Mind, Motion & Matter

Running, Essentially . . .

Monthly Archives: November 2010


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Bloggers-in-waiting

An outcome of my blogging is that a couple of friends and my mom are thinking about starting their own blogs. Once my mom returns from her trip to the Yukon, I will help her get started.

HTO Park - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 6:40 a.m.

I woke at 4:01 a.m. today and timed my 7 mile run to coincide with the sunrise on the lake. The time change has wrought great changes on the morning run. I ran west along the lake, hoping for a fabulous sunrise shot, however the position of the sunrise changes and sadly, this morning sunrise was hidden behind the Island airport terminal.

Lake Ontario, Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 6:50 a.m.

After work, I met a friend for dinner. We went to the Oliver and Bonancini restaurant in the Bell Lightbox. My friend lives very close by and was amazed at the enormity of the Bell Lightbox complex. We went for a short tour after dinner to check out the Blackberry cafe and pick up the film schedule. Fritz Lang’s metropolis was playing and the place was quite populated. Toronto, a great city for film aficionados.

My friend is planning to start a blog, the debut to be timed to coincide with an adventure that appears certain to happen fairly soon. He is a wonderful photographer and a great person with lots of interests, so I think blogging will come quite naturally to him.

He is just back from New York, having run the marathon. Having set out to run what he considered, his last marathon effort. The disappointment of a less-than-hoped for time due to leg cramps has him planning for another run at a personal best time. In spite of this, he fully appreciated the legendary enthusiasm of New Yorkers for the marathon runners.

It turns out that he stayed at the same hotel I did a few years ago. A Marriot Hotel across from Bryant Park, which is highly recommended by Trip Advisor. This hotel is very close to a favourite New York city store, a Japanese bookstore called Kinokuniya Bookstore. I love this place. It has three stories with a take-out cafe on the top floor, a stationary department in the basement and much more.

Blogger-to-be in marathon recovery mode

Over the years, the photographs of this friend have become treasured memories for many. The photo on the EXERTION tab of my blog was taken by him. I thank him for that along with many others.

Sweet dreams to all, especially those recovering from marathons!


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Evening for Aids-HIV orphaned, Ethiopian children – Part 2

Secret to dancing the night away, after a 21 miler

I was concerned about how well I would hold up to the festivities on Saturday night.  I attempted to take a nap but in spite of waking at 5 a.m. unnecessarily and running 21 miles the best I could manage was lying very still for an hour or so.  When I heard that dinner would not be served until 8 p.m. I anticipated leaving shortly after the dinner portion of the evening.

We arrived just after 7 p.m. and found ourselves delighted by the perfect ambience created by the pre-dinner jazz trio.  It was a surprise to learn that all the songs were based on traditional Ethiopian songs.

Rich, spicy Ethiopian vegetable and meat stews on offer

Dinner was buffet style and we enjoyed a selection of spicy, stew-like, meat and vegetable dishes meant to be scooped up with injera a crepe like flatbread made of fermented teff. Utensils not required!

Buffet offerings


Remaining on the agenda was entertainment, speakers and finally dancing but . . . wait, I can’t finish this story tonight because I ran twice today and am now feeling the effects of the time change, very tired.  So, stay tuned.

Night all!


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Lonely girl at a noisy restaurant

Somehow, an email to organize a dinner date with a friend, never left my inbox.  That is how I ended up dining solo, at Fresh Restaurant at Bloor and Spadina.  I was really looking forward to seeing my former workmate, as we have not seen each other for the two months since I changed jobs.  We used to walk to North Toronto Memorial Park and lunch there.  Coincidentally, I invited a colleague at my new workplace to join me for a walk through Hogg’s Hollow.  She was charmed by the sights.

Small Buddha Bowl

I seem to dine at Fresh about once every two years.  Time enough to forget how crowded, cramped and noisy a place it is.  The waitress was very nice but the food took quite awhile to arrive.  My visit however did inspire me to revisit some of my vegetarian recipes, like tempeh, adzuki bean and hijiki seaweed salad. I ordered the small Buddha bowl and yam fries.  The yam fries were scrumptious, the Buddha bowl was tasty enough though uninspired.  I suppose that is why my mind started to wander back to my vegan days, as it occurred to me that I would rather be eating dishes I used to prepare.  Then there was Sri Wasano’s Infamous Indonesian Rice Salad from the classic, Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen.  I’ve been meaning to make that salad for a couple of decades.  Maybe this will be the year.  Click HERE for the recipe.

Scumptious yam fries with garlic mayo dip

I had a very nice glass of carrot, orange and ginger juice, a reminder that I have not used my juicer in quite awhile.  My grandmother was ahead of her time in regards to nutrition.  I inherited her Acme juicer and brown rice cooker.  When I was 16 she gave me a book touting the benefits of raw juice therapy.  Naturally, I did not take much notice of this advice as a teenager.

Today was the start of my easy running week.  I ran 2 miles in the morning and that was it.  I’m feeling the time change however and will be heading to bed as soon as this is done.

I had promised more photos of Saturday evening but I can’t quite manage it.

Good night all!


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Evening for Aids-HIV orphaned, Ethiopian children

On the eve of the New York City marathon, and at the largest community fundraising dinner held by Ethiopians in Toronto, not a word about marathons is to be heard.  Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian marathon world-record is poised to run the New York City marathon but only his wife’s name is mentioned, in passing, with a  reference to an orphanage she is involved with.

There are over 1 millions Aid-HIV orphaned children in Ethiopia, a country about the size of Ontario and population of 80 million.  And, in Toronto there is a committed group of expatriates who are volunteering much time and money to increase from 150 the number of orphans they sponsor to 500.

People to People AID Canada dinner

My husband and I attended this dinner, to find out more about People to People AID Organization Canada as we are planning a gala event to raise funds to help them get closer to their goal of sponsoring 500 orphans.

It was a wonderful evening of entertainment, information and dancing!  We were shocked to find ourselves rolling into bed at 1:30 a.m., thirty minutes before the hour time gain, lucky for us.

There are more photos but I’ll have to post them tomorrow as the late night yesterday, has caught up with me, as well as the 70 miles, I ran this week.

More tomorrow!


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Forgetting is good for the soul, and the long run too

21 mile route - November 6, 2010

I’ve had a great month of training, with very solid long runs, of 19, 18.5, 21 last week and finally, 21 this week. I’m due for an easy week and will be heading off to New York state next weekend for an overnight getaway with my only sister, and one of four, sisters in-law. Both run, and due to the demands of parenthood, have treadmills. My sister has 4 kids age, 8, 6, 4 & 2 and my sister-in-law is mother to an 12, 9 & 6 year old. In addition to running, my sister, who is an excellent hockey player, plays a couple of times a week.

Queen Street, still sleeping

Early in the run I made a pit stop at Starbuck’s and recognizing the barista, formerly at our neighbourhood location, chatted briefly about running. I asked if I could take his photo for my blog however he said there are protocols in place regarding photos of staff. I quickly scribbled down my blog address for him.

Then east on Queen street, north on Spadina and over to R’s, where B & D were also waiting. We ran over to J’s and then an uphill trek up Russell Hill Road, and through Forest Hill to the beltline.

I felt the need to take charge of our route, as it is very hard to stay focused without a route to visualize.  Because of this, a few minor insults were bandied about, the way guys will do but everyone soldiered on, in spite of the more-challenging-than-usual-route. I have four younger brothers and I’m sure there’s a kind of familiarity and comfort in being the only female in our running group. A little sister, for which I prayed constantly, only arrived when I was 11 years old, and my role was more like that of a second mother.

I parted company from B and R at St. George and Dupont and ran south to the Lakeshore.  Once I hit the lakeshore I got a bit distracted with with the sights and picture taking on this chilly but fresh and sunny day.

Art on the run, outdoor photo exhibit, Harbourfront

I weave through the outdoor photo gallery on York Quay, the subjects are always Canadian content and enviroment and landscape related.   Then east to the Music Garden where a large team of teens were involved in dismantling the rigging for two tall ships.  Three miles to go, seems less so, when it is a well-worn route.

4 miles to go, time for a photo

Getting ready for winter?

On the home stretch I muse on mental strategies for marathoners.  While running a marathon it is helpful mentally, to practise a kind of forgetfulness and forget how far you have run, and try and relax as though you are out for a short run.  A useful life skill as well, the ability to willfully forget is closely tied to the ability to forgive and start anew.  So I imagine this as one  of my easy morning runs, and the end of my 21 miler does not feel quite as taxing.  As I run through the apple orchard near Ossington-Old Orchard School, Renee Fleming is on my IPod singing Leonard Cohen’s  Hallelujah.   I’m almost home, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

To hear Renee sing CLICK HERE

There’s a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen

Lake Ontario moment, November 6, 2010 10:30 a.m.


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More on chocolate

As promised, more on a popular topic. It has been a busy week of work and I have to say I am pretty tired. Tomorrow, I’m planning to do 21 miles again for a 70 mile week. We had dinner at our mainstay, the Bloor Street Diner, Eggs Benny, again and two glasses of sparkling wine.  I had lunch at Auberge du Pommier with the principal from my son’s former high school.  I highly recommend their Paillairde de Nicoise.

 

Paillarde de Nicoise

Last year when we were in Barcelona we had some extraordinary hot chocolate at Cacao Sampako.

Was that ever good!

While in Germany this fall we enjoyed some pretty good hot chocolate although I don’t remember the name of this cafe in Frankfurt.

Hot chocolate in Frankfurt

During the summer, I had a superb cacao cookie at a chocolate stand at the Art Barn farmer’s market.  Unfortunately, they seem to have packed up shop since my husband has been shopping there.

Chocolate sales, art barn

Once again, sweet dreams!


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A day in the life

Coffee maker set for 4:55 a.m.

Alarm goes off 5 a.m.

Get up pretty soon after alarm

Make lunch

Leave for 30 minute run at 6:30 a.m.

Stop at CIBC bank machine, (PC Financial cardholders can use all CIBC ATM’s for free)

Run into neighbour on College street

Chat briefly about her injury troubles

Leave for work 8:15 a.m.

Travel by subway

Check email and Blackberry Messenger when the subway is above ground, near Rosedale station and Davisville

Send message to son, asking if he will be home this weekend

My wonderful son with his wonderful girlfriend

Sprint up two long flights of stairs at York Mills subway station

Arrive at office at 9:00 a.m. on the dot

Eat lunch at desk then leave office at 12:50 p.m.

Receive Blackberry mesage from son saying he will not be home for the weekend, the first time since he moved.  Feel surprised at my disappointment

Travel by subway to Mel Lastman Square

Buy 5 metres of fabric at Fabricland (on sale for $4.00 a metre)

Buy triple-venti-vanilla-whole-milk-latte at Starbuck’s

Take subway back to work

Circulate box of chocolates in workplace

Change into running gear at 5 p.m.

Run 8 miles home with sections of 90 seconds to 4 minutes at a hard pace for a total of 20 minutes of hard running.

Listen to MUSE while running fast

Film the view from the stairs by Casa Loma

Fry some Italian sausage and add to bottled pasta sauce along with yellow tomatoes

Husband home, we catch up while he eats

Enjoy post dinner glass of wine

Blog and relax

Bedtime soon

Good night all!


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Night of Dread – The video

Hey everyone, I’m proud to say that I’ve figure out how to convert video formats, sign on to YouTube and thus premiere my first self-produced blog video. Please excuse the downward pan to my feet at the end of the short show. There’s more information on the Night of Dread on my Sunday post.

On Halloween night, a parent yelled out that our pumpkin was “awesome” so once again, here is a photo of Jack Skellington. I would like to credit my husband with doing the grunt work of hollowing out the pumpkin for me.

Happy, happy!


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Power gels or chocolate?

When running a marathon, a past pre-race routine has been to drink a lot of gatorade, a can or two of Boost and then down a powergel, shortly before the race starts. Later in the race I take a gel at the 15K and 30K marks and further on, if needed. Through the years, as my body became better at using fat as a fuel, I needed fewer carbohydrates.

Mounds Dark Chocolate - 2 mini-bars

Power gels are the yuckiest, things you can imagine, a sugary, gooey syrup that must be followed with water in order not to gag on the stuff. Years ago, I asked a friend, a PhD in nutrition to analyze the contents to see if there was anything other than glucose in the mix. The answer, NO. Since I sometimes would have a power gel near the end of long run, I decided why pay nearly $2 for this concoction when I could be eating chocolate.

Mocha Clif Shot

In addition to the improved taste, a chocolate bar purchased on the run, also buys you a ticket to a washroom. This is a real bonus in the winter when most of the washrooms in city parks are shut down.

The talk at the high school went well. And the thank-you gift, a box of Lindt chocolates, inspired my blog topic. Chocolate however, does take a bit more effort to ingest so the gels, while racing the marathon will still be required.

Peanut Butter Crunchy Bar

Picking my poison, my preferred gels are Clif Shots with Mocha, my favourite flavour.

The mocha flavour is special because it has caffeine in it. Although this is only available in the U.S. as Canadian Food and drug regulations do not allow caffeine to be present in gels. I don’t normally go for sports bars but while traveling find that they are handy (and economical) items to have on hand in while on-the-go, in transit. My husband and I like the Peanut Butter Crunchy bar.

The best box of chocolates I’ve ever had was a gift from our across-the-street neighbours, who really know “good things”.

Stubbe Chocolate

The chocolates were from Stubbe which has a location at Dupont and Christie. The other day I bought two Stubbe chocolate bars at the LIT Espresso bar for my son and our roommate.  I’ve become a Stubbe devotee.

Stubbe chocolate bars, one with almonds, the other with peppercorns

LIT is the only place in Canada, I’m told, that brews Stumptown coffee. Those of us who are addicted to Starbuck’s, do notice the Stumptown difference.

LIT espresso bar, College just east of Ossington

Stumptown Coffee

Well, I really must go but I hope to continue this discussion of chocolate very soon. Sweet dreams!

p.s.  I ran 7 miles on the treadmill this morning and made edits to my talk, while running.


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What are you reading?

At the moment, it’s more about what I would like to be reading.  On the floor by my bedside was this collection which I thought was fairly representative of what I read (or would like to read).  I seem to prefer non-fiction and as I have mentioned before on my post about Dave Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, am a student of time-management.

The paperback with no cover is the last 160 pages of Dombey and Son by Dickens which took me four months to finish.  I began to make more headway when I cut the book in half, after finishing the first 500 pages of the nearly 1000 page book.  The only book I am seriously reading, and extremely slowly at that, is The Road From Ruin, which is part of my personal plan for financial literacy.

Books, I'm skimming or would like to read.

I would go into more detail about these books but I have to write a short speech for tomorrow evening. I will be saying a few words at my son’s old high school, to grade 8 students and their parents, who are attending the school’s open house, as they go about the business of selecting a high school.

I ran 3 miles this morning, and then another fabulous running-from work adventure for an additional 8 miles. The days are just too short.

Bon soir!

p.s. The largest selection in the book pile was poetry. If you haven’t yet checked out the WORDS & HEART tab of my blog, you’ll find some poetry there.