Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

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Posted by: gns | on June 21, 2011

the gig is up

Ok.

I don’t mean to rant, but seriously, this workout is killing me.

I mean, it’s probably not killing me per se (shh! I may even be getting in shape), but it certainly feels that way currently, as my body tries to tell me repeatedly, in many ways, that I’m too old to abuse it like this.

It’s like a Doozer from Fraggle Rock is tapping away on the inside of my knee cap, constantly clearing his throat as if to say, “You do understand you are not 18 any more? These joints are no longer brand new, and they don’t bounce back the way you remember. Just a little reminder!” Tap, tap, tap! “You should have been more diligent about staying in shape in the first place!” Tippity tap tap tap!

Yesterday it was my hip that felt displaced from the absurd exercise combinations that Shaun T. casually throws into the workouts. (I’ve decided, in my moments of pure frustration, that he and a bunch of other people with 0% body fat get together in a room, and try to answer the following question: “What’s the most difficult combination of completely unrelated moves that you can put together and I can add to my aptly titled ‘Insanity’ workout?”). Today, the amount of jumping and hopping made my knee throb. I mean, seriously, have you EVER heard of squat push-ups? Just an FYI, they aren’t easy. I’d try to narrow down the absurd moves for you, but at this point in the program, it’s all bananas.

Some of my favs (in no particular order) include:

1. Power push-ups

2. Power Jumps (these are SO much fun, Shaun T. is kind enough to bring to our attention that not even the peeps in the video like ’em)

3. Balance Push Ups (as if the power ones where you’re expected to jump up at the top of each push up weren’t bad enough, he came up with these for the end of the workout when, I’m guessing, most normal people are wondering if they still have full function of their arms).

4. Floor hops (I don’t even think I am doing them correctly. I certainly don’t feel my abs working the way Shaun T. implies they should).

As I hobbled around work today (and limped around the neighborhood during our walk this evening) I wondered what the purpose of the first four weeks were. I mean, I am just as sore now as I was after Day #1. And in those work outs, you do moves you’ve heard of before (like, just regular ole squats and lunges … fancy that!) So how can they possibly prepare you for wide floor sprints combined with moving push-ups and squat push ups? It’s all bananas.

I had a moment today when I was pretty sure I was going to have to sit down (those are not good moments) and at that particular time, Shaun T. made some crazy statement about how today’s workout was probably better than last week, and we should be happy & proud about our progress. I thought fleetingly of Core Cardio Balance, my 60% workout of last week, and felt a wave of nostalgia. No, I wanted to say, but didn’t have the energy, I don’t think this week is better than last week.

But… I am hoping that next week is better than this one.

Posted in insanity & shaun t, ruminations | No Comments »

Posted by: gns | on June 21, 2011

a lil bit of spice can be nice

So, John and I were so caught up in finishing our “Game of Thrones” marathon (the show is weirdly addicting) that I didn’t get to posting what we had for din-din last night. I have to observe, for anyone who also watches “Game of Thrones,” that while the Dothraki and the people of Rohan (“Lord of the Rings”) are both considered “Horse People,” the similarities really stop there. I’ve (sadly) thought a lot about it, because I love the people of Rohan so much (we have all three extended LOTR films and we watch them a lot). It’s always interesting to see how fantasy realms resemble and differ from each other. In this particular comparison, each universe has a ‘horse people,’ but whoa nellie, they could not be on further ends of the spectrum after that! There are many things I like about “Game of Thrones,” but I will also say there are some things that aren’t my fav.

Soooo. Din Din. It was YUM. And it took all of 20 minutes to prepare, which is great on weeknights when we don’t get home until about 7pm, and then try to go on a walk (yes, I’m cheating on Shaun T. at night by walking ~ altho’ I don’t think it’s really hurting our relationship … it may even help!).

Anyway, back to the dinner… realistically, it probably takes a little more than 20 minutes, but if you prep it ahead of time (which doesn’t take long, and is probably the best thing to do) then it takes about 20 minutes to cook after you pop it in the oven.

What you need:

2 chicken breasts, defrosted and cut into pieces (no need to obsess, just try to make them as uniform as possible ~mostly for cooking time purposes)

Carribean Jerk Seasoning (I used McCormick Brand Perfect Pinch ~ not sure if other labels make the same thing)

A glass casserole dish (or equivalent)

For the dipping sauce:

2 tsp. Curry Powder

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp. veggie oil

Small saucepan

1/3 cup Mayo

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (plain, non-fat ~ trust me, it would be funny, but not as yummy, if you picked up vanilla by mistake)

And then, to prep …

1. If you are doing everything at once, then preheat the oven to 375.

2. To prepare~ grease the casserole dish and fill with the chicken (make sure to pat the chicken dry if you’ve just defrosted it ~ too much liquid in the dish won’t kill it, but it will take away from the chicken absorbing the jerk spice).

2. Coat both sides of the chicken with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning (added bonus!!! the seasoning has ZERO calories). If you’re prepping, cover with saran wrap, and put in the fridge so the chicken can marinate.

3. When you’re ready ~ pop that chicken in the oven and let it cook for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until you notice the juice is running clear. Pull out and allow to sit for about five minutes before serving.

For the Sauce.

1. Put curry powder, cayenne pepper and veggie oil in small sauce pan, blend together and heat over medium-low heat until aromatic. (We’re talking 15 seconds ~ it’s quick).

2. Allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine mayo & greek yogurt. Mix until smooth. When the spices are cool, combine with mixture. If you’re prepping ~ cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge. If not, it’s ready to serve.

As sides, we served ripe avocados sprinkled with a little sea salt (delish), John had a garden fresh cucumber salad and I ate fresh sweet corn (this girl is not a lover of the cucumber).

Hers & His!