Hello,
I am Zoner since a long time, Susan knows me. I live in Belgium and I am marathoner. I always follow Dr Sears advices concerning eating before the race and always succeed, and do my best times. Last Year, I run the Eindhoven marathon within 3:20:57 and now I am 50.
So for my 50th birthday, I will be in New-York by airplane on October 30th for running the New-York City Marathon.
Is there someone who Can help me to find zone foods to eat before the marathon. I always eat 4 blocks cooked oatmeal with 8 white eggs and some olive oil, but at the hotel, it is not possible to have it. How can I do ?
I have so many hopes for this marathon that I prepare since 2 years now.
Can you give me some addresses where to find zone meals in New-York ? My hotel will be next to Time Square.
Please, please, help me !
Martha

Hi Martha!


It's so good to hear form you again!

The race is getting close!

My daughters and my nephew have all run the NYC Marathon before (two of them ran it more than once). You'll love it. It's so much fun!

The breakfast food on race day should be no problem. I have a great idea for you! I've cooked oats in a small thermos (its explained in one of the Zone books). All you need is oats, a thermos and boiling water. If you bring the dry oats and a small thermos, the hotel or a nearby restaurant can give you the boiling water (there are tons of restaurants there). The night before, put the boiling water in the thermos with the oats, place the cap on the thermos and in the morning you have cooked oats. You could try it at home a few times befor ryou leave, to see how you like it. Eggwhites will not be a problem. Most every restaurant that serves breakfast will make you egg whites only, as many as you ask for, and just about every restaurant has olive oil. You could even buy a small bottle of olive oil when you get to NYC in case the restaurant you go to doesn have it (olive oil is in every grocery store).

Have a great time!

Good luck for the Marathon!

Hi Susan,
I am very glad to hear of you, too ! Great tips : I am trying it this evening and tomorrow morning, I will see how it works. For the restaurant, I don't know if there is someone open very early in the morning, because I will be gone at 6 ! If not, I will find egg whites omelette in the evening before ! I would also buy a little olive oil. The first time I come in New-York it was in 1999, before September 11th (it is my birthday !), there was some GNC store. Hope I will find Dr Sears bars !

You are wonderful, Susan, always here to help someone !
Cheers,
Martha

You're welcome! I don't think you'll have a problem finding restaurants open.

Dr. Sears Zone Bars aren't sold in stores. They're only sold by Zone Labs, online or over the phone. Here's a big caution, a warning! :-) There are bars with the name ZONE sold in stores here that look like they are the real Dr Sears Zone bars but they're not! The name on those bars are Zone Perfect. Please watch out for those and don't be tricked into thinkng they are the real Zone bars, even if they look like balanced P, C and F. If you do buy those, DON'T eat any until after the marathon because most people can't stay in the Zone when eating them. They're not. They could really mess up how you feel and how you run.

Have fun in NYC (my oldest daughter lives there)!

In case you're intersted, here's the race she just ran a few weeks ago (The Nike Hood to Coast Relay): http://www.hoodtocoast.com/

Sue

Sue, you are so funny! You make it sound like Zone Perfect bars are evil!

Martha, I think it is wise for you to know that they are not the same thing as the Zone Labs bars that are sold online. I don't know what you are using, if anything, but just so you are aware. However, they are not a bad product.

Just curious, but do you eat any bars at all? If so, maybe you should just bring them along.

Good luck with the marathon!

Jenny,they would likely be detrimental for Martha considering her history, similar to if she decided to eat candy bars. It's not a laughing matter. I've experienced a couple people getting into some very rough situations during a race because they changed dietary strategies the week of the race. For many years, Martha and I have been discussing her Zone dietary support for her training and for the events (marathons). She's found the winning combination (actually she found it a few years ago) and it wouldn't be a good idea for her to start experimenting with new foods at this point in her training for this event, especially once she's in the tapering stages the week prior to the marathon when she arrives in NY. Martha's greatly improved her running times in the past few years with Zone dietary strategies.

Just curious, but why are you addressing me as Jenny?

BTW, I was not recommending that Martha go and eat a bunch of bars! Especially if she is not used to eating bars, it would not be wise for her to change her eating habits before a big race like that.

Hello Susan, Hello Cranberrycat,

Several times, I bought Dr Sears bars online. But due to the expensive shipping costs, I stopped to order. I believed that I will find them easily in New-York City. Happily, I bought some snacks in Italy, the compagny which make zone pasta, Enervit. They have snacks that are very balanced. I will try to bring them with me, or I will contact The Dr Sears shops to know if they deliver in New-York at my hotel. I don't know if it is possible.
The Zone Perfects bars, I know them, because I was connected with Zone Perfect website before the official Dr Sears' one.

I have forgotten yesterday evening to test the thermos thing (long workout - I was late at home). I will test this this evening.
Thank you Susan and Cranberry Cat for your help.

You're welcome Martha!

Re "Jenny", you explained in a post here that your real name is Jenny.

Sue,
Hmmm, didn't think that was in this thread, and I commonly sign my posts as Cranberrycat. I do that because it is easier for people to know who they are talking to. Jenny is a common name, but there is only one Cranberrycat--LOL!

Actually, I started signing as Cranberrycat a long time ago when I was concerned about internet and privacy issues.

Maybe you are remembering posts that go way back a few years?



Martha, you're welcome! So, you must be somewhat familiar with Zone Perfect bars? Have you ever tried them? I am not going to try to talk you into trying them before the race, but I must admit that they are not the same bar as a few years ago. I don't really know what changed, but years ago I had bad luck with them, specifically with glycemic reactions. But, more recently, I have tried them and I don't get the same reaction that I had in the past. Honestly, I do think that they advertized a change in their formula a few years ago, and that is around the time that I noticed the change.

As another side of the issue, I am not a big proponent of using ANY kind of bar. Generally, I am "anti-bar". I don't think that the Zone Labs' bars work much better. If we were discussing satiety between meals and snacks, I would be telling you that neither bar gives me much satiety.

Hope the thermos thing works out! If not, maybe you could check to see if your room has a microwave. Many of them do, these days.

Sue, I hope I am not being impolite, but I would rather be addressed the way that I sign my posts.

Sorry, Martha, don't want to hijack your thread.

Uh, err, looks like another post has mysteriously disappeared. Geez, I don't really appreciate it very much when I take the time to respond to a post, and then the original poster goes and deletes it.

Sorry Martha, again, for hijacking your thread.

Hello Sue,

It works with the thermos. the oat is tender, sure that when I cook them they are softer, but it will work.

Hi Cranberry Cat,

I knew the Zone Perfect site when Drs Sears hadn't his own website, but I didn't eat the bars.

I need the bars for my marathon. I cut one in 8 pieces and if I need it, I eat one piece every 7 miles, like the Drs Sears advices.

I'am now waiting the answer from Patty (orders'office). She told me that there is no problem to deliver them at my hotel. I'm waiting the order form.

Martha

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Cranberrycat on 10/07/2009 11:10 PM

Sue, I hope I am not being impolite, but I would rather be addressed the way that I sign my posts.
</div>


No offense meant, but honestly, even with my good memory, considering all the aliases (different usernames and display names) you've used here in the last year or two it's tough to keep up which persona you are at any given moment, especially when your aliases converse with each other in the same thread. I don't have time for such nonsense, so please understand if I happen to inadvertently use the wrong name when I address you.

Hi Martha,


Yes, oats in the thermos overnight aren't as soft, but that should actually make them even more favorable. Good that you solved the breakfast problem.


I use to go to that site, too, about 9-10 years ago when it had an active forum. They had a contributor named Cara Hogue who had good info, at the time, relating to supporting exercise with the Zone diet. I went to the ZPerfect site more recently (last year) and they are not even advocating a real Zone diet now.

Great idea about having them delivered to your hotel. You could also bring some of the Enerzona/Enervit bars just in case you don't get the shipment. I'm curious, do those work well for you? I ask because I tried them a few times when I was visiting friends in Italy who are in the Zone.

I'm so excited for you, about running the NYC Marathon! The last time my daughters ran in it together (about 5-6 years) the weather was just right, clear, not hot and not too cold, not too sunny. Their "friends and family meeting area" at the finish (not sure if that's the term, but you know, how it goes alphabetical by last name; at least it used to) was almost right across the street from the Dakota, the building when John Lennon lived when he was shot. (I'm a Bealtes fan, lol!)

Please keep us updated!

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Sue K on 10/09/2009 12:18 PM

No offense meant, but honestly, even with my good memory, considering all the aliases (different usernames and display names) you've used here in the last year or two it's tough to keep up which persona you are at any given moment, especially when your aliases converse with each other in the same thread. I don't have time for such nonsense, so please understand if I happen to inadvertently use the wrong name when I address you.
</div>

Martha, it seems as though your thread was hijacked. I don't see how it relates to your question, but hopefully the previous responses will be helpful to you. Just for the record, I really have no clue regarding what Sue is talking about, regarding aliases conversing with each other. Maybe she thinks you and I are the same person?

Hi Cranberrycat, what do you mean with "hijacked" ?

Hi Sue, the enerzona snacks are mediterraean crackers (very good) and minirocks. You can see them on enerzona.it. They are really good. I don't use their bars, I tried once and they was too heavy. I use them only when I am on the way, but I prefer real food.

Yesterday I ran The Eindhoven half marathon in 1h33'32'. I was second in my age group. The first is very 6 minutes before me ! She is very strong ! But I ran faster than the last half marathon in September (one minute). So, good news for NYC marathon.

Martha

Hi Martha,

Oh ok, thanks for the extra info. I've only tried their bars. Congrats on yesterday's half marathon. Faster time, and only 6 min behind the best in you age group, great! You're in very good shape for the NYC. I'll have to look at the Eindhoven website. I'm interested to see what the route was like (the terrain). We went to the Hartford Marathon (Hartford CT) on Saturday (watching, not running). My husband ran it 2 years ago. We were watching at mile 17.2. The leader (who went on to win) was well ahead of everyone (about 5 min, at that point), no other runners in sight behind him. But one of the next few of the next runners cramped right in front of us. He rolled onto his back, on the pavement and began trying to stretch through it. He was able to get back on his feet and continue running, but I don't know if he finished. After I was he was ok, my next thought was that he's probably not a zoner.

Martha, Excellent !!

When is the NYC marathon? I don't live in that area of the country, so just curious. Which bars do you use, then? Are you ordering the Zone Labs bars and they are going to ship them to the hotel?

Most important to stick with what you know will work for you, so if that is the case, I hope you get your supply! Sounds like you are working on it.

BTW, what I meant about "hijacked" on the other post was that I felt that someone else was trying to change the subject and draw focus to an issue that doesn't belong on this thread (or anywhere on this friendly forum, IMO).

Martha, have fun in NYC, and my best wishes for the marathon on Sunday!

Hi Martha, I can't wait to hear about the marathon. I was looking at the results and wondering which Belgian woman in your age group was you (the 3:46:35 maybe?). Hope your trip was fun!

Hello Sue,

I thaught I had answered. So sorry to let you without news ! So in age group 50 I finished 6th, the second european in 3h17'37'' . My best results ! I also finished the first belgian woman ! I am so happy !

I started within the first 100 marathoner ! My start bib was 517. My husband finished in 3h54'

I was classified in Italian woman because I am italian. That is why you didn't find me !

Happy to hear from you all
Martha

Hello Sue,

I forgotten to tell you that I had an ski accident on first of January and was in recovery during 6 weeks ! I had my right knee broken, so, After 6 weeks I restarted to run again, 2 times a week, and now I am able to run half marathon within correct time. I believe it's due to the zone and much fishoil, now the physician is happy because I quite don't need him yet.

I didn't took any anti inflamatory medecine, fish oil and ice on my knee !

If it can help for other runners !

Martha

Martha! I'm happy to hear from you. 3:17, oh wow!!! That's way more than fantastic! I'm so very happy for you! I wondered where you had gone to. :-) Thanks so much for letting me know (and for your bib # too, so now I can go look it up again). My congratulations to your husband too! You should write about your marathon accomplishments and improvements in time since starting the Zone and submit it to this site in the testimonial section.

I'm sorry to hear you injured your knee skiing, and I'm glad it's healing well. Ice and fish oil...great! I had one very memorable ski accident many years ago (too many years ago, lol). I landed with the back of my ski stuck straight up in the snow base and the binding didn't release. My knee was badly but thankfully no surgery was needed.

Please keep in touch Martha!