So You Think You're A Bad A?

Triathletes.  We think were pretty awesome.  After all, we bike a bazillion miles a week, and that's after we swim one million laps in the pool.  We trail run and long run and speed run and then recover run.  It's all quite a spectacle of human ability.

So if you're thinking you're all that and a bag of chips, it's time to read this little book here:

Unbroken

Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini.  His story is incredible and I thought this reviewer said it best:  

From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know. --Juliet Disparte

When I saw the book on my husband's night stand I thought I would never pick it up.  I was NOT interested in another World War II story that would rehash the details of battles fought over the Pacific.  But I kept hearing how GREAT this book was.  And when I was told that it was about a RUNNER, I dove right in.  I'm not going to give anything way, but being stranded at sea on a inflatable raft for 48 day is only part of Louie's incredible journey.  Agressive sharks, fighter planes, prison camps -- I mean, how much can one guy endure?  

There aren't that many books that can keep me wanting more -- wishing I could stay awake all night with toothpicks holding my eyelids up.  But this one, well, it's right up there on the new favorites list.  I absolutely love Zamperini.  He is a true American hero.  If this book doesn't make you laugh, cry and inspire you to push through your trials and pains, nothing can.  And Lauren Hillenbrand is a masterful writer.  Kudos to her. 

Problem is, now I'm sad the story is over.  I need another gripping novel that will make my heart race and keep me wanting more.  

Any suggestions?

Healthy Eating Choices Quiz

Rate Your Restaurant Diet

The link above is a fun way to explore your dining out habits.  Which breakfast choices are better than others?  Can you find the healthiest item on the fast food menu?  What's your favorite movie snack, and is there a healthier alternative?

This little quiz will make you think before you eat!

To Tame The Wild Locks

Swimmer hair.

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.  Dry, brittle, damaged and unmanageable hair bleached by harsh chlorine and nasty chemicals.  Hair that has a mind of it's own when it comes to trying to style it.  Hair that puts the f in frizz or the s in straw, and the U-G-L-Y in, well you know.   Hair is just a never ending problem for swimmers.

I'm skeptical to try new products because I've never found anything that tames my mangy locks, until now.  Can I get  a "woot woot" for my new find at Interbike 2011?  New Reflect H20 shampoo and condish, pre-swim gel and chamois cream.

I brought home samples of their four products from Vegas, skeptical.  Man, was I wrong. 

First off, the shampoo smells deliciously fresh with a hint of...apple possibly?  One dose of the shampoo brought back some luster and shine to my hair, all the while smelling devine!  The conditioner turned my hair into smooth, style-able tresses that felt soft and ultra-conditioned even after I dried it.  My hair hadn't felt that good since I had a Keratin treatment several months before.  And I happily noticed that the Reflect H20 products are sulfate free, making them perfectly safe to use after an expensive salon treatment like a Brazilian Blowout.

The gals at Reflect also designed a pre-swim gel that I am now faithfully using before every swim.  It seals in the hair follicles so they won't absorb so much chlorine in the pool.  I used to try and wet my hair before I got into the water, but this gel is so much more convenient.  I love it!

And lastly, the Hoo Ha Glide chamois cream is beyond.  According their website, the cream is loaded with stuff like eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint and tea tree oils.  Not to give you TMI, but long hours in sweaty, chafing cycling shorts can really do a number on those girlie parts.  I love the Hoo Ha Glide and endorse it 100 percent. 

I was SO taken with the Reflect Sports products that I contacted the company to see how I could spread the love.  They sent me samples and gave me a product code TEAM1125 for 25 percent off any of their products when you order online (helps with shipping if you can't find it locally).  They also list on their website where you can find their products locally.

I honestly hope they keep making their products forever.  I'm a girl with a new "do" now, thanks to Reflect H20.   And my undercarriage is pretty happy, too.

Check out their website at www.reflectsports.com

Tales from A Marathon Newbie

I LOVE race recaps from marathon virgins.  Rhonna chose the Top of Utah Marathon as her first attempt at 26.2  I loved her honest, detailed account of her journey and asked her if I could share it here. 

New Marathoner, Rhonna Farrer

It was raining the morning of the marathon.  We woke up super early, got all of our stuff & kissed the kiddos goodbye and took off. I was a bundle of nerves.
Excited. Skeered. Nauseous.

I'd been super sick the two days before and when I talked to my mom the night before the marathon, I asked her to pray for me...I was worried I'd still be sick in the morning...but, prayer works! I felt great!

Rain. Dark. Buses. Lines.  It was fun.

Jeff and I got on the bus and headed up the canyon with all of the other runners. Crazy to think that the whole time we were driving (it was about a 45 min. bus ride) we would be RUNNING that! Oy vey!  I tweeted & Instagrammed as long as I could, but once we got up the canyon I didn't have any service for a while, hence no touting, Tweeting or Instagrams. Sad, but hey, ya gotta roll with the punches.

So, it was still rainy & COLD at the starting line. I kissed Jeff goodbye and he took off.

I ran slowly, pacing myself the whole time, careful to NOT give in to my adrenaline that was egging me on to sprint! It was so exciting!

Pretty soon, it started to rain harder.

Mile 6. Raining. I'm wet. Still have my jacket on & had been planning on leaving it at one of the aid stations early on in the race.  No go.

Mile 10. Pouring.  Still feeling great, even though I was getting wetter & wetter.  Each aid station I took some Gatorade. I ended up stopping three times to use the bathrooms.  Oy!

Mile 13. Felt amazing. Sooo excited. Loved the scenery...loved my music. Happy.

Hail. Yup...it hailed so hard that it was actually HURTING me! LOL! But... i went on.

Sometime around 10AM, my dear friend Sande picked up my kids at the hotel (er hubby was running, too) so they could be at the finish line to see us. Thanks, sweet friend...you'll never know how much I appreciate that!

Mile 16.  I got the text that Jeff had finished 21 miles. I was giddy for him!  Giddy. I think I giggled out loud!  Still rained.

Mile 19.  I felt great, but could NOT believe how hard it was raining. It was going sideways and I was drenched...still left my jacket on 'cause it was COLD rain! LOVED the great volunteers at the aid stations, they were troopers in that weather!

Mile 20.  Got the text that Jeff had finished. I'm not gonna lie. I cried a little bit. I was so sooo proud of him! 3:25!!!! He is amazing.  Raining.

Mile 24. I lost it. I mentally had a break down & started bawling. Miles 20-24 were tough for me. I seriously was wiping the tears off my face, & started panicking cuz I couldn't breathe....my lungs started closing cuz of the emotions....

I had to calm down.

I started to talk myself down...pumping myself up...& then this song came on my playlist:  Press to Play's Let's Dance.   All I heard was: Let's RUN.

it.
was.
just.
what.
i.
needed.

I pulled it together & kept my eye up on the Logan Temple...seriously.....it's what I kept looking at to keep my focus.

The sun started shining.

I blew through the mile 25 aid station cause I could feel that if I even slowed down, my legs would freeze up.  So. I ran.  Strong and hard til I hit the finish line.  26.2 miles.

The sun shone bright.

I was soo excited, I ran through fist pumping & hollerin'....some guy was there and held out both hands...I slapped them and jumped up and down.  It felt. a.mazing.

Sadly, my chip didn't warn my family with a text at Mile 21, so they weren't prepared and only got the text that I'd finished and they were at the car.  It was OK. I cheered for myself and frankly it was celebration with them later. So no worries.

We brought a huge cooler full of ice in the back of our car so we could ice immediately after.  And, the sun felt amazing!   Stretched out and was in heaven. Felt sooo great.  Amazing, really.

I learned so much from this entire journey... Here goes:

If I worked hard enough & was consistent with my training...i got stronger.


When I had ANY negative thoughts come in like:
I'm too tired.
I don't feel like it.
I'm fat.
I don't like this.
I'm not fast.
I hurt.
I'm sick.
I can't do this.
Then, i was right.  
But, if I didn't give in to any of those feelings, I came out stronger, happier.


Training for a marathon does NOT help you lose weight! LOL! 


Music put a spring in my step.


It was a mental game as well as a physical game. No joke.


I had to fuel up and sleep well and drink up, or my body no likey.


I have to talk to myself whilst I run. Really. It's part of my mental game.


Running quotes REALLY inspire me.


Support means *everything* to me. I'm so thankful. For family. Friends. Bloggers.  A heartfelt thank you to everyone!


My body is a miracle. Seriously, it amazed me. Grateful to have been ABLE to run.


Jeff is my hero. 


Nature is so beautiful, it makes me want to run!


Hail, buckets of rain & temporary melt downs only make the journey more interesting!





I believe.


I do.

And...4 days later..I'm already planning on my next half marathon & trying to decide on my next full marathon.

Yea. I got the bug.

Topping Off - A Great Article From Trainingpeaks.com

Load-Reload-Top off Your Tank

If you are like many endurance athletes, you prefer to train first thing in the morning. One of the most common issues I address with the athletes I coach around the world is their pre-training fuel (or the lack thereof). A number of athletes choose not to eat or drink anything prior to their early morning workout. In questioning athletes over the years on why they choose not to eat prior to exercise, they respond by saying; “I am just not hungry in the morning.” “My stomach gets upset if I eat anything.” “I am trying to lose weight, so if I do not eat before exercise, I will lose more weight.” “I am only going to train for 45 minutes to one hour, so I do not need calories for this workout; I will just drink water.”

So, what is the best way to handle your pre-workout…to fuel or not to fuel?

When we ingest carbohydrates, glycogen is formed. Glycogen, which is fuel for our body, is then stored in our muscles (some is stored in our liver). Now, let’s go back to last night's dinner. Following a nutritious, balanced dinner that included carbohydrates, protein and fat, glycogen is formed and stored in our muscles and liver. Our muscle glycogen tank is now topped off. Following dinner, we sleep 7-8 hours. Upon awakening, we are normally slightly glycogen depleted and slightly dehydrated. When we deplete our body of glycogen, our body becomes less efficient, and our performance will be hindered in training. So, if we choose to workout at this point, and we are not properly fueled, we will continue to deplete muscle glycogen. The return on our investment at this point is not nearly as good as it could be.

The solution to the above scenario is to top off your tank. We want to top off our glycogen stores upon awakening. When you train on a full tank of gas, your performance will be that much greater (as will your recovery; better recovery leads to better performance). You will notice that you will be able to train harder at lower heart rates, you will feel more “alive” during your workout, and your post-training soreness will be minimized. You may still question the whole “upset stomach issue” with pre-training nutrition. Well, just as you have trained your body to run, bike, etc. for certain distances, you can train your GI system to handle pre-workout fuel as well.

Let’s examine some pre-training fuel that will take your workouts to the next level. If you are not accustomed to fueling before workouts, no worries; let’s crawl before we walk. Liquid calories are a great place to start. These tend to be easily tolerated by one’s digestive system. Ideally, you want to find a pre-workout fuel that contains carbohydrates as well as some protein and dietary fat (the amount of total calories will vary based on your body weight, gender, length of workout, intensity of workout, etc.). One big advantage to liquid calories is that you can ingest these liquids just minutes prior to your workout without any gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Many athletes have an ‘iron-gut’ and can handle a variety of pre training fuel sources. Solid fuel works very well; for example, a bagel and peanut butter will help to power you through a workout.

As an endurance athlete, you want to spare glycogen in order to facilitate fat as your primary fuel source. In order to spare glycogen, you must load and reload your muscle glycogen. When your body begins to spare glycogen, your body’s efficiency will increase. In time, you will find yourself training longer, harder and faster at the same or lower heart rates.

If you are already fueling prior to training, you are to be commended; keep up the good work. If pre-training nutrition is foreign to you, no worries; you are not alone. Just as you train your body to swim, bike, and run, you can train your body to properly handle pre-training nutrition. Start with the liquid fuel and you will soon notice enhanced early morning workouts as well as improved recovery for the next days training session. Enjoy the new pre-training fuel, top off your tank, and take your training and racing to the next level!

Dr. Rick Kattouf II is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf, Inc., Host of Rx Nutrition,
author of Forever Fit, ITCA Certified Triathlon Coach, MMA Conditioning Coach, Food
Psychology Coach, Wellness and Nutrition Consultant, Sports Nutrition Consultant,
Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Inspirational Speaker, Creator of of TeamKattouf
Nutrition Supplements and Moderator of TrainingPeaks Q&A Nutrition Forum.
Rick’s training & meal plans can be found on TrainingPeaks. Rick can be reached at
www.teamkattouf.com or rick@rickkattouf.com

My Favorite Bike at Interbike

Excuse the iPhone photo, but I loved this bike.  It's by Ritte Van Vlaanderen.  Here's the story behind the company.


"The very nature of riding a bicycle is to have fun and be free, so pretense and attitude just doesn’t have a place in our world. Ritte Van Vlaanderen Bicycles began with this simple goal: to offer cyclists the best possible racing bicycles at the best possible value. No gimmicks, no attitude, no BS.


We're a small company devoted to offering dedicated enthusiasts and racers the best racing bikes at the best possible prices. If we couldn't do this with the best intentions, then we wouldn't do it at all, so please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, critiques and/or excellent slow-cooker recipes you can think of. "

I liked these bikes.  They were different and had some nice edginess to them.  They're definitely worth a second look.

And on that note, I'm getting a little bored about bike reviews now.  Onto something else!

Pinarello Love

Ooooh, color.  Isn't this bike pretty?  It's a touring bike from Pinrello.  Strickly for fun, boppin around town, a bike to be SEEN in.  

But ALL of Pinarello bikes are bikes to be seen in.  Pinarellos are sexy and sleek.  Their tri bike, the GRAAL is an amazing piece of machinery.  But ex-pen-sive!  If you've got the bucks, you should look into this line.  You'll impress your friends and neighbors.