Just in case your haven't already started getting excited for Thanksgiving, we thought we'd post some photos. Every year we gather at our grandparents' farm in Maryland for three days of visiting, relaxing, playing, and eating. It's a triathlon-free holiday (to borrow a term from pro triathlete Amanda Lovato), except for the Thankgiving morning turkey trot. There are always lots of laughs and plenty of fun had by the all the kids, dogs, aunts, uncles and cousins.
--Bec
Photos by Laurel Wassner
I have something to confess. I've gotten into the habit of devouring embarrassing amounts of chips after long days on the bike. Last weekend, I knocked back an entire bag of Sea Salt Lundberg rice chips, including all of the crumbs. Even though I can justify all day long that I deserve those 600 calories of salty carbs, I know my body needs more nourishment than that after a 4 hour ride. 
We have a "house salad" for dinner at least 3 times a week. In the Athlete Food kitchen, this means combining the best, and least weird, ingredients from what's on hand in the refrigerator and pantry. The house dressing is almost always dressed with our Maple Curry Salad Dressing, but for last night's meal, I strayed and used tomatillo sauce.
This is long so... here are the takeaways:
(-don't ignore what you think may be a stress fracture, - find a good doctor/physio, -use the downtime to work on weaknesses, -don't take your eyes off your competition in a bike race!)
As many of our readers know, I injured my foot almost two months ago and was forced to miss the last 5 or so races of the year. This was a huge disappointment for me, but in a way it was a relief because I finally got a diagnosis for my foot (a sizable first metatarsal stress fracture - thanks to Dr. Aurelia Nattiv and her persistent investigation).
photo from triathlete.comYesterday was the final Rev3 race of the season in Venice, on Florida's Gulf Coast. I had been targeting this race all year, figuring that I'd finally be ready to race hard 9 months after Amy was born. I finished in 5th place, which was not the result I was hoping for, but one that I am happy with and kinda proud of.
Running a half-marathon 11 weeks after having baby number three wasn’t easy. I’d only eeked up to 11 miles beforehand and none of those miles were near what you’d call a “race pace”. But yet, it was one of my most enjoyable races to date because getting to the finish line wasn’t so much of a struggle as it was a gift. What propelled me to the finish line? The phrase, “Run for others who can’t,”
We're trying a new thing here at Athlete Food. Laurel, Melissa and I are all taking a few hours on Sundays to be our own personal chefs. We're cooking a bunch of food in one day that can be used on those busy days when cooking takes a back seat to a fussy newborn or a 4 hour brick workout.
