Swim Training

Had an opportunity to get to the pool to start training on my swim.  It's only been the second time I've been in a pool since September 1st so I felt the workout went pretty well considering.  I'm trying to get better form and become more streamline so if I have to do an event without a wetsuit I don't freak out.  After the holidays I will be hiring a swim coach to try and help me even more.  My goal is to get in the pool at least every other week if not every week.  The pool is about 30 min away which makes it difficult sometimes to get to.As you can see, my feet tend to go wide when I rotate and my arms are too wide through the stroke.

Ann

Chest Day!

Had a GREAT weight day today, hitting my Chest/Pecs hard!  Got up to 45LB plates (90Lbs total) on the Smith Machine Bench Press, 120Lbs on the Pec Deck, 35Lbs on Dumbbell Incline Press, and 50Lbs on the Cable Fly (Pic below).  

Ann

Rotator Cuff Surgery Recovery: Post Op - Day after surgery

Rotator Cuff Surgery Recovery: Pre-Op - Day of surgery

Great Leg day!

Getting back into the lifting and yesterday felt great!  I did multiple exercises including close in leg presses, Sumo Leg presses, Lunges, calf press.  Here was my last set of Sumo Leg presses and after multiple sets I worked up to 540 pounds with just the plates, that's 12 total plates!  I was able to do 8 reps!  

Ann

MRI results in.......

...and it's not good.  Radiologist said I had some fraying with possible partial tear of the Supraspinatus which is one of the rotator cuff tendons that runs over the top of the shoulder.  Doctor said he thinks it's a full tear.  He also saw a cyst on the bicep tendon where it attaches to the shoulder.  He said he would remove that, repair the tendon and shave some bone on the top of the shoulder to allow more room for the tendons and prevent further impingement.  I will be in a sling for a month then rehab for 2 months.  This is not what I wanted to hear and frankly has me freaked out about the surgery and down over the length of time to recover.  My weightlifting is done for the winter.  Hopefully I will be able to do some cardio and a little lower body weights once I'm out of the sling.  The month of December will not be a good one for me as I will have to rely on others to do things I am use to doing.  Surgery is scheduled for Nov 29th.

Chris

MRI....

Finally had my shoulder MRI yesterday.  Time to get this thing figured out so it can either get rehabbed correctly or repaired so it doesn't interfere anymore with my training.  Consult with the doctor is in a couple weeks.  Keeping fingers crossed he knows what to do with me!
 

Triathlon Season coming to an end.....

Well, the weather has changed and it's getting cold.  Events are pretty much done for the year and all that's left is hoping for a few nice days to get outside and train before the snow flies.  It's been an "interesting" year for us.  Ann came on like gang busters and after doing a duathlon and a couple running events she finished the season doing 2 triathlons within one week of each other!  I have been nagged by injuries all year starting with a weightlifting injury back in February that hampered my lifting all year then a hip flexor issue that prevented me from doing any half or full marathons and then an accident that messed up my shoulder.  I ended up completing a duathlon, 3 triathlons, 2 running events and a swim event.  My times were very good, completing races faster than I anticipated.  Were I fell short was moving up in the ranks to longer triathlons.  I'm hoping to get my shoulder issue resolved one way or another so I can begin a strict and intense off season routine that will get me to the next level.    

Second Triathlon in 1 week!

Well, I loved doing my first one and Chris found this one relatively close to home so I thought I'd give it a "tri".  LOL!  This was a sprint Triathlon down in the Shawano area.  It consisted of a 1/4 mile swim, a 16.6 mile bike and a 3.5 mile run.  The event was fun, laid back and well organized.  The bike route was redone due to some road construction and had a number of hills and was more challenging than the old course from what we were told.  I felt great on the swim my timing was pretty good!  The bike was was challenging as I said before, with numerous hills.  I averaged just under 15 MPH.  I got off the bike and felt pretty good going into the run.  It was supposed to be a 3.5 mile run but I think it was closer to 4 miles.  The last mile got me.....I started fading and having a hard time with my breathing.  All in all I had fun, and it was a nice addition to my first tri I did the Sunday prior! 

My First Triathlon!

Last Sunday (Aug 26th) I did my first triathlon!  I did the Danskin Super Sprint in Pleasant Prairie, WI.  It consisted of a 1/4 mile swim, a 6.6 mile bike and a 2 mile run. I had a good time except on the swim I got stuck behind a wall of people that were using noodles as flotation devices to help them and I couldn't get around them!  This added anywhere from 5 to almost 10 minutes onto my time which was frustrating to say the least.   I was a fun ace overall and look forward to many more!  Here's the video and some photos.....

Sidelined with injuries.....

Couple weeks ago I got into an accident and got banged up pretty bad.  Scrapes, bruises, strains, etc but thankfully no broken bones.  There's nothing worse than missing events and not being able to workout, it's driving me crazy!  I wasn't able to do the Minocqua Triathlon which I was shooting for the Olympic distance course but Ann and I did volunteer and helped out during the swim and bike portions of the race.  Felt good to contribute!  So I'm slowly getting back to normal and hope to start back slowly in a couple weeks doing a simply 5K run followed by a sprint triathlon on Sept 1st.  Time will tell......

Tri-ing for Children's Triathlon

Well, finally got my second tri of the season in this past weekend.  I had two others on my list to do but scheduling kept me from doing them.  Anyway, I was excited to do this race because I heard the bike and run course was pretty flat and fast.  I signed up for the sprint race for two reasons.  First off, it's been about 5 to 6 weeks since I did a triathlon ( I have done a 1 mile swim race and 2 running races over this time) and secondly, the this long course (Oly) simply did a second loop of the same for the bike and run which I don't care for.  Anyway, this race was one of the earliest starts I've done with the Oly swimmers sarting at 7AM.  The transition was closed by 6:45.  Ann had meetings in Madison which was a little over an hour away so I had to get up at 4AM to make it on time with the drive.  Left the hotel a little late and had to speed to get there.  The parking lot was a ways away and I debated on taking the wetsuit due to water temps.  I hurried and got checked in, marked and got my timing chip.  I only had about 15 min to get my transition area ready and felt rushed.  I saw a fair number of people with wetsuits so I debated on wearing mine.  One problem....I forgot it in the car a mile away in the parking lot!  I told myself this will be a good challenge for me since I've never done a race without one and my swimming needs some work.  My wave started and I stayed towards the back knowing I would be slow.  Felt ok at first then my form started getting poor.  I struggled and it felt like it was taking forever.  About 2/3rds through, the wave that started after mine caught up to me and over took me.  I wasn't happy with my performance at all.  Saw bottom and stood up looking at my watch.  It read 11:30ish which was about 3 min slower than my usual time.  I felt much more tired also.  Ran to T1, grabbed sunglasses, race belt and helmet and took off.  After catching my breath on the bike I was able to get a good average speed going.  My goal....pass and don't get passed.  I knew I had to make up a lot of time on the bike for my poor swim performance.  In total, I was passed 3 times by guys on super bikes that looked like they did this for a living (LOL) and I passed what seemed like 50 people or more so I felt good about this.  Average MPH was 20.5.  Had a decent T2 and started off.  This was my second race on the tri bike and for only the second time I had no leg cramps at all.  maintained a good run pace and finished pretty strong.  Overall, I was happy with the race performance overall but need substantially more swim work.

 

Hodag Run For Your Life 10K!

Saturday June 30th, I had a chance to run a 10K down in Rhinelander that was put on by the YMCA.  I was concerned about the heat and humidity since the whole week it was warm and I was having a difficult time training.  Got up Saturday morning, had a couple cups of coffee, some oatmeal and got ready to go.  Got down to the race about an hour before start.  Did some warm up exercises, stretched, had a protein shake and banana and waited for the start.  My hip has been bugging me over the last few weeks so I was concerned about it holding up for the duration but knew I would push myself regardless.  The gun went off and I was able to maintain a nice pace for the first couple miles.  I felt the heat starting to get to me about mile 3 but kept telling myself  "I'm a machine and I must simply push through the heat and hip".  Was happy to see water stations about every mile or so and took advantage of it but had to remind myself not to drink too much or I would get stomach cramps.  About 3 miles in I found someone that was about my age and thought I would pace myself about 3 steps behind him and it worked well.  As I passed the 5 mile mark I started to game plan.  I didn't know if this person was in my age group but he could have been so I wanted to wait and push it the last couple blocks before the finish.  As I got about 4 blocks from the finish line the person I was pacing with seemed to slow down and I passed him quite easily.  I looked at my watch and had a chance to PR so I pushed it HARD.  As I crossed the finish line I saw I was about 38 seconds slower than my best 10K time and I was out of gas.  I searched out the shade and someone handed me a cold water and said "You look like you need this more than I do..."  At that point she was my savior!  LOL!  As the results came in I was disappointed to see that I didn't place either so I had a quick massage and headed home.  Good race overall considering my hip was bugging me and I almost PR'd.  Halfway through the race the heat was getting bad and despite my week of so-so training it wasn't as big of a factor as I thought it might be.

Minocqua Island Swim Challenge!

So I was looking on facebook last week Thursday and saw this race.  It was the first year for the event and I was intrigued.  It was a 1 mile swim out and back in Lake Minocqua.  Now, I have been swimming a fair amount this year but have only done one .93 mile practice drill so far and I did one last year, so needless to say I didn't have many big swims under my belt.  I wanted the challenge and thought it would be a good test to see where I am.  Nothing like an impromptu race!  So, I got there about 7:45 that morning, signed up and started chatting with some fellow racers.  After the mandatory swimmer meeting I suited up in the wetsuit and did some warm up swims.  I knew I was in a field with some very strong swimmers, some on collegiate teams so this time around I decided to stay in the back of the pack so I could concentrate on form and maintain a good rhythm.  The gun went off and everyone took off.  It did take me a few more seconds to get swimming as the front pack cleared out.  About 1/3 of a mile in I was thinking...."This is long!" as I was siting buoys.  LOL!   Overall siting was pretty good.  There were a few times I needed to make adjustments but overall I was pleased with staying on course.  I never really was passed and I did pass a few people along the way.  Felt good to see the finish line!   Total time was 43:43 ranking 9 out of 12 in my AG and 60 out of 71 overall.  The good news was that other than a little dizzy coming out of the water, I was not tired.  This will play well in my triathlons going into T1 and the bike. Time was almost exactly what I thought it would be.  I could have pushed it a little more but wanted to make sure I didn't run out of steam towards the end.  Form was ok, and I'm still trying to improve on it.

I'm in the black Xterra wetsuit adjusting goggles.

Here's a link to a nice video of the event

Back to training!

Took a couple days off after last week's triathlon in Eau Claire. Wednesday, I decided it was time to get back in the saddle....Why?  I found a tri to do on July 1st!  So Wednesday I went for a run.  Felt good.  Didn't do any type of speed drills, just a nice easy run about 4 miles long.  Heart rate never got into the 140's so I could have pushed it a little more.  Thursday I had a little time so I went to the gym to lift.  It's been a while (about 4+ weeks) since I've done any weight lifting so I wanted to mix it up a little.  Did some Dead lifts and shoulder work.  I went light though since it's been a while and my shoulder still is bugging me from an injury last Feb which I probably should have had looked at in hindsight.  Friday was a bike day.  My lower back started to hurt about 10 miles into my race last week so I wanted to see if it was a fluke or if it would happen again.  After 17 miles it felt ok so I'm hoping it was a one time issue.  Took Saturday off because Ann came home from being gone a week at school and it was our anniversary.  Movie time and dinner at Pub and Prime!  So that comes to today.  Bought my state park pass and jumped into my training ground....Crystal Lake.  I love this lake.....all sand, deep and crystal clear.  It's about 50 acres in size and no motor boats are allowed.  the short way across is about 1/3rd of a mile and the long way across is about .47 miles.  Today I wanted to push and see what I can do.  I went for the long way across and back.  Ann said my sighting was bad but there wasn't much to use to sight with.  My form wasn't the best so that's something I need to work on.  Good news was I wasn't overly winded.  Total time came to about 40 minutes at .93 miles.  I need to get that time down substantially.

Chris      

Eau Claire Triathlon

My first triathlon of the 2012 season is in the books!  Had a great time and had one of my better events.  My goal was simple....to come in at the top half of my division.  Mission accomplished!  15 out 32 and 60 out of over 200+ total participants!  

Started out hot, already in the 70's at 6 in the morning.  Got to the event site about 6:30.  The swim course was shortened due to some weed issues.  The coordinator said it was now about 370 yards.  Transition spots were predetermined and I had a good one!  spoke with some fellow triathletes, got prepared, body  marked and at around 7: 30 put on my wetsuit and headed down to the lake.  Waves were about 3 min apart and I was in wave 2.  The gun went off and I found myself in the middle of the pack, just where I did not want to be.  Lots of kicking and being kicked.  Took a while to get separation and had to deal with floating weeds on an ongoing basis.  Couldn't get into a real good rhythm because as soon as I did I ran into people who were floating on their back.  Got to the beach and ran up the hill to T1.  Wetsuit came off pretty easy but I was winded from the swim, something that hasn't happen much in the past.  Felt like it took forever in transition but apparently I did ok.  Jumped on the bike and headed out.  The course took us through some residential streets to get us out of town.  After a couple miles we were on some county roads that were straight and long with a couple hills.  There were two hills that took me longer than I wanted to get up and after the second one I became a little winded and noticed I was slower.  After a few more miles I regained speed and started passing people again.  By this time my lower back was starting to ache.  I have no idea why since it hasn't in the past.  My goal was to break 20MPH on average for the bike portion.  I hit 19.5 MPH average, short of my goal but a decent time none the less.  Got back to T2 and almost forgot my race belt.  Started to run and for the first time in my life, my calves and quads did not cramp up!  By now the temperatures were getting HOT.  I would guess around upper 80's maybe more.  I dreaded the sunny spots and took water in at each water station.  They had a sprinkler set up at about the halfway point and I took full advantage of it. by the time I got to mile 3 I was wanting to be done.  Saw the finish line and it felt great to cross and finish strong!  There were a few challenges along the way but overall I was VERY happy with my performance.  One of my better races.   

Open water swim training!

Trying to get in some quality open water swimming.  Water temps are in the low 60's and on the cool side but doable.  

First Open Water Swim of 2012!

Well, it was time to get some swimming in....Water temps are in the low 60's and when we hit the water it was quite a shock!  My face actually hurt when I stuck my face in the water but as we started to swim it got better over time.  Definitely wouldn't do this without a wetsuit!  Felt pretty good considering we haven't really swam since the fall of last year!

Ann  

Tri Bike fitted!

Despite the bad weather and not doing a race this past weekend I was able to sneak a bike fitting in a Emery's in Milwaukee.  I can tell a difference in riding just in the short time I was on the bike.  My lower back doesn't hurt anymore and the seat I was going to sell because of being too uncomfortable in all the wrong places now seems to be working better.  I may need to go back and get some tweaks done hear and there but it's pretty close!

 

Inexpensive TriBike Water bottle/Computer Mounting

There's no need to spend big money on mounting systems for your water bottle and computer for your tri bike, especially if you are doing Sprint and Olympic races.  

First race of the year completed.....

Well, it was a tiring race and I'll admit, I wasn't as prepared as I needed to be.  My first 5K went well and I felt I had a good pace.  My bike was a little harder than I anticipated.  20 miles with a lot of long steep hills wore me out a bit.  I had a good pace but paid for it on the run.  Got off the bike and started running only to have my quads cramps up BAD.  COMPLETELY destroyed my second 5K time.  Going over it I've come to the conclusion that it was a combination of not enough long endurance training, bike fit and simply pushing too hard on the bike.  My transition times were awesome which was the most positive thing I can take out of this race.  It's an eye opener for the season and I knew it would be so time to knuckle down and train even harder!  

First race of the year tomorrow!

Ann and I signed up for the Cinco Du Mayo Duathlon in Stillwater, MN.  Ann will be doing the sprint course which is a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, and a 2 mile run and I'll be doing the long course which is a 3 mile run, 20 mile bike, and another 3 mile run.  Weather is looking "ify" with some rain in the forecast so I'm praying it holds off and the road dries up a bit or the bike portion will have to be a bit slower.  This will be a great test for my knee which has had a "click" in it for about 3 weeks after I banged it hard accidently.  If all goes well we are looking to do a triathlon the first weekend of June down in Lake Mills which would be Ann's first tri!  We need to get into the lake and get some swimming time in though.  We should have some pics and video of tomorrows event so stay tuned!

Chris

Tri Bike Shoes vs. Road Bike Shoes

My new ride!

It has arrived!  Visiting our son in Winona and stopped into a bike store to buy a part I needed to complete my custom road bike build and came across this.  I had no intention of buying it and NEVER make those types of impulse buys but Ann said "Happy B-Day" and said I deserved it.  Hmmmmm, who am I to argue with such a smart woman! 

How to build your own foam roller inexpensively!

We all know that foam rollers help us runners and triathletes prevent injury to our tendons and muscles but the cost to buy some of these products can be quite costly.  I saw this article on kineticloop.org and thought I would repost it here for everyone!

How to Build a Foam Roller

As everyone knows the craze for foam rolling has taken off. If you haven't heard of foam rolling you can go to www.kineticloop.org . On our site Kinetic Loop Training System we have a free article called Rolling the Hot Spots using the Kinetic Foam Rolling Loop method with step by step instruction on full body foam rolling. 

How would you like to learn how to make a foam roller for under 20 dollars??? You will need the following items below:
1. Blue camping mat from Walmart (8.00 dollars)
2. 3 inch diameter by 20 inches in length PVC pipe from Lowe's or Home depot(cost 3.00)
3. Super adhesive Spray number 77 (3.00 dollars )
4. Duct tape (3.00 dollars)
5. Razor blades (2.00 dollars)

Instructions:
Roll out camping mat and measure 12.75 inches in height and 21 inches in width.
Cut measurements with razor blade.
Wipe off any dust on the PVC pipe and spray with adhesive.
Wrap mat around the PVC pipe
Make sure the mat wraps up evenly on the PVC pipe and both ends touch.
Take the duct tape and wrap around the camping mat.
Wrap and cut the duct tape a section at a time.
Make sure to pull firmly.
Now you have your very own home made foam roller.

Ann's racing bike is done!

Put new 10 speed shifters, new cassette, new chain, new rear derailleur in additin to the already upgraded 105 compact crank, racing rims and tires.  All 105 or higher end components.  Only thing left that's original is the frame, fork and seatpost.  Should really help Ann in her time in races!  

Lunges!

If you want to build a "balanced" leg that will help in all areas

 of your fitness then lunges are a great workout!

Bodyfat and weight coming back into line....

After my "bulk phase" in the winter I added a fair amount of muscle mass.  Along with it I also added a little bodyfat which is very common.  At the height of my bulk I was up to about 13+% bodyfat and a weight of about 165Lbs.  Since I've started a "cut phase" about 6 weeks ago I have now dropped my body fat down to about 9.5% and weight to about 160.  My race weight during the summer last year was around 145 to 150Lbs. at about 9% bodyfat so the additional 10+ pounds this season are mostly in the form of muscle this time around.  I would like to drop maybe another 5 or so pounds just to make running and swimming a little easier but I really don't want to drop all the weight because that will mean I've lost muscle.

Diet is similar to what I was eating during my bulk phase but with less calories and around 2100 per day.  I used to eat an additional meal in the early afternoon consisting of a vegetable, wild rice and some type of lean meat and have replaced that with 1/2 cup of oatmeal.  I've also try to avoid a lot of carbs in the evening because if you have a surplus of carbs at night it tends to turn into fat storage (at least on me).

Goals will be to lose another 1 to 2% bodyfat and drop another 5 or so pounds in the next few weeks.

Chris

Healthy Ice Cream

One of the things that I find a fun challenge is to take an unhealthy recipe and turn it into a healthy one.  My latest attempt has been to recreate a good tasting ice cream that is healthy and not full of artificial chemicals.  I think that I have done it!

Cut up a banana into 6-7 chunks and freeze it in a freezer-safe container.
When frozen, place chunks into a food processor/blender and use the pulse mode to grind them up.
Add whatever other ingredients that you would like.  I suggest other fruits (frozen is better), cocoa, powered peanut butter, nuts, or whatever else strikes your fancy.  Feel free to add a natural sweetener if you so desire.

The banana has a very mild flavor which blends with the other items.  Last night I made chocolate peanut butter, and the banana flavor was hardly noticeable.  The texture out of the food processor is similar to a soft-serve, but you can refreeze if you prefer a hard ice cream.  It tastes like ice cream with little to no fat, how awesome is that! Give it try the next time you have that sweet tooth!

Feel free to email me with questions or unique combinations that you have tried.

Ann

First outside time trial run.....

Well, I did my first real time trial run outside today.  It was good in some ways and not so good in other ways.  I was able to track my heart rate with a used heart rate watch we picked up for $20 and it surprised me that my heart rate was stable and in a good range for the whole run considering I haven't ran outside since last fall.  On the downside, I could tell my legs felt "heavy" compared to last year and thus my time reflected that.  I do have more size (muscle) on my legs and body since last fall so I expect that I will gain speed as I get a little smaller over the next couple months.  I highly suggest that anyone that runs or does cardio to pick up a heart rate watch/monitor and the type with a chest strap.  I found out I can use this on the treadmill and the treadmill will pick up the signal and display it on the machine!

This is what we bought.  Brand is Oregon Scientific.  Measures heart rate continuously, you can set an upper and lower alarm for training, has a stop watch, alarm and time.  Does not have a GPS for distance but for $20, we couldn't complain.

Chris

Spring is here and that means.....

...Race season is upon us!  That's right, running events, duathlons and triathlons will be in play from here on out!  We began our training a few weeks ago doing some HIIT training on the treadmill (will do some videos illustrating this in the near future), some "bootcamp" type workouts and metabolic workouts in addition to our weight routine.  If you are interested in doing any kind of racing event here are a few good links!

http://www.trifind.com/

http://www.runningintheusa.com

http://www.active.com/

If anyone has some other good sites please let us know!

Ann & Chris

YWatch Video segment from our visit to WJFW (Channel 12) is up!

http://www.wjfw.com/ywatch.html

A new "Personal Record" on the Leg Press Today!

Had a good workout and on my 4th set of close leg presses was able to do a new personal best of 600 punds (just plates)!

Had a fun time at WJFW (Channel 12) last evening!

We had a fun time helping out the YMCA during the "Y-watch segment during the 5 O'cock news!  When we get the video we'll post it up!

Chris

Working out while traveling

Many people make excuses saying it's too hard to exercise when they travel.  We're hear to tell you that it can be done.  Remember...no excuses!

New Personal Record!

Was extremely excited yesterday!  Felt great in the gym and was having a pretty good lifting day.  Did some warm up sets on the close leg sled machine and then started to hit it heavy.  My last set Chris added 10 more pounds to my previous record of 550Lbs.  I not only did it but I did 9 rep!  I couldn't believe I was able to do that heavy with that many reps.  Chris joked that he should have added even more.  Anyways, I was thrilled and it made my day!

Ann

Injured....

What can I say, didn't even know how it happened.  Doing chest yesterday and felt pretty good.  Got to the end and was doing pushups on a BOSU Ball and felt some pain in the shoulder.  By the time I got home I could tell it was injured.  Now rest and ice.  Not good.

Chris

Turkey Chili

Looking for a healthy chili recipe?  Here it is!  

1 Lb. Ground turkey (93/7 lean)

3 – 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added preferable)

1 yellow sweet pepper (diced)

1 sweet onion 3 in diameter (diced)

1/8^th cup chili powder - or to taste

¼ cup oregano – or to taste

¼ cup Basil – or to taste

1clove garlic or to taste

Brown the ground turkey in a pan.  In a blender, put the 3 cans of the diced tomatoes in and hit the pulse or ice chop button to just chop them a little more.  I don’t fully “puree” them.  Put tomatoes into pan with turkey.  Add sweet pepper, onion, oregano, basil, Chili powder, and garlic.  Cook with top on for about 15 minutes.  Take top off and cook down for another 5 to 10 minutes or until chili looks like it’s the right consistency. 

Top with a low fat type cheese like mozzarella, or parmesan.

Makes approx 6 cups of chili (about 4 servings)

Nutrition Per serving:

Calories:  350

Total Fat: 9.2gr    (Sat Fat: 2.5gr)

Protein: 27.4gr

Carbs: 35.4gr   (Dietary Fiber 3.4gr)

Our first public appearance!

Ann's Leg Annihilation Day !

I had a great leg day!  I was able to PB on my close leg press, leg extension and calves!

Deadlifts!

Had some fun at the gym yesterday! Lifts were up, my back was feeling pretty good for once
so I decided to see what I could do with some deadlifts. This was my 5th set and I never 
was able to go this heavy before due to a "tender" back. Felt "accomplished"!

Protein Packed Pancakes!

Here's a GREAT recipe for some pancakes we came up with that are healthy too!  Here's what you will need:

2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup quick oats
1 1/2 scoops (45gr) of vanilla or unflavored Whey protein
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp stevia
1 tsp baking powder

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat.  In a blender add the oats and chop them up until they are close to a powder in consistency.  Add eggs, whey, cinnamon, vanilla extract, stevia, olive oil baking powder.  If the consistency is too thick you can thin it with a little water or skim milk until it's pour-able.  Pour onto pan in 4 to 5 inch diameter size and cook.  Makes about eight 4 to 5 inch pancakes.  Finish off with some spray butter, sugar free syrup or better yet...add some berries or bananas on top!

Nutrition breakdown is as follows per pancake:

Calories: 95
Fat: 3.7gr
Sat Fat:  .75gr
Poly Fat:  .6gr
Mono Fat:  2gr
Carbs:  7.1gr
Fiber: 1gr
Protein:  8.4gr

Workout 1-19-12

Great Workout! Legs today for me! PB'd on squats with 245lbs @ 6 reps on my 4th set and PB'd on close leg press with 500lbs @ 6 reps! Ann meanwhile blasted 45lb DB Incline Presses, PB'd on the Pec Deck with 140Lbs at 8 reps and Pb'd with Decline Bench on the Smith Machine with 90lbs at 8 reps! Way to Go Babe!

"Loaded" Quesadillas!

Ok, here's one of FAVORITES!

You will need:

Some "healthy" quesadilla tortillas.  Look at the fat, fiber, protein contents.  Anything with high fiber, flax seed, whole wheat, etc can work.  We also REALLY like a product called Joseph Lavish's which is at most Walmarts.

1.  Cut up a couple tomatoes, onions and sweet peppers (yellow, orange and red).  Put in bowls off to the side.
2.  Grill some chicken breasts and use about 5 oz per Quesadilla/Lavish.  Cut up into small bite size pieces.
3.  Baby Spinach
4.  Cummin and Chilli powder
5.  Shredded Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Cheese or Shredded Mozzarella.

In a skillet (we love and use cast iron skillets), spray with cooking spray and put a couple teaspoons of olive oil in the pan. On an electric stove we put the temp to about 5.  Before the pan gets too hot, take your Quesadilla/Lavish and run it over the olive oil, coating the bottom so it will brown.  On one half of the Lavish/Quesadilla, put the cut up Chicken Breast then sprinkle the cummin and chilli powder over it.  Add Tomatoes, onions, peppers, then about a cup of the spinach.  Finish off with about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.  Fold the unused half to cover the ingredients.  After a few minutes you will need to turn the quesadilla over to brown the other side and get the cheese to melt.  If some of the ingredients spill out, that's ok.  Once the second side is browned, carefully put it onto a plate.  If any of the ingredients spilled out now would be the time to scoop them out of the pan and put them back into the quesadilla.  Let it sit a couple minutes to firm up and serve!  This is a healthy meal complete with good carbs (whole wheat quesadilla/lavish), protein (chicken) and vegetables.  The fats you get are good fats and from the olive oil, chicken breast and little in the shells if you use something with flax seed for instance.  Everyone we have made this for absolutely loves it!

Ann

Close grip Lat Pulldowns

Had a very good workout and was able to go up in weight.  I still need to get my lats a lot larger if I have any chance of doing well in a competition.....