Swimmer's best friend

I often cringe at women who crank up the heat in the locker room showers. Maybe they're lackadaisical towards skin care or they don't realize how much it seriously sabotages their skin's health. After a hour or two of chlorine beating, a scalding hot shower just takes another toll on the skin. Since I started swimming last summer, I've noticed nasty changes in my skin and hair. My hair grew brittle and made my skin prone to dryness and lose its elasticity. Up close in the mirror, my nose were flaky and peeling. I knew the hot water would zap away more moisture and I've always avoided it by using lukewarm water at all times despite the cold weather. I even grew up watching my mom caring for her skin every mornings and nights that I soon followed to give my skin the luxury it needs.

My regular Neutrogena and Aveeno face lotions were never enough to keep up with supple skin after swim sessions. I tried serums for a change and Burts Bees Repair Serum worked like a miracle. Just slather it on pre-swim to create a thin film barrier against chlorine and seal in your skin's natural moisture and reapply post-swim. I'm sure any serum would work but I swear by this formula for female athletes who are beauty conscious like I am. The guys might care less but if you'd like to impress your wife or girlfriend with a younger looking skin, this is the real deal. It's all natural, which is a bonus and absorbs quickly leaving no crazy shine but soft dewy skin. It's worth the price and will last you a while!

Cream of Tomato Soup + Oven-Baked Pane Tuscano Cheese Sandwiches

This Sunday morning got me in the mood to search recipes through some intriguing fashion and food blogs. I love searching through blogs because they either have unique recipes that come from their own creations or they rave about a popular recipe on big websites (FoodNetwork.com, Epicurious.com, etc.)

Looking through a blog, I came across this recipe and it reminded me of my old cross-country days in DC where the tradition was to make a post-race stop at Panera Bread for lunch. The Vegetarian Creamy Tomato soup topped with Asiago croutons has always been my order every time I make a visit. My first attempt at a creamy tomato soup turned out wonderfully with no need for any improvement, as my mom insisted!

Several alternations I made was substituting the basil leaves for the dried kind and substituting the heavy cream with this easy to make recipe since I didn't have basil and heavy cream in hand. The soup recipe called for 3/4 cups of the heavy cream and I accidentally dumped in the whole cup of the heavy cream mixture. Fortunately, the soup was still perfect.

The blender and colander worked just like a food mill, which I didn't have. Just blend a third portion at a time and strain to discard the seeds and skins, reserving the creamy broth. (Note: you could also try blending in garbanzo beans or lentils for extra protein punch!)

I also whipped up the classic grilled cheese but this time, with Pane Tuscano bread instead of the regular pre-sliced bread. DELICIOUS. You can't go wrong with rustic bread because it adds so much flavor and texture. Slice the bread into half an inch thick slices and into halves, melt butter in the microwave and use a brush to soak one side of each slice with butter (or you can use olive oil for a healthier version). Slice up some Monterey Jack cheese and sprinkle a little shredded parmesan into the sandwiches. Top with another slice of bread, butter (or oil) side up. Sprinkle dried oregano and parmesan on top of each sandwich. Bake at 450 degrees until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. They cook pretty fast so be sure to keep an eye on it!

Great comfort food for days you don't give a crap and dinner could not be any better... Even better if served on a cold rainy/snowy day!

Newest Obsession

I'm a hot tea addict and always have several cups a day year-round even during Arizona's hottest summers  when I'm lounging around the pool in my backyard. I have never favored anything over green tea. Green tea has been my primary choice for years and no other flavors have diverted my preference for green tea. As soon as I tried the peppermint, I instantly fell in love with it. Out of the many reasons, I drink hot tea for one big reason--it makes breathing easier. Unlike green tea, peppermint has an additional bonus: a substance (rosmarinic acid) that clears up the airways and promotes easier breathing. It's especially comforting to indulge in a nice hot cup before a run or yoga and it makes working out that much more enjoyable! So for all you die hard green tea fans or endurance athletes, try it for a change! 

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.