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20-Jul-2010 Brahmin Food Rituals
I have started to make myself a proper breakfast now : I soak one Expresso cup of pepita seeds, one Expresso cup of dates and one Expresso cup of oats in boiling water to cover for 24hrs then mix in a blender. It is fantastic.
I also take lunch to work, never in a plastic container, must be glass with a metal lid.
Sounds like some weird Brahmin food rituals I read about – some Brahmin’s only eat food at their house, and it must only ever be cooked by a certain cook. I realised that the only food I eat has come from my kitchen cooked by myself.
27-Oct-2009 Weekend
So after my last post (Thurs evening), it’s been interesting.
Late Thurs night (12:20am) I went for a run. I wanted a good hit out without risk of tripping in the dark, so decided to run along Bundeena Drive to Maianbar turn and into Maianbar – not really advisable during the day as a fair few cars and no pavement. But at night running on the road is ok. Most of the way was in the middle of the road with torch turned off. I went quite quick. Its about 5km up hill to the turn then about 3-4km down to Maianbar. I felt like I pushed most the way, plus the sheer adrenaline of running in the dark, looking over the hills. Very still and beautiful – luckily a warm night so just in singlet & shorts. At Maianbar I went down to the beach and crossed the water to Bonnie Vale. It was half tide so was waist deep. The torch shone into the water which was crystal clear and was warm and it was very surreal. Then a good dash back into bundeena arriving at 1.40am, a quick shower and hop into bed. Some nights you feel like you could just go on forever and its a shame to actually stop. Needless to say I was very sore on Friday.
Yoga in Darlinghurst on Fri evening, then a $8 masala dosa at Jaipur Sweets on the way home. Yoga generally makes me float down the street afterwards – the high is probably even better than running:
“It is the only subject where the subject is not also the object.”
The yoga posture (the “object”) is the subject of the class, but the yoga posture is not the POINT of the class. The point of the class is what happens to you, in your body and mind, when you do the yoga. I think it’s to remind people that the purpose of coming to yoga is to heal your body and your mind, instead of just trying to do a really great standing head to knee pose. You still need to work on standing head to knee pose, and study standing head to knee pose, and try to do it better every time you do it! But at the end of the day, the pose ITSELF is almost irrelevant. What matters is the process… and of course, the results of that process.
On Saturday I ran with the bushies at Helensburgh. Great photo of the Bushies in their new tops, but I only managed running 10-15mins before I went over on my ankle. I would say it wasn’t my fault – some people were talking and I was paying more attention to what they were saying than watching the crappy boulder-strewn track we were running on. My fault I guess.
I hobbled back to the start and went home, and went for a swim instead. Actually 2 swims (one with the missus). Then in the afternoon we went to yoga in Caringbah. On Sunday I did 2km swim in the pouring rain at Sutherland pool and then went in the sea again in the late afternoon.
Monday I was cactus, stiff and tired and of course the weather was shit-house.
a lifetime serving one machine
is ten times worse than prison
30-Jun-2009 Not Red – Reading & Thinking
where to start?
well I did a race, fatass but not by name and no I didn’t organise it, and it wasn’t even mentioned on CR. I estimated 3h 30m but did 4h 08m in cold rain. still I was a bit disappointed. not that I came nearly last (I don’t actually care about the position) but how can anyone run nearly 2hrs faster than me on a 4hr run! winner was 2:21 (results). I mean I actually ran fast on some of it. really. and I totally knew the course and didn’t stop or fart around etc. I must be some miserable middle-aged has-been !!
Next I bought this cool kitchen gadget and been making spaghetti radish, beetroot, zucchini etc so been having a lot of salads. Even the kids been getting into them. Also making some pesto (pine nuts, basil, bit of oil, bit of balsamic – NO CHEESE, vegan).
Bookwise – have been tucking into the books again – I read The Road to Wigan Pier. George Orwell has been a recurring author through my life. The book is fairly depressing, but his portrayal of socialists closely matches many I have known. I don’t think I have ever voted labour, or classed myself as a socialist but have been close to it at times. Ultimately socialism (and communism) lost because people are just too f**king greedy and selfish, but Orwell didn’t see it like that, but it became clear in post-war America, Europe and then Asia.
I was then lucky enough to buy Red China Blues at a market in Bundeena for about $4. This rammed home the point about why communism and socialism failed the world over and will continue to fail (without some big arse government like Mao’s pointing a gun at your head).
Anyway I am reading something a bit lighter now – Jesse Martin’s Lionheart (you know, the kid who sailed around the world solo).
Last weekend I felt totally cactus – its been pretty busy and fairly stressful at work. Working long hours. Worse is that I have been getting up at 6am/6.30am to walk the dog. Its ok generally, nice gentle walk along the beach etc watching the sunrise come up, listening to the waves lap etc, but to be honest if I get up that early I want to go for a run! Anyway didn’t even run last weekend, just spent the time reading and perfecting home made chai.
I barely answered any emails, and that includes CoolRunning stuff. A shame as sook is away and me and vurt are on a go slow. I feel like I am over everything and need to quit everything and re-charge my batteries. That’s what I want to do. Re-boot. Start afresh. Come back as a better runner.
We had some computer troubles and were one down (we have 3 permanently connected and shared for all in the house, not counting my netbook which is not shared) and when I fixed that I decided to do a proper backup. I use the free option within Mozy to store my main files online but have other archives also.
Websites – I read a lot about all sorts of things – here are a couple that I highlighted and thought about. neato:
How to feel like you have time to read everything – Only losers say they don’t have time to read blogs.
Why Technology Can’t Fulfill – technology generates fake choices, meaningless options, or real choices that are really entrapments. This is an argument worth exploring because there is some truth in it.
11-May-2009 Sunny Days Are Here Again
The drought has been broken – on saturday I ran for the first time in 3 weeks – I had twisted my ankle and wanted to wait until it was properlyhealed. I went for 8km and it felt great, although I will be cautious to not over do it. the sun was shining and it was just a great day. warm. I went for a swim in the sea afterwards. what more can you say ? just perfect all round.
I also went kayaking with the missus – warm, sunny, flat water – just ideal. good job too as work has been a total bitch – leaving early (7.30am) and not back until 8.30pm most days so feel I have accomplished nothing in real life.
We found these in the supermarket and have been having veggie pasties etc. Note the big vegan sticker. cool. the kids would have it everyday I think but we are trying to not over do it.
I also found some lasagne in the cupboard and made a nice veg lasagne with a cool cheese-less sauce over the top : tahini, crumbled tofu, a splash of lemon juice, a dollop of plain flour and either water or our watery-home-made soy milk then whisked to make a runny sauce – goes thicker in the oven.
16-Jul-2008 Losing My Religion
thankfully I am not referring to my running!
Last weekend I did not check email, not my own, not coolrunning, not sixfoot. nothing. Its was great and I didn’t miss it. It feels like since 1994 I have got myself onto this treadmill of email/constantly connected etc. Now I think I will use it for what I want when I want. Actually its great living in a place with crap mobile reception as I usually leave the phone at home when I go out locally. only take when I am going to work or somewhere with reception. On cr I was saying to people to use the report! button to flag a problem, but I might not read it for 24hrs+. other moderators might though.
I had a good run saturday – actually it was a combo – mtb to the middle of bush, dumped bike and ran over sand dunes and saw wallabys and deer, crossed a creek, bush bashed like a dill brain and ran back to bike and pedalled like a crazy f**ker. got home wrecked.
On sunday I did have visions of going to the striders run at berowra – I used to host the run there for like 8 or 9 years and so never did the actual run. there is a new host (alan wareham -many thanks I thought the run was a gonna). But I could not face a 4.30am start, and a 90km drive. In the end I got up at 9.15am and ran for 2hrs with the missus. We had a great run. I massacred her, so the training is going well. I think she even enjoyed it. I think we were both totally pooped when we finished so read the paper for a few hours. Sunday pm we all did a bike ride on lady carrington drive. 7yr old whining – my legs hurt, my arms hurt, its too rocky. we also did a long walk on saturday with her also along the beach.
monday I barely even checked my emails. up at 7.45am and out the door approx 8.10am. busy all day. home at 7pm, went running approx 7.30pm-8.20pm. bath then made dinner. juiced a carrot, used juice and pulp. made like a tahini from “juicing” sunflower seeds. lightly nuked it with mushrooms, spinach, lemon juice & vinegar. fruit platter for desert (faves at the moment are quatered oranges, watermelon, rockmelon). quick check of cr. don’t think I even did much email. my run was great – bonnie vale in the dark BUT I ACTUALLY RAN FAST/SPRINTED for some of it. I am really getting fitter. (I might even be losing weight…)
read this on the gaping void blog – it so reminds me of me!
10-Jul-2008 Sick As Pig
Last week I was feeling very cactus – not bad enough to take time off work mind you, but enough to feel shite all week. It was funny as the previous weekend I had been very virtuous and woke up and said to the missus “I feel feel fantastic” jumped out of bed then it all went pear shaped. one of my daugthers had it first, then she climbed into our bed and that’s what gave it to me.
that weekend was a kid’s birthday party and we had approx 8, 7-11 year old girls camped out at our place all weekend. very trying. it was soo cool though as we did egg and spoon races and sack races on the beach.
we sent our eldest daughter (age 12) to hong kong for 2 weeks to stay with a cousin. I was the bad old father for deciding to buy her a ticket as she originally didn’t want to go, but now she is there I think its ok a bit more.
this weekend everyone went out so I had a couple of quiet hours at home. Jason Murphy dropped off some recycled runners at my house – many thanks for the long trip south. I was too ill to run so went for a walk on the beach. I quite like the peace and the waves. I picked up some rubbish as I always want to make the best of my time.
On the Sunday I did go running, and found a track I was looking for, only a bit on hands and knees! I found some deer bones also. But I need to go back a bit more to find a runnable track.
I have still been a bit under the weather this week and have been running, but no ocean swimming. I am in love with bonnie vale I run there A LOT, nearly always in barefoot, which is strange as I own a running shoe company (!)
On the diet front, I made steve pavlina’s green juice – a banana, fresh spinach and water bended up. the missus didn’t want me to waste a banana and refused initially to try some, but one of the kids did and liked it. she reneged and tried some, and also liked it. It sounds like it will be crap but was lovely and smooth – just fab. really.
Been emailing with someone who wants to write a book about cliffy and reckons they have a publisher all lined up.
the bad news is that sook has gone walkabout and left me feeling lonesome for 5 or 6 or 7 weeks (its too long to count). she is doing such a great job on answering cr emails and helping people. she makes me look like a real loser to be honest. We probably need someone else to help (post news stories to the homepage, answer emails and stuff like that). We also need a new secretary as Jen is also going walkabout – sounds like for a long time. she is helping me draft the “rules” of CR – who runs it, how the committee is run etc. its slow work. This on top of the new treausrer – moondust – although we haven’t got her started properly yet. Need to pull my finger out. lots of fingers even.
reading : my signed copy of project sahara
listening to : Jonsey’s Jukebox podcasts
This post was originally on my coolrunning blog, and it got some comments:
Colsy: Geez Kev, banana, spinach and water? Doesn’t the spinach get wrapped around the blender blades?
Me: just.try.it. – maybe start with more banana and less spinach but if you have a good blender it is amazing. really.
sook54: Hey Kev nice to know I’m missed 
Sorry to hear about you feeling yucky. Hope it passes soon. I’m here in Darwin for a couple more days I’ll see if I can spare an hour or two somewhere to help out while I have internet access.
MissZ: That juice sounds truly revolting. But I am gonna have to try it now.
Tim: its cool how banana and greens work. You can just wrap a banana in a lettuce leaf and it works. the green drink is gold when it comes to health. I have been slack and have not had one for a while. I like banana and parsley. hope you are feeling better mate. i guess even green drinking, barefoot, winter swimming, trail runners get sick sometimes.
27-Jun-2008 Raw-ish
I guess I should just be a bit clearer from my previous post about a raw diet, or thoughts about it.
At the moment I stopped cooking my porridge. For a while I have been soaking it for a day or 2 or 3 – cheap “quick oats”, pepitas and cut up dates with a 50:50 mix of homemade soymilk and so-good. I just have it raw/cold with a small amount of maple syrup (a teaspoonful). Now its just soaked and eaten.
For lunch I might buy a couple of apples, a couple mandarins and a banana. approx $3.50 – surprisingly cheap when compared to even fruit salads, or regular salads – you can $5 for 2 mouthfuls. Sumo Salad is a total f**king joke the price they charge. I don’t have fruit all the time – I have a love affair with masala dosa and also sometimes a macro burger. But I am thinking about being more hard core which is always the first step.
In the evening I try to make sure I have a big bowl of fresh fruit and/or fresh juice – and amazingly the kids love it too. However I do love beans and rice so definitely not even close to raw. although I do often juice a carrot and put the juice and pulp into the meal. wicked.
Its funny that most of my blog posts are so late at night, well not really, am a busy puppy during the day. It would be better of course if I didn’t spend half the night reading and meandering down the alleyways of the internet (was a big Mob, Crass, Portobello Rd-fan). And watching videos was never much of a billy bragg fan but he’s pretty cool – and this pisstake is even better).
CR Stuff – I picked up the shorts last weekend – didn’t pass them to amjan – was slack. so posted the remainder myself. will get them to her. The shorts are good, the inner is ok for the time being but will probably cut it out at some point. the pocket (with velcro) is f course really good. overall I am really happy with them.
running – nah
This post was originally on my old CoolRunning blog, and I had the following comments:
Tim: I just blogged using the term raw-ish. Now I read your blog. Too funny. We are on the same wave length. I really like some of Billy Bragg but I think it was the accent.
20thCenturyBoy: Levi Stubb’s Tears, Greetings from the New Brunette, New England – 3 of my favourite Bragg songs I never tire of!
undercover brother: you and tim are twins.
and thats not a complement
i gotta get me some of those shorts!
bro
cakeboy: One of them’s off her food
the other ones off his head
and both of them are off
down the boozahhhh….
…….nice to see he has a few fans left still….geez I’m gettin old….
Colsy: I get a bit choked up when I see the ‘New Brunette’ clip.
But I usually want to get my Revolutionary Army together for “Waiting for The Great Leap Forward”.
25-Jun-2008 Running Smoothly
My running is going smoothly. Check out my running log:
https://kevintiller.com/sport/running/
I have migrated it to google docs, which is a totally superb piece of free engineering technology. Whenever I update the spreadsheet, its updates on my website. how cool is that. let me know if you want to do also. I moved my website to google sites (a free wiki).
Anyway, as a consequence I have been more tired than usual. And work is busier than usual. I try to leave home by 8am and get home by 7.30-8pm. gmail is blocked at work and so I usually do a quick squizz of emails and CR in the morning – approx 7am-7.30am and then again approx 9pm. I keep up to date with the forums during the day but that’s only light relief ! Luckily CR is cruising on ok, looks pretty busy. Sook is doing a very sterling job of keeping the emails under control. (she might disagree!)
I have done a few runs along Bonnie Vale late at night, I leave my shoes at the end of the beach and run barefoot, often running thru the seawater. Maybe a swim at the end (I expect swimming in the dark by yourself is a big no no, so please don’t tell anyone!!). Run back. Even a 40min run is VERY exhilarating. I feel like I am almost back to a daily habit, a few more months and I will be doing ok I think. I ran with Dawn on Sunday for a bit then started on my other little hobby – finding tracks thru the bush that are not on any maps. Been spending my time in dead ends, on hands and knees etc. But found so great tracks. It’s really exciting and I guess not a chore so am really looking forward to doing more. Spending time zooming in on satellite maps on google maps. I have also found a lot of mud – Sydney doesn’t have much mud in general, and I miss it. I even had a shoe sucked off on Saturday and I arrived home covered in mud. If I did the route in reverse I could have washed off when I crossed fisherman’s bay (long wade and short swim – I do some wacky runs!)
Anyway not only am I doing some barefoot runs (only on sand) but I have started experimenting with more raw food (and reading up a lot about it – that’s what I stay up late reading at the moment). I have been thinking about it for quite a while and have been tinkering around the edges. definitely I can’t see myself being a raw vegan, but skewing it a bit more in that direction seems to be making me feel better.
I don’t think it’s influenced by Rudi, but more by Tim – I guess I consider him a mate and if barefoot and raw is interesting to him, then I thought I should have a closer look at it. I have found that whilst running barefoot, and bush-bashing on other runs, I am becoming less interested in watches, races, times, gear etc. I feel like ita s return to “earthy matters”. Actually I read a post by tim yesterday (about ipods but transferable to my situation). I started running knowing nothing, but just hitting the road every night, no races, no times, no clubs etc. It was winter when I started so it was just me and the wind and rain and recently that is EXACTLY what I have been feeling like – me, the wind and rain etc.
I have been toying around with drawing routes etc on google maps as the main documentation tool – will link from the running guide part of CR when I get around to it (one recent example).
ps thanks for the comments on the blog, must try to post more regularly than once a week….. still on training wheels (how long can I keep using that excuse for?)
This was originally posted on my old CoolRunning Blog and I even got a comment :
Ellie80: Hey Kev, I am also intrigued by raw-ism and have tried a few times but find that it takes a lot of effort, and I am a bit of a lazy bugger. But would love to more. I think I scared myself off with a truly horrific raw pasta that I made… let us know how it goes!
Kevin Tiller 
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