I need to take a moment and catch up with my final posting about the Costa Rica Walking Tour, which started with my post about Traveling to Costa Rica. Life kind of up drew me back in when we returned, and I have had trouble finishing up my blog entries.
On the final full day at Rio Chirripo (Thursday, February 21st), Phillip and I visited the hot springs again (read about our first visit). People kind of went off and did their own thing a bit that day, separating into a number of different groups depending on what they’d like to do. Phillip and I wanted a rest day. Although the walk up hill to the hot springs isn’t exactly restful (it’ll get your heart rate up), it helps make the springs more enjoyable when you get there, like you’ve earned your soak.
In the afternoon, at the final afternoon meeting/lecture, Dr. Graham got everyone together, walkers, fasters, and interns. He asked us each to describe a goal we’d like to reach within the next few months. After after each person spoke, he encouraged people who thought they could support that person in that goal to speak up and offer to help them/remind them of the goal they’d made over the next few months. Robbie kept a list of these goals and sent them out later over email (very helpful Robbie, thanks!)
I thought that it was a nice touch. It’ll keep everyone in contact with the new friends made at this event. Even now, weeks after the event, I think of these folks often. Some were staying to fast, I hope it went well for them.
That evening at dinner it was a buffet style “Pasta” night. There were mangoes and tomato/mango soup. The “Pasta” was really spiralized cucumber, along with your choice of tomatoes, marinara sauce, sun-dried tomato and mango dressing, and heart of palm (grated it looks like like Parmesan cheese).
Friday was devoted to the bus ride back to San Jose. In the afternoon we visited the farmers market (Victoire and Phillip are pictured on the right). It was an interesting experience, so many people, so much fruit, 20 bananas for a dollar. We bought way too much fruit to take on the plane, and ended up leaving some of it behind on Saturday with folks staying behind. The plane ride home seemed long, but getting back home to Santa Cruz was nice.
Overall the experience was wonderful, and key to our continuing on the diet since then. Back home, our friend David had bought us a case of bananas, a few days before our arrival. We transitioned directly into having banana smoothies for lunch the next day. They weren’t quite ripe enough though, and the first couple of days were a little rough because we just didn’t enjoy them as much as those we’d had in Costa Rica. Then, as they ripened, we realized, ‘aha!’ they just hadn’t been ripe enough yet. You’ve got to wait until there are numerous little brown spots on them. In addition, it helps if you don’t add too much water, the smoothie stays sweeter.
Breakfast was easy, we returned to juicing oranges every morning. We had missed our oranges while in Costa Rica. Our favorite organic farmer brings fantastic oranges to the farmer’s market at nearby Cabrillo college on Saturday mornings. Mmmm.
Dinner was more of a challenge. But thanks to seeing it done so many times in Costa Rica, we had some new ideas to try, and even some old ideas to try that no longer seemed so radical now that we’d seen it done. Still, we were hard-pressed to make dinner as easy to eat without those great mangoes to rely on. Later we learned that mangos also require some time to soften before you eat them.
I’ve been able to stay on 100% raw food since we returned (for a total stretch of 3 months now, my longest ever). I credit the 2 weeks of immersion in the techniques and lifestyle that I received in Costa Rica. It’s never felt so easy before. True there are some cravings still there that I feel occasionally (pumpkin pie anyone? fried potatoes?), but the longer I go without eating these things, the easier it gets and the less often the cravings come.
Because I ate 100% raw food during the week between Costa Rica and the Napa Valley marathon on March 2nd, I accomplished my goal of being all raw by the event, and experiencing what it’s like to run a marathon powered by fruit. I will write more about the marathon in my next post, until then, let me just say that I made it all the way to the end, and the fruit really helped.
These are before and after pictures, from the beginning of the Walking Tour to the marathon. Three weeks of focused eating, 100% raw food (the The 80/10/10 Diet
This weight loss occurred despite the fact that I was eating a pretty healthy diet already, and getting in a lot of running leading up to the trip to Costa Rica. My diet was about 85% raw food for 4-5 months, while I trained for the marathon. I couldn’t stay 100% on track with the diet for more than a week at a time until the Walking Tour.
Overall it has taken me two years of trying with raw food to get where I am at now. I’m three months completely on track, and I plan to continue. I haven’t weighed this little since I was 19 years old. I feel fantastic living this way, and can’t wait to see what’s next. Until we speak again, best wishes to you on life’s fantastic journey!
Hey there,
I’ve really enjoyed reading about your trip = it’s been inspiring.
Well done you on sticking with it, and yay for running the marathon on fruit - you look wonderful, extremely fit and healthy!
I’m glad you posted this post, I wanted to know what happened next : )
I followed 811 last Autumn, but haven’t stuck with it over spring, strangely. So I’m getting back into being at least 90% 811 right now, so reading posts like this are good for me : )
thank you!
Azura Skye
Thanks for so patiently waiting, Azura! It felt good to get that post done, and your comment helps inspire me to post the next one. I enjoyed looking at your blog, especially the paragraph in your ‘About Me’ section concerning living in a more natural environment.
Congrats on getting back into 811. Following 80/10/10 90% will greatly benefit you and it’s a great direction to head. Don’t worry how long it takes you to get where you think you need to be. Just putting your feet on the path is enough. When you do that, the inevitable (albeit sometimes slow) improvements in how you look and feel will carry you further.
Cheers!
- Van
What amazing results you’re getting-I know you have a partner and so do I, but dang you look hot! Congratulations.
Thanks Via! (blush)
Thank you Van - that was a nice thing to say and it made me smile : )
)
Sometimes I feel like my feet love being on the path - but my mind will do anything to pull them off! I guess that’s where the term “tripping up” comes from (maybe) ?
So yeah - I certainly enjoyed that post and eagerly awaiting your next one!
And thanks for the photos = when I think of people gathering in Costa Rica and juicing and eating wonderfully - I just find it inspiring, I kinda imagine making my mind my own costa rica : D hah!
I’ve been looking forward to this wrap-up blog. It’s great to know that you’ve been successful even after returning home. I’d love to be able to run a marathon one day. I just love this lifestyle and I’ve found your blog and your progress to be very encouraging. I’ve also enjoyed the food pictures and descriptions from the Walking Tour. I look forward to reading more about the growth and progress you are making now that the marathon is over. Do you have a new goal?
Congrats!!!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for your comments. I love reading your blog. All the great pictures you put in it and along side it make it a joy just to look at.
A new goal? That is an excellent question, thanks for keeping me on my toes. You’re absolutely right, we’ve got to keep on moving and looking for the next thing to work on in life.
I can tell I still have many little things in life and a healthy lifestyle to master. Diet was the one where a change could make the biggest impact, and when that’s under control, it looks like the 2nd biggest area for me is sleep.
I could improve my health and the way I feel more now with a better sleep schedule than anything else, I think. So while I try to maintain the eating during the year, I’m going to slowly improve my sleep habits and see where that takes me.
Good luck with your journey and keep up the great work!
Cheers!
- Van
Hey I totally missed this post!
First, WOW you look amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! That is awesome that you have stayed raw and I cannot wait to hear about marathon running on fruit.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks! I love getting comments on my blog. You might have missed this post because I kind of messed up the publishing step in WordPress, and maybe the post didn’t make it into the RSS feed properly (if you are using that). I’ll be more careful with the publishing step next time.
I notice there are two Sarah’s commenting here:
I’m going to edit the comments above to place something with your names that will differentiate between you. I love reading both of your blogs, but haven’t left comments there. I hereby resolve to leave comments on your blogs more often!
Thank you both for your blogs and your encouragement. The mutual support we get through blogs definitely helps us keep going, especially when all around us are folks following the old ways.
Hugs!
- Van
Hi Van,
I am a two time Olympic runner (5k) that came across your blog by coincidence when googling for marathon and diet.
In my own running career I did quite a bit of experimenting with different diets related to performance (incl the 40/30/30 Zone, a full ketogenic diet etc) but ended up on a diet quite close to yours for parts of the year when I was in full competition & diet is crucial (4 months in the summertime). Interestingly, the Kenyan runners do the same type of eating, having spent several months of altitude training up there.
One questions though ; do you take any type of supplements, to ensure proper intake of iron / B12 ? Found this to be a real challenge and could not do without supplements myself while on the diet.
Good luck with your future challenges !
Regards from Norway.
Hi Marius,
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your comments. It’s great to hear that you had good experiences eating this way, and it’s definitely helping me. I’ve been working out as much as ever, but lately I’ve been finding that eating this way just drives me outdoors. I crave sunlight and exercise.
I don’t take any supplements, as I’d like to think that everything we need can be attained from a diet of whole, ripe, fresh, raw, organic plant-based food, as Dr. Graham advocates. I eat a lot of greens romaine lettuce and celery mainly, in order to insure an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. Sometimes I eat as much as three romaine lettuce hearts and 2 entire bunches of celery in a single day (in addition to all the fruit.) I also love eating tomatoes.
I’ve never felt better and I don’t tend to crave certain foods (which to me would indicate a possible deficiency), so at the moment, I’d say my diet is probably not seriously deficient in anything. Our body does tend to have sizable reserves though, and I’ve only been trying to follow the 80/10/10 diet for a year, so for more reassurance, I would ask this question of folks who have been following a raw food diet without supplementation for a lot longer. I know Dr. Graham has been doing it for over 20 years or more, and I never saw him take anything that look even remotely like a supplement.
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you know you needed to supplement your diet? Were there symptoms of a deficiency?
I hope you do well in all your upcoming events. Cheers!
- Van
Van,
Thanks for the reply, really interesting thoughts you have there.
When I was doing my heavy Olympic training, we closely monitored the vitamins & minerals in the blood on an almost weekly basis. I could see a drop in B12 and iron (no others, only those), starting about 3-4 weeks into the diet every year and did get the feel of iron deficiency symptoms until I started with the supplements.
At the moment I am in medical school, finishing up for MD in a bit over a year and it is quite interesting to read all the research that is being done on foods & eating - and how much people disagree ! I think what you are doing is quite close to ideal - my personal view anyways. I will keep visiting your blog, keep up the good work.
Regards.