Iron Foodie

I love to eat.  Ironically I'm also one of those people who can make a big batch of something and eat it for a week.  Sometimes I get tired of monotony and splurge by going out to somewhere new.  After Wildflower I wanted to try harder at eating healthy.  I've dubbed Monday recovery/indulgence day and the rest of the week to focus on things that are healthy.  Two roast chickens and a box of quinoa later and I'm still trying to eat healthy but finding it harder not to indulge on a daily basis.  Like today I enjoyed these:

There's a Cost Plus World Market walking distance from work.  It's fun to explore and something to do during lunch.  I happened across these in the cookie section.  Under $4 for a package of the same cookies Honey Stinger Waffles are based on.  At first I bought them thinking they could act as carbs on the bike since they're just like HSW.  They never left the office.  Since then I've bought them to satiate cravings and of course, they still haven't made it to a single ride.  

To highlight some of my healthier eating habits the last couple weeks I've invested in quinoa.  I see my coaches and teammates toting bags of salad around with these funny lil grains in it and decided they were all on to something.  According to Wikipedia:  "In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (18%). Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein.  It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest."  They have a nice nutty flavor if you can ignore the little rings, like a planet, around them that fall off then look like tiny little worms...  Hope I didn't ruin it for you.  To make it more interesting I pretended I was on the show Chopped and threw in every ingredient I had lying around that sounded good.  Spinach, cilantro, onion, radish, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Tasty.  I get a box of organic produce that gets delivered to my door every 3 weeks and in it came fava beans.  Not really knowing what to do with them, I gave them a quick bath in boiling water, peeled them, then sauteed them with onion, garlic, salt pepper, olive oil then added that to the quinoa.  Double yum.

Speaking of my box, but not really as healthy, I also got rhubarb recently.  I've never had an interest in it and think pies are more time consuming than I'm willing to spend on baking right now, so I've never used it.  Wanting to bake with it before it began to go bad I found this quick and easy recipe and made it while typing the previous blog.  

UHMAZING!  If I hadn't filled up with quinoa and chicken then I would have eaten the whole thing.  It was light, tart with just enough sweetness, and delish.  I bet you can make it with any other fruit too.  LOVE.  Ok, I better stop before I go back in the fridge and eat the rest of it.  


When the season is over I'm going to start a food blog.  And go to the condensed culinary school at my friend's business.  Nom.

Distance Traveled

I recently caught up with a friend from my church days.  It's been about 3 years since I left so I think we met approximately 4 years ago?  This might even have been pre-short hair.  Seems like ancient history.  She was always a runner and would tell me about her "fun" runs, which to her were actually fun.  At the time a 3mi run sounded long to me.  A 6mi run was unthinkable.  During our conversation I told her about my training and casually mentioned that Sunday I had done a 15mi run.  "Mel!  That's amazing.  Look how far you've come!"  


Huh?  


I guess, it was kind of lost on me.  I don't even think about it anymore.  I can run 15mi?  Ninja Coach says what to do and I do it, like a drone, a student cramming for a final.  I'll memorize till the test then forget it all and I'll be as I once was.  I would never run 15mi for fun.  I'd probably sign up for a half-marathon for fun, because I wanted to, but that's something I had accomplished before IronTeam (and you get a medal for doing it).  And the half was always a goal, not a normal training day.  Now our next recovery run is 10mi... That's a recovery run?  That's MY recovery run?  I forget that I'm not the same person that I used to be.  It's hard to explain.  Maybe I don't give myself enough credit.  I don't realize I've developed strength, stamina, and endurance and have the potential for so much more.  Every practice we have I attempt what they tell us to do and trust that they're telling me to do it because I can.  My google calendar marks every Saturday morning as Practice and the Description is always "Only God knows."  


I barely remember starting on the triathlon team.  It was November 2010.  I don't remember our first practice, running fundamentals or something.  How far did we run?  Like for half an hour?  Then there was my first triathlon.  IronBruin on campus at UCLA.  We had just got our TnT tri-suits and I urged a teammate that we should go and do a test swim in the pool.  Thank God we did!  As I pushed off the wall my shorts began flapping with the rush of the water (they remained on fyi)!  Ha, that taught me to always tie your tri-shorts.  In the staggered start line I met a girl who hadn't trained at all.  In the pool it was encouraging, and kind of strange, to see someone backstroking with the worst technique I had ever seen.  He looked like he was sitting in the water and I swam past him.  Then on the bike I did 4 laps of the steepest hill I'd ever done till then.  It was short but steep enough that I had a flash of panic the first time I climbed it.  Then on the run I had what I would always have till I joined IronTeam, my calves cramped right off the bike.  Then I became a triathlete.  Since then I've done a handful of races.  At my old place I used push pins to line my wall with all the race numbers I've accumulated.


Tris:
IronBruin sprint
SuperSeal oly
Hansen Dam sprint
Nation's oly
Desert Tri oly
Wildflower long (DNF)


Half marathons:
Pasadena
Santa Barbara


10ks:
1st one was the relay at Big Rock Tri.  Someday I want to do the full triathlon.
there's like 5 of them that I don't remember


5k:
Turkey Trot in San Dimas


Longest ride so far: 80mi
Longest run so far: 15mi
Longest swim so far: Only God knows...


Life changes, even when we don't notice it.




I listened to his other songs but after this one I got tired of his voice.

I will not DNF

So we're on our way to Vineman and I am determined not to DNF.  We're doing it all.  Do the workouts.  Spring Cleaning my diet.  Wildflower was the first time I have ever DNF'd but also the most challenging race I have ever attempted.  As a wise woman told me (twice, once drunk the other time sober, impressed that the gist of it was the same) that when you're on your way to something great there are greater risks and possible setbacks.  It wasn't a fail, failing would be giving up now and saying I can't do it.  But now it's a wake up call to do everything I possibly can to finish.  


So after I snack on some dried cranberries after a lunch of roasted chicken and quinoa salad, I'm thinking .... I wish I liked running more.  Going to run after my next conference call.

Fundraising...

I'm still getting over Wildflower and have barely had time to breathe before focusing on the next thing.  Fundraising.  I did have one day off.  I took Monday off and enjoyed getting in all my recovery workouts, then taking myself to a nice lunch of ramen and gelato, then the Avengers movie on iMax and then a pasta dinner with the "bestie".  If only every day was like that, except for the indulgent eating.  If only this blog created enough revenue (or any) for me to have free time.  Can you imagine training if you didn't have to sit at a desk for 8 hours?  How glorious!

One of the big things about doing TNT is fundraising.  We don't get all this training, the benefit of having a supportive team and staff, and certain other amenities for free, oh no!  We are ambassadors to the cause!  We are the money making, grant creating, doctor funding, cancer fighting machine!  So I'm here to announce my newest project.

It's a recovery weekend so I'll be working it right along with you... Or at least trying to.  So please come, support the cause, support me, and let's raise some more money to kick cancer's butt!

A lil sample of Cali-fit and what they do.

Wildflower update

This will be short because my laptop is elsewhere and I'm typing this on my phone. Wildflower came and went. Sorry I didnt post leading up to it. I was having a hard time dealing with my nerves so it was better to juet keep it to myself for a while. I studied the course. We drove up to the site. It was dry. As ninja coach said "dryer than a popcorn fart." I envisioned myself crossing the finish line in tears and instead finished the bike in tears.  I was frustrated because I started out strong maybe too excited.  I kept telling my legs to warm up as I slowly went up beach hill.  Some muscles hurt so I thoght they were just waking up. Then halfway through as I'm in aero my lower right back begins to hurt and is aggravated by the lifting of my right leg. Everything is connected. I kept telling myself "fuck pain" and pressed on. I'm good at self preservation, maybe too good. If something hurts im worried about injuries or making it worse. I stopped 3 times the whole course. Once to fill water bottles, once to pee before nasty grade, and then before the very top because I no longer felt hot and was worried about dehydration. There are some happy things to say. I counted my blessings along the way. My limbs, my body, my friends and family. The views were beautiful. I passed people walking up beach and nasty. Which btw wasnt so nasty. Ha. we do hills like that in our sleep. It was slow going for sure but I definitely passed walkers and people doing the zigzag climb. Passed them even with back pain. But after the climb I was hurting and my mind went to dark places. I questioned why I wanted to do this, did I really want to do this? But the truth now is that I've shed a lot of tears. I'm disappointed because I know I can do better. I know I have it in me. I want this. That medal will someday be mine. So here I am a couple days later taking a break during my core workout, I'm determined to start doing these religiously, and hoping I take this disappointment and turn it into action. No one can force me to try harder, I habe to want it and right now I want it. Time to do some crunches.

I should be sleeping...

dear wildflower long course,
last year i thought it was so fun to see my friends and past coaches complete you. little did i know that i'd be coming back for you this year. i've fought category 3 and cat 2 hills, 35mi per hour winds, 3 inspiration points, 13mi in the f'n rain, and made it by my own power from anaheim to san diego. i will cross that finish line. and you will hear me laugh at you. 


get ready for me,
m-kak

ka-boom.