There are several things that I never imagined I'd ever say before going Paleo. One of them is "This salad could really use some bacon." Another is "We'll just take one more order of chorizo" when asked if I'd like to order some dessert, and finally,"I'm free after CrossFit," or really anything that involves me doing a pull-up or putting weight on a bar. 


I have been a runner for almost a decade. It changed my life, and it is in my bones, and I will always identify as a runner. I was on an amazing team with amazing people and running changed my high school experience for me, and then I went to college and running got me through a lot of that, too. I still run with some of my girlfriends from cross-country, but we mostly do it to catch up and have a chance to talk in the midst of our busy lives. So running has turned from what was a team sport to me into a mostly individual thing--something I do with my iPod or an early morning mist. I love what it has become, but there was something missing from my recent exercise experience. 

It was motivation, and I've found it.

The things I love about CrossFit are the same things that I first loved about running. This is also a team, and, like my old one, we're tied together by incredibly specific things. My cross-country team's Pasta Parties have been replaced by CrossFit's endorsement of Paleo. My wonderful friends might not be in the gym every morning with me, but there are plenty of amazing people there to cheer me on when I feel like quitting. 

Most importantly, I have never felt stronger; never more aware of the potential that lies within my body. And the compliments I've received in just three weeks about the looks of my arms and shoulders? Well, those help, too.

Every day, CrossFit reminds me of where I came from, and encourages me to get to where I'm going.

Breakfast has become one of my favorite Paleo meals, but that's because it usually consists of some eggs, coffee, and a lot of bacon. So when my new friend Sarah asked me about my take on egg-free Paleo breakfasts, I was actually not sure what to say for a few minutes. I didn't have any advice! Then, I remembered something good. Smoothies!

I like to throw a couple handfuls of spinach into my fruit smoothies because it makes me feel sneaky. You can't taste it and if the color doesn't bother you, you're really not going to be able to tell the difference. Unfortunately, a smoothie doesn't keep me full nearly long enough, even with spinach. So, I threw half of an avocado in the blender, and it did the trick!

Ingredients:

Makes one big smoothie or two smaller ones.

1-2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup strawberries + blueberries
(fresh is good but frozen is fine)

1-2 tbsp honey (more if you like)

1/2 of an avocado

1 banana

8-10 large ice cubes

1. Put ingredients in blender.

2. Blend.

3. Pour into a cute jar and drink with a straw.

I've been meaning to post a recipe for a while, but I haven't actually cooked anything in a while. Packing, writing, and Chinese delivery apparently go very well together. And if Rob is busy for dinner, I usually just end up throwing a salad together or heating something up really quickly for myself and calling it a meal. So when Rob had a meeting at six last night, I figured I'd just eat leftover Chinese food or heat up some soup for dinner.

But my brother went on a deep-sea fishing trip over the weekend and came back with a load of fresh tuna, and you don't just let fresh caught wild tuna sit around in your refrigerator. Sean was supposed to come to Charlottesville with my mom yesterday and help us move furniture, but the poor guy wasn't feeling well. He made up for his absence when my mom handed me four tuna steaks in a plastic bag from his aforementioned trip.

I'm not someone who gets easily intimidated in the kitchen, so I thought it was funny that four uncomplicated pieces of meat were able to make me feel so nervous about cooking. They seemed precious to me, like a little gift--four pink jewels that my brother had labored over and caught with his own hands. They were so perfect, even in their rawest state, and I feared that I might destroy their impeccable simplicity.

I stood in the kitchen for several minutes, trying to decide how best to prepare them. The sushi-loving part of me wanted to just slice them up and eat it raw, but I finally decided on a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper, and then onto my grill pan.

I poured myself a glass of wine and ate my tuna. I was so hell-bent on enjoying it hot and fresh, as soon as it was ready, that I didn't have anything else prepared to go with it. No vegetable, no salad. Green beans are allowed to sit there in the refrigerator for another day. Just tuna and a big, chilly glass of Pinot Grigio for me. It tasted like the ocean and summertime.

I managed to save a piece for Rob, but it was a pretty close call.