CrystalMatthews’s BodyBlog

I had the most amazing camping trip this past weekend at Wallowa Lake, Oregon. I was a little nervous agreeing to go on the trip because I’m still in full force with my workouts, and I didn’t want to miss any. And then I was like, wait…just because I’m camping doesn’t mean I have to pig out all day and sit around the campsite. So, I warned my boyfriend not to make fun of me, but I was going to treat the weekend like an outdoor athlete retreat. We arrived on Friday night after an unnecessary long drive (we got lost lol).

TIP: I packed albacore tuna (if it’s not albacore I can’t stomach it, blech!) packets for the drive. They are super convenient! All you have to do is stop at a gas station for some mustard and relish packets and you have a great protein snack. Just like a tuna sandwich with no bread. I always keep cans of tuna at my desk at work for the same reason.

I woke up early Saturday to deer invading our camp site. They are so tame there you can pet them! I ignored the smells of breakfast cooking and went on a jog through the nature trails on an empty stomach for a half hour.

TIP: Cardio in the am on an empty stomach taps right in to your fat storage for fuel. All you need is 30-45 mins. Make sure you don’t wait to long to eat afterwards or you risk losing muscle.

I found a crazy steep hill to hike while I was running, but I saved it for after breakfast. There are only so many things you can/should do without fuel in your belly .

TIP: Pack ‘Weight Control’ instant oatmeal packets for an easy breakfast. All you have to do is add hot water and you have sugar free oatmeal with 7 grams of protein already added. You may get funny looks when you go to the coffee shop and order a cup of hot water, but it’s totally worth it! Plus it saves money.

We were all really tired after the hill climb, so we took it fairly easy the rest of the day. We had bought a bunch of meat to grill, so I had a little protein BBQ fiesta . The nice thing about camping is you’re forced to eat what you pack so you can better avoid temptation.

Our last day, Sunday, I woke up early (got dirty looks for ignoring the breakfast that was made) and went mountain biking for a half hour. I biked through a little town nearby and saw some awesome picture spots that we took advantage of later. Luckily my boyfriend saved me some pancakes with sugar-free syrup and a lean steak to enjoy when I got back !

TIP: When you’re going sugar-free make sure your tummy can handle aspartame - mine can’t. I usually stick to products that use splenda or sucralose. Too bad I read the syrup bottle after I ate my pancakes…it was a rough ride home later, lol.

We took the dogs for a nice walk before we left town and even enjoyed a Tillamook Ice Cream cone before we headed out. Hey! I worked hard this weekend, and I deserved it .

TIP: If you’re going to cave on your diet (not that you should on a regular basis), the earlier in the day the better. This way you’re body has more time to work off the extra calories before you go to bed at night. The worse thing you can do is have it right before bed! I’ve actually saved birthday cake from parties and waited to have it the next day after breakfast .

This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 3:22 pm and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.