During our Tour d’Arches NP on Wednesday, we kept seeing these beautiful snow-capped mountains off in the distance.  In and out of the clouds, they appeared to be experiencing some weather. 

What I heard:

Me:  I wonder what those mountains are?

JMac:  South.

Me:  They’re not south.  They’re east.

JMac:  South.

Me:  That’s not south.  The sun is setting over there (me pointing west) which makes over there (me pointing towards the mountains) east.  Maybe southeast but not south.

JMac:  South.

Me:  What?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  La Sal?

JMac:  Yes.  La Sal.  They are the La Sal Mountains.

Me:  Oh.  La Sal.  How did you know that?

JMac:  Who do you think you’re talking to?

Me:  True.

How the conversation actually went, according to JMac:

Me:  I wonder what those mountains are?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  They’re not south.  They’re east.

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  That’s not south.  The sun is setting over there (me pointing west) which makes over there (me pointing towards the mountains) east.  Maybe southeast but not south.

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  What?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  La Sal?

JMac:  Yes.  La Sal.  They are the La Sal Mountains.

Me:  Oh.  La Sal.  How did you know that?

JMac:  Who do you think you’re talking to?

Me:  True.

And to think we’re just hitting our forties now. 

My parents had suggested that we exit I-70 at Route 128 in order to take the scenic drive along the Colorado River into Moab.  This was a fantastic idea…as JMac said, “Good thinking, Jimbo.”  The scenery did not disappoint.  With no particular schedule to meet, a rarity for the both of us, we took time to pull off and take some pictures, winding our way through the open country.  We drove up to the stunning Fisher Towers, another beautiful landmark and took some more pictures there as well.

We eventually made it to Moab and checked in at the Up the Creek Campground, a small, tent only campground about a half block off the main drag on the south side of town.  We have a nice site backed up against a creek that winds through town.  It’s actually quite lovely.  Quiet.  Clean.  With running water and hot showers.  It is also significantly cheaper than all of the other lodging I saw in town, including the Air BnB stays.  Dinner found us at the Moab Brewery.  They have an entire section of their menu dedicated to #plantpowered entrees so I had no trouble finding something substantive to eat.  I have now read three articles on Utah’s liquor laws but still have no real understanding of how they work.  At the brewery, if you order one of their beers on draft, it’s 3.2% ABV.  But you can also order the same beer in a can, drink it in the restaurant and it will be “full test” or somewhere in the 6-7% range.  Weird.

I found town to be a lot more busy than I was anticipating.  I realize that it’s a tourist destination but I was under the impression it was a more quiet, artsy community.  Not so, my friends.  It’s artsy but with offroad vehicles driving through town and people everywhere.  Something like Gatlinburg meets Jackson, WY?

Breakfast on Wednesday was at the aptly named Eklectica Café.  With a wide range of options (they will do a tofu sub for all egg dishes and also have GF bread and pastry), JMac and I both had a hearty meal.  Our plan for the day was laundry, return some messages knowing we would be without cell access after today, check out Arches National Park and then repack our gear for four days in the backcountry.

Laundry?  Washed, dried and folded.  Messages returned?  Done.  So then we were off to Arches.  If you have seen any pictures from there, you know that the scenery is quite stunning.  Large sandstone walls.  Stone towers.  And of course, these amazing geological works of art, the arches.  But, I have to say, it’s pretty much near impossible to avoid the crowds.  The NPS map flat out states that there is no real “backcountry” at Arches to speak of.  They suggest checking out Canyonlands for a backcountry experience.  I had been hoping to hike out to several of the arches under the theory I have found to be true at most parks, get more than a mile from a parking lot and the crowds thin immensely.  But most of the roads go within a mile of the destination arch, with a wonderfully accessible walking trail to get you the rest of the way.  The park service requests that visitors stay off the land not labelled as trail as human impact will damage the surrounding vegetation. 

I get it.  But I guess I just generally prefer a more solitary experience.  So. 

For dinner, we tried Fiesta Mexicana.  Both food and margaritas were very tasty.  With everything else accomplished for the day, that left us with rearranging our camping gear to get ready for our backpack excursion Thursday – Sunday.  I’m happy with my clothing selections but am pretty sure I’m over packed on food.  But a hungry Marsita is an angry Marsita and we don’t want that.  So I guess it’s all coming with us. 

Tuesday?  Yes, Tuesday.  With leaving on a Sunday, our days have been all screwed up.  We had breakfast of coffee and housemade granola at the Aspen Coffee Club in Fruita before coming back to the cottage and saddling up for the day.  We had decided the night before to check out the Kokopelli trails outside of Loma.  Those are classic Fruita trails, a little more technical than what we were on the day before but from everything we had read, a ton of fun.  Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating.  Radar showed rain all over that area.  So we decided on our second choice, the Western Rim trail, which according to the local “ride guide” was listed as being in the Palisade area.  Palisade is east of Grand Junction and well out of the way of where it appeared the rain was going.  Well, after getting on I-70 for a few miles in an easterly direction, JMac realized that Western Rim is not, in fact, near Palisade but back near our original destination and in the rain.  Why it was listed in the Palisade area of the ride guide we’ll never know.  So I turned around and headed west.  Maybe it would be like yesterday and the rain would just circle around us.

We got off the highway at the exit for the Western Rim trail.  Rain.  Cold rain.  Bleh.  We pulled into a parking lot, shortly after a brief adventure where JMac decided to try driving down a dirt road clearly labelled as requiring a “high clearance vehicle.”  Yes, it’s a rental, Dear, but we still have to pay for it if we bring it back without all of its pieces attached.  <Sigh.>  After quietly listening to the sound of our prepaid MTB rental go down the drain, we decided to head back towards Fruita, return the bikes and get a jump on our day in Moab.  It didn’t appear to be raining there.  But lo and behold, once we were on the highway, the sky cleared up some.  We had to drive right past the exit for the Kokopelli trail so we jumped off to check it out.  Cloudy, dark in the distance but no rain.  More importantly, the trails appeared to be dry.  Dire signs put up by the local trail community warned us to not ride on wet trails.

We unpacked the bikes and headed up Rustlers Loop.  After a shortish rocky climb which had me maxed out on my 1x, we arrived at the top of a plateau and the start of a very fun loop of riding. 

More rocky than the trails the day before, it was a mix of slick rock, gravel, sand and hard-packed dirt.  There were enough bench steps and drop offs to keep it interesting but nothing too scary.  The scenery was everything you could imagine with the Colorado River in one direction, the red walls of Colorado Monument behind it, open sky in another and curving sandstone (?, I’m not a geologist, people!) walls in another. 

It was nice being able to test the Juliana on some more technical terrain.  I was definitely able to get over some ledges that I wouldn’t normally do at home.  Was it the bike or just that I had more confidence on this bike?  I don’t know but it definitely has me continuing to ponder an upgrade.  I also was able to test the dropper post.  I don’t know how useful it would be for Ohio cross country riding but I could appreciate it for some more serious sketchy downhill riding.  JMac seemed to enjoy the Mach 6, even inquiring at Over the Edge for it’s now retail price.  They apply the cost of your rental plus depreciation for previous demo’s if you want to buy the bike you rode.  Unfortunately, if JMac bought a new bike that would immediately take his riding up a notch, which would then necessitate me definitely needing a new bike to try to get my game back up.  Since we haven’t won the lottery recently, I don’t see two new bikes in our futures.  #buzzkill

We made a brief stop at Gears in Fruita for a green smoothie, very tasty, and jumped on I-70, destination Moab!

Well, with about fifteen hours of sleep under my belt, Monday morning dawned quite early.  I picked up coffee for two at the local coffee shop...I love being in a destination where you can walk everywhere...and patiently waited (not) for JMac to rouse.  After breakfast at the local diner (Camilla's Café), we moseyed over to Over the Edge Sports to pick up our bike rentals.  We had looked into shipping our bikes but with most likely only having three days to ride (we also had hiking and backpacking on the agenda), it seemed like it would just be easier and cheaper to rent.  And so we did.  Jmac got a Pivot Mach 6 and I, a Juliana Furtado.  Both have 27.5" wheels, which we wanted to check out since we're still rocking it old school with 26" wheels at home.  I also wanted to check out a 1x set up, which may not have been the smartest decision out here when I would be at elevation, in the mountains, which my Ohio legs and lungs were most definitely not used to.  Bikes sized and ready to go, we rode back to the AirBnB and loaded up for the day.

Ride #1 was on the 18 Road Trails, just a short drive north of Fruita.  We could have actually ridden to the trails as the roads out there are pretty quiet.  Immediately in the parking lot we noticed that we did not get the memo that the in fashion for Fruita riding appears to be baggies and not our spandex kits.  If our sparkling rental bikes didn't give us away as out of towners, our apparel certainly did.  Oh well. 

<So you like how I threw in that second major in French that I haven't used in like, fifteen years plus?  Right.  #moneywellspent #lifedecisions.>  Anyways.  Sunday started way too early with a 6:30 a.m. flight from CLE to Denver. 

Go west, young man.  And so we did.  Almost immediately after navigating our way out of downtown Denver, I fell asleep.  No, Silly, JMac was driving.  I awoke to the crazy loud sound of sleet, ice and rain crashing down on our SUV and hitting the side walls as cars drove past.  Apparently we were going over Loveland Pass (almost 12k' elevation) just in time for a storm.  I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.  When I next awoke we were a good ways past there in central CO.  Gone were the green Rockies.  Instead, we were in much more arid country with mesas and scrub vegetation.  Still, very pretty.  We made it to Fruita is just about exactly four hours and checked in to our AirBnB rental.  It's a small cottage on the property of a main house just a half block from "downtown" Fruita.  We'll call it "charming."  Our two night stay cost about half of what our two day MTB bike rental cost.  #priorities #score  We dropped our shizzle off and walked into town.

I didn't think downtown Fruita would be big but I do think I thought it would have a wee bit more.  After all, Fruita is a world class mountain biking destination.  But I guess it does have everything you would need in that department--at least two bike shops that I saw, two breweries and the local pizza joint.  Mountain bikers' desires fulfilled?  Check.  We stopped in at Copper Club Brewing Company first and enjoyed a fine beverage on the patio...it was now a perfect 70 degrees out...and the company of a couple of Grand Junction guys who were out on the local trails that day.  We all got a good laugh out of our non-elevation ready lungs that would be stretched in the next week.  We then made our way to Suds Bros Brewery on the other side of the block for dinner.  Dinner and beers out of the way, JMac reviewed our trail destination for Monday and I...wait for it...fell back asleep.  I don't cross time zones well.  But with a game plan in hand we were ready for ride #1 come Monday.

Welcome to 2016.  In late February.  So I'm a little behind.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about this year. I'm currently participating in a mentorship program at my work and as part of that program, recently had to complete a self-assessment.  Not surprisingly, one of the outcomes of my assessment was that I am strongly goal-oriented.  And I am.  Call them goals or resolutions, they help keep me on track and keep me moving towards what I hope, is being a better person.

Trashed:  When things go bad and the paddler gets tossed around like a rag doll and spit out by the river.  Not usually life threatening, but not very pleasant.  Source:  watergirlsatplay.com

Long overdue race report from Xterra Whitewater...

Pre Race:

With a family vacation in South Carolina scheduled for the second half of July and racing opportunities being a bit thin during the beginning of the month due to the July 4^th holiday, it seemed like the off-road triathlon, Xterra Whitewater, near Charlotte, NC on July 18^th would be a great opportunity to get a race in en route to seven days at the beach.  It was held at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which offers “700 acres on the Catawba River for guests to enjoy whitewater rafting and kayaking, flat water kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, rock climbing, zip lines, ropes courses, canopy tours and 25+ miles of mountain biking trails.”  From the race’s website, this USAT triathlon promised to test my swimming, mountain biking and trail running skills in a rugged off-road environment. “Off road” = more chances to get hurt.  Great, sign me up.

Here is the official course description:  The race begins with a 1K flat water swim split between the Catawba River and our man-made channel, followed by 23K on mountain bike across all difficulty levels of the USNWC trail system, and concluding with an 8K trail run to cross the finish line.

JMac and I drove down to Charlotte on Thursday.  We spent Friday visiting some friends in the area and eventually made our way to the Whitewater Center midafternoon to check out the course and pick up my race packet.  

There is no entrance fee to ride the mountain bike trails at USNWC.  Rather, MTB guests pay a $5 parking fee, unless they have an annual parking pass.  When we arrived at the park, it was hopping.  There were lots and lots of people partaking in the many activities offered by the center.  We located some restrooms, changed into our cycling kits, purchased a bike trail map from the gift shop and got on our way. 

After comparing the race course map to the trail map, we figured out a good starting point to maximize seeing the bike course.  I have only a limited amount of experience mountain biking in North Carolina, having ridden a wee little bit at Bent Creek and Dupont.  But based on my understanding of “North Carolina single track,” I would say the MTB trails at USNWC are atypical of North Carolina.  They’re hard packed, flowy, and sandy with no significant climbs or descents.  This isn’t to say they’re easy.  But rather, they are very tight and windy with lots of sharp turns, often into a short, punchy climb or descent, with roots and loose pine needles thrown in for good measure.  For any local NE Ohio readers out there, I would say they are very comparable to the trails in Medina at Huffman and Reagan Park, but with sand.  JMac and I ended up pre-riding about seven miles of the course.  I had hoped to ride more but between frequent stops to confirm we were still on the race course and not a side trail and the insufferable heat, it was in the mid 90s, I was getting worn out.  We shut it down and took a walk around the park trying to figure out the swim and run courses.

Packet pickup was a snap.  The only disappointment was that my women’s specific race t-shirt wasn’t available due to some sort of mix up and instead I received yet another men’s t-shirt doomed to a life in the bottom of my dresser drawer.  Note to race directors:  I am not a small man!  But I digress.

Race Day:

After an early bird breakfast of instant oatmeal and fruit, courtesy of the Fairfield Inn Northlake, we left for the park.  Arriving early, I was able to nab a decent spot in transition and get set up.  The sun was out and the temperature was already rising.  I did a light run to check out the “whitewater” part of the swim, now completely flat in the manmade river.  During this time, the race organization continued to make announcements including the fact that all racers were to have a red swim cap.  Hmmm.  I had been given a white swim cap with the USNWC logo.  I checked with a Check In Person and he said I was fine with the cap I had been given.  Okey dokey.

About a half hour before go time, the race director began herding us to the swim start.  The swim portion of the race was actually in two parts with a ¼ mile trail run in the middle.  Race organizers suggested bringing an extra pair of running shoes for this portion.  So I wore an old pair of running shoes over to the swim start in the Catawba River and left them for the mini trail run between the swim legs.  With the water temperature in the 80s, this was a no wetsuit swim.  I warmed up in the very warm water while everyone gathered for the in water start.  Just before the start, the race director went through a series of race reminders.  He then announced that the racers who had been given the white swim caps (i.e. me!) were the first winners in a series of door prize giveaways.  My prize?  A coupon code for a new pair of La Sportiva shoes.  Excellent!

We lined up across the river.  Our route was down the river and around a buoy, which for some unknown reason, was placed really close to one side, back up the river past our starting point and around another buoy and then across the river in a diagonal line to swim start/finish #1.  I placed myself to the far side of the river, away from the crowds.  But when the gun went off that didn’t seem to matter.  Large men materialized out of nowhere to swim over me.  Sigh.  The first buoy caused a huge traffic jam as everyone was forced to funnel into a very narrow area to get around it and start down the other side.  But after that, traffic seemed to thin down some.  I settled into a groove and without too much excitement, I was back to the start and heading up the stairs to grab my shoes. 

While not everyone wore shoes, I would highly recommend it.  The trail surface is hard packed dirt but there were definitely rocks.  Then, once you exit the woods, you are on a gravel path.  You could stay on the grass for this part, if needed, but it was just as easy to put on the shoes.  Arriving at the manmade whitewater river, now flat water, thank goodness, I pulled my shoes off, left them at the designated shoe drop and jumped in and swam across to swim finish #2.  

One thing I had neither practiced nor considered was trying to swim coming off a run…it took me a few seconds to get my swim breathing under control.  The second swim was pretty cool as I could see the hydraulic equipment placed beneath the water which would be pumping whitewater in just a short time after the last racer exited. 

True to its word “rugged”, to exit the swim, everyone had to pull themselves up on some large rocks and then cross to the transition area.  I was only one leg in and had already swam, ran, swam and rock climbed? 

After an uneventful transition I was onto the bike.  I rode the gravel path around the manmade river and entered the single track in a group of about five to seven people.  In the past, this would have terrified me, particularly on a trail that I had only ridden once.  But with a little more experience now, I resolved to ride hard, forcing anyone who wanted around me to pass on their own accord.  And I was able to maintain my position for the most part, being passed by a few and passing a few myself.   

With just a few miles left to go, I was feeling like a whitewater kayaker getting trashed in a foamy river and was ready to be done.  It was hot and felt even hotter to me after the incredibly mild summer we had had up north to that point.  

I had consumed almost all of my Osmo and was down to sucking drops out of my Camelbak.  Fortunately, after this the trail turned into some nice double track.  Unfortunately, it turned into some nice double track which allowed racers behind me with more energy to catch up and pass.  The trail then dropped us onto one final section of fun single track where we whizzed along under the hum of zip lines above us.  Then we were back to the gravel road and transition.

Based on how my legs were already cramping, I knew the 8 km trail run was going to be a painful slog.  I followed the gravel path back out around the whitewater river and up and down and across the gravel parking lot in the now completely blazing sun.  Ugh.  Shortly after entering the woods, I began a walk/run routine, walking anything remotely looking like an uphill and jogging the flats and downhills.  Despite my misery, I have to say the run course was a very fair offroad run.  It had some short climbs and descents but mostly meandered through the woods.  I wasn’t the only one suffering in the heat, though, coming across several runners who were in worst shape than I.  I muscled out the miles and turned for the finish line.  Even the run to the finish was incredibly painful in the blistering sun.  

Poor JMac got to witness almost the whole thing, taking pictures and being the faithful supporter on course.  Local brewery Noda Brewing was at the finish and gave every entrant a tasty beer as they crossed the line.   Although it was tasty, my stomach wasn’t ready for it and JMac got to enjoy my beer for his efforts.

Conclusion:

Despite my rather lackluster performance, this was a great race and I would happily recommend it.  It was very well-organized.  The course was very clearly marked and very fair.  While some of the mountain bike trails are labeled difficult, I think they would probably be considered medium difficult in other areas.  There are no significant rock gardens or other difficult obstacles on the bike course.  The post race food was a pleasant surprise of veggie quinoa wraps and fruit.  And don’t forget about that beer!  For the fast among you, there were actual prizes for the top finishers…I believe Suunto Ambit sport watches were given out.  Not too shabby.  Finally, there are a ton of activities going on at the center so the family can do something besides watch you race, not that they would ever want to do that.

For me personally, this race served as a reminder to be weather strategic in my race selection criteria.  While one can never guarantee the weather, I don’t race well in the heat and need to plan accordingly as best as I can.  Also, I’m happy that I didn’t willy nilly concede my place to anyone on the bike.  I have a habit of asking people if they want to pass me on single track and this invariably leads to no good.  Finally, this was my first non-wetsuit swim in a long time and although the water was completely flat, it was a nice reminder that I can swim in open water without one. 

Special thanks to my local bike and run shops and team supporters Bike Authority and Fleet Feet Sports.  I also have to give a special shout out to Sound Probiotics for helping to keep me healthy—90% of your immune system is in your gut!  And finally, thanks to JMac for his support and all the great pictures from the course.  Until next time, work hard, play harder.

WARNING:  Long race report ahead!

After spending the second half of 2014 sidelined with knee distress, I was looking for a new challenge for 2015.  Something I hadn’t done before.  Something that would push my boundaries.  Something that I could prepare for while spending time with hubby JMac.  I settled on the Mohican 100k mountain bike race as that something.  I even managed to convince JMac to race it, not just train with me. 

From the race’s website:  Cris-cross four counties along a single loop, climb more than 11,000 feet, and go toe to toe with the top pros on this legendary ultra-endurance loop in Northeastern Ohio. The Mohican 100 features both a 100 mile and a 100 kilometer option with five fully stocked aid stations plus self-serve water stops.

Fortunately for me, the 100k version only has about 8,500 feet of elevation gain.  Wait, 8,500 feet of elevation gain?  This is Ohio, right?  Well, just like Race Director Ryan O’Dell says, the elevation profile for the course looks like an EKG.  You get your 8,500 feet in 350’ increments, which makes for a lot of pitchy, pumpy climbing.  To get ready, as soon as the weather broke for the spring season and the trails dried out, JMac and I began making almost weekly pilgrimages to Loudonville, riding the state park single track and surrounding back roads.  We found a great loop of the back country roads that largely approximated the gravel road sections we would see on race day.  (Check out the map here http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2278764).  We also did a weekend climbing camp with my coach, PG, and training crew in the hills of Central Pennsylvania in April.  For race prep we opted to head back up to Michigan’s Barry Roubaix to see our JTree peeps and drink beer.  Wait, I mean, race the 36 mile course at Barry Roubaix.  We decided to skip the OMBC mountain bike race at Mohican in April, instead racing the 50k Amish Country Roubaix that same weekend.  My thought behind this was that I could ride Mohican for free and AC would provide more options for challenging climbing and descending.  While this was certainly the case, I think now that putting an additional actual mountain bike race on the calendar pre-Mohican 100k would have been a good idea.

But rolling into race week I was feeling tapered, rested and ready to go.  JMac and I drove down to Loudonville Friday afternoon, checked in at our tent campsite at Mohican Adventures and then went over to pick up our race bags.  We set up camp, made dinner and just relaxed, enjoying a quiet evening and the opportunity to just sit for a change.  We did go back over to packet pick up for the pre-race Q&A.  There weren’t many people there but I was glad we went.  In addition to learning that several large snakes (supposedly harmless, if there is such a thing) had been spotted on the course that week, I learned exactly where the hike-a-bike sections were.  I had heard the hike-a-bike sections were tough but didn’t really appreciate that sentiment until I heard the almost pleading tone of a race veteran asking if any of them had been removed for this year’s course.  The answer?  No, followed by some uncomfortable chuckling.  Ok, then, beware of the hike-a-bike sections.  JMac and I returned to camp, prepped our food and bikes for the next day and turned in early.

We were up early for a quick breakfast of coffee and overnight oats (prepped at home the day before).  Bikes, nutrition and hydration packs ready, we rolled over to start in downtown Loudonville just a quick ride from Mohican Adventures.  I didn’t check race morning but the forecast the day before was predicting (I kid you not) 91% humidity.  

I’m guessing it was up there.  We lined up about halfway (?) back in the group and waited for the start.  

After a few quick announcements we were off.  

The race starts with a punchy climb out of town followed by a couple of more miles of rolling roads to spread the group out before entering the double track and state park single track.  

A prime is offered for the first rider to reach the city limits.  To say the least, I wasn’t going for that contest.  Instead, I sat back and let things sort themselves out.  My concern was going out too hard and then being too burned out later in the race.  Well, as has happened in just about every bike race I have done, I sat back too much and got behind a massive slow moving mass going into the single track.  Bah. 

We rolled through the single track to A1 pretty uneventfully.  The trail was wetter than I had expected and I was a little off my lines with race jitters, but nothing too terrible.  

Upon arriving to A1 I could not believe the massive number of racers who appeared to be there, just hanging out.  I dropped my bike, walked over to a volunteer who offered to refill my hydration pack, grabbed a few pieces of fruit, downed a kiddy applesauce (just like the PowerBar pureed fruit packet but 50% of the cost), refilled my bento box with an Amrita bar from my pack and took off, hoping to leave the mass of riders I had been following behind.  I was excited to be on my favorite section of trail.  There was a chatty guy following me, singing and talking about Grassman for some reason.  I must have actually been listening to him because after a few miles I realized all of the food from my bento box had fallen out somewhere after A1.  D’oh.  At that point I was following a girl who I knew had gone sub 8 hours (my goal) in 2014 and so I opted to stay with her and grab my emergency food out of my pack when I got to the top of the first hike-a-bike section.  I continued trading places with a few folks until I saw the volunteer pointing me towards the section of trail connecting the single track and gravel roads.  I turned left, came to a dead stop and looked up.  Straight up.  Seriously?  I’ve climbed routes that steep in the mountains with a rope on.  I pushed/slid me and my bike up the “trail” to the top, took a breath, refilled my bento box and hopped back on my bike.  This lasted a few minutes until I began the nasty water board descent to Rt 97.  It was then on to some horse poop double track, another hike-a-bike and eventually up to the gravel roads.  Since JMac and I had ridden this section in training, I was back on familiar ground.  Unfortunately, it was also around this time that I ran out of water…I had noticed the volunteer only filled my hydration bag about 2/3 of the way full at A1 but didn’t think it would be a big deal.  Well, it was hot and humid and I *apparently* was drinking a lot.  So, no water until A2.  Just keep going.  I pedaled away from the group I had been riding with and rolled up and down and into A2. 

I climbed Big Hill Road (yes, that’s really its name) and turned into the woods at Mohican Wilderness.  Let’s get this b*tch over with.  It started out ok but then rapidly degenerated into rain forest-y, overgrown, twisty, rocky ickiness.  I laughed to myself, knowing that JMac would have laughed to himself coming through this, knowing how high the Marsita Unhappiness Level would be and being grateful he wasn’t there to experience it.  I wanted to be done—done with the single track.  The only thing that made me feel better was that the guys I came across were struggling worse than I, offering to let me by without me asking. 

“You can go.”

“No, seriously, I’m going to be off my bike in another minute.  So you can go.”

Wow!  Although the weather this week has felt like the end of summer, fall is definitely here.  Where has the time gone?  Well, there is lots to discuss...new recipes, racing, a little trip to Iceland and a not quite torn meniscus.  Yep, the summer was a busy one.  But before I get into all of that, I thought I would pass along a couple of new recipes that I am loving right now. 

Ok, yes, Better than Oatmeal does involve cooking eggs and bananas together.  I know it sounds weird.  But it really is good.  It has even been given the JM Stamp of Approval.  This recipe also travels well.  I simply make up a batch and add a little almond milk on top at the end.  When I get to work I reheat the "oatmeal" in the microwave for a quick thirty seconds.  Voila! Breakfast is served. 

The second recipe I have is courtesy of Nom Nom Paleo.  I made this last week to use up some of the fall produce spilling out of my fridge, the bounty of both Fresh Fork Market (they're taking winter sign ups http://freshforkmarket.com/extra-view/sign-up-or-sign-in/) and Old MacDonald's late producing farm.  Here is the recipe:  http://nomnompaleo.com/post/97731264703/paleo-by-seasons-atkilt-spiced-ethiopian-vegetable  This is so good.  Don't be afraid of the cinnamon/turmeric combo.  This recipe is not spicy at all.  Rather, it is super warm in a wonderful, autumn-y sort of way.  Plus, both cinnamon and turmeric are widely considered to have all sorts of happy health benefits.  Google it if you don't believe me.   

One thing I wanted to point out with this second recipe is a practice I have been working on the last couple of years.  It is the Art of Not Buying A Whole Bunch of Random Produce When Cooking.  So.  For example, this recipe calls for carrots.  I was plum fresh out of carrots last week.  But I did have two entire vegetable drawers plus a basket on the counter of assorted other vegetables.  So, instead of picking up carrots at the grocery, I thought to myself, hmmm, what is a carrot like?  It's orange.  It's a root vegetable.  It's sweet.  Do I have any other  orange, root-like and/or sweet vegetables laying around?  Why, yes, I did.  I had a small sweet potato so I peeled and chopped that.  It wasn't quite the amount required so I threw in a yellow zucchini.  Eh, zucchini pretty much goes with anything.  And those two substitutions worked out fabulously.  I also could have probably used a squash like acorn or butternut.  So the moral of the story is use your imagination and think about what you might have on hand before buying something you may not need.   

Last but not least, it's apple season!  Particularly for my Northeast Ohio and Midwest Peeps, run, run, run to your local orchard and get those apples while the getting is good.  My favorite orchard is Rittman Orchards in Norton, Ohio.  http://www.rittmanorchards.com/   It's a bit of a drive but well worth it for their heirloom varieties.  JM and I are currently making our way through our second peck of apples.  Besides snacking on them, I am a big fan of making applesauce.  Using in season apples completely negates the need for any sugar.  Normally, I cook the apples down and then process them in the food processor but according to the Vitamix Powers That Be, I can simply core and chunk the raw apples, add a little water and let the Vitamix wonder machine do it's thing.  That is going to be this weekend's project.  I will let you know how it goes.  But any which way you make it, applesauce freezes wonderfully.  I like to store it in the pint size containers by Arrow 

	Arrow Plastics 30 Piece Freezer Storage Container Set Product by Arrow More about this product Price: $24.99

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Hope you are enjoying the wonders of the season.  Take a walk.  Marvel at the fall colors.  And Eat Real Food.  The possibilities just may be endless this time of year. 

Where in the hell am I going to put all this sh*t?  In asking this question as I stared at the space I had selected for myself in transition, I had inadvertently answered one of life’s deepest questions: What sport could possibly be more complicated that the complicated sport of triathlon?  The answer:  Offroad triathlon.

The Xterra World Tour is a series of trail running races and offroad triathlons held at various venues around the world.  In the triathlon series, professional athletes compete for a prize purse while amateurs race for national titles and spots in the World Championship via a points system.  In an Xterra (offroad) triathlon, competitors swim, mountain bike and trail run as opposed to the traditional bike and run on the road.  Last year I started taking mountain biking a little more seriously and began racing in the Ohio Mountain Bike Championship Series.  This year I decided to take it a step further and combine mountain biking and triathlon to see what would happen.  Xterra at East Fork was my first step into this realm.

The Xterra World Tour makes its stop in Ohio at Xterra at East Fork.  East Fork is an Ohio State Park just outside of Cincinnati.  The race was on Saturday, June 21st and consisted of a 1000 meter swim in the park lake, 12 mile mountain bike ride and 6.5 mile trail run.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no set distance in Xterra triathlons although they can be roughly condensed into three distances, America Tour Races (East Fork), EPIC races (long distance) and sprints/super sprints.  The sprints and super sprints do not count towards the points series.  Since I had never been to East Fork and knowing the course is a huge part of mountain biking, JMac and I drove with our number one dog, Holly, down to Cinci on Friday in order to stop at the park and pre-ride the mountain bike course.  On the course maps we had printed out, the course seemed to be a pretty straightforward loop of the “marked” mountain bike trails.  The problem was that the mountain bike trail seemed to intersect with itself and other hiking trails.  We made slow progress finding our way around.  I’m pretty sure there is a color coding scheme to the madness but we did not have that information at the time.  What we did get was a basic feel for the trails.  In doing my own research via Quickdirt (http://quickdirt.com/2014/02/01/2014-ombc-races-top-5-lists-race-summaries/ ), my go to source these days for the nitty gritty in Ohio mountain biking, I learned that the East Fork trails were fast, flowy and less technical by Ohio mountain bike standards.  My only caveat to this would be that if the trails are wet, they become more technical as there are many roots and turns which can become slick.  I know this because about forty minutes into my pre-ride it started to downpour.  While I escaped without incident on Friday, I would not be so lucky on Saturday.  I cut the pre-ride short and we packed up to check into our hotel. 

For dinner I had located a small local brewery called Fifty West not too far from where we were staying (and oddly enough near Route 50W).  They had a nice selection of small, medium and large plates for dinner and a nice range of beers from which to sample. 

Saturday morning dawned overcast and humid—like chew the air humid.  Ich.  I had the standard hotel continental breakfast (oats with raisins and almonds and coffee).  We checked out, took the H Dog for a walk and drove to East Fork.  This race had a late start compared to most triathlons—9:00 a.m.  In an effort to be more spouse-friendly I did not insist that we get there as soon as transition opened.  Instead, we arrived at the late hour of 7:00 a.m.  Well, offroad triathletes must take after their mountain bike cousins because I was still the fourth or fifth athlete to arrive and get into transition.  I checked in, picked up my tech tee and a smattering of sample schwag.  Note, I was asked to produce my USAT card, which although I think that’s the rule for USAT races, I don’t know that I have ever been asked before at a “local” race. 

I surveyed the transition setups around me and tried to take my traditional setup with my tri bike and adopt it to my circumstances for the day.  This is what I figured out:  

JMack had left to go for a ride of the mountain bike course himself so once transition was set up, I did a warm up run, including my new favorite dynamic warm up.   http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/08/training/your-best-10-minute-run-warmup-2_46795   This warm up seems to help the tightening in my hips quite a bit.  I then went to hang with the Holly Dog until JMac returned.  I meant to eat a banana during this time but wasn’t up for it.  I think the humidity was staving off any urge to eat.  JMac returned with a course description:  wet, slick, two smaller loops instead of one large, well-marked and eat on the road section between the loops.  Got it.  We headed down to the beach for the start.  It was a small crowd.  In the end I think there were about forty-five participants in the offroad tri with an additional eight or so in the kayak division (paddle a kayak instead of swim).  These numbers were down about twenty from the previous year.  I think the wet conditions scared some folks off.  The water was calm and pretty warm but I decided to go with the sleeveless wetsuit.  I hadn’t been in open water all season and in the event of a mid-swim panic, wanted the buoyancy of the suit.  I warmed up in the water while they sent the kayaks off.  Then, it was a mass, in water start.  The horn sounded and we were off.  

I stayed to the outside but quickly found my groove.  The water temp was perfect.  It was a simple out and back course (19:19 including the run to transition, 17^th).  This was the best open water swim I have had in a while and I ran into transition feeling pretty good.  I navigated transition fairly effectively and hopped on the mountain bike (1:22, 9^th).  The ride began with a sustained climb on the park road to get to the trails.  I tried to spin it out in an easier gear as to not use up those matches in the first half mile of the ride.  I headed into the woods on the tail of a couple of guys.  As mentioned earlier, the trails really are very flowy and generally non-technical in the scheme of things.  But due to the rain the previous day and overnight, they were very wet and very slick.  I tried to be assertive, sticking with the guy in front of me but unable to decide if I should take the pass.  Unfortunately, in my hesitation to pass I allowed another female to catch me and pass both of us.  I subsequently passed the guy too and found myself in kind of a no-man’s land with not a lot of other racers around me.  I hopped off my bike for a couple of log and sketchy-looking , rocky stream crossings but managed to ride everything else.  Unfortunately, I realized pretty quickly I had not set up something correctly on my watch and I was not getting any heart rate data.  I rely on this quite a bit but had no choice to just try to go with how I was feeling.  I popped out onto the park road and took in some fuel before my second lap.  Since it was hot and humid I opted for a few salted dates, which tasted awesome—sweet and salty at the same time, and some margarita Clif shot blocks.  I was also drinking constantly from my Camelbak.  After my nutrition meltdown in the heat last summer at Musselman I have tried to be super conscious of drinking and getting my electrolytes. 

Apparently, I was the only competitor interested in refueling on the road section because as I slowed down, I was passed by a couple of male riders.  (Note to self:  Need to learn to eat faster on mountain bike).  As I entered the trails for the second loop I was hopeful that the trails had dried out some as it had warmed up considerably in the last hour.  The trails near the lake edge which could catch a breeze had dried out but the ones lower, and completely covered by foliage seemed to be in worse shape.  In a momentary lapse of judgment my handlebar caught a piece of hanging vine, turned sharply and flipped me off on to my left side.  I jumped up, flipped the bars back around, refused a polite offer of assistance from a passing competitor and jumped back on my bike.  Whew.  Nothing appeared to be broken, bike or otherwise.  A little while later, while making a sharp turn I misjudged again, braked when I should not have on a slick hump of mud and went over again on to my left side.  Seriously?  Ugh.  This one hurt.  While I was muddy, it did not look like there was an excessive amount of blood so I flipped my bike over, hopped on and raced toward the end of the course.  At some point during this time I had bumped my watch and stopped the clock entirely so I had no real idea where I was or how much longer I had to go.  It turned out to not be that far.  I popped back out on the road and headed for transition (1:41:13, 31^st). 

Transition was fairly uneventful even though it seemed to take an excessive amount of time to tie my shoelaces and take my biking gloves off (1:08, 13^th).  I grabbed my new handheld water bottle and trotted back up the hill before turning into the woods.  Two items of note here:  First, I opted for the handheld water bottle after listening to Zen Tri’s Ironman Texas report http://www.zentriathlon.com/home/2014/5/18/podcast-ironman-texas-2014.html .  Brett suggested carrying a water bottle on the run just to splash yourself off in the heat between aid stations.  While this (obviously) was not an Ironman, I thought the idea was a good one as it was hot, humid and there were only two water stops on the course.  Given this was a trail run I thought I might be out there longer than normal.  Second, despite my time, I really enjoyed this run.  It was a true offroad course.  I felt like I was running through the Amazon.  The trail was mostly narrow singletrack.  It was rooty, up and down and included log-overs, stream crossings and even some short, steep sections where I could almost put my hands down to help myself up.  There was also a section of very muddy, horsepoopy horse trail and another section of paved multipurpose trail.  But the majority was singletrack.  I had not done a lot of singletrack running in my training so I was worried how my ankles and knees would hold up but they seemed to do fine.  I tried to maintain what felt like a consistent pace and get through.  Looking back, I probably could have gone harder but in the heat, I think I felt more maxed out than I was.  Also, the course was a lollipop with only a little bit of lollipop stick at the end.  So I held back a little bit on the loop section not knowing what would be coming next (1:14:17, 32^nd).  JMac and the H Dog were waiting for me at the aid stations, giving me a nice boost.  

The final section was a reverse of the original climb so it was downhill to the finish.  In the end, I finished 2^nd AG, 5^th female and 27^th overall (3:17:21).  I had been hoping for a time closer to three hours but every race is a learning experience.  Also, this race served as a reconnaissance mission for the OMBC race to be held at East Fork later in the season.  So, I’ll be back.

It’s been hectic around here lately.  We have had company staying with us the last couple of weeks, we have been travelling ourselves, work is busy and well, training is sucking up any time that is left.  The result has been that there is less time for cooking and full meals and many more opportunities for snacking that I would generally like.  The first defense against being hungry and snacking is a meal comprised of real food with lots of veggies, good fats and some protein.  That will make you feel full and satiated and negate most of the urge to snack.  But in the event that just is not happening one day, here are some of my favorite snacks, which do a pretty good job of staying lower on the sugars and grains:

·        Dry roasted nut mixes.  (Make sure to check the label, some mixes may have dried fruit, candy, preservatives, chemicals and sugar coatings).

·        Lower glycemic fruits (apples, oranges, berries)

·        Paleo breads (i.e. gluten free and low carb).  I make a loaf or two on the weekends when I have time and then freeze them.  They are perfect to bust out during a week when you’re short on time and need a little extra snack.  My favorites are here:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-recipes/breads/

·        Avocado

·        Fresh, cut up veggies with hummus or guacamole.  (If you’re not making your own hummus or guacamole, make sure to check the label to confirm what exactly you’re getting.  Check out Wholly Guacamole http://eatwholly.com/products/wholly-minis/minis-classic.html and Hannah Organic Hommos, both available at Costco).

·        Plain, full fat yogurt.

·        Fresh ground almond or peanut butter.  (It’s easy to go overboard on this, again, watch the label and also the portion size).

·        KIND strong bars—savory and lower carb than the original fruit and nut bars.

Just because you are busy does not mean that you have to toss all of your good food intentions out the window.  Keep these items on hand in your pantry and fridge and you can stay on the real food train, even when life is trying to derail you.

 Have a great week and Eat Real Food!

So the last couple of weeks have really been a great blend for all three.  Let’s start with the tri part.  This week’s recovery wraps up my second block of interval-focused training.  I’ve been working on run drill intervals at 5k pace, painful, long, broken sets of 2000 in the pool, also painful, and a mountain bike race, time trial test and more intervals on the bike.  The time trial test was a bit of a fail as I was just absolutely burned out from the race and intervals I had done a few days earlier.  But in addition to the threshold work, I completed a nice, long run, where I felt strong, even though I have not been running as many miles recently, and several long mountain bike rides.  It’s nice that summer finally appears to be here and the trails are drying out.  That being said, I’m enjoying every minute of my recovery week. 

Eat.  I have managed to stay on track for the most part, even while traveling last weekend to Asheville, NC.  Asheville is well-known for its progressive, local food scene and I was not disappointed.  Our local tour guides took us to several restaurants which catered to all dietary considerations including vegetarian, dairy and gluten free.  Besides enjoying some great local grub, I got ideas for some new recipes to try at home. 

Venture.  JMac and I ventured to several new areas over the weekend.  First, we checked out the mountain bike trails at Mountwood Park in West Virginia on our drive down to North Carolina.  http://www.mountwoodpark.org/Biking_trails.html   While we only had a chance to ride a small part of the thirty mile system, the trails were in good shape, well-marked and fun.  The park itself was very nice as well.  After riding, we enjoyed a picnic lunch there before getting back on the road.  Being only ten minutes off of interstate 77, we definitely plan on going back there again either as a getaway weekend or on our next trip down south.  We next ventured to more new and not so new trails at Bent Creek in Asheville.  http://www.mtbikewnc.com/trailheads/pisgah-national-forest/pisgah-ranger-district/bent-creek/   I had ridden there several years ago on my last visit to the area.  My recollection of my introductory ride there was long, painful, uphill gravel grinding followed by long, sometimes scary downhills.  It’s amazing what a couple of additional years on the mountain bike will do.  Nothing could be farther from the truth than my memory of yore.  While you do utilize a gravel park road to connect the various trails, the climbing was a lot less painful than I remembered.  And the downhills?  So fun.  So. Much. Fun.  There were wide, sweeping, banked turns, allyoops, and on the trails we rode, very few obstacles to navigate.  The trails at Bent Creek were a blast.  I am so very jealous of the folks in Asheville who have access to such a great system right outside their door. 

Fed Up, Katie Couric’s new documentary about the impact of sugar on Americans, particularly children, is now playing in Cleveland.  JMac and I checked it out last weekend.  If you can’t get to see it at a theater near you, I recommend dropping it in the Netflix queue.  Unfortunately, it confirmed everything I have learned over the last six months about sugar. 

The movie opens with the premise that short-sighted and incomplete science has led us down a path of low-fat, processed foods.  However, when fat is removed from a food, the food tastes bad.  So, the manufactured food companies have replaced the fat with sugar and sugar substitutes to make it palatable and encourage consumption.  The problem?  Sugar (in all of its various, fifty-six forms, including “sugar-free” substitutes) wreaks havoc on your metabolic system and entire digestive process.  No fat?  No feeling of satiety.  You eat even more and the process continues.  And through it all, the edible product companies make gazillions of dollars off your downward spiral into sickness.  The rise in obesity can be correlated to the introduction and growth of these low-fat, high sugar foods in the 1970’s. 

In addition to the general notion of how and why we are becoming metabolically broken, two other points in the movie stood out to me.  First, children are deliberately being targeted.  (Think of all of those edible product commercials during children’s television programming).  Other countries around the world have put limits on what types of “food” commercials can be shown during children’s programs.  But there is no such regulation in the United States.  The manufactured food industry has managed to stall all attempts by Congress to regulate this.  The industry has also managed to interrupt Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, which started as diet-focused, and turn it into a campaign for children’s exercise.  Also, having graduated in the near Paleolithic era of 1994, I was shocked to see how much school lunches have changed in the last twenty years.  Fast food and processed food have taken over our children’s schools.  Pizza Hut and McDonald’s are feeding our kids.  Does that even seem right?  In an effort to save money, cut costs and find alternative sources of revenue, our schools invite them to provide “food.”  But while this may solve a short-term funding situation, how much is this costing our society in the end?

Second, the movie discusses the concept of “fat on the inside.”  While someone might not look like they are fat, they can be storing a disproportionate amount of fat in their belly and around their organs, where it is most dangerous.  This, again, is particularly disconcerting in regards to children who appear to “be able to eat whatever they want” but could be getting set up for a lifetime of bad habits and eventually, disease.  Although the movie did not highlight this, I think this can also be applied to endurance athletes, who can easily imbibe on a diet high in processed carbohydrates (bagels, pasta, fruit juice, Gu’s, etc.) in the name of performance.  We could be doing more harm than good to ourselves.

In the end, the movie concludes that the most basic thing you can do to promote health and thwart this onslaught of disease is Eat Real Food.  Talk with your dollars.  Don’t support the companies whose bottom line is more important than your health and the health of your children.  The movie likens the edible product companies to the cigarette industry fifty years ago.  The industry knew the science proved their products were downright dangerous and deadly but continued to lie, deceive and promote their products anyways to the American public.  Do you honestly want to go down this road again?  Or, are you fed up now?

For more information, check out http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home.  Sign up for the Fed Up Challenge!

I need to work on a quick, snappy response.  The short answer is, I switched to a diet free from processed grains and sugars to lose five pounds after years of counting calories failed to get me there.  But before I lost those five pounds, which I did, I found that once I got off the sugar train, a number of other daily maladies, which I did not even realize were maladies, went away as well.  Here’s the rundown:

·        Weight loss

·        Satiety

·        Improved sleep

·        Dramatic reduction in recurring GI issues (bloating, heartburn, gas—all symptoms of a high carb diet)

·        Reduced inflammation

·        Faster recovery from training, and without the use of “recovery” products

·        Increased, consistent energy, particularly at times of the day when energy used to be low (i.e. after lunch)

In addition, through subsequent research, I have learned that diets concentrated in sugar have been tied to a whole host of metabolic syndromes, cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  Gluten sensitivity is a whole separate issue but one worth considering as well.  Besides being simultaneously laced with GMOs, which has its own subset of issues (unless you specifically look for organic or non-gmo), gluten products can cause a whole range of inflammatory, allergic responses, which one might not even suspect is the result of the gluten.  I know I did not.  But overall, I just feel one hundred times better.  I did not even realize how much my diet of low fat, “heart healthy” carbs was dragging me down. 

That being said, the easiest way to kick the sugar habit is to Eat Real Food.  As Michael Pollan states in his (life changing, at least for me) book, In Defense of Food, “eat real food, mostly plants.”  That is the best advice out there.  Don’t get bogged down in the details, at least initially.  Some experts will suggest increasing your fat intake.  Others might suggest increasing your protein.  Those are personal choices.  You need to find out what makes you feel your best.  For me, I have found that more fresh produce and veggie fats (i.e. nuts and seeds) work best.  But you cannot make that determination if your metabolic system is clogged from a diet of chemical and sugar laden edible products. 

If this seems daunting, start small.  Give up gluten for a week.  See how it goes.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you realize how you are not feeling.  And if that works, or if it does not, take it a step further. Give up soda or diet soda (research shows your body treats them both as sugar).  Avoid anything with corn syrup.  See what works for you.  But give it a try, you can’t lose betting on yourself.

(There are links to some of my favorite resources on the subject of Eat Real Food on my home page…including Fit, Fat Fast (metabolic efficiency for the endurance athlete), Vinnie Tortorich’s NSNG, Jonanthan Bailor’s Smarter Science of Slim, No Meat Athlete and of course, Michael Pollan’s Food Rules.  Have a great week!). 

Whew.  Last weekend was an action-packed weekend.  I told my coach that I need a recovery week this week to recover from my recovery week last week.  It started Friday afternoon with an overcast, hilly 32 mile ride out of Loudonville with my fellow campers.  A few of us in the middle of the pack hooked up and rode together, making for enjoyable group suffering.  I had forgotten just how hard all of those hills are.  They make the distance seem twice as long. 

My hope for Saturday was to mountain bike the loop through Mohican State Park.  Unfortunately, my riding partner suffered a major mechanical and couldn’t ride.  Not being comfortable riding twenty-four miles by myself through the woods, I bailed too.  I was, however, able to meet up with some tri campers checking out the Wally Road ride near our basecamp.  Given that it was overcast to intermittent rain and a little chilly, my shortened ride ended up being a good idea.  Plus, it got me back to camp ahead of the main ride and clinic participants.  I was able to get the lunch spread out for the hungry campers dining in the ranch house.

The skies started to clear over lunch and although there were feelings of weariness, excitement grew for the afternoon brick.  Unfortunately, the clear skies were short-lived.  Shortly after departing, the skies opened up in to a deluge.  In a moment of rare opportunity, I managed to find myself on a fast wheel and was making good time through the ride.  The one to two miles of gravel road was in better shape this season than in past years and I was able to navigate through it without issue.  Once the gravel ended, the hills started, as did the wind.  The area around Mohican is interesting in that it’s both hilly and windy.  The wind picked up to a point that I was actually alternatively being blown back up hills while descending or almost being blown over completely.  That, coupled with the ever-changing sun, rain, hail conditions made for a character-building ride for everyone.   The “brick” part of the workout ended up being a “brick” pretty much in name only for me.  I ran for about a mile after returning to camp and then abandoned the effort in preference of the hot tub.

The food at camp was excellent all weekend.  Most of the campers enjoyed a continental breakfast, fruit, salad and sandwich fixings for lunch and a catered dinner both Friday and Saturday nights.  A few of us with “alternative” dietary needs enjoyed a mix of the standard camp fare and homemade gluten free/vegan dinners.  Overall, I was able to navigate past the snacks and stay mostly true to my dietary goals.  Having lots of Marsita-approved snacks and the mentality that this was not a cut loose weekend, helped in achieving that goal.

All week leading up to camp I had debated driving to Chilicothe Sunday morning for Tecumseh’s Revenge mountain bike race.  I wanted to get some points on the board toward the OMBC series but 1. It had rained most of the week leading up to the race 2. I was completely unfamiliar with the course.  And 3. I would be racing on very tired legs.  But Sunday dawned sunny and I took it as an omen to race.  I packed up my gear, bid farewell to my cabin mates and drove south.  It took me longer than anticipated to drive down there and I arrived in just enough time to unload my bike, register and get a quick course description from the guy parked next to me.  (Thanks Random Guy!).  I had also read Quickdirt’s fabulous course preview (http://quickdirt.com/2014/04/28/scioto-trails-ombc-race-preview-with-photos-charts/) the week before.  Armed with that knowledge and some more route detail generously provided by a few of my fellow female novice racers at the start line, I completed the novice race in fourth place.  Considering my earlier weekend exploits and unfamiliarity with the course, I was happy with that.  Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable on unfamiliar territory is a goal of mine this year and that goal was definitely met. 

All in all it was an exhausting but fun-filled weekend.  I tested myself, had the chance to spend time with friends and meet a lot of great new people.  I look forward to doing it all over again next year!

Well, it’s off to tri camp this weekend.  Three days of “living like a pro, only more fun!”  This is my fourth year at camp and I am so excited.  With a weekend dedicated to cycling, running, mountain biking, meeting new people and yapping about triathlon, it’s sure to be a fun-filled time.  It’s also a weekend full of temptation, as evidenced by the Nutella-covered Rice Krispie treats I indulged in last year.  When you’re surrounded by food, some healthy options and some not so healthy options and doing multiple training sessions a day, it’s easy to adopt the mindset, oh, I’ll work this off.  Even if that is the case, you may be hindering your recovery by indulging in foods which spike blood sugar and create inflammation.  So on top of a heavy training load for the weekend and most likely less than ideal sleep due to shared sleeping quarters, you could be stymieing your true potential with the foods you’re eating.  In an effort to stay on track this year, I have planned ahead for my meals and am bringing some of my own food to supplement what is being provided as part of camp.  I think these options could apply to any time you’re travelling or are in a situation with “group” meals.

• Plain quick oats, not flavored instant, with some crushed nuts and sunflower seeds.
• Fresh fruit
• Smoothie with combination of fruit/veggie/fat

• Salad
• Nut mix
• Kind bars (check for lower glycemic options)
• Paleo bread with nut butter
• Olives

• Veggie burger, no bun
• Salad
• Homemade veggie chili/stew, prepared ahead and easily reheated
• Mashed sweet potatoes, prepared ahead
• Gluten free, vegan, chocolate peanut butter balls (recipe http://ohsheglows.com/2013/12/16/peanut-better-balls/  I omitted the rice krisp cereal since I didn't have the gluten free version).

• Dates
• Fruit
• Peanut butter packets
• Gluten free bars
• Clif shot blocks and Gu, for use in fueling emergency
• Nuun

Hopefully, these options will allow me to maximize the opportunities for training while indulging a little and not falling completely off the NSNG wagon.   Until next week, train hard and recover hard.  Eat real food!

I would imagine that, at some point, I will have enough mountain biking experience where the first few miles of the first trail ride of the season don’t leave me twitching with nervousness.  That point is getting closer but has not yet arrived. 

Last Sunday, JMac and I packed up the gear and drove down to Mohican for our first mountain bike ride of the season.  It was also my first ride of the entire twenty-four mile loop as earlier attempts were cut short by time constraints.  The weather could not have cooperated more perfectly.  It had been dry for a couple of days and Sunday brought clear, blue skies with temperatures in the 70’s.  There were no tough clothing decisions that morning such as hat or no hat, pants or leg warmers or exactly how many layers do I want to wear on top.  It was shorts and short-sleeve jerseys the whole way, baby.

But as we started out, turning over the cranks those first few miles, it was back to mountain biking 101.  And so I kept replaying all of the lessons I have learned over the last few years in my head.

1.       Look twenty feet ahead, not at the ground immediately in front of you.  This is probably the most helpful piece of advice I have been given for riding.  Being in a position to anticipate the terrain allows you to go faster and avoid nasty surprises.

2.      Trust your bike.  After being on skinny wheels for so long, I initially feel a little uncertain hitting some loose rock, off camber roots or wet spots.  But then I remember, oh yeah, I’m on a mountain bike with big fat tires and full suspension.  I can roll over that.

3.      Speed is your friend.  Oh.  I am so bad at this one.  Use your momentum to gain traction over obstacles. 

4.      No overgripping.  It’s wasted energy and makes your whole upper body hurt.

5.      Don’t be afraid to get dirty.  It’s just fun.

6.      Concentrate.  No multi-tasking.  One of the cool things I like about mountain biking is one of my favorite things about climbing—it demands all of my attention.  There is no thinking about that problem at work, what we’re having for dinner, a cure for cancer, nothing.  Last summer I rode off a bridge wide enough to accommodate a Smart Car into a dry, rock-filled creekbed while contemplating what I needed to accomplish during the upcoming week.  Don’t do that.  It hurts and passersby look at you like the gumby you are.

7.      But relax.  You’re riding your bike, for heaven’s sake!  Last weekend, after somehow not crashing through a series of sharp, loose, downhill turns, I finally popped off at a rock garden.  Before jumping back on my bike, I took an extra second to take just a deep breath and regroup mentally.  That’s all I needed to steady my nerves.

8.      Yell Woo!  Woo! on all of the alley oops.  Because alley oops are so much fun.  And isn’t fun what this is all about anyways? 

Have a very fun week.  And don’t forget about that nutrition—eat real food so you can live longer, better and have even more fun.

So…What’s going on with training?  This week has been the second week in a block my coach is terming VO2.  We have added some intervals and upped the intensity.  Due to a late season snowstorm (!), the first track workout of the season on Tuesday had to be moved to the treadmill.  But it was done easily enough inside, alternating thirty seconds of 10k pacing with thirty seconds of recovery.  Wednesday was one mile repeats at a max but steady effort on the bike.  Swimming has been long broken sets of a mile plus, followed by shorter intervals.  On tap for the weekend is a brick, consisting of a road ride for endurance followed by a forty minute run.  And Sunday!  I am so excited.  Sunday is the first mountain bike ride of the season.  JMac and I are driving down to Mohican to ride the twenty-four mile loop.  Although I have ridden most portions of the trail at some point or another, this will be my first attempt at connecting all of the pieces together.  It’s not supposed to rain between now and then so the trails should have a chance to dry out. 

As training, or life in general, picks up, the one pot meal can be a valuable tool in your dinner arsenal.  There are endless options for veggies, protein and a side dish.  And, it comes together in one pot, eliminating extraneous dirty dishes.  You can throw in pretty much any vegetables you have on hand.  Here is my recipe, if you can call it that, for Easy Peasy Mexican One Pot.  I made this on Wednesday, after one mile bike repeats, and it hit the spot of being filling but still clean.

Easy Peasy Mexican One Pot (Vegan)

1 red onion, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced or a few slices of roasted red pepper, from a jar (I used Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper)

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

Olive oil

Cumin

Protein (tofu or Beyond Meat, cut into ½” pieces or tempeh, crumbled)

Jar of your favorite minimally processed salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on size

Rinse the sweet potatoes and cook them in the microwave on your potato setting.

Heat about 1 tsp of olive oil in a deep skillet.  Cook the onions, pepper and garlic on medium-high heat until softened and starting to turn brown.  (If using roasted pepper, add the pepper a little later, after the onion and garlic have started to soften).   Sprinkle with ½ tsp-ish of cumin.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add the beans and protein.  Stir.  Add about ½ a jar of salsa or to taste.  Stir and heat everything through. 

Scoop out the baked sweet potato into an individual bowl. Serve the One Pot over the mashed sweet potato.  Add a salad trough et voila!  Dinner is served. 

Have a great week.  Fuel yourself for life, eat real food!

A couple of nights ago I was rooting around the bathroom closet, looking for a new stick of deodorant, which, unfortunately, for the rest of the world, I was not able to find, when I found something else.  I found my crack cocaine, which I had not used or even thought about in months.  It’s not real crack cocaine, Silly.  My crack cocaine is what I used to call my assortment of “natural” and not so natural over the counter sleep aids.  Prior to going NSNG (no sugar, no grains, for the newly initiated), for about as long as I had been hungry, which is about as long as I can remember back in my adult life, I had also not been able to sleep all of the way through the night.  I would have no problems falling asleep but at some point in the middle of the night, I would wake up, my mind would start wandering and I might be up for fifteen minutes or an hour or two.  For someone who starts their day before sunrise, the loss of even fifteen minutes of sleep is disastrous to overall daily productivity.

In the past I always chalked this problem up to too much stress at work, since my 2:00 a.m. mind would generally wander there first or too much life in general, as my mind would wander to my mental list of daily activities and tasks next.  But could my mid-night awakenings have actually been caused by my diet?  I say yes.  Here’s why.

Life has not been simplified or become less stressful in the last six months.  The only thing that has been simplifed is my diet.  And now I sleep through the night.

Pre-NSNG, a typical work night might look like this:  Get home from work.  Do a run or bike workout for one to two hours.  Snack on “recovery” drink while making dinner.  Eat dinner, possibly with a glass of wine, and definitely with some type of dessert.  Get hungry.  Eat a bowl of “healthy” cereal.  Go to bed.

Looking back, I realize I was spiking my blood sugar with all of those carbohydrates, in particular that cereal snack, so close to bed.  Recent studies show that when you eat sugar, whether in the form of a “heart healthy grain” or refined, processed sugar, parts of your brain light up.  The response is very similar to the response you would get from taking heroine or another hard drug.  In addition, your body starts a series of hormonal processes to break down the sugar.  Knowing what I do now, I have to imagine my sugar-happy brain fell asleep easily while my body worked overtime in the background to process all of the carbohydrates forced into it in the last four hours of the day.  Then, when that process was complete, my no longer sugar-satisfied brain woke up.  This pattern of insomnia becomes a self-fulfilling circular error for a lot of people, including myself, when the next day, tired and mentally foggy, they reach for a soda, piece of candy or double caramel Frappuccino to spark some energy. 

If you are having problems falling asleep or staying asleep, I would suggest backing off of the sugar and starch, at least in the evenings.  Try it for a few weeks.  What have you got to lose except for that flock of sheep you have been counting?

It’s been a bit of a hectic week the past few days Chez Mac.  Those darn work deadlines can be so pesky at times.  That being said, I thought I would share three super-fast, easy recipes which I made this past Sunday.

1.       Creamy tomato soup (GF, vegan)

I make this soup all of the time.  It’s fast, like five minutes fast.  It’s made with pantry ingredients.  It’s filling.  You get two vegetables in almost an instant.

Here’s the link:  http://www.averiecooks.com/2012/12/creamy-tomato-soup.html

Notes:  No worries if you don’t have stewed tomatoes.  I use cans of regular whole tomatoes.  Using baby carrots takes away all of the vegetable preparation.  I have used both cream and almond milk.  Both taste fine.  

2.      Citrus Orange Roughy

 I just found this one last week, courtesy of my local Heinen’s.  Makes 3-4 servings.

 Ingredients:

1 orange, sliced in half

1 lemon, sliced in half

1 lb. orange roughy

1 Tbl olive oil

½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:  Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Arrange fish in skillet.  Squeeze lemon and orange halves over the fish.  (Watch for rogue seeds popping out).  Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.  Cook for five minutes until the fish is easily flaked with a fork.  Voila!  Add a salad trough, some steamed or grilled veggies and dinner is served.

Notes:  I didn’t have any lemon pepper seasoning in the cupboard so I successfully substituted Pampered Chef’s citrus and basil rub.  This is supposed to be a four serving recipe but JMac and I only got three.  Maybe we were just hungry but if cooking for four, I would recommend picking up an extra fish fillet.

Bonus recipe:  Marsita’s Grilled Veggies

You can make delicious cooked vegetables in less than ten minutes.  Keep a stash of frozen veggies in your freezer.  My favorite vegetable to do this with is Trader Joe’s French green beans.  I don’t know why, but they are the best. 

Directions:  Dump your desired amount of veggies into a large 2-3” deep skillet with a lid.  Add enough water (1/2”?) to get them steaming and cover.  Cook on medium/high heat until they are just barely tender—you don’t want mushy veggies.  Pour out the water.  Crank up the heat to high.  Return the veggies to the stove, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook the veggies for a just a minute or two until they start to brown, turning them over so they don’t burn.  If you want to kick them up a notch, add a little Cajun or other spicy seasoning while they are cooking.

3.       Simple Bread

You too can be a hero in your home.  Make your own gluten free bread.  I like all of the bread recipes I have tried from this site but this one is my new favorite.  It only requires three eggs, which seems to be the magic number that I have on hand whenever I go to bake.  Don’t be intimidated that this is “bread.”  It’s more of a quick bread.  There is no yeast, no kneading and no worrying about it rising.  JMac was about to deliver our toaster to the same fate as our VCR, a lonely shelf in the basement, when I first baked this.  Simple bread saved the toaster.  Here’s the link:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/simple-bread/  You don't need a magic line loaf pan but you do need a smaller than normal but not mini loaf pan.  Since there isn't any yeast, these recipes don't fill your normal, larger bread pans.

Finally, did you catch this in the national media this week?  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/31/295719579/rethinking-fat-the-case-for-adding-some-into-your-diet  Turns out you might want to add some (good) fat back in your diet and get off those processed carbohydrates.  What?  This sounds an awful lot like eat real food.  Hopefully, these recipes will give you a few more options.  Take care and have a great week.

Like the classic it’s named after, Barry-Roubaix (Killer Gravel Road Race) tests riders on rolling gravel roads (80%), pavement, one mile of rough two track, rocks, sand, mud, and possibly snow and ice, along with 2200 feet of climbing over its 36 mile loop.  This year’s event took place on Saturday, March 22^nd in Hastings, Michigan and offered race distances of 24, 36 and 62 miles.  While I did not see any snow or ice on the roads, there was plenty of rocks, sand and mud on the 24 mile course which I completed.  This was my first “gravel road race.”

With the exception of the mini blizzard we drove through in north central Ohio, the drive to Hastings, MI was pretty uneventful.  

We rolled into town Friday afternoon and quickly picked up our packets from the well-organized and friendly volunteers.  We decided to drive the course and see how things were looking for a test ride.  We drove about half of the 24 mile loop before returning to town to get our cyclocross bikes ready to ride.  JMac and I had both brought two bikes each, mountain and cyclocross, with the intention of determining which bike to race on after taking a look at the course and conditions.  I pretty quickly determined that I wanted my mountain bike for two main reasons:  First, my mountain bike has a granny gear.  Although there aren’t any long climbs on the 24 mile loop, there is a lot of climbing.  I was working way too hard on my test ride with the gearing on my cross bike.  Second, my cross bike is relatively new.  While I had ridden it some this winter, I had not ridden it in the conditions which were presenting for the race (i.e. running water and peanut butter dirt on some of the climbs).  I knew I would be more confident on my trusty Kona 2+2.  JMac later opted for his mountain bike as well based on conditions advice from one of our JTree peeps.  Test ride complete, we packed back up and drove to Grand Rapids, about thirty-five minutes away, where we were staying for the weekend.

JMac found a great local brewery for dinner, Brewery Vivant (http://www.breweryvivant.com/).  Since it was a race night we only shared a few samples of their brews but I look forward to going back.  The Belgian/Euro food (with an emphasis on local agriculture and whole foods) and beer were excellent.  The building and seating had a very cool vibe as well.  (JT, I had the best olives since Paris, 1996).

After a good night’s sleep, breakfast consisted of oatmeal with slivered almonds and raisins and coffee, courtesy of the hotel breakfast bar.  I also brought a small container of roasted sunflower seeds and PB2 to add some more oomph to my oatmeal.  (Side note:  I have greatly reduced my intake of oatmeal since going NSNG.  But when traveling or not being able to cook myself, I can’t find a better breakfast option than oatmeal.  And since it was a race day, I wanted the extra glycemic load anyway).  I grabbed an apple and a banana for the road and we were off to Hastings.

We arrived early, as always.  (Old habits from triathlon die hard).  JMac added some air to my tires and rear shock and I locked out the front fork.  With the non-technical terrain, the Kona’s full suspension would be working against me to a certain degree.  I ate my banana and killed some more time in the car until it was time to hit the POPs and line up.  The 24 mile racers started between the 36 and 62 mile cyclists.  From what I can tell, the only seeding was by gender and age.  I wished JMac well and he lined up.  My wave was only two behind his.

As my wave lined up, the sun came out for a brief moment.  That made a huge difference in the temperature.  Otherwise, conditions were supposed to be low 30s and overcast.  I had added an extra base layer on top but was otherwise wearing the same combination of layers and kit as at Ice Man in November.  I lined up about 2/3 of the way back in my wave.  At Ice Man, I found myself pushed to the front while we were lining up and got spit out the back during the very fast start.  So I did not want a repeat of that.  Looking around, I did notice that most of my wave compatriots (all 24 mile females plus some youth categories) were on mountain bikes. The horn sounded and we were off.  Unfortunately, I had positioned myself poorly once again.  This time, it was like the last day of the Tour de France with everyone out for a leisurely group ride.  I suspect that about ten girls got off the front in a couple of packs and the rest of us were left behind in traffic. 

The course is on pavement for a couple of miles out of town then turns to dirt and a few climbs to get the heart and legs pumping.  I just stayed to the left and passed people.  All of the excruciating winter trainer sessions must have paid off because the climbs were doable.  I began to catch the waves in front of me.  Up and down we went.  It seemed like if I wasn’t climbing, I was descending.  But the course was fun.  The hardest part was navigating other racers and choosing the correct body to get behind on the longer, steeper, wetter climbs.  At one point on one of the longer climbs, I could hear the gentleman in front of me, grinding through his gears as we neared the top of a sloppy section.  I thought for sure he was going to drop a chain and in the process drop me in the mud.  But with some encouragement he ground it out to the top. 

The various distances split off and then rejoined.  The leaders of the 36 mile race passed me like I was standing still.  But the course was very well marked and I had no route finding issues.  My only frustration was being stopped at an intersection to allow car traffic to pass.  While I was stopped, several other ladies in my wave were able to catch up. 

For nutrition, I sucked on Clif shot blocks with caffeine.  I had approximately sixty ounces of water on me in my Camelbak.  Ultimately, I drank about forty ounces, which may not have been enough.  Around mile 18, my quads started to cramp.  I wracked my brain trying to remember if cramps were a sign of low electrolytes or dehydration.  I shifted into an easier gear, ate another shot block, drank and kept going.  Shortly thereafter I turned on to the pavement, a final long climb and the road for the finish.  I tried to grab onto some 36 mile guys passing me on cross bikes but my quads cramped again and I backed off.  I did finish the climb feeling pretty strong and then tucked in for the final descent to town.  I enjoyed the finish as the course turned through town a few times before crossing the finish line .  A girl in my age group caught me near the end and we battled back and forth with me popping past her just before the finish.  I finished 14^th out of 48 in my age group.  JMac did very well, finishing 16th out of 74 in his.

I found JMac and we returned to the car to put away our bikes and change for the after party.  Founders Brewing is the title sponsor for Barry Roubaix and already had the good beer flowing.  We grabbed a couple of All Day IPA’s, some food and settled in with our peeps from JTree.  Thank you to the city of Hastings for hosting the event.  The center of town was shut down as an open air party, complete with fire pits, food, beer and cycling vendors.  All in all, it was a very good day and a great weekend away.  I am already looking forward to next year.

My hope is that you had a good weekend too.  Work hard, play harder and take care of yourself.  Thanks for stopping by.  Talk to you next week.

Several weeks ago JMac asked if I would make cupcakes.  And not just any cupcakes.  He specifically requested yellow cupcakes with homemade chocolate fudge frosting.  Now for the reader who has not had (from scratch) yellow cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting, these cupcakes are quite a treat.  The cupcakes are light, moist and delicious on their own.  But the frosting takes them to a new level.  The frosting consists of dark chocolate, a little vanilla and milk, one stick of butter and a whole lot of sugar.  The sugary, buttery, rich goodness of it is absolutely mind-boggling.  I know more than one person who “doesn’t like chocolate,” JMac included, who can eat half a dozen of these tasty treats without blinking an eye.  Regardless, this request put me in a bit of a quandary regarding my own recent stance against both wheat flour and sugar.  But I agreed to make them for dessert when we had company over for dinner.  After all, JMac has been an innocent victim in the No Sugar No Grains battle, losing his beloved bread, cereal and after dinner cookies in my war against processed foods. 

For most of my life growing up my parents worked opposite shifts.  My mom worked the traditional business day and my dad worked nights.  Between sports and other after school activities, this meant a crazy juggling of the schedules with one parent often picking my brother and/or I up one place and the other parent picking us up an hour or two later.  With all of this hustle and bustle, I do not recall much time for traditional family dinners most days of the week.  What I do recall is my mom spending a few hours in the kitchen on Sunday’s, preparing meals for the upcoming week, making sure there was real food in the fridge for us to eat.

Today, the pace of my life is much the same, as it is for many people.  Work obligations, self-imposed training obligations, family and social events and well, life, keep us busy all throughout the week.  However, this does not mean that in our haste our diets have to suffer, that we have to rely on industrial science experiments for nourishment. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was rolling into a recovery week.  I took full advantage of the extra time on my hands on Sunday to make food for the upcoming week and for weeks when I will not have adequate time to cook. 

On Saturday, I took a few minutes to flip through my cookbooks for some inspiration.  I decided to go veggie and settled on Appetite for Reduction

	Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes ~ Matthew Ruscigno (author) More about this product List Price: $19.95 Price: $11.57 You Save: $8.38 (42%)

• Two loaves paleo bread http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/ .  This is an excellent recipe, whether you are low carb, gluten free (GF) or not.  I doubled the recipe.  After cooling, I wrapped one and a half loaves in plastic wrap and then foil and froze them.  I kept the remaining half loaf out to be consumed the first few days of the week.  (And it was).  To defrost the frozen loaf, just take it out of the freezer in the morning and leave it on the counter (away from the dog) and by evening, it will be good to go.*
• One pan GF cornbread for JMac, which was inadvertently left out on the counter (not away from the dog) and later consumed by the dog (again).  Doh!
• Veggie Pot Pie Stew (6 servings) http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/3478411-Veggie-Potpie-Stew .**  After cooling, I separated the stew, 2/3 going in a large plastic container and being frozen for dinner/lunch later in the week.  The remaining 1/3 was put in a smaller container and also frozen with the intention of being emergency lunch some day in the future. 
• Lentil and Eggplant Chili Mole (6 servings) http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/lentil-and-eggplant-chili-mole-recipe.html .**  This was separated the same as above except that I left the large container in the refrigerator for dinner/lunch Monday/Tuesday.***
• Red Thai Tofu (4 servings) http://reductionproject.blogspot.com/2011/06/red-thai-tofu.html .  We ate about half for dinner on Sunday.  JMac had his over rice.  I had mine over half of a baked sweet potato.  The rest became lunch on Monday.^

So, in four hours I made sixteen meals^^ and enough “bread” to last more than two weeks.  If my math is correct, that’s a mere fifteen minutes per serving.  Add a salad trough and voila, dinner is served!  Real food in real time is really doable.  And your body will thank you for it.  Have a great week.

*Tip:  I substitute Trader Joe's gluten free flour for the coconut flour and the bread comes out fine.

**Tip:  Stews, soups and chilies are generally better the second day, after having a chance for the flavors to meld together.  Just a thought for meal planning.

***Yet Another Tip:  I passed on the agave and did not miss it in the final product.

^Last tip:  The author of this blog thought her sauce came out too thin.  I'm not sure what she did differently because my sauce came out both a good consistency and very tasty.  Also, to add more "Thai" flavor, I cooked the tofu in coconut oil as opposed to olive oil.

^^Ok, one more comment:  Any of these recipes could be doubled or tripled so that there would be more freezable leftovers for a larger family.  In particular, I like the recipes in this book because the serving size works out well for two people.

So where am I in my training cycle?  I am in the last week of my third block of training (i.e. yay, recovery time!).  This block has incorporated some lactate threshold work after two blocks of aerobic base building.  The third week of any block is generally my favorite.  I know what the workouts will be from the first two weeks but can push myself further and harder knowing a recovery week is around the corner.  And that's what happened last weekend.  My final workout on Sunday was a three hour zone 2/3 bike ride.  Well, I was tired.  The two hour trainer class on Saturday had been brutal, the workouts earlier in the week had me worn down and JMac and I had been engaged in a house renovation project, spending all of our free time painting the first floor of our house.  So when I woke up Sunday morning to more snow falling outside my windows, I had to consider my options.  I knew three hours on the trainer was not going to happen (Plan A).  Even if I eeked out two hours on the trainer, I knew I was not going to be able to muster an effort much beyond easy spinning (Plan B).  That's when I opted for Plan C.  I pulled out my mountain bike, geared up for nineteen degree weather, loaded the bike in the car and headed for the Bike and Hike, a local paved trail which runs from Summit to Cuyahoga county.  It had been too icy to ride the previous week but I thought with the fresh layer of snow, there would be enough cover on the ice to make it able to be ridden on.  Mmmm.  As I quickly discovered, there was snow but the ice underneath was much crunchier, thicker and more uneven than I was expecting.  After a few minutes out, I grew frustrated and turned around for the parking lot.  But then I remembered that a recovery week was on the way and if I could just do half the workout, that would probably be better quality than a weak effort on the trainer.  So I turned around again and headed north.  Riding on the snow and ice was alternately like riding through sand and really loose rock gardens.  I focused on my handling skills.  It was slow going and even though I fell twice, my effort was where it should have been.  The time started to slip away and I was out longer than anticipated.  Conditions could end up being very similar at Barry Roubaix in three weeks so I was glad for the experience.  And now I am on a recovery week.   

Completely unrelated on the food front, I finally made homemade mayonnaise.  It.  Is.  So.  Good.  And easy, at least if you have an immersion blender.  And I do, thanks to a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law (Triplet 1).  (For clarification, rankings are strictly based on birth order).  Here is the recipe that I followed.  Watch the video, it is seriously just this easy:  http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-homemade-mayo-in-2-minutes-or-le.html.  For the oil, I used half canola oil and half olive oil.  I hear so many bad things about canola oil, I felt compelled to cut it down with the olive.  But that does give the mayonnaise a distinct olive-y oil taste.  I did not mind it but do keep that in mind.  The recipe makes quite a bit.  I used about half of it to make salmon salad (a couple of cans of Whole Paycheck wild caught salmon, mayo and my other sister-in-law's (Triplet 3) delicious homemade pepper relish, also a lovely gift).  JMac used the rest to make egg salad. Both were very, very tasty right out of the bowl but could also be served over lettuce.   

I have been on a podcast-listening marathon recently.  I switch between Rich Roll, Vinnie Tortorich (Angriest Trainer), Jonathan Bailor (The Smarter Science of Slim) and the Fit, Fat, Fast podcast.  Although they each approach diet from different angles, there are two common themes: 

• Processed foods should be avoided. 

• Eat more vegetables. 

You never know what you're going to get for dinner at my house on a Friday.  If I picked up our CSA share on Thursday it could be something fresh, local and delicious.  If not, chances are it's something local and delicious but possibly a lot more random, like the leftovers from meals earlier in the week.  Today's post is something like that...random thoughts that have caught my eye over the last couple of weeks.

More than one member of my family has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in my lifetime.  As a result, I have started following research and news on the Alzheimer's front.  There is a growing body of evidence that Alzheimer's, along with other diseases such as Parkinson's and MS, have some correlations with diabetes, gluten and medium chain triglycerides.  For me, this presents even more reasons to kick the carbohydrate/grain/sugar habit.

http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/01/30/israeli-researcher-develops-molecules-to-reduce-diabetics-alzheimers-and-dementia-risk/

https://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_10282013.cfm

There is also a great story on the potential of MCT oil in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease on an old episode of the Fit Fat Fast podcast.  Download it from Itunes or check it out online:

http://www.fitfatfast.com/ep-27-coconuts-ketones-and-proper-running/#more-507

NPR had a story last week regarding full fat dairy...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean

Finally, one of my favorite vegan recipes is Upside Down Shepherd's Pie from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction.  (I first heard about the cookbook via No Meat Athlete http://www.nomeatathlete.com, a good blog for the plant-based runner or triathlete).  While you need to watch the carb count in some of the recipes, I have enjoyed virtually everything I have made from the book.  Plus, there are a lot of informative tips on tracking down vegan ingredients and recipe preparation.  The recipes are a great way to work more vegetables into your diet.  And whether you are vegan, vegetarian, vegicurious, paleo, low carb, NSNG, ASD (American Standard Diet), etc., I think everyone agrees the world would be a better place if we all just ate more vegetables.    

Anyway, I made Upside Down Shepherd's Pie again last week and it was delicious.  I like it because the mushroom/lentil combo makes it very filling.  I made mashed potatoes for JMac but served mine over caulibrocs.  Mashed caulibrocs or mashed broccoli or cauliflower has become my go to substitute for rice, quinoa or any other grain dish that might be served with Asian or Indian food.  To make caulibrocs, steam equal parts broccoli and cauliflower.  (I steam quite a bit and freeze any leftovers).  Once the vegetables are tender, pour out the water.  Mash the veggies with a potato masher.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  Voila!  Caulibrocs!  Here is a link to Isa's website, where she also has some free recipes from the cookbook:  http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend.  Don't forget, respect yourself, eat real food!

There has been an awful lot of bellyaching in the media recently regarding the extended cold snap of weather, also known as “winter,” which has settled over parts of the country.  While I understand why the folks down south might be upset by the recent onslaught of ice, snow and cold temperatures, I am continually astounded by the distaste for the season from the local northeast Ohio population.  After all, snow and cold means sledding, skiing, cross-country skiing, showshoeing, crunchy trail running, ice skating, ice fishing and for JMac and I, ice climbing. 

It has been a couple of years since we have a winter cold and consistent enough to freeze our local waterfalls solid enough to climb.  Since January, temperatures have remained cold enough for waterfalls from thirty to eighty feet to freeze.  We have taken every opportunity to get out on them, including a few evening runs after work in addition to climbs on the weekends. 

Temperatures are supposed to warm up this week so JMac and I headed out for our potentially last climb of the season on Saturday.  The sky was unbelievably clear, so much so that JMac referred to it as “Colorado blue sky.”  And it was.  There was little wind which made for outstanding conditions.  Both falls had filled in considerably since the prior week.  They were both super fat with multiple lines to climb.  Since it was just the two of us, we had packed in only one rope and decided to climb the more vertical flow on the left.  Here are some pictures so you can see the scale.

When we arrived at the falls we were greeted by a local photographer who was taking some pictures.  The hike in to our location on Saturday is about a half hour hike up a creek bed.  In more typical winters, the creek bed does not freeze solid and/or there is a lot of debris which has to be navigated around.  Between that and the sometimes treacherous canal crossing, we generally do not have a lot of company at “hidden falls.”  This year, however, with the deep freeze that has settled over northeast Ohio, we have come across several local hikers and photographers who have either heard about the picturesque falls and have come to check them out or just followed the footsteps up the completely frozen creek to see where they lead.  Imagine their surprise when they come across us, climbing the falls with crampons and ice axes.  The photographer on Saturday took some pictures of us climbing.  I’m hoping he forwards a couple of them as it is difficult to take good pictures with just the two of us. 

Part of the appeal of ice climbing is the ever changing conditions of the ice as well as the limited window of time to enjoy them.  So while I am very sad that the falls will most likely melt out later this week, I am very grateful for the climbs I was able to complete.  It has been a great season.

Last year I split my season into two with the first half being triathlon-focused (MusselMan Half Iron) and the second half focusing on mountain biking (IceMan).  That was a huge step outside my comfort zone because although I wanted to improve my mountain biking skills, I had never participated in a mountain bike race before.  The thought terrified me particularly since I had selected the largest mountain biking race in the country as my "A" mountain biking race.  But all is well that ends well.  I really enjoyed my mountain biking season, bumps, bruises and all.  IceMan was fantastic.  And I had a great time at the local races that I competed in.  So that brings me to 2014.  This year I am combining triathlon and mountain biking once again but this time into one season and one A race, Xterra Marquette Epic.  I love upstate Michigan and always look for an opportunity to head up north, as they say.  So here is the lineup:

So if I am not eating grains, potatoes, sugar, etc., what exactly am I eating?  A lot, actually.

• Vegetables.  Lots and lots of vegetables.  When I was in high school, I went through a phase of being a "vegetarian."  In all actuality I was much closer to the name my parents gave me, "pastatarian."  I lived on spaghetti, cereal and bread and occasionally ate iceberg lettuce.  But the days of the pastatarian are long gone.  Today I enjoy pretty much all vegetables.  Joining a local CSA (http://freshforkmarket.com/) has forced me to expand my vegetable horizon.  I eat a salad as a large portion of most lunches and dinners with whatever vegetables we have around as a side dish.  

• Protein.  I gave up conventional, factory-farmed meat a couple of years ago after reading Michael Pollan's life changing book, In Defense of Food (http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/).  Instead, I turned to locally-raised, preferably organic meat.  Living in northeast Ohio, there are many sources for responsibly-raised chicken, beef and pork.  (Check out the year round farmer's market brought to you by The Countryside Conservancy http://www.cvcountryside.org/ for vendors).  Whole Foods and Trader Joe's also offer some options for organic meat.  However, loose food labeling laws allow for liberal use of the terms "grass fed" and "pasture raised."  Do your own research.  All of this being said, soy and legumes are significant sources of protein for me as well.  

• Fruit, in moderation.  Sometime between being a pastatarian in high school and whatever I am these days (there has to be a term better than NSNG'er), I became a fruitarian.  Not really, but I did eat a lot of fruit.  I love fruit, nature's candy.  These days I try to limit myself to one to two servings of lower glycemic fruits per day, as my sweet treat.

• Seeds, nuts and nut butters.  Right now I am digging on roasted almonds, raw walnuts, nut butters, sunflower and chia seeds.  Check out the huge selection at Trader Joe's for inspiration.  

• Dairy, in moderation.  Mmmm...Snowville Creamery products--grass-grazed and Ohio local.  Snowville's plain yogurt (full fat) with berries makes for a yummy dessert.  I avoid milk and reduced fat cheeses and yogurts and stick with full fat cottage cheese, plain yogurt and other artisan cheeses as my go to "fast food" when I need a quick snack.

• Other:

• Olives
• Coconut butter
• Raw coconut
• Eggs, local and pasture raised

For baking:

• Flax seed, almond and cashew meal (available through Bob's Red Mill, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.  Or make your own if you have a powerful food processor or Vitamix).

For cooking:

Olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee.

Herbs and spices.