Being in the Season by Chris Boutross

Being in the Season                                         

Eating with the seasons is a true way to bring our bodies into alignment with nature.

When we eat the foods of the season we are eating foods that have higher nutrients and more life in them than those that have been shipped from half way around the world in boxes and crates.  When our food has more life, we have more life! We really are what we eat.

Nature really has a way of providing just what we need.  In the spring we have a never ending supply of tender leafy greens, sprouts, fresh herbs- all to help clean our systems out after a winter of heavy eating. 

Summer brings light cooling foods, fresh fruits, broccoli, cucumbers, dandelions ( yes you can eat the greens and they are SO good for you!) And fall, with warming foods starting and so many good sweet root veggies perfect for soups and stews and roasting as we warm up our bodies getting ready for winter. 

Winter is perfect for heavier foods, using more whole grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.

Keep this in mind this spring when you start seeing all those shiny bright sprouts waving at you this month and give them a try!

Join your local CSA!                                                          
No, not the CIA, the CSA! Community Supported Agriculture! CSA organizations happen when community members buy into a local farm, and purchase a share of their crops for the three growing seasons.  This is beneficial in so many ways.  It supports local farmers, keeps you eating in season, will probably introduce you to some new foods to try, and most of the time, they are certified organic.  I see absolutely nothing wrong with this picture!

When you join a CSA, you will either pay up front for the season, or pay a monthly fee for your share.  Some CSA's ask for some work trade as well.  When you get that all settled, you'll pick up your produce at a designated location every week, and go home to chow down some of the freshest tastiest fruits and veggies in the world!

Want to know how to find a CSA near you? It's so easy! Go here: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Plug in your zip code, and pick a CSA that meets your needs!

Enjoy!

On the Road with PPTC’s Emma Roman: Interview by Tom Byrnes

ON THE ROAD WITH PPTC’S EMMA ROMAN

If and when we hear the name Luxor, many of us might think of that fabulous Vegas hotel in the shape of a pyramid. Not so with PPTC’s Emma Roman who

this past February 12th lined up to put her best foot forward at the 17^th  annual EGYPTIAN INTERNATIONAL MARATHON in LUXOR, EGYPT.
 
Emma mentions that there wasn’t much of a marathon expo, simply picking up the race packets and bibs at the host hotel.  One thing that she did experience, though, was that energy that always seems to wrap itself around you whenever a handful of runners should happen to find themselves in the same room.

Since the host hotel was booked, Emma and crew were forced to seek shelter elsewhere but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise since the host hotel, although located in an absolutely beautiful area, seemed to be within walking distance of downtown nowhere.  Additional transportation would have been required to visit any of the other areas in the beautiful city of Luxor.

The race itself started and finished on the west bank of the Nile, close to the Temple of Hatshepsut.  The course consisted of four laps of the surrounding villages and, among other sites, passed the Colossus of Memnon, the Valley of the Queens, and the Temple of Ramses III.

In conjunction with the marathon, there was also a half marathon, a 12K, and an in-line skating event.  These all began at the same time with the skaters at the front of the pack taking off just a few minutes in advance of the runners.

The weather was hot and sunny with temps in the 80’s. ... Very toasty!  The water and bananas at each aid station were very welcome.

Emma reported that the field of runners was very small in comparison to the marathons that we’re familiar with.  As a matter of fact, there were only 52 MARATHON FINISHERS.  It just seemed to Emma that everyone there might have just wanted the experience of running in Egypt and so opted for the shorter distances.

  
Besides visiting pyramids, tombs, temples, and mosques, some of Emma’s crew also went up in a hot air balloon over the Nile, rode camels in the desert by the Saqqara pyramids, and took a felucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile where Emma obviously danced up a storm and has been threatened/blackmailed/sabotaged with an appearance on You-Tube.  

More fond memories of this trip include the lessons Emma’s guide in Cairo gave her on how to cross the street!!!  Traffic is incredible with very few traffic lights which are, for the most part, ignored by drivers.  Along with traffic lanes, the lights are quoted as being there for "decoration."  Cars never stop ... so try crossing 5 to 6 lanes of crazy traffic! 

Like most of us on trips away from home, Emma brought home mementoes of her stay in Egypt. No, not a toy stuffed camel or a jar of desert sand but a marathon certificate made of actual papyrus.  Her marathon medal is, needless to say, pyramid shaped.

Hey, all things considered, would she go again if the opportunity arose???  ABSOLUTELY!!!

MARCH 2010 The Inside Loop Tom Byrnes and Friends

THE INSIDE LOOP

Tom Byrnes and Friends

Let’s hope that Bobby Fisher’s February toe operations will get him back to his bike trek tours without the pains that he formerly had to deal whenever he clipped into the bike pedals. Looking forward to resuming those epic week long bike tours in a few months, Bobby can’t wait for his recoup to be over!

Hey, you in at the Armory yet?   Doesn’t hurt to take a look see! Think it will work for you the rest of this winter or perhaps for November to spring 2011?   As of this writing, no lockers, no showers, no towels, some classes, some bikes and exercise machines but what a grand 200 meter indoor track! Check it out!

Shortly after February’s school closing snow storm, PPTC got on the open forum and started to share what we knew about the conditions of the roads inside as well as outside the park. What was plowed, what wasn’t, what had blacktop showing and what was still snow covered icy.  Wouldn’t it be nice if somehow the City’s Department of Parks or the Prospect Park Alliance could take reports from their vehicles out on the park roads and post the info on the condition of the roads on a website so we’d know for sure? Make sense to you?

PPTC plans to gather for brunch or an early lunch to watch the Boston marathon to see if we can spy PPTC’s runners on the wide screen. With Circle’s at Bartel Pritchard and 15^th street long since closed, PPTC is searching for another watering hole where we can gather. The Boston Marathon is run on Monday April 19^th , elite women going off at 9:30 a.m., elite men and wave two at 10 a.m., wave three at 10:30 a.m. Working?  Take a mental health day and be inspired! Suggestions appreciated.

No watching Boston with PPTC for Doug Olney since he’s out on the course near his brother’s house in Hopkinton watching for his sister who’s in it this year.

Monday, February 15^th, coming back to 10^th Avenue after my late afternoon run in  the park a little after 5 p.m., I heard what I thought might be people shouting for a lost dog. I can’t remember the exact calls but when I saw a group of at least two dozen standing on 10^th Ave and 16^th Street, I realized they were runners. As I approached there were some more cries from runners further west on 10^th avenue harkening the group standing at 16^th Street.  What I soon realized after questioning some of the runners who passed by was that I had encountered a House Harriers run (Brooklyn Hash #500 to be exact).  They were  in the middle of their quest to catch the ‘hare’  who was minutes ahead drawing chalk directional symbols at intersections  indicating the  way the group of ‘hounds’ should follow if they were to be successful in finding him/her at the bar (the Double Windsor, PPW and 16^th Street as it turned out) where everyone would hook up. Interested?  HashHouseHarriersNYC.org tells it all. According to Geoff Vincent, hashing involves a lot of fun stuff. It was begun by ex-pat Brits somewhere out there, running, drinking, and carrying on afterwards. Hmmmmmmmmm  does that have PPTC written all over it?

Hey February, no F ‘n  G trains on  weekends half the month, no track time for PPTC at the Armory, the Union Street Bridge closed. The good news was that this year’s Cherry Tree was the biggest and the ‘bestest’  ever! Hey, with day of race temps in the 40’s, this year’s race was the race for the soft core, ½ an x? Ten miles or three, the Cherry Tree was the place to be!  Michael Ring made his debut as PPTC race director by orchestrating a
record breaking Cherry Tree 10 Miler and Relay.  The weather was beautiful, and the turnout was wildly beyond anyone's expectations with over a record-setting number of  exuberant runners hitting the inside loop.  PPTC thanks all our sponsors, especially Slope Sports and  owners  Kirsten and Haig Marino and to the many volunteers who made this race possible.

PPTC women’s team  took first place at February 28^th’s Al Gordon Snowflake four miler in Prospect Park -- by almost 10 minutes!   Great job!  It looks like PPTC had 12 top-ten age group finishers.   Awesome running,  PPTC!  For more of the specifics, check out the race results page!

Very interesting and helpful talk at March’s PPTC meeting by Doctor Soave, Chief of Podiatry at NY Methodist on causes, symptoms, and treatment of heel pain and plantar fasciitis . Thanks for sharing, Doc!

Coach Tony Watson has us back on the road to faster race times the beginning of March.

Missed this session, catch ‘em on the next go around.

Hey, its getting warmer, don’t you feel it?!

Staying lighter later as well.

Get out there PPTC, see you on the roads!