She plays music for me and acts as a cheerleader while I run laps around our local track. I downloaded this really helpful podcast from the National Health Service in the UK, and this lovely lady named Laura has been coaching me through every run. It’s not a huge commitment: just 30 minutes, three days a week. The idea is that within just nine weeks, anyone can build up to running a 5K, even someone like me who just doesn’t do that sort of thing. So after years of Brian encouraging me to try the Couch to 5k program, I finally accepted the challenge. Jump ahead to six weeks ago: thanks to nine years without a consistent exercise routine, two kids and endless batches of chocolate chip cookies, I couldn’t run 60 seconds without being totally winded.
Karen and running are not two words that typically go together, unless you count “Karen’s running around like a chicken with her head cut off.” The last time I ran for any significant distance was through Central Park when Christo’s “The Gates” were up, and that was 2005! I ran five miles on a February morning with white glistening snow all around and bright orange flags blowing in the wind, and I felt like I’d conquered the world. Those of you who know me are probably thinking you misread that last sentence. The other thing I started recently is running. Widgets and plug-ins, and search engine optimization, oh my! And it’s mine, and that’s something I’m proud of. Sure, I probably spend too many hours reinventing the wheel, but I’m learning so much through the process. I could easily have asked Brian to set it up (after all, he’s this guy who can just decide to make a podcast and within weeks get a website up and have hundreds of downloads on iTunes.) But instead I’ve done the entire thing on my own. So I’ve thrown myself into creating this website.
Chocolate skim milk how to#
It was embarrassing that when I got my new camera I didn’t even know how to transfer the pictures to the computer! I decided I had to get it together and make some changes. I just hadn’t made the effort to catch up to the 21st century, but that was getting old. You already know about my food obsession, but what you might not know is that before starting this project my understanding of all things technical was stuck around 1997. Any of you feel the same way? Which is why I started Tasty Oasis. But I realized recently that I need to work on my life balance a bit more and do some things that are just for me so I don’t go crazy. Two things I love, right? So that’s not totally a bad thing.
As a working mom, there are days when I feel like everything I do is either for my family or for my career.