you know you are a triathlete when....

every other book on the shelf is about running, motivation or nutrition.

the only thing left out on the counter is a display of sunscreen because you re-apply for every workout.

swim suits replace towels.

a computrainer and 'the stick' can be found in your bedroom.

race posters are the decor for the laundry room.

the dish rack is composed of water bottles and coffee mugs.

water bottle tops- for some reason- are stored with the wine bottles in the china cabinet.

there are minimum 4 bikes in your living room (garage if you have one).

there is a complete pantry section dedicated to race/training nutrition.

you have a complete shoe rack full of running and cycling shoes- dont forget helmets!

you can do a full load of laundry made up of lyrca, spandex and luon.

to your health,

C

black is back.

the past 3 years i have competed at the CA 70.3 i have been rested. i usually consider this race an early season test of fitness. with that i usually rest thinking i'll give myself a shot to do what i like to do best- race!

this season my approach is a bit different. not so much taper... more like train right on through it. with that i will 'rest' as deemed appropriate by coach: 2 days out- take it easy and stay hydrated and ready to roll.

probably the biggest difference from last season- where i DNF'd from dehydration- and this season is that i do not have to be at a swim meet ALL day (in the sun, on my feet, screaming at kids) the day prior to the race. thank goodness!! my clients just so happened to plan it also for me that 3 of them would be out of town this week on friday. okay- ill just take that morning to sleep in as well! on top of that- the high schoolers have their backwards prom dance- so we canceled workout. i figure if i show up on friday night and no kiddos are there at the pool what really is the point? so i am super stoked to have a REAL 'rest' day the day prior to the race.

i have mixed feelings about the race saturday. since swim team coaching has started i have found it more difficult to get to masters on time- a lot of email correspondence that i always feel the urgency to reply to- so my own swimming has been slacking. but lets be realistic here... even if i swim a minute slower in the race it will not make much of a difference over the course of 5 hours. i have been biking really well and strong! and have a ton of base miles under my legs so i feel ready to roll on that front. the run... well i have a much better attitude towards it for this race... even with 2 weeks off of running in feb. i feel like my fitness will carry me through even on tired legs. my biggest brick workouts in past weeks i have found my legs/body feel pretty good for the run! i hope i find it saturday.

my biggest concern i'd say about saturday is putting all 3 things together! swim-bike-run. if you have ridden with me at all recently you know i've been a bit more prepared in terms of nutrition (more so for ironman practice) so i am feeling confident in my plan. i know my bigger brick workouts have been solid efforts and i end up feeling great by the end. both of those things will carry me through. some times just remembering the little important things can make gains mentally when the going gets tough.

a podium finish is always my goal and really just doing my best for where i am at. i am looking forward to seeing all of my nytro gals out on the course also! we are in black and pink this season! i am thinking friday i will will have to prepare my own mani/pedi race special... black anyone??

to your health,

C

carrot juice cocktail

lately ive just been cooking things that have been easy to make. not much effort but nutritious and full-o- flavor! very little time because that is all i have these days! enjoy!

sweet potato fries. cut 2-3 large organic sweet potatoes in half and then slice the longest way possible to get nice big fry wedges. pre-heat the oven to 425. lightly grease a pan with some olive oil and place potatoes on a flat tray. bake at 425 for 15-20 min, take the potatoes out and flip them around, place back into the oven for another 15-20 min. lightly salt and they should be ready to eat!

the before picture:

the after... looks like a few are missing here... =)

carrot juice cocktail. ive been craving my carrot/beet juice mix. this time justin asked me to skip the beets. so just carrot juice it is. too hard to take pictures while juicing a 5lb. bag of organic carrots. but here the post photos. carrot juice with the dry remains... hoping i find some time to make some type of carrot muffin/bread thing...

the cocktail part of this whole idea... 3 parts carrot juice, 1 part sparkling water with some ice. wa-lahh! tasty cocktail of carrot juice. who would of that was possible or could taste so good!

this is what sheila thinks of my cooking/juicing. although she does enjoy when a carrot drops on the floor. mmmm those taste good!

to your health,

C

two hundred.

this year i have a lot of 'firsts' ahead of me. one of which will be ironman. in preparing for ironman i have been training first for the CA 70.3 half ironman. CA 70.3 with be a 4th time around for me. in any case i have never trained so much distance/volume leading up to CA 1/2 mostly because of ironman in the distant-yet very near- future of June 27.

a couple of weeks back i realized that my bike training is coming quite close to 200 miles within a weeks time!?!?! never have i seen that before! like anything i do i try to make small goals and recognize when i have accomplishments to keep myself motivated. this week i have a 3 rides on tap. tomorrow a 3.5 hour ride with fiesta island loops tagged on there- i am guessing it will total right around 50 miles. wednesday, my now 'regular' 3:15-20 hour loop through elifn forest- 55 miles. and then on sunday the gran fondo century ride -101 miles. if i add that up correctly i will be at 206 miles for the week. boo-yahhH!!

another first for me- well since 2004- is that i swam 3 consecutive days in a row last week at masters. i only believe it because i can still feel my right shoulder every time i move it. just a little sore and a little reminder my 'old' swimming body needs to maybe try 2 days consecutive first before jumping into the pool 3x.

oh yes- may i not forget that my other firsts for the week were managing 78 kiddos on my swim team roster, about 70 of those parents, bridesmaid dress shopping, getting the save the dates in the mail and first hand witness to coast hwy flooding from the high tide.

phew. tired just re-reading this post. excited for the week ahead!

to your health,

C

Foodie

i have lagged on the food front... at least in terms of blogging- but not so much in the kitchen creating!

here are my latest eats... no pictures but can promise these do not disappoint.

Vegan Sautéed Collared Greens:

ingredients:

*about 4-5 cups worth of chopped collared greens (kale, chard, mustard greens). i have been getting the big bag at TJs and using 1/2 of that

* 3-4 cloves chopped garlic

* 4 chopped shallots

*tab of olive oil

*1 can white beans

*tab of liquid aminos

start by sautéing the garlic, shallots and olive oil on medium heat. let them go for a few minutes then add in the greens. keep mixing the greens because they cook fast. after a few more minutes add in the white beans (drain all of the water out first). keep mixing until beans heat up and greens are cooked enough! add a splash of either sea salt or liquid aminos at the end and dinner is ready! i usually make a side of brown rice or quinoa.

Raw Coco Chia Energy Bars

ingredients:

* 3 cups pitted dates

* 3/4 cup ground chia seed

* 1 cup ground walnuts

*3/4 cup ground raw cacao nibs

*splash of almond or vanilla flavoring

*1/4 cup ground oats or oat flour

put dates into food processor and blend until smooth. add in chia seed, walnuts, cacao grounds and vanilla or almond flavoring. mix together with a spoon or by hand. if nothing is ground up before you start you can add the nuts and cacao nibs to the dates and grind them up in the food processor together. once you get a big ball of the mix lay it out onto a sheet of waxed paper. flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. cover and let it chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. after chilled cut into 1 inch square bars and roll to cover in the oat flour. i suggest storing in the refrigerator. these bars have been great as a snack especially between workouts! the cacao has a little caffeine plus antioxidants and the chia seeds have amino acids and antioxidants. great energy!

eat up and enjoy!

to your health,

C

Go mavericks!

the most daunting thing about my swim coaching interview yesterday was the fact that i had to wear professional 'looking' clothing. in my day to day world of personal training, professional clothing is made of spandex and lycra. preferably from lululemon. sweat proof, wrinkle proof and fit/size proof. i didn't know if i would still fit into my once 'teacher' outfit of nice slacks, a collared shirt and - do i dare say it- shoes that do not tie on with laces?!? luckily i dug out the box and dusted off some slacks that still fit, found the shirt (yes only one that i own) and the one pair of shoes to put together an interview 'professional' looking outfit.

as i was waiting for the interview to start i was thinking of better ways to conduct a swim coaching interview. instead of sitting in front of 5 men, none of which have probably ever been to a swim meet, and answering questions, why not throw the candidates in a mock setting of the first day of practice? swim team is a no cut sport. and in encinitas about 80 kids come out at the start of the season to find out what 'swim team' is all about. the candidates would each be timed and then judged, on not only how fast, but how well they organized the swimmers. seeing as i had coached last year i thought this type of interview process would be a lot more bias to myself knowing at least half of the kids names. of course the task is a much greater challenge then walking into a room full of football and basketball coaches. lets such say i had a lot of confidence going into the interview.

besides my clothing, the rest of the interview was very relaxed. i knew i would be excited to get the position and it would be a great career move but at the same time i do have a lot on my plate already. leaving the interview i still had no indication one way or the other...

so i am happy, excited and honored to announce that i did get the position as LCC head swim coach! i figure if i can organize 80 kids to get into a swimming pool i can figure out how to be a swim coach, trainer, triathlete and bride-to-be. all so good and now so busy!

to your health,

C

crazy. beautiful.

crazy: leaving my house at 6:20am, saturday, on my bike.

beautiful: the full moon peeking through the fog over perfect shoulder high waves

crazy: riding the first 2 hours with some of my fast friends

beautiful: the company, and pace, made the time fly by

crazy: leaving my friends to do the last 2 hours solo

beautiful: the company and effort, on my own, made the time enjoyable

crazy: coast hwy was flooded from the nights high tide

beautiful: as i passed the clean up crew, a flock of pelicans flew right next to me, so close!

crazy: made it home in 4hours 15 min.

beautiful: had 15 min to shower and leave to make my appointment at pottery barn

crazy: wedding registry

beautiful: registering seemed harder then my ride

crazy: wedding dress shopping

beautiful: my sister and friends that all came to support me!

hope you had a crazy and beautiful weekend!

to you health,

C