Within/Without

Peace Y’all, Today begins my annual 3 week juice fast. I have been doing this fast since 2002. I did take a year off. One year I didn’t diet at all. (I didn’t gain any weight either that year… go figure) But this is something that I do, and have done for 9 years. I fast as preparation for the spring equinox. A lot of indigenous cultures around the world consider the spring equinox as their new year. And so do I. It is the Asiatic New Year! And in order to properly prepare for the event I fast. Last night was a blast! I was in the kitchen just enjoying and eating any and everything I wanted and felt not the slightest bit of guilt. I had Kit Kats, Triscuts (that I really shouldn’t eat because they hurt my stomach sooooo bad I can’t sleep afterward. And I was up last night in pain), brussel sprouts, 4 cups of coffee cookies and a lot of other things I normally wouldn’t eat at once. I’m okay with that. Though this morning…. I don’t feel well. My stomach isn’t right. But I’m not worri...

Peace. One of my New Years resolutions was to make the blog more interesting by adding more pictures. I don’t generally like adding pictures, not because I don’t take them but because they are a pain in the ass to upload. But…. I personally don’t like blogs without pictures so I gotta do my due diligence and get on board with the current trend. See how much I love y’all? I thought maybe the folks who read this might be interested in where I run. I run in my own neighborhood. I live in the notorious section of Atlanta called “Bankhead.” Not to be confused with Buckhead. T. I. made Bankhead nationally famous because it’s “hood.” And parts are scary rough; but in any neighborhood is cool. We haven’t had a ridiculous amount of crime. Just 1 dead body across the street. Who doesn’t have that? But this is where I choose to live so this is where I choose to run. Why should I be afraid of my own neighborhood? The street I live on is 1.25 miles in length, and I live in the middle. So to run...

Peace. People take these kinds of pics all the time. I see them in all the running blogs. I don't know why they do it but I decided to be a little more proactive with my photo taking. So.... Here are my legs post workout. Speaking of workouts.... One of the New Years goals is to run a race... hell a few races! I was planning to run a particular race in March in Charlotte. For more than just running reasons. My niece lives in the area and she has a new son. It would give me an opportunity to visit with them. The race is at the Charlotte Motor speedway. The God is a big NASCAR fan and this would be a cool outing for him. And he MUST come to all races. He is my unofficial coach. And finally it's a twilight race. I'm not a fan of the morning. Twilight racing makes more sense to me. So I have put myself on a schedule where I go hard for 5 days a week to prepare for these mystery races. That coupled with my yoga streak has made me strangely sore. I say strangely, because...

Peace. Yesterday I was stuck in traffic and started to thinking… Why am I struggling to lose weight??? I started to make a list. (1) To be healthier: Well… I’m pretty healthy. I exercise regularly (and that’s not new), I’m a long term vegetarian. I eat a lot of fresh produce and have adjusted my lifestyle so that I am rarely tempted by processed foods. I can hang physically with chicks half my age. I don’t have any health issues. (2) To wear stylish clothes: Well… I have a closet full of clothes that fit me and are stylish. Seriously. I don’t have room for all my clothes. I work and sew most of my clothes. If there is something I see I want, if I can’t afford it, then I can make it. A lot of things I make I could afford to purchase, but I know I can make it and I enjoy sewing, so I do. I only buy things that are either cheaper to buy or I just don’t feel comfortable sewing like, undergarments. And I make slips and camis. So….. (3) To pass an arbitrary number on the scale: I thin...

Peace. Starting 2/1/13 I have been on a yoga streak. I plan on streaking the whole month of February in addition to my running. Streaking is defined as doing an activity every day. I decided I need to be streaking yoga as part of my annual preparation for spring. Most folks in the wilderness of North America get very excited about the holidays that end the Gregorian calendar. I partake in those holidays simply because I like the vibe of folks during that time. They are nicer that time than normal. But my excitement comes with the Asiatic New Year. Conscious Original people celebrate ANY, though not in a meaningful way. I hold onto the traditions that I grew up with, though I have stripped the religion from them and ran them through the lens of Supreme Mathematics. I fast for 21 days, I start preparing my summer garden, I make myself a new Easter outfit (that I wear on Easter) and I’m adding the yoga streak to the mix. With February 2nd just passed, I have shifted to preparation mode...