Stacey Living Well

Okay, I admit it. I’ve been procrastinating this post. I feel like there are so many incredible, amazing, fast athletes in this community…. and I just really don’t feel like I fit in. I’m the ever-fat, somewhat athletic (but clumsy), MOTIVATED girl. I have such goals and events I want to CONQUER! I’m awesome with the motivation part…  I’m doing the work, getting to the gym; but my event finishes have been sub-par. I want to be that thin athlete who is glowing and full of life and exuberance at the finish line… not that one who cries 3 times throughout the race and contemplates quitting about 122 times. I keep making excuses for these horrible events and equally horrible photographs… I was looking down, I was puffy due to dehydration, etc. I could have been faster if: my bike was working better, if my bike was lighter, if my @ss was smaller, if, if, if.

Here it is folks. I finished the Victoria B.C. Half Ironman. I smiled as I finished. I got the medal. My teammates were all waaaayyyyy ahead of me. I was intimidated about the race from the get-go. The athletes in transition were setting up their spiffy transition “mats”, their aero tri bikes, their “fuel”, and fancy schmancy helmets. One guy suggested I had hung my bike incorrectly on the bars, I felt foolish and moved by bike the opposite direction. Only later did I realize that he must have known I was a novice…. and likely suggested I move my bike so he had twice as much room for his transition area. Tricky tricky. I was a little less high-tech than the pros……I don’t remember if I had on a watch. I wore a $100 wetsuit. I rode a $500 bike. I drank cytomax and ate chocolate gu. What were the results? The triathlon was incredible. Most, let’s say 99% of the athletes, were amaze-balls. They were all my personal hero. As I suffered through the bike course, getting lapped at the middle of my FIRST loop…. they all rooted me on and were very kind. The volunteers were incredible. The course was gorgeous. I finished and I know that a lot of people will tell me that’s what matters….. but I want to finish STRONG. I’m even more determined to do it again… and again….and again.

STP- Seattle to Portland Bike Ride…… erg. Don’t know where to start on this one. I rode as support and was overwhelmed by the amount of road rash, cuts, scrapes, trashed bikes, etc….. and then I encountered the broken hip. And a guy yelling at me from a Wal-mart parking lot about how “bikers should realize that there are cars on the road”. I almost flipped my -ish. I got to this point just before 100 miles where it was no longer fun to be out there. It wasn’t a “body tired” moment. It was 100% an emotionally fatigued moment and I was done. I saw my better half, dismounted my bike, and started walking to the car. Screw riding to Portland. I know I can do it, I did it twice before. Off we went back to Seattle by car, with air conditioning, no bleeding of any sort, and a cup of starbuck’s coffee in hand. Overall, it was a damn good choice.

Half Marathon - See Jane Run Half Marathon was pretty good. I wasn’t prepared, but I did all I could to make it through the first few really rough miles… but I couldn’t make up for the time I spent walking to try to ease my poor sore shins. I finished with not my worst time; but 40 minutes worse than my best time. Better luck next time.

I’m totally ashamed of how awful I look in this picture after the half im… but I was truly excited/happy/proud/relieved/exhausted/surprised to be done. :)

So, there it is. I’ve finally said it. These events are tough, but I do them anyway. I’m making myself an athlete, a strong woman, and a connoisseur of fine protein powders, gu, drinks; one event at a time.

Oh… and to top it off, I turned 30.

olyy:

wbaw:

beast-at-165:

mcmironman:

Anyone here have a goal to do the IRONMAN at least once in the future? Reblog if you are!

Somewhere off in the future, I will be an Ironman.

By mid 2013, I’ll have completed an Ironman.

Definitely on my bucket list

There I was, that girl who was pulling out 8-9 workouts a week in preparation for a Half Ironman Triathlon on June 19th. Things were going well and I was feeling how much stronger I was getting. Bike was becoming easier. Tried my first open water swim complete with super skin tight embarrassing wetsuit. Getting excited. Getting nervous. Getting sick….wait…er….that wasn’t supposed to be part of the equation. Months of training and then a big push right at the end to be prepared …. it was likely all my own fault for pushing too hard, too late. But, now I have to deal with what happened and just try to get through it. I’ve read numerous places that exercising while ill can be alright as long as the illness is relayed in symptoms from the neck, up. I’ve got this whole sinus infection/possible strep feeling/bronchio crappiness happening, so I’ve done nothing. I’ve had a fever and I’m lucky if I make it up the stairs I’ve been so dizzy. A week ago, if you asked me if I could make it through the triathlon I would have said “i’m in it to finish it”. Now I’m just worried about making it to the starting line. I’ve been an active person for a pretty long time. I’m not skinny, but I’m pretty fit. Great blood pressure. Good stamina. I can push harder on the bike and in the water than most of my “skinny” friends…. but as it stands, I am almost 190 pounds. I had hoped to be 180 on race day, but my efforts have been derailed. I don’t want to throw in the towel. I’ve trained this season with Team in Training and I’ve raised nearly $4,000, missed out on a social life for 5 months, etc. I want to do this. I just fear I might be the last person or miss the course time cut off or…. not be able to finish. I am just scared about how bad I’m feeling right now and how that will play out on race day. It’s less than 3 weeks away and I’ll be on an antibiotic for the next 9 days. Murphy’s law, right… just when it seems things are going well……bam!! Just trying to stay positive and hoping that my base fitness level will help pull me through. I think the swim will be okay. I hope the bike isn’t too bad. If I just try to stick to run/walk intervals on the run I should be able to get through okay. Any words of wisdom? I need some encouragement.

I would rather have these two take care of me:

then these two:

(Source: tamingeunice)

Does a body good. Yesterday I felt I was starting to come down with something. I have a new job and didn’t feel like it would be right to leave work…. but whewwww was I have trouble keeping upright, conscious, and efficient. By the time I got off work, I talked to my other half and said “i don’t think i can make it to the gym” and she agreed. The worst part was that I missed a really fun “Meet the Writers” event that the magazine threw last night. Bummer. I didn’t get to participate……. but I did get the sweet gift bag from my Editor in Chief. I felt so special.

But…. I feel better that I didn’t “infect” anyone before the 3 day weekend. I’d like to think that they would thank me too.

Any suggestions for the quickest way to get done with a cold? I think it is probably a sinus infection….

Get out there and do it!

-S

This is from my column….

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So, let’s say you are out there enjoying your summer. You dabble in hiking, try out some kayaking and take up some running. You might find that the more you do these things, the longer you can stay out on the trail, the water, or the track. You might also notice that your tummy starts to growl after a couple of hours. Mine sure does. Recently, I’ve been getting into the longest training sessions for an upcoming triathlon. I found that the same-old slimy shots of caloric gel just weren’t doing it for me anymore. Long hours of sustained work felt like they’d be better supported by something more substantial. But, it’s hard to have a steak or a sub while running or biking. What is it that people say? “Ask and you shall receive”? Let’s modernize it with, “Go to REI and you will find”.

On a recent trip to REI, I found exactly what I was looking for; substantial, tasty, on-the-go nutrition sources. I often feel like I’ve had too many powders, gels, etc. I like the direction the following companies are taking. They are making easy to eat products that feel more like “food”. They have crunch, texture, a good consistency, and some of them are just darn fun.

First on the list is the Honey Stinger Waffle.

From their website: “Honey Stinger Organic Waffles make a great tasting snack. Inspired by Lance Armstrong who suggested we produce our own version of similar waffles which are sold throughout Europe and eaten by professional cyclists. Honey Stinger Organic Waffles are the only product of their kind that’s certified organic and available in a single-serving wrapper”. 

Um, yeah, whatever. What I care about is that they taste good. I swear to you that with their cinnamony, crunchy, sweet goodness – they taste like a moister, chewier version of a churro. You know the kid inside of you, the one who always likes to gnosh on elephant ears and churros at the local fairs, will love this. They are in super slender packaging and can fit right into your bento box, pocket, backpack, etc. Word to the wise: careful trying to open it while simultaneously riding your bike.

Did you have any idea that a 160-lb adult needs a minimum of 64 grams of protein a day, according to the Harvard University School of Public Health? Peanut butter and other nut butters pack a ton of delicious protein! I like to call celery a “peanut butter delivery system”. Carrots are my “hummus delivery system”, but I digress. What better way to snack out on the trail than to indulge in some delicious “protein”?

Check out this Honey Stinger Bar.

Yes, you read the label correctly. That does say both chocolate and peanut butta. This bar is kind of on the big side for a single person out on the trail, but could easily be cut in half. Some for now, some for later. This variety of bar also comes in a 10 gram bar, which is about half the size. It’s the more petite sister of this bad boy. Honestly, for the people out there who are monetarily conscientious; the bigger bar is a better deal.

Speaking of chocolate, check this out. KIND Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar.

This bar is made with simple ingredients. It is gluten free and delicious. It isn’t overly processed and all the flavors really shine through. Dark chocolate and cherries are touted to have antioxidants. I also believe them to be delicious when paired together, at the same time, in one freaking amazing bar that also has almonds. You can’t go wrong with this amazingness. Check out their website for more info.

The blurb from KIND, “Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew combines the immunity boosting antioxidant power of rich dark chocolate, cranberries and cherries with deliciously crunchable cashews and almonds. This is a decadent way to get 50% recommended Daily Value of Vitamins A, C and E”.

The options I’ve given do all have some cost associated. They are items available at REI or the grocery store. What to do if you are hoping to save some dough, but still fill your belly on the run/bike/trek?

Peanut Butter on the Go: Put some peanut butter into a Ziploc bag and squish it all down towards a corner. Feel free to rubber band it into the corner so it looks like a cone of beautiful peanut butter. Keep in a safe place and when you are ready for a good shot of peanut butter, bite off the tip of the cone and your peanut butter is ready to go. You can put the peanut butter straight into your mouth or use this as a less messy way to pipe the peanut butter onto some crackers, pretzels, etc.

Almonds and trail mix are great options. Keep them low-cost by picking up various ingredients on sale at the local supermarket or checking out the great selection that most Trader Joe’s stores have.

Whatever you do, get out there and have fun. Feed your soul, but remember to feed your body too. It will thank you.

***I was not paid to advertise these. I didn’t receive any freebies. I’m just a normal girl who bought these snacks full price at the grocery store. If you work for Honey Stinger, KIND, etc… Feel free to send me free stuff, cuz like I said, they are yummy :) ***

This quote always helps me….

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense” -Emerson

Keep on keeping on!