March 2012
29 posts
1 tag
Smart Marketing
A colleague of Lucus’s gave us free passes to a gym, so I can try out the pool. On the passes, it clearly states that the user must have an in-state ID. Well-played 24 Hour Fitness. It’s about time I took a trip to the DMV anyway.
3 tags
Day 25: Exercise Boosts Brain Power
I struggled with the decision to be honest about today’s log. It’s not that I didn’t move. I did, although it was a close call. It was nearly midnight when I realized I forgot my yoga practice. (strangely, the thing that kept me from the movement was researching the effects of dairy and grains on the human body. related but certainly not movement.)
When I remembered, I was still...
4 tags
Day 24
sigh. I failed to do anything yesterday. Instead, I went to bed. Tonight, I went for a run. It felt terrible. I feel run-down.
Stats
Run: 15:03
Walk: 11:16
The only reason I walked so long is I had to get back home. I punked out just past the midpoint of my run.
1 tag
When it's just not working →
I’m posting this link, because I wrote about loosening up on my vegetarian diet on my main blog. This seemed simpler than repeating the post.
3 tags
Missing Days
I wish I could say that although I did not post, I kept up the daily movement. But that’s not entirely true.
Here’s what happened. I went out of town. It’s that simple. Something I fail to learn about myself is that I’m incapable of maintaining normalcy when I travel. Even so, I didn’t entirely abandon the project. I simply found I couldn’t keep up with it on...
2 tags
Day 22
The husband and I went for a walk after dinner tonight. I am going to write in just a moment about the missing 5 days, but I wanted to put this quick log in first.
Stats
Walk: 24:25
2 tags
Day 16
oops! I forgot to log yesterday’s 20.
Unpacking again. It’s the last time I can resort to this, because…..I’m finished!!
Then maybe 5 minutes of stretching.
2 tags
You May Have Your Food Dogma Back →
Yes! The more I read about food, nutrition and our bodies, the more I realize that “the science” isn’t clear. We know very little about how our bodies are actually nourished by the food we eat.
I’m learning this the hard way. Since becoming a vegetarian last July, I am constantly hungry. My diet is high in protein (eggs, avocados, quinoa, etc), and yet I never seem to fill...
2 tags
Day 15
I forgot to stop the timer. But I think it was just over 20. It was freezing out (ha! how quickly I became accustomed to California winter), and I wanted to be quick about it. On the plus side, this meant I walked fast, too.
Also…2 weeks!
3 tags
Days 13 & 14
This weekend, Lucus and I had plans. Namely to finish decorating our new house and to spend some time in Davis looking at used bikes. On Friday night, those plans went out the window, in the very best fashion.
Here’s how it went down.
Me: Why don’t we drive in to San Francisco tomorrow instead of going to Davis?
Lucus: Okay.
And so we did.
Our first stop was A Happy Planet, where...
3 tags
Day 12
This is the first time I’ve felt truly conflicted about my log.
I put on a sports bra (that means it’s fitness, right?), with the intent of running. But it’s 50º and raining. Thanks, but no thanks. The husband and I are still living amidst boxes after our move from Chicago, so I opted to tackle those instead. Bend, lift, walk to another room…repeat. That’s...
2 tags
Day 11
First, I had to decide what counts as focused movement. Now, it’s: what is a day?
This one is easy. A day starts when I get up and continues until I go to bed for the night. So, although tonight was a late one, my 11:45 - 12:45 yoga practice is all accounted for on day 11.
Stats
Yoga: 52:23
Conditions
Surya Namaskar A, standing poses, a little balance work and a delicious savasana.
I...
2 tags
Day 10
So it’s raining this week. Thankfully, it stopped tonight.
Stats
Walk: 28:59
(and then 5:20 home. we stopped at the bar.)
Conditions
Night-time. Rainy. Gray skies that remind us of Chicago. Is home-sick a condition?
Death by Bacon? Study Finds Eating Meat Is Risky →
Bacon as a gateway meat. haha!
I’ve only been vegetarian for 9 months, but if a meat were to lure me back, it’d be pulled pork. Maybe even a burger. Not bacon. I loved it as much as the next carnivore, but I don’t get the cult of bacon.
2 tags
Day 9
Today, I finally left the house. :) In Chicago, I was in the habit of spending at least one day a week working in a local coffee shop. For a variety of reasons, I spent a month in California before resuming this practice.
There’s a coffee shop just a few blocks away, but I chose instead to ride a mile and a half to a different cafe. My motivation? The one I went to has delicious sandwiches....
1 tag
Free Yourself From Your Ego in 3 Easy Steps →
the future does not exist anywhere but in your mind
2 tags
Day 8
A week in, and I’m worn out! In a good way. After a weekend of test riding bikes and hard-core housework, my body still craved movement, but my aches and pains called for something easy.
When I realized I needed a few ingredients to make the soup I wanted to try out, I decided to extend the walk to our neighborhood Co-Op. It’s a 10 minute walk one-way, but I really want my 20 minutes...
3 tags
Day 7
What counts as focused movement?
I got up at 8:40 this morning, and I’m sitting down now at 10:15 to write this entry. It was a busy day. If I total the time I spent sitting — and taking a nap! — it comes to 3 hours. That’s 8 hours of movement. But did I meet the challenge?
Simply being on my feet isn’t good enough — and I won’t count shopping as...
3 tags
Day 6
Today was all-around awesome. The husband and I test-rode a variety of bikes, including:
Surly Cross-Check - I was convinced I wanted this bike until I test-rode it.
Bianchi Volpe - We both LOVED this bike. It has a steel frame (after today I don’t understand why anyone would ever want an aluminum frame) and is responsive. It’s 99% that the hubs will be getting this bike.
Surly...
2 tags
Day 5
I cannot believe I went from 0 to 3 days running this week. It’s a big jump, relatively speaking.
Also, how slow am I? I’m no speed demon, but this is ridiculous. Still, it’s better to be slow and consistent than speedy(ish) and barely get out the door.
Stats
Distance: 1.88 mi
Time: 21:42
Avg pace: 11:34 min/mi
Mile 1: 11:35
Mile 2: 11:32
Conditions
We went out around 6...
2 tags
Weight loss ≠ fitness
I wanted to hold off on making this statement, because I’m afraid I can’t do it justice. But then I posted the article, “What’s really making us fat.” And it’s eating away at me.
To me, the weight issue is the least interesting aspect of the article. Rather, I’m a junkie for scientific research on the unintended side effects of eating artificial foods....
2 tags
What's really making us fat? →
It may not be as simple as calories in, calories out. New research reveals a far more complex equation for weight gain that places at least some of the blame on organic pollutants.
h/t Tyler Tervooren
2 tags
Day 4
The husband and I took a walk tonight. He was a smarty pants and started the stopwatch on his iPhone, so I’d know how long we walked. 36:44.
Nights like these are exactly why I’m doing this challenge. I worked on Unfettered Ink projects (including posting a video!), unpacked and made dinner. Frankly, I just didn’t feel like doing anything else. And (sorry, boys), this is one of...
2 tags
The incredible unaging triathlete →
1 tag
2 tags
Day 3
Not much to say, other than I took it nice and easy on tonight’s run. My legs were sore, which is attributable to two factors. I haven’t run much since the fall, and I am wearing a more minimal shoe. Previously, I ran in Nike Free 5.0s, which are a bit sturdier and have a slight rise compared to the New Balance Minimus Road shoes. My Frees don’t have many miles on them, so...
2 tags
Day 2
Only the second day in, and the reasons for the challenge are all too evident. I was mentally exhausted today after spending 6 hours shooting my first video (this includes, of course, figuring how to get the camera and mic to work together) for my newsletter.
As Lucus always reminds me, “That which tires the mind, tires the body.” True, but I mustn’t allow mental exhaustion to...
2 tags
Day 1
An evening run was the perfect way to kick off The Daily 20. It’s still a challenge to run more than 2 miles, but this was one of those charmed runs that felt effortless. I even ran up a hill! After only running in Chicago, this is something of a novelty.
As an aside for anyone following along, I always run with my husband, Lucus, for enjoyment, safety and utility (I’m able to collect...
“When something is challenging for you, it’s interesting for other people...”
– Lisa Congdon
Earlier this year, Cara convinced me to embark on a 365 photo project. Her rationale was good. Daily photography would make a memorable record of my move from Chicago to Sacramento and document my new life out West.
Except…it was boring. I can see now how I designed the project... 