Oh, yeah. This works for me. New spinning song of the week!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tea & Toast
Written in America "Tea and Toast" might be named "Ginger Ale and Saltines." For me it conjures the same soothing power needed to define comfort. In this song there is a whole life story - a whole love story - in just about four minutes.
Lucy Spraggan's "Tea and Toast" is my favorite non-workout song right now. Simply, I love the lyrics, the melody and Lucy's voice. And there's a sense of calm it brings me as we come closer and closer to emptying and selling my childhood home in Gales Ferry, CT.
Last weekend, I watched as my beautiful white/yellow/flowered childhood bedroom set (the one we could only afford because of a flood in the most expensive local furniture shop that inspired the owners to offer steep discounts) smashed apart as it was tossed off the back of a pick-up and into a dumpster at the Ledyard Transfer Station. A sad/sick feeling was followed by a laugh when my desk flipped upside down, revealing some mots d'amour from one of my younger sisters to Jay. (If you know who Jay is, please tell us because she can't remember!)
So much of my life - and even more of my mother's life now - has become "junk". Except the old things. The very old things. The things for which I myself have no memory. They are attached to events that happened well before I was born, well before I could understand about true love, commitment and sacrifice. As I look around at Isabelle's things, I envision their whereabouts thirty years from now. During the survey I think, It doesn't matter if a bed is eventually thrown away, given away or sold. The memory of going shopping for the big-girl bed (and the sense of awe and independence that accompanied it ) will always be the same.
According to Eric Kandel, the neuroscientist who won the Nobel Prize for his brain memory storage research, memory gives our lives context and continuity. Memory is everything. Without it we are nothing.
"Tea and Toast" reminds me of something I wish I didn't need a nudge to remember: Memories, relationships and the people who make those memories and relationships possible, are what matter most.
Lucy Spraggan's "Tea and Toast" is my favorite non-workout song right now. Simply, I love the lyrics, the melody and Lucy's voice. And there's a sense of calm it brings me as we come closer and closer to emptying and selling my childhood home in Gales Ferry, CT.
Last weekend, I watched as my beautiful white/yellow/flowered childhood bedroom set (the one we could only afford because of a flood in the most expensive local furniture shop that inspired the owners to offer steep discounts) smashed apart as it was tossed off the back of a pick-up and into a dumpster at the Ledyard Transfer Station. A sad/sick feeling was followed by a laugh when my desk flipped upside down, revealing some mots d'amour from one of my younger sisters to Jay. (If you know who Jay is, please tell us because she can't remember!)
So much of my life - and even more of my mother's life now - has become "junk". Except the old things. The very old things. The things for which I myself have no memory. They are attached to events that happened well before I was born, well before I could understand about true love, commitment and sacrifice. As I look around at Isabelle's things, I envision their whereabouts thirty years from now. During the survey I think, It doesn't matter if a bed is eventually thrown away, given away or sold. The memory of going shopping for the big-girl bed (and the sense of awe and independence that accompanied it ) will always be the same.
According to Eric Kandel, the neuroscientist who won the Nobel Prize for his brain memory storage research, memory gives our lives context and continuity. Memory is everything. Without it we are nothing.
"Tea and Toast" reminds me of something I wish I didn't need a nudge to remember: Memories, relationships and the people who make those memories and relationships possible, are what matter most.
Tea and Toast
Tom was born in 1942
With eyes of blue
And the doctors said that his birth was far too fast
His heart stopped twice
But yet he survived
As he took his first breathe
His mother took her last
And his father knew that he wasn't to blame
But he never quite looked at Tom the same after that
And he rarely spoke about her
But when he did
He said your mother used to say this
"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
I'll wake up with the one I love the most
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"
When we met through a friend
Who introduced them
The first thing Tom said was would you like to dance?
They moved with each other and when the music got slower
He said don't let go of my hand
He said It's only polite if I ask you tonight
Would it be alright, if I could walk you home?
That night he told of of his birth
And said when it hurt
He thought about what his mother said about tea and toast
Two quick years went by
They were side by side
And without a plan, they conceived a little child
He said, woman I love you and this you know
But I only have enough for our food and clothes
But I love you and this baby
Until the day that I die
She said we'll take care of this little life
And we'll fall in love with her baby blue eyes
And we'll be alright from some advice that I know
She said I never got to meet her
But if I did, I'm sure your mother would have said this
"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
We'll show this baby all the love we know
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"
Well he took those words
And he made them proud
He worked day after day
And hour after hour
So that they could buy a little house on the outside of town
The little girl grew up and so did they
They said that they loved each other everyday
And forty years later, that brings us to now
And as they're walking down the street
Her grip loosens on his hand
He puts his arm around her side as she falls to the ground
He hears her breathing and that's the only sound
Her body on the floor attracts a worried crowd
Tears rolls off his face as he says "don't let go, now"
And he's sitting by her bed in the hospital ward
Their daughter walks in with a family of her own
She says "dad, I don't know if she can hear you now
But there's one thing mum would want you to know"
When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
Now it's time for you to let go
I go wake you up in the mornin' with some tea and toast
With eyes of blue
And the doctors said that his birth was far too fast
His heart stopped twice
But yet he survived
As he took his first breathe
His mother took her last
And his father knew that he wasn't to blame
But he never quite looked at Tom the same after that
And he rarely spoke about her
But when he did
He said your mother used to say this
"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
I'll wake up with the one I love the most
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"
When we met through a friend
Who introduced them
The first thing Tom said was would you like to dance?
They moved with each other and when the music got slower
He said don't let go of my hand
He said It's only polite if I ask you tonight
Would it be alright, if I could walk you home?
That night he told of of his birth
And said when it hurt
He thought about what his mother said about tea and toast
Two quick years went by
They were side by side
And without a plan, they conceived a little child
He said, woman I love you and this you know
But I only have enough for our food and clothes
But I love you and this baby
Until the day that I die
She said we'll take care of this little life
And we'll fall in love with her baby blue eyes
And we'll be alright from some advice that I know
She said I never got to meet her
But if I did, I'm sure your mother would have said this
"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
We'll show this baby all the love we know
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"
Well he took those words
And he made them proud
He worked day after day
And hour after hour
So that they could buy a little house on the outside of town
The little girl grew up and so did they
They said that they loved each other everyday
And forty years later, that brings us to now
And as they're walking down the street
Her grip loosens on his hand
He puts his arm around her side as she falls to the ground
He hears her breathing and that's the only sound
Her body on the floor attracts a worried crowd
Tears rolls off his face as he says "don't let go, now"
And he's sitting by her bed in the hospital ward
Their daughter walks in with a family of her own
She says "dad, I don't know if she can hear you now
But there's one thing mum would want you to know"
When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
Now it's time for you to let go
I go wake you up in the mornin' with some tea and toast
Six Million Dollar Playlist
Like the Six Million Dollar Man, a playlist that is better, faster, stronger. And with inflation worth more than $30 million.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Bitten by ViPR
ViPR may look like a piece of lowly training equipment - just a hard rubber hollow tube - but as his name suggests, he has lots to offer: Vitality, Performance, Re-conditioning. ViPR was born in Canada but introduced to the world in England. I was lucky enough to find him on this side of the pond, too - at a small fitness warehouse in Cranston, RI, and I'm getting ready to unleash him on Cape Cod (certification process in progress)!
ViPR training is all about whole-body integration (WBI) that unites movement and strength. The loaded movement that defines the ViPR workout mimics a lot of life's daily activities - lifting, carrying, throwing, dragging, rolling, flipping... So, from tossing kids in the water during summer fun to shoveling the long driveway after a Nor'Easter - ViPR is the workout that transfers best to the normal physical demands of life. It was invented by an ice hockey coach who realized that his team was consistently losing to teams whose players did a lot of manual labor off the ice - physically demanding jobs like farming and construction - things that forced them to lift, pull, shift, throw, carry and tilt weight on all three planes of motion.
See for yourself, and get ready to fall in love with fitness all over again! This video demonstrates 10 great movements - but there are another 8,990 that have been designed for a kick ass ViPR workout!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
It's a Beautiful Lie
Six days ago someone watched this video and wrote, "Why have I never seen this video? It's amazing." Today, I ask myself a similar question.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Weekend Tracks
There's no slowing us down this weekend! We've got a new playlist and if you're getting inside and riding at Let's Cycle Cape Cod you'll see a new video to go with it up on the big screen!
The Workout:
1. Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash Feat. John Martin (Original Vocal Mix)
2. Up In the Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars
3. The Ceiling - Wild Feathers
4. I Came to Play - Downstait
5. Love Me Again - John Newman
6. Dead Man's Shoes - Virginmarys
7. Down by the Water - PJ Harvey
8. Stars - Giuseppe Ottaviani Feat. Linnea Schossow
9. Sunrise (Here I Am) - Matt Darey Feat. Kate Dowman
10. Whatever Happens We Are the People - Mark Leanings/Arctic Moon vs. Empire of the Sun (Arctic Moon Mashup)
Cooldown:
11. When Darkness Comes - Colby Caillat
12. Wrap Your Arms Around Me - Gareth Dunlop
The Workout:
1. Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash Feat. John Martin (Original Vocal Mix)
2. Up In the Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars
3. The Ceiling - Wild Feathers
4. I Came to Play - Downstait
5. Love Me Again - John Newman
6. Dead Man's Shoes - Virginmarys
7. Down by the Water - PJ Harvey
8. Stars - Giuseppe Ottaviani Feat. Linnea Schossow
9. Sunrise (Here I Am) - Matt Darey Feat. Kate Dowman
10. Whatever Happens We Are the People - Mark Leanings/Arctic Moon vs. Empire of the Sun (Arctic Moon Mashup)
Cooldown:
11. When Darkness Comes - Colby Caillat
12. Wrap Your Arms Around Me - Gareth Dunlop
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
When the Dutch disco rollerskating evildoer Goldmember describes Austin Power's body as "tight as a tiger," it was, well, a little creepy. Are tigers even tight? I really have no idea. But what I do know is that if you're in the saddle a lot, you're getting "tight as a rider." Every rider I know has tight hips, thanks to the forward-leaning, crouched position that causes our hip flexors to tighten and shorten. It's often the source of back pain since it can make your pelvis to tilt forward and cause your lower back to arch more than it should.
Whether you're an elite athlete or a sometimes exerciser, your body is the only way for you to achieve your own peak performance. Here are some of the best exercises to loosen your hips and give your muscles a chance to function the best they can.
Warrior II Stance
Place your legs about 4-5 feet apart. Right foot is turned out 90 degrees, parallel with the wall; left foot turned in at 45 degrees. Bend your right knee as close to 90 degrees as you can, keeping the left leg straight. Raise your arms to shoulder height, parallel to the floor, palms facing down. Exhale and bend your front knee. Align your knee directly over the ankle of your front foot. Sink your hips low, eventually bringing your front thigh parallel to the floor. Hold for up to a minute.
Triangle Pose
Put your feet 3-4 feet apart, turning the right foot out 90 degrees and the left foot slightly in. Feel a firmness in the right buttock and externally rotate the thigh to align the knee with the foot. Maintaining the elongation of the spine, tip the pelvis over the right thigh, reach the right arm as far as you can, and allow the hand to rest on your shin, ankle or foot (wherever your comfort level is). Hold. (To perform this pose correctly, a contraction of the deep hip rotators is required to align the femur, knee and foot. )
Crescent Pose
Step back with the left foot, bend the right knee to a right angle (keeping the right ankle directly under the right knee) and carefully place the left knee on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh and open through the right hip flexor. If you can, take your hands to the floor on the inside of the right foot. Hold this deep hip stretch for 1–2 minutes before changing sides.
Bound Angle Pose
In a seated position, bend your knees, bring your feet together and draw your heels in toward your groin. Clasp your feet with your hands and open your feet like a book, simultaneously opening your knees away from each other. Slowly fold forward, hinging from the hips. Stay here for at least one minute, breathing into the abdomen.
Happy Baby Pose
Lie on your back and hold onto the outside of your feet. Pull your feet down, opening the hips, and draw your knees as close to the sides of the ribs as possible. Keep your spine long and the tailbone pressing toward the ground. Breathe and hold the pose for 1–3 minutes.
Whether you're an elite athlete or a sometimes exerciser, your body is the only way for you to achieve your own peak performance. Here are some of the best exercises to loosen your hips and give your muscles a chance to function the best they can.
Warrior II StancePlace your legs about 4-5 feet apart. Right foot is turned out 90 degrees, parallel with the wall; left foot turned in at 45 degrees. Bend your right knee as close to 90 degrees as you can, keeping the left leg straight. Raise your arms to shoulder height, parallel to the floor, palms facing down. Exhale and bend your front knee. Align your knee directly over the ankle of your front foot. Sink your hips low, eventually bringing your front thigh parallel to the floor. Hold for up to a minute.
Triangle Pose
 |
| Triangle Pose |
Put your feet 3-4 feet apart, turning the right foot out 90 degrees and the left foot slightly in. Feel a firmness in the right buttock and externally rotate the thigh to align the knee with the foot. Maintaining the elongation of the spine, tip the pelvis over the right thigh, reach the right arm as far as you can, and allow the hand to rest on your shin, ankle or foot (wherever your comfort level is). Hold. (To perform this pose correctly, a contraction of the deep hip rotators is required to align the femur, knee and foot. )
Crescent PoseStep back with the left foot, bend the right knee to a right angle (keeping the right ankle directly under the right knee) and carefully place the left knee on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh and open through the right hip flexor. If you can, take your hands to the floor on the inside of the right foot. Hold this deep hip stretch for 1–2 minutes before changing sides.
Bound Angle Pose
In a seated position, bend your knees, bring your feet together and draw your heels in toward your groin. Clasp your feet with your hands and open your feet like a book, simultaneously opening your knees away from each other. Slowly fold forward, hinging from the hips. Stay here for at least one minute, breathing into the abdomen.
Happy Baby Pose
Lie on your back and hold onto the outside of your feet. Pull your feet down, opening the hips, and draw your knees as close to the sides of the ribs as possible. Keep your spine long and the tailbone pressing toward the ground. Breathe and hold the pose for 1–3 minutes.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Today's Video Experience
Tonight's class features a rockin' Armin Van Buuren concert video. Taking a little break from the Principle Pictures music videos!
See ya, Kashi
It wasn't long ago that GoLean cereals filled half a shelf in my kitchen cabinet. Now, they're boycotted in the Murphy home and under fire publicly. The company wants to play up a persona of a small, independent cereal manufacturer looking out for our best health. Instead, they are a Kellogg-owned giant that slaps "natural" labels on its products while using genetically modified and pesticide loaded ingredients. We can thank the Cornucopia Institute for exposing Kashi. This institute actually investigates what it calls "Cereal Crimes," and it's really a brilliant thing to do. Who didn't grow up with horror stories about rat hair, insects and fecal matter wrapped around their Wheaties?
Kashi is already facing a class action lawsuit for misleading the public (as is Naked Juice).
Kashi has joined the Non-GMO Project to enhance its reputation. This project tests and verifies whether foods are GMO free; it's the only third party verification and labeling available in America for non-GMO products. I'll stick with my egg whites and fresh fruit, thank you very much. More on "Rethinking Breakfast" coming up!
Monday, July 8, 2013
Summer Heat Deserves Hot New Music!
These are the tracks proving to be the hottest this summer season!
Rockin' It!:
Up In The Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars (Warning about the warning: This video comes with an eplipsy warning.)
Big Parade - The Lumineers (LOVE)
Sweet Hell - Gin Wigmore
Black Sheep - Gin Wigmore
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy
People Like Us - Kelly Clarkson
I Love It - Icona Pop (Tiesto Remix)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
The Pit - Silversun Pickups
Die Together - New Politics
Harlem - New Politics (LOVE)
Give Me Hope - New Politics (LOVE)
Giorgio by Moroder - Daft Punk
Sail Into the Sun - Gentlemen Hall
A Night Like This (Art Alec Remix) - Caro Emerald or Original
Boom - MaRLo
Cooldown:
The Weight - Editors (LOVE)
You Are the Treasure - Antony and The Johnsons
Rockin' It!:
Up In The Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars (Warning about the warning: This video comes with an eplipsy warning.)
Big Parade - The Lumineers (LOVE)
Sweet Hell - Gin Wigmore
Black Sheep - Gin Wigmore
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy
People Like Us - Kelly Clarkson
I Love It - Icona Pop (Tiesto Remix)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
The Pit - Silversun Pickups
Die Together - New Politics
Harlem - New Politics (LOVE)
Give Me Hope - New Politics (LOVE)
Giorgio by Moroder - Daft Punk
Sail Into the Sun - Gentlemen Hall
A Night Like This (Art Alec Remix) - Caro Emerald or Original
Boom - MaRLo
Cooldown:
The Weight - Editors (LOVE)
You Are the Treasure - Antony and The Johnsons
Friday, July 5, 2013
Get more GABA! The Power of Exercise to Calm
New York Time's Phys Ed columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares exciting new research about the effect of exercise on the brain. A question that scientists have been trying to answer for a while now is: How is it possible for exercise to accomplish two seemingly opposite results? How can exercise inspire the growth of new, excitable brain cells while also instilling in us a sense of calm?
This new research out of Princeton University provides the answer. What happens is that the new brain cells created during exercise are able to be shut down more easily when they aren't needed. Scientists found that the new, excitable cells were accompanied by a number of other new neurons - neurons that release the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and has the power to shush and quiet activity in the brain - which means it can keep other neurons from firing easily. What that means for you is - if you're under stress and you've got more GABA, you're better able to keep calm. How do you get more GABA? Exercise!
Read the whole story here. For more on the scientific study, check out the Journal of Neuroscience.
A research team based at Princeton University found that physical activity reorganizes the brain so that its response to stress is reduced and anxiety is less likely to interfere with normal brain function. Running produced a large increase in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus — a brain region shown to regulate anxiety — of a mouse that ran for six weeks (above). The brown cells are new neurons, which are more numerous in active mice than sedentary mice, and the blue cells are mature neurons. (Photo courtesy of the Gould laboratory)
This new research out of Princeton University provides the answer. What happens is that the new brain cells created during exercise are able to be shut down more easily when they aren't needed. Scientists found that the new, excitable cells were accompanied by a number of other new neurons - neurons that release the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and has the power to shush and quiet activity in the brain - which means it can keep other neurons from firing easily. What that means for you is - if you're under stress and you've got more GABA, you're better able to keep calm. How do you get more GABA? Exercise!
Read the whole story here. For more on the scientific study, check out the Journal of Neuroscience.
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