Stack Food, Herd Cats.

While I wish I could say that I had a miraculous turn of fortune in the last 24 hours, that is not the case.  Since I realize that I am probably looking at a reduced training volume for a little while, I am trying to find ways to keep my focus.  I have been throwing myself into other projects and making a quality diet a priority.

Lately, I have been into stacking my food.  The whole meal gets stacked into some kind of food Jenga.  I then have all kinds of fun figuring out how to get it into my body without letting half of it fall to the floor.  This picture is one from the other day.  The base is an organic brown rice cake with hummus "mortar", then avocado slices, followed by an egg over hard and topped with a big handful of sauteed salad greens.  OK, actually the greens just get tossed into the pan after the egg is done and are more wilted than sauteed.  It's yummy, I promise.  Stop laughing.

Eating one of these stacks is more complicated than the transition area of a popular sprint tri.  First, have you ever eaten an organic brown rice cake?  Unlike the conventional kind, the ones that do a great Styrofoam impersonation, these are much crunchier and fall apart at the mere mention of teeth.  The hummus is there to help hold it together.  It does not.  The avocado adds a slippery layer to the crumbling base and acts as a launchpad for the egg.  The egg never wanted to be involved in the first place and exits stage left.  The greens end up everywhere and the process of getting them to your mouth is slightly more difficult than herding cats.  Still, I love it and it keeps popping up as my go-to meal.  It's food and a logistical challenge all in one!

less complicated than breakfast

Tonight, I was invited to go out with some co-workers.  There would be food and drink that is not in my game plan.  I was tempted since the frustration of the last month has left me feeling a little like all the work is for nothing.  (Don't panic.  It's just the pain and frustration talking.  I know better.)  I was tempted but honestly realized that I didn't truly want that.  I wanted to heal and heal fast.  I wanted to be back out there soon.  I sauteed a bunch of veggies (a baby eggplant, some mini peppers, garlic, and a whole mess o' kale) that I picked up at a farmer's market and mixed it with a couple of eggs and a small amount of kidney beans.   Since I still wanted an indulgence, had some chia pudding spiked with a little honey.  Then I drank my one and only gluten free beer.  It's been hanging around in the fridge waiting for a night that I wasn't working or training the next day.  Yeah, it's been there since last winter.  I am pleased that the choices I made were not hard to make.  Good diet and exercise have become a lifestyle and I realize that I do not feel deprived.  If I want something, I have it.  Mostly I want things that pay dividends to my health.  That is good.