Crock-Pot Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients
1 16oz bag dried small red beans
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 c diced yellow onion
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
3 c veggie broth
1 tbs Cajun seasoning (e.g., Tony Chachere's)
1 tbs cayenne pepper
1 lb Cajun sausage
1 c water
2 c brown rice
1/4 c parsley, chopped
Tabasco, to taste

Directions
1. Combine veggie broth, beans, tomato sauce, onion, diced tomatoes, and seasonings in crock pot. Mix. Cover. Cook on low setting, 6-8 hours.
2. Half hour before serving, switch setting to warm. Cut sausage into 1/4 in think slices, brown in skillet. Cook rice.
3. Stir in browned sausage and water.
4. Serve over rice. Garnish with parsley and Tabasco.

Teaching from the Floor :: Strength Ride

So, I can't ride for two/three weeks because of my stitches. I am pretty bummed, not going to lie about it. This will be the longest I've been off the bike since I started riding over 5 years ago.

I look at this as an opportunity to hone my skills as an instructor and coach. What follows is my first ride taught from the floor.

When life give you lemons, you make lemonade. I'll take mine with vodka, please!

HR 75-85%
60-80 RPM

1. Marytr - Rusted Root (5:18) Warm up 80-100 RPM

2. Starlight - Muse (4:00) Light Hill 80 RPM
30 sec - Seated climb
30 sec - Running with resistance
x4 :: +1 gear in between sets

3. Train - Goldfrapp (4:11) Light Hill 80 RPM
2 min - Seated climb
1 min 30 sec - Standing climb
30 sec - Remove resistance, Increase cadence 80-110, Come down backside of hill

4. Try it Again - The Hives (3:30) Moderate Hill 70 RPM
3 sets, 30 sec Jumps on a hill
0:49-1:24
1:50-2:15
2:35-End

5. Paper Planes Remix - Slumdog Millionaire OST (5:49) Moderate Hill 70 RPM
4 min - Seated climb
1 min 30 sec - Standing climb
30 sec - Remove resistance, Increase cadence 80-110, Come down backside of hill

Moderate hill 70 RPM
6. Galang - MIA (3:34)
7. Gifted - NASA (3:39) 80-110 RPM
30 sec - Seated climb
1 min - Running with resistance
1 min - Jumps on a hill
1 min - Standing climb
x2 :: +1 gear in between songs

8. Devil Inside - INXS (3:57)
Flat road - Recover, then Push - Maintain 75%

Moderate hill building to Heavy hill 70-60 RPM
9. Electric Touch - MGMT & Kanye (4:24)
10. Lost! - Coldplay (3:55)
4 min - Seated climb
+1 gear @ 2 mins
4 min - Standing climb
+1 gear @ 2 mins

Moderate hill building to Heavy hill 70-60 RPM
11. All the Love in the World - NIN (5:15)
Seated climb : +1 gear per min starting on 0:30 = 3 gears
@ 3:12 Standing climb with beat, Cadence loading
@ 4:48 Flat road

12. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love - Coldplay (6:51)
Cool down until 3:55, giving class 2 min to themselves
Stretch on bike until end

13. Alcorus - Shine (3:54) Stretch off bike
13. Beautiful Girl - INXS (3:10) Stretch off bike

Shaken, but Okay

On February 2nd, I had a small growth removed from my left lateral thigh. I noticed it when I bumped with with my razor a couple times while shaving. After a month of it not getting better and not going away, I made an appointment with my dermatologist. She removed it, thinking it was a wart.

The pathology report came back Tuesday : Sections demonstrate acanthosis, verrucous and asymmetric endophytic growth of well differentiated dysplastic squamous epithelium, extending to the peripheral and deep margins.

Diagnosis : Squamous cell carcinoma.

Today, I had the peripheral and margins excised. I'm due back in two weeks to have the stitches removed and then again in two months for a checkup and in another three months for another checkup. If all is well at the five month checkup, I'll have regularly scheduled checkups every 6 months. If I go a year with no problems, then my checkups will return to yearly.

My dermatologist, my friends & family, and I are all worried because I am so young (32 in April); however, cases like this are happening more often in people under the age of 40.

My dermatologist, my friends & family, and I are also worried because my job (research ecologist) requires me to spend so much time outdoors in the field.

Real and significant changes will have to be made to my sun protection regimen, starting with routine and frequent mole checks, wearing SPF 30+, and purchasing specialty clothing for field work. I imagine that I will be spending more time under the boat's canopy taking data and less time slinging sharks out on the deck.

I find it difficult to explain how I feel. On one hand, this type of skin cancer is the 2nd most common type of skin cancer and has a 98% recovery rate with early detection and removal. On the other hand, holy shit cancer!

I am shaken, but okay.

Crock-Pot Jambalaya

Ingredients:
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery, chopped
1 lb sausage, sliced
2 tbs garlic
1 tbs olive oil
2 c uncooked brown instant rice
2 c vegetable broth
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
2 tbs dried parsley, divided
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs cayenne pepper
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Tabasco, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat until cooked.
2. Turn crock-pot to high. Add sausage and vegetable mixture.
3. Stir in diced tomatoes, broth, rice, and seasonings. Cover. Cook on high 1 hour.
4. Add shrimp. Cook on high 30 minutes.
5. Garnish with parsley and Tabasco. Serve.

Makes 8 servings.
Ideal slow cooker: 5 quart

February Strength Ride

Mimicking rolling countryside, this ride gets progressively harder with the length of the hill and finishes with high energy runs and jumps.

HR 75-85%
60-80 RPM

1. Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire OST (5:19) Warm up

2. Lost! - Colplay (3:55) Light Hill 80 RPM
2 min - Seated climb
1 min 30 sec - Standing climb
30 sec - Flat road, Recovery

3. Home - Marc Broussard (5:05) Light Hill 80 RPM
3 min - Seated climb
1 min 30 sec - Standing climb
30 sec - Flat road, Recovery

4. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (5:57) Moderate Hill 70 RPM
4 min - Seated climb
1 min 30 sec - Standing climb
30 sec - Flat road

Moderate Hill 70 RPM
5. Crawl - Kings of Leon (4:06) Moderate Hill
6. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (4:05)
4 min - Seated climb
4 min - Standing climb

7. Paper Planes - Slumdog Millionaire OST (5:49) 80-110 RPM
Flat road - Recover, then Push - Maintain 75%

Transition into seated climb for a final push uphill. Steep. Build intensity.

Heavy Hill 60 RPM
8. Nikka Costa - Everybody Got Their Something (4:21)
9. Just Like You Imagined - NIN (3:52)
4 min - Seated climb
4 min - Standing climb
30 sec - Flat road

Finish out ride with high energy, feeling victorious.

10. Around the Bend - The Asteroids Galaxy (3:49)
1 min – Running w/ resistance
1 min – Jumps on a hill
x2

12. Strawberry Swing - Cold Play (4:10) Cool down
13. Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (3:32) Stretch
14. Beautiful Girl - INXS (3:10) Stretch