Super snack

These yummy, spicy cashews are my FAVORITE!

How to make them:

First, get:

2 1 lb bags of roasted, un-salted cashews

2 tbsp of brown sugar (or sugar substitute), butter (or butter substitute), fresh rosemary, sea salt and cayenne pepper.

Then:

Set the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the cashews on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Mix the other ingredients in a bowl and when the cashews are warmed, combine them with the mixture.

Let them cool before putting the tops on your containers.

I add some extra cayenne for more kick!

Enjoy!

How Can I be expected to...

Get out of bed when faced with this?!

Never Too Late

"It's never too late to start the day over." Michael Franti

I woke up this morning after an epic and excellent weekend feeling a little less than excellent. Maybe it was the gray, rainy sky, maybe it was the 3 AM bedtimes, but whatever the reason, I was lacking mo-mo (aka motivation) in a BIG way.

I puttered around the house finding everything BUT my workouts to do...and then I called Eric. I told him that my brain was telling me to just do it. That I want big things from this year and that in order for that to happen, I need to put in the time now. My brain was telling my sad, pathetic body to get out there on this rainy day b/c I know my competition is out there.

Eric told me exactly what I needed to hear - sadly, not what my body wanted to hear... it kept yelling "take a nap with the puppy!!" - he told me that I need to think 6 months from now - think about what I want on that day. To think about my competition that is just PRAYING that I'll skip today's workout. He then told me, "you'll have enough days training in the rain - today, just go to the gym, hop on the treadmill and do a speed workout - you'll feel better!"

Man, oh, man - that Eric was right! Although I hate running on a treadmill, it was a lot of fun today. Running with music is something I'll only do on the treadmill and I had some great tunes pumping!

The workout sped by and I did Eric's "strength Challenge" of the day - check it out HERE.

The run put me back in a competitive mindset and the day began anew!

Breathe

"Let's just breathe." - Pearl Jam

This morning I met a friend at the pool to work on swim form and technique. She's a brand newbie to all 3 sports and is planning to race her first ever tri at St Anthony's.

She's a Mother, a Nurse and one tough chick.

She texted me, frantic the other night - "everything hurts! Not 'sore' hurt, but 'hurt', hurt."

I suggested we get together and do some drills.

Watching her in the water, she has great body alignment, a super strong kick and a fairly strong stroke, but breathing is what's hard... it's also what wreaks havoc on her form.

It's amazing to see how one small movement can have such big effects on the overall mechanics. By pulling her head up and out of the water rather than simply turning to the side in a 45 degree rotation (in line with her body), it was forcing the opposite arm (supposedly in mid-pull) out and straight, dropping the shoulder and the legs, thus disrupting the entire stroke. Dropping the shoulders and straightening out that arm caused stress on the wrong muscles and was causing the pain.

It's one thing to watch a video or read an article. It's another to actually have someone watch you. To direct you, physically and then repeat correct exercises together.

We finished up a successful hour in the pool and it reminded me how such small changes can have HUGE impacts. This is true for all 3 sports. Hydrodynamics and proper form are the keys to swimming - enabling the athlete to use less energy to propel the body faster across a prescribed distance. Isn't this something we all strive for?

Efficiency is necessary before you can even begin to consider speed. You've got to love the process is what it comes down to and, learn to breathe.

Another Plunge Photo

It looks like we all REALLY wanted to go in the water!

The Polar Plunge ... In Pictures

So, on Saturday I jumped in 36 degree water to help Eric raise funds for families in need. You can find out more about The Plunge on his website.

We had a big group, as you can see!

Moments before the plunge, I started taking off layers... oooh didlee, it was cold!
Off and running!
Almost in, preparing to dive...
A dunk under and we're OUT!
It didn't feel so bad to me, but the guys around me were howling in pain!
Yum, salt! That's Mr. Alan MacDougal there in the yellow cap. Also, notice the only person going in as we're coming out... that's Eric.
Begging Sam for a towel!
That's better...
A happy pony.
Enjoying the sun and sea...and warming up on the rocks.
Luna didn't plunge all the way, but did manage to cover the car in sand.

Home, Sweet Home...For February!

This lovely 14th Century villa in the Tuscan Countryside will be home this February for our Italian travel and training! Sam made me BEYOND happy when he said, "I want to come home exhausted, having seen everything there is to see in Rome and Tuscany." - Yes, tall order, but I couldn't be more excited.

If you want to train on hard terrain and get in no culture whatsoever, you can train to your heart's content plenty of places Stateside. But, if you want great training paired with true adventuring, museum-visits, tastings at vineyards and marathon days in cities like Florence and Rome... well, you do what Sam and I are doing with our buds.

Frequent flyer miles were easily used to cover our airfare and this lovely villa? Round-about $60 a night. Oh, and our hotel in Rome? It is less than .5 a mile from the Colosseum and is literally built into Nero's Aquaduct. Yes, it is a dream come true and I'm counting down the days until we fly, fly away!

I'll be updating here daily with maps, photos and recommendations for your own adventure! With all of the fantastic tools at our hands (shameless plugs in future posts, I warn you now), it is bound to be an epic experience.

Our plan is to wake up early daily and head into town for coffee and a bite. From there, train in the morning and spend the afternoons and evenings exploring local cities, towns, sites, food and of course.... WINE!

YAY!