I remember writing my blog post this time last year about surviving my first sprint distant triathlon, and it is crazy to think how far I've come since then! Two weeks ago I completed my first olympic distant triathlon and I want to share my experience of training and racing with you all. I am going to answer some common questions I got from clients and friends about it all, but you can always email me if you have unanswered questions. 

What is an olympic-distant triathlon?
1 mile (1600m) open-water lake swim
25 mile (40km) bike ride 
6.2 mile (10km) run 

How did I train?
I followed an intermediate, 6 days a week training plan for 12 weeks. There are a lot of guides on the internet, so make sure to do your research and compare plans before picking one. My plan consisted of 2 short runs a week (30-45 minutes), 2 pool swims with increasing distance each week, 1 60-80 minute bike ride outside, and 1 brick workout (long bike + short run).

In hindsight, I would have decreased my training to 5x a week with one less run, so that I could get in a day of strength training + yoga. I definitely put these on the back burner and I know they would have benefited me just as much, if not more, than an extra day of cardio. 

How was the race?

I can't describe the race in just a few words, so bare with me as I describe the day.

I woke up at 4:20am. Pure darkness, but chugged some coffee, had a banana, and listed to ACDC music on the drive to the race. 

Got situated in the transition area, got marked with numbers, put on my wet suit, and tried to get in a good headspace. The pre-race anxiety is REAL.

Age group by age group, athletes started the swim. The directions were unclear, it was raining, and lets just keep in mind that I hadn't ever trained in the lake (too cold, too lazy...), so the anxiety is still very real. Basically the goal was not to drown! The swim ended up being totally ok and somewhat enjoyable. I know, I can't believe I'm saying that. I finished in 40 minutes.  

The biking had its ups and downs. Literally. The first 6 miles of the loop had back to back tough hills that left me gassed and ready to pull the bike over; but, as 60 year olds were passing me up, I stayed on track and channelled my inner competitiveness. By the end, my lungs felt ok, but the legs were tired and my stomach was starting to hurt. I finished in 85 minutes.

Then comes the worst part: the run. Of course, I wasn't too concerned about this because I run all the time and it's only 6 miles right!? Right, but wrong about the lack of concern. My stomach was in a knot and I had incredibly sharp pains that caused me to squeeze onto my stomach with one hand and try to drink water with the other, as I'm running a 9 minute mile. This hunched over, one arm swinging, shallow painful breathes lasted the whole time. My only saving grace was having my friend Caily right by my side to keep my pace consistent. I would have walked to the finish line if I didn't have that accountability by my side. I finished the run in 58 minutes and the entire race in 3 hours and 8 minutes. 

All in all, I crossed the finish line with a single tear running down my cheek because of relief and pain, but I felt great within 30 minutes of recovering. Caily and I felt accomplished with our first place finish in the age group (oh, did I mention that the age group consisted of just us two?) and we were on a runners-high talking about the next time we'll do one. 

I finished the day horizontal on the couch, watching movies and eating Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza, so I'd say it was a pretty good day. 

Growing up, my family went to Disney World almost every other year. We would spend the early mornings at the park to skip the big lines, then hang by the pool all afternoon, and back to the parks at night. We planned everything to a T and some of my happiest childhood memories are from these crazy fun vacations.

A few weeks ago was my first time going to Disney as an adult (a post 21-year old adult), and boy was it a blast! Things were different this time around! We got to spend two afternoons exploring the World Showcase at Epcot and eating each of the 11 countries' authentic food and drinks. A flower festival was going on, so the countries had speciality tasting menus, meaning we didn't have to go into each restaurant for a meal! It was dangerous and delicious. 

Here are the highlights from our eating and drinking adventure at Disney:

Yes, this is an accurate depiction of how much we consumed over ONE AFTERNOON! There is more to show for the other 3 days of vaca, but I'm too embarrassed to post it all. Just kidding, it was all worth it and we had a blast exploring Epcot's World Showcase and the new restaurants throughout the parks. If you haven't been to Disney since you were a kid, I HIGHLY recommend taking the trip.

Chicago Restaurant Week came and went all too fast. I was only planning on trying 2-3 restaurants (I did just come off the Whole30 and was trying not to ruin everything I just accomplished...) Buuuuuut it turned into trying 5 restaurants in 12 days. 

I don't regret it, and I have pictures to prove it was worth it.

The menu scanning and reservation hunting are two of my favorite parts leading up to the two week food extravaganza, and I think I did a good job researching. I tried restaurants I wouldn't have otherwise gone to because of price, cuisine, or availability, and the best part is I want to go back to all of them again and again.

Definitely my favorite meal of Restaurant Week! Avec is Mediterranean and Midwestern influenced, and it came with a versatile menu that left me wanting to try every dish they have. This picture is their famous chorizo-stuffed bacon wrapped dates in a spicy tomato sauce with a side of bread to soak it all up. We also had marinated olives, squash and burrata salad, paella with shrimp, chicken and sausage, and panna cotta for dessert. 

El Che Bar is an Argentine-influenced restaurant and bar that focuses on meats, seafood, vegetables, and drinks with a Latin flare. This picture shows my flank steak with chimichurri sauce, a side of brussel sprouts with spicy aoili and cashews, and my mom's crispy-skin salmon. We also enjoyed a french onion empanada, chorizo, garlic parmesan frites, and some dulche de leche flan to finish it off.  

To our surprise, BLVD extended their Restaurant Week menu another day, so my friends and I were able to experience more dishes than expected. Their menu came with a TON of food, and I'm not complaining. This picture shows our main dishes of cacio e pepe, short ribs, vegetable risotto, brussel sprouts with an egg over easy, and a beet and blue cheese salad. We also had 2 appetizers, 2 first courses, and a dessert... Food coma central. 

Other Notable Restaurants:

My list of places to eat in Chicago has only grown and grown the past 3 years I've lived here. As I check off one place, I seem to just add on more. This city is booming with unique and award-winning restaurants and I will forever be on the hunt to try them all. 

Maybe you're sick of hearing about the Whole30, or maybe you're loving the recipes, but either way this is my last post that recaps my week of recipes for the program! 

What am I going to do now that it's over?

I've been trying to answer that question myself and figure out what the best strategy is for me moving forward. I've gone back and forth with saying that I'm going to implement Whole30 for 5 days a week vs. just trying to incorporate it as much as possible (lets say 80-90% of the time?). Here's my dilemma: It doesn't seem like a long-term approach to specify the days per week I will stick with this because I don't want to always have to be following RULES. Rules do not equal long term success and balance with nutrition. To be honest, though, I get anxious if I don't have specific days of the week to follow some kind of guideline. 

So, long strong short, I have decided to incorporate Whole30 recipes as much as possible, but without any strict rules. I know I feel better, sleep better, perform better, etc. while eating this way, BUT I also love to go to cool restaurants, travel, and go out with friends. This is where the word moderation comes in. This so-called strategy is all about balance and moderation! It's the harder route initially, but learning to take the no-rules route of eating is waaaay more satisfying and freeing.

And now, here are the recipes for my final week of Whole30.

Chia seed pudding or Smoothie for breakfast (see previous posts)

Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and condiments for lunch
Ingredients
1.5lbs of 93% ground turkey
1/2 chopped red onion
1 egg
2 tbsp almond flour
1 seedless chopped jalapeño 
Garlic salt, pepper, oregano, italian seasonings

Combine ingredients in one bowl and form into 6 equal size discs (about size of your palm). Spray sauté pan with cooking oil and cooking about 3-4 minutes on each side. I completed the dish with a side of baked sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, some no-sugar-added ketchup, and 1/3 sliced avocado. 

Mexican-inspired Carnitas with Green Beans and Eggs Over Easy for dinner 
Ingredients
1.5 lbs of pork shoulder or butt
1.5 cups chicken stock 
Juice of 1 lime
1 chopped white onion
1 chopped jalapeno 
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 325. Slice pork shoulder/butt into 4-6oz pieces and add to baking dish. Add the rest of the ingredients in the dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1.5 hours, and then take foil off and bake another hour uncovered. 

Drain the liquid (I saved mine to use for a stock later and put it in the freezer) and place the pork on a plate. The pork should be tender enough to pull into shreds with a fork. Once shredded, serve immediately with steamed green beans/spinach/broccoli/other veggie of choice, and top with 2 eggs over easy, cilantro, avocado and salsa.

The leftovers of this recipe can even be a great one to make for a savory brunch!

For Week 3 of the Whole30, I wanted to make meals that (1) did not include chicken and (2) could be made all in one pan. After three weeks in a row of recipes with chicken, I was over it. Needed a break. Love it, but can't overdo it. Also, I wanted the recipes to be simple and thrown together in one pan, but complex in flavors. I think I did just that! 

Overnight Chia Seed Pudding for breakfast
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 scoop vanilla pea protein powder
1/2 cup blueberries 
1 tbsp unsweetened almond butter
Additional toppings: unsalted chopped nuts, unsweetened coconut, dash of cinnamon

Directions: Mix everything but almond butter together in a Tupperware bowl and let sit in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, drizzle almond butter on top and additional toppings if you want!

Mustard-rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples for lunch (pictured above)
4  4-oz pork tenderloins
4 tbsp brown mustard (look for no sugar added)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 apple 

Mix mustard and balsamic together and rub onto tenderloins with a brush on both sides. Salt and pepper both sides too. Spray saute pan with cooking spray and add tenderloins to the pan. Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes on the first side. Flip the pork and add chopped apple slices to pan. Cook for another 5 minutes and take out the pork. Let the meat rest while finishing sautéing the apples. 

Serve over a bed of spinach, or add any other leafy green vegetables of your choice!

Turkey and Vegetable Asian Stir-fry for dinner 
1 lb 93% ground turkey 
1 stalk of bok choy, chopped
3 zucchinis, sliced 
2 heads of broccoli, sliced
2 cups of pre-chopped carrots
3 cups of spinach 
Coconut aminos
Red pepper flakes, garlic salt, pepper

Directions: Saute turkey in a large pan over medium heat, and break it up into pieces while it's cooking. While sautéing, add bok choy, broccoli, carrots and zucchini in a bowl with 1/4 cup water and microwave for 4 minutes to steam. Add vegetables to pan once turkey is browned. Add spinach and wilt it down. 

Once everything is mixed together, drizzle coconut aminos into pan and top with seasonings. 

WAIT- what are coconut aminos? 
It is a sauce made from coconut sap that resembles a light soy sauce, but it is soy free and gluten free – making it the perfect replacement for those on the Whole30. You can buy it at any major store.

​Also, here's a little roommate spotlight! My roommates are doing the Whole30 with me and I am seriously so proud of them. They are getting creative in the kitchen and even taking aesthetic pictures of their food for me to feature :) Nicole's turkey burger is pictured above with a bed of greens, 1/2 sliced avocado and some sliced jalapeños to add some flare. Pam's turkey burger is pictured below with allll the fix-ins: chopped red onion, tomatoes, kalmata olives, banana peppers, 1/2 avocado and of course a pickle!

Week 2 of the Whole30 has come and gone, and that means I am more than half way done with the program! I'm seriously not counting down though because I don't think much will change after the 30 days- probably just some vodka-sodas and an indulgence at Chicago's Restaurant Week.

For last week's meals, I kept it pretty simple and the meal prep was really fast! I went with a theme of COLOR- try to get as many colors into my diet as possible. This meant trying new vegetables (i.e. small colored potatoes) and herbs (i.e. basil, thyme) to add in whenever possible. Here's what I came up with!

Week 2 meals
Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash- for breakfast or lunch 
(2 servings)
1 medium sweet potato, chopped and roasted in 425 oven for 25 minutes
1/2 white onion, chopped
Big handful of spinach
2 no-sugar added chicken sausage links (can sub ground Italian sausage, or any other meat)
Eggs over easy, fried in a touch of olive oil

While sweet potatoes are roasting, sauté onion in olive oil for 5 minutes until translucent. Add spinach and chopped chicken sausage. Cook until spinach wilts. Add sweet potatoes to pan when they are cooked through. 

Transfer a serving to a plate and top with 1-2 eggs over easy. To finish, I added some salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and 1/3 sliced avocado! 

Pesto Chicken, Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Colored Potatoes- for lunch 
1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, sautéed in a pan with cooking spray 
Homemade oil-free pesto (click for link to recipe)
Brussel sprouts chopped and steamed 
Small colored potatoes chopped, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted in 425 oven for 30 minutes 

Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles, Broccoli and No-sugar added Marinara Sauce- for dinner
For the turkey meatballs:
1 lb 93% ground turkey
1/2 chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp almond flour 
Salt, pepper, oregano, thyme
Roll into golf ball sized balls and cook in 375 oven for 15-20 minutes 

Serve with steamed zucchini noodles, steamed broccoli, homemade or purchased no-sugar added marinara sauce. Additional toppings: red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast. 

7 days of the Whole30 down, 23 days to go.... But who's counting?! 

If you haven't heard of the Whole30, or not sure what it exactly entails, check out their website for a simple description of the Do's and Don't's: whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

I am actually feeling better than I have in a really long time, so I couldn't be happier with this program. I honestly fell off track with eating healthy consistently (I had really good weeks and really bad weeks, and some in betweenness), so it feels great to have this accountability to be consistent. I don't feel deprived, nor hungry; instead, I feel energized, satisfied and somewhat freed. 

I want to share what my week of meals looked like to give everyone an idea of the foods I am eating, how I planned for this program, recipes I created and followed, and to show how YOU can do this too!! 

Week 1 Meals: Monday thru Friday 
Breakfast Smoothie 
​1/2 cup frozen blueberries 
1/2 cup spinach 
1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop pea protein powder (no sugar added, the brand I use: chicagohealthfoods.com/collections/proteins-fitness) 
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp unsweetened almond butter 

Egg, Turkey and Spinach Frittata and roasted sweet potatoes for Lunch 
1 small sweet potato 
6 eggs, 2 egg whites
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 pound 99% lean ground turkey 
2 cups spinach 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350. Slice sweet potato thinly and line bottom of pie pan with them. In a bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites, almond milk, salt and pepper. In a separate pan, brown the ground turkey and add spinach to wilt it. Pour turkey and spinach mixture onto sweet potatoes, then pour over egg mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes until browning on the sides.

White Chicken Chili for Dinner 
Check out this recipe I followed: therealfoodrds.com/slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili/
I topped it with red pepper flakes, cilantro and 1/3 avocado

Snacks
Unsalted walnuts
Handful of raisins
Blackberries, blueberries, apple 

As 2017 comes to an end, it's important to start setting your New Year's resolutions NOW! Think about them this week and set very specific ones by next week before you start hearing "resolutions are stupid, people give up on them anyways" or "it's just another day/month/year, why set a resolution now?". I am a firm believer in setting goals not just yearly, but weekly, monthly, bi-annually, etc. I make them in regards to my career, my personal life, my emotional/mental health, and my physical health and fitness. I write them down, set timelines, and take notes on my progress. Otherwise, let's be honest guys, not much would get done. 

I want to help motivate others to do the same and give a little insight into how to set the right kind of goals before even beginning to work towards them.

First off, set a PERFORMANCE GOAL, rather than a weight/body fat/size goal. For example, this winter I set a deadlifting goal and squat goal (I hit them both way before my deadline!), instead of anything to do with my weight. I haven't stepped on a scale since August and I've shifted my focus away from the number on the scale. Is there a type of workout you have been wanting to try? Or a certain amount of miles you want to be able to run? This is the time!
My 2018 PERFORMANCE goals include:
- Doing either the Spartan Beast Race or a full Triathlon 
- Increasing my running mileage by 10% each week
- Running a half marathon in Disney World 

Second, set a PROCESS GOAL, rather than just an outcome goal. A process goal is something you will do daily to achieve the outcome goal. It's good to have the outcome in the back of your mind, but you cannot achieve it without the little process goals along the way. For example, instead of saying "eat healthier this year", you should set weekly goals regarding nutrition. I.e. only eating whole wheat grains instead of refined white grains, or not eating a snack past 8pm, or adding a serving of vegetables to dinner each day.
My January 2018 PROCESS goals include:
- Complete the Whole30 Program
- To do this I need to (1) meal prep and grocery shop 2x/week, (2) eat out only 2 meals a week, (3) create one new recipe each week

Third, be ambitious, but be REALISTIC. It is way more rewarding to look back at your list of goals and be able to check off most of them, instead of feeling defeated that you couldn't achieve them. 

Fourth, in addition to having some performance goals for either your personal life or career, have some emotional/mental goals for yourself as well. I get very caught up in wanting to continue to progress with my strength, my endurance, my cooking, my clientele, etc. and I don't focus on my mental health as much. I'd rather go-go-go, then sit back and truly think and reflect on how I feel. This past fall, I set two mental goals of (1) expressing (out loud!) more positive body image. No I'm getting fat jokes, no crying over tight jeans, and so on. And (2) Take some mornings each week to keep the computer closed and pick up a book or write in my journal instead. Every morning I did this, I felt so accomplished even though it seems so insignificant!
My 2018 EMOTIONAL goals include:
- Spend 2 days a week off of social media
- Finish my college scrapbook 
- Call (not text) a long-distance friend 1x/week 
- Do a meditation app for 5-10 minutes each day 

I hope this helps give you some ideas about how to set effective and achievable goals for the new year. If you achieved a lot in 2017, keep that ball rolling. And if you are SO ready for 2017 to be done, think of the new year as a fresh slate and make some positive changes. Reach out with any questions regarding goal setting! 

I want to do a post about what a typical week of meal prepping looks like for me. Even though I blog about recipes, I don't come up with or make new ones each week. Sometimes the creative juices aren't flowing, or I don't have time. 

So, I keep it simple and healthy and it is all done within an hour (...90 mins at most!). Just stick to these categories of foods and you will have a great 4-5 days of meals ahead of you. 

My staples are: chicken breast, steamed broccoli, raw spinach, and roasted sweet potatoes. Other great options are: ground turkey, pork tenderloin, roasted asparagus, steamed brussel sprouts, and roasted carrots. 

Hard boil and PEEL the eggs while you're meal prepping and you will love yourself for it later. 

Get the recipe here for my peanut butter protein balls! chocolate-peanut-butter-energy-balls.html

This is mexican inspired quinoa with corn, spinach, tomatoes and cilantro. Some other good options are: brown rice with mushrooms and spinach, or farro with roasted veggies. 

Beef jerky, Rx bars, apples, and obviously dark chocolate are my go-tos. 

Hope this simplified the intimidating process of meal prepping. I promise it's not that hard and it makes your life so much easier throughout the week.

And yes, sometimes I get bored of my chicken and veggies, buuuut (1) it pays off (2) it makes my body feel better (3) add condiments or sauces or spices to change it up each day AND (4) weekends are for rewarding yourself. 

​Let me know if you have questions!! 

Last weekend I completed my first ever Sprint Triathlon, and I want to share my experience with you all. 

First off, you're probably asking what is a Sprint Triathlon? It is half of the olympic triathlon distance of swimming, then biking, then running. Here is the breakdown:
- 500-750 meter swim
- 20K biking (12.4 miles)
- 5K run (3.1 miles)

Secondly, I got asked a lot, why are you doing this race? Well, I sat down one day at the beginning of August and set goals for the rest of 2017. I felt unmotivated in certain areas of my life after enjoying (a  little too much) this summer. I set personal goals, career goals and health/fitness goals. This Sprint Tri falls under two personal/fitness goals:
(1) to complete a new race
(2) to teach my body something new
I chose a Sprint Tri because of these goals. I have completed running races like 5ks, 10ks, and a half marathon, and I sure as hell wasn't going to start training for the marathon just 8 weeks out. And earlier this year I did a strength race called the Super Spartan Race. So, what was different than these?-- swimming, biking, then running! I also have never swam laps as a workout, so my body was about to be taught something very new.

So, ​how did I train? First and foremost, I had to buy a fitness bike! Divvying around the city doesn't quite cut it... After buying a Trek fitness bike the next day and getting over my fears of biking alongside cars downtown, I looked up 6-week training plans. I didn't follow anything specific, but it gave me a good idea of what to do. I began going on 10-15 mile bike rides along Lake Michigan, and followed the bike rides up with a run. The first time the run lasted only 5 minutes, and then I slowly increased it to the 3.1 miles. The swimming is where it gets interesting. I didn't even know where to begin with it! Instead of trying to be a hero and teach myself, I asked for help. I talked to another Equinox Personal Trainer who does triathlons regularly, and we swam in the pool together a couple times. I learned some drills, techniques, and pool workouts to do on my own 3 days a week.

And, how did it go???? I can't quite quantify my experience in a couple words, but to sum it up, it was nerve-racking, exhilarating, tiring, challenging, and lots of fun! The swim in Lake Michigan was very rough, as I only did one swim in the lake beforehand, and that's without 25 other people splashing and kicking around you. I had no idea if I was swimming straight, or if I was about to kick someone or get kicked, or get swallowed up by a wave. I managed to push through it (sometimes doggy paddling) and finished in 12 minutes. Then we transitioned to biking. Biking was by-far the hardest part for me; even though I just said the swim was terrifying and rough, it was only 12 minutes, whereas the biking was 3.5X that. I can only explain it as I felt like I was full-on sprinting for 40 minutes. I was already gassed after the biking, but then I had to transition again to the run. My legs were jello and I felt like I was barely running. However, I was actually running at a solid 8:30min/mile pace and kept it for the whole run. The finish was all mental. 

I finished 3rd in my age group of Women 20-24 years old, so that was pretty cool!

Finally, would I do another one? Yes, definitely! I now know exactly what it entails and I will be better prepared for the next one. I will do many more lake swims, go on faster and timed bike rides, and try to increase my running mile time. I am already excited to figure out what races I'll be doing in 2018. Stay tuned!

If you want to go out of your comfort zone physically, I 100% recommend doing a Sprint Triathlon. Everyone, regardless of age, or fitness and skill level, is capable of doing it. Email me with any questions regarding the race, training, or anything else!