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Friday's Fuel-Up: Race'Tacos are Back!

9/27/2019

 
TGIF, y'all!

Yes, Race'Tacos area a thing!

Now, we've posted variations of tacos over the years, but there's a reason: tacos are simply known around the world as one of The best pre-race, during-race & post-race goodies available; ask anyone!
 

So today's #fuelupfriday recipe comes from the tasty kitchen of our guest Coach of the Month, Molly McGarry.

Here's the breakdown from Coach Molly:

Pineapple Salsa Tacos

Salsa Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup diced pineapple
  • 1/2 cup diced tomato
  • 3 Tbsp diced jalapeño (optional)
  • 3 Tbsp diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice (plus more to taste)
  • 1 pinch each salt and pepper
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Taco Ingredients:
  • Tortillas of your choice
  • Canned Pinto Beans (cooked in 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground chili powder, 1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper)
  • If desired, any protein you may want to add to the tacos, prepared accordingly

Directions:
  1. Chop all ingredients in the salsa in a bowl and set aside
  2. Cook pinto beans with liquid from can over the stove and add cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper)
  3. In a saucepan, cook desired meat, if any.
  4. Assemble tacos, and enjoy!

Thank You all for reading along with Coach Molly, as she shares her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings.  Feel free to reach out to her and get details on her insights: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com 
and 
also on 
instagram & facebook ​​
and Happy Taco'ing!

Workout Wednesday: 10-9-8s, Core Strength Routine

9/25/2019

 
Howdy, Friends!
Today's installment of #workoutwednesday is brought to us by our friend and guest Coach of the Month, Molly McGarry. As Molly says: No gym? No problem! This core circuit routine can be enjoyed anywhere and is crucial for total body fitness.
 10-9-8 Core Strength Workout:

Start with 10 reps each side.. for each of the core-specific exercises listed below.. and work your way down: 10 reps, 9 reps & then 8 reps..
  
>Plank Up Downs (each side)
>Dead Bugs
>Bicycles
>Bridges (Single leg bridges to make it more challenging)
>Leg Lifts (modified: bent legs)
>Side Hip Drops (can be modified on knee)
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Thank You all for reading along with Coach Molly, as she shares her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings.  Feel free to reach out to her and get details on her insights: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com 
and 
also on 
instagram & facebook ​​
Happy core-training!
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Fuel-Up Friday: Veggie Chili, it's what's for Lunch!

9/20/2019

 
Happy Friday, everyone!

​Today's installment of #fuelupfriday is brought to us by the mind & kitchen of Coach Molly McGarry, our esteemed guest coach of the month. 
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  As Coach Molly is known for her healthy lifestyle balance.. of having good fun and getting work done.. she understands the value of experimenting in the kitchen to get yummy results, and serving up meals that are nutritious and fun to share with friends.  

Check out the great example recipe below, Molly's recommendation for a warm September day's lunch, and enjoy! 
​Molly's Veggie Chili (Inspired by OhSheGlows)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups (280 g) diced sweet onion (about 1 medium/large)
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
  • 2 medium jalapeños (80 g), seeded (if desired) and finely chopped
  • 1 cup (115 g) finely chopped celery (about 2 large stalks)*
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced**
  • 1 (28-ounce/796 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 6 tablespoons (90 mL) tomato paste
  • 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can pinto or navy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
 
  1. In a large pot, sauté the onion and the garlic in the oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and stir.
  2. Add the jalapeños, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for another 5 to 7 minutes or so, until softened.
  3. Now add the can of diced tomatoes (with the juice), broth, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high.
  4. Add the drained and rinsed beans, along with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Add the cayenne and hot sauce to taste, if using. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.

 Bonus: Optional Toppings can include avocado, sour cream, green onions, cheese.. yumm!
Thank You all for reading along with Coach Molly, as she shares her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings.  Feel free to reach out to her and get details on her insights: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com  also on instagram & facebook ​
Happy cooking!

Workout Wednesday: 400 Repeats, Run

9/18/2019

 
Hey, y'all! This week's #workoutwednesday is brought to you by our esteemed guest Coach Of The Month, Molly McGarry .. aka the unstoppable Molly Rose .. aka 2 years Ironman Certified Coach, 6 years Corrective Excercise Specialist, and 10 years ASCM-Certified Personal Trainer.
 
Now, many of you more experienced runners will recognize this routine, but for some it's a fairly new concept: running repeats.



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As Coach Molly says, "Looking to add some speed to your running but not sure where to start? Give this beginner track workout a'go and see your times drop!"
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Beginner 400 Repeats:

Warm up: 1 mile easy jog 
*Incorporate dynamic stretches such as lunges and reachs, buttkickers, SL  RDLs, high knees
 
Main Set:
  • 400 (one lap around the track) as fast as you can,
  • 400 meter walk/jog
  • 6x through
*the more experienced you get with these sets, the less recovery you can add in between each 400 run*
 
Cool Down: 2x400 each jog
Thank You all for reading along with Molly, as she shares her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings.  Feel free to reach out to her and get details on her insights: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com  also on instagram & facebook ​
Happy training!

Editor's Note: Some of you may recognize the slightly old-school term "fartlek" in reference to Molly's recommended training strategy.. regardless of the terminology, it's still a thing because it works! And according to Webster's, fartlek simply means "speed play" in Swedish, and is known as a continuous training strategy with intervals, ie. repeats rolled in. It is a common & useful tool in the multi-sportster's training kit, known to yield notable speed ROIs when employed smartly.  So there's that; enjoy!  ​

Triathlon Festival 2019: Post-Race Wrap Up, Photos & Thank You!

9/14/2019

 
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THANK YOU Everyone, and well done!

That's right, race family & fans.. with all the feels still warming the heart.. and nearly drying out.. the afterglow of Triathlon Festival stays with us forever; great racing, fantastic memories, loving community.

If you didn't get a chance, check out the 
​Post Race Wrap Up HERE and thanks for sharing your reflections, or sharing it forward to a friend. 

2020 will be our 10th running of Triathlon Festival, so save the date: 11-13 September, 2020.
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Thank you again to everyone for joining us, we love our job and putting on races just for you!

Blair and Staci
Best In The West Events
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Fuel Up Friday: Berry Overnight Oats for Breakfast

9/13/2019

 
Timed crunched to prepare breakfast in the mornings?
Coach Molly McGarry says give this overnight oats recipe a try..
​you can make it the night before, leave it in the fridge and it’s ready to go in the morning!
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Berry Overnight Oats

Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • Optional add ins: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, apples, kiwi
  • To make chocolate overnight oats: add a tablespoon or two of cacao powder
 
Mix all ingredients together in a tupperware, seal and store in the fridge overnight to enjoy in the morning. Before you leave with your breakfast, feel free to add a tad more almond milk to keep it from getting dry!

Today's #FuelUpFriday is brought to you by our esteemed guest Coach Of The Month, Molly McGarry .. aka the unstoppable Molly Rose; reach out to her with questions: 

  mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com  also on instagram & facebook

Again, thank you all for welcoming Molly's insights as we've invited her to share her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings. 

Happy Training!

Workout Wednesdays: Bike, The Power Hour

9/11/2019

 
  This week's #workoutwednesday is brought to you by our esteemed guest Coach Of The Month, Molly McGarry .. aka the unstoppable Molly Rose .. aka 2 years Ironman Certified Coach, 6 years Corrective Excercise Specialist, and 10 years ASCM-Certified Personal Trainer.

  The credentials are impressive.. but mostly, we appreciate Molly's long-held belief in the active & healthy lifestyle for all, and in aligning the sometime-complex circumstances and variables of our busy lives in the favor of success. Great coaches can do that and Molly has the credibility & sincerity to do so,  
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Power Hour Race Day Push:
 
Crunched for time and only have an hour to get a killer bike workout in during your training?
Give this power hour workout a try outdoors or on the trainer.


Warm up:  10 minutes moderate effort
 
Main Set:
  • 5 minute strong pushes above threshold (race day pace – pretend you are out  
                 there racing)
  • 5 minute moderate efforts focusing on higher cadence (RPM)
  • 4x through

Cool Down: 10 minutes easy pace focusing on equal pressure on each foot
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Again, Thank You all for welcoming Molly as she shares her expertise & wisdom over this month's workout & recipe postings.  Feel free to reach out to her and get details on her insights: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com  also on instagram & facebook 
Happy training!

Workout Wednesday: Swim, Chasing Pyramids

9/4/2019

 

​This week's Workout Wednesday is a S W I M training strategy brought to us by our BITW guest coach of the month, certified Ironman coach & accomplished multisport athlete Molly McGarry. 

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Chasing Pyramids:
Looking for an easy to remember swim workout that you can incorporate both sprints and endurance work?    
Warm up: 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull 
Main Set: 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and back down to 25.. (650 total)** 
Cool Down: 250 easy swim 
That's an easy 1,500 yards!
**If you want to make this pyramid longer, add another round.
Shoot Molly an email or dm if you have any questions: 
mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com
Happy training!
 
​

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September's Coach of the Month: Molly McGarry

9/4/2019

 
Greetings, everyone.. allow us to introduce our guest coach for the month of September, Molly McGarry! 

​Molly is a personal trainer and the director of Group Fitness & Trainer Development at Northwest Personal Training in Vancouver WA.

Molly grew up competitive swimming and ocean open water racing as a LA beach lifeguard. She went on to become a D1 collegiate rowing athlete, and discovered the thrill of triathlon after graduating from Gonzaga.

As a nationally certified personal trainer of 10 years, Molly has a strong background in corrective exercise/injury prevention to help build strength, to remain injury-free during the season.
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Her credentials include: 
  •  2 years Ironman Certified Coach
  • 10 years ASCM-CPT
  • 6 years Corrective Excercise Specialst
  • 2x USAT National Triathlon & Duathlon Qualifier/Competitor

Molly's coaching philosophy:
"My approach as a coach is simple..
I believe that hard work has to be done in order to get your goals accomplished but I'm here as a coach to help motivate and provide you the tools you need to be successful. I'm here to support and create an environment where this becomes a lifestyle, not something that takes over your life!"
So thanks to everyone for welcoming Molly, as we've invited her to share some wisdom & expertise with all of you. 

As needed, feel free to reach out to Molly with questions. She can be reached here:

mollym@nwpersonaltraining.com  also on instagram & facebook

Also:
u.ironman.com/certified-coach/molly-mcgarry  or here: trainingpeaks.com/coach/mollyrose#about

In the meantime, be on the lookout for Molly's inspired #WorkoutWednesday & #FuelUpFriday posts throughout the month.

Happy training, y'all!


Fuel Up Friday: Spinach & Eggs, sur de toasts!

8/30/2019

 
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Start your biceps a'poppin by packing some spinach into your breakfast!

Today's Fri-yay fuel up is brought to you by BestInTheWest's very own chef Staci Bronson and is never not a tasty & nutritious treat! 

And, check the Posse preferred pro strategy >> plus up your nutrition with a proper #BITW branding!
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 6 cups spinach
  • 1/4 onion 
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 4 slices of bread 
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper​
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Slice and dice the onions and tomatoes.
Toss the spinach and onions onto a pan on medium.
Stir occasionally. The spinach will wilt down to about 1 cup cooked.
Push the spinach and onions to the side.
Pour in scrambled eggs.
Add salt and pepper.
Stir the eggs and then mix in the greens.
Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top and cover to melt. 
Start the toast.
Slice the avocado.

When the toast is done, the cheese should be melted.
Place the avocado, tomatoes, and spinach egg combo on the toast.

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Remember to chew and to breathe. Enjoy!
​~ chef Staci
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  • Home
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    • Full Event Calendar
    • Best in the West Triathlon Festival
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    • Tri at the Grove
  • About
  • Sponsors
  • Contact
  • Meet the Posse
  • Blog
  • Rentals