It's Not Swag, Just Stiff Legs

via Triathlete Europe

Whenever my coach prescribes us a kick set, I always felt so slow with my stiff-as-a-rock legs in the water no matter how much I warm up or try to stay loose before jumping in. I prefer to keep it that way for running. Sadly, it's not so much desirable for swimming. I have my lucky days when I feel like Nemo and able to set my legs into a good kicking rhythm and bad days when I just feel like a turtle.

I can't remember where but there was this great article highlighting the differences between a swimmer and a runner and how a body, after years of running, respond to new sports like swimming and cycling. Athletes who have been running for years as their primary sport tend to develop tight calves and stiff ankles. Nothing bad about having stiff ankles if you're a runner. Having strong, thick ligaments and tendons, entirely built from ramping up mileage, around your ankles protects you from potential injuries like an inversion sprain while going off road!

The bad side of having stiff ankles is if you're also incorporating swimming in your training, kicking feels laborious and less fluid due to lack of lower body mobility. Kick mobility in the water suffer with stiff ankles. Flutter kicking is much more easier to master if you're able to move your ankles in a greater range of motion with your toes pointed out. I don't have this advantage at the moment.

After attending Mobility and Flexibility at GTX, it has come to my realization that my ankles were barely able to move and hold itself into an inverted and everted position. It didn't feel right to put them in a way that feels like it's going to snap after merely moving them a few millimeters to the right and left. Yes, that bad.

Here's a more recent article, comparing the differences between swimmers and triathletes. Plus, a couple kick drills worth trying out since I've been doing it the traditional way. So boring and makes me dread my "runner" ankles but LOVE them for the protection and strength it gives me in running.

If this sounds like you, mix up your kick sets so you have something new and challenging to focus on instead of thinking, "Omigosh when is this going to end?"

Newspaper Toes

Got this inspiration from here. Easy to do!

Didn't have white polish so went with a baby pink (Sally Hansen SALON Nail Lacquer). Press and hold the paper on nails for 15-20 seconds to make sure it comes off well and clearly!

Before

After

Unless You're a Camel

via EcoFriend

Got some good amount of reading done yesterday.

I'm bringing nerdy back. Need to get this out of my head. Thought this one was fascinating:

The temperature of the ingested fluid you drink influences the speed at which it leaves the stomach (known as gastric emptying). The colder it is, the faster it leaves the stomach. The warmer, the slower.

If you have ever felt like warm (or room temperature perhaps?) liquids leave you feeling bloated with all the water sloshing around in your tummy like a damn ocean, you might want to try to keep your drink colder next time and/or stick to conservative drinking during a workout.

I don't think most of us like training on a tummy that feels like a water balloon. It just gets uncomfortable. But you are your own judge. Experiment and figure out what works better for you. Either that or you might not notice any difference. For me, it's cold all the way. Of course, it's more palatable. Who would want to drink warm water anyways?

The only time I can and like taking in warm liquids is before a cold morning run. A cup of hot tea (it has to be really, really hot) scorches and cleans out my throat and lungs. Before you give me a funny look, I swear it helps me breathe better. I do feel water sloshing around in my tummy as opposed to drinking a cold drink but it doesn't bother me only if the long runs are done on low intensity!

It has also been mentioned that higher workout intensities makes the gastric emptying rate much more slower. If you have ever wondered why you suddenly start feeling like crap with some gastrointestinal discomfort at a intensity of 90% VO2max, you have your answer.

Prepare wisely when it comes to not only timing solid food consumption prior to a workout but also fluid ingestion. Keep the anticipated training intensity in mind as well!


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

Size of the Fight

via Muffin Top-Less

One of my favorite training quotes. I see it as two important things:

1) As training and race day motivation. Just because they look like they're in a better shape doesn't mean they must be faster than you. Or stronger. Or whatever-er. It's not always true so don't let other's physique intimidate or belittle you. It doesn't determine who crosses the finish line first.

When I was on the cross country team, a teammate secretly made a caustic comment on another team runner's physique during the warm up before the starting gun. She had more "meat" than us and guess what? She beat us to the finish line. I kid you not. What a woman.... with the most guts and that's rather more impressive.

2) As a healthy body image message. Often, clients who are just getting into the fitness world start comparing themselves with one another and make someone else's physique their goal. Let's be real. We have to be flexible with what our bodies can give us because we come in all sizes and shapes, genetically speaking. We can't transform our genes but we can up play what we were born with. Like, for crying out loud, we can't give you Jessica Biel's legs but we can help you accentuate YOUR legs.

Let's put our perspective of fitness in a better way. I mean it's possible to look fabulously and amazingly skinny and fit on the outside while on the inside you're just a train wreck. Come on, I don't call that fit. That's skinny fat. Fitness isn't just how you look but most importantly, it's how fit, mentally driven and well-nourished you are on the inside. Can't beat the feeling that's sure to last!

Peanut Butter Chickpea Bars

Mmm! I think those are pretty darn good. I wouldn't call them The Good Cookie though. It's not as sweet as a cookie would taste so let's just call them Peanut Butter Chickpea Bars. Now that sounds healthier and it is!

"Mildy sweet" as the blog states. I would agree. I'm picky when it comes to the amount of sweetness in "health" bars but the sweetness in this recipe suits me just right as a pre-workout fuel or mid-afternoon snack.

With the addition of chickpeas, those bars has loads of fiber which means..... yeah, you know. Plus, lots of protein, making it a good post-workout fuel choice to boost recovery.

I prefer snacks that are easily digestible and low in protein to prepare me for a workout so I got a little nervous about also trying them out before a workout. Too much protein gives me an upset stomach because it requires more energy to digest but not with these bars, surprisingly.

I didn't have ground flax seed in hand so I substituted it for an extra 1/4 c of wheat germ. Still good.

Used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. Would've went higher with the cacao content but the bag was sitting in the back of the pantry with the last 2 ounces left in the bag. Whew. But anyway, the higher the cacao content, the better for you. Aim for 60% or more!

Give them a try.

Priceless

Via Urban Velo

This is great. I'm profoundly deaf and can't be distracted by drivers like that. Pretty sure I might have gotten yelled at without knowing. At least I have one less thing to worry about but if it's my lucky day and I spot a driver yelling at me, I choose creative retribution: Simply shrug, point at my ears and mouth the words: "I'm deaf. Turn it up (pointing finger up in the air). I can't hear you."

Waving's good. I think I'll also blow a kiss.

Another Blog Favorite

I've been keeping up with MobilityWOD blog for a few weeks now. Heard about it from a friend of my mom's who's also a volleyball coach. I can't believe I haven't heard of it until now.

Great blog to keep up with--it helps to understand your body better and how to develop and maintain it in an optimal condition and is especially helpful for athletes who do intense training day after day. This guy includes various factors and issues that harm performance and health, how to prevent it and maximize it through technique, positioning, good mechanics and more while "babying" your health at rest so you stay injury-free, fresh and able to keep up with your training regimen.

A mix of good information, humor, sarcasm, and short stories that's sure to leave you smiling, feeling confident and knowledgable in time for your next sesh!