Foam Rollin

Looks harmless. Doesn't it. Foamy, squishy, comfortable. Those all come to mind when I see people on these things or when I generally think of foam. I got one the other week and rudely found out the real story.

This little ton of fun is a foam roller. I never really got foam rollers. I saw people in the gym rocking slowly back and forth on them before. I just though it was their way of being "productive" while not really doing anything. I was wrong. Really wrong.

Ever have a bruise that really hurt? The ones that you could barely touch. Or better yet, have a bruise that your wife or girlfriend/boyfriend pushed on asking "Does that hurt?" Okay, you get it. Now, image 75 percent of your of body weight balanced over the bruise. To cap it off, roll back and forth over the bruise and see how that feels. Thats what this little comfy foamy slow roller feels like going over my quads, glutes, and hip flexors.

Honestly, I dread using it, each day I dread it. Badly. It's wild how the body works, but using this thing on my quads is to help my knee. I'm not too flexy in my hips, so it tweeks my knee cap. So, my cure is this foam roller of pain. I would post pictures of the exercises, but they are really not very pretty.

I don't want to know what people think of me when they see me in the gym on this thing. I know what I thought of others on them. Making my slow motions back and forth working out my muscles. To make sure people know I'm "working" on something I make really mean faces, but the rude massage from the foam roller delivers those faces effortlessly. Don't be fooled by foam rollers.

Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous

After watching Julie and Julia, John Mark and I have been totally inspired. Half way through the movie I pulled out the only two cookbooks that I own and started tabbing every page that looked enticing. I'm experimenting and slowly learning but loving every step of it. I'm sure my hips and belly are not too thrilled. I have also enjoyed reading through other blogs on cooking and recipes- it's a whole other world out there. Here is a recipe my sister shared with me. Great for nights that you are hungry and have 30 minutes to cook. When I made it I accidentally added the whole can of broth. Oops!

3 T olive oil, divided
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded between waxed paper to
1/2" thickness
1/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 Tablespoon)
8 oz baby spinach, about 8 c. lightly packed
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 c. canned no salt added chopped tomatoes, in their juices
2 c. hot cooked whole wheat couscous

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skilled over medium-high heat. Season
chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan
and cook until browned and just cooked through, about 4 mins per side,
or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees. Remove
the chicken to a plate.

Add remaining 2 T olive oil to pan, add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add
spinach and cook until wilted (1-2 min). Season with salt and pepper,
then transfer the spinach to a bowl and set aside.

Add vinegar, chicken broth and tomatoes to the pan and stir, scraping
the brown bits off the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook until the
sauce is slightly thickened (3-5 mins).

Divide the couscous between 4 serving plates. Top with some spinach,
then a piece of chicken and the balsamic-tomato sauce. Makes 4
servings.

Competitive

This photo is actually from New Years but it is the only photo we have in the past five months... does that mean our life is getting boring? Or just uneventful?

Now with John Mark posting I feel the urge to step-up my blogging. Otherwise, I am afraid 'Tour de Baldwins' will become a blog solely on biking adventures. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Saturday morning, pre-season 45 mile (with extreme hills) bike ride. It did however leave us totally worthless for the rest of the weekend.

John Mark has left me for the day to continue his biking adventures with his boys (should I be offended?). It's probably a good idea that I'm NOT riding this morning considering how it started...

I woke around 3:30am with a charlie horse in my left calf. It felt like it lasted for almost a minute- I was thrashing around in pain as my husband slept purring next to me. However, a few hours later he mentioned that I had been pounding my pillow in the night. I kindly told him, "no, I was actually in extreme pain, trying to massage out the knot, but yes, thank you for helping." I decided to be a good wife and help my husband get ready for his day with the boys. So my already wonderful morning continues with first clogging the toilet to then realizing I hadn't cleaned the toilet in a few weeks. Two things I've learned since marriage: 1. how to declog a toilet; 2. how to clean a toilet. Wow, it's only 7:30 and look what I have already accomplished. Next, I go downstairs to get the coffee going. I look over a few minutes later only to see coffee and coffee grinds spewed all over our countertops. Oops, forgot the paper filter! Are you serious?!?! Honestly, I should go back to bed. I wonder what the rest of the day will hold? Do I dare adventure out for a run?

A Little Ambitious

Your going to get a heavy dose of me on this one. Just so you're warned.

So we set off. Off for a repeat ride of one we learned weeks before. To our surprise by mile 27 of our 45 mile ride we were tired. Tired and I was hurting. Was it that the ride weeks prior was a fluke of good legs? Or was it the fact we climbed the rose garden hill twice, because we got lost? All of that and wrapped up in my crying of my sore knee.

Sounds like a bum ride doesn't it? But really, we had some surprisingly amazing spring weather. It's a good feeling to be over dressed in early March. The best part was Kelsey and I both passing two guys going up the climb on Old Germantown Road. A funny note, one of them was wearing his yellow jersey. I was thinking about it more on Monday. I didn't think much of it at the time but wearing a yellow jersey is kind of like golfing with a guy who decided to wear his green blazer to the course. Probably should leave that business to the guys who get paid. Your not leading a race and your golfing buddy didn't win the masters. Just saying.

Anyway here are some pics. Mostly self portraits while I'm finishing the last section of the germantown climb. I tried to maintain the integrity of my "this hurts" face. You get some good views up there near skyline.

So after that good climb you get a fast bombing decent down towards the St. John's Bridge. Our friend in the yellow jersey enjoyed passing us on that section. Good thing he had yellow on! But I guess we got to trade equal moments of triumph. My knee wishes mine was on the downhill too.

We made our way through St. John's over the Broadway Bridge, and up the zoo (nearly twice) to get home to Beaverton. I wish I had a picture of the delicious pesto, provolone, tomato open faced sandwich Kelsey made. It was really tasty.

Bottom line, blogging isn't that scary. I mean, this ride could have been a bit much this early in the year and pesto makes all things really, really good.

So, there it is. I did my first blog. Blogging isn't that scary.