It's Been a While

That's an understatement. I've gone through a cycle like I'm sure many of us do. In the months of Feburary and March, due in large part to more work on my plate than I could complete in a regular workday, I began working at home, on weekends, and sitting A LOT. Not good. The major project I was working on hasn't concluded, but the workload is more consistent now. I'm left with having gained 15 pounds in those two months, about 5 of which I've now lost through Weight Watchers. What a bummer. That said, I'm LOVING Weight Watchers' new system because fruits and vegetables are free - Point free, that is. I was always so frustrated that a banana was the same amount of points as a small cookie. No longer!

I'm totally back into my 10-a-day. And I'm going swimming at the gym in an hour. I'm not saying that I won't get overwhelmed again and lose my balance, as that's the nature of our world, but I'm definitely back on track. And I shall blog again! Here's a recent picture of Olivia - she reminds my daily of why getting healthy needs to be my top priority.

Veggies are Good for the Heart!

More evidence olive oil and veggies help the heart

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK | Thu Dec 30, 2010

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It's no secret that eating well is good for both body and mind, so it may not come as a surprise that a new study finds women who eat more olive oil and leafy vegetables such as salads and cooked spinach are significantly less likely to develop heart disease.

A group of Italian researchers found that women who ate at least 1 serving of leafy vegetables per day were more than 40 percent less likely to develop heart disease over an average of eight years, relative to women who ate two or fewer portions of those vegetables each week.

It's not exactly clear why specifically leafy vegetables and olive oil may protect the heart, study author Dr. Domenico Palli of the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence told Reuters Health. "Probably the mechanisms responsible for the protective effect of plant-origin foods on cardiovascular diseases involve micronutrients such as folate, antioxidant vitamins and potassium, all present in green leafy vegetables."

Women who ate at least one daily serving (about two ounces) of leafy vegetables - such as raw lettuce or endives, or cooked vegetables like spinach or chard -- had a 46 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than women who ate at most two portions per week.

Both fruits and vegetables have been associated with heart benefits in past studies conducted elsewhere in Europe and in North America. The authors caution that the apparent lack of positive effect from high fruit consumption in their results may have something to do with a different attitude toward fruit in Italy. It is cheap, varied and easily available, so eating a lot of fruit is a widespread habit but it does not necessarily signal that the rest of someone's diet is as healthy, the authors wrote.

This is a shortened version, for the full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BT49320101230?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r1:c0.136364:b40727278:z0

My Body Will Catch Up

It's been over a month since I've written. The holidays were fun, filled with goodies, and generally tempting. In my new year's resolution I didn't want to change anything about what I'd committed to in 2010 - 10 a day, while not always followed to the "t", is still my goal. I also still want to run a 10-minute mile. So what needed to change?

I mentioned Marianne Williamson's article in my last blog. After reading that piece in Oprah I lost 5 pounds - just through thinking differently about my relationship with food. I then ordered her book A Course in Weight Loss. Each chapter is a different lesson. Some of the teachings feel a little silly, but I'm trying them (i.e. making an altar to my life). Some of her words though are so right-on, I have re-read certain chapters 3 and 4 times.

I don't know what I weigh today. I'm not as focused on it, to be honest. I feel a huge relief from my crutch on food to relieve my daily and long-term stresses, embarrassments, worries, and angers. Let's be honest - even my joys and accomplishments are tied to food "rewards".

My mindset is healthier today than it was yesterday, and I believe that will change my body. I have a big trip to New York planned for this weekend. It will entail LOTS of walking, and these coming nights and days will be focused on tying up details in preparation of a long weekend. Will the airplane seat be tight on my thighs? Yes, probably. But my mind will be focused, my heart will be light, and I will be living healthfully. My body will catch up in its own time.

A Weight Off Your Mind

I love Oprah Magazine. There, I said it. That and The Economist and I'm in heaven (I know, very different publications). While Oprah Magazine sometimes disappoints me with their occasional based-on-shaky-science re-publication of anti-commercial-agriculture propoganda, in general: Oprah feeds my soul. Paul always kids me when I'm reading that magazine "Is Oprah telling you how to live?"

This month's issue had an incredible article on weight by Marianne Williams called "A Weight Off Your Mind". Here are a couple of quotes from the article. I've scanned it if you're interested in a copy, just let me know.

"Being overweight is a spiritual issue. And spiritual growth is required to overcome it."

"You've subconsciously tried to get rid of difficult feelings by eating them."

"I was never a food addict, but for years I was a compulsive eater."

And finally, the paragraph that completely resonated with me:

"Imagine your excess weight as a brick wall you are carrying around. This wall has been built by your subconscious; its purpose is to separate you from other people and from life itself. Looking closely, you see that every brick has something written on it: Shame, Anger, Fear, Judgement, Pressure, Exhaustion, Stress, Heartbreak, Injustice, Protection, Jealousy, Inferiority, Embarrassment, Self-abnegation..."

All of a sudden, after reading this article I can FEEL my weight. I can see how it affects me in day-to-day interactions and why I've allowed it to stay on, even made choices that made that a certainty. This article has helped me and I thought it may help you. Pick up an Oprah or send me an e-mail and it's yours.

Abby

2011 Races

This week I've found that going to the Y in the evening, after Olivia goes to bed, is wonderful. I have guilt-free "me" time and I've spend the last few nights speed-walking 5Ks to get back into the swing of running. I also spent some time tonight finding races for the first 1/2 of 2011. Here's what I'm planning to do; let me know if you'd like to join me!

January
16th - Fort Ord Foray

March
13th - St. Patrick's Day 10K in Los Gatos

April
10th - Santa Cruz 1/2 Marathon

May
1st - Big Sur 9 miler
15th - Bay to Breakers in San Francisco

Self-Esteem

In September 2009 my friend Quinn and I listed all of my extra-curricular activities, including boards I sat on, events I co-chaired, campaigns I worked on, etc. There were 14 things on the list at that time and I was burnt out. Over 2010 I’ve worked hard to make good on what I’d committed to, all the while checking off the list and I’m blissfully at 2 as of today. I’ve already signed up for a couple of new positions in 2011, but I’ve made a promise to myself that from now on I’ll never do more than 5 so that I can focus on my family, friends and other priorities at all times.

And one of those priorities, as you all know, is my health. I was reading an article last week about exercise and weight. It said that maintaining a healthy weight through exercise actually helps our brains and memories retain and make decisions. Additionally, the more extra weight we carry not only weighs down our bodies but also weighs down our ability to be quick on our feet mentally.

Last week I also had a conversation with a person in the industry for whom I have great respect. He was commenting on my ability to retain information and said “Just wait 15 years…it’ll change.” I know he was joking (kind of) but that jolted me.

My self-esteem isn’t tied to how I look, my ability to run a 10-minute-mile, or how much I make. It’s tied to how well I do my job. I don’t know if that makes me odd, but for me it’s all about excelling professionally. All of those other things are good and can make me happy, but the bottom line is that when a grower tells me they feel I’m representing them well on an issue or a shipper calls me because they know I can get them the answer they need I FEEL GREAT. The idea that I may not have the ability to remember, retain, and basically keep on my toes in 15 years scares me.

What I’m getting at here is that I now have another reason to be healthy. And I’m realizing that by becoming healthier I may be better at my job not only 15 years from now, but today. That, coupled with being the best mommy I can be, is what my self-esteem is tied to, what gets me up in the morning, what makes me feel good about myself. I now have another reason to make sure I get to the Y, or take Olivia for a walk every day. Doing so makes me better at everything that’s important to me.

Butternut Bisque Shared

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to get at least 2 servings of vegetables in a sitting. This is a soup that I make regularly during the fall and winter and I can't count the number of times I've shared a bowl of this soup, crusty bread, yummy salad and a glass of wine with good friends. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Bisque

6 C. Chicken Broth
1 large butternut squash – peeled & cubed, about 6 cups
1 medium sized tart green apple – peeled, cored and chopped
1 large onion – chopped
1 ½ t. sugar
1 t. salt
pinch of rosemary
fresh ground pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3 T. dry sherry
2 egg yolks
1 pint half & half

Combine stock, squash, apples, onion, sugar, salt, rosemary and pepper in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender – about 1 hour. Puree squash until very smooth. Return to pan and bring to a boil. Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and puree. Simmer 5 min. Mix in sherry. Beat yolks and cream in a small bowl. Blend in some of hot soup. Whisk mixture back into soup. Serve!

Re-warming is fine, but do not boil.

A Brand New Day

Halloween night - so much candy. And of course, in the midst of it I got an itch to make a mango-blueberry pie with all of the fruit in my freezer. Our house is filled with sugar right now. We need more trick or treaters! This weekend I helped co-chair a great event, the annual YF&R Harvest Dance (see attached picture of Livey in her firefly outfit). I loved doing it (especially since our committee was filled with great friends) but it's a relief to have it complete. One more event (CWA's Annual Bus Trip, also put on by great friends) in 2 weeks and I'm going to step away from co-chairing special events for a little while so that I can focus.

Paul and I have decided we want to try again for a baby mid-2011. That means I need to focus on my health as a priority. Hence today's blog title. I've done a lot of good work this year, but October wasn't the best month. After the mermaid I lost some of my gusto and haven't been running as much as I'd done before. Today at lunch I'm going to speed walk a 5K at the gym. I also brought 5 produce items for my lunch/breakfast today to reinvigorate my 10-a-day challenge.

I got an e-mail from a dear friend who I've called my cousin for years as her parents are my parent's closest friends and essentially family members, Allison (Silveira) Ribaya. About a year ago she learned that her 15-month old son Gavin had a Wilms Tumor on his kidney. He had surgery to have it removed and immediately went into chemo. Thankfully a few months ago he was given a clean bill of health, although he will have to be tested every six months until he is six, at which time we hope he is declared officially cancer-free. To learn more, visit their blog.

She and I were commiserating about the difficulties of weight loss and she said something that is so true, it was (forgive the Oprah reference) an "aha moment". She was saying that as she loses weight it's as if she is shedding the stress, anger, fear and sadness she had felt over the last year. What an incredible statement.

There's a reason we gain weight. Sometimes it's the way we know to quell our day-to-day worries, even our happiness's (who hasn't celebrated a victory with a big slice of cake?). But I'm learning that I've used food to help me through my emotional ups and downs for the past decade and I really don't need it. Exercise is so much more effective. And I know it will get easier as I go along. Going to the gym isn't going to be such a chore if I keep doing it.

Thank you to Allison for letting me share our conversation, it was enlightening for me and I hope it is for some of you as well.

Mermaid Complete!

Jennifer and I completed our mermaid triathlon (ended up being a biathlon) on Sunday - it was great! They had to cancel the biking portion due to a lack of CHP officers, but the swim and run were really fun. I had a really slow time compared to the rest: 1:09, but I didn't care - I was really happy with it. It ended up being a 400-meter swim and 5K run. I hadn't been running as often the last month, so I figured I'd speed-walk, but in the end I ran about 1/2 of it. I was disappointed not to bike, but we'll definitely do it again next year. A full list of results can be found here: http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?orgID=218713&rsID=100287. I'm in the 30-34 age group.

Now I need to find another event to do. Send me ideas!

Green Beans

Olivia ate green beans last night! And she said "yummy, mommy!" She carried on the Taylor family tradition of dipping them in ketchup, and really liked them. It made me so proud - she's starting to eat more and more vegetables when she sees us eating them. Another reason to keep this up! She also ate the rainbow trout my boss Jim caught and brought to us.

I'm still struggling with weight loss, although over the last week I've made a focused effort to think about everything I'm eating, why I'm eating it, and what it's "giving" me. Is it because I'm hungry, or something else? Anything but for hunger isn't smart or healthy but I do it all the time. More on my philosophical musings on this topic to come.

Biking Again

I've not biked so much since my days at Davis, and then it was all flat! Jennifer and I biked along Highway 1 in Marina/Seaside yesterday morning. It was sunny and gorgeous and I felt like my legs were going to fall off on some of those hills! We speed walked afterward, at first running, but my legs were like jello, I couldn't keep them straight! We're getting ready for next Sunday's triathlon, I'm actually getting pretty excited. Here's the website if you're interested in the course: http://www.mermaidtriathlon.com/09/SANTACRUZ/SANTACRUZ09.html.

Swimming in the AM

This morning I swam at our local YMCA, which I joined a couple of weeks ago. It was hard to get up (honestly, I snoozed twice) but the swim felt so good. The pool was 82 degrees and I really worked on my freestyle breathing (I'm not good at alternating which side I turn my head).

I also got my life insurance medical tests back. Overall they were very good, but I am at high risk for diabetes according to my fasting blood sugar levels. I already knew that, but it's hard to see it again, from a different source. More inspiration to do what I'm doing!

Olivia Ate Broccolini!

Last night Olivia ate a piece of broccolini. Granted, she sucked out the middle and gave daddy the "skin" to eat, but she ate it! I'm so proud. :)

I joined the YMCA last week and LOVE it. There's even a play area for kids and I can put Livey in swim lessons. I need to do some "block" training: swim/run, run/bike, bike/swim over the next couple of weeks to prepare for my mermaid triathlon on 9/26.

Jennifer and I went to a clinic to prepare for the ocean swim on Saturday. It's SO SCARY swimming in the ocean. We're swimming around the ship at the pier on Seascape beach (Aptos, CA) which is about 400 meters. It's so cold that every time I put my head in the water I stopped breathing a little, then got scared (you only see green) and then yanked my head up and sat there breathing for a minute until I felt better. It's freaky! I made it around the boat and back, but it took me 40 minutes to do what I'd normally swim in 15 in a lap pool.

Yesterday Jennifer and I went for a bike ride/run along Hwy 1. It was fun and really hard to get up some of the hills. My chain fell off once, which wasn't that hard to reattach (probably thanks to my UCD years) but I had a hard time of running after the hills on that bike for 4 miles and speed walked about another 1.5 mile. Jennifer's such a great inspiration for me to get out there, pushing me to try while understanding when I need to slow down.

More to come on the triathlon...

Back into Swimming, Riding

A quick update: tomorrow I'm going to start swimming again to prepare for my mini-triathalon on 9.25.10. I've not been as active over the past couple of weeks, partially due to a busy schedule, but I'm a little nervous that I'm losing my drive to exercise. I'm also going to get my bike out of the garage! I have a really tough time motivating myself to get out and exercise when I'm tired or worried about day-to-day things. I know swimming will make me feel great tomorrow and bike riding is going to be necessary as I prepare for my 11-miler.

Hiding the Scale

I've done a good job of eating my 10-a-day all week, partially because I've been visiting the salad shoppe! Yesterday I had 5 servings in my salad (beets, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes) a banana, 2 plums, strawberries, corn and tomatoes from my garden. I had a little trouble on Wednesday because I was in a conference all day, but I had about 7 throughout.

I was so excited to harvest fresh cherry tomatoes from my garden yesterday. I was even more excited when Olivia was interested in them. I've had a bit of trouble getting her to eat vegetables lately. Of course, tomatoes are actually a fruit, but she hasn't wanted them since she was about 1 year old. She loved plucking off the stem and popping them in her mouth. She'd get a tart one and give me a "nose crunch" but then she was reaching for another. I love that she preferred the tomatoes to the pasta on her plate (whole wheat pasta, but pasta nonetheless).

I also hid my scale. I'm sick of it. I think it actually makes me less productive because I expect such big changes quickly. And that's that. :)

Monday's 10

As I said yesterday, I was going to post my servings all week...

My 10 servings yesterday...
1 Banana
2 apricots
BIG salad - 5 servings (bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, mushrooms)
BIG heirloom tomato - 2 servings
dried mangos

So far today...
1 Banana
BIG salad & steamed veggies at conference - 4 servings (carrots, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes)

I'm staying at a friend's tonight (at a conference) who is a wonderful, fresh veggie cook. I know that she'll either make us a delicious, produce-laden dinner or we'll go somewhere delicious and healthy!

Finished in 3:30! Fastest time: 9:35

I had the Salinas Valley 1/2 Marathon this weekend. What a beautiful course, full of fields and local friends all out for a run. I ended up running the first mile (14:08 pace, 11:00 fastest), and then realized I wasn't feeling well. It felt like my chest/heart was struggling so I speed walked the rest, with a few running sprints here and there. My fastest time was a 9:35 pace - my best ever! We climbed 440 feet, went 13.1 miles and I had an average speed of 16:08. I was pretty happy with the results.

Now I'm gearing up for my mini triathlon on 9/26! It includes a 400-meter ocean swim, 2.5 mile run and a 11 mile bike ride: http://www.mermaidtriathlon.com/09/index.html. This is my perfect opportunity to cross-train and gain running speed.

I've had a hard time keeping up with my 10-a-day. I've just let life "get in the way" over the past few weeks. I didn't make it the priority it had been before, but now I'm completely dedicated to doing it again. To push myself to do so, I'm going to post my 10 each day all week. I'm also going to have breakfast again - I'd lived on coffee most days until noon over the past month. So of course at lunch I'm starved. Breaking bad habits is hard to do, but I'm exercising more than I have in 10 years, and I know I can change my eating habits for the better too.

First Big Race Results

Yesterday I ran in the San Francisco 1/2 Marathon. It was gorgeous. This photo shows the start at 6:30 a.m. It was right next to the Ferry Building on Embarcadero. We ran next to the piers, through Fisherman's Wharf (only the runners and sourdough bakers were out - the smell was heavenly) through Fort Mason and up to the Golden Gate Bridge and back, then through the Presidio down to Golden Gate Park.

I did not finish the race. It was timed, so at 10:00 it was over - they were actually dismantling at 9:30, when I was at about the 11th mile. I ran the first 10 miles, walking about 5 times up some big hills and to take short breaks to regain strength and "gu". I ran about my normal speed (16-minute/mile) but I've never run it for that long, up that many steep hills. It felt amazing. At 10 miles though, I'll admit, I was pretty wiped. I walked another two to meet my girlfriend and get on the muni, and at that point we were done.

Could I have ran/walked to the finish line even if it was no longer there? Physically, yes. However, I was the last one running - everyone behind me had tapered off, and I wasn't completely sure of where to go. Moreover I was really proud of myself and knew that I had a couple miles of walking ahead of me, so I was okay with not getting to the finish line. Next year, I'll be crossing it in a crowd of people, I'm sure of it.

Now to shine some light on my loved ones running with me: my friend Erin crossed in 2:43, my brother Ben in 2:15 and my sister-in-law Amelie in 2:01! I'm so proud of them.

In two weeks I'll be running in the Salinas Valley 1/2 Marathon. This one is flat, and not timed, so I think I'll be able to finish it. I've also signed up for the Mermaid Triathlon on 9/26 (a 400-meter swim, 2.5 mile run and 12 mile bike ride) and will be signing up for the Santa Barbara 1/2 marathon on 11/6. This is getting addictive!

10:54 Fastest Time Last Night

Last night I took a 2-mile run on the trail around my house and really pushed myself to go as fast as I could, knowing that I'd have to sustain it for 2 miles, which I figured would take 1/2 hour. Here were my stats:

Fastest Pace: 10:54/mile
Average Pace: 14:35/mile over 2 miles

This is REALLY good. But, it shows me that I probably won't be able to keep up with my friend on our run this weekend (she's more a 12:30/mile) although I should be able to finish the run.

I chatted with a friend who's a really good runner on Monday and he said that when he ran the Big Sur Marathon he allowed himself to take walking breaks at each mile to rest. He said that there were people who passed him in the first few miles that he was passing in the end because he maintained his energy throughout. I like the idea of taking a minute to walk at each mile marker, so I think I'm going to try that this weekend. Wish me luck!

1 Week Away

Well, I'm 1 week away from my big run - 13.1 miles! It's supposed to be beautiful, starting on the embarcadero in San Francisco, then traveling up and down the Golden Gate Bridge and back through the city to Golden Gate Park. Our "wave" will probably start around 5:30 a.m., so I'll have 3.5 hours to complete it. That's an average 16-minute mile, with a 400 elevation climb. I can do this. I've walked/hiked 13.5 miles in 4 hours, climbing 1,000 feet - this is going to be hard because I'm not used to running quite this far, but it's a great way for me to measure my successes and determine where I am.

This weekend it was a little hard to keep up with my 10-a-day; I was out with friends and family for much of the weekend, and while I definitely incorporated them into my meals, I hit about 7 on Sunday and 5 yesterday. For some reason, weekdays are much easier because I can pack my lunches and have a refrigerator to store them in. It's all about preparation...I need to get better at that.

I wanted to take a quick moment in today's blog to honor the memory of a classmate of mine who passed away on Friday. Kelly Freitas (Alvarnez) had breast cancer at a very young age (31) and I know she's left this earth for another, more beautiful place. Her obituary may be found here: http://www.grunnagle.com/Obituaries.html. Tonight I will be attending her rosary, along with many throughout our community, and fondly remembering her life on earth while also reflecting on how lucky we all are for our time here together.