So Fresca & So Clean Clean

Though Agua Fresca directly translates to “fresh water” it’s much more than just water! It is a delicious Mexican treat traditionally made with fresh fruit, water, ice and sugar. Options include: watermelon (my favorite!), jicama (a sweet root vegetable that’s also great on salads), pineapple, cantaloupe and of course, lemon. I have had a hankering for this sweet summertime drink but wanted to ease up on the calories from all of the added sugar.

Agua Fresca de Sandia

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Watermelon  
1 Cup of Water
4-5 Sprigs of Fresh Mint
1 Tbsp Honey – Optional, Use if you prefer a sweeter drink or if your fruit is a little under ripe

Directions:

In a blender, combine fruit, water, mint and honey (if using).

Mix It Up!

 

I used the “liquefy” button on my machine to help reduce too much pulp. If you’re not into pulp at all, cover a bowl with cheesecloth and pour the liquid over it, discard the pulp and save your bowl of juice. Pour over a glass of ice and enjoy! This is so refreshing and a great way to sneak in a few servings of fruit!  

Anybody Thirsty??

 

Feeling a little sassy? Add a splash of vodka to this beverage!

Random piece of knowledge? If you haven’t already guessed “sandia” translates to “watermelon”. The mountain range in east Albuquerque are called the Sandia Mountains because on clear days, as the sun sets the mountains look pink – like a watermelon! 

Harbor to the Bay

Fear not, I'm alive. I'm sure there was a lot of concern...but I'm just busy as usual. I took a new position at work which basically means more responsibility, and it should be good once I've gotten through the weird transition period, but it's been keeping me working even longer hours. Such is life I guess.

Luckily, I've gotten into the habit of going to spin early in the morning. Several days a week, there are 6am classes somewhere in the city (the perks of overpaying for a gym chain), so for the past month I've been doing at least 2 classes a week. It's been great and it's easier and easier to get up at 5am. I feel so great when I'm done and I don't need to worry about working too late and not having time for a workout at the end of the day. I still need to work on cleaning up my diet, but for the most part, things are heading in the right direction.

Why so much spin? Well, I'm getting ready for a big bike ride! As I mentioned, I'm signed up to ride in a 68 mile ride for Fenway Health. It's called the Harbor to the Bay and I'll ride from the Sagamore Bridge to Provincetown on September 21st to raise money for the AIDS/HIV research Fenway Health does. 

Fenway Health is one of my favorite organizations, and I'm proud to be a part of the Fenway team riding (this is the same organization for which I help on the black tie planning committee, and it's near and dear to my heart (read: I'm a cheeseball)). Two years ago, I did a tri. Last year, I did a half and a tri. This year, I wanted to do something that would challenge me again, but would also keep me involved in an organization I love AND give back to the community in which I live. I was at a meeting wrapping up the black tie for this year, and they mentioned the ride. It sat in my mind for while, but a friend of mine had participated in the ride the last couple years and when I talked to him about it, I knew I was sold. It's not a race. I'm not trying to do anything for time, I just want to finish. I'm riding with other people who care about the same things I do and I'm raising money for Fenway Health. 

I have to raise $1000 minimum to participate, but I'm sure I can do that. I have a great network of friends and family who support me through my crazy stunts, and I'm sure this one will be no different. I even have my very own fundraising page: https://harbortothebay.org/personal.asp?rider=216.

I have a training plan laid out, but due to my insane job and the insane weather (it's either 95 degrees or pouring rain these days) I have had to stick mostly to spin and few rides out on the road (my new bike is still glorious). But the weather is looking better and I'M ON VACATION (woooooo!) for the next few days, so hopefully I'll get some good rides in, and I'll have some good posts for ya!

Race Recap?!

You know it has been way too long since an update when you have a race recap but you realize you didn’t even get a chance to mention training on the blog!

I have completed by very first duathlon! It’s so incredible what the mind and body can do when you’re determined to reach your goals. As I’ve mentioned before, I had such a fear of my bike. Recently, I started with a few small trail rides and once I was comfortable, I started riding much longer trails. Before each ride, I still get so nervous but once I’m out there on a trail (I’m still not ready to ride along traffic) I am simply focused on getting up the next big hill, making it past the next stretch, etc.  I am finally realizing that biking, much like swimming gives me another option to get my heart rate up, travel far distances and have fun without relying entirely on running. Having a set of ready for shorts/skirts legs, also doesn’t hurt!

The race started with a 5k run, transitioned into a 20k bike ride and then another 5k run. I was so nervous for the transitions – both in making sure I grabbed my correct gear and that my legs could switch sports fast. Thankfully, I have a dad and husband who are very experienced in these types of things, so they gave me some great pointers. I am writing this sans internet so I can’t share my exact times but roughly I ran the first 5k in 28 minutes, biked the 20k in 52 minutes and finished up the last 5k in 31 minutes for a grand total of 1:51. I am thrilled with my performance. Initially, I was aiming for a 2 hour race time and as training progressed I began to think that at 2:15 would be much more attainable, so pulling in well under my initial goal time feels great! I am already looking for another race and can’t wait!!

 

We can achieve all that we want.

Travel Blog?

Although this is not a travel blog, that is what I have been doing. Travel, travel, and more travel. Since my last update on May 8th (yikes, that was a while ago), I have been to the following places: Edinburgh, Atlanta, Vermont, Maine, Chicago, Vancouver, and now I'm in Madrid. I've got a bunch of new stamps in my passport, and I'm going to finally have status on an airline by the time I get home, but WHOA can it be exhausting. I spent Saturday night on an overnight flight back from Vancouver, spent 4 hours at home, and then spent Sunday night on an overnight flight to Madrid. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to sleep in a real bed last night.

Despite the travel, I've been doing ok with the exercise. Not great, that's for sure, but not awful, especially on the road (surprisingly). I've found time to get out and explore the cities I'm in on foot in most cases (although, it didn't happen in Chicago because that show was a BEAST and I got sick).

In Scotland, I hiked and walked around the city everyday.

In Vermont, I bought a new bike! I'm super excited about this because my bike was AWFUL. I mean to the point of I think it killed me in the tri, not just my lack of training awful. It's old, heavy, and the gears were all jacked. So I splurged (with the help of my mom) on a brand spanking new road bike and I am madly in love.

My mom and I rode about 12 miles the day I bought it and it was probably the best bike ride I've ever been on. What a difference a good bike makes! (Also - I signed up for a 68 mile bike ride to benefit Fenway Health! More on that in another post though, because it deserves its own).

I also went to the driving range with my brother. Apparently, according to my "golf-pro" brother, I'm quite a natural. He gave me some good pointers and I enjoyed it, despite all the bugs. And naturally, between the bike ride and the golfing, I was SORE the next day.

instagram: maddieogren

I was only in Vancouver for a couple of days, but I made sure to walk when I could and take in some sights. I pretty much fell in love with the city and the views and I may just up and move there.

Much like in Scotland, it stayed light really late in Vancouver, and I couldn't have asked for better weather. Not only that, but the shows I was traveling for all went well. Win win win.

Now I'm in Madrid and I've done a ton of walking back and forth from one end of the convention center to another, but not much else. I was a zombie when I arrived yesterday, thanks to all the travel, and I crashed hard when I finally got to the hotel. But I feel like a real person again today and I have high hopes that tonight I'll get out and see some of the city. Any recommendations?

I have two more trips after this one...Austin next week and Toronto in July. I love traveling and I love that my job allows me to do so much of it, but I'm also looking forward to spending my summer at home. We have camping plans for the 4th of July weekend, and I have that bike ride to train for. It will be nice to sleep in my bed every night of the week and have a normal routine, including regular exercise again...at least for a few months before the fall busy season starts.

Crock Pot Enchiladas

I love to bake and I love to cook. Now that I have more time in my schedule I have redeveloped my passion for cooking and creating my own recipes.  Growing up in a Mexican-American family I have been exposed to some amazing traditional Mexican dishes, but they aren’t always the healthiest. I’d like to start recreating some of my favorite recipes and posting here for your enjoyment. How about we start with an easy and so delicious recipe for enchiladas?

 

Crock Pot Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

14 Oz Red Chile (Bueno makes a great one!)

1 Can Reduce Sodium Black Beans

Corn Tortillas

1 Tbsp Oil

Light Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt

Cheddar Cheese

Lettuce (Optional)

Onion (Optional)

 

Place a few spoonfuls of chile at the bottom of a crock pot. Place the chicken breasts and coat with the remaining chile and ½ cup of the can of chicken broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, add the black beans and continue to cook until the beans are warmed up. Just before serving, add the olive oil to a pan set at medium heat. Using prongs, add a tortilla into the warm oil and cook on each side for about 10 seconds, you just need the tortilla to be soft, not crispy. You could also eliminate this step and just put microwaved tortillas on the plate, but that softened tortilla captures more of the authentic flavor. I placed my tortillas on a napkin and blotted off any remaining oil before placing on a plate. Top with the red chile/black bean/chicken mixture, cheese, lettuce, onion and a small dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!