Turning Things Around

I've posted enough gloom and doom posts lately, so this time I'm happy to report some good news. Thanks for hanging in with me through the training crash. I started my own health revolution on June 1st. As of June 7th, I have exercised every day and have eaten raw almost 100% except for a few cheats (I discovered Nutella - big mistake!).

 Completing a bike workout on the trainer

In the past seven days, I have worked out on my bike, completed two barefoot beach runs, and done the Insanity workouts nightly. My sore muscles are going away and I'm beginning to feel the energy from my workouts and diet turning my health around. The best news is that my husband, who is on break from medical school, is doing the Insanity workouts with me. We have always struggled with finding motivation to work out together. I like to run, bike, and swim. He really never enjoyed doing those things with me. But, he loves Insanity. I believe as his base strength and endurance grows, he may learn to enjoy my other passions as he will have the energy for them. Time will tell. For now, I'm just grateful to have someone not just encouraging me, but partnering with me in my goal to get back in racing shape.

 Stretching out after Insanity's Cardio Power session

The Insanity workouts are total cardio and core strength training workouts. I'm very impressed with the level of fitness they demand and the challenge they give me. I'm already seeing results in both myself and my husband. My sore muscles are dissipating, I can finally walk down stairs again without crying, and definition is showing up all over as the fat melts into muscle. I've already lost five pounds this week by just switching back to raw meals and exercising. It's always great to see results quickly, as you really feel the sacrifices you make are paying off.

I also have surrounded myself with virtual triathlon friends and have asked them to hold me accountable on Instagram. Each day, I post a picture of myself working out as proof that I completed my workout. They have permission to call me out if I miss a day. Many have accepted the challenge for themselves as well, and I'm holding them accountable too. Just that small bit of accountability was all I needed.

 Insanity Cardio and Abs Session Leg Lifts

This week, I plan to do more of the same - daily Insanity workouts and a few bike and runs worked in as I add in two-a-days. I always start off too fast and get injured, so I'm determined not to have this happen this time. However, my body seems to be used to the daily punishment of Insanity, so it's time to give it a bit more. If you stop getting sore, you are no longer pushing hard enough. We are having company come in a few weeks, and I know I will slack a bit to have fun, so this week is the week to push. I don't plan to join the triathlon team until family has left and we can get into a more normal routine again. I want to show up lean, mean, and ready to get into serious training. It feels great to be back!

 Week 1:  5 pounds down and feeling great!

Struggling

Running barefoot on Grand Anse Beach, Grenada, West Indies

To say that this last month and a half has been a struggle is an understatement. Where do I begin? I really could go into all of the reasons why I have let my training slide.  I can tell myself, and you, all kinds of excuses. They would be good ones too.  The emotional roller coaster I've been riding - living life in uncertainty and limbo is now the norm instead of the exception. To literally not know my next steps in the coming months are taking their toll on someone who always had everything planned out to the letter. The psychological challenges are now married to the physical challenges of constant infections, fevers, and crazy reactions to swarms of biting sand flies.  For someone who doesn't take pills - being knocked out on anti-histamine medication and taking two more weeks worth of antibiotics after just coming off a week's round of them is certainly humbling. We live in a house with no AC, and the heat of the Caribbean summers are taking their toll on my motivation and body fluids. I'm not drinking enough, not eating correctly, and my workouts are tanking. My poor health perfectly reflects my choices these last few months. However, if it's a priority, you do it.  End of story.  It hasn't been a priority.  To be honest, not much has...

So where does this leave me?  The good thing about living is that today is always the first day of the rest of your life. I'm going to choose to turn things around.  Whether I have help or motivation from others, or whether the motivation just comes from within, I won't make excuses anymore.  I love being an athlete.  I am still an athlete - just not the one I was before.  But, muscles have just as much memory as my mind.  Training commences now, at 3 a.m. June 1st, 2012. 

My first goal is to start training alone.  Sadly, I'm so far out of shape, I can't bear to face my triathlon team yet. I was already the slowest one before my month-long crash. I have to get a few weeks of base training down and drop some weight first.  So, my goal is to do at least six workouts per week for the next two weeks, then re-evaluate where I am at this point to determine whether I can join my team again. They are training for the Miami 70.3 in October.  I really want to at least be ready to join them.  We may not be able to afford it, as it's looking like the trip, hotel, and flight may run close to $1000, but I at least want to be race ready should I find a cheaper route.  

I also am going back to raw vegan.  I don't know how long I will stay on it, but I keep trying to eat just vegan but just slide back into the carb and dairy realm again.  I have to accept that as long as I have a husband with a humming-bird metabolism who likes to eat things I can't and has little interest in exercise, I won't be able to even dip my toe in the water with him or I get sucked in.  I wish I could do this whole moderation thing of 80% raw and 20% cooked, but I can't seem to keep that balance.  Going raw and knowing that if I eat cooked I will get sick seems to be the only way I can achieve my racing weight and my optimum health.  I know that seems extreme, and I don't really know how to reconcile it.  I don't want to be someone who is rude when I eat with others and not eat what they eat.  Maybe on those social occasions I will eat cooked food and just deal with the sickness, but at least it won't be too often.  I don't want to be an elitist or extremist, but I can't seem to handle moderation.  When I get this figured out, I will get back to you!

So, on top of doing six workouts per week at a minimum, I will also go back to fruit smoothies in the morning, salad for lunch, and a veggie juice for dinner.  This is a limited-calorie weight loss plan, and I will certainly change it when my weight is back to where I want it.  This is also the cheapest way to eat raw here, as nuts are so expensive, making my nut-based recipes is pricy.  This will be a very bland diet for a bit, but needed.  My husband and I will just have to go our separate ways on diet, and I will have to steel my willpower to look all those amazing foods in the face and say "No!" 

I will try to keep this more updated so you can all follow my progress.  I really do want accountability, and this is the only way I know to have it.  So, get ready! It's time to bring it! No looking back!  And no stopping this time, no matter what my future holds!  If you want to join me in finding your inner athlete, let me know!  I love company!

Changing It Up

These last few weeks have been a struggle. I have been getting back to sporadic training with my triathlon team.  I manage to hit the running and swimming workouts, but since I do my bike workouts on my trainer due to the hazardous road conditions and my lack of insurance, I have been weak at keeping that up without team support. I went back to using some training apps (Runkeeper at crhanse and MapMyRun at Sarah_Hansen - feel free to friend) that I used to use to see if knowing that people would see my workouts would motivate me. I think it will. That, and confessing to you all that I've not been towing the line training wise. I hate having to type this.

I also put in my goal in both the apps and my mind to complete a full Ironman by June 2013. I should be back in the states by then and can zero in on a race closer to the date.  My team is doing the Miami 70.3 in October.  I would very much like to join them if I can get it together.

 Pool surrounded by jungle where we train

The reason my training has been sporadic is the pull of family.  You see, the team trains at 5:30 or 6 in the evening.  That's right when my husband gets out of his med school lab and wants to have dinner with me.  It's the one time of the day we get to spend together, since he's studying the rest of the evening and at the school from 8 to 5. On nights I train, he just stays up at the school (as we share a car) and eats dinner there. I had a heart-to-heart with him and he shared with me when I pressed him on what he really wanted that it would be nice to have me home to support him these last weeks before his exams.  Finals are a very stressful time for all med school students, and having a homemade meal with his wife was important to him. So, I've told my team I'm taking a break till after finals.

This also means I'm pulling out of the Olympic Triathlon I had planned to do next Sunday. It's the day before my husband's finals, and I feel the stress of the race would just be too much to add to an already stressful time. He wouldn't be able to come, and I would be gone most of the day instead of being there helping to quiz him on materials. It was a difficult decision, but one I feel was in the best interest of my marriage. I always want him to know he comes first.  There will be other races.

So, I'm now training solo in the mornings while Chris is at school. It's not as much fun without my team, and I have to work harder to make sure I'm pushing myself like I do when I have the pull of the group. But, I trained for a marathon basically alone, so I think I can handle two weeks without the team.

I've also gotten into the Insanity workouts.  They are great for building up core strength, which is something I'm very weak in. Another plus is my husband can do these workouts with me, so it's a great way to spend time together. I have never been pushed as hard during a workout tape as I have during this series, so I'm excited to see the positive changes in my endurance shortly.

I was also fortunate to be asked by fellow peers to speak at SGU on my raw vegan diet.  The talk went very well, with many people participating in the discussion.  I made raw vegan pizza, "cheesy" kale chips, and banana chocolate pie for everyone to try.  It was fun to share my journey and hear other people's opinions. 

I have also made another compromise and am no longer 100% raw vegan.  I'm still vegan, but now I'm eating healthy cooked-from-fresh meals.  My husband agreed to no longer buy the junk food that tempts me, and I agreed to eat cooked meals with him again.  I'm still trying to stay 80% raw, but having lentils, potatoes, and rice added back into my diet has been a nice change. We still stay away from all animal products, processed foods, and wheat, but again, I felt a compromise was needed.  Also, being 100% raw made it very hard to eat with other people, as cheating on even a little cooked food caused me to get very sick.  I didn't ever want to be that guest who shows up with their meals all made and refuses to eat the host's entrees. You don't get a lot of social dinner invitations that way. It's very tempting for me to be a purist when it comes to this stuff, but I realize compromise is needed here.

While I still believe 100% raw is the best thing for me, I don't think it is for my husband given his high metabolism and difficulty with weight gain.  I don't think he could consume enough calories here on the island with our limited selection. Since we want to eat meals together, this means adding cooked food into my diet is also essential.

So, those are my current changes to the plan and philosophy.  I promised I would be real, right? I'm certainly not above adjusting again, but for now, we will see how it goes. Well, my husband just woke up.  I'd better get to making our daily raw smoothies and start the day! Make it a great one, my friends!

Setbacks and Seeing Backs

I read a great quote: "Train hard so you can race easy."

While I didn't put in impressive workouts, I definitely felt training was hard. All last week, I felt pain in my stomach that I finally determined was a kidney infection. But, I let it go pretty far hoping the pain would go away and not seeking treatment until early this week. I don't have medical insurance, so I was hesitant to go and wanted to see if it would clear up on its own. I used to get UTIs all the time when I was unhealthy, but I haven't gotten one in over three years until now.  I'm not sure why I would suddenly get one out of the blue when I'm following such a healthy diet and including so much exercise, but I am dealing with some personal stress that may take my immunity down a notch or two.

I trained with everyone last week, but due to the pain and fever I was much slower than normal. What made it worse was that even though it felt like a tough week to me, it was actually an easy week as the group had their first sprint triathlon on Saturday.  I choose not to race on Saturdays as this is a day I keep holy for God. But, even if it had been on a Sunday, I certainly wasn't ready to race.

 Sprint Triathlon Set Up This Weekend

Even their easy running pace is now a 7:30 min mile.  I can hold that for about a mile or two, but I soon drop back and finish up my 6 mile run far behind. It's discouraging that I let my fitness go so long while they were training.  I feel like I will never be able to catch up.  I know I will eventually, but these are the times that test me the most... constantly being the slowest one. But, at least I'm not getting too comfortable with success.  That will never be my problem!

I never was gifted athletically with natural talent.  I had to work hard to achieve success when others could skip training and still smoke me. It made those fast runs in my peak form all the sweeter and addictive, but it was so hard to not wish for more genetic superiority.

Now, I've been forced to rest this week.  My body is telling me not to train and I'm listening.  Today was the first day I really felt like I could pass for a normal human being. I still woke up at 3 a.m. due to the discomfort and stayed up, but I'm certainly improving on the antibiotics.  I may try to do a light bike workout tomorrow on my trainer while Chris is at the school just to see how everything feels when I push things a bit.

I anticipate a light workout weekend.  It's my 10-year anniversary tomorrow, and while we may do some light hiking this weekend, I will probably elect to spend the weekend with my husband vs my triathlon team... as wonderful as they are!

Finding My Feet

Sorry about the lack of posting.  My husband had midterms so I didn't get the computer much.  However, I have been training faithfully, and I'm finally seeing improvement. 

I now realize my lack of endurance during runs isn't because I'm actually lacking endurance, but electrolytes and water.  Sadly, I wasn't drinking while running.  Hydration has always been an issue for me, and not carrying water and replacing electrolytes was putting me at risk for heat stroke or hyponatremia.

I researched raw sports drinks and found one on the internet that has worked well for me.  I use the juice of half a fresh lemon and half a fresh lime, water, teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of coconut oil, three dates, and honey to taste.  I ran with it last Sunday for over 90 minutes in the heat and and ran strong while staying fueled, hydrated, and in my right mind.  This was a huge difference from the previous Sunday where I had to walk a few times, experienced headaches, goosebumps, and stopped sweating after barely an hour.  My team mates called my drink puddle water, as the dates and honey give it a brownish tint. They still think I'm strange in my raw pursuits and try to offer me regular sports drinks from time to time. But, the raw version of lemon lime Gatorade certainly did the job.

With the hydration issue solved, the workouts are getting easier.  I'm feeling more confident, though I'm still the slowest one on the 400-meter sprints.  But, this time I'm only slower by five seconds. Our last sprint session was done in a downpour for most of the workout.  We did two miles to warm up, then eight 400-meter sprints, then another mile cool down.  We also worked on drills to get better running form and did accelerations.  It was one of those workouts that make you feel hard core when you got done.  It also made my shoes stink, as they were completely soaked through running in the rain.  Small sacrifices.  

I've also been focusing more on core work and hitting the weight room.  Having a strong core helps you in everything - swimming, biking, and running.  I have some exercises I'm going through to strengthen this notoriously weak area for me.  

I've been very busy in the kitchen.  My husband has decided to go in most of the way with me on my raw diet.  I've made raw pizza, raw ragoons, raw chick-un salad, and garlic kale chips.  The dehydrator has been filling the house with smells like a Italian restaurant.  I love it!  I also made him a few cooked very healthy meals of kale, mushroom, and broccoli stir fry with brown rice, and baked spaghetti squash with a raw chive "cheese" sauce made from cashews.  If I do any cooked food, it's all from fresh ingredients I find at the market with no preservatives or processed junk. Unfortunately, the food was so good and got eaten so fast, I forgot to take pictures.  I will try to do better in the future.

My energy is still staying strong and my post-workout recovery is immediate following a night of good sleep.  So far, a predominately raw diet is working wonders for me.

Denting and Venting

Yesterday was pretty tough all around.  Sorry I didn't post, but I wasn't feeling very post worthy at the time.  I had a tough day at the station where I volunteer with the software not working to edit audio spots.  What was supposed to take me two hours took five.  I then rushed to pick up my husband, pick up something at the post office (which takes forever here in Grenada with customs), then run home.  I hadn't eaten since breakfast and I had a workout with the team in less than an hour.  This is never a good combo, as I tend to get nauseous when I exert myself too hard if I have recently eaten.  

Since I needed to get to practice, I wolfed down a small salad and raced out the door. I got there in my biking gear with my bike ready to go.  However, when I started to pull into a parking spot, the security guard stopped me.  He pointed to the guy I had been following who had passed the spot and who I thought was driving on.  Apparently, he was pulling forward only to slam his huge truck into reverse and go into the parking spot I was already halfway in.  I nodded and started to put my car in reverse to let him have the spot, but thought instead I would lay on my horn as he was coming back too fast for me to get out of the way in time.  Needless to say, he didn't hear me and slammed into my car, denting the left front door.  What followed was him apologizing, but failing to give me anything more than a phone number as he ran into work.  I'm sure he was late, but I needed insurance information and a promise to pay for damages to my car.  I called my husband and he told me to call the police.  I called and they sent a traffic cop over, who determined, despite the fabrications from the guy's friends who had "seen everything" that he was innocent and I had somehow pulled forward just in time for him to hit me, that he was at fault.  But, since traffic cops can't mitigate accidents in parking lots, it was all a big show anyway.  My tri team left on their bikes while I was sorting it out and I drove home with no workout, a dented car, and a slightly stiff neck.  Considering the last time I tried to ride with them I went down on a slick grate and was hurt pretty badly, I think I need to just give up biking on Grenadian streets and stick to my trainer at home. 

Next week midterms start for my husband, who is studying medicine at SGU.  I have decided to take a bit of a break and help him study.  I am going for a five-mile walk tomorrow with some friends up steep hills, and I will probably run around the neighborhood on Sunday in a longer run.  But, I'm going to skip swimming with my team today in the ocean in favor of helping him get ready for his tests next week.  I'm still debating whether I will join them for the longer run on Sunday morning.  I'm not sure I will be able to keep up. We will see if running here or running with them wins out.  

I did get busy in the kitchen today.  I made arugula "feta" pizza with spicy cashew kale chips.  Very yummy! It was the perfect Friday food! 

Dehydration Motivation

My dehydrator came in today. It's the first time I've owned one, though I've borrowed a friend's before to make some yummy creations. I was craving pizza, so the first thing I did was make pizza crust and get that going. Hopefully, but tomorrow or Friday it will be done and I can whip up the "feta" spinach sauce and add the toppings. I also have two different kale chips - one with cashew cheese sauce and one with just olive oil, garlic, and salt going. They should be ready by tomorrow. The house smells so good, just like an Italian restaurant!

This dehydrator was the final piece of the puzzle for me staying raw. The ability to make anything I want for variety will be very helpful in not feeling deprived when Chris eats cheesy greasy pizza in front of me. Maybe I can even get him to start liking my raw version better than the restaurant variety.

I also had a great workout with the team tonight at the pool. We worked on technique. I learned some new drills and tips to make me faster. We did drills, tempo work, and base swimming. We swam over a mile total. Swimming was always my strongest sport of the three, so I felt I kept up pretty well with everyone. Tomorrow we will be doing a brick workout with a bike and run combo. I'm a bit nervous as I hate biking on these streets, but I feel I need to train this one with the group. If I get home without wrecking I will count that a good day!

Paying the Piper

O.k. That was painful.  Reality always bites. We often try to keep this image in our heads: I'm still the size I was in college, I can still run a six-min mile like I did five years ago, I can still press this amount of weight.  It makes us feel good to fool ourselves into believing that apathy and lack of dedication in training have no consequences. That the natural state of all matter over time is not degeneration, but perfection. We have the ideal in our minds and refuse to look into the mirror. Or, if we do, we skew the image slightly to fit the square peg in the round hole of our conscientiousness. That's just human nature, and I'm as guilty as the next person.  I was hoping I hadn't really lost that much endurance over these three months.

What was an easy workout for the triathletes nearly killed me.  We ran a two-mile warm up down the busy streets clogged with people and dogs.  My pacing both there and back was around a nine-minute mile. Thankfully, no livestock this time. Then, we did 400m sprints.  The rest of the group did six, I could only muster up the gumption to tackle four.  We did them in three minute time frames.  From the start of the clock you had three minutes until the next sprint.  So, if you raced through the quarter mile in one minute, you had two minutes to rest before you did it again. Let's just say I did a lot less resting than the rest of the group and leave it at that. Then, it was a relaxed two-mile run back home. I was anything but relaxed as I gasped in the dusty street air, trying to keep up. It will be several more weeks of seeing the backs of their heads as they run far ahead of me before my body finally decides to kick things into high gear and try to keep up.  

I could continue to lament the huge gulf I have before me, or I can focus on the positive.  I will chose to do the latter.  I went out and did the workout knowing I would be the slowest one.  And, I will do it again tomorrow.  Everything has consequences, and it's time I paid up.  My team was glad to have me back and it felt good to be training with them again.  I faced the reality beast and now know where I am.  While it's not where I want to be, it could have been worse.  I never had to walk!

We have our pool workout tomorrow.  I haven't done a swim since December.  This will be interesting!

Raw Banana Walnut Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

 

My Raw Experience: Pros and Cons 

Today was a rest day for me as far as exercise goes.  I plan to join my triathlon training group tomorrow and I'm slightly scared.  While I've been goofing off for 3 months, they've been training hard.  I could barely keep up with them when I was still in shape.  Their three months of moving forward in their fitness and my three months moving backwards will all blow up in my face tomorrow.  So, I'm doing the only thing I can do, resting up for tomorrow's punishment so I have enough energy to survive. I've certainly reaped the benefits of yummy food and nice restaurants and relaxing days by the beach; now it's time to pay up.

Unfortunately, it really wasn't a rest day as far as cooking, house cleaning, taking the dog to the vet, and going shopping at five different grocery stores would dictate.  We don't have a Wal-Mart over here where everything is all under one roof.  I think I would have preferred the workout!  The running around was worth it though. I'm very excited because I just finished my first batch of raw banana walnut cupcakes with cinnamon frosting.  Super yummy for my sweet tooth!

Since I have no exercise update tonight, I thought I would hit on the topic of "why raw food?" I wanted to give you a real analysis, as I have nothing to gain if you decide to try this or not.  Food choice is extremely personal to most people. But, after giving it 7 months and change, I feel I have a beginner's grasp of what to expect. Here's my honest evaluation of the vegan raw food diet.

Pros:

1. Weight Loss: I lost weight from areas I have never been able to lose before, no matter how much exercise I had done.
2. Energy: I feel like I can get anything done! 
3. Sleep: I sleep very well when I used to have nights where sleep alluded me. Unfortunately, I also seem to get up much earlier - around 5:30 a.m.
4. Improved Athletic Edge: My running times dropped from 9 min miles to 7-8 min miles in sustained running. 
5. Faster Recovery: Post workout, I recover faster and am less sore. 
6. No Sickness: I don't even get a slight sniffle. 
7. Clear Throat: I have always had mucus all my life that causes me to have to clear my throat all the time. Very annoying for everyone! It took a few months on raw, but it went away for the first time in my life. 
8. Clear skin:  Without going into too much detail, among the many health issues I had before changing my priorities on health was hormonal imbalances.  This caused acne. After about month six on the raw diet, I noticed my skin cleared up.  I didn't have to wear make up anymore!
9. Clearer thinking: I feel like I can handle more stress and think my way through things much better.  I also feel like my memory has improved.
10. Better emotional health:  I've had a lot of changes and issues hit me during the last year.  While I didn't handle everything perfectly, I feel I did better emotionally when I switched to the raw diet. I just felt a better overall sense of well being.

 Cons: 

1. Vitamin Deficiency: If you aren't careful, you can have a deficiency of Vitamin B12, as well as Vitamin D. Taking a good multivitamin alleviates this issue, but you need to make sure to do this. I'm terrible about taking pills.  But, I've had to get more strict about this. 
2. Weight Loss:  Some people seem to have too much weight loss on this diet.  I never had this issue, as I always ate a lot of calories in nuts, oils, avocados, and raw honey. Even when training hard with lots of cardio, my weight leveled out at 125lbs, which is a very healthy running weight for me.
3. Binge Eating: I have also heard that when people get off raw diets they can over eat. This may have happened to me if I'm honest with myself.  I didn't eat more quantity per say, but I also didn't eat healthy foods as the fats in the bad stuff were so addicting.  After 7 months without pizza, you are in heaven when you eat it again.  And, you want it more often.  This is something I will watch out for if I get off again. 
4. Detox: When you start a raw diet, you're body needs some time to adjust.  Also, since the digestive system doesn't have to work as hard,  it has extra energy to clean house and dumps the toxins into your bloodstream to eliminate them.  I felt slight fatigue, increased thirst, and a bit sick to my stomach around day five to day ten.  It wasn't bad enough to even keep me from training, but I could tell I wasn't my normal self.  However, I have heard others who were eating a worse diet than I was before their switch to raw having a much rougher detox.
5. Raw Food Religion: Some raw food proponents almost treat this diet like a religion.  Most people I have found who eat this way are amazing individuals.  But, there are always the few who seem to think that those who eat raw are somehow more enlightened or superior to those who eat the SAD (Standard American Diet) way.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  I chose to eat this way simply for my own health.  If I stop feeling better and start feeling worse on this diet, I will try something else.  I plan to listen to my body and make changes as needed, and I won't feel guilty about getting off raw if I find it no longer benefits me.  
6. It is almost impossible to eat out.  You either have to find a raw food restaurant, like overpriced salads containing iceberg lettuce and two cherry tomatoes, or be willing to cheat when out with friends. 
7. Getting off raw and going back to cooked food can give you tough side effects.  When I started eating cooked food during my cheating period in December, I spent the first two days with my head in a trash can unable to keep anything down.  My body really rejected the cooked food. Keep in mind, I had been doing raw for seven months, so it isn't as bad if you go for a shorter time period before going back to cooked food.  But, transition slowly back, don't just jump in like I did.  I won't do that again!

 So, there you have it.  My two cents on the subject.  I hope you found it helpful.

I also wanted to step aside for a minute and thank all of my readers.  Since I started this blog yesterday, I've already had a few people tell me privately that they were inspired to take actions in their health or relationships for the better.  Sometimes, you really wonder if anyone is out there or if you are simply writing for therapy's sake - which I admit to needing a good dose of anyway.  But, thank you for telling me you were encouraged.  It means so much.  I think I would write this blog whether anyone cared or not, once a journalist always a journalist, but knowing people are actually finding it helpful warms my heart.

So, until tomorrow, good night!

First Brick
I just finished my first brick workout in far too long.  I ran an easy 4 miles around my neighborhood.  We have extremely steep quarter-mile hills that defiantly tested my calves and quads. Also, my Newton shoes caused me to run more on my toes than normal.  I find when I'm wearing them that I'm basically running completely on my toes up the hills. But, I love Newtons and how I run in a toe heel fashion vs. a heel toe stride.  They are the best shoes I've tried in my running career. They cause me to change my stride to one that has a faster cadence and I feel makes me quicker on my turnover.  It also helps reduce injury and tones the back of my legs - always a good thing when you live in a place where it's warm enough to show the legs off all year long.  And, my Newtons are pink, so you can't go wrong there.  I stayed around an 8 to 12-minute mile depending on the incline of the hills I was facing.

Unfortunately, my ignorance of the area caused me some issues.  Apparently, in my new neighborhood, people let their dogs out to guard their premises between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.  I ran around 6 p.m. and was faced with 11 barking unleashed dogs charging out at me during various parts of my run.  You can't keep running when that happens, as running makes the dogs want to chase you.  Since they are faster than I am, they will catch me.  And the obvious next step after catching is biting. So, I have to stop my Garmin, stop my run, face the frothy frantic beasts and tell them to go home while I slow to a walk or stop, depending on how determined they are. It messed with my pacing quite a bit.  Next time, I will run during the hours when owners keep their vicious beasts confined.

I came back starving and, after taking my dried clothes off the clothes line, decided to have dinner before jumping on my bike.  I made my customary salad, always a fall-back when I don't have time to be creative, and made Chris a yummy cooked meal.  We had dinner, then I jumped on my trainer and started peddling for 30 minutes.  Honestly, this was harder than the run.  I watched Animal Planet, but keeping up a steady peddling when my quads were already protesting from the hills was harder than I expected. I was glad when my time was up.  I never do well on treadmills or trainers where I'm not going anywhere, but I'm going to have to get used to it on the bike.  The roads in Grenada are more dangerous than the states. There are no bike lanes, the traffic stops on a dime because someone sees an old friend and wants to talk in the road and cause a traffic pile-up, and there are many drop offs, pot holes, and grating that causes additional hurtles for the cyclist.  Not to mention the group usually bikes at dusk and finishes up in the dark with cars whizzing by inches from your shoulder.  I biked with them for a while, but after one fall and several close calls, I decided my lack of insurance should outweigh biking like a local. So, I will have to learn to fall in love with my trainer.

Now, it's time to do a nice stretch, hit the showers, and get some sleep.  I feel good knowing I've gotten back into training.  I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. I'm just missing my huge bathtub or our jacuzzi in our old Florida home.  I loved to soak in there after a tough workout. We just have a shower in our rental house, and it's hit or miss whether it will be hot or cold. I can't wait to find out which one I get tonight.

Ah... that was me just five short months ago.  In the height of my athletic ability coming in for the first place finish in the 20-39 female age group of my first triathlon on the island of Grenada.  I had been eating raw for almost 7 months straight and was down to my racing weight. I had finished a marathon 10 months earlier, another huge milestone in my list of goals, and had competed in several 5Ks, 10Ks, Olympic and Sprint Tris, and two half-marathons in Florida before leaving the US. I had flown in on a Wednesday, and was already racing by Sunday.  I felt I could do anything!  Conquer the world! Next goal, train for a full Ironman Triathlon.  Surely a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race, and a 26.2 mile marathon would be easily attainable in the next 12 months of training.

Then... the holidays.  I had been living apart from my husband for over a year as I fought to hold onto the American corporate dream in Florida while he studied to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor at St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada.  We were finally together again, as I decided to give up the house, company car and cushy job to join him on a tiny little island few have heard of, let alone visited.  But, the perks far outweighed the losses.  For one, I could be with my husband, which is usually the goal of marriage.  Also, I could finally leave the hectic stressful lifestyle of a sales rep and relax in the Caribbean.  And, the islands offered a great training backdrop with the intense hills and heat of the tropics complete with a great triathlon team to train with called Tri de Spice.  I got the inspiration of this blog from them. But, unfortunately, due to some time trying to catch up on my marriage and deal with some emotional adjustments, and a bike wreck and unrelated street accident that stopped me for a bit to recover, I let things slid in my training.  I have stopped training with my team for almost 3 months. I once read on my running store's wall that you lose 2 weeks of training for every week you are off.  I don't want to do the calculations, but I know I am so far from where I was when I stopped training in December.

I also stopped eating raw vegan in December.  My husband loves to eat out.  To accommodate him during Christmas break, as it's no fun eating a sad salad and most restaurants here have no idea what a real salad should consist of,  I went back to eating vegetarian. Unfortunately, while he has the metabolism of a hummingbird, I have one of a hippo.  The combo of getting off raw, not exercising, and eating regular cooked food with him caused me to gain 20 pounds in less than two months.  I know... hard to believe, but true!  I wasn't even eating that poorly, but my entire family is naturally built to retain instead of shed weight. 

We didn't own a scale until about a month ago.  When I got on it, I nearly cried.  I knew that almost none of my clothes fit.  I don't have many outfits either, as when I flew here I brought my Cervelo racing triathlon bike, three dogs, a juicer, assorted cookware, a few cherished books (including two triathlon training books) and two mattress bed toppers.  Two bags less than 70lbs each just don't offer a lot of room for a huge wardrobe with all of the additional items. When I saw the damage staring at me in the emotionless face of the scale, I ate my final cooked meal for my 33rd birthday dinner, then went on a two-week juice fast.  Since I couldn't fast and train, and I was so far behind anyway, I thought I would glean the health benefits of the fast and drop the weight faster.  It worked!  I found great health improvements and dropped 15 pounds in 2 weeks.  I also inspired many others following me on my Facebook page to join me.  It felt good to see so many friends feeling better and seeing huge health benefits as well.

Many people ask me why I believe that a raw vegan diet is the best way to go.  Honestly, I've done a lot of experimenting.  I was a regular SAD (Standard American Diet) eater until my mid twenties.  I then experimented with vegetarianism. I felt better, so I continued this way of life.  I then vacillated between lacto-ovo vegetarian to vegan for the next 8 years.  I was then introduced to a raw vegan lifestyle.  I tried it and, after an initial detox period, felt so much better.  I switched right in the middle of my racing and training schedule back in Florida.  Once my body adjusted, I saw such drastic drops in my endurance and racing times, I never went back until this past December.  Going back to just a basic vegetarian diet after being on raw vegan, I noticed a huge difference.  I felt a lot worse leaving the raw vegan diet.  So, after my fast I have started eating raw vegan again. 

So, that brings me here.  Staring me in the face is the huge staircase not just to the fitness I want to achieve in my final goal, an Ironman finish, but just to get back to the fitness level I was before the great crash of 2011. This is why I started this blog. What better way to re-motivate myself than to share my life with the world?  I know that if I have to write about my actions, it will keep me accountable to do the right things.  I think the more visible your world becomes to others, the better job you do of being the person you always wanted to become. This blog will be honest and straightforward.  I will chronicle my highs and lows of my training and my raw food lifestyle.  Hey, if we can't be real, why bother?

So what are my goals for this blog?  First, accountability.  I want to know that if I eat that chocolate sundae that my husband tries to share with me that I can't go back and write to you guys about how I'm staying true to my course of being a raw vegan.  I want to know if I skip that workout, I will have to dodge my conscience as I write about training diligently.  It will mentally keep me on course, which is half the battle anyway. Second, I want to help others accomplish their health goals.  This really empowers me!  I love seeing others go from couch potato to warrior athlete just because they decided to make that change and take charge of the rest of their lives.  If I can help with encouragement or information, I'm honored to take part in that metamorphosis. It happened for me.  I was once 50lbs overweight with tons of emotional and physical chronic health issues that are now just a distant memory because I put my health first. Third, it's fun!  This is my first blog.  I want to find out all the interesting people I can meet by doing this.

So, follow me, join me, encourage me, and empower yourself to reach your dreams with me! O.k. enough writing and big talk... I'd better lace of the shoes and go out for my first brick workout in months.  Wish me luck!