A (Mostly) Good Run

A view from my run.

We had some fantastically warm days last week, and I took advantage fully by running on the boardwalk.  Finally, after months of snow and ice covering my favorite running spot, it's clear!  The sky was overcast, which I sort of like.  There was practically no one around, mostly just me and the sea gulls.  I was perfectly warm in shorts, a long sleeve shirt, and a windbreaker.  It's been so long since I ran this route, it felt amazing!  In fact, I pushed myself a little too far to cover my usual route too quickly.  Weirdly, my hip started to get a little pinch to it when I was almost home.  I didn't really think too much of it, because I was almost done and it wasn't too bad.  The thing is, it got worse as the day went on.  I've never experienced a hip injury, and as you can imagine, it sucks.  I've been icing and resting it, and I keep hoping it will heal up so I can get back out there.  There is nothing quite like the soft ocean breeze, the sound of the waves and the boards, and the feeling that warm spring weather is coming soon.

Happy New Year!

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Happy 2011!  It's a balmy 53 degrees here at the Jersey Shore.  Plows and front end loaders scooped up most of the snow that was blocking the roads, and now the sun is doing the rest.  Yay!  I could almost feel spring and longer days around the corner!

It's time for resolutions, so here are some of mine.  I like to think of them more as wishes or goals because some of them are pretty out there and it's really not a huge deal if they don't happen in 2011.

1.  Go to Southeast Asia. Eat Thai curries in Thailand, scuba dive, see ruins in Cambodia.
2.  Surf.  Anywhere really, but preferably in warm water with waves that are challenging but not completely terror-inducing. A trip to Hawaii, perhaps?  Maybe Puerto Rico or Costa Rica?  I don't know!  I might end up just buying a wetsuit and surfing New Jersey.
3.  Scuba dive.  Somewhere warm, clear, and tropical.
4.  Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida.  I've read all the books over and over, so to have the book come to life would be amazing!  Is butterbeer vegan?  I don't know, but I'd like to find out!
5.  Use less sugar.  This is coming straight from the sugar-heavy holiday season, I've had too many cookies.  Maybe use brown rice syrup and agave in place of it in baked goods.
6.  Run a 5K.  There's an annual Harbor Seal 5K in Seaside that raises money for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.  That sound like a good fit for me!
7.  Get crafty.  I want to learn how to make cool stuff like here and here.  I have a glue gun, now I want to use it!

Warm Vegan Travel Wishes, Still Stuck in the Snow

The Jersey Shore/NYC snow situation is still totally crazy!  My car has been completely snowed in for days because of the intensity of the snow.  Major highways have only now began to open one lane.  There's about three feet of snow everywhere!  My snowbound brain has led me to websites that show warm beaches.  My restless feet just want to go to the beach and take pictures.  It seems that other snowbound people have made some footpaths through the snow, so hopefully I can get up there today.  

I've been on a tight budget lately, so upcoming travel is going to be tricky.  I'm determined to make it work though, and dreaming is free!  I have miles saved up on a few airlines, so not including airfare, these options might actually work.  Since I'm surrounded by snow right now and really love the beach life, I want scuba, snorkel, and surfing experiences.  Delicious vegan food and good coffee are sort of a necessity, though I have been known to do without while traveling to really cool places.  Here is a random list of places I've been thinking about lately.

Puerto Rico

Kayaking in a bioluminescent bay, surfing waist to chest high waves, sipping pina coladas after scuba diving...sounds pretty good to me!  There's a bunch of vegetarian listings for PR on Happy Cow.

Costa Rica

Surfing, diving, hiking, I've always wanted to go to Costa Rica!

Miami

Flights from the NJ/NYC/Philly area to Miami are pretty cheap, and I remember finding a hotel bargain in a really good area smack dab in the middle of South Beach.  

Hawaii (remember, this is not including airfare)

I've been to Kauai, and to this day it's one of the best places I've ever been.  Now I'd like to try out Oahu or Maui.   There's gotta be some budget hotels there, right?  I'll find out and keep you posted!

Blizzard at the Jersey Shore

On Christmas, I went to the beach for a quiet moment and snapped a few photos.  Little did I know that in about 24 hours, an epic blizzard would hit, and the entire Jersey Shore would be blanketed in more than 2 feet of snow!

The total amount of snow in my town is officially 30 inches.  It's crazy!  I couldn't open my back door so I climbed out a window to get to a shovel.  The most shallow snow was over my knees, making it really hard to walk.  Needless to say, the shoveling didn't get done.  Snow drifts were intensely high, completely covering cars!  Streets are completely impassable, plows are getting stuck and are being diverted to emergency situations.  Thank goodness I went food shopping on Christmas Eve day!  We've been watching TV, reading, drinking hot drinks, and eating yummy food.  Here's an organic TLT (tofu, lettuce, and tomato) with avocado on toasted whole wheat bread.

I want this snow to melt!  Here's a cool time lapse video someone recorded near here. 

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Happy Earth Day

Harbor Seal, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Photos and food from the Florida Keys and Miami coming soon...

Macadamia Blondies and the Beach

The months of July and August are like a long, extended vacation for those of us lucky enough to live at the Jersey Shore. For some of us, the beach is just steps away from our homes, and it seems like the beauty and sunshine are ever present. Labor Day weekend can be bittersweet, as the water temperatures are warmer than ever, but the end of the summer season is close at hand. Lucky for me, I live here year round, and September brings smaller crowds to the beach! Here is a bunch of photos I took over Labor Day weekend, followed by a pic of the super scrumptious Macadamia Blondies from Vegan With a Vengeance.

I didn't make the caramel sauce that was supposed to go with the recipe, but I found the blondies to be perfectly sweet enough, with a buttery smoothness from the macadamias. I loved them, and I'll probably make them again soon!

Vegan SPF and Green Sun Safety

(Top photo taken at Sapphire Beach, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, bottom photo taken at Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands)

It's not easy picking the right sunscreen, whether you spend every day at the beach, or just a week here and there on vacation. Spending a lot of time in the sun can be really bad for your skin. On the one hand, you need some sun exposure so that your body can produce vitamin D, on the other, UV rays are known carcinogens. In addition to the scary possibility of skin cancer, too much sun can make your skin age faster than it should. I'm super picky about my sun protection since skin cancer runs in my family, and I've done almost ridiculous levels of research on choosing the best sun protection.

Needless to say, I love the beach, and I spend a lot of time in the sun. It's not always easy to find a high SPF (SPF 50 or more) vegan sunscreen, especially one that has mostly natural ingredients, little or no petrochemical-derived ingredients, and is considered safe by the Environmental Working Group (see the Cosmetic Safety Database). Generally, I look for physical UVA and UVB blockers that sit on the skin rather than getting absorbed into it. The two big ones are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Most zinc oxide and titanium dioxide particles are micronized, so they sit on the skin but allow the lotion to sort of "disappear". If they weren't micronized, you'd likely end up with a white film all over you.

Nature's Gate Aquablock SPF 50 is 100% vegan, and the best sunscreen I've tried. You can generally find it at Whole Foods or natural food stores. It goes on white since its active ingredients include zinc oxide, but once you rub it in, it's clear. While it's water resistant, it's always best to reapply any sunscreen after swimming/snorkeling/surfing/whatever. Reapply often. Even if you don't get that wet, and you're just chillin' on the sand. That's really the key to effective sunscreen use.

While I love Aquablock, I've read really good things about Mexitan 100% biodegradable, all natural (and vegan) sunscreens, and they make an SPF 50 version. It's more expensive than Aquablock, and not as readily available, but it has a lot more attractive qualities in that it's all natural, 100% petrochemical free, and has a better rating on the Cosmetic Safety Database. Mexitan uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and unlike Nature's Gate and many other "natural" sunscreens, Mexitan does not include oxybenzone. Oxybenzone, also known as benzophenone-3, is a chemical sun screen that can get absorbed by the skin and has been known to mimic estrogen. I haven't actually tried Mexitan, so I can't personally recommend it (yet).

California Baby products also got high ratings for safety from the Cosmetic Safety Database, are all natural, and most of their products are vegan (their diaper rash cream contains lanolin and sunblock sticks contain beeswax). I've tried their bubble bath and love it, but I've never tried their sunscreens, so I can't vouch for them (yet!).

In addition to the SPF 50 Aquablock, I love Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30, which is labelled animal cruelty free. I can't speak for all of the Peter Thomas Roth products, but I can say that this mineral-based powder rocks it! It has really simple ingredients. Basically, it contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, mica, silica, corn starch, vitamins A, C, and E (antioxidants), and willow bark extract to help with inflammation. It just adds extra sun protection to my face, and it makes it feel less lotion-y at the beach. You can also try Eminence Organics Sun Defense SPF 30 powder, which has the added benefit of being organic, but it's way more expensive. Jane Iredale Powder Me SPF 30 is also similiar but a bit more expensive than the Peter Thomas Roth product.

If I'm going to be swimming, surfing, or snorkeling for a good amount of time (which is almost always the case), I also put on a high SPF rashguard. It's like a T-shirt for the water. Just another assurance that you won't burn your shoulders or back. Patagonia makes some good ones that are made out of recycled polyester. Of course, there's cheaper ones at places like swell.com or your favorite surf shop.

Back on the beach, I always wear sunglasses and a baseball hat (less squinting and more sun protection for the face). Also, don't forget your lips! Lavera is an organic, vegan cosmetics and skincare line from Germany that makes an SPF 15 lip balm. Arbonne makes an SPF 30 lip balm and is vegan as well.

If you're going to be traveling and want to bring your vegan sunscreens with you, you can put them into little travel sized containers like these from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Even better, use The Urban Vegan's idea and reuse your old airline approved bottles.

Enjoy the summer sun and stay safe!

(Photo taken at the Jersey Shore!)