About

Who I Am

I started this blog, a mash-up of my training blog and my food blog, so I could write about things other than training and food. Training for triathlons and cooking are definitely my two favorite pasttimes, but there's more to me than running shoes and whole wheat flour. This blog is a combination of workout recaps and race reports, recipe reviews and kitchen disaster stories, and everything else from movie reviews to Things I Like to pictures of baby animals.

On Running and Triathlon

I started running my freshman year of high school. I joined the cross-country team because of a boy. I suffered through laps around the track, runs around the neighborhood with my teammates, and weekly races in hopes of gaining the boy's attention. Did I ever? No. Was it worth it? Heck yes! Running is now such a huge part of my life. I'm not myself when I don't run regularly. Few things make me happier than a tough, sweaty, triumphant run.

I've raced too many 5ks to recall, and a few 10ks as well. I've never been terribly fast, but I've never finished last. I don't run to win medals or conquer rivals. I run because I love to run. I run today because I hope to still be running when I'm fifty years old.

Triathlon has become the next major step forward in my athletic pursuits. During the summer of 2008 I found myself bored with the limitations of being 'just' a runner. I wanted to work out more, but not for no purpose. One day I found myself running alongside a guy who told me he was training for a triathlon. I thought he was crazy, and probably told him so. Swimming in a lake? Being drowned by hundreds of other swimmers? Then getting on a bike and riding it for miles and miles? Only to then run a 5k race? At that time, for me, running a 5K was brutal enough! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized triathlon was just the outlet I was looking for. I signed up for a Tri-It Sprint race, and in the seven weeks before the race I learned how to swim, learned how to ride a road bike, and learned how to do all three in one go. The race was a blast, and I never looked back.

I consider 2010 my 'rookie season'. I competed in three triathlons, including Sprint Age Group Regional Championships, where I qualified for Age Group Nationals. I didn't feel prepared to compete in an Olympic distance National's race in Alabama, so I didn't go. This year I'll be focusing on the sprint distance again, and can't wait until Nationals. I am so excited to see where this sport will take me, and am loving all the struggles and achievements I'm experiencing through triathlon.

On Food

I've been a vegetarian for 12 years and counting. When I was eleven I decided, the day before Thanksgiving, that I no longer wanted to eat meat. What probably began as a declaration to the salvation of all animals cute and cuddly has become one of the defining aspects of my life. I enjoy the challenges and intrigue of vegetarian cooking, and am always trying to create nutritious, exciting and delicious vegetarian meal options.

As a triathlete and kitchen enthusiast, many of my recipes are health-focused, at least a little. I believe whole grains, healthful sugar substitutes and beneficial additions and subtractions can turn a good recipe into a great, healthy and delicious one. While I try to eat well and make healthy choices, I still enjoy the occassional (okay, nightly) indulgance, so you'll find a good balance between healthy and not-so-healthy recipes on my Recipes Page.

On Life
Coming Soon

Everything I share on this blog is my opinion. While many people might agree with me, just as many people might not. I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, sports specialist or psychic. Yet. And until I am, what I write about is personal opinion based on personal experience, and shouldn't be considered professional advice.

See a typo? Leave a comment and let me know!