sneak peek

look for ME in Pacific Magazine next month!! for January they are doing an article on 'secrets of the trainers.' they want to know what we trainers do to stay fit and motivated. here are some of my interview answers. tried to get a picture from my workout/photo shoot but will have to wait for the article to publish. i will re- post in Jan. for some more self promoting! =)

1. What's your top "stay fit" rule for yourself? Do you count calories? Avoid cheeseburgers? Workout 5 hours per day?

My top 'stay fit' rule in both to be consistent and maintain balance. I know if I am consistent with both exercise and eating right I will be successful at staying fit and healthy. I also like to maintain a balance of both working out and eating well. You have to give yourself a break ever once in a while, and be okay with that, or else expectations to maintain fitness are unrealistic and you won't be successful. I like to stay healthy but live my life also. It also does not happen over night. Staying fit is a life long journey- it does not end. I do not count calories. I do avoid cheeseburgers however! And no, I do not workout 5 times per day, but sometimes twice a day.

2. What do you do to de-stress?

I actually love to run as a way to de-stress. The feeling of just throwing on a pair of shoes and going for it straight out the door is the best thing for my mind. I can jog easy or run hard. There is no one else on a run but yourself and I love the freedom of that feeling. It gives you time to think and sweat out everything you were stressing about.

3. What do you do to reward yourself?

I reward myself with a the occasional glass of wine or piece of chocolate but I'm not really a big sweets person. I most prefer a massage after a few hard weeks of training. And each week I choose one day to take off from working out.

4. What does your current exercise schedule (run, walk, lift, relax, stretch, etc) look like?

My favorite activities are mostly outdoors. I usually swim 2x per week, run 4x per week and ride my road bike 3-4x per week. I lift weights 2x per week. Majority of my workouts are about or just over 60 minutes in duration. On the weekends I like to do longer rides about 3 hours and longer runs up to 90 minutes. The only way to fit in all of the workouts in the week are to double up on some days so if I do an easy run in the morning I'll add a weight training session for the afternoon.

5. Do you follow any diets? Do you have any nutrition rules for yourself?

I do have preferences on my nutrition. I eat a mostly vegan and plant based diet. Choosing a vegan diet means no meat, no dairy, no animal products. I tend to feel better eating this way because I never get sluggish after meals and I end up eating less food overall. There is a lot less saturated fat and cholesterol in plant based foods. The leafy greens, fruit, nuts, whole grains and legumes all have a ton of fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates. I like to fuel my body with the most nutritious foods so I have energy and power for my workouts.

6. What was the best piece of fitness/health advice you've received?

I always get asked "what is the best workout?" "what is the best way to burn calories?" My advice received: The best workout is the one you'll do. Being active and exercising has to be something you enjoy doing or else you will not stick with it. A balance of cardiovascular and resistance training provide the best results and there are unlimited number of activities to chose from to do both.

7. What do you do to stay motivated?

My best motivation are my friends. I love to meet friends to run. lift weights or cycle. I have the most fun making my workouts social and making the workouts fun is what it is all about! I always encourage my clients to find a workout partner. It is a great way to have someone else hold you accountable and get up early on those mornings you don't feel like it. I am constantly inspired by what my friends are doing with their workouts and training routines. They keep me motivated!

to your health,

C

clean green: the perfect trifecta

part of my free time from S-B-R has been catching up on the chores around the house. while doing the cleaning i was thinking this would be a great topic for a triathlete to blog about. the products i use are economical and environmentally friendly. athlete friendly too for our smelly clothes, hampers and water bottles!

here is what a tri-eco conscious chick uses to clean:

distilled white vinegar. just like any swim in a race- vinegar starts strong and fast with it's distinct smell. no worries- it dissipates as it dries. you can get a huge jug of this at the grocery store or costco for about $3. it kills most molds, bacteria and germs because of its acidity level. you can get the grim off of counter tops, refrigerator doors and shelves all while getting the shine back on the chrome in your bathroom and kitchen. its great to get rid of soap build up, grease and even deodorizes things such as the garbage disposal and regular drains. my favorite thing is to run vinegar through the coffee pot to get rid of stains and mineral build up. be sure to then run water through once or twice after. the best part is avoiding the harsh and over priced chemicals! even cleans the leafy greens!

baking soda. similar to the bike. a tougher section of the race and the toughest it gets for cleaning. can get a container at the grocery store for $1.15. a lot of the same benefits as the vinegar. best for deodorizing things such as water bottles, sweaty clothes and running shoes. put in your dishwasher instead of soap for a run just to clean it out. can shine sterling silver and chrome with baking soda. you can even brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with baking soda. its also a great way to soften your skin. try in in your hair to get rid of the chlorine- it really works!

lemon juice. as you would feel in a run during a triathlon, lemon juice leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction that you have done your best with the task at hand. two lemons from the store maybe $1.00. lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. i usually mix lemon juice with vinegar to make a solution and then with baking soda to make a cleaning paste. you can put lemon peel through the garbage disposal leaving you with a fresh smelling drain and kitchen. you can even put it in the washer with your dirty clothes to whiten whites without bleach and leave them smelling fresh!

okay so maybe too much time on my hands to come up with a trifecta blog about cleaning but i do know these three items get the job done without a huge impact on the environment and the bank account.

to your health,
C

re-cap 3

an official start to the off season this past saturday: had had plans to run 7:30am. woke up at 6am and it was raining and windy outside. texted my friends to bag the run- which i sort of felt guilty about canceling but quickly got over it- to stay in bed. watched confessions of a shopaholic instead. highly recommend movie watching in bed on a cold saturday morning but not so much that movie.

the off season has been busy but also a lot of resting. we got the christmas tree last weekend- on that same raining saturday- actually went out to ramona in pouring rain to cut down our over priced charlie brown pine tree. J cut it down in the mud, put it up when we got home and i busted out the decorating with my one box of christmas lights. very fun- sheila helped too by trying to eat the decorations.

thanksgiving morning i got invited by my friend beth to the annual Ride and Tie. 2 people, 1 mt. bike and a lot of stuffed animals! i was a little nervous about riding a mt. bike... had not done it since i was about age 10- and even then i think it was on road- but after some tips from my expert partner i charged it! at least i thought i did! =) i had so much fun on the mt. bike i cannot even describe it. so much for saying i don't have time for another hobby or space for another bike. =) our race strategy was matching outfits. so when i picked up 4 stuffed animals on the trail (they count as time bonuses that subtract from your total race time) and made it to the bike i had no clue what to do with the animals. other people had backpacks, etc. beth and i survived without the animals and cherish our turkey headbands!

we also planned and surprised beth with a bachelorette scavenger hunt- via bike of course! very fun to dress her up and make her ask at each stop "do you have something for me, the most beautiful bride to be?" she wore her very own vail, tu-tu and sash. she had to pick up her gifts of 'bride must haves' and her clues at each stop. the best part was riding up torrey pines because all of the people walking were cheering and congratulating beth!

justin and i also made a stop to my parents house in northern calif. did some 4 x 4 in the rain, wine tasting and a lot of eating- good food when mom is cooking!

while traveling to the parents house i did finish Born to Run. this book is a must read if you are any type of endurance junky. it makes a marathon seem like nothing, our fancy shoes unnecessary and eating anything more then beans and pinole is to pig out! the author, christopher mcdougall, is a journalist and writes in a way to keep you turning the page. he throws in some sarcasm and humor while at the same time describing the different characters and runners so thoroughly you feel like you met them yourself. he uses multiple chapters to re-tell significant stories of past historical running events. mostly surrounding ultra marathon events: badwater, leadville, etc. it is inspiring to read about what some athletes put themselves through and at the same time it has you question their purpose to doing it in the first place. a very good book.

to your health,

C

re-cap 2

we have a lot of reasons both individually and collectively as a group to celebrate! and celebrate we did! a huge CONGRATS to the Queen Bee Sports group. we had a fun and successful season all around. a couple of 'first' triathlon finishers, a lot of personal records, a couple of world championship events and a lot of QB pink on the podium.

party shoes instead of running shoes! and wine instead of water! a very fun night. thank you debbie for hosting us!

cheers!!

and to re-cap from re-cap #1: the pictures from FL. dinner, post race nap and a lot of palm trees.

to your health,

C

Re-cap 1 of 3

re-cap 1 we will start with FL

re-cap 2 (separate blog post) will include pics from FL and QBS end of season celebration dinner.

re-cap 3 (again separate post) will include kick off to off season and Born to Run book review!

70.3 championships was a successful race and a great way to end the triathlon season. it was flat both on land and in water and fast. they changed the swim start the day prior which lead us triathletes to a time trail start. besides not getting to see the course in the water the day before, i really did enjoy that type of start to a race. no sprint start just myself to do my own race.

with the crazy swim change up i am guessing i passed a few more people in the water then i would have normally. there were no 5 min breaks between age group waves... just a constant flow of people leading me to enter the water almost 30 earlier then i would have had we had those breaks. it made for a crowded day!

both transitions were crazy crowded but the volunteers were insane! even though us tri-geeks came running through the volunteers stayed hard at work. i am very happy i met by goal T-1 and T-2 times of 2:30ish!!

the bike was crowded! i am sure combo flat water, flat land and more people at once created the mess. i felt great the entire ride. at 1/2 way i saw my split and just thought 'whoaahh' that is way fast. but i settled back in my groove and went for it. there was no option to not draft. groups and groups on the bike formed and with just 1 car lane of road it got crowded. there were times i got 'over it' and sat in and other where i tried to get ahead of some cyclists. there were times i was frustrated because there were no way around people. id pass people then get passed again. all in all i just had fun and ended up with a killer split of 2:20. too fast to be my own time but had a fun time doing it and thats what matters most.

the run was fun and tuff all at the same time. there are 4 major up hills on the causeway and 4 major downs. a lot of flat too! i settled in a 7:30 pace first loop and felt really good. starting slowing second loop. maybe a lack of nutrition on first half was main reason for it... last two miles i had myself too much coke and got a nice side stitch to finish of my day. with a 4 min PR on the run, same course as last year, i was pleased. and 1:44 counts as 'low' 1:40's for my original goals.

all in all FL was a great trip with my mom and sister. we enjoyed the warmer weather and white sand beaches. not sure ill be back next year. while we were there both my sister and i entered the lottery for NYC marathon next fall. its a long shot but would be a great excuse to head to the big apple in november!

pictures later.

to your health,

C

hurricane Ida

my reading for the week:

born to run, by christopher mcdougall

mcdougall is a journalist who sets out to find the tarahumaras, a tribe of people, that have the worlds greatest long distance runners. he learns about their secrets and how they can chase down virtually anything.

us weekly magazine

i am behind by 3 weeks. it shouldnt take long to catch up on the latest with the kardasihans, john/kate and heidi klums post baby bod.

eclipse, the twillight series

yes i have admitted to falling for an imaginary vampire in a book written for teenagers. but that does not stop me! in honor of new moon coming out next week i need to get ahead by reading the next book in the series.

weather report for FL

i will be checking it constantly. hurricane Ida has decided to show up with signs of a tornado. should make for an interesting race day!

to your health,

C

clearwater FL

is going to look a little something like this...

white white white sand!

jack sparrow- yes- he was hanging out at the pier one night.

clearwater beach has a thing with turtles. there are multiple turtles like this guy lining the boardwalk. reminds me of scuba steve (my college pet turtle- may he RIP)

a lot of colors near the pier and beach boardwalk.

leaving next week!

to your health,

c

finding motivation

finding motivation for my last solid week of training has been easy:

1) one of my best friends, lane mate in college, co-captain with at UCSB and an all around inspiration to me because of her drive and determination. jen is in the fight for her life against stage 3 melanoma. she started her Inferferon treatment today. i have nothing but hope and faith that she will kick cancer's a** through this treatment. i know her strength and drive will allow her to succeed. she is going to have the hardest year of her life ahead starting today but i only see a determined woman shining through one of her darkest days. she is my inspiration. i know i am healthy and capable and that is easy compared to being sick. i know she would give anything to go out for a run so i am running for her. my race next week is dedicated to you Jen. when it gets tough you are my strength, my drive and my inspiration.

2) the nyc marathon. an american takes the win yesterday for the first time since 1982. triathlete desiree ficker placed top 10. facebook was swarmed with pictures of people there watching and participating. i think running 26.2 miles through NYC would be one of the most fun races. i just may enter the lottery... 2010 or 2011... either way it is on the 'to do' list.

3) "he believed putting all of your strength into the final moments of a wholly exhausting run or race was powerful enough to transform you into a new and better person." a quote from an article written by john bingham in this months runners world.

4) my new running nike tech top. bright orange. breathable. light. long sleeve. the perfect top to run a 6:48 timed mile in around mission bay through the fog.

to your health,

C

normal person season

or the off season, as most of us triathletes call it, is the the time of year where we take a break from our swim, bike, run, repeat obsession. while i am personally not there yet, a lot of clients and friends have finished their last main race for the year.

i think the off season is a huge benefit to an athlete. yes, you have to let your aerobic fitness go and yes your swim splits may not be as fast. all of us who do swim, bike, run day in and day out need both a physical and mental break from the sport.

our bodies respond to less structure, less volume, less quality in a positive way. the break from our routines allow for other types of exercise: yoga, weight lifting, hiking, group classes, etc. we will maintain some fitness but mostly you are letting your body recover. all of the nagging little injuries subside. the shorts tan line, aka sun damage, fades. the smell of chlorine does not take over 24-7. you get to regain muscular strength you may have let go in the height of the racing season.

mentally a break from triathlon is huge! it let's your mind get out of the 'i need to do this now to get more fit' and allows you to reflect on what you did do in the past season. pick out the positives- what worked for the season: did you learn about what nutrition works? did you learn how to even split the bike course? look at the things that did not work and how to change them. look up new races or new goals for next season. write everything down so that when you get in the middle of next season you can look back and say 'oh thats what i need to do/to change.'

the extra hours you gain in the week from not swimbikerunning is also a big deal! yard work,chores, family time, trips, photo albums, other sports, art projects, volunteering, other hobbies... all of the things we put to the side in the season come out full force with a break. you are not riding 4 hours this weekend- you have extra time to put other things as a priority on the 'to do' list. its amazing to step back and see how much time workouts usually take. take the time for others to volunteer or give back. maybe go to a local run race and be on the other side and help those who helped at all of your races.

most importantly the balance in your triathlon life comes full circle here. its time to enjoy going out late with friends, maybe have a little too much wine and letting the hard work from the 9 months of constant training pay off. your fitness will come back! the base of aerobic work from the previous season and your experience in racing will allow you to come back stronger physically. you will also be mentally refreshed and focused when the new season rolls around making you stronger mentally.

cheers to your off season! mine is just around the corner!

to your health,

C

vacation...

this year is a trip to costa rica for my birthday, christmas and new years. all of my free time has been spent planning and researching this...

monkeys, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanos, surf destinations, yoga, mt biking, beach, hiking, hammocks, kayaking, turtles and so much more i dont even know yet!

pura vida,

c

the goals.

goals. when they are written, they become real. i have been thinking about them for a while but had not done my homework yet until last week.

last week i got my b*tt in gear after a mock 'tony robbins' motivational speech by a friend. he told me that i need to research previous years at the race, decide where i want to finish and then see what i have to do to make it happen. if i can commit to the goals now, on paper and in training, then when race day comes there are no questions or doubts. i just have to do as i planned.

with a little over 4 weeks out this is the time in training where i focus my energy more on speed, pacing and recovery. i also have to focus my training nutritionally. what am i going to eat and drink on the bike and run during the race.

so i have time goals, nutrition goals and overall-general goals:

time:

last year i did:

4:48 total time

:25 swim

3:00 T1

2:27 bike

3:00 T2

1:48 run

this year i want to do:

4:29 total time

:24 swim

2:30 T1

2:21 bike

2:30 T2

1:40 run

nutritional:

8oz of fluid every 10 min. (5 bottles for the entire ride)

250 calories/hour on the bike, 100-150 on run (have to account for the coke!)

overall:

-stick to the nutrition plan

-enjoy it even when it is hard

-no regrets because i did the best training i could do

-smile for my mom when she is camera crazy

-and ending up in the top 10 would be fun- although i really do not have control over that...

as coach put it for the time goals: ambitious. but hey- a girl has to have a goal! and i really have been most focused on my running. i also weigh less then last year which should make my run at least feel better. my best run in a half IM has been 1:43 so i'd like to match that or faster.

on the bike- as ive told my training partners- i plan on having my own race but still being competitive with the field. for those that do not know, clearwater FL is FLAT. the biggest hill is an over pass equivalent to hill coming from solana beach into cardiff on coast hwy. FLAT= drafting. last year i felt cheated and still had a killer fast time for me! this year i know my fitness is better on the bike but also plan to hang on to some of the packs of bikers as they pass, last year i did not. my plan is not to cheat like crazy, not to blow up either, but to stick to my own race and use the competition as needed.

so that is the plan. happy training!

to your health,

C

the gear

**side note** i would like to start off by thanking my clients who did not schedule with me this morning. although its not the best thing for the bank account sometimes a morning off is the best thing for my mind. thank you for canceling.

so i had a rare opportunity to swim this morning- not at 6am- but at 8am!?! sleep in and get a swim in before work! besides saturday mornings i do not get to workout in the mornings because i am usually coaching or training clients. i thrive on a morning workout. i think getting up and getting active is the ideal way to start the day. the workout gets the ball rolling.

i went to the ymca knowing i had 45 min. to swim. the goal was 3000 yards. i shared a lane with a nice man- who seemed annoyed, at first, when i asked to split the lane with him- who just kept to himself and did not swim near the middle.

it was fun observing the people that have the opportunity to swim at 8am for a morning workout. take my lane buddy for example (we will refer to him as LB)- i noticed right off that he was wearing an ironman branded swim cap. an older guy, a little bigger of a guy in my mind to be super competitive ironman athlete but hey- whos judging? i got started on my warm up and then into my main set. granted i am not swimming super fast but i can hold a 1:15 per 100base with an aerobic effort so not super slow here either. LB- proceeds his swim both fins and paddles on at the same time. he motored past me! meanwhile i was doing my continuous 10x 100 @1:20, LB stopped every 1-2 laps (from my observation) to be re-adjusting and changing up his equipment.

i have seen it all- the toys, equipment, gear, the stuff, whatever you want to call it. this goes for not only the pool but the gym, cycling, etc. the GEAR and ALL of that STUFF is not going to make you a faster swimmer. i am not posting this to be a miss nancy know-it-all- BUT to explain what i see everyday as a trainer and coach. LB next to me has on all the gear but meanwhile has poor technique and on top of that is so worried about the adjustment on his fins that he does not keep his heart rate up for any more then 50 yards. that is not going to help in his next 2.4 mile ironman swim.

from 10 years of competitive swimming, including at a level of div.1 ncaa, i can count on ONE hand how many times i have been allowed or asked by a swim coach to use BOTH fins and paddles at the same time. the sole purpose of using both would be to sprint- as in ALL OUT effort for 50-100 yards at the most. paddles and fins on their own serve a much better purpose.

start with paddles- if you wear paddles or a buoy in order to 'keep up' with your lane (i see ALL of the time at masters) you are in the WRONG lane. do not wear equipment to stay afloat. paddles allow you to feel the water and have more resistance from the water. the resistance in turn makes your pull underwater harder to do- ie. you become stronger at pulling. the buoy is for you legs- not to keep you afloat- but to keep you from kicking. again to make it harder on your arms so you become stronger.

fins. i see it again all too often at masters- swimmers put on fins to help them kick faster. yet they do not try to kick any harder or faster- they simply use the extra 6-12 inches of plastic to move them down the lane. i challenge some of you to do a kick set without fins... just see what happens. OR the next time you use fins for a kick set kick hard enough where your legs are actually burning. and yes- you will be much faster and will be using the fins to make your legs stronger at kicking!

try my 3400 yard workout next time at the pool. very straight forward way to build endurance. if you are ironman training you can do the main set twice.

warm up 400 easy

12 x 100 on base (where you only get 5 sec. rest at a threshold/aerobic effort)

3 x 400 pull (paddles and buoy) descend 1-3 on base

300 + 200 + 100 swim, kick or pull- BUT stay with one for the entire set- 15 sec. rest

avoid being the GEAR geek- get your b*tt in the water- and start swimming.

to your health,

C

go get 'em!

Wanted to send a shout out to all of my training buddies and friends that are competing this weekend in the Ironman World Championship.

TO: MJ, Becky, Brandy, Kate, Rhae, Tati, Caroline, Charisa, Pablo and probably 10 more i forgot...

i hope you all have the race and day you have been training so hard for day in and day out! race smart and have a whole lot of heart. we will be cheering for you from the mainland!

Check them all out on www.ironmanlive.com this Saturday Oct. 10th.

Dear Quads...

dear quadriceps,

yes- all 4 of you: vastus medialis, intermedius, lateralis and rectus femoris. i have been feeling as if we are in a love- hate relationship these past few weeks.

please do not mis-understand me... i appreciate the strength and power you all have been gaining. putting up with miles of riding, hill repeating and fast (relative here) running. the nice bronze shorts lines i don't really mind. leg definition too. and i know i have neglected you in wearing my Zoot compression tights because of the heat even though you have been sore and tired. but... will we ever fit into the skinny jeans again?

with love,

C

Oreo correction

on my post yesterday i used CalorieKing.com to find out the amount of calories, fat and sugar in 4 oreo cookies. however, after posting, i realized that i used a 'serving' amount of 1.2 g- which instead of one cookie, could have been two. i was thinking that 640 calories for 4 cookies was way too many calories. thinking about this led to my search today on the Oreo Cookie, Nabisco brand website. let me tell you- it is NOT easy to find out how many calories are in 4 cookies! the nabisco site has listed a serving of cookies to be 34g. there are 15 servings in a package. again this is leading me to believe that 2 cookies equals one serving. why can they not just give you a serving by cookie? from a health stand point, and the idea behind listing nutrition facts on any product, is to know WHAT and HOW MUCH you are eating! i really doubt whoever is busting out the oreo's is going to be 'weighing' them on their food scale because they are worried about calories!?! it is absurd and frustrating. regardless here are the corrected facts (or what i believe to me the corrected facts) on 4 oreo cookies:

320 cal

14 g fat

320 g sodium

50g carbs

28 g sugar

bottom line: choose a banana over 4 oreo cookies.

in the middle of this ridiculous search- i have never spent so much time looking up junk food- i found the ingredients- close your eyes if you LOVE oreos:

Ingredients: SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON,

THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID),

HIGH OLEIC CANOLA OIL AND/OR PALM OIL AND/OR CANOLA OIL, AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL

,

COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORNSTARCH,

LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT,

SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CHOCOLATE.

CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.

to your health,

C