hunting

. I have been wanting to go hunting. Don't know about the rest of you, but after always going to Versus to see if any endurance sports were on, I would end up being disappointed to find hunting. However,  I always seemed to stay glued to the tv when all there was, was hunting was on for hours and hours. Conditions always looked cold and the terrain was rugged, or same cold conditions, but guys were in a blind just waiting to make a shot. I loved the whispering voice of the hunters and thought it would be pretty cool to hold up a buck one day. Well, this past weekend that was ME!! Dallas (my father-in-law) gave me a call last week to see if I was able to go hunting with him in East Texas, and I was thrilled. Packed up my truck and drove 3.5 hours to Buffalo, TX. Sunday afternoon we sighted-in the guns and then made our way to the blind we would be hunting from. We were unlucky on the first day as the only excitement was 15-20 cows hanging out right in front of the blind eating all the acorns. Not a single view of a buck or doe the entire 3 hours! The fun part was just hanging out with my Father-in-law, drinking beer, and eating junk food.

Next morning we were up at 5 and on the road by 5:30 to be in the blind at 0600. It was freezing! 28F degrees and you're sitting in a wooden box with nature. I think this is what I enjoyed so much about this trip. It is you and nature. I was in a wooden box (blind), in warm clothing, enjoying the brutal conditions with a gun in my lap to see if I had a good shot in me. If I did I won. If I didn't the deer won.

Once the sun stared peaking out the real excitement began. I was stationed on small blind tucked into the forest with a 180 degrees of sight and I was just waiting for a buck to jump out of the bush. Every crack in the forest had my heart racing as I was realising that I could actually pull the trigger and take out a deer. Now this is a very powerful feeling of  ultimate control! I now learn that this is called deer fever. It wasn't until about 0800 that a doe just casual walked and stood about 15 feet away from my blind. I picked up my gun and she was in my scope. I then thought, if I'm going to take something home to Austin, I don't want a doe! I want a at least a 8 point buck. Plus I really wasn't too interested in a gutting a doe in freezing conditions.

Six more doe and 30 minutes later I heard him rustling in the bush and then he exploded out tree cover and just sat there, well in my range were I was 100% confident i could nail him. On closer inspection, I noticed the spread of his rack was not greater than 13 inches, however, his rack was broken on the right side. I was not sure if I was allowed to shoot him. Made a movement to the phone to txt Dallas about shooting when he bolted and was gone.

At 0930 I was out of the blinds and heading back to Austin. I loved every minute of this trip even though I shot nothing except a target to sight my gun. If you haven't been hunting, I highly suggest you do.

Cheers,
JC

Up Date

Has been a few weeks since  my little 70.3 campaign ended and here is an update. 

During my little mini break after the six half Ironmans, I started to feel a little niggle in my Achilles but thought nothing of it until I took off onto a 45 min hilly run. 20 minutes into the run on the longest hill, my Achilles made itself known to me in a very painful way! I ended up walking home the entire way not wanting to aggravate it anymore. Called my coach, massage therapist, and physical therapist to get it sorted out as soon as possible. If you remember earlier in the year, Joe Gambles, was sidelined for a lengthy amount of time due to a Achilles issue. I can't afford (literally) to be out for any time at all. Lesson learned is that I'm not 20 year old anymore and can't get away with out not stretching and using my TP equipment daily.

It was 12 days off of land and into the water with the aqua belt per coach Dixon's orders. I had two session with Dr. Jarod Carter (manual PT) who really went after my issue. I came out of one session looking as if I just jumped out of the shower because he really got into it. I have never been worked on so hard before in my life but it helped. The past week Ron helped massage out the rest of the issues.

The past 12 days have been very swim and bike intensive in the lead up to the back-to-back half ironman's. With the names like Hoffman and Tollekson in some of the races, you have to be near coming into T2 to stay close because they can also run! Lot and lots of big gear work on hills.

Here are some pictures of my favorite hill loop just down the road from me.

Love this place (River Place)

The start of hill. Has three kickers followed by two more short climbs (12 loops today)

nice view to finish off the ride (Lake Travis)

Train hard!

JC

Lake Stevens 70.3

I was really looking forward to racing Lake Stevens with my confidence high after my first win at Steelhead two weeks ago. Competition was very tough with the likes of Joe Gambles, Matt Lieto (Matt has a fantastic story in his journey to becoming a pro athlete) , Luke Bell, Paul Ambrose, Luke McKenzie, and Guy Crawford but I was still looking for a podium spot.

Race morning again came very quickly and before I knew it we were all lined up waiting for the gun. During the warm up I noticed a rope on the lake bottom that was in line with the race buoys. I made sure I lined up right on the line while lots of my competition were further out to the right. Gun went off and I was able to cruise the first 500m in my Velocity ++ swim skin while the pack to right started angling itself my way. Brian Fleischmann went off the front but I was comforted by the fact I had Luke McKenzie and Guy Crawford around me. Swim was standard and a bigger pack formed that I was thinking would.

The bike was going to be strong as Lieto, Bell, and Ambrose all like to ride pretty hard to brake up the field. I felt pretty awful the first 10 miles and kept yo-yoing off the back of the group and worried I was going to be dropped. Eventually my legs came around and I was feeling okay. The second loop of the bike course became very interesting as we would now joining the age group field and be exposed to more cars on the course. Bell was smart and broke the field and would ride solo into T2. He got a minute cushion over the rest of us in the chase pack. While he rode solo up front we all battled for prime position. If you were not constantly holding your position up front, your race would potential be over with. With cars exiting out of drive ways and more cars on the course it was easy to became trapped behind vehicles while the pack in front could accelerate away from you. At mile 45 I became trapped out of nowhere as a car quickly exited his driveway. It was obvious this guy was not happy to this race taking place on his backyard and we was constantly accelerating and decelerating to annoy the riders. I managed to put in a huge effort to brake free of the vehicle and hunt down the group up front containing Gambles, Ambrose, McKenzie, and Crawford. I was able to latch on and ride back into T2 with the group.

Bike Nutrition
Bottle One: 24oz water, first endurance liquid shot (400cal), two scoop EFS lemon-lime (200cal)
Bottle Two: 24oz water, 2scoops EFS (200cal), 8 pinches base salt

I was feeling a little flat the last 10 minutes of the ride and was unable to get to the front of the bike group before heading into T2. My transition was horrible with the group 10 seconds up the road before I managed to get sorted and running. I had to start very conservative which was very tough for my ego as I knew having Gambles off the front would be very dangerous. At mile 3-4 I came right and moved up on to Ambrose's should battling for third position. I was feeling awesome at this point! I was floating in my K-Swiss K-Ruzz thinking to myself this is another podium spot for sure as we were moving up fast onto Bell and Gambles was not getting any farther from us.

Turns out I was a little cocky and at mile 6 or so I got the stitch everyone fears. The stitch that reduces you to a shuffle because it hurts so bad. Paul was running awesome and gaped me straight away. Bell ran straight past me and it was off the podium for me. It wasn't until about mile 8-9 I came right and made up the 40 seconds Bell made on me. Soon as I passed Bell I had three miles of pain left for a moment of glory on the podium.
"James, you can do this!" I was telling myself.
I surged and opened up a gap but the cramps/stitch came back. I surged one more time hoping Bell would think I was on fire and would let me go. He didn't and was right on my shoulder. I lasted another .5 mile before I had to slow it down. You're a hard man Luke! All the best in Kona this year.  With two miles to go, I had to accept 4th and a close fourth it was as Mckenzie was breathing down my neck.

Not the result I was hoping for but I did go as hard as I could but just couldn't get it done. Can't be bummed with forth because last year I was horrible. Nice to be a spot of fitness were I can be disappointed with fourth though, right!!

Results
1. Joe Gambles (AUS) 3:57:47
2. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 3:59:07
3. Luke Bell (AUS) 3:59:53
4. James Cotter (NZL) 4:00:55
5. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 4:01:32

Thank you Matt Dixon for turning me around and allowing me to "turn it on" consistently. K-Swiss for making the best apparel and running shoes. You all need to check out the Blade-Light Running shoes. They are amazing! First Endurance for amazing nutrition. Phase One Design for your support. Ron Vaughn for the best massage in town. Jarod Carter for fixing some last minute injuries. Also want to thank Kyle Watson for hosting me while in town for the week. Kyle owns a great store in Redmond that you need to check out if you are in the area called Mr. Crampys Multisports.

Next up in Branson 70.3!

Cheers,
JC

1st WIN.....Steelhead 70.3

WOW!! I managed to get my first big win at the Steelhead 70.3 triathlon in Michigan. It was an absolutely amazing feeling crossing the finish line in first place. I couldn't help but to recall all the struggles and sacrifices made in the events leading up to Steelhead. I have had a very rough past couple of seasons and I had told myself I would be done with triathlon if 2010 didn't go well! I think I might hang around a little longer and hopefully my performances will keep on progressing the way they have the past three months

After Vineman 70.3 my plan was to get in a solid block of hard training as I pretty much have been racing every other weekend since Rev 3 back in June. I was set on the decision and got back into training until my friend, Tim Marr gave me a call and told me about Steelhead. Once Tim finished telling me about Steelhead my wife, Lindsay, even mentioned the race. I e-mailed Ironman on the weekend and just hoped to receive an e-mail back telling me I was in. The days went by and I was starting to train hard but not too hard because I wanted to be fresh for Steelhead if I was accepted. Wednesday rolled around and nothing back yet so I went for a 3.5 hour tough ride. It only became tougher because 30 minutes in a storm rolled in and it poured down with rain for 2 hours! When I eventually arrived home I was not in the greatest of moods. When I sat down and grabbed my computer there was a note from the wife telling me I should start packing my bike because Ironman emailed back. I really didn't want to go. I delayed packing until 10:00pm even though I knew I would have to get up at 0350 the next morning. Finally I convinced myself to go. I had good form and looking back I was racing well with one week between each race.

Arrived in Chicago and drove 3 hours behind traffic to my hotel (microtel) in South Bend, Indiania.  Assembled everything and stayed in the rest of the evening. Friday was pro meeting and would allow everybody to see who had shown up. Looking around it looked as if Saturday was going to be hard. I knew Graham O'Grady (GOG) would tear  up the swim up. Michael Lovato, Matty White, Josh Rix, and other company would be hunting the swim leaders down and then it would fought out on the run. It was going to be a exciting day in my mind!

Alarm went off at 3:50am as I was staying 40 miles from the race site. I prepared my nutrition as normal. I have found what works for me and will continue using the same formula. First Endurance make top notch nutrition and until something needs to be changed, or I cramp, or run out of energy starting the run here is my nutrition.

Breakfast: bowl of wheaties fuel, 2 rice cakes with sunflower seed butter, 24oz of EFS lemon lime
Bike bottle 1: 24oz water mixed with Liquid shot (400cal), 1 scoop EFS Lemon lime (90cal), 5 pinch salt.
Bike bottle 2: 24ox water with 2 scoops EFS Lemon lime (180cal), scoop of pre-race, 5 pinches of salt.

Once I finished everything in the hotel, I jumped into the car and started the drive out to race site. 20 minutes on the road and it started raining. When I arrived at race site it only got worse. Thank goodness I had the ride on Wednesday in the rain of I would have been very upset. After setting up it was a 1.2 mile walk/jog/run down the beach to the race start. I made sure I was lined up around GOG because if you missed his feet...you were going to be a ways back. I managed to jump on and we opened a big gap on the main field but had two other guys 25 meters back. GOG smashed it and I lost contact with 100 meters to go. I was not too concerned because of the long jog to the bikes. Will Smith (another Kiwi) jumped aboard and it was three Kiwi's up front leading the race. The three of us worked well together and were switching pulls every five minutes. Around mile 20-23 the Aussies presence rolled in with Matty White and Josh Rix. With three kiwi's and two Aussies up front I was hoping the end result would be similar to the rugby match played earlier in morning with New Zealand taking the win! We all worked very well and clean up front pushing the pace. GOG unfortunately flatted around mile 40-45 and put him out of contention. Will Smith received a drafting penalty and Matty White received a yellow card (he took a piss on the bike.......didn't know you were not allowed to) with three miles to go. He immediately launched an attack and I jumped on to his attack. Didn't want him to get an inch because he has been racing very well.

I made it out on T2 first but Matty White blew by me 200 meters into the run. I was a little scared with his acceleration and just prayed he was just trying to break me straight away. Eventually at mile one I pulled up to his shoulder and we ran that way until mile three. It was then my turn to try and break him! I put in a surge and managed to get about 10 seconds. Next thing I know Rix made a surge and was getting close. I dug deep and went pretty hard and opened up a gap of about 400-600 meters with 4 miles to go. I held on and crossed the line for my first win! Rix and White rounded up the podium.

Thank you Matt Dixon from Purple Patch Fitness. Sometimes I think Matt can predict my performances better than I can!! K-Swiss for the best shoes on the market. First Endurance for amazing nutrition. TRX for getting me into some strength work which has proven to be beneficial. Xterra wetsuits for the fastest suits on the market.
Phase One Design, Invert Align, Ron Vaughn, and Jarod Carter for all you help.
Oh, and a HUGE thanks to my wife who supports me 100% and gets me going out the door when I'm lacking motivation. All this hard work is paying off babe!

Whirlpool Steelhead Ironman 70.3
Benton Harbor, Michigan
July 31, 2010
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.

Results
1. James Cotter (Christchurch, New Zealand) 3:53:13
2. Josh Rix (Boulder CO) 3:54:40
3. Matthew White (Boulder CO) 3:55:22
4. Tony White (Lexington KY) 3:58:16
5. Michael Lovato (Boulder CO) 3:58:56

3rd Place at Vineman

Wow, Sonoma County is spectacular! Lindsay and I headed to Sonoma on Thursday afternoon via San Francisco. The drive to Sonoma was pretty average with nothing too spectacular. However once we pulled off the 101 to Dry Creek Rd…it all changed. Since my sponsor’s from Phase One Design were coming over to watch the race, they had rented a house at around mile 23 of the bike course on a VINEYARD!! This place was absolutely beautiful and conditions were amazing. We were coming from Austin, TX where it is scorching hot and humid when you wake up and scorching hot and humid when you go to bed. In Sonoma it was cold when you woke up, warm throughout the day, and the cold when you went to bed. The scenery from the back lanai was out of this world.

We woke up to this every morning!!

It was very easy to relax at our place of residence going into Vineman. It was a strong field with the likes of Chris Lieto, the Kiwi contingent of Graham O’Grady, Kieran Doe, and Jamie Whyte. Also there was Tim Marr and John Dahlz.

Race morning came much quicker then I would have liked. I was enjoying the wine county far too much! Anyways, with Doe, GOG, and Dahlz in the race we all knew it would be a crazy fast swim. I was going to try and stay with the top dogs for as long as I could and then just hang on to T1. Swim did not go as planned. Doe was feeling a little off on the swim and it was Dahlz and GOG up front. I swam in the pack that contained Doe, Lieto, and Marr. We were swimming well and the gap to guys up front stayed around 1:15 so it was not as bad as I though it was going to be.

Once out on the bike we had a good pace going and I think everyone was just waiting to see when Lieto would go. Eventually he went and Doe followed. I tell ya, once Lieto really starts putting some power down onto the pedals, he gets a gap straight away. It is incredible watching Lieto ride. I was at the pack and gunned it to try and get with the brake. Unfortunately, while trying to get up I accidentally crossed the center line and a marshal was there to see it. Yellow card and the penalty tent was still 20 miles up the road. I only had one option here and it was to go as hard as I could. I wanted to gap Marr and Dahlz so I wouldn’t have to bridge back up to them. I was unable to break them and I hit the tent and watched them ride away. Once served it was chase time. I caught them about 10 minutes later and we pretty much rode in together. Dahlz slightly fell off the pace but still had a visual on us. 8 minutes down on Lieto and 6:30 to Doe was our deficit. DARN IT!

I went out conservative for the first mile and then just gunned it as fast as I could. At mile six O’Grady was getting close, too close, and I really had to dig in like no other. I was hurting and I still had six miles and change to go! I managed to lose O’Grady and was now within 2 minutes of Doe with four miles to go. I ran hard but in the end it was not fast enough. Managed to round up the podium with 3rd. It was a great feeling to be on the podium again but not the greatest feeling to have lost by 8 minutes!!!

With my wife feeling exhausted

After the race it was time to cut loose and go try some of the local wineries around Sonoma. Normally I'm not really a drinker but when you go to vineyards and learn the process of making the wines, it's kinda hard not to drink. Here are pics of events after the races.

Post race home-made kettle chips!

Vineyards (Bella inside the cave)

Dinner with sponsors

Last night

We had a great trip and I will definitely be back to race Vineman 70.3 again. Beautiful course and beautiful weather. I have been so happy with the way my season has been coming along. Hopefully I can keep this progression going and jump onto a few more podiums before the season comes to an end.

Just want to thank my coach Matt Dixon of Purple Patch Fitness. It has been a long rode but we are finally moving forward!  K-Swiss for great racing flats and an awesome race kit. Phase One Builders for all the support you give and for the house you rented! First Endurance for awesome nutrition, Xterra wetsuits for te fastest swim skin the Velocity++.  Ron Vaughn at athletic tune-up professionals, and Jarod Carter for fixing up my neck the day before I left to CA. I couldn't even rotate my neck 90 degrees. Thanks Jarod.


Nutrition Report
Breakfast: oats, bottle of orange EFS (90calories), pack of honey stinger chews (160 calories)
Bike: 1st bottle -first endurance liquid shot (300 calories), 1 scoop orange EFS (90 cal), 1 scoop salt.
          2nd bottle- 2 scoops EFS orange (190 cal), 1 scoop pre-race, 1 scoop salt

Lubbock 70.3

One once said that happiness is Lubbock, Texas, in the rear view mirror. Between that and the estimated time en route to Lubbock being pitched to me at 8-8.5hr, I was not too thrilled about the ride up to Lubbock. The wife and I loaded the Frontier around 12:30 and started the haul up. To make a long story short. Total drive time was 5hr and 58 min from our to door to hotel door. I thought the drive was incredible. I actually saw hill, valleys, flat land, massive windmills, and then experienced the smell of Lubbock. If you ask me, it smells like soggy three day old wheat? yes..no?

The pre race meeting really set the tone for the race in Lubbock, TX. According to the race director, this race was not "starbucks" racing. It was old school racing! It would be hardcore and you didn't have to be too concerned about venomous snakes or any critters deciding to wander about on the course. I loved it! His attitude and story telling was fantastic.

I lined up race morning  in my new Xterra Velocity++ suit that I received the morning of our departure. This is the first speedsuit I have owned that goes down to the ankles. Beautiful suit. Made sure I was close to Terenzo Bozzone and Stephen Hackett so I could jump on fast feet. I learned how much easier riding with group of guy is compared to riding solo. Making and getting out of the water with the top group is crucial for me. Gun went off and it was crazy start as usually to establish position at the front. I got it right and tucked right behind Terenzo who was tucked right behind Hackett. That is the way it would be until we jumped out of the water and onto the bikes.

I fumbled my way through transition and only just managed to jump on the group before we left the camp grounds. Chris Lieto was now in the pack with us riding and I knew it was going to be a very fast ride especially with Ben Hoffman and TJ Tollekson still behind us but charging hard. Around mile 6 Terenzo started pushing the pace so I rode up to second slot to hold my position. Not long after Lieto rode by and the pace picked up again, this time the pace jump hurt but I tried to stay tough as my ego was not letting me ease up. Around mile 9 TJ came flying by me like a possessed man! I've have never seen somebody go by as fast as he did. I was no riding solo and I could see Hoffman closing in on me when looking over my shoulder. I managed to yo yo back and forth until around mile 16 and then I cracked. The gap open to around 3-4 minutes when I arrived back to T2.

Once on the run I felt pretty good. From the splits I was getting I was bringing down the time to whom ever was in forth place. Started at 4 min and came down to 2:15 at the half way point. Once I hit the turn around, my pace made a fast around. I was struggling and knew I was becoming rather dehydrated. I was looking over my shoulder constantly even though my gap to 6th was around 5-6 minutes at the turn around. With 50m to go my wife was yelling at me. I though she just wanted me to look strong finishing. NOPE! I crossed the line and 5 seconds later Tim Reed crossed in 6th!! I stumbled around for a few minutes before I was taken to the med tent. In a matter of moment and needle was stuck into my arm and I received a liter of goodness.

Once off the table it was smooth sailing all the way back to Austin!

Results BSLT 70.3 2010
1. Chris Lieto
2. Terenzo Bozzone
3. Ben Hoffman
4. TJ Tollakson also check out his new bike cases at Ruster Sports
5. James Cotter

NUTRITION
Breakfast: oats with banana and honey. 24oz water with one scoop First Endurance EFS

30min out: 16oz water, EFS, one scoop pre-race, four pinces Base Salt

Bike: first bottle was 3/4 container of Liquid shot with two scoops EFS (fruit punch). Second bottle was two scoops EFS, one scoop pre-race, three pinches of Base Salt. Bottle one was around 500-550 calories and bottle two was 200 calories.


Thank you K-Swiss, First Endurance, Phase One Design, Purple Patch, and Ron Vaghn for all your help.
Cheers,
JC

My first 70.3 podium

Well, I finally did. 2nd place at the Eagleman 70.3 triathlon!

Going into the race I was pretty worried that I might might not make top 5. With names like Bozzone, Cunningham, Graves, Yoder, Marr, Kahn, and Victor Z it was going to be a tough day.

The swim was solid but very long. David Kahn, an ex-Texas Longhhorn ,shot to the front and thankfully nobody else tried to go with him. Graves was pushing hard up front with me, Yoder, Bozzone, Cunningham, and Marr all tightly bunched behind. 27 min later we hit the shore and it was on!

I gunned it to my bike because there was no way I was going to miss the bunch this time. Transitioned well and made it out with the boys! Yoder was pretty much gone after mile one and he established a 4 min lead over the rest of us by the time we all reached T2. We picked up Kahn at around mile 35-40 and went solid the whole way back. I took my fair share of pulls up front and felt pretty good on the bike. However, with Richie and Terenzo in the bunch, I knew it was going to be a fast and furious pace on the run.

I learned a fair amount on the bike course with the pack. First thing is that even with 10m spacing, it is so much easier to ride fast!  Small things add up over four hours and watching all the small things all the guys did during the ride and transition were impressive. I definitely learned a few new tricks.

Out onto the run course......we all went and it was HOT! I was conservative the first few miles and positioned myself into third place by mile 2. I came close to Terenzo, 50-75m at one point, but he showed everyone why he is one of the best in the sport. He punched it and I could not respond with the heat. From mile six on it was all about survival and getting as much ice into my suit at every aid station. Mile 8 came around and all the sudden Yoder came into view. It took me until mile 11.5-12 to finally catch the young talent. I only just held him off to finish second. Can't beat the feeling.

Thank you First Endurance for awesome nutrition. You have to try Optygen HP. K-Swiss, Phase One, Matt Dixon, Invert-Align and everybody who has helped me. Hopefully I can carry this new confidence into future races and start racing well.

Cheers,
JC

Revenge

A few weeks ago I took my other girl out for her evening walk. During this walk we encountered a rattler and Sadie was struck on the nose. Here we are in the ER getting all checked up. Thank goodness the bite was not too bad.

I have been very cautious every night when going out for our evening stroll. Tonight the wife joined me for our walk. I had my rocks in hand because I was getting my revenge. I was so focused on the spot where the dog was bitten I failed to notice that I walked within inches of the snake tonight. I was alerted of this by the scream of my wife and the barking of the dog. We were reunited tonight. We all knew each other, and tonight would be the end of one of us.

WE WON. Both Sadie and I walked back home with some extra swagger.

TRX

 

This is the new toy that arrived a week ago. The TRX from Fitness Anywhere! If you are a twitter fan you might have seen that Chris Lieto and Lindsay Corbin have been incorporating the TRX into their training schedules.

I first started hearing about the TRX system from my coach, Matt Dixon. I help him load training schedules and kept on seeing " add 40' of TRX" and I was very curious as to what TRX was. I gave Dixon a call and he told me all about a very SIMPLE yet highly EFFECTIVE piece of training equipement that was very light and very easy to transport. Next thing I knew my local gym had two of them so I started mucking around on them not really knowing exactly what I was doing. No structure or routine.

Two weeks ago I gave the folks at Fitness Anywhere a call and picked myself up a TRX. It arrived a few days ago and I'm very impressed with this piece of equipment. As you can see with the picture above, it comes in a very nice box. I always like a nice layout.

With the package you a workout DVD that is pretty tough.  As you can see not only do you get the DVD, but you get a nice little manual with descriptions and workout suggestions as well that slides in neatly next to the DVD.

Set up is very easy as you can see. The TRX comes with a door anchor that easily slips over the other side of the door. Once you are anchored up, stick the CD in the DVD player and it's GO TIME!!

As you can see the anchor can hold plenty of weight. Now your hallway turns into your very own gym! BEAUTIFUL. No people stealing your spot, getting in your way, or trying to talk to you during your workout. Now this can also be taken out doors and anchored onto polls and trees with ease. The other beautiful thing is how easy is is to progress all the movements to make it VERY DIFFICULT. Now you might be saying to yourself....how much room will take up in my suitcase or backpack if I want to travel with a TRX? Good question because I know you are very interested in purchasing a TRX now...am I right?

TINY!! And it hardly weighs a thing.

After a week of playing on the TRX I am hooked. It is great strength work and great core/stability work as well. So if you are a weekend warrior, athlete, or just looking to improve your strength and fitness. This is the tool for you. Easy to set up anywhere, light, fun, challenging, easy to progress workouts/moves, and it is used by many top athletes!

THANK YOU TRX

JC

Learning through stupidity

The 2010 season kicked off with a bang two weeks ago in Seguin, TX which is about a hour drive south of Austin. I decided last minute to enter the duathlon thinking it would be a cherry pick race for me to see where my current condition was at. I registered and began to head over to rack my bike and then my heart sunk. Michael Lovato had decided to show up as well to test his fitness since ocean side 70.3 was looming three-four weeks down the road. So as I had my nerves in check I was actually getting excited about racing as it would be a great indicator of where I'm really at. Normally I can get Lovato in a swim, but bring in the bike and run and the story changes some.
We lined up at 0800 waiting for the gun. BANG! We are off and Lovato is off at a cracking pace. I hang out about 5 meters back until about 500m then I closed the gap just so mentally I'm close by starting the ride. Now, for me being the lesser known athlete, I don't owe Michael my nose in the wind so I stayed back the legal distance and let hime set the pace. Sometimes you have to play the tactical game and I did....I don't think he was very happy :) We jumped off he bike and set off for the final 5km run. I felt solid and was not going to make any stupid errors. I let Lovato dictate the pace for the first mile and then threw in a surge. The gap opened and I managed to hold it to the finish line.
VICTORY!!!! Form is good, didn't have to dig very deep. I'm a happy man.

Now fast forward three weeks.......

The 13th annual Lavaman triathlon was taking place on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is the race I grew up with while living in Hawaii from 2000-2004. I had won the the race two times and know the course like the back of my hand. Last year McCormack (Macca) won the race and he was returning again in 2010. I waned a shot at him. I wanted to be within 70 seconds of him at the finish.....

It all unraveled as soon as I touched down in Kona. I played Mr. Nice Guy and after every training season it would be off to the loading docks to pack up trucks, unpack trucks, pick up gear, drop off gear (my wife is assistant RD :) ). It changed everything up by adding new stimuli. While i was working, my competition was training the right way (swimming, biking, running) and resting the right way while I was working till bedtime.

I just got off the phone with my coach and received the talk that only motivates you more because you really begin to understand how dumb your actions really were. Bottom line is that if you compete as pro, act like one. It was my job to perform yesterday and I did everything possible to bugger it up in the days leading up to the race. I,myself, James Cotter screwed up my race and learned nothing at all from Lavaman. I'm not saying I would have won, I'm just saying my performance would have been MUCH better had I not been exhausted.

Congrats to Bree Wee, Macca, Timmy Marr, and Tyler Butterfield for a great race! And to my lovely wife and the head Race Director GERRY ROTT for another fantastic race.

Cheers,
JP

2010

Well the new year and tri season is up and running now. The past two seasons have been rocky and I hope to shake things up in 2010. Look out for some new postings as the season progresses.

JC

ITS UP!

Okay, its up and running, kinda. My very own blog. Bittersweet but I guess its time. So check out my lack luster of a blog. haha!

LC has now moved to www.cottercrunch.blogspot.com


Au Revoir!

Expired.....so what?

I came across this article this morning while reading through a few blogs. It linked me to the website www.slate.com and immediately I was intrigued. Not really sure what to think, so I'll leave it in your hands. Let me know your thoughts on this subject.

EXPIRED FOODS- "Best by," "Sell by," and all those other labels mean very little.
By Nadia Arumugam

There's a filet mignon in my fridge that expired four days ago, but it seems OK to me. I take a hesitant whiff and detect no putrid odor of rotting flesh, no oozing, fetid cow juice—just the full-bodied aroma of well-aged meat. A feast for one; I retrieve my frying pan. This is not an isolated experiment or a sad symptom of my radical frugality. With a spirit of teenage rebellion, I disavow any regard for expiration dates.

The fact is that expiration dates mean very little. Food starts to deteriorate from the moment it's harvested, butchered, or processed, but the rate at which it spoils depends less on time than on the conditions under which it's stored. Moisture and warmth are especially detrimental. A package of ground meat, say, will stay fresher longer if placed near the coldest part of a refrigerator (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit), than next to the heat-emitting light bulb. Besides, as University of Minnesota food scientist Ted Labuza explained to me, expiration dates address quality—optimum freshness—rather than safety and are extremely conservative. To account for all manner of consumer, manufacturers imagine how the laziest people with the most undesirable kitchens might store and handle their food, then test their products based on these criteria.

With perishables like milk and meat, most responsible consumers (those who refrigerate their groceries as soon as they get home, for instance) have a three–to-seven-day grace period after the "Sell by" date has elapsed. As for pre-packaged greens, studies show that nutrient loss in vegetables is linked to a decline in appearance. When your broccoli florets yellow or your green beans shrivel, this signals a depletion of vitamins. But if they haven't lost their looks, ignore the printed date. Pasta and rice will taste fine for a year. Unopened packs of cookies are edible for months before the fat oxidizes and they turn rancid. Pancake and cake mixes have at least six months. Canned items are potentially the safest foods around and will keep five years or more if stored in a cold pantry. Labuza recalls a seven-year-old can of chicken chunks he ate recently. "It tasted just like chicken," he said.


Not only are expiration dates misleading, but there's no uniformity in their inaccuracy. Some manufacturers prefer the elusive "Best if used by," others opt for the imperative "Use by," and then there are those who litter their goods with the most unhelpful "Sell by" stamps. (I'm happy my bodega owner is clear on when to dump, but what about me?) Such disparities are a consequence of the fact that, with the exception of infant formula and some baby foods, package dates are unregulated by the federal government. And while some states do exercise oversight, there's no standardization. A handful of states, including Massachusetts and West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., require dating of some form for perishable foods. Twenty states insist on dating for milk products, but each has distinct regulations. Milk heading for consumers in Connecticut must bear a "Sell by" date not more than 12 days from the day of pasteurization. Dairies serving Pennsylvania must conform to 14 days.

That dates feature so prolifically is almost entirely due to industry practices voluntarily adopted by manufacturers and grocery stores. As America urbanized in the early 20th century, town and city dwellers resorted more and more to processed food. In the 1930s, the magazine Consumer Reports argued that Americans increasingly looked to expiration dates as an indication of freshness and quality. Supermarkets responded and in the 1970s some chains implemented their own dating systems. Despite the fact that in the '70s and '80s consumer groups and processors held hearings to establish a federally regulated system, nothing came of them.

These dates have no real legal meaning, either. Only last year, 7th Circuit Judge Richard Posner reversed the conviction of a wily entrepreneur who'd relabeled 1.6 million bottles of Henri's salad dressing with a new "Best when purchased by" date. Posner decided that the prosecutor had unjustly condemned the dressing as rancid, rotten, and harmful, when in fact there was no evidence to suggest that the mature product posed a safety threat.

Expiration dates are intended to inspire confidence, but they only invest us with a false sense of security. The reality is that the onus lies with consumers to judge and maintain the freshness and edibility of their food—by checking for offensive slime, rank smells, and off colors. Perhaps, then, we should do away with dates altogether and have packages equipped with more instructive guidance on properly storing foods, and on detecting spoilage. Better yet, we should focus our efforts on what really matters to our health—not spoilage bacteria, which are fairly docile, but their malevolent counterparts: disease-causing pathogens like salmonella and Listeria, which infect the food we eat not because it's old but as a result of unsanitary conditions at factories or elsewhere along the supply chain. A new system that could somehow prevent the next E. coli outbreak would be far more useful to consumers than a fairly arbitrary set of labels that merely (try to) guarantee taste.


hmmm.....better go do the smell check in my fridge. Happy Article Monday.
LC

Muggin' It!

I am so loving muggin my muffins. Thanks to the lovely fit APRIL for introducing me to protein cakes in a mug. They Rock. Last night I fixed a chocolate chip flaxseed muffin with banana crumble. You can also use raisins or cherries if you're not in a chocolate mood. This was a tasty desert for MOI! James was out and I didn't have to share, haha!

Choco-Flax muffin (in a mug)

Ingredients
1 tsp. butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 C. ground flaxmeal
1/2 - 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 packet (or 2 tsp.) stevia
1 tbsp GF chocolate chips or other mix in (raisins, nuts, etc).


Directions
Spray a mug with coconut oil pan spray, add butter and microwave for a few seconds to melt it. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mug, stir and microwave for 45 seconds to one minute. Try 45 seconds first and if it isn't done, add a few seconds at a time until it is done.
When muffin is done, just turn it out onto a plate.

Makes 1 muffin (3 net carbs) and add a tbsp of yogurt or cottage cheese on top with chopped banana and agave nectar to make it even more tasty.






Well, we're off to Maudies tonight to meet up with both our folks. James' dad is in town from overseas. I'm pretty sure all the Cotter's will have a mexican food hangover tomorrow. That being said, CHEERS!!

LC

Breakfast Bites

I don't know about you but the weekend always makes me want to enjoy a bigger or breakfast or brunch. Time for those weekend warriors to get out and train then enjoy a good breaky or brunch. You've got the eggs, the bacon, the pancakes, the omelets, etc. But how about a quicker fix with the same savory taste. These TEX MEX MINI FRITTATAS rock and they are a great brunch item, quick breakfast, or post workout snack. I like to make a bunch for James before a big weekend of training. Try 'em and let me know what other ingredients you'd add!

TEX MEX Mini Fritattas

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Spray
2 cups egg substitute ( I used 2 eggs and 1/2 cup egg whites)
1 cup finely shredded cheese (cheddar, mexican, etc). We use the almond cheddar cheese.
1/4 cup drained canned diced green chiles
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
chili pepper
chalula sauces
avocado slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly mist 8 cups of a nonstick standard muffin tin with the olive oil spray.

divide the egg substitute evenly among the muffin cups (1/4 c in each) Bake for 7-9 mins til almost set.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the cheese, tomatoes, & chiles. Sprinkle the mixture and a little chili pepper evenly over the tops of the frittatas. Bake for 8-10 mins longer or til the egg is no longer runny and the cheese is melted.
Transfer the muffin pan to a cooling rack and allow the frittatas to rest for 2 mins before serving. Add sliced avocado and chalula sauce on top before serving. Then DIG IN!!

Makes 4 (2 frittata) servings


Again, my camera died (I think I need a knew camera, right?!) but they turned out looking similar to these. Just add the avocado and chalula on top.

Happy Friday!

Cheers,
LC

Not much Left today

There is definitely not much left in me today. It was one of those days, but hey, everyone's got them. James doesn't feel like blogging and I don't have anything left in my little noggin so I decided to post some of my favorite recipes. Let me know if you try any of them! Good night and glad this hump day is over. CHEERS!
LC

Slow-Cooked Cinnamon Pork Loin With Parsnips
From Mark's Daily Apple


Ingredients:
4 large parsnips, peeled
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 lb. pork loin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups water
Cut parsnips into even rounds.
Mix together cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, black pepper, garlic and salt.
Cut excess fat off the loin.
Rub meat with 1 Tbsp olive oil then vigorously massage spice rub all over the loin.
Turn heat on high under a sauté pan and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sear sides of the loin until browned, about 3-5 minutes each side. Put pork in the slow cooker with parsnips. With heat still on, add water to the sauté pan and use a spoon to scrape up browned bits. Add the water to the slow-cooker. Turn the temp to high and cook 3 1/2 hours or low and cook 5-6 hours.

Cooking Tips
• Carrots aren’t the only vegetables you can peel into ribbons. Try celery, cucumber, squash and kohlrabi.
• Meat doesn’t have to be seared before going into a slow-cooker but browning the meat will intensify the flavor. This isn’t because searing meat seals in flavor and moisture (Food scientist Harold McGee [4] has proven this is a myth). Rather, searing meat caramelizes the surface of the meat, enhancing its meaty flavor.
• To save time, use 1 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice + 1/2 tsp kosher salt instead of making your own spice rub.
• Experiment with different spices to create a variety of rubs. Or, just season the meat with salt and surround it with fresh herbs.
Garnish finished dishes with minced herbs.


Pasta Frittata

If you have eggs, pasta and cheese, then you have dinner. This pasta frittata can be varied endlessly — use leftover pasta, whatever cheese you have on hand, cooked broccoli or spinach or diced ham. A dollop of marinara sauce will add color and complement the flavors. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. You can't go wrong.
Serves 8
• 6 ounces spaghetti or any other type of pasta, cooked (we use GF pasta)
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 8 eggs
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup (about 3 ounces) grated cheese, such as Swiss, mozzarella or cheddar
• 1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce or salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss cooked pasta with the teaspoon of olive oil and set aside. Oil a 10-or 12-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably non-stick) with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Whisk eggs together and season with salt and pepper. Add grated cheese to the mixture, then stir in pasta. Toss well and pour into the prepared skillet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until frittata eggs are set and no longer wobbly.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve directly from the pan or invert onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve with a dollop of pasta sauce or salsa, if desired.

Nutrition Info Per serving (About 4oz/103g-wt.): 170 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 11g protein, 9g total carbohydrate (less than 1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 225mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium



coconut pancake/waffle recipe



•1 can (15oz) coconut milk or light coconut milk
•3/4 cup shredded coconut
•2/3 cup almond meal
•1 or 2 eggs (one is plenty for waffles, you may want to go to two for pancakes, or if you like ‘em eggy)
•tiny bit of salt
•tiny bit of baking powder

vanilla and coconut extracts (1/2 tsp and 4-6 drops, respectively). If you make waffles, let them cook a long time until they’re crispy.


This last one is NOT healthy but its my husbands FAVORITE TREAT and its from our favorite Kiwi (Jenny Brown). Yes that is Cameron Brown's wife.

Jenny's Shortbread



4oz sugar
8oz butter
12oz flour (we use Bob Mill's GF flour)

Soften butter in microwave.
Add sugar to butter and beat till creamed.
Add flour and mix till combined and forms a ball.
Roll into a cylinder or rectangular shape (dust with flour if it sticks to your board).
Cut into about 1cm thicknesses, place on baking tray and put fork marks into each piece (for decoration, don't spear them right through)
Bake at 300F for approx. 40 minutes.

Spa Treatment

So I think my title might have thrown you off a bit, but just wait.

Have you ever wondered what to do with your random ingredients that you used in a recipe? Well, as you know, we made Sushi last Saturday and come Monday night we still had 5 sheets of Nori Seaweed Sheets left. Don't get me wrong, we are sushi LOVERS but I didn't plan on making sushi again anytime soon. So what to so with these left over Nori seaweed sheets? Ah ha! How about give my salmon fillets a little spa treatment (you know when you get wrapped in seaweed and coconut oil)- Now ya get it?! Anyway, this creation was AWESOME. Here's whatcha do.

1. Take 1 salmon fillet and coat it with balsamic vinegar, a little bit of coconut butter (1/2 tbsp or so) and sea salt/black pepper.
2. Wrap your Nori Sheet tightly around fillet and add a little more coconut oil or butter on top (maybe 1-2 tsp) just to light coat the Nori.
3. Bake your fillets on 400F for 15-18 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon fillet.



We served the Salmon with Steamed Spinach on the bottom and it ROCKED! Do you have any other uses of Nori? If so, do share! I still have 3 sheets left. I am thinking of trying it out a different fish but am welcome to any other adventurous ideas.

On another note, the husband has been training HARD! First race coming up is March 28th, Lavaman in Kona, Hawaii. I have been the assistant Race Director for the past 4 years. We fly over to Kona at the end of March for a week or so. I work and James races (which is work for him)! Its already sold out and I am already handling the wait list. We're working hard to get everyone in at our max capacity. Crazy how big this race has gotten. Check out our Keauhou Race as well in August. www.lavamantriathlon.com
Okay, I'm out.
LC

I just had to.....

I just had to post this today. Yes, I've probably eaten all these at least once but I actually haven't touched fast food in over 5 years. Okay I lied, the husband and I do share a frosty from time to time. Can't deny it. haha! But Keep READING!!

Article From Men's Health

4 Shocking Secrets About Fast Food

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding -

Once upon a time, back when Ray Kroc was still pushing milkshake machines, a hamburger and fries meant a wad of freshly ground chuck and a peeled, sliced, and fried potato. Now, these two iconic foods—like nearly everything we consume—has taken on a whole new meaning. Sadly, many of our favorite foods today (especially fast foods) weren’t merely crafted in kitchens, they were also designed and perfected in labs. We uncovered the ugly truth in the course of our research for the Eat This, Not That! and new Cook This, Not That! series. What we found was not pretty.

Before you mindlessly chew your way through another value meal, take these mini-mysteries (conveniently solved below) into account. Sometimes the truth is tough to swallow.


What’s in a Chicken McNugget?
You’d think that a breaded lump of chicken would be pretty simple. Mostly, it would contain bread and chicken. But the McNugget and its peers at other fast-food restaurants are much more complicated creatures than that. The “meat” in the McNugget alone contains seven ingredients, some of which are made up of yet more ingredients. (Nope, it’s not just chicken. It’s also such nonchicken-related stuff as water, wheat starch, dextrose, safflower oil, and sodium phosphates.) The “meat” also contains something called “autolyzed yeast extract.” Then add another 20 ingredients that make up the breading, and you have the industrial chemical—I mean, fast-food meal—called the McNugget. Still, McDonald’s is practically all-natural compared to Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets, with 30 ingredients, and Burger King Chicken Fries, with a whopping 35 ingredients.

Bonus tip: For the nutritional breakdown of each of these “chicken” meals, and thousands others, download the brand-new Eat This, Not That! iPhone App! It’s like having your own personal nutritionist always at your fingertips!


What’s in a Wendy’s Frosty?
Wendy’s Frosty requires 14 ingredients to create what traditional shakes achieve with only milk and ice cream. So what accounts for the double-digit ingredient list? Mostly a barrage of thickening agents that includes guar gum, cellulose gum, and carrageenan. And while that’s enough to disqualify it as a milk shake in our book, it’s nothing compared to the chemist’s list of ingredients in the restaurant’s new line of bulked-up Frankenfrosties.

Check out the Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty, for instance. It seems harmless enough; the only additions, after all, are “coffee syrup” and “coffee toffee pieces.” The problem is that those two additions collectively ­contain 25 extra ingredients, seven of which are sugars and three of which are oils. And get this: Rather than a classic syrup, the “coffee syrup” would more accurately be described as a blend of water, high-fructose corn syrup, and propylene glycol, a laxative chemical that’s used as an emulsifier in food and a filler in electronic cigarettes. Of all 10 ingredients it takes to make the syrup, coffee doesn’t show up until near the end, eight items down the list.

Bonus tip: Not all restaurant desserts will detonate your diet. See which frozen treats made our popular list of The 39 Best Healthy Foods in America.


What’s in a Filet-O-Fish?
The world’s most famous fish sandwich begins as one of the ocean’s ugliest creatures. Filet-O-Fish, like many of the fish patties used by fast-food chains, is made predominantly from hoki, a gnarly, crazy-eyed fish found in the cold waters off the coast of New Zealand. In the past, McDonald’s has purchased up to 15 million pounds of hoki a year, each flaky fillet destined for a coat of batter, a bath of oil, a squirt of tartar, and a final resting place in a warm, squishy bun. But it seems the world’s appetite for this and other fried-fish sandwiches has proven too voracious, as New Zealand has been forced to cut the allowable catch over the years in order to keep the hoki population from collapsing. Don’t expect McDonald’s to scale down Filet-O-Fish output anytime soon, though; other whitefish like Alaskan pollock will likely fill in the gaps left by the hoki downturn. After all, once it’s battered and fried, do you really think you’ll know the difference?

Bonus tip: About a quarter of your day's caloric consumption comes from what you drink. Defy that stat: Avoid the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America. You'll be shocked by this list.


What’s in my salami sandwich?
Salami, the mystery meat: Is it cow? Is it pig? Well, if you’re talking Genoa salami, like you’d get at Subway, then it’s both. Most salami is made from slaughterhouse leftovers that are gathered using “advanced meat recovery,” which sounds like a rehab center for vegans but is actually a mechanical process that strips the last remaining bits of muscle off the bone so nothing is wasted. It’s then processed using lactic acid, the waste product produced by bacteria in the meat. It both gives the salami its tangy flavor and cures it as well, making it an inhos­pitable place for other bacteria to grow. Add in a bunch of salt and spices—for a total of 15 ingredients in all—and you’ve got salami. But now that you know what’s in there, you might need to check yourself into an advanced meat recovery center.

Bonus tip: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, read through Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever. His tips will dramatically improve your life. And one more thing: Save calories, time, and money with our free Eat This, Not That! newsletter. Sign up today and you’ll get the Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week for free

Hope I didn't ruin your dinner. Cheers!

LC

Sushi with the Cotters

Oh this was too fun! After a long Saturday of training and some work, James and I decided all we wanted to do was watch a movie and make something simple for dinner. While at whole foods, we opted for SUSHI! But not the sushi where you have to cook the rice, add the vinegar, let it sit, etc. We decided to go for the riceless sushi, kinda like the recipe from Marks Daily Apple. So here's out ingredient list.

1. Organic Nori Seaweed sheets
2. Beef stir fry strips (don't worry, we cooked these- haha!)
3. Tuna
4. cucumber
5. diced cabbage
6. spinach leaves
7. carrots
8. laughing cow cheese (to spread on seaweed sheets)
9. avocado
10. wasabi powder (to make into homemade paste)

Want to know the results?? Check out below. So fun, so easy, a little messy, but overall GOOD!!!







Have a relaxing Sunday!

LC