Sunday Funday

Kit and Tye - 
patiently waiting to cross the street!

Today was a multifaceted training day, with a 1700 m swim (1000 m time trial), 1:30 bike, and 30 min. run on the menu.  But I started it all off with a quick spin around the neighborhood with these two cuties!  

Then it was off to the pool!  I felt pretty strong on my swim today, but that is definitely the area where I am still pretty clueless about how I measure up to the rest of my Age Group.  And I found this chart, which I found pretty helpful: Swim Fitness Pace Chart.  I am definitely looking forward to my first triathlon coming up in just under 1 month on April 20th to really get my feet wet after all this training.  

Today was a beautiful 70* California day, and after the pool, my training buddy Sean and I took in the sunshine...literally.  I definitely wasn't prepared for the sun and got my first tan lines of the year against some very red arms :(  As much as I want to add some color to my pasty white skin, sunscreen is a must for this girl.  Things to remember for next time...like I entitled this blog, trial and error!

My legs felt great after the bike and we finished up the training day with a short, easy run.  We capped off the day with lunch and a well deserved beer at San Pedro Square Market.

After a full training day like today, I don't want to have all of that work go to waste by consuming a ton of calories for dinner.  At this point, I am training for a max distance of an Olympic triathlon (for this season...I already have grand plans for at least 1 half Ironman next year), so I know that I don't need to refresh too many carb stores, so I made a dish that is a staple on my weekly menu and one that I rave about to friends all the time - Zucchini Pasta!

It is a healthy replacement for a bowl of pasta, just as filling, and just as simple. 

Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 2 are perfect for a single serving for me, but you can add as many as you want

1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Garlic Salt and Pepper (to taste)

I use a mandolin to cut the zucchini into spaghetti like "noodles", but a regular vegetable peeler will get the job done just the same.  Cut or peel the whole zucchini, then sauté over med-warm heat with the olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper until the "noodles" are soft and bendy.

Then serve with your favorite pasta sauce (I'm partial to the Bolognese sauce from Trader Joe's), some protein (my fave is the Chicken Basil Pesto Sausages from TJ's), and some fresh Parmesan cheese.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, cheers to a new week! 

A