run cahill run

elizpaige: oh, hi. i should probably buy this to drool, get a...

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:14:20 -0400

elizpaige:

oh, hi. i should probably buy this to ~~drool, get a good core workout or~~ be patriotic. right. patriotism…

I’ve never bought a workout video but if it involves Lochte’s abs, count me in.

runnersworld: More motivational posters.

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:11:29 -0400

runnersworld:

More motivational posters.

Awesome graphic about marathon training.

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:55:50 -0400

Awesome graphic about marathon training.

Another class I’ve been dying to try since I joined...

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:50:19 -0400

Another class I’ve been dying to try since I joined Equinox was ViPR. ViPR is Vitality, Performance & Reconditioning. It involved a lot of real life movements while holding the ViPR. I loved this class. The movements were all ones I’ve known from regular workouts but they were enhanced with repetition and by using the ViPR bar. I used the lightest bar (most people did) and still found it challenging. The instructor did a great job of explaining and demonstrating the moves and clearly mixed it up for a total body workout. I’m really looking forward to taking this class again.

This past Sunday B and I had some friends over to grill on the...

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:24:01 -0400

This past Sunday B and I had some friends over to grill on the roof. Though it had poured at points during the day, the evening was clear and we had a lovely night. Everyone brought fun, healthy food and I felt really stuffed by the end. My contributions were two things I found on Pinterest - salmorejo and watermelon, basil, feta + quinoa salad. I was a bit stressed because I had to work (yes, on a Sunday) and got home less than an hour before everyone came over. Fortunately, the recipes were easy and I had a great sous chef so we pulled it all together quickly. Salmorejo is very similar to gazpacho but tastes a lot creamier without the cream! We had it in Spain and I was so excited to recreate it at home. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and will certainly become regular summer staples.

One of the goals of 2012 was to try new fitness classes....

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:02:58 -0400

One of the goals of 2012 was to try new fitness classes. I’m proud to say, I’ve really be doing it and loving it! At first I was nervous going to classes alone, but once I attended 3SUM with S and saw I would be fine, I challenged myself to go to more! As work insanity slows down, I’ve been able to attend more classes and will write reviews on here.

One evening I got out of work at a decent time and saw that I could make a 30/60/90 class. I summoned the courage and went a bit early to watch what other people were grabbing for class. Everyone had a bench raised up 2 levels and two sets of weights, lights and heavies. What’s tricky about group classes is being able to get the perfect lights and heavies for you, with everyone else trying to do the same. I grabbed 5lbs and 8lbs, so a bit light for my heavies, but this was my first class. I lucked out because the woman who actually invented 30/60/90 was teaching the class. It was a lot of moves around the bench in intervals of (wait for it) 30, 60 and 90 seconds. By the 90 second interval I could barely move sometimes. I was sweating a lot but the moves felt pretty doable. Fortunately there were a few other beginners in the class so the instructor told us we should rest when we needed so we didn’t overexert ourselves. I have way to much pride to rest often, but sometimes it was necessary.

All in all, I felt I got a great workout. I liked the class, but didn’t love it. At points we were told to speed up, which I felt made me ruin my form. Maybe this was because I was new though so I’d like to try again to see how things go.

There are so many nights when we’re too tired to cook but...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:53:33 -0400

There are so many nights when we’re too tired to cook but both my wallet and my waistline can’t take another night of ordering in. With that in mind, I’ve started to keep some things in the kitchen that allow us to whip up something fairly healthy with minimal effort. Some of these items include frozen pizza crusts and frozen vegetables. Based on what I had on hand, we made some cheesy spinach and artichoke pizza with a side of asparagus. It was a very green and white meal and we loved every bite!

I made split pea soup the other day and it was amazing. One...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:49:59 -0400

I made split pea soup the other day and it was amazing. One reason I love split pea soup is because it’s basically pureed peas that have been flavored with ham (on the ham bone!) The result was so comforting on a cold night and not so filling that we couldn’t have dessert!

I got this recipe from the New York Times and it was a wonderful...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:43:40 -0400

I got this recipe from the New York Times and it was a wonderful winter meal. It used some of my favorite winter vegetables but the lemon mustard sauce really brought it to a new level!

This was one of the raw dinners I was allowed while on the...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:40:37 -0400

This was one of the raw dinners I was allowed while on the cleanse - quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, cilantro, lemon and olive oil. Fortunately it was delicious. I think this will become a summer side staple.

I apologize for being soooo far behind on this blog. Work got...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:38:54 -0400

I apologize for being soooo far behind on this blog. Work got pretty crazy and I had a lot of other things on my plate. I’m not going to recap months of workouts but whatever significant things I can remember. One that I had to blog about was my cleanse.

My friend K had done the blue print cleanse before and liked the results so when she told me she was going to do a 3 day “juice til dinner” version, I was in. Fortunately we got a great deal on the juices and we were ready to go.

Some topline notes, I loved the taste of all of the juices, each was refreshing and unique. They satisfied my hunger until about 3pm when suddenly I was hungry, exhausted and moody. After that I would count down the hours til I could have a snack then my light, raw dinner. I found myself going to bed early each day because I was so tired. I then couldn’t drag myself out of bed in the morning to work out.

In the end, I felt weaker and exhausted, despite not doing anything physical. I found myself craving disgusting fried food that I normally wouldn’t touch. You’re supposed to ease in and out of the cleanse and when it was over those cravings subsided but I still took it easy and ate healthily. As an outsider, B was able to assess the situation better than I could, especially in my emotional state. He said that I already ate pretty healthy, worked out a decent amount and drank a lot of water. The cleanse may do a lot more good for someone for whom this was a gigantic life change. I just found myself feeling off for a while.

Because I’m not a nutritionist or any sort of expert, I’m not going to recommend or not recommend Blue Print or cleanses of any kind, I’m just stating that my experience wasn’t the best and I was happy to get back to my regular routine.

A friend of mine posted this quinoa with tomatoes, kale, corn...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:24:28 -0400

A friend of mine posted this quinoa with tomatoes, kale, corn and pumpkin seeds recipe and I just had to try it. I made it a while ago during the cooler weather and it was just delightful. Really, anything that has something to do with pumpkins is appealing to me.

After a long week of late nights at work, even later nights out...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:30:24 -0500

After a long week of late nights at work, even later nights out to start the long weekend and early mornings with the pup, B and I needed some rest and relaxation by Sunday night. After his basketball game we stopped by Whole Foods to grab some snow peas and tomato sauce to compliment the mixed seafood and whole wheat pasta we already had. We decided to make our own “seafood fra diavolo” and were very successful! We followed this recipe loosely but adjusted for our own personal tastes (hot!) and using an awesome spice B had on hand. I had never cooked with snow peas before so we can add another to the list of new vegetables I have tried. Checking new ones off is so fulfilling, especially when they’re as tasty as these snow peas were. They did a nice job of balancing the spice of the dish and in the end it was a colorful and healthy dinner for two tired kids.

Photo

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:21:06 -0500

proper spin bike positioning

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:19:58 -0500

Though I had read about the proper spin bike positioning before I started spinning last year, the new instructor I adore informed me that while she didn’t hate the way I had my bike, she didn’t love it. She took the time to review my stride after class and made a few adjustments. While I was keeping my bike seat at a fairly low level and the medium distance from the handlebars, she brought my seat up very slightly but also moved it forward. I instantly felt the results of the change after my next class. My left knee, which still bothers me, didn’t have as much discomfort as it usually does after a strenuous class. I was so grateful that she took the time to notice and help me. I would definitely suggest talking to a teacher you think is smart (and kind) and have them evaluate your bike, you might be surprised what a difference it makes!

We had a very pinterest-ing valentine’s day! (I am the...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:27:44 -0500

We had a very pinterest-ing valentine’s day! (I am the lamest person ever, I’m aware) B and I wanted to stay in, cook a special dinner, drink wine and watch tv with the dog. We decided on a menu beforehand and it consisted almost entirely of recipes I found on pinterest. I’ve included all of the healthy recipes below. The only thing we did by scratch was all B and it was incredible! I don’t think he’d even be able to tell us what he did or what he used, but the night before Valentine’s Day he made a rub for a huge rack of ribs. The next morning, he transferred the ribs into a marinade in the slow cooker where it cooked for 8 hours. It was fall-off-the-bone deliciousness. Loved every bite. This was after we had a tasty (and soo simple!) appetizer of mussels. For sides we enjoyed baked sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli. It was all great.

I wanted to tackle a new and special for Valentine’s Day recipe so I chose red velvet cheesecake cookies. I prepped the filling at my apt in the morning so it had time to freeze. Because of the filling, the cookies were tricky to get off the pan. I thought I had successfully gotten the first four off, only to smush the entire plate against myself! Suddenly I was scrambling to pick the pieces off the floor and pulling the dog away so she wouldn’t eat any chocolate. She ended up with red velvet spots all around her neck and torso! The next two batches turned out great and after one cookie each, I showed B the plate of cookie mess. We laughed and decide we’d enjoy that and let his roommates eat the pretty cookies. And that, my friends, is all I could have ever wanted for Valentine’s Day, to find the person who would laugh and enjoy my cookie mess with me. Hope your holiday was just as nice.

B kindly went grocery shopping and made us dinner the other...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:10:03 -0500

B kindly went grocery shopping and made us dinner the other night and unintentionally helped me with two of my 2012 goals - order from seamless less and try seasonal vegetables. He made us a delicious plate filled with sweet potato gnocchi, cannelloni beans, tomatoes, swiss chard and mozzarella cheese. The swiss chard was new to me and I loved the slightly bitter taste it gave the meal, really nicely balancing the other flavors. Have you tried chard? I’d love to incorporate it into my diet more. What are some ways you’ve enjoyed it?

Monday night, B worked late and I hadn’t gotten in a...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:05:40 -0500

Monday night, B worked late and I hadn’t gotten in a morning workout so decided to pair doggy duty with exercise. We hadn’t yet taught Sady how to run with us but I’ve been told she’s old enough now (4.5 months) so I laced up my sneaks, grabbed her stuff and off we went. I took her over to the Hudson River running path which she is somewhat familiar with. I was pleased at how she ran next to me and only a gentle “stay with me” would remind her if she got off track. I had been told there was a dog park in the world financial center so I took the rugrat over there, thinking it could be her break. About halfway there she wanted to stop but I encouraged her. She seemed like she was having fun. I let her play for a while in the park while I caught my breath. When we left, she must have realized we were heading home and bolted back. She definitely wasn’t staying with me but rather dragging me back. I found out later she and B run back from the dog park so she was used to this. Since I had only gotten about a mile and a half, I went to the gym and did another 15 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. It was a lot of fun running with Miss Sady and I can’t wait to take her out more!

At my Equinox there is a Saturday morning class that always...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:05:00 -0500

At my Equinox there is a Saturday morning class that always interested me but I was nervous to go on my own. Fortunately, after a few too many bloody mary’s last week, my friend S and I agreed to go the following week. The class is called 3SUM and the description online is “The math is clear: the sum is greater than the parts. Enjoy the synergistic benefits & metabolic boost of a three-discipline cross-training workout. Volume, force and power unite in a cycling, strength & yoga inspired trifecta to leave you fit & fully satisfied. Bring cycling & main studio shoes.“

I met S in the locker room and we headed upstairs to get our bikes. The instructor said this month was about endurance and boy did the spin class introduce that. We pushed ourselves so hard that at the end of 30 minutes, I was dizzy, and I’m used to doing 45 minute classes! S went ahead to set up our strength training stations. I was so grateful because it took me a few minutes to cool down and feel well again.

The strength training portion was great. Lots of moves using our body weight plus either heavy or light weights, or a medicine ball. The movements themselves were easy to do but with the weights the overall workout was challenging. S got a little lightheaded here as well so she took it easy for a minute before jumping right back in.

We continued to push ourselves and suddenly I realized this third had cut 15 minutes into the last third! Then it turned out that rather than yoga, we were going to be doing core work. I love me some core work, but after this intense workout I was ready for some good stretching of yoga. In the end, I felt like I had gotten a great, well-rounded workout, but I wasn’t about to pass out. I was so happy S was able to come all the way downtown (she lives on the UES) to workout with me. It was such a comfort to have her by my side! I’m not sure if 3SUM will always be a part of my weekly routine, but I definitely plan on going back. Has anyone else tried it?

After a long week, my office decided to send us all home at a...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:38:00 -0500

After a long week, my office decided to send us all home at a decent hour Friday night. After a few happy hour beers with coworkers (what is this happy hour concept?) I went to yoga downtown. It was a great way to end the week. I had recently read about the best yoga poses for your abs and I decided to bust them out when the instructor tells you to do whatever additional things you want to finish your practice. It was a nice addition to the class and I really felt the burn.