Princess Health andH+P Athlete Spotlight: Mike Piazza.Princessiccia

Princess Health andH+P Athlete Spotlight: Mike Piazza.Princessiccia

Gusty 16:00 Add Comment

He's competitive, he's driven, he's hungry for more....he's H+P's very own Italian Stallion.  In today's edition of H+P Spotlight, we talked to Mike Piazza.  

H+P: You have seen some huge improvements over the last few years, including taking almost 20 minutes off your half marathon. What were the big changes in your training that lead to this development? 

MP: The biggest change I think would have to be the interval group. When I got back into running years ago I would do some intervals on my own but they don�t compare to the intervals I do now. The motivation and encouragement of everyone who comes out and trying to push myself to keep up with the runners faster than me I think has contributed the most to my improvement. Another factor would be getting in my long run every weekend. In the past I would regularly push those back and eventual skip them, but having the group

to run with now makes them enjoyable.

H+P: What recent race results are you most-satisfied with? What happened at these events? 

MP: The race result that I am most-satisfied with would have to be the Nutrience Oakville Half Marathon last fall. I felt going into this race that I was at the peak of my training for the season. Leading up to the race I wasn�t sure if I was going to taper before it or use the race as a training run for my full marathon the following month. I ended up cutting back my mileage slightly that week and doing my usual race prep for the couple days leading up to the race. I also focused a lot on my nutrition for the week and couple days before the race. The race itself could not have gone better for me. It was a chilly morning and I had told myself I would go out at a comfortable pace and then see how I felt when I hit the only real hill at the 7km mark, instead of going out hard the first couple kms like I usually do. When I got to the hill I felt great and pushed the pace up it a little bit and then kept it steady the rest of the race. Coming into the last km I could see a few other runners in reach and I told myself I would catch them. I ended up finishing with a sprint finish, passing those couple runners, and a low 1:26, which was a personal best by 16 minutes. I felt I gave everything I had during that race and I was very satisfied when I checked my splits after and saw that they were consistent. 

H+P: You are currently pursuing a PhD in biochem. Does your background in science help you with training and other components to running performance? How so? 

 MP: I would say it has helped with other components of running, mostly with my nutrition. Knowing what it takes
to fuel your body and how to maintain your energy through a long race has certainly helped me become better. Also my strong background in research that I have acquired through my studies has been quite beneficial. Its helped in reading through various articles on running training and nutrition and being able to understand what is correct or not.

H+P: Anybody who knows you well is certainly aware that you are a competitive person- where does this drive come from? 

MP: I think this stems from always wanting to be the best, haha. Growing up playing sports I always had a competitive nature and I always wanted to win. These days that competiveness has transferred to all aspects of my life. I like to think that if someone else can do something I can also. Translating this over to running makes me work harder, whether it�s during a race or a practice, I�m always competing against the person running alongside me. I think this competitive nature improves my running ability and makes me faster. Plus a little competition never hurt anyone. 

H+P: Outside of competition, what else motivates you to keep training so hard day in and day out? 

MP: The biggest thing would have to be the feeling I get after a hard interval practice or long run. Not many things are better than the runners high I get after that. Running has also helped me get into pretty good shape, and I want to stay that way, haha. 

H+P: We also know that you used to be involved with competitive running in your highschool days.

What forces dragged you away from the sport, and then what eventually brought you back? 

MP: I ran cross country first year university also and then that winter I had a bad knee injury while playing hockey which left me unable to run for about 5 months. After taking that time off it was tough to get back into running on my own, while also having fun in school. I would always run on my own but nothing serious or competitive. I got more serious about running when a few of my good friends from home asked if I wanted to train for a marathon with them in 2010. After having an absolutely terrible run I decided I wanted to get back into running more serious. Also being able to run as part of a group and having others motivate you to run on days where you just don�t feel like going out has helped immensely. 

H+P: It must have been a long road working back into a level of running fitness you were happy with- describe that process. What helped you fight through those tough times to get where you are now? 

MP: It has been a long road back and I feel like I�m almost where I used to be. Mind you back when I was running competitively in high school I had faster 5 and 10km times but I don�t think I could run the longer races like I do now which are what I really enjoy. Knowing in the back of my mind that I had run like that before and with enough hard work I could get there again has been a big factor in helping through some tough times. And of course being pushed by others in the group and racing with friends has helped a lot. 

H+P: What personal best(s) are you most focused on taking down? Are those races in the plans for next year?

MP:  My personal best for the full marathon is what I�m most focused on this year. I really want to qualify for Boston and run sub 3 hours. I plan running another marathon in May, either the Mississauga or Toronto Goodlife. I also want to PB at the 30km Around the Bay race this year. Last year I had run it coming off an injury and couldn�t train very well for it, I�m hoping there are no excuses this year. Another PB I want to set is for the 5km. I�ve never broken 20 min in a race, although I�ve run sub 20 5k pace while breaking 40 min

in some 10km races.

H+P: What's it like being Nazem Kadri's older brother? 

MP: Haha, I have gotten this quite a bit. I don�t know if it�s because people know I play hockey and am a Leafs fan or if I do look like him. Whatever the reason, hearing the comments have been a lot of fun.

Princess Health and Free e-Book and Ideal Weight Program 2.0 Announcement. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Free e-Book and Ideal Weight Program 2.0 Announcement. Princessiccia

diet overweight real food

Gusty 06:00 Add Comment

I'm happy to announce that we're releasing a free e-book titled Why do We Gain Fat, and How do We Lose it? An Introduction to the Science of Body Fat, by Dan Pardi and myself. This is a slimmed-down version of the longer, fully referenced e-book we offer as part of the Ideal Weight Program. In it, we provide a succinct overview of the science of body fat gain and loss, and the evidence base for our program.  It also contains a schematic that ties together the various concepts in visual form. You can download it from the Dan�s Plan site by following this link to our program overview page.

Ideal Weight Program 2.0 Upgrades

Over the last year, Dan and I have been working hard to improve the Ideal Weight Program, both in response to user feedback and our own ideas for development.  Here are some of the new features we offer in 2014:

1. Four-week meal plans and shopping lists for the FLASH diet and the Simple Food Diet, as requested by Ideal Weight Program users.  This is in addition to the recipes and cooking guides we already provide.  
2. The Protein Unit system.  Research suggests there's an optimal amount of protein for appetite control and fat loss, depending on your height, weight, gender, and physical activity level.  Our fat loss diets are high in protein, but how do you know you're getting the right amount?  We've created a calculator that does it for you automatically, and explains how to apply your personalized Protein Unit value easily and intuitively using real food. 
3. Diet plates.  These are visual guides to following our diets, based loosely on the intuitive USDA MyPlate design.  
4. Cheat sheets.  Put these on your fridge to remind yourself of your diet and lifestyle guidelines, and daily protein unit goal.
5. Updated guidance.  We've refined a few things in the diet guidance documents. 

At a time of year when many people want to shed excess holiday pounds and start down a leaner, healthier path, we offer the Ideal Weight Program 2.0.  The program comes with a 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy so you can try it without risk.  We think you'll love this program, but if it doesn't work for you, we're happy to refund your purchase price. 

Financial disclosure: I receive a portion of the revenue from the sale of the Ideal Weight Program.  I do not receive revenue from the sale of other products associated with Dan's Plan or the Ideal Weight Program (such as the Fitbit, cooking tools, and other programs).

Princess Health andH+P Athlete Spotlight: Dave Rutherford.Princessiccia

Princess Health andH+P Athlete Spotlight: Dave Rutherford.Princessiccia

Gusty 18:02 Add Comment

In the first edition of H+P Athlete Spotlight, we had the opportunity to sit down and interview (i.e. chat over Facebook) the legendary Dave Rutherford (aka @ENDURdave, aka Doritos Dave).  Dave has had a diverse and extremely successful tenure in endurance sports.  From duathlons and marathons, to the ENDURrun and trail races, he seems to have done it all at a high level.  Not only this, but he does it all while not being afraid to indulge in his favourite Starbucks source of caffeine+sugar and occasional* bag of Doritos.  Here's what he had to say:

 

H+P: How long have you been running for? 

DR: About 11 years now, Started out more focused on Duathlon but quickly found I was a much better runner than cyclist.

H+P: When did you first realize: You know what, I am going to push the envelope here and see how far I can push my limits?

DR: I came in about 364 out of 700 in my first Duathlon (The Brick, now Victoria's, in 2003). I had no clue what I was doing but I was hooked. I saw how I could improve in so many ways. That appealed to both my analytical and competitive sides.

H+P: You've competed in an array of very challenging races. What is the toughest race experience you've ever had? What happened? 

DR: Probably the ENDURrun Sport in 2008. By 2007 I thought I was ready to take on the ENDURrun which I'd watched in awe from afar for several years. The first step I decided would be to tackle the last three days of it, the Sport. I had a great first two stages and then my worst marathon ever. Like my first Du I realized how much I didn't know. I learned so much and got a solid sense for what and how I would need to improve in my training to tackle the Ultimate week long event and came back in '09 to run the full week and PB'd the marathon on the last day.

H+P: There are so many different distances, terrains and ways to race these days- what type of race do you excel at? What type of race is your greatest weakness? 

DR: My results show I do well in season long event series (Subaru ODS '07 Age Group win, OUS 50K Challenge Cup '12 win) and stage events like the ENDURrun at which I've always finished strong. My weakness is definitely the standalone marathon, where I have always under-performed from what race comparative number crunching says I should be able to hit time-wise.

H+P: You're a very knowledgeable runner who is constantly tweaking your training to achieve different goals. Were you ever surprised by how much one form of training (i.e. adding more mileage, adding intervals) changed your performance? Was there ever a type of training that ended up not giving you the results you expected? 

DR: Surprised? Definitely. I think the key is varied training. When I started I was running training 10K's at the same pace that I could race them. Basically plateaued in my first year of racing. Then I learned to apply two main overarching and co-dependent training themes. Number one is run slower in training to race faster, and number two is run faster in training to race faster. I started to apply those themes day over day, week over week, and across the calendar year and was amazed at the near immediate improvements and I'm still setting PB's a decade later. The only type of training that I have found that does not deliver results is unfocused, inconsistent training - nothing can or should be expected. I don't mean having every day planned out, but at a minimum I need to have an overall structure to a season, with key races and workouts (rough build up plan, long runs, and big blocks) penciled in.
 
H+P: What made you decide to join H+P? What's your favourite thing about the group? 

DR: My reasons to join H+P were many. Probably the biggest was just to keep my training fresh. Joining H+P got me out of a couple of comfort zones by adding in group training and evening training. As I typically fill in my detailed training more on a day to day basis, H+P fits perfectly as it gives me a couple of workouts a week to let a coach sort the details for the session. It's fun to just show up, hear the workout, and hammer. It is also awesome to have people to both chase and push with friendly competition and encouragement. I am inspired by each teammate, regardless of their speed, who is out pushing their own limits and comfort zones.

H+P: What are the big goals for 2014?
   
DR: My big goal for 2014 is to not run a marathon or ultra... Seriously, though, and more positively stated, I'm going to focus on "shorter" races, 5K-30K. I'll keep a mix of road and trail. I'll be gunning for a Half marathon PB in the Spring and/or Fall. I'll take another run at sub 38 10K at the Classic in June. I expect to have fun with that and the other races in the Battle of Waterloo & Waterloo Running Series along with a few other favourites like Around the Bay and the Phlox Run 25K Trail race with my teammates and other local running friends.

H+P: Are the rumors of you being sponsored by Doritos true?

DR: No Doritos sponsorship yet but will launch a Fall consumption campaign again next year!

Princess Health and Does the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Food Influence Our Food Intake and Body Fatness?. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Does the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Food Influence Our Food Intake and Body Fatness?. Princessiccia

diet overweight

Gusty 03:00 Add Comment

The Claim: We Overeat Because Our Diet is Low in Vitamins and Minerals

We know that animals, including humans, seek certain properties of food. Humans are naturally attracted to food that's high in fat, sugar, starch, and protein, and tend to be less enthusiastic about low-calorie foods that don't have these properties, like vegetables (1). Think cookies vs. plain carrots.

In certain cases, the human body is able to detect a nutritional need and take steps to correct it. For example, people who are placed on a calorie-restricted diet become hungry and are motivated to make up for the calorie shortfall (2, 3). People who are placed on a low-protein diet crave protein and eat more of it after the restriction is lifted (4). Humans and many other animals also crave and seek salt, which supplies the essential minerals sodium and chlorine, although today most of us eat much more of it than we need to. At certain times, we may crave something sweet or acidic, and pregnant women are well known to have specific food cravings and aversions, although explanations for this remain speculative. Research suggests that certain animals have the ability to correct mineral deficiencies by selecting foods rich in the missing mineral (5).

These observations have led to a long-standing idea that the human body is able to detect vitamin and mineral (micronutrient) status and take steps to correct a deficit. This has led to the secondary idea that nutrient-poor food leads to overeating, as the body attempts to make up for low nutrient density by eating more food. In other words, we overeat because our food doesn't supply the micronutrients our bodies need, and eating a micronutrient-rich diet corrects this and allows us to eat less and lose body fat. These ideas are very intuitive, but intuition doesn't always get you very far in biology. Let's see how they hold up to scrutiny.

Read more �

Princess Health and Food Reward Friday. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Food Reward Friday. Princessiccia

Gusty 03:00 Add Comment

This week's lucky "winner"... peanut M + M's!!!

Read more �

Princess Health and Vegan Chocolate Rolls. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Vegan Chocolate Rolls. Princessiccia

Gusty 09:32 Add Comment

This is a traditional Hungarian pastry, the original name, "Kaka�s csiga" would mean Cocoa Snail, getting its name of the shape which resembles the shape of a shell. Made this time with healthy, and only vegan ingredients. If you like chocolate, then this pastry will become one of your favorites, I promise!

Ingredients:
- 100 gsm coconut butter
- 400 gsm flour (I used 200 gsm wholegrain spelt and 200 gsm white spelt)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 50 gsm xylitol
- 150 gsm soy yogurt
- 150 ml rice milk
- dash of sea salt

The filling:
- 100 gsm xylitol
- 1 heaped tablespoon plain cocoa powder (or more if you want a stronger chocolate taste)

1. Melt the coconut butter over steam - set aside 3 tablespoons for later
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xylitol, salt, then add the melted and slightly warm coconut butter, the yogurt and the milk. Work them together, knead for a while, until the dough becomes consistent and easy to work with, as we want to roll it out and make a rectangular shape.
3. Roll it out and make a rectangular shape, around 1/2 inch thick.
4. Spread the 3 tablespoons of melted coconut butter over it, and then evenly distribute the cocoa powder - xylitol mixture.
5. Roll it up slowly, then cut it with a sharp knife in 1.5-2 inch slices and lay them in a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Mix 3 tablespoons of rice milk with 2 tablespoons of xylitol and spread the mixture over the rolls.
7. Place the tray in a 220 degrees Celsius oven and bake them for about 20-25 minutes.
8. After ready, take them off the tray while still warm a bit, to avoid sticking to the paper.

Enjoy! :)

Princess Health andRegistration and team schedule for 2014.Princessiccia

Princess Health andRegistration and team schedule for 2014.Princessiccia

Gusty 09:21 Add Comment

Hello H+P friends!  It's hard to believe another year has gone by.  We are very excited for an even better year of training and excellent performances with the team in 2014!

Our goal from the start has been to develop a fun training group that also includes the highest quality workouts and coaching.  At the same time, wanted to make sure it was accessible to everybody.  That is why we started this off as a free group, and it has been an incredible experience since the beginning.

With the growth of the H+P in the past year, a number of ideas and financial demands have popped up in order to keep the group running smoothly and successfully.  Because of this, we are going to ask for a small club fee for 2014.  Don't worry, it's cheap- cheaper than entering ONE race:

Before Feb 1st, 2014			After Feb 1st, 2014
Student - $20	Adult- $30	Family- $60	Student- $30	Adult- $40	Family- $80

This small amount of money that we gain from this will help us to do a number of little things that we wanted to do this year.  For instance, buying more sidewalk chalk for the summer TT and having more apparel on hand for when people request something (I think Brendan has been waiting for his shirt for 6 months now haha).  The money will be spent on making the club better for everybody in small ways, all year around.

Just to make sure the group remains awesome, there WILL be benefits to joining.  Actually, some might say that you will make money by joining.  Our goal is to make the club more than just a "good deal," but an amazing experience for everybody.  With your membership, you will get:

Membership Benefits (2014)

• Access to all outdoor cycling and running workouts with coaching for the entire 2014 year
• Your own membership card
• An optional online profile on the H+P website
• Team discounts at select Waterloo Running Series events (and others such as Road2Hope)
• Team discounts at Runners' Choice Waterloo (20% off footwear, apparel and accessories, 10% off electronics and nutrition products)
• Team discounts at McPhail's Cycle and Sport (15% off parts and accessories)
• Free entry to the H+P summer TT
• Prizes from our sponsors at events such as pre-runs and socials
• A FREE injury assessment card (up to $75 value) from Dr. Sean Delanghe at Price Chiropractic and Fitness
• The best training environment EVER 

So there you have it!  We are looking forward to making 2014 even better than the last.  Thank you all so much for your support along the way.  

If you would like to register, click HERE.

Team Schedule (2014)

February 23rd: The Re-Fridgee-8er (race #1 of the Battle of Waterloo)

March 30th: Around the Bay

June 15th: The Waterloo Classic (race #2 of the Battle of Waterloo)

June 21st/22nd: Guelph Lake 1 triathlon/duathlon

July 28th: H+P Summer TT

August 10th: ENDURrun 
*We will be putting together a competitive male and female team with our best runners.  There will also be at least one fun team.  Of course, there is always the option to do the entire thing yourself!

September 12-14th: Centurion Cycling Blue Mountains (50 or 100M race)

October 19th: The Oktoberfest Run(Race #3 of the Battle of Waterloo)

December 13th: The Santa Pur-Suit

Now, time to lay down some base training!