I weighed myself on two scales last night, then again at home this morning, and shrieked with joy: I’m down to 140 pounds from last week’s 143-ish range. That’s 1.5 pounds below my “optimal performance weight,” which leaves some room to stock up on carbs and high-quality foods before I depart for Ironman Los Cabos tomorrow.
Tomorrow! Must be why I can’t sleep. I’ve had two bouts of insomnia this week, something I almost NEVER struggle with. I’m chalking it up to either 1) less training, 2) no gluten, 3) the time change, or 4) being freaking excited to race. Or maybe it’s a Molotov cocktail of all four. I’m just hoping my brain learns how to turn off before Sunday.
I’m not sure how this sudden drop in weight even happened. For one, I’ve been training a lot less. Two, I quit MyFitnessPal on Saturday (which makes me sound like an addict, uh … ), which means I have no idea if I’m at a caloric deficit or surplus. Maybe my appetite has been a bit smaller, given the reduced training volume. Maybe I’ve been eating less these past few days due to my excitement. Maybe my body is just responding positively to being less focused on exactly how many ounces of gorgonzola I’ve eaten. (Yes, MyFitnessPal will do that to a person.)
still life with almond butter
Meanwhile, my gluten-free experiment continues.
This week I finally gave in to one of those annoying “Facebook sponsored posts” I keep seeing and bought myself a loaf of Julian Baker’s Paleo Bread. (I’d heard it was good from a Nytro Women teammate as well). Wee review: This option is not only gluten-free, but Paleo as well, which means it contains no grain whatsoever. (No rice, oats, etc.) I tried the version made with almond flour. Though it smells a bit like burning hair when toasted, cold it tastes more like zucchini bread. It’s soft and not as gelatinous as the WF Prairie bread. Taste: 4/10. Texture: 8/10. Price: Silly (8.99 per loaf). Calories: 100 per slice.
I also picked up a loaf of Udi’s g-free whole grain “soft and hearty” sandwich bread a few days ago, and so far it’s my favorite option. Wee review: This bread is the softest and most “normal” gluten-free bread I’ve tried yet. Must be the teff flour. If you’re looking for something that reminds you of the bread of yore, this might be it. Texture: 9/10. Taste: 8/10. Price: Average. Calories: 130 per two (very small) slices.
The winner
I’ve also deemed it important to load up on the best veggies this week, and here’s one of my latest quick and easy, office snacks. Cut broccoli into small florets (or buy them pre-cut), and microwave until just firm. Serve warm with ginger-sesame dressing/marinade and hot sauce.
Last night I whipped up this little ditty (which was much more vibrant and colorful than the quick photo attests to), of sweet potato hash browns, chicken sausage, and kale with a poached egg on top. (Mark added gorgonzola, I did not.) Once you learn how to poach an egg, the possibilities are endless. They can go on top of salads, pastas, asparagus, kale, anything.
poached egg on everything
This morning we finished off some of the oranges in our crisper by making fresh, frothy, fully-pulpified, Vitamix-pulverized orange juice. That and my morning home-roasted coffee were so good I forgot to eat breakfast! Good thing I had my (overpriced, weirdly aromatic) Paleo bread to tide me over until lunch.
morning Vitamix OJ
Monday night’s massage with Keith’s guy left me feeling amazing, though it was pretty much 90 minutes of torture. Deepest massage ever. Yesterday’s 1500 yard swim, 50 minute trainer ride, and 20 minute run all felt amazing, and I had visions of the clock on Sunday reading 10:50:00. (Careful with those dreams, Jenny!). Today I got my hair cut, painted my toenails, and finished packing.
Pure excitement has replaced all the anxiety I felt for my first Ironman, and I can’t wait to board the plane tomorrow morning.
One thought on “taper time: more loaves, less miles”