More Run Fast Eat Slow recipes - Yummy carbs!

I can't believe it. We are now under 4 weeks away from the start of our first Trimarni camp of 2017 in Clermont, FL, which means that we will be racing our first triathlon of the season (Olympic distance) in just 4 weeks! And then three weeks later, Karel and I will be returning back to Florida to race the Ironman Haines City 70.3 event as our first endurance event of 2017.

To keep us well fueled, healthy and happy, I have been keeping our house filled with carbohydrates. In addition to making sure that our fridge always has some type of cooked grain/rice/potato assortment in it, I've been making good use of my Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook as there are so many delicious recipes that are perfect for helping us meet our daily carb intake. Plus, we love carbs so it's not that difficult for me to get excited to make something new.

I tried out two new recipes from the cookbook and I think you will just love them. Of course, I had to make another loaf of the banana bread.

Enjoy!

(All recipes are from the cookbook. However, the ingredients listed are with my modifications.)

We love having muffins in our house - homemade, that is. I love that this recipe includes zucchini and carrots to bump up the nutritional value of each muffin. The chocolate chips and walnuts give it a nice texture (and yummy taste) and the muffins are not too dense - just moist enough to yum with every bite. 

Superhero muffinsPg. 42


INGREDIENTS

2 cups gluten free flour (or almond meal)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups (I sprayed the tin with non stick sprayed and ended up with 17 muffins instead of 12 as I filled each 3/4th full instead of to the brim).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, walnuts and chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrots, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4th full. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. About 25-30 minutes.

Let's get real. Pancakes are amazing. I can't imagine my life without pancakes. My dad loved pancakes so every time I eat one, I think of him.
Pancakes taste great after a hard or long workout but they are also amazingly good for brinner or for breakfast, on a recovery day. I love pancakes as they provide a great source of carbohydrates and a fluffy base to dress up with yogurt, syrup, butter, nut butter, berries and anything that your taste-buds desire.
Having pancakes pre-made is such a great feeling when you finish a long or hard workout and you know that homemade pancakes are ready for you and you don't have to spend 20+ minutes mixing together ingredients and flipping pancakes on a skillet.
These pancakes came out really fluffy and they offer a nice pumpkin taste that isn't too overpowering. This recipe made ~23 pancakes so I kept about 15 in the fridge and froze the rest. 

TEFF PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Pg. 44

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups teff flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp nutmeg (it called for pumpkin spice but I used nutmeg)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk (it also called for 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt but I left that out as I didn't have any - still turned out ok!)
2 tbsp sugar (It called for 2 tbsp honey but I used sugar instead)
(it called for currants or raisins but I left those out since I wanted to make these plain - more fun for dressing up later!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the teff flour, baking powder, nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, (yogurt if using) and sugar (or honey). Pour over the dry mixture and stir until just combined. 

3. Fold in the currants/raisins if using.
4. Heat a stove-top griddle or skillet over medium-low heat (I used two skillets so that I could make more at the same time). Use oil for brushing the pan.
5. Ladle a heaping spoonful of the batter into the hot pain. Cook the pancakes on one side until the bottom starts to brown, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side until nicely browned and cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Continue with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.
(The book recommends to place the pancakes in the toaster to reheat from the freezer - great idea!) 

We are just loving this banana bread recipe - it's oh-so-good. I prefer my bananas on the yellow side but now, it makes me excited to see my bananas get brown spots as I have a recipe to use them for! 

For the recipe: banana bread. 

In this recent creation (picture above), I used walnuts and raisins and it was so good! 

Trimarni pre-workout pancakes

Yum - Trimarni pre-workout pancakes with nut butter, cinnamon, syrup and bananas)

A common struggle among athletes is eating before a workout.

Many athletes have no idea what to eat (often due to confusion - how much, what, when, why) but a large portion of athletes struggle to properly digest food before a workout, which causes GI issues during the workout and thus, even the thought of eating before a workout is a scary thought (which is even more scary when it comes to race day and an athlete feels he/she can't eat before a race).

Here are a few of the benefits of consuming a pre-workout snack: 
-Fuel your upcoming workout
-Help with delaying fatigue during the workout
-Giving you energy for your workout
-Helping you think more clearly during your workout (focus, attention)
-Helping you stay satisfied (and not hungry) during your workout
-Reducing the  risk of dizziness, lethargy or shaky feelings, due to low blood sugar
-Prevent overeating after the workout
-Reduce sugary/sweet cravings later in the day
-Better control over portions throughout the day
-Less tendency to snack in the evening

As you can see, there are clear performance benefits of consuming a pre-workout snack but eating before a workout plays a favorable role in food choices throughout the day - which for any athlete who is looking for a safe and effective way to lose weight, this goes against the common trend that many athletes intentionally restrict calories before a workout in hopes of losing weight. Typically, this approach backfires and athletes end up sabotaging a high intensity or long volume training session (or even an EZ workout) due to fatigue and then overeat later in the day.

Here are some of the reasons why athletes struggle to accept food before a workout: 
-Thoughts that eating before a workout is bad (ex. you can't lose weight, calories in/calories out, you want to be "metabolically efficient")
-Your digestive system needs healing (ex. gut flora, bacteria)
-Inappropriate food choices before a workout (too high fiber, too heavy, too gassy)
-Poor timing of food choices relative to the start of the workout
-You want to save your calories for post workout
-Starting the workout too soon after sitting all day or waking up (you only give yourself 20 minutes or less from being sedentary or waking up before you start working out)
-Unhealthy daily nutrition choices
-Eating too much in the evening (large portions)
-Eating too close to bed
-You don't like the feeling of food in your gut
-You have to constantly use the restroom (loose stools, gas, diarrhea)
-You haven't trained your gut to accept food
-You think you don't need it


In my experience in working with athletes who struggle to consume food before a workout, there are many reasons as to why athletes choose to not eat before a workout.
But we need to fix this as there is a big problem with not eating before a workout.

At some point in your training and on race day, you WILL need to eat before you exercise.
Convincing yourself that you don't need to eat or that you can never eat before a workout (for whatever reason) is not only performance limiting but it can also affect your health.

My hope is that with my Trimarni pre-workout pancake recipe, you will find joy and energy by eating before a workout. I mean, who doesn't love pancakes?
I will not be attaching any rules as to when you need to eat the pancakes (ex. what workout distance/intensity) or how much but instead, I encourage you to try them out, in a portion that you feel comfortable with (1/3, 1/2 or the entire batter).
You should find these pancakes very light and easy to digest (thus the ingredients that I used in making this creation) so that you can eat a portion of your liking and feel clean in your gut, within 20-30 minutes.

If you feel that your training partner or friend would benefit from this blog post, I encourage you to share. I have worked with far too many athletes who have struggled with eating before workouts and races and I know how much of a performance limiter it can be to feel that you can't eat before a workout/race OR that you have no idea what to eat.

Let's start with pancakes.
Enjoy!

Trimarni pre-workout pancakes

Makes 3 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup gluten free flour (or your choice low fiber flour)

1/4 cup lactose free 1% milk (or your choice milk)

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

1. Mix together ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
2. Pre-heat small skillet to low/medium heat.
3. Lightly coat skillet with butter (I prefer salted butter over olive oil when making pancakes)
4. Pour 1/3 batter into small skillet to make a "thin" pancake.
5. Cook for ~90 seconds or until bottom of pancake is firm and golden brown. Flip. 

6. Cook other side for 30-60 seconds (sides may flip up a little).
7. You can serve your pancake in the traditional style (in a circle) or roll it up like a crepe or fold like a pita. 

(And if you were wondering - these can be anytime pancakes - for a snack, breakfast or even brinner).

Total calories (this is for the entire batter, portion as you wish depending on your workout. You can always save a pancake or two for after your workout): 

360 calories

8.5 g fat
450 mg sodium
57g carbohydrates
6g fiber
18g sugar (natural)

14g protein

Topping suggestions for additional flavor/calories:
Honey

Maple Syrup
Jam
Nut butter
Butter
Bananas

Cinnamon
Fruit

For vegan and dairy-free diets:

1/2 cup gluten free flour 

1/4 cup lactose free 2% milk (or your choice milk)

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg (or 8-10g protein powder, but pancake consistency may change)

If your Trimarni pre-workout pancakes work for you and you love them, consider making a large batch and freezing for future workouts AND for race day. 

Valentine's tradition - Brinner

Karel and I had been dating for 9 months when our first Valentine's day occurred in 2007. There were cards, flowers and chocolates shared between the two of us but when it came time for dinner, neither of us wanted to deal with the hassle of eating out on this hallmark holiday. 

Although my cooking skills (and food passion) had yet to blossom, I still enjoyed real food....especially breakfast options. 

So, the tradition started. 

Every year since our first Valentine's day together, I have prepared breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, french toast, crepes...you name it, I've prepared it over the past 9 years. 

This year I made the most delicious pancakes with two extra ingredients to the standard easy pancake recipe and took a different spin on my omelet presentation by cutting a standard omelet into triangles for my a quesadilla-look. 

Even if I created two easy options for our Valentine's "brinner" they were both prepared with love and finished off with chocolate. 

Everyday is a great day to eat chocolate and to go that extra mile to show someone you care about that you love them. I hope that you had a wonderful Valentine's day and yummed a bit louder with those in your life who mean the most to you. 

Friends, family and furry ones.... Never let a day go by without showing and saying your love for others. And most of all, start that loving on yourself.

Pear-cream cheese, chocolate chip pancakes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp whipped cream cheese
1 washed pear - shredded (with skin)
1 1/2 cup reduced fat organic milk
Chocolate chips (about 2 tbsp)
Olive oil or cooking spray for pancakes

1. Heat a large skillet to medium-low heat (to speed up cooking process, use two skillets). 

2. In a bowl mix together the first 5 dry ingredients (flour through  sugar) in large bowl.
3. In small bowl, mix together eggs, cream cheese, pear and milk until clumps are minimal. 

4. Add 1/2 liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together. 

5. Then add the rest of the liquid mixture to the dry. Mix until evenly combined. If batter is too thick, add a little water until your whisk can easily move through batter. 

6. Now add chocolate chips and whisk one more time until combined.
7. Add ~1/3 cup of batter to skillet after drizzling a little olive oil (or use cooking spray)  before/after each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side and then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes (or until golden brown). 

8. Serve with 100% maple syrup, 100% jam, fresh fruit or your choice of toppings. 

Serves 16-17 pancakes

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And any day worth remembering is best shared with a loved one, out in nature.
Karel knows how to make my heart happy.....even if my legs are suffering. 

3 hours and 40 minutes on our bikes, surrounded by beautiful tall trees, rolling hills, picturesque mountain views and plenty of farm animals to say hi to during our ride.
(yes, I verbally say hi to all animals when I see them during our rides. We even saw a Lama!)

After our ride, Campy took us for a 2 mile run and finished with a strong sprint on our street. No workout is complete without a Campy-mile!

Coconut pancakes with fruit topping

Coconut pancakes with fruit topping

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs (2 whites, 2 whole)

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp milk (I used reduced fat organic milk but you can use almond milk)

Seasonal fruit - I used raspberries and bananas

Extra crunch - chopped nuts/seeds (I used Veronica's Health Crunch

Olive oil for cooking

Maple syrup

Serves 6-8 pancakes

1. Mix together the first 3 ingredients in medium size bowl. 

2. In small bowl mix together milk and eggs. 

3. Add the wet to the dry and whisk together (you need to use a whisk not a fork) until no clumps remain. If batter is too thick, add a little water or more milk. It shouldn't be runny off the whisk but should be a slow continuous drip. 

4. On a medium size skillet on medium heat, lightly coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil. 

5. Place ~1/4 cup batter to form a pancake, gently smooth out the pancake with the back of a spoon to make it a little thinner. 

6. Cook for 2 minutes or until bottom is firm enough to flip. Edges should be golden brown. Cook the other side for 1 minute.

7. Top with your fruit, extra cinnamon, syrup and your crunch.

These pancakes are rich in protein from the eggs and with the syrup/fruit toppings you have a wonderful post workout, balanced meal. 

In other yummy news....

Trimarni athlete/friend Sara sent Karel and me these delicious cookies.

To describe the deliciousness, these are homemade Dream Cookies. Yes, something only your dreams would create.

Chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips stuffed with a peanut  butter cup inside. 

Topped with coarse salt.

Yes, you are so right. They don't even look and sound good but they taste SOOOO good. 

We are just going to use these to get ourselves ready for Karel's mom's homemade Czech cookies which should be here this month all the way from Znojmo, Czech Republic! 

Found this at The Mast General Store while taking a stroll downtown with my mom, Campy and Karel late afternoon yesterday. 

You probably know that I am passionate about having a great relationship with food but PB is one food that I have an extremely great relationship with. YUMMY in my TUMMY!

This weekend was absolutely beautiful. I hope you were able to enjoy it with your healthy and happy body. 

I decided to switch my run/swim days so on Friday I took myself for a run around downtown and through Falls Park to the Y (about 4 miles) and then did my strength routine. I have been working with Chris Johnson PT who has been amazing in helping me identify some of my weaknesses with my body and running to help me take my running to that next level this year. After my run I did a little more running on the treadmill (4 miles) and then ran home (2 miles). So a very long run (10 miles) but in a way that I gained a lot out of it with out it feeling like I was carrying around residual fatigue all weekend. My long runs have been around 9-10 miles for the past 4 weeks with more frequent running (20-40 minutes with walking) during the week (at least 3 runs during the week). Rather than walking every mile, I typically walk every 5 minutes which is also helping me progress really well with my running with all the strength training I am doing. It's not fast running (around 8:45-9min/mile)as right now in the season, it's time to focus on muscular strength vs cardiovascular strength so it all serves a greater purpose in the season plan. And the best part is that I wasn't injured before working with Chris but I am finding myself getting stronger as I work on weak areas through this new approach to run training. 

On Saturday, I did my long swim of 5000 yards. I have to say, this went by rather fast as this was the first time I have swam over 4500 in over a year. Karel and I have been swimming at least 5 days  a week (sometimes we swim on the weekend in the afternoon) and most of our swims are around 3000-4500. We use the ankle strap , paddles, fins, buoy and snorkel and I have to say that this new approach to swimming is really improving our strength in the water as well as confidence that we are swimming like triathletes. Learning how to hold the body more "taut" in the water and developing a faster more powerful turnover with each arm stroke.

Lastly, on Sunday, Karel and I headed out for our long ride. Most of our weekend rides (when it isn't too cold to ride) are between 3-4 hours. The ride started out around 40 degrees which was a bit chilly at 8:30am but it warmed up nicely with the sun being out the entire time. There are no shortage of mountains to climb and descend on and the cars are rather polite to cyclists which is a nice and huge change from living in Jacksonville, FL. If a car passes me on our favorite country road routes (there are more farm animals than cars) they move to the other lane or wait until a stop sign to pass.
Karel did some heavy gear work on Paris Mountain and I went a bit north to ride on one of my favorite routes. The day was fantastic for riding and I had about 3.5 hours of ride time and just a tad under 4 hours for Karel. 

Apple Chia pancakes

We had 4 amazing, strong ladies in town this weekend (from Jax) so there was a lot of riding this weekend....but I will save that for another post because pancakes are on my mind right now (and in my tummy). 

To summarize our weekend: 9000+ feet of climbing, 8+ hours of riding and 135+ miles of riding in just two days! Wow, thank you body!!

As you can imagine, there was a lot of attention on sport nutrition, hydration and eating over the past 72 hours in order for our bodies to tolerate (survive) and adapt to the weekend training load. 

After our workout on Saturday (73 mile bike for the group and for Karel, Jen Vogel and me, a 4 mile run), we all cleaned up, cooled off and started our refueling with recovery drinks. It's always fun to talk about training when it is over but the body deserves to refuel as soon as possible to ensure a healthy body for the next day of training. 

To ensure that my friends (and Karel and me) would be well fueled after our Sunday ride, I decided to make pancakes on Saturday (late) afternoon so that they would be ready for consumption when we were ready to eat post workout on Sunday. 

What a genius idea!! 

There's nothing better than having a home cooked meal ready for you but let me tell ya, it's even BETTER after a 5 hour workout! 

I hope you enjoy my delicious apple chia pancake recipe, made from scratch and prepared with Trimarni love.
(I also made plain pancakes, some basic ingredients but omit the apple and chia seeds)

Apple Chia pancakes

(makes 10-12 pancakes)

1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (you can use Gluten-free flour)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter (melt after measuring)
1 apple (washed and chopped)

1. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chia seeds. 

2. In small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and vanilla. Preheat your skillet (I used two large skillets on separate burners to speed up the cooking process). 

3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir in butter (should be melted before adding). Add a little water if needed.
4. Stir in chopped apple. 

5. Spoon ~1/4 batter into skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes and flip, cook 1-2 more minutes.

Topping ideas: 
Yogurt
Maple Syrup
Jam
Nut butter
Hazelnut spread
Coconut (shredded)
Granola
Dried Fruit

I am a firm believer that we should always eat with a purpose. For myself, I love eating for fuel and for health. But I always find pleasure in eating whether it's a salad or something a bit more indulging (and everything in between). 

Pancakes have a special place in my heart because my dad loved pancakes, straight from Aunt Jemima's box. 

My dad took this picture (above) of his pancakes a month after he was diagnosed with stage IV cancer which ended up taking his life 10 months later. He sent me the following text. 

Food, meal time and my kitchen are all positives in my life. 

I never find myself not smiling when it comes to the food that I choose to put into my body. 

Food makes me happy, it fuels my lifestyle and it keeps me well.
My dad always had such a great sense of humor in life and he was always so good at making me smile and laugh. 

I sure do love pancakes but now I have an even better reason to always smile when I eat them. 

Thanks Dad. 

Trimarni wheat and gluten free pancakes

It's National Pancake Day!!!

It was very important to me that my campers at the Trimarni endurance triathlon camp had food that would help their bodies stay nourished and fueled throughout camp. It was never even a thought to get lunches catered, to order pre-made meals from a restaurant/fast food establishment or to buy pre-made options at the grocery store. It gives me great joy to enjoy food around others and I wanted my campers to enjoy food that makes them yum, with their fellow campers (and new friends).

So, since I was providing food for the campers at the Trimarni camp for lunch on Day 1 and Day 2, I wanted to make sure that I could accommodate all dietary preferences that were listed on the camper questionnaire (provided pre-camp). As a dietitian who specializes in sport nutrition, it was important to me that I also provided food that would be easy to digest post workouts, would help with refueling and repairing post workout and would ensure happy tummies throughout our camp. My goal was not make the athletes eat like me (an almost 21-year lacto-ovo vegetarian) but instead, have a variety of real-food options so that each athlete could to be creative with their food choices to meet their individual needs and taste buds but also to eat food for fuel and for health to ensure consistent energy levels throughout camp.

Although Karel and I have never had any GI/nutritional issues with gluten, bread, whole grains and wheat (as they are all part of our daily diet), I decided to go with a gluten and wheat free flour from Bob's Red Mill which offered a variety of nutrients from blend of gluten-free flours to ensure that every camper could enjoy the pancakes. We did not have any vegans at our camp so the pancake recipe I used included milk and eggs.
Ingredients in the flour: Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, fava bean flour.
Although the pancakes were the spotlight for our post long ride + interval run meal, each athlete used the pancakes as a base and dressed up their 2-3 serving pancakes with a variety of yummy toppings.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar (I used white sugar)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp iodized salt
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Olive oil for cooking.

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
2. Warm milk for 30 seconds in microwave. Whisk milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract in small bowl.
3. Heat large skillet to medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

4. Pour milk mixture into flour (into the center) bowl and use a fork to stir until no clumps remain.
5. Use 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto skillet and with fork, gently spread the batter into a large circle (about 3-4 inches across).
6. After ~2 minutes, flip pancake and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes (add a little olive oil as needed to prevent sticking - around 1 tsp per 4 pancakes depending on size of skillet).
7. Serve with your choice of toppings. Enjoy!

Flapjacked protein pancakes

 

A friend of mine at SMACK! Media shared with me the website Flapjacked protein pancakes.

 

Here's a little about the product philosophy:

Jennifer and David Bacon founded the company based on the premise that healthy meals should not only fuel our bodies but also taste great but fuel us with energy to get through our day. Our pancake mix is easy to prepare making it simple for the modern families busy and active lifestyles. FlapJacked is perfectly balanced to fuel your body and help control hunger. This delicious, protein-packed and fiber-rich pancake mix is made with only the highest quality ingredients such as whole grain oats, quinoa and coconut flour that provides our body with the essentials to stay healthy and feel great. We fortify with Whey Protein Isolate and naturally sweeten these delicious fluffy flapjacks with real fruit (no sugar added!). Loaded with antioxidants, potassium, fiber, calcium, magnesium and vitamins, FlapJacked Protein Pancakes are a complete meal that supports muscle growth and balances blood sugar. Rest assured, we use NO GMO ingredients, NO Preservatives, NO Artificial color, NO Artificial flavoring or NO Artificial ANYTHING!

The only things needed to make a simple easy meal of nutrient dense flapjacks that are sure to satisfy is water and a griddle.

 

As a real-food fanatic, I also have a real approach to life. In other words, I try to keep life balanced but also not extreme. Therefore, I emphasize real food in my diet and encourage a real food, plant strong diet but I don't have an off-limit food list. You see how I eat via facebook (and Twitter @trimarnicoach and instagram @trimarni) and my blog so I don't think I need to explain my passion for real food which makes up the majority of our diet (Karel and Campy included).

 

So, at first I was a bit hesitant to try this product for I will not try or promote any product that I do not believe in or that I wouldn't use myself.

 

But after reviewing the ingredients, I was impressed with the wholesomeness of this pancake mix as well as the nutrition facts along with the nice combination of protein to carbohydrates (without being loaded with sodium and sugar). So, I decided to try it out and my friend at SMACK! media sent me a few packets to try out.

 

 

 Flavors:

Banana Hazelnut

Buttermilk

Cinnamon Apple

 

After my indoor brick workout on Saturday (Karel rode outside and did a bike + longish run), it was time for pancakes!!

 

Karel picked the cinnamon apple as the first one we would try, so I went to work in my kitchen and added my own special Trimarni touch to the cinnamon apple packet.

 

They were delicious - Not chalky from the protein powder, not super sweet or salty and a good texture and taste. This would be a great option to bring while traveling (if you have a kitchen available or griddle), at camps or a super easy recovery meal if you are one to slack on the recovery nutrition post-workout.

 

 

1 packet Flapjacked Cinnamon apple

1/2 cup frozen blackberries (I heated them in the microwave for 1 minute and then mashed with a fork until soft and juicy - be careful, they may splash so don't wear white! You could use any fresh or frozen fruit and it does not have to be mashed)

1/8 cup slivered almonds

1 small apple - chopped

Olive oil

Maple syrup (the real kind, not sugar free) or honey (the real kind, not sugar free)

 

1. Combine water and mix according to package.

2. Stir in blackberries and almonds.

3. Let sit for a few minutes while skillet heats to low-medium heat.

4. Add a drizzle of olive oil to cover bottom of the skillet.

5. Pour 1/4 cup mix to form pancakes and cook for 2 minutes on each side (or until golden brown).

6. Top with apples, cinnamon (optional) and maple syrup or honey.

Enjoy!

(I was not paid to promote this product. When it comes to me reviewing or promoting products, if I won't use it or eat it, I won't promote it)

 

Guess who made time out of his busy schedule this weekend to watch us enjoy our Flapjacked pancakes???

Pomegranate, apple and hazelnut pancakes and ginger strawberry smoothie

In the Trimarni house, we eat for fuel and for health. And most of all, eating is a happy time so we also eat for pleasure.

The same foods that fuel our active lifestyle, also keep our immune system healthy. Most of all, they are mostly whole and are found in a farm/garden so they also reduce our risk for disease.

There are no bad, off limit or temporary foods. We don't diet, cleanse, fast or do anything extreme wit the diet.

The only thing extreme about us is that we enjoy racing for 140.6 miles and Campy gets waaaaay too much love (but that will never stop).

We love whole foods that offer the nutrients that we need to support our healthy and active lifestyle.

We don't count calories, we count training hours. We enjoy the rewards of what a well-fueled, healthy and strong body allows us to do - year round - whether we are training for starting lines or moving for health gains.

We don't have a working scale. We eat for fuel, health and pleasure and after a few years of understanding our individual needs and best style of eating, we've discovered that it is possible for the body to take care of itself.

We don't believe in restricting food (especially whole foods) but instead, move the body more (ex. walking).

Whether we are enjoying the off-season, peaking for an Ironman or traveling the world, food enhances our life and doesn't control our life.

Why do you eat what you choose to eat? 

Ginger Strawberry Smoothie "meal"

10 ice cubes

30g protein powder (I used Solgar Whey To Go)
Dash of cinnamon
1 celery stick (chopped)
1/2 ripe banana
1 tsp fresh ginger (chopped or grated)
4 strawberries (stems removed)
10 baby carrots (mini)
1/2 cup Kale (Washed, chopped)
1/2 square 90% Dark chocolate
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water

1. Blend ingredients in 6 cup blender for 90 seconds (this will make more volume and a more frothy smoothie.

I use the Oster Fusion blender. 
2. Pour 2.5 cups in large cup and enjoy.

Makes 2 servings (5 cups total)

Pomegranate, apple and hazelnut pancakes

1/2 cup apple (shredded) - I used gala
1/2 cup rye flour (you can use any flour)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (I slice in half and then soak each half under cold water for a few minutes and then use a knife to cut pomegranate into segments and then pop out seeds with my hands into a bowl).
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 egg
1 tbsp hazelnuts
1 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup 0% Fage Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Skim Milk
1/2 cup oats
2 tsp oil (for pan)

1. Heat large skillet to medium heat. Drizzle 1/2 - 1 tsp oil and spread around pan for even coating.

2. Mix ingredients in large bowl and stir until evenly combined.

3. Use 1/4 cup and pour batter onto heated pan and press down to make flat pancake.

4. Cook 4-5 minutes on one side (or until golden brown) and flip and cook other side for 3 minutes.

Makes 7 servings

I have not had time to figure out calories as I like to do for some of my creations where I actually measure ingredients for cooking purposes. I will notify everyone when I put nutrition facts on this blog. For now - enjoy mindful eating as I always do. 

Food Freedom: Anytime pancakes

Not too long ago I overheard a conversation with a personal trainer and his client at the gym. The trainer had been away on vacation and the client asked her trainer where he went and if he went to any good restaurants when he was away. As I was working my core on the captain chair, I couldn’t help but listen to this conversation about food.

I remember when I was growing up in Lexington Kentucky, there was a place downtown that had the biggest, most scrumptious cinnamon rolls that would put any cinnabon to shame these days. A cinnamon roll the size of my head and a belly that would get sick if you ate the whole thing (of course, speaking from experience). But oh were those cinnamon rolls the best…when my mom and dad would take me to get them for a treat once a year.

                    

(Source)

It wasn’t that the cinnamon rolls were off limit or “bad” food but instead, my parents would reward me after my piano recitals/competitions with a walk downtown to the cinnamon roll shop. I didn’t spend my entire year planning for the cinnamon roll or saving calories for the cinnamon roll but instead, we celebrated my piano recital (which was judged) with the cinnamon roll.  Relief that the hard work with my piano practicing was over and support from my parents as we all enjoyed the cinnamon roll.  If the cinnamon roll was consumed every day or even once a month, I just don’t think it would receive the same yum factor for it was extra special on a special day.

A few months ago, I took my first trip to Europe with Karel. With a bag packed of Marni friendly travel food for me and Karel, once we stepped foot in Czech Republic, the bag wasn’t opened until we flew home 10 days later. I welcomed my trip abroad with Karel to enjoy his country and we 100% lived like a local. Even as a vegetarian and Karel’s mom preparing some of the most long-awaited not-so-vegetarian foods for Karel, I didn’t consume a single food brought from the US the entire time when I was away…and I survived just fine. And because I don’t know Czech, I couldn’t read any food labels... and I survived just fine. All I needed was Karel’s “ok” that a food didn’t have meat in it and it was complete food freedom to put all that hard work to understanding how to eat mindfully to good use in another country and to be able to maintain my active and healthy lifestyle abroad.

Riding our bikes to Retz Austria 

Enjoying (real) coffee and pastries mid morning. 

When it comes to creating a diet that works for you, we shouldn’t forget that there is no diet “staple” that you have to follow but you do have to figure out what works best for you. Yes, all diets should be plant strong as the research strongly supports a real food, balanced, whole food, plant strong diet to improve longevity and reduce risk for disease, but in terms of figuring out your style of eating, that all relates back to your goals in life and how food can enhance your lifestyle. And for the extra stuff like treats, desserts, sweets, large portions, fattier options, etc. sometimes you have trust your diet enough to know that even with an occasional treat you are not going to become “unhealthy” or for many, “gain weight.”

Although Karel and I don’t have a working scale at home, we left Czech feeling clean, light and healthy and I confirmed to myself that my diet enhances my lifestyle. I love to train, travel and use my body to make memories and for me, that means understanding what foods work for me and my body. No time am I eating for calories or a body image….somehow it just all works better that way.

Prague, Czech Republic

So if you are someone who is currently working on the diet, remind yourself that food freedom is the ultimate goal. There will be a day when you can 100% enjoy something occasional and feel absolutely great about it. Hopefully that day is sooner than later. What you can also look forward to is the day when you start eating for fuel, for health and for pleasure but in a way that improves your quality of life. So right now, eating out with your co-workers every day for lunch may not be ideal if you are trying to figure out the best foods to help control your blood sugar, to fuel your workout routine and to meet your nutritional needs. In other words, right now you may need to be in control of your meals to figure everything out. But, what you don’t have to worry about is being in control forever. As scary as it sounds, food freedom means not having rules or a strict routine but instead, knowing what works and being able to apply that “style” any day, no matter where you are in the world. Eventually, there will be a time when you eat out, enjoy that meal of foods not typical in the daily diet and feel absolutely great about. Although now I can help others with learning how to eat for fuel, for health and for pleasure, I spent a good 2-3 years learning how to have a healthy relationship with food and my body and figuring out what works best for me as an active, health conscious individual, who loves to race for 140.6 miles, is a 20 year vegetarian, is married to a Czech cyclist turned triathlete who will eat anything and works as a clinical RD..oh and is also a doggy mommy.

Oh, so what did I hear from the personal trainer that inspired me to write this blog????

The trainer told his client that he didn’t eat out at all on his trip because he didn’t want to get fat and gain 10 lbs so he hired a personal chef to deliver 6 small meals a day of chicken and veggies to his hotel room and then when his wife and kids were playing at the pool, he would go upstairs, eat in the room and then head back outside to spend time with his family.

In honor of food freedom, how about we all enjoy pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner, anytime during the week without “deserving” them after a 3 hour bike ride, a 15 mile run, a hard spin class or because it is Sunday.

Happy eating in your happy kitchen!

Pear and carrot muffin-inspired pancakes

Makes 7 pancakes (1/3 cup serving) - So delicious, I wish this recipe made more!

½ cup rye flour (you can use any flour, I like the consistency of rye and soy flour – a bit lighter than whole wheat)
1 egg
½ cup skim milk
1/8 tsp iodized salt
1 tbsp honey
1 small pear shredded (about ½ cup packed)
1 large carrot (peeled first) shredded (about ½ cup packed)
1 tiny mini box of raisins (I keep these in the house for on-the-go snacks or traveling)
4 large strawberries – sliced (if frozen due to season, defrost for 30 -60 sec and then slice)
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
Olive oil (1 capful per 3-4 pancakes)

1. On large skillet, heat to medium heat (just above low). Drizzle with olive oil.
2. With all ingredients mixed in a bowl (I mixed with a fork), use 1/3 cup to portion each pancake and press down with bottom of the measuring cup for a flatter pancake.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip when firm and cook additional 2-3 minutes on the other side.
4. Repeat until the batter is finished (I always make a mini pancake to taste while cooking  ;) 

In the Trimarni kitchen, we don't ever speak about bad or off limit food, fast, diet or cleanse. I eat to reduce risk for disease. I fuel the body and I love the food that I put into my body. The Trimarni kitchen is a happy place filled with food freedom and creativity.

Fruity pancakes

Is it really true that my body did an Ironman just 7 days ago? I am continuing with my no-sick/illness streak which started around 2007 (or earlier), my mind is fresh and the body is not experiencing any residual fatigue. Now this wasn't the case after my first two Ironman's when it took me a good 3 weeks to feel normal again but for the past few years, my quality approach to training is a combination of going into my endurance races hungry to race but also not overtrained so that I can bounce back quickly in order to function well in life soon after a race. Also, a good daily diet and sport nutrition regime assists in optimal training, racing and recovery.
This week has been easy in terms of taking it easy because I feel no pressure to rush back into training. The only thing that is a little off is still my sleeping which I am going to bed about 60-90 minutes later than normal at night (but then again, my life is super busy all day so if I am not training, my mind is often being occupied with a lot of other thoughts and ideas). I will continue to just go by feel (gadget free) for one more week and keep everything light, fun and comfortable.
As for post Ironman, this week Karel and I did nothing on Mon and Tues after the race. Well, we walked around on top of Whiteface mountain on Tues....slowly.

Wed was a travel day (from 6:30am until 8pm) and then Thurs we were itching to do something so Karel and I swam for around 40 minutes (stopping whenever we wanted). Friday I swam again (around a 3000 I think and Karel rode for 90 minutes) and then on Sat and today, I rode my road bike for ~2 hours (no HR monitor, power meter or attention to speed/distance). Karel rode on Sat with some friends and today he jogged for ~30 minutes.
I met up with a few strangers while I was riding, asked if I could join and drafted as my legs did no work for most of the ride. I feel re-charged but will be patient before I start training for Kona for next 8 weeks (Karel is already excited to help me train for my 3rd World Championships so my Training Peaks calendar already has workouts in it for the next few weeks thanks to him :) 

But what I am reminded of the most is that life can really rush by in an instant. I remember around 8 weeks or so out from Ironman Lake Placid, I felt like it was a light-year away and as the weeks went on, it just wouldn't come fast enough. Nearing the last two weeks before the race, I wanted things to slow down because I knew that in two weeks, it would all be over. All that training for a one day event and the experience that I thought would never come was completed in less than 10 hours and 43 minutes. 

Be sure that you are not rushing life, waiting for a vacation, longing for the weekend (on Monday) or finding yourself wishing for tomorrow. Make memories, live in the moment and set goals so that you are not counting your days but instead, making the most of your days here on Earth while you have them. 

Pancakes on Sunday are always enjoyed but 7 days post Ironman, yum, yum, yum. Real maple syrup, Karel's favorite butter and many special surprises in my pancakes to ensure that you are getting lots of nutrients in your breakfast meal. No need to reach for pills and supplements to give your body vitamins and minerals as you should always start with your diet to reduce risk for disease, to help change body composition and to live an active lifestyle as you work hard for your personal goals. 

Fruity pancakesServes 7

6 strawberries (chopped or sliced)
1/2 cup blueberries
1 egg
1/2 cup packed zucchini (shredded)
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup oat flour (you can use any flour, I like to mix up my flours when I made pancakes, I also love soy flour and rye flour)
1/2 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1/4 cup milk
Olive oil

1. Mix together ingredients in large bowl up until the milk. Stir with a fork to evenly combine.
2. Add milk to create a soupy batter (which will thicken as it sits).
3. Heat a large skillet to low to medium heat (in between) and drizzle a little olive oil on the pan to prevent batter from sticking.
4. Spoon 1/3 cup servings on to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown (you can lightly spread out pancake to be a little flatter with your fork).
5. Flip pancakes and cook other side for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve with a serving of your choice of protein: glass of milk, greek yogurt, grilled tofu, tempeh, eggs or cottage cheese.

100 mile ride + Blueberry Strawberry pancakes

There's something special about the last few weeks before an important race. Actually, thinking about all things in life, how neat is it to reflect on where you were 3, 6 maybe even 12 months ago and then stop to think where you are today. I really love when things come together and despite obstacles, set-backs and low moments, keeping focused on the journey can be the defining reason as to why some individuals succeed in life. As for success, you can't always define that and for many athletes, it means a PR, age group place or beating competition. For others, it is just the satisfaction that they are somewhere where they never thought they'd be several weeks or months ago. 

Nearing race day, I can only reflect on the work that was done with Karel as my teammate, coach and biggest supporter. I'd like to believe that he thinks the same way about me for we have really enjoyed sharing this journey together. It's awesome when we both have amazing workouts and after the work is done, drenched in sweat we can share thoughts from our workout. But it is still entertaining when one of us has a great workout and the other, well, not so much. Thankfully this happened only  a few times but two athletes in the same house with similar training plans means a lot of highs and lows, not always at the same time. But I guess in a good way, it is great to hear about a high with someone when your workout didn't go as planned. There's no reason to beat yourself up for your "off" feeling when a loved one is having a great day. I really enjoy this part of training because being able to share all moments with Karel has kept me enjoying this journey more than my past 5 IM experiences. As usual, I have never felt burnout, questioned "why" am I doing this, felt fatigued or exhausted. I have woken up excited for every workout and I feel progress was made in every workout. I owe a lot of this to sharing the workouts with someone as it is amazing how we all can use a little pep talk (or sound advice) when things don't go as planned as many times, it only takes one negative thought to ruin a workout but one positive thought to keep on going. 

Nearing our taper, these last few weeks are very race specific in terms of training. This means no more group rides to ensure we both enter the race with skin on our body (not risking group-ride crashes). We have been extra careful on rest and rather than having 1 day of rest or active recovery, we have been taking 2 days, with race specific workouts falling every 2-3 days  + 1 day active recovery. Because many athletes do too much too soon (or too long) in training, taper often becomes a time of "necessity" - I finally get  to rest or I need to keep going hard. Realizing that no more significant performance gains can be made and endurance has already been built over the last 10 weeks of IM specific training, the elements we are trying to balance include resisting fatigue, maintaining fitness, staying healthy, staying mentally strong/focused and keeping good form. All of this can be done with the right type of training plan in the weeks leading up to a race and for many athletes, the taper can be the time when previous weeks/months of training are either put together for a peaking performance on race day....or fear-based training (at any point in training) takes over the athletes' mind and come taper, too much "I need to rest" ruins the athlete's race day performance. It is a tough combination to balance but it can be done..you just have to trust yourself that it will all come together on race day. 

Every athlete will peak differently, primarily based on previous training, current fitness and racing/season goals. Obviously, Karel and I want nothing more than to peak on July 28th so we are maintaining fitness while doing everything possible to reduce fatigue. We entered this week with a rested body thanks to a day off on Monday, an active recovery swim on Tues and an EZ endurance (2 hour) bike on Wed. We both did an intense brick (3 hour ride + 8 mile run) on Thurs (Karel ran 4 miles upfront before the bike) and then Fri was an endurance swim. Saturday was our "long run" with fresh legs again (for Karel, he split it up into 4 miles upfront, 3.5 hour ride, 10 mile run...then off to work for the day - what a trooper! For me, 2 hour ride + 15 mile run)  and Sunday was our 2nd and last 100+ mile ride with our 10 week IM specific training. I don't believe  in junk miles and none have been wasted on this training. With most of our "long" rides being around 3-4 hours with higher intensity intervals we are able to put the pieces nicely for these longer rides without feeling drained or burnout and with a lot of confidence and endurance in the tank. It's a beautiful thing when fitness comes together over a period of time but what's not so fun is when fatigue happens quickly and lingers around.

Although athletes struggle with resting (some more than others), I must say that without a doubt, you have to put in the work to progress with fitness and to train for endurance events. But without the right balance of training, your risk for poor form increases (and motivation declines) because the body is unable to adapt properly. If you are currently training for an endurance event or seek fitness gains with your exercise routine, be mindful that the body needs to rest in a way that is beneficial to you making gains with your fitness. Not too much, just enough and when I say rest, this means not wasting time on doing miles/time that don't contribute to your race day fitness. Get the workout done, rest and do it again tomorrow. 

Because I only believe in doing 1-2 workouts in endurance training based on miles (and not time), this workout happened to be a 5 hour ride (not a designated 100-mile ride), despite Karel pulling me along for over 100 miles at his pace (but still my appropriate power zone for the IM by drafting on his wheel). I don't believe in going by miles as you never know what the day will bring and I find it more beneficial for an athlete to accomplish a strong 5 hour ride than to suffer in the wind for 6+ hours just to ride x-miles. Riding 112 miles or 56 miles for an endurance triathlon gives you confidence (sometimes - if done at the right time when you can actually "test" your fitness) but you should not be expected to ride by miles for every long workout. Focus on your main set and then be smart in your training conditions and with your body and how it is responding for that day. 

Our 2nd, 100+ mile ride over 20 mph is in the books thanks to Karel holding a strong pace for our 3 x 25 min intervals at just above IM pace. It was hot and super windy and our route included a lot of rollers which really made things fun and passed the time quickly. We did the intervals after a 1 hour warm-up and included 5 min EZ spin in between each interval. After the 3 intervals, Karel rode steady for the rest of the ride home. Having head-wind all the way home was no fun but it gave us great practice for pacing, nutrition and mental strength to be used on race day. 

Karel went right to his 110% Play Harder  gear to recover and I headed out for a 2 mile run. I actually felt quite good on the run and I use these short runs (up to 30 minutes) off the long bikes as confidence builders. I do not focus on pace but keep an eye on my HR and form. I just run happy knowing that from Feb - April, I was unable to run a step or even walk without pain.  

After I returned from my run, it was time to make my homemade pancakes......enjoy!!

Talk about a fair trade...Karel pulls me around for 100 miles and watches the TDF while I make us pancakes :) 

Blueberry Strawberry pancakes

1/2 cup rye flour (you can use any flour)

1/4 cup instant oats
1/8 tsp salt

1 egg + 1 egg white
1/4 cup Fage 0% Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk

1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
Small handful (about 1/8  cup or so) raisins or currants (optional small handful of dried cranberries)

2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 cup blueberries 

1 cup strawberries (sliced)

Water to help with mixing (if needed - maybe a tbsp or two)

1. Preheat two large skillets to low-medium heat. 

2. Mix together above ingredients in large bowl until "creamy" consistency (may need to add water so batter is gently dripping off mixing spoon/fork). 

3. Drizzle a little olive oil on pans and use ~1/3 cup for each pancake. 

4. Let each pancake cook for 2-3 minutes on one side and then flip when firm. Let other side cook for ~1.5-2 minutes (or until golden brown). 

Makes ~8-10 pancakes depending on serving size (I generally press my pancakes down a bit so they are more flat and wide than thick)