Want fries with that shake?

Newest attempt at being a "fit person". Working off of the couch to 5K program. Except slowing it way the fuck down and trying to listen to and respect my incredibly out of shape body. This, rather than getting all gung ho and breaking myself. I know running is not the ideal goal for a person of my proportions -  short and stocky sums it up. But I think about running all the time. Often at like 11 oclock at night I am overcome with an incredible urge to run. I never really have run though. Between childhood asthma followed by a 1 1/2 pack a day smoking habit I just never got around to running. Well been off the butts for 3 years now and there is no sign of my asthma returning so now I have no excuse. Here's how week 1 went. [today is day 7 and I took it off. I actually really wanted to go for a walk/run but I figured it wasn't a bad idea to take a day off and I have a paper due in 2 days I really need to focus on - and yet I am blogging, whoops]

Day 1: Stretched pretty good, sit-ups, other ab/back exercises. brisk walk, attempted the 90 seconds run, 90 seconds walk. That didn't work. Probably ran for about 1.5 minutes all told. Huffing and puffing so bad by the time I got home I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call an ambulance.
Wanted to die the following morning. Lower back agony. verging on vomiting kind of lower back agony. 
Day 2: Brisk walked - kinda power walked arms flailing thing. felt pretty good about it. Stretched beforehand and did upper body stuff with kettle bells (8lb) 20 behind head, 20 in front, 10 each arm.
felt pretty good the following day
Day 3: Raining - did a pretty aggressive (for me) 20-25 min work on the heavy bag. That was fun! Unfortunately I totally hit like a girl - need to learn how to actually throw a punch. Also did stretching and abs/back.
Next day a tiny amount of soreness in arms shoulders but not much. 
Day 4: Brisk walk am and pm, stretching, abs upper body kettle bells.
Next day slightly sore lower back and calves.
Day 5: Brisk walk with handweights (2lbs each) stretching, upper body
Calves tight next day arms slightly fatigued. I think I need new sneakers.
Day 6: Brisk walk about 1.5 times the length of previous. And I RAN about 1/2 the way home!!! And my back didn't hurt the next day. Though I learned if I am going to be running I should probably be wearing 2 sports bras cause one just didn't cut it.

While we are talking supportive undergarments and accomplishments I would like to share something with any of you who may be on the not skinny side of the fence. For a long time one of the deterrents to me exercising was the extremely uncomfortable experience of having stomach flab flabbing all over the place trying to make your pants fall off, your underwear ride up, your skin rip apart, and your pride go flying away from you. And lets face it. We all secretly want to feel sexy and powerful when we are exercising - regardless of how completely idiotic we know we look. Flabby belly flapping like a very unattractive 5th limb does not equal feeling sexy or empowered. It does equal pain, chafing and I was quite serious about the skin tearing thing. I came up with a solution - I'm not proud but it does work. Control top panties, they aren't just for smoothing the waves anymore! Now they are utilitarian!

And if your bottom has a padonk a donk that makes it hard to jog with a rhythm then these should do you right as well. And they do sell supportive undergarments for men if anyone was interested.
They ussually have this stuff for like $5-12 at Marshalls. Just wrap it up and take off running! Enjoy!

Now to write very very long paper of last minute misery.

Food, Fozzie and Fests!

Fantastic day at our farmshare yesterday! We belong to Natural Roots. Yesterday they had an abundance of large zucchini, squash and salad turnips. I am working on pickling the turnips (never done that or canned before) and gonna make some nice zucchini bread on Thursday.

There was also tons of pick your own green beans (I ate too many on the drive home), raspberries, herbs, greens, squash, beets and crazy tasty carrots! My fridge is bursting!

Looking forward to the Green River Festival this weekend with some visiting friends that I don't get to see enough of. Including this handsome devil!

I keep thinking about what fun things I can feed my guests but forgetting that we will be at the fest pretty much 12 til 9 on Sat and 11-6 on Sun. Maybe I can bring food in?

Hmmm ...
Zucchini bread - check
Pickled beets - check

Guess I gotta get thinking.

On another note - Babies - they are popping out everywhere! Watch out cause your liable to get thwapped in the head with one. Don't forget to duck! I know 3 that have popped since Friday and at least 2 more are expected. I'm starting to think this might be some sort of alien invasion.

Ugh ,went to look for some sort of image or funny alien baby thing - don't do that. There is some really disturbing stuff out there. Yuck - wish I could unsee that.

Happy it is raining - my garden needs it badly! I found some of my drought tolerant plants were looking a little dead.

Nina Simone before bed

I got life

Mmm Licorice tea!

I brewed up some licorice root tea last night thinking it would be good to make iced for today. Um yeah it was great! Incredibly sweet. Almost too sweet and I thought I had brewed it way to weak.

Dropped some lavender in it. God I do love lavender. Thinking it would be nice too as the sweet factor for some lemon or limeade (the licorice tea that is).

In my research on the raw diet I have learned that chocolate is a big plus. Yay! Recently I have tried some wonderful chocolates. I think my favorite has to be the salt and cracked pepper chocolate by Salazon Chocolate. Its startlingly good.

Tried a  "raw french fries" recipe.Don't know if I would consider it a success. Hard to guess when you don't know what its supposed to taste like. it was definitely yummy - but very messy. I got the recipe here. Lucky for me one of the guys who works in produce at the co-op grows lovely kohlrabi.

I love discovering new foods and I had never heard of kohlrabi before - it is very tasty. Kind of like the core of broccoli stalks (my favorite part).

Unfortunately the recipe also called for curcumin. I have never heard or this before so I didn't have any available. Instead I used some sage, cumin and something in a baggie in the seasoning drawer that smelled pretty good.

Lets see if I can keep this up

Been meaning to start a blog for a while - mainly as a way to keep track of the random things I think about meaning to do.

Today I am thinking about starting a raw diet (or at least adding raw to my current repertoire), redesigning the bedroom closet (cool thingy on easyclosets.com), Ordering curtain fabric for the bedroom (sewmamasew.com), scheduling Drs appts (ugh), trying to play the uke (again), starting my new dayplanner, and making chinese tea eggs! Mmm Yummy!

My thoughts for why to start this blog are that it will probably end up being a lot about food. Some about struggling with my weight and trying to make changes in my sedentary, lazy ass lifestyle. Some about living in the country and working in a co-op in a "city in transition". There will probably be some observations about the weird ass people I interact with regularly. Perhaps some thoughts on relationships, sex and peoples.

I am getting ready to start grad school. Just moved in with the BF about 5 months ago. Just turned 34. Constantly reminded that there is apparently some kind of biological clock I am supposed to be paying attention to.

Jack Lalanne juicers cannot handle grass. Though what was produced was fairly good. Ate that and some carrots fresh from the garden and raspberries from the yard. The went on a little bender with a half a roastbeef sandwich, some hummus on olive loaf and a tea egg. Could've been worse - I haven't touched the chocolate or ice cream (yet). Why are these things in the house anyway?