The Only Thing

Aerodynamics

(via Savvy Selections)

Remember my previous post about making training as the "worst possible scenario" or in other words, more challenging so when it comes to race day, it feels a bit easier?

Just came across an interesting piece of detailed information from the Lore of Running book that reminds me of the method I'm taking in training. Aerodynamics. Yes, it affects running performance by a couple mere percent. If you're not a competitive athlete, it's probably some useless junk. Still going to throw this fact out for those of you who are serious about getting personal bests.

These are the factors that increases aerodynamic drag (increases your race time) by percentage:

• Shoes with exposed laces (0.5%)
• Hair on limbs (0.6%)
• Long socks (0.9%)
• Short hair (4%)
• Loosely fitting clothing (4.2%) 
• Long hair (6.3%)

(Noakes, 58)

Ladies, I'm not saying to go bald. I don't have the guts to do it either. Instead of a ponytail, it might just help a bit to put it in a tight bun. Think aerodynamic. Hair all slicked back. Push fluid bottles right behind you, not on sides of your hips or in front of you. Take off anything you have on your wrist except for a watch if you must. 

It might not do much but it wouldn't hurt to get elastic laces like Yankz! The bonus is that you wouldn't even have to worry about your shoelaces unraveling at inconvenient times. The last thing you want is to bend over for this, get tripped over and knocked out by another runner behind you. I've been there and no, I wasn't the runner bending over. 

To shave or not to shave? My swim coach would scold me for shaving my legs if it wasn't for a race. "Where is the hair on your legs and armpit?!" is what I would get. If it's not a triathlon or aquathlon, you're fine. It shouldn't hurt. Otherwise, if it'll make you "feel" fast in running, go ahead. 

Just think that those little things could add up to about 16.5% of your race result! This is why I try to wear something that creates a little drag in training. Usually a t-shirt on my runs or rides. Let my hair loose. Move fluid bottles on the sides of my hips. Wear thick rubber bracelets like this one especially for swimming. Again, the difference might not be grand but I do it anyways, mostly for a psychological boost on race day!

References
Noakes, Tim. Lore of Running. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa, 2003.

Like Greased Lightning

(via EverymanTRI)

If you're a triathlete or a duathlete, dedicating a whole session, at least, to transition run throughs in your training is extremely...... no, not important. Come on, we know the answer to this, right? Unfortunately, many of us neglect this and spend the majority of our training on the three disciplines. Transitions may seem so simple but once you experience it, it's not as simple as you think it is. You'll have to develop a constant step-by-step plan outlined in your head to save thinking time. Not only you'll shave seconds off your time, you'll also save yourself from embarrassing moments!

With a duathlon coming up in a month, yesterday was the second time I practiced my run-bike-run transition. Best way is to practice it as many times as you see fit or until confidence and efficiency is achieved.

Two weeks ago, I did the same workout and during the second round, I nearly fell off my bike. If you're not quick enough to flip your cycle shoes, still attached to the pedals, upright to get your feet in while the bike's rolling, you hit that scary bump when the shoe goes under and panic like you're about to die.

Thankfully, I quickly bounced off my seat catch my balance. I was quick enough..... so I blame the shoes and the rubber band that broke during my first round. I've never experienced a fall during a race or transition workout (knock on wood), but I'm sure it'll happen someday. I'm ready.

There are many ways to achieve entering and exiting transition zones quickly and efficiently. Triathletes and duathletes have their ways. I have a way that works for me, incase you're curious what I do and how I go through the steps in my head that soon becomes a 'muscle memory':

T1 Run-Bike

• Take running shoes off using the feet only (elastic laces is strongly recommended and I'm pretty sure you should know this already if you're in training) and the hands for buckling the helmet straps. You have four limbs so multi-task!
• Run your bike out to an "imaginary" mount/dismount line. Make up a specific venue and really practice it because the rules are strict when it comes to getting on and off your bike at a specific spot. Pick a pole or mark the area with a rock.
• If you've never heard of the rubber band method of mounting, this video will show you how to prevent your bike shoes from spinning around the pedal. (This is how I almost fell off my bike. The rubber band may break during transition practice but it shouldn't be something to worry about because you only mount your bike once during the race! And you want it to break.)
• Get on the bike and place both feet on top of the bike shoes and pedal until you get to a strong pace THEN put your feet in the shoes. For shorter races like a sprint, I prefer to leave the straps undone so that way when I finish, all I need to do is slide my feet out of the shoes. It saves the strapping and unstrapping work but don't forget that when you need to stop, don't unclip. You'll either be unable to unclip or have a harder time to clip them back in with a loose shoe. Keep this in mind. Use your index finger to hold the shoe and slide out one foot. (Again and of course, always experiment with what works for you.)

T2 Bike-Run

• Upon approaching the mount line, lower the gear and get the legs spinning at a high cadence, low resistance. This helps flush out the numbness in your legs and get the blood flowing in time for your run.
• Take feet out and rest them on top of the shoes, keep pedaling. 
• When getting off, keep the bike rolling and swing one leg back around the seat behind the other leg that's resting on the pedal. Use the swinging leg to catch your step onto the ground to begin running. Hard to explain but this is what I'm talking about. (Fast forward to 2:40)
• After racking the bike, put forefeet first into the shoes, unbuckle the helmet and while using your hands to slide your heels into the shoes, flip your head over to let the helmet fall off. GO. Chop-chop! 
• Take small quick strides and focus on breathing during the first few minutes. Shoulders down, relax your jaws and grip. Focus on staying loose and relaxed. This will get you faster gradually as the heaviness in your legs subsides. Be patient and trust me, you do not want to muscle it or take bigger strides at this point. Shorter strides will flush out the numbness faster. Just think of how you dissolve something in a shake bottle--the lumps dissolves quickly with a good quick shake. This is the same with your legs. 

Those strategies are pretty much mentioned often in other triathlon resources. Still thought I'd share some especially with the rubberbands, multi-tasking and not strapping the bike shoes!

Pain As Fuel

(Via Groff's Girl)

Remember what gave you strength. 

Junk to Gear

(Via Weight Training)

Whether you're a homebody or are considering starting a fitness business on a budget, this website shows you how to make your own strength training gear! From medicine balls, adjustable kettlebells, to weighted vest, prowler to bench press and squat stand, this website pretty much has it all. Plus, let's not forget some of the oddest, rarely used equipment...

Lots of creative ideas that run the gamut from "sa-weet!" to "umm" but good enough to make an impression and consider a trip to Ace Hardware, Lowes or Home Depot. You might even find some of these junk lying around the house!

Along with homemade equipment, you'll also find unconventional workout methods like...... working out with a dumpster. Go on. Dive in and get in shape. I dare you.

A Cup of Pinterest

Nothing beats a Sunday morning Pinterest date under the influence of caffeine. I love starting the day with a bloody strong coffee, sometimes with almond milk, after breakfast and a laptop by my side.

Whoever created Pinterest is a damned genius. I was all over it like white on rice this morning. It's all the coffee. I'm tired now so I thought I'd share some of the pins that caught my attention.

Stools dipped in paint.
Cute and simple. 

Color coordinated books.
One way to organize. I also do this in my closet! 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost.
Via From GG With Love.
Love the poem and the tat. 

Oh Washington, D.C. How much I miss you.
Cherry Blossoms are blooming at this time
 of the season! 

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad.
Made this today!
The smell was amazingly invigorating!

Great for making in advance if you're always in a hurry:
Coconut Green Smoothie Cups
Yay for coconut water! 

No words needed. Can be read on many different levels.
Today, that's you, Pinterest.   

That's all Folks. More writing and less pictures later..... Just mentally stale to type up an actual blog! Have a good relaxing Sunday!

It Ain't Cheating... It's Called Strategy

(Photo via Comfortable Home Life)

It's been a month withdrawal from the light of my morning meal and sometimes night snack--peanut butter. I don't think about it much, it's how I get through it but of course, the obsession and urge to have a dose of the luxury ingredient creeps across my mind occasionally.

I end up noshing on a handful of nuts in an attempt to alleviate my craving and drift off into a daydream of the day I'll finally reunite with man's best creation only to pause and find out that I've already eaten a heaping cup of nuts to make up for what's missing in my system. Apparently, my tummy didn't want to make new friends.

The other day, I was munching on a banana and realized that the lonely flavor was lacking you-know-what. I reached out for Nutella because the texture was just as close to the consistency of natural peanut butter. It was surprisingly good but too overwhelmingly sweet for me. Raw nuts and Nutella failed me to Cloud 9.

I decided to cheat.... just a little. My creation?

Coconut Cashew Butter

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 3 tablespoons honey (I didn't exactly measure this. Just drizzle away!)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3-4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp tahini 
• 1 fresh vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper.

3. Spread cashews on the pan and drizzle all over with honey. 

4. Put in oven and roast until golden, about 12-15 mins. Keep an eye on it as it cooks pretty fast. The last thing you want is burnt cashew butter!

5. Cool for a min or two then quickly scrape it into a food processor and process until it gets grainy in texture. 

6. Add sea salt, coconut oil, tahini, vanilla, and shredded coconut. Process again until it gets to your desired level of smoothness. Add more oil if it's still too dry.

You want to keep it a bit on the runny side because it firms up and becomes creamy after you store it for a couple hours. I prefer it a bit chunky so I leave out the shredded coconut and stir it in later after everything's blended.

This is just about Cloud 8.... just a step closer to heaven! 

Cut Like a Pro

(Photo via Smitten Kitchen)

I always thought cutting (and eating) a mango was a tedious task. The juice gets everywhere and it's almost impossible to master it without getting your hands dirty and sticky. With the flesh so stubbornly attached to the seed and peel, I can't say how many times I've nearly and accidentally cut myself doing this job.

I'd save time and myself by cutting as little as possible and dig in like an animal--scrape the flesh off the seed and peel with my teeth. Then the most annoying feeling is when it gets stuck in between your teeth and you spend the next hour desperately trying to get it out.

If you have ever wondered how on earth to cut such a complicating fruit, check out this video.

Interesting..... I never thought of doing it this way!

Best way to slowly savor the fruit? Throw the cubes into a Ziploc bag and freeze. It's sooooo good!

Thrill Ride on Legs

(Photo via Bicycling)

Today was my first over-an-hour-long run I've done in three weeks. I haven't been running double digits lately because I'm shifting into a different kind of training for a sprint duathlon coming up in a month which will consist of way shorter distances--2.5k run, 17k bike, and 2.5k run.

The main reason I'm choosing to go this way is to cut back on distance running for a while, primarily work on building speed and stamina into my runs as well as work on efficient cycling skills and get used to running with heavy legs from the bike leg to prepare for my next triathlon. So racking on running mileage isn't a top priority as it used to be when I trained for longer running distances!

Today's run workout was:

30 minutes easy
2 x 15 minutes threshold (hard), 5 min recovery in between
20 minutes easy

I get bored easily with run workouts if nothing else is added to spice it up so I made this a hilly session at Sabino Canyon (photo above, one of my favorite training venues in Tucson). I like to think of it as a roller coaster run. Rolling hills that gets you to the top of the canyon makes time fly because you're so concentrated on getting to the top of every hill as if they were mini-goals with the downhills as a reward and your chance to be a speed devil.

One of the best ways to build speed/power is to, yep, throw in some hill work. Better yet, hills that terrify you. Accelerating forward against the gravity that weighs you down gets you stronger and faster. When race day comes, it shouldn't feel as difficult and you'll get the upper hand if it's a flatter course!

Whatever workout I follow, I try to transform it into the "worst possible scenario" by throwing in something challenging or undesirable. It's usually the hills for me and sometimes I wear a baggy t-shirt so it feels harder to swing my arms, carry rocks in hands, wear heavy fluid belt or run at the hottest time of the day like I did today at noon. Or run in any kind of nasty weather--rain, cold, mud..... whatever that makes you dread once you see it. Well, when it comes to bad weather, use your common sense.  Basically, make it a bit (and safely) "worse" so that way when race day comes, ramping up the course won't feel as painful as the ones you do in training. Strategy!

Be wise if you decide to throw in hills with minimal or no experience in hill training. Always work your way up slowly. Best way to start is to do short hill repeats or intervals. Find a hill that will last you 10 seconds when you run it. Surge up 5 times with a minute recovery in between. Make the treadmill your friend if you live in a mostly flat area. Then as it starts to feel easier, you can either increase the volume or intensity by doing more repetitions (5x to 7x or more), shorten the recovery time, increase the hill incline, speed or distance. It's a super fitness booster!

Perfectly Useless Manner

Hormones In The News

Just caught this topic in the Arizona Daily Star today: Low fat diet a "national security threat" says Tucson doctor. It sounded like something I agree with. 

I could not find the article anywhere online but you might want to consider this if you're on a low-fat diet. Not all fat are bad. In fact, we need some to survive! It's the hormones. 

Whatever lifestyle we choose regulates our hormones. What we eat, our sleeping habits, mood and basically how we treat ourselves in general. Fat is not to blame at all. It's better to call it a consequence of the accumulated choices you make in life. 

This just reminds me of a book I strongly recommend--Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. It had helped me gain a better picture of how hormones control your body's biochemistry in giving you the body you have now and what you can do to maintain that hormonal balance in your body. 

I don't follow the "diet" plan provided in the book. I don't believe in dieting but simply eating as natural and healthy as possible. It's not that I don't agree with the book's plan and recipes but it does gives us a base understanding of what wholesome eating looks like.

Mostly love the book for it's thoroughly-explained hormone concept, explained in a way that makes understanding easier for the average person. Well, I think. Strongly recommended anyways! 

What the What?!

Holy what?! What caught my attention this morning was the Red Carpet Manicure LED Gel Polish, below.

$5,000 for one small bottle of nail polish? Just one? Turns out an ounce speck addition of gold dust flat-out increased the value of this beauty product.

Seriously, what the bonkery is going on...... can you say pre·pos·ter·ous?

Who the heck would shell out five freaking thousand dollars to glitz up some dead protein? Yeah, no. I'd rather go on vacation!

Get Your Greens!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I love green. That's all I care about.


Found some yummy green recipes you can make to celebrate this day. Hold the food coloring. You can get your greens from natural healthy foods instead of grub and sweets that have been artificially dyed...

BREAKFAST

Shamrock Breakfast Sandwich    

Spinach Quinoa Muffins

Green Juice

LUNCH

Would be tasty in a roast beef sandwich. 

Green Goddess Dressing

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK
Eat with crackers or use it to prepare deviled eggs without the mayonnaise! Blend the mixture with the egg yolks, put in plastic ziploc bag, snip off one end and swirl into the hollow area of eggs. 

Edamame Guacamole

DINNER

Instead of the usual corned beef and cabbage dinner, this sounds like a healthier alternative. I love ribs!

Guinness Braised Short Ribs

DESSERT

Raw Chocolate Mint Avocado Layered Cake

Chocolate and Green Tea Truffles

Raw Green Tea Ice Cream

Think Twice

Just think what will happen if you choose to hit snooze 5 times?

....choose to skip your workout?

....slack off and go light during a strength workout?

....fuel improperly to prepare for a workout?

....eat the wrong recovery foods? 

....skip a warm-up because you're in a hurry?

....suck it up and train with an injury in the way?

....buy fat-free processed fatty crap to limit fat intake?

....Pinterest until midnight when you know you have to be up by 5am?

....skip breakfast or lunch?

....bring the whole bag of Kettle Chips or pint of Ben and Jerry's with you to the TV 

just because you want keep the dishes clean?

Think twice. 

Subconscious Mind

(Photo via John Fedele)

Got a gift from myself in the mail last week. The Lore of Running book. I can barely contain myself when it comes to exercise science. I'm a geek like that.

Finished Chapter I today. Muscle Structure and Function. You know, when we train, we hear encouraging phrases like "it's all in the mind," "think positive," "imagine," "believe in yourself," and all that that might sound like some bunch of corny nonsense? Either that or you just accept, take it for granted and push yourself out of ignorance.

If you want the big picture of how the brain plays a part in the whether-you-think-you-can-or-cant-you're-right approach, those two phenomenas are observed, by the Central Governor Model, to be the culprits for the fatigue we feel:

"1. A pacing strategy that is preprogrammed into the athlete's subconscious brain as a result of previous training and racing experiences.

2. Acute alterations to that preprogrammed strategy resulting from sensory input from a variety of organs--heart, muscle, brain, blood, and lungs, among others--to the exercise controller or governor in the brain. Output from the controller to the motor cortex then determines the mass of skeletal muscle that can be activated and for how long, thereby determining the pacing strategy that the subconscious brain adopts during exercise" (Noakes, 19).

Pardon the jargon. Beautifully explained with no better way of re-wording it.

Basically, the brain becomes tired before you get tired. It also remembers past experiences in training and racing--good or bad--and that, in turn, influences your perceived fatigue and degree of discomfort.  The subconscious judgment then determines how you treat higher intensities or extreme endurance.

You can't do anything about the second culprit--it's an involuntary process and it's there for your own protection. According to the first culprit, what you can actually do during training is to dream it, believe it and your body will follow. Here goes that cliched saying again. But it's the truth. The mind is a powerful thing.

To beat the system, trick your brain and body by resisting bad thoughts when self-doubt starts to creep across your mind. It might sound like it doesn't make any difference in performance but it does. The pain that is felt will appear less distressing and more endurable next time you're reunited with the same pain. Get used to the old pain and befriend new ones. It's weakness leaving the body. You'll surprise yourself with what you can do.

References
Noakes, Tim. Lore of Running. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa, 2003. 

Death-Defying Start

(Photo via Emily Cocks)

Just a little triathlon humor to start the day from one of my favorite videos.

One of the most vicious scenes in triathlon. The open-water swim start. This guy tells you how to train for it. 

As asinine as it sounds, it should prepare us well for battle! 

Weekend Downtime

Me last weekend, relaxing in the back, China Glazin' my toes in Four Leaf Clover. 

Loving this month because it worships my favorite color. 

Green!

It was hard to capture the actual color but I promise the turquoise-look-alike deepens into a gorgeous jade green color. The link above to the color is as close as I could get to.

Happy March! 

Kimberly Breakfast

(Counter clockwise from top: strawberries, slices of swiss and rosemary ham, eggs, and Chobani Greek yogurt)

Just mocking my little sister for eating so unhealthy..... (wink).

This is what her usual breakfast looks like. I told her I was going to take a picture of her plate whether she liked it or not and she quickly rearranged her plate in a way that's out of her style. After taking this picture, I told her it wasn't what I expected. The rearrangement screwed up what I'm trying to explain here in my blog... what she really does is arrange each portion in a "wheel," leaving a little gap in the center. As you can see in the photo above, it looks like it had been shoved all together down in the middle. Just barely what her plate looks like.

I thought her original plating was cute like it resembles the characteristics of a food pyramid in the shape of a color wheel. She changes up her plate every other day with different sides except the ham, swiss and eggs remain the same. Sometimes it's chopped avocados instead of strawberries. A banana and some other fruit. I remember making mango-cilantro-avocado salsa to go with my tilapia tacos for lunch and she jubilantly raved how it would make a great breakfast. She wasn't talking about the fish and made the salsa an addition to her color wheel the next morning. What a nerd. Kidding.

I'm just a proud sister.

Adverse Reaction to Fran

(Photo via Pinterest)

Yesterday's WOD at Great Times Crossfit included the Franny Fran. Si, she's a lady... but morphs into a beastly b*tch halfway through the workout. Actually, more like one-third through. Maybe I'm just sensitive because it was my first official Fran.

Basically, 21-15-9 reps of each of the following for time:

• Thrusters (95/65 RX)
• Pull-ups

Pain is at its worst for first timers. I'm still not a fan of explosive workouts so I was pretty sensitive with this one. I got myself banged up, literally and figuratively. It wasn't just the lung and throat burning pain you experience in the end and capacious tides of numbing deadness swarming into your forearm muscles but also a bruised chin from an inefficient pull-up. 

My trainer had asked if my left hand were alright and I didn't know what he meant until he mentioned I had banged it up hard against something during the workout and that it sounded like it had to hurt. I didn't even remember that part at all. Fran had taken over my body and the only part left of me was my mind struggling to break free from that crazy witch. 

Ask anybody who have experienced pushing Fran to the max and you'll learn how much it sucks your throat dry and you cough nonstop. Post-Fran got me coughing for about 20 minutes, then ironically, I became a sneezing machine all day yesterday which was very unusual. My nose was runny, itchy and I just couldn't stop sneezing. I have no allergies but let's say I'm allergic to women who are not nice to me.

I'm glad to be done. That was one hell of a cat fight!

Yoga For Dummies

(Photo via LOVE MORE, FEAR LESS)

A mid-week yoga session sandwiched between days of hard training helps with my physical and mental recovery. I'm no yoga expert when it comes to planning routines. I usually look them up online and follow through them.

Why do yoga? Obivously, the first things that come to mind is to gain flexibility, body awareness, reduce stress, promote relaxation, yadda, yadda..... but if you want to know the precise details, check out the 77 Health Benefits of Yoga.

Top reasons why I do yoga:

• ward off training-related injuries and soreness (active recovery)
• stress reduction
• mind-body connection
• integrated function of the body
• improve balance and core stability

The only routine I know by heart is the Bikram method. You go through all 26 poses twice in a heated room. When I trained for my first marathon, I practiced it regularly.

However, a 90-minute session is especially time-consuming once you embark in training for multi sport adventures along with other obligations you have in life. Training twice a day is preferable to ensure that all disciplines are trained regularly. I'm not making it an excuse for not practicing yoga regularly..... I'm just saying that I have a life. I try to do the routine once a week in room temperature but sometimes when time is tight,  I swap for a different shorter routine from the net.

I was just cruising the net the other day out of boredom and found a website that allows you to build your own yoga routine! I just love how you can browse through levels of different poses, learn intimidating jargon and jargon-free names of each poses, drag them into a sequence and save as a file into the website.

All you need to do is register to get started. Sign up now! 

Recycled Wine Bottle Candles

This is so adorable! 

(Picture via Etsy)

Remember my previous post about recycling empty wine bottles into glasses? Do the same thing here and leave the labels on for a cute vintage look. 

You can find instructions on how to melt wax safely here (either buy or save old candle wax for this) and here's a complete step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own candles. 

I'm going to save this for rainy days or when I'm bored out of my mind!  

Freshen Up

Ever look like a hot sweaty mess with no time for a shower because you have to be somewhere in 20 minutes? Been there back in DC when I was juggling school and work with some training time for myself. I would wake up before the sun rises to ride my bike to the gym to meet with a client for our 6am session then try to squeeze in a workout before class at 8am. With no time to get squeaky clean, I've stuck with a routine that gets me instantly refreshed for a long day ahead.

Two fast fixes I use to cleanse skin and revive dirty hair:

• Baby wipes
• Body powder (I used Origins Organics Refreshing Body Powder, above, but I think they don't sell those anymore. I would recommend Burt's Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder or you can make your own dry-shampoo with a favorite fragrance, see below.)

They're my saviors. Use wipes to give yourself a mini-shower without the water and slick on deodorant. Sprinkle powder onto your fingertips and rub them into your scalp. Brush and blast your hair with a blow-dryer to get rid of the sweat. Powder again if you need to. Spritz a little body spray cloud into the air, walk through to conceal that baby wipe smell and voila! You're good to go! 

DIY Dry Shampoo Powder:

Add 3/4 cup of talcum powder or cornstarch in a small container with 1 tablespoon baking soda. Apply your favorite fragrance or few drops of essential oil to a cotton ball. Throw the ball in with the powder mixture. Seal, give it a little shake and let it sit for a day to absorb the scent. Discard the cotton ball and stash the container in your gym bag for emergencies when time is of the essence.

If you have a Johnson's Baby Powder sitting around, it also works. I'm not a fan of the smell but works great if you don't mind it at all! 

Live Accordingly

Love this. 

Getting Started

Some people ask me how they can get started on running.

"I hate running! I've tried to run but I don't know.... I just can't keep up. I hate it but I know I should be doing it because it's good for me. So what do I do to get started?" probably sounds familiar to you or might be something you would say.

I tell you what--if you hate to run, it's not going to work! So forget running! There are other ways to get in shape. Find other types of heart-pumping activity you're likely to enjoy or put up with like biking, elliptical training, walking, hiking or even swimming. Especially if you're a beginner, you need to find something else that will motivate you right from the start and keep you going. Then as you gain confidence, strength and a healthy perspective towards working out, you can try running when you're ready!

If you're open-minded about running, try this 8-week program that I found for a friend, currently residing in DC, who asked me for some guidance last week. I'm thankful for the internet--it has an extensive range of detailed information and resources that come in handy when I advise people and clients living in different states. It's not easy to advise when you have more things to tell and share within restricted time and you're stuck with the keyboard-and-mouse that only gives probably 75% of what you want to say!

It has become some kind of a 'virtual' personal training thing that I do during my spare time and is another reason why I started blogging so I save time by typing things up once for those who seek similar training advice or ask me the same questions.

Along with the 8-week runner's program, I also paired it up with a strength training program. You can find it here. I made several changes to incorporate both programs and what I instructed my friend to do was:

8-Week Beginning Runner's Training Program
Only do Monday, Wednesday, and Friday workouts

The Spartacus Workout
Do this for your Tu/Th days. Ignore circuit training instructions for now. You'll do them later when you start feeling stronger and comfortable with the instructions given: Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise. (10-15 for each side like for the #3 Single-Arm Dumbbell Swing.)

#2 Mountain Climber: 2-3 sets of 30 seconds WITHOUT stopping! Try 45 seconds if you can.
#4 T-Pushup: Nix the dumbbells if it's too challenging. Focus on good form and execution without them and add them later on when you feel confident enough to take it up a notch.

Ladies, I'm sure you've noticed that the Spartacus Workout is from Men's Health but it doesn't mean it's not for you. It's as efficient and will give you a nice toned, not bulky, physique! If you have not mastered the perfect push-up, you can accommodate station #4 T-Pushup by kneeling on your knees without the dumbbells. Gradually increase the intensity by doing regular push ups with knees off the floor and then work on bringing up an arm at a time without the weights. Then reach for the weights when it starts to feel a bit easier!

So basically you'll be running/walking 3 times a week. Strength training 2 times a week. ***Note that this is just something to get you started for this month, not something to stick with for months!*** Your body needs variety and confusion to get results.

Next month, spice up your strength session by doing as many reps as you can for 30 seconds. Go through the whole routine twice with 3 minutes rest in between both circuits of all 10 exercises. Then as weeks go by, gradually work up to a full minute and follow directions exactly as written for the Spartacus Workout.

Classic Cheesecake Undergoes Metamorphosis

Yesterday was my grandmother's 81st birthday. I wanted to make her something sweet with a taste that's not too overpowering. Thank god for Pinterest. It's an online bookmarking website good for the visual-minded person like me. Upon several clicks away, you can score an unique recipe and have it saved onto your board of collection for future cooking.

When it comes to making desserts, I usually don't try to aim for a healthier version because a dessert is meant to be indulgent but the Raw Cashew Dreamcake caught my attention. Cheesecake is one of my two favorite desserts, along with carrot cake as the other. It's such a fat-bomb but I don't care. The taste is SO worth it. When I came across the Dreamcake recipe, I thought I'd try something different this time.

I was inspired by the tri-colored layers, especially the gorgeous raspberry hue and loved the almond-date combination idea for the crust. It's all natural and is something I'd eat for breakfast. Seriously! I had it pinned on my board and yesterday was the ideal occasion to be making it.

The subtle tart, creamy flavor was intriguing and I'm blown away by the fact that it's almost entirely made of nuts along with a few other ingredients! The taste and texture's like in between fro yo and cheesecake. The only change I wish I had done was to double the batch because I used a 9.5 inch spring-form pan. It came out about a inch and half thin, like the depth of a pumpkin pie when I was expecting the thickness it had promised. I should've read the directions carefully. Oh well, lesson learned.

A cheesecake-like dessert packed with healthier fats, instead of the usual cream cheese and sugar, and protein from nuts along with fragrantly sweet, antioxidant-rich raspberries.... yep, definitely a dream come true but nothing beats the ol' fashioned cheesecake. It's nice having the option of lightening or fattening it up depending on your mood!

Off-Road Pounding With Rocks

I usually schedule my long trail runs on Fridays or Saturdays. Lately, I've been racking up mileage on the Phoneline Trail at Sabino Canyon. It's a nice climb in the beginning which gets your glutes all warmed up and once you get to the top, it gets fairly stable with some rolling hills and the scenery is just drop dead gorgeous!

I bet my mom is going to hate reading this because I know that whenever I go out to ride or run the trails, she worries about my safety. She never says anything but deep inside, I think she wishes I wasn't into those kind of things. I'm a risk taker. I like embarking on new adventures on unknown trails, feeling the adrenaline rush of running faster like something is going to happen.

I've had family and friends telling me to beware of danger, especially mountain lions. I don't wear my cochlear implant when I train (incase you wonder why, it falls off easily) so I always look behind me every couple minutes or so to remain attentive, not just to anything going on in my immediate vicinity but anything beyond it. Having some alone time, running in beautiful scenery away from the city is how I keep my sanity. It's peaceful... and super duper quiet. (Wink).

One Friday morning, I decided to spice up my usual long run and made an abrupt right onto a trail I've never ran. The fact that it's embedded between two steep rugged valleys made it look like an enticing thrill... and it was calling my name. I couldn't say no.

I began to reconsider all the things I've been warned of and figured I should at least be making an effort to keep myself out of harm's way. I picked up two big rocks, the size of a soft-ball, about 3 pounds each and ran with them. I'm not kidding. Having some kind of defense helps to achieve some self-sufficiency. Ok, maybe it's not enough... but it's beats running with none!

Not only you protect yourself on secluded trails, running with rocks makes for an excellent work out. You can choose between running with one or two. Work your core and balance by running with one alternated between right and left hands. Run with two and it'll help your running form by using its weight to pull and keep your shoulders down. Rigid, tensed shoulders and neck waste energy and will tire you quickly. So just relax your shoulders and let the rocks do the job. Use your biceps to hold the weight and keep your core tight to stabilize yourself through the arm swinging movements. It might be awkward at first but you'll get the hang of it.

Many people who are just beginning to incorporate running in their lifestyles usually swing their arms across their chest instead of swinging it into a forward motion. Side-to-side arm swinging most likely causes slouching, which in turn causes inefficient breathing and energy is expended on twisting sideways instead of moving forward. All in all, you lose power.

Obviously, you can't do that with rocks or else, it'll be painful when you get your fingers slammed! It's good way to work on arm swing technique. You're forced to tighten your core, stay upright and execute your arms into a forward and backward motion.

The result? Super sleek toned arms, shoulders and core. Oh yes.

Be sure to greet and smile at hikers you pass by. You know, it's not a pretty sight to see a fierce-faced runner armed with rocks.