“Give so you can receive” is a thought I had during the Christmas gift-choosing and gift-buying and gift-wrapping and gift-giving period last week but I wanted to think about it before I wrote. Why do we give? For Christians, we give because we recognize that God gave to us and if we want to be like Him, we also have to give – of ourselves – to others. And even for people who are not Christians, we have to give to others whether we like it or not. Wherever you live, the government decides how much of what you make is given to others in the form of taxes – to build and maintain social programs and infrastructure. So we all give, some more than others, some with a cheerful heart, some grudgingly, but we ALL need to give.

I think about something my grandmother used to say all the time when I was growing up, “The more you give, the more you get!” My grandmother (actually both my grandmothers were like this but I am writing about my mother’s mother) gave a portion of everything she got. When I was younger, I thought that she gave because she was confident in her support system and knew that she would never be in need so she could give it all away. But when I got a little older, I realized that she gave regardless. She gave because she knew that she HAD to give so she could get more, but not more of the same, she gave because she knew she had to give so she could get something better. This was one of the true epiphanies of my life. Give so you can get something better!

I experienced this with my friend and his daughter. He wanted to teach her about giving freely so he encouraged her to give away her Nintendo DS and she did. And it was a true sacrifice because she loved that thing as much as it is possible to love an inanimate object. But she gave it away without a real promise of a replacement. But when he saw that she was willing to sacrifice her favorite toy, he gave her a better one.

Give so YOU can get something better! You’ve probably heard about the open-hand concept. If your hands are tightly clenched around something you are holding, you can’t receive anything else. Because you can’t place anything in a tightly clenched fist, you need to have an open palm with which to grasp your new gift.

GIVE so you can get something better! My parents give. When I was a kid, I struggled with their generosity because I wondered if with all the giving, that someday they would give me away too. They didn’t, but they are still giving and the more they give, the more they receive. Give so you can get something better!

What do you want to get in 2014? Chances are you already have something in your life that resembles the thing you want. Maybe you just need to give away the thing you have so you can get something better, the thing you really want. I am not suggesting that you give away all your used clothes and expect a fur coat in return. No! Give of your best so you can get something phenomenal in return. I’ll take phenomenal over best anytime.

1. Do you have a talent that you aren’t using? Give it to your church or local group! How do you give your talent? By using it. The more you give one talent, the more another will develop. If you give your writing talent by writing announcements for your local church, you will develop your creativity. Voila, second talent developed. Give your musical talent by teaching a young kid the basics of piano or flute or violin. It will hone your patience and creative teaching skills and organizational ability. Voila, second, third and fourth talents discovered.

2. Do you have some spare change? If you live in a city like New York, this is probably a request you hear several times every day. But how often can you honor those requests? You can’t respond to everyone. But you can give what you have. I don’t like giving money to strangers on the train. In fact, it’s illegal to solicit on the trains so I don’t want to take any part of that, but you can give money to charities that help people who are down on their luck. You can give food to someone who seems hungry. As a closet fatty, I usually have some kind of food in my purse. You probably travel with candy or snack bars too. It wouldn’t hurt to give some food to someone who says they are hungry. And because in America, we are never too far away from our next meal, you probably won’t miss the food you gave away. And it won’t feel like a sacrifice when you’ve given it, because the idea that you’ve helped someone will make you feel incredible. So incredible, that you might become addicted to giving, just for that feeling you get in return.

3. Give to make room for more.

Focus not on what you are losing but on what you are gaining. When I did the Daniel’s Diet a couple years ago, and several times since when I have done vegetarian or vegan runs, my friends always ask me about all the foods I can’t eat. I always encourage them to shift the focus from what I can’t eat to what I can. Because embracing a diet plan is not about restriction. Yes, there are things you want to avoid but if you focus more on the wonderful things you are having instead, it feels more like a treat than a sacrifice. Yes I could focus on the fact that when I am doing a vegetarian diet that I can’t have meat. But how about considering that instead, the awesome fruit and vegetable smoothies that are usually expensive $10-a-pop rare treats from Jamba Juice, now that treat IS my lunch. Worth it!

When I fill my house with STUFF, because as a West Indian, saving things (read hoarding) is a part of my genetic makeup, I can’t have that nouveau chic empty-room look that is all the rave these days. Sometimes, I need to repurpose and regift so I can make room, literally, for the look I want.

And when I shift the context of that statement from real estate to my physical house, my body, sometimes I have to use some of what I have before I add more – use up my energy before I eat again so I am not carrying around excess energy stores (read, excess pounds). Give so I can get something better. Use up some energy so I can feel stronger and fitter. Give up that extra serving of stuffing so I can feel more satisfied with my diet plan AFTER the meal is over. Give up the temporary satisfaction that I get from eating the extra slice of cake so that I can get a better, more permanent satisfaction, the feeling I have AFTER the meal is over and my stomach isn’t begging me to loosen my belt, the feeling I will have when I step on the scale tomorrow and realize even with all the festivities, I didn’t gain any extra weight.

You have to give so you can get something better. Give up single-living so you can experience the joy of belonging to a family. Give up the nights out so you can be a mom. Give up sleeping in on weekends so you can volunteer at Pathfinders or Boys Scouts.

All throughout our lives, we make decisions. Decisions for now or decisions for later. Happiness now or happiness later.  Temporary satisfaction or delayed gratification.

In 2014, my encouragement is that we all have to make room in our lives for the things we want.

Give up something you have so you can get something better!
 ( I am now blogging at http://runwright.net/ Check out the new blogs there)

I haven't made time to write. Too busy shopping and re-shopping and rethinking all the gifts and buying backup gifts in case I can't get the gifts I have in mind.
I didn't make much time for exercise either but then I was also so busy that I skipped some meals and replaced them with sugar. 
Aaaargh! 

Running towards my breakfast. What? Food motivates me. The prospect of an indulgent IHOP breakfast was enough to get me out of bed and running in muggy weather on what is really the second day of winter but with 70 degree temperatures outside, it's hard to convince my body that it isn't really summer. And in summer, running is what I want to do.
I went running with Paul. And yes, even though he hasn't run for months, he can still outrun me. Skinny people are annoying that way, or maybe I'm just mad that even though I braved running in wintry weather, anytime I take a break, I lose some of my fitness ability. Consistency is key. Breathing properly is necessary. Eating properly is absolutely essential. All factors that I need to work on as my training progresses. More on that later.
Today, we ran up the steps leading from St Nicholas Park to City College and I saw my old school in the midst of their biggest construction project yet. Impressive! Considering that when I started there, it was a big deal for us to get some new furniture in the offices. But that's a different story for another time. I am so proud of all the changes they are making. Proud to be a CCNY alum! Go purple and gray!
Ran 2 miles and ate only a half of the lowest calorie stuffed crepe that I could find on the menu and now preparing for the best shopping trip that the Target debacle and the resulting debit card caps will allow us to have and later, Fantasy Football's version of Superbowl Sunday.
And if the rain remains at bay, I might be able to squeeze in another run later, as I run towards my dinner :-)

Home away from home. I am housesitting at my friend's new apartment, to facilitate the Verizon guy coming in to set up FiOS and thinking "Smart TVs are really great!" 
One phrase I have said sooo many times over the years is, "The person who invented (insert name of an awesome thing) should get the Nobel Prize."
In the last 15 years or so, I have nominated for the Nobel Prize the person who invented the little case for my iPad that has the 2 way magnetic closure so when I open it, the tag isn't hanging out but just snaps back (genius!), the person who invented autocorrect on smart phones so you can type random gibberish and it assumes what you might have been typing and gives you (sometimes smart) suggestions, the person who invented the clip-less pedals on my road bike (that I can stay attached to my bike is a fact that still amazes me seeing that I still have scar tissue on my inner calf from where my feet used to slip off my pedal and I would constantly graze the same small area over and over and over), the person who invented the coin sorters in the supermarkets so every few months, I can throw in a big bag of change and get a wad of real cash that I can spend on anything I want without having to roll any coins in a piece of paper. But today, drumroll, please.... Today, I nominate the guy who invented the smart TV. Yeah, Yeah, I know. It wasn't a guy; the smart TV is the result of years of innovation culminating in a product that is still being refined and being perfected. But right now, I am in awe of the technology that is in front of me and I KNOW I am not alone. I know you're out there. You agree with me!
So, FiOS. Insert Verizon plug here. I wish it also meant inserting some Verizon advertisement money in my pockets but maybe later.
I love technology!
And while I house-sit in the mostly empty apartment, being amazed at how great TV really is, I am doing my day's quota of Pilates and eating fruit and planning my meals for the rest of the day. Because YOU HAVE TO PLAN FOR OUR OWN SUCCESS! That's my quote of the day. Feel free to borrow it, only give me credit, I ask :-)
Planning for success in my Daniel's Diet experience means having food on hand so I am not starving and cheating on the diet. It means bringing fruit along so I have snacks and don't feel like buying and scarfing down an entire can of Pringles. 
...and making plans for lunch that includes a tasty bean dish so I don't feel constant cravings for the fried chicken that is never far away in this neighborhood.
Pray for me!

Sunday. Wedding day. Well, actually the reception of the son of a friend of mine. I am 37 years old. How can I be already attending weddings of the children of my friends. Am I old? Am I middle aged? Hummph. I hope not. But is hope enough?
Actually, the groom's sister is also my friend and she is just a decade and a little bit younger than me so I guess I might be overreacting just a tad. Or am I?
But if this is middle age, I will be fighting it with everything I've got. I will not go gently into that good night. I will rage, rage, RAGE. And I WILL look great doing it! 
That's my resolution for today and the rest of this week. I resolve to look good to face my challenges. "Everything looks better when you're dressed up" is something my mom used to say when I was growing up. And I have learned you should always listen to your mother.

Today was a beautiful snow day and tonight is a beautiful snow night, now that I am safe at home and watching the snow fall from my apartment.
I love snow but it's best watched from the window when you're all warm and cozy inside drinking steaming cups of tea and eating Chinese food. 
In keeping with my Daniels diet, I ordered steamed broccoli and white rice for dinner.... And then I added some steamed chicken too. 
But before that, armed with the best intentions, I had breakfast at church. So many delicious choices but I only had a croissant, half of a slice of French toast and vegan sausage and tofu scramble and a couple Johnny cakes. Lots of carbs but I felt like I would burn it off sometime during the day. I probably didn't but... 
Tomorrow is another day to make better choices.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
I don't have to ask anyone's permission to eat or not eat. I remember the days of my childhood when I tried to be a picky eater and my parents refused my request. I had to eat whatever they gave me. (West Indian parents don't really allow kids to determine their own diets.) And when I got older and started working and discovered the power of purchasing and making my own food to suit my own palate, things changed. And living in NYC where everything you want to eat is available at any time you desire it, the only thing that separates you from your culinary delights is the money to purchase them. But just because it's available, doesn't mean you have to eat it or eat it all.
My blog is supposed to focus on running but even the best machine can't run unless it's properly fueled. If you pump all the diesel you want to in a non-diesel engine, it still won't run properly. So it's not just ANY fuel but the right fuel that we need.
Last Friday, I was reading the Bible, specifically the book of Daniel with Paul and I prefaced my reading of Daniel 1:8 by saying that I have a bunch of treats in my fridge right now but when I've eaten them, I am going to try the Daniel's diet again. (Excuses!)
I did the Daniel's Diet successfully in 2011, I have done it with varying degrees of success a few times after, but I know this is the right way... the wright way?
What exactly is the Daniel's Diet? Daniel 1:12 explains "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink." It is the request made by Daniel, a young Israeli captive in Babylon but because of their stock, he and his fellow captives were being groomed for service and being fed the choice foods that the king ate. But the boys asked for permission to eat the foods they were accustomed to: pulse to eat - fruit, vegetable, grains, all wholesome, plant based foods - and water to drink - as opposed to wine or any other artificial beverage. When the "DIET" is undertaken, it is usually done for 10 day periods, which is kind of like a fast - abstaining from other foods and asking God to do something special to make you even better for having abstained. 
I've been thinking of returning to the Daniel's Diet in January 2014 but today... today is when the rest of my life begins, right? And I have some weight that I need to start losing right now, not in 2 weeks time. So what's to prevent me from starting to eat like Daniel today? Nothing! You see, Daniel had to ask permission to not eat the rich foods from Babylon, which was akin to disobeying a direct order from the king, a crime punishable by death. Instead, all I have to do is choose not to eat some of that chicken that I am semi-addicted to. And THAT is an act that can be rewarded with new LIFE. 
I want the life where my clothes fit again. I want the life where I don't feel hungry at midnight and find myself eating large meal-looking snacks. I want the life where I can run and feel light enough on my feet to keep going for long distances again.
Today, I dare to be like Daniel.
Do you?
The key is to plan ahead. Plan what I am going to eat in advance rather than try to play catch-up and just eat whatever is around.
Tomorrow is the Sabbath but tomorrow evening, I will go to the supermarket and buy some whole grains and beans and vegetables and fruits.
I still have some fried chicken in the fridge but I don't need to eat it. It's okay if I give it to someone or just let it go.
I resolve that my next meal will be healthy. And the next and the next.
What I will give up
1. The candy that is always in my purse
2. The ginger ale that is always in my fridge
3. The meat that is always on my plate
4. The oil that is always in my pot as I am constantly frying things -I fry vegetables! Come on!
5. The excuses that are always on my lips

What I will gain
1. A brand new, healthy profile
2. Better rest at night as my stomach will be more settled since it's easier to digest plant based rather than animal based meals.
3. Control of my weight
4. A brand new wardrobe as I still have my new clothes from when I was healthier - for a long time, I refused to accept that I no longer fit into my former size so I continued buying those clothes even though I couldn't wear them. I hope to fit into them someday soon.
5. Spiritual purity.
6. Faster running ability - can hardly wait for this.

I am SOO excited. Wish I had done this last week so I would be feeling great already but I am ready to take it one step at a time.
Stay with me.
Happy Sabbath! May God inspire you during your rest.

This post previously appeared in a blog  I started in 2012.
I kept it from August to October 2012 at the site healthyadventist.wordpress.com. Many of the resolutions I made then, I didn't keep, hence my being here today, trying again. But they say failure is just another opportunity to start again. So I want to add these to my journal in an attempt at full disclosure, as a way to keep myself honest, remind myself of my motivations and motivate myself with my accomplishments.
So, I'll  copy the postings in one long article for my own records but I also hope it gives you a better idea of who I am and some of the struggles I have been having and some of the solutions I have tried. 
Becoming health-conscious. Originally posted August 18, 2012
Greetings! Thanks for sticking around to read my post. I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, trying to live a healthy life, making choices according to how I think God wants for me to live optimally. I will try to explore what I think that really means and explain the basis for my beliefs… later.

For now, I just want to share that I’ve been a Christian for many years but am just getting to a deep understanding of how my everyday acts… including sleep, exercise and food… impact my relationship with God and with others.

Since I started learning more about that, I’ve been trying to eat healthier meals, get more exercise and get more rest. I hope to chronicle some of those experiences through this blog and hopefully give you some insight on making healthier choices for yourself.

My exercise of choice right now is running. As a child, I had a heart murmur which rendered me unable to participate in competitive sports. As an adult, I have recently returned to the world of running. I did my first 5K in June this year – the inaugural NY Giants run at the Stadium. I ran 11:39 per mile and I was so happy with myself. After all, with your first race, whatever your time, it’s your Personal Record (PR). You just need to keep improving so each time you compete, you can set a new PR.

Since then, I’ve been training for a half marathon, signing up to compete in shorter races and following a Beginner’s Half-marathon training plan I found in the Runner’s World book. I’m also using Runkeeper app to record my training and feeling psyched when I get those emails that let me know I’ve achieved a new record. Exercise is fun!

There’s a new book that I want to read but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Eat and Run by Scott Jurek, who credits his vegan diet to fueling him for the marathon. For 3 weeks, I did the almost-vegan diet and loved it… felt energized by it… almost got to the point where I was writing sonnets about it… then I fell back into carnivore-land. I’m SO ready to be vegetarian again.

Maybe we can strengthen each other. Vegetarians unite!

Health Updates posted August 29, 2012
I started running again a few weeks ago. It’s hard to say “again” because I never really stopped thinking I was running but I wasn’t doing it. All these years I wasn’t running, I was thinking about running. But there is a big difference between running and thoughts of running. Like right now, it feels like ice-cubes or hot coals are in my shins. (more on that later) Those feelings are conveniently omitted from the virtual running I used to do in my dreams.

But a few weeks ago, with some unscheduled time off work and lots of energy from the warm summer sun, I resumed running and decided I was going to train for a marathon of some sorts. 

In June, I ran my first 5K, ever! The best part of running your first event is, no matter what your time, it’s a Personal Record (PR) and mine was pretty solid. I averaged a little over 11 minutes per mile. Considering this was in the hot morning sun on a solid asphalt course at MetLife Stadium, I was so proud of myself for having just finished. That pride was enough to keep me buzzed for a few days until the momentum waned and I was finding reasons to run shorter and shorter distances instead of increasing my miles.

Fast forward to today. I have an event in two days. Four miles. No big deal. But this evening, I found myself at 110 St on the Central Park Loop, huffing and puffing to run over the hill. 

And my diet which has been in a state of flux, varying from my very successful “almost-vegan” in July back to the traditional “comfort” foods after runs, is one of the things I can change now as I work on getting better… getting better on the road, getting stronger muscles for when I start biking again, soon, getting better brain power for those exams I have coming up, better energy and vibe for all my social connections.

I know that Vegan is the way to go. And I am pretty awesome at making delicious and interesting vegetable dishes. Inertia is my biggest setback. But must do better tomorrow than I did today.

So, here I am, feet up, tired from the 3.6 miles I ran this evening, a straight run for the last 1.5 miles because the only time my shins didn’t hurt was when I was running. Not even a walk would calm these babies down. Trying to get to bed for a good rest in preparation for all the healthy decisions I can make tomorrow if I am fully energized and well rested.

Until then, Happy trails. 

New Personal Record: 4 in 44:44 Posted August 31, 2012
Ran the NFL Back to Football run in Central Park this evening. 4 miles in 44:44. Pace of 11:11 per mile, I really like the numbers. Set a new personal record for myself tonight and feel so proud! And when I consider how the event started. Being a bit of an overachiever, I tried to do so much this evening which resulted in me being late getting to the event. I had to run to try to find the event, nestled in Central Park and since I had no time to spare, I started my race early, running about a mile and a half to get to the start line.

And I’m feeling the positive effects of not having eaten any meat in the past two days. Almost-vegan day two is being called a success.

Next event on the horizon is a mountain climb this weekend. Be blessed!

Exercise Updates Posted October 8, 2012
So it’s been a month since my last post and I am ok with that. Because in the last month, I’ve been busy! Not posting because I didn’t have anything to post would have been a terrible excuse. Not posting because I’ve been so active that when I sit, I’m too tired to write. That’s ok in my book.

I know you’re asking yourself what has been keeping me so busy. I’ll share. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do:

8/30 – 4 mile training run along Henry Hudson Park

9/2 – I climbed Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, VA – 10 mile circular mountain hike/rock scramble covering about 2,000 ft of elevation in 8 hrs. Read thisrecap of someone else’s experience that I kinda wish I had read before  I started the trek. I still would’ve done the climb but maybe been a little more prepared for it. My hiking buddies were Keiva, Kyla, Kerice and Tanya.

9/6 – 2 mile training run

9/8 – 2 mile training run

9/9 – Ran the Bronx 10 mile race with New York Road Runners. Average pace of 11.5 minutes per mile (It was a really hot and exhausting race)

9/13 – 2.12 mile run

9/15 – 6 mile power walk with Kerice. 15,524 steps.

9/16 – 2.1 mile run in the a.m. 4.5 mile power walk in the p.m. with Kerice.

9/22 Rode 30 miles from Manhattan to Westchester on my new road bike.

9/23 Marched in the Harlem Health Initiative parade – walked about 3.5 miles, ran the last half a mile with one of the kids.

9/24 – 10.25 mile hike on Henry Hudson Parkway – 138 Street to Battery Park City with Kerice.

9/25 – Biked 6.41 miles from the Bronx to Harlem. Kinda scary to ride on the roads at night, too much traffic. I’ll save my road biking for less busy roads.

9/26 ran 1.6 miles. Joint pains. Walked 1.11 miles.

9/30 Ran 3.26 miles.

10/4 Ran/walked 2.48 miles.

10/7  Ran the NYRR Staten Island half-marathon. 13.1 miles. Not adequate preparation. Those last 3 miles were brutal. Average pace of 12 mins per mile for the event, even though I ran the first few miles with an under 10 min per mile. I wanted to set a Personal best but the hills on those last 3 miles got me. And, I shouldn’t have been running because I’m fighting a bad cold and cough but I thought exercise would be a better remedy than rest. shows where my mind is. I’m just glad I finished. it’s my first half-marathon. The longest event I’ve done so far so whatever my time, it’s still a personal best. My Runkeeper tracker says so 

Now today, rest!


Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff posted October 28, 2012
I just ran the last 5 miles of the ING NYC  marathon this morning. NYRR arranged a 5 miler which covers the last few miles of next Sunday’s marathon. So I crossed the marathon finish without having run most of those 26 miles. But whatever distance you run, it’s a “marathon” in itself, because you’re always pushing, always trying to go some distance, competing against your former self, trying to be better and stronger than you’ve every been before.

It’s taking a long time for me to get into form because my running is not as consistent as it should be. The mental preparation is just as important as anything else you do. It’s not easy to create room in your life to run everyday or every other day, when you’re running for an hour or so each time. To find that perfect marriage where the right time of day, the right energy level and the right venue coexist happily. So it takes some getting used to and as with any other routine, when you move away from it, sometimes, it’s the hardest thing to get back on the path.

So the last few weeks, I’ve only logged a few running miles here and there. I’ve been biking. Did the Tour-de-Bronx 40 mile spin from Yankee Stadium, to City Island, Orchard Beach, SUNY Maritime, Wakefield and ending at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. I felt great when I was done. I’ve been trying to prepare more of my meals at home so I can cut down on salt and fat and unnecessary preservatives. That’s going well. The number of times Trader Joe’s appears on my checking account statement is increasing exponentially every week, it seems. But I am feeling better.

So this is a recap of my events in the past 3 weeks:

10/14. Bike 40 miles. 3:20. 3 rest stops.

10/14 Walked 4.52 miles 1:17:21

10/17 Ran 2 miles 22:12

10/21 Ran 3.32 miles 40:22

10/23 Ran 2.06 miles 21:35

10/27 Ran 1.49 miles 16:05

10/28 Ran 5.27 miles 58:34 (unofficial time)

I am going to start posting some food pics soon. The stir fries have been going great, I almost always forgot to take a pic before I start chowing down.

Happy Trails!

That's the temperature outside today. Yesterday's low has become today's high.
And rather than run in 40 degree weather on Monday, I chose to postpone my workouts until today. I didn't expect it to get this cold but Monday was rain and Tuesday was snow and Wednesday was cold and before you know it, it's Thursday, I haven't run all week and now I realize it's 23degrees outside. 
I didn't run last week, because I wanted to rest my ankle. I've sprained both ankles multiple times and a flare up usually sidelines my workouts for weeks at a time so this time, when I felt a slight give that reminded me of a flare up, I decided to take it easy and rest.
I've been walking almost everywhere I go and doing yoga and squats in my living room but how much do we really walk when it's this cold. And at the end of the day, no matter how much you wish it did, walking does NOT build a base for running a marathon. So TODAY I am going to try to run at least a mile in this weather. Updates later!
Pray for me!

Update:
Yes I did it! I ran 1 mile in 23 degree F weather. 
I ran fast but I had to stop a couple times just to cover my nose with my scarf so I could breathe. The air was freezing so I wondered if I was inhaling ice chips :-)
I was running late to meet a couple of people so I came home from the run, energized, and sweating  (I really loved that) and took a shower and changed and headed out again. Since I was trying to get there fast, I was power walking for about 10 minutes and the strangest thing was happening. I was still sweating, under my North Face sub-zero fleece and coat but all around me was freezing air. So then, I was wondering if my sweat would turn to ice and I would have ice chips falling out of my shirt. It was funny.
But I so felt like a runner.
This weekend looks like 2 days of snow so I might not get another chance to run outside until Monday but I am looking forward to it, whenever it happens.