Keeping It Sweet
Hi Steph,
I recently took a break from climbing due to an injury, but I’m healing and feeling the itch again. To foster that, I’ve been visiting your website again because you inspire me so. It’s brought up a few questions I’d like to ask, but if you don’t have time to answer I totally understand.
My first question is actually about nutrition and glucose levels. I am a runner, and I know you’ve done a lot of distance running yourself. I know you also try to stay away from processed flours and simple carbohydrates. What do you eat to prepare for a long run and what do you eat to recover from a long run? All the running magazines say pasta, pancakes, that sort of thing, but there has to be a more wholesome way! I know the more I fuel before and after my long runs, the better I feel during and after, but I’d like to be a good runner and a healthy eater. Any suggestions? I stole your almond butter trick for long climbing days. Yum!
My second question is related parents actually. I’m a scientist, which is great and all, but I’m too restless to stay a scientist forever. So I’ve been thinking about becoming a High School Biology teacher. I told my parents this, and they freaked out! They think it is a waste of my potential or something like that…so, I was wondering how you dealt with the initial shock and disappointment your parents felt when you were climbing and living out of your car. I have a hard time separating my parents disappointment, from the joy I experience living a simple, eco-friendly, low-budget adventurous life. That’s the life that makes me happiest, but not the life they imagined for me. This is very similar I am sure to your love for being a climber, versus your parents vision for you. How did you accept that you weren’t doing what your parents wanted you to be doing, and remove that reality from impeding the enjoyment of your beautiful simple life?
Just typing these questions has helped me tremendously, so if you don’t have time to respond, no worries. Thank you for being who you are, and sharing that with the world. Happy adventures!
Cheers,
Chelle
Berkeley, CA
Dear Chelle,
I hope you are recovered, and making fast progress to health and wholeness. The best part about being injured, I think, is that it makes me extra appreciative when I am back together! So in a way, it can be a good thing….
Thanks too for your interesting thoughts and questions. I don’t get too scientific about eating for and during running. I really like those Clif Bloks, a lot, though. I especially like the margarita flavored ones, because they are a bit salty, and I seem to need salt when I am exercising. So usually if I’m going for a long run, I’ll make sure to take a pack or two of those, and maybe a Mojo bar (same thing, the Mixed Nuts flavor is a bit salty) to eat if I get hungry. In the past when I have done super long runs, I don’t seem to be able to eat solid food, especially if water is limited. Once I had some little cups of apple sauce, and those were great. I couldn’t seem to chew and swallow anything else, but those really worked.
If pasta is something you really love, consider checking alternative pastas. I have been eating a green soybean pasta, which tastes great, and digests and burns much better for me than traditional pasta. You can also get quinoa pasta and lentil pasta, which are both great. Personally, I always feel best if I eat dark greens for dinner, but once in a while I really want pasta. Kamut is another thing to look into. Sometimes when I am doing tons of hiking and running, I make kamut pancakes for breakfast, with almond butter and applesauce. So there are a lot of options if you want to avoid wheat and simple sugars.
Avoiding parental disapproval is not as simple 🙂 I can tell you from personal experience that there is no way to achieve happiness for both parties in your situation, unfortunately. If you live your life in a way you don’t like to please your parents, you won’t be happy. If you live your life in the way that feels right to you, they won’t be happy. This is sad for everyone, and the reality is, it’s going to be your cross to bear in life. You may realize sooner than your parents do that you can’t force people to change. The only person you can change is yourself. This is a pretty simple fact, but very liberating to truly realize. So you can start by accepting your parents, even when they are disapproving of you, and also by accepting yourself. It would be nice if they would accept your choices and your lifestyle. But even if they are unable to do that, be very clear with yourself about what you want in life. It’s your life, and you are the one who has to live it all day every day. Happiness is what it’s all about.
For a lot of years, I was very sad about living in this situation of disapproval from my parents, and felt like it was a hard thing to live with. But now I am thankful for it, because I learned from direct experience to accept other people’s choices in life, even if they are totally different from my own. Hard situations aren’t fun, but they often teach us good lessons of better ways to treat others or to handle difficulty. So try to see it as a blessing 🙂 And remind yourself that you know what is right for you. Be gentle and polite with your parents, but don’t let their inability to accept your choices affect your happiness. And who knows, as time goes by, they may start to see things differently as well…..I know it’s hard, but try not to worry, and keep doing what feels right to you.
I wish you all the best in everything!
xx Steph
