Relishing the Two-Oh-Eleven

Ludicrous Resolutions

Many of us lose sight of our New Year Resolutions by the time March or April comes around as we get lost in our normal daily activities. Only until November or December is when we realize the resolutions we've once declared our commitment to failed. And another cycle comes when we create more and new resolutions every year. That's why the "Ludicrous New Year Resolutions" has such a nice ring to it. It's ridiculous, like we're playing mind games with ourselves thinking we're doing good for ourselves until it becomes worthless when we don't act. It's only better to make mini resolutions or rather, goals each month and success will be likely.

I'm just going to go ahead and jot down my resolutions... just for funs, so I can go back to it and see if I've met them by December 2012. I'm going to stick with realistic goals as I feel I'll accomplish most of them because they're my dream requirements, obviously. They won't be ludicrous and I am not going to associate any of them with food, the most common resolutions people make. I'm not going to lie--food is certainly my weakness and a year is just too damn long to be depriving myself of anything or set a strict eating regimen. I just stick to eating healthy 90% of the time. I have a life and those 10% of the time, I'll eat whatever my mind, cravings, and tummy please, thank you.

Resolution #1: Take the GRE.  (I'd also mention 'scoring high on the mathematical and quantitative reasoning part' but unfortunately, I'm a sucker at math.)

Resolution #2: Crush the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Half Marathon with a time of sub-2:00.

Resolution #3: Submit graduate school applications. Fingers crossed for SDSU, at least out of GWU and ASU.

Resolution #4: Start studying for ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification

Resolution #5: Continue and strive to be the best athlete I can be with patience, determination and focus.

Resolution #6: Read inspirational books for future preparations.

Resolution #7: Get involved in cardiology (i.e., internship)

Resolution #8: Get USAT-certified in coaching.

Resolution #9: Be grateful. Every. Day.

Resolution #10: Blog, blog, blog.... Finally a reason to practice creative thinking and writing skills!

2012 Tentative Races

Trisports.com Desert Classic Duathlon
Road Duathlon, March 10 2012

Duathlon National Championship
Sprint, April 28 2012

Iron Gear Sports Rio Salado Triathlon
Sprint, May 5 2012

TriRock San Diego
Sprint, Sept 9 2012

More to come...

Your Best Foot Forward

Found this article last night from one of my favorite websites, Competitor.com, and had to post so it'll remind me that little changes go a long way in training and racing. An interesting method of getting your feet amped up for a run!  

An effort to strengthen your feet can make the difference in your speed, form and resistance to injury.

Poor coordination of the feet is often the root cause of lower-leg running injuries. There are two main reasons for this: The neuromuscular pathway from the brain to the feet is the longest in the body, making for slow and inefficient coordination, and the small amount of muscle in the feet makes it difficult for the brain to coordinate proprioception and balance.

“There are 26 bones that make up the foot and ankle, dozens of joints and tendons that separate and move each bone,” says Dr. Kathy Coutinho, an applied kinesiologist, a certified chiropractic sports physician and an Active Release Technique (A.R.T.) provider. “A weakened structure in one area of the foot or ankle means all other tissues in the immediate area have to make up for that imbalance. Then begins the slow downward cycle of compensation and wear and tear that can lead to all sorts of nightmare injuries like the dreaded plantar fasciitis.”

By challenging the feet, you can create clearer neuromuscular pathways to the brain and therefore help prevent future injuries. The following drills will only take three minutes at the end of your warmup before every run. They should be completed in bare feet.

Six Every-Run Drills (do each for 30 seconds on a soft surface)

1. Invert: Walk on the outside of your foot.
2. Evert: Walk on the inside of your foot.
3. Adduct: Walk pigeon-toed, or with your toes pointing in.
4. Charlie Chaplin: Walk with your toes pointing out.
5. High heels: Walk backward on your toes.
6.Heels: Walk on your heels—do this one with shoes to prevent bone bruising.

Dead legs walking

Friday's gift at GTX (Great Times Crossfit) was the old school 400m lunge for time. I was thankful for two things--one, it wasn't an upper body workout because I was still recovering from Thursday's multi-station partner workout that left my chests extremely sore. Second, I love lower body workouts.

My first ever timed lunge turned out well. I might would've gotten a better time if I had known it was out to the curb AND back. Alas, when I saw some of my folks turn around a couple feet away, I realized I had wasted my precious energy fully dedicated to the first lap when there was another lap back I had to complete. I guess that was my blonde moment because I kept telling myself that the lap looked way too short to be 400m. I should've known better to do the math.

Saturday morning was my long cycle and I had planned on riding Mt. Lemmon. The night before, I had cringed at the thought of riding uphill because I had done three workouts with the lunge as the last grueling workout of the day. Luckily, I had a partner to ride with so that made things better despite the onset of my sore legs!  My three tools for a speedy recovery: green tea, vitamin C chewables and massage.

The next day I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be. I could've skipped the ride altogether if I didn't have anybody waiting for me at Catalina Highway. It was hard to get my legs moving at first but by mile three, I got the hang of it. The goal was to get to mile 5 but I ended up getting to mile 7 and back.

After that day, I was even more sore but didn't regret going on that ride. Let's say last week was a good week of high intensity and mental endurance training on achy muscles followed by a full day recovery at week's end.

Chocolate Cheese Danish

Made these little guys today and they turned out fabulous! Creamy, sweet with mild cheese flavor kinda like a chocolate cheesecake and not to mention, so... so light. It melts in your mouth and it's a great accompaniment with a cup of hot tea or coffee. Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis. That woman has good taste!

Pumpkin-Nutella

I need to rave about this Pumpkin Nutella Bread I made last week. I'm a pumpkin epicure and love anything with pumpkin especially the desserts and breads. It's creamy, sweet and reminds me of the autumn season. My first attempt at the Pumpkin Nutella bread it failed after finding out the center was still soggy due to too much batter in the loaf pan. I cured it with foil during the last ten minutes of baking. It wasn't picture perfect but tasted fine. I decided to make another one and added more Nutella to the Nutella batter I had reserved from the last bread. This time, I nixed the loaf pan because it was too small and I wanted to cook the batter all in one. I used a 9x13 baking dish so it can spread out and cook evenly. It turned out beautifully and the swirls were much more visible this time. To darken or lighten the swirls, you can adjust the amount of Nutella into the reserved batter.

Perfect for a pre-workout snack or sweet treat when a craving hits! Happy baking!

The Stage to the Road

My early years consisted of dance classes and soccer practices. I wasn't a soccer junkie so I wouldn't quite call myself an athlete just yet. Dancing was what I enjoyed the most as a teenager. I was deaf, yes, but that did not stop me from doing what I loved. It was who I am.

My reminiscences of dancing were spent in the studios, gymnasiums, and on stage. I loved dancing for certain reasons--for one, it gives me positive vibes. When I dance and am able to keep up with the choreography, I feel good and capable. Every movement was like mini goals I had to accomplish. I can't hear the music nor feel the vibrations. I had lost my cochlear implant that time so the only time I could feel sound vibrations is if I'm not moving. That conflicted with dancing and I never relied on counts like every dancer should. It was all about feeling the pace, momentum, rhythm and following others. As a deaf dancer, it felt great like I was proving the world wrong that hearing was essential to being able to dance.

My journey went from dancing in high school to a year hiatus while enrolling at a community college. I missed dancing and soon, my attention shifted to maintaining a healthy body through running. That time, I was battling insomnia that sometimes I had no choice but to get up early after sleepless nights. With ample gap between waking hours to class time, I would go out for a run five to six times a week. I even joined a running class at a community college, which was mostly running during your spare time just to get the "credit" to pass the course. Kind of ridiculous, but at least it got me started at a new hobby.

Like every other running newbie, my form wasn't that great. My arms were crossing over my chest and I was taking bigger strides, wasting every precious energy that could be used to move forward and speed up. At that time, I thought I was running just fine but boy, I was wrong and so naive. It's amazing to see how much your body have transformed after almost seven years of running. When I got into Gallaudet University, running was still something I did during my spare time in the mornings. I also tried to get back into my old hobby--dancing. I joined Gallaudet Dance Company and grew disinterested after a semester of studio practices. I did several performances but never truly enjoyed the choreography because it was either flat or too traditional and old-fashioned. They would assign me ballet or lyrical styled dances that didn't fit my style preference. I withdrew and shifted more attention to running.

Cross Country taught and developed me into the athlete I am. I was doing all sorts of running--sprint, hill work, fartlek, tempo, and long distance. The more varied the workouts got, the more I immersed into the world of competitive running. I've completed numerous road races--especially 5k's to a full marathon and blossomed into a true runner by the time I graduated. Today, there's much more spark in my desire and passion for competition than several years ago. I love to run because I get lost in my own world. I think and dream about everything when I run. I focus on every stride I take--one foot in the front of the other and feel the pace. As months and months flew by, running at faster speeds were getting easier and easier.

I still dream about dancing. When I dream, I miss it but I know for sure that it was time to move on and adopt a different path. Running is my destiny and addiction. My body is already programmed to get up early in the mornings to just run. It was my time to be alone, do good for myself and it's incredibly inspiring to watch a runner execute such beautiful form. Almost one year ago this month, I became a triathlete to give my body and joints what it needs--cross-training. It's what every smart runner does and I fell in love with it despite the fact I'm not that into swimming!

It's amazing to reflect on this journey and recall the many paths that took me to where I am in life. I'm a dancer-turned runner and triathlete. Running is my passion and triathlon is a way to enhance my skills as a well-rounded athlete. Even though I'm new to the sport of triathlon, I'm constantly striving to be the best multi-sport athlete I can be, at least in my age group and I'm slowly working my way up. Patience, discipline, determination and a growing passion is put forth into my endeavors as a triathlete.

Just lyrics I like

I don't listen to much music because, well, you know why but when I was in middle and high school, I'd turn on the TV and flip to MTV while getting ready for school in the mornings. I liked MTV for one reason - the music videos. For me, it's very visual and deaf-friendly where I can follow along with the captioned lyrics. I remember some that were an inspiration and something I can relate to in life. These just came up in my head recently and brought back some childhood memories:

Fighter

Makes me that much stronger

Makes me work a little bit harder

Makes me that much wiser

So thanks for making me a fighter

Made me learn a little bit faster

Made my skin a little bit thicker

Makes me that much smarter

So thanks for making me a fighter

(Bottom line: Don't dwell on the negatives, move on and treat it as a learning experience and soon, you'll realize how much you've pulled through it.)

Perseverance

Favorite quote of all time. 

It sums up my life filled with obstacles and feats against them. Whenever an obstacle bounces me off path, I am reminded of my choices to fight and bounce back. Then everything turns out all right. However, sometimes I find myself unmotivated when things get ugly and I think of this powerful saying. It allows me to reminiscence past experiences and creates me into the stronger person I am today. 

Five Spice Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Those cupcakes are to DIE for. I was never a cupcake fan until the day I walked into Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, DC.  I found this awesome recipe online and baked them the other day. There were lots of reviews with lots of five stars so my guts were telling me to trust this recipe. It's ridiculously good and worth trying! 

(Instead of ginger topping which I didn't have, I used chopped walnuts. Still yummy!) 

Mount Lemmon Half Marathon Results

Half marathon time: 1:55.04
Overall rank: 17 of 226
Gender rank: 5th
Age group: 1st

A grueling uphill 13-miler turned out to be a success with beautiful scenery and an experience I'll never forget despite the struggle of cramping in my left calf during the last two miles... sh*t happens but, PF Chang Rock n Roll here I come!!!

I've witnessed athletes vomit, cry, fake injuries, warm up so long they miss the start, urinate, and even arrive on crutches...

Two days til the Mt. Lemmon Half-Marathon. My thoughts? Flawless... not. 


What if I wake up, my stomach filled with butterflies and then it gradually becomes uncomfortable? What if I wake up feeling tired and not pumped? What if I eat too much before the start time? What if my pace lags behind and isn't the goal pace I'm looking for? How will the weather be? Asics Speedstars or Cumulus 12? What if I get too uncomfortable during racing? What if my old injury starts acting up? I hope I don't forget to pack anything... 


I couldn't get the race off my mind that I kept putting off blogging for almost three days. And what the hell.. I could've started writing about it! So here goes... 


I look all right on the outside but deep down, I'm nervous and of course, each of us have experienced some sort of pre-race anxiety. If we deny it, we'd be lying. As it nears, I'm always seeing it as a matter of life-and-death--it's a sign I want to succeed and be the best I can be.


Life-and-death. How ridiculous! I recall my early racing days in Cross Country when I'd get butterflies and my bladder shrinks to the size of a pea. Once I run the course and reach the finish line (which I always do), I look back and laugh about how being extremely nervous is unnecessary. It's a huge waste of energy. It's healthy to have a little jitteriness but not JITTERINESS to the point you "vomit, cry, fake injuries, warm up so long you miss the start, urinate, and even arrive on crutches." --all credit goes to Pete Magill. I found it hilarious and it sure did alleviate my pre-race nervousness.


I looked up quotes, inspirations, stories, advice, tips about staying calm on race day. Here they are:


10 signs of race jitters - Pete Magill


5) WAITING UNTIL PEAK CONDITION

Come on, admit it, some of us postpone racing until we can reach that promised land known as "peak condition." We refuse to compete at anything less than optimal fitness for fear of looking foolish.

Only one problem: Racing is an integral part of the journey toward "peak condition."

Racing makes us stronger both physiologically and psychologically.

Besides, "peak condition" describes a Utopian future that, for most of us, never arrives.


7) ROUTINE CHANGES

Panic-stricken runners sometimes change their routine in advance of races. They skip work. Dodge ordinary chores. Sleep more. Avoid stairs. Do extra stretching.

But operating outside our normal routine only increases our anxiety.

Instead, stay in your comfort zone. Go to work or school. Wash the car. Take out the garbage.

As uber-coach Jack Daniels says, "Most great performances come when you're not trying to do it. When you try to do something special, it usually backfires."


 4. Try deep breathing. When you're anxious, your breathing becomes shallow. Try breathing from your belly. You'll feel an instant calming effect and you'll also help prevent side stitches. 


 6. Run without expectations. Setting high expectations is one of the biggest causes of pre-race anxiety because you put a lot of pressure on yourself to meet a certain goal. Put your expectations aside and just focus on running your best. You'll feel much more calm, which may actually help you run a great race. 
_________________________________________________________________________________
A few of my race strategies I frequently use:


During race: FOCUS ON THE NOW. The mile you're in. Feel your every stride, frequency, breathing, how you plant your feet, move your arms and how lucky you are to be able to run!

When you're hurting and hanging on for dear life.... just remember pain is only temporary. Suck it up and you'll have all the recovery time from the finish line up to your next workout!

That Cassie girl

Following my first year in a community college, I was DC-bound in the summer of 2007. Little did I know that I would face a whole different culture on the east coast, especially my first experience at a deaf university. My first year was a bewildering moment--too much to explain; however, to sum it up, I was basically this deaf girl who hailed from a hearing world--hearing family, relatives, and friends, mainstreamed schools--whose identity became lost in a world dominated by the Deaf at Gallaudet University. Even though I was one of them, I still felt like an outsider and never thought about getting immensely involved in the Deaf community. In fact, I was still my original self--the girl from Arizona.

By third year, I moved in with, now known as the world's best roommates, Katelyn and Andrew. Since the first day I moved in the West Virginia townhouse, they've been incredibly supportive and urged me to get out of the house often. It took me a couple weeks to get out there and get noticed because I was this "mysterious girl" whose life revolved around getting from class to class not bothering to look at familiar faces or have a conversation, working out, and my ex-fiance. I rarely went out and nobody really knew who I was.

However, living in that West Virginia Ave. house threw my life into a rapid transformation. Little and huge things came into my life--new friends, marathon and triathlon training, exploration of DC, Results Gym, metro and buses, Eastern Market, Zinzi Christmas Party, Halloween, Georgetown, Nautica South Beach Triathlon, National Marathon, George Washington University Wellness Center and much more. Everyday, I was meeting great people who each have influenced me in some ways. Soon thereafter, I didn't feel so mysterious anymore although I may remain mysterious to the majority of Bisons. I was trying to get myself out as much as possible, by exploring DC and taking in all the senses of the big city dynamics. I was mostly devoted to the city itself than the campus.

I recall the day I got my first nickname which wasn't too long ago before I moved out in May 2011.

"What's up, Castro!" said Katelyn.

I smiled and deep inside, I hated the sound of my last name. I was "Castro" to Katelyn and Andrew for quite a while until one day, I admitted that my last name sounded so manly and unappealing almost as if I was Fidel Castro.

"I have an idea! How about Cassie!?" one of them raved.

I became Cassie, which I consider my newfound identity that blossomed during my last two years in Washington, D.C. Hence my first blog entitled "That Cassie girl."

By the end of May 2011, I returned to Arizona as that Cassie girl in which I no longer feel dubious about myself. I feel like a new woman. Stronger, driven and better. Different than I was four years ago when I left Arizona. I'm sitting here today writing my very first blog--post graduation life, training and enjoying life wherever it takes me.

When I'm not training, thoughts roam around in my mind--sometimes same ol' thoughts burning deep down in the back of my head that prevent me from falling asleep at nights or staying concentrated on certain tasks! Therefore, for the sake of my sanity, I figured blogging would be the best way to get the thoughts out, loud and clear as well as make room for new ones. I'm doing it for myself and those of you who might be interested. This is the window to my soul. My extraordinary contemplations will be reflected in this blog. I'll be jotting away anything coming across my mind. Whatever I hear, see, feel...breathe. Ridiculous or not.