CSA-ing it for the Summer!

Not to be confused with CSI, or the CPA, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture- although I might rename it Continuous Salad Abundance, based on the status of my fridge over the past few weeks.

CSA's are great for several reasons.
1. It costs a lot less than buying organic produce at the grocery store
2. The food has literally just been picked, which equates to higher nutrient values
3. Joining a CSA supports local farming
4. You truly get to know where your food is coming from, who is growing it, and that it is going to be fresh

If this sounds good to you, let me fill you in on what may be the most old fashioned yet ingeniously green idea to become en vogue since the green movement started.

To create a CSA program, a farm decides to sell 'shares' of what they grow. For a set cost, community members become share-holders by paying up front for a share of what the farm grows. In return, each CSA share-holder receives weekly shares of whatever the farm harvests over the course of the growing season.

Farms may offer one or both of two share types. A payshare, means the member pays a predetermined amount and gets their produce each week, end of relationship. Farms can also offer workshares. Workshare members pay less, but pledge to work a certain number of hours at the farm over the course of the growing season.

My CSA has been providing me with huge amounts of organic produce each week! I have resorted to giving away about half of it to family and friends, which is fine because there is no way I could eat as much as I am getting. I have also been expanding my recipe repertoire because every week I have come home with things I have never purchased at a grocery store, like escarole, bok choy, and arugula. (bok choy salad and arugula pesto are two of my new favorite foods!) In addition to new things, I also have been getting seasonal favorites such as strawberries, snow peas, romaine lettuce, and spinach.

If you want to learn more about CSA-ing it or find a CSA, check out one of these sites, which provide more info and allow you to search for a CSA near you:
Local Harvest
Farm Locator

Happy Cancerversary to ME!

Yikes! it's been nearly a month since I have posted anything! This is a busy time of year for me, but things will be slowing back down again soon, I hope. I've made most of my posts on here running-related, but this weekend marks a milestone for me, so I am going in a different direction with this one.

What annual event is possibly more meaningful than a birthday, wedding anniversary, or holiday? Ask a cancer survivor, and they'll probably tell you that their cancerversary is at the top of their list of days to celebrate. So what is a cancerversary? While I am annoyed that as I write this, 'cancerversary' is underlined with a red squiggly line, Urban Dictionary does recognize the term, and suggests it is "a reason for a really, really big party." A cancerversary is a day a survivor celebrates the fact that they are still alive. Some survivors I know celebrate their cancerversary as the day they were diagnosed, or the last day of chemo, others commemorate the date of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

Regardless of when it is celebrated, I think that it is important to commemorate the milestone of continuing to live after a cancer diagnosis. This weekend will mark my fourth cancerversary- I mark mine with the date I was diagnosed. I celebrate this specific day for two reasons- first, I believe every day is mine to enjoy. Although I think about cancer everyday, it isn't going to ruin any days for me. However, on the day I was diagnosed, cancer ruined my day. Celebrating that day is like taking it back. Instead of being the worst day of my life, it's a celebration. Because I say it is. The other reason to celebrate this day is because each year means I am 365 days closer to the magical five-year mark, which is the irrelevant point at which my doctors will finally say that it is unlikely my cancer will recur, so that means next year will be reason to have a really, really, really big party. Watch out.

So on the eve of my cancerversary- the thought of which makes me as excited as I used to get the night before Christmas- I am filled with a sense of pride, because I have not only survived, I have learned to live beyond the words and stigma that come with hearing the words "You have cancer."

So if you are a survivor, throw yourself a really big party. Pick a day and celebrate. If you know someone who isn't celebrating their cancerversary, tell them they should start. Hopefully, they'll invite you to their really, really big party.

Hope.Love.Run (x4)

Run....And get free stuff?

Seriously? Yup. If you run or walk with Nike+ (or your tracker of choice..iphone apps are supported!), Earndit will reward you! Sign up, link to your device of choice, and when you've run enough, you get to choose a reward!
Honestly, the amount needed to earn a reward is modest, with my current routine, it will only take me about a week and a half to earn a $25 gift certificate. I set up my Earndit account this week and it seems pretty easy and straightforward.
So what's the catch? Surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be one. It's new, so be one of the first to jump on the Earndit bandwagon and give yourself one more reason to put on your running shoes tomorrow morning!

And I thought an hour was a good, long run!

Running Down a Dream: Click to read the full story

Motivation

Lately I've heard a lot of people people asking how to stay motivated to keep up an exercise program. Clearly maintaining motivation is a challenge for many people, regardless of their fitness level. Mid December to the end of January my beloved YMCA is overrun with the resolutioners who want to lose a few pounds, tone up, or get back into their skinny jeans. However, it never fails that by February the place is generally occupied by the regulars, plus a few resolutioners who have made a solid commitment. I think that their goals may be the problem. If I were trying to achieve the above goals, I can assure you I would have quit long ago. Exercising isn't about those things for me. I have managed to successfully be a regular gym-goer and exerciser for over two and a half years, I'm not sure I can explain how I stay motivated, but I'll try.

I have a body....and it can actually do things!
When I joined the YMCA after I finished chemo(September 17, 2007) I never considered not going regularly. Maybe because I traded in my cancer card [Member benefits include self-injected drugs, plus steroids three times a week, and an afternoon date with an oncologist every Friday] for a much less complicated YMCA key chain scanner card that I could use whenever I chose to[or not], it was a clear upgrade, and I would never choose the C-card over my Y-card. That said, I have a gratitude for my body's ability to function that keeps me motivated. My appreciation is based on the fact that I continue to be amazed that I can lift more, run farther, move faster, and do things I never thought I would-or could- but I think this attitude of awe and appreciation is one any person can own. You might be surprised what your body is capable of, but you'll never know how much it can do of you don't give it the opportunity to show you.

Expand your musical horizons
Music. Music, music, music! Never underestimate the power of a good song. Listen to a radio once in a while. I do this in the car so I have the chance to listen to things I haven't heard before. Then I download the songs that I think might be a good edition to one of my running/gym mixes and don't listen to them unless I am at the gym. Not only does the music motivate me while I am working out, it also motivates me to work out. Fave songs on my current mix: Ke$ha: Blah, blah, blah; and Jason DeRulo: Whatcha Say.

Get Inspired
If you can't seem to break yourself from the computer to go work out, watch something that will make you want to go do something productive. I watch Nike ads again and again. They're awesome. Not to mention that they'll give you some songs to add to that playlist. Watch a couple times and you'll be able to visualize the video while you work out, even more motivation. Examples:

No Excuses
Courage (my favorite)
I Can
Move

The Bottom line...
Staying motivated can be tricky, but the key is to just do something, anything. Sometimes I don't want to go, but once I put on my shoes and get out of the house, I can honestly say I have never regretted going for that run. Ever.

What motivates you?

Hope, Love, Run,
Marathon Girl

Where's the Beef? (and do I have to eat it?)

After a long journey this past week, I am back home and ready to kick up my running, assuming my body cooperates. I have been running maintenance for the past two weeks and my knee and shin splint are getting better. My right leg still hurts at the end of a three miler, but I can do it without stopping. I'm continuing the stretching program and plan to gradually increase my mileage like the book I got suggests after an injury.

In my ongoing quest for health, wellness, and strength, I came across some interesting information regarding metabolic types. I don't know how legit it is, but it seems like a sound concept. People are efficient or inefficient in processing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Based on what you can process efficiently, those foods should be the major staples of a person's diet. Eating too much of a food group that is not processed efficiently, say carbohydrates, results in that food being stored as fat.

Apparently a person's metabolic type can be determined through a lipid profile (blood tests) or a simple questionnaire. I happened to have recent blood work to look at, and found my type was protein-fat efficient. (73 percent of people fall into this category) I also took the survey to see if that matched up, and it did. So where does this leave me?

Answer: Confused! Running sites, like runnersworld.com suggest a diet of 50% carbohydrates to fuel a runner. However, according to my (alleged) metabolic type, I should be eating 50% protein and 25% of both fat and carbohydrates. Aside from this being contradictory information, I have been fiddling with possible combinations of foods on LiveSTRONG's Daily Plate (LSDP), and I cannot figure out how to manipulate what I eat to have a 2:1 protein-to-everything-else ratio. Not to mention that LSDP tells me I am way over my protein allowance when protein makes up anything close to half of the daily protein/fat/carbs pie chart.

Not being much of a carnivore and trying to eat only organic animal products makes this metabolic type diet even more complicated (and expensive!) However, I think it's worth a try since the research I read indicates that eating based on lipid profile can make a person feel better. However, if it makes me feel physically healthy but I'm crabby from eating all this meat- it's nothing personal, I just don't really like it- is it really a good idea?

Like I said, I'm confused. I think like anything, finding a middle ground is important. Maybe eating 50% protein is not realistic. I like noodles. And fruit. However, trying to include more protein into my diet is doable and realistic. As for eliminating all the carbs, I don't think an all-or-nothing mentality is healthy. Besides, I need them to fuel the night run I am going to do later.

Hope, Love, Run,
Marathon Girl