You ROCK!

I had a really great conversation with a dear friend of mine this morning at Starbucks. I did most of the talking this morning, but usually, I am a pretty good listener when it comes to my friend. He just wanted to hear a bit more from me this morning, so I felt a need to offer some encouraging words.

Basically, when you truly LOVE WHO YOU ARE, you will find focus, calm, confidence, and control in your life. You will find that your goals, as far as feeling/looking good, your family, your job, your friends, your entire well being, will come easier to you as you have first and foremost accepted how wonderful you are as a person. Honestly, life is too short to be hung up on appearances or the way you are TODAY. Are you living out your life today the way you imagined a year ago? A few years ago? If you were to write a story about your life in the year 2010, would you say, 2007 was the year of my life?

Each year of my life keeps getting better. Not sure what it is, but I believe I attract positive things in my life because my attitude is a direct mirror to the people, places, and things around me and vice versa. For instance, when I hear things like, "You are always happy" from the lady at Subway who helps me 3 times a week a lunch, I feel good. When I hear things like, "You look healthy and so fit- keep up the good work," I can feel good about myself. When I hear things like, "You have helped me lose 15 pounds," I can feel good. When my sister hugs me goodbye and tells me "You are a great sister", I can feel good about myself. Life is good, and I feel like I ROCK.

Do you ROCK? If yes, ROCK ON. If no, get to ROCKIN' and know that it is in you- LOVE YOURSELF AND BRING OUT YOUR INNER ROCK.

Santa Barbara Triathlon- Race Report

I raced in the Santa Barbara Triathlon last weekend (August 25th) and had a mission- to take 1st in my AG again. I got there the day before and picked up my packet and did my ritual swim in the ocean at East Beach. I was staying with a friend in Summerland for the night, so I was going to be on my way to her house by 5:30pm, dinner date at 7pm. The Tri itself is a 1 mile swim, 34 mile bike, and 10 mile run. It is one of the longer tris to do, if you want to challenge yourself to a distance a bit longer than the Olympic distance, but don't want to do a half-ironman. It was my final race before Wisconsin, so my goal was to have a solid race and test my speed on my long, slow distance training legs :)

The race stated at 7am, my wave set off at 7:18. The sun was out and bright and it was going to be a beautiful day. I was one of the first to dolphin kick into the water and had a good fight out to the first buoy. It was actually pretty fun- I don't mind getting smacked around a bit on the swim. Makes me stronger... I held on to a chick's feet for the entire swim. Thanks for the pull, I was thinking the whole time. We had bright pink caps, so it was easy to follow her. My own personal buoy...

I ran out the water in the swim and looked at my watch- 25 minutes and something. Wow, I thought, 2 mins faster than last year. (Not that you can really compare, but I was excited thus far with how I felt). Must have been the Starbucks Iced Light Coffee...

Got on my bike (Gonzales) and off I went. I also wanted to ride HARD today on the bike and test my speed. No prisoners. I knew the bike course and what to expect at mile 25 or so. A few steep climbs and hopefully, not burn my legs out. I didn't want to see Clancy or Gabby at all on the ride..but, sure enough, mile 28 or so, here comes Clancy...now I have my work cut out for me for sure. Gotta play catch up now..

I sure enough caught up to Clancy on the end of the bike and we literally ran into T2 together. Didn't see any other girl in my AG on the run. So, pretty sure I was in 1st. Clancy took off like a bat out of you-know-what and I thought, either I would catch her or she had it. I have been starting my runs with major confidence this season, so all I told myself was to take the first 3 miles "easier" and then hammer it home. The last 5 were going to be all downhill anyway..so, go hard.

I got to the turn around and ran into some humorous male Age Groupers. I had some nice compliments, like "nice legs" or "good job sexy"- since when did you get this kind of harassment at races :) Bring it on...

So, here I am, having a terrific race, thinking I am #1 when I see this girl in the near distance. Near distance being .3 mile away..with about 1.5 miles to go. I am going to chase her down, I thought. I had some left in me, and regardless if she was in my AG or not, I was going to get her. Gabby and Clancy were already done..I needed her. Sure enough, I got up to her and saw a 25 on her calf. Hmmm..she is in my AG. I caught her and passed her..looked back and she was not chasing. She was done. Hah! I had her...1st in my AG- 7 mins faster than last year. I felt great- took home another tile. Clancy took 1st in her AG, Gabby 1st in hers, and Mike 4th in his. Congrats to all my friends who did the race and great job on the beer relays later at the pool- hosted by, of course, Emilio DeSoto.

Here is to Wisconsin- less than 2 weeks away. TAPER IT UP!

Carb Timing

Don't be "Carb" phobic. Especially when you are an athlete and you need the energy to perform the best that you can. You need the carbohydrates (energy in the form of food) to help your body move- to feel strong, fueled up, and energized. Well, if I do eat carbs (you might say), when is the best time to eat them? Well, check this out:

Nutrient timing when talking about starch and carbs is is so important to understand- as it is more about when you eat certain foods rather than what you eat. As you sleep, your body is using the energy (or sugar), which is given off by your liver, in order to help you sleep- yes, you are burning calories and using energy while you slumber. By the time you get up in the morning, your glycogen levels are low and to replenish these stores, you need to eat your oatmeal or whole wheat toast in the morning. Go ahead and eat your starchy carbs as soon as you get up in the morning or within an hour before or after your workout. Don't fear eating your carbs- just know when to eat them and your body will be more efficient at burning this energy and won't store it as fat.

Be smarter than your body and understand- it is not what you eat, but when you eat it!

The Way Starbucks Sees It...

I have a bad habit. It's not really "bad." I guess I feel guilty because I spend at least $10/week at Starbucks when I could just brew my own coffee at home and save a few dollars a month. But, it is all about the experience- and the "The Way I See It" on the back of my Americano in the morning (or afternoon..or night). 3 weeks until my Ironman and so I look forward to any unexpected motivational signs or words of encouragement. Tonight, before I tossed my cup, I gave it a read.

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up"- Dean Karnazes (Ultramarathoner).

How appropriate, especially after my workout today. My last big brick until my 2-week taper heading into Wisconsin. Today, my workout started with an 11 mile run, followed immediately by a 90 mile ride, then followed by a 6 mile run. I started at 6:30 in the morning and ended at 2:30 in the afternoon. Then I had a shower. Then I ate. Then I napped. It was a perfect day. I felt great, and honestly, I never felt like I needed to walk- I ran the entire way and finished strong. It felt good to see this quote tonight on my cup. Good Coffee Karma.

Here's to a great week!

Accountability

According to Webster.com, Accountability is defined as:

Main Entry: ac·count·abil·i·ty Pronunciation: &-"kaun-t&-'bi-l&-tEFunction: noun: the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.

Responsibility to account for one's actions is the most important part of this definition. If you are wanting to reach a goal- whether it be to become more fit, or to race in your first marathon, or to qualify for Kona- no matter the goal, you must be willing to take the responsibility to follow your plan for which you set out to reach that goal or accept the consequences if you don't. As a coach, my role is to make sure I am doing the best that I can (i.e. being the most responsible for my motivation and inspiring actions) toward my clients and if they are not reaching their goals, I am held accountable. That is right- I personally hold myself accountable. That is my job. To get you fit and to coach you in a lifestyle that is healthy and will get you the most fit of your life.

That said, you (the client, the athlete, the student) must also hold yourself accountable for your actions. If your actions are not in line with your goals, you must take responsibility for the lack of results. No one else. Ask yourself before you eat that cookie- will this cookie get me closer to my goal? Ask yourself before you go out and drink that 5th beer- will this beer get me closer to my goal? Ask yourself before you skip your next workout- how will taking another day off get me closer to my goal? Be real. Be real and responsible. Get accountable!

Do You Want a Swim Workout?

If you are wanting to change it up in the pool and try some new workouts, check out my new article on Active.com.

http://www.active.com/swimming/Articles/Four-Focused-Swim-Workouts.htm

Remember, get in and swim at least 3 times a week to better your time in your races- you can recover faster from hard swim workouts than you can a hard bike or run workout. Plus, during the summer, you can get some Vitamin D- but, try to stay healthy and smart in the sun. Wear the sunscreen and drink tons of water- even during your workouts.

HAVE FUN!

Barb's Race- 2nd Place!

This past weekend, I had my 2nd Half-Ironman of the season- Barb's Race, held in conjunction with the Full Vineman Ironman. The location of the race was pretty much ideal- held in Sonoma County- swim in the Russian River, Bike around the rolling hills of Sonoma, with a run around the town of Windsor- hilly, to say the least. The weather was pleasant- but 92 degrees. Very warm, indeed. I felt confident, however- as I have been training in the heat for most of the summer. And, mental preparation is key in a Half-Ironman.

I had one of the best races of my life there, as I raced a minute faster than Oceanside- on a tougher course. I took 1st out of the water- swam a sub 28-minute 1.2 mile swim. Then, heading out on the bike, I got passed at mile 2 by a girl that looked like she was in my race, but I wasn't sure. I kept going, but didn't see anyone else pass me. I got on the run, in the heat of the day, and told myself to be conservative for the first few miles. Then, by mile 6, I would pick it up. Well, I picked it up by mile 4 and I felt great- nothing stopping me after that. I finished and saw that girl that had passed me on the bike finish at least 20 minutes ahead of me. Turns out she is a pro and, wow, did she have a great race. I finished in 5 hours, 8 minutes. And, I ended up 2nd Overall and first in my Age Group. I was stoked!

Wisconsin, here I come...

Amino Acid Supplementation for Summer

Ever heard of BCAAs? They are Branched-Chain Amino Acids, which essentially help your body produce more amino acids for growth and repair of muscles, in addition to giving you more energy for your workouts. However, there are some studies out there that say that BCAA supplementation can be especially good for when you exercise in the heat. According to the Sports Supplement Encyclopedia (Antonio, Stout, Edition 1), research within the last decade performed by scientists at Rutgers University has shown that BCAA supplementation during heat stress (94 degrees or warmer) increases endurance in cyclists- the BCAA group lasted 16 minutes longer than the placebo group. How cool is that to know when you are in the peak of summer, heading out for your 3 hour ride on a Sunday afternoon- worth a try? I personally have used BCAAs both during my workouts in powder form and in pill form and I have definitely noticed a positive difference. I do agree that other sups I take during training in the heat (Endurolytes) are also helping, so not sure how much of the benefit is coming from the BCAAs. However, more athletes are trying BCAAs (not just endurance athletes) and- if nothing else, having extra amino acids in your body while you are trying to build strength and get stronger is not a bad idea. Happy Training!