Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers

Hey, everyone, I have birthday coming up soon- like in 3 days and I will be OLD (37). Or at least it sounds old- but in my mind, I’m still a young girl of like 30, but I know so much more than when I was thirty, so I’m kind of liking the wisdom that comes with age. (is that a run-on sentence?)

Bet you thought I didn’t own a dress, heh? Well, I do. I have one. There are others, but, they are sitting around collecting dust and need to be donated. Ideas are to slim down the closet and the waistline- not the other way around. However, I need a new dress, people! So who better to ask than all of you wonderful readers. So, here are the choices.

This is the one that I LOVE and would seriously consider another one in a different pattern. Patagonia. Or this one also by Patagonia. I also like this one by Lole. Maybe this one??

Keeping my choices under five. Makes my head spin. What do you think? Shopping is fantastic in the comfort of your own home. Am I the only one who get’s excited when Title Nine, Athleta and Terry Catalogs come in the mail?

We’ve been loving our SuperNoots! My kids and I have been playing/doing/moving the SuperNoots for a week now and it’s been a fantastic learning experience for all of us. We have two boys and they are flippin crazy people. If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I am constantly breaking up train fights, car tosses- anything and everything that one has that the other MUST HAVE as well. So, thankfully, Lori sent us two sets of SuperNoots even though the youngest is too young for it. His (Ryan’s) idea of SuperNoots is to take all of Benjamin’s and put them on his chart.

SuperNoots is a way to teach your kids about healthy eating habits. It puts the power in their hands on how to chose healthy foods as snacks, lunch, dinner or breakfast. It usually goes like this “what magnets will I get if I eat that?” For each day, your child starts the day with an empty chart and as they eat, they fill up their charts. You get 6 whole grains, 2 dairy, 2 protein, 2 vegetables, 1 treat and 3 fruits. Now people do not freak out yet. (HOLY COW!!???) I thought the same thing (that I know you’re thinking), but, it’s more about teaching your child to make healthy choices, not necessarily how many servings of each that they get. I asked Lori about this because my kid drinks tons of milk and fruit and needs to be prompted to eat his protein. Here’s her answer:

I chose the quantities of ’servings’ based on 4 criteria. The first was the old food pyramid that you and I most likely grew up learning about, very heavy on the grains. The second criteria was the new FDA pyramid, which requires less grains and more vegetables. The third was a recent Harvard study claiming that our diets should be heaviest on the fruit and vegetable side. I actually agree with this one, but I chose the numbers for SuperNoots mostly based on the fourth criteria…

I wanted kids to succeed and feel good about their healthy eating. I realized early on that the majority of kids using the chart were using it because they were struggling in the first place. Whether they were trying new vegetables or even the first vegetable, I knew it would be unrealistic to ask kids to eat three, possibly four vegetables in one day.

When I had the chart right there in front of him, Benjamin was more than willing to eat the Salmon if he could get a magnet in the circle. One other thing was that even though some foods could be used for more than one food group, the idea is only one magnet per food eaten. Honestly, my kid rarely filled up his chart! 6 grains is a lot of grain to fill up- but he always got his fruit, dairy servings and usually a few carrots and since I told him walnuts counted for protein, he was willing to eat that as well (Like 1).

I’m very excited about SuperNoots and the momprenuer of SuperNoots, Lori Liakonis. She is incredibly passionate about her product and I’m thrilled she was willing to share a set with us. You, readers, are equally lucky because she has decided to sponsor a contest as well! Please take a minute and check out her website, come back and post a comment and you will be entered to win. Winner must reply to email within 24 hours and provide a US Mailing address. Yes, you may enter if you are not a mom yet! I think any kid under the age of 6 or 8 could benefit from it, so if you win, please use a fantastic gift. Retail value is $35.

I feel naked without my heart rate monitor. I don’t know how people train without one! I see so many people sweating it out on an elliptical thinking they’re doing awesome, when in reality, they probably aren’t even in their aerobic zone. And honestly being in the aerobic zone doesn’t mean that much anyway. I often wonder what they are doing on those machines because their bodies size never really changes. Ok, I admit, in the past year I probably used those machines 5 times BUT only because I wanted to read a book- not really for exercise. The only way you are going to burn more calories is if you actually challenge your body in different ways REGULARLY (intervals, tempo runs, easy runs, hill runs, long runs, change= calories burned). Your heart rate monitor and your internal gage (how I feel at the moment) are what tells you how your are doing. I am going to be your nag and tell you, that you need one. Here are a few reasons why:

1. A good heart rate monitor will be able to calculate how many calories you burned during a workout. For my runs, it ranges from a mere 200-1100! And, depending on how much muscle mass you have, you have the opportunity to burn more throughout the day.

2. A HR monitor will help you determine your fitness level. (subjective people) For example, one year ago in my hour long spin class my HR would get in the 170’s within 15 minutes and it would stay that high throughout the workout- maybe even maxing out to over 192 in the final sprint. Now, it takes me 20 minutes to even get to 150 and I rarely get it over 170. That’s just how my fitness has improved over time.

3. A discussion about zones. We each have a zone in which to workout (1-10). 10 being you are going to puke and you can’t go any harder and 1 you are walking the dog. A general rule of thumb; 5 aerobic and 7-9 interval training. A heart rate monitor can help you determine those zones. For me on a run, a 5 aerobic is like 160 and intervals are 170. Race days for 5km’s I function in the 180’s on a GOOD DAY.

4. To see if you are under trained or over trained. There are some days when I’m out there that I know I’ve gone too hard on too many consecutive days and my HR will tell me to “bag it”. Just recently on a “easy ride” to the bike shop I was in the 180’s within 4 minutes of leaving the house. BAD SIGN, should have gone home.

5. Gage your level at the time of exertion. Another example is if it’s supposed to be an interval day and after one interval, your HR is spiking too high, then you need to change your plan.

6. To say to yourself “OH CRAP******!better slow down”. In my last bike race, I was ON FIRE! But, I didn’t have time to look down at my watch, because I was ON FIRE (left my brain on the starting line- nervous energy). Too bad on was ON FIRE in the first lap and not the last lap, could have won some money.

So, what kind of HR monitor should you buy? My three must haves for a HR monitor is calories burned, stop watch function, and your heart rate. I prefer the ones with a chest strap because I think they are more accurate (although can be problematic with some jog bras). A bare bones Polar monitor will run you $59 for this one. Or you can buy this one for $89 that comes with the stop watch, calories and monitor. I’m a geek, so, I just bought this one for $300 (got it on sale for $164). But, I can’t live without it now! Shows my pace per mile and how many miles I ran plus my heart rate and calories burned plus I can download it to the computer to track my fitness.

Bike trailers and other ingenious ways to carry your kid. The New York Times Physical Culture.

Perfect example of what I would not do. Ride a sexy, stylish bike with two kids in tow with NO shoes or pedals. She will be good for 2-5 miles MAX and only on a protected trail or road. If she hits any hills at all, she will be in serious difficulty.

Reasons to run faster in practice.

Deena Kastor’s favorite recipes are here. Blueberry pancakes and avocado enchiladas some great to me.

Have a happy Saturday!

Hatha yoga, hot room, nailed every pose. That particular day, everything went right. I was completely focused on the movement at that moment. I thrived on it. Picturing it like it was yesterday. My mind and my body were connected with ZERO distractions.

Lately, I’ve struggled with mental distractions (that come in the form of negative comments to myself) while running. My concerns about my knees or my feet or just various aches and pains that are completely random- cause me to lose my focus.

Race days can be particularly challenging especially in the last mile of the race or the last lap of a bike race (can be really scary). Any form of competition can be so mental! What frame of mind are you in on race day? Are you “revved up” and ready to go- practically dancing on the starting line or are you skeptical and worried about the coming attractions- PAIN and SUFFERING? I can picture so many times when I’ve talked myself out of a position or a time or a point (like I’m not worthy or something). Here’s to getting over all the negative stuff. (”negative chatter”- MizFit)

The right mental outlook needs to be applied throughout the training period. Matt Fitzgerald, author of Brain Training For Runners: A Revolutionary New Training System to Improve Endurance, Speed, Health, andResults asks the readers to ask themselves ” How much did I give out there today?”  If it’s anything less than 100 percent, you should not be entirely satisfied regardless of place or position. Fitzgerald’s other recommendation is to use tune up races or preliminary races as a test for yourself.  Go out there and basically kill yourself to see how tough and strong you actually are.  Challenging yourself will make you stronger and tougher for the actual big day event.

Where’s your focus on race day?  Do you have specific chants or repetitive statements that you use to keep you concentrating? How do you block out the distractions to FOCUS?  How hard are you willing to go?  These are questions I’m asking myself as well as you, readers.

This blog post was inspired by this one.

Here you go. Nightly exercise/entertainment. They do what Daddy does- usually on the mat or in his way, but, they are having a blast and Dad is too. If you’re wondering what I’m doing, well, I’m just trying to keep them off the mat!

How do you exercise with your kids?

In reference to my post “Where are the women at“, I posted a question to the Velo Bella boards asking for resources for women cyclists. The Velo Bella Women’s Cycling organization has over 450 members nationwide- it’s FREE to join, simply purchase a jersey and little paperwork and you are on the team. One of our Bellas, is a freelance writer for Velo News, Kathie Reid!! Cool! Here is her response to my request for resources. (It’s a bit long, but, offers great information on what it’s like to be freelance writer for Velo News). Fact: Velo News readership is 90% male.

I’m a VeloBella — am moving back to Fresno to rejoin my Fresno Bellas
after spending a year in Boulder — and I’m also a freelance writer.
I’ve been writing for VeloNews since 2006. I definitely appreciate –
and share! — your frustration with the lack and equity of coverage
of women’s racing, but also want you to know that I’ve been working
for two years to get more articles on women in the magazine, as well
as making sure that when I cover races for the website (and I
covered Sequoia, Redlands, and Garrett Lemire so far this season,
and will cover Cascade in July), the women get equal coverage. I
also make an effort to point out women-specific issues, such as
discussing in my Sequoia preview that the race committee there was
committed to equal purse for women.

When I pitch feature article ideas for the magazine, they’re almost
always about women — there is a host housing article in the latest
issue (Issue #10 — not on stands yet, I think, but subscribers
should have received it, or will soon) that I made sure included
women’s teams — ValueAct and Aaron’s (ValueAct was actually at the
center of the article, as I stayed with them at Redlands, but the
article got reorganized to include big pics, so that’s not as
obvious now). And a few months ago, I did a feature on junior racer,
Katrina Howard, from Fresno. I have also written a feature on Brooke
Miller, an article on the level of education in the women’s pro
peloton, and have just turned in an article on Rebecca Rusch,
current 24-hour solo mtb world champion, which should be in the next
issue, I think, and I’m about to turn in a small article on Eva
Barbaras, the only female mechanic working for a UCI pro men’s team.
My editor, Ben Delaney, is pretty receptive to these ideas, and
continually lets me go after stories about women.

Additionally, in my humble opinion, the new VeloNews.com editor,
Steve Frothingham, is doing a much better job — though there’s
still room for improvement — on including more women’s stories on
the website. He let me do a story on a school visit by Aaron’s at
Sequoia, and has done recent female racer diaries — Rebecca Rusch
at Cape Epic, and an entry from Anne Samplonius. He is also very
receptive to stories about women when I pitch them. If you do a
search on the website of just my name — Kathie Reid — all of my
articles will come up. And if you want to see a list of my magazine
articles, they are listed on my personal blog –
http://kathiereid.blogspot. com

So … what I’m trying to get at here is, yes, I agree that we need
way more coverage of women’s racing in a lot of media. But there are
women (and men!) out there like me who are pushing for it, and
making some leeway, even if it’s only millimeters here and there.
One of the things that I think would help is if you all encouraged
your MALE partners, friends, and supporters to write to magazines
like VeloNews (and Road, ProCycling, etc.) and let them know that
they want more coverage of women. The unfortunate reality with mags
like VeloNews is that their subscribers are almost ALL men. I know,
I know … why would women buy it if we’re not in it? But they don’t
see it that way — they can’t sell advertisers on subscribers they
don’t have. So, they sell to men … They hear complaints from women
ALL the time, but they rarely if ever hear from the guys who are
subscribing that they want something different — or more.

I think another important thing is to let magazines know when you do
see stories on women that you appreciate them … catch ‘em doing
good things!

So there you go. Sorry if I sound a little defensive, but while
there are a lot of female racers that have been really complimentary
of my attempts at getting them out there more, I still catch a lot
of shit as soon as I say I’m working for VeloNews. And, believe me,
I understand where it’s coming from … but please just realize that
I’m an ally in the trenches — and there are more of “me” out there!

~ Kathie

It’s amazing how much you learn something new when YOU teach something you KNOW to someone else. Over the weekend, Penny and I taught our first ever bike clinic. We had three guinea pigs who were happy to attend (for free). Our two rookies on the right were just barely learning how to clip in and out of their pedals. For those of you who don’t know, in order to ride efficiently, you need pedals and shoes. It’s a pretty scary thing to learn, I guess. I forget what this felt like learning 10 years ago. My paranoia had me clipping in and out fifty times in my garage before I even rode outside. Then, I remember, I got cocky thinking I had it down and fell over at a stoplight. Embarassing! Well, our rookies practiced in the garage, then on the grass, then on the streets. We broke it down into, first one shoe clips in, then raise it up to “ten o’clock”, pedal forward, then clip the other one in while pedaling forward. It seems so automatic to me now, that I was surprised how difficult it really is. It is a practiced skill- not to be mastered in one two hour session. I’m happy to say that they DID get it, but, poor things, fell down a LOT.

We also put our rookies on the trainers taught them proper hand position, how to shift the gears (this is a 2 hour lesson in and of itself), and checked their position on their bikes. You’d be surprised at how poorly they were fit to their bikes. Seat heights were either too high, too low, or a MAN’s saddle (not ever to be recommended). You complain about your butt hurting or your neck tweakin’ - it’s because of your position. Cycling should NOT EVER be painful! Finally, we took a 2 mile cruise to the local school parking lot to practice cornering. Penny taught them to brake before entering the curve, and then to accelerate out of the curve- and to not use brakes when IN the curve. Dude, I still need to work on that skill. Back in the day when Davis Phinney taught me, we had a huge parking lot with fifty cones and had to learn how to counter steer. Let’s say you are going into a right turn, your right arm will be straight and leaning into the drops, while your left arm is bent, right knee is PRESSED into the top tube with your left leg straight. Got that?

In retrospect, we taught a LOT for one session. This seriously could be broken down into multiple steps, levels and skills. But, what a great way to learn a new skill! I’d like to see women’s cycling get as big and as competitive as the men’s fields. My hope is that they will learn to enjoy it and be confident and safe while riding.

Other women’s cycling resources:

Women’s Cycling Challenge

Velo Bella

How many of you would be willing to drop 2 hundies and a fiddy on a bag? Or even three hundies?

By having a seriously high stylin’ bag, does that make you a hot mama? What is the definition of hot mama? To me, it’s being athletically fit, lean, and happy with myself and the choices I make. To you, Tammy, it is probably the perfect outfit, makeup, shoes and accessories for your trip on the town.

Let me tell you what I would drop that kind of money down for…. umm, a trip to Boston for the marathon (if I qualify), a new Burley trailer with all the bells and whistles, a new dishwasher, a new sofa set, bed and breakfast weekend getaway for two (not 4), maybe a pair of designer jeans…

So, are you wondering where I am going with this? I have this seriously high fashion bag, called the Fashionista that I got to try out for a while (but am giving back- I was curious, ok?). The bag will function as your all day bag- with room for your gym clothes, wallet, cell phone, water bottle, pockets everywhere and very stylish. I was a hot mama for a day when I carried it around, but I kept losing my wallet. I can never remember which pocket I put it in. Yes, there are pockets for diapers too. If I were to choose which bag I like the best, it would be the messenger bag, for sure. That’s just more my style preference. The leather is really nice and the color is great. If I owned this bag, I’d probably use it forever. Sometimes the high quality products last longer and can serve you better if you invest in one bag rather than one a year.

Physhion was created by Lisa Tave, mother of 4 children. She was tired of always searching for the right bag to carry all her stuff, so she created her own. “Where physical meets fashion.” I wish I had thought of this!

Fashionista, Siren, and Hipster.

There is sufficient evidence these days of the need for Omega-3 in your diet.

“Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids-found in fish oils- seem to increase the number of PARS, which will help reduce your inflammation (my knees). We recommend you get Omega-3s in the form of three to four ounce servings of fish per week or a 2-gram fish oil capsule a day or an ounce of walnuts a day.” (Page 95 YOU on a Diet, by Dr. Oz) The American Heart Association recommends 2 servings of fish per week and according them, 75% of Americans do not consume the recommended amounts in their diet. Omega-3’s have also been known to improve circulation, learning and concentration as well as promote healthy joints and skin. Foods found with Omega-3’s include olive oil, canola oil, fish oils, flaxseeds, avocados, and walnuts. Depending on your eating habits, you may or may not need a Omega-3 supplement. We eat olive oil everyday, walnuts in our oatmeal and fish fairly regularly. However, if these items are not in your weekly lineup, then a supplement could be an option for you.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try the GO3 Original Omega-3 which is endorsed by David Beckham. We also got to try the junior version GO3 which are chewable gelatin tablets flavored with strawberries. The Omega-3 concentrate comes from anchovy, sardine and mackeral. In addition, there are Vitamins A,D, E incorporated in the formula. My son is four and he tried it once and spit it right out. Couldn’t stand it. He will take it if I squirt the liquid in his mouth- but won’t eat the vegetarian capsule. I’d say on average he eats 3 bites of fish on fish night and doesn’t eat walnuts- so he for sure needs a supplement.

As far as supplements go, I do not know how to determine a good supplement from a not so good one. If you can’t get the required amounts through your diet, then a supplement should be considered.  Readers, please feel free to offer up your advice on this subject, as I do not feel qualified to form an opinion on the subject.

Omega 3 Resources:

Susan Allport, author of the Queen of Fats

You: On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management

Ron George, founder of Cozy Beehive wrote an excellent post today.

“An open letter to Velo News: The Journal of Competitive Men”.

As we gear up for tomorrow’s bike clinic, I went on a specific hunt through my husband’s Velo News for women bike racers. THERE ARE WOMEN BIKE RACERS!! I’m annoyed. Women are so rarely even discussed in Velo News, it’s like they don’t exist. I went page by page and found 2 articles in (April 7th issue) one article on Dahle Flesja, Mountain Biker, and Emilie Fahlin, High Road’s youngest road racer. Invisibility of women in the magazines will not promote to the general public that racing bicycles is even a possibility. On any given Sunday, there are ten races for men and two races for women. Almost all of the mens races are PACKED with a minimum of 100 riders, the women’s races might have 100 racers total for both races. This is a nasty cycle: women underrepresented in magazines, lack of quality races for women, lack of even remotely equal prize money, as well lack of opportunity for women to start engaging in the sport of racing.

So, I’m annoyed, because of the TWO articles in the magazine regarding women, one of them is THIS. “Miss March High Road’s youngest rider is quickly becoming a household name” by Neal Rogers. Ugggggg. Emilie Fahlin “Miss March” is featured in the German Calender called Cyclopassion 2008.

So, what’s your opinion? How is this helping the sport?  How many of you readers race bikes?  How many know women who do?  How many would try if given the opportunity?

What kind of athlete are you and your wife? Do you specialize in running, cycling or Tri?

Paul: I prefer triathlons. I was a swimmer in high school, so it’s been an easy transition to get back in the water. I’ve never been much of a runner, I’m getting better, but I’d still much rather walk!

Kim: I have been participating in running races since 2000. I completed my first Half Marathon in September 2001 and I was hooked! I love the distance, enough challenge without being too demanding on my personal life. I annually run the Steamboat Springs Half Marathon and it has been a goal for many years to complete two half marathons in one year. So last year I completed the Steamboat Half and the Denver Half. I was so inspired by this and so happy to have a fantastic running partner in my friend Rebecca that I have changed from a seasonal runner to someone who ran throughout the entire year (sun, rain, sleet and snow) and now think that I am ready to kick it up a notch and have aspirations to run a full marathon.

How do you workout your training to fit in to family life? My hubby is a competitive cyclist and we occasionally have issues with who gets to race.

Paul: Communication and scheduling is the key for us. We prioritize exercise into our schedule and commit to ourselves that no matter what is going on, we will work out at least 1 hour a day. With two small kids, a full time job and living 1800 miles away from your family, the deck is definitely not stacked in our favor. I started attending classes at the local recreation center (Boot Camp, Kick Boxing and Spinning) where they offer day care, which allows both Kim and I to work out together. With race specific training, it works out pretty well that Kim is a morning person and I feel more motivated to work out after work, so our schedules work together to allow us to meet our training objectives.

Kim: We’ve done a few races together, but not to many. We just did the Bolder Boulder (10k with 53k + runners), where we got a babysitter for the morning and had a blast! Normally it is difficult to complete races together with the boys so we simply pick our favorite races, make a cooperative race schedule over the winter and participate with our training partners. However, we are committed to supporting each other and we never miss a race the other is participating in! There is nothing like crossing the finish line and having Paul waiting there for me or even better having the boys run across the finish line with me! http://www.ck-photography.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?evgroupid=9&userid=ckiffney

What wise tips could you offer a beginning runner, triathlete or cyclist?

Paul: If you’re just coming off the couch like I was a year ago, take it slow. I started with once a week and I’ve worked up to 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day. Also get a good pair of running shoes. When I was preparing for my first triathlon, I read Slow Fat Triathlete: Live your athletic dreams in the body you have now and it was really motivating and encouraging. You don’t have to wait until you have six pack abs or perfect conditions to compete in a 5k, 10k or sprint triathlon. Get out there and do it. You also don’t need a lot of fancy equipment. I did my first triathlon on my 10 year old mountain bike and it was a blast. Another fun idea for beginners is to keep a blog to track your training, challenges and race reports. We just started one recently and it’s been a lot of fun. (www.familyfanclub.blogspot.com).

Kim: Get a partner! Finding a friend that has the same goals and objectives is the greatest thing. It gives you a reason to get out of bed early in the morning or to the gym after a long hard day. It is too easy to skip out on a workout because there “isn’t time” but when you know someone is there waiting for you to show up it strengthens your commitment. Plus I swear that when Rebecca and I run together the more we talk the quicker our pace and the faster the miles pass!

How did family fan club get started?

Kim: Paul has been attending my many races over the last eight years as the wonderful dedicated husband that he is. He has been talking about completing a triathlon for several years and I was so proud of him for making the commitment to training and achieving one of his goals that I really wanted to make it a memorable day! So I had some shirts made for the boys showing how awesome they think their dad is! It was so cute, the boys were yelling and cheering for Dad as he ran through transition, rode by on his bike and finished his first triathlon like the champion we all knew he was! After the race so many people commented on how cute the shirts were and even asked where they could buy them that we knew we were on to something!

Paul: We opened an online store in November 2007 (www.familyfanclub.net) and our shirts are being sold in several local stores in the Boulder, CO area. We’re also participating at race expos along the Colorado Front Range in 2008. Our most popular designs are Triathlon Daddy, Run Mommy Run, Run Like a Girl and It’s Business Time (Triathlon and Running). We also offer customization if you’re supporting a friend or other family member.

What is your professional background?

Paul: I’m an IT professional by day, aspiring triathlete and graphic designer by night.

Kim: I’m currently a stay at home momprenuer. In addition to running Family Fan Club and the show at home (2 boys, Connor (5) and Griffin (3)), I also have a labor and birth apparel business called BINSI (www.birthinbinsi.com), which provides women with an alternative to standard issue hospital gowns.

JUST FOR YOU!!

One lucky winner will win a RUN MOMMY RUN tank top! Simply post a comment to be entered to win. Thanks. Winner must provide a US Mailing Address and reply to email within 24 hours. This contest will end on June 4th at 9pm (PST).

Ready for your first 5km? You’ve prepared your body to run 3.2 miles, you’ve done your core work daily, you’ve been stretching daily and hopefully you’ve been fueling your body appropriately with good clean nutrition and hydrating with a quality performance drink (NO HFCS). Now, it’s the night before the big day and you are wondering what to eat..

Here is what NOT to do: Play softball until 8pm, then go to Mexican Resturant and eat TOO many chips and salsa + beer + fish tacos…BAD, BAD, BAD. This is not quality nutrition. Improper fuel leads to crappy race day potty breaks and slow times.

So, what should you eat?

Keep it clean and plain. There is no need for a huge spaghetti dinner, salad and wine the night before a race. The reason is that too much pasta- means too much poo in the AM!! Also, your body will not need extra carbohydrates at this late date. If you’ve been eating well throughout your training, then your body will already have what it needs. In an article written by Steve Born of Hammer Nutrition states:

It would be nice if you could maximize muscle glycogen stores the night before the race; unfortunately, human physiology doesn’t work that way. Increasing and maximizing muscle glycogen stores takes many weeks of consistent training and post-workout fuel replenishment. Excess consumed carbohydrates the night before the race will only be eliminated or stored as body fat (dead weight).

You also should skip desert and the alcohol. Save the celebratory wine for the night after the race.

What about the morning before the race?

If you can get your instant oatmeal in 3 hours prior, then great! Otherwise, you can skip breakfast until the race is over. This is one rule that I always stick to- I generally run hard on race day which can lead to dry heaving at the finish line. Food in stomach = puking on or near a volunteer cutting your timing chip off, so I don’t eat. You can drink a high quality performance drink prior to racing and if you are hungry, then I suggest eating a Hammer Gel or Cliff Shot Blocks on the starting line. Have your recovery drink - high quality protein drink with your “pit crew” for the finish line and eat a good meal within 30-40 minutes upon finishing the race.

I’ll end with a quote from Al Lyman, ” You are only as good as your last recovery stretch.” Take care of your body throughout your training and it will reward you with results that you want.

Check this out. Donna Wilkinsin is a women’s professional football player. This workout is challenging, yet, very thorough and taught well. It will be on my list of to-do’s for tomorrow after my intervals on the track.

Don’t forget to STRETCH!!

As an athlete, we are always striving for better performance. Generally, if given money and opportunity, we would pursue our goals till we achieved them. Being married to a cyclist, who’s goal is to compete against the Masters racers and be competitive and not just “pack fodder”, he is always looking for the pieces of equipment, training and nutritional supplements that will give him the edge over the local “talent”. For myself, if money and time were not issues, I’d love to pay a coach, nutritionist, massage therapist, to help me get the results I want. But, I am not Oprah, so I will have to do the research and do the best I can with what the time and opportunity that I have.

Mona-Vie, have any of you heard of it? It is an expensive, high quality drink that has been marketed (correctly), I guess, to athletes because of its high nutritional qualities and because it has an outstanding ORAC value of over 1000. My husband tried it for a month and supposedly did better in his bike races than he’s doing now (since we drank it all). Acai Berry is the main ingredient in the drink along with 19 other “super foods” that has been combined to make a 2 ounce drink in the morning and evening a mandatory duty in the lives of many people. I am NOT one of those people. I’d like to steer clear of any commitment to the tune of $30-$40 a bottle!

So being the little researcher that I am, I went to my local health food store to see if the Acai Berry can be purchased on it’s own. Guess what, it can! For as little as $6 you can get 8 smoothie packs of freeze dried Acai berries offered by Sambazon Company. Juice of 6 oranges + 2 bananas + 1 smoothie pack yields 3 large glasses (we all drink it with our protein pancakes- 1/2 cup Oatmeal, 1/4 cottage cheese, cinnamon, 4-6 egg yolks: mix and cook like a regular pancake. Thanks Fitarella for the recipe.)

The Acai Berry has the highest ORAC value of all fruits. ORAC means Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. The higher the number, the more antioxidants are circulating in your blood stream to fight the free radicals. You need to eat a diet that is rich in antioxidants for good health.

Read more here. The World’s Healthiest Foods site does not list the Acai berry as one of the healthiest foods! In an article, it said that the research on the berry is not completely researched and it is not accessible to the general public. Here is that article. You tell me can you find it in your freezer department? The Sambazon website lists stores such as Whole Foods, Vons, Kroger, or Juice it Up as retailers so it should be fairly easy to obtain and as always you can purchase online here.

It was supposed to be a rest day for me. My last day off was 4 days ago and I technically didn’t really rest on that day. I completed two Runner- Core circuits which are full body strength training sessions designed to strengthen my non-running muscles. It’s tough. My last 3 workouts included hill repeats, a tempo run and an 8 mile run on Saturday. Today was also a rest day for my husband- he rode 60 miles yesterday hard and is racing tomorrow- so all he needed to do today was spin easy. The idea was to “spin” to the bike shop then head over to the market for lunch. We each had one of our children in a trailer and we were on our mountain bikes. So, we set off.

Our ride takes us immediately uphill past all the really expensive houses. On one side of the road is a cliff which overlooks the whole valley (reminds me of Tuscany- with orange groves instead of olive trees) and on the left the houses with architectural wonders such as fountains, horse property, Spanish style houses, massive garages, etc. Essentially, we climb for 7 miles. I knew I was in trouble 4 minutes from the house. I felt like I had 200 pounds attached to my bike and I couldn’t turn the wheels around even in the granny gear. There didn’t seem to be any difference carrying one kid or two. Shifted into the easiest gears, but, my legs did not want to cooperate.  My legs were on fire.  I asked if we could just ride to lunch - but- nope, had to get to the bike shop.   This was a “schlog”. I struggled the whole way so slowly…Heart rate was fine, just no power in my legs. Put my legs in slow motion and we got there eventually.  Husband commented at dinner that I couldn’t even spin.

I can remember a time when I used to get mad at my husband for “half- wheeling” me. When two riders ride side by side and one rider continues to “push the pace” by riding a half a wheel in front of the other rider- it’s called “half-wheeling”. Today, I was HAPPY when he pushed me! No competition when you can’t move your legs. Too bad, pushing us made his tire go flat, otherwise, I would have accepted all the help I could get.

Finally after almost an hour, we arrive at the bike shop. We were not there more than 2 minutes before my two year old had a COMPLETE MELTDOWN because I would not let him play with screwdrivers. Such a mean mommy I am. (apparently Dad let him on previous trips to the bike shop). We left as fast as possible.

So, now all I have to do is get to lunch. One half mile hill to climb and the rest is gravy……Slowly, I make it. I ask my oldest to sing to me, to count flowers, to spot trees, spot letters and numbers on signs, anything to distract him and me from the slow pace on the hill. YIPPEE, downhill, buckle up all hatches. Grab your blanket we’ve got 5 miles to descend.

Latte and chicken pita. Yum. 1300 calories burned, 1500 feet of elevation, 14 miles. So much for a rest day! It was a great family outing, though. First time in 5 years we’ve all ridden together for any length of time. Hubby wore shorts and jersey from 15 years ago and me, an old Terry skort and jersey. We looked very retro and kindof nerdy, but, we didn’t care. We were kind of laughing at each other. Ha ha ha- you have a half moon on your back! (Not cool in the cycling arenas to have your jersey not cover your back.)

May 31, 2008 will be our first ever bike skills clinic offered by Penny (Davidson) Lundgren and myself. We will be teaching rookie cyclists proper bike handling techniques, cornering, cadence and hopefully much more. It is our desire to teach the skills required to make these women confident when handling a bike in multiple situations.

If you have a cycling question feel free to post a comment.

Hilarious, choreographed treadmill workout. 

I’m taking a reading break today…Curious, what are you all reading?