I Am… Aquagirl

Well, I did it.  Last weekend was the aquabike race in Santa Barbara.  For those of you who are unaware, an aquabike is 2/3 of a triathlon.  Swim, Bike, and NO RUN 🙂 Perfect for someone who, let’s say, broke a rib and couldn’t run for 4 months.  The swim was 1600 m or 1 mile.  It was in the ocean and it was FREEZING!! It took me a good 5 minutes to calm down my breathing from the shock of the arctic-like temperatures. There were a handful of people who did not wear wetsuits.  I question their sanity.  Chad had decided to challenge me to see who could get the fastest time out of the water.  Guess who won? That’s right kids! Girls rule and Boys drool! Chad’s time: 36:08    My time: 34:14

War wound on my neck courtesy of my wetsuit

Next we hopped on the bike.  It was a 35 mile ride through the gorgeous seaside landscape.  If it wasn’t raining and the course didn’t involve some of the longest climbs and switchbacks that I’ve done, I would’ve really enjoyed myself.  Actually, it wasn’t horrible and I wasn’t terribly upset with my time.  Chad beat me on the bike, but we didn’t have a bet for that one so it doesn’t count. My total time was: 2:49:58  This landed me in 13th place of all the females in the aquabike.  If they would have split it up into age groups, I would have gotten 1st.  So that’s what I’m telling everyone.  It’s not like I’m really lying.

Post-race Legs up the Wall stretch

What else is there to do in Santa Barbara besides a tri? Eat…

Dirty Chai, my favorite!

Red Velvet Pancakes. Don’t judge, I was carb loading for the race 😉

 

And… wine, wine, and wine!  We made it to about 5 tasting rooms in Santa Barbara and one vineyard in Santa Ynez.  Rideau/La Presa Vineyard was quite amazing, actually.  For your $10 tasting you sample about 10 wines.  They were also having a super deal while we were there so we left with 1/2 case of wine for less than we would pay at BevMo.

That night after the race we crashed early.  Not too early to miss all the celebrities staying at our prestigious Motel 6.  There was also a dog show taking place and we had the honor of staying in the same hotel as all the contestants.  I couldn’t help but quote Best In Show all weekend.

I still haven’t really cooked so here is another recipe that I have been waiting to share with you:

Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kabobs with Pomegranate Relish (adapted from Epicurious)

• 3 1/2 T, plus 2 1/2 tsp, and 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T, plus 2 tsp Baharat seasoning (I used oregano, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg)
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 T honey
• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 1 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (Trader Joes has pomegranates pre-seeded)
• 2/3 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 1/2 T, plus 2 T olive oil
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, each cut into thirds
• Warm pitas

1. Combine 3 1/2 T lemon juice, 1 T Baharat seasoning,honey, and garlic in a medium bowl.  Stir to blend.  Whisk in tahini and season to taste with salt.  Set aside and keep at room temp. 2. Mix pomegranate seeds, pistachios, parsley, 2 1/2 T olive oil, and 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let stand at room temp. 3. Whisk together 2 T lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, 2 tsp Baharat seasoning.  Add chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.  4. Preheat broiler.  Thread chicken onto metal skewers.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Broil chicken until cooked through (5-6 minutes each side).  5.  Serve with tahini mixture, pomegranate relish, and warm pita. 

Just keep swimming

Finals week. Over.  I survived yet again, barely! I went home for a week to celebrate the 2nd birthday of a very special little niece.  We got her some baby-sized scrubs and a toy doctor kit (or as I re-labeled it “K-bug’s Physical Therapy Kit”)  She spent the weekend using her “med-cine” because “Dora sick.”  So cute!

I also got to go to Branson while I was home.  Woo hoo, or should I say, Yee Haw!  I went to a show for the first time since I was in high school.  My good friend was the lead in a Cirque du Soleil type show.  Look, I know celebrities!

It’s always fun catching up with family and old friends but, I have not cooked.  I have lots of stuff stockpiled, however, so don’t fret!  Here is an attractive and delicious dish I made a couple weeks ago.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches With Chipotle Sauce (adapted from Epicurious.com)

• 1/3 cup peach preserves *(I used Apricot)
• 1/3 cup peach nectar *(Apricot-peach blend)
• 4 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
• 1-2 minced chipotle chili *(I added this to make it spicier)
• 2 tsp EVOO
• 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro plus garnish
• 3 large peaches, rinsed, de-fuzzed, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves

1.Coat grill with some nonstick spray. Heat grill to med-high. 2.Stir preserves, next 3 ingredients, 2 tsp oil, and chopped cilantro in a medium bowl. season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1/4 of sauce to a small bowl. 3. Brush peaches, then chicken with oil and sauce from the small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  4. Grill chicken until cooked through (~ 7min each side) and peaches until slightly charred (~2min per side). 5. Place Chicken and peaches on plates. Drizzle with remaining sauce and garnish with cilantro. 

The time has come!  Tomorrow we leave for Santa Barbara.  Saturday is the big day! Wish me luck! In the meantime, here is a quick swim workout that I did that you should try:

• Warm up                  300
• Pull                           200
• Base                         6 x 100 (:05 rest)
• Threshold Intervals   4 x 75  (:10)
• Kick                           200
• Cool-down                 400
• Total   2000 meters

Pho Sho

It has begun yet again.  Next week is finals week and so I am supposed to be studying non-stop in preparation. That is what I should be doing.  What am I actually doing right now? A little of this …

 and a little of this …

It’s ok though.  I’ll just cram at the last-minute like always because that is always really good for stress levels.  Right?  At least I’m starting to feel better.  I can finally breathe and I am able to see the difference in my workouts.  Just in time.  I have the Santa Barbara Aquaman (1 mile swim/ 35 mile bike, due to the rib situation I decided I’m not ready to race the run portion just yet) in a little over two weeks. Eeek!

Tonight I’m sharing a great summertime (or anytime) soup.  We discovered Pho a few years ago because there is an amazing, tiny little restaurant near the gym.  It’s so fresh and healthy. Although I still like the Tea Light Cafe (in Scottsdale, if you’re in town, GO!) better, mine turned out pretty good too.

Chicken Pho (adapted from epicurious.com)

• 6 oz rice noodles (we used buckwheat)
• 1 1/2 cup snow peas, ends trimmed
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 piece ginger (1/2 inch), peeled and chopped
• 1 star anise (Sprouts has it in the bulk spices)
• 3 whole cloves
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 T lime juice
• 1/2 cup scallions
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 4 sprigs basil
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Boil noodles.  Place snow peas and carrots in a colander. Drain noodles over them, rinse, and then divide among 4 bowls.  Tie ginger, star anise, and cloves in a sachet of cheesecloth (or I used our thing we have to make loose-leaf tea, works so much better) and place in a large pot with broth.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add chicken, simmer for 5 minutes.  Add pepper and lime juice.  Season with salt.  Remove spices.  Ladle broth into bowls and top with the remaining ingredients. 

Sammy has been helping me “study.”  As you can see, we are both over it!

Life is rough, thank goodness for quick cooking

Life can be challenging at times.  You struggle to stay motivated and then something knocks you down again, and again, and again.  What defines you is the deicision to either stay down or get back up.

Ok, so my story isn’t quite as dramatic.  Although, at times I feel like it is 🙂  I broke my rib in April.  What a long and painful process coming back from that! I had to continue to train for this tri I signed up for though! Not only did a fracture a rib but apparently I managed to move some other ribs over my sternum and reposition my right lung.  To move all that back in place was not the most pleasant experience. But, I thought that my breathing would get better and make my workouts less taxing.  Nope.  I have now been congested with this gnarly cough for 4 1/2 weeks.  I was coerced into getting an X-ray to see if I had pneumonia.  Of course it was negative so now I’m stuck on a Z-pac. Still, I’m training.  Once I can finally breathe again I’m going to be so fast 😉

When life is busy, cooking can seem a daunting task.  I have a couple things I will share with you that have made my life a little easier these last few weeks.

Grilled Portobello mushrooms marinated for just 30-60 minutes in garlic, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  Served with just some stuff in my house. Chickpeas sautéed with kale, tomatoes, lemon juice and garlic.  Easy.

I know what you’re thinking, “Pizza? You can’t eat cheese!”  I discovered something great.  Mellow Mushroom has Diaya vegan cheese. whoot whoot! I will give this bit of advice however.  Tell them to go super light with the cheese.  A big clump of that fake cheese just isn’t the best thing I’ve ever had.  Not the healthiest dinner, but after a 50 mile ride the day before I thought it would be ok.

Love this brand!  They make the best sweet potato fries and tots! They also started making this sides.  Toss in a pan, saute for 5 minutes, and viola you have a side dish.  I served it with some chicken that I had seasoned with smoked paprika.