Weight Loss

I know I've been holding back on blogging for few months - but there are a ton of awesome things going on in my life right now:

*  I'm getting MARRIED in less then two weeks!

*  I will be starting a new job shortly!

* I've been running my ASS off (and it's paying off!)

* And I've found a new way to eat (which is what this post is about)

As an avid triathlete - people seem to think that you naturally work off everything you eat.  I always here 'you ran 11 miles today?  you deserve to eat an entire pizza!'.  Well, that is not how it works.  I've been struggling with my weight for years.  I don't eat McDonalds everyday or drink soda like it's gong out of style, but I do have (well, did) have 5-10 lbs that I've been wanting to get rid of for years.  That might not seem like a ton - but for my small frame, it's pretty significant.  

I've been listening to John at Garden Variety Triathlon podcast for a few years now and love it.  He recently mentioned this amazing new podcast and stressed that everyone should listen to learn a few things about diet.  What the hell - I trust John and I know if he says it's awesome it must be.  So I loaded some Vinnie Tortorich aka America's Angriest Trainer aka King of Fitness  onto my iphone and listened to a few hours of this goodness on my way to Orlando. 

Holy shit.  

This podcast rocks.  So much so - I've downloaded EVERY SINGLE EPISODE and re-listen to old ones until a new one comes out.  Let me also throwout that they (he has a kick ass co-host Anna Vocino ) have a new 30 minute podcast three times a week. And it's also extremely entertaining.  Lots of f bombs and such - and for those of you who know me - makes me feel right at home. 

Anyway - Vinnie knows his shit. He has been training people for 30+ years and even made an appearance on Oprah back in the day.  But what he talks about works.  Totally works.  Works so well that I've dropped EIGHT lbs in the past three weeks.  Yes.  EIGHT LBS - and I feel FANTASTIC.  It's simple.  Easy.  And works.  

He made me realize that everything I thought I was doing correct - was not.  And I know I'm not the only one out there on this sinking boat.  

I'm not going to go into detail (yet) but I strongly suggest that everyone checks out a few of his podcasts!  

And in REV3 News - the new teammates will be announced shortly!  I'm so excited to be apart of this AMAZING team for 2013.  If you didn't do a REV3 race in 2012 (shame on you!) check out our schedule and join this fun in 2013!  

Keep Calm and Keep It Simple!

We have a pretty large group of local people doing Ironman Florida this year - and most of them are first timers.  And if you've done an Ironman distance, you know about three weeks out how it feels.  A ball of fing nerves.

Did I ride enough?

Did I swim enough?

Did I do enough bricks?

and it goes on and on.  

And on top of it - you have to think about what to put in those damn bags!

Should I change clothes?

Should I bring arm warmers?

What if I forget something?

Well - that is what we talked about tonight.  We decided to have a little Q&A session to help calm a few of those nerves. (And gave us a chance to drink some wine)

Our main topic was what to pack in those bags of goodness:

I won't go into to much detail and not go into the basics (because this blog post will go on forever) and I like to KEEP IS SIMPLE!  

You will have enough going on that day!

T1

I actually kept on the same clothes throughout the entire race - but if you don't want to hop on you bike wet, feel free to strip down and change.  T1 is like a locker room, don't be scared.  Believe me, no one is looking or cares :) 

If you throw on a dry jersey - think about putting your nutrition in your pockets before you turn in you bag so everything is already in its place.

Or put your nutrition (thats not already on your bike) into baggies.  That way you can just throw it into your tri top and not have to worry if you forgot something.

Wet wipes (you never know).  I don't trust port-a-potties having toilet paper.

TRISLIDE (or whatever cream you use)  

Armwarmers, gloves, ear covers, etc (depending on the weather - duh)

Also, be sure to tell your volunteer (if you are lucky enough to have one) what you want them to help you with.  Most likely they will take your bag and dump it.  (that is why it's smart to keep everything in baggies) If you want them to help you put your socks on - ask them!  That is why those awesome people are there!

Special Needs Bike

More TRISLIDE.  56 miles into the bike - you might need an extra spray for down there

Extra nutrition.  You never know what might fall out of your pockets!  

Extra water bottle.

Extra CO2 and tube (in case you have a flat in the first half of the ride)

Wet wipes - again, you never trust a port-a-pottie!

T2

Clean arm warmers, hat, shoes, yadda yadda...

Mouth wash - specially if all you eat on the bike are gels...ugh.  

More TRISLIDE!  

Wet wipes - this time to wipe off your face.  We all know how grimy you can get on the bike and a clean face will help you feel just a bit better

Run Special Needs

Extra shoes and socks.  You never know the conditions and those could be a life saver.  

Something else that we did was have our family write notes.  Don't read them until you really need that extra push - but a little note from your hubbs saying 'I love you' or your training partner saying 'get this sh*t done' will put a smile on your face!    

If you have any other suggestions or questions, please let me know!  

Last weekend was REV3 SC and it was awesome - race report tomorrow!

Taking Chances - Making Changes

Since I've started training with my new coach, I've taken some chances.  Prior to me taking these chances I pretty much did the same thing over and over again.  The same routes, the same pace, the same old same old.  You know you are guilty of that as well!  We get into a comfort zone.  

But growing up, my mother had a saying when I was not happy with something:

"If you keep on doing what you are doing.  You'll keep on getting what you are getting"

Man my mom is a wise woman.

So for the past few months I've broken the mold.  Stepped way out of my comfort zone.  Riding with faster groups of riders.  Running with faster people.

And guess what.

It's paying off.  

I might not be the fastest one pulling - but I'm able to hang with the pack of fast boys for a 60 mile ride with a 22+ MPH avg.   I might not run the first 5 miles at a 7 minute pace - but I'll run the last 5 miles with the fast girls (ahhmmm..Helen Phipps) and kill that negative split.

I'm not going to lie and say that it is easy - because it's not.  But the pain is just temporary and totally worth it.  

I have never felt this good with my training - and I f-ing love it.

So go out there and take a chance.  Be smart with the changes you make and make sure they are right for you - but something small can lead to awesome things.

October is totally my month

I love October.  One is that my birthday is the 3rd!   But this year it's uber special for the following reasons:

I have FOUR races this month!

And two of them are REV3!

I'm GOTRIbal Ambassador of the month! (Which means I will be blogging more since I've neglected it for the past month!)

Jason and I are having our wedding shower! - one step closer to marrying the surfer boy of my dreams!





Pretty dreamy don't you think?

And hopefully the humidity will go away! 


I'm also getting really excited about my new coach - Karen Meadows.  I'll talk more about her in another post, but I'm so excited about the improvment I've seen and what next season will bring for me!  Karen rocks and I've known her and her family for years!







This month is going to ROCK.  And require large amounts of coffee! 

CMTA - Supporting a great cause!

CMTA or the Charcot Marie Tooth Association sole focus is to is to support the search for a cure to CMT.  What is CMT?  CMT is a nerve disorder that impacts 1 in ever 2500 people (wow - that's a lot!).  This disorder is due to genetic problems with the nerve cells causing difficulty in transmitting signals to their muscles.   CMT is not fatal - but it can severly impact the lives of people who it effects.  Some people look fine while others need ankle or foot braces to walk or even require wheel chairs. 

Everyday when I wake up - I take it for granted that I will be able to swimbikerun.  But for those with CMT, there is an uncertainty about their future mobility and managing the fatigue which comes with the disease. 

Currently there is no cure for CMT - but with the help of CMTA, everyday a cure is closer. 

Below you will find several facts about CMT which are located on their website

• CMT is also known as peroneal muscular atrophy (PMA), or hereditary motor sensory neuropathy (HMSN). It is one of the most commonly inherited neurological disorders.

• CMT was discovered in 1886 by three physicians for whom it was named; Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie, and Howard Henry Tooth.
•  
• CMT is usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means if one parent has CMT there is a 50/50 chance of each child inheriting the disorder.

• It is slowly progressive, causing deterioration of peripheral nerves, which control sensory information and muscle function of the foot/lower leg and hand/forearm.

• Depending upon the severity and type of CMT, it may cause foot-drop walking gait, foot bone abnormalities, high arches and hammer toes, loss of muscle tissue, problems with balance, problems with hand function, occasional lower leg and forearm muscle cramping, loss of some normal reflexes, scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and sometimes, breathing difficulties.
•  
• Patients may lose feeling in their hands and feet putting them at risk for blisters, burns, and sores.

• CMT has no known cure, although physical therapy, occupational therapy and moderate physical activity are beneficial.

• It does not affect life expectancy, but can, in rare instances, cause severe disability. CMT can be detected at any age. Typically, the first signs may include leg weakness, frequent tripping and falling.

• It can vary greatly in severity, even within the same family.

• The CMTA was formed in 1983. Its mission is to generate the resources to find a cure, to create awareness, and to improve the quality of life for those affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth.

• The CMTA website is www.cmtausa.org.The CMTA provides patient support, public education, and promotion and funding of research.

• Mr. Patrick A. Livney serves as its Chief Executive Officer.

• The CMTA has launched an initiative, known as the Strategy to Accelerate Research™ (STAR). STAR is designed to lead to new treatments for CMT within three to five years.

• STAR researchers are able to replicate the disorder in the laboratory and in doing so, can begin testing new treatments that will ultimately lead to clinical trials in people. In addition, the translational science used in the research could have major implications for the treatment of a host of related genetic disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)

• There is a Medical Advisory Board in place, which consists of over fifty international research and medical professionals.

I was tagged! Running Questions!

I was tagged by the fantastic Kristen from Ocular Triathlete to answer some great running questions. 

On a side note - Kristen, one of my fellow REV3 teammates, was in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago for an IMFL training camp.  Thankfully she was able to take time out of their busy training schedule and we were able to hang out! 

She is going to do awesome in IMFL and I can't wait to cheer her on!  My cowbell is ready!

And Kristin, I'm sorry I brought you this fantastic daiquiri from one of our random stores you'll only find in Panama City Beach.  I hope it didn't hamper your run the next day!



Keeping it classy in PCB.



1. Best Run EVER: I'm going to have to say my last four of five 13+ mile runs.  I have a fantastic new coach who runs with me and we are KILLING the negative splits.  Hitting a 1:50 13.1 for a training day (with negative splits) after an epic (almost threw up and cried once) bike ride the day before - I could not be happier with how my running is going right now! 

2. Three Words that Describe my Running: use to be  'Just get it done' (i know, more then three) but now it's 'get that negative split!'

3. My Go-to Running Outfit: I love bright colors!  Typically I'm rocking a bright pair of Lululemon shorts and my new love, Pearl Izumi Bras



Super cute!



4. Quirky habits while running: I keep a rythem with my breathing and seriously zone out.  My coach and friends just chat away - but when it gets serious I just zone out and focus on my form.  Oh yeah, I'm the best snot rocket shot out there. 

5. Morning, midday, evening: In the summer - as early as possible.  It gets pretty damn hot here in Florida.  But in the winter - I'm always game for a PM run (also it allows me to sleep in!)

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: a hurricane.  Tried it once and it just does not work. 

7. Worst injury — how I got over it: Knock on wood I have not had any major or minor injuries.  BUT mentally I've had some burnouts when it comes to training.  When that happens - I step back and take a week or so off and do crossfit. And get a pedicure. Somehow it works for me! 

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: I puke at the end.  To me, that means I pushed my body as far and as hard as it can go.  (Gross, I know)  but it makes me feel like a total bad ass.

9. Next Race is: Rev3 South Carolina and then Rev3 Florida! 

10: Potential Running goal for 2013: Get under 2 hours on my run  in my 70.3 races and kill that negative split on all of my races! 

I'm going to tag Heidi and Katie to see if they can give us some running goodness!

Happy running everyone!

Cookies for Breakfast

Breakfast is very important.  Not a day goes by that I don't grab a banana or have a bowl of oatmeal and  coffee.  Some mornings I have a 5:15am run or bike meeting time which means I have to get up at the very latest...4:30...so that I can drink my coffee and grab a bite to eat.  And who are we kidding, use the WC, which is important when you are heading out for a long ride or run  in the middle of nowhere.  (WC = bathroom for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about).  And another important thing is knowing what your tummy can handle.  There is no way in hell I could eat biscuits and gravy, though they are delicious, before a workout.  

I always have my eye out for something simple and tasty to grab and eat while I'm still half asleep.   

XPS Baking Company was nice enough to send us REV3 - ers some samples of their delish cookies.  I was not sure when to eat them - so I thought breakfast was a good time to start. 

They have four fantastic flavors:

Almond Cherry

Apple Spice

Cinnamon Raisin

Espresso Chocolate

And all four are WONDERFUL!  They are soft, moist, fresh, and filling!  The people at XPS crew will bake, package, and ship your order the the SAME DAY!  Can't get much fresher then that.  They kept me going and comfortably full throughout my entire workout.  So if you are looking for something new, check out XPS Baking Company. 

In HURRICANE NEWS - Panama City Beach totally dodged a bullet with Hurricane Isaac.  And for those of you who don't know - I work for a homeowners insurance company - so I'm all over being prepared.  Our shutters when up on Sunday and we are fully stocked with the important stuff:

1.  Wine

2.  Beer

3.  Food

4.  Generator

5.  Gas for the generator

I'm traveling all week for work on the east coast of Florida, so I'm missing all the fun.  But I'm happy to open my house to New Orleans refugees Heidi and Flex :) 

In REV3 News - Rev3 Maine was last sunday and was FANTASTIC!  Hello...lobster for a post race party?  Can it get any better?  If you have not checked out a REV3 event - do so ASAP!  There are several coming up in the next few months! 

Dirty Girls Guide...to cleaning your bike

For a long, long time I was the cyclist who would trade free babysitting for someone to clean my bike.  Seriously.   One time my coach said "Chloe, that is the dirtiest bike I've ever seen" or my bike mechanic stated (more then once) "My, the princess has been rode hard and put up wet".  Yes.  I do love my bike - but I did not know how to keep her clean.  Or, just didn't want to spend the time.   Until I realized how SIMPLE and QUICK it is to do yourself.  All you need is the proper tools.

*remember, I am NOT a bike mechanic.  If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment*

These are my tools.  

And this is my cleaning bucket.  It's simple for me to keep everything together - I mean, where else am I going to use epic ride or grease lightening?  

First thing I do is hose down my bike.

Then I spray some grease lightening onto my cassette and crank set.  Then I use a brush purchased  from my local bike store to clean all of the hard to reach dirty parts:

Once I feel most of the sand and muck have been cleaned out - I hose her down again.

Next I grab the best bike chain cleaning tool ever and my CB-2 Citrus Chain Brite:

You don't realize how dirty your chain is until you use this bad boy. All you do is fill up the chain cleaning machine (well, that is what I call it) to the fill line and attached to the bottom part of your chain.  This contraption is full of brushes that spin and clean out all of the crap caught in your chain:

I know, not the best photo.  But you get the drift.  But I back peddle my bike until I feel the chain is clean. Usually about 2-3 minutes (I'm just a bit OCD).  Depending on how full of grime my chain is, I might dump out the liquid and re-fill.  Because it can get pretty gross:

Sick.  Now you see how important this tool is.  

You can purchase this entire contraption here - or you can also purchase this at your local bike store.

Just to let you know - my bike chain is gold.  I totally forget this until after I clean it.  Then I remember the princess has some pretty awesome bling.

I hose the bike down again and fill up a small bucket with car wash solution and water.  Grab some type of soft cloth and throughly wipe down the frame and wheels.  I typically do this a few times since I seem to miss places.  

Finally I end the bike spa with this:

to lube up my chain.  

I look for the quick release on my chain - and just drip a small amount of Epic Ride on each link.  Once I see the quick release again, I know I've done one round (sometimes I do this twice...damn OCD)

And there you go!  Quick and simple.  This usually takes me about 10 minutes or so.  I don't have fancy bike holder - but the boat trailer works just fine to hold her up.

Now - how pretty does the princess look?  

If I can do it - you can totally do it.  A clean bike is a happy bike....and a fast bike!  I try to do this at least once every two weeks.  We have a TON of sand and crap on our roads - so the gunk can really build up.  

In other news - here is an awesome photos of Stella.  The wonder dog:

Guarding her ball. 

  

Fast food hurts

So remember a few years ago when I threw out my back and blamed it on fast food?  If not, check out the post here

Well, sometimes Big J and I do not have time to make a quality dinner.  And sometimes (as in once in a blue moon) he'll come home with one of these:

A $5 pizza.  

Well, I've come to learn the my body does not like $5 pizzas.  Which is a good thing!  But needless to say, I'm probably at race weight right now thanks to a day and a half of my body reminding me not to eat that shit.  

Clean eating is the way to go!

Stairs and Yoga anyone?

The past few Mondays me and a few of my training partners have been doing stairs.  Not your 'we'll go up and down the bleachers' stairs.  But STAIRS.  I use all capitol letters because he lives here:

23 stories of goodness.  We use one of the side stairwells where teenagers probably make out when they are here on vacation and people smoke when they can't in their condo.  It's smelly, hot, and very challenging.  It typically takes us under 3 minutes going every other stair to get to the top. But the view is totally worth it:

And then after going in circles three or four times - we are lucky enough to have one of our Hammerdown team members, Ashley, teach a yoga class.  Ashley is a fantastic yoga instructor (and the one who got me into crossfit).  On the off season we are on the beach - but due to the amount of people on the beach right now, we are stuck inside with this view:

Not too bad - right?  

But I would like to thank Ashley for reminding me how inflexible I am.  This girl - cannot even touch her toes.  

In wedding news (I know it's been awhile) but our save the dates are finally out.  I told Big J that there is no way he can back out now!

As stated on our save the days -

We are finally taking the plunge!!  

It's that time of year again

It seems like all over the country it's been well over the normal highs, but here in North Florida, it's normal.  Hot ass piss.  But the one good thing about these hot as temps, is spring rides!  Ahhh..it's been awhile, but spring rides are no doubt the highlight of the summer training season. 

Yesterday we had a fantastic group meet up for a 60ish hilly ride through the northern part of the state.  People say that there are no hills in Florida (besides bridges) but I beg to differ.  We had some brutal, long climbs and some very high temps.  It was so hot that when I put my head down, sweat just poured down onto my bike and bento box.  I know that is kind of gross, but it makes me feel pretty bad ass.  

And you know you are in the sticks when you come across a gas station like this:

16oz Natural Light for .99?  Awesome!  

Trick to beat the heat - when you stop, throw your helmets into the ice freezer!  

But after 50 miles my legs where trashed.  Thankfully, the oasis (otherwise known a Ponce De Leon Springs) was right around the corner.

As soon as the dumb 10 min train passed:

Yep, we took up a large section of the road.  

We rode up to this:

Ahhh....a big, fresh, natural ice bath!

I love it because the locals look at us like we are crazy:

"Where did you ride from?"

"How far have you ridden?"

"My, those are fancy bikes!"

But it's so refreshing.  And it's an awesome recovery.  We strategically plan where we start from in relation to the springs.  So a quick 10 mile spin on the bikes after the spring, and we are done!  

So, it's tough riding.  But the benefit is so worth it.

Now that I'm back full time into swimbikerun training, I'm sure we will have many more rides this summer!

GOOD LUCK to all of my REV3 family racing in REV3 Portland today!  Ahhh..after all of this wedding business is over, I'll be looking forward to racing this amazing race next year!  

Dream crushers

Some how carol and I ended up being judges for a crossfit competition. Yelling 'no rep!' at large men is somehow very fulfilling :). Just call us the dream crushers!

(loving this mobile blog!)

Notice my sweet cowbell in hand.  Ready to yell some people on!

Oh - and these crossfit people have awesome taste in t-shirts!

REV3 Rocks

I'm not sure who out there gets Triathlete Magazine.  But if you've looked through the most recent addition, you might have seen a little article talking about the World's Best Races.  And guess who was voted as one of the best races for your first ironman distance?  REV3 CEDAR POINT!  So if you are thinking of what race to do for either your first 140.6 or if you are a veteran, I would totally check out this amazing race.  Seriously.  It's at an amusement park.  Love it.  

Rev3 seriously rocks.  There are so many perks that come along with these races - including the ability to do this:

if I was a parent....crossing the finish line with your kids would be the icing on the cake.

And another huge Rev3 announcement is that we now have Quintana Roo as a team sponsor!!  

I love QR.  I've been riding a Dulce QR (AKA the princess) for the past three years and LOVE IT!  She fits me like a glove and I have had zero issues.  Now, with this opportunity, a new QR might be joining the princess in the bike room!  The QR CD0.1ULTEGRA W