Triathlete in Transition

Right now I'm all about finding happiness, building my health base and being fit (with the goal of getting even fitter). This blog is a continuation of one I wrote on my health in late 2014. I realize I've talked about all this stuff before, but as the journey continues I want to dive deeper and share new updates. Personally, it's also a way to track progress, my state and understand all this even more. 

In fact, I was recently inspired to open up about all this thanks to a recent conversation with my friend Alan Couzens, who got me thinking. He says there's a performance pyramid and we need a health base before expecting to achieve high levels of athletic performance (or any quality performance for that matter, I'd add). Read his full post here. Then you can read below why I couldn't keep climbing the ladder of success in racing...

~~~

the past decade
I've been my own worst enemy. I've let my Type-A perfectionist tendencies get out of hand. I was an addict.

I've lived my 20s as a crazy triathlete chick and it's shaped me into the woman now (the woman who's about to turn 30). But the truth is, triathlon and me, well, we were going down a road that was not healthy, and I couldn't deny it or fake it any longer. Don't get me wrong, I loved triathlon then and I love it now. It is something that's brought more happiness than words can describe. Of course, it's also brought me frustration, tears, and tough times. Whether good times or tough times -- it's all made me stronger and taught me the best lessons.

But the life I was living was simply not sustainable. That "road" I was going down... it was like the lion was always chasing me, and I allowed it. I was in a constant fight-or-flight state, almost always stressed. Heck, my tendency to be stressed out goes way back, even before I started triathlon. Sport just emphasized it even more. My hormones were totally out of whack or non-existent. For a long time, who knows, I ignored the signs, put my head down and persevered, letting my ego and stubborn head rule the way. I was convinced I had to train and race. I loved to race. I needed it, craved it. For most my eight-plus years doing triathlon it's all I wanted to do no matter what. Even if I felt on edge or like blowing up, I never dreamed of actually throwing in the towel. Rough patch? Just HTFU. I always kept going, signing up for the next big thing.

I was certainly fit, I was fast (probably could have been faster lol ;)), but I was fragile. I could shine on a podium then just as easily crumble. I'd build back up simply to trash myself again. It worked for a while, and I got decent results, but like I said it was not sustainable.

OC Duathlon 2010, fit but fragile in action.

Same 2010 race; I had a good showing against the top
studs including running/racing against Olympian Julie Ertel,
 but I actually blew up with injury, and it would be the
end of my full season of racing... Podium, then crumble.

I didn't mind trashing myself and walking that fine line. I was an addict. I liked it in a masochistic way. Along with that, I certainly cheated legit recovery. Thankfully, I was introduced to MAF concepts in late 2011/early 2012, and the seed was planted. But by then I had five or so years of racing under my belt, and no doubt had dome some "damage." So, while MAF workouts were integrated into the program with success thanks to Lucho, I didn't immediately adopt the Maffetone training and lifestyle. First, I would have to fall down again so to speak (or sometimes quite literally like breaking my wrists lol!) before I could pick myself up and make the change.

When 2013 rolled around, it was sort of the last straw. The one thing I never wanted -- for training to feel like a job/chore -- started happening. Dang! Granted, I was really fit and PR'd at Oceanside early that season (2nd AG and earned a 70.3 worlds slot that I already had earned at Steelhead 70.3), and felt on Cloud 9. The weekend after I won a local sprint. I wanted to believe I was on the verge of my best yet in sport.

But I was not. 

"Athletes who lack such a constitution [of a heathy system] find themselves perpetually overtrained or injured -- no recipe for reaching the top!" says Couzens in his 'Health Base' post.

For me, it was all downhill from there -- or perhaps, it was actually the beginning of finally going back uphill. That was a year I was training for full Ironman and 70.3 Worlds, of course I was, haha. More than ever, I'd be rushing around, training like a maniac, working/living life to the fullest, but holding this pent up frustration about who knows what, and that would manifest into unpredictable moods, irritability, fatigue and stress that I could actually feel. Then I'd get mad at myself for being irritable because I know damn well I have a good thing going on with a rad job and pretty cool life. I'd tell myself I had no right to be annoyed, bitchy or whiny. (Btw as we all know now, the rest of that 2013 season turned into shit... great learning experiences, but shitty racing on my part nonetheless, including some dumb mistakes of just not thinking about things logically....)

Tough times at 70.3 Worlds in 2013, I was not happy.
Sadly, I was not loving it.

My addiction to sport and the pressure I put on myself to train and produce tremendous results year after year, just got to be too much, and it stopped being fun. Worse my performance and health plummeted. Look, had I wanted to be a pro triathlete and have the very real pressure to perform at the highest level (lifestyle and all), I should have just gone all in. But I knew I didn't want that. However, I think part of me felt like I had to live and train like a pro, even if racing pro was never a goal of mine. I think pro triathletes are incredible people and they live an extremely difficult life; I have the utmost respect for anyone who is pro or wants to go pro. Anyway, I was confused, in conflict with myself, and I simply not being honest with my goals nor my present state. As such, I was blocked from being my best self. I feel totally at fault for letting my ego get out of hand, being stubborn, and riding a rollercoaster of up's and down's with sport.

It took a toll. I know deep down I was not totally naive to it all over the years. Hell, I would never coach anyone with this "method" nor recommend it as an healthy, effective lifestyle. In fact the opposite is true. But, for me, I was being stubborn. Thankfully I was big enough finally to put a stop to it.

For the record, it's not that I totally lost the ability to be happy, fun, and sane. Deep down I know I am a happy, fun-loving, positive and optimistic person by nature; that didn't entirely pack up and leave.  

~~~

onwards

The end of 2013, in Hawaii after the IM World Champs,
finally understanding, ready, open
to making changes!

Since that November post here's the latest:

As I said then, I had to start working my ass off to mend things. It started with my health and the plan of attack. With that underway, I experienced great initial progress. At this point, I've been able to quit ALL supplements that were in place for repairing and healing -- those were just temporary. Which is good because it's much cheaper not to have to buy all that stuff regularly ;) Nowadays I stick to just the regulars -- fish oil, a little CoQ10, NAC, B vitamins, a little D, Mg, some collostrum -- but even those are not on a regular schedule and I'll go days and days without anything. The only things I take regularly are probiotics and MAP amino acids.

In Nov, I talked about how great I was doing. But I was still in "stage 1" if you will, the initial repair stage. And still just figuring things out in my head. Then it was more about fixing the big issues in my body.

Now it's about re-growth. Mentally, spiritually, physically and even in my gut (building good bacteria back in there after the killing phase).

I think I was still holding back a bit through the end of last year, allowing stress to randomly sneak in. I recall one particular episode where I broke down from feeling overwhelmed, over-stressed, rushed, and a loss of control. That weekend -- I vividly remember it -- I literally, honestly, truly just let it all go and said, "Fuck it, this is the last time. I want to be happy. And whatever I want to do to get there is what I'll do. No more of this stressed out bullshit. There is no reason for me to be overwhelmed -- really, no good reason!"

Since, my stress levels and stress management are the best they've been in years, maybe ever. Ok, so maybe it's been a few months, but I'm committed in a new way and do not foresee a setback. Making these conscious decisions to choose happiness and choose to eliminate stress work. Those past attitudes of irritability and worry rarely if ever make their way in, and if I do feel myself wanting to "go there" (sport or otherwise) I recognize it and am great at turning it around. I have more patience, I'm chill, happy.

So in addition, there's the physical progress. I can feel my body thriving (hormones are back in action; I feel like a whole woman again). All natural, no supplements. I feel incredibly strong and solid, not Ironman strong, but a different kind of strong -- a well-rounded strong that makes me feel like I can take on the world. I'm not saying triathlon makes you weak -- but when you're stressed and you deplete your body of everything, you are the opposite of thriving. You are constantly catabolic and breaking down, unable to repair and build back up. Now that I'm no longer chronically in that state I see my ability to grow and repair flourishing -- quite literally, I can build and hold more muscle and strength nowadays. I haven't given up endurance training to achieve this new strength, but I have decreased it as well as changed my approach. Yes, I am doing more strength training/strength activities too (like SUP). And without biomechanical imbalances holding me back as severely as they once did, I can build a well-rounded strong body.

Plus, a crucial component: I finally adopted the full MAF lifestyle (not just sporadic MAF workouts). It's leading me to believe, I think there is a formula in which one can achieve great health and performance. I'm trying to explore that and be an example of it.

In fact, this health + performance stuff is a hot topic, and a conversation I often have with Maffetone, Chris Kelly, and most recently Alan Couzens, who believes athletes at the top must be healthy:

"I've heard it said that elite athletics and health are mutually exclusive, i.e. that, at the very top of the sport, athletes are riding such a razor's edge of overtraining that none could be considered healthy. I don't agree with this, and would actually go as far to day that at the very top of the sport, the athletes who are able to consistently turn in top results are only able to do so by having a very strong base of general health," says Couzens.

new stuff
In this process of letting go, something rather unexpected happened: I became ridiculously excited about a million other athletic/active pursuits, and I have a ton of new fitness goals these days. Detour if you will. I think part of me expected to just get back to just the regular triathlon routine. But apparently not, now I'm interested in everything from mastering kettlebells to SUP to backpacking to exploring the world, and exploring my mind and body's potential.

No matter what, I am still a triathlete/multisport/endurance athlete to the core. I still love swimming (ocean!), biking, running. I still am the person who logs workouts on TP daily. I am and always will be a competitor. I've just shifted my priorities. And, eventually, I truly believe it'll come full circle and I will turn out to be a better (tri)athlete.

Obviously I can't go without mentioning the marathon training. Running (the way I'm doing it) is different -- it's manageable, it's chill, it's fun, it still gives me a little something to work toward. And it's a good test of my ability to not regress back to the addict tendencies. I can get good feedback for my "health base" that I'm trying to build. What kind of progress am I making? How much can I handle before needing rest? What kind of recovery I need to feel fresh again? How's my overall energy and moods? Managing weight/diet... staying well.... a good experiment.

So far so good, I suppose, and I'm not obsessing over the need to train like crazy, nor reach a certain volume, mileage or intensity. I'm just letting it come. My goals are loose, and I'm certainly not in it to go sub-3 or anything crazy. I'm in it for the journey not the end result. Plus, it's incredibly fulfilling and enlightening to work with Phil Maffetone and learn from him -- granted, I'm probably not the ideal athlete because I'm not giving up my life and going "all in" for the marathon, nor am I following any plan whatsoever.

In addition, my priorities are MUCH more focused on being an excellent coach and podcast host these days (not to mention a great girlfriend, friend, daughter, sister, human, etc....). The changes I've made are not just about me, they're about others especially those closest to me, and I want to be my best for everyone -- and be a good example. I love the idea of helping someone find health, happiness and performance at the races, the right way. I love simply finding/making the time to spend it with loved ones, or donating my time for a good cause. The old me, the train-a-holic, was not like that for fear I'd miss out on some miles or simply because I was just too trashed from training to want or be able to do anything else. Not anymore.

~~~

let it go and just be happy & healthy...

...I think that's the biggest way to find and build your health base. And to get here, a lot of us will have to give up those nasty behaviors and habits that are unhealthy. These changes are not always easy to initiate at first. In my opinion, it's about keeping your ego in check, following your heart, and no bullshiting (no secret goals to still self-destruct and obsess over data, for example).

Let go of whatever it is that's blocking your happiness, even if it stings. Choose to be happy, and choose health. Choose you. Your well-being is not to be decided by your friends, peers or race results.

 "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -  to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Life certainly doesn't suck.

This is an interesting chapter in my life, and I like documenting it, and learning more about myself. Instead of a shiny new PR or race report, this is the real side of growing up and doing what's best for the body and mind. For those who can go through a lifetime of sport and never have these hiccups like I've had, you rock. But for those of you out there who've struggled, I hope this can help.

~~~

Also, stayed tuned because I'm going to rock the blog with all kinds of interesting posts!

Giving up Gum, and More on 'Bad' Habits: Go Cold Turkey? Moderation? Or What?

I gave up gum. I was addicted for years. Substance of choice? Orbit... Trident... It may sound frivolous, but it's a nasty little habit and I knew it was doing me no good. There were days when I would chew more pieces in than I'd like to admit. Just imagine the wasted money going toward that habit. Ridiculous. Not to mention the negative health effects, which are real. I'm kicking myself for the years of not letting go sooner.

Warning: DANGEROUSLY addicting (this brand, especially!)

I am so excited to have broken this habit that I want to share with everyone, and hopefully inspire more gum addicts to quit -- I know you are out there; I see plenty of athletes popping in gum especially those concerned with body image and staying lean, using gum as a tool to control eating. So here's my story...

Background
I don't know how or when the gum habit got bad. It must have been my early days at SDSU. It went from being innocent -- a random piece of gum here or there to freshen breath or whatever -- to a vicious habit that was a tool for controlling appetite. (Yes, I do believe my gum addiction has roots in its use as an appetite suppressant; read my blog on suffering from anorexia). Whatever I was doing, gum was around: Working at The Daily Aztec (endless hours editing and writing), during class, working out, before and after meals, at parties.

When I became a triathlete I chewed while training, all the time. I was already addicted but it gave the perception of keeping my mouth moist and seemingly prevented dry mouth, which in retrospect is probably a stupid idea on my part. I have no idea if this is a legit reasoning, but I wonder if I caused some dehydration due to artificially altering my perceived needs for hydration? Hm.

I felt symptoms but ignored them, i.e. often by the end of the day after chewing frequently I'd have bloating and gas all the time (this was likely related to other gut disorders that were "brewing" by this point, but I was clueless to the severity at the time). The bloating, gas and strait-up stomach pains would get incredibly uncomfortable especially when I was around others at work or socially or in class (holding it in), and it was also very annoying to walk around looking bloated to the point of pregnant. But I didn't let that stop me from gum.

For the record, I didn't race with gum in my mouth because I didn't want it to give me GI distress, nor would I chew gum the few days before a race, which shows I knew better! That alone should have been a red flag to never chew it at all, right?!

This habit continued into recent times, and because I work from home (or in the gym, or out in the world coaching) and have a "chill" job environment I could chew gum whenever and didn't need to worry about whether it was "professional" or not. I would always have gum on hand, and never ran out, I made sure of it. But it in bulk at grocery stores or on Amazon and always had a stash around.

Holy hell, I even dressed up as the Orbit girl for halloween in 2010! #issues #lol

The Science of Gum & Why it Sucks
Research shows that gum can help with weight loss or weight control in that it helps prevent over-eating or eating certain things; it can even help prevent the consumption of sugary/sweet treats (1). Unfortunately research also shows that there's no reason to believe gum is effective for suppressing appetite or limiting calories intake (2). Zero-calorie sweeteners in gum may actually stimulate appetite and drive you to eat, and may cause weight gain (3)! Why? Because your brain is smart. How I understand it, when you ingest these substances that have no calories (i.e. artificial sweetener/sugar-free gum), the brain gets the signal that it is time for calories, and the result is food cravings -- sugar/carb cravings in particular.

Furthermore, the artificial sweeteners in gum wreak havoc on the gut and our health (including potential long-term complications). Just how? Recent research is showing that artificial sweeteners "alter the gut microbial communities, leading to glucose intolerance in both mice and humans"(4). Glucose intolerance can lead to a slew of problems from Type 2 diabetes (on the extreme end) to loss of muscle mass or fatigue (5). There's not necessarily concrete evidence to show artificial sweeteners negatively affect insulin response, but with the other associated risks, it doesn't seem worthwhile to have them.

The fake sweet stuff is linked to neurological problems, cancer, you name it. It can even negatively affect your ability to produce natural digestive enzymes, meaning you cannot break down food well. The Food Babe wrote a good article on this. She suggests, instead, chewing on fennel seeds, which I may just have to try! She also mentions the brand Spry being safe (in low doses), and I agree that can be ok (and perhaps socially smart after a garlic-heavy dinner lol). However, this is not something I've done since quitting -- I went cold turkey.

With all these negative health effects and appetite issues, in my opinion I want to think that gum probably has some sort of negative effect on not just your health but... athletic performance? I don't have research to back that up, and don't quote me, but it seems possible.

Why & How I Suddenly Quit
It's easy to read all the potential harms of gum, and hear my anecdotal evidence of why it's disruptive and an unhealthy nuisance, but to pull the trigger and quit a habit? Not as easy. We as humans will still do the things we know aren't necessarily good for us, I don't think I need to cite that fact ;)

I briefly tried quitting gum in the past, and usually I would do good at cutting back during peak race season when I was racing a lot. Or last year I cut back when I started fixing my gut health (with good results). I actually held off on gum-binges for once, and would stick to just a handful of pieces a day, not having that bad of associated symptoms. But then more crept back in and I didn't stop it. My gum addiction wasn't even a conscious habit anymore... it was just a response, and something I always did. Tons of pieces a day...

Enter my homies:

Dr. Phil Maffetone

&

Chris Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive.

I'm always having ongoing email conversations with Chris and Phil. I told them both about the gum habit earlier this year, and that was the catalyst to finally quitting! Admitting my little secret to two guys whom I respect a ton and two guys who I know do not approve of such a thing made me accountable. I am a strong girl, but my brain apparently is not strong enough to break this habit on my own. Phil and Chris both sternly suggested I quit, as if there wasn't even room for discussion. Just do it. I didn't want to let them down. I knew I needed to kick the habit, this was my chance.

So for me making it public to others -- Phil, Chris and now on this blog -- was a very effective way for me to commit to changing habits, and following through. It doesn't mean I'm weak, it just means there are certain tactics that work for me when it comes to extremes like this.

In fact, talking with Chris, I told him I thought I was having a gut setback from some symptoms I was feeling (including that bloating and gas in the evening, and whatnot), so I sent him a list of everything in my regular diet -- including gum -- and it was like, "bingo!" He was like, "Tawnee... c'mon!" And it made sense whether I liked it or not because it is true that I think my gum chewing had recently increased as I mentioned...

Furthermore, upon starting to work with Phil, he had me do a diet log/snapshot into what I eat (side note: I do this as well, and I think this should be part of a coach's program -- ask when interviewing coaches, or ask your current coach!). Not surprisingly, Maffetone doesn't stand for artificial crap in the diet! Gum was out.

And with those two guys giving me their "zero-tolerance policy" on gum, I said to myself, "It's time. Let's kick this habit once and for all!"

And that was it.

Oh and two other things helped me quit: 

1) John and I made a bet/deal on what I would have to do if I chewed any gum (and that's a secret between us lol).

2) I am out in the world promoting clean eating, good gut health, and the ultimate in health and wellness and I couldn't go on any longer chewing the very ingredients I was against!

Quitting: Cold Turkey or Moderation?
I won't lie, quitting the gum addiction was terribly hard! Cold turkey was the only way to finally get the result I needed. There was no "weaning off" and no "just keep it in moderation" as I had tried before...

Speaking of moderation, Maffetone just wrote a wonderful article titled The Moderation Myth, give it a read here. I can go both ways on his argument. Personally I think some things in moderation are good for us and prevents us from being too extreme (i.e orthorexia or some other eating disorder). Letting loose on occasion may help us not get overly stressed. I see some folks who are just way too worried about every little thing they put in their body -- those are the folks who I think can let go of the fear and enjoy a little more balance/moderation. But I see how the "word" moderation or "letting loose" can go wrong. Sadly, using these phrases just turn into an excuse to continually indulge or do the things you know aren't the best choices. Personally for me there are some things I can control in moderation and be just fine (i.e. wine, chocolate, caffeine), while other things I have to be careful (i.e. the gum) because I like many others can easily get addicted and once what was in moderation is now in excess. (Hm, perhaps training went this way, too.)

Back to gum and quitting.

For 1-2 weeks, I experienced intense cravings for gum for a solid week or so, and they were worst after a meal. Not shockingly, if the meal had something like onions and garlic the cravings were even worse, but in those cases I'd go brush my teeth (also not to offend anyone). I just did my best to ignore the urge to grab a piece and I focus on something else -- including sometimes just resting my jaw and mouth. I noticed a slight increase in having little tiny snacks after a meal like nuts or fruit, and I can see how popping in a piece of gum can prevent those unnecessary snacks. But on the other hand, without gum I find that I am better at eating a meal, stopping, and not grazing throughout the day... when I chewed gum my brain was always thinking it was time for food so I probably snacked more frequently! Now I can just turn it off until it's time to eat again.

So, my take on quitting a habit that you know is unhealthy: Just have to suck it up and go cold turkey. Taking a road of moderation usually means that habit will come back -- I'm a perfect example of the times I eased up on gum; it always came back.

Results
Finally the cravings stopped, and I totally stopped thinking about gum. In fact, in the grand scheme, it didn't even take that long -- just the two weeks of self-discipline to let go, then poof, FREE!

Most importantly, am I symptom-free and do I feel better without it? YES. In quitting gum, I noticed a few positive results right away: bloating, gas, and any discomfort GONE -- especially the kind that I would get in the evening after a day's worth of chewing pieces. Gone just like that, no other diet tweaks. Soooo lovely and long gone are those times when I'd be straight up uncomfortable with my stomach/gut in knots from the gum.

It also underscored the damage the gum alone was doing. I'm glad I found this out and know that it wasn't a worse issue that I was going to have to figure out (i.e. a parasite, etc).

It's worth noting, while giving up gum, I've also cut back drastically on stevia. Not totally but stevia can be addicting where more and more creeps in, and I had to let it go. I haven't replaced less stevia with more sugar for the record. Instead, I'm just tasting real food on its own! (For the record: I'm not limited servings of real sweeteners like a good local, raw honey, or maple syrup.)

References:

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21718732

2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471015313000123

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/

4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25440050

5. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/glucose-intolerance.html

This Coach Gets A Coach

Dr. Phil Maffetone and I clicked as friends since we first met a couple years back, and I always felt like we'd end up doing some cool projects together outside of just his occasional guest appearances on Endurance Planet.

In fact, I've asked for his advice on various topics dating back to 2013 -- no shame at all asking training/health/coaching/life advice from one of the world's most respected coaches! Who knows, maybe he respected that about me -- that I am not a girl who's shy or timid and I am eager to learn and ask questions. He has always graciously and thoroughly helped me, except for when he's off the grid. In those cases I just don't get as quick of a reply, ha ha. (Btw, Phil's abilty to go "off the grid" is one of the things I love most about him; that's not easy to do this day in age but I think we all could use it a bit more in our lives.)

Well anyway, Phil knows I'm passionate about his MAF Method. So around fall 2014 we started talking about bigger projects. I don't think I'm at liberty to expose all the secrets for what's in store for the future just yet, but he and I have been chatting much more frequently including skype sessions just to go over things.

During one such conversation this year I was picking his brain on how he coaches/advises athletes, and I was asking some questions I had about my athletes, my own marathon training, etc. It was really fascinating. And then it hit me. In order to move forward on certain projects with him I felt the best way to really learn the MAF Method style of coaching is to have Maffetone himself coach/advise me! So I just asked him if he would do it; why not?! I just threw it out there in typical non-shy Tawnee fashion. He said yes! (That would have been awkward had he said no, huh, lol.)

I honestly had zero intentions of asking Phil to coach me prior to that chat or at all... it just hit me in the moment of the conversation and it felt right to ask.

So, that was back in January, the week I did a MAF Test, and since then we've been grooving together and I'm learning so much. I'm also learning much more about how I want my own coaching career to evolve, and I couldn't be happier with the path I'm on. Phil's not the kind of coach who writes workouts. He hasn't once laid out a weekly schedule in my training peaks. He does it differently, and in upcoming blogs I'll give you guys more insight on what exactly that entails. It's brilliant, and makes so much sense to me.

It's worth mentioning that my BFF Lucho (just in case you don't know, Lucho is my former coach, and co-host on EP's Ask the Coaches) does know about this, and he is totally stoked and supportive. I mean, the only I reason I stopped having Lucho coach me was because of me -- it really was an "it's me not you" situation. Lucho and I both knew I had to halt structured training and racing, and instead get my health back together. But Lucho and I are (obviously) still the best of buddies and just last week we agreed that there's no one outside our family with whom we talk as frequently. And it's been that way since 2011. That's pretty special right?! We love it! I think he said something like, "It will be so awesome for you to work with another coach and will make you a better, smarter coach." Exactly.

Anyway, so you can expect more stories on my training and working with Phil... I'll let you guys know what it's really like ;) If you have any questions for me, let me know!

First SUP Race

I was hesitant to get into a SUP race at this point. So far I've viewed stand-up paddling as my little sacred activity in which I don't want to get wrapped up in data or feeling like I need to train for it and be on a schedule. It's not triathlon to me, it's not running. That said, I did buy a 12'6 race board so it's safe to say I wasn't totally just looking for a cruisey activity. Plus, when I go out I am, of course, trying to improve, get stronger and most the time, go fast.

In fact, one of the things I love about SUP is the way it challenges my mind and body in new ways. It's not like running where I can zone out. And not to diminish running -- it's complicated! -- but SUP is an activity that I think requires a special skill set and lots of cognitive training. It turns out I may be onto something here; take a look at the Sweat Science blog on brain plasticity in skill vs. endurance sport.  

Anyway, so when my sister proposed that we do a local SUP race a few weeks ago I initially said, "No way... Uh-uh... no thanks." But then this little SUP race -- just the 4.5-mile short course -- started sounding more and more intriguing; it would just be a cool experience. So then I said, "Sure what the hell." No expectations... Just like my first-ever running race (Lake Hodges 10k in 2007) where I had no idea what I was doing but somehow landed on the podium in 2nd.

Spoiler alert but I didn't have any such dominance in my first SUP race, haha! However, I did have just as much fun. I am so freaking glad I ended up changing my mind and doing it!

The race was in Back Bay, Newport Beach, which in itself was intersting because just across the small bay from where our SUP race started is where the Newport Beach Sprint Triathlon takes place, a race I've done and podiumed at a lot. It was weird to see that triathlon course and cyclists riding along the bike path while I was getting ready for an entirely new adventure. In all honesty, I was totally content with SUP on the agenda ;)

Let me back up.

Another reason I was hesitant to do the SUP race is because of this marathon training stuff, and I didn't want to sacrifice my long run quality for the weekend. But then I realized this marathon isn't everything. I want to have fun, and I want to keep a good balance and healthy perspective on things. So, as any crazy endurance athlete would do...

I got up super early the day of the race (a Saturday), ran 8 miles @ MAF averaging 8:30 pace, ate the largest sweet potato I've ever had in one sitting (with eggs and avo), hit up the farmers market, then hit the road for the SUP race, which had a convenient 11am start time. Not to mention the SUP race was only $25 to sign up! Man, I am liking this sup stuff even more ;)

It was also another perfect SoCal winter day -- in the high 70s/low 80s and blue sky+sunny by the time the SUP race started. In addition to my sister racing, my parents did it as well! Mom and dad... ah, my family. Too much lol!

The race was incredible. It was mixed watercraft so participants on everything from SUPs to canoes to outriggers and prone paddleboards. There were about 150 people racing the short course (there was also a long course that was 9 miles; I was tempted but it started early and I did want to do that run). We paddled 1 mile to the start line and I used that as a warmup and to practice some "race pace" speed and form. I could spot the legit SUP'ers as we headed out... damn they looked good and definitely most of them were younger than me, maybe some late teens/early 20s. Plus some dudes that were just build like rock.

It actually went by relatively fast, but don't get me wrong -- it was a nonstop grind of power, strength and intense focus for a full hour -- and, man, that was a new experience unlike any triathlon, running or cycling race I've done. It was like doing pullups for an hour. Oh ya, and I didn't fall!

Here's the play by play:

When the gun went off I had a brief moment of "that" feeling... the butterflies in the tummy and the surge of adrenaline to goooooo! But it honestly was not as intense as when doing a triathlon. From there it was 57 minutes of HARD paddling, out and back. My sister opened a gap of about 20-25yds on me until the 1/2 way turn around, at which point I caught her (my turning skills were better) and she never got me back. She's a better swimmer and really strong so it's no surprise to see her so good on the the SUP. But I couldn't let anyone in my family beat me ;)

Meanwhile the other SUP people were kicking my ass, for real. It didn't bother me... what I wanna know is how they paddle so damn well though, even the girls who are much smaller than me. Technique, I know, but I want to learn that!!

There was one chick who was sooo buff in the upper body and incredibly fit, but not disgusting buff. More like the kind of strong I dream to be. If I am guessing correctly, she and I were in the same division -- SUP 12'6 Open 20-39 Women -- and she won. I looked her up (duh) and turns out she's an Olympic medalist in sprint canoeing. She went ~43 minutes.... I went 57 minutes. In fact, the top few girls in that division all went sub 50, and sure enough they're all sponsored "elite/pro" racers.... Then there was my sister and I bringing up the rear in 6th (me) and 7th (karlee), literally the last two in our division hahahaha.

To be honest, where I finished in the rankings didn't bother me one iota. Hell, I've only ridden this new SUP board like 5 times, and when I first got it (December) I was still wobbly, slow and just trying not to fall. So to already be racing? Pretty cool indeed.

And I bet none of them ran 8 miles prior to the race ;)

And speaking of triathlon/running races vs. this SUP stuff. I really really liked how STRONG the SUP race made me feel during and after. In a triathlon normally I'm just depleted and dead by the end and falling over, but the SUP race made me feel like superwoman -- even after. Like that jacked up feeling you get when doing a gnarly strength training session.

Anyway... I don't foresee SUP racing to evolve into the way I've been about triathlon/running/cycling... but I will definitely still do these things for a fun kick in the butt and as a quest to hone in on the skill. It's a blast! Why not?!

In the meantime, I'm off to bed... I am signed up for an all-day kettlebell training course tomorrow, one of Pavel Tsatsouline's SFG classes (formerly RKC) down here in La Jolla. I'm really into Pavel and his philosophy of training right now. Brilliant.

The MAF Downhill "Test" & A Historical Lucho Blog

Somewhere between podcasting, coaching, SUPing, strength training I'm still finding the time to hit the run miles ;) And honestly loving it! It's weird to think I'm so geeked out on just running and not triathlon right now. How's it going? Well, I'm not marrying myself to the data, and half the time I still forget to put on my HRM, but if you must know I was proud of getting in a 40-mile run week a couple weeks ago. That kinda run volume is unheard of in my world (maybe a bit in 2011 and 2013 when I trained for Ironman and was getting in those long runs).

The 40-mile week also included my regular strength training, some other stuff, and, randomly, my first-ever SUP race (1 hour of paddling hard; ouch!), so needless to say I was kinda impressed that I got through all that in one piece feeling pretty darn good. Sorta... the following week I listened to my body and run mileage decreased to 28mi total (plus all my other sports; still a 12+ hr week). Generally I'm finding without trying I am getting in 10-13hr training weeks but keep in mind in that I include yoga, all strength training -- easy functional, heavy weights, or otherwise -- and SUP, which isn't always that intense. So it is light years different than a 13-hour week the way I was training back in ~2009ish (i.e. way too much intensity, way too often). Now I'm mostly MAF -- minus the occasional fartlek or apparently a SUP race (more on that soon... but for the record, I didn't break records entering this race and instead got it handed to me lol!!!).

Anyway let's get to the point of this blog: 

Downhill running MAF style and why it rocks.

If you think MAF is "boring" and slow, think again because there are plenty of ways to keep it interesting. In addition to the traditional MAF Test of 3-5 miles on a steady course (i.e. track) Maffetone is also a fan of having athletes do a MAF Downhill "Test" (or perhaps not really a test, and rather a workout with a specific downhill focus that's repeatable). It's not complicated... (although, anytime the word "test" is used all of a sudden it's this big thing lol. It's not).

MAF Downhill Test

How to do it? 
Locate your downhill section (a 1/2 to full mile is enough! Grade can be -1% to -7%). Run a few miles to warmup. Finish your warmup at the start of your downhill, reset watch or set new lap, and run downhill for a period of time at MAF. Stop watch when the section is over. Some folks will now find that it's hard to keep HR at MAF without it plummeting, and this is a great exercise as I'll lay out.

The keys to making it work:
1) it's on a repeatable section of road or trail.
2) It's an ALL-downhill grade.
3) You hold MAF HR (you gotta trust your legs and go fast!)
4) You calculate avg grade for reference. (For example your pace will be way different on -1% vs -6%)*
5) You do this relatively fresh but no need to be fully recovered.
6) After a while, repeat the workout and see how pace changes at the same HR. Easy.

*I've done a couple of these tests now; one was 1 mile of a -1.5% grade, and the other also a mile at a -6% average. My avg paces were in the 7's vs. 6's, respectively (at MAF).


Now the bigger question, why the heck do this?

WHY do this test???

(in a nutshell: to train smarter, not harder)

1) Get in "speedwork" without killing yourself. Not in the traditional sense because you're still maintaining your max aerobic heart rate, but downhill running at MAF HR can replace speedwork early in one's base building phase in terms of developing a fast leg turnover and basic speed; this pays off as the season progresses. If you are on a strict MAF plan and just run flat and slow you never have a chance to get those legs really moving fast; downhill running fixes that.

2) Develop neuromusclar fitness. This is similar to #1, but taking it a step deeper. Neuromusclar fitness is training the nerves and muscles -- the brain-to-muscle connection -- and it's one of the most powerful tools to developing specific fitness. In this case, the downhill running at MAF trains the movement pattern and skill of fast running and efficient turnover, without the cost of high intensity. The benefits are great for your races in which your body will now be familiar with this faster leg turnover and speed -- because the brain knows what it feels like to move fast and knows how to "turn on" those speedy legs!

3) Build eccentric strength. Downhill aerobic running is also GOOD stress that helps you get stronger. And it can tell us some interesting stuff about your body. For example, how sore did the initial downhill test leave an athlete? Then what about the 4th and 5th time? I bet not as sore...  Over time this downhill running at MAF can develop eccentric strength namely in the quads, and you reap the benefits in your racing! I remember several years ago getting back into trail running after some time off and the descents wrecked my legs with DOMS... but within a few workouts no residual soreness. Amazing how we can adapt.

4) Frequency. Again, since this is a low stress/good stress workout you can add downhill running at MAF often -- at least a couple times a week -- without blowing up. Heck, if you are like me and you live in a hilly area then downhill running is simply synonymous with running! That said, for the "test" portion I like to control the variables and bookmark those workouts as important data, not just a run that had descents.

5) Controlled motion. I find that fast downhill running is the BEST way for me to achieve total awareness and control of every moving part, and avoiding chaos. The proprioceptive benefits of this are endless. If truly running fast, you need a strong core, stable ankles, good footing, strong arm drive, chest up and looking ahead (not at your feet always), and the list goes on. Just great stuff. Especially on trail. Nothing like bombing down a steep trail on two feet.

6) More testable data. As long as you control the variables, you get another data point that we can re-test to evaluate aerobic fitness progression, strength, health and speed. In your re-tests you'll want to see improvements over time of course, but these could be subtle improvements, i.e. less soreness the next round even if pace stayed about the same. I love this for my athletes because there's a great conversation and analysis that comes from the progression of these specific downhill runs!

~~~

Furthermore, to quote Maffetone's Big Book of Endurance Training:

While building your aerobic base, you can help develop more leg speed without the need to train anaerobically by doing downhill workouts. I refer to them as such because I first employed them with athletes running downhill, but this workout can be used for many activities—running, biking, cross-country skiing, or skating. This workout allows you to go at a faster pace without the heart rate rising. The increased pace is accompanied by a quicker leg turnover, in the case of running.

For example, at a heart rate of 145, if you can run at a 7:45 pace on flat ground, then running down a hill at the same heart rate will force you to run much faster, perhaps at a 6:55 pace depending on the hill’s slope and distance. A cyclist may be cruising at 17 mph, and on a nice long, but moderate, downhill can average 28 mph at the same heart rate.

Using a long downhill that’s not too steep, you can train your brain to turn the legs over much more quickly than would ordinarily occur during a run on a flat course—all while staying aerobic. If you have a long steady downhill that takes you ten minutes or longer to complete, you can derive great neuromuscular benefits. It’s important to be sure the downhill is not too steep a grade, which may force a runner to overstride, putting too much mechanical stress on the feet, knees, hips, and spine. Even on the right grade, your stride length should be about the same as if you were on level ground.

If the downhill run is short, such as five minutes, you can do downhill repeats, walking or slowly running up the hill while staying aerobic to start your downhill interval again. Some treadmills can be adjusted to slant downhill, which is a nice alternative for runners.

I often suggest one or two downhill workouts per week, not on consecutive days, during the base period. Even though you’re aerobic, this workout does add more good stress to your body, and it’s best to assure recovery by not using the technique on consecutive days. When properly done, most athletes don’t feel much different from any other workout, but some may feel a slight or mild soreness in some muscles indicating the new activity. This workout need not be very long—runners can go forty-five minutes while cyclists up to an hour and a half, including warm-up and cool-down. These workouts will also help you further develop more aerobic speed.

There you have it!

 One more important thing to share:

I found this gem written by Lucho from 2011. Honestly Lucho gets MAF just as well as Maffetone himself. Trust me, I am a student of MAF Method, I've known Lucho since 2011 and Maffetone since 2013. I talk and collaborate with both these guys a lot (lucho weekly, maffetone at least 1-2x a month). You wouldn't believe their similarities, their approach/knowledge and their style -- just wow.

The weird thing is that Maffetone now has a beard, but Lucho shaved his off lol.

MAF Test - I Did One.

I had a long chat with Dr. Phil Maffetone today on Skype (he has a beard!), and that motivated me to collect some of my own data by doing a legit MAF test. Well, talking to him motivated me, not his beard lol ;) I don't do a lot of testing for myself anymore because, to be honest, it's really the last thing I want to think about after doing all that for my clients very regularly. But I'll admit, it is fun to get in some useable data and to see where my aerobic fitness is at currently!

That said, I do a lot of MAF running already, and have an idea of my normal MAF pace on my regular routes, but they're not really tests in the sense that the variables aren't usually controlled for and most my routes are hilly and involve random stops or whatever. So by legit test, I did a proper warmup, and landed myself at the high school track for 5 nonstop miles on a controlled, flat loop, no hills, holding my target MAF HR, and if it spiked or dropped I got it back to MAF within seconds. Running 5 miles on the track really wasn't boring, and I actually really enjoyed it. I did have to dodge all the high schoolers at track practice and whatnot, but oddly we're not allowed to run on the track when school's in session so I had no choice but to do it at this time (or wait till weekend, but I didn't want to do that). Anywho...

Test Variables

Location: Laguna Beach High School Track

Time of Day: 2:53 pm start (not normally my ideal running time, but I felt great and decided to go for it. Normally I'm a morning runner)

Temp: 73 degrees F and overcast (perfect!)

Playlist: Girl Talk (All Day album)

Shoes: Pearl Izumi Em Road M3s, they're old but one of my fave pairs

Target HR: 151 (MAF = 180-age, thus 180-29)... that is close to being 180-30 = 150 ;)

Previous Test Data: n/a. Couldn't find, and it's been ages anyway, but right now normally on rolling hills I'm running 8:20ish avg.

Warmup: Non-run dynamic exercises at home followed by running to the track - 13:51, 1.48 miles, 9:22 avg pace, 139 avg HR, which included walking up a steep flight of stairs to get to the high school and trying not to spike HR. My HR was comfortably at MAF when I started.

MAF Test Results

Avg pace: 8:06

Avg HR: 151

Miles: 5.00

Time: 40:30

Splits 

(lap, avg pace, avg hr):

1 - 7:51 // 151

2 - 8:02 // 152

3 - 7:56* // 152 

4 - 8:16 // 151

5 - 8:23 // 151

RPE: Very easy and relaxed.
~3-4 on scale of 1-10.

I'm pretty happy with those numbers. The pace dropped off more than I would have liked to see, but some dropoff is expected. In fact Maffeone wants the first mile the fastest and the last mile the slowest, otherwise, he says, you didn't warmup well enough.

I ended with another 1.7 miles of cooldown, running home, averaging 144 HR for that (didn't go too hard lol). Honestly, the whole thing went by very fast and I felt incredibly relaxed, loose and at ease during the test. Thanks to all my MAF practice, holding that effort was very comfortable and natural, nearly a conversational pace.

I think the next 16 weeks of marathon training are just going to get better...

For more on MAF HR and the MAF Test:

http://philmaffetone.com/180-formula

http://philmaffetone.com/maf-test

*During this lap I stopped for 20 seconds, literally, do grab a drink from the drinking fountain. I was kicking myself for not bringing water and was feeling thirsty, so I had some out of the public fountain and it tasted like butt, and it didn't settle well (I'm a water snob!). Wondering if it would have been smarter to skip it lol. But I think that contributed to slightly faster split due to the very quick rest. 

Training Love, Detox Update

Sometimes I get turned off to blogging because I want and feel the need to add pictures, but pictures take forever to upload/format on blogger so I'm going to skip 'em when I feel like it, and instead you can get all the latest on my Instagram account if you wish (pretty much the same photos I would end up posting on here anyway lol)... Cool?

Ok, January update.

I'm kinda loving this running stuff. I love working toward a new goal in a new way with the run. And before I say what I'm about to say, just know that I'm still 100% dedicated on the marathon/run focus so far this season. But, just as I get in a groove of running, all of a sudden I'm loving my bike again, in moderation. I've been on just three outdoor rides this year (and a bunch of random trainer sessions), but even in that limited quantity each ride has given me a level of happiness that I haven't felt in a while. For a while when I was burnt out and still not back to ideal health, at times I was sorta kinda forcing it. All those years, you just get so used to the routine of training, the data, and all that being part of you and it's hard to think of doing anything but all that, ya know?

But if you've been following you know I wised up. Let go a bit, took time to heal, and man it did wonders. Now that my body/mind are thriving again, it's all just fun again. It helps that I'm not even concerning myself with "performance" on the bike nor is there a looming race. Although, for the record I felt dang strong these past two weekends -- whether the numbers showed that is another story, but I don't care. I don't want to "train" on the bike, I just want to ride it when I feel like it. Go hard when I want to. Cruise when I want.

It works well with my run schedule of 2 days on, 1 day off running; the bike can fit in nicely to add volume for my lower mileage run training (I have yet to run over 31 miles in a week). I actually did kinda cheat on "no the more more than 2 days in a row" of running, ah! Last week I fit in 2 miles easy on Thursday, 6 miles on Friday, 12 miles Saturday... that 2-miler was the unplanned one that got squeezed in around a gig I had down in SD. Oops.

So, ya, run training = love. I feel great most the time, and there's just one little hiccup, but that's my next post....

Switching gears.

The team 22-day clean-eating/detox challenge. It is still going on and almost done! In doing this with my clients, I've noticed some interesting things about myself. First off all, let me reiterate that I am not doing anything hardcore in terms of a limited restricted deprived diet, and I don't think I even pulled out the juicer until yesterday when I made a potent ginger/turmeric tonic concentrate. (However, I am using my new crockpot a lot -- how is it that it took my nearly 30 years of life to own one of these especially as a busy gal.) This challenge was flexible for each of us, and for me personally it was simply to get back on track after having "too much fun" over the holidays while also helping to provide support and be a good example for my coached athletes who are all working very hard with their own respective detoxes -- there's power in numbers. I'm helping some of my athletes make BIG changes and adopt new healthy habits -- I gotta give it to them, this can be hard to do -- and I'm proud to witness their progress. Especially those who have BIG goals for themselves this year, which is pretty much all of them :) I'll share some success stories once we're done (next week).

For now, what I observed personally on this "detox":

Mood/energy: Almost immediately I saw an improvement in my energy and mood when I got back to my healthy ways. You don't really understand this shift until you start living healthy and feeling vibrant, and then you ask yourself, "Why do I ever slip up and not live this way all the time?!" My energy stays high and stable through the day, no fatigue in the late afternoon, and into the evening I'd still have good energy up until I entered our dark bedroom and hit the sack, then out cold. I don't even recall craving a nap at any time (except the day I started my period and went for a long run, ouch; sorry if TMI). Meanwhile, I am working out/training 10-12hrs a week these days, so I am putting my body under some training stress -- but not trashing myself, #MAF. The takeaway? 1) I'm pleased I didn't go through that "withdrawal" phase you sometimes hear about when having to break a bunch of addictions to sugar, carbs, caffeine, alcohol. It was a fairly smooth transition for me. 2) With that extra energy, came more focus, and more work productivity, more quality... and that makes me happy knowing I'm giving it my best.

Sugar/Sweets: I'm not a sugar addict and I can easily say no to anything with sugar sources of which I don't approve. I just have no desire to partake in such things in excess or it all in most cases. But my body still likes something sweet-style every now and then, I am human, so I just make sure to include meals or snacks that satisfy those desires and this month stevia as my sweetener 9/10 times. Sometimes raw honey, like in these "cornbread" paleo muffins. With the things I include regularly I avoid crazy cravings for sugary sweets, ice cream or whatever. Instead, I regularly make a mean chocolate pudding with raw cacao (instant), plus breakfasts of sweet potato or kabocha squash mash, mmmmm. Drink wise, I have a great assortment of cold and hot teas that are killing it when I add a dash of almond or coconut milk and pack of stevia, soooo good, or sparkling water with a drop of liquid stevia. I try not to crack out on stevia...for the record.

Alcohol: It took me about 6-7 days to kick the habit/craving of an evening glass of wine. I didn't realize how much like clockwork that evening wine craving had become, and how easy it is to just give in and pour the glass when you have no reason to say no. I will admit, it was hard to give it up at first and overcome the urge to drink, but at the same time saying no felt empowering. And I got to give myself props because all the while John was enjoying his nightly beer, and we've been in situations where alcohol is somewhat synonymous: a concert, dinners out or with family/friends, Saturday night (need I say more lol)... all that takes willpower for a girl like me to say no! But I just ignored the urge, and pretty quickly the urge disappeared. It really did... one day I thought about it and was like, "Oh I didn't even think about wine the last couple days." Man, substances are scary. I don't even drink a lot, and in fact I wasn't drinking much of anything most of last summer and fall (not even in kona!), so it was just over the holidays that my brain got used to that habit... maybe that's also why it was rather easy to break it; short time frame?

Body comp: I noticed a bit of fat loss in the belly/love handle area. (Like my anatomical references?) No weight loss, and I think some muscle gained. Perfect. I never like being under 130 lbs. I can attribute these results to 1) training (um, ya, it works!), and 2) not having any poor habits -- food, drink or otherwise -- slowing down my metabolism and robbing my precious physiological adaptations to training. I also noticed better skin quality/complexion; however, there are other variables in that because I will admit this year I'm taking steps to take care of my skin above and beyond what I've done in the past and am crazy about sunscreen these days, as well as moisturizing and lots of nice things for my skin.

The Plateau: Now this is what I found most interesting. I felt like I was making progress and feeling better daily on every level for the initial ~12 days, then after that the progress stopped. Don't get me wrong, nothing bad happened, and I didn't feel worse nor regress, I just felt like that after ~12 days I got what I needed out of this cleanse: energetic (and steady energy), feeling clean, firing on all cylinders, mentally sharp, sleeping well,.... Normally you hear full detoxes taking ~21 days, and I'm sure I've still been making subtle progress, but the noticeable stuff seemed to be a quick process for me. I am not saying I'm "perfect" right now.... heeeeck no. But it seems like the "crap" is out of my system, and that's nice.

So, can I have that glass of wine now?

Lol... jk ;)

2015 - Doing it (Slightly) Different

Hey, hey! Happy new year! Hope everyone survived the holiday season and is ready to crush it this year. I am! 2014 was a year of change and growth, 2015 is going to be a year of putting new ways into practice!

In a nutshell, here's a glimpse of what I'm up to lately, when I'm not in the office working:

SoCal winters! From beautiful crisp clear ocean days #sano #boobs...

...to snowy winter wonderlands just a couple hours away! #bigbear #outback

Resolutions this year? nah. Some years I'm into it, some years not really. This year -- and perhaps this is a result of the success I found in 2014 -- I just want to improve overall, keep learning and do things better. Even the small things. For example, a few small changes I've made: This will be the first year since, well, ever that I did NOT buy a spiral-bound hand-written daily planner. I'm going all digital, which includes getting my sh*t together with finances, accounting and all that -- I have to. I own two businesses now, yes, two!

I also deleted facebook from my phone. God, that feels good and, no, I don't miss it. I still do FB, but solely from the computer -- nothing more is needed.

In its place I added the app, Duo Lingo, so I can get my Spanish back this year. I was never fluent in Spanish, but I was decent. Took it in high school and at SDSU and also made plenty of trips to mexico while in college ;).

Anyway, besides that randomness, I want to catch you up on where I'm at in health, business and training/sport. I have signed up for a race, in fact!

~~

"Cleansing" (So To Speak)
House, body, life. But nothing too aggressive.

My new love! Or is it just more "stuff"? #SUP

1) House/life-wise John and I had this massive urge to do some major housekeeping -- out with the old, and in with the new. That said, the goal is to NOT bring in nor accumulate more sh*t. However, I have a couple new toys (SUP!), but generally I hate clutter, keep it to the minimum. He argues that the new SUP is essentially just more "stuff" but I argue that it's a tool to get away from modern stuff, find freedom, escape the chaos and experience nature and peace. Hm. Interesting debate, where do you stand?

This tiny cabin has inspired us. It's where we've stayed
in Big Bear, and it's small but has everything you'd
need. I. love. it.

One of those nights where I went out with my sister & had fun :)

2) I'm currently "cleaning up" my body too. Don't worry, I am still on track with my newfound health and wellness, as I talked about in my last tell-all post, but *gasp* over the holidays I, like many, enjoyed the indulgences. I didn't overdo it on things like sugar and I stayed away from beer, and even avoided those other mystery holiday-ish foods/drinks. OK, I take that back. I think there were 2 occasions where I had beer, and oddly both were trips to the mountains. For some reason beer just sounded really good! That alone didn't set me back though. However, I overdid in the areas of too much food in general, too much wine, and too many late nights/poor habits -- at least they way define "too much" which, I get it, I hold myself to some high standards so for others it may not appear that bad. It's all good though. I had fun! I enjoyed! But... I feel it. I hear some of my clients screaming the same thing!

Of course, plenty of good eats at our holiday parties
provided by me, including bacon + brussels!

So I decided to do create the inaugural Coach Tawnee Team Detox/Clean Eating Challenge. It's cool because I'm keeping it flexible -- 22 days duration, full support and a private forum for our group to interact, share recipes, experiences, and more. I'm not forcing any "one way" to cleanse/detox because I don't believe in just one way. Thus, in my cleanse, everyone can choose his or her unique program; I provided ideas and resources on which programs, formats I recommend. So far it's a hit. But we're 2 days in (no including the prep phase last week) sooo... I'll get back to you on day 20 lol ;) Who knows, I may grow this and open it up to more than just my personal coaching clients.

Food-wise, they're getting a lot from me because I love taking food pics. I knowww.... ;) For example, recipes on:

Crockpot chili, done clean and fresh.

Can you guess?

A classic Caesar salad dressing! Which, oh my, is so simple!
Why have I not been making this for years already?!

~~

Business is Growing
Last year my friend and colleague Ben Greenfield and I decided that it was time to put the Endurance Planet podcast in my hands, meaning me becoming full owner not just host as I have been. Ben is an incredible guy and I don't know how he does all that he does, and when it came to EP I know he cares tremendously about it, and that's why I think he felt (as I did) that it made sense to make me owner -- the transfer has the podcast's best interest at heart.

It's been an incredible learning experience so far taking over a well-established business, keeping it grooving, and planning its future growth (we have BIG plans). The backend work combined with the regular content I am passionate about putting out -- and everything else I do for the show -- well, it's been busy! Thus, the takeover was actually another reason that I found it easier to lay low on training/racing last year, otherwise I might have dug myself into a hole of trying to do too much. But now that the EP transfer is handled and I have a grasp on what needs to be done, and what's being done, I feel a sense of relief that I can move forward and commit to a bit more training and even some racing. Which brings me to....

~~

2015 Races & Training, So Far...
I've decided 2015 will be the year of the run for me. It's where I will focus my training, but in a bit of a non-conventional way with lots of other crosstraining. Honestly I want to start finding out my running potential, done healthfully on a more limited weekly volume training agenda. I also want to better understand the running culture and what it feels like to run as the main goal, with swim/bike secondary. I still am and always will be a triathlete, and in fact this kind fo focus should help tri in the long run (no pun intended).

SUP'ing on a choppy day! #cor

I've signed up for the Mountains 2 Beach marathon on May 24 (ish?), and it's a flat and fast course. I found out about it through one of my athletes I'm coaching who's looking to BQ there. It looked like fun, and timing was perfect. Man, signing up for running races is CHEAP compared to triathlon!!!

I'll keep you guys updated on my training and how it evolves, especially considering I'm not interesting in running mega mileage. So far it's been 20-35ish mile weeks at most, and generally 8-12hrs of exercise a week including the running, strength training, some biking, no swimming, yoga and/or SUP.

I'm not following a plan, but I am logging my workouts on TP, and also keeping a loose goal of never running more than 2 days in a row. For the marathon, I have some goals in mind and not afraid to share:

Running at 8k altitude in Mammoth, loving it! Had no idea this
road would just keep going steady uphill, cool adventure!

Big goals:
Sub 3:20, because based on my half-mary PR this might be doable. And definitely 3:29 to beat my friend Thorsten's PR ;)

Safe goals:
3:30 to get my "safe" BQ
3:35 to get BQ (but prob not get slot)

So far my MAF is getting pretty decent, I think on a flatter route (which I don't have often) I'm sub 8:30 at ~150 HR, after starting back at it at ~8:45-9:00-ish. But I still have slower days. I'm not overthinking it. What matters is that I can see myself getting more efficient already, and 6-8 miles goes by like a breeze, so if my MAF isn't always "adding up" to the tee, then whatever.

Other races: I also am doing the Ragnar SoCal in April, wanna join? We're forming an Endurance Planet TEAM! Email us at events@enduranceplanet.com to get involved.

Beyond that, I have about 5 other events on my radar of interest but haven't pulled the trigger. I'm sure a triathlon will squeak its way in.... just gotta get my ass to the pool once or twice first.

But so far, I am loooooving the running and loving being a "runner."

And lots of snow running lately, for me at least! Bundled
up in my #BettyDesigns hat and other good stuff!

The last time I ran this trail it was the heat of summer
(August) and I was training for IM Tahoe 2013.

Thanks for reading!

Oh, one more for ya, this photo makes my heart melt. I love this doggie...

Border collie pic! Our Sydney! Lots of quality family time over
the holidays, and playtime with Syd!

Getting Back My Health, Getting Back to Being 'Me'

Well hello! It's been a while! Since July, in fact, just after finishing Vineman 70.3. This blog is mostly about my adventures in training and racing, and, well, there's been none of that since Vineman so it makes sense that the blog went silent, right?

However, I also like this blog to be a window into my life and everything that's going on even if I'm not racing like a beast. Actually, I've sat down several times to post on here with good intention -- for example, I thought I'd make a blog comeback with a rad post on the Laguna Beach Aquathon that we did in September -- a 9-mile ocean swim and hike down the coast -- or when I was at Interbike, or when I went to Kona for the Ironman World Championships (reporting via Endurance Planet, check it out in the archives!). But those never happened (well, the events happened and were epic but not the blogs ;))

Cool stuff IS going on in life that's blog-worthy despite no racing. But here's the thing. I'm busier than ever, and a large part of my life is attached to the computer screen these days so when it comes time to wrap up work I need to step away. It's been an important part of my journey this year to find more life balance, and it's definitely been different than every other year since 2007 when I became a triathlete. It's weird and exciting at the same time. You're about to find out.... oh my, what a year it's been!

Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment, email me and/or inquire further about anything. I'm putting myself out there to help educate, increase awareness and hopefully help others find their path to optimal health!

Journey to Fixing My Health

Brief Background Of How It Went 'South'
Regaining complete health was priority numero uno of 2014. Last year I did a number on myself, and without a doubt the years prior played a role in my dwindling health too. Since 2007 when I started triathlon and graduated college (and even before that) it was just go go go, train train train, race race race, work work work, stress stress stress. I was averaging 10+ races a season and loving it, but neglecting proper rest, and not recognizing -- nor owning -- how high-strung I could get. It finally caught up. Plus, I'm not saying I'm old, but I am no longer a spring chicken and am getting older (30 in less than 6 months) -- that didn't help the matter either. I was no longer "invincible" and able to bounce back from smashing myself like I was at 22 (smashing carries many definitions, hehe).

So last year (2013) it started to get tough for me. I knew I wasn't right as early as June 2013, in fact, when I got bloodwork done and there were red flags. I kept going. It was especially apparent that I was totally blah by the end of the year at Vegas 70.3 Worlds and that stretch all the way until after our Kona trip. I look at Kona pics and I see me looking worn down and like I'd aged 10 years in just one year alone. (Oh and IM Tahoe sandwiched in there... In fact, I now see it as a blessing in disguise that Tahoe worked out the way it did.) After all that, last winter I finally gave myself the green light to rest extensively for a "true" offseason.

Without measuring and data and going off feel (I'll admit -- I was feeling rather good) I then made an attempt to get back to my old ways at the beginning of this year with the intentions of going back to racing as usual, starting with a few small races, mostly running events, and then Eagleman 70.3 on tap to really kick it off. Training and all that was going ok but it didn't last long. I held on for a gnarly training camp in April (and enjoyed it). But even before and after that camp, I felt deep down that any glimpse of health and being "Ms. Fit" was slipping away, and I could feel those same issues coming back. It's important to note: some of this was my fault, some was out of my control; I was trying to take care of myself (but still turning away to the pink elephant in the room).

It then crescendoed with giant blow up (in my opinion) on May 13, aka that silly fall off the mountain bike during a photo shoot that resulted in a wrist fracture -- a fall that shouldn't have happened, and clearly a sign that I was not completely recovered from that offseason alone, and not in a good place. (Thankfully dexa scans did confirm, however, that my bones were strong -- it was just the worst way to land in that fall). That was the last straw for me; I could see and feel myself on the path of destruction. It was time to freakin just stop and figure out my shit once and for all.

Ok, so I didn't quite stop just yet. I did Vineman as perhaps one last attempt to see if I could be "me" out there on the race course, and I even tried a different approach to training with the whole "minimalist" thing, but it just wasn't good racing and I wasn't feeling strong at all. Alright, time to let it go....

Road to Repair
It was actually a great feeling of relief to let go of the idea that I had to train and race -- as if I had let those things define who I was before, but not anymore. I am me for being me, regardless if I toe the line or wakeup early every Sunday to do the long ride. I refused to let my health status continue to spiral down in order to try and perform. Well, it was pretty clear I had hit that wall where I wasn't even able to perform even on pure adrenaline/cortisol anymore -- my body was shot and shutting down (hence Vineman).

Don't get me wrong, I was still very capable in other aspects of life -- work and whatnot -- but when you're an athlete you feel things in your body at another level. It's a crazy hyperawareness of little tiny things that make a big difference -- not so the case for the recreational exerciser/non-athlete in my opinion.

Recognizing Stress
Despite being capable and stoked on the work front, and feeling happy and perky when I needed to be, more and more I was suffering from stress overload and feeling not-as-happy -- things would trigger me and I'd irrationally stress out over dumb stuff. Often. Ok, so yea, I'm traditionally a Type A gal who tends to stress and want things "perfect," but that's no excuse -- the self-induced episodes of stressing out had to stop once and for all. It was just silly and literally ruining my body! And when I'm talking stress, I'm not talking about actual anxiety disorders or clinical issues, I'm simply talking about the same kind of stress many of you probably experience on a regular basis. But that is stress, folks, and it wreaks havoc. If you let it escalate, can manifest into this huge negative health outcome.

My Team & Health Testing
I knew that in order to really figure things out and change I had to get testing done and team up with the right specialists (not general primary care physicians who gave me stupid answers to the problems at hand) to help me. It was quite incredible how my little team of helpers came together. I found a great functional medicine doctor locally through a recommendation by Dr. Minkoff, who's on my podcast. Then also thanks to my podcast, Chris Kelly at Nourish Balance Thrive reached out to me. I swear, Chris was/is like my angel -- he contacted me just at the right time when I needed his help more than ever. Chris and Dr. Jamie Busch at NBT are the shiznit. I recommend everyone check them out. They're athletes who are functional health specialists -- a win-win combo for any athlete looking to optimize health.

The tests I got included:

-Blood work - everything you can imagine (see my list that you can use here)
-Saliva - 4 samples in one day to measure cortisol and hormones (better than blood alone)
-Organic acids urine test* - my new favorite test EVER; tests for metabolic functions inclduing gastrointestinal/gut health, cellular and mitochondrial health, neurotransmitters, amino acid balance, etc.
-Stool test* - to rule out any parasites, more on gut health, etc.

I know. A lot. but hey, if you're going to get tested you might as well do it all so there are NO question marks remaining. What if I had contracted a parasite? I didn't. But it was important to know because had I, it would be wreaking havoc and there would be a specific treatment for it. Folks, if you swim in open bodies of water or travel and eat random food, you just never know...

*See my actual test results and hear the analysis on this free webinar: http://bit.ly/1sK3uCK.

Results of Tests 
So anyway, what did I find out? In a nutshell:

The bad:

-My hormones were jacked up royally, but surprisingly better than when I tested in 2013 so at least I was doing something right and on the right track, sorta. But in my journey I was noticing female-specific issues that were not cool with me, so I knew hormonal stuff was at play. (In fact sex hormone, cycles, etc, are a big issue in female endurance athletes; just listen to my podcast with pro triathlete Angela Naeth on the matter. Many girls can ignore certain issues and you're not going to die, and you might even feel generally not that bad. But is it healthy? No.).

-Cortisol was good in morning but tanked by afternoon (confirmed via saliva) - hence why I was dying of fatigue every day by around 2-3pm.

-Speaking of hormones, pretty sure I was a picture-perfect example of the pregnenolone steal. (We talk about that in this podcast).

-My gut health was total crap - I had SIBO and candida (yeast overgrowth)! WHAT?! But actually, this made great sense and something I suspected even before testing.

-More issues came up in the Organic Acids tests (again, you can hear details on this webinar; pretty cool).

-Stool test was negative for parasites or other issues, but re-confirmed candida/yeast issue.

The good:

-It wasn't all bad. My bloodwork for other markers came back totally clear -- e.g. I was totally ok in areas of iron/ferritin levels, cholesterol, metabolic panel, liver enzymes, CBC, Vitamin D levels, hsCRP (no signs of high inflammation), and all that usual basic stuff.

Diagnosis & Why Those Results??
Honestly, it's complicated. There's a history there that must me taken into deep consideration, and in drawing conclusions you really have to paint a full picture of the person -- digging into a lot of nitty gritty stuff. Taking into account the full history is something the functional docs will do - not your typical physician who only spend a few seconds with you.

In my case, if I were to simplify and narrow it down, I think my team of docs and I all agree stress and certain aspects of lifestyle (years of mega endurance training especially) were huge factors in many of the issues plaguing me, including even the onset of yeast overgrowth! I'm talking all kinds of stress -- the stress of physical endurance training, mental stress, a life of constantly feeling the need to be on the go and as a result always in a "fight or flight" state, and so on...

Seriously, in your own journey to health and/or your own self-evals, don't discount the stress of training (and the usual psychological stress of "needing" to train that accompanies it). Even if you love your training and it makes you happy (like me!), it still is a stress on the body. Why do you think guys like Mark Sisson gave it up?

The Role of Diet, Food and Accidentally Too Low Carb
You can also argue that food and diet also led to certain issues with me like the candida and hormonal problems. I'll say, for the record, my bodyweight never got too low (i.e. never below 130lbs at 5'7) nor was I restrictive in overall calories in the least bit. In fact, the opposite is true. I was actually holding on to more body fat than normal for me and appearing as if I was losing lean muscle mass -- despite still working out, strength training, and all that...

Food-wise, I was eating the calories that's for sure and it goes without saying that I eat very healthfully, but I will admit: I was too low carb and perhaps did one to many training sessions on an empty stomach. I firmly believe that "training low" (i.e. empty stomach) must be used VERY carefully for women, and it most cases if done in excess is extremely dangerous.

In my case, my too low-carbness was partly an honest mistake of which I was not aware, and partly my fault. On one hand, I did want to be somewhat low carb for increased metabolic efficiency and, ironically, health reasons. But on the other hand I just wasn't paying close enough attention to my actual carb intake by the numbers, and in attempt to "eat clean" regularly I was inevitably cutting out quite a bit of carbs. The carbs I did have were mostly starchy root veggies/whole foods like sweet potatoes and whatnot but not really any grains, legumes, or things like that (like I once did eat regularly). I wasn't even eating oatmeal anymore. But again -- I want to make the point that I wasn't too low calorie (lots of high-fat in my diet), I was just too low carb, especially for the lifestyle I had with training. And, no, I wasn't counting grams/calories.

Trust me, please trust me, I am not anti-carb/anti-grain, I do not promote ketosis, and I don't condone restrictive diets. Personally I wasn't even restricting foods myself, except for avoiding gluten or glaringly "bad" foods like fast food/junkfood/excessive refined sugar/vegetable oils (but, hell, you'll even see me eat gelato or even gluten-filled pizza sometimes, just not regularly). Additionally, despite being "low carb" I was actually regularly eating things like Bonk Breakers, occasionally rice/Allen Lim rice cakes, gluten-free pizza, gluten-free crackers, those dessert indulgences with John, etc. Again -- I was never purposefully restricting myself, I just like to eat clean, and honestly I'm that girl who craaaaves things like veggies (brussels sprouts ftw!!!), avocados, hearty animal protein and whatnot. So that's what I end up eating a lot of!

After realizing, "Holy crap, I'm too low carb," (in fact I was even showing signs of being in ketosis as we pointed out on the webinar), I immediately made the change and introduced more carbs and grains more regularly into my diet. No big deal! I was fine with it. And in fact, it really helped quickly (but there were other variables that were helping me so I can't say carbs alone are the cure; it's complicated).

What About Alcohol & Sugar?
Anyway, I can't just vilify carbs or lack thereof. I know in 2013 (and maybe before), as well as early this year I was indulging much more in stuff with John than ever before in my life especially craft beer and (this may sound backwards) sugar-filled things -- but even "healthy" sugary things like raw vegan pies and things I baked or made for us. Just because I was low carb doesn't mean I denied sweets ;) Plus, that's what happens in a relationship, you eat and drink delicious things together, right? So I blame John ;) Kidding.

But, for real: All that yeasty glutinous beer and even the sugar (despite not being overly excessive) did not fare well with me nor my worsening issues. Not only did those things contribute to yeast overgrowth (the little yeast guys were just feeeeeding off the beer and multiplying in my gut!), but it surely was not helpful in maintaining a healthy body overall. Alcohol and sugar are drugs, and even in moderation if you're vulnerable it'll do more harm than good as I saw.

I suspected candida even before it was confirmed, and in fact had mostly given up beer slightly before my testing, but the damage was done. Since cutting it out, I do not miss it/its effects on me. Beer is fun, but the side effects -- yuck.

Candida Recovery
So then once I found out about the candida for sure, I was even more gung-ho on giving up not just beer but sugar and booze in general, so for me that meant wine (I don't drink hard alcohol ever) as well as my beloved dark chocolate and even "healthy" sugar like that from dates, fruit, etc. It honestly wasn't hard to let go of wine & treats knowing I needed to repair myself. I guess it's like when you get pregnant -- you just do what you have to do for good health.

I also followed somewhat of a anti-candida diet, but I loosely followed that, I'll admit. No crazy cleanse, no major restrictions. Mostly just giving up aforementioned alcohol and sugar (including most fruit), as well as trigger foods like beets, to which I've come to realize I am sensitive (see a list of candida trigger foods to avoid here). Instead of my dark chocolate and glass of wine at night, I replaced that with sparkling water mixed with Magnesium powder and a drop of stevia.... and occasionally when I wanted dessert I would (and still do) make a sugar-free "chocolate pudding" with cacao powder, cacao nibs, stevia, coconut, nut milk, sometimes avocado, and various other things.

Grains were totally IN during this process, as long as they were gluten free. In fact, I fell in love with buckwheat groats this year and eat them 24/7 -- heck, I am typing over a bowl of groats as we speak actually!

See a list of approved foods to prevent/kill candida here.

While I didn't "cleanse" per se, Chris at NBT had me take some antimicrobial supplements and oil of oregano to kill off the bad bacteria/yeast, as well as probiotics and a fermented foods to grow back the good bacteria. In fact, interesting I was taking a probiotic but had to switch because it turns out the one I was taking had a strain that was "bad" for me in terms of the overgrowth issue -- only found this out via the organic acids test.

If you suspect that you need to clean your gut do the test. But if don't want to do all the testing, I recommend the book "Clean Gut," which has a good protocol and supplement tips.

Supplements
In addition to the items listed above to repair my gut, I had other stuff to repair too and Chris also put me on a better-quality CoQ10 (the one I was taking was not being absorbed), Basic B Complex, and Thorne AM/PM Multi. I was also taking other usuals like fish oil, Vitamins C & D, PharmaNAC, and natural herbal remedies unique to my needs that my other functional doc gave me (i.e. adaptogenic herbs). Additionally I was even doing things via nutrition and my sleep environment to promote hormonal balance and a smooth cycle -- crazy cool stuff! Feel free to inquire.

It was a lot of supplements for a while, but thankfully just temporary and then cutting back to just the standards that I'd take regularly anyway.

During that time, I was warned that for the sake of my liver it was even more important to lay off any excessive alcohol. Easy. In fact, I have ended that mega supplementing phase but have yet to go back to drinking much at all. Outside a couple "splurge" nights, I rarely have alcohol anymore.... I just love the way I feel without wine or beer. I do enjoy a good glass of wine, but keep it to a very minimum nowadays. Trust me, in my day I've had my share of booze so I can live without it now ;) However, if you ask me to go to a brewery or a winery or out with friends for happy hour -- I am IN! I still love doing all that!! I just don't drink like a sailor (or at all sometimes).

Did it Work? Am I Cleaned Up and Healthy? What's Next?
It took several dedicated months on this health plan to let the action take place within me. Along with the supplements and careful attention to a good diet, I was working on stress management -- recognizing my stress, dealing with what stresses me out, and/or preventing stress with more focus than I ever have in my entire life. I'm not gonna lie, this was tough at times, and much harder than simply taking supplements and cutting back on booze and sugar. When you are looking to reduce and manage stress, that requires a lot from one's self. Meanwhile, I was coping with "letting go" of my love for training and racing (knowing this was ultimately just temporary). But I was and still am exercising consistently just doing whatever, also focusing on balancing out many imbalances I've accumulated over the years (another long post that needs to be written).

But you know what? Once my gut and hormones started returning to a healthy state, my stress levels automatically started improving. (Totally a chicken and the egg situation on some level.) In addition, I could feel the benefits of a healthier gut and hormones getting better in the form of overall better moods, energy, work productivity, focus, happiness, complexion, etc, etc. Even little things like the acne I would get on my chin cleared up.

Speaking of my body -- I guess I never realized how bad my gut had gotten until I cleaned it up. All that bloating, gas, and occasional issues with going #2 that I used to have and thought was normal. It wasn't. Until I fixed my gut I had no idea how bad things were in me. I now see what I'm sensitive to in terms of food and drink, and what causes bloating.... I know I need to be careful still even with things like sugar. I think I'm still vulnerable and perhaps not totally 100% out of the woods yet.

Same goes for everything else... I am remarkably better, I can't even describe! But I know I'm not completely out of the woods yet, and still working on "me" all the time. But gosh where I'm at today vs. last year at this time? It's been an incredible journey and I've grown as a person/coach more than I can ever describe in words.

I'm not ready to get back to officially training for races yet -- well maybe that's not entirely true. It's complicated haha. Some days I am incredibly motivated to train for triathlon and go for it -- and shoot for that goal of a sub-5 half-Ironman that I've been so close to getting (on the other hand, I have zero desire currently to do a full Ironman lol). However, then other days all I want to do is strength train and/or yoga, but no s/b/r. Some days I just wanna ocean swim, surf, and SUP. Then other days I want to sign up for an open marathon and try that out (which is actually sounding like the most likely option right now if I were to pull the trigger on a race). I'm staying fit, so when I'm ready, the foundation is there.

But at the end of the day, my life is much more about my work and others rather than my own training/racing right now. I am love love loving my job(s) and my people in my network. Not to mention, I am on a quest to become a master at what I practice in my line of work -- I have some serious serious goals and am soooo motivated to do some BIG things. Meanwhile, personally sticking to a periodized training plan to train, meh. It's just not a personal priority right now, and there are so many hours in a day.... We'll see.

Thanks for visiting and reading!