Success!

We returned from the fab town of St. Petersburg, FL, where they host St. Anthony's Triathlon. Its always cool to run the same course that the pros run. Unfortunately, they shortened the swim down to 1000 m. So happy they didn't cancel the water portion all together.

Good things...

Mentally, I was much more on my game this tri. I was able to push myself more and see the fruits of my training. There's still some room for growth, but it was amazing to feel stronger this race.

Flat course...so much easier to run.

A girl and I kept passing each other on the bike. I've been the person who wasn't able to pass that last time. Yesterday, I was the passer. Felt so good.

The people along the route had hoses out to spray us as we ran by...very nice.

Bad Things...

I now have some serious bike envy. Yes, I need to train more, but people on their fancy, schmancy bikes zoomed right past me.

Couple of rude people...I never like someone to tell me how to race. I've read the rules and I abide by them. A woman passing me said. "On your left" (which is curteous to say), followed by, "Stay on the right" as if this were my first race. I was in the middle, a bike width from another person that I was slowly passing. This woman had plenty of space to pass me on the left. Yes, I'm venting, but it was obnoxious.

I'm a wus in the swim...I hate to be in the frey and my time suffers from it. I do not, however, freak out in the water (a very good thing). It was a little bit of a reflex/defense mechanism, but the woman who began to swim over me felt my knee and elbow in her chest.

Stats...

Swim 1000 m

23:00 min (2:18 rate)

T1 (long run back to transition area)

6:08 min

Bike 40 k

1:28.10 (16.9 rate)

T2

2:37 min

Run 1

29:07

Run 2

27:58

Total run 57:05

pace of 9:17

Ollie-man Pancakes

Most of you know that O man has some food allergies. Its not a big deal, really, now that we know what to avoid. My goal over the next year is to explore some recipes that my whole family can eat. We eat a LOT of grain, veg, meat options, so it will be nice to branch out and expand our pallets a bit. I want Ollie to enjoy the same things that other kids enjoy (without losing his lunch).

Kids love pancakes on Saturday morning, and my kids are no different. Here's a recipe for egg free and dairy free pancakes. Ollie can have butter (there's almost no protein in butter...its all fat), so its here. You could also try some coconut oil instead of butter. Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk makes a great substitute for cow's milk. Its non-GMO and its much thicker than rice milk. Ollie has a sensitivity to tree nuts, but coconut products do not seem to cause any trouble. I use organic ingredients, when possible.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

1 1/2 t baking powder (aluminum-free)

1/2 t sea salt

3 T unsalted butter, melted

2 T arrowroot powder

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a smaller bowl, and let cool. Mix the arrowroot powder into the butter, until moist and add the coconut milk. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until moist. Better a lumpy batter than an over-mixed batter.

Pour the batter onto a pre-heated griddle with a 1/4 cup, flip, serve, and enjoy! We love to eat ours with honey.

This recipe was adapted from The Joy of Cooking