Willpower

By definition willpower means self-control.  So during Lent, I usually give up something, versus doing something.  I feel that I should be "doing something" all the time...like being nice, not gossiping, giving to the poor.  No worries, I am not turning this into some kind of religious post.

One year it was meat, which ended up being too easy....so I contemplated what indulgences/loves I have...

Triathlons - can't this actually helps my well-being and physical health
Wine/Beer - ah, I can do a detox at any point in time for a couple weeks to a month

 SHOPPING - I did this two years ago and it was the hardest 6 weeks.

The feeling I get when I go shopping is something very similar to an exert of Sophia Kinsella's Confession of a Shopaholic. I probably could write my own book.

“That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag—and all the gorgeous new things inside it become yours. What’s it like? It’s like going hungry for days, then cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast. It’s like waking up and realizing it’s the weekend. It’s like the better moments of sex. Everything else is blocked out of your mind. It’s pure, selfish pleasure.”-  Sophie Kinsella, Confessions of a Shopaholic


So I decided this would be very appropriate again, especially as I was reviewing the latest Nordstroms book that came in the mail, putting sticky notes in my latest Lucky magazine and closed two windows on my computer with full carts at Shopbop and TeamEstrogen.  This was all by 7:30am.

In light of all this, I decided I should post some of my recent tri-purchases (things I ABSOLUTELY needed)....I'm actually serious on that note.

Biking:
Betty Designs Pink Cycling Jersey and Bib Shorts.  My purple one was destroyed in the bike accident.  I wasn't sure about the bib shorts, I never had a pair but I love the color too much to discriminate!

Running:
Brooks Pure Cadence - needed another pair, treads were low...check out the review on these shoes here

Swimming:
This suit is great, I bought this Betty Design suit a month ago and have been loving it, not only the style which is totally me, but the comfort of this suit is spot on.  Ran true to size.

So until April 10th....


And finally, I promised to post my fantastic recipe I whipped up last night!

Miso Tofu and Edamame Black Bean Quinoa

Print recipe here

Tofu and Marinade
2 tbspn mellow white miso
2 tbspn tamari (or soy)
2 tbspn brown rice vinegar
2 tbspn maple syrup or rice syrup
2 tspn garlic hummus
1 block of tofu chopped into small squares

Mix marinade together in small bowl and put tofu in bowl, let sit for 20 min.

Bake tofu on baking sheet for total 30 min at 400 degrees.  At 15 minutes, turn tofu over add more marinade, and put back in oven.

Edamame Black Bean Quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 yellow bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced
3 spring onions diced
1 handful of cilantro chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/2 cup edamame
1/2 cup black beans (rinsed)

Rinse quinoa, add to water, and bring to a boil.  Simmer until done (about 20 min).  Add the next 7 ingredients to cooked quinoa. 

I use Trader Joe's Sesame Ginger Vinagrette (it has no fat) or I use tamari, rice vinegar, little olive oil, and sesame seeds.  I also like using Sirachi on top.

Eat together!

When Life Hands You Lemons....

When life hands you lemons....we make lemonade (well I would make it strawberry mint but you get the picture).  You have to roll with it.  As little grandmom Nero would say "que sera sera".....So I am and I haven't ruled out the running out of Vineman just yet.

Before Memorial Day, I had a pain in my calf/achilles area that led me to believe I had achilles tendonitis; however, I wasn't sure, since it did not completely travel to the heel.  The pain was on my inner calf on the left side.  I went to the orthopedic doctor who said he did not think it was Achilles tendonitis and instead recommended I see some guy name "Tim" at STAR physical therapy in Medford, NJ, the running guru.

I made my appointment and through a series of exercises and movements he pinpointed the issue, I had strained the flexor hallucis longis (huh???). The FHL goes from your big toe to your calf.  It bends the big toe when you curl up your feet.  It is used daily by pushing off the surface when walking or running. 

I over-pronate, I also wear orthodics which is supposed to "correct" the over-pronation.  However, I still run slightly over-pronating in my left foot.  So there is extra stress from the over-pronating thus causing a bunch of micro-tears by the calf.  Since no other exercise caused this pain, I was at least able to resume all my other activities.  I had to go back so he can use an ultra-sound and do some various exercises.  He also said that power yoga and strength training were going to HELP the issue. 

He had strong feelings that there was still a possibility that I could run in time for Vineman, but we have to not think about it as we worked on this issue. OK, I am inherently a happy go lucky person and as bitter as I get about falling down I try to roll with it, however, I am still type A when it comes to planning and training.  So I had to make sure I pushed type A to the side for a while.

I was given some exercises to focus on 2-3 times a week prescription

1. Strengthening exercises with theraband - doing inversion and and eversion exercises.
2. Toe-curls
3. One-legged calf raises (3 x15)
4. Calf stretching (holding for 20 seconds five times)
5. One leg balance on uneven surface catching a ball 15 times
6. One leg balance kicking leg out in 4 different directions behind me.
7. 4 plane feet positions for squats (regular, toe in, toe out, 1 toe in and out (R/L) and regular) - 15 sets.
8. Lunges (Right front, left front, right side, right back, left side, left back) x 15

I then did various upper body and core to even myself out.  Plyometrics hurts the area so I am not allowed to resume that until healed.

After my second visit on Thursday, we talked about aqua jogging since Mike and I have an in-ground pool.  You basically run in the water.  You really concentrate on your running form versus treading water.  When you are in deep water with only your head above, you are using 90% of your bodyweight.  It was going to be boring as hell but he told me how there have been elite and non-elite runners that have benefited and came back quickly at their same pace by aqua-jogging.  I was in - anything so I can get myself back into Vineman and try to do the whole race and not 2/3.  He gave me an aqua jogger which is a floating device around your waist.  Think adult swimmies...

Friday, we had some storms so I opted for another one of my kick my ass swims of anaerobic threshold workout from the Swim Workouts in a Binder for Triathletes which included a series 75's followed by pull sets, 50s, kick set, and more 50s...not to mention a 1000m warm up.  I then went immediately to the salon to get my roots done so no one knows I am actually a dark brunette.

I have added another swim and bike in lieu of running in addition to some strength training that I was formerly NOT doing anymore.  I have to say I feel stronger and faster and hoping the race at Vineman shows that at least in the first two legs. 

Sat, I had initially planned on leaving at 5:30am  and riding 60 miles to where I was SUPPOSED to race, with my friend driving me back, but I was having a hard time figuring out the route and too much time messing with my bike that I wasn't going to make it in time, so I opted for a local 55 mile loop.  The ride was really awesome and very picturesque as we passed tons of farms and open land and homes I can only dream about.  We got a little lost but thank God for google maps!!  NOTE TO SELF:  ASK FOR A BIKE GARMIN FOR XMAS....















After this, I was home in time for a lunch consisting of beer from our new kegs:  Dale's Pale Ale and Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale, grilled chicken salad and getting a tan by the pool with Mike and Nicole as Nicole recounted her first race of the season - little jealous....

On Sunday, I decided to try my hand at aqua-jogging.  I got my belt and did an hour session in my pool.  I set up the outside speakers with my playlist with a bunch of punk/grunge late 80s/early 90s music and "ran" to nowhere.  Sometimes I ran in circles in the deep end and after 5 times switched to the other directions.  I used the football to throw it and "sprint" to get it.

I have to say it was an excellent workout (considering I felt it the next day).  The therapist said yeah, start with 30 min....but WHO works out for 30 minutes?  I mean I haven't had a workout that short in years.  So I did an hour and I FELT it the next day.  I swam in the pool after and got ready for the Father's Day festivities at our house with the Cipolone's and LaCouture's!

Until next time!

Recent Obsessions -Volume 1: Fashion in Triathlon Training

If you have been reading my blog you know I am obsessed with fashion, triathlons, food, beer and music. You also know I like sequels as seen with past blog posts.

So here is Part 1 - Fashion in Triathlon Training

It is a fine line we draw with looking cute and disgusting at the same time. I also direct you to Heidi Austin's latest blog post with her "Girly's Guide to Triathlon Training" for health and beauty tips :)

My style tends to be rocker meets feminine in real clothes (although I was recently told I was channeling Debbie or Deborah Gibson last time I was out...)
so to try to find that same style training is difficult at times. Here are some of my more recent purchases over the past couple months that have met the criteria.

1. Betty Designs Dream Bike Kit - BettyDesigns


I mean how cute, I mean kick-ass is this. I am obsessed with skulls, the detail of the design is great - my favorite part is the band of skulls on one side and the butterflies on the other.

Besides the fact that this LOOKS awesome, it is very functional and comfortable. The shirt fits nice, I got a small and I feel like I have man-back sometimes from swimming but this fit very nice. I don't have much in the bosom department so this fit good on me. But contact Kristen at Betty Designs, I was able to ask questions and figure out fit from there.

I hate bike pants and that elastic band at the waist that cuts into you when riding, this has more of a yoga pants fit, the back has a higher rise then the front which means no ass crack sticking out. The leg fit is great and I have bigger thighs (ummm muscular) that usually means the band makes me look like someone put a rubber band or wrapped up some sausage links, but NO sausage links here!! Not to say they aren't tight enough to be good for my skinny thigh friends but great fit for us muscular thigh girls.

This is also the first time I owned a pair of actual bike shorts instead of only tri-shorts which means my lower body has been thanking me profusely.

2. TYR Rockstar Thin-X Back Bathing Suit AND TYR Swim Punk Reversible cap - TeamEstrogen


I love the comfort of the TYR bathing suit and this has the comfortable X back and kind of sexy in a one piece way....I recently embraced the one-piece and actually have had a more comfortable swim than the two-piece.

The swim cap is reversible - enough said...

3. 2010 Quintana Roo Dulce in pink camo - I got mine in 2010 so this is the new model link QuintanaRoo


I even blinged it out with my betty design water bottle that I won (I never win anything!!) on Chloe's blog - Running with a Bottle of Wine.

This bike has been awesome! It feels incredibly light compared to my road bike. I want to take it out every day. As much as I love the pink and black seat, I am replacing it with a gel seat from Specialized, that has been the only issue thus far and my husband upgraded my wheels. The wheels were pretty crappy that came with the bike.

4. Lululemon Turbo Run Short, 50 Rep Bra and Cool Racerback - Lululemon

I am still a fan of the speed short, but I like the length of these - just slightly longer than the ultra so more ass coverage. I am a bit addicted to anything by lululemon and have basically replaced a lot of training clothes with theirs. The quality is top notch and lasts! I just wish they made tri clothes (are you listening lululemon???)

That's all for now...stay tuned for Volume 2 - Easy Clean Recipes and Lastly, the 3rd installment of ...wait for it...Volume 3 - Spring/Summer Beer List (I know that is what you are waiting for...)

Working Hard While the Liver Takes a Break

So last Monday, I was a woman with a plan. I started my detox to kick off the tri-season and give the liver a little break. While I was "playing," enjoying off-season and taking it easy, the liver was getting quite the workout.

I have to say the detox that I use is great! I feel better, my skin gets better and definitely triggers losing a few of the 8-10 lbs I need to lose for the racing season. Here is A Much Overdue Detox for the guidelines.

It's funny, we sometimes act like we are in denial and say things like..."gee, I have no clue how I gained so much weight?" or "hmmm, I exercise and I STILL gained weight..." and then the logical part of our brain perks up and says things like "duh, let me get out the list...beer, beer, wine, bread, the night that you needed to eat wings with some fries, the going back for seconds of what was supposed to be a healthy meal of 400 calories probably turned into 800 when you include a second helping and some wine..."

Calories in and calories out - it doesn't take a genius here to figure out that. It is tough during the off-season because our brain is still telling us that we are as hungry as we were during training...So by doing a detox, it's me saying F-U to my brain. Kind of like when you need to erase the hard drive, get rid of the viruses and start fresh.

So, I had a pretty amazing week. I really thought when I looked at the schedule for the workouts and said "SHIT, can I do this?" "Am I ready?" And then I said if I can give up coffee and alcohol, wheat, meat and cheese for a week, I think I can do this too.

I used my new software www.trainingpeaks.com and got to play with the pretty graphs after loading my Garmin data in, it was fun. The end of the week, it calculated a total of 11hours and 15 min of training (about 2.5 hours of that was strength training and power yoga which brings it down to 9hours).

Monday

• Off
  

Tuesday

• AM - Swim 1600m with the core set of 6x100's at moderate pace
• PM - 4 Mile interval run with core set that included a few 1/4 mile speed drills and 1/2 mile recovery)

Wednesday

• Afternoon - Took "Aura" out for a spin with my friend, Bill- did 18 miles outside during an extremely windy day so I was working pretty hard.
• PM- Power Yoga - 1 hour

Thursday

• 4 mile easy steady run for 38 min
• Strength training - 45 min

Friday

• Swimming - 2300 m with a core set of 6x200 (50 build and 50 descend)
• Yoga - 30 min

Saturday

• Afternoon long run - 9miles - got a calf cramp on mile 8 and had to run walk the last mile at the canal.
• 3 hours later - Swim 1600m

Sunday

• 1 hour field hockey game (sub out for 10 min) - intense game - 13-13 definitely a major sprint agility workout.
• Afternoon bike on trainer while watching Exit Through the Gift Shop (incredible movie) for 90min.

My big learning of the week: Swim after the long run = good legs for the next day!

I knew I had this game on Sunday which made me worried that I would be too sore from Sunday's run. I never swam after a long run before, for no reason in particular; but I have to say it was amazing. I came home after the run, did the foam roller while watching some TiVo'd Smallville episodes (nerdville...) and elevated while I ate lunch. I cringed going back to the gym to swim. The strange part, to me at least, was that my legs felt really good even after I went out that night in heels! I had a good game, no soreness and it was tough. An indoor field hockey game means lots of repetitive sprinting over and over again with minimal break time. I mean I was a little pooped to have to go on my trainer after the game when all I wanted to do was lay around but I sucked it up and finished a full week.

My reward for all this hard work and eating good was a glass of Ten-Fidy last night.

Now as I gear up for week 2, I leave you with week in review of my yummy eats from detox week!

Kale, raddichio, endive, bean and roasted tomato and garlic salad with white balsamic garlic vinaigrette.

Black bean, rice, quinoa, tempeh green enchiladas with hot sauce and avocados and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

"Pizza" on rice tortilla (w rice mozzarella)

Breakfast of champions - steel cut oats, almond butter, blueberries

Brown rice spaghetti, soy meatballs, artichokes, tomatoes and rice mozzarella

Stew made with kombucha squash, aduki beans and tofu (and other yumminess - key ingredient tamari and sirachi sauce).

How to Keep Sane During a Northeast Winter - Part 1 - Swimming

I recently went to my first Philly chapter meeting for my profession, called the QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultant Association), which was basically a bunch of people that talk and listen for a living while using psychology to understand what you REALLY mean. As with any meeting, there are always introductions. The person running the meeting always needs to get creative and try to think of witty ways to make everyone comfortable and laugh such as:

1. "Everyone go around the room and tell me three things about you, two of which are true and one that is not. Then we each have to guess which isn't true..." (this is a personal favorite - I love to see corporate people squirm when I give them my three: run marathons false, play field hockey true and going to local metal-core shows true)
   
2. "Introduce yourself and tell us all what you do in your free time...." (yawn)
   
3. "Go around the room and introduce yourself and tell everyone your educational background and achievements" (a pissing contest among everyone as they all try to one up each other).

So as I awaited in anticipation for how I was going to prepare my witty response to these sometimes ridiculous questions that I find embarrassingly fun - the woman said...wait for it...

"Everyone introduce yourself, tell us your company, where you are located AND what three things keep you sane over this winter we have had so far." (AHHHH a little different, I liked it...)
As I listened I learned how healthy my profession actually is: snow shoeing, long brisk walks, cooking soups and stews, biking indoors on a trainer (yes, I found cycling friends), drinking wine and port....

It was getting to me and oh, I had so many (including smart ass comments) so I narrowed it down:

• Swimming in the pool (somehow makes me think of summer even though I don't do it a lot and I couldn't say running on the treadmill since it DOES NOT keep me sane nor does sitting on my bike in my living room while watching TiVo - just being honest)
  
• Cooking clean and healthy recipes
• GOOD CRAFT BEER

So since that meeting, I decided to break this post into three parts: Swimming, Cooking Clean and yes, I know you are waiting for it MissFancyPants' Winter Beer List so you can either one or read them all - I think I have some varying target audiences as us marketers like to say.

Swimming
I really need to work on better swimming technique. This will obviously make me move at a better pace (I can't say faster since I was never fast to begin with). There are so many things to think about already like "high elbows," "reach," "strong pull," "rotate your body - don't fish tail."

I was at the gym the other day and Germaine, the best swimming instructor that I know, was coaching some kids in the lane next to me. I thought he was going to say

"Hey Heather, watch and learn from this 8 year old"

BUT instead he told me that my hand was not entering the water deep enough and that by doing that I would move forward. Hmmm...so I tried that and it did work, I shave a couple seconds off of my already slow 100's. About 1,000 yd later I hear him trying to get my attention again. This time he was saying that I was not moving smooth in my rotation and pull, that I was putting all this emphasis on the rotation but I was almost stopping before my pull which was slowing me down. So as I neared the end of my workout, I concentrated on that on my cool down.

Two days later, I went back to the gym during the "next" snow to work on what he told me. This time instead of doing some workout incorporating drills and all my accessories, i.e. kick boards, pull buoys, paddles, I decided to just swim, no timing, just swim for 2000 yd. I broke it up into 300's and 200's and 100's but all in all I wanted to focus on those two points, moving forward and my rotation. I felt faster and more fluid. I know I have a lot to work on and definitely need some more lessons, but I felt happier and more confident than I have in a while. And then I stumbled upon Sonja Wieck's swim post where she embedded a video of Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen of Aquatic Edge, a master swimmer. I watched it the other night was so inspired. She glided through the water and I loved how you can see the "how to." I can't wait to hit the pool. I think "seeing" someone move like she does pulls together all of your learning. I thought I would share this as well.




Lastly, I decided to re-open the book Total Immersion that I started to read last year and well, I have to say those Sookie Stackhouse books and the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo series took precedence for a while...

Since I just reopened it, I don't have much to say but it seems very instructional regarding rotation and being more efficient. It also has some drills. I will let you know as I go...

Until then stay tuned for part 2 of keeping sane during winter - with my Cooking Clean post!!

My First Long Ride and Other News

I want to recap on what I was supposed to do last week and what I actually did...

Last week's plan went like this

Monday - Off day
Tuesday - Swim at 8am (1950meter - speed intervals) and Bike on trainer 1:10 (9x1min Z5)
Wednesday - Strength training and Run Speed Intervals or track workout (50-60 min)
Thursday - Run 50 minute @Z2 then Bike for 1:30 @Z2 (think I may do the Group ride for this)
Friday - Strength training (plyos/core) and Swim 2000 m (drills/intervals)
Sat - Bike 2 hours and 30 minute run (BRICK)
Sun - Swim Time Trial (w/up, then 1650 TT, c/d) and then 1 hour Run

Here's what really happened...it was a hard week of work and I accomplished alot which makes me think that even though I work from home, I do work alot of hours and still am able to fit in training and fun!!

Monday - Off day - CHECK!
Tuesday - Swim at 8am (1950meter - speed intervals) and Bike on trainer 1:10 (9x1min Z5) - CHECK! + YOGA
Wednesday - Strength training and Run Speed Intervals or track workout (50-60 min) CHECK!
Thursday - Bike for 1:30 @Z2 (OKAY NO EXTRA RUN - but I did the group ride on Thursday and had to make it back to work that night - so I clocked in another 26 miles and Nicole and I met a new friend - Susan!)
Friday - Strength training (plyos/core) and Swim 2000 m (drills/intervals) CHECK! plus Theresa and I got our hair done

and mom did too - Theresa and Mommy look so cute here...


and then me and mom..


AND a nice dinner that grandpop planned since my Aunt Noreen was home (she's a former Hawaii Ironman - way before it got cool). That's aunt Noreen on the bottom row - she now lives in Bend, OR and is still extremely active. My uncle Glenn (not here) just placed in a 13 mile trail race in Bend - so they are my resources - both former Ironmen...

also in the pic to the left is Vanessa (who just agreed to play a soccer tournament the next day), me (the 50 miler the next day), Lauren (who has the little kiddies, former champion beerathlete with me, and studying nursing...man that is a superwoman), their mom (Aunt Deb), Aunt Jenai, my mom, then Aunt Noreen, Leah, my lovely sister (who just got a part in Music Man :0) and then Ava.


Followed by Grandpop's boys - Uncle Paul, my Dad, GPop (the original Onion), Uncle Carmen, Uncle Richard and Phil (finally turning 21...)

Sat - Bike 2 hours and 30 minute run (BRICK) - Okay so this didn't happen either - so instead I managed to do my first ever 50 miler ride for a charity - So DOUBLE CHECK!!
Sun - Swim Time Trial (w/up, then 1650 TT, c/d) and then 1 hour Run - little pooped so I did the swim not as time trial and then 50 minute run on "dreadmill" since it looked like it was going to pour... CHECK! and post-birthday dinner for Mike at my parents...spaghetti and meatballs - I needed it by then..



All in all it was about 13.4 hours versus the 11.2 I was supposed to do (including strength and power yoga)

So - about my ride...

We did the Anchorhouse - Cory's Ride on Sat. It was a 50 mile loop - Nicole, Susan and I stayed together so "no man is left behind."

Always make sure you have sunscreen: this picture cracks me up!!

We get there and they say the ride is not marked - so here is your map...so never fear team - Captain Heather (who loves directions and maps will handle the paper - I didn't tell them I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.. I think they may have been worried of me taking my eyes off the road then.). So we decided to role like this. I yelled the street name and the mile we needed to turn and Nicole and Susan kept tabs on their computer.
Lots of turns and lots of hills (for NJ standards) some with little recovery - my favorite!

Sidebar: I don't know what I love hills but I do - I decided a while back to embrace the big ass and thighs that I was genetically un-blessed with.. and decide that that was where my power and extra reserves would come from and since then realized that me and hills are friends.

So we met up at the 1/2 way point with gatorade, water and fruit, it was getting hot. I then realized I need to have another water bottle on my bike.

We moved on, and the last half we met up with a couple of gentleman that allowed us to do some drafting...what fun...and then we left them behind. We later took another gu stop for a min and they caught up for awhile we drafted and we moved on.

It was nice to see that our state of NJ, contrary to popular belief, is NOT overrun by malls and developments and in fact has a fair amount of farm land!! Hail to the horses, cows and veggies!!

We got back and had a great post-ride lunch spread including Riverhorse Brewery!!

I did crash on the couch that night...and perked back up for Sunday's long ride.

Monday - was a well-needed rest day...



Until next time - plan to post some of my favorite recipes and food...

Yogi Triathlete

So, I am now in my week 6 of my 1/2 Ironman plan. Here is what my week looks like...

Monday - Off day
Tuesday - Swim at 8am (1950meter - speed intervals) and Bike on trainer 1:10 (9x1min Z5)
Wednesday - Strength training and Run Speed Intervals or track workout (50-60 min)
Thursday - Run 50 minute @Z2 then Bike for 1:30 @Z2 (think I may do the Group ride for this)
Friday - Strength training (plyos/core) and Swim 2000 m (drills/intervals)
Sat - Bike 2 hours and 30 minute run (BRICK)
Sun - Swim Time Trial (w/up, then 1650 TT, c/d) and then 1 hour Run

A few posts ago, I talked about the importance of incorporating strength training, but what I also need to do is incorporate yoga back again...another thing I used to love before triathlon training got the best of me...but if you think about it - we need yoga more than anything.
So today, on Tuesday, I did my Yoga for Athletes tape and feel so much better, that I thought I needed to blog about it.

Here are just a couple applications to yoga and triathlon training:

Learning to control the breath in difficult positions
Whenever I am running in a race or just a really hard run or even the anxiety of a swim at a triathlon event, the very first thing hat comes to mind is Brian Kest. You are probably saying "who the hell is Brian Kest?" Well, Brian has been my yoga friend since VHS tapes were out...Okay so he isn't REALLY my friend, but I have been doing his power yoga tapes for a long time. He always talks about breathing in difficult position, finding your breath, controlling the breath. When I get into these difficult positions (running hard, swim start, etc.). I have found that by focusing on the breath, it calms me down and gets me focused on the task at hand WITHOUT sacrificing form/speed!

Focusing on your core and lower back when running, biking (using your aero bars) and swimming.
The reason everyone talks about the core, the core, the core. Are you tired of it? Well don't be, LISTEN UP , the core is more important than you think and you should try to do DAILY core exercises, whether that be yoga, a random plank or side plank during the day, just do it. Also, since we are focusing on core - PLEASE DON'T forget the opposing muscle - the lower back. I have had injuries and pain in my back from biking that I found was due to passing up on my core/lower back exercises, whenever, I focus on it - NO PAIN. So start thinking back to being in gymnastics and gym class and do that bridge pose or the wheel (I mean how much fun was that!!). And don't worry if you can't do them yet, work up to it, gives you some motivation. Check out www.yogajournal.com/poses for a list.

I also did a little internet searching for additional resources and found this blogger, he has a couple yoga maneuvers to work on for getting into aero position. Triathlon Training Frenzy

Balance - keeping your eyes focused on something.
It helps increase my focus on the task at hand. I sometimes feel a little ADD at times and yoga really does help keep me focused. It also helps my balance, I find I fish-tail in the water too much, but if I focus on looking straight, I swim straighter, thus not adding to extra unnecessary energy output. We want to be as efficient as possible.

Pigeon Pose and opening up your hips
"Hips are huge storage depots for the stress and tension" for running and high impact sports. Another line from Brian, but I am telling you it is true! Have you ever just got into pigeon posed and sighed with relief (and pain).

Here are the tapes I own and I love...I am not saying do Yoga everyday, we have too much other stuff going on, but stretching/yoga/core is so important that even if you incorporate a 15-20 min set a few days a week will help you in the long run.

Yoga for Athletes
This tape is a new favorite, especially since I am now training year-round. I dislike the lack of real flow but for just getting what needs to be done and if you aren't a huge yogi connoisseur this is a really good tape. She focuses on what athletes need to focus on.

Brian Kest Power Yoga (3 workouts)
Well, I think you know I am inpartial. I started doing this because a colleague of mine was a yoga instructer and I asked him what I should get that would be close to a class but not quite expert language and such...Started out in level 1, then did 2 and 3 over the years. All three are a little different. If I haven't done yoga in a while (shame on me) I do level 1. Then go back. Level 3 has a great backbend series. The outfits are yoga circa 1990 but it works!

Shivea Rea(build your own) - Yoga Shakti


The other one I was recommended was by Shiva Rea - she is wonderful, her voice is great, the serene area on the beach is nice. She is tough but shows you additional levels for poses. Plus the cool part is you can make your own workout and mix and match or just use the ones they suggest. These recommended ones are a little longer so I would suggest if you don't have the time do this in the off-season unless you make up your own track.

Oh and this is my yoga partner - seems like he likes to hang out with the mat whenever I do yoga, and does his own little "cat stretches."

Namaste...