What to eat, what to eat what to eat????? Always a question, especially when you throw in some activity.  I am finally back on track and into the groove training for the upcoming triathlon season.  I am fortunate enough to live in North County, San Diego.  Today's workouts are a 35 minute easy run and an hour swim. I ran through the San Dieguito Lagoon and a pretty good clip. I love the lifestyle here.  Running down the Pacific Coast Highway with the crashing waves off to the right or through the lagoon trails is pretty amazing. It's hard to believe that only two years ago I was living in Vermont making special mixes for my ipod so i could endure yet another treadmill workout. It truly doesn't get much better that this!  Anyhoo, the dilema is what to eat between workouts that is quick to make, nutritious, contains that 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio which is key for muscle recovery;  tastes great and won't come back up in half an hour when I start my swim.  The answer? Yet another Green Smoothie. Bonus--extra calcium and vitamin k from the tangerines and spinach.

To see more Foodsense Now Smoothie recipes

The "In between Workouts On the Fly" Green Smoothie

• 1 Cup Plain Soy Yogurt (I use Silk as it has the least amounts of sugar)
• 4 Cups Organic Baby Spinach
• 1 Ripe Banana
• 2 Seedless Tangerine, Peeled and left whole
• 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed

Combine in Blender until Smooth.  Makes about a 16 oz smoothie.

Enjoy!

-LM

by Leslie Myers

Greetings and Happy New Year!

The beginning of the New Year welcomes a time where most people reflect upon their lives and set goals for the weeks and months to come. As I am developing the Foodsense, Now! "Positive Eating Plan", I thought that I would share with you a few thoughts.  In my mind,  taking care of your health through mindful eating is the best thing you can do for yourself.  Of course you will be faced with a myriad of choices on how to do this.  One could say, off the cuff, that adopting the basic acronym "K.I.S.S" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is the mantra you need. Eating well is not complicated!   It doesn't require elaborate concoctions of protein powder, micromanagement of nutrients and calories or "magic" pills. If you follow some basic guidelines, you will be successful in your endeavor. 

Welcome to the Foodsense, Now “Positive Eating plan”.   If you are making some changes within your diet (drastic or not) then this plan might present a new outlook on how to fuel you body on a daily basis. This is not about a diet of the conventional definition.  We find “diets” to be limiting and unrealistic. Diet is the proverbial four letter word.  Instead, the Positive Eating plan is about a lifestyle which embraces whole, unprocessed food while eating frequently enough (5 times a day) so that you don’t feel deprived and lethargic.

Whole, Unprocessed Food This is the cornerstone of the Positive Eating plan.  The Western diet has evolved into one that is laden with unhealthy fats, sugar and chemicals.  And look at most of us!  America is obese, unhealthy and lethargic.  We recommend that you eat food that is organic or naturally-raised whenever possible.  

Seasonality The Positive Eating Plan follows the seasons and celebrations in life. For example, in the spring you are more apt to see dishes which include asparagus and rhubarb; citrus and artichoke. Summer might find plans with more grilling preparations, berries and melons. Late summer will bring raspberries and corn. And you will see more stews, hearty greens and squashes in the winter. Our plans will also acknowledge holidays and provide you with ideas and recipes to stay on track

Breakfast It IS the most important meal of the day.  Some of my biggest “flops” (if you will) during my quest to eating well have been on days when I have skipped or skimped on breakfast (or have eaten something just downright unhealthy!).  A healthy, hearty, whole food breakfast will set you up for success for the rest of the day. As I write this, I have just finished a toasted sprouted whole-grain English muffin spread with a ripe avocado….  Conventional?  NO! (At least I’ve never seen that on any breakfast menu).  Tasted Great and Nutritious and Wholesome?  ABSOLUTELY!!! (not to mention the alkalizing, low glycemic benefits of such a meal).

Smoothies and Shakes Another cornerstone:  I’m a huge fan of smoothies and shakes.  Basically you let the blender do the first part of the digestive process for you (the chewing).  We list a few different kinds for mini meals, but if you are comfortable with one type, then by all means make the same one each day.  One of our clients wanted (and needed) to kick a processed sugar/office candy bowl habit and did so by drinking one 12-16 ounce  “Chocolate Antioxidant” shake a day (NOTE: in my opinion, it is not Chocolate that is bad for you, but all of the refined sugar and hydrogenated oils  found in commercial chocolate)  I’ve been on a “green smoothie” kick for the last year because I love the idea of eating raw kale but I find it difficult to get through the chewing phase—can you say bovine?  Problem solved: let the blender do the chewing and you will reap all of those exceptional vitamins and minerals housed within the cellular walls of the kale.  Can you say “Nutritional Powerhouse”??? HECK YEAH!!!!!

 At any rate, find the smoothie recipe you like the best, or vary them day to day.  Make it in the morning and put it into something portable.   Enjoy as your first or second mini meal. And, on one of those days where you are so busy, you can substitute a smoothie as a meal. 

 Salad  A quick, weekday meal is a 10 minute preparation of salad. The good thing about salads is that the cleanup is minimal.   You will see 3 large salad-based meals a week for dinner in the Positive Eating plan. The other 4 nights, you are provided with healthy versions of more conventional meals.  But if you are under any sort of time crunch, I recommend defaulting to some sort of crispy, crunchy salad.

The Best Easy Salad for dinner

I was preparing a salad for someone who came to my house for dinner.  I asked him if he made salad at home. His response was “no, they always seem like they take too much time to make”.  I’m thinking to myself …Hmmm….You chop some vegetables.  You really just have to make sure that your refrigerator is stocked hmmm….With the convenience of prewashed organic greens, making a salad is a snap.  Plus, there is a minimal amount of clean up.  I eat this probably 3 or 4 times a week. I do not measure, and if you are eating alone it is nice to catch up on reading while you slowly savor each bite.  Sometimes it takes me a half an hour to eat a big bowl.  While bottled salad dressing is convenient, and there are some well made ones out there, I prefer to make my own. You can keep it raw, you can keep it vegan.  Or you can add a bit of protein

Start with: Assorted Greens (Mesclun mix, spinach, Arugula or anything that seems interesting).

Add any combination of:

• Sprouts
• Purple Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Red Onion
• Fennel Bulb, thinly sliced
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Bell Peppers
• Radishes
• Celery
• Summer Squash

• Small amounts of:
• Raw nuts
• A small amount of crumbled cheese
• Nutritional Yeast
• Chopped Egg
• Dried Fruit

• Some Protein options
• 2-3 oz Grilled Fish or Chicken
• 2-3 oz Canned Wild Sockeye Salmon
• 2-3 oz Sardines or Smoked Oysters
• 2-3 Thinly sliced lean meat
• A quarter cup of leftover cooked grains such as Brown Rice or Quinoa

When you don’t have the time to shop, prepare and or cook…….

Stay ahead of the game by keeping your kitchen stocked! I always have on hand two or three ingredients for salad; sweet potatoes and avocados on the counter;  cans of wild sockeye salmon, smoked oysters and organic beans in the pantry;  nut butters and Ezekiel wraps in the refrigerator.  In a pinch, you can prepare a salad or a wrap.  I also will cook extra brown rice, quinoa or barley and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (it also freezes in portion sizes extremely well).  That way, if I want to make a quick stir-fry, sprinkle it on greens, or doctor it up with spices, herbs and fruit for a salad, it already cooked and ready to go. 

Be mindful, but not militant.  Sure, there  will always going to be a time during the week when you are faced with a not-so-healthy eating situation; the spontaneous office birthday cake; the holiday party; the barbeque at a friend’s house; a business dinner; you’re stuck in the airport; or “d*&% it, I just wanted that deep-fried twinkie…!” etc.   If you deviate from the plan, then just SAVER it!!!  Then accept your actions and get back on track as soon as you can and MOVE ON.  Life is a composite of senses and experiences. 

Habits …..If you are someone who “fuels” continuously throughout the day with coffee and and/or soda, we recommend that you curtail this habit as much as possible.  Switching first to Green Tea and then to Herb al Tea is a great way to transition.

Refrain from using artificial sweeteners.   (Stevia is a natural sweetener and a great alternative to Equal, Sweet and Low and Splenda…there is a reason those lab rats developed tumors…).  Savor your morning cup of coffee (or savor it in the afternoon).  Limit your coffee to one cup a day.  Believe me, you do not need to drink it all day.  If you are one of those people who keeps a coffee cup or soda can permanently attached to your hand, remember that it is just a habit you formed somewhere in life and you can break it.  But do so slowly. Incremental changes are the key to success.

Soda….I am convinced that we wouldn’t have the obesity problem (actually, epidemic) that we do today if people would cut soda out of their diets.  Soda and “Energy Drinks” are typically made from high fructose corn syrup, water, and other ingredients that are difficult to pronounce.  What is energetic about that?  So why would you want to put THAT into your body?  Diet soda??? Well, it is full of additives…. ‘nuf said!

Activity

To look and feel your best, you should exercise at least 4-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day.  There is no diet or eating plan in the world that produce the results which you get from exercising regularly.  If possible, make exercise the first thing you do each day if you find that it is a challenge for you to work it regularly into your day (if you are one of those “git ‘er done” structured people, then my hat’s off to you—you probably fit in your exercise regardless of the hour).  You will then start the rest of your day refreshed, relaxed and clear-minded.  And you won’t run the risk of running out of time to do it.  Again, MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.

Enjoy the Foodsense, Now Positive Eating plan.  We have had tremendous success with it in our own lives, and we hope that find that as well.

“Be mindful, not militant”

“Positive Eating for a Healthy Being”

So I signed up for the Silver Strand half marathon a couple of weeks ago. My first real race since May. I haven't done any serious triathlon training since mid July and I have more or less only been running.  I have never taken a six month hiatus from racing before and jumped back into it with a long distance race.  Ugh. Half marathons are a persnickity distance. I usually start breaking down at the 9 mile mark and it is usually at that point i remind myself that I should never race longer than a 15k.  I typically suffer through the pain, lose a couple of places, finish. Then I wait a few days, forget about those last 4 miles, and start looking for another one to race.  

My coach and I had a discussion about pre-race food a week or so before the race.  Kurt is a renouned coach as well as an accomplished nordic skier, cyclecross and triathlon racer. And a closet chef. He convinced my that a high glycemic breakfast 24 hours before the race would be the best thing for topping off my glycogen stores.  Hmmmm, said the foodie in me. A white bagel? Bisquick pancakes?  Frosted Flakes?  Ugh.... 

Inspired by the autumn season (okay, I live in San Diego now, but there are flecks of gold and spots of russet admist the flora and fauna), I decided that Pumpkin Pancakes would be the day before-top-off-the-glycogen-stores meal that would carry me through this crazy race.  I was laughing inside because, given my non existent-to-light training over the last 4 months,  I don't know if I have actually done anything to deplete my glycogen stores.  But I went with the theory.

The day before the race, I rose at 5:00 a.m., went on my last short "shake out the legs" 25 minute run. Came back and fired up pumpkin pancakes with pepitas (pumpkin seeds-which contain alot of iron) real maple syrup (I probably don't really need to qualify that with "real") and sliced banana. It occured to me that pomegranite seeds would make a beautiful garnish as well as give a nod to the antioxidant bandwagon that we all seem to be on these days. Pancakes came out great--throughout the course of the day I also managed to eat a sesame bagel and a ciabatta roll (how's that for high glycemic fodder?), a GT Kombocha, 2 bananas, a large bowl of stirfried brown rice, tofu, egg and vegetables, a cup of tomato-based seafood stew, a clif builder bar, and probably a total of 8 oz of really good craft beer as I was sampling beers that day-my day job hazard). I chuckled at the thought of my mostly "brown and beige" food intake.

Race day came and started the day with green tea and soymilk, 1 cup of organic applesauce and a 2 piece of brown rice bread with raw almond butter and my best freind Jessica's homemade strawberry jam. I had a banana and a ginormous coffee with soymilk about 1 hour before the race.  Just before the 7:30 start, I lined up at the front of pack and waited for the gun to go off.

In typical fashion, I felt great but had a feeling I was going out too fast as I did not see another woman around me. Oh s*&@, here we go.  At mile 3, a bike rider positioned himself just in front of me and he told me that he was the "lead female escort". Pretty cool, I thought, I get an escort. Let's see how long this will last.  A pack of men passed me at the 5.5 mile point. I knew I was slowing down but was still in the lead. I hit mile 9 and felt like laying down on the side of the road but I didn't want to lose the lead. Or the cool escort!

This is where my Ironman experience paid off. At many points of long distance racing, especially triathlon, you hurt. But then you push through it and you feel better.  I knew that when I hit mile 11 there would be a slight downhill and a tailwind. But I was dying. At the turnaround I saw the second place female who was 40 seconds behind me. And THEN it was only 2 miles. I made a decision that I was going to dig deep and give it my all (not always the case with me late in a race). There was no way I was going to lose this one. I tend to draw alot of energy from a crowd, and knew that there would be alot of people on the last 1/2 mile of the course. So in my skewed calculations I called it "a mile and a half left".  I told myself "for 13 minutes you can do anything" and I ran as fast as I could. As I got closer to the finish, I repeated the mantra only dropping the number to 12. 11. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3....and then I saw the finish.  I crossed the line. In first place. Wow.

Was it the pumpkin pancakes? I'll take those over Frosted Flakes any day!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Note This recipe makes 12 to 15 pancakes. You can cut recipe in half or freeze any uneaten pancakes for an “on the fly” breakfast down the road


Ingredients
•    2 Cups Spelt or All Purpose Flour
•    1.5 tsp Baking Powder
•    ½ tsp Baking Soda
•    1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice
•    3 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
•    ¼ tsp Sea Salt
•    1 Egg plus 2 Egg whites, lightly beaten
•    ¾ Cup Organic Canned Pumpkin
•    1.5  Cup Soy Milk (or any type)
•    1 tsp vanilla extract
•    6 Tbsp  Agave Nectar or Grade B Maple Syrup
•    Cooking Spray
•    Pepitas, Sliced Banana, Maple Syrup and Pomegranite Seeds

Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Flour, Baking Soda, Flax Seed, Pumpkin Spice and Sea Salt.  In a medium bowl, beat Egg and Egg whites until frothy. Whisk in Yogurt, Milk, Vanilla Extract, Pumpkin  and Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup.
Coat griddle or skillet (preferable non stick) lightly with cooking spray.  Preheat griddle on medium heat and lower to medium-low heat. Combine the egg/milk mixture with flour mixture into large bowl.  Stir just enough to incorporate—batter will have lumps!  If you overmix the batter, the pancakes will be tough. Ladle 3-4 oz batter (about ¼ Cup) onto cooking surface.  Cook until bubbles formed on top of pancake just start to pop (about 1:15-1:30 minutes) Flip with Spatula and cook on other side until golden brown for about the same length of time.  You can hold pancakes in a warm oven (200-225 degrees) while you cook the rest.  

Serve with Pepitas, Banana, Maple Syrup and Pomegranite Seeds

Before you say "eeewwwww", you need to try this. Oh boy, this is a good one! Maybe I am being a little over enthusiastic about this but If there is one immediate incremental change you can make in you diet, this is it. Drink a green smoothie each day. While an apple a day is good--the Green Smoothie (GS) is better. The vivid emerald green color, while atypical of smoothie, tastes neutral.

Here's how drinking green has affected my overall being

My teeth are whiter--hmmmm.

I don't get crazy cravings for sugar and simple carbohydrates ESPECIALLY if I drink this before

I don't have to chew tons of greens to feel like I am getting my healthy greens.

Green Smoothies are a great way to get you greens into you WITHOUT having to masticate them yourselvs. At first you might be put off by the color

Release of nutrients

Very Simple

Great way to use up ripe, bruised fruit, parsley stems, etc. No real recipes

For Green Smoothie Recipes The classic Green Smoothie, Lemon and Ginger Green Smoothie, and Pineapple Green Smoothie Click here.

...am I doing here? :)  Friday afternoon before race day Sunday.  I say this slightly tongue in cheek because I would imagine most of us racing are asking ourselves the same question (some with a little more decorum!)

It's funny. I think I am fit. Correction....I think that I look pretty fit, but I get among a group of high test athletes and I feel like an oddity--there are women here with ripped, no, SHREDDED biceps and quads.  The energy level is high. The exicitment is deafening. For me I basically did the training for a short course race and am now trying to apply it to a long course race.  Will my experience and relatively healthy lifestyle (minus my "keep it real days") carry me through this at an acceptable (mine only) level?   

When I tell people that I race Ironman triathlons, they are mostly impressed and sometimes in awe. I quickly correct them. GIVING BIRTH is hard. SERVING YOUR COUNTRY is hard. We have basically been living in a narcissistic world of training and racing. We look good and feel great because of it.  And some of us talk too much about it any chance we get. I think that this is the only sport where you can actually BUY a big beautiful finisher's trophy for yourself (saw this today at the expo and just about peed in my pants laughing)--do we really take ourselves this seriously? Wouldn't that be like buying yourself an engagement ring?

Back to the food side of this, and the humor. Life can be very rich and the minute I landed in Burlington, Vermont after a red eye flight from Las Vegas. My great friend, Jessica, picked me up and we beelined for Healthy Living--an independent Whole Foods-esque type store owned by my friend Katie Lesser. I was ESTATIC to purchase beautiful, local produce from the farms that surround Burlington (farmer's markets are a bit of an anamoly in Las Vegas).  This is one of those simple pleasures in life that everyone should have the oppportunity and the means to do. We then ventured back to her house up a dirt road in Richmond.  Tooka run with her husband Chris (who is racing his first Ironman onSunday) and Bernie, their 10 year old Jack Russell. We shot the breeze about the mass swim start strategy and admonished people who post their entire training logs on facebook. It was a blast. It is one of the first runs this year where I did not use my ipod and instead took in the amazing bucolic summer scenery while enjoying the company during training. I could have run forever.  I missed the comraderie of training.

Made a big salad with all of the local produce and greens and Jess ordered some organic flatbread from the local bakery. Jim and Bob joined us and we had a wonderful, simple dinner with a bottle of wine, Corona beer for Bob (can't teach an old dog, right?) and plenty of insight and laughter. Couldn't have had a better first night in Vermont, except that Courtney and Marc weren't there...

Friday Morning July 24th

Breakfast 5:00 am.

• 1 Ezekiel English muffin
• 1/2 Avocado
  

We'll see how this race goes.  No expectations--just a fun day with a long workout

Cheers

Les

It's taper time--well, it's actually been taper time for the last week. Going into an Ironman race, you start backing off of the long stuff about 2 and a half weeks out. Taper time Taper Time Taper Time--I feel like the zaney dog that is about to get fed (or the one in that "Snausages" ad)..

I have missed a fair number of prescribed workouts during my preparation for this race. But I've actually stuck to all of my training this week. Not too difficult since the time factor is only about 50-60% of what I'd should have been doing in the peak of my training. But I'm feeling pretty good. And light (even with my 36 hour food binge at the beginning of the week-LOL). I haven't done alot of long runs or rides, so it will be a little bit of a crap shoot for me to have any sort of a PR (personal record) next Sunday. Yesterday I ate pretty well and met some friends for a glass of wine on the early side of the night. In bed by 9:30 p.m.

4:40 a.m. Up and about

5:00 a.m. Breakfast

• 2 piece Brown Rice Toast
• 1/2 Avocado mashed on toast (not sick of this breakfast yet!)

5:45 a.m 1:20  bike ride

Saw a coyote slinking up the left side of the road--very cool. Vegas being Vegas, had a pretty decent head wind at the beginning of the ride. Tons of riders out. Perhaps they have been inspired by Tour de France (TDF). Felt good on the bike.  Watts output was decent.  Okay, so it was really good. In the thespian world, a bad dress rehearsal usually means a good performance and vice versa.  Does my stellar bike ride today mean I will have a subpar performance in Lake Placid???

Took Ipod.  One ear in. Love the Barbie World song..."I'm a barbie girl, in my barbie world".... What you put and play on your Ipod kinda reminds me of singing in the shower--it could be complete CHEESE and noone has to know. Unless of course, like me, you post it in your blog!

Transition Run with Tempo.  Tempo being the dog, not the pace (or anywhere near it).  It was a bit of a Fartlek type run, as Tempo had to stop and smell the roses (or in this cases, the markings from other dogs) 20 minutes

8:15 a.m. Recovery Smoothie/Slew of Vitamins

I swear that a smoothie a day keeps the doctor away--at least the kind which is fortified with 2 Cups of Spinach.  I've been having a craving for plain yogurt over the last two weeks. Yogurt + 2 Cups Greens + a Cup of Frozen berries + whatever fruit you have to use up in your house + optional nutrition boosters (bee pollen, Vitamineral green and flax seed) = health and lean body!!! And calm mind!!!

• 1 Cup Organic plain Yogurt
• 2 Cups Organic Spinach
• 8 Strawberries (had to use them up)
• 1 Cup Organic Frozen Blackberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 Cup fresh pineapple (just had it around)
• 1 packet Stevia
• 1 tbsp Bee Pollen
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp Vitamineral Green  

8:45 a.m Get ready for work

The past two weeks I've had some fascination with makeup. Top four reasons are as follows:

1. Maybe it is beacuse I've been watching TOO MANY "Sex and the City" reruns while doing my indoor bike riding (because it is soooo friggin' hot and windy in Vegas, I've been on the trainer and treadmill)
2. Maybe it's because I work with a couple of people who look like they have their make up applied professionally.
   
3. Maybe it's because Sephora was giving out all of these samples. I dunno. Yesterday I tried a green eye "crayon" from Sephora with brown and green eye shadow (Bring back the 70's...but it works!) Maybe not for a triathlon.. 
4. Maybe it's because I'm a Barbie Girl. In my Barbie World. Okay, I'm not, but I keep playing that song everytime I plug the ipod in for a run or ride. Hee Hee!

10:30 a.m.

• Some spicy pulled Chicken--about 1 cup.
• GT Kombucha Raspberry Drink--16 oz

12:30 p.m.

• 1 Chocolate Mint Clif Bar

3:30 p.m.

• 1 Baked Sweet Potato
• 5 Raw Flax Seed Crackers (homemade in the dehydrator)
  

8:00 p.m.

• Small amount Quinoa with some Greens
• Bite of fresh Corn on the Cob
  
• Glass of my never ending Sangria

I definitely front loaded the day calorically--but that seems to work for me. I like to wake up slightly hungry. One of the quickest ways to shed a little of (yes Coach Kurt, I'm quoting you) your cosmetic bulk is to eat lightly at night. There is a old addage--Eat Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper.  Follow it and you WILL see results!
 

Getting my inner "Barbie" groove on...have a great weekend!

-LM

I hesitate to even blog this, but real is real and I was having a horrible day on Monday.  13 days out from the Ironman race. Missed two days of workouts. I had had some late night pizza the night before (breaking all rules).  Under alot of stress and not enough sleep, I was engaging in a familiar pattern of consuming alot of simple carbohydrates. Emotion over intellect, as I know better. The day started well, as I thought I might have a "Raw food" day. I had 5 bananas between 7:30 a.m. and 12:p.m.  

3:00 p.m. Fish Tacos et al--Staff Meal at the Restaurant

Started out by making a salad of tomato, cabbage and cilantro slaw, guacamole and salsa.  Thru in some crispy fried halibut (because it was there). Seriously, there should have been someone standing there asking me "Do you want to supersize that?"  Had more of the  crispy halibut and then a few chips dipped into that Nacho cheese stuff. Cheese food. What the heck was I thinking?

Followed that up with 2 Pecan sticky buns--we have really good ones at work but we always have a ton left over so they make their way out to the p.m. staff buffet.  I'm stuffed.

Still a little down and out as I left work about 5:30 p.m..  Not really hungry, but felt like I wanted some sensory satisfaction through food. I think the proper term for this is "Emotional Eating".  So where do you go when you are down and out in Vegas, kinda hungry, and looking for a distraction??????? A CASINO, BABY!

Don't hold this against me. I actually hate the casino culture and usually avoid them AT ALL COSTS. I left the strip, drove home. I have one of the nicer ones by my house "Red Rock Casino". There is a restaurant in it "Salt Lick". which is a BBQ place out of Austin, TX. I run by it a few times a week and the smell of the smoked food is intoxicating. Seriously, literally INTOXICATING.  I'm thinking that I will gamble a little (out of character) at the bar so I can get a free beer (not a bad selection) and possibly order something to eat. I just wanted to unwind, forget about the day, and do something out of my usual routine. 

Put 20 bucks into the machine as a sat the bar a nursed a Pale Ale. Decided to order a BBQ plate which included BBQ Pork and Slaw sandwich (I don't eat pork but it was recommended and I was slightly out of my mind), a side of smoked macaroni and cheese and a berry cobbler. The plate comes. It smells terrific. I eat the huge portion of macaroni and cheese, nibble some coleslaw and sauce off the sandwich and take a bite of cobbler. And order another beer. Decided that meat is a really a vehicle for good sauces and flavors and am not really into the PORK but the SAUCE. Thought briefly about ordering a bowl of sauce then thought the better of it. I get the sandwich and cobbler wrapped to go.  Great, I think, Tempo is getting a dinner from left field.

Bloated but broke even on the gambling.  Tempo is estatic for about 2 minutes as he wolfs down the sandwich and cobbler (what a goat belly!)

Followed this up a couple of hours later (9:30 p.m.) with a glass of wine and some really good blue cheese as I curl up on the couch and watch "He's not really that into You".  Ladies, pay heed to this movie. It's true....remember this. Men Will Move Mountains....meaning that if a guy is in to you, he is, and will do anything to see you.  I remember having one awesome date weekend with a fellow triathlete who had been fairly persistant in trying to see me. We seemed like a perfect fit and I was slightly smitten. When I left, he said he would call that night. He called 2 nights later and left a voice mail in the wee hours about how he forgot to charge his phone, blah blah blah. He asked me to get in touch with him and I sent him an email.  A week went by and he called again at some weird hour and left a message that he had just gotten my email and "gee, he didn't know what happened, your email might have gone to spam..".  I was ever so slightly bummed for about a nano second but figured it out pretty quickly.  He wasn't that really into me. Confirmed by a couple of my male training partners.  Anyway, good movie.

Went to bed at 11:45 p.m. If this isn't Ironman sabatoge, I don't know what is. 

Get on the scale the next day and had gained 3 lbs. But back on track with my usual salads, GT Kombucha, vitamins and Smoothies, proper sleep and prescribed workouts--weight off and Ironman here I come!  

As I reflect on this past monday, I realize that every once in a while you have to cut loose. Make it the exception, not the rule, and you will be fine.  Maybe during an Ironman race taper isn't the optimal time, but don't beat yourself up if you fall off for a day. Or two.

Be mindful, but not militant, and have a great day.

And triathletes will move mountains.

Looking forward to Lake Placid

-LM

by Leslie Myers

Today marks the LAST LONG BIKE RIDE before Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP). Randy was a true sport and agreed to go with me on my 6 hour ordeal. At my behest, he also burned some new music for my Ipod included the "Barbie World", "I feel like a woman" by Shania Twain, "Dani California (RCPS) and more MJ-yay!  The trick to riding long in the summers in Vegas is 1) get up at the crack of.....whatever you want to call it.  In my case it was 3:45 so we could be on the road just before 5:00 a.m.) 2) Start with Frozen waterbottles.  As many as you can carry (I had 3).  Bring money. More than you think you need--seriously, it cost more to drink on a hot 6 hour bike ride than it does at any happy hour in Vegas:) and finally, at the suggestion a couple months ago from coach Kurt, a LOADED Ipod!

Breakfast 4:15 a.m.

Blackberry-Spinach Smoothie

You are probably wondering if I have gone completely off my rocker. I mean, what athlete eats a bunch of spinach before a long workout? My theory is that apes and guerilla eat leafy greens all day long--so why not try it?  The smoothie is purple, thanks to the blackberries, creamy (thanks to the yogurt and banana), sweet (thanks to the fruit and packet of Stevia) and even give the copious amount of spinach, the green flavor was undectable. 

Blackberry-Spinach Smoothie

• 1 Cup Strauss Family Organic Yogurt
• 1 Ripe banana
• 1.5 Frozen organic blackberries
• 2 Cups (yes 2 Cups) organic baby spinach leaves
• 1 packet Stevia
• 1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed 

Randy and the Cupcake...

Randy has a nice habit of addressing the girls in his life (at least the ones he likes!) by "sweet names" such as "dumpling", "struedel" or "cupcake".  After about 2/3 of the way on the ride, he pulled up next to me and queried "How are you doing, cupcake?". My brain being as food forefront as it is, started to dream about all of the different kinds of cupcakes; Red Velvet with 7 minute frosting; German Chocolate Cake with that ooozy coconut icing; Lucsious Lemon with tangy white spread; and the ubiquitious Devil's Food. Damn, I want a cupcake!

Bike Ride 5:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Miles--lots (okay right around 100)

Heat --hot (okay, right around 100)

Water bottles et al--alot (okay, right around 100.  No, just kidding, about 8)

Broke down and bought a 20 oz Coca Cola at about the 5 hour point.  Tasted great and drank it within about 3 hilly miles

Off the bike and on to a short transition run. 

12:30 p.m.

• Another Blackberry-Spinach Smoothie

2:00 p.m

• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Red Sauce
• Broccoli

4:00 p.m.

Artisan Cheeses. Several Tastes. At work and doing a tasting. Really good cheeses!

10:00 p.m.

• More Artisan Cheeses and a Salad

12:00 a.m. 

Half a dozen Snow Creek Oyster on the Half Shell--yummm!!!!!

1:30 a.m. Sleep.....with visions of cupcake dancing in my head

Had the pleasure of a little email smack talk today with a friend who is racing Ironman Lake Placid. THIS banter always motivates me to train. Got to bed late last night, so slept in until 6:30 a.m. Have one of my last two long runs scheduled today at 1:30.  It's a hot date!!! Just me, my Ipod and the treadmill. Also present will be two sweat bands, a couple of water bottles, a towel (remember "Towelly" from South Park anyone?) and a bar. I have some sort of weird aversion to energy gels outside of racing (but those would make the most sense). 

6:45 a.m.

• Mug o' Joe with Soy milk and Stevia

7:30 a.m.

Green Smoothie--24 oz (made 32 oz and gave a cup to Tempo)

• 3 Cups Spinach
• 1 Small ripe Nectarine
• 1 Banana
• 1 Orange
• 1 Apple
• 2 Tbsp Vitamineral Green Powder 

9:00 a.m.

• 1/2 oz Almond Cheese (grazing and contemplating next meal

2 Cups Green Tea with Soymilk and Stevia

10:00 a.m. 

• Egg and Vegetable Scramble--totally hit the spot. Will need to eat somthing key at about noon to prepare for long run
• 1 Organic Egg
• 1/4 Cup Egg Whites (from Cage Free Chix)
• 1 Cup Spinach
• 1/2 med Cooked Sweet Potato
• 1/2 Tomato
• Cumin
• Salt and Pepper

Long Runs are funny.  They kind of feel like a JOB. The kind of job that you basically like, but you dread going back to on Monday morning.  But once you get into the first few minutes of it, it's actually quite fun!  This will be my longest run in over 2 years.  The biggest test for me will be mental, not physical.  Part of that due to the length, and part of it due to it taking place on a treadmill. I wonder how my "We are the World" game (see blog from Day 25) will translate on the treadmill.  It's workouts like these where I really miss the camradorie of fellow runners (in my case, friends).  Jess, Bob, Jim, Coco, Jared, Marc, Sean, Angie, Chris, Jared, KP-VT (would love to include KP-ME, but we've actually never run together..), Kirby and Bernie I miss you all!!!

Run on Treadmill-

Well, this turned into an 1:20 minute run (due to sore legs) and a 1/2 hour bike.  Had to get ready for work, still felt okay with workout even though it wasn't a "long run" by definition.  

5:30 p.m. Decided to stop at Starbucks for an Iced Coffee with 2 pumps Chocolate Syrup and Soy milk. I've become a sporadic coffee drinker, but I had a coupon and felt like using it.  Note: 2 pumps chocolate is WAY to sweet for me.  I am trying to keep my body in an alkaline state, and sugar and coffee are about the worst things for that

Taste of Food

6:45 p.m.

Tried a little bit of Halibut and Vegetables at work during a food tasting

Salad 10:30 p.m.

• Quinoa
• Lettuce 
• Spinach
• Chia Seeds
• Avocado
• Tomato 
• Celery 
• Carrot
• Hemp Oil
  

Regroup tomorrow and see how I feel!  Have a  great night!

Bed 2:00 a.m. (not really conducive to Ironman Training...)

4:45 a.m.

Pre-Swim Breakfast (on the lighter side due to my late night quinoa casserole binge last night)

• One piece Brown rice toast
• 1 Tbsp Almond Butter
• 1/2 Cup coffee with Soy Milk and Stevia-haven't had any coffee since Thursday

Swim 5:45-7:00 a.m.

Went pretty well.  Still puzzled that although we are swimming outside, the pool and ambient temperature feels cold. Brrr.....I wasn't the only one shivering.  How can that be in the summer in Las Vegas?

7:15 a.m.

• small handful Raw Almonds

8:00 a.m.

2 Cups Green Smoothie (made 3 Cups but gave a cup to Tempo. As soon as he hears the blender fired up, he starts to drool! LMAO!!!)

• 2 Cups Spinach
• 1 small nectarine
• 1/2 mango
• 2 Tbsp Vitamineral Green Powder
• 1 Orange
• 1 Banana
• 1 Tbsp Bee Pollen
  

10:15 a.m. Egg Sandwich

• 1 Ezeikel English Muffin, toasted
• 1 egg plus 1/4 Cup Egg Whites, scrambled
• Sliced Tomato
• Spinach
• Radish Sprouts
• Mustard
• Salt and Pepper

Thought I was getting right on the bike but had to take a call...

11:15 a.m. Bike Ride

Note: Ate Chocolate Brownie Clif bar after 45 minutes of biking within 2 hour workout)

2 hour indoor bike ride with a little work thrown in. Would have loved to have ridden outside, but it was hot and windy.  Decided to keep with this week's theme and download a bunch of Michael Jackson songs onto my Ipod.  This included "We are the World" which is vintage 1983? 1985? Anyway, it's about a 7 minute song and I played it three times to try and identify as many of the artists who performed in it. This "game" with "We are the World" diminished some of the monotony that goes along with indoor biking. Kudos to Joe Cocker's part in it, but what was up with Bob Dylan (go smoke another one, Bob...)????  I decided during the 3rd time around that the song should be remade every 25 years with artists who were are current--Today's remake could have Lady Gaga, Kayne West, Jason Mraz, Green Day, Kid Rock, Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift, The Fray,  and ALL finalists of American Idol--love you Adam Lambert!-- etc.    Then you could put it out to the public for a vote on who is better-the orginal or the remake. hmmm.  One of the advantages to riding on a trainer is that I could sit up and sway my upraised arms back and forth to "We are the World" (kinda like a concert) and feel SO in touch with the artists, most notably, MJ. Noone around but me to laugh at myself.  Listened to some old Jackson 5 tracks and cuts from "Off the Wall" and "Thriller". While I am aware that "Thriller" outsold "Off the Wall" by millions, I prefer the tracks from the latter. Threw in some Katy Perry and Live for good measure.

The other thought I had while biking is that I wondered how many of my friends had THE Farrah Fawcett poster hanging in their bedroom?

1:30 p.m.

Post bike ride

• 1/2 GT Komboucha (Guava Goddess flavor)
• Smoothie (wasn't really hungry but keeping my fueling debacle from the other day at top of mind, I made myself a smoothie

Recovery Smoothie

• 1 Cup Strauss Creamery Organic Yogurt (threw my dairy rule out the window on this one, but I really respect the integrity of the product--note, 14 grams of protein per cup)
• 1 banana
• 2 Tbsp ground Flax Seed
• 1 small nectarine
• 1 Plum
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds
  
• Ice 

3:00 p.m.

• 1 small handful raw almonds (about 12

3:15 p.m.  Some core work and pushups

4:00 p.m.

• Other half of Guava Goddess Kombucha
• 12 or so Raw Almonds
• Slew of Vitamins and Chlorella tablets

5:45 p.m (before work)

Salad

• Romaine
• Spinach
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/2 Tomato
• 1 Carrot, Shredded
• Radish Sprouts
• 1 Stalk of Celery
• 1 Tbsp Flax Meal
• 1 Can water Packed Tuna (not "Gourmet" but I had it in the house and was on the go!)
  
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds...yes, those are the starter seeds for that cute little Chia pet you knew and loved during the '80's.  Some of my lesser "manscaped" friends remind me of them (we're talking legs here--okay guys, just trying to get you to shave 'em!) Tons of nutrients packed within such little seeds!  Sprinkle them on anything or blend into a smoothie. Warning--they do get gelatinous when wet (kinda like teeny tiny pieces of tapioca)

10:00 p.m.

Hammer Raw Cashew and Chocolate Bar--I was so hungry and knew I wouldn't get home until after midnight--At work and have limited options on what I can eat.  Actually, no options unless I bring my own food and bars are the easiest--I realize that I have eaten two today and I really try to keep that to 1.  Unless I am doing ALOT of training.

12:00-12:30 a.m.  

Glass of homemade Sangria--I made this almost a week ago, it's the gift that keeps giving!

R.I.P Michael Jackson. And Farrah, I'm so sorry that the significance of your passing has been overshadowed by the magnitude of MJ's persona. 

Happy Training. And Eating!!

-LM

For the first time since the heat rolled into Vegas, I noticed how much the sidewalks absorb it. I rose at 3:45 this morning so I could eat something before I headed out on my run (8 miles).  Sooooo hot. 

Today was what I call an "Eating Day". Not surprising. Kurt, my triathlon coach, after reading my "27 day countdown to LP blog" said to me as diplomatically as possible "I'm no nutritionist, but are you sure you are getting enough carbohydrates, fats and proteins?"  Y'know, he was right.....I wasn't. The effect was that I woke up tired (could also be the lack of a couple of days of good sleep time) and felt sluggish and hungry all day (hence the nap).  I ate all day, and the night ended with a "conscientious binge" I usually don't eat after 6:30 p.m.  At 8:30 last night, I was HUNGRY. Seriously, I could have eaten 5 waffles with maple syrup and butter; a half dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts; or a huge bag of potato chips (didn't have the later two in the house, so at least I was "safe" in that respect). Club sandwiches, pasta with red sauce and pizza were also top of mind. What I have learned about my body is that whenever I am tired, I gravitate toward simple carbohydrates (they have their place; eaten responsibly they are fine, but scarfed habitually at all hours of the day, they are the culinary equivilent of crack cocaine--seriously, if people went cold turkey on sugary sodas, I bet that there would be a serious drop in obesity levels). Anyway,  I rerouted my thinking to some degree and settled on a bowl of quinoa with melted shredded almond cheese (vegans look out: unfortuately there in casein in the cheese--but great stuff), garbanzo beans, avocado, Trader Joe's green chile salsa and cumin. It was so good and satisfying that I made myself another one immediately on completion of the first. My point in retelling this is yes, of course, we do have days where we just want to eat everything in sight. At least I felt that I made a pretty good decision about the quality of the calories I was putting into my body late night. And reminded myself that it was a direct correlation of not eating enough the day before. Bad Athlete, no Clif Bar!

4:10 a.m.

• 2 pieces brown rice bread, toasted
• 1/2 avocado spread on toast

4:30 a.m. Run went well.  But sheesh, so hot!!!!!! I felt dehydrated at about mile 3.  Again, the Ipod kept me going!!!

post workout

22 oz Recovery Shake (left over from yesterday but here ya' go)

• 1 Cup Soy Yogurt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 Cup Frozen Blackberries
• 1/2 Cup frozen mango
• Fresh Strawberries
• Hemp Protein
• Ground Flax meal--again, throw this in to everything you possibly can

11:00 a.m.

1 Cup Bloody Mary mix--at work and still feeling dehydrated and hungry.  We have this bloody mary mix called "Uncle Dougie's" SOOO good--has anchovy and tamarind paste in it.  25 Calories. Lotsa Salt and YUMMMMMM!

2 oz Chicken Breast (because it was there and I was hungry)

12:30 p.m. Chocolate Brownie Clif Bar (eaten on the go)

Stopped at Sunflower Market to pick up some GT Kombucha drinks. CHUGGED a 16 oz Guava one while staring longingly at the bulk bins. Got home and ate the salad that I packed. 

3:00 p.m.

Salad

• Quinoa 
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Celery
• Sprouts
• Ground Flax Seed
• Garbanzo Beans
  
• 1 oz of this really good cheese I purchased at Whole Foods call "Aged Hirtenkase".  Alpine-style cheese that tastes like a cross between Parmesan Reggiano and Swiss. If you are going to eat cheese, eat high quality, flavorful cheeses.
  

So I took a 1.5 hour nap (am wondering how much sleep it takes for Human Growth Hormones to replenish? And am wondering how the heck Dave Goggins lives on 3 hours of sleep--can you teach yourself that?)  I am so lucky to have the luxury of catching a nap on occasion.

5:30 p.m.

• A handful of Almonds
• Housemade Oat-Chocolate Whey Protein energy square

I also put an avocado/raw honey mask on my face for 45 minutes. My coworker, Assouir, gave me the recipe. Not the most attractive thing in the world but DAMN, my skin feels great!

Silky Skin Food mask

• 2 Tbsp mashed avocado (the smoother the better)
• 2 tsp Raw Honey

Mix together and leave on for at least 1/2 hour (it will tighten as it sets).  Bonus is that if you get it too close to your mouth, it tastes great!

6:30-8:00 p.m.

• 2 Glasses of Homemade Sangria
• Slew of Vitamins and Chlorella

8:45 p.m.

2 bowls of Quinoa, melted Almond Cheese, Garbanzo Beans, Avocado, Trader Joes Green Chile Salsa and Cumin. Delicious!!

Be mindful, not militant.  Life is a balance and if you are trying to make changes in your diet, do so incrementally. While I felt that I slightly overate today (really because of the hour which I ate), at least I made a pretty good selection in the quality of food. I didn't get my green smoothie in but I look forward to tomorrow for a good day of clean eating (green smoothie and big salad included) and positive workouts.

Have a great night

-LM

Another hot one in Las Vegas--110 degrees I believe!  Up at 7:00 a.m. after working last night. Don't do extremely well on 5.5 hours of sleep, but I'm not one to (usually) sleep in.  Motivated to do a 10 mile run and an evening swim. The run will be on a treadmill....ugh

7:00 a.m. GT Kombucha's "Strawberry Serenity Drink". If you have been following my blog, you will have noticed that I drink about 1 of these a day. Kinda pricey, but right now they are on sale at the cool local indy produce market (yes Virginia, Vegas actually has some indies!).  16 oz of kombucha brew flavored with various fruit purees $2.50-$3.75 depending on where you shop.  I've been into the grape, guava and strawberry flavors.  Not too sweet-70 calories for the whole thing; it's a  "raw" product; packed full of active enzymes, probiotics, amino acids and tons of B vitamins.  Beats a sports drink HANDS DOWN any day of the week (on so many different levels from the lack of artificial stuff to high sugar content).  I was dehydrated from long work hours and not enough fluids yesterday, so this was a great way to start the morning. Haven't had any coffee or tea since last thursday.

8:20 a.m.

Taking a cue from the raw foodists, I make myself of bowl of Buckwheat crunchies (Buckwheat groats which I soaked and dehydrated a few monthes ago--makes the BEST cereal and they have really good shelf life). Did you know buckwheat is actually a seed?  Again, like I said yesterday, no grain = flat belly (LOL, I'm just sucking up to the trendy health jargon!!!)BUT, it seems to work for me!

Bowl of Buckwheat Crunchies

• 1/2 Cup Buckwheat crunchies
  
• 1/2 banana
• 8 strawberries
• 1/2 cup soy milk 
• sprinkling of cinnamon
• splash vanilla
• 1 Tbsp ground flax meal (I sneak this into anything I possibly can--extra nutrients!!!) 

10:30 a.m.

1/2 Cup Garbanzo Beans (just in the mood and they were there)

11:00-11:30 a.m.

WHOLE FOODS

Samples don't count.  Call it my verision of binge eating, but it's not like you can eat alot of them (I mean, you can, but save me the embarrassment of being outed by a WF employee for eating half the samples off the plate)

• 2 small pieces of artisan cheese
• 1 365 brand potato chips
• 3 each 1" squares of vegetable pizza
• Thimblefull of Strawberry Prosecco (GROSS! And I usually like all wines)

Also tried out some cool eye and face cream

Purchased

• Plums
• Nectarines
• Strauss Family Organic Nonfat yogurt
• Bee Pollen
• Oranges 
• Bananas 
• Digestive Enzymes

1:00 p.m.

• 1 ripe Plum

1:30 p.m.

• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 1/2 Baked Sweet Potato

3:00 p.m.

Chocolate-Mint Cliff Bar (just like a girl scout cookie!)

3:20 p.m.

10 mile run with 1/2 hour 30 K race pace--DID it, on treadmill of course. Once again, THANK YOU ipod (need some new music now). Just for fun I weighed myself before and after run (included two bathroom stops but did not inbibe any fluids).  Loss of 2.8 lbs.  Wow!  Amazing. Can't imagine if I had run outside in the heat!

5:15 p.m.

• GT Komboucha Guava Flavor (16 oz)-So good after that run

7:00 p.m.

Swim workout--easy 2k (2200 yards) with some butterfly and pulling thrown in

8:15 p.m.

• 1 Egg, 1/4 cup egg white scrambled with Spinach and 1/4 oz Roquefort cheese

8:45 p.m.

• 1 Glass Homemade Sangria 
• Slew of Vitamins and Chlorella

 Today was definitely more of a grazing day. Look forward to a green smoothie and a big salad tomorrow

The best laid plans of mice and men......and athletes....You know how the saying goes. Work, injury, life changes, personal issues, distractions, and sickness all can get in the way of training well for a race. 4 weeks from today, I will be competing in the Lake Placid Ironman. A race at which historically I've done fairly well.  The life changes this year (the biggest being relocating to Las Vegas from Vermont and leaving my restaurant of over 11 years of ownership) have had more of an impact on my training and motivation than I ever would have guessed.  I'm not broadcasting this to invite a pity party or to use it as an excuse for not performing well on race day. It just is.  The one thing that I have learned about myself this year is that I prefer to do my training with a partner or group of people. My friend, Jess Cover, is a great runner and she organizes her week by scheduling her runs with various people so that she gets her social time in as well a her workout.  I am going to follow this plan as soon as life calms down.  Solo training on a regular basis doesn't do it for me. 

Today's plan was to run 2:20 minutes. Well, that didn't happen. Mental over physical.  The elements of Las Vegas wreaked havoc on my pysche. It's hot. It's windy. I'm slow. There is concrete. I can smell the pesticides.  I wonder what the air quality is today? Etc.

During the run I came up with plan B and hope to execute this over the next few days.  I  decided to cut run short by an hour.  Looking forward to a stellar training week.

In the mean time, my food log continues.  I have to preface today with the fact that last night I broke into some really good hummus and pita bread brought back from Pita Jungle (located in Tempe, AZ). It wasn't alot, but does need to be logged. "9:00 p.m. 1 really fresh pita bread. 1/4 Cup Hummus". REALLY GOOD HUMMUS!

Breakfast-5:00-5:20

16 oz Soy Yogurt-Fruit Smoothie

• Organic Soy Yogurt
• Banana
• Frozen Blackberries
• Frozen Mango
• Fresh Strawberries
• Raw Hemp Protein
• Ground Flax Meal 

8:00 Green Smoothie--Yay, I've been off these for a couple of days.  It's like one big fat vitamin and I swear that your cravings for junk food, sugar, grease, etc will subside if you drink these on a regular basis. I use whatever fruit is around the house plus a couple of tablespoons of Vitamineral Green Powder and 2 Cups of Greens.

• 2 cups Spinach
• 2 Tbsp Vitamineral Green Powder
• 1 Ripe Banana
• 1 Grapefruit
  
• 1 Handful of Ice
• 1/2 Cup water

You might notice that I'm pretty into the smoothie thing. They're quick, they taste good, you can use up odd pieces of really ripe fruit, seeds or nuts that you have lying around and the blender does the masticating for you (which gets more of the nutrients into you). They are just not the most conventional meals around but dang, they work! Whenever I am feeling a little puffy, I eliminate wheat and most grains, most corn, white starches, potatoes, dairy and refined sugar from my diet and BAM!  Flat Belly (take that, Rachael Ray)!  Smaller numbers on the scale! No dishes to clean!

• Slew of Vitamins and Chlorella
  

10:30 a.m. Early Lunch --working at restaurant all day and night and won't have another chance to sit down for a break until 5:00-5:30

Salad

• 1/2 Cup Quinoa (which is technically a seed)
  
• 1/4 Avocado
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 1/2 Cucumber, chopped
• 1 Cup Lettuce
• 1 stalk Celery, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Hemp Oil
• 1 Tbsp Raw Hemp Seed
• Sprinkle of Cumin (my favorite spice)
• 6 basil leaves, Cut chiffonade
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

 Seriously, this salad is 'Da Bomb.  There is no recipe, no right or wrong in making it. Use what you have in your house. This is chock full of nutrients and I use all organic ingredients. I know, I know, organic can be cost prohibitive. But I like to think cost of food in terms of "health dollars" and not "food dollars". I suppose that one can regularly choose to eat pretty cheaply and often poorly (a great example of this is the dollar menu at McDonalds), end up sick 2 or 3 times a year, pay for medications and doctors' visits and lost revenue from work; all of which could be eliminated if you just modified your diet. But that is a whole other tangent I will address at some point. Bottom Line: REAL FOOD TASTES GOOD!

• Clif "Nectar" Bar--Walnut and Dark Chocolate (on the go)

• Grilled Salmon (unfortuately it was farm raised which doesn't contain nearly the nutrients that wild salmon does, but it was what we had at work)
• Endive
• Blueberries
• Avocado 
• Walnuts

•  1 oz Saint Marcellin Cheese (sample in restaurant--god, do I love a  strong cheese) Be mindful not militant Be mindful not militant Be mindful not militant. LOL!

• Cliff Builder Bar (Chocolate Mint)
• Sample of one Restaurant Potato Chips Be mindful not militant Be mindful not militant Be mindful not militant. LOL!

11:30p.m.

• 1 oz St. Marcellin Cheese (the end of the sample--eating it put a smile on my face after working a 13 hour day!)

12:30 a.m.

• Glass of homemade sangria while catching up on email. I usually am a morning person, but when I work at night I am turned upside down. Not in bed until 1:15 in the morning!!!!  Worked on my feet for 13 plus hours (not the best thing for Ironman training)
  

Note: Had 2 Food bars today. Not ever my first choice for snacks or meals, but given the nature of my restaurant job, I have to eat something portable and on the fly.  I would normally opt for fresh fruit and/or vegetables! If you do have to "grab and go", a bar is a great option; JUST make sure it is something like a Lara or Clif bar.  Many bars have a plethora of unhealthy ingredients in them,  but because they are cloaked in the shroud of an "energy bar", most people think that they are healthy substitutes for real food (right in synch with my muffin/granola theory). Read the labels before you buy them.  If you have to sound out each item on the ingredient list (or just have NO idea what the ingredient is and it sounds like something from you Chem 101 class), there is probably something REALLY wrong with the product.

Off to bed. Looking (somewhat) forward to a swim and 10 mile run tomorrow!

-LM 

Man, was I dehydrated when I started biking this morning. DE FRIGGIN HYDRATED.  It's not like I did anything last night to facilitate that. I guess that living in Las Vegas, I have to remember that the desert climate can just zap you of your liquid stores. Today's workouts (more prep for the race but Coach Kurt thankfully was a little easy on me)--3 hour bike ride which I started at 8:30 a.m. (97 degrees at start time and climbing. NOTE TO SELF: get your ass out of bed and on the bike by 4:45 a.m. and you will be ALOT cooler)

Breakfast 6:45 a.m. (slept in)

• 2 piece Brown Rice Bread, toasted spread with
  
• 1/2 Avocado 

Pre Ride 8:30 a.m.

• 2 Medjool Dates
• Hammer Race Caps Supreme (2)
  

Bike Ride

• 3 Water bottles FROZEN. 2 with Gatorade Endurance (125 Calories each plus electrolytes)  drank all of them during the first 2 hours of the ride. I am so opposite of a camel. Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp.
  
• 2 Medjool Dates at about the 2 hour point
• 1 Large Grape Powerade Zero (didn't finish, just reloaded bottles with this and ice) I usually stay away from this stuff but it looked so refreshing.  
  

Transistion run--In the perfect "training for triathlon" world, this run is supposed to be right off the bike (no fussing around) in order to simulate a race situation. I admit I was feeling really hungry (prob didn't take in enough calories on the bike), hot and sweaty. Decided instead to strip down, cool off, and make a smoothie. Run will come in a few, uh, minutes.  My behavior in small circles is known as "Leslie's BROKEN transition run.  Wanted to complete a blog for today, so in the buck, smoothie in hand, I started typing. Way more fun. I am not sure why I have this aversion to transistion runs. Oh yeah, I do know why. They HURT!

12:15 p.m. 1/2 of Recovery Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1 Cup Plain Soy Yogurt (been having a yogurt craving lately)
• 1 Cup Frozen Blackberries
• 1/2 Cup Frozen Mango Chunks
• 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
• 2 Tbsp Raw Hemp Protein
• 1 Tbsp Raw Goji Berry Powder

2:00 p.m. Finished Tranistion Run (THANK you Ipod!)

• Other half of Recovery Smoothie
• Slew of vitamins and chlorella

4:00 p.m.

• GT Komboucha Strawberry Serenity--popped it open while still grocery shopping--I was sooooo thirsty. 
• 2 Brown Rice Crackers (Desperation move for salt--out of the bulk bin--I was seriously delirious) 

5:00 Trader Joes--I SOOOO love this place!

For the record, I have to rule out samples and tastings. I exempt them from my "diet" watch. Great thing about TJ's, Las Vegas, is that they have wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays. Sometimes Mondays.  I caught the tail end of it (a little wine and a lot of good political conversation with Tony, the wine manager).  Had a few bites of freebie cheese and a piece of something that resembled chinese takeout in chicken form--TJ's is always sampling something!  Let me return to my mantra (or use it as a crutch) "be mindful but not militant". Bought some toiletries, dog food, tuna, Clif Bars and a good piece of raw milk Roquefort cheese!

6:00 Finished making the Sangria I started last night.  

Summer Sangria

• 3 btls dry red wine
• 1 bottle fruity white wine
• 2 oranges, cut into small pieces
• 2 Cups diced (small)canteloupe
• 1 apple, diced small

Method: Macerate overnight then add puree

• 1 pint strawberries
• 1/2 canteloupe

Add to wine mixture with:

• 1 small bunch whole basil
• 4 packets of Stevia (now you can leave out sugar and the hard stuff which is found in most recipes)

Leave in large glass jar in refrigerator. should last you a while

6:30-7:30 p.m.

• 1 small can of Tuna
• 2 glasses of Sangria

(don't forget that I had my hors d'oeurves at Trader Joes)

Note to self--didn't eat a large salad or green smoothie.  Sometimes life just gets in the way. Will regroup tomorrow. 

Have a great night! Train hard, eat well and be real!

-LM

37 more days until Lake Placid. Doing a long run (2 hours 30 minutes) today!

4:00 a.m. up and thinking of starting run at 4:45 to beat the Vegas heat.

• Two Slices Brown Rice Bread spread with 1/2 Avocado--I've been REALLY into this for breakfast as of late.
• 1/6th really ripe Canary Melon

Decided to go back to bed until 5:30 :) (The heat won't be that bad, right?)

6:00 a.m.

• 4 oz coffee with Rice Milk and Stevia
• 2 Tbsp raw Apple Cider Vinegar

6:30 a.m-pre run fuel!

• 2 Medjool Dates
• 1/2 Brownie Cliff Bar

Long Run Notes--Started out a little defeatist about completing this run. I haven't run more than 16 miles in one sitting in over two years. But what I remember about running is that you can feel really horrible for the first 15-20 minutes and then you start to feel better. Call it athletic experience, positive thinking or race pressure. Also had my Ipod packed with songs--I have a few of those "Training for the A race" songs--they always change every year (I think of training for my first Ironman Triathon in 2002 whenever I hear U2's "Beautiful Day" or "Kryponite" by Three Doors Down). Ipod had on some current top 40 (which I realize kinda followed the guest stars on American Idol this past season--I'M SUCH A DORK--Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Kiss, Keith Urban, Lady Gaga..plus the Mavericks (LOVE 'EM), Loverboy, Seals and Croft, Big Country, Brian Ferry, Cold Play--ahhhhhh). Katy Perry's "Waking up in Vegas" is my 'A' race theme song 2009.  LOL!

I usually don't take in too many calories on the long run but I do carry the proverbial picnic just in case I need the fuel.  

During Run

• 4 each 8 oz bottles of EFS-high test sports drink (finally have surrendered to using a Fuel Belt!)
• 2 Medjool dates (which you can carry handily in Fuel Belt pouch)
• 1 Super large Ice water that The Coffee Bean gave me at about mile 14--thanks Coffee Bean!--poured half of the ice down my sports bra to stay cool! 

Completed Run, albeit a little slow during the last couple of miles (uphill). Made it thru run ENERGY GEL FREE! Hee Hee

Post Run--had small piece of a quick bread I can't even begin to describe. I made it last week out of cooked amaranth (which blows, by the way) I was going to turn the amaranth in into dog food but ended up adding about 50 bizillion ingredients to it and baked it in cute little loaves topped with VEGAN chocolate chips--Tasty!

Ice Bath--submerged myself into this freezing mess for 15 minutes while I caught up with a friend from Vermont on the phone. I needed the distraction--the ice bath was so effin' cold. Tried not to think about Lynne Cox's book "Swimming to Anartica" where she does all of these crazy cold, long swims.  Anyway, conversation with Sean is always funny, so time passed quickly.

Lunch

• About a cup Quinoa (favorite grain--well, it's actually a seed) and lots raw veggies-Avocado, Cherry tomatoes, Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrot, Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids--yum--love something saltly after a long run. Really wanted Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs :) or a piece of cheese pizza with mozzarella so stretchy you could run a fiddle bow across it!
• 1/2 of a GT Komboucha  "Strawberry Serenity" drink (8 oz)--can you tell that I am hooked on these?
• Mega Wad of Vitamins et al

2nd Lunch (about 2.5 hours later) 2:00 p.m.

Post Long Runs are funny. I never feel like eating tons shortly after, but 3 hours later, I was getting my car washed and low and behold I found myself famished. Duh. I didn't have anything with me. I fleetingly thought about bouncing over to the IHOP :) Seriously, a stack of cakes with some of that whippy butter would have tasted great. Intellect took over Emotion, and I came home and made a Chocolate Shake. You really need to try this.  For whatever reason, chocolate has been demonized by the masses (It's that sound byte information mentality which is so pervasive in diet analysis) It's not the CHOCOLATE that is bad for you, it is all of the sugar, palm oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, crap, etc which manufactures MIX into the pure chocolate that is bad for you. Unsweetened chocolate cocoa powder is packed with antioxidants and low in calories. Check out the shake recipe.  Threw a little ground flax seed (which serves as a thickener and is FULL of OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS) in for good measure.

Chocolate Antioxidant Shake--It's good for you!

• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Heaping Tbsp Raw Cocoa Powder
• 1 Heaping Tbsp Raw Goji Berry Powder
• 1 banana
• 3 handfuls of ice
• pn salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
  

Random Notes: It's 100 degrees in Vegas. I'm running around doing errands in shorts, a tank top, and WHITE COMPRESSION SOX. I don't think people knew what to make of the outfit. My only saving grace is that Vegas is full of alot of, shall we say, "alternative lifestyle" people.  Maybe they think that I'm saving my calves for my late night performances...:)

Dinner 5:15--Early Bird  Home Cooked Meal Hee Hee Hee

• 4 oz Wild Salmon
• Melon-Avocado-Pinenut Salsa with Mint and Basil (I'm always making fruit salsas for fish)
  
• 2 Cups Salad-no dressing (Salmon and Salsa Suffice)
• 2 Glasses Barbera 
• 1 Square Oat Energy Bar
• Salt :)
  

Notes from my coach who queried

"-First, can you give better total macronutrient breakdown for the days?"

 1. I tend to go on how my body feels. I could plug everything into NutritionData.com (and I probably will on a couple of these posts) to cross check.

"-also, as the coach, coaching someone who lives in a dry/hot environment….are you getting enough NA in this diet?"

2. I salt my food.  Felt like it was enough today.  The EFS sports drink has 2x the amount sodium as most drinks :) Take Endurolytes when necessary and will blog those)!

MISSED MY GREEN SMOOTHIE TODAY!

Daily Rules

• Drink at least 16 ounces of a green smoothie each day
• If I do decide to have coffee, limit to 8 ounces
• Drink 2 cups of Green Tea each day
• Take my vitamins and supplements--Hammer Nutrition Products (Premium Insurance Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Antixodants, Boron, Mitrochondria Caps), Calcium, Coenzyme Q 10 and Macca Root
• Take 20-30 chorella tabs
• Limit wine intake (if any) to 2 glasses
• Take 2 Tablespoons Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Each day
  
•  Eat one big salad a day as one of my meals.
• Eat many raw fruits and vegetables. make it a priority!

Limit or Eliminate completely

• Wheat, Alcohol, Coffee
• Dairy except for a couple of ounces of Raw Milk Cheeses a week
  
• Sugar except from Fruit, Raw Honey, Maple Syrup and Raw Agave Nectar.  Exceptions-if doing long run or ride, using a sports beverage
• White Flour, White Sugar