a juice plan, and an insane challenge

Today I had an appointment on my lunch break - I had to go pick up my keys for my new apartment.  That didn't leave much time for eating.  I ate about a half a cup of my rice and lentil dish as I rushed out the door to the appointment, but that wasn't going to run me far.  So when I got back, I quickly made a nice glass of fresh juice and took with me.  This one's a winner!  It is called "Bright and Alert Juice" and I'm sure it's supposed to be a breakfast dealy, but the thing is early afternoon is by far my lowest energy time of the day, so I figured it was worth a shot that the juice might live up to its name.  Here's the abbreviated photo story:

Ingredients:  1/2 pineapple,  carrot, 1 apple, 1 celery stalk

Finished product.

And the taste:  Eat your heart out, Orange Julius!  This is some goooooood stuff!  


I forgot to notice whether it made me perkier.  Too busy to pay attention.  I guess that's a good problem to have! 


I was complaining to my daughter that I didn't quite know how I was going to juice once I move.  I prefer doing it at lunch rather than breakfast, for the simple reason that ever since the harrowing 9 months of morning-noon-and-night-sickness I had when pregnant with my (now 22 year old) son, I still struggle quite regularly (not every day, but regularly) with morning nausea.  So an all-fluids breakfast sounds like a gamble on a morning upchuck...no thank you.  


It has been easy, living where I work, to just wander down the hall on lunch break and make whatever I want for lunch, in no particular hurry.  My plan to bike to work after I move (a 30 minute commute) means no going home for lunch, starting next week.  And I'm pretty sure juice made in the juicer has to be consumed immediately, for maximum vitamin absorption.  I mean, I never READ that anywhere, but it makes sense to me - it's raw, after all.  So, no making it ahead of time.


My lovely daughter pondered all that and called me up today on my lunch break, while I was at the new apartment, and she made the coolest suggestion:  what if I leave the juicer in my office, and just bring veggies and fruits each day to make my lunch in it?  


WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA!  I'm gonna do it.  I have access to a sink, which will be a great spot to run the juicer.  I can juice for lunch 5 days a week (and I had been thinking I wouldn't mind walking a bit on my lunch break, which would be EASY carrying fresh juice) and I won't have to think of what's good to pack for lunch - it'll just be a matter of quickly choosing a recipe and tossing the ingredients in a bag in the mornings.  If I want a boost on the weekends or in the evenings at home, I can make smoothies in the blender. 


In other news, a certifiably insane but very dear friend has challenged me to join her in a true athletic feat in September:  a triathlon.  300 m swimming, 13 miles biking, 3 mile run.  OH.  MY.  GOSH!!!  I mean, the biking part would be easy.  And the run is absolutely possible.  And I could even do them both on the same day...I'm quite confident of that.  But here's the thing:  I am one of the slowest cyclists I have ever seen.  I am one of the slowest runners I have ever seen.  But my cycling and running are JET SPEED compared to my swimming!  Uhhhh.  She's suggesting just shooting to finish, not win, and that's definitely the best I could do.  I just have these visions...I did track for just a little while in high school (dropped out before the end of the season) and my event was the mile.  If I remember this right, a mile was 4 times around the track.  


The other runners ALWAYS finished at least one full lap ahead of me.  So the event was, like, totally over except for little ol' Karen, toodling away like that rhinoceros at the end of the animal parade in Jumanji. Hard on my pride, especially when I finished breathing so hard I wanted to puke - and this was at a size 10 or 12. 


I think a triathlon would leave me even further behind the others than even THAT. 


Ugh.


I say ugh because...I'm prayerfully considering it.


Darn great friends, anyway.