Row Row Row Your Butt

Rowing machine. Yeah, I got seduced by it. But like any other tawdry affair, it came back to bite me in the butt. Literally.

Feet strapped in, knees flexed, pulling the bow to my chest in great heaves, I reached a speed of about 40 miles per hour. Then I slid off the front of the seat. I don't know if it was the strength of my thrust that did it, the fact that the seat is hard slippery plastic, or that extending my short legs too far makes my whole body hiccup and lift a little bit on the machine. Probably a combination of all three. Regardless of the cause, I flew forward off the seat and landed on the bar that the seat slides back and forth on. Right on my tailbone. I cursed, audibly. Thankfully, there was no one else with me in the small private room. Nobody to laugh nervously at my misfortune, nobody to offend with my kneejerk (pun most certainly intended) cursing.

I couldn't walk around the track without limping. Running was out of the question, as were most stretches. I could not lean on the fitness ball. I spent the rest of my workout "recovering" while James finished running. It was awful. So, for the rest of that week I went to the gym and had very limited workouts. Elliptical for thirty minutes, graduating to a climbing machine, then eventually a few sit-ups, with the fitness ball positioned under my lower back and my legs planted on the ground.

I still experience a little bit of discomfort when I sit down. My workouts are finally fulfilling again, but I feel like I'm building back up to where I was now, and with my holiday schedule getting so nutso, I'm nervous that I won't have the time to get back to that four or five day fitness regimen. Here's hoping...

And please. Talk to your kids about the dangers of rowing machines.

Strong!

I had a great workout last Sunday and another on Tuesday evening. Both times I ran three miles on a climbing machine at different levels of resistance. I also focused on my abs using a fitness ball and did more work with free weights.

Instead of doing isolated exercises again last night, I decided to try something that would work several areas of my body at once. I rode a rowing machine. It was a completely engaging workout, and the weirdo kid in me kept pretending I was rowing crew against a bunch of yuppies or trying to race upstream to save otters or something. My one problem is that my butt hurt pretty badly after my 20 minute rowing stint. I had to get up a couple of times during the workout to give my posterior a reprieve. I also got a nasty blister on my left palm. Totally worth it though. Rowing worked my arms, legs, shoulders, back, and abs--yes, I feel it in all of these zones today. It also got my heart rate up something fierce. As soon as the soreness wanes I'll definitely jump into the invisible/robot boat again.

I now want to take a moment to discuss something that I feel is really key to a good workout session: music.

I obsess about music in all areas of my life, so when I go to the gym I usually have a carefully selected playlist in tow. I've found that I work out best to hip hop. Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 is absolute perfection for a workout, as is Big Boi's brilliant Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is one of my old standbys as well. The pace is perfect, and the entire album clocks in at just under 40 minutes, making it perfect for a treadmill/elliptical session. When I'm in the middle of a run and need something to keep me motivated, it always has to be Wilco's "Spiders (Kidsmoke)". The steady and gradual build of that song and the sporadic and frantic guitar work are great motivators. It's close to eleven minutes long, so if you're looking for a final push near the end of a stair climb or something, boom. Here it is. Britpop can be a good impetus for your heartrate. And I find that my tolerance for godawful pop music is highest when I'm working out. I learned that last time I went to the gym when I had just upgraded the OS for my iPhone, lost my playlists, and had to rely on Pandora's pop station since all of my custom stations are pretty weepy, rootsy, and shoegaze-y. I can't say that I would willingly listen to Jay Sean, Will.I.Am, or the Pussycat Dolls outside of the gym, and I still had to skip Train on principle (people really like them?), but they kept my gams kicking for an hour or so, so we're cool.

I think for my next entry I'm going to post a workout playlist. Get ready.

Right now I want to share this awesome vegetarian chili recipe I whipped up last night.

Three-Bean Chili:

1 can drained black beans
1 can drained white beans
1 can drained red kidney beans
1.5 cups of an IPA of your choice (or you can use vegetable stock, but beer will give you a ton of flavor--the more hops the better, since you'll need it to stand up to the spices)
5 cloves garlic
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms (or white mushrooms)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 whole onion, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 medium to large poblano pepper, minced
a generous sprinkle of kosher salt
a generous sprinkle of black pepper
2 tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tbsp cumin

I also added two tablespoons of homemade sofrito, which is basically Mexian pesto. This is totally optional. To make sofrito:

3 small bunches of fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic
1 poblano pepper, seeded
1 bunch scallions
1 shallot
Juice from a lime
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

This will make about a cup. I basically halved Chef Eric Williams' recipe. Sofrito makes an awesome marinade.

So anyway, throw all of your ingredients into a slow cooker and cook everything on low for about six hours. It's really easy and really healthy, especially if you don't top it with sour cream, sharp cheddar, and corn chips. Which I did, but hey, I work out a lot.

Slacking

All right, all right.  I admit it.  The reason I haven't posted in so long is not because I've been so busy exercising that I don't have time.  It's because I've been slacking.  I've really been slacking. 

In fact, the closest I've come to exercising all week has been the leaf-raking I did on Saturday.  We raked the lawns of some of the older people in the church I'm working at.  It was fun, but I'd rather get back into intentional exercise.

This is a process, right? 

Little Things

Sometimes I forget that being active on a daily basis IS a workout.  For the past couple of months, I've felt down because I haven't pencilled workouts into my daily schedule like I used to.  The longer you go without such a routine, the harder it is to get back into it.  No surprises there.  But I'm determined to get back to where I used to be and get my body to be healthier than ever.

Even so, I think it's okay to consider daily activities as part of a fitness routine.  I've incorporated small things.  I now try to park at the far end of parking lots (except late at night in desolate areas, duh).  I never take the elevator anymore (my office is on the fourth floor, almost 60 stairs to get there).  Most days I walk somewhere for lunch or coffee on my breaks.  It all adds up, right?

I've also been adding more fruits, vegetables, and calcium into my diet.  Kiwi is my latest favorite fruit. 

It is so healthy!

I keep it simple.  I slice the kiwi into rings and then the rings into halves, combining them with sliced strawberries for a perfectly delicious and simple fruit salad.

Eating such a snack each day in place of, say, chocolate mousse, is a little thing, but it's something I can realistically commit to doing.  So I will.

Not born to run

Because my Halloween costume consists of a sort of unitard thing, I really wanted to concentrate on my gams during my past few workouts. On Friday I ran 4 miles in 40 minutes on an incline machine with varied levels of resistance. Last night I did 3.5 miles in 20 minutes. I made it a point to increase the incline and resistance last night for a more challenging workout.

I often feel confined to machines like this because of my knee issues. After running just a few minutes outside or on a treadmill, I have awful pain in my knees that lingers for a few days. My feet also end up hurting. I really wish I could run outside since I love the outdoors so much. It's silly, but I kind of feel soulless when I'm running on a machine.

I wonder if getting better shoes would help me out--a shoe that would disperse impact to different parts of my body, perhaps. You know, crazy sciencey things.

The thing I really want to write about today is how difficult it is for me to set clear fitness goals. I'm pretty happy with my current weight, and while I often work to give my body better tone and definition, that's such a vague and subjective thing to work for. Perhaps I just need to let myself work out because it makes me feel healthy and confident. Maybe that's enough. But I always feel the need to have some kind of goal, especially when I see my friends setting such great goals for themselves.

Last Friday after the gym I threw together some delicious orzo with ingredients I had in the house. Steal this recipe if you like. It will serve two people, like a Taco Bell Big Box Meal. Very romantic. And there's beer in it.

Veggie Orzo

3 tbsp butter
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 cup diced white or crimini mushrooms (or some combination)
1/4 cup diced bell peppers
1/4 cup artichoke hearts
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup Great Divide Samurai rice ale (substitute a saison, lightly-hopped ale, or white wine)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1-2 tsp oregano
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Boil water for orzo and cook according to package directions. While it cooks, toss butter in a large skillet and sautee mushrooms, peppers, artichokes, onion, and garlic. Add parsley and salt and pepper. Gradually add beer or wine until it's absorbed by the vegetables. Drain the pasta and toss it into the skillet with the vegetable stock and continue to simmer until the flavors and liquids are absorbed into the pasta. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl, then add the Romano cheese and stir it into the pasta so it is evenly dispersed.

Goals!

Hi fellow get-in-shapers!

In a lot of ways, taking care of my body is just as much a spiritual discipline as it is a health issue.  You see, I'm a seminary student pursuing my Master of Divinity at Eden Seminary in St. Louis.  I try and try and try and I simply cannot look at anything without reflecting on the spiritual and theological implications of it.  It's imbedded in me now.  So, I dare to mention a "body is a temple" reference here:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you which you have from God? ... Therefore glorify God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As of now, I don't take very good care of my body.  I know that.  I have been blessed with a great metabolism and the ability to build muscle mass fairly easily.  Since keeping weight down isn't a huge issue, it's really difficult to monitor how and when and what I eat.  However, the more I become aware of my bad eating habits, the more I realize that what I eat has a huge impact on my energy level, the way my body feels and moves, and the way the Holy Spirit moves and works in me.  I am also are that the more I work out, the more walks I take, and the more yoga I do, the healthier and happier I feel.  That's a fairly simple analysis, I suppose. 

So with that, here are a few goals I have for this blog:
1. To eat three square meals a day.  I am not a very good cook, and my husband isn't either.  We are really trying but it is a slow learning process.  Mistakes are often made.  Crock pot meals are our go-to on a good day.  On a bad day, lunch meat sandwiches or some frozen appetizer (ie: toasted ravioli) are our go-to.  This is an example of what I'm not okay with. We know we can get by on small amounts of food, but "getting by" and "taking care of our bodies" are entirely different things.  So-- more well-rounded meals, save the sandwiches for lunch, less preservatives. 
2. To walk our dog, Nosferatu, every single day.  He needs and deserves the walk.  We need and deserve the walk.  But somehow we make excuses a lot and don't take him.  Eventually, I'd like to evolve this goal from walking every single day to walking xx minutes every day.  But, baby steps.  Puppy steps.
3. To do one half hour of yoga at night.  Maic and I did this for a week and we loved it, but then something happened and we got off track and haven't done it in a while. 

I'm leaving my goals at that for now.  I think any more would seem overwhelming.

I also would like to post some recipes on here sometimes.  Like I said, I'm not a great cook.  But I am hoping to become one and sometimes I make something that I think is really good.  So I will post it when I do!

Buzzy bee

In addition to reporting on my fitness progress, I plan to post healthy and interesting recipes every week. And with that, I'm going to get stuck in...

It's Cleveland Beer Week, which means two things:

1. I am going to be drinking a lot of awesome, high alcohol content beer this week.
2. I am going to have less time to go to the gym.

Even when it's not Cleveland Beer Week and I don't feel like I'm in booze heaven, this is my biggest struggle. As a food writer and a beer enthusiast with three jobs (and now I'm one "juggling kids" line away from being a soup-on-the-go commercial) I often find myself consuming more calories than I normally would for the sake of my personal culinary education and my job. I also happen to live in Ohio City, which is practically foodie central in Cleveland.

Thankfully, for every plate of gourmet pork cracklins, there's an equally delicious roasted beet salad somewhere. I also do 90% of my shopping at West Side Market where I can take my pick of the best local organic produce and high quality goods that are low on preservatives and other nasty stuff. Avoiding the insane cannolis at Theresa's and the massive gyros at Steve's can be difficult, but it's much easier to shop healthy at the Market than it is at the grocery store.

To balance my dietary challenges, I try to work out at the Downtown YMCA at least four times a week. Last month I worked out six days, but I found that my workouts were less rewarding because I was pushing myself a little too much.

Yesterday I worked out for an hour. I ran two miles in 16 minutes and then focused on my core by doing some focused exercises with a fitness ball. I also did some sun salutations, as my back was bothering me from a clumsy incident in the pantry this week.

Today I'm biking to Bier Markt to enjoy a Beer Week event, and I'll bike to another one in Tremont on Friday. I plan to work out on Thursday and Friday evening. Let's hope I have time!

Last night I came home and made a delicious root vegetable pie. Unfortunately I have no pictures, but I promise I will post some in the future. This pie is hearty and healthy. I hope my fellow fit bloggers enjoy it.

Root Veggie Pie:

1 c mushrooms

1 c carrots/parsnips

2 c turnips

1 c rutabaga

2-3 c redskin potatoes

1 c fresh spinach

1 can Campbells low fat condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tbsp ginger

3 cloves garlic

1 c organic vegetable broth

sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, black pepper to taste

Cube all veggies and throw them in a pot with a few tablespoons of olive oil and vegetable broth. Add seasonings and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables cook down. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the vegetables soften, make your pie crusts. I use the basic Crisco pie crust recipe for simplicity's sake. I'm sure there are healthier options though. You'll need a bottom crust and one for the top of the pie. You can also throw the veggies in a large pan and cover them with chunks of the pie crust for a casserole-type dish.

Stir the condensed soup into the veggies. Pour the whole mixture onto the pie crust in the pan and cover it with the other crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown.

Just Trying This Out!

To stick to topic while trying it out: I got a month of Jazzercise classes from a silent auction back in May and realized I'd better use it soon if I was going to (it expires at the end of the year), so the last two weeks have been a flurry of me trying to get as much use out of it as possible (9 classes so far). It's a pretty good workout--if you make it that way. You get out whatever you put in. Some ladies clearly aren't putting very much into it, but, hey, maybe that's all they've got. Or they just want to socialize. Whatever. I guess I shouldn't talk, since I often have to take the easier options because of my joint issues...

They tend to use pretty recent pop music for the most part and have a cardio section and a strength building section each night (or afternoon, I guess, but I can't go to those). I don't think I'll end up sticking with it after my month is up, since I already have a YMCA membership and don't need another expense, but, if you haven't tried it, it's pretty good. And, I can use some of the moves I learn in the classes in my own routines later on.

Hello again

After a short planning phase, this blog is now up and running.  While I'm the primary "author" of the site (meaning I will probably post most often and try to include links to other health-related articles), I've invited several friends to be co-authors.  I'm so excited to share this project with them.  We will each be posting updates (approximately once a week) so stay tuned for much health-related talk to come!

We'll also be posting bios of each author along with her personal health and fitness goals.

This is a collaborative project meant to encourage and inspire other women....women just like us who are super busy yet dedicated to achieving personal well-being through consistent exercise and healthy eating.  No one is perfect.  We all have our setbacks (mine happen to be sweets-related).  But raising awareness of our own habits that set us back, as well as being vocal about the things we do right, can help us find new ways of incorporating healthier practices, one step at a time.

If anyone else would like to join, please just comment to this post or send me an email!

Welcome

Hello!  I have just begun this blog as a way to keep track of my exercise progress, in a public forum, to hopefully get me motivated on lazy nights when I'd rather sip hot chocolate and watch a movie while eating fudge.  Several of my friends will be joining me in this effort, and so the blog will be multi-authored.  The goal is to have friendly, casual conversations about fitness in a non-judgmental and encouraging environment.  Even so, firm nudges in the right direction are always appreciated.  We will each share the details of our fitness routines and check in about once a week with our progress.  Also, occasional articles or tidbits on exercise and healthy eating will appear.

If anyone else would like to join in this project and share their fitness goals and progress, leave a comment!

More to come soon...