Week 1 - Day 3: Combat 45: Power Kata

Oh snap. Power Kata introduces a few new moves beyond jab, cross, uppercut and hook. The street brawl downward punch is downright nasty. You feel like you're kicking ass. Mainly your own. I really liked this workout.

Heart Rate Monitor numbers

Week 1 - Day 2: Power HIIT 1

Damn! No more punching and kicking. This workout is awesome resistance training. You will need weights (dead-lifts, squats, power cleans, and power presses). You also get to do fun stuff like push-ups, burpees, plyo lunges, jump squats. You finish with some core moves. 

I did not do burpees and I modified the plyo lunges. 

Heart Rate Monitor numbers

Week 1 - Day 1: Combat 30

Annnnd we're off! Started Combat.

This is a great short workout. Lots of punching and kicking. Lots of soreness in the obliques. That means something is working. 

Heart Rate Monitor numbers

Edamame + Roasted Corn Succotash

Easily one of my favorite recipes from the Ultimate Reset. A simple and flavorful dish.

Ingredients 

¾ cup frozen edamame
½ cup frozen corn, cooked and drained 
½ shallot, diced 
½ red bell pepper, diced 
¼ red onion diced 
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro Himalayan salt and herbal seasoning (to taste)

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400° F and arrange corn in single layer on baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, or until caramelized and beginning to brown but not harden. Remove and let cool. 

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook edamame for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Sauté onion, shallot, and bell pepper in olive oil for 10 minutes or until soft. Add corn and edamame to onion mixture; cook on medium for 5 minutes. Add vinegar and remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, cilantro, salt, and seasoning.

Tips

• Use fresh lime juice - the concentrated stuff is a bit too overpowering and sour
• I once ran out of rice vinegar and on a whim used a bit of white balsamic vinegar and white cooking wine. It seemed to do the trick!
• This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Turning 30

Last month, it happened. I turned the big 3-0. What did I do on my last day as a 20-something? A little Yoga X from P90X. It was the best birthday ever.

Yoga X

By the way, this is my Garmin FR60 heart rate monitor watch. I love it. Check out my review of it. It's fantastic for running and is a must to keep track of your cardio workouts.

iTunes 40 Free Songs from Lollapalooza

Hello, friends! I know some of you out there have iPods, iPads and the like. Hopefully, you're not running with an iPad on your back. It might injure you.

I have here a download code which I got at Lollapalooza this summer for 40 free songs on iTunes. I don't use iTunes, so I'm passing it along.

Obviously, the code will only work for the first person who uses it, so get those trigger fingers ready. Good luck to the quickest of them all! Also, I have no idea what artists or songs are on this collection. Let me know how you like it!

I'm excited to do a few more 5k runs before the cold weather comes around.

Tribest Single Serving Blender / Grinder PB-250 (PBA Free)

For months, I blended my Shakeology in my beast of a blender. Don't get me wrong, the ikon Hemisphere blender by Breville is great. The jar is made of glass (no fear of lingering stains or smells) and the brushed metal looks sleek. It's a high quality appliance. However, it's a pain to clean on a daily basis.

I considered getting a Magic Bullet to make things easier. After doing some homework, I was won over by the Tribest personal blender. Tribest has a couple of different options for you depending on how many tumblers you want and whether you want to pay a little extra for a PBA-free set (which I would recommend... because, who really wants to drink PBA?). The model I purchased is below:

Tribest Personal Blender

This set comes with (2) 16 oz tumblers, (2) 8 oz tumblers, lids, an ice crushing blade, a mixing blade, the base which includes a powerful 200-watt motor and a recipe book. The ice crusher really does crush ice! I was concerned that it might not be strong enough, but it is. Just make sure not to overfill the tumbler.  What I like best is that you can buy replacement parts. So, if you are sharing this blender with several people, you can each order your own tumblers.

My typical morning Shakeology is about 5-6 half-moon ice cubes, 12 ounces of water, a tablespoon of peanut butter and a scoop of Shakeology powder. Put that into the glass, pulse blend it for about 8 seconds, and it's done. Twist off the blender cap, wash it out, and stow the blender in the cupboard. It's so much easier than taking apart my large blender, wiping out the jar and removing the neoprene O-ring to scrub out. I even keep the personal blender at work, so I don't have to rush in the morning while I'm getting ready and trying to catch the bus. It's the best purchase I've made as far as appliances.

At about $65 (on Amazon), it's a reasonable investment in keeping a healthy lifestyle on a busy schedule.Whether you buy Tribest PB-250 or another model/brand, owning a personal blender makes Shakeology ridiculously easy to drink.

UPDATE: I'm still using this blender at work almost every morning. It's lasted almost 2 years and has been a great investment. Couldn't be happier with it.