With the Easter Holiday coming up, I knew that I wanted to do a post about Easter…tying together running, of course ;). Then, I realized that I had already done one on running like a rabbit. Rather than foregoing a post altogether, I decided to get creative. So, I thought, other than rabbits, what do running and Easter have in common? Four things immediately came to mind: Eggs, chocolate, grass and competition. Allow me to expound…

Eggs

Unbeknownst to some (especially this time of year), eggs are not only good for hard-boiling, sticking in in a pool of food coloring and vinegar and stinking up your house; they are also a great source of protein! According the incredibleedibleegg.org, 1 egg provides 6 grams of protein, which is 12% of what you should have each day.  Research also shows that high-quality protein may help active adults build muscle strength and middle-aged and aging adults prevent muscle loss. Eating eggs following exercise is a great way to get the most benefits from exercise by encouraging muscle tissue repair and grow.

…That makes me want to go on an egg hunt, myself…and then reward myself with an egg sandwich!

Chocolate

Who doesn’t get their fill of chocolate during Easter, with all those Chocolate bunnies and such?! I know I do!

Bahahaha!!!

Although they are delicious, nothing beats chocolate milk! I’d take a tall glass of this, over a Cadbury Egg any day! And, if you have been at any races lately, you may have noticed that many of them are now serving chocolate milk at the finish line! If that doesn’t make you run fast to the finish line, then I don’t know what does! Not only is is DELICIOUS, but it has so many benefits, aiding in recovery. According to chocolatemilk.com, chocolate milk is loaded with carbohydrates and protein, something that depleted muscles need to recover. It also contains WATER, which is imperative in re hydrating after long runs. When compared to other sport drinks such as Gatorade, athletes who drank chocolate milk, recovered quicker.

…So, go get yourself a tall glass of TruMoo, and feel good about it!

Grass

When I think of Easter day festivities, I think of kids running through freshly grown, green grass. They are moving from egg to egg with the greatest of ease. Have you ever thought of all the wonderful benefits that running in the grass has? According to runnersworld.com, running in the grass helps to stabilize your muscles, as you are running on soft, uneven ground as opposed to hard surfaces. It also lessens the impact on your body decreasing the likelihood of injury. One of my favorite benefits, is the fact that you are forced, somewhat, to go slower, as running on the grass doesn’t make for fast times. Oftentimes when I am on the road, I worry about my pace. When I am on the grass, I relax. Just the other day, in fact, I ran laps around the soccer field at my husband’s school. It felt so good! And I was fully recovered from a hard work-out the day before.

…So, get off the pavement, on to some grass! Who knows, you might be frolicking by the end…and who doesn’t love a good frolic?

Last, but not least, Competition

Now, as mentioned in the “grass” section, children running from egg to egg is a beautiful sight. BUT, everyone knows that no child is happy with one, two, or even ten eggs. They want them ALL! Even in my little egg hunt I held with my preschool class, there were some kids who had somewhat of a competitive edge (mine being among those 😉 ).

Some may think that competition is bad. I think that everyone needs to have some competitiveness in order to get through this life…or at least through a 5k ;)…If you’re not competing with others, compete with yourself and try to better what you did last time.

…a good dose of competition never hurt anyone :).