I love to swim! At a very early age, my parents knew I belonged in the water. I started swimming competitively when I was 12 and have loved the water ever since. I did have 1 year in college (junior year) when I was burnt out from swimming but after running cross country in place of swimming for the first part of my senior year, I realized how much I loved swimming. I did end up swimming my senior year and very glad I stuck with it in college.
Over the past two years I have been swimming with "master teams" in order to keep myself in the water for more than 2000 yards and to have some company at 6 in the morning. I also find myself pushing harder when I have a coach on deck and other swimmers in the pool.
Over the past few months, there have been more and more people in the pool. I love meeting new triathletes but overtime, my confidence in the pool has dwindled a bit. I have always loved "triathlon" swim practices because I feel fast. As a triathlete, I think we all have one discipline that we tend to gravitate towards and either look forward to during training or in a race. I would say swimming and running are close together but then there is cycling, which is more of something I have to do than want to do. I do LOVE riding my bike but it is the "training" part that gets to me. I wish I could just ride 100 miles without the hard 1-2 hour training sessions which allow me to ride 100 miles. But since I am long distance triathlete, I would be lying if I said I don't enjoy training.
So, here I am in the pool this week. Wednesday we did a really hard set and my friend Libby and I swam in the same lane. We swam with my other friend Reid, who is the Michael Phelps of the Brooks YMCA (he is CRAZY fast!). Because Reid was on his own cycle, Libby and I tried to stay on our own cycle but we found ourselves going on a cycle where we didn't get in the way of Reid. All together it was a crazy fast set and lots of yardage. I was a little bummed that I couldn't go any faster but I stuck it out.
Here's the set:
8 x 200's
Odd: Free on 2:45
Even: IM on 3:10
Total for the workout was 3900 yards.
After the swim I hit the treadmill for my horrible wed. hill run. It was a little less horrible than last week but just as tough. I can say I improved my toughness by a few points but still need to work on the toughness factor. The set was 5 x 5 minutes w/ 5 minute recoveries but rather than increasing the incline for each 5-minute set, you increase the incline at each minute of the 5-minute set.
5 x 5 minutes (2%,3%,4%,5%,6%)
5 min recovery at 1%
I did the whole set at 7 mph which was a bit faster than last week. My HR went up 5 beats every incline and it was really neat to see how controlled my HR was for every minute. I just love my HR monitor!! did I mention that already???
Thursday I was on the trainer for my hill workout on my bike and I really enjoyed the workout.
Ok, so now it is Fri and I am back in the pool. It was 6am and the pool was packed! Where did all these people come from??? I met a few more people and instead of 2 of us sharing a lane, there are now 5 of us in a lane! Craziness.
The warm-up was a little bit of a mess cause some people already started swimming and then a few of us were still on deck..chatting away. After the 400 warm-up, we did 4 x 150's kick. Well, I was passed many times with people with fins (I have no toys for the pool.....not even paddles :( ) and it was more like a splash fest in the ocean for me.
After the kick set we went to the middle of the pool to work on turns for 8 x 50's (if you start in the middle of the pool you get two walls for turns instead of one turn). The whole time during the set I was thinking about the main set. Since the workout is on the board before we get in, I have plenty of time to prepare myself.
The set this morning was one of my favorite sets. I always need to work on my 100 pace and the following set is just perfect to build endurance and speed.
5 x 100's
4 x 100's
3 x 100's
2 x 100's
1 x 100's
The set is a drop set so you start the 5 x 100's on a certain cycle and then drop 5 sec.
My goal is to be able to swim a comfortable 100 in the pool in 1:20 but right now I am around 1:30. Dropping 10 seconds is not going to be easy but I want to work hard to get there. I was totally frustrated this morning when our coach told us that one lane would start on 1:35 (going down to 1:15 for the last 100) and the other lane was starting on 1:40 (my lane). There are other lanes in the pool but this was just for our two lanes, which normally swim together.
When I noticed everyone moving to the 1:35 lane I was so bothered. Not at them, but at myself. Errr..I want to be over there with the fast people! All of a sudden I felt slow. How silly of me to think that 5 x 100's on 1:40 is slow but I knew I would never make it through the set in the other lane. I ended up having a great set and making all the cycles. My stroke felt really smooth and I didn't have to swim sloppy in order to touch-and-go on a faster cycle. I knew what my body could handle I am glad I stayed in my lane.
Total this morning for the swim was 3900, followed by an 8 mile run on the treadmill (that goodness I have a recovery week next week!!)
Sometimes I think too much. Sometimes it gets me in trouble and sometimes I am happy I have an education in exercise physiology.
When we started swimming, it wasn't until the 8th or 9th 100 that I noticed that a few people were missing the cycle in the fast lane. I give them credit for trying out the set but I was so happy I stuck with a cycle that was challenging (near the end) but something I could handle. Although I was super bummed out at the beginning of the set I couldn't help but think that it is January and it takes a long time to train the body.
I can't say it enough but there is a beauty in training the body. You can't expect to read a book and have it memorized the next day. More so, remembering the information 3 months from now.
I believe in periodization and building your training sessions. This can only be done successfully, however, if you are consistent with your training.
For many people, a great day means more mileage and more intensity but then there is the next day's workout which tends to be less than average because the body wasn't ready for the massive "I feel good" workout. It is important to teach the body how to handle lactate at a certain HR so that overtime (or every 3-4 weeks) you can find yourself going faster (or longer) at a lower HR. Then there is a recovery day during each week in order to rest and recharge the body. Then after 3-4 weeks, you get a nice recovery week to relax the body and get ready for a few more weeks of build-training.
Sometimes I am really hard on myself because I have goals. But I also know that the body doesn't get stronger, faster or leaner overnight. It is a daily effort to reach your training goals but if you understand that it takes time, you will reach those realistic goals.
As for me, I will keep swimming...and biking and running because it is what I love to do. Perhaps it is the Ironman in me that knows that I am in control of what I need to do to reach the finish line and at the end of every day, I have to be accountable of what I am doing to get there.
Registered Dietitian.....M.S. in Exercise Physiology...Vegetarian...Writer...Speaker...5x Ironman finisher.....2011-2012 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year...Doggy-mommy...Wife to an amazing Czech cyclist turned triathlete...2x Ironman World Championship finisher...USAT level-1 coach...Oakley women, Brooks Running ID, 110% Play Harder and Hammer Nutrition Brand Ambassador.
1/28/09
Honeymoon
Karel and I were so happy to have our family with us for a few days after the wedding that we decided not to go on a honeymoon. However, the honeymoon was planned for 3 months down the road and well, it is time!
That's right...I am leaving my shorts and flip-flops for long pants (hope I have some of those somewhere), warm jackets, scarves, hats and gloves. We are heading out west!
Karel and I leave on Wed (1 week from today!) to head to Lake Tahoe for a magical and relaxing vaction. We will be there a full 6 days before flying home on Tues. Magical because I have not seen snow since I moved from Kentucky in 2004 and Karel hasn't seen snow in a long time. We are super greatful to my grandparents for giving us a plane ticket for our wedding gift. We wanted so bad to visit them but we knew two flight tickets would be a stretch for our budget. However, it all worked out and we couldn't be more excited! I promise my blog will be loaded with pics and I'm sure I will have lots of stories.
In order to build up our red blood cell count, we are going to take advantage of some altitude training and cross country ski as much as possible. We have a lesson lined up for Thurs and then we plan to spend many hours out on the slopes for our first experience cross country skiing. I plan on snowboarding at least once when we are out there and I think Karel will have his try at skiing or snowboarding. I am sure he will do great since he hasn't been on ski's since he was a little boy in Europe and I am sure he will love the speed!
Karel and I both have a recovery week next week with our training so we want to make sure that we also enjoy our vacation and come back relaxed. Although Karel and I don't go out on many dates (gotta watch our money), we always make time to rent a movie one night a week. We really enjoy spending time together and it doesn't really matter what we do when we are together. I think this vacation is going to be great for us and just like any trip, it is always great for us to spend all day together doing fun things and staying active.
Here are two daily photos at the NorthStar ski resort where we will be doing most of our activities....
1/27/09
Get stronger!
This morning I had my Tuesday morning bike interval workout. 5 x 3 minutes w/ 1 minute recovery. Just like last week and the week before, but this time I had to do it 2 times through with 15 min. recovery in between the intervals.
I have specific power zones, heart rate zones and cadence zones to stay within and riding outside, rather than on the trainer, didn't make it any easier. After my 26 mile ride (which went by SUPER fast) I had a 3-mile run. I like these runs a lot because Shawn has me do the runs "embarrassingly" slow. Now that I have my heart rate monitor I can really run "slow". Although the HR monitor is great for hard training, a recovery run can become intense if the HR gets up too high, even when you think you are running slow.
I decided to take Campy with me for me run. Since Karel was out on his bike, I just hate coming home and then leaving again. Those puppy dog eyes really get to me. I put Campy's harness on and we headed out for our run. A pee stop every few minutes but Campy did awesome! I was so proud of him. He smiles the whole time and he is a great runner. We ran for 25 minutes and hardly walked. The first 5 minutes were tough because Campy is a sub-6 minute miler and I am....well, not even close to that! After about 10 minutes Campy slows down and that finally brings my HR down.
After the run it was time to recover...for both Campy and me.
I always talk about the post work protein snack or smoothie (depending on the length or intensity of the workout). I made a great whey protein smoothie for Karel and I to share (he came home about 15 minutes after my brick workout was finished) but then there was Campy.
I give Campy regular dog food (Science Diet for Active dogs) but he has no idea what the word "treat" is for dogs. "Treats" for him are carrots, apples, cheese and lean meat. I believe that pets resemble their owners. Or, in other words, an active dog needs the right fuels to recover and to get stronger.
After our long walks (3 miles) and runs (1-2.5 miles) I give Campy his recover snack. I give him a scoop of cottage cheese or a few scoops of yogurt. Call me crazy, but I would hate for Campy to not fully recover after our runs. I am not exercise physiologist for dogs but I assume the same principal applies for dogs as it does for humans. The only question I have now is if humans are taking care of themselves and recovering properly?
Make sure you give yourself a small protein snack after your 90 min or less workouts (ex. low fat yogurt, cheese, lean meat, egg whites, cottage cheese, skim/soy milk, whey protein and water or a handful of nuts). If the workout is around 60-90 minutes and is intense, stick with a liquid protein such as yogurt, skim milk or whey protein w/ water. For workouts longer than 90 minutes, give yourself more than 100 calories w/ whey protein and milk or a whey protein smoothie. It is important that your post workout protein snack has a biological value of at least 90% (whey protein has 100%!) so that you receive all essential amino acids that need to be consumed in the diet.
In an effort to get stronger and fully recover, daily nutrition and proper recovery nutrition are just two of the many components of becoming a better athlete. Be sure you are getting enough sleep to wake up rested, most days of the week. Because we all have schedules that don't give us enough hours in the day, be sure to give yourself one day to wake up without an alarm and/or rest from intense exercise. The body needs time to rest and with all the effort you put into training, it is so important to get a good night sleep (that means sleeping fully through the night to get through several REM cycles) in order to let the body repair damaged tissues and fully recover.
Campy will now show you how to enjoy your post-run cottage cheese and take a well needed nap.....
I have specific power zones, heart rate zones and cadence zones to stay within and riding outside, rather than on the trainer, didn't make it any easier. After my 26 mile ride (which went by SUPER fast) I had a 3-mile run. I like these runs a lot because Shawn has me do the runs "embarrassingly" slow. Now that I have my heart rate monitor I can really run "slow". Although the HR monitor is great for hard training, a recovery run can become intense if the HR gets up too high, even when you think you are running slow.
I decided to take Campy with me for me run. Since Karel was out on his bike, I just hate coming home and then leaving again. Those puppy dog eyes really get to me. I put Campy's harness on and we headed out for our run. A pee stop every few minutes but Campy did awesome! I was so proud of him. He smiles the whole time and he is a great runner. We ran for 25 minutes and hardly walked. The first 5 minutes were tough because Campy is a sub-6 minute miler and I am....well, not even close to that! After about 10 minutes Campy slows down and that finally brings my HR down.
After the run it was time to recover...for both Campy and me.
I always talk about the post work protein snack or smoothie (depending on the length or intensity of the workout). I made a great whey protein smoothie for Karel and I to share (he came home about 15 minutes after my brick workout was finished) but then there was Campy.
I give Campy regular dog food (Science Diet for Active dogs) but he has no idea what the word "treat" is for dogs. "Treats" for him are carrots, apples, cheese and lean meat. I believe that pets resemble their owners. Or, in other words, an active dog needs the right fuels to recover and to get stronger.
After our long walks (3 miles) and runs (1-2.5 miles) I give Campy his recover snack. I give him a scoop of cottage cheese or a few scoops of yogurt. Call me crazy, but I would hate for Campy to not fully recover after our runs. I am not exercise physiologist for dogs but I assume the same principal applies for dogs as it does for humans. The only question I have now is if humans are taking care of themselves and recovering properly?
Make sure you give yourself a small protein snack after your 90 min or less workouts (ex. low fat yogurt, cheese, lean meat, egg whites, cottage cheese, skim/soy milk, whey protein and water or a handful of nuts). If the workout is around 60-90 minutes and is intense, stick with a liquid protein such as yogurt, skim milk or whey protein w/ water. For workouts longer than 90 minutes, give yourself more than 100 calories w/ whey protein and milk or a whey protein smoothie. It is important that your post workout protein snack has a biological value of at least 90% (whey protein has 100%!) so that you receive all essential amino acids that need to be consumed in the diet.
In an effort to get stronger and fully recover, daily nutrition and proper recovery nutrition are just two of the many components of becoming a better athlete. Be sure you are getting enough sleep to wake up rested, most days of the week. Because we all have schedules that don't give us enough hours in the day, be sure to give yourself one day to wake up without an alarm and/or rest from intense exercise. The body needs time to rest and with all the effort you put into training, it is so important to get a good night sleep (that means sleeping fully through the night to get through several REM cycles) in order to let the body repair damaged tissues and fully recover.
Campy will now show you how to enjoy your post-run cottage cheese and take a well needed nap.....
1/26/09
Relaxing Monday
Today is a recovery day. Sometimes it is a day off, sometimes it is active recovery. However, it is never running. The best part about a recovery day is no alarm, no time management and no specific workouts. Two of the last 3 monday's I have been in the pool. Only once did I ride my bike on a monday. I just love a nice and relaxing swim. This morning I woke up around 6:30...nice! That is generally the time that my body gets me up so I know I am rested when I can just wake up without an alarm. Anytime I roll myself out of bed before 6am, I know my body can use a little more sleep. Even though I go to bed around 9:30-10pm, I know my body can't get stronger without a restful night of sleep.
When I got to the pool at 7 I was in no hurry to start swimming. I chatted with another girl who I swim with on w,f with the master team and I probably spent 10 min on the side of the pool (holding my cap and goggles) just chatting away about ironman's and other tri-related stuff. Ok, a confession is that I always chat before I swim so I really never feel rushed to get in the water. Swimming is part social for me..I just love being in the water but I also love talking in the water.
When I finally started swimming it seemed as though time stopped. I didn't have a care in the world what I was doing and after a 300 warm-up I created my own set.
3x's
300 swim
200 kick
100 pull
That's all I did this morning and it was just what I needed for my tired body. I felt so relaxed after that swim and totally refreshed. I can't say that I always feel good after a morning swim but on a recovery day I always listen to my body. I know when I need a day off (there will be plenty of well-awaited day-off mondays after a weekend of peak IM training) and I know when my body needs a little increase in blood flow. What a good morning to start the day.
The rest of the day went by fast. I did my weekly grocery shopping at wal-mart, visited Karel at work, did my dietetic homework, walked Campy up to the Trek store (2.2 miles total...I guess I should say, Campy walked me!) and then back to the computer for more dietetic work. Now dinner is approaching and I'm thinking a nice fruity and nutty salad before I eat the yummy muffins I made this afternoon (Karel was craving muffins).
Oh, I also took some more pics of Campy today. He was just too cute!
And we can't forget about Smudla!
When I got to the pool at 7 I was in no hurry to start swimming. I chatted with another girl who I swim with on w,f with the master team and I probably spent 10 min on the side of the pool (holding my cap and goggles) just chatting away about ironman's and other tri-related stuff. Ok, a confession is that I always chat before I swim so I really never feel rushed to get in the water. Swimming is part social for me..I just love being in the water but I also love talking in the water.
When I finally started swimming it seemed as though time stopped. I didn't have a care in the world what I was doing and after a 300 warm-up I created my own set.
3x's
300 swim
200 kick
100 pull
That's all I did this morning and it was just what I needed for my tired body. I felt so relaxed after that swim and totally refreshed. I can't say that I always feel good after a morning swim but on a recovery day I always listen to my body. I know when I need a day off (there will be plenty of well-awaited day-off mondays after a weekend of peak IM training) and I know when my body needs a little increase in blood flow. What a good morning to start the day.
The rest of the day went by fast. I did my weekly grocery shopping at wal-mart, visited Karel at work, did my dietetic homework, walked Campy up to the Trek store (2.2 miles total...I guess I should say, Campy walked me!) and then back to the computer for more dietetic work. Now dinner is approaching and I'm thinking a nice fruity and nutty salad before I eat the yummy muffins I made this afternoon (Karel was craving muffins).
Oh, I also took some more pics of Campy today. He was just too cute!
And we can't forget about Smudla!
1/25/09
I'm back!
Ok, so I didn't go anywhere. Still here in Jacksonville. Do you ever feel like life is like a bunch of puzzle pieces and although a few fit together, you just can't seem to put all the peices together?
Karel and I have good days and bad days. Sometimes it is a good day of budgeting our money and other days it is quite stressful. Then there are days when nothing seems to go right at work and then other days when the days go by fast and without a missed beat. We like to say that when we have few good days in a row, we know something is bound to happen. That is just how life works.
Lately, I have been struggling with my training. This past week was the first week since January 1st that I felt like everything came together. My problem has nothing to do with getting out there and being active (I have no problem with that!) but I have had such a big mental block of getting comfortable with my training. Every workout seems SO long after 2 hours. Now granted, a 2+ hour workout is a long time to train so I understand that I am normal in struggling with those workouts. However, I just get so bored and my mind wanders all over the place.
It was like something just clicked this week and I was successful in all 7 days of my workouts this week (with Mon being an active recovery swim day). This weekend was long and I was so happy that I had 2 great workouts to end the week. I know these workouts are "short" compared to what I will be doing in a few months, but for base training, I am really learning to enjoy the long training sessions as an opportunity to work on my mental state.
Sat was great. Finally I was able to ride without lots of layers and the morning started out at 47 degrees. I met up with the open road group and Karel joined me for the beginning of the ride. I made it about 15 miles until I got dropped at a turn but then took a short cut to catch back up again. Sadly, I got dropped again and decided it was time to do my own thing. It was nice to do the first hour at around 24mph and with a group but it was time for me to do my own thing. The ride went by really fast at 30 miles and I was suprised that I was really enjoying my ride. Of course, my new bike makes me feel fast :) I love having my power tap because it is such a different way to train. I have always liked longer workouts because the focus is more on endurance, rather than speed, and I like having a certain zone of power and HR to keep me consistent.
Before I knew it I was heading home and I finished my ride with 68 miles. 3 hours and 41 minutes later I was back home. Campy greated me at the door (like always) and karel had breakfast ready for me. YUM! The workout wasn't over yet, so I swaped chest straps for my Polar Watch (did I mention I LOVE having my HR monitor back!!) and headed out for the weekly Saturday 3 mile run brick. Finally, 11:55am and I was home for the day! And, it was time to enjoy my breakfast!
As for this morning, I was super tired. Karel got up at 5:30 and I stayed in bed with Campy. However, I didn't do much sleeping for the next hour because Smudla was doing her daily morning "meowing" for food (she gets 5 pieces of food when we feed Campy in the morning. Other than that, she only eats at night). Karel headed to Gainesville with Jeff early this morning for a group ride. From what Karel told me, this isn't any normal ride worth traveling 2 hours for. They are doing a 120 mile group ride which turns into a race near the end. No race fees or t-shirts but just a bunch of guys with lots of speed.
After my toast w/ PB and raisins, I put on my running clothes and headed outside to take Campy for a walk. At 7:30 I was out the door for my run.
I asked Shawn if I could do my 14 mile run again this weekend, since last weekend I was on the treadmill. This morning it was nice and cool outside and I felt good after the first 10 minutes of my run. There is something about those first 10 minutes that always gets to me. I've learned to run 11 minutes before thinking about turning back home. 1 hour and 50 minutes later I was back home and once again, there was Campy, in our 3rd story window, excited to see me.
I think we all have moments where it seems like life isn't coming together like we would wish. Most of all, things do get better and there is always another day. So if it is nutrition, work, training or any other part of your life, look at the little things that make you happy and be sure to focus on the good things..not just the pieces that don't seem to fit together in your puzzle.
Karel and I have good days and bad days. Sometimes it is a good day of budgeting our money and other days it is quite stressful. Then there are days when nothing seems to go right at work and then other days when the days go by fast and without a missed beat. We like to say that when we have few good days in a row, we know something is bound to happen. That is just how life works.
Lately, I have been struggling with my training. This past week was the first week since January 1st that I felt like everything came together. My problem has nothing to do with getting out there and being active (I have no problem with that!) but I have had such a big mental block of getting comfortable with my training. Every workout seems SO long after 2 hours. Now granted, a 2+ hour workout is a long time to train so I understand that I am normal in struggling with those workouts. However, I just get so bored and my mind wanders all over the place.
It was like something just clicked this week and I was successful in all 7 days of my workouts this week (with Mon being an active recovery swim day). This weekend was long and I was so happy that I had 2 great workouts to end the week. I know these workouts are "short" compared to what I will be doing in a few months, but for base training, I am really learning to enjoy the long training sessions as an opportunity to work on my mental state.
Sat was great. Finally I was able to ride without lots of layers and the morning started out at 47 degrees. I met up with the open road group and Karel joined me for the beginning of the ride. I made it about 15 miles until I got dropped at a turn but then took a short cut to catch back up again. Sadly, I got dropped again and decided it was time to do my own thing. It was nice to do the first hour at around 24mph and with a group but it was time for me to do my own thing. The ride went by really fast at 30 miles and I was suprised that I was really enjoying my ride. Of course, my new bike makes me feel fast :) I love having my power tap because it is such a different way to train. I have always liked longer workouts because the focus is more on endurance, rather than speed, and I like having a certain zone of power and HR to keep me consistent.
Before I knew it I was heading home and I finished my ride with 68 miles. 3 hours and 41 minutes later I was back home. Campy greated me at the door (like always) and karel had breakfast ready for me. YUM! The workout wasn't over yet, so I swaped chest straps for my Polar Watch (did I mention I LOVE having my HR monitor back!!) and headed out for the weekly Saturday 3 mile run brick. Finally, 11:55am and I was home for the day! And, it was time to enjoy my breakfast!
As for this morning, I was super tired. Karel got up at 5:30 and I stayed in bed with Campy. However, I didn't do much sleeping for the next hour because Smudla was doing her daily morning "meowing" for food (she gets 5 pieces of food when we feed Campy in the morning. Other than that, she only eats at night). Karel headed to Gainesville with Jeff early this morning for a group ride. From what Karel told me, this isn't any normal ride worth traveling 2 hours for. They are doing a 120 mile group ride which turns into a race near the end. No race fees or t-shirts but just a bunch of guys with lots of speed.
After my toast w/ PB and raisins, I put on my running clothes and headed outside to take Campy for a walk. At 7:30 I was out the door for my run.
I asked Shawn if I could do my 14 mile run again this weekend, since last weekend I was on the treadmill. This morning it was nice and cool outside and I felt good after the first 10 minutes of my run. There is something about those first 10 minutes that always gets to me. I've learned to run 11 minutes before thinking about turning back home. 1 hour and 50 minutes later I was back home and once again, there was Campy, in our 3rd story window, excited to see me.
I think we all have moments where it seems like life isn't coming together like we would wish. Most of all, things do get better and there is always another day. So if it is nutrition, work, training or any other part of your life, look at the little things that make you happy and be sure to focus on the good things..not just the pieces that don't seem to fit together in your puzzle.
1/23/09
My HR monitor is alive!!!
This morning I had a speedy swim and a fast run. Both were hard and I am learning how much I don't like speed...nor have much of it in my body. I think I need to devote an entire week to speed workouts. I just feel like I only have one speed no matter if I am trying to go fast, tempo or slow.
Yesterday Karel fixed my Polar HR monitor watch which has been dead since Oct 2007. We ordered batteries for my chest strap and monitor from radioshack.com because Karel said that he could fix it himself, rather than send in the watch to Polar. Well, Karel didn't let me down and I have my watch back!!! I loved that watch for the entire time that I wore it in 2007 and it became a big part of my training. I love training with HR!
There was an exciting moment when I started changing the settings of the watch last night on the couch. After I set the time and date, I went to the File setting and realized that my last workout was still stored in the watch. The date read October 13th and the time of the workout was 12:26. I was almost in tears when I told Karel that the last workout was the Ironman World Championships. I never looked at my watch after the race because the day after Kona was spent in pain on the couch, inside my condo. Although I updated my blog w/ pics and a race report the next morning, I never looked at my results after the race. I think it was about 6 months until I looked at my actual splits because the times meant nothing to me after crossing the finish line.
It was such a great feeling last night, knowing that my watch remembered the race that I will never forget. I just think it is funny that my watch was just as tired as I was after the race and it decided to die on the plane ride back to Florida. Very appropriate since I was hobbling my way through the airport on crutches :)
Well, it is all good now because I am training without pain and focusing on quality. More so, the sport of triathlon is just so rewarding in all aspects of my life. Because I haven't done a triathlon race since August, I am super ready to get out there and race!
Here is a great smoothie recipe for you!!
Probiotic vanilla smoothie
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (recommended: Lit n’ fit)
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
2 tbsp cranberry probiotic
(Here is a link to buy it online http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=OY-1041 )
¼ cup frozen blueberries (about a handful)
1/2 banana (best if frozen)
½ grapefruit (fresh and sliced – get out seeds)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein (body fortress wal-mart)
Ice
*may need to add a little water if needed
Blend all ingredients except for whey protein. Add the protein powder last so it doesn't get stuck on the bottom of the blender. Enjoy!
You can add different fruits (ex. orange instead of grapefruit, strawberries instead of blueberries, etc.) and use a different yogurt (strawberry, peach, blueberry, etc.).
Here is a yummy, healthy, and quick nutty and fruity salad!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Spinach
4-6 mandarin oranges (canned in light syrup)
8-10 Peanuts
10-15 Raisins
3-4 Apple slices (chopped)
3-4 baby carrots (chopped)
1 ounce Mozzerella cheese (cubed)
Starting with the Spinach, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Top with 4-5 squirts Raspberry vinagerette spray dressing.
I usually buy my cheese (and meat for Karel) in the deli section at Wal-mart (much cheaper than if you buy it in a package in the refrigerated section) but if you go to the cheese section at Wal-mart you can buy mozerella cheese in a block (raw form) which is great to cube and add to salads. You can also buy shredded mozerella cheese if you'd like.
Yesterday Karel fixed my Polar HR monitor watch which has been dead since Oct 2007. We ordered batteries for my chest strap and monitor from radioshack.com because Karel said that he could fix it himself, rather than send in the watch to Polar. Well, Karel didn't let me down and I have my watch back!!! I loved that watch for the entire time that I wore it in 2007 and it became a big part of my training. I love training with HR!
There was an exciting moment when I started changing the settings of the watch last night on the couch. After I set the time and date, I went to the File setting and realized that my last workout was still stored in the watch. The date read October 13th and the time of the workout was 12:26. I was almost in tears when I told Karel that the last workout was the Ironman World Championships. I never looked at my watch after the race because the day after Kona was spent in pain on the couch, inside my condo. Although I updated my blog w/ pics and a race report the next morning, I never looked at my results after the race. I think it was about 6 months until I looked at my actual splits because the times meant nothing to me after crossing the finish line.
It was such a great feeling last night, knowing that my watch remembered the race that I will never forget. I just think it is funny that my watch was just as tired as I was after the race and it decided to die on the plane ride back to Florida. Very appropriate since I was hobbling my way through the airport on crutches :)
Well, it is all good now because I am training without pain and focusing on quality. More so, the sport of triathlon is just so rewarding in all aspects of my life. Because I haven't done a triathlon race since August, I am super ready to get out there and race!
Here is a great smoothie recipe for you!!
Probiotic vanilla smoothie
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (recommended: Lit n’ fit)
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
2 tbsp cranberry probiotic
(Here is a link to buy it online http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=OY-1041 )
¼ cup frozen blueberries (about a handful)
1/2 banana (best if frozen)
½ grapefruit (fresh and sliced – get out seeds)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein (body fortress wal-mart)
Ice
*may need to add a little water if needed
Blend all ingredients except for whey protein. Add the protein powder last so it doesn't get stuck on the bottom of the blender. Enjoy!
You can add different fruits (ex. orange instead of grapefruit, strawberries instead of blueberries, etc.) and use a different yogurt (strawberry, peach, blueberry, etc.).
Here is a yummy, healthy, and quick nutty and fruity salad!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Spinach
4-6 mandarin oranges (canned in light syrup)
8-10 Peanuts
10-15 Raisins
3-4 Apple slices (chopped)
3-4 baby carrots (chopped)
1 ounce Mozzerella cheese (cubed)
Starting with the Spinach, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Top with 4-5 squirts Raspberry vinagerette spray dressing.
I usually buy my cheese (and meat for Karel) in the deli section at Wal-mart (much cheaper than if you buy it in a package in the refrigerated section) but if you go to the cheese section at Wal-mart you can buy mozerella cheese in a block (raw form) which is great to cube and add to salads. You can also buy shredded mozerella cheese if you'd like.
1/21/09
Sore
I guess I am doing something right because my muscles are getting stronger as I walk a little slower during the day :) I only say my muscles are getting stronger because I am doing a lot of work in the pool, on the bike and on the treadmill...so all this hard work better pay off! Most of all, I am finding myself finally looking forward to training sessions because I always have a scheduled workout and goals to meet. Even if I don't reach/meet those goals, I feel like I am overcoming a lot of mental barriers by having a coach (and supportive husband) to hold me accountable to my workouts. But, I have to say if I didn't like what I was doing, I wouldn't do it...so it all worth it no matter what happens in the future. I love having a healthy body.
27 degrees this morning! Yes, warm and sunny Jacksonville, Florida was in a freeze watch last night. BRRR.
My alarm went off at 5:20am and I couldn't wait to have my warm coffee in my body. I grabbed a quick snack (1/2 sheet Wasa cracker w/ a little PB) and off I went to the Y.
Wednesday's are endurance days so I knew this would be a tough morning, especially since I had a run to follow the swim.
Here's the workout and once again, only a warm-up to preceed the main set:
400 swim (75 free, 25 scull)
3 x 200 kick w/ 20 sec rest
8 x 50's DPS (distance per stroke) on 1 minute
Main set:
6 x 400's
#1,4 drill
#2,5 pull
#3,6 swim @ 80-90%
The first 3 were free and the last 3 were IM or free.
I was really consistent on the 400 pace and pleased with my 5:41 time.
I wanted to change things up and give my back a break for the last 3 so I did IM drill for #4 and IM swim for #6. I couldn't believe I actually toughed it up for a 400 IM but the whole practice really went by fast. I guess I was focused for this one.
After the swim I dragged myself to the locker room and got on my run gear. I headed upstairs to the treadmills so that no one would stare at me suffering on the main floor treadmills.
The goal for my Hill run was to work on my toughness factor. I found out around half way during my main set that I have a toughness factor of 5 on a 10 point scale. However, I do have mental factor of 9 out of 10 so I stayed on that treadmill until I finished the grueling set.
Here is how my workout went:
5 min warm-up @ 7.2 mph, .5% incline
Main set:
5x5 min incline w/ 5 min recovery
#1) 5 min @ 2% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#2) 5 min @ 3% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#3) 5 min @ 4% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#4) 5 min @ 5% incline, 6.8mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#5) 5 min @ 6% incline, 6.7mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
Total 55 min, 6.2 miles
The focus of this workout is muscle strength. 2 weeks ago Shawn told me I ran too fast at 7.5mph but then again, the set was only for 4 min intervals with the highest incline of 5%. I totally agreed and I slowed it down so that I could focus on my form. My body was really tired by #4 but #5 was the worst. I have never ran (or should I say climbed) at 6% incline so I found myself grabbing the treadmill once every minute. Again, the toughness factor is low but I was determined to not stop during the intervals. I was super sweaty at the end of the workout and my HR was not sky-high like last time. However, I know my heart got a good workout, just like my calves, arms and everything in between (especially my butt...ouch!).
My leg didn't bother me and I was happy to be off the treadmill to stretch. I have a long way to go before IMKY but I just love quality workouts! Oh, and when I got home my whey protein smoothie never tasted so good!! Body fortress whey protein (from Wal-mart) just came out with a cookies n' cream powder. Since I LOVE Vanilla and Karel LOVES chocolate, I guess this is the perfect mix for us. Still only 110 calories and 23 grams of protein in each scoop! What a yummy way to recover. :)
Stay warm today everyone!
27 degrees this morning! Yes, warm and sunny Jacksonville, Florida was in a freeze watch last night. BRRR.
My alarm went off at 5:20am and I couldn't wait to have my warm coffee in my body. I grabbed a quick snack (1/2 sheet Wasa cracker w/ a little PB) and off I went to the Y.
Wednesday's are endurance days so I knew this would be a tough morning, especially since I had a run to follow the swim.
Here's the workout and once again, only a warm-up to preceed the main set:
400 swim (75 free, 25 scull)
3 x 200 kick w/ 20 sec rest
8 x 50's DPS (distance per stroke) on 1 minute
Main set:
6 x 400's
#1,4 drill
#2,5 pull
#3,6 swim @ 80-90%
The first 3 were free and the last 3 were IM or free.
I was really consistent on the 400 pace and pleased with my 5:41 time.
I wanted to change things up and give my back a break for the last 3 so I did IM drill for #4 and IM swim for #6. I couldn't believe I actually toughed it up for a 400 IM but the whole practice really went by fast. I guess I was focused for this one.
After the swim I dragged myself to the locker room and got on my run gear. I headed upstairs to the treadmills so that no one would stare at me suffering on the main floor treadmills.
The goal for my Hill run was to work on my toughness factor. I found out around half way during my main set that I have a toughness factor of 5 on a 10 point scale. However, I do have mental factor of 9 out of 10 so I stayed on that treadmill until I finished the grueling set.
Here is how my workout went:
5 min warm-up @ 7.2 mph, .5% incline
Main set:
5x5 min incline w/ 5 min recovery
#1) 5 min @ 2% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#2) 5 min @ 3% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#3) 5 min @ 4% incline, 7.0mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#4) 5 min @ 5% incline, 6.8mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
#5) 5 min @ 6% incline, 6.7mph. 5 min recovery @ 1% incline, 7.1mph
Total 55 min, 6.2 miles
The focus of this workout is muscle strength. 2 weeks ago Shawn told me I ran too fast at 7.5mph but then again, the set was only for 4 min intervals with the highest incline of 5%. I totally agreed and I slowed it down so that I could focus on my form. My body was really tired by #4 but #5 was the worst. I have never ran (or should I say climbed) at 6% incline so I found myself grabbing the treadmill once every minute. Again, the toughness factor is low but I was determined to not stop during the intervals. I was super sweaty at the end of the workout and my HR was not sky-high like last time. However, I know my heart got a good workout, just like my calves, arms and everything in between (especially my butt...ouch!).
My leg didn't bother me and I was happy to be off the treadmill to stretch. I have a long way to go before IMKY but I just love quality workouts! Oh, and when I got home my whey protein smoothie never tasted so good!! Body fortress whey protein (from Wal-mart) just came out with a cookies n' cream powder. Since I LOVE Vanilla and Karel LOVES chocolate, I guess this is the perfect mix for us. Still only 110 calories and 23 grams of protein in each scoop! What a yummy way to recover. :)
Stay warm today everyone!
1/20/09
Happy Obama day!!!
No matter who you voted for, I think this is such a historic and momentous day for everyone! I am hooked to the coverage on the Today show and I will be glued to the TV for the next few hours. Eventually, in the late afternoon (after I spend a few hours studyging) I will get off the couch and head to the Y with Karel so I can get in my 30 min run and a little lifting.
Campy is super excited for today....doesn't it show??? :)
Yesterday was an active recovery day. Every now and then I look forward to a day of nothing but rest but usually I like to do some type of non weight bearing activity such as a swim or spin on my bike. Monday morning I was in the water at 6am and it was MUCH warmer than sat. I even called at 530 on my way to the Y to see if the water was warmer. I am over my days of college swimming in cold water (75 degrees) and I crave a nice 78 degree pool. I swim much better in cooler water but I just wish I could have warm water for the warm-up and then manually control the water to make it colder for the main set. I am just a wuss for cold water, first thing in the morning :)
This morning I rode the trainer again. We have a high of 46 degrees today but it was around 30 degrees at 7:30am. Karel bundled up and headed out for a long ride with Jeff but I stuck to the trainer for some intervals. I think I am liking the trainer a bit more but only for the shorter rides. For anything over 90 minutes, I will look forward to the outdoors.
This morning I had a challenging interval set. The challenging part was staying in my power zones while staying in my HR zones. Also, I had specific cadence goals as well and it was a lot of thinking for 5 x 3 min. intervals. The hard part was only recovering for 1 minute in between the intervals but my range of numbers represent my tempo, threshold and VO2 max power zones. It is hard to not focus on speed when I ride but as a believer of HR training, you'd be suprised how your HR is all over the place if you ride with a group, have tailwind or headwind or climb or descend. I guess we will see if this all pays off. My first big race of the year will be the Rock n' roll half ironman (not 70.3) in Georgia on May 30th (a day before my b-day and 3 year anniversary with karel).
Mira (http://miralelovic.blogspot.com/) sent me this link in an email today...
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/clifbar01_09.html
Please note that I am not bashing Cliff bar or Luna bar. This can happen to almost any product, natural or not. Just be aware of what you are eating!
Campy is super excited for today....doesn't it show??? :)
Yesterday was an active recovery day. Every now and then I look forward to a day of nothing but rest but usually I like to do some type of non weight bearing activity such as a swim or spin on my bike. Monday morning I was in the water at 6am and it was MUCH warmer than sat. I even called at 530 on my way to the Y to see if the water was warmer. I am over my days of college swimming in cold water (75 degrees) and I crave a nice 78 degree pool. I swim much better in cooler water but I just wish I could have warm water for the warm-up and then manually control the water to make it colder for the main set. I am just a wuss for cold water, first thing in the morning :)
This morning I rode the trainer again. We have a high of 46 degrees today but it was around 30 degrees at 7:30am. Karel bundled up and headed out for a long ride with Jeff but I stuck to the trainer for some intervals. I think I am liking the trainer a bit more but only for the shorter rides. For anything over 90 minutes, I will look forward to the outdoors.
This morning I had a challenging interval set. The challenging part was staying in my power zones while staying in my HR zones. Also, I had specific cadence goals as well and it was a lot of thinking for 5 x 3 min. intervals. The hard part was only recovering for 1 minute in between the intervals but my range of numbers represent my tempo, threshold and VO2 max power zones. It is hard to not focus on speed when I ride but as a believer of HR training, you'd be suprised how your HR is all over the place if you ride with a group, have tailwind or headwind or climb or descend. I guess we will see if this all pays off. My first big race of the year will be the Rock n' roll half ironman (not 70.3) in Georgia on May 30th (a day before my b-day and 3 year anniversary with karel).
Mira (http://miralelovic.blogspot.com/) sent me this link in an email today...
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/clifbar01_09.html
Please note that I am not bashing Cliff bar or Luna bar. This can happen to almost any product, natural or not. Just be aware of what you are eating!
1/18/09
Staying indoors
I don't know how you all do it? I am not going to question why you do it because you have no other options. However, how you do it every single day, every single weekend just blows my mind.
This weekend we experienced the 20's and it was cold! I have good cycling clothes for about 40-50-degree weather but nothing to get me through a 30-degree morning of outdoor training.
My schedule had me doing a 14 mile run on saturday and a 70 mile ride + 30 min run on sunday. I knew Saturday morning outside was out of the question because I don't have good running gear for a cold long run.
My plan for the weekend was to mentally tough it up and run on the treadmill for 14 miles. I "ran" my way through graduate school (literally) so I am use to LONG runs on the treadmill. I remember having piles of notes and notebooks on the treadmill during my 15, 18 and 20 mile runs. Back then (2006) I didn't really know what I was doing so among my piles of papers I only drank water and powerade for all those miles. Silly me. But I did retain a lot of information and I was always prepared for my exams (especially in my adv. exercise physiology and cardio physiology class! :).
I arrived at the Y at 6:55 and stayed in my heated car until the Y opened at 7. I headed upstairs to the treadmills, rather than running on the treadmills in the main gym. I didn't want too many people looking at me all crazy and I didn't want to steal the treadmill from anyone for 2 hours.
The run went by super fast. I broke it up into a few sets of intervals so that I wasn't running more than 15 minutes of the same speed. I kept the pace at around 7.3-7.5mph and did a few 1 min pick-ups at 8.5mph. I broke each set into 30 minutes so it was more like 15min pace, 10 x 1 min pick-ups (40 sec on,20 sec off). With the TV on my treadmill to occupy me (I didn't have that luxury during graduate school!) I switched between the MTV made Hip Hop Dance competition and the food network.
After 1 hour and 52 minutes and 14.4 miles later I was off the treadmill and feeling better than I thought I would. I was really hot and I went through two bottles of HEED + aminos and I was so ready to cool off.
Speaking of cool....
My friend Laura and I decided to swim after my run (and her spin class + 2 mile run) so were got on our suits and headed to the pool. I missed my swim on Fri because the pool was being fixed for new drains so I decided I would do an easy 30 min. swim after my run.
When I got to the pool and sat at the edge of the lane to put my cap on, my feet began to freeze. I asked the lifeguard what the temperature of the water was and they said 72 degrees!!! BRrrrrr. I guess they had to refill the pool and the heater takes time. I made it for a cold 1650 and headed right to the hot tub. So I went from being super hot, to taking an ice bath, to loosing my muscles in the hot tub.
After my morning at the Y I was ready for home!
Karel took Campy to work on sat morning so I stopped by the Trek store to pick up my doggy. Campy loves being the shop dog and all the customers love seeing a cute little puppy at the door to greet them. He likes to give a little bark every now and then but then he wants attention :)
Later that morning Campy and I visited Karel after taking a 1.2 mile walk to the shop. We love visiting Karel at work and even when he is super busy (Like this sat) it is nice to stop by and say hello.
So, now onto Sunday.
I got dressed at 645 for my bike ride at 8. I told Karel I would tough it up outside this morning, even though it was 30 degrees when we woke up. The high today was 68 so I knew it would have to warm up fast.
I dressed early (before I ate my oatmeal and drank my coffee) because I wanted to walk Campy before my long ride. Karel was heading out for a 3-4 hour ride and after his ride on the trainer on sat, I knew he was not going to stay inside today. He will ride in any weather (except pouring rain) to avoid riding on the trainer. When I took Campy around our complex my hands were freezing, even with my giordana gloves and jacket. I was layered up and still cold on our walk.
After eating my breakfast I knew it was the trainer for me.
I told Karel I would stay on it for however long I could take of it (this would be my 3rd time on a trainer) and then do my run. I thought about riding the trainer and then going outside on my bike but I didn't want to mess with all the changing of clothes, layering and getting ready for 2 rides.
To sum up the ride, it went better than I thought. I still don't know how people ride for 3,4 or 5 hours on a trainer!!!?? Now that I train with watts, it is tough to ride a trainer (or outside) because I always have to pedal and apply power to the pedals. I can't coast outside and I can't spin fast. I have to always push on the pedals to reach my right power zones. It is tough work! Plus, I have to pay attention to my HR and cadence which correlate to my power. I really like this new way of training because it is different from what I am use to and I can really tell that I am already getting stronger on my bike.
To pass the time, I broke the workout into 30 min sections. I did 15 min. tempo, 5 min. recovery and 10 x 1 min in and out of the saddle for each min. I only did the 10x1 min in the big chain ring because I am working on training my fast twitch fibers (or what of them I have) because I am a big pusher on the bike (love that big chain ring!).
I ended up doing 2 hours and 25 min. I can't believe it! Campy slept on the couch next to me the whole time and I watched lots of shows on my DVR. Right now I am into House Hunters and It's me or the Dog. Both great shows for me to watch right now, even though we are far from buying a house right now. :)
So, after the sweaty (and I mean SWEATY!) ride I let Campy out for a few quick pees and off I went to run.
I felt really good on the run and ran 50 min. I didn't mean to run that long but the time went by a little fast and when I was at 20 min. I looked at my watch and realized I was far from home. On my way home, just a few minutes from my apartment I saw Karel and Campy walking so that just brightened my morning. We walk Campy a lot and he just loves it!
So, what a weekend!!! And after the cold, cold weather we hit 68 degrees today!!!! It was SO HOT. I had to get out of the indoors so Karel and I took Campy to the park for a nice walk. Campy lead us all around and it was nice for us to all be together.
Ok-finally I crashed. Super tired and I just sat on the couch for the rest of the day today. I didn't study, didn't do any work and I ate my homemade pancakes.
Now, if only I could see some snow outside I would feel better for my weekend indoors....
This weekend we experienced the 20's and it was cold! I have good cycling clothes for about 40-50-degree weather but nothing to get me through a 30-degree morning of outdoor training.
My schedule had me doing a 14 mile run on saturday and a 70 mile ride + 30 min run on sunday. I knew Saturday morning outside was out of the question because I don't have good running gear for a cold long run.
My plan for the weekend was to mentally tough it up and run on the treadmill for 14 miles. I "ran" my way through graduate school (literally) so I am use to LONG runs on the treadmill. I remember having piles of notes and notebooks on the treadmill during my 15, 18 and 20 mile runs. Back then (2006) I didn't really know what I was doing so among my piles of papers I only drank water and powerade for all those miles. Silly me. But I did retain a lot of information and I was always prepared for my exams (especially in my adv. exercise physiology and cardio physiology class! :).
I arrived at the Y at 6:55 and stayed in my heated car until the Y opened at 7. I headed upstairs to the treadmills, rather than running on the treadmills in the main gym. I didn't want too many people looking at me all crazy and I didn't want to steal the treadmill from anyone for 2 hours.
The run went by super fast. I broke it up into a few sets of intervals so that I wasn't running more than 15 minutes of the same speed. I kept the pace at around 7.3-7.5mph and did a few 1 min pick-ups at 8.5mph. I broke each set into 30 minutes so it was more like 15min pace, 10 x 1 min pick-ups (40 sec on,20 sec off). With the TV on my treadmill to occupy me (I didn't have that luxury during graduate school!) I switched between the MTV made Hip Hop Dance competition and the food network.
After 1 hour and 52 minutes and 14.4 miles later I was off the treadmill and feeling better than I thought I would. I was really hot and I went through two bottles of HEED + aminos and I was so ready to cool off.
Speaking of cool....
My friend Laura and I decided to swim after my run (and her spin class + 2 mile run) so were got on our suits and headed to the pool. I missed my swim on Fri because the pool was being fixed for new drains so I decided I would do an easy 30 min. swim after my run.
When I got to the pool and sat at the edge of the lane to put my cap on, my feet began to freeze. I asked the lifeguard what the temperature of the water was and they said 72 degrees!!! BRrrrrr. I guess they had to refill the pool and the heater takes time. I made it for a cold 1650 and headed right to the hot tub. So I went from being super hot, to taking an ice bath, to loosing my muscles in the hot tub.
After my morning at the Y I was ready for home!
Karel took Campy to work on sat morning so I stopped by the Trek store to pick up my doggy. Campy loves being the shop dog and all the customers love seeing a cute little puppy at the door to greet them. He likes to give a little bark every now and then but then he wants attention :)
Later that morning Campy and I visited Karel after taking a 1.2 mile walk to the shop. We love visiting Karel at work and even when he is super busy (Like this sat) it is nice to stop by and say hello.
So, now onto Sunday.
I got dressed at 645 for my bike ride at 8. I told Karel I would tough it up outside this morning, even though it was 30 degrees when we woke up. The high today was 68 so I knew it would have to warm up fast.
I dressed early (before I ate my oatmeal and drank my coffee) because I wanted to walk Campy before my long ride. Karel was heading out for a 3-4 hour ride and after his ride on the trainer on sat, I knew he was not going to stay inside today. He will ride in any weather (except pouring rain) to avoid riding on the trainer. When I took Campy around our complex my hands were freezing, even with my giordana gloves and jacket. I was layered up and still cold on our walk.
After eating my breakfast I knew it was the trainer for me.
I told Karel I would stay on it for however long I could take of it (this would be my 3rd time on a trainer) and then do my run. I thought about riding the trainer and then going outside on my bike but I didn't want to mess with all the changing of clothes, layering and getting ready for 2 rides.
To sum up the ride, it went better than I thought. I still don't know how people ride for 3,4 or 5 hours on a trainer!!!?? Now that I train with watts, it is tough to ride a trainer (or outside) because I always have to pedal and apply power to the pedals. I can't coast outside and I can't spin fast. I have to always push on the pedals to reach my right power zones. It is tough work! Plus, I have to pay attention to my HR and cadence which correlate to my power. I really like this new way of training because it is different from what I am use to and I can really tell that I am already getting stronger on my bike.
To pass the time, I broke the workout into 30 min sections. I did 15 min. tempo, 5 min. recovery and 10 x 1 min in and out of the saddle for each min. I only did the 10x1 min in the big chain ring because I am working on training my fast twitch fibers (or what of them I have) because I am a big pusher on the bike (love that big chain ring!).
I ended up doing 2 hours and 25 min. I can't believe it! Campy slept on the couch next to me the whole time and I watched lots of shows on my DVR. Right now I am into House Hunters and It's me or the Dog. Both great shows for me to watch right now, even though we are far from buying a house right now. :)
So, after the sweaty (and I mean SWEATY!) ride I let Campy out for a few quick pees and off I went to run.
I felt really good on the run and ran 50 min. I didn't mean to run that long but the time went by a little fast and when I was at 20 min. I looked at my watch and realized I was far from home. On my way home, just a few minutes from my apartment I saw Karel and Campy walking so that just brightened my morning. We walk Campy a lot and he just loves it!
So, what a weekend!!! And after the cold, cold weather we hit 68 degrees today!!!! It was SO HOT. I had to get out of the indoors so Karel and I took Campy to the park for a nice walk. Campy lead us all around and it was nice for us to all be together.
Ok-finally I crashed. Super tired and I just sat on the couch for the rest of the day today. I didn't study, didn't do any work and I ate my homemade pancakes.
Now, if only I could see some snow outside I would feel better for my weekend indoors....
1/16/09
Thankful to be healthy and alive
I can't believe the miracle on the Hudson. I can't stop watching it and I am amazed that everyone survived. For the past few years I started to fear flying. I will fly if I have to but it kinda scares me at times. Driving scares me as well. I love road trips but it is the around-the-town driving that really worries me. There are so many rushed and occupied drivers on the road that I don't think people watch the road carefully when they are driving. In either case, by plane or road, I am always careful to buckle up and to always think about possible scenarios which could put my life in danger.
As I watched CNN and the Today show this morning on the treadmill, I was almost in tears when I heard all the stories from the survivors. Everyone had their own story and their own reason to be thankful to be alive.
So, I ask everyone out there, are you thankful to be alive? Do you take care of yourself on a daily basis in order to prevent injury, illness, disease or an accident?
Do you wear your helmet when you are on the bike? Do you run in daylight? Do you properly inspect your bike for safety reasons? Do you swim with a group in open water? Do you wear lights when you ride in the dark? Do you have ID on you ride or run? Do you carry your cell phone with you when you are on your bike? I guess I can go on and on about ways to stay healthy and alive when you are training but it is quite obvious that there are many ways to prepare for any scenario.
Now on to the topic that concerns people, but perhaps for the wrong reason.
Nutrition.
So many people are concerned about their eating because of their weight. Perhaps it is to lose a little bit of body fat or to lose 30 lbs. In either case, people often strive to lose weight for the following reasons: In order to look a certain way, to fit into certain clothes or to get to a certain number on the scale. Rather than looking at the aesthetics of losing weight, it is more important to look at the long term goals.
I know it is hard to think about your life 30,40 or 50 years from now but your eating habits now will likely determine the health of your body many years down the road. As I mentioned in an early post, it is hard to think about the immediate effects of eating tomatoes and preventing cataracts or drinking milk and preventing osteoporosis. It is much easier to think about cutting back on calories and to exercise more in order to lose a few pounds as quick as possible.
I know it is easy to think about your training and the future because you know if you don't consistently train and push the body, you will always keep the same level of fitness. It is easy for athletes or fitness enthusiasts to feel the immediate effects of training. A good sweat and a longer and harder workout than the day before gives you great strength and confidence that you are getting closer to your end goal. However, if you can't get in control of your eating, all that working out means nothing if your insides are not as healthy as what you feel on the outside.
I ask everyone today to think about your life and what you will do nutritionally to stay healthy and alive for many more decades. This doesn't have to happen tomorrow, this can happen today.
You know what you need to do to live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone has a food that if they would only eat less of it or eliminate that food, it would be much easier to lose weight. For many athletes, that certain food is a reward for all that hard training and although the training may be spot on, that certain reward food that is eaten too often, is the reason why weight is not coming off.
For many other people, more fruits and veggies need to be consumed on a daily basis. It is sad that so many people aren't eating fruits and veggies and if so, they are in minimal amounts.
And for the majority of people, poor eating habits are the culprit to cravings, low blood sugar, inconsistent training sessions, skipping meals and snacks and overeating. All of this can be changed if you start to take control of your eating and to be conscious of what you prepare, what you eat and what you choose to keep in your house.
If you can forget about looking a certain way, I promise it will be so much easier to reach your weight loss goals. Start swapping out some of the junky foods in the diet with more wholesome and nutritious foods that will ward of disease and enable you to live a long and healthy life. Remember, it is OK to have a sweet treat or heart unhealthy food every now and then, but if your every now and then food occurs everyday, you will never experience the joys of having a consistent heart healthy diet.
How about a few pics of Campy during his daily morning nap
This is Karel and Campy time (and sometimes Smudla). Campy doesn't get "dog" treats so we train him with carrots and apples. And when Karel makes his lunch in the morning, Campy LOVES getting a few treats of meat. :)
And of course, Smudla looking very beautiful on the speaker by the door.
As I watched CNN and the Today show this morning on the treadmill, I was almost in tears when I heard all the stories from the survivors. Everyone had their own story and their own reason to be thankful to be alive.
So, I ask everyone out there, are you thankful to be alive? Do you take care of yourself on a daily basis in order to prevent injury, illness, disease or an accident?
Do you wear your helmet when you are on the bike? Do you run in daylight? Do you properly inspect your bike for safety reasons? Do you swim with a group in open water? Do you wear lights when you ride in the dark? Do you have ID on you ride or run? Do you carry your cell phone with you when you are on your bike? I guess I can go on and on about ways to stay healthy and alive when you are training but it is quite obvious that there are many ways to prepare for any scenario.
Now on to the topic that concerns people, but perhaps for the wrong reason.
Nutrition.
So many people are concerned about their eating because of their weight. Perhaps it is to lose a little bit of body fat or to lose 30 lbs. In either case, people often strive to lose weight for the following reasons: In order to look a certain way, to fit into certain clothes or to get to a certain number on the scale. Rather than looking at the aesthetics of losing weight, it is more important to look at the long term goals.
I know it is hard to think about your life 30,40 or 50 years from now but your eating habits now will likely determine the health of your body many years down the road. As I mentioned in an early post, it is hard to think about the immediate effects of eating tomatoes and preventing cataracts or drinking milk and preventing osteoporosis. It is much easier to think about cutting back on calories and to exercise more in order to lose a few pounds as quick as possible.
I know it is easy to think about your training and the future because you know if you don't consistently train and push the body, you will always keep the same level of fitness. It is easy for athletes or fitness enthusiasts to feel the immediate effects of training. A good sweat and a longer and harder workout than the day before gives you great strength and confidence that you are getting closer to your end goal. However, if you can't get in control of your eating, all that working out means nothing if your insides are not as healthy as what you feel on the outside.
I ask everyone today to think about your life and what you will do nutritionally to stay healthy and alive for many more decades. This doesn't have to happen tomorrow, this can happen today.
You know what you need to do to live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone has a food that if they would only eat less of it or eliminate that food, it would be much easier to lose weight. For many athletes, that certain food is a reward for all that hard training and although the training may be spot on, that certain reward food that is eaten too often, is the reason why weight is not coming off.
For many other people, more fruits and veggies need to be consumed on a daily basis. It is sad that so many people aren't eating fruits and veggies and if so, they are in minimal amounts.
And for the majority of people, poor eating habits are the culprit to cravings, low blood sugar, inconsistent training sessions, skipping meals and snacks and overeating. All of this can be changed if you start to take control of your eating and to be conscious of what you prepare, what you eat and what you choose to keep in your house.
If you can forget about looking a certain way, I promise it will be so much easier to reach your weight loss goals. Start swapping out some of the junky foods in the diet with more wholesome and nutritious foods that will ward of disease and enable you to live a long and healthy life. Remember, it is OK to have a sweet treat or heart unhealthy food every now and then, but if your every now and then food occurs everyday, you will never experience the joys of having a consistent heart healthy diet.
How about a few pics of Campy during his daily morning nap
This is Karel and Campy time (and sometimes Smudla). Campy doesn't get "dog" treats so we train him with carrots and apples. And when Karel makes his lunch in the morning, Campy LOVES getting a few treats of meat. :)
And of course, Smudla looking very beautiful on the speaker by the door.
1/15/09
Power Test and Campy
Uggh...I did my bike power test today. NO fun!
Here are my comments on Training Peaks to Shawn
The test started out really slow for the warm up. Couldn't get my speed up but this was my first time on a trainer so it was a little weird at first. I did two 1 min pick-ups and afterwards I thought I would never survive the test. The warm-up last 15 min and after the 2 x 1 min pickups I rode another 5 min. easy (as prescribed by my test).
The test was 20 min at max, starting out around 65% max HR. I broke the test into 4x5 min intervals. I got out of the saddle the last min. of each 5min interval because my legs (mostly my right leg, the one that was injured) was tightening up on me. I probably should have stayed in the saddle the whole time but physically and mentally I wanted to quit after 5min. I was never in pain from the leg but just in pain from the grueling test at an all-out effort.
The test got better (mentally) after 10 min but physically it was killing me.
I tried to increase my wattage for each 5 min interval by 10 watts and I was able to get my watts to an average of 190-200 at the last 5 min. However my HR almost popped out of my chest and I could feel my heart beating in my head.
I wasn't pleased with my speed but I tried not to focus on that too much. I really focused on HR and watts and I think I may have been able to do better outside, yet it would probably be less consistent.
So there ya go. My first power test. At least now I have some zones that I can use for training so my workouts will be of better quality for IMKY.
On a different note (a much cuter and less sweaty note), the cold temperatures that us wimpy Floridians are experiencing are really tough on Campy. His 11 lb body and almost no body fat are no fun for him during our walks. I felt so bad for him on Tuesday when it rained all day and I dreaded taking him on a walk on Wed because it was a bit too cold.
So, I got him a sweater. I always told myself that I would NEVER dress my dog up in clothes but I had to get him something to stay warm during our walks. I was worried he wouldn't like it but he actually loves it! I shouldn't be surprised since Campy loves snuggling under blankets and getting as much human body heat as possible by cuddling as close as he can to Karel or me.
After I got the sweater Campy showed off his new outfit at the Trek store. Jeff and Alex laughed at Campy but Karel said he looked gorgeous. :)
In the afternoon I took Campy to Mandarin Park and we walked all around the trails. Campy got in a good 45 min walk and he lead me all over the place. There were lots of squirrels for Campy to chase and he was nice and warm in his bubble bee sweater :)
What a cutie!
Campy was yawning during this pic and it came out so funny!
Here are my comments on Training Peaks to Shawn
The test started out really slow for the warm up. Couldn't get my speed up but this was my first time on a trainer so it was a little weird at first. I did two 1 min pick-ups and afterwards I thought I would never survive the test. The warm-up last 15 min and after the 2 x 1 min pickups I rode another 5 min. easy (as prescribed by my test).
The test was 20 min at max, starting out around 65% max HR. I broke the test into 4x5 min intervals. I got out of the saddle the last min. of each 5min interval because my legs (mostly my right leg, the one that was injured) was tightening up on me. I probably should have stayed in the saddle the whole time but physically and mentally I wanted to quit after 5min. I was never in pain from the leg but just in pain from the grueling test at an all-out effort.
The test got better (mentally) after 10 min but physically it was killing me.
I tried to increase my wattage for each 5 min interval by 10 watts and I was able to get my watts to an average of 190-200 at the last 5 min. However my HR almost popped out of my chest and I could feel my heart beating in my head.
I wasn't pleased with my speed but I tried not to focus on that too much. I really focused on HR and watts and I think I may have been able to do better outside, yet it would probably be less consistent.
So there ya go. My first power test. At least now I have some zones that I can use for training so my workouts will be of better quality for IMKY.
On a different note (a much cuter and less sweaty note), the cold temperatures that us wimpy Floridians are experiencing are really tough on Campy. His 11 lb body and almost no body fat are no fun for him during our walks. I felt so bad for him on Tuesday when it rained all day and I dreaded taking him on a walk on Wed because it was a bit too cold.
So, I got him a sweater. I always told myself that I would NEVER dress my dog up in clothes but I had to get him something to stay warm during our walks. I was worried he wouldn't like it but he actually loves it! I shouldn't be surprised since Campy loves snuggling under blankets and getting as much human body heat as possible by cuddling as close as he can to Karel or me.
After I got the sweater Campy showed off his new outfit at the Trek store. Jeff and Alex laughed at Campy but Karel said he looked gorgeous. :)
In the afternoon I took Campy to Mandarin Park and we walked all around the trails. Campy got in a good 45 min walk and he lead me all over the place. There were lots of squirrels for Campy to chase and he was nice and warm in his bubble bee sweater :)
What a cutie!
Campy was yawning during this pic and it came out so funny!
1/14/09
Change in weather
BRRRRR...It's cold here!! High of 59 and low of 34. On Fri the high is 49!!! I know it is nothing to joke about when people are experiencing freezing conditions and negative temps but for us Floridians, it is cold.
Although the weather is cold, I'm staying somewhat consistent with my workouts. I love my training plan! I feel I am doing less volume than I did during the off-season (when training is just for fun) but the quality of my workouts is killer! I am working really hard at being a smart athlete and having a coach keeps me accountable for not doing too much but doing what I need to do for IMKY. Oh jeez...IMKY is in 8 months!
I was suppose to do my power test on my bike yesterday (TUES) but it rained ALL day. I could have done it on the trainer but I really wanted to do the test outside. Karel gave himself off from work on tuesday but it was a bummer that he didn't get in a ride that morning. I went to the Y to swim and run but for a cyclist, all karel could do was weights (he hates the trainer!). He will ride the trainer if he has to but he usually sticks to outdoor rides.
Karel and I had a date last night. We went out to dinner at a restaurant for the first time in Jacksonville since Oct or Nov. We went to the European Cafe and it was SO good. It was great because they had beer from all over the world (even the Czech beer that Karel loves..he can get it at Publix) and great food. I always think a restaurant is great when I have more than 3 options to choose from. They had lots of vegetarian options and because I had a coupon for a free entree we even treated ourselves to a side dish of Tempeh and crackers. I had a great salad w/ raisins, fresh mozerella, almonds, organic spring lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers and Karel had some kind of pita w/ meat (hehe, I forgot what kind). It was all super yummy.
This morning I had the hardest swim set of my life. I almost threw up it was so hard. I thought my head would explode because I was working so hard in the water and my face was super hot. There were 4 people in my lane and 4 people in the lane next to me. All 8 of us were doing the same set on the same cycle (30 sec rest) so we were able to really pace ourselves and push ourselves. Shawn (my coach) was there so of course I had to work extra hard to show him that I can swim fast :)
Here's the whole practice (note the short warm-up and only one main set):
200 swim, 200 kick, 200 drill
2x300 pull (breathing 3,5,7)
Main Set
2x400 (150S, 50K, 200 pace) - my 200 pace was 2:35 and I pushed super hard for that
3x300 (150S, 50K, 100 pace) - my 100 pace was 1:20
4x200 (100S,50K, 50 pace) - I just sucked it up and went fast for it all
200 warm-down
Total:4000
After the swim I hit the treadmill for a easy 25 min run and then did a few core exercises. I am so happy about that swim set. I Love hard workouts like that!
Although the weather is cold, I'm staying somewhat consistent with my workouts. I love my training plan! I feel I am doing less volume than I did during the off-season (when training is just for fun) but the quality of my workouts is killer! I am working really hard at being a smart athlete and having a coach keeps me accountable for not doing too much but doing what I need to do for IMKY. Oh jeez...IMKY is in 8 months!
I was suppose to do my power test on my bike yesterday (TUES) but it rained ALL day. I could have done it on the trainer but I really wanted to do the test outside. Karel gave himself off from work on tuesday but it was a bummer that he didn't get in a ride that morning. I went to the Y to swim and run but for a cyclist, all karel could do was weights (he hates the trainer!). He will ride the trainer if he has to but he usually sticks to outdoor rides.
Karel and I had a date last night. We went out to dinner at a restaurant for the first time in Jacksonville since Oct or Nov. We went to the European Cafe and it was SO good. It was great because they had beer from all over the world (even the Czech beer that Karel loves..he can get it at Publix) and great food. I always think a restaurant is great when I have more than 3 options to choose from. They had lots of vegetarian options and because I had a coupon for a free entree we even treated ourselves to a side dish of Tempeh and crackers. I had a great salad w/ raisins, fresh mozerella, almonds, organic spring lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers and Karel had some kind of pita w/ meat (hehe, I forgot what kind). It was all super yummy.
This morning I had the hardest swim set of my life. I almost threw up it was so hard. I thought my head would explode because I was working so hard in the water and my face was super hot. There were 4 people in my lane and 4 people in the lane next to me. All 8 of us were doing the same set on the same cycle (30 sec rest) so we were able to really pace ourselves and push ourselves. Shawn (my coach) was there so of course I had to work extra hard to show him that I can swim fast :)
Here's the whole practice (note the short warm-up and only one main set):
200 swim, 200 kick, 200 drill
2x300 pull (breathing 3,5,7)
Main Set
2x400 (150S, 50K, 200 pace) - my 200 pace was 2:35 and I pushed super hard for that
3x300 (150S, 50K, 100 pace) - my 100 pace was 1:20
4x200 (100S,50K, 50 pace) - I just sucked it up and went fast for it all
200 warm-down
Total:4000
After the swim I hit the treadmill for a easy 25 min run and then did a few core exercises. I am so happy about that swim set. I Love hard workouts like that!
1/11/09
Homemade Muffins!
Karel started making muffins last year and now I am hooked. We don't make them that often but with our training getting more serious, they are perfect after a hard weekend of training. We made several batches this past summer because our muffins are perfect for car rides when we travel to races. They take about 5 min. to prepare and about 10-15 min to bake.
I have two pictures of muffins that I made this weekend. The first batch was raisin, nuts and fresh apricot. The batch I made this morning were chocolate chips, nuts and raisins.
Here is the basic recipe that Karel and I use for our muffins. Then it is up to you to decide what to put in it!
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup raisin bran cereal (if you don't like raisins you can use a bran flake cereal)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Cinnamon (a few shakes)
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (add last after mixing the above ingredients)
I use butter pam spray for the muffin tray and I set the oven to 375. They usually cook in about 10-15 min but check around 8 min and give them a little push with your fingers. If the batter is firm, they are ready.
*For extra ingredients you can use:
Nuts
Any fruit finely chopped or grated (ex. pear, apple, apricot, orange, banana, strawberry, blueberries, etc.)
Any vegetable (ex. you could do carrots and pineapples for a carrot cake type muffin or you could do corn and jalapenos for a cornbread type muffin)
Granola
Enjoy!
Here's the batter (makes about 9 muffins but you can double ingredients for double the muffins!)
Apricot and raisin muffin
Chocolate chip and raisin muffin
A big congrats goes out to Kelley Newgard (aka Kate's twin sis) for finishing her first marathon!!! Way to go!
I have two pictures of muffins that I made this weekend. The first batch was raisin, nuts and fresh apricot. The batch I made this morning were chocolate chips, nuts and raisins.
Here is the basic recipe that Karel and I use for our muffins. Then it is up to you to decide what to put in it!
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup raisin bran cereal (if you don't like raisins you can use a bran flake cereal)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Cinnamon (a few shakes)
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (add last after mixing the above ingredients)
I use butter pam spray for the muffin tray and I set the oven to 375. They usually cook in about 10-15 min but check around 8 min and give them a little push with your fingers. If the batter is firm, they are ready.
*For extra ingredients you can use:
Nuts
Any fruit finely chopped or grated (ex. pear, apple, apricot, orange, banana, strawberry, blueberries, etc.)
Any vegetable (ex. you could do carrots and pineapples for a carrot cake type muffin or you could do corn and jalapenos for a cornbread type muffin)
Granola
Enjoy!
Here's the batter (makes about 9 muffins but you can double ingredients for double the muffins!)
Apricot and raisin muffin
Chocolate chip and raisin muffin
A big congrats goes out to Kelley Newgard (aka Kate's twin sis) for finishing her first marathon!!! Way to go!
1/10/09
My new ride
First off, before I talk about my new special girl in my life (BLACK HAWK), I have great news...
After 2 years of racing Category 2 and trying to upgrade, Karel was finally given his Category 1 card! Unlike in triathlons where we all race together but are scored either overall or in our age group, cycling ranks you by category. In order to upgrade (Category 5 is the beginner category and 1 is near the pro level) you must have a certain number of points, based on how you placed in races, how many people were in the race and the type of race. There is a Pro level but that is what you see on versus and on other cycling webpage. Karel was having a great year in 2007 until he got hit by a car and spent several weeks resting his fractured collar bone. It was in 2008 that Karel got his coach (Shawn) and a team (Lidner Capital) and everything started to come together. We spent almost every weekend (so it seemed) in GA for the bigger cycling races and Karel raced almost all of speedweek and every race was important to Karel because he had to place in the top 6 (where Pro and Cat 1 riders were also racing for top places) in order to receive points. You only have 1 year to accumulate points. I am so super excited for Karel cause he can now enter ANY race he wants in the US, rather than asking to race (and being approved) in the 1,2 category. WAHOO!
Right now Karel is in Gainesville for a 50 mile mountain bike ride. OUCH! That is going to be a long day for him but I am sure he is enjoying it!
Ok, time to talk about my new ride and my first ride on Black Hawk.
As far as the bike, it looks amazing and Karel did a great job giving me a bike I never thought I wanted. As I mentioned before, I don't stay up with current bike parts and gadgets....I just want to ride a bike! But now that I see what is on my bike, I can't stop looking at my Black Hawk!
Karel put it together on Friday and did a simple fit for me. I rode it today (65 miles) and although it felt great and shifted amazingly, I can't say that it is any easier to ride 65 miles alone in the wind with a new bike versus an old bike. Although I was loving my new ride, my first time on a tri bike since Oct. had me remembering how much work goes into an IM! After the ride I went for a run. My first brick since...OCT! Campy joined me and I am trying to get him to run longer and longer. He is the perfect running partner but he makes me run faster than I'd like. We went for 20 min. and he smiled the whole time. As for me, I was ready for a shower at about 90 min into my 4 hour workout.
Ok..time for pics!
*we are still working on a good position for me because I am so short. But I really like having the 700 wheels and I feel really comfortable on it.
1/9/09
Go to soup!
I talk about my go-to meal all the time but how about a go-to soup!!!
Even for us Floridians who are braving our 49 degree early mornings (brrrr) this soup is packed with vegetables and very little sodium for a perfect comfort dinner.
Ingredients
Any chopped veggies you choose (mushrooms, chickpeas, beans, corn, onions, green peppers)
2 small red potatoes (diced). *you can also use frozen cubed hasbrowns (unseasoned)
1/4 cup egg noodles (not cooked)
3 diced Roma tomatoes
1 can low sodium vegetarian soup (for the flavor)
Vegetarian or lean meat
1 tbsp. olive oil
Water
1. Fill up a medium-size pot with a little more than 1/2 water. Add can of soup and olive oil. (be sure factor in adding your veggies before adding in the water. If you want more of a stew, add less water).
2. Turn burner to medium heat.
3. Add veggies, tomatoes, noodles and potato to soup.
4. Add vegetarian meat (I recommend the Boca crumbles, about a cup) or lean meat (de-thawed chicken breast, sliced).
5. Cook for about 8-15 min. Stir occasionaly and check veggies and lean meat to make sure everything is cooked.
6. Add chili flakes, pepper and garlic (fresh) for seasoning.
7. Top w/ a little cheese.
*Karel goes to a local bagel shop every few weeks (at Jax beach) where they sell bagel chips. Not the processed kind! Rather than using bread or crackers, we buy fresh bagel chips (they use old bagels and toast them and sell them in a huge bag for $3!) for a crunchy topping.
Even for us Floridians who are braving our 49 degree early mornings (brrrr) this soup is packed with vegetables and very little sodium for a perfect comfort dinner.
Ingredients
Any chopped veggies you choose (mushrooms, chickpeas, beans, corn, onions, green peppers)
2 small red potatoes (diced). *you can also use frozen cubed hasbrowns (unseasoned)
1/4 cup egg noodles (not cooked)
3 diced Roma tomatoes
1 can low sodium vegetarian soup (for the flavor)
Vegetarian or lean meat
1 tbsp. olive oil
Water
1. Fill up a medium-size pot with a little more than 1/2 water. Add can of soup and olive oil. (be sure factor in adding your veggies before adding in the water. If you want more of a stew, add less water).
2. Turn burner to medium heat.
3. Add veggies, tomatoes, noodles and potato to soup.
4. Add vegetarian meat (I recommend the Boca crumbles, about a cup) or lean meat (de-thawed chicken breast, sliced).
5. Cook for about 8-15 min. Stir occasionaly and check veggies and lean meat to make sure everything is cooked.
6. Add chili flakes, pepper and garlic (fresh) for seasoning.
7. Top w/ a little cheese.
*Karel goes to a local bagel shop every few weeks (at Jax beach) where they sell bagel chips. Not the processed kind! Rather than using bread or crackers, we buy fresh bagel chips (they use old bagels and toast them and sell them in a huge bag for $3!) for a crunchy topping.
1/8/09
Black Hawk
Nope, I didn't just rescue another animal. But, after selling my Seduza (I know, so sad...she is out in Colorado braving the snow), my 650 Zipp wheels and Karel's first mountain bike we had a little play money. Karel wanted us to have the same size wheel and after struggling to change many flats on my 650 wheels (lucky none in a race) it was time for me to go a little bigger. My road bike has 700 wheels and I feel really comfortable on Blue so I wasn't worried about the change in size for my tri bike
Well, here she is....some of her.
Karel has always wanted to custom build a bike for me that would fit me. He also wanted to pick his own parts for my bike, rather than paying a heck of a lot of money for a complete bike. Karel and I both know that any bike will be good for me so long as I ride it hard and it is safe. I am not very high tech and obsessed with the latest and greatest so I am not too picky when it comes to brake levers, gears or stems but to Karel, he wants to build a good looking bike that no one else has out there.I just requested pink handle bar tape and pink water bottle cages.
I can't wait to see the final product!
Karel is using some of his parts from his Pinarello and from my Seduza (which we traded out before we sold her).
We are waiting for a few more parts but she should be finished before next week. And to make my bike even faster (ok, to make me train a little faster and harder) I got a power meter. Ok, so I got Karel's old powertap and he got a new one that is more than I would ever spend on anything electronic for my bike....but I know Karel loves those things. As for me, I just want to keep things simple. But what a world of difference when you train with power. I have always been big on HR but after my first bike set w/ power on Tues I couldn't believe the workout I had on my bike! And, it is cool to see the results of the ride on the computer (WKO training program and training peaks) after the workout.
Since we visit Karel at work almost every day, Campy was more interested in going outside than going to the shop to see my new bike.
Well, here she is....some of her.
Karel has always wanted to custom build a bike for me that would fit me. He also wanted to pick his own parts for my bike, rather than paying a heck of a lot of money for a complete bike. Karel and I both know that any bike will be good for me so long as I ride it hard and it is safe. I am not very high tech and obsessed with the latest and greatest so I am not too picky when it comes to brake levers, gears or stems but to Karel, he wants to build a good looking bike that no one else has out there.I just requested pink handle bar tape and pink water bottle cages.
I can't wait to see the final product!
Karel is using some of his parts from his Pinarello and from my Seduza (which we traded out before we sold her).
We are waiting for a few more parts but she should be finished before next week. And to make my bike even faster (ok, to make me train a little faster and harder) I got a power meter. Ok, so I got Karel's old powertap and he got a new one that is more than I would ever spend on anything electronic for my bike....but I know Karel loves those things. As for me, I just want to keep things simple. But what a world of difference when you train with power. I have always been big on HR but after my first bike set w/ power on Tues I couldn't believe the workout I had on my bike! And, it is cool to see the results of the ride on the computer (WKO training program and training peaks) after the workout.
Since we visit Karel at work almost every day, Campy was more interested in going outside than going to the shop to see my new bike.
1/6/09
New Year, New You
My latest article on IronGirl.com (subscribe for your FREE newsletter)...
New Year, New You
Welcome to 2009! With the New Year upon us, it is time to make some resolutions and changes. As you remember the past and look toward the future, make sure your expectations are realistic. If there are areas in your life that you hope to change in 2009, take time to reflect on what was and was not successful in 2008. If you repeat your actions, you will receive the same results.
The idea of creating a New Year resolution may seem simple in your mind, but it must be practical and possible in order to be achieved. Change can be very rewarding, so start with an intention and develop steps to accomplish your overall goal. Losing weight, eating healthier and improving your fitness are popular New Year resolutions. Making these changes may seem difficult at first, but follow the tips below and you will reach your goal:
(In no particular order)
1. Pack your lunch
2. Eat out no more than 3 times a month
3. Exercise more than 5 times a week, for at least 45 minutes each workout
4. Eat a complex carbohydrate, protein-filled breakfast everyday
5. Use fat-free condiments and dressings
6. Snack on fruits and veggies
7. Include protein with all meals and snacks
8. Sign up for a race and give yourself at least 6 weeks to train
9. Keep your evening snack under 150 calories
10. Smile, laugh and enjoy life
11. Read - really read - food labels
12. Reduce your intake of sodium
13. Set realistic weight loss and/or fitness goals
14. Replace foods, don't eliminate
15. Have friends and family hold you accountable
16. Let the mirror be your scale
17. Use only the necessary supplements (ex. whey protein powder, fish oil, multivitamins) and do not rely on weight loss pills
18. Walk more, drive less
19. Encourage others to set realistic goals
20. Weight train 2 to 3 times a week
21. If a food is heart unhealthy or you can't control your intake with a certain food/snack, keep it out of the house
22. Enjoy a little of everything rather than a lot of one thing
23. Portion control
24. Don't be afraid to eat unlike the norm (in other words, don't be afraid to be healthy)
25. Enjoy healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
And how about some cute pics of Campy....
New Year, New You
Welcome to 2009! With the New Year upon us, it is time to make some resolutions and changes. As you remember the past and look toward the future, make sure your expectations are realistic. If there are areas in your life that you hope to change in 2009, take time to reflect on what was and was not successful in 2008. If you repeat your actions, you will receive the same results.
The idea of creating a New Year resolution may seem simple in your mind, but it must be practical and possible in order to be achieved. Change can be very rewarding, so start with an intention and develop steps to accomplish your overall goal. Losing weight, eating healthier and improving your fitness are popular New Year resolutions. Making these changes may seem difficult at first, but follow the tips below and you will reach your goal:
(In no particular order)
1. Pack your lunch
2. Eat out no more than 3 times a month
3. Exercise more than 5 times a week, for at least 45 minutes each workout
4. Eat a complex carbohydrate, protein-filled breakfast everyday
5. Use fat-free condiments and dressings
6. Snack on fruits and veggies
7. Include protein with all meals and snacks
8. Sign up for a race and give yourself at least 6 weeks to train
9. Keep your evening snack under 150 calories
10. Smile, laugh and enjoy life
11. Read - really read - food labels
12. Reduce your intake of sodium
13. Set realistic weight loss and/or fitness goals
14. Replace foods, don't eliminate
15. Have friends and family hold you accountable
16. Let the mirror be your scale
17. Use only the necessary supplements (ex. whey protein powder, fish oil, multivitamins) and do not rely on weight loss pills
18. Walk more, drive less
19. Encourage others to set realistic goals
20. Weight train 2 to 3 times a week
21. If a food is heart unhealthy or you can't control your intake with a certain food/snack, keep it out of the house
22. Enjoy a little of everything rather than a lot of one thing
23. Portion control
24. Don't be afraid to eat unlike the norm (in other words, don't be afraid to be healthy)
25. Enjoy healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
And how about some cute pics of Campy....
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