My idea of a good rest night + Exciting news!

Normally when I get home from work I rush home and immediately get on the bike, but on Mondays I get to take things a little slower. Yesterday I cleaned the house, went to sushi, caught up on some retouching and lazed around until it was time to go to bed. My favorite part is cuddling up in my cozy Happy Socks (PS, I have a discount code for you below!) with a Wafel and Honey Zinger tea. This is where I usually plan out the rest of my week or catch up on my addiction of YouTube videos. As uneventful as rest days can be, it's a much needed day of the week for me personally. I know some people can go nonstop with working out all week, but I love having Mondays off to catch up on other life stuff. Do you guys have rest days? What do you usually do on them?

P.S. My addiction to socks is getting more intense every month and for the first time ever I have a discount code for you! If you want some Happy Socks for you, or to gift as a present this month, I have a 15% off code AND free shipping when you use the code HAPPYMAE at checkout! Valid until 12/31/15.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been following along on my blog this month! I'm super excited to announce that I've teamed up with a few amazing brands to have giveaways the week leading up to Christmas! I've never ever done a giveaway before and I can't wait to share with you guys the stuff that I love!!
Brands that will be apart of the giveaway:
Specialized (2 winners)
Oakley (3 winners)
Pur Cosmetics (1 winner)
Revision Skincare (10 winners)
RipVan Wafels (several winners, but not sure exactly how many yet)

Details will come soon, but stay tuned on how to win starting on Monday! 

Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

Hi hello! Today I'm talking about vegan cupcakes! I happen to date a vegan and his dad is dairy-free so I decided to whip something up that they can't usually eat! They are super yummy and sweet with a Christmas spin on them. (P.S. you should make sure that the person whose house you're making these at has a cupcake pan so you don't have to go to Publix to buy one last minute, hah!)

Serves 12 Regular Size Cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES:

• 1 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), softened
• scant 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles + more for topping

FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Splash non-dairy mil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin holder with 12 paper liners.
2. Whisk the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get curdled.
3. Add softened butter to the bowl and mix. Then add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
4. Sift in the following ingredients: 1 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and then remaining 1/2 cup flour. Blend until smooth. 
5. Add sprinkles and gently stir with a mixing spoon.
6. Divide evenly among cupcake holders making sure NOT to overfill. Mine were a little over 3/4 full. 
7. Bake on a center rack at 350 for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
8. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. In the meantime, prepare frosting.
9. In a large mixing bowl add softened butter and beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix once more.
10. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Drizzle in a little non-dairy milk to thin. You want this frosting to be very thick so it will hold its shape once on the cupcakes.
11. Once cooled, frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered at room temperature or refrigerated.
    
    *Big thanks to Minimalist Baker for this recipe !

#SweetpeaIsSpecialized

I feel like you all have seen me in my favorite kit a hundred times, so lets hear it for Sweetpea looking real cute in my get up. Surprisingly she loved the jersey and buff, but we had to do a little bribing with treats to get her to sit still with the helmet on. I didn't feel well at all yesterday so I had to make use of my gear somehow. <3 I hope everyone has been having an amazing weekend and that this puts a smile on your face! 

What it's like to have a cycling coach

Yesterday I had a one on one ride with my coach, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share my personal experience with having a cycling coach! It's one of the most frequently asked questions I get, so I hope this helps cover a lot of the answers. For those of you who don't know, in January of this year I decided to find a structured way of cycling to help myself stick to it more consistently. (You can read more about my back and forth, here). I started off by doing two things; I got a Garmin 510 and I hired my coach and professional cyclist, Mike Stone. In the beginning he starts you out by having you answer a list of questions and talking to you about your short/long term goals. Once he has an idea of what you're working towards, he gets you set up with a Training Peaks account, and has you complete a power or heart rate test to establish your data. He covers a variety of workouts including core strength, cycling and running depending on what you're training for. Every Monday I can expect to get a text/call asking how I'm feeling, and later on that day my workouts for the week will be listed in Training Peaks. Throughout the week I can write in how I was feeling during that workout and Mike checks in with me periodically throughout the week. He knows how busy I am, and on the rare occasion that I add in or take out a race last minute, he's great about changing up my plan if needed.

Having a coach as a beginner was great because it has helped me have continued guidance, taught me a lot about what I'm doing, and has improved my fitness and bike handling skills immensely. (You guys, I'm 2 points away from catting up in cyclocross, ahh)! But seriously, I was finishing last or close to last every race last year and this year I've been on the podium several times - I'm so proud of how far I've come! Although he coaches more elite level athletes, I never feel like I'm just some newbie on the side, hah! Mike is awesome about listening to me complain and cheering me up when I've had a bad week or race. Sheesh, I sound like a high maintenance client, yikes - sorry about that Mike. :) Anyways, now I'm rambling - what I'm trying to say is having a coach is rad and I wouldn't be telling you guys that or paying for one for an entire year if I didn't think so.

If you are interested in chatting with Mike about coaching or want to know more about him, I'll list some of his details below.
(Mike, I'm about to brag on you!)
He races for Professional UCI continental Lupus Racing Team, he's been on the USA national team, competed in Worlds, Alberta, Tour of China, Vuelta Mexico, etc. 
He's based out of Georgia, but he also coaches remotely if needed. His clients range from beginners to elites with all goal levels and skill sets, and he offers a few packages to choose from.
Mike Stone: mikestone608@gmail.com // (770) 380-1082

I hope that helps! If you have any questions for me, you can leave them in the comments and I'll be sure to answer! 

xx
Mae

Don't forget about your core

It's too often that cyclists directly focus on their legs and disregard the rest of their body. "If you have a strong core it will increase your power to your pedals, increase your endurance, allow you to be more comfortable on the bike (specifically reducing lower back pain), take corners more efficiently and have a more efficient pedal stroke." says Lee Agur, from I Love Bicycling. Obviously I'm no professional, but I'm here to remind you to make sure you add in some core work for better results on the bike. I won't even pretend to coach you, because I wouldn't know where to begin, but I do know there are countless articles (like this one) out there with plenty of ideas and plenty of YouTube videos to help you out! I also recommend a stability ball, as those are some of my favorite workouts to do! 

xx
Mae

Workout Wardrobe Organization

Hi everyone! I'm starting to question whether or not my cycling wardrobe is larger than my regular wardrobe. With the majority of my kits in the wash, what better time to show you my attempt at organization while it's tidy! The clothing rack and compartment holder are both from Ikea, and I believe the plastic bin is from Target. This set up has helped A LOT since my closet and dresser are bursting at the doors. How is it that I have so many clothes, yet I seem to wear the same five things time and time again? Anyways, I'm off topic. I hope this helps anyone else who is struggling with workout wardrobe chaos!

xx
Mae

Tips For Staying On Track

Working out is a big part of my life. After nearly two years of back and forth with working out consecutively and then falling off the wagon, I discovered that I'm the kind of person who needs structure. Previously, I tried following a plan in a book for cycling, I joined 30 days of yoga, and even shared an excel sheet with a friend for accountability. Although all of those things were fun, I'd eventually stray away and find myself doing nothing and feeling bad about it. In January of this year I asked for a Garmin for my birthday and hired a coach. I was approaching another season of road that I wanted to compete in, since the year prior my training was pretty much non-existent, and I chickened out. Rewind to now, and I'm approaching a year of working out fairly consistently and although I'm supposed to train 6 days a week, I still have bad days (or even a few weeks) where I don't feel like doing it. I know that I love it and regret it when I don't work out, so here are some tips that help me stay motivated:

- Don't let your day affect your workout. I'm extremely guilty of this and if my day was upsetting, I tend to go home and do nothing. I've found that I should at least do yoga if I'm going to skip my planned workout. 

- If you do skip a day, just don't turn it into a habit. It happens, but remember tomorrow is a new day to get back on track. Don't give up just because of a missed day or missed week! 

- Find someone to help keep you accountable. Having a coach helps me because it didn't work when I had a friend or boyfriend as my accountability person, but this doesn't mean a friend won't work for you! Also, posting to my Instagram helps me! 

- Keep trying. If one method doesn't work for you, try something else. My best friend LOVES things like 21 Day Fix - so find what works for you! 

- Remember how far you've come and remember how much of a boss you are! Every little bit of effort is worth it, don't forget to be proud of what you've done! 

- Set a goal. Personally, I need something to work towards with some kind of accomplishment factor involved - which is partly why I race. If you aren't into competing against other people, maybe try tracking your own PR's and attempt to meet or exceed the accomplishments from the month prior. 

- Make it fun. I find myself going to as many group rides as I can during the summer because I have much more fun riding with other people. I also love photographing my rides and adding a social factor into it with apps like Strava. 

Do you have any tips for staying on track? Let me know, I'd love to hear them!

One Pot Pasta

One Pot Pasta (serves 4):

I'm not much of a cook, so I go for simple and quick. This is a big go-to option for me since it's really low maintenance, fast and I can put in whatever I have in the fridge. It's extremely customizable so add as little or as many vegetables as you'd like.

Ingredients for the pasta pot:
12 oz pasta

3 cups sliced mushrooms

4 cups broccoli

8oz grape tomatoes

1/4 cup cilantro

6 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 teaspoon olive oil

2-3 thin slices of lime (lime is strong to cook with, so if you aren't keen on it, use even less)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups water (or you can use broth)

Ingredients for each persons individual bowl:
1/2 cup of spinach
Hot Sauce to taste (I use about a 1/2-1 tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Sauce)
Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients for the "pasta pot." Turn the heat on high, bring to a boil, stir frequently, and let it cook until noodles are al dente (it took mine about 9 minutes). 

This is where I serve each individual bowl in my house since we all like our pasta seasoned differently, and Zach is a vegan so he skips the cheese. For mine, I stir in a handful of spinach while the pasta is still hot, Franks Red Hot Sauce and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!