Timberman 70.3 Race Report

4:30 am came quickly. We wanted to get to transition early, so that we could park right at Ellacoya state park rather than parking at Gunstock or remote lots and shuttling to the start. We did get there early and I ate breakfast and sipped on my yerba mate tea in the car before the sun came up. 

After prepping my transition spot, I had quite a bit of time since the pros went off at 7am and my wave went off at 8am. It was a cold morning and I was happy I had my sweats. I actually wore my hoodie and flip flops until the last moment so I wouldn’t be cold. I was lucky enough to have Joe on the beach with me, so I could hand off my clothes to him.

No matter how many times I have done a half ironman, I still get that feeling when reality sets in of what I am about to embark on. It is 10xs worse for ironman, but I still get it to some degree for a half.

I felt great on the swim, but I was a couple minutes slow based on my goal. I swam it in 34:50. I have been working a lot on my swim and have gotten so much faster, but clearly something went awry. I guess the bigger issue is I can’t figure out what since I felt good and felt like I swam a straight course. I have a long time in the pool ahead of me with Coach Jen to figure it out before Ironman Mont Tremblant. 

The bike has always been my weakest discipline. I have been working a lot on my bike this year. The road conditions weren’t great- lots of potholes and rough areas, but it could have been worse. Since the roads weren’t closed I did find myself in a sketchy situation flying down hill and a car passed me and had to stop due to riders. There wasn’t a shoulder on the road and I had to slam on my brakes- I think my heart rate was the highest of the day at that point as it shot up in fear that I was going to slam in the back of  the car. Other than that, the bike was pretty smooth.

 My goal was to break 3:00 hours on the bike and ended up with a 2:50- I am thrilled about that. All my hard work has paid off and I am hoping this is a good sign that my riding will just continue to get stronger.  

The run was tough- even though I am smiling in almost every picture from the run. It tends to relax my body when I smile. I try to fake myself that I am not feeling uncomfortable.

 I am always happy when I get on my two feet, but I didn’t feel as great as I would have liked. It ended up being quite a hot run and I am always thankful that at IM races they have the cold sponges and towels at the aid stations. They help so much to help cool the body down. And this is coming from someone who loves the heat and can handle heat much better than cold.  I ended up with a 1:51 half marathon- about 5 minutes slower than I would have liked, but hey, I will take it.

Crossing the finish line was especially special since 3x Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington gave me my finishers medal. Not only is she an amazing athlete who keeps breaking her own world records, but she is truly a genuine person. She took the time to congratulate everyone has they came across. It was the highlight of my day.

Overall, I am extremely thrilled with my race. I broke my personal record for my Half Ironman distance with my 5:20:19 finishing time. I placed 9^th in my AG and 336th overall out of the out of 1600-something men and women, which I am extremely happy about. I had an amazing cheer crew and can’t thank Joe (@flinnj3- for doing an amazing job giving race updates via twitter even though he had never tweeted before), Andrea, Katy and Ray (follow ray! @brownie1818) enough for all their support. No one else had a better cheer squad out there.

Thunderstorms rolled in and they closed the course early pulling runners off the roads before they finished.  We got on the road before the thunderstorms hit and I sipped on my chocolate hemp milk mixed with hemp protein on the way home to start the recovery process.

Timberman wrapped up my triathlon racing of the season. I have a LOT of work to do before Ironman Mont Tremblant next year to be able to accomplish what I want to do, but I am excited for the challenge. I have a fun fall ahead of me before the IMMT journey begins...

Now onto ‘cross….

Timberman 70.3 Pre-Race Report/Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

      My last triathlon of the season was this past Sunday- Timberman 70.3 (a 1.2mi swim, 56 mi bike and 13.1 mi run).

No matter how many times I have done a half ironman, I always forget how much it hurts. For some reason I always tend to down play the severity of what I am about to embark on. Although I do take my eating seriously :). I started off Saturday with some pancakes that I made from scratch. I like to eat a fairly big carb loaded, easily digestible breakfast and lunch the day before the race eating most of my calories for breakfast and lunch. I cut down on heavy fiber foods or anything that could possibly cause any GI distress. I made the pancakes by throwing in some ingredients, so I don't have a proper recipe to post.  I was running late on time, so I didn't take the time to write anything down.  I will recreate and post the recipe soon. They were gluten free and vegan and it was a combination of millet flour, sorghum flour, hemp protein powder, baking powder, maple syrup, coconut oil and applesauce. We topped with maple syrup and blueberries- delicious!

Lunch was composed of more easily digested carbs and some fat. I made cilantro lime brown rice, roasted sweet potatoes and avocados. The lovely Sarah Cincotta (@scincotta if you want to follow her!) mentioned that she made cilantro brown rice and inspired me to make my own. I was short on time and I didn't have time to soak my rice. I recently discovered truRoots germinated brown rice. It is already soaked and sprouted, so you don't have to do it to gain all the benefits. This process helps you digest the rice more easily, removes the phytic acid in the rice that blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals. It also increases the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) a neurotransmitter studies have shown to regulate anxiety, sleep, the immune system, and fat metabolism.

Cilantro Brown Rice:
1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
1 Lime
1 Cup Fresh Cilantro
Sea salt

Cook the brown rice.
Squeeze fresh lime juice (if you really like lime you can do 2 limes).
Stir in fresh cilantro and sea salt.

Cut sweet potato into chunks and place on cookie sheet. Drizzle small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Cut 1/2 avocado into chunks. I didn't still all together but just lined up the rice, avocado and sweet potato next to each other. You could also add some black beans to this, but I didn't want all that fiber the day before a race.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS:
Cilantro- a powerful herb
-loaded with phytonutrients
-aids in digestion, prevents intestinal gas and prevents nausea
-Detox- removes heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum and lead from the body
-antioxidant properties
-anti-fungal and anti-septic properties
-immune boosting properties

Sweet Potatoes-
-Rich in beta carotene/vitamin A
-Rich in Vitamin C
-high in potassium

To fully absorb the beta carotene, it is important to eat with some fat. The olive oil and avocados not only taste good, but add function to help with absorption. I talked about the nutrition benefits of avocados in my Cherry Chocolate Pudding Post here.

We headed up to Gilford that afternoon and picked up my number at Gunstock. It was like a ghost town, I guess most people picked up their numbers earlier. It was weird since I am used to athlete village being buzzing.  We racked my bike and headed to where we were staying. I am incredibly grateful to my friend Ray (@brownie1818 on twitter if you want to follow too!) who let us stay at his house. I packed a small bag of ingredients to make a simple dinner at his house (and try not to impose!)- brown rice pasta, olive oil, oregano, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, salt and hemp seeds (very similar- minus the kale to this post). It was extremely easy to make outside my kitchen. We were very lucky to stay so close to the start especially with the 4:30 am wake up call awaiting us.

The power of Chlorella

I have been experimenting with my own bar recipe. I recently had food allergy tests done because of the issues I was having and found out that I needed to eliminate quite a few things out of my diet. One of the issues is that I have an extremely limited selection on what kind of bars I can eat while I ride my bike. Bars that are vegan and unprocessed typically have almonds. Bars that don't have almonds typically have gluten, or some form of dairy or soy. I had been eating great bars before, but the whole almond thing has really thrown me for a loop. So I am going to have to experiment with making my own recipes. This morning's batch was just okay. It is definitely not developed to the place where I can post the recipe. One of the misses, was that I put in chlorella. While the taste is extremely strong and did not work in the bars, it led me to do a quick refresh on the powerful nutritional benefits of chlorella.

What is it? Chlorella is a single-celled green algae. It is a nutrition powerhouse. It is filled with vitamins and minerals and chlorophyll. In particular, it contains natural B12 which is plentiful in animal foods, but not in plant foods. If you are a vegan, chlorella is a fantastic way to get B12. B12 is important for red blood cell formation, developing nerve cells and metabolizing macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein). Chlorella is great to take after a tough workout. Not only is it a complete protein containing all essential amino acids to speed up recovery, but it also contains chlorella growth factor which speeds up the cell repair and growth. Perfect for muscles broken down after a long training session. It also helps increase good bacteria in the gut to improve digestion. This is a plus for recovery as well since it helps absorb recovery food and all its nutrients much better.
In addition, chlorella has powerful detox properties that help reduce cell damage from free radicals.

When buying chlorella, look for cracked cell. The cell wall needs to be broken for people to digest it. It is important to not to take a processed version or a version with extra fillers. I like the Yaeyama brand.

You can take the tablets with water, or you can blend it into a smoothie. Just be careful not to over do it- the taste is very strong!

Salmon with Leeks and Peas

My mom did the work on this one- we adapted this recipe from a Boston Globe article last week. We adapted it to make it healthier, anti-inflammatory, allergen friendly and a little less labor intensive along. This is one of my favorite recipes - it was so delicious, I can’t wait to make it again!

Salmon with Leeks and Peas
(dairy-free, gluten-free)
Serves 4

10 oz frozen or fresh peas
5 large leeks, trimmed of dark green, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces (6 oz each) boneless wild organic salmon
Salt and pepper to taste
5 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 package pasta (optional) –I suggest Quinoa or Brown rice pasta so it is not pro-inflammatory and gluten-free.

Method:
1.Rinse peas to defrost if using frozen peas (don’t even need to cook, just start letting them defrost.)
2. Start to boil water if cooking optional pasta.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, peas, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes and stir often.
4. As leek mixture is cooking, sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Add salmon to skillet with the skin side down and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Optional pasta: Depending on type of pasta you chose, cook pasta for indicated time.
6. Add the mushrooms to leek mixture and cook for 5 minutes more continuing to stir. Stir chives and basil into the mixture.
7. Optional- if adding optional pasta, turn off the heat and add cooked pasta to skillet and mix into mixture.
8. Arrange the leeks and peas mixture on the 4 plates and top with salmon.
Enjoy!!

Nutritional Benefits:

Salmon: Why eat wild salmon over farmed salmon? Farmed salmon contains about 10 times more toxins than wild salmon (such as Polychlorinated biphenyls- PCBs) Farmed Salmon are typically raised in fish pens and fed grain (not their natural diet), and given antibiotics since disease can spread quickly in the farm environment. Wild salmon are not given any antibiotics since they are living and eating in their natural environment. Wild salmon have higher levels of critical omega 3s: DHA and EPA. The omega 3s promote normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improve blood flow, promote health skin, hair, promote optimal brain function and enhance immune function. Salmon is also high in protein, vitamin D and is anti-inflammatory. The majority of salmon is farmed, but it is worth the superior health benefits and extra cost to seek out wild salmon.

Leeks: Leeks are very similar to onions and garlic. They are high in vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, iron, potassium and manganese. They help with stabilizing blood sugar by ensuring the sugar in the body is properly metabolized. Leeks are also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory- great for fighting infection or inflammation.

Millet with Parsley and Onion Recipe/Cohasset Triathlon

With a little bit of pushing and encouragement from some special lululemon ladies, I am committed to blogging regularly about food, nutrition and sharing recipes. And of course I will have to throw a bit in about swimming, biking and running too!

Last Saturday, I needed a quick and easy meal. I was racing Cohasset triathlon on Sunday, so I wanted something easily digestible. It was just a sprint, so I didn't need to get crazy with my pre race food. I had some millet in the house, and Jacq had just brought in some fresh local parsley from her CO-OP that I was excited to use. I searched my Whole Foods iPhone app and adapted a millet recipe I found. You could use this recipe with quinoa, amaranth or really any small grain. You could also use it as a side dish or as a bed for fish, scallops or chicken.

Millet with Parsley and Onion Recipe

1 cup millet
2.5 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine soaked** grain with boiling water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer 20-25 minutes, remove from heat, fluff and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat broth in large pan. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add parsley and cook for about another minute. Combine both Millet and the onion and parsley in a bowl. Stir in salt and pepper and serve.

Nutrition Benefits:
Millet: A gluten free grain that is highly nutritious and very easily digested. It is high in thiamin, iron, protein, fiber, zinc, magnesium and potassium. It is a great source of energy and great for athletes.
Parsley: A powerful nutritious herb that contains vitamin A,B vitamins, calcium, iron and potassium. It nourishes the glands and fights congestion and inflammation of the kidneys. It is powerful detox herb because it stimulates the liver. Parsley root and seeds contain ingredients that help produce a pain relieving benefit to relax stiff joints.

**I like to soak all my grains. It helps remove the phytic acid which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Soaking the grain also makes it more digestible. It is very easy to do- you just put the grain in a bowl and fill it with water until the water covers the grain. Ideally you want to soak 8-12 hours, however, if I haven't planned that far ahead, I will soak for as much time as I have even if it is 30 minutes. When you are ready to cook, just strain the water and rinse the grain and it is ready to cook.

Cohasset Triathlon on Sunday was an all around fun day.I had never raced Cohasset before, but was rather impressed that it was the fastest selling sprint in the country. I raced with Sarah's Soldiers which is a team raising money for type 1 diabetes. I was scared about the 62 degree water, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. If I were training in that water, I probably would be freezing, but racing in it was fine. The bike was pretty flat with some small rolling hills, and the run had a couple of hills, but nothing too bad. It was a gorgeous day. I am extremely impressed with Streamline Events and Race Director Bill Burnett.It truly was one of the most well run and most organized events I have ever raced.An additional plus was having Whole Foods as a race sponsor that provided some great post race quality food rather than typical junk. I would do another one of his races in a heart beat!


Katie, Me and Andrea pre race.

And to top off an already beautiful day, I won my age group.