Top Chef

I met Ilan Hall (the winner of the 2nd season of Top Chef) at a wine festival in the early fall. He was smart, funny and very charismatic. For our short conversation we discussed what he has been up to since the show and I professed my obsession with being a vegetarian, running and Top Chef! I asked questions about Cliff, whom I think would have gone a lot further if not for the little wrestling incident with Marcel that got him eliminated from the contest. Such a silly thing to do at such a crucial time..but we all make mistakes!

I told Ilan how I thought Cliff was sexy and he replied "what about me"? I had to tell him my age, yes I graduated from high school a year after he was born. Not a good look, or so I thought..he laughed and gave me a wink. We took a shot together and I wished him success!

My friend Kenya a fellow wine lover and I ventured to the wine festival with no real expectations. We were surprised by the quality of wines from NC. Not bad...Not bad. She gets to do a lot of traveling with her job. We discussed wines from around the world and she mentioned Ethiopian honey wine. How could I forget that delicious nectar. She found a distributor that will ship! I am going to order some for the holidays.

Vegetarianism is not as hard as I once thought. It has become a way of life for me. I find myself eating delicious vegetables and recently I had oysters for dinner....yep, oysters have me craving for more the way bacon used to. The difference is after about 6 oysters...I am done. At a company brunch there was bacon on the buffet and the smell was a bit nauseating. It smelled salty and the fat on it looked a bit rancid. I was like "oh my... I never met a piece of bacon I did not like...and here I am getting sick just smelling a platter full." It was funny! I wonder will meat have the same effect one day?

The run club started last Saturday and I was excited to get out there for the first 1.5 mile. I can't wait for the 2008 Cooper River Run and I plan on continuing on and finding 10ks around the country to continue my running. My next goal this week 2 miles with a great time!

Summer flew by...Oh My!

Oh my...where has my summer gone? I did have a great one, only one little inconvenience, but hey I learned a valuable lesson. What lesson did I learn? Not to sound cavalier...but I learned that some individuals are not worth a breath of air. I consider myself a good judge of character, so no longer will I question my intuition. Some people are best left to their own demise.

As for my summer it has been filled with visits from my brothers, yes Mike, Rhonda and my nephews came to town. I was happy! Lindsey also was in Wake Forest checking out housing. Visited Savannah, Charleston, Atlanta, home and I made several trips to the beach, my favorite's - Hilton Head and the Isle of Palm and went out on boats a few times with friends at Lake Wylie and once at Lake Norman (with the job). I love water...I forgot how much I love it. I do prefer the ocean to a lake, but living in Charlotte has made me appreciative of lakes.

All in all, it was a blessed summer with family visits, a great trip to Greece, visiting friends and I did get to spend some time with Ilana (aka Lulu) and Shantell (see their photos below.)

Of course Lulu and I played princess, we went shopping and we had a ball, we also visited Branson, MO and I love St. Louis! My visit to them made me realize that I could live anywhere! I am considering purchasing a home there and spending a few years in the mid west. I kind of miss experiencing the four seasons. I miss a true fall and winter.

As for the Vegetarian route...I am still on it. However, I acquired a cold that turned into a bronchial infection. So for the past 4 weeks I have been coughing, but it is subsiding. I took time off from running, well I still am using the treadmill. I am excited for the Galloway program to start up again. I had a blast last year and cannot wait. My food choices are much more healthier now that I have changed my eating habits. Here is my favorite website to find great dishes, check out http://www.epicurious.com to find great vegetarian recipes.

Also met some cool dudes from a local band called Audioform. Checkout their myspace site to hear their sound. http://www.myspace.com/audioform . I met Keith's family - Love them! His wife, son and daughter are so supportive..and the rest of the band seemed to have great support from their loved ones. Antonio has great networking skills and is great at making everyone feel like they are part of it. I loved Cool Ass Tony's demeanor, while we did the set up for the event, he played a CD he made earlier. Gosh it was such a comfort to hear songs I loved as a teenager, songs from every genre. I love how cool Tony is ....what a great personality. If he did not tell me he was a musician I would have guessed it. He exudes coolness. As a band they understand how to share their love of music. As I met the remaining band members I was impressed...the trombone player and the bassist, never caught their names, but loved their style. The drummer Audio is exciting to watch as well as listen. This band is on its way...

Also Keith and Tonio of Audioform asked me to help emcee the a festival of short films. You know how I love to volunteer and stay busy. It was awesome! http://www.15filmfest.com/ Where 20 short films and 3 bands were intertwined! It was simply amazing! A great night! Even my friend Vurnel came out..I appreciated the support, especially since it was not his kind of scene or so he said. But he liked the shorts and the bands. I am glad he got out of his comfort zone for a few hours. I left when Idle Hands were playing their last set. But did want to mention them...this trio packed a wow factor! I am going to seek them out and see a show soon!

Charlotte has a thriving underground culture scene..that reminds me of my years in DC and NY.

My Summer Vacation - OPA!

Athens, Greece....this has to be one of the loveliest places to visit. Now add a overnight on Mykonos and Santorini as well, and you have the perfect vacation.

I did a ton of walking, rented a scooter, did a lot of sightseeing and enjoyed the delightful Greek cuisine. I love the history and the way Greeks have honored their history. Amazing country and a lovely place to visit. I wished I had a companion to share the sights with, however my family all had their own summer plans...oh well! I do love traveling with or without a companion. I just met a few folks and became instant buddies. Good thing I can talk to anyone! I did get a great opportunity to relax at my pace, something that should never be underestimated.

So the big question is did I honor my new vegetarian lifestyle? No, I had lamb...sorry, but I was so tempted. I did however, eat very healthy and enjoyed the food, culture, sights and the people.

I am now back (bummer) and on track with my new lifestyle. While traveling I met a young man who told me to read a book about flextarians (sp?). Supposedly the book is about how to bridge the world of vegetarianism and enjoy a modest carnivore lifestyle (meat in moderation? who knows!). I am having a hard time finding the book. But I know I will eventually find it.

My best meal there? I cannot decide....even their yogurt is different and delightful. Lamb never was this tender or savory! Never! I was blown away. Even the seafood tasted as if it was just caught minutes before my meals. Every single meal was freshly prepared and so delightful.... I must go back! I had a blast! OPA!

Enjoy the sights as I did....

Half Marathon Drop Out?

Well...I cannot get past 7 miles. No matter how much training I do, my body, particularly my right hip is resisting every effort to get past 7 miles. Am I destined to be a 10k runner for eternity? Did I rush into long distance running? Not allowing my muscles and body to get acclimated to the thunderous pounding of the pavement?

These are questions I have asked myself for the past 3 weeks. My body gave out the weekend I decided to go to Hilton Head. I thought the change of scenery would be helpful and decided that weekend I would run 7.5 miles on Hilton Head Island. I started out great....my time was excellent. 5 mile in to it I got my rhythm down seamlessly then at the 6th mile, my hip started throbbing. I walked another half of mile and then decided to stop. I ended the remainder of my day laying on the beach and swimming so my hip and leg would not stiffen up.

The next weekend I had to take the Girl Scout Troop to Isle of Palm for their end of the year event. The girls and I had a great weekend. I was a bit sad, because I decided a few weeks back not to return as their leader and I had to tell them. They took it in stride as all teenagers do. I think my time spent with them made me realize that I had some unfinished goals that I needed to focus on. I did not run, but I tried to run that following Monday....same issue but worse. But I was not deterred, nor was a sad. I decided to just start over. I would not continue doing the half marathon program. I decided to focus on my diet and just start running from scratch doing the basic training for a 10k all over again.

As I have been running my basic training session, I had been contemplating changing my diet completely. My friend Nicole has been a raw foodist for about 2 years now and has been touting the benefits of eating raw. I can say she did lose an amazing amount of weight and just glows with positivity. Her old insecurities and other issues seem to have dissipated with her new diet. About 1 years ago I drove to Atlanta to her graduation from the Living Food Institute. I had not seen her in a year, after her move to Memphis and my move to Charlotte, our schedules were hectic, I was travelling and she was embarking on a new journey, changing her life style and was very excited about introducing me to program. I was my usual skeptical self on the drive down, I stayed with my Aunt Pat and jokingly told my Aunt and Uncle I could never give up meat! Before I headed over to see my good friend, I had a great rib dinner with my Aunt and Uncle.

When I saw Nicole I was floored, she was half the woman she used to be! She went from a 12-14 to a size 4-6! I was amazed. She was attending the Living Food Institute to learn how to continue the path of being a raw foodist in a healthier way. I must admit I was ready to sign up right then and there. Just based on her weight loss.... At the graduation we ate delectable dishes that were all organic vegetable and not cooked! I had a lasagna dish that I still crave!
So I brought some books, signed up for the email list for the Institutes emails and really contemplated doing this. Some how it got off my mind...and I was back on meat and my bad eating habits. When I started the 10k program, I started eating only vegetables, fish, poultry and some dairy. I did well..but I realized that food..well some food in particular hampered my running. So I tried cutting out more things, but as a confirmed foodie...it been hard.

Food has been my comfort for years...when I travel by myself, I pick restaurants as my travel gauge. Hell, I spent a few days in San Francisco and my whole trip was nothing but eating at restaurants and walking. I look at those photos and laugh...because I realized I am truly a foodie. I planned my activities based on what restaurants were near the museum, or attraction. Who does this? Foodies do it! I did this!

I want to live a long prosperous life and I am sorry...the beef industry, hot dog industry and a host of other unhealthy food industries may sue me...But eating certain foods make me sluggish and slothful. So I have to make a change. For me! So on June 22 I went to a raw food seminar given by Matt Monarch. While I was enlightened to the raw food movement for the second time in my life. I realized that either I had to quit cold turkey (excuse the pun!) to truly become a raw foodist or if I was going to work towards that, I would have to stay on the path to vegetarianism with more dedication and I needed to be more aware of my diet and not supplement my lack of pork, beef with more chicken.

So I have been chicken free for 2 weeks. It has been hard...really hard. I also started the first steps to a raw food diet, 1 day a week I eat only raw vegetables foods. Today I had about a 2 tablespoons of rice after not eating rice for a few weeks and I felt the difference. Now I need to educate myself on how certain foods work and react. Then I need to identify which ones do not work with my metabolism and eradicate them from my diet.

Next week I embark on my first trip as a ex foodie! I do realize I will have challenges, but I am going to do my best to stay on the path I have set. Stay tuned for my adventures....

Training for a Half Marathon and Turning 42!

I am now training for a Half Marathon...yes I said it! I am not sure I will be able to do a Half Marathon, but my goal is to get past 6.2 miles and to be at 8 - 10 miles.

I have not blogged because my youngest brother (God forbid if I say "little") and his wife came to town... 2x times in a month. Mike is a die hard NYer, but he does manage to visit me wherever I live. He always leaves me with those famous last words..."It's nice here but it is not NY."

The first trip, we had our normal big sister and little...oops younger brother argument. It was frustrating at that moment, but the next day we laughed. I guess in my heart he will always be the adventurous 5 year old I had to tote to all my after school events. No wonder he can cook, sew, play a mean game of volleyball and is great at basketball...he owes it all to me. We spent his 38th birthday with Rhonda (his wife, orange shirt), Cheryl (Rhonda's sister in the grey) and Shante (niece) at a Japanese Steakhouse that had great sushi too!

Their second visit was a blast! Mike and Rhonda were here for a week. I lent them the keys to the PT Cruiser, they really explored Charlotte. Checking out areas I have never been too such as Monroe, going to the suggested shopping spots in Pineville and Matthews; and loving the quaintness of Mint Hill and the surrounding areas. I also managed to show them a new development I love and hoped they would too. YES! They loved the house and the development too...! When Mike and Rhonda were at the airport ready to go home, Mike turned to me and stated "I really like Charlotte!"

That my friends is a major accomplishment!

On Mothers Day I turned 42. I was supposed to drive to the beach. However, I ended up staying put because the forecast called for rain. I had a great weekend, hanging out with friends, shopping, visiting some restaurants and just relaxing! I am getting used to Charlotte, the running and volunteering opportunities have allowed me to meet some great folks and find some interesting places to go.

Going forward.....My new adventure will be finding organic foods and healthy to enhance my eating experience. I have challenged myself to try my best to eat 90% organic food or if I cannot find organic, I must eat vegetarian dishes. So far I found a market I was very impressed with and then I met Beverly during a run. Beverly is a gift from GOD. Why? Stay tuned for the next update about Beverly and the wonderful market to find out why.

Ciao

Southpark 10k

Southpark 10k was great! Not as impressive as Cooper River 10K Run, but it was a nice run, with about 2,000 runners. This pales in comparison to the 45,000 runners Charleston gets for a one day run, but hey, Southpark was still nice.

I Ran the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run!

I did it!

I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run!

I did it! Amazingly I am not tired.....It's Sunday, one day after the race. I ran a 10k, my first and this will not be my last! Let me recap my weekend:

Friday, I took off from work to drive down to Charleston. I got up early and went to drop off some stuff and to run last minute errands. I was so excited I even helped CAM stuff envelopes....LOL! I then went home to pack and to pay some bills before I headed off to Charleston. By 1 pm I was on the road...singing my favorite CD Cree Summers almost all the way. 3.5 hours later I was in Charleston...picking up my race packet. I kept looking at my cell phone to see if Nancy or Beth would call me...but they did not. I wondered if Beth would make it...she was doing this race and pregnant. But I decided to not to worry and to stay focused on me. Because in the end...its all about me!

The auditorium where I had to pick up my race packet was a litany of information about racing and running. I could have purchased anything I wanted, new sneakers, new gear, those addictive jelly beans (I loved them) and even a spa! Trust me I was perplexed about why they had a spa....but then again....I know they made some serious sales. This race program was well thought out and planned. They had a list of things to do, places to go and see when you were not running. I decided to walk around and map out a walking tour for the Girl Scout's trip in June. I ended up walking about 1.5 miles. Then I decided to go check into my hotel.

The drive to Mt. Pleasant was short, but my lack of attention to detail, maybe the hunger factor or the lack of map (I left it at home) made me miss the hotel 2 times. I ended up driving back over the Cooper River Bridge to get my bearing again. I remember John (running trainer) stating the hotel was near a Whole Foods. So I decided to get some food and to ask for directions. Fortunately, Whole Foods has the best and healthiest selection of delectable dishes. I forgot I was lost and began choosing my dinner, nothing too heavy. Just a little pasta, small salad and a protein drink with a lot of water. I then asked for directions, one man, was kind and tried his best to help me, but he was stumped as well. However, he pointed me in the right direction.

I finally got to the hotel and checked in. I got cozy and ate dinner in front of the TV....I may have gotten 5 hours of sleep because of my nerves. Tammy called me and woke me up to chat about men, I hope I gave her good advice. My mind was on running. I woke up at 5 am and made myself relax until 5:45 am. I then got up and ready. By 6 am I was in my gear putting my chip on my sneaker. I was hyped! I drove to the Harris Teeter and got safety pins, bananas and water. I ate my bananas and walked to the start of the race. Okay, note to self....the walk to the start was 1 mile away. It was good because I needed to stretch and get the nerves out.

As I walked I met 2 girls from the run group, they were carrying the sign for the Charlotte Runners group. While walking we noticed a striking Kenyan man running towards us working out his kinks, and we were told he was the winner last year. Wow.....I was impressed with his time. Can you imagine running 6.2 miles under 30 minutes? I just wanted to break my 1:45 minute time. When we reached the start line it was amazing....over 40,000 folks waiting to start the race. I was impressed! How they managed to organize us and to get that many folks to come out is awe inspiring. I guess over 30 years of working out the kinks helped, but I think it has more to do with the organizers and their commitment!

So after the officials made the traditional welcomes and comments, we noticed the helicopters, there were folks dressed as chicken costumes, bull costumes, or as bowling pins, you name it , folks found a costume! Some runners were there to have fun also. I had a great time chatting and talking to folks. Then it got quiet...the countdown began. At precisely 8 am the starting pistol sounded and we started to move, now mind you the first mile marker, it was not a real run...it was too packed. As we wound our way to the first mile, I was just happy to be here. Mile marker 1 and 2 sailed by.......

I most remember the 4% grade of the bridge....now I see why John had us work on hills...because that gradual incline could be the defining moment for most beginner runners. I took it in stride and I was in awe of the beauty of the bridge and took out my camera to get some pictures. The 3rd mile and 4th mile was good...then at the 5th mile it hit me...all that water..I needed a port a potty bad! So as we entered the East Bay neighborhood, I was looking for a port o' potty. I found the the Thunderbirds motorcycle club (a black bikers neighborhood bar) they graciously let me use their facility. I ran in and ran out (literally!) I had to make up that minute and a half. I loved the way folks lined the street giving us encouragement. Thanks to the cheering section at the last .2 miles. Your cheers helped most of us, more than you will ever know! I mean you see the finish line, your legs and body still are moving but it feels like they keep moving the finish line back. Or so it seems....

I ran my hardest to the finish and was told once I crossed to keep moving.
Gosh?
No champagne? No congratulatory kiss from Michael Jordan? Gosh... it was my first race in 24 years...I thought I would get something.

Okay....so I kept moving. I got my medal and I got water, bagels, oranges, bananas and apples more than I could carry.

I then headed to a bench and sat down....I was amazed I was not hurting...I was calm and so happy. You would have thought I won the race. I had a huge smile on my face. Me and about 21,000 other racers. We are all winners! I sat and listened to a man from Memphis chat with his wife via his cell. He told her, he finished in 1 hour and 9 minutes, his best time! He thought he could have done better if he had ran on the outside at the beginning of the race. Good idea..I thought....I will definitely use that technique in the future. He got off the phone and asked me my time. I said I think 1 hour 45 mins....but I was not sure when I actually passed the start line. He reminded me that my race did not start at 8 am, it started when I crossed the start line and my chip time would be my official time. I was like YEAH!...so I may have a better time! Reminding myself....I may have beaten my 1:45 minute time.

After the race, I decided to head back to the hotel. The organizers had the shuttle buses take us back to the start of the race. What they neglected to tell us, was the start meant the tail end of the start where the last registered person started from. Not a problem except that I had to make another port o' potty stop and after the driver dropped us off 2 miles from my hotel, I panicked and stopped in the Mustard Seed restaurant to use their restrooms. I mean I could NOT even make it to the port o' potties 2 blocks away, let alone to my hotel a 2 mile walk. I was told only patrons for the restaurant could use their restrooms. I grabbed a menu and picked a lunch item. I then paid and proceeded to the restrooms. I asked if I could go to the hotel to change, then come back and eat. They graciously agreed. This was the best thing I could haved done....I happened upon a organic vegetarian restaurant and the food was delicious! I thought this day could not be more perfect! After a great morning and wonderful healthy lunch. I did some shopping and hit the Tanger Outlet! What a fantastic day!

Sunday: What was my official time?

I am proud to announce...I did beat my 1:45 time. My chip time is 01:39:59.....I did it!!

Bib

FName

LName

City

State

Age

Sex

ChipTime

ClockTime

Overall

SexPl

DivPl

AgeGrade

31833

SARAH-MARIE

MILLER

CHARLOTTE

NC

41

F

01:39:59

01:45:45

21051

10078

941

31.6%

Notes for the next race, I will start on the outside and no potty breaks!
The next race is April 14th!
Thanks for all who supported me in my effort!

10 Days To Go - Cooper River Bridge Run!

Last year, if someone would have told me that I would be running a 10k race ten days from now, I would have laughed! Now with 10 days to go, I am! I owe it all to John Lineberger, who runs Charlotte's Galloway Run/Walk program and the supportive women in my group!

Especially Beth and Nancy! And other the two ladies with the addictive jelly beans! w0w...i still crave those!

The program is great! The emails with suggestions are very helpful and the discounts are wonderful too! So cheer for me Saturday at 8 am as I start across the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston.

I am so excited! This is the best thing I have done in years! I plan on running with my camera to take shots of the race. Stay tuned!

I ran 5 miles!

I did it! I ran 5 miles on Saturday, not the required 4.5, I had the audacity to make it 5 miles. The trainer gave us the option of 5 miles, my dumb ass followed the team and not the 2 older ladies I normally run with. Next thing I know I am struggling and two older ladies slow down, crossed the street and give me some encouragement and decided to help me get up the last hill. They gave me some jelly beans with some kind of kick. I am serious these jelly beans had electrolytes and other ingredients that are I guess some kind of runner's crack... It worked! I got the extra kick and when I finished I was hyper. I went off to run errands and then from 3-6 pm I worked the cookie booth sale for my girl scout troop.

This Saturday I am set to run 5 miles, and I will add the extra half of mile. I am going to do it because my body needs to be ready for the race. I am determined.....Hell! I am driven.

Plus, I love how running allows me to feel empowered. I feel as if I can do anything!

I am women.... hear me roar!

PS...this photo is from my recent trip to LA...the demon next to me was rubbing his sin on me! Gosh if only that was Reggie Bush or Michael Jordan! My luck it's some youtube freak!

Where in the hell is Sara?

Long time...No blogging...
What have I been up to? First, my board commitments, girl scouts, a few trips and work have taken a chunk of my time.

The biggest accomplishment was on January 20th, I participated in my first training session for the Cooper River Bridge 10k Run. It was 2 miles and I felt good after. Every Saturday I make my way downtown to join the other countless runners who are getting ready for the March 31st run.

I am most proud of myself...I am very motivated to do other things, such as volunteering for different causes, but when it comes to my health I tend to slack off. I credit two things that got me to realize that my health is important.

1. Gerald Levert's death....That was a complete shock for me and the rest of his fans. Yes, he was slightly overweight...but my goodness, I have seen 300+ lbs individuals live longer lives....I really started thinking about health and its importance!

2. On January 12th, my sister-in-law's brother Mark died at 40, when I got the call I was shocked. Mark was about 6'1 with no body fat. He had the energy of a 20 year old. I was shocked! Mark was the family jester! He always managed to enter a room, tease someone and make everyone laugh. He always managed to show up at my brother's house when the BBQ grill was lit and drinks were the coldest. He is really going to be missed. I know the Miller's BBQ will never be the same!

This prompted me to sign up for the run and be committed to it. Each week an additional half mile is added to the course and as of February 24th (this Saturday) 4.5 miles is the goal. March 17th is the 6 mile marker!

I will not lie to you, it is hard. I did have a hard time with hitting the 3 mile mark. I did not hydrate myself properly and suffered later that evening. I have also found that after a run, I cannot wear heels for at least 1 day. This is hard for me, because I love high heels. I have purchased flats, which for the record are ugly and boring! But hey, they work for my calves and my foot arch.

As for my foodie pursuits...Trader Joe's is coming to Charlotte! I cannot wait! I found a new restaurant that I love, Aquavina! My old usual haunts are still there....I just do not have a full appetite, so a regular meal is now 2.5 meals. Yep! Something is happening....LOL! The other night I had celery sticks for dinner. Can you believe that? Yep, that is all I craved for....Mind you I had a perfectly roasted chicken in the refrigerator! But no....my tummy thought that was too heavy! Geesh! After I run on the treadmill...my desire to eat lessens, so I know something is happening! I have eaten more tofu than should be allowed, for some reason I find myself ordering it at Chinese restaurants...someone please check me for a fever! Tofu and Sara? Geesh.....yep...something is happening.

I have not weighed myself...I just want to feel the difference in my clothes. And trust me when I say I do. I am geeked about doing this race! Nothing can stop me! I plan on making it regardless of what happens.....So cross your fingers and keep a eye on the blog! As it gets tougher I plan to write out my frustrations! I hope to carry my camera during the race for shots of the crowd and to chronicle my journey. Hell, it is my first race since high school....ummm some *counting on my fingers.....wow....ummm....*swallowing hard* 24 years ago! Yikes! Where did time go?

Congrats to Tammy J for her new career move to Revolution Health (Steve Case's new venture)!

Check out Revolution's website it is cool!
Be a part of the health care revolution!

Rest in Peace Gerald and Mark...2 great individuals and entertainers!