Group training: 04/28/10

Another beautiful day in Chapel Hill - made extra sweet because it was the last day of classes.  I am now officially done with my MBA.  This is both very exciting and very scary - the world suddenly seems a lot bigger.  But I'm not too worried - one thing I've learned over the past two years is that life is about a hell of a lot more than a six-figure salary and true wealth comes not from things, but from experiences.  I am sure that the next few month/years will bring their fair share of obstacles, but I am also reasonably sure I can deal with them.

Speaking of obstacles, a few big ones were overcome on Wednesday.  Both Sean and I conquered "the wall," or the big cat leap you see at the end of the video.  It may not look like too much but let me tell you, when you're standing up there the wall seems very far away and the drop looks huge.  I'm also pretty happy about my tac-to-crane but the full two-foot landing continues to elude me - maybe next time.  Sean, as you can see, nailed it after a few attempts - great job!

For every obstacle overcome, two more seem to pop up.  The kong-to-cat attempts you see towards the end should prove to be a formidible challenge for some time to come.  I am still working on my 13ft. wallrun.  And my first attempts at backwards vaults were pretty hilarious... I am glad the camera was not rolling... but that's the beauty and the fun of this kind of training - goals are less arbitrary than some number on the scale and the means of achieving them are a joy rather than a burden.

Check out the video, let me know what you think, and if you're in or around the Chapel Hill area, drop me a line and come out to play with us!

Medicine hands

My cousin Brad just launched his new website, Medicine Hands Massage.

Brad is a pretty amazing masseur and has studied the medicinal qualities of many native plants - both here and in the Amazon.  If you live in the New York City area, you would do well to look him up.

He also makes fine art.  Quite a guy - and I'm not just saying that because he's my cousin!

Recipe Time: Breakfast standard

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  I can usually make a pretty good prediction of how the day is going to go based on how good or bad breakfast is.  In fact, I love breakfast so much that I have been known to eat two, following what some of my friends have dubbed "the hobbit diet;" Breakfast followed by Second Breakfast (followed by elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper...)

And yet, many of my peers skip breakfast.  The most common explanation I hear is that people don't have time in the morning.  This is interesting - implied in the excuse is that there is something important they have to get to, like a job, that presumably they want to do well.  How well can anyone function without fuel?  Is it really so hard to wake up 30 minutes earlier?

And when we do eat breakfast, we tend to do it wrong.  I'm sorry to tell you this, but a Special K breakfast bar eaten in your car is not breakfast.  It's a highly processed cookie with some clever marketing.  Remember rule #1 - eat real food.  Try not to eat anything processed.  I would argue that even the more mindful eaters among us tend to overbalance their breakfast with carbs.  What we want is a balance of proteins, fats, and carbs - too many carbs will spike your insulin levels and lead to the infamous 10:30 AM crash.  If you HAVE to have your breakfast cereal, here's a handy rule, courtesy of Michael Pollan:  do not eat any cereal that changes the color of the milk.

My standard choice for breakfast involves some combination of eggs, fruit, and nuts.  This provides a nice balance of protein, carbs, and fat, is fast and easy to prepare, and is extremely tasty.  There are many different variations on this theme, but here is one of my favorites:

Ingredients:  half a red onion, diced; 1 cup, spinach; approx. quarter cup, blueberries; a handful of brazil nuts; 3 eggs; olive oil; ground black pepper.

1) Place a medium/large frying pan over medium heat, add the oil then add the onions and sauté for a few minutes.

2) Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk until a smooth consistency.  Bonus points if you can crack the eggs one-handed without getting any shell into the bowl.

3) Add the spinach into the pan and mix around with the onion until the spinach just starts to wilt. (won't take very long)  Then pour the eggs in.

4) Reduce the heat a little and mix the eggs and veggies around so they cook evenly.  It will take longer over low heat, but the eggs will come out more flavorful.  Add some fresh ground pepper.

5) While you are waiting, wash the blueberries, put them in a small bowl, and get the brazil nuts onto your plate. This is also a good time to brew tea, if you are so inclined.

6) When the eggs are no longer runny, but still nice and soft, remove them from the heat, plate them, and eat them!

7) Enjoy your dramatically increased energy and productivity.

Pretty easy - please enjoy the recipe and let me know what you think!

Delicious