I'm Cuckoo for Coconut Flour

Just like Jessica Simpson can never have enough shoes, it seems like as endurance athletes, we can never stuff enough carbs into our mouths.


But once in awhile, a girl's gotta have some protein, fiber, and omega-3/6 fatty acids.  In our multi-tasking society where you can find everything from 3-in-1 hairspray to 3-in-1 nail polish, it's pretty cool to have a 3-in-1 food product that contains protein, fiber and omega-3/6 fats.  And low-calorie, low-carb and gluten-free?  Yes, please!  (Now I finally got the attention of all you Crossfit geeks on the Paleo diet)

A dieter's paradise, complete with the palm tree in the background

Better stats than Lebron James

I recently stumbled upon a recipe for Coconut Flour Porridge.  Similar to Showtime rotisserie's concept of "set it and forget it," you only take 1 minute to mix the ingredients (coconut flour, chia seeds, your sweetener of choice, water or milk) in a mason jar, place it in the refrigerator either for an hour or overnight, and let it do its magic.


The chia seeds absorb the liquid (they can hold 9-12 times their weight in water) and this is what forms the porridge consistency.  As a complete protein containing high amounts of omega-3s, I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs about their benefits, but that's what google is for. 

Those ancient Mayans and Aztecs were really on to something, eh?

I eat oatmeal with flaxseed and a scoop of BiPro protein powder pretty religiously for my brekky throughout the year, so once in awhile, it's nice to change things up for spring.  Kinda like hair highlights.


Here's the recipe for Coconut Flour/Chia Seed Porridge:
-2 Tb. coconut flour
-2 Tbs. chia seeds (I used whole seeds)
-1 c. water
-sweetener of choice (honey, Stevia, Splenda, Truvia, agave, maple syrup, etc etc)


1. Mix all the ingredients together in a mason jar or other container

2. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, which allows it to expand and congeal

Just like I'm sure Angelina Jolie looks waaay hotter in person, this porridge photo doesn't do it justice!

3. Feel free to add additional milk/liquids to the porridge until you reach your desired consistency (I used almond milk). 
4. Add cinnamon, fruit, chocolate pieces, nuts, or any other 37 pieces of flair


There are tons of recipes using coconut flour, and one includes coconut flour pancakes, which I'll be making soon and using my harshest critics for taste-testers (my family, duh).  When my parents first got married, my mom made spaghetti.  After filling his plate with pasta, my dad asked where the rice was.  So obviously, not only do I have an awesome dad, I also have a carb-fanatic on my hands and an I'm-betting-you're-prediabetic-if-I-saw-your-labs case study.  I'm curious to see how the coconut flour pancakes will hold up to his standards.  

Ironman Florida: Dad carbo-loading at the pancake breakfast on my behalf 

In other news, after a 7-hour solid training day on Monday, I had an hour session of ART (active release technique) with this man, thanks to Amber's referral.  He confirmed that I "no longer walked like a man" after working on me.  It's good to know that I'm finally embracing my femininity.

Monte, from Kinetic Chain Sport

In Da Club(s)

A few weeks ago, I officially joined the Master's swim team.  And by "official," that means that I paid money and got a flimsy card in the mail.  But now I can swim in their meets and open water events!

Club Hot Tub.  I know. You can hold your laughter for later.

For the past year and a half, I would scurry out from the locker room and pass the main pool where the Master's swimming practices would take place.  Sometimes the coach Tom would call out to me to join, and I would feel so bad/sad/embarrassed/scared.  My priorities were different last year; I had an awesome Ironman coach and I knew that doing my scheduled workouts from him would benefit me the most.  Plus, the thought of swimming with other people made me slightly nervous...it had been YEARS since I've had to circle swim and do a decent flipturn off the wall as to not the kick the swimmer on my toes right in the face.  And the intervals and pace clocks with your whole lane counting on you not to screw it up seemed too overwhelming after work.  I just wanted to chill and do my own workout, and if I messed up the interval, no one else suffered.  So I would keep walking to the saline pool.  And swim alone.  Day after day after day. (is this making you depressed yet?)


So this year, I decided to take a small step out of my comfort zone and join Master's.  The other night, I got stuck being the lane leader, which was a total sh*tshow.  There is one lane faster with fast guys, and I just so happened to be a tad faster than the people in my lane.  So Coach Tom designated me as the Loser Lane Leader.  The majority of the night went something like this- "We do the 150 on what? Is THIS the pull set, or is it the next one?  Oh CRAP! We were supposed to leave on the 15!! Oh wait, maybe on the 20? Or was it the 15? Was it the 15, guys?"  (I was always met with shrugs and red rosy cheeks from the lack of oxygen).  The sets were so insanely fast (I think I made them even faster because I couldn't remember when the interval was, so I just ended up starting them earlier) that I couldn't even catch my breath or think for that matter in between sets, and I just ended up confusing myself even more.  At one point, I was laughing underwater because I had mucked it up, was so anaerobic, and had 2 other swimmers unknowingly following behind me.  I kept profusely apologizing to my lane mates and everyone was super nice.  But they still made me lead the rest of the night.  Total comedy.  So, the lesson is- your worst fears can come true, but when you can laugh about it at the end of the day (or underwater, for that matter), it's all good. 


Recently, my Ironman Coaches Marv and Jo wrote another gem of a post. which pretty much sums up my last week.  Small adventures can be the start of something huge.  My small adventure of swimming with Master's allowed me to meet Dana.  I noticed her Ironman bag in the locker, and noticed HER.  She just looked like a triathlete. (I know, I can sniff 'em out pretty well).  We chatted about important stuff (Ironman, duh), rattled off our recent race splits, and after confirming that we both were not in the same age group, we became friends. :)

Hellooo Stud Dana!

If I could describe Dana in one word, it would be VIBRANT.  She is like pure sunshine embodied in a person.  If ever I decided to run a 50 miler, I would want Dana running beside me at mile 40.  She exudes positive energy and just makes you excited about stuff.  She could probably talk about biochemical pathways, and at the end of the conversation, I would want to pursue a degree in biochemistry.  With her encouragement, I promised to "check out the website for Forward Motion," and after seeing her the next day on Saturday, I agreed to check out the Sunday bike ride with the group, knowing that she would be there.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Officially registered on Tuesday, picked up my kit on Wednesday!

Dana joined me for the "bike" part of my triple swimbikerun day!

Don't let looks be deceiving; she looks so nice and innocent, but once she's in the saddle, she's a turbo cyclist in her crazy-aggressive aero position.  We had a blast.  Dana brought her friend Mandie along (she's training for IMAZ), and Mandie ended up joining me for part of my tempo run afterwards.  

Proof that picture-taking is an art.  Because some people still can't get it right.  Mandie is the one on the left.
(and this is what the world looks like to me without contacts.  So jealous of all you guys who got Lasik!)

So this is confirmation that "small" adventures can be the start of something huge.  And I can't wait to see what that "huge" will ultimately be- but I know you can never go wrong by living your dream and sharing your passion.

On my wall as a daily reminder.

Feed Zone Cookbook (Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes): by Dr. Allen Lim and Biju Thomas

As promised, here is the book review... 
(Do cookbooks even count for book reviews?  These days don't allow much time for reading real books- only true priority reading like US Weekly.  Heck, I'm still on page 3 of The Hunger Games and I already saw the movie.)  

Anyways, there was a lot of hype surrounding this cookbook from triathletes and cyclists around the world.  From the beginning, I was intrigued by Dr. Lim's views on utilizing sodium citrate in his sports drinks versus sodium chloride (a common ingredient in many sports drinks).  He hypothesized that the citrate byproduct could be utilized back into the Kreb's cycle for energy, instead of building up as chloride and contributing to "gut rot."  It sounds complicated and scientific, and he's Asian for goodness' sake, so I'll take his word on this one.


I was drawn to this cookbook because it utilized simple ingredients for time-crunched athletes, and had been tested on the cyclists of the Tour de France.  Pro cyclists would secretly fill their bottles with Dr. Lim's "secret drink mix" instead of their sponsors' sports drinks since it worked better, and Skratch Labs was born.  Dr. Lim teamed up with chef Biju Thomas to create real food recipes to feed the cyclists, and The Feed Zone Cookbook is a result of this.  The 160 recipes are unique in the sense that they have an Asian and Indian twist to them and complement each other well. [I'm deliberately biting my tongue from saying anything else about other Asian/Indian fusions that didn't quite work out.]


I decided to test out Dr. Allen Lim's famous rice cakes- the chicken apple sausage version that Levi Leipheimer loves (the original rice cakes have bacon which Levi and I are not too fond of).

The ingredients are simple:

Calrose rice works best- it's sticky.
I know all you diabetics are gasping, but white rice = no GI distress

Scramble yo eggs yo, yolks and all.
 I know all you cardiac peeps are gasping, but choline is your friend!

Chicken apple sausage, cooked with brown sugar and soy sauce.
For all your non-Asians, brown sugar + soy sauce = teriyaki flavor.

After cooking the chicken apple sausage with brown sugar/soy sauce and scrambling the eggs, mix them together with the rice.

Press the mixture firmly into a rectangular pan and let it cool for around 20 minutes.

Afterwards, cut the rice into rectangles and wrap with foil-lined parchment paper, or Martha Wrap.

I am aware that these are different sizes-
the top 2 are 'boy servings' and the bottom one is a 'girl serving.'

These fit nicely into the back pockets of jerseys, and are ready-to-eat.  

Or you can make your fellow rider hold all of your rice cakes, saving precious cargo space
in your jersey pockets for essentials like shimmery lip gloss and a Starbuck's card

For those inquiring about the food safety component, the authors write that the rice cakes are prepared normally at 7am, wrapped and left unrefrigerated in the van, and the cyclists eat them anywhere from 12pm-5pm without having food safety issues.  Also, you can store extras in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

These rice cakes were a nice change from the sugary gels and gummies, and my tastebuds and stomach were happy during my long bike ride.  I actually looked forward to eating “real food” to fuel my muscles while riding and did not have any G.I. issues.  Next time, I will probably use snack-size sandwich bags instead of aluminum foil, to make it easier to unwrap with one hand while riding.

I also just made a batch of Biju's oatmeal muesli and love it.  These recipes are so easy that you can prepare them, blog, Facebook, listen to music, text message, and pack your bags for your upcoming workout, all at the same time.  

Packing up my new Lululemon bag for my run after work tomorrow with Wendy!

The authors know that we are all time-crunched and hungry, and need good fuel fast.  So two enthusiastic thumbs up from this corner, with sticky calrose rice on each!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I reserved all of next Saturday for my mom- to be spent however she wanted to spend it, and by doing whatever she wanted to do.  I figured that if she had spent more than 1/2 of her life reserving everyday to help me spend my time how I wanted to spend it, and by helping me accomplish the things that I had set out to do (via driving me there, supporting me and paying for lessons), I could give her one day. ;) Initially, she wanted to go to Half Moon Bay but also had mentioned that "hanging out in Walnut Creek or in Danville" would be fun. (I'm envisioning walks near the water, browsing Main Street storefronts, over-priced fancy meals, etc etc)

My dad filled up the air in my sister's mountain bike and my mom rode around the cul-de-sac last week.  The woman is on a roll now.  I called her today to discuss the plans for next weekend, and she told me all she wanted to do was to ride her bike on Ironhorse trail, since it's flat and newbie-friendly.  Then she proceeded to tell me that she wanted to check out my fancy-schmancy gym.  I kept asking, "Are you sure you want to do this?!?  This is how you want to spend your Saturday?"  Partly because I am in such disbelief, and also because (hello!) this is how I love to spend my weekends too...moving my body and enjoying the sunshine.  It was like talking to an older version of myself...kinda weird.

The awesome saline pool I can't wait for her to swim in!

Growing up, my mom would drive my sister and me on special occasions to a "nicer" pool in Pleasanton (Dolores Aquatic Swim Center).  This was a real treat because we would always swim at the same pool (CVHS) in our hometown, so driving farther to a bigger pool that had an actual separate diving pool and a real snack bar on premise was like going to Disneyland (for swimmers).  I remember eating licorice on the grass with my sister as we'd watch my mom during "adult swim" gracefully swim laps back and forth.  Those coveted 10 minutes where she wasn't interrupted by kids swimming straight into her or splashing around must have gone by so quickly before all the kids jumped back in the water.

So now, the tables are turned, and I can't wait to show her my saline pool and allow her to fall in love with the water again. She instilled in me a love for swimming as a child, and I am so very grateful!

Hello, twinsies!

So, our itinerary (albeit rough) for next Saturday:

-beginner yoga 10:30-11:30am (totally her idea too, I swear)

-check out the saline swimming pool and lap swim 11:45-12:30pm?

-go back to my place, get the bikes and ride on Ironhorse to a fun outside lunch destination where we can have our bikes close by near our tables (any suggestions for places in Danville/off the Ironhorse?)

This is semi-hilarious and semi-unbelievable.  At this rate, I should just register us for a Mother's Day 5K.  

Why Adventure?

In response to Drew Jacob, below is my compilation of concise answers to a complex question- "Why Adventure?"

• When you seek adventure, you can't help but to follow your heart.
• How else will you find your passion and your purpose in life?
• As humans, we were meant to grow, seek, discover, create and challenge ourselves- Adventure fulfills all of the above.
• No one ever regretted adventure, not even Aron Ralston, who had to amputate his own arm in the isolated canyon in Utah.
• Because living vicariously through another is a pathetic excuse.
• Some of the most novel ideas and lifelong friendships have been formed as a result.
• Physical adventure can act as the gateway to spiritual adventure and discovery.
• Sometimes it takes blood, sweat and tears to figure out the core of who you are and what you stand for, and this doesn't happen from sitting on the couch.
• Bubbles were meant to be popped.
• The lessons you learn through your adventures can inspire and motivate others to also seek adventure and step outside his/her comfort zones.
• Because this year, my grandma turned 105 years old, and if I live to be that old, I plan to be surrounded by fellow thrill-seekers and actively sharing stories about my current adventures.

Sunday Runday (and then some)

What a day. The excitement started last night at 8pm when I gained a last-minute race sherpa. The conversation went something like this:
Sherpa: So, do you want me to come watch you run tomorrow?
Me: Uhh, I guess so.  If you want.  It's not gonna be anything spectacular.  Up to you. It's not like I'm going for a podium finish with the way I run. (I know, I'm so good at selling myself, aren't I?)
Sherpa: I'd love to be there.  What time do you start?
Me: It starts at 7am, but I want to be there at 6:20ish so I can stand in the porta-potty line like 5x.
Sherpa: I'll pick you up at 6:15.


Sweeeet!  It helps so much logistically to have someone else worry about parking and holding keys and purses and jackets.  So that eliminated some pre-race nerves.  It's been so long since I've done a stand-alone running event without swimming/biking beforehand. So this meant that I wouldn't be able to blame my slow running on "loaded up legs after a crazy bike ride" or some BS like that.

Ready to get the party started!

I secretly wanted to break 2 hours.  The fastest I had run 13.1 miles before today was 2:02:49, and that was in 2010.  For some reason, I was visualizing 1:58:59.  I even wrote it down. (shhh! Oprah and the chick from The Secret would be proud!)


Today was my also my 'experiment' day.  I ran with my new ipod Shuffle (no armband=heaven), and I strategically set my Garmin screen to show distance and speed and NOT heartrate.  I'm so used to gauging my pace by my heartrate and I wanted to see if there really is something fantastic about not knowing, and going by "feel."  I mean, Chrissie Wellington never wears a heartrate monitor, so maybe she's on to something?
I also ditched my fuelbelt to see if I could stand carrying a flask in my hand as my 'safety blanket' between aid stations (they only had them every 2-2.5 miles along the course).

Yes, that is duct tape. And yes, I am aware that I need a manicure.

When things got hard, I thought of my Grandma and all the hard things she's probably experienced in her 105 years of life.  I told myself, "C'mon, if Grandma endured the internment, giving birth to tons of kids and raising them all, well, then you can at least run hard for __ amount of minutes."  I basically played this mind game with myself for the last 2/3 of the run, subtracting the minutes from 1:58.  Which was also distracting because I suck at math. 

Grandma blowing out her candles yesterday.

Between dodging runners in the beginning, I picked up a 'friend' around mile 7-9.  We didn't say a word to each other during the race (he found me at the end of the race to chat), but it was like a mutual understanding and respect as we ran stride-for-stride and side-by-side.  I slowed up for a bit just to make sure I wasn't invading his space, and when he slowed up too, I knew that we were going to be pacing buds.  All I was seeing on my watch were 8:57 splits when I was so used to seeing 10-min mile splits in training, so I was curious how long I could hold the pace for.  It reminded me of Macca and Raelert at the end of the Ironman World Championships in 2010 (except we weren't rivals), where they ran side-by-side, shared a sponge and shook hands before Macca went on to win the whole thing.  After the 9-mile aid station where I took water, he ran ahead.  I saw him look back at me, but I waved him on to keep going and not wait for me.  Sometimes there are people in your life who help you for a time, but in the end, everyone has to run his/her own race.

My "Macca" friend in the gray.  He came in 2 minutes before me.  So yeah, I was Raelert.

When I crossed the line and saw 1:58, I was stunned, and so happy!

Nothin' but smiles...and sweat.

They were also passing out these wipes, for gross girls like me.  

They were giving away one per person.  But the girl took one look at me and gave me two.
I kid you not.   Gross girl sweat = more freebies.  SCORE!

The wipes were perfect because I headed out afterwards with my sherpa for a 50 mile recovery bike ride.  It was meant to first be an out-and-back to Cull Canyon to see how my legs felt, but I was feeling so good that I talked him into doing the full Redwood Rd/Moraga/Danville loop.  I felt kind of bad because he was thinking we were going to do 20 miles and I roped him into doing more than double that distance.  (But I did say we could 'ride at his pace' to make it more manageable, and we could stop 'whenever.')  Isn't that a salesperson technique?  Foot-in-the-door? Or something like that?  


I made us take a mandatory rest stop at Tutti Frutti in Danville at around mile 40.  It was hot and I have been craving froyo like a mofo.  These self-serve yogurt places always get me a little nervous when they weigh your yogurt...it's like they just want to see what a McFatty you are.  But I thought it would be a little more classy than bringing bikes through the drive-thru of McDonald's and ordering a vanilla cone (yes, that thought did enter my mind).

This one's for YOU, Amber!  I'll show you this route one day.
And I'll treat you to Tutti Frutti too.

On our way back into town, I also spotted this sign...which is like a (good) riding omen since  I'll be riding for the first time with Amber next weekend!  I can't wait to catch up with this girl.  It's been literally YEARS.  In our elementary school play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I was Grumpy (hard to believe, eh?) and she was Dopey.  And now we are all grown up, and I am still Grumpy (sometimes) but she is like a buff and beautiful Snow White.  


So, all in all, a good Sunday.

It's Like Riding A Bicycle...

Do you remember getting back on a bike after years of not riding?  It's true, you never forget how to ride.  It's like your body just remembers what to do, and everything feels natural.


It's kind of like long-lost friends...You know those friends who you haven't talked to in years, but when you see each other, it's like you picked up where you left off? 


Enter Wendy.  Back in college, we were waitresses together at The Noodle House in San Diego.  Aside from its novel and creative name, it was a small Japanese restaurant consisting of 12 tables and two waitresses.  I credit my stellar multi-tasking skills to this job.  Between the two of us, we had to welcome customers, take orders, deliver food, manually calculate the bill (and you all know how much I suck at math, sorry Kumon! What a waste!), run the register and clean up the dirty tables, all while looking cute and not dropping stuff.  

Wendy is even more gorgeous on the inside than she is on the outside.  And I should get a refund on my MAC primer powder because it obviously doesn't work!

I loved working with Wendy because she was super efficient, friendly 24/7 (I would secretly sigh when I saw a family with little babies come in...um, can your child possibly dump more rice on the floor before you leave? Because I think you missed a spot...), and she was cute to boot.  Hellloooo tips!


It's been YEARS since those yakisoba and nabeyaki udon days, but the stars aligned and we're miraculously both up in the Bay Area, which is such a treat.  And, (drumroll please...) after running around in our shorty shorts with black aprons and chopsticks, we're now going to be running around the trails together!  Hooray for new running partners!


And speaking of The Noodle House, one of our fellow waiters also happened to manage a bike team.  He gave me a loaner bike to use for my first sprint triathlon.  I didn't even know how to shift gears, so I did the entire race in the same gear.  During slow days at the restaurant, he would draw on napkins and show me the formation for drafting off a wheel when the wind is coming from the left or coming from the right.  This was only the beginning.


I emailed him today to tell him THANK YOU.  Little did he know that he planted that seed and provided me with the tools to get started in triathlon.  Hopefully this summer, Wendy and I will get to see him in San Diego and I'll get to thank him in person.


Funny story...this waiter also miraculously pulled some strings so Wendy and I could ride track bikes at the Velodrome in San Diego.  I remember arriving early so we could "practice" with the fixed gear bikes and getting used to not braking. Holy sh*t.  Now I realize what a risk he took with us!  Luckily, we didn't take any guys out or crash ourselves.


I think there are so many individuals in our lives who have shaped us or planted seeds, and they don't ever realize the incredible positive effect they had on us.  Reconnecting with Paul, the waiter, was a blessing, because he really had no idea what a huge role he played in my life by just providing me with that blue bicycle, and the joy that I've experienced from riding on two wheels.