More favorite things.......

Last year I wrote about a few of my favorite things.  Well, I have a few more things to add to the list.  Many are things that I use to support my medical treatment.  Some are things that I just love.  and there are a few that are just a bit wacky:)  So, here goes:

 Lemons and lemon zest are full of anti-cancer nutrients. 

 I add lemon juice/zest to everything from my morning green tea to my post-workout recovery drink.  Tastes good too!

 Tumeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory known as the anti-cancer spice.  Some folks even take it in high dose supplement form, however this is not recommended while undergoing chemo as at high doses it may reduce the efficacy of chemo drugs.  I sprinkle it on just about everything from veggies, to yams, to popcorn snacks.  In fact, I eat it so much that my fingers are perma-orange!  

 Nutritional Solutions recommends a high-ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) seasoning combo.  Basically all of these spices/herbs are combined into one super-shaker for the ultimate natural anti-oxidant imaginable!  It includes: garlic powder, marjoram leaf, parsley leaf, sage, basil leaf, thyme leaf, onion powder, and celery seed.  I also sprinkle this on EVERYTHING.  It is super yummy too!

 Ok.  I admit that I haven't tried this yet, but I am armed and ready to use it after my next treatment.  Ginger is known as a powerful natural anti-nausea.  I will let you know if it works!

I am a firm believer in acupuncture and there is solid research that shows that it helps reduce chemo-induced nausea.  Well, sea band makes these little cotton bracelets that provide pressure to the anti-nausea acupressure points on the wrist.  Most pharmacies sell them for sea sickness, but perhaps they will help with chemo induced nausea?  I haven't used them yet as they arrived after my nausea subsided, but I will let you know! Note: I got the child size and they fit my small wrists perfect.  

 I am in love with these lunchskins.  These reusable lunch bags come in an assortment of sizes and are perfect for packing ride snacks.  They are dishwasher safe, BPA, phthalate, and lead free.  I use them for everything from apples, carrots, nuts, and homemade energy bars.  Plus they are a lot less wasteful than plastic baggies.  

Although since I started treatment again, my traveling schedule has come to a screeching halt, normally Shannon and I do have a tendency to travel a lot.  This spring, I fell in love with the GoToob.  The GoToob comes in different sizes (all carry-on approved).  It has a large opening for easy filling/cleaning, is BPA free, dishwasher safe, has a no drip valve that really doesn't drip, really! and it has a super cool lift and rotate collar that allows you to identify the contents of the toob (soap, shampoo, lotion).  I like it so much that I even use it as a refillable container for hand lotion.  

Ok.  No list of "some of my favorite things" would be complete without bikes!  Last week I had the opportunity to demo a bunch of bikes at Dealer Camp in Park City.  An Enduro-type bike has definitely been on my radar as I already have the ultimate cross-country hard-tail and dualie.  I am pretty convinced that the brand new 2014 Pivot Mach 6 is the perfect bike.  It kind of makes you feel like a super-hero on the knarly downhills....even when you're not:)  I'm all for feeling like a super-hero!  I'm also pretty convinced that the 27.5 wheel size is the perfect wheel size for me.  See below for further explanation. 

Unlike an Enduro bike, another hardtail race bike was NOT on my radar.  I absolutely love my Les 29er.  It is a rocket.  After sitting on the brand new Les 27.5, I am reassessing.  Like I mentioned above, I think the 27.5 wheel size may be the perfect wheel size for me.  I really noticed the difference on steep climbs where I have to power the bike over a root or rock.  It is just easier to keep the slightly smaller wheels rolling uphill.  Interestingly, stability on high-speed descents did not seem to be sacrificed and this bike can RAIL corners.  I had a hard time keeping up! I think I even have Shannon convinced to change our kit color to lime green next year to match the frame.  Matchy, matchy:)   

And, as promised, here is my weekly workout log.  A big chunk of the week was spent demo-ing bikes at Dealer Camp.  The way my body has bounced back after this first treatment has truly exceeded my expectations and I am grateful that I felt good enough to spend consecutive days outdoors in the mountains, hangin' with friends, and riding the latest and greatest 2014 models!  

Date:	Workout:	Total workout time:	Energy  (1-10):	Notes:
7/23 (Tue)	Mellow mountain hike/lower body/core workout	2.25 hours	7	Hiked w/ Dizzy & Shannon.
7/24 (Wed)	Mountain Bike Ride	2 hours	7	Rode Park City trails
7/25 (Thur)	Recovery ride	.5 hours	7	Took it easy today.  Rode bike to run some errands.
7/26 (Fri)	Mountain Bike Ride	1.5 hours	9	Demo’d some bikes at Dealer Camp
7/27 (Sat)	Mountain Bike Ride/Weight workout	1.5 hours	9	Demo’d some bikes at Dealer Camp.  Solid weight/core workout
7/28 (Sun)	Mountain Bike Ride	2.25 hours	8	Rode Mountain Bike.  Felt good, tired by end of ride.
7/29 (Mon)	Run/Skills ride/Yoga	1.5 hours	9	Mountain run w/ Dizzy.  Short skills ride on dirt jumper.  Yoga/core workout.
	Total hours:	11.5 hours

This week, I also learned the importance of rest days even when you are not "training" "tapering" and "peaking" for races.  I felt amazing on Friday and Saturday after taking it easy on Thursday.  I truly believe that exercise helps reduce fatigue and boost health while undergoing cancer treatment, but just like when I'm training to compete, a healthy balance between exercise and recovery needs to be found.  

One more week and then back to the infusion room.......As usual, I will try to jam pack it full of fun!  

Photos from the week can be found on Instagram!