New Blog

Check out my new blog at www.rawfoodfrank.wordpress.com
I will be fading this site out over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy!!

It has been a long weekend with not much sleep. I have been spending a good amount of time at Glen's Cafe in West Haven. The vibe there is amazing and I am so happy to have a place to meet and connect with fellow raw fooders. Friday night we prepared a raw gourmet meal for 20. Last night i was back at the cafe for a potluck dinner and a viewing of The Future of Food. I look forward to my lecture there on April 22nd!!

I woke today, quite late-10:30am, but well rested. I immediately headed to the Quarry for a jaunt in the woods. I would put in about 1.25 hours and felt amazing. Today was one of those days when your body feels like a machine and you can just keep running for hours. Unfortunately I couldn't since I had to help my father do some yard work.

Today's run reminded me of a poem sent to me from Happy Oasis before the Javalina Jundred-

Bliss forth one light step at a time
You are a deer fleet of foot
You are a cloud light and easy
You run like a river cascading to the waiting
ocean
Swift as a gazelle, pouncing freely like the lion
You run without effort, filled with quiet joy

Photo of the Day

Iggy after being told she was joining the BS crew on The Spring Loop

Back In Branford

Although it feels strange being coming back to my hometown after 10 months in the high desert, I must say it is good to be home. Well....sorta

Yesterday I did a double run. In the morning I ran 1.25 hours through the Quarry trails, then met up with the Bs crew at 6:30pm for another hour run in the Supply Pond. I my body felt great and I am taking a liking to putting in 2 runs a day. I guess it is possible when one doesn't have a job.

Speaking of jobs, I have a few talks lined up which I am very excited about.
I will be speaking at the Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe on April 22nd in regards to my time spent at the Tree of Life Center as well as my quest for the 100 miler.

On Mother's Day I will be speaking with my dear friend Kai Hersher on the topic of Ten Ways to Protect Your Family. This lecture will be at the grand opening of Goose Lane Nursery, an organic garden center.

At this present moment,i am putting together a list of talks to present at the Center for Holistic Health in Guilford.

On another note, I have noticed that since leaving the Tree, i am down close to 5 pounds. Not that I am trying to shed any weight but without having all that wonderful foods at my disposal, I don't eat as much. But, with the exception of tahini, which I can't get enough of, I have completely dropped oils from my diet and most other fats.

Tomorrow I will be back at Glen's Cafe in West Haven to help prepare a gourmet raw meal for 20 guests. I am in charge of the Orange Cream Pie!!

Check me out on the web!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cRQ2Icewug

I forgot to mention, It's cold here!!!

The HAT Run 2008

So I went into my second running of Maryland's HAT Run 50k, quite unsure of how I would fair. For one, Saturdays temperatures we around 35-40 degrees by time the race started. This made my body quite uncomfortable since coming from Arizona, where over the last month I was usually running without a shirt on. With close to 3000 miles of driving under my belt over the last week, my body was a bit tweaky and tight especially in the legs.

I thought I would take this race as a training run, but like always, when the race starts and runners start pushing, it's hard to just take it easy. My goal was to run the first half of the race so that I could give and equal if not better performance come the second half. Generally I do the opposite. I go out hard and seem to fade off come the latter part of the race.

As time went on and my body warmed up, I felt better and better. My legs felt loose and strong which enabled me to run more hills than I was normally use to doing. Fueled on rasin soak water and bananas, I finished the 32 miles in 5hrs and 5 minutes.

I also want to congradulate Iggy and SilentRunner for completing their first Ultra. Other finishers were Mr. Bimble, Forrest, Bounce, Downhill and Ultra. Much love to Guthrie, Oddjob and Karen for their support!!

Somewhat settled in Maryland

After a few very long days of driving through the south and a very cold night up in the Smokey's, I have made it up to Maryland. I have been staying with a old friend, whom I haven't seen in a few years. It is funny how sometimes you lose track of friends, but when you reunite, the friendship picks up where it left off. Eli is a good friend from a young age and has been living in Maryland with his girlfriend for over 5 years now. It was great to catch up with him and of course fill him in on my raw adventures of the past.

I have been spending the past few days slightly wiped out from the long drive and needed time to stretch out the legs and just relax. Located a few minutes from Eli's house is the Antietam Battlefield which we would spend a day exploring. Yesterday I got out for a 7-8 mile run along the Appalacian Trail.

I have been enjoying preparing Eli and Michelle lots of raw foods over the past few days. Raw chocolate, green juice and smoothies and the wonders of the Thai coconut!

Today I head out to the land of the Hat where I will be running a 50k trail race tomorrow. Once again, with no major training I will go out and run another ultra. This will be the real start to my training, for once I am back in CT, the training for the Vt100 will officially begin!!

Blessings!

Guadalupe Peak, Billy the Kid, and deep in the heart of Texas!!

With the radiant glow of the full moon beaming through my tent, sleep didn't come to easy. I gave it my my best to sleep in but quickly surrendered to the light at around 6am. I sluggishly removed myself from the warmth of my sleeping bag and took a few minutes to stretch before heading out for the mornings adventure. I got an early start to summiting Guadalupe Peak. The early start would avoid the potential for warm weather, high winds up top and the overwhelming amount of tourists on the trail.
I filled up 2 handheld bottles and began my assent. The trail to the summit is only about 4.3 miles long, but gains elevation rather quickly with 3000ft of elevation gain. The rocky trail is full of switch backs and beautiful views. On the way up I was able to catch a glimpse of 6 or 7 rams hanging out on the rocky cliffs. What a sight!!

Along the way, I would stop a few times to talk with a few hikers. One man, Tom Davis, whom just turned 70, was making his way to the top for the 65 time. His first summit, was at thee ripe age of 18 months when his parents carried him up on their back. Another lady had 40+ pounds on her back as she was preparing to summit Mt Rainer this June.

In about 1hr and 20 minutes I reached the summit and was greeted with amazing views!! I sat down for a moment, caught my breath and was ready to make my way to the parking lot. When you are hiking alone, summits and beautiful views aren't all they can be if you are with company.


Once I was back at the car, I prepared a breakfast of the following ingredients-
3 bananas
1/4 c raw+wild barberries
3T chia seeds
3 finger pinch of cinnamon
2-3T goji berries
2-3T bee pollen
6 dates
All where added to a bowl, mashed up and enjoyed!!

While I was preparing my meal, a man walked up and asked me what I was up to. I told him about my lifestyle and that I was training to run the VT 100. He thought it was great to see people pushing the limits of human endurance. I offered him a taste of my creation but he was happy just to observe.

Once breakfast was over, I jumped in the car and began my journey north. I was hoping to reach Amarillo, Texas by night fall. Along the way I made a pit stop to Fort Sumner, to the grave of Billy the Kid. I was always a fan of the movie young Guns, so I thought it would be neat to see where his remains lay.

I guess you know your in Texas when you see billboards like this-

At 9pm, Amarillo greeted me with gusty winds and a warning for snow in the evening. I guess I am in for a chilly night.

Next stop, The Ozarks!

Road Trip

At roughly 9 am Friday, I said my final goodbyes to my family at the Tree and headed northeast towards Carlsbad, NM. I was a difficult ending for Laura and I, having built up a beautiful relationship over the last 2+ months. We created a special bond, and if and when the time comes, we may meet again. I am happy for her to have been given my position as live food instructor and although she may not have much experience, I know her dedication and passion will make her a great instructor.


Passing through two times zones, I made my way to Guadalupe National Park at about 6 pm. With about 500 miles of driving for the day, my legs where a bit cramped and I felt the need to get in a run before i would call it a night. I found an easy 2.3 mile trail just north of the park and once I completed the loop, turned around and ran it back the other way. Although it wasn't as many miles as I would have liked to put in for the day, it was enough to stretch out my legs and build up an appetite after a day of driving.

As I entered the park, I noticed that the campground was full. I then walked into the visitors center and was told by the park ranger that New Mexico has open land which is free for the public to camp on. I was warned that the land was rustic and may be spending my night with roaming cattle. Perfect!!! I would be happy to spend the night anywhere as long as it was free. When out on the road, I am not too keen on spending 20 bucks a night just so that I can pitch a tent for a few hours.

For me, this would mean a night of solitude. Alone, under the stars with a full moon over head, this is the life!! I found a beautiful spot, set up cam and made dinner for myself. The go to meal of nori, greens, tomato, shallots and avocado, with a smear of tahini, hit the spot.

As I watched the sun quickly dissapear over the horizon, I gave thanks to the Divine for a safe day on the road, my health and good family. Temperatures quickly dropped so after I breezed through a few chapters of Desert Solitaire, I snuggled into the comforts of my sleeping bag and called it a night.

What a beautiful way to start a road trip. Tomorrow, the peak of Guadalupe awaits my feet!!

Stocking up....

With the possibility of going a few days without access to organic fruits and veggies, I decided to stock up in Tucson before my trip. Also,I am proud to say that I haven't bought a bottle of water in over 10 months so 5 gallons of Reverse Osmosis water from the Tree should get me through a few days.
So I stocked up with the following foods-
2 gallons of fresh kombucha
2 dozen bananas
3 tomatoes
2 avocados
Lots of nori sheets
1 jar tahini
5 Lbs hemp seeds
1/2 Lb bee pollen
1 Lb goji berries
wild barberries
raw cacao beans
lemons and limes
shallots
1 Lb MSM
2 Lbs dates
5 mangoes
In case of emergency-Granola

Hopefully this will last until I hit the Smokeys!!

My Last Run in the Desert

As I prepare to leave the Tree, I have to go out for one more run. The moon is out and spring has finally sprung. I feel the need to connect with the high vibration of the mountains, so today's run will be under a full moon. I give thanks to the hills of Patagonia for providing me with a playground to move my body over the last 9 months. This land is so magical and I know it will be tough to leave, but I look forward to my adventures and getting down to business in Connecticut.

I am feeling stronger than ever and with limited working over the next few months, I know I will be able to take my body and my training to a much higher level.

Shalom Shalom Shalom
Peace
Peace
Peace

Another Chapter Comes To An End

Wow!!, I am 2 days away from closing the book on another chapter in my life. On Friday Morning I will depart the Tree Of Life and once again, head east to Connecticut.

I am so grateful for the last 9 months that I have been able to serve here at the Tree. I have had made life advancing changes and have connected with so many amazing people. Having the opportunity to teach people through my experiences has been so wonderful and I hope to continue that throughout my life. I realize that it is part of my dharma to be in service to others and help shine a light out onto the world.

Over the next year, I will be doing quite a bit of traveling. These opportunities to connect with others and share what I have learned here at the Tree of Life will be priceless. I cannot forget the amazing teachers at the TOL who have put in so much time and effort to see this place be a sanctuary for life transformation.

I sit and think to myself about leaving this community and heading back east. Patagonia is very nurturing. No traffic lights nor traffic to deal with on a daily basis. With only 1000 residents, you generally see the same people daily and the ones I work with are very like minded, loving and caring. When you are living in this sort of womb it is hard to think how you can survive anywhere else. It's like when you go on vacation to some amazing place that you have never been to. You don't want to leave and feel like home just won't be the same. What I realize is that the individual makes his/her home what it is. Without showing any negativity towards the Tree, I realize that there is more to life then the Tree. I know Gabriel wants us to share with the world, what we are learning here. I also realize that the Tree will always be here, so if need be, I can return and be in service either in the garden or the kitchen.

I give thanks to all people who have came into my life over the last few months. With love and gratitude I send you my blessings!!

My Interview with David Rain

Yesterday I was asked by David and Katrina Rainoshek of www.juicefeasting.com to take part in an interview for day 16 of the Global Juice Feast. For those of you new to the term, juice feasting is a 92 day "feast" in which the faster drinks 1 gallon or more of fresh fruit and vegetable juices. What makes this program different from a traditional fast is that people generally have more energy to perform their daily tasks without the major detox symptoms of a 7 day to 14 day fast. Each day has a different subject and day 16 focussed on walking/exercise. I am so grateful to spread the word about the raw foods lifestyle and endurance sports Checkout www.globaljuicefeast.com to see the interview!!

Tag, I'm it....

I have just been tagged by Courtney of http://www.courtneypool.blogspot.com, so this means that I need to speak of 5 things that most of you might not know about me.

1-My first culinary experience happened at a very young age. One morning, before the rest of my family woke from bed, I decided to see what kind of art I could create with the ingredients located in my fridge. The only problem was that I would do this in my families newly remodeled family room. Bologna would be slapped against the wall, eggs dripped down the lamp shade, ketchup and mustard where smeared all over the place. I basically dumped out the entire fridge out onto the floor, ceiling and walls. Needless to say my father was not too happy with my version of culinary artistry and I think my bum was a bit sore after this episode.

2-Since graduating from high school in 1997, I have lived in 13 different locations. My travels have brought me to living in such places as Vermont, Boston, Colorado, Alaska, and Oregon. I have moved to various locations in and around my home town of Branford, Connecticut. Besides my last 4 year stay in CT, I haven't lived anywhere for longer than 10 months in the last 10 years.

3-Speaking of Alaska, in 1999, after reading the book Into the Wild, I spent a summer working at River Song Lodge in the Alaskan bush. I certainly did not have any of the adventures as Chris McCandless would, but I did get to have my own little adventures and live in an area surrounded by both grizzly and black bears. I was one of 3 chefs who would run 2 separate lodges , creating all the meals for up to 70 guests a day.

4-In 4th grade, all the students in my class had to give a book report that was to be video taped. We would have to dress up like a character in a book and give the report from the characters perspective. I choose to be the father from the book The Borrowers. Without practicing my lines or giving much of an effort, I went in front of the class with a suit that was way to small for me. Sweaty, nervous, and way to shy, I tried to pretend like I had actually knew what I was talking about. About 30 seconds into the report, I realized I couldn't go on and took the F.
A few years later, I would redeem myself by teaming up with my classmate Stosh and doing a report as one of the Wright Brothers. I aced the one!!!

5-Until going to culinary school, I consumed only 4 vegetables on a regular basis. Raw carrots, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, and black olives were the only veggies that would enter my body. I pretty much lived off of macaroni, bologna sandwiches, pizza, doughnuts, chips, and soda. My favorite breakfast was Cocoa pebbles drenched in whole milk and my favorite dinner was spaghetti and clams. I guess I can say that I have come a long way.

Now it is my turn to pass the torch. I hereby tag-
Suki-www.qito.wordpress.com
Audry-http://fulfillingmyself.blogspot.com
Catherine-http://cathparker.wordpress.com
Catra-http://trailgirl.blogspot.com

Here are the rules: Link to your tagger and post these rules. Share 5 facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them). Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Cracking the Code with David Wolfe

Okay people!! This is a must see event. A rare showing in Rhode Island, David Wolfe will be here to talk about the amazing powers of chocolate. My dear friend Nora has put together this amazing event. Lets show the love!!

For more information, or to sign up check out http://www.davidwolfeatrisd.com/

Hi Caitlyn!!!!!!

WE MISS YOU and shall see you soon!!!!!

To the Home of Ron Burgundy

Before taking off from the Tree I thought it would be a great chance to head west once again and visit San Diego. So Laura and I packed the car and drove along Highway 8 around 9 pm on Sunday night. Since my cross country travels this past summer, i have grown an appreciation for driving long distances. I knew I wouldn't make it the entire 8 hour drive at once so I would put in as many hours I could until I needed some rest. With the music cranking and Laura sleeping, I drove until midnight before pulling off at a rest stop to get a nap in. I would sleep until 4:30 am before rising again and driving another hour before having to rest. I would get a few more hours of rest until I woke to the rising sun out in the desert. The sun rise was beautiful as it rose up over the surrounding mountains. I gave thanks to my surroundings, ate a few bits of cacao and bee pollen and made my way over to the beach.

We arrived in style, and in a dirty car, to San Diego and headed right to the beach. My restless self, couldn't last more than a half an hour in the sun before feeling the need to go for a run. I felt weird lacing up road shoes and wondered if I would be able to handle the strange shoes that are so rarely put on my feet. As I ventured along the boardwalk I put myself into the zone as I passed so many beautiful people. Through my ventures along the coast of California, I have noticed that all the beachs along the western coast tons seem to blend in with each other. Similar bars, lots of dudes, and women dressed to impress.

When we arrived back to our spot on the beach I was treated to a wonderful lunch prepared by Laura. This is one of my favorite meals and so easy to prepare. Romaine leaves, topped with sliced jalapeno, avocado,tomato and shallots. Sprinkled with some seasoned dried veggies, this makes the perfect travel food.



As evening approached, we headed to Cilantro's Live for an amazing dinner. It was so nice to finally go out to eat and be waited on. Laura and i enjoyed a beautiful tomato soup, Thai veggie salad, spring rolls, and tostados. Dinner was topped off with a raw banana split with mint, coconut, and carob ice cream!!! Desert was AWESOME!!! Content and tired from a long stressful day on the beach,we parked the car and soundly slept in the back of the Suburu.

I awoke Tuesday and put another hour out on the streets of San Diego. Right after my run, Laura and I headed to maybe the most intense Bikram class I have ever attended. The one problem with Bikram in Tucson, is the inability to keep the room up to temperature. Proper temperatures should reach upwards of 110*F. The San Diego class certainly reached high temps and the instructor was extremely knowledgeable and gave the class many words of encouragement to take their practice deeper.

After class we headed out to Lakeside, Ca to purchase some goodies from Sunfood Nutrition. Owned by David Wolfe, Sunfood Nutrition is probably the most well known source for raw food products such as goji berries, cacao, maca, and many more exotic treats. It was really cool to be inside the warehouse and see how things are run. I purchased some purple corn kernals, hemp nuts, dried mulberries and barberries.

Laura and I then hoped in the car and began the long drive back to Patagonia. Along the way, we pulled over to one of many check points. As one of the officers brought his dog to sniff out my car, I was asked to pull over to the side of the road. Even though I knew I had nothing hide, I was a bit nervous when 4 officers approached me. Laura and I were asked to step outside my car so that they can let the dog inside my vehicle to further sniff out any possible drugs. Once inside my car, the dog instantly went towards my newly purchased goodies. The officer approached me and was curious to know what lay inside the brown box. I told him of my purchase and he thought the products were a bit strange. This was actually exciting because I was able to talk to these officers about a my diet which they most certainly never had heard of. I told him that I didn't consume any meat, fish, dairy,nor did I drink or do drugs. I then went on to tell them that I am training to run 100 miles. They looked at me like I was an alien,but seemed to be a bit curious to how I can actually live without animal products in my diet.

As it turns out,the dog sniffed out the barberries. The officers finally realizing that we were not carrying anything illegal, sent us on our way. We continued on and finally made it home around 8:30pm. It was indeed a wonderful weekend, and possibly the last time I will visit the west coast for a while.

Food and Fuel

Over the last week or so, Patagonia has been blessed with daytime temperatures exceeding 70 degrees. As much as I am enjoying 80 degree days in February, I can't help but think we are still in for another winter blast. Having seen that this mornings Jelly Legs run started at 12 degrees, I'm not complaining.

Training has steadily picked up and over the last 2.5 weeks,I have been maintaining the following schedule,
Monday-1 hour
Tuesday-1 hour
Wednesday-1.5 hour
Thursday-1 hour
Friday- 1 hour
Saturday-2 hours
Sunday- 1-1.5 hours
I take 1 day off during the week, and which day depends on my work schedule. Generally it has been Thursday or Fridays,but I try to take Monday off.

I have also been experimenting with different fuel sources and lately I am finding that my body is taking a liking to raisin water. I basically soak raisins overnight, then puree and strain the liquid. From there, I dilute the mixture until I have a slightly sweet mixture.

While running I have been noticing that mixtures too sweet in taste have made my mouth too dry and cause me to need more liquids. From what I have been told, the warmer the temperatures, the less sweet my drink should be. This makes a lot of sense to me from a lot of my past races I have run in which I have used very sugary sweet drinks as fuel and after a few hours, I can barely stand to drink anything.

I have been creating an amazing superfood mix to add to my diet which has shown great results
Mix together-
black sesame seeds(kidney enhancer)
chia seeds(omegas)
hemp nut(omegas and easily assimilated protein)
goji berries(contains all amino acids + highest source of beta carotene)
maca root(energy and stamina booster)
bee pollen(natures most complete food)
coconut oil(anti bacterial and antifungal)
honey(lots of enzymes)
Mix well and enjoy in smoothies, breakfast cereals or simply eat alone. This mix is a pure power enhancer!!

The addition of fermented foods to my diet has really helped with my digestion and allowed my body to not have to waste so much energy breaking down food. I have been making Kombucha tea, rejuvelac, and fresh saurkraut. By adding healthy bacteria to the body, foods are more easily digested. It's kind of like, what goes in, comes out without spending too much time going through the digestion process.

One last note. For those of you in Connecticut, checkout my friend Glen's new raw food cafe in West Haven. Catch A healthy Habit Cafe is Connecticut's only all raw cafe. for more information, check out www.catchahealthyhabitcafe.blogspot.com

Well folks,enjoy your weekend!!
Many blessings

Motivation

Every day, before I leave the house I take a peak at my VT 100 welcoming letter. Mr. Bimble's motto clearly states "Constant Forward Momentum"

Above is the montra which came to Gabriel during a 21 day water fast. As one of the 72 names of God, it translates to
Yod Hay Way Hay, which means "That which was,is, and always will be. This montra is used here at the TOL as a toll to go further into meditation. Often times while running, when I get into my groove, I will begin to say this montra while breathing.
I am not one who is comfortable sitting for long periods of time to meditate, but I do find that running is an excellent way to go inward and relax the mind.

I like little reminders, to help keep my goals in check. So every day before I leave the house I take a look and remember what lies ahead. This is kind of like Rocky 4 when Rocky has the picture of Drago on his mirror. Well maybe not somuch like that but you get what I'm sayin!

Be the Breeze!!

Hot Dang I Love Fruit!!

Over the last year or so, since my running has begun to picked up, I have been experimenting with Doug Graham's 80/10/10 lifestyle. Doug is a 25+ year raw foodist and exercise guru. He has worked with many professional athletes through the years, and with dietary changes, has added youth and years to their career.

The 811 lifestyle consists of consuming 80% carbohydrates, 10% proteins, and 10% fats of your daily caloric intake. What he explains, and what I have personally noticed is that when I consume too many fats, my body feel numb,lethargic, and my energy level goes completely down. During training runs,my legs feel heavy and overly tired. On days where I eat "properly" I feel light, energized, and although I may be slightly tired from the previous days run I have enough in me to keep going.

811 is certainly not all about the fruit. Getting enough greens into the body is just, if not more important. Greens like baby kale, romaine, and tender shoots offer many vitamins, protein,and minerals that the body needs to sustain its self. David Rain of Juicefeasting.com recommends 2-3 pounds of greens per day in the form of juice, smoothies, soups, and salads.

It is not uncommon for a 811 athlete to consume 30+ bananas in one day. I personally have gone up to 18 while running a 50 k race. Doug Graham recommends mono fruit meals to start your day. Eat as much of the same fruit as you so desire. Proper food combining is a whole other topic which will be left for another day but I will say that poor digestion is usually caused by not eating properly.

I guess what I am trying to get at is fruit works for me, and too much fat slows me down. Fat before fruit doesn't work, but fat at night after fruit is okay.

Checkout www.foodnsport.com!!!

Back seat banana stash....Just in case