20 in 3

In the last three days I ran 20 miles.  Two 10 mile days with one rest day in-between.  I am EXTREMELY happy to be knocking down those double digits!

The low sugar challenge is in full swing and I'm doing well.  Being a long distance runner, giving up sugar completely would not be a good idea.  A normal person needs a certain amount of sugar/carbs for brain function.  

               Glucose is the form of sugar that travels in your bloodstream to fuel the mitochondrial furnaces responsible for your brain power. Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain cells. Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel.-source- http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

                 The brain, which accounts for 2 percent of our body weight, sucks down roughly 20 percent of our daily calories. A picky eater, it demands a constant supply of glucose — primarily obtained from recently eaten carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains etc.). Only in extreme instances of deprivation will the brain use other substances for fuel.

                   More recently evolved areas of the brain, such as the frontal cortex (it's like the CEO of the brain), are particularly sensitive to falling glucose levels, while brain areas regulating vital functions are more hardy, said Leigh Gibson of Roehampton University in England. "When your glucose level drops, the symptom is confused thinking, not a change in breathing pattern," he said.

                This is not to suggest that we should constantly slurp soda to keep our brains functioning optimally. On the contrary, high glucose levels slowly but surely damage cells everywhere in the body, including those in the brain, said Marc Montminy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.

              And according to a recent study published in the Oct. 3 issue of the journal Cell, by Dongsheng Cai and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, the brain may react to excess food as if it were a pathogen. The resulting immune response, which occurs irrespective of weight gain, may cause cognitive deficits such as those associated with Alzheimer's.

              Similarly, high blood sugar, coupled with a cognitive task, is associated with elevated cortisol — a hormone known to impair memory in high doses, Gibson said. In other words, don't get out the flash cards after that second (or third) piece of cake.-source-http://www.livescience.com/3186-brain-food-eat-smart.html

As someone who kills it training I need that normal amount and a bit more to function optimally.  I am cutting out a moderate amount and I'm happy with my progress so far.

On an exciting note, I am COMPLETELY DONE Christmas shopping!!!!!