by Sam Tackeff | Nov 4, 2012 | Challenge
Seven weeks. It’s been seven weeks since I started the gym challenge, and today was the day I headed back in for the re-test of our power benchmark. I can’t express how proud I feel at how much I’ve progressed in nearly two months. But it’s significant. It feels really good. I was excited to get back in the gym today even though I’m still feeling a little sick and weak from this long cold. It’s good to be there, accomplishing things. If you had told me last year that I’d be doing handstand pushups, dead-lifting more than my body weight, or running races, I’d have laughed in your face. But here I am. And it feels great.
Strength: Back Squats –we’ve been working nearly every week on back squats. At the beginning of the challenge, I got to 95# for two lifts. Today, I hit a brand new max weight of #125. I attempted #135, but it was a little bit too much for this tired body of mine. That’s 30 pounds heavier than six weeks ago, not too shabby!
Benchmark WOD 1: “Fran”
21-15-9 reps for time:
Thrusters 95/65
Pull-ups
The prescribed weight for Fran for women is 65, but because I had to re-test with the same as six weeks ago, I loaded up to 45 pounds, and subbed jumps for pull ups. I eeked things out at the initial test in 9:40, and wanted to die. This time I improved my time by 10 seconds. Which… was a little disappointing. But 10 seconds is 10 seconds, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much I can improve in the next few months.
When I got home, Devon had picked me up a Barbacoa Bowl from Chipotle – meat, vegetables, pico de gallo, hot tomato salsa, lettuce and guacamole.
I then set to work doing a massive amount of cooking for the week.
I roasted parsnips in coconut oil with salt and pepper, I did the same to a delicata squash, sliced into rings. And while I was at it, I roasted a whole spaghetti squash. I also roasted a piece of lamb liver, but forgot to take a photo of it – a little too much juggling in the kitchen!
And then I made a big pot of Mel’s Chocolate Chili. The whole batch this time instead of being stupid like last time and making a half of a batch. Next time, I’ll double it.
Then, I took a dozen eggs and I baked ’em! I popped them in the oven at 325F for 30 minutes, sitting in one of my madeleine tins. You can place them right on the rack, but this makes it a lot easier!
When they were done, I put them in ice water for 10 minutes to cool, dried them off, and popped them back into their carton.
Then, I put together another braise – Maple Cider Vinegar Braised Beef.
I seared some beef shank meat in coconut oil, removed it from the pan, and then added onion, garlic, and shallot. I let it cook for a few minutes, de-glazed the pan with a quarter cup of maple syrup, a quarter cup of cider vinegar, and a cup of homemade beef stock. Nestled in a few bay leaves, and the shanks, covered the pot, and braised the meat for 2.5 hours, turning the beef every half hour or so.
After two and a half hours, the meat was tender and falling apart, and the liquid had reduced to a sticky sweet and sour sauce.
I took out the meat, reduced the sauce for another 15 minutes or so on the stove top, and put it away for a meal later in the week so the flavors would continue to meld.
Last but not least, dinner!
I pan fried some chicken thighs with salt and pepper in my cast iron, and made salads with avocado. Light and fresh! We devoured it in front of the TV watching old episodes of Dexter.
What are you cooking up this week?
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 3, 2012 | Barbecue, Local stores, Meat
Today we headed over to Formaggio Kitchen for the last of their weekly seasonal barbecue. We’ve braved the lines a half dozen times this summer to partake in this wonderful tradition. It would have been more, but usually I’m too ashamed about how many times I’ve been there during the week to show up again on a Saturday. I drink a lot of coffee at Formaggio.
We’ve devoured their sausage, beef brisket, lamb brisket, hot dogs, tongue tacos, Turkish lahmacun (“llama-june” – think: very, very thin pizza topped with ground meat), cornbread, grilled corn, jicama coleslaw, smoky-sweet-meaty baked beans, potato salad, grilled peaches, and their grilled chicken. It’s always a treat.
We arrived late this afternoon, around 1:45, and queued up before I even had a chance to go in and grab my favorite coffee. I didn’t want to risk it.
It was chilly, but the smell of barbecue kept us distracted. We stood behind two men wearing leather jackets and babies in papooses. A small child behind us was getting enthusiastically licked by two patient dogs. I love the line for people watching here almost as much as I love the barbecue. Everyone is always smiling with anticipation, and you get a real motley crew. We were once invited to a house in the Virgin Islands by a complete stranger while waiting in the line – you never know who you are going to meet.
When we got to the front, Devon got a few hot dogs, and I will have you know that I managed to score the very last serving of barbecue beef brisket. That’s right, the crispy, bottom of the pot, the “Sorry, that’s all folks!” serving, the ultimate, pinnacle of meat. A moment later and we would have been out of luck, and I would have likely been sobbing on the sidewalk.
For a single split second I felt bad for the folks standing in line behind me. Yes, just one tiny fraction of a second. And then I sat there, selfishly and un-apologetically, eating it slowly, savoring every last bite of the falling apart tender, profoundly meaty, infused with the memories of the season serving of barbecue brisket. I assure you, it was the best barbecue of the summer.
Plus, I got to spend the afternoon with this guy. I lent him my favorite cable knit, and he looked particularly handsome in it. I might have to just let him keep it.
So long, barbecue, we’ll be anxiously waiting your return in Spring.
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 2, 2012 | Breakfast
Most of my favorite foods are absurdly simple (and sometimes slightly odd) combinations of just a few ingredients. Eggs simmered in tomato sauce, spinach mixed with ground beef, a bowl of hot rice topped with plain yogurt, or a perfect grilled cheese. These are the foods that I go to over and over, because they are easy, comforting, plain, but never boring.
The recipes for these meals are easy, so easy that you may have stumbled upon them and thought you invented them. And it’s quite likely that you have – the same way they have been invented over and over for generations.
That’s something I really love about food – the deep, invisible patterns. Throughout the world, the same combinations repeat themselves, stumbled upon over and over in unique, random moments. It’s amazing if you think of it. How is it that every culture has a type of dumpling?
Many years ago, I “invented” the banana pancake.
I spent a lot of time making sweet omelets – tossing fruit and a spoonful of sugar into my eggs. I came across wonderful combinations in my pursuits – peaches in particular – have you ever ripe peach slices in an omelet in the heat of summer? Divine.
And then I stumbled across the banana. The banana, it seemed, was the perfect mate to the egg. I’d slice a banana and caramelize it and fold it into an omelet. Soon, I became lazy, and the omelets became banana scrambled eggs, and mashing ripe bananas into the eggs led to the banana pancake.
Unlike regular pancakes, which can be a heavy breakfast, the banana pancake is light, and airy, but still has the shape and spirit of a pancake. You can top it with syrup and those who don’t know the secret might not have a clue that you are serving them a gluten free, dairy free, paleo-approved protein rich breakfast. It’s quite good for you.
I must admit that I was shocked – shocked! – that my invention started showing up all over the internet this year. Tina at Carrots N’ Cake practically made this a household staple for her thousands of followers. And suddenly… I started craving it again. So here are just a few of the many I’ve eaten this year.
I make these a lot.
(Almost Two Ingredient) Banana Pancakes
makes 1
Take a small-medium very ripe banana, and mash it with a fork in a bowl. (You can also get a headstart by mashing the banana in the peel, just by smooshing it around. Crack in a large egg, and beat together. Usually I’ll add a tiny cap-ful of vanilla extract, and a dash or two of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, but all this is optional. I got it into my head once to use my immersion blender to make a smoother batter, but I find that I don’t mind just a slightly more rustic pancake with larger pieces of banana here or there.
In a non-stick pan, heat up a spoonful of coconut oil over medium heat. Slowly pour your banana batter into the pan, so that it forms a pancake shape. It’ll be a little runnier than pancake batter, so pour slowly so it can set well.
I re-iterate: cook the pancake slowly – you don’t want it to burn, and the slower it goes, the better it retains it’s shape. Wait until you see lots of little bubbles rising to the surface of the pancake (just like a normal pancake!), and when it’s nearly done, flip! Cook for another minute or so until set.
Gild the lily: this tastes delicious with a dollop of almond butter, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Or, if you are feeling really snappy, a big spoonful of coconut butter. Or a huge dollop of rum spiked whipped cream.
Be flexible: I typically make one large pancake, but a few silver dollars would also work. Occasionally you’ll end up with a pancake that doesn’t hold it’s shape. Just dump it in a bowl, top it generously and dig in.
Enjoy these!
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 1, 2012 | Blogging, Breakfast
We’ve been very lucky here. Safe. For as worried as I got, the power didn’t go out, the neighborhood looks largely like it did before the storm, with the exception perhaps, of the bulk of our fall foliage – a trivial loss. My friends and family are safe, although some are still without power, and a few are stranded in New York City and unable to leave.
My heart goes out to those in New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, and all the affected areas, whose lives have been ripped apart, and who have a long, long road ahead before anything will come close to a sense of normalcy.
* * *
It seems absurd to post about meals, but I’ll share a few with you.
I’ve been sick since Monday, the stress didn’t help. The worst part about this cold is that my sense of taste is completely off, and I’ve been largely unsatisfied. My meals have been mostly boring – handfuls of nuts here and there, chicken soup, kale and ground beef, spinach and ground beef, chicken salad. I did make an awfully good carne asada, taking time to marinate the meat in lime juice with lots of cumin and garlic.
Other meals included artichoke bolognese, where I warmed a half a bag of frozen artichokes in some Rao’s marinara with ground beef. There was oxtail soup, more chicken soup, and a few chocolate cakes in a bowl.
I made a mango chicken curry, with bursts of fresh mint, and followed it up with a phenomenal shake: frozen banana, coconut milk, and cocoa powder. I’ll have to post the recipe for that one soon. Then there were sardines. And more sardines. Sardine salad and apples.
And my favorite banana pancake – which is really just a banana and an egg, cooked in some coconut oil, slow, like a pancake, and topped with almond butter and maple syrup.
I’m crossing my fingers that I shake this soon.
by Sam Tackeff | Oct 30, 2012 | Challenge, Races, Running
There is something deeply satisfying in setting off on a new adventure and having it work out. That’s how this running thing has been for me over the past several months. I’m actually a little perplexed at how much I’ve enjoyed running and racing. It just never seemed like something that I could do.
I would not consider myself a natural athlete. I like activity – hiking, exploring, and walking, but I’ve never particularly enjoyed “working out”. Working out was done to balance indulgence, rather than for the sake of exercise and feeling good. Because I’m not naturally good at running – as opposed to say, long distance walking – I can walk 10-12 miles, no sweat – it always fell into the category of “working out”, and therefore, I didn’t really like doing it.
But every so often I’d pick it up again, thinking that it’d be better, more exciting, more do-able. Making no real changes, it never was. But this time something was different. I signed up for races, my CrossFit goals brought me to a new level of fitness, and I had started from the beginning by running outside instead of on a dreadmill and loved running in fall weather – in short, I had better reasons to run. Once running was re-framed, it became a fun thing to do, something that I really wanted to do.
* * *
And that’s how we got here. So how about this race recap? On Sunday I ran the Bill’s 5K Road Race for the Travis Roy Foundation, on one of the most beautiful fall mornings we’ve had this year. It was nippy and grey, but the leaves were absolutely gorgeous, and it couldn’t have been better weather for a run.
I woke up early to make myself a cup of coffee. This was my first race that I was heading to on my own, so I had to think of logistics. My plan was to drive over, lock up my stuff in my car, and hold my key while running. I contemplated the “key in the gas-cap” but thought better of it. I held the key. It worked out fine.
I made it just in time to see the kids starting off their spooky run in costumes. How fun is that? I wandered around to keep myself warm and get my blood pumping. I didn’t see any of my gym-mates, but did see these fabulous cars, and set about busying myself until the race started.
Of course I took the requisite picture of my trusty Mizunos. At some point I’ll have to give these ones up, but they are by far and away my favorite of all my sneakers, and still quite comfortable. (I was crossing my fingers to win a new pair from the Mezamashii run project, but alas, no luck yet.)
By 8:45, everyone started lining up for the race. After three slow-ish starts, I decided to situate myself close to the front. It was at this point that I paused to appreciate my unique quantities of brown adipose tissue. Nope, not the white stuff, but the special mostly-seen-in-babies-and-seals stuff, that I happen to possess a lot of. So much of, in fact, that I shocked the scientist whose study I was participating in, and managed to actually heat up the water in a 55 degree cooling vest when I wore it for two hours. That’s a story for another day. Science! While most folks stood around me shivering, my body kicked in to warm me up while I waited, even standing around in 50 degrees in a t-shirt.
And we were off! Here’s my race on Runkeeper:
Mile One: 9:34/mile. I went out a little too fast as the race started, and had to consciously slow myself down as the first two minutes of my race were well under a nine minute mile. The first mile of the race took us around Crystal lake, which I only managed a glace at as I was distracted by the crowd of runners around me. I opted to take a really short walk at the half mile, just to make sure I didn’t blow it. I took a second one right at the end of the mile for good measure.
Mile Two: 10:04/mile. After the first mile, I was already tired, and feeling a little bit unwell. I’ve been warding off a cold for the past few days, but my throat was starting to get to me. The water break was at the halfway point, so I slowed to get a quick drink. I will get the hang of this one day!
Mile Three: 10:14/mile. The last mile was the slowest because I had to take two longer walk breaks. I was feeling my cold, but managed to pick it up for the last part of the mile, running between a 9:00 and 9:30.
The .2: 8:48. I tried to push it through the finish, but didn’t have much energy left, so I didn’t end up sprinting through.
At this point, I stopped my watch, and it said 31:10 or something like that, and then stopped the Runkeeper at 31:13. My secret goal had been to finish sub-30 (which I didn’t make), but I was tired and confused, and assumed that I hadn’t beat my previous time either. I walked off slowly trying to process things. It was at this moment that I grabbed the banana and thought, “Hmm… I should eat something…”
I actually had to look up my time on my website to see what my previous race time was. (31:58). I still didn’t quite get that I had beat my time. I was impressed though with how quickly they had the race results printed and put up on the van at the finish line. I walked up and saw this:
Finish: 31.07.9 – 508th place, 41st in my age group (F 20-29), 10:00/M pace. It was at this point I realized that hold on a second – if my pace was 10:00 minutes per mile, this WAS IN FACT A PR. By nearly a full minute!!
* * *
After the race, I hung around for a free massage at the Marathon Physical Therapy tent, and took a photo for these happy costume wearers. The gentleman in the photo was Tom Hanks’ character from Cast Away, and spent a good amount of time wandering around yelling out Wilson! and putting on a good show.
And then they handed me the hat.
Requisite shot of me terrified and concerned!
So that’s that! As for what’s next, I haven’t signed up for my next race, but I’m looking for a good one. Maybe a Turkey Trot? Any Boston area folks signed up for a fun one?
