves in stores. My main point in all of this is: "STARCH" is NOT food!

Nice to know there are no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, but there isn't much real food in this product.
White rice flour and sweet rice flour are pretty much devoid of nutrients or fiber.

And this "whole grain" bread....
 How in the world can it be whole grain with all those "starches"?
 Beats me!

Each of the next 3 labels indicate a soy ingredient.
I question the wisdom of feeding soy to children.

Now how about some real food?
The next three are pasta, cereal, chips:
Whole Grain, NO STARCH

Check this out. Perhaps the prize of all: Whole Grain Quinoa, the grain that has all the amino acids for complete protein, gluten free. Quinoa is easy to cook, versatile to incorporate in meals, nutritious and tasty and gluten free. And of course, oatmeal.....

There is real food that does not come in a package with an ingredient list. I like the idea of food that grows on a plant, not food that is manufactured in a plant.
We eat vegetables, fruit, lean meat (including chicken, turkey, fish). This amazing plate of left-overs includes, chicken with homemade cajun sauce, squash, green beans, spinach with quinoa and organic mustard and a strawberry for garnish.