Here's another smoothie recipe. This one is a TREAT because it tastes like a nutty milkshake. I love it for breakfast as well. Because it is higher in calories than the Veggie Smoothie, I try to reserve it for mornings where I need an extra boost of energy.
Peach Almond Smoothie
Serves one.
1 cup almond milk
1 T almond butter
1 cup frozen peaches
1 dash cinnamon
1 T agave syrup (or as much/little to taste)
1/4 cup ice
Blend well. Enjoy.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pura Vida
Samara, Costa Rica - Though I had a week, it took me only one day to become adjusted to beach life in this little town on the Nicoyan Peninsula of Costa Rica.
Without a car to fight Beltway traffic, I rented a bicycle and pedaled around horses, cows, and dogs who openly roamed the roads.
Without a buzzing Blackberry highlighting the next emergency, I spent my afternoons sleeping in hammocks or catching some rays on the beach.
Without museum sites to run around to, I studied the timing of the waves during the day and the star system at night.
Without a 5-star restaurant to dine at, I enjoyed ceviche sold from a cooler and a grilled chorizo pineapple wrap from a cart in front of the Tutti Frutti Bar.
Without the stress of needing to be at my next appointment, I stood still and watched the sunset. Pura Vida.
Without a car to fight Beltway traffic, I rented a bicycle and pedaled around horses, cows, and dogs who openly roamed the roads.
Without a buzzing Blackberry highlighting the next emergency, I spent my afternoons sleeping in hammocks or catching some rays on the beach.
Without museum sites to run around to, I studied the timing of the waves during the day and the star system at night.
Without a 5-star restaurant to dine at, I enjoyed ceviche sold from a cooler and a grilled chorizo pineapple wrap from a cart in front of the Tutti Frutti Bar.
Without the stress of needing to be at my next appointment, I stood still and watched the sunset. Pura Vida.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Planes, Buses, Automobiles, and a Bicycleta -- How I Made My Way to Samara, Costa Rica
Samara is a sleepy beach town on the Pacific-side of Costa Rica. Here's how to get there when you can't speak Spanish and need to figure your way using the public bus system:
- At the airport, in between Immigration and Customs, you'll see ATM machines. Take advantage and pull out 5,000 colones at a time, up to 20,000 colones ($40 USD).
- As you are exiting the airport, turn towards the left to the Taxi Stands. These will be metered taxis, but for good measure I always ask how much. To go to the "Empresa Alfaro" bus station, it's roughly 20-30 minutes and $27 USD (they will take USD). (FYI, I was quoted $35 originally, but like I said, it was metered and turned out to be $27).
- The Empresa Alfaro station looks a bit like a blue garage. When you walk in through the large opening of the building, you'll be in the Waiting Area with multiple benches. The ticket counter ("Tiquetes") is in the room to the right and not in the back of the waiting area. In the ticket room, get in the line on the right. You'll see the bus schedule. The price is approximately 3860 colones (roughly $7-8 USD), if I recall. (For your knowledge, there is a bus that goes to Nicoya via Liberia. You don't want to take this bus because it'll add several hours to your trip. You want to take the one that goes "por puente"/by bridge.)
- In the Waiting Room, you'll notice people using Puerta 1 (Gate 1). Even if you can understand Spanish, it's difficult to understand the man over the loud speaker. For reference, the line for your bus will probably get started about 30 minutes before it's time to depart. I just asked someone in line if it was going to "Nicoya."
- Once the gate line gets moving, the guy at the door will confirm your ticket. He will also ask you what your final destination is so that he can sort your bag into the right pile for under the bus. Watch to make sure that he puts your bag under the bus. On your ticket, look for the word "asiento" ("seat") and will reference your assigned seat number on the bus. Keep any personal belongings on the bus close by you because foreigners are known to be targeted for petty thefts on the bus.
- The trip to Nicoya is approximately four hours. Two hours into the trip to Nicoya, there will be a 15-20 minute break to get off the bus at something similar to a rest stop. Most everyone gets off and you can get snacks/drinks. You'll want your colones handy for any purchases.
- Because of the hour of my arrival in Nicoya, I caught a taxi ride (versus another bus) for 45 minutes to get to "el centro" of the town of Samara ($30 USD). The roads and highway to Nicoya and Samara are VERY dark. So it's easy to know when you are in Nicoya or Samara because there will all of the sudden be LIGHT!!! You'll also see road signs pointing ahead to how much further to Nicoya and Samara is.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Being Goofy: Surving the Disney Race and a Half Challenge
Imagine going on a half marathon training run the day before your full marathon. Unfathomable? Well, welcome to Disney's Goofy Challenge when, in one weekend, you complete the Donald Duck Half Marathon on Saturday and Mickey Mouse Full Marathon on Sunday.
Getting to the Start
I stayed in a hotel that was not a Disney Property and 8 miles away from Epcot (the start line). I was fortunate to have a good friend who was such a good sport about getting up at 3:15am with me every morning so we could be out the door at 3:45am.
Traffic was crazy. And even though I was only 8 miles away, we still wouldn't arrive at the race entrance until 4:20am. By that point, I still had a half mile walk to get to the start line (when there are 27,000 runners for the half marathon and 17,000 runners for the full marathon, a half mile walk will take you about 30 minutes to get through). Not a big deal, but I'm really glad I left enough time so that I didn't panic while sitting in the sea of traffic.
Go, Minnie!!
I had never been a stunt runner before, but I decided to wear a costume for the races because it was, after all, Disney!! Apparently, my Minnie Mouse ears and pink tutu became an easy target for spectators to find me and shout for me amongst the crowd of traditional runners.
Miles and Miles
Some people will criticize the Disney races because there is a lot of highway and backroad running. And they are right! However, when you do get to run inside the amusement parks (for the Half, it was Epcot and Magic Kingdom; for the Full, it was all 4 parks), it is the fastest couple of miles you will get through. You lose yourself in the magic and fun of the park. You get distracted posing with the characters. And you have tons of spectators cheering you on. It's AWESOME!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Word to the wise, when you are doing the Goofy Challenge, it's all about endurance and not about time. This was an initially difficult concept for me. Surprising, since I'm not a fast runner and should be used to people passing me. However, it was a little blow to my ego to let SO many people run past me. Luckily, I carried an aid...a camera. Sure, there would be a little bit of a line, but taking pictures with the characters became a welcome break and opportunity to catch my breath. In addition, every character would have a Disney Assistant who would take your picture for you. It turned into a new game for me where I felt like I was collecting playing cards. Oooh, I don't have a photo with that one yet!
Water, Port o' Johns, and Medic Stations
It was a well organized and supplied race. There were plenty of options along the trails and I was beyond thankful. In addition, the Medic Stations were supplied with everything that I could think to need including aspirin, antacid, feminine products, and gels to relieve muscle tension.
Spectating
Even without the CheerSquad packet, Disney does a GREAT JOB of mapping spotting points and directions for spectators. Though it was my friend's first time coming out to spectate a race, he managed to easily chase me down at each of the points with the directions provided on the race website. Because of the darkness during the first hour of the race, his son's glow-in-the-dark Buzz Lightyear toy played doubled duty as an aid so that I could spot HIM on the trail.
Recovering Between Races
In a nutshell, do nothing. All I did was eat, sleep, and stretch. I spent a little time in the pool to help bring the swelling down in my muscles. I also wore compression tights during the day. I went to bed at 6:30pm the night before the marathon to ensure that I was well rested for it.
So, How Did It Feel to Run 39.3 Miles?
Admittedly -- not bad at all. I ran at a slower pace than usual. This strategy left me feeling good for the race. When I got tired, I'd stop and take another photo with a character. By the time the camera clicked, I'd feel fresh enough to take off again. I was a little hungrier during the marathon than I typically am, but I took advantage of the free bananas and paced myself with gels at every 4th mile. And as far as letting lots of people pass me in the beginning of the race, I was passing all of them at the end.
Overall Summary
If the Goofy Challenge has been on your mind -- JUST DO IT! And have fun with it. You'll be glad you did.
By the way, here's a video of me making a bee-line for Goofy who was standing at the finish line so that I could get a high-five as I crossed (just look for the pink tutu around 0:20-0:22 seconds). That's what 39.3 miles looks like on me. Just call me SUPERSTAR!
Getting to the Start
I stayed in a hotel that was not a Disney Property and 8 miles away from Epcot (the start line). I was fortunate to have a good friend who was such a good sport about getting up at 3:15am with me every morning so we could be out the door at 3:45am.
Traffic was crazy. And even though I was only 8 miles away, we still wouldn't arrive at the race entrance until 4:20am. By that point, I still had a half mile walk to get to the start line (when there are 27,000 runners for the half marathon and 17,000 runners for the full marathon, a half mile walk will take you about 30 minutes to get through). Not a big deal, but I'm really glad I left enough time so that I didn't panic while sitting in the sea of traffic.
Go, Minnie!!
I had never been a stunt runner before, but I decided to wear a costume for the races because it was, after all, Disney!! Apparently, my Minnie Mouse ears and pink tutu became an easy target for spectators to find me and shout for me amongst the crowd of traditional runners.
Miles and Miles
Some people will criticize the Disney races because there is a lot of highway and backroad running. And they are right! However, when you do get to run inside the amusement parks (for the Half, it was Epcot and Magic Kingdom; for the Full, it was all 4 parks), it is the fastest couple of miles you will get through. You lose yourself in the magic and fun of the park. You get distracted posing with the characters. And you have tons of spectators cheering you on. It's AWESOME!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Word to the wise, when you are doing the Goofy Challenge, it's all about endurance and not about time. This was an initially difficult concept for me. Surprising, since I'm not a fast runner and should be used to people passing me. However, it was a little blow to my ego to let SO many people run past me. Luckily, I carried an aid...a camera. Sure, there would be a little bit of a line, but taking pictures with the characters became a welcome break and opportunity to catch my breath. In addition, every character would have a Disney Assistant who would take your picture for you. It turned into a new game for me where I felt like I was collecting playing cards. Oooh, I don't have a photo with that one yet!
Water, Port o' Johns, and Medic Stations
It was a well organized and supplied race. There were plenty of options along the trails and I was beyond thankful. In addition, the Medic Stations were supplied with everything that I could think to need including aspirin, antacid, feminine products, and gels to relieve muscle tension.
Spectating
Even without the CheerSquad packet, Disney does a GREAT JOB of mapping spotting points and directions for spectators. Though it was my friend's first time coming out to spectate a race, he managed to easily chase me down at each of the points with the directions provided on the race website. Because of the darkness during the first hour of the race, his son's glow-in-the-dark Buzz Lightyear toy played doubled duty as an aid so that I could spot HIM on the trail.
Recovering Between Races
In a nutshell, do nothing. All I did was eat, sleep, and stretch. I spent a little time in the pool to help bring the swelling down in my muscles. I also wore compression tights during the day. I went to bed at 6:30pm the night before the marathon to ensure that I was well rested for it.
So, How Did It Feel to Run 39.3 Miles?
Admittedly -- not bad at all. I ran at a slower pace than usual. This strategy left me feeling good for the race. When I got tired, I'd stop and take another photo with a character. By the time the camera clicked, I'd feel fresh enough to take off again. I was a little hungrier during the marathon than I typically am, but I took advantage of the free bananas and paced myself with gels at every 4th mile. And as far as letting lots of people pass me in the beginning of the race, I was passing all of them at the end.
Overall Summary
If the Goofy Challenge has been on your mind -- JUST DO IT! And have fun with it. You'll be glad you did.
By the way, here's a video of me making a bee-line for Goofy who was standing at the finish line so that I could get a high-five as I crossed (just look for the pink tutu around 0:20-0:22 seconds). That's what 39.3 miles looks like on me. Just call me SUPERSTAR!
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