Boulder Stroke n' Stride

Hey Guys! So last Thursday I decided to compete in the Boulder Stroke n' Stride that evening at the Boulder Reservoir. Yes, this was a very last-minute decision, but I knew this race series is pretty low-key so I wasn't too worried.

The Stroke n' Stride is a series of races on Thursday nights in the summertime in Boulder. They consist of either a 750 meter swim option or a 1500 meter swim option and a 5k run. There is also just a 5k run option if you're so inclined. I would definitely recommend this series to someone just wanting to get their feet wet (no pun intended) in multisport. The entry fees are super cheap, it is a great low-key atmosphere, and I mean, look at that venue!

Unfortunately, this was the last of the series for this season. (It makes me sad! Is summer really over?? I say no way!) They start again next June, and you can bet I will be going to a lot of them! I came in second overall out of the 1500 swim/5k run option. I had swam about 3k and biked that morning, so I didn't exactly feel fresh. Out of the gates I was in 4th on the swim, but I eventually passed all but one guy in the water, who I then passed in transition. I had chosen not to wear a wetsuit, which made that transition a lot faster!

On the run, I took it out a little too fast I think. At the one mile marker I looked down and saw 5:40 on my watch... on tired legs at altitude, this was probably a bit... um... over-zealous for me. Eventually I settled into my pace, but a professional did pass me with just over a mile to go.

In any case, this race was a ton of fun, a beautiful day, and a great tune up for Age Group Nationals this week! I will do a post sometime tomorrow about Nationals and the pro-qualifying process because frankly, its kinda confusing! Thanks for stopping by everyone, and until next time, keep following that pace rabbit!

Polar Bottle Winners!

Hey guys! I just did the drawing and here are the winners.
Congratulations to;
Sears McAdams
Knox Martin
Burke Wilson
Jenna Eppley
Breanne Feldman
Tom Tye
Lauren Crow
Logan Ripley/Durban Swarz
Ashley Gammon
Kevin Magyar

You've all won a free Polar Water Bottle which will keep your beverage of choice cool in any activity you do. To receive your water bottle, email me at pacerabbit@gmail.com an address to which I can ship the bottle. If you live in the Denver area, or I otherwise see you often, I will probably hand deliver the bottle.

I just got another testimony from a water-afficionado who has had success with Polar. This is Bobby Boucher before he found Polar Water bottles:

As you can see, he was struggling a bit. But now, like our winners, he has Polar water bottles and always keeps his cool. Look at him now!

As you can see, he went from waterboy, to champion with Polar water bottles, and now you can too. Be sure to keep following the Pace Rabbit for more promos like this one. Congrats again to our winners!

Polar Bottle Reminder

Hey Guys! So I was hanging out with Indiana Jones and his dad today, and some "bad guy" decided to shoot his dad. This was obviously pretty frustrating, but fortunately Indy had his Polar Water Bottle, so we were able to save his dad.

We were pretty upset, until we found out that the "bad guy" was using "the other brand" of water bottle, which ultimately resulted in his demise...

Anyway, I just reminded you guys not to make the same mistake as the bad guys and be sure to use Polar Water Bottles! Follow the Pace Rabbit by tomorrow at noon and you'll be entered for a chance to win one.

Asian Frittata

Ok, now before you scowl in disgust, hear me out. Think of it like egg foo yung, but better, because it has cheese! Here is how I made it... Again, I don't measure, so this is all approximations

-Big Pan; saute 1/4 onion, 1/4 lb baby bella mushrooms, and a bag of broccoli slaw
-I then added some pre-cooked brown rice that had teriyaki sauce in it (yum!)
-I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger, and let everybody get to know each other over medium heat.
-Then I added 3 eggs and 3 egg whites, whipped really well with a splash of milk
-Spread eggs evenly, but then LEAVE IT ALONE! until the sides start to set up
-Add about 1/4 cup of cheese (yeah, cheese) of your choice to the top
-Put under the broiler for about 2 minutes until eggs are cooked and cheese is brown and delicious

At this point, I figured it couldn't get much weirder, so I served it with some everything-bagel-style-bread-toast (too many hyphens? no way) and some really good cantaloupe. I chased it down with some Kangen Water in a Polar Bottle... and an adult beverage. I am not going to endorse any beer companies, but this is a favorite, and it rhymes with "shmanger IPA" and its made by a brewery that rhymes with "shmew shmelgium."

Let me know if you have any questions on this recipe. My biggest advice with cooking is don't be afraid of it! My mom used to always say "Cooking, like love, must be approached with reckless abandon or not at all." This might be someone more famous's quote, but I heard it from my mama and I completely agree with the sentiment!

Until tomorrow, Follow the Pace Rabbit! And go to bed...

In the saddle

Today I had a really solid training day in all three disciplines, but I am going to focus on the bike. On my ride today, I came up with a few things I should share with my followers, and I have also seen great progress in my cycling lately.

First of all, I have gotten pretty fast. All of those interval workouts at Washington Park are paying off, and I can now sprint like I've never been able to! I play games with myself while on rides... Today there were two big groups of cyclists coming at each other on the trail, and I was behind one of them. Rather than being cautious and slowing down, I did what I do best (meaning be brazen, decisive, and stupid) and shot the gap so to speak. I made it, but I would not recommend trying this... I was going over 25 MPH and had I not been lucky, I could very well be writing this from the hospital.

All of this being said, I might give a word of advice to those who would cross the path in front of me... run FAST, don't stop in the middle to see where I am going, and be aware that I already assume you are an idiot. I only bring this up because it happened about 7 times on my ride today, and each time the "pedestrian" pulled the "deer in the headlights" move and I had to swerve, slam on my brakes, and swear at them under my breath.

I realized I hadn't added a picture of Ruby yet. This is my training bike, a Specialized Roubaix Elite. I call her "Ruby." She is my mistress since Sara is my girlfriend, but I like this view of her best. As you can see from the goose egg on my cyclometer, I was not brassy enough to take this picture while actually riding...

I had a friend today ask me, "how do you do it each day?" The question caught me off guard I guess. Let me give you some insight into my mindset. I don't think of it in terms of "how am I going to go this hard today and still have something left in my legs for tomorrow?" I simply put each training session in front of me as one task at a time. I do it because I hate losing, not because I love winning. I do this because I know it is necessary, I don't even think of it as a choice. I know I can do it simply because I know I can do it. I don't know if this makes me special or different, but it is how I think, and I feel like a lot of athletes would agree with me.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you all since it had been a while and tell you that my cycling is really solid. My pedal strokes are smooth, with a motion similar to scraping mud off of my shoes. My cornering is flawless, with my weight distributed between my outside foot and my inside hand.... (If you were paying attention, that was a brief lesson in bike handling!)

Until I post my recipe in about 20 minutes, follow the Pace Rabbit!

Polar Water Bottle Giveaway!

Hey guys! So, I am an athlete ambassador of Polar Water Bottles, and I received a case of these lovely little bottles in the mail to give away to my loyal fans! Now I did only get a limited supply of these, and I've gotta give one to my mama, and a few other select people, but I've got a plan for the rest of these bottles. Here's a pic of the bottles.

So, here is what I am going to do for you, I am going to give away 10 of these sweet insulated water bottles to my followers! Winners will be announced Friday, August 12th at noon. If you already follow this blog, you automatically have an entry, if you join by Friday the 12, you will get an entry also! Double entries will be given to those who follow me on this blog and on Twitter @PaceRabbit.

These are made in the USA, are BPA-free, dishwasher and freezer safe, and have removable (and replaceable) valves for cleaning. They are bike cage-compatable and VERY well insulated. I went on a 2 hour ride with mine today in 85 degree-weather, and the water stayed refrigerator cold the whole ride! Here is a picture from their website, http://www.polarbottle.com/

They were actually delivered in a block of ice, so hurry and follow the Pace Rabbit before they melt!

....Ok, so that was a complete dramatization.... but still, you should hurry!

Brick Workout/Curry for Breakfast??

What's up guys? So, yesterday I had a really solid brick workout at Washington Park. Now, for those of you who don't know, a brick workout is when a triathlete mimics a race by going from one discipline to the next. In this case, I did a bike to run brick. I found a track at a high school about a block from the park, and so after I warmed up I did 3 laps around the park on the bike (this was with my race bike, Sara!) for about 7 miles total, and then did a mile at race pace (or what I felt like I could hold for a 10k) on the track.

I ran through that 3 times. On the bike I held about 24 to 25 MPH with 90 RPM for a cadence (again, mimicking my race goal) and on the runs I went a 5:44. 5:45, and a 5:40... What can I say, I felt good! I was very pleased with those run times. I guess all that speed work is paying off.

On the way home, Sara flatted out, and since I don't carry a spare kit on her, I had to call Libbie for a ride. Did I mention I love my sister a lot? She is a really nice lady!

Here is a picture of Washington Park, it is always really pretty like this at sunset.

The other day I made one of my favorite breakfasts. It is really simple, but I don't measure anything, so here is the basic rundown...
-Stir fry some veggies (I use frozen, they are cheaper and easier to use) and then add a serving of crumbled tofu.
-To crumble it, I squeeze it in a paper towel to dry it out a bit so it gets crispier.
-Then, I add 2 egg whites and one whole egg and let that scramble up.
-Season the whole pan with salt, pepper, and CURRY POWDER!!!
-Next, add a bit of feta cheese and let that melt.

I like to plate it over a bed of greens with a little asian dressing, and then enjoy with a cup of green tea and some Kangen Water!

Well tomorrow I will post another recipe... some grown-up grilled cheese! Until then, follow that Pace Rabbit. Thanks for reading!