Before Breakfast

Another fabulous run this morning.  My third so far, in case you're counting.  This time was notable for three reasons: 1) I was running with someone, 2) we made it all the way to the bridge and back, and 3) we ran continuously.  So chalk up 3 1/3 miles to me and my intrepid coworker.  Now I can tell everyone that I ran over 5K before breakfast.

Hey, everyone: I ran over 5K before breakfast!  (I should go post this on FB.)

I had a rather disheartening experience the other week: I attempted to give blood and was turned away because my count wasn't high enough.  :(  For those of you who have been with me for a while, you know just how much it means to me to donate blood.  For those of you who haven't, being able to donate blood is a reflection on my own personal vitality--that I am vigorous enough to help physiologically sustain another person.  Now, I certainly wasn't low enough to be back in the anemia range, but I wasn't high enough to do any good.

Do I just blast through iron?  I feel like I eat more (since I intentionally eat iron-rich foods) and lose the same as an average woman.  Perhaps I personally need to work a bit harder.  At least I don't need to worry about the condition of having excess iron.  My nutritional plan, therefore, is twofold.  First, learn how to make a kick-ass Manhattan-style clam chowder.  (Yes, I prefer Boston-style, but it's much more likely that I will have tomatoes on hand than milk.)  Second, order some heart from my meat CSA the next time I have the option for add-ons.  Heart has more iron than other muscles, and I've tasted it before, so I know I like it.

Meanwhile, I'm experiencing one of the drawbacks of eating seasonal produce.  Kale is a winter green around here, so I haven't been eating it very often.  (On the other hand, I get a little bored that kale is the only green at the market all through the winter months.)  Instead, I get to partake of what is possibly the most beautiful vegetable ever, romanesco broccoli.