Vegetarian "Meat" and Potato salad

As you know, my background is in exercise physiology (Master degree in Exercise Physiology, Bachelor degree in Exercise Science/minor in psychology) so I feel really confident when it comes to coaching and understanding the adaptations that must be made in an effort to increase speed and power for optimal performance. Individual improvements are very relative. Because we all have different heart rates for different speeds, which causes us to metabolize fuels differently, it would be silly to say that a 9 min miler does not work as hard as a 7 min miler, just because the "faster" athlete finishes quicker than the "slower" athlete. Training must be individualized in an effort to experience performance gains and in an effort to avoid burnout, injury and unnecessary fatigue.
Unlike any other event out there, except for the decathlon, triathletes do not just train for one sport. If you are a triathlete, or are considering the "triathlete" lifestyle, you realize that you swim, you bike and then you run. You train your body to be able to bike after you swim and run after you bike and you hope that on race day, all your training comes together.

Isn't it amazing what we put our bodies through.....just for a t-shirt and a finisher medal.

In my opinion, triathlons are a great sport. They teach you so much about yourself. Not only do you become physically strong but you teach yourself to be mentally tough. However, for the majority of us and the people you train with, it is likely that you aren't getting paid to race/participate in a triathlon.
I’m sure we would all love it if we received back our registration fee after we crossed the finish line but at our level, we aren’t racing for money and triathlons aren't paying the bills.

But, we all know we need to exercise for health benefits and weight control and for whatever reason, we picked the triathlon lifestyle to help us stay healthy. Triathlons are a great lifestyle but they don’t need to be your life. It's likely that you have a job, a family, a husband/wife, close family and friends and furry little ones (or slimy ones) that need just as much attention and focus as your training routine.

As I have mentioned in several previous blog posts, triathlon training (or any exercise routine) begins with a balanced diet. If your daily diet is filled with foods that limit performance, such as simple sugars, processed foods, calorie-dense (as opposed to nutrient dense) foods or salty or fatty foods OR have habits such as not eating breakfast, overeating, undereating, not fueling properly after training or going long hours without eating, there is no perfect training plan to help you improve in your sport. Furthermore, when it comes to race day, without proper nutrition on a daily basis, there is not "ideal" racing nutrition plan to help you have a great race day experience.
Triathlon training starts with your daily diet and making your health your first priority. Because many people struggle with a balance of training and the rest of life, do not feel overwhelmed when trying to change heart-unhealthy habits to more heart-healthy habits. Just like with training adaptations, healthy eating does not happen over night, especially if you want to create habits that you can stick with. Taking a little time each day to focus on your strengths and weakness's in your daily diet, which will support your healthy, active and quality-filled life, will allow you to find what works best for you, depending on your training volume and intensity.

To help fuel your workouts and your lifestyle, I strongly encourage a more plant-based diet, rich in fruit, veggies and balanced with quality protein, low fat dairy, fiber-rich grains and healthy unsaturated fats. Do not view foods as good or bad but rather performance limiting or performance enhancing. Certainly there are foods you should emphasize in your diet and de-emphasize so if the daily diet is under control you are going to find it much easier to stay consistent with your training/exercise routine and not feel guilty, restricted or obsessed when it comes to healthy eating.

I hope you enjoy my latest creation. Why would anyone ever think that vegetarian diet isn't filling or satisfying and doesn't support the lifestyle of an endurance/active triathlete? This meal deserves a big YUM!

Vegetarian "Meat" and Potato salad
(serves 2)
1 small Idaho potato
1/2 container firm tofu (cubed)
1-2 tbsp Corn Starch
1 large steak tomato
1/4 cup purple onion (sliced)
1 large clove garlic (chopped)
1/8-1/4 cup jalapenos (chopped)
2 1/2 tsp olive oil
Seasonings: curry powder, cracked pepper, cayenne
Large handful spinach
2 eggs

1. On a non-stick pan on medium heat, cook garlic in 1/2 tsp olive oil until garlic turns slightly brown. Remove from pan.
2. On a plate, spread out cubed tofu and gently rub w/ corn starch to coat at least 1-2 sides of tofu cubes.
3. Cook tofu in 1 tsp olive oil and add seasonings.
4. When tofu is slightly golden brown add garlic and toss. After 1 minute, remove from pan.
5. While tofu is cooking, microwave washed potato for 3-4 min. or until soft on the outside and cooked in the inside. Slice potato into cubes.
6. Cook potato in remaining olive oil until potato turns golden brown. Add tofu and toss. Remove from pan.
7. Cook egg in pan (sunny-side up).
8. Starting with spinach, place a handful of spinach in shallow bowl and top w/ sliced tomato and onion. Add potato and tofu and top w/ egg.

Iron Girl Atlanta Pics

I missed my little ones

Iron Girl Atlanta Race Report

I remember all too well what it feels like to be a newbie.
Considering that my first three triathlons (sprint, olympic and olympic) were on a Giant Hybrid bike (which I thought was the coolest bike EVER at the time) I was 100% newbie for my first year of calling myself a "triathlete". I think my swimming background allowed me to "succeed" in the sport as a newbie but looking back, WOW- I was such a horrible biker and so-not-worthy to even call myself a cyclist.

That's ok - it didn't really matter to me if I sucked at cycling or running off the bike because I just loved the people at triathlons, the excitment, the finish line, the t-shirt and medal and the post-race soreness that lasted for at least a week. I just loved the experience and the lifestyle of swim-bike-run and never considered myself to be a die-hard competitive triathlete...that is, until I met Karel.

Karel always told me that I was having too much fun at triathlons because I was always smiling when I crossed the finish line. Well, I don't think there is anything wrong with smiling but perhaps me not breathing too hard when I crossed line was an indication that I was totally enjoying the experience and not truly giving it my best effort. Sure, I was hurting during the races but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle for a sprint or olympic distance.

6 years have passed since my first triathlon and I find myself getting more nervous than ever before most of my races. For some reason, the only race I don't get nervous for is the Ironman. Perhaps it is the year of anticipation and dedication that allows the nerves to be calm on the days and hours leading up to the race and the excitement of putting the training to the test. As for the less than a handful running and triathlon races that I do per year, I am not sure why I get so nervous but it is certainly something that I'm working on on a daily basis. I am certainly a hypocrite when it comes to my athletes because I can give the best motivation speeches but when it comes to psyching up myself, sometimes I can't seem to gather the right mental strength to feel confident going into race. Then again, I am fortunate that I am a coach, have supportive friends and family (and Karel) and have the privilege of helping others with training and racing nutrition because it reminds me how much I really do love triathlons and the experiences and memories that come with it.


Pre-race
4:30am came rather quickly but thankfully, Laura and I got a good night of sleep. I prepared some coffee and then used the coffee maker to heat some water for our oatmeal (no fridge or microwave). We had a big cooler of goodies so we had a little milk with our coffee and prepared oatmeal w/ banana and a little PB.
We packed up the car on Sat night so we quickly gathered our stuff and checked out of the hotel at 5:10am. We made our 2 mile drive to the race site and then made our .5 mile walk to the transition.

After body marking, Laura and I made our way through the transition area to set up our gear. I headed to the back of the transition area and Laura was near the middle. 1400 athletes and lots of bikes made for a wonderful time at 5:30am.
As the sun came up, I could see the nerves and excitement on so many faces from newbie athletes about to do their first ever triathlon. After setting up my transition area and giving Karel a quick text to tell him I was nervous but ready to go, I pumped up my tubular tires and then I went to Laura's rack to pump up her tires. After a few pics for the blog and meeting a few blog readers and FB friends, I made a few stops at the bathroom and then headed to the swim start at 6:35.

Swim
I was really nervous about the swim because my wave (29 and under) was the very last wave. Nothing like 1302 athletes ahead of you on the course and having to start with 98 youngsters, half of which are super strong HS swimmers.
The anticipation for the start really got to me and I found myself going in and out of excitement and nerves. I kept watching the top-females in each age group swim away from the start line and wondering to myself if I would even stand a chance placing in top 5. Sure, I considered the massive amount of people on the course ahead of me and me not knowing how the other athletes were doing as I was trying to "race my own race" but then again, how could I not dismiss the fact that I was participating in a race where over half of the athletes were doing a first-ever triathlon. I guess you could say I was worried about being in the last wave, 40 min behind the first wave but not the least bit upset that I was racing in this event. I absolutely love sharing the course with newbie athletes and enjoying the experience with them...an experience that I remember all too well.
I took in an Orange Hammer gel about 20 min before the start and at 7:40am, the 29 and unders walked into the water for a water-start.
4,3,2,1....GO!
Off we went. For a moment I thought I was in Kona. I have never been so beat up in my life. Those girls were vicious!! I was swimming all-out trying to keep up with these young girls but before I knew it, we were rounding the first of two turn buoys and catching up with hundreds of other swimmers. Without complaining to myself, I tried to swim around them but there just wasn't a lot of room in this 1/3 of a mile (minus 50 yrds according to officials) course. I did the best I could but I certainly lost a lot of time in that swim.
T1
I sprinted my way out of the water and started my climb up the paved hill to T1. This hill is 10x steeper than the Macon Half hill and I found myself prancing on my tippy-toes to get up the hills. Finally I made my way to the top and ran towards my bike.
On went the aero helmet and glasses, as well as my socks (I wear socks in all of my races because I am not comfortable without them) and shoes. I grabbed TriMarni (who was likely pepping up the other bikes which included mountain bikes, hybrid bikes w/out clips or cages and road bikes) and sprinted out of transition.

Bike
Here's where the race got interesting. As I exited transition, I looked ahead to the line of bikes that were ahead of me. Considering that the top age groupers ahead of me (which was everyone except 29 and under) were racing on this 18 mile course with very little bike traffic, I had two goals for this portion of the race "go all out and be safe".
I stayed to the left for the first 5 miles of the race as I passed many riders. I tried to give some cheers and words of wisdom "small chain ring, great job!" but I was on a mission to go as fast as I could.
As a 2x Iron girl Atlanta finisher, I knew this course was not easy. There are 2-3 steep but short climbs and many rollers. There are actually a few tricky descends as well but overall the course is challenging and tough. The course ends with a false flat for about 2-3 miles which leaves you wondering if you have a flat tire or if your brakes are rubbing.
Throughout the course, I did my best to yell "on your left" but a few times I was stuck behind a group of girls walking bikes up hills and weaving around the hills.
Without getting upset, all I could do is say "keep it up" as I cruised on by.
Oh yes, the times of a heavy aluminum hybrid bike...I remember it all too well.
Throughout the entire bike I was playing cat and mouse with a 17 year old who climbed the hills in her aerobars and made it look so easy.
Here I am, a Floridian out of her saddle (in the small ring) pushing up these climbs and we seem to go the same pace, but with completely different effort. We both made sure to give ourselves legal distance between each other but every time she passed me I had to be sure to tell her "good job, you are doing great".
I finished about 3/4 bottle of a heaping scoop of heed (strawberry) mixed w/ water throughout the course and was feeling really really strong on the bike.
With about 1 mile to go, I figured I would need to give it everything I had into transition because by the looks of it, this 17 year old was ready to run me down.
I arrived into transition and got off my bike super fast and sprinted to my rack w/ my bike (shoes still on, I don't unstrap my shoes on the bike).
T2
My transition was super quick because I needed to get as much time as I could to get away from this speedy 17 year old. I put on my running shoes and grabbed my visor and pink race belt as I ran through transition.
I started my watch and made my way onto the run course.
Run
To my surprise, my legs were feeling fresh and I was ready to run. However, the fresh feeling doesn't last long on a course that is filled with rolling hills. I think about 400 yrds are flat and the rest is up, up, up and then down, up, up. How is it that running courses never seem to go down?
The first mile went by fast and my pace was good. 6:45
I talked myself into the out and back course and tried to keep myself motivated to push hard by telling myself "1.5 miles out, 1.5 miles back..you can do this".
After the first mile, I was passed. There goes the speed demon. I guess I lost my mojo for a little as I was climbing up a hill because my pace slowed and I was feeling tired. As I made my turn-around I heard a cheer from Stefanie (princess runner blog) who said "go get em Marni" and that just made my day. I picked up the pace and told myself "1 more mile to go when you get to mile 2!".
2nd mile: 7:07
I picked up the pace and kept the girl ahead of me in sight. I figured if I had any shot of placing top 5 overall I needed to get as close as possible to her. I wasn't able to catch her but I was feeling really good on the run. I have wanted a run like this in the past and finally it was all coming together.
As I made my way up the gradually inclining hill to the finishing chute, I was huffing and puffing to the line. I stopped my watch for my last mile to read 6:55
I found Judy and she told me that I had a chance of getting top 5 but she wasn't sure of the results. She said first place was 1:21 and considering that my time last year was 1:27 I had no idea how I finished.
When results were posted, I was pleasantly surprised with my results.
6th place overall and 1st age group.
The 17 year old got 2nd. If only I had her running legs!
Considering that my wave was last and I had only one girl in front of me to keep me pushing hard, I am really happy with my result.
I have never ran sub 7 min miles off the bike and I was 37 sec. away from having the fastest bike split of the day.
Results:
1/3 mile swim (-50 yards) - 18 mile bike - 3 mile run
7:37 swim
52.17 bike (20.7 mph) - Karel is happy with this one!
20.46 run (6:55min/mile)

Could you imagine if we were all in the same wave? Check out the finishing times of the top 8 women (all within 3 1/2 min) and 2nd-6th were within 1 min apart!
Rebecca Villers - 1:21:55 (35-39)
Katie June - 1:23:19 (14-19)
Carmen Brahim -1:23:30 (35-39)
Amanda Harpring - 1:23:36 (30-34)
Kris Kester - 1:23:47 (45-49)
Marni Sumbal - 1:24:20 (25-29)
Helen Libby - 1:25.04 (30-34)
Jennifer Lesser - 1:25:25 (35-39)

A big congrats to Laura for finishing top 200 out of 1400 women! Also congrats to Patti for her first triathlon, Stefanie for having a beautiful pink Trek and to Cindy for having a personal best. Lots of congrats go out to the many first-timer athletes who raced on a really tough course in an effort to cross their first-ever triathlon finish line.
As usual, the race was a success and Judy reminded me how much I really do love triathlons.

Off I go....

Heading to Lake Lanier, GA today for Iron Girl Atlanta. Looking forward to the un-matched, Iron Girl experience. Nothing compares to racing with women and seeing pink EVERYWHERE!

In addition to our 3 furry little ones, we have 3 fish tanks. Karel just re-did our 55 gallon fish tank and it looks beautiful. We have 2 other tanks and dozen of fish in them but we just love the personalities of our chichlid fish. Oscar (the giant one) likes to re-arrange the tank after Karel makes everything pretty. It's funny to see the tank completely different in the morning (usually with all of the plants and rocks on one side of the tank) because Oscar doesn't like anything in his way. Eventually we will get a bigger tank for them but for now, we only have so much room in our apartment.
Enjoy the pics!
*In my next life, I will be a fish. What a wonderful life to just swim all day....

3 Simple Sports Nutrition tips

Tomorrow Laura and I will be on the road for a 7 hour drive to Lake Lanier, GA. This will be Laura's first Iron Girl triathlon and I am so excited to share this experience with her and all of the other future Iron Girl newbies.
Although this is a sprint triathlon and may be "short" in distance, there is nothing easy about this course. I have done this race for the last 2 years and both times I finished the race I was wondering if I really did a sprint triathlon?
The 1/3 mile swim + 18 mile bike + 3 mile run is not easy and you need to have your climbing legs ready for this event. Sure, there are lots of climbs on the bike and the out and back run seems like it just goes up and never goes down but let me tell you about the swim. No, no hills during the swim but to get from the swim exit to transition you run up the most steep hill I have ever seen in my life!

I will be speaking at the pre-race expo at 1pm. Please come if you are doing the race or live nearby. Rather than telling everyone how to fuel for the race on Sun, I decided to discuss my favorite 5 Simple Sports Nutrition tips help athletes learn how to live an active and healthy lifestyle as a triathlete as well as learning how develop an individualized race day nutrition plan.

Here's a sneak peak to 3 of my 5 tips (simplified) that I will be discussing in my talk:

Tip #1: Sports nutrition is the 1st principle
In my opinion, nutrition is the 1st principle of triathlon training, not the 4th principle. Daily nutrition first, then swim, bike run. You can have the best coach, the best designed training plan, lots of discipline and motivation and the best nutrition fueling strategy but if you aren’t as disciplined with your daily diet as you are with your training routine, you will constantly find yourself struggling to improve with your workouts as well as being consistent with your training.
If your diet is filled with foods that limit performance, such as simple sugars and salty or fatty foods, or have habits such as not eating breakfast, overeating, not fueling properly after training or going long hours without eating, there is no perfect training and racing nutrition plan (or product) to help you have a great race day experience. Triathlon training starts with your daily diet and making your health your first priority. Ultimately, if your daily diet is under control and balanced with healthy foods, you will find it much easier to know what your body actually needs or doesn’t need during training.

Tip #2: Carb-emphasize
You don't need to be a veteran athlete to know about carbo-loading? The name kinda says it all. You load your body with carbs. The understanding is that if you decrease your training volume, and expend less calories than normal, your body will break down the sugars from "extra" carbohydrates and you will encourage your body to store extra carbs as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Essentially, filling your fuel tank for race day Well, the idea of carbo loading is a great idea but over the years I think athletes have taken the concept to the extreme.
Carbo loading does not mean eating pasta until you physically can’t eat any more or eating every carb (specifically the processed ones) in sight on the days leading up to your race. Although I don't want people to calorie-restrict on the days leading up to a race, I encourage everyone to forget about “carbo-loading” and to focus on a balanced meal, rich in slow digesting carbohydrates.
Rather than eating a heavy, calorie-filled meal on the night before a race, plan to have a portioned-controlled meal, rich in complex carbs on the two nights before the race. Aim for around 450-550 calories (+/- 50 calories depending on your body size) of a mix of slow digesting carbs (making up around 65-70% of your meal), such as pasta, pizza, any kind of whole grains, sweet potatoes, non-gassy veggies, fruit, rice or bread and add in lean or low fat protein, such as fish, turkey, chicken, eggs or egg whites, veggie burger, tofu, part-skim cheese, milk, beans, cottage cheese and a little health fat such as olive oil, fish or nuts.

Tip #3: Topping off your fuel tank
You can thank me later for telling you to not overeat the night before race day because there is nothing worse than waking up with a full stomach and knowing that you need to put some food in your body at least 2 -3 hrs before the race start.
No matter the racing distance, it is important to put something in your body on race day morning so that you are not hungry before the race start and you have enough back-up fuel in your system to get you through the race. The key here, just like your "carb-emphasized dinner", is that you don’t want to overeat. Your just topping off your fuel tank.
From a physiological standpoint, what you eat on race day morning isn’t going to ensure you that you are going to have a personal best time on race day. Training, pre race nutrition and race day nutrition are all factors in your performance on race day. However, I can assure you if you are feeling bloated, starving, ligtheaded or fatigued before or during the race, you are not going to have a great racing experience.

My advice to you, rather than skipping breakfast or drinking a Red Bull on the road, I want you to focus on a healthy, and hopefully well-practiced, slow digesting carbohydrate snack with a little fat or protein to keep you satisfied in the hours leading up to the race.
Pre race nutrition is going to differ for everyone depending on food preferences, terrain, weather, racing volume and racing intensity. Keep things simple and be sure to consider your hotel/room arrangements on race day morning (ex. no microwave for your normal pre-race oatmeal or no fridge for your normal hard-boiled egg or milk)
It’s very important that this pre-race meal is balanced and that you don’t just consume a 300 calorie bagel, a bowl of sugary cereal, a power bar or 2 banana’s and an energy gel. I believe that adding a little protein and/or healthy fat to the meal will help keep your blood sugar stable before the race start as well as slowing down digesting to keep you feeling satisfied during the race. It’s also very important that you have a big glass of water with your meal and if you want coffee, that is perfectly fine with your breakfast.
I find that many people eat way to close to the race start because they worry about not having enough fuel during the race but believe me, your pre-race meal is not going to be the defining factor of whether or not you finish the race. On top of your taper, your carb-rich meal last night and your pre-race snack, you are going to have plenty of fuel for the race.
Remember, the later you wait to eat solid food, the more likely your stomach will not agree with what you are putting in your body.

Vegetarian pasta and Tuna stuffed broiled tomato

Karel will eat anything I prepare. I've had a few "not-worthy for the blog" creations but overall, I think I make his tummy very happy.
Although Karel is not a vegetarian I always cook a vegetarian meal for the both of us. It is up to him if he wants to add "extras" to his meal or eat something after dinner but when he comes home from work, there is always something plant-based ready for him to try.
Several nights a week I try to cook chicken or fish for him but on average, when I prepare an additional non-vegetarian dinner for him it likely tuna or deli meat inside a vegetarian creation. On most days of the week we have a salad w/ dinner or as the main part of dinner.

Here are two easy dishes to please both the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian.
Enjoy my latest creations!

Vegetarian pasta
1/3 carton of firm tofu (cubed)
2 large handfuls of spinach
2-4 spoonfuls marinara sauce
1/4 - 1/3 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Fresh basil leaves (mine were from a garden, not grocery)
1 serving whole wheat pasta noodles (per person)
1 - 2 tsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove (chopped)
Seasonings - pepper, curry powder

1. Cook pasta to your liking
2. While pasta is cooking, heat pan to medium heat and add olive oil and garlic.
3. Add tofu, onion and mushroom. Cook until soft and brown.
4. Add marinara sauce and chopped basil leaves (or you can use basil seasoning) and stir.
5. Add spinach and turn heat to low and cover.
6. Drain pasta and place 1 serving of pasta in shallow bowl.
7. Top with a big spoonful of veggie-tofu mixture.





Tuna stuffed broiled tomato
1 large vine tomato (mine was fresh from garden, not grocery)
1 can tuna (packed in water)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 celery (chopped)
2-3 tbsp chopped onion
2 tsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp mayo
Small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
Basil leaves (chopped)
Pepper, cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees - set to broil
2. Scoop out inside of tomato after carving around the top with a knife.
3. Place the tomato on tinfoil, on your baking dish
4. Combine tun, garlic, celery, onion, mustard, mayo, basil and seasonings and stir.
5. Pack tuna mixture inside of tomato until it is stuffed.
6. Broil for 10 min or until tuna begins to brown.




*Use extra tuna mixture on a sandwich thin and broil in oven for 2-3 min. Topped with a little fresh swiss cheese (shredded)

Salad to go along with dinner OR as dinner
Romaine lettuce
Garlic
Peaches
Apricot
Pear
Celery
Onion
Carrots
Basil
Mozzarella cheese
Hard boiled egg

Staying active

Sure, I want to improve with my training and I want to reach my full potential. However, I am not one to take chances when it comes training for an event and risking an injury. I realize that as an athlete, it is hard to know your limits especially when you train yourself to be physically and mentally strong. However, there needs to be an understanding of how much to train and how hard to push it so that "getting through" THAT workout doesn't turn into your last workout.
I think there is a big difference between "slacking" with your training and having a quality training session. If your training schedule is designed properly to encourage recovery after your intense training sessions, you should not find yourself second guessing staying in bed or getting up to go train. Because the body is not perfect and you are human, there will be times when you need to listen to your body in an effort to maximize recovery and mentally re-focus.

Here's how I see it. If you always find yourself struggling to get through your Thurs and Fri workouts and you don't take Mon off after your hard weekend of training, maybe a morning of sleeping in will jump start your week. I believe in waking up without an alarm at least 1 day a week (of course, waking up in time to go to work as opposed to waking up 2 hrs earlier to do an "easy" swim) and if that means missing a workout, well I would suggest listening to your body to help with muscle growth and tissue repair. I can't express enough how important it is to get a restful night of sleep on most days of the week.
You don't have to feel 100% every day of the week but you should be able to give 100% to every workout. Giving 100% doesn't mean going 100% all out but rather making the most of your training sessions. Sure, there will be workouts that you wished you would have skipped but overall if you focus on quality workouts the majority of your training will make you a healthier, fitter and faster athlete.
If you feel as if you can't give 100% to your workouts, then just exercise. Having a training schedule does not mean all or nothing.
I had a great training week last week. I posted my Tues and Wed workout on my blog but Thurs was a toughy!
Karel writes my workouts on Mon and we address my upcoming schedule, time constraints and weekly goals.
The set for Thurs on the bike:
5min @ 165 W + 10min @ 145ish + 5min @ 165W + 10min @ 145ish (All as a one interval with no rest between – total of 30min interval). One of my goals for my IMWI training is a higher cadence during my fast intervals so my legs were pushing fast and hard (although not mashing) for the 5 min sections. After the set I recovered for 10 min and repeated the set again.
I had a second part of the set which was 3x5min at 165W with 3 min recovery between. but during the 2nd round of my main set I was 99.5% sure that I would not be doing the second set. Karel is always ok with me modifying the workout so long as I give the main set my best effort. I ended up getting a flat during the last 10 min of the 2nd round so I just rode home easy and called it a day after I changed my flat.
BTW-my first time changing a tubular in "real life". I timed myself from start to finish when I got off the bike until I got back on the bike. 4 min and 43 seconds. I'm very happy about that and tubulars are SO much easier to change than clinchers!

On Thurs night I was laying in bed and I was looking forward to the weekend. Thinking back to the workouts on Mon - Thurs, I realized that I had a consistent quality week of training. What more could I ask for! Although I am like most people who have a goal of "not being injured" I am very aware of preventing the injury. Therefore, my 2nd goal of IMWI training is recovery which includes stretching, icing, compression, core work (planks), glute/hip strengthening and sleep. So far so good.
So in bed on Thurs I decided that I would take off Fri. I was tired and I really wanted to sleep and swim outside (something I never do). I told Karel that I just wanted to exercise and he said that was a good idea. Of course, I found myself wondering if I was "slacking" but it took me 2 seconds to think about my Mon-Thurs workouts and then another 2 sec. to think about my upcoming weekend workout and without a doubt, I certainly wasn't slacking.

I slept in until 6:30 and took Campy on a long walk. I went to the Y close to my apartment which has an outdoor pool. I swam for 40 min and enjoyed every stroke. I felt so refreshed and revitalized and I was ready for the weekend.

Sat workout:
72 mile ride + 4 mile run
*rode with the guys and another lady joined in! I responded to a lot of attacks on the first loop and felt super strong. My legs were totally toasted on the 2nd loop but I didn't get dropped. I did about 90 min alone before the ride, 1 hr FAST (28 mph) with the guys and then rode home. 3 hrs and 52 min.
*the run went well. It was nearing 11am and it was so hot out. I filled my fuel belt with water and had a sip of water every 1/2 mile (and extra for cooling on my body). I didn't push it on the run so I finished the 4.2 mile run in around 32 min. My cold shower (which included a bottle of water in the shower) never felt so good.

Sun workout:
9.5 mile run + 15 mile bike
*As my first "long" run of IMWI training I just wanted to run. It was great to run without pain, soreness or worry and to just enjoy the outdoors. My run felt a little slow but I had to remind myself that I am building my way up (following a slow progression with my "long" run mileage) in an effort to run strong off the bike at Ironman Wisconsin. I finished in 1 hr and 18 minutes (8:12) and I was ok with that. I walked in our place and told Karel how great it felt to just run! What a relief.

Karel had a super tough race in Augusta GA on Sat and he said it was all "punchy" hills. The race was a little over 90 miles and he finished 6th with a tough field (GA state championships)!! Curtis and Karel had no one to feed them so they paid a Cat 3 woman to hand them bottles during their 3 1/2 - 4 hr race.
Karel was totally exhausted on Sun so when I got home from my run I was excited to go for an easy 15 mile (45 min) spin with Karel.
I drafted behind Karel for the whole ride and we did 2 x 7 mile loops by our apartment. Nice and safe. We had a quick stop for me to save a turtle trying to cross the road. Poor guy...he was moving super slow.

As for the rest of the weekend (not training) I stayed busy. I tried to rest as much as I could but I just love staying on my feet. Thus, my last reason to listen to my body and to keep a balanced schedule.

In addition to Karel, who has really helped me understand training and how to make the most of a quality, low volume training plan, this little guy keeps me balanced. He reminds me that no training session is worth serious injury. Campy and I are on a quest to make the most out of life and to enjoy every day here on Earth. So far, I think we are doing a good job together.

Garlic and Green Pepper stuffed tomatoes

Last week I mentioned that my preceptor gave me a bag full of fresh veggies from her garden. Well, those went by fast and I was in need of a new batch.
Yesterday Karel and I headed to the beach w/ Campy and on our way we visited my preceptor and "shopped" in her garden. I think we have enough vine tomatoes to last us a month (well, more like a week if I get super creative w/ my recipes).

Tomatoes are packed with nutrition. Definitely a must in the diet of a healthy and active individual.
You probably know them to be a good source of the phytochemical called lycopene (which makes them red) but they are also packed with antioxidants. Did you know that cooking a tomato creates more antioxidants than eating it raw?

Certainly, cooking may reduce nutritional content in many fruits and veggies (for example, oxidation during cooking causes tomatoes to loose some vitamin C) but a diet rich in plant-based foods (cooked or not) is going to provide your body with a variety of nutrients, more so than any processed or packaged food filled with ingredients.

By the way.....a tomato is a fruit because it is a ripened ovary of a seed plant.

I hope you enjoy my latest creation!
Garlic and Green Pepper stuffed tomatoes

1 large vine tomato (per person)
1 clove garlic
2-3 tbsp chopped green pepper
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Scoop out inside of tomato with a knife and a spoon (save the inside for cooking).
3. Place chopped garlic inside the tomato and top w/ pepper.
4. Place tomato in casserole dish and drizzle w/ a little olive oil (1/2-1 tsp). Place extra tomato pieces in casserole dish.
5. Cook for 15-20 min. or until tomato begins to brown and shrivel.

Optional: serve w/ green beans, brown rice, black beans and apricot.
For the vegetarians: hard boiled egg
For the meat-eaters: chicken w/ jalapenos.











Karel's plate

My plate

Carrot and Apple Slaw, Roasted veggies & Tofu egg salad

I LOVE this carrot slaw. I could eat it every day.
I also love roasted veggies, especially when they are easy to prepare. With hardly any prep, you can have a serving or two of veggies in less than 20 min.
Lastly, for a little protein in my vegetarian life, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my tofu egg salad. It's been a while since I made it and I sure did miss it!

Enjoy!

Carrot and Apple Slaw
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded apple (gala or yellowish apple)
Lime juice (usually 2 tsp but add to your liking)

1. Combine all ingredients. Add additional lime juice if you want a sweeter slaw.




Roasted Veggies
1 zucchini (peeled and sliced into thin wedges)
Onions (sliced)
Corn
Chickpeas
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1-2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a baking dish, lined with tinfoil, spread out veggies.
3. Drizzle olive oil and toss.
4. Bake for 20-30 min or until veggies begin to brown.





Tofu egg salad
Equal servings of the following 3 veggies (about 1/2 cup):
Carrots, Onion, Celery
1/8 cup chopped jalapenos
5 eggs (2 whole eggs, 3 egg whites)
1/2 block firm tofu (crumbled)
4 roma tomatoes
1/4-1/3 cup chickpeas
2 big cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp olive oil mayo
2 spoonfuls of your favorite salsa
Pepper, curry powder, cumin

1. Combine all ingredients and stir.
(best after an hour or more in the refrigerator)