Honest Scrap Award

I got nominated by Big Daddy Diesel at Tri Diesel (Thanks BDD!) for the Honest Scrap award, so here are 10 honest things about myself:

1.  If I had to choose between salty or sweet treats, I would pick sweet 95% of the time!

2.  I have dreamed of doing an adventure race, and think it would be so amazing.  But, realistically, I don't think I'll ever get to do one.

3.  I feel so very lucky and fortunate to have an amazing husband and two wonderful little boys in my life.  They mean the world to me and I honestly don't know what I would do without them.

4.  With #3 being said, when I drive somewhere by myself (no kids) I turn the station to MY music and turn it up loud! Too often, car time gets filled with versions of "Wheels on the bus" or songs by Raffi, and it's nice to have some moments that are kid free.

5.  I love naps and would probably take one every day if I could.  Maybe it has something to do with getting up at 4:30 to swim..ha ha.

6.   I have major body image issues.  I wish I could flip a switch in my mind to make them go away, but I can't.  My fear is that somehow I will pass on my insecurities about my body to my sons, which is something I hope never happens.

7.  I don't really like beer (I'm more of a wine person).  Sometimes it's nice to have one with pizza or if we're BBQing on a hot day, but really I could do without it.  My problem is that I can't drink a lot at once so my beer always gets warm before I can finish it....yuck!

8.  I make awesome homemade guacamole and look forward to hanging out outside on warm, summer days with chips, guac, and my husband's homemade margaritas.  Yum!

9.  Spiders inside my house scare the begeegies out of me!  I don't have arachnophobia or anything b/c they don't really bother me outside.  But, we get some big ones in our basement and I hate them.  When my son was younger, sometimes he would just say "spider" and point to it on the wall.  I would run to get a shoe or a dust buster to suck it up as fast as I could.  Sometimes if they are really big, my husband has to take care of them...I know, I'm a wuss!

10.   My perfect temperature is 72 degrees with NO wind.  I am neither cold or hot...just content.  I know it's a weird temperature, but I have a hard time regulating my body temp.  I'm either cold, or hot, or both and it drives me and my husband crazy!  Those 72 degree days are few and far between, but when they come, you'll find me outside enjoying #8.  :)  

I hope you all have a great weekend! :)

A week in review and other things too

Training:
*  It's official!  My HIM training started on Monday!  Woohoo!  I am very excited about my training and can't wait to get into the thick of it.
Here's my week M-Sun (what I did is in green, what I have yet to do is in purple):
Swim: 5230yds/ 2500yds
Bike:  2hr/ 3hrs.
Run: 1hr. 40min/ 45min.
Yoga: 1hr.  (O-kay, technically yoga is not part of my plan, but it's something I do for myself every week to help balance all the training, and I love it!)


*  I was supposed to bike for 1:30 on Tuesday, but I cut it to an hour because LOST came on and I just couldn't focus on the show!  Ha ha...gotta have priorities!

* As you all know, I went to my first Masters swimming session yesterday.  I just want to thank all of you for your comments and encouragement.  They really meant a lot to me.  I am planning on sticking with it as well as doing my regular 4:30AM swims.  And, I am still going to a swim coach once every 2 weeks.  Hopefully with all of that, I will see some improvements!

* I have had to do all of my rides on my trainer this week and I was really looking forward to riding outside this weekend.  But, good ole' Mother Nature has different plans in store: rain, rain, and more snow.  Lovely!  So, it looks like I'll be on my trainer for my long weekend ride, again.  Ughhh!

Life:
* I'm in the process of figuring out what I'm going to do next year in terms of work.  I have been very fortunate to be able to stay home with my boys, but I may be going back to work part time next year.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but whatever we decide I know it will be the best decision for our family.

*  My husband and I will be celebrating our 8th anniversary on Monday!  It has truly been an amazing adventure!

* I know yesterday was Earth day, but I think every day should be Earth day-don't you think?  We try and do our part, but I know there's always more we can do.
Here are just a few of the things that we do to help:
     * Use reusable shopping bags as often as we can.  I even keep a collapsible one in my purse for the times I forget to bring one.
     *  Use reusable mugs when we venture out to Starbucks (Seriously though, you would think that Starbucks would have the means to make their cups recyclable!)
     *  We actually use our bread bags as poop bags when we take our dog for walks.  Have you seen how much special doggie poop bags cost?  Ridiculous!
     *  We have our t.v., dvd player, stereo, etc. plugged into a power strip that we turn off when we're done with them.  That way, they're not using electricity even though they're not on.
     *  We recycle as much as we can.  Our neighbors, who are in their late 80's, don't recycle at all.  C'mon people...it's so easy to do!

*  Lastly, I got this video link through my Facebook page and for some reason I feel compelled to share it.  Colorado passed a no texting law, but I still see people doing it all of the time.  There have been so many accidents lately caused by people talking/texting on their phones and they could have all been prevented.  I know that sometimes it's nice to talk while you're out driving, but I don't think any phone call is as important as someone's life.  Now, I am guilty of talking on the phone while driving, but after seeing this and the countless number of stories on the news about people getting in accidents, I will definitely think twice about picking up my phone.  Warning: this is pretty graphic, so viewer discretion is advised.  Since I still don't know how to upload videos, here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pubTiDCEVZ8&feature=related

1st Masters Swim - wow!

This post may be a little long, so bear with me!

I have been thinking about joining a Masters Swim program for awhile now, but none of them ever fit into my schedule.  That is until I found out about a program at a 24 hour fitness not too far from where I live.  It's held at a Super Sport, which I didn't have access to.  I guess the people at 24 hr. fitness like to think that the Super Sports are far superior than the regular clubs, which is why they charge an arm and a leg to be a member of one.  But, this week, they were running a special where I could update my membership to just $15/mo. and have access to ALL the clubs.  After doing some research about the price of joining a Masters Program, I realized that $15/mo is WAY cheaper than anything else I could find, which was in the $45-$55 range.  And, they meet at 6AM which is great.  I'm able to go to the class, shower, and get home before my husband has to go to work.  Of course, my husband and I had to talk about it because on the days that I do the class he would have to get himself and both of our boys ready and fed, which is something I normally do, but he was all for it.  He is really supportive of me and knows how frustrated I am with my swim.  So, he's willing to take on some extras to help me with my goal.  I'm so thankful to have such an amazing husband!

Anyways, I decided to get to the gym early and swim for about 20 minutes to loosen up before class. Um, I don't think I'll be doing that again (keep reading!).  So, I introduced myself to the instructor and told her it was my first time doing a Masters program.  She was like, "But you know how to swim right?"  I said, "Yes" and I could tell she was relieved!  She wrote down the first part of our workout and I jumped in a lane and started swimming.  After a couple of minutes, more people started coming and the instructor asked me to move to the end lane.  I forgot that the lanes were set up by speed...oops!  But, I wish she would have told me that from the beginning.  Anyways, I went to the end lane, the slowest lane.  There was one other girl in the lane with me, but once we started the main workout she  moved over a lane.  I didn't understand why she would want to be in a lane with 2 other people, but I was kind of happy to have a lane to myself.  But, in the back of my mind I was thinking that she didn't want to be in the "slow" lane with me.  :(  

Now, there were probably about 10 other people in the class and I could tell that they had been swimming together for a long time.  They were laughing and joking with each other and I immediately felt like an outsider.  Plus, I'm pretty sure I was the youngest swimmer there.  Then, once the workout started, I knew I was definitely an outsider.  They were all super fast and they all did flip turns.  Needless to say I was very intimidated.  At one point, the instructor had us do 4*100, odd IM/stroke, even free.  Now, I don't know about you but I cannot do the butterfly stroke!  I looked over at the other swimmers and they were ALL doing the IM.  But, I just kept swimming and doing my thing.  I could not keep up with them and realized that when they were done with their set of 4-100s, I was only on my 3rd.  So, I would just move on to the next set because I thought it would be better for me to get in a variety of sets then just keep doing the same thing.  At one point I stopped and rested because I was pretty tired.  With my extra swimming before hand I had actually been swimming for about an hour already and I could really feel it.  I told the instructor that I couldn't keep up with them and the intervals.  She said that it was alright and that I shouldn't feel like I needed to keep up because the morning classes usually have all of her fast swimmers.  It kind of made me feel better, but not really.  

Overall, the class really kicked my ass!  I mean, I have been doing drills and interval work when I go to the pool, but not at this level.  I had to leave a little early to ensure that I would make it home in time, and when I got out of the pool it felt like everyone was just staring at me.  I'm sure it was all in my mind, but still, I didn't like that feeling.  I thanked the instructor, said goodbye, and went to change.  I'm ashamed to admit that I had a little breakdown involving some tears in the shower.  It seems so silly to say that, but I HATED being the slowest swimmer and not being able to keep up.  But, more than that, I hated that I compared myself to the other swimmers and let that comparison get to me so much.  I  am just so frustrated with my swimming and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.  Why am I so slow???

Obviously, I need to get over my insecurities and just think of this as a great opportunity to become a better swimmer.  I know it will be good for me to go to this class on a regular basis because it definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone (both physically and mentally).  But, I just wish the results would come faster.   

Do any of you go to a Masters swim class?  If so, how do you like it?  Do you think it has helped your swimming?  

Humpastry Day - Chocolate Chia Pudding Dirt Cups

Chocolate Chia Pudding Dirt Cups

In honor of Earth Day, which is Thursday, I wanted to make a fun treat for Humpastry Day.  I was originally going to make animal and plant cookies and have my boys decorate them with frosting, but then I remembered dirt cups.  I knew my 2 1/2 and 4 1/2yr. olds would absolutely love these!  Now, these aren't the healthiest things because there's not much you can do in replacing gummy worms and Oreo cookies.  But, I did find a way to make the pudding a little healthier.  :)

I have been reading some great things about Chia seeds, and found some recipes online from http://www.chiativity.org.  I was intrigued by the Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe, and thought it would be a good way to make the dirt cups a little healthier.  But, I wasn't sure how it would taste because I had never used chia seeds before.  However, after reading this post from Anne Marie at Goals for the week, I finally decided to make a trip to Whole Foods and give the little seeds a try.      

As a quick side story, I went up to the customer service desk at WF to see if they carried chia seeds, and the lady said, "Like the chia pets?"  It was pretty funny.  I had to explain to her that they are similar, but they're actually seeds that you can eat.  She had never heard of them before, but after a quick computer search see directed me to the bulk isle.  Hooray!  

Chia Pudding Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

*  4Tbl. chia seeds
*  1C soymilk (you can also use regular, almond, hemp, etc..)
*  4Tbl. agave nectar (you can add more depending on how sweet you want it)
*  2Tbl. cocoa powder
*  1tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1.  Put all ingredients in a container that has a lid.  Stir them well and leave the container, uncovered, on the counter for 20 minutes.
2.  After 20 minutes, stir the mixture again, put the lid on, and put in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  *Note:  the longer the mixture stays in the fridge, the thicker it gets.

 This is what the pudding looks like after 20 minutes.

This is what the pudding looks like after about 5 hours.  You can see how much thicker it is after sitting in the fridge.  You don't have to let it sit in the fridge for this long, but I made the pudding during lunch and we had it for dessert after dinner, so it had a long time to sit.

I have to say that it was pretty strange seeing this change into a gelatinous mixture.  I was really hesitant to taste it, but once I did I was pleasantly surprised!  The texture is very similar to tapioca pudding and it was actually really good.  I think you need to taste it after it sits for awhile and add more cocoa and agave depending on your tastes.  It wasn't as sweet as regular pudding, but I figured once I added the Oreo cookies, it would be plenty sweet, and I was right.  

How to assemble the dirt cups:
1.  Put some pudding in a small cup (I used ramekins).  This is the "mud."
2.  Put some Oreo cookies in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.  Once they are crushed, put them on top of the pudding.  This is the "dirt."
3.  Add some gummy worms for a fun effect.
4.  Enjoy!

The Sunday Sampler - Health

Welcome to another installment of The Sunday Sampler.  This is the day where I share my insights, thoughts, and opinions with you about different things in three categories: fitness, parenthood, and health, rotating each category each week.  I hope that makes sense! :)  

My hope is that I will be able to help you along your adventure just like so many others have helped me. So, let me know what you think!  I'd love to read about your perspectives on these things as well!  :) 

Health:
Hemp protein:

O-kay, don't let the word "hemp" scare you.  I'm not talking about good ole' Cannibus, but rather a protein source that is considered to be the "gold standard of plant protein."  I was first introduced to hemp protein in Brendan Brazier's book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life.  I was a little hesitant to eat it because of the whole "hemp" thing, but after doing further research, I realized that it is actually a wonderful product.
So, one thing I always got asked when I became a vegetarian was, "How do you get your protein?"  I soon realized that these people really didn't care how I got my protein, what they were really saying was that I was a fool for being a vegetarian and thinking I could still be an endurance athlete.  Turns out they were actually the fools.  It's interesting how much different information you can find about the protein requirements for athletes when you Google it.  Now, I am not a doctor or a sports dietitian, but I believe that how much protein you need is dependent on who you are, what you believe, what type of training you are doing, and what your goals are.  I think everyone is different and therefore requires different amounts of protein.  But, one thing is certain, we, as athletes, all need it in some amount or the other.  Why?  Here is some info. about protein from the book, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes:

Protein plays an important role in the growth, repair, and muscle maintenance of muscles and other tissues in the body.  It is needed for the formation of hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen to the exercising muscles.  It can even serve as a fuel source during endurance exercise if your body's carbohydrate stores run low.  Protein is also crucial to controlling fluid volume in the body and maintaining water balance.  Insufficient protein can hinder muscle recovery in the hours after training because of protein's essential role in the building and repair of muscle tissue.   

Now, we all know that the best way to get protein is from whole foods, but sometimes it is nice to have easy access to it pre and post workout.  Here is where protein powder comes in, hence the reason for this post. :)

Why should we use hemp protein over other proteins out there?
*  It is a complete protein and contains all 10 essential amino acids
*  The proteins found in hemp are similar to the ones found in the human body
*  It provides the essential fatty acids Omega-6 and 3 in a healthy 3:1 ratio
*  Is a high source of fiber.  2Tbl. of hemp provides 8g of fiber, about 1/3 of our daily requirement
*  It has natural plant chlorophyll and alkalizes to maintain a Ph balance in your body
*  Since hemp protein is raw, the body is able to utilize it easily, reducing digestive strain
*  It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including calcium and iron
*  It is free of oligosaccharides, the component that can cause gas and upset stomach
*  It is gluten free, vegan, kosher, and non-genetically modified
*  It contains no sugar, saturated/trans fats, or cholesterol

How to incorporate hemp protein into your diet:

*  Add some protein powder to your smoothie, oatmeal, or yogurt
*  Add hemp seeds to salads, cereal, granola, soups, and stews.  They have a nice nutty flavor, kind of like sunflower seeds, and add a nice little crunch to food.
*  Sprinkle the seeds on steamed veggies (kind of like you would do with sesame seeds)
*  Use the seeds in baked goods (breads, muffins, cookies)
*  Add the powder or seeds to your favorite homemade granola bar recipe
*  Make hemp milk by blending 1C hemp seeds with 4C water
*  Use hemp oil as a salad dressing base (I have a great salad dressing recipe that uses hemp, flax, olive oil, and garlic! It is delicious! Let me know if you want the recipe)


Some things to be aware of:
*  Hemp seeds can easily turn rancid, so make sure to put them in the fridge or freezer to make them last longer
*  Store hemp protein powder and hemp oil in the fridge as well
*  If stored correctly, hemp products will last from 8-12 weeks.
*  Hemp products are free of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, so you can't get "high" from it
*  It's more expensive than other proteins out there, but I think it's worth it.
*  Check out this link for some FAQ about hemp products

Do any of you eat hemp products?  If so, what is your take on them?  
I hope you are all having a great weekend! :)

A week in review and other things too

Training:
*  This week has been a weird week.  I'm kind of in limbo with my training.  I finished my 1/2 marathon on Sunday and don't officially start my HIM training till Monday.  So, I've just been chillin' and relaxing and doing things when I can fit them in.  I didn't get stressed out if I didn't get to ride my bike, run, or swim b/c I know soon enough I won't have this luxury.   


*Here's a picture from my race.  I don't think it's too bad, which surprises me because I never get good race pictures.   
                                                                                                      


*  My legs were still kind of sore on Monday from my 1/2, so I decided to do some easy spinning on my bike.  Once again, I set up my trainer outside while my youngest napped and my oldest played in the yard.  I only got in 30 minutes, but it was great and my legs felt so much better afterwards.  


*  I got to go to another yoga class on Thursday.  I got called out half way through by a kids' club staff member because my son had an "accident."  I thought about grabbing my stuff and just leaving, but changed my mind because I really wanted to finish the class.  I quickly went to change him, then got back on my mat.  I'm glad I decided to stay because it ended up being a really good class.   


* I've been so focused on doing the drills that my swim coach told me to do that I haven't swam continuously in a long time.  So, for one of my swim workouts I decided to just swim.  I wanted to make sure that I could still do it.  I did a 300m wu, stretched, and then just swam.  It was awesome and it felt so good.  I was originally only going to do 1500m, but I was feeling good so I kept going and ended up doing 2000m.  I was able to get into a groove and I felt smooth in the water.  I love that feeling! 


* I can't wait to see how I do in the open water.  The place I go to for OWS opens May 1st and I'm really excited about it.  Besides figuring out my stroke, I also have to figure out how to get past the mental part of being in open water.  For some reason, I tend to freak out, panic, and revert to swimming breast stroke every once in awhile to calm myself down.  I know that if I just swam and focused on swimming I would be fine, but I just can't seem to get over it.  I know everyone says it takes practice, but I've been doing tris for over 4 years and it's the same thing every year.  Ughhh...I just wish I could get past whatever it is that goes on in my mind!  Hopefully, this is the year!

Life:
*  Blog giveaways rock!  I won a cool tiki mug and some bora bora bars from Kelly at My Life as a Trimommy and they are really yummy!  And, I love how they have all natural ingredients.  I just happened to be at Costco the other day and they had a box of 18bars...woohoo!  One thing about Costco, you always end up buying more than what you planned.

Here I am drinking my soy chai tea in my new tiki mug after my swim.  I didn't realize my hair was parted so weird until after I looked at the picture..ha ha.  Please excuse the dirty dishes in the background.  I didn't get around to getting them done last night.  And, the sweatshirt I'm wearing is one that I actually won in a 5k race.  It is the only race that I won anything from.  Of course, it was like 10 degrees out so there weren't a lot of people there, but still, it was nice to win something and get a warm, comfy sweatshirt as a prize! :)

*  Remember how I was frustrated about potty training my youngest?  Well, besides his little "accident" on Thursday, I am happy to say that he's been wearing big boy undies all week and has been doing great! Woohoo!  I think  the reason he had the accident at kids' club is because he didn't feel comfortable telling the staff he needed to go.  Poor little guy.

*  My youngest sister ran in her first 1/2 marathon this past weekend and she did great!  She did have to stop around mile 12 to throw-up (maybe Big Daddy could give her the pukie award through me...ha ha), but she kept on keepin' on and finished in an awesome time!  I am so proud of her!  I can't wait to run the Denver Rock-n-Roll marathon with her in October...it will be the first marathon for both of us.  We're also doing the Muddy Buddy in Phx. in November.  That should be a lot of fun!

* This should probably go under training, but oh well.  After 5 years, I had to buy a new watch.   I use it for swimming and running when I don't feel like wearing my Garmin.  And, since I'm not a "girly-girl," I actually wear it as my every day watch too.  This has been, by far, the best watch I have ever owned.  It can really take a beating, and isn't very expensive considering how long it lasts.   Here is a picture of my old one.  Notice the left side coming undone.  The top section came undone about a week ago.  My husband super glued it, but when the bottom broke too, I figured it was time for a new one.  Plus, it was getting foggy after my swims, which it has never done before.   Bye bye watch.

Here's a picture of my  new one:  I love the new color and the yellow indiglo light button!  At least the yellow button will be one thing that matches my new shoes! Ha ha.

 I hope you all have a great weekend! :)  

Humpastry Day - Ginger Lemon Muffins

Ginger Lemon Muffins

I just got a new book called, "The Joy of Vegan Baking."  I was hoping that it would help me in my baking adventure, but honestly, most of the information in the book I already knew from doing my own research online.  I think it has some good recipes, but again, they all use white flour.  I don't understand why there aren't any cookbooks out there that have adapted the recipes to include healthier ones.  It's really not that hard to do and the results are still super tasty...at least in my opinion they are.   Anyways, I was a little bummed about the cookbook, but I am excited about using the recipes as a base and figuring out how to make them healthier without compromising the flavor.  

The recipe for ginger muffins in the book really intrigued me.  I don't think I've ever had a muffin or scone that had ginger as the main flavor, so I wanted to try it out.  The recipe below is my version of the original with healthier ingredients.  I used amaranth flour in the recipe, because it works really well in muffins.  For more information about amaranth flour, you can read my post about it here.

I'll be honest with you, I wasn't expecting these to turn out too well, but I was pleasantly surprised.  They have a nice, subtle flavor and the combination of lemon and ginger is interesting, but in a good way.  They were good plain, but I especially liked them with a little strawberry jelly.  Oh, and after eating them, I think the addition of figs or dates would be really yummy in them.  I may have to make another batch and try it out. :)

Ingredients:
Makes 12 muffins

*  2 flax eggs (2Tbl. flax w/ 6Tbl. water mixed until creamy)
*  1/4C finely minced ginger   **Note: I use ginger in a lot of my cooking, so I always have a jar of minced/chopped ginger in my fridge.  It might be more expensive than fresh ginger, but it is super easy and tastes the same.
*  1C raw sugar (divided)
*  Zest and juice of 1 lemon
*  1 1/2C whole wheat pastry flour
*  1/2C amaranth flour
*  3/4tsp. salt
*  1tsp. baking soda
*  1/2C vegan butter, softened (Earth balance is my favorite)
*  1C soymilk

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease your muffin tin, or line with paper cups.
2.  In a small saucepan, combine the ginger with 1/2C sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar melts (about 2-3minutes).  Set aside to cool, then add lemon zest to the mixture.
3.  In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together.  Set aside.
4.  In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the other 1/2C of sugar until blended.
5.  Add the flax eggs and stir well.
6.  Add the milk, lemon juice, and ginger mixture and stir well.
7.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
8.  Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9.  Cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire race to cool.
10.  Enjoy!