Whole30: Day 8 - And the Travel Begins, Arizona Bound

Wake up: 6:00am I went to sleep at 10:20pm so this was under 8 hours of sleep. But I had the time to sleep until 6:20 and I was just lying there awake so I decided to get up. I was excited about my trip and didn't want to be late. Troy and Annie woke up and took me to the bus that goes to the airport. That way they wouldn't have to sit in traffic to take me to the airport. The bus is easy.

Breakfast: 6:45am

On the bus headed to the airport I broke out a Paleokit.  Oh my lanta, this was good! The flavor was awesome and it was a very slow eating snack type breakfast, perfect for killing time sitting on the bus. This one had jerky, coconut, and dried strawberries in it and it totally hit the spot.

Meal #2: 9:35am

I negotiated the airport without wanting anything. Filled up my water bottle and went to the gate. No latte, no frappe, NOTHING! Once on the plane they came offering drinks. On Frontier you have to pay for drinks but with a classic ticket (like I had) you get one for free. I ordered water and the elderly gentleman next to me asked for Gingerale. The flight attended told him that it cost and he said "Water then". When she came back I asked her to change my order to Gingerale and then I gave it to the gentleman and took his water. It totally flipped my mood from "I don't get to have this" to "I get to give something to someone else" and that made me smile. I got hungry on the plane and whipped out my mix of freeze dried pumpkin mixed with pumpkin seeds. Nom Nom! Had about 1/3 of the jar.

After getting luggage and a car I headed straight to Whole Foods. I was hungry and I found one that had a Trader Joes next to it (something we don't have in Colorado). AND GET THIS, the complex where both of them were had a FARMERS MARKET going on! It's like the universe and Whole30 were conspiring to help me during my travels. I picked up some lettuce and apples. Then I tasted these strange Pichuberries and they were so good! So I bought some of those. They are sweet and tart and look like a tomatillo. And here was the real Jackpot: there was a guy there selling Storino's AVOCADO OIL VINAIGRETTES! I picked up the apple avocado vinaigrette. No sugar added, it's Whole30 compliant, and now I can just use my own this week. Total score, you have no idea how happy this made me! Serious stars aligning! What were the chances of finding Avocado oil at the random farmers market, much less a tasty no sugar added vinaigrette?

Lunch: 1:00pm

After the farmers market I went into Whole Paycheck and made up a perfect Whole30 plate. I topped it with my new Vinaigrette and sat down and had a feast!

Meal #4: 3:30pm

Before heading to pick up Michelle from the airport I was wanting a little snack. I know my body is trying to get those glycogen stores filled up and I have this feeling that it takes a little longer while doing Whole30. So, I popped open an avocado I bought from Trader Joes, topped it with RSR that I brought, and had a small cup of trail mix.

Dinner: 7:15pm

After my massage (yes, 60 minute massage, hallelujah) we headed back to Whole Foods for dinner. I got a stir fry with beef, a ton of different veggies, and a Thai sauce they had that had no sugar added. I asked them what oil they use and they said Expeller Pressed Canola, and the way the guy said it was a sort of non negotiable situation. So I went with it. Should I have asked for something else? I don't really know how to do that in this situation. I thought this was good for my first dinner out.

Homework: Visualization

I'm a big believer in visualization. I read in a sports psychology book that when you are visualizing it will become much more real to you if you can visualize a real moment in the past rather than a fictional moment in the future. So in race terms, visualizing past successes rather than trying to conjure up what future ones should look like. I have found this to be really helpful in my racing so I thought it might work here.

When I went to Kona in 2010 I remember feeling fit and lean and ready, and happy, and well grounded. I remember that my blood sugar was in control and that I had made some consistently positive food choices. So I'm going to choose to remember back to the time when I felt great and even, and the world was my oyster.

I'm also having some days here and there that are terrific, so I'm trying to add those real live feelings to my visualizations. Times when I was easy going and mello, where nothing could bother me and everything rolled off my back! Thats what I visualize!