Touring and Curing

Hey Jeni! 

Doesn't time fly when you are having fun! I checked out the blog today to learn that I haven't written you in two weeks. Where the heck did the time go? 

Oh yeah, that's right! I've been cycling, working, and then working at the gym even harder (oh yeah!). 

My vacation to Belgium is in a week and I half and my bag isn't even packed! But I have been getting ready to debut that summer bod! 

But let's go back to the Tour de Cure. I am happy to report that I had a very very successful ride this year. We rode the metric century (62.5) miles at a 15mph pace while supporting a wonderful cause (American Diabetes Association). 

Here we are at the starting line:

Here we are at rest stops throughout the way:

And our lovely bikes that got us through:

Overall I am very pleased with how everything went. I rode with my teammate Keri throughout the entire ride and met with other cyclists that I knew during the ride. 

Two things improved from last year

#1 I raised more money to stop diabetes! 

#2 I completed the ride faster and with less pain compared to last year 

Both of these things make me very happy. 

How have you been? How is your bike? Any biking plans coming up? 

Xoxo

Jenne

Let's Give it a TRI

Hey Jen!
  My gosh, I am dying to hear how your ride went and what you've been up to since!  This last week flew by!  I promise that despite my lack of writing I have been staying active.  I'm going to skip over the week and tell you about last night.  E and I volunteered at the HVTC's first TRI of the season.  It was such an awesome experience.  It rained all day and stopped just in time for the race.  We arrived to see the fog lifting off the lake- providing for a breath-taking setting.  Watching the athletes hit the water was something I'll never forget.  It was a blast to be on the cheering squad throughout the race.  E and I manned the transition station from the Bike to Run portion and it really gave me a look at what it will be like next month when I join in.  I was so impressed with the sense of community that surrounded the race- everyone was outgoing and ultra supportive.  I even made some new workout friends and got some great advice!   E and I are going to start meeting up with a few others once a week to do a swim/bike/run workout.  I'm really looking forward to getting in to the water... it's the part that scares me the most!

I've been sewing all day and am now taking a break on the couch- I'm fighting a nasty cold and want to do my best to get rid of it before my half on Sunday... let's hope!  So now tell me all about what's being going on this week and what's coming next for you?

Stay Fit

xo

Jeni

Halfway There...

Jen!  

  It's JUNE!   We started writing this blog six months ago as a way to share our goals, hardships and triumphs in regards to our health and fitness.  I can't believe we are already here, halfway through the year.  This weekend I took some time to reflect on my "Goal List" from January and to evaluate my progress thus far.  It was actually really awesome to see how far I've come on some things and to also refocus on some others! 

Here are the facts:

1. I was hoping to run 3) 1/2 marathons by next January.  Next weekend is my 3rd and I'm already registered for 2 more by September.

2. I planed to run a full marathon and was aiming for October... I can honestly say, I'm not to sure I want to do it.  I am really enjoying running half's and being able to set new goals for time... I may want to play at this distance a bit more.

3. Incorporate yoga in my every day... I don't know why I haven't... This will help me to refocus and realize how often I chose to stare at the wall when I'm stressed than do what is truly helpful.  

4. Drink more water... I have to say, on the whole I am doing MUCH better... although I sometimes will go almost the entire day and realize I haven't had any water... those are super stressful days.

5. Use my bike for transportation: CHECK! 

6.  I am toying with the idea of doing my first TRI next Wednesday or just volunteering and waiting until next month... it sort of seems like I should just go for it! 

7. Hopes of becoming a confident swimmer: I start swimming lessons next week! 

8. Wear sun screen while outdoor exercise: CHECK! 

9. COMPLIMENT MY BODY!  I have to say, this has made the biggest difference of all.  I am so much happier and strangely, so much faster, stronger and ballsy than ever.  (I even went sea kayaking this weekend with Everett and surprised us both with how brave I was... more on that tomorrow)

So, have you taken the time to reflect now that we're at the "halfway mark"?  How do you feel?  What have you accomplished?  What have you learned?  What do you need to refocus on?  

Now, keep making goals and demolishing them!  I sure hope to!  

xo

Jeni 

  

Ciclismo!

Everett and his Velo Orange Campeur

Hey Girl!

 A few weeks ago E and I went on an incredible cycling adventure that made us fall absolutely in love with where we live.  It was the day before the Steel Rail Half and I wanted to get in some cardio but not pound the pavement so this ride was perfect!  We started by going to a farmer's market in Redhook, about 9 miles from the house.  A local farm sells their orgainc/humanely raised chickens and eggs that we haven't found elsewhere and we think are just delectable.  Recently while at this market we met another woman, who makes an all-natural cure all elixir- a mix of lemon, honey and ginger called: Immune Schein.  Everett had a little bit of a cold at the time so she suggested he try a few drops in a cup of hot water- he decided to buy a small bottle (not sure it would work).  He added a few drops to hot water (a few times) for the day and woke up the next day feeling splendid.  So now we make it a habit of getting a larger bottle every time we go.  I now have it rather than tea in the morning.

  After the farmers market we rode into the next town- Tivoli.  Main st. in Tivoli has a handful of restaurants and one cafe that we love in particular called Murray's.  Before we got our bikes we talked about wanting them specifically to be able to bike to Murray's on Sunday morning for brunch rather than drive there.  So during our ride we stopped for some iced beverages and an oatmeal raisin cookie (for some reason their cookies are so dang good!!)

  After snacks we headed towards home.  On our way we passed the entrance to the Clermont Historic Site and decided to make the detour.  It was such a stunning view!  We had been there a handful of times before, but there was something more magical about arriving by bicycle.  Perhaps because we entered more slowly or could actually feel the fresh air and sun... whatever it was, we were so happy.

  Overall we did 22 miles that day.  After such a hard winter here we had forgotten what an incredible place we live in.  Our bikes have really helped us to realize the beauty and wonder of the Hudson Valley.  I really hope you can make it out to ride here sometime.

First stop at the Greig Farm Saturday Market- we LOVE this market!

Me and my Specialized!!  Taking a break over the Hudson River.

The Clermont Historic Site: absolute beauty!

I love your post about kale chips- we LOVE kale in this household.  Glad you finally went for it and made a batch.  Thanks too for your encouragement to go for the Olympic.  I think you're right, come September, I'm just gunna do it.

So what do you have on the horizon this weekend?  E and I leave today to go spend the next 4 days in Marblehead, MA with my family.  I can not wait to run, bike, drink tea and lay near the ocean!!  I'll keep you updated on all of our adventures!

Enjoy the weekend!

xo

Jeni 

Food Fridays: Kale Chips!

Hey Jeni! 

How are you? I didn't get to post a recipe last week but I wanted to post on something I have been wanting to try- kale chips! 

I've been told that they are really easy, but I was always afraid to try them for various reasons:

1. How much time does it take?

2. I don't want to drench them in too much oil! 

3. What do I want to put on them?

So tonight, because I want to celebrate all of my fitness progress recently, I made some! 

The trick here is this... Put them in a mixing bowl and toss with oil prior to going in the pan. I felt like I got a much more equal distribution of oil. After I put the oil on them, I sprinkled on some sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

Here is how they looked! 

After that, they were gone within 5 minutes so I made another batch! This time I used Trader Joe's South African Smoke seasoning. I am pretty excited for this batch too. 

The ingredients are as follows:

Kale

Olive oil (I used a half a tablespoon instead of the recommended 1 tablespoon)

Seasonings of your choice

Enjoy! 

Xoxo

Jenne

The Abs have it

Hey Jeni! 

I am so excited to hear about your good training day! That's awesome. Training with others is helpful. I remember last year when I was new to my bike some really nice people helped me along with way with shifting suggestions and other things. I've also learned good road etiquette to benefit both cyclists and drivers. I think overall awareness of sharing the road and knowing eachothers space is a good thing. The ride of silence seems to promote this. 

Your friend does sound like a badass! Sometimes it makes me wonder if I want to try an Aqua-Bike, which is swimming and biking only. There aren't too many of them around but it would be something to reach for.  I think you should take advantage of the great shape you are in and your athletic ability and go for whatever you see fit. Maybe do the sprint tri as a training tri for the Olympic one?! That way you get a sense of how things go! 

Well on to my next "challenge." I am a month away from my trip to Europe. Of course, buying a little bit into the "concert fest workout" and the concert fest bod, I have decided to do this 30 day ab challenge that I found on Facebook. It involves sit ups, crunches, leg lifts and planks. I watched some YouTube videos on the correct form as a reminder. None of these exercises are effective without proper technique. The numbers increase each day and there are built in rest days. For some extra fun, I am going to add in some oblique work on the side to enhance the results. 

Today was day one. And I may have taken a before picture.  In my new bikini. We'll have to wait and see if I have the balls to do anything with that. 

Have you trained with your new friend since this last post? Are you training with anyone else? Have you gotten any good tips to share? 

Xoxo

Jenne 

Ps. Your snack looks yum. 

Comfort Zone or Adventure?

my new favorite snack: carob chips and almonds!!

Hey Jen,

  I really admire your ride of silence; I have yet to get on my bike and not think of Diva.  I hope some day that the US will be a much more bike friendly country.  How was the ride?  Do people outside of the riding community know about it?  How does it help to spread the word of "sharing the road"?  I think that's a really important message.  

  So I have been gearing up to do my first triathlon this summer.  I'm really looking forward to a new challenge and becoming a part of such a cool community.  Today I met up with a girl who's a member of the local tri-club.  She has a half-Ironman at the end of next month- let me tell, that is impressive- 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run- ALL IN A ROW!  I was really happy to train with someone who is such a badass!  Tonight we did a bike/run sequence.  We started with a 13 mile ride.  The distance isn't all that far, but it was the longest ride I had done at such a consistent pace.  Last week, E and I  covered double that distance but in a much more leisurely fashion.  Until today, I have used cycling as a gentle form of cardio with running as my main focus.  Today was the first time cycling felt like actual exercise.  We covered all 13 miles in an hour.  Then we hit the 5k (3.1 miles) loop on foot.  I have been planning on doing a Sprint tri in September- 0.4 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike and 3.1 mile.  But after tonight, finishing with ease I know that those distances might be too much in my comfort zone.  So I now wonder, should I push myself to go for the next level?  The Olympic.  If I worked all Summer on the Sprint distances I bet I could be pretty competitive or I could push myself and do something more challenging- i.e. more adventurous.  What would you do?  

  After our workout I grabbed my new favorite snack.  Carob chips and almonds.  Now I am reading female triathlete blogs and researching distances...  Do you like to "geek-out" over things the way I do?  When I get an idea in my head I like to read all about other people's experiences to determine if I think I'm capable.  My new friend Devon, who I trained with tonight is so gutsy, she has only done one Sprint tri, years ago and is now going for a Half-Ironman.  She makes me feel so inspired, like I should just go for it!  

What do you have going on the rest of the week?  Can't wait to tell you all about my upcoming weekend!  

sleep tight, fit dreams!

xo

Jeni