This shit is getting real!

After a week in Orlando, Miami. Ft. Lauderdale and Key West, it is back to reality and training! Sure sitting beach side, riding a cruiser bike, soaking up the sun and having a few "pops" was amazing, but I am less than 2 months from my 2/3 of a 1/2 Iron Man!

This morning shit got real! Like the Real Deal.

My day called for a 4 hour ride with a 15-20 minute run...totally doable. Right? I started the morning out with a coffee, some coconut water, a banana and a little toast with PB& honey...what'd you call me? Not much but just enough. Oh and also a trip to the bathroom (recommended by my training mentor).

I met Becky (aka Armstrong) on my corner at 6am and set for downtown again. We busted a two lapper on Belle Isle then headed back because she needed to be home by 7:15. Luckily Jessica and Fletch were up for an hour ride at 7:15 so I met up with them and headed back downtown to Belle Isle for another loop. Riding downtown is my favorite! It's just way different at 6am than it is at 7:30 am..damn you Motor City, can we get some bike lanes?

We rode for just over an hour and then I set out for another 1 hour 30 minutes on my own back around my neighborhood. Today was not my best day of riding ever though. From the get-go my legs ached  and I just didn't feel awesome, but I rode all 4 hours and got 60 miles in. When I got back home I "hopped" off the bike, ran up, changed into my running gear and set out for my 15-20 minute run.

Run
To go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at awalk and in such a manner that for an instant in each stepall or both feet are off the ground.

Above is the definition of Run. When I say I Ran (past tense) 20 minutes what I really mean is I hobbled for 20 minutes. Running after cycling is always funny, but I've never done it after riding 60 miles. I started by walking for 2 minutes and was set to run until I saw the car at the light next to me. Instead of looking like a drunk fool I continued to walk until that car passed me. Once he passed I took off like a bat outta hell...ummm or a drunk fool. It took a few blocks for my legs to figure out what to do but once I got it going it was actually ok. It did get hot pretty quickly so I only ran for 15 and then walked 3 to cool down. I was super thirsty on the run so perhaps I should have had more to drink near the end of my ride. But I did pee before and after the run so I wasn't dehydrated...?

Today's workout was fueled with GU, a Powerbar, Gatorade with added salt, and Salt Stick caps. I'm still trying to figure out how to pop my salt caps every 30 and also get my damn enzymes in when I'm going for solid food...maybe I'll have to invent a pill popper....

My head feels a little whacky and I'm sleepy, but right now I feel damn good! Training continues!

Em

Guten Morgen!

Love this shot that my main man John took on our morning ride today! I needed to get in a 3 hour session so John and my friend Becky joined for the first 90 minutes. We headed straight downtown on the open and dark roads to Belle Isle for a few laps. The roads were basically ours the whole time and we only had to argue with a few geese and seagulls who were trash picking from this weekends BBQ's. We cruised at a quick clip and took turns drafting...well actually Becky led for all of the drafting portions. She is basically Lance Armstrong minus the drugs..

*Wow your friends with this fun fact: Belle Isle is the largest park owned by any city in the U.S.A. AND the guy who designed Central Park in NYC also design our little island in the city. Explode it!

I tried out the Hammer orange cream Perpetuem today because my ride was going to be a bit longer. Seemed to work pretty damn good! I was popping Salt Stick caps, sipping on that orange dream and also sipping water. I did pop a couple GU's though because I could feel my stomach getting feisty. So far that seemed to work well. I'm feeling pretty damn good right now, a little weird in my head so maybe I need to take in more salt...more experimenting!

Post ride I busted an Ezekiel English muffin topped with my dad's homemade blackberry jam & natural PB and a bowl of 2% Fage Greek Yogurt topped with blueberries and Pumpkin Flax granola. And of course......coffee!

Here's to a great week ahead as my mom, dad, brother and I head to Key West! I can already hear the sirens...

Warrior shake..it's good!

Last week I came across Sun Warrior, a brand of vegan/plant based raw protein powders that have a complete line up of Omega's and a bunch of other great things. After checking out the site I got in touch with the company and they sent me out a few Warrior Blend Products; vanilla, chocolate and natural. With all of the training coming up for the 1/2 Iron Man I need to be conscious of increasing my calories while not getting into too much sugar and other crap. Growing up on nutritional weight gain powders I know a lot of these are overly processed and filled with some low quality junk. Trans fat anyone?..so when I found this I was super excited to try it!

Today I whipped up the chocolate powder pack in the blender with:
1 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 of a frozen banana
Handful each of strawberries and blueberries (that I just picked yesterday!)
1 chocolate coconut water ice cube

It was great! Last week I just mixed the vanilla one with almond milk and it was decent...adding fruit and blending is definitely the way to go, especially if you have texture issues.

The individual packet that I used had 15 grams of protein and only 1.4 grams of sugar, perfect. It is pretty low in calories though (only 84 per pack) so if I need more calories after a ride or run I'll drop in some almond butter and flax or chia seeds. This was just a snack on a tummy full of...you know...maybe time for a GoLytely round soon.

I'll definitely be ordering more of this! Click on the pic above to read all about the Sun Warrior products!

Rock CF,
Em

Shake it up...baby?

Attention parents, aunts, uncles and babysitters!  

Can't get that baby to stop crying? I can help!

First find a friend with CF who owns (and better be using!) a therapy vest. Have them strap on that vest and then put that crying baby in their arms. Within seconds you will have a happy and smiling baby!

Above is me with my niece LoLo. She is a mover and a, um "shaker", and doesn't like to sit still. So this a.m. I was doing my meds and vest and she was getting feisty for my bro (her daddy). I said let's see if the vest will help.... Sure enough after a little shake down she was that smiling and happy baby that she is. She sat through the last 10 minute setting with me and loved every second of it. So if you don't have a friend with CF, too bad....You can just dish out $15,000 + though and you will be all set.

Stay tuned for more Mary Poppins tips!

Eat Good Food..Specifically Enchiladas

Brilliant Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Zucchini Enchiladas
Makes 8-10 Enchiladas..good for 2-3 people and some leftovers for lunch!


Ingredients
1 sweet potato (cook on 400 degrees until finished/35-40 minutes? I never time anything so do what you want)
Small diced onion
2 cloves diced garlic
Diced zucchini
1/4 tsp chili pepper
Black beans drained and rinsed
1/4 Cup green chilies
Sliced avocado (to top)
Cooked Brown Rice
Soft shell corn taco shells
Enchilada sauce (from Mexico, well the grocery store, but made in Mexico..I have not perfected homemade sauce..don't judge)



How to make magic:
Get that brown rice going on the stove or in a rice cooker, it takes at least 35 minutes. Really pressed for time or just lazy? Pick up pre cooked brown rice in the Trader Joe's frozen aisle..I won't tell.

Here we go: In a saucepan on medium sautee garlic, onions and zucchini in olive oil with salt and pepper. Stir in black beans. Add chili powder and chilies to the now yummy black beans. Finely dice that cooled sweet potato and add into amazingly healthy and tasty veggie mix (Not looking to burn your hands? Then slow down and let the orange tuber cool). Cook it all on low for a few to make sure it's all mixed up and getting along.

Set oven and 375
In a baking pan or something add a little of the enchilada sauce to the bottom. Take a corn tortilla and place it on the sauce. Spoon in the black bean and sweet potato mixture and rolling it up. Don't fill that shell too full or the thing will bust or won't close...and you'll cry. Continue rolling these babies up until A) You run out of space in the pan B) You run out of shells C) You run out of mix.
Take the remaining enchilada sauce and douse the rolled up enchiladas.

Bake for for 15 minutes or so. If you are a cheese eater top with some shredded stuff and let it melt in for a few.

Plate a couple- 2, 3 up, top with avocado and side it up with some brown rice! A good way to get some more calories and protein would to also top with some 2% or Total Greek Yogurt (Fage of course!). Waaaaayyy better nutritionally than sour cream and the 15-20g of protein is killer for us CF peeps!

Enjoy!
Emily