Tri and Live and Eat Better

Nutrition Resolutions: FREE Event!

2012-01-27T19:21:00.001-05:00

Guys! I'm giving an in-person talk next Monday! It's like a podcast, except that you go to a physical place and I stand there in front of you and tell you things that I would tell you on a podcast. But this is better in some ways, like: 1) You get to look at me 2) You get to participate and ask questions 3) You get to check out my favorite tri store, Jackrabbit Sports! Here are the details:

Did you totally blow it with your nutritional New Year's resolution? Do you need some advice on setting EFFECTIVE and LASTING nutritional goals? Do you want guidance on the most important dietary changes for YOU?

Come to Jackrabbit Sports for your FREE second chance to RESOLVE your diet and for tips on how to get it right!

It's not too late. This powerful, goal-setting event could change your entire relationship with food.

When: Monday, January 30th from 6:30- 8pm

Where: Jackrabbit Sports 140 West 72nd Street, New York, NY

How much: *FREE*

*For more information on Jackrabbit Sport's Resolve Campaign, visit: www.jackrabbitsports.com

Who Wants My Cannondale?

2012-01-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm selling my SuperSix! I bought it new at the end of 2010. I love this bike but I got a new one for Christmas!

This is the road bike I went 8th on at Beach 2 Battleship 140.6. It's all carbon and only $1000. I'm selling it so cheap because I have too many bikes in my apartment and I want to find it a good home before Spainuary (February 7th). Now accepting applicants! ;)

Here is a link to more specs.

ZenTri Camp 2012 Wrap Up

2012-01-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

Once again, we had another kick ass group of campers. We had some repeat campers and lots of new friends. This year the group was made up of some pretty tough athletes so we beefed up the training a bit more with some tougher workouts and challenges. The weather in San Diego was outstanding (especially while hearing about snow on the East Coast). The only day with rain we went to La Jolla Cove to get in the water, and get wet anyway, with an open water swim practice.

Highlights of 2012 were:

- lots of MovementU with Jessi
- the bike hill climb challenge between John and Brett
- a serious, killer track workout with Coach Adam
- underwater swim video analysis at the pool
- miles of awesome trail running
- zen and training talks
- and obviously the food was WONDERFUL (I went with a Top 10 Foods for Triathletes theme and included each food in my recipes)

No Bread Sandwich!

Here are some links to some fun videos that were done:

Health Store Tour
ZenTri Camp Mosh Up
Training Like a Pro with John
How to Put on a Wetsuit

We have some exciting news about next year's ZenTri Camp! Stay tuned for the announcement and for early bird registration!

ZenTri Base Camp Day Passes Now Available!!!

2012-01-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

Wanna check out base camp but couldn't sign up for the full weekend because you have an obligation on one of the days?
Want to drop in to get a taste for next year?
Want to hang out with one or all of the coaches?

Now you can register for a day pass! You choose the day or days (check out the schedule of events), then email us and we'll help you register for only $120 per day, including training, classes and a full on healthy meal! This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions, get answers, get motivated, train, and hang with some kick ass people! Like me!

Jackrabbit Sports RESOLVE Campaign

2012-01-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

First, anyone in or around NYC needs to visit www.jackrabbitsports.com and sign up for the Resolve Campaign. Its 30 days of kick ass FREE events to help you define and reach your goals for the new year, including core workouts, yoga classes, run tours, and more. The most kick-ass-est event of them all will be my Nutritional Resolutions workshop on January 30th at 6:30pm at the UWS store location. For more details, check out the calendar when you sign up. Oh, you also get a free t-shirt.

10 Tips For Fighting A Cold (part 2 of the series)

2012-01-04T17:50:00.002-05:00

Hoppin' John from New Year's Day (collards, kale, black eyed peas)

If you fail to keep the cold sickness out of your body, you can still fight and win against the symptoms. As soon as you start to feel it coming on, UNPLUG and do the following list of things. Honestly, these steps will keep you from taking a cold and turning it into a secondary infection AND it will shorten the duration of your feeling crappy.

10 Tips for Treating Cold Symptoms (and slaying it to death)

1. Try to avoid taking tylenol, advil, cold medicine, etc to reduce your fever, chills, headache, body aches until your fever goes above 100.5 or so. A slight fever is your body's defense against the germs that are invading your body, and you're better off not interfering until it is needed.

2. Try to avoid taking a nasal decongestant or antihistamine unless you need it to sleep or to get through work that can't be avoided. When possible, sit around and let your nose run and be disgusting. This is supposed to happen! Your body is getting rid of the icky sickness. If you suppress these symptoms you are increasing your chance of developing a secondary infection.

3. Eat soup! Ingredients like onions, greens and chicken will help reduce or expel mucus.

4. Rest! Rest! REST. Skip anything you can, tell people to go away, exercise only lightly to work up a sweat but decrease the intensity and duration.

5. Wash your hands. Don't get everyone else sick and don't catch other cooties while your immune system is already busy.

6. Avoid dairy. It increases your mucus. That is a bad thing.

7. Zinc lozenges have been shown to reduce the severity and duration of a cold. Pay attention to the directions, they aren't candy! If you take too many they can become toxic and make you puke.

8. When your body craves vitamin c, choose the fruit and avoid too much sugar in orange juice. Sugar will weaken your immune system.

9. Drink lots of liquids. Try adding honey and lemon to hot water. Or try herbal yogi tea that will focus on your symptoms.

10. Make soup! Then eat it all the time.

10 Tips for Cold and Flu Prevention

2012-01-03T18:38:00.004-05:00

Everyone is sick. I went to see my family in MA for Christmas and they all had a cold. I went to visit friends in VT for New Year's and they had a throat/ stomach thing. Now, I'm sitting next to my sick dream guy because he doesn't listen to me, or his coach, or doctor when we tell him to stop training and get better. No amount of healthy soup will take a sick man through a run training focus. So, what to do? I don't want to get sick!

10 Tips for Cold and Flu Prevention

1. Eat a wholesome diet that includes lots of greens and colorful produce. Avoid immune-compromising sugary foods.

2. Eat garlic. It works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria in the body, and you can't develop a resistance to it. Use fresh garlic and add it to soups, stir frys, salad dressing, sauces, etc.

3. Drink plenty of pure water and herbal tea. You can try Yogi Tea or Traditional Medicinals. Look for teas that are meant for immune boosting, cold care or throat comfort.

4. Take a daily multi-vitamin for added support. Rainbow Lite is a good option.

5. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. It makes a gigantic difference in decreasing your chances of getting cooties from your friends (unless you are kissing them, then you're... never mind).

6. Get regular exercise to increase your blood flow, circulation, and to allow your body to detoxify through sweat.

7. Get more sleep. Make it quality. Make it a priority. Your body works hardest to fight germs while you are asleep. Even 30 minutes extra will make a difference.

8. Open your windows (just a bit), especially while you are asleep. Dry heat will also dry out the mucous membranes in your respiratory system. Or you can buy a humidifier.

9. Reduce stress by saying "I'm not wasting emotional energy on this". Your body is unable to battle germs as well when you are constantly battling stress. Take a deep breath.

10. Make soup like the one in the photo above. Then eat the soup. Include greens, onions, garlic, carrots and fresh ginger.

ZenTri Base and Nutrition Camp

2011-12-21T14:46:00.002-05:00

If you haven't registered yet, check out the camp agenda that has been posted! I'll be cooking and teaching (and making Brett cry when I beat him in the hill climb) for the camp, but I'm also looking forward to participating as a camper! Last year I learned a ton of great info from Brett, Rich, Adam and Jessi and this year I'm looking forward to refining some of my new skills.

My nutrition theme this year will be The Top 10 Foods for Triathletes. I've seen this list before and it looks different every time. I'm going to bust up some myths and show you what you NEED to be eating. We'll also prepare and eat the foods we're learning about. How awesome is that?!?!

Teleclass! How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Packing on the Pounds

2011-12-01T09:25:00.001-05:00

Check out the beard on this guy!

Healthy and Happy Holidays

(how to have your cake and eat it too!)

Over 2/3 of Americans are currently overweight or obese. Of course there are numerous reasons for this epidemic, and our ‘national gluttony’ over the holidays plays a large part. This overwhelming, over-consumption also taxes our immune system and makes us more prone to winter colds and flu.

Don’t worry, I am not the Grinch or a Scrooge trying to take the fun out of your holidays. There are many ways to get through this month-plus binge without gaining weight and getting sick. And the good news is that you can still enjoy your holidays as much, if not more than you always have.

*Motivating facts:

The average person puts on 5-7 pounds during the holiday season.

During a typical Thanksgiving feast, the average person eats 7000+ calories.

You can approach holiday eating differently this year.

**********

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, let's get ourselves under control for the rest of our holiday feasting. Join me for an interactive teleclass and we'll discuss:

- How to survive the holiday season without becoming one of the above examples.

- Techniques to prevent holiday binge eating and promote a healthy lifestyle.

- How to strike a balance that allows you to "treat" yourself without denying yourself.

- And how to stay healthy and avoid a Winter cold or flu by making healthy food choices.

The class includes:

- A full set of notes

- Healthy holiday recipes

- Instructions for specific goal setting and planning to get you through

- Questions and Answers

Teleclass Details:

When: Wednesday, December 21st from 6:30-8pm ET

Where: Once you sign up, you will receive information in a confirmation email that includes the dial in number and access code for the call.

Cost: $25 (paid via paypal)

Includes: Complete plan for creating a holiday eating plan with an opportunity to ask questions, and a full set of notes and recipes from the classSign up: All you have to do is email me at christine@liveandeatbetter.com and I will add you to the list!

** Spaces are limited because the conference line only allows for a certain number of guests. If enough people become interested, I will investigate larger call volume lines.

How I Plan to be THE BEST at EVERYTHING Next Tri-Season

2011-11-21T09:52:00.001-05:00

Its the latest episode of Sports Nutrition with The Holisticguru! You get to eavesdrop on my end of year review with Coach Dreamy!

Click here to listen to how I will rock.

ZenTri Camp Registration is Open!!!

2011-11-14T12:12:00.001-05:00

You don't want to miss this. It's our 3rd year of ZenTri Camp and its getting awesomer and awesomer! This year we have a new kick ass coach (super fast pro woman), along with the superstars of the past 2 years. You'll get to swim, bike, run, soak up awesome, and eat delicious healthy food - cooked by moi. It's a perfect start for your next tri season.

More info and sign up here.

Beach 2 Battleship Race Report

2011-11-07T07:22:00.001-05:00

Leading up to this race, I had high hopes. I had been running faster than ever and feeling incredibly strong. I was dropping boys left and right on all of my runs. To make it even better, Bobby was coming to be race sherpa and super friend. It was the one thing to give the race the CREW energy that fuels me.

We drove 11 hours to the pre-race dinner. Set Up Events put on a spectacular show. The expo, for a somewhat small race in comparison to others I had been to, really felt like a BIG DEAL and it was! John and I were treated like super stars, but I looked around and noticed that we weren't the only ones. The volunteers and staff were genuinely excited and interested in the athletes. It was a fun time. We didn't think we'd go to the athlete dinner that Thursday night when we arrived because its hard to eat gluten free at race events and the food is never that good. But it was free and already cooked so I walked in and took a look. It was amazing! Seriously! B2B has the best pre-race dinner I've ever had. Hands down (what does that even mean?) I was highly impressed.

That night we jumped in the ocean and made a wish. It was the loveliest evening.

Race morning I went through the usual race morning ritual and made myself race-pretty with my race make up. After I got my face and my kit on, I joined the others in the kitchen. I had never taken a coffee taper seriously before and this was going to be my first cup of coffee in over a week. I don't normally coffee taper because I don't drink much in the first place. I did it this time as an experiment and I swear it worked. I had a renewed vigor! A passion for life that felt overwhelming. I loved everything and everyone and I was ready to DESTROY THE FACE OFF OF THAT WINDY RACE COURSE WITH FURIOUS EVIL MONSTER DEATH KILLERS! I was ready to race.

It was awesome to have April, Bobby, John and Augie to hang with in the morning. Its not the deepest we've ever rolled, but it was still relatively deep and was deep enough to make me feel the love and support. I was excited for the swim because the current promised to make it the fastest of my life. The gun went off and the race started to the tune of Eminem. Awesome. I asked my coach, Coach Dreamy, how I should pace my swim. He said "swim as hard as you can". I may not have swam the whole thing as hard as I can but I didn't swim scared. I got right in there. I beat the crap out of everyone who beat on me. I didn't hide from the other swimmers, afraid I'd get a boo-boo. I was tough. This was a first. Everyone watch out, from now on I'm fearless. Then I swam a little out of the way for some reason. Just a little. No big. I got out of the water, looked at my watch, saw 50 minutes and thought "greeeeeeat. I'll never PR a swim again".

After a quick and successful T1, I was bundled up a bit for the bike when I passed a bank clock that told me it was 51 degrees. It was also windy. Then it got windier and even colder. I thought to myself, "wah". I pedaled hard to warm up. For the first 60 miles I was shaking and cold and drilling into the wind. I was careful not to draft because I wanted this to be my effort. I wanted to see how I stood up against the wind and cold. I focused on my nutrition and fought through. Did I mention I wore thigh highs with skulls on them instead of knee warmers? It was sexy. I started to wonder if I might be hypothermic and at what point I would have to quit. I decided that I would ride until my legs stopped making circles with the pedals underneath me or until someone pulled me off the course. I'm never going to drop out of a race unless I can't do it. I had been told that the wind would become a tailwind around mile 70 and seriously planned on that. I imagined sunshine and rainbow star sprinkles with unicorn smiles and marshmallow kittens at mile 70. I thought I would destroy someone for being wrong about that. And then, at mile 70 I saw my shadow beneath me. The sun was out! I laughed and said something out loud about my shadow like I was a maniac. I was so happy. In fact, I was happy even when I was physically miserable. I love racing!

I finished the bike and couldn't wait to run, as usual. T1 was uneventful and easy to navigate. I saw Augie's wife Meryl and that made me happy to have a cheerleader-volunteer.

At the start of the run I felt great. I wondered if I might break 4 hours for the marathon. I wondered if I might break 12 hours for the ironma... I mean, 140.6 distance. I started with the obsessive math. If I held back for a 9 min pace and maintained that I could do set some PRs. The run is described as mostly flat. Then I heard rumors that it isn't really flat. I thought, "well, to wimpy and negative people anything might not be flat". So I expected a flat run. I was wrong. There were 2 bridges with climbs then a steep dip into town and climb back out. Reverse that to come back to the turn around, then repeat it for a second loop. That is 6 good climbs. The good news is, I'm a running machine and I love a bit of a challenge because it gives me an advantage. Bring it. As I approached mile 2, the lead man was right behind me and I knew he was losing steam. He could hardly keep up with my pace and I was holding back. I wanted to keep him on my rearview to watch John overtake him. It was a cool spot to spectate from. Only one girl passed me on the run. She was flying. The course was super awesome. I loved the crowd downtown and there was a park with foot bridges and happy volunteers. I felt amazing and at mile 20-21 I realized I was running a 7:30 pace and had to chill out. I met a kick ass guy named Buck who recognized me from the interwebs. He was a welcomed distraction. I held back until mile 23 when I let myself drop the hammer and drill it in as hard as I wanted. I could not believe the time as I ran into the finisher's chute. I flew. Ecstatic. What an amazing feeling!

11:23:39?!?!

What.

Pinch me. I still can't believe it. 8th woman overall and the 5th fastest (women's) run split!

Thank you to Augie for planting the seed to do this race and for showing me how tough I am with his crazy ass training ideas. Thank you to Stacey Richardson for making my B2B experience so wonderful and for being so welcoming. I gained an awesome new tri-friend in her. And thank you, thank you, thank you to John for coaching me for this. I never thought I would accomplish half of what he has pushed me to achieve. He says I'm still only part of the way there and I believe him. I'm going to continue to do everything he tells me to do for my 2012 season. The man is a tri-genius and the best boyfriend in all the cosmos. I am deeply grateful.

Beach 2 Battleship Race Report for Your Ears

2011-11-02T08:02:00.002-04:00

Me getting pretty on race morning because it helps me race EVIL

A Beach 2 Battleship race report that you can listen to! Click here to hear all about the race and laugh at my exhaustion only 24 hours post-race.

Athlete Tracker for Beach 2 Battleship

2011-10-28T08:48:00.001-04:00

Last night, I ran screaming into the ocean in the dark. Naked. There wasn't anyone around and I knew it would give me luck for race day. The ocean and I have a relationship. And I'm going to swim 2.4 miles in the salty ocean water tomorrow morning.

I am already highly impressed with PPD Beach 2 Battleship. We arrived (after an 11 hour drive) just in time for the expo and athlete dinner. They had everything we needed along with friendly and funny volunteers. The food was spectacular.

This morning looks like this:

-wake up, no coffee
-sit on balcony in chair swing, no coffee
-freak out a little about the crazy wind gusts, drink plain hot water
-a short run to loosen up and shake off the cobwebs, yoga
-a 20-30 min spin on the bike to check in and to make sure everything is in tip top shape
-come home, set everything out for tomorrow
-perfect pre-race dinner
-walk on the beach
-bed

And here is your link to follow the race tomorrow: http://t.co/FV0GbGOm

I am bib #3, John is #1, and Augie is #133.

Oh, and the photo is of my race face.

AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! One more sleep! I can't wait to race!
Sent via hovercraft

Race Taper Nutrition - how not to mess it all up

2011-10-17T08:32:00.001-04:00

Here is the latest podcast with Big Sexy Bobby (now bigger and sexier after going a bit crazy after his ironman - I'm gonna have to smack some sense into that boy).

Bobby rules. Did I mention that he's coming all the way to North Carolina for my Beach 2 Battleship 140.6?!

Final Prep for Beach to Battleship

2011-10-15T10:16:00.000-04:00

(Photo: My podium photo from Hightstown)

My final prep for Beach to Battleship 140.6 started with Savageman. That was a pretty serious brick workout and I was surprised to have recovered relatively quickly from it. I'm sticking with the prep then taper plan that John gave me and I feel faster and stronger than ever. I also have too much energy, which I don't understand. I should be exhausted! Maybe its because my diet has been spot on. It's also likely due to the fact that training A TON makes me HAPPY and HAPPY gives me buttloads of ENERGY. I did miss a few days because I had a cold, but I recovered quickly and pushed things back, giving myself a bit of a shorter taper (which may be better for me). John helped me adjust my plan by calling me immediately when I started to send him ironman freakout texts.

So, here it is:

Week #1 (easing into it with 2 races)

Sunday - Savageman as my 4 hour ride/ 2 hour run brick

Monday - DEAD

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 6 miles of walking/ 45 min run

Thursday - bike 45 minutes

Friday - swim 2000

Saturday - bike 45 minutes

Total: very low numbers for a prep week but it was also a recovery week

Week #2

Sunday - Hightstown Tri = 1 hour 21 min with 15 mile bike and 5 miles of running

Monday - Death Brick #2: 7 hr /100 mile hilly ride to Bear Mtn then 6 mile/ 52 min run

Tuesday - 50 min run/ swim 3000 yards

Wednesday - 18.5 mile run with tempo

Thursday - swim 2500 meters

Friday - 2 hour 45 minute bike with intervals

Saturday - 1 hour run

Total: 18 hours

Week #3

Sunday - 2.5 hour ride

Monday - sick

Tuesday - sick

Wednesday - 90 min run with tempo

Thursday - rest (murdering the last bit of sickness to prep for a big weekend)

Friday - 20 mile run in 2:38!!!

Saturday - 30 min bike commute

Total: 7 hours 45 minutes (LOW!)

Week #3 re-do

Sunday - 4k open water swim

Monday - 121 mile hilly ride/ 30 min run

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 2.5 hour run

***official taper start***

Thursday - 30 min swim

Friday - 45 min swim

Saturday - 30 min ride

Total: 14 hours 45 minutes

Looking at these totals makes me think "uh oh. I trained with a lot more volume for IMLP last year". BUT I'm feeling more fit than ever and I got all of my key workouts in. So we'll see how it pays off on race day! I am so excited for this race and I'm really looking forward to hanging out in North Carolina in October! I'll be on a beach in warmer weather. It's okay to hate me. I'll make it up to you by telling you how the race is so you can sign up next year!

Hightstown Triathlon Race Report

2011-10-08T11:57:00.001-04:00

The morning of this sprint race was the first time I ever said "I'm looking forward to getting in the water. Its already hot out!" And then we got word that the swim was canceled because the water was too cloudy to be safe. I always appreciate when an RD makes a safety call, especially in the swim, and I was happy to race a duathlon because running is my strength. This race was only 6 days after Savageman, though, and I was cooked. I didn't expect any major breakthroughs, I just wanted to have some fun doing what I love.

When we arrived I took a look at the water and saw that it must not have been a tough decision to cancel the swim. It looked like mud from the recent hurricane. We set up transition and did a bit of a ride then run on the course. The event was very well organized, the RD had a great sense of humor and was nice and bossy and straightforward during the mandatory meeting. Just the way I like 'em.

I was in the 4th wave with Sarah Leshner and was happy to have another girl I knew to hang with before the start. John, Steve, and Rooney all started in the waves ahead of us. Our wave went off and Sarah and I took off in the front to start the 2 mile run. Soon, 2 women passed us. I considered staying with them, but checked in with my steady breathing, thought of Savageman and the miles of riding and running still ahead of me, and I decided to let them go. Otherwise I would burn myself out too early, especially with such heavy legs. By the end of the run, I had caught a lot of the guys who started 2 waves ahead of me and I ran into T1 with Rooney, in our matching kits, like a collective BOSS.

I RACED the bike. I really pushed. The course was flat but I was feeling pretty confident because I had recently learned how to do a bit of bike maintenance and that had somehow also made me feel like a BOSS. I was flying. People kept yelling to me "I think you're the first female!" I thought they were wrong. They were, but that's cool. One guy was hanging onto my wheel and was drafting. We came to a corner and I, thanks to my killer bike handling skills, gracefully and swiftly made the corner. The silly man tried to pass me and wiped out. I thought "Oh no. My powers!" I asked of he was okay and then continued along. Soon after that, a group of guys who were riding in a pace line surrounded me. I was all "where'd you guys come from?" Then Rooney, the superhero, came swooping in out of nowhere and gave them heck and shot lasers through them for being dirty cheaters. Rooney said something like "go get 'em, finish strong". And I tore outta there into t2, feeling thankful for my homies.

I started the 5k run having no clue if I was really in first or second. I wanted to run hard but was a bit conservative because I expected to drop dead from "The Savage" at any moment. I kept my breathing pretty steady and started to pick people off, one by one. After about a mile I was on my own, for the most part. I hadn't seen another woman since the very beginning of the bike. It was then that I thought to myself "I'm kicking ass whether I run hard or not today". I knew that by telling myself the other women were too far back, I was risking learning a lesson the hard way... But I put it on cruise anyway. I was knackered. I had just done one of the HARDEST races of my life less than a week prior, so I relaxed the pace a bit to the finish. It turns out I was second woman overall! My first run split was really fast and my bike split was on FIYAH. That bought me some time for my slight laziness on the second run. I finished several minutes behind the first woman. There was no way I was catching her.

It felt good to be 2nd overall woman. I'm super happy with the result! And I'd definitely race at Hightstown again!
Sent via hovercraft

The Choose-Your-Own-Fall-Cleanse Adventure: Teleclass

2011-10-04T13:30:00.001-04:00

(Pic: One of the reasons I need to do a Fall cleanse)

Join me for an interactive teleclass! This will be as awesome as my previous podcast appearances, but with the added benefit of being able to participate and ask questions in a conversational style.

Our first topic will focus on writing the perfect personalized fall cleanse. We'll answer the following questions:

* What are the benefits to doing a fall cleanse?
* Which cleanse is right for me?
* How should I expect to feel while I cleanse?
* How long should I plan to cleanse?
* And of course, any other questions that will come up...

From there, I will go over a step-by-step plan to create a cleanse that is perfect and personalized to address your specific needs, concerns and lifestyle. YOU will decide exactly what you want to focus on and the duration of time that you want to plan (with my help, of course).

Cleansing does not have to be incredibly complicated or painful. We're NOT talking about FASTING. The goal is to release toxins; improve health, vitality and energy levels; improve immunity to fight off winter cold and flu; and to reset healthy eating habits in a lasting and effective way.

Teleclass Details:

When: Sunday, October 23rd from 6:30-8pm ET

Where: Once you sign up, you will receive information in a confirmation email that includes the dial in number and access code for the call

Cost: $25 (paid via paypal)

Includes: Complete plan for creating a personalized fall cleanse with guidance, an opportunity to ask questions, and a full set of notes from the class

Sign up: All you have to do is email me at christine@liveandeatbetter.com and I will add you to the list!

** Spaces are limited because the conference line only allows for a certain number of guests. If enough people become interested, I will investigate larger call volume lines.

*** For people who are interested, we will definitely be incorporating an #i8this challenge for added support during the cleanse

Savageman 70.0 Race Report

2011-10-03T11:47:00.002-04:00

(Photo: John tackling The Wall on his ERC bike)

Don't let the fact that this race is .3 miles shorter than the usual half-iron fool you into thinking its easier. Its actually so insane that I spent the last 1/4 mile of running feeling incredibly grateful that the race wasn't .3 miles longer. By now, you've probably heard the talk about the "Westernport Wall" and "Killer Miller". They are insane climbs, at miles 20 and 40 respectively, on the bike portion ofthe race. Check out this video for a taste of the ridiculousness of The Wall. Even worse, no one really talks about the run. Well, that's only because the crazy difficult run is overshadowed by the bike. All together, this race was one of the top 3 hardest events I've ever done (and ironman is on that list forever because of the distance). The day before the race, our super fast friend, Kristoph, who has done this race several times and wouldn't shut up about it the day I met him, took us to The Wall to try a practice run. I didn't make an attempt. If I was gonna fall over on that thing I only wanted it to happen during the race.

Race morning was chilly but manageable. I knew the water would be warmer than the air and I felt confident that I brought the right gear for the bike. I put on my wetsuit a bit early and didn't dare get in the water to "warm up" ahead of time. I was grateful to have our lovely friend Noelle at the start to cheer us on. She had done the oly a couple of times and had some helpful pointers. She also kicked butt in her race the day prior. The gun went off and the water temp wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. I had a pretty decent swim for the amount of swim training I had been doing. We swam to a giant, inflated turtle, around it, then to a giant swan boat, around it, and back to shore. A lovely swim.

I spent a few extra minutes in t1, getting bundled up with gardening gloves, arm warmers, and the sexiest skull leg warmers you ever saw. The bike mount is at a hill and I had watched people struggle and fall over right at the start of the bike in the oly the day before. It was a funny mess and no one was very upset. This crazy hard race tends to attract people who see that type of struggle as a fun, added challenge. They're also saying to themselves "I'm the idiot who signed up for this". So I had calculated my bike mount and practiced the day before. It worked well and I looked like a superstar. Once over that first "hump" the smaller climbs and signs to go with them started right away. The first climb was called the "toothpick" and there were signs set out to heckle you about how small it would feel in retrospect. It was short but very steep. After that climb there is a technical descent that goes on for 17 or so miles, complete with switchbacks and winding turns, and no aero bars allowed to be used. I have to say, I passed a LOT of people on the descent because I have wicked bike handling skillz from SLB. I wasn't being wreckless. I was just GOOD. As you approach the end of that portion, you can hear the cries. The voices of the spectators who came to watch you attempt, and most likely fail, the climb up The Wall. Most of them aren't encouraging. They don't think you'll make it anyway. They're pointing and laughing. Its the MOST AWESOMEST THING EVER.

I rode closer and saw The Wall in front of me, in all its painful glory. Kristoph told me that Desiree Ficker went around it the year before (there is an option for that) so I thought "I'll never make it". And John told me I can do it, so I knew I had to try. There are 2 sections to The Wall. The first is a wildly steep, paved road. Then it "flattens" out for a few feet before you have to dig in for the wildly steep (31%) cracked cement portion. There's a sign right smack in the middle that adds a bit of an obstacle. The trick is not to end up with your tire in a deep crack. This is hard because you can barely control where your bike is going with much accuracy because you're desperately trying to keep all your weight over your front tire so you don't flip backwards. I made it up the first section, focused on steady breathing, and I felt MEGA STRONG. I knew I could make it all the way to the top. I got over the "flatter" section, ready to muscle up that thing. I almost rode into the sign trying to avoid a crack, but I straightened it out. My legs were pushing through and I was filled with a sense of gloriousness. I was 1/4 of the way up, then halfway up. I was focused on the prize and hardly distracted by the screams from the crowd in their crazy, scary costumes. Then...

The woman in front of me started to slow. I was all "don't slow down! We'll fall over!" I couldn't get around her because the road was a mess on either side. Then she went sideways. I went sideways to avoid hitting her and rode into the curb and was caught by one of the "catchers". They pulled me and my bike quickly out of the way. I walked the last 4 feet or so on the grass to the top. I wasn't upset. I wanted to know if I could climb something that steep and I convinced myself that I could. I felt incredible.

The rest of the bike was mostly UP. There were lots of painful climbs that weren't even noted because they weren't crazy enough. If the same climbs were near home, it would be THE CLIMB to train on. Here, it doesn't even get on the list. A "climb to the climb" ride was very SLB, which was also why I was killing it and loving every second. That camp gave me thicker skin. The weather was beautiful and the signs had me laughing through the entire bike. You couldn't wipe the grin off my face. Some of my favorites were:

"I was told this wouldn't be a hilly course!"

"Is this a false flat???"

"Course Architect (name of RD). Please call (phone number) with comments"

Then there was a series up a tough climb that said:

"Aero helmet $400"

"Lightweight racing wheels $1500"

"Triple chain ring, priceless"

Super fun. I never rode so hard in my life.

Then I had to run. Usually I'm excited to get out on the run. I was exhausted and my legs were screaming. I said "shutup legs" and took it out slow and easy to get into my rhythm. I was passing people right away. The run goes through a camp ground with a climb to get to the turn around. A slow and steady effort and I made it without walking. Then its downhill for a bit until you get to this off-road, steep section. Its the kind of steep where you walk or you run but you have to dig in with your fingernails. I ran it and people cheered like crazy because everyone was walking. Coming back down after the turn around had to be done with care to avoid rocks and roots in the trail. This is my kind of running. It was very Am Zof. Then we did another loop of the same.

I finished! I wasn't sure I could. The bike took me about 4 hours. And the run was just under 2 hours (I'm pretty proud of that). I was 19th woman, and with so much strong talent, I can even brag about that. Just to give you an idea, my 70.3 PR is 5:34. This 70.0 took me 6:50 and I felt stronger for this race than the PR. SO INTENSE.

You need to do this race next year. You all do. http://www.savagemantri.org/

A week later I raced a sprint and got 2nd OA woman. Don't ask me how that happened. I'll get to that race report soon enough.

How To Map Out Your Nutrition Plan For a Marathon! Do it. NOW.

2011-09-30T14:16:00.002-04:00

I've been training a lot with Team Continuum as I build up to my ironman distance race (Beach 2 Battleship) in October. I have so much fun training with this group! Running and chatting with them has inspired me to dedicate the latest episode of Sports Nutrition with the Holisticguru to Fall marathon nutrition. Specifically, fueling for race day. Check it out here.

In other news, my BIG training push is going super well. I'm feeling stronger than ever and I'm learning a lot about myself as I make a leap into another level of athleticism. I'm becoming more familiar with my very specific strengths and weaknesses as a triathlete and I'm doing specific workouts to focus on these things. John Hirsch (my coach and boyfriend) is lots of the brains and love behind all of this progress. He's been encouraging and pushing me all season, along with training me and schooling me on how to realize my potential. I'm a lucky girl.

So here is the fun bike workout I did this morning. I thought I'd get bored with loops in Central Park but I had plenty to focus on:

5 loops total (about 31 miles)

#1- warm up, easy pace
#2/3- Anything But Shift- pick a gear in the upper-middle with the big ring (climbs tough, cadence high on flats) *second loop harder
#4- shift again but combine high cadence and strength
#5- cool down

This workout focused on my major bike weakness which is my slow cadence. It also incorporates strength which I'll need to combine with better pedaling efficiency in order to SLAY THE FACE OFF of the B2B bike course.

Also, I've been bike commuting with a focused goal and drills to make the 25 minutes each way feel like it counts.

Yay!
Sent via hovercraft

Come to SLB! Saturday 10/1/11 Last Day for Discount Early Registration!

2011-09-28T14:30:00.002-04:00

So John sent out an email yesterday that got me all nostalgic and excited about Spain! I can't wait to be riding my butt off in the mountains instead of freezing my butt off in NYC!

"Hi,

It's Fall! I love Fall! But it means its getting cold. But there are 2 good things about the cold. 'CROSS and Strong Like Bull!

First off we have a bunch of test pilot cyclo cross bikes already in stock. Frames are all carbon and built come in about 15 lbs. Yeah, its that light and fast! Frames are 950 dollars. Fully built bikes are 1950-2450. Pics and such are on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Evil-Racing-Cult/200333783354961

Second, 10.1.11 is the last day for early reg for the Spain Winter Camp Strong Like Bull! We only have 2 spots left for the second session, so don't dally.

TO SIGN UP:

We are going through bikereg.com and the direct URL is:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12945

This is for the non-refundable deposit only.

Again we are including 2 free days to anyone tough enough to do both camps!

Cortijo Del Nava is a fantastic cortijo with central heating, larger
rooms, a paved driveway and located only minutes from the center of
Trabuco which offers a proper plaza, cafes, shops and allows athletes
a chance to unwind in an authentic Spanish town with wonderful people.
Cortijo del Nava also has owners on site to look after our needs, aw
well as hot showers, a cold pool (for ice bath), and working free
wifi. To get a tour of Strong Like Bull’s new digs check the slide
show here:

http://skydrive.live.com/playe.aspx?path=/photomail/{fe96293b-6027-4af2-ae7d-06292dca8a7f}&image=F0D05497CE5ABEC6!302&imagehi=F0D05497CE5ABEC6!300&CID=-1094281698472182074

We have also hired health counselor and triathlete Christine Lynch
again of www.liveandeatbetter.com to oversee the cooking and dietary
needs of the athletes. She will be providing 3 meals a day (included)
to fuel and power you for your training, she is also a certified yoga
instructor and will, again, be teaching yoga classes.

All rides have guilds/coaches and a sag van for support to bring your
gear, food, fluids and lunch.

We provide all transportation within Spain including airport pick up
and drop off. All rides will also be guided as well as supported with
a sag vehicle. We will also continue use the swim center we have been
using and provide transportation to and from there as well for the
triathletes.

We have started a Face Book page for SLB here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strong-Like-Bull-Training-Camps/10150100230460103

Also we updated www.stronglikebulltraining.com and you should check
there for updates throughout the year as well

PRICE AND DATES:

Session 1 is 2/10/12 – 2/18/12
Session 2 is 2/19/12 – 2/27/12

The price is $1185 after 4/1/11 but remember price breaks for ealy reg
of $200, so its ONLY 985 if you sign up now.

We can not wait to make 2012 amazing and really hope you are there!!!

Sean and John"

The HolisticGuru Show - Caffeine!

2011-09-27T16:34:00.006-04:00

Will it kill you??? Just kidding.

Listen to the latest podcast with myself and Big Sexy Bobby! It's all about using coffee and caffeine to train and race. Are you thinking of trying a coffee taper before your next big race? Is there an easier way?

Listen here!

I'll Sleep When I'm... Not So Damn Happy

2011-09-24T10:55:00.000-04:00

Today I planned to write up my Savageman race report. The race was one of my favorites, like, EVER. The problem is, I'm exhausted and don't feel motivated to write it yet. This is going to sound crazy but I've been suffering from insomnia for 2-3 weeks and it seems to be a result of feeling really content, excited and happy about where my life is. I'm not drinking too much caffeine. I'm not eating too much before bed. I'm not lying awake and fretting about the next day. It's too noisy, cold, hot or uncomfortable in my bed. Instead, I'm just REALLY loving life. I'm going to bed with thoughts of sugarplums dancing through my head. I'm on a clear path in my life, surrounded by lots of love and support and beautiful people and experiences. I'm not there yet, but I know where I'm going and I'm loving the process and journey to get there. I'm not sleeping because I'm thinking about how good life is and when I do wake up too early its because I can't wait to start the next day. WHAT?!?! Do you hate me yet?

So I've been doing some research on insomnia and natural remedies, and I came up with an excellent article by Dr. Weil. He suggests the usual remedies, such as herbs, relaxation techniques, white noise, exercise, etc. He also suggests something called "mantram" (not "mantrum" which is a male temper-tantrum). A mantram is a mantra that is repeated over and over to have a meditative effect and can be relaxing if your mind is racing. It is best to choose a phrase that isn't so meaningful that it makes you think TOO much about the words you're repeating to yourself. It's also suggested to choose a mantram from a list, rather than inventing one of your own. Click here for more information on mantrams.

So here's what I'm going to try for the next few days:

- 15 minutes of relaxing yoga before bed each night
- Put the phone and clock away, don't watch the hours pass by (stressing it makes the exhaustion feel heavier and may be worse than being tired)
- If I can't fall asleep after 20 minutes or so, read. Right now I'm reading Anna Karenina.
- No more than 1 coffee per day, in the morning (I rarely have more than that anyway).
- Try valerian with melatonin to help fall asleep, taken 30 minutes before bed.
- Choose a mantram to repeat. I'm going to try: "Om Namah Shivaya" (Ohm Nah-mah Shee-vah-yah) - an invocation to beauty and fearlessness.

Anyone else have any solutions that have worked that may be helpful to other readers?

Sent via hovercraft

Sesame Kale and Quinoa Recipes

2011-09-13T12:37:00.001-04:00

Photo: Sesame Kale prepared by Sam

Some of my wonderful clients have been posting photos of recipes that I had shared with them. Now people are all "Hey! That looks good! I wanna eat kale too!" So, here are some of the recipes!

This one is from a favorite cookbook of mine called Greens, Glorious Greens:

Sesame Kale

Serves 3-4

¾ pound kale (about6 cups), washed, stemmed, and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon sesameor olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoonsfinely chopped fresh garlic

½ cup choppedscallions, white and green parts

salt to taste

1 1/2 tablespoonstoasted sesame seeds

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large 10- to 12-inch skillet that has a tight fitting lid. Add chopped kale and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender. Remove cooked kale with slotted spoon to drain, saving cooking water to drink.
Rinse out and dry the skillet, then use it to heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Stir in scallions and cook for another minute.
Add cooked kale and salt to taste and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes until kale is hot. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

And this is the dish that I love to bring to Summer/ Fall parties and events:

Quiona Tabouli Salad

Serves 8-10

2 c. quinoa,rinsed

¾ c. chopped,fresh parsley

1 can dicedtomatoes, drained

1 cucumber,diced

1 bunch greenonions, chopped

5 sprigs freshmint, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)

2 tbsp oliveoil

1 tbsp umeplum vinegar

2 clovesgarlic, peeled and pressed

Cook quinoaaccording to package directions. Cool. Combine quinoa,parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, green onions, and mint. Mix well. Combine olive oil, ume plum vinegar and garlic and mix intosalad.

Enjoy!

September 15th, 6:30pm: Marathon Fueling for Training and Racing!

2011-08-13T09:30:00.010-04:00

Come one, come all!

I'm holding a workshop at Jackrabbit Sports on the UWS in NYC. Our special guests will be the Team Continuum NYC Marathon athletes, but don't worry, *the event is open to the public*. And its FREE! Come early and you can get a shoe fit from one of the fit experts at Jackrabbit. I highly recommend taking advantage of this service.

Whether You're Running Your First Marathon...

Or If You're Chasing That PR...

You NEED to have a Fueling Plan!

You will learn:

- nutrition simulation in training

- proper hydration

- how to avoid muscle cramping

- pre-race fueling

- race nutrition for the big day (how, why and what)

- post-race recovery fueling

- And... tips on how to avoid weight gain while training for the event. It happens all the time!

- Most importantly, bring your questions to be answered during the Q and A!

Marathon Fueling for Training and Racing

Where: Jackrabbit Sports UWS (140 West 72nd St)

When: Thursday, September 15th from 6:30-8pm

Cost: FREE! Come early and get your shoe fit before we start!

Presenting...

2011-08-09T22:06:00.001-04:00

(The Big Sexy Bobby himself, on the other side of the camera at Mirror Lake)

Sports Nutrition with THE HolisticGuru on Archrival Productions Podcast!!!

At IMLP I was approached by Bobby to start recording a regular tri nutrition show. I thought about it for ONE seconds and agreed, enthusiastically. I have always wanted to have a regularly scheduled podcast. I've even received emails from my fans asking me to put out my own podcast. There was no way I was going to be able to put the time in to learn the technology while trying to build my practice. So, I continued to jump on podcasts whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Well, now we have it, healthy and realistic nutrition advice for triathletes and runners. As of now, its a work in progress. We'll see how things progress as far as topics and the possibility for cooking video episodes (with pretty aprons). We'll also invite guests and answer questions from listener mail. Sound fun? I think so!

To listen to our first killer episode, click here. Its all about gluten, and "what's the big deal all of a sudden?"

And please, send us your ideas, opinions and questions: TheHolisticGuruShow@gmail.com

We want to hear what you think!

Sent via hovercraft

Fan Mail: TV Snacking!

2011-08-06T11:48:00.006-04:00

(Coraline is cheering for CREW and Team Continuum at the NYC Tri)

I got an email recently, from one of my fans wondering what to snack on while watching tv. I get this question, and questions about snacking, pretty often so I thought I'd quickly share my response here.

How to snack while watching tv:

1) Ask yourself if you're hungry. TV eating can be very mindless and unnecessary because what you really want is something to do with your hands, hand-to-mouth motion, or maybe you just want to treat yourself after a long day. This is why I like finger foods for mindless snacking (like grapes, edamame, popcorn, cherries).

2) Do you tend to crave salty or sweet? Smooth or crunchy? Other ideas would be frozen banana sorbet (just freeze and blend). Celery with peanut butter and raisins. Or my favorite, an orange sliced into quarters with a small handful of dark chocolate chips.

3) The key is to use portion control and to have a beginning and end to your snacking. When snacking mindlessly, we don't often feel satisfied by the snack because we are distracted from the experience of the food while we are eating it. It's a mental craving and becomes a bottomless pit until you can learn to snack mindfully. That doesn't mean not to snack while watching TV. Just be aware enough while you snack, so that you actually experience the snack.

4) Once you've finished snacking, you can sip herbal tea or even just brush your teeth as a close to your snacking.

Feel free to email me for a list of healthy snack ideas! Happy snacking!

Next Up: Beach to Battleship 140.6!

2011-08-01T11:09:00.005-04:00

(John and Augie training in VT for B2B)

"I want to be the girl with the most cake" - Hole

As I've mentioned before, this has been an unplanned, "sure, why not?" tri season for me. I had hoped to do Rev3 Cedar Point full but had a scheduling conflict. It turns out, not making a race plan has had me racing and adventuring toward some awesome new goals! John is all about supporting non-WTC events, as am I, and that has driven the race map for the season. Read more about John's views on WTC events here.

I have to admit, without having a full 140.6 race on my own calendar I have been a bit envious of friends who are racing the full distance. This was kicked up a bit more when I went to IMLP to spectate. I had a killer time cheering and supporting my friends, but I want one too! In June, fellow CREWmate Augie suggested that John race Beach to Battleship. Augie did the half last year and loved the race. He's going for the full distance this year and I've watched him work HARD for the past 2 years for this goal. So John suggested I race with them at B2B! GREAT IDEA!!! I checked out the website, learned more about the race, and even talked to their people (who are super friendly, welcoming and helpful) and now I'm WAY totally pumped! And as usual, my favorite part of racing is the people I share the experience with, so it will be kick ass to have Augie and his super-awesome wife there. There is a half and a full distance, so EVERYONE SIGN UP here and come with me! We rolled deep to Lake Placid which meant lots of hanging out, cooking, strolls, photos, eating with friends, and meeting new people. I want that again so come out and race with us! I hear that North Carolina is gorgeous at the end of October and the race is dirt cheap compared to WTC.

Time to get serious about my training! I am out of my mind with excitement about this! Yay!

Happy Anniversary, John!

2011-07-30T08:48:00.001-04:00

I have a cute story for you guys. Its romantic, but don't worry, its about triathlon. Just trust me.

Two years ago I had been "seeing" John for a few months. I was fighting the use of the "girlfriend" label because only a year earlier I had an 8 year relationship end and I was a bit gun shy about taking anyone seriously. But my dearest friends knew and loved John, plus he was (is) dreamy, so my walls were starting to crumble. He invited me along to races and I started crushing, hard. In August of 2009, he invited me to Block Island for a weekend to do a sprint race where his family lives. I was all, "MEET YOUR FAMILY?!?! Woah." So I agreed to go, secretly giddy that he liked me that much.

Now I wasn't registered for the race and it was closed. John's sister was registered and just got news that she was pregnant, so the hope was to ask for a favor from the RD and let us switch. On the way to the race, John said "I'm going to ask the RD to let you race but he's not going to say yes for a friend. I need to tell him you're my girlfriend" So I was all "okay, whatever" And John said "so if I tell him that you HAVE to be my girlfriend". I laughed. Everything worked out and I got to race.
It was an AWESOME race. A sprint with a 5 mile beach run in the sand. BLISS. John won and I won my AG!!! At the awards ceremony, when they were giving awards to my AG, the RD didn't have my name so he called out "first place, John Hirsch's girlfriend!" I looked at John like "what do I do?" He said "go up and get it, but if you do that you're my girlfriend officially. That guy is an official." So I went up and got my award and claimed my title as John Hirsch's girlfriend.

Also, his family loved me!

This weekend is our 3rd trip to Block Island for the sprint tri, in the most magical place in the world. I feel like the luckiest girl in the universe.
Sent via hovercraft

Figure Out How to Fuel Your Body to Train and Race at Your Maximum Potential, NOW!

2011-07-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

(Me, Anna, John and Grant at IMLP - the guys both had awesome results and they eat what I tell 'em... coincidence? I think not)

Holistic Nutrition Discount: *FoR OnE WEEK ONLY* $25 off initial consults and $50 off for monthly programs (per month!)

In the last couple of weeks I've had a few clients finish their 6-month programs with me. I want to replace them right away, especially with "A" fast approachging, people need to focus on FOOD FOR FUEL. Meanwhile, it is always a good time to make nutrition changes and to focus on health goals. With triathletes and runners in particular, the pressure of the looming race brings buckets full of motivation. You can tap into that motivational fear and squeeze all of your athletic potential out of it. Making healthy changes with your nutrition RIGHT NOW is perfect for a few reasons:

* Your body should be begging you to eat a healthier diet to support the work it does for you
* You'll learn how to eat according to your needs based on your bio-individuality, training volume, specific race goals and lifestyle
* You'll know HOW MUCH protein, carbs and fat to eat (and when to eat them) so that you feel awesomely fueled
* You'll learn the exact what/when/ how of racing nutrition for YOUR body
* You'll learn how to incorporate "nutrition simulators" into your training plan

And that's just what you'll improve related to your athletic goals. We will also focus on your other health goals and concerns (healthy weight, learning to cook, day-to-day nutrition, increased energy, etc). I've successfully helped so many people get healthier, without even turning their lives upside down to do it. Just ask around! You can start here.

You've thought about it... now DO IT. You can contact me at: christine@liveandeatbetter.com OR through my website contact form.

*Offer good through August 5th.

Evil Racing Cult Bikes

2011-07-27T07:13:00.002-04:00

A few people emailed me asking for details about the new ERC bikes in the photos on my blog. With all the hype, the Evil Cult Leader of ERC is extending the test pilot program for a bit longer. I'm gonna name mine "MagicStarSprinkleRainbowDeathKillerMachine".

Here is the info:

EVIL RACING CULT TEST PILOT PROGRAM EXTENDED!

PEEPS!

After what was a HUGELY successful first round of bikes we now have the machine built to bring Evil Racing Cult bikes into this world and in 2012 we plan to launch a full assault on Earth.

But before we do that we are allowing people one final chance to join us as Test Pilots. This sharply reduced pricing is for early adopters of our bikes. Get in before everyone else and get sweet hook ups before we go big.

Here is what we are offering:

The TT BIKE (shown below):

Razor thin, insanely aero and light as hell. This bike was just ridden by Test Pilot Grant Aidner to a PR and by me to a top 10 finish among the pro men at Ironman Lake Placid. Stiff, responsive and sick on the downhills, as well as a climbers dream TT bike, this combo is legit.

* Complete with ERC Carbon Wheels (choice of 50mm or 80mm front and rear or a combo of 50 mm front and 80mm rear at the same price. Also same price for tubular or carbon rim clincher)

*ERC all carbon handlebar wing and areo bars.

* Integrated carbon mast.

* SRAM Force. grouppo $3250

*Frame/Fork $975

(foto: the ERC TT bike going up famed Papa Bear en route to a top 10 finish at Ironman)

(foto: cleaned and ready for the day, sporting its bib number. Please note, this is the proto type and all future ERC Bikes will come with sick graphics.)

THE ROAD FRAME: EL MAL NEGRO

Named in Spanish because it was tested at Stronglikebulltraining.com in the highest mountains of Spain, the Mal Negro (black evil) is an amazing ride and is evil light.

* 1350 gram frame frame. Lighter than your mom.

* Wheel choice of the 20mm, 50mm, or 80mm rims. Carbon rim clincher or tubular. 1250 grams. If you get dropped on the climb its not this bikes fault!

* Compact gearing available.

* SRAM Force, grouppo.

* All carbon handlebars.

* Frame/Fork set $975

* Complete Bike 2850.

(foto: the first round of ERC bikes en route to to their owners. Please note they are all black but had white protective padding on.)

(foto: the Evil Racing Cult Bike is fueled by angry music, angry legs, and as shown here, coffee)

WHAT ELSE DO WE GOT:

* wheel sets of 20mm, 50mm, 80mm Carbon Rim or all carbon tubulars are $985.

* ERC Handle TT Cockpit of Wing and TT bars $350

* ERC Cross Frame (not shown) $950.

* ERC Cross Wheels (same as our road/TT wheels but extra strong) $975

READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER? EMAIL US: INFO [AT] EVILRACINGCULT [DOT] COM

**please note: NY Residents must fork over tax to the man (a bit over 8%). Also please note while we don’t jerk you for “handling”, you might have to pay shipping).

Lake Placid Sprint

2011-07-26T09:36:00.012-04:00

(Mirror Lake - so pretty)

My ironmen needed an activity for last night, so I did them a solid and jumped into a local sprint tri to entertain them. It was an incredibly selfless act on my part. I'm good people.

It all happened so fast. I was dressed in my kit and being body marked within an hour of discovering that there was a race being held. I decided to go wetsuitless for the 400 yd swim because Anna went wetsuitless in her recovery swim an hour earlier. I was standing in the water, ready for the ready-set-go, when I looked back at John. He looked at me and said "WIN". And we were off!!! I wanted to see what would happen if I pretended I wasn't a little scared of swimming and I went out, balls to the wall, all out. That lasted for about 2 minutes until I was ready to drown. Once I collected myself, I settled into my usual leisurely pace and came out of the water somewhere in the middle of the crowd. It was a learning experience.

(As I come out of the water, a woman points and says "OMG! Check out those guns!")

My cheering squad was taking video of me and commentating and cracking me up through t1. In a Phil Liggett voice, John was saying "and here comes Christine Lynch, this is her first race in her new big girl shoes" because I now have REAL cycling shoes and pedals rather than my original mountain bike shoes and pedals. I'm not used to clipping in with them yet, and it was rainy, so to my opponents it looked like I didn't know how to ride a bike. I almost fell over trying to get going.

(This is a pro style flying cyclocross mount)

Well... they must have been surprised when I FLEW PASSED THEM once I got myself situated! Suckaaaazzzz!!! I got to ride the bike course backwards until we got to River Rd, then turned right, then right into town and back to Mirror Lake.

I made up for my wimpy swim and got to t2 in 3rd. My CREW was cheering and yelling my place. It was still raining but I hardly noticed. I threw on my running sneakers, Grant reminded me to take off my helmet (thanks Grant - you'd think I'd never done this) and I was off, on a mission to catch the 2 girls in front of me. Well, I didn't. I caught one guy and I considered staying behind him because that would put me in 10th overall and I thought that would be cute because John went 10th the day before at IMLP. Then I realized, if John went 10th I should go 9th. My finishing time was 1:10 for the 400 yd swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run. I'd say that's a pretty nice accomplishment.

(I had the loudest cheering section, YAY!)

(Recovery dinner - A CREW group effort)

And lastly, a few more photos of my ironmen as they recover from the big day! It was a day of eating, napping, strolling and Harry Potter watching. It was a PERFECT day.

(CREW porch breakfast picnic)

(then I found this)

(and these - Grant and Anna)

Thank you for making me race, CREW! And thank you for taking photos, John! I love you guys!

Happy Ironman Day!

2011-07-25T14:55:00.009-04:00

(Coffee taper is OVER)

I've been traveling to Lake Placid for IMLP for four years straight now. I'm already planning to be back next year. My heart, of this sport, lives in this town. It beats through the buzz and the love travels through the course and the athletes I meet. There truly is nothing like being here for this event. I'm a better and happier person for finding myself here, falling for triathlon.

(Yesterday's pro swim start)

Race day charges through my emotions like lightening. In 2008, I stood in the pouring rain and admired the people around me. I didn't understand how 140.6 could be possible. In 2009, I watched several friends go the distance for the first time. I watched with my friend Kate as her ironhubby (and a dear friend of mine) Phil finished his first ironman. I cried like a baby with that one, after having put in hours and hours of training with Phil for his big day. And then, in 2010, I became an ironman... YAY!

(Anna and Grant getting suited up)

IMLP 2011 was a a big day for me, though I wasn't racing. I was "staffing" John. Armed with a media pass, pen, notepad and stopwatch... I was nervous and excited! I even called John's dad the day before the race to go over any tips he would have for me. Poppa Hirsch is a badass spectator with a serious job to help John dominate. As it turns out, I'm damn good at it too!

(Cheering at Papa Bear!)

It was a hot day in the sun. I made friends with other spectators and had a blast. I was well prepared with everything I needed because I checked in with TheyTri before the race. The hours flew by and so did John! I'm so proud of him for his top 10 finish and I was honored to play a very important role for him. I'm also very proud of Grant with his 12:29 finish and Anna for her FOURTEENTH ironman!

(My very own MPRO)

(Grant on his new ERC bike, just out of t1)

Congrats to all of the IMLP 2011 athletes! I can't wait for next year!

Lake Placid: Day 3 - Sh*t's Gettin' Real

2011-07-23T17:01:00.010-04:00

This morning was the first day off the taper diet for the boys! I woke up and they were making gluten free pancakes and eggs. Still no coffee, though.

Not the greatest photo from my blackberry, but while we waited for breakfast, Grant gave me an airplane ride! No hands!

And here are the PERFECT pancakes. We got to enjoy these babies outside overlooking the view of the mountains! Pretty, right?

And here is the ERC bike that John will be kicking ass on tomorrow. This bike is going to blow you all away. It's DREAMY and FAST and I want one.

Pre-race dinner! I always keep it super simple. Brown rice pasta, tomato sauce, spinach and vegetarian "meat"balls. It was fabulous.

And here are my ironmen watching Versus commercials. You can feel this place vibrating with nerves and excitement. These three are my ironman heroes, along with everyone else I'll be seeing out there tomorrow.

Grant - I KNOW you're going to have the race you want tomorrow. It's the race you deserve. You've worked hard for this and your CREW family will be sending fierce vibes of love and support to you. When you feel the despair start to set in, picture us. We'll be there with you... hitting you with sparkly, inspirational shovels and making you punch your own face.

Anna - You're the most badass ironmangirl I've ever known. I'm gratefu to have your footsteps to follow and admire. I would never have advice to offer for someone who has your experience but I do have tons of CREW love. You'll race your race, like you race the rest, and we'll see you out there and think "that's our Miss Murder".

John - First, I love you. Second, you're SO READY for this race. I've watched you earn this with hours and hours of dedicated training. I'll be out there for you... supporting you with all of my heart, soul and might. Third, you're the BEST and I'm the LUCKIEST.

Tomorrow is your moment. "And that moment is a crossroads where everything you want will collide with everything standing in your way" -Versus Commercial

Lake Placid: Day 2 in Photos

2011-07-23T15:56:00.008-04:00

The day started with a CREW breakfast picnic on the porch. The ironmen are still on their taper diets so they enjoyed some fruit with nut butter. Here is Grant. Grant has a banana.

After a swim, we were off to ironmanland to get my media pass and John had the pro meeting. Here's a CREW boy band photo. We love each other.

Healthy snack! Grant and I are way into "ants on a log" these days. How could you not want to munch on this? Preschool teachers are genius. If you end up making this I want to hear about it. Tweet a photo with #i8this!

DO NOT be deceived by this photo. It's not entirely a "happy hat" photo. This is actually a photo that was taken between gangsta faces. This is my "wasn't-that-a-killer-gangsta-face-wait-till-you-see-my-next-gangsta-face" face.

And the boy band photos happen day and night. This is after the WILDLY INSPIRATIONAL athlete welcome dinner. God, we were so pumped after that! It's totally worth going to this event. You'll NEVER be too cool, or too fast, or too experienced for it. YAY! RACING!

We ended the day with a CREW family stroll to town. This is Mirror Lake, in all its glory, at sunset. My breath was taken away. This place is pure magic.

Lake Placid: Day 1 - Here We Go!

2011-07-21T22:04:00.007-04:00

(Stoked to be on our way!)

After dropping the doggie with her babysitters, we loaded up the car and made our way (while sipping decaf) to Lake Placid! I helped drive and subsequently helped take an unplanned 40-minute detour. Yay!

(Pretty sky over the bike course)

John wanted to ride the descent, so I raced him in the car. I won... even though I took time to snag the photo!

(Family dinner!)

CREW IMLP headquarters are kick ass. There are lots of levels to climb, for photography purposes. We made a baked potato bar!

My baked potato, plus an arugula salad with chickpeas, feta, olives and balsamic vinegar made by Grant.

And here's Grant chillin' on the couch watching Le Tour and keeping his sexy legs up in preparation for slaying the IMLP course on Sunday!

Rev 3 Portland Half-Ironman PR!

2011-07-20T13:33:00.008-04:00

(A celebratory brew for a Rev3 Joy Ride PR)

Portland was a kick-ass trip. We stayed with CREW's Annie and her hubby, Jimmy. They were super fun to hang with, which we already knew from hanging with Annie at SLB.

The day before the race was the usual Rev3 party time. We had lots of friends to hang with and we got to watch some of the kiddy tri. I love that Rev3 is such a family friendly event. We cheered, said goodnight to our bikes, then hit Portland for a bite to eat and some people watching. That night, Annie (she's incredibly competent) and I cooked a healthy pre-race dinner of brown rice pasta, veggie burgers and salad. Then there were surprise gluten free cupcakes, which of course, made me drop a giant F bomb.

I wasn't nervous about the race because I'm taking a "sure, why not?" approach to racing this year. I was excited to be there for Annie's FIRST HALF-IRONMAN and to see John on the new ERC bike and to check out another Rev3 race (my favorites). Just total blissful enjoyment. Yay!

(Dear ERC bike, Someday you will be MINE.)

Race morning was the usual... the cool people all forgot at least one thing. For me, it was my water bottles, for Annie it was deodorant. No big. I was VERY excited for my first race in my new Xterra wetsuit, and as Annie and I were suiting up, the announcer said "it's like suicide girls of triathlon!" Then he said, "I saw you and your Team Continuum roll in here yesterday with your tattoos and mohawks and thought 'there's my people'". So that got us pumped!

(Suicide girls in wetsuits. Sizzle.)

I got to watch the pros swim start, then my wave got in the water. There was enough time that *just before* our wave went off I got to see John exit the water. I knew he had a great swim because he came out in the top half of the pros and he tried to bite the underwater camera on his way out. DREAMY!!! And I was off! My new wetsuit felt super flexy compared to my old one, plus my new wetsuit energy (NWE) gave me confidence to stay with a big group and get beat up while I swam. I finished in 39 minutes, which is exactly 5 minutes faster than I was at Rev3 Quassy. Was it my new wetsuit or my swim training? (hint: I have swam, like once, since Quassy). Swim PR for me!

The bike was an out and back that we did twice. It was super flat, and I'm bad at courses where I can't use my ant-like strength to weight ratio for climbing. This was a test for me, to see how I could push. It was beautiful with floating houses, a lake and mountains. My favorite part was that I got to spectate WHILE I raced. I knew where John was at all times! I loved that. The course was windy, like College Station, Texas but I toughed it out for a 20 minute bike PR. I'm still weakest on the bike but I'm definitely getting stronger.

Then it was time to run! My favorite (yes, I play favorites). It was a mix of trails and road running, while still having the perfect view for spectating. I counted girls as I passed them and recognized most kits from when they passed me on the bike. Only one (count them, 1) girl passed me but I caught her in the last 1/4 mile and beat her to the finish. And wouldn't ya know it... a half-marathon PR!!! (I'm pretty sure).

(SimplyStu got to have his photo taken with me)

What a day! When I finished John was waiting for me, the girl of his dreams, at the finish. We hung out with the CREW and got ready to cheer Annie in. I knew she was having a killer race because she was all smiles out there every time I saw her!

Congratulations to Annie for an outstanding HIM debut! You can read her race report here.

(Annie's family made a super cool sign)

And now we have a giant CREW headed up to Rev3 SC. Life is the sweetest! Join us!

#i8this Summer Eating - Winner #3!

2011-07-06T10:03:00.002-04:00

And our third #i8this photo contest winner is @gardenTRI with his Watermelon Gazpacho. I bet its the perfect dish for a super hot day and I can't wait to try it!

Watermelon Gazpacho

- 6-8 cups of thickly cut, seed free watermelon

- 1 cucumber, diced

- 1 orange bell pepper, finely diced (green or yellow will work, do not use red)

- ¼ cup Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar

- 2 TBSP Chile Infused Olive Oil ( or regular olive oil and a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes)

- Bunch of flat leaf parsley, for garnish finely diced (optional)

- Salt and Pepper to taste

1 – Place watermelon, ½ of the cucumber, ½ of the bell pepper, oil and vinegar in a large bowl.

2 – Put 2-3 cups of the mixture at a time in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

3 – Once everything has been pureed, stir in remaining cucumber and bell pepper and correct salt and pepper.

4 – If your texture is more like a paste than a soup stir in 2 TBSP of Bragg’s Cider Vinegar at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Chill for at least 2 hours to let the flavors combine and enjoy! No need for any crunchy garnish, the bell pepper takes care of that.

#i8this Summer Eating - Winner #2!

2011-07-05T08:27:00.003-04:00

And the second winner of the food/photo contest is @Libationguy with his Golden Beet Salad with Fennel, Celery and Citrus Marinade! I'm sure the photo doesn't do it justice, but people were asking for the recipe when it was posted. You can find the recipe here.

And @Libationguy wins a free consult with me. A prize! Yay!

Let's see more photos people! Today is the last day to win a free nutrition consult with me! (not that that would be the only reason to play along).

#i8this Summer Eating - Winner #1!

2011-07-03T08:30:00.005-04:00

Lots of people chimed in for the #i8this challenge yesterday. I love going through all the photos because I get ideas for new things I can't wait to cook! Its also pretty cool to see which foods are trending. Yesterday everyone was using avocados!

Druuuuuum rooooollllll...

And yesterday's photo contest winner is @anniezanolli with her simple and pretty and delicious looking Herb Salad with Grilled Tofu:

Annie's Grilled Tofu Salad

Jimmy wanted burgers last night, so I threw this salad together from what I had in the fridge and pantry.

Mixed greens w/ dill and cilantro

Canned artichoke hearts

Canned chickpeas

Black Olives

Avocado

Extra firm tofu - I used italian herb flavor

Tessemae's Lemon-Garlic Dressing (http://www.tessemaes.com/) - or olive oil, lemon juice and a little crushed garlic

Press the tofu to remove as much liquid as possible. Lightly coat with oil then throw it on a hot grill. Grill ~ 5 min per side (don't move it around much so you get nice grill marks!).

Put it all in a pretty bowl, top with salad dressing and enjoy!

*****

I also have to share another awesome food photo from yesterday, Vegan Rustic Pizza by @selil:

#i8this Summer Eating Challenge! You might even win a free consult with me!

2011-07-01T12:32:00.007-04:00

(Here's where I'm hanging this weekend. Check out that view!)

Okay you buncha show-offs!!! It's time for the next #i8this Challenge! This time we're going to be sharing photos of our Summer food. Some of us are celebrating a holiday weekend, but even if you're not, you should be celebrating life and yummy food. I don't care if you're posting photos of healthy food or junk. Just jump in and play!

#i8this Summer Food Ideas:

- Show off your grill skillz! If you're out there slaving over your hot grill anyway, we want to see what you're making. Fa shizzle!

- Set a healthy goal. Do you want to clean up your diet? Are you trying to eat less processed foods? Tell us what your focus is. *Tip: choose only 2-3 specific things to focus on so that you can keep track. I call these action steps.

- Are you tapering for a race? I will be! Share photos of what you eat during your taper.

#i8this is AWESOME because we get lots of motivation and ideas for ways to add more variety to our diet. We also get a sneak peak of what everyone else is putting in their pie holes.

How do you play?

It's easy! You're gonna eat anyway, right? So from July 2nd - July 5th just take a photo and:

a) post it on Twitter using the hashtag #i8this
b) post your photo on Facebook and link to the #i8this facebook page. Don't forget to become a fan!
c) blog! And be sure to tell us to check it out. You can use the comment section here to link to your blog
OR
d) all of the above

Click here and here for past #i8this challenges.

*** As an added bonus I'm going to choose one photo per day to share on my blog, along with the recipe, for everyone to see! That person will also get a FREE phone consultation with me. That's one person per day for 4 days, 4 people get FREE consults! Aren't I generous? To enter to win, just tweet your photo using the #i8this hashtag. If you're not using twitter and you want your photo to be considered, just comment on the blog with your link.

Who's with me???

How to Eat Like a Pro During Your Taper

2011-06-28T18:52:00.009-04:00

(I made my Rev3 Quassy tattoo even cooler!)

With high training volume comes high caloric intake, and honestly, isn't that one reason why we love being endurance athletes during a training push? "Ugh. I've only had 2,5oo calories today. I still need to get another 1,500 by the end of the day!" The trick is to focus on well-balanced macro nutrients that adjust according to your training phases. This will help you preserve your precious "race weight" AND with the right food choices you can use your taper as an opportunity to get closer to that number you're obsessing over.

*******************

I'm going to use John as my example because he's dreamy. John is in the third week of his final push for IMLP. His current diet is comprised of high calories, high protein, well-timed carbs and coffee. A typical day looks like this:

Wake up - COFFEE - then get out of bed

Breakfast - whole grain cereal, toast with peanut butter and jelly, or fruit with peanut butter (pretty light breakfast unless its before a long ride)

Workout #1 - calories from Heed and Hammer gels, apples and bananas (if riding)

Recovery meal - omelet with spinach and cheese, yam or whole grain toast (like Men's bread), COFFEE

Workout #2 - same as above, depending on S, B or R

Snacks - protein based (hemp shakes, protein bars, hummus with bread and veggies, etc) and COFFEE

*Lunch often happens while training with training foods and pb&j and COFFEE

Dinner - ALWAYS with whole grains from brown rice, brown rice pasta, quinoa, etc/ also high protein from vegetarian sources like beans, tofu, tempeh and lentils/ usually homemade/ generously large portions

Dessert - Protein shake with chocolate, peanut butter and banana

Two things that John does really well when it comes to fueling for high volume training:

1) He times his macro-nutrients very thoughtfully
2) He prioritizes vegetables, especially leafy greens

*************************

When the taper begins (Saturday, July 2nd for our subject) there will be a major shift in this diet. This is the time that you can see your "race weight" numbers balancing out... IF you are thoughtful about your diet. John will focus on the following:

1) Remove dairy products completely in order to avoid asthma symptoms on race day.

2) Lower total caloric intake to reflect the drastic reduction in training hours and calories burned. This can be done without calorie counting by focusing on smaller portions, adding more fruits and vegetables, switching to lower glycemic index carbs, and PLANNING AHEAD.

3) Coffee detox. Yes. He will slowly wean himself off of coffee for a few days and then stop drinking it until race morning. The benefit is that you feel a greater energy boost from caffeine after not having it for a couple of weeks. The drawback is that you will want to die and you will be highly unpleasant. It's a great way to learn who your true friends are because once the fog clears you'll see them still standing there, making fun of your sorry state.

4) Promote nutritional healing by using mealtimes as opportunities to load up on nutrients. When you're training for hours and hours, day after day, your body is working hard to keep you healthy and repair the damage you are causing. Your taper is a great time to treat food as medicine to boost your immunity and repair your muscles.

5) Choose carbs with a lower glycemic index.

Finally, I'm not racing IMLP but I am going to use this taper schedule to refocus on healthy goals. Stay tuned for the Mid-Summer #i8this Challenge...

Cajun Kale Salad is So Very Pretty

2011-06-22T14:03:00.003-04:00

I wanted to try something fun with some kale the other night, so I whipped out this recipe. You're gonna love it. It's pretty.

Cajun Kale Salad

4 ears sweet corn, shucked
¾ pound kale (about 6 cups, chopped)
1 large red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small Vidalia onion or red onion, minced
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix or to taste
sea salt to taste

Cajun Spice Mix (or use an already mixed mix):
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (optional)

1. To cook corn, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add corn. Cook for 5 minutes until bright yellow. Remove corn from water with a slotted spoon, saving a cup of the cooking liquid. Cool corn and cut kernels off the cobs. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Wash kale and strip the leaves off the stalks. Discard stalks and chop kale leaves into medium-fine pieces. Bring saved cooking liquid to a boil, add chopped kale leaves, and cook for 4 minutes, or until kale is tender and still bright green. Remove from cooking liquid with a slotted spoon to a large plate to cool quickly.
3. To prepare Cajun Spice Mix, combine paprika, peppers, allspice, thyme, and white pepper in a small bowl or dish.
4. When kale has cooled, toss with the corn, red pepper, green pepper, onion, garlic, and desired amount of Cajun Spice Mix.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle on the lemon juice for a nonfat salad, or whisk together the lemon juice and the olive oil and toss with the vegetables. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

(Recipe from Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi)

How to Stop Being Such a Cranky... (You know what)

2011-06-20T13:16:00.000-04:00

Warning: This blog post is for the ladies. Men, it is about PMS'ing, so run and hide.

I've been talking to more women lately who are telling me that they are getting very moody in the days leading up to their period. They want to hide away until its over because otherwise they may push people away with their unreasonable reactions. Combine this with lots of training and us female athletes may be less than all sunshine, rainbows and star sprinkles for a few days each month. This can be miserable for us and for anyone within our reach.

So, what can we do? Here are some ideas:

- Start each day by jotting down 10 things you're grateful for from the previous day. This helps to start the day on a positive note and helps build the habit of bringing awareness to the appreciation of ourselves and our lives on a regular basis.
- Be active and exercise! Keep up with your regular routine so that you feel on top of your workouts while having the added benefits of the stress reducing effects of moving your body. If you're not doing so already you may also want to add yoga.
- Get out in the sun, even if only for 15 minutes, if possible. Vitamin D is a natural mood enhancer.
- Focus on eating omega 3 rich foods, and foods containing lots of calcium, magnesium and, B vitamins.
- Supplements that may help are: evening primrose oil, valerian root, cod liver oil, and vitamin B complex.

Lastly, give the people in your life (especially the ones you want to keep around) a heads up that you're not in the best mood ever. This helps cut down on the anxiety you may feel about people noticing your moodiness. It is also nice for them to know that it isn't personal and that you're taking steps to deal with it.

Interesting side note: some of my strongest training days and best races happen when I'm pms'ing. So maybe there's a bright side?
Sent via hovercraft

Kick Back or Kick Ass?

2011-06-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

Photo: A delicious nectarine posing in front of the swim lake in VT

Originally I had planned to race the full Rev3 at Cedar Point this year as my A race. All of my friends are going and we had such a blast last year. Plus, I love the course and I love Rev3. That plan changed quickly when we got an invitation to a very important wedding for the weekend of the race. It was an easy decision. We're going to the wedding and will do Cedar Point again next year. So I had to rewrite my tri season plan. I decided to do the long course at Am Zof as an early A race instead of doing the mid-distance F1 again. After that, the plan is all Rev 3 halfs, all the time. This is a completely awesome schedule BUT because I'm such an endurance junkie I'm totally bummed not to be racing a full IM (or three).

After racing Am Zof, and doing really well, I've felt a bit like my season ended before it started. Do I sound like a whiney, spoiled, racing brat? Waaaah! I want to do another 140.6! Since Am Zof I've taken a very "kick back" attitude towards training and racing. I'm out there training a lot still, but only doing the workouts I love doing (read: not much swimming) while being tri-social. I've started all races since then with a "just have fun" attitude, but then... I'm kicking ass! What?!?! I did this is 2009. I wasn't training for a full IM but I trained for one. Two of my best buds, Phil and Javier, were training for IMLP in 2009 and we spent a lot of time together on bikes, swimming and running. I did the tag-along style training and I was IM ready for my HIM that year. That is happening again now. Yowzer!

Thus far my KICK BACK training has brought in some KICK ASS results:

- 3rd woman overall at the Brooklyn Bun Duathlon
- 5th woman overall at American Zofingen long course
- 4th woman overall at a Van Cortland XC 5k running race

Then I had a really strong race at Quassy with a sub 2 hour half marathon after really pushing the bike. That course was brutal!

Oh, and CREW member Augie (sitting here with me now) just reminded me that I got 1st place woman overall and am the female course record holder at the 2011 CREWAPALOOZA duathlon. We did that yesterday and it was INSANE and DIABOLICAL and EVIL (I hope you're reading these words in your best death metal voice).

And next up on the calendar:

- Portland Rev3 HIM
- South Carolina Rev3 HIM
- an LP training camp while I'm there to specate
- I'd like to test my running with a stand alone 1/2 marathon, not sure which (suggestions???)
- Then I will most likely go to TX in October or November to do Ironbaby with Brett

Lastly, I have a wicked cool NYC marathon opportunity that I can't wait to share. Stay tuned!
Sent via hovercraft

Do These White Potatoes Make My Butt Look Big?

2011-06-14T10:45:00.000-04:00

(Dinner: potato wedges, sauteed broccoli with orange slices, and citrus baked cod)

Every week I get a box of organic produce from Urban Organic. I love that it takes the guesswork out of what to make for dinner. I usually use my veggies in the order that they'll start to go bad, using spinach first and kale last (for example). I also get a ton of fresh fruit to snack on throughout the week. The produce list varies from week to week, but there are a few staples; I always get carrots and either russet potatoes or yams. Honestly, its hard to go through the carrots quickly enough so I've taken to giving bags of carrots as birthday gifts.

As for the white potatoes, I ain't skeered... I eat them up. So many people are horrified by white potatoes because they see them as a starchy, carb-laden, evil villain! These very same people eat bagels. They also eat toast. I bet they even eat the occasional cupcake (not that there's anything wrong with that), but they won't go near a potato. Are you kidding??? Potatoes are VEGETABLES. They must have some redeeming qualities.

And they do.

Russet potatoes are low calorie, a good source of fiber, vitamin b6, potassium, vitamin c, antioxidants and even protein!

I bet you never thought about that.

Russet potatoes have earned a bad rap as part of the Standard American Diet (SAD), not because of the vegetable itself, but because of the way it is often prepared. Fry them up and they soak up oil like a sponge. Melt a half pound of butter on top and you have a high fat, greasy treat. This is simply a butter delivery mechanism, just like popcorn and lobster. Imagine serving your acai covered in melted cheese.

For healthy potato preparations, try:

* baked potato wedges with coconut or olive oil and herbs and spices
* add them to soups and stews
* saute with olive oil, garlic and onions
* bake and serve topped with arugula and sea salt
* try flavoring with plain yogurt, vinegar or tomato and black bean salsa

And always eat the skin! The skin holds most of the healthy nutrition.

I'm not denying that white potatoes are a higher carbohydrate food. I'm pointing out that they aren't as bad as people tend to believe, in fact, they're really not bad at all. If you're reading this blog there's a good chance you're an active person. If you're a triathlete or a runner, and you're putting hours and miles underneath you every week, white potatoes can be a healthy addition to your diet. Especially if you're in the midst of a heavier training phase. Try choosing starches (types and amounts) based on the amount of training you're doing. Look at carbs in the same way you look at the fuel you put in your car.

A final tip... try choosing more carbs from vegetables and less from grains to see how you feel. The two types of carbs are processed very differently and will effect your body differently.

For more details on the superfood power of potatoes, read this article by Dr. Geoffrey Harris.

And for guidance with training nutrition and general healthy eating, email me at christine@liveandeatbetter.com to set up a consult. I'm awesome at this stuff.

Rev 3 Quassy Race Report

2011-06-09T10:49:00.007-04:00

I am not gonna be afraid to let my talent shine - ani

First off, I am blown away (again) by the full-on-double awesomeness of Rev3. The Quassy course is breathtakingly beautiful while also being the hardest half on the planet. The swim is clean, clear and pretty, and you sight for the finish with rollercoasters! The bike is gorgeous and hard as hell. Honestly, you try to think about how tired you are or how much it hurts, but all that comes to mind is "Wow, this is amazing". It makes it hard to dwell on negative feelings and forces you to feel positive which makes you race better! The run is silly difficult. Every time you run up a hill and crest the top you can see the next one. Its an evil game of shoots and ladders with some fun dirt roads thrown in. I really love a mean, tough, run course. I can't wait to see what Rev3 has in store for us in Portland!

Race Report:

I always have music playing in my head while I race. This time, for some reason, it was the Super Mario Bros theme song. As I swam, I was thinking of myself in the frog suit on the video game. My wetsuit had a gaping hole in it, possibly creating some drag, and that made me feel like I got hit by a video game fish and lost my frogsuit power. My swim wasn't great. The water was beautifully clear and the perfect temperature, but I just wasn't feeling it. I floated along and finished a few minutes slower than I normally would. I was perfectly happy with that.

My transition was a bit dallied. I was hanging out, excited to see Kate and Katie volunteering and wanting to chit-chat with them. Kate yells "Hurry! You can catch Bobby!" And I was all, "I can eat my lunch first and still catch Bobby". Yes, I'm a maneater (watch out boy she'll chew you up). I finally got my act together and got out on my bike. From there, I proceeded to have the best day ever. That course is HARD! My bike recently had some work done and it felt perfect. I also practiced my bike skills that I learned in Spain for climbing and descending. I used to get dropped horribly on descents because I am so light. Now I know how to get more aero and descend more aggressively and I'm even able to pass a few people! I pushed hard on the bike and was very happy with my time and my effort. I am teensy tiny and Strong Like Ant now. The last 16 miles of the course are just so gorgeous I kept thinking to myself "this is my life". Awesome.

I was really excited to get out there for the run. This is where I got into video game mode. I decided that I was now on level 3 and everyone I passed was one of the mushrooms you stomp on in Super Mario Bros. The JH CREW have skulls around the collar of their kits that are meant to hold the souls of the people you pass while racing. My CREW skull collar started to fill up pretty quickly so I decided only to count the female ones. This was also my power meter. I was filling it up. If I got passed or walked I lost power. I didn't walk. I did get passed. Gels and aid stations were where I got my star power to stay in the game. I fought through and ran on dirt and winding roads on a course that seemed to go mostly straight up. Sometimes all I could do was laugh at how unbelievably hard that run was. I just needed to get to the end and fight the evil villain monster to save the princess.

And I did. I beat the game.

I'm also officially hooked on Rev3. They rock!

If You're Gonna Suffer, You May As Well Enjoy It

2011-05-25T16:35:00.001-04:00

"Lately, I feel the funk coming over me
I don't know what's gotten into me.
The rhythm's got me feelin so crazy babe" - Beyonce

Am Zof Race Report:

I trained for 10 whole days for this event. I decided to race it 2 weeks before race day. Crazy, I know, but I had stuff goin' on. I just wanted to test myself: physically less than emotionally and mentally. As it turns out, I must have super powers because I was able to finish the long course, and finish well.
The forecast for the race started to look miserable about 5 days before. On race eve, I laid in bed and listened to the wind howl and the rain beat the windows. I fell asleep thinking "Who cares. This is gonna be bad ass". Sure enough, it was still raining heavily on race morning. Combine the wet descents with blinding rain, and my fearless invincibility, and John had calculated that my chances of dying were at least 300% higher than any other day. Welp, you can't live life under a rock.

The first loop was a 5 mile, technical and unforgiving trail run. Strong and flexible ankles for rolling over the tricky and uneven terrain is imperative for this run. I started in the middle of the pack, like I do, because I love weaving through and passing people, which I did. Soon I was ahead of all of the women. I'm not effing kidding you. I let loose on the downhills like a maniac and I power hiked the uphills. As soon as I stopped, yes stopped, to have a sip of water (and do a little dance) I got passed BY A GIRL. I finished the 5 miles into transition on that girl's hip, and exited transition ahead of her. Hehehe. Side note: as I came into transition, John saw me and yelled "I THINK YOUR'E IN FIRST!" I pointed to the girl in front of me and he finished "...IN MY HEART!!!" Love him.

The start of the bike is dirt and UP. As soon as you exit the dirt road onto the main road, you go UP. From there you continue along until you go under a bridge, which is UP. Straight up and in the pouring rain. As I climbed I dressed, I put on my rain cape, gloves and foggy glasses. Then I realized my brakes were rubbing, UP the mountain. I pulled over under the bridge to unstick my stupid brakes and I got passed again BY A GIRL! The same girl as before. Whatever. So I hopped back on my bike, ready to descend and either live or die. I quickly learned that the girl ahead of me was scared of risking her life to descend through the rain, down a mountain, with blindingly foggy glasses (wuss). So I quickly put her behind me. Then, the course got back to climbing and my brakes were stuck again (they stick after I use them) She passed me. Whatever. This time I just kept riding with my stupid brakes doing their stupid race sabotaging malfunctioning manuevre. I'll tell you what, I wasn't getting less fit by riding like that. I was fine with my day becoming a really long strength workout. I just wanted the t-shirt.

The bike continued like this. I got passed by 5 more GIRLS! It was fun to be in the lead for a bit but racing is also about taking care of your bike. I failed. My bike wasn't fit enough. I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with that for 3 loops (85 miles) in the crappy weather. At the end of the first loop I saw John and Grant waiting for me in the rain. I yelled "I want to go home!" And Grant yelled "this is where everything you ever wanted collides with all of your obstacles!!!" So I squeezed out some tears of love for my CREW and kept on keeping on. By the start of the third loop I couldn't wait to just run. Running is easy.

At mile 65 I was pissed. Like, wicked pissed. My stupid brakes had me moving at 13 mph on flats and it was going to make my run feel like certain death. So I pulled over, took a pee, then threw some sort of magical bike mechanics temper tantrum, and voila! My brakes were fixed! I motored on and finished that ride passing several people with a smile on my face.

John was in transition and I asked him how his race was. He told me he won. Yay! He's so dreamy.

The run was 3 more loops of that crazy trail course. Almost to the end of the loop is a super fun downhill. I let my inner 6 year old handle these (not my inner emo 15 year old) and I was flying. John was at the bottom of the descent and had rounded up a crowd of beer drinking, keg partying spectators (did I mention this race is a freaking party?) to hoot and holler and scream my name as I passed. I was like, "woah".

Then there was another loop. And another. By the last loop I wasn't jumping over the fallen tree trunks any more. I was more like, sitting for a second as I passed over them. I passed a whole bunch of people on the run, as I do, including a couple of girls. My run pace was pretty steady and I didn't slow that much from each loop. 20 total miles run and 85 biked. I finished strong and felt hungry for a sandwich.

I was 5th overall woman and I WON MONEY. It was my first multi-sport paycheck and I was amped. At first I was upset that I didn't get a giant beer mug, but maybe next year I'll get both.
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A Super Smart Perspective on Eating Healthy

2011-03-27T14:07:00.003-04:00

Jamie Bull interviewed Natalie Coughlin about swimming and eating. She's a beauty and she's very smart in the brain about how to eat healthy.

Read it here. I love this one.

Eat Right for Your Tri Season and Kick Some Ass

2011-03-23T11:18:00.005-04:00

(Photo: Some of the CREW at Rev3 Quassy 2010)

Holistic Nutrition Discount: $25 off each initial consult and $50 off for monthly programs (per month!)

In the last couple of weeks I've had a few clients finish their 6-month programs with me. I want to replace them right away because now is one of the best times to make nutrition changes and to focus on health goals. With triathletes and runners in particular, the start of the training and racing season, with its shiny and new training plan, brings buckets full of motivation. Making healthy changes with your nutrition at the start of the training/racing season is perfect for a few reasons:

* Your body will be craving a healthier diet
* You'll learn how to eat according to your needs based on your bio-individuality, training volume and lifestyle
* You'll know how much protein, carbs and fat to eat so that you feel awesomely fueled
* You'll learn the exact what/when/ how of racing nutrition for YOUR body
* You'll learn how to incorporate "nutrition simulators" into your training plan

And that's just what you'll improve related to triathlon. We will also focus on your other health goals and concerns (healthy weight, learning to cook, day-to-day nutrition, increased energy, etc). I've successfully helped so many people get healthier, without even turning their lives upside down to do it. Just ask around!

You've thought about it... now DO IT. You can contact me at: christine@liveandeatbetter.com OR through my website contact form.

*Offer good through March 31st.

SLB Recipe #2: Beef or Lentil Stew

2011-03-22T11:36:00.001-04:00

(Photo: A yummy salad I made in Spain with spinach, raw cabbage and orange slices)

This is another recipe I prepared (while wearing my polka dotted apron) in Spain for SLB. I thought it would be extra challenging to cook for so many people with various diet restrictions, but recipes like this one made it relatively simple. I also learned that adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup of wine to certain recipes gives it a "fancy" flavor. I'm adding wine to everything now that I know that! White wine is better than red wine in pancakes... Kidding! Don't.

First, for the carnivores:

Hearty Beef and Tomato Stew

2 tsp olive oil
2 pounds sirloin steak, cubed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1.5 cups broth (beef, chicken or veg)
1.5 pounds red potatoes, cubed
2 pounds carrots, sliced (whole carrots are way better than baby carrots)
3/4 cup red wine (the cheap one)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 rosemary sprig ("sprig" is a weird word)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large skillet at medium heat. Add beef and cook 5 minutes until browned but still rare.

2. Remove beef from pan, reserving 1 Tbsp drippings. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

4. Add broth and bring to a boil. Then return the meat to the pan. Also add the rest of the ingredients (except parsley) and bring to a simmer.

5. Cover and cook 1 hour and 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

6. Discard rosemary and bay leaf. Top with parsley.

**********

Now, for the plant killers:

Hearty Lentil and Tomato Stew

Replace the meat with 1 cup of cooked lentils (yes, cook them first). Start with heating the olive oil in a skillet and sauteing the onions and garlic, then add the pre-cooked lentils when the carnivores would add the meat.

*Tip: You can start cooking the lentils right before you start chopping your veggies.

*************

Lastly, for the fruitatarians:

Not All That Hearty Plum and Tomato Stew

Replace the meat or lentils with plums. Replace the oil with apple juice. Replace the carrots with an orange. Replace the potato with asian pear. Replace the onions and garlic with grapes and raisins. Replace the wine with grape juice and the tomato paste with jam. Rumor has it, you can keep the tomato and even add some avocado to taste.

Enjoy!

**And hurry up and sign up for SLB 2012! I'll cook stuff for you and you'll probably PR at your first race when you come back. At least that seems to be the trend from last weekend ;)

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Citrus Baked Halibut photo

2011-03-15T18:05:00.001-04:00

I found the photo of the recipe below. I couldn't find it at first, which is why you got a different, but more awesome, photo.

Recipe below :)

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SLB Recipe #1: Citrus Baked Halibut

2011-03-15T16:34:00.001-04:00

I've decided to share a few of the recipes I prepared for SLB (www.stronglikebulltraining) while I was there as the wonderful, and magnificent, and talented, healthy chef. In a future post, I will also reveal my BEAUTIFUL spanish apron. I'm not sure if it was the polka dotted apron or my cooking, but the food at SLB was a big hit. I can't wait to cook again next year (in my new apron, which is super-awesome, but you'll just have to wait and see).

Citrus Baked Halibut

1 lb fresh halibut (or some other white fish)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel. Cut into 4 servings (or so). Arrange them in a baking dish. Or arrange them in those cool, one-piece fish dish thingies which are very impressive looking.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Then, spoon the mixture evenly over the fish.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

(Adapted from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

* Serve with brown rice pilaf or roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli or sauteed asparagus.

* If you don't feel like making this yourself, just come to Strong Like Bull in Feb 2012. Or just come anyway, so you can get fit and fast: www.stronglikebulltraining.com (but don't dally because you might be sad when everyone else is training in the sun and eating my cooking next Feb and you're sitting at home on your trainer, eating a bowl of cereal).

(Photo: John and I found some cool graffiti in Granada and I thought this one looked just like him. I'm not sure what it says, it might be something terrible, I have no idea so don't blame me)
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Come on coffee

2011-03-01T06:55:00.000-05:00

I need you to hurry up and brew...

(Phil after his 40 hours of SLB training)
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Strong Like Bull, Cook Like Magic

2011-02-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

I can't even tell you how excited I am to be the chef for SLB. At first the idea made me nervous, that's a lot of people. But I got lots of practice over the past 6 months and I know that I'm going to be more than fine. It might be hard to believe but I've cooked more than I ever have in my life over the past 6 months and I haven't had a single thing go wrong in the kitchen. That's amazing to me. I've even invented most of the recipes. You may not know this but I've never attended a cooking school. I call myself an "intuitive chef" and I'm also great at problem solving. So, as you can see, I'm confident that my cooking will be a success (even with a very basic and small kitchen at the cortijo). I sound like an egomaniac right now, and maybe I am!

Normally, the focus of my cooking is on various levels of health and nutrition. With SLB I can't do that. People's digestive systems need to adjust to my normal style of cooking and adjusting while riding for hours over mountains in Spain is not going to go well. So I've learned various tiers of healthy cooking. At SLB I'll be cooking traditional training style meals and of course I can't help but sneak in some extra healthy ingredients wherever I safely can. I would say that the breakdown would be about 60/40 %.

I also have the greatest assistant chef I could ever ask for. John's dad and I have a great relationship and he is here to help me. The man knows his way around a kitchen and I love spending time with him.

Today, one day before campers arrive, we did our first shop. We bought supplies for the next 2-3 days and will go back to the store regularly to keep things fresh. It took quite a bit of research to locate everything we needed, but we really got lucky with a walmart/costco type store. It was super awesome! I'm also going to let the campers come into the kitchen once in a while to learn a few things, as if it were a cooking class. I'm also more than happy to be total holistic health counselor if they'd like to pick my brain while we cook.

Everything has gone perfectly thus far with the camp. All the way from packing our bags, to the most perfect 60 degree and sunny weather (I know, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to rub it in about the weather ;))

Now I'm off to do some food prep. I am so amped to get on my bike and ride over mountains with an awesome group of people.

(Photo: our first shop filled 3 carts!)
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How to Annoy People When it Snows

2011-02-06T08:12:00.002-05:00

This video is HILARIOUS. You'll especially appreciate it if you've been dealing with the insane crazy amounts of snow this winter.

Click here.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

2011-02-03T14:45:00.002-05:00

(Photo: A pretty one from SLB 2010)

Me and John went snowshoein' last weekend! I had been dying to try it and it was super fun! The best part was when John spotted a log to cross an icy cold stream with. He told me he was going to cross it in his snowshoes, I thought he was jerking my chain. Lucky for all of you, I pulled out the camera and got it on video. Watch it to find out if John survived his treacherous journey across the snow covered log.

White Chili: Go Fix It

2011-01-26T17:29:00.000-05:00

Below is an email I wrote to Brett and Morgan because they like to cook foods that are for tough guys. I wasn't going to post it but then someone asked me to... so I was all... "sure thing!". Please excuse my language here. This wasn't originally supposed to go public. I was speaking "man" language. That's "manguage".

Listen up!

Drop what you're doing and go to the store and buy:

1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cans cannelini beans
Baby spinach
Chipotle chili powder (or reg chili powder but chipotle rules)
14-16 oz of broth (veg or chicken)
Sour cream (optional)
Shredded cheddar (optional)

Now go home.

Walk in the door and drop your things (not the groceries) one at a time to form a trail to the kitchen (bc that's what you menfolk do).

1. In a soup pot, chop then saute the onion in olive oil.
2. Chop and add the garlic.
3. Add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp chili powder. Mix it about. Just for a minute.
4. Drain your beans and add them to the pot, also add your broth.
5. Rip about 1 cup of the baby spinach into even smaller pieces. Be fierce. Drop that in there.
6. Stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer.
7. Go kiss your wife.
8. After 30 minutes, with occasional stirring, it is ready.

Serve with a scoop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese if you're not vegan today.

Thank me later. Fo rizzzzzle.

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More Soup

2011-01-25T17:31:00.000-05:00

Baby its cold outside. My big, strong man was coming home from San Diego and I needed to have his dinner ready for him (because a way to a man's heart is through his stomach). He loves soups and I love how easy it is to dump the contents of the refrigerator into a pot and simmer it to make the "best soup ever", every time.

This time I boiled 8 cups of water, then added the following:

4 vegetable bouillion (Rapunzel brand, my favorite)

1 cup red lentils
1 cup yellow lentils
2 cups cooked brown rice

The following are chopped into various shapes and sizes:

1 purple turnip
1 parsnip
1 onion
1 leek
3 stalks celery
3 carrots
1 small bunch of kale (I was running out of room)
Fresh parsley

I knocked that down to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I did a TRX workout, went for a long run in the snow, cleaned the apartment, played with my dog, got loads of work done... (Only one of these is true).

Anyway, this really worked. My man was SO happy to see me when I got home. After I massaged his feet, I packed up all of the leftover soup into lunch-sized containers, so that he would have lunch made the next day ;)

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ZenTri Base and Nutrition Camp 2011 (fo' real)

2011-01-18T19:05:00.008-05:00

(Photo: Jessi teaching John, Rich and the rest of the campers about proper body alignment and body awareness)

This year I'm only writing a post-camp blog because I was too busy with AWESOME to blog every day. This camp was a major success! The campers were motivated and excited and they all brought something special to contribute to the camp (personality-wise). As with most camps I've been to, it was fun training, lots of laughing, and even more learning. This camp was extra special, and here's why:

The staff of the camp are all experts at what they do. They were completely accessible to the campers to pick their brains, ask for advice, observe their techniques, and simply hang out and soak in their energy. Not only did they teach, they also learned and participated in all of the activities. It was neat to watch them teach and learn from each other. Everyone at the camp was a camper. That kicked ass.

We had Rich Roll talking about being vegan, healthy eating, and serious endurance. The man is a top ultraman and created this sick event called Epic 5. The challenge was five ironmans in five days! He was also wicked cool to hang out with. He had me laughing constantly, which made my abs stronger.

Brett was being Brett. If you listen to the Zen and the Art of Triathlon podcast, you know what I'm talking about and you want some of him. He taught about everything from zen, to healthy eating, to using your mindset to improve your racing and training. Even just standing or sitting near him, you walk away with something different that feels like you ate a strength and peace and motivation sandwich.

We were honored to have Jessi Stensland join us and school us on MovementU. She never stopped teaching the entire time she was at camp! Everyone left with a better sense of the importance of their body awareness for everything that they do. She's super motivating and has an awesome presence as a speaker and educator. I loved learning how to use the TRX with her and she taught me some swim drills that are gonna have me flying gracefully, like a rocket, through the water. I can't wait to get back in the pool.

Emily, the ZenTriNurse, deserves a huge thank you for working so hard on the "work" part of the camp. She was always doing something to make the camp run smoothly, whether it was helping me cook, driving a support van, or cleaning up. She's the bomb. She also looks adorable in an apron.

(Photo: My assistant chef, Emily. She rocks)

Morgan Christian hosted the camp in his beautiful home. He mapped out rides and took us to trails for running. He did EVERYTHING. And a special thank you to his wife for allowing us (20 people) to move in for a weekend!

And, of course, we had John Hirsch, pro triathlete and human alarm clock. He's dreamy and he taught about pro training vs age-grouper training. He was dreamy as he coached the campers through swims, bikes and runs, then organized a few extra morning workouts for anyone interested. He's even dreamy in the morning when he finds creative ways to make sure that everyone is awake by 5am to start their day. He's so smart in the brain with information and experience in the sport, which makes him even dreamier.

(Photo: John with Cathy and her guide dog, they're about to ride the tandem)

Coach Adam surprised us for a day and shared his expert running knowledge with us. He taught us about plyos, form, and spent time with everyone offering tips to make us run faster. I always tell people that he is my "tri-dad" because he introduced me to the sport, taught me how to run, and he introduced me to Brett! He also makes fun of me a lot, which is funny and I love it.

(Photo: Coach Adam giving Emily a private session)

Here I am, a day later, still waiting for it all to sink in. I have a smile on my face that won't go away, which is exhausting... try it. I learned so much and had such a blast that I'm sad to see it end but I CANNOT WAIT until next year.

PS San Diego doesn't suck.

A list of all the things I'm excited about for ZenTri Base Camp (written to make you jealous)

2011-01-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

1. I get to cook for people who are excited to learn how to eat healthier as part of their daily diet and also for better triathlon performance.

2. I get to talk about nutrition and triathlon constantly, and maybe I'm a bit full of myself, but I already know I'm gonna answer some questions that will change people's lives.

3. I get to hang out with Emily (@ZenTriNurse) and we might get a tattoo or a piercing.

4. I get to hang out with Brett and laugh until my belly hurts because he and John are so funny together.

5. I get to hang with Rich Roll again and share nutrition knowledge. I have so much to learn from him AND he's just super awesome.

6. I get to meet Jessi Stensland finally! And she's gonna teach MovementU.

7. I get to meet my buddy Morgan. He and I email solely in gibberish or gangsta dialect. I'm wondering if we're going to talk like that in person too.

8. I'm going to teach yoga! I designed a special routine for triathlon muscles that involves lots of gentle hip opening and belly dancing.

9. I'm gonna have one eye open when we do group meditation so I can watch John try to meditate and be still. It has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen.

10. I'm going to ride a tandem bike again with my good friend and client, Cathy: (www.reflectionsofatriathlete.blogspot.com). This will be practice for the upcoming season when I'll be guiding her in some races. I had so much fun doing it last year. Cathy is such an inspiration to me and everyone at the camp is going to want a turn on that bike!

11. I'm going to soak up some zen habits from Brett. I got some last year but lost them by now. I need to recharge and get all zen and shit.

12. I'm gonna get tips on swimming from some pretty outstanding swimmers.

13. I'm gonna meet all of the new campers and I feel like I know a few of them already.

14. I get to hang out with Emily again.

15. I can't wait!!! Now my flight better not get delayed because of this storm.

(Photo: Cathy and I with the "green monster", a Cannondale obviously, at our sprint tri last summer)
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Guest Post: I stole this post from a blog by a woman named Lisa

2011-01-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

One Month On...Closure

I said I'd update after a month of trying my new diet; the diet that isn't a diet, but a lifestyle change. So here it is!

I'm truly astounded at just how much my attitude to food has changed. Before, I really didn't think I ate too much. I suppose I didn't, because I wasn't gaining any weight. But I wasn't losing any, and that's what I wanted to do. What I did do was eat the wrong types of food. All of my meals were based around carbs from grains, a typical Northern Irish diet - cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta or rice for dinner. I also had the problem that I constantly craved sweet things and if someone put something nice in front of me, I ate it. I ate it whether I was hungry or not.

The change has been much easier than I thought it would be. I've just taken the grainy carbs out of two meals a day. When I can manage it, I take them out of all three meals. I'm now getting most of my carbs from fruit and vegetables, lots of fruit and vegetables!

At the beginning I thought I needed things like pasta for energy. How wrong I was. I have so much energy now. I don't get that 3pm post lunch slump that I got before. I feel amazing. I had no idea that my diet could affect how I feel so much. It was my birthday a few days before Christmas. I ate cake, crisps and Indian takeaway and I felt like crap. On Christmas day I ate some chocolate but in moderation. I really didn't want to feel like I did after the birthday blow out. Now, I can happily turn down offers of chocolate or cake and I'm only really eating when I'm hungry.

It seems weird that I'm only mentioning weight now, as it was the primary reason for starting this change. I feel now that it is very much a secondary reason. The primary reason is to eat healthy food - to put good quality gas in the tank! The weight loss has been an added bonus. One month on, I've lost around 8 lbs and 4.5 inches and finally, after a year of trying, I've dropped a dress size to a 12!

I want to finish by saying that my consultation with Christine (@HolisticGuru) was the single most valuable investment I've made since my training began. I can train until the cows come home but that isn't going to mean much if I'm eating a load of over processed junk. Some people have said, "what, you PAID someone to tell you what to eat?". Yes, I did, and I would recommend that anyone who is struggling with weight loss or low energy does it too.

Thanks, Christine.

Finally, I've done lots of blog posts about my weight, from not knowing why I couldn't lose weight to having it suggested by medical professionals that something was medically wrong with me. At last, I can put this issue to bed. I have all the tools I need and I know how to use them. Closure!

By: Lisa (http://windymillar.posterous.com)

And the photo... Yes, I know it has nothing to do with my post. But isn't she too cute?!

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Guest Post: THE John Hirsch of Strong Like Bull Training Camp

2010-12-21T10:34:00.002-05:00

Last 2 Spots for SLB

Posted on December 21st, 2010 by John

We are down to 2 spots for SLB. Go to www.stronglikebulltraining.com for all the info. Check out www.ironmanbobby.com for a rad video of the 2010 camp.

The dates are: 2.9.11-2.18.11

The price: $1125 for everything but airfare (food, housing, van support on all training rides, transportation within Spain, guides, coaching, bike mechanic)

15 seriously awesome training partners.

Email: info@stronglikebulltraining.com to get one of the last spots!

So ask yourself... Would you rather train here this winter?

OR HERE!

The Story of the Cursed Bad Luck Shirt

2010-12-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

It's the shirt I kept as a souvenir when I crashed my first race (Ridgefield Tri).

Then, one day, I decided to wear it for a run. I slipped in icy leaves, smashed my face, and got a nice concussion. That's when I started wondering about the Bad Luck Shirt's powers. This event has left the shirt with permanent dirt mark stains from the fall. You can see them if you look closely at the photo.

This morning, I was in the mood to do the long-sleeved-tee-under-the-short-sleeved-tee thing. Its comfy. I'm still sick. The first shirt I grabbed was the shirt of luck that is bad, not good. I thought for a minute and said "nah, I'm being silly, its just a shirt. It can't have powers". So I wore it.

As I was cooking the Soup of the Sick People, that I blogged about yesterday, I cried so hard over an onion that the tears made me drop my cutting board along with all of the chopped onion. I cleaned it up and didn't even make the connection. THEN, I put some soup in a container to bring with me. Double sized because it would be lunch and dinner. That's when it happened. My soup EXPLODED in my bag while I was on the subway and RUINED the following items:

-a check in a stamped envelope to be mailed out today
-my checkbook
-my hands free headset
-the book I am currently enjoying
-my wallet
-and my ipod got covered too, but I might have saved that

I'm out for the rest of the day, with only this shirt to wear. Please pray to your god(s) for me.
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Waahhh... I have a cold :O

2010-12-19T15:53:00.001-05:00

I haven't been sick with a cold in over a year. I'm always so proud of myself that I make efforts to AVOID getting sick, rather than just treat the sickness when it comes. I've succeeded at that for quite awhile now. But this time I have been defeated. I woke up this morning sneezing, runny nose and with a scratchy throat. I also have the lovely chills and spacey feeling. But whatever, I am gonna punch this cold in the face and kick it where it counts. Here's how:

1) On the first day, with the first signs of a cold, shut life off asap. Go home after work, only do what you have to do, cancel plans with friends (why get them sick too? Unless they're the one who got you sick, then you should make out with them for proper revenge). GO HOME and get your infected butt off the streets. The athletes out there will hate you if you don't go home and get away from them.

2) Take a eucalyptus bath. Make it hot, sweat it out. Suffer. DO NOT take medicine to dry up your sinuses or lower a fever below 100.3. Your body is getting rid of your cold, I don't recommend meddling with that. You can take medicine to get through a night of sleep if you absolutely can't miss work the next day. If you can miss work and shut down, do it! A day of rest now will save you 3 days missing work if this turns into an infection in your lungs. IF you HAVE to go to work, take medicine to get you through. When you are able to shut down, SUFFER. It heals you. Cough, sneeze, snot, fever... They are on your side to get you better.

3) Make soup with the following ingredients:

-chicken or veggie stock or broth
-onions (boiled in the soup, not sauteed)
-as much garlic as you can stand
-ginger
-leafy greens
-protein optional (try beans, chicken, tempeh, etc)
-grain if you're hungry, though a proper cold will decrease your appetite so that your body isn't focused on digestion while its trying to heal at alarming rates.

4) Sleep is free medicine. Seriously? How many times do I have to tell you that? Stressed? Take a nap. Headache? Take a nap. Sick? Take a nap. Cranky? Go to bed. TIRED? Don't socialize, sleep.

5) Say, I can't do that. My life is too hectic. Then go to step 1 and start over, doing it right this time. All the while, repeating over and over to yourself "she was totally right".

(Photo: We decorated our tree last night with construction paper ornaments!)

Goodnight!
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Cross is...

2010-12-15T17:02:00.001-05:00

I did my first cyclocross race! I can't believe I forgot to blog about this! AAAAHHHH!!!

When I first got into tri, I hadn't spent any time on a road bike. I had a lot to learn. But I started to put the hours in and the miles underneath me by bringing my bike everywhere I went. One day, I was driving with my dad in Amesbury, MA and I saw the craziest thing! "What the heck ARE THEY DOING???" So we stopped to watch and my dad and I both thought it was totally rad that they were riding all over the grass then picking up their bikes and jumping over things. My dad said "when ya gonna staht doin' that?" (He has a wicked Boston accent). I said "I bet I could do that".

Then, Jamie Bull did one and posted photos on his blog. I was all over him with questions. (Btw, congrats on your engagement, Sam and Jamie! I knew that one was coming). Jamie told me I would totally love cyclocross. And I was all, "yeah, someday... <Sigh>".

And now, John got us a cross bike and we can share it because I'm a tall drink of water. He likes cross for winter training so we registered for a race in RI - Verge Series #10. I showed up with my badass attitude on the morning of the race, John had me practice mounting and dismounting, and I rode a lap of the course. It was just like riding around my neighborhood and in the woods behind my parents house. I was totally amped. It was FREEZING out and John raced first, while I froze one hand off to get photos. He started almost last and still finished in the top 25%. He's so dreamy.

Now for my race! I had a bitch of a time clipping in on the pedals we were using but I didn't care. I was just out there to try it out and have some fun and be able to say I raced cross (\m/).

- I only fell once
- I got to run in the sand carrying a bike (and that was when I passed people)
- I got lots of practice with sharp cornering (which I'm really bad at)
- I looked like I knew what I was doing when I jumped over the thingies
- I got to ride with all the lead, superfast women (when they were on their fifth lap and I was on my fourth)
- I didn't finish last

Overall, a kick ass event! I can't wait to do another one. I hear there's a long one called Ironcross. I already want to do that. The most important thing to take away from this experience... I'm glad I approach triathlon and cycling with fun first and results fourth in importance (second is tri-food and third is tri-make-up). I frigging love this stuff.

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Life Reckoning and Lentil Burgers

2010-12-04T13:44:00.004-05:00

(Red Lentil Burger -recipe below- Photo by @mollybermea)

In order to kick off tri training on the right foot, I've decided to go "iron-monk" as John calls it. This isn't quite iron-monk though. It's more an early base season thingy. It's a reckoning. I started last Sunday by organizing my tri gear and whatnot so that I can get ready for a ride in less than 1 full hour (that's pretty much how long it took last weekend). I'm not really talking about a cleanse here. This is more of an emotional organizing and centering exercise. It's about routine.

For the next 20 days (until Christmas Eve)

Eating:

- mostly vegan diet, with fish or eggs added, as needed
- one "treat" per day
- mostly tea, occasional coffee

Exercise/training:

- yoga each morning (of my choice OR the Tibetan Rites)
- light tri training (1-2 bikes per week, 2 or more runs per week)
- weight pile (2x per week)
- core (3x per week)
*This sounds like a lot but most are very short workouts and the routine is the point I want to focus on

Mental cleansing/self-care:

- read 1 book per week (which I love to do, so this is about making the time)
- 1 evening date per week with MYSELF
- cut down on some distractions (blackberry) when I could be quietly reflecting (like when I'm on a bus ride across town)

Its pretty simple and its how I like to live. John is spending December focused on training so he's pleased that my "reckoning" will roll over onto him. And here is a lentil burger recipe I plan to use this weekend:

Red Lentil Burgers

2 cups red lentils, washed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups water
1/4 tbsp dried basil
1/4 tbsp cumin
1/8 tbsp turmeric
1/8 tbsp thyme
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp umeboshi vinegar (or rice vinegar)

1. In a pot, sauté the onion, garlic and cilantro. Add lentils and water and bring to a boil. Add basil, cumin, turmeric, thyme, tamari soy sauce and umeboshi vinegar. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Uncover, stir and cover again for 10 mins. Stir and simmer vigorously uncovered for 3 more minutes. It will look mushy because red lentils lose their shape when cooking.
3. Place lentils in a bowl in the fridge to cool.
4. When cool form burgers. Broil, or pan fry to serve.

Healthy(ish) Latkes

2010-12-03T20:45:00.001-05:00

(This is John's godson. He will slay you with his cuteness)

I made latkes! And now you can make the same ones I made. It will be like we have a special connection. Because I made the latkes, now you're gonna make 'em, and I'm gonna eat them, and so are you. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be eating them at the same time. It will be like, even though we're far apart, and maybe we've never even met, we're sharing "healthy" greasy food with each other. I love you.

Zucchini and Carrot Fritters with Yogurt-Mint Dip

1 cup flour, more as needed (I use gluten free)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk (I use oat milk), more as needed
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large carrots, grated
1 large zucchini, grated
*I think it would be killer to cut up some spinach super fine and sneak it in here as well
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil or coconut oil for frying.

1. To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.

2. Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions. Allow to rest for 30 mins.

3. To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, mint and 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive or coconut oil; heat until a small drip of batter browns immediately. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.
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Sweet Potato Quesadilla (for the fans)

2010-12-03T10:00:00.004-05:00

(I stole this photo from @Zentriathlon)

For those of you who went ape-poop over the photo Brett posted about his quesadilla, here is the recipe I originally shared with him. I happen to know he eats it with sweet potato, and sometimes substitutes other main ingredients. I think his tweet was a version with bison meat (which you would just saute to add).

Sweet Potato Quesadilla

2 large sweet potatoes
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans
a jar of your fave salsa
1 pkg corn tortillas

1. Cook the sweet potatoes either in the oven if you have time, or in the microwave. Meanwhile, heat a can of refried beans and a can of black beans in a pan over low heat.

2. When the sweet potatoes are done, do your best not to burn yourself, and scrape the mush out of the skins and into a bowl. Mix with 1/2 cup or more of your favorite fancyish salsa (something with spices, onion, corn and jalapenos can be what makes this dish taste like it was a lot more work than it was).

3. Prepare 2 tortillas by adding a layer of refried beans, a layer of black beans, and a layer of sweet potato deliciousness on 1 of the tortillas, cover with the other. Transfer to an oiled pan and cook for about 4 mins on each side at medium heat. Eat with salsa and guacamole and lettuce. Variations: add a layer of chicken or beef, spinach and cheese. Garnish with a lime.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Grapes (and maybe Thyme)

2010-11-18T18:33:00.000-05:00

Here is a recipe I tried yesterday. It's a fun and creative dish, though I would skip the thyme in the future (no, I'm not gonna say "next thyme"). Maybe you can trick your kids (or husband) into eating sprouts if they're mixed with grapes. I don't have kids or a husband so I used this recipe on other peoples kids and husbands, because I'm like that.

Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Grapes, and Thyme

1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 cups brussels sprouts, ends removed and sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup red seedless grapes
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (maybe basil would be better)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, heat oil in saute pan and cook, stirring occasionally until they turn bright green and for about 8 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, grapes, and thyme (or don't) to the pan and mix well.

3. Transfer the ingredients into a baking dish and roast for 30 minutes, giving it a shake every so often to keep it from sticking. Like, you could do one 1-minute plank and then rest for 5 minutes and then shake the pan and then repeat 4-5 times. Or you could prepare your other side dish (maybe delicata squash). Or you could call your mom. Or you could lay on the bed with the dog and pet her. Or you could blog. Or you could go downstairs and do the laundry. Or you could watch a show, though maybe you shouldn't because you might forget to shake the pan. But I guess you could shake the pan when there are commercials. So just make sure you have commercials on your show. Or maybe you could get online and sign up to go train with awesome people in San Diego at ZenTri Camp in January (www.zentriathlon.com) or sign up to go train with awesome people in freakin' Spain in February at Strong Like Bull (www.stronglikebulltraining.com). Or you could do both, like me, and get insanely fit. But you need to be able to tele-web-commute for your job. But anyway, after 30 minutes remove the sprouts from the oven.

4. Serve them hot.

(Recipe adapted from The Putnam County Courier)
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Soup Season

2010-11-15T12:00:00.003-05:00

People are starting to get sick. Maybe your coworkers are sniffling, maybe your kids are a snotty mess, and maybe your beloved is a little bit cranky about feeling feverish when you want to spoon all night anyway.

So make some soup. Not just today, but a couple of times a week. This is a link to a past blog post with my favorite soup recipe - which I'm making in about 5 seconds because I have one of the problems listed above... though I won't say which.

Also, I was talking about some yummy, healthy (ish) brownies and people were interested in the recipe, so here is that one as well.

A Dose of Straightforwardness from holisticEVIL

2010-11-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

I got this question in an email this week and I answered using my alter ego, @holisticEVIL:

Q: "I have a friend who says she's been taking Emergen-C for electrolytes and vitamins. I really don't know why, but that's what she's been doing. She's also been having a really hard time because she's dizzy ALL the time lately. It's been happening for weeks. Today, she researched Emergen-C and found it has MSG in it, so now she's raving about neurotoxins. She asked me "What's that stuff you use that you bought at the running store?". I sent her a link to Heed. I love Heed, but only drink it when I'm working out. She's freaking out about the Heed, too, because it has "natural flavors". I sent her their explanation of natural flavors and she's still freaking out.
My question to you is this: Do you have ANY idea what I can suggest to her? She's a very close friend, and I love her, but I don't have the patience to watch THAT closely what goes into my body. I've come to accept that unless I were to grow EVERY single thing and monitor my water supply, I will ingest poisons.
You're the only person I know who would even have a clue about this stuff. Like I said, I don't know why she feels she needs the electrolytes.
Thank you for your time, Guru. I appreciate all of your awesome advice, whether it's here or on Twitter. :) You're one of a kind!

Love Always,

Your Biggest Fan"

And my answer:

"Dear Biggest Fan,

Is your friend an athlete? I'm not sure why she would need electrolytes either. Has she tried drinking coconut water? What is she worried that she might be missing?

Some people need a serious smack into being a flexitarian... Meaning, that they need to remove the nutrition stick out of their ass and not worry so much about everything. Worrying and being anal retentive about food causes worse damage to your body than a bit of "natural flavors" ever could. She needs to follow the 90/10 rule: 90% of what I eat is healthful, making it so that the other 10% is irrelevant.

For example, I ate an assload of fruit and greens today. Then I ate a rice krispy treat. I'm still healthier than 99% of people in this country.

Thanks for the compliments. I'm always happy to help :)

Guru"

What do you readers think about this? Is a 100% healthy diet or an 80- 90% flexible healthy diet better in the long run?
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Halloween!

2010-11-02T16:55:00.000-04:00

Halloween weekend began with a pumpkin carving party on Friday night. We also made candy apples and watched Nightmare Before Christmas. It was tons of fun. Coraline even got her face painted (with washable markers). I never even realized that having an all white doggie would be like having a blank canvas to draw on. Then on Saturday we went to the wedding of 2 triathlon friends, Ken and Aubrey. Aubrey also recently graduated from the Instutute for Integrative Nutrition and is now a health counselor, like me! The wedding was outdoors and perfect and beautiful with all of the fall colors. Saturday night we got home late but still got all dressed up to go to a halloween dance party. I was an evil marionette and John was a puppet master. We looked awesome and had a blast!

Sunday we recovered from Saturday by eating healthy food and resting. Then on Monday morning John took me to the gym with him. I did his strength workout and now I can't walk very well. Its the good kind of pain though... The kind that comes when you're building muscle to ride your bike faster. It also helps to know that many of the CREW will be doing the same thing and we'll all be walking funny!

I'm seriously looking forward to next season. I'm focusing on base training, building strength, getting enough rest, and eating clean to get me through the winter.

(Photo: I was the EVIL marionette - skeery!)
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Transition

2010-10-27T15:51:00.000-04:00

Finally! Crazy season is over. I've spent the last few weeks after Rev3 Cedar Point catching up with non-tri friends, staying out late, dancing, indulging... (And I spent lots of time cooking and working) But I can't live like this! Triathlon keeps me centered and grounded. I NEED my routines to stay on top of my life and to be HAPPY. This past week I really started to come unglued. I got lazy and bratty and started ignoring some responsibilities. I really got a taste for what life could be like without as much structure. Yuck!

Lucky for me, my grandfather taught me "if you want to be fast you gotta sleep with your coach". So this morning I woke up next to mine (www.johnhirsch.org) and he dragged our lazy butts out of bed for a trail run. Man that felt good! I was already on my way to picking up the pieces yesterday by focusing on reorganizing some life and work stuff. I'm so ready to get back into training and living MY life, the way I love it.

I also had an important meeting this morning that will lead to an exciting project on the horizon. I can't announce it yet, but its BIG.

And most importantly, come to Zen Tri Camp with me! There are still spots left and the price was just lowered to $350 for the entire weekend! You'll get training and advice from Brett Blankner, Pro John Hirsch, Pro Jessi Stensland, Ultraman Rich Roll, and myself. How fun would that be?!

Check out: http://www.zentriathlon.com/basecamp/ for details and to sign up. That's where I'll be really kicking it into gear after the holidays.

(Photo: Coraline went apple picking and there was a petting zoo!)
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The Funnest Thing I've Ever Done

2010-09-26T19:43:00.002-04:00

I'm going to write a proper race report tomorrow, but for now, here is a link to Cathy's race report for the Fairfield sprint tri. Yesterday, I was her guide for the race and I had the best time!

Wanna Run the NYC Marathon?

2010-09-01T16:50:00.003-04:00

You can still get in AND run with an awesome group of athletes! I've been hanging with Team Continuum a lot lately. You should join me for several reasons:

1. Its super fun to hang with friends while running.
2. Meeting with the group on Wednesday and Saturday (or even not making it and knowing they're out there) will inspire you to get out there and run.
3. You get free coaching, and the coach is DREAMY.
4. You get free giveaways.
5. You raise money to provide practical and personal assistance to cancer patients who are struggling with disruptions to their lives so that they can focus on medical care.

*Team Continuum just lowered the minimum fundraising requirement, so sign up now! See you out there!

Good As New!

2010-08-28T15:20:00.000-04:00

Great news! I went to the doctor yesterday and he is says my hand is ready for my cast to come off. Finally I'll be able to do dishes and type and put my hair in a ponytail. I'm thrilled, but it gets even better than that...

I'm racing the HIM at Rev3 Cedar Point! I got back on my trainer last week and had to dust my bike off. Like, for real. I've been running all along but I haven't been swimming and have only been on my bike once since IMLP. My coach/ best boyfriend in the world, John says I can take the next several days as a mini training camp and I'll be all set. He also says I'll get some post IM strength that will be timed perfectly with the race. So I kicked it off with a long run with John last night.

I'll admit, it has been hard to be away from my training for the past few weeks. It was a reminder of how important exercise is to keep me feeling grounded. I'm beside myself with excitement and gratitude that I can jump back in.

Also, I'm even more excited that I'll run through the finish line and, without stopping, continue running back out to the course to cheer for John and watch him finish the full. He's killing it this season and I know he's gonna have another great race. And I get to race and spectate. Its perfect!

(Pic: Me after an awesome group run with Team Continuum)
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Things Like This

2010-08-18T16:45:00.003-04:00

(Pic: Cathy and her doggie on the Jersey Shore)

Make me feel like I've chosen the right work for myself...

Here is a recent blog post from a new client. She used to eat Pop Tarts EVERY morning! She's kicked that habit along with making some other healthy changes.

Yay!

Broken

2010-08-12T20:35:00.002-04:00

(Pic: My cast looks pretty with my skirt and prettier with the skull rug)

So yeah, I finally did my first ironman. As soon as I finished I was starving for the next one. I'm a tough little cookie. I train my ass off. Once I crashed my bike pretty badly and then got up as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't waste my time to flirt with the firemen who came to my rescue (Anna - mmmmm firemen). But apparently I'm not invincible becauser after ironman I came home, unpacked, and did the laundry. THE LAUNDRY. On my way down the stairs, with 2 huge bags of smelly triathlon clothing, I tripped and fell. I broke my right hand. Are you kidding me?! Ugh.

That is the last time I do anything as dangerous as LAUNDRY.

So here I am, in a splint - which is a half cast held on by an ace bandage. At least I can take it off to shower. The bad news is that I have to be disciplined about wearing it all the time. I can't type or use a knife. I can't do the dishes. I'm useless. At least I can still talk on the phone so business isn't entirely put aside.

That said, I'm very positive about this. Imagine if it happened before IMLP? All I can do is laugh at my own crazy clumsiness.

I need to be kept in a bubble.
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Healthy Snacking

2010-08-08T07:52:00.005-04:00

(Pic: wild blackberries picked on Block Island - note the bracelet on my right wrist)

I received a question from a twitter follower last night about healthy snacking and I thought it would make a useful blog post for my adoring fans.

The question:

What are some healthy snacks I can choose when I start to get brain-dead, tired, and restless around 3pm? A piece of fruit doesn't do it for me anymore and I've fallen into the habit of getting an ice cream instead.

Answer:

1) Your lack of energy could be a hydration issue. One of the first things that happens when we start to become dehydrated is a decrease in energy. We don't actually feel thirsty until we're dehydrated so its important to keep drinking water to avoid feeling thirsty. Also, our brains often misinterpret our body thirst signals as food cravings.

Step #1 to wake yourself up at 3pm... "do a little dance and take a sip of water" -Red Hot Chili Peppers

2) Also, when you crave a snack try deconstructing that craving and identifying the specific qualities of the food in mind. Are you craving creamy or cold food when you get ice cream? Can you find something healthier to have instead, like a creamy and cold smoothie? Or a blended frozen banana? Most people tend to crave certain types of foods all the time. Identify the common qualities and come up with a list of snack ideas that have these qualities.

3) Another way to increase your energy in mid-afternoon is to move your body. Try going for a short stroll, doing push ups, a 5-minute core workout or a few yoga stretches. Any yoga pose that inverts your head will refresh your energy. Try a standing forward bend or a few sun salutations.

4) Create your own healthy snack list. Try making a list of healthy snack ideas based on 4 categories: crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet. Here is an example to get you started:

crunchy

apples
frozen grapes
carrots with hummus
celery with peanut butter

creamy

fruit smoothie
yogurt
frozen, blended banana
avocado

salty

olives
peanuts or other nuts
pickles
steamed veggies with tamari

sweet

wheat grass
baked sweet potato or other root veggie
apple with almond butter
dark chocolate chips

Feel free to leave comments with the snack ideas from your own healthy snack list!

An Exciting New Adventure (which happens to involve racing)

2010-08-04T08:07:00.003-04:00

(Pic: yummy acai bowls with granola, banana, and berries)

I'm very excited to announce that I'm going to be a guide for a triathlon. This is something I've always wanted to do and it recently just fell in my lap. I got an email from an awesome woman interested in health counseling. She is legally blind due to a condition that developed several years ago, called macular degeneration. Health counseling with Cathy will involve some interesting problem solving and I've really been enjoying the process with her already. She's very dedicated to her nutrition goals and she's also a triathlete!

Here is her newly created blog that she has dedicated to her journey. I'm very excited to be a part of it! We've already chosen our race, The Trifitness Fairfield Triathlon in CT on September 25th.

This is gonna be fun!

Block Island Tri

2010-08-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

And here's another race report...

Last year I came to BI for the first time to do the BI tri with John. I won my age group and had a blast, especially with the barefoot beach run. It seemed crazy to race only 6 days after IMLP but John had a title to defend and wanted to line up and see what happens. I was more than happy to oblige.

Amazingly, I felt great. We did a warm up ride before the race with some pick ups and I felt strong. I didn't know how, or why, but I was ready to race. I was in the first wave for the choppy ocean swim and got out pretty quickly. It was hard to breathe with the waves so sometimes I just held my breath. I swam hard, wanting to get the hell out of there, and ended up having one of the fastest swims I've ever had. Go figure.

I felt pretty good on the bike. Not great, but not terrible. Honestly, I felt much worse trying to ride a week after Am Zof. I've definitely made huge improvements this year with cycling and its the one area I really want to focus on improving in. This race is hilly and windy. Its also beautiful.

The run was on the beach. The trick is to not wear sneakers. The run here is my favorite part. Its somewhere around 4 miles, who's to say for sure. I was definitely feeling physically exhausted for the run but psyched that nothing hurt too bad from IM. I settled into an almost comfortable but fast-ish pace and was able to pass a few women. At the first turn around I counted 7 women in front of me. I went on to pass 2 more and then in the last half mile was passed by a girl in my age group. After she passed me, I had a crazy spectator running alongside me, screaming "block Island Sport Shop!" "John Hirsch dot org!" "Go Guru!". The crazy guy was James :)

I finished 2nd in my AG and 6th overall woman. Awesome day!
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IMLP Race Report

2010-07-28T15:41:00.007-04:00

(Pic: Mirror Lake on race morning)

"Soak in every moment. There is no feeling that compares to your first IM" - A DM I got before the race from @HarveyDanger, a man who I have been following and has been an inspiration to me. I made this my main goal of the day.

When I started writing this race report I was sitting in a cafe, wearing my finisher's shirt with an IMLP finisher sticker displayed on the back of my laptop. A man walked over to my table and asked "Did you just run the ironman?" I beamed "YUP". Then he's all "You're my hero". Awesome...

Race morning - Having so much of the CREW with me the morning and day of the race was incredible. IronmanBobby asked John and I what time we would have our alarm set for race morning. He set his for 15 minutes earlier so that our coffee would be ready. John left to walk to the race start early, I followed along with Anna soon after. Anna is amazing. She's done this (IM) 13 times so I just followed her around, imitating everything she did to get ready. I felt relaxed.

Swim - The water was perfect and I couldn't wait to get started. I lined up in the back and danced and rocked out to the music until the cannon went off. I had a pretty bad injury on my hand from the week before and I had to be careful not to reinjure it by getting beat up in the swim. This was nearly impossible in the battle zone that is the swim start at IMLP. So my strategy... I waited a few minutes until everyone swam away and then I swam over to the inside of the buoys and took a super chill pace so that I wouldn't catch the big crowd. Eventually it thinned out more and I passed a bunch of people (swimming wide for plenty of room) and was able to swim the second lap closer to my normal pace. The added benefit of this strategy was that I started a really long and potentially anxiety filled day feeling completely in control of my experience and not overwhelmed by fists to the face. Time: 1:29:36

(Pic: Me and Anna, after she put on her wetsuit and I copied her and did the same)

T1 - With the cut on my hand still delicate from the swim, this had to be done one-handed. The worst part was taking off my wetsuit, it took a long time. A volunteer offered to help but I was doing fine on my own and felt more comfortable doing it myself. Time: 9:36

Bike - As I was mounting my bike, a spectator standing about a foot away said to me "Go out there and enjoy every minute, soak it all in"... coincidence? Thanks for the reminder! Anyway, I hadn't gotten to ride the course since the previous year. I was super excited to ride because I was much stronger and had a faster bike. I focused on "the Strategy" which I had been following thanks to my best bud Phil. I took it really easy on the climbs and still passed a lot of people because I'm a strong climber. Then I allowed myself to push a bit on the descents and flats. In February, at Strong Like Bull, I learned some bike handling tricks that made me much faster (and less nervous) on descents. The first loop came easily and pretty fast for me. At the end of the first loop I started to think "YES! I get to do this again". I was told that the hills get bigger for the second loop of the bike and I found this to be true. Add the wind and I started to find the whole thing a bit tiring. I slowed down a bit, but was no less happy. The second ride over "the bears" was awesome with a gazillion spectators screaming "nice pace" as I passed people with ease, sitting up on my saddle. And then a highlight of my day... I take the right to start my parade through town and I hear "GO GURU" and see Kate and Phil! YAY!!! That filled my energy tank more than any calories ever could. I was fully recharged to kick ass on the run. Time: 7:02:13

T2 - This transition was much faster and unimpeded by my hand injury. Most importantly, I grabbed my lucky Rev3 visor because Phil wore that exact one last year for IMLP and he had a spectacular race. I couldn't wait to get out there and run. Time: 3:45

Run - My legs never felt like jello. They never do anymore. I love running off the bike. The first few miles were mostly downhill and filled with my loved ones, which explains my 8:45 pace over the first 10k. Before I got to the turn onto the out-and-back I got to see John, with only 2 miles left. A perfect start to a marathon. My focus at this point was to chill out and not go out too fast. The songs stopped playing in my head and my thoughts were replaced with numbers and equations, trying to guess at my finishing time. Coming back through town, I got news from my tri-family that John had finished 12th. I was stoked, as this was a huge pro field and he must have had a great race. Moving forward, my body felt surprisingly awesome until about mile 18. At that point I felt the fatigue setting in. This was what people are talking about when they say that your legs keep going because they know what to do, while your brain has checked out. I knew that, no matter what, I was finishing close to 13 hours, and of course played with the idea of breaking 13. Then I thought of the climbing I had ahead of me over the last few miles and decided a more approriate goal would be not to walk. Not even one step. Not at an aid station and not on a hill. Just keep running... and I did. People were screaming at me on the hills because so few people were still running up them. I saw my amazing support team again at the start of the last climb, blew kisses and trudged on. Just before the last little leg out-and-back I heard someone yell "I LOVE YOU CHRISTINE LYNCH" and thought, that could be any one of my fans... but I looked and saw John! He looked so happy, which made me tear up (in the eyes) and then tear up the rest of the run. Coming into the oval I picked up the pace a teensie bit more, which was all I could muster, while I listened for "Christine Lynch of New York, NY... You are an IRONMAN!!!" Time: 4:21:54

Here's the thing... I fully expected to have a day filled with ups and downs. I didn't expect to have a day that was ALL ups. I honestly LOVED every second and never once thought of pulling out or stopping. Even when I stared up a giant hill, about to run it with exhausted and screaming legs, all I could see were my friends, my support, my dedication, the fantastic year of training and racing... and that this was simply my celebration.

And in case this report isn't enough, here are some helpful links to interviews, videos and more pics of ME!!!

Pics from TheyTri.

Video of me finishing.

And the best interview ever from Ironman Bobby.

Ironman Morning

2010-07-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Here I go...
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Good Luck John!

2010-07-24T18:03:00.004-04:00

I just want to give you a giant THANK YOU. You have been by my side through the year as I've gotten myself ready for ironman. I could have done it without you... but not like this. You made this experience so much richer. I've also loved every second of supporting you as you prepared for your IM. I'm honored to share so much with you. I'm proud to be your girlfriend and I'm VERY proud OF you and all the work you've done this year.

Sometimes I think I must be in a dream. Like if I pinch myself I'll wake up. Most importantly, I never thought I would meet a man who would love me so completely and treat me like a princess. You're my best friend. Somehow, we spend a ridiculous amount of time together and we only grow closer and closer (even when we drive each other crazy). In the past year we've travelled so many miles together... West Virginia, Lou, Texas, Spain, Block Island, VT, MA, RI... I'm sure I'm forgetting some. And now we've come full circle in Lake Placid. I remember signing up for IMLP 2010 then getting in the car to drive to VT to have lunch with a new guy I was crushing on.

Now we're here together, surrounded by our new life. We've combined our people, inside jokes and our traditions together to build something new. I look around me in awe. I love my life, OUR life.

When we leave on Tuesday I'll have finished my first ironman, you'll have had one of your best races because your heart is deep in this one. I'll want nothing more than to go back home to our Coraline and continue this dream. I'm looking forward to more.

Good luck tomorrow. You'll be amazing. Your dedicated (and insane) training this year will see you through, along with all of your heart, soul and might.

"I'll eat you up, I love you so"...

IMLP #i8this - Saturday and Sunday

2010-07-24T17:59:00.003-04:00

(J made the whole CREW his famous satan-cakes for breakfast)

Here's a backlog of my food log for IMLP #i8this. John warned me that I wouldn't have time for a project like this and he was right. I did jot notes though, so here it is (with less detail of the when/ how):

Saturday: Day before IMLP

breakfast - gf pancakes with maple syrup and 2 scrambled eggs

snack - hemp shake

lunch - organic turkey on gf bagel with spinach and jalapeno mustard

snack - 3 gf cookies, lemonade

dinner - gf baked ziti and spinach

dessert - 1 more gf cookie

***

And finally, Sunday: Race day!!!

breakfast - 32 oz water, 2 cups coffee, gf bagel with peanut butter and banana

pre swim - more water

bike - 2 bottles heed, 2 bottles perpetuem, 2 bottles water, 2 Nature Valley granola bars (I like them because they're not too sweet), 1 turkey sandwich on gf bread with mustard (the sandwich was key for me because I get soooo hungry), 1 espresso hammer gel

run - 3 gels, 1 Nature Valley granola bar, alternating powerade (course drink) and water at aid stations

post race - water, gf pasta mac and cheese

***

Stay tuned for a complete post on how to eat in the days after IM to replace calories and promote speedy recovery. It's not as bad as it sounds. I had plenty of treats and "crap" food. I even called the day after IM "melted cheese day".

IMLP #i8this - Friday

2010-07-24T17:33:00.003-04:00

(Me in the middle of a John Hirsch sandwich at the pasta dinner)

I woke up early to a quiet house and got to sit for an hour and get caught up with emails of good luck while I sipped some plain hot water (don't knock it till you try it). For breakfast #1 I made a hemp shake with banana, peanut butter and maca. Everyone else was up early for an easy spin to the first big descent on the course. We wanted to ride the descent once to get pumped. We even had our sag wagon meet us at the bottom to escort us back to the house! We came home just as Bill arrived with bagels and I was glad I brought my own gluten free ones.

The rest of the day was pretty chill. John came with me to check in, which was a big deal. It's my first ironman! I even got to sit in on the pro meeting after check in. Lunch back at the house was leftover cobb salad from dinner the night before and then a quick power nap.

We considered cooking a big group dinner but going to check in made me want to soak in more of the IM energy so I wanted to go to the pasta dinner. I went prepared with my own gluten free pasta. The dinner got us completely geeked (John loves it). After dinner we went home and watched Lord of the Rings and ate fruit for dessert.

Overall, it was a nice and relaxing day. Of course I had a couple of unexpected panics but the excitement brewing in this town is completely infectious and overtook any scary feelings.

#i8this Friday:

breakfast - hemp shake, gf bagel with veggie and lox cream cheese

lunch - cobb salad

dinner - gf pasta with sauteed garlic and peas, salad

dessert - cherries and a peach

IMLP #i8this - Travel Day

2010-07-23T05:11:00.001-04:00

(Pic: an accidental one taken at Mirror Lake)

This morning began our official IMLP adventure. John has his cheerleader face on, making me feel like every step we take is a giant party. Waking up to start packing the car on travel day came with a party. We played slipknot and jumped around while singing made up songs about ironman. We had a breakfast of herbal tea and hempshakes with banana, peanut butter, and maca. Then we were off to pick up our friend Conner for the drive up.

I did the driving so I brought lunchie road foods that were healthy and I could eat without a mess. At 11 we stopped and I had sliced organic turkey, spinach salad mix (no dressing for less mess), gluten free pretzels and jalapeno hummus. Later in the ride we also snacked on peaches and cherries. You're gonna think this is totally crazy but I got this spinach lettuce mix that tastes amazing. I've been eating it plain. It has all of the small lettuce type greens like mache and arugula which have a nice kick to them. Its something that we never really slow down and taste on its own but I've been snacking on it like its popcorn. I was very happy with my high protein, high fruit/veggie, and low carb lunch for my taper road food.

When we finally arrived in Lake Placid I couldn't wait to get to the house. I've been really excited to have everyone so close to the lake and the center of town. We pulled up, were greeted by Anna, Grant and Kristoph. There was more jumping up and down, and then we suited up for a swimmy in Mirror Lake. I made a quick sandwich of hummus and spinach on gluten free bread to hold me over until dinner and until we could make our grocery store trip. The swim was incredible. I loved being in that lake again. Right before leaving the lake a guy stopped us saying "I recognize you two. You're John and you're the girl from that podcast". It was Charlie, a man behind Rev3. It turns out he watched the Ironmanbobby Podcast round table discussion from post Rev3 Quassy. I seriously can't go anywhere without being recognized these days. I'm gonna start swimming in a floppy hat and sunglasses ;)

After our swim we decided to go into town for dinner because it had gotten so late. I prefer cooking over going out, but I prefer being flexible over all other choices. At dinner I had some nachos that our table shared (salsa, roasted veggies, guacamole and cheese) and I had 1/2 of a cobb salad. Oh and a guinness. I love me a guinness.

This town is buzzing with excitement which makes it hard for me to sleep! I can't wait to get to tomorrow... 2 more days till MY FIRST IRONMAN!!!

IMLP #i8this

2010-07-20T09:30:00.004-04:00

(A healthy taper meal: veggie omelet and baked sweet potato)

I've decided to bring back #i8this for my pre-IMLP, race day and post race eating. Any time that I want to be especially diligent about my diet (like during a taper or recovery or if I'm fighting off a cold) I find it helpful to keep a food journal to keep me honest and inspired. With the added challenge of having my food journal kept public, there's no way I'll ruin my race with bad nutrition beforehand. I'm going to show up to the swim start on Sunday with my body feeling 100% ready, inside and out. Also, there may be some fun group cooking and meals at our CREW IMLP house so I'm sure I'll have some yummy meal ideas and photos to post.

If you want to join in with this #i8this challenge, I would be excited to have the company! Seeing others jumping in will make me feel like its a group effort. How fun is that?

Also, John wrote an AWESOME post about his taper diet. He even included tips and meal ideas for you. He's very smart in the brain about nutrition... you'll think so too: www.johnhirsch.org

And lastly,

3 days 21 hours 29 minutes and 24 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!

Gratitude

2010-07-20T08:45:00.004-04:00

(July 4th sunset on Block Island)

I wrote this post, but never got to upload it, on July 4th. I decided to do a "thank you" post that day because I already felt so accomplished. It was the last day of my IMLP training. The actual race will be a celebration of the training commitment I made to myself a year ago. Also, I'll probably be too tired after IM to even think straight!

July 4th, 2010

Yesterday I did my last long run of the final push for IMLP. Normally I train with music but I somehow forgot to bring my ipod to Block Island so I went without. I didn't mind because I'm not going to be racing with music so it seemed like a great time to get comfortable with it. So, I was out there with my thoughts. I was stoked to finally have arrived at my last day of training, feeling like I did everything I needed to do... feeling completely prepared. That brought me to a blissful place of gratitude and I ended up passing the time by listing all of the people who contributed in my IM training journey. I'm going to try to remember as much as possible now...

John - for being my partner through all of this and for encouraging me, coaching me, and inviting me into his triathlon world.

Phil and Kate - for being my best training buddies and support for the past couple of years. I could never thank them enough.

Diana - for supporting me and for getting excited about my training and racing with me (and even joining me in some workouts).

The CREW (Grant, Anna, PJ, etc) - for the many training hours, racing days and inside jokes.

Brett - for being a business partner, training partner (in TX), and dear friend.

Javier and Coach Adam - for the beginnings.

And everyone else who has helped me along the way... I'm grateful.

***

To get myself pumped for IMLP I have been listening to a song that I'll be singing at my spectators when I see them along the course.

Thunder by Matisyahu (click here to listen)

I had to cross the line to leave you behind
With hopes to find some peace of mind
Now I'm looking for your voice through the chitter-chatter
that doesn't matter that's torn and tattered these angels on a ladder
This laughter
Strip away the extra plaster
I'm crashing fast
It's the morning after
Through the hum and the buzz
The thickness and the fuzz
I jump over puddles to stomp through the sludge

Look for me through the wind and rain
Sunshine remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day

Look for me through the wind and rain
Thunder remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day

I had to evacuate the premises
You're your own nemesis
The premises you're born and blood and leave the world penniless
I had to remember that there's darkness before the exodus
Split the sea
We'll flee to the next
Come and vent with us
I had to send and blend out
Spent it all on sentences fend off the members of relentless pessimists
I had to miss the world
Looking for the core
Cure my heart so I can live more

Look for me through the wind and rain
Sunshine remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day

Look for me through the wind and rain
Thunder remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day

Thunder
Remember my name
Thunder
Remember my name

City lights shine and I'm on my way
This time tomorrow I'll be on my way
At the break of day I look for you at sunrise
When the tide comes in I lose my disguise

Look for me through the wind and rain
Sunshine remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day

Look for me through the wind and rain
Thunder remember my name
I'll be coming yes I'm running oh I'm on my way
Just stay and I'll be there by the break of day
Day...

Thunder
You feel it in your chest

Thunder
You feel it in your chest

Practicing For My Taper

2010-07-02T16:46:00.000-04:00

I had a rest day yesterday and decided to log some "triangle bikini" hours. My taper starts on Monday. Starting that day I'll be training less and resting more (but also working more). Actually, J pointed out that its 6 weeks of "resting" with an IM in the middle. Yay!

I actually don't care about being tan as much as I care about what the "triangle tan" represents. It means I've been sitting on a beach, in a park, or by a pool reading a novel and sipping a homemade lemonade. My weekend long training days will become triangle bikini days. I gotta log those hours. They're important! I plan to rope the HFWT mama (aka Mrs. Theytri) into joining me for lots of it.

After I'm recovered from IM its back to training for Rev3 Sandusky/ Ohio/ Cedarpoint. That race will be clutch because CREW is rolling DEEP. After that race I'm hoping to try some cross racing. According to our dear friend Michael Seiler (@bikezen), "cross is boss \mm/". I can't wait to find out!
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My Last Long Day

2010-07-01T09:04:00.001-04:00

(J taking a pic of us riding with Brookey)

Yesterday I completed my last "Death Brick". This one could have been the easiest because I had completed the distance plenty of times before, but the fact that it brought me to 300 bike miles in 6 days made me see stars (and spiders) by the end. I had been looking forward to this workout as a celebration and I had originally planned to do it with the company of 2 CREWmates, PJ and Phil next Saturday. Alas, travel plans change and John and I ended up staying on Block Island through next weekend. I was sad to have to cancel plans with my friends (and especially my sister) so John offered to cheer me up by doing my last ride with me at my pace. The best day for this was Wednesday. Less than a week after my 120 mile ride. The way to prep for the ride was with one word... "DigDeep".

My plan called for a 100 mile ride then an hour run. John planned to add mileage for himself and ended up riding 132 miles (can you say psycho?). There were blustery winds and rolling hills here and there, but not too tough of a ride. Our pace was fun and relaxed and at one point we were joined by our friend Brooke (badass 14 year old Ortel athlete) and we barely noticed the 20 miles we rode with her. Brooke is the coolest and she's my bff on BI. It wasn't until about mile 70 that I started to feel the physical exhaustion seep into my brain. I started to feel that slow decline of cognitive processing and I felt worse than I had on any training ride thus far. To me, this was a goal. If I trained until I couldn't keep going I would know I did all I could. It was awesome because I was feeling a cumulative effect of 2.5 heavy weeks. I was tired and proud.

John noticed me starting to fade mentally and he immediately turned into the Coach/Comedian version of himself. He decided that would be a perfect moment to study for my final exam for my SLB and CREW Coach Certification. He threw me a bunch of multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions and I got them all right! It was hysterical. Keep an eye on his blog (www.johnhirsch.org) for a summary of the study session.

Before I knew it I had finished my 100 miles. I LOVE brick runs and normally can't wait to get started. Yesterday was the first time I wasn't sure I could do it. I asked John if an 11 min/mile pace was acceptable for me for that run and he said, no. He said I didn't have to run the full hour but I had to run 15 mins away and then decide whether to turn around or keep going. That seemed reasonable. So I headed out, ready to stumble along. But I wasn't stumbling! I felt amazing and light. I barely noticed the rolling hills and I was loving what I was feeling. First, I thought I had officially gone crazy. Then, I looked down at my watch and saw that I was running the first 3 miles at a sub 7:30 pace. I thought my watch had to be broken. But I pulled back, just in case. I ended the hour run with 7.95 miles. Then I checked on the distance. My watch measured it correctly. I'm a fricking animal.

I feel more than ready for IMLP. Tick, tock, tick, tock...
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If You Love Someone...

2010-06-29T13:55:00.004-04:00

(Coraline after her run/swim brick workout)

You don't HATE their guts, you Fix their guts.

IM training was taking it's toll on John but luckily I swooped in to save him with the BRATTY Diet. Click here to learn more.

Final push for IMLP - Week #2

2010-06-27T08:59:00.005-04:00

Week 2 of our final push brought us to MA to visit SLB Norte and my family. It was awesome to see Sean and Jen AND I got to have a birthday party for my favorite mom. We had less control over our eating for this week because we were visiting people, but we still ate really well. We seem to end up on a Mexican food theme when we're training so much. Breakfasts and lunches were homemade but a few dinners were eaten at restaurants. I was lucky and my healthy Chef Mom cooked me some delicious gluten free meals with lots of veggies. My mom is also a holistic health counselor and it was nice to be taken care of. My favorite meals of hers were:

- grilled portabella, veggie risoto and salad
- brown rice pasta with broccoli, garlic and shrimp

Training continued to rock on. I didn't swim in MA, which was fine because I would be ending my week on an island. Then things started to get challenging... I did my long run once we got to Block Island and my big toe turned blue! It was something that started the week prior during my long run but I tried to ignore it. It's just badly bruised. It kept me from getting in one last ride for the week because I can barely put my foot into a shoe. Boo :(

John made the PERFECT training plan for my final push. It's perfect because its more of a training MENU than a training PLAN. I had a bunch of other responsibilities to tend to during this trip, including: work/clients, my family visit, and supporting John (which I am stoked to be doing). By having a list of things to choose from and being able to arrange and rearrange my schedule in a checklist fashion, I'm more likely to keep plugging away and get things done. When I showed John my blue toe and told him it hurts too much to put a shoe on, he said to skip the ride I had planned yesterday and not to worry because he never expected me to do all of the workouts anyway. That would be crazy. I don't need to train THAT much for the results I want at IMLP :)

Here's the summary of Week 2:

Monday- 3k swim in the lake before leaving VT
Tuesday- 75 min run, 90 min ride
Wednesday- rest and work
Thursday- "Death Brick" 120 mile ride/30 min run
Friday- travel day and work
Saturday- 2.5 hr run (with a 1 hour walk in the middle bc I got lost)
Sunday- 3k swim

Totals:

swim- 6k
bike- 144 miles
run- 30 miles

total hours = 16 hrs 45 mins (much less than last week - stupid toe)

And now I'm onward with week 3! I'm excited but also starting to get sad to see it end. Training is my favorite part. I'm just gonna have to be like my dear friend and CREWmate Miss Murder and race every weekend so that I can train all the time.

(My blue toe - ouchie)

The Protein Question

2010-06-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

(High protein saute of soyrizo, black beans, carrots and kale - to fill veggie tacos)

Lately, there seems to be a theme in the questions I'm receiving from clients and through my website. Common questions are: 1) "I'm trying to switch to a vegetarian/vegan diet... why don't I have any energy?" and 2) "Why am I feeling like everything is taking so much more effort?"

It's not always the case, but the answer for several people lately has been protein related. Of course there are a lot of factors that can lead to a "depleted" feeling, including over-training, calorie deficit, adrenal fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, etc.

Macro-nutrients (like carbs and protein) are needed for very specific reasons. Carbs help fuel your body to function, train and race. Protein helps repair and rebuild your muscles to keep them in working order. If you think of it like owning a car, carbs are the gas you put in your tank and protein is the maintenance work, like an oil change. You need both to be in tip top shape. If you aren't getting enough protein you're not going to feel awesome. If you're not getting enough carbs you'll be dragging ass as well.

"Normal" or "average" americans get more than enough of both. As triathletes, we're neither of those things. We're nutso, type-A, health-obsessed freaks. I talk to people all the time who are calorie restricting or eating some type of an "extreme diet". If you think you might not be getting enough of one of these macro-nutrients you should talk to someone who can help. This can be a tough puzzle to solve because there are a lot of pieces to consider. I help my clients figure out their metabolic type and then look at lifestyle, activity level and of course, current diet.

As a general guideline, and as a jumping off point in assessing your needs, you can focus on getting a significant form of protein at each meal (including snacks). I'm talking to the athletes here... especially the vegetarians and vegans.

Vegetarian/vegan protein sources include:

- grains (especially quinoa)
- beans
- soy (including "transition" foods like soy milk, tofu, tempeh)
- nuts
- protein bars
- protein powders
- spirulina

Please feel free to email me for more info at christine@liveandeatbetter.com

Week #1 and VT to MA

2010-06-22T12:08:00.000-04:00

Vermont was pure bliss. Everything about it was rejuvenating. Somehow the long hours of training even felt like they built me up on an emotional and spiritual level. I barely feel physically tired after a heavy week of training because life is just SO good. Everything we ate was prepared at home and eaten outside overlooking a gorgeous view. It was sometimes difficult to be disconnected from the outside world without internet, though we did have our bberries, but it was also part of what made it feel so cleansing.

And now we're in MA where its back to balancing work, family and training. Its harder to get the workouts in but also nice to spend time with family. And yes, I have plenty of work to do... but I LOVE the work that I do :)

Here is a quick list of some clean and yummy meals from week 1:

Breakfasts-

papaya with yogurt and granola

huevos rancheros (eggs, beans, veggies on soft corn tortillas)

gluten free mickey mouse waffles with eggs and fruit

Lunches-

hummus and veggie wraps/ sandwiches
veggie burgers and salad
Hammer nutrition (when we trained through lunch)

Dinners-

gluten free pasta with tomato sauce, veggie meatballs and broccoli
veggie hotdogs with sweet potato wedges and sauteed kale
veggie burgers with arugula salad
tofu sauteed with sesame kale and baked sweet potato
taco night with black beans, soy chorizo, kale and avocado

Dessert-

watermelon
chocolate hemp shake

And here is a glance of my training from week 1:

Monday- 45 min run, 2.5k swim, 45 min run
Tuesday- "Death Brick" 4 hour ride/ 2 hour run
Wednesday- rest
Thursday- 2.5 hour ride, 2.5k swim, yoga
Friday- 45 min run, 2.5k swim
Saturday- 2.5 hour run (18 miles at an 8:23 pace!)
Sunday- 4 hour mountain ride, 4k swim

(John at the top of one of the climbs)

Totals:

swim- 11.5k
bike- 140 miles
run- 44 miles

total hours = 21

I AM GETTING SO PUMPED FOR IMLP!!!

IMLP Final Push - Clean Eating in VT

2010-06-14T13:35:00.000-04:00

One thing that John and I LOVE about training in VT is that its easy to eat super clean. We were here in May and we had a great training camp... partially because its amazingly beautiful, but also because we ate the perfect diet to support our training. Now we're back. Vermont is our first stop for our final push training camp for IMLP. John calls it "Ironmonk", which used to mean:

1) no girls
2) minimal distraction
3) clean eating
4) no girls

I told him if he left me for three weeks I might be married to someone else by the time he gets back, so he decided to invite me along to support him as his "personal assistant". Plus, I'm training a ton. I'm stoked because I love cooking and preparing healthy foods, I love supporting my triathlon man, and I love training. I also get to work from wherever we are. Its perfect, really.

So... what does perfect clean eating for a pro ironman and a holistic health nut look like? It's tons of veggies, clean and minimally processed vegetarian protein, just enough healthy carbs and very low sugar (when not training). The key here is simplicity. We aren't going to put time into making everything from scratch while we're both training so much. Instead, we found a store with a great health food section and we read our labels diligently. The less ingredients, the better. Our shopping list looked something like this:

- bananas, apples, papaya, pears, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, mango, watermelon
- broccoli, spinach, arugula, kale, beet greens
- cucumbers, carrots, corn, peppers, yams
- veggie burgers, veggie "meatballs", tofu, eggs, beans, tofu dogs, hemp shake, peanut butter
- brown rice, rice and bean pasta, gluten free bread, pumpernickel bread, healthy wraps
- puffins, granola, yogurt, gluten free pancake mix, real maple syrup, oat milk, soy milk, 53x11 coffee
- sesame oil, olive oil, umeboshi vinegar, turbinado sugar

This is everything we're eating. None of our meal prep takes more than 30 mins. I'll be posting some pics and meal ideas in the next few days... stay tuned to see how easy it is to eat healthfully while training yourself half to death :)

(My Loves both icing in the lake after a long trail run)

More Rev 3 Pics

2010-06-12T16:36:00.000-04:00

Me givin' some love to my #1 training bud

Headed out on the bike

Go Team HFWT (and CREW)

Rev3 Weekend of Mayhem

2010-06-07T08:59:00.000-04:00

(Me and Phil at White Pond)

I arrived at HFWT on Friday and Phil and I immediately headed to White Pond for a beautiful swim. Then I got in a fight with a dog. The doggie was super cute so I wanted kisses. We were playing and it mouthed at me (in a playful way) but it was a puppy and my lip got cut open. I thought it wasn't a big deal until I talked or smiled and saw that I clearly needed to be stitched up. I got 5 stitches, though the needle to numb it was the worst part. Doctor's orders were "No swimming". But honestly, this weekend for me was about being with my friends and having a great time. That's what triathlon is for me. It's Phil and Kate and the rest of the CREW. I love training and racing, but I love it because of them.

(My pretty lip. Now I'm like Sally from Nightmare Before Xmas)

Then I did the math... a 70.3 minus the swim is a 69.1. I could totally do that! So at race reg I cleared it with the director and was allowed to jump in after the swim for a "catered training day". I actually had a great time! I LOVE spectating and I got to see my friends finish their swim, then I hopped on my bike and went for it. I was already DQ'd so I decided to play with some of my racing strategy. I would normally have a somewhat conservative bike for a good run but I decided to test myself on my bike this time. Who cares if I walk on the run?! It's just a training day. So I employed "The Strategy", which I can't talk about because its top secret. I CAN tell you that the first step to the strategy was to go to Strong Like Bull. I cut 35 minutes off my previous time for that bike course. I felt awesome.

My run started out great. I ran the first 4 miles at an 8 min pace and was holding back. Then I started to get sick from the antibiotic I had to take for my dog fight incident. I had to stop, walk, try to run, walk, dry heave, then run again. I decided to tough it out because I'm sure I'll feel terrible during IM at some point and this would toughen me up. I made it through with the slowest half-marathon time I've ever had... but I'm very happy with it!

(The new CREW kits and gear look super hot on Miss Murder... contact me to order some)

I can't say enough about Rev3. The bike course was gorgeous and the run course was the perfect run for me. I really wish I felt better because its the kind of course where I can fly past people the entire time with the rolling hills. I'm a strong "hill shuffler" and a FAST downhill runner. I can't wait to do the whole race next year! The post race food was impressive too. There were plenty of healthy choices for an almost vegetarian, wheat free athlete like me.

I also want to say congrats to my buddy, Bill Risch. This was his first HIM and also his longest swim (by far) without dying. He killed it! I'm psyched that he's hooked and he'll be joining us for more racing asap.

And lastly, I'd like to thank my sponsors. I couldn't have done this without you... HFWT, CrazyBitchWater and JohnHirsch.org. Love you guys!

***

I asked for guesses as to why I didn't swim. You guys think I'm such a badass :)

" @ceco911

@holisticguru I heard u had swimmies and got caught with one of those hidden motors on the bike. U got away with the robot legs though"

" @tallgirlky

@holisticguru hmmm, two guesses: You wore a superfast, yet illegal, wetsuit? Your swimsuit was so cute, it was declared illegal!"

" @Ironmanjay

@holisticguru DQ'd for doping on whole foods and gaining a energy advantage on the compatition. Oh yea, then kicking the head ref u kno where"

" @TexasDevin

@holisticguru I heard you were DQ'ed because you lost your cool and punched an official in T2. Is this true? :)"

"@ dylmcnic

@holisticguru my guess is that you have no respect for the courage wolf."

" @romsfou

@holisticguru That sucks. They did not like your pocahontas look? ;-)"

" @bryanhammer

@holisticguru some kind of HTFU game gone wrong? wanted to take it easy on the competition and give someone else a chance to win the AG?"

"@DollarBillRS

@holisticguru you kicked a race official while doing a pas de chat"

"@austinslide

@holisticguru I'm gonna go with three guesses a) you forgot your wetsuit b) the organizers decided you were too awesome to swim c) you forgot how to swim :)"

Moo Shu Vegetarian

2010-05-14T08:35:00.000-04:00

(I was too hungry to mess with lighting for this pic)

This week I got cabbage in my Urban Organic delivery. It's definitely one of the vegetables that I like (well enough) but I never think to make. I also usually end up going back to my Irish roots and make a boiled dinner with it. This time I decided to branch out and try something new. I adapted this recipe from one that I found on MyRecipes.com. Their recipe is here, though I changed almost everything :)

Moo Shu Vegetarian

1/4 cup water
3 tsp toasted sesame oil
6 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small head of thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 thinly sliced red bell pepper
2 carrots, sliced thin
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onion
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

serve with brown rice or Chinese pancakes

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a wok or large saute pan. Add eggs and scramble for 2 minutes then remove eggs onto a separate dish.
2. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, then add the vegetables (cabbage, bell pepper, carrots) and saute until tender. Add the water, cover the pan and steam on low for 3 minutes.
3. Uncover and add the green onions, rice vinegar, tamari and hoisin sauce. Stir fry to combine and mix well.

Enjoy!

And the picture below is my gorgeous doggie. She could be a model, I really believe that. She's the prettiest girl I know.