Rough Night

Special edition daytime blog post, courtesy of the President's Day holiday. Is it possible to bonk 12 hours after training?

I had a terrible night's sleep.  First off, I was hot.  Not room temperature hot from a sunny day in California.  Hot, because my body temperature felt like I had a fever.  I was so hot that I woke up, grabbed a Blue Ice bag and kept it affixed to the base of my neck until I cooled down.

I fell asleep with it on.

Then, two hours into my sleep I awoke due to hunger pangs.

Am I pregnant or something?  Seriously, this is what I ate yesterday:

-- Oatmeal with almonds and raisins, along with some Vega Omega-3 oil supplement

-- Clif Bar and energy gel shots

-- Banana

-- 36 ounces of Heed

-- 16 ounces of Recoverite

-- Three-egg cheese, onion and chicken-sausage omelet, with fruit, potatoes and bread

-- Two pieces of meatloaf

-- Sushi, and lots of it

-- Yogurtland (yum!), with lots of Oreos, berries and chocolate chips

Then, at 12:30 a.m., add a second banana.

Then, at 2 a.m., add a half Clif Bar.

Then, at 4 a.m., add the other half of said Clif Bar.

And I still LOST WEIGHT last night!  To the tune of about 2.5 pounds.

Well, I did burn through 6,000 calories in less than 48 hours.  Guess I didn't put back in 6,000 calories worth of nutrition. I sure as heck tried though!  I mean, there's only so much I can physically ingest before I have more traffic "downstairs" than the 405/5 Freeway interchange at rush hour.  I'm already making more pit stops than Danica Patrick in her first NASCAR season!

I'm down to my lowest weight since I've been training.  I'm concerned, to be honest.  I hate looking too thin.  It's a source of insecurity rooted deep in a childhood hanging out with bigger, taller, faster kids and trying to keep up with them on the soccer field, basketball or tennis court. Or at the school dance on a Friday night.

It wasn't easy being the runty but funny short kid that all the girls wanted to call their friend while they asked if I could set them up on dates with my friends.  That stays with you.

But lately, as in the past couple years, I finally felt like I achieved the physique I had always wanted. Toned.  Cut.  Muscular.

It shouldn't matter, not years later, but it was a welcome ego boost.

Unfortunately though, I've heard from one too many good friends in the past couple weeks who have noticed that I'm looking "thin."  This is code for, "Dude, eat something.  Like, now!"  Of course, other friends and even my family have commented that I've never looked better. But, when it comes to something as sensitive as appearances, I tend to hear the negative more than the positive.

It's a little deflating, to be honest.  I'm training so hard.  And I've been feeling so good.  Damn good!  I'm eating everything in sight. I'm trying to keep on the pounds.  But sometimes it's not working.  I think I'm going to go back to the Jay Robb Whey Protein and milkshakes every day.  I was avoiding them after the Brendan Brazier seminar and trying his healthy but awful-tasting Vega products.

Time to get back on the good stuff.

I'm supposed to enjoy an off day from training today following this past weekend's killer regimen.  But, I have a trip to Las Vegas planned for work this Wednesday through Friday.  That means lighter workouts but less time to fit them in.  So, I'm going to trudge to the pool now and do some easy swim recovery laps so I don't have to tomorrow.  That way, I can do my 1.25 hour cycling test tomorrow without worrying about a second workout.

Maybe I'll hit a buffet (or two) on the way back.  Or at least I know of a few in Vegas!

Got anything I can eat?  My fridge is now officially bare.

281 days and counting.

A Fun Day's Night

It's 11 p.m. Usually, I'm exhausted and sleeping already.

Not tonight! It's been a really good day, which started with a rather harrowing (and chilly!) bike ride through Balboa Park (so much for my new "Wind Stopper" Castelli full-fingered gloves). I had a tempo ride for an hour, with a larger gear than normal while maintaining 80-90 cadence. The tempo wasn't the problem, but traffic was. The hardest part of the ride was avoiding cars and trucks mindlessly rushing to work, and slowing down while trying to keep my heart-rate in zone 3 (142-154 bpm). I may need to find a new tempo cycling route, so if someone reading this knows of anything, holla.

Then, I became one of those rushing vehicles on the way to work, barely making it on time. The work day went by quickly, highlighted by my first team meeting of the year. I can honestly say it was fantastic having the group together again, and we collectively enjoyed a productive goal-setting session. I can't wait to get movin' on what we have in store for this year, which truly felt like a collaborative effort. It's especially invigorating when everyone buys into your vision and is excited by it.

Following work, I rushed from Burbank to Venice for a seminar about vegan nutrition and the importance of a plant-based diet when training for endurance events.

On the way, I annihilated a Baja Fresh "Burrito Mexicano"... with lots of chicken.

It was delicious.

The seminar, by pro triathlete and author Brendan Brazier (known for his book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide), was primarily about dismissing the notion that "calories out, calories in" is an effective way to replenish nutrients. It can have the opposite effect, Brazier notes, because some foods take longer to process, can elevate stress and force your body to work even harder than it needs.

Enter Brazier's own unique line of vegan-based supplements, Vega. He says they can reduce recovery time between workouts, which is the key to increasing training results.

Like a sucker, I bought a protein powder and Omega-3 oil supplement.

Heck, I'll try anything once. It couldn't be any less effective than the remaining unused bottles of Seven-Plus I bought last year from a high school friend. (Ahh, Acai berry, you are so 2009.)

After the seminar and hanging out with my Valley Coach buddies, I rushed over to my friend Anat's nearby for a post-dinner chat. It was so nice catching up, unwinding and relaxing, and not feeling guilty for having to be elsewhere, checking in, etc.

In short, this was my kind of day. Frenetic, but not chaotic. Busy, but manageable. Scheduled, but flexible. Purposeful. Inspired.

So, this is what being single is like?

Huh.

323 days and counting.