Friday, July 11, 2008

Staying Alive!

I finally, nearly a week later, got my care totally fixed, for now I'm sure. But my brakes are good, the ABS light is off, the passenger side window has a new motor and works again. It costs, but I save specifically for these costs, and in the now 6.5 years I've owned it I haven't had to do too much in regards to major maintenance. It's finally fixed though, so that was today. Also got some more fruit cause I was about out. This evening I made a very delicious pasta dish (my Fri pre-Sunday race carb dinner...yes, I said that right, I have my primary carb dinner on two nights prior to the race so it's available for me when I race). I scored BIG at HEB today with Portabella mushrooms. Getting there in the morning I not only had smaller lines, but you get all the marked down items. They had 3 packages of 2-great big, yummy portabella mushrooms for 99 cents!! I bought all three packages. So, I made the pasta with some tomato sauce and tomato pace, some fresh basil from basil plant, a little cilantro (I put this in everything these days), and then I broiled a red pepper, a portabella, and a zuchinni squash with Italian seasoning. It was yummy! I also go a brick (1.5 hr ride/11 min run) in this afternoon...boy is it hot outside.
So, this weekend I am doing the DISCO TRIATHLON! It is an Olympic distance race (1500m swim, 23 mile bike, 10K run), though the site shows the swim as 1500yds and not meters, so we'll see.

Goals for this weekend, oh I really don't know. I think after my first full season of tri's I'll be able to estimate this more, but here goes:

Swim: 1:50-1:55min/100 min avg.
T1: 2:00 or less
Bike: 18-20mph avg. ( I can hammer this harder than the Half-Iron cause the distance is shorter)
T2: 2:00 or less
Run: 7:30-7:45 pace would be ideal, I'm betting a 7:45-8:00 pace is more likely
So there we go.

Lots of Texas athletes from BeginnerTriathlete.com will be at the race, so that will be great too. I got a decent blister on the side of my right foot earlier this week running without socks in shoes that were too tight (dumb me). But, it's doing alright now, and if I can wrap it just right and have it survive the swim, then I think I can go sans sock for the run as well. We'll see. Have a great weekend everyone, and happy racing to everyone out there at Disco and the Couple's Tri in Austin (and everywhere else of course!).

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Eh and Wheels

So GMAT= Eh. I can write well (no scores on that yet, but I'm not worried), verbal section puts me up in a high percentile, but I need to study my math more. I knew all these things once...just a long time ago. It's been over 6 years now since I was in a classroom, and I finished my last math class 8 years ago, so I'm a little rusty. I will study more and take it again in late Aug or Sept. I still got a score above the minimum needed to put my application in for the Army program I'm trying for, but to more competitive for the actual MBA program I want, I need to score higher. If I can keep the verbal where it is and up the math just a bit, I'll be golden. So, the result = "eh." :)

The happy news is that in a week, I will own these- HED Jet C2 60 front/90 rear! Too bad I won't have them for the race this weekend, but I will for all my future ones! Now to continue to work on the engine so these race wheels are REALLY FAST! :)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

GMAT and Good Nutrition

First: The GMAT--I'm taking it on Wednesday, so say a little prayer for me. I should've studied more, I'm quite sure, but my studying is showing improvement, so that's good. We'll see how test day goes for me.

Second: Okay, I owe you a story from the other day. There I am at the grocery store checkout line. I have A LOT of fruit and veggies, some soy milk, and some deli meat. Behind me is a mom and her two kids. As I'm checking out, the little boy turns to his mom and says, "Mommy, why is that lady buying so many fruits and vegetables and that's all?" Mom had no real response for him...unfortunately what they were buying was not of the good nutrition variety. It was humorous and sad all at the same time. I've said it before, but America truly is eating itself death. We are not dying of diseases of poverty, in other words, we are not dying of malnutrition. We are dying of diseases of affluence, in other words, we are fat and eating so many bad things that our bodies are not getting good nutrition and therefore we're suffering the diseases caused by bad (not poor or lack of) nutrition. The refined foods, the massive amount of sugars and fats, the fast food nation, the instant meals, and the gigantic protions are overloading the American body and the results are things like heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes (in kids and adults), morbid obesity, and so on and so forth. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in their natural state (without a bunch of added sugar, fats, or oils) are grossly lacking from our diets. Popping a daily vitamin doesn't do you that much good either because those vitamins are not in concert with the other nutrients that help them act efficiently. The answer really is whole food: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This is true for everyone, and even more critical for those of you, who like me, enjoy endurance sports like triathlons and marathons. The stress we place on our body in training racing requires our body, our engine to have the proper fuel. We can manage a lot of it by eating properly, but even that can be hard. One thing I have found that has made a HUGE difference in my diet and health is a nutritional complement called Juice Plus+. Yes, it looks like a pill, but it is truly just juiced fruits and veggies with the water, sugar, an fiber sucked out but the nutrients that work together in those fresh, whole foods are there. Since taking them I have not dealt with being sick--even during long training or after endurance events. My recovery time to get over soreness from major events like the marathon and the half-ironman equated to TWO DAYS. No lie, that's it, no more soreness....and really, the soreness during that time wasn't bad at all. I could tell you a lot more about it, but I wouldn't do it justice. If you want to know more, please click HERE and navigate around, or send me note at tri4nutrition@hotmail.com and I can get you more information. Again, it's not a miracle "drug", in fact, it is just food and more good nutrition. It is NOT a substitute for healthy eating or your fruits and veggies, it is a complement to help you get what you are supposed to get. It is not my entire nutrition, it is part of my good nutrition.

Plus, if you want to hear an actual Doctor, champion Masters Triathlete, Kona Ironman discuss nutrition, check out the following toll free phone lecture you can listen in on Wed. night.

Prevention Plus+ Health Education Conference Call
Sponsored by Juice Plus+®
Hosted by Pam Popper

It just wouldn't be summer without patriotic holidays with family fun events. As Americans, we are proud to proclaim that we are “land of the free and home of the brave,” but how many of us could say that we are “land of the fit or home of the well-nourished”? There is more emphasis today than ever on the importance of including exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. This month's call will feature All-American Ironman triathlete Dr. David Phillips, who will discuss not only the many health benefits of exercise, but also the increased value of exercise that is supported by proper nutrition.

Dr. Phillips graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1984, where he was a collegiate All-American swimmer. He completed his Medical Degree at Wright State University School of Medicine in 1989, and practiced as an emergency physician for 11 years at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Dr. Phillips has won several regional and national Masters titles and competed in the 2005 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua, Kona. He is currently transitioning his medical specialty towards the athletic community, focusing on sports medicine.

Please join us for this educational and informative call on Wednesday, July 9th at the regularly-scheduled Eastern times of 8:30 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, and 11:30 pm.
The dial-in number is 1-800-942-2606; no pass code is needed.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Weekend Fun

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day weekend! I enjoyed mine. With the assistance of my folks a lot of "to do" projects fell off the list. The guest bathroom is painted as is the back wall in my bedroom. The back porch is cleaned off and my new patio furniture is set up. I no longer have a wall of weeds around the perimeter of my house or fence as I now have a weedeater and a lesson in weedeating. I have some color in the front yard with some new plants and new dirt. Several light bulbs were changed out. Plus, I had an enjoyable visit with my folks. I made some vegan waffles that tasted pretty good (I'm not a vegan, but Dad is eating that way--and this was just a healthier fix to a good recipe). I started moving back towards the workouts after a good recovery from the half-iron and I start my new training plan tomorrow. I also take the GMAT this week, so besides getting the car from the shop and doing some outdoor water swimming with some friends and triathletes, I will be doing some good studying.

Here are some pictures from the last week+ of activity:

Freedom Fest 5K with Mom and Dad

Buffalo Springs 70.3 Half-Ironman