I consider myself pretty lucky. I found the loop hole. A client of mine gave me the contact info for a raw milk vendor here in TX and they let me in! It was great. A group of people who have lactose and gluten problems order from one of the raw milk dairy farms here in TX. We all place our order for the raw milk, cheese, cream, etc. then every 2 weeks the farmer comes in to town to someones home where we then gather at the truck to get our goods. So cute! Since I have never tried raw milk before and its so hard to find a good dairy farm, I was PUMPED. I was just hoping that I would be able to digest the stuff and enjoy a big bowl of GF cereal. Well, it is AMAZING and PURE! So what is raw milk? Here's a little info from raw-milk facts.com . But here is just a little info to get you started.
There's little mention in the mainstream media these days, of traditional foods having healing properties. Sure, there's a ton of hype touting unfermented soy products, vegetable oils and supplements as modern saviors, but in reality, these items have risk-to-benefit ratios like many drugs do.
Few people are aware that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was actually used as a medicine in the early part of the last century. That's right. Milk straight from the udder, a sort of "stem cell" of foods, was used as medicine to treat, and frequently cure some serious chronic diseases. From the time of Hippocrates to until just after World War II, this "white blood" nourished and healed uncounted millions.
Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to. Indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that. What's in it that makes it so great? Let's look at the ingredients to see what makes it such a powerful food.
Right now its illegal to sell in stores except for in a few states like California, Minnesota, and a few other but several people are campaigning to get it passed in EVERY state so go to www.realmilk.com. to support the campaign!
I also found both of these videos very interesting and TRUE!! Its the RAW facts!
I love this guy! Talk about PASSION!
LCotter
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My Dad's job is pretty cool.
I'm tired of the bike, shoes, and swim gear. So, today I will talk about my old man. There is a pretty good chance my Dad's job is cooler then your Dad's job!
So what is it that my Dad does you may ask?
What has 6 million parts, 171 miles of wiring, a wing weight of 95,000 pounds, 63,000pounds of thrust per engine, carries 63,500 pounds of fuel?
Did I mention he holds around 480 souls in his bare hands?
My Dad is a Boeing 747-400 Captain for JAL! I still feel pretty proud when I watch my Dad taxi and takeoff in this MASSIVE of a hollowed out aluminium tube.
Cockpit at 40,000ft over Pacific
It's beautiful.
Night view while over pacific
So what is it that my Dad does you may ask?
What has 6 million parts, 171 miles of wiring, a wing weight of 95,000 pounds, 63,000pounds of thrust per engine, carries 63,500 pounds of fuel?
Did I mention he holds around 480 souls in his bare hands?
My Dad is a Boeing 747-400 Captain for JAL! I still feel pretty proud when I watch my Dad taxi and takeoff in this MASSIVE of a hollowed out aluminium tube.
Cockpit at 40,000ft over Pacific
It's beautiful.
Night view while over pacific
Monday, January 26, 2009
Source Endurance
Anybody wanting triathlon tips and help from the best? Now you can hear from the experts at Source Endurance on my new twitter feed.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
ONE MORE WEEK
I have one more week of overload to smash my body, then it will be a full recovery week to recharge and sharpen up for my race in the Land of the long white cloud. It has been a big push and I' glad my body has not fallen apart yet. Thank you Chris.
This week has been a good challenge with a failure that motivated me through the rest of the week. Typical week will be Mon, Wed, Fri, for recovery. Tues is VO2, Thur LT, Sat has a long ride followed by brick run at race pace, Sun is the long run. I hate Tuesday and Thursday with a passion but come Sat and Sun, my race pace feels so easy. Tuesday had me doing reps on the bike at a very high wattage. I nailed the first four intervals and failed on the fifth. This was great motivation for the rest of the week to push hard and stay focused. Yesterday was key session on the bike. 5.5 hrs with 2x60min, 1x45min, 2x15 all at race wattage. I logged about 130 miles on the bike and then ran a 10km in 35 flat. Tim Marr is also over here training and it was nice to have him out on the roads with me yesterday. Today I have a 24 mile run that I'm not too excited about at the moment.
Moment of peace before I feel the pain.
K-Swiss Konejo. Saving my shins from pavement since Jan 09.
Entry to Hell. I run in and out off hell road three times a week. That's right!
Recovery pool. It's cold.
This week has been a good challenge with a failure that motivated me through the rest of the week. Typical week will be Mon, Wed, Fri, for recovery. Tues is VO2, Thur LT, Sat has a long ride followed by brick run at race pace, Sun is the long run. I hate Tuesday and Thursday with a passion but come Sat and Sun, my race pace feels so easy. Tuesday had me doing reps on the bike at a very high wattage. I nailed the first four intervals and failed on the fifth. This was great motivation for the rest of the week to push hard and stay focused. Yesterday was key session on the bike. 5.5 hrs with 2x60min, 1x45min, 2x15 all at race wattage. I logged about 130 miles on the bike and then ran a 10km in 35 flat. Tim Marr is also over here training and it was nice to have him out on the roads with me yesterday. Today I have a 24 mile run that I'm not too excited about at the moment.
Moment of peace before I feel the pain.
K-Swiss Konejo. Saving my shins from pavement since Jan 09.
Entry to Hell. I run in and out off hell road three times a week. That's right!
Recovery pool. It's cold.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Silence is GOLDEN
Life at the Cotter house has been busy and stressful. Since James left, I've taken over a lot of his work on top of mine. But we couldn't miss out on this opportunity for him to go race and train. We both are making sacrifices for each other, that's what teamwork is all about! I'm not complaining. I am grateful that we have work and can travel like this for now. HOW GRATEFUL? More than you know!! No offense to those who have kids and are reading this but today I realized how thankful I am that we DON'T have kids and DO get to have our own schedule and DOWN time when we need it! So this is what happened. I needed a break today in a BIG way! My work started at 7:30am this morning (yes Saturday) and my last bit finished up at 1pm with a nutrition client at CATZ. The whole time I was there all you could hear where the soccer kids screaming on the indoor fields and all their little siblings running wild outside the field next to my office!! By the time I left, my head was pounding. I decided I needed to go home and get away from the noise for a bit. Little did I know that our cute neighbors decided to have tons of friends over and yell and scream in the back yard, right next to our kitchen. I then opted to grab the dog, go for a ride in the truck and venture out to target to see if they had any new sales while Sadie chilled in the car. I knew I had to be thrifty because I had lost my debit card on Thursday and am currently living off of 1/2 a cashed paycheck that I received yesterday. $10 was my bargain goal! Ah Target, love this place! Well, not today. I immediately stepped in the doors and it was CHAOS! Not only was it packed, but there were crying babies, screaming kids, and loud intercom speakers going off and on and off and on!! What the CRAP am I thinking!?! I slowly browsed around thinking the kids would stop crying and the intercom would shut off, but it only got worse. Isn't there a mute button or something that silences the whole world!?!
So thank you TARGET! I not only do NOT want kids for at least another 8-10 years, but I also ended up saving $10 which I can now go spend on a much needed happy hour. A glass of wine, on the couch, with my ipod playing relaxing music in my ear. Now that's a SATURDAY night!
Have a great weekend. Cheers!
LC
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Lost in Hawaii
Lost? My wife is back home and I wish I was with her. I wish I could be back there, but it is too cold to be doing all the sessions I need to be doing in order to get ready for IMNZ.
I arrived Saturday and was able to get settled in before training started on Sunday morning. Sunday had me swimming 2km and running 20 miles at race pace. Well, not really, Coach D wants me running slower, but I can't help not going fast. I meet MarkyV in town for coffee and we were hit with a massive storm. Two hours later it was clear skies and I was ready to run.
I will tell you right now, running is horrible here compared to Austin. I miss my endless off road trails on SOFT dirt. The concrete kills your legs. I managed to hold a 6:25 pace for the 22 miles and felt really good. I hope it feels that good on race day:) I know I will be in for a shock come race day.
Off for a hard run and bike.
-JC
I arrived Saturday and was able to get settled in before training started on Sunday morning. Sunday had me swimming 2km and running 20 miles at race pace. Well, not really, Coach D wants me running slower, but I can't help not going fast. I meet MarkyV in town for coffee and we were hit with a massive storm. Two hours later it was clear skies and I was ready to run.
I will tell you right now, running is horrible here compared to Austin. I miss my endless off road trails on SOFT dirt. The concrete kills your legs. I managed to hold a 6:25 pace for the 22 miles and felt really good. I hope it feels that good on race day:) I know I will be in for a shock come race day.
Off for a hard run and bike.
-JC
Monday, January 12, 2009
Doctors orders- we'll see about that
So after being diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance (10 weeks GF by the way), my doctor wanted me to get more testing done to see if I had any other allergies associated with gluten such as lactose, corn, soy, etc. (The following is said sarcastically)- Okay sure. We'll spend more money on more testing that my insurance doesn't fully cover. I'm sure it costs a least a couple hundred per test like the Celiac test did. We'll just start digging our way into debt now!
I think not. James and I both agreed that when he left I'd have plenty of time to experiment with the elmination diet and no one to be around to witness in case I do have a reaction. Not pretty. Anyway, about a week before he left I started having certain uncomfortable symptoms that were similar to having a lactose intolerance. But i had cut out dairy when I started going Gluten Free so it couldn't be that. Come to find out that a lot people about 2 months into going GF develop certain reactions when they have too much of one thing and my too much was SOY. Soy milk, soy crisps, tofu, soy cheese- you get the picture.
So long SOY- for now at least! I am SO much better. You see, I found out on my own, didn't need any testing. Just found out the hard way I guess, haha!
Anyway, the GI doctor also said that I most likely will be okay with dairy and to slowly add it back in but only the low lactose dairy. Okay sweet!
See chart below for details.
LACTOSE CONTENT OF COMMON DAIRY FOODS
(The amounts shown for lactose vary because ingredients in products can vary, affecting the lactose content.)
PRODUCT LACTOSE IN GRAMS
Whey, dry (1 oz.).....................................................19-21
Milk, acidophilus skim (1 cup)........................................11
Yogurt, whole milk (1 cup)............................................10-12
Milk, whole (1 cup)...................................................9-14
Buttermilk (1 cup)....................................................9-12
Ice Milk (3/4 cup)....................................................8
Yogurt, lowfat (1 cup)................................................5-19
Velveeta cheese (11/2 oz.)............................................4
Ice Cream (3/4 cup)...................................................3-8
Orange sherbet (3/4 cup)..............................................1-2
Half-and-Half, cream, or sour cream (2 Tbs.)..........................1
Most hard cheeses (11.5 oz.)..........................................1
American cheese, pasteurized processed (1'/2 oz.).....................0-6
Ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)..............................................0-6
Cottage cheese, creamed (1/2 cup).....................................0-4
Cream cheese (1.5 oz.)................................................0-1
Butter or margarine (1 Tbs.)..........................................0
I love me some half and half cream and butter. So I've been cooking with a little natural butter (thank God for flavor) and putting a little cream in coffee which has been working out pretty well. Still adding things back in slow but seeing progress which means the gut is healing.
Next adventure- raw milk at the farmers market. I heard this stuff is way easy to digest and is so amazing and good for you that you'll never want to give it up. Its pure and unpasturized. Check out www.realmilk.com for more info and to help support real mailk.
Cheers!
P.S.
I miss my husband.
LC
I think not. James and I both agreed that when he left I'd have plenty of time to experiment with the elmination diet and no one to be around to witness in case I do have a reaction. Not pretty. Anyway, about a week before he left I started having certain uncomfortable symptoms that were similar to having a lactose intolerance. But i had cut out dairy when I started going Gluten Free so it couldn't be that. Come to find out that a lot people about 2 months into going GF develop certain reactions when they have too much of one thing and my too much was SOY. Soy milk, soy crisps, tofu, soy cheese- you get the picture.
So long SOY- for now at least! I am SO much better. You see, I found out on my own, didn't need any testing. Just found out the hard way I guess, haha!
Anyway, the GI doctor also said that I most likely will be okay with dairy and to slowly add it back in but only the low lactose dairy. Okay sweet!
See chart below for details.
LACTOSE CONTENT OF COMMON DAIRY FOODS
(The amounts shown for lactose vary because ingredients in products can vary, affecting the lactose content.)
PRODUCT LACTOSE IN GRAMS
Whey, dry (1 oz.).....................................................19-21
Milk, acidophilus skim (1 cup)........................................11
Yogurt, whole milk (1 cup)............................................10-12
Milk, whole (1 cup)...................................................9-14
Buttermilk (1 cup)....................................................9-12
Ice Milk (3/4 cup)....................................................8
Yogurt, lowfat (1 cup)................................................5-19
Velveeta cheese (11/2 oz.)............................................4
Ice Cream (3/4 cup)...................................................3-8
Orange sherbet (3/4 cup)..............................................1-2
Half-and-Half, cream, or sour cream (2 Tbs.)..........................1
Most hard cheeses (11.5 oz.)..........................................1
American cheese, pasteurized processed (1'/2 oz.).....................0-6
Ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)..............................................0-6
Cottage cheese, creamed (1/2 cup).....................................0-4
Cream cheese (1.5 oz.)................................................0-1
Butter or margarine (1 Tbs.)..........................................0
I love me some half and half cream and butter. So I've been cooking with a little natural butter (thank God for flavor) and putting a little cream in coffee which has been working out pretty well. Still adding things back in slow but seeing progress which means the gut is healing.
Next adventure- raw milk at the farmers market. I heard this stuff is way easy to digest and is so amazing and good for you that you'll never want to give it up. Its pure and unpasturized. Check out www.realmilk.com for more info and to help support real mailk.
Cheers!
P.S.
I miss my husband.
LC
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Quinoa Queen
Okay so I am getting a little sick of brown rice and GF pasta so I've switched over to quinoa for a while. Why? Because its so so versatile and of course Gluten Free. Its higher in protein and fiber than brown rice or GF pasta. In fact, here's a little info on this "non-grain" grain. Check out www.quinoa-recipes.com
Quinoa is 100% whole grain and is close to being a perfect food source in the balance of nutrition it provides. Technically it's not a grain but the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein - 12% to 18%. According to The National Academy of Sciences, quinoa is "one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom". Quinoa contains the amino acid lysine which helps the body produce protein. It also helps the body process the protein in the quinoa and in other foods. The World Health Organization has rated the quality of protein in quinoa to be equivalent or superior to that found in milk products.
Quinoa is a source of all essential amino acids according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. It's a great source of B vitamins containing niacin, thiamin and B6.It contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin. It's also good source of zinc, copper, and manganese, and magnesium. It contains folic acid and vitamin E.
You can even make it into a nice hot cereal with berries or bananas. I make mine with almond milk. YUM!
Favorite recipe of the week- Quinoa Pilaf with Steamed Spinach and Baked Salmon or Chicken Breast (whatever meat you prefer).
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1-2 tsp minced garlic
I also paprika and/or chili pepper for a little extra spice.
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add carrot, and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in quinoa and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy.
In a bowl, toss quinoa together with nuts and parsley and other spices. Serve hot or at room temperature. If you're a cheese lover, add a little shredded Parmesan on top.
One more idea! I also used cooked quinoa instead of rice to make fried rice with vegetables (use egg beaters for a healthier option).
Hope everyone is doing well this first week of 2009!
Cheers,
LC
Thursday, January 1, 2009
OFF DAY? Are you kidding me.
Normally when people tell me they are having an off day in the middle of an important build to an important race, I smile and ask them if I can bring out the tissues! I was shocked to see a off day planned for Friday when I was browsing my schedule earlier this week. It has been a very tough week, and I'm not even done yet! I figured that come Friday I would just do a light bike or run. Plans changed and the wife can bring out the tissues. I was tired, very tired.
I will have logged way too much time on the computrainer. 2+ hours three times this week. I can say I hate the CT just as much as I love it. I love it because I know it is making me stronger. You're in a controlled environment and it is so much easier to nail the exact wattage you need to maintain over every set. No traffic lights, no downhills, no interruptions what so ever. The best part is my wife comes outside every 30 minutes with new icy cold bottles!
I hate it because it is the most boring time you will ever spend on a bike. Yes, I logged 2.5 hrs, but I went nowhere! The highest power setting on the fan cannot cool you down or prevent the bucket loads of sweats from dripping off your head.
So anyway, Friday came and I slept in, got a massage, rand errands, and went on a leisurely hike with the wife and dog at the green belt. Nice! Felt good and much needed! What was even better was the next day (saturday)! My 5 hour ride was strong and my power output was higher than normal. Taking a day to rest and recover is definitely key! Saturday ended with a great anniversary dinner at the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse with the wife. It was the perfect end to a successful day and week!
JC
I will have logged way too much time on the computrainer. 2+ hours three times this week. I can say I hate the CT just as much as I love it. I love it because I know it is making me stronger. You're in a controlled environment and it is so much easier to nail the exact wattage you need to maintain over every set. No traffic lights, no downhills, no interruptions what so ever. The best part is my wife comes outside every 30 minutes with new icy cold bottles!
I hate it because it is the most boring time you will ever spend on a bike. Yes, I logged 2.5 hrs, but I went nowhere! The highest power setting on the fan cannot cool you down or prevent the bucket loads of sweats from dripping off your head.
So anyway, Friday came and I slept in, got a massage, rand errands, and went on a leisurely hike with the wife and dog at the green belt. Nice! Felt good and much needed! What was even better was the next day (saturday)! My 5 hour ride was strong and my power output was higher than normal. Taking a day to rest and recover is definitely key! Saturday ended with a great anniversary dinner at the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse with the wife. It was the perfect end to a successful day and week!
JC
Best of the Best- JPC
The day we got engaged!
Our Wedding day!
Today!
Tribute to my Husband
A warning to male readers, I am going to be mushy in this blog BUT you should bare through it and keep reading!
It was a year ago this weekend that I married a GREAT man! I can’t believe it’s already been 1 year! Crazy. Our first year together has been full of leaps, not skips or hops (those are for wimps) and I know there are MANY more to come! But who else to take those leaps with than with your best friend and your companion! I fall in love with my husband more each day. His character is makes his name and I know that God created him in perfect fit for me and vice versa. So today I want to write a tribute to my husband for he has made me the luckiest woman in the world (corny but from the heart)!! Here are just a few things that make me respect and love my MAN- James Patrick Cotter.
1.He busts his but everyday to provide for us whether it be hours and hours of training or coaching- NOT once does he complain!
2.When he has had a long day of training and/or work, he sits and rubs MY feet after dinner when in truth he’s the one in need of a massage.
3.He greets me every day with “Morning my Love” and gives me a kiss, even if I’ve been grumpy.
4.Not sure how, but he can deal with my hormones at certain times of the month. I can’t even do that!
5.He never once said he didn’t like my cooking. He eats and loves everything I cook. Not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, haha!
6.He runs to the store 3 plus times for me in a day if I need him to. He’ll even run to the store at night to get me some So delicious ice cream. But I think it’s because they have free samples. :)
7.He is a great with my family and treats them with the utmost respect and generosity. Hmm…I think I need to learn from that!
8.When I am angry or upset, he calms me with a nice tone in his voice, never arguing back.
9.He treats me on little coffee dates and other little dinner dates that make me feel like we’re dating again.
10.He strong, patient, kind, respectful, handsome, and treats me like a princess- ENOUGH SAID! He is the man, MY MAN!
Oh and I forgot one more..... he supports me by going gluten free- now that's impressive!
I love you James Cotter and I will strive everyday to be your support and backbone as we take leaps and bounds through our life together!
Okay, mushy stuff is over. Hope you all had a great New Year. 2009 is looking mighty fine!!
LC
Our Wedding day!
Today!
Tribute to my Husband
A warning to male readers, I am going to be mushy in this blog BUT you should bare through it and keep reading!
It was a year ago this weekend that I married a GREAT man! I can’t believe it’s already been 1 year! Crazy. Our first year together has been full of leaps, not skips or hops (those are for wimps) and I know there are MANY more to come! But who else to take those leaps with than with your best friend and your companion! I fall in love with my husband more each day. His character is makes his name and I know that God created him in perfect fit for me and vice versa. So today I want to write a tribute to my husband for he has made me the luckiest woman in the world (corny but from the heart)!! Here are just a few things that make me respect and love my MAN- James Patrick Cotter.
1.He busts his but everyday to provide for us whether it be hours and hours of training or coaching- NOT once does he complain!
2.When he has had a long day of training and/or work, he sits and rubs MY feet after dinner when in truth he’s the one in need of a massage.
3.He greets me every day with “Morning my Love” and gives me a kiss, even if I’ve been grumpy.
4.Not sure how, but he can deal with my hormones at certain times of the month. I can’t even do that!
5.He never once said he didn’t like my cooking. He eats and loves everything I cook. Not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, haha!
6.He runs to the store 3 plus times for me in a day if I need him to. He’ll even run to the store at night to get me some So delicious ice cream. But I think it’s because they have free samples. :)
7.He is a great with my family and treats them with the utmost respect and generosity. Hmm…I think I need to learn from that!
8.When I am angry or upset, he calms me with a nice tone in his voice, never arguing back.
9.He treats me on little coffee dates and other little dinner dates that make me feel like we’re dating again.
10.He strong, patient, kind, respectful, handsome, and treats me like a princess- ENOUGH SAID! He is the man, MY MAN!
Oh and I forgot one more..... he supports me by going gluten free- now that's impressive!
I love you James Cotter and I will strive everyday to be your support and backbone as we take leaps and bounds through our life together!
Okay, mushy stuff is over. Hope you all had a great New Year. 2009 is looking mighty fine!!
LC
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