Miles of Sweaty Smiles

iPods/phones/mp3 players are a whole different story! I used to always stick my phone or iPod in my bra or the back of my shorts while running or working out - even though I had several friends in college who's equipment broke due to excessive sweat! 

I was invited recently to join the X-1 Training team for Women, and jumped at the opportunity not only to test some sweet rain and sweat-resistant gear, but also to join a network of strong, inspirational (and persperation-al) women. I came home last week to two sets of headphones and a water/sweat-proof case for my phone! 

I love how you can see exactly what is in each box! I had some difficulty getting the custom secure fit to fit around my weird ears - so I've stuck to the water-proof model on the far right, designed specifically for women in mind. The ear buds fit nicely - but the best part? The things DO NOT get tangled. Like at all. Which honestly is one of the biggest reasons I always hated listening to music when I train, it would take to friggin long to get those earbuds untangled to make it worth it. {but I'm incredibly impatient - can you tell?} 

I took my gear out this morning for what we are now affectionately calling Triathlon Tuesday. After master's swim, a few of us ladies meet up to bike - and you cannot bike without running. Seriously. If you want to do triathlons this is the best piece of advice: ALWAYS RUN AFTER THE BIKE. always. It almost feels like a waste of a ride if I don't run now. 

Anyways, the humidity made me grateful I had waterproof equipment today. 

Those are them very ear buds. A pesky flat tire (punctured tire and tube - grr), meant extra miles for me on the run. Now that I am staring out the window at a torrential downpour, I'm glad that I got those miles in. Afternoon run = cancelled. 

5k later I was back at my car, crushing the last mile in 7:40! Turns out some tunes might actually help me keep a better tempo. Who woulda thunk? And my phone was glad it wasn't directly touching my sweatastic skin. 

I was still sweating by the time I got to Jet City for my post-tri Ned Head. 

Plowed through that sucker too fast to snap a photo - but trust that spinach+pear+oj+hempseed+yogurt+everythingelsethatisgoodinlife makes for a very happy me. 

{Or just smile as you sweat. It's all good.}

Clearly a trip to the bike mechanic is in order, but as long as I don't have to make a trip to the Apple Genius bar - then this girl is all smiles. 

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

1. What is your favorite way to sweat?

2. Do train with music - if so what is your favorite tune or genre?

3. Does sweating make you smile?! 

We All Eat

 I went out to dinner once with a good guy friend at home, and found myself ordering one of the best steak -onion-and-pepper sandwiches I have ever had. I'm telling you this because I remember after I ordered my friend looked right at me and said "You really aren't the type of girl who orders a salad when you are out to dinner, are you?" 

At the time I was a bit offended, was I the chunky type to eat whatever she wanted? Should I be ordering salad?  I am sure, being a dude, this friend had no idea the sh*tstorm of negative self talk that comment stirred up.

I remember saying something about just loving food and not wanting to "waste" a night out to eat on salad. Truth be told, at the time I wasn't eating a whole lot of salads. I wasn't eating terribly, but I wasn't nearly as conscious then as I am now about what I put into my mouth. 

Just today I received another salad comment from a friend. We were sitting in the graduate student work room waiting for various meetings to start, when she looked at me and said, "I'm eating the food of your people." It took me a moment to really process what she was saying. She was eating a salad for lunch and was telling me about her plan to incorporate more fruits/veggies in order to help cleanse her diet. When did I become the "healthy" salad person?!!?! 

'

A quick review of my phone's picture gallery not only proves that I still love food, but also indicates my friend is right. I've become one of "those" people. With weird healthy food tastes. Weird.

Brown rice pasta shells stuffed with tofu and spinach.

Home popped popcorn with nutritional yeast and cheese. 

Coconut flour breaded chicken strips. 

Cottage Cheese "frosting" topped pancakes. 

I recently had a fella over for dinner. I was excited to make him one of my favorites - grilled chicken sandwiches using a coconut flour pancake as the bread. Toppings = spinach, avocado, onion and salsa. Baked sweet potato fries and broccoli rounded out the field. I was a bit nervous to share this food with him, as it is not so very normal. 

He was clearly less than impressed. 

My food choices might seem weird to some, but that's just it - there will always be someone who may see what you eat with a critical eye - no matter what your dietary habits. 

There is also always room for your own negative self talk. That doesn't mean it needs to be invited to the table! Instead, define what it means to eat well for yourself and be confident with your ability to stick to that definition. 

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

Chlorine is My Perfume

My favorite place to spread color in my life is in the pool!  

I want to make sure everyone can see me 

when we hop in the pool for Master's Swim at 6am! 

Master's Swim is my newest addiction addition to the tri training. A group of mermaids {and a few mermen} gather at the crack-o-dawn three days a week to flip our tails. Its been a few weeks and I have already learned so much. Not only has my love of swimming resurfaced, but also my competitive nature. Which is a blessing and a curse. It helps me swim fast and push myself, but, sometimes it means I get my panties suit in a bunch. Like when one of those mermen passes me. And I can't catch up, or pass on the next set. And so I lose the lead position in the lane. And say things like "I don't care if you lead," when inside I'm fuming. But it turns out that even though those things drive me batsh*tcrazy, I have become enough of an adult to keep it to myself. And to apologize and admit later that it bothered me pissed me off. 

But you don't care about my competitive psychosis. Bring us the work outs you say. Ok. Fine. 

Warm up usually consists of 200m steady, followed by 50m kick. Then some sort of build - either a couple sets of 50 or 75, building speed and intensity across the meters. Maybe a few 50's swim down/kick back or no breath down/swim back. A few more build combinations usually take place before the main set. Yesterday's main set went a little something like this:

 8 x 25m - starting with 8 seconds kick, building through the rest of the 25 meters. {Sofia crushing it in the lead!}

4 x 100m {Sofia groans} - 50m smooth, 50m sprint {Sofia retracts groan, until passed on second set} 

4 x 75m - can't remember, too upset about being passed

4 x 50m - still preoccupied with feeling slow. couldn't tell you what we did here

4 x 25m - underwater swim down, sprint back 

Why do I remember the last set you ask, after I clearly raged-out the previous two sets?! 

Because you too would remember the hell torture that is a no-breath-length after a grueling workout. 

Read about hypoxic training here and here. It is controversial in some circles, so inform yourself and form your own conclusions. 

Despite by most recent swimming induced rage, Master's Swim seriously is my new favorite aspect of my training. I always leave with a smile on my face {even post-rage} after spending an hour with some of the funniest and nicest people I've met in Tampa. 

{I might need to reverse it: Go Swim and Keep Calm!}

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

What are your favorite colors to work out in?

Have you joined any new athletic groups? 

How far can you swim without taking a breath?

be YOU tiful

I've been having a hard time focusing lately. I've been having a lot of fun, only a week ago I was in Arizona. But now what? My last race in a long season is approaching next weekend - then what? I feel as though I am in a perpetual state of, now what? 
Not terribly content. Not terribly confident. Just a little blah. 

So when exciting things do happen, like the recipe I created for Peanut Butter Pancakes and Pan Baked Bananas, I need to celebrate and savor the joy. 

It was pretty easy to savor these bananas. 

They were even tastier on top of these pancakes. 

Peanut Butter Pancakes with Bananas

2 eggs 

1 tablespoon coconut four

2 tablespoons PB2

1/8 tsp baking powder 

1 banana

2 tsp coconut oil 

Mix first four ingredients together. (I used magic bullet). Let stand a few minutes. Heat a pan over low heat. Add coconut oil. Divide pancake batter into two pancakes. When bubbles form its time to flip! 

While pancakes are baking, in another pan heat coconut oil and add sliced banana. Heat until browned and caramelized. If you want you can add agave syrup - but bananas have a lot of natural sugars, and over low heat will become sticky and a syrup will form. 

Serve pancakes with bananas on top. 

Savor them. Go ahead, do it. 

I savored myself some savory pancakes for dinner last night: 

Coconut pancake with chicken, spinach and avocado. Baked sweet potato fries and sweet peppers rounded out the plate. Protein and vitamin packed goodness. 

Not only have I been savoring yummy foods, but I've also been savoring some yummy smells this evening. 

Sometimes a girl needs to treat herself. #feelbeautiful 

be*YOU*tiful 

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

Positively Powerful

                                                           

I learned a lot last weekend at Collegiate Tri Nationals. 

I learned about the importance of teammates - a lesson one can learn over and over and never know enough. I learned that even though I thought I shed the husky W - it's an identity that will never truly leave. At one point, during my second lap on the bike, I had just past an OSU Beaver and was hunting down a Cal Bear. You rower girls reading will understand my shock and glee when the first thought that popped into my head was "Let's go get some Bear ass!" That being said, those Bears were near me in transition and so friendly. 

The girls and I getting ready to race... after having been at the course for nearly 5 hours! All the boys raced before any of the girls' waves got into the water. This might explain the terrible run I had. Think sweat, acid reflux, over heating, chills, naseau and vomit. Oh heck yes I was attractive. 

But we all made it across the line with a PR. Of course, only I could manage a 10 minute PR and still find things to be pissed about. But that is why I love triathlons - not because of the disappointment, but because I will always have something to work on and work towards. I've really only done a solid 4 months of training, and in that time I focused on the bike. It was what intimidated me the most. My bike has improved by leaps and bounds, but my swim and run have suffered. Time to change the focus of training. I don't want to lose the progress I've made on the bike, but it is time to focus on the transition to running as well as being a bit tougher in the water. 

Gaining speed in the water is going to mean a lot of early mornings like this one! I've only been twice to the Harbor Island Athletic Club master's swim, but I have already fallen in love. The people are wonderful, the work outs challenging and the facilities aren't half-bad either! I had to lead my lane yesterday, and boy was that intimidating. I wanted to make sure I went fast enough and maintained the speed, but I didn't want to go too fast or cut rests too short either. I only got in 1,250 - had to high tail it out of there with my ride - but my heart rate was soaring and my whole body was burning! I swam so much better in the pool yesterday than I did in Tempe Saturday. It is frustrating that I can't seem to put it together for race day, but I prefer knowing that I have the speed and stamina and just have to find a way to tap into it on race day - rather than discover I really am just weak/slow. 

Everything I was supposed to do for school was cancelled yesterday. So I took the opportunity to get some gnarly work outs out of the way. My first couple bike rides after racing are always terrible. I think that is probably ok. Heading into the work out knowing it probably won't be fast and will feel awkward and being ok with that, is way better than expecting it to be good and being disappointed in myself. Since I knew I wasn't going to be impressing anyone, I opted for a short brick, that way I'd at least get something out of the experience. 

 An hour and a half later, my run-bike-run was complete!  I have another Olympic Distance triathlon in a week and a half, I need to get the bad out of the way so I can get some quality training in before St. Anthony's. I'm hoping a few bricks will bring my confidence back to the run, and maybe help me finally break that 3hr mark {and earn another PR}. 

Not only did a take 10 minutes off my Olympic Distance this weekend, but I also finally reached a nutrition goal I'd been struggling with for awhile. Many of you know that I had some pretty freaking awesome success last summer with AdvoCare and the 24 Day Challenge. Since then I'd been on and off product, but not really seeing much progress. In fact, after Puerto Rico I realized I'd gained some weight and only had myself to blame. Rather than blame myself and feel ashamed, I set to work. I had almost exactly 24 days between Puerto Rico and Collegiate Nationals and I knew I wanted to drop some weight. A friend and I started our 24 Day Challenge together, and I knew it was something I had to commit to this time. I am so glad I did. I wasn't perfect, I made good choices and some not so good choices. I don't believe in telling myself I "cheated." Instead I just think of nutrition as a set of choices, each with their own consequence or outcome. I can make choices that give me different types of satisfaction. Ultimately, the more healthy choices I make, the more satisfied I am in the the long run. And right now, I am pretty darned satisfied: 

{Day One}

{Day 24}

I have lost 7 pounds and six inches. I still see areas that need work, but I am so happy that my hard work is paying off. I feel happy, energetic and full of life. 

 I'm grateful to AdvoCare for helping me take charge of my nutrition, what you put in your mouth has a more significant effect on how your body looks than any work out. I'm excited to continue on my journey with AdvoCare, so that I can continue to gain speed and hit those PR goals!

Going to end with a few messages of positivity for you all today. As a fitness and running community we've been through a lot this week. This quote encapsulates best how I have always felt about running {but it breaks my heart that it takes a horrific tragedy for the quote to surface}:

"Rest assured, we will never stop running. Tomorrow, as we lace up our well-worn shoes, will be steady in our resolve. We will run for the benefit of our families, friends and -sometimes- total strangers. We will run to raise the bar - to redefine the possbilities of humanity and to set new expectations for excellence. We will run out of an unflagging respect for life, and our reverent obligations to it. And we will run bravely and courageously because - for us - running is tantamount to liberty itself. Runners measure their freedom in footsteps." - Larry Perez 4.15.13

Don't confine yourself. No matter the goal, no matter the self-improvement you seek, go out an get it. Start today. You aren't guaranteed tomorrow, just like you weren't promised today. Treat everyday like the gift it is, wherever or whomever you believe it comes from, for life is truly our most precious blessing. 

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

Shedding the W

So, it's actually only been half a year since I competed in my first Olympic Distance Triathlon. I am sitting on a plane destined for Phoenix, and even surrounded by what sounds like a million cranky babies, I'm still overwhelmingly pleased with myself. 

I just signed up for Augusta 70.3! It'll be my second half-IronMan  and it'll happen exactly a year {and 6 days} after my first tri. The last 6 months have been an roller coaster ride of fear, pride, jubilation and mortification, I can't wait to see how I feel after a year of training and racing. Stay tuned. 

Phoenix?! Did she say she is on a plane bound for Phoenix?!? 

Yes. March has flown by and I am suddenly in the middle of April, trying to finish up my final measures for the clients I see in clinic, study for my finals, settle into the new apartment and finish up my last races of the season. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. 

So yeah, I finally agree with you all: I am absolutely, positively insane. 

Maybe I am doing too much. Maybe this is a bit out of control. But I'm happier and more content with my life than I have ever been. I have created a life where I get to explore the different facets of my personality. This weekend is about reclaiming Sofia the competitor. 

Haven't you had a lot of weekends like that lately?

Yes - I have raced a lot lately. But they feel more like events than races. This weekend is different. We are headed to Collegiate Tri Nationals. I am in no way fast enough to be a serious competitor. But I am thrilled to be able to compete at a national event as an athlete. I have competed at four national championships as a coxswain... 

{For inquiring minds this is what a coxswain looks like. 2007 Pac-10 Championships, Lake Natoma, CA Womens JV 8+}

... and I'm grateful to all these ladies for letting me be a part of their collegiate racing experience... 

... I loved earning some bling with them and repping the W... 

... screaming at these boys in high school was pretty fun too...

... even though I won't end up on the podium this weekend, none of those other races, medals or wins come close to the sense of accomplishment and pride I gain from being the athlete! 

For me, triathlons are completely not about winning. Which means it's a miracle I even like them! I might be one of the most competitive people I know, but knowing that I have zero chance of winning actually makes me enjoy the triathlons more. 

I learn something new every day I train and every time I race. Something new about myself, my friends and this crazy world. In the past, I was so seized with the desire to win and paralyzed with the fear of losing, that I rarely took the time to enjoy what we were doing and the people I was doing it with.

That being said, I'm excited to learn something new this weekend. It's only my second Olympic Distance triathlon. I keep fluctuating between apathy, excitement and fear. And I think that is a good place to be. I know that I can get a better time than I did 6 months ago, but I am not quite sure what that is going to be. And that is also ok. I am down here with some pretty awesome people -- including the girls I trained with for the 70.3 and these goofy guys: 

So this weekend I'm officially trading in the "W" in more ways than one. Going to rep the green and gold with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. Can't wait to report about the race, it's going to be a gorgeous day in Tempe and I am going to leave my everything out there on the course. 

xoxo Sweat&Sparkle 

**One last thought for you**

: )