Almost there...

This week has been hard. I have to be at work at 7am every day and I still stay until 4:30-4:45pm without a lunch break!. I can't believe it is only tuesday. We are adjusting back to our rythm, the kids are back at school and enjoy it and spend the evening with their grandparents. Tonight we went for a run with Bryan a short one since I don't really want to push it 4 days before the race. It is "only" a sprint but still. On sunday we did a brick with B it was fun to share this with him although he was cursing at the hills (not that big) and the wind since he was riding a mountain bike.
I am glad to see that my legs aren't as stiff as the first time I tried that exercize....

Anyways off to bed since I have to get up at 6am tomorrow morning and I am tired....

Open water swim

I hate when something resists me, when I know I can do it but my body says otherwise. When I am able to tame the anxiety in my brain but not in my body in short when I don't have control over something. I am someone who likes to be in control and doesn't let go of it very easily.
So on saturday morning when I joined a TCSD group for a memorial swim at Fletcher Cove I was like I can do this. I was a little intimidated as usual by a crowed I don't know. In these instances I cling to the few people I do know. The ocean was far from quiet and inviting and when I entered the water by body reacted as it usually do by making me feel like I can't breathe! So instead of swimming with all the others I hung out in the back holding on to Nancy's board. Once I calmed down I was able to swim 20 strokes, stop go again. I was even able to get into a rythm but for such a short period of time.
The positive is that I went when really it would have been OK for me to say you know what this doesn't look like fun, I did relax at some point and I did enjoy it too. I am still a little disappointed that it takes me 10 minutes to relax and that I don't really move forward at all.
However if I wasn't part of GOTRIBal and didn't meet all the great women I did I would still be sitting on the beach looking in envy to all those athletes. Now I know that one day I will be one of them. The evil voice in my head wished it was yesterday!
I have to admit that I do feel the few strokes from yesterday and probably the swim from friday too. Today I am planning a BRICK. With my family visiting, my training has been a little flaky but hey that's what it is all about life! The race is next week and I am getting the jitters a little but I am confident at the same time.
Other than that my sister went back home with her family. It is great to see that cousins living so far apart (Germany/US) are getting along so well.

Outrage

It is a well known fact that I am a food snob. As such when I see a post on a forum I follow about full body cleansing I am curious to what exactly this entails. I started watching the video about a cleansing program http://wendyharp.isagenix.com/us/en/isavideos_cleansed.dhtml I am baffled to see that people who promote healthy food would promote a program where most of your meals are pills, shakes, a drinks??? For me this can be good food but it is nonetheless processed!
Even for me partisan of balanced meals I find the raw/vegan diet more reasonnable because at least it involves food as in vegetable etc....

I will say it again again I am agains processed food whether it is a coffee suplement a lean cuisine meal or a non-fat dressing but I firmly believe in eating a little bit of everything and cooking from scratch.
Cleanse yourself by drinking water, steamed fish, chicken etc... but please get your nutrients from food and not pills.

It is true that I am not a nutritional expert so maybe I'm completely off. However it does seem to work for me.

Must post

First part of the family arrived. The cousin are reunited and the happy gang of 4 kids ages 5 to 1.5 are having fun. The house is a constant mess... Nevertap 2 kids are way less messy than 4!
Saturday even with only 5 hours of sleep I did a BRICK (Bike 8miles followed by a 1.5 mile run), the run was way better than my first try. Unfortunately I had a lot of side aches due to the big burrito I consumed 1 hour before.
Sunday was lazy. Monday I did get up at 6:15 and went to the swimming pool. The lifeguard very bored decided to count my strokes and gave me some really cool advice... Hmmmm this is weird I feel I already posted that...
Tuesday went running with B after work we had a nice 4 miles run with a short walk interruption due to his injured foot. Wednesday got out of bed at 6:15 dragged my sister to the swimming pool with me. Today I was supposed to run but I will postpone until tomorrow.
I am tired.
Work is super busy as we are approaching our release date. The weather is kindof crapy last year was super duper hot at the same time. My parents are arriving on monday night. We are planning a trip to Disneyland.
I need to fit in a long bike ride on Sat will drag sister out.
I have been reading reading a lot about triathlon, about other women training and stories. I did receive my race packet and I'm starting to have the jitters.
I also purchased my first tri suit. I am going to look like a kook but I will try to do something decent with my hair and will smile at the camera even if I'm in pain. The pictures of the Carlsbad half are really too atrocious.

Back on track

After a very busy but yet lazy week end, I am back on track with my training. I started by an early swim on monday morning. I did succeed to get out of bed at 6:30 on a monday morning yuppie. I completed my 1400 yards in 30 minutes although I did lose count a few times. On tuesday I was very motivated and decided to do a 5 miles loop. Unfortunately my GPS died on me after 6 minutes and I did end up walk/run. I was cursing at myself for being lazy, not being tough enough etc.... When I got back I realized that with all the walking I still did a 10 min/miles - 10:30 min/miles.
This made me realize that I am running way faster than I used to and thus I have to train my body to run longer at that faster pace. I also have added a lot of workout to my week and thus should probably shouldn't be too hard on myself. As a result I decided to lighten up the running mileage a little and to start with 2 3 miles run and a 5 miler on the week end.
On wednesday I was meeting a mentor I met on GoTribal to go swim at the Cove for the first time. The conditions were rough but I had a blast. I didn't swim as much as I wanted but I learned what to do to improve and swim farther next time. Can't wait for my next swim in the ocean!
Finally on thursday I dragged Bunny for an outdoor 3 miles run. I have been trying to drag NeverTap out too but she is "intimidated" by us because we completed a half marathon. News flash we run as fast and as long as you on the treadmill... get your butt outside and come run with us.
Finally was my day off... I read a lot about other women triathlete, their workout regimen etc... It is crazy!
Before I close the triathlon box, I found a ironkid event and I would love to have MAC attend maybe next year or in 2! Good cause and I think he will have so much fun.
On the other front I have started to fall asleep in front of the TV again which is caused by my training regimen. I am still super anxious for the triathlon in May.
My sister and her family (husband and 2 kids) are coming tonight and I'm super duper excited to have them over.
Tomorrow I am planning a BRICK workout (9 miles bike ride and 1.6 miles run), sunday is a long run.
I will post on my weekly menus since they were really yummy.

Lazy lazy

On Friday I really enjoyed my day off working out.... I didn't expect this day off to last 3 days! I will blame it on our crazy schedule, a small disagreement with B which of course took place between midnight and 1am!
Friday evening after coming home from work and put the kids in bed we had a nice dinner of jerk chicken and rice and 4 cosmopolitan.... Ooooh that wasn't such a great idea because the next morning I was really really out of it! I got up with the kids, got a nice cup of coffee and at 10am started the marathong of the day very hung over. I ran to Toys rus to buy MAC birthday present and some party favors, then onto Ralph for food for the cake.
Anyways he had a nice little birthday party with a few friends.
This morning we went to swimming lesson then onto a starwars birthday party. Finally we were home around 1pm, and puttered around the yard. The day is so nice that I want to get out there and get my vegetable garden. I will probably plants some tomatoes, zuchinis, peas, strawberries.
In the meantime I moved my really really sorry looking lemon tree swapped places with a gaura. I think this poor tree has been sun deprived and thus I am putting him in the front yard.
Then I proceeded to help MAC build his pirate toys in lego. Finally I went to do the grocery shopping at Trader Joes and when I got back all my motivation to go for a 6 miles run was replaced by a headache.
Tomorrow morning I will get up for my swim, I will run 4-5 miles on tuesday swim at the Cove(1/4 miles) on wednesday, run 4-5 miles on thursday take friday off, bike on saturday followed by a mile run and run my hard 6 miles loop on Sunday. Pfffff now I'm going to enjoy a really nice evening in San Diego and go to bed early.... wait laundry calls me darn it ;)
This week at the Coon's estate dinner menu we will have:
Ahi tuna, partially homemade pizza, Coon's boeuf bourguignon, homemade tomato soup... stay tune for some recipes, pictures of birthday cake and more updates on the training for my sprint triathlon.

Good food...

Believe it or not I did start that post yesterday but since I didn't have any inspiration for a title I left it blank. Result it didn't save my wonderful prose ahahah.
I promised Bunny I would have a whole bunch of food posting and I did good for a week... I haven't posted any of my meals because a) I have been pretty lazy cooking lately and b) I have been pretty lazy posting lately.
I would just say that last thursday just before B's brother came to visit I decided to cook us a nice meal. That week I bought some pork roast at Whole Food and while surfing my favorite recipe site williams sonoma I stumbled upon this very unusual recipe that tickled my curiosity. I also had all the ingredients which made it perfect. I even took a picture which I will post later.

Pork roast with pears:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed roughly chopped fresh sage,
plus whole sage leaves for roasting
3 whole garlic cloves, plus 2 cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 Tbs. olive oil
1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 lb.,
halved horizontally
3 ripe red Anjou pears, halved lengthwise
4 leeks, white portions only, trimmed, halved
lengthwise and rinsed
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
In a mini food processor, process the parsley, chopped sage, whole garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil until a fine paste forms. Spread the mixture on the cut side of one half of the pork loin, then place the other half on top. Tie the roast together with kitchen twine and tuck whole sage leaves underneath the twine. Season the roast with salt and pepper.
In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the pears, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Place the leeks, cut side down, in the pot in a single layer. Set the pork on top and place the pears along the sides of the pot.
Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the leeks and pears to a platter.
Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and discard all but 2 tsp. of the fat. Warm the reserved fat in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the broth and pan drippings and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

B's brother arrived on thursday at lunch, that evening we picked up some sushi. B bought some lemon drop mix along with some cosmolitan mixed. That evening we polished the bottle of lemon drop and the big bottle of sake! I was a little drunk that evening and screwed up the alarm clock which means I set it up for 5:30 instead of 6:30. I know I am crazy... I took the day off, but still got up at 6:30 to go for my swim.
I loved the swimm.... but wait I already post on that subject.

Away from the training and back to the cooking. On tuesday night my fridge was really really empty... Probably because I didn't make it to the grocery store this week. Anyways I had some bratwurst! I popped by neighbor and shopped for onion, and aple in her fridge! You gotta love neighbor ;)

Bratwurst in Aple compote
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
8 precooked bratwurst or Weisswurst
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then cook onion and apples with bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring once or twice, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, split bratwurst lengthwise (not all the way through) and open up. Lightly brush cut sides of bratwurst with additional oil and transfer to a shallow baking pan (split sides up). I actually decided to pan roast them instead.
Add wine to apple mixture, then simmer, covered, until apples are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove lid and briskly simmer until liquid is reduced by one third, about 2 minutes.
While apples simmer, broil bratwurst 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned, about 6 minutes.
Stir cream, vinegar, and brown sugar into apple mixture and briskly simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Discard bay leaf and serve apple compote over bratwurst.
Because it is against my religion to follow a recipe to the dot, here are my little changes... a) I cooked my sausages in a pan b) I didn't have the mustard from the recipe so I used my normal dijon mustard.

That evening my neighbor tried some jerk chicken which she shared with us.... This was delicious so I decided to try a recipe of my own which we are trying tonight.
What else is new. I finally signed up for my first sprint triathlon. I am super anxious. I am training like crazy and still feel like running 4 miles is the end of the world! Hello shouldn't it be easier after training for a frigging half marathon but no. Everywhere I look people are running way faster than me so I'm mopping around. Thank god Bunny is the best shoulder to cry on! Oh god I'm pathetic.
This week end MAC is turning 5 and I will make him a great cake. We are jumping from dinosaur to star wars we will see where we end up