Being All Sorts of Domestic

So I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, because I'm Mormon or because I really respect my mother and grandmother but I've taken up all sorts of odd domestic projects that I never thought I would be interested in.

Our Easter Egg Chicken Eggs

As of yet none of these projects involve decorating, sewing, scrapbooking, or making cute little crafts, hence my unpainted shelf and unfinished canvas photo prints. They do however involve things like cooking, raising chickens, gardening, and canning. I sometimes shock myself with how old and boring I'm becoming. Please don't take that as an insult, I wasn't actually bored, I quite enjoyed myself. But let me clarify. I spent Friday night canning... with my mom... and while I'm almost 28 and have been married 2 1/2 years I still expect myself to have some sort of crazy night life and that my weekends should be filled with parties, dancing, and what nots. So to catch myself canning on a Friday night still makes me wonder who I am and when did I become so... domestic?


Despite my post-canning trepidation about the direction my life is taking, my pre-canning self was very excited about taking on this new adventure and learning the ancient art of food preservation. Which, is not so much difficult as it is a lengthy process.

As it was my real first time we stuck to some basics, whole tomatoes and salsa. Nothing super fancy... this round (no worries I have more planned for the future). My mom, grandmother, and I'm sure my great grandmother were very self-sustaining and did the gardening and canning thing as well. I truly admire these great women and their examples of hard work and the love that they showed to their families by gardening and cannening. Yes I think it is an act of love. It takes forethought, commitment and care to build a successful garden and to can. These women did it to provide and help support their families. I feel like I am honoring them and their legacies by doing the same.

I took a few pictures with my camera phone, but as most of the time my hands were wet and covered in veggie juices I did not capture the whole process so its just a few pictures I was able to snap while waiting around for the next step. I thought i'd share them to make this post more interesting.

The small 25 lb bushel of tomatoes (already half used at this point) made 7 quarts of whole tomatoes and 11 pints of salsa.

My awesome mom! Helping me learn to can on a Friday night. 

This is the salsa... simering...it took 4 hours just to cook the darn thing

The tomatoes were a cinch... very easy to do. We will use these mainly for making our own sauces.

The Eat 4 Life Challenge

As you know, I am an endurance athlete and have been for the past 4 or 5 years. I regularly compete in marathons, half marathons, triathlons, and the occasional cycling event. I am not very good so even though I consider myself an athlete I would hardly say that I am truly "competitive" do to how slow I am. I mainly do these events because I love them. I love pushing myself, challenging my body and mind. I like feeling the passion that racing creates inside me as I line up with others out there. We don't know each other, we don't know names, but there in those few hours we share in something that you can only feel as a participant and competitor. It drives me, pushes me to keep training. To move up the pack, to do better next time. I like it, its very pure and natural that feeling. 

Why am I sharing all of this? Well it's because I have decided to take on a new challenge. The IRONMAN. More specifically, Ironman Coeur d' Alene in Idaho on June 29th. 

I have been studying exercise science and all of it's neighboring disciplines for the last 5 years now and I love it. I am working on completing my Masters' in Exercise Physiology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology. Competing in this Ironman means a great deal to me. It is a way to prove to myself and others that I can apply the training and knowledge I've gained. I will be self training with a little outside assistance from colleagues. I want to do well. I want to do the best I can out there and it's going to take A LOT of work on all aspects of training and health and wellness.

Along the way to my M.S. I have also taken a significant number of nutrition classes and can say I know quite a bit... but unfortunately, unlike my training, I have a harder time applying the things I've learned from these classes into my life. 

When I signed up for the IM I felt an overwhelming pressure that I needed to start making changes if I was to be able to really say I did my best. I knew I needed to change the way I eat. So I went to Jess and Wes with THRIVE. Having worked for THRIVE for the past few months I knew I could trust their philosophies and their knowledge of nutrition. They have a great online program called Eat for Life (E4L). I thought wouldn't it be cool if I enlisted their help to prepare me for the IM? And them being the awesome couple that they are agreed. I was thrilled. 

www.strive-2-thrive.net/eatforlife

So here I am. On a journey to better - harder - things. A journey that will teach me discipline, strength, courage, and commitment. I can't tell you how mixed my feelings are between excitement and dread... ha the dread is a little bit of that pessimist ;)

Wes just now has sent me my first goal. Let me back up. E4L takes a slow, one-at-a-time approach to lifestyle change. The goal being that we form habits, not just a temporary change. It is done all online. Wes will provide me with a new goal every Saturday that I will implement the following week. The goals will be small and focus on helping me achieve my goal of competing in an IM. 

I will be documenting my experience with E4L and hope that you will enjoy learning from my experiences about good nutrition and a well balanced, healthy lifestyle. 

Please feel free to send any questions to either Wes - info@strive-2-thrive.net -  my primary nutritionist or myself coach.beckyblack@gmail.com

Have a wonderful week and stay happy and healthy!

Coach Becky 

"The Whole Thing was Uphill!" - Jordanelle Triathlon Recap

It was a dark, warm morning on Saturday the 17th. Josh and I were up cooking eggs and loading up the last of our stuff that we would be needing for the triathlon, Jordanelle from Tri Utah. We kept bickering about what we needed to remember to do with the stress of the race before us. We left the house at 6 am just before twilight and headed up the Parley's canyon towards Rock Cliff Recreation area and the small town of Francis, Utah.

Josh was driving and I was snoozing in the front seat trying to make the foggy feeling go away. As it grew lighter we drew closer to HWY 40 and the turn off towards Jordanelle. As I stirred from my sleepless sleep and sat up I watched the sunrise over the lake, it was beautiful. The smoke in the air from the fires burning in Summit County gave the sunrise a particular warm glow, spreading different shades of pink and purple across the sky and lake. When we turned off HWY 40 onto HWY 32 the sun had peaked over the top of the mountain range and the pinks and purples faded into light blues.

Ok ok so enough writing like its a novel or something. I just wanted to try it out but its far too much work.

So after we parked we grabbed our gear and bikes and rode down to Rock Cliff to transition and set up. As I have done over a dozen triathlons my nerves stayed much more controlled and calm. I only had to use the bathroom 3 times before the race since waking up which is like 3 times less than normal ;)  (When nervous a common symptom is over-active bladder).

So first off the race seemed pretty well organized. They had our race numbers set up on the bike racks in transition and timing and everything appeared to be set up and ready to go. Setting up our transition area went pretty quickly, which gave me the opportunity to find Gene and Jill and chat with them for a little while. I also ran into a guy who used to take my swim class. It was fun seeing everyone. It helped me from "overthinking" the race.

The water levels were so low this year that the transition area was about a 1/2 a mile away from the swim start. Before I go on I should recount Josh's over-dramatic version of the race to you because it was pretty funny. Keep in mind that Josh loves to over-exaggerate and that he doesn't train so everything is a little harder to him than it would otherwise be.

"It was the hardest course ever! I swear it was all uphill! The swim was like a mile away from the transition so we had to run to the swim start a mile and then after the swim run a mile back, uphill, to the transition area. I swear the swim was even uphill! Oh gosh, the bike was awful... worst course ever. The bike was uphill the whole f' in time! I was so tired and slow. I couldn't believe it. Then the run. No shade anywhere. And I didn't think its' possible... but the WHOLE thing was uphill! I mean what were they thinking? Then lets not forget that they ran out of water at the finish line, I could have died and they didn't have any water. And then I still had to bike back to the car, up this really steep hill!"

And that folks is pretty much the race from Josh's eyes. Ha ha so here's the real truth. The race did have a lot of hills. The swim was NOT uphill. We swam approximately 1500 meters (depending on how straight you swim. The bike was 26 miles and the run 6.2 miles. The bike course was almost all uphill until the turnaround and then even after the turn around it had two short steep uphills. I honestly couldn't believe how hilly the run was. We had to do two laps and it was quite a bit of uphill. All of this wouldn't have been awful, but it had gotten really hot, close to 100 deg or so and there was little shade. Thank goodness for the light breeze.

I worked really hard on the bike, and really did well. I was very happy with my time. I hit a top speed on the hill down from Francis to Rock Cliff of 43 mph. The fastest I've ever gone on a bike. It was pretty sweet. By the time I had to get on the bike though I was pretty tired. My legs felt stiff on the run but I managed a decent pace. I was averaging just under 9min/mile on the first lap. The second lap I started to feel more and more ill. I felt nauseous and dizzy. My head stopped functioning properly and I knew I was dehydrated and probably hyponutremic. I did my best on the bike to drink plenty of powerade but it wasn't enough. I finished and had to crash in front of the first aid tent in the shade and begged them for a bag of ice. I felt like I might be having the first symptoms of heat exhaustion. My skin was dry and feverishly hot. I was so uncomfortable. I tried to drink water but couldn't manage to move to get much more.

I sat in the shade waiting for Josh, Gene, and Jill to cross. It took another hour before I finally felt good enough to get up and head out on the trail to find Josh and the others. I was so worried about them, out there in the heat. Right as I rounded the corner Josh came running in exclaiming in his potty mouth "I've never worked so f-ing hard in my life." Right as he crossed they announced age group winners and I heard my name called for second place. I was thrilled. The whole time I kept trying to figure out where I was in the pack and couldn't do it because of how they started the waves. I just kept picturing myself winning to motivate me, even if I wasn't.

Soon after all this I found Jill, who had come across before Josh and I just hadn't missed her. But no sign of Gene. I asked the timing lady and she said he had a DNF by his name. I felt awful. So after looking around some we headed back over to our bikes and right as we got back Gene came walking into the transition area. It was such a relief to see him! I had been so worried about them all it felt great to know he finished and was alive and doing well.

I on the other hand was not doing as well. I kept blacking out every time I tried to stand up. So I had to sit and wait on the side of the road while Josh went and got the car. I ate salt and drank more water and that seemed to help.

After a loooong drive home caused by about a 15 minute delay due to construction by Rock Cliff we made it home. It was an extremely long day and we were both exhausted. It's amazing how heat just totally wipes you out. One that I hope to not have to relive again for another few weeks at least.

Well I think that is all I have. Thanks to all who supported us, the RD's, staff and volunteers of Jordanelle Tri. It was nice.

I may look a little drunk.... but I SWEAR it's only the angle!

I always have to take a pre-race photo with the 2 of us

Transition area with the beautiful mtns behind us. The swim start was straight to the back. You can see how high the lake used to come up on the mountain side as well. 

Oh la la ...

Check out that farmers tan.... He is one white boy!

Doin' the IM Thang

Well I am both excited and a little sick to my stomach. I just registered for the Ironman Coeur d' Alene on June 29th, 2014. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!! Ha ha ha ha my feelings are sooo mixed right now. I have a lot to plan and A LOT of work to plan. It should be exciting and fun all at the same time.

IM athletes typically train somewhere between 12 (newbies - goal is to finish) to 20 (more serious contenders) a week. This is going to become a part time job for me. I would love to be a serious contender and look forward to the opportunity to test my body and see what exactly it is capable of achieving. I know its tough, but how tough? It will also be a test of mental strength, will and determination. How committed am I?

I spent some time looking at the race results from last year and that did intimidate me quite a bit. The only half race I've done was 6:06 and so I could anticipate, with the same type and amount of training to do between 12:30 - 14 hrs for a full. However, I'd really love to complete the IM in 11 ish hours. So that will take a great deal more dedication on my part... which will be the hardest part. Staying dedicated for soooooo long.

For the record last years top male was 8:16 and top female was 9:15... sigh. Ha ha I'd really have to work hard to break 11 so I can't imagine coming in at 9:15.

Well wish me luck! I'm sure I will do a great job.... ;)

Family Vac-A part II

So as promised (I know you were holding your breath) here are the rest of the pictures from our vacation. It was a splendid time really. And I leave these pictures with you because... well I enjoyed myself and so even if I am the ONLY person to ever look at them they will have been enjoyed.

These pictures are a complication from our 14 hour drive home. We spent the week in Yellowstone and instead of taking the short 5 hr drive from the cabin straight home Josh wanted to hike and drive through the Tetons. While beautiful it was horrendously long. Blah... We drove through Yellowstone, to the Tetons and to Salt Lake. Enjoy the beauty of the area from the perspective of a misguided $75 point and shoot camera.

The smaller lake in Yellowstone... I can't remember the name.

The wind brought in some fun looking waves. I wish I had a windsurf board!

Beautiful valleys and mountain scenery in YS.

Lewis Falls and some narly windy -blown hair.

Moose falls. Just as we were leaving the south entrance.

Large breathtaking lake just as we left Yellowstone! I think its called Jackson Lake? Maybe...
Either way it was beautiful!

More pictures of the lake.

We stopped at this cute marina side restaurant for lunch... delicious Greek/veggie pizza.

We FINALLY found a hike by Jackson Lodge to stop and hike. It was lovely. But Josh tasted like sweat ;)

Peter Pan followed us around the hike and lake :)

And that dear folks was our very merry adventure! Hopefully it wasn't to dull for you all. That is IF there is even anyone out there looking at them.

Happy Monday folks!

Inspirational Monday

I stole this picture from my partner company THRIVE. Whom, if you have never worked with I highly recommend. What a great group of trainers!

The Family Vac-A to Yellowstone

Well people it's a miracle! We made it through Yellowstone with only a few disasters and NO fights between the family. Which if you know me this is a BIG deal because I always manage to pick fights with my siblings.

So here's the scoop. My dad rented a cabin in Island Park, ID that could hold my 5 sibs, our spouses, 2 nephews, and my Aunt, Uncle and cousin Kenzie. Aka a lot of people who are controlling in one cabin in the middle of nowhere... now are you impressed we didn't fight?

The cabin was about a 45 minute drive from West Yellowstone and just West of Island Park Reservoir. It was beautiful! If it weren't for the fact that I have no job skills that would allow me to live in the more rural parts of Idaho or Utah I would love to live out in a place like that. Alas, I will have to settle for trying to make a lots of money and just owning a second home or cabin there instead (ha). While the cabin did have close-ish neighbors they weren't close enough to make you feel crowded or that you had to be concerned for your privacy. They were far enough off that you felt like you were alone... I love that feeling. Yes, I am a little introverted.

Josh and I spent our time split between Yellowstone and the more local attractions of Island Park. We arrived late Monday after my grandmother's funeral. Tuesday we went to Old Faithful, a nap on the side of the road, the Painted Pots, and Steamboat. Wednesday we took the inflatable Kayaks down the river then went over to Island Park Reservoir. Thursday I went with my mom to the E.R. (no worries she's fine, it was just a precaution since we were so far away from home), then  to the Wolf & Grizzly Bear Preservation thingy, and spent the afternoon in West Yellowstone, and then Drove out to Yellowstone Lake to watch the sun set and clouds come in. Friday Josh and I packed up and headed home taking the LONG way through Yellowstone and into the Teton National Park and down through Wyoming and home arriving promptly at 2 am after driving (with small breaks) for over 15 hours.

Now here's the good part. The pictures. I tried to only pick the best ones... but it was still hard to narrow it down. Hope you enjoy!

Best part of the cabin! Watching the lightning storms from the hot tub in the chilly evenings.

View from the cabin. Nice isn't it.

Waiting "patiently" for Old Faithful ;)

Awe-inspiring eruption of Old Faithful

We hiked up to the View Point for Old Faithful and had a spectacular view as we awaited Old Faithful from the top of the hill on the other side. 

Old Faithful from the View Point.

Castle gyeser from the same view point. We were lucky to see both going off at the same time.

Steam from the painted pots.

Steamboat Geyser. Funny story. Josh was being quite sentimental about this one, saying how he'd love to see it erupt and wanted to wait all night just for the chance to see it. It was being quite loud, burping up a lot of water and what not, well according to Yellowstone's FB page it erupted shortly after we left... opps. ;) by maybe at the most 20 minutes after. Josh is mad. For the record. This geyser is very unpredictable. It can go anywhere from 4 days to 50 years between eruptions.

Day two. Floating down the river with my sistahs.

This was my VERY first time "kayaking" and while we went down the tamest part of the river... like 0 rapids I was still glad Josh was steering cause I tend to just go in circles.

Potty break before we got started ;) Josh was disgusted with our bathroom habits.

Before :) 

So as it turns out my sisters are just as good as I am at steering these things... aka they sure went in A LOT of circles in the beginning ;)

It was a nice and leisurely ride. The water was quite slow most of the way. Plenty of time to bump into each other and take some pictures.

The views from the river were breathtaking!

The parents "sunning" while enjoying the afternoon at Island Park Reservoir.

On the river spotted these guys taking a break from fishing.

Meanwhile at the wildlife reserve... this guy has brain damage.

Hunting food. Two big Grizzlies from Alaska were brought to the reserve as orphaned cubs.

Even Wolfs poop

Sistahs enjoying the water... and Matt ;)

The Nephews didn't quite enjoy the water as much as the rest of us did... or at least they didn't enjoy the Kayak

Auggie walkin on water. With the help of Josh of course.

I have a few more pictures I want to post of the trip. But I think I'll put them in a different post as this one has become quite long. But I hope you enjoyed the trip.