Building My 2013 Triathlon Race Calendar

Hey, friends!  Can you believe it’s Thursday?  This week seems to be flying by—no complaints here!  I think we’re in agreement about the “healthy” Girl Scout cookie news.  If you try it, please let me know what you think!  Anyway, after publishing yesterday’s post, I found out that registration for my hometown triathlon opened (which caught me off guard because the original date advertised was my birthday, Feb. 5!), and I didn’t waste any time: I officially signed up for the 13th Annual Cazenovia Triathlon!

More on that in a minute—today’s eats first!

Breakfast

I’m feeling stuffy and congested today, so I opted out of my planned morning yoga class.  And plus, Andrew told us to take today completely off after yesterday’s butt-kicking indoor cycling workout.  I slept in until 7:20 a.m.—glorious!—enjoyed two leisurely cups of coffee, and then made an egg-white breakfast sandwich.

I finished the spinach earlier this week—grocery shopping needs to happen today—so I added roasted mushrooms and red peppers instead.  This combo packed more flavor, and I’ve become a huge fan of Udi’s Whole Grain Bread.

Lunch

I wanted a warm meal for lunch, so I heated up a spinach, turkey, and pepper jack cheese tortilla in the oven.

Plus some carrots on the side.

13th Annual Cazenovia Triathlon

Even though I’m locked into the Nautica South Beach and New York City Triathlons, my 2013 race calendar hasn’t been completely finalized. (I’ve talked to Andrew and nailed down potential events, and I plan to share my official schedule once I register for each event.) Unfortunately, Full Throttle Endurance will not take a team trip to Central New York in August, but I knew signing up for the Cazenovia Triathlon needed to happen.  It takes place in my hometown, and it was also my first official swim-bike-run race; completing this sprint event got me totally hooked on the sport, so I have an emotional attachment to this race, too.  Plus, triathloning is all about finding your limits and pushing past them, so I want to kick butt, take names, and see how much I can improve—aka blow last year’s time out of the water.  It’s all about progress!

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Speaking of progress, there’s been some already.

That’s right—no longer a swimming novice! (Since the 2012 race was my first true triathlon, I opted for the novice swim start.) Hey, remember that time I swam in the fast lane? (Too soon?)

Anyway, I registered last night, and this afternoon, I saw this post on the CNY Triathlon Club Facebook group page.

Does it surprise you that I was one of the first people to sign up?  Type-A at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.

Is there a certain race or event that always makes it on your calendar?

This Week So Far

Hi, everyone—Happy Hump Day!  How’s your week been so far?  I’ve had a couple busy days, so I’m sticking with a list format.

Guess who did some barefoot running!

That’s right—Monday’s Full Throttle Endurance workout focused on form, and one of the most interesting parts of practice included 4x200m that we ran barefoot. (Good thing I got a pedicure last week!) Another highpoint?  My teammates tried to convince me to register for Ironman 70.3 Timberman!  Although I briefly entertained the idea, I know making the jump from the sprint to the half-Ironman distance isn’t a logical move.  I want to go fast (for me) before I go far.  One day, though! (And my first HIM will have to be Syracuse!)

Overnight oats returned.

It’s been way too long since I last enjoyed a bowl for breakfast, so I prepped some for Tuesday morning.

Mmmm!

In three days, I’ve eaten quinoa three times.

Remember that batch I made on Sunday?  I’ve been having leftovers for lunch—and topping the mixture with some avocado.

The recipe turned out pretty well, but I want to tweak it a bit.

Today’s indoor cycling workout kicked my butt.

OK, to preface this story, my alma mater hosted a young alum event last night, and although these gatherings are fun, most people enjoy an adult beverage or three beforehand.  With that said, I went to happy hour at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ last night with some friends ($2 margaritas, count me in!), and let’s just say that one and a half margaritas, one and a half glasses of wine at the event, and barely six hours of sleep did not equate to cycling success.  Holy cow, the workout nearly killed me—pedaling drills, plus a ton of intervals, which included a series of climbs at 80 percent effort.  I was totally gassed at the end, and luckily, I was in good company:  After surveying the spin studio during our cool down, Andrew told us not to complete a second workout and take tomorrow totally off. (Following team workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we usually complete another uncoached workout.)

Our prayers have been answered—introducing a “healthy” Girl Scout cookie.

As a former Girl Scout (troop 741!), I have no idea how I feel about this news.

Throw it back.  I’m the tall, awkward one standing on the right. (As if you couldn’t tell!)

Tell me about your week!  Would you eat a better-for-you Girl Scout cookie?  What’s your favorite happy-hour drink?