Ragnar SoCal Relay: Expanding the Race Resume and Executing The Unknown

12 runners
2 drivers
182.4 miles, HB to SD
26:44 hours of running
0 hours of sleep
10th division
55th out of 700+ teams

I didn't really know what to expect from Ragnar: Would it be fun? Would I regret it in the middle of the night? Would I survive on no sleep and avoid turning into a grumpy b----? Would my body be able to perform like the old days? Would our team--many of whom I didn't know--get along?

I wasn't worried, just curious about these unknowns. If anything, I was excited to figure out the answers. I'm all about new adventures with my racing and activities these days...

I actually had a rough patch leading into Ragnar too. My "that time of month" was due, which meant all the symptoms. Yup. Plus I had a heavy heart and bouts of tears after learning of the death of an old high school boyfriend-turned-friend the week before Ragnar. My mind was somewhere else with that news. I don't even really like talking about it, and I hesitated to even mention it here but it's part of me and this... he was on my mind, as was another old, dear friend who I grew up with and who would have been 30 on April 9; he passed away too young too. So the day before our team arrived in town I spent most my day at a funeral. I'm glad the funeral took place when it did. I felt like I was at least able to get some closure, find peace, shed some tears, and share hugs with people from my early life....

Wore some bracelets to remember loved ones who left
this world way too soon. I'll never forget them.

All that leading up, and I definitely made sure to have super low-stress, easy workouts the week leading into Ragnar. I wanted to be 100 percent on my game running-wise and energy-wise. I was tracking my HRV and general metrics before/during/after Ragnar, which I'll post in a separate (shorter) post to come for my geek friends like Alan Couzens on how Ragnar wrecked havoc (or not ;)).

It was busy leading up to race weekend. Our team wasn't just a group of local friends; John and I organized a special Endurance Planet team with people flying in from as far as Toronto and the East Coast. So this was actually business for me in a way, but I'm grateful my business is certainly mixed with pleasure. I was especially excited that my two favorite colleagues and dear friends--Brock and Lucho--would be joining  the crew and staying with John and I. I love those guys so much, and love our annual get-togethers (they need to be more than annual IMO).

John and I planned it to be an "all-inclusive" weekend of sorts for the team, starting with a catered team dinner on Thursday, racing Friday/Saturday, and ending with our own special awards ceremony at Stone, plus everything in between (vans, food/meals, sponsored hydration, houses for rest stops, supplies, special souvenirs, etc). Everything for Ragnar was all there and ready for them. They just had to show up.

So how'd it go?

In short: IT WAS A FREAKING BLAST!!!

Our team, Ragnar, running balls-out hard--it absolutely exceeded my expectations!

If you want the audio version recapping the event, listen to this podcast with Lucho, Brock and I sharing all the details. We recorded it Sunday morning after the race; a super fun, highly caffeinated chat.

If you want more from my POV and also more on my own running performances, read on...

As mentioned, it was a bit of a "meh" week for me. But that changed Thursday when I woke up feeling like a rockstar. Had one last easy run, and forced myself to hold back. Legs ready. We spent a good 3ish hours in the car picking up the boys from airports and running errands. The evening ended with our team enjoying Mexican food in a Laguna Beach park, which John and I served only the best quality--La Sirena Grill.

Start line. We were dead last wave to go off lol! But we loved
it when we ended up passing 100s of teams!

Friday our team was literally the very last wave to go off at 1:15pm, which I actually liked. Teams were starting as early as 6am but we had a nice leisurely morning. I even fit in a 5k SUP session before we got going, and we stopped at the farmer's market to pick up freshly baked sourdough for the team. We gathered, drank coffee, decorated vans and got going. I made a deal with myself that I would get to drink as much caffeine as I wanted/needed then get back to reality next week.

Ragnar logistics are quite complicated especially if you've never done one of these so I'll try not to explain the impossible. Basically our team congregated in Lake Forest, then we were off to the start line in Huntington Beach. Most everyone was pretty much strangers to one another, yet right away we had good vibes and nonstop chatter.

Team photo with the coolest van in ragnar! 

There was lots of voo doo flossing going around thanks
to Greg (and Kelly Starrett). It freaking works. And greg,
seen here, is quite the runner. He just went sub 19 at the
Boston 5k the weekend after Ragnar! #superfan

I was in Van 1 with six others. We started while Van 2 waited for our six to do their thing. I was No. 6 and would pass to Lucho, who was No. 7. In terms of performance, I had told the team prior to the event that our pace and where we placed weren't important factors, but it was clear to me that we had compiled a group of competitors who wanted to run fast and hard (we had a speedy group!). Greg, who I coach for running, started us off with a badass 2.4 mile balls-out run. As for me, I had this "silly" idea that I'd be "smart" and pace myself by going a bit conservative on Run #1, but there was none of that once I got going. It was 100 percent hard. And I'm glad I did it that way.

As Runner No. 6, all three of my legs were hard and hilly. It was only 14.4 miles total running (6.75, 3, 4.3 miles each), and in that I had more than 1,600 feet elevation gain total. My runs were mostly all uphill with way less downhill being that they were point-to-point runs. One positives of less descent was saving my quads from downhill DOMS (although I run steep trails enough where I wasn't worried about that). There were at least five gnarlyyyyy hills I encountered. Some decent downhills too. Not so much flat running. Thank goodness I run trails often.

Invasion of the white vans in SoCal.

Endurance Planetttttt!

Before I got going on my first run I did some pullups in a park (seriously), downed espresso (yup!), took 5 Perfect Amino (the new MAP), and warmed up well. It was the perfect time of day to run--just before sunset and cooling off. Not cold, not hot.

My first run was incredibly satisfying. I literally had not pushed my body that hard since Vineman 70.3 last year; nearly 9 months ago. It felt like racing again. It was racing again! In fact, in some ways cooler than past races because I was totally by myself no other ragnar runners around--due to our team's late start--and navigating random roads and hills. Yes, there were signs with directions, but I was by myself, in my own head, digging deep and finding my way.

I. Loved. It.

Climbing a mellow uphill grade.

I honestly didn't realize my shorts were so dang short!

This was right before the big-ass hill... I am totally
loving it!

My pace/intensity was a bit of a question mark going in, as I've been doing nearly 100 percent MAF training and very little/no intensity and no true speedwork. Nearly all my runs I'll average ~150 HR or under, and rarely have I gone above 160 in training. But this is part of the "MAF Game"--train at the aerobic max mostly then be able to dig deep and push hard on race day. I was guessing I'd be sub-8 without too much trouble, but factoring in the hilly route I couldn't guarantee that. I just knew once I started that the idea of going conservative on run #1 was not happening. I wanted to race and go hard. I'm glad I have past experience running at 175+ HR because it definitely stung at first, but it didn't feel unknown to me. For anyone new to MAF, I'd get in a couple practice races or sessions at that high intensity before your A race. Or if you know your aerobic base is well-established add in some anaerobic intervals (this is allowed in true MAF training if done appropriately).

Once I realized I can still run hard lol, I was just hoping I could hold to effort, and not blow especially considering the course profile (see below).

Up, up, up! After this Lucho had nearly an all-downhill run. No wonder he was faster ;)

The first four miles didn't really feel like climbing, but I knew they were due to my HR vs. pace. On flat at that HR I'd easily be running nearly a minute faster per mile than I was. Mile 5 was a bitch of a climb and I did walk a few times but even walking my HR never dropped under 165! But after that I think I finished really freakin fast in the 6's and apparently even sub 6 at times.

Looking back, I think I could have ran faster/harder had I practiced that scenario a couple times before the actual race. But that gets tricky because then the recovery needed is greater... anyway...

Here's my data:

The numbers. Fyi- 58:15 vs. 55:41 is due to getting
stopped at stoplights--no cheating, no running reds!

I think a new chapter might be brewing for me in which I'll be adding more of these random adventure/ultra races where getting lost is a real possibility and where you're not sardined into a crowd. Don't get me wrong, I've loved being that sardine in the triathlon crowd, but it's time for some new adventures! Also I know I won't be running ultras that fast or hard, but I think you get my point.

Anyway, while I was busting my ass, Lucho was getting ready for his first "competitive run" since Leadman 2012. He has run since then (barely) but hasn't raced. We brought him back to the game baby! Although, I think after ragnar he went back into retirement from running already lol.

Lucho's like, "What the hell am I doing?"

Meanwhile I'm trying to bring it in fast....

And the exchange! Lucho and I have been friends and podcasters since 2011!
In fact, I've talked to him nearly every single week for more than 4 years now. 

Then, Lucho had the longest leg, 12.1 miles, which he "decided" to make 13.1 miles by going off course. All good lol.
He passed to John, who also ran more than 20+ miles total. 

After my first run, our team was done with our first shift and got to go to the house to eat, shower and rest (but no one slept; we were all amped up!). All the food was ready and cooked. We had some good stuff, and I highly recommend planning out your menu and buying/preparing food prior to avoid having to do it in that moment. You want all the chill time you can get, not running around shopping for food. I ate a crap ton and didn't even care how it might affect my next run at 2am. I was hangry, and probably had two solid plates of food plus more snacking. Then showered, and then we rehabed with voodoo flossing (magical!), foam rolling, compression, feet up, and so on... we shared past race stories, I had my brain picked nonstop by our EP fans on the team, and the energy was HIGH! We all were feeling great, happy and having a blast. No signs of major fatigue at all yet, which is good because it was only ~8-10pm.

Tons of bacon got consumed.

I basically took all this stuff and made it into tacos with non-GMO
corn tortillas. More bacon was added ;)

Apparently Van 2 had a thing with M&Ms that didn't
really turn out well for them in the GI department.

Some of my Van 1 crew pigging out and talking away.

Meanwhile, Van 2 crew was doing their run thang while we chilled. The only
downside of a 12-person team is not being able to spend more time all together!

Our Van 1's next shift started in Oceanside at 10-something. Right on the boardwalk where the half-Ironman goes. The port-o-potties and darkness with a cool breeze and street lights gave me the chills because it felt exactly like arriving to Oceanside in the morning to do the 70.3. Ah, memories.

We were on from 10ish till my run, which ended at 2:45am. I was the team captain and van navigator so when I wasn't running, the whole race I was constantly thinking two steps ahead and working: looking on the Ragnar app for routes and exchange points, searching google maps, and dictating directions to my dad. This was especially "fun" in those wee hours. But he and I worked very well together and never had a hiccup. Never got lost. Because I was team captain and the host (and full of good energy) I never really slept because I felt like I was needed, but I did have some moments of quiet time and relaxation which were helpful. (I'd eventually get a quickie nap back at the condo....)

Ragnar at night.

Runners coming in for the exchange. "Is that our light?"
This actually happened to be my mom, who ran!

My second run started around 2:20 am somewhere in Carlsbad I think. That area is hilly, and so was my little 3-miler. It was cold (not freezing), and just cold enough where I didn't want to strip down to shorts and a shirt--I was so cozy in my puffy jacket and leggings!--but knew I'd regret wearing pants and a heavy top on my run. Each time I ran I got in at least a mile of jogging/moving/walking and dynamic exercises to get loose and ready. This was especially important on the second two runs after you're stiff and a lil sore. My 2am'er was basically just going up or down on sidewalk (concrete, yuck). See the course profile below. However, the ragnar peeps categorized it as "easy," WTF?! I can assure it was not except for the fact that it was just 3 miles, but that's like saying a competitive 5k is easy It's not. (We're thinking they rated "easy" vs. "medium" vs. "hard" runs simply based on total miles.) So when I finished my 3 miles, I had a potty mouth like none other blasting out a bunch of expletives that explained how the route was anything but easy. I wasn't mad, just on the runner's high and needing to make a point ;) It just so happened that I didn't care about having a filter on my mouth in front of the team at 2:45 am. They thought it was funny.

Because this was all on concrete I chose shoes with a tad more support to cushion that pounding.

My effort was certainly not an "easy" cruising pace lol.
Only one stoplight this time and it was a quickie whew.

2:45 am running - appropriate that this pic came out
blurry because that's exactly how it felt in the moment.

So at about 3 am we made our way to our Carlsbad casa while Van 2 got busy running until sunrise. At 3:15 am I made myself chicken and tacos, bacon, chips, and who knows what else, then we all got to doze off for 30-40min under a roof, cozied up in a blanket on a couch. It felt like 30 seconds later the alarm went off and it was time to get going. Ugh. That was probably the hardest part of the whole thing. I we were wanting was to sleep, and we were flirted with sleep, but it was just a tease. Off we were.

I was so out of it when we left that I forgot half my shit for the next round including my Garmin, HRM strap and wallet (important things I needed haha). Thankfully I was able to borrow a Garmin/HRM and other peeps had money; although, we never bought anything except gas and coffee. We didn't have to. It was all there. (Planning success!)

Brockstar is truly one of a kind and I'm soooo grateful
to have an amazing team who I get to work with
regularly on Endurance Planet. This guy is truly a man
of many talents. 

It almost appears as if I've closed my eyes for a quick nap!
Haha, yea right, in my dreams. This was just around sunrise.
Notice how our team is NO LONGER alone... we had caught
up big time at this point. #fastteam

After that parking lot the route headed west and we got to chill on the beach.
It was so nice having the out-of-towners get a taste of our SoCal paradise.

Part of my breakfast that morning was Orange UCAN in my Betty bottle,
so delicious simply on its own! Had this before run #3.
Click here to find out more on UCAN and why it rocks.
Use "coachtawnee" for 15% off.

I also needed a bit more fuel before run #3 so I went with the tried and true:
Apple Pie Bonk Breaker. These were a hit with the team!

While we ran in a new day on Saturday, Van 2 crew finally
got some naps in. 

I was a tad nervous about my third run. Two runs totaling about 10 miles at the hardest pace I'd run in ages and not easy routes, no sleep, cracked out, eating/drinking through the night.... then running 4.3 miles up Torrey Pines and through La Jolla?! What did I sign up for here, I thought?? But I was loving it and certainly wasn't nervous like I've been in past races. We were all asking each other our realistic pace prior to starting a run, and this time I was basically like, "I really don't know.... somewhere between 35-40 minutes is probably safe." I got it in 35min, and up Torrey kept it at a 9:30 avg. After that I dug deep like none other and went balls out to run in the low 7's on average. Interestingly my HR was more depressed on this last run and didn't reach the 170s until the very end. Up Torrey it remained ~165-168, which was low to me especially given the effort I was going. But at the end I was making some major kills (more on that soon) and passing groups. One guy I passed didn't seem too happy and he tried to pass back near the finish but I held him off! I think I got as fast as 5:20 pace during those final miles. When I reached Lucho for the pass of the baton, I literally was putting on the brakes as you can see. I didn't fall over, but I certainly did need to chug water and keep moving to walk it off.

That's what Torrey pines looks like on the charts. I guess I did have some
flat and downhill in this one ;)

Does anyone pay attention to NGP vs actual pace? I'd
never relied on it for much, but interesting to see.
I did have one stop this time too but it didn't register.

I made about 20 kills on this run, including that guy behind me who wasn't
happy about my passing him and he was trying to catch me but didn't!
BAM! That certainly got my HR to the 170s lol.

Putting on the brakes and making the last exchange with the Luch-man.

Ah, that feeling of being done. So happy! Haha.

So making kills. This is a Ragnar thing, and it was fun especially for us. As I said, our team started dead last so for most of Friday we were all alone and/or only a few other runners around at any given time. But around those ugly 1-3am hours were were clearly making up time and catching teams. It went from arriving to near-empty parking lots to arriving at the party at every exchange with dozens and dozens of vans, runners and commotion! Wow! Making a kill basically means passing and overtaking another runner, thus moving up the ranks. I made a few kills in my first couple runs, then 20ish by my last one! Others on our team were making 30+ kills, and at the end Brock (our last runner) said he lost count on all his kills--too many. That was extremely motivating for our team, clearly. This group we had was a bunch of badasses who wanted it, who gave 100 million percent of their bodies and who did amazing things that had my jaw dropping in awe of pure athleticism and talent. Even my sister had all-time PRs for the given distances on her runs. As one runner, Sal, put it, "I was inspired by the athleticism around me and found that extra gear to go faster."

Magnets get placed all over the vans...

We truly had a uniquely special team. We thrived off one another, and the performances were inspiring. Our team ranged in age from mid-20s to mid-50s, and all were badass athletes.

In fact, 26:44 meant we averaged 8:48 pace, which includes any stops at lights (part of the rules and for general safety--you have to wait; it's an open course) as well as a minor mistake of Lucho going off course for a mile. Total elevation gain must have been more than 10k I'd guess. So all that considered, keeping it sub-9 officially? Rad! It got us 55th overall, and 10th in our division. Fast times and high rankings, again, were not something I was "needed" from this. But little did I know we were in it to win it! Well, maybe not win it; although not impossible. The overall winning team went 21:xx. Shave off 5 hours? Hm! Next time (oh, and there WILL be a next time)!!!

We officially finished at 3pm-something in Mission Bay on the sand among chaos and traffic. A perfect Saturday in San Diego plus wll the Ragnar'ers in that one little area?? MAYHEM! My van had been done since noon-ish, and we even got to take a siesta on the grass at mission bay before Van 2 finished. I slept like a rock even with people walking and talking all around me haha.

Upon finishing I think there were mixed emotions--runner's highs, stoked on how well we did, sad but happy that it was over, clearly tired, a bit delirious and not necessarily looking forward to driving the couple hours back to OC.

Sweet, sturdy hardware for finishing!

Most of us at the finish line. #whereslucho?

We did make time for a pitstop at Stone Liberty Station to enjoy celebratory drinks, food and sharing stories. Shockingly, only one person dozed off at the table, otherwise, we were all in great spirits despite running on fumes at that point (I guess good beer/wine is enough to wake someone back up). Prior to the race John and I made special trophy awards to hand out in our own EP Awards Ceremony. Things like "Biggest Caffeine Addict," "Outstanding Performance" and "Scariest Driver" were up for grabs; we also had other cool schwag to give away, including a LifeBeam Smart Hat or few.

Sleepy driver dozing off. Too funny!

Photo-bombing one of our outstanding runners, Mike
Wasserman. He earned this award. He's in his 50s and
ran like the wind on some of the hardest routes!

Yes, we have Groupies at Endurance Planet, and their love
and obsession does not go unnoticed ;)

So, that, in a nutshell, was Ragnar! Everyone keeps asking: When do we get to do it again?!!?!? (And for real--we're planning another one already. Want in?)

~~~

Sunday Funday with my boys!

It wasn't quite over after Saturday, thank goodness. Sunday was special in its own way: John, Brock, Lucho and I just chilled in Laguna, drank tons of coffee, recorded a podcast, hobbled around town, grabbed some adult beverages, and just talked nonstop all day from early morning till nearly midnight. We had burgers, and lots of good eats to replenish. It was one of those special days with my favorite guys that I'll never forget.

I'm so glad I had that extra day to hang out with them. I had mostly been separated from them when I was in Van 1; they were all in Van 2. That's the one big negative of a 12-person team--the two vans get very little interaction during the course of the event so you didn't even get to be around half your team. Grr...

~~~

Next up in the ongoing adventures:

- John and I are crewing Michelle and Majo for the Salton Sea Badwater Ultra (81 miles) May 3-4, a job I've wanted to have ever since I learned what ultra meant! Can't wait! Lots of podcasts/pictures/blogging/social media to come on that....

- My MARATHON! I'll be running my marathon on May 24, and according to Maffetone, I'm "ready" for it (ready as I'll be). He's given me four more specific long runs to do. Good times!

~~~

Speaking of good times, I think this guy and I are made for each other, huh:

San Francisco...

A brief interruption from the usual sport/fitness/health chat (although, according to Maffetone the recent events in my personal life are some of the best for promoting good health, makes sense)....

Two weeks ago, John and I went to San Francisco, which we realized was our first trip that was not based on a race, training or business. Between my triathlon and his race car driving, and our businesses/work, our getaways tend to have a purpose rather than being random getaways.

Well, I suppose you can say SF actually did have a very important purpose... ;)

That moment, that question.... better than I ever imagined! #isaidyes

We went for a few days midweek with no main goals rather than to explore the city, eat good food and catch a concert at the Fillmore. I should write the blog: "How to do San Francisco in less than 72 Hours" because, dang, we did a lot! I guess that's what happens when you put two active people on the loose. We still worked a bit too; it's relatively easy for he and I to work from the road short-term like that.

GF quiche and tuna/avocado from Bio

We flew in Tuesday to Oakland, taking BART into SF, which is super convenient and cheaper than flying into SFO. I found an organic/gluten free French cafe called Bio just off Market Street where we shared the best breakfast of several GF quiche, tuna-stuffed avocado, a sweet potato pastry and house-made kombucha. Thank goodness for apps like Yelp to find quality restaurants these days; I remember my first trip with John in summer 2011 in which I still had an old phone with no such apps and he had an iPhone with google that helped us navigate the dining scene--I thought that was the coolest thing ever! And that was less than four years ago haha... Anyway, Tuesday was a long day on our feet with everything from tea tasting in Chinatown (I'm a new fan!) to the Embarcadero and oysters to drinks off Haight Street.

Wednesday morning we got some work done, I made breakfast and eventually left our little condo late morning to go on a run. Our condo was great. We only use VRBO.com for trips these days; I think the last time I stayed in a hotel was for Vineman in 2013; there's really no point to hotels anymore when you can find an apartment/condo or house with a full kitchen and everything you'd need to have a little home--at way cheaper rates than a hotel especially for what you have access to. Plus, I personally love staying in someone's home to get an authentic feel for the area; you can really soak up the character of a new place. Not to mention, as a health-conscious person (or when racing) it's great to have the comfort of your own kitchen. We (ok, I!) usually find a whole foods then cook all our breakfasts and have other healthy stuff on hand, which also saves money.

Ok back to the story. Wednesday John planned a sight-seeing run, which is how we love to roll. Get out on two feet and see it all! We try to avoid rental cars--transportation in the form of walking, running, uber'ing, and of course stair-climbing...

Lots of beauty in SF!

We set out on our run and, I won't lie, I was a wee bit hungover. A little more wine on Tuesday than what my body's used to having and it was in shock. But nothing like a good run to cure a hangover--sweat it out--right?! #yolo

I was also secretly hoping our SF trip would be it--he'd propose--and, I thought, "who knows maybe he'd ask on this run." John and I have been together for nearly four years. I'll never forget meeting him. My friend Elizabeth had just left my newly rented apartment by the beach after staying with me because we ran a 10k(her)/half-marathon(me) in the OC. John and I met the day after. I'll never forget it. It was something special, he was different. We fell in love quickly. Which, actually, was a wrench in my plan at the time--I recently achieved the ability to afford rent for my own apartment, all self-supported, by the beach and living alone--finally--for the first time ever, and I was so stoked. I was single and ready to live that life. But then John came along and my single-life dreams didn't last for more than a month haha. Totally worth it...

Fast-forward and John and I have been through so much. We took our first trip together only a month or so after we began dating; he was thrust into being a sherpa right away when he accompanied me to Oregon for the Rev 3 Portland half. He exceeded my expectations as a sherpa, that's for sure. I was sold ;) That year he also went out of his way to be at Ironman Canada to sherpa for me.... Then I went to his 25-hour sports car race in NorCal.... and countless memories, fun times and adventures have followed....

So in SF, we end up trekking 7-plus miles around town, ending at Golden Gate Park at the Conservatory of Flowers, which he knew I'd love. It's like the Botanical Gardens in DC, and he knows I'm a big fan of that.

View from the top of Twin Peaks, we scored an epic, clear SF day!

The first time I saw the Golden Gat Bridge in person was 2012 during the SF Half Marathon, in fog, with John :)

No shortage of steep climbs in SF! I think we hit them all. 

We strolled through the conservatory, and I felt much better and refreshed. It was really nice to simply be enjoying a casual day, no rush, with the one I love. We were walking through the park and making plans for the rest of the day as we made our way back to the condo. Then, he put his arm around me, and said, "So, I've been thinking...."

The Conservatory!

That was it. I don't know how many minutes passed nor do I remember exactly the words that were said. The next thing I knew he had veered us off onto the grass and was on one knee asking me the question. Without hesitation, I said "Absolutely."

Best run of my life, ending with a proposal :) #stringbling

Those moments--the best ever. I will never forget.

I was thinking, "Thank goodness our phones didn't die so we could capture these moments, this day, this spot!"

First toast! Don't worry, my friends, beer + wine followed ;)

Several days later I turned 30. John later said he wanted to make sure to propose before my 30th, a good decision in my opinion. It also made for extra fun at Oceanside 70.3 in which we celebrated with our triathlon "family." It's clear I've been taking John around the races for a long time now with the outpouring we received from everyone.

Hanging at Oceanside. In fact, speaking of surprises, this stud - MBK - and others did something
so special on a recent TriNews podcast, they all recorded happy-birthday wishes and
those were sprinkled into the show, a total surprise to me! Thanks Thorsten :)

So that's it! That's the news! I started the week a girl in her 20s, and ended it 30s and engaged. I couldn't be more excited for this new chapter in life.

Warning: PDA!

Although, planning a wedding?! Yowza. Unlke most gals, this is not something I've dreamt of my whole life. However, with John I think we'll have fun. Plus, Thankfully I have a wonderful network of family and friends (many of whom are athletic and similar to me) who've been giving amazing tips so far, including my "virtual friend" M, who recommended this book on a "priceless" wedding (bought!), and my coached athlete Amy, who sent me this article on why a wedding under 10k is a good sign for a healthy marriage <--- agree="" and="" certainly="" p="" that="" we="" with="">

If the celebrations of the past couple weeks are any indication of what's ahead and what our wedding will be like, we are certainly in for a damn good time! #LagunaBeach #BlueWaterMusicFestival

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.