Blueberry Pancakes

The best thing to eat after a long run is pancakes, in my humble opinion .  I want to share the best recipe I have ever found for pancakes – thanks to Family Fun Magazine.  This is one the girls and I LOVE to make together.  Enjoy!

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil, plus extra oil for the pan

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

Instructions
Place a sifter or sieve in a large mixing bowl and measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into it. Sift the ingredients into the bowl.

In a separate large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the milk, sour cream, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla extract and whisk to blend.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid mixture into it. Vigorously whisk the ingredients just until blended (about 10 seconds).

Add the lemon zest and the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Then pour in enough cooking oil to coat the surface. Using a pot holder to grasp the pan handle with both hands, gently swirl the skillet around to evenly distribute the oil.

For each pancake, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot skillet. You should be able to cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time.

Cook the pancakes for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 minutes on the first side. Then flip and cook them about half as long, until the second side is golden brown.

Serve the pancakes at once, preferably on warm plates. Top with butter and maple syrup or homemade blueberry syrup. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Only a Workout . . . Right?

Wow – I just realized it’s been quite a long time since I have blogged.  So much has been going on that I just have not found the time to sit and write.  Don’t worry, I have been fitting in the workouts though!  I finished month 2 (week while I was out visiting some of Scott’s family in Seattle. Lots of good food and good wine (but that’s a story for another blog ).  The tests at the end of the month went great! I am definitely seeing improvements already.  Both the swim and the run were faster than last month and my heart rate was 7bpm lower during the run (so I am running faster with less effort!).  I am still on the trainer indoors for the bike so I am not sure how my fitness is doing in that discipline.

Karen now has me doing a “run block.”  Which basically means that I am running more than swimming or biking for the next 3 weeks.  I only had 2 bikes and 3 swims this week but 5 runs.  One of the runs was a “2-a-day” session designed to keep my effort up but stress on the body down.  I ran this with Scott out in Seattle…it was tough!!  We ran the first workout in the morning…60 mins at 6:55 pace.

Then we all had a brilliant idea…lets go to SkyHigh Trampoline and jump on the trampolines for an hour.  This place was so cool! It is basically a warehouse filled with billions of connected trampolines (no, not billions ) and a big foam pit.  You just go jump and jump and jump some more!  We went with Scott’s 4yo niece and 2yo nephew.  What a blast!  I even broke out some old gymnastics tricks – even doing a double front into the foam pit.  The kids were so hot and sweaty when we were done (yes, I am including Scott!).

Later that afternoon, we went out for the 2nd session.  I have never done “2-a-days” so this was going to be a new experience for me.  I was not sure at all how I would feel.  Of course I’ve run and swim, or run and biked in 1 day so I figured I would make it – but how much would it hurt?  The workout was to run 50 minutes at 6:45 pace.  Scott and I finished together at 6:42 pace.  The 10 minute cool down lasted forever but we had made it!  It was easier than I had thought but still a tough workout.

Today I had the dreaded treadmill workout scheduled.  Due to the traveling this week, I had to swim 3 days in a row.  Today was the 3rd swim and I decided to do it before the run.  I was sooo tired in the pool.  My arms and legs just had that numb feeling you get when the bloodflow is sluggish getting there.  I made it through and hit the times I was suppsoed to but was obsessing about the run during the whole swim!  I got out of the pool, decided I was going to finish the workout no matter what and headed up to the treadmills at the Y.  I ran 5 mins at 8.6, 5mins at 8.9 and 10 mins at 9.2.  I had 5 mins of ez jogging before repeating.  I felt pretty strong and thought I had a good chance of making it.  I started the next set and felt really good.  I did the 8.6 then the 8.9 took a deep breath and started the 9.2 (6:31 pace).  The first 5 minutes seemed really tough and I decided to make my goal just making it further than last time (5mins).  Every minute that went by after 5 minutes, I had the same thought – just make it 1 more minute.  I did that all the way to 10 minutes!!!  I have had this awesome feeling of accomplishment all day.  Yeah, it was only a workout but hey, whatever lifts your spirits and makes you feel good about being you…right?

A Look Back

Just the other day I got back in touch with a friend from my high school days on facebook.  He sent me message that said what have you been up to?  I thought about it a minute and realized that would be a good blog for my website.  I thought it would be fun to give a little background to let everyone know how I ended up a triathlete at the ripe old age of 38.

A quick summary of the early years…gymnastics from age 6-13…gold medal at Empire State Games on vault.  A brief stint diving in 9th grade that ended when I did a reverse dive, landed on the diving board and broke my foot.  Track and field (sprints and long jump) and one uninspiring season of XC in high school.  In college I took up bodybuilding for 1 year and even competed in a contest placing 3rd in the All Natural Eastern Classic in 1990. Then…I got fat.  The Freshman 15 turned into the Sophomore 20 and I knew I had to do something.  I laced up the running shoes and started walking and running.  I did this for nearly 3 years and then entered a road race.  I placed well and was inspired to continue.  My final year of pharmacy school I decided to train for and run the Buffalo Marathon.  A dismal debut (3:30 something) led me to Owen Anderson…an exercise physiologist writing for Runner’s World at the time and author of Lactate Lift-off (great read).  He provided personal coaching services online.  I signed up in 1998 and took my running to the next level.  He coached me for just over a year and taught me so much about training.  To this day, I still incorporate many of his workouts and strength training into my daily routines.  His marathon pace long run is the backbone of my marathon training.

When I moved to Syracuse in 1999, I could not afford Owen anymore so struck out on my own.  Continuing to use his techniques led me to numerous PR’s on the track, XC and the roads.  Between 1999 and 2002 I PR’d in every distance.  I qualified for and ran in the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials, traveled to Korea to compete in an Ekiden Relay Race on the US National team and participated in many National Championship races.

Then I got pregnant and had Phoebe in 2002 and then Maggie in 2005.  During that time, I had many problems with the SI joint in my back.  At times during the pregnancies I could not even walk without pain.  After about the 1st trimester, I had to stop running because the pain was just so bad.  I turned to biking on a trainer (something Owen had had me do when I was injured)and swimming.  The morning of the day Maggie was born I had swam 3000 yards!  The idea of triathlon had planted itself in my mind even then, I think.

I met a great woman at the pool one day and it turned out she was a triathlete and had a friend that coaches triathletes.  Over the next couple of years we got to be closer.  She became my confidante during the rough times in my marriage and divorce.  She also continued to encourage me to try triathlon.  Last summer I signed on with Team in Training to do a century ride.  At the time, I thought riding 100 miles was even harder than running a marathon.  I had just run Vermont City (2:57) in May and was ready for a new challenge.  My 5Ks were stagnating at 18:45 and my marathons at just under 3 hours.  This was my opportunity!  I hopped on the old bike and started putting in the miles and although I never fell in love with biking I did make it to the century ride in New Hampshire and completed it in about 6 hours.

When I got back from that trip I called Lynn and said I think I am ready now to attempt this triathlon thing.  She hooked me up with Karen and the rest, as they say,  is history.  Karen’s rigorous workouts started giving me the courage to attempt an ironman distance tri.  Each ride, each race gave me the confidence that this sport was something I could do.  Now a year in and with a new bike,  I am ready to tackle more challenges, tougher races and stiffer competition.

The Holiday Storm

Well, it’s been a while since I have blogged.  The craziness of the holidays definitely caught up with me!  The week before Christmas I took my girls down to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with Scott.  They got a big surprise when Santa came early and delivered half of their presents on Saturday morning!  Another surprise we all got was the 2 feet of snow that fell while we were down in VA.  I couldn’t believe that I left Syracuse to go somewhere and get more snow than we had seen all season so far up north. It was unbelievable how a typical CNY snowfall made headlines down in DC.

On Saturday our plan was to visit the Washington Monument.  So, we all trekked out to Scott’s Jeep and headed out…I mean snow does not stop anything where I live.  When we pulled out onto the main roads, my jaw just dropped.  The plows had not even been out yet (mind you, this was at 1pm) nor had any salt been put down.  We slipped and slided our way into DC and headed over to the Mall (even the metro had stopped running trains).  I got out to see if the monument was open and a fellow visitor said he heard that all of the museums were closed.  It was so funny to me that everything shut down. Even the schools closed for the rest of the week!  Fortunately it was a day off from exercise so I didn’t have to worry about where, when or what I was going to do!

Sunday was to be our big trip to the White House for a special tour given by Scott’s brother-in-law.  All I could do was keep my fingers crossed that it would still go on as planned.  I thought it might be fun to go for a run in the fresh snow.  So I headed out for a 12mi run Sunday morning.  The snow had stopped but the roads were still an arctic mess.  I ran down Herndon Parkway…a busy thoroughfare on any normal day.  I was able to run right down the middle of the road.  It was interesting to see lots of people out walking because they couldn’t get their cars dug out – not a usual sight in Syracuse.  Everyone smiled and said hi…it was as if the storm brought everyone a common purpose..a common struggle.  My run was very slow.  My footing was, at best, slippery – like running on soft sand.  But I enjoyed this run – the crisp, cold air, the beauty of fresh snow, the friendly waves, the joy of running in car territory.

When I returned, I found out the tour was still on.  Phoebe was especially excited.  She really was hoping we would get to meet the president.  Although this did not happen, we did still get to see some amazing sights inside and out.  We saw the White House Mess, the doors to the Situation Room, the Waiting Room, The Oval Office (gave me goosebumps), the room where the President gives press conferences.  Phoebe even got to sit in Helen Thomas’ seat.  At the end of the tour, the girls were given Presidential M&M’s (a highlight for Maggie!).  It was an incredible experience – thanks Drew!

Monday we were going to go home but my car was so snowed in that we extended our stay for an extra day.  Tuesday we arrived back in Syracuse to find snow in the forecast.  When we awoke Wednesday, it had snowed, the roads had been cleared and salted and I was almost glad to be living in Central New York.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

“I don’t have time to workout”

Phoebe, my 7 year old, and I love to watch the Biggest Loser.  It is our Tuesday night date night!  After I put Maggie in bed I come down and we snuggle on the couch together and watch the trials and tribulations of America’s most overweight people as they struggle to lose the weight they put on during a lifetime of poor eating habits and zero exercise.  I’m still not sure why Phoebe likes it so much (maybe just because it’s alone time with mommy) but I love watching the transformation as people realize that exercise makes you feel good and melts the fat away.  It’s also cool to see how much they change by the last episode! Phoebe and I also enjoy discussing what healthy eating and exercise habits are and how to make sure we are following them in our lives.

In the most recent episode, one of the contestants was back at home and Bob (a trainer ) came to visit him.  He complained of how much of a struggle it was to fit in exercise.  This reminded me of one of my major pet peeves…people who say they don’t have time to exercise.  Phoebe and I had a big talk about it.  How exercise is important and needs to be a part of your life…not an extra that you do if you have extra time.  I asked if she understood why I am always getting up early or bringing them over to the Y while I workout.  She said that she did and that she liked being able to be a part of it with me.  Like hanging out at the pool and counting my laps or timing my laps at the track.  I told her that I want her to see how important exercise is in my life.  I want both Phoebe and Maggie understand this importance so they incorporate it into their lives…so it becomes as much a part of each day as , say brushing your teeth. I want them also to  learn the same love for it and learn that you can fit it in…even when you are busy.

Yesterday was my 11 hour work day (8am until 7pm) so I had to drag myself out of bed at 5:30am.  Being a single mom means I couldn’t just head out the door for my workout so I hopped on the dreaded trainer and rode my bike then ran a bit on the treadmill in my basement. Today I am off to the pool while my youngest has her soccer lesson before I head to work for another 9 hours.  It is not easy fitting in the workouts but I make it a priority and make the most of the short time I have.

Random thoughts on the off-season

Well, now that the marathon is over and my season has officially ended, it is time for me to take it easy. This is hard for me! Karen gave me some general guidelines for December to follow and then the real training for the “road to Kona” begins January 1st. I am finding that especially with triathlon it is really important to take some downtime in the off-season.

In October, I started noticing some aches and pains that had fortunately stayed away throughout the tri training all summer.  My body knew it needed a rest before my mind did.  I’m sure it’s also not a coincidence that these pains started when Karen stopped coaching me for a few months. She is an amazing coach that knows how to structure a program to keep an athlete injury-free.  One of the ways she does this is by designing my workout plan specifically for me…no cookie-cutter formula that she just fits everyone into.

So anyway, her advice was to take downtime and rest and recover from Chesapeakeman. Did I do that? No…I decided to enter a marathon (without telling Karen). Note to self…always let your coach know your plans!! So now I am dealing with some shoulder pain that kept me out of the pool the last month and  knee and foot pain from general wear and tear after my 26.2 journey through the streets of Philadelphia (love you, Bruce ).

So here I am in December, keeping my workouts short and easy.  The knee and foot pain are subsiding and I have been back in the pool twice pain-free.  Karen also has me doing some weight training which I started 2 days ago and left me with that awesome soreness that lets you know where each and every muscle is in your body!  For now, I plan to enjoy the extra time I have hanging out with the girls – baking Christmas cookies, shopping, playing Yahtzee and watching Christmas specials on TV!

Goddess of Running

The engine of the runner is her heart;
the key which turns it over is desire.
I watch her run; her strength becomes a part
of will, the part that fuels the rising fire.
There’s grace to draw attention to the fact
that life is born within her graceful form.
There’s grace which leaves her beauty well intact
while power moves her forward like a storm.
She flows into her motions with an ease
that makes the wind seem tawdry as it flies.
The air is sudden stillness while her breeze
slips underneath her feet to make them rise.
Step back as she approaches, watch her stride
compelled by how her heart beats deep inside.

Scott wrote this sonnet for me. You can find his other running sonnets here: http://scottennis.sonnetwriters.com