PALEOdISH

the ‘boareo’ cookie

March 12, 2011 By Cindy 3 Comments

Choose your own adventure. You decide.

Read: (a) the super short version (b) the short-ish version or (c) the rambling long version…

(a) Eat meat and good fat! Veggies too. Not processed garbagio. So, without further ado, I introduce to you…the ‘boareo’ cookie. Guacamole between wild boar meat. THE END!

(b) Since starting to eat ‘Paleo’ (almost 3 years ago now), I have totally eliminated pretty much every single dessert you could think of from my diet. When I want something sweet, I turn to mixed berries or dark chocolate. Usually though, I concentrate on eating meat, fish/seafood and fat. Simple. Easy. Satisfying. So, without further ado, I introduce to you…the “boreo” cookie. This is what a cookie looks like in my world. I used the wild boar sliders and some fresh guacamole to create this yummy treat. These are fantastic little appetizers. I repeat…all you need is guacamole and meat to make these tiny sandwiches. Yep it’s true, that is all! Ask yourself…why not eat this…rather than THIS!?!? THE END!

(c) A couple weekends ago we took a wee trip downtown to the St. Lawrence Market. This is one of our fav ‘good morning’ weekend adventure hot spots. The key is to get there early, as this place is near packed by noon. You can ‘be in and out like nobody’s business’ if you are up at the crack of dawn, or can embrace the ‘hustle n’ bustle’ style atmosphere if you visit later on in the day. Either way, you will have access to loads of wicked vendors, who are selling a plethora of amazing foods. We are so fortunate to have this resource in our city. Adding a ‘Trader’s Joe’s’ to the scene would just make Toronto the ‘cat’s a$$’…anyhoo (continued wishful thinking)!

Uncharacteristic of our usual stroll avec americano in hand, this trip was somewhat different. Drove downtown, arrived there and “The Duster” waited in the car as I just ran in. We had a birthday party to go to that day and were running behind, so I had to be ‘snappy’. As I hopped out of the car, Dusty bellowed….”get lotsa meat!” If you haven’t already noticed…I LOVE MEAT. Crave it…well, all the time. Beef, chicken, pork…you name it… I LOVE it all…or do I?!?! (cue sound effects…dun…dun…dun) Have I really even touched the surface of all good that is out there in this department?! As I perused the aisles of the market, I realized that there are just so many different types of meat I have NOT tried, as of yet.

Without further thought, I set off to buy some carnivorous treats. I decided to buy some which were ‘virgin’ to us…and give them a go! Whitehouse Meats was my first stop. At that counter I picked up some wild boar and bison sliders. So much variety of meat to choose from – venison, elk, buffalo, kangaroo, wild rabbit, musk ox…just to name a few. Also, an extensive list of game birds such as, pheasant, quail, duck, goose, partridge, squab and Guinea fowl. We absolutely love experimenting with trying new foods. I have committed to trying something new within the food realm every week. Cooking various kinds of organ meat is going to be a next attempt for me in the kitchen. Stay tuned for upcoming reviews and recipes about this.

Slightly dizzy from the crowd and definitely salivating, I was done. Within 13 minutes, I was strollin’ back to the car with a bag, filled with MEAT. Lotsa bacon, a pork roast, the sliders, sausages, several chicken breasts, as well as some thighs. Got back in the car. Dusty smiled from ear to ear, as he took a peek in the bag, as he drove away. We even enjoyed some delicious back bacon in the car on the way home. Yummers!

Ingredients

meat sliders or mini burgs (homemade or pre-made/store bought) – can use various meats

guacamole

Prep

put sliders in pan and cook on medium heat

turn and cook until desired

let cool for several minutes on a plate or wire rack

when cool, take one slider and top with a spoonful of guacamole

then, take the other slider and gently press to form the ‘boreo’ cookie

arrange on a plate

enjoy!

THE END!!!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Mains, Nutrition, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: burgs, guacamole, wild boar

rowe farms meatloaf

October 14, 2010 By Cindy Leave a Comment

Yo everybody! I did a posteroo about this last week. Quick and easy doesn’t have to mean you are grabbin’ CRAP from the frozen entree section that is full of nastiness! Convenience doesn’t mean disregard what you are putting into your body because you are ‘tight’ for time. Convenience should and can mean so much more to you. I bought this little meatloaf number from Rowe Farms. This is the large one, but I have also bought the smaller ones, which are about half the size. I am not even kidding…this meatloaf is to die for. It is sooooooo yummers. Full of pure goodness and best of all super easy peasy.

The quality of the meat is amazing as well! I made it this evening before working out at the gym. As I was literally stepping out the door…Dusty stopped me and said…”Cyn….I don’t think you should go tonight!” I was like…huh? WHY? He responded by saying…”because there is a good chance that you may come home to an empty plate. I just might eat the ENTIRE loaf!” Haha! I had a couple wee bites before heading out and as I walked out to the car, I actually thought he must indeed gobble it up in it’s entirety! Thankfully when I got home there was a plate with my name on it. =D

The ingredients in these puppies are as follows:

ground pork, lamb and beef
mushrooms
onions
roasted garlic
Dijon mustard ~ *ISH
carrots
eggs
rosemary
salt and pepper

All you need to do is bake it at 375 for approx. 45 mins (small loaf) or 60 mins (large loaf)…and then CHOW DOWN!!!! I paired this tonight with a simple spinach salad. Tossed in this side dish was baby spinach of course, thinly sliced red onion, diced avocado and topped with slivered almonds.

Almost lastest, but not quite, I will leave you with a yummy snack option that I discovered. They are Organic Beef Spicy Sausages from Beretta Organics. They are fully pre-cooked…so slice ‘em up and you are ready to rock ‘n roll.

Thank you to those peeps who have sent me their fave Paleo recipes. They all look so delicious!!! Keep ‘em coming! Send recipes, along with photos and I will feature them in an upcoming post. Email me @ paleodish@gmail.com.

Super pumped to be attending Mat Lalonde’s nutrition seminar once again this Saturday. Always so much incredible information to absorb…a complete wealth of knowledge.

* see paleo in a nutshell section

Filed Under: Mains, Nutrition Tagged With: meat, rowe farms

ontario real food challenge

September 23, 2010 By Cindy Leave a Comment

Helllooooo out there! It has been awhile…my goodness where do the days go??? Anyhoo, I am back in full force and will be posting more regularly now…I promise!

This past weekend I competed in the Element CrossFit Team Challenge, @ Element CrossFit in Missisauga/Oakville. What a blast it was! Thank you to everyone involved. While I was there I saw something written on one of the whiteboards about signing up for the upcoming Ontario REAL FOOD Challenge.

This immediately peaked my interest. For the most part, I already eat strict Paleo, but decided to email Alex to see if I could participate anyways in this challenge for a few different reasons.

My goals:

I want to GET STRONGER…and work on building more muscle mass.

I also want to take this time to focus on improving food quality.

Oh ya…and finally…people often ask me what I eat for various meals, so I decided this would be a great way of tracking exactly what I am throwing down on a daily basis through the posterous food log blog!

So excited to do this…it really couldn’t have come at a better time!!! =D

So here is the run down…as outlined by the fine folks @ Element CrossFit.

Step 1: Create your own blog at posterous.com

Why Posterous? Their free service allows you to upload a blog post by simply emailing yourself! It’s super easy for you to compose an email, with a title, body, and even pictures, and send and update from your smartphone. It’ll be easy for you to stay on top of posting your meals. If you don’t have a smartphone, email from your desktop!

Step 2: Register herewith your name, posterous.com account, and $40

Step 3: Send a picture in a bathing suit to rachael@elementcrossfit.com. We will NOT post pictures. You can post yours on your blog if you like. We will keep your pictures private. We encourage you to take your own weights and measurements at the beginning, middle, and end (not everyday!)

Step 4: On your posterous.com account, your first post should talk about your goals for these 6 weeks and your plan for achievement. Whether you’re going for strict Paleo or Primal quality, Zone-quantity, or just focusing on better Real Food habits, make your commitment and stick to it. Need help finding your best fit? We’re here to help!

Step 5: Post what you eat every day. No exceptions. Even if it’s not part of the plan, though we know you’ll do your best to Plan Ahead with Simple Meal Ideas and Eat Well On The Run. Find a sample post here.

October 29th: After the 6 weeks, send in your new picture. We will decide the winners based on physical transformation, but your measurements will help, too. In order to qualify to win, you must have posted your food log every day of the challenge. The male and female winners of each category (fat loss and lean mass gain) will win cash and prizes!

Happy Eating!!

…and so it has begun, i am waking up to day 5 tomorrow! eating real food does just make you feel so wicked! the hardest part is staying strong and overcoming any roadblocks that may be encountered along the way. feel free to follow my journey over the next 6 weeks. check out my daily successes @ www.paleodish.posterous.com

Day 1 – Food Log

Breakfast:

2 hard boiled eggs
1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries and wild blueberries)

Lunch:

2 handfuls of mixed nuts
2 small cans of tuna
1 avocado

Dinner:

1/2 roasted chicken
2 small cucumbers
1 tomato

Snack:

beef jerky/handful of shredded coconut flakes

Filed Under: Crossfit, Nutrition Tagged With: challenge, ontario, real food

dutch oven chicken and veggies

September 8, 2010 By Cindy 1 Comment

CrossFit Toronto and PALEOdISH are super thrilled to be hosting and taking part in an upcoming Nutrition Series this fall. We are really stoked to have Mat Lalonde Ph.D. start it off with his unbelievable seminar on the science behind nutrition. I personally have had the privilege of attending Mat Lalonde’s seminar twice and it is definitely a “don’t miss” opportunity. To read my review, click here. You can REGISTER for any of these seminars NOW. To reserve your spot…Click here.

In spirit of “back to school” and the busyness of it all…I dedicate this post to respected parents who have so much on the go. This recipe is a sure thing to help you out on those nights that are jammed full of running around. The left overs are just as good, if not better as well. Please enjoy and savour!

When we stayed with Mat Lalonde for a few days this summer, we cheffed up a couple really great recipes together. He introduced us to a two of his “go-to” cook books, which he highly recommends. If you are looking to do some Paleo baking, a wonderful resource to consider would be, Cooking with Coconut Flour, by Bruce Fife N.D. The other cook book props goes to, The Primal Blueprint Cookbook, by Mark Sisson of the blog, Mark’s Daily Apple.

Mat knew that he wanted to cook a meal from Mark Sisson’s cook book that would be delicious, simple to make and that would last him for several…well okay, at least a couple meals! When sitting at his kitchen table, we flipped through the Primal Blueprint Cookbook, and decided on making the Dutch Oven Chicken! Let me tell you, this wasn’t an easy choice, as all of the recipes looked so appealing. Their layout was so clear and the photos were simply divine. If you haven’t yet picked up your copy, I highly encourage you to do so here. From cover to cover, the pages are packed full of amazing recipes, that will be sure to satisfy and please your taste buds.

Without further ado, here is the recipe, with permission from Mark Sisson ~ thank you!

Dutch Oven Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon fat (lard, ghee, poultry fat, olive oil)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4–6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf

Place rack in lowest position of oven. Preheat oven to 250 °F.

Dry chicken with paper towels to remove excess moisture from packaging. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Heat fat in Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. When fat is hot and nearly smoking, place chicken breast side down in the hot pot. While chicken is browning, prepare vegetables, adding to the pan as you chop. Cook about 6–8 minutes total, until breast skin browns.

Turn chicken breast side up and cook about 8 more minutes. Continue adding vegetables if you aren’t yet finished prepping them.

Turn off heat. Cover pot with tight fitting lid (use a sheet of aluminum foil under the lid, too, if the lid doesn’t create a good seal).

Place pot into oven and bake for about 1.5 hours for a small chicken (under 4 pounds) or about 2 hours for larger chickens (over 4.5 pounds). Chicken is finished cooking when instant read thermometer shows a temperature of of 175 °F in the thigh meat not near a bone.

Transfer chicken to warm platter or grooved cutting board (some juices may escape) and cover loosely with the sheet of aluminum foil used to seal lid to pan. Let sit 20 minutes.

Strain juices from pot through a fine wire mesh strainer (save cooked vegetables for making broth with leftover chicken bones–see below) and let the fat rise to the top. Skim fat off and adjust seasoning to taste, salt and pepper if necessary. Keep juices warm until time to serve. Carve chicken into quarters and serve with warm juices.

Place strained cooked vegetables, bones, skin, cartilage, and leftover juices back in Dutch oven or in a slow cooker. Cover bones with cold filtered water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and let sit one hour. Then simmer over low temperature for at least 6–8 hours, up to 24 hours if using a slow cooker. Strain both through fine wire mesh strainer to remove solids. Broth will keep in refrigerator for up to a week (reheat to a boil before consuming) or several months in the freezer (be sure to leave room at top of the container for expansion).

When Mat cooked this recipe, he made the following alterations. “I modified the recipe in that I cooked the chicken at 175 °F overnight. I did not empty the liquids, I let it turn into a semi solid and just spooned it out with the chicken.”

after the slow roast...

As a side of dish of sorts to go along with this, Mat diced, sliced and prepared some veggies to be roasted in the oven. (I did help with this lol…as I was the ghee girl, who made sure that they were all fully coated and ready to be roasted in the oven). In this scrumptious side dish, you can really use a wide variety of veggies. Mat opted to combine onion, zucchini (green and yellow) and brussel sprouts. To do this basically take your veggies of choice, cut them up into equal bits, coat them with coconut oil (with a silicone brush), sprinkle with salt pepper (or other spices/herbs) and spread them out on a baking sheet. Cook slowly, turning occasionally, until slightly browned. Roasted veggies are wonderful…do up a big ‘ol batch and you will see! Your salads, omelettes, mains, stews and sauces will thank you, as they are a terrific addition that can quickly add a burst of flavour to enhance these type of dishes. Other veggies that are fabulous for roasting include…carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms and sweet potatoes etc… Try to roast something new. You may just find out that it is yummmyyyyy!

cookin' up a storm with mat!

Filed Under: Mains, Nutrition, Sides

what’s in mat lalonde’s fridge?

July 16, 2010 By Cindy 8 Comments

This past week, my husband and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days. Dustin had a wee break in his work schedule, so we took full advantage and set off to Boston, MA. For me, this destination was a first as I had never been before. A return visit was had by Dustin, as wonderful memories emerged from when he last roamed these streets when he was 18 years old, with his school friends. During our stay, we were very fortunate as Mat Lalonde graciously opened his home to us.

We arrived at the airport on Thursday afternoon and took the “T” (transportation system) to Harvard Square. I immediately walked up the stairs from the subway and was taken back by its historical beauty. It was filled with shops, restaurants, bookstores and cafes. People were everywhere! From there, I gave Mat a ring and he ran over (literally) from his lab to meet us, showed us the way to his house and gave us a key. With a presentation to give, Mat jetted back to work.

In the 3 days to follow, Mat kindly lead us around the comfy confines of his “bubble”, a.k.a his hood. He will be the first to admit that he is a spoiled brat when it comes to having easy access to F*CK#NG amazing food. I am not even kidding when I say we ate like total kings and queens, throughout this entire vacation. Not to mention, sidenote: waking up to the aroma of Mat cooking duck eggs, hickory smoked bacon and lamb sausages on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Seriously, best smell of life!!! Anyways, as we toured around in his car, with Dragonforce pumping, I became increasingly envious each time we were exposed to a new destination. It definitely made me realize how “behind the times” we are in Canada with regards to the extent of the healthy food market. I love grocery shopping here and appreciate the wonderful stores we do have, but this experience was like no other.

At every single stop, I was wide eyed “like a kid in a candy store” (how ironic). I caught myself as I stared in awe, repeatedly saying, OMG!!! On Friday night, we joined Mat on his grocery shopping excursion to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Yes, I know we have Whole Foods here, but in reality it doesn’t even compare! I literally could have spent hours perusing inside this gigantic food haven. I didn’t know where to look, there was just so much that caught my eye. I wanted to try it ALL. As we continued on, Mat loaded the cart with many of his staple items and threw in a few new products for all of us to try.

This kind of venture continued on the following day, as Mat took us to two more incredible specialty shops. The first one was Formaggio Kitchen and then we were off to Savenor’s Market. Again, practically drooling, I strolled around gazing at all the wonderful products. Fridges and freezers filled with assorted grass-fed meats, shelves packed with different types of oils, preserves, fine dark chocolate…oh and top notch micro-brewery beers (Dusty’s non-Paleo luxury item). While on these little runs, recurring themes kept popping into my head – easy ACCESSIBILITY, high QUALITY, tons of VARIETY and reasonable PRICE points. This “bubble” had it all…why the hell would anyone want to leave? A complete and utter dream for any Paleo/Primal eater out there!

One of the best parts of this trip was that we had the chance to try some new foods/products, of which we probably would have never given a second glance. I was a newbie to the bolded items below on the list, all of which I can say were awesome…especially the sardines!!! (to my surprise). Finally, to top it all off, we spent some time cooking and baking recipes together in the kitchen. Stay tuned for the details and photos of these yummy dishes in an upcoming post!

All in all, a trip to remember for sure…from wicked shopping to great chats (with a couple “dumb blonde” moments in between) and from fantastic food to a 3 am mobility session, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Thank you Mat for welcoming us into your precious “bubble” and for being a terrific host. You have enriched our lives and inspired us to continue to learn and grow in so many ways. It is also my mission, to take more time this summer to explore Toronto a little deeper and hunt for some rare and amazing finds!!! I will be sure to post about them!

dusty sippin' on the young coconut water!

Mat’s Grocery Shopping List

organic sauerkraut
organic lemon juice
Bubbies pure dills
Vita coconut water
omega 3 eggs
duck eggs
sardines
fresh herbs
guacamole
ghee
freeze dried blueberries (our pick)
Himalayan pink salt
Trader Joe’s organic beef jerky
Peter Gillham’s natural calm
young coconuts/coconut flakes/coconut milk
variety of meat from his CSA (fridge/freezer)- whole chicken, ground pork/beef, lamb sausages, hickory smoked bacon, beef/pork franks, beef round roast, beef for kebabs, organ meats…
organic broccoli, onions, cucumbers, rainbow carrots, zucchini, celery avocado, baby romaine, spring mix
Tom’s of Maine Natural Toothpaste- fennel
raw cashews and macadamia nuts (not typical, but we were going to make nut butter)
red bananas (novelty item for me to try)
pure dextrose and heavy cream (NOT TYPICAL! for baking a special treat)

Our non-paleo luxury items to taste test- Mo’s Chocolate Bacon Bar and Francois Pralus 100% Chocolate Bar…unreal!

eggs, bacon and bed head!!! lol!

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: fridge, groceries, Mat Lalonde, real food

my 1st crossfit competition

July 5, 2010 By Cindy Leave a Comment

A special thank you to all friends that came out to watch and cheer. Your positive vibes were greatly appreciated. Also, a massive thank you to my “handler”, aka the Duster (my husband), for always making sure I was set with everything I needed and his ongoing support! Last, but not least a huge thanks to my coach John Vivian. His ability to make me feel at ease and confident in my technique is uncanny. Also, his delivery, feedback and constant encouragement is like no other (I think both of them were more nervous than me all day! Hehe!)

I LOVE experiencing firsts…don’t you? Your first kiss, your first date, your first love…hahaha…or perhaps switching gears…your first un-assisted pull-up, ring dip, handstand push up or muscle up! All great feelings. The best part of “firsts” is that you don’t really know what to expect and you don’t necessarily know how they will turn out. The anticipation and mystery definitely add to the excitement.

Let’s REWIND to 3 wks prior to the competition…

After hearing Mat Lalonde speak at his nutrition seminar, (early June) I decided to take to heart and “get serious” with some of the suggestions that he made. I thought in my head, what better time than now. So I devised a plan. Here’s how it went.

cut out all pop- Mat’s opinion that “it (pop) has no redeeming qualities at all” point stuck with me. Still going strong “sans pop” and I actually don’t miss it at all.
increase protein and fat intake- significantly…have kept this up as well
went super low carb/cut out fruit (maybe some berries 1/wk)-reintroduced certain carbs a couple days prior to the competition. Now back to low carb (15-20%)

Even though these changes were only in effect for 3 wks prior to the competition, they all without a doubt had a positive impact on how I looked, felt and performed. Cleaning up and tightening your diet really does make a HUGE difference people! Give it a try…TRUST on this one! Before you go talking yourself out of it with excuses and saying you can’t…stop yourself. You CAN, it just takes more effort, that’s all. A small price to pay in my opinion, once you reap the benefits. (Ok…rant over…for now!) The 2 biggest things that I noticed after “tweaking” my diet, were my mood and energy levels. Both were through the roof!

June 26th, 2010

I slept like a baby the night before (surprisingly)! Alarm went off, showered up, made sure we had everything and we hit the road. This was the same weekend of the G-20 in Toronto, so “the Duster” and I left super early, just in case. A quick stop for Americanos, then we continued on to Element CrossFit in Mississauga/Oakville, ON. We were one of the first to arrive (traffic wasn’t bad at all), and were greeted by the friendly ECF staff at the door. Having some time to spare, also gave us a chance to check out this fantastic box. Several minutes later, other competitors started to arrive, alongside fans and my coach “Johnny V”. Time seemed to pass so fast and before I knew it, I realized that I had to go warm-up for the beep test.

Event #1 – Beep Test
The test involves running continuously between two points that are 20 m apart. These runs are synchronized with beeps at set intervals. As the test proceeds, the interval between each successive beep reduces, forcing the athlete to increase their speed over the course of the test, until it is impossible to keep in pace with the recording (or, in rare occasions, if the athlete completes the test).

I had never done a beep test before, so this was new. Instructions were given and all the gals took to the line. With a light drizzle upon us, the first beep started the event. Within each overall stage, there were 9 sub-steps in between. This test obviously started off super easy, then progressively got more difficult. I made it to the third step in the 8th stage. I still think I had more “juice” in me, but actually had to stop, because I had to REALLY go to the bathroom! LOL! I placed 3rd in this event. Can’t wait to give this one a go again.

Event #2 – Clean-to-Thruster/Chest-to-Bar Ladder
Competitors will have 20 seconds to complete a rep at each of 10 Clean-to-Thruster stations, then they have 10 seconds to move to the next station. There are four pullup stations interspersed through the event at which competitors will have 20 seconds to complete as many reps as possible before moving to the next station.
1 – 155#/65#/45#
2 – 165#/75#/55#
* – Chest-to-Bar/Pullups/Jumping Pullups
3 – 175#/85#/65#
4 – 185#/95#/75#
* – Chest-to-Bar/Pullups/Jumping Pullups
5 – 195#/105#/85#
6 – 205#/115#/95#…and continue on until step 10.

Prior to the challenge, we had a goal in mind for this ladder wod. I was confident that the jumping pullups would act as a strength in this event, as I knew I could bang them off quickly. My target was to clear at least 75 lbs with the clean-to-thruster. Goal accomplished…check. After that, I knew I had 20 seconds to attempt 85 lbs. Both attempts failed. I placed 11th in this event.

Event #3 – Deadlift, HSPU, Kettlebell Swing
As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
5 Deadlifts 275#/185#/135#
5 men/3 women Handstand Pushups*/5 Pushups men & women scaled
10 Kettlebell Swings 70#/50#/35#

This was by far, the wod I was looking forward to the most! LOVE all the movements and was totally stoked. Eight minutes…seems like nothing right? WRONG!!! It was an AMRAP…I made the “mistake” of checking out the clock only 3 minutes in! Ignored this, and ended up pushing myself like I never have before. The last minute or so was almost a complete blur. Now I fully understand the concept of INTESITY and pushing through your THRESHOLD. Completed 8 full rounds and was only 10 kettle bell swings shy of 9. I placed 4th in this event. For the record, I didn’t puke and was able to see straight within a reasonable amount of time! Haha!

Event #4 – Clean & Jerk, Burpee
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Clean & Jerk 135#/95#/75#
Burpee

Yikes…the dreaded BURPEE + more cleans…oh and jerks!!! Really??? Yes, this was the case and I had to tell myself to just suck it up! To be honest, my burpees aren’t that bad at all. This was the only wod that actually made me shake a little in my “chucks”. For this wod there was a cut off time of 13 minutes. Fell apart a little early on, with a couple failed attempts, but was so happy that I was able to regain my composure and focus. In this time, the work that I successfully accomplished was exactly 10-9-8. Damn that weight got heavy for me fast! I placed 11th in this event.

Since competing in this challenge, many people have asked questions like…would you do it again? Are you glad you did it? Were you pleased with where you finished? Yes, yes and yes!!! It was so motivating and inspiring to see and be amongst so many skilled athletes. I was also so impressed with my placing. In fact, being 7th and not 1st or 2nd for example, gives me even more drive to improve, succeed and work towards accomplishing new goals. This experience definitely highlighted my strengths and reaffirmed to me the areas which need continued training and practice. Can’t wait to get better and compete again!!! Thank you again to Alex and his crew for hosting and running such a well-organized event!

Original photos courtesy of S. Crowley~ thank you so much!