A Relaxing Weekend (of sorts…)

Did I train this weekend?  I was all set to get my 1.5 hour long run in on Friday after work but as the day went on I realized that my brain just wasn’t in to it.  I’m giving myself permission to slack just a teeny bit longer.  It has been a long year of racing and training so I’m not going to push things if my head isn’t in the game.  After all, I went from a marathon in January to a half Iron in July and August!  The next year is going to be a LONG one and I don’t want to risk burnout!  So apart from a nice 40 min run through the neighbourhood early Saturday morning here’s what else went on:

Friday:

I bailed on a long run in order to get some errands done.  I picked up a few paint chips and a roller from Home Depot, then put one of my Restoration Hardware colour testers on the wall in my spare bedroom.  After that it was off to Costco to price out tires and pick up some lamb chops and the new Jamie Oliver cookbook.  I tell ya, I sure know how to party on a Friday night!

*Just a word about the new Jamie Oliver cookbook…love the concept!  He wants you to learn one recipe from the cookbook and pass it on to a friend in an effort to inspire more people to make good home cooked healthy meals.

Saturday:

I met my best riding gal pals Pam and Tara at Diner Deluxe for breakfast.  It was great to see these ladies wearing something other than spandex and the conversation was fantastic!  I relived my Lake Stevens race, the Ironman Canada weekend and we talked about plans for next year.  I feel so fortunate to have met such wonderful people through triathlon in this town, and I cannot wait to keep training with them.

After some amazing chocolate sourdough French toast with fried bananas I took off to Tri-It to check out their end of season sale.  I figured that since my old race shorts developed a hole in them I could probably use a new pair…  Then it was on to Team Aquatic for their end of season sale, where I managed to pick up a couple of Speedo Endurance suits at an amazing price.  I rounded it out with a trip to the Calgary Farmers’ Market to pick up some amazing fresh produce.

And thanks to the lamb chops from Costco plus my bounty from the Farmers’ Market I threw together a pretty amazing dinner:

Grilled Mint Lamb Chops:

Roast lamb with mint sauce is a quintessential British dish and this is my fresh take on the dish.  I concocted a paste of some fresh mint, one clove of fresh garlic, the zest of half a lemon, a little olive oil and salt and pepper:I seasoned two lamb chops with some additional salt and pepper, then spread the paste on and left it in the fridge for an hour or two.
As grill time approached I let the chops come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then I grilled them over medium high heat for 4 min per side.  They came out a lovely medium/medium rare.  Let sit for a few minutes and enjoy!  The flavours are subtle and complement the lamb really well.

I also prepared some baby beets as a side dish by tossing the beets (skin on, but sliced in half) in some olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add in a sprinkle of water and fold in to a foil pouch.  Grill for 10 minutes over medium high heat as well.  My mom deserves the credit on this one as she suggested it to me!I served it all with a bottle of Fox Creek 2004 Short Row Shiraz.  This shiraz is from McLaren Vale in Australia.  I have tried quite a few Fox Creek wines and they are all delicious, so if shiraz is your thing, then check it out!

I hope you all had a great weekend too!