WARNING: This Post Contains Graphic Images

I am a walking, talking bundle of hormones.  I stubbed my toe this morning and bellowed “why god, whyyyy? Why me?”  Everything seems to be a bigger deal than it actually is.  My belly is protruding as if I’m pregnant, but in reality, it is just serious bloating from my over stimulated ovaries.  I am now on exercise restriction.  Being the exercise maniac that I am, I googled the medications I am taking to verify that exercise is prohibited and sure enough, it is.  I was hoping the nurses were all wrong.  Damn them for being right.

Double the belly, double the fun??

I need to clean that mirror! Yikes.

Yesterday was my last chance at exercise so Angela and I hit the beach for a run.  I have seriously awful luck sometimes and to prove it, I took quite a spill within the first mile of our run. Angela is so sweet and she sat me down in the grass and treated me like her little patient.  It was adorable but I started to cry.  I couldn’t help it.  Maybe it was the hormones or the blood dripping from my knee, but I cried like a child, although not as loudly.  I was more like a whimpering puppy.  We walked a long way to the Lifeguard station where I was bandaged up by a cute blonde.  By this time we were beyond hungry and decided to forgo the run for some food in our bellies.  We trekked all the way back to our scooter and then another couple miles to the café.  At this point, running was out of the question.  We ate and proceeded to take a nap in the sand instead, like true beach bums.

Ouchie!  It hurt worse than it looks, I swear!

I spent most of the weekend with my nose in a book or on my yoga mat.  Ang and I did some side-by-side candle lit yoga in our living room before dinner the other night.  I highly recommend doing an at-home practice with your partner.  Lighting candles makes for an even more intimate experience.  It’s a great way to reconnect after a busy week.

Meowsers likes to nap on me while I read-- I love it!

My egg retrieval is estimated to take place on Saturday or Monday.  Please send positive vibes my way for a Saturday retrieval.  The sooner the better.  At my ultrasound this morning, it appeared that my right ovary is ahead of my left ovary in terms of follicles.  I am hoping by Thursday the leftie catches up.  I don’t know how much longer I can handle this tender, swollen belly and 2 injections a day.  It’s honestly not that bad, just uncomfortable.  I have been keeping the recipient parents in mind every single day.  I wonder what is going through their minds right now.  I can’t even imagine the anticipation!

At my Sunday ultrasound, the nurses asked me to exit through the back door because intended parents were in the waiting room.  They didn't specify whether they were my intended parents but what if they were?  My curiousity nearly led me to disobey and take a peak of the couples waiting out front.  How bizarre would that be for them to see me face to face, in 3D?  They've only seen pictures of me and have basically read my life story.  I know nothing of them, except that they're Australian and they probably have super cool accents. 

This week will involve a lot of meditation, reading and positive thoughts.  I also plan to cook every single night to keep me occupied when I would usually be running.  I have a bazillion vegetables loaded up in the kitchen ready for me to have my way with them. 

Run for me this week, since I can't.  Enjoy every single stride!

Real Men Eat Plants

"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician."

(Chinese proverb)

I did a quick 7 mile run along the harbor last night and then ran home to get cleaned up for a date night with Ang.  We went to the Hillcrest Cinema to see Forks Over Knives.  I have been eager to see FOK since back in November when I read an article about the film and watched the trailer online.  Any documentary that promotes a plant-based diet has my attention.

This fascinating film examines the claim that “most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.”  Open heart surgeries have become commonplace.  Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension are now present in our children!  Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the 3 leading causes of death in this country.  But do they have to be?


The answer is, ABSOLUTELY NOT. 


FOK reinforced everything I have learned in recent years about diet and nutrition.  I have spent much of my time scouring bookstores, the Internet, iTunes and Netflix for any bit of information on our food industry.  I began to realize the information I was fed from the FDA was a bunch of B.S., so I decided to look to other sources.  This initial search for information is what led to me veganism.  I was already a vegetarian, but learning about the dairy industry was all I needed to go fully vegan.  I think this film may be the turning point for some omnivores and even vegetarians; much like the ‘Vegetarian Food for Thought’ podcast was for me, and books like Eating Animals and The World Peace Diet.


This particular documentary focuses almost entirely on the health aspects of consuming a whole foods, plant-based diet versus the standard American diet.  Don’t expect to see much on animal rights or environmental factors, although they do briefly touch on these topics.  If you are someone that likes to see numbers and data, in-depth studies and the facts – then this film will intrigue you and most likely lay your doubts about veganism to rest.  As Americans that are consuming increasing amounts of dairy and meat each year, I think it is crucial to see this film.  If you care about your health and well-being, take 90 minutes out of your night to watch Forks Over Knives. You will not be disappointed, rather enlightened.

If you’ve seen FOK, what did you think?

Did you learn anything about meat and dairy that you didn’t already know?
Have you changed any of your eating habits since seeing the film?

Is Blogging Narcissistic?

There are many reasons we bloggers sit down at our laptops and feverishly type out our thoughts and experiences.  While it may seem narcissism is at the root of blogging, I’ve realized this is often untrue.  Originally, I began blogging because I enjoy writing.  I also had a new found passion for running and I could easily talk about it all day.  Instead, I decided to write about it (to spare Angela the agony of hearing my voice all day).  I was shy about sharing my blog and waited months before I told anyone that it existed. Once I did, comments began to show up under my posts and other bloggers began to trickle into my life.  I started to read other blogs about running, and soon I had a circle of running blogger friends.

To the outside world, it might seem strange to feel closely connected to someone you’ve never met.  To fellow bloggers, it is understood.  I remember when I first told Angela about e-mail conversations I had with other bloggers.  She didn’t seem to think much of it. It wasn’t until I started bringing these people up in everyday conversation that she thought it was slightly strange.  After all, she didn’t have a clue who these people were and I had never even met them myself.  It's like online dating, but for friends.

I never expected to connect with so many interesting people through the Internet; it sounds kind of creepy actually.  This came as a pleasant surprise.  From Miami to Utah and all the way to Canada, I have made connections with a barrage of fascinating people. I  have experienced heartfelt emotions along with some of these bloggers from sheer joy when one of them PRs, has a baby or wins a contest to the disappointment that comes with an injury, illness or loss of a loved one. Just like real life friends, we are here for one another, offering congratulatory words or words of comfort and consolation.

There is one person in particular that I have become “real life” friends with outside of the blogging world.  Her name is AJ and you can check out her blog here.  We are part of the same trifecta (as her dad would say), lesbian-vegan-runner.  How could we not be friends?  We met in person in Palm Springs for her birthday and have since gone to a Brandi Carlile concert, eaten loads of vegan food together, practiced yoga and have finally RUN together. Her partner, my partner, and the two of us have become a happy little foursome of friends.  Just when I thought it was impossible to meet like-minded people, BOOM!  There they were: two strong women, full of opinions, living consciously and freely.  This has been the most rewarding, unexpected benefit to blogging.

I started to get down on myself, feeling like a big, fat narcissistic blogger.  After all, I write about myself, my experiences and my opinions.  How much more self-centered can I be?  I took a step back, gave blogging a rest and contemplated my motives for writing.  I don’t blog to brag about my accomplishments or to be in the spotlight.  I blog because I find joy in writing.  I have kept a journal since childhood.  The network of “friends” has been a bonus and has given me yet another reason to blog.  So here I am… still typing away and not feeling selfish or guilty about it. I love writing and I especially love anyone that is willing to read this silly little blog. :)  Happy reading, writing and running to all of you!

A Pinch of Fat Goes a Long Way

Hi, everyone! I know I have been a terrible blogger and have been missing from the blogosphere.  Let’s see what has happened since the last time I blogged:

I turned 25.

I moved into a new apartment.


We adopted a new kitty, Meowsers, and I am madly in love with her.


Ang and I joined a Ragnar Relay team--San Francisco to Napa. Is anyone else doing this in September?


We started to plan a yoga/surf trip to Costa Rica over the holidays in December.

I started the injections for my egg donation. FINALLY!

Say Hello to Meowsers

I am finally grateful for that little layer of fat on my belly.  Pinch it & stick it.

In 2 weeks, a lovely Aussie couple will hopefully be pregnant!

Life has been a beautiful balance of work and relaxation.  My job has brought me a lot of satisfaction already which is key to happiness, in my opinion.  On my time off I have been absorbed in one book or another, enjoying time at home.  Angela gave me private yoga sessions with my favorite instructor, Zoe, for my birthday.  Together we have been practicing with her at her home, overlooking the ocean.  This has brought us closer and has also been a great learning experience. I have already begun to deepen my practice in such a short time. Zoe is truly an incredible gift to the both of us.  She is one of those rare people that are so full of light and love that you feel honored to be in their presence.  I feel complete gratitude for every practice I have with her.  I wish our sessions would never end.

Surprisingly, my runs have been feeling great! I feel light on my feet and quick.  I will start training for the Chicago Marathon next month, so right now my runs are what I like to call “freestyle”.  We have 3 other friends that will be training for marathons at the same time as us, which equates to mutual pig out sessions.  I can’t wait for the big dinners before a 20 or 22 miler.  I feel at my prime during marathon training. Completing an 18 or 20 mile training run is extremely empowering.  As much as I don’t miss devoting most of my time to running, I do miss the physical benefits of running nearly 50 miles/week.

My goal for this training cycle is to stay balanced.  Last time, running took over.  This is probably normal, but I want to find another way.  Yoga needs to have a permanent place in my life.  Last time, unfortunately, it was booted from my schedule.  I don’t want to give up my alone time spent reading and relaxing either.  This has been extremely mentally beneficial for me.  I feel far more sane than usual.

Are you able to train for a marathon, work a full-time job and still manage to fit in everything else?

If so, I’d love some suggestions on how to do it all.