MVR

[morticiaatoms]

Our winters are very long here, very long and very monotonous. But we don’t complain about it downstairs, we’re shielded against the winter. Oh, spring does come eventually, and summer, and they last for a while, but now, looking back, spring and summer seem too short, as if they were not much more than a couple days, and even on those days, no matter how lovely the day, it still snows occasionally.

Franz Kafka, The Castle (via theevergreensoul)

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

10 THINGS TIME HAS TAUGHT ME - Ladies - Pass it on

1. Most of our life is spent chasing false goals and worshipping false ideals. The day you realise that is the day you really start to live. 2. You really, truly cannot please all of the people all of the time. Please yourself first and your loved ones second, everyone else is busy pleasing…

Truths for young and old to live by. Men and women.

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

Brian’s Blog

I have been reminiscing on some of my experiences of the past two years. It is difficult to find the right words to say to somebody who has cancer. As a cancer patient, it can sometimes be frustrating when people don't have the right words to say to you. Over time, I have learned to give people a lot of grace when they try to give words of consolation. For me, I have a few examples of things people have said to me that doesn't make sense. I am going to be really honest and frank. If you are offended by this please consider that I personally have said the silly things below to others who face difficult circumstances. I don't hold it against anyone who has said these things to me or anyone else. This is just my experience of what I didn't like to hear, what I would have like to have heard, and what I've learned to say. "It's going to be alright. I just know it." Really? It's not very convincing when one is really not fine and everything is not alright. What makes this statement frustrating and seem insensitive to me is that typically the person telling me this does not have the authority to make that assessment. I would think to myself, "Are you a doctor? No. Then how would you know?" Doctors are the only people in my mind who have the authority to tell me that because they usually have evidence to support that statement. I can only think of one other exception and that would be if someone was saying those words in a religious or spiritual context: "It's alright, even if you lose everything or die." "Don't be scared." Same as above. Being scared is a natural human emotion like sadness. It is okay to be scared. Worry, on the other hand, is different, in my opinion. Worry is based one's conscious thoughts and with work thoughts can be guided. So, what I have learned to do is translate what the person says into what the person probably means to say. When I hear these things being said I tell myself that the person probably means, "It is okay to be scared and I'm scared too. What matters most is that we/I are/am here for you no matter what happens." And that is a great thing to say. For me, it is most important to be reminded and assured the people in my life (Waldos) are here for me.

[intensefoodcravings]

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

5 Things No One Tells You About Running as You Get Older

Find some inspiration from 42-year-old Deena Kastor, running legend.

I was 42 when I started running with serious goals. I am now 54 and find my body changing. This article is a very thorough look at loving the running lifestyle.

[aspoonfuloflissi]

Oats cooked in soy milk topped with banana, blueberries, strawberries, peanut butter, crushed walnuts and maple syrup + coffee on the side :) Running a 10k race this afternoon and I haven’t been this nervous before a race in a long time!

[collegiateveg]

My favorite veggie is cauliflower. My favorite flavor is chipotle. My favorite food is finger food. This dish nails all three. 

Also, I want to serve chipotle aioli with every meal. I may have to keep a jar in my fridge at all times. Who doesn’t want to be the kind of person that always has a jar of chipotle aioli in their fridge? Well, probably a lot of people. But I am not one of them.

For the cauliflower bites:

1 head cauliflower, rinsed and cut into 1 inch florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

For the chipotle aioli:

5 tablespoons egg-free mayo (I use Trader Joe’s light mayo)

¼ cup water

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Steps:

Toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large mixing bowl or gallon bag to make sure they’re evenly coated.

Lay flat on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper.

Roast at 450F for 40 minutes, shaking the pan half way through.

Combine all chipotle aioli ingredients in a blender or a food processor. If too spicy, add more mayo and blend again.

Serve while cauliflower bites are still warm.

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

50 and Counting

My inspiration for this blog came from a friend’s daughter who was planning on moving to New Zealand to write a travel blog. I asked her how she did such a thing for money. She explained how to find companies that would be interested in paying you for spots if you had a following that was unique and compelling. I giggled and said the first three words that define my journey right now. “Menopausal Vegan Runner”

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

Vegan Float: Let the cow’s milk nourish calves! Scoop some mango sorbet into a glass and pour room temperature Bud Light over the top. Frothy foam on the top!!

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

City Running

My daughter is recovering from surgery, so instead of running through the desert. I get to explore the Urban Jungle. I am tempted to head down to Prospect Park to do a few loops. 

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

Personal Record

I set a personal record last Sunday morning at the Extraterrestrial Marathon. I was fighting some intestinal battle, I think food poisoning, and I pooed 11 times in one marathon. Pretty challenging considering that the race had only 6 aid stations with portajohns. The desert and I got really intimate. My DNA is spread on the Extraterrestrial Highway. 

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

Self Actualization

To be all you can be, be in the moment with the person you are with, where you find yourself and say yes to the opportunities that drive you toward you.

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

http://calicoracing.com/events/et-full-moon/

[menopausalveganrunner-blog]

I have spent the last week in a arid desert climate. I met a young doctor of acupuncture on my flight to help in menopause. She said that in this transitional period of a woman's life she is drying up. Dry skin, hair and vagina, Ha, ha I know... not what I expected to hear (although I can't deny the manifestations of the physical being). She recommended avocados, water, flax seeds, chia, and soy. All of these find their way into my vegan lifestyle but it made me giggle to think that this doctor implied that menopause implied a drying up of my physical form.

When I found myself in the desert, in an environment that caused me to dehydrate with every breath, it made me more sympathetic to the arid environment that I had always avoided and squinted at when I was required to face it. Animals that are adapted to the dry environment are nocturnal to avoid the suns rays, too intense to be active during the day. As I am challenged by my menopausal consequences ( I hate to call them symptoms, because that implies a pathogenic origin and it is not a pathogen), I find a kinship with the desert creatures. The night used to offer sleep and regeneration of life giving energy, now I battle to sleep after the sun goes down, Restless legs, hot flashes and my brain refuses to turn off and allow the subconscious to take over, leading to mornings that I wake with the sunlight feeling unquenched but restless.

I saw some scorpions on the road close to the finish line yesterday at the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon in Rachel, Nevada. Normally they would have creeped me out, but they managed to adapt to an arid environment and my crunchy dry menopausal soul respected their ability to crawl around in the desert with their little poison points at the end of their curved tails and find a way to survive. Speak softly and carry a big stick.

Wisdom of the Day: Eat Avocados!