I've been struggling with a foot injury for months and have not been able to run. About a year ago, I decided to start running regularly. I've tried off and on for years but never kept it up for very long. So when I made my decision last year, I decided to start running in the morning thinking it would be easier to do conisistantly at that time. I never thought of myself as the morning athletic type. I more of the tea and something to read type. Turned out, I loved it. There is something wonderful about being out at 5 a.m. in the dark making your body work like the machine it is, because that early in the morning it is all about the body and not about the mind. And no matter how little or far I run, the endorphins, or whatever that get flowing through my body, just give me a better outlook on the day.

So that was a year ago and since then I've been troubled with problems and injuries. About a week ago, after many visits to a rehab clinic, I started running again. It is as good as I remember, except for one thing - what to do about Gatorade?

It's August in DC. It's hot and muggy and disgusting, even at 5:00 a.m. Over this past year, I've retreated from processed foods. I've done a pretty good job, I think. But when it is hot and muggy, and I just went running, my body needs to replace salt and whatever else it loses on those hot runs. So I caved this morning and sucked down some high-fructose corn syrup that goes by the name of Gatorade. My body felt good, but my mind was dismayed. I confessed to my coworkers. I gave in to the industrial food system.

So now I am in the search of a natural sports replenishing drink. One coworker, who is the crazy-runner-type, logging 10 miles a day and several marathons a year, thought it would be hard to find, because, well, runners need lots of calories and you can't eat enough calories by natural means. One pack of Goo is a bit easier to handle during a long run than, say, five bananas. I'm sorry to say she may be right. I don't want to believe it, but I may have to. I intend to do more research.