Merry, Happy and Shalom!
26 December 2008
white christmas
14 December 2008
hills and holidays
Well I finally shook the bronchitis, it's gone, all the way, it only took about 2 weeks but it's gone.
I'm hoping, that this week I can start adding some resistance training back into my routine, that bout of illness really threw me off and I can feel a potential backslide coming on which I really want to nip in the bud immediately. I also need to get back into my yoga groove. The Baby has been getting up earlier and so that threw off my morning stretch ad I have been studying for a project in the evening which has been throwing that off. I need to regroup and reconfigure in order to get it back to regular I think.
6 December 2008
cough, cough, brrr
My friend didn't bring me the magical cough syrup because the guy at the macrobiotico
1 December 2008
cough, cough and protein
I have been totally sick with some kind of respiratory annoyance for the past few days. I think it is getting better, a friend is going to get me some natural herbal cough syrup that she swears by so I am hopeful to be out running in the morning.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike meat, I am not really morally opposed to eating meat, I do think the food industry tries to poison us, especially with meat. I really think it is every person's decision to make on their own. I just go through phases where it honestly, kind of grosses me out. I also have a lot of animals including a pig and lots of chickens so I do feel like a traitor eating them.
26 November 2008
REVIEW!!!!Total Body Workout
This DVD has been around for a while but I felt it was worth a mention.Tom Holland's Total Body Workout is a great strength training workout that includes cardio and abs. This workout requires hand weights, lots of squats and lunges and other old school moves.
Warm-up-1 minute
Light Stretches
Alternating Biceps Curl-12 reps each arm
Toe-In Squats -15 reps
Pushups-10 reps
Overhead Shoulder Presses-12 reps
Overhead Shoulder Presses-12 reps
Cardio Interval-30 seconds
24 November 2008
run, run, run
I know it's better not to quantify workouts as good or bad but I had a GREAT run this morning.
I haven't been able to run for a couple of days because The Son has tonsillitis and The Husband has been out of town so I was really happy to get out on the road this morning. I seriously felt like I could have run for hours. It wasn't too hot or windy this morning and there wasn't much traffic.I was able to get in a few extra hills which will be good for the Fun Run since it's in a part of town which is ALL hills. Perhaps it's time to add some more distance onto my run, I've been pretty conservative about this because I didn't want to hurt myself. Maybe now is the time.
Also, I have a few REVIEWS of DVDs and online fitness communities posting soon.
more later,
martha
22 November 2008
holidaze
I seriously have no idea where time is going right now. For the past week, at least, I have felt somewhat disconnected and a little scatter brained. Perhaps it's the holidays rushing to meet me, maybe it's the seasons changing here, could be some kind of breast feeding hormonal thing, I really don't know but it's starting to annoy me.
All for now, let's hope that after my little mental pring cleaning tomorrow I can get things back on track.
xoxo
martha
16 November 2008
beef and booze and presents! oh my!
I've been thinking about food a lot lately because of Thanksgiving and Christmas being so close. In reflecting on the holidays I have been trying to strategize how to make it thorough this season without:
15 November 2008
true love
I love chocolate! There I said it, I admit it freely. If there is one food on the planet that I never tire of it's chocolate. I don't really like candy, cookies or cakes, they are okay but chocolate, I truly enjoy.
10 November 2008
new annex addition
I've posted an update to the Snack Pack Annex (CLICK HERE) that I started last month. This month has information about stretching, focusing on Self Myofascial Release (SMR).
9 November 2008
weekend round up and recipe
7 November 2008
i've been a bad blogger
Yes I have, I haven't been posting lately and it's for no other reason than forgetting. I got all caught up in the election !!Woohoo Obama!! and with my 1.5 week internet outage I got out of the habit.
30 October 2008
expanded snack pack
2 more races in CR
November 20, 2008 (Thursday) January 31, 2009 (Saturday)
San Jose, Costa Rica 2:00PM San Jose, Aptado 6745 (Between two oceans, the unique crossing of a paradise on fire earth)
Contact: Authentic tour (Company), Aptado 6745, Curridabat, Costa Rica, 01000. 0-506-253-2183 vincent@authentictour.com
San Jose, Costa Rica 6:00AM San Jose, Costa Rica, Best Western Irazu (Expedition run thru remote regions of Costa Rica, Gravel roads/mountain trails)
Contact: The Coastal Challenge, 30 Louis Street, Trumbull, CT, USA, 06611. 1-203-353-1608 info@thecoastalchallenge.com
race in the clouds
Here's another race listing:
Running Event: 10k
Maximum Participants: 101 - 250
Date, Time and Location
Start Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009
Start Time: 9:00 am
Location:
Centro de Educacion Creativa
Apartado 23-5655
Monteverde
Contact Information
Web Site: http://www.cloudforestschool.org/support_us/scholarships.htm
Additional Comments: The Cloud Forest School will host its third annual 10K Race to raise money for its school scholarship program this year. The route passes through the scenic mountain roads of Monteverde, on the edge of the Cloud Forest. It is the only 10K in Costa Rica that crosses the Continental Divide. Although we make every effort to keep tuition as low as possible, 65% of our students still receive scholarship assistance because of family need. Please consider taking part in this beautiful run for a good cause!
Contact Name: Jennifer Cordeau
Phone Number: 011-506-2645-5161
Email: support@cloudforestschool.org
finally back online
It seems like it's been a month since I was able to get online. For some unknown reason we had no internet at my house for the past week and a half but now we're back.
27 October 2008
super quick
I have no internet at my house, for no apparent reason so I am in a cafe posting this super fast.
20 October 2008
quick update
Just 2 quick items to start the week.
19 October 2008
sunday round-up
Homemade pretzels are yummy, quick and easy:
- 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for pan
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt
Apparently poop from gut bacteria helps decide whether we are lean or fat, yuck!
enjoy!
martha
happy sunday
I decided to take the day off. Usually this is my yoga day and I did a really incredible short session this morning but I'm not going to my class today. I felt the need to re-adjust my week and have Sunday be a rest day.
17 October 2008
sunshine came softly
Through my window today...
15 October 2008
mental barriers block obese women from exercise
According to a study being conducted by Temple University, a major factor contributing to obese women's inability to or lack of exercise are mental barriers. When asked to fill out a questionnaire throughout the study period they gave the following reasons for not exercising:
rain, rain and more rain
It has been raining for about 4 days straight here and it's starting to get to me. Just when I was making significant progress with my morning run I get sidelined by mother nature. I went to the gym today to run on the treadmill but it's not the same. Inside, on a machine, it feels like you're running a box. It's also really hard to get proper form on the treadmill. I feel like I can't stretch all the way, it's very constricting. Hopefully the rain will break soon and I can head back out on the road.
14 October 2008
viva video
At home workouts can be really satisfying and beneficial. I know a lot of people who just don't like the atmosphere of the gym, which is totally understandable, and so they workout almost exclusively at home. If you're trying to develop a serious and diverse routine at home it can be really fun to incorporate workout videos.
13 October 2008
iPod to the rescue!
So everyone has an iPod or an MP3 player these days and honestly I think these are one of the best tools for getting fit, these and a really properly fitted pair of athletic shoes.
11 October 2008
serene sabado
Sorry it's been a while since I posted, this week was kind of hectic, baby teething, kid with a cold, then dad with a cold then me with a cold. All are much better now.
7 October 2008
weights and woe
After doing my regular morning run and some circuit work I went over to the gym to do some strength training. I had realized this morning that I hadn't done my trainer approved workout in a really long time and wanted to get it back into rotation.
6 October 2008
from 30,000 feet
So I'm back from the beach, it was fun, needed a recharge.
more later
3 October 2008
1 October 2008
!!!TWO MILES!!!
I'm in the final week of the SELF Run 3 Miles with Ease challenge and even though I think I will finish the week short I am super HAPPY with myself. This morning I hit the 2 mile mark without problems. I wasn't incredibly winded and it felt GREAT! Last week I had almost gotten there with the stroller and thought I was hitting wall but today I ran solo an BOOM! got there! So even though it might be a few more weeks until I hit a full 5K I am very pleased.
30 September 2008
REVIEW & RECIPE!!!!
Okay, so have you ever gotten a new cookbook and every time you make something from it you think, "Wow, I think this is even better than the last recipe" and they keep getting better and better and yummier and yummier?
5 out of 5 Luv Muffins! |
29 September 2008
standing and stretching
One of my favorite yoga poses is Uttanasana - Standing Forward Bend. This is a simple but effective pose that can really refresh you and make you feel more alert and lengthened. Along with Down Dog, I find this to be a pretty common and standard pose in most yoga practices.
28 September 2008
REVIEW!!!!30 Day Shred
I have never seen The Biggest Loser, I don't have cable, so I didn't know who Jillian Michaels was when a friend mentioned the 30 Day Shred.
4 out of 5 Luv Muffins |
27 September 2008
vitamin D and cancer
Just a quick post regarding some new research that shows a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer:
(NaturalNews) Women who are deficient in vitamin D at the time they are diagnosed with breast cancer are nearly 75 percent more likely to die from the disease than women with sufficient vitamin D levels, and their cancer is twice as likely to spread to other parts of the body.
"This study links vitamin D with the aggressiveness of disease," said JoEllen Walsh of the University of Albany, who was not involved in the study. "It suggests that your vitamin D status may affect how your disease progresses."
A number of prior studies have strongly demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, pancreas and prostate, and perhaps others. But until now, no study has looked at how vitamin D levels affect the progress of any cancer.
Some food sources of vitamin D are oily fish and eggs. It can also be found in fortified foods such as milk and breakfast cereal. We get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin. The vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. It's a good idea to get a bit of sun everyday but remember, after you get your vitamins make sure to put on some sunscreen!
26 September 2008
finally friday
I know this post is going up kind of late but I just got home a little while ago and had to stop for a cup of tea and just take a break for a few minutes.
25 September 2008
sheesh...
This week has been really busy so I apologize for sporadic posting.
23 September 2008
tuesday trackers
For the past few weeks I have been checking out some of the online fitness trackers that are out there. I like these gadgets and when they work well they can be a TOTAL asset to your life. Many include diet calendars with recipes and shopping list generators. The workouts often have animated diagrams of the exercises. Some have community sections where you can touch base with other people for support, encouragement and advice.