Luv What You Do

Balancing a Busy Life with a Healthy Lifestyle

A bike and a Swim {Minus the Swim} May 21, 2013

Filed under: Biking,Breakfast — Luv What You Do @ 9:43 am
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After falling asleep to intense thunderstorms and lightening last night, I was amazed to wake up with the sun shining through our bedroom window.  This morning’s workout plan was a 30 minute bike ride and a 15 minute swim at the Park Center.  However, with the sun beaming, I decided last minute to ride my bike to the gym and then swim and ride home.  I was so eager to try these Apple Eggie Cups (my new name for breakfast) that I devoured the first one without even thinking about a picture.

 

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I peeled the second one from the paper (they got a bit stuck) and then drizzled it with almond butter.

 

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I quickly rearranged my clothes for the morning and with a huge smile on my face, went outside to prep my bike.

 

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It was a gorgeous 60 degrees and as I pedaled along towards the gym, I imagined that this was my commute thinking about how happy that would make me.  Not of course if I was commuting my current 30 miles on the highway, but if I could find a job where riding my bike each morning was possible.

 

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The Park Center is an easy 1.5 mile bike ride through two neighborhoods.  With about 1/2 mile to go, I noticed a funny noise coming from my bike.  When I pulled into the Park Center, I started examining my back tire.  I could hear what sounded like air, but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.

 

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Finally, my eyes settled on a HUGE nail sticking out of my tire.  In my last 4 years of riding, I have never had a nail in the tire and I wasn’t exactly sure what to do.  Part of me (ok, most of me) wanted to head inside and go for a swim. I mean, I just rode my bike in a bathing suit, that should count for something.  But a small part of me knew that with air leaking, I would return after my swim to a completely flat tire.  And with the BOY snoozing away at home, my rescue options were slim.

 

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Instead, I got back on my bike heading for home.  I made it 1 mile before the tire actually got flat at which point, I got off and started to walk my bike.  With about 2 blocks to go, my tire got so flimsy it was falling off the bike.  For fear of putting pressure on the rim and ruining the actual wheel, I decided to carry my bike the last 2 blocks home.

 

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That has to count for an arm workout…right?

 

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My back tire is in pretty bad shape, so I flipped my bike up side down in the garage and headed inside for a shower and a green smoothie. The BOY was already planning to do me a huge favor by taking my road bike to the shop today, so when he woke up, I asked him to strap this one onto the car too.  I know that I won’t last long with both bikes out of commission, and I need my hybrid from Bike the Drive this weekend.  Although I missed my swim, it might be for the best as I have had a bit of a cough all weekend.  Plus, I got to enjoy some quiet down time this morning for a smoothie and blogging before going into work.

 

 

Have you ever had a nail in your tire?

Car or Bike?

 

 

This whole incident reminded me of our flat tire in Florida last year!

 

Weekend Over May 20, 2013

Filed under: Breakfast,Life,Running — Luv What You Do @ 9:18 pm
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Our weekend (stay)cation is over and it was back to the real world, complete with laundry and car maintenance appointments.  But first, I got in one last weekend workout.  I was debating between the bike or a run this morning, and my 10 mile race only 5 days away convinced me that another run in my new shoes was the way to go.  I headed out in the heat for a 6 mile run.  The last two days left my legs exhausted, so my miles were slow averaging around 9 minutes.  I arrived back home and beelined straight to the coconut water.  I was happy with my shoes throughout and I’m figuring if they are ready for 6 miles, then why not give 10 a try on Saturday?!

 

Lunch was BBQ leftovers before the BOY and I drove out west to drop off his car for scheduled maintenance.  Nearby the car dealership is a small outlet mall with a GAP, Banana, Reebok, and Ann Taylor.  The BOY and I walked around discovering bright spring clothing.  I picked up a few $6 tops for work and an adorable black and white striped tank.  Our next step was Good Will and then Jiffy Lube for an oil change for my car.  After 5 hours out and about, I returned the BOY to the car dealership, swung by the grocery, and finally made my way back home exhausted.

 

The BOY made us another tasty dinner on the grill while I dove into laundry and a few other chores.  We have more than enough food for leftovers this week, but I have been wanting to make these Apple Streusel Egg Muffins for weeks!  Finally, I had an evening to do it, BUT after I started, I realized I only had 4 eggs left (the full recipe calls for 9).

 

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Go figure!  I proceeded on cutting the entire recipe in half.  Since I already started the apples, I pulled half out to save for another time.  Apples + Cinnamon = A Happy Combination!

 

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I stirred all of the ingredients together and baked them in muffin liners for 30 minutes.

 

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My house smelled like my favorite breakfast place that is known for their apple pancakes.

 

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My muffins turned out a little darker than expected, most likely because I added some extra cinnamon.

 

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It’s another busy week ahead, so my plan is to have these protein packed muffins for breakfast on the go throughout the week.

 

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The good news is that we had an awesome weekend.  The bad news…I didn’t get to my closet cleaned (and now I have more clothes!).  More good news…I love this breakfast!

 

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Ok friends…It’s back to the work week!

 

 

 

Apple Streusel Egg Muffins

From Fast Paleo.com

 

Ingredients

3 large apples, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (approx. 2 cups)

3 Tbsp. warm water

2 tsp. cinnamon, divided

9 eggs

1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

3 Tbsp. coconut milk (or almond milk)

1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut flour (tough to find but I finally located it in the WF bulk bins)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium skillet, sauté the apples, water, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon until the apples are the consistency of chunky applesauce or apple pie filling (this took me ~30 minutes). Allow the mixture to cool before combining with the egg mixture.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, coconut milk, coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add the cooled apples, reserving 1/4 cup for a garnish.
Spoon egg and apple mixture into parchment cup lined muffin tins—1/4 cup each. Gently spoon about one teaspoon of the remaining apple mixture onto the top of each muffin.
Bake for 40 minutes*.

 

*Note-my half batch was ready in 30 minutes and probably could have been taken out closer to 25 minutes.

 

Drop the Tension May 19, 2013

Filed under: Dessert,Yoga — Luv What You Do @ 10:44 pm
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It’s been way too long since I’ve been to a yoga class!

Which is why despite staying up late drinking wine with the neighbors last night, I woke up this morning determined to go to yoga.  Upon waking, I immediately began to rehydrate, chugging tons of water.  My studio has a few classes on Sundays, so it was easy to get to the 11:30am class with a fantastic instructor.  The moment I walked into the studio, I knew I’d made the right decision.  A few minutes later, I was laying supine on my mat, excited to be back, and starting to sweat in the warm studio.  I love the atmosphere at my yoga studio, and it’s because of scheduling conflicts that I don’t get there more often.  Today’s class started slowly with breathing in stand and then we plunged right into sun salutation while The Lumineers Stubborn Love played in the background.  During an early downward facing dog, the instructor came up to me and gently rotated my shoulders.  ‘Good’, she said, ‘Now drop the tension in your shoulders’.  Ahhh…I let the tension release from my shoulders and my entire body.

 

Truth be told, there hasn’t been a lot of tension this weekend.  The BOY and I intentionally didn’t make plans knowing we wanted to celebrate the end of his second year of law school with some time together.  We were moving non-stop yesterday and had the best day!  And today was another unscheduled day.  I let this feeling of weightlessness carry me through the rest of the class which included some challenging poses (like bound Warrior III).  By the end of the class, I was both exhausted and exhilarated.  I soaked up the peace of shivasana before heading back into the sunshine and driving home.

 

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This afternoon turned into an impromptu BBQ with the neighbors (planned last night over wine).

 

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We pulled together some tables, cracked open cold beers, and ate grilled meat and veggies.

 

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For dessert, I made one of the BOY’s favorite recipes…Caramel Brownies!

I just searched my blog and couldn’t find this recipe anywhere.  Is it possible that I’ve been blogging for this long without sharing this recipe with you?  There’s no way!  If you find it on the blog, please let me know!  I swear I remember bragging about how much I love these caramel bits!

 

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They make these brownies super easy!  Which is why I could pull them together after yoga this afternoon.

 

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No worries…I’m sharing this recipe now and you will thank me : )

 

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Save this recipe for your next impromptu BBQ!

And as you head into the week, remember to ‘drop the tension’.  I know that’s my game plan!

 

Caramel Brownies

 

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped (if you can find the little caramel bits, that’s the way to go!)

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix (my favorite is dark chocolate or triple chocolate!)

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a heavy saucepan, combine caramels and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; set aside. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk by hand until dough holds together. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan, reserving the rest.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust, pour the caramel mixture evenly over the chips. Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel layer and return to the oven.
Bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool in refrigerator to set the caramel before cutting into bars.

 

Eat warm or frozen!

 

Tidbits of Saturday

Filed under: Breakfast,Dinner,Life,Seafood — Luv What You Do @ 12:03 am
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Wake up (kind of), roll over, open eyes, blink at alarm clock, 9:30! No Way!!!

Consider going back to sleep, see the BOY smiling next to me, realize that I really should get up.

Stare at pantry considering breakfast, based on options, decide to make pancakes, sprinkle them with cinnamon.

 

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Change into biking clothes, apply sunscreen, fill water bottles, prepare fuel for BRICK.

 

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Don helmet, reset watch, reset mileage, ride out towards the path.

Ride north towards Barrington, enjoy the fresh air, smile and nod at fellow bikers, turn around and head back towards home.

 

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Enjoy the green trees and cool breeze. 

 

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Ride 16.75 miles in 70 minutes, which is longer than expected.

Arrive home, ditch helmet, change shoes, head back outside.

 

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Adjust 30 minute run to 20 minutes for time’s sake, return to the path, legs feel tired, but body feels strong.

Finish 20 minute run covered in sweat, drink cold water, cool down, take a shower.

Make lunch, lucky to have random leftovers of turkey burgers and lentils.

 

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Drink lots of water, pack up a snack (cantaloupe), and drive to the movie theater.

Order an iced tea, get comfy in seat, remember why I love this theater.

 

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Watch Star Trek movie, this is a GOOD movie, you should go see this movie!

Movie is over, must use the bathroom after drinking huge iced tea, pick up wine of the month at Cooper’s Hawk.

Drive home, take a few minutes to chill out, get ready for dinner, watch the Preakness, get excited about seafood.

 

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Decide to wear white before memorial day, haters need not comment.

Drive to Bob Chinn’s, get excited about no line, sit down, order dinner, and chat with the BOY.

 

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Love every bite of dinner, drive back home, crack open wine, and sit out back listening to music and chatting with the neighbors.

 

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Is there any better way to end the day?

 

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Share a tidbit from your Saturday!

 

Five for Friday IV May 17, 2013

Filed under: Life,Turkey — Luv What You Do @ 7:52 pm
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1. Thanks for your amazing comments on my Why I Love Triathlons Post.  That was such an easy and fun post to write, and I hope that I inspired at least one person to give the sport a tri!

 

 

2.  The BOY made turkey burgers on the grill for dinner tonight.  Can I tell you how awesome it is to walk in the door after a long week of work (and a bad commute) and have him heading out to the grill to make us dinner?!

 

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3. Things have been a little crazy around here, and I currently have a pile of clothes from turtlenecks to shorts and tanks on our guest bed that needs to be addressed this weekend.  The BOY and I have a day of closet cleaning and clothing donation ahead of us.  Sounds like fun…right?

 

 

4. This week in workouts, I went swimming for 30 minutes on Tuesday (then sat in the hot tub for a good 10 minutes) and continued to break in my new running shoes with a 40 minute run on Thursday.  Weather permitted, I have a BRICK planned for tomorrow.  I am digging my new shoes and hoping they are ready for the Soldier Field 10 Miler next weekend.

 

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5.  I booked our next trip to Door County (in August), and I seriously can’t wait!  We enjoyed our dinner with some wine from our favorite winery in DC.  It was soo smooth and delicious!  We need to get back and restock!

 

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Tell me something about your Friday!

 

Why I Love Triathlons! May 15, 2013

Filed under: Triathlon — Luv What You Do @ 9:45 pm
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If someone had asked college Jen to do a triathlon, she probably would have laughed in your face or called you ridiculous…most likely both.  Although I have always been a runner, I hadn’t owned a bike since elementary school and my swimming skills consisted of sitting on a float at the indoor lazy river on Sundays with my hungover friends. TRUE STORY!

 

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If you read my running history, then you have some idea of how college Jen grew into a half marathoner and eventually a triathlete over the last 10 years.  I’ve completed 4 sprints and 1 Olympic distance triathlon since falling in love the sport in 2010.  Truth be told, my initial motivation was…well, if my younger brother can do, so can I.  And last year, I beat him in a race (sorry kid!). 

 

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The idea for this post came to me during Monday’s BRICK workout.  With my first triathlon of the season rapidly approaching (less than 4 weeks away…yikes!), I was excited to get back into my training schedule.  As I was riding, I started thinking about what makes a BRICK workout so exciting and why it is I keep sign up for these demanding races. 

So without further ado…

 

The Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Triathlons

 

1. They make me feel strong and capable

If you can swim, bike, then run with a smile on your face, then can’t you take on anything?

 

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2. I remember to treat my body well

This means eating right to fuel long workouts, getting plenty of rest, and dealing with stress.

 

3. They challenge me both physically and mentally

Anyone who runs knows that it is as much of a mental challenge as it is physical. Rising to that challenge is an indescribable feeling!

 

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4. Triathletes are a warm and welcoming crowd

I love meeting other athletes, especially during local races.  Before my first triathlon, I went swimming in Lake Michigan to face my fear of open water.  After 15 minutes of wrestling into my wet suit, I was beyond intimidated before even sticking a toe in the water.  The nicest man (and fellow triathlete) talked me through it, gave me tips, and gently encouraged me.  That was the day that I learned that finishing just one race makes you part of a supportive community.

 

5. Training makes for good dinner party conversation

People are amazed to discover my triathlon hobby.  I think because they don’t realize that anyone can complete a sprint triathlon, you just have to train.  Before I knew anything about tri’s, I was always interested in what motivated someone to try this race and what the training looked like.  There’s always a lot to talk about in regards to equipment, workouts, and chaffing stories.

 

6. They give my weekends direction

I am motivated to get up and at ‘em Saturday morning when I know that I have a scheduled workout to do.  They get my day started and the weekend started right! (See Number 1)

 

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7. Cross training prevents injuries and boredom

Each day is a different combination of running, cycling, and swimming.  For me, this prevents burn out because if I don’t want to swim, I can grab my bike and head outdoors and if I’m not in the mood to run, I know where to find the pool.  Cross training (along with yoga) keeps my muscles balanced and prevents overuse injuries.

 

8. It’s a healthy hobby that gets me outdoors

I’ve never been very crafty and don’t collect coins or stamps.  It’s good to have something non work related that interests and challenges you.  It’s even better if it supports a healthy lifestyle!

 

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9.  I learn something new each time

I am a total rookie at the sport and love soaking in the knowledge of experienced triathletes and learning tips and strategies along the way.  In every race, I face a new fear (hi, open water!), overcome an obstacle, and push myself farther.  Although I still haven’t learned to braid my own hair : )

 

10. My entire family gets involved

My brother and mom have both done tri’s and my dad is the best photographer out there.  The BOY is the first one to put my bike on the car in the morning and has the strength to take it off after the race when I am heading straight for the shower.  There’s always someone to celebrate with me after a nap.  This upcoming triathlon will be really fun when the BOY and I host our families for a Father’s Day BBQ after the race.

 

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Have you ever done a triathlon?

Do you want to?

What do you love about your hobbies?

 

Meal Planning with Tony’s and the Grill May 13, 2013

Filed under: Dinner,Life — Luv What You Do @ 8:27 pm
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It’s the BOY’s first real day off all semester and so no surprise he headed straight for the grill!

This afternoon, he made us a healthy lunch!  After which we drove off to check out the latest new grocery store in town.  We are so spoiled with a newish Whole Foods, the brand new Mariano’s, and now a Tony’s!

 

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I’ve heard only great things about this store which is located throughout the Chicago area, and we now have one of our own.

 

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Their produce is extensive and well priced.  The BOY found himself lost in the meat aisle and the seafood had my mouth watering.  Speaking of watering mouths, this expansive pastry counter was filled with rich, colorful, and decadent sweets.

 

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It didn’t take the BOY long to pick out a few of the 79 cent treats for dessert tonight.

 

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We left will a full cart for a more than fair price!  The BOY went straight to the back yard to prepare tonight’s pulled pork in his smoker.  I got comfortable in the sun with a new lighter book by one of my favorite chick lit authors.

 

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It was a successful start to the week, and meal planning is a cinch now that the BOY is doing most of the work on the grill!  Although sadly tonight, his smoker yielded smoked pork instead of pulled pork.  I had an easy substitute frozen veggie burger, but I could tell the BOY was disappointed at he at his smoked pork sandwich.  Next time, I will go back to this crockpot pulled pork recipe which was incredible!

 

This Week in Meal Planning…

Monday: Smoked Pork (made by the BOY) Veggie Burger

Tuesday: Stirfry at my parents

Wednesday: Grilled Seafood (that we picked up at Tony’s)

Thursday: Dinner out

Friday: TBD

 

 

Have you ever been to Tony’s?

What is your favorite grocery store?

 

 
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