Last month, I completed the RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party bike ride), which fulfilled a commitment that I made to a friend last year while training together. There were 7 of us on our team, but one bailed at the last minute after a torrential downpour on the morning of the race. I'm not gonna lie, it crossed my mind, too... But I had already committed and trained since April for this thing. I was not about to NOT do it! I was so glad when we finished day 1.

We started the ride at 6:30 am and it dumped- I'm talking like water slapping my face for about 75 miles- all the way until 2pm . I wanted to take pictures of the lake, the rockery in Bellingham, and the beautiful cloud cover over mountains,  but because of the water, my phone didn't recognize my finger, nor my face, and then I managed to lock myself completely out 3 times. So, I stopped trying and just focused on being in the moment. And of course I hoped that the others got some good shots. The sun finally managed to come out around 4:30 pm and we were so very glad to be done riding after racking up 115miles that day. We ended the day soaking our muscles in the hotel hot tub and feasting at an awesome Mexican restaurant, the perfect reward for our efforts.

After an early night in and a great sleep, we started back out at 6:45 am for day 2. Thank god is was only 85 miles and that the weather was perfect for riding,  slightly overcast but no rain. The sun came out around noon, and the rest of the ride was beautiful. I loved all the energy in our group, and enjoyed the delicious food that we packed for the stops along the way. There is nothing like a good hot meal after eating snack foods for 80% of the day. I ended up having real meals at least 3 times each day, which helped after burning 3,000 calories each day. 

We finished around 2:45 pm at David Lam park- right by the water in Vancouver, BC, on Sunday. I enjoyed tacos and kombucha right at the finish line. Then I showered and went out for a great sushi meal to celebrate! Thank you all for your support Josh, Amy's other half, for the support along the way, and Kirsten for taking the train up to Vancouver to celebrate with us. What a blast!   

The start of the race was tough, and there were some hard miles. But once the storm passed, it got easier. There were some moments I wouldn't have wanted to miss. The food and the hot tub felt even more amazing because of what it took to get there. I also cherished the camaraderie and shared highs and lows of the race. It wasn't fun at every moment, but I walked away feeling satisfied and proud of myself and my team. That's why I keep doing these races. Training gives me a goal and weekly milestones to meet. It gets and keeps me in shape to enjoy and do much more in life! The group and community inspires me to stay on it  - and I love catching up with friends!

My message to you is - don't be afraid to try new things, and keep trying until you find what works for you! And remember to bring a friend along. 
 
Next month, I am heading away on a trip; stayed tuned to see how it goes. Until then, comment below or reach out if you want to plan or get in on the next fitness fun adventure. 

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef (I doubled the recipe and used turkey and chicken.
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I added a 1/2 cup of mint )
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup cooked rice, optional (brown rice)
•  1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Soup

• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 6 cups with 2 tbsp better then bouillon chicken)
• ½ carrot, sliced 8 cups
• 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
• 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained ( I used 4 large fresh tomatoes) 
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 potato, diced (I used russets potatoes)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the meatballs 
1. Combine beef, egg, garlic, cilantro (and mint if using), cumin, salt, pepper, and rice.
2. Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1½ inches wide and used a cookie scoop to keep the size consistent).
3. Brown on all sides in a hot pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. They will cook more evenly if they are the same size.
4. Set aside.
To make the soup
1. In a large pot, combine chicken broth, carrot, celery, diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and cilantro .2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Drop meatballs and potato in the soup and bring to boil again so that the meatballs cook quickly. Return to simmer and cook for another 20 minutes.
Serve with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired).
*I made the meatballs first then used my instapot to make the soup. I cooked it for 15 min on high pressure, then released the pressure after 10 minutes. I served the soup with fresh corn tortillas and froze half for later.
Nutritional InformationCalories: 273kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 549mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 1100IU, Vitamin C: 5.5mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Source: Lil' Luna
https://lilluna.com/albondigas-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-99748

Ready in 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 leek
1-2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 large seedless cucumbers, chopped into small cubes
½ ripe avocado
2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
½ cup fresh dill
2-3 tbsp avocado oil
½ cup blueberries
Fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Coarsely chop pale part of leeks, discarding the green parts. Heat grapeseed oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté leek for 4 to 6 minutes. Add sea salt and allow to cool.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine cooked leeks, cucumber, avocado, yogurt, dill and avocado oil. Blend until smooth.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours.
4. To serve, place about a handful of blueberries on the bottom of a soup bowl. Pour soup over top. Garnish with a drizzle of avocado oil and mint leaves.
   
   

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 300, Total Fats: 4
Saturated Fat; 4 g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0 mse Sodium: 530 mg,
​Total Carbohydrates: 20 g, Die Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 8g, Protein: 15g, Iron: 7 mg

I love savory yogurt dishes. I used Trader Joe's falafel mix and topped it with this versatile dip. It is also a great choice for  crackers, bread, and veggies. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain dairy-free yogurt 
​3 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp fresh dill (or 1 tbsp dried dill)
1 large pinch sea salt
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

Combine ingredients and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup spelt berries - I used Trader Joe’s farro instead- so good! If you use farro, follow directions for cooking on package and substitute 1:1.
• 3 cups water
• 2 (14-ounce) cans garbanzo beans
• 1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch green onions, diagonally sliced
• 1/3 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions
Boil spelt berries in water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and cool. 
In a salad bowl, mix together cooked spelt, garbanzo beans, diced cucumbers, green peppers, celery, carrots, red onions, green onions and chopped parsley.
Mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, salt, basil and garlic. Pour over and toss through the salad.

Note
When I want to bump up the protein, I mix in some tuna or cottage cheese. Feel free to add your favorite source of protein to this salad.