Tuesday's Tantrum!!

I have been fighting a BIG mental vs. physical battle the last several weeks~it all started with this nagging lower leg pain that threw a giant monkey wrench in my running for about 4 weeks. Then finally when THAT irritating pain subsided I was able to run 20 miles in the Run for the Fallen, which my body really was not ready for. Now I have been experiencing some foot pain post Run for the Fallen -and since I play a Doctor on TV, I have gone ahead and diagnosed myself with fascia inflammation from overuse (running 20 miles when the previous 4 weeks my max run had been in the 7-8 mile category).

This morning I got up early to run on the treadmill while Lola slept and what was supposed to be 5 miles of speedwork turned into 3 miles of frustration. And not FAST frustration. I guess since my pace was not where I thought it should be I threw in the towel. I quit. I don't quit!! Why did I allow myself to quit today? Yes, it was hot. Yes, I was annoyed with my Garmin (trying to figure out how to use it for a TM run). Yes, I should remember that my training has not been on target. But I let my ego dictate this morning's run, not my logic. Stop it with the temper tantrum already!!

Since I started working out and running I have never had to deal with any kind of physical set back or injury and it has been really hard for me to accept these physical limitations. I have been on a road of constant improvement over the last 18 months so right now it's killing me to feel like I have been pushed back MONTHS in training. My confidence has been shaken and that is a very scary thing for me.

I have so much on the line right now and I don't want to feel like I have failed. I could easily take the pressure off myself by not expecting anything performance wise at these races on the schedule but then do I risk not pushing myself 110%??

This frustration has certainly been seen in my eating habits of late too! Pizza, ice cream, chips and Oreos. Oreos?? Are you kidding me? I don't EAT this kind of garbage. I have worked way to hard to start slipping back into old habits. I know, I know...it's all emotional eating and while it is important that I recognize that it is more important that I deal with the frustration instead of feeding it.

So I gave myself a good kick in the behind and got the train back on track yesterday. This clean eating gal is back and done being dirty. I restocked the house with all my favorite clean eating staples (eggs, oatmeal, quinoa, Greek yogurt, veggies, veggies, veggies). I am going back to weekly weigh-ins on Fridays to hold myself accountable.

I have a 5k race on Monday 9/6 and while I was hoping for a PR for this race, I guess I will just have to suck it up and just do my best and disregard any PR's for the time being.

I'm getting back to basics with my training and eating.

Check back on Friday for my progress report on week one.

Hooray for Happy Hoo Ha's!!

The fine folks at Reflect Sports were kind enough to send me some Hoo Ha Ride Glide to try out!

This is the ONLY anti-chaffing skin cream for women by women!!

From their story on the Reflect Sports website:

"We are committed to providing custom quality products for women with active lifestyles," stated Jena Schuster and Laurie Mellott, owners of Reflect Sports. The two women balance a life of family, work and fitness.
"All the creams on the shelf are designed for men or are generic in their use; women have different parts and I wanted something that is specifically for me and my girlie parts. We actually had to use our husbands' nut cream for a long ride because we couldn't find one made for a woman," stated Laurie.

HOO HA RIDE GLIDE™, The Original Skin and Chamois Cream Formulated for Women, protects your most girlie parts from chaffing, friction burns, irritation, inflammation, and saddle sores. It is specifically formulated for women by women with all natural ingredients and can be used on other skin areas where chaffing occurs.

I am heading out on a ride this afternoon with my Tri-Training-Partner-In-Crime, Michelle and I am looking foward to testing out Hoo Ha Ride Glide!


I will be back with a full review AND a chance for YOU to get your own Hoo Ha Ride Glide!!

The Tale of Two Suits

TYR vs. Speedo

The TYR suit (left) and the Speedo suit (right)

Last week I hit my local sporting store to pick up some running shorts since they were having a sale. While there I saw a cute TYR swim suit and decided that I needed to get it.

I was in love the with colors of the suit~BLACK and HOT PINK but not in love with the size (dang those things run small, talk about a kick in the ego!) nor was I estatic about the fit. or the price ($68.00) but I got it anyway since I don't have a "real" swimming suit for SWIMMING. With the sale, I got 50% off my Nike Tempo running shorts with that purchase so I figured I was saving somewhere right??

I got home and tried the suit on again and I was still not in love with it. But I kept the tags on it and stashed it aside.

Saturday morning I brought it back to the sporting goods shop and decided to try on a couple different sizes but settled on the one I had deciding against the return.

Then today while out and about doing errands with Lola I stopped into TJMaxx to see if I could score some good stuff. You never know what you will find there!!



...and there it was!



...a black Speedo swim suit with white trim ON THE SALE RACK!

Whoa, could it be? Could I score a nice simple swim suit on sale?
And the OH! WOW! another one!! A Nike suit in pink and black.
WOW WOW WOW! The Shopping Gods were smiling on me today!!

I ran into the fitting with with Lola with my shopping cart full of stuff from Target and tried them both. The Nike suit was too big but the Speedo suit was JUST RIGHT! The adjustable straps allowed me to get the fit just right!

A perfect fit. And a perfect price!

This suit was originally $65.00 but would you like to know what I paid today??
Take a guess!!

$7.00

Yup, you read that right. It was marked down to just $7.00 dollars.

It was the only one there-trust me I looked for MORE!

So needless to say that TYR suit is going back tomorrow. I will lose the sale price on the Tempo shorts so maybe those will go back too BUT I could not be happier with the suit I got today.
It was comfy, cute, simple and ON SALE!! Who could ask for anything more???

Run for the Fallen 65k~A day to remember!

Sunday, August 22nd

The family got on the road early to head to Ogunquit for The Run for the Fallen. As we drove into the town the ladder trucks from the Fire Dept had a giant American flag up over the road where the start of the run would begin. It took my breath away at the thought of what today was going to hold.

We parked and then walked through the mass of people and I immediately ran into Nancy & Bob Kelley. The Kelley's are the parents of Capt. Christopher S. Cash, the soldier I was running in honor of today. We exchanged hugs and took a couple of pictures together~and this was the second time today I was holding back my emotions and tears.



Capt. Christopher Scott Cash Sr., died June 24, 2004, in heavy fighting in Iraq while serving in the N.C. National Guard. He was one of three U.S. soldiers who died in Baqubah, a town 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. He left behind a wife, Jennifer and two sons, Christopher Jr and Matthew.

In 2004, Nancy and Bob founded the Captain Christopher Scott Cash Memorial Scholarship Fund and in 2005, they started The Run for Cash 5k.

Captain Christopher S. Cash

Each and every soldier being honored today was represented by a picture, brief biography and a pair of crossed American flags. In the middle of the pictures was the symbol of the fallen soldier; The gun, boots, dog tags topped with the helmet.

At this time, I met up with Jim from Dailymile.com. Jim is a local runner who will be completing his 15th marathon this fall. I was excited to finally meet this super supportive and positive guy in person! I also got to meet Patty, Jim's wife. Jim then introduced me to another Dailymile local runner, Chris.

The route of the 65k the Run for the Fallen would follow today

The names each of the 65 soldiers being remembered today were then read aloud followed by the ringing of a bell. There was a moment of prayer and then a 21 gun salute. Jim, Chris and I listen to the names of the soldiers being read

The runners were then told to line up next to the trolleys and off we went. Chris was kind enough to run at a slower pace for Jim and me. We chatted about dailymile and runners from that site, races, paces, beer and ice cream. We discussed our health, our families and how lucky we were that our partners were all supportive of our running and racing. I usually run alone and it was great to run with a couple of genuine guys~the miles flew by! Before I knew it, Jim was checking his Garmin and we had already logged about 7 miles. I was running pain free and I was able to thank each family along the way.

Jim and I wave to my husband, Casey as he drove by in Wells. What a photog!

I had to take a potty break and lost Jim and Chris for a while but caught up to Jim eventually and on we ran...

Chris, Jim and Me wave to Jim's wife Patty as she drove by. Another talented photographer!

About 12.5 miles into the run, just before the Arundel town line I needed to take a break; I needed some fluids and I needed some dry socks. I had lost a toenail early that morning and thus wrapped in a very cool SpongeBob Squarepants band-aid~needless to say I was starting to develop a blister.

I said my goodbyes to Jim and ran to catch up with the lead trolley. When I got on I was greeted with cheers and an ice cold Gatorade! I have never been much of a person to hold much stock in Gatorade but today it must have done it's thing. After a short break, dry socks and some Fierce Strawberry Gatorade I was ready to roll!! The Biddeford town line was just over the hill and I was gonna run through town. I got out with two gals that work with the families that lost soldiers. Once gal was retired from the Army. I ran with them for a bit and then found myself running alone. I was happy to be alone with my thoughts at this point~thinking about the day, the miles ahead and the families we had passed today. I thought of the Veteran's who stood so solemn, proud and in salute.

I ran through all of Biddeford and as we approached York Hill I jumped back on the trolley. While there I called my husband to let him know that I would be approaching Old Orchard Beach soon and that Kilometer #39 would be my final run for the day. My body was done. Having been battling an injury for several weeks had put a halt to my long runs and this was the longest haul I had done since early July.

As we approached Saco, I met two other fine people~Jon from Alfred and his girlfriend, Christine from Scarborough. The three of us chatted about running, racing, injuries and triathlons. Jon was sitting it out until the final 3 k's today due to a knee injury and Christine said she would join me for a couple miles in OOB.

We jumped out on the Ross Road and then eventually we approached Kilometer #39! Captain Christopher S. Cash's kilometer. I saw Nancy and Bob cheering next to Christopher's picture and I ran into Nancy's arms for a big hug. I then thanked Capt. Cash for his service to this country, said a prayer and then the tears came. Christine ran ahead and I continued this final kilometer in prayer. Thankful for soldiers that gave their lives to protect our freedom. Thankful for my family and my health. I relected on my jouney over the last year and a half and how much I have grown as a person.

I reached kilometer #40 and turned around, half jogging/half walking back to be with Bob and Nancy. My dad would be coming to pick me up and bring me home to my husband and daughter.

I cheered on the runners that passed and talked about the day. I parted ways with the Kelly's with hugs and promises to meet up again soon. I will be helping Nancy with the 2011 Run for Cash and will do whatever she needs! I am in awe of her strength and how much she gives back.

I was able to run just about 20 miles today and it was far more than I expected. When I felt like quitting I thought of the next family at the next kilometer and kept going. I has asked my parents to pray for me and I know that my body only cooperated today because of those prayers.

My husband had asked me early in the morning why I chose to run this particular run as it was not a race. I has a hard time putting my answer into words but summed it up by saying that I wanted to do something BIGGER than me.

Today was certainly bigger than me and better than I expected. I met some amazing people and it was a privilege to be a part of something so special. And I can't wait to do it again next year!

**a special thank you to Patty and Jim for some great pics.

A Run with a purpose

It's here. I cannot believe it is August 22nd tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Run for the Fallen. A 65 kilometer run to honor Maine soldiers. I have been waiting for this all summer.

I am excited, nervous but yet calm and reflective.

I am disappointed that I am not 100% for this run but I am going to do whatever I can to honor each soldier along the way.

65 Maine soldiers that are no longer with us.

This run is not about me or how far, how fast or how long I go.

This run is about them. For them. For the families they left behind. For our freedom that they defend.

I am sure that tomorrow will be a very emotional day and tears will be shed.

I am just honored to be a part of it all.

Flight of the Bumblebee & Yoda's Wisdom

I came across this little story about the bumblebee in The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel and it really made sense to me on so many levels~it is also one philosophy I try to implement into all aspects of my life, not just fitness or sport. I truly believe that your mind and your perception play a big role in how things will play out.

Several years ago, as the story goes, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Admin) developed an interest in the bumblebee. The lab folks reckoned that the little insect held some secrets of flight that might provide answers to questions about operating in space. After all, they asked, how could such small wings produce efficient lift for a relatively large and hairy torso? And how could a round body, and a flight position that violated so many principles of aerodynamics, move so effectively through the air? Indeed, there was MUCH to learn from the little hummer.
So the scientists set about studying the bumblebee to discover it flying secrets. As scientists always do, they hypothesized about, scrutinized, examined, dissected, measured, timed, filmed, observed, compared, quantified, thought about and debated the bumblebee. After weeks of study they came to but one conclusion: Bumblebees are not capable of flight!
Fortunately, no one told the bumblebee. The silly insect goes right on believing that flight is normal for them despite what the best minds in the scientific world know as fact.
The bumblebee thinks it can fly. Actually, the thought of anything else never even crossed it's tiny mind. They just keep on flying.
We can all learn from the bumblebee. The single most critical piece of the multi-sport puzzle is believing in yourself and your capacity to succeed.

I think Yoda said it best:

[Luke] "I can't believe it!"

[Yoda] "That is why you fail."

So the next time you are faced with a challenge, think of the bumblebee. Or Yoda. Or both. Just remember that you are capable of SO MUCH MORE than you believe yourself to be.

~May the force be with you! (he he he-had to say it)

Oh Crap!! Oh Crap!!

Oh Crap! Part One:
For several weeks I have been nursing a muscle strain in my lower left leg which has been limiting my running miles. Back in late July when a couple tornadoes came rolling through the area (yeah, TORNADOES in Maine) I decided that a fun run would be to get out and check out the damage. So I got out early to see what happened~did lots of jumping over tree debris and when I hit the mean streets of Saco I decided that a jaunt up North Street's cobbled sidewalks would be a good idea. I love running North Street...well the next day is when the nagging pain started. And it just got worse, to the point where walking was uncomfortable. SO rest, rest, rest and finally last week the leg was 100% better. YAY!! So I got in a couple good runs and even hit the run portion of the Mainiac tri course and banged out a sub-23 min on a 3.2 mile run and then did a 4 mile cool down on the beach sand. I was back and feeling good.

I was busy busy with the TRI for a Cure on Sat. I ran to the gym Sunday, got in a great workout. Felt awesome. Then Monday OH CRAP! my RIGHT lower leg started hurting. Are you kidding me???
Hey leg! I have a 64k I am running in 6 days and you decide YOU want to act up???
I have been lucky to be pretty much injury free the entire time I have been running and working out. I did not understand for the life of me why I was having pain all of a sudden. Is it my form? Is it my shoes? When the left leg was hurting I figured I just moved the wrong way jumping over tree limbs and branches or the uneven running on North St. but when my RIGHT leg started hurting Monday, I really got nervous. Then it hit me while laying awake in the middle of the night.
On Sunday I was using the new calf raise machine at the gym~it has kind of a funny angle compared to the standing calf raises I usually do. I recalled a weird feeling in my arch of my right foot so I am thinking that THIS is the culprit of my pain.(s) Sure enough, upon review of my training logs, I had used the same machine back in July just before the left leg started hurting.
So here I am taking yet another break from running so my leg will heal. I am supposed to run a long, long run on Sunday-The Run for the Fallen-and I'm so sad that I am not 100% for this run as it has been something I have been looking forward to all summer. I am still going to go and do what ever I can. In the mean time I will focus on swimming, cycling and weight training.



Oh Crap! Part Two:
Now for the funny crap. Not so funny at the time but in hind sight I guess you can call it funny.

My in-laws have always had boxer dogs as long as I have been around. They have actually had boxers for well over 30 years and always more than one. The last couple of years have been tough for them as they lost Riley (only 6 years old), then Delilah (12.5 years old) and most recently they had to put down Reaghan (8 years old), it has has been a very sad time. They gave away their dog food, toys and other doggie items to friends and a local shelter. Grandma said that if they ever got another dog it would have to fall out of the sky and into her lap. It was just too much work and it was just too sad to say goodbye. Their dog days were done.

Until yesterday. Poppa (my father-in-law) was out and about with Grandma and Lola when he came across a sign "BOXER PUPPIES FOR SALE" on the the side of the road. They stopped to inquire within but no one was home. So they placed a call to the number on the sign and left a message. Both Poppa and Grandma spoke with the woman selling the puppies later that day.

Grandma called me just before dinner time-they were driving out to see the puppies and wanted Lola and me to come along.

When we got there Lola was a ball of energy and squealing with delight to see SO many dogs and puppies~4 boxer puppies, the boxer Mommy-dog and another small doggie were all running about. Grandma held the female reverse brindle puppy that she picked and Lola ran all over with all of the other dogs; playing with them, patting them, running, running and running some more. Lola wanted to go and play with Mommy-dog but since I did not know this dog I grabbed Lola and held up up on my hip while she wiggled to get out of my grasp.
And then I smelled it.
Bad.
Oh CRAP! Literally...
Lola has stepped in a giant, fresh, soft doggie doodie. It was ALL OVER her foot. And it was all over ME. And it was all over the camera hanging off my wrist.

Doggie poop was covering my daughters feet and legs and it was all over my entire right butt cheek.

My father-in-law lovingly informed me that there was NO WAY I was getting into the van like that.

The people selling the puppies were nice enough to bring me out a bunch of paper towels and gave me a garden hose.

After stripping Lola down and hosing off her shoes and pants, I sprayed the crap off of my backside. Then I cleaned up the camera.
It's time to go!
Grandma said goodbye to her new puppy and we all got into the van.

Then I took off my shorts and rode home in my undies~wrapped up in Lola's blanket.
Let's just say hubby gave me quite the look when I got home and ran into the house with no pants on.
Talk about a crappy day!

Here are some pics of our visit with the puppies before the Sh!t hit the fan-(sorry, I couldn't resist)

Grandma saying goodbye to her new "baby"

Lola patting one of the puppies

Lola playing~she was in puppy heaven!

I would love to hear name suggestions for the new puppy! Let me know what you think :)

Tri for a Cure~It's Race Day!

It's Race Day!! It's Race Day!!

With Lola overlooking the swim area of the tri

Sunday was race day and I woke up all excited to head up to SMCC to watch the tri. I picked out Lola's outfit (pink of course!) and made sure that my hot pink Volunteer shirt made it into the dryer so I could wear it again. It's a good thing PINK is my favorite color. I packed up the camera, pink pom poms, a whistle and other necessities into my super-cool Tri for a Cure swag-bag I got on Saturday.

First things first-get my workout in! I decided that I wanted to RUN to the gym so I did just that~got in a nice upper body workout and then met up with Hubby and Lola to get some errands done.

The original plan was to head up to South Portland with my Mom but when I checked in with her to solidify plans for the day, my Dad was coming too! And...so were my two nieces, Sara and Emma. I was so happy that the family was joining me for the day and there were feeling the same excitement I was about the tri!

I really should have planned to leave a bit earlier (as hubby suggested) than 12:45pm (the race started at 2pm) because the traffic was RE-DIC-U-LOUS. From Broadway all the way to the college it was bumper to bumper~cars could not even get through the changing lights. I witnessed one tri athlete get out of the vehicle she was in and jump on her bike with all her stuff and start pedaling into the campus. I can just imagine her frustration and nerves being held up in the traffic when the race was starting in about 30 mins.

We ended up parking about 3/4 of a mile away from the campus and walking. I was a bit worried about my Mom since it was getting pretty hot and her RA does not really allow for her to do all kinds of walking. I was ready and prepared to give her a piggy back if needed or throw her in the BOB jogging stroller if need be!

I really wanted to get a good view of the open water swim and bike transition areas so once we got close to the campus, I ran ahead to scope things out. Turns out that no one really knew where to direct us so after several (failed) attempts at reaching the swim and/or bike transition we finally found a way to view the swim.

The view over the crowd-I held my camera WAY up to get this shot!

When I finally got there however, you could not really see a thing. The athletes were down near the water and the spectators were up on top of a hill overlooking the area. The crowd was thick and there was no penetrating the crowd to get a good view. My Dad noticed a trail off to the side of the hill, over part of a fort and down that led to the swim area and suggested I do some trailblazing. Good old Dad, always coming up with a way to get in the action.

So I scaled down a very steep rocky hill scraping up my legs on the thorns of the beach roses then over more rocks and past a very grumpy security guard yelling at people to get down off the fort walls. I finally got down onto the swim area and the survivor wave was going for their swim.

Part of the rocks/trail I climbed
over to get a better view of the swim area

Then I noticed a bunch of people climbing the side of the hill to watch the swimmers so I decided to join them. After watching a couple waves, I climbed back up the hill and met up with the rest of the family.



A much better view from the hillside (top) and the Tri athletes awaiting their swim wave (bottom)


There was a short run from the swim to the actual bike transition area~some athletes were running with wetsuits, some barefoot and some covered in sand and dirt from what I assume is a fall during that first short transition. There was one young athlete that stopped several times to fight waves of nausea/dry heaving. My heart went out to this young lady~I can just imagine the mix of nerves and adrenaline following the swim!

The athletes make their way from the swim to the bike transition

Then we made our way over to the bike transition area so I could watch and maybe pick up a tip or two. I witnessed a mother and daughter team dressed alike at the transition -I don't know their "story"-Is the Mother a survivor? Is the daughter?-but the daughter was obviously an athlete and had done this before. She was so patient helping her Mom out in the transition area, getting her gear together, her helmet on and getting Mom onto her "cruising" bike while the daughter jumped onto her very nice tri bike. It brought tears to my eyes. Someday would Lola and I be doing races? Could I get my Mom in a place physically where we could do something like this together? Or even the three of us?

Bike Transition (obviously)

Taking a break with Lola from dancing-we have some sweet moves!

We then moved onto another area to watch the bike portion of the race. On our way there we stopped at the event field where a few of the vendors were set up and got ice cream for the girls. Lola and I danced around like fools to the super loud music because that's what we do!
Then we watched the bikes for a while-cheering everyone on!

The athletes start the 15 mile bike portion of the Tri just after transition

It was getting late in the day and it was time to get going. I really did not want to fight traffic like we had coming into the event. Lola was getting restless, Sara and Emma were getting bored and I could tell my Mom was getting tired too.

Lola checking out the bike portion; she was a great cheerleader!

On the walk back to the car my Mom informed me that she and Dad had a gift for me. I was a tab bit confused but she handed me a rectangular box with a bright pink bow on it. I opened it and it was a framed picture of the open water swim from last years Tri for a Cure. My Mom informed me that this was a gift to motivate me over the long cold Maine winter to prepare for next years event. It was also a remembrance of our day together. Once again I found myself holding back tears and emotions; gratitude, joy, love...I was just so touched that my parents KNOW how much my active life means to me and to give me such a thoughtful gift was really priceless.

The framed pic from Mom and Dad. I have yet to figure out the perfect spot for it!

I will definitely be a part of Tri for the Cure next year-as a volunteer and hopefully an athlete as well. As soon as I find out when registration is for the 2011 event you bet I will be up at midnight to get online. Maybe I will be one of the lucky ones and get a spot. If not, I will be cheering on everyone who does get in.

Oh and by the way, I'm still waiting for a call from Maine Cancer Foundation telling me I won that beautiful green bike! I hope they get their phones fixed soon because that I can't image WHY they have not called me yet!!

Tuesday's Dish

Welcome to Tuesday's Dish where I share what I am eating, what's new on my menu and fun, healthy ways to eat clean!

I am often asked how I lost so much weight and I am always happy to tell anyone who asks it was eating clean and working out that helped me go from FAT TO FIT.
Working out is important but even more important is the fuel you are putting into your body! It is important to get control of what you are eating no matter what goal you are trying to reach-whether it is to lose weight, lose fat, gain muscle or get lean and even increase your fitness and endurance. When you eat clean, nutrient dense foods your body (and waistline) will thank you.
Eating clean is actually quite simple-try to get foods as close to nature as you can. Fresh fruits and veggies are always a great choice. Pick whole grains over processed grains. Grill up lean proteins like fish, chicken, and pork or beef tenderloins. Beans are also a perfect staple-they are economical and so versatile! Read labels on any kind of packaged or boxed foods and if you don't know what it is, then don't eat it!

So the plan for today's meals are:

• Breakfast: 1/2 of an Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin English muffin toasted with all natural peanut butter, water.
• Post Workout: blueberry & banana protein shake
• Lunch: 1/2 cup whole wheat linguine pasta with cherry tomatoes, basil and grilled chicken, tossed greens with vinaigrette
• PM Snack: string cheese & Gala apple
• Dinner: Grilled Steelhead Trout (recipe below), Ginger Infused Mushroom Quinoa*, tossed salad with Ginger Lime dressing.

*Thank You to Mostly Fit Mom for sharing this dish on YOUR blog and another Thank You to The Happy Pantry for sharing the recipe. This dish sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it out tonight!!



I recently discovered Steelhead Trout and fell in love! Wild caught salmon is getting SO expensive so my local fish monger suggested I try the trout-It is very similar in taste/appearance as salmon.

Grilled Steelhead Trout

6 oz fillet of Steelhead Trout

2 tblsp real maple syrup

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or Bragg fluid aminos

Preheat grill to med-high. You can also make this on the stove top on a cast iron grill pan or in a saute pan. If using a pan, spray with oil to keep from sticking.

Combine maple syrup and soy sauce (or Braggs) in a shallow dish, mix well. Place trout flesh side down into the sauce and let marinade for about 1/2 hour. Do not let marinade longer than this as it can cause the fish to breakdown.

Place fish skin side down onto grill or grill pan/saute pan. Grill/cook apx 5-7 mins depending on thickness of the fish. Flip to finish. Serve with your favorite side dish and salad.

So what are YOU eating today???

Tri for a Cure~Day One

Saturday was Day One at the 3rd annual Maine Cancer Foundations Tri for a Cure. This woman's only sprint triathlon ( a 1/3 mile swim, 15 mile cycle and 3 mile run) is a celebration of strength and spirit.

Back in June I was contemplating cutting my triathlon teeth on this particular tri but since registration filled in 8 mins (back in February) I was not able to participate as an athlete as this amazing event this year so I decided that I would volunteer instead. I am SO glad I was able to be a part of it all!

Saturday morning I skipped my normal workout regime to head up to the Southern Maine Community College campus for 7:30am to start my volunteer duties. The email I got from Mari said that I would be helping with the Kid's Fun Run and I was psyched. I am so passionate about kids being active and healthy so this was a perfect assignment for me.

The AquaRun and Kid's Fun Run gang~what a great crew!

I would be working in the registration tent and then at the finish line to "tag" the first, second and third place girls crossing the finish line.

Willie, me and Alexa-All Smiles!

The group of volunteers I worked with were all so nice and everyone worked together to make sure the flow of people was as smooth as can be.

The Kids Fun Run ages 4-6 sprinting for the finish line!
I was so happy to see so many kids getting involved~for the Kid's Fun Run there were 3 races; aged 4-6, ages 7-9 and ages 10-12. This year there was also a Youth AquaRun with an open ocean 100 yard swim then a 1 mile run. The Maine Cancer Foundation partnered with Foundations Multisport for the Youth Aqua/Run. Foundations Multisport has started a Healthy Habits Youth Triathlon Series.
I was excited to meet Erika DeGeorge and Charles Melton on Saturday~we chatted about getting kids active and healthy. During our chat I discovered that they are both active in my local community and that Charles is the Race Director for my first tri on 9/25, The Mainiac!!

Mari Miya-Volunteer Coordinator (left)

Abby Bliss-Race Director (center)/

Julie Marchese-Race Director (right)

Holly, Tri Athlete and Wendy, Tri Athlete & Volunteer

After the races were done, I ventured out with Tri for a Cure volunteer and participant, Wendy and her son Colby to hit the Expo. There were all kinds of vendors with goodies galore~including ice cream sundaes. I scored some pink pom-poms, a Frisbee and sippie cup for Lola from the Bank of America tent. There was all kinds of stuff-too much to list it all but I think my favorite item was a Tri for the Cure bag filled with all kinds of lip balm, suncreen, samples and coupons! (Thanks Louise)

When I arrived early that morning CycleMania had several bikes at their tent that I was drooling over and I liked the green bike in the pic the best. Later that day I discovered that this bike was being raffled off! Of course I filled out 7 tickets and hoped for the best! Who knows...after winning some Anti Monkey Butt from Heather last week maybe just maybe I would win this too!!

Could this be my new tri bike???? I'm crossing my fingers!

I am so glad I decided to volunteer for this event~I met some amazing people-volunteers, athletes, survivors. It was such a positive event and I can't wait to do it again next year. Hopefully next year I will be participating in the Tri as well!

My (dear) ASICS

What is more important then a good fitting pair of running sneakers? When I find a pair I LOVE then I buy several pair...just in case. I take very good care of my running gear and meticulously log my miles on each pair (on DailyMile.com), use them ONLY for running~never any cross training or daily wear. I alternate pairs between long runs, short runs, speed work, hills etc.

Last year I when I started running more and more I went from running in Asics GT 2140's to Kayano 15's and it was a great match for me. They kept my feet comfortable and happy...but there was one small problem. Not with the fit or function but with the overall construction of the body of the shoe. They kept falling apart on me!

The 2140's ripped all along the outside of the toes (where there is a lot of mesh) then one pair of K15's ripped all on the toe box...then the second pair ripped in the same spot! The stitching was coming out. None of the K15's even had many miles on them (definitely under 300) and one pair ripped the first week I had them.

Fast forward to Mother's Day~hubby and Lola got me a very generous GC to The Maine Running Company!! Since I had never been "fitted" for running shoes I was very excited to use this GC right away. Well lo and behold, guess which shoes are "perfect" for me?? Asics Kayano 16's! I was pretty happy that I had picked a good shoe all on my own. So, I got a new pair of running sneaks and some other "treats"~I was a very very happy Mom!!

The joy was short lived.

A measly 63 miles later the Kayano 16's were coming apart. The lining on BOTH shoes was lifting right out! I placed a call to the pro's at The Maine Running Company and I was assured that I could bring them in for an exchange if they were defective. Sure enough! I brought my training log from Dailymile in with me and they were perplexed as to how the shoe could be falling apart so quickly!

They replaced the blue pair with a pair of purple 16's.

After whining to the Running Moms group on CafeMom about all my troubles with my beloved Asics, another Mama suggested that I contact Asics directly. So I did just that. I fired off a lengthy email to them detailing my dilemma.

The response? Sorry you had a problem. Send us your shoes and we will see if they are defective or just worn out.

worn out?? ummmm, yeah. I understand what a beating shoes can take when you run a lot but seriously...at $140/pr I expect them to last AT LEAST 300 miles.

So I sent out my shoes (the newest pair of Kayano 15's) last week. I am down to one pair of good running shoes now (the purple k16's) and I have "retired" one pair of the 15's.

I will wait to see what happens. Stay tuned!

When Zucchini Attack!

When zucchini attack...HUG EM!

We certainly have a bumper crop from our garden this year~it seems we are just overflowing with zucchini, yellow squash and cukes right now...and I could not be happier! I just love 'em all. The cherry tomatos have been coming in for a while and now the BIG tomatos are starting. Ahhhh, summer and the bounty of the garden.

Casey has been working hard to keep up with everything and we are already making plans to make next years garden a lot bigger!! We have been busy making pickles, breads, muffins, squash and zucchini boats-you name it, we are making it!

Now it's really time to get creative with our cooking stills and see what else we can come up with!

Last night I made a Garden Pasta Salad and it was delish (and easy!).

Garden Pasta Salad

• 1 box of whole wheat bowtie pasta or tri color pasta cooked
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini-raw, chopped
• 2 med cukes, chopped (we leave the skin on)
• 2 big handfulls of cherry tomatos, halved
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 bell pepper (any color) chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• * you can use any kinds of veggies you like, we just used what was on hand

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup of your fav italian dressing (we like Newmans Own Lighten Up Italian with Lemon, Drew's Classic Italian or even just home made vinegrette)
• 2 tbsps your favorite mayo (we like Vegenaise)
• dash of italian seasoning, pepper and celery salt

Mix pasta, veggies and dressing. Let chill out in the fridge for an hour or so. Enjoy!

As I come up with more creative ways to use up our veggies I will keep you all in the loop!