Motivation

the past few days i have felt really motivated. i'm not sure why but being motivated has been a struggle on all accounts for me recently... professionally, athletically in sport and daily with my do-to list and chores. i am grateful these things have made the change in my perspective!

1. new ideas for work

2. swimming 5, 200 yards for first time in months

3. possibility of running a PR tomorrow and qualifying for NYC marathon

4. 2nd week back to triathlon training and feeling good!

5. meeting with a new client next week

6. getting some awesome gear from NYTRO and being part of an amazing group!

7. asking my BFFs to be part of my big day!

8. thoughts of completing an ironman and what it really is going to entail

9. justin being on the ball with wedding planning

10. no more rain!

11. finally seeing my picture in Pacific magazine! pick it up at 711!

12. feeling organized

13. seeing new possibilities

14. lining up trips for 2010

its all about perspective. figure out what drives you and you can achieve anything with a little motivation.

to your health,

C

When it's too wet outside...

So far my triathlon training has gone from working out once every two days (off season) to working out twice in one day! Sounds horrible to some people but for me I seriously look forward to my workouts! That must be the reason I sign up for these crazy races called triathlons!

Due to rain- yes it does rain in San Diego- I planned a tready (treadmill) workout for inside at the gym!

I got lucky on Tuesday because my friends Tati and Beth were by my side chatting and running with me. Friends are truly my best motivations so do yourself and favor and get one to meet you! *Note* it is January and at 5pm on a rainy day the YMCAs treadmills may be all taken due to new years resolutions.

Here is a sample treadmill run with some intervals. The intervals can be done as job easy/run fast or as walk/jog intervals:

10 min warm up

8 min hard (more or less a timed mile)

2 min easy jog

2 x 4 min hard (more of less an 800 at the track)

2 min easy jog between each

4 x 2 min hard (more or less a 400 at the track)

1 min. easy jog between

5- 10 min cool down.

Happy running indoors! Happy raining week to SD!

To your health,

C

A New Years Swim Resolution

So you want to get back to the pool. I see a lot of swimmers start back at it in January. You probably got off track through the holidays but want to get back into the routine of swimming on a regular basis. When starting back to swim you should start back slow. There is nothing good about going hard for 1.000 yards and then calling it quits because you are so red in the face and out of breath it hurts. Take it easy and let yourself progress.

Starting back slow means a couple of different things. For starters let go of your ego. Yes, at masters swim we get very caught up in which lane we swim in, where in the lane we swim and how fast we actually swim the sets. Letting go of your ego means to move down into a slower lane and do not worry about the times you are swimming. If you are going to start easy and build your way up do not expect to start where you finished off before. You may even want to start back swimming on your own and not with a masters group. That way there is no expectations for yourself and where you fit in the group.

Go by feel when starting back. If you feel out of breath you are going hard enough. Your times may not seem to reflect your effort but remember you hadn’t been swimming much the weeks prior. Building up your endurance and speed takes consistency over a period of time. Do not try to go to hard or go too long. Be okay with swimming half of the workout the first couple of weeks back in a slower lane. Then once you get back into the routine you can stay the entire workout and eventually make it back to your original lane.

When starting back to the pool you want to swim more days but less total amount of time. It will be easier to swim 2,000 yards four times per week then for you to do 4,000 yards only twice a week. Your endurance will build up better because you will have trained your body more moderately then to just jump into the same amount of yards you once were doing. Swimming less total distance at first will also prevent injury. The last thing you want is to over do it, get injured, therefore prolonging your progress.

Here is a sample ‘starting back slow’ swim workout:

2,200 yards/meters

5oo choice easy swim

10 x 50 descend your effort 1-5, 6-10 at :10 rest per 50

10 x 100 all on :20 rest per 100

200 easy cool down

To your health,

C

costa rican christmas celebration!

we are back from the holiday! justin and i had the most amazing trip through costa rica. a lot beans, rice, sand, yoga, surfing, iguanas, jungle and pot holed roads. even more special is that we got to celebrate the holidays together as an engaged couple! i could not be happier to know i am going to share the rest of my life (well justin is giving me until age 93) with my best friend.

more details to follow for each but just a few things to look forward to in 2010... its kind of a big deal.

*new and returning clients

*Queen Bees takin it to a new level

*Nytro Women's Elite Triathlon Team

*CDA Ironman. a first for me at the distance

*3 weddings- 1 of which will be mine and justins

goals, race schedule, raw/vegan recipes, all to come. bring it 2010!

to your health,

C

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