Toward Fitness . . . Part II

I happily took the second step toward getting in shape today and established a weightlifting program. Getting everything set up--seat position, reps, form, actual weight--was time consuming but put me solidly in starting blocks. Thank you Rico for making sure everything is all set for me.

I do want to comment on how technology is changing the face of the gym. My local Y has a program called Fitlinxx. All of your data, including all machine settings, is entered into the system. At the beginning of a workout, you log in and it moves you from exercise to exercise with all the information you need. It even tracks you minimum and maximum movement to ensure you're working at the proper speed (slow!) and getting the greatest benefit from the exercise. All of your data is available at the gym, at partner gyms, or online; if you're doing exercise that isn't wired directly, you can enter the data manually. Pretty impressive.

The tools are all in place. Now I just need to do the work.

Toward Fitness

Today marks the day I got back to the gym.

Robert Maynard Hutchins, famed President of the University of Chicago (and my alma mater twice over), once said "when I have the urge to exercise, I lie down and hope it passes." Thus far, Hutchins' mantra could well be mine.

But today, I tied on the sneakers, strapped on the heart monitor, and went about the business of cardio. One small step . . . to be followed by many more on the road to fitness and good health.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with iron: the weight training regimen begins. Keep your fingers crossed for me (and remember to exhale on exertion and inhale on recovery!).

Worth It?

This past weekend, we saw Chrisopher Kimball on America's Test Kitchen extoll the virtues of prepping a steak in the oven prior to hitting the grill or pan to finish. 250 - 275 degrees for 20 minutes, seasoned with salt and pepper came the advice. After that, 2 -3 minutes per side to medium rare goodness. Kimball showed steaks that came directly from pan to plate and (the admittedly thin) layer of more cooked meat that encased the steak. The oven-prepped steak had more uniform color and texture and, frankly, looked compelling.

Since we consume only a steak per family, we didn't conduct our own side-by-side comparison but we did cook a ribeye to America's Test Kitchen specs. The result, in our humble opinion, was good but not appreciably better than our traditional method: onto the coals or into the pan, straightaway. The interior of the steak was uniformily pink and juicy. We're just not sure it delivered anything superior to the way we usually cook steak. And it took significantly longer.

It's worth disclosing that we cooked a bone-in, organic ribeye steak weighing about a pound.

Don't get me wrong, the steak was good. Very good, indeed. It just wasn't better than we've been muddling through on our own. And it took longer.

Honestly, I don't think it was us/the meat/the grill. I'm not sure this technique overdelivers a superior tasting steak for the time required. America's Test Kitchen's won't agree but that's the Delman household verdict.

At least we tried.

Just Ask

I am on a business trip to Chicago and, by chance, ended up in the front seat of the taxi returning from dinner. The taxi driver was listening to the radio as we drove, visibly moved by a contralto's aria pouring from his speakers. We began to discuss how strong and beautiful the music was and what a rich, majestic voice the soloist had.

His English was heavily accented and I asked where he was from. He hesitantly answered "Iran" and I offered that his understanding of music, especially Western music, seemed extensive. "I am a musician," he responded simply. That lead us to a discussion of his instrument of choice, the Persian setar. He explained a bit about Persian stringed instruments, the origins of the words to describe these strings, and urged me to visit YouTube to explore the sounds of the Persian oud, setar, and tar. I emerged from the taxi both far richer and more curious for the experience.

My lesson learned today is that engaging in conversation and truly listening can open the door to new and different worlds. My regret is that I did not note this patient musician's name. He deserves my thanks for sharing his passion for music and his culture.