welcome back to teh interwebz?

okay okay okay. it's not that i stopped going online. it's not that i lost or broke my computer. it's not that i haven't had anything to write about.... it's TWITTER. Ever since Twitter took over the world, I have completely neglected to write anything longer than 140 characters!

Tonight, this changes. Back to long, gritty messages detailing my workouts. Back to recounting each drop of sweat, each sip of Ultima Electrolytes, each grain of sand stuck in my wetsuit after each current swam.

OK maybe not. But things have been going pretty well. It's summer time, I've been riding my bike like crazy, attempting to get back into a good swim routine, going to pilates classes and just trying to get out of the house as much as possible. Riding my fixie whip with friends has proven to be some of the most fun i've ever had... playing beach volleyball and ultimate frisbee... eating good food and laughing a ton.. it's days like this that keep me alive.

this is a very vague, generic post - but i promise i will try to update more often again.

tomorrow is an ocean swim with Dana and some others. more to come!

THE DISCIPLINE IS BACK!

Icebreaker.

hahahaha I pretty much haven't updated this blog since I got a twitter. Micro blogging is much more fun than real blogging, right?

Ummm. I am doing a triathlon in less than two weeks. Icebreaker tri in Grass Valley.

1/2 mile swim (in 55 degree water, eeee), 14 mile hilly bike ride, and a 4 mile trail run.

It might be a little bit hard. I haven't been training nearly as much as I should. We'll see!!

My sisters and mom are all doing the race with me. Hopefully everything goes swimmingly.

In the mean time..... twitter.com/staceyxvx and twitter.com/staceyeats

yeaaa!

Raw.

My BFF Sara has convinced me to try a raw diet for 30 days. I agreed to do, like, 90% raw, and still kind of wondering what exactly I am going to eat. Hmmmmm. Time to brainstorm. Okay, here we go:

avocados, coconut, bananas, melon, berries, squash, plums, nectarines, oranges, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kiwi, flax & hemp seeds, cashews, almonds, walnuts, jicama, spinach, kale, sprouts, nut butter, cacao, dates, agave.... hmmm

restaurants that I can get raw meals at: Juliano's, Euphoria, RFD, Flore, Elf, Cru....

definitely getting ready for lots of salads, smoothies, fruits & veggies, nuts...

+ lots of exercise

+ for christ sake i need to permanently stop drinking coffee !!!

I'm going to start tomorrow, after I finish my last Mighty O donut !!!

Morning of Champions.

5:05 AM: alarm
5:20 AM: 150 sit-ups, 30 pushups
6:00 AM: soy yogurt, granola, blueberries
7:00 AM: work

=

Morning of champions!

Day 7.

My 7th day without food. Honestly, not much to report. I feel skinny. My body feels clean. I feel like I am almost done detoxing. I think I'm kind of ready to start eating some fruits and veggies or something. I guess maybe I am just kind of bored with lemonade and tea.

Cross fit challenge is going well. Abs hurt from so many sit-ups. I feel good.

It's high time I got back in the water, but it's so damn cold out. brrrr.

Day 4.

Day 4 without food.
I feel amazing.
My caffeine withdrawals are gone,
no more headaches,
I'm sleeping like a rock,
it's fantastic.




6 days to go!

Cross Fit.

My sister Dana just signed me up for the "Cross Fit Challenge."

It takes one month.

It is (in addition to your normal swimming/biking/running):

Week 1: 50 sit-ups and 10 push-ups per day
Week 2: 100 sit-ups and 20 push-ups per day
Week 3: 150 sit-ups and 30 push-ups per day
Week 4: 200 sit-ups and 40 push-ups per day

Today was my first day, and I had to take a few breaks. 50 sit-ups is a lot harder than it seems, especially when you normally do crunches.

I am going to look so good by the end of this month. ha. awesome.

xo

Day 1.

Day 1 of 10 with no food.

Last night I enjoyed my "last meal," a hearty bowl of peanut butter bumpers.


Oh, did I mention that last night was New Year's Eve? Always a disappointing holiday, in my opinion, but I guess you could call the next 10 days a "resolution" of sorts.

Anyway. I started the cleanse today. Juiced a bunch of lemons and got myself mentally prepared.

I have only consumed about 20 ounces of my lemon drink so far though.... I'm hungry.



The next 10 days will be interesting.. don't worry, I'll keep you updated!

OH MY GOSH.

I haven't updated in so long.

Know why?

Because I have been COMPLETELY lazy all month long!!

Okay, when I say lazy, what I really mean is working 12-15 hours per day. Which isn't really lazy, but definitely doesn't leave any room for training and such.

SO, now that it's (almost) 2009 and things are slowing down at work, here's the plan:

For the first 10 days of the year, I will be doing the Master Cleanse. For those who aren't familiar, this is an extended detox / fast which involves consuming nothing but water, lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and tea for 10+ days. I have done this cleanse three times, and it is truly amazing... it eliminates food cravings, totally cleans you out, gets rid of headaches / allergies / insomnia, gives you more energy than you know what to do with. I am super excited to do it again!!



Once I am done with the 10 day cleanse, I am going into full-time training. I am planning on doing the international distance Desert Triathlon in March, which means I need to get my ass into gear ASAP!!!

Still planning on doing a half Ironman this summer (september - the Big Kahuna race).

I will update a LOT over the next 10 days with the progress on my cleanse!! Stay tuned.

Love always,

Stacey

Schedule.

New Schedule.

Sundays: ocean swim / PCH bike ride / run
Mondays: off
Tuesdays: pool swim after work
Wednesdays: gym - weight training / treadmill run after work
Thursdays: pool swim before work
Fridays: yoga class after work
Saturdays: bike / run after work

Here we go.

Goal.

New goal:

Half IronMan by summer 2009.

1.2 mile swim.
56 mile bike.
13.1 mile run.

6 month training schedule.

I don't even know what I'm getting myself into.

Slump.

OHMYGOSH I have been soooooooooooo lazy since race day. I have literally only been swimming twice in two weeks, and only ridden my bike a total of probably 10 miles. And I haven't run at all. I need to get back in the swing of things!!!

Official.

I am officially a triathlete now.

Sunday I completed the sprint distance tri at the Arrowhead 'day at the beach' Triathlon. Here's the overview:

It was early as hell (I woke up at 4:30 am...seriously, ungodly). Still dark and cold outside. We biked over from the hotel at 5:00 and got to the race site with plenty of time to set up transition and hang for a bit. Thankfully, the waves had calmed down after the storm, so the swim was manageable. Okay, my swim was really slow. Damnit, I am just a bad swimmer. I'm going to work on it. Anyway, I felt really strong about the bike portion. I kept up a pretty solid biking speed, 18 to 20 MPH, even though the course was extremely crowded (a 3 loop course with over 1000 bicyclists. insane. 5 people crashed!) My run was quite a bit slower than my average 5k (I can run 3 miles in 25 minutes. BUT, when you put that after struggling through a swim and then using all your calf muscles racing your bike, it slows down your running stride! It took me 29 minutes. Not a time I am proud of, but hey I completed a triathlon, okay? What have YOU done!?! ... just kidding.)

Anyway. The total race took me 1:28. Not the greatest time in the world, but I guess I am happy enough for my first triathlon.

I'm already signing up for another race. November 30th. 1/2 mile swim, 14 mile bike, 4.5 mile run. Time for more training!!

Pictures soon...

xo

Home Stretch.

Well, I haven't been able to train since Monday, so I'm pretty much just flying by the seat of my pants at this point. Went to the doctor this morning and she basically told me to man up, get more rest, and I should be able to race on Sunday.

My team is staying in a hotel on Saturday, which means I need to get all packed up and ready to go tomorrow. This involves a lot of careful preparation.

To Bring:

__Backpack
__Bike
__Helmet
__Wetsuit
__2 towels
__3 water bottles
__goggles
__swim cap
__body glide (to get the wetsuit on... don't ask)
__flip flops
__biking & running shoes
__socks
__race belt (to clip your number to)
__TnT top
__honoree bracelets
__watch
__sunscreen
__sunglasses
__electrolyte packets
__clean water to rinse sand off
__Clif bars
__tubes, tire, tire levers, allen wrenches, c09 cartridges
__tickets for dinner / victory party

eee I hope I'm not forgetting anything.

Okay some awesome pictures from last week's practice triathlon:



Here I am totally reppin' TnT with the wetsuit, swimcap, AND water bottle. Yeaa!


Leaving T1 to start the bike!


...and crossing the "finish line" !


Okay wish me luck on Sunday!! Or better yet, come watch me....Hermosa Pier 7:00 AM!!

Sick.

Well, I spent Sunday morning and Monday morning in the Pacific Ocean, off of Hermosa Beach. The waves were big but I was able to get a bit more comfortable out there. I met a really nice girl, Carolyn, who trained with me for the two days. She's 20, and Hermosa is her first triathlon as well. She is almost as terrified of the ocean as I am, so we either made a really good or a really bad training team.

When I woke up yesterday I was sick as a dog. There's a strain of strep throat going around my store right now, and it looks like it's caught up to me. This completely ruined my training plans for yesterday and for the rest of the week. I am seeing a doctor tomorrow and hopefully can get some antibiotics in me in time to feel better for our swim on Saturday and of course the RACE on Sunday. This is going to be a brutal weekend if I am still feeling sick.

Things just aren't going my way this week.

I think I am going to sign up for the Treasure Island tri in San Fransisco on November 11th. I originally hadn't planned on it, but the closer I get to doing Hermosa the more I want to plan for the future. I guess we'll see how this weekend goes before I make any official arrangements.

Okay, going back to bed now.

Anyone want to bring me some soup and orange juice?

Rattled.

Well, today I had my worst tri practice to date.
I completely freaked out in the ocean. Panicked. Couldn't swim past the break. It was terrible. The waves were pretty huge and the current was absolutely brutal, everyone was having trouble, but I just froze up and couldn't do it.

So, I am supposed to race next Sunday and I am completely shaken up. I am going to get in the ocean tomorrow and also Wednesday to try to overcome it and get mentally prepared for the race. I know I need to push past this, but it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

Anyway. Then my chain fell off in the middle of a bike sprint and I had to get off and fix it and was super pissed off.

Sigh. Bad practices happen, right?

So, let's take a minute to reflect on where I was 10 weeks ago, just to make me feel better about this morning.

1. Running. I am told I am a "natural" runner. I don't know, I hadn't ran since hating "the mile" in high school (my average - 12 minutes) up until February when I begrudgingly raced in the "Run for your Life" 5k because Dana was sponsoring it. I did poorly, but it encouraged me to start running more regularly. I can run a solid 8 minute mile now. I feel good about that.

2. Biking. I took a couple gnarly falls off my childhood bike in grade school, one in particular where paramedics were called because my foot somehow got stuck between the pedal & frame of the bike. I swore I would never ride again. Obviously, I eventually had to get over that and picked up a bike again last year. Thankfully, riding a bicycle is well, like, riding a bicycle, so I've found it to be fairly easy to pick back up.

3. Swimming. Well, I have written a lot about swimming already.... like the fact that up until I started with TnT I didn't know how to swim! I have always had issues with swimming. As a child, I took swim lessons at the YMCA, but dropped out when the counselor threatened to drown me if I didn't stop crying (no joke!) Swimming has always frightened me. It is really quite incredible that I have progressed even this much in the last 10 weeks. I am proud of myself, even though the ocean still scares the bejesus out of me.

Picture time!



This is our practice transition area. Almost looks like the real thing, right!?


This is my bicycle. Isn't it sexy?


My teammate, Jay. He is a total character.


Kelly and I rockin' what I like to call "wetsuit couture."


Yea, I know I look hot.


Come watch me race next Sunday!! You know you want to!!!

The Ocean.

The thing about swimming in the ocean is, while it is completely terrifying while you are out there, the moment you step back onto shore it's like "holy crap. when can I do that again??" It's almost like getting tattooed or something - while it hurts like hell, it's worth it every time.

God, I sound like some sort of "extreme sports" bro. YEA, I'M INTO AGGRESSIVE INLINE BLADING. WANT SOME GATORADE?? (kidding).

Anyway. I've been swimming a lot. It's really weird to think about the fact that 2 months ago I literally did not know how to swim. I could float. I could kind of dog paddle. But ask me to put my head under water and I would have serious trouble! Now I am at the pool or 250 yards off shore, 3-4 times a week. Who would have thought?! I'm still not GOOD at it by any means, but I am starting to really enjoy it.



"Courage isn't not being afraid of something. It's being afraid of something but doing it anyway."


If you want to come watch me race, be at the Hermosa Pier on October 12th at the crack of dawn. Come cheer me on!!

Playa Del Run.

This Sunday I competed in the Playa Del Run 5k race.

I took 1st place in the women 20-25 division!!!

3.2 miles in 26 minutes, so I'm averaging about an 8 minute mile. Not bad!!!

I did my first open ocean swim on Saturday. Holy crap it was so scary. I really need to practice out there the next couple weeks to prepare for my race, otherwise I am going to get completely beat up by waves / current / marine life. Swimming in the ocean is a whole new challenge for me to overcome... I am a bit nervous, but I think I'll be able to handle it (I hope).

I am almost done with my fundraising though, thank goodness! Now I can just focus on training, training, training every day for the next three weeks!

Oh, also, I am attending the Interbike expo in Vegas this week. Very exciting! I will post pictures when I get back!!

Gear.

Dear friends,

I no longer have a kitchen.



What used to look like a dining room now looks like a bike shop.

It is amazing how much equipment I am racking up for this race. Lots of hand-me-downs from my sisters, and lots of clearance REI merchandise, for sure! Let's see, I've got:
1 LeMond "buenos aires" 27 speed road bike
3 helmets (hand me downs, i don't know why)
many tires, tubes, wrenches, lights, etc. for my bikes
1 pair of bike shorts
2 pairs of tri shorts (meant for swimming, biking, AND running)
3 tri tops
1 pair of running shoes
1 swim suit
6 water bottles
an endless supply of Luna bars and electrolyte powdered drinks
2 pairs of swim goggles
1 pair of bike shoes

still waiting on my wetsuit, a water-resistant bag, and new pedals for my bicycle.

This is crazy.

(but I kind of love it.)

Update.

Friends,
I am sorry I have been so terrible at updating my blog. The ironic thing about writing in a fitness blog is that, once you are under a strict training regimen, you have no time to be online!! I have been working out 6 days per week, swimming, biking, and running like crazy to prepare for this triathlon.

Swimming is really intense. I literally hadn't swum (swam?) since I was 18 years old, so it's taking me a lot of getting used to. I am not good at it. It's extremely difficult and frustrating. In a couple weeks I have to start swimming in the ocean, which scares the living crap out of me. I'm not looking forward to it.



Biking is becoming easier and easier every day. My team has been doing what we call the "Amalfi loop" - which is a 6 mile loop up and down these brutal hills between the coast and the palisades. It is extremely tough, but I am proud to say that I have been able to conquer the loop 3 times without needing a break. Go me! The other day, Dana and I did a "brick," which is a bike / run combination. We did 8 miles on bike and 3 miles on foot, and I felt really good. This gives me hope. If I can just get the swimming down, I will be pretty much ready to handle the race in October.

One thing I will say is that, when you're training as much as I am, you really need to make sure you are getting enough sleep. I've been to 3 shows this week (Radiohead, Reggie, Portugal the Man) and went out dancing last night... I am SO EXHAUSTED.

New plans:
1. Sleep more
2. Swim more
3. Drink more water
4. Stop eating ice cream every night