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Thursday, November 17, 2011

An actual link to the new blog

Because my last post was written on my iPad it didn't hyperlink the URL.

So...two ways...

Click HERE to go to my new blog

OR

Click http://fittalker.wordpress.com/

Come on over and say hello!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I'm moving...for now

I'm so frustrated with blogger that I've moved over to WordPress. http://fittalker.wordpress.com Come see me there and if anything changes I'll update both spots.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Frustrating update

I have so much to say since it's been so long since I've posted. I'm writing from my iPad again which while great is also super annoying since I dont have a keyboard and can't upload pics or copy and paste. :( That aside... I have a couple of spin rides to post but that will require a little more time. This past weekend was the NYC marathon which my sister once again ran. She rocked it and did it in 3:29, which is about an 8 minute mike the whole time. Nuts! It was a fun weekend with beautiful weather. Food wise I'm doing well. I've been watching my diet for a bit over a month and have lost just under 5 pounds which is awesome. I feel great! Health wise some of my earlier issues have come to a head making November a tad more eventful than I would have liked. I'm have my deviated septum fixed on nov 22 which has always been the plan. However, I'm now having another surgery on nov 18. That one is for the previous issues. It is surgery but it's quick and should have a relatively easy recovery. Add this to the fact that I'm seeing trans Siberian orchestra this weekend and it translates to me not teaching my Saturday class again until December. I'm not happy about it but I have no choice. So that is an uber cliff notes version of what is going on with me. I will be back soon...promise.

Monday, November 7, 2011

I have a virus

No, I'm not sick, but my work computer is. My work computer is a laptop so it's what I use about 90% of the time. It has a virus that has totally stumped my IT folks. The weirdest thing is, it wont let me access blogger at all. I've drafted up posts but can not get online to publish them. So here I am apologizing from my iPad. I will try to use my desktop in the meantime so I can blog. I'm sure my lack of posts has left a huge void in your lives. :)

Friday, October 28, 2011

I really am here!

Wow, it's pretty much been a week since a post.  But I'm back.  I will apologize in advance for the fact that this post will probably be pretty random.

I'm back on the east coast and couldn't be happier.  Business travel (to this specific location) just doesn't do it for me.  Some highlights...
  • Only in this town does a dinner at Ruby Tuesday's get me so excited!  In a town that normally puts french fries on their salads, a menu that offers mashed cauliflower and spaghetti squash is off the hook!
  • One night I went for sushi with a coworker.  Fine.  They give you the full sushi menu where you mark off what you want.  Lots of offerings, nice.  They also give you a menu, OK.  I open the menu and the first two items I see are gnocchi and chicken parmesan.  WTF??  Yes, the menu was pretty much all Italian.  Thankfully the sushi was good, but I was a bit scared.
  • On my last night I drove back towards the airport and stayed there.  Hello civilization!  There were tons of restaurants, granted most were chains, but it was still a vast improvement.  I went to Smokey Bones for my first time.  LOVED it.  Is it really good or had I just spent too much time in rural-ville?
  • My flight yesterday was at 6a so I had to set my alarm for 4:30a.  Ugly, but do-able.  However, around 2:30a I started hearing weird noises at odd intervals.  Then my phone went off. I got up to check it and the noises started again, coupled with some moaning.  Yup, you guessed it.  Gross!  So on went the TV and out the door went my hope of a good nights sleep.
The early flight was because I had an appointment for a physical, which as you may know is booked way in advance.  I went for my blood work last week and when she took my blood, my right arm ran out of the blood towards the end and my hand started tingling.  I've had blood taken a billion times so this concerned me.

At my physical I mentioned this to the doc and was relieved to hear her say that it was due to the person taking the blood from me and her technique, not me.  Phew.  Overall the physical was good, I believe she said "perfect".  There's nothing like a great physical to let you know that everything is OK.  I wasn't expecting anything, but you just never know.

I do think it's important to go just to get everything checked out every year or so. I'm trying to impart this believe on Don Juan, especially since he has some risk factors in his family history.  Why do men not get it?

And now spinning...
I taught last night which was just what I needed after days away.  Decent turn out, still no energy but at least the bodies were there.  Mid-class someone starts pedalling backwards.  UGH.  I've pretty much had it with the fact that this happens so I called him out...on the mic.  I felt bad and said that I just didn't want him to get hurt.  I then followed up with that I know one instructor has you do this, but it is WRONG WRONG WRONG.  I really need to talk to management about this.  Hopefully the guy I called out doesn't hate me, but if he does, at least he won't hate me and be injured. :)

Halloween ride tomorrow, need to do some sprucing up tonight on it and will then post it.  I'm dressing up as another instructor, who no one likes.  He's one of those guys who dresses like he's about to ride the Tour de France and then doesn't even sit on the bike.  He's odd.  Hopefully I don't run in to him but if I do, I'm just a "cyclist".  Mean or no?  DJ thinks it's mean, I think it will be funny, and I will not name names.

OK, thanks for reading my ramblings.  Sorry I don't have any fun photos to show you.  I'll work on that.

Have a fabulous Friday and a fun weekend.  Be safe with all the Halloween festivities!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I'm not missing

Sorry I've been bad with posting, somehow the days have gotten away from me.

I'm currently on the road for work but will try to get a post up in the next day or so.  Until then...

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Smile for today




Each year I love to get the Halloween forwards with dogs in costumes.  I have yet to receive that this year so I found some fun pictures on the internet and figured I'd take a moment to share them.

Sometimes distractions are such a wonderful thing.









OK, that's enough.  I could seriously do this all day.  Have a good smile!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Germ season



It's that time of year when everyone seems to be getting sick.  It's this time of year that often makes me want to walk around with a mask and rubber gloves on.

I'm not a germaphobe, not even close, but still...

In most spin classes, you're told to wipe down the bike after class.  That's all well and good for the next person, but if you're concerned for yourself, try wiping down the bike before class.  You don't know who touched those handlebars before you and while they should have wiped them down, they may not have.

I had to run to Staples today.  I walked up to the cashier who was hacking a lung up in to her right hand.  Gross.  No antibacterial, no tissue, nothing.  But I had no choice, she was the only cashier.  OK I thought, that's the hand she's holding the scanner gun with so it won't touch my stuff.  Half way through she started coughing again, this time using her left hand.  Really?  Did you not learn the "cough in to your arm" concept?

I meant to wash my hands the second I got back to my office but I forgot.  I'm just hoping that in that time I didn't do any damage.  It grosses me out just to think about though.

It's that time, so be careful!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Some food and some spin

Happy Tuesday!

My work computer has the "google" virus.  Does anyone else have this?  I guess there have been a few articles about it.  You do a google search and then when you click on the results you get taken to some spam-y website.  It's very frustrating.  Thankfully I can just avoid google and all is good.

I'm all over the place today but figured I'd share some random things today.

Around 5pm yesterday DJ decided to roast a parsnip that we had bought at the farmer's market last week.  Some woman there said they were DELICIOUS, so we gave it a go.

Not a fan
Yesterday I went to the cycling studio again.  This instructor is billed as former military and former DJ.  Interesting combo, right?  I was definitely excited to try his class.  The verdict?  It was OK.  Good.  Not amazing which is what I was expecting.  I thought his music would be remixed and fade from one song to another (which I love!), but it was just music.

Speaking of fading, do any of you have software that you use and would recommend for that purpose?  Please let me know if you do.

The class again went by soooo fast.  He did the strength part as the first song, so we got it out of the way early on.  I'm still mixed about lifting on the bike since I think that the angle of the body when sitting up straight in the saddle just isn't right for weights.  Anyone?

After class it was home to relax and have dinner.  DJ came up with this cabbage concoction.  It's pretty much just cabbage and some bacon with all the fat trimmed off.  It's pretty and tasty.

Pretty and tasty
This morning my breakfast was a masterpiece (if I don't say so myself).


You're probably thinking "but wait, I thought you were watching what you ate".  I am!  Those are healthy pancakes!  Big shout out to Julie at Peanut Butter fingers for her Banana Bread Protein Pancakes.

So good!  The recipe is on her page, but it's just old fashioned oats, cottage cheese, mashed banana, and an egg (I used egg beaters today).  Add some sliced bananas and sugar free syrup and that is a breakfast for a champion (or me!).

These are my newest obsession.  They keep me full longer than other breakfasts and are a good source of protein and whole grains.  I made them yesterday too which meant that I set my alarm extra early so that I'd have time to make pancakes before work.  Crazy, right?

I'm off to lunchtime TRX today, fun times!  Happy Tuesday!!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Got my head spinning

Good morning and happy Monday!

I'm definitely not ready for it to be Monday (yet again) but I'm going to fake it.  Come on caffeine, kick in!

How were your weekends?

Mine was nice.  It was low key but with enough going on that it didn't feel like a waste, or leave me feeling like a lazy bum.

It was a rather spin-centric weekend.

Saturday I taught my usual Saturday morning class.  I used the ride from Thursday night.  I had planned on cutting it down to 45 minutes but after much thought decided to keep it just under an hour.  My class is the last spin class, so there was no issue in running late.  It went well.

Sunday morning I went to the new spin studio in the next town over.  DJ and I had originally signed up for a 7:30a class on Saturday but then decided Friday night to cancel.  To make up for it, on Sunday we signed up for an 8:30 and a 9:30 class.


The studio was nice.  It's a small retail space with one spin room.  The spin room is tiered.  There are 3 levels and there were 30 bikes.  They were Schwinn's.  The room had adjustable lighting, two mounted rotating fans, and a nice sound system.

Apparently all classes there include an arms workout.  At the beginning of class you are instructed to grab a mini-body bar.  At some point during your spin ride, you take a break, sit up straight in the saddle and go through low weight, high rep exercises with the body bar.  The first class did this at the very end, the second class did this about 3/4 of the way through.

Both classes were good, but different.  The instructor of the first class was very much about proper form (which I liked). His music was varied (some good, some just OK).  The instructor for the second class was very high energy.  However her personal form was horrible and she did a few contraindicated moves.  But her music was good.

Each class runs 50 minutes and they flew!  There's no clock in the room and I didn't have a watch so I don't know how long we actually spun for.

I'm going back tonight for a class with an ex-military guy who is also a DJ.  So curious!

The last spin related thing this weekend happened at a bar.  I was out with two friends (a couple).  They told me that that morning they had taken a class at one of the clubs I teach at.  They then told me that the instructor had them PEDAL BACKWARDS FOR AN ENTIRE SONG, INCLUDING SPRINTS AND ISOLATIONSWHAT?!?!?!?!?! When she told me this it was like someone had stabbed me in the stomach.  I was furious.  However now I know why I've seen people pedalling backwards more at this gym than at any other.

What would you do?  I was thinking about talking to management.  But first I need to be sure that Keiser doesn't support this.  Anyone?

Now go have a great Monday!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

TGIF and a spin ride!

Happy Friday!

This has felt like the longest week ever!  Work wise I have a few things to take care of today but I need to get them done ASAP since I'm spent.  My motivation is gone for the week!

Here's a neat little spin related video
It's a commercial for something but it's in French so I have no clue what it's for.

After all my comments the other day about my Thursday night class, I was very pleased to have a great turn out and some decent energy.  The guy who teaches the class before me (happens to be a friend of mine) but he said "this place is dead, I only had 13 people, your class is going to be empty".  Is it bad that I got some satisfaction out of him being wrong?

I threw together a new spin ride, going in to class a bit unsure as to how it would fare.  It was very straightforward and I was worried that the riders would be bored.  Well, I can't speak exactly for the riders, but I loved it!  It was go-go-go for the entire hour.

I found this ride on pedal-on but like to think my execution made it a bit more "Jessica-style".

Without further ado....here it is...



Having just typed this up, I realize that it looks pretty confusing and complex.  It's not that bad, but it does require a timer or stopwatch of some sort.

It's essentially a pyramid or a ladder.  You do the same movements every time, but the length of each movement changes.  The first round is :30 seconds.  There are 6 "moves" so that comes out to 3 minutes.  The end of every segment has a :30 surge (pick up) which stays at :30 regardless of the segment time.

I tried to match the music to the duration as best as possible but sometimes it didn't work, therefore you have to adjust a bit.  If the song was longer than the segment I let them use the extra as a brief recovery before hitting the next hill.  In all cases I coached them that the first part of each segment (on the flat) could be used as a recovery if needed.

Resistance is added for each movement (except the surge).  I played around with the variations here and just how heavy the hill ended up being.

I'm teaching my 45 minute class on Saturday and am going to try to shorten it a bit. I will let you know the modifications that I make.

Enjoy and happy riding!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Farm fresh

On Sunday, Don Juan and I tried to go apple picking.  However, this particular orchard has one road in and one road out and everyone else seemed to have the same idea.  It was a zoo!  After sitting in traffic for a while, we resorted to back roads, made it there, saw how packed it was and said "nope!".

On the way back to the highway we hit up a farm stand I used to visit regularly.  It was on my commute home a few years ago and I loved being able to stop there weekly.

We loaded up...
fingerling potatoes
tomatoes
basil
white eggplant
butternut squash
turnip
kale
cabbage
fresh eggs

It was great!  In to the produce drawer it went and I told DJ that we needed to use something in that drawer every night.

So far we've been pretty successful.
fingerling potatoes  baked a bunch on the grill, still have a few leftover
tomatoes  gone the first night, tomato and basil salad
basil  see above
white eggplant
butternut squash
turnip
kale  used on sandwiches and made in to kale chips
cabbage  made stuffed cabbage last night (recipe to follow)
fresh eggs most of these were boiled

Butternut squash has a long shelf life, so that's good.  Just need to get to using the eggplant, turnip, and the remaining potatoes.

Normally DJ does the cooking.  He's really really good at it and enjoys it.  Yesterday he commented that he wanted stuffed cabbage but didn't know how to make it (the shock!).  Then he let me know that he had two softball games at night, so dinner responsibility would fall to me.  Bring it!

In addition to helping you track your foods, Weight Watchers has a really solid recipe collection.  So instead of searching online, I just searched WW and found a recipe for turkey stuffed cabbage.

Considering that this is a "healthy" recipe, it came out pretty well so I figured I'd share it.
1 head(s) green cabbage (medium)

12 oz uncooked ground turkey breast
1/2 cup(s) onion(s), diced (chopped)
1/2 cup(s) cooked brown rice, regular or instant
1 large egg(s)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth

Remove 8 outer leaves from cabbage; place leaves in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover leaves; set pot over high heat. Bring water to a boil; boil until leaves are pliable and soft, about 10 minutes. Drain; when leaves are cool enough to handle, cut off thickest part of vein from bottom of leaves, leaving leaves intact.


Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine turkey, onion, rice, egg, garlic powder, salt and black pepper; mix well.

Place a small amount of turkey mixture (enough to fit in the palm of your hand) onto center of each leaf. Fold in sides of leaves and then roll up tightly from one end to other, making sure filling is fully covered by leaf.

Pour a small amount of tomatoes into stockpot so a thin layer covers bottom of pot. Place cabbage rolls in pot, packing them tightly to prevent opening during cooking; pour in remaining tomatoes and broth. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve hot. Yields 2 stuffed leaves and about 1/4 cup of sauce per serving.

Note:  I found the sauce to be too thin so I mixed together a rue (flour and water) and then whisked it in to the sauce, thickened it right up.  I also seasoned it a bit with Adobo because as the recipe is written, some might find it too bland.  If you have extra meat or cabbage that rips, just make meatballs and throw the torn cabbage leaves in the pot.

Do you like cabbage?




Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I don't get it

Yesterday at work was NUTS, and as a result I couldn't find a spare moment to post.  But I'm here now.


Source
I did a search for low-energy spin and this came up.
So pretty, I just couldn't resist!
 I subbed a class last night.  I subbed the same class the week before.  I did that intentionally, to give the members a bit of consistency.  Thing was, aside from two of my friends, there were no repeat riders.  I could take this personally, but I'm not, because honestly, I don't think that was the case.  I think it's a bit more indicative of how weird this particular gym is.

I get NO sense of community at this gym.  Having taken spin for years before teaching it, I saw how friendships and camaraderie develop in spin classes.  In some classes, pre-class chatter is almost annoying because everyone wants to talk to and say hello to everyone else.  Not at this gym.  I honestly wonder if people even talk here.

I figured word of mouth would help me get the class going, and while that's still possible, I'm just not sure that anyone at this gym has other gym-friends.  I've been teaching my class at this gym since June, so that's about 4 months and not much has changed.  The only constant is how inconsistent the class attendance is.  Of course we'll see what happens now that the weather has cooled down, but it still strikes me as odd.

And class energy?  Not here.  Yes, I've taught a few classes where I could feel the energy of the class, but it's rare. 

While it may sound like I'm complaining, that's not my goal.  I'm just puzzled by this.

Have you (as an instructor or a member) seen this?  What is your gym like?  What is your personal gym-style?

Monday, October 10, 2011

What not to eat at work

Good morning!


Source
Breakfast today consisted of 3 hard boiled eggs (only at the yolk in one).  While it didn't bother me, I'm pretty sure that this is one of the top foods that you should never eat in an office you share with other people.

Normally I'm here solo, but today I'm not.  I was not letting this stop me from eating my hard boiled eggs for breakfast.  I hope they didn't mind.  I didn't put the shells in the garbage though, they're in a sealed container, so maybe that helps.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I was planning a re-vamp of my eating habits.  Well, that revamp officially started this morning.

After much thought, I decided to join Weight Watchers.  Aside from on this blog, I'm not publicizing this because I'm just doing it for me and don't want to hear what others have to say.

Technically my weight is in the healthy range.  However I feel that losing a few pounds would be ideal.  Since I workout regularly, my issue is really just food.  I love food.  I know what I should eat and shouldn't eat and while I usually stick to that, I don't always.  Lately I've been more flexible than I should be.  I chose weight watchers because I hope that it will keep me accountable.  By having to share my eats and my weight with something (I'm doing it online), I can't just expect to overindulge without consequences.

I did Weight Watchers about 9 years ago and loved it, so I'm hoping for a similar experience.

Since I don't have many readers and those of you that do read aren't at all judgemental, I'm hoping that no one criticizes me for this choice.  But since I do talk about food and share recipes here, I wanted to provide full disclosure.

Nothing will really change since I always make my baked goods predominantly so that others can eat them. :)

In other areas....

I mentioned that I bought a Living Social coupon for a local cycling studio.  My first class there is next Saturday and I'm soooooooo curious.  Seeing as each class is normally $25 I'm expecting it to be great.  I really hope I'm not disappointed.  Full review post-class.

OK, time to get to work.  Happy Monday!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What a difference a year makes

Tomorrow marks a year since I've been dating my boyfriend.  I'm not writing this post because that is all that significant, but rather because it made me think back to how things were then, and how they are now.

Last year...
I was single.
I was out of work (with the exception of teaching Spin).
I taught 5 classes each week.
I lived in a one bedroom rental.

This year...
I'm quite happy with my boyfriend.
I have a job, actually 3 (1 full time, 2 part time).
I teach 2 classes each week.
I bought a 2 bedroom condo.

Yes, I know that there are plenty of things that didn't change, but those are some big ones that did.

In some ways a year feels like a looooong time and in other ways it feels like a few months.  I think in general it's just interesting to pause and take stock of where you are now, versus where you were.

I still like to think everything happens for a reason, so I guess we will see what the future holds!

I'm hoping the immediate future (i.e. tonight) holds some new spin rides.  :)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Running slogans?

My sister is once again running the NYC marathon this year.

Last year she ran with a friend and their slogan was "Real Athletes Run Like Girls".

This year she's in need of a new slogan.  I hit the Internet and came up with the following...

Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.
Sweat + Sacrifice = Success
If you can read this...we're just warming up.
No one ever drowned in sweat.
We've got more legs than a bucket of chicken.
(front) Seen by spectators (back) Seen by the competition
We have the best set of legs in town.
My mom told me never to chase boys, so now I leave them in my dust!
We're not pretty fast, we're pretty and we're fast
Got toenails?
Our workouts are longer then our shorts

I'm not sure she's in love with any of them but figured I'd put a call out for any clever ones that I may have missed.

Stay away from her!

Good morning and happy Tuesday!

Last night I went to the gym after work.  On the to-do list was 15 minutes on the stairs from hell followed by a 2 mile run and then some light weights work.

What actually got done? 13 minutes on the stairs from hell, 75 squats, 15 push ups, and 10 cross fit push ups.  Then I went home.

(What is a cross fit push up?  I saw them on the ESPN Cross Fit Competitions.  It's a pushup but you start out lying on the ground, extend your arms fully, then come back to the ground, lift your hands for a second, and repeat, or at least that's how they did them on ESPN.)

What happened you ask?  Well that's a good question.
The stairs always get my heart rate up and leave me out of breath, but within reason.  Yesterday however I really couldn't breathe.  My heart rate was sky high and my chest was burning.  I tried to hang in there for those last 2 minutes but really couldn't.  As soon as I got off the machine I started coughing.  First just a little cough here and there but within minutes I was fully hacking up a lung, to the point where it almost sounded like a lung was going to come up.  I was able to get things under control after about 5 minutes but the burning still lingered so I didn't dare go near another cardio machine.  If someone was coughing like that near me, I'd surely run the other direction.

I'm guessing it was chest congestion so I did those few other exercises and then sent myself home.  I thought maybe it was a warning of a cold so I called it an early night.

I feel fine now but am off to TRX in about an hour and we'll see how that goes.  Plus, I'm subbing tonight, so another test.

This reminds me of one of the first times I tried to run.  This had to have been at least 15 years ago.  I ran (maybe) a quarter of a mile to end up at home gagging over the toilet.  Nice, right? 

Going back to the planned run, I found that a certain segment of one of my spin rides is perfect for banging out 2 miles at varying paces, so I wanted to share it.

Warm up - I usually walk around 3 to start, moving up to 3.5 or 4.0 for about 5 minutes.  For this I'll just keep my ipod on shuffle.
The run....
The Bongo Song Live (8:38) - This song has a solid beat and two parts that are very conducive to sprints. I'm slow so I usually start at 5.5, working my way up to 6.0 and then hitting 7.5 for the sprints.  Whenever I really need to recover I go back to 5.5 trying not to stay there for too long.
Dog Days Are Over (4:13) - Get to 6.0 and keep it steady there, bringing the pace up to about 6.5 or 7.0 on the chorus.
Have a Nice Day (3:49) - Try to stay between 6.0 and 6.5 with accelerations on the chorus if I feel like it.
There's one more song but I'll have to add it in later.

Overall it's about 20 minutes and just over 2 miles of running (obviously depending on your speed).  Perfect!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Happy October!

HAPPY OCTOBER!!

I do love October, but I'm really not OK with the whole fall thing that's happening right now.

And while this cooler weather does make me want to run more, it's yet to happen.

Last month I wrote about making a bunch of changes to my eating and working out habits.  I then followed up saying that those changes just weren't going to happen and that I'd try again in October.  Well, it's October now and I'm ready.



Full disclosure here:  I'm fit and i'm healthy but I could probably stand to lose a few pounds.  I'm not unhappy as my happiness isn't driven by that sort of thing, but I just want to feel like I'm at my best and I think by making a few modifications that can happen.

My goals (yet again)
  1. Re-vamp my eating habits (more on that in another post)
  2. Work out regularly
  3. Cross train
  4. Run more
That's it.  Seems doable to me, espeically because I've succeeded at all of these in the past.  I think that this year life just got in the way.  So many things happened that other things had to fall by the wayside.  Yes, it was always temporary, but now I want to make those things non-negotiable.

I'm ready.  So here we go again.  I will keep you posted and share any things I learn plus I'll continue to share my spin rides as I'm also really hoping to find some more time to make more rides.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Here I am!

Greeting and salutations! (anyone know what movie that is from?)

Between work travel and pleasure travel, I've definitely been a bit sparse on the post front.  However I am back now and will do my best to get back in to the groove.

Coming back from vacation is hard.

By the last day, we were ready to leave, but then once it came time to actually leave, we weren't.  Getting home to non-stop rain made me miss it even more.

Maybe it's just me, but historically these all-inclusive vacations are heavy on overindulgence.  While I may not eat a ton more, I definitely eat things I don't usually eat.  The breakfast buffet on my last trip had Nutella, which just spelled trouble for me.  This one didn't have it, so while I missed it, it was probably a good thing.  Plus there's the drinking.  I'm not much of a drinker at home, so any drinking is an increase.

Amazingly I didn't gain much weight, maybe a pound or two, but I'm not even sure about that.  Phew.

We tried to be active and work out but it didn't really happen.  One morning we went for a nice walk, so I guess that counts for something, and another morning we did a walk/run combo, but that was it.  It gets hot and humid so quickly and the gym there is just "eh".  Oh well, it was vacation and the break was nice.

My schedule is still a bit off so I'll be back to things on Saturday.

Since this post is light on the fit talk, here's some eye candy...






Thursday, September 22, 2011

So long, farewell

It's just about vacation time and I'll just say that it's MUCH needed.

This past week has been nuts!  NY on Saturday, back to CT on Sunday, MA on Tuesday, back to CT on Thursday and then time to head out of dodge, just in time!

I've got a gazillion things to do tonight, plus I'm teaching, but I just wanted to throw up a quick post.

I'll leave you with this and catch you on the flip side.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Yay groupon! (edited to say, ooops, Living Social!!)

Greetings!

I'm travelling for work and at a conference so the schedule fluctuates between very slow and so crazy.  I've got a few minutes before the chaos starts again.

I used to say that my dream was to open a cycling studio.  However I knew that it would be pricey to the customers so not just any town would work.  I didn't do anything with this but still think it would be pretty neat.

I was excited but a bit jealous when a few of the people I know of through Spin Odyssey went ahead and opened up a studio in a wealthy town near by.

When they opened I checked out their website for pricing.  One class was $20.  Yes, one spin class, $20.  If you told me my $20 was going to a non-profit that would be one thing, but this, not so much.  So while I thought it was cool, I wasn't game for the financial hit.

It pretty much made my day when the generic Living Social email saying "5 Fitness Classes" was in fact for this very cycling studio.  5 classes for $25!!  Wowsers.  So I bought two; one for me and one for Don Juan.  I can't wait to try it out!

Stay tuned for a full review.  One of the instructors does a Tabata class that I'm sooooo curious about.

That aside, I'm leaving for vacation in about 36 hours.  Yikes!

Monday, September 19, 2011

The stairs to hell


I've written about this beast before, but figured it was worth revisiting.

Does your gym have one of these?  Have you used it?  If not, I definitely suggest giving it a try if you're looking to mix things up.

This machine gets my heart rate up and the sweat pouring like no other machine.

Lately I've been using it for 15 minutes.  I start out relatively slow for the first 5 minutes and then add a level every 3 minutes or so, although it varies.  I try to really push myself for the final minute.  Just the warm up 5 has my heart rate up and my legs wondering how they're going to make it through the next 10 minutes.

When I get off the machine after 15 minutes I look as though I've just run a marathon, or fought a battle.  I am out of breath and seriously covered in sweat.  It blows my mind that just 15 minutes can have that effect.

If you give it a try, remember, it's all about the legs, so use the handle bars for balance, not support.  I frequently see people hunched over the handlebars holding themselves up because the level they're working at is too high.  The machine takes some getting used to.  It usually takes me a few minutes to be able to look up (as opposed to watching my feet and the steps so I don't fall), but then I change the level and have to acclimate all over again.

Thing is, your high up in the air, so if you lose your footing you might really fall.  That's a little intimidating.  But if you can get past that, it's a nice vantage point.

Friday, September 16, 2011

What makes you smile?

Some days it takes a lot to make me smile, other days it's so simple.

Yesterday, this made me smile...
I had seen this backpack at Kohl's a few weeks ago and LOVED the pattern.  But then I saw the price tag and realized I didn't really need it.  Well, I was at Kohl's yesterday with my mother and this bag was on clearance for $16!  (plus my mother had a 30% off coupon)
So this bag is now my new spin bag.  Yay!

My old spin bag did the trick, but everything didn't really fit inside it and things were always hanging out.

This bag took me back to when I was in elementary or middle school and also made me think of Lisa Frank (who was the hottest for folders/notebooks etc.)



Do you remember this?
 Today I'm also smiling because it's Friday.  However I'm not smiling because it's chilly here.  It was like fall arrived yesterday at 5pm.  It was WEIRD.

This weekend will be a busy one, but it's all good stuff so I hope to enjoy every moment.

Plus, I leave for vacation in one week.  To say I'm ready would be an understatement.

Enjoy your Fridays and have a great weekend!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Body Rock?

The Fitnessista's post on BodyRock intrigued me so I headed over to the site to check it out.

This was the first video I watched.  Mind you, I watched it at work.  It's a good thing I'm alone in the office because from all the heavy breathing (and nothing else) you'd never have guessed I was watching something appropriate.

She is in amazing shape and seemed standoffish, until she spoke at the end of the video at which point she did seem very likable.

Have you tried BodyRock?

Instructor Question


Spinning instructors...I have a question for you.

Do any of your students/members spin their pedals backwards after class?

If so, how do you get them to stop?  What do you say?

The Spinning handbook mentions something about ultimately loosening (is that a word?) the screws (or whatever) that hold the pedals in place.  While that makes sense, after 45 minutes of pedaling forward, are they really going to undo it in 5 minutes pedaling backwards?

Is there a physiological reason why they shouldn't do this?

Also, feel free to post any questions you might have in the comments section and maybe we can help each other.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A nice gym story

My memory is shot lately, so I can't recall if I mentioned that I will likely be gradually transitioning to working from home.  My company has a lovely office but due to staffing changes, most of the time I'm the only one there.  So I guess it only makes sense that they're trying to sublet it and if that succeeds, then I'll have to work from home.

The thought of working from home every day makes me shudder.  I'm a social person and being home alone all day is my nightmare.  That said, I'm trying to put a positive spin on it and figure out how to make it work for me.

Today I decided to try a lunch time class at the gym.  My beloved TRX class is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays and since it's only 30 minutes, I thought it might be the perfect lunch time break.

After I checked in at the gym, I was walking away from the front desk when an older man who was sitting near by asked me if he could make my day.  The skeptical New Yorker repeated it back to him with a little hesitation.  He then confirmed that that was what he wanted to do, reached in to his pocked and gave me this...

He then explained that it was a sweet caramel (or something along those lines).  At that point a huge smile came across my face and I thanked him a few times.  I'd say he did come pretty close to making my day.

Shame on me for being such a skeptic, but how many times does someone come up to you unsolicited and offer or give you something you actually want?

I look forward to enjoying my Werther's after lunch!  :)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Spin Ride - Nice Kicks!

As promised, here's my latest ride.  It was created for a 45 minute class.

A few different blogs have contributed songs to this ride, so thank you to Chris, Amanda, and Cynthia!

Without further ado...

Click on the image for a larger view

What I'm not so sure about is Painkillers and Pumped up Kicks.  I wasn't sure if Painkillers just came off sounding like noise and I wasn't sure if I loved the remix version of Pumped up Kicks that I chose.

The sound system at the Saturday gym is pretty bad, so I'll give it another try and a different gym and see how that goes.  One participant told me Painkillers was fine.

Let me know your thoughts.

Here we go again...

Good morning and happy Monday!

Sorry for being a tad MIA, I've had a lot of things on my mind and unfortunately blogging was at the bottom of the list.

Spin...
Friday night I put together a NEW spin ride for Saturday's class.  I will post it later today. :)  Saturday's class was the ride's debut and I think it was OK.  It's a non-stop ride I'm just not sure about a couple of the songs.  But more on that when I put the ride up.

Fit talking...
Sunday I took a bootcamp class I had never taken before.  I had seen the instructor and knew I wanted to try one of his classes, so even though I was feeling eh, I hit the gym.  I really enjoyed the class.  It was tough and different.  My biggest complaint about most classes is that there's way too much emphasis on the lower body and not enough on the upper.  This class was pretty much the opposite.

Here's a rough outline of what he had us doing...
Weighted ball throw downs (sorry for the weird description).  We partnered up, facing each other, about 3-4 feet apart.  Each person had a medicine ball which we held over our heads and then slammed down so that it went to the other person, who caught it.
Holding that same ball we had to do high knees twisting the ball to opposite hips (again, another awesome description), then put the ball on the ground and do toe taps, then push ups with one hand on the ball, then switching.
He had us using the rope, steps, bosus, boxing bags, and jump ropes.
It was circuit style so we moved around a bunch.
Overall a good class although my back is a bit sore today.

Unfortunately my schedule is a bit crazy the next few weekends so the next time I can take that class is October 9th.  Crazy.

Eats...
This morning I made a smoothie and ventured in to the world of spinach.  It was my usual recipe of frozen strawberries, half a frozen banana, chocolate protein powder, and skim milk.  But I put in a few leaves on spinach and ended up with this...
A really ugly smoothie.  They used to be a reddish brown/ but this definitely looks like a brownish/green.  It tastes the same, it's just ugly.  Have you done the spinach thing and has the same thing happened?  Oh yeah, it got uglier as time went on.  It was normal looking when I left the house but by the time I got to work it looked like the picture above.

One last thing...a question for my instructor friends...
Have any of you done tabata rides?  If  so, would you be willing to share a profile or just give me some tips?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

I make plans...

and god laughs.

That isn't meant to be a religious statement.  But I plan to do something and some bigger force somewhere says "yeah right" and throws me a curveball.

Thankfully my eating is still on track. :)

However the gym thing is up in the air.  I had a follow up doctor's appointment this morning and while I'm not going to go in to details, it didn't go as smoothly as I had expected and as a result I had to sub out my spin class.  It's now 6:45pm and instead of teaching, i'm sitting at my kitchen table blogging.

This definitely frustrates me, but it's one day and things will improve.

On a side note, it felt great to TRX again last night.  Crunch is an odd gym.  They're introducing a class called Retro Robics.  Think Jane Fonda era.



Thing is, since it was the intro night at my gym, staff members had on leggings, leotards, and headbands.  Interesting.

Would you take this class?  I wouldn't because i'm just not in to things involving any sort of choreography.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

the truth

Since I plan on being accountable for my September resolutions, I have to tell you that I didn't get time with Shawn T. yesterday.

The plan for Insanity is that Don Juan and I will do it together.  While some people say that working out with another person is motivating, I've also seen it have the opposite effect.  Last night for example.  I got home from work a bit early, figuring he'd meet me there.  At 5p he was far from home and in a TON of traffic.  We were both starving.  Knowing that it would be some time before he got home, we decided to skip Insanity.

Then this morning the plan was to wake up at 6a and do it.  Again, no dice.  We might try to do it tonight but who knows.

I'm a little frustrated that it isn't happening but at the same time I'm ok with it.  And because I've been working on eating more fruits and veggies I at least feel like I'm doing something that's good for me.

I want to do Insanity and I want to do it all out but also realize that I have work travel and a vacation coming up, which will make it that much  more complicated.  So maybe Insanity gets put on the back burner until October.  Maybe.

I hate when life gets in the way.

In the kitchen...
Anyway....last night I attempted to make baba ghanoush.  DJ had made eggplant parm on Monday night with the worlds largest eggplant, so not all of it was used.  I used this recipe.  It came out eh although I think I know why.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the huge eggplant was overripe thus making it very seedy and a tad bitter.  The mix of the lemon juice and a possibly bitter eggplant left it with a bit of a tang.  Plus while I was content using my trusty Hamilton Beach food processor, DJ felt it just had to go in the Vitamix.  I thought keeping some small chunks kept it eggplant like but DJ made it in to something that looked like hummus.  Since it was bitter he decided to add in a few baby carrots.  I'm not sure if this did much but it definitely changed the color of the spread.  The last step was to add some olive oil and stir, then put in the fridge for a few hours.
DJ tried it this morning and vetoed it.  Oh well.

On the flip side, on Monday, I made this salsa recipe and it was quite good.

I'm ready for the work day to be over so it's time to head to TRX!  Catch ya on the flip side.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Bye Bye Summer

I know that technically it's not fall until September 21st, but now that labor day has passed, it really is more fall than summer.  The kiddies are back in school and rush hour traffic is in full effect.  Not to mention the fact that Mother Nature threw it in our face today with a high only in the 60s.  Thanks Ma!

My weekend was nice.  Friday I managed to get in a workout before meeting a friend for dinner. Saturday I taught then went to a pig roast.  Sunday I taught then squeezed in the smallest amount of pool time.  And then Monday I went to a BBQ and then had a relaxing night at home with the bf.

For me this weekend was also my last hoorah in terms of eating whatever I want and slacking on the gym.  Since moving in May I've been really hot and cold with workouts and food and as a result I've been kind of blah.  Both Don Juan and I have been feeling this way so we decided together that now is the time to clean up our acts and get our sh*t together.

My main goals are as follow...
  • Eat better (no more desserts or mindless snacking) and focus more on fruits and veggies
  • Work out regularly, as in almost every day
    • Bring back INSANITY
    • Run more
    • Weight train
  • Give up drinking (I am going on vacation in about two weeks so I will probably drink then, but that's it)
  • Make fitness and health a priority - right now my goal is to feel good about myself, so for the next few weeks (or however long) I'm going to focus on ME and doing what is best for me.  In my  mind this just might mean saying no to the temptation of going out for dinner or drinks with friends, but I'm OK with that.  Once I feel better about things, the social side will of course return.
Hopefully this whole process goes smoothly.  I think it should, especially because none of these are new habits, they're just habits that have been dormant for a while.  I've done it before so I know I can do it again.

First up, a visit from this guy...
Shawn T. from Insanity
So here's to turning over a new leaf, keeping myself accountable and sharing any valuable tips or insight with you.  Happy fall!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Reunited and it feels so good

Greetings!

I hope Thursday is treating you well.  I CAN NOT believe that it's September.  How is that even possible?  What happened to the summer?

I feel like in years past I've had so much to show for the summer.  But this year, nada, not even a tan.  This was my first summer in two years where I worked full time, so that might be part of it.  But still, I felt like all my weekends were either busy with obligations or the weather was crap.  Cry me a river.

So the first of september, a great time to start over, kind of.  Of course the fact that this weekend is a holiday weekend makes that a bit more complicated.  I'm working on getting back in to my routine now but won't really turn over a new leaf until Tuesday, it's just easier that way.

Last night I was reunited with my long and lanky lover.  Curious?  It's the TRX.  I do think I'm funny.  I knew there was a reason I had skipped the week before but I couldn't remember what it was so I looked at the calendar.  It was my birthday, duh.

So even though i'm feeling a bit off, I was still so happy to be back.  The class was packed, which isn't a great thing when you're hanging from achor points.

I'm not sure how familiar any of you are with TRX but I do highly recommend it.  However, it's completely different than anything else so I wouldn't suggest going at it alone (at least for the first few times).  A few gyms offer it as a small group class (although it's usually extra money) or if they have one at your gym, perhaps a nice trainer wouldn't mind showing you a thing or two.  I've also found that osmetimes non TRX classes are starting to incorporate it.  My boxing class would use it as would an occasional boot camp class.

This is the move I'm feeling the most today.



I looked up a few examples of this move and found a few videos that weren't spot on in terms of form, however this one gets it right.  It looks simple and utilizes a relatively small range of movement but boy does it result in soreness.

Personally I think the obliques are an often neglected muscle, so any exercise that focuses on them will likely result in muscle soreness.

Again, I'm not a trainer, so don't take my word as bond, I'm really just sharing some information that I have found useful.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Yesterday/Today

Good morning!

I'm happy to say that my power came back yesterday afternoon.  Woo hoo!  Of course then I get home and random lights are on, plus the bedroom AC.  Oh well, I'm just so happy it's back.

After a few days of chaos, my plan was to go home and do Insanity with Don Juan.  That was, until he called and said he was given tickets to the Mets game.

The weather here yesterday was GORGEOUS so it seemed like the perfect night for a baseball game.  So Insanity was once again put off and instead we went to the game and ate way too much.


Our seats were really good though, so that was nice.   Too bad the Mets kind of stink and did a good job of proving that to their fans last night.  That aside, it was a lovely way to spend the night.

Fit Talking...
So back to Insanity.  Yeah, I'm trying to bring Shawn T back in to our lives.  I'm feeling blah and I need a good and consistent a$$ kicking.  Insanity is the perfect answer, however due to issues beyond my control, I haven't been able to do it more than 2 days in a row.

So once I get back on track I'll definitely share and keep you guys posted on progress and my thoughts.

Help...
However, my two days of Insanity made me realize that I need more of a cross training shoe.  There's so much lateral movement that my running sneakers just aren't doing the trick.  After the first day my calves were super sore, but my feet were really achy.  Any recommendations for a light weight cross trainer?

Fun Stuff...
I just bought my tickets to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra.  Yay!  Have you ever seen them?  I saw them once and was blown away by the special effects and pyrotechnics.  Amazing.  So yeah, I'm a dork and a fan club member.  Presale baby!  :)

If you're not familiar witht them, this is a video I took when I saw them in 2008.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sorry SHAPE

I LOVE magazines.  Not the digital version but the printed on paper, hold it in your hand original version.

I currently subscribe to Shape, Women's Health, Glamour, and the Nutrition Action Newsletter.  In the past I've also subscribed to Fitness, Marie Claire, and Cosmopolitan.

You get it, I like magazines.

However all of a sudden I've become VERY opinionated about who is on my magazine covers.  Typically the cover star also has a feature article written about him/her.  For the most part I have no issue, but unfortunately SHAPE has no rubbed me the wrong way twice.

See offenders below...

Kelly Bensimon

Audrina Patridge
Do these women have nice bodies?  Yes

That's where the good ends for me.
Why are these women "famous"?  Well for Kelly it's because she married a famous photographer and is on a reality show.  For Audrina it's just the reality show thing.
Are these natural beauties?  I can't say for sure about Kelly, but Audrina is definitely enhanced in several areas.
Do either of these ladies really have something to say?  NO

Yes, they're eye candy for the magazine cover, but the articles about them are weak and not worth reading.  Although to be honest, I haven't read the Kelly piece yet since I just got the magazine this morning.

But the Audrina piece...there was zero substance.  They showed her workout moves, which were fine, but she looked as though she might have a wardrobe malfunction in her skimpy top.

See the spillage?  Come on!
The magazine industry as a whole seems to be embracing the whole healthy is beautiful movement.  And yes, they're pretty, but I think that's where the story ends.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Don't name your child Irene

...at least not today.  Nobody on the East coast likes Irene today.

Unless you've been under a rock, you should know what I'm talking about; Hurricane Irene.  She hit all along the east coast from NC to VT.  Boy did she do a number in some areas.

Thankfully, my immediate area wasn't too bad.  Yes, there are tree limbs down, and yes, I have no power, but overall things are OK.  Unfortunately I'm being told that my power will probably be out for a few days to a week.  I don't like that, but compared to others, I shouldn't complain.

I ventured in to the office today not sure what I'd find since my building is across the street from a river.  Thankfully it was fine and we have electricity, which now feels like a luxury.

Since I had to toss most of the contents of my fridge, bringing my lunch was not an option.  However I also didn't think of the fact that so many places would be closed.  Thankfully one local spot was open and I was able to grab a salad.  While not my favorite lunch spot, the salad wasn't bad.

Spinach, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes (no oil), blue cheese, mushrooms, avocado, and bacon.  Served with a spicy honey mustard.  Sounds OK, right?

Rewinding to Saturday, I taught my 10a.  I figured it would either be packed since people wanted to get their workout on, or empty as people were busy buying water.

Thankfully it was almost full and the energy was great.  I can't put my finger on it but I blame the nervous energy on giving us a great and difficult spin ride.  I joked a few times that we were running away from the storm and I honestly think it helped us work harder.

I was just in the mood to hear the Bongo Song, so even though I may have done that ride in the past month or two, I did it anyway.  I hope no one minded.

If you take spin classes, how much attention do you pay to the music week to week.  Would you notice if the instructor played the same music twice in one month?

Friday, August 26, 2011

Lovely surprise

Greetings!

Wednesday night for my birthday was pretty low key.  Grabbed drinks with a few friends and then went for dinner with Don Juan.  Dinner was bad, but that's besides the point.

He had told me that on Thursday we'd go out to this delicious restaurant called Don Coqui in New Rochelle, NY.  Then he said he had a surprise for me after dinner.  OK. :)  First we were supposed to meet two of our friends but then they cancelled so the plan was to meet his brother and his fiance.  Cool.

So I get all dolled up and we head to NY, running late of course since that's how DJ does things (although it might have been party my fault this time too).

We get there and he walks past the maitre d, which I found odd.  He's walking towards the bar but saying he has to go to the bathroom.  So I'm kind of like OK, then why should I follow you to the bathroom.  He keeps saying bathroom.  then looks at me and nods his head over to the bar and who is there but my parents, my sister, and a few friends.  Surprise!!

My parents have been on vacation for the past two weeks so I hadn't seen them in a while.  My sister also just got back from Mexico.  And then friends, well it's always good to see friends.  It was very sweet.

This place is known for awesome food and huge portions.  It's a Puerto Rican restaurant so think paella, arroz con pollo, chimichuri sauce, etc...  Plus on Thursday nights they have a salsa band and dancing.

A personalized menu!
Check out the offerings.

Here's a look at our appetizers, after we ate to our hearts content..

There were also two other smaller plates

I didn't have my camera since I didn't know I'd want it, so I snapped that pic with my phone.

Like I said, the portions are huge.  This is the paella, although I don't think the photo does the dish justice.

Yes, that's a lobster on top
This picture doesn't show the true size of this dish (huge)

Everyone took home leftovers, serious leftovers.

Once we were done eating we moved to the lounge and hung out a bit.  Then my parents and sis left as they had a bit of a drive ahead of them.  So a few of us stayed and did some salsa dancing.

When there's dancing and Jessica there's always a ton of laughter, so it was very entertaining.  I know there are pictures out there so when I find them, I'll do another post.

Overall it was a wonderful and unexpected night and I have to thank DJ for putting it all together.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Delicious dinner

This was dinner the other night...


DJ made turkey burgers.  I didn't see exactly what he put in them but I know I recall peppers, onion, and basil.  He also seasoned them up.

Sometimes the glory of a burger is not in the meat itself but in the toppings or the accessories.

Our burgers were had on Arnold Sandwich Flats.  I honestly wonder what I ate before finding these things.

So what you're looking at is this...
Sandwich flat bottom
Turkey burger
Laughing cow lite swiss
Guacamole
Mango sauce (DJ made this the other day in the vitamix using mangos, strawberries, and jalapeno (I think))
Sliced mango
Tomato
Lettuce
Sandwich flat top

YUM!!!

Of course it was incredibly messy to eat, but it tasted sooooooo good.

I'm totally obsessed with mango on sandwiches.  It has such flavor that you don't need much else.  I'm also a big fan of Laughing Cow wedges, only 35 calories and so creamy!

It was a great dinner, consumed after day 1 of Insanity.  Yup, it's back.  But more on that in another post.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Nothing wrong with a self-indulgent post on your birthday, right?

It seems like this may be a pretty low-key birthday, but in the past I've always loved to celebrate.

Here are a few photos from years past....awww, memory lane...

My 30th, in case you couldn't guess.
I LOVE black and white cookies and was thrilled when my parents busted this one out.

Another cake for my 30th
There's no such thing as too much cake

Me on my 30th!  :)

My 31st at the Yankees game with my sis
I can't wait to see what this year has in store!!