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!

Fitness and Routines

Since I started writing this blog in February, I have attempted numerous classes at my gym, including zumba sentao, flow yoga, traditional yoga, dynamic core yoga, pilates, body combat, balletone, dance trance, muscle pump, cx works, integrated strength, gentle yoga, and core conditioning. My goal has been to discover new and different ways of getting exercise, and to share those experiences through my blog. I wanted to see what would happen if I broke away from my usual fitness routine of zumba 3 times a week, walking 2-3 times a week, and push-ups.

I will say that my fitness routine has changed since starting this blog - I now have no regular exercise routine! This doesn't mean that I don't exercise. Instead of having a set, written in stone plan , I tend to try different fitness activities and go with the flow. Ironically, this has led to my being more fit! I believe that cross training really does work. Since doing activities that work all parts of my body, I don't experience some of the aches and pains that had previously bothered me.(like that pain in my right shoulder). I feel stronger, both mentally and physically. I want to share some of the things that I have learned from my fitness journey of the past few months. Perhaps it may encourage some of you to try something new and different in the exercise world. Below are a few observations and lessons that I will pass on.

1. Don't be afraid to try a new group exercise class -just do it!  Personally, I was forever worried that if I tried a new class I would screw up, make a fool of myself, and never come back to that class. So for years of going to the same gym, I basically went to the same class, zumba! I loved it, was good at it, and that was enough. Now I realize how much I was missing. And the funny thing is no one is watching you, so it doesn't matter if you make a mistake! The exception to this might be that a good instructor is watching you - to make sure that you don't hurt yourself. A few weeks ago, my instructor in a core class said "the woman in the back row with the pony tail" (me) "is doing a pose that is entirely different from the rest of the class". I realized that she was indeed talking about me, and shrugged my shoulders. She then said "actually, what you are doing is kind of cool", and demonstrated my made up pose. The point? It doesn't matter if you are not perfect!

2. You might meet some nice people by trying different types of exercise. I never expected that making new friends would be a reason to mix up my exercise options, but it has been a pleasant bonus. I talk to some folks on a regular basis, and have even made contacts that I will socialize with outside of class. If you think about it, you might have something in common with others who exercise on a regular basis, and I have found that I often meet interesting people who even inspire me to try new classes and challenge myself.

3. Getting out of a regular routine opens up new possibilities. Of course there are benefits to having a regular routine, particularly if you are working full time, or involved in many non-exercise activities, like volunteer work. But I feel that breaking up my routine has allowed me to be more adventurous. I don't always know what to expect, and this is good for my mental status, particularly as I get older. I am constantly learning new fitness techniques, and I therefore I exercise my brain as well as my body.

I will continue to talk about exercise in this blog, and that includes my experimenting with various classes at my gym. I still want to try spinning, TRX, and kickboxing, just to name a few. And I am still going to write about making pies. But I plan to expand my blog so that I can also discuss other topics, like gardening and travel. So be prepared for an expanded blog with a new name - once I decide what that will be. Until then, keep moving and eat an occasional piece of pie to reward yourself.

The "Aha" Moments of Travel

I am going in a little different direction today, in that, technically, I am not writing about either exercise or pie. I was thinking about some of my travel experiences this week, and thought about what made some places so special to me. These special times in travel are what I refer to as"aha" moments. It is as if I am in another world or time. The first such travel memory happened when I was ten years old, and my Dad took our family for our first trip to the Western US. I had never been anywhere west of Kentucky prior to that camping trip. The Rocky Mountains and the Badlands were fascinating, and so different from the tree covered Appalachians that I was used to. But the truly magical place in my memories was Yellowstone National Park. We stayed four days, and each day brought a new treat to behold. I remember the walks through the park, with turquoise colored geysers that smelled like boiled eggs! The beautiful colors of the Grand Canyon of he Yellowstone are still vivid to me, and the numerous bears at every road crossing will never be forgotten. Yellowstone Park gave me my first aha moments of travel!

This trip inspired me to go back to the Western US and to discover new places that I had never seen. I have been to the Western states many times, mostly in the winter to ski, and enjoyed the awesome snow covered Rockies and Sierra Nevadas. The first time I was at Heavenly Ski area in California, and stood at the top of the mountain, with the snow covered peaks on one side, Lake Tahoe, and the desert of Nevada on the other side was a true aha moment. Certainly, many of the gardens around the world have amazed me, particularly Monet's garden in Giverny, and my video proves that I indeed experienced an aha moment there. My reminiscing on this topic has encouraged me to compile a list of my top five aha moments of travel. So, here they are!

5. The first day in Oahu Hawaii- It was 1994 and I remember arriving on this gorgeous island and sitting with my new husband at a place called Duke's, that is named after a famous Hawaiian surfer and is also my maiden name. I had a mile high macadamia nut ice cream sundae and thought that I was in heaven on earth!

4. Clarke Quay in Singapore- This is the only place where the aha moment is an aroma. Or, more precisely, a variety of succulent, sweet, spicy, peppery, mouth-watering fragrances that I still have etched in my sense of smell. Walking in this area was a celebration of the smells of Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Indian, and any food that you could imagine. It has never left me, nor has the fantastic flavors of the multitude of dishes.This was a food paradise indeed!

3.The night lights in Hong Kong- The night lights are what truly beckons me to visit this city again and again. Skycrapers lit up every night in Central district, lights across the bay in Kowloon, lights for celebrating both the Chinese new year and Christmas. All colors of light are used in every creative way to make this city alive and energetic. It really is like being in another world when these all come together at night. The ongoing light show in Hong Kong is a continuous aha moment for me.

2. Seeing Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip at Buckingham Palace on our first day in London.
We had arrived in London earlier in the day. Tired, but unable to check into our hotel, we wandered around the city, and eventually came to Buckingham Palace. We were enjoying the palace guard show. Suddenly we saw a man running around rather frantically, shouting "the queen is coming, the queen is coming".  My first thought was this guy was either crazy, or had a few too many at the local pub. But a crowd began to gather, and we decided to see if perhaps the queen was passing through. Then we saw the horse drawn carriage with the queen in her green suit and matching hat, with Prince Phillip by her side. My breath literally left me for a moment. Whether or not you believe in the monarchy, it is indescribable to see someone in person whom you have read about from the days of your childhood. Adding to our good fortune was the fact that we were in a spot to snap a pretty good picture with our new camera! Aha - Queen Elizabeth is passing through!

1. Hearing Mozart Requiem at Notre Dame in Paris-This was my first trip outside of the US, other than the Bahamas and Canada.  Rich and I had been dating less than a year, when one day he said "how would you like to go to Paris?" I was excited about the idea of Paris, although it had never been the place in the world that I most wanted to visit. (I thought Rome or London). Our first day caught us walking around and catching the sights of Paris which I realized, even after a few short hours, was the most romantic city I could imagine. We saw a group of sidewalk artists and right there in front of me was Notre Dame Cathedral! I had seen the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" many times, but never dreamed that I would actually see Notre Dame itself. How awe inspiring it was from the outside! But the aha moment occurred when we walked in and a choir was performing the Mozart Requiem. I had been exposed to Mozart's requiem in D Minor when I was a member of my college choir. Hearing the melodious instruments and singing in this epic place really was the most thrilling aha moment of a lifetime. I fell in love with the city and the man!

These are my top five ahas, but of course there are many more in my travel memories, and hopefully many more to come. I realize that I left out one very important aha moment, however. Almost 15 years ago, Rich and I traveled to Asheville for a weekend getaway. We marveled at the beauty of the mountains, the cool people, and the hip downtown. On a Sunday afternoon, before heading back to Atlanta, we walked along Pack Square, with the sun shining and the bright blue sky above us. I remarked, with tears in my eyes "this is absolutely perfect!" And the rest of this aha moment is history!

Strawberry Pie and Ribs

We had my family visiting for a few days, and I decided to make a strawberry pie for us to enjoy. The Four and Twenty Blackbirds cook book has several recipes for fresh strawberry pie, including one with rhubarb, another using ginger, and a third with balsamic vinegar. I decided to go with a basic strawberry pie with straight fresh strawberries, some sugar, and cornstarch. Not everyone appreciates "different" flavors with their strawberries, so I decided to take the safe path. Although I did use the delicious butter crust recipe from the cook book, I went online to find a basic strawberry pie recipe. This was an easy pie, with fresh strawberries, and cooked strawberries as the thickening sauce. I made the pie, chilled it, and kept thinking how delicious it looked! I was dying to get a slice of this pie, but decided to wait until my daughter- in-law got in, so she could be in on the tasting.

Meanwhile, my stepsons had given my husband a smoker for a Father's Day gift. He really wanted to try it out, so my husband and stepson bought ribs and a brisket. These delights cooked for several hours, and we were waiting for them to be cooked enough for dinner. As the time passed, I couldn't help but think about that strawberry pie waiting in the fridge. I have a really bad sweet tooth, and could no longer resist the temptation to cut into that pie. So I suggested to everyone that they may want to try the strawberry pie as an appetizer before the ribs course. I knew that once the ribs came on, even with my sweets obsession, I might be too full to indulge in the pie. So I sliced the pie, and several of us enjoyed the pie as an appetizer. The basic strawberry pie was tasty, and satisfied my dessert desire.

The smoked ribs were yummy, and we managed not to burn down the house in the process. Our dilemma was whether the Western NC tomato barbecue sauce or the Eastern Vinegar sauce was better. I have always been partial to the Western tomato sauce, but will have to admit that the vinegar sauce was not bad. I think the consensus was that both were equally good. I will say that our driveway had the best aroma of anyone in the neighborhood, with the smoked flavors! Overall, a wonderful rib and strawberry pie eating frenzy! This just goes to show that you can have your ribs and strawberry pie too!

Arm Work That is Not a Pain

As much as I enjoy most exercise activities, I am not fond of weight lifting and exercise machines. For years, I used the gym machines for my upper body strengthening, and included chest presses, shoulder lifts, and flys on a regular basis. When I started to have a chronic problem with my right shoulder and neck, my physical therapist suggested that my machine workout might be the culprit. So I took his advice and stopped using machines for my upper body workout. Within a month or so, I stopped having pain. I also stopped all of my upper body strengthening workouts!

So for the next six months or so, I did little to nothing to improve my arms and shoulders. One day, I looked in the mirror and noticed that I was developing flabby arms. These were particularly noticeable when I decided to wear a sleeveless top. I certainly didn't have the toned arms that Michelle Obama is known for! I was losing muscle tone, which can be a problem as we get older.
As I have said in an previous blog, I started doing push-ups on a regular basis, which definitely helped. But I felt that I needed to do even more.

I saw a class at my gym called Integrated Strength, that was described as emphasizing muscle strength and endurance. I decided to try it. The instructor that leads the class I attend uses no equipment except a strap at the end for our stretching. Light free weights are optional but not required. We start out doing various repetitive arm exercises. We do 30 arm circles, arm raises, and triceps curls, all without using weights. It is surprising how exhausted our arms feel right after we finish doing a set of these kinds of arm exercises. But we stretch out and the pain does not last. We continue with leg work and core exercises and end ever class with about 15-20 minutes of stretching.

I have been doing Integrated Strength regularly for about 9 months, and I am pleased with the results. I look and feel stronger, and do not have the nagging shoulder pain that I had previously suffered. I try to do this class every week, and the participants of the class are all regulars who, like me, want to improve their muscle tone as they age. However, we do have younger class members as well. I think that this class is appropriate for those of us who are not really into weight lifting, but realize the importance of upper body strength. I have found a few other classes that incorporate some of these same kinds of upper body techniques (some yoga classes, CX works, and even some zumba classes). But Integrated Strength is probably the most intense in terms of shoulder strengthening. I recommend this class, and actually look forward to it! And though my arms will never match those of the First Lady, I no longer cringe at my flabby arms staring at me in the mirror!