See Diva Run

I’m back in class, and this one is a killer so you might not be getting much Diva wit and wisdom for the next 5 weeks (as if you were getting any before!). I’m still averaging 10 miles/week of running. I didn’t walk so much this week, but I’ve been slowly building up on my rowing time with no major shoulder problems, so I’m getting plenty of cardio work. I got a little core and a little flexibility work in, too.

* You exercised 14 times on 6 days, for 7.1 hours, and a total of 21.64 miles.
* You did flexibility 1 times on 1 days, for 0.5 hours.
* You did other (rowing) 3 times on 3 days, for 1.2 hours.
* You ran 3 times on 3 days, for 1.9 hours, and a total of 10.01 miles.
* You did strength training 3 times on 3 days, for 1.1 hours.
* You walked 4 times on 4 days, for 2.5 hours, and a total of 7.93 miles.

I hit the Centennial Trail today with my friend Cherl for a 6 mile walk in the sun. It was good to see blue sky! I got out for a “jog in the fog” yesterday. The hills were tough on me. My knee and ankle have been bothering me today.

I’m happy to report that my “holiday weight” is gone, and I’m back to my early December weight, which I wasn’t all that happy about at the time, but now that it has been up, it is looking better. I’m 6 pounds heavier than I was at this time last year. I suppose a 6 pound gain isn’t bad, considering my extreme lack of activity in 2008, but they still have to go. My plan is simple. I get up in the morning and start working on those 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. By the time I’ve eaten all the healthy stuff I’m suppose to get, I’m not terribly interested in eating junk.

Jasmine enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air today. She had me running up and down our block. Now she is sleeping on my pillow. I will get some serious dirty looks when I ask her to move. I hope all is well with all of you and that you are logging lots of injury-free miles and racing PRs. I’ll try to visit your blogs soon!

This subject for Take it and Run Thursday at the Runner’s Lounge this week is weight. Now I’m not much of a runner any more, but weight is a subject I was prepared to give a lot of advice about, until I realized that we weren’t talking about how to gain it.

I was never a big fan of breakfast, but knowing that eating breakfast is important to prevent weight gain, I’ve made a habit of grabbing a bowl of Cheerios in the morning. After I started running, I discovered that I wanted my morning carbohydrates. When it got to the point where I would wake up with hunger pains in the middle of the night, I started eating a small bowl of cereal before bed. According to Consumer Reports, Cheerios is one of the best cereals marketed to children, based on low sugar and relatively high fiber content. According to the report, cereals like Honey Smacks and Super Golden Crisp are more than 50% sugar. Ewwww.

Sometimes I want something a little heavier than Cheerios, so I go with one of the Nature’s Path Organic cereals. Favorites include the Multigrain Flakes, Heritage Flakes, Optimum Power and Optimum Slim. I also enjoy their granolas, but am more likely to eat them as a snack, or even a dessert. The peanutbutter granola is like eating a bowl full of peanutbutter cookies. Yum!

On my last trip to Target, I noticed that both Quaker Oats, and house brand, Market Pantry, are offering lower sugar versions of their instant oatmeals. I used to eat oatmeal every day when I worked in an office. I’d go to the cafeteria for a scoop of oatmeal and sprinkle a little brown sugar and a lot of cinnamon. There was something about smelling the cinnamon all the way back to my desk that made my day just a little better. I bought a box of the reduced sugar instant oatmeal, but haven’t tried it yet. I bet it is good with a lot of cinnamon!

Spring is here, and that means fresh local asparagus! Asparagus is probably the only vegetable my mom didn’t serve when I was a kid, and it is my absolute favorite. Some of my favorite asparagus dishes include Archer Farms Asparagus Risotto from Target, Safeway Select Asparagus Ravioli and Bertolli Asparagus and Shrimp Penne. They are all fabulous, and easy to prepare, but during the spring and summer I eat as much fresh asparagus as possible.

I buy a couple pounds at a time. When I bring it home, I trim the bottoms, and then stand them up in a container of water, like they were flowers. I love the pencil thin stalks, which I sautee in a little bit of Maurer’s Tangerine Olive Oil, and sprinkle liberally with Slap Ya Mama, a seasoning that I brought home from New Orleans. It is beyond fabulous.

With thicker stalks I give a very light coating of the Tangerine Olive Oil, sprinkle with Slap Ya Mama, and cook them on the upper rack of the barbecue while I’m grilling meat or fish. In 2002 I lost nearly 20 pounds by eating grilled asparagus and lean meat or fish every night. I wouldn’t mind doing that again this summer!

Another asparagus favorite is the bacon wrapped asparagus skewer from the Bengal Barbecue at Disneyland. No danger of losing weight eating that! Got any asparagus recipes/suggestions to share?