NJ State Triathlon - Pre-Race Fun

I decided to make this a two part story...the reason being is I had such a great time before the race and finally had the opportunity to watch the race that I usually do - from the sprint perspective. This year CGI NJ State Triathlon was split into 2 days - Sat was the sprint race and Sun was the Olympic. There are about 3,000 people that do this race and it is quite hectic and a long day for those of us that do the Olympic when in the same day. Last year, I don't think my wave started till 9:30 or so and we had to be out of transition by 7am...so that was pretty much long and tiring.

Friday - Package Pick-up, Pre-Race Dinner #1 and Sleepover....
Nicole offered her home to Christine on Wed when we went swimming (see last post) and running, so of course, I get jealous (I mean what about me, I'm still coming to watch and part of the group!!). So we were going to sleep over Nicole's then get up for the race. I should note the temperature at this point - it is going to be 110 degrees on Sat with humidity...

I have hydrated all week with electrolyte drinks and water - I feel like I am going to grow a hump (you know a camel???) - Anyway, I have been still nursing the calf cramp from last Sunday's 9 mile run, it won't go away, trigger point foam roller, stretching, nothing. So I decide to take Fri and Sat off, it can't hurt and maybe it will go away...maybe...

3:30pm I am packing up work, can't deal, and meet Nicole at Mercer County Park to pick up mine and Christine's packet and then back home to make the most awesome salad....

Blueberry, Apricot, Gorgonzola, Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Sliced Apricots
Blueberries (1/2 container)
1 bunch of asparagus, rinsed
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Springmix
Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Vidalia Onion

Toss asparagus with olive oil and sea salt - grill on medium meat for about 15 min - turning consistently. When cool chop up in smaller bite-able pieces.
Axl got some asparagus too...
Chop apricots (I left the skins on)
Chop onions
Toss together with blueberries and spring mix

Vinaigrette
Dijon mustard
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
5-6 blueberries
Agave Syrup

Add 1:1 ratio of Olive oil to balsamic, mix in a few squirts of dijon mustard, a couple drops of agave and mash some blueberries. Whisk or use a salad dressing spin thing...
I add the gorgonzola separate.
...and then as I was saying about me hydrating - I also had this craving for a "New Dew" that I had at True Foods in Phoenix last week...
here is a picture of it at the restaurant with a tuna edamame salad
So here is what I did to re-create. I bought a container (1/2 honeydew) already chopped...
I blended 3 cups of water in my food processor. Strained the mix, added some agave, 2 juiced limes and some mint...
OMG - so friekin good....but it only made two cups so I didn't share :)
Then I left for Nicole's with some movies, my spectator outfit (a new Lululemon top...) and PJs, an air mattress and my salad.

Nicole made a nice spread. We had some grilled chicken with a spicy marinade from the Islands...
and then some lemon parsely pasta (see prior pre-race posts for recipe) and an awesome fruit salad.
Oh yeah, and I had a beer - cause I wasn't racing ...and I knew that would happen tomorrow after the race...lol

We didn't get to bed till late, since we were busy talking about tomorrow and the race.

5:30am Wake up!!

I left them to go to the park while I went to Starbucks and got my camera ready, I would be their paparazzi as you will see below!!LOL

So I met up with them as they were getting the numbers on...


Found Bill and went to the starting line to watch...(BTW - Bill is doing the Olympic with me, so we were there for heckling purposes...), I was getting nervous for them. Now I know how my mom and dad and Mike feel everyime they see me get in that water.

The girls were off...
me being the paparazzi - I got shots everywhere...
coming off the swim....



getting on the bike
I was a crazy person, I would update twitter and facebook so our friends could track them...I would take a pic on the iPhone to upload and then the next on my camera...I am still laughing, I think I was overwhelmed with emotion...
while waiting at the last 400 m to the finish watching people pass, I started being "that spectator" you know the one that yells at everyone with the quotes "you got it!", "nice job, looking good, almost done, just around that corner", "give it all you got", "sprint it out, the finish is right around the corner." I couldn't believe this was coming out of my mouth. I didn't get any "F - U" but I think most were happy, I could see it in their eyes, I got alot of "thanks" from the 60 and above crowd, a couple smiles from the ladies. This was my part of the race that I really needed that last piece of positive enforcement...I felt all good, I saw Christine and ran across to catch her at the finish. I was crazy excited!! They both finished a great race.




These two are rockstars and did great despite the ridiculous heat...


Back to my house for pool, bubba burgers (low fat), fruit, and a pasta salad....

Taper Week before the Olympic

I am now closing in on my 13th weekend of HIM training out of 20...wow!! I had a pretty tough two work weeks including traveling to Phoenix and Houston and managed to follow the majority of my plan including long bike on Sat after flying in and getting home at 2am the night before followed by a wonderful 63rd birthday dinner for my mom's birthday.
...where we were able to open a bottle of Chianti that Mike and I bought for them when we went to Castello de Meleto in Italy back in 2007 which was their reserve 2003

...t was amazing - so glad we waited!!
Sunday morning I woke up at 9:30 to ridiculous heat and did my long swim and long run before leaving for another flight. I have to say I was glad Mike made me bring my fuel belt for the 90 min run (last 2 miles was a run/walk due to calf cramp.
oh yeah! And it made it all worth it because I went to Lululemon in Phoenix and bought the Totally-Tote-Tastic-Tote (I snagged the idea from the California Training blog) - I love it!!!!!

I was tired, Monday was a 13 hour work day so it didn't seem like a good day off, I flew home on Tuesday and physically and mentally was drained. Plus, I still had a calf cramp from Sunday and a groin pain. So I did a yoga tape, my trigger point which is great, watched some TiVo'd True Blood, a glass of wine and dinner, and went to bed.

Wednesday - Christine, Nicole and I went to Marlton Lakes and did a 1/2 mile open water swim...

followed by a 3mile easy pace run

followed by water ice :)

Thursday - I went on a nice flat ride for an hour. I averaged about 19 -20 but it was fabulous with the wind. I came home and made an awesome dinner of Wild Red Sockeye Salmon and Quinoa with Kale, Garlic and Portabellos - this is my 20 min meal (move over Rachel Ray and your EVOO...)
Recipe for Salmon (remember I am Italian - we don't measure)
skin side down on foil, turn on grill to medium heat.
Brush salmon with grapeseed oil (cuts the fishy flavor nicely), balsamic vinegar, and sliced garlic and seasoning of red pepper flakes, garlic and parsely.
Put on the grill until cooked through...

Recipe for Kale, Garlic, and Portabellos

1/2 bunch of kale washed, veined and chopped
1/2 pack of portabello mushrooms
8 cloves of garlic
lemon juice
red pepper
white vinegar
Olive oil
salt/pepper
quinoa

Boil 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa with 1 cup water
once it comes to a boil put on simmer for about 10-15 min

In the meantime, sautee olive oil, garlic and mushrooms on medium heat.
Once softened, add kale, some lemon juice, and red pepper, cover and let it steam.

Use a medium size bowel, mix mushroom/garlic/kale with quinoa, add a little white vinegar, salt and pepper and some parm cheese (if you want)

Eat with the salmon - Delish!!!

And I almost forgot - I had a DogFish Head Palo Santo Marron with notes of vanilla and caramel...yummy... I had that as my dessert.


Tomorrow is race pickup and for the first time I will be a spectator on Sat at the NJ State Sprint to cheer on Christine and Nicole! I will be racing on Sunday with my friend Bill in the Olympic race!! Stay tuned for Pre-Race news and Post-Race Report!!!

Thoughts from the Trainer

So I had an incredible week so far...
Monday - Long Run (postponed from Sunday) - 80 minutes but i needed to walk about 10 minutes since it was ungodly hot and humid and I did NOT bring enough water.

Tuesday - Bike for 1 hour and 30 min with 5x5 min Hill intervals and 5 min recovery (from the trainer) - AGAIN RIDICULOUSLY HOT - us in NJ were reaching record breaking temps

Wednesday - HOT - so decided to do the run in the morning and the swim in the pm. I did a run for 40 min that included12 x 1 min in Z5+ and it was in Z5+ and 1 min recovery. Then in the early evening I did a 2500 m swim workout

• 350 wu
• 8x25 drills (fingertip, r/l, dps)
• 9x75 hard with 45 s rest
• 8x25 all out sprints with 20 s rest
• 8x25 kick
• 350 cool down

Thursday - Brick - went on the group ride for 25 miles sockless - we averaged about 18 with some sick hills and then did about 3.4 miles in 28 minutes (awesome for me).

Friday - Swim about 2100 meters

• 350 wu
• 8x25 drills
• 5x200 intervals with 20 s rest (moderately hard)
• 4x50 sprints with 20 s rest
• 350 c/d
  

Sat....so I had all these wonderful plans, I was meeting my friend Susan for a 50 mile loop and was very excited but the weather called for thunderstorms and rain so that was post-poned till next weekend and here I was stuck on the trainer for 3 mf hours...

1. 8:30am - get up make myself cottage cheese and 1 slice of smart carb bread with pb and apple butter
2. 9am - switch my tires, change into tri suit, fill my bottles, clean up
3. 9:45 - it begins with the finishing of an episode of Pretty Little Liars...I know I can't believe I watch it either..
4. 10:15 - Start a Treme episode - I love this the music gets me going and I was zoning.
   
5. 11:15 - I am bored!!!! But I keep on going, I start some visualization - I have Olympic in 2 weeks and in 9 weeks I will be doing my first 1/2 ironman
6. 11:30 - Christine calls - we talk about the long run tomorrow (still on my trainer), and next week doing a swim at Marlton Lake and a long run (well me long run, her for part).
7. 11:35 - Next episode of Treme - I love the music did I say that?? I love Nawleans! Makes me want to go see my bro...
8. 12:15 - Fall of trainer....have no clue, maybe not set up right...
9. 12:20 - Back on trainer - been taking about 3 Gu Chomps, 1 water bottle done, sweat is on the floor nice...
10. 12:30 - Crap this is going to be the most difficult mentally challenging 15 min.. I want to scream, what do I watch!!!
    
11. 12:35 - I decide on the Hills 100th episode - what is Kristin doing now? Will she hook up with Brody...Guilty pleasure
12. 12:45 - I am friekin' done!!!!!

Now on for work, and then blog, work again and then get to go hang with Tanya tonight for her belated birthday - I hope she loves her present!!!!