156 Days and Counting!

Happy Thanksgiving Faithful Readers!

I've been out the last few days, and picked up a cold along the way... Not much for training this week, save for 60 minutes of running on the dreadmill. Other than that, it has been light eating (soup, crackers, and OJ), and relaxing.

That is about it for triathlon today; in the cheesy spirit of the holiday, I'll simply list the things that I am thankful for, in no particular order. As is my style, I am mixing the sincere with the silly, but I truly am thankful for all of this, and more.

-Smokin Hot Wife (SHW).

-The fact that SHW graciously allows me to refer to her as SHW all over the inter-web.

-The fact that SHW makes me smile whenever I think of her, how she knows what I like to eat for dinner, that she appreciates all my weird habits (including triathlon), her absolute honesty about everything, and what a fantastic mother she is to our munchkin.

-Cutest munckin ever, who always looks up and smiles in a way that makes you almost want to cry.

-A wonderful home, when so many go without even a roof over their head.

-The new roof we put on our house this past year, so now it doesn't rain inside on my family, like it did last year (we are in Seattle).

-Really good friends, new and old.

-Facebook. Seriously, it has helped find many of those Friends, new and old. It also lets me shamelessly brag about my baby girl to the world, complete with video evidence of her cuteness.

-The fact that some people actually read my blog. This is a labor of love, and not that pretty most days. I know, a stupid countdown in the title of my posts is NOT creative, but I am trapped by my habit.

-Smokin Hot Wife.

-Buffalo Chicken. Did you really think I would leave that out?!

-My parents. Taught me a LOT about being a good person, and continue to make sure that I remember you never STOP trying to be a good person.

-Every one of my sisters (there are 4).

-The fact that I never had a brother; I wouldn't appreciate my sisters as much.

-Smokin Hot Wife.

-Okay, maybe a brother would have been cool.

-Education, and the opportunity to make my life what I want it to be. I am not a victim of circumstance.

-Ironman. It saved me from myself.

-Treadmills and indoor bike trainers. Seattle is awesome, but it sucks for outdoor sports 6 months out of the year.

-The History Channel.

-Our Military, Police, EMS, and Teachers. All of them allow weenies like me to do things like blog about my hobby, with the type of safety and security that most of the world only dreams about.

-Awesome In-Laws.

-Crossing guards. Likely wouldn't have made it through puberty without them.

-Smokin Hot Wife.

-A country where we can argue, bitch and complain about politics, religion, health care, race, gender, sexuality, taxes, morality, technology, and anything else under the sun we feel like picking a fight over.... but still realize at the end of the day we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And despite what the rest of the world thinks of us, they still keep showing up here!

-Canada. Also a great place!! I'm serious, I love it there. America should do less Canada bashing, and learn a few things.

-Did I mention Smokin Hot Wife?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

161 Days and Counting...

Quick post today... I am TIRED! I have no reason for posting a picture of a 747, it was just the first picture I came across in my files. I took it at the Anchorage, AK airport last year. I like airplanes, what can I say?

I did manage to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes today while the munchkin took a nap... She has a bit of a cold this weekend, and so has been a good napper. Two 2-hour naps today!

I ate fine today (an unnamed sandwich, WAS part of my diet), but added a couple beers. Smokin Hot Wife went out for girls night, so a buddy came over to watch some football this evening. For dinner, he and I had... Beef and Bean Burritos. They were awesome.

I am hoping to get the bike set up next week, and start getting some indoor "mileage" on the trainer. It is time to start riding!

Also, I took some advice, and I flushed the last of my chicken down the toilet. :-)

163 Days and Counting....

Training:


30 minutes swimming, continuous.





Nutrition:


2 nutri-grain bars, 1 can of ensure, 2 packets of fruit snacks, 2 peices of buffalo chicken pizza, 1 buffalo chicken sandwich, 2 chocolate chip cookies.








HOW IN THE HELL DO I STILL HAVE BUFFALO CHICKEN LEFTOVERS?!?!?





Maybe a better question is, why am I still enjoying the leftovers? I am totally NOT sick of my creation, so can't emphasize enough that it is a winner.... If you like chicken, buffalo, and sandwiches.





I think tomorrow I am going to try a buffalo chicken omelette.

However, I feel the need to post something triathlon related today, so I am going to pry myself away from the crock pot for a few minutes





I am getting the urge to race. We got handful of silly race fliers in the mail yesterday; they weren't even addressed to my wife and I, but rather to the someone with the odd name of "Current Resident." I don't know who "Current Resident" is (I don't even know if its a he or a she), but we get lots of his/her mail. The race fliers were for some Thanksgiving Day races in Seattle, and for a "Marathon Maniacs" club. As my Smokin Hot Wife was getting ready to throw them in the recycle bin... I asked her to save them. :-)





So, maybe a few intermediate races to keep the winter interesting! Seattle Half Marathon is in a week and a half, 12k's of Christmas in Kirkland, Mercer Island Half Marathon in March... I'll need to add a few race sites under my A and B links!

164 Days and Counting... And a Recipe?

Today is the Better Homes & Gardens edition of HappyIronman... As a foil to the usual workout/food babbling, I'll share the much-hyped Buffalo Chicken recipe. I am fantasizing that I'm publishing it "due to overwhelming demand," so thanks to both of you who asked for it! :-)

First, today's stats...

Training:

30 minutes on the treadmill, 6mph, 3% incline. I didn't have a long day today or yesterday, but I fancied this a bit of a "recovery" run. Nice and easy, and just getting back into the habit of punching the clock every day.

Nutrition:

2 nutri-grain bars, 1 can of ensure, 3 packets of fruit snacks, 2 peanut butter granola bars, 1 handful of wheat thins, 2 chocolate chip cookies, buffalo chicken sandwich, 1 bottle of gatorade (16.9 oz), 1 can of sprite.

Now to channel my inner Rachel Ray...

Ingredients:

-2-3lbs of boneless chicken breasts (I used 3 lbs, and it was too much for 2 adults; we still have leftovers)

-1 packet of powdered ranch dressing mix (.5 or .59 oz size)

-One 12oz bottle of Frank's Wing sauce (really, any wing sauce will do, but I found this at Fred Meyer, and Buffalo medium worked great; next time it's HOT!)

-Hoagie buns

-Crumbled blue cheese

Toss the bottle of wing sauce into the crock pot, and stir in the ranch dressing mix.

Drop in the chicken, and cook on low for ~6 hours (I did 7 for 3lbs.).

After ~6 hours, shred the chicken with 2 forks, and cook for an addition 1.5-2 hours on low.

When ready to scoop chicken onto buns, be prepared for not much liquid left in the pot; most of mine absorbed/evaporated, but it was NOT dry. We hit the sweet spot with timing.

Top with blue cheese crumbles.

Enjoy leftovers for approximately 2-3 weeks.

165 Days and... Buffalo Chicken

You read that title right.... Buffalo chicken. I will explain in a moment, but first the stats.

Training:

31 minutes swimming; 2 minute warmup, and 29 minutes continuous, RPE 4 (rate of perceived exertion, for the new readers).

Nutrition:

2 nutri-grain bars, 2 peanut butter granola bars, 4 packages of fruit snacks, 2 handfuls of trail mix (cashews, almonds, peanuts, raisins, M&M's), 2 pieces of buffalo chicken pizza.

Okay, so now about the chicken... A few days ago I wrote about SHW and I are growing our curiosity with cooking, and doing much more at home. I am currently infatuated with the slow-cooker, aka CROCK POT. Part of that infatuation is that there is a laziness factor with the crock pot, and I think that appeals to my Manly side. Basically, I can put some BBQ sauce and some raw meat in the crock pot, turn it on, and in 8 hours I have a main dish for dinner. AWESOME!!

I actually put more effort into making something GOOD when I use my current tool of choice, but it isn't a complicated proposition. This last Saturday, I hit the absolute JACKPOT with my crock pot creativity. In several posts, I've mentioned the Wing Dome, a great wings & beer joint 1 mile from our house. Quite literally, a place where the wait staff knows us and our friends by name, and where our kids (the ones who can talk) also know the wait staff by name (it is pretty awesome to walk into a bar and have a 3 year old wave at the bartender and yell "Hi Jill!").

As you would imagine, we like wings. So, I tried a recipe for buffalo chicken sandwiches on Saturday, and it turned out AMAZING. Great flavor, not too spicy, and an awesome sandwich (also 578 calories per very generous serving, if you were interested).

Thing is, I think I made too much. Our meals this week:

Saturday: Buffalo chicken sandwiches

Sunday: Buffalo chicken sandwich for lunch, Buffalo chicken Pizza for dinner

Monday: Buffalo chicken sandwich for dinner

Tuesday: Buffalo chicken pizza for dinner

After all that, I still have more chicken in the fridge. I only started with a total of 3lbs., but I am starting to feel a little like I turned 7 fish and 2 loaves of bread into.... Buffalo chicken for 3,000 (I realize that may be blasphemous, but I say it in fear of how I managed to do this, not with pride).

I will again have sandwiches tomorrow for dinner, and probably Thursday and Friday as well. A normal person would be sick from lack of variety, but I am actually enjoying it. How many times at the Dome have I wished I could just eat wings for every meal?!

But if I get into next week, and I STILL have chicken left, I am going to be in serious need of religious guidance.

Or my own reality TV show...

167 Days and Counting....

After our early start yesterday, we did manage to get on the treadmill... So, stats for yesterday and today.

Training:

30 minutes on the treadmill, 6mph, 2.5% incline yesterday.

35 minutes on the treadmill today, 6.6 mph, 3% incline.

We are both a little frazzled (Smokin Hot Wife and me) with our latest chapter in child rearing. We are trying to get the munchkin to put herself to sleep at night, and get used to waking up, then putting herself BACK to sleep. She has been a champ in every new stage she's entered, and this has been no exception. But, last night and tonight were a litte rougher than normal!

The Bug isn't much of a crier (she's pretty happy all the time), so when she does cut lose and cry, it absolutely breaks your heart! She is actually able to put herself to sleep, it is just a rough 10 or so minutes for mom and dad until she does....

In other news, I was trying to nominate myself for Housewife of the Year today. While SHW was at work today, I cleaed the kitchen, did 3 loads of laundry, cooked dinner, got my treadmill session knocked out, baked chocolate chip cookies, and did some grocery shopping.

I, haz mad skillz.

168 Days and Counting...

With the weekend arriving, I thought I would be able to get up early today, and get in some treadmill time before the rest of the family got up! I am not regularly a "morning person" when it comes to training, but I am finding it easier recently to get some mileage in in the morning... Having a baby girl whose body clock that in no way resembles that of an adult with a career may have something to do with that! :-) But the odd hours practice has been good for me, and I've been able to capitalize on it.

But today, I only got half of the equation... I just got up early! She fell asleep at 6pm yesterday (2 hours before bedtime), and slept straight through til about 415 this morning. Momma fed her breakfast, and then went back to sleep (she works today), so Daddy took over! And in true baby fashion, once I had 2 cups of coffee to wake up 100%.... The little bug fell back asleep!

So instead of treadmill time this morning I am using the uninterrupted quiet to catch up on all sorts of important things..... Like 7 episodes of SportsCenter, playing games on Facebook, blogging, and shopping for my dream triathlon bike (which only costs $13,987, but is more advanced, and faster than the space shuttle).

I also started doing something to prepare for training season that I realized would be odd to the uninitiated... I started shopping for my running shoes. Not that I don't HAVE running shoes (see recent posts for base fitness training on the treadmill). I do have 2 pairs. But there something that runners and triathletes do that borders on hoarding. Once we find a running shoe that works for us, we buy them in unreasonable quantities, and store them. Why?

Paranoia.

What if Adidias stops making the AdiFusion Polar edition? What if Brooks discontinues the Forza Distance? What if K-Swiss stops manufacturing the K-Ona? What if another runner purchases all available colors and sizes of the Asics that I MUST HAVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL?!

We put in a lot of miles for training, and for those of us that love running and hate cycling, we put in even MORE running miles. We are super finnicky about the shoes that "work" for us, and are comfortable for our running style. When you find that ONE SHOE that works, you absolutely go a bit psycho to make sure you can get your hands on as many pairs as is financially feasible, without showing friends and family that you are mentally ill.

Most shoes are good for about 350-550 miles before the cushioning is shot, and the shoes are then ready for retirement as the pair you wear to mow the lawn. In my experience, I'll use two pairs of shoes for training/racing per season. I'm not acutally putting in 1000 miles, but I stagger the use of the two pairs so I have a pair of shoes that are "broken in" and sprung for the races. Nobody wants to wear a brand new pair of shoes to run 26.2 miles!!

So as I was watching my beautiful baby sleep through the 8th episode of SportsCenter, I was shopping on zappos.com for my current shoe of choice. I say current, because to validate every paranoid runner's fear, Adidias DID stop making the AdiFusion Polar edition. I used up the last pair available on the internet in Lake Stevens this past August.... But I did find a replacement! So, I am currently buying 4 pairs of shoes. Two pairs of K-swiss Keahou, and two pairs of K-swiss Ultra Natural Run. Oddly, the description of the Ultra says it is "ideal for world class triathletes."

http://www.zappos.com/k-swiss-ultra-natural-run-silver-black-orange

That begs another question.... Is this HappyIronman a victim of predatory shoe marketing, filled with delusions of grandeur that he can become said "world class triathlete," or is he just a simple old-fashioned Brand Whore?

Brand Whore. Totally.