Tri-Polar Express

We all met at 8:00 at our local stomping grounds ... A group of ex co-workers have been getting together for their very own annual informal and fun "Ho Ho Ho Run" for the past five years. Although I'd been invited three times running (no pun intended), I was never able to make it for one reason or another. But this year it worked out and I was stoked. The night before I was scrambling around our storage closet looking for my Santa hat like a woman possessed.

It was a fabulous morning. We put in six casual miles in perfect running conditions. No rain, not too cold. We waved and wished everyone we met happy holidays ... the runners all acknowledged us but the walkers did not. In fact they seemed to inch closer to the edge of the trail as they saw us coming and averted their eyes so they wouldn't have to get involved in our holiday schenanigans. But the runners (and bikers) were all waving back, smiling and super happy ... see what getting your heart rate up can do for your mood??

Continue reading "Whole Latte Love" »

Posted by Cindy at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well it's that time of year folks ... the cookies and the candies abound at work. Every which way I turn there's more and more to eat, and all of it is arguably "good" in the sense of tasting good, but it is most definitely "bad" in the sense of being bad for you. Maintaining a healthy diet has been, and remains, one of my main goals for the off season and heading into Ironman training in the New Year. This time of year is definitely a challenge to my will power.

I try to avoid the danger zone (the area in the office where the mounds of goodies are deposited) as much as possible, even going so far as to bring my own "healthy" snacks to work, and taking the long way around to get to the photocopy room. I even have my screen saver set to scroll, "Junk food is poison! Do not eat it! Food should be fuel for your body." But inevitably the 3 p.m. dulldrums hit and I find myself making excuses to go the wrong way ... i.e. past the danger zone. I stop to inspect the newly arrived boxes and baskets ... they're so perdy. And of course I end up taking, and then eating, something I really don't need.

Continue reading "Danger Zone" »

Posted by Cindy at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The more I read about other people's experiences in completing multiple Ironman Triathlons them ore I realize just HOW important a constant good diet is. I've been making a concerted effort over the past month to "get back on the wagon" regarding making better nutrition choices, and am starting to see some improvements, though I'm not where I would ideally like to be yet. Last week I missed Dr. Clyde Wilson's 2nd talk on Marathon and Triathlon Race Day Nutrition, but I did buy his booklet containing all of the same information ... and I actually read it, which reinforced a lot of what I already had been taught but conveniently tended to forget when a plate of french fries or glass of wine was at hand.

I am determined to focus on three key limiters this off season, including 1) diet 2) core strength and 3) swimming efficiency. To address # 1 I've been trying to eliminate junk food, limit wine drinking to two glasses on the weekend, and increase the number of servings of fruits and veggies I eat every day to five. In addition, I've been doing a lot of research on Ironman Nutrition and found out an interesting thing that I never knew and am going to give a try ... Coconut oil, in moderation, it seems can help you lose weight and increase energy levels. Click here to read about one triathlete's experimentation with it as a supplement.

Continue reading "Focusing on Limiters" »

Posted by Cindy at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)