Olympic Drinking Games and a Green Monster

on February 19, 2010

My brother-in-law (Nick) ended up coming over last night, and we decided to watch the Olympics and play a drinking game (don’t worry, I only had one beer! It was a short game):

We watched the half pipe, and every time a snowboarder would fall, we’d drink:

Snowboarders fall a LOT! 🙂

Nick told me that he’s been trying to make healthier changes to his diet. Recently, he says he’s begun to pay more attention to how the food he eats makes him feel. I suggested a month ago that he try putting spinach into his protein smoothies, and I was SO surprised last night when he told me he LOVES Green Monsters! I never thought he’d actually try it. He’s even gotten his friend hooked on them, too!

I think that conversation made ME crave a GM, too! I haven’t had one in months! I used to drink them so much that I got a little burnt out.

My GM contained:

1 cup vanilla rice milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon flax
1 cup raw spinach

Bubbly!

Plus, a piece of toast with raspberry jam.

Off to seize the day. I’ve got a lot to do!

Question: If you could be any type of Olympic athlete, what sport would you want to master? I’d compete in the 10,000 meter run (which is 6.2 miles).

{ 79 comments }

Evan Thomas February 19, 2010, 9:21 am
I would love to be a speed skater! Too bad I can’t go 5 feet without falling on my butt
Madeline - Greens and Jeans February 19, 2010, 9:22 am
I was actually a really competitive fencer growing up and I am friends with almost everyone who has been on the past two Olympic fencing teams! I think at this point in my life I’d love to compete in either the 10,000m run or to be on the Olympic cycling team!
- caitlin February 19, 2010, 9:25 am
  that is BAD ASS.
Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story February 19, 2010, 9:25 am
I love Green Monsters! I’m kind of new on that wagon, I do 3-4 a week. So, so good!

An olympic drinking game! I like it! 🙂
Nicole @ Geek Turned Athlete February 19, 2010, 9:25 am
I would love to to the biathlon with cross country skiing and shooting. It looks so cool to me! Yay for green monsters. I haven’t had on in a while either!
Christie @ Honoring Health February 19, 2010, 9:30 am
Good about your BIL liking the green smoothies. I like them, too, I just can’t do it when it is so cold like it is.
Jessica February 19, 2010, 9:31 am
You know, I’ve never had a green monster. I bought a big bag of spinach last night, so this weekend I’m making one – and copying your recipe for starters. Thank you!
Jen February 19, 2010, 9:31 am
When I was in High School, I would have said Tennis. In college, I would have said Ice Hockey. Now, I’d say an Olympic Triathlete. I wonder what I’ll say in 10 years?
Jessica @ The Process of Healing February 19, 2010, 9:34 am
I’d love to be a figure skater!! they are so graceful (so unlike me ha).

I love green monsters but I got burnt out on them too.. they are also good with yogurt in them – makes it thicker and has more staying power with the protein.
Amanda February 19, 2010, 9:36 am
Green Monsters are yummy, but I always end up hungry in 2 hours or less. I always loved watching the gymnastics and as a kid (a very little kid)I can remember rolling around on my bed pretending I was in the Olympics. Of course right now I’d say something to do with running, but I’m not sure what.
Carolyn February 19, 2010, 9:46 am
Gymnast!
Maura February 19, 2010, 9:50 am
I was a ski racer for 6 years so I’d love to be on the Olympic women’s alpine team! After going to college in NH, I actually know members of the team in Vancouver. So cool to watch them compete 🙂 Goooo Team USA!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg February 19, 2010, 9:52 am
Green monsters are so pretty!! I love that pale green color!
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday February 19, 2010, 9:52 am
For lent I’m having only green monsters on the weekend. 5 green monster meals. I think it’ll be tough, but that’s what lent is about.
Lily @ Lily's Health Pad February 19, 2010, 9:54 am
I’d be a gymnast! However, I’d have to shrink (I’m 5’9″) and get training!
Kelly February 19, 2010, 9:57 am
I was watching that too. The womens competition was so much less exciting than the mens. I used to be a gymnast so I would totally want to do that. Like Lily tho I would have to shrink i’m 5’8″ and re-master some skills.
Colleen February 19, 2010, 9:57 am
Hmmmmm…I think I would have to go with swimmer! I swam all through high school and I really miss it, but it’s just not feasible for me to add that to my workouts. But if you’re asking about winter Olympians I think I would have to go with…Curling! Can you imagine how clean those athlete’s floors must be at home?

It’s so sunny today here in GA – it looks like spring, but unfortunately still cold (well, relatively speaking). But I want a green monster so bad now! I think I’ll pick up some spinach this weekend. And how cool is it that your friend started adding spinach to his smoothies? That’s awesome!!!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner February 19, 2010, 9:59 am
I’d love to do the cross country skiing!
Britt @ Runnerbelle February 19, 2010, 9:59 am
I wish I had gotten into ski racing when I was younger, I raced in high school but wasn’t super serious about it. I think if I had been racing at a younger age I would have craved the speed more. I’ve been told I’m a very “pretty” skier, but that usually doesn’t get you speed. I’m in awe of Lindsey Vonn!
Brynn February 19, 2010, 9:59 am
I think I’d be a downhill skier. Those women are so impressive! I might answer that differently though if the summer Olympics were going on right now.
Diana @ frontyardfoodie February 19, 2010, 10:00 am
I love how green smoothies catch on! Seems like anytime I have one people ask about them and then try them and then tell their friends! It’s awesome!

I friggin love the Olympics. Snow boarding was awesome!
The Hot and Fit February 19, 2010, 10:03 am
I’d pick running, of course, or something to do with gymnastics. I ran 400 m in high school and hated. I’d be much better for a longer distance.
Shannon (The Daily Balance) February 19, 2010, 10:03 am
it’s been way too long since I had a green monster! I have to make sure I pick up some spinach this weekend!

I think i would want to ice skate – I am so NOT graceful and to feel delicate and lively on the ice would be somehting I’ve never experienced! It is such a beautiful sport.
Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers February 19, 2010, 10:06 am
i would love to be an olympic diver. i was a diver in high school & love watching diving. it’s such a beautiful sport!
Lacey February 19, 2010, 10:12 am
that is hilarious and what a great idea for a drinking game. i’m not a big drinker but i love the games!!!! KINGS was always my favorite esp when we revised the rules and came up with some of our own 🙂
Danielle (Coffee Run) February 19, 2010, 10:12 am
Yay for another GM convert 🙂 I’ve given them to my little brother before…they’re good!

I would be a gymnast. Except for the beam because that freaks me out
Morgan @ Life After Bagels February 19, 2010, 10:14 am
I’ll tell you what I wouldn’t be – a downhill skier. Holy crap there’s a lot of wipe outs. Too scary for me!
Morgan February 19, 2010, 10:15 am
I’d love, love, love to be a swimmer. it’s such a great atmosphere and team sport, plus an incredible workout. I would never do luge, just watching it scares me!
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) February 19, 2010, 10:17 am
Yay for spreading some Green Monster lovin’! 😀

I would love to master the 10,000 meter run too!! That’s my favorite distance as far as running is concerned. I feel like it’s partially endurance and partially speed. Love that combo! 😀
ashleigh February 19, 2010, 10:19 am
Haha fun drinking game!! Green monsters are the best pay to use up spinach that’s about to go bad.
Paige (Running Around Normal) February 19, 2010, 10:20 am
I don’t think I’ve ever had Rising Moon before. How is it?
Haha that sounds like a fun drinking game 🙂
That’s great your BIL is making healthier choices! Love GM’s.
Gwen February 19, 2010, 10:25 am
ice dancer! even though I actually hate skating, so that doesn’t make much sense! 🙂
Astrid February 19, 2010, 10:28 am
That is an easy question to narrow down to 2 choices for me. Figure skating or gymnastics! You should have seen my awesome reenactment of a figure skating routine in the living room in front of my boyfriend last night! It was amazing, and by amazing, I mean ridiculous.
It would be amazing to feel so in control of my body and graceful at the same time. I had a GM this morning, too. I like them once in a while, but I get tired of them easily. A couple days a week is plenty for me!
Allyson February 19, 2010, 10:29 am
I like to think of Green Monsters as the gateway drug to veggies! My boyfriend would even touch anything green until I got him to try a GM; now he’s hooked on ALL things green! Feels good to spead the GM around, doesn’t it?
Matt February 19, 2010, 10:31 am
Olympic marathoner please 😉
Run Sarah February 19, 2010, 10:32 am
I used to want to be an Olympic swimmer! That drinking game sounds like fun 🙂
Juli D. February 19, 2010, 10:32 am
I played tennis all my life, so I’d love to do that in the Olympics. I also think it would be pretty BA to play on the women’s hockey team.
Tasha - The Clean Eating Mama February 19, 2010, 10:35 am
I love snowboarding and would love to be able to do what they do!
Heather (Heather's Dish) February 19, 2010, 10:36 am
hands down i would do beach volleyball. i played my entire life and LOVE it…plus i’d have a nice tan 😉
Karen February 19, 2010, 10:36 am
I love Blue Moon and all their seasonal ales – I have some Rising Moon in my fridge right now too!
Karen February 19, 2010, 10:38 am
Oh…and as for the olympic athlete question, I’d be a figureskater. I took lessons for 10 yrs growing up and loved it! I never got very good at jumping (could do waltz jumps and single toe loops ok) but loved spinning!
Neely February 19, 2010, 10:39 am
My friend is on the bobsled team this year and was in Torino too. I give him crap a lot because he really has no job except training and I want his life sometimes. Except for living in a dorm at almost 30.

But seriously I think the women’s snowboarding is kind of dumb. It seems to be more about their fashion and Maxim spreads than what they can actually do. I know there are exceptions but…I wasn’t really impressed last night.
- caitlin February 19, 2010, 10:41 am
  they all fell down! a LOT!
Jenn @ Livewellfit February 19, 2010, 10:42 am
I am worried that one day I’m going to wake up and not want a green monster…it hasn’t happened in about 8 months now but dang will I be upset when it does!

I love GMs! I don’t know why but I literally feel an upswing in my mood when I drink them. Unhealthy attachment? Maybe.. 🙂

I would totally do the half pipe. Even though the girls fell alot…they are so freaking cool!
Tracey February 19, 2010, 10:47 am
What a great question! I would probably be a Rhythmic Gymnast.
I’ve never had a green monster. However, I’m coming close to actually making myself one.
Sammi February 19, 2010, 10:51 am
hmm… well my mind went straight to skiing so I guess that answers that! I’m not sure what kind of skiing though, I honestly don’t know what all the different categories are! I’ve never really watched the olympics (unless they happen to be on the tv when I’m in the room or something)
Watching make it or break it does make me want to be an olympic gymnast… lol.
Anything running would be great too since that’s really all I do when it comes to those! 🙂 haha
Alex February 19, 2010, 11:02 am
I would definitely be a marathoner! So much guts, so much glory!
Andrea @ Run, Eat, Date, Sleep February 19, 2010, 11:04 am
mmmm… that beer looks delicious!!!

I always wanted to be an Olympic swimmer, but when I was 10 and I told my mom I wanted to compete in the Olympics, she brought her rain cloud down on me and told me it would be too expensive. Boooo!!
Amber K @ sparkpeople February 19, 2010, 11:04 am
The figure skating looks like so much fun! Although did you see the long program for the pairs?? They fell a LOT too! I’m definitely glad I wasn’t drinking while watching that because I would have been wasted!
Molly @thevegandorm February 19, 2010, 11:13 am
I’m currently training with girls who ran in the last Olympics. It blows my mind! I’d love to be there by 2012, but I’ve got a looooong (like, marathon-long) way to go. If I did, though, the 10k would be my choice. Considering my team-mate’s 10k time is under 33 minutes, I should probably get on that hahaha.
Heather @ Side of Sneakers February 19, 2010, 11:25 am
mm I love Rising Moon. It’s a sign spring is around the corner 🙂 That’s a tough question- I like to do a lot of things rather than excel at one…If I was being realistic, something running. Otherwise- snowboarding or gymnastics- I wish I could flip all over the place like them!
Meg @ Be Fit Be Full February 19, 2010, 11:25 am
Oooh…that is a great question. I used to be a diver, so I think I would want to do platform diving!
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com February 19, 2010, 11:33 am
OHH…SO many sports I’d love to do at the Olympics!! Dressage, gymnastics, skating, sprinting…to be honest I just think all athletes are awesome, so to be a part of that awesomeness would be awesome in itself!! Any more awesomes I could fit into that sentence!?
Allison February 19, 2010, 11:43 am
I would want to run the steeplechase! Or swim the 400 Individual medley. I swam that some in college and it is seriously the most painful yet badass race ever!
Therese February 19, 2010, 11:51 am
Marathoner or the luge! Something about the luge intrigues me. Also, how do people get into sports like the luge and the skeleton? I mean, are there luge groups in cities or something? Do they have Sunday morning luge get togethers?! At least with running or other sports they’re easily accessible but I wouldn’t know the first thing about getting into, um, “luging”…
Julie February 19, 2010, 11:54 am
Ice skating or gymnastics or skiing! They all look like fun. Wait, do they still do the gymnastic dancing where they tumble around while fluttering a ribbon kind of like ribbon dancer? If so, I’d do that too and if not, I’d resurrect it.
Kiersten February 19, 2010, 11:56 am
Anything, because I am the most non-athletic person EVER. I’m too uncoordinated.
Becky @ flybynyght February 19, 2010, 12:34 pm
For me, it would be Beach Volleyball!!! Seeing as I’m 5’7″ I’m much too short, but I would love to be good enough at it to play at the Olympic level…and not just in the beer leagues 🙂
cassie February 19, 2010, 12:38 pm
i’ve never tried a GM, looks really good..
Ashley February 19, 2010, 12:44 pm
Oooh, is the spring Full Moon out?! I just got around to trying the winter one!
Paige February 19, 2010, 12:45 pm
Cross Country Skiing! It looks like the ultimate workout!
Kalli@fitandfortysomething February 19, 2010, 12:49 pm
Downhill skiing for sure! Too me that is the ultimate!

That is so great that your healthy habits are wearing off on others-love that.
Julia February 19, 2010, 12:58 pm
Olympic triathlon would be awesome. Also, beach volleyball. 🙂
Ashley L February 19, 2010, 1:11 pm
Dressage!

Now I wonder how many other horse people that read your blog?
tiffnie February 19, 2010, 1:12 pm
I LOVE Blue Moon beers! Honey Moon is probably my favorite though Rising is delish too.
Morgan February 19, 2010, 1:29 pm
Olympics, it is my goal in life to make it there.
I was thisclose to moving to Colorado Springs before college to train for taekwondo, however, I chose college.

My sports:
taekwondo
gymnastics
Steeplechase
trampoline
downhill skiing
snowboarding (not the half-pipe)
Pole Vault
triple/long jump

I’m going skiing next weekend, and I’m certain I will get sent immediately to Vancouver!
- caitlin February 19, 2010, 1:32 pm
  see you in 2014!!!
  - Morgan February 19, 2010, 1:33 pm
    or 2012! ha!
Patrice February 19, 2010, 1:34 pm
Rising Moon! Good choice!
Kristin February 19, 2010, 1:40 pm
I would do the marathon in summer and downhill & slalom skiing in winter. Those are sports I already do but it would take a miracle from above to make me good enough to complete at an Olympic level. 🙂
Nicole, RD February 19, 2010, 1:45 pm
Hockey! But that’s no shocker as I already play 🙂

The GM looks good! I love that it’s in a Hoeggarden glass!
Madeline February 19, 2010, 1:48 pm
Hahaha it’s definitely amazing the way people react when they find out I put spinach in my smoothies! But I got my boyfriend hooked, too. Time to spread the word on green monsters!
Cynthia (It All Changes) February 19, 2010, 9:18 pm
Purely hypothetical I would love to compete in gymnastics. Those atheletes are talented and have grace and poise.
Betty February 19, 2010, 9:48 pm
I would be an ice skater in couples ice dancing.
Kristilyn (My 29th Year) February 19, 2010, 10:22 pm
I love green monsters … try adding a tablespoon of chia seeds to it – it really thickens the mix up!

I have no idea what I would want to compete in … I’m so not athletic! I would say running, but I’m not that fast and would be last, for sure! If I could do anything, it would be the bobsled, but only with the Jamaican bobsled team from Cool Runnings. LOL!

K
kellieatsforfun February 20, 2010, 3:30 am
I definitely wish they would bring back golf to the games! (There’s actually a fairly active movement to get golf back in for the games in 2016–how cool would that be?) It’s one of the few activities I’ve loved no matter what shape I was in or how old I was. Even recovering from an injury, I can get a cart and still play 🙂

As for the green monsters…I have to admit, the color always wigs me out. I’ve only had them once or twice!
Susan February 20, 2010, 11:31 am
Is it weird that I would choose bobsled? I’ve always thought that speeding through those tunnels looked FUN!
Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) February 20, 2010, 6:52 pm
I love Green Monsters, but I get a little tired of them if I have them too often.

I would want to be a pro at skiing I think!
Susan @ Journey for Health February 22, 2010, 4:06 am
I would LOVE it if I could compete in tennis or a triathlon. I used to play tennis in high school, but haven’t played much in years. I love the summer Olympics, but I’m enjoying watching some of the winter games, too.

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