Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Free Breakfast, May Recap, June Goals

The day started out with a quick trip to the local Subway restaurant where we scored a free breakfast sammy and coffee during a special promotion they had going today between 7 and 10 a.m.  I had never had one of their breakfasst before and it was pretty darn good.

A couple of hours later we laced up the running shoes and headed to shore.  We ran the 6.25 km route that I had planned for last Tuesday... it was nice.  We didn't talk much, just loped along, and enjoyed the flowers and the scenery and being outside in the morning breeze.  When we got back to the boat, I stretched for a full 8 minutes and did some pushups.  Actually, I did a lot of pushups - 3 sets of 10 each and I totally fatigued those muscles!  Felt great.

W2 R47 @9/1 W3

May Recap
  • This was my first time setting fitness goals - well in many years anyway.  I set a goal of running 31 km over the 31 days in the month of May.  I reached that goal on May 21st and my monthly total was 44.45 km.  Wahoooo!
  • I learned that I can run in the rain, but really don't like to.
  • I also learned that blogging, particularly my food/recipe blog, takes lots of time, but I love doing it.  
  • I need to get a better camera and learn to take better photographs.
  • Connecting with other people who have similar interests via their blogs and mine is fun and a good resource for me... so much information and experiences shared.
June Goals
  • I want to run 40 km in June.  I know this is less than I actually ended up running in May, but we have lots of things planned for June and I may actually get out running fewer times.
  • Therefore, I am going to do some longer runs in June - 8 km is the goal for my new long distance during the month of June.
  • I plan to keep working on my pushups this month and the goal is to be able to do 20 in a row by the end of the month.
  • I am going to start a program for my abs, too.  It will involve planks.  I don't have the details yet, but will soon.
  • I also intend to start working with my 5-lb dumbbells in June.  I am going to put together a program that involves bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, delt raises, lateral raises, overhead presses, and upward rows... about 20 minutes altogether.  And I intend to do it 3 X each week.
Now, looking back at this, I think I may be biting off more than I can chew, so to speak... but I have decided it is better to set the standards a bit too high and have something to reach toward.

Right?

It looks like we are going to be hauling the boat out of the water this month so that The Captain can put on a new coat of bottom-paint.

 Coming up out of the water on the sling.


And I am hoping we are heading off-Island on a driving holiday near the end of the month, too.  

Lots to look forward to.  Love that.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Needing a Workout KITB

My total workout today consisted of hitting golf balls at the driving range for about an hour.  In other words... there was no workout.  Not even a walk.

I did bring my 5 pound dumbbells on board, and there they sit, on the floor in the aft cabin on a pair of shoes... wating to be noticed.  I need a KITB.

When we are on the boat I tend to get very hit and miss with my reistance training.  I walk lots, run some, hike some, bike occasionally.... but I rarely do anything for my abs or my upper body.  This season I have been alternating pushups with after-run stretches, but I know it isn't enough.  I think I am about to embark on a new program...  I hope to have some details tomorrow.

The food highlight of my day was some new Moist Microwave  Muffins that I put together...  only 73 calories, no fat and really tasty. 


Pumpkin, spices, spelt flour, sweetener, baking powder, and egg whites.  2 minutes in the mike and presto!  I think I will keep experimenting... surely chocolate cannot be far behind.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Loving the Freggies

It is so lovely to wake up and see blue sky through the hatches in the salon.  I have decided that I am done complaining about the weather.  I am going to embrace whatever comes and make the best of it. 

We had a busy morning - off to the city to do some shopping and we stopped at both of my 2 favorite produce markets. 

When we got back on board, I took the time to wash and prep all the veggies before I put them into the icebox.  It makes things so much easier for me in my small space, when I go to use them.  But I do just enjoy the doing of it. 
I love the look of the vegetables... the smell... the feel... I know it is kinda silly, but I do just so enjoy handling and washing and trimming and then bagging all these lovely green and red and yellow and orange vegetables.



Ater I got done, I celebrated by making us each a bowl of cold and creamy Cucumber and Avocado Soup to start our lunches...



The tangy lime zest on the top of this mixture is just so darned delicious!

The rest of the day flew by...  walked to town and back along the waterfront late this afternoon and then did another BBQ for dinner.  I made up some veggie skewers to go along with the marinated chicken kebabs that we found at M&M meats....


Mmmmm....  and a real treat.  We don't eat a lot of meat in the summer.

I wonder if other people eat 'seasonally' like we do?

Saturday, May 28, 2011

All's Well That Ends Well

Rain

R A I N

R A I N

I think I should have key on this laptop that prints this


so I don't have to wear out the R and the A and the I and the N, using them too much this Spring.

So, yes,  my morning plans got a bit waylaid. Although it did start well... The Captain made breakfast while I drank coffee and read email.


I am such a lucky girl.

While we were eating, it started to pour buckets... and The Captain suggested we should put off our run until tomorrow.  I told him that I was sure there would be a break eventually and that I wanted to go even if there wasn't.  So we waited, and I read a Shape magazine, and The Captain flipped channels on the tv.

Sure enough, about 11 a.m. there was a b-r-e-a-k in the deluge.  We quickly got our run and rain gear on, and headed to shore to do a quick 3 km run.  It was drizzling but not a lot, and after about 10 minutes, it stopped altogether... so I slyly suggested we could probably go a bit further cause it probably wouldn't rain again till we got back to the marina. 

Thankfully, he agreed and we did run somewhat further than planned when we set out.  As we carried on, the sky kept getting brighter and we got back to the boat without getting any wetter.

I was so happy!  I did some extra stretching and some pushups, too, to celebrate.

W2 R29 @ 9/1 W3 (run portion mapped at 4.0 km exactly)
stretch 9 minutes
pushups 5 - 5- 5 -7 -7

After I finished cooling down and drinking a big glass of water, I whizzed us up a couple of new smoothies.  I call them Power-Packed Pumpkin Smoothies and made them with canned pumpkin, Almond Breeze, vanilla protein powder and spices.  They were so thick we ended up eating them with a spoon!



They were so satisfying that lunch ended up being about 2 hours late today.  But it was delicious and crunchy... using up some leftovers in the fridge.  I am so in love with the colored bell peppers I bought a couple of days ago, I cannot stop taking pictures of them.



It actually turned out to be a nice, sunny afternoon... and we got in a walk before prepping dinner... more peppers.  This time I got them ready and The Captain grilled them on the BBQ, along with some onion slices.   We have never done that before and I was thrilled with the results.

I made a simple pasta dinner of cooked rotini, sundried tomato pesto (Classico) and a couple of wedges of Laughing Cheeese stirred in.  Very tasty and I am so glad I thought to pick up that pesto when I spotted it in the store.  Sometimes it really pays off having ready-made items in the cupboard.

All in all, a great day.


Vitamin F

A friend of mine emailed this to me today and I wanted to share it here.


My Vitamin F



Why do I have a variety of friends who are all different in character?
Some of them can be considered marginal even?
How do I get on with them all?
I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me...
With one of them I am a polite, good girl.
I joke with another friend.
I sit down and talk about serious matters with one of them.
With another I giggle at every silly thing.
I have my wine with one.
And dance with another.
I listen to one friend's problems and give her advice.
Then I listen to another advising me.
They are all like pieces of a jigsaw,
When completed they form a treasure box.
A treasure of friends!

They are my friends who understand me better than myself, who support me through good days and bad days. They are like colourful anti-depressants that I take on different days.

Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamins F (from Friends) and counts the benefits of friends to our well being.

Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes. If you take Vitamin F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your tense moments it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.

I am so happy that I have a stock of Vitamins F.

In summary we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together, not forgetting to open our mouths big to swallow the floating vitamins F.

Thank you for being one of my vitamins.



Are you getting enough Vitamin F?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Getting Soft... and Popcorn

I woke up considerably puffy this morning.  No doubt it is water retention from last night's popcorn but I decided to go to my Weight Watcher's meeting and weigh in anyway.  I packed my breakfast along with me to eat at the meeting, after I weighed.  It's funny. Lots of the women in this particular group do the same thing... no one wants to eat and then get weighed.  

I made overnight oats in the refrigerator, and have to say, these were the best ones I have ever made... 1/3 cup of rolled oats mixed with 1/4 cup of unsweetened Almond Breeze (original) and 1/2 cup fat free Balkan yogurt.  This morning I mixed in some cinnamon, Splenda, 1/2 banana and about 1 Tbs of large dark chocolate chips.  O.M.G.  Very tasty.  I almost felt guilty about enjoying them so much.

So, today was uneventful... more reading , and a nice brisk walk this afternoon iwith The Captain. We had a discussion, while we walked, about our upcoming cruising season, the cruddy Spring weather we are having, and why we don't feel like slipping our lines and leaving the conveniences of the marina right now... only to sail in cold gales, and then drop anchor and bounce around in the chop.  I think we are getting soft.

I have planned a run for Saturday morning and am really looking forward to it.  But tonight we will watch another movie and eat something other than popcorn.  Cinnamon toast, perhaps?

My favorite way to have popcorn is to drizzle olive oil over it and then sprinkle it with salt and Splenda.  I am looking for other ideas...

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Working out My Eyes

The only thing that really got a workout today was my eyes!

I have been catching up on my reading... Runner's World, Health, Shape magazines... blogs of all kinds, a book by Jeff and Barbara Galloway called Running and Fat Burning for Women...



and some mail!

Phew.  We did get out for a brisk, short, 35 minute walk before I put together a light soup-and-samm supper.  Found the goslings again.  So darling and they still have fluffy yellow feathers.  I am determined to get pictures.

And now we are going to settle in with some movies and later, popcorn.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Put on the Shelf Till the Fall

Got in a brisk 40 minute walk to the library and back this morning before the rain started to fall.  I had a book on reserve that I have been interested in taking a look at.

It is called The 10-Pound Shred:  From Flab to Fit in 4 Weeks, by Tommy Europe.  He is a trainer who works out of Vancouver, BC.  One of the Canadian cable networks, Slice, carries two  television shows he has done.  One is called The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp and the other is called Bulging Brides... both are about losing weight and inches, and getting fit, under his guidance.

He is a former football player turned personal trainer and is as tough as nails.  I love the tv shows and a friend of mine is working her way through the book so I thought I should have a look.


It has a suggested food plan (mostly clean eating and common sense) and also workouts for each of the 31 days it takes to work the program.  It is an easy read, and is very well illustrated.  And the exercises look quite rigorous and I am definitely interested... but, wow.  No room on the boat for most of these moves.  I am going to shelve it till we get into a house again in the Fall, and then have a go.


Shameless Self-Promotion

Just found out my food blog  We can begin to feed...  is the featured blog of the day today on the Foodista web site.  Kind of fun and a bit of recognition for my efforts there, too.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

What is That Old Saying?

You know... the one that goes something like life is what happens when you are busy making other plans?

Wow, was today ever like that!

I woke up to Happy Birthday wishes from The Captain.  We shared a cup of coffee and a navel orange and then headed out into the sunshine for a 3.0 km run.  Just enough to get sweaty and test out my new shoes.  Good on both fronts.

Showers, breakfast, birthday stuff and then off to the city to run a couple of errands and pick up some goodies at a bakery...  compliments of a local radio station for my birthday.  I chose some cookies, and we each enjoyed one almost immediately.


These babies are about 4 inches wide and just delicious!

Then we drove a bit further and parked in front of the Japanese restaurant where we planned to have lunch.  We are regulars there and like to go when they open, at 11:30 a.m., in order to get ahead of the lunch crowd.  It is located in a small ' strip mall' of about 3 other stores and some second floor offices.  The parking is off-street and in a private lot, owned and operated by the mall. 

We arrived at about 11:15.  There were 2 other cars parked in the lot, and about 15 or 18 empty spaces, at that time.  The door  to the restaurant was open so The Captain popped his head in and there was a woman using a carpet sweeper and she greeted him and said that she would be happy to welcome him back at 11:30.

So, being that is was a beautiful day, instead of waiting in the car for a few minutes, we decided to walk around the block.. which we did, and were back at 11:25 and were welcomed into the restaurant by the same woman.  We got seated and The Captain looked out the window and realized our car was gone... it seems that during the 10 minutes we were gone, it was towed away.

To make a very long story shorter, the moment we walked off the lot, we were deemed to be in violation of the private parking policy (which was not posted anywhere on the lot) and the tow truck driver pounced.

We ended up walking 8 blocks to the impound lot where we had to wait 15 minutes for the truck driver to appear and start the process of giving us our car back.  He wouldn't take a credit card but did give us a ride to an ATM machine of our choosing, so that we could withdraw the $160.00 that is cost to get the car released.  Wow.  So, I not only didn't get my Japanese lunch cause I was too upset to eat, we ended up paying for a tow that shouldn't have happened.

I spoke with the mall rental agent who said. 'too bad'.  And to the tow truck driver, who put our car on the hook in the first place, and eventually released it to us.  He said we were just lucky that this had never happened before to us...  I do see it from their point of view, but yet somehow do feel unjustly treated.

Anyhow, I am going to write a letter to the restaurant owner, and to the mall owner.  I know it won't get my money back, but it will make me feel better and then I can put it behind me.

On a more upbeat note... we did eventuallly get some lunch on the way back to the driving range.  But, by the time we got there, the wind had picked up and was blowing so hard we didn't feel like hitting golf balls... so we went for coffee on the waterfront and ate more cookies,  then did a bit of shopping and checked our mail, before heading back to the boat.

I have had my birthday pancake dinner now and am getting ready to watch the season finale of the Biggest Loser.



So, a run, cookies, lots of birthday love from family and friends, sunshine, and pancakes... and a day with my Captain.  It is great to be alive!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Flowers Make Me Smile

We finally got out in the sundshine with the camera this morning, to wander around town and photgraph the gorgeous Spring flowers, and flowering shrubs and trees that are full bloom right now.



We took dozens of photos and I hope to use some of them in the notecards I like to make for family and friends.

And yes, I remembered to stretch when we got back to the marina.

Unfortunately, the afternoon was spent indoors... my main laptop has developped a white vertical line on the screen, about an inch wide, and I know it signals the end coming soon.  I spent a few hours making sure I have all our personal files backed up, twice.  Yes, likely a bit excessive, but I cannot bear the thought of losing any of the years of photographs we have taken.

On a happier, and more exciting to me note... tomorrow is my birthday.  I have chosen a run in the morning, followed by a Japanese lunch in the city, an afternoon at the driving range, and a pancake dinner, back on board... leaving out a few details.

I had thought to go for a run and a round of golf but that may be too much on the same day... and I am trying out new running shoes, too.  Will keep it fairly short, just in case.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Walking and Shopping

A rather nice, but uneventful Sunday.

I made lovely omelets for breakfast, loaded full of fresh veggies.  Then we both set about to taking care of some chores...

Ater lunch I walked to town to do some marketing.  I don't really like going for a walk, just to walk, unless it is social... but I do like to walk instead of driving, in order to accomplish routine tasks.

Today I was on the lookout for a new food scale.  I have an electronic one that I prefer not to use on the boat, and I did have a nice little spring-loaded scale, that I recently broke.  I set out today to replace it, but didn't find one I liked.  I shall keep looking.

And, because I was alone I took the time to snoop in a couple of stores The Captain wouldn't care for.  One was a health food store and I was pleased to find a huge bulk foods section there.  The other was a new green goods shop.

My walk was about 2 hours altogether, only about 75 minutes of that was brisk heart-pumping exercise,  and when I got back on board, I made sure to stretch my hips and my calves.

Oh yeah, I also brought The Captain a huge, fresh cinnamon roll from the bakery.

Score points for me!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

May Goal Reached

I woke up this morning eager to start the day.

It was good that my breakfast egg and my disposition were sunny-side up, cause that was the only sun we saw all day.


The Captain made lovely pancakes and eggs for our breakfast while I mapped out out a 6 km run. There was a very light drizzly rain falling, so The Captain wanted to put off the run till tomorrow but I insisted that I was going anway, so he agreed to come along, if I would wear a cap.

Yuk.

I don't like caps at the best of times.  On anyone, really.  And certainly not on me as I have a round face and short hair and I look awful in one.  But, I agreed.

We set an easy pace and I loped along quite happily.  After the first km, the mist let up and I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist.  I also took off the cap and carried it the rest of the way.  At one point I directed us to a right hand turn instead of left, and we ended up running 6.25 km overall, instead of just 6.0. 

W2 R48 @9/1 W3

But that means I have completed my May goal of running 31 km this month, and all the rest will be bonus.  Hurray!

So, what is the best part about running in the rain?  Well, it would be a tossup between  the strawberry and banana smoothies I made us after we stretched and I did 10 pushups, and the hot shower that followed.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Rambling and a Thank You to Sara

Another great day. 

I walked to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning, breakfast in tow.  I cannot possibly get weighed after I eat.  And it was a good breakfast too - oats, half banana, Balkan yogurt, and cinnamon - and a good meeting, wherein we talked about breakfast ideas.

I was so surprised to hear that many people eat the exact same tbreakfast every morning.  I cannot imagine that.  I mean, if it was a time consideration, I could perhaps understand, but these gals are pretty much all retired.  That is the kind of town I live in when we are on the boat.

And after I walked back to the boat, where The Captain had been having too much fun slaving away, washing the canvas that covers the cockpit, I put together a new salad combo for our lunch.  I called it Sunshine Salad and it was delicious.  The Captain takes a long time to eat crunchy veggies but he made it through, finally, and said he liked it.  Phew.



The Captain went back to his water play work, and I got organized and walked into the village.  My first stop was the post office where I picked up some mail and posted some letters - yes, I do still write them, albeit short and sweet.  And then I headed to the market where I purchased some dark chocolate chips and rolled oats to make up a recipe that has been rolling around in my head, for our evening sweet treat tonight.

I stopped at the library on the way back to the marina and borrowed some books that I had put on reserve a few days ago.  As I made my way home, I was enjoying the beautiful day and the Spring flowers, and I was thinking about all the things I want to to do over the next few days, and about how particularly happy life is lately.  I am generally a pretty upbeat person, but lately I am almost giddy with happiness.
Important things first.

Sara, from Words to Run By, was kind enough to send me a training log and one of her bumper stickers.  I love this sticker and am going to put it to good use.  Ditto the log book.  Sara has become a real inspiration to me through her writing.  I so appreciate her generosity to me, a complete stranger.  Thank You, Sara, so very much.




The free eyeglasses that I scored on the clearlycontacts web site promotion on Tuesday arrived already today.  So I am wearing them right now and testing them out.  So far so good, and they are cute.  Jones New York burgundy metal frames, prescription lenses, and all I paid was the shippping.



Here is the sweet treat I made tonight... melted chocolate chips, peanut butter, almond milk and oats... stir it up, spoon it onto a plate and cool in the fridge.  Mmmmm.  Sweet chocolatey peanut buttery mounds.  Messy, cause they kinda melt on your fingers, but wonderful.  I think the next time I make them I will add dried crans or raisins.



And my weekend to do list sorta goes like this:
  • Pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, prepared by The Captain.
  • A 6 km run with The Captain a couple of hours later.
  • Stretch/pushups - drink lots of water
And these other things in no logical order....
  • Wander around taking pictures of the Spring flowers and flowering trees I am enjoying around town right now, before they all disappear.
  • Find those darn goslings at the neighboring bird sanctuary and get The Captain to photograph them, too.
  • Spend some time reading these books I checked out of the library


  • Make sure my main laptop hard drive is backed up completely as I have a feeling...
  • Get caught up on my email.
Okay, I am off to map us a 6 km run for tomorrow morning.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I Had the Best Day!

I love my day.

We woke up to blue sky and sunshine and had a nutritious and filling breakfast which included the very last one of our ruby red grapefruits for this season... sprinkled with cinnamon. Mmmm. 

Then, after The Captain put our golf bags into the car and managed to find me some golf shoes, I got ready to go and packed us a small cooler full of snacks... cold leftover pizza, grape tomatoes, snap peas, fresh green beans, apples, bananas, and a few bottles of cold water.  And The Captain filled the coffee thermos with freshly brewed dark roast.  I hate being more than 5 minutes away from eating, should I get hungry, and often pack my own eats around with me.

We drove into the city to renew our Triple A membership and then went to a nearby beautiful seaside golf course to practice putting for a while. 


Needing some sun for sure!

Ater about an hour, we drove a few blocks to another beautiful steep-hillside course for coffee and a snack, and watched some ladies foursomes.  I should stop typing beautiful.  I have never been on a golf course that was not beautiful.

But I am not liking this year's golf shoes.  They all look like sneakers to me.

And finally off to the driving range.  We alternated hitting balls with munching, and spent a couple of hours on the upper deck of the driving range in the hot sunshine.  Good thing I remembered to bring sunblocker for our lips.

It was wonderful!  I even stopped occasionally to stretch, and I drank lots of water. No leg cramps for me tonight. 

I love my golf clubs.  I love hitting golf balls.  When we golfed regularly I would go to the range at our club and hit balls for hours.  We each hit a bucketful of 135 balls today... well I gave the last half dozen of mine to The Captain, just so I could sit and watch him hit them. 


The sea otter came from Pebble Beach and covers my 3 wood.  The dog is in honor of our first Springer Spaniel, Penny, and covers my 9 wood. 


Then we drove back to our village and took the last of the coffee in our cups to the waterfront walk and nibbled our apples and people-watched.   So many happy faces out in the sunsine today.  And we met the neatest dog... a beautiful pale yellow labrador retriever, who was walking with his 'Mom', carrying his own stuffed sheep in his mouth... and he even brought it over to us to let us look at it... darn, no camera. 

We came back to the boat, tired and happy.  A wonderful day.  I am really so easy to please.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Walking to Town and the Lure of Golf

We walked into the centre of the village today to pick up and post our mail, and to get a few groceries.  I was thrilled to find my favorite fat free Balkan style yogurt and my favorite broccoli slaw on sale.  Little things make me happy.

On the way home my left calf started to cramp a bit so I made sure to do some stretching and drink some tonic when we arrived back on board.   I am trying to get into a habit of doing at least a few leg stretches every day so the ache was a good reminder.

And then I had to use have some of that broccoli slaw in my lunch - with some of last night's BBQ'd pork tenderloin, onions, peppers and my own soy ginger dressing.  Delicious.  I love Crunch Lunch.

That must be water droplets on my knife.


Late this afternoon we went for another, shorter walk... looking for those goslings we found the other day.  I want to see them again before they outgrow all their yellow down and sprout grey feathers... and of course we didn't see them, probably because we had the camera along.

We have been discussing an outing tomorrow.  The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny till the weekend.  The Captain doesn't want to run again till Saturday and we are not ready to head out cruising yet... so I suggested a hike somewhere... and he countered with running some errands in the City and a trip to the driving range.  Hah!  He knows how to get me - I would give up pretty much anything to get my golf clubs in my hands, even just at the driving range.

So. Yes.  Please.  Let's.  I can hardlly wait.

We used to be avid golfers - The Captain since he was a kid; I took it up much later.  But when we bought the sailboat, the seasons overlapped too much and golf has become a rare, special event in the warmer months.  Sometimes we golf in the winter if it is warm enough here, like it was last year,  or if we travel further South.

Hmmm... what shoes shall I wear?

I think I will celebrate with a No Pudge Brownie and some more of my strawberries.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Berry-ful Bliss .... aaaaah

I am still trying to find new and tasty ways to use up these beautiful fresh strawberries I found yesterday.

Tonight I put together a new sweet treat and I am calling it Berry-ful Bliss.

It has my 3 favorite food groups... strawberries, chocolate and nuts.

I put some sliced strawberries into a martini glass, drizzled some melted Nutella over the top, and then added some sliced almonds. 

O.M.G.

Refills? 

I found out today I have 2 Followers!  Who knew?  I am loving all the kind and encouraging comments I have been getting.  Thanks so much.

Another 5 km PR, Free Glasses and a Green Smoothie

I woke up so excited this morning.  For 2 reasons.

1.  The weatherman promised me sunshine today so I could get out for a run.

2.  The Clearly Contacts web site is giving away 10,000 pairs of free glasses today and I wanted to get in on it.

So, up at 7 a.m. to a blue sky and blazing sunshine.  Hurray!  Breakfast was an egg and some grape tomatoes with a toasted multigrain thins bun and a couple of cups of dark roast coffee... and, at 9 a.m. precisely, I hit the ADD COUPON button on my eyeglasses order and it was accepted.  Wow!  I scored a pair of Jones New York designer glasses for the shipping cost only.  I am so excited.  I only need them to read when I am tired or the light is poor, so I can't lose, even if they turn out to be ugly.

That taken care of, runnning clothes and shoes on... and out the door, or, off the boat, as it were.

We did a 5 km run this morning - not the same waterfront route as Thursday, but a 5 km route that I had mapped out in the neighborhood.  It was so good to be out again and I was feeling the burn in my lungs as I labored to keep up with The Captain. 

During the last several minutes I started thinking about my last run... that it was a 5 k PR of 35 minutes... that likely this one wasn't going to be as fast.  And I was mentally comparing it to having a great golf game  -  the next round you play is never as good. La la la la...  all these thoughts and rants running through my head and all of a sudden we were done and it was in 10 seconds under 35 minutes.  Another PR.  Am I so excited or what?

W2 R35 @9/1 W4

Back at the boat, I stretched and did pushups for 10 minutes (thank you, Julia) and then went below and made myself a huge green smoothie as a reward.

1 cup of Almond Breeze, vanilla unsweetened
1 huge handful of spinach leaves
1/2 banana, sliced
3 large strawberries, sliced.

Whizzed with my handy little immersion blender, one of the few electrical applicances I keep on board... and voila!



This afternoon The Captain plans to do some boat washing and I am going to put my feet up and read, after I get dinner prepped.... pork tenderloin in a lovely marinade that The Captain will barbecue later.

So far today, I am 2 for 2.  Can't ask for better than that!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Freggie Love

Well the rain finally quit.. and we ventured out today, in the car, to do errands in the village and pick up some fresh freggies... I love shopping for produce.

Today I picked up some luscious fresh strawberries and could barely wait to get back on board before putting together this pretty strawberry spinach salad for my lunch.



And my latest snack craving?  Green string beans along with snap peas.  I must be lacking something to be so focussed on these 2 veggies... but cannot imagine what it would be as I eat tons of freggies every day.  Hmmm?  Oh well, I am certainly loving the crunch.

I am planning tomorrow's run and am looking forward to the sun shining.  You had better be right, Mr. Weatherman!

And then The Captain can start cleaning some of the winter green off the fibre glass hull on the sloop.  That will make him smile, for sure.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday on the Ark...

Rain.
And it has been ... since about 9 o'clock last night.  I cannot believe it can rain this much.

Read.
Catching up on blog posts, and reading the papers.

Refuel.
My lunch today was incredible.  I have to share it. Spinach salad with grape tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, red and green peppers, red pepper pate (never had it before) olive oil, white balsamic vinegar... and raw crunchy sweet green beans on the side.



Relax.
Pretty much the whole day!

'rite.
Finally got around to taking some pictures of my little galley and doing a page about it for this blog.

 



Thursday, May 12, 2011

A 5k PR, and a Night Away

Staying on the boat for long periods of time is all about managing the resources.

We are leaving tomorrow on a little driving jaunt, heading up-Island to visit some friends who have a seaside home about a 2-hour drive from our marinal and they are not there very often.  It's been a year since I have seen Susie and Wilson, and we are going to be spending the night with them, and coming back late Saturday afternoon, sooo.... this means some planning.

We don't like to leave the battery charger on the boat running when we are not here to keep any eye on it. The fridge can run without it for several hours, at somewhat reduced capacity, but I don't want to leave it while we go away... I am always thinking about what could go wrong. If we get delayed, the fridge could run the battery down and stop working and all the food in it will get ruined and I will have a smelly fridge to clean out and pile of wasted food. The solution? Ice. Tomorrow morning, before we leave the boat, we will turn off the battery charger AND the fridge and put in a couple of blocks of ice... we use ice when we are out cruising and it works quite nicely.

Good, that is taken care of.

Today I wanted to have a quick breakfast in order to get out for an earlier run. I chose Fibre First cereal, with some Special K thrown in, a bit of Balkan yogurt, some Almond Breeze, banana slices and lots of cinnamon. It was actually pretty good.

About half an hour later we donned some running gear and then we drove to the centre of our village. We visited a couple of different shops to purchase a few items too heavy to get on a walking trip to town, cleared our mail box at the post office, and then locked up the car and went for a run.

The route we took today is a 2.5 km marked trail along the waterfront of our small village. It is part gravel and part paving stones and basically flat. I love it. There was a snotty, cool breeze blowing into our faces as we started out and I was kinda chilly but by the time we got to the 2.5 km marker, and turned around, I was hot and sweaty. I took off my jacket, the sun came out blazing, and I was happy that wind was at my back.

We met other runners, lots of walkers and several dogs, all out enjoying the fresh salt air. And we ran fast.... at least fast for me. We finished the 5 km in 35 minutes exactly! I was so excited and checked my watch a couple of times. I have been wanting to run a 35 minute 5k and didn't think I was ever going to get there. Happy Dance!


W3 R35 @10/1, 9/1, 10/1 W4

We walked back to the car where we did our stretches... yep, right on the street behind the parked car and I even did 10 push ups against the bumper, too. Then we shared a bottle of water on the drive home to the marina.

Back on board, I peeled us each a navel orange and we drank some more water. That tided me over quite nicely through my shower, having a cup of coffee, and then making lunch.

I have always been a student of nutrition, and am very interested in how food affects our physical and emotional selves. I have been reading a lot lately about eating before and after exercise. I have read Runner's World Runner's Diet: The Ultimate Eating Plan That Will Make Every Runner (and Walker) Leaner, Faster, and Fitter. It had some good ideas for after-run snacks in it... and so does the Runner's World web site.

And today, I found an article on About.com that backs up everything I have been reading about after-run snacks. It was written by a runner who is also a coach, named Christine Luff.

" Question: What Should I Eat After a Run? Do I need to eat something after a run?

Answer:   After running, especially a long run, you want to replenish energy as quickly as possible. Studies have shown that muscles are most receptive to rebuilding glycogen (stored glucose) stores within the first 30 minutes after exercise. If you eat soon after your workout, you can minimize muscle stiffness and soreness.

You'll want to consume primarily carbs, but don't ignore protein. A good rule of thumb for post-run food is a ratio of 1 gram of protein to 3 grams of carbs. Nutrition bars, such as Clif bars or Power bars, are healthy options. Other examples would be a bagel with peanut butter or a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt.

If you feel like you can't stomach solid food immediately after a run, try drinking some chocolate milk. Chocolate milk provides plenty of protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins —- making it a great recovery drink. And cold chocolate milk tastes pretty refreshing after a run.

Don't forget to rehydrate with water or a sports drink after your run. If your urine is dark yellow after your run, you need to keep rehydrating. It should be a light lemonade color. "

Usually after a run, I drink a couple of cups of water and eat a piece of fruit … half a banana or a navel orange. I don’t really feel hungry enough to have more than that and I think it is because my runs aren’t very long. I do like to have a green smoothie after a weight training session, but not a run.

I think I will continue to listen to my own body signals and eat accordingly.



Wednesday, May 11, 2011

How Many Ways Can You Say 'Rain' ?

Cats and dogs
Buckets
Torrents
Downpour
Drizzle
Showers
Cloudburst
Sprinkle
Deluge
Scotch Mist
Precipitation
Liquid Sunshine
Teeming
Mizzle... mizzle?  Must be time to stop.  And finally, it has.

But that does pretty much sum up the day.  I was so happy that I ran yesterday and hadn't planned one for today.

Indoor entertainment today.  And thank goodness I had the foresight yesterday to cook some noodles to make us each a big Asian Salad for tonight's dinner.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Easy 5+

We had a delicious feed of French Toast this morning cause I planned a 5 km mid-morning run with The Captain.

We were loping along and having such a good time, that I actually forgot we had passed the mid-point turnaround and so it actually ended up being 5.2 km... and in only 38 minutes which is a very good time for me.  How I love this flat little part of the world!

W2 R38 @9/1 W4

I really enjoyed my stretches and pushups afterward, too.  I have always felt that the stretching is just something I know I have to do, but lately I am really starting to enjoy it.  Progress.

Pushusp today:
Set 1 - 5
Set 2 - 5
Set 3 - 5
Set 4 - 5
Set 5 - 3

I admit to forgetting to check the schedule before we headed out again... but I guessed fairly accurately at the numbers when I checked after they were already done.

It is going to rain all day tomorrow so I am cooking some pasta and some grains for tomorrows meals. I hate steaming up the salon in the sailboat when it is raining and we cannot open the windows much.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Gosling Sighting!

The day dawned gray and gloomy and the forecast of a sunny and blue afternoon seemed unbelievable.

We had breakfast and then set out on the 2-mile walk to town with a list of errands to take care of.  I love these jaunts to the village... we normally make stops to pick up a few groceries, clear our mailbox at the post office, and find a treat at the bakery.  Today we window shopped a bit along the way and all in all we were gone about an hour and a half.

I made sure to do some hip stretches when we got back, aong with hamstring and calf stretches too.  The trainer on my CRUNCH Bootcamp Workout DVD, during the cool-down stretches on the floor says 'Nothing better than a booty stretch'.  Yep, totally agree.

We had a nice lunch and then did some chores.  Just before dinner time, the sun popped out and the clouds opened up, and the sky was as blue as you could want it... I grabbed the camera and The Captain and we headed out for a walk.  

A few blocks from the marina, on the same large bay we are on, there is a bird conservation area and a small island that is accessible via a short bridge.  I was hoping that we might see the usual pairs of Canada geese with their latest broods.  And I was not disappointed!

We found two pairs of adult geese, with too many goslings to accurately count - probably 25 or even 30.  They are so adorable at this time of year, with their fuzzy little yellow coats... waddling along, oblivious to everything but their hunger and each other.  But not the adults.  They are such good parents, ever-watchful and they guard the babes very carefully.

I did manage a couple of pictures, and not very good ones at that, but I don't like to linger too long lest the adult geese think we are threatening the babes and we never get too close either.



Next time I will give the camera to The Captain.  He has a steadier hand.  I was so happy to see them though... and it willl be fun to watch them grow over the next several weeks.

Tomorrow we run, and I am looking forward to it.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

We had the most delicious breakfast this morning... Carrot Cake Oatmeal.



I am not normally a big fan of oats in the morning, as I am usually always hungry a couple of hours later.  So, it will be interesting to see if the addition of carrots and raisins help them stick to my ribs any longer than they usually do.  Sure was tasty though... and I did have some Balkan style yogurt alongside.

Today we are going to go for a nice long walk and then I am going to repeat my stretches from yesterday.  I did have another look at Julia's pics and am happy to know that I am doing that hip stretch correctly... it feels so good, I just may do a longer session.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Tired and Happy

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and heard raindrops hitting the fibreglass deck on the sailboat, and thought that today's post would be short....  Rain Delay....

So I went back to sleep and when I woke again, at 8:20 a.m., the sky was mostly blue and it was quite bright outside.  I was delighted and declared that today would be a run day after all. After we had coffee, The Captain set to making our usual Saturday morning pancakes.  I do love Saturdays.

About an hour or so later, we put on our running gear and headed out to do the 4 km course I had mapped out.  It went by very quickly and we were back at the boat before I knew it, stretching and doing pushups.

I encorportated Julia's hip stretches to my after-run stretching routine today an they felt great. I am definitely going back to have another look at her pics to make sure I am doing them correctly. 

W2 R30 @9/1 W3

100 Pushups - Week 2, Day 1
Set 1 - 4
Set 2 - 6
Set 3 - 4
Set 4 - 4
Set 5 - 6

I ate a banana and drank several glasses of water. 

After a clean up and some lunch, I walked downtown and back, a brisk 75 minutes. It is so nice being back in our lazy little village... everyone is so friendly and it feels so much homier than being in the city.

I made a stop at the library on the way back to the marina, and found a copy of John Stanton's new book, RUNNING: The Complete Guide to Building a Running Program, so I checked it out.  That will be tonight's entertainment while The Captain watches NHL playoffs.


I am tired and it will be great to sit and sip tea, with my feet up!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Adios Cinquo de Mayo... I am moving on.

Yesterday was one of those busy days that just gets away on you.

After breakfast we did a 75 minute brisk walk into the heart of our seaside village to pick up our mail at the post office, and I scored a 6 lb. bag of barely ripe bananas for 99 cents at a local market!  The Captain had to carry them home, but I will get to enjoy eating most of them.

We spent the afternoon at a shopping mall in the City... and then we went to dinner at the home of the folks where we house and kitty sat this past winter.  They have just arrived home from Mexico so we had Cinquo de May inspired appies... and then a beautiful Mediterranean dinner.  It was fun to catch up with them as we only saw them briefly when they arrived home last Sunday, as we vacated and came back to the boat.  And it was nice to see the kits again... I know they were happy to see us, too.

Today it is gloomy and soggy outside.  If I were less of a wimp, I would go out for a walk - I plan a run tomorrow... and I have decided to do my 100 Pushups workouts on my run days.  The pushups seem to fit well between my after-run stretches.

I did go to the local Weight Watchers meeting to do my May weigh in this morning.  I have been well under my official goal for many many years but I still go weigh once a month to keep my membership current, and pick up any handouts they offer. 

I have been thinking about this lately... about why I don't seem to be able to maintain my weight on my own, and why I need to have someone I don't even know weigh me once a month.

I am puffy today, from all the salty food last night and lemon water is my drink of choice today.  The lemon juice really does work to help release excess water that I am retaining.

Little update - did finally go out for a late afternoon walk in the rain... around a nearby island and it took 35 minutes.  No goslings yet, but did see some Canada geese and lots of ducks, and a couple of blue herons.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Short. Sweet.

This  morning we did a 3 km run around some residential streets near the marina.  It was wonderful...  flat, sunny, pretty, and short!  The best.

W2 R22 @9/1 W2

I forgot to look up the next installment of the 100 Pushups Challenge so I just did some in between after-run stretching.

Set 1 - 6
Set 2 - 6
Set 3 - 7
Set 4 - 6
Set 5 - 5

I have been thinking a lot about stretching lately.  Usually I spend 3 or 4 minutes after I run stretching my quads, calves, ham strings, and hip flexors.  For the shorter distances I am running right now, is this enough?

We are continuing to organize lockers, make decisions as to what does and more importantly, doesn't, need to be on board right now.  It all takes time and we love doing it... prepping for the upcoming season and talking about places we want to visit and people we may see again.

The Captain is doing his best to ignore the winter green on the fibreglass hull as we are not at the point where we are ready to start outside cleaning yet... but today he did assemble our BBQ and install it on the transom, so that means veggie burgers for supper tonight.

I just looked up the details of the 100 Pushup Challenge for Week 2, Day 1 and see that I actually did more than was scheduled.  I think Week 2 just might be all right!

Week 2, Day 1
Set 1 - 4
Set 2 - 6
Set 3 - 4
Set 4 - 4
Set 5 - minimum 6

I can do that!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

It's Been a Full Day

Fabulous day.   I.am.tired.

We went into the City to take care some errands and then visited our favorite downtown park to check out the Spring flowers... things are somewhat behind as we had a taste of real winter this year, but there are baby goats at the Children's Farm and I always love to watch them.



Then we had our picnic lunch on the waterfront, and enjoyed watching the dogs running and playing in the off-leash area and some noon runners, too.  It was really windy there today so I was really applauding their efforts.



After we ate, we headed up to a local lake and walked the 10 km trail around it.  We got in just under 2 hours and I made sure to stretch my legs for several minutes and drink some water, too.  No leg cramps for me tonight.  Was so nice to be out, even if we did have a few spits of rain the last couple of kilometers.



Tonight's supper was very simple... some cooked farro over a bed of spinach leaves, topped with a mixture of sardines in mustard, fat free Miracle Whip, carrots, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, and tomatoes.  Mmmmm.



Going to be great to put my feet up and read some more of John Stanton's Running Start to Finish.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Life is Good on the Ark

This morning it was raining so hard when we woke up that I was seriously glad we were sleeping on an 'ark'!  And it rained on and off all day... and now that it is dinner time, and I am otherwise engaged, the sun has come out, the sky is blue, and it is gorgeous out there.  Life is good and I am so happy to be back on the sailboat.

Most of the day was spent reorganizing lockers and updating my food inventory.  I am happy to say that I have not banged a knee or an elbow yet, and I am making a conscious effort not to move to quickly,  and watch where I am walking.  Spaces are smaller and I need to remember to make my movements smaller and slower, too.

I cooked and froze some quinoa and farro and packaged it in individual servings to bring along from the house, just so I would have some things at the ready for quick meals.  And, after seeing all the rain today, I was really glad I had done that.



Moisture inside is a the biggest concern when it is rainy or foggy outside.  We do have a dehumidifier we can use if we really need it, but it is easier to just not steam up the salon and galley area in the first place.  The Captain even took the drip coffee pot out into the enclosed cockpit today and that worked really well.  We have a new stainless steel thermos that keeps things hot for 24 hours and it is a huge improvement over the one we just ditched.

So, no workout today but I am planning a full day's outing for tomorrw... we are going to pack a cooler and drive partway back to the City to do a 10 km walk around a lake, and have some lunch there... then errands in the City and a trip to the park to see the Spring flowers... one of my favorite May rituals.

Tonight I am getting out John Stanton's Running Start to Finish and I am going to start reading it, again, from the beginning.


I don't keep a lot of books on board, but this is one I like to refer to from time to time.  I think it will help me with planinng how I am going to get in my 31 km running this month.

Yesterday I made sure to drink lots of water, and I also ate half a banana before bed time last night.. no leg cramps during the night, thank goodness.  I have done a bit of research online, and really think that dehydration was my problem.  Today I am making sure to have one glass of water for every cup of coffee I am drinking!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Leg Cramps, Virtual Marathon, May Goals

Leg Cramps
Last night, just as I was falling asleep, my left foot cramped up.  After I got out of bed, the calf and shin cramped too.  I applied some Tiger Balm, and it seemed to subside so I got back into bed... about an hour later, both feet cramped up and I got up and ran a very hot bath.  It took about 10 minutes for the cramps to let up and I sat in the tub for a good 15 minutes or more, just to make sure they were gone.  They were quite severe and it took all my effort to breath deeply, and make myself relax.

So, now I am wondering why that happened.  I haven't had leg cramps for several months and I thought I was done with them.

I stretched for several minutes after yesterday's run.  I drank tonic water in the afternoon.  I kept my feet and legs warm throughout the evening... so why the cramps?  Dehydration?  Lack of potassium?  Not stretching long enough?  I need to be very careful as we are moving onto the sailboat today, and there is no tub there.

Virtual Marathon
This morning, after we let breakfast settle for an hour or so, we headed out for a short run - only 2.75 km -  our last in this neighborhood for a while.  I knew I wouldn't get in enough to complete the Virtual Marathon, but I that is okay.  I wanted to attempt it, even though I knew it was more than likely I wouldn't complete it.  I will watch for the next one.

W2 R22 @9/1 W2

Virtual Marthon Logger

April 18th - 2.75 km
April 21st - 3.22 km
April 23rd - 5.0 km
April 26th - 5.6 km
Apr 28th - 2.75 km
Apr 30th - 5.6 km
May 1st - 2.75 km

Missed the mark by 12.53 km

May Goals
I have never really set running goals. But May is my birthday month, and this year I am counting down to a BIG birthday next year... so I am going to start setting some goals.

There are 31 days in May so I am going to set a goal of running 31 km this month. That will likely work out to 3 or 4 km every 3 or 4 days. It will be an effort to get it in, and that is good.

I also want to continue with my 100 Pushups Challenge.

It will be so good to get back to the boat today.