Surviving Tuesday & Focus on Race Day Nutrition

I survived Tuesday.  The rest of the day was kind of up and down.  I was able to pick up my bike from Kona Multisport that afternoon.  While I was at the store, I was also able to pick up a 10 visit guest pass to the YMCA down the street so I could use their pool.  I was going to bike after work, but my bike was so clean and shiny I didn't want to get it dirty in the still somewhat flooded Flatwoods Park.  I decided to get in my swim instead since I've pretty much made all my bike training sessions and skipped a lot of the swimming.  The swim turned out good.  Here's what the plan called for:

w/u - 300 swim, 200 kick, 300 pull
main set - 30 X 50 w/ 10 sec rest as follows:
#1 - 10: gradually descend from 75% to 85%
#11 - 18: 25 kick - 25 sprint --- I did these with the swim fins.  Doing the sprints were scary and fun.  I was swimming way faster than I ever have before and I almost wasn't coming up for air in time.  I thought this might be something that I should keep in mind for Augusta 70.3 and the Beach2Battleship because both are going to be wetsuit races and the swim is with the current. 
#19 - 30: race pace.  I didn't rest between these.  I just went.  I did these remaining 12 - 50's in 9:34.  This is between :46 and :47 every 50m.  I normally come in around :48 to :50 every 50m when I do 8 + at a time.  Improvements in swimming for me come in 1 and 2 seconds decreases in time per 50m.  I can honestly say it's taken me over 6 months to get to this point, starting at :51 to :53.  The best part was I didn't feel like I was going to die at the end.  I was definitely pushing myself.  But, I made sure to hold back a little so that I could finish all 12 without slowing down.  This made my Tuesday better  :). 
c/d - 400 pull.  I used the hand paddles with these and took it easy.

I was supposed to bike for 1:30 after.  I made it to Davis Island and was able to get in 5 miles before it got too dark.  I didn't have any of my lights with me because I took them off for the tune-up and brought them inside ... instead of leaving them in my car which probably would have been more practical. 


The two big races that I have coming up are Augusta 70.3 Ironman and Beach2Battleship Iron Distance tri.  I'm not too worried about Augusta because I've done a half iron distance tri before and was able to make it through on gels and water alone.  I do not think that nutrition will be that easy for the B2B tri.  I have been thinking real hard for the last week about what solid foods I can tolerate.  I will only be eating solid food on the bike as I intend to rely solely on  gels and whatever is available on the B2B course for the run.  I tried a PB & J sandwich last weekend.  It settled in my stomach fine, but it was hard to swallow since my mouth was dry.  I've had this problem before in a race.  I ate a couple of Powerbar Oatmeal and Raisin Energy bites at the beginning of the bike and since my mouth was so dry from the salt water, I drank almost all my water about 10 miles into the bike, with 14 left to go.  No bueno.   

Here are some things that I'm going to try:

• Infinit Nutrition.  This is an energy/endurance powder that you can customize.  One of the guy's that I ride with mentioned that this is what he uses.  I decided to get some because I could add caffeine to it.  This will help replace not taking gels with caffeine and I can rely on the Infinit for caffeine and a few calories, whatever food I decide to go with for the bulk of the calories that I will need, and water.  I bought some and tried some the other day to see how it tasted.  I wanted the flavor to be medium-strong fruit punch.  It tasted more like watered down lemon water.  Ugh.  Thankfully I have some BSN Amino-x watermelon flavor recovery mix that can be used before, during and after a workout and can be added to any beverage that tastes awesome.  It's got a little bit of a fiz to it, but I like that.  I'm going to mix the two and see how it works out.  Results to come after Saturday's training session.  Here is the nutrition facts for the Infinit mix I customized (serving size is 2 scoops):
• Calories - 196
• Fat - 0
• Sodium - 338mg
• Potassium - 98 mg
• Carbs - 46g
• Protein - 3g
• Caffeine  -- Doesn't say.  I'm a little annoyed that it doesn't tell me how much caffeine is in it. 
• Bonk Breaker bars.  I had never heard of these until about a week ago.  It turns out that this is now what will be on the course for Ironman races.  After reading more information about them I decided to get a few.  From a lot of the reviews it sounds like they are moist and will be easy to get down.  There was an issue with my order, so I don't think I'll have a review ready for them until after next weekend's training session.  Unless by some miracle I am able to find them in a store Saturday.   I don't understand why they are not stocked everywhere that carries any kind of endurance race nutrition stuff.
• Honey Stinger Waffles.  Read some race recaps from other people that mentioned eating these.  I also have a few friends that like to eat these during races.  I have tried them myself (only before a race, not during a race or even during training) and they are tasty and gooey, soft but not sticky like Chomps.  Same deal as with the Bonk Breaker bars.  I will have a review up hopefully this weekend but more likely next weekend.   

Elliptical Intervals & The Beyond 300 Workout

Today at the gym I decided I wanted to do whatever I felt like instead of sticking to the schedule I had set for myself this weekend. Running is always my first choice for cardio, but since I didn't want to do my intervals, and I’ve been making a conscious effort to not run too many “junk” miles, I chose to spend a little bit of time on the elliptical.  I tend to get really bored just pedaling along steadily, so I came up with a plan to pass the time.


In addition to breaking up the monotony, I like incorporating forward and backwards motion because it works both my quads and my hamstrings, and completing the last five minutes without holding on increases the engagement of my core. My legs were definitely burning on the last few minutes of high resistance! 

After hopping off the elliptical, I decided to tackle a The Beyond 300 Workout I found while I was perusing old issues of Muscle and Fitness Hers.  The workout, which I followed exactly, is this:



The workout, which was designed by Julie Lohre, is supposed to be timed and completed with as little rest as possible.  In the magazine, she says that her record is 22:39.  I had a blast with this!  It went by quickly (it took me 29:31), my heart rate remained elevated, and I felt like I got a great full body workout.  I highly recommend giving it a shot if you are looking for something fast and fun to do in the gym.

The rest of the day will probably be spent trying not to eat all of this deliciousness at once (the recipe made four loaves twice this size):



I whipped up this Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Loaf from Ingredients of a Fit Chick last night, and it is so, so, SO good.  If you like pumpkin, you need to make this ASAP!

Rolling With the Punches

Most, if not all, workout enthusiasts would agree with the saying “I’ve never regretted a workout, but I’ve regretted missing a workout”.  I don’t know about you, but unless my body is telling me to take a break, I get so bent out of shape if I miss a workout.  Yesterday I missed a spin class but was able to make up for it a little by getting in my strength training.  This morning I got up at 5 AM to go for a swim.  Let me tell you how much I LOOOVE waking up at 5 AM and swimming (sarcasm).  I made it to the gym around 5:30, walked inside and the pool is closed!  I couldn’t even go to the other gym by work because that one is closed too.  I don’t know what is going on with the pools, but they’re all murky.  The girl at the counter said they are waiting on a new pump and didn’t know when the pool would re-open.  FANTASTIC!  It was too late to make the spin class at any of the gyms.  I went back home and went into the bathroom and there was a not-so-nice surprise on the bathroom rug from my dog, Suggs.  It was gross and stinky.  After cleaning it up and throwing the rug in the washer, I was able to fall back asleep for about 30 minutes.  I couldn’t even sleep longer because I needed to wash my hair.  This is when using the trick of not washing my hair the night before backfires on me L.  Needless to say I’m not a very happy camper at this point and it’s only 7AM.  I’ve calmed myself down about missing the spin and swim sessions.  Now I’m anxiously awaiting the phone call to let me know that my bike tune-up is all done and I can come get my bike.  If I’m not able to get it today, then I will miss tomorrow morning’s weekly speed work at Davis Island.  Or I will have to re-arrange my schedule again and maybe do it Thursday morning.  I can’t wait for this week to be over.  Until then I’m just going to roll with the punches and hope nothing else derails my training for this week. 

How do you feel when you miss a workout?  How do you deal?                    

Motivational Music and Meatballs

Well, today was supposed to be my triumphant return to the Shortcut to Size program, but it turns out that I hit my snooze button one (or maybe five) too many times, so I modified my plans and got my tempo run for this week out of the way. Today’s run called for 3 miles at a 7:27 pace, 3 minute rest, 2 miles at a 7:24 pace, 2 minute rest, and finally 1 mile at a 7:24 pace. I didn’t think the run would be that much of a challenge, but my body wasn’t entirely in agreement with my brain on that point. I was really struggling during the last half mile of my 2 miles, but then this song came on my iPod.

This is the song that was playing when I finished the Fargo Marathon. Every time I hear it, I am transported back to the moment when I entered the Fargo Dome and saw the finish line come into view, and I knew that I was only seconds away from running a Boston qualifying time. And just like that, I had the energy to push through and finish the workout strong. I’m always amazed by power that certain songs have to invoke such vivid memories and to transform my attitude.

Time to talk about balls! Meatballs, that is. On one of my many stops at the grocery store last week, I noticed some thick, lean, beautiful pork chops on sale, and I felt the distinct need to buy a couple of pounds. I stuffed the first pound with prosciutto and manchego cheese, so when it came time to use the second pound, I was in the mood for something completely different and not necessarily in chop form. Inspiration struck when I looked out at my deck and saw my out of control basil plant. I decided to go with an Asian version of meatballs, and this is what I came up with.

Basil Ginger Pork Meatballs

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup Panko
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground pork (I ground up some boneless pork chops in my food processor; I have a hard time finding lean ground pork in the grocery store)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce

1. Place a jelly-roll pan lined with a silicone mat (foil works too) in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently just until blended; don’t overmix, or the meatballs could become tough. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Divide the pork mixture into 20 equal portions. Shape each portion into a meatball. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the preheated pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until done.

Nutrition Information per 5 meatballs
Calories: 188
Fat: 6.3g
Carbohydrates: 85.9g
Protein: 23.6g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com


I loved these so much that I ate them for lunch three days in a row with some coleslaw mix that I sautéed in garlic and sesame oil and sprinkled with chopped cashews. I normally brown meatballs prior to baking them; I didn’t this time, and I wish I would have or at the very least flipped them halfway through the baking time. The bottoms of the meatballs had a nice brown and crispy crust that I preferred to the top of the meatballs.

Potato Crusted Mini Quiches

Last week, the monthly newsletter from Clean Eating Magazine showed up in my email, and it included this recipe for Potato-Crusted Salmon & Goat Cheese Quiches. I loved the idea of a grab and go quiche with a potato crust in place of the traditional fat-laden pastry crust but wasn't entirely sold on the rest of the recipe. The original recipe called for yellow potatoes, but since I had a sweet potato that needed to get used, I threw that in the crust mixture as well. Not being a huge fan of salmon or goat cheese, I totally re-worked the egg mixture, opting instead for caramelized onions, roasted zucchini and peppers, and some fat free cheese.  The end result was fantastic – veggie packed and flavorful with just a bit of heat from the jalapeno in the cheese.  Each quiche has less than 75 calories to boot!

Potato Crusted Mini Quiches

Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine
Makes 14 Quiches

Ingredients
10 oz yellow potatoes, grated
8 oz sweet potatoes, grated
4 large eggs, plus 1/2 cup egg whites
1 tbsp whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp basil infused olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup diced bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 oz Lifetime Fat Free Mild Mexican Cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Arrange silicone muffin liners on a large rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, 1 whole egg, flour, salt and pepper. Line the muffin cups with the mixture; the potato crust should be about 1/4-inch thick on all sides. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until browned around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and let them cook until slightly brown...this should take about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the shredded zucchini and cook until softened. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup of egg whites. Add the Greek yogurt and whisk until incorporated. Add the veggie mixture as well as the cheese and stir. Spoon the mixture into the prepared potato crusts.
Bake at 350 degrees until set. This took 27 minutes in my oven. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the muffin cups before removing from the silicone molds.

Nutrition Information per Quiche
Calories:74.3
Fat: 1.8g
Carbohydrates: 8.3g
Protein: 5.5g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com
 

After having eaten most of the quiches, I had a flash of brilliance and whipped up some Adobo Cottage Cheese Sauce to amp up the spice and add a little more protein to my post workout meal. I can see myself making these again and again; the recipe is completely customizable based on what kind of veggies, meats, cheeses, etc I have on hand, and the convenience of being able to grab a couple as I head out the door is a huge plus.

As is usually the case in my kitchen, the cooking process was closely monitored by my in-house quality control staff.  Rest assured that nothing escapes Phoebe’s watchful eye!

(Mis)Adventures of Training

Living in Florida is great for training.  You can train pretty much all year long.  There are a few hiccups in the summer time because it rains a lot in the afternoon, though.  There are multiple parks, trails, and roads that are somewhat biker friendly (unfortunately, Florida ranks among the lowest of all states for biker friendliness) all within a 30 mile radius of me and most of them are closer to 20 miles or less.  If you go here to the Metropolitan Planning Organization website, under Transportation Topics –> Trails it’ll show maps of the current, in progress, and planned trails and connections.  I can’t wait for them all to be done.  Pinellas County is home to the 37 mile Pinellas Trail.  There are current plans and some progress to add an East-West connection to the 20.6 mile Progress Energy Trail.  In Hillsborough County, there are the 41.3 mile Suncoast Trail and the 8 mile Upper Tampa Bay Trail.  I have been waiting years for them to connect these two trails.  It has officially been in the works for 5 years and has finally been put in the budget for 2013 to add a 4.35 mile extension to connect the two trails.  It was put on hold because developers did not want the trail to go through their development.  So, the county had to revise the plan and go around the development.  Very annoying…  Anywho,, you can read about this exciting news here.  Also,  here are maps and directions for the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and Suncoast Trail. 
Another trail that I frequent (not this year because it’s been flooded most of the summer) is Flatwoods Park.  This park is really nice because there are two entrances.  There is a 7 mile loop and off road trails for bikers and runners.  One entrance is about .5 miles to the 7 mile loop and the other entrance is 2 miles from the loop.  What’s great about this trail is there are no cars.  There are, however, wild life.  No big deal, except for if you’re on foot and you see a snake or get chased by an angry stinging thing (note: don’t wear any kind of scented anything if you’re planning on running here).  I’m sure it’s hilarious for someone watching you flap your arms and slap at your legs trying to get the thing away from you.  Being the person under attack is NOT funny.  Those are off-set by the occasional siting of deer, turtles, and turkeys.   
On the Suncoast a couple of weeks ago, at about mile 85 of 100, my fellow-bikers and I saw a mama bobcat and 4 of her babies running across the trail.  It was great.  You’ll see a lot of cows from the trail as well.  This weekend’s bike ride on Suncoast was definitely my craziest.  There were three of us and I was currently in the back, drafting, recovering from my 3-mile pull.  I swear this squirrel came out of thin air.  It ran into the guy’s back tire that was in front of me.  I was too close to him to react.  All I could do was scream.  More like a squeak.  Then… I ran over the squirrel.  It rolled with my front tire and got caught between the bike and the tire, bounced off onto the ground, then leaped into the grass.  I had no idea what to do.  I think it was ok because it jumped into the grass.  I’m sure it’s ribs are going to be bruised or something though.  I did get to make up for this by saving a baby turtle though.  While on my brick run, I saw a little baby turtle about the size of my hand.  I didn’t want it to get run over by the bikers or have the bikers have to swerve, so I picked up the turtle and moved it over to the grass… I hoped I moved it to the side it wanted to go.
Trails and parks are great.  Even with the few (mis)adventures that you might have if they happen to be up against or nestled within woods or wetlands.  They’re great for exercise and they’re great for the environment.  They provide homes for wild life and they provide a place for us to exercise.  If you have a chance to sign a petition or vote for a trail or park to be created or extended, please do it.   
Do you have any (mis)adventures while training? 

Weekly recap (Competitive Week 8)

Not only did I miss my Friday bike session I also missed the swim.  But, I got to spend the night with my boyfriend, Daniel.  I knew I was going to be gone most of the day Saturday and he had to work Saturday night.  We live and work together and we hardly see each other.  The trade-off didn’t bother me.  It was also a win-win for me because I got some more rest before my long Saturday workout.  Here’s this week’s recap:
Monday – AM: 40-mile bike, o/w swim
Tuesday – PM: strength training:
3 sets (10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps)

• lat pull down – 85 lbs
• leg extension – 55 lbs
• leg curls – 50 lbs
• dumbbell pullovers (neck resting on medicine ball) – 25 lbs

2 sets, 12 reps of each (2 count lift, 4 count lower)

• bench press – 50 lbs
• squats – 40 lbs
• lateral dumbbell raises – 2 – 10 lbs
• calf raises – 50 lbs
• backward lunges – 2 – 15 lbs
• bicep curls – 35 lbs
• tri extensions – 35 lbs
• leg press (lying down leg press) – 90 lbs
• reverse fly – 1st set 2 – 15 lbs, 2nd set 2 – 10 lbs

Wednesday – AM:
treadmill speed work:
w/u: .5 mi @ 6.5 main ( X 4): 400m @ easy run pace - 7.0 400m @ 15K race pace - 8.6 400m @ 5K race pace - (1 & 2 @ 10.0, 3 & 4 @ 9.6) c/d: .25 @ 6.5, .25 @ 3.5
treadmill hill work:
w/u: 2:00 @ 6.5 main: steady pace @ 1 min each @ 6.0 set 1 - 4%, 5%, 6% set 2 - 5%, 6%, 7% set 3 - 6%, 7%, 8% set 4 - 7%, 6%, 5% set 5 - 6%, 5%, 4% c/d: 3:00 @ 3.5
PM: long swim
Thursday – AM: bike (@ Davis Island), brick run;
PM: strength training:
3 sets (10, 8, 6)

• bench press – 40 lbs bar + 15 lbs each side
• squats – 50 lbs bar
• bicep curls – 2 – 20 lbs
• tricep extension (cable machine) – 35 lbs w/ upside v bar
• leg press (seated) – 130 lbs

2 sets, 12 reps of each (2 count lift, 4 count lower)

• lat pull down – 70 lbs  --- 4 sets
• leg extensions – 50 lbs  --- 4 sets
• leg curls – 50 lbs   --- 4 sets
• lateral dumbbell raises – 2 – 8 lbs (1st set), 2 – 10 lbs (2nd set) --- this is where I realized I was doing too many sets before
• calf raises (seated) – 40 lbs + starting weight of 26 lbs
• dumbbell pullover – 30 lbs
• backward lunges – 2 – 15 lbs
• back extension – 2 – 25 lbs

Friday – tempo run
Saturday – century bike ride (actually 97.38 miles), brick run, swim (10 laps with fins, 10 laps with fins and hand paddles, 10 laps with pull buoy)
Sunday – run (mile repeats and 1.5 mi steady run), stationary bike
Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, my planned 22-mile outdoor run turned into a 7 mile run on the treadmill.  I think something was working in my favor because my right knee was pinching a little when I was walking up and down the stairs yesterday after my 6.5 hr workout.  I have a hard time saying no to a workout when I know I should sometimes.