Enjoying the Process...

So often many of us are so fixated on a goal, on a certain outcome, on a destination- myself included.

One of my dad's many masterpieces, now residing at my place!

Being in the presence of a master ceramicist (my dad) and working with clay was a gentle reminder to enjoy the process.  I started out by making pinch bowls, just to get a feel for the clay.  It felt so freeing to work with my hands; to use my thumbs and transform a glob of clay into a bowl by starting from the center and working my way out.

The pinchbowls I made (left); my cup I made on the wheel (right).

My second bowl was ironically more difficult to make.  The walls became thin and as I tried to 'fix' it, it seemed to become increasingly more uneven.  At one point I became frustrated.  I was tempted to ball the entire thing up into a glob again and start over, but then decided to stop being so attached to making a perfect bowl.  I ended up folding some of the walls in and it suddenly became a star bowl. 

Working the wheel was a different story.  It took me awhile to get a feel for the clay, to learn how much pressure to exert, how much water to add to make it pliable, and how to fold my hands and cup the clay in order to center it and form it.

Working the wheel...

I asked my dad what the most common mistake he saw in people when they worked the wheel.  He answer resonated deeply with me.  "They rush the process.  They try to get from A to Z in 30 seconds.  It's not going to happen that way."

The beauty of ceramics is that you may have in mind what type of piece you will create, but it may change as you work with the clay.  It is a continual process of reworking the same piece of clay until you achieve your final product.  Similarly in sport, just as clay is constantly being reshaped and reformed, training plans sometimes must be modified.  There is no one perfect training plan because adjustments always have to be made...what if you feel more fatigued than usual?  Have life-stressors that affect your training?  Are dealing with injuries?

Modification #1: Water running for now...

Growing up, my dad's ceramics were everywhere in our house.  They graced the tables at church during potlucks, and decorated the houses of friends and family.   It was apparent that as a ceramicist, once you are done with a piece, you still continue to create more, as your work is a snapshot of your expression and manifestation of who you are.

Pieces drying and ready to be fired soon...all part of the process...

Dad found an old bowl I had made from (10+??) years ago!
Now it's going to be fired and glazed with the others.

In sport, oftentimes athletes get so caught up in a goal or "A" race.  But after they cross that finish line, then what?  If it was all about crossing the Ironman finish line for me, I would have hung up the bike and wetsuit after Nov. 2011.  I am learning that like a ceramicist, it is not about that one piece of pottery that I create, I just enjoy the process and the journey of becoming a more refined master of my trade, and making adjustments where needed as I learn more about myself, my pre-conceived limits (and how to surpass them), and how much more there is to go.  

Learning tactical group riding skills.
And how being the only girl isn't an excuse to slack off.

I have so enjoyed this triathlon journey through the years but also have to remind myself to be patient as I gain more skills, technique and mental confidence.  Be fully present.  And don't rush the process.  Just like dad said (funny how he is usually right).

Sharing the Same Spirit...

"The water is your friend...you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move." -Alexandr Popov

It's pretty awesome to finish your cooldown to this backdrop.
 I'm starting to love mornings again.

I've always thought of the water as my friend, but now I'd say that we are being reacquainted once again.  I've pretty much swam the same way for almost 25+ years...the same swivel of the hips, hand entry, "S" shaped curve down my body with my arm...

All of that is changing, and I am embracing a new technique and way of moving through the water.  I used to repeat "skewer" to myself while I swam, as a visual reminder to rotate my shoulders and hips and keep my core centered.

Coach made it clear- I'm not a kabob.  I'm a swimmer.

I'm relearning my entire swim technique; thinking quite consciously about not making an "S" curve, and instead feeling my hands pull me through the water with one streamline forward pull.  I feel like I'm hydroplaning.  And I feel faster. 

Just like swim technique evolves through time, so do we as individuals.  Don't stick to old school techniques just because they were the best way back when.  Learn to adapt and embrace change.  Trust the process.  Trust your coach.  Trust yourself.

Then you will truly share the same spirit as the water- as a fluid-like and seamlessly calm and courageous individual.

Following Your Inner Compass.

It's amazing what can happen in one week.  Just 7 days ago, I was a confused and overwhelmed mess.  I inquired about a coaching refund because I felt like my motivation for Ironman Lake Tahoe wasn't there anymore.  I was going through the motions but my heart didn't have the same drive and desire.  Looking back in retrospect, it was there all along, but it was just obscured by other responsibilities in my personal and professional world.

In our conversation on Monday, my coach promised, "You will feel better once you are surrounded by your fellow athletes."  I didn't know the truth of his words until I met with them on the pool deck Thursday morning at 5:30am.  

Pool porn for swimmers.

After a year of self-coaching, it feels so good to be coached again.  I dove in the water Thursday morning and screamed underwater out of complete joy.  It was one of the most clear, clean pools I've swam in for so long, and pure joy flooded my body.  There's something about the water that I love, and being surrounded by fellow athletes who  train just as hard is so refreshing. I get direct feedback from the pool deck about my swim stroke.  In two swim sessions, I've heard more tips on how to improve my swim efficiency than I've received in 12 years.  No joke.  And I love it. 

Plus a green smoothie. Then I'm all good.

I've found in life, it is important to follow your inner compass.  My experience with Ironman is there are always two camps- one that doesn't understand and blames the athlete for being so selfish with training.  The other camp is in awe and praises the athlete for aspiring to accomplish such a grand feat.  At the end of the day, those are both other people's opinions, which are dictated by their own inner compasses.  What is important is that you follow your heart.  If training (or whatever else takes time to develop in your life) inspires and invigorates your spirit, the time you spend with your family and friends is even more valuable because you are completely present.  

I'm lucky to have special people in my life who support me, because I can't do this alone.  Coach picked up my bike so I could have it on Saturday morning since I couldn't make it to the bike shop in time before they closed on Friday.  A special snail-mail in the card this week really made my day.  And thanks, PK, for saving me for 3 weeks so I could find my rhythm in double-day training days. 

So far, following my inner compass has been pretty darn fun...

Saturday morning's swim-bike-(water)run brick

Lulu twins with matching Zoot tri shorts! Not even planned.

Walter made some awesome homemade honey waffle Stingers.
He's now the homemade energy bar man...more incentive to keep up with him so he can feed me!

Coach's orders. I'm not complaining.
I'm still getting the hang of water running...the only thing missing are the
geriatric women next to me with loud 80's music!

It'll be interesting to see how this season unfolds.  In just one week, I've received so much hands-on coaching and tips to improve pedal cadence and swim stroke.  Who knows where all this will lead, I'm merely following my inner compass and doing what I love, and of course, enjoying the ride...

Got this yesterday.  It was first going above my headboard...
until I read it again and laughed. It's now in the hallway. 

Lessons From Acroyoga...

Disclaimer:  I am no expert in acroyoga nor in relationships.  These were just my humble observations and what I gathered from this creative form of play...

1.  Choose your friends and your partners wisely.
     They will either uplift you and support you, or they will drop you- leaving you vulnerable, injured, fearful and bitter.  Good friends and partners will allow you to feel more grounded, enabling you to challenge your fears head-on as you become your most epic self.

Testing our balance with one hand supporting my body weight.

2.  Communication is key.
     From the moment we started, we were always checking in with each other- "How does this feel?  Can you straighten your legs more?  Is your back feeling ok?  Can you hold this pose longer? I am going to let go of your hand now and grab my leg- should I shift my weight to the left?"  When your safety is in the hands (or feet, in this case) of another human being, it is important to constantly assess and communicate with each other.
    Similarly, it is always important to keep lines of communication open.  Or else someone (or both people) can end up getting hurt.

DIY acroyoga. Start with double downward dog. Pretty much failproof.

3. Start with the easy stuff and work your way up.
    This seems like common sense, but I got really excited and was googling images of these complicated poses.  There were no hard directions, so we had to guess how they even got into those advanced poses.  So we started with something simple- stacked downward dog...then a forward balance, then a backward balance.  Each time we practiced, it became easier as we learned how it should feel, got used to each other's sense of balance, and trusted each other more.
     Just like in sport, a lot of people get really enthusiastic and excited about training for an event.  They have their mind set on completing an event, like a marathon, or a 50K, and go waaay too fast out of the gate and end up getting injured.  They forget about the baby steps and how it takes time to learn technique and for your body to adjust to the new distance or activity.  I'm now back to running 5K distances and building my way back up.  An easy lesson in theory, but difficult for endurance-junkies in practice.

"I'm on a boat!"
(This was the most difficult for me...looks easy, but balancing was very difficult...)

4. But know when to stop.
    I spotted an image of a girl doing bow pose and grabbing both of her feet while balancing on her partner's feet.  Since I could easily grab one foot, why not the other?  As soon as I mentioned it, we both agreed....NO.  Not this time around.  Know your limits and respect where you're at.  There's always next time- like when there's an actual padded mat around and someone to assist your form.

The controlled release. He never EVER dropped me.

5. Sometimes the most subtle shifts can make the biggest difference.
   Doing a backbend on someone's feet was a new experience for me.  We had no spotter and a hardwood floor.  I was scared I would overarch and end up falling backwards.  But with good communication, I learned that shifting my weight back actually was more comfortable for both of us.  It gave my partner more stability in holding me.  Relaxing and breathing in the pose, versus fighting it, surprisingly allowed the movements to feel more effortless.  Learn to let go.  Breathe.  These subtle shifts can dramatically change your comfort and your practice.
   Likewise, sometimes subtle conversations can shift your entire outlook on a situation.  This morning, I was ready to throw in the towel for my 2013 triathlon season.  But after a good phone call with my coach, my perspective has changed, my attitude is much more positive, and I feel more understood as an athlete and as a person.  Good people who not only hear you, but listen to you.  There is a subtlety in this, but being the recipient of a good listener, I can assure you, it makes the biggest difference.  And tomorrow my off-season officially ends.  :)

6.  You can't judge a book by its cover.
   My partner has yet to appear on a book cover, but he has appeared in TV commercials and print ads.  He's not really a 'yogi' by trade, but he has a strong core and a good heart.  He is an artist at heart (aren't we all?), and his creativity is manifested through furniture design...

Love this! My souvenir for the night for not cracking my head open.

A month ago, I had no idea that my fellow colleague was also training for an Ironman.  Turns out she has some acroyoga moves in her too!  Lesson here: You never know what hidden talents people have.  We are surrounded by beautiful individuals and we have so much to share with each other....

Cammy and I in downward dog, following the Debbie Downer 49ers loss.

Don't make the mistake of categorizing an individual just by the way they look.  You never know who you may be double downward dogging with! 

Get out there.  Don't be afraid to try something new.  Life is meant to be experienced, tasted, felt, and grasped.  Today I did my first barre-fusion ballet class, followed by a pilates class.  You can bet my muscles were shaking!  Only by stepping outside of our comfort zones do we grow...we were not made to merely exist, but to thrive and create and BE...

Wishing you all the courage to follow your inner child...

(Huge huge photo cred to Raleigh, his fish-eye lens, and his crazy Cuban stories.  Thanks, bro!  And also to Nate the Great, who patiently continued to play photographer as we were yelling at him to use the flash and move the table...all while in our downward dog pose.  You rock. You also married a rockstar. #fitting)

Simple Truths.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do."  -Rumi

Day 29: Seated Wide-Angle Pose (Upavistha Konasana)

P.O.O. Cake

First of all, I was featured by GrowSoulBeautiful for the Day 23: Revolved Head-to-Knee pose!  I was excited because that happened to be my dad's birthday, and he was such a good sport, standing in the middle of the street to capture the perfect angle of me on the bench.  Thanks, Dad, for supporting my little adventures!  We're famous now!

My newest creation is quick and easy and perfect for those nights when you want something freshly baked and sweet, without derailing your healthy diet.  It's a single-serving dessert, made in a mug, and microwaved for goodness' sake, so you know it's quick and simple.  It's also delicious, so I am naming it the Party Of One cake.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I love acronyms.  Praveena's infamous date desserts were renamed B.L.I.N.D. date balls because those sounded more awesome. (Blended Lime juice In Nutty Deliciousness).  So keeping with tradition, this is the P.O.O. cake. 

Wow.  This post is going downhill fast.

This variation is the Pumpkin P.O.O. cake.  Seriously, it's the fastest dessert for one!

Here's the recipe:  (The Party Of One cake serves one, hence the smaller measurements)
-1 egg white
-1.5 Tb. coconut flour
-1 Tb. almond or oat flour
-1 Tb. vanilla whey protein powder
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-2.5 Tbs. almond milk
Mix all of these together and put in a mug and microwave for 1-1.5 minutes.  

For the topping, I just mixed together 3 Tbs. pumpkin puree with 2 Tbs. almond milk, a splash of pumpkin pie spice, and some sprinkles of shredded coconut.  I drizzled the finished product with pure maple syrup.  You can choose your own sweetener of choice.

There you have it folks, the fastest and most delicious and protein-filled dessert.  You can even add cocoa powder into the base cake mix and change up the toppings so it really looks like a P.O.O. cake.

Switching gears, today is Day 28, or Revolving Side Angle pose.  I've always ridden past this cool metal structure while I was on my bike rides, so today I drove to that structure and made it my yoga mat...

Off the mat. On the metal. Fun stuff.

Superfoods Make You Superfly

By now, many of you know about my not-so-secret crushes on Rich Roll and Brendan Brazier.  They both happen to be amazing triathletes and also vegan.

Reading Brazier's book Thrive and following Rich Roll's journey unfold from a busy 'couch potato' lawyer to an endurance athlete who competed in Ultraman (a double Ironman) made me very curious about how they fueled their bodies using plants alone.  Seeing how their plant-powered nutrition was a key factor in their ability to recover from hard workouts that clearly 'made a dent' and how they were able to follow it up with an equally difficult training day with just as much mojo meant their nutrition was top-notch.  Reading about the foods they incorporated into their diets inspired me to add some natural plant 'superfoods' into my own.

I started using Maca powder in my morning green smoothies, and Monday through Friday, this replaces my morning coffee.  I feel amazing.  Goji berries became a new snack, perfect for before and after swimming sessions when I need some quick sugars without a full stomach.  Goji berries are packed with essential amino acids, rich in Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin C.  For 1 oz, you get 3 g fiber and 4 g of protein.  Not too shabby!

The fact that I could swim my 100s on the 1:20 interval
without puking in the pool makes me a believer!

Cacao nibs have also become a fun dessert addition.  I've baked them into banana muffins, and now started adding them to my homemade 'ice cream' made from my Vitamix.  RIch in flavanols and polyphenols, cacao nibs are a mayan superfood that contain one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium.  In 1 oz, you also get 4 g of protein and 9 grams of fiber! 

Homemade banana muffins with cacao nibs.
Taste soo much better than GU gels on a long bike ride.

Frozen bananas, almond milk, cinnamon and cacao nibs = dessert.

Variation #2. This time with matcha green tea powder
and organic spinach. (you can't taste the spinach!)

It's been pretty fun experimenting with different superfoods and seeing how it has been benefitting my recovery from harder workout sessions.

The hugest breakthrough this weekend was being able to log a total of 16 miles running without heel pain!  I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!  I'm still rolling out with a golf ball along that plantar muscle and doing my daily exercises, but I've been so happy to finally hit the trails and get that runner's high; something that swimming and biking don't do for me.  

Yes, folks. This is what flat feet look like and the lengths I have
to go to in order to prevent blisters and chafing.

Just started running after work. Had my headlamp. Felt good.
Logged 10 miles.

Logged some awesome trail time with Cammy (aka Pinecone) after
a good masters swimming practice. This gal is a rockstar!

And yes, today is Day 27 of my Yoga-a-Day challenge.  Today's pose was the bow pose...

Bow pose up high in a tree.  Hunger Games style. 

Another bow at the top of the trailhead. You know,
since variety is the spice of life.

Hope everyone has a super week filled with superfoods...

Yoga-A-Day.

You can think of it as the 30 Runs in 30 Days.  But for yogis.  And I love it.  There's a specific pose for each day, and just like the creative challenge of capturing your daily run in a photo, this is fun because you take the poses off the mat and into the real world.

Creativity within some semblance of structure.  My kind of challenge!

Here's what I have so far...I started this challenge at Day 19 with Camel Pose.

Day 20: Mountain Pose (Parvatasana)

Day 21: Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Day 22: Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana)

Day 23: Revolved Head-to-Knee (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana)

Day 24: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

I've realized that I have the most awesome photographers who are such good sports.  I appreciate all the people in my life who support my craziness and creativity...  

What Do I Desire?

This morning I watched this...

It's a heavy and deep question.  But after 3 days of working when the rest of the world was off, I knew that today I desired to be outside in the sunshine and do some artwork.  Simple joys.

I'm halfway through Eckert Tolle's The Power of Now and it has really made me aware of how much our minds dictate our emotions and create problems because we are constantly evaluating the past or focusing on the future.

The key is to be merely present in the "now." 

He refers to gap in consciousness as similar to the one that you achieve in meditation, or during a drug high, where you are merely experiencing 'being,' or for an athlete, when you are completely immersed in that present moment.  You are focused only on the 10 feet of road in front of you while riding your bike, on your foot-strike, or the motion of your arms in the pool.  We in fact learn to crave that time of being unattached, or fully conscious; where there are no problems or fear about the future because you are solely aware of the present moment.  And in the present moment, there are no problems.  There is only 'being.'

Today I did a solo ride up and back down Palomares.  Riding alone is so therapeutic, and I could relate to what Tolle was describing.  Descending at 45 mph, I had razor-sharp focus on the road, but was only aware of the feeling of euphoria, the wind blowing past my body, and the lightness I felt on my bike.

Throwing caution to the wind and descending with absolute joy.

I know that one of my deepest desires is to express myself creatively, so I tapped into that today and pulled out oil pastels and chalk.  I used to love doing oil pastels as a kid; creating a rainbow of colors with pastels and using the black pastel to color over all the colors.  You then take a sharp object and draw or write on the black background, uncovering an array of rainbow colors underneath.

Homemade bday card for my dad; replicating the sunrise over
Lake Amador when we went flyfishing.

It's like an oil pastel analogy of us as individuals.  Sometimes you need to scratch the surface a little bit to reveal a rich array of colors and brilliance underneath.

What do you desire?  It's a good question to ask yourself.

Openness.

Open the window in the center of your chest, and let the spirits fly in and out.  

-Rumi

Trusting the Wheel in Front of You

Mid-ride stretch break overlooking Skyline. Clearly I am over my cold.

Today was my second ride with M, and I was able to sit behind his wheel for a bit and learn his riding style.  One of the basic skills of cycling is learning how to ride in a pace line and how to draft.  Stay close.  Don't overlap wheels.  When a hill is coming, allow extra room when the rider in front stands. Point out potholes.  Don't slam on your brakes.  Steady, Freddy.

Yellow Jacket and his bike...it stings when he drops me on the hills.

Early on as I started road cycling, I was lucky to be mentored by a competitive cyclist.  I trusted his wheel; I could relax an inch behind his wheel, tucked in, knowing he would keep a steady pace and not do anything abrupt.  His understanding of the road was similar to mine; I never found myself looking beyond his shoulder to anticipate changes in the road up ahead.  We rode hundreds of miles together, each taking our separate pulls, but feeling like a single unit. 

Moving up north allowed me to ride with different cycling groups, and it is always a challenge to figure out which wheels I can trust and which wheels to avoid. I've almost crashed riding behind riders who slammed on their brakes, and there are those who nonsensically  pointed out every little piece of debris in the road.  Their wheels are ones who I give myself a lot of space between, and honestly it is exhausting and stressful to follow behind them because I'm in a constant state of hyperawareness and anticipation.

Life has its parallels.

Drafting off someone's wheel requires an immense amount of trust from you.  You will learn who you can work with and who you can't.  It takes time to build trust and rapport; to develop compatibility.  Unfortunately, sometimes a wheel you trusted will do something out of the ordinary, resultantly causing you to crash.

Is it better to ride into the headwind alone?  Or take the chance and develop a sense of trust with the rider in front of you?

Solo base-building winter miles.  a.k.a. Riding into the headwind alone.

The choice is always yours.  But choose your wheels carefully.

Sunshine.

Today I stayed at home in bed, fighting off this cold and sleeping as much as possible.  Today was a reminder to me that there are amazing people in this world who genuinely care.  I think when you are physically weak, it is even more touching to have people offer to bring over soup, tea, or help in any possible way.

Captured from the 3 Bears ride.
A visual reminder of my life...there is always sunshine that makes its way through the clouds.

Thank you to all the people who are rays of sunshine in my life.  It means the world to me.

Art.

Recently I've been inspired by individuals and their art.  Although their tangible art forms are impressive, I am more moved by their ability to be fully present in the creative process and connect with their heart.  So often in life we are stifled by society's notion that we must all follow the safe 'life track' of getting a higher education, getting a stable job, getting married, and starting a family that we lose our True Selves and our ability to express our unique creativity.

Spending so much time and energy to blend in with society's norms and culture has left many of us tired and uninspired.

Oftentimes, I hear people tell me that they are not 'artistic.'  They misunderstand the beauty of art, because in reality, there are no rules.  It is not restrictive, it is freeing.  You merely create and connect with your heart.  There are no right ways or wrong ways to create.  Art is spontaneously inspired, like play... easy, nonjudgemental, and flowing.

I had the pleasure of meeting a right-brained artist in a left-brained work environment.
Place your order...www.vranadesign.com

In the artist's own words, this was "inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge and architecture. The idea of tension appeals to me; specifically holding something together versus pulling it apart."

I'm not just talking about painting or sculpting.  Art is really the external manifestations of whatever things you are passionate about in life, and it can take many mediums- through object form, music, cooking, and even sport.

Food as art.
Maki-sushi and ozoni created and prepared by my family for Japanese New Years.

Fellow cyclist Walter participated in the artistic process by creating his own
 homemade energy bar with GU gel, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and brown rice.

This year I decided not to make the typical New Year's Resolutions, as those are often driven by the mind.  I did, however, resolve to create more and connect more.  For some reason, these resonate more deeply in my heart and give me the creative space for play. 

My mani-reminder: Embrace your uniqueness.  Don't be afraid to stand out.

We are all artists, and our art is the expression of our own beautiful spirits.   I can't wait to see what we all will create in 2013.