Opened up the email today and was reminded that I promised a primal crawfish dip recipe on FB forever and a day ago... Sorry, about the time I think "I got this"... it becomes abundantly obvious that I don't. For the sake of brevity, if you don't ever want your name associated with the dreaded "C" word (the 6 letter one not the four letter one)
I highly recommend SUNSCREEN.

I have officially survived my first week of Primal Blueprint! I feel comfortable stating that I am completely detoxed of all things sugary and processed. Long story short it was MISERABLE! I really miss Coke Zero, Taco Bell and Peanut Butter... Maybe after the 6 weeks I'll transition to a more 80/20 diet but for now I'm 100% on board, I trust my trainer and he says this will be well worth the extra efforts.

Wednesday I was bummed that my usual PB & Banana Flat Bagel are now forbidden so I decided to pull out one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and got creative... Magic Bullet Time!
I had no idea how much I would LOVE SMOOTHIES. I honestly don't think I will ever eat a bagel before leaving on a long workout again. By the way these are just as EASY to make for grown-ups and lil peeps alike!

I'm reading Scott Jureks new book and he is an advocate of the whole organic foods movement. Once you've had "real" organic meats, fruits and veggies you can taste the delish difference and will probably never buy anything else. Luckily, I have easy access to an array of organic locally grown foods so I decided instead of buying cheaper pre-made smoothies from the freezer section, I would make my own. All you need are some Ziploc sandwich bags and 1 freezer bag (to make it extra air tight). 

This is my FAV I call it...

Berry Delicious

1 Kale Leaf- without the stem
1 Hand full of Baby Spinach
2 Baby Carrots (chopped)
1/4c Canteloupe
2 Strawberries
1/4c seasonal berries (I mix blue & berries)
1/2c Coconut Water
                                                      3 TBS of Almond Milk (any flavor) or Whole Dairy Milk

I combined the fruit ingredients in several sandwich bags and put them in the freezer for easy access and back-ups. They should be good for about 2 weeks. My lil peeps have started making them before they go to swim practice.

Place the fruit, coconut water and milk in your blender. I used my magic bullet because the container you use to make the smoothie is also a cup and makes clean up non-existent. Blend until smooth and DRINK!


Green Lantern

1/2c Cup Baby Spinach
3 Baby Carrots
1 banana
1/3c Canteloupe
1 Kale Leaf- without the stem
1c Coconut Water


Same as above you can pre-make them and store in the freezer or blend them fresh, either way they are DELISH!

With 16 weeks til Louisville I decided that Kansas 70.3 doesn't really fit into the training plan so I'll pick up another half a little further out. Speaking of the lovely Ironman organization...

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2013/05/10/andrew-messick-talks-ironman-swim-changes

For the record TT starts are RIDICULOUS!
Transition Areas will close earlier
Start Times will be delayed for 60-90 minutes
Sighting will cause slower times
No Drafting
Stricter temperature guidelines leading to swim cancellations don't sound fun either.
I could go on and on... and I don't really think it's all about safety. I think it's numbers game allowing more entries increase profits and crowds the course... blah blah jumping off my soap box and into the Gulf, day to of glassy emerald waters.

Holy CRAP BAGS it's MAY!!!

Sometimes life just is... LIFE. I'm well read on the 50/50 forks in the road, chances taken, opportunities lost and other life altering idiocy. I'm also well versed on accepting consequential doom or blissful ignorance of Assh$%les...

*sigh, like I stated, run a mile in my shoes, you might be a little crazy too.

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of wonky. Work, Lil Peeps, Work, Training and that pesky little thing called LIFE keeps kicking me in the arse. Since New Orleans my training has been BLAH, stress levels have been ridiculousness, eating crappy or not at all and to top it all off big time grouchy. While living on 4 hours of sleep, beef jerky and coke zero is possible, it's not highly recommended.  In my defense I'm launching a brand and wrote the entire editorial content for a quarterly publication... that means everyone has three months to find all the mistakes. YIPEE

So it wasn't until Sunday I heard... "Who the F$%CK cares about anything that makes you miserable"... in that moment I realized that my obsessive over achieving was actually hindering quality of life. In my quest to constantly push the limits in all aspects of my life I forgot to remember that all I really want is to live a simple happy healthy life.

That same day I met up with Peter for his last OWS prior to his first 70.3 race this weekend. I met Peter two weeks ago at the Sunday OWS, it was his first ocean swim. Peter is 52 and a very accomplished marathoner... When I inquired about his transition into Iron distance he told me he wanted to learn how to swim. So while here on holiday he signed up for Fl. 70.3 and Ironman UK... he also added with a rather devilish grin that he will be riding the steel frame roadie he keeps here in his vacation home at this weekend 70.3. See, I'm not alone in the crazy boat...

Peter also says some very wise things...
"I like to push myself, I don't need others to do that for me"
"Sometimes I ride at 19MPH and other times I ride 11MPH both are just fine"
"I'll finish Ironman UK and will probably never do anyother one, after you've done one you really don't have anything to prove"
"I don't care, if I don't like the water on race day, I can find something else to do"

He shared some Soreen and recommended the book "Cant's Swim,Can't Ride,Can't Bike: from Common Man to Ironman" by Andy Holgate it's a great book. You can also read about Andy and his new book in this months edition of 220 Triathlon Magazine.

Most people hate Mondays, but I'm the total opposite, I LOVE Mondays! I'm usually wicked productive & refreshed, Thursday I'll be singing a different tune.
Mother Nature kept the rain to herself this weekend which was greatly appreciated, I was more than happy to spin on the trainer while it rained buckets this am. I'm proud to report that while spinning lil peep #2 to it upon himself to pack his own lunch and snack. Leftover Tacos and Melon salad very Paleo friendly choices... Although the bag of goldfish not so much :)
Crazy busy day so I hit the pool this evening for an AWSOME interval workout... I can feel summer coming and I'm so EXCITED.
Since I'm back on the training wagon I'm back on the EATING wagon.

Here's another 2for1 recipe

Blackened Chicken Thighs w/ fresh veggies.

4 chicken thighs
*2 tbs Blackened seasoning
1 Bell pepper
1 Sm Red onion
1 Cup Baby Spinach
1/2 shredded carrots
2 tbs Jalapeño (optional)
1/4 cup Corn
1/2 Lime squeezed
Pepper to taste
Lettuce Leaves, bib,romaine,iceberg will all work as a substitute for a franken-food tortilla or flat bread.

Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle the blackened seasoning on both sides of chicken thighs. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until internal temps reach 165*. While chicken is baking, dice bell pepper, red onion,baby spinach,carrots,jalapeño.
I used fresh corn, it's in season and on sale but there are plenty of healthy canned options... Yes, corn is almost negate of any nutritional value but it adds texture and sweetness, if you are a hater... By all means forego the corn.
Mix everything together into a bowl. Cut the lime in half and squeeze over the diced veggies and toss with pepper. Once chicken is done cooking, cool and dice, toss into veggie mix.
Pull the leaves off of the lettuce head and rinse clean. That's it! Pack for lunch or serve as a light summer fresh dinner.
As you can see I added some extra whole jalapeño goodness to mine:) Spicy, yum.

I said 2for1
In the morning mix 1/4 cup with 3 egg whites, top with salsa... Yum! Egg McMuffins taste like Dirt.

DID IT! 5 full recovery days, that's a personal best! Work is mad bananas with the daunting summer book and my studio looks like a pack of Gremlins had a Rave up in here... Ain't nobody got time for that. I work to Live, I don't Live to Work.

(no title)

I'm a self proclaimed NERD. I can't do anything in life without reading, researching and ultimately finding how I can be better. Why would endurance sports be any different? I've recently found myself once again smitten by running, thats where this all began...and now that little voice is saying "do an Ultra".
Lately Ive been raising eyebrows, and hearing things like, "what are you running from?" I have no idea and whatever it is must not be too bad because I run slow.
Now lets talk Stride Rate
Ob your next run count the number of times your right foot strikes during one minute of running.
Repeat one minute intervals at different speeds.
Average elite runners strike at 90 or 180 steps+ at various speeds.
Less than 90? Make 90 strikes the goal on your next run. Remember quicker, lighter steps, try not to alter your gait or how your feet strike the ground. Form is important and fore foot sticking reins supreme but technique is developed over time.
So after this most recent "Geek-Out", I signed on for the challenge and plan to become USA Track & Field Certified.

So tomorrow is Open Water Swim and Long Ride so I need Snacks... These are an oldie and a FAV.



Ingredients

1 cup raw oatmeal (I use gluten-free)
1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flaxseed whole or ground
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 raw cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix thoroughly, roll into balls. Place in freezer until firm, place in air tight container in fridge for up to three days.

Happy Living,
icaniwillITRI

I'm a HUGE gadgets geek and Mac Snob. While my new digs are a mere 2 blocks from the Gulf of Mexico the Masters Swim Team meets all the way across the bridge... It's a 30 minute drive without traffic, and that's silly since my lil peeps and I train at the pool two miles away. Besides I HATE driving.  So whats a girl to do? Improvise!
 Swimming for 90 minutes is boring, boring, boring, especially in a 25m pool. So even though I was leery I ordered the Waterfi  Waterproof iPod Shuffle. It's the best money I've spent on training gear in a while. Easy to use, super tiny and you can pick from an array of colors. I also purchased the recommended head phones... Not a fan of the plastic ear pieces, once you get your cap on they feel like they are burrowing into your skull. So I will be on the look out for a more comfy pair. 
Since no one gets faster without doing intervals I use my old iPhone and an interval timer created by Runloop LTD. It's great for the pool but what I really like is assigning music to workouts which has been especially nice on tempo runs and threshold bike training. You can also use them for WOD's but I have a coach who keeps me honest in the pit 3 times a week.
 Since I've already plugged the evil empire of Apple I might as well throw some more gas on the Itunes fire. Yoga, I don't know a lot of endurance junkies willing to take time away from training to go to a Yoga class, myself included. Chaz at Yogamazing has an AWESOME pod coast with FREE 20 minute yoga sessions! Try it you might like feeling all bendy and FREE. Even thought I hate it I know that stretching not only prevents injury it also enhances performance... It also makes me feel all warm and fuzzy:)