Fitness Archives - Page 4 of 5

Why I don’t cook more

June 23, 2014 No Comments

When my sister in law, Julie, came by, I don’t think I thanked her for the huge bag of cherries she left on my counter.

I was too preoccupied with the fact that a whole bunch of fruit was going to go to waste, while there are kids eating dirt cookies in Africa.

Raw cherries make the insides of my mouth hurt. And for some reason raw fruit of any kind is anathema to half of this family, although Colin will eat fruit that I wash and peel and cut and present to him on a silver platter with a live string quartet playing in the background.

So, basically, the cherries were doomed.

Fitness

Sunscreaming meemees

May 30, 2014 No Comments

A Facebook friend recently posted something that made me want to go find her and smack her in the head.

I’m not normally a violent person. I am a big talker, though, so by “smack her in the head,” I mean “give her a stern look and maybe stick my tongue out at her.”

But I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so I’ll probably just wait until she’s not looking.

This person recently posted a link to an article on “How to make a non-toxic, homemade sunscreen.”

Or no sunscreen, she commented. I believe skin cancer comes from within. The sun doesn’t scare me half as much as what we put in our bodies and on our bodies.

What the hell? Sunscreen toxic? Skin cancer comes from within?

As a person who has had basal cell carcinoma cut off my outsides three times now, I’d like to say what’s coming from my within is an unhealthy dose of wanting to kick this person right in the butt.

Fitness

Buh-bye boc choy

May 23, 2014 No Comments

Every Saturday morning since spring started, we’ve shopped for produce at one of the local farmers’ markets.

The veggie selection can be slim early in the season. We’ll take home some of what my friend Steph calls “yuppie lettuce,” and maybe a bunch of kale. If nothing else, we’ll grab a fancy maple-bacon glaze or crème brûlée donut as reward for our wholesome excursion with our canvas bags.

Nothing says “healthy living, forty-something hipster” like a crème brûlée donut.

The only downside to our Saturday morning shopping is the need to avoid eye contact with one, little hippy farming family at one stall in particular.

Fitness

I’m (mostly) kidding about the grass clippings

May 15, 2014 No Comments

I was just thinking about posting something about our experience with food allergies, and it turns out it’s Food Allergy Awareness Week, which makes it seem like I have a plan, you know, like, ever.

Anyway, I’ve posted stuff before about our first exchange student, Saara, and her multiple food allergies. To recap: Saara is allergic to fish. As in: call-the-ambulance-and-grab-the-epi-pen allergic. Her throat closes up at the smell. She’s also not supposed to eat wheat, oats, barley, dairy and there’re some produce on the list as well. And chocolate.

Girl’s allergic to chocolate.

While she lived with us, Jack was grocery store guardian. He delighted in announcing in his most nine year-old, outdoorsy voice: “Mom, there’s really STINKY FISH over here. Right HERE,” anytime we were in the vicinity of the seafood aisle

…Which is kind of near the beer aisle, so you can imagine how often my kid got to practice his fish warning.

Fitness

Coach mom roadblock

April 30, 2014 No Comments

We’ve kind of plateaued in Jack’s half marathon training.

And by ‘plateaued,’ I mean stopped in our tracks.

You knew this was going to happen, right? Fourteen year old says: “I want to run a half marathon,” he doesn’t mean: I want to run for weeks and months for what seems to be no particular reason. I want to run in the chilly, early morning, in the sleet that shouldn’t be happening in April but still does, or in the freak heat wave that saps all my energy.

I want to run even when I worry that this lingering cough is from an impending plague rather than just allergies, or there’s a crink in my knee that could mean I’m working on a stress injury. I want to run on bleeding blisters, with toenails falling off and chafing in places I didn’t know could chafe.

I want to run through wardrobe malfunctions and sunscreen in my eyes and gastrointestinal distress.

Fitness

My 100 Mile March

April 9, 2014 No Comments

There’s a reason I didn’t raise my hand right away when our meeting leader asked if anyone had any fitness milestones they met that month. I didn’t want to be a jackass.

In fact, I ran a total of 100 miles last month. Mostly ran. Really slowly. A little of it was walking. But it was 100 MILES. There were hills involved and trails and rain and sleet and snow (you know … March). My dog tried to kill me. My son, whom I’m coaching for his first half marathon, probably entertained a thought or two along that same line. I got road rash on my face.

I wanted to share all this but I didn’t.

“I’ve walked every day this week,” said one woman in a corner.

“I finally found a Lidocaine patch that would work on my shingles so I could get out and walk again,” another woman said.

I had shingles last year for about four weeks. It made me cry like a damn baby.

Fitness

A big ole’ bowl full of love

April 2, 2014 No Comments

To say our first exchange student had a few food allergies is to say the Titanic had a glacier problem.

Wheat, rye, oats, soy, nuts or chocolate gave her a terrible stomach ache.

Citrus, kiwis, plums, apricots, raw apples, carrots, potatoes and onions weren’t as big a problem, but were also allergens.

Fish would put her in the hospital. Even the smell of fish would make her throat swell.

She was also lactose intolerant.

I got her paperwork shortly before she moved in with us and thought how did this girl’s parents ever let her leave home?

Fitness

Guest Post: Simple Ways to Stay Fit This Spring

March 30, 2014 No Comments

Note from Beth: This weeks’ FIT FAMILY post is a guest contribution from the perspective of a mom of younger kids. Emma is a wife and mother of two, who lacks the time for a serious diet or exercise plan. She is always looking for simple ways to stay fit and healthy.

As a mother of two little ones – ages 10 months and 2 years – my health often takes a backseat. My world is centered on my husband and kids, and as much as I love it, I started to think that I could find a way to be healthy while still juggling all of my mommy and wife duties. And with spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time for me to make some simple changes for a healthier lifestyle — and you can too!

Fitness

Stay away from things with teeth, and other advice for trail runners

March 19, 2014 No Comments

Were I not working with Jack on his first half marathon, I’d currently be on a very different training schedule. The Race to Robie Creek is five weeks away, and my long runs should be in the ten-mile range right now.

Jack is up to six and a half miles, adding another half every weekend, and I can’t do a ten mile run one day and then run with Jack the next, even if we go super slow.

My husband-slash-running coach says two back-to-back medium length runs will mimic the impact of the weekly long run for training purposes. He also says Girl Scout cookies don’t have calories. He’s really smart, so I’m subscribing to both premises.

Fitness, Parenting

Slow Sunday Six

March 10, 2014 No Comments

Penny doesn't get the whole selfie thing. — Penny’s more into the running than taking selfies.

Jack lay prone on the floor. Every drawer in his dresser was open.

“I can’t find any shorts,” he said.

I closed a few drawers and dug through the bottom one, finding his gym shorts from the seventh grade.

I had brought up a pair of my own running shorts as a suggestion. That didn’t go over well. We are going to have to take him shopping for more gear this week.

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