Category Archives: green monsters
August 11, 2010 the experiment(s)
today i woke up curious about one thing: running.
i know, i know. i kicked the habit about a month ago. but something in me today wanted to experiment, to see how my body might react. i promised myself i’d walk if i felt uncomfortable or miserable. so, after rolling out of bed, i chomped down a date, laced up my running shoes (which felt weird) and walked out the door. how’d it go?
a little something like this: brisk walk for five-ish minutes to warm up. then the running began. it definitely felt interesting to move through the running motions again. my pace was slow, though not heavy. it took a couple of minutes to steady my breath but once i did, it felt okay. nothing hurt i’m happy to report. no knee pain, no tight hamstrings. the last mile did not go so well. whatever fun i found in the beginning of the run faded and, in keeping with my promise, i walked the last half mile. in all i think i ran just over three miles (i took my old four mile loop) which to me felt perfect. i came home and stretched it out which felt even better.
will i run again? most likely not. it didn’t feel as fun as i wanted it to be but i’m glad i attempted it. and i’m glad i listened to my body. maybe i’m just not cut out to be a runner. and you know what? that’s okay. now yoga, well…yoga and i are deeply involved in a whirlwind love affair. i’m definitely cut out to do yoga and that makes me happy. i think one of the main reasons i ran is because so many bloggers i admire run. however, i’m learning my body is just that — my body. and i’m listening to it now.
and it totally wanted this perfectly purple smoothie when i got back from my run!
i know it’s a bit difficult to tell, but that smoothie is just about the same color as my bowl! into the blender went one (organic!) banana, the last of my frozen watermelon, some frozen berries, and some farmer’s market kale. topped with cinnamon and coconut. it was good. and filling. however, i’m now freezing. you’d like the middle of august in california might be hot, right? wrong. it is almost one (uh, where’s the day going?) and completely overcast. and cold. the clouds come and night and kind of refuse to leave sometimes. we have yet to have a warm summer night. it’s a complete bummer because warm summer nights are what i look forward to every year. oh well…
i also recently experimented with some mushrooms! i combined the following as a marinade/sauce:
3 t apple cider vinegar
2 t olive oil
1/2 t bragg’s liquid aminos
1 t cumin
1/4 t cayenne
splash of water
squeeze of a lemon
dash of pepper
dash of garlic powder (optional)
then, i roughly chopped some mushrooms and poured the marinade/sauce over them. i let them soak up the flavor for a good day (unintentional. i meant to eat it for dinner later that night but ended up at the giant’s game for jerry garcia tribute night!!!) and the results were really awesome! super spicy (just how i like it) and tasty. i turned it into a wrap. collard green wraps may be my new favorite thing. also, i’m finding i love raw foods. loooove. anyway, it looked a little something like this (hit it!…yeah, i’m a dork, so what? ;))
inside my collard green wrap went the mushrooms, some purple cabbage, and some farmer’s market tomato. how pretty are all those colors together!?! this is why vegetables excite me so much. they’re so pretty.
upclose!
i also tried okra for the first time yesterday! i bought some after wanting to for a while. i’ve heard of their slimy reputation so i baked them. and paired it with ketchup. um. can we say new obsession?
i saved some for another dish i want to make. i’ll share that with you tomorrow, i’m thinking! anyways, it FINALLY looks like it’s clearing up! and i want to get in my dose of sunshine for the day before work at 5. have a great wednesday, everyone!
namaste!
zoe!
- 3 comments
- Posted under fitness, food, green monsters, recipes, running, vegan, vegetables, weather, work
June 15, 2010 divorcing chocolate
and how was the rest of everyone’s monday?
mine involved nothing special. the highlights: i decided against a run and instead decided to start gina’s summer shape up, albeit a few weeks late. it’s four weeks long and it’s week four now…oh well, better late than never, right? right. following this i picked up my last paycheck from work (score!), went to trader joes (double score!) and then target.
the real highlight of my day though? bikram yoga, of course! that hot hot heat is so cathartic. i’m finding it much easier to breathe deeply and go inside myself during difficult poses. as a society we tend to rush rush rush and rarely break to step back, breathe and appreciate. i find yoga a great outlet for this. bikram demands concentration and inner strength. today proved that. i found the balancing poses difficult today and had to concentrate that much more. but i loved every second of it. i walked out of the studio soaked through and through. nothing like a good sweat, right :)!
i toyed with the idea of hanging out with friends but i was feeling a lame night. what do lame nights consist of? relaxing on the couch with a movie or a book. i made a deliciously simple dinner of quinoa cooked in coconut milk and assorted roasted veggies. then i retired to the couch for arrested development. who else misses this show? why crap like the jersey shore remains on tv while smart, witty shows like arrested development get cut will forever baffle me. i think it speaks volumes about america and americans. any thoughts regarding this?
after dinner i ate too much ice cream and chocolate. and then proceeded to feel sick until i fell asleep ugh. but it’s all gone. and it will NOT be bought for a while.
these past couple of days have lead me to one conclusion: i think i need to detox from chocolate. i’ve decided to file a trail separation from chocolate until further notice. yes, you heard me correctly — i’m going against all girl code and avoiding chocolate. i need to. it’s literally making me ill because i cannot control myself around it right now. until i relearn how to include it in my life in a HEALTHY way, i will not eat chocolate. raw cacao powder? i’ll still eat that. but chocolate chocolate? kicked to the curb. will this be hard to do? YES. yesyesyes. i love chocolate. but thinking about it right now has my stomach flip flopping and threatening to heave up everything i ate. literally the thought of chocolate makes me absolutely want to barf. plus, all this overeating of junk food will affect my runs. it did on sunday — i ran a little over 2 miles and spent the remainder of the day feeling complete nauseous. seriously, all the crap food combined with my run killed my appetite. i’m tired of feeling sick. DEEETOX tiiiime!
so i woke up this morning with a better resolve. i drank a green monster because all i wanted was greens greens greens and half an hour later, i set out on a tentative 6.5 mile run. why so tentative you ask? well, after sunday’s disasterous run i was really nervous of a repeat. so i set out slowly at first. VERY slowly. after about two miles of feeling fine, i upped my speed. and found my body just wanted to go fast fast fast. i felt fine. i felt better then fine, actually — i sang. oh, i know, how cool am i ;)?
i think it’s because i put on my newest play list. what’s on this play list? glad you asked 🙂
4 songs & a fight — the sounds
womanizer — britney spears
talk to me — peaches
satellite mind — metric
S.O.S — rihanna
play your part (pt 1) — girltalk
na na na na naa — kaiser cheifs
love today — mika
lace and leather — britney spears
L.O.V.E — ashlee simpson
just a girl — no doubt (this is where i started singing)
it’s gonna be me — nsync (oh yeah. i went there.)
in your arms — hellogoodbye
i remember — kaskade
here’s the thing — girltalk
hands in the air — girltalk
gold guns girls — metric
ghosts n’ stuff — deadmau5
forever — chris brown (i really dislike him. but i really effin love this song!)
combat baby — metric (LOVE.)
bye bye bye — nsync
this one was heavy on some solid 90’s classics. i listen to ridiculous music when i run. i love good beats when i run, if you haven’t noticed. but i need new songs! any suggestions? what do you love listening to when you work out????
also, i noticed something about my few days of overeating. the funniest part about this whole ordeal? my self esteem has yet to nose dive. usually whenever i “over eat” i feel AWFUL about myself. but i still think i look pretty bangin’. sure, i might be a little puffy from all the crap but i know this week of good eats will take care of that. i still got it 😉
this week i have a LOT to talk about. stay tuned for posts about skin care, weight loss talk, new work outs and other things i might just stick in 🙂
oh, and please please please send me some good vibes today — i have my MRI at 3:30 today for my left knee!!!!!
(sorry for such a scattered post!!!!!)
namaste!
zoe!
- 6 comments
- Posted under chocolate, fitness, food, green monsters, quinoa, running, yoga
June 8, 2010 re-centered
good afternoon!
hope everyone’s tuesday is going swimmingly.
i woke up around nine this morning. i’m far too much of a morning person. funny too, as i used to be the queen of sleeping in. now i just find it to be a waste of the day. why waste the sunshine? i even took down the black blanket covering my blinds so i could wake up with the sun.
and wake up with the sun i did. i lounged in bed for about half an hour looking at some of my favorite blogs before i got up to prepare breakfast. i decided to switch up my regular breakfast and went with a green monsterrr this morning. into my blender went two handfuls of spinach, half a nanner, one T raw cacao powder, one T ground flax seed, and one cup CHOCOLATE almond milk! new purchase. i dug it for sure.
following the GM i allowed my stomach to digest before heading out on a nice run. thanks to www.mapmyrun.com i got an exact estimate on my new running loop! turns out it was a lot more than i originally thought. it’s just under 6 and a half miles. something like 6.48? anyway, it’s the path i ran the other day when i had to stop after four miles.
today went MUCH better. my legs were itching to run and it just sounded good. the other day it did not sound or feel good but i forced myself through it. big mistake. as you know, i ended up feeling ill and ended up having to stop.
NOT that case today! today’s run absolutely rocked. i started out slower than the other day which i think really helped. i felt strong, amazing, and capable. i used some of my running tricks too: breathing into my lower stomach, not breathing shallowly, and not looking down. often times on runs i find difficult, i realize i am looking down instead of gazing straight ahead like you do in yoga. employing this looking forward technique makes all the difference, i swear. i listened to my 10k playlist and ended the run on a strong note. my pace picked up for the last three miles and i ended up back at my apartment at just under an hour. almost seven miles in under an hour? i am MOST definitely getting faster.
today’s run helped me clear my head, too. i just let myself go. yesterday’s bikram sesh did the same. it was by far the best bikram session i’ve had. i’ve been stressed and emotional for the past week. my week long PMS never fails to deliver me terrible mood swings and depression. and breakouts. it really, really blows. but it looks like i’m in the clear because i feel GREAT today, mentally, physically and emotionally. i am back to feeling confident and centered. thank the universe because i was about to lose my mind. negativity can seriously drown a person, you know? how do you deal with negativity? work outs really help but does anyone have any suggestions as to how to beat my PMS symptoms? they’re incredibly draining.
after my run i did a bit of ab work and some weight work and looooots of stretching before downing a glass of water with one T of protein powder. then i iced my knee, blogged it up a bit, and showered. then lunch. a great, great lunch!
salad!
contents: half mango, one head of romaine (i have a TON to get through! operation eat through the pantry is certainly rollin’!), 1/4th of an avocado and a sprinkle of pepitas. i made a dressing consisting of the juice from one lime, one t agave nectar (i find agave ridiculously sweet and cannot handle much of it at one time. plus, all the reports deeming it worse then high fructose corn syrup have me using it in moderation.) and 2 t olive oil. ultra yum. hit the spot.
i paired the salad with a sweet potato i baked last night!
baked sweet potatoes totally win over microwaved ones. it takes more time but it’s certainly worth it. i spread a bit of almond butter on it. omnomnomnoooom! this lunch absolutely hit the spot. i’m on track with eating more and more often, too. we’ll see how it goes for the rest of the week!
currently listening to some musica and staring out the windows at the beautiful summer sky. i think i’m about to go on a leisurely bike ride or something. i hate being inside when it looks so gorgeous outside. ya dig?
also, i realized on my run today that i keep forgetting to post my playlists!
my 10k playlist:
hide & seek (tiesto remix)
aliens exist (blink 182! oh hell yeah i still love this band!)
& down (boyz noize. LOVE this guy!)
oh! (a-track boyz noize remix)
every time we touch (cascada. what up high schooool!)
fancy footwork (chromeo)
face to face (daft punk. OBSESSION. daft punk = life.)
let it go (deadmau5. deadmau5 (deadmouse) is AMAZING.)
ghosts n’ stuff (more deadmau5)
speakerphone (kylie minogue. a very under appreciated woman! she makes some awesome pop!)
bulletproof (la roux. i have a dubstep remix too which i heard before la roux’s version. it’s ah-mazing.)
disco heaven (lady gaga)
starstruck (lady gaga)
just dance (lady gaga)
poker face (lady gaga)
satellite mind (metric)
misery business (paramore. the only song i can stand by this band.)
lisztomania (phoenix. i have been in love with this bad for about three years. they are simply amazing. their old stuff is spectacular. i really encourage anyone and everyone to check them out. they’re one of my favorite bands.)
1901 (phoenix)
we will rock you (queeeeeeeen!!!)
hurt you (the sounds)
a-punk (vampire weekend. love this band, too.)
untouched (the veronicas. pump up action right here, folks!)
gold guns girls (metric. metric is great.)
stadium love (metric)
my girls (animal collective. okay lets talk about my straight up obsession with animal collective. i have SO much animal collective on my ipod. sigh. they’re…indescribable.)
summertime clothes (animal collective. this was the first song i ever heard by them. i stumbled upon them with stumble upon.)
boyfriend (ashlee simpson. the only time i will ever listen to ashlee simpson.)
L.O.V.E (ashlee simpson…)
track 15 (it’s by hot chip. actually, it’s a remix of a hot chip song. not sure which one. sorry…)
talk to me (peaches. this bitch is badass on way too many levels.)
lasso (phoenix. funny only new phoenix made it’s way onto this playlist!)
4 songs & a fight (the sounds)
pop the glock (uffie!)
just a girl (no doubt. PUMP. UP.)
if you didn’t notice, i love electronica. it’s much more then the same beat over and over, i promise. under the umbrella of techno there is so much more then house, which most people associate with techno (aka: the same pounding beat over and over and over.) look into dubstep. or drum & base. two of my faaaavorite types of electronica music. ESPECIALLY dubstep. le sigh. i love it.
what do you listen to when you work out? what is your favorite kind of music? got any good work out music you can share? i’m always on the look out for fresh new stuff to work out to! keeps the work outs fun and exciting 🙂
before i go officially, i’m going to leave you with this uplifting bit:
the happiest, most positive little girl ever.
feeling down? just take a look at this. i think we can all take a cue from this little ball of positivity and recreate her antics whenever we’re down. i think i’ll try to!
have a great day, kidlettes!
namaste!
zoe!
- 5 comments
- Posted under body talk, fitness, food, green monsters, greens, lunch, mental health, music, running, staying positive, the beatles, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, weather, yoga
May 10, 2010 hot hot heat!
dang did i go to bed excited for bikram yoga this morning! and DANG did i LOVE it! i ended up buying a 35 dollar month pass. yay impulse purchases! whatever it’s totally worth it. it was HOT (i know, DUH zoe, right?) and i sweat like maniac but it felt so relaxing and rejuvinating and cleansing. it was the perfect class after a week of long, hard runs and a weekend of a 10k!
currently am now sipping at a green monster which includes: half a cup of almond milk (we bought the silk sweetened vanilla kind because they didn’t have unsweetened and OH BOY do we hate it. it’s WAY too sweet!), half a nanner, three or four big leaves of kale, 1 T chia seeds, 1 T raw organic cacao powder (yuuum chocolate!), and 1 heaping T of almond butter. i also sliced a thick piece of that delicious bread, toasted it, spread a little bit of maranath’s dark chocolate almond spread on it and topped it with the other half of the nanner. ahhh loving it.
it’s RAINING, though. no loving that. instead of walking to school i have to drive 😦 bummer. i’ll live though i’m sure.
about to spend the rest of the morning reading the grapes of wrath before class! have a good one 🙂
namaste
zoe
- Leave a comment
- Posted under fitness, food, green monsters, weather, yoga
