My first (and not last) Marathon Race Report - November 2009

REFLECTIONS WITH MY RACE REPORT FROM RnR SAN ANTONIO 2009

This weekend is the anniversary of my wife's first 1/2 marathon.  We ran it in Healdsburg, California and I used it as a training run and to pace her.  I was training for my first marathon which was going to be in in San Antonio and was the Rock-N-Roll San Antonio.  So with this weekend on my mind I thought I would post my race report.

I have learned so much from this race and am fired up to go sub-4:00 this time around if not in the 3:40 range.  And the beauty was the knowledge that I would do an Olympic triathlon in 2010 as well as another marathon.

When I read this again I realized my first mistake and that was NO BREAKFAST....what was I thinking?  For the US Open Tri Championships this year I packed a breakfast so I was ready for the race.  I guess this proves that you learn a lot through experience.  All that being said my next marathon is in a couple of months and I'm ready to roll.....


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So to make it easier for me to inform everybody on the story of running my first marathon I figured I would type it out and all could read.


On Saturday Night I enjoyed a great dinner with our friends from Castle Hills (Adam and Karen) and when I got back to the hotel I laid out all my clothes, setup my tri belt with Gu, got my sneakers ready with the chip, made sure sungleasses were available as well as the Garmin.

Went to bed around 10:30p and when that alarm went off at 5:04a I laid in bed for 2 minutes but then realized that I had to get up b/c the last bus left at 6am.

So I got out of the hotel room at 5:30a with everything but my iPod. Thought I forgot the iPod in Dallas all weekend. Of course on the ride home while getting gas I found the iPod in my travel bag.....oh well.

Standing in downtown San Antonio for over an hour I finally got on the bus. The bus took me to the starting line and it was 7:15am but I had to use the Porto-Potty. The gun went off while I was in line but thankfully it was a a rolling start. I went to the nearest corral and the line was not moving so I jumped out and then back in 3 corrals up. Still not moving so I jumped out again and moved up another set of corrals and finally the line was moving.

Got to the starting line around 7:51am and the run was off and going. I slarted out slow and paced myself for a 9 min/mile. I got to the 13.1 mile marker in under 2 hours and I knew I was on pace to achieve my goal of 4 hours. The race was progressing nicely and I was feeling good.

Prior to the 13.1 mile marker the greatest site was seeing the Kenyans at mile 24 (I was at 12) and they were cooking. I'm not 100% sure I saw sweat on them. It was amazing to see these incredible athletes.

Just prior to that there is a split-off for the 1/2 and the Full. I passed that split-off and said to myself.....Guess I'm doing this.

I got all the way to Mile 18 and was on pace for 4 hours and felt great. That is until the 18.5 mile point and my right quad just started to cramp. I knew immediately that I was dehydrated. I pushed through it all the way to mile 20.5 when the left quad bagan to cramp. I would stop and stretch and push myself for 0.5 to 0.75 miles until I had to stop again and stretch.

i took as much water and Cytomax as I could handle but at this point there was no way I was going to be come hydrated so I just kept pushing myself.

All the words of encouragement from my friends played in my head and pushed me along the route. At that 20.5 mile point there was a young man on all four's throwing up and I said to myself that will not be me. I will finish this without losing my cookieds. 0.5 miles later there was a young lady on the side of the road with paramedics getting stretched out and again I said.....not me. Keep going.

I got to mile 23 when the right calf began to cramp horribly. I pushed and pushed until the 25.5 mile marker and the left calf cramped up. I stopped and stretched. I finally got ready to go and ran and ran and ran. At the turn toward 26 miles two pictures showed up. The first was a man on the ground with the paramdedics and I almost yelled at them to put him on the gurney and ush him to the finish line. The second picture was the steepest hill on the course (who designed this finish?) Sure enough both calf muscles cramped again right at the 26 mile marker but I was not going to stop. I ran the final 0.2 miles with my feet flexed and passed people along the way.

When I made that final turn toward the finish line there was no stopping me. Quad cramps, calf cramps, tiredness.....nothing. I crossed the finish line with my arms up and have never felt the sense of accomplishment at an athletic event that I felt when I crossed that finish line.

Thank you to everybody for their help, their encouragement and positive vibes. I could not have done this without you.

Most importantly was having Karen and Jackson at the finish when I was done. Two bananas, an orange, Cytomax and them.....what a finish!!!!!

Of course after the finish I had to talk the desk clerk into letting me into the room so that I could shower. Karen had setup ice bags for me for the 4.5 hour car ride back. The ice bags were helpful and hopefully just as helpful as the ice baths that Melissa and Jill told me to take during my training.

Will know more tomorrow about that.

At the end of the day I am ready for 2010 and an Olympic Distance Triathlon plus another Marathon.

.

New Interview, New Athlete's Plate and Motivation for your training

Since I will be on the road to Mississippi tomorrow morning I had to squeeze my Athlete's Plate, New Interview and Motivational Friday all into Thursday morning.  It is after all at least a 7 hour drive and you don't want me trying to program HTML while on the road do you?  (If you saw the blog early this week that answer is undoubtedly NO!!!!! - never mind the driving implications.)

So without waiting any longer here you.

• My artcile titled 'Define yourself in endruance sports and don't let somebody else do it for you' has been receiving quite a few comments.  I have been doing some further research into this but I want to hear from you the age-group athlete who is out there training and racing and looking to push themselves further then ever before.  Post a comment and I will be doing a follow-up to this article in the coming weeks.
• Interview with One Hour Ironman Bob Shuler is up on the site.  Bob will be racing IMFL next weekend so after you read the interview and wish him luck here go to his blog and wish him luck there as well.  Can never have to many well wishes when going 140.6 miles.
• A new Athlete's Plate is up on the site as well.  A day's worth of meals that are easy, delicious and nutritious.  Secret - there is a meal that involves chocolate....go check it out here.
• Motivational Posters that I found online this morning:



Thought this was perfect based on the article
and the idea of Ironman Access....take it ore
leave it....



This one got me because I have titles my blog roll.....Regular People Leading Regular Lives
Doing EXTRAORDINARY Things



• Motivational Video for the day

Interview with Jennifer Huffman-Swift

INTERVIEW WITH IRONMAN JENNIFER HUFFMAN-SWIFT

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ironman Jennifer Huffman-Swift on Monday October 11th, just 10 days prior to her ultra-marathon. That’s right, Jennifer is not only and Ironman but also an accomplished ultra-marathoner. During the interview we discussed motivation, nutrition, and training and shared quite a few laughs and stories as well. I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed speaking with Jennifer.

Jennifer’s start came back in 2001 with a debut in the 3 day 60 mile Susan G. Komen Walk in Seattle, Washington (how coincidental that this is Breast Cancer Awareness month.) This was her first foray into endurance events and it didn’t take long for the bug to bite her. A few weeks later she competed in her first road race. A 10K event that led to her first ½ marathon just 2 months after that.



Mt. Si 2010 Ultra Runs Medal

 In 2002 she raced her first marathon. This was in Portland, Oregon and she completed it in 5 hours and 30 or so minutes…..numbers are fuzzy. Thinking that it was fun to do a marathon, why not tack on 2 other events prior to that and thus the triathlon career was started, sort of!

Jennifer took 2003 off after putting on some weight, but when 2004 arrived she did not feel sorry for herself. She made the decision to improve her life and start training and racing again. It was in the summer of 2004 that she got involved with the triathlon community. During this time she was convinced that she would not do an Ironman and made the mistake of saying that to a friend. Her friend’s response that got her moving? ‘Never Say Never’ Those words had such an impact on her that she hired a coach to get her through her first Half Ironman.



IM Lake Placid 2005

She completed Ironman Lake Placid in 2005, then Ironman Canada in 2006 and her swan song came in 2008 with a finish at Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Jennifer was able to improve her run time by 22 minutes over Ironman Lake Placid and with that decided that she was going to go longer and longer until she found her niche’. Enter ultra-marathons and ultra Relays. Read her race report on Ultraman Canada here.

Nutrition
On the topic of nutrition we discussed the way she treats her body and it always came back to eating whole foods. Making sure that what you take in is whole. Meaning eat the ingredients on the package, don’t eat what is in the package. In addition to making sure that she is consuming whole foods, Jennifer eats every 3 hours (closer to 2 actually!) and it isn’t always something huge but can be just some toast. This keeps her metabolism going and helps her avoid binge eating.

After a workout that is 1 hour or longer she gathers up some fruit and makes a fresh smoothie for herself. This helps get natural proteins back in the system and begin the process of repairing muscle.

If you think it is all about eating the ‘right’ things you would be wrong. Jennifer has a sweet tooth, but even when making the decision to have something sweet she does it soundly but choosing to go with a Baker’s Breakfast cookie.



She has just a few medals



GETTING STARTED / MOTIVATING NEWCOMERS

We discussed the topic of people just getting involved in endurance sports and Jennifer’s advice was to ask that person to look in the mirror and ask themselves who is stopping them from going forward. The answer is simple and is always…..’myself.’ This is very powerful because each individual is going to make the decision to move forward with a healthy well balanced lifestyle and it all starts with changing their mindset.

The first step in anything is always the hardest but once the individual answer’s Jennifer’s question they will start to see how all their decisions are having an impact on their life. Going decision by decision and not trying to tackle everything at once is a great way to know that you will be successful at not just an on the whim 5k or staring down an Ironman course and completing it.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ENDURANCE EVENTS/ATHLETES

I asked Jennifer how social media has changed her training, whether good or bad. Her response was not surprising but may be eye-opening to those out there that think this is a small community.

In one word Jennifer said indispensable. By joining online communities for running and triathlon and anything else she was able to push past the three day walk and start signing up for other events. She joined a mailing list back in the early 2000s and was able to get lessons as well as wisdom from all those out in the world, people she would never have had the chance to meet if it were not for the Internet and social media.

She found her coach through Slowtwitch.com and that has evolved into blogging as well as a twitter account. She said that it is beyond her wildest imagination that she receives tweets that say she is an inspiration but also knows that it was social media and the internet that will allow her to help others and this puts a smile on her face.

In addition to answer questions over the phone Jennifer was kind enough to answer some questions via email.  The questions and answers are below.

Best venue for a race you have either participated in/volunteered in? Why?

Death Valley. I’ve crewed the Badwater ultra-marathon twice, in 2007 and 2008, and also ran a trail marathon there Feb. 2007. I love the desert, there is nothing like it.

Favorite type of race?

Running really far.

Best swag you have received from a race?

Finisher’s award for the Ultraman Canada 2009 Relay (I did the run). For a medal, the Mt. Si 50k blown glass “medal”.

Tips/Tricks you do prior to a race?

If I do a race correctly, I’m a planner. I start putting stuff in a box for the race whenever I think of it. I start the box about a week before a big one and throw in Body Glide, bandanas, socks, whatever I find that I might need. I also think through the possibilities of problems that may come up and create solutions. I know things will happen that I can’t predict but the process of thinking through what I will do if say, I lose the nutrition I packed, or I forgot my running shoes calms me down. Control what I can.

Least favorite sport to train for? Most favorite sport to train for?
I stopped doing Ironman because I just don’t like cycling enough. I love to run, obviously.

What are you goals for the rest of 2010 and the 2011 racing season?


Javelina Jundred - 2009

 Finish my first 100 Miler, Javelina Jundred, on October 23rd. --> Can't wait to follow-up with a race report from Jennifer
2011 – I’m entering the Western States lottery. We’ll see if I get in
Set a PR in a 50 early in the year
2 100s, not sure which ones yet
Run 2000 miles for the year, total.
What about for your career?
Badwater ultra-marathon
Marathon Des Sables
Comrads (S. Africa)
Spartathlon

How important is family and friends support for your training?
I’m very lucky to have a supportive husband who has never interfered in my training or racing. He comes to the big events when I ask him to and I reciprocate by not asking very often. I have a large network of friends who are athletes of all levels. Without them it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun to do what I do.

How has training/racing helped you in your life?
It keeps me out of trouble.
a. How do you keep yourself motivated on down day’s?
I make a deal with myself. If I get out the door and only do 15 minutes I feel much better. I usually end up doing the whole workout.

What is the one most important exercise you suggest nobody skip?
Run.

What is your favorite recovery drink/food?
On a cold day – A grande soy mocha.
On a hot day – Fruit smoothie with frozen fruit, OJ, chia seeds, whatever else I find kicking around the kitchen.

How closely do you watch your nutrition and how much do you think that helps?
I’m about 80% on track on a daily basis. I know what I should be doing, I just don’t always do it.

Is Kona the ultimate dream for you in terms of triathlons?
If I was to get into triathlon again I’d tackle Ultraman. Can’t stand that much time on the bike though.

Most important piece of equipment for a triathlete?
Very comfortable pair of running shorts.

In terms of effective cost, what will help a triathlete shave the most time?
Drop the extra lbs and train smartly.

What would you tell a beginner to get them interested?
It isn’t as hard as it looks so just do it.

Do you believe anyone can become an athletic person?
Yes. Not everyone can be a great athlete but everyone can be an athlete.

Do you believe there is an age limit for racing? Is there an age where one should stop racing?
Nope and nope. Check the average age of endurance events, then the upper end of the age. Lots of “old” people in the mix.

Key milestones for racing:

Breast Cancer 3 day – 2001

Seattle Half Marathon – 2001 (first one)

Portland Marathon - 2002 (first one)

Danskin Triathlon – 2002 (first triathlon)

Black Diamond Half Ironman – 2004 (first long distance triathlon)

IM Lake Placid – 2005 (first Ironman)

Chuckanut 50k – 2006 (first ultra-marathon)

Mt Si 50 mile ultra-marathon – 2006 (first 50 miler)

IM Canada – 2006

IM CdA – 2008

Ultraman Canada Relay, runner, double marathon - 2009

Javelina Jundred 100K – 2009

Javelina Jundred 100 Mile – Oct. 23rd 2010

Most painful race:Broke my rib at mile 17 of the Mt Si 50k this past April, and I finished it. Set a 50k PR by 10 minutes too.

Numbers since 2001 – 5 stand alone marathons, 3 Ironmans, 10 ultra-marathons.

Athlete's Plate - October 21, 2010

ATHLETE'S PLATE - OCTOBER 21, 2010

Today's menu will feature eggplant and portabella mushrooms for the main dishes.

Breakfast - Egg and Vegetable Smash Up in a Cup

Servings 1

Ingredients - 1 egg, vegetables of your choice but include eggplant and mushroom

This is a version of the breakfast my mother used to serve me as a kid.  I am substituting vegetables for the bacon she used.  A tad bit healthier.

Bring water to a boil and place egg inside and let boil until hard boiled consistency.

Chop vegetables into small pieces and saute until tender (not soft.)

Put vegetables in cup, then after peeling the egg add into cup as well and smash with a fork.

Toss in some hot sauce, salsa or even non-fat cheese and you are done.

PM Snack - Arnold's Aerobars by Tracy Arnold (TriMax Kitchen)
Servings - 16

1 ½ cups whole brazil nuts (process to small pieces)
½ cup raw almonds (process to small pieces)
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup ground flaxseeds
½ cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds (“pepitas”)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups high-fiber/low sugar cereal of your choice
½ to ¾ cup honey (play w/ amount. Moist vs crunchy)
1 cup Almond Butter
Optional: ½ c. dried blueberries, ½ c. carob or dark choc chips (added at last minute to avoid melting.)

Mix all ingredients except honey and almond butter in large bowl. Heat honey and almond butter in saucepan until warm and melty. Add to bowl. Mix with wooden spoon or with hands. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Cool completely before cutting.

Wrap each bar individually and store in freezer. A fun recipe to play with and make your own!

Lunch - Grilled Chicken Breast, Eggplant and Portabella Sandwich
Servings 1

Ingredients - 1 chicken breast, 1 medium portabella mushroom, 1 width slice of eggplant, baby spinach
optional - roasted red peppers

Place chicken breast between plastic wrap and pound out until thin as this will help speed the cooking process.  Cut the chicken breast into two pieces

Get grill or grill pan hot and then cook the chicken, eggplant and mushroom.  The chicken must be cooked all the way through, but you are just looking for grill marks on the vegetables.

Assemble your sandwich by placing chicken then eggplant, mushroom and chicken.  Then place spinach on top and enjoy.

PM Snack - Pumpkin Spice Bread with Ginger Tea (I Tri To Be Me)
Servings - 2-8" Loaves

 Ingredients:

* 3 Tbl. gound flax (If you eat eggs, feel free to use 3 eggs instead of the flax and water)
* 1/2 C water
* 1 1/2C turbinado/raw sugar
* 1/2C unsweetened applesauce
* 1/2C canola oil
* 14oz can pumpkin
* 3C whole wheat flour (I used 1/2C amaranth flour + 2 1/2C whole wheat flour)
* 1 Tbl. pumpkin pie spice
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 3/4 tsp. salt
* Sprinkle of oats for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix flax and water in a bowl and let sit until thickened.
3. Combine sugar, applesauce, oil, pumpkin, and flax mixture in the mixer.
4. In medium bowl, mix flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Stir dry ingredients slowly into the mixer.
6. Lightly grease 2 - 8" loaf pans
7. Sprinkle oats on top (optional)
8. Bake for ~50 min.
9. Let sit ~20 min. before removing from pan

Cut 1 slice and serve with a cup of hot ginger tea then sit back and relax.

Dinner - Eggplant and Portabello Lasagna
Serves - 9



Mine doesn't look this good but it was hard to pass up the pic.
Thanks to http://www.caryncooks.com/Recipes.html for the pic.

 Ingredients - 3 eggplants, 8 large portabella mushrooms, Bunch of Baby Spinach, Fresh Basil, 1 egg, Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs, low-fat/non-fat ricotta cheese, low-fat/non-fat mozerrela cheese, jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Slice eggplant length wise and coat with bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet and bake until coating is firm

Chop basil and spinach very fine.  In a mixing bowl combine ricotta, spinach, basil and 1 egg until well combined.

On bottom of baking dish place a layer of spaghetti sauce.  Then start layering with eggplant then mushrooms then ricotta mixture followed by sauce.  Do that one more time and finish with a layer of eggplant and the mozerella cheese.

Bake until cheese melts and then remove from oven.  Let sit for 10 minutes so that it settles and then cut and serve.


I hope these meals help you to eat healthy and push you to your finish line.

Observations and Musings for 10/26/2010

OBSERVATIONS AND MUSINGS FOR 10/26/2010

As you can see I am still working on the look.  I have gotten some parts done with the Menu up top being correct, but the interviews and athlete's plate are supposed to be drop down menus so I am still working on that.  I will type this is all bold characters since the other part that needs to be fixed is that the background is transparent and makes it difficult to read. 

If you know how to get that fixed please let me know so I can stop losing my eyesight by the end of the day. 

Here are my observations and musings for 10/26/2010

Things about this past week I didn't like:

1. Stomach issues good when you are looking to run 16 miles.  You can read about those here.
2. HTML / CSS Programming.  Two days into this and I have just about abandoned everything except for the drop down menu.  I will do the other fixes as I regain my patience.
3. Wife and step-son sick at the same time.  Wow the sneezing, coughing, fever that two people can have at the same time is crazy.
4. My best friend Mike's Phillies losing to the Giants and not having a chance to play my adopted team (Texas Rangers) in the World Series.....would have been fun.
5. Crosswinds during yesterday's ride.  Almost blew me right off my bike a number of times.
6. Ice baths regardless of how much they help are just not fun.

Things about this past week that I loved:

1. Running those 16 miles at a pace of 8:50/mile and knowing that I can break my PR for a 1/2 Mary which is 1:58.
2. KC's pre-race race report, race report and upcoming nutrition/hydration race report.
3. RoadID giveaway to be announced in the upcoming days.
4. Hamstring and Glute getting back to normal with regular stretching and ice baths.
5. Arcticle discussing how to define yourself in endurance sports getting published.  You can find it here or here.
6. A Mom's Rantings for her help during my HTML crisis.
7. Making Break-the-fast Energy bars with my step-son which will be posted on the Athlete's Plate on Thursday.
8. The patience of my loyal readers/followers for putting up with a very bad looking site for a few days.  I truly appreciate you coming back over and over again.
9. The positive vibes that pour out of every blog and the comments that follow those posts.  Amazing.
10. Patrick's Inspiration Page which can be found here.  During my intervals today I just kept thinking of all the inspiring messages.

It is always nice when the things you like outnumber the things you don't....have a great Hump Day everybody.

Let me know what you liked the most of the past week.....no need for negative thoughts so only things you liked.

Define Yourself In Endurance Sports

Define yourself in endurance sports and don’t let somebody else do it for you



By Jason Bahamundi (http://www.baha703ironman.com/)

 Recently there was some banter in the blog world regarding joggers versus runners. This discussion was prompted by a post from Julie Reyes of The Hotlegs Runner and an ad by Pearl Izumi. The headline of the ad is ‘WE ARE NOT JOGGERS’ and continues on to discuss running and jogging and essentially makes light of jogging. This led me to thinking about the sport of triathlon and all the varied distances. There are sprint triathlons, Olympic distance triathlons, Half Ironman and Ironman triathlons. Do triathletes view each other differently? Does an Ironman think that a sprint triathlete is not in the same realm?

The WTC announced a new series of triathlon races called the 5150 series which is a series of Olympic distance events. An Olympic triathlon consists of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run. When you add up the numbers you get to 51.5k (31.9 miles) thus the 5150 series. If you are at all familiar with the Ironman races then you know that the Half Ironman distance is 1.6k swim, 90.1k bike and 21k run, while the Ironman distance is double that.

So does the person who has done the Iron-distance think that completing an Olympic or Sprint triathlon is any less and would a company that creates products for such events come right out and say that you are not a triathlete if you don’t do 140.6? The time that it takes to train for a 140.6 mile race is very high and some just don’t have the time or the opportunity to do that, so are they any less then a 140.6 finisher? I think not, I think that person is a triathlete. I think that once you finish all three stages in the same day that you are a triathlete. Notice I did not say in an hour for a sprint or 2 hours for an Olympic.

I think the difference lies in being called an Ironman. When I discuss my quest to compete at 70.3 Ironman California I make a clear distinction that it is not an Ironman and that it is ‘only’ 70.3 miles compared to the 140.6. I have a ton of respect for anybody that goes out and trains and competes no matter the distance but I also believe that 140.6 is special and should be viewed that way.

During my typical day of reading blog after blog after blog I came across one of my favorites in Kristin White aptly titled http://www.kristin-white.com/. Kristin is an amateur whose ability has put her on the podium at 70.3 Syracuse. She finished first in her age group, first amateur and 3rd overall female. You then go on to see that in 2010 she competed in sprint triathlons prior to 70.3 Syracuse and after she posted great results at Buffalo Springs. This past October Kristin raced in Kona where she was 5th in her age group and the 36th overall female. Does the fact that Kristin raced in Kona make her a triathlete? I don’t think so, I think what made her a triathlete was competing in a triathlon and finishing.

This topic was approached by Lisa Barnes (whose blog is http://www.everdaytri.blogspot.com/) in Lava Magazine on October 20, 2010. The article discusses essentially the same thing in that a triathlete is a triathlete regardless of distance. The comments on the article however go beyond that and one idea I thought to be terrific. If you do a 5150 event then maybe you should get an orange colored M-Dot tattoo should you choose. Do a 70.3 and it would be blue. Do the full 140.6 and the Red M-Dot is yours to flash to family, friends and strangers. This creates a distinction but does not say that you are not a triathlete like the Pearl Izumi ad points out that joggers are not runners.

My belief is that you become a triathlete when you cross the finish line of a triathlon regardless of distance. You are on your way to becoming a triathlete when you wake up at 4:30am to go to the pool to swim. You are on your way when you dial up your Garmin to record your heart rate while on your bike. You are on your way with each foot step of a planned brick and are missing family time. When you toe the line at the start of a triathlon you know that in due time you will cross that finish line and will be considered a triathlete.

I found the ad by Pearl Izumi offensive at first because if you are moving your legs faster then walking then you’re a runner no matter how the ad cares to describe you. The point of getting out there and moving is to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle and to interject an opinion that joggers are not runners may send people home and not have them reach the pinnacle of the finish line regardless of how fast they went.

I then read it again and thought to myself are they just trying to be provoking and getting people to discuss their advertisement. The saying that there is no such thing as bad press might have been their goal. If that is the case then they accomplished this because at last check the blog post by The Hotlegs Runner had 15 comments. People are talking and thus their goal accomplished, but of course there are plenty of people who are saying they won’t buy the brand.

I am reminded of the gentleman that I see week in and week out at White Rock Lake here in Dallas. The man must be in his late 70’s or early 80’s and he goes around the 9 mile loop at his pace. He has his earphones in and his Garmin watch and is probably shuffling at a 15 minute per mile pace. Would the executive who approved the message say that he is not a runner? In my book I want to be that man. I want to be in my 70s and 80s still shuffling around a 9 mile loop and sweating and knowing that I’m living a healthy lifestyle no matter what anybody calls me because in the end I am an inspiration.

Running is not just defined as moving your legs fast in my mind. It is defined in how you live your life. Do you get enough rest, do you train, do you smile and have fun, do you watch your nutrition? If you answered yes to those questions then you are a runner and I don’t care about your pace because you are doing something more then just sitting back and watching the world go by.

Be good to your body and your body will be good to you. So go put on your running shoes or cycling helmet and get out there and tackle as many miles as you want at whatever speed you want. You are a runner or a triathlete in my book.

Currently Working On A Revised Look

The blog still functions but I will be working on it most of today so that it provides an easier way to find the interviews and athlete's plates.  In addition to that as race reports get written it will be easier to set those up to find as well.

Thank you for your patience but feel free to go around the blog anyway.

Oh the Humanity, Humidity, and HoneyMilk.....plus tornado warnings!!!!!!

Typically don't post on Saturday as I try to unplug myself and just enjoy the day, but when you have a wife and step-son with strep throat and in isolation, along with a tornado warning going on well you have the opportunity to write a blog.

This morning my training called for a 16 mile run with 10x:30 pickups at mile 12.  This was going to be a great run but on the way a few things happened.

1- my stomach was not feeling right the moment I woke up.  I haven't had breakfast yet what is going on?
2- after a trip to the bathroom it was my race day morning breakfast of coffee, 2 slices of whole wheat toast and a bowl of granola with almond milk......uh-oh I only had two sips of coffee and back to the bathroom.
3- Done with breakfast and time to push on and head out to White Rock Lake for this 16 mile jaunt and the stomach was not giving me any issues.....problems past?
4- Park the Green Machine/Locker Room (my Xterra) and usually I just take the remote off and not take my keys with me so I take off the remote right?  Wrong it was the key.  OK start again.  Go to put the remote in my pocket and its my house key.  Let's try again.  OK, got the remote off this time.
5- Put remote away near gas tank and Uh-Oh there goes the belly again and the worst port-o-john in all of White Rock is the only one close as I won't make it 1 mile to the next one.....OMG it has TP....YES!!!!!
6- Go to wash my hands with my water bottle and drop the remote....it is 6:30am and dark out....where did this thing go?
7- On the ground and searching and finally found it.  Hands washed and time to go.

Hey this running thing is going pretty well.  Stomach issues seem to be behind me and maybe I just needed to actually start running.  The hammy/glute is a tad sore but nothing I can't over come.

Mile 1 done and the pace is .....huh?  9:08....time to get moving.....The miles ticked off and I was feeling fairly strong but the leg was not getting any better and I was somewhat conscious of it and needed to try to forget it.

About 4 miles into the run and the sweat is pouring off of me.  Where did this humidity come from?  Seriously why is it so warm out here right now?  Man can I catch a break please?

Hey....what is that up there?  A race?  Oh no, how am I going to keep a steady EZ pace as I am being passed by other runners.  I am competitive and while I'm not racing getting passed is not acceptable.....stay focused......nope can't do it and my pace picks up while I'm on the course.  Luckily it was a 5k and I was through this in a few miles.

Now the stomach seems to be coming back.  The burps start and normally the burp is great because it feels like I'm getting rid of bad air and able to expand my lungs.  This time the burp has a little something with it.  I am not puking.  I am not puking.  I have never done this before and I'm not about to start so I just swallow it down and say to myself that is just protein as I did have fish/shrimp tacos last night.  Ahhhh.....maybe now I know where the bad stomach ju-ju is coming from.

More burps, more miles, more pain in the hip but I am staying on course and finishing this run.  I get to mile 12 and here come the pick-ups....awesome I am almost done.  I get to the 13.1 mark and look at the watch and it says 1:53....I'll take that on a sore hip and bad stomach.  My goal for the half-mary in two weeks is 1:44 so I think I can do it for sure.

I finish the run and see a runner that I met last week and we chat for a few minutes.  She is doing the half-mary as well and this will be her first.  She is nervous but she ran 13.5 miles last week so there is nothing to be worried about I tell her and it is in the bag, just taper and be ready to roll.

I swallow my HoneyMilk and banana.  One day I will just drink the HoneyMilk instead of chugging it and let the taste last a little longer but it is so good and I can't help myself.  I get some stretching in and the leg is feeling better. 

It is not truly breakfast time and a mini-veggie omelet with whole wheat dry toast and fruit at LePeep is the panacea for all that ails me.  I do this after all my long runs and rides.....so good.

Head to the grocery store and pick up ice because it is time to head home and get in the ice bath.

Learned a trick from ChasingTheKenyans (who by the way is running a giveaway for HoneyMilk) that I should get into the bath and then drop the ice in.  What a great idea!!!!!!  I am out of the bath now and my legs while numb are not as numb as they were a few days ago.  I am feeling great and actually just did a few high knees to see how good they felt and I didn't fall down and I'm not shivering too bad.  Awesome and Thank You!!!!!

So now it is nap time while the wife and step-son do the same and well what else am I going to do now that it is pouring and tornado warnings.....I don't want to repeat the words Auntie Emm anyway.

Here is my gear after my run in the parking lot at White Rock Lake.  I have to change once I'm done b/c working up a good sweat is great, but sitting in it to drive home is not my cup of tea.  And just so you know that I truly do sweat....those are my foot prints after I took my Asics off and prior to putting my Zoots on.

Inspiration and Motivation Friday - 10/22/2010

It is Friday and that means it is a rest day for me, but that doesn't mean I won't find inspiration and motivation in this world to help keep moving.

So with that being said.....here we go.

Interview with Ironman and ultra-marathoner Jennifer Huffman-Swift is posted in the interviews tab.  She is running the Javelina Jundred this week so go to her blog or better yet her twitter account and wish her good luck.

Jennifer is not the only person racing this weekend.  Another blogger is doing the 140.6 this weekend.  Go over to KC's blog or Twitter and wish her good luck as well.

If that isn't inspiring enough for you.....100 mile run and a 140.6 Iron-distance event.....well here is more:

Caratunk Girl describes her early morning runs and how getting out of bed is difficult at first but then you get out there and as she says 'My breath comes out in little white puffs as I run through town.....'
     --> Very powerful stuff and makes you happy to know others are out there doing the same thing as you

Sometimes feel as if all you do is eat, s/b/r, eat, s/b/r, work, s/b/r, sleep.....and might be missing out on things in your life and need to stop and look around.  Take a look at EMZ's blog post from yesterday (Thursday 10/20/2010) and think about what you may have been missing and get it back in your life.

Lastly, Rock Star Tri was given the Versatile Blogger Award and essentially this is a chain letter but it is a way for those that come to your blog after the first month of you posting a chance to learn about who you are.  You are to link back to them (see link above) and then share 7 things about yourself and so I am going to do that for the readers of my blog who didn't start reading until about a month ago.

1- In the most ironic twists of my youth and my adult life my favorite super hero was Aquaman.  Today the hardest part of the triathlon for me is the swim and not because I can't swim but because I have a fear of not making the distance.  Where is that Aquaman gene now?  My step-son loves Batman. 

2- I am originally from New York and lived there for 34 years before moving to Dallas 3 years ago.  I miss fall in New York but I love the idea that I can run in shorts in January here in Dallas.  If I had my choice now as far as places to live I would choose San Francisco or Boston over both.

3- I love to cook.  I enjoy being in the kitchen and chopping/dicing/mincing/tasting and coming up with new dishes.  It is a trial and error process and if you ever look at the Athlete's Plate on my blog you can tell which are my recipes and which I have found on the Internet and not just because of the link to the other site.  You can tell because my recipes don't have exact ingredients.  I figure if it comes out horrible (has happened quite a few times) that you can just order pizza that night.  My wife is great to cook for because even if it is horrible and I know its horrible she still eats it....what a trooper.

4- I love competition no matter what the situation.  I am unemployed and love the idea of putting my resume up against somebody else.  I love racing to try to beat the person in front of me as well as trying to beat my previous performance.  I have been known to watch double dutch on ESPN.  Last night America watched Grey's Anatomy and I watched the USAT Championships on my DVR.

5- Coffee is my friend.  The best coffee I ever had was in Maui and of course it was Kona and it didn't matter where I drank it.  My 2nd favorite is Texas Pecan at Le Peep here in Flower Mound, Texas and while it tastes good it is so much better because I am sharing it 99.9% of the time with my wife.

6- I met my wife while going through the process of divorce.  She was a pillar of strength then and she is still a pillar of strength now and for that I am grateful.  She lifts me up when I am down and deals with my mood swings of bad training sessions or long fruitless days of job searching.

7- My best friend growing up was a red head named Peter.  My best friend in my adult life is a red head named Michael.  Both are saints in my book.  When I talk to those two guys we laugh as if we are 12 which is when I met Pete.  I met Mike when I was 23 but still laugh as if we knew each other when we were 12.

So the rules state that I'm supposed to pass this challenge/award forward.  Since so many new people are following my blog now I will leave it up to you to do this on your own.  If you have one done already just post a comment and let me know so that I can go and read it.


For great stories on Ironman Kona let your eyes go the right and click on the link for 17 Hours To Glory.  17 extraordinary stories of great feats in Kona.

Motivational Videos For You
What Makes A Triathlete

Check out the 1:00 and 1:45 marks --- I still have goosebumps

Ironman Triathlon Motivation

1:44 mark shows the heart of a champion

Have a great Friday.  If you are racing this weekend let me know so that I can be on the lookout for race reports as those are some of the most motivational and inspiration stories.

Thank you for reading

Interview with Megan Wiseman

Interview with Claudia Spooner can be found here.
Interview with Jeff Bennett can be found here.
Interview with Elizabeth Wittmaack can be found here.

INTERVIEW WITH IRONMAN MEGAN WISEMAN

1- How did you get involved with the sport of triathlon?
After 4 years of collegiate running my body was beat down. Triathlons seemed the perfect cross-training sport to segue into after college allowing me to keep doing what I love most which is running. I raced my first sprint in 2003 and I’ve had the tri-bug ever since. I’ve completed somewhere around 40 triathlons over the past 7 years...3 x Ironman and counting!

2 - How long have you been involved with the sport?

Closing my 7th season this November with Clearwater 70.3.

3- What is the hardest part of your training?
Rest / Recovery is the hardest part. When the endorphins start flowing its easy to get distracted and forget when my body needs a break. When given the chance for my mind and body to recover-rebuild I’ve come back stronger almost every time. Quality over quantity...

4- How many hours per week do you train?
Depends on the race distance I am training for and where I am in my cycle of training ie foundation, build, speed, taper. Ironman ranges from 15-20 hours / week, half-ironman ranges from 12-18 hours/week.

5- Do you have an off-season?
Absolutely (whomever doesn’t is missing out!). The off-season is a great time to decompress, make up for lost time with friends and family, and get back into some other hobbies. Lots of food, skiing, snowshoeing, and a turkey trot are great ways to spend November-December...not to mention a little apres ski. A proper off-season helps me to clear my head and remember why I love the sport so much.

6- What bike are you riding?

SCOTT Plasma 2 ( his name is “IronScotty”)

7- What shoes are you running in?
Training = BROOKS Glycerin, Racing = Asics Gel-DS Racer

8- How do you balance life/work and your training?
I balance life and training by surrounding myself with supportive people - coworkers, friends and family that understand my personality, drive and dedication. I work in a supportive environment that understands my passion for triathlons and truly believe I am great at my job because of what I do outside of the office. Structure and time management in all aspects of life help me to create balance.

9- Best venue for a race you have either participated in/volunteered in? Why?
Ironman Lake Placid...all the support, energy and amazing terrain make for a surreal experience. The course is very spectator friendly so when my mind and body start playing games half way through the run course the crowd helped me cross the finish line.

10- Best advice you have ever received? In life or in sport?
NNORD = Nothing new on race day. This advice came from my coaches. Some athletes experiment with new nutrition, new gear and new clothes the day of a race. If you haven’t tried it before don’t take the chance. Any triathlete knows the last thing you want is an irritated GI track and chaffing on race day.

11- Favorite triathlon distance? Why?
Half-Ironman...there is more time to strategize during the half-ironman and ironman distances. I love to analyze the opponents and find their weaknesses. While the Half-ironman is an endurance race there is little time for mistakes. Gradually overtaking my opponents gives me an adrenaline rush and makes me remember why I love the sport so much. Not forgetting though to race my own race...

12- Best swag you have received from a race?
Goggles in our goodie bags at the 2005 ITU World Championships in Hawaii. I was setting up in transition and realized I forgot my goggles in my hotel room. It would have been a long swim.

13- Tips/Tricks you do prior to a race?
Most of my pre-race preparation revolves around food. As long as I can eat my plain pasta the night before and then my banana nut muffin, banana, and Power-C Vitamin Water 2-hours before the gun goes off my mind is at ease. Nothing new on race day.

14- Least favorite sport to train for? Most favorite sport to train for?
Least = Swimming because I train on a masters team with a bunch of collegiate swimmers who are so fast its annoying (in a good way). I swim like a triathlete...fingers crossed I will swim like a swimmer one of these days.

Most = I love to run...“runners high” is an amazing feeling (yes it does exist). If I’m listening to some good tunes I feel like I can run forever.

15- What are you goals for the rest of 2010 and the 2011 racing season?
I hope to close 2010 with a strong finish at Clearwater 70.3. This year has been a long and busy racing season. Triathlon racing started in May and it’s been full on since then. Physically it’s been difficult, even more so mentally. I’ve never been as dedicated to my training as I was this year.
In 2011, I need to perfect and refine each leg of my race. Moving up to the 30-34F age group will require me to drop significant time in order to continue to race competitively. With some tweaking to my swim technique, more power on the bike, and faster turnover on the run I think 2011 is going to be a great season.
a. What about for your career?
My approach to my career resembles my active lifestyle. I love what I do and try to bring the same enthusiasm into the work place as in triathlons. I hope to evolve and learn so that I can continue to be successful year after year.

16- How important is family and friends support for your training?
The only way to survive...if the people I surround myself with don’t understand my lifestyle its exhausting. If I couldn’t call up my mom everyday and tell her how training is going I’d feel like something was missing.

17- How has training/racing helped you in your life?
Training/racing has taught me how set realistic goals. What it takes to achieve them, to be disciplined and have respect for others. This applies both personally and professionally. It has also taught me strong social skills and the ability to interact with other athletes, colleagues, coaches, etc. Without this skill I don’t think I would be as successful in life.
a. How do you keep yourself motivated on down day’s?
On down day’s I just tell myself to take advantage of every second because when its time to train hard again I’ll be stronger.

18- What is the one most important exercise you suggest nobody skip?
Anything that strengthens the hip flexors… In the off-season if I’m stuck inside I like to hit the stair-master (the one where if you stop moving you fall off). If there is snow on the ground I love snowshoeing and if I feel adventurous pulling a tire through the snow (doesn’t everyone?)   I wake up the next day and have pain in places I never knew existed. Good pain of course.

19- If you could meet any triathlete who would it be and why?
I’m still on cloud nine from meeting Miranda Carfrae at Rev3 Quassy this year under the Cannondale tent. I am inspired by how fast she can run off the bike. Hopefully we can meet up again sometime on the big island.

20- What is your favorite recovery drink/food?
Ultragen in creamsicle flavor is my drink of choice if I don’t have access to real food. What I really like to eat within an hour of finishing up my training is tuna salad (not too much mayo) on a whole wheat bagel. Hits the spot and is a great source of protein!

21- How closely do you watch your nutrition and how much do you think that helps?
This year I put a lot of time into improving my race nutrition. My nutrition used to be ridiculous to say the least. I used to race on fumes and assume the pain I was feeling was natural for racing at a high intensity for 5+ hours. I used consume around 100 calories an hour for a half-ironman (Total = approx. 550 calories). Now, I’ve experimented and figured out what it takes to maximize my performance...Its amazing how well the body feels for 5+ hours on 1300 calories. Who would have thought!
a. During training days and off days?
Off days directly affect how you will feel on training days. I’m a creature of habit so my training days are not much different from off days. I constantly hear a voice (my coach) in my head that says PWR repeatedly! (power to weight ratio).

22- Is Kona the ultimate dream for you in terms of triathlons?
I’d be lying if I said Kona was not a dream. I just missed a spot this year at Ironman Lake Placid. Was a tough field! I’m young though and with time and patience I will be there.

I will be honest, my ultimate dream is to manage the perfect race. This is the sole reason I signed up for Ironman Lake Placid 2011. This past year I swam on pace, transitioned faster than I hoped, and biked a strong race. Coming off the bike I was 13-minutes ahead of my planned time. Going out too fast in the first 10k of my run changed the game entirely. By the time I hit mile 17 I think I was moving backwards. I’m a runner so this was tough outcome accept.

I will master the run course. 2011 is a whole new ball game.

23- Are you a member of a team and how did you get involved with them?
Member of NYC based TriLife Racing team. Joined the team in 2010.

I chose to get involved because of the coaching...I’m not the type of athlete who needs motivation from others to get up early in the mornings and train. I love to learn and evolve as an athlete so the coaches are what attracted me to get involved with TriLife.

The attention to detail and pre-race preparation has helped me to become a better competitor. TriLife coaching excels in mentally and physically preparing an athlete for race day. Practicing to resist distractions, maintaining focus, developing a strategy and mentally overtaking the opponent.

24- Most important piece of equipment for a triathlete?
Aero bottle...specifically for the half-ironman and ironman. Its difficult to be lazy and forget to take in liquid nutrition when you have a straw directly in front of your face. Its easy to get in the zone and forget to hydrate. On a hot-humid race day this can be detrimental to the mind and body.

25- In terms of effective cost, what will help a triathlete shave the most time?
Proper nutrition… never underestimate the power of a well-fueled athlete. Take the time and spend the money to experiment and figure out what nutrition works best. Every athlete is unique.
26- What would you tell a beginner to get them interested?
Couple of things: (1) Don’t get discouraged. Experienced triathletes can be intimidating because of the intense passion for the sport they have gained over years of training and racing. (2) A good coach is an invaluable resource. A coach can help a beginner learn the technique and strategies they need to be mentally and physically prepared for race day. (3) Grab a friend...it makes the early mornings and long workouts that much more fun. You end up with a lot of fun memories too.

27- Do you believe anyone can become an athletic person?
Do I think anyone can become a physically strong, powerful, ‘sporty’ person...yes. Do I think everyone has the ability to think like an athlete..no. I believe an athlete has a specific mindset that can manage stress at a different level than the ‘fitness enthusiast.’ This mindset allows an athlete to excel and be competitive within their sport. On top of the mental aspect, an athlete craves the physical challenges.

28- Do you believe there is an age limit for racing? Is there an age where one should stop racing?
There is no age limit for racing. If you have the will to continue racing go for it. I hope to live the triathlon lifestyle for a long time. I’m not sure if I’ll have many friends to train with when I’m 80 though.

29- Finish that you are most proud of?
My IronDistance Plymouth overall win in 2009. This was the first race my dad ever came and watched in 7 years. I raced my heart out that day and was so excited he was there to see me cross the finish line.

30- What phrases do you use to push yourself across the finish line? I use finish strong or go home!
When I race I don’t have a specific phrase going through my head. To keep myself focused and moving forward I count 1-2-3-4 in my head specifically on the run. This helps me to evaluate my efficiency.

When I train I live by the phrase, “Train while the enemy sleeps.” (engraved on my RoadID :))..This phrase can be taken literally in that it helps me role out of bed at 4:30 in the morning when its 25 degrees and most sane people are sleeping. In reality it motivates me to train harder and faster than ever before.

PROFESSIONAL BIO:
Age: 29
Lives: Hoboken, NJ
Home: Born and raised out in the sticks...aka: Leesburg, Va.

Brand Director for The Portico Brand Group...what does that mean? I spearhead all of the design and marketing efforts for home fashion and apparel within the group. All focused around living a sustainable lifestyle.

ATHLETIC BIO:
2010 Ironman 70.3 World Championship Qualifier
2010 Best of the U.S. National Championship Qualifier
2010 ITU Age Group National Championship Qualifier
2009 USAT All-American Honorable Mention
2009 ITU Long Course World Championship Qualifier
2007 Halfmax National Championship Qualifier
2007 USAT Long Course World Championship Qualifier
2006 USAT Olympic Championship Qualifier
2006 ITU Long Course World Championship Qualifier
2005 All-American Honorable Mention
2005 Team USA Member

For race results visit: http://www.athlinks.com/myresults.aspx?rid=21604186

** 2009-2010 TOP TRIATHLON PERFORMANCES
EVENT PLACING
2010
Ironman 70.3 Timberman 1st 25-29F / 20th Overall (inc. Pros.)
Ironman Lake Placid 4th 25-29F / 27th Overall (inc. Pros.)
Tupper Lake Half Ironman 1st Overall
Rev3 Olympic (Quassy) 1st Overall
Jerseyman Half Ironman 1st Overall

2009
IronDistance Tri at Plymouth Rock 1st Overall
NYC Triathlon 3rd 25-29F / 23rd Overall (inc. Pros.)
Musselman Half-Ironman Triathlon 1st 25-29F / 5th Overall
Jerseyman Half-Ironman Triathlon 1st 25-29F / 5th Overall

PARTICIPATION
NYC TriLife IronTeam, 2010 & 2011
Gold Coast Triathlon Club, Hoboken, NJ (workout coordinator), 2009 - present
Hoboken Harriers Running Club, Hoboken, NJ, 2010
United States Masters Swimming Association, New Jersey
First-timer Triathlon Workshop, Speaker, Madison YMCA
Danskin Sprint Triathlon, Running Coach, 2008

AWARDS NCAA Division III Track and Field Southeast Regional Athlete of the Year Award, 2003

All-American honors, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Track and Field Organization, 2002-2003

When 6 1/2 mile repeats don't equal 6 miles.....

I cannot stop laughing at myself from my poor math skills this morning.

Let me start out by saying I went to bed somewhat late because I am a sucker for October baseball.  Everybody complains how long the games last, and while I don't disagree, I still stay up late to watch it so I can't argue since I am still sitting there.

Anyway, got to bed around 11pm or so I guess after spending a few hours at the bowling alley.....isn't that going to be the 4th sport in quadathlon?  Anyway, I knew I was getting up early and so I had water and left as quickly as possible.

I woke up at 4:30am and while brushing my teeth found out that Kovas was already done with his training.....does he sleep at all?  Since I setup my breakfast the night before I just pressed the button for my coffee, toast and poured granola with almond milk and ate.  After about 30 minutes of digesting I was ready to roll.

On the way to the track I saw the most gorgeous moon ever and it was sort of in the middle of the sky and looked almost like the sun.  I had to actually think about whether it was the sun or not.

So my training called for 6 1/2 mile repeats at 5k pace with 3 minute rest intervals.  The 3 minutes were to consist of a walk at first then speed up to a jog before doing the 1/2 mile again.

I started with a 1/2 mile warm-up at around a 9:00/mile pace and then got going.  The first 1/2 was strong and done at a pace of 6:24.  The remaining 1/2's were at 6:28, 6:43, 6:42, 6:55, 6:52.....then the last 3 minute rest and 1/2 mile cool down.

I looked at my Garmin and low and behold 5.3 miles.  How is this possible?  6 1/2 mile repeats = 6 miles right?  I don't get it.  What did I do wrong.  I even went to the view laps of my garmin and started adding on my fingers.  0.5+0.5+0.5+0.5.....equals 4 miles.....what is happening?  OK, throw in my rest and it comes out to 5.3....something is not right.  Where is my BlackBerry so I can get the calculator.

Well, let's say after about 10 minutes I figured it out.

So here is the math word problem of the day.

If Jason does 6 0.5 mile runs and then 6 approximate 0.25 mile rest periods and warms up and cools down with 0.5 miles each how many miles has Jason run?

So yes, this was not my finest hour in the math world......but my times were strong even on this sore hammy.  Time for the TENS machine after my strength at the gym and 30 minute stretch.....please hammy get better.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Athlete's Plate for 10/21 is up on the site.

Tomorro's inteview will be with a blogger we all know.....Jennifer Huffman-Swift from Run Ultragrrl.

An Athlete's Plate - 10/14/2010

This 'menu' is going to be syndicated at A Mom's Rantings under the recipe section and labeled ' An Athlete's Plate' 

Today's (10/14/10) menu is a great way to get your vegetables and fruits in while eating healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.

For last week's recipe's go here.

Also, don't forget that it is not just nutrition that is important in taking care of your body.  Massage is also a key ingredient to getting your body to perform at optimal levels.  There is a giveaway being done and the rules can be found here.

Breakfast - Vegetable Frittata

Serving: 1

Ingredients:  Vegetables of your choice, 1/2 cup of egg beaters, bunch of spinach, Parmesan cheese, habanero sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dice your favorite vegetables.  I use zucchini, yellow squash, yellow onion and mushrooms.  Add more or subtract those you don't favor but be sure to get your vegetables in here.  Leave the spinach whole as it will cook down once in the pan.

Saute the vegetables in an oven safe pan until they are soft.  Add in the 1/2 cup of egg beaters and work the eggs until they begin to settle.

Place pan in oven and set your timer for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes check to see if the eggs have begun to settle on the top.  If not, let it bake for a few more minutes until they settle on the top.

Slice Parmesan cheese into thin slices or use grated and place on top of the eggs until melted.

Take out of oven and slide onto a plate with a cup of coffee or tea.  I usually have a whole wheat tortilla with it, but add in dry whole wheat toast or just eat the frittata.

Mid AM Snack - Granola and Yogurt with Berries and Honey

Servings: 1

Ingredients:  2 servings of seasonal fruit (the more the better), Greek Yogurt, Whole Grain Granola, Honey

This is a simple way to pack in fruits of different colors, protein from the Greek yogurt and get your complex carbs from the granola plus sweeten it all up with a little bit of honey.

Place the yogurt in a bowl, then add in your granola and top off with fruit.  At this point squeeze some honey over the top.  I like to fold all the ingredients together at this point, but if you like to eat it as a parfait then feel free.

Lunch - Tuna with Vegetables Panini

Servings: 1

Ingredients - 1 serving size of Tuna, Whole Wheat Bread, Vegetables (your favorites), Baby Spinach, Whole Grain Mustard, Horseradish, Provolone Cheese

Drain can of tuna and place in bowl.  In bowl add in diced vegetables (cut up enough from breakfast up top and save for lunch - substitute red onion for yellow onion here), mustard and horseradish to taste.

Once combined fully, place on one slice of bread,  Top tuna with baby spinach and then slice of provolone cheese.  Place other slice of bread on top and move to panini press.  If you don't have a panini press then place in a pan with a little bit of oil spray.  Place the bottom of another pan on top and press.  Once golden brown, flip over and press down again until done.

PM Snack - Black Bean Hummus and Pita Chips

Servings:  As many as you want to share it with

 

Ingredients - 1/2 can of black beans, 1/2 can of garbanzo beans, oil, pita bread, oil spray

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

While oven is pre-heating cut pita bread into bite sized pieces and lay on baking sheet with a small amount of spray over the top.

In food processor add in black beans, garbanzo beans and begin blending.  While blending drizzle in olive oil until consistency is that of your liking.  Like it chunky add less oil, like it smoother add in more oil.

Once oven is heated up place baking sheet in oven and bake until 'chips' are to your liking.  Chewy?  Less time.  Crisp?  More time.

Dinner - Fish Tacos

Servings - 1

Ingredients - 3oz of Tilapia, Vegetables, 2 Whole Wheat tortillas, Brown Rice, Black Bean Hummus from PM Snack, Avocado, Tomato, Habanero Sauce (optional)

Grill tilapia until cooked through.  Once cooked cut into chunks.

Take the diced vegetables from breakfast and lunch and saute in a pan along with peppers (the more colors, the better).

Place a layer of the black bean hummus on each tortilla.  In middle add in 1/2 vegetables and 1/2 fish to each tortilla.  Top off the fish with diced tomato and avocado.  Fold in half and place on a plate with cooked brown rice (I usually use Uncle Ben's Brown Rice in a bag......tender rice in 90 seconds....)

I hope you noticed that you can get distinctly different meals using the same or at least similar ingredients.  I used mushrooms, onions, spinach, yellow squash and zuchini in the three main dishes.  I used the black bean hummus not only for a PM snack but also in the dinner of fish tacos.

Making a healthy menu is not difficult if you plan correctly an weave the ingredients throughout the meals.  Do not be afraid to add or subtract from the recipe as this is only a guideline to healthy eating.  In the end it is about your taste buds but don't forget everything in moderation.

A big THANK YOU to A Mom's Rantings for working with me on this partnership.