How many of you Yelp?

How many of you think it's a good thing?

How many of you would think it's a good thing if you knew out in San Francisco they were doing this?

Hearing this sort of breaks my heart, mainly because I believe in the spirit of an organic community, and hate the idea that ad reps would effectively be, as the post says, "holding a gun to a restaurant owners' head" just to get a posted review in a top spot. What's a business owner to do?

I open this up to you guys - with full disclosure that the site where the discussion is taking place is a site I do contract work for as Director of Community Development - because you use the Internet as a resource more than most. And because I wonder if I'm the only like-minded user who is surprised and disappointed in these tactics. I was really pretty shocked when I saw the blog post at FohBoh, and I know that Yelp has come under fire recently, but still.

Would you support this?

Posted by Erin at 09:02 AM | Comments (0) | filed under: Random

In my ongoing attempts to throw off the shackles of the food prison I've been in for lo' so many years now, I give you my latest recipe in the collection of "Crap I Think Would Taste Great Thrown Together In A Pot, Nevermind The Calories or Carbs."

1) I took a generous portion of soba noodles and boiled them. Then I rinsed them in cold water and set them aside to chill. I don't know why I did this, other than I forgot.
2) I put about two (2) Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a deep sauce pan and then added three (3) large garlic cloves, sliced, and two (2) green onions.
3) Next I tore up big chunks of red kale (an entire bunch, actually), into this mix and sauteed until soft. And fragrant.
4) Then I cut up a whole package of Hillshire Farm Turkey Kielbasa and added it to the whole thing.
5) Lastly I added the soba noodles and chilled overnight.

I brought about a cup of the soba noodles and a cup of the rest with me for lunch today. Heated it up for two minutes and sprinkled it with some white sesame seeds. I added no salt, pepper or anything. Totally didn't need it.

It was mighty, MIGHTY tasty. Highly recommend it.

Posted by Erin at 02:36 PM | | filed under: Recipes

Yes, what's TRULY a good idea is that we create a whole NEW generation of women who obsess about what they put in their mouths, why and oh! Make sure it only amounts to about 900 calories a day, fatties!

This is more, as the blogger points out, propaganda put out by the denizens who think that fat = unhealthy.

More from Junkfood Science, and you would be doing yourselves a favor to read the whole post:

"Not only is this extreme diet plan nutritionally unsupportable, it has no credible medical evidence of effectiveness for improving the health of growing children or for preventing obesity. Worse, by all evidence, the messages it teaches and food fears it reinforces, put young women at risk for physical and emotional harm.

"This program's 'healthy eating' messages are the same as those popularly believed by many young people today and the same ones being widely taught in schools and through childhood obesity programs. Young people would be much healthier without such 'nutrition' education at all."

Posted by Erin at 02:16 PM | | filed under: Random

So I had my first appointment yesterday with the sports massage therapist and holy smokes! I didn't realize how much I'd been living with that painful ache until we were done.

I still have icing, pain relievers, stretching and another session with Sophie (the therapist) but things are looking up! And today I head off to spinning class since I got the clearing for that from the doctor. My trainer and I are still taking it slow - I did so much core/ab work yesterday morning that it's tender when I take a deep breath - but I'll be back to my hard-core routine before I know it.

The massage therapist did a lot of explaining about how certain muscles work, and how the control the body, and work in conjunction with each other, and it made so much sense to me as to how we can injure ourselves when we're not careful, especially as we get older. Were my muscles already goofed up when I did sprint work that fateful night five weeks ago? Possibly. Could have been the opposite. What will count moving forward is that I keep my muscles carefully stretched and cared for as that this doesn't happen again. I should be able to do sprint work without putting myself out of commission for weeks.

So since I've gotten the clearing on it, too, I'm back to weekly Bikram, and I am so not even kidding. What she explained yesterday clicked in my head and gave me an appreciation for what's going on with my body. And I want to do everything I can to avoid this happening again. In addition to traditional stretching, a 90 minute yoga session once a week is in order.

Finally, yesterday I bought a dress that I think might be a shirt. I'm wearing it, but I'm wondering if I should have pants on? It's that kind of day.

Sometimes I just don't get fashion.

Posted by Erin at 11:13 AM | | filed under: Random

Today for Father's Day, after breakfast with my dad, Scott and I headed to another south suburb to celebrate with his dad, grandpa and uncle.

We ended up at his cousin Mark's house where in the backyard sits a gorgeous in-ground pool. With slide and diving board. Along with cheese, Malbec and puppy dogs, pools have a way of entrancing me. Despite never ever being comfortable in a swimming suit, I have always loved the water, and never ever let being self-conscious in a suit keep me from enjoying it. Somehow I've always been able to get around it by remembering that when it comes to swimsuits, really and truly, most women, no matter their shape, are never really that happy with how they look in them.

There are exceptions, but more often than not, I'm right on this.

So today there was swimming, but there I was without a suit. I'd had no idea. This, of course, was not going to stop me. As far as I was concerned, someone just get me to a Target and I'll pick up a black tank suit and we'll call it a day. We ran to the car and realized ... we had no idea how to get to the Target, despite the directions we were given. We opted to drive towards the shopping area I did know about, the one near to where my sister lives, and stumbled on, of all places, a KMart. I don't have any airs about discount places because, you know, people who shop at Target still aren't shopping at Saks and Barney's, no matter how much they want to pretend otherwise. They're in a Target.

That said, KMart isn't a discount place I go to normally, mostly because the selection stinks. But, applying the same logic to the excursion as I was to Target, I had no problems pulling in, grabbing a black tank and going on my way. Of course, wouldn't you know it, there wasn't a plain black tank suit to be had that didn't also have a skirt attached to it and I am not self-conscious about my thighs.

I also am not 70.

I was desperate, and hot, and the only thing I could think of was that gorgeous pool and how one of these days I was going to have to get comfortable with my body, and that meant even how much smaller it is these days, and just try on ... a tankini.

And so I did. And guess what? It fit. It didn't roll up or bunch - as tankinis are have always been wont to do on me - and instead looked more flattering than any suit I've bought in about three years. We got back to the house and everyone complimented me on my find, and the fact that I got it for $10. I was in the pool in about 20 minutes.

Look, I could wear a one-piece and still not be 100 percent comfortable with showing that much skin. I wear a size 10, I have muscles, I work hard and still? I'm just not a body shape for whom swimsuits are an ego boost. I'm short, and over the past couple of years developed some small pockets of cellulite on my butt that weren't there before, but I'm learning to find a way to be comfortable with being smaller and not being perfect - whatever that actually means, of course. Being smaller means I can wear two-piece swimsuits now, and I shouldn't be scared of them simply because I'm not without flaw. I didn't look hideous and, as it turned out, found a swimsuit I actually love.

And, God help me, it's a print. A print, people. I think the last time I wore a swimsuit with a floral print on it I was AGE 10, not SIZE 10.

This back and forth is getting easier, and less traumatizing. More normal. It still causes me to pause, but I've become braver. That's a good thing.

Posted by Erin at 08:13 PM | | filed under: Random

The result of my trip to the doctor today:

The bad news: I am not running for the near future. Which means no triathlon, no races.

The good news: It won't last forever. Seems the sprint work just banged up some muscles of mine pretty good, and for now I have to ice it, take Advil, do some stretches that she showed me and get massages.

I know. I finally have a doctor prescribing massages.

Of course, they're the therapeutic kind, but the doc says the woman who works out of her office might be able to help me out in just about two sessions. My first one is Monday. I cannot wait.

In the meantime, I can resume all of my normal weight training, and I can bike again. She said to take it easy, of course, and that I should start small, but at least it means I can start working out again. Thank GOD.

Posted by Erin at 02:38 PM | | filed under: Ouch

So my hip is still causing me some grief, though not as much as before. Still enough pain, however, that I have to block out the voices that want to run six-hundred BILLION miles right now and continue to stay off of my feet.

Oh my God this is THE PERFECT running weather for me right now. Hot, sunny, intermittently rainy ... just awesome.

But I can't or I know I'm going to injure myself for good. And after three weeks and still coping with the pain, I've made an appointment to go see a podiatrist, one who specializes in sports medicine. I've seen her before, and she's good. I hate hate hate having to go see another doctor for something - I got a CAT scan last Friday to try and get to the root of my sinus/ear pressure problems they haven't been able to solve! Whoopie! - but I really want to get back to running. Thanks for all of the awesome emails, everyone, as they've been so helpful. Especially from those of you who are going through this yourselves.

I did meet with my trainer this morning because I just couldn't handle not doing something. We did a lot of work with the foam roller and all upper body work. I can't do much cardio right now as I can't put pressure on my hip to exert some real sweat, but she did OK the stationary bike, and didn't cause me a lick of pain at Level 7. I'm not allowed to pedal very fast, but it's something. It felt good to be back in the gym, even if it felt a little wussy.

I did go to the running store yesterday to buy new shoes, as it was time. Foolishly, though, I didn't double-check the size because I was just getting the same style, and the guy brought me a Brooks GTA Adrenaline 8 in a size 7, as opposed to a Brooks GTA Adrenaline 7 in a size 8. It made me sad to be there and know I wasn't going to be running soon, but I do like getting new shoes.

So that's it right now. I'm back to following my more thyroid-friendly diet because it's easier for me to maintain my weight when I cut out carbs and sugar. And since I can't do much in the way of cardio, which also helps stabilize my moods, I need to watch what I'm putting in my mouth to make my body work as well as it can. And since I'm back in all of my clothes again, I'd rather not add "Frustration About Muffin Top" to everything else.

Posted by Erin at 01:06 PM | | filed under: Ouch

So the hip is still not the best.

But it's better. I managed to sit around the airport, waiting for my flight to Toronto, without limping around as soon as I got up. It hasn't been pretty, and I've gotten pretty depressed about it.

Scott and I were downtown last Saturday, scouting wedding bands, and just seeing all of that activity bummed me out pretty profusely. I think that at this point, with a loss of almost two weeks of any working out, the triathlon might not be the wisest move.

I'm having a difficult time articulating how this all feels without sounding overly dramatic. I mean, it's just exercise, right? No longer exhausting are the notions that I might put back on weight - I haven't. Nor is it not doing a triathlon, though I'm not happy about that prospect. Mostly it's the loss of something that has become to fundamental to my overall well-being. I'm happier as a result of all of those endorphins and working out makes me feel strong and healthy. I love running in the sun, kicking and punching, biking ... all of it. And I know there are things I can do in their places but I love running in the sun, kicking and punching, biking ... all of them.

So Monday we will get back up on the horse and try again. If it continues to bother me, I'm headed to the sports doc to see if I've done any serious damage.

In the meantime, I don't have much more to report. My veggie experiment was so boring - all I did was grill a bunch every night for dinner! - and I'm suffering from some stomach issues again, which is leading me back in the direction of a South Beach-y diet. I've not at all been exhausted since being back on my thyroid medication, but I'm starting to think that I need a more holistic approach to my health.

What am I looking to accomplish with all of the pushing? Why am I pushing so hard? What am I trying to get away from?

Posted by Erin at 01:30 PM | | filed under: Ouch

I am so pissed off about my hip right now.

I am trying to be calm, you know, and see the positive in having something happen that isn't threatening the long-term, but is serious enough to get me to slow down and re-examine my habits. But it's hard, mostly because the idea of being off of my feet and out of the gym for an extended period of time sets off weird alarms in my head, little triggers of things, and it takes a lot of work for me to keep Teh Crazy voices at bay.

I have to rest - and stay off of high heels, as I learned today - in order to get better. It doesn't mean I won't work out next week, or compete in the triathlon, or that I'm going to go back to being a total and complete sloth who slowly works her way back out of shape. It doesn't work that way. I've kept myself in great shape for how many years now? Even when I gained about 20 pounds back in 2005-2006, I was still in good shape and I managed to fully resume my work out routine, which resulted in me losing the 20 in no time flat by 2007.

I know that I'm fine.

But still, it's hard not to feel like you're making the old excuses not to work out. And I think this is how some of us girls who were once really overweight and out of shape get injured and sidelined. We think that if we take one step out of line, we're doomed for good so we push, push, push, as if somehow by pushing through the pain and the misery we'll keep ourselves from ever having to have felt like we once did when we were so out of shape and unhealthy. And that in and of itself is dangerous, unhealthy behavior, right? Overkill is just as bad as underkill. I really love moving, I truly do, but sometimes I have to be careful that my love of working out and being active isn't just a clever disguise for someone with a serious problem. It is a work in progress.

Push, push, push.

It is not an excuse to say that with each step I make my hip aches and smarts. It is not an excuse to realize, by the end of the day, that you aren't risking it and deciding not to go to the gym. But it FEELS like an excuse. It just does. Maybe I should have gone in the morning? Maybe it would hurt less first thing? As it stands, I'm injured from all of the push, push, pushing, and it probably wouldn't matter if I worked out in the morning or night - it's all just one big ouch.

All that said, I'm still frustrated and bummed out. But I'm going to take care of myself, and just eat lots of vegetables and fruit and grains and watch it with the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs in my freezer - my girlfriends bought me a bag last week and I've decided that when I get back on my feet into training, each week of successful training will merit one, I don't give a rat's ass how food should not be a reward, whatever.

Yum.

So I'm going to go play Wii for a while, and soak my body in a hot tub with some Burt's Bees salts and pray that it just takes one more day (I haven't worked out since Saturday) before I can get back to moving again. Even just a little.

Posted by Erin at 08:11 PM | | filed under: Ouch

I am injured, slightly, again.

OK. Maybe a bit more than slightly. My hip. It hurts. I ran three miles this morning, and OUCH. I played golf - nine holes - and OUCH. Weight on it just sucks. If I sit too long, it hurts more. I am about 99.9% certain this is all because I didn't stretch properly the other night after a particularly hard and fast run. I know it. That's when it started hurting, so there you go.

No more. I push myself pretty hard these days, but I am not doing the work I need to keep my body well in recovery. I'm not a kid anymore, and the more time I don't set aside for proper conditioning and stretching and rest, the more likely I am to keep getting these stupid, avoidable injuries. I cannot put myself in permanent traction, but I will if I don't take care of myself.

My promise to myself is to fit in 20 minutes of stretching each day, every day, and get back to Bikram once a week. I have five classes I've already paid for but I haven't taken the time to go and use them. There is no excuse for being this sore all of the time.

Lastly, I thought of something during my run this morning that I didn't add to my list of reasons why I could - and will - kick the crap out of the Danskin Triathlon this year in comparison to my performance five years ago:

4) I no longer smoke.

I can't believe I'd forgotten that back then I was still smoking, an entire pack a day, no less. I remember poor Heather and James looking at me later that night in disbelief as I lit up smoke after smoke. A lot has changed since then, to be sure, but this is probably one of the biggest.

Posted by Erin at 12:16 AM | | filed under: Ouch