Category Archives: tri training

Training Update

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Yesterday I was a complete bum after the race. I watched the Olympics, put something together for lunch, watched more of the Olympics, and then napped. At least lunch was delicious though!

Brown rice bread with veganaise and smoked salmon, roasted microwaved carrot fries on the side. I almost died over the smoked salmon. I only ate half of the packet but I was tempted to eat it all. I kept asking myself why I had promised to split it with Ian.

This morning I woke up early to fit a brick workout in. I biked 17.5 miles and then ran 3 in 22:30. My legs usually take off at under a 7:10 min/mile after biking but I really held back today. I wanted to get in a few recovery miles after yesterday’s race. I felt strong on both the bike and the run. This is good news because it will most likely be my last brick of the summer!

Breakfast loosely based off of pbfingers’ Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. Last night I mixed 1/4 cup chia seeds, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 T cocoa powder, 1 tsp maple syrup and a handful of blueberries in a nearly empty pistachio butter jar.

This morning I took it out o the fridge, stirred in about 1 T almond milk, 1/3 sliced banana, 1 T roasted & salted pecans, and 1 tsp maple syrup. I also added a little peanut butter on top. I couldn’t resist –> pb + chocolate + banana = amazing!

This was a great alternative to oats in a jar. It was thick and had a nice chew to it. Hopefully the chia seeds will keep me full for a while too!

Anyway, as many of you might have noticed, I took last week off of running. After a summer of hard training I could tell my body needed a little break so I also lessened the intensity of my workouts. My week ended up looking like this:

Monday- Swim 1,650 meters
Tuesday- Cycling class, abs
Wednesday- Swim 3,000 meters, abs
Thursday- Cycling class
Friday- off, abs
Saturday- BTN Big 10k*, abs
Sunday- 17.5 mile bike, 3 mile run, abs

*official time posted at 46:15

I think the break was just what my body needed. I have a triathlon next weekend and then my marathon training kicks off with a 5k the following week. I’m currently feeling rested and anxious to bust out some miles!

Do you take time off before starting a training plan?
What’s your favorite Olympic moment so far? I loved the end of the men’s road race (bike), such smart cycling! I also liked seeing Lochte earn the gold in the 400 IM. Really shows how hard work pays off!

P.S. The blog will be down tomorrow so there will be no post and I won’t be responding to comments. Feel free to e-mail me if anything comes up!

Monday Things {07-23-2012}

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1. Friday was my last day and I got to leave work before noon. It was a beautiful day, not too hot or humid, and I knew that I should spend time outside. Instead, I parked my butt on the couch and played Temple Run on my iPhone while watching a Laguna Beach marathon. Very productive right?

(image source)

2. Oh, but I did manage to stand up long enough to bake these delicious oatmeal raisin cookies!

3. Ian and I went out to dinner on Friday to celebrate my job change and went a little crazy on oysters. They were so delicious though, too bad they’re pretty pricey.

4. Saturday morning I completed my usual brick workout. It was nice and cool and riding my bike in the breeze felt so nice. Unfortunately, my legs were pretty tired and the ride was slow but it did really clear my mind.

5. Ian and I spent all day Saturday on Lake Michigan in Harbert, Michigan with Ian’s family. We laid out in the sun, tossed a frisbee around for Ian’s brother’s dog, and swam. It was pretty cloudy out so the sun wasn’t too strong and it wasn’t overwhelmingly hot. Unfortunately, I took zero pictures while we were there. Oops.

6. For dinner Saturday night we all collaborated and put together a great meal. We had grilled zucchini, a huge cucumber, tomato, and mint salad, hangar steak with chimichurri sauce, lentils, roasted corn on the cob, bread, burrata, and fancy apricots (black velvet?). I piled a plate with zucchini, salad, lentils, and apricots. It was delicious!

7. On Sunday, I woke up early to do a non-RnR half-marathon. I was planning on running my usual 13 mile route but after looking at the Rock ‘n Roll course map I realized that wasn’t going to happen. I made a new route with lots of small loops and out-and-backs on the same route and headed out. It was just not my run. I forgot water again and by mile 9 when the temps started creeping near the 80′s I needed some. I wove back and forth across a major street looking for a water fountain and eventually begged a Dunkin’ Donuts employee to give me a cup. It. was. so. pathetic. I also tripped at one point and almost bit it, I could feel blisters forming along the bottom of one of my feet, my right foot started to hurt (I think I might have a minor case of pf), and my hamstring gave a twinge afterwards. I finished it but it wasn’t pretty even though for the most part me legs felt strong the entire run. Frustrating….

8. Due to the above, I’m taking this week easy/not running this week. Marathon training starts in a little over a month and I want to be pain-free by then.

9. I hadn’t prepped anything cold for breakfast and considering the sweaty mess I was when I got home, hot food was not going to cut it. I decided to make a huuuuge bowl of cereal that included puffed millet, puffed rice, walnuts, sunflower seeds, half of a banana, blackberries, blueberries, a mix of rice and almond milk, a glob of almond butter, and a drizzle of honey. You could call it fancy cereal :P

10. Ian’s friend threw a BBQ on Sunday and Ian had promised that we would make chocolate covered bacon (we’ve done this for his buddies bbqs before). It’s simple in theory but takes awhile to execute.

What’s really interesting is that some people love the taste and others cannot stand it. I think one guy ate the majority of the container yesterday!

11. The BBQ was a blast. Ian’s friend hired a man to come and make fresh tacos for everyone and there were plenty of snacks, games, and a pool to play in. I ended up cooking brown rice and black beans ahead of time and then adding some guac and salsa to them at the party. For once my food allergies worked in my favor because there were no veggie taco options anyway.

12. We were absolutely exhausted when we got home last night. Sitting on the couch, playing with Sonic, and watching Teen Mom was about all we could muster the energy to do.

13. Speaking of Sonic, he seems to be doing a little bit better. We lowered all of the blinds in the apartment thinking he may be getting hot from the sun and he seems to be out and about more. I’m home Monday-Thursday of this week though and I’m not sure that I’m going to like living in the dark so we’ll see how it goes.

14. Because I didn’t have to get up for work this morning, I slept in until 7:30 (a record?) and then made a warm oatmeal breakfast.

I cooked 1/2 cup oats and 1 tsp chia seeds in 1 1/2 cups of water. When it began to bubble, I added 1/2 of a smashed banana and whipped it into the oats. After a few more minutes, I added chopped cherries and maple sugar. Delicious!

15. It’s supposed to be almost 100 degrees today so I’m going to relax in the apartment, go for a recovery swim at some point, and then clean, organize, and take care of some online things. Yay me!

What did you do this weekend?

GT Fish & Oyster {Date Night}

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Yesterday was my last day at my old job. It was sad but exciting at the same time. I’m eager to see what my new job is like. To celebrate the closing of one chapter and the opening of another, Ian offered to take me out to dinner and we decided on GT Fish & Oyster.

We actually went to this restaurant on my birthday with my dad and step-mom and loved everything about it. The service, food, and ambiance were all top quality. The restaurant had also presented me with a $20 gift card for my birthday and we’ve been itching to use it ever since.

We didn’t make a reservation and arrived a little on the late side. We were told there was a 30 minute wait for seating but we could enjoy a drink and our meals at the bar if we would like to. I have no problem eating at a bar but given the shorter wait, we opted to put our name in and then have a drink at the bar. I enjoyed a glass of chardonnay and Ian had a Robert the Bruce (Three Floyds beer) and after about 45 minutes we let someone else take our seats and went over to the hostess to ask about our table. I mean it couldn’t be that much longer right?

Well turns out the hostess now didn’t foresee a table opening up any time soon and we had lost our seats at the bar. I was frustrated and ready to leave, why couldn’t she just tell us that the wait was an hour and a half? But Ian asked that we stay. One of the managers must have sensed we were upset and he came over to talk with us. In about 5 minutes he had us sitting at the communal table. I’m not sure why we weren’t offered that in the first place.

I’m not trying to complain because I love the restaurant but if last night had been my first time there, I’m not sure I’d go back. Lesson learned –> make a reservation if you want a table!

When we were seated we were offered both the regular menu and the oyster menu. We wasted no time in ordering 6 oysters: 2 Kumamoto, 2 Blackberry Point, and 2 Pemaquid.

The Blackberry Point was by far my favorite. The description was perfect, it was both sweet and salty!

Rather than share a bunch of plates, Ian and I opted to keep things simple and each order one main. I had the seared tuna salad without egg. It had red potato, nicoise olives, and green beans and was served with a cider vinaigrette.

I loved it.

Ian ordered the fish and chips which was beer battered cod served with steak fries, malt vinegar, and a dill pickle roumelade.

He also really like his dish. We both agreed that our fish tasted very fresh and everything went well together.

We both were still hungry after finishing out dinners, so we decided to order more oysters. When in Rome right?

We tried two Saltworks Seaside and two Stingray and couldn’t help but order two more Blackberry Point. They were definitely our favorite!

We were almost in the area so after dinner we caught the bus over to Black Dog Gelato. If you’re in Chicago and love gelato or sorbet you absolutely must try Black Dog. The flavor combinations are incredibly creative and tasty. It can’t be beat.

I had a small with cantaloupe and pineapple basil sorbets. I really liked it but it was hard not to order my all time favorite flavor, goat cheese cashew caramel. Stupid food allergies.

Ian ordered a large and tried the blueberry french toast (I was sooo jealous), malt vanilla, and coconut thyme (his favorite).  We were both happy campers!

This Morning
I got up early to fit in a brick workout. I was actually hungry when I woke up (where were my carbs last night?) so I had a larger than usual pre-workout snack.

Dried, smashed banana topped with almond butter and KIND granola (I also had my usual protein shake). I didn’t love the dried banana at first but I’m learned to like it. It just needs it’s fair share of nut butter ;) .

I biked the usual 17 miles and then ran 3. My legs were sore this morning so both my run and bike paces were slower than usual. It happens and I DEFINITELY enjoyed being out in the cooler temps.

Breakfast was chia pudding topped with granola, sunflower seeds, and maple syrup. I am hoping this will hold me over for a long time because I have a busy day ahead of me!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Zucchini Lovin’

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I have been on the hugest zucchini kick of late.

It all started when I bought this Chicago Raw product at Whole Foods last weekend. After trying their lasagna at the Taste of Chicago, I was eager to try more of their products and nearly jumped for joy when I saw that my Whole Foods carried some of their stuff.

Unfortunately I didn’t love it and neither did my wallet. I don’t think it’s an issue with the product itself (I really like the texture), just a personal preference kind of thing. I was determined to still use it though. I hate wasting food and seeing as how I spent a good amount of $$ on this little container, it was most definitely not going to end up in the trash.

I mixed the “salmon pate” with veganaise and a jalapeno hot sauce and did a little taste test. It was much better. But then I was stumped, how should I eat it? I opened the fridge and low and behold there was a zucchini hanging out in the veggies drawer.

So I made zucchini boats! I used about 2/3 of the zucchini and filled it with the salmon pate mixture. I roasted it in the oven at 400 degrees alongside turnip fries for about 25 minutes.

It was a win-win kind of night, no wasted food and a delicious dinner.

This morning I woke up to thunder and lightning. It didn’t seem like my 6 miler was going to happen outside. I made a quick decision to switch my Thursday and Friday workouts, packed up my swim stuff, and headed to the gym. I swam 2,000 meters at a casual pace. My legs and back felt tight and it was nice to just stretch out in the water. Hopefully, I can squeeze in a short run after work.

Getting up at the same time but cutting my workout in half meant that I had more time to make breakfast. The rainy weather had me craving oatmeal and I remembered that I had made awesome zucchini bread oatmeal from OhSheGlows last year. I had zucchini on hand so I was sold.

I followed the recipe pretty closely but used 2/3 almond milk & 1/3 water instead of 1 cup almond milk, flax instead of chia, .5 T pumpkin seeds & .5 T walnuts instead of the 2 T pecans, and .5 T maple sugar instead of the brown sugar. I also omitted the earth balance because we only have real butter in the house. I honestly remember the melted butter on top being one of the best parts of the oatmeal though so if you make this, don’t skip it!

I also had an almond butter spoon. Perfection!

It’s time for me to get a move on. The earlier I get to work the sooner I can leave to go for a run. Have a great Thursday!

What’s your favorite zucchini recipe?

Monday Things {07-16-2012}

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1. I have started doing this new thing on the weekends where after getting up between 5 and 6 a.m. to workout, I shower, eat, and then crawl back into bed. On both Saturday and Sunday I went back to sleep around 9 and didn’t wake up until 11. It was wonderful.

2. My obsession with veganaise continues. It is just so good blended into things. This weekend I mixed veganaise with jalapeno hot sauce and used it to top a veggie burger salad. Delicious.

3. Saturday was an errand day for us and not only did we return a car part and go to Walmart, we also finally checked out Stanley’s. Stanley’s is a produce market that has good products for less. We found Ranier cherries for $1.99 a pound and Bing cherries for $0.99 a box. Insanity! We ended up buying A LOT of produce for two people and walked out spending only $20. It was awesome.

4. I also did my usual brick workout. I rode 17 miles and then ran 3. My legs felt the best they had all week. Let’s hope that carries into next week.

5. Saturday’s mail brought this certificate courtesy of the ALS 5k. Free meal? I’m sold!

6. Saturday night, Ian and I enjoyed a date night. We went to Mista and Scooter’s, two places in Chicago worth checking out!

7. Sunday morning I woke up super early and ran 11 miles. Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot and I planned my run accordingly so that my last 4 miles or so were along the lake front path near water fountains. My right foot bothered me a bit but after walking or stopping to stretch it would feel better. I’m thinking I must have some sort of -itis because the pain is nothing like my heel fracture.

8. I refueled from my run with a peanut butter bomb smoothie. I halved the recipe but otherwise followed it pretty closely. It was amazing and I can’t wait to have another one!

9. For lunch on Sunday, Ian and I went to the Taste of Chicago. It was HOT but fun. I want to dedicate an entire post to the taste so I’m not going to go into too much detail right now, stay tuned for tomorrow!

10.  Instead of launching into a new t.v. show, Ian and I have been watching movies. Last night we watched J. Edgar. It was good but a little dry; however, the acting was incredible! Go Leo!

11. I finally got around to trying this Earnest bar this morning.

I really liked it and alongside a persimmon and half of a protein shake, it made for a quick but filling breakfast.

Now tell me, what did you do this weekend?

Have a great Monday!