From the in-case-I-didn't-mention-it file

The S.O. has decided to take flying lessons.

Which I fully support because he's excited about it. But look at that tiny little plane. Scary. The only downside is that the weather has been pretty uncooperative for him -- high winds, fog -- and he hasn't gotten as many hours logged as he'd like. Still, I like to think one day he'll get his pilot's license and jet us off to some exotic locale for a romantic getaway.

Shut up. A girl can dream.

Big Step

I finally took a big first step and applied for a personal trainer certification course. Soon, I will not only be your go-to girl for rants, ramblings and stories about my dog, I will also be your go-to girl for fitness know-how.

I promise not to question your choice of menu items or hound you about working out ... unless you ask me to, of course.

This is something I've been thinking about doing for a while. I've just been -- as I always am -- a terrible procrastinator. I'm told most people finish in three or four months but also that I have up to two whole years to complete the program. I really want to be finished by the end of the summer.

Wish me luck.

Big Plans

No. I don't actually have any big plans. I need to make big plans but I find that I'm a person who plans to plan. I'll say, "I need to plan meals better" or "I need to plan my career move." I'm great at planning to plan. I need to follow through better.

I want to be better about planning meals. I hate waiting until it's dinner time to think about what to fix. I try to eat healthy, and planning ahead is a really important aspect of that.

I want to start a new career. It shouldn't even be that difficult for me to do what I need to do. I've asked the right people the right questions. I just need to sit down and make a plan to get it done.

So, once again, I'm planning to plan but have yet to actually make a plan.

I'm even planning to plan to blog every day for a month. I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of "bigs" I wanted to write about. What do I actually have? A sticky note with "Blog - Big" written on it, stuck to my desk.

So, OK. Big list:
Big brothers
Big changes
Big mouths
Big powder (from our upcoming ski trip, I hope)
Big dogs
Big kids
Something about books, movies, songs with "Big" in the title

OK, short list. But at least I have the start of a plan. Baby steps to my big plans.

Focus on the positive

Knowing that the gloomy, wintry weather would probably keep me housebound this weekend, I got in a Saturday workout with Joe and a couple Boot Campers I don’t get to see other days of the week. We did a lot of boxing, which can be a lot harder than some of our normal exercises. It’s also very empowering. There’s nothing quite like punching something as hard as you can — safely, of course.

As we were finishing up, I commented to one of the other campers that she had great legs. Her response: Who me? It made me realize (1) many of us are not very good at taking compliments and (2) we have a tendency to focus on the negative things about ourselves.

When you look in the mirror, do you see the good things or do your eyes immediately settle on your trouble zones? I know that my eyes settle on my midsection — the part I like least about myself. Joe suggests taking a full-length photo of yourself. With a Sharpie, write your goals on the photo. Additionally, you should write good things on the photo. How about things like “I want to tone my middle” and “I love my strong, toned arms.”

I know “self-talk” is a bit of a cliche, but sometimes we have to say nice things to ourselves. We have to remind ourselves that we’re stronger, have more energy, feel better and yes, look better thanks to our workouts. Maybe your trouble area isn’t as toned as you’d like it to be, but I bet you can find something about yourself you do like. Give it a try. You may feel silly at first but you may realize there are a lot more positives than you originally thought.

Cross posted

I didn't die

As I mentioned last week, the S.O. and I rode our bicycles 25-miles Sunday as part of the Elephant Rock Cycling Festival. It was a great day for a ride (we finished well before any tornadoes spun through the area). Cool in the morning, warming to a sunny day.

I'm not going to say it was easy. It wasn't. It was 25 miles, and I swear at least 90 percent of it was uphill. It was tough. But I never had to get off and push the bike up a hill. I made it the whole way. I'm pretty proud of that accomplishment. Sure, there were people who rode 34, 62 and 100 miles, but I can't compare myself to those folks. This is the longest bike ride I've ever done, and that's cool. I honestly don't think I could have made it if I wasn't doing the boot camp workouts. My endurance has definitely improved.

The route passes through Castlewood Canyon. There was some very pretty scenery along the way.

We had a rest and aid stop at 12.3 miles. They gave us plenty of carb-loaded snacks and refills for our water bottles. Plus, they had port-a-potties. Here we are at half-way, after refueling.

Because this stop was at about the halfway point, I thought the second half would be a breeze. I was sorely mistaken. The second half was more on-road, and my little mountain bike just isn't built for such climbs on the road -- neither are my knees, apparently.

Here I am at the top of one of many climbs. This one was just after the second aid and rest station -- about 19 miles from the start.

As I said, I made it -- and with hardly any complaints.

The Elephant in the room

The S.O. and I are going to ride the 25-mile off-road ride at the Elephant Rock Cycling Festival this Sunday. To prepare (perhaps a bit belatedly) we took our bicycles out this morning for the first time in many, many moons.
We rode about 7 1/2 miles, with plenty of climbs thrown in. It felt pretty good. (Thanks, Boot Camp!) The shortest ride you can do at Elephant Rock is the 7-mile ride. I'm pretty sure that would be way too easy for us. The 25-mile ride will probably be a bit of a challenge, but I'm confident I'll do fine.

This morning was perfect for a bike ride. It was a little cool but not chilly. The sun was shining, and all the people we passed who were riding or jogging were smiling. That's a good ride.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday. There will be refreshment stations along the way, so I won't have to worry about crashing -- figuratively or literally. And there will be a great crowd of people, all enthusiastic about getting out on their bikes. All, that is, except the ones who who rather be sipping lattes and watching "Meet the Press" but were dragged there by a spouse, parent or significant other all gung ho about a long bike ride.

He knows more than you do!*

The S.O. received his Masters of Electrical Engineering today. Our seats weren't very close to the stage. But they projected everything on to the big screen. Here he is accepting his diploma ...

cover. The actual degree is sent by mail late this summer.

I'm quite proud of him. He's the only one in his immediate family to attend college, let alone receive an advanced degree. I think he's allowed to be smug* for a while.

*Just ask Dr. Science!

More healthy, yummy food

Because I'm still a lazy cook, but trying to actually be a cook and to also eat and serve good, healthful meals, here's another kitchen-tested recipe from "Healthy in a Hurry." Or you can find the recipe at the Eating Well Web site (they include all the nutrition info over there).

Adobo Pork & Potato Packets

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 small sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium yellow-fleshed potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 bone-in pork loin chops (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds), trimmed of fat
Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Combine oil, vinegar, paprika, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender; process until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Place sweet potato, potato and onion in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons of the sauce; toss well to coat. Rub both sides of pork chops with the remaining sauce.

3. To make a packet, lay two 24-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray. Spread half the potato mixture in the center of the foil in a thin layer. Bring the short ends of foil together, fold over and pinch to seal. Pinch the seams together along the sides to seal the packet. Make a second packet in the same fashion with the remaining potato mixture.

4. Place the packets on the hottest part of the grill and the pork chops in the front or back. Cook the pork for 3 to 4 minutes per side and the packets for 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and let rest while the packets finish cooking. Open the packets (be careful of steam) and serve the pork chops with the vegetables.

Makes 4 servings

I don't consider potatoes to be a vegetable, so I served this with candied carrots -- which probably aren't all that healthy, what with the 4 tablespoons of butter, but are delicious and, I'm told, can be made with less butter -- but I think a tossed green salad would go well with this dish.

Melting the muffin top

I'm sticking with the Boot Camp training and completed my fourth day this morning.

Summer is just around the corner, and I really want to be ready for it. Although I have no plans to put on a bikini this summer, I know it's impossible to keep completely covered up. With the heat come shorts, skirts and sleeveless tops. Plus, the significant other and I are planning to ride in the Elephant Rock Bike Festival, as well as try some backpacking this summer. So, I need to build my endurance, as well as try to look good in bike shorts (although very few people look good in Spandex!).

It isn't just vanity that gets me out to the park at 7 a.m. on a foggy Monday morning. I'm fighting genetics, in the form of heart disease, high blood pressure and an under-active thyroid. So far, I have been lucky and have kept my blood pressure low. I credit working out. Unfortunately, at a certain age, I began struggling with allergies, asthma and a lagging metabolism, worsened by my thyroid. And now, I find myself with a bit of a "muffin top."

So when Joe asked me this morning what I'd like to focus on, I told him I want to increase my endurance and whittle away at the love handles. I haven't really gained weight, but it seems to have redistributed itself around my waistline. I guess that's age for you. But like my dad always says, "It's better than the alternative."

Still, I have no intention of settling for a slow metabolism and a jiggly middle. Today, we did lots of exercises for the obliques, including side planks and V-sit tosses with a partner. We also did plenty of cardio exercises and work for our arms and legs, lest you think we only focus on one body part each day.

There's no boredom at boot camp. Friday, as I was running, pulling a tire behind me (nope, not a euphemism for my butt) a couple of women walked by with their dogs. "Were you bad?" they called out to me. "Nope," I answered, "This is the fun part!"

Another day of torture... I mean training

Today was day two of my Boot Camp training. As someone who is easily amused, I am equally easily bored. After slogging away at the gym on cardio machines and free weights for years, I had hit a major burnout in my exercise routine. I dug out some old fitness DVDs I have. They're fine for once in awhile. But I can only hear the same tired jokes so many times before I can't stand it.

Recently, I started working out with kettlebells, and they're great. But I'm not always able to motivate myself enough to really see results. I tried a DVD and an MP3 download. Both are good, but I run into the same problem as other fitness videos -- they are the same every time you do them.

Boot Camp offers motivation -- in the form of Joe, our "drill sergeant" -- variety, camaraderie and fun. Yes, I said fun. "Our bodies want to have fun*," Joe says.

And for all the jokes about it being torture, this workout really is fun. Think about it. Would you rather:

• Spend 30 minutes running on a treadmill or spend 30 minutes running around the yard with your kids (or spouse or dog)?
• Spend 30 minutes "climbing" a StairMaster or spend an afternoon climbing an actual mountain?
• Go to the gym or go out dancing?
• Workout alone in your living room (or a gym) or workout with a great group of women in a sunny park?

I think it's safe to say most of us would chose the second option in each of those scenarios. Exercise doesn't have to feel like a chore. This Boot Camp isn't easy -- but neither are chasing kids or climbing a mountain -- but it is fun and it can make those other activities easier. Because working out really should prepare us for real life challenges.

A great added benefit to working out at 7 a.m. (there are even earlier classes!) is how much more I accomplish throughout my day.

*I wanted to include Cyndi Lauper here, but I can't embed the video. Go here to enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwFeQpy_Us&feature=channel_page

Do you maggots understand that?

My dear friend Kate invited me to join her this week at the fitness boot camp (www.womensbootcampfitness.com/womens-colorado-bootcamp/index.aspx) she attends. She's been going for a while now and loves it. So I thought what the heck. I work out. I can handle it.

The alarm went off at 6:10 a.m. yesterday morning, and I popped out of bed, ready to face this Joe character I'd been hearing about. With spring here, Joe plans to conduct these sessions outside at a park. But the morning was foggy and 40 degrees, so we worked out in a gym. But this isn't your typical gym. There are no cardio machines or namby pamby free weights here.

Joe smiled at me and introduced himself as if he were a kind soul. Hidden beneath that friendly exterior is the heart of a drill sergeant. We started out with a pretty simple warm up, then moved on to exercises with a partner. From there we did two rounds of the circuit -- which was set up to look a bit like a torture chamber, with resistance bands, medicine balls, a stability ball, kettlebell and more.

Ok, I'm exaggerating. It only looked like torture because I hadn't had my coffee yet. It is funny, though, how long 45 seconds can seem. This morning, I can really feel it in my ab muscles.

When I thought my recent Kettlebell workouts were tough, I had yet to meet this man. Now, this isn't to scare you away. Because he's tough but he's motivating. I don't think he'd make the entire group drop and give him 50 if I had pooped out halfway through a set of crunches or squats, but I wasn't going to test him.

So I pushed myself and made it through the circuit twice, just like the other people in the group. I have a bit of a competitive side, and if those other women can do it, so can I, dammit! It didn't matter to me that they'd been doing it longer or that some of them were younger than I am. I was not about to be the one who quit. And I'm not positive there wouldn't have been push-ups to do latrines to clean if I'd wimped out.

Chicken soup for the actual body

My experiment in cooking continues this week, starting with a roast chicken and vegetables Sunday night. Simple, easy, tasty dishes are perfect for me, because (1) I'm a lazy cook, (2) bland is boring and (3) I'm a lazy cook.

The recipe (once again from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy) calls for carrots, onions and potatoes to roast alongside the chicken. A one-pot meal is an extra plus. I added a beet and some parsnips (left over from my Steak with Root Vegetables experiment). It's a tasty meal and ends up looking like you spent a lot of time slaving away in the kitchen. I think it would be a good meal to cook to impress friends -- simple and yummy, with that touch of a Sunday dinner at Mom's house.

The best part is that with just two people eating, there's plenty left over to make soup. My attempt at chicken stock involved putting the chicken in the slow cooker overnight, then picking it apart to get off all the good meat and using the liquid to make a broth. It wasn't great soup, but it was pretty good for a first attempt with homemade stock. To the broth and meat, I added carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and a healthy portion of herbs (sage, parsley, thyme) and some Creole seasoning. (I don't care what anyone else thinks, that stuff is awesome.)

There was enough soup for two dinners, which meant I didn't have to cook while playing Florence Nightingale.

"Hey, Pammeey, what's on the menu tonight?" you ask. Tonight, I attempt Soy Salmon with Noodles. I have to look at the recipe again because I'm pretty sure you serve it with ice-cold green beans. Um, no. I've not eaten ice-cold green beans since I was a kid. And that was only because I had to sit there until I took three bites. It's part of the reason I shun canned vegetables* as an adult.

*Canned beans like kidney, black, pinto, Garbanzo and cannellini don't count. Canned green beans and peas are strictly off my menu.

My experiment continues

This week I have vowed to try a new recipe for dinner each night (or in today's case, lunch). I have pulled five recipes from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy, because I am a lazy cook, and a cookbook with both the words "simple" and "easy" sounds good to me.

Today's lunch was Steak with Root Vegetables -- very simple, very tasty. Here's what it looks like in the cookbook:Here's how mine turned out:Not as pretty, but not bad. And it was quite tasty. Someone recently said to me, "If you can read, you can cook." I beg to differ. I can read and follow directions, but my meals are never quite as tasty as my friends' meals.

On the other hand, I think my first two experiments this week have been fine. The S.O. hasn't complained. But I think he's just happy I'm cooking.

Making music

Slowly but surely I am learning the guitar. I surprised myself this weekend by picking up a friend's guitar and actually pounding out a bit of a song. No one can tell what song it is yet, but it's coming along.

For a while, every time I walked by my guitar I avoiding looking directly at it. I could feel the failure radiating off it. Now, I can pick it up and make sounds that resemble music, and we have a much better relationship.

Easy, my Aunt Sally's Sister

I've been working out with kettle bells pretty regularly since Christmas. Mostly, I've been working out with this DVD. But I've also created a workout of my own. I switch off when I get sick of the video or when I feel like I'm not motivating myself enough.

My good friend Kate (the Bootcamp Queen) suggested downloading workouts for my iPod. So I did a quick search and found a free workout at www.liftkettlebells.com: http://www.liftkettlebells.com/Workouts/Easy-Kettlebell-Workout.aspx

Not only was it free, it says "easy." So, I figure I'll give it a go. As you can probably guess from this post's title the workout was free, but it was nowhere near easy. Granted, I tried it with my 20-pound kettle bell. Next time, (and yes, there will be a next time, because I'm a glutton for punishment, as anyone who knows anything about my history with men knows) I'll start out with the 10-pound kettle bell.

This workout is butt-kicking. From 60-second sets of two-arm swings to military presses, it works your whole body in 30 minutes and certainly gets your heart thumping. I downloaded both the 20- and 30-minute workouts (hoping for some variety) with music. The music is fine, probably not something I would listen to on a regular basis but good for this workout.

I will admit that I didn't quite make it all the way through -- I had to skip a couple exercises that are unfamiliar to me. Now I have a goal: Get familiar with all the exercises and make it through this workout without falling over.

My arms still feel shaky as I type this post.

Being a rock star hurts

Remember way back to my birthday when the S.O. gave me a guitar? Well, I decided I wasn't getting the hang of it on my own, so I started taking lessons.

I'm making progress now, fairly quickly. I practice daily and am starting to get the necessary callouses on my fingers. Not quite though. They get pretty darn painful after I play. Here's a picture that might be kind of gross.

You can click to embiggen it, if you really want to see the indentations in my fingertips and the awesome callouses I'm starting to get.

It's hard to type and forget about sorting paper or turning the pages of a book with those babies.

If sore fingers are the price I must pay to have millions of screaming fans, so be it. Because I'm telling you, people are going to pay big money to go to my concerts. But not you guys. You'll be on the guest list. You can say you're with the band.

How lazy are we?

I just realized you guys must think all my dog ever does is sleep. I need to get some pictures of her playing or chasing cats or performing her new "trick" -- that the S.O. "taught" her, and she thinks is so clever but is actually really annoying -- of destroying paper bags and cardboard items set aside for recycling. She's taken to picking up anything made of cardboard and tearing it up, including full cases of diet soda. Well, she tried to pick it up but did manage to chew the corner off.

Of all the pictures I've posted of my dog, there are really only two in which she's doing something somewhat active. This one, of her destroying a Kleenex box (a post that also shows her laying in bed):


And this one of her trying to escape the snow:


My goal is to get some cute pictures of Ripley playing. She's really not all that lazy.
.

I'm going to be a rock star

Nevermind that my guitar is acoustic, I don't know how to play it and for that matter, haven't played an instrument since 7th grade. Nevermind that the only women older than I am who are still rockin' have been doing so for three decades or more.

None of that matters, because now that I have held this guitar in my hands (a birthday gift from the S.O.), I will be a rock star.

Becoming a rock star was inevitable, really -- all those hours glued in front of the television during the heyday of MTV (back when they played music videos 24 hours a day), the endless lip-synching sessions in front of my full-length mirror with my hairbrush microphone and my audience of adoring stuffed-animal fans. And -- the best part -- I probably already have some hearing damage thanks to Sony.

I know how to read music (mostly) and I already have the start of callouses on my finger tips (due to not being able to put the guitar down yesterday). I've already learned one chord. So it's just a matter of time before you're all stealing my music off the internet and begging me for front row seats to my next concert.

That, or maybe, by next Christmas, Lisa and I can perform a duet that doesn't suck.

Slow and steady wins the race

While I didn't technically win the race, I did finish my first official 5k -- and I ran the entire thing. My finishing time was 32.24, which was two minutes behind the fastest woman runner. I'm pretty proud of myself for reaching this goal.
The day started out overcast and chilly, with the temperatures in the high 20s when we began the race at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. The sun peeked out for a few minutes, and once I was moving, the chill disappeared.

A group of about two dozen people gathered to run and walk to benefit our local nature centers. A recently failed tax hike means the nature centers won't get funding from the county, so they can use all the monetary help they can get. The nature centers offer great programs for kids and adults alike, teaching us about our local flora and fauna and providing a beautiful natural setting for picnics, hikes and runs.

I started out at the very back of the runners but well ahead of the walkers. I managed to pass a man and his son and a couple so I wasn't the last runner to finish. I came away with a nature center T-shirt and a pair of running socks, not to mention the sense of accomplishment I feel right now.All in all, it was a very good day.

Change of plans

Looking through a two-day old newspaper this morning, I came across a brief about a 5k run to benefit the El Paso County nature centers. The LiveWell 5k takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving instead of Thanksgiving Day. So while it's not technically a "turkey trot," the Fountain Creek and Bear Creek Nature Centers are awesome and are struggling for funding. And I think it's close enough to the day that I'll still need to burn off calories from the leftovers. The entry fee is the same, so I've made the decision to run this 5k instead of the YMCA 5k.

Now, I have to convince myself that it's time to bundle up and get outside for my run this morning. Brrrr.

Update: I managed to motivate myself to get outside and run for 20 minutes. I'm glad for the new running pants I bought to help keep me warm.