Friday's Drawers: A New Year

Now this is a fantastic share!  Eggplant, baby bok choy, parsley, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, apples, baby spinach, parsnips and butternut squash.

We've been living on soups this week, leftover lobster from Christmas dinner (thanks to my wonderful mother in law) made a  fantastic lobster bisque.  Never tried making that before and it was good, thank you David for getting me the New England Soup Factory cookbook for my birthday!

Last night was some chicken noodle and there is always our favorite, red lentil.

Looks like we will be doing some cooking this weekend....Eggplant parm anyone?  And of course more soup!  Here is my favorite curried-apple, parsnip soup and butternut squash soup.

Do you have a favorite soup?

Thank you supporters!

Week 1 of Boston Marathon training is done and in the books. Overall, not bad. Still many miles to go, but not bad at all.

But first, there has been a fantastic outpouring of support from my friends, virtual friends and family donating and helping out with this amazing cause. I love getting emails from Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund with the subject line: "Congratulations! You just received a donation on your personal page!"  Not only have people donated their money, but we have some exciting ideas people have offered up to help raise funds for Dana-Farber - including some one-of-a-kind original kickass artwork (more details to come!), rare dvds and other goodies. I will keep you posted on how you can get your hands on some sweet goods!  Thank you to all that have made that happen!

If we look at our $10,000 goal it in terms of miles, we are 1.3 miles into 26.2 miles of our marathon!  WOOT!  That means we are warmed up and ready to go, go, go!  And what better way to mark our progress than with this SAH-weet banner that the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team sent along. You know you wanna be on the banner!  Do it!  

Thank you supporters!  $505/$10,000 

I'll post the pic each week so you can see your name in print. (And next time I'll actually use my camera instead of my phone. Dang, the lens needs a cleaning!)

As for training, 18 miles down last week - A bit cut back from where I was this fall/summer, but I want to make sure my IT band holds up. David got me a book called ChiRunning and my mind has been blown. 

I have my highlighter in hand and you can find me on the commuter rail marking that sucker up. Seeing the pictures of my last race and seeing how my foot is WAY out in front of my center of mass and my front leg is essentially putting on the brakes while my back leg is putting on the gas made me realize just how much force I am channeling through my knees and hips and (con razón!) the weakest link, my knee (and IT band) hurts.

So we work on the muscles (Thank you Dr. Otto!) we channel the chi and fix the form (Thank you ChiRunning!)

This week the schedule is bumped up to 20 miles, 3 x 4mile runs and an 8 mile long run. Since I swapped out Sat/Sun last week, I might just do the same this week and run on the 26th. Have you ever seen a runner running on Christmas Day?  I used to see "those runners" and think, "Take a day off will ya?" (Whoa, there is an assumption....what if those runners DON'T celebrate Christmas.)  But let's just say they do.  And if they did, and were still running, I get it. I actually get why they do it. 

Who knows, maybe we'll see some runners out on the roads when we drive to our family's house later.  

If running in your peace and Christmas is the most peaceful day there is, then why wouldn't you spend it running? 

So are you a "Take a day off!"  kinda spectator/runner or a "My run IS the best present"? Or does Dec. 25th just *happen* to fall on a running day in your training schedule?

Bruiserific - Boston Training Update

One week training down and already a little off schedule.  

Instead of running my long run Sat morning, I took a trip to the chiro for treatment for my ITband.  He used two techniques, Active Release Technique (ART) and Graston Technique) to work out the massive knot that was in the middle of my ITband as well as some tension in my hip. 

Essentially, the active release was like a really intense massage or foam roll on the muscle while still working stretching it out.  So the muscles were working while he work out the golf ball sized knot.  

I certainly left feeling like I'd just been tenderized by a meat clever.  And I have some bruises to prove it.....

At the same time I can feel the knot is much looser. With a $15 dollar co-pay, I am definitely going back for more treatments rather than that massage last week where I got blabbed for an hour like I was getting my hair done when I was trying to relax.  

Even though I'm a little off plan, I was able to swap Sat/Sun and did my planned 7 miles this evening since I didn't get out yesterday.   And the 7 came a helluva lot easier with those muscles worked out. A few more treatments and I think I will be back to normal.


As for the run....no music AGAIN!  All week sans music. Shocker. Instead, "knees down, breathe, heels up, breathe." was my mantra; visualized my legs at a locomotive going in a circle; keeping my abs engaged and channeling the chi. Seems like it is working....but the calves were *wicked* tight.  So rollin' the calves with the Izzybean. And yes, that is a pvc pipe.

As of today, 18/543 miles down, 1 strength training session, one chiro appointment, 1/2 of Chi Running read and $490/$10,000 raised for Dana-Farber.

Thanks for all the encouraging words and donations!

Friday's Drawers - A picture is worth a thousand words because I don't have them in me today

potatoes, dandelion greens, navel oranges, apples, green beans,
radishes, tomatoes, beets, purple turnips, basil, zucchini & yellow squash 

I got nothin.

To say. I have nothing to say I mean. Shocker.

I did get some fresh produce.

Anyone have any ideas on those two gigundous radishes?

18 Weeks and Counting!

And so it begins.

This week marks my official first week of training for the Boston Marathon.

Why am I running? There are many, many reasons and I plan on getting into them in more detail over the next 18 weeks, but right now I'd like to tell you about one major reason I am running.

Because cancer sucks.

I'm about to embark on one of the biggest challenges of my life: completing the Boston Marathon. But my personal quest, no matter how difficult it will be for me, pales in comparison to the challenge facing cancer patients. By participating in the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC), I'm supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's goal to find better therapies and, ultimately, cures for cancer.

The DFMC raises funds for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Established by J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver in 1987, the Claudia Adams Barr Program fosters scientific breakthroughs by advancing the work of gifted researchers in a variety of basic research disciplines. The DFMC directs 100% of funds raised to the Barr Program, which enables gifted young scientists at the leading edge of discovery to achieve better cure rates and to enhance patients' quality of life.

I hope you will support my challenge by giving a gift to my run and, in doing so, help bring an end to the challenge of cancer.

Your kind support and words of encouragement will give me the spring in my step, the tune to keep my stride and the focus to keep running and raising money for Dana-Farber. Thank you for helping Dana-Farber reach the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.

With great appreciation and many inspired miles to go!

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.  If you do decide to make a contribution, don't forget to talk to your employer about matching programs to double your dollars!  And check back here for more updates on my fundraising and training!

~ Christy

ITB Issues be darned.

Because I didn't get it at first either, 

here is the IT Band exercise by Karen Ward 

that IAWR published on their blog.

Last week I was bitching and moaning taking care of my right knee that has been troubling me since the Maine Coast Half marathon.  So far every run since then has had some type of soreness on the outside my knee starting with mile 2ish and continuing on through my run and still stiff after.  Even going down the stairs was tough for the afternoon and morning after my run.  Ugh.  Not what I want to be dealing with.  

So internet research helped me self-diagnose my issues as ITBS or liotibial band syndrome.  The pain is usually around the knee and doesn't start until a few miles into a run and continues after.  Bingo!  

Now what. 

Cut back mileage. Nope. Didn't solve it. 

Rested for 6 days. Uh-huh. Still there.

Icing. Nope.

Popping ibuprofen. Nada.

Ironically, last week when I was pretty much at my wits end I found additional advice that combined all together, they seemed to help. 

1. Foam roll & massage.

2. Work on your form.  

3. Strengthen the muscle.

If there is an ITB issue, it is there for a reason. Weak muscles or poor form. Check out this pic from my last race and I think I found the culprit. Heel strike. Doh.

So, I checked out Chi Running by Danny Dreyer from the library and I am working on my form.  And I even put the Vibrams (little by little - .5 miles to start today) back in the training rotation. 

Lastly, as perfect timing I got and email with an ITB strengthening exercise from the International Women's Runners Association. WOOT!  It described the issue perfectly, but I had a hard time deciphering how to do it.  I know, I know.  Once our trainer Marc showed me, I figured I could do a little video, which is at the top. 

Here is the description from IAWR.

So, what exercise can you perform to develop running-specific ITB strength and thus eliminate or prevent ITBS?  The “Frankenstein Marching with a Band” exercise, developed Karen Ward, an excellent and creative personal trainer in Atlanta.   What equipment is required? Only a stretch band.

Dr. Anderson: “The drill is straightforward to carry out. To perform Frankenstein Marching, stand on a stretch band, with the handles of the band in your hands and the middle portion of the band directly under the arches of your feet. Cross the band handles in front of you, so that your left hand is now holding the handle which was in your right hand and your right hand is holding the lefts. This will make an X in front of your legs with the band. Then rotate each arm out to the side, so that your thumbs are pointing laterally.  Retract your shoulders, and keep your feet parallel,shoulder-width apart, pointing straight forward. Walk forward briskly with relatively straight legs while maintaining a standing-tall alignment. Keep your head up and pointed straight forward (don’t look at your feet). Avoid the common mistakes associated with Frankenstein Marching – feet turning out as you move forward, distance between feet too small, head directed downward, and shoulders falling forward.

After a few steps, you’ll begin to feel your ITBs zinging eccentrically, but that zinginess and resulting ITB fatigue will be far better for you than the six-week bout of ITBS which Frankenstein Marching can help prevent. Start with 2 X 15 meters (yards) of Frankenstein Marching as part of your warm-up or regular strengthening routine, carry it out a couple of times a week, and progress to 3 X 20 meters with a much-more-resistant stretch band. When you do, you’ll be keeping yourself out of future ITB peril. And while no scientific research has been conducted in this area, the increased control of adduction you’ll gain by strengthening your iliotibial bands should enhance your running economy, an important predictor of running fitness and performance.”

© 2010 Savvy Runner Inc.

In full disclosure let me say that I did not go to the doctor yet, but I feel pretty confident this is what is going on and that my ITBS is mild enough that I can avoid yet another co-pay and increased insurance costs work on fixing it on my own. 

Have you experienced ITBS or a different injury?  What worked for you?

Friday's Drawers - Sah-weet!

Sweet Potatoes: Cottle Farm, N.Carolina

Kale: Enterprise Farm

Butternut Squash: Enterprise Farm
Red Cabbage: Enterprise Farm, Whately, MA
Grape Tomatoes: East Carolina Organics, N.Carolina
Summer Squash/Zucchini: Lady Moon, Florida

Cranberries: Cranberry Hilly Farm, Plymouth, MA

Citrus, Tangelos: Eagle’s Nest, Florida

A lot of fresh fruits and veggies in our share this week!  Sah-weet!  The tangelos are unbelievably sweet.  And if you really want to know what goes into that one tangelo I enjoyed while lazying on the couch last night, check out Mary Mitchell's story of their 20-acre grove of organic citrus and the human drama behind it.  There's some passion in those oranges! 

"Being organic means killing the bugs by hand, watering the trees by turning on a spigot, keeping blight at bay by paying attention, not by paying for chemicals." 

Keeping blight at bay and paying attention.  I love that.

Now on to the other sweets...the sweet potatoes. 

In our newsletter there was a recipe for sweet potato latkes, which looked really good.  Check it out.

Sweet-Potato Latkes from Gourmet, December 2001

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated 

2 scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup vegetable oil
Stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.

From enterpriseproduce.com

This looked good, but I decided to go with regular potato latkes and make my own favorite afternoon snack, cold roasted sweet potatoes.  You cannot go wrong with these. 

Cut sweet potatoes in quarters, coat with canola oil, lightly salt and roast in a 400 degree oven until tender. (about 1/2 hour).  

I container these up and take a couple to work and have them as an afternoon snack.  Usually cold.  But they reheat and freeze well too.

As for plans for the other things in the share?  Butternut squash soup for sure. This weekend. Red cabbage sattued with apples I think, the kids LOVE steamed squash, and I might try some cranberry muffins or a friend's suggestion for cranberries in steel cut oats.

How do you keep blight at bay and pay attention?  Or what is your favorite sweet potato recipe?  

Three Things Thursday: Get down, Get Down

This probably explains a lot, but there were only three vinly LPs I remember my parents having when I was a kid: The Beatles White Album, St. Louis Jesuits Earthen Vessels and Kool and the Gang, Greatest Hits. Random. I know.

I used to think it was funny to sing "Banana, I love you" instead of "Joanna"  I guess even then I was singing the praises of zero point fruits....

Anyway, I am sure my parents had several albums besides these, but these were the only three I remember. But now it is time to Get down, get down. Get down, get down [trumpet riff].

1. Get down to the basement!  I wasn't going to run last night. But Sarah threw down to me and the C25K grads to see if we can tally up 20 miles between us, and I don't back down from a challenge.  So down to the basement I went.  Phone in hand to txt the grads to  make sure they knew how much this TM workout pained me motivate them to do the same.

Oh man, the treadmill was covered in laundry!

Laundry removed, plugged in, tunes back in.  I may run outside with no music, but there is no way in hello....and the light flashes above me.  David's code that a kid is up and I'm needed upstairs.

Yup, I got one mile in when Izzy woke up, got her back to bed, in our bed (I know, I know!), me dripping with sweat (eewww...my sheets) and then I actually went back down to finish 2 more miles. WHHHAAA????

It was 11pm by the time I was done. Honestly, if it weren't txting Deb saying "We only regret the runs we DON'T do" and her txting back with TM funnies, I don't think I would have gone back down. Thank you Deb. You are my westcoast-TM rockstar!

2. Get down the salad cals. Actually not salad, but dressing. Many people dip their fork in and then take a bite, sure that is all well and good, especially at a restaurant (order on the side!) but I still feel like I will still finish off the rest, say with a chunk of bread or something.  So at home, I eat my salads from a container with a lid, measure the dressing, pour it on (it looks like so little!) put the lid back on and shake that sucker up. Coats all the lettuce and the fixin's. Perfect!

3. Get down the $$$. I love Thursdays for two reasons: Farm share pick up and Supermarket Flyer day! (sigh. I actually used an ! with that statement.)  With 6 grocery store chains in our 5 mile radius (gotta love urban sprawl) there are plenty of options for sale items. And with so many chains now carrying organics, it is easy to find deals to supplement the farmshare. If you want an easy way to know where to go and what to put on your list, sign up for your local grocers flyers to be emailed to you.  It makes shopping with purpose much easier. And cheaper!

Oh, and for the record (groan) my first album: Culture Club.  See.  I toldya it explains a lot.

What was your first record/cassette/cd? Sorry...or 8-track. :o)

Horror show in the kitchen!

Apparently it is best to discard moldy spaghetti sauce right away. Huh. Who knew.

As the bag of trash was waiting to be escorted out the door, the jar of spaghetti sauce that I chucked yesterday decided to explode. I know...I know...I didn't use or freeze it in time or make my own sauce. What kind of cheapassmama am I? But that isn't the point. The point is the jar EXPLODED THROUGH the bag! as in, the lid, a screw-top lid, blew off the top of the jar, blew through the plastic bag and all over the wall, floor, door, CSA share, recycling, USPS boxes, cabinets and even as far as the fridge across the room.

I feel like CSI will be ringing our door any moment with their yellow caution police tape to rope off the sauce-y gore fest.  And start questioning our family for persons of interest.

Izzy blames the mummy.

Simon blames the butcher. 

David blames Dario Argento for recreating that infamous scene from Tenebre in our house. (Sorry, not linking the sceme from you tube. That IS a bit gory for my blog.)
I blame the processed food boogie man. I think it was ticked-off that I used the veggies first and ignored the processed sauce....

Or maybe it was pizzed because I didn't dump the sauce and recycle the jar....

Or maybe this is just a very funny, odd mishap that I have now learned from and will not do again.  Of course I am not the one in the kitchen right now cleaning this mess up.  That would be my wonderful spouse.

Now if you really want to see some saucy gore, and make my wonderful spouse really happy, check out his AWESOME new horror comic, that came out this week! Zombie Terrors: An Anthology of the Undead with Undead Templars by David Zuzelo and Billy George's story and if you want the story behind the graphic novel, check out Ascension of the Blind Dead.

What kind of horror shows have you seen in your house these days?  Zombies? The Walking Dead? Or other kitchen or household terrors? Some how pressure cookers come to mind....

Epilogue: David added this commentary and it was just too funny not to share; so here is an update with David's take on the sauce-plosion....

"When I walked in the house at first I thought I would have to don hockey gear and find the giant rat running around our house in order to protect the kids! Then I realized that I had missed the chance to actually bear witness to a monstrous saucesplosion-truly a rare event. Dang. THEN my son began to accuse THE BUTCHER of attacking our trash and my daughter jumped in my arms telling me THE BUTCHER was here. My son began to threaten THE BUTCHER to come out and get a WAM PUNCH from him (ah, the men in our family will always confront issues like that is if they were wearing a cardboard suit of Voltron armor!)...and it was all very funny.

Then I had to clean it while muttering..."it is like RunLikeAMuthaBLEEPn Tenebre in here!!" Also funny. Look at that photo, and those that can tolerate horror films can compare my thinking by searching for this on youtube Tenebrae: Give Her a Hand.

No link because I don't want to scar anyone for life. Gory scene, but funny in this context. Good times...good times..."

What is that sloshing sound???

Ohhhhh.....

That would be my stomach. Is that what it sounds like?  All the time?

So I did something today that I am embarrassed to admit has taken me this long to do.

I ran without music. Yep.

11 months, 1 week and 2 days of running and today was the first day I ran without my zune either in my ears, blaring from the treadmill, from Isabella's iluv in the jogging stroller or dangling from my neck.

I've talked about what running is to me before, but it usually involved somehow shutting out part of the world.  Well not today.  I have been so frazzled-busy with to-do lists and ITB issues and family time and Advent and church time (All GOOD things!) but a lot of good things, so that rather than just drown it all out with music....I just wanted to move forward and be today.

I know I need my runs. And I know I need them for different reasons depending on the day, but I do think that I will be a better person and a better runner (ummm...I could hear my foot falls and correct them!) if I practice minimalist running from the neck up too sometimes.

I am not ready to get ride of the music player all together.  But I do want to make a commitment to run naked at least 1 run a week during my training for Boston. And by naked, I mean sans the player...not ready to take off my clothes like Chuck the garmin just yet...but I do know it beeps!  Who knew.

My heart is beating faster just thinking about giving this small thing up, but I think that right there is an indicator that it needs to be done.  I'm also going to need some accountability.  I am thinking that along with my training plan (one of my to-do list items...argh!)  that I plan on posting and keeping track of here, I am going to hold my self to day without a player.  Who knows, it might become my norm.

Oh don't get ahead of yourself there, Christy.

How do you non-music runners do it? What keeps you tuned in or tuned out during your runs? Or if you run with music, could you give it up for a run?

Friday's Drawers - Birthday Suit

Holy produce!

I have been overwhelmingly humbled today with all the birthday wishes and new followers from RLAM after yesterday's Follow This Mother honor! It is truly amazing to find such an awesome group of people!  I hope you'll stay and comment because goodness knows I have *NOT a CLUE* what to do with all these potatoes! I need some help.

Or this big turnip! I think it's a turnip. (Yes just looked in our CSA's newletter.  It is a scarlet turnip.)



That is one funky looking turnip.



I will say this....A wonderful birthday surprise, Zero Point grapefruit!  It took all my energy hold off on eating one of these bad boys until after I took the picture!

ZERO point grapefruit!  I <3 WeightWatchers PointsPlus

The kids have actually given up on the mini carrots from the BJs.  They'd rather have me peel the funky ones from their farmer.  These really do make the best soups.

In the mean time, since it is my birthday, I am going to have this glorious chocolate rum bunt cake that my co-worker made for me, including a Chocolate Rum Glaze!  

Yeah, that isn't zero points.....but it was tasty!  Now all we needed was that 30 proof whipped cream before it's taken off the shelves!

Thanks for staying and reading. And seriously, if you have ideas on potatoes, even how to store them so the last longer.... please for all things spud, pass them on!  

*humming*

1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4......

Run Like a Mother, Eat Like a Rainbow

NYTimes dubbed it: "A bible for active parents."

Since finding the book Run Like a Mother (and blog! and tweets! and RLAM fb page!), I have been completely entertained and inspired and able to connect with a whole new community of runner-mamas.

This book is so utterly relatable, it.is.sick! Even as a newbie runner, there were countless numbers of "O-M-G! That is EXACTLY how I feel" uttered from my mouth. As a mom, spouse, runner, wannabe writer and overall multi-tasking-life balancer, this book inspired me, me made me laugh out loud causing my fellow commuter train riders to stop and stare. (At which point I promptly held up the book long enough for them to commit the title to memory.)

Well, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell have honored me by profiling me as one of their Follow This Mother mothers.

*blushing*

If you are a RLAM'er….Welcome! Thank you for reading! I hope you’ll stay and join in the conversation.

And to give you an idea of what goes on around here....I blog about everything from food I have never seen before, to running, to cooking mishaps, to recipes I love, to my cute kids, to race recaps, to weighty issues, and even struggles with getting out of debt! Oh, and be sure to check back every Friday to see what’s in my drawers.

*bow-chicka-bow-bow*

If you are an Outer Aisle reader, please check out RLAM! (pssst…Hump day giveaways says @cheapassmama). Seriously, it is a fantastic community with some amazingly supportive badass mother runners!  Join us!

Going bananas.....WeightWatchers Endorses Food!

Zero Points Fruit!

pic from blog.americanfeast.com

Holy frijoles!  Bananas are zero points!

Can I say that I am actually pretty psyched for the new Weight Watchers plan called Points Plus?! I feel like PointsPlus is WeightWatchers meets Michael Pollan. "Eat food, mostly plants, not to much." And WeightWatchers is actually endorsing food! 

Why is this such a big deal?  For one thing, on the old plan was all about getting your daily points. For example, in losing mode, I got 21 points. Since I hoarded points like I do gift cards, I would pass on the banana (2 points) and go for the sugar free jello and whipped cream or 2 Weight Watcher's fudge pops or the skinny cow for the same number of points.  In other words, I would pass on actual *food* to eat diet "novelties" instead.  All common sense went out the window.  It was no wonder that I never knew how to eat until satisfied.  (I swear they really do put some additive in there to make you crave and eat more.) 

So now, with this new plan, we are "rewarded" (though I hate to think as more food as a reward....but you get my meaning) anyway, we are rewarded with more points by eating food, actual food, not processed franken-food.

What it comes down to is that the Weight Watcher's science people are nudging people to balance out the types of calories that one eats by taking protein, carbs, fat and fiber into account rather than calories, fiber and fat as they did with the previous model.  Since not all calories are created (or burned) equally, this makes sense. Ask any runner that bonks during a run where their calories came from that day and they'll most likely tell you they ate too much protein calories and not enough carbs. It takes more energy (and time) to burn protein over carbs, so when running a race, it makes sense to grab the carb that is going to burn fast, but if losing weight and feeling full longer is the goal, then choosing food with lean protein and high in fiber is the way to go.  These are fewer points than say high carb (refined sugar), high fat foods. Really?

On this new plan, we get more daily points and we get more weekly points, but the food point values (in some cases) also went up. Especially in the high carb, low protein areas.  Also, points plus (P+) are no longer calorie based (per se) but now based on carbs, protein, fat and fiber. Since we know not all calories are created equally, this makes sense. 

While I am excited about this plan, the part that still concerns me is that we are still talking about food as nutrients rather than the whole food itself.  There is a balance that is needed and I think that comes from really listening and feeling and identifying with the energy that goes into (and out of ) our bodies. Sitting with it.  Feeling satisfied. 

When I was originally following the plan, I never really got the whole "eat until satisfied" feeling. The people of Okinawa call this practice, Hara Hachi Bu – eat until 80 percent full.  

I hope that this new plan will help me, us, whoever is on WeightWatchers practice mindful eating and that Hara Hachi Bu becomes part of our everyday, our every meal.  Until then, I'll get out my tracker and write every bite down.