Tri tri again

I am one and a half weeks away from the Stoaked Standard Triathlon and I have been busting my butt with training. Some days I feel like I am not giving it my all, like on my rest days, and then there are days like today where I know I am giving it my all.  I spent 30 minutes on the recumbent bike and was cooking on a hill program, with the RPM never dropping below 100 and even hitting 150 at times. It was hot and sweaty and I immediately hopped on the treadmill for another 5 minutes. Five minutes isn' that long, but it was the first time I had a chance to go from a bike ride to a run that quickly. It was a challenge, but doable.
Tonight was the weekly fun run at the Three Stallion Inn and I tackled two miles, running 1.5 miles without stopping and then switching to a walk/run to finish the last half mile.  This was done in only 25m34s which made me extremely happy.
I am feeling better and better about my goal of finishing the triathlon in one piece!

I Heart Camping

Our 4th camping trip of the summer happened last weekend and it was so much fun.
We went back to Silver Lake again, this time with Mom and Lynda and Baxter.  This was Baxter's first time camping and he did such an awesome job. It was also his first time in the canoe and wore his little doggy vest without any hassle.
The food was excellent, including my Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers.  Despite the outrageous heat in the 90's we were able to keep cool and relax without being too sticky and uncomfortable.
I swam from the park beach over to the Barnard General Store, without goggles as they were broken, and it was so challenging! I couldn't put my face in the water or I wouldn't go straight, so I used the breast stroke instead. It was so much more challenging than doing the crawl with the occasional breast stroke for a breather.
I am hoping to get 1-2 more trips in this summer, but we shall see how it goes!

Do you like camping? What is your favorite thing about camping?

Vermont Endurance 100

What a weekend!
Saturday was spent tubing down the White River, so much fun! I didn't get burned, which was nice, and the company was spectacular! What made the weekend really spectacular was volunteering at an aid station for the Vermont Endurance 100, a 100mile and 100k race through the hills of Windsor, VT.  The Keating Aid Station was set at mile 92 and is open from 4pm Saturday afternoon until 7:45am Sunday morning. 
Since I had worked it last year, I knew what I needed to bring and what needed to happen.  I packed in my crockpot, Keurig machine, tupperware containers, screen house, and x-mas lights, chairs, and I am not sure exactly what else!   The screen house was set up and strung with lights, I forgot my radio, but Pandora worked on my phone, so we had Paul Simon radio playing all night long. Of course, we did have power, or none of these things would have been possible.  We kept the water jug full and the Hammer Heed mixed.  We had cups full of ice ready to add to water bottles and hydration packs, cups full of Coke, Mt Dew, and Ginger Ale.  The PB&J and turkey and cheese sandwiches were made in multiple batches and cut into quarters for easy consumption and to keep the waste down.  Oranges were quartered, bananas halved and "zippered" with a slit for easy pealing, the cantelope was wedged.  Gummy bears was the surprising leader in energy, while potatoes and salt were the least touched.  I had multiple runners tell me that my crockpot broth (a few packs of ramen noodles, and a whole bunch of bouillon cubes) was the best on the course.
Not a single runner came through without some major cheering from the entire station, often from the moment we could see them, some 100+ yards up the road.  They were checked in on the clock and every runner and pacer were offered the same assistance of filling bottles, getting them food, telling them what we had.  It was full service.  We even had a stone wall and chairs to offer the runners if they wanted/needed the break. 
The runners were amazing, having come 92 miles, with 8 miles to go. They were all my heroes.  Even the pacers were incredible, as they were running longer than a marathon (30 miles) with no official credit (they already had completed 22 miles when they hit our station)!  When we tried to tell them they were also doing great and were awesome, they brushed it off, the common phrase of "I am just a pacer," uttered by all of them.
The event is incredible, the runners even more so. I cannot wait to do this next year!

Stoaked Standard

So most of my friends already know I am a tad crazy, but they didn't know just how crazy until last week! What did I do? I signed up for my very first triathlon.
I had set a goal for myself that by the end of summer of 2012 I would complete a triathlon. I realize that is next summer and was perfectly content to work on my swimming, biking, and most importantly my running in preperation for next summer. Then I volunteered to work a triathlon on a Sunday that was double the distance of one offered on Saturday. When I volunteered, I was offered to do the shorter triathlon on Saturday for FREE! This was a $50 savings. I couldn't say no.
The triathlon is called the Stoaked Standard, and the one on Sunday is the Stoaked Exterra. The Standard is a 1/2 mile swim, a 10k mountain bike, and a 4k trail run. I am ok with breastroke and side stroke along with crawl for the swim, and I am ok if I have to walk some of the bike portions and some of the running trail. If I am last in on every single event, I am ok with that too. With only 4 weeks total to train for this, my goal is to finish. I do have a stretch goal and that is to finish the swim in under 30 minutes, the bike in about an hour, and the run in under 50 minutes.

Review: Lake of Sorrows

Lake of Sorrows by Erin Hart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lake of Sorrows is the second Nora Gavin novel. This story also follows the mystery of a bog body. The relationship between Nora and Cormac is growing.

All in all, this story sucked me in just like Haunted Ground. Wonderful read.



View all my reviews

Vermont Endurance 100

On July 16 at 3:30pm to July 17 at 7:45am, I am working the Keating Aid station for the Vermont Endurance 100, in Windsor!

This is an ultra-marathon with runners electing from the 100k and the 100mile. The aid station I work is located at approximately mile 93. They are on the home stretch. I am looking for at least one more person to man the aid station with me and two others.

Are you up for the fun? It is a lot of fun, can be a bit intense, and so satisfying. I hope you can help!

 

The Vermont 100 Endurance Race is one of the original 100 mile runs in the USA and a part of the Grand Slam Series of Ultrarunning. Each year, 300 runners attempt to finish this hilly race over beautiful Vermont back roads and trails under the 30 hour cutoff point, and a well-trained few finish in under 24 hours. The current course record is 14:53:09.

 

The host and beneficiary of the Vermont 100 - Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Not only do Vermont Adaptive volunteers put on the Vermont 100 race, they also teach sports, adapted for people with disabilities, rent adaptive sports equipment, and promote adaptive sports throughout New England.

Garlic Scape Pesto

After sniping all of the scapes off the garlic in the garden, we had about a hundred scapes!
Mom put about a quarter of them into a vase on the table. They are beautiful! I wish I had taken a picture.
I took some home, mom kept some, and we made some garlic scape pesto.

Garlic Scape Pesto
8 average sized scapes - trimmed of flowers and rough chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4+ cup cheese, (asiago, romano, parmesean)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
few grinds pepper
optional - lemon and/or red pepper flakes

Start with pulsing the scapes, then add the walnuts and pulse again. Finally, add the cheese, salt and pepper, optional ingredients, and stream in the olive oil till everything is as smooth or rough as you like.

Enjoy!

What a Weekend!

This was the weekend I didn't want to end! It could have kept going and I would have been on cloud nine. Although I guess the reality check and getting back to earth isn't so bad either, as I am feeling so fantastic right now.
It all started Friday night with a bit of relaxation and a good movie at home. No plans and no where to be! It rarely happens.
Saturday was spent lazily on the river, tubing with 30 of my friends and family. It was quite the sight! I couldn't have asked for a better day. I was smart and drank lots of water before hitting the river, since I knew I would be enjoying a few Twisted Teas on the journey. I was also smart and remembered to apply and reapply my 30SPF throughout the day, resulting in sun but no burn. There has never been a time till then that I had gone tubing and had it not result in a burn. That alone made it amazing. That night was a relaxing night of horseshoes and dinner well into the night at the woodfield with the same friends and family.
Sunday was a lazy morning, I slept in until 11:30! It was absolutely glorious. The rest of the afternoon I was in the garden, snipping the garlic scapes, weeding the much neglected gardens, planting more chard and lettuce, and making garlic scape pesto with Mom. I can still feel the tightness in my legs from all the bending over. It felt so good to get back into the garden.
Then came Monday, the 4th of July! Since I am not always supper excited to watch the parade, I jumped at the opportunity to be in the parade with my work this year.  It was HOT. I walked from my apartment to the start, just about 1 mile, and the walked and ran in the parade, clocking in at just under 2 and a half miles. It was SO much fun. I got to see people I haven't seen in forever, visit briefly with friends and family, and enjoy the festivities all while moving and rockin' out.  We had a small BBQ at my dad's, lots of cards, and some great conversation on the porch.
Do you see why I didn't want it to end? It was a truly perfect weekend!

Trail Run & Geocaching

On Wednesday, I participated in my very first fun run on a trail! It was a complete blast, and harder than any run I have ever done. I usually run a mile, and then walk run the second mile. This time however, I only ran about a half a mile and walk ran the second half. Cannot wait to do it again. The "simple" act of lifting my feet higher over roots, moving laterally to avoid roots and puddles, the cush of the grass through the field, the slipperyness of the pineneedles, all made my muscles work differently and so much harder. This is the type of running I could really get into.

 

Due to rain, volleyball was out for me last night. I didn't feel like getting stuck in the rain waiting for Jeremy to come pick me up if things ended early and my step brother wasn't there to bum a lift from.

 

This weekend J has to work. This leaves me home and carless. I am ok with this. I am going to check out a new to me activity of geocaching! I have heard about it in the past, but never thought it was something so "easily" doable. There are 7 caches that are located within walking/biking distance of my apartment, and oodles more within driving and hiking distance. Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.  If anyone is around and wants to join me in Randolph for some fun, I would love the company!

Not enough water and I can feel the difference!

Last week I posted a question about drinking too much water on the message boards. The general consensus was that you can drink too much water, but that it appeared the amount I was drinking was not too much, especially since it wasn't due to extreme thirst. 
To catch you up, I am finding that I am drinking roughly 104-130 ounces a day. The low end on the days I don't work out, the high end on days I do work out. I make sure to include something like gatorade or coconut water on the day I work out as well to help replenish the electrolytes in my body. 
This past week, Friday included, I was not even drinking half that in water! While less than 50 ounces a day in water for some is not that big of a deal, before I started drinking 104+ ounces on a daily basis, I was still drinking at least 64+ ounces in a day. I could really tell the difference this weekend not having enough water. Not only was I not peeing as often (the only positive), I had a very mild headache for much of the time and felt a bit more sluggish. Overall, it was not so great. This was also compounded by drinking coffee and alcohol. 
I didn't have the water bottle with me, which is what made getting my water difficult. So much easier when the bottle is with me! I am pretty easy going with water and have no problems with tap water (especially since that is typically what is in many bottled waters). 
Today I am back to getting my water, without even thinking about it, since the bottle is with me. 

Two Days of Relaxation

Monday, back to work. Dark clouds, off and on rain.  Not the best of days. When is the sun going to come back?
Monday night is a very lowkey night on the couch. A much needed lowkey night! My nights and weekends get so filled up that when I am presented with the opportunity to put my feet up and hunker down in, I take full advantage.
With the lowkey night, dinner was also low key, bagels and eggs. Simple and filling. Getting caught up on Supernatural Season 6 and to bed early.

Tuesday, another day. The weather was still cool, but the sun decided to show itself for a little bit. Still feeling like I am recovering from the cold, rainy, rush pack up from camping last weekend. Another night of couch time, a bit more Supernatural!  Dinner was thrown together from the pantry and freezer and turned out amazing.

Beefy Pasta Sauce

1 package beef - cut into small cubes (I used sirloin tips that had been in the freezer a while)

2 TBS olive oil

1 small can tomato paste

1 large can diced tomatos

1 TBS onion powder - eyeballed

1 TBS poultry seasoning - eyeballed

1 TBS chile powder - eyeballed

salt and pepper

With the heat on medium high, sear the beef in the olive oil, add the seasonings and stir. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes, add the diced tomatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer and reudce heat. Cook for 45 minutes, serve over whole wheat pasta!

Ricker Pond Rain Out & Broccoli Salad

Ricker Pond was camping trip number 2. We have three more!

Friday was beautiful. We were all packed up and checked into our sites by 2pm.  The weather was beautiful and  we had our sites set up in no time. Too bad the weather turned to rain and we headed home a day early. It was exhausting to pack up so quickly and while drenched.

The eats were fantastic!  Burgers for dinner, with a packet of garlic and herb salad dressing mixed into the meat. Served with Swiss cheese and sauteed onions and mushrooms. Killer burgers for camping, no plain Jane when you camp with me!  On the side, broccoli salad.  Rave reviews, and we all ate ourselves sick.  Breakfast was my Sausage Gray & Biscuits.  Jeremy's parents, who were camping with us, had never had sausage gravy and biscuits and fell in love with them.

We had more wood than we knew what to do with, and had the most fantastic fires Friday night and Saturday morning. With those fantastic fires came a really hot ring, that I accidentally touched with the back of my calf. OUCH!

All in all, despite the rain, it was SO much fun. I cannot wait for the next camping trip and my fingers are crossed the weather will be better.

Broccoli Salad
3 large crowns of broccoli - cut into florets
1 red onion - finely diced (optional)
1.5 lbs raw bacon - cooked and crumbled
1.5 cups mayo
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vingear
Salt & Pepper

Mix everything together, chill and serve.

I need to tweak this, I think it needed a bit more sugar, so feel free to play with the measurements and let me know how you tweaked it.

Quiche, YUMMO!

One of my favorite ways to eat an egg is in a quiche. The rich and flaky crust, fluffy and moist eggs, and the add-ins that are limitless, all coming together in a rich filling wedge.

I love the versatility of a quiche, it can be a side dish with a small wedge, a meal with a large wedge. It can be served hot or cold or warm, and it can be enjoyed anytime of the day.

I always start with my grandmothers pie crust recipe, which is called the 100 year old pie crust.  It is by far the best crust I have ever eaten, light and flaky, but holds together when served.

The fillings are endless, these are just two of my favorites.

100 Year Old Pie Crust

Yields 2 crusts

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening

1/4 cup milk

1 TBS vinegar

Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside.

Sift the flour and salt together, and cut in the shortening. It is mixed when there are pea sized balls or smaller.

Mix the milk into the flour and turn out onto a floured surface. Shape into two balls, and flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use. Overnight is better.

Egg Filling

Yields one quiche

8 eggs

3/4 cup milk

salt and pepper

Any dried spices you desire.

Whisk ingredients together.

Filling Options

Spinach and Tomato with Cheese

- Spinach

- 1 Tomato Sliced

- 4-6 ounces cheese, shredded

Caramelized Onion and Ham (or Bacon) with Cheese

- 1-2 pounds onions caramelized**

- 3/4 pound diced ham

- 4-6 ounces cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350degrees.

To assemble your quiche, roll out crust on a floured surface until it is about a quarter inch thick and is larger than your pie plate.  Place crust in plate and trim edges, tucking a little bit under to form a thicker top crust.

Spinach and Tomato with Cheese

Place enough spinach in the bottom to just reach the top of the crust or a little bit more. Its ok if it is high, it will shrink. Cover with cheese, and lightly press on the top to compress the spinach. Add the tomato slices and pour the egg mixture over. 

Caramelized Onion and Ham with Cheese

Layer the diced ham on the bottom, cover with the caramelized onions, and top with cheese. Pour on the egg mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is firm and no longer jiggly.

**

To caramelize onions, slice 1-2 pounds onions and place in large pot with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper, and thyme.  Place lid on and turn heat to medium. Once onions are soft, remove lid and lower head to medium-low and cook for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally. If it seems to get brown to quickly, lower heat

Life is Good!

For the first time in many many years, I got up with enough time to make an egg sandwich to eat on the way to work.  Breakfast is normally oatmeal to cook and eat at work, toast that is barely warm smeared with peanut butter. Some mornings breakfast doesn't happen.  While there is nothing wrong with oatmeal at work, or barely warm toast with peanut butter, its not the same as a nice hot egg sandwich!
Tomorrow its a toss up between a smoothie and another egg sandwich. YUM
In addition to feeling good about getting enough time to make breakfast, J & I also made it to the gym to lift some weights. My how I missed lifting! The power and strength, to know I haven't lost all that I had gained felt amazing. I can't wait to keep it going.

Banana Soft Serve

I am jumping on the banana soft serve bandwagon! With a recipe as simple as throwing frozen banana into a food processor, I realized I had to give it a whirl. Pun intended ;-)

I asked Jeremy if he wanted any, knowing he would say no. He thought I was weird. I made a serving, whirled it in my processor attachment of my immersion blender. It needed a touch of liquid to help it soften and come together; a touch of raspberry syrup made it just right! As I sat down to eat my soft serve, I offered Jeremy a taste. He got this sheepish look on his face, and I asked if he wanted any. Of course he did! He proclaimed it tasted just like ice cream.

While he ate the first serving, I whipped up another batch with a bit of peanut butter and chocolate sauce.  I thought it was delicious!  The perfect sweet treat to enjoy watching TV! I can't wait to make it again.

With my bachelor's degree within reach, I just have to come up with $75 to pay for the graduation fee, I am feeling at a complete loss.   I felt so strongly that teaching was what I was supposed to do.   The struggles and blocks I faced while pursuing my degree were extensive.  I took them in stride; I felt I was being tested to work hard and persevere. I just needed to prove that this was what I wanted and the path I was meant to be on.  Despite the struggles to finish each semester, I did just that and I persevered and pushed through.  Three separate semesters presented major roadblocks to student teaching.  These roadblocks were not small, they prevented student teaching and after the third one, I had to take a step back and reevaluate what path I was supposed to be following.  At this point in time, teaching is not in my cards.  When something speaks that loudly, it pays to heed the notice.  I will pay the fee; I will obtain the degree I struggled to earn, which is starting to feel a bit useless at this point.  I know I can be stubborn and perhaps that is an additional lesson that I should have taken the time to step back, to breath, to consider why finishing was causing such a struggle.  I will get beyond this, I will find a the path I am meant to be on, and when it finally comes it will be all the sweeter.

Homestead Revival: Give Away: Keeping Bees!

Homestead Revival: Give Away: Keeping Bees!: "Keeping Bees Fellow beekeepers and wanna 'bees', I'm so excited to be able to review a new book by Ashly English, Keeping Bees, and share ..."

Sickness

I have spent the last three days home from work, totally sucks! I would much prefer to be at work, getting out of the house, and not winded by walking up the stairs to my apartment.
It has also drastically slowed my couch to 5k work.  Hopefully I haven't lost it all by the time I get back into the gym!

Mindful Eating

I have always been an extremely fast eater.  First one finished, wanting seconds, and around desert time would feel uncomfortably full.  I have tried slowing down, but it has never really happened or stuck.  This is all about to change.

I am going to set my fork down in between bites.  That means once the food is in my mouth and the fork is out of it, I will set down my fork and not pick it up again until I have chewed and swallowed.  At that point, I can get my fork ready for the next bite.

I don't know why I had never thought of this, and I am not the one who came up with the idea.  I was reading a post by Tina of Carrots 'n Cake in which she suggested a daily challenge to see if you could eat one meal where the fork gets set down in between bites.  Small step, large results. 

I took the challenge.  I ate my breakfast and in between almost every single bite, I would set my spoon down.  I wasn't perfect, I had 2 or 3 different times where I noticed I was getting the next bite ready as soon as I had placed the current bite in my mouth.  BUT I noticed.  I set my spoon down.  Even though the spoon was ready, I waited till I had chewed and swallowed before picking it up for that next bite.

What a difference! It took me twice as long to eat my morning oatmeal. 

Thankful

I am thankful for a great many things this year.
I am thankful for the opportunity to complete my student teaching this spring semester and finish my degree.
I am thankful for my old friends who have been there through thick and thin.
I am thankful for my new friends who are sharing new experiences with me.
I am thankful for Kionna, how she always greets me at the door and can make a bad day good.
I am thankful for my family, for their support, their encouragement, and their love.
I am thankful for Jeremy for making me happy in all senses of the word.