Thursday, November 19, 2009

A Fall Run Update & Some Organic Goodness

I had such an energetic morning today. Since I started that biweekly fall run class several weeks ago, I haven't been going to my usual Tuesday morning Zumba classes or my Thursday morning spin classes. This week, I decided to live by the simple, yet effective Nike motto and just do it. I went to Zumba Tuesday evening after running in the morning and today I went to 6 am spin class and then to run class from 10:30-11:30 am. We met at a different park today for the run class and ran 4 miles, which is the most I've continuously run in oh, maybe forever Interestingly, the third mile was brutal and then all of a sudden the fourth mile was done.

I guess the class is working at improving my endurance, but I have to say a lot of my success these last few weeks is most likely due to running in a group with these seven other lovely women. We talk a lot, although me not so much after the first mile and a half. Talking raises my heart rate too much and makes me huff and puff more, so I stick to short uh huh, yes, no type answers. Sometimes I'll add a sentence here and there, but it'll be like two or three words, pause, huff puff, two or three more words, pause, huff puff, and repeat until the sentence gets out. We mostly talk about fitness, fitness clothing, nutrition, healthy recipes, etc., so I'm really getting A LOT out of this class.

Next Tuesday is the last class and we're all discussing who wants to run the 5 Mile race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Today's 4 mile run was the most I've ever done. I'm not so sure I'm ready to tackle 5 miles in just a week's time. I'm still debating. Cue Jeopardy music. ;)

In between spin class and running class, I got the girls off to school (with husband's help driving the teen to high school), and then went to help divide the produce up for all the families in my organic co-op. I did that from 8:45 to 10:15 am and as soon as it was done, I raced to the park for run class and barely made it there with a minute to spare. Needless to say, I could go for a serious nap right now. I only have a few minutes before I have to pick up the girls from school, though, so I thought I'd share this week's share with you instead of napping.

click on photo to enlarge
From left to right, starting at the top:
mustard greens, green leaf lettuce, celery,
sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, concord grapes, bananas
Candycrisp apples, brussels sprouts, pears, cauliflower and red cherry tomatoes
Underneath the brussels sprouts is a
watermelon radish.

Can you guess why it's called a watermelon radish?


Isn't that pretty? I've had these in the past and found them to be rather mild, which I like since I'm not very keen on radishes in general. I'll just use a little here and there in salads until it's gone. ;)


Which item in my share this week looks or sounds most appealing to you?


17 comments:

  1. I love using celery. It's so versatile. We use it in stir fry, in soups, in salads and just as a snack. *G* The apples look delicious, too. *G* Sounds like you're doing very well in your classes. I've lost energy this week so you're making me feel like a slob. *G*

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  2. Celery does get used as an "accessory" in a lot of recipes, doesn't it? I don't think I've ever made a dish in which it was the main ingredient! Hmm... I'm thinking cream of celery soup would be a good way to showcase it.

    Don't let my energetic week get you down. In my mind, I'm still making up for the seven days I didn't exercise when I was sick with the flu two weeks ago!

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  3. all that exercise makes me wnt to take a nap.

    I'll take the brussel sprouts if you're handing out produce. I hated them as a child but love them so much now.

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  4. Every time I see the lovely veggie pics I get so hungry!

    They look gorgeous. You know, I can tell that if we lived in the same town we would be friends. You just seem like my kind of people! Except, of course, i don't run...at all, unless I'm being chased by a dog or something, a wild crazy hungry dog.

    But I love me some organic living...as much as I can.
    :)

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  5. Wow, that's really far you run there! I should so do something like that. I can't decide which one I like most. I love it all. I'm a little green on the inside you know. I'm vegetarian so I eat all these most of the time. Never saw the watermelon radish before. Have to check that one out! Love the picture. Made me really hungry.LOL
    Have a nice weekend!

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  6. Lisa, I even did some strength training Thursday night AND went to kickboxing on Friday morning. Let me tell you, I could barely keep my eyes open on Friday afternoon. I actually fell asleep and was almost late picking up my daughter from school! It's a good kind of exhaustion, though. I'm taking today off from cardio.

    I hated brussels sprouts as a child, too. I like them much better now, too. How do you prepare them? I like to halve them or slice them and sautee with onions and nuts. I just saw a recipe that called for apples to be sauteed with them. I may try to do something like that. Or combine both! Apples, onions, brussels sprouts and nuts. MMmmm.

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  7. You know, I can tell that if we lived in the same town we would be friends. You just seem like my kind of people!

    Michelle, that is one of the sweetest comments I have ever received on my blog. Thank you!!! :) I happen to agree with you! And trust me... this new interest in running is very new for me and I'm definitely pushing my comfort zone. I'm still not sure if I like it. LOL!

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  8. Susi, I must confess that I am quite proud of myself for running 4 miles!! :)

    Being a vegetarian, you'd probably zip through all of this produce in a week! I admit that I'm not too fond of the mustard greens. They're kind of bitter for my tastes. I usually just saute them in garlic and olive oil and force myself to eat it. I'm open to suggestions if you have a favorite recipe.

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  9. If we're feeling healthy we steam them and then sprinkle a little vinaigrette dressing and maybe some feta on them. If we're feeling not-so-healthy we steam it, then chop up two slices of bacon and fry it, remove the bacon from the pan, and quick saute them in the bacon grease. Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top.

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  10. Bacon! Great idea, Lisa. That's how I often cook collard greens when we get them.

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  11. Wow, I'm in awe Christine! I think it's great that you do all that exercise!! :)

    Let us know if you decide the run the 5 miles race! :)

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  12. Thanks, nath! I've really upped my fitness efforts in the last three months... hoping to make a significant change in the old body.

    I want to do the 5 Mile Race. I think it would give me some emotional satisfaction from torturing myself with all this running. LOL I'll most likely do it (and probably have to power walk part of it) if I can resolve some blister issues I've been having on my left insole. I bought new running sneakers 10 days ago and still got the blisters. Now I bought a $9 pair of running socks that will hopefully remedy the friction that's causing the blisters. I'll decide by Tuesday if I can do the race. :)

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  13. I had to look up some of the words for the food. I'm learning new words here, thanks! :) (Now I need just to remember them the next time, LOL)

    I think I would go with the pears. They look good and I recently found a recipe for pears I would love to try.

    And your running... I'm in awe. You go! *g*

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  14. Hi Taja! :)
    I'm glad my produce posts are helping you learn some new English words! LOL!

    I love pears, too. I've made a pear crisp in the past that has a very light crumb topping made with fresh bread crumbs and nuts. So good. I should dig that recipe up. I also like them fresh and thinly sliced on a green salad. Yum!

    Thanks for the running cheer! :)

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  15. I'm just in awe that you're running 4 miles! Well done!

    I like the look of the cherry tomatoes...and the sweet potato (which we call kumera :) I managed to finish planting my vegetable garden yesterday - I now have siz tomato plants (no cherry tomato this year), six chilli and six pepper plants, two rows of dwarf beans and a row and a half of sugar snap peas. (This year I sowed the beans and peas in seed trays - way more effective). I only have a small garden...I've room (but not time) for more ATM.

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  16. Oh, the pear crisp sounds yummy!

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  17. orannia, thanks for the running kudos! So far it was four miles just that one time last Thursday. Gabe and I had planned on a bike ride this morning, but he's still nursing a football (soccer) injury from last week and opted against the ride so I rode my bike to the park, ran the 2 mile loop, and then rode back home. In all, it was barely an hour of exercise, but it still felt good. I couldn't bring myself to do another loop to make 4 miles today. I definitely push myself more when running with the group.

    Your garden sounds fantastic. Nothing beats home grown tomatoes, but beans and peas are my favorites, too! The girls and I LOVE sugar snap peas. We usually end up eating them raw right in the garden.

    I love to plant a lot of herbs, too. Like basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, chives, mint and dill.

    Thanks for sharing the word kumera for sweet potato. They say you learn something new every day and that's my lesson for today. ;)

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