motivation

Sometimes you just have to do it, break the tired old cycle and get yourself back on track. Tonight I started that. I have been running very regularly and hitting the gym, semi regularly but I haven't been doing too much at home and I needed to. How much I needed to I realized tonight when I revisited Tom Holland's Total Body Workout. 

I had been feeling a bit lazy lately and uninspired and I couldn't figure out why. I still don't know why I've been feeling this way but tonight I broke the cycle and got some DVD action happening again. I have a stack of DVDs piled up that need reviewing so I'm going to try to do a different one at least every other day, got to leave room for the unpredictable family life so I don't want to say everyday.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the gym early to get in some swim time. I have been trying to add a 1/2 hour of pool time to my week and for the past 3 weeks it has worked out. Swimming is one of those sports that wipes you out but feels really good.  It also works a bunch of muscle groups you might not otherwise use so it really balances your entire workout program nicely.

All for now, keep an eye out for new reviews.

more later.

martha

Fun Run and Dominical Road Race

We just got back from a fantastic weekend at our friends Jess and Sean's place out on the Pacific coast. 

The weather was perfect and they have a really amazing home/view/pool.

And while there some folks who came by had flyers for a 5k road race in March so we all decided to run it together, should be tons of fun. We will also be picking up a cutie-patootie new beagle puppy since their little darling Sparkle is about the give birth any second now.

I got my first email regarding the CDS Fun Run today. It will be February 22 and they warned that it was a hill course. I'm going to spend the next few weeks trying to lengthen my regular run. I figure I can handle the hills a bit better if I can run farther, kind of shift the strength from distance into endurance, maybe it will work, or maybe I'll feel like I'm going to die. The hill the the finish line is really long and steep so it should be really interesting.

In the next week I will be posting a review of at least one Tracie Long DVD and a new recipe.

more later.

martha

Grilled Marinated Eggplant

!!!RECIPE!!!

This is a very simple recipe with a lot of flavor and yumminess.

Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized eggplants

olive oil

garlic

thyme

oregano

red pepper flakes

vinegar (red wine vinegar works well but any kind you like will do)

salt and pepper

Sterilize a large (3 cup) wide mouth  jar by placing it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

Cut the ends off the eggplant then slice the eggplant the long way, about 1/4 inch thick. This is kind of a pain if you don't cut a flat end onto it first.

In a sauce pan bring 1/2 cup water and 2 cups vinegar to a boil. PUt several slices of eggplant into the boiling water until slightly translucent, about 1 minute. Drain on a paper towel or kitchen cloth. Repeat with remaining eggplant.

In a small bowl mic salt pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano and pepper flake. Use amount that suit your taste. You will need about 3 tablespoons total volume.

On an outdoor grill or stove top, grill the eggplant slices until browned. I use a cast iron grill pan which has ridges that put nice lines onto everything that cooks in it but you an use a cast iron skillet or a rack in the oven.

Place a pinch of seasoning into the jar, layer several slices of eggplant on top and repeat until all the eggplant and seasoning has been used.

Now cover the eggplant with olive oil. You can also use a combination like sunflower and olive, just make sure that whatever you use doesn't have a flavor or it will interfere with the yummy olive oil taste.

Place in the refrigerator for at least a day, 2 to 3 days in better.

enjoy!

martha

avoidance and motivation

Yes, I know, I am a bad blogger. 

This entire month has been a wash. I can blame it on the holidays or school vacation for The Son keeping me busy but the truth is I just haven't felt like it. I have been slightly avoiding it because I have felt off my mark for a few weeks.

Time for a new Daily Calender!!! Woohoo!

Whenever I get this kind of malaise I do one of, or both of, two things. 

I create a new calendar and I organize something, could be my closet, could be the giant toy pile or just throwing out a ton of loose papers that are in a sliding stack on my counter.

Tomorrow is a calendar day. The Son goes back to school early next week so that frees up some daytime for the gym or errands or whatever. Which is great for incorporating the Women's Health Ultimate Fitness Plan 2009 into my regular workout routine. It's great, it got a few parts which including 2 different sets of weights moves and interval training using your choice of cardio. Check it out HERE.

I have a few reviews I am working on, some stuff from Tom Holland and Tracie Long as well as a recipe or two.

more later.

martha

Happy New Year!

2009!

It's here and the past is past. I never make resolutions out loud. I usually take some time to look at last year, think about what I accomplished, where I didn't finish something and how I can change that but I never make a specific New Year's resolution.

I am, however, getting back on a schedule of exercise and nutrition effective immediately. The holidays kill me, all the food, less exercise (though this year was better than most), cold weather and too much traveling.

Fruits and vegetables, fish and grains, throw in some Super Foods ad everything should be normal again in a week or so.

The Husband got me a Polar HR Monitor for Christmas, I've used it twice, it's totally fun. You can track all kids of stuff with it, HR, calories, time, zone time, etc. There's some sort of website companion feature but the application seems to only be for PC so I haven't tried it yet.

I am hoping to get some gym time on this week/weekend. I need to reassess my current routine and update and/or change it to get reinvigorated.

I should have a few new reviews coming soon and possible a product review. as well, I will have some new recipes and articles in the not too distant future.

All for now.

martha

white christmas

Merry, Happy and Shalom!

So I arrived in the Great White North to a wintery wonderland that froze me to the bone but made The Son incredibly happy and that's what counts!

For running outside it's tough. I got in a good day on Wednesday, it warmed up to a blistering 35-40 degrees and was sunny. It was clear but windy, after a few blocks I was warmed up enough but it's super strange to breath in icy cold air.

I went to the Y in Westboro today to meet up with my friend Karen. They have a really nice facility with an indoor track which was WAY nicer than running outside in the frigidity.

Unfortunately the days are flying by and we leave soon to head back home. I'll be happy to get back but it's always too short a visit, we never seem to be able to get in everything we want to but things have been nice.

Off for another visit.

more later,

martha

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 got back to normal running over the course of last week after a few days of serious lung burn and today I switched up my route and took a huge hill that a friend had recommended, it was a serious ass burner but luckily levels out at just the right time.

I found a few interesting articles that I thought I would share. Here are the links:

Double Your Strength by Slowing Down

14 Natural Remedies

Beyond Guacamole

New Study Ties Hormone Treatments to Breast Cancer

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.

Last Friday I made Christmas tamales with friends. This is a Costa Rican tradition. Basically, you get together with your family and make a mountain of tamales and then give them out to your neighbors and friends, they are really delicious and filled with tons of fat and a chunk of pork with veggies and rice and fat, did I mention they have a lot of fat and they are delicious?

I'll be running off tamales for the next couple of week for sure.

more later...

martha