Singing in the rain

So it looks like I'll be singing running in the rain tonight.  Although given that it's July, I'm just happy the sun isn't blazing.  It was raining this morning, now it's gray, and the forecast is storms for tonight.  Apparently the race is on and if there are storms in the area they'll wait it out for 15-30 minutes and see what happens.

I'll update you on Monday.

Last night's class was a disappointment.  Last week I had 27, last night I had 11.  That's actually the lowest attendance I've had since I started teaching.  I blame the summer.

Thankfully last night's ride was easy to adapt from 45 to 60.  I just added 3 songs at the end...
Bring Back the Funk - Krafty Kuts
Lighters - Bad Meets Evil featuring Bruno Mars
The Time - Black Eyes Peas

I seriously HATED The Time when it first came out.  I despise that Dirty Dancing song so of course I had to like any song that sampled it.  Thing is, that song has a great beat once you get past the sample.  Now I'm not afraid to admit that I LOVE it.  It totally gets me pumped!

Anyone watch America's Got Talent?  I think the show stinks, although in all fairness I've never watched a full episode, but Carlos was watching the other night and he called me down to check out a performance from Fighting Gravity who won last years show.

Check out a clip from their 2010 performance below.  They've got some cool stuff on youtube but I didn't want to put up anything too lengthy.

Fighting Gravity - America's Got Talent 2010

Running help

This is so me!
Source

I have a 5K tomorrow, which isn't the issue.  Yes, I haven't run over 2 miles since the last 5K I did at the end of April, but that's besides the point.

Thing is, it's a sunset run, so it's at the end of the day.  It starts at 6:45p to be exact.

As you probably know, I have a weird stomach.  I know from experience that I can't eat peppers on any day where I will be spinning.  But I'm not sure what to do about running.

Usually a run is early AM in which case the stomach isn't an issue, but this time I'm stumped.  I obviously need to eat all day but I'm just not sure what to eat and what to avoid.

Any suggestions?

Chia Oh My-A

Is it just me or have you been seeing the words "chia seeds" all over the blog world?

I'll admit, aside from guessing that they're seeds, I know nothing about them.

Enter google.

Here's what I found...
Chia seeds are harvested from the Salvia hispanica plant, a type of sage in the mint family. The seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and have versatile uses in the kitchen. Chia seeds were a staple of the ancient Aztec diet, and they are now grown commercially in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico.


Chia seeds may be eaten raw or prepared in a number of dishes. Raw, they are an excellent source of dietary fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds may be ground into pinole, a meal that can be used for porridge or baked goods. They may also be soaked in fruit juice or water to make a dish known as chia fresca in Mexico. Chia seeds are very absorbent and develop a gelatinous texture when soaked in water.

In recent decades, chia has seen a resurgence in popularity and has been hailed as a "super food" with many dietary benefits. It helps the body retain fluids and electrolytes, it forms a gel in the stomach that slows the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, and it helps build muscle and other tissues. Chia is a source of protein and boron, which aids in the absorption of calcium. Chia seeds can be used to make a gel that one can substitute for oil or other fats in a variety of recipes. Chia gel can be added to any sauces, jellies, or baked goods, for example.
Source

Have you done the chia thing?

I usually stay away from seeds because some of them mess with my stomach but perhaps these are worth a shot.  If you've tried them, let me know what they taste like and how you've used them.  Thanks!

Green monster

This is NOT me.
I do feel bad "borrowing"
this image, but who puts
a picture like this up online?
Source

Sorry Boston, this post is NOT about you or that yucky team of yours.  Sorry, born and bred yanks fan here. :)

Do you ever have repeat dreams?  Or dreams where one part happens frequently?  Like being caught naked at school?

I keep having dreams about being out and about with a facial mask (Queen Helene Mint Julep mask to be exact) on my face.  In last night's dream, I took a train to Philly (I think) and then took a bus to Baltimore.  During my trek from the train station to the bus I found it odd that no one was being friendly to me.  Once on the bus I randomly saw some college friends and it was the looks on their faces that reminded me that I had a green mask on my face.  WTF?  See image to the right.

Any dream interpreters out there?  What might this mean?

Anyway...

I didn't make it to the gym last night.  My lovely cyst was acting up so I wasn't feeling up for much.  Instead of going straight home, I hit up Home Goods and Walmart.  While in Walmart the sky opened up so I got caught in a bit of a summertime downpour.  I bought Bran Flakes as I hope to try Julie's peanut butter protein bars sometime this week.

For dinner I made some kale chips.  The kale was a little old and I was a little impatient so they weren't quite as crunch as I'd like, but they were still good.  Over the weekend Carlos had whipped together some veggie burgers.  Or rather, a veggie burger mush which you then shape in to patties.  He tried one on the grill on Sunday and it was an epic fail.  I didn't watch him make them, but from what he told me he used baby bella mushrooms, canned beets (to make it look like meat he said), peppers, chick peas, onions, breadcrumbs, one egg, and brown rice (ironically cooked in chicken bouillon).  He made them in a vitamix so the veggies are totally unidentifiable but I think it tastes great!  You can totally taste the mushrooms and the brown rice really helps with the texture.  I'll try to snap a photo later but be warned, they look kind of yucky in their raw state.

That said, any recommendations for home made veggie burger recommendations?

And now it's time to be productive.  Happy hump day!!

smoothie

Pay no attention to the fact that I clearly
don't know how to remove stickers.

I've been seriously craving smoothies for breakfast.  Thing is, I didn't have any frozen strawberries.  My mother picked up a big bag for me from BJ's but in my haste on my last visit home, I forgot to take them.

In a fleeting moment of genius, I purchased fresh strawberries, washed them and cut off the stems and put them in the freezer.

This morning they were ready for use...

In to the Vitamix...
about 1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
about 1 tbs PB2
1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Normally I'm so excited to drink my smoothie that I start it before I walk out the door, drink it in the car, and then finish it up in the office.  This morning I exercised restraint and didn't touch it in the car.  When I got to the office I put it in the freezer and went about starting my day and having my coffee.  About 1.5 hours later I took it out, let it thaw a bit and then enjoyed it.

Yummmmm!

While delicious, my smoothie recipes are pretty limited.  If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. Thanks!

Weekend recap, a day late

Good morning!

I just reread one of my posts and I mentioned that this weekend was going to be "productivity city".   Um yeah, not exactly.

It was productive in that I did one of the things I set out to do, but it wasn't nearly as productive as I expected.

My condo has a spare/storage room at the back of the garage.  During the kitchen renovation, there was a leak, which resulted in the need to rip down a good chunk of the ceiling of the storage room as it's right under the kitchen.  Since it's just a room off the garage, I left it a mess since I didn't have the time to tackle it.  Plus, there was insulation everywhere and I knew that would be a bit more complex than just a quick clean.

Sunday I donned a beautiful mask and rubber gloves and had at it.  I'm happy to say that it's nice and clean.  Or as clean as possible.  Down the line I should probably re-do the ceiling and pull up the gross carpet and lay a concrete floor.  Add that to the to do list.  In tidying up the back room I was able to move stuff from the garage in to the room, getting me one step closer to actually being able to use my garage.

I'm not sure whether it was the insulation, the drywall particles, or the mold spray but I spent the rest of the day with a bad headache and nausea.  It was pretty miserable.  My goal of a super productive day went out the window.  But at least the back room was cleaner.

I also had plans to spend some time here...

But alas, that didn't happen either.  Saturday was just too darn hot, and Sunday, well, I just explained Sunday.  Hopefully soon!

Off to get started on To Do Tuesday. :)