Post BARF Favorite - ON Chocolate Pineapple Hydro Builder Protien Shake -

Ash Creek Shake of the Week -  Optomim Nutritious ON Chocolate Pineapple - ON Hydro Builder with Trader Joes pineapple tidbits and low fat milk.  The enzymes in the pineapple act as natural anti-inflammatory and the taste is great - for the performance athlete   or those looking to maximize their post work out rebuild and recovery this is the perfect mix.

View from the Creek - Raining Sunshine

This past weekend was very full and wonderful.   Day in the Sun took place on Saturday at the Roger Ludlow Middle School Campus.  We found our roots again thanks to the incredible weather.  After spending the past 3 years in the cafeteria and the gym moving back outside was met with a degree of reluctance.  Logistically the cafeteria was easy - we had it down to a science - we have been there and done that.  But Barbara would not back down - she said that " our special guests spend most of the year eating in an institutional setting and need a "day in the Sun" ."  And that is what they got.

Our volunteers did an incredible job - Joe and Mary from Ash Creek volunteered with the food - Joe supervising one of the hot dog grills and Mary was a key player in the distribution sector of our food service. We served over 600 guests - hotdogs and subway sandwiches. Sorry - no chili this year - we could only juggle so many balls without something hitting the ground.  Next year - I promise.   May even have some help.  I hear there may be a few good chili chefs out there who could lend an overburdened firefighter a hand. :)

Z Update - Parish CT

Parish Ct Senior Z - Great Stuff Today - We did a full 16 pt Z Neural (standing up) interspersed with 2 or 3 power breaths between every drill. We started at 9 so attendance was a little lighter than usual but those who showed up did incredible. One of the younger members (94 years young) commented on how much better she is moving since we started working together. Wrist circles are still a little tough - but she doesn't need the brace she wore to class anymore! It's such a special privilege to share Dr. Cobb's work - Thank You Z Health!!!

BARF Today

Great Barf Class today - We kept it simple with a work out split that pays high dividends. Set the gym boss for 15/15 and 10 sets. Start your training session with the Z Health 4-High Pay Off's and establish a base line range of motion. (ROM) Perform deadllifts with a kinda heavy single or double bell combo. Then set your gym boss to a 45/15 for 10 sets - Use TRX push, squat, pull, lunge/lunge, push, single leg dl, pull/curl, tricep/lunge, alt pull/bicep, and squat. Follow with RTW, then TGU complex. Finish with some Z.   Enjoy

Car 3 Spicy Hot Quinoa and Eggs

Try the ultimate 10 am firehouse meal - Quinoa and egg whites with jalapeno peppers and pepper jack cheese.  We made it today at 2's and called it C-3 Spicy Hot Quinoa and Eggs.  Takes about 5 minutes to make - get the frozen precooked quinoa with sweet potatoes and zucchini, fry it up in a non stick skillet with a little olive oil, add some egg whites, cook it like it's fried rice, then add the jalapeno peppers - let it get friendly, then stir in some cubes of pepper jack cheese right before plating.  Scary good. 

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that is not yet well known in North America. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred.The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.

Quinoa was used to sustain Incan armies, which frequently marched for many days eating a mixture of quinoa and fat, known as "war balls."

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. Some types of wheat come close to matching quinoa's protein content, but grains such as barley, corn, and rice generally have less than half the protein of quinoa. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a childs protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and fiber. Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues. The seeds are gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa would be a worthy addition to anyone's diet, supplying variety as well as good nutrition. information taken from http://chetday.com/quinoa.html 

Greek Yogurt - Good and Good For You!

Greek Yogurt from Trader Joe's

Thick, rich, creamy texture defines TJ's Greek Yogurt!

If you are looking for a healthy snack option this is my best suggestion. Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt!  They have 2 flavors - Mango-Apricot and Honey.  When they introduced this product a little over 2 years ago I was hooked on the Mango-Apricot.  Was going through a rather signifigant mango time of life and this was the perfect compliment.  My protien shakes had mango puree, my jerk chicken had mango chunks, and my oatmeal was laced with a big spoonfull of apricot preserves. Life was good.  And then it happened - other people started to find out about Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt.  The healthy living section of the CT Post did an article on the health benefits of Greek Yogurt - Oprah even mentionied it on The View - the stock went from plenty to none - had no choice, had to try the honey.

They say when one door closes another opens - such was the case with the honey.  Crazy good is an understatement - the flavor is incredible - but the texture - the rich creamy texture sticks to your tounge the same way it sticks to the spoon in the picture above is what makes this such an incredible edible delicasy.  Some yogurts run - and well they should - from this great Greek Yogurt.  Enjoy :)

Good Sweat

Observation - I feel like my five fingers are filling up with water. Reality – They are.

During one of our training sessions last week Meredith remarked that she can’t believe how much she is sweating. It will be one year come October that she has been training at Ash Creek. She can’t remember sweating that much until recently – but she can remember not being able to stand on one leg without assistance when we did hip circles – and she can remember not being able to do a Turkish get up to elbow – without weight. Most importantly – she can’t remember getting injured or having injury impact her training schedule which has realized steady progress over the last year. We spent a long time building a very strong foundation – now it’s ready to load – and that we are doing. The conversation ended with "At Ash Creek - you earn the right to sweat!"


During BARF class today Jan had the same epiphany. It was the first time her five fingers had filled up with sweat. She was feeling more than a little uncomfortable. She was not used to sweating so much. So we did a pulse check – 78 after a heavy set of dead lifts interspersed with power breaths is really pretty good. We used a high intensity training split designed by Kim Massey that works really well. We alternate Kettlebell deadlifts, swings, or other lifts with TRX or compound movements to build training sessions that fit the needs of each athlete. Todays session included deadlifts, alt. deadlifts, swings, a Turkish get up complex, RKC planks, round the world, and a TRX complex that included one legged dead lifts. The end result is a strong, functional, and aerobically fit athlete that sweats a lot.

So….. Earn the right to sweat – then grab a towel and enjoy. Nothing feels quite so satisfying as a good sweat. (Unless maybe sharing it with a training partner.) Train hard, train smart, and remember to hydrate.