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?!

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.

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!

Tell me something about your Friday!

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!). 

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?

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!

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)

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!

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.

Have you ever done a triathlon?

Do you want to?

What do you love about your hobbies?

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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?

Luckily, I have complied a list of easy and delicious healthy week day breakfast options…

Breakfast Stirfry

Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Smoothie

Dough Boy Smoothie

Hot Banana Breakfast Quinoa

Overnight Oats in a Jar

So on the weekends (and Mondays), I like to do something a little more fun.  For example…Pancakes!  Yes, this blog is full of them.  Mostly because they can be made quickly, offer tons of flexible options, and fuel a morning workout.

This morning, I went with a twist on the 2 Ingredient Pancake adding in some leftover quinoa for protein and texture and cinnamon because that just makes everything taste better.

I ended up with a plateful of tasty mini pancakes that I couldn’t wait to devour!

There’s just something about starting off your day (and week) with a warm breakfast that just feels fun!

By 10am, the weather had gotten about as warm as it was going to get for the day.  At 57 degrees, I was slightly disappointed, but it was time to climb onto my bicycle.  Over the last week, I didn’t get in all of my workouts (because it was busy AND because I was recovering from my half marathon), so I knew today needed to be worthwhile!

I was happy that I added a long sleeve shirt before going outside because on my bike, the wind was chilly!

I had the most peaceful and enjoyable 11 mile ride this morning.  The 45 minutes whizzed by as I soaked up the sunshine.  All of the water from the flooding is gone, and I swear that the grass and trees look even brighter than a week ago.

I finished up my ride, returned my bike to the garage, and headed inside for half a Larabar and to change my shoes.  I have retired my original Pure Cadence shoes after the half marathon, and thought that this morning’s BRICK would be the perfect slow and steady run to start breaking in my new shoes.

BTW, I can’t even begin to express how excited I am to have purple running shoes!  Although the same shoe (Brooks Pure Cadence) this is the second generation so it did feel a little different on my feet.  I ran for 30 minutes and this time took off my long sleeve layer to the heat and sun.  As I was walking out the door, the BOY started talking about lunch.  When I arrived home, he had a rich beer on the container with chicken prepped for the grill.

I showered and got started on laundry, and the BOY excitedly manned the grill out back.

He made himself a colorful Buffalo Chicken Wrap.

And I stuck with simple grilled chicken, a sweet potato, and veggies.

He made extras so I’d have lunch for the week.  AWESOME!

The sun is calling my name, so I am heading out back to hang with the BOY.

Happy Monday!

Banana and Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients

1 overripe banana, mashed

1 egg + 1 egg white

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Cinnamon to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Preheat skillet or pan over medium/high heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Drop batter onto skillet with 1/4 measuring cup.  After ~5-7 minutes flip pancakes if ready.  Let sit another 4-5 minutes. 

Serve warm with fruit, syrup, nut butters, coconut or your favorite toppings.

What is your favorite easy week day breakfast?

What do you like to make for breakfast on the weekends?

I spent the most fantastic day with my parents.  We started with a long walk through the forest preserve following some paved and some off roading paths.  Then devoured a delicious lunch before stumbling into the GAP outlet.  We finished the afternoon with a grocery cart filling trip to Woodman’s.  With the sun shining and the conversation flowing, it really doesn’t get much better than this!

Unless of course you count yesterday’s fun family BBQ!

Sadly there are no pictures of the event but plenty of stories that will be circulating for months : )

The day started off early and innocent enough with the first of two trips to Starbucks for tea (me) and a breakfast sandwich (the BOY).  Then I boarded the train for the city.

When I arrived, I was nose deep in almost finishing this book.  When I exited the train station, I saw this spectacular view of boats cruising down the river. 

It was amazing to see the passengers bundled up and sipping their morning coffee while we watched and waved from the bridge.

A few blocks down, I spotted this colorful 2 wheeled three dimensional art work.

I loved it!

I continued walking towards Soldier Field enjoying the views along the way!

And stopped for another warm beverage before arriving at my final destination.

Since I was early, I had an extra fifteen minutes to sip and read (this time really almost finishing my book).  I ended up reading the last 15 pages this morning.  This dark, twisted, thriller is a good read, so definitely add it to your summer list!

A few weeks ago, my brother and some friends and I decided to volunteer for St. Jude at the American Beer Fest.  As my brother said, ‘this is combing two things that I like…beer and volunteering!’  It really was a win-win!

We arrived at 10:30am, so the venue was still pretty quiet. 

Well into the afternoon, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the stadium was packed with beer drinkers.  Our job was to promote St. Jude while having fun, playing games, and handing out prizes.

I spent most of my day at the football toss.  I couldn’t figure out why I woke up so sore this morning.  I don’t think it was spending 4 hours of my feet, but squatting repeatedly to retrieve the footballs from the floor.  I probably did hundreds of squats yesterday! 

When we were done volunteering, we had time to actually check out the beer fest before heading up to Lakeview for a pre Mother’s Day BBQ with our families and friends.  The entire evening was a blur of eating, drinking, talking, sharing stories, catching up, and just enjoying being together!  It was a BLAST!

This weekend was an awesome way to quick off the summer season.  Luckily, I have tomorrow to recuperate : )

What was the best part of your weekend?

But, you can enjoy last year’s post and read her beautiful mother’s day post!

Last night as I was pulling it together (you can prep ahead to save time in the mornings), it occurred to me that my bananas weren’t ripe enough.  Like that ever happens…usually I am overloaded with overripe bananas (hence all of the banana bread).  I knew that I could follow the recipe without banana, but that the nuttiness of the quinoa needed a little something sweet to balance the flavor.

The only thing available in my house was some natural applesauce, so I decided to give it a go.  I also added in apple pie spice and then placed my concoction in the fridge overnight.  This is totally not necessary but helps speed things up in the morning.

This morning, it took just 3 minutes and breakfast was ready.

I topped my quinoa cake with almond butter which was delicious (although not so colorful).

It was quite a filling breakfast that kept me moving almost until lunch (my stomach started growling around 11:30am), which was only slightly embarrassing.

The Baked Apple Breakfast Quinoa was good, but my favorite remains the banana!   Although if my bananas are still green, this will make a good stand in for tomorrow’s breakfast.

So now that I showed you how I started the day…let me also share how I finished it (in terms of food anyways…there was some Downton Abbey involved as well).  Another easy and healthy dinner…turkey taco salad!  Even easier because the BOY had the turkey done before I  got home : )

Do you eat quinoa for breakfast?  What’s your favorite recipe?

Baked Apple Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 egg + 1 egg white

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Chopped apple (optional)

1 tbsp ground flax

Apple pie spice

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Stir well.

Microwave for 3 minutes until center is set and cake like.

Cool slightly before eating.

Top with jelly, nut butter, coconut, maple syrup, etc.

Except I knew exactly what I wanted to do!   I must admit even the neighbors were confused to see me home so early as I hopped on my bike and headed for the forest preserve path.  Note: this is a bad sign that your work/life balance is off!

The trail was bustling with bikers.  I saw at least 10 in my first 3 minutes and there were certainly WAY more people out biking than walking or running.  It was exciting for me to be on the trail with my peeps (as opposed to first thing in the morning), and of course, I was thrilled to get in another outdoor bike ride.

The main goal of my ride was to enjoy being outside with a secondary goal of working some lactic acid out of my post-race legs.

It was incredible to see the lush green grass and the trees and flowers beginning to bloom.  I wasn’t sure how much of the path was still flooded and was bummed to see this section still covered.  I debated turning around, but in the end slowly forged ahead.

It was a little deeper than I expected, but nothing my hybrid couldn’t handle.  While riding, I made a mental note to make an appointment to take in my road bike for new tires.

Back home, I have a quiet evening ahead of me.  Although it is stunning outside (74 degrees and sunny), the BOY is currently taking a final, so he was not available to grill me up some dinner.  I had to resort to my trusty oven.

I was able to make a simple and satisfying dinner that was hands off enough for me to check some emails and make some phone calls.  I had a sweet potato too, but I messed up my timing, so I ate that when I finished my fish.

Check out tomorrow’s lunch leftovers (there’s fish under there too)!

Easy Week Night Dinner Option…

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place precut broccoli on pan and drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle garlic powder and sea salt.

3. Scrub sweet potato and pierce with a knife.  Place sweet potato in the oven first.

4. Place broccoli in the oven about 10 minutes later.

5. Take two tilapia fillets and place them in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the fillets and sprinkle with seasoning (I prefer Cavender’s Greek seasoning).

6. Bake your fish for about 15 minutes, your broccoli for 35 minutes, and your potato for 40 minutes*.

*All times are approximates

Dinner is served!

My go to fish is salmon, but this fresh tilapia was a nice change…it got me thinking about how amazing a pistachio or pecan crusted tilapia would be…maybe next time!

What do you like to do when you get home early during the week?

It’s been an odd start to the week as I have to go in to work for a few hours this afternoon/evening.  Then tomorrow, I have the morning off before spending my afternoon as a teaching assistant.  After a few weekends of work/travel, I was looking forward to getting back into my meal planning groove.  However, between my schedule change, the BOY’s late night finals, and a sushi date with my girl friends on Thursday, there’s not much planning to do.

I did finally make it to the grocery store this morning in order to restock our house with food…specifically fresh fruits and veggies!  We were in a sad state as evidenced above by the lone garlic.

With the start of May, I am excited to detox my diet.  I mentioned this in my May goals, but didn’t have the energy to elaborate.  My plan is to return to a cleaner way of eating that includes no processed foods and tons of fresh produce.  I know that spring weather, farmer’s markets, and the BOY’s love of BBQing make this a much easier task.  I also know that I have exciting races and a fun trip abroad (details coming soon) planned where I will want to look and feel my best.  Now, that’s what I call motivation!

I kicked off the week with a colorful salad with tuna.  I picked up some fish for dinner tomorrow night and decided on simple and easy to prep turkey tacos for dinner on Wednesday.  That’s about as far as I got with this week’s meal plans.  I know the BOY is excited to work through his last few finals so that he can get back to the grill and his new smoker.

This morning I treated my tired body to a much needed day off.  After yesterday’s PR, it deserved some rest, but I am looking forward to getting back into my tri training groove later in the week.  My official race results from yesterday were posted, and I was spot on with my own self timing…

30-34 Female Jennifer 1:49:46.54 Streamwood, IL

What’s fun is that I placed 11/40 in my age and division and 205/850 in the entire race!  Combined with a PR, I am proud of my early season effort! 

Quick question for ya’ll before I head off to work…I am looking for some healthy and easy to prepare ideas for lunch…maybe even salads that can be made ahead.

Any suggestions?  Please post your links!!

Not ever…just this morning…and maybe just this early in the morning.

As you all know, I am the type of person who really enjoys running, racing, training.  But, I’ve been in continuing ed classes 2 out of the last 3 weekends and out of town the other weekend.  Needless to say I am just exhausted!  Like curl up on the couch and take a nap 2 minutes after you  wake up exhausted.  It was the promise of an afternoon nap and and the realization that my friend was picking me up in 30 minutes that actually propelled me out of bed at 6am this morning.

Also not helping was that I overdid the carb load yesterday.  There was some tasty cookies and scones at the course during the day and I definitely didn’t measure out my pasta like I usually do.

This is for sure more than one cup of pasta.  But soaked in olive oil and garlic and topped with grilled chicken and mushrooms, it makes a fantastic pre race meal.  With a few squares of dark chocolate for dessert, of course.

My friend arrived right on time as I was packing up my bag.  I grabbed my overnight oats for breakfast to eat on the way.  Note: we truly have NO FOOD in our house and I stopped by the store last night to buy chicken and 1 banana to get me through race days meals.  We parked at the  high school and then hopped a bus over to the race site.  I ran this half marathon a year ago and was excited to do it again because it is well organized by friendly people along a beautiful forest preserve course.  The weather could not have been better and it really was was the PERFECT morning for a run, making me happy that I did indeed get out of bed this morning.

It’s been no secret that I am hoping to PR my half marathon time this year.  I came close to cracking 1:50 last year, but just couldn’t break through.  With a list of reasons I won’t name (although a few mentioned above), I was comfortable with this morning’s race not being my PR.  That being said, I still had that 1:50 in the back of my mind.  Last year, I hit a HUGE wall at mile 8 which may have been dragging down my confidence a bit, so I hit the start line hoping to beat last year’s time, but not really remembering what that was.

I never know how much detail to share in a race recap.  I’m sure you don’t want to know every thought in my mind for 13.1 miles….some days neither do I.  But because each race is so different, it is fun to share some of the details.  My friend and I hung together for the first 2 miles before I pulled ahead.  With last year’s BONK fresh in my memory, I didn’t want to go out too strong and was just hoping to keep a consistent pace.  The first few miles were a struggle.  I was tired, couldn’t find my rhythm, and struggling to keep my race belt in place.  At one point, my race bib (also the timing chip) came loose.  Around mile 5, I walked through the aid station, drinking some water with my first batch of nutrition (Larabar) and finally got my belt adjusted.  After that, I was able to find my running groove.  I was glancing down at my watch to get my mile splits as I crossed each mile marker, but in between I let my body determine my stride and pace. 

The mind/body connection during running amazes me.  My mind is saying ‘Go! Go! Go!’.  Yet my body is saying ‘Wait…we haven’t trained for these distances and speeds’.  I found this morning that my mind was just waiting for my body to give up and shut down.  Thankfully, I passed the dreaded mile 8 and mile 9 makers with no signs of a BONK.  By mile 10, I knew that a 1:50 PR was within reach and I wanted to finish the race with every mile under 9 minutes.  I allowed myself to slow a bit, walk through the water station, and focus on keeping my stride smooth.  I passed the bright yellow mile 12 sign right at 1:40.  With confidence, I continued along the path towards the finish…except I rounded a corner to find a gradual incline and a headwind that brought me to a halt.  Ok, not a literal halt, but I definitely felt the wind seep out of my sails.

And my PR slip right through my fingers.  I used my mind to push my body through that last mile knowing that I’d be proud no matter what (and vowing to train better for my next half marathon).

When I passed mile 13, I just took off letting adrenaline fuel me to the finish line!  This always makes me laugh because in  my head, I was sprinting full speed ahead, but who knows how fast I was really going.  I stopped my watch as I crossed the finish line and excitedly looked down to see my unofficial time of 1:49:46.  I could barely walk to get my medal, my legs were sore tired and stiff and I have a huge new blister on the bottom of my right foot.  I happily took 2 bottles of water from the volunteers and slowly made my way with frequent rest breaks to the sidelines to cheer on my friend to the finish.

After the race, we took a few minutes to stretch and I definitely thanked her for dragging me out of bed and to the race this morning.  We snacked on some Great Harvest bread and a cookie before heading back to the car.

I was crazy sweaty, so I immediately showered when I got home.  The BOY was studying and heading out to the library just as I climbed into bed for an afternoon nap.  I slept for 3 blissful hours.  I probably should have done some foam rolling before napping, but didn’t think about that until I stiffly got out of bed for some afternoon errands.  I came back from Costco with a car full of goodies.  Shortly after, the BOY returned from the library to pick me up for an early date night a Yogurtland!

It’s been way too long since we’ve been out for fro yo, so it didn’t take much convincing to get the BOY out for a sugary dinner.  I filled my cup up high with some of their new flavors, including a fantastic Chai, and covered it with cookie dough balls and some other tasty high calorie treats.

The BOY has an evening of studying ahead of him, and I am looking forward to a quiet night in!  And maybe a little QT with my foam roller while catching up on some TV on the DVR.  That PR has left me tired and a little sore!

Do you like to read/hear other people’s race recaps?

Every details or the abbreviated version?

The official stats aren’t posted yet, but hopefully I have that tomorrow!

Mile Splits

Mile 2: 8:06

Mile 3: 8:21

Mile 4: 8:15

Mile 5: 8:17

Mile 6: 8:29

Mile 7: 8:08

Mile 8: 8:25

Mile 9: 8:16

Mile 10: 8:26

Mile 11: 8:46

Mile 12: 8:34

Mile 13: 8:25