Putting the Fun back in Run:

Time: 4:30pm
Distance: 16 miles (ran 16.5)
Route: Golden Hill Neighborhood to Shelter Island and back
Completed In: 2:39:49
Shoes: Asics GT 2130 - narrow width
Fuel: Clif Shot - Cola
Mood: Tentative, then hopeful, then happy.
Weather:Clear, windy, about 70 degrees

Of note: A woman carrying 2 cream colored lampshades downtown around mile 1.5, then a man carrying 2 cream-colored lampshades into a hotel on Shelter Island, mile 8 or so.

Running has not been fun.

And when I say this, I am understating that fact.

It has been physically hard.
It has been emotionally torture.
My mind has been brutal and largely unsupportive. Anyone who has put any effort into an athletic endeavor knows how one's attitude can make or break a workout.

I keep plugging away, hoping the next one will be different, or the one after that. I keep running, hoping I'll take something back home with me other than a foul mood and a nice tan.

Today my schedule was such that I did not get out for my 16 miles until 4pm. Ideally, one would want to tackle this in the morning while it is cool. I headed to the waterfront to make use of the cool breeze to offset the 76 degree heat.

Already there is a change in the season. The air feels crisper, the wind more cooling than it was just last week. I noticed my head was being a little ornery at the onset, but once I hit the water two miles out things calmed down a bit and I focused on the cool air grazing my skin, the heat of the sun beneath it, my footfall and arm placement. It became easier to settle into a rhythm similar to how runs used to be.

My brain, in it's meandering, made the connection between the cool air, improved mood, and Ayurvedic doshas. Of course! It makes perfect sense. I move to a hot climate, do heat intensifing activity during the hot part of the day, engage in pitta-aggravating activities such as copious capsacium and coffee consumption, and it is completely understandable that I would be uncharacteristically irritable, have crazy dreams, and crave dairy and sugar.

10/18 symptoms were present in a "signs of Pitta aggravation" list. My personal prescription is as follows:

1. Freeze the salsa and roast beef in the fridge so it doesn't go bad. Stop eating spicy foods, corn, and red meat (insert sad face here).
2. Do my best to stay away from coffee. This may be exceptionally difficult right now, but I can at least cut consumption by 50%.
3. Consider adding some ice cream and see how it digests. I have been craving yogurt and cheese, but the sour nature is contraindicated. If ice cream is a no-go, I'll probably favor yogurt to dairy-abstinence. My body seems to be tolerating dairy better than usual.
   
4. Up the bitter greens, eat more iced and cool foods, cucumbers and sweet fruits.
5. Run when it is cool, whenever possible.
6. Experiment with cardamom and pitta-reducing recipes found online.

Ayurvedic kitchari's are India's chicken soup and the congee equivalent of Chinese medicine. This kitchari includes cilantro and coconut and is taken from Dr. Lad's book Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing.

Ayurveda Notes (help)
"Although tridoshic, this kitchari is especially suitable to pitta. The cilantro and coconut add to the cooling qualities that pitta needs."

Dosha: Vata- Pitta- Kapha-
Quality: Light, Cooling, Oily, Clear
Taste: Sweet, Pungent, Bitter, Astringent

Cooking Hints (Click here for Cooking Poetry)

1 cup yellow mung dal
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger,peeled and chopped fine
2 tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 c water
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
6 c water

Wash the mung dal and rice two times. Soak the mung dal for a few hours, if you have the time, then drain. Put the ginger, coconut, cilantro and the 1/2c water into a blender and blend until liquefied. Heat the ghee on medium in a large saucepan and add the blended items, turmeric and salt. Stir well. Next mix in the rice, mung dal and the six cups of water. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, for five minutes. Then cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the dal and rice are tender.