Swimming thoughts

Well it seems that I am not the only one who enjoys 'healthy-fying' classic dishes :)

For some reason I just get really anxious when recipes have little or no vegies - and I can't help but add vegies, or reduce the amount of meat – regardless of what the recipe calls for.

Hey… an extra carrot here, or a big handful of spinach there, can never be a bad thing right?!

Mr BBB, on the other hand, is really precise and exact when he cooks, resulting in some frustrations when we cook together. I don't tend to follow recipes exactly, and like to throw in a 'splash' of this, or a 'handful' of that, whilst he prefers to measure each ingredient and follow a recipe exactly. And I mean EXACTLY.

So, although we both love cooking, we very seldom cook a dish together. It keeps the peace that way ;)

Training

Swim Squad 1.8km

This morning my head was clear and I sprung out of bed (a big change from the last few days). I was at the pool by 6.15am - and completed my regular swim squad. With a big race on this weekend, it was my last chance to work on technique and generally keep a 'feel' for the water.

I have never really been a great swimmer, and I am definitely not someone that feels overly confident in the water. Particularly open water. I remember my very first triathlon involved a 500m swim. And, somewhat cockily, I barely trained for the swim leg.

The result??? A complete freak out about 50m into the swim, and a 500mswim leg completed using a variety of breaststroke, survival stroke and side stroke. You know that you are not doing too well when the fella in the kayak (apparently there to make sure you don't drown) is having a conversation with you as you flounder back to the shore.

BUT, I completed the swim leg that race, albeit very slowly. And, despite being humiliated, it was probably the biggest lesson a novice could learn.

That is - training WORKS.

I returned to same race one year later and was able to freestyle the entire way, with no panicking. The difference? I swam at least twice a week in the lead up to the race.

Training helps me feel 'better' in the water. It helps me work out what my rhythm is, and also gives me confidence that I can in fact complete the distance.

When I was feeling tired during that second race, I kept reminding myself that I had completed over 500m non-stop in training before, so there was absolutely no physical reason that I couldn't complete 500m in the race. The issue for me, it turns out, is more of a psychological one. And what helps me overcome that.....TRAINING! See it really is a never-ending cycle :)

I know I will never be the fastest swimmer, or even a ‘fast’ swimmer for that matter. But, for me it is just about feeling comfortable in the water and completing the distance.

Anyway, enough of that.....lets talk food shall we?

Dinner

Tonight’s dinner was rather predictable, given the huge batch of lasagne I made last night.

I did snack on an apple with sunflower seed butter while the lasagne was reheating.

Before tucking into the lasagne and a crunchy side salad.

The good thing about dishes like lasagne is that they often taste even better the next day.

A little later on I couldn’t resist grabbing one of my muesli bars for dessert.

I suspect this latest batch of bars is not going to last long either!

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How about you? How do you overcome training ‘demons’? Do you try something else – or stick it out until it gets better?

Happy baking :)