Thank You, UnitedHealthCare!

We are so excited that UnitedHealthcare will be the presenting sponsor of the 2013 Unite Half Marathon and 8K.

“Just as the Unite Half Marathon is encouraging people to live healthier and happier each day, so is UnitedHealthcare,” says Michele Redrow, President & CEO of CGI Racing. “UnitedHealthcare has innovative tools to help our runners and walkers achieve their fitness goals.”

UnitedHealthcare is going above and beyond to help Unite’s participants by offering them access to health and wellness information through six channels of original programming on their UHC.TV, including the segment “Ask the Expert.” If a runner is unsure about what to eat after a run, they can ask Kathleen Zelman, a registered dietician and UnitedHealthcare’s nutrition expert. If they’d like to know proper breathing techniques for running, they can ask UnitedHealthcare’s fitness expert, Meredith Rudh.

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, serves more than 1.5 million people in New Jersey with a health care network of 105 hospitals and more than 19,000 physicians and other care professionals statewide.

The Unite Half Marathon is the second largest half-marathon in New Jersey.  Over 6,000 participants are expected at this year’s event, which encourages runners and walkers to not only unite for fitness, but also to unite with friends by forming teams, and to unite for a cause by supporting various local charities. Look for more information on those charities in an upcoming blog.

For more information or to register for the Unite Half Marathon, please click HERE.  Register soon, as the race sells out quickly. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the starting line!

Cash Prizes Offered at Black Bear Triathlon!

CGI Racing and Team Philly Pro Tri are teaming up to provide prize money for this year’s Black Bear Triathlon, to be held in scenic Beltzville State Park in the Pocono Mountains on May 19, 2013.

Prizes being offered include $200 to the first overall male and female finishers of both the Olympic distance and the Half Ironman distance, as well as prizes for the second and third place finishers.

A $200 cash prize is also being offered to the “Spirit of the Bear” contest winner, and honors an athlete who embraces the challenge of the Black Bear Triathlon and measures success not in hours, minutes and seconds but by the magnitude of the challenge. Do you know someone who fits that description? Nominate a “Spirit of the Bear” candidate HERE.

Conveniently located about an hour from both Philadelphia and New York City, the Black Bear Triathlon is the perfect race to kick-start the season, and the Half Iron Distance is a perfect
training race for IRONMAN Lake Placid.

The Black Bear Triathlon offers a spectacular course from beginning to end. The swim begins in the calm, clear waters of the Beltzville Reservoir. The bike course is full of the challenging and fast hills of the Poconos, and the run course offers plenty of shade on a combination of paved and hard packed trails. Athletes will run across the Beltzville Dam for a stunning panoramic view of the entire race.

The Olympic and Half Iron courses bring athletes back through the Finish Area past the cheering crowds at about mile three. The last half-mile is a very spectator friendly finish.

So if you haven’t already, be sure to register for Black Bear today!  The race sells out quickly, and we want you to enjoy this spectacular race!  Remember, you have to be in it to win it!

For more information or to register, please click HERE.

I’m in Training… What Should I Eat?

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Whether you’re in the midst of training for Unite, or whether you just registered for your first triathlon, the question of nutrition is sure to come up in your training plan.  There’s a lot of confusion around nutrition, especially when it comes to endurance events.  While every body is different, and every race is different, there are a few nutrition tips that we can all pretty much agree on:

1)  Don’t cut calories.  Training for an endurance event takes energy, and food provides your body the fuel it needs.  Now is not the time for extreme dieting, especially if that means significantly cutting carbs.  If you want to maintain your weight, hop on the scale once a week to be sure you’re where you want to be.  Your energy level is also a good indicator that you’re consuming enough calories.  If you find that you’re losing weight and feel fatigued, it may be a sign that you need to eat more.

2)  Eat whole foods.  Whole, natural foods are your body’s best source of fuel.  Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean sources of protein will provide your body with the energy it requires, along with the nutrients necessary for recovery.  This will keep empty calories to a minimum.  If you’re eating a balanced whole-foods diet, there is usually no need for extra powders, shakes, or any other food manufactured in a laboratory.

3) Stay hydrated.  Drinking enough water is important whether you’re an endurance athlete or not.  But while training, it’s especially important to stay hydrated.  Aim for eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day.  Remember that caffeine is a diuretic, so if you’re a coffee drinker, add an extra glass to your daily routine.

4) Snack smart.  Snacks should be smaller than meals, and should consist of a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein.  Some good suggestions include:

– apple or banana dipped in nut butter

– string cheese and a piece of fruit

– hard boiled egg and a piece of fruit

– all-natural trail mix

– baked garbanzo beans (recipe below)

5)  Listen to your body.  Your body will let you know if you’re getting enough calories and nutrients.  If you’re exhausted, or if you’re losing weight, you may have to eat more.  On the other hand, if you’re gaining weight or feeling sluggish, you may have to eat less.  Our bodies usually send us subtle signals about what’s working and what isn’t.  Our jobs are to learn how to listen!

6)  Consult a physician or nutrition professional.  If you want to be sure you’re fueling yourself properly, find a doctor that specializes in nutrition, or nutrition professional.  As always, be sure to check with your doctor when beginning an exercise routine, or making any drastic changes in your diet.

Baked Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients:

One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Spice blend of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans in a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans.

3. Dry beans, and spread out on baking

4. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and use your hands or a spatula to toss around and coat.

5. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy. Check the oven often to be sure that the beans don’t burn.

4. Season with salt and spice blend.

Welcome!

Welcome to the CGI blog!  We hope you’ll check back often to learn about our races, get training tips and nutrition information, and to read the special stories of the people and organizations whose lives we touch.

As you probably know, our first race of the year is right around the corner!  The Unite Half Marathon and 8K will be held on April 21 at the beautiful Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick.  This race personifies its name… UNITE.  It is our hope that the Unite Half Marathon gives runners and walkers the chance to unite for fun, unite for a cause, and unite for fitness.

The Unite Half Marathon fully captures the spirit of Rutgers University.  Runners and walkers will get ready to race with the electrifying sound of a drumline.  The Scarlett Knights mascot will then kick off the race, which will wind through the historic campus.  Water stops are manned by enthusiastic fraternities and sororities who will cheer you on until you reach the unforgettable finish down College Avenue.

The Unite Half Marathon is not only good for your body and soul; it also benefits a number of worthwhile organizations.  We’re proud to say that our runners and walkers have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for these amazing charities.  Check out the list of Unite 4 Charity participants HERE, and find out how you can help!

Unite your friends this spring, and take the Team Up Challenge!  Forming a team is a wonderful way to have fun, increase your fitness level, and even win some money.  Learn more about Team Up Challenge HERE.

Registration is open, but act soon!  The Unite Half Marathon always sells out before Race Day and this year is no different. The race is currently 90% full.   The Unite Half Marathon is open to runners and walkers everywhere!  You don’t have to be a Rutgers student or alumni to participate in this premier race, which is expecting over 6,000 runners and walkers this year.  We get participants from all over New Jersey and neighboring states.  We even get runners from as far away as Hawaii.  After all, everybody likes to UNITE for a good race, a good cause, and a lot of fun!

Visit us HERE for more information about Unite, or to register today!