Working out to the Sound of Music

I went to a new exercise class at my gym last week. It was a class that was supposed to be a combination of yoga and core work. I generally like this kind of workout, as I feel you can get a lot of bang for your bucks by combining two different classes in one hour. However, I was pretty disappointed in this particular class. For one thing, there was mostly yoga and very little core work. The yoga was not the quality that I expected. And frankly, she had an annoying voice, which is particularly unfortunate for someone who is teaching a yoga class. But the worst part for me is that she had no background music. For me, this is essential for my enjoyment of any fitness class.

Many of you are probably thinking that I shouldn't be complaining about the lack of music in a yoga/core class. Yoga classes are quiet, meditative exercises, so why does one need music? I disagree with this opinion. Even quiet "yoga music" helps me to get through the more difficult parts of the class. It puts me in good spirits and improves my mood. I find that music actually keeps me focused, makes the class less boring, and helps the time go faster for me.

As I have said before, I love dance exercise classes, so my early entry into fitness included dancing aerobics in the '80's to the sound of Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. The lively music kept me motivated and kept me going to class! I still remember certain dance routines back then because of the great songs. I will never forget the "Thriller" routine. Now I dance to zumba music to the tunes of Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin. What can be better than exercising to Pitbull's "Fireball"?

A couple of years ago, I began to explore other types of fitness such as strengthening classes, pilates and yoga. At that time, very few of the instructors of these classes played background music, other than the occasional yoga meditative music. But I took a class called synergy that was musically choreographed. As we did pilates, yoga, and tai chi moves, the music was coordinated with the moves. I loved it and became a regular because of this. I noticed that gradually other core classes started adding background music. I often participate in a class called CX works, a core class in which the music and moves are synchronized. This is a very challenging class with a fiery, red headed  instructor who I secretly call "the drill instructor". I struggled the first time I attended, but hearing "Some Nights" by Fun got me through it.


The truth is, music always makes me happy but doing exercise doesn't necessarily make me happy! I sometimes need motivation to keep going during those grueling core crunches, or never ending upper body workouts. I attended a core conditioning class this week and while doing the fab five pilates poses, the Rolling Stones' hit "Sympathy for the Devil" was rocking it in the background! This gave me pleasant memories of the recent Rolling Stones concert I attended in Raleigh and I practically breezed through those moves! (in my dreams). Now, all of the gym classes that I attend have music, and I will only go to those that do. Whether it be pilates, spinning, dancing, or strengthening, music is a requirement for me. If you are having trouble with exercise motivation, I encourage you to try the fitness and music combination. After all, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need!"

Three Pies in a Week

A few weeks ago, the 4th of July was coming up and I was in a celebratory mood, so that meant that I should bake a pie. Usually, that means I will bake one pie for us to enjoy in one week, so that we don't overdo it with the calories and sugar. After all, over indulging would negate all of the exercise that I work at each week. But I was in a cooking mood and just couldn't stop baking, so let me tell you about how this extravaganza turned out.

The first pie attempted was the Lavender Honey Custard Pie from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds cookbook. I had been wanting to try this pie for quite some time, mainly because my husband had wanted me to make it. The idea of lavender and honey together sounded intriguing to me. The hardest part of this recipe was finding edible lavender oil. Although I could have ordered this online, I did find it at the local Earth Fare in Asheville. Eggs cream, lemon juice, and honey were among other ingredients. The most interesting part of the recipe was the garnish, made of dried lavender flowers (from my garden) heated in the oven with a sugar topping. I must say that I was a little skeptical that this pie would turn out well, because a custard is so easy to overcook. But the end result was heavenly! The texture reminded my of lavender creme brulee that I have eaten - smooth and silky. My husband and I ate the entire pie by ourselves (not all at one time, fortunately), and it was a treat! I will make this one again, and will have to decide whether or not to share! It was literally, the kind of pie that I would lie awake at night and think "should I raid the refrigerator"?

I had been wanting to make an old fashioned chocolate cream pie but had been unable to find a recipe in the past. This time I searched online and found one for an old fashioned chocolate meringue pie. It included cocoa, egg yolks vanilla, milk (both whole and evaporated) and cornstarch. The crust was my regular butter crust. The egg mixture was cooked and filled into the prepared crust. Then, the meringue was spread on the top, of course, and slightly browned. I was very pleased with the look and taste of the pie. It was authentically the type of chocolate pie that my mother used to make.

I took this pie to share with my sister when I went on a recent visit. To my surprise, she had made a chocolate cream pie, because we are both sweet and chocolate fanatics. But hers was one called Velvety Chocolate Cream Pie, and was from a Hershey cookbook. Hers had a graham cracker crust and no eggs but included the cocoa and whole milk. This pie had a very smooth, delectable filling and was delicious. We ended up eating most of both of the pies, and they satisfied our sweet tooth craving. I would make both of these pies again.

Actually, I made another pie to take to a Fourth of July party. This was a fresh peach pie with butter crust. But enough about pies for now - I will talk about peach pie another day. As you can see, I haven't changed my blog name yet, and am still talking about pies! But I will be branching out soon! Will definitely be going to the gym this week after my pie eating frenzy!

Fourth of July and the Peachtree Road Race

I lived in Atlanta for 24 years, and for six Fourth of Julys, I ran the Peachtree Road Race. For those who are not familiar, this is a 10k race held in Atlanta each July 4th. Although it is a competitive race with world class runners, the race is also open to those individuals who simply wish to run a 10k. When I ran my first Peachtree, there were 25,000 participants, while this year in 2015 there are 60,000! The main criteria for becoming part of this event is to get your application in early, so that you will be included. And the main reward for finishing the race is the coveted Peachtree Road Race tee shirt!

The first time I ran was 1992, and I had turned 40 earlier that year. I decided that I should do this as a "turning old and forty" challenge for myself. I had always enjoyed running, but never considered being part of a race. Friends who had done the race encouraged me. I turned in my application and got an entry number. Then I realized that I had never run 6.2 miles before, and thought that I should probably start training! I ran almost every day up to the day of the race. The more I ran, the more I ate and the skinnier I became! My first running companion was my tennis friend's husband, Ed, who was a seasoned Peachtree runner, but agreed to run with novice me. I ran my second Peachtree with my husband, Rich, who hardly trained and still ran better than me! After that, I ran with a co-worker, Beth, then my sister Elaine. In 1997, I ran alone (along with 44,999 other participants)! And my final Peachtree, in 1998, I ran again with my sister. After that, I had knee surgery, and did not run for several years.

Moving to Asheville in 2001 put an end to my Peachtree Road Races. And honestly, every time July 4 comes along, I realize that I really miss this holiday activity. I always loved the anticipation before the race. I wondered if I should load up on carbs the night before and eats lots of pasta. (which I always did). If it was predicted to be a particularly hot day (even at 8:00 in the morning), should I drink lots of water before the race and risk having to take a restroom stop halfway during the race? I worried that I wouldn't pace myself correctly and would collapse at what was known as "heartbreak hill". (some people did collapse!). But most importantly, would I like the tee shirt that had been designed for that particular Peachtree race? Indeed, one year my co-worker was really mad that the tee shirt was ugly, and she had trained all of those months for that!!

I have incredible memories of the Peachtree. I loved running with my sister- it was so much fun to do this together. I remember the year that it was cool and rainy on the 4th, and another year that I almost passed out when I got on the Marta train at the end of the race. (I never knew whether this was because I had been sick the week before the race, or because I was crammed into this train with hundreds of sweaty, stinky people like myself!) But I have to say that the best part of the Peachtree was the spectators. Seeing hundreds of people on the sidelines, cheering on those of us running at 8:00 in the morning was such a cool experience! There were 45,000 people in the race, but somehow, I felt that those people were cheering for me - I think all participants I talked to felt that way. In 1997, when I ran alone, I remember being tired at one point, and a man on the sidelines encouraged me as I struggled past, saying "come on, you can do it"!  Being part of such an event was truly special on this national holiday when people come together to celebrate. So today on July 4th, I salute all of the 60.000 people running in Atlanta, and wish that I were there to join you!