The Taste of Summer

Tomatoes and summer have become synonymous for me. Which is weird since I don’t remember liking tomatoes growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I loved most things tomato based - ketchup, marinara sauce, pizza - but not the fruigetable itself.

But now I can’t wait for the first harvest.

Every year we plant tomatoes in our garden (every year we garden that is). As soon as the plants are in the ground it turns into a long game of daily checking for blooms, fruit, color change, and, finally, ripening. 

Slow Down

I missed last week because I was trying to do too many things at once. Which is a bit ironic because I intended to write about the need to slow down. I am quite good at taking my own advice, as you can tell.

We are currently living through a time that could easily come to be known as The Great Pause or The Great Reset. The majority of people are now working remotely or not working at all, in many cases due to decisions outside of their own choosing. There has been a flood of content about how to stay productive during this time and “crush Covid” (I have to believe that has been used in at least one clickbait-y headline). But that may be the wrong path to take through these uncertain times. 

Instead, perhaps we should reset and reevaluate. Reexamine our routines and regularities. I love what Nick Cave wrote in a of his email:

Social Distancing With Sourdough

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but bread making is hot like Hansel right now.

Just Run

I used to try to manage my run as I was running. Checking my watch. Staying at a target pace. (I have no idea what this pace was based on other than maybe what I ran one time and felt pretty good at?) monitoring my stride and trying to adjust it on the fly. (Again, not sure what made me a stride expert.)

Spoiler alert: I wasn’t great. 

At the start of this year, as it became time to start training for the Ville to Ville Craft Brew Relay (would have been last weekend but has been rescheduled for November), I just ran. Just to see where I was at. How things felt. How far I could go at what pace. Without thinking, planning, and managing. Just letting my body dictate things. 

Things To Do While Quarantined

• Slow down

Curiosity Is The Uber-Skill

I have come to realize lately that I highly value curiosity. I see it as my superpower. And I’ve tried asking questions about it in interviews and other relevant situations lately. I gauge people based on how curious I believe they are (not in all scenarios, but certainly when it comes to a professional capacity).

In my mind, curiosity is the uber-skill.

As an example, coding is highly touted as the skill of the future. The skill that can pave the way to riches for those that pursue it. But the internet has made it so that any curious and driven individual can learn to code and build a portfolio. The problem is too many people believe it is something they can’t learn, they can’t do. We are surrounded by systems that discourage curiosity because it can’t be measured by standardized tests and systems, by algorithmic performance scales. Cogs shouldn't be curious.

Quarantine Quisine

Quarantine is a time for experimentation. At least for me.

The combination of time and limitations is an interesting one for creativity. Especially when it comes to cooking. A desire to go shopping as infrequently as possible means I have been focusing on shelf stable ingredients, and usually ones that I don’t use on a regular basis. It’s been especially interesting as I continue to focus on a plant-first diet since I am not grabbing fresh produce whenever I need it. I’ve found some ingredients, staples, and recipes I plan on keeping around more often. 

A few of the items I definitely plan on having on hand regularly moving forward: cabbage, jars of flavor (roasted peppers, pickles, capers, marinated artichokes, etc.), tomato-y beans, nutritional yeast, and stuff for granola and cashew cream (which is just cashews really). 

Soulful Sundays

One day while on a run I started concocting a list of what, I thought, would make for a good Sunday. I quickly gave it the name “Soulful Sunday” because that’s the way I think; in names and titles and words. I also wonder if it functions as a memory device, catchy phrase as content anchor. Regardless, I feel this list could just as easily be called “Social Distancing Sunday” or “Self-Isolating Sunday” or “Self-Quarantining Sunday” (to be 1 day of 7 each week to enact those higher level practices until further notice). [Seriously, stay home. This shit is real. It has a fatality rate potentially 4x the flu and an exponential contagion curve with a lagging discovery plus the potential for asymptomatic carriers. That is not a fun party. Don’t be Patient 31.]

Just Keep Picking Your Feet Up

At some point in the Rich Roll Podcast episode with Tony Riddle, Tony mentions he just focuses on picking his feet back up. A quick release from the ground. Or something to that effect.

Which mirrors something I heard/read somewhere way back in the archives of . When running, just focus on your foot after it hits the ground. Make sure there is a high release. Or something to that effect. (Memory is a highly imperfect thing, ok?)

February in Running

Last month I ran a total of 36.8 miles across 10 runs, averaging (now stay with me on this math) 3.7 miles per run. My average pace for those ~37 miles was 8:20/mile.

I have a whopping one run under my belt so far this month, but I’m over 25% of the way to last month’s distance total. And tonight is Trailside Trotters. 🏃

Spring is Coming

The seeds have been purchased. They will soon be sown to start their journey of growth before being cast out into the harsh world of nature as is their rite of passage. Also, I need time to build my garden boxes so they have somewhere to go.

Here's what I'll be planting:

• Beans
  • Stringless Greenpod
  • Royal Burgundy
  • Goldrush
  • Blue Lake Bush Bean
• Peppers
  • Hungarian Wax
  • Anaheim Chili
  • Long Slim Red Cayenne
  • Ancho (Poblano)
  • Jalapeno M
  • California Wonder
  • Diamond
  • Golden California Wonder
  • Orange Sun
  • Purple Beauty
• Squash
  • Yellow Crookneck Squash
  • Dark Star Zucchini
• Greens
  • Green Wave Mustard
  • Red Russian Kale
• Beets
  • Deep Red
  • Golden
  • Candy Striped
• Sugar Pod 2 Snow Pea

Bean As OG Battery?

I am very interested in what the next battery breakthrough will be. Our lives are increasingly powered by batteries and they are a natural companion for renewable energy sources. (Also a necessary companion if you think about times when renewables can’t generate.) Our current lithium-ion batteries are great; except they aren’t power dense enough, rely on rare resources, and the extraction of these resources helps fund some not-so-great political regimes.

The next class of uber-companies could come from the battery disruption space (mark off your buzzword bingo cards). Algorithms will allow for faster searches and iterations of novel compound combinations. Electric cars will provide power instead of just taking. And mines will be turned into power plant tunnels to the bowels of the earth. Maybe we’ll also learn how to mimic more natural systems and turn plants into literal power plants by tapping into photosynthesis. (I’m a big fan of algae as an industry.)

But this is all a rambling introduction to a much less world-changing question I had the other day: are beans the original battery?

Beyond Running

A sooner than expected update on the burger + running /= good things experiment. Last week I tried a beyond burger for the first time. And it just so happened to be the night before the weekly running club I take part in. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to test.

Experimental conditions: only difference between Beyond burger night and past burger nights was the make-up of the patty (and 1 seasoning I omitted to get a “purer” Beyond experience). Still used buns and cheese, etc.

Results: new personal record run the next night

Barometric Running

I’ve been experimenting with a plant based/plant focused/plant heavy diet for a bit now. There are all kinds of interesting (in my opinion) things that have come out of it, but I want to focus on one today. And it involves running.

I have a habit of running to train for something and then “taking a break”, that lasts roughly 6-8 months. Training time arrived this holiday season and I started the usual cycle. But something was different this time. I was faster. Potentially faster than I’ve ever been. (yeah, yeah, humble brag, blah blah)

I can think of a few different factors that played into this, but the diet part became an interesting one after a few unwitting experiments.