Pay It Forward (#13: Be a Volunteer for Once at a Running/Tri Event. Pass Out Water Cups. Cheer Loudly.)

"Thank you for being here."

These five words make such a difference.  It's funny, because these are the exact same words I would tell the volunteers as I would run by the aid stations, grabbing water or pretzels and then continuing on my merry way.

I'll be completely honest, I had no idea what PIC and I were in for.  I was thinking, sure, arrive at 5:30am, head to the designated aid station area, set up and cheer!  

It was freezing cold this morning, drizzling, muddy, and dark.  The Brazen Running race directors were so incredibly organized with all the details, even down to the amounts of water gallons going to each aid station.  We had to load everything into the cars- trunkfuls of water, cardboard garbage cans, signs, tables, plastic bins of snacks, then drive to the area, unload everything and set up before the runners arrived.

Did I mention it was cold?

I was manning the snack station.  There's something awesome about being a registered dietitian and organizing rows of Mike and Ike's, M&Ms, potato chips, and cutting up PayDay candy bars.  This year, the bibs had the runner's first name printed, so I could cheer by name.  I remember at Florida Ironman as I was struggling during the marathon.  Hearing random bystanders scream, "Looking strong, Julianne!" was such a motivator.  I mean, I was clearly not 'looking strong,' but hearing my name really perked me up.  So I had fun staring at bibs and cheering personally for the runners.

PIC and me, working our 'corner'

We later realized the dixie cups were meant for the snacks, not water. Didn't get that memo.

It was definitely an eye-opening experience to be on the other side of the race.  There is so much work that occurs behind-the-scenes in order to create a smooth-running event.  Oftentimes the participants are never aware of it, myself included.  I now have a deeper respect and appreciation for all race directors out there...thank you for all your work to keep us athletes safe, well-hydrated, well-fueled, and on the right race course!

After a good lunch and a solid nap, I had an urge to swim, and swim long.  A common epic workout is the New Year's Day 100x100 swim set.  It's awesome if you have 3 hours to burn on New Year's Day, but I had 3 hours to burn today.  I was really inspired.  You have to be incredibly inspired to pull this off, so I just went with it and packed some extra treats to keep me going that long.  

Since I couldn't run a 10K today, I decided I would swim a 10K.

I had just completed 4,000 yards when this guy in the next lane started profusely apologizing to me.  Apparently, he almost dove on top of me because he didn't see me (it was around dusk.)  I had no idea; I was just doing my set.  I finagled him into joining me for my next 10x100s.  Company is always better.  After that set, he threatened me, saying I'd put him in the ER if he kept swimming at that pace, and he was getting out. 

I continued the rest on my own.  It was so hard to focus at the end.  The fatigue from the early morning was starting to set in.  But I finished, and the beautiful full moon was shimmering in the night sky over the pool.  Sights like these are forever etched in my mind.  Epic swims are rewarded with epic sights.  It's only fair, I suppose.

Solid swims= solid recovery nutrition.

They always say, "Thank the volunteers."  Now I can say that yes, it makes a difference to hear those 5 words...they are so appreciated by everyone, and it makes the numb fingers/toes, early wake-up call and manual labor totally worth it.   To all my blog readers, I will say this to you, "Thank you for being here." 

Making a List...and Checking it Twice...

...that would be Santa.  I made a list and I'm checking things off.

#3: Paint Some Pottery
My dad is an amazing ceramicist, and it was always a treat to accompany him while he worked the ceramic wheel and threw pots.  Back in the day, my sister and I used to play with the clay and shaped it into things since we were too young to work the wheel. 

This past May, my grandma passed away.  As my aunt was going through her things, she found a worm that I had made for her.  She was always fond of small, collectable trinkets and miniature animals, so perhaps this was my intention to make her something small and special, knowing that she would like it.  I later found out that I had named it Lowly, after Lowly the Worm who was a character in the Richard Scarry stories that I read at the time.  

Lowly the Worm. My first pottery piece that I made for my grandma.

This was apparently my artistic inspiration, according to my dad. 

Today I got the worm back and it made me cry because it was a reminder of my grandma and how she took amazing care of the fragile, small things in life.  She was 105 years old, and she had somehow managed to keep the worm I made her when I was just 6 years old.  In this life, we have so many things.  My grandma was so grateful and content with the little she had, and this was reflected in the way that she took immaculate care for the material things she called her own.

Switching gears...
This past year (yes, this is how long it took for me to find a fellow pottery painter!), I was itching to paint some pottery.  I asked a lot of people if they wanted to paint.  I got turned down repeatedly.  But at least everyone was honest- "I'm not artistic!  I'm not creative!  That kind of stuff stresses me out!"  I think 99.9% of the people I asked would rather have a colonoscopy than walk into a ceramic studio and paint.  But I found the 0.1% who happens to love this kind of stuff and finds it relaxing and a creative release, so off to Color Me Mine we went.  

It's so fun, you can choose a blank piece and basically paint whatever you desire.  You can freehand or use stencils; they fire your piece for you and you pick up your finished product in a week.  There's something about the intention and love that goes into creating a gift.  I made a mug for my PIC with symbols and pictures that reminded me of our adventures and of our friendship.

Painting for PIC, with PK.

If you want to exercise your right-brain tendencies or feel particularly creative and artistic and want to paint pottery, well, you know who to call.

#15: Discover a Beer That I Actually Like
It only took a beer flight at The Trappist and a friend to discern my facial expressions to narrow it down...the dark imperial stouts seem to be up my alley.  We also got voted best dressed couple by the bartender. Too bad they weren't giving out free beer for prizes.  And too bad we're not a couple.

The Old Rasputin was the winner winner chicken dinner here.

Even the vomit-worthy sweaters didn't ruin the taste of Dogfishhead Palo Santos!

#30: Try Maca Powder
No, not Chris Macca.  If you're curious what this is, you can read about the benefits here.  But now that I've been putting this into my foods for the past week, somehow I feel like I'm stronger and invincible, like how Macca used to be...when he was winning Ironman Wold Championships and before he started DNF'ing. 

I've officially hopped onto the green (smoothie) machine bandwagon.

With my recent Vitamix purchase, it's been easy to incorporate this into my morning green smoothie.  I've completely stopped drinking my morning coffee during the week to see if my energy levels  can be maintained on plant power alone.  So far, so good.  I throw a teaspoon of maca powder into a mixture of organic dinosaur kale, spinach, apple, frozen berries, Vega Sport base, glutamine, matcha green tea, ginger and cardamom.

Today I knew I needed more carbohydrates to fuel a 66 mile bike ride, so I did my usual pre-ride breakfast of oatmeal, chia seeds, cinnamon, BiPro protein, and added a teaspoon of maca powder.  It may be all psychological now, but I feel better!  We'll see in a few weeks, but Rich Roll uses it, and, well, I'll leave it at that.  That man is a plant-powered, maca-munching machine.

Fueled by oatmeal and maca.  And some (liquidgas) coffee.  (It was FREE! Who can resist free coffee?)

Anyone else have natural supplements that they have found to boost recovery and energy levels?

Forgiveness and Gratitude.

I am no expert in these two areas, but I have learned to appreciate them much more in my life recently.  Yes, it's hard to forgive.  But when you fully 'unplug' your circuits from a hurtful experience or person and stop investing energy into the past, it is amazing how revitalizing and freeing it is to live in the present.  Unattach yourself completely from the pain, anger and resentment.  Look forward with intention.

On the other hand, to be the recipient of true forgiveness from someone you've hurt (either unintentionally or intentionally) is a beautiful thing.  Some people in this world are lucky enough to receive such grace.  I am one of them.

Allowing forgiveness to be a prominent theme in my life during these past few weeks has opened up my heart and has enabled me to more clearly see the world and people's true souls with utter gratitude.

Grateful for good chiropractic help for my heel.

Grateful for my first relatively pain-free run in 3 weeks.

A year ago when I started this blog, I was focused so intensely on my own hurts and wounds that it was difficult to consciously adopt an attitude of gratitude.  But now I realize the power of our thoughts and intentions, and how focusing on the positive things can dictate how we navigate through our lives.  This small shift in thinking can affect major changes in our physical and mental realities.

Rumi knows what's up.

My dear friend Praveena told me about this idea of a Gratitude Jar.  Did something amazing happen to you during your day that you're thankful for?  Write it on a slip of paper and put it in  your jar.  Did someone say something nice to you that made you feel grateful?  Write it down and drop it in the jar.  Keep this up throughout the year.

At the end of the year, instead of coming up with stressful New Years resolutions, rather, you can go through your jar and recall all the moments, thoughts, comments and people in your life that you are grateful for.   Join us both as we fill our jars up and embark on this gratitude journey in the upcoming year.  Forgive whatever happened in 2012.  Look forward to 2013 with acceptance and gratitude. 

When Life Gives You Lemons...

I don't like to give much energy to an injury, but this is my modern-day 'lemon.'

Luckily, it's not broken.  After 7 miles into a run, it literally felt like I was running on a broken left foot.  The x-rays confirmed that there was no hairline fracture, just a heel spur.  Two weeks off from running has helped, although now it seems like two weeks is still not enough time.  The race directors for Coyote Trails were awesome and credited the 1/2 marathon I was supposed to run last Saturday towards a future running race.  Score.  I encourage you to run a race to support them.  Register here.

So lately, I've been making lemonade that looks like this:

Therapeutic swim sesh

Saturday spin with soon-to-be Ironwoman Cammy

Solo chilly ride after the rain.

Not being able to run has made me even more grateful for the fact that I can still swim and bike.  Today I did my favorite 50 miler loop, making sure to enjoy every single Redwood tree, curve in the road, and the beautiful fall leaves changing colors.  I first learned of this route in the winter of 2006; there is a special something about this crisp and cool time of year and riding all bundled up in layers and feeling the chilly wind upon my cheeks.  I was so aware of my surroundings today and did my best to take it all in, all while enjoying the therapeutic nature of spinning out my legs and the thoughts in my mind.

Beauty from two wheels...

It has been an interesting detour in my training, and I am curious to see how my 2013 race season will unfold.  But like I've learned this past year, sometimes all you need is time and patience.  And things always miraculously work out for the best.

Everything needs time to be fully realized.  Even tea.

Going With the Flow (#14: Meditate Consistently for One Week)

Yoga doesn't get much attention on this blog.  Until now.  I have this competitive streak that mostly shows its face in sport.  I like to strive, to push, to dig deep, to win.

You can't win yoga.

Through the years I have learned to be more accepting of my body in yoga.  Early on, I used to strain and pride myself on being able to do 'advanced' poses.  No blocks for me, thank you.  I'm flexible.  I had no concept of the breath- I was too busy holding it just to keep my balance in an unassisted asana.

Luckily now, I have a deeper appreciation of my practice, my breath, my awareness.  Although I am still learning to let go.  During one class, the teacher gave us the option of going into headstand or bridge pose.  Immediately, my instinct was to take on the headstand challenge (for the record, I can't really do a headstand).  It seemed as though everyone in the class was stabilizing themselves into the headstand, until I saw someone who I fully respect go into the (easier option) of the bridge pose.  I followed her lead.  I felt a sense of relief and of acceptance as I humbly arched my back and wiggled my shoulders underneath my body.  I took a deep breath in, and then exhaled.  This is where I'm at now.  And that's ok.

I let go.  

This concept  of 'letting go' within my yoga practice has assisted me as I started my meditation journey.  Yes, it's a struggle at first not to think about my to-do list for the day, but after awhile, it became easier to gently release those thoughts.  Instead, I would be still- and in this stillness, I'd invite other thoughts in, allowing them to marinate in my conscious, and then lovingly let them go.  I started specifically practicing metta meditation and have experienced amazing breakthroughs in my personal life from just one week.  

My favorite meditation spot- in front of the fireplace on my bolster

The inner athlete in me is learning to finally be still- without the need to pause the Garmin...to finally know what it feels like to be more grounded.   Sometimes less is more.  Yoga blocks aren't crutches, they are just props.  

When you experience acceptance and forgiveness towards your physical body, this can be strongly translated into your meditation- which ultimately results in huge transformations in your external world.

Trust me. 

#22: Make A Vision Board.

I'm sure most of you remember a few years ago when The Secret became so popular that it wasn't really a 'secret' anymore.  This was based on the law of attraction, which is said to work by attracting into a person's life the experiences, situations, events and people that 'match the frequency' of the person's thoughts and feelings.  What you think about becomes your reality, whether positive or negative.

I know when I'm sweating on the trainer and want to call it quits, most of those thoughts can quickly turn negative.  Knowing I'm a visual learner already, I wanted to create a vision board to focus on while I was on the bike trainer.  Mental cues and catch phrases have always worked well for me in the past.  With Ironman Lake Tahoe being my second Ironman, things this time around are much different and I want more than anything to mentally enter this Ironman stronger than before.  I want to be focused, strategic, and have my race be successfully visualized beforehand.

Making this was fun.  I've always loved arts and crafts as a kid and have felt like the right-brained side of myself has been stifled ever since college when the majority of my work was predominantly left-brained.  I had magazines open and cut out whatever images or phrases spoke to my heart.

Last week's retreat made me realize the importance of meditation and mindfulness in both sport and in life.

Can't get much clearer than that!

Nutrition is always part of the equation.  And this year I want to be able to handle any situation.
Especially if it involves flat tires.

My vision board this time around was strictly triathlon-based, but you can expand them to include all areas of your life.  What you believe, you can achieve.  The beauty of the vision board is that you are seeing your final product, your destination, your goal, and all you do is focus on that.  Don't worry so much about how you will get there.  Those details will work themselves out in due time.  The beauty is that you can allow your creativity and your spirit guide you as you merely piece together things that inspire you. 

I had the pleasure of meeting an incredibly special person a few weeks ago.  She is also preparing and doing her own Ironman, although not in the form of swimbikerun.  She has decided she is ready and willing to make small and doable changes in her life to regain back her health, and ultimately her life.  She is also working on her vision board.  Our journeys are very similar.  We will both learn the value of how our daily choices affect our long-term goals.  We will both have setbacks.  We will both pick ourselves up and keep moving forward, knowing we have a team of supporters on the sidelines and at the finish line for us.

If you're reading this, M, I'm so proud of you.  Not only am I excited to see your vision board, but also to witness and experience the inspiration in your life story.  Because vision boards aren't just for dreaming, they are meant for action.  

#5: Attend a Yoga Retreat.

(This is an excerpt from my journal entry from Day 2 at the Depth and Stillness Yoga Retreat)

Finally finding silence.  Settling into it.
It's uncomfortable at first.
Like a new yoga pose.
At first you are aware- hyperaware- of the tightness,
the clamor, the discomfort.
This feels so...unnatural.
Breathe.
Exhale.
Allow yourself to be fully conscious.
For once, don't try to change anything.
Just accept the sensation, the thoughts
with kindness, compassion, non-judgement and
Gratitude.
There is a subtle shift.
The tightness dissipates and melts,
unveiling a clarity of mind.
Grounded.
In silence.

The sacred space I shared with 11 beautiful women who demonstrated their strength and vulnerability
in both their yoga practice and their journeys in life. 

Legs on the wall = a good night's sleep

Hike in the Enchanted Forest.  With a disenchanted map.

Operation BeYOUtiful in full-effect.

SImple truths even at tea time.

The Redwood trees and mountains did offer a sense of refuge for me, but I found the true refuge rested in the sense of shared community with my fellow yogis.  Within the room was a warm, raw energy of strength, grace and vitality which created a tapestry of interwoven desires to become our best true selves both on and off the mat.  

Refuge.

Refuge: 1) Protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship.  2) A place providing protection or shelter.  3) A source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble.

Refuge for this run = my car. The dark shape in above middle picture is the mountain lion.

Yesterday's run-in with the mountain lion at Coyote Hills made me thankful for those 'safe havens' that we have in life- whether they are places or people.  I am grateful for those people in my life who I find refuge in- you know who you are.  With life and all that it throws at you, it is important to have a support team that you can feel safe being your raw, transparent self with.  

I also treasure those places that give me peace and reinvigorate me, all at the same time.  It used to be in the water, but lately I've found those places to be deep in the trails with a canopy of Redwood trees and the sound of the wind whispering in my ears.

Skipped Happy Hour for happy trail time.

Change is beautiful, especially on the trails.

Banana slugs after the rain also found solace in the Redwoods.

I'm looking forward to these next few days and the opportunity I will have to unplug, meditate, re-center and re-focus.  And to enjoy the refuge that the mountains and Redwood trees will provide me with. 

#1: Grow Some Sprouts

I'll preface this post by saying that I almost killed a succulent plant once, so clearly my thumb isn't green.

A few years ago, I attempted to grown sprouts the 'old-fashioned' way in mason jars and cheesecloth.  I'm sure many people have successfully done this, but I didn't.  I was so disgusted by the final product.  What appeared to be a confused mess of half-grown broccoli sprouts actually confused me and I wasn't sure if they were moldy or edible, so I ended up chucking the entire thing into the trash.  

Lately I've been obsessed with putting sprouts in my meals.  Aside from the added nutritional benefits, I love the zesty flavor they add to my salads.  I realized how much money I was spending on microgreens and spicy sprouts and thought it would be fun to grow my own.  

Making the transition from store-bought to home-grown.

However, this time around I needed a more fool-proof method.  Like a kit.  Enter Hometown Seeds, a company that profits from wannabe spouters like me.  They also have a wide selection of organic seeds.

Sprouting kit.  I ordered organic daikon, radish and broccoli sprouts.
 It came with alfalfa sprouts (the iceburg lettuce equivalent of sprouts)

Soak your seeds 8-12 hours prior to placing them into the trays.

The four layer dish design gives you the option of sprouting a variety of seeds that allows for adequate drainage.

Daikon sprouts are on top, beet sprouts are underneath...

Just rinse the seeds with 2 cups of water twice a day.  I like this tray because it's easy and convenient and doesn't take up much counter space.

It's like "set it and forget it."  Kind of.  

Trying out the fresh daikon sprouts on my bed of beets, arugula, cucumber, tofu, red onions and avo

Sprouts topping and enhancing the flavor of tri-color quinoa with shiitake, edamame and wild salmon.

I'm on a sprouting craze right now, so let me know if you'd like to sample some.  $2.00 a bag.  Kidding. 

#8: Figure Out My Strengths Using Strengths Finder 2.0

"People who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.  You cannot be anything you want to be- but you can be a lot more of who you already are."  -Tom Rath, author of Strengths Finder 2.0

After 30 days of working on my weakness in sport, I was ready to figure out my strengths in life.

I'll admit, I've grown up learning that the way to success is to work on my weaknesses.  In piano, I would repeatedly drill passages until my fingers gained muscle memory and I no longer made mistakes in that part of the piece.  In basketball, I practiced dribbling with my left hand so much that now when I go towards the basket, I drive to the left side.  Ironically, my weak hand became my dominant dribbling hand. 

When I first heard about this book, it intrigued me.  Of course!  Why haven't we been working on our natural strengths all along?  Why have we focused so much on improving upon our weaknesses that we are left so tired and unmotivated?

The book comes with a unique access code that allows you to take an online assessment.  You have 20 seconds to answer each question in order to capture the instinctual, top-of-mind responses, and based upon your answers, you will be given your top 5 strengths (out of a database of 34 talent themes).  By investing time and energy into your natural strengths, you can achieve many more things in a more enjoyable way. 

Here are my top 5 in order:
1. Maximizer

2. Empathy

3. Futuristic

4. Achiever

5. Activator

I encourage all of you to check out this book and take the assessment test.  Included in the book are ways to build and hone each other's strengths once they have been recognized.  Once you've established your top 5, let me know what yours are...so this way we can grow stronger together and fill in each other's gaps- allowing everyone to live deeper and more fulfilling lives. 

I guess it really is that simple after all.