This and that

I feel so behind but it's only Tuesday! I guess that's a result of being a little ill. I hate being sick. You feel like you don't want to do ANYTHING and all I could focus on all day was wanting to just curl up in bed and sleep.

ANYWAY, starting to feel better, thanks for the well-wishes. I made it to the (dark) track workout tonight. We did 12x300 (with 100 recovery) after our warm up. I don't know if it's because I took a little running break (about 1.5 weeks) or that kick-butt bike ride from Sat, but my legs felt surprisingly spry. I managed to make every four sets faster, so started around 1:12 and steadily made it down to 1:08 and the last one pulled off 1:07. Nice!

It was challenging because the usual crowd wasn't in attendance - only 6 of us tonight. And it was cold. And dark. But I figured if I could get through things like this it will make Sunday's cross country race a piece of cake, right?

On a cool note: When I arrived there was this woman there I didn't recognize (and hello, it was dark). So Tori introduced us and she suddenly seemed familiar and she said "yes, we met at the Fleet Feet Run two weeks ago."

A big smile spread across my face. "Tori," I began, "do you realize that Lydia and I met two weeks ago and I told her about how great Empire Runners was and how she should join us on Tuesdays - and HERE SHE IS!" Turns out I made a good enough impression that she came out last week and even CAME BACK FOR MORE this week. Cool!

We've got our last XC race this weekend on Sunday. Boo! I'm kind of sad about that. But I think it'll be a blast and I'm curious to see how I do given that now I've done the course once (it's in Golden Gate Park).

Saturday I am ALSO running - I'm volunteering with this FABULOUS organization called Girls on the Run. Have you heard of it? "Girls on the Run© is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. Our curricula address all aspects of girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being." (from the GOTR website)

So their fall training culminates in a 5K for the girls and since I can't volunteer during the year (usually the program starts right when they get out of school, so around 3 p.m.), I am volunteering during the GOTR Sonoma County 5K to be a 'running buddy.' Bonus: I get to be a running buddy for one of my spin student's daughters!!

I also have to write a ride report from Saturdays' Riviera Ride. It was just as awesome as the first but I'd venture to say even more so. It's quickly becoming one of my new favorite monthly events. I will save that for another post, I think. Trying to have shorter posts these days and I still have other things on my list to get to.

Speaking of bikes, I think I want to have a big bike ride on my birthday. So if you're in the area on December 7, come join. I think I may try to have the ride end at Rosso in Santa Rosa for lunch and have a bakery stop somewhere during the ride.

I'm saving the best for last. Lately folks (JP and Rainmaker) have been posting some insanely amazing-looking eats (Cassoulet and pumpkin recipes, respectively). They've left me SALIVATING!

And I promised to post something about food. The bad thing about this is I haven't yet made it (this year) - that is for this weekend but I really wanted to put this recipe out there so people can see it and make it/savor it/enjoy it themselves.

Without further ado, here is the recipe for:

Salad of Fall Greens with Persimmons and Hazlenuts Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (recipe here)
From Epicurious.com via Bon Appetit, November 2001


**Note: I hate hazlenuts. So instead of hazlenut oil, I used walnut oil. And instead of toasted hazlenuts, I toasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). And they work lovely.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fresh tangerine juice
• 1 tablespoon grated tangerine peel
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil or walnut oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

• 1 head escarole (about 11 ounces), torn into 2-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
• 1 large bunch watercress, stemmed (about 6 cups)
• 1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
• 2 Fuyu persimmon, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin rubbed off

Preparation:

Boil tangerine juice and tangerine peel in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in next 5 ingredients. Season dressing with pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewhisk before using.)

Place all greens and half of persimmon slices in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among plates. Top each with remaining persimmon slices and hazelnuts and serve.

And, I think that's a wrap for tonight. Thanks to everybody who's going to play Maggs' and my Winter Weight Challenge. I'm looking forward to having even MORE of a reason not to put anymore weight on this winter!

15 minutes twice a day

So...I want to blog more. Really - Christine told me she goes to my blog all the time but I never update. I enjoy the fact that my friends read my blog. I don't know if anybody else does, but I don't really care that much. I just enjoy writing and miss doing it more often.

I was talking with the gentleman who works at the printing company we work with, as we always get off topic from work stuff and get onto other interests, and he was telling me how he just takes a tea break (he's English, go figure) twice a day and writes for 15 minutes. Hm. I think he's on to something. It's all about making the time to do things. I hate to be so scheduled, but in this busy life we all live, sometimes it's simply inevitable. I write down WHEN I'm going to yoga, WHEN I'm swimming, WHEN I'm cycling, WHEN I have meetings, WHEN I'm going to get my laundry done, WHEN I'm going grocery shopping; why not write down WHEN I write?

The idea of 15 minutes is great too, because it means that you're not sitting down and thinking "gee, I want to write about that race but I don't have an hour!" Even if the thought process gets interrupted, at least I've got the damn thing done in 2-3 days as opposed to 2-3 weeks. I LOVE writing about my experiences.

So, 15 minutes, twice a day. I'm going to start with 15 minutes a day for a week. I'm a creature of habit, so once I build into a habit, it's not hard to keep doing it - I just have to really commit to it.

As for the other stuff -
a) Injury is healed. Thank you for everybody's concern and well-wishes. Cristi was right (and everybody else who said so) - the rest was good for me, and I can flex my toes without really even any tightness in the ligaments, so that makes me very happy. I've gone on some long runs and been fine, still taking the precautionary measure of ice and ibuprofen afterward, but everything is great. The rest was also really good for me- on my long easy ride Saturday, I simply just felt SO GOOD.
b) It's a really fantastic feeling when you can say that an avg speed of 18mph on the bike is "easy, long slow distance pace."
c) I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT VINEMAN.
d) Thinking a lot about what all the prep means to me - the event itself is just half of the experience. I so thoroughly love what training brings to me: the socializing, the focus, the adventure, the challenges and the strength it builds in my mind and body. I honestly can say that I don't care if I don't get top whatever, or if I don't make it to Clearwater. That's not to say that I'm not going to try for it. Maybe saying "I don't care" isn't the right phrase. My purpose next Sunday is to go out and perform to the absolute best of my ability and enjoy pushing my body. If me pushing my hardest and digging deeper than ever before means I get to go to Clearwater, then that's even better. More than anything, I am just so excited to go out and see what I can do after all these months of preparation and hard work.

Klaus Barth was an Olympic swimmer and a national record holder in West Germany who, after moving to California, because a swimming and water polo coach. In his mid 30s, he turned to triathlon and in the 3rd year of his Hawaii Ironman debut, came in fourth behind Dave Scott, Mark Allen and Scott Tinley. Apparently, not only was he a fantastic athlete but a fantastic coach who truly inspired his teams.

In 2000 he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme, which is the severest type of malignant brain tumor one can have. True to form, he outlived the usual prognosis, which now stands at 12-15 months (back in 2000 I'd estimate it was probably 9-12 months - they hadn't yet approved the oral chemotherapy that is standard treatment for this type of tumor). He passed last October (2006), and I was sad to hear it. I first heard about him from Scott Tinley's Tinley Talks column of Triathlete Magazine in April 2006. I couldn't believe that this all-star triathlete had been diagnosed with this horrible disease that I tell people about every day and he was still surviving! I began to tell the patients I spoke to about Klaus, and meant to write into Triathlete mag as well, but erm...never got around to it. (Tinley also wrote a great article in April 2007 on the broader subject of dealing with the randomness of having life threatening or life-altering illnesses. Interesting perspective: http://www.triathlete-digital.com/triathlete/200707/?pg=26)

When I found out he passed, there was a write-up in the Long Beach Gazette about him. One quote in particular really moved me, and it's become a mantra of mine during training:

"Berg remembers how Barth’s training influenced him and his fellow swimmers at Wilson.

“He sat us down for one of his Klaus talks before one of our workouts,” Berg recalls. “He was a specimen of strength. He was truly inspirational. He told us, ‘Boys, you have no idea what the human body can do.’... Then he had us go out and do 70 100s and would ask ‘How are you doing?’”

You have no idea what the human body can do.

Back to the grind (and back to the blog!)

So, I'm taking a hint from Jessie's blog that shorter can be better. Her blog, Follow Me To France is a blog about her preparation for her English Channel swim in July 2007. She's done such an awesome job already, and it's shown me that one doesn't always need to include every detail to have an exciting entry. That's always my biggest downfall as a writer - I LOVE the details! Will do my best, though.

I'm reading The Triathlete's Training Bible right now in an effort to train more properly; that is, really focus on periodization (slowly increasing duration and effort over a period of time and then easing up for a week to allow my body to build strength and recover) and not overtraining. Also, I'm trying to focus on really having a method this year.

Why the sudden motivation? Well, for one, I have a couple of teammates who have really put a lot of faith in my abilities and seem to think that I can qualify for the Clearwater 70.3 Championships in Clearwater, FL in November. This is particularly motivating for me...I never seem to be as confident in my abilities as other people are. The second thing is that I was chosen to be part of a sponsored team this year! Team Aquaphor Active.com reviewed my application and apparently thinks I'm worthy of being part of their team. I'd like to show them they've made a good choice.

So far, the schedule is:
May 6, 2007: Wildflower Olympic Distance
June 3, 2007: Tour de Tahoe 72 mile ride
? June 10, 2007: Baja 70.3 in Baja, Mexico?
? July 8, 2007: Lake Stevens 70.3 race in Lake Stevens, WA
July 22, 2007: Vineman 70.3 in Santa Rosa, CA
August 25, 2007: Santa Barbara Long Course Triathlon in Santa Barbara, CA
? November 10, 2007: Clearwater 70.3 Championships...?

Phew. Time to get crackin'! Been working on my swimming more, but really felt like I was running slowly on Sunday morning. That said, I kept my heartrate low, so I suppose it was to be expected. Am trying to get onto a regular schedule as I try to plow through this book as fast as possible so that I can create a proper schedule. So many things to think about! Weight lifting, stretching, not going too hard too soon...sometimes I find it a challenge just to stay on top of all of this AND everything else I have going on. It's a good challenge, though, and I enjoy the process of it.