Memory Lane: My First Triathlon This Weekend in 2007

Oh my goodness. So I saw that this weekend is the Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon, and immediately a wave of nostalgia hit me. That was my first-ever triathlon 2007. I had just graduated from college, had a terrible haircut, and was about to find my life passion on that overcast morning. That one single day holds so much importance in my life, it's arguably the catalyst that led me to taking a different career path and becoming who I am now. Only six years ago -- but man did I go for it with full fervor!

I really had no freakin clue what I was getting into. I bought a bike only a short time prior to Solana, maybe that April/May? I forget. But I do know it was a Trek 5200 road bike, and it was my graduation present to myself -- the biggest purchase of my life at that point. I fell in love with riding immediately, and although 20-mile rides felt crazy hard and long, a new world opened up to me and the bike quickly became my favorite.

I had "trained" for Solana mostly with my ex-boyfriend, which included some 500-yard swims (+/- a few hundred) at 24 Hour Fitness (those sessions usually ended with my calf or toes cramping), bike rides of probably 6- to 20-miles long (going 20 then felt like the equivalent to a 100-miler on the bike now), and of course some running. I was always running even before tri, so that part was decent from the get go. As far as structured training? Don't know what I was doing. I wish I had kept a training log then. Would love to look back at it...

So, race day. July 29, 2007. I had actually moved back to Orange County before the race because I got a job in the area at a newspaper. So that morning my parents -- who've been by my side for this triathlon stuff since Day 1 -- drove me to North County SD at an ungodly hour. I was nervous -- heck, that whole week prior I was nervous to the point of sickness -- but I also remember being as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. That first race experience did not disappoint, and I knew from that day on I was going to make this endurance stuff more than a hobby....

So, from here, I'm going to let the following pictures tell the story of that first race.

Arriving to the race. I look 12 years old, haha. 

My mom is biggest fan #1 and has been there since the beginning. She did her first tri shortly after watching this one -- I think it was the Imperial Beach Sprint, in the Koz Series.

Before the swim with said ex-boyfriend. 

Rented wetsuit, of course! I look at my face here and think: This screams nerves and excitement as I'm about to embark into unknown territory... scary but exciting!

No turning back now!

That's me in the front thinking, "Good lord, I survived that swim." Surfing skills definitely helped me through the waves in that effort!

Get this biatch off me!

Damn this ramp is a steep mofo!

Aw yea, gotta love some rookie transition pics! Thanks mom! Um, for the record, I still wear those Fox bike shorts I'm sporting there haha.

Clock is ticking Tawnee.....

Tick tick tick....

I love this shot, especially with the copyright year! Remember Opix?
Are they still out there shooting?

Making the pass!

Long before aerobars -- those things scared me!!! I look so innocent on that bike. Love it.

Waving to all my fans, of course.

Now, the progression of this T2 cracks me up! Here's me probably talking to me mom over a HR of 190+ saying
something like, "That bike was awesome, mom!"

Wait for it...

Oh yea, sexy socks going on! 

Then come the shoes. Tick tick tick...

Oh, but wait...

...I must take the time to get in some water. After all, I carried two full bottles for a grueling ~9-mile bike...and probably didn't take a sip of either the whole time while riding haha.

And finally on that 5k run. I think this was just before the finish.

Pretty stoked to be going faster than the buff dude behind me ;)

Almost there... I can taste the feeling of victory!

A pivotal moment in my life. Not the best quality picture, but still grateful that one of my parents
captured this moment!

Celebrating at the finish, warning: Serious dork alert here! Check out those shades I'm sporting -- oh man!!!
I was hesitant to include this one, and keep showing me with a now-ex, but ya know what? It's part of the memory,
and there's no shame. That was then, and we all know I am in a very very happy relationship now with John :)

My other biggest fan, Dad! I'm a super lucky girl.... 

We hung out in Solana all day after the race, and I remember feeling on top of the world.
I eventually took the train home that night, greeted by my parents with signs congratulating me. So cute.

So that's the story of my first triathlon! I was 8th in my age group, and to me that was THE best thing ever. I was so shocked and impressed to crack the top-10 in my first race. That year I went on to do most the races in the Koz Series, which, by the way, they are great events, well-run and awesome for the first-timers all the way to the speedy SD locals...

Vineman 70.3 Race Report

Wow, well I think I've had plenty of time by now to replay Vineman 70.3 over and over in my head, as well as go over this blog a million times. It's one of those where I edit out, add in, and so on. You've been there, you know it ;)

Vineman 70.3 this year was an interesting race for me. I was fairly uncertain going in, as it's been a rocky few months. But by the time we hit the 5 freeway due north I was totally at peace and ready to rock. Mind over matter, baby. Life doesn't always go smoothly, and I coulda woulda shoulda been more prepared for this race, but it wasn't in the cards this year (if you don't read this blog regularly, this includes a broken wrist 2 months before Vineman). Accept it. No matter what went down since Oceanside earlier this year, I know me and I knew I had to go for it. I entered wine country with feelings of pure excitement -- for the race, too, not just the wine (and beer) ;) Experience and my will to persevere would get me to the finish. And it did, as I ended up going 5:10 and change, which was a course PR.

Ya know what I really loved about this race? I stayed honest to letting go of the BS, and just enjoyed the day. Of course, don't let "enjoyment" lead you to believe I took it easy. Hell no! I freakin pushed myself! But, I stopped paying attention to that stupid clock, and I shut off the rest of the world and just focused on my race. Case in point: I was running with a guy through La Crema -- nice guy, even asked if it was ok that he ran with me and of course I said no problem -- and he asked my time goals, if I was I on target, and all that jazz. I said, through the huff and puff, "I honestly have no idea how long I've been racing, what my times are, or how I'm going to finish today. I'm just going for it. And loving it." It was the truth -- that was mile 7ish of the run and not once had I looked at my overall race time on my watch (expect for on the swim, oops). Definitely a first for me to ignore that number. Normally I'm doing math the whole time trying to see how I will finish.

When I finally did cross the finish and saw that I had that course PR and a half-Ironman run PR, it was a fun surprise. And my first thoughts were not the ususal, "How did I do in my AG blah blah...." my first thoughts were more like, "That was rad. How did John and my athlete do, and how soon till Pliny and pizza?!" (However, I did find out at some point I was 6th AG, so a top 10 in this race is always a good thing and keeps my streak of top-10 finishes alive!)

So this is essentially how it went down. I try to keep these things brief, but that gets tough, sorry:

Pre-Race
I literally wore my slippers to T1. I had no extra shoes (run shoes were in T2), and I had to keep my little tosies warm! If you know me, you know my feet are chronically cold, and it was a chilly morning. I hate starting a race freezing. I got a few looks for my uber-relaxed morning look, but, hey, I was comfy.

Fast forward through all the pre-race poop and prep, and I still had a lot of spare time before my 7:12 wave. John's wave went off ~20 minutes before mine, and at that point I was all suited up and ready to go, so I just hung out, taking in the environment and energy of those moments before a race. I felt at ease and an overwhelming sense that I was meant to be standing in that exact spot, doing this race. Took 5 MAP* (had also taken 5 when I first woke up), and gathered with the 29 & unders.

Swim
Started the swim sans legit warmup (down river was too shallow), and I knew from the first second it was going to be ugly. I felt like I had no power and was just sinking. I was hoping this was not going to be the theme for the day, but tried to just focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately I felt the sensation of calf cramping coming on, too, and this time I think it's because I was too hot combined with lack of swim fitness. That meant my kick resorted to mush to save the legs. The sinking continued.

Just after the turnaround it got really freaking shallow, more than I've ever experienced here. I was trying to swim, but there was almost no room to pull all the way through. I saw 80+ percent or more of the people around me get up to walk/run, and I thought that maybe doing the same would help ease the calf issue, too, so I stood and yogged. Mmm, probably a dumb move, as that pissed off calves more, so less than a minute later I was "swimming" again. When I stood I saw my watch said 25:xx and I laughed, thinking of my last blog and how I said I'd be happy with a sub-40 swim without a wetsuit. Revise that: now I'd be happy with sub-40 WITH a wetsuit haha. Oh well. Terrible swim, but I sneaked in under 40 with 39-something. Yikes. That was a reality check.

I was talking about the swim with my buddy, Mike (gym owner and IMC training partner), and he said to me, "who cares about that time -- it's a triathlon with three sports and you PR'd overall." Point taken.

Oh ya: My Garmin clocked 1.5 miles of swim and John's said 1.7 mi... did anyone else have a long swim? Other folks' times didn't seem to reflect a long swim, so I'm curious. I swam fairly straight it seemed.

T1
I didn't let the swim leave me feeling defeated. I expected it to be bad -- not that bad -- but even a half IM is a long day and I wanted to be in a good mood for it. I could control that. So I focused then on controlling HR, which was ridic. Needed to chilllll. Got my 5 MAP ready to take in as soon as I mounted.

Bike
This a very decent ride for me, and probably the best I felt all day. Never had that urge to get off the bike, as can sometimes happen at mile ~50. Went 2:43 and change, which is 4 minutes faster than on this course last year. My average watts were on target (mid-180w average), power never dropped off, and it was always 200w+ on climbs, which felt fine for me. Those long climbs in Big Bear and around home have paid off because the Sonoma hills felt like cake walk.

It helped that the weather was very mild. No sun at all until nearly mile 40, and wind seemed almost non-existent. Although, later I heard others said they felt the headwind was bad. Just a matter of perspective I guess. The only negative of the foggy and chilly morning was that I screwed up and didn't drink enough, only 2 out of 3 bottles. Oops.

John and I drove the course the day prior, and I was thinking about how much of it I didn't remember! On one hand, I think that's acceptable because I do have a tendency to get in the zone. But on the other hand, I think I rush through races too much and forget to appreciate the moment. So I made a point to take it all in this time. I definitely was able to do just that, without sacrificing speed. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Being that this course is not too hilly, there is often a lot of traffic buildup. I didn't see too much drafting, but bigger lines of riders would form, and many times they were going a pace slower than mine. Even though they're slower, it's still hard to pass a big group like that safely and legally. Essentially you have to burn some matches when you release a burst of energy like that and surge ahead. I had quite a few of those situations, and was rarely on my own during the bike -- but that's how it is for us AG'ers, expected. The good thing about racing with others are those friendly riders who give kind shoutouts. I personally made more of an effort to be one of those folks, and was more vocal than usual giving shoutouts to others, especially the volunteers.

My nutrition was good not great. As mentioned, I only drank 2 out of 3 bottles of my Skratch. Thankfully I went into the race extremely well-hydrated so it didn't seem to negatively impact me too much. I often drink ad libitum when training, and my intake always seems to vary based on weather, sweat rate, etc, and I do well with that. However, I don't think I drank enough for a 2:43 ride with a run to follow, regardless of weather.

The good thing about my nutrition was eating nearly 3 Bonk Breakers (each bite with a swig of drink) and the tummy handled that just fine -- and no repercussions on the subsequent run. I pre-cut each bar into 6 pieces and put in baggies. Thank you Bonk Breaker for making a product that I continue to enjoy every time I take a bite, whether training, racing or snacking! Never get sick of those things, and, my system handles them well.

More bike stats: My Garmin got 1,464 ft of elevation gain, and just under 56 miles by a hair. Average speed was 20.5 mph or something. HR average mid 150s.

T2
Long T2 because there's a long way to run once you dismount. Simple concept ;) No biggie. Took another 5 MAP while still within transition land.  Had a bottle of lemon lime Skratch waiting for me, as well as a gel.

Run
Surprise! Run PR of 1:41 and change, and actually the first time I've kept all my mile splits sub-8 in a half-Ironman (7:44 average pace). Still a long way to go to get closer to my open half time, but at least it's going in the right direction.

My run training this year has been mostly all MAF, if you're curious, and very little speedwork. Also, I've done a handful of long runs (longer than I used to do) off the bike, and while those sessions were few and far between, I think they paid off, even if overall training was rather blah. Plus, we got lucky and the weather was ideal on race day. Probably 70s and a light breeze. Not too hot at all. i.e. not those 100+ temps they had just days prior, whew.

The Vineman run has some decent rolling hills, but nothing more than what I have right outside my front door, so I felt fine on those and just took them comfortably hard, and let HR settle down on the downhill that would follow. The "biggest" hill comes at mile 4, but it's not so bad, I think that mile had 50ft of elevation gain?

After that hill, I finally started to feel my feet. Yup -- my feet were literally numb for the first 4+ miles, no joke. I got off that bike feeling warm, but the feet were still suffering, and it literally took almost a half hour to get rid of that feeling of running on bricks at first, and then pins and needles. I'm used to that by now, but that doesn't mean it's normal :/

Overall, I didn't feel that great on the run (to be expected to some degree, right?), but I knew some decent fitness was there because the legs were responding to the task and my pace didn't really drop off too much at any point. I recall at Oceanside this year going through a dark patch -- that didn't happen this race. I ended with a strong finish that was slightly faster than my overall average. That said, the last ~5k I finally started feeling it -- you know, those miles where your effort is increasing like crazy just to hold on to your pace. I held on to a sub-7:50 pace for the most part as I finished, but it was getting tougher by the second... and then, ahhhh. finish line.

Nutrition-wise: I drank that full bottle of Skratch, I think it was a 24oz bottle, had one gel, and water at aid stations after the bottle was gone. Looking back, maybe I could have had more calories on the run, but my stomach felt great and I was afraid to shove too much into and have that change (it's happened) so I played it conservatively. It's a gamble, and yea maybe I could have used more and gone faster... or maybe I could have had more and caused GI issues. Overall, I averaged ~240 calories per hour on the bike and run (more of that, though, on the bike), so that's pretty good.

Finish
What can I say? It was a good effort on my part: I was mentally strong, and physically able to execute. While I feel that I'm at a point in my tri career where I want/should be seeing bigger more significant drops in times, I have to look at the bigger picture and keep perspective. Clearly some things will need to change to get to that next level. I'll figure out what I need, and want, to do about all that.

But honestly I didn't feel any disappointment when I finished. Not in the least! My spirits were high as can be, I was smiling at the finish from ear to ear, and I got to share that post-race high with good people... And the laughing and fun continued well into the night over pizza and beer. We also got to celebrate half-Ironman PRs for John and my athlete, yay!

I sorta failed on pictures this trip, but I have the obligatory
post-race beer photo, this time with a fresh Hop Stoopid
straight from the course at Lagunitas. Makin Lucho proud.

What's next is not going to be easy, but I'm giving it my best shot. I have 6 weeks. Go!

---

I'll finish with a BIG thanks to all those folks who support me; love you all: 110% Play Harder Compression (wore my socks during the race), Bonk Breakers, Skratch, Specialized, Shimano, Betty Designs (will ask you to make you click banner to your right), my family and friends.... xoxo

*MAP- I continue to be a huge believer in this product. Even when "life" doesn't go as planned, this supplement undoubtedly gives me that extra boost and prevents fatigue on race day, training, etc. Try it out, you will see for yourself!

On My Radar: Good Reads

Salt Sugar Fat
Michael Moss

I've mentioned this book a few times now on podcasts and whatnot. It is legit. If you ever need a reason to stop eating shitty processed good, read this book.This book goes behind the scenes of what big food corporations do to essentially create food products then market them to the public that they're good and need to be consumed. It's really quite disturbing -- especially when you hear that many of the people working for these food giants won't even eat the same products they sell and make a living off of. It's divided into three sections on sugar, fat and salt and each section dives into the nitty gritty of products that contain a good amount of each of those things. Like the cereal aisle, and how it's easily filled with boxes that are more than 50 percent sugar, yet still touted as healthy.

I'm of course a fan of fat, and it makes up a huge part of my diet, but in this case the book is taking about the added fats to processed foods to increase flavor, palatability, and the desire to want to just keep eating and eating.... and poor-quality fat and crap that you find in processed cheese, things like that.

What I also love is that the author goes into the history of many food products, like cereal (anyone know the story of John Harvey Kellogg? Quite interesting -- even a movie on it with Matthew Broderick). There is also a lot of science (written in a way you can understand), and sociology tied in. Really fascinating stuff.

~~~

Fitness Confidential
Vinnie Tortorich

Ok, how did I know not about this guy sooner?! Vinnie is rad. He is a Hollywood fitness trainer, but not a "Biggest Loser" type of trainer -- more like the evil cousin, in a good way. He says it straight up, and he knows his sh*t. If I had to summarize his "whole thing" into one phrase it's "Cut The Crap." He's really dialed in with fitness, wellness and nutrition. He, personally, is an ultra endurance athlete (when not busy) and lives a "no sugar, no grain" lifestyle -- to the extent where you'll frequently hear him say, "f*ck quinoa." On the job front, he's famous for getting Hollywood's best in shape.

Vinnie is also a host of a very entertaining health and fitness podcast -- which he and I found out through conversation is more popular than my Endurance Planet ;) All good. All love. In fact, I got lucky and just had him on my podcast this week; you can listen to the show by clicking right here.

So the book? Pure awesome. Fitness Confidential is basically part biography, part how-to on fitness and health. It's really not your average diet and fitness book. It's kind of like a coherent rant that very informative yet funny all the while. I love his take on big corporate gyms (and why they suck), and on "buyer beware" of choosing a trainer/coach, or how about why you can't target where you lose fat (I get asked that a lot), and even a little bit on endurance athletes. Beyond that you get the whole scoop on Vinnie's life -- he has some great race stories (Furnace Creek 508 anyone?), and interesting life stories in general. I can't give anymore away. You just have to read.

I highly recommend this book.

~~~

Running for Women
Dr. Jason Karp & Dr. Carolyn Smith

I mentioned this book before on the blog, but now I've had a chance to read most of it and interview the author so I have more to say.

Let me ask this: How many of you ladies know the details of the menstrual cycle and, personally, where you're at in your cycle (even when you're not on your period)? Not many of us. But if you did, you could work it to your advantage in your training and racing. Hormones are a crazy thing, and we can empower ourselves by knowing how we operate. The authors explain.

That's just the beginning. Running for Women is a total gem. As a female athlete and a coach of other female athletes, this book is a must have. It's the most comprehensive and up-to-date book I've found on female athletes and how we tick -- oh my are we complicated compared to our male counterparts. And don't let the title fool you, it applies to all female athletes, especially those in endurance sports. As with Vinnie, I also had Dr. Jason Karp on Endurance Planet for a great interview, which will be released Tuesday, July 16. Check back here. I think you will learn something new - we talk about what's in the book in detail, not just teasers.

The book is divided into three parts: 1) Physiology, 2) Training, 3) Health and Wellness. Throughout it covers unique aspects of female athletes and sites current research. For example, how we have the ability to be better fat burners. Or why it's true that we have the potential to struggle more in heat. Of course, more serious topics are covered, too, namely the Female Athlete Triad, and the risks of that condition. Also special cases, such as pregnant athletes and older menopausal athletes, and how to navigate through that. There are tips on building a sound training plan, the best strength training for bone health, and much much more....

Getting Real on Race Week... NorCal or Bust!

I've been hesitant to write and post this blog because I risk coming across as a bit whiny and "oh woe is me," but this is also the reality of [my training] life right now so why not share the truth. It's not always "omg, things are sooooo great"... haha....I think this blog has a nice ending though :)

So.... Vineman, take 3, here we go! I wish I could say I am feeling 100 percent ready and confident going into this half, my 11th time toeing the line at a 70.3, but sadly that's not the case. That set back with the wrist and a couple other things in May/June really affected things, particularly my swim. It's been a real struggle to find my mojo in the water again, and unfortunately I haven't been able to live in the pool/ocean to get it back. It's decent for me, but nowhere near what I wanted by July of this year. If I had been pounding out 15k+ swim weeks since the wrist healed, ya sure, I bet things would be better. But I haven't. Partly my fault, partly victim of circumstance. It's a choice, I get it.

Originally I was looking at Vineman to be that race where I finally aim to break 5 hours in a half (current PR is 5:01, which I've done twice). I'm not going to be a negative Nancy and say "waa waa" that'll never happen this Sunday, but looking at the training that's been done and what I know of my body, let's just say it will be a magical day if I go sub-5. I think at best I can break my time from last year, and that's really what I have my sights set on. And if it happens to be a non-wetsuit swim, well, I'll just try to keep it under 40 minutes because that would be a success for me, seriously ;)

Before most 70.3s I usually have that feeling of being super content with the training I've put in. This time, there are just a few key days/a couple weeks here and there that I look back on with satisfaction; on the other hand there are a lot of question marks and gaps in the training. Those question marks and the feeling that training has sucked was starting to eat away at me -- shocking: I am hard on myself -- to the point where there were tears, a couple times in fact. But I think after a good cry or two -- one in particular that happened during an open water swim last week! -- and looking at the bigger picture I was able to gain perspective and find contentment.

Most importantly, I'll be racing Vineman for me, and not for everyone else (that is a big one). Don't get me wrong, I always race for me because I love this sport with all my heart, but I do let the idea of what others think get into my head. Yuck. So this go around, I had to dig deep and find a way to let go of what others may, or may not, think about my race(s) and my time(s)... that is not easy being that I do have some presence in the sport, have some sponsors, I take triathlon seriously and I'm a competitive person who gives a sh*t.

But I also made a decision with myself a while back that I'm not going to sacrifice living a "normal" life in order to pretend living like a pro. I do this sport because it enhances my quality of life. I know I'm good at triathlon and could maybe even be better, but I like the rest of my life too -- that's where it gets tricky. I work very hard at my job(s) and enjoy them, I choose to partake in social invites and not live like a hermit, my diet isn't always perfect (despite the photos and recipes I post haha), I make health a priority and don't let my endurance training get to an unhealthy level... It's true, sometimes you need to sacrifice health in order to pursue better performance. Basically, I try to keep balance, sometimes at the sacrifice of better training/performance.

Here's the bottom line... Despite all that emotional and physical clutter in the paragraphs above, I am totally ok and in good spot right now -- no, a great spot! I can't imagine my life without triathlon!!! And I am DANG excited to get my butt up to Sonoma and be at Vineman. I absolutely LOVE this race and the whole vibe. Even if I were to go 6+ hours, I'm just grateful to be making the journey into another half, functional and able. Heck if my wrist break had been worse, surgery may have been required, then Vineman surely would have been out. I am lucky. Not to mention, John and I had an absolutely amazing trip up to this race last year, topped off with a couple indulgent days in Napa post-race, and this year we have the same plan. Lucky.

This sport may get me F'd up in my head sometimes, but I'll say it again: I can't imagine my life without triathlon. Literally. I don't know where I would be right now without it... for one, I wouldn't have the boyfriend I have now.

Roughin It

If you recall, it was bachelorette party time this past weekend... in Yosemtime. I'm happy to report there were no male strippers and I didn't get eaten by a bear. Although, our campsite did get a warning for having too many tents on one site and leaving out wine bottles and not putting them in the bear box because apparently bears enjoy wine these days too. I don't blame the bears, it's a hard livin and they enjoy a good drink ;)

Yosemite was a blast, but too short. Apparently I was sleeping the whole time...

Chillin at the top, nearly 4k ft of elevation later in just ~4 miles.

I was seriously konked out here. It was pure bliss.

It's best to sum up this adventure with more photos. More writing next time.

The beautiful and amazing bride-to-be who I met 4 years ago during the
bike at Vineman 70.3. So grateful to have this girl in my life. Seriously,
who does this for a bachelorette?!

How we welcomed the first day. Chill time with beers in the creek by our site. Does it get more peaceful?
I'll fight LA traffic for a little of this...

Fresh yerba mate, no coffee, for the weekend.

Setting up a sturdy camp. I actually did more help on the food organizing/prep side than the tent-building side. Shocking.

No token Vegas shot for us.

And the big hike begins... Really, how friggin funny is Sara in her veil?!

This girl, Mollie, is one badass lady. Her family owns a 4300-acre ranch where they raise
grass-fed cattle among other things, and she brought us some meat for dinner one night.
It was killer as you can imagine.
She was also the only one girl held on to my "Type A triathlete" hiking pace that basically
entailed getting to the top as fast as possible. We owned it!

I was with some real yogis. Seriously.

No complaints. Nevada Falls. Coming down.

Appreciation.

Staying warm by the fire. Sharing stories. Making Memories.

Big Days to Make Up for Blah Days

A little bit of an update, a little bit of a ramble, a little bit of some training stats and post-workout eats. Bear with me... my mind is in multitask mode!

This helps me realize that I can't get too stressed or pissed about training.

I had to look back on past blogs to see what the latest news was that I had shared on my training. I didn't do a couple of the races I wanted to -- that Olympic tri nor SD RnR -- but it was for the best. There was a lot more going on than just my wrist for a handful of weeks recently and I was struggling to just get in anything that I would consider legit training. Quite frankly training was sucking and wasn't happening like it needed to be, and I had more days off/crappy days than ever. I was busy, I was tired, I was stressed, and I was getting pissy for feeling like a bad athlete, blah blah. Thankfully Lucho and I came up with a plan to lay low on posting structured workouts and let my body and my schedule dictate what the day's workout(s) would be, without feeling so committed to something so detailed -- sometimes it can be quite stressful to have a workout posted and you're scrambling to figure out how the hell it's gonna happen, and letting go and going with the flow may be the better option. Lucho is without a doubt still coaching me, but we've been mixing it up a bit and trying new things.


One plus is that I am OUT of the wrist brace and training like normal. There are still some things I can't do -- like push myself up on the pool deck to get out -- but overall I am able to go on like normal.

So that said, lately, I've been trying to get in some bigger days to complement those days that are so demanding that it's hard to get in a quality workout, if anything. What I'll do is work like crazy (even doing extra) on my busy days and get really ahead. Then I have a day that's mostly dedicated to training, and I load it up: swim, bike, run, everything! Thankfully working for myself I can put in 10-15 hour work days to make the big training day possible. Hell, I'm already into a 13-hour day today so far and still going!

The first time I tried this it went great and I loved it. I found myself wanting to to all the training rather than feeling like my mind was only half involved because I knew I had to be somewhere at 3pm or whatever. Normally sandwiching in workouts between calls, meetings, etc, and it's near impossible to do a long run off the bike for example... I'm sure you can relate. The goal is to still be consistent and not go days without training or anything like that, nor do the mega days needs to happen 24/7. But right now this is a good strategy for me mentally. It makes me feel more organized, and we all know a Type A thrives off that.

Father's Day fun. One real dad.

And one "adopted" dad.

This week John got on board and we took the "big day" strategy to the next level with IM Tahoe in mind. On Monday, he and I road tripped to Big Bear Lake for the day to swim-bike-run (John is self-employed thank god). We took our time in the morning and made the ~2hr drive at ease, no rush (we hosted a big Father's Day party the day prior, yikes). Big Bear was our first taste of training in altitude in prep for Tahoe, and it just so happens Big Bear is about the same elevation -- the lake sits at just over 6,700 ft and the roads for riding go up to 8,600 ft.

So how was it being up high? Surprisingly, the best for me was the swim. I felt great in the water and had no trouble breathing and moving along. Granted, I was not swimming at lightning speed, but do I ever? Haha. I swam more than a mile as long nonstop sets, enough to figure out if it felt like breathing through a straw, and it didn't.

Resarched a cool little place to start our swim called China Island. Right off the 18 when you get to the lake. Very pretty and a great starting place!

You have to hike down a little trail to get to the swim spot.

Me being happy with a good swim. What a relief!

Onto the bike, and we did a cool route that was recommended to me by Ryan Denner, which I later found out is a popular ride -- around the lake + climbing to Onyx Summit. The climb is like 6-8 miles or something (can't remember off the top my head) and the grade isn't too crazy at all, like around a 4-5% average. However, getting to 7500ft...8000ft...etc... I started to feel it. I was a lot weaker than doing the same kind of thing at sea level (or maybe it was the beers the day prior?). It wasn't a disaster but it got me a little nervous.

Getting to the summit. I always love when
the little blue dot is in the middle of nowhere.

We then did a short t-run and that just felt like butt. Mentally I was a little discouraged thinking about running a marathon feeling like that, especially since I can't say that my marathon skills are that well-developed at all! But it is what it is, and next time we go up I'm sure I'll learn more and be better off (the mind is a powerful thing), not to mention I'll avoid hosting a party the day prior ;)

Finishing the ride.... then fast foward to recovery mode with 110 Compression for the drive home! These two things (my Skratch kit and 110 socks) are quite possible my fav's. #obsessed

No trip for us is without a stop at the local brewery in town!
Beers were good, not great. Too mellow for my taste. But a post-workout
beer really can't be that bad ;)

The good news is, I recovered from Monday's adventure quickly (just a 50' run Tuesday, some strength then otherwise at my desk slammed with work) and I was motivated to get in another big day Wednesday because Thur-Sun are screwed as far as any quality training goes (why later). Wednesday. Ahhh. Loved it. It was the best long day I've had in a looong time. Logged in more than 5 hours of consecutive swim, bike run and I didn't die or poop out! Yippee!

It started later (due to work) at ~10:55am with a solid 2,200 swim in a pool I usually don't go to. This pool had to be close to 90 degrees and it was under a hot sun; it was torture! But I just kept thinking, "Vegas training, Vegas training." I felt shakey after that swim though...

Then 60 miles of riding with lots of hills, many of them offering some steep grades. Not the fastest ride ever but watts were there (170-180w overall average, and avg's of 220-230+ w on all the big hills that were 5+ minutes). The one thing that stood out to me (besides the summer heat) was the realization that I don't think I'll ever get sick of Apple Pie Bonk Breakers. I look forward to and crave that particular one all the time haha.

Last but not least a run, 8 miles at about a 7:40-8:00 pace throughout, HR comfortably in the 150s. It felt good to have a solid run in the midday heat at a sub-8 avg without blowing up the HR. I did run out of calories/drink toward the end and wished I had more, but I think I had gotten in close to 700 or more throughout this workout, so I felt a little bonky but not too bad.

I had one request that night for dinner: STEAK. I'm trying to eat red meat 2-3x a week nowadays. I actually just got a full blood test and my iron/ferritin levels are the best they've ever been for me and I'm nowhere near anemic (never had been anemic), but plentiful quality red meat is beneficial in many other ways other than providing iron, so bring.it.on. I served that steak with a yummy one-dish concoction of Brussels sprouts, onion, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, spinach, mushrooms and parsley with just some salt and pepper in a creamy sauce of goat yogurt/mushroom soup. I had some requests for the recipe -- well, there it is haha. I didn't measure anything. I just chopped up what we had and threw it in a big pan and let it all cook and the soup soak in, added the goat yogurt at the very end. Usual hodgepodge sorta thing for me.

The meal. Round 1. Had about 2-3 servings on the plate before I just started eating from the bowls/dishes everything was served in. What?

Now as to why I won't be doing any training until Monday again? It's all for a good reason. One of those "I am choosing significant life events that only happen once" deals. Today I've been working my boo-tay off because tomorrow I depart early for a one-of-a-kind bachelorette party in Yosemite! Yup, my very close friend Sara is getting hitched to an awesome dude, and in typical Sara fashion we are going to rough it to celebrate! I am sincerely excited to camp and get into gorgeous nature. If she had chosen Vegas I would have questioned her sanity... and me desire to even attend haha. Vegas once this year will be more than enough.

That's all for now!

Cheers to summer and long days of sunshine and warmth. I love this time of year xoxoxoxoooo

On My Radar: GF Cookies, Chia Gels, Running for Women

It's been a while since I did a little product review action. Recently I've had some cool things sent to me to try out, and I want to share with you! Also, quick note: check out my CoachTawnee.com blog/newsletter to see a little bragging about some of my athletes who raced this past weekend... fun stuff!

Before I divulge into these reviews, I will say 2 of the 3 are food/sports nutrition products, and of course, you all know I am a big advocate of my beloved Skratch Labs and Bonk Breakers. Those two things are what I primarily use and love.... but as a coach and someone who's deeply involved in this endurance sports world, I find it fun, exciting and important to test out other products out there! The more knowledge I can gain on sports nutrition and the more I can experiment on myself, the better I can help guide and educate other athletes. So let's do this...

Bonnievilles Power Cookies

First off, cheers to Bonnie for running a small business operation with a wholesome and real product. I love supporting such endeavors, largely because I am so over big corporate food giants who manufacture "food" and make people believe they should eat it. Bonnie's cookies are everything us health nuts want in a cookie (without sacrificing taste): quality ingredients, gluten free, vegan, no refined sugars, no soy, and no dairy. She uses a combination of brown rice syrup, maple syrup, brown rice flour, oat flour, coconut, and peanuts as her main ingredients in most cookies, and some cookie varieties will have a special spin to them (like chocolate mint, cinnamon, or coconut almond).

I tried one of these bad boys on a long ride yesterday and I have to say I was impressed! Given the healthy ingredients and no preservatives, it tasted really delicious and true to the flavor. I had the cocoa cocoa, and it was VERY cocoa-y. While I loved it, it felt like I was in a "got milk" commercial, and that intense flavor probably wasn't the best choice for a hot, sweaty day. (But after riding? That's a different story...bring it on) The texture was chewy, like the chewy you want with a big glass of milk. Mmmm. Honestly, the cookie is not something I'd want if I were racing the bike at high intensities, but I will definitely incorporate these in training and as a post-race treat when the body is looking to replenish glycogen... 

Nutrition for coconut almond.

Nutrition: What I also really like is their BIG size. I would have expected to see them packing 500 calories with how large they are, but no! They run you 250-260 calories depending on the variety (looks like she has about six or so different kinds). Each cookie includes about 39g CHO, 11g fat, 7g fiber. Decent! Within those ingredients you are getting  some wholesome nutrition too. It's not a junky 250ish cals. If you visit her website, she breaks down the nutritional value of each ingredient.

If there's one downfall to these it's all the peanuts and peanut butter. Personally, I don't really do peanuts because they're a legume with "anti-nutrient" lectins, phytic acid and aflatoxins. And I'm assuming the peanuts are roasted and/or heated at high temps. (With other nuts, I make sure to only eat raw and soaked for the most part.) But, that said, I also am not an all-or-nothing eater. Peanuts here and there aren't going to kill you and ruin your nutrition in my opinion. Heck, even coconut has phytic acid! So, as with everything, moderation.

Bottom line: These cookies are tasty, healthy, not processed, and made by someone who cares and has a passion for quality food. I can support that :)

Stocked up for a while. Yum!

~~~

Huma Chia Gel

Also a company I like in that they seem like their a small operation doing this out of passion for

providing a quality product. Personally, I'll admit, I am pretty much off gels these days, but I've used them enough in hard runs where I can at least tolerate some brands and they don't seems to do much detriment. When I was contacted by Huma to try their gel, I was pretty excited. We've discussed gels with chia on the Endurance Planet podcast, but I had yet to try one. I really didn't know what to expect. 

Being totally clueless on how my gut would handle this new kind of gel, I decided to try one for the first time in the Portland rock n roll half marathon -- definitely a wise idea, right?! Nothin like sumthin new on race day. I tried Apple Cinnamon, and I gave John a Strawberry (the only two flavors).

I opened the gel sometime after the 60 min mark. I took a small slurp of the gel (always take 'em in small portions and with water) and definitely felt the chia seed clumps -- not in a bad way at all though; I liked the texture the chia gave. The flavor was very true to apple cinn, as well, and I loved that (heck, Apple Pie Bonk Breakers are my favorite). I pictured myself squirting this gel on top of a GF pancake as a delicious "syrup" (Yea, I'm weird like that). 

The only thing I didn't like as much is that the gel itself was a little thicker/stickier and harder to swallow than I would have liked, but they were tolerable and not as bad as some gels I've tried that are practically like chalk.

Unfortunately I dropped the gel at one point, but it was almost gone I think and I got in enough to get the gist... I had it during the half hour heading into a half-mary PR and I didn't barf. 

A look at the nutrition: Huma Chia gel has 20-21g CHO with 14-16g sugar that comes from fruit (apple puree or strawberry), brown rice syrup and evaporated cane sugar. The brown rice syrup provides complex carbs, maltose and glucose -- different than most gels. I would assume the complex carbs makes this absorb more slowly, but it's also high in glucose (the maltose is essentially 2 glucose molecules), and glucose increases blood sugar fast, and requires sufficient of water to make it an isotonic solution (same concentration/osmolarity as blood). You don't see a lot of brown rice syrup in gels, and I'm no expert on using it for exercise fueling. Anyone? That said, the evaporate cane sugar is glucose and fructose, and is less processed/refined allowing it to retain higher nutrition value. Personally, if I do gel, I usually look for one with maltodextrin (well-absorbed) and a thin consistency. 

Additionally Huma's chia seeds provide 1.5g fat and 895mg Omega-3 fatty acids. All you fat-lovers out there should appreciate that! Of course, chia has been shown to be a sustaining fuel for long endurance events. But intensity of exercise and the amount of chia play a role in that for sure (the amount of chia in this gel is rather small). There's also 100-110mg sodium and a bit of fiber.

Bottom line: I'll still limit my gel intake, but I didn't seem to have any issues with this gel and it tasted great and true to flavor. It wasn't too overly sweet nor too sugary tasting either (which I despise in gels).

~~~

Running for Women (book)

I just received this book in the mail and CANNOT wait to dive into it! I had a chance to start browsing through it last night, and I'm already impressed. Jason and Carolyn are no joke; they know their stuff! The book is extremely well researched, informative and references a lot of current studies -- love that. I don't think there is another book on female runners quite like this. And even though it's running based in the title, it pretty much can apply to any female endurance athlete, triathlete of otherwise. Plus, while I love the heavy science/research-based side of it, the book is also very practical and reads well no matter who you are.

I can guarantee already that it's a book I'll be recommending to all you female athletes out there (and guys, too, so you can learn about us ladies)! You will learn something new and useful.

Recipe Time: Sweet Potato-Coconut Flour Biscuits (with Cheese)

Quick note on last weekend's plans to race. What do I say, it was a first, let me tell you! I didn't end up running the SD RnR half on Sunday. I made it to SD, but had to bail. Ughhh. It's kinda a long story. In a nutshell: I am ok; I  had something important come up last-minute, and I HAD to be somewhere soon after the race. I decided I'd be cutting it too close, and thus bailed to make my meeting. No biggie; that race wasn't even part of the original plan! And the short trip to SD wasn't a waste either -- I got in some quality time with The Rouses, and a nice evening at the new Stone Brewing restaurant in Liberty Station. Good food, and of course good beer (although, I just had one Ruination thinking I'd be running the next morning).

Anyway... speaking of good food...

I posted pictures of my latest creation in Instagram the other night and some folks said they wanted the details on these little morsels of yumminess...

This recipe is a typical creation of mine, in that I looked up a bunch of recipes for GF biscuits with intentions of using coconut flour as my base, and from my research this is what I created. They did not disappoint, and even made for great training snacks. In fact, as I ate the leftovers I thought that these are along the lines of something you'd even except to see in my new favorite recipe book: "Feed Zone Portables" by Allen Lim and Chef Biju Thomas. Have you seen this new book? It's absolutely incredible!!! It exceeded my expectations in recipe creativity, deliciousness, quality, you name it... Anyway, tangent...

Back to it.

The biscuits, hot out of the oven.

Here is the biscuit recipe with step-by-step photos... Enjoy!

Ingredients and directions

Shredding sweet potato old fashioned because I was missing a piece for the food processor.
John had to help me with this given my broken wrist situation.

In goes sweet potato shreds, coconut flour, eggs, baking powder, ginger and salt...

Oh yea, and melted coconut oil of course.

Mix, mix, mix...

Form, form, form...

After they're almost fully done baking sprinkle on cheese.
Did just half this time, next time I'll do all with cheese ;)

~~~

The Wrist, What's New....Update time!

I have been hearing about more bike crashes recently than I ever have. What is going on out there? I am so sad to hear about the spills, but thankfully everyone who's been hurt lately is going to be ok. For the most part, every crash I've heard about has been leaps and bounds worse than mine. It really puts things in perspective. My thoughts are with all you guys who've been hurt...

So last report was that I ran Portland. I have another foodie blog in the works as "part 2" of that trip, and will be posting soon. No rush, right? Those awesome restaurants and breweries aren't going anywhere. In the meantime, a little update on my status with the wrist, training, etc...

First off, I am scheduled to race the third event in the LA Tri Series next weekend, an Olympic distance, and while I want to do it with all my heart, I am undecided at the moment.

They sent out an email recently with the overall men's and women's points standings in the championship series, and I am currently in second, only 2 min down from first. You can only imagine HOW MUCH that makes me want to race even more!!! Gahhhhh!!! But being smart in this situation is key. What would you do?!

So that's that. Training is good, not great like I'd want right now. I ended the month with 49hr training, my lowest all year so far. Obviously the wrist played a role in that. Swimming has been the toughest. I had my first back-to-it test swim about 1.5 weeks after the break and it was a disaster; I was awkward in the water, couldn't get a good catch/pull with the cast on, and basically sank. But then I tried again several days later with a much better outcome. I was able to manage the cast better and actually generate power with my R arm. This past week I swam 5 days in a row, shorter sessions of 1600-2000. It's been quite depressing to see how quickly I lose swim fitness, and unfortunately my workouts as of late aren't the best quality to get that fitness back, but I am just going into each session with a positive mind and doing what I can. 

Biking is going along... My Shiv is visibly sad to be stuck on the trainer so much ;) Volume isn't quite there but frequency is decent. Memorial Day I got ambitious and tried riding on the road with the cast. John was doing a 100-miler, and I was totally jealous. I knew I wouldn't be doing that volume, but I still wanted to get out there for a bit. Made it 32 miles, with 2x20' intervals in there. Pain set in around mile 20ish so I rode home and retired to the trainer for a long time, and for more intervals. 

Of course, I can run to full capacity, for which I'm so thankful! I've had running taken away from me before for injury or whatever, and it sucks. I don't mind missing swims (besides the fact that it makes me even worse), but when I can't run I get cranky.

View from a recent hilly trail run with my mom -- close to 2k elevation gain in the first ~6 miles! Fried my legs even
running it at MAF pace.

Made a new friend on the trails!

Then there is strength training, which I love and which is currently serving to replace/fill in what I'm missing in the pool and on the bike. Here's a "triathlete's broken wrist strength workout" I was able to do last week:

60 Scap push-ups - as 20 in plank position, 20 with forearms stacked inward on top of eachother and palms down, 20 with forearms inward and thumbs up (these made me sore)!

20 prone supermans

20 goblet squats holding ~20lb kettlebell (I could sustain that weight!)

60" battle rope variations - holy crap, how I was able to do these pain free, I don't know. We couldn't believe it! Probably the most swim specific exercise I was able to handle.

10 ea. reverse lunge on slide board

60" plank

....Total of 4 rounds.

Note: in that session we tried stretch cords to mimic that swim motion, but I was still struggling with that due to placement of the cord on the injured arm; couldn't have it at my wrist because that hurt, and put it near elbow, but that was awkward and not as quality. I could tell my lat wasn't effectively firing. But about a week later, I was able to lat pull downs with a rope on the cable machine, which I wasn't able to do that first time. Progress.

Other than that I've been very busy and stepping up the workload (like that non-training stuff you have to do to get by haha). I have full capacity to type, drive, talk, and even do a little modeling sans cast! But no matter how busy I get I make sure to schedule downtime to unwind and rest. For me that relax time usually involves cooking, reading, hanging out with friends/family, listening to music, sit on my patio, jumping in the ocean... Simple things just enough to recharge!

Some recent pics:

Modeling sess at Sunset Cliffs with John Segesta. Not the ideal sunset we wanted, but fun nonetheless.

Cooking is theraputic for me. Here I am trying a new concoction of beets, farmers market carrots, onions... later added Brussels sprouts and a secret sauce that was to die for.

Reading on the patio. Currently still on "Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us"
and loving it! Great read, excellent insight into the BS that is processed, packaged food.

And today I'm headed down to San Diego to hang out with my buds Mike and Kimee Rouse, and to "run" the SD Rock N Roll half tomorrow. I say run in quotes because this is just a training day run on very tired legs. No goals to PR again, just goals to have fun!

Take care everyone, and please no more crashes, a'ight?!