Thursday, March 28, 2013

#1830

Dear #1830:

It's been almost one week since I first met you, yet due to the nature of our sport, I feel like I already know so much about you. 

We exist in a sport that weighs so heavily on numbers (pace, heartrate, power, cadence, miles, speed)-  even 4 numbers attached to a racebelt represent your identity... yet behind those numbers I know there is a strength and a resilience that cannot be captured by objective data.

The outsiders call us crazy, but to each other, there is an invisible thread that weaves us together because of our shared experiences, albeit very personal, on and off of the race course.  We all have hit very dark, dark places that crack us open so we can feel the center of our own soul; yet have found strength in that vulnerability that eventually fuels us forward.
And always forward.  It is a sport that continually breaks us and rebuilds us, in a physical, spiritual, and emotional sense.

I read this beautiful article and thought of you, your dad, and how toeing the line on Saturday at Oceanside 70.3 is symbolic of so much more than swimbikerun.  

When it comes to living, it is always better to DNF than to DNS.

And so, on Saturday, my dear #1830, I ask that you forget about the numbers and think about your mantra- FEARLESS.  I know you said you were borrowing it from me, but it is now fully yours to embrace.  Because what we think about, we become.  So may your head be filled with good and positive thoughts.


Your Oceanside 70.3 wristband mantra...
The famous Aussie coach always reminds us to think, "I feel good, I feel strong, I feel relaxed," and even when I'm in the middle of a horrendous hill climb, it's amazing how I say those words and my body follows suit.  You can borrow these too; I'm sure he won't mind.

Leave the fear of the unknown behind.  Race with your heart.  It will not disappoint you.

Love,
#2111


A 'lil #throwback Thursday action- Oceanside 70.3 2010
P.S. And whatever you do, don't forget the important stuff-  Smile for the camera and pee in your wetsuit before the gun goes off.  (I just saved you from being asked if people can borrow your wetsuit.  You're welcome.)


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Face Down, A$$ Up...

(Disclaimer: For those of you who are only here for the swimbikerun, skip this post.)

I could have 'yelped' them a 1-star.  Or I could blog.  So I'm blogging. 

This marked the end of my first week of 'real' running using a new technique (which left me sore in new places), as well as a beautiful and hilly bike ride today.  I knew I had a 90 minute massage tonight, so I didn't mind the extra soreness since I knew all those knots and tightness would be worked and massaged out.

So I did something that I never do- I didn't bother using the foam roller after today's ride. (ooooohhhh...) I figured that's my massage therapist's job, right?


The scene of our first (and last) date
I had the worst massage experience in my life.  So to keep my mind occupied during that horrendous time, I likened it to dating the wrong person.  Here goes...

HOW A BAD MASSAGE THERAPIST IS LIKE A BAD SIGNIFICANT OTHER

1. You don't trust them.  You have a feeling you'll leave injured.
I'm extremely sensitive to people's energy and can feel love through touch, or in this case, sloppiness.  It was the opposite of a nurturing deep tissue massage and I felt as though she didn't understand muscle anatomy, or how to follow the lines of the muscles along the body.  Her ADHD hands were all over the place without structure.  And I like structure.  It was like having a friend give you a free massage, where it feels somewhat good, but you can tell they don't have a clue what they're doing.  Well, she wasn't my friend.  And I was paying her.

2. You have to cut it short.
When you're with the right person, you want to spend more time with them.  When you're with the wrong person, all you can think about is an escape plan.  I had 90 minutes scheduled.  10 minutes in, I was brainstorming how I'd ask her to switch it to 60 minutes.

3. They try to gloss over the knots really, really hard instead of taking the time and patience to work them out individually.
Self-explanatory.

4.  Miscommunication.
This is inevitable, but it's worse with a language barrier.  Yes, I know I signed up online for 90 minutes.  No, I'm just in too much pain. (Better to pussy out than tell her she's horrible).  Yes, I want to change it only 60 minutes.  No, I didn't schedule it online for 60 minutes.  (This led to her having to leave the room to check the computer, which took 5 minutes. Which could have been 5 additional minutes banging on my tender neck).

5. They don't answer your questions directly.
"This is really tight!" (Bang, bang, bang)
"I know...it's from all the riding that I've been doing lately.  Is that considered my hamstring? Or is it my IT band?"
(brief pause)....
"Muscle! It da muscle." (Bang, bang, bang)

6.  The whole time you're with them, you're thinking about how much happier you'd be with someone else.
In the past, I had seen a great massage therapist who works on athletes and has an incredible grasp of muscle anatomy, trigger points, as well as an amazing touch.  The entire time I was being massaged, I was thinking about Michelle and how she was doing, how she was the best, and if she was free in the future weeks to schedule me in.

7.  You're relieved when it's over.
Normally, when massages end, you wish they would continue on forever.  But like bad relationships, when they're over, you can only feel a huge sense of relief and freedom.
After 60 minutes she said, "We're done!"
And the first two words that came to mind were, "Thank God!"

This was just my experience.  Wolfie came with me tonight and she had a good massage.  So maybe it's just me.  Then again, I gave Wolfie some protein powder samples that I tolerate well, and they didn't quite agree with her belly this morning.  So we're even now. :) And perhaps the take-home lesson is that with everything, whether it is protein powder or massage places- it depends on the individual.

Now...where's my foam roller?

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Let It Shine.


"And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." 
                                                                      -Nelson Mandela

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Small Wins.

It was around mile 70 when I could start to feel the tears welling up in my eyes.  My legs felt like lead.  I was dropped and watched the rest of the group ride away.  Last week at this same hill, I felt so good.  This week I could barely pedal my bike.

Keith dropped back and as I slowly rolled up to him he asked, "How are you feeling?"
It was hard to breathe because I was crying.  "I'm having a hard time.  Today is a bad bike day."


Yes, this did happen.
With the physically and mentally challenging day I had experienced, I was perfectly fine riding back at my own pace since we were only 10 miles away.  His answer surprised me.  "You didn't work your a$$ off for 70 miles to ride home alone.  We're all gonna ride back together."

The last 10 miles were a tangible reminder that in life we are never alone- there are people who act as our steady wheels, shielding and blocking the wind from us so we can arrive at our destination in one piece.


Was able to do this with the wisdom of my teammates and coaches.
In his book The Power of Habits, Charles Duhigg presents the concept of "small wins."  A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power.  Once a small win has been accomplished, it fuels transformative changes that favor another small win. This chain reaction and momentum that is created can convince people that bigger achievements are obtainable.  Even in difficult or challenging times, this momentum still continues to propel you forward.  Pyschologists refer to this as the "science of small wins." The concept applies specifically to business and work models, but I found it can equally apply to sport. 

Thinking back on past training workouts, I rarely remember the easy, good days.  It's those hard days; the ones that really made a dent physically and mentally- that I can recall vividly. 

I can remember the first time I climbed through Morgan Territory, feeling the lactic acid in my legs, and with each turn, seeing the pitch in the road curve ever so slightly upward.  Countless times I contemplated getting off my bike to "stretch" (aka. catch my breath).  But I didn't.  I kept chugging onward.  I kept moving forward.  And I remember how that ride taught me that my little legs have more stamina than I give them credit for.

Or that steep little climb right at the top of Mt. Diablo.  You know, the one where you want to zigzag your bike to offset the grade percentage, or walk your bike up, or kill whoever constructed the road at such an angle?  Yes, these are the rides I remember.  These are my "small wins."


Today's ride distance and the yummy Wolf food that helped fuel me.
Physically, there was nothing "winning" about this ride today.  But it taught me that it is important to finish what you set out to do, and there are people who look after you and help you reach your goal.  During Ironman on the lonely parts of the course when it starts to feel hard, these are the moments that you recall.  This recollection of "small wins"- the times when you resisted the temptation to quit, moved past it and finished intact- provides the momentum that fuels you to that finish line.

Today at mile 70 I said that it was a bad bike day.
I was wrong.
Today was a small win.



Friday, March 15, 2013

B.L.I.N.D. Dates


(The following is an article I wrote for North Fitness last year.  With training volume increasing, the B.L.I.N.D. dates have made a reappearance to supplement the usual gels/GUs/Shotblocks that are starting to bore the palate)... Enjoy!

B.L.I.N.D. Dates
(Blended Lime juice In Nutty Deliciousness)

“There’s nothing worse than almost marrying someone, breaking if off, and having to start over with a blind date.  It’s like failing your senior year of high school and having to go back to kindergarten.”
 -Cindy Chupack

Ahh, the month of February.  Heart-shaped chocolates and truffles.  Romantic dinners with wine and red roses.

However, for those individuals whose significant ‘others’ take the shape of a bike, a running trail or a pool, perhaps now is a good time to start thinking about ‘dating.’

At the peak of Ironman training when I was juggling double-workout days and working full-time, it was hard to properly fuel my workouts given my time constraints.  As a result, I would go into a training session either starving and burn out too soon, or I’d eat a substantial snack that would in turn, need substantial time to digest.  By that time, the sun had set, and so had my motivation.

Enter, the blind date.   A colleague of mine noticed my dilemma and kindly shared her creation- a mixture of natural energy consisting of dates, lime juice and nuts.  Oh, the joys of simple nutrition!  I appropriately nicknamed them B.L.I.N.D dates (Blended Lime juice In Nutty Deliciousness). 

Just as real-life blind dates can sometimes be a pleasant surprise, these little creations were surprisingly delicious, and served their purpose well.  Not only were they easily digestible, but the energy from the dates was quick-burning, and the monounsaturated fats and protein from the nuts kept my stomach satisfied.  They conveniently fit into a gym bag or into the back of a jersey pocket for energy on the go.  Try it for yourself!

B.L.I.N.D. Dates
-2 c. nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)
-2 c. pitted dates
-1/2 c. dried sour cherries
-2 Tbs. flaxseed
-juice from 1-2 limes

Directions: Using a food processor, combine the above ingredients.  Add enough lime juice to bind the ingredients enough where they can be easily rolled into balls. Enjoy!

Feel free to get creative with this basic recipe…try adding a scoop of protein powder, other dried fruit, shredded coconut, or even morsels of carob or chocolate for a sweeter variety.

Love is complicated enough.  Keep your nutrition simple.  Happy “dating!”

Original recipe and inspiration from the kitchen of my dear friend and fellow dietitian, Praveena Kumar, MS, RD.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Icarus Deception

"Stop swimming from behind.  Swim YOUR fast."  Coach first said this to me from the pool deck on Tuesday morning.  He repeated these words to me this morning before practice.  I first thought he was referring to my swimming tendencies with my lanemate, since I tend to mindlessly gauge my efforts on his pace.  He is a strong, steady fish, and sometimes it's easier to swim in his shadow than listen to my own body and what is my own perceived effort.

But Coach was referring to the fact that I am swimming slower than I am capable of, mostly because I like to be comfortable.  How can I get faster if I refuse to swim and challenge my body to a higher threshold of work? (notice I deliberately didn't use the word pain...)




Remember Icarus, from Greek mythology? He attempted to escape from Crete by wings made of feathers and wax.  He ignored the instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned.

I recently heard of Seth Godin's book, The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?, where he challenges the old rules of playing it safe and staying in your comfort zone in your career and life.  He flips the lesson on the classic Icarus myth, and instead praises Icarus for his willingness to take a risk and challenge preconceived notions.  In society, the real innovators and artists are those who defy traditional rules and strive higher.  They are not afraid to risk. Godin writes about how it is better to be sorry than safe.  We need to fly higher than ever.

In sport, our 'dangerous sun' is also know as our "red line"- the point that you reach where you either quit, vomit, or have to slow down.  Ironically, that line is rarely reached since our head prevents our bodies from ever coming close to that breaking point.

Most of us train in the gray zone, that comfortable place where we give some effort but not enough to make us faster in the long run.  I've been guilty of this.  I know my body and when things start to feel uncomfortable, I dial it back a little, recover and conserve.  I'd rather have "something left in the tank" than crash and burn.  I live up to my nickname at times, where I have a tendency to rest in the shadows and put out effort when I feel like I have something in the tank.  The problem is, I always have more than enough left in the tank.  I have yet to fly close to my sun because I have been afraid of the melting wax on my wings.


Exploring those limits with 3 minute TT relay efforts on the bike.
Gotta love the nickname! 
Hence, my coach's words of advice.

So today I swam MY fast, in my triathlon kit with more drag than I'd prefer.  I felt the lactic acid build up in my muscles.  I kept swimming.  I dismissed the negative thoughts telling me to slow down.  I concentrated on feeling strong and relaxed, and gliding effortlessly over the water.  I adopted the attitude of staying curious, not afraid.  Exploring my limits, and moving past them.

"Stop swimming from behind.  Swim YOUR fast."  Don't gauge your rhythm, your pace, and your path in life upon someone else's.  Pave and discover your own way.

I am still finding my fast in the pool and on the bike, and in life.  Today I came one step closer.

Stay curious.
Dance upon the edge.
Be like Icarus.


Friday, March 1, 2013

Broken.

I'd like to consider myself a pretty strong person.  But today was one of those days that rocked me to my core.  Tears fell at work.  A lot of tears.  

When your intentions are good and your actions are all done for a greater purpose of helping the situation, and it later all comes back to bite you in the bum, sometimes it causes you to question the entire system and the effectiveness of your role.

There is a garage parking attendant who has always been very sweet.  We don't know each other's names, but have developed a friendship over the past year.  He knows not to touch my badge because I'm bacteria-conscious and will drive close enough to swipe it myself.  Some days, I give him fun treats and snacks as I leave the parking garage.  Today all I had for him were the tears streaming down my face- what's the point of censoring your feelings when you have the road ahead and a box of kleenex in the car?  He touched my arm through the booth, and with sympathetic eyes he said, "Bad day?  It'll be ok tomorrow."

A phone call from a friend on the drive home helped.  It was a reminder that there are people who know my heart, my intentions, and that my work is valued.  These are the moments in life where special people, like those specks of sunshine, create a rainbow in your rainy day- reminding you to stay hopeful and keep your chin up.

Rainbows after the rain...

And like the parking attendant said, "It'll be ok tomorrow."  And I trust him.