Wild City: Les Jardins du Ruisseau, Paris
All wildness is finer than tameness.
-John Muir
In an urban jungle I have been craving wild respite.
Trees.
Flowers.
Earth.
Growth.
1,000 Miles: Month 5
Hills and altitude.
If I had to sum up the fifth month of 1,000 Miles, that would be it. Hills and altitude. There were a lot of both of them.
During the last month I was home in the US, so running meant taking on the hills in Forest Park in Portland (a reunion run for the 1,000 Miles trio), a thigh-burn inducing uphill climb by my parents’ house in Washington, and making my best attempt at emulating a mountain goat on trails around Telluride, Colorado.
Realization: I have much more training to do before I become a mountain goat.
Recipe: Almond Apricot Cookies
I was reading an article on Runner’s World about how the one failure of most runners when it comes to their diet is not getting enough “real food.” Yes, you read that right. Most people are so caught up in the world of energy bars and nutrient-enhanced drinks that they forget that their body needs actual food. You know, whole grains and vegetables and such.
This is nothing new, but it’s always nice to get a reminder of what a healthy diet looks like.
And on that note, I thought I would share my recipe for Almond Apricot Cookies with you. I posted it a few weeks ago on Foodie Underground, but given the recipe’s “natural energy bar” status, I figured it deserved a mention here. Especially since it has become a favorite post-run treat. (I like to call that strategy “run to eat”)
Yes, all you need is almonds, dried apricots, olive oil, honey and water. And some salt and ground cardamom if you’re in the mood.
1,000 Miles: Month 4
Running takes time.
Any passion or project that we have requires time, but that time doesn’t appear out of thin air; we have to make that time. This is no news, but committing to running a certain number of miles a week means carving out space for a daily workout routine.
From the outside perspective this may seem tough. In fact, I have many friends that have said something along the lines of “man, that much take up so much of your time… I couldn’t do that” (note: yes, it does, and yes, yes you could). We’re all busy, and the thought of devoting at least an hour, sometimes two, almost every day is daunting to most. But the beauty of it is that eventually it becomes a habit. Skipping a run feels odd and disconcerting. It simply isn’t an option.
Tracking Down Good Coffee in Montmartre
People often ask me where they should go when they come to Paris. It takes time to make personal itineraries for people (I really should start charging…), but fortunately I write enough roundups that I can just start sending links instead. Case in point: my favorite coffee spots around Montmartre.
1,000 Miles: Month 3
Usually when I talk about running I get really excited. Depending on how good the last run was I may get that moderately crazy look in my eyes. And I get excited when I sit down to write about it (proof: Month 1 and Month 2 recaps).
But March didn’t really have any of that. In fact I’m hesitant to even write a recap of the month because it felt like I barely ran at all. Instead, the knees said “you need to take a break!”
Because I’m not training for a marathon, or an ultra trail run, or a triathlon, the potential of an injury hadn’t really crossed my mind. Sure, I was intent on running a little more than usual, but not that much. But then the knees started hurting. Not in a “I am about to break” kind of way, but in a “hi! you better pay attention to us or we will break” kind of way.
So I did what any runner would do: got out the foam roller. I also added in a routine of sun salutations every morning. And some squats. In other words, I started doing all of those things that I knew I should have been doing from the get-go, but just hadn’t got around to.
Which got me thinking: how often does this happen to us in life in general?
A New Column! And It’s All About Coffee…
I am a bit behind on this announcement, but last week my new column for The Kitchn launched. And what is it about? Take a wild guess…
Coffee!
Titled “Smart Coffee for Regular Joes” the column is going to take on the coffee world, looking at the ins and outs of how to make coffee, exploring coffee culture in other countries, and celebrating the drink that so many of us love.
“Coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s a cornerstone of our everyday. A building block of our routines and our social interactions. Coffee fuels us.”
Read the first installment of the column and follow along in the discussion. What do you want to learn about in the coffee world?
2,592 Reasons to Hate Coffee Pods
Well, actually I didn’t write that many. But I did go on an anti coffee pod rant this week.
“If you’d had asked coffee specialists that this was going to happen, they would have told you, ‘That’s ridiculous,’” Mark Pendergrast, author of “Uncommon Grounds,” told the Seattle Times. That’s because coffee pods are ridiculous, but just like with so many other things, we’ve traded convenience for taste. In the process we’ve ended up with a product that’s really bad for the planet. For example, all of the K-cups (the name for the Keurig pods) sold in 2013 could wrap around the Earth 10.5 times.
Coffee pods. Wrapped around the earth 10.5 times. Think about it.
You can read the full rant – which includes all the environmental, economic and quality reasons not to drink single-brew coffee – on Foodie Underground.
Image: Mother Jones
If Only I Had Room for a Garden…
As the sun comes out (hello spring!) I only have one thing on my mind: I want a garden. A place to walk in barefoot. A place to plant seedlings. Grow tomatoes and green beans and cucumbers. A place to start a raspberry vine. Wild strawberries. A space to sit and drink a morning cup of coffee.
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