White Chicken and Herb Pizza and A Low Cal Pasta

First, I want to point out the fact that I have a new URL.  The new address for my blog is irondad84.blogspot.com. So, for those of you who have bookmarked my blog, please update your addresses.  Also, you may have noticed a complete revamping of my blog including the title.  I have don't this for a couple reasons.  First, which is also the main reason, which is that I have actually taken a liking to this blogging business as an outlet to share my passion for endurance sports and living a healthy and active lifestyle; and I am thinking that I will probably continue to write well after the Ironman.  Second reason is I wanted an easier name for the URL and a more general title that I wouldn't have to change after the Ironman.  I figured I would change the address and title now rather then later.  So, thanks for bearing with the change.  

Now, on with the main topic for this post, recipes and food!  A couple days ago I made a white chicken and herb pizza for the family and felt it was worthy of sharing.  It was actually really easy and quick to make and was really good.  Our 3 year old loved it.  The recipe called for fresh pizza dough, but I opted for the quicker precook end crust.  You can also make this gluten free with using a gluten free pizza crust and substituting a white rice flour for the flour in the sauce.  Here's the recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  

Ingredients

• Preparation
• 1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast 
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. 3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add flour and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
4. 4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough into a 12-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Spread white sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with chicken and onion. Bake at 450° on bottom oven rack for 17 minutes or until crust is golden. Sprinkle with herbs.

The next day I had some left over cooked chicken breasts so I made a Parmesan Chicken style dish.  However, instead of using traditional spaghetti I used a spaghetti squash.  It was also rather easy to do.  Simply take your squash and stab a few holes in it with a knife and microwave it for 11-14 minutes, just until its soft and steamy.  Then cut the top off and cut it into half and scoop out the seeds.  Then all you need to do is use a fork and scrape out the squash.  One of the unique properties of the spaghetti squash is that when its cooked it naturally forms into long thin strands - similar to that of spaghetti.  I used the "noodles" as a bed for the chicken breasts and topped with marinara sauce and sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.  It was delicious.  It's a great option for gluten free noodles and also is extremely low calories.  The squash has a slight crunch to it along with a bit of sweetness compared to traditional pasta. 

The benefits of using spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta go beyond calories.  1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash has about 40 calories compared to 125 in a cup of spaghetti.  Spaghetti squash supplies a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese, a fair amount of potassium.  It also has a low glycemic index so is great for diabetics as well.  I'd definitely recommend trying a spaghetti squash next time your looking at a pasta dinner.

Things Are Starting to Fall Into Place

As of writing this, there are 285 days until the 2013 Ironman Wisconsin. Still a lot of time. I mean, I haven't even started to formally train for it yet. If you have been regularly reading my blog you know mostly what I have been up to as far as racing. Over the past month and a half (since the Lakefront Marathon) I have done two races; The Freaky 5k and The Turkey Trot. My off season training has been going really well. I have fallen into a good routine while staying flexible and not hating myself if I take a day off to do nothing. I have been focusing on my swimming as well as working on getting back into a regular strength training regimen. The weather has been changing lately which is making getting outside to bike difficult. I have gotten outside a few times this fall, with the coldest day in the mid 20's. On days I go out to run, it has been in the range of 3-6 miles.

One thing I really wanted to get under control this off season was my weight and eating habits. The week after the marathon my weight has been in the range of 175-180. I have been finding myself binge eating regularly and on foods that I know I shouldn't be eating. I would like to get my weight back down to the 165 range by the start of the new year. It's been a struggle as I have developed some bad habits since having kids and changing careers. But over the past couple weeks, I have been dialing back into some of my previous healthy habits. Including, completely avoiding refined sugar, limiting wheat, focusing on vegetables and fruits, drinking a lot of water, and simply just eating less.  Initially it was hard to not eat so much, but I have found it easier and easier to just simply go hours without eating.  I have made some additional small changes to my diet and am working on slowing going toward a higher fat/lower carb diet. I am doing this for several reasons, including, more anti-inflammatory, less digestive stress, propensity for better body composition, and better fueling for long distance endurance training/events. I have already upped my fat intake and have already noticed the impact in being able to go longer between eating and feeling fuller longer.

The best news as of late is I am officially a sponsored triathlete for 2013. That's right, I was selected to be apart of the Tri Shop Triathlon Team for the 2013 calendar year. The Tri Shop is a triathlon store out of Canton, Michigan which also has an online store at www.thetrishop.com. I applied in late October and found out I was selected about a week or two ago. I have applied to for sponsorships in the past and was never selected. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity given to me by The Tri Shop and am going to do my best to support them throughout 2013. They are supplying me with a "race kit" which consists of a tri top, tri shorts, a hat, and socks, all to wear during races/events. I also receive discounts on purchases through their store as well as discounts on products from their co-sponsors. My job you ask? My job is to spread my enthusiasm for endurance sports and health and wellness and do my best to grow the sport of triathlon. I need to also be an ambassador to their company and promote their company and co-sponsors. This can all be done through utilizing social media avenues such as this blog and my Facebook account. With all that being said, I ask you to help support me by sharing this blog and/or checking out The Tri Shop's website (www.thetrishop.com). I do realize that not everyone who reads this blog participates in triathlons, but they offer a full spectrum of items for any fitness activity for any level. The offer equipment, clothing, nutrition, and electronics.

I have also started a new challenge, at least in the short term. About a week ago, I read an article on Runners World's website proposing a challenge to run every day beginning on Thanksgiving and ending on New Years Day. Simply put, begin a simple streak of running everyday from Thanksgiving through New Years Day. That doesn't mean you need to rack up 70+ mile weeks during this streak. Runs can be as short as a single mile. The way that I make this streak work for me is I continue to run on my scheduled days to run, but on swim and strength training days, I use a short 1 mile run as a warm up to strength training. As for cycling days, I use a 1 mile run as a cool down after I am done biking. On off days or recovery days, I do a short 1 mile run at a slow pace to aide in recover. Depending on how much time I have available I may add a 0.5-1 mile walk prior to the 1 mile run and follow it up with a 0.5-1 mile cool down, bring the total distance traveled to 2-3 miles. This actually increases recovery through increased blood flow. This Holiday Running Streak is supposed to end on January 1st, but I'm not 100% sold on the fact that it will end there for me. This may be something I try to keep going for the entire calendar year of 2013. But let's see how the first 43 days go (I started the day before Thanksgiving).

It's still hard to believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone and December is only a few days away. I am not a fan of winter at all. I actually hate, hate, HATE the cold. But, I still find a way to get out and run and try to get out and bike if the roads are clear and it's not too cold. My training plan begins December 11th which I also find hard to believe. After the marathon, I felt I had a ton of time to relax and do all sorts of things, and now my off season is only 2 weeks away from being over.

Thanks for reading and please, help me by sharing this blog and checking out my sponsor!  In an attempt to increase followers, I am going to start posting training plans for endurance races, exercise tips, as well as continue with nutrition information.  I will also try to post more recipes that I have made for our family.
Be fast, be strong, and carry on!

5th Annual Turkey Trot - Race Report

You couldn't have asked for a nicer day for a race on Thanksgiving.  It was darn near 50* at the start of the race, mostly clear skies, and the only downfall was the strong winds out of the North.  This was my 3rd Festival Foods Turkey Trot and the 5th year that it has been run.  In the past years it has always started and finished at UW - Fox Valley.  This year is started on College Av in downtown Appleton in front of The Paper Valley Hotel and ended a block away from the start.  It seems that this event seems to grow exponentially each and every year and this year was no exception.  The race organizers offer a 5 mile run and 2 mile walk/run.  Between the two events they draw several thousand participants.  It's pretty impressive actually for a holiday walk/run.  It's pretty motivating to see so many people out to get some form of exercise before the long holiday stretch.  I went into the race in the middle/end of my off season.  I had 2 goals, one "wishful" goal of finishing under 30:00 and a realistic goal of finishing around 31:00.  So here is the race report.  You can click the link directly below for detailed information about the race.  It is the exact information from my Garmin GPS watch.  I just figured out how to embed this into my blogs so this will be something I start to do.

Festival Foods Turkey Trot by brewcrew0031 at Garmin Connect - Details

Training Plan
I have been continuing to follow the same exact "training plan" I have been following since the marathon on October 7th.  That is to concentrate on swimming efficiency and alternate between running and biking on the other days.  I have also been continuing to work in some strength training after swimming as well - nothing real intense but just working basic movements to minimize muscle loss during the off season.  Looking at my weekly totals I have been averaging right about 6 hours of training a week.

Day/Night Before the Race
It was a lay low kind of day on the 21st.  I ran some errends with my youngest daughter including grocery shopping and exchanging some Christmas lights from the house.  After taking care of all that, I finished putting lights on the house and I'm glad to report I did not fall off the roof as I kept thinking was going to happen.  For lunch I had a couple pieces of left over pizza.  As for dinner I ate around 7:30pm and had a grilled Tilapia fillet with lemon infused olive oil and garlic pepper seasoning.  I had a side spinach salad and veggies thrown on top and a home made vinaigrette dressing.  To complete the meal and top off glycogen stores for the morning race, I had a baked sweet potato with a small amount of clover honey drizzled on top with cinnamon on top of that.  I finally got to bed just before 10:30pm.

Getting to the Start Line
I woke up shortly after 6:00am and got myself a cup of fresh brewed coffee and got myself ready.  I wore my Nike Free Version 3.0 with compression socks, my Nike split shorts, a Under Armor hot gear sleeveless shirt and a running singlet, along with a running hat, thin gloves, and arm sleeves.  Sarah and I got the girls up and dressed and the dog in the car and we were out the door minutes before 7:00am.  We parked in a ramp a couple blocks down from the start line and were able to meet up with my Mom and Dad without and issues.  I was able to get a good 10-15 minute warm up in and was at the start line in time to listen to an 11 year old girl belt out on of the best versions of the National Anthem I've ever heard prior to the start of a race.

Miles 0-5
We started right down College Av heading west.  I jockeyed around a bit to avoid the runners who start out at the front of the pack.  Running a 5 mile race is a different beast for me.  I rarely run 10k's (6.2 miles) and usually run just 5k's and marathons.  Yea - I know, they are like polar opposites, but I enjoy what each of them bring to the table.  A 5k, you just go out balls to the wall and go until you crash.  And that's more or less what my strategy was for this race.  I wanted to go out and get into a groove early.  I'm pretty comfortable with my pacing and usually know where I should be for a given distance.  So, after the first mile I knew I had to back off a tad if I wanted to run steady for the next 4 miles.  By mile 3 I knew I was going a bit too hard.  I continued to push and just hope I wouldn't crash and burn.   I actually even got rather warm throughout the race and had to ditch the gloves and arm sleeves after the 3rd mile.  Continuing on there was a significant hill right about mile 4 which was STEEP!  The only positive thing about that hill was the fact that it was short and you knew that there was just under a mile left.  If you look at my mile splits I slowed a bit, which I honestly expected to do going into this race, my goal was to just not slow too much, which I think I was successful in not doing.
Mile 1: 5:50
Mile 2: 6:05
Mile 3: 6:11
Mile 4: 6:18
Mile 5: 6:31
I finished with an official time of 30:56, a time I am very satisfied with.  I placed 24th overall out of 2447 finishers (top 1%) and placed 4th in my age group (25-29).  Overall a very satisfying race.

Post Race

After the race I had a couple pieces of banana and some water and waited for my dad to cross the finish line.  My Dad crossed in 36:30 and then we hung around until Sarah and the girls, my Mom, and Ben and Mandy finished the 2 mile walk.  One thing that you get after running/walking the Turkey Trot is a Festival Foods pumpkin pie.  One thing we always choose to do is donate the pie to the Salvation Army.  After donating our pies, we really didn't stick around too long as it was windy and we had to get back to get things ready for Thanksgiving.


Other Notes
Really the only thing I can think of is how warm it was today!  Thinking about my outfit, I actually wore considerably less on a Thanksgiving Day race then I did in the Lakefront Marathon on October 7th.  It's just kind of crazy to think about.

Lessons for Future Events
I need to work in 1 or 2 other middle distance races.  I know there is a 10k run in Appleton every summer.  But, quite simply, a 10k is not nearly as popular of a race distance as a 5k, which is understandable when you think about it.  As I said earlier, I completely expected for my mile splits to slow, but I don't like the disparity between mile 1 and mile 5.  A 40 second difference is just too big for my liking.  I need to start incorporating more intermediate distance tempo runs into my training due to the lack of that distance races that I am able to participate in.

What's Next
I have 19 days left of my "off season" before my Ironman training plans actually kicks in.  I have decided to make a goal of running every single day from today until New Years day.  It doesn't have to be anything significant, as short as 1 mile will do.  It's something I read on Runners World, a promotion/pledge they do during the Holidays to promote healthy habits during a traditionally unhealthy time of the year.  I'm not 100% sure what will come of it with my background focusing more on triathlon style training.  But I run quite a bit as it is already and think I will just try to work an extra mile into other days as a warm-up, cool-down, or a way to recover from a long workout the day before.  But as for my immediate future - We are off to our families Thanksgiving Feasts!  So remember to say thanks and take a minute (or two!) to really think about all the many things we have to be thankful for!

Music, Motivation, and Mantras

I am very big on motivation. Those who know me or those who have seen my house, probably know this. In my house you'll find things that I have printed off with quotes, words, pictures, etc. Things to keep me focused on the end goal. I have these sheets on the fridge, next to my bed in my nightstand, and in my locker at work. I have a RoadID bracelet that has my contact information and then a second tag attached to it with nothing but motivational words. I consider myself mostly intrinsically motived - that is, I don't need outside sources for me to get out the door for hours of training before the majority of the world is even out of bed. Granted I use many things to keep me motivated or to remind me of why I do what I do. Some of these things include pictures, short video clips, words, posters, and music.

It's honestly tough to explain why I do what I do. I guess I have a very very addictive personality along with a combination of wanting to be the best. Sarah often asks me why can't I just be happy with 30-60 minutes of exercise most days of the week to stay in shape and I sit there and laugh at her and think, its too easy and anyone can do that. I am driven by the thought being able to do things that others can't or won't do. It's that simple, I guess. Granted, by no means am I the best or will I ever be the best. But just the thought of being better than I was yesterday, last week, last year is motivation for me. I set goals every year, every month, and everyday for every workout. At the root of majority of my goals are to continue to improve and never ever settle for the minimum or "good enough." When I was finishing up my college degree and doing my internship at a private sports training studio, the owner had a business vision that has always stuck with me for myself. He told me that "good enough is never good enough."

A simple way to maintain focus during events I may remember quotes or sayings but one thing that I keep in the back of my head is one or two mantras. I couldn't tell you the exact Webster definition of a mantra but its a word or a few words that aid in maintaining focus or motivation. Some mantras I've heard include, "I am prepared," "I am focused," "relaxed," "calm," or "I will be successful." The key is they should be simple and mean something to you and be able to take you to a state of mind. For me I have always used "Be fast, be strong." I always write this on my hands for big races. Usually each on each hand. But as you'll read below a new song came out this past week that had me changing my mantra. It's not a big change but it's now "Be fast, be strong, and carry on." I thought it was more fitting for the Ironman, where I'm sure there will be several times throughout the 140.6 miles that I'll want to quit or give up, but the simple thought of carry on, will keep me going..... yea I know it's lame - but hey, it works for me.

Music is another avenue of motivation. I have always had a passion for music. Starting in the 6th grade I began playing the trumpet and played throughout high school. I was actually pretty decent. I have a love for a very wide variety of music from jazz to rap, country to rock, ska, punk, classical, you name it I probably have some form of it on my iPod. I don't always use music during workouts and training as most people rely on. I find the hours of solitude rather refreshing. But I do bring my iPod with me at times. But one thing I always do is listen to my "Prerace Motivation" playlist during my travel to races and during my warm up, usually right up to getting to the start line. I do always use music during my strength sessions, basically to tune out all the meatheads grunting and talking about getting super drunk and doing stupid things - really annoying. As Eminem says in "Sing for the Moment" - They say music can alter moods and talk to you." This is exactly how I feel about music. Music can help me focus, help me relax, energize me, or even at times provide a little pick-me-up when things are down. I use relaxation music for 30-60 minutes prior to falling asleep before big races and at times when I am struggling to fall asleep.

During one of my last strength workouts listening to music I came up with the idea of sharing my monthly top 5 songs that I use during my workouts, prerace motivation, or my stretching relaxation music. So here we go the first list of music!

1. "Carry On" - Fun.
- This is the song which gave me the newest version of my mantra. Yea, the song may be about someone getting dumped by their love and feeling helplessly lost, but to me, its about feeling like you just can't go another step and can't continue and finding the strength to keep going. It's only down side its a little on the slow side, but not every song that motivates needs to be fast and in your face.

2. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida
- Something about this song that makes me want to get out and race.

3. "It's a Long Way to the Top" - AC/DC
- Easily my biggest motivating song. In other words, it's not easy to get to the top, you got to put in the hard work, the sweat, get out when no one else will get out, when its cold, when its raining, you get the idea.

4. "Lit Up" - Buckcherry
- Another up beat song that just makes me want to race hard.

5. "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" - Dropkick Murphy's
- The deep bass of the strings at the start gives me goose bumps each time I hear it.

Probably going to put up another post or two in the upcoming days, so until then! Enjoy Thanksgiving with the people you love!

How a Book Made Me a Better Swimmer

Believe it or not I do read an occasional book.  No, it doesn't happen often and honestly I really don't read many "books," but I do often read many articles and studies.  Some of the past books I have read include, Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About the Bike" (unfortunately), several triathlon training books and other nutritional books.  But I would venture to guess since I have been out of college (5 years) I have read maybe 5-7 books in that time span.  None-the-less, I have just finished a book - that's  right, sound the alarms!  With the upcoming Ironman next year, I knew that if I was to gain any significant amount of time in the race it would be during the 2.4 mile swim.  I am a self taught swimmer.  I never liked swimming and forced myself to learn when I registered for my first triathlon 6 years ago.  I remember swimming at the Wisconsin Athletic Club in Wauwautosa (where I worked for a summer).  I can only imagine how ugly my stroke looked from the deck.  I would swim for 15-30 minutes which would consist of swimming 25 yards (one length) at a time and needing to take a rest after reaching the opposite side.  My stroke was inefficient and slow.  I continued to read online articles about proper stroke technique and watch You-Tube videos of proper swim technique.  I would read and attempt every drill in the book.  My stroke did improve thats for sure.  But I always felt that my stroke was lacking even up to today.  With the upcoming Ironman, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim (4,224 yards, 84.5 laps, 169 lengths) I knew that I needed to perfect, if not at least greatly improve my technique to not be completely gassed after the first portion of the race.  So, to accomplish this I turned to a book published by a swim school out of out Australia called Swim Smooth.

Swim Smooth (www.swimsmooth.com) is a very progressive swim school preaching the belief that there is not just one single proper stroke technique.  They believe that there are multiple swim types and each individual person has traits of one or two (sometimes several) swim types.  Swim Smooth has created specific programs and drills for each different swim type to become a more efficient swimmer.  Swim Smooth has a very sweet website that I encourage anyone looking to improve their stroke.  They even have a free program you can download to your computer called "Mr. Smooth," which is an animated swimmer that you can view from multiple angles and at varying speeds.  The animated swimmer is depicted performing the "ideal stroke technique."  This program is great to watch before a swim workout or after swim workouts just to see how you should look in the water.  I like to watch the animation almost daily to know what position I need to be in during different phases of the free style stroke.  Their website also has many great articles and forums to help improve your stroke technique.

Swim Smooth recently published a book about stroke technique called: "Swim Smooth: The Complete Coaching System for Swimmers and Triathletes" By Paul Newsome and Adam Young. I purchased the Kindle version for my iPad for $13.72.  The book was one of the most complete swim books I've seen.  Not only was it very descriptive, but it made everything very easy to understand.  Writing a book on the specifics of a very technical movement is extremely difficult.  Swim Smooth has created multiple metaphors and very interesting descriptions to make the difficult movements of the free style stroke pretty easy to understand.  

As I said earlier Swim Smooth has 6 different swim types that they classify swimmers by.  Granted not everyone can be classified under one single category.  In fact most swimmers share multiple traits of more than one swim type.  The 6 swim types include; The Arnie, The Bambino, The Kicktastic, The Overglider, The Swinger, and The Smooth.  After reading the book, I would put myself mostly a slight Overglider, mixed with some traits of the Arnie and Smooth.  I know when I first started to learn the proper techniques to the free style stroke I was 100% an Overglider.  I was so focused on being efficient I would put prolonged pauses in my stoke (gliding) to take the fewest amount of strokes over a given distance.  This inevitably causes you to nearly come to a complete stop in your stroke which is counterproductive when your thinking your being as efficient as possible.  Over the past 6 years I have become more efficient and gotten rid of most of my pauses in my stroke, but still have a very slight pause.  My body size puts me into the Arnie category and gives me some of the traits of a more muscular swimmer.  I have a couple traits of the Smooth swimmer just due to the sheer amounts of swimming I have done over the previous 6 years.  

The book also have a chapter completely devoted to video taping yourself and how to properly accomplish this for the best video possible.  It also discusses how to critique your video to find specific areas of your stroke to improve.  I took this advice and had a buddy of mine, Bob Zill (the same guy ran the Lakefront Marathon with me last month) come in to my gym and use my HandyCam to video several laps of me swimming. The video turned out pretty good.  We taped 300 yards of me swimming, but we brought the camera in from outside and bringing it into such a humid room the lens was pretty fogged up for the first 3 laps we tapped.  The video turned out ok, you can only get so much detail from above the water.  Ideally I would like to get video from below the water's surface, which would give me some extremely valuable footage.  But, regardless, I have what I have.  The biggest thing I noticed was how much rotation in my head I have when I turn to breathe.  Ideally, you should only rotate enough to catch a breath, which should leave one eye under the water and the second eye above the water.  I have my entire face out of the water on most breaths.  

The book describes many great drills to incorporate into your swim workouts.  Since the Lakefront Marathon I have done minimal swimming as far as yardage of straight free style stroke.  I have been swimming nearly every other day for a total of 1,200-1,400 yards (0.68-0.80 miles) each time out.  With using suggestions in this book I have been doing a ton of drill work to improve my body position and stroke technique.  Below is the workout that I have been doing to improve my technique which totals 1,400 yards.  Granted this is a lot more drill work than what may be suggested, but I am still in my off season and want to keep my volume down over this time period.  Once I start my actual training, my drill workouts will consist of less drills and more swimming, which has more focus of proper technique.

4x25 torpedo kick and f/s remainder

50 as Skull 1 15 and f/s 35

50 as skull 2 15 and f/s 35

2x50 doggy paddle

100 f/s

2x50 popov

2x75 f/s

2x50 broken arrow

2x75 f/s

2x50 6-1-6 

2x75 f/s

2x50 unco

2x75 f/s

Before reading this book my average time to swim 100 yards was between 1:35-1:45.  Over the past month of incorporating the techniques and suggestions from this book my time to swim 100 yards has dropped down to 1:25-1:35, which is a significant amount of time for only a month of stroke work.  This improvement has left me extremely motivated and really looking forward to going to the pool, which wasn't always the case.  I plan on continuing with the drill work and as soon as my Ironman training plan starts December 11th, I am going to use many of the suggested swim workouts that are laid out within the book.  If your looking for a book to help with your stroke technique and can't recommend this book enough.  It covers every aspect of the stroke and even discusses how to alter your stroke to be more efficient in open water (especially for triathletes!).  I enjoyed the Kindle version which was easy to follow and still allowed me to highlight hey sections and was as easy to follow as a hard copy book.  Even if your not a triathlete but looking for a different form of exercise and were too scared to try swimming, this may be your ticket to the pool you need.  

Grocery Store Must Haves

With being in the middle of my "off-season," and no real strict training schedule to follow I have very little to write about in regards to my training.  I have been continuing to go day by day and just doing what I feel like on that day and taking a day off if I just don't feel like working out.  My diet has continued to be my weak point.  Especially with Halloween having come and gone with 2 kids my will power has been at an all time low.  None the less, I still continue to try and eat "real" foods as often as I can.  So instead of my writing on here about the nearly exact same types of topics I would take the opportunity to write about things I can't leave the grocery store with out.  So below are some of my favorite foods/items I need to pick up every trip to the grocery store along with the reasons why I choose them.  As a father of two girls and many other financial commitments our grocery bill is often a place I look to stay with in a budget while eating only high quality foods.  So most of these foods, although, more expensive then the unhealthy alternative, they are still reasonably priced.  Along with being reasonably priced most of the times their flavor is more rich and flavorful, often times you do not need to use as much as the cheaper unhealthy option, which saves money in the long run.

Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp; Calories: 120, Fat: 14g, Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 0g

Olive Oil is a great source of healthy monounsaturated fats.  It has a great flavor and is great for sauteing and grilling.  Be sure to get regular olive oil (NOT extra virgin) if you plan on cooking with it as this can oxidize the oils giving them a highly inflammatory effect and can produce a lot of free radicals throughout the oil.  Be sure to look for oils that say "first pressed" or "cold pressed" or a combination of the two.  Store your oils in a cool and dark location away from heat.  I like using regular olive oil for sauteing fish and vegetables.  

Naturally More Almond Butter

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp; Calories: 180, Fat: 15g, Carbohydrate: 7g, Protein: 8g

Almond butter not only has a better fat content than that of peanut butter, but it also tastes a ton better.  I recently found out that a peanut is not really a nut, instead its actually classified as a legume.  Almonds are often considered a wonder food for their healthy benefits.  Along with the benefits of almonds in almond butter Naturally More Almond Butter contains flax seeds to increase the healthy fat content along with natural ingredients to increase the protein content of the nut butter.  Almond butter is great in oatmeal to add protein and of course its always good on a couple pieces of toast.

Steel Cut Oats

 Serving Size: 1/4 cup; Calories: 150, Fat: 2.5g, Carbohydrate: 27g, Protein: 5g

Steel cut oats take a little longer to prepare but have much more flavor than quick cooking oats.  The difference between steel cut oats and regular oatmeal is steel cut oats start out as whole grans and are simple cut with small steel blades....hence steel cut oats.  Oatmeal needs to be cooked down and then is rolled out to be flattened which allows it to cook much faster.  The down side to it being cooked down is you loose some of the nutrients.  Steel cut oats are relatively low on the glycemic index, meaning it has a low impact on your blood sugar.  Which makes it a great pre or post workout meal.  My favorite way to make steel cut oats is with coconut milk, almond butter, honey, chia seeds, flax seeds, and a banana.

Fish

 I usually try to buy a wide variety of seafood each week.  Among my regular purchases, I usually get a couple packs of tuna and salmon, tilapia, and sardines.  Fish is about as good as it gets for meat.  Its a very low fat, high protein food.  Its a great source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  I use the packets of tuna/salmon for salads with spinach, raisins, walnuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette.  For the tilapia fillets, I will brush olive oil onto them with a little lemon pepper or sea salt, and toss them on the grill. 

Avocados

 Serving Size: 1 Avocado; Calories: 322, Fat: 29g, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 4g

Avocados are another one of those "super foods."  A very high fat fruit, but consists of mostly very healthy fats.  Avocados are great plain and have a very rich flavor.  Look for avocados that are firm, yet soft and have a dark green color.  I use avocados on salads or just plain.

Seagram's Flavored Sparkling Water

Serving Size: 1 12oz can; Calories: 0, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 0g, Fat: 0g

A great option for soda.  Seltzer water has no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or flavors.  Diet soda is loaded with artificial additives that can actual have a negative effect on body composition even though it has zero calories.  The artificial sweeteners found in diet soda can leave you craving sweets and cause you to eat more caloric dense food than you would have not consumed with out that diet soda.  Seltzer water contains naturally carbonated water (much like that of soda) and is sweetened with natural fruit flavors.

Tree of Life Refined Coconut Oil

 Serving Size: 1 Tbsp; Calories: 120, Fat: 14g, Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 0g

Coconuts contain high amounts of medium chain triglycerides, which is a very healthy fat, especially for endurance athletes.  Along with MCT's coconuts have other very healthy properties, which make refined coconut oil a smart substitute for butter.  It has a lower smoke point than olive oil so its not great for high temperature sauteing, but for using it as a flavor boost or a bit oil for cooking eggs so they don't stick to the pan.  

Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Serving Size: 1 Tbsp; Calories: 120, Fat: 14g, Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 0g

Besides the way its created, the only real difference between Extra Virgin Olive Oil and regular Olive Oil is the way it should be used.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil should NOT be used to saute or grill.  It should be used as a dip, dressing, or in salads.  Heating EVOO can cause many negative effects to the oil which can turn this very healthy oil into a veyr unhealthy option.

Spinach

 Serving Size: 1 cup; Calories: 7, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 1g, Protein: 1g

Spinach is another one of those so called "super foods."  And rightfully so, for a simple leaf, it contains many phytonutrients which have a very anti-inflammatory property.  These phytonutrients also have strong anti-cancer properties as well.  It has a great taste and is great in salads.  You can even cook the spinach down with a little EVOO or coconut oil for a simple side dish.  I also like to add spinach to my eggs in the morning.   

Chobani Greek Yogurt

 Serving Size: 1 cup; Calories: 170, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrate: 9g, Protein: 22g

I intentionally put the highest fat option made by Chobani.  A recent study has found that the Homogenization process of dairy products can have a negative effect on the way our bodies process the food.  It can actually increase body fat percentages even though it is a lower fat product.  This is a hypothesis of course, but its worth noting that some companies heat their yogurts to such a high temperature during the homogenization process that it actually kills the live bacteria in yogurt.  Studies have also found positive health effects of full fat dairy products.  Chobani is a high quality company that uses a lower heat during their homogenization process which preserves the live cultures.  They also use all natural ingredients.  I always get plain yogurt to avoid the added sugars found in flavored yogurts.  I add muesli, maple syrup, frozen fruit, or a combination of those to add natural flavors to my yogurt with out all the artificial stuff and preservatives.  Other yogurt companies that use a lower heat during the homogenization process to preserve the cultures include Dannon and Stoneyfield.  Stoneyfield is an organic company and makes high quality products.  Dannon is a company that offers a wide range of products some of which contain many artificial sweeteners/preservatives.  Dannon also makes yogurt products that do not have all the artificial junk added too.  So just take a look at the label if you are going to go with Dannon.

Oskri Coconut Bars

 Serving Size: 1 bar; Calories: 180, Fat: 11g, Carbohydrate: 21g, Protein: 1g

A very simple snack bar that contains only 2 ingredients; Coconut and Rice Syrup.  By using rice syrup this product is considered to be gluten free.  Going back to the benefits of coconut and the high amounts of medium chain triglycerides, these bars are very tasty and pretty good for you.  The amount of sugar in the make them a wiser choice before exercise or for a day of hiking.

So Delicious Unflavored Coconut Milk

 Serving Size: 1 cup; Calories: 50, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrate: 1g, Protein: 1g

A great option for those trying to eliminate or limit dairy from their diet or just looking for a healthy way to add fat to your diet.  These milk substitutes are low in calories and high in healthy fats and nutrients.  So Delicious is an organic company so you do not need to worry about finding any artificial ingredients in their products either.  They also make flavored milks as well, including vanilla and chocolate.  So Delicious makes a great coffee creamer as well which is a great alternative to dairy creamers which contain little to no nutritional value.

Sweet Potatoes

Serving Size: 1 5" Potato; Calories: 112, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 26g, Protein: 2g

Sweet potatoes are a staple in many endurance athletes diets...and for good reason.  They contain a high amount of healthy carbohydrates.  Sweet potatoes are considered to be lower on the glycemic index (48) then their counterpart, baking potatoes (~100).  This means by consuming them they will have a small impact on your blood sugar.  They supply a ton of great slowly metabolized carbohydrates which make these a great option for a pre-work out meal.  Simply baking them make them easily accessible during a busy week. Add some organic grass fed butter along with cinnamon and you have a delicious snack.

So that covers it, a few must have I try to always keep stocked in our house.  Obviously there are many other staples in our house, but in general these are the most important foods, or the ones that I try to eat on a nearly daily basis.  So hopefully this helps out a little with making wise decisions at the grocery store, or at least gives you some ideas for something new to try.