If you want to smile, you have to stop thinking about yourself

My day-to-day life is crazy. I am constantly trying to balance everything so that I may continue to kick ass at CPC and also lead a "normal" life outside of work but always seem to be thrown a curve ball. Stress is not something I am a stranger to. When I decided to open a business, I knew I was going to be stressed and have to pay my dues.

Tomorrow I ride with some friends. I will be joining a few thousand riders this weekend in the Pan Mass Challenge - a 192 bike ride to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Research facility. I went out for a ride yesterday afternoon just to make sure my bike was working how I wanted and as I peeled away from the mountain of work I had in front of me, and my mind began spinning with the 1000 other things I should be doing with that 45 minutes, I began to smile. Some of the happiest times in my life are making OTHER people smile. It brings me pure joy to do it. Truly. Whether it is getting them a creative gift, sending them a handwritten note, doing something they can't (like riding a bike for those battling cancer), swinging a hammer to build a house, collecting food and supplies for those devastated by Mother Nature -- it doesn't matter. None of the times  I have volunteered has been ideal for me personally or professionally, but I do it because it is not about me. It's about doing something for someone else because you can.

There are many different ways to approach it. Pay it forward, random acts of kindness whatever it may be. If we all start to act a lot more selfless vs. selfish, we will all benefit. We will all be less stressed, smile a whole hell of a lot more and have each others backs. I know I don't do any of this perfectly but for the next 72 hours. I'll be riding my bike because I am physically able, and it is going to make a difference. That pile of work is still going to be there on Monday morning.  

-- Sully

You Do You

“Your biggest challenge isn't someone else; it's the ache in your lungs, the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells, "Can't" But you don't listen, you push harder. You hear the voice whisper "Can," and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you are.” -Unknown

One of the biggest factors that can interrupt fitness or life, in general, is competition. A lot of the times it is drilled into people’s minds that they need to be better than the person they are up against. While competition is a dynamic aspect to life, it can backfire. Competition can shy people away from even getting into a gym because the competition seems too intimidating. Be open to failure, not closed to trying. On the contrary, competition can push someone to injury by trying to keep up with the guy next to them. Be motivated, not presumptuous. Instead of always challenging yourself against someone else, focus on the competition within yourself. Focus on being better than who you were yesterday. Not just physically, but mentally. Challenge your body, your mind, your character. Fitness is a very personal thing, so it should be treated accordingly. Everyone has a different body, goal, expectation, or training style. The distraction of others can cause us to lose what we stand for or believe in. We begin only to see ourselves in comparison to others around us. Let others be that motivation and push, but never your reason for thinking you “can or can’t” do something. Be faster, be stronger, work harder, eat healthier than YOU did yesterday. 

Everyone is after a different goal; instead of trying to chase someone else’s go out and achieve your own.

- Amber

Kolhrabi - What the heck is that?!

As many of you know Mike’s away on vacation. He has generously passed on to me his weekly CSA pick up while he is away and even gave me a few items this past week. Today’s blog isn’t about Mike’s generosity, even though I’m pretty pumped to get fresh, locally grown veggies for the next 2 weeks. Today’s blog isn’t even about the ability, we as consumers have to support local farmers.

My blog today is about a curious item I received with in the CSA pick up. Kohlrabi. I’d like to say that I had knew what it was and what it looked like when Mike said he was leaving it for me, but I couldn’t. In fact my initial reaction was, “What the heck is that?”. Mike shrugged and told me to shred it and put it in coleslaw. Wanting a better idea of what I was receiving and how I could do something other than a slaw I immediately did a Google search for recipes and origin.

The unknown of CSA is what makes pick up day so much fun. You can receive everything from a very common zucchini to an uncommon Kohlrabi. The uncommon items encourage you to learn more about your food. Creativity is a must to use the items in a delicious combination or creation of your own.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Kohlrabi as I was, a quick Google search taught me that it’s a member of the cabbage family; known as a German Cabbage. Kohl is German for “Cabbage”. Who knew? (It brings a whole new meaning when you go shopping at Kohl’s. Just saying.) Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked after the outer skin has been peeled. The bulb tastes similar taste to that of broccoli stems and the leaves can be substituted for collards or kale. Waste not; want not.

Along with my “extensive” search I found a recipe for Kohlrabi and Carrot Fritters. The recipe require some hands on time, but the end product will be one that I know enjoy making and eating from start to finish. Below is the recipe and the blog site I found it at.

It is my hope that as a result of my blog you set aside sometime to do one of the following…

1. Grab a kohlrabi and start whipping up some NEW delicious recipes.

2. Pick up a NEW vegetable at your local farmers market or from your CSA’s selection that causes you to raise an eyebrow and wonder what you’d do with it. This is the BEST time of year to experiment with local vegetables.

3. Look into joining a CSA. Supporting local agriculture and knowing your food source doesn’t get much easier. Plus it’s like Christmas every week!

Kohlrabi & Carrot Fritters with Avocado Cream Sauce

Taken From: A Couple That Cooks

Link: http://www.acouplecooks.com/2013/01/kohrabi-fritters-with-avocado/

What You Need

·      2 kohlrabi

·      1 carrot

·      1 egg

·      ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·      ¼ teaspoon cayenne

·      ½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil (enough for ¼-inch depth in a large skillet)    (I might even try coconut oil. -SK)

·      ½ avocado

·      ¼ cup plain yogurt

·      ½ lemon

·      ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·      Green onions (for garnish)

What To Do

1.    Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi and peel the bulb. Peel 1 carrot. Shred the vegetables in a food processor, or by hand using a grater. Squeeze the shredded vegetables in a tea cloth (or with your hands) to remove moisture, then add to a medium bowl with 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Mix to combine.

2.    Place ½ cup oil in a large skillet (enough for ¼-inch depth). Heat the oil over medium high heat, then place small patties of the fritter mixture into the oil. Fry on one side until browned, then fry on the other side. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.

3.    In a small bowl, mix ½ avocado, ¼ cup plain yogurt, juice from ½ lemon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the avocado cream (or blend the ingredients together in a food processor).

4.    Serve fritters with avocado cream and sliced green onions.

#SheBelieves

It takes a lot for a team to win a championship game at any level, never mind the World Cup. This past Sunday the U.S. Women’s National Team didn’t just show up to play, they showed up to dominate. Aside from Lloyd’s hat trick making history, it says a lot to take a shot from midfield (and make it) as Lloyd did. In my opinion, talent isn’t what got the US 3 goals in the first 16 minutes of the game. That’s the result of heart and hustle. That’s the result of the desire that had been caged up for years spilling out. If a team sparks that kind of unity and focus the USWNT showed, anything is possible. The USWNT isn’t just made up of 23 individuals. It is made up of an unspoken agreement that every one of those 23 has each others back. The amount of field awareness, uniformity, confidence, and skill that has generated over the years throughout this program, and many other female programs, is undeniable. Women’s sports have prospered more than most would believe, and this is a great showing of that. Being a collegiate athlete, I have found myself in similar situations (clearly I’m no Tobin Heath or playing in the World Cup, but a girl can dream). I have seen what is needed for a team to connect. Throughout my years of playing on multiple teams, it has become easier and easier to identify the dynamics of a team. I was opened up to what was real and what was forced. Chemistry and togetherness are not always an easy or even achievable thing when dealing with some odd number of girls. But it is necessary. It takes a lot of sacrifice and selflessness, with a big dose of good old fashion ass kicking competition. Just as I believe any of the players from USWNT would attest to, winning is much more than a score. It knows that all of those hard days of practice and preparation have paid off. The degree of dedication, commitment, and passion may be different, but the dynamic is the same. 

It is all the little things in between that create a victory; looking out for your teammates before yourself, applying your coaches constructive criticism instead of shaking your head at it, and putting in that extra time even when you’d love to Netflix binge like a normal human. The list could be endless.  I believe it was their teamwork, attention to the little things, and their craving to prove themselves that got the USWNT where they are today. They dominated because they believed in each other. The amount of progress and growth of the game in its entirety is something that I feel is only going to continue to grow. Not just in professional soccer, but in all women’s sports. Their camaraderie and teamwork could be applied to just about anywhere.

Amber

Sea2Summit Triathlon Race Report

If you had asked me a week ago today how I felt about racing the Sea2Summit Triathlon my response probably was met with a head shake and one word “Ridiculousness”. If you ask me today how I felt about racing the S2S Triathlon I would tell you it was absolutely amazing and everything I hoped it would be.

Here’s the break down for those of you not in the know…

The S2S Triathlon is a point, to point, to point Adventure Triathlon starting in South Berwick, ME, ending at the TOP of Mount Washington. The swim is an out and back 1.5 mile swim in the Piscataqua River. The Bike covers a 92+ mile self-guided course of your choosing to Wildcat Ski Area in Pinkham Notch, NH. The race concludes with a 5 mile run/hike to the summit of Mount Washington. The race requires a Sherpa who is willing to clean up your transition area, throw everything into the car, following you along your bike route passing along hydration and fuel, setting up T2 in the Wildcat Parking lot, and meeting you at the Summit to drive you back down.

When I heard about it I thought that would be so cool! I thought this would be the perfect follow up to the amazing season I had last year, but also allow me to do race without pressure or an assumed set of expectation. The number of variables that could affect the outcome were vast. I looked forward to the adventure when I registered in January. Fast forward to last week I was silently regretting my decision and hoping beyond hope that I had trained enough and that Mother Nature would be on our side.

Race Day Saturday June 26th:

Wake up – 3:30; Start Race – 5:00am

It was an early morning. The sun wasn’t up. I was using a headlamp to hurriedly set up transition. I cursed my oversight on the dark lenses goggles I brought to swim with. The tide was out and the muck was up to my ankles acting like a suction cup every time I tried to take a step forward to the deeper water.

Swim: 39:19, Piscataqua River, No other stats. I forgot to start my watch.

Despite the dark lenses the ambient light made for a beautiful start to the swim and set the tone for the day. Awesomeness. A light fog sat on the water making sighting the first bouy challenging. It was a river swim so it would be too challenging, just swim in a straight line down river. The water temperature was a pleasant 65-70*. The tide was out offering only a slight current to contend with. To be honest I took the swim easy knowing the day ahead was going to be long and hard. At one point I noticed a handful of guys walking instead of swimming. Keeping in mind the tide was out I realized there would be some points of shallow water. I decided to take a few steps as well but stupidly scraped my toe on a few rocks and immediately went back to swimming.

At the end of the swim there was more muck to deal with, wet suit removal, and an embankment to climb up to get to an awaiting pair of sneakers for a short run to T1. Luckily I had THE BEST Sherpa crew (Geoff and my brother Kieran) and was almost single handedly pulled up the embankment by Geoff. Kieran had my sneakers and water to clean my feet after I stripped my wetsuit off to make the quick 2 minute run back to the bikes in T1. Leaving my wetsuit and sherpas behind with a “that’s what I pay you for” smart ass comment I hustled to my bike.

T1: Vaughn Woods State Park, South Berwick ME

The usual – socks, bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, bike

The unusual – SHERPA sunscreen help & Garmin Navigation.

Geoff sprayed me down until I had streams of sunscreen running down my arms. Unfortunately, my sunglasses ended up in the line of fire. They were not helpful. Ray Plouffe, owner of Family Bike, lent me his Garmin EDGE to navigate me through the recommended course. Being relatively new to the piece of equipment (a big no no in racing – never try something new for a race!) I pressed the wrong button and ended up with an immediate U-Turn before I had even left transition.  Gladly, this was not an indicator of how the race would go.

As I made my way up the dirt road to the start of the course (cursing every second) my sherpas were breaking down my transition site and loading up the truck preparing to meet me at my first requested location.

Bike: 92 miles, 4:59:13, 18.5 avg speed

I had never been so happy for my over-preparedness and the 4 hours I spent analyzing the first 10-15 miles of turns over and over days prior. The Garmin was still telling me to make a U-Turn and required me to restart the route from my current location. Once I was back on track with the Garmin I settled in for a long day on the bike. I had mentally prepared myself for a day of SUCK. The course was going to be long but not overly challenging until mile 80 when we entered Pinkham Notch and the climb to Wildcat. Taking all of my racing years of experience into consideration I decided to race as conservatively as possible but still put out a solid pace. That still remained the intent when I passed the lead woman at mile 30 but I noiticably became much more aware of my speed, form, and time spent with my sherpas grabbing nutrition. Mile 30 marked my first designated stop for 2 bottles of Skratch, and an unexpected pee break…in a REAL BATHROOM. For those of you that know anything about riding and need to pee a REAL BATHROOM is a treat! I had requested that my Sherpas be on the look out for any porta-potties or bathrooms. There is a reason they were the BEST Sherpa team in the race.

The majority of the route took us along NH Route 153. A classic rolling road through many small NH towns. We weaved our way along picturesque farm field, small lakes, and golf courses for 60 miles until we came into Conway, NH. At a stop light several of us, including the woman I passed earlier, stopped and struck up a brief conversation while waiting. One race had done a handful of Ironman races, several Doubles, and was going to attempt a Triple this coming summer. Good Luck Dude! The Woman I mentioned has in Kona last year with me and I knew I’d have to keep my eye on her but her ability to climb wasn’t great and I’d be able to make my move heading into Pinkham Notch.

Mile 72 was my second to last planned stop for fluids and nutrition. The location was clutch. The guys were ready standing 50 yards apart to hand off stuff as I flew by. As they came into view I starting pulling empty bottles to toss. Epic fail. It was the worst display of athleticism. One bottle went vertical. I feared it would land back on me. The other almost hit my brother. Recovering from that miserable display I prepared to grab the bottles on the fly. My speed was too fast and my hand was like a brick wall. I didn’t make the catch. I should have just slowed down and stopped as I had done every other time. With a quick recovery by my Sherpas I had 1 fresh bottle of Skratch in my bottle rack and was off to catch up to the Kona lady before we hit Route 16 in North Conway.

As I predicted the 10 mile climb to Wildcat would hurt and it would hurt those riders that zoomed by me earlier in the race. I passed the Kona Lady. I passed the Ultra Ironman Dude. I passed the kid who had rode like a bat out of hell from mile 1. I stayed within myself and my gearing and settled into a cadence I knew I could hold. There were a few short descents I took advantage of but it was a solid 10 miles of climbing that held a gradual grade the entire way. I made a tactical decision at mile 90 to stop at my parents car as they were preparing to take pictures and had them hold my bike so I could pee behind their car. The likelihood of porta-potties being available in T2 were slim to none and after 6 bottles of fluids I had to PEE! Needless to say they were rattled and a bit disturbed but I really didn’t care. It was at that point I knew if I could make it to the trailhead first I might have a good chance of taking the entire female side of the race.

With only a few more minute of climbing and a sweet downhill finish to Wildcat I pulled into T2 with the overall female lead and was sitting in the top 10 overall. Only a few more miles and 1 giant hill to go.

T2: Wildcat Ski Area Parking Lot, Gorham NH

Have I mentioned I had the BEST Sherpas in the race? Well, I did and will be mentioned several more times before I finish this race report. As I pulled into T2 Kieran grabbed by bike while race staff checked my eyes to see if I could go on. I decided to give a big smile rather than cross them to ensure I could go and sprinted to the truck. At the truck I had a cooler as a make shift bench and a hotel towel (sorry Comfort Inn) held down with large rocks to stand on while I stripped out of one outfit and into another. My bag had already been checked to make sure I had the minimal requirements to reach the summit under any condition. Geoff filled my hydration bladder with more Skratch as I laced up my sneakers. Other than an eye roll to my father for asking if I had a touque it was a smooth and easy T2 that got me back on the road to Pinkham Notch and the Tuckerman’s Ravine Trailhead in minutes.

My Sherpa’s loaded up my bike, threw my crap in a bag and off they went to the Mt. Washington Auto Road to greet me at the summit.

Run/Hike: 5 Miles, 2:14:47, 6288ft elevation, 27:44 avg min/mi

This was the portion of the race I had been dreading from the very beginning. I was born and raised in NH and never once had I hiked Mt. Washington. I had never even gone up the Auto Road. The fear of the unknown had weighed heavy days prior but as the day continued to bring the most perfect weather to race in I was certain weather would not be an issue on my way to the Summit. The only thing that could get in my way was a miss-step or poor fueling. I vowed that I wouldn’t let either prevent me from getting to the top, nor would I lose the overall female position.

As I hit the trail head and read the sign 4.9miles to the top I dropped a not so silent “F” bomb as my legs were already starting to tell me they were tired from the 92 mile bike. I ran for maybe ¼ mile bouncing from rock to rock until I looked up and noticed the large boulders and the dramatic change in incline. My run turned to a steady march as I carefully watched my footing moving from rocks to boulder and so on. I made sure to pop a few Skratch Energy chews every mile thinking I would grab a bar at the 2 mile mark.

The climb up Tuckermans to Lion’s Head, our plan B Summit trail, was tough. I had caught a fellow racer and he informed me that that was nothing compared to Lion’s Head. We took the turn and I immediately saw why. There were no longer boulders I had to hop over and to but large rock faces I’d have to climb up. From there it was almost all hand over hand. Every once in awhile when I needed to catch my breath I’d take a quick look around and realize just how beautiful it. The visibility went on for miles and all I wanted to do was sit down, eat a bar, and take in the view, but no, it was time to move.

The trail was packed with other hikers and I spent a lot of time being “that person” that said, “On your LEFT!” as I scurried past. Once they realized I was part of a race they moved over and cheered me on.

When I reached the tree line and dared to look up I could see the weather antennas and realized just how true the expression So Close But So Far Away really was. There was another 2-1.5 miles worth of climbing and I was tired. My stomach was growling. I had company from several other racers and I wasn’t going to stop for a snack.

Somewhere between the tree line and the Summit I started signing to myself. Maroon 5’s This Summer is Going to Hurt Like A Mother F*&Ker quickly became This SUMMIT is Going to Hurt Like A Mother FU*&Ker! Anything at that point to keep me going, no matter how cheesy.

Finally the parking lot was in sight. I could hear cheering but was still to busy watching where I put my feet and hands and avoiding the 100’s of other hikers. As I finally put my foot down on level ground I hear, “RUN! RUN TO THE STAIRS! CATCH THAT GUY!” Holy hell! I wasn’t done yet. This so-called Rock Pile was up 5-6 flights of stairs (or a million for as bad as I felt). Seriously WTF. But, I ran. I ran up 1 flight, then another, then I almost threw up so I decided it was okay to walk. As I got to the top of the stairs more cheers came from above. At this point it was just getting ridiculous. I had to climb yet another friggin boulder to get to this rock pile and dodge more hikers along the way.

The finish was more than within reach so with an angry, F UP, yell I charged ahead to the Rock Pile. Now, if anyone has watched the video it was less than a charge and more like a slow crawl. Regardless, I made it to the Summit.

The usual pomp and circumstance of races of that distance and duration was no where to be seen and I liked that. I got a medal. A few congratulatory handshakes, high fives and hugs from my kick ass sherpas and parents, and a Coke. Sorry Health Coach. After a quick change and randomly bumping into a few friends from years ago we set off down the mountain. I had never been more thankful for vehicular transportation than at that moment.

The Summit: Overall Time 7:53:19 

1^st Overall Women, 11^th Overall Racer

69 Registered. 42 Started. 40 Finished.

I’ll conclude with this. This was an amazing race! I lucked out and had perfect weather making for a perfect day. My Sherpas, Geoff Sullivan and Kieran Kelly, were on point! At the end of the day they were more tired than I was and I don’t blame them. It’s a stressful situation to have someone’s entire race & gear in your hands. I am incredibly grateful to have friends and family that would be willing to give up an entire weekend to follow me literally from sea to summit. 

There are many more people that weren’t at the race that helped me find my way to the top. Ray Plouffe and all of the guys at Family Bike for providing me with GPS navigation and everything I needed or anticipated needing. The CPC subscribers, who followed me via Facebook throughout the day and provided me with amazing words of congratulations after the race. Last, but not least, my Cyclonaut friends who I am lucky enough to train and compete with. I can’t thank all of you enough for the continued support and encouragement you provide. I am lucky to be able to do what I do…and do it well…but even more lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

SK