My favorite way to end a year is with a monster workout - a 10k swim, a bike ride up that includes at least one repeat of the steepest part of Mountain Rest Road or a long trail run.
All in Breakfast
Most of my bike routes around New Paltz involve riding through orchards. They are everywhere. And starting in September, they start to come alive with apples and out-of-town apple pickers. The extent of my picking is usually jumping off my bike mid-ride to grab an apple or a pear off the tree.
Most pro triathletes spend the winter at training camp, putting in grueling hours of work in order to prepare for the upcoming season. Instead of spending my days trail running, going on group rides and smashing swim sets, I spent the winter recovering from a C-section and waking up at in the wee hours to feed my newborn daughter. For the first time in my career, I kicked off the racing season while easing into training—slowly and solo.
Bike kits, those pro looking spandex shorts and matching shirts, are are totally necessary and functional for cycling. But they are also not the most flattering or comfortable clothes out there. They are the kind of clothes you want to change out of as soon as you finish a ride, but more often than not, we triathletes/cyclists tend to linger in them.
This is kind of hard to admit, but I've been downing rice cakes like they were homemade bread for going on 2 years now. I always chalked rice cakes up to being too dietetic, but since I started eating a gluten-free diet, these crumbly mess-makers have become a staple in my pantry. I've found that they are the most convenient and cost effective vessels for the standard peanut butter pre-workout snack.
Before you give me any undue credit for being a supermom, let me be the first to admit that I made these pancakes back in January - BEFORE baby. Like most pro triathletes, I've learned over the years to "move" holidays and celebrations to dates that don't conflict with big workouts or weekend races.
The Mix: Steel-cut oats with banana, hemp seeds, and dried blueberries and cranberries
The Story: Most of us East Coasters need a boost right about now, so I'm topping today's oats with hemp seeds. These tiny superfoods look like sesame seeds, have a nutty taste, and are packed with protein.
