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Showing posts from September 23, 2012

Sauteed cabbage, onions and garlic w/ millet and arugula

      I love to cook. I love making a meal out of food grown from the earth. I love having one idea when I start cooking and finishing with a totally different creation. I love sharing my creations with Karel and I love being proud of the food I put into my body.   So proud that I love taking pictures of my creations because after the meal is finished, I can still enjoy the beauty of my meal with a photo.   But I'll be honest. These creations are not made on a starving stomach. I believe that eating habits throughout the day, set us up for good behaviors in the evening hours. But most importantly, I want to feel better after I eat, than when I started. If we eat when we have low blood sugar or when starving, there is a large chance that we will overeat or choose quick, fast blood-sugar raising foods. Ultimately, the goal to feel great about the food we put into our body is replaced with an uncomfortable feeling that can not be undone.   I don't believe we c

Branson 70.3 RR - 13.1 mile run

  It takes time to build strength, speed and endurance. Months at the minimum but likely, years for the body to grow. The beauty of sports is knowing that you have time. This active lifestyle that we all enjoy (or are learning to enjoy) does not require a finish line to feel accomplished. It is only with goal setting, the fruits of your labor are often most celebrated when you finally cross that "finish line", knowing that you did everything possible to prepare the body and mind for the adventure ahead. For athletes, ultimately, your longevity in a sport is increased by following a realistic, balanced and quality-structured training plan and reduced if you expect to progress too quickly and overlook the significant variables that contribute to successful performances. Goal setting can be useful but it can also be abused. Nothing great is ever accomplished quickly.   For the past three months, Branson 70.3 was always on my mind. During every hard workout, every spor

Branson 70.3 RR - 56 mile bike

  I'm really struggling to put a definition on this bike course. Karel says that a lot of hearts were broken on this course by athletes experiencing trashed legs on the run.   It's hard for me to properly describe this course because I am a 5 foot triathlete, from flat Florida, who loves to climb. Karel is a former (and very recent) Category 1 cyclist who spent much of his teenage years, climbing mountains in Europe.   Karel said this course was no joke and much harder than he imagined it would be from the course profile.   Source   I decided I would let Google dictionary help me with a realistic definition... (pictures from this race report in 2010)     The Branson 70.3 bike course is TOUGH - Physically hardy, rugged, severe, harsh, aggressive, demanding, troubling   One must be TOUGH - Able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking; strong and resilient.         The Branson 70.3 bike course is DIFFICULT: hard to do

Branson 70.3 RR - Pre race + 1.2 mile swim

FRIDAY 9/22 The normal 2 days before an endurance event dinner... Pizza for me, pasta for Karel. We wanted local eats but the place we found was smoking inside (pub) so we decided on Chicago Pizza in the Landing. Happy Birthday pre-birthday to KAREL on 9/22!!! Pre race - 9/22 Saturday could have been a rushed day but I wrote out an itinerary for our to-do's and was careful to not overlook the importance of "rest" on the day before our race.  Source: here We warmed up near the race venue (pictured above is race start) with a 10 min lake swim, followed by a 45 min bike (on the first 5ish miles of the course) and then a 10 min run to open the legs. While sipping on our Hammer Recoverite, we checked in for the event at the host hotel, Chateau on the Lake and scoped out the swim/T1 scene. We stopped a sub place for a meal and then headed back to the hotel. We had packed up our stuff for the race on Fri evening so there was ample time to res

Branson 70.3 - Finisher report!

  We DID IT!!! Branson 70.3 finishers!     First off, thank you for your support, enthusiasm and excitement for our first race experience together. Secondly, I apologize for any typos or spelling errors..my body and brain are very tired (thanks for understanding).     I am so excited to write my race report but for now, I am going to enjoy doing nothing. My season is official complete and it's time to reflect and think about next year.   A day after his 36th birthday, I'm so happy that Karel enjoyed his first half ironman....and this course was no joke. Harder than we could have imagined while reviewing info about the course but once we arrived to Branson, we knew race day would be a challenge.   The day started at 4:15am when we woke up (central time) and after riding the shuttle bus to Moonshine Lake, we were greeted with 74 degrees in the lake. This was very welcoming considering the shivers with 43 degree air temps.   The swim was beautiful. T