Holiday Eating Tips to Live By

I'm hoping to do some mobile blogging from Minnesota, but things might be a bit quiet for the next couple weeks. Enjoy your holidays!

I saw these on a friend's blog and I couldn't help but share. Before you know it the new year and new training season will be upon us!

10 Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat step #3.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello!

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table--like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa--position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over. But hurry--January is just around the corner!

Digging Out for a Great Swim

Unless you were living under a rock you probably saw the reports of the massive storm that pummeled the East coast this weekend. The Baltimore/DC area was buried in nearly 2 feet of snow and New York City got it's fair share with about 9 inches. The storm started on Saturday afternoon and picked up overnight. We woke up to clear skies and beautiful snowy streets.

Sunday is typically a swim day for us but going to the pool means we needed the car. So, after a leisurely breakfast we headed outside to dig out the car. The snow plows had already gone by multiple times so we found the car blocked by a nice big snow-plow-bank:

We live in an apartment so we don't exactly have a shovel just sitting around for the one time every three years that it snows more than 6 inches. So, we improvised and used the window brush/scraper instead... That went... slowly.

After about 10 minutes a grouchy old man came out of the building and yelled at us for getting snow on his newly shoveled sidewalk. I offered to use his shovel to clean the sidewalk (and also get the car out) but he refused because he already put it in the basement. Instead he just stood outside and watched us. After about 10 minutes I think he was tired of watching our pathetic attempt because he went to the basement and brought us back his shovel. Things went much faster at that point and before we knew it we were ready to go. I cleared his sidewalk, returned the shovel and we headed to the pool.

It took about a half hour to dig out and by the time we got to the pool it was nearly 1pm. But, guess what? It was empty! The most empty I have ever seen it. For the first 500 meters Sam and I each had our own lane. My. Own. Lane. Really! Then someone else showed up so I jumped in his lane and we completed our the rest of the workout with just the two of us. It was awesome :) I did:

500 meter warm-up
10 x 100's on 2 minutes
10 x 50's on 1 minute
5 x 100 pulling (focus on technique)
100 cool-down
Total: 2600 meters

Only one more day at work and then I'm on vacation until January 4th. I can't wait!

Holiday Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Holiday Giveaway is John from Wilmington, North Carolina. Check out his new triathlon blog, See John Tri. Congrats John! Send me your mailing address to kristagager at gmail dot com.

I Joined a Tri Club!

Don't forget to enter the holiday giveaway - all you have to do is leave a comment before 11:59pm on Saturday! Holiday GU, Honey Stingers, CLIF Shot Blocks and more! How can you resist?!

I have very exciting news! I joined a triathlon club! We joined the Asphalt Green Triathlon Club for 2010! We've been talking about it for awhile and we finally sent in our paperwork and made it official. I'm really excited to be part of a club and to have the opportunity to train with some seasoned athletes.

The AGTC is a large club and they have several workouts a day. I'm especially looking forward to swim practice in this amazing pool:

(Did you notice that each lane has just one person?! Oh happy day!)

In addition to the regular workouts you can also sign up for stroke clinics, personalized coaching, performance testing, and so on.

In the summers they have tons of workouts in Central Park including brick workouts where you bike and then someone watches your bike while you run! This is really exciting for me because brick workouts are hard to come by living in NYC since there is no safe place to leave your bike so you can run.

Merry Christmas to me :)

Holiday Giveaway!

The holiday season has snuck up on me once again. I've been running around trying to complete my shopping list. Husband, check! Mom, Dad, Nieces, Sister-in-law-to-be (hopefully), check! In-laws, check! Friends, check! Blog readers.... Check!

Our Mini-Christmas Tree

After posting about my wish list and the joys of waking up to a stocking full of yummy beans, gels and blocks, I couldn't resist giving away just that as a special prize to one lucky reader!

The Mailman Santa will deliver to one special blog reader a fun gift package containing:

- 2 Vanilla Gingerbread GU's
- Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews (Cherry Blossom)
- 2 Organic Clif Shot Energy Gels (Strawberry & Mocha)
- 2 Jelly Belly Sport Beans (Lemon Lime & Berry Blue)
- 2 Clif Shot Blocks (Margarita & Strawberry)

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below. For an extra entry mention this giveaway on your blog and let me know you did that in the comments.

Entries will be accepted until Saturday at 11:59pm Eastern Time and I will announce the winner on Sunday. Please be sure to check back on Sunday to see if you won! Good luck!


Pseudo-legal stuff:
- Contest only open to US & Canadian residents.
- You may comment now (on THIS post) until Saturday, Dec 19th at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The winner will be contacted on Sunday, December 20th.
- The winner will be chosen at random by a random number generator or by drawing numbers out of a hat. If you’ve earned multiple entries, you will get multiple numbers, thus bettering your chances at winning.
- Check back this Sunday, December 20th to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blog because I have no way of contacting you.)

The Off Season - December Update

On November 10th I posted about my goals for the off season. My primary goals are to run faster and with better form and increase core strength. Here's an update from the last six weeks:

1. Run Faster
I've been running faster although I have no idea where this came from. I had a record breaking morning run out of nowhere and a majority of my runs I have been maintaining a pace under 9:45 min/mile. I had a grand plan but that went into the garbage after all my shin splint problems.

Using everyone's suggestions I've focused on building my base and having good mental concentration and that seems to be working well. I even allowed myself to think about what it would feel like to run under 9 minutes! Any pace that starts with an 8 (even 8:59) just seems completely unrealistic for me but I'm starting to think that with enough practice and time it just might be possible! Exhilarating!

2. Increase Core Strength
I have Incorporated these six core exercises into my workouts 3-4 days a week. They are awesome and they kick my butt every time. I can definitely feel an increase in strength just in the last four weeks. If you are looking for new core exercises I would highly recommend them. Many of the exercises work not just my abs but also my back and legs too! In no time I'll have rock solid triathlete abs just like the pros ;)

Wish List - Round 2

Since my last wish list post I've thought up with a few additions! So, if you are still looking for a gifts for your triathlon obsessed loved one you might want to consider these:

Saucony Seamless Sports Bra - White
I was in desperate need of a new sports bra so I picked one up at our local sports store and I love it! I could definitely use another in the rotation. My old bra has an elastic band that runs along the bottom after countless runs in the rain it had left me with a semi-permanent chafe mark (TMI?), but after just a few weeks with this new bra the mark is gone!

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Massage
My mother-in-law has gotten me a gift certificate for massage from Red Door Spa for the last few years and I love it every year. I'm a huge fan of "experience gifts" and a massage is always a welcome surprise for athletes and couch potatoes alike :)


Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance
After Regina's suggestion on my last wish list I quickly checked out this book and promtly added it to my wish list. This is always something I strugle with as an athlete. I work so hard I feel like I can eat whatever I want but we all know that it isn't true :)

Gels, Beans, Blocks, etc.
Can you imagine waking up Christmas morning to a stocking full of Gu? Ok, not really Gu in my case because I would probably throw up. But, a stocking full of Sport Beans, Luna Moons, Shot Blocks, and GU Chomps? Heaven.

2010 Inside Triathlon Calendar



For even more ideas check out Triathlete's 2009 Gift Guide: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2009/12/features/triathletes-2009-holiday-gift-guide_6303

Only 8 days and 4 hours until we arrive in Minnesota :)

An unexpected morning run...

This morning started just like every other. The alarm is beeping at 5:28am. I push snooze (twice). At 5:38 I nudge Sam and he rolls out of bed and turns off the alarm. While he is gathering his gym clothes from the bathroom I sleep for 30 more seconds. He walks into the bedroom and calls me lazy lovingly tells me it is time to get up and I crawl out of bed. At 5:50 we walk out the door and at 6:00 we walk into the gym.

I spent about a half hour lifting weights and doing core exercise and then it is time for aerobic activity. Typically Mondays and Wednesdays are biking and Tuesdays and Thursdays are running. Today is Tuesday so that means running. It was freezing this morning. Literally. It was 33 degrees outside. I have lost my new winter running hat so I borrowed one of Sam's regular caps but it does not cover my ears. I was cold in the gym and not looking forward to going outside. At all. I contemplated running on the treadmill. No, I ran on treadmill on Saturday when it was raining/sleeting and it was the most boring 30 minutes I can recall. No, I will run outside. If I am too cold I will cut the run a little short. As Sam reminded me, it is not even winter yet. Technically winter does not start until late December. So, I sucked it up, put on my jacket, hat and gloves and walked outside. Brr! The sun wasn't even up yet.

I started running and I quickly warmed up. Within the first mile I was comfortable. I watched the sun rise across the East River and Manhattan. The sky was pink and the buildings reflected the oranges and reds of the rising sun.

I debated... Short or long? 2.5 miles or 4.2? I know I need to keep building my base and so when I got to the decision point I went with the longer, 4.2 mile route. As I rounded the last corner of the park I checked my watch. 33:15. Really? That seems fast. Could I break 40 minutes on this run? I take the last right turn and I'm just five blocks from home. I push myself in this last little stretch. I cross last intersection, one block from home, and I stop my watch. I look down. 38:56... 38:56! This is 2 minutes and 50 seconds faster than last week! I don't think I've ever broken 40 minutes on this run. In case you are keep track this is a 9:21/mile pace. This is probably the pace some of you walk at but this is wicked fast for me :)

I love a day that starts with an unexpected PR!

My Wish List

I'm pretty sure I won't be getting my own private lap pool for Christmas, so I've put together a more realistic list. Not surprisingly, 90% of my list is tri-related. Some of the top items:

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor by Garmin.

Garm Speed/Cadence Sensor & Quick Release Kit

Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight

Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes

Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness

What are you wishing for?

My Christmas Wish: A Private Lap Pool

The number one item on my Christmas wish list today? A private lap pool :) Can you imagine your swim taking place here?!

Today was the most frustrating day of attempted swimming ever. First we headed off to our local pool in Flushing. Upon arriving at 10:30 we parked at the very back of the large and full parking lot. Once we got inside we were told that we would have to wait in line (at least 20 minutes) for lap swim because one of the pools was closed for a swim meet. Understanding that with a waiting list (which we had never encountered before) we would be stuck in lanes with 5-6 very slow swimmers we decided to just go back to the car. We went to the grocery store, came home and researched our options. We decided to go into Manhattan to one of the other NYC parks pools that had lap swim from 2-4:30pm. After a 30 minute driving sitting in unexpected traffic, and 20 minutes of driving in circles looking for a parking spot, we walked into the pool to find this:

3 lanes. 22 yards long, 15 people. Knowing the absolute frustration that would result and understanding that physical assault is a crime, we left and went back to the car. It is days like these that I wonder how people can live in NYC without killing each other. I honestly don't know how so many people manage to coexist is such a small space.

I am now sitting at home in my sweats, gazing at our (tiny) Christmas tree, drinking a PBR and dreaming of my own private lap pool. Tomorrow will be a better day...

My Faux-Turkey Weekend

I hope you all had an excellent holiday weekend! I'm sorry I've been such a delinquent blogger! Between the holiday and a crazy week at work I haven't had much time to sit down.

Our Thanksgiving in Connecticut was fantastic! We had a wonderful time celebrating with Sam's family and a nice and relaxing vacation. I love going to his mom's house. It is in the country, so quiet and you can see all the twinkling stars. I love to sit in the big lounge chairs next to the fireplace and cuddle up with a good book or be engrossed in a great conversation. It is the next best thing to being home in Minnesota.

In addition to eating lots of faux-turkey I also managed to squeeze in three runs and a bike ride! On Thursday morning we woke up to a fogging and dreary day. We had hoped to go biking but we decided the thick fog was too dangerous and went for a hilly 5.5 mile run instead. The house is on the top of a hill so the loop starts off with a steep down hill and then a little bit of flat and then a very long uphill, then some flat/downhill and then another long uphill. I used MapMyRun.com to check the elevation you can see the grade was 6% at the 2.5 mile and 5 mile mark - ouch!

After the run it was time to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. I served as the sous-chef and helped by doing some mashing, chopping and stirring.

Sam helped by putting on the finishing touches to his favorite dish, sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

Finally, it was time to eat!

Friday was very cold and rainy so we opted to "sleep in" (until 7:15 am), do a bit of shopping and generally relax. On Saturday I did the 5.5 mile loop again. It was very windy but I had all my new winter gear so I stayed nice and toasty. It was finally nice on Sunday and we were able to pull out our bikes for one last ride. We completed a short but hilly 12 mile ride followed by a 5 mile (hilly) run. (Do you get that it is very hilly there yet?)

After our Sunday workout we wrapped up our bikes and put them in storage for the winter. We just don't have the time to bike in the city during the winter. The days are too short during the week to ride before or after work and the weekend weather is just too unpredictable to make it worth our while. Plus, we don't have the space in our apartment to store them, let alone set up an indoor trainer. So they are living in the basement in Connecticut for now until we retrieve them in late March. I was sad to see our bike season officially end but happy to have a bit more room in the apartment for now :)

Overall it was a excellent long weekend full of delicious fall food, including tons of pie, and some awesome workouts! We are back in the city and back to the grind now. We have been putting in a couple two-a-day workouts this week to try to curb the holiday bloat. It feels good but it sure is exhausting!