THE BLOG
Articles from the world of fitness, family and (of course) Duran Duran
Sounds Of Saturday – Slade
In honor of my friends who are running today (especially those that are running the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll 13.1 and 26.2), today’s Sounds of Saturday is “Run Runaway” by Slade.
I think this is one of the best running songs around and it is always on my playlist to pump me up. It doesn’t hurt that this is a song that Wild Boy used to be one of the songs he loved me to sing to him before bed when he was little.
Happy Running my friends! Hope you enjoy and see you Monday!
Are you […]
An Injured Runner's Apology To Her Running Shoes
Since my injury in December, I haven’t been really allowed to run and it’s been hard. This weekend is the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon I originally planned to do earlier this year. Today, I’m going down to the Expo in San Diego to see friends and get some closure about this particular race. Even though I’m not running my #13in2013, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about my severely neglected running shoes and I wanted to take the time here to craft and showcase a proper […]
Wunda Wednesday – Halfway There
Welcome to Week 4 of Wunda Wednesdays! From May 1st through July 1st, I’ll be participating in a 60 Day Challenge with WundaBar Pilates. I’ll be taking 3-4 classes per week in exchange for documenting my progress weekly here on the blog.
Today is Day 28 but the half way post for my 60 Day WundaBar Challenge. In 4 weeks, I’ve learned a lot – not only about the concepts, machines and exercises of WundaBar Pilates but about my own fitness potential. 6 months ago, I would have been way too intimidated to even walk into a Pilates studio – now three times a week I willingly go to very demanding (but fun) group reformer classes and I love it!
Me with Helene of WundaBar – killer taskmistress!
While I’ll reveal the results of my second Fit-Fax body composition analysis at the end of the post, I know that I’m stronger for so many reasons – my physical therapy sessions have been reduced from twice per week to only once, I don’t feel aches in my neck like I did after I muscled through my first 2 WundaBar sessions, I can feel my core muscles engage when I sit, stand or bend and my back doesn’t hurt as often.
I’m still not running but I know that I’m building what Joseph Pilates called the “powerhouse” that I’ll need for the next time I’m able to run a race. The “powerhouse” includes not only the abdominal area but the muscles around the hip joints, pelvic floor and the lower back. Through the WundaBar instructors (like the lovely Helene to the right) and the WundaFormer elements – the Wunda Chair, the Reformer and the Jump Board, I’m really am putting the power into my powerhouse.
Despite how strong I’ve been feeling, my Fit-Fax body composition results shocked me – My weight remained stable but instead of showing a gain in lean body mass since the beginning of my challenge, my lean body mass showed a small decline from my baseline.
The lean body mass decline is NOT due to the exercises nor the frequency of classes per week at WundaBar Pilates. It is entirely my own fault. […]
Remembering on Memorial Day
Image: Loving Earth
While this is the day to remember the veterans who serve our country, I ask you to remember those affected by the many tragedies that seem to have befallen in the United States (and around the world for that matter) – the Colorado shootings at the Batman premiere, Super Storm Sandy, Sandy Hook, bombings at the Boston Marathon and most recently the tornado in Oklahoma.
Take just one minute today […]
Sounds Of Saturday – Ink And Paper By Modern English
In honor of reviewing and buying the hard copy of the MTV book, VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave, today’s Sounds of Saturday is one of the lesser known Modern English songs, “Ink And Paper”.
It’s a great song but the video does not have the artistry expected in the late 1980’s. There are some hilarious fashion statements though – check out the female sax player with the pegged pants and super big shoulder pads and the ridiculous looking guitar player who does not wear his top hat as well as Slash.
It’s a […]
Remember I Want My MTV? Read This Book Now: VJ
Image: Fred Seibert
Believe it or not, there was a time when MTV actually played music videos and could really be called Music Television! When MTV was born in 1982, I didn’t have cable television but I was obsessed with the idea of seeing the music I loved on screen.
During the hey-day of MTV, I’m lucky that any of my friends wanted to hang out with me. All I ever wanted to do when we’d go to their houses was watch MTV and when we did, I was the crazy person waiting for Duran Duran videos to come on screen. Without MTV, I could not have experienced Live Aid. MTV brought music to life for me and for many others of my generation.
When I heard that the original MTV VJ’s were collaborating on a book there was no doubt that it would become one of my #13in2013 books to read. It took me only one night to practically inhale the history and the stories from VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave.
VJ isn’t your typical biography because it’s about the lives of 5 people, the early days of cable television and a revolution within the music industry. Profound when you think about it but the book is easy reading. The friendly style of early MTV is evident even in the book’s format because as a reader you feel like you’re in the room during a conversation between four friends (Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn) just rehashing old times. The 5th original VJ, J.J. Jackson, died of a heart attack in March 2004 but his views were included in the book via excerpts transcribed from videos and books.
Sadly, there aren’t a lot of photos in the book but these pioneers of the video age do a great job of giving readers a visual picture of not only great stories about some of the hottest artists of the 1980’s but it also allows you to know more about the VJ’s as individuals and how they became a part of the creation of a cultural phenomenon during the early days of cable television. […]