LadyM's seduction continues (sur son propre velo)

[LadyM]

Back to bootcamp this week and definitely feeling it--in a good sore kind of way. Gotta keep changing it up. I'm also ramping it up a bit with cardio. In addition to walking I'm adding in some tabata round bursts. I might do my favorite 5K in April, a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project. I do it every year, and it's a nice goal and entry into spring. I'm seriously done with races longer than 5K, but when I'm in shape I can pretty much just sprint that distance. I'm built for sprinting, not endurance, and I choose to accept that. And remember what a friend once said about endurance sports: "Life is enduring enough," he said.

 

Food is good. Budgeting is OK at the moment. They're so related, really, It's a matter of discipline and delayed gratification. Building better habits for the long run.

 

I had plans with a guy I've been seeing and he was going to cook dinner for us. But that day I ended up waking super early and shifting all my meals earlier. By 4 pm I was ravenous, had barre at 5, and wasn't going to go to his place until 7. So, I ate at 4. By 7 I wasn't hungry and I told him. He ate toast and we hung out. No biggie. Kinda weird, but glad I listened to what I needed and that it worked out.

 

How's everyone else doing? It's been quiet around here. . . . 

[pjena]

"Life is enduring enough" Great quote!   

Love your March plans of gratitude, yoga, budgeting and raging against body dissatisfaction!  Keep it up!

 

Did you find out what the blisters on your toungue were?  Weird.

[LadyM]

 

Did you find out what the blisters on your tongue were?  Weird.

I did, Jen. The "blisters" were actually just enlarged taste buds, nothing terribly unusual.

 

But here's the weird part. The sore throat I've had for like 6 weeks? Caused by stuff stuck in the crevices of my tonsils. Crevices that are really scars from chronic strep throat as a kid. Seriously gross.

 

Figured it out at a dentist's appointment. I just happened to ask the hygienist if she could see anything back there and she was familiar with this phenomenon because her son has had it happen, too! So, she dug out as much of the crud as she could and my throat feels a lot better. I think there's still something there and I hope it gets dislodged somehow. I've been gargling with warm salt water and oregano oil and kind of pushing my sonicare against that area in the hopes that the vibration breaks it loose. It's possible, though, that the area is irritated from all the poking and prodding, so I'll probably just give it a rest for a while and see what comes. 

 

The body never ceases to amaze me with its mysteries.

[pjena]

So gross!  Glad it's nothing bad, though.

[LadyM]

So gross!  Glad it's nothing bad, though.

I know. Sorry! TMI. 

[LadyM]

I think my SI is out despite having had an adjustment last week. I might see a different chiro this week. In the meantime, I'm doing PT to help loosen up my lower back.

 

My throat continues to improve, and I hope it's totally clear this week. That would be such a relief!

 

I reintroduced basmati rice last week without incident. It may be a nice occasional M3 starch for me. I also reintroduced red lentils yesterday. They seemed to inspire gas, and that doesn't make me happy, but they also may have helped in the elimination department. I had another bowl of soup for lunch today and have about four more servings. My plan is to keep eating a bowl a day and see what the effects are. Wondering if my body might acclimate to the additional fiber and that the lentils might help in the regularity department. A budget-conscious gal can hope. My plan is to try out split mung beans after the lentil soup is done and see how they go. I have kept to the template but added the legumes, so far, and that's pretty much the plan moving forward.

 

It's looking good this week in terms of moving toward spring. I am so eager to get on my bicycle! I may go for a walk or run outside today. Fresh air fresh air fresh air. . . . 

[missmary]

how did you prepare the lentils, Lady M? Soaking/rinsing/sprouting should help if you didn't...also throw a piece of Kombu in when you are cooking them.

[LadyM]

how did you prepare the lentils, Lady M? Soaking/rinsing/sprouting should help if you didn't...also throw a piece of Kombu in when you are cooking them.

I always rinse and soak, but I've only used kombu in the past with adzuki or other heartier beans. Thanks for the reminder, mm!

[SaraRuns]

A 5k for Spring sounds like a great idea.  I'm no sprinter, I think my body is definitely built more for slow but steady.  Good German stock. Heh!

 

I've added in some oatmeal on my long run day, but I'll have to feel it out.

 

Hope your throat is back to 100%!

[Beets]

Icky but cool about crevices. Glad that's resolved.

Boo to that pesky SI! Mine is always waiting for one single wrong move, waiting to pounce. I feel like mine gets strained bc it goes into overdrive on the side of my injured knee--byproduct of other muscles being too weak. This is my guess. Maybe you can get a handle on a longer term fix for yours?

I am so low on groceries I was staring longingly at some beans in my pantry. I do feel like the lentils were easier than the other beans when I've added them back. Rice is nice and comforting. Especially with some ghee and flaky salt. Mmnm. Like pudding. Easy to over eat, at least for me.

Lol to the endurance comment. Truth!

And YES to spring. We were in the high 40s with sunshine here today and while I will surely be dreading the heat and humidity of summer, I definitely welcome some sunshine. Thank the maker, the filthy ice piles are melting.

[LadyM]

I might get on my bike and go for a ride this week, YAHOO! Yes, Beets! The filthy frozen mounds are diminishing, the sun shines, and temps promise to be in the 60s by the end of the week!

 

I've been off the lentils for a couple days and realized that sufficient amounts of cauliflower and cabbage give me as much gas as the lentils do. So, I guess they're a tentative yes. And I will try out split mung beans next.

 

My right lower back continues to hurt despite an adjustment from another chiro. My MD has agreed to write me a script for massage so I can use pre-tax flex $ to pay for it, so that helps a bit. Means there may be a massage for me this month. That always makes everything better.

 

In my experiment to lower food costs this month, I'm letting my food supply dwindle before replenishing. I'm used to a full-to-bursting fridge, and right now I have no veggies save for roots and some leftover roasted fennel. This is good for me. And I will be going to the grocery store today. God love my local giant market for slashed prices on all things green, including cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, green beans, for Paddy's Day. I'm determined to change up my basic flavor profile with meals, and I'm envisioning stir fry in my future. Anyone try Well Fed's best stir fry sauce? I'm craving fresher, lighter, SPRING.

 

To brighten the fire in my belly, I did a good agni-stoking yoga practice this morning--third time this week--and look forward to barre a little later. I may also work in some cardio outside. A long walk or some burst training, depending on my mood and energy level. It will be glorious, though, just to be outside. Emergence from winter is a beautiful thing, no?

[SaraRuns]

Thanks for the Well Fed stir fry sauce.  I've been missing stir fry, but couldn't find a sauce that wasn't full of junk.  This looks perfect.

 

Emergence from winter IS a beautiful thing.  I enjoy winter, to a point. But it has been a very cold and snowy winter for us.  I'm ready for sun and light and being outside.  Get on that bike, Lady!

[LadyM]

So many good things to share:

 

1. Exercise is great.

 

Went for my first bike ride of the year yesterday and it felt so good. The trail along the river was still covered with ice and snow, so I had to stick to the streets and it was nearing rush hour, so that was pretty dicey, but I still loved it. Might get out there again today. Thinking by next week the trail should be clear.

 

I signed up for a 5K in a little less than a month. A friend in Pittsburgh who has run it with me before will be doing it again this year with me. So, I guess I need to figure out some kind of a training schedule for that. Honestly, I'm in decent enough shape that I could go out and run 5K right now, but it's more meaningful to build up to it, right? Last year we sprinted the whole hilly thing for a PB--and I'd like to beat that. I'm aiming for 26 minutes if at all possible. The SI and lower back sitch will, in part, determine that.

 

Have decided to take a break from the gym for the rest of the month. I'll start back up on April 1, but I'm seeing this as rest and recovery. 

 

My month of yoga is still going strong, though I am learning the importance of using all my hard-earned core strength deliberately throughout my practice to stabilize my SI. Too much twisting jams me up, too, so I adapt that part. 

 

2. Food is good.

 

The stir fry sauce is a really nice thing to have on hand, and eating stir fry sans rice makes for eating beaucoup veggies! I also made a batch of sunshine sauce for the first time in a dog's age and will likely do the pad thai thing today or tomorrow. I'm also having fun with my spiralizer and the inspiralized website for new recipes and ideas. 

 

Oh, and I also ordered the frugal paleo cookbook and look forward to some new ideas there, too. Keeping things interesting in the kitchen is crucial. Before Whole30 I'd have periods when I'd eat nothing but sandwiches when I got tired of cooking. No bueno. Now I'm better at staying ahead of that curve. Though I must admit that I made my first SWYPO of the year last night thanks to the suggestion of bloody Instagram. It was a pumpkin pie chia pudding thingy. Very delicious. And I ate it with a template meal as fat, since it was mostly coconut milk and chia seeds. Anyway, it was a fun treat, but won't be in the regular rotation.

I finished off the lentil soup, and by the last day, it didn't seem to bother me at all. Next up: mung beans. I am definitely on board with saying no to soy and peanuts, but I really like the idea of bringing back certain pulses, as they call them in India, if they work for me. Immersing myself in ayurveda again this month I'm sure has something to do with this impulse. 

 

Speaking of which, I've had good discipline with my little daily ayurvedic tweaks. Starting the day with hot lemon water, nasal oleation, pranayama and meditation, and drinking a quart of hot spice water throughout the day between meals all feels quite virtuous.

 

3. Structural health is in flux. 

 

Saw a new chiropractor and didn't like him at all. He took over my old retired chiro's practice, and I won't be going back. I've made an appointment with a new guy who comes highly recommended by my yoga teacher who is also successfully managing chronic SI issues. I see him Monday and am hopeful that he can help me.

 

4. Systemic health is improving.

 

The thyroid test showed that I'm slightly hyperthyroid, so my endocrinologist lowered my dose of levoxyl. FMD assures me that this is more evidence that my thyroid is getting stronger and doing its own work. She's confident that I'll eventually get off the levoxyl altogether. This is nothing short of a miracle. I can feel the good effects reverberate throughout my body and it makes me feel quite hopeful about my body's ability to heal itself. And for me, that means this body, though aging, can and will get stronger with time and discipline. Feeling positive that the best is yet to come, y'all. And it all started with food!

[SaraRuns]

Spring, ah, brings so many wonderful things - bike rides, sunshine, focusing on the good things.  Reducing your thyroid medication is huge, awesome news.  Sounds like a good mix of trying new things but keeping the things you know work for you.  A light training plan for your 5k sounds like a great idea.  I have not been doing a good job with speed work while training for my 10  miler.  I think I'll be slower than last year, but I'm okay with that.

[pjena]

So many good things!  I can't wait to get out the bikes and spend more time outside.  I finally can get in some walks again!  Sunshine helps everything. 

[LadyM]

Sunshine does help everything, Jen, I agree! Sara, I've been thinking I need to create a good play list for speed work. I opted out of a long run yesterday and have been contemplating increasing burst training and tempo runs and cutting out the long ones. We'll see how it goes.

 

But what I really want to talk about is my new chiropractor, whom I believe is an utter genius. It may be too soon to tell, but he used all kinds of different techniques--all very gentle--and seemed to balance not only my structural issues, but also emotional ones. Seems too good to be true, right? Who knows. Some of these healers are just magic, if you ask me. I don't need any scientific explanation beyond the proof of my feeling better. Especially when my insurance covers it!

 

Warmest sunny day yet, and I've been walking to all my appointments. Though I may check out Costco for the first time and see what all the hoopla is about.

 

Also thinking about how to celebrate Paddy's Day. I lived in Dublin years ago and have spent several Paddy's days there, in Boston, in New York, and in Chicago. I may have had the biggest and best--enough to last a lifetime! As much as I love a good pint o' plain, I'll probably pass on all drinking tomorrow. I will probably make something delicious with cabbage, though, and I'm tempted to try this SWPO gluten-free Irish soda bread. If I do make it, I'll probably make a half-batch small loaf, and enjoy every bite slathered with Kerrygold and jam.

 

Barre was tough today. I think Saturday's run--a three-miler in 30 minutes, not bad--fatigued some different muscles, so my legs weren't quite as strong. But that's OK. Challenge creates change, and I'm all for that. Will likely take another run later today with some tabata drills thrown in the mix.

[LadyM]

Well, I'm up way before it's advisable. Woke at 3, then lay in bed until 4:30. I don't know if it's stuff troubling me or all the blackberries I ate after dinner, or perhaps a combination thereof. Fructose before bed can mess with the liver, correct? And I was awakened suddenly at peak liver time. Note to self: fruit with lunch, starchy veg with dinner. Period.

 

It was stupendously gorgeous yesterday and I went for another strong run. It feels good! I'm naturally running about a 9 min pace and I'm really pleased with that.  My plan is to run M-W-F-Sa mixing easy runs with intervals and speed work, but never increasing mileage too much. This is no one's recommendation but my own. I just don't want to go long. Short and fast is where it's at for me and I don't really have real goals except to keep at it. Sure, I'd like to beat last year's time at my 5K, but I don't really care if that doesn't happen. Staying safe and healthy and happy is far more important. 

 

In other news, I took my first ever trip to Costco and utterly drank the Kool-Aid. It was the Kerrygold and beautiful looking corned beef that got me. Not 100% compliant, but simple ingredients that didn't make me shudder. I restrained myself from buying all the things--will save the wholly guacamole and fresh salsa for another time and will bypass the enormous containers of nuts forever--but I got a good sense for what's a great bargain there. I did score a huge bottle of avocado oil, chicken broth, tons of good tuna, Himalayan salt, loads of romaine, a massive bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, five pounds of lemons, and enough laundry detergent and toilet paper for the rest of the year, as well as some really cheap gas for my car. So, I'm satisfied. Though I'm still feeling slightly worried and guilt-ridden that some of my $$ will be going to Costco instead of local vendors. I'll still hit the Co-op and farmer's market for certain things, of course, and it will more than likely be dollars diverted from a local chain grocer to Costco, but still. 

 

When the shops open I'll be on the hunt for rutabagas--wish I'd thought of them at the weekend farmer's market!--to toss in the slow cooker with my beautiful brisket. And now that I've procured Kerrygold I shall, indeed, make that soda bread. Still no beer, though. Looking forward to celebrating one of my favorite holidays with food, though!

 

Erin go bragh! And slainte!

[SaraRuns]

Enjoy your celebration of St. Paddy's with food - soda bread and kerrygold, yum!  When I go to Ireland in June, I will definitely be partaking in some bread and butter.

 

Your running plan sounds perfect.  No need to go long to train for a 5k.  You know you can handle the distance, speedwork is definitely where it's at.  And a good playlist is crucial for speedwork!

 

I'm so excited you found a chiropractor that is helping you physically and mentally!  Woot!  And covered by insurance, what more could you ask for?!?

[LadyM]

Oh, Sara, yes. Eat all the scones with slabs of butter and milky tea as you possibly can. It will be worth whatever gastrointestinal distress may befall you. And perhaps you won't have any! Their pasteurization process for dairy is different and their cows so happy that I can blissfully enjoy dairy in Ireland without any trouble. I am green with envy, m'lady! And still toying with the idea of Greece in July and whether or not I could touch down in Ireland on the way. . . . oh how I miss it so!

 

The soda bread is done and looks and smells legit. The corned beef and a boatload of rutabaga, potato, carrot, celery and cabbage are simmering away in my ginormous crockpot. I don't know when I've been so excited for such a bland meal! Though I do think I'll make some mayo with my new avocado oil and stir in some horseradish for a little bit of a kick to go with the meat.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback on my running plan, Sara. Still working on that playlist. It's the only thing that will motivate me to pick up the pace now and again. It's just so easy to go at a steady pace. The treadmill helps with burst training, but who wants to run on the treadmill when it's above freezing outside?

[SaraRuns]

I always enjoy my visits to Ireland, especially getting to see my sister and her family.  Ireland is a unique little place, that's for sure.  Oh, and my sister's ILs have a dairy farm and my sister has chickens - so lots of fresh when I visit.

 

I am so excited to be getting off the treadmill and outside.  The treadmill does make it easier for consistent intervals...

[pjena]

Soda bread!  I love soda bread.  Sadly, I'm not making any this year.  Maybe next year.  I would love to visit Ireland.  I've never been.  I need to start planning a trip! 

 

I'm so glad the new chiro is helping!

[LadyM]

Perhaps it's a sober Paddy's Day that has led me to a revelation this morning about alcohol. Maybe it was witnessing the drunken hooligans stumbling, tripping, beating on each other yesterday afternoon on my way to and from barre. Or perhaps it was dodging the puddles of puke outside the bars this morning to and from barre.

 

Or it could be a conversation I had with my bestie, the massage therapist I dance with and hang out poolside from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We were talking about how Christmas and summer tend to be our drinking seasons but it doesn't interest us much otherwise. He's helping a friend in recovery right now, too. It was especially interesting because he's one of the biggest enablers with my drinking. He hates it when I don't drink and it's party time. But maybe things are shifting for him as they are for me.

 

Here's what came to me, clear as day: what if I made this an alcohol-free year? I haven't had a drink since Christmas, and I'm curious what a year without alcohol would look like for me. It would span all the seasons, all the triggers, all the places where I do and do not drink. And I've got a decent head start already. I think it could be a terrific experiment. How could I not learn from it?

 

My trip to Boston next week could be a challenge. I'll be staying with a friend from grad school with whom drinking is a pastime. But she's a mom now, and that has slowed her roll in that regard for obvious reasons. She's always been good about my dietary shifts and changes, and she's had her own ups and downs with weight and has a history with weight watchers. So, she's open and compassionate. I think it will be fine.

 

I think if I'm going to do this, there are going to be many occasions where I'll need to let go of other people's reactions and just stay true to my own desires.

 

Now there's a life lesson if ever I wrote one.

 

Anyway, I'm still mulling it over. As I do. I've done many a W30 whilst mulling them over. This seems to be a good way for me to go about doing things.

 

But the idea of a sober trip to Boston interests me. I like the idea of being clear headed and not risking my health. Alcohol really beats down my immune system and I love the idea of giving my body a break from alcohol for a whole year. I wonder how radically it might support all my organs that have struggled for so long because of depleted thyroid, among other things. It's kind of exciting. And it makes more sense to me than declaring myself to have quit drinking forever. But it could lead to that.

 

We'll see.

 

Other than that, my Irish feast was spectacular, and now I'm flush with meat and veg for the foreseeable future. The Irish soda bread was almost too good, so I tucked the leftovers in the freezer for another time. I'm planning to continue with pulses in my regular rotation for a while and pay attention to their effects. Barre has been especially tough this week, probably because of the running on top of everything else. I might go for a bike ride instead of a run today to give myself a bit of a break and to ensure I can get through at least two more barre classes this week. Been slacking on yoga, too. Maybe a practice is on the docket for today. 

[SaraRuns]

Bike and barre - sounds terrific!

 

Some great thoughts about drinking and how you want to move forward.  I like the idea of doing as you are mulling.  As you said, you already have a great start, almost a quarter of the year sans drink.  A trip to Boston with a compassionate friend sounds like a good occasion to keep doing as you keep mulling.

[Beets]

We had some soda bread in the house from a good bakery. It looked amazing with some butter spread on it, but I did not partake. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

I am interested in the year without alcohol. A couple weeks ago I was thinking, "what if I stopped drinking?" But I still am attached to the idea of relaxing with wine. Of course I know that I can relax in other ways. I have enjoyed my glass of seltzer. Or even just breathing. But it's hard to separate, like you said, time with friends or holiday celebrations. For me those things are, for better or worse, intertangled with drinking.

I know I hate the way I feel even after having one glass of wine. I'm foggy, dried out, irritable and don't take good care of myself. I used to think this was just a byproduct of drinking too much, but it happens with one glass. Obviously I need to seriously examine my own relationship with alcohol and I'm curious to keep reading your thoughts.

[LadyM]

I've been puzzling over the "What if I stopped drinking?" question pretty much since my first Whole30, and I haven't been able to wrap my mind around it, either, Beets. I think that's how I came to the "What if I stopped drinking for a year?" question. And now I'm more eager for the answer to that question than I am for the seeming necessity of using alcohol for celebration and relaxation. Still not sure how that's happened or if I'll manage to do it, but there it is.