New Things

I am not going to lie, I am a big fan of craft beer. I brew, I am involved in the craft beer community, and I enjoy touring breweries almost as much as I enjoy a great race. Lately, I began to wonder how my love for a great craft brew is effecting my metabolism.

I began my research hoping that I am going to get some answers and write a short  post about it, but the deeper I got the more I realized that there will be nothing short about this "paper".  I am excited that it is finally starting to come together and I hope to be able to share it with you in the next few weeks. In the mean time, I have to say: stay away from drinking while you are working towards a fitness goal. The damage that you are doing to your metabolic system is not worth the hour of "fun".

Hope you guys are having a great week. If you have any ideas or questions that I can research for you, let me know. I'd be glad to put together a post or two. In the mean time, I'm going to get back to work.

Featured Workout: Back To Basics

If your training season is anything like mine, it can get exhausting and very disheartening at times. I love the challenge of a new workout, I love getting stronger, faster, and leaner. However, I also recognize the value of a good break, which is why I usually take a week or two off in the middle of the summer to go back to basics and hone in on my form and basic body weight exercises. It gives my body the opportunity to rest before the next wave of heavy training and I find that I usually come back stronger and faster. I will be posting a WOD every day (except for Sunday, because it is my day off) for the next two weeks on our Facebook page. Make sure that you “like” and “share” so you won’t miss any of the amazing, deceptively easy, workouts. This is what I started my two week rest period with:

WARM UP:
50 Toy Soldiers
50 Side Shuffle Cross Overs

WORKOUT:
20 Pull-ups
20 Body Weight Lunges
20 TRX Rows
20 Air Squats
1 min Plank
20 Squat Jumps

Rest 1 minute

Repeat as many times as you can for 30 minutes.

COOL DOWN:
Treadmill walk at 15% incline at your normal brisk walk speed. Do not hold on to the treadmill. If you can’t walk and not hold on, decrease the incline slightly.

My First Peachtree Road Race

Waiting to begin the race.

I thought that by today I'd finally find the words to describe my experience at Peachtree Road Race, but it seems harder now than it was three days ago.  I must have started this post a dozen times and everything I wrote so far doesn't give the race justice. I am not sure if I can properly describe how disappointing and how incredible this race was all at the same time. Usually, I have a lot to say about my races and can talk your era off  for hours, but this one was different. All I could answer to the usual "how was your race" question, was "I did well" and smile. I don't have a lot to say because I wasn't overwhelmed, I was calm, I was collected, I had a plan, I executed that plan down to the last detail. I guess that is one of the most  shocking parts of the event. I was prepared and outside of a small hiccup at the beginning, nothing went wrong. 

The fact that I was well prepped, allowed me to concentrate on the experience of the race. I was prepared to take on the crowds, struggle through the hills, take on the Cardiac Hill, and come out on the other side tiered and satisfied and full of exciting memories. Instead, it was just.... well, mellow. Very mellow.  

  

I woke up very early on the 4th of July and turned on the news as I was making breakfast.  As expected, our local news channels were showing the preparations for the race, talking about road closures, and showing wet and yet hopeful volunteers setting up barricades to help re-route traffic.  At that point, it has been raining for two days and no one was expecting to be dry.  Days in advance I told myself that I was going to be uncomfortable and it hardly mattered how that discomfort was going to manifest.  All I cared about as I left my house that morning was staying dry and warm long enough to get to the start.

Surprisingly, as we approached Buckhead, we didn't encounter traffic. Atlanta without the stop-and-go? What?! No way! I couldn't believe it! The rain picked up again and as I was about to exit the car and begin my walk towards my starting wave, I realized that I left my giant trash bag rain poncho at home. After a short search around the car, I found a small umbrella and decided that it'll do.  Since this was my very first Peachtree Road Race, I had no idea if I was going to have an opportunity to stay dry, so I played it safe. 

Best shoe waterproofing idea I have ever seen! Not my shoe.

 I think I was the only one with an umbrella in that crowd, and honestly, I didn't care. Since my brother (also my running buddy) was yet to find me in the sea of wet, excited runners, I figured that holding an umbrella would work better than try to explain that I am "right next to the giant green crane across the street from Sacks on Fifth, no wait, we are moving again".  I was right. Ten minutes after Tim texted me his location, I heard my name being called in the crowd and there he was! 

Thousands of runners on Peachtree Rd waiting to start the race

 Luckily, the rain stopped right before "the gun went off " and we were on our way. The first three miles seemed deceptively easy. I looked down at my watch and realized that I just ran a 5K thirteen minutes faster than normal. After a short moment of panic I checked in with myself:  I was not tired, I was not hurt, and I could, in fact, take the Cardiac Hill without an issue!

The giant flag above the start line

I was told by many veteran runners that Cardiac Hill is the best part of the race. Usually crowds of spectators line the sidewalks and cheer on the runners. I was told that the energy you feel on that hill is unreal and if your legs are giving out, you'd run on sheer principal because no one wants to disappoint a crowd!  

I guess I had very high expectation. When I got to the hill, there were no crowds. A few spectators stood holding signs of encouragement, but that's about it. I'd like to say thank you to those who braved the rain to encourage us on the hill. 

By the time I got to the final mile, the crowd grew more active and the runners  began to slow down. People were handing out beer and water to the participants and encouraging us to keep going. If I was beginning to question the dedication of my wonderful city to this race, all of that dissipated when a toddler ran out into the street to high-five me. 

I finished the race to cheering and applause with a 10K PR, walked through a beautiful grassy field in Piedmont Park that was slowly turning into a mud pit, stopped in at the Atlanta Track Club VIP area and said hello to a few people. By the time I was done with my post race snack, my brother called and we began our long walk to our car. 

I think that post race walk was probably one of my favorite parts of the race. Maybe it is because my brother is an extremely charismatic person, or because we, runners, are a naturally friendly bunch, but I have never seen anyone receive this many high-fives and make so many people smile as he did. It made me truly proud to be a part of the Atlanta running community and to be his big sister. 

Time and I after the Peachtree Road Race 2013

 Regardless of the weather and the dirt, the race was a success and I am beginning to think that I have found a new 4th of July tradition. If you live in Atlanta, or if you are a runner, Peachtree Road Race is one of those events that you have to run at least once.

Herbed Chicken Cherry Wrap

I am a big fan or using dinner leftovers in my lunch prep. One of my favorite lunch foods is a wrap. It is portable, fool proof, and you can wrap almost anything into a whole wheat, high fiber tortilla. Here is one of my favorite recipes:  

HERBED CHICKEN CHERRY WRAP

Ingredients:

1 Herbed Chicken Breast (cut up and reheated)
2 Whole Wheat Tortilla
1 Cup Baby Spring Mix
5 Pitted, Diced Red Cherries
2 tbsp of Low Fat Feta Cheese
1/4 tsp Sriracha Sauce
1tsp of Orange Juice
1tbsp of Light Mayo

Directions:

Reheat and cut up Herbed Chicken into bit sized pieces, set aside. In a bowl, combine baby spring mix, diced cherries, feta cheese, and orange juice. Mix well, set aside. Spread 1/2 tbsp of  light mayo on the whole wheat tortilla, arrange chicken and veggie mix on the tortilla, drizzle with sriracha and fold into a wrap. Makes two wraps.

Peachtree Road Race: The Day Before

I believe that if you are a runner and you live in Atlanta, you absolutely have to run Peachtree Road Race at least once. After all, Peachtree Road Race is considered to be the largest 10K race in the world. It spans the scenic, 6.2 miles through Atlanta and finishes at Piedmont Park. The very first Peachtree Road Race was held on July 4th 1970. It is hard to believe now, but on that day  110 participants showed up at the start line. Those 110 are now known as the "Original 110". The popularity of the race grew through the years and Atlanta Track Club had to expand the cap for the number of participants multiple time over the years. Now the race has a cap of 60,000 participants and multiple starting waves. The registration for the race is done via electronic lottery, a practice started in 2011 due to the growing interest in the race.

This year I will be joining the crowds of runner and spectators to participate in this iconic Atlanta event. I am giddy with excitement and I can barely wait to lace up my shoes and join my brother, my friends, and other Atlanta Track Club members at the start line. I can't wait to triumphantly tackle the "Cardiac Hill" (a long incline near Piedmont Hospital), turn onto 10th street and cross the finish line! Rain or shine, I will finish this race and I will have my celebratory beer and maybe a bagel and enjoy the 4th of July celebrations knowing that I was a part of something amazing!

The Most Incredible Chciken Broth

CHICKEN BROTH

If you are busy, busy, busy just like we are, this recipe is a life saver! This broth can be added to a lot of dishes to enhance the flavor or to prevent proteins from drying out during the cooking process without sacrificing any of the flavor. The best part is, that you can portion this broth in 1 cup Tupperware containers and freeze it so when you need exactly one cup of broth for one dish or another, you always have some on hand!

Ingredients:

2.25 lbs Chicken Breast (3 large breasts)
10 Cups of water
1 Spanish Onion pealed
3 Celery Stalks cut in half
1 large Carrot Cleaned and cut in half
2 Parsnips cleaned and cut in half
4 Pepper Corns
4 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Onion Salt
10 Coriander Kernels
Dash of Nut Meg
Dash of Cumin
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Dill
Salt to taste

Directions:

Clean and trim the chicken breasts, set aside. Clean your carrots, celery, parsnips, and herbs. Peel the onion without cutting it in half, it'll be easier to fish it out of your broth later. Tie the herbs up with butchers twine and set aside. In a large broth pot, combine water, chicken, and veggies, add the spices, cover and set on medium heat. When the broth starts to boil, about 10-15 minutes, add your herb bunch and cut the heat to low. Allow the broth to simmer at low heat for another 35 minutes or until chicken is done. With a slotted spoon take out all of the veggies and chicken. Reserve the chicken for Chicken Mushroom Soup or other meals.

Notes:

At this point you can save the broth in order to use it in other meals or make Chicken Mushroom Soup. I usually allow the broth to cool and ladle it into 1 cup Tupperware containers and freeze for later use.

A Battle With Fear

At one point I have talked about my problem with over thinking things , scaring myself, and then abandoning the original plan because I created an elephant out of the fly and decided that the obstacles that I am faced with are immovable.  I even put myself in front of a challenge to not over think things for a month. Let me tell you, it was very, very hard and I am not sure that I was as successful as I intended to be at the beginning. 

Recently, I embarked on a journey of not only bettering my mind and body, but also on a journey of developing and growing my business. I noticed that my habit of over thinking and making my challenges seem larger than they are is actually putting me behind the curve when it comes to my professional life as well as when it comes to my athletic abilities. 

The only way I know how to combat this irrational fear is to simply ignore it and push forward despite the sheer terror that I experience sometimes in the face of difficult circumstances. I wonder how things would be if I didn't have to expand my energy on relentlessly perusing what I set out to achieve, if I didn't find myself all but paralyzed by my insecurity so often? Is there another way to combat self doubt? A better way to stare failure in the face and not flinch? I don't know. However, I am determined to find out one way or another. I refuse to be defeated by something that only exists in my imagination!