...but, as it so happens, hardly a weak behind, what with all the squats and lunges and deadlifts I do. :) I estimated today that I've put on roughly 5 pounds of muscle over the past several months, as my measurements are the same as they have been when I weighed 145ish, and I'm currently at 150ish.
Anyway, last week I did something important for my health: I got my regular checkup and cleaning at the dentist. Way back during my grad school and post-school days, I skipped out on going to the dentist for several years. Then I spent a couple of years making up for that, both physically and financially. Dealing with tooth decay is 1) not cheap and 2) not good for you! Ever since then, I have made a point of find a great dental office and forming a special bond with my dentist, hygenist, receptionist, and anyone else who helps out with my teeth. Thankfully, I have no actual fear for the dental chair. I certainly don't enjoy tooth polishing, and I really hate getting shots of novocaine, but I'm adult enough to understand that it's for the greater good.
Moral of the (non-)story is, take care of your teeth, both at home and at the dentist's office! I'm making a point of flossing every day, and feeling guilty if I don't.
Fall is upon us, and it is inspiring me towards autumn foods. I have at this moment, transcribed onto scratch paper, three different recipes for grain-free pumpkin muffins. My plan is to try all of them in sequence in a quest to find the best. I've also been eating soup on a regular basis, made out of whatever vegetables and bits of meat I have in the fridge, along with my homemade chicken or beef bone stock. The stock makes all the difference, and, if you have a crock-pot, it's a cinch to prepare. Obtain bones, cover with water, add a shot of vinegar, and simmer for 8 (chicken) to 24 (cow) hours. I've ordered special gelatinous bones from my meat CSA, which make amazing stock, but I've also just thrown a leftover chicken carcass in the pot. Waste not, want not.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
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.
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.
Friday, September 7, 2012
The cormorant tried to run away
Ran again this morning. It's been a difficult week for working out: Monday (and all of the weekend) I was outside rehearsing in the heat, sun, and dust, which was incredibly exhausting. I think I managed to crawl into the gym Tuesday morning, but just did some elliptical. Wednesday I took off in order to spend the morning cooking a nutritious breakfast and lunch for myself. Thursday I tried to get in and lift weights, but my body was having none of that, so I ended up rowing for 10 minutes before my muscles would allow a cursory circuit of three upper-body machine.
However, I ran this morning, and it was a good run. The bay trail near work is flat, and has packed dirt/sand on both sides of the asphalt, so I get to run on earth. I managed to surprise myself this morning, as I was able to do the "out" of my "out-and-back" run in one go, without stopping to walk and rest. (About 1 1/3 miles.) The route all the way to the bridge and back comes out to about 3 1/3 miles, but I haven't quite made it all the way to the bridge yet. I walked a bit heading back from the halfway point, and then ran back to the start. Hooray! And, yes, there was a cormorant out in the bay that decided to spook when I jogged by, and ran away over the water.
I keep remembering the coaching I got from Iron Man (not that Iron Man) way back when I first started running, the pertinent piece of which was to not worry about speed. When you're training to run distances, work on simply running as slow as you need to in order to keep up the motion without tiring or losing breath, because once that is down you can start building up speed.
No kale for dinner last night, but I did have kohlrabi greens and fennel.
Now, y'all should know that I, like many other women, have serious body issues. Here I am, strong and fit and shapely, and yet I'm always feeling that I should lose weight. I think to myself, I should spend a month and cut out all grains, sugar, dairy, etc., or really focus on staying under 1800 calories a day, or [insert diet trend here]. Really what I'd like to do is spend a month eating real foods like a healthy, normal person, and not think about negative body image.
However, I ran this morning, and it was a good run. The bay trail near work is flat, and has packed dirt/sand on both sides of the asphalt, so I get to run on earth. I managed to surprise myself this morning, as I was able to do the "out" of my "out-and-back" run in one go, without stopping to walk and rest. (About 1 1/3 miles.) The route all the way to the bridge and back comes out to about 3 1/3 miles, but I haven't quite made it all the way to the bridge yet. I walked a bit heading back from the halfway point, and then ran back to the start. Hooray! And, yes, there was a cormorant out in the bay that decided to spook when I jogged by, and ran away over the water.
I keep remembering the coaching I got from Iron Man (not that Iron Man) way back when I first started running, the pertinent piece of which was to not worry about speed. When you're training to run distances, work on simply running as slow as you need to in order to keep up the motion without tiring or losing breath, because once that is down you can start building up speed.
No kale for dinner last night, but I did have kohlrabi greens and fennel.
Now, y'all should know that I, like many other women, have serious body issues. Here I am, strong and fit and shapely, and yet I'm always feeling that I should lose weight. I think to myself, I should spend a month and cut out all grains, sugar, dairy, etc., or really focus on staying under 1800 calories a day, or [insert diet trend here]. Really what I'd like to do is spend a month eating real foods like a healthy, normal person, and not think about negative body image.
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