Let’s talk about this race photo.

Another failed heel click!  I attempt to do a heel click at every race.  Very often, I cannot time it correctly with the photograph’s flash (because, seriously, I am usually busy trying not to pass out from exhaustion in the middle of the race, and while heel clicking is high on my priority list, it requires a great deal of oomph)…

But sometimes I time it perfectly and click click click for the camera…

Next time!  I’ll get a good one next time!  Only a month and a half to go until my next race.  I should practice my heel clicks more regularly….

Speakin’ of practice…

Back to working out.  I took a few days off after the race to recover, and I was ready to go this morning.  I ran a fast mile on the treadmill and then went to spin class, which was a fabulous as always.  My favorite instructor was teaching.  I like her because 1) she plays the same songs over and over again (which I do, too, when I love a song!) and 2) she says some really funny one-liners.  Like…

Do guppies heel click?  No.  Then I don’t wanna be a guppy.

Breakfast:

An egg scramble with broccoli, spicy soy chorizo, and sweet potatoes.  Kind of a strange flavor combo, but it worked.  I would’ve loved to eat those juicy watermelon slices, but Henry stole them all and promptly inhaled ‘em.

Question of the Day:  What time of day is it easiest for you to be healthy?  Me:  the morning.  I eat a balanced breakfast and (usually) find time to exercise.  As the evening approaches, I start feeling lazy and want to just get horizontal on the couch, eat cookies, and watch back-to-back episodes of Scandal.

Plus – a birthday party!

It has been a long, long, LONG time since I set a personal record.  I think it’s been two years!  But yesterday – I finally broke a record.  And when I say I broke it, I mean I destroyed it. My new sprint tri record is about four minutes faster than before.  I’m so pumped.

I recently had an epiphany about fitness. It sounds simple, but I’ve finally really understood that wanting something isn’t enough to make it happen.  I guess this applies to all aspects of life, huh? This is what I was doing:  I was wishing and hoping that I’d be stronger, faster, and fitter.  But I was working out exactly the same way as before.  Basically, I wanted to get better without putting in anymore effort. Hah! Don’t we all?  But clearly, that does not work so well!

For the last month and a half, I really buckled down.  I increased intensity, duration, and frequency (wisely, as I’m not looking to get injured).  I exercised when I would rather sit on the couch.  I did sit-ups during commercial breaks.  I ran for five minutes longer.  I swam two laps more.  I indoor cycled through another chapter of my book.  I upped the resistance in cycling class.  Basically – I tried a lot harder.  And guess what?

It paid off!

I actually did Tri Latta back in 2011, a few months before getting pregnant.  At the time, I was really pleased with my performance – it was one of the first open water triathlons that I did not panic during the swim.  At the time, I felt like I had a really strong race.  But here’s a comparison of my times back in 2011 to my times yesterday.  So much improvement!

I shaved time off every portion of the race!  I’d really happy with my transition times – I made up 4 minutes on transitions alone.  I shaved 1 minute off the swim and 3 minutes on the run.  But here’s what I’m most excited about…. That bike!  17 miles in 58 minutes is really, really great for me!  All that time on the indoor trainer really paid off.  Thank goodness – if all that time and effort in the saddle had been wasted, I would’ve screamed (I hate the trainer!).

And you may remember that my other triathlon goal for this season was to consistently finish in the top 50% of my age group.  I came in #10 out of 20 – goal met!  Wahoo.

Here’s a quick little breakdown of each leg:

Swim – I actually had a ton of trouble on the swim.  I arrived at the race late and the line for the bathrooms was monstrous.  As a result, I got to the beach just a few minutes before we were supposed to start, and I never got my game face on.  I had difficulty getting into a rhythm and flipped over to my back way more often than I would’ve liked.  I also got punched – really hard! – in the forehead by another swimmer (not sure how it logistically happened!), which kind of threw me off.  By the end of the swim, I was glad to get out of the water and sprint up the big hill to transition.

Bike – For once, my weakest sport was the best!  I concentrated hard on making sure I was always in the right gear, and I worked to keep a decent pace.  I passed a few women in my age group, which gave me a big thrill, as I’m normally the one being passed!  Unfortunately, I forgot to pack a water bottle (major fail) so I had no fluids on the bike, and that meant that I couldn’t choke down any Gu.  That was rough – I probably would’ve felt even more awesome if I had fueled properly.

For the last two miles, I biked alongside another women in my age group.  We motivated and cheered one another on.  As we neared transition, she said to me, “Just so you know, I’m going to try really hard to pass you since you’re in my age group.”  I replied, “No, no, no – I’m going to pass you!”  We laughed and both gunned it.  And then I blew past her.  That NEVER happens to me, and it felt so awesome!

Run – The run course was off-road, along a really rocky trail.  I was concerned about rolling my ankle!  The course had two switchbacks so you were always running with and against other runners, which I really like.  There were two aid stations so I had plenty of chances to fuel and hydrate.

One interesting part of the race is that I intentionally left my watch at home.  I had no idea how fast I was on the bike or the run until the results were posted.  I really liked racing this way – it allowed me to race more intuitively. I didn’t feel pressure to ‘race the clock’ – and I think I was faster as a result!

All in all – a great race.  I feel so proud of myself, and I’m really looking forward to my other races this season. I’m hoping to have one event during which I can really put  all my skills together and have an awesome swim, bike, and run.

The best part of the race, however, was going home!  Right after I got back (and showered), I dove into helping set up for Henry’s birthday party.  It was a small party with some family and a few friends.  Oh, and Elmo!  Lots and lots of Elmo.

Emily’s truly delicious Black Bean Burgers

Amazingly, there was no cake smashing!  Henry just dipped his fingers into the icing and licked each finger clean.  I don’t even think he noticed the cake.  Ah well.  The icing is the best part anyways. Right?

That is the hummus question.

Let’s be friends on Instagram!

The other day, DadHTP informed me that you are supposed to stir the flavored hummus tub when you first open it.  You know what I mean – I’m talking about the hummus and pine nuts, hummus and sundried tomato, and hummus and caramelized onion blends you can buy at the store.  The ones with the delicious center pocket of goodies? Yeah. Those!

Whenever I buy hummus, I immediately eat the center out with a few potato chips – because it’s so damn delicious.  Then I’m stuck with plain ol’ boring hummus that I finish off over a couple days.  When Dad told me that you’re supposed to stir it up, it made sense, but honestly – I was shocked!  I never thought of that before.  And three people that I’ve asked since never thought of it, either.

So – does anyone else just eat the center of goodies first?  Or do you mix it all up?  Has the thought to mix it even crossed your mind?!  Did I just blow you away!?  I didn’t think hummus was capable of being mind-blowing, but hey – I was knocked sideways when I realized some people mix it up.

I just can’t believe Henry is turning one!  I will never, ever forget the wonderful memories that Kristien, Henry, and I made over the past 365 days. And thank you so much for the support over the course of my pregnancy and his first year – it meant so much and helped us through so many rough patches.

Henry is the best thing in our world, and we are so thankful to be his mom and dad.  Here’s to many, many more wonderful years for our beautiful boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY!

It was a good week!

I’m finally public on Instagram – CaitlinHTP.  Won’t you be my friend?

Here’s all my workouts from last week.  My next tri is just around the corner!

Monday – Rest.

Tuesday – Morning: 2 mile run at the gym + strength training (legs).  Afternoon: 1000 yard swim.

Wednesday – 1 hour ride on the indoor trainer.

Thursday – 1000 yard swim.

Friday – 45 minute bike ride on the indoor trainer.

Saturday – 5 mile run without the jogging stroller – such a nice break for the arms!

Sunday – 1 hour ride on the indoor trainer.

Totals: 7 miles of running, 2000 yards of swimming, 2 hours and 45 minutes of bike riding, one strength training session

Thoughts:  I’m pretty pleased with last week’s workouts. My goals were to: increase saddle time, do at least one strength workout, and go for an open water swim. Unfortunately, the open water swim (ran by our local YMCA) wasn’t offered this past Saturday, so that was a no go.  But I did make my two other goals, so I’m proud of myself.

The trouble with increasing my bike time is that my run distance suffered.  I ran twice as far last week as I did this week.  My ultimate goal is to increase intensity and duration for all three triathlon sports, but I feel like I’m currently in a bit of a fitness plateau and struggling to ‘break through’ the barrier to more intensive workouts overall.  Currently, if I increase one sport, another has to give.  I’m not too bothered by the shorter run distance because biking is my priority, and during races, I lose the most time on the ride, not the run.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that my fitness turning point is right around the corner – maybe next week?

And yesterday, after I finished my ride, I took my bike to a local shop to get it tuned-up. They offer a $20 race-day package that checks gears, shifters, the tires, etc.  I know one of my gear shifters is screwy, and I’d really love to have everything in picture-perfect condition before Sunday’s race.

When we were at the bike shop, I have to admit – a few shiny new bikes caught my attention.  My bike is definitely showing its age and use – plus a few triathlon battle scars, including a ripped-up seat from a crash a few years ago.  Man, oh man – the news bikes are so beautiful! I did look into payment options – the store offered free financing for 18 months! – and was oh-so-tempted.  The Husband even said, “Want a bike? Let’s buy a new bike!”  But I always imagine DadHTP saying, “It’s not the bike that makes you fast, it’s your legs.” So true.  I’d rather use the money on more race registrations!  I managed to walk away from the bikes… but it was hard.

Side note: THIS WEEK ONLY!

Save $10 off individual registration and $25 off relay team registration for all remaining Ramblin Rose sprint triathlon events. 

It’s not too late to become a TRIATHLETE this summer!  Our final races include:  Rock Hill, SC (July 14), Winston-Salem, NC (August 18), Charlotte (September 22), and Chapel Hill (October 6). I will be at each and every event and would LOVE to see you there.  Use promo code SUMMER to save.  Deal ends June 16 at midnight.

How was your workout week? Ever hit a fitness plateau like me?

The title sums it up.

Tacos!

And a haircut.

Up first… those tacos.

I’ve been wrappin’ everything – everything! – in soft corn taco shells. Everything tastes better and infinity more delicious in taco form. Agree? Agree.

Today’s combo included:

Wild rice

Black beans

Tomatoes

Cheddar cheese (extra extra extra sharp)

Onions

Asparagus

Good stuff!

And about that haircut… We wanted to fancy Henry up before his birthday. O-N-E. One!  Can you believe it? I certainly can’t. His birthday is on Wednesday. We don’t have big plans, but I am sure excited to celebrate his special day.

Before:

After!

I swear there’s an actual difference.  I have the wispy fuzzies all over my shirt to prove it.

Happy Sunday!

Something sweet for breakfast…

Someone sweet to love!

I figured it was time to write 5 Facts About Pippa since there’s already 5 Facts About James and 5 Facts about Maggie.  Pippa’s been with us since this Fall, and we love her so much!

Fact #1:  Pippa’s full name is Pippa Middleton (all of our pets are named after Brits – Maggie Thatcher and James Bond).  Her shelter name, however, was Sweetie Pie (Maggie’s was Tinkerbell and James was Oscar).

Fact #2: Pippa loves food. A lot. When we first brought her home, she ate so enthusiastically that I ended up overfeeding her.  I put her on a diet when my mother-in-law came over and asked me if Pippa was pregnant. She’s down to her fighting weight now.  You may remember pictures of Pippa eating on top of the powder room toilet – we fed her in the bathroom so her bowl was away from the dogs.  But then, every time a guest walked into the bathroom, Pippa would sprint after them saying, “Meow? Meow? MEOW???” and jump onto the toilet before they could sit down.  She now eats in the dining room.

Fact #3: Pippa has at least two BB gun pellets under her skin.  She was a stray (with kittens) when she was picked up by the rescue group that we adopted her from, and she had apparently been used as target practice.  Doesn’t that make you sad?  People are screwed up.  But Pippa is not scared of people at all and is super friendly.  Animals are so forgiving.

Fact #4: Pippa is Alpha.  She gets along really well with both of the dogs, sometimes cuddling up next to them for daytime naps.  She follows them everywhere they go.  However, every now and then, she will suddenly turn around and beat the heck out of Maggie or James.  No warning!  I think she just wants to keep them in line…

Fact #5: Pippa is really great with Henry and likes to play ball with him.  He will throw a tennis ball in her direction, and she will dive on it and bat it back to him!  It’s pretty incredible.  She’s a really sweet, fun cat who comes when called, likes to cuddle, and doesn’t give you the cat cold shoulder.

Pretty girl!

And now… something else that is very sweet.

This breakfast was oh-so-good. One of my best creations in a long, long time.  I will definitely be making this again soon!

Sweet Quinoa Scramble with Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients (for two servings):

• 1 large sweet potato
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup loosely packed raw spinach
• 1.4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Sprinkle of salt

Directions:

• Stab potato with fork.  Microwave for 6 – 8 minutes or until soft.
• Meantime, in a small pot, cook balsamic on Medium High until it reduces to a thick sauce.  Keep an eye on it once it starts to bubble.  Reducing will take about 10 minutes – and if you over cook it, it’s donezo.
• In a non-stick pan, scramble eggs.  Once eggs are almost ready, reduce heat to low and add in chopped spinach, cooked quinoa, cranberries, and a dash of cinnamon and salt.
• Remove potato from microwave, peel skin, and chop cooked potato. Add to pan.
• Thoroughly mix the scramble.
• Plate the scramble and pour balsamic reduction on top.

For presentation, pack the scramble into a small juice cup and then turn it upside down on a plate!

The flavors – sweet from the cranberries, cinnamon, and sweet potato – really complement the eggs and balsamic.  I’m making this again tomorrow for sure.

Have a delicious day.  

What’s a fun fact about your pet?

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Minneapolis for a blogger tour of General Mills headquarters.

For transparency’s sake, our travel expenses were reimbursed but I’m not being paid for this post or am I being otherwise sponsored by General Mills.

The Husband and Henry came, too, and when we arrived in Minneapolis, we joined fellow bloggers Emilie from Baby Loving Mama, Jenn from Fit Bottomed Girls (we walked a half marathon together in Central Park a few years ago!), and Kath from Kath Eats. I was excited to meet Emilie and see Jenn again, but the Husband and I were super excited to see our old friends Kath, her husband Matt, and their son Mazen.

Henry and Mazen are only a few weeks apart. They were fast friends!

General Mills manufacturers many, many products under a variety of brand names, but we were really there for the cereal.  Chex is one of my favorite cereals because most flavors are gluten-free, I can find it at any grocery store, and it’s super versatile (hello, Breaded Baked Tofu and Peppermint Bark Chex Mix).

Now, as someone who believes in the power of a diet that is based on whole, natural, and unprocessed foods, I have some concerns with some of General Mills’ products (for example, the use of GMO ingredients and artificial coloring in children’s cereals).  General Mills was very open to discussing these issues, and I’m excited to share their feedback with you.  That being said, in the realm of what they do (manufacture processed foods), I feel like they’re making tremendous strides in transforming their cereals to be healthier options (using whole grains and reducing sugar, for example).  And while we all know that whole, unprocessed foods are the superior choice, I think it’s important to recognize that not everyone has regular access to such foods, whether due to their busy schedule, location, upbringing, or income. Whole grain fortified cereal is a really nutritious, accessible breakfast option for many people in our country, especially for families living in food deserts or on reduced incomes.  But I’d really like to save that discussion for my next post on General Mills!

Today, I’d like to focus on General Mills’ policies for working mothers and fathers and use it as a springboard for a larger discussion.

Maternity and paternity benefits are something that have interested me for years.  Did you know that at least 178 countries guarantee some sort of paid maternity leave? And at least 50 countries provide paid leave for dads? (Source) I was outraged when I discovered that in America, there is no legal requirement to provide new mothers with paid leave after the birth of their child.  This is hard to believe, but America is one of four countries in the entire world that doesn’t require some sort of pay. The other countries with no mandated pay are Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea.

(Source)

In America, many mothers and fathers are guaranteed job protection under the Family Medical Leave Act.  The FMLA provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year and only applies to employees of all public agencies and to employees of private companies with at least 50 employees.  FMLA not only applies to birth mothers and fathers but also to parents who are adopting a child, people who are caring for an ill family member, and in various other circumstances. (Source) While FMLA requires that companies give employees unpaid leave, employees can use paid sick or vacation days for some or all of the FMLA period so they can still collect wages.

On the state level, California requires some paid family leave, as does Washington and New Jersey. Some states also allow mothers to use short-term disability to cover a portion of the parent’s salary while they are on leave; generally, short-term disability will cover a portion of your wages for a six week period. You may also be able to use private disability insurance. (Source)

The end result is that in America – the country that talks BIG TALK about ‘valuing families’ – many mothers can only take a few weeks off before they have to return to work.  A quarter of women return to work less than 8 weeks after giving birth, and 10% are back in four weeks or less. (Source).  Numerous studies illustrate that short maternity leaves can trigger maternal depression and stress – but seriously, did we need a study to tell us that? Nope – it’s common sense. I imagine that it’s hard to feel happy when you’re still recovering from a vaginal delivery or a c-section, aren’t sleeping regular hours, and feel a tremendous amount of financial pressure because you’ve already lost several weeks worth of wages. Short leaves can also sabotage breastfeeding efforts.  Women who have longer leaves are more likely to breastfeed. (Source)

I understand that the maternity and paternity leave issue is a very complicated one. Paid leave would cost the government and private companies a great deal of money.  And there many be some professional and economical consequences to extremely long maternity leaves. But our system seems so horribly broken.  As I said, we say we value families, but we don’t even give mothers three months of paid leave so they can focus on bonding with their newborns!

Back to General Mills….

I was so excited to learn more about General Mills because I feel like it’s a company that is doing great things for their employees.  For example….

• On average, General Mills gives employees 26 weeks of job-protected leave (10 more than required by FLMA).

• The amount of paid leave varies by employee (and is based on how long they’ve been with General Mills), but Working Mother says the average at General Mills is two weeks of paid leave.  Not fabulous, but certainly much more than required.

• Fathers at General Mills get two weeks of paid paternity leave.  AWESOME!  Dads need paid leave, too.

• General Mills allows new parents to ‘phase back’ into work with a flexible schedule, reduced hours, or a work-from-home arrangement. 

• General Mills offers adopting parents $10,000 in aid to help cover the costs associated with adoption.

Could General Mills do more?  Sure.  I love it when companies offer moms a fully paid leave.  But the company goes well beyond the minimum, and every mother that I spoke to at the company had nothing but positive things to say about their policies.

When moms come back to work, General Mills makes it easier to continue breastfeeding with ‘Mothers Rooms.’  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), employers are required to provide time and place (not a bathroom!) for nursing moms to pump for up to one year. But General Mills really goes above and beyond with their amazing Mothers Rooms.  I saw a Mothers Room in nearly every department. All moms have to do is ‘reserve’ the space for a certain block of time, and they have a peaceful, safe space to pump.

I’ve written a lot about my experiences with exclusively pumping (and quitting), and I have to say – if I worked a traditional corporate job, I would’ve LOVED to have this space to pump.  To know that no one could hear my pump… that I had a fridge to store my milk… that I had a peaceful place to take a quick cat nap…

The coolest thing was that the room included a hospital-grade pump. All the moms have to do is bring their own tubes and shields.

General Mills also has an on-site daycare, which I got to visit.  It was a very well-organized, fun place, and I imagine that the moms at General Mills love being able to pop downstairs to say hello or feed their children.

As a brief side note…

I was also very, very excited to learn that General Mills is a supporter of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights. Benefits for same-sex parents are the same as heterosexual couples. General Mills CEO Ken Powell voiced the company’s opposition to a state constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman (voters rejected the amendment, and same-sex marriage is now legal in the state).  And Ken Charles, the General Mills Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion, testified in front of the Senate in support of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect GLBT employees.  In a blog post, Mr. Charles wrote:

“We value diversity. We value inclusion. We always have … and we always will.  We’re proud of our workplace, and we’re proud to be a leader for diversity and inclusion in our community…. We believe a diverse, inclusive culture produces a stronger, more engaged workforce – and strengthens innovation. Inclusive communities are more successful economically as well… Obviously, there are strongly held views on both sides. We acknowledge those views, including those on religious grounds. We respect and defend the right of others to disagree. But we truly value diversity and inclusion – and that makes our choice clear.”

I feel that support of GLBT rights are extremely important and closely related to family issues, and I was so happy to learn more about General Mills’ position on the topic.

I want to say that the legal requirements, regulations, and realities surrounding issues like maternity and paternity leave are very complex.  I researched this post to the best of my ability, but I’m sure I’m leaving out some important elements to the discussion – and I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and experiences about the topic in the comments section.

My situation – an entirely self-employed household – is a little unusual, so maybe one day I’ll have to write a post on how I felt about juggling my ‘leave’ and work.  But in the meantime… let’s discuss the topics covered in this post!  What kind of maternity benefits did you get? Did your partner or husband get time off, too? What benefits would you love to see your company offer new parents?

Countdown to my triathlon season’s most important sprint: less than two weeks!  That means that I’ll really been putting the stroke to the water, the pedal to the metal, the stride to the ride.  Or something. Here’s my weekly wrap up of triathlon workouts.

Monday: 1000 yard swim (morning, approximate) + 30 minute bike on the indoor trainer (afternoon, during a Henry nap).

Tuesday: 4.5 mile run with jogging stroller.

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 1 hour on the indoor trainer while reading The Maze Runner.  Lots of sprints.

Friday: 4 mile run with the jogging stroller.  The Husband joined me for this run.

Saturday: 1000 yard swim with sprints (was supposed to be an open water swim of 1500 meters, but Henry slept horribly the night before and I woke up feeling ill, so those plans were scrapped).

Sunday: 6 mile run at a fast clip while I pushed the jogging stroller and the Husband biked beside me.

Totals:  1.5 hours on the bike, 2000 yards of swimming, 14.5 miles of running.

I’m still finding it easier to swim and run than bike. No surprise there.  I do feel like I’ve been making my bike workouts count ‘more’ by doing heavier gears and lots of sprints. I know it doesn’t replace outdoor riding time, but I’m really struggling to fit outdoor rides into my schedule.

Overall, I’m extremely happy with last week’s training!  I’m pretty pumped for my upcoming triathlon.

My goals for next week include:  adding a day of strength training and cycling more.  Of course!  I hope to squeeze in one open water swim before the race, just so I can acclimate myself again to lake swims.

Favorite stretch of the week:  All of these!

Running jam of the week:

And just for fun, check out this comparison shot of me on my dad’s bike when I was a baby, and Henry on the Husband’s bike.  Cute, right?

Here’s to another week of activity!  Go get your goals!

Okay – not entirely wordless.  I’ve got to say – the buffalo cauliflower, blue cheese, and slaw tacos from the Charlotte food truck The Tin Kitchen were amazing. AMAZING. Doesn’t it look delicious? Best meal I’ve ever had from a truck!