First Recipe and hard lesson learned

Happy Friday everyone! I have a new recipe to share with you all. I found this on a Facebook group post for Team Beach Body. I only made half a batch in case they didn't fancy my taste buds. It's a really simple and quick recipe. These actually taste delicious BUT they are very calorie dense so you can't eat the whole batch (unless you put in a lot of miles). The rest of the batch is on the counter just in case you were wondering.

"Power Balls"

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Vanilla Shakeology, but you can use chocolate as well)

1 C oats (Quaker Quick)

1 C natural peanut butter or almond butter (I used Jif natural)

1/4 c raw honey (local from bee farm in Corydon)

Mix, roll, chill, and enjoy. Yep! It's that simple

If you are interested in the nutrition facts here you go (based on my ingredients): 1 bite = 104 cal, 11g carbs, 6g fat, 4g protein, and 7g sugar. Half a batch yields 12 balls using Pampered Chef small scoop. 

I'm looking forward to trying these out tomorrow before my bike ride and brick run. I struggle with pre workout nutrition and hydration. Well, actually I need to work on the nutrition thing as a whole but that's another post. What do you like to eat before workouts? What do you usually use during the workout?  Post workout I enjoy chocolate milk in my cool stainless steel Brooks Running tumbler. It's like a treat and reward all in one. 

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Now for the hard lesson learned today. You MUST plan your workouts based on a lot factors such as time, date, work schedule, and so on. It's also important to plan for the weather as well. I am a night owl and always have been and I do well to drag myself out of bed for work let alone earlier to train. My husband and I have different work schedules so I try to spend time with him whenever I can. Sometimes that means training later in the day on weekends and  I have skipped scheduled workouts just to see Nathan. That is going to have to change in many ways if I'm going to become an Ironman. 

Today I didn't get started on my run until almost 1 pm. It didn't feel nearly as hot as it has been lately and there was a slight breeze. I didn't have much to eat beforehand other than a Honey Stinger Waffle and some apple sauce. I had my coffee earlier that morning but that was it. I started my run slow and easy as always and had my hydration belt on so I had plenty of fluids, some nutrition, and my phone just in case. I was around mile 2 when I started getting a throbbing headache and felt hazy. I attributed it to the heat and running on the road with little shade. I went to wipe my snotty nose like usual and there was lots of blood! I never get nose bleeds or have sinus problems. I panicked and texted some of my running friends and my coach for help. I didn't have good service so I couldn't get Google to load...WebMd would have probably told me something like my brain was bleeding so it's best to stay off those pages. 

I rested in a shady spot, hydrated more and cooled my core temp by placing my somewhat frozen water bottles on my wrist. I felt okay and the bleeding stopped so I proceeded with caution. I made it another half mile then my nose started bleeding again the headache returned. I turned around and mostly walked the 2.5 miles back to my car. I was so frustrated but I blame the heat and as my coach mentioned chronic dehydration. This was the first time my nose was bleeding and it honestly scared me. It's too hot to run at 1 pm!! I felt fine once I got back to my car so I went to the local YMCA for an easy swim. The heat must have zapped me because the swim wasn't as easy as last time, but I managed. 

After I cleaned up I treated myself to a huge grilled chicken salad (I could have eaten 2 of these if I had time) then went to The Natual Touch Salon and Spa so my friend could give me an awesome sports massage. I was long overdue! I feel great this evening so I think I just became overheated quickly. I will be back out there again tomorrow but It will be early. 

It's so BEAUTIFUL in the country!! I cannot wait until we build our dream home here someday. 

Have a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!! What are your plans??

If everyone was jumping off a bridge...

Greetings! I'm so happy that several people have checked out my blog today! I have lots of stuff i'm working on, but I need my computer genius brother to help me get the tabs and links working. I hope to get a recipe and product review up soon. Is there anything in particular that you would like a review on? If you click on the tab above that says "favorite gear" you will notice that I am a gadget and gear junkie.

Today was an encouraging day in many ways. I had a longer lunch break so I decided to go for a run. With the heat index near 100 degrees I decided to run on the deadmill at the YMCA. I had a great run and even managed to muster out some sprints on the treadmill. I didn't have any pain in my leg or back at all and it's just amazing how the body can heal itself. I was petty winded and had to walk off and on but overall I kept my cadence up (fast feet) and worked on great form. I was finishing up my workout and running all out for 30 seconds -1 minute then resting and doing it again several times. The gentleman next to me asked me if I did the "ironrun" this weekend. I was flattered that he thought I could even be capable of such a task. I told him no, but was considering it for next year. He was very encouraging and uplifting. After my run I went to the mat to stretch extra good. I was doing some yoga poses because they feel good and help me refocus. A random lady came over and asked me when I taught yoga classes and how she's been wanting to try it out. Again, I was flattered and humored at the same time. I am the last person that should teach yoga for many reasons!! I offered her my yoga class suggestions and off I went to search for food. After running for an hour you're pretty picky about what you put back into your system.

After work I met up with my Team In Training group for dinner. If you're not familiar with Team In Training (TNT) they're an awesome group that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This is my first season with them and it's been good. I'm going to be racing the Tri for Sight in a couple of weeks in Lexington, KY with them. Anyways, the highlight of the night was sitting across from pro triathlete Thomas Gerlach!! He raced Ironman Louisville this weekend and took the second place win only 16 seconds behind the winner Chris "Big Sexy" McDonald. Thomas's overall time was 8:41:07- for 140.6 miles in 100 degree heat. WoW!! It was so cool to talk to him see the triathlon world through his eyes. It was a great evening up until the kitchen at the restaurant caught on fire!! Most of us got our order but Thomas and one of our coaches didn't. They had to close the kitchen down and was only serving greasy pizza for the next few hours. Did I mention in a previous post that crazy stuff happens when i'm nearby??

I was so tempted to register tonight for next year's IM race, but my checkbook won't support a race entry this week so I have to wait. Several friends are already registered and I'm just trying to play it safe since the cost today will be the same 4 days before the race. I'm waiting for someone to say to me "If everyone was jumping off a bridge would you jump too?" I would reply something along the lines of "Heck NO!! There's water under a bridge.... oh wait, I can swim now!! YES! I would jump and yell cannonball at the top of my lungs!" YOLO &  LETS DO THIS!!! I would LOVE to have your support and encouragement along this journey.


What is your favorite snack? I love fruit but I hate cutting up melons and kiwi.
Do you like gadgets when you workout or prefer not knowing? Both. I love the data but sometimes I like to just go by feel. 

The "Witching" Hour

     Ironman Louisville weekend has concluded. For those of you who are not familiar with an Ironman, it is the beast of the triathlon world. You swim 2.4 miles in the Ohio River, bike 112 miles through hilly horse country, then top it off with a (full marathon) 26.2 mile run all in 17 hours. I know people always ask first "why would anyone want to do that let alone pay lots of money to punish yourself"?

I can't explain why and I can't figure out what draws me to this like a bug to a zapper...nice analogy huh?

I was doing  the same thing last night as I was one year ago and that was watching the live feed from Fourth Street Live on my laptop. I'm so inspired by these amazing athletes and yesterday was almost 100 degrees so it was brutal out there on top of a tough course. 

     

     The last hour of the race is know as "the witching hour" but honestly this is my favorite time to watch and these athletes inspire me the most. These people have been out on the course since 7am (actually 4 or 5am prepping) and they've been going strong for almost 17 hours. At 11:30 pm last night there was still over 100 people out on the course. Some runners looked like the walking dead while others did the "pimp walk". That didn't matter because they had a mindset and kept moving forward. You MUST cross that finish line before 12:00:00 because when the clock strikes midnight the party is over...well they turn off the loud music but the crowd is still there cheering and perhaps even louder than before until that last person crosses the line. People were running in with only seconds to spare while some crossed 5 minutes after the cutoff.

 This is a photo from the finish line last year. They changed the color of the runner to red and black this year. This year it was packed down there!! I get chills looking at this picture. The Ironman Louisville race is scheduled for October 11th next year so the temperature may be more favorable for racing, but i'm sure October will have it's own struggles as well as August. I don't care what time of the year you race 140.6 miles is a LONG HAUL.

Am I registering for next year?  Good question. I've learned a few hard lessons this racing season so I will play it safe. I am going to start training for this, but I will hold off on giving them my money until much closer to time. If the race sells out I will know it wasn't meant to be.  A couple of my friends have already pulled the trigger and registered. BOOM!!

The bike and marathon scares me some because I haven't ran 26.2 miles (yet) or biked that far with lots of hills but you train for it and learn to adapt as you become stronger. It's called an Ironman for a reason. However, the 2.4 miles of swimming terrifies me. It will likely be wetsuit legal so being able to wear a wetsuit in the river will help give me peace of mind and help me swim faster. You can't sink in one of those, but I still have to brave the open water and 2,500 of my friends zipping along. Below are a couple of photos from the swim start. I feel nauseous just looking at them so I have a long way to go.

What is the craziest thing that you have done or would like to do??  Ironman Louisville 2015
What is your biggest fear? Open water swimming, spiders, and wet hairballs. 

How it all got started

      I still consider myself a newbie triathlete even though I've been in a local triathlon club for a year now. I got started with running after my husband, Nathan, completed his first half marathon in 2011. I was so proud of him and inspired that I told him that day I was running the half marathon in 2012. I joined Weight Watchers and started running. It wasn't pretty at all. I couldn't run a quarter of a mile without almost retching or passing out.

     As the weight came off (52 lbs) and I worked at running I became stronger and healthier. I ran/walk my first half marathon in April of 2012 as I said I would. This race meant so much to me and I wasn't going to let anything stop me...even a hit 'n run by a Mini Cooper three weeks before the race!
This photo is from Nathan's first race (2011) and I still tell him he looks like a nerd wearing a sweatband. Maybe if I wear one of these I'll run fast like him???

  This is me in 2012 after I finished my first Derby Half Marathon and earned my first medal. On many training runs I couldn't believe I actually paid $$ to torture myself, but after the race I found myself looking for my next race. Crazy. 

     Unfortunately some health issues got in the way and I gained some weight back and slacked off on my running. I had to start over again and build back up. I became a certified Spinning instructor and started working at the YMCA to mix up the running, and I am still currently teaching classes.  After teaching indoor cycling for awhile I decided to start riding my Trek Fx Hybrid outside. I love riding my bike in the beautiful country. This photo below was taken when I rode over 10 miles and I was so pleased. I kinda wish I still had that bike. I sold it to a sweet girl (who is still riding this bike) over in Louisville. I actually passed her a few weeks ago while out riding...it was crazy! I sold it because I was told (by husband) you don't need more than one bike- BAD ADVICE haha!

     So now I run and bike. I have had a fascination with triathletes for a long time and it was in July of 2013 that I decided I wanted to become one myself. I did lots of research and online stalking to learn more about this sport. I watched the live feed for Ironman Louisville on my laptop on a Sunday in late August. I was mesmerized. 140.6 miles non stop in one day??? WoW! I remember watching a girl (that was about my size) run down the finish line chute and fall on her face. The girl in front of her turned around and helped her up and they both crossed the finish line. I had tears while watching this and was so inspired. NEVER GIVE UP!! I joined the local tri team (Louisville Landsharks) the following week.

     I went to my first group bike ride within a week and it was great. A crazy guy named Carlos was very helpful and taught me some riding skills. I can't say how many times I almost crashed trying to unclip my foot from the pedals. It was hard to keep up but it was a good push. I decided to upgrade my bike to a road bike like the others because they made it look so effortless (good decision). I went to the Mayor's Labor Day "Hike Bike and Paddle" and rode quite a bit with my new bike. It was terrifying because of all the people and I wasn't very steady. Somehow I managed to keep both wheels down, but I didn't bring any nutrition with me and had only one water bottle. I was scorched due to the heat, but we had a "brick" run after the bike ride. I learned what a brick was the hard way which is where you run immediately off the bike. I was dying!! It was so hot. I met a fellow teammate named Jessie that day. I owe her bigtime. She is the one who introduced me to my swim coach, Mike.

     I hated water. I despised the thought of swimming and just the smell of chlorine made me panic or want to retch. I first met with Mike on September 6th, 2013. I posted on facebook how nervous I was about swimming. The more I thought about it the more I became nervous and almost made a run for it back to the women's locker room. Just as I was about to make my break this tall guy said "hey Jennifer" with a smile. Dang. I can't run now. Mike and I talked for awhile before we hopped in the water which somewhat helped. He asked me to swim for him so he could see where to start. I tried my best to doggie paddle and not choke, and Mike knew right away the first lesson will be how to breath. I started out just putting my face in the water and blowing bubbles...so simple yet effective. Within one hour I could travel 25 meters...it wasn't freestyle but I was in water AND moving.

      I remember telling Mike that I was going to do Ironman Muncie 70.3 in July 2014 (10 months away). I could tell he was shocked but impressed that I even had the nerve to attempt it. I had A LOT of work to do. He gave me a highfive and we scheduled a lesson almost every Friday for awhile. Swimming was the hardest thing to learn because I was so terrified, but my new BFF (Best Fish Friend) Bill was so supportive and even took some lessons himself from Mike. It is great to have a pal that understands. I'm wearing the black cap in picture below. This was at the  Shelbyville Tri #1 (click here for race report).

     Now I swim (slightly better than a drowning spastic cat), bike and run! WooHoo! Lot of training to do, but time to start picking out my races! I better sign up for some short distance triathlons before tacking a half Ironman. My first race  was the Shelbyville Triathlon series starting in January and one race over the next 3 months. I registered for the tri series, Papa Johns 10 miler, the Derby half marathon, and few other races including Ironman Muncie! I was sitting on my couch with an ice pack on my left ankle when registering for all these races. I had what I thought was only a sprained ankle...who knew the cascade of injuries began with that. We will get into injuries in a different post, but these injuries rerouted my triathlon and racing plans for most of the season.

Welcome!!

     Welcome to my blog! I am new at blogging so this may take some time to figure out, but once I get everything going I hope it is a website you visit on a regular basis. I plan to discuss lots of topics pertaining to swimming, biking, and running but you don't have to participate in any or all to find this info useful or just plain funny. I will talk about everything from strength training, injury prevention, and recovery to sharing healthy and quick recipes and product reviews along with MUCH more.

     I am a triathlete and I will share details about my training, race reports, upcoming events, and LOTS of funny stories. Those who know me personally know that CRAZY stuff always happens to me so be prepared! I've wanted to have a blog for a long time and i've finally decided it's time. I hope to inspire and motivate others along with providing some awesome information. I need the accountability from my readers to help me reach my goals so that is where YOU will help me as well. I hope you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I will writing it!