It’s Official – Venice Christman Run 2010!

It’s official! I am registered to run my first 5k in two weeks!  I really can’t see that it will be too difficult.  It’s a bit over 3 miles.  I think I should be fine.  It’s not like I am trying to win the race or anything.  For the most part this is just exposure to the organized race thing.  Especially since I plan on joining more and more races as time goes by.  Keep me healthy! Keep me Young!

The course is in a nice area of town and this Saturday I can pick up my foot pod, race shirt, and race number!!! SO EXCITED!  My first number!

Living in California allows me to run year round.  Luckily, here in Cali I don’t have to deal with zero temperatures.  Whew!!! Somehow running in 40 degree weather doesn’t seem so bad when I read other blogs that cover running in NYC or the mid west. 

I took Saturday and Sunday off from running.  I will run tonight and maybe do a few miles on my bike.  She is a whole new girl since her tune up!! She is very fancy!  (Picures later!)

My Garmin has been a ton of help with my running.  After each run I can load the information right into my laptop.  Information like: heart beats per minute, elevation, grade, pace and calories.  What’s nice is that I am able to compare runs as well! Very cool.  Since this watch has a GPS system I am also able to save the course I ran and even make certain notations about the course.  I think this will be more helpful when I begin running in the mountains.  I figure if I can run steep hills, then when there is a straightaway I should be pretty strong.  (In theory of course.)

Last week I ran 15 miles and did 6 miles on my bike.  This week I hope to run 18-20 and bike 9-12.  Goals.  Lets see if I meet them!!!

Tomorrow is the last day to enter the FREE RAFFLE GIVEAWAY!  For information on that please go to this post! You can enter the RAFFLE until midnight!!!

I hope you are all doing well!

Namaste!

A Fabulous Thanksgiving Day!!!

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all warm and cozy – wherever you are!!!

I’m thankful for each and every one of you out there!  I hope you all enjoyed your day – whatever you chose to do!!!

My “taste-tester” and I decided to take a few friends out to a Vegan Thanksgiving Tasting!  The restaurant was located in the heart of Little Tokyo – Downtown Los Angeles.  The name of the restaurant was called Shojin.  They are known for Vegan Organic Japanese Cuisine!  Since they are a pretty new restaurant, we felt it was time to try their food!

We all arrived at the same time and walked in together.  As we headed up the escalator, there were all sorts of traditional Japanese Restaurants located in this building.  Quite honestly, I have been going to Downtown Los Angeles for almost 10 yrs on business related matters.  Now mind you, I am in the area of this restaurant about 4 – 6 times a week!  I never noticed this building!  What a nice surprise!

Upon being seated we were served some HOT TEA!

Jasmine Tea!

We ordered a Carrot Detox Drink and a Lemon Mint Detox Mojito.

Carrot Detox - Carrot Juice, Ginger, Cayenne

This was pleasent to the palate!  A very nice addition to the meal!  It also felt really good in my tummy!!! 

Lemon Detox Mojito - Mint, Ginger Lemon, Cayenne

Both of our drinks prepared our palates for wonderful flavor!!! They were really great drinks.  They almost seemed like great recovery drinks after an extreme amount of activity!! (Note to self!!!)

It was time for FOOD!!! Delicious Vegan Food!!!

Appetizer

Spicy Green Beans - Jalepeno Pepper, Soy Sauce, Oil, Red Bell pepper & Candied Almonds

This was a nice and tantalizing beginning!  The green beans had been marinated and left RAW!   So the amount of flavor along with the crunch was superb!

Soup

Butternut Soup with Cashew Cream

This was so wonderful!  The soup was left in it’s orginal state of flavor.  No additions of salt, or cinammon as I thought might be the case.  Perfect and Clean!!!

Salad

Organic Greens with Cashew Dressing

This salad was great!  Fresh and Flavorful!  The dressing reminded me of a Thousand Island Dressing made out of Cashews I had experimented with last year!  Very Nice!! Again and all RAW dish!!!

Main Course

Stuffted Seitan with Gravy, Cranberry Sauce & Roasted Veggies!

Another View!

Look at all of those delicious mushrooms!!!

By this time everyone was so happy and content with the service and the food! :) We were so involved in our conversation we had forgotton about the final course! 

In fact it was really nice to hear about our friends experiences from their childhood.  Everyone at the table has been a vegetarian for a long time EXCEPT our friend Ignacio!  He was so funny!  He cleaned his plate and knew that he would like to go to another tasting again!   Very postitive!  He recently did some security work at the local meat market and was horrified by the animals being killed and dying in the manner in which they did!  YIKES!  After that particular “gig” he stopped eating meat.  It has been over 3 months since then!  He will be going back to Argentina for Christmas, so hopefully I will be able to find some great recipes for him prior to his trip!

Our other friend is a popular DJ on the radio and an MC at many of the Reggae shows we go to.  Music! Sweet Music!  During our meal, we heard some splendid JAZZ music!  Quite a wonderful ambience in the restaurant!

It was time for out final course -

Desert

Pomegranite Mousse Cake w/ Rasberry Coulis & Rosemary Crackers

This was a nice meal with great friends and will leave us with “Delicious” Memories!  Thanksgiving 2010!!! Thank you readers for reading this post.  Thank you for your life and wonderful energy you add to our earth each day!!!   For love, life and FOOD – I am thankful!!!

 

No running, just relaxing! I was able to have a nice relaxing day with my “taste-tester” and a wonderful evening with friends!!!

Just a few more days until the Free Raffle Giveaway is over!  Join the raffle for a chance to win a 1 yr subsription to Running World Magazine, or 1 yr subscription to Yoga Journal -or- THRIVE by Brendan Brazier!

You can find the posting on that here!

 

Namaste

 

Smelly Flowers and an Update! :)

Stapelia

Plants in the genus Stapelia are also called “carrion flowers”. They are small, spineless, cactus-like succulent plants. Most species are native to South Africa, and are grown as potted plants elsewhere. The flowers of all species are hairy to varying degrees and generate the odor of rotten flesh. The color of the flowers also mimics rotting meat. This attracts scavenging flies, for pollination. The flowers in some species can be very large, notably Stapelia gigantea can reach 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter.

This wonderful flower bloomed the other day and I just had to share it with you!   This is one of the most interesting specimens I have seen in a long time.  Although I have had this succulent for approx. 2 years, I felt so excited to see that it had finally BLOOMED!  Thankfully I didn’t smell any type of dying flesh smell! Whew! If you look closely you can see the fly inside the flower!

Here is another view of this great flower!

I also received some wonderful speimans from a customer the other day.  At the moment I am trying to figure out what family they are from…stay tuned!

On other notes: My running and preparation for the 1/2 Marathon in February!

I received my Garmin watch/training device yesterday! So excited to see how this works.  It was pretty cool!  I charged it for about an hour or two and put it on my wrist.  I turned it on and it calculated that I had walk 1 ft.  WOW! Pretty cool.  Tomorrow morning will be the first run with this cool device! Cannot wait!

JOIN THE FREE GIVEAWAY!!!!

Free 1 yr subscription to:

Running Magazine

-or-

Yoga Journal

-or-

THRIVE by Brendan Brazier

Click the links above and see what I am offering. 

How did all of this running business start?  Well, if you have been here for sometime, you know that I am into wellness and longevity!  In addition to being very aware of what I am eating, I am also attempting to lead a healthier life all of the time.  No one is perfect and there can always be some kind of changes we can make in life!  No matter how minute…no matter how trivial it may seem.  Besides all that counts is you are aware and able to take control of various aspects in our lives.  Right?

So…a few weeks after my sister got married in September I received a past issue of Running World Magazine – Aug 2010 from an old friend.  He told me he remembered how much I used to run and inquired why I wasn’t running any longer.  Needless to say, I looked at the the magazine and decided it was time to start again.  I had forgotton what a long run felt like.  Running used to be my therapy for so many things!  So here I go again!   Running the 3 miles is getting easier, but I feel bored at times while I am running.  I have to remember to stay focused!  I also have the opportunity to chart runs and be reminded of my pace slowing down or picking up to fast.  You see the watch will tell me about my pace, and if I am sticking to my goals!

Thanks for reading and SOMEONE JOIN THE RAFFLE!!!!  PLEASE!

I will write again soon!

Namaste!

The Garmin Plunge!

Currently I am at 3 miles in 45 min.  Not to good. At this rate I will finish 13.1 miles in 196.5 minutes which is roughly 3.5 hours. 

Of course the 15 min mile includes an uphill segment.  VERY DIFFICULT.  I am pretty good with the endurance side of things but it is the unknown climb and what my actual pace is that I am confused about.

So, to solve this I decided to purchase the Garmin Forerunner 305.  It is a pretty cool gadget!

Here is an overview of what the Garmin does!

The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data.

Sounds pretty cool huh?  I will start with this and then possibly buy the speed meter to attach to my bike.  As far as my bike goes, I am at 3.5 miles in 30 minutes.  Fitness.  It is a challenge!  However the challenge is fitting it into my schedule and maintaing the patience and persistance for such an endeavor. 

Thank goodness for yoga!  Stretching prior to a run and after a run is essential!!! The wonderful poses/asanas are much needed after a run.  Particularly when you are starting out.  Sadly I can feel the amount of time of non-activity in my body.  Got to get back to where I was before…Imagine the Rocky Theme playing! …ha ha ha!

Another really cool feature is the PC compatibility this watch has!

“Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now.  Thanks to USB, the 305 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible). Not only does Training Center make it easy to track your performance, you can graph data such as heartrate alongside your speed and distance. Over time, this is a great way to view your fitness levels increase, and it also helps you see what types of workouts are necessary to strengthen your weaknesses. For instance, if you see your heartrate begin to spike after a certain distance, you know you need to increase your endurance workouts to train that area of fitness. 

The Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. (How cool is this???)When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you’re on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software’s ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.”

My wonderful Garmin should be here on Monday!  I can hardly wait!! Of course I could have gone to my local REI or Sport Chalet, but I would have paid more than double the price!!! Not good. So I will wait patiently!  

Please don’t forget about

THE FREE GIVEAWAY!!!

 

Hugs & Yoga

Hello everyone! How are you today?  Well?  I hope so!  For those of you who need it – I send you a healing hug!!!   And for those of you feeling pretty good today – tell someone that you love them.  Loving is a healing emotion. 

I thought I would explain and delve deeper into CHATURANGA DANDASANA.

Chaturanga = Four Limbs / Danda = staff (refers to the spine which is considered the support “staff” of the body.)

While in this pose it works your abdomen, upper arms, shoulders and back.  This pose is an extreme intensive pose when held for longer than 30 seconds. Trust me!! It is one of the poses used in the sequence of the Sun Salutation.  I have explained and written about the Sun Salutations here and here.

Benefits of Chaturanga Dandasana

• Strengthens the arms and wrists
• Tones the abdomen

Why is it important to have a strong core?

1. Having a strong core helps improve running performance. 
2. A strong core helps alleviate the pressure on the lower back by stabilizing the mid-section of your body. 
3. Having strong oblique muscles (the ones that are responsible for twisting and transverse plane movements) helps to isometrically hold the body in a forward position so that you don’t waste energy moving from side to side and
4. Strong core muscles aids in keeping the spine erect and supported during high impact activities such as running.

There are many more poses I will add to my workout.  However, I would like to hold this pose for more than 3 minutes.  We’ll see how successful I am in the coming weeks. Whew!  Try holding this pose and you will soon find out what I am talking about!!!

Remember to…

ENTER THE

FREE RAFFLE GIVEAWAY!!!

Rules and Prizes are HERE.

Forging Ahead!!

I am definitly forging ahead! I WILL NOT GIVE UP FITNESS!  It is quite an experience attempting to add fitness back into my life!  I think the hardest part is the time issue!  An attempt to budget my time a bit better is the most important!  Once I get back into the groove of TIME I should be just fine!!!  I usually don’t look at the time or even care what time it is.  Does that sound crazy?  I used to think that was such a AGE DEFYING trick.   Not paying attention to how many birthdays, what time I needed to be where, etc.  BUT when you decide you are going to run, and when you decide you are going to run a 5k, 10k or more – TIME MATTERS!

So, I will be taking the plunge and start timing myself more.  The pace and overall fitness level will have to increase in order for me to be able to compete in any type of organized running event.

This blog has been a food and yoga blog, but there is a new addition to this family…RUNNING!!!  So I will continue to cover all of these interests in my life and I hope you will come along and ENJOY THE RIDE!!!

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY EVERYONE!!! 

I am offering a 1 year subscription to:

~or~

or

FREE copy of the Brendan Brazier book THRIVE!!!

I have read the Thrive book a few times.  I really enjoyed the information and the breakdown of the various foods available to vegan/vegetarians while they are training and working out!  Professional Athletes and Non-Professional athletes alike!  Very positive book to add to your collection!

To ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY you must:

1) Leave a comment about your fitness desires, challenges from today Nov. 9, 2010 until the deadline Nov. 30, 2010!

2) Share a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon story from your life

3) Share your favorite Yoga Pose and why it is your favorite pose

4) Subscribe to this blog!!!

That’s it!!!   Easy enough huh? 

I hope you are all doing well!  Stay positive!  The answer is just around the corner!!!  

Namaste!

Workout:

35 Minutes on the bike

Chattaranga for 2 minutes – OUCH!!! (3x) – My stomach is SORE!!!

20 Minute walk