Last week I was clearly not ready to post this blog about my spring challenge of drinking way way less. Massive procrastination going on over here. My personal challenge this month is something I'm doing in solidarity with my 31-Day Revolve Rider Challenge. I talked it up in class, chatted about it with friends and that was all pretty much bullshit because i just had the most intense weekend of drinking and partying in a long long time. I'm taking, starting at around 3PM and not finishing until, well, you get the idea. Not proud at all.

To fill in readers who have no clue what I'm bitching about, Revolve's got this May Sweat Challenge going on (details on their blog, won't go into it here) and obviously I can't participate (I work there silly!). So I challenged myself, self-imposed, to drink about half the amount I usually do. Before I tell you how much that is, let me explain that instead of going cold-turkey and drinking NO alcohol, I'm setting myself up, realistically, for succcess. It is just not realistic for me to deprive myself. I know you've heard this before, but moderation is the ticket.

So I'm limiting myself to 4....no maybe 5, but hopefully 3, glass of red wine a week. There you go. I put it down here, now its GOTTA happen. Done, moving on.

Next: as a sister post to my Springtime Eating a while back, some riders asked about exercise. So here's a look at what I do every week for exercise. Disclaimer: this is not exactly normal...I exercise for a living and I don't like taking days off. When I teach I don't ride as hard as my riders do, but i'm definitely in it. This is a good amount of exercise, and while my body is use to this abuse, I will admit I'm in a constant state of soreness and desparate need for massage.

Monday: 1 hr of plyometrics/weights/TRX in the AM. Bike to Revolve (from Williamsburg), teach a 12:30PM....fast forward hrs later and I teach a 6:30. Ride home.

Tuesday: 75 minute run (about 8-9 miles, depending on how tired i am). 1 hr power yoga.

Wednesday: 1 hr of plyometrics/weights/TRX in the AM. Bike to Revolve, teach back to back classes 6:30/7:30, ride home.

Thursday: 75 minute run and either a pilates or yoga class.

Friday: Bike to Revolve, ride on my own  in studio for about 20-30 minutes listening to new music, teach a 9:30 ride, ride home.

Saturday: Bike to Revolve, teach a RIP ride and take another instructors class, ride home.

Sunday: 1 1/2 hrs of plyometrics/weights/TRX.

Occassionally I try out new studios and classes. I've got The Fhitting Room, Chaise23 and Brooklyn BodyBurn (megaformer) on my list. I'd love to add more yoga, but this is enough!!!

Most important piece I want you to get out of this is: THERE MUST BE WEIGHT BEARING ACTIVITY in your weekly exercise routine for you body to change. Weights on a bike in class are great, but take it to the next level and add a bootcamp workout or an HIT class. Only that kind of activity, combined with 3-5 hrs of weekly cardio (at Revolve of course) plus a healthy, clean diet will get you into summer shape in no time. Have fun!!

XOXOXO

I make a huge batch of this stuff and keep it in the fridge for almost a week. I throw it on my kale salad (with a fried egg or another protein like chicken) use it as a side dish for dinner or just eat a few spoonfuls straight up for a perfect snack. It is SO easy to make and you can customize it with your favorite, in season veggies like ramps, asparagus or spring peas.

QUINOA With EVERYTHING

1 cup cooked and cooled tricolor quinoa (I use half chicken broth half water when cooking this)

1-2 mined garlic cloves (depending on how intense you like your garlic)

2 sliced spring onions

1 large or 2 medium eggplants - cubed, roasted and cooled

Fried mushrooms - I use shiitake and pan-fry them in half EVOO half butter until they are pretty crispy

Roasted ramps - another in season veggie. Drizzle with EVOO and salt and roast until desired doneness

Half a raddicchio - sliced very thin (I use a mandolin to do this - fancy ;)

Toasted pinenuts - depending on how nutty you like it, use closer to half a cup

Ripped or shredded fresh basil leaves

Vegan Parmesean - Pic of this item below, its from One Lucky Duck. I use real parm from Eataly when I'm making this for a dinner party.

Anchovy paste, about a teaspoon or 1-2 minced anchovies

EVOO, Balsamic Vingar and salt and pepper to taste. I also throw on my Ceasar dressing if i have some in the fridge

DIRECTIONS:

As soon as the quinoa is cooked, while its still hot, I mix it with the minced garlic and spring onion. This tempers the intensity of those two ingredients by very slightly and gently cooking them. It kind of renders them half raw.

Add everything else in once it is all cooled. Most of the work is getting all the ingredients ready to throw into the quinoa. This requires roasting and chopping. The basil goes absolutely last and immediately before serving.

I roast douse the eggplant and ramps with EVOO, salt and roast them at 400 degrees. The eggplant requires around 30 minute, ramps about 10 min.

Toast the pine nuts on top of the stove until slightly brown. I over toast and blacken them nearly every time, so WATCH this! those buggers are expensive and you don't want to have to throw away a batch of black pinenuts.

My Ceasar Dressing can be found in an earlier post, however, real quick, in a mortar and pestle, you: smashed up garlic, salt, Djon mustard, anchovy paste into a paste. Then wisk in lemon, EVOO and the yoke from a VERY soft boiled egg (totally runny).

Its a quinoa goldmine with all that good stuff in there! Enjoy XO

I'm sitting here writting this only now, 24 hrs after the worst bike accident I've ever had, because, it wasn't until this afternoon that I able to focus without seeing double. I have 25-30 stitches running around face, a massive black, blue and purple swollen left eye, my eyeball feels a bit loose in the socket and finally, I've got a few chipped teeth.

I couldn't be happier.

I am so incredibly lucky, ESPECIALLY in light of recent events (hello I'm a Bostonian). I had a bike accident on Second Avenue yesterday morning, commuting home after teaching one of my favorite RIP rides to my amazing and intense Saturday morning riders. It was early, I was on an adrenaline happy high, flying down the street. The light turned yellow and, of course you know me, i put that interval training to good use and guned it through the intersection. Got hit went flying and the left side of my face landed on the pavement. Helmut intact - WEAR THEM.

I smashed my face but my sunglasses also shattered and sliced up one side of my face in the process. I will be scared in a few places on the most visible place possible. I am hoping that eventually they will go away or just blend into my personality. Nothing is broken, no one died and all i can think of it how much worse it could have been. Here's the best news: I am so grateful that this happened to me and not my children. There is nothing like being a parent...nothing.

My husband said I look like that character from Batman, the one who had one side of his face melted off. Funny guy. He then proceeded to tell me how beautiful I am. It doesn't matter if he meant it or not.

My boys think i'm pretty bad ass and seem unphased, but then ask me to put my sunglasses back on. They wonder who will end up in the Emergency Room more this year. Last year it was a tie (two bike accidents and a bad cross fit injury vs. their three visits for various illnesses and accidents). We are alll thrill seekers and that concerns me, especially when I think of them as teenagers and remember ME as a teenager. Ugh. But these are the traits that make us who we are. I wouldn't change them (or anyone else for that matter) and I WILL  be getting back on my bike.

Here's what is still sitting so high in my heart that it brings me to tears when I think about it: after communicated with immediate family and 1-2 good girlfriends in the ER, I was complelled to reach out to my Revolve family. I wanted to, I needed to. They are just that. Family. I adore every single one of them who would drop anything to come help me. Thank you wonderful beautiful ones. Your support is everything.

NOW, I'm physically OK! But i look a bit scary and banged up. My question is, do i look too bad to teach tomorrow night??!! I'm letting go of vanity (we all are to a degree), and posting pics of what i look like today (so SO much better than yeterday).

Let me know here or on FB....

With gratitude, relief and happiness,

C

About as much as I get asked this question:

"Can you tell your twins apart?" (OMG, really? I am their MOTHER!)

I get asked:

"What do you eat?"

Springtime always gets everyone all excited to get on a workout/clean-up-the-diet kick. The thought of bikinis, shorts, bare body parts, I don't know. Working out is a great way to get toned up, but trust me when i tell you, it won't significantly change your body unless you adjust the diet. When I want to tone up and lean out, I don't really change how I workout. I change what I eat and drink. I make it simple and cut out the alcohol and sugar. My diet is genearlly already gluten-free and dairy-free (I definitely cheat and have homemade bread or pizza about 2-3x per month). On most days I eat vegan, sometimes raw with the exception of my protein which includes: eggs, chicken, fish and occassionally tofu/tempeh or beans.

Here's a typical day of what i eat and drink daily (NOT when I'm trying to lean out or get ready for a photo shoot, special event, etc). What i eat almost every day usually includes a whole avocados, kale, almonds, almond milk, chicken or fish, coffee, wine, protein, berries:

Wake up (anywhere from 5AM-7AM): Two shots of espressso with stevia and french vanilla soy creamer. i wish i could cut out the soy creamer and use unsweeted almond milk or cashew milk, but I love my coffee sweet and creamy. I will never give it up. A little later in the morning, before running or lifting, I'll have a repeat of this situation. So that's basically two cups of coffee with about 4 tablespoons of the creamer. Not awesome but not going to change.

Before working out: If I lift or run in the late morning, around 9-9:30, I need to eat something at 8 to have energy for it. I'll either have my boys left-over fried or hard boiled eggs or drink half of a green smoothie. My spring green smoothie recipe below.

After workout around 10AM: The rest of my smoothie or a freshly made full size one or a few eggs if I didn't have them earlier.

Lunch around 12:30-2: At home I make a Kale salad with protein (eggs, chicken), roasted eggplant and other roasted veggie (left overs from night before), avocado, sliced almonds or olives, and my raw ceasar salad dressing.

If I am in Union Square I get the Yogi's Choice Bowl at Jivamukti Tea Cafe with Kale, avocado and spicey tempeh and peanut dressing OR the veggies and chicken at Hu Kitchen. 

Either way, lunch consists of a good amount of protein and veggies, water or green tea and not much else

Snack around 3-4: Any of the following: Juice Press smoothie, almonds, vegan chips from One Lucky Duck and avocado, carrots and hummus.

Dinner: My favorite dinner is roasted chicken or grilled fish with roasted eggplant, a green (broccoli, roasted asparagus or watercress salad) with 1-3 glasses of wine. I MUST end dinner with something sweet. On good days it'll be about half a bar of really nice dark chocolate. Yes, half because i have little self control after the wine. On really bad days, its about 3/4 of a pint of Ben and Jerry's. If two pints of ice cream happened to have made way into my house, i will usually polish off half of each. SO bad and I feel like shit afterwards and totally regret it. That happens about 1-2x per month.

There are obviously exceptions to the above day, like when I go out with friends and have awesome cocktails (straight up Gin and Tonic w/lime is my DRINK). My exceptions to not eating pasta, pizza and bread happen when its truly WORTH IT and that means when we make it homemade. 

SPRINGTIME SMOOTHIE:

1-2 peeled ripe figs

1/4 avocado

2-3 big leaves of kale

Lucuma powder and hemp protein powder

cashew milk

ice, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla

I was recently asked to review a small business online (unrelated to cycling studios) and it was  my pleasure to do so because I had such a great experience at this spot. VERY smart to ask your fans to review you, either on Yelp if you are a business, or on Rate Your Burn (RYB), if you are an instructor. These days, we all have to do a little self-pimping online. There is just so much competition out there AND clients/customers put SERIOUS importance on what they read online. We are at a disadvantage if we DON'T ask for it.

I WISH i could be one of those strong self-promoters, however, this kind of pimping just doesn't quite sit right with my shy and humble side. If you have been to my class, right about now you are either rolling your eyes or laughing at the thought of me being shy. Shy, which i can be, is probably not the right word. I don't ask to be reviewed becuase I want to truly earn and deserve those reviews. I want them to come from somone who had such a great expeirence that they are MOVED to share their thoughts about it. 

This subject has been on my mind recently because reviews, in general, have such a hold over me. They have this incredible power to affect my mood and attitude. In short, they make me bipolar: affect my classes, make me hug random people, scream at my children, sob like a baby, or fill me with so much electricity that I can't sleep at night. I KNOW. Bananas.

I had a ok-only, so-so review several weeks ago and let's just say it DESTROYED me. I couldn't brush it off for a good long while. I put SO much into my class, not just time, but MYSELF - you get ALL of me, 110% of what I have, to yourself when you step foot into my room. Instructor reviews are not just rating a service, they are rating a PERSON. Anyway, GET OVER IT, I did and what's even better, I learned from the experience after I massaged my bruised ego. However I feel, its rarely ever blase. Love, hate, adore, despise, lust, swoon, I feel it all. So that's what happens with me and reviews. Will work on my pimping skills....in the meantime, i can only blog about this because I got another lovely review.....read THIS ;)

http://rateyourburn.com/show_review/5454

There is a certain level of body awareness that comes with the territory as a fitness/dance instructor or trainer. We use, listen to, align, touch, push and manipulate our bodies on a daily basis both for work and often for our own private purposes. I physically express myself not just with how i dress and move, but with the art permanently adorning my skin.

Here's a short history on my tattoos, the last one just yesterday inked at SenaSpace by an artist who has done all three of my most important, biggest and brilliant pieces. As I write this, I can feel it freshly drilled into my skin, a little raw and still glistening.....

My first tattoo was a little sunflower I got when I was 17 on my tummy. I went with two girlfriends and we all got the same design on different parts of our bodies. Sigh...the things 17 year old girls do. We'll come back to my sunflower in a bit.

Fast forward 12 years later, I was ready to get a tattoo that represented my little identical baby boys, to whom i had handed over my life. I knew this tattoo would be a big deal, physically and emotionally. I also knew my twin-baby-daddy would be slightly envious that, at the time, I was not only giving all of myself to these two lil guys on a daily basis, but now devoting this amount of body real estate might be too much. SO, to appease the situation and prepare the fam for the inner arm son/sun's, I got a a big swirly "S" on the back of my neck. My husband's name is Sebastian. 

Less than a year later, while my boys were still toddlers, I was tattoo'ed with the twin inner arm son/sun's tattoos that have in so many ways branded my body. People recognize me from these tattoos, they get an insane amount of attention (almost on a daily basis) and they are my pride and joy just like the live in living color ones are. The collaboration between myself and my artist, David Sena, was pretty cool. He is insanely artistic/creative and found a way to take my esoteric ideas for these tattoos, listen to my feelings about my boys and somehow turn them into my arm art. I wanted twin sun's or son's that illustrated how superficially similar but deeply different my boys were, now are, while also incorporating a cultural blend of my family's Chilean/hispanic heritage. The result was beyond my highest expectations and still to this day they bring me pure and simple joy. Now THAT's what permanent body art should do!

There were TWO more tattooes in between my son/sun's and my latest piece done yesterday. One of em you will probably never see, so let's not worry about that story. The the other, however, is my dragon leg/foot tattoo that is quite intense and visible. She is complicated, dark and came from an insatiable need for attention that I had, for something at the time. That time is over. She has now developed into what i like to think of as my fierce, sharp and fire-y alter ego. She has made appearances in class and keeps me slightly crazy. We have a lovefest going on, on a daily basis.

Full circle back to my stomach sunflower, initially inked as an expression of freedom and rebellion, which in present day has done nothing for me. In recent years, it had appeared sad and a bit deflated, especially in contrast to the bigger brilliant and multi-layered tattoos that came later. Timing is everything and I was just primed and ready to give that flower some more love. I'm also at a point where I feel so appreciative of what my body has given me and how far we have come together (me, myself and body that is ;). I'm exactly where I want to be, doing what I want to do. I'm proud, super sensitive, deeply loving, insanely passionate and always evolving. Life is not perfect, I sure as hell am not and never will be, that's why the sunflower is still in there in it's imperfect glory. This one is my gift to me. Come see it in person....I love how it works with my torso, has softness and strength and perfectly illustrates where I am right now. 

As promised, here are the pudding ingredients I gave away Wednesday night to some special riders. I adapted this from my friend/chef Jacquie's receipe. Combine in a high powered blender like a Vitamix:

1 1/2 just ripe avocado (if too ripe the taste is overwhelming)

1/2 cup coconut meat (I get it frozen from LifeThyme on 6th Ave and defrost before using)

1/2 cup cashew milk

1/2 coconut milk

1/2 raw cacao powder

5-7 dates

Vanilla, cinnamom, stevia, orange zest (add to taste).

YUM!

OK, trust me when i say my chocolate pudding is somthing you want to suck down. Don't be scared when i tell you its VEGAN and RAW and YOURS if you get a song request onto my playlist next week (of March 11th). If you've been in my class, you know I feel about music (passionate and slightly obsessive) and it is HARD coming up with those playlists and making you happy all at once!! I want to make sure you are getting what you want, so I posed the challenge to my Monday and Wednesday nightriders: send me your suggestions and if they get put into the mix, I will give you my gratititude and thanks with a jar of this stuff. You can choose to eat it or use it as a face mask, either way I think it'll make you happy.

Revolve recently did an incredible blog post about me, check it out here:

 http://blog.revolvefitness.com/

What I love about it is how authentic it is to my real life. Our day to day lives are not nearly as glamorous and titillating as many of us make them out to be on facebook, twitter, blogs and various other social media outlets. That is the beauty and the dishonesty of the eletronic world we live in right now – one can create an entirely different online life that has little to do with the real one

I don’t try to be transparent and straightforward, I just am. I don’t censor the things that come out of my mouth in front of a jam-packed class full of sweaty strangers, because I can’t help give ALL of myself in those moments. I life my life in present-tense, I don’t curate it online after the fact. 

SO, the point of this blog post is to give you some deeper and very real TRUTHS about me: some fun and silly, and a one monumental.

1. I am not and was never a “professional” dancer. The Revolve bloggers labeled me as such, and I honestly didn’t have a chance to correct the post. I have danced for my entire life and, yes, in my late teens and early ‘20s I was in a semi-professional dance company. I choreographed a lot in college, but it never became a profession. Out of respect for the “professional dancers” out there, had to clear this one up.
2. In addition to my lashes (see Revolve’s post) my other beauty secret is that I get fraxel once a year. It is an incredible laser treatment that smoothes out the skin surfaces. It is not cheap, but its amazing.  And TRUST ME all the famous women out there who look like they are 25, but are actually 35, get fraxel – ALL OVER.  
3. I eat something sweet every single night. Its borderline addiction and I think I inherited it from my mom.
4. Speaking of nighttime indulgences. I have a tendency to overeat AND over-drink (wine) at dinner. My trick for keeping weight in check: at dinner only eat enough so that you aren’t too full to have sex later on.
5. I often feel guilty for working out instead of spending that time with my boys, but I workout anyway because I am a perfectionist.
6. Here’s the big one: I bounced back from having twin babies, YES, because I work my ass off in the gym, but also, sadly, because they were born terribly premature. Combined, my boys weighed less than 7 pounds at birth. I only gained 25 lbs through a twin pregnancy despite desperately trying to gain weight (while on bed rest). Severe anxiety is a pretty effective appetite suppressant. Preterm labor starting at week 25 of my pregnancy, ensuing 6 weeks of bedrest, and then two sick babies in the NICU pretty much f*&Ed me up for a few years. I suffered from PTSD (not depression but Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a result of the terror that my babies were going to die – a feeling that lasted for about 1 full year. My only indulgence during this time was exercise. Once my boys became toddlers, I decided not to return to my former career as a pretty successful freelance producer. I knew I needed to do something other than breastfeed babies and wipe two small asses, but it had to be a passion, a true love and something that would enhance not just my life, but that of others as well. This is what led me to take my previous side gig as a fitness instructor and make it my full time thing. Life is not always fair and now I spend so much time working, teaching, working out, research/mixing music, that I feel like I sacrifice my kids. Perfect balance is unattainable, but we do the best we can and I just hope and pray that my boys will be proud of me as they grow up into little men.
7. I haven’t spoken with my mother in a few years. I cut her off for reasons I would and could never ever post here because it would wound the people I love. This pains me every single day and I will never know what the right thing to do is about this relationship. I think a lot of people can relate to me on this one.
8. I truly do love my life and deeply adore everyone in it. I feel grateful every single day for this.

XOXO

Yes, Kale has been having a moment....for good reason. In my opinion, it is best raw and accessorized with other veggies. I usually throw whatever I have on top (sliced almonds, roasted veggies, hard boiled egg or cut up cooked chicken). My favorite combination is roasted eggplant cubes (easy receipt below), pan flash-fried shiitake mushrooms and the raw, vegan "Parmesan" Flakes from One Lucky Duck.

I make a decent sized batch of this Ceasar-inspired dressing to use all week. It gets thick and concentrated in the fridge, so I often cut it with a bit more lemon and olive oil after the first day. Kale is KING and stands up extremely well again this dressing. I don't have exact measurements or amounts here because a lot of it is personal taste, but play with your proportions and you'll get it right.

In a mortor and pestle grind up into a paste:

1 or 2 raw garlic cloves (depending on size and your tolerance for raw garlic)

About 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy paste or a minced anchovy

Wisk in (or blend in blender/food processor):

Juice from half a lemon (or more depending on how tart you want it)

About 1/2 cup of EVOO

After that is combined, wisk in a raw egg yoke. I usually boil the egg for about a minute so that it is ever so slightly soft boiled, but raw is great if you trust where your eggs come from. I get mine from Brooklyn Kitchen or Marlow and Daughters in Williamsburg.

I make big ol crusty croutons to throw on top when I have people over for dinner. Its a lovely addition and soaks up the dressing really well.

A note on EGGPLANT: I am obsessed with this vegetable and would like to eat it for breakast with eggs, lunch on my salad and for dinner next to my protein. Its great for digestion too. My favorite way to make it is roasted:

Find a nice firm eggplant. I love both the purple and stripped skin version (later being a bit sweeter).

Cube the eggplant and sprinkle sea salt over it. I throw a decent amount of EVOO over it so that all sides of the cubes are covered. It will soak up the oil very quickly and you'll be surprised at how much you need to use (I never said this was low-fat). Spread on a sprayed or coated baking sheet and roast at around 400 - 415 degrees depend on your oven for about 30 minutes. I like mine crispy so I tend to keep them in there a bit longer. Store in a single layer or else they'll get soggy.

Yum Yum Delish.