Power Cleans & Squat Cleans

I'm definitely well overdue for a post...I've made a couple good meals and definitely some new things, but today I thought I would focus on my "cleans."

I'll admit my power clean or squat clean form isn't that great at all. I tend to have an issue of shooting my elbows out in front and being comfortable with the bar being "racked" in my shoulders instead of my hands. This is me about a couple days ago doing I think 85# (that's a 25# bar with a 25 + 5 plates)

For one, I notice my elbows had a slight delay and getting horizontal...I would get the weight up to my shoulders and think my elbows were getting through but I guess I wasn't quite landing it on my deltoids and really forcing my elbows forward.

Also, I think I'm starting my jump just a little too soon...in this pic I captured, my heels are already starting to jump off the ground and I haven't even gotten the bar up to my hips quite yet. Hence, I don't have the power from I hips that I could get.

So today, I decided to just start with 45# and do 10 hang cleans in a row to just work on my elbows and getting that power from the hips.

The first few of course I was still getting used to the movement, and I think I did best on reps 7-10. Also watching my feet, I tend to hop backwards just a little...a bit of wasted power but I guess the weight was pretty light and I was over exerting the hips just a little. But this set was really focused on getting that rack horizontal and shooting my elbows forward.

But can I do it now with a heavier weight? Here's 75#

Yeah so with just adding 30#, my elbows are still a little delayed, but it's definitely much better than my set with 85#. I definitely need to work a little on my land though...I'm definitely falling backwards on a few.

I decided to do a little work with some squat cleans as well just to get a good feel of getting under the bar. But I think it's a little funny how just the difference of thinking I'm doing squat cleans causes me to hop forward a little. Notice how the barbell travels forward a little as I'm lifting it up instead of in a strict vertical line.

I wouldn't know this without videotaping, gladly.

And lastly, a feat I am glad to finally accomplish...a clean & jerk of 105! (I wasn't able to do even 100 a few weeks ago). I stopped at 105 and didn't attempt 110, but I'm excited to try again soon.

I think if I put plenty of focus on really getting down that clean technique, I will be cleaning a lot more here pretty soon. I finished off my day with a set of thrusters: 9, 9 of 55# and 9 of 60#. Need to work on my Thrusters so when Fran ever stops by, I am ready!

Overtraining vs. Under-Recovery

A few days ago, I quickly tapped into the idea of recovery and the importance of taking a day off. I just came across a very insightful discussion someone posted on the internet about a keen difference between overtraining and under-recovering and thought this would greatly apply to my training philosophy and perhaps many of you hard-core triathletes who try to juggle as many workouts as possible.

Some weeks, we feel like superman (or superwoman). We can't go a day without at least some form of working out (even if it's a 35 minute swim), and we think we're pretty good at scheduling stuff so we're not overworking the same muscles two days in a row. We might even be working out twice a day, because we can. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about...that's exactly you. In fact, let's look at what one of my typical weeks probably looks like:

Monday: Crossfit WOD
Tuesday: Crossfit WOD + 14 Bike TT + possibly 5 mi run
Wednesday: 7-9 mi run
Thursday: Swim 1-2mi + Crossfit WOD (or weights)
Friday: Crossfit WOD + maybe some long run/bike
Saturday: Swim 1-2mi + 26mi Bike
Sunday: Bike 15mi + Track Runs + Swim 1.5mi

Some of you may look at this and think of insanity. I don't really leave any room for a "rest day." I even forgot what a "rest day" really meant. But I don't feel like I'm overtraining at all...I have the energy to be able to complete all of this believe it or not!

But...we're missing the point.

The point is, we have to realize that you and I may be actually under-recovering. You might think that all of these back-to-back training sessions might be greatly increasing our athletic abilities...but it's hard to really know when we feel like we can only give 95% effort about 6 days of the week. Although we do have the energy to train most days, we actually do go into a lot of workouts with the mindset of "ok I should try and take it a little easier today."

Without proper recovery days (where we decide we aren't going to train whatsoever and just let our muscles rest and be), our muscles will always be working at sub-optimal levels. We can never really know the true potential of what our muscles and cardiovascular ability are really able to do when we give them proper time to repair and when we aren't over-fatiguing ourselves.

You may be reading this and thinking, "well duh, isn't that what taper periods are for?" Yeah, but this applies to all training and not just tapering. "Tapering" is of course, backing off of our mileage, dropping the heavy weight-lifting days and giving our muscles the time to repair to tackle that race full-force. But we need to have smaller, shorter tapering periods within our actual training period. Our training volume/intensity doesn't gradually increase more and more over time; instead, you increase your intensity/volume for a few weeks, then take a week to back off. Then you start increasing again for a few weeks, then back off for one. This cycle of having a "recovery week" amidst your training can help your body repair a bit to tackle the next volume/intensity increase at full force.

But lastly, there are recovery days that fall within an even shorter time frame. Do you have at least one day a week where you don't even think about touching your bike, getting your running shoes on or your swim cap? I don't yet...but maybe I should. I know, you and I feel so obligated to getting a workout in because we're afraid we might gain back those extra lbs, or fall out of the groove or feel of our workouts. But we have to start realizing when the mileage we're putting in are quality miles or if they are merely junk miles. 

One (or two) rest days aren't going to destroy our fitness....fitness is a long term project, and it therefore takes a long time to really lose fitness unless you decide your career is being a couch potato. Also, you've got time. Triathlons aren't your life! Make sure you live your life as well...actually go out with some friends. Instead of being intimate with your aerobars, go out to some real bars (not the day before a race though)

Train smarter, not harder. Do the minimum you need to do to get in the best shape you can be in. Don't overtrain, of course. But make sure you aren't under-recovered.

Pork & Spiced Rhubarb Chutney

So I don't usually cook with rhubarb. It's a pretty awkward plant...those large red/green weedish stalks that sit in the corner of the produce aisles...yeah you and I pass them up all the time. But apparently they have more use than just in strawberry-rhubarb pies.

I was looking for a recipe to use for my pork tenderloin cuts I got from my CSA with Pat's Pastured. One of my favorite recipe database sites, Epicurious, had a recipe for Pork Tenderloin with a Spiced Rhubarb Chutney. I liked the idea of creating some sweet, sour and spicy chutney! But alas, the first ingredient called for on the list was....sugaring

Well, instead of completely ditching this recipe since it had a ton of great reviews, I decided to make a few "paleo friendly" modifications...after all, when you cook and eat paleo for so long, you start to learn some pretty creative substitutions. After looking through the recipe and noticing the selection of fruits near the end (dried cherries), I decided that I would substitute the "sugar" portion with a cup of pitted cherries instead. Still some sweetness, but a lot more "caveman approved"

Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Cherry & Rhubarb Chutney


Ingredients:
- 1 cup pitted, chopped cherries (don't ask me the right way to pit these cherries...I ended up biting them in half and eating the pulp stuck to the pits before I threw them out...a great pre-dinner snack!
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced fresh peeled ginger
- 1 tbsp ground garlic (or I just minced a few garlic cloves)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I went pretty liberal on this :-D )
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper (I just used a few sprinkles of cayenne)

- 4 cups fresh rhubarb, ends chopped up and stalks diced into 1/2 inch cubes. (It took me about 3-4 average sized stalks)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries or golden raisins (I actually used dried cranberries since I was too lazy to buy dried cherries)


- pork tenderloins steaks (any # is fine, you will have lots of chutney)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (I like bacon grease, you could use butter, avocado or coconut oil)

this chutney is amazing!

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a decent sized pot (it's gotta fit all that rhubarb!) and bring it to a simmer on low-medium heat. After a couple minutes simmering, add the rhubarb, onion and dried cherries/cranberries/raisins. Increase the heat to about medium high and keep it cooking until the rhubarb turns tender and the mixture thickens. Takes about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove. I personally preferred the rhubarb to be broken down a little instead of left in chunks so I went with 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and start cooling it down in the fridge!

The original recipe said to cool it down completely...I was fine just using it warm in the next step with the pork.

Love that T-Bone in there 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, sprinkle plenty of cumin, salt and pepper on your pork steaks. Add your cooking fat to your skillet, turn it on high and add the pork steaks, browning them on both sides (without cooking them completely). Takes about 1-2 minutes per side. Then, transfer the pork to a roasting dish and brush it a few times with the chutney. Place it in the oven for about 7-10 minutes. 7 if you tend to like your pork a little on the pinker side, or 10-12 if you like it fairly well done. You can always check with a meat thermometer as well: When it reads 155F, it's done. 

I decided to add some caramelized broccoli rabe to my plate as well...a nice simple green, slightly sweet and bitter, to complement the pork. To make the broccoli rabe, just add it back to the skillet you were using to brown the pork, add a couple tbsp of water, cover with a lid and let simmer for about 4 minutes. Then lift the lid and continue cooking until the sides of the broccoli rabe start to turn golden brown.

Oh this looks delish!

Lastly, top your pork with the glorious chutney! I have to say, without using "sugar" and substituting the cherries, the chutney still grabs a nice sweetness but a tartness as well. The pork was absolutely succulent (I'm never disappointed with the meats I get from Pat's Pastured).

Hope you can enjoy this dish! I think I'll be using this chutney with lots of different meats in the next few days...

Take a Day Off and eat some Fish "Un" Tacos!

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My Lovely Ingredients

I was feeling a little mexican food withdrawal since I know a lot of taco & burrito staples are all beans, rice and corn. But who says you need any of that to have a yummy (Paleo-approved) latin inspired meal? I came across a recipe for regular fish tacos in my Food & Wine cookbook, but decided I would make my own spin on this classic dish. I didn't use a set recipe at all, just put a bunch of stuff together that I thought would be tasty in my fish taco...err "Un"-taco! Add it all with some avocado, macadamia nuts and a lovely tropical mango salsa:

My ingredients (makes about 4-5 tacos, enough for 2 servings or one HUNGRY caveman):

Mango Salsa:
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 mango, peeled, seed removed, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- a few cloves of garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 lime

Seasoned Cod:
- 1 lb fresh Cod (you could probably use any thick yet flaky fish like Mahi Mahi or Flounder)
- Liberal amounts of cumin & coriander
- Freshly ground pepper, salt

"Un-Taco" Shell:
1 head of cabbage, with 4-5 full large leaves carefully broken off.

Extra Ingredients:
- 1 sliced avocado (my faux guacamole)
- 1/4 chopped macadamia nuts (for a bit of texture & crunch!)
- extra lime juice for flavor

***note, this recipe is pretty "mild" on the spicy scale. You can always add in a few hot chile peppers into the salsa, or sprinkle on some cayenne pepper to the fish to add a little extra heat for you iron-tongue folks!***

I must have gotten elephant garlic, this clove was massive! And all I needed.

Here are my lovely chopped ingredients for my salsa!

Mango is seriously the most awkward fruit to chop, no? Honestly, that seed is so awkwardly placed in the mango I feel like I don't get any of the pulp at all when I slice it without hitting a hard edge. After much chopping of the mango salsa ingredients, I combine them all together and add the lime juice!

This lime juice is MAGIC! The acidity balances the cod nicely.

Phew! That was easy....now onto the cod. I like to start in a large sautee pan with some leftover bacon grease from my morning breakfast (though I bet coconut oil would add a lovely tropical flair). Add the cod, then sprinkle liberally with cumin, coriander, pepper and a little salt on both sides.

The piece I got was a long awkward shape but thick and yummy

It only takes about 5 minutes total to get that fish tender and flaky. Mmmm I love the smell of cumin! There's also something about getting fresh, local caught fish at the Farmers Market (from The Local Catch) that makes the fish taste so awesome.

Now after we chop up the avocado and the macadamia nuts (for our healthy fats), and get our cabbage leaves in place, lets assemble! Almost kinda resembles lettuce wraps in a way, but I thought the cabbage would add a nice refreshing sweetness as the shell.

YUMMY! Now that wasn't hard, was it?

And here it is in it's paleo-friendly "taco" shell

I will say that as lovely as this looks, the cabbage leaves may become a little messy after awhile so have plenty of napkins ready. But all in all, it's definitely super refreshing! The pungency of the mango salsa, sharpness of the lime, the creaminess of the avocado and the super tender, smoky fish (with the crunch of the macadamia nuts and cabbage) definitely made me wish I was lounging on the beach sipping paleo-friendly margaritas (do those exist, without the sugary margarita mix? If not I'll settle for some pinot grigio) The best part is, this meal literally took about 30 minutes in total to make! A nice, light meal for my day off today. 

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That's right, an actual "day off" with no gym, running or working out whatsoever. I didn't even tough my workout clothes once today. I sometimes forget that I really need these recover days to let my muscles regenerate and build up. Although I am pretty good at working different muscles on different days and think I am super woman, I forget what a good recovery day can do to help my workouts. 

I'm about to reach the peak of my triathlon training for the Olympic Distance Cranberry Tri-Fest on August 28th, but I am highly considering the FIRM Half Ironman Triathlon in Narragansett on Sept. 11th. (For those who don't know the distance, the Olympic-Distance Tri is .9mi swim, 26mi. bike, 10k run, whereas the Half Ironman is 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, and 13.1mi run). Yeah I would almost literally be doing TWICE the distance in only two weeks after the Olympic. We'll see...I just have to make sure I get these taper weeks and recovery periods in. I know I can go the distance, (I've mastered the swim and run, gotta get some 50 miler bike rides in)...but I definitely want to finish strong and not feel like I'm stumbling my way to the finish line.

You never realize when you workout hard everyday and forget to take "easy" days that you never are really working at 100% of your true potential. You may think you're giving your all and you might get a PR every now and then, but really you're working at sub-optimal levels. Just even a day or two to let your muscles rest can prep them for that next long 15 mile run, that 50 mile bike ride, or that "Shots of Awful" WOD you're about to try and complete 2 rounds of. When it gets to the point where you feel "ugh, I need to back off this workout!" every day instead of "wow I feel awesome, let's kick it up a notch!"...take a rest day. 

New Aerobars & A Dinner Straight from the Farmers

Yay! I finally decided to chip in the money to become Aero. As you can see the two black parallel bars added onto my bike to allow me to be in an aero position if I would like. I got these bars at my local Providence Bicycle bike shop, which as an awesome section in their store dedicated just to triathletes.

I still have issues just being balanced on my road bike, but getting used to the aero position wasn't bad at all! The first couple of times I felt completely off balance, only moving my left arm to the bar while keeping my right on the hood, and slowly tried to bring my right hand to the other bar. It feels like you might not be able to steer at first. But really if you commit to the aero position, the steering will come naturally and I was flying away on some of the flats. Well, really not THAT fast since I was swerving in and out of people on the bike path. Not sure if I'm confident to use them on a good downhill yet.

The one downside of the bars is just the added weight to the bike, but I feel that the aero position will make up those couple extra mph in the long run. Regular Tri-bikes just naturally come with aero bars and bullhorn bars built into the handlebar system...no drop bars and really no hoods. The other downside is if I wanted to switch gears, I would have to move my hand around and that can get a little tricky sometimes.

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Tonight's dinner comes straight from the farmers...everything on my plate I got either at the Farmer's Market, or from a garden. Pardon the blurry cell-phone pics, but I was making a fast dinner tonight.

I am absolutely in love with all the meat from Pat's Pastured. I have come back countless times for this sweet italian sausage:

I know it looks funny coming out of the bag...

Still haven't quite figured out how to properly cooked sausage that has a casing. I've been just chopping it into small rounds but I guess you should just cut a large chunk and slab it on the grill? Or maybe cut the casing off? Either way, it's ballin' sausage.

I also still have some fresh herbs from my boyfriend's garden, which I hoisted back with me on the plane from St. Louis almost a month ago. Can't believe these herbs are still green and fresh! (The oregano hit its last days but the thyme looks amazing). I love throwing some fresh herbs onto sauteed vegetables, particularly zucchini and squash, also which I purchased from Wishing Stone Farms at the Lippitt Park Farmers Market.

Here's the final dinner, after I ravenously dug into a few bites.

Tastes fresh, wholesome and awesome! Oh and the red onions from Wishing Stone Farms as well...love sauteed red onions! I missed my usual Saturday morning excursion at the farmers market but Wednesday evening...here I come for some more awesome meat and veggies!

RIP Vibrams - Time for a replacement?

Looks like they've developed some holes

Alas, I think it's time to say adieu to my first ever pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I purchased these (the Bikila model) back in September last year in hopes of correcting a shin splint I had, and to totally reconstruct the way that I ran (since I think I would be running for awhile). These shoes were probably the most valuable purchase I have ever made towards my fitness goals, and I am proud to say I have put many hundreds (maybe a thousand) miles in these, many including a couple half marathons, a full marathon and all the supplemental training.

Unfortunately, even minimalist shoes have an end to them. You would think even if minimalist shoes fall apart...hey it's more minimal and even close to being barefoot! Well, eventually my shoes developed a series of holes around the toes and odd formations in the seams and it produced some annoying rubs and attacks on my toes. Thus, I must move on to a shoe that still maintains the comfort of my feet as I run. If my feet don't feel good after 1 mile, I couldn't imagine how they would treat me after 20!

Luckily, I still have my trusty purple Vibram Komodosports to get me around. I don't particularly enjoy them as much as the Bikilas for long-distance running because they're a little thicker and stiffer on the feet (I love them for Crossfit) but they do a good job for now. Because they're thicker, my feet muscles work a little more and I tend to have a mild top-of-the-foot pain with these versus the Bikilas, so I can't run too many miles.

I went to CitySports (my favorite athletic store!) today to try out some of the other models. I've been particular interested in the Bikila LS model (mainly because the laces will be more forgiving to my wider-than-normal feet), and the Speeds (also with laces). They apparently also launched new Komodosport LS models in some neat purple and pink colors...but I already own Komodosport and am looking for a model to really mimic the thin feeling of the Bikilas.

Sadly, they only had a size 40 in the Bikila LS model, and the speeds weren't even in stock. I'm debating purchasing a Bikila LS model online....the new color for the season is Red/Gray (which isn't quite my cup of tea but will do) or waiting a couple weeks before they come into stores and hopefully City Sports will have a double-point purchase special by then.

While I couldn't try on the new vibrams, I did take the liberty to try on a new minimalist shoe that caught my eye: The Saucony Hattori. Normally when I see a lot of minimalist shoes...I think "What minimal? Really?" the soles are almost way too thick most of the time. This Hattori model was actually pretty light and flat...and really felt like a thin stretchy sock with a thin rubber sole. I tried on a 6.5, the smallest size they had and it surprisingly fit really well! Normally close-toed shoes are too narrow for my feet but I felt like my feet could breathe! It's a different feeling moving in shoes that are close-toed after having my toes feel so loose in Vibrams for so long, but I think I really enjoyed them. Not sure if I would use them for running long distances since my toes still felt a little captive, and after awhile they would need room to move from their cages or go crazy. They're also about $20 cheaper than the Vibrams.

Maybe if they were about $40-50 I would consider them as just a casual shoe (where I could drop my things and run off if I needed to at any moment). I also need to try the Merrell Trail Glove which I've heard also has the same glove-like feel.

What are your thoughts on minimalist shoes...do you like them? Too afraid to jump right into the Vibrams? I know they are still a growing phenomenon. You should at least make your way to a shoe store and try some on just for the experience of seeing how these feel. I could talk on and on about the benefits they bring to your running form (or posture overall compared to those "sketchers shape ups"...please! But I'll let you do some research (as I had to do).

Amazing Paleo Chili

I have to say my most favorite part of chili is definitely the ground meat. In other words, forget the beans, let's make some Paleo chili! I saw a few recipes (from Mark's Daily Apple, etc) for Paleo chili, but they all included giant chunks of meat. I really love the ground texture, so I had to modify an existing recipe. The original is "Ryder's Turkey Chili" by Guy Fieri off of www.foodnetwork.com...but here's my version:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons bacon grease or butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced, seeds removed
several cloves garlic, minced
2 small red onions, diced
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey/beef/pork
2 hotdog franks, sliced into small rounds
1 small can tomato paste
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this really gives a kick!)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese or sliced avocado, for garnish

yeah I probably could have kept the franks intact to make
"chili dogs" but I decided to include them.

Alright, I've got everything chopped up...let's begin!

Warm the grease/butter in a large pot over high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, onions and carrots, and cook until caramelized, about 8 minutes.

Mmm that's right...caramelize!

Next, all of the meat and gently stir, trying not to break up the meat too much but getting it to cook; cook until the ground meat is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes depending on the size of the pot.

simmering chili...looks so yummy! Will definitely have
leftovers for a few days...

Add the tomato paste and sauce and chopped tomatoes. Stir for 4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Now add all your spices: chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, *cinnamon* and a few cranks of the pepper mill. Let it simmer for about another 5-10 minutes to really let the flavors and spices soak in.

I love the texture of cool avocado with a warm chili

I really think this chili tastes its best as leftovers...after it's been sitting in the fridge overnight and all the flavors have melded together. But nevertheless it also tastes amazing right after it's done as well! Just make sure you cool it enough so you don't burn your tongue.