When I’m not running… part II

My friend Michelle is NOT a runner. She started experimenting with running, like a year ago. She asked me things about running and I was helping her out with the things I know about running. Then she expressed her interest in running a marathon! Never say no to someone who whats to run a marathon. I said I will help her plan the race and that I will run it with her. We registered for Running For The Bay Marathon together.

That was before Fire & Ice.

I injured my back last Monday. Wish I had a great story behind it, like, it happened while I was saving a drowning dog or rescuing a kitten stuck on a tree etc. No, it was a stupid mistake involving a super heavy bag of kitty litter and early morning and lack of sleep etc.
Although Michelle may be fully capable of finishing the marathon by herself, I felt super shitty about not being able to keep my word. If it was just my stress fracture, I would run but with the back in jury… I can’t.

Fuck me, right?

I talked to Michelle and let her know that I won’t be running but I will be there at the start and finish to cheer her on. She said that means at least one of us will be at the finish!  
So I met her at the start, waved her off, on to the race. After hanging out with Scott (Michelle’s better half), we met her at mile 12-ish. We walked with her for a mile-ish. The worst part of the whole race is just up ahead and I offered to walk that part with her. She didn’t say no. At the end of that stretch, which was a 4.5 mile long bridge, I decided to finish the race with her!

There were dolphins, pelicans, seagulls, butterflies and other runners along the course. Minutes after the race, I drove 6 hours, back to Atlanta to catch my flight.

I was wearing my jeans and T shirt, you know, as a spectator, per original plan. BUT I had my running shoes on. Never leave the house without your running shoes. Because you never know…

Can I get a medal please?

When I am not running, I support runners

Friday, I completed 2 weeks of rehab, phase 1,  for my stress reaction (meh). To test if it is healing, I was supposed to run a mile and if it didn’t hurt, move to phase 2.

I volunteered for MCC at Baltimore Marathon on Saturday morning. 3 friends were running the full marathon. I offered to meet one of them (Thenna, this was his 8th marathon) at mile 12.5 and replenish his coconut water. I was getting race alerts on Thenna and the half way point was about a mile from my tent. I had to go through a “secure” area to get to that point which they won’t allow me to go thru because I had my sling pack with me. I realized that if I don’t act quickly, I will miss him at the meeting point. I sprinted about .25 mile to the tent, dropped the pack started running to the meeting point.

Sure enough I missed him.

I know how it feels when your support didn’t come thru at a race, a very miserable experience and you may even have to change your race plan!

It was hard to spot the runners because the whole area was packed with supporters hovering over the metal barricade! So I started sprinting again all the way to mile 13.8(ish) where the crowd was thinner and started walking back, slowly. I caught Thenna at mile 13.2.

The look on his face when he saw me was worth all the effort.

That’s one way to get my “test run” for rehab.

And my tibia did not hurt a bit, which I’d like to call, a reward for a good deed.

Both my first time marathoner and 8 time veteran marathoner friends finished the race.Thenna, left and Komal. 

At Komal’s victory party at my favorite restaurant, Kalpasi, in Herndon (yeah in the fucking village) I drank more than I did since coming back from Iceland, combined. I ate enough to last the whole of next week.

Talk about will power.

My other friend, Tyler, who is a vegan athlete, super fast runner, first time marathoner, finished the race in 3:24! He earned BOTH those bananas!

VEGAN POWER!

Tyler ran representing The Humane League, an excellent animal protection group. They are very active and has a huge presence in DC. Check them out and support them.

The Myth of Humane Meat

Hu·mane / hyoomáyn / adj. 1. having what are considered the best qualities of human beings; kind, tender, merciful, sympathetic.

I attended the Future of Food Conference organized by The Humane Society of the United States on Friday and Saturday. There were some really good panels and some amazing vegan food. And Peter Singer. I “broke up” with Mr. Singer after I found out about his comments on bestiality. But after listening to him speak on Friday, I’m back on the wagon with him. I even got a picture with him.

I had a decision to make about dinner after the conference. To go with my vegan friends or with my non-vegan friends, both groups equally being fun and entertaining. I went with my non-vegan friends, as a good vegan should be.  They were ethically conscious eaters and talked about looking for certified humane label when buying their food. I commented that certified humane is a myth. They asked me if I can give them more details about my comment, hence this post. Go to one or all the links below to learn more about humane certification and the propaganda put out by the meat industry.

I was watching Easy  last night and the vegan in me was fully committed to the show from the beginning of the second episode. Then came the end of that episode. What a complete disappointment! Check it out yourself.

Go here to get a comprehensive look at humane myth in all of animal agriculture.
http://www.humanemyth.org/

Another excellent resource for all “humane” labeling lies
http://humanefacts.org/

An excellent article on “humane” farming
http://freefromharm.org/animal-products-and-ethics/a-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-humane-farming-myth/

Undercover investigation at a whole foods “certified humane egg” farm
http://theirturn.net/humane-myth/

PETA Prime article on “humane meat”
http://prime.peta.org/2010/12/the-myth-of-humane-meat

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

– Maya Angelou

Katie!

When you find out someone does not eat meat.

When you find out your trainer does not eat meat!!!

Katie, my new trainer is vegetarian for the same reasons as myself. Moreover, she is such an animal lover, her compassion goes beyond just food! And she is a kickass trainer to boot! VIDA always delivers!

AWESOME!

Throughout my time working with personal trainers, I had one trainer who was vegan. He was available only on weekends so I probably had less than 10 sessions with him altogether and I miss him.

Peace…. plants…. (as Rich Roll would say it)