W30D12

ECD4: 2 hours of Primal activity.

Today I did my first so-called Primal workout. It wasn't high intensity, but I definitely felt tired during and after it. What can I say? Running around the park and crawling over and under trees and branches can wear me out. We started off the afternoon with warm-ups/stretches and then left the running path to head into the "woods." jumped over bushes, climbed trees, and bear crawled under tree limbs. After we emerged from the wooded area, we then bear crawled across the grass to a few bleachers, where we bear crawled up and down the bleachers before jumping off of the bleachers and then climbing the chain-link fence around the nearby baseball field. Yeah, we were kind of all over the place. And we had a cop watching us the entire time we crawled around. It was a bit creepy.

After crawling around for a while, we ran/weaved through some trees before finding ourselves at a playground. Man, I miss playgrounds! I think we all need to make more time for playing. Because seriously, running around on playgrounds, sliding down slides, and jumping across bridges. Why did we EVER stop doing this. After playing around there for 20 or so minutes, we headed into another wooded area that had fallen trees everywhere. (Thanks to our last hurricane for all of the excellent trees to run on.) I felt like we were running through a bog. My feet were sinking into the mud during the times we couldn't stay balanced on trees. Let me tell you, ponds/mud/bogs are a pretty good motivator for maintaining your balance.

All in all, it was awesome. I really REALLY want to do it again. I can't remember the last time that I just played around outside. I've spent time outside doing organized activities like running or rowing, but I haven't done a random jaunt around a park picking up tree limbs and throwing them around. I've got a few scrapes and bruises to show for it, but that's kind of what I signed up for, so I'm pleased with the experience.

And to go along with new things, I tried out a new Brussels sprouts recipe. What do you think?

Lemon and Onion Brussels Sprouts

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

15 Brussels sprouts, halved

2 Tbls minced fresh basil

2 Tbls lemon juice

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes until translucent.

2. Place the Brussels sprouts, cut side down, in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice and basil, cooking until the flavors have fully incorporated. Serve and enjoy.