Happy National Trail Mix Day - and CLIF Giveaway Winners

Happy National Trail Mix Day!  In honor of this day, CLIF is providing 5 lucky readers CLIF MOJO prize packs.

...and the winners are:

Yo Momma Runs
Penny - Pink Hat Runner
tweetyscute
Jill
stumblingwithperseverance

Congrats to all the winners - 

please email me your mailing address!

 Thanks to all who participated and to 

CLIF for providing a great giveaway! 

Happy Friday!

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Three Things Thursday

Kiddos are back in school (3 out of 4)!  It's nice getting them back on schedule - I'm working on doing the same...

It's National Trail Mix Day this Friday -- check out my CLIF MOJO giveaway!!

Enter HERE

Looking to fill your fall race schedule - check out the ZOOMA races in Lake Geneva, WI on October 20th.  Enter GLAMB6 when registering to receive $10 off the half or $5 off the 5k entry.

ZOOMA Great Lakes

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Wordless Wednesday - CLIF Giveaway!

CLIF MOJO giveaway - enter HERE

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Meatless Monday - Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Here's another quick and easy summer salad...

Quinoa is a great source of complete protein, providing all 9 essential amino acids.  It is also gluten-free and cholesterol-free and contains calcium, phosphorus, and iron (from Wikipedia).

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:
Quinoa, cooked according to directions (don't overcook - may become mushy)
Black beans, cooked (or from a can)
Corn kernels
Tomatoes, diced
Avocados, diced (optional)
Red onion, finely chopped

Olive oil
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cilantro, chopped
Jalapeno, finely diced (optional)

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix well.  If time allows, refrigerate for a couple hours. Enjoy!


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Friday Funny

Another good one from Lynfred Winery...

Here, have some wine:)

Happy Friday!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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National Trail Mix Day - CLIF Giveaway

It’s not a national holiday yet, but National Trail Mix Day (August 31) is reason to rejoice. CLIF wants to help you celebrate with a sweet and salty giveaway of CLIF MOJO bars. 

CLIF MOJO bars

"Whether you’re summiting a mountain or a pile of papers on your desk, this trail friendly bar is full of crunchy nuts, plump raisins and a sprinkling of chocolate chips to get you to the top."  And MOJO satisfies cravings with 8-9 grams of great-tasting protein plus no trans fats or processed sugars.

For more information, visit the CLIF Bar and Company website,  check out their Facebook page, and follow on Twitter.

If you'd like a prize pack, 

simply leave a comment below stating so. 

For an extra entry, tell me your favorite CLIF bar flavor. 

5 winners will be chosen randomly on Friday, August 31st. 

Good luck!!

(Disclaimer: This product was provided for free to give away on my blog - courtesy of CLIF, via Double-Forte. I did not pay for these items or receive payment for this post.)

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Out for a run...

Out for a run...

Back tomorrow:)

Happy hump day!

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Tuesday Training

I started and ended my training week with fun group activities...

Sunday - Cross training ride at Danada and Herrick Lake Forest Preserves with Tazer and Gaigai.  These two forest preserves have connecting wide crushed gravel paths, perfect for cycling, running and horseback riding.  It was great (half) family time and good preparation for the kids' triathlon.  Gaigai's race recap coming soon!

Monday - rest day - off to Michigan:)

Tuesday - key run - tempo 6 miles - nice easy miles along the lakeshore

Wednesday - another rest day (should have cycled...)

Thursday - key run - track repeats - 3 x 1600 (400 RI).  Only finished 2 before it started pouring.  I wasn't prepared for the rain, so I cut my track time short and finished up on the treadmill.

Friday - rest day (could have cycled...)

Saturday - key run/ZOOMA training run at Busse Woods.  I normally run alone, but running and chatting really helped the miles go by...thanks for organizing Kim!

photo courtesy of Kelly's husband

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Meatless Monday - Sesame Rice Noodle and Herb Melon Salad

Kovas made this delicious Sesame Rice Noodle and Herb Melon salad a couple of weeks ago and featured it on 50 States of Wine Meatless Monday.  This recipe is taken from The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook, by Kim O'Donnel, which features 52 recipes for one year's worth of Meatless Monday dishes.  The ingredient list is somewhat long, and sounds a little strange as a combination, but for the most part the ingredients are every day items and put together - they're delectable! 

Ingredients:

Rice noodles, prepared per package Soy Sauce Sugar Lime Juice Sesame Oil Vegetable Oil

Onion Mix: Onions (recipe calls for red, we used a handy white), Lime Juice

Cucumber Salad: Cucumbers, Rice Wine, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Sesame oil

Melon Salad: Watermelon, Sugar, Lime Juice, Salt

Garnish: Cilantro, Mint, Basil, Cashews

Preparation:

Prepare each block above independently by combining the ingredients, then put everything on plate or bowl for final presentation. While the recipe in the book calls for measurements, this is a recipe that is particularly attractive to winging it, as so much of seasoning is personal. We also adjusted it to take into consideration our 4 children, ages 2-11, so no rice wine, no pepper flakes. I don't eat peanuts, so the recommended garnish was changed accordingly.

Delicious - thanks Kovai!

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Home Field Advantage in the Summer Olympics - Infographic

For those of you going through Olympics withdrawal, here's a fun infographic on home field advantage...


© 2012 Westbound 415

Happy Friday!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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Three Things Thursday

The countdowns have begun...

4 weeks until the North Face Endurance Challenge - I need to incorporate more hills into my runs:)

9 weeks until ZOOMA Great Lakes - enter GLAMB6 when registering to receive $10 off the half and $5 off the 5k.

Register here

 10 days until school starts - where did summer vacation go??

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Wordless Wednesday

Enjoying the sunset...

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Tuesday Training

I was kind of a slacker in terms of training last week, but I did manage two key runs and finally rode outside with Tazer.  A couple of weeks ago, Tazer rode along while I ran the loop at Waterfall Glen which he really enjoyed, so this week we decided to ride the loop together.

Strong storms the night before gave us some needed rain
 and took down some large trees. 

Opting not to take the little detour (with the big hills), we had a very pleasant ride.  Tazer and Gaigai will be participating in a triathlon this Sunday, so his riding (and occasional running) with me has been good preparation for him.

Lingering clouds...

Happy to say, especially considering the North Face Endurance is coming up in 4 short weeks, I'm off to a better start this week:)




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Meatless Monday - Oatmeal with Peaches, Cashew Cream and Pecans

Start your morning right with healthy oatmeal topped with local fresh peaches, cashew cream and pecans.  Last week my Meatless Monday featured a vegan ranch dressing made from raw soaked cashews which was delicious on noodles and salad.  The remaining soaked creamed cashews I used as the base for a sweet cream for oatmeal and as a filler for a peach tart.

Oatmeal with fresh peaches, pecans and cashew cream.

This versatile cream is super easy to make - just soak the raw cashews overnight, then process in a food prep until creamy.  Add desired spices and seasonings to make a sweet or savory cream base.  For this oatmeal recipe, I added a little bit of honey, cinnamon and vanilla, and a dash of salt.


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Friday Funny

You are what you eat...

Happy Friday!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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Camelbak Hydration Pack Reviews

If you are not fortunate enough to have...

Your personal sherpa carrying all your needs on a long run

I would highly recommend the Camelbak hydration packs!  Unfortunately my Tazer (shown in picture above) cannot always make it on my long runs with me - I'm not looking forward to school starting with soccer games, Lithuanian school, etc packed-weekends.

Kovas and I were super excited when Camelbak sent us three 2012 hydration packs to try out: the Ultra LR, the Marathoner, and the Baja LR.  See Kovas' reviews at Midwest Multisport Life.

picture courtesy of MML

The Ultra LR Vest features a 2L Antidote Lumbar Reservoir with Quick Link™ System, 1/4 turn - easy open/close cap, lightweight fillport, patented Big Bite™ Valve, HydroGuard™ technology, PureFlow™ tube, and an easy-to-clean wide-mouth opening.  It also has adjustable hook and loop fasteners for the shoulder straps to fit different sized torsos (ideal if shared between two different sized individuals) and waist belt with additional pockets.  A whistle and reflective accents add nice safety touches.  The lumbar reservoir keeps the water weight low and your shoulders free to move. Of the two pack designs, I prefer the waist belt design - which helps keep the pack more securely in place for me.

Camelbak Ultra LR vest

The Marathoner  is a typical running hydration pack with some extra nice features: 1/4 turn - easy open/close reservoir cap, a lightweight fillport, dryer arms, center baffling and low-profile design, patented Big Bite™ Valve, HydroGuard™ technology, PureFlow™ tube, and an easy-to-clean wide-mouth opening.  Similar to the Ultra LR, the adjustable shoulder harness makes this a versatile pack for our family and the multiple chest straps keep it snug to minimize movement.

Camelbak Marathoner

The Baja LR  is a Stand Up Paddleboarding hydration vest.  It is made of quick-drying material and has similar features as the Ultra LR - the Antidote Lumbar Reservoir with Quick Link™ System and the waist belt which keeps your shoulders free when paddling.  The belt provides easy storage and a paddle holster. For safety, it has an attached whistle and is designed to carry an inflatable PFD.  Great vest for a day of fun on the water!

Testing the Baja LR on the Galien River

So if you don't have someone to schlep your things (or even if you do), I'm sure one of the Camelbaks would be perfect for you!

“CamelBak® Got Your Bak™ Guarantee:

If we built it, we'll Bak it™

with our lifetime guarantee.”

More information can be found on the Camelbak website,  like on Facebook,  follow on Twitter,  and subscribe on YouTube.

(Disclaimer: I was sent these products for free to review on my blog - courtesy of Camelbak, via Double Forte. I did not pay for the items, receive payment for this review, or agree to give them a positive review. Aside from information gleaned from the company website, the opinions are my own.)


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Wordless Wilderness Wednesday

Fun morning trail riding with the kids...

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Meatless Monday - Vegan Ranch Dip

With Kovas trying to go vegan as much as possible, I've been searching for an "acceptable" vegan ranch dressing - and found it!  Actually this is a recipe from author of The Fermentary, but it's not found on her site.  She does, however, have a lot of interesting recipes for miso, campfire cod, whey and more - take a look!

Soak raw cashews in fresh water overnight.

Blend in blender - or a food processor may work better, adding water for desired consistency (more for a ranch dressing).

Add (all to taste)
splash of apple cider vinegar
finely chopped red onion
crushed garlic
salt and fresh ground pepper 
fresh herbs

Combine with cashew paste and refrigerate for a couple hours.  Serve with veggies.  Enjoy!



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Friday Funny

This made me think of a friend who uses her juicer to make appletinis:)

reposted from From Fat to Finish Line FB page

Happy Friday!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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Three Things Thursday

Munchkin has been asking to go to the Shedd Aquarium and yesterday we finally made it in to the city for a visit.  Love seeing the kids excitement:)

Today, August 2 is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.  Ice cream sandwiches are my favorite!  Here are some links for some ideas on making some at home from allparenting and delish.  We're having trouble agreeing on what kind we'll have...

With his 19th medal, Michael Phelps became the most decorated olympian of all time, some people say the greatest.  Do you agree?

Who is your favorite olympian?

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