Day 3 of 3 today...having a blast! At the slopes now and finishing up with a snowshoe this afternoon before heading out. Be back with some stories soon!
« November 2008 | Main | January 2009 »
December 2008
30 December 2008
27 December 2008
23 December 2008
Merry Christmas Baby!
Just finished up a podcast interview over the phone with Roman Mica @ EverymanTri.com: News Views and Interviews of Great Endurance. Look for a link to the podcast here in about a week! The hardest part of these interviews is the lightening round of questions...keeps you on your toes and and I really do try to be quick and at least somewhat witty when I answer...but I admit, its not my forte! I'll let you be the judge.
Also want to say:
And in case you love Christmas AND the blues like I do, here's a treat for ya!
I'm finally going to get to the SNOW this week! First though, up to San Jose area for my niece's Christening, then out to Tahoe for some skiing and snowshoeing: more than one day of skiing in a row...woohoo...that hasn't happened since New Years 2001. I'm a LITTLE BIT excited!!
I thank my parents profusely for taking us skiing when we were kids, even though we lived in Jersey. Can probably thank my Dad's New Mexico (Albuquerque/Sandia Mountains) roots for that and my Mom for following along with his wild west ways. We did make it up to Vermont and out to Colorado at least a couple of times though too, and I'll never forget the first time I did. I was shocked that there was actually snow on the entire mountain, and not just on the trails, and it was deep. Everywhere. I thought, "Oh THIS is what skiing is supposed to be like!" Either way, I learned the hard way, and it's paid off. I don't get to ski often, but when I do I'm good enough to hang with most (not all) of my friends. I also can see a huge difference in my skiing ability now that I understand how to use my body to get it to do what I need it to do. Unlike when I grew up skiing just screaming down the mountain without a care in the world...!! I love it.
Merry Christmas everyone...be blessed...and I'll hope you get (and take) the chance to get the blood flowing at some point admist all the festivities and food!
Wonderful wishes to you all! Jessi
PS. Here's my wish...the Specialized S-Works Era FSR Carbon:
22 December 2008
WHAT I EAT vs WHAT U WANT TO HEAR
NOTE: I realized after I wrote this that with the holidays coming up this might not be the BEST time to post it, so I apologize in advance :)
I'm often asked, "What do you eat?"
And my answer nowadays is: "Do want me to tell you how I eat or do you just want me to tell you what you want to hear?"
Haha...That's because it started to feel like every single time I gave my pretty simple, concise, no fluff (and ok, probably boring, but its nutrition, not nunchucks) answer, it just would NOT be enough, and the conversation that ensued always seemed to be trying so hard to justify other nutritional habits albeit with a slight grin or knowing tone that says "AH I know, but...!!" Prefacing my answer with the question above has seemed to help. A bit.
Yes there are guidelines, see below, that are not rocket science; they are not trends; and we've all heard them before.
My number one rule of thumb is to first:
EAT LIKE A HEALTHY PERSON SHOULD EAT...then add on nutrition as needed for workouts/races and overall training load.
Too often I've seen people spending too much time worrying about supplementing, yet not giving their body a great springboard with a simple healthy diet. Check out PhenomeNall Nutrition for just this kind of approach from Olympic Swimmer (and someone i adore) Anita Nall Richesson.
I'll discuss my sports nutrition in an upcoming blog that will feed off this one (no pun intended!)
More often what is more important are the SOLUTIONS that help stick to the guidelines. For example here's one that worked for me:
Pick one rule to stick to first. That's what I needed to do when I was getting back on the wagon after my two year hiatus during which, i'll admit, I allowed myself to have no rules (that said, lucky for me, I was raised with some basic principles - thanks to Mom - that I could never fall TOO far off of good nutrition.) For my first rule I decided on this: "Whatever you eat, eat clean." I didn't care how much I put in my body or when or what, as long as it was always clean food (minimally processed, minimal ingredients, local, fresh, raw when possible.) That alone changed my shopping habits to a degree: It made me explore new products and had me frequenting the smaller, local, healthful grocers, all the time, instead of the big chain grocery stores, which I now utilize only in emergencies, though I realize i'm lucky and have a few great options very close to my home. There is just SO little in those bigger stores that is unprocessed or even minimally processed.
THE B - A - S - I - C - S
HYDRATE, THEN EAT...
UNPROCESSED
the fewer steps energy has taken to get from the sun to your body, the better.
COLORFUL
colors represent vitamins and minerals in whole foods. Make it multi!
WHOLE FOODS
brown rice, quinoa or couscous instead of packaged side dishes.
BALANCED MEALS + SNACKS
good protein, carbohydrate, fats every time.
SMALLER MEALS
keep fuel on the fire**
___________________________________________________________
Practically speaking, here are a couple of breakfast faves:
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
slivered almonds
whole oats OR Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Cereal
banana or berries
honey or agave syrup to taste
----------------------------------------
2 eggs
2 slices whole grain (local when possible...its SO good!)
1 Tbsp almond butter on the toast
1 orange
1/4 avocado if i've got it
----------------------------------------
1/2 cup whole oats (1 cup cooked)
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
honey to taste
----------------------------------------
And one lunch fav for now:
Super Satisfying Sandwich
2 slices local bread...for example...look at these ingredients...SO GOOD!
Julian Bakery's Wonderful Bread: Fresh ground whole grains of golden *wheat, oats, *rye, *corn, brown rice, *millet, seeds of sunflower, flax, sesame, poppy, pumpkin, pinto beans, honey, yeast & sea salt.
1/2 avocado
Lots of hummus
and anything else you've got like...
roasted red peppers, sprouts, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, carrots
----------------------------------------
More to come - but for now - happy eats!!
----------------------------------------
**I've learned a bit about ayurvedic practices that focus on eating 3 larger meals vs. 6 smaller meals based upon the idea that the body needs the time to fully digest each meal before eating more. Which makes sense. I think as athletes, especially with training sessions throughout a day, eating more often is a necessity. So find a balance or switch it up from time to time and see how your energy level is.
17 December 2008
Epic Adventure :: Just Outside LA??
We definitely made the most of our afternoon hike (which was more of a scramble-climb-boulder-run-and-hike.) Didn't leave the house until 1pm, started the hike at 2:15pm and made it back to the car just as darkness set in at 5pm (so early!) The internet is an amazing thing. This being new for me (finding great/hard/seasonal hikes in the area) it has come in very handy! Casey, The Modern Hiker, pointed us in the direction of a small stretch of the San Gabriels that we never would've otherwise found.
Check out these photos:
I can't believe it took me this long to appreciate what was so close to home and even longer to take advantage of it! This hike happened to start at 4500ft and the summit was 6000ft. We took off on the trail running and ohmigosh was out of breath before I knew it. I was glad when I remembered we were at altitude and not just unfit. Made me want to trek out there more regularly. Never a good feeling to think that many of my competitors (those that live/train at altitude) would feel fine on a run like this.
THE ADVENTURE
We got to a point where we decided to venture off the trail. Which led to a few holy $%&# moments, most during the stretch you see me on in that first photo. The rock was mostly loose, which was the problem. Lance had ventured up a different way and was able to capture it on camera, while admitting later he was laughing at me for not moving for at least 5min at one point. Haha. I was trying to laugh at it then, and we were joking that it wouldn't end up being as funny if these were the last photos that were ever taken of me if I died! It takes a lot for me to feel scared, so it was interesting for me to feel the way I did. I didn't like it. :) I'll remember to take into consideration what might, and what might not, be in store for me above my eye level next time I decide to start scrambling up a rock face.
Spanish bayonets (think very large porcupine-like plant, photo left) which are otherwise intimidating-definitely-want-to-stay-away-from kind of plants, became my friends. They were the only thing solid enough in the ground that I could pull myself upward with once i reached the brush above the rocks. I just stuck my hand down into their center, trying hard to be steady enough not to get stuck (which happened a few times) and grabbed on. It worked.
After spending a few minutes at the summit enjoying the moment and guzzling water, we decided to head back a different way. After a while though we realized we were heading toward another peak, and not toward our car. And since the sun was setting, we figured that wasn't the greatest idea, so we re-summited, which I was stoked about since I had seen many photo ops on the way down but didn't have my camera in hand. Of course we hadn't realized how far down we'd come and it seemed like a much longer way back up, but was totally worth it. I was in point-and-shoot heaven, with the light of the sunset right in the direction of where we were hiking. Amazing light and colors. The whole time feeling more like we were in the mountains of New Mexico, not 20 minutes outside of Los Angeles
!
We also agreed it was WELL worth it to head back that way once we saw what was in store on the descent that was originally suggested by Casey. It was a steep, loose rock single track trail, lined with spanish bayonets, that, if coordinated well, you could actually "ski" down, standing on two feet, and otherwise, sit and luge. It was awesome. We spent a moment at the bottom watching the last bit of the sunset before running back down the hill, super fast, with the most amazing red sunsetting sky and the perfect cool tempurature: so my cold cheeks felt the cool air but my hands were warm. We never saw a soul the whole way.
We made it back to the car at dark, exactly 5:00pm. We were worked, refreshed, stoked to be alive, hungry for a yummy meal and a beer, and wondering how we were going to top this one...
...but sure that we could.
Hoping life doesn't get too busy in-season to continue venturing. I don't plan on it.
The adventures of an endurance athlete continue...
16 December 2008
14 December 2008
Mind > Body + No Expectations
My mind was definitely bigger than my body today. Still recovering from pneumonia, yes, pneumonia. Not quite sure how I ended up with it. But I plan to never do that again!
I wasn't sure what to make of my ride today. I just wanted to ride. I knew I couldn't go too hard or too long, even if I wanted to, and I wanted to. One thing I've gotten good at over all these years is body awareness. Not only meaning where my body is in space, but really knowing it, listening to it and giving it what it wants/needs when it wants/needs it, especially with training and nutrition. I've never been a fan of expectations, and lucky for me, applying this awareness to training has pretty much eliminated them by taking the guess work out of what comes next and what I'm capable of. Of course the door is always left open for a surprise breakthrough - because you never know, right? But for the most part this is key.
I wasn't sure what to make of my ride today. I just wanted to ride. I knew I couldn't go too hard or too long, even if I wanted to, and I wanted to. One thing I've gotten good at over all these years is body awareness. Not only meaning where my body is in space, but really knowing it, listening to it and giving it what it wants/needs when it wants/needs it, especially with training and nutrition. I've never been a fan of expectations, and lucky for me, applying this awareness to training has pretty much eliminated them by taking the guess work out of what comes next and what I'm capable of. Of course the door is always left open for a surprise breakthrough - because you never know, right? But for the most part this is key.
So today I left the house not really sure of what to do other than to give my body what it wanted and that was ok. Today I could figure it out along the way. That's necessary a lot more in the off/pre-season before the body and its performance is dialed enough to plan in advance. I immediately ran into a few friends who were in the midst of a pretty cruisey 2 hour ride. That ended up being a blessing since I quickly realized I was not up for much and having company made the time pass a lot quicker. I broke off from them as they headed home and since I was still feeling great about being out on the bike, I decided to head to Torrey Pines hill - the approximately 1 mile climb in the park by the coast right near the house. I thought I'd figure out what I wanted to do once I was there. 1x? 10x? Hard-ish? Easy? I could feel that my respiratory + cardio systems were being taxed by the remnants of my pneumonia, so I worked my way to figuring out that spending my time on a little strength and form would be a good plan. I decided on:
Low HR, low cadence repeats, for as long as I felt like doing them, alternating one seated, one standing. And not JUST that but as importantly:
- Keeping my body quiet on the bike
- Keeping even pressure on the left and right pedals throughout pedal stroke
- Keeping good posture and the upper body relaxed
As well as jostling around of whatever was left in my lungs with some good productive coughing in the open ocean air along the way. Have to keep getting that crap out (and it worked!) :) AND of course enjoying the ocean views along the climb and decent.
I ended up doing four repeats. During the last 100m of the last 3, I was inspired to pick up the cadence and crush it for as long as I could. Man it felt good, like I had SOMEthing in me, but it also took EVERYTHING out of me in all of 15-20 seconds. I recovered quickly though, which is a good sign, and it livened up my PowerTap files - even giving me a peak power record for the year (which isn't saying much but relatively speaking anyway!) for 30 seconds. 394 watts. I'll take it.
Tomorrow is another epic hike-run-climb-boulder-scramble, somewhere on the outskirts of LA. Found the hike thanks to a great blog I found called:
Just finding ways to get fit while playin' around. Good stuff.
I ended up doing four repeats. During the last 100m of the last 3, I was inspired to pick up the cadence and crush it for as long as I could. Man it felt good, like I had SOMEthing in me, but it also took EVERYTHING out of me in all of 15-20 seconds. I recovered quickly though, which is a good sign, and it livened up my PowerTap files - even giving me a peak power record for the year (which isn't saying much but relatively speaking anyway!) for 30 seconds. 394 watts. I'll take it.
Tomorrow is another epic hike-run-climb-boulder-scramble, somewhere on the outskirts of LA. Found the hike thanks to a great blog I found called:
Just finding ways to get fit while playin' around. Good stuff.
09 December 2008
Pre-Swim Workout Movement Prep
Thanks to Brad Seng for the Q: Do you have any swim specific movement prep exercises?
The answer is yes. Here are my few that I do before hopping in the water to make sure my body has got the mobility it needs to get through my swim stroke efficiently. Only takes about 3-5 minutes. So worth it! Questions, please email me!
1. Forward Lunge.
In place. Arm of back leg reaching straight overhead and slightly backward to open up anterior chain - including abs and hip flexors. You'll also open up quads and lats. Be sure to keep hips parallel to ground, abs and glutes engaged and hip/knee/ankle in line. 4-6 on each side.
2. Standing T's.
To open up the chest and warm up/strengthen the rotator cuff. Standing in a split stance (step one leg forward about 2 feet) raise arms out to sides, parallel to the ground, turn thumbs toward the back, and engage (squeeze) the scapula in toward the spine and slightly downward. Hold for 1-2 seconds then release and repeat. 6-10 times.
3. 90/90 Stretch.
For rotational stability. Lying on the ground on your side, with the lower leg straight, and the upper leg bent so the hip and knee are both at approx. 90 degrees. Extend your arms out in front of you - to the side you are facing so they are perpendicular to your body and your palms are touching. Press your bent knee into the ground and maintain it there while you take your upper arm up and over toward the opposite side, rotating the spine as you go. Key is to engage your abs/glute to keep the knee on the ground so you can reach as far as you can with your spine (led by your arm.) Ideally you will end up with both arms/shoulders and back flat on the ground, arms in a T, with the knee still engaged into the ground. Hold for 1-2 seconds, return to starting position, and repeat x 4-6 on each side.
4. Either:
a. Quadruped rocking w/ back flexion/extension.
On the ground, on all fours, sit back into your hips while keeping your abs engaged. Return to starting position, flex and extend your spine like a cat stretch. Repeat 6 times.
or
b. Standing Back Flexion/Extension and Lateral Extension.
While standing, fully flex/extend the spine by doing a forward and backward bend. 2-3 times. Follow that with lateral bends by crossing one foot in front of the other and reaching the arm of the back leg up and over toward that back foot, creating a side bend. Hold for 1-2 seconds and repeat x 4 on each side.
Enjoy!
Swimmingly,
Jessi
01 December 2008
Workin' and Getting Worked in SF this week
I love San Francisco - and take the opportunity to get up there any chance I can get! The inspiration for this trip started off with my Board of Directors meeting for the ITP Foundation on Friday eve up there.
Conveniently, my good friends and partners in functional fitness, Fitness Anywhere, are up there as well, and I haven't visited since they opened the doors to their new TRX Training Center this summer. They have group exercise classes every morning and evening and there's no better, faster way to start whipping myself into shape than on the TRX. See video below:
So I planned my own mini training camp up there and let the gang know about it. Once they heard that - they quickly got their wheels turning and scheduled a photo shoot for Wednesday, a video shoot for Thursday, and an appearance, post-workout on Thursday eve. That's where the "Working and Getting Worked in SF" comes in! Love multi-tasking!
I'll for sure be doing the following class...
Thursday, December 4. 7pm.
TRX Training Center: TRX "Basic Training"
...and sticking around for 30 minutes or so afterward to talk about how I integrate TRX suspension training into my endurance performance training plus some Q + A. You can sign up online at www.trxtrainingcenter.com.
I'll also crash a couple workouts at M2 Revolution - where they have all CycleOps Indoor Cycles equipped with PowerTap technology AND at the Breakaway Performance Center which caters to all levels of multisport athletes. Both are located right in the heart of SF and both high high quality people, knowledge, and great energy behind them.
Every morning and evening I'll be twittering which workouts I'll be hitting, so if you're around please join me!
Of course I'll also hit my fav cafe there, The Grove, for some downtime:
Few last minute things to take care of here in SD, then driving up tomorrow first thing in the morning. Thanks to gas prices, I'll make it up there for only $20 in my Prius. Gotta love it!
Happy Training!
Off-Road Pre-Season Workin' Out
BUT...I feel it.
AND...
I need to start getting back some of my fitness, but am not yet ready to hit training too purposefully and precisely yet, a lot of which I do in the gym. I'm also more motivated than ever to be outdoors and off-the-beaten path and it's making for some super fun times. Its also made me realize it might be what's been missing from my comeback to endurance sports. I can push myself hard in the gym in my 'perfect' training, but there's nothing like having to get up a mountain, with my legs burning and heart rate skyrocketing while trying to appreciate the most amazing views, and having the innate competitive edge to push on as hard as I can to the au natural finish line that's waiting at the top. Especially when I've got someone kicking my butt up the trail, like I did yesterday. Thanks Lance!!
That, combined with inspiration from Danny Pate - who knows a thing or two about how to stay powerful while having fun - and who has been hitting up the infamous Incline in Colorado Springs - sometimes twice - for workouts when its too cold to be out riding - or just to change things up a bit.
Yesterday we headed out to Palm Springs and ran, climbed, and hiked up Murray Peak. About 10-11 miles round-trip (we took a couple wrong turns that added to the 9 miles it usually takes.) A lot of which got pretty steep, especially near the top. I thought it was the perfect mix of interval training. I needed breaks (we were going pretty hard at times, or so it seemed) but as soon as my heart rate dropped we'd start running again. Lunch at the top was well worth it.
A wrong turn on the way back gave us the choice to back track, or make our own path down the side of the mtn and back up to hit the trail we'd missed, which is what we did. That, of course, turned our hike from awesome into epic. Not sure the photo captures it...but here goes:
Still on a mission to get a mountain bike - and have more fun outdoors that way. Plan to do some XTERRA races next year. I canNOT wait :)
Happy trails!
Happy trails!
