Another week, another pound. Life is good.

The word of the week, this week, is breathe. I think it is the word we both hear the most when we’re with the trainer. There is something about the intake and exhaust of breath that really makes a workout well… work. I’m not quite there, yet. There are times when I have the perfect rhythm, but they are still not a natural phenomenon. Often, it seems that I really have to think it – and thinking it screws up the natural rhythm. Inhale nose, exhale mouth, inhale mouth, exhale mouth, inhale, inhale, hold breath, what am I supposed to be doing? screw up, sweat pouring down, repeat. One would think that after this long, I’d have a better clue.

On the other hand, he leads us through routines where I can actually feel improvement with each rep and his constant reminders to breath do help to keep me focused on not dying. More often than not, though, it’s reaching 18 of 20 reps the third time around and knowing that breath or no breath, there is just no way that 19 is going to happen.

None of this is natural to me and all of it has been a struggle – but, for the most part, it’s getting easier even as it gets more difficult. And the recovery time is almost instantaneous compared to when we started. Fewer aspirins…

I don’t think I will ever consider this fun, but it continues to be rewarding. And that, boys and girls, is what’s important.

Food is also important, and Victor made sure we had an awesome dinner, tonight!

I had pulled a pork tenderloin out of the freezer with no clear idea of what I was going to do with it. Victor decided he was going to stuff it – and I never argue when someone else wants to cook!

Victor did a bit of a clean out the ‘fridge stuffing, with:

• dried apricots
• celery
• carrots
• green onions
• mushrooms
• fennel
• garlic
• cheese

He sauteed everything but the cheese in olive oil, and then added a bit of crushed red pepper, salt & black pepper. Then a bit of white wine and some chicken stock and cooked it down. He added a few breadcrumbs at the end.

While it was cooling, he butterflied and then pounded the tenderloin. He laid it flat, spread on the stuffing, and then added a bit of quattro formaggio down the center. Rolled and tied, and into a 350°F oven for 30 minutes with cubed sweet potatoes on the side.

Perfection on a plate and the perfect end to our workout week.

Week Thirty-Five starts on Monday.