REFLECTION UPON SPRING

Spring always brings with it a time of reflection and new beginnings and I always get bogged down with trying to decide how to improve upon last year and how to scrape winter's sludge from my marrow.  I become a melancholic mess this time of year; home sick and sick of being inside walls for months.  I want to stretch my limbs out as far as they will stretch and I want to feel the dull ache of cold slowly dissipate with the sun that creeps forward so stubbornly and with a hitch.  I want to shove my hands down into the mud until it touches my elbows and I want to feel the sharp salt of the ocean air deep inside my nostrils.  I want to listen to the buds on the trees open up; want hear the creak and crinkle of the leaves burst free.  I want to hear the whisper of the daffodil as it shrugs through the soil.  I want to watch the awkward young seagulls toss their clams from 15 stories up, gliding down with determination before their next of kin sabotages the entire operation.  I want to listen to the deep baritone repeat as the fog rolls in, bringing a fuzzy chill that fills every crevice of my skin.  I want to run and run; I want to run until I have exhausted every demon that has been chasing me, until they are all panting and riddled with exhaustion, until I can leave them many harmless miles behind me.  Only then can I slow to a jog. Only then can I let go of winter. Only then can I let go and let spring heal the wounds.  

Good Tips from Outside Magazine and a Recovery recipe from me

I was pretty happy to see that I am already covering most of the bases when it comes to Outside Magazines subscribed 'superfoods for workout recovery'.  Of course I would have to replace the whey with Vega Sport Performance Protein.  It is a great vegan alternative because it has branched chain amino acids and L-glutamine.  And it tastes pretty yummy too.  Here is the Outside Article:
Get to Know Your Superfoods

Here is my own favorite post-workout smoothie.  It makes me feel like I'm having a real treat to reward myself for a job well done!
8 to 12 oz almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla)
1 scoop chocolate Vega Sport Performance Protein
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen cherries

Mix all ingredients in a blender and make sure to consume within an hour or two of a tough workout to help with recovery. 

Ready, Set, Go!

I am freeing myself from the deep-freeze blues.  I have officially signed up for the Maine Marathon in October.  I am reading books on sports nutrition and trying to really zero in on the fueling process this year.  It is something I definitely could pay more attention to- carb loading need not always be beer and vegan pizza:)  Sometimes, yes, but not as a norm.

I have also begun working with VegMe!  VegME! is a Maine-based nonprofit working to educate and support Mainers interested in plant-based eating.  VegME!’s efforts are focused on the benefits a plant-based (vegan) diet provides in four areas: hunger, nutrition, animals and environment.  Our mission is to put veg resource with veg need to serve Mainers.  I am having a grand time getting back into the game and hope that you will follow our efforts and join in some of the fun.  In the near future we have many events including a vegan meetup at Zen Chinese restaurant in Portland, 2013 MeatOut brunch at Pepperclub, Meatless Mainers day to name just a few.  Go to our page for more information on any of these.

Lastly, I am dreaming up a concept of a vegan running group.  Runs that end at a veg-friendly restaurant.  If anyone out there wants to take part, please contact me. 

Until next time, keep running, keep vegging, and keep making a difference in the lives of animals, people, and the environment!

All Work and No Run Makes Ange a Dull Gal

I haven't been skipping workouts.  Not at all.  I have actually been working harder than usual participating in some High Intensity Interval Training courtesy of Beachbody's Les Mills Combat.  It is actually pretty kick-ass; punches and kicks and burpees galore and with at least an hour 6 days a week. I am feeling more flexible and strong than I have in a while.  Check it out!

All of this said, I was beginning to feel increasingly grumpy.   Now, it is no surprise that I get a bit weird if I don't go for my runs for a long stretch of time but I didn't realize how much I needed that outside time until I spent a couple of weeks working out indoors and on the dreaded treadmill.  The holidays, the 5 hours of daylight a day, and the marvelous snow has forced me inside.  I recently read this great article in Outside magazine that explained some of the possible scientific reasons for this.  I highly recommend the article:  Nature as medicine.

So this morning I bundled up for my 1st run of 2013.  It was a good workout with sidewalks still quite snow-covered so there was some core work and my ankles are quite tender tonight.  It was grueling work and the wind was a bit raw and I was in the best mood I have been in days.  There is something more to it than getting a good sweat on.  I needed to be outside, for the sake of myself and the people around me who have to deal with my cranks.  I ended the morning with a smoothie from the Maine Squeeze- a GreenLight with mango, pineapple, dates, kale and ginger.  Perfection. 

So, if you are feeling less than thrilled about this new year, try heading outside for a wee bit.  You just might be smiling despite the bitter winter chill.

Things I've Had it With

Hello once again, my friends.  As you know if you live in Portland, this picture was taken during a more pleasant day.  I've quite had it with these days that don't really become light and I have had it with rain in mid-December.  Who wants to raise their hand and argue global warming with me?  Oh yeah, really?  Well, I will arm wrestle you for it. 

Actually, I've had it with quite a few things recently.  I've had it with people treating one another like shit during the holiday season- scowling at one another in busy stores and parking lots because they only care about the material things they don't have enough money to buy.  I've had it with people acting like animals are disposable objects for our pleasure and I've had it with people that treat me like I am some sort of extremist because I don't follow the mainstream diet.  I've had it with people that think I 'will change my mind' about bringing a child into this fucked up world.  I'm 35 people- the clock is not a-ticking.  I've had it with people who use their self-riteous attitudes to stroke their own ego- happy cows and cage free eggs and joyous salmon dancing in the fucking moonlight.  None of these are for the sake of the animals, but for the sake of people's conscience.  Speaking of ego, I've had it with 26.2 bumper stickers.  I've had it with people buying dogs from puppy mills and I've had it with the gutter-punk kids that put packs on their dogs.  Don't bring a dog into your begging when you don't know where your next meal will be and definitely don't have them carry your shit!  I've had it with people trying to convince me they need their 5 guns for protection.  I've had it with health care professionals that act like nutrition and diet is separate from health and I've had it with our inability to find a way to get less fortunate people balanced meals.  I've had it with the fact that the grain going to feed that fat cow for the rich people's bloody steak could have been fed to people instead of cows.  I've had it with people getting groceries and such in plastic bags- often just one or two items in each bag- and then throwing them out, unaware or uncaring about the islands of plastic growing in our ocean.  I've had it with people claiming to be environmentalists but opposing windmills.  I've had it with people claiming to be feminists throwing themselves at men desperately, using the excuse that they are 'owning their sexuality'.  I've had it with sexuality being the selling point for EVERYTHING.  And sex really does sell everything!  In that case, I gotta say, veganism in sexy.  Being strong is sexy.  Environmentalism is sexy.  Kindness is sexy.  Smiling at every goddam miserable looking shopper that you can is sexy.

Well, I think I got all of that out of the way for a while.  This was supposed to be a blog about the dreary day and look what happened!  Just try to spread some cheer people.  I am going to try like hell to be as nice as possible despite all of these things that I've had it with.  Because anger doesn't change anything.  So, get your anger out by writing it down or by harnessing it all into your arm wrestling matches and give one another some kindness, patience, and understanding.

Back Again

I believe it may be time to get up and running again (no pun intended).  I have a couple of things up my sleeve, including another money raising marathon- charity to be announced.  Which means summer will be consumed again by runs and fundraising so I will need much love from my family and friends!

The other thing I will be working on is 'Ban the Bag Portland'.  I think we can convince Portland, Maine that eliminating plastic bags is possible and desirable.  I am hoping for volunteers to help me go to businesses to get them to pledge to go plastic bag free.  I am also hoping to find some local politicians to get on board with this idea.  To even introduce the idea of an anti-plastic bag law is going to seem extreme to a lot of folks and I am ready for their wrath.  What is extreme is the state of the oceans these days.  We are at a critical point and we need to all wake up and do whatever little bit we can.  This is my little bit at the moment.  Join me!

Militant Vegan

I was accused of being a militant vegan today. I must say I was a bit flattered. Being a passive, middle of the road person most of my life, the fact that I am seen as 'militant' about something is something I am proud of. Better than a half-assed vegan. Better than a 'do it because it is trendy now' vegan. Better than a 'well, I eat turkey at thanksgiving' vegan.

Definition of MILITANT
1
: engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
2
: aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative


Speaking of militant, I wish I was out on the ocean with the Sea Shepherd folks, risking life and limb for something so much bigger than the everyday bullshit society tells us we should care about. Fighting for the environment instead of fighting the 9:00 to 5:00 so that maybe I can buy that expensive pair of jeans so the world won't suspect I am eeking by from one paycheck to the next- drowning in debt from just a couple of Christmases trying to show people love with stuff. Fighting for whales instead of fighting against the idea that people have that I am flawed because I don't want children or a career or a marriage that might fail in five years. Fuck that shit. Militant? I hope I can be 'aggressively active', trying to change my world in even the smallest way that I can.