Bike century completed!

It's over. I rode 100 miles (actually 102.8 miles; I'll explain more later) on Saturday in the Granite State Wheelmen's weekend of bike rides.

I trained all summer, following a century plan from Bicycling magazine. It worked! Each week I increased the miles I rode, until I rode 70 miles - two weekends in a row! It's a lot less stress on my body to ride a bike compared to running, and overall I felt great during the training.

But my worst fears were realized when it started raining the minute I rolled out of the starting area. We started in Hampton Beach, NH, and first rode south into Massachusetts in drizzle. Not too bad.

Then we headed north along the coast, through Portsmouth (where it poured) and up into Maine (where it continued to pour). The scenery would have been beautiful if I could see it! There's no way to stay dry, and no way to see through rain-drenched sunglasses. Luckily, the last 2 hours it stopped raining and was much more enjoyable.

The cue sheet said the ride was 102 miles. What's an extra 2 miles when you've already ridden 100? But I threw in almost one more mile due to missing a couple of turns and backtracking. All part of the day's fun, and now I can say I rode MORE than 100 miles in one day!

A big thanks to Bill and Kathy. Bill's an old hand at endurance biking (and running) events, and this was also Kathy's first century. I rode almost the whole way with them, and owe them my heartfelt gratitude for showing me hidden potties, giving me a poncho during the worst of the rain, making sure I didn't get lost, and staying positive throughout the entire ride.

If you've never biked, give it a try. These rides aren't races; they're mostly a bunch of folks out for a good time, some fresh air and exercise, and hanging with like-minded people. You don't have to ride a full 100 miles, either. Events usually have 25, 50, and 75 mile routes as well.

So now I've run marathons, sprint triathlons, and a bike century. What's next?
Lynn

Top 10 worst foods

A colleague posted a question on a dietitian listserve today, asking for input on the top 10 best, and top 10 worst foods.

That got me thinking: how do you choose the very worst foods? What criteria do you use? Some people chose foods that are high in stuff we know is bad for us: saturated fat (as in whole milk and whole fat cheeses), trans fatty acids (in crispy snack foods and many processed foods), food colors and dyes (how do they make those foods glow-in-the-dark blue, anyway?), mercury (in some types of ocean fish, especially swordfish, king mackerel, and shark).

But what about all the things that are OK in moderation? Sugar and salt, for example. Reasonable amounts of sweeteners and salt aren't going to hurt the vast majority of us, but how much is too much? Who gets to decide? Are Twinkies too high in sugar? What about deep-fried Twinkies that you can get at many county fairs? I grew up eating Twinkies on a regular basis, and so far I'm OK. But I've never tried a deep-fried Twinkie, so who knows?

Back in the days before scientists told us on a regular basis what to eat and what to avoid, people just used common sense. We ate three regular meals; I don't know anyone when I was a kid who skipped breakfast, and you could hear all the moms yelling "dinner time" starting at 5:30pm. There was little to no snacking, or if we did snack, it was on fruit, cereal, or crackers. Twinkies weren't a snack at my house; they were dessert with lunch. My sister and I shared a package; we each had one Twinkie. Eating out was a treat, not a daily occurence. Using a vending machine was a big event, not something you did for lunch rushing back to work.

My personal feeling is that if we used some commonsense about eating, it would be better for all of us. What if we only eat one of the worst foods, say pork rinds (I don't even WANT to know what goes into those things), once a year. Is that a horrible thing? Can we eat them once every 6 months? Monthly? I think most people would agree that eating them on a daily basis, especially if they take the place of foods we know are good for us - fruit, veggies, whole grains - is a bad idea. But where do you draw the line?

My feeling: avoid lists of best and worst foods. Figure out what makes the most sense to you, based on your health history and personal food preferences. Then eat, enjoy your meals, and get outside for some fresh air.

But I still think I'll avoid the deep-fried Twinkie.

Lynn

I'm on the Today show!

What a whirlwind the past week has been!

First I had a call from the folks at iVillage.com where I'm the Healthy Eating Expert at www.iVillage.com/diet about a possible spot on the Today show. NBC purchased iVillage recently, and now they're able to share content with other NBC platforms. They wanted info on Top 10 Diet Mistakes Women Make. I hear these all the time from women I work with, women on the message boards, and of course in the research.

The next thing I know I'm on the train to NYC. My hotel was right next to Rockefeller Plaza, where the MTV video awards were being held. Lots of security, lots of people; there's always something exciting going on in the city.

Friday morning I went to the NBC studios, met the iVillage folks in the green room (it's really a lot smaller than I expected it would be), and went in for hair and make-up. They told me they'd make me look like a princess, and I think they accomplished it. When I watched the tape, I couldn't believe that was really me!

Everyone from the producer, pages, sound guys, camera crew, and Ann Curry who interviewed me were wonderful. The Today show is shot outside this summer while they renovate their studio, and the crowds were huge! Jessica Simpson gave an outdoor concert, which drew lots of people. Two ladies even asked me for my autograph, and I ran into a woman I know from back home. Who would've thought it?

All I can say is the whole day was a lot of fun. Ann Curry was funny and inquisitive, I felt like I was talking with one of my clients instead of in front of millions of people (good thing I couldn't see them all!), and it was over in a flash.

I was on the show on Friday, September 1st, in a segment on the top 10 diet mistakes. You can search for it at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

September certainly started off with a bang!

Lynn