Keep Calm and Swim On

A year ago today was my first outdoor triathlon in South Beach. It doesn't seem like too long ago and I'm totally reminiscing the experience right now after seeing new race photos posted for this year's race on Facebook's news feed.

I had some bad luck during the race, but hey, who doesn't?! First, someone grabbed my ankle and pulled me back during the swim and before the person tried to have a second go for it, I kicked back. Hard. Second, somebody had stolen my gel packs I had taped on my bike in the transition area and I was left with no fuel but water and a sagging energy for the next 24 miles on the bike. Third, the 10k run didn't go well as I was having tummy and headache issues. The heat were taking a toll on me and I was feeling just nauseous. I wanted to quit.

But still a memorable experience and I don't regret it at all. I had planned on doing this race again as a reunion with my old roommates this year but that didn't happen when I moved out of DC. Last year's race didn't leave me satisfied and I'm dying for a second chance at it, this time with better preparation!

Just one word of advice--be a good sport. Respect others. Don't steal. If it's not yours, leave it alone. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Accidentally hitting or kicking someone in the face or elsewhere or getting whacked yourself during the swim is totally normal--it's inevitable and we have to understand they aren't doing it on purpose but grabbing someone by the ankle and stealing is totally, well pardon the language, but f*cked up. With swimming in the open water as my biggest fear and least favorite discipline, I wanted so badly to take out the swimmer who gave me a near heart attack but it would make the both of us look bad. It's not worth it. Kick hard if you have to defend yourself! Otherwise, keep calm, swim on and save all your anger energy for the race itself! Nobody is worth your anger but the race.

A few of my favorite last year's photos:

Minutes before the swim start at daybreak. Gorgeous.

Pre-race photo with my two roommates on left and friend (right).

Trying to shake off some pre-race anxiety!

Inner Child

Went all the way out just for food coloring. I'm ready for tomorrow.

Here's a preview of what I'll be doing. I haven't dyed eggs in..... years. I miss being a kid sometimes so doing things like these brings back happy memories. I haven't let go of my inner child and I don't think I ever would.

Anyways, these are super cool!

Marbleized Easter Eggs

Nature-Inspired Stenciled Eggs

Eggs are a great source of all the good stuff your body needs--protein, folic acid, iron, other nutrients, good fat (eat, don't omit, the yolk for your and HDL-cholesterol's sake!), vitamins and I could go on and on. It's cheap with so many ways to whip them up into various dishes.

When I'm running low on food to cook for dinner, I almost always have eggs to the rescue, just sitting there in the fridge. I'd make a sunny-side up egg sandwich with english muffin or some rustic bread along with rosemary ham, swiss, spinach and tomatoes, compressed to let the yolk ooze all over (my speciality) or wrap them scrabbled with veggies into corn tortillas along with feta. So yummy. You can't go wrong with breakfast for dinner!

So stack up on eggs and hard boil them in advance for the big day tomorrow. It's going to be eye-pleasing and appetizing to be greeted with such beautiful colors before you crack them open. Perfect for breakfast in a flash especially when you're too lazy to cook in the mornings or as a snack with some fruit!

Cool Point

In-ter-es-ting.... allow me to introduce the Cool Point device, above.

This new innovation claims that it improves athletic performance by reducing accumulated heat our body produces during training.

But in racing, isn't this cheating? I think so!

Although it's amazing that someone took the effort to machinate something creative like this, I'm still not quite convinced. We don't know if it actually keeps your core temperature down, physiologically speaking. The study regarding the product may be flawed in some way. You know you have the thing in your hand and automatically you're thinking positive thoughts like you're on the top of the world because you expect it to do the job. This creates some bias.

One more thing we should take into account--do long-term use of this product provide long-term benefits in your training different from going without? It's probably no different compared to working out without it. It's not uncommon for your fitness to hit a plateau and it has to happen with this device as well. The body may become accustomed or "immune" to the cooling sensation and suddenly, the "feeling" isn't the same as those first few weeks or days of wearing it in training. 12-weeks isn't quite enough to prove the value of this product in the long-term. Just saying.

On the good side, if you want to see rapid improvements in performance within the first couple months, this may be the real deal.

Or for a confidence boost, save it for race days only!

Still an interesting innovation. Going to stay tuned for more new studies to come out in the near future!

Free Your Body

(Photo via Running Times)

I couldn't agree more with this.

"Train movements, not muscles"--If you're an experienced exerciser, stay away from machines. You don't need them. I personally hate machines but I understand they're a lifesaver for beginners or for people who undergo rehabilitation. It helps gain confidence for beginners as they learn to connect the movements that work certain body parts along with written instructions, and sometimes muscle anatomy, on the equipment itself. After a while, let them go and head for the free weights. Let your body free so you can work on movements that target muscles at all angles, not just one or two which is what those boring robotic machines does for us. Don't be boring. Get out.

"Don't just lift. Coordinate"--coordinate, coordinate, coordinate! Get all parts of your body moving at once so every part can work with the other efficiently and in harmony. If you're doing an arm workout, throw in a leg workout as well (military DB press + single leg lunges). The bonus: your core gets stronger when all parts are working simultaneously!

"If you don't run lying down, then why do ab work with your body positioned that way?"--Yes, why? It's OK to do this every once in a while but to get the most benefit, strength or coordination moves that imitate repetitive movements in racing (or any other sport) should be emphasized. Become stronger and less prone to fatigue by stimulating those race-specific muscles!

Let's say you want to work on your running speed, more specifically, the push off phase (see #1 in photo above). This is the action that drives you forward. Calf raises is one thing you could do; however, instead of standing in an upright position, the best imitation would be placing your hands on a wall to bring yourself in a slight forward lean position from the ankles. This is technically how the body should be positioned when you run. Do the calf raises in that position. Work on power by adding in a knee drive with one leg so the other can, alone, work on the push-off phase. Switch legs and repeat.

Weight Loss Anomalies

(via HealthCommunities)

Okay I swear I wasn't looking up weight loss resources. I'm not even attempting to lose some pounds but this came out on the Facebook news feed this morning. I had to laugh.

Seriously? Please don't do this....

I can't imagine missing out on great flavors. I love food. The most important thing is not to only enjoy it but develop a healthy relationship with it. By clipping your nose? Come on. Food doesn't cause you to gain weight. It's the choices you make. The only thing that should be blamed is you. So respect your body, practice portion control and learn to appreciate the fresh flavors in healthy food!

While it may not look like much on your plate, it might be all you really need for the next couple hours until your next meal. Remember, it's not your last meal. So eat as if there will be a next one, not as if it's your last meal. Train your body to take in reasonable amounts. If you're trying to lose weight, you might feel like your tummy's still empty after half a sandwich and a cup of soup--that's because your body hasn't gotten used to reduced intake. It remembers how much you used to take in. So give it time and soon your body will start to accept your new eating strategy.

And seriously?

Your insulin levels is going to be spiking up like a five year old on black coffee doused with bottles of 5-hour ENERGY. When there is too much insulin in your blood, your fat cells won't release fat to be used as fuel. Instead, it'll hibernate wherever it pleases. You don't want this. Note that the article says it "helps to curb cravings," not eliminate. Despite reduced cravings, starting the day with a chocolate cake is one of the worst things you can do to your body. It won't run long enough on fast-digesting simple sugars. Don't treat it like trash. Your body is worth more than that so ALWAYS start your day with a balanced breakfast so everything stays active and balanced inside. Yes, you are what you eat. And go ahead, have a small piece of that cake later in the day!

Rice Almond Bars

(Photo via Homesick Texan)

Back in the days when we first moved to Tucson, we'd make frequent trips to Los Betos whenever we were in the mood for some good fast Mexican food. So bad, I know but I was always looking forward to a favorite traditional beverage--the Horchata. So. Darn. Good.

I haven't had it in forever and out of the blue, I was beginning to crave it recently. Instead of heading to a fast food restaurant for the sugar-spiked drink, I decided to do it the homemade way so I can adjust the amount of sugar I want in it.

If you ever make homemade Horchata, the recipe would tell you to discard the strained rice-almond sediment. I couldn't get myself to throw it away. No way. The rice and almond combination provides for a good balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat--ideal for fueling your metabolic needs. The cinnamon-almond aroma was amazing and it would be a shame to let something amazing go to waste. I knew it had to taste well in some form of snack bar.

I searched everywhere online for a recipe that would use up the rice-almond leftovers and came down to no luck. It was time to improvise.

Rice Almond Bars

• 1 1/2 cup rice-almond leftover (from Almond Horchata recipe)
• 3/4 cup Mejool dates, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x6 baking dish.
2. Wrap dates in a wet paper towel, place in a small microwave-able bowl and heat until softened.
3. In a food processor, add rice-almond, dates and oil. Blend until well combined.
4. Add agave or honey, cinnamon and salt. Blend.
5. Remove from food processor and stir in oats, almonds, raisins and shredded coconut.
6. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly so it sticks together.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown.
8. Cool for 20-25 minutes then cut into bars.

Interesting taste. Just like Horchata condensed into solid form bars! The recipe might need some tweaking since this is the first time I've came up with something like this. I didn't add raisins but I think it would taste better with it along with some cashews (unprocessed) to balance out the coconut flavor and make it slightly crunchy. Make in advance, individually cling wrap them so it sticks together and store in the fridge for easy grab-and-go convenience.

(via Vittles and Bits)

The Almond Horchata recipe was yummy but for me, I prefer it semi-sweet. I'll be adapting the recipe next time--substitute brown sugar for agave along with an extra cup of water. Or maybe just coconut water!

5k-30k-5k Time Trial

Did a 5k-30k-5k run-bike-run time trial yesterday, beginning at Esperero Canyon parking lot (which is the first left right after Sabino Canyon recreational area). It's best to do it on a Saturday or Sunday morning because the lot is always empty with just a car or two and you have the whole room to yourself for your transitions. Well, not like you need the whole space but it's always nice to have nothing in your way!

This is a good route incase you'd like to follow this for your next brick workout. It's safe and away from traffic. I love riding on Sunrise--nice smooth road with rolling hills and a super roomy bike lane!

The 5k run route is mapped out for your visual convenience.

5k Run Route

• South on Sabino Canyon Rd
• Right on Winddriver Dr, which turns into Ventana Vista (here, you'll come to a slight uphill run)
• Left onto Sunrise
• Turn back at Chieftan Trail, running on Sunrise eastward towards Sabino Canyon Rd
• Left on Sabino Canyon Rd and back to the lot on your left

30k Bike Route (out and back course)

• From Esperero Canyon, turn right onto Sabino Canyon Rd
• Right onto Sunrise which turns into E Skyline Dr
• Turn around at N 1st Ave and back to starting point

Repeat 5k run route in reverse.