This is my first week back exercising after a week off and for the next 6-8 weeks, I have decided to switch from strength training to straight cardio. Because of this switch and to have a good way of judging my progress, I am starting to keep track of my heart rate (beats per minute-bpm's). I am going for a goal of reducing my immediate post exercise bpm's by 50+ within 1 minute. This is a very lofty goal, but something that I can strive for. This 50+ rate is what athletes are expected to achieve, not just regular folks like me. However, it is a goal and while I may not be able to attain it within the next several weeks, it will be interesting to see how close I can get.
This week, my immediate post exercise bpm was 149bpm's, after 1 minute, the average was 124bpm's...difference of 25. This falls into the normal catagory, but now I have a goal and, since I was stupid enough to post this, I also have motivation to continue :) Oh, I do not have a fitbit, so I'm doing it the old fashioned way...OH NO, MATH!!! :0
I made a zucchini
casserole last night. It was fairly easy to do, I basically just chucked whatever veggies I
could find and added them to the zucchini. I then added some feta, Parmesan, and some
panko breadcrumbs. This is a good recipe to use if you want to empty out some veggies that you might not know what to do with.
What you Need:
Zucchini, large
Veggies (you can use frozen or fresh)
Feta cheese
Parmesan cheese
Breadcrumbs
Putting it together:
Take your zucchini and remove the skin
Remove the seeds. The easiest way to do this is to slice the zucchini lengthwise and use a large spoon to scarp out the seeds.
Cut the zucchini into bite-sized cubes
Steam the zucchini until tender (takes about 10-15 minutes)
Once cooled, in a large bowl add the zucchini and all the other ingredients, except the breadcrumbs
Add some salt, pepper, and any other herbs and spices you like
Mix together
Put everything into a 9 x 13 baking dish
Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and extra cheese
Set oven to 350 and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes
