Tuesday, January 11, 2011

8 Degrees

is too cold to run?

Nope, I don't think so

I like running when it's wicked cold out, it's pretty awesome in its own special way and everything looks do different covered in ice and snow.

8 Degrees on a bike, now that would be COLD but running around in brilliant sunshininess is perfect.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Winter Solace

January Winter Sunrise

It was negative 10 degrees this morning but so winterly beautiful. Clear, sharp and magical.
We received some more snow, a taste of winter as it will warm right up again this week. Winter is my quiet time, my solace, my rest. Don't get me wrong, I've been active, riding and running, I have to be outside every day for at least an hour but I haven't been kicking my own ass on the bike like I do in the Summer. I'm trying to let the lower back/hip heal if possible, running doesn't seem to bother it at all. I'm enjoying my runs even more this year but it will never replace how I feel when I'm riding my bike through chunky rocky trail.
January is a bittersweet month for me and it will be that way for the rest of my life, that's okay though, I celebrate the bitter and the sweet.
I've been delving deeper into nutrition and cooking whole foods from scratch this winter, eating as much raw as I can in the winter, enjoying cooked GF and DF foods and just trying new stuff, cutting back, way back on refined sugars. I've never eaten this well in my life, it's been a process/journey. A friend gave me their old crock pot and that has been a wonderful thing as well, being able to cook beans while away at work or slow cook a dinner or dish, super. Every morning I look forward to my green smoothie. I've always been interested in nutrition and since I discovered my food allergies/sensitivities 10 years ago, I've learned so much, it's a big and important piece of my life. My art production is quiet right now, ideas being written down in a note book for future endeavors. That's ok art will always be a part of who I am and how I function in the world I just don't always have to be creating work, creativity can take different forms. I'm trying to save some money for a new bike frame, would like to upgrade/change that for 2011, we'll see if I can or not.
In the mean time I take solace in the slowing down that is winter, the turning inward and the magical mornings.