I Moved!

Hey guys, come follow my new blog and go ahead and delete this one as i have a fresh new outlook (aka: i a making time to devote to my fitness/nutrition related musings).  Hope you are all doing well.  Make sure to message me at my all new blog-specific addy:  feindeane AT gmail DOT com and let me know what ya’ll have been up to! :)  New site:     BrotherN8ture.wordpress.com

Big News.

For starters… I must apologize for my absence for the past 2 months.  Towards the end of May i found myself in a bit of a predicament.  It was basically then or never to make the absolute most of my time this Summer seeing that the internship i was competing for was quickly approaching it’s deadline and i needed to have some answers, pronto!  Well, i began tutoring a little boy recently as he is in 5th grade and reads at a much lower level, and that has sprung a completely new interest/business for me this Summer that was pretty unexpected.  I have always loved tutoring/training teens and adults closer to my age or older, but because i lacked any experience with elementary children, i never knew how much i would appreciate it!  This has been a wonderful way to spend the last few months, and i hope i have helped many people in the process of saving, saving, saving!  My big news pretty much pertains to my move in that i have SET A DATE!  I will officially be Seattle bound (to pursue my masters degree in nutrition and natural medicine) on a specific date and i simply could not be more excited… Other than that, today is my day of birth, and i am kind of having a little quarter-life crisis.  Fortunately i don’t have many obligations today other than a trip to the student loan office which just so happens to be about 22 miles from my house.  So i thought:  What better way to spend my 22nd birthday than to bike 22 miles and come home for a party/cake?  That sounds like an amazing low-key bday to me… I am off to go do this, i will repeat back tonight/tomorrow with the extensive breakdown of Mama Pea inspired eats that my family/friends agreed (once i convinced them) to make for me :)  Hey, they asked…  Get ready for some big changes coming up on the blog soon!  Deane, Out.

Oh, Hey! Remember me?

Wow, these past few weeks have been a whirlwind!  Not only have i had the chance to see a lot of family, but i also have been able to relax (aka – no schoolwork, training, and even taking it easy running).  That last one is always tough for me, but once i remember how important time off from pounding one’s own joints to oblivion can be, i wipe my anxious feelings away and my body thanks me for it later!  I have been indulging in many treats, long walks, have come very close to adopting a dog (though not yet, i know the time will be right soon), i have also completely cleaned out my entire house to ready myself for my upcoming move and i pretty much have everything that is of mega importance smashed into three boxes!  Can you believe it?  Three boxes!  Well that and the rest of my stuff at my other house, but i was pretty impressed.  I threw so much away, found a ton of things that i didn’t even remember i had (great books, old pictures, a brand new wallet?, cds, movies, a bunch of old school papers)…  All in all the entire clean-out took me an entire day, and that was not even including the pantry!  Don’t even get me started at what i found in the pantry and cupboards at my father’s house…  He had a can of beets in there that expired in 1991.  I almost ate them too…  Don’t ask me why, this means that can has traveled with him at over 11 different houses… He had spices in there as well as Celestial Seasoning Teas that have been untouched since 1988.  That is almost older than me.  Can you say, move yourself from now on. What most people don’t understand about commercial moving services is that they will move everything; even full trash cans!  I actually ate a can of green beans while at my fathers that i had purchased before my parents were divorced, and they were pretty good; for 12 year old legumes that is!

Onto the point of this post!  You all know that i am participating in a few road races this year, but what you may not know is that i am attempting to raise as much as possible for the Denver Dumb Friends League (which is where two of my rescued pets have come from). I have a certain goal in my head that will remain there until race day in hopes that disappointment will be avoided because, realistically, ANY amount raised is absolutely a positive and nothing else. The DDFL was founded in 1910 and provides food and shelter to over 25,000 lost or abandoned animals a year in the Denver Metropolitan area.  They also investigate animal cruelty cases, provide education about the humane treatment of animals to thousands of children and adults, and they also offer donor-subsidized spaying and neutering of pets in under-served communities.   They are an amazing private, non-profit organization that deserves much more than support, they deserve a few pats on the back as well.  Through locally raffling off a few brand new pairs of running shoes that i have purchased as well as providing a few free in-person + online personal consultations/training sessions, i am going to try my best to provide as much help as possible to provide the best care and nutrition for the other amazing animals without a warm bed and adequate health-care across my home-state.  How can you guys help?  Anyone looking to bust themselves into healthy shape,  learn a few kick-butt principles to help achieve a solid lean and green lifestyle while saving animals in the process?  Well i am your guy!  I am willing to provide as much help as possible with whatever goals you may have set for yourself; even if you haven’t yet, i can help get you there!   Whether you are an avid-runner looking to switch up your workouts and increase your speed, or you are looking to break off a relationship with your couch and make him a bit jealous in the process, i promise to work-out whatever problem you throw at me and know that the DDFL would appreciate the help!  By the way, i really am not looking to set a price for these sessions because i believe that would be unproductive and i would not be able to come up with a price that i felt was right to “charge” people for my services in order to benefit an organization that i might feel differently towards.  This is why i think it would be most beneficial to allow you to decide how much you would be willing to provide after i have provided you with a program or the advice/consulting you were looking for.   Although i find that it is more difficult to provide adequate info online geared properly towards a clients specific needs, i have done it before and have had much success in the past!  If you or anyone you know are interested, they can find me at afdeane@ymail.com.  Just specify in your email exactly what you are looking to achieve and we will go from there :)  Thanks Again Guys!  Deane, Out!

Surprise!

My family decided to surprise me with a few airline tickets this week and i plan on enjoying every single minute of my time away!  I will be back soon.  :)  Hope you all are enjoying your May weather!

I wonder…

What you are probably wondering… is why i have been absent from the blog world quite a bit these past few weeks, or maybe not, maybe you could care less… Well either way, i will tell you.  Not only did i come out of this semester with the final exam grades that i expected and worked for, but i have taken on a new sort of “personal challenge” and i decided that i am going to run a few 10k races in my training time before my upcoming marathons, and that i would like to complete them in under forty-two minutes.  This would mean cutting down my average time a whole minute and a half or so, which could prove to be fun!  Have i ever run below forty-two?  Well, since i hardly ever look at my watch half-way through a run (i always wait until the end and am satisfied with my time no matter what), my personal best came on a day where i was competing with a friend and i actually ran a 40:41 10k.  This was a couple of summers ago and i have never tried to match that, but am beginning to speed train as of today to attempt to!  If any of you are interested in my speed workouts or routines, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email and i would be glad to discuss the common denominators of a good speed workout!

What you are probably wondering… is what my concrete plans are for the summer, since i am now finished my winter semester?  Although i have been trying to solidify plans myself these past couple of days/weeks, a completely new option has seemed to present itself to me that i had ALMOST lost hope in… It would be an amazing opportunity and would allow me to display my creative spirit both through my writing and in one of the most geographically awe-inspiring places to boot!   There are major changes coming in my life, and once everything has settled, i can’t wait to share it with you guys!  I am in kind of a transition period right now, so i appreciate EVERY single comment i receive and always love feedback!

What you are probably wondering… is how many miles i put in a week (running)?  On average, i usually peak-out at around 50, sometimes more, sometimes less.  It all basically depends on how i feel and whether or not i have decided to incorporate lots of cross-training, bike-riding, rollerblading, or simply feel as if rest is the best possible thing to do that week.  I love tht i am at a place in my life right now where i have recognized that when my body needs rest, IT NEEDS REST, and i feel so much better for it.  All of you out there who don’t take advantage of down-time, please do. I can’t stress enough how important it is to let your body heal properly.  Take a day, take a few days, don’t cut down on your food intake, just live and follow your heart and hunger on your off days.  Athletes:  Most of the time the reason you are experiencing pain or frequent injury is because you are lacking in the most important aspect of athletic performance (REST), if you are starving all of the time and go to bed hungry only to wake up and hit the pavement, you are depriving yourself of the nutrients your body wants and needs.  Don’t be afraid to give it what it wants!

What you are probably wondering… is when i will start posting my cross-training workouts, tips for runners, and video-recipes?  Next week has taken on a new theme for me:  Out with the old, and in with the new… Not only will i be the owner of a fresh, new apple.  But i will have the proper chords and outlets to hopefully upload some pretty decent quality clips :)

What you MAY be wondering… is what i made for breakfast this morning?  Something completely NEW to me!  Everyone has to try this smoothie. In a word, it was EPIC.  Grr… Even joking about that word erks me…  To anyone who uses this “phrase” frequently, please find it in you to switch things up every once in awhile.  You might have screwed up your oats yesterday morning, but for some reason i don’t think we can consider that an “Epic Fail”.  Here is my smoothie that was pretty impressive, if i do say so myself…

Just Beet It Smoothie

• 2 Tbs. Cashews
• 2 Tbs. Hemp Protein
• 2 Tbs. Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/2 Cup Freshly Steamed Beets
• 4 Handfuls of Spinach
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 Tbs. Carob Powder
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Tbs. Your Choice of Nut Butter

This was certainly atypical, uncommon, remarkable, notable, moving or even stirring!  Just a few words to slowly weed out this epic phase…  Oh ya, and i am on a beet-kick lately, so expect the Ultimate raw beet-patty recipe next :D

Deane, Out!

New Veggies. New News.

This is what my meals have looked like for the past few weeks of exams and work…

My take on Mama Pea’s Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls .

I didn’t have any blackberries on hand, so i used a mix of crushed d’anjou pears and granny smith apples!

They didn’t exactly role up the way that i wanted them too… But the taste made up for that little misstep.

Tried out some new veggies!  Clockwise from top:  Beet, Black Radish, Rutabaga, Parsnips, Burdock Root.  All extremely tasty roasted for about 20 minutes at 330 degrees.

Monster Organic Carrots.

Some Homemade Flax/Hempseed/Pumpkin Granola.

Now, fully stocked cupboards.

Freshly prepped food in the fridge.  This makes me a happy guy!  I think most of my happiness stems from the fact that i found out some interesting news that might allow me to spend my summer here… i am in the waiting stages right now, but will keep you guys updated as the info comes in!  :)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow. I love ya.

Why yes, i am referring to a famous song sung by a 9-year-old, red-haired girl.  And yes, i have been singing that song in my head all day in anticipation of writing my LAST EXAM of the semester.  Oh the happiness and freedom that tomorrow will bring… I know i am making my coursework sound outrageously time consuming and occupying, but you have to remember, i am also a tutor and exam time does not mean cramming for MY own exams alone… It usually means providing emergency assistance to all of the procrastinating freshmen and sophs who have attended very little classes all year!  Do i enjoy seeing them squirm come exam time?  Well, the more students in trouble, the more $$ in my pocket, right?  So i guess i get a little joy out of it, and i don’t feel the least bit guilty, unless of course i let it affect my own grades, which i should be getting back this week!
Onto the good stuff!   I have some crazy ideas in the works for upcoming posts for these next four weeks or so.  Not only am i going to be hosting my first GIVEAWAY (hint:  think hemp), but i have a pretty cool little project that is currently in the planning/startup stages that will make it’s debut on my blog sometime next week.  My family has really taken initiative this year and we all agreed that the races that myself and my other family members run this year should reflect not only our passion in life, but our affected souls as well.  Therefor i will be running two marathons so far and possibly a third for a close friends organization and attempting to raise as much as possible, and you guys are lucky (haha) enough to follow me the entire way (through video from a camera i will be lucky enough to borrow for a few weeks, you will witness my continued training, several key strength workouts i complete regularly, stretching for runners 101, stability ball workouts, and maybe even into my kitchen for a few how-to recipe challenges!)
Again the races i have already planned on running include:  The Seattle Marathon, and The Denver Marathon.  The Detroit Free Press Marathon is in October and i have to decide this week if that will be possible that week as well!  If any of you plan on running either of these races, don’t hesitate to let me know!  I love meeting new people, especially readers or other bloggers and if you decide to race and end up finishing ahead of me, i will treat you to some coffee or if you are really fast, maybe even some WF hot bar (as that seems to be where my friends and i find ourselves after a race)! ;)  I love competition if you haven’t noticed!  Looking forward to getting back to some pics and wrap-ups of my week tomorrow!  Have a great night everyone!  Deane, Out!

Miss me?

Hey strangers!  Annnd, ready, get set, (deep breathe)… I have TWO exams left and i could not be more excited for Summer, even though i am not technically going to have a lot more free time, i will be taking half the amount of classes that i am currently taking and i will be doing what i love to do much more often, which is train, write, and run of course!  Oh and obviously pack my body with the best nutrients around coming from local, fresh organic produce and expensive trips to my 2nd home.  I simply cannot wait to come home from a long run in the beautiful 75 degree sunny weather drenched in sweat, hop in an ice cold shower, throw on some digs and window shop the local farms with all of their gi-normous selections of mint green honeydews, baseball sized prince plums, fresh emerald green collards for collard wraps,  and do nothing but chill outside by the grill all night :)  Oh and i forgot to mention my all-time favorite aspect of summer, STORMS!  Ridiculously violent, strong, thunder-storms… lightening and all.  I love them, always have, always will.  Watching a storm roll over the Rocky Mountains is one of my most memorable childhood pastimes.  I find everything about them so magical and fascinating, and yes i have survived several large tornado cells.  Funny story:  My family was at a Ferrari convention near Chatfield lake in Colorado and they announced a Tornado Warning.  Not five seconds later, we all looked up at the sky and a giant waterspout had touched down in the lake right next to us and literally EVERY single guy there ran for their cars and pretty much forgot about their wives and families; this includes my father.  Don’t worry though, he eventually came back AFTER the tornado had passed and his beloved was safely in an underground hotel parking garage across the street.  There are many things both my mother and sister have forgiven him for, but that may be the funniest…  I was only four or five, so i would have been perfectly complacent sitting down and watching it a quarter-mile away in the midst of a hail-storm.  I guess i was an unusual kid.  Fearless or naive, you be the judge! :)

Anyway, i will officially be back with around 3-5 posts a week starting monday, but i thought i would let you guys know what my meals have looked like in the past couple of days for two reasons.  One being that i am rather proud of myself thinking ahead and preparing before my mess of four exams in the matter of 36 hours, and the other being that i have never really given you guys a look into exactly how i fuel myself for a day!

Day 1 (Tuesday)
6:00 a.m. (Clapping monkey Alarm goes off)
6:30 a.m. Actual wake-up time, (i like to give myself 1/2 of an hour of extra sleep knowing that i have to wake up in 30 minutes.  Weird, huh?)
6:30-7 a.m. A few quick exercises, stretching, and some hygienic cleansing.
7:00 a.m. Breakfast (Meal #1)

• 2 handfuls of organic spinach
• 1 scoop amazing grass chocolate (not meal replacement)
• 2 tbs. chia seeds
• 1 tbs. flax seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1 large organic carrot
• 3 tbs. lima beans
• 3 figs
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
• 2 handfuls of ice

(Blended for approx. 10-20 seconds, which yields a very thick mixture)

7:30 a.m. Out the door and on my way to my first exam.
8:30 a.m. Arrive at first exam and realize that it was extremely stupid to drink two liters of fluid on the way to a three hour exam.
8:31 a.m. EXTREMELY stupid.
8:39 a.m. I don’t remember this T.A. having a beard… Am i in the right room?
8:50 a.m. I can’t believe i studied so hard for this exam, what a breeze!
8:59 a.m. (Meal # 2)

• My words at 8:50.

9:45 a.m. Finished my exam.  Now wheres the restroom in this building?  (Following the line of people…) Found it!
10:00 a.m. That took WAY too long… I’m getting kind of hungry again… Meet Bri at the library or eat?  Hmm… Why not both?
10-11:30 a.m. Studying was definitely the more productive choice, but how much did i actually get done? 41 pages?  Not bad.  How much of that will i remember?
11:30 a.m. Lunch (Meal #3)

• Pre-prepped wrap on Ezekiel Tortilla with spinach, arugula, baby tomatoes,  oregano, tofu, and a hemp protein/flax seed oil spread.
• 2 Small Granny Smith Apples
• 1.5 Liter Smart Water
• 8 Almond Butter Infused Prunes For Dessert (Homemade from “pitted” prunes)

12:30 p.m. Exam Numero Dos
3:29 p.m. Oh.  My.  Gosh.  I am not going to finish.  (I bubble my answers in last and was on 120/190)
3:30 p.m. They don’t call me the bubble master for nothing.  Okay, no one calls me that, but i sure felt like one!
3:30-5 p.m. 8-10 mile run.  Quick, ice cold shower.
5:30 p.m. Exam #3
8:00 p.m. Dinner time!  (Meal #4, technically 3, my words weren’t that filling)

• 4-5 oz piece of tempeh sauteed in ginger-flax sauce
• 5 cups of organic, lightly steamed broccoli
• 1 cup of red quinoa (lightly steamed as well)
• 2 large, organic Russet Apples spread with mounds of cashew butter, flax seeds, and hemp protein

9:30-10 p.m. Approx. 200 abdominal squats from floor, 200 push-ups, and 100 jumping squats while listening to my new favorite album (muse).
10:30 p.m. (Snack/Meal # 4)

• 2 scoops of vanilla unsweetened pea protein
• 2 cups of unsweetened chocolate almond milk
• 1 cup of lima beans
  (blend until smooth, don’t hold me accountable if your taste buds aren’t as unique as mine) ;)

That is my meal plan for a day with three exams, very unlike my usual day which i will post later in the week, but thought it would be interesting!  Deane, out!

I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch.

Chinese food actually does make me sick.  And so does that song.  But it does remind me of Summer…

WARNING:  This post contains absolutely no photographs of food what so ever.  By reading on, i assume you are fully aware this is more than just a food blog in that it is a reflection of my life.  As of late my life hasn’t been so much about fantastic and inspired meals other than a few that i will talk about later this week inspired by Mama Pea herself…  For the past 2-3 weeks, my life has looked a whole lot like this:

Considering i have 6 exams in the next nine days to get through before my “Summer” can officially begin and i can move on to my Summer courses and influx of clients looking for their beach bodies they seemed to have left behind last year, i would say that my time has been spent rather productively, but i haven’t had time to do some of the things that i love doing.  These include, but are not limited to: Writing, reading for pleasure, cooking, meeting up with friends for non-class related reasons…  Why have i neglected these lately?  Simple answer:  I am fairly obsessive and compulsive when it comes to my grades, studying for any exam, and tend to throw knowledge, exercise, and nutrition into the mega-important priority pile!  However, i know that starting this blog was something i was very passionate about at the time and i realize it was because i began writing while i had more time (Winter Break).  I have struggled lately to find a suitable window between my balance of classes, work and social interactions that do not involve the word neuromuscular to write on a semi-decent topic that is worth reading.  I assure all of you that this is something i love doing, and not only do i promise to all of you that my posts will be more inspiring after next week, but i will finally have that window to write about everything i love about life! :)  I can assure you, my life is a lot more exciting when i am not buried in textbooks!  Plans for this Summer include a trip to a sunny destination that is currently in the works…

I will more than likely be able to re-take on my role as DD for a few nights this summer :)

I may set another goal similar to when i vowed to ruin every prom picture that was taken of me…

Being the only one who doesn’t drink of your crew does have its perks!  Sometimes it involves awkward pictures that they often don’t remember taking… but you sure do.

I may even get the opportunity to go and visit my Dad if he ends up moving to South America.

And of course, i will guarantee you that there will be pounds of delicious foods consumed throughout!  As always… Deane, Out!

Butler Schmutler

Is anyone else as completely psyched as i am for this game tomorrow?  I can’t believe Michigan State lost.  I would have loved to have seen the Spartans in a match-up against my Blue Devils!  If any of you are wondering how i became a loyal Duke fan, my sister graduated from Duke in 2001 and played in the band for her entire undergrad career.  I thought she was pretty cool at the time because whenever i went to visit i always was fortunate enough to meet some of the team and play on the court.  Although the 2000-2001 team was “The Greatest” that there ever was (Shane Battier, Chris Duhon, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Nate James, Elton Brand),  just to name a few, i believe strongly that Coach K. will pull it out tomorrow and bring home the net!
Okay enough basketball, until tomorrow, i have to throw some love out there to Mr. EB himself (Easter Bunny) for hooking me up this morning after church.  Check it.

That is right folks.  I have now joined the Vibram Five-Finger club.  I hope to run in these 40-50% of the time.  I got to try them out today and i plan on a longer run tomorrow to break them in.  First thoughts:  Mad comfort.  Surprisingly easy to slip on, every toe went in the correct pocket right away even though my toes are arguably more crooked then most politicians.  A few words or advice:  If you plan on buying a pair, they come in odd sizes (Read: European), but you MUST, and i mean ABSOLUTELY MUST buy them 1 size too small.  This is essential as these are even a bit big for me and they are size 45.  I wear a size 11 shoe.  They say to measure your foot, but please UNDERESTIMATE! Since i am a toe-runner, these KSOs (short for Keep-Stuff-Out) will be just what i need.  Minimal support in the arch area but more material and fabric supporting the toe-area.  I feel as though i have an extra thick layer of skin on the bottom of my feet and that is all.  Thanks EB, big ups to you and yours.

Other than that fabulous surprise, my weekend was filled with great food, choice workouts, great runs, awesome family time, and an unbelievable amount of reading in the sunshine.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes.  Not as sweet as the North American variety, but very crunchy and bold.

My families take-on-a-classic for the day.  A Tofurkey Roast looking pretty lonely defrosting.

My family is so good to me.  Check out the proof that Easter kind of snuck up on my household this year.  (Our one and only decoration, usually our house is pastel-rific.  The place mats, the bathroom accessories, the moms is very talented, but i think she was a bit busy this year!)

Freshly picked delicious, roasted lemon-grass asparagus!

Sweet ‘Tater Sticks.

Clean and crisp sweet corn.

My Easter Dinner Plate.  (Hemp Seed Oil and Flax Gravy – Sides)

A random breakfast i had after an hour run the other morning.  (Two slices sunflower sprouted bread, millet flakes, pea protein, prunes, lima beans, sweet corn, and almond butter)  I enjoy messes.

My ultimate dream house spotted on a walk.  I will own it one day.

Beautiful scenery.

Anyone else want to join me in running the Denver or Seattle marathon this year?  I will officially be signed up for both this week!  Deane, out!