Heaven

Post #82

Oakland, California - I snapped this picture of the lake right after we had finished practice the other day:

We'll go out and row in most conditions (unless the water looks like an ocean and we think the boat might swamp), but water like this is a rower's heaven. You can feel the hull moving and accelerating underneath you in a way that you can't when you're battling a headwind or a crosswind. The balance of the boat is generally easier to achieve in flat water and when you get it perfectly, it's magical. Definitely one of my favorite things ever. When the lake first comes into view in the morning and it looks like this, I can't help but do a little cheer in my head, knowing it's going to be a good day.

Only about six weeks until the National Selection Regatta!

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Kitchen Projects

Post #81

Oakland, California - Here's one thing I didn't fully understand until after college: a big part of being an elite athlete is eating right. It wasn't that I didn't think it was true, nor was it that I ate unhealthy foods. It was just that I didn't have time to go buy and then prepare interesting, healthy meals all the time. So I did the best I could with what I had at the time.

Once I didn't have to worry about writing papers and taking exams, I had time to try lots of new recipes. One of the advantages of this is that I've distanced myself from processed foods and now I know exactly what's going into most of what I eat. I've successfully baked my own bread and made granola bars from scratch, among many other kitchen projects. Another plus is that I've branched out and tried eating all sorts of new foods like pomegranate, mango, kale, spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes...the list goes on.

Most of my inspiration comes from FoodGawker. It's a website that compiles photos and recipes from tons of food blogs. You can browse the photos and then click on them to get the recipe. I highly recommend it! Here's a blueberry mango quinoa recipe I made up this morning:

And here are the homemade granola bars I've made twice now:

Another fall/winter favorite of mine is pumpkin coconut risotto. Try 'em out and tell me what you think.