Day 13

The second weekend of the challenge has started and I must say that temptation is starting to wane quite a bit.  I've created a mental framework where I think of food as fuel for better performance and that tends to squash negative eating habits.  That said, even as I write this I'm turning a longing eye to the late night bowl of Go-Lean Crunch that the lovely wife is eating.

I actually slept incredibly well last night.  I guess it was just the busy week catching up with me.  Normally I'm up and out of bed by 6AM at the latest.  But the baby had a good night.  She woke up only once at 5AM and I conked back out and awoke to the sounds of birds chirping (think spring) at 7:30.

I had a light breakfast of 1/2 of a banana and some almonds so as not to upset my stomach before a 10AM Crossfit workout at the gym.  The gym today was packed.  There must have been a good 10-12 people there.  It is always encouraging to have so many others pushing themselves during a workout.  It definitely makes me work even harder.  I'm also glad that business is going so well for Mike and company (he may look mean and radiation emitting in the picture, but I can assure you he is neither in real life).  They truly are good folks and they take a strong interest in both the health and personal well being of their clients.  You won't find that at your local L.A. Fitness.

After the workout, I stopped by a small independent grocery, John McGinnis Market, on the way home.  What was really drawing me there was that the had advertised on their website that they carried grass fed beef.  It had been probably a few years since I had visited the establishment and I was greeted with a beautiful selection of produce.  I went a little nuts in the produce section as you can see:

Celery, Acorn Squash, Poblano Peppers, Portobello Mushroom Caps, Green Beans, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Lemons, Baby Carrots, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Granny Smith Apples, Red Onion, MacIntosh Apples, Pineapple, Red Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Broccoli Slaw, Sno-cap Mushrooms, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

I was also able to find some interesting Paleo items that are a bit hard to come by in a regular supermarket.  The first was Stonewall Kitchen's Mango Lime Salsa.

The ingredient list for this beauty was nice, simple and healthy: Mangos, Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos, Lime Juice Concentrate, Garlic, Vinegar, Cilantro and Cayenne Pepper.  I'm thinking it will make an excellent topping/marinade for chicken or fish.  I'll probably try this later this week so I'll keep you posted.

One of the other good finds was some nitrate free wild cherrywood smoked thick-cut bacon.  If you thought applewood smoked bacon was hoity-toity, you just got one-uped fool.  The makers of this stuff need to go into the wild to hunt for the elusive cherrywood.  Domesticated cherrywood simply won't do.


What photo album would be complete without a picture of bacon?

Sadly when I reached the meat counter to inquire about the grass fed beef, they said that they didn't carry it. :-/ The folks seemed like nice people behind the counter so I didn't broach the subject of their mendacious website claims.  Their meat was all natural and antibiotic free so I picked up two steaks and a roast.  Since they didn't have what I had specifically came for, it was a bit disappointing, but the produce was great and I definitely didn't leave empty handed.

Dinner tonight was one of the more impressive showings.  There was no special occasion, just that we had some time to plan and cook this evening.  The meal consisted of the beautiful steaks that I had purchased earlier in the day covered in mushrooms and onions with a side of smothered green beans.

I seasoned my steak with just a trace amount of salt and a generous amount of black pepper and grilled them to perfection (medium for me, medium-well for the lovely wife).  The smothered green beans were a great opportunity for me to use some of the fancy bacon that I picked up.  The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

• 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup onions, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the fat begins to render. Stir in onions and garlic; let cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans and water. Let the beans cook until the water has evaporated and the beans are tender. If the beans are not tender once the water has evaporated, add a small amount more water and let them cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper (to taste) and serve.

In other news, I have in my possession a loner copy of "The Paleo Diet for Athletes".  It is chocked full of fueling information which I'm hoping will make my long runs go by a little easier.  I've got a 16 miler tomorrow, and based on last weeks run, I'm a tad nervous.

Workout: 
-Buy In-
30 Supermans
30 Walking Lunges
-WOD-
5 Rounds For Time Of:
5 Hand Stand Push Ups
50 Double Unders
20 Kettlebell Swings  1.5 Pood/ 1 Pood
-Cash Out-
Row 500M

My time for this WOD was 14:25.  I substituted 3 single jumps for each double under.  I can do the double unders, I'm just much slower at them.  I also used a 44lb KB (~1.25 Pood) for the swings.

Food Journal:
Breakfast:1/2 banana
                 Handful of almonds
Post Workout: Whey Protein Shake mixed with water
Lunch: Spinach Salad with Mushrooms and Ham
            Oil, Red wine vinegar and Dijon dressing
             Left over pork roast and veggies (from day 10)
PM Snack: 1 Orange
Dinner: Steak with sauteed mushrooms and onions
              Smothered Green Beans
              Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce

Sleep:
8.5 hours plus an afternoon nap :)