Miss Scatterbrain or how to do proper self sabotage

that's me, myself and I. Why? Because I'm so out of focus, that I do exactly the opposite from what would make me reach my goals.

All through last week I went full throttle in the totally wrong direction.

Instead of eating my veggies and fruits I ate this:

(http://www.necromundo.de/blog/wp-content/muffins.jpg)

and loads of this:

(http://www.rivercitygiftco.com/catalog/images/Chocolate%20Bark.jpg)

The problem? Well, I ate a lot of them, I didn't really enjoy them, but felt guilty about eating them, my skin got worse and worse (zits, like my face are the rocky moutains) and I fear tomorrows step on my scale. It won't be a nice number I'll see then. And I bought a new pair of jeans. Guess what!? It's the same size I had when I started out with marathon training back in November. I bought the same jeans back then in a different colour, so this really means I haven't met my goals. AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH.

And who to blame?! Nobody but me, myself and I.

Secondly I want, NO, NEED to save up some money to buy myself one of these:

(http://www.arktiscards.de/arktis-store/Artikelbilder/macbook1white01.jpg)

Instead I've just bought 5 (five!!!!) comic books and some new music and a movie, the jeans and did I mention the sweets?! DANG. Oh yeah, I've been to my hairstylist too and no, it isn't a cheap one. (But since I have an interview on Tuesday and needed a new haircut and bleaching pretty badly this money is justifiable to a certain extend.)


Thirdly, instead of training I did mostly this:

(http://blogs.families.com/media/sleep2.jpg)

This is absolutely frustrating, I don't finish things before I start new tasks and do mostly the opposite of what I need to do to achieve what I want. No matter which part of my life we are talking about.

Okay, so one of the reasons is the weather. The temperatures are mostly around 0°C, which means the snow is thawing and then becomes ice in the night or even through the day, which leads to totally unpredictable ground, even on the track and since I have no access to a treadmill.... I can't even count how often I nearly fell this week.

So yeah, no stats for you this week. And I won't put up any training schedules for the next weeks, since I won't keep them anyway, why pretending?!

Have a good start in the new week.

New Take on old fun - Apples big new ?

Remember this old pic?


It's called "Waiting for Windows".


How time changes things.



Waiting for Apple.
Though for a totally different reason.


This is my setup waiting for the liveticker of maclife.de to get me news about what Steve's "One more thing" will be this time. An iSlate or just the iPhone in different colors or something completely different?! (The last one would be a Black Swan by the way.)

Waiting and discussing this new ? is so much more fun than to watch a movie or go running.

This whole thing is a marketers dream come true. Loyal fans and the media producing advertising for Apple for free. Ha.

Are you an Apple fan? I am! Who needs Jesus, when you can have Steve Jobs? ;-)

Finally...

the spasm in my left calf is gone. It has been there for 4 (FOUR!!!) days.

Even though I ran on Sunday. Even though I spend hours in the bathtub. Even though I took 600 mg of magnesium per day. Even though I massaged. Even though I stretched. The spasm stayed.

When I woke up this morning, it was finally gone. I can move my leg without pain. And I feel great. As a treat I took the stairs to get to my class room which is on 3rd floor. This will hopefully lead to a smaller behind. ;-P

Even better the sun is shining, though we've got -17°C = 2° F. But still the sun is shining and I'm free of pain and I've got the most amazing book to read.

"The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. This book is absolutely amazing and makes me want to sit in a comfy armchair at Starbucks with the Premium Hot Chocolate coming all through the day, reading and musing on the ideas presented. I absolutely love books like this and Starbucks is the perfect place to read them. Forget libraries, Starbucks is a whole lot better. (No I don't work for Starbucks, am payed by them or got shares.)

KEEP LEARNING!!

The 'Freddy Krüger' Eggplant

Good morning, before we get to the eggplant recipe (19! pics, I think I enjoy photography way too much these days ;-) some stats.

Monday is SCAL(R)E Day.
weight: 64,3 kg (=141,75 lbs)
body fat: 29,4 %
muscles: 34,2 %

Yesterday Chris and I were actually running at our local track again, one track has been freed of snow and ice. It was freezing cold - 10° C = 14 ° F but it felt more like - 25° C = -13° F
Stats:
time: 1:17 hrs
in zone: 42 min (wahoo)
HR: 145 bpm

The Freddy Krüger Eggplant recipe
based on Babaganoush

Ingredients (for one hungry girl):
100 g = 3.5 oz feta cheese,
1 lemon,
1 eggplant,
1 large bell pepper,
Baharat spice mix (oriental spice),
pumpkinseed oil,
spices you like

prep time needed: ca. 45 minutes depending on the eggplant size

Manual:

1. Switch on your oven, choose the highest temperature.

2. Wash your eggplant and take a knife and call upon your inner Freddy Krüger! Grrrrr!!

3. Stab the eggplant several times. (Cuff your Freddy and put him back into his Azkaban cell! [I know I mix them up.] ;-)

4. Take some aluminium foil and put the eggplant on it in the oven. Carefull don't burn yourself.

5. Let the eggplant bake for 35 to 45 minutes!

6. Take a small lemon and juice it, if it's a big one use only half of the juice. (If you like it sweeter you could also use orange juice (never did it, though, just thinking).)

7. Break the feta cheese into small pieces or dice it and give it to your lemon juice.

8. Add the baharat and other spices, take as much as you like. Cheese will take some of the taste, so you'll have to season to taste before you serve it.

Now for the chocolate sauce...

9. Ahahaha, got ya. It's the pumpkinseed oil. To me absolutely delicious but not exactly inexpensive. Add some of it.

10. Blend it all carefully. If you haven't got a standing blender and want to buy one of these, make sure that you can separate the motor part from the blender like this.

Otherwise cleaning it is quite tricky.

When finished leave the mass in the blender. (Another reason for a separable blender, you can leave it standing in the food for a few minutes without it becoming unbalanced. [depending on the swell ;-P])

11. There should be several minutes left of baking time, take the time to prepare your bell pepper (wash, slice, display) and your table.

Option: If you are really hungry or if you prepare for two, you can fry some tenderloin, while the eggplant is still baking. And slice them.

12. When the eggplant is ready it should look like this or darker. Take it carefully out of the oven and put it on a plate.

13. Cut it in half and leave it for a few minutes to cool down.

14. Take a spoon and scrape out the pulp to add it to your cheese mixture.

15. Blend it again and season to taste for the last time. Et voila.

Enjoy your meal!

KEEP RUNNING and EAT WELL!

Mampf Diary

I haven't posted a lot on food lately, my recipe left aside. Reason is I was too embarrassed to post what I ate.

Here is what I ate yesterday:
breakfast: chocolate protein shake and a big cup of black tea

(http://www.herbal-nutrition-solutions.com/image-files/shake-chocolate.jpg)


snack/second breakfast: cookies with vanilla creme

lunch: 0.4l fresh orange juice, 1 golden delicious apple

(http://giniann.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/fresh-squeezed-orange-juice.jpg)

dinner: fried sausages (200g)

snack: Kellogs Toppas chocolate (dry)

And I drank a lot of water.


Today I ate so far:
breakfast: chocolate protein shake and a big cup of black tea

second breakfast/ snack: Kellogs Toppas chocolate dry

Lunch: fresh orange juice and 1 golden delicious apple

Keep running and eat well!

Sign of life

Hi.

It went as I promised, I totally got into a rut this week: sleep, get up waaaaayyyy too early; project management class on solar heat; do some needed stuff like: buying new underwear, having a talk with my bank, exchange shoes with my cobbler; get home; take a nap; read another hour and go to bed. This was my week so far. I didn't have any strength left to do something that came remotely close to training, okay I walked to the cobbler. I'll go swimming on Saturday though.

The "problem", aside the paramount need for sleep, last week the snow started thawing, which means a lot of snow mud which is now freezing over again. To answer az's question, no, we normally have practically no snow through the winter here. This was the first time in two decades we've had so much snow for such a long time! In any case, I haven't seen the sun for nearly 2 weeks now, today was such day on which it stays twilight the whole day. I hate days like this.

But today offered another ray of sunshine. I've got an invitation for a job interview in Düsseldorf. Wahooo. I will go there by train on February 2nd. 11 hours on the train for a 30 minutes meeting. Crazy... And I have to get the train at 5:40 AM. To give you an inkling, I got up 6:30 AM today and I hated it. I don't know how Jenna does it, she's working shifts in an emergency room. I'd go nuts doing it. So I hold all the nurses and doctors at the hospitals in highest regards.

Again...
In any case I skipped speed training again, since they are at the parke again and I'd like to prepare another job application again. Again I found a lot of interesting job offers, I just don't get to do the actual application this week because everytime I get out of class I'm too tired to stay awake long enough. And this happens again and again... ;-)

On Sunday I sorted my clothes and got rid of all the clothes that were to small for me. I found a LOT of them! Over the years I was stupid enough to buy some clothes that I would wear as soon as I lost the odd 10 pounds..... Do I have to say any more?
The stuff went to an orphanage together with my skateboard, which I bought in 2001 to learn skating (I was 24!!!). Well, the last nine years it was lying in our cellar. Funny thing is, I don't feel sorry about letting it go at all. Triathlon really is my sport and I'm happy with it. *relieved sigh*
Best thing is I inspired my mom to get rid of some of her stuff too. She's got even some baby stuff from me left, I'm 32 mind you, so it was high time. It's isn't that much that she sorted out, but it's a start. My family consists of pack rats, very orderly ones but pack rats nonetheless. I fight it everyday.

This is it for today. I finally got the eggplant, so I'll post the recipe this weekend. Promised.

Keep sleeping! (or running, if you're awake long enough.)

Without words - Sun & Snow in Leipzig

Jobsearch update

I still haven't heard from little town, even though I send an inquiry this week. Not a word or whistle. niente, nada, nix. Which is starting to really annoy me. Well, I think this means I haven't got the job and you know what, I'm glad. I don't really want to live and work there. What is itching me, is their behaviour. At least they could have called. Seriously, not very nice.

In any case, I'm starting out with a new round of applications and beware I might end up with a job near you, since I plan to apply for jobs all over the world. I wrote my first application today, for a job in the movie business but it's here in Leipzig.
When I finished High School it was my goal to see my name on the silver screen. But not as an actress, I wanted to be behind the camera. As what? I didn't have a clue, but my name should appear in the credits. ;-D
Well, with the job I applied for this won't happen, but it's a first step in the right direction to fulfill this particular dream. Seems like I always take detours. ;-) Let's hope I get this job. It would be a fun one.

The eggplant recipe might have to wait a few days, I didn't get any today. I'll try again tomorrow, but I can't help it if there isn't any eggplant in Leipzig available. Weird, never had trouble to ge eggplants before.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your time off, if you're off.

Keep Running

OOOUUUUUCHHHHH! -- Edit

Want to do something for your arm and shoulder muscles?! Try swordfight and boxing at the Nintendo WII. My arms hurt with every move today.

I went to a friend of mine yesterday morning. She and her fiancé gave eachother the Nintendo Wii console for christmas. So naturally we played a bit yesterday. A bit was 3 hours. It was real fun. We played not only boxing, but bowling, table tennis, tennis, jetboat, golf and even baseball. Really tricky hitting the ball. In any case I've felt my arms even during the playing and the soreness started out in the evening when I went to the cinema with Chris. We've watched the chess player, good movie.

And today I can barely move my arms, because they hurt so bad. I already said that, didn't I?! As if that wasn't enough I have to shift my swimtraining to next wednesday for female reasons. >:-( And the group training is shifted to a park. Since I know how the running conditions are there, I will stick with my walking routine for this week. Next week? We'll see how it develops.

But there is also something to be proud of. Yesterday I walked the whole way home from my friends house (5 k), because the streetcar was uncomfortably full. And I felt like moving my fat a**, so instead I walked. Yeah. The athlete in me comes out, it boxes its way free after years of suppression. ;-)

So you all liked my little recipe?! Glad you did. I have to say I'm a tad surprised that you don't know physalis or cape gooseberrys as they are also called. In Germany you get them yearround in nearly every supermarket, even in the small ones in the country. Also the price is always the same 0,99 € for a box (100 grams). They are cultivated in South Africa (Cape Town > cape gooseberry). But I know that you can grow them also in your garden here in Germany. Go to your local fruit merchant and ask for them, I can only recommend them, they are really tasty.

I've also got a nice and easy recipe for eggplants. I will do it at the weekend and post the recipe. And I've bought myself a really nice cookbook for asian food, so there will probably come something asian style food soon, too.

Next week will be interesting since my class starts. So be warned that I might post a bit less next week, due to serious tiredness. But I really look forward to this class.

Welcome KK, reader No. 8.

That's it for today.

Keep Running.

New: Just got reminded by cupcake that we are pretty lucky people, as opposed to the people living at Haiti. The poorest nation in the world and now the earthquake. Stuff like this makes me think. I just donated some money to the German Red Cross. They send their movable hospital over and I think that's a first aid. Even though I think there must be another way to help Haiti longterm.

The most marvelous recipe - selfinvented (edit)

It's been quite a time, since I had a food post. So here is a new one. (Long and cheeky one, beware.)

Scallops with physalis and mangetout (snow peas)



Recipe:



These are the necessary ingredients for 1 (girls) portion:
1 portion of scallops fresh or deep frosted (I took the deep frosted ones)
olive oil (I took my self made one (I put the spices in, I didn't press it) with cloves and juniper berries, yummy)
1 box of physalis (cape gooseberry)
200 g of mangetouts
1 shallot

You also need a Wok or a large pan, a knive, a cooking spoon and mmh.... a hearth!


Manual:
(I wonder why it's called manual, since men never read them and then nearly wreck the thing the manual is for? mmmh)


If you've got the deep frozen scallops you need to thaw them. I should have left them out over night, but I bought them right before I started cooking so I put them in the oven on 50° C = 122° F and got on with the washing, cutting and dicing.


The snowpeas have to be washed, I use a sieve for it. This way it isn't that messy and I don't have to pick them up on by on. Let them dry a bit. Water and oil in a pan, bad idea


This is the oil with cloves and juniper berries that I used and made. It smells and tastes delicious.



The physalis, these are about 100 grams. Rinse them thoroughly, otherwise you eat and taste a whole lot of chemicals. I haven't found them at any organic store so far. In any case their taste changes dramatically when cooked. They get into competition with chili, fiery stuff. ;-)


Shallots are my favourite onions. OMG, I have a favourite onion!!! How odd.
They taste really good and the average size of them fits my needs perfectly. Dice them.


Like this. (In case you didn't know what dices are. Want me to do a tutorial on dicing?! Muahahaharrr!!)


Heat the Wok or pan (not to hot, it's olive oil and you don't want to destroy the good stuff in the food like vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids (in the fish)), put some oil in and than add the shallot dices. Leave them for exactly 1:29 minute. And then....


ADD THE SCALLOPS. (Hear, thats my graveyard voice. ;-D) Let them simmer with the onions for another 1:29 minute. (I'm just kidding, you don't have to be this exact! Only if your an engineer. Hahaha. Hrmpf.)


Now add the physalis, they should've been cut in halfs and turn the scallops upside down. Now let it simmer alltogether and set your table if you haven't already. This shouldn't take more than ... ahhh, let's stick with it, shall we?! 1:29 minute.


Personally I've come to enjoy a nicely done table. Now let's get on with the last part of cooking. I'm hungry!


Add the mangetouts and let it simmer for ... You've guessed right 1:29 minute. (I'll probably dream of 1:29 minute tonight. hihi.)

Turn off your stove, arrange the food nicely on your plate and enjoy it in 1:.... oh no, really enjoy your meal. No time pressure on this one.

MMMMH, delicious!!!

Now, seriously don't cook your scallops in the Wok too long since they get too dry then. On the package of my scallops it said 5 to 7 minutes of cooking.


Hi to Karen, my seventh reader. Lovely to have you!

I walked to the city today (6 k, 1:15 hrs) and got me the first Harry Potter movie on DVD. Love this movie. The last Potter was too dark for my taste, they left all the fun bits out. :-( The Eragon movie was even worse.

Eat fresh!