10 Power Foods to Fuel Your 5K Training

Well, we inched up the mileage on you a little bit last week ... could you feel it? Hopefully you're getting into a good running groove as the Dominick Calhoun 5k draws near. Are you eating the right foods to fuel your workouts? We've prepared a list of 10 foods to power you through your workouts:

1. Almonds - an excellent source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant many of us fall short on because there are so few sources of it.
2. Eggs - the protein in eggs contain all the crucial amino acids your hard-working muscles need to promote recovery.
3. Sweet Potatoes - Just a single 100-calorie sweet potato supplies over 250 percent of the DV for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant.
4. Whole-Grain Cereal with Protein - Look for whole-grain cereals that offer at least five grams of fiber and at least eight grams of protein. If you pour on a cup of milk or soy milk, you'll get 30 to 40 percent of your protein needs in one bowl.
5. Oranges - Oranges supply over 100 percent of the DV for the antioxidant vitamin C and alleviate some muscle soreness from exercising.
6. Black Beans - One cup provides 30 percent of the DV for protein, almost 60 percent of the DV for fiber (much of it as the cholesterol-lowering soluble type), and 60 percent of the DV for folate, a B vitamin that plays a key role in heart health and circulation.
7. Mixed Salad Greens - Rather than selecting one type of lettuce for your salad, choose mixed greens. Each variety offers a unique blend of phytonutrients that research suggests may fend off age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
8. Salmon - Besides being an excellent source of high-quality protein (you get about 30 grams in a four-ounce serving), salmon is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fats. These essential fats help balance the body's inflammation response, a bodily function that when disturbed appears to be linked to many diseases including asthma.
9. Chicken - Along with protein, chicken contains selenium, a trace element that helps protect muscles from the free-radical damage that can occur during exercise, and niacin, a B vitamin that helps regulate fat burning during exercise.
10. Frozen Mixed Berries - The colorful compounds that make blueberries blue, blackberries deep purple, and raspberries a rich shade of red are called anthocyanins--a powerful group of antioxidants that may help stave off Alzheimer's disease and some cancers.

And here we are at week 3 ... think strong! You can do this! Be sure you write your training plan on your appointment calendar:

Please consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

• Day 1: Run 30 Minutes
• Day 2: Cross Train - Spinning, Aerobics Class, Strength Training, Elliptical, Swimming, etc. Cross training should be aerobic in nature but low impact on the body.
• Day 3: Run 20 Minutes
• Day 4: Cross Train
• Day 5: Rest/Stretch - consider a Yoga class
• Day 6: Run 3 Miles
• Day 7: Rest/Stretch

Again, just a few minor tweaks to last weeks training plan. Please modify this plan to include walking or walk/run combination if you need to.

Check back for week 4's training plan. Positive thoughts only while you run and keep up the great work!!!

Remember to register for the Dominick Calhoun 5k follow the ChildHelp link. Race is April 21st, registration begins at 730am and race starts at 915am.