Training for the Tinsel Triathlon, Pt 3: The Calm Before the Storm

Rocking my new, oh-so-soft bamboo SparkPeople tank before this past weekend's brick workout!

When I thought of writing this training update yesterday, I was on an exercise high. I had just kicked butt with 87 minutes of exercise in spurts throughout the day, burning a total of 926 calories. From Fat Burning Yoga first thing in the morning to a physical and health education class for rambunctious preschoolers to an evening workout at the YMCA complete with swim, cycling, and strength training, I felt ready to conquer the world.

Now here I am, 24 hours later, in bed curled up under several blankets fighting a cold. Yep, a cold. Thank you, Winter. Woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, convinced I was thirsty from the San Diego dry winter air, despite that it'd rained all day and I had a humidifier running right beside me 24/7. Of course, the real awakening is when I got out of bed, I found myself with the sniffles and fatigue, the kind that makes your body ache and shoulders and legs feel incredibly heavy.

I'm determined not to succumb without a *natural* fight. I'm armed with hours of bedrest and an arsenal of herbal remedies from Yogi Tea Cold Season to Airborne Zesty Orange to Sinus Rinse Nasal Wash to home-cooked Vietnamese phở gà. I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm feeling okay this evening. Not super energetic, but not as fatigued as this morning. So we shall see what happens when I wake up tomorrow.

In the meantime, my eyes are still on the prize. I know better than to compete in the Tinsel Triathlon Sunday if I'm not feeling 100% percent. I've made the mistake of overdoing it and pushing myself way too hard when instead I should have rested. In case I ever forget, my husband reminds me of this on a near weekly basis, and daily if I'm sick. So lesson learned from past experiences.

But, let's just think optimistically for a minute here, what if I do recover from this *mild* cold and am feeling 100% by Sunday? Then I think I'm prepared.

I've been following the program as determined by an iPod Touch application called 1stTimeTri. Last week was the last week for heavy training, and though I didn't follow the recommended schedule to a T, I did pretty well for balancing my energy with work, home, and training.

Here's a look at last week's schedule.

Sunday: swim 850m lap swim --> COMPLETED
Monday: run 60min --> RAN 28 MIN (1.68mi)
Tuesday: bike 90min --> WALK/JOG 15 MIN (1.25mi), CYCLED 35 MIN (6.28mi)
Wednesday: swim 900m --> DID 40 MIN YOGA INSTEAD
Thursday: run 30 min --> RAN 33 MIN (1.93mi)
Friday: bike 45min + run 20min --> REST
Saturday: rest --> REST

And this week's so far:

Sunday: jog 20min + bike 45min --> RAN 25 MIN (1.89mi) + CYCLED 40 MIN (4.82mi)
Monday: swim 550m --> SWAM 450m + CYCLED 18 MIN (3.6mi)
Tuesday: bike 35min --> SICK DAY
Wednesday: run 20min
Thursday: swim 350m
Friday: bike 15min, run 10min
Saturday: rest

I do have some concerns. The Tinsel Triathlon is not set up like the typical sprint triathlon. Because it's held at a high school with an indoor pool, the swim part comes last. Here's the set up: run 5k first, bike 12 miles second, then swim 150m third.

I'm used to running and biking hills in my neighborhood. But the Tinsel Triathlon course is flat, so I'm not really concerned about how hard it will be but more what my endurance will be.  I haven't actually biked straight 12 miles yet. The closest I've come is 7 miles. Now that I've completed the Thanksgiving Day 5k, I'm not too worried about the running part. But biking 12 miles after? That's an endurance test for me.

The swim part may worry me the most. Over the past three months, I've knocked 30 seconds off my fastest 50m lap for a streamlined time of 1:00. That's really saying something. But yesterday, after I cycled 3.6 miles for 18 minutes and strength trained using the weight machines for 17 minutes, my fastest lap time was only 1:30. I couldn't even keep up with that pace, so my other lap times were about 1:45. I guess the time part isn't a big deal as much as the endurance part. Because my body was exhausted from my workout.

So last night when swimming, I had a Luke-hears-Obi-Wan moment. My husband's told me a few times when we've swam laps together that swimming is not only about how powerful the legs are but how powerful the arms are. The arms do most of the work, according to him. So last night while doing laps and finding myself tired, I heard his voice and shifted the power from legs to my arms. And I was able to keep swimming at a decent pace. Although I wasn't quite as fast as I usually am using my arms, I definitely felt that I had an energy reserve that I hadn't felt before.

That'll be the key in Sunday's tri. My legs will be so worn out from running and biking, but I should still have strength in my arms. And my arms, god love 'em, are powerful thanks to strength training. I just showed off doing 20 full pushups in a class yesterday and could have easily done more. So my arms will be my saving grace.

Another of my concerns is bonking. So what about ways to gain energy? I've definitely got enough junk in my trunk stored as energy reserves. (In fact, one preschooler yesterday commented on my big butt. I just had to laugh, because it's true!) Unfortunately, that junk's more for a long-term starvation period rather than a glucose-fueled energy rush. 

So I posted on Facebook and Twitter what people recommend for a power gel. I don't really want to eat (drink?) a power gel, but if that's what triathletes recommend, then I'll do it. Thankfully, a marathon running friend suggested honey. Honey! Who would've thought? She said it gave her a much-needed and awfully tasty energy boost and even comes in sticks so you won't be a mess trying to eat it. Sounds perfect!

The one thing I haven't thought completely through is how to dress. Southern California is known for its mild winters, but the weather's been a little wild lately. Now that we're full in rainy season, it's 30% chance that it'll rain Sunday. I'm not so concerned about that as I am the temperature. The low is expected to be around 34 with the high around 68.

So that means dressing in layers. I already had planned to wear my swimsuit under my usual running attire. I did a brick workout the other day with my swimsuit on and it was felt comfortable. I usually wear running capris and a loose, soft cotton T-shirt or the SparkPeople bamboo tank pictured above, along with my running shoes. That my most comfortable attire. But now that it's going to be super chilly, I should bring along a couple more tops to wear. Perhaps a long-sleeved cotton T and my fleece jacket? I do love that jacket, as it has an interior pocket to carry an iPod Touch, which will be much needed for the 5k!

I'll probably have to wear the jacket when biking, despite the warmth. Perhaps I'll bring another light jacket with me that my husband can carry with him and give me during the transition period.

Okay, that's thought out now! I just have to ensure that I pack well by Saturday. I have my gym bag all ready to go with my swim cap and goggles already packed. Now just to add the layers and change of clothes for after the tri.

The last thing to consider is what time I should leave. The tri is 90 miles northeast of San Diego, and the registration starts at 6:30am with the race start at 8:00am. I'll have to discuss logistics with my husband. He's not a morning person, but he has promised to support me and keep his mood positive that morning. I'm counting on it!

But most of all, I'm counting on me. I will not let this cold take me down. In fact, it's time for another cup of tea and bowl of hot, steamy phở gà. All the better to prepare for Sunday. Rest does a body good!

My Next Goal: Eating Clean with the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Now that the Tinsel Triathlon goal is near, I can't help but start planning for my next set of goals. That's so typical of me!

Recently, the Eating Clean movement has been on my mind. So I decided to do some research today to find out more about it. I remember that some of my fellow SparkSanDiego team members tried a clean eating challenge earlier this year, but I didn't join in. The commitment to eating clean and only clean just didn't appeal to me at the time.

I wish I could recall exactly what instigated this interest in it now. I'm ready to commit, but like most things, I should try this in moderation. Committing to a lifetime is completely overwhelming and not achievable for someone who's never tried this before. Perhaps committing for a specific length of time is actually sustainable.

I've been interested for the past couple years in the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, as developed by Andrew Weil, MD. This diet seems much like the Eating Clean diet, as Dr. Weil's big on fresh seasonal freggies, whole grains, and no artificial ingredients.

I don't consume much on the "avoid" list. (See this list of the 14 ingredients to avoid.) The only time I eat anything with coconut oil, as I just found out thanks to a November 2009 exposé, is when I have popcorn at AMC Theaters, which is maybe three to four times a year. I rarely use my husband's butter substitute, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light, which is made from nondescript vegetable oils, except when baking treats. Unfortunately, on some weekends that's more than I should!

Yet, the goal to completely eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from my diet has prevented me in the past from committing 100%. I do love my Cherry Coke as a treat (and on bad weeks, nearly every day), and I do love hot fudge from time to time on strawberry frozen yogurt. Both of which, of course, are made from HFCS. Plus, it's also found in barbecue sauce, which is another one of my faves!

But I was thinking today about how I need another challenge, something to dedicate myself to and something that'd *spark* weight loss. Over the past couple years, in an effort to figure out what in my diet was causing severe abdominal pain with gas and bloating, I've tried a gluten free diet for a few weeks at a time and had great success. Eating less simple carbs, specifically anything with gluten in it, always led to a 4 to 5 lb weight loss. I do love me some baked goods, so staying away from them does the body good. And when I do stay away from HFCS and stick with natural sweeteners, I find I no longer crave nor like the taste of HFCS.

What I could improve:

• Instead of eating a sugary snack, especially those packaged, eat a piece of fruit or drink a fruit smoothie. I did purchase clementines and honeycrisp apples specifically for this reason.

• Explore the world of Asian mushrooms. My husband and I do love these in Thai food, so I think it'd be relatively easy to incorporate them into the meals I prepare at home.

• Replace chai with herbal or green tea. This one will be more of a challenge at work, since we only have a microwave to heat water. Microwaving a cup of water grosses me out--I'm convinced I can taste food that's been heated in the microwave. So perhaps a separate hot water heater that I buy and donate to our clinic lounge would work best for me.

• Compare the packaged Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal I eat daily to oatmeal that I'd prepare myself. Is fresh oatmeal really better than packaged? Is this something I could truly to commit to time-wise?

•  Decrease my sodium intake. I've always been concerned about how much sodium I intake, as my dad has high blood pressure and his parents died of cardiovascular disease. My blood pressure has always been normal, 120/80, and last week when my doctor's medical assistant checked it, it was 110/54. (And that was in spite of being slightly agitated with the doctor. Yay for the health benefits of exercise!) I've noticed that though I'm concerned about sodium, I often have too much of it, despite never cooking with it or adding it to any food I prepare at home. Last week I averaged 2901 mg per day of sodium, when the highest level should be 2300 mg per day. Goes to show just how much I get from packaged food and food prepared in restaurants. By ridding myself of packaged food, the amount of sodium I intake will naturally decrease.

• Pack my lunch. Admittedly, over the past couple weeks, I've slacked on this. And if I do pack my lunch, it's a Lean Cuisine, which is high in sodium. So I need to start packing healthy lunches, complete with a good entree or sandwich and at least 2 servings of freggies.

• Seek out others who are eating clean and/or the anti-inflammatory diet. I've been browsing the SparkTeams and considering joining the Eating Clean SparkTeam. I do need a team with challenges and goals I can track. I'm also thinking of starting my own SparkTeam, as I noticed that no Anti-Inflammatory Diet teams currently exist.

Now it's time to consider how long I'll commit and when I'll start. It's tempting to start today, but I've gotta tell you, the thought of throwing out soda entirely leaves me sad and a little anxious. I haven't even had a drop of soda in several days, yet the thought of eliminating it completely unnerves me. Go figure.

What I can commit to starting today through Dec. 31 is the following:

• Pack my lunch 4x per week. If and when I eat out for lunch, eat only *natural* foods that are freshly prepared. That means no Sun Chips.

• No sugary snacks on weekdays. Only fresh fruit and/or fruit smoothies.

• No packaged foods or drinks. Specifically, no Lean Cuisines, no packaged cookie mixes, no chicken and apple sausage (!), no soda. All food has to be made by someone and not come from a box, can, or bottle. (Canned mandarin oranges and packaged fresh spinach for my salad are the exceptions.)

• Start a support network with the Anti-Inflammatory Diet SparkTeam.

What about you? Have you ever tried a Clean Eating or Anti-Inflammatory Diet? How beneficial (or detrimental) do you consider this diet?

My patients need your help this month!

My über low-income clients need your help this winter.

So many of my clients at St. Vincent de Paul Village in downtown San Diego have skin care issues, from medication side effects to severe dry skin from living in dry San Diego to winter sunburn from the nearly always sunny locale. But they don't have much money, and the money they do have goes to rent, food, and taking care of their families.

I'm giving a winter skincare presentation Friday, Dec. 18 to my clients and would love to present them with skin care products!

This is where you come in. I'm looking for new and unused skincare products. We could use anything for any age newborn to senior that you've got and aren't using. Lotion, bodywash, sunscreen, hair products, nail polish.

You name it, we need it!

If you have some sitting around gathering dust in the back of your bathroom cabinet or linen closet, please send to me! I'll pay for shipping!

Here's my address:

Jackie Donaldson-Lopez
Health Educator
St. Vincent De Paul Village Family Health Center
1501 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92101

Let me know how much the package weighs, and I'll email you a shipping label.

Your goods will make so many of my clients happy! They'll be able to take care of their health, and isn't that the most wonderful gift of all?

Go holiday spirit!!

Thank you!!!

Chicken & Veggie Stew

Some days, and quite honestly, lately it's been most days, I don't have the energy to cook. So instead, in the morning before heading out, I chop up a bunch of veggies, throw them along with chicken breast together with some gravy and ketchup, and slow cook everything while I'm at work. This recipe is easy, hearty, and tasty. And perhaps best of all, super good for you since it's low fat, low calorie, and high in vitamin A!

Chicken & Veggie Stew
Modified from this Squash and Pork Stew recipe.

Ingredients:
* 2 lbs chicken breast
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
* 1 cup cubed sweet potato, peeled
* 16 oz. pkg. baby carrots
* 8 small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
* 2 12 oz. jars Campbell's Slow Roast chicken gravy
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp herbes de Provence

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken breast with pepper. Place all ingredients except herbes de Provence in 4-5 quart crockpot and stir to blend.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Add herbes de Provence in last 30 minutes. Shred chicken once fully cooked.

Makes 16 1-cup servings.

Nutritional info per serving:
  Calories    105.8
  Total Fat    0.8 g
         Saturated Fat    0.2 g
         Polyunsaturated Fat    0.2 g
         Monounsaturated Fat    0.1 g
  Cholesterol    28.4 mg
  Sodium    268.2 mg
  Potassium    349.6 mg
  Total Carbohydrate    13.0 g
         Dietary Fiber    1.4 g
         Sugars    1.3 g
  Protein   11.6 g 

For more nutritional information, including vitamin breakdown, visit SparkRecipes.com.

Special K Bars, courtesy of Beth

This is a gift that keeps on giving. Several years ago, my friend Beth gave my husband a recipe, which was handed down from one of her friends. Beth attributes this recipe "from the kitchen of Jenny Moe's mom, Judy." I think these Special K Bars are a Midwest tradition, as through the years I've only heard Midwesterners rave about these bars. No one else from any other region of the US have heard of them before.

These bars are so decadent, my husband only makes them for special occasions. Used to be he'd only make them for work parties. I'm fortunate enough this year that he made them for his cousin's college care package and saved several for us to munch on.

I wish I could tell you they're healthy. They're not. I've gone through time when I've eaten them for breakfast and dessert and gained a couple pounds the same week. So here's my warning: these bars are so delicious, you'll be hard pressed to eat just one. Thankfully, they're also filling and chocked full of vitamins thanks to the Special K goodness, so you could consider them healthy. All depends on how you want to consider them!

Special K Bars
From Beth Petermann http://beadypea.typepad.com via Jenny Moe's mom Judy


Ingredients:
12 cups Kellogg's Special K cereal (Special K with berries is especially delicious)
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups organic cane sugar
12-oz package chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat over medium-low heat sugar and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanut butter.

In large bowl, pour peanut butter and sugar mixture over cereal and stir. Spread mixture in a 9x13 pan.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, careful not to burn the chocolate. Spread chocolate over the top of the cereal mixture in pan.

Cut into 2" bars. Place in fridge for 60 minutes or until completely cool.

Makes 35 2" bars

Nutritional info per serving:
  Calories    272
  Total Fat    10.3 g
         Saturated Fat    2.9 g
         Polyunsaturated Fat    2.3 g
         Monounsaturated Fat    3.7 g
  Cholesterol    0.0 mg
  Sodium    186.9 mg
  Potassium    124.3 mg
  Total Carbohydrate    42.8 g
         Dietary Fiber    1.4 g
         Sugars    33.3 g
  Protein   5.3 g 

For more nutritional information, including vitamin breakdown, visit SparkRecipes.com.

Training for the Tinsel Triathlon, Pt 2: The 5k

The Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day 5k proved a lesson in adversity and gratitude.

I signed up for the 5k a few months back, before I even signed up for the Tinsel Triathlon. Although I started training for a 5k back in July, this particular 5k was my end goal. I run at least 1.5 to 2 miles two to three times a week, and I usually run 3 to 4 miles every Sunday as my long-distance run. But I hadn't run that far in about three weeks, although I figured it be no sweat.

I woke up super early Thanksgiving Day, energized about the upcoming race. I had planned to meet up with my fellow SparkPeople San Diego team members, but between getting the husband up and out the door and getting stuck in race day traffic, I ran out of time. Although we only live 3 miles away from the Balboa Park race location, we had to park more than a mile away and negotiate traffic and crowds to get to the start line.

I got in the mix of what I later learned were 10,000 people (!), stretched my presumably warm muscles, and got ready to run.

It took a good 15 minutes from the start of the race for the mass of participants, including me, to slowly move to the start line. At the start line my timing chip was activated and finally from there I could start running. I could see a mass of people more than half a mile ahead of me crossing the Cabrillo Bridge. This must be a glimpse of what it's like at the New York marathon.

It was a real challenge negotiating the mob of walkers, walkers with dogs, walkers with strollers, walkers with kids, and a whole other mix of participants.

By mile 1, I was getting tired, which really frustrated me. I thought my time was reasonable at a 12:00 mile, but my calf and quad muscles were painfully tight despite the pre-race stretch. So I had to slow down to a walk and finally told myself to stop and stretch.

Now with warm muscles nicely stretched (again), I took off. I did pretty good the rest of the race with only a couple of 30-second walk breaks. No biggie. I kept up with the runners, towards the back of the pack, but still in the pack.

As we were nearing the 3rd mile, I felt the sun full on my face, my body getting warmer and warmer, and this overwhelming feeling of gratitude washed over me. I was so incredibly grateful for my health, being able to run 3 miles in the warm sunshine for the first time in a long long time. My body can do so much these days, nearly anything I ask, and it's truly an amazing feeling. What a healthy life I have these days!!!

As we near the finish line, I take off in my fastest sprint. I'm just a few feet from the finish line when I run into a dog crossing the line. Argh! I love dogs, but owners not so much. The owner had the leash stretched out as far as it could go, and since I was on the far left side, I couldn't go around dog, leash, and owner without tripping or running into someone else. So the race to the finish line wasn't quite as thrilling, but still I made it.

I met up with my husband after the race, and he took a pics of me showing off my prized 5k shirt.

Although the 5k wasn't exactly as I had expected, I realized two things: my body can do anything I need it to do, and for that, I'm exceedingly grateful. What a lesson learned on this Thanksgiving Day.

Now on to the Tinsel Triathlon!

You may be thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving, gathering together your list of items to purchase at the grocery store. Or perhaps you've already gone shopping and have stocked your pantry with enough food to feed an army. Either way, you deserve a treat to relax and refreshen your holiday. This fruity sangria is just what you ordered!

Using frozen peaches and mangos and fresh apples and persimmons makes this a terrificly fruity winter drink. And for next summer, just use fresh seasonal fruit in place of the frozen. You can't go wrong no matter what you add!

Mango-Persimmon Sangria

Ingredients
1 750ml bottle of red wine (I like to use Shiraz or Shiraz-Cabernet)
2 20-oz bottles of Sprite
3 oz Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1 peach (fresh) or 1 cup frozen peaches
1 mango (fresh) or 1 cup frozen mangos
1 medium apple
1 persimmon, if in season. (This is not a deal breaker, the sangria will taste just as great without it.)

Directions
Chop fruit. If using frozen peaches and mangos, thaw fruit by either microwaving on defrost for 2 minutes or running frozen fruit under warm water for 1-2 minutes.

Pour the wine and Sprite into large pitcher or bowl. Add chopped fruit. Add Triple Sec to taste. (I usually add about 3 oz for a sweet drink.) Stir.

Pour into a red wine glass or goblet, ensuring that you add some fruit to the glass.

Makes approximately 12 6-oz servings.

Nutritional info per serving:
  Calories    115
  Total Fat    0.1 g
         Saturated Fat    0.0 g
         Polyunsaturated Fat    0.0 g
         Monounsaturated Fat    0.0 g
  Cholesterol    0.0 mg
  Sodium    23 mg
  Potassium    155.1 mg
  Total Carbohydrate    19.9 g
         Dietary Fiber    1.3 g
         Sugars    14.3 g
  Protein   0.4 g