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Soup S.O.S.
When the days get short and your hunger turns you into something out of a horror movie…
Weight Watchers‘ zero-Point soup is the way to go. I was super lazy and dumped a bunch of veggies in the slow cooker Monday night, then let it simmer while I slept. The morning brought yummy veggie goodness. I added tofu and had it for lunch.
Marty, a truly inspiring Weight Watchers leader in Massachusetts, once described the soup this way: “If you get off track, this stuff will pull you back on, fast.” And if you hate any part of it, substitute! Ditch the cabbage; try it with bean sprouts. Add proteins (which adds Points, but it’s good Points!). Make it without the tomatoes. Play around with it.
And if you try another awesome variation, let me know!
Garden Vegetable Soup
2/3 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1-1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1. In large saucepan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes four 1-cup servings.
Per Serving: 42 calories; 0 g fat; 2 g fiber. If you’re counting, it’s zero Points.
Marathon Monday
Running a marathon can be an awesome, life-affirming experience.
Watching one is nearly as good.
For the past few years, Melissa — one of the cool chicks who reads this blog — and I have cheered ING New York City Marathon runners at mile 21 in the Bronx. We usually stand at a spot right before the course rounds a corner and spits the runners out toward the Madison Avenue Bridge.
We usually arrive around 1:30 p.m., when those who’ll finish in 4:20 or longer are cruising by. Invariably, some runners are still going strong and smiling as they pass. Some are grimacing and limping. The longer we’re out there, the slower the pace. By the time we leave around 4 p.m., most marathoners are walking. Some of them are leaning on friends or volunteers or each other. They’ve got five miles and change to go, and it’s getting dark and cold.
But they keep on going. And that is a fantastic thing to see.
Now before I get all Chariots of Fire on you, let’s recap some other cool ING New York Marathon weekend stuff:
Friday fiver: I took part in the NYRR 5, a five-miler held in Central Park on Friday at 8 a.m. I was surprised at how many marathoners did the race, too; if I have to cover 26.2 miles on a Sunday, you’d better believe my feet will do as little as possible in the days before. At the finish line, I saw Jared Fogle, of Subway fame, who was there to promote his own run in the marathon. In my post-run euphoria, I yelled, “Jared, you’re awesome!” He responded in kind. Say what you will, but anyone who runs and loves Subway is fine by me.
Faces in the crowd: Meliss dubbed me a “celebrity runner spotter” because I picked out buzzed-about marathoners, such as the aforementioned Jared (who was an easy get, as he was running surrounded by four or five dudes with SUBWAY on their shirts), and Today hosts Meredith Viera (who looked genuinely excited when we cheered her name) and Al Roker (who was in pretty rough shape when he passed us). And let us not forget Chilean miner Edison Pena, who was going strong despite knee issues when he ran past. All of them wound up finishing the race.
Gazelles: Before I headed up to the Bronx, I watched the elite runners do their thing on NBC. Edna Kiplicat took first place for the women, and Gebre Gebremariam broke the tape for the men. I tried to explain to The Fiancé why watching them do their thing moves me in a way that watching other pro athletes does not. “I don’t know how tough it is to play baseball or football, not really. But I know how hard it is to run, no matter who you are, and they make it look effortless and beautiful.”
Double duty: This chick, a documentary filmmaker, strapped a camera to her hat and filmed the entire race. WARNING: If you get motion sick easily, you may not want to watch.
Next year, in Staten Island…: So all of this ING New York Marathon fever has gotten to me, because I’m making plans to do it myself in 2011. If I complete four more New York Road Runners races before the end of the year, I’m guaranteed entry through their 9+1 program. (Very cool; tri-state area runners, check it out.) And yes, I’m still likely going to have problems with my feet next year. And yes, the last time I did New York I walk-ran the last few miles because of a tight IT band. But if the insanely inspiring athletes I saw in wheelchairs, on prosthetics, without sight and/or hearing can make the commitment, so can I.
Doesn’t hurt, of course, that Tiffany is now offering a line of ING New York Marathon commemorative items. You hear that, TF?
It doesn’t have to suck, people
Yeah, not so much.
On Tuesday, I tried out a new-to-me yoga studio in the Flatiron Distrcit of Manhattan. The place I’d been practicing, Laughing Lotus, was great. But my month-long card expired there, and I got a deal on a month of unlimited classes at this new joint, so I switched.
The minute I walked in, I wasn’t sure I liked the vibe of the place. It felt kind of corporate. Everyone was speaking in hushed tones. And a quick glance at the ladies clustered in the corner and sipping tea as they waited for the 7:15 vinyasa class gave me pause; they were near-carbon copies of each other, right down to their lean torsos, bored expressions, white tank tops and black Lululemon pants. I seriously thought there might have been a dress-code notice I’d missed. I only relaxed a little bit when some equally toned and joyless-looking individuals showed up. At least their shirts were different colors.
I know you’re supposed to leave all of your preconceived notions outside the door, but dude, these chicks freaked me out a little. As the class progressed, it became clear that many of them had quite lovely yoga practices. They could bend themselves into pretty little pretzels, seemingly with ease. But no one seemed excited about it.
The teacher was very good. The poses were challenging. I don’t know what was up; I don’t pretend to know what everyone else in the class was thinking or feeling, but it just didn’t seem like my classmates were having any kind of fun whatsoever. The only moment of levity I witnessed took place when I completely fell out of a side plank after grabbing my right big toe with my right hand and trying to extend both toward the ceiling. I landed on my mat and lamely said, “Well, that went well.” The chick to my left smiled.
It was a lot like the gym I worked out at in graduate school, a gorgeous facility populated by incredibly thin, incredibly fit women (and men). The women especially worked out with an intensity that was a little scary. I took a class at that gym a few weeks ago; the women were still thin, their faces still dead-set on wringing every last calorie out of their movements.
I much prefer the feel of places like Laughing Lotus, Feminine Fitness, and the New York Sports Club I teach at in Butler. There, you find people of all different body types and sizes who are trying to make something positive happen in their lives. They have varying degrees of success, but they show up and they try, and they usually have a good time.
I witnessed the same thing yesterday, when I volunteered at the New York City Marathon expo. My job was to greet people at the entrance and point them in the right direction. I talked with new runners and old runners, thin runners and fat runners, tall runners and short runners and in-between runners. Without fail, they were excited to be there and to be part of something so huge. I wished them a good run on Sunday, and they thanked me with huge grins — even the people who said they were freaked beyond belief.
I’ll keep going back to the new yoga place, at least for the month. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I’m not asking for much, but don’t you think there’s something to be said for enthusiasm?
After all, is there anyone who WON’T be pulling for Chilean miner Edison Pena at this Sunday’s marathon?
Vaya!
Spinning Tunes
I know I’ll soon be sick of the Pink song that kicks off this mix, but I’m loving it right now. Here’s this week’s Spinning playlist, with some quick flats to keep things moving and some Halloween (Haul-o-ween?) songs to keep things ghouling.
- Raise Your Glass (Clean version) — Pink (3:22)*
- Cousins — Vampire Weekend (2:25)
- Are You Gonna Go My Way? — Lenny Kravitz (3:31)
- Ghostbusters — Ray Parker Jr. (4:00)
- Follow You Down — Gin Blossoms (4:30)
- Thriller — Michael Jackson (5:57)
- Check On It — Beyonce (3:33)
- Forget You — Cee Lo Green (3:42)*
- Showdown — The Black Eyed Peas (4:27)
- Mr. Brightside — The Killers (3:54)
- My Life Would Suck Without You in My Place (Kelly Clarkson vs. Coldplay) — DJ Earworm (4:12)
*These songs are also available in saltier versions. Because I don’t want to get fired, I used the PG version in class.
Spinning Tunes
I’ve used this mix for a few classes in recent weeks, and it’s gotten a pretty good response. It’s a nice blend of quick, all-out songs and slower, yet driving, numbers. See what you think!
- History Repeating — Propellerheads & Shirley Bassey (4:01)
- Time To Go — Dropkick Murphys (2:53)
- Supermassive Black Hole — Muse (3:29)
- Bulletproof — La Roux (3:25)
- Breakeven (Falling to Pieces) — The Script (4:21)
- Showdown — The Black Eyed Peas (4:27)
- Truckin’ — The Grateful Dead (5:08)
- We Will Jump You — DJ Party Ben (3:33)
- Heartbreak Warfare — John Mayer (4:29)
- A-Punk — Vampire Weekend (2:21)
- Chelsea Dagger — The Fratellis (3:35)
- Ecstasy — Rusted Root (5:02)
- Against All Odds — Phil Collins (3:24)
Ready To Race: We’re On!
As of 11 p.m. Wednesday night, the Ready To Race small group training will still take place at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. I’ll call you by 5 a.m. to let you know if anything changes. If you haven’t heard from me, class will take place as scheduled. Be safe!
Snow Day!
Good morning, Haulers. Because of the wintry mix in New Jersey today, Feminine Fitness is closed. I’ll update with more info on other gyms as I receive it. Stay warm!
Spinning Tunes
There are some heavy hills in this week’s ride, kids. Hit ’em hard!
1. Toxic — Britney Spears (3:20)
2. Makes Me Want To Pray — Christina Aguilera (4:10)
3. Dominos — The Big Pink (3:48)
4. Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) [Live version] — Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, Rihanna (4:27)
5. I Do Not Hook Up — Kelly Clarkson (3:20)
6. No Woman, No Cry — Bob Marley & The Wailers (4:08)
7. Sing Along — Blue Man Group feat. Dave Matthews (3:26)
8. Green Light — John Legend feat. André 3000 (4:44)
9. LoveGame — Lady Gaga (3:38)
10. Miss You — The Rolling Stones (3:35)
11. Funhouse — Pink (3:25)
12. Clint Eastwood — Gorillaz (3:45)
13. Let It Be — Jennifer Hudson feat. The Roots (3:53)
Lotus Just Got A Lot More Luscious
Courtney, one of the cool chicks who frequents this blog, sent me this story earlier today with the note, “You need to do this.” After reading the article, I think I just might take her advice. The New York Times‘ piece starts off talking about a yoga class followed by a scrumptious dinner that participants nosh while sitting on their mats, but it later examines many of the ways American yogis make each other feel bad about what they will and won’t eat. While I understand the purists’ viewpoints, I fall much more firmly on the side of those who love both pranayama and a good porterhouse.
But that’s just me. What do you guys think? Leave a comment and let us know!
Haul Buns 