Good Morning my Friends! I hope everyone had an awesome week last week. To kick off the new week on the positive, this is the Workout of the Week, from GoodAttitudeFood.com. This is The I Am On My Third Book of 2020 Workout.
That’s right I am on my third book of 2020. I have a goal of listening to or reading 50 books in 2020.
I listen to most of my books on Audible. Admittedly, I probably wouldn’t be close to reading fifty books without this amazing app. I am not paid to endorse Audible. I just love listening to audiobooks.
What Were The First Two Books In 2020?
The first two books of 2020 were as follows:
- One Man’s Wilderness – An Alaskan Odyssey – By Sam Keith ~ from the journals and photographs of Richard Proeneke
- Skyward – By Brandon Sanderson
I often start a book, listen or read it for a while, then start two or three others. Often times I don’t read or listen to an entire bike at once or will re-read (re-listen) the same parts many times.
I have not finished any of the books that I started in 2020 yet. Aaaand I started my fourth book of 2020 too! A book about a writer dude who gets dumped by his girlfriend called Dumped, Actually, by Nick Spalding.
I might be addicted to Audible books.
I guess there are worst addictions one could have.
Book 3 of 2020
Book 3 of 2020 for me is Wake Up Happy by Michael Strahan.
Wake Up Happy – By Michael Strahan
Strahan has a great personality. It shines through in his writing and I love that he narrated this audiobook himself. I think him reading it gives the words more meaning and power.
The early chapters talk about Strahan and his father repeatedly. His stories remind me of my own father. Our fathers both started out very poor and both returned to school late in life, well after most people thought they were foolish to do so. My dad was 40 when he returned to school. He was a HUGE reason I decided to go back to school at age 28. I told myself if dad did this when he was 40, I got a big step ahead by starting at 28. Dad proved to me it is never too late to go after what you want to do.
Rules!
In the book, Strahan lists our 18 rules that he has to live life by. While I haven’t gotten deep into all 18 of them, I did go through the start of each chapter and list out the rules.
Rule 1
Strahan’s 18 rules are a solid life-game-plan!
Like rule number 1 – Help can and will come from unexpected places, be open to the things around you that could help.
Rule 9
Number 9 – Not if, but when. Secrets of Success are not in luck, but in the things you do every day.
Rule 11
Number 11 – You cannot change other people, but you can change how you are around them, and sometimes that is enough.
Rule 14 – My favorite!
Number 14 is my Favorite – If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Use visualization to access it. I love this Rule! Visualization is a key action step in any plan. It is how to make a dream real! It’s just like what I write about when I make my LPSAGs – Little Puny Specifically Aligned Goals!
Happiness is a Choice
One of the biggest points made in the book is that we can choose happiness in our lives. Happiness is a mindset. Happiness is a goal to pursue. It’s a choice we make constantly. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.
My plan to continue on this book is to listen to a chapter each morning until I finish it. Then I will listen to it again at a faster speed one time through, from start to finish. I might continue listening to a chapter a day even after I finish it. This book could be a great tool to help with choosing to be happy every day! Ideas like that are always easy to have, but not always easy to live. I am going to choose to use the book as a daily tool in the happiness battle!
Life Learner
Last week I talked about how I think people can be life long learners. Books help. Books contain both knowledge and imagination. I think gaining knowledge, and using imagination, are two keys to keeping a strong mind as we go through life!
ON TO THE FOOD!!!! – Which also makes me happy! 🙂
The Food – Instant Pot Beef Stew
So this is an experiment! My first experience cooking with my instant pot.
I have had my instant pot for over a year and not opened the box. Not sure why. Just the way it played out.
No long will my instant pot sit unused on top of my fridge collecting dust! The instant pot will get used! Today is the day!
I watched some videos to pick up techniques, read the manual and looked at several beef stew recipes.
I read that you can make bone broth easily with an instant pot. I purchased some very inexpensive beef cuts and soup bones with meat on them. I formed a game plan for the recipe and went to work on this fun experiment!
The Recipe and technique
Here is my list of ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Stew:
- Beef soup bones – I used a shank cut that had a bone in it and lots of meat and a larger beef soup bone
- Beef chuck steak – about 1 lbs
- minced garlic
- an onion
- mirepoix mix – or carrots, celery, and onion chopped up. I just buy mine pre-chopped to save time.
- A beer – I used a really tasty dark beer from Duluth Brewing company Bent Paddle – Black Ale.
- Carrots – I do not peel carrots. I just make sure to wash them very well. Then roughly cut them
- Some potatoes – I used some small finger potatoes and cut them about the same size as the carrots
- Mushrooms
- about 2 tablespoons of oil
- a pack of onion gravy mix
- a pack of beef gravy mix
- about 1 cup of beef stock
- about 2 cups of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Here is how I made it.
First, I heated up the instant pot on the saute setting. When it beeped and the display said “HOT”, I added the two tablespoons of oil to the pot. Then I placed pieces of beef in the pot to brown and sear the meat.
The Meat
While the meat seared, I chopped an onion into 8ths.
After the meat was seared I removed it from the pot. Then I added the onion, garlic, and dumped in that delicious Black Ale from Bent Paddle. I used it to deglaze the pot with the onion. I let that simmer for five minutes longer to sweeten up the onion and let those flavors meld together. Then I put the beef meat and bones back into the pot, popped the lid, and hit “pressure cook” on high for 35 minutes.
Is 35 Minutes Long Enough??
I did not think 35 minutes was going to be long enough, just that it would be a good trail run starting point. I was wrong. 35 minutes was about the perfect time! The meat was fall-apart tender, packed with flavor, and tasted way better than “cheap cuts” of flank and chuck should!
I removed the meat from the pot next. I had prepped carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to add to the stew. These, along with the mirepoix, we added to the broth in the pot. I set the pot to pressure cook on high for another 15 minutes for the veggies.
The Veg
While the veggies cooked I pulled about the beef.
Once again I was amazed at how fast this thing cooks! The potatoes and carrots were soft and tender after just 15 minutes.
I added the meat back into the pot. Then added the gravy mix packets and a little more beef broth. I stirred that up, as it simmered for a few more minutes. I added a little salt and pepper to it and that was it. Plate and Serve!
This beef stew was great. The meat was tender, flavorful, and savory. The veggies were just right. The flavors all came together really well. You could even taste a little of that Black Ale that I dumped in there!
On to the workout! …
The Workout
7K Steps
I have the goal of getting 7,000 steps or more at least four days this week!
Miles Walked and Miles Biked (spin bike)
I have been counting my miles walked on the way to 1,000 miles. Last week the count was at 384.27 miles. This week I walked 32.46 miles. The new total is 416.73. WOOO! I have walked over 400 miles!
I am also starting to count the miles I bike. Just for fun and to see what I can do. I logged 40.15 miles. I biked (road a spin bike at planet fitness) Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I did a randomly chosen GCN video each ride. They were all awesome and I have felt great all week!
The Dynamic Warm-Up
Always do a dynamic warm-up before starting a workout. I do this one from FightTips
Mon, Wed, Fri
TRX Straps – Tabata intervals
I want to start using more of the gym equipment. The PF that I go to has TRX strap stations. This week I am going to work in some TRX Strap exercises to Tabata Intervals.
I found many great videos on TRX straps. Check out YouTube, they are plentiful. This link from Fitness Experience has 15 beginner TRX exercises.
For this part of the workout I have an interval timer set for Tabatas – 8 x 20X10. Work for 20 seconds, take a break for 10 seconds, repeat 8 times. I am using the link above to reference the exercises.
- 20 secondsTRX pushups
- 20 seconds triceps presses
- 20 seconds single-arm row
- 20 seconds face pulls
- aaaand repeat
Take a 30 second to one-minute break, then repeat twice.
GCN Bike Video
The plan is to go to the gym and ride a spin bike on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then walk outside on the other days.
I am going to keep picking random GCN bike videos. Here is another awesome example of their workouts! Please check these guys out! The workouts changed my life!
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
First, do dynamic warm-up
Shadow Boxing Intervals
Interval timer set to Tabata times – 8 X 20×10. Title Brand weighted 1.5lbs weighted gloves. Freestyle shadow boxing. Three rounds. 30-second break between rounds.
Go hard 20 seconds, doing punch and kick combos, then rest for 10 seconds doing boxer shuffle and defensive type moves; cover-up, and head bob.
Freestyle, have some fun! The beauty is I can do this wherever I am at. I do this in the parking lot before I walk, do it in my apartment, do it at the gym. Literally can do this anywhere!
Keep The Gloves on and Speed Walk!
I will be getting my steps this week. Probably walking around Normandale Lake path. I am walking on days opposite of bike training. I like to keep my weighted gloves on and “speed walk” or power walk. It’s kind of like the motion of cross country skiing. The weighted gloves add another element to just walking. 7K steps a day – get em!
Yoga Stuff
On walking days I am also going to try to get in a yoga routine. It’s been a while since I have checked in with one of my faves, Yoga with Adriene. I know she does a new series – 30 Days of Yoga – at the start of every year that she puts out for free on YouTube. Check out the channel here and see for your self.
I figure I should start with the first one for 2020!
Make It A Great Week
There you have if my peeps! Thank you SO MUCH for reading! A HUGE thank you to the free content providers. A special shout out to Michael Strahan for authoring the amazing book. Thanks to GCN and Yoga with Adriene for the amazing free videos – THESE VIDEOS/WORKOUTS CHANGED MY LIFE – I was 240+lbs prior to finding them. Please check out their free stuff on YouTube! Show them some love for the free stuff!
Be happy and healthy my friends. Make your hero story one where you know that happiness is a choice. You get to make the choice every day. It starts with the attitude a person holds in their heart. Give your hero the right attitude. Be grateful and choose to find happiness in what you do!
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