Fasting with P

This weekend P made some delicious Daniel fast-friendly meals. Potato and leek soup and sweet potato burritos.

For the potato soup, P sauteed one leek, one onion, and one chopped up jalapeno. He then boiled 5 peeled/diced small potatoes and the leek mixture in one 32 oz box of veg broth. Once that started boiling and the potatoes became soft, he used an immersion blender to mix everything together until a creamy goodness was created.

p.s. someone please tell P to SHAVE his beard and get rid of those glasses!

The burritos didn't come out exactly how he wanted so we modified them into tortilla cakes. They were still really good and really easy to make- you literally combine masa flour with water. DAS it!

For the sweet potato filling, I boiled 3 sweet potatoes, mashed them, then we mixed the mash with brown rice, peppers, one onion, and one can of black beans. We then baked the mixture for about 10-15 min and threw it on the tortilla.

On Sunday my laziness from the weekend lingered and I could only muster up enough energy to run 10 miles. I did a loop around cp then ventured over to the west side. It was a pretty slow and low energy run.

Yesterday I tried my new Pearl Izumi spinning shorts!!! They were amazing. My butt doesn't hurt at all. They took a little getting used to but it's worth it. I ran for a little bit before spin in my shorts and that was not a great feeling...but doable! I just wouldn't go on any long runs with them...

p.s. I've gained 5 lbs in the past month. I don't know what to do but keep on eating!!!

BK, Massages, and Purgatory

Saturday I ran 11 miles and decided to venture into new territory. I wanted to do 12 but I had left G at home and was excited to get to dim sum. Part of the joy of running is discovering new places, even in your own neighborhood. Instead of my usual route across the bridge, I ran into Brooklyn Bridge Park. WHY I just discovered this place is beyond me. It is so freakin pretty:

After dim sum, G and I were able to convince J to get a Chinese massage so I took them to this spot I discovered last year- $30 for an hour!!! I love Chinese massages bc these ladies/men are intense and your massage actually hurts...bc if it doesn't hurt then it's not working. When I'm training, I try to go every other week. It's really good for your muscles bc it loosens them up and prevents injury. Runners have really tight muscles and massage is basically foam rolling on crack. Really though, it's not just good for runners but anyone who is always on their feet or working out a lot. You have to be careful not to get one too close to a big race though bc you will and should be sore after a good massage.

More on my obsession with Eq: I took this class yesterday called Purgatory Bootcamp. I am not kidding when I say I was sweating puddles. I literally had to wipe my sweat off the floor with the towels we used for the gliding push-ups that I couldn't complete bc of my lack of upper body strength. The instructor was legit. His bio says he is a Pentathlon record holder and you could tell from the high knees, hurdles, sprints, fast feet, etc. that he made us do. The class was so packed that I had to push myself in between two sweaty people when I walked in late. But you don't care bc you are just so focused on getting the workout done. The instructor also walks around to make sure everyone's form is correct. I just loved this class so much!!!! Oh and it's 45 minutes straight with no breaks. He doesn't even let you keep your water bottle near you. I can't wait to go back and bring friends with me!

I can't believe I'm saying this but...

I LOVE MY GYM. So far, I've taken Barre Burn, Ripped Arms, Diezel Bootcamp, and 30/60/90. I am still sore from 30/60/90. The class consists of a lot of plyometric workouts, which I really need to do for running, and it is non-stop. You don't get any breaks. Before EQ, I used to hate the gym. Like, really hate it. I couldn't stand the classes and the smell. I was paying $70/month so that I could use the gym as a locker room when I went running outside. But now, I am actually excited to go to classes because the instructors are all so good and everyone is actually fit (models everywhere). I feel fat working out next to these people so it makes me want to work harder. The eucalyptus towels and Kiehl's products help too. Plus, there are enough locations so that I could still use it as a locker room when I run outside! Join and use me as a referral!!! You will not regret it!

Ok, enough of that. I recently joined the Prospect Park Track Club. They are some intense runners who constantly break 6:00/mile race paces. So, what better group to work out with? I signed up for a 10-week track session so that I can get stronger and hopefully faster. I feel like I lack the motivation to do speed workouts on my own plus I get access to an indoor track, which is key in the winter for speed.

This weekend I am going to make cookies and I will post more photos and recipes. Hopefully my stupid roommate won't eat them all!!!!!

I did it...

I joined Equinox. I couldn't take it anymore. My new year's resolution of cross-training has been hindered by the crappy classes at NYSC and the long waitlists for my kettlebell classes. And I cannot for the life of me do strength training on my own. So there, I joined. Last night I did a 3 mile run from my apartment to the gym near work, then I did some intervals on the treadmill, then took a Barre Burn class. I used to think these Barre classes were dumb but let me tell you, my hip flexors were on fire. It is so important to have strong hips because that is the cause of many, many running injuries. Strong hips and strong glutes makes for a strong runner.

I used to run every, single day. I am not even joking. I thought that the way to get better at running was to just do it ALL THE TIME...until I got injured, over and over again. I have seen my share of physical therapists in this city and I can give you a list of all my ortho doctors. I've learned that running 4-5 times a week is sufficient and that to become a strong runner you must cross-train, something I have neglected.

Thus, I have justified my membership to Equinox. Let the booty blasting begin. Who wants to come with me? I get guest passes!!