Po Lil Tink Tink

Use the promo code PEYTON when ordering a Papa Johns pizza & when it’s delivered to your house, a Seattle DB will take it from you & eat it.

— Rob Fee (@robfee) February 3, 2014

 

Signing off… ETT =)

OH EM GEE TV

Alright… I admit it. I’ve been pretty blog-lazy lately. BUT it’s probably because I’ve been watching:

This…

This..

and…

These peeps have been entertaining me and also keeping me away from updating you. I’m pretty much caught up (and Ms. Rhimes has once again turned my world upside down in the last 3 minutes of the the Dec. 12th episode) so I’m back on here.

At the moment there’s a marathon in Dubai & team triathlon in Abu Dhabi on the horizon for next year. Will keep you posted on training as things progress.

In the mean time, check out those shows on Hulu Plus and SHO if you to wish to be entertained.

ETT out!

Woke up & put my music on shuffle & the 1st song was Take You There by Pete Rock and CL. It's like my laptop felt dirty for DLing Beyonce

— D'Brickashaw (@DragonflyJonez) December 13, 2013

July Faves

Hey Peeps! I’ve been up to no good, as usual, but thought this would be a good time to take a break from my debauchery to share what’s kept me going through the month of July.

I will also mention that not listed below is my decision to ‘go vegan’ for a few days out of each week during the moth of July. Let me tell you… I can’t recall having such a boost in energy as I’ve had during those days. If I had to pick a number one favorite it would be my Vegan Days, but I’ll do a separate post about the specifics.

1. I have to start with Scalini’s Margherita pizza. Simple, yet well done. Since leaving Beijing and my beloved GungHo! Pizza I’ve been a bit apprehensive about trying any other delivery options. I can’t say that Scalini’s compares to GungHo!, but I will say that I was not disappointed. This hit the spot!
2. The Lululemon gym/yoga tote is my everything right now. I’ve taken up tennis lessons and in addition to running and other cross training activities, this bag is the perfect support system. I can fit everything in there… including my lunch bag, makeup, wallet, and various other items that I should really just put away when I get home!!! [NOTE TO SELF: Put your sh t away when you get home]
3. Fit & Hungry’s 21 Day Challenge is the perfect monthly favorite item… mainly because it took up most of the month of July and just ended on August 4th. This challenge was physical, nutritional, and mental… and it was just what I needed. Every once in a while the lovely Angel R. Stone (spin instructor & athlete extraordinaire) shares challenges with her readers and subscribers. These challenges can be done by people of all fitness levels and all you need to do is stay tuned for daily instructions, keep in touch with Angel via comments or tweets, and do the work. The thing to remember is that the challenge is there for you and only you can perform the work!!! This is work checking out.
4. Who would have thought that a recipe shared in the New York Times back in 1966 would have such a hold on me!?! Well, David Eyre’s pancake recipe is just the type to have such an effect. These baked in the oven pancakes are the perfect weekend breakfast item. I threw in some fried eggs, coffee, and fresh berries with cream to bring it all together that particular Saturday morning, but David’s pancakes were still the star of the show.
5. I finally broke out the Oster waffle maker and whipped myself up some waffles. The recipe I used was a generic Belgian variation that I found on the Internet, but here’s my secret… shhhhhhh I folded some freshly made whipped cream into the batter. *nods head slowly* Mmmmmhmmmm… it was good.
6. So I know I’ve talked about these kicks already, but I had to mention them again. Not because they’re so awesome, which they are, but because they come with the best laces I think I’ve ever had on a pair of running shoes. I usually have to double knot my laces to make sure they don’t come undone. Approximately 40-miles in with these Asics GelLyte33 2‘s and I haven’t had to double knot them once. They stay in place on the treadmill, the road, and the trail. I’m in love with them!!!
7. This particular breakfast combination may not look terribly spectacular, but it made for some of the most productive days I’ve had this month. It’s a veggie and portabella mushroom omelette along with a 16oz green smoothie (spinach, kiwis, apples, cucumbers, and some carrot orange juice). I obviously didn’t have these on the vegan days, but this breakfast did help me come close to having the same amount of energy I had on the vegan days.

Did you have any favorites for the month of July? What did you find yourself doing, eating, or using the most?

I hope you enjoyed the list and if you have any questions, sugguestions, or just want to share a few tidbits of information please feel free to comment below.

Signing off… ETT =)

iPod Wars + P-RIDE

Let’s Get This Party Started… RIGHT!!!

So, some crafty friends of mine decided to organize a great event in which closet DJs (like me), play songs as requested by the judging panel, that fit into random (SERIOUSLY RANDOM) categories, and get judged on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The end result… the winner becomes the musical overlord of all of his/her friends until the next installment of iPod Wars. BIG FUN!

We did this last night, so I don’t have the official numerical scores yet… but here’s how I played.

BEST SONG TO GET IT ON TO:

Sweetest Taboo x Sade

BEST CHEATING SONG:

She Said OK x Big Boy (feat. Theophilus London & Tre Luce)

SONG YOU LIKED WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG, BUT ARE EMBARRASSED ABOUT NOW:

Oh-bla-di Oh-bla-da x The Beatles

BEST SONG TO GET READY FOR BATTLE:

Backseat Freestyle x Kendrick Lamar

BEST SONG TO GET MARRIED TO:

Love the Way You Lie x Eminem (feat. Rihanna)

WORST SONG ON YOUR iPOD:

All That She Wants (Is Another Baby) x Ace Of Base

BEST SONG TO CRY TO AFTER A BREAKUP:

It Ends Tonight x The All-American Rejects

BEST SONG TO CRY TO/MASTURBATE IN THE SHOWER:

Darling Nikki x Prince

BEST 80s SONG:

Dude (Looks Like A Lady) x Aerosmith

BEST SONG TO DRIVE DRUNK TO:

Ridin’ Dirty x Krayzie Bone (feat. Chamillionaire)

Going into the final round I was in 3rd place, but after hitting the judges with Ridin’ Dirty they had to recognize the superiority of my repertoire… I ended up tied for 1st place with a good buddy of mine. And the tie break got pretty interesting…

TIE BREAK: Swap devices and play THE ONE SONG THAT ONCE IT’S PLAYED YOU JUST CAN’T NOT DANCE TO IT…

He played… Jammin’ x Bob Marley

I played… What is Love x Haddaway

What do you think happened? Yup, you got it! Another tie break…

TIE BREAK #2: With your own device play the BEST HOOK UP SONG ON THE “STEAK NIGHT” PLAYLIST (I have to note here that “Steak Night” is a local event that I do not attend so I was at a bit of a disadvantage)

I played… We Found Love x Rihanna (feat. Calvin Harris)

He played… Call Me Maybe x Carly Rae Jepsen

And he won!!!

It was an awesome night and even more awesome event! I’ll be better prepared for the next one!

To get my head right for this event, I’ve been mixing up my cross-training with some Nike Training Club workouts . I would recommend the NTC workouts for anyone who needs to mix it up a bit. NTC is a free app available on iTunes or Google Play with loads of content and variety. Give it a try.

I’ve also been incorporating some indoor cycling into my training. After spending so much time working out at the Revolve NYC studio, I’m having withdrawals. So I created a ride of my own (dedicated to the Supreme Court’s DOMA decision) that I like to call the P-RIDE aka my Push It To The Limit Ride. Check out the playlist and strategy below… and please note, I’m an amateur at this. I just put together some songs that I know motivate me to work and I used the resistance to my advantage.

Do you think you could own iPOD WARS? What would you say is the best song to workout to?

Signing off… ETT =)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Song number 11 in the P-RIDE playlist should be She Said OK (Big Boi feat. Theophilus Monk & Tre Luce).

TNF Marathon Update + June Faves

It probably took me so long to post this, because I felt awful breaking the bad news. I didn’t run the TNF Washington, DC marathon like I said I would =( Ok, this news is more heartbreaking for me than it is for you, but that doesn’t make it any easier to share.

It was just a case of pushing one’s body to hard too fast. I thought I could get myself ready for a marathon with little (more like no) prep, but my body is MUCH smarter than me… lemme tell ya. As soon as I started to up the mileage during my short training period, my knees threw up the white flag.

So here’s what I did instead…

Went to a lovely wedding [congrats to the newlyweds]

Did some hardcore relaxing [adult beverages included]

Sampled beer with the folks and lil bro [first time for everything]

I will get my act together for future and potential races. Not sure what I was thinking with the TNF… maybe the fact that I was going on vacation made me think I could do anything. I’ve run long distances before and should have known better. BAD, ETT… BAD!!!! [there.. I just gave myself an Internet scolding]

 

JUNE FAVES

I guess one of the other things I’ve picked up on since my vacation is how much I love (when other people publish their) favorites. So I decided to dabble in this ritual myself. Here are a few things that I could not get enough of in the month of June…

1. Lets start with the obvious… FAVES. The below video from Summer0892 was what got me hooked.

2. Revolve NYC… I rode that indoor cycle until the wheels fell off. It was probably moreso my legs, but I’m telling everyone I won that fight. I found myself in that studio every chance I could get, doing double rides and all. By the end of each class I was wobbly and maybe a bit nauseous at times, but it was worth every bit of effort. I think I rode with 60% of the NYC instructors and they were all knowledgeable, motivating, and bad ass.  Don’t be afraid… just go and ride your cares away.

Revolve has studios in both New York City and Washington, D.C. as well as class/package options to fit any rider’s needs. Check them out on WordPress and Twitter.

3. Mushrooms… I’m back to my ovo-lacto-pescatarian ways and this month I’ve discovered a dish so good that it was repeated more times than I’m willing to admit. Yep… that good. It’s a spicy noodle dish with mushroom and cashew nut. The mushrooms were the highlight to me and after every repetition I seemed to be adding more and more of them to the recipe… and it only got better.

I made those noodles taste so good, I wanted to smack my momma. But I would never do that because I like living.

#TeamNoRabbit

4. The Asics Gel Lyte33 II… these are some comfy running shoes. They are the perfect combination of stability and cushion for my flat feet, not to mention they only weigh 9oz. I’m in love with these shoes and despite my unflattering report of not actually having run the TNF WashDC marathon, I have actually been using them.

Signing off… ETT -_-

Choices & Play Dates

26 it is!!!

I’ve made a decision to go with the longer distance. It will be tough, but I think this marathon might be fun. Here I come TNF WashDC.

My past experience with trail marathons and the comfort during the past few days’ 17.5 miles have helped in the decision making. Let’s hope that keeps up.

In other news, Harriet and Jessie had a play date this weekend. Lots of chasing tennis balls, random butt sniffing, and couch naps. These two are too cute!

Signing off… ETT -_-

Pick a number… 13 or 26?

I find myself stumped… The North Face Endurance Challenge at Algonkian Regional Park has perfectly aligned itself with an upcoming trip back to the Motherland and I want to participate. What runner wouldn’t… right?

Now just to decide which race to enter. I know that I don’t want to run the full 50k, but what distance should I train for with such short notice?

All the logical bones (and muscles) in my body say that I should be conservative and run the half-marathon… BUT since when have I been conservative!?!

The normally crazy ETT says, just go for the full marathon!

We shall see.

For the past few months, I’ve split my physical activity 80/20… 80% cross training and 20% running. Over the next few days I will swap those numbers and see how my body reacts. I’ll use that as a litmus test for whether I might be able to endure the longer race or if I should be logical and compete in the shorter distance.

Wish me luck!

P.S. I’ve discovered Grumpy Cat and I can’t get enough. Tardar Sauce. best. Name. EVER. No!

Signing off… ETT! =)

 

More Than Just ‘A Dream’

In his quest to ‘meet physical force with soul force,’ this great man spoke to the souls of so many Americans… and still does. Please take a moment to read the ENTIRE speech. It is sure to move your soul.

 

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Signing off… ETT! =)

Happy 2013…

… a little inspiration from Stic Man (via YouTube)

 

 

Signing Off… ETT! =)

Happy Holidays

SATURDAY’S WORKOUT: 3500m row (22min)
SUNDAY’S WORKOUT: 3000m row (16:45)
MONDAY’S WORKOUT: 1.5mi walk at 6deg incline (40min)
WEDNESDAY’S WORKOUT: 3 sets of 20 (squat thrusts, T push ups, & static v-up…this one was 1 set = 20sec) + 5mi run walk (60min) + 3500m row (19min)

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. Wishing you and yours all the best!

Signing off…ETT! =)