Jedi Powers - the yoga link

I love mountain biking - particularly flowing with speed and grace. I ride down hills with a finger hovering over my back brake and let my body move me thru turns, manueuvering over rolling stones, and passing between narrow trees. My focus is steady and i let my body have a bit of a dance - I am totally present and thinking of nothing except what is in front of me. This focused energy and strength is pulled from a secret jedi-like power.

Training can be like spinning plates - you have to manage each one diligently without forgetting about the others. You manage strength training, cardiovascular endurance, and nutrition. For me one plate spins above others: yoga. It keeps my body strong and my head open.

why yoga?

whether you ride, rock climb, snowboard, surf, run, or hike, yoga is an excellent compliment.

• keeps you limber - tight muscles can pull your joints out of whack leaving you with some lower back issues, knee pain, hip tightness (list goes on...)
• strengthens your core - better/faster climber; improve your turns; balance
• strengthens your upper body and hips
• Ujjayi breath - we all breath but tight muscles in your upper back can inhibit your body's ability to take a real deep breath. The potential of your breath (specifically ujjayi breathing) deserves a post all its own. This is the corner stone to the jedi powers!
• learn to control your mind - focusing your thoughts and emotions takes concentration and practice. stay calm and focused.
• connects your mind and body - they have a very intimate conversation behind your back, learn the language and listen.
• recovery - after a race, intense workout, or an injury. Riding buddy, Craig, ate shit over the summer on his bike - shoulder, rib, and hip were bruised and battered. He was grateful for all the stretching he was doing prior to the crash and attributes the stretching to his speedy recovery.

where to start?

• STRETCH LONGER - do your favorite stretches and hold for a minute. Notice how you breathe and try to slow your breath down and take a deeper inhale. Exhale thru your nose. If you don't have a favorite stretch start with hamstrings, gluts, hip flexors, and lats.
• TAKE A CLASS -look into taking a class near your work or home. it can be pricey but don't let that scare you. A $15-$20 per class can leave feeling brand new. If you have a bad experience, give it a break and then try a different teacher or style.
• GET A MAT - having your own yoga mat may be a stretch (no pun intended) but if you have been wanting to start yoga or are already practicing, owning your own mat is like running shoes to a runner.

I practice as often as I can with Tim Miller at the Ashtanga Yoga Center in Carlsbad. People fly from all over the world to study with Tim and I drive five minutes to get to his studio - what a gift! There are no frills - no music, no cheering, no pride, no ego - just you and your mat. You move from pose to pose guided with your breath - the flow is like that on a bike...exhale turn left, inhale turn right, exhale roll down a rocky section. Your mind bounces from thought to thought but you keep it steady with your breath.

Train hard, train smart, and breathe

Chi

The power of music...an indoor cycle workout

Since I can remember, music was always playing in my home. My Latin upbringing, enriched my life with the sounds of cumbia, merengue, and authentic Latin rhythms. I didn't get the dancing skills of my sisters -- my eldest sis with her flamenco footwork and salsa hips while my middle sister rocked the nightclubs. My love for music is more subtle; nonetheless, it connects to my soul, truly uplifts my spirits, and moves my body. To this day, I wash dishes to cumbia, fold laundry with Bob Marley, and write this blog groovin to Thievery (give me some reggaeton and it's party time!).


Putting music together for a spin class is a skill and an art -- it goes beyond finding good sounds and the right beat...it's about the experience. When I ride my mountain bike, though it is purely fun and exciting, it is intense and i'm 100% commited to my ride. My legs are burning, my heart is beating out of my chest, and my mind is focused -- the same elements that I try to achieve in each of my spinning classes. But getting to that space in a room can be a bit challenging ... in comes the power of music.


A Little Christmas Gift
Giving out a workout with music is like giving away a valuable and hard earned treasure (a lot of love and effort goes into synchronizing these workouts and choosing the music). But in the spirit of giving and knowing that my dear mountain biking friend, Craig, is freezing his ass in Idyllwild - Merry Christmas! Whether your ride got rained out (or snowed out), you are traveling and forced to go the the hotel gym, or you never tried an indoor cycling workout - here is a solid ride. With time, these workouts increase your cardiovascular endurance, lactic threshold, and increase your power output. Bottom line - makes you a strong and faster rider.



Let's do it!

• wear your heart rate monitor (if you don't own one, try to get one)
• grab some water and be sure you had a decent meal about 2-3 hours before.
• download your music on your iPod and set it the order you want.
• print out the workout below and tape it to your bike.
• there are built in breaks throughout -- stay with the workout!

1. flats/hills split (18 min) - ride flat 2 min/seated hill for 2 min (repeat) ; ride flat 1 min/climbing hill 1 min (repeat 2 more times); ride flat 30 sec/seated hill 30 sec (repeat 3 more times) HEART RATE: 80-85% BY MIN 10//Starting Over by The Crystal Method, Higher Ground by Red Hot Chill Peppers, Le Reveur (Thievery Corp Remix) by Cirque Du Soleil, Breathe Me by Sia, Drown in the Now by The Crystal Method


2. flat road - endurance (10 min) - one of my favorite trainings because it is about finding a rhythm with your breath and legs. Find a speed that you feels right for you with a mild resistance. every 2 minutes - increase your resistance like you were in a larger gear for 15-45 sec, then resume back to normal resistance; repeat 3 more times. HEART RATE IS 78-80% AT BASE LEVEL AND WILL GET UP TO 82% SO YOU ARE SLIGHTLY OUT OF BREATH. Amerimacka by Thievery Corp, Surround Me With your Love by 3-11 Porter


3. hill strength (15 min) - this part of the ride is sassy. you are a bit tired and legs will feel fatigued. Start by adding a lot of resistance and slowing the cadence to 50-60 RPMS so that you are climbing a mild-version of a gnarly hill - stay seated. Every minute, increase your resistance but keep the same cadence. Do this three times - every minute a little steeper. HEART RATE IS 80% HERE (no more, no less). After four minutes, jump out of saddle and increase your speed by 10-20 RPMS for 30 seconds; then go back to seated climb and resume your 60 RPMS for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 more times. HR AT THE JUMP WILL BE 85-87%. Penitentiary by Citizen Cope, The Time by Black Eyed Peas, Woohoo by Christina Aguilera


4. Chill out (5 min) - you are almost done. Settle back into a steady cadence on a flat road as if you are riding toward the ocean with some headwind. Relax between your shoulder blades, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Stay here as long as you want and enjoy :) One Too Many Mornings by The Chemical Brothers, Time Alone by Josh Martinez

Ride as if you were free!

Chi

Get faster on your bike - strength train

It is fun to talk about gear, packs, and more gear. To be honest, I'm a sucker for packs -- I have a pack for every occassion and every sport. But if all you have is pretty gear, you are going to look pretty silly on the trail, ocean, mountain or whereever you may be found. You need to know what you are doing and in the right physical condition to show your stuff and have fun doing it.

When I refer to training, I am presuming you have a specific goal/sport in mind, specific timeline, and there is a progression to your training -- know where you are and where you want to be. For those already incorporating strength training to improve performance (nice job) - remember to do it twice a week to see best gains with 3 days of recovery in between*. The training schedule below represents a sample strength training schedule I am currently doing twice a week. It allows me to be a stronger racer and keep up with The Boys.

Strength Training Workout

goal: mountain biking - faster hill climbing; increase power output
current power output at threshold: 161 watts (tested during VO2max test in August 2010)

This would also be a great training program for a snowboarder or skiier.

timeline: six months (race seasons resumes in March 2011)

intensity: 3-5 sets for 6-8 reps (heavy weights)

• squats (20 lbs DBs)
• 1-leg squat (using TRX)
• Jump squats -10-15 reps (currently using just body weight; will add more resistence in 4-6 weeks)
• Forward lunges (15 lbs)
• Roll outs- 15 reps (using TRX) - this core exercise is an intense stabilizer and forces your abs to contract from your pelvis (mula bandha) to your upper ribs. Any weakness in your core will show up here. I feel the benefits of this exercise when i'm riding my mountain bike down a steep, technical descent and my upper body needs to be steady.
• Twisted pikes on SB - 5 on each side - fun to do and great proprioception. teaches your obliques to engage under stress.
• Pushups with MB roll - 10-12 reps. core and upper body in one!

New to strength training? start of with lighter weight, more rep, 2-3 sets. (ego has no place here)

* The general guideline is to rest muscles 48 hours, but in a recent paper published by ACSM (see pgs 10-11), those who rested 3-4 days saw larger gains than those who only rested 48 hours.

Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather! clear skies and moist dirt ((((inhale!!! ahhhh))))

Chi

Looking at taking pictures/videos to better demonstrate these exercises. Hopefully you'll see them posted soon.

Your Pack - 5-day Adventure Race

I recently completed a five-day expedition adventure race (AR) in the Mojave Desert. It was the first time I had done an expedition race or anything more than five hours! 3-weeks prior to the AR, I did a Mt. Whitney/Mammoth Extravaganza - one day summit followed by downhilling the following day. All fun stuff in the world of outdoor adventures.

Being a novice to the world of AR, I was schooled in the concepts of nutrition, mental strength, and gear. Oh all the gear that needed to be collected, borrowed, and eventually bought. Paul Romero, a friend and seasoned adventure racer, lent me trusted gear for hiking, paddling, rappeling, and night-time racing. The employees from REI know me from the many trips I took looking for food, packs, and other misc gear. The night before the race, our team ventured out for the remaining items and last minute gear changes.


The items listed were on my body and pack for the entire five-days.

Pack - Osprey Talon 33 lots of good compartments, sturdy & comfortable fit; light-weight.

TOP POUCH - headlight, TP/babywipes, sunscreen, baby butt cream (yep! for the feet and bootie), sunglasses, eye drops

SIDE POCKETS - (left) a water bottle containing either electrolyte or energy powder. (right) camera, lipbalm, and the bar du jour. my flexibility in my shoulders allowed me to poke around in these pouches without taking it off.

FRONT POCKET - spottrackers home, headwrap, chemical lights

WAISTBAND POCKETS - (right) the AR drug store: electrolytes - 20 ct/day, anti-inflammatory 2ct/day, omega-3 4ct/day, multivitamin 4 ct/day, 1 happy pill per day; (left) 3 gu's and 2 bars

LARGE COMPARTMENT - Bivy (think emergency blanket but just slight bigger), water purifier that never seemed to work, simple first aid kit including hydrocodone, chemical warmers, wool sweater, rain gear top and bottom, long sleeve shirt, running tights by Lululemon (can't believe i brought my cherished pants but they came in handy and their compression component was a nice treat). Note: all clothes were rolled into a burrito and placed in a zip-lock bag. MY FOOD!!! daily alloted meal in a gallon size zip-lock bag including a starbucks coffee (yum), bagel and cream cheese (yum), nuts and beef jerky (blah!), tuna and cracker dust, red vines, more bars and gu's.

other misc: toothbrush/paste; waterproof bag with iphone, ipod shuffle/headphones, and $40

ON MY BODY(trek/canoe legs) - bikini top, buff (on head or as a tube-top), lycra shorts, tall compression socks, smart-wool socks, gaiters, running shoes, Polar RS800CX watch, sunscreen, walking sticks, hat/sunglasses. Yes.. i was sporting some outfit but you really don't care as long as it works.

WATER - 3 bladders of water which held up to 5 liters. although the pack was extremely heavy when the bladders were full, it was never enough water. We drank on average 8 liters a day in 100+ temps during the day with 20-22 hours of constant movement/day.

Having now successfully completed my first expedition race, I still have lots to learn about packing, packing lite, and staying organized. It is one of the skills you develop and get better at with each race. Soledad, a fellow teammate from Argentina, had this skill down to a science... or was it an art? She was quick in the transitions and had all her necessary tools near her fingertips. Having good gear and the right gear was important in this type of event.

Train hard. Train smart.

Chi

Your Pack - one day trip

The three month training for Mt. Whitney successfully ended last week as 8 of 9 summited the 14,500 peak on September 4th. It was a fun trip for everyone and with lasting memories.

It is now that time to unpack gear and put things away. The pack is your life line to make the journey safe, fun, and tasty!! After wearing it for so many hikes, I knew exactly where each nibble, lube, band-aid would be. That is a good sign of a loyal pack.

Here are some items I carried in my pack and on my own body for the 16-hour (22 mile) hike from Whitney Portal to Whitney Summit. My pack weighed in at 16 lbs. Other packs varied from 10-30 lbs!!!

1. Daystar Camelback 70 oz pack - link to item

2. 1.5 liters of water (in bladder)

3. bike bottle for electrolytes

4. walkie-talkie

5. food (the most important item): fresh fruit (grapes, apples, blueberries), powerbar energy blasts, half-submarine sandwich for the peak (super tasty), pita chips, chocolate covered pretzels, prosciutto, Joe-Joe's cookies from Trader Joes, power bar, MoJo bar

6. first aid kit/soft splint (i was a bit paranoid)/hand sanitizer/emergency blanket

7. hat/gloves

8. sunscreen SPF 100

9. windbreaker

10. blister defense (never had to use it thankfully)

11. bug repellent

12. headlamp (with extra batteries)

13. pen/paper

14. map

15. camera/cell phone

16. water purifier - should have used it more often. one can expect to drink 3-5 liters of water when climbing mt. whitney in a day. i was think i can get away with 2 liters but i always run out.

17. how can i forget.... 2 WAG bags! oh the shame!

18. TP & baby wipes

19. permit

on my body (besides clothes)

1. lipbalm with SPF

2. ipod shuffle

3. HR monitor (had during hikes - average heart rate was 100-120 bpm)

Train hard! Train Smart!

nutrition project - Isagenix (Final - week 3)

The final week on Isagenix was by far the easiest. I got used to drinking a lot more water, gravitated toward fruits and vegetables, craved the green 'yucky' juice, and my mind was very clear. Though I was not looking to lose weight, I lost two pounds and my muscles got more defined. There was a day during a training hike (in preparation for Mt. Whitney) that I got a terrible headache from the very start that ended with me running out of the car to puke. Not sure what happened - I can only conclude that I wasn't getting enough calories and my body just shut down.

Though I'm now not officially on The Cleanse, I still do the morning shake (it tastes good and gives me a ton a protein and two servings of fruit) and the greens. I am drinking more water these days and drinking less alcohol simply by choice. Actually dumped the rest of my wine tonight...just didn't taste the same.

I wanted to see how it would affect my performance and minus the stint on the hike, my performance is solid. My running is faster and the classes I teach are more intense.

Next steps.. research a maintenance phase to continue to add B12, protein, and all the super greens. They have an athletes pack that has many of these items.

All in all, I am pleased with how I feel and my mind feels very calm and clear.

Steady mind, strong body! Train smart

Cynthia

nutrition project - Isagenix (week 2)

I'm wrapping up my second week. After two weeks of a multitude of different nutrients, i must say that I feel wonderful! Here is what the 30-day plan consist of: twice a day protein shake, shot of 'superfood' in the morning/night, Isoflush at night (you can only imagine), and lots of water. The plan is to eat one 'sensible' meal a day but because of my concern to maintain weight, I eat two meals a day in addition to the shakes (and I really like the shakes). The last day of each week is a Cleanse Day where you drink 'Cleanse For Life' concoction four times a day and drink lots of water. Here are some highlights of the last two weeks:

Moods - stable and I feel grateful and peaceful.

Cravings - for awhile I wasn't craving coffee but I can't resist the morning cup of joe. But I don't drink the same amount and I can't do a double espresso anymore. I have so much energy that having too much coffee makes me act like a crazy chipmunk! I do have my beer/wine at night; but like the coffee, don't go for the second one.

Energy - wonderful!

two crazy/weird side affects that i wasn't expecting -

1. complexion - my skin totally broke out after a week like i was a high-school kid. It was so embarrassing. But I held tight and after two weeks, it is totally clearing up.

2. 'that time of the month' - about a week before my period, I get shortness of breath which is an indication of my iron levels dropping. Didn't even phase me this time. I had super mild cramping but that was the extent of my 'PMS'.

More on Cleanse Day next time. It is an interesting experience. So far, I'm very pleased with how I feel.

Drink Water!

Cynthia

nutrition project - Isagenix (week 1)

As a trainer, I often get clients who follow the guidelines with exercise and nutrition to a tee and still are unable to lower weight or body fat. It totally stumps me. For some, I think they may have other health issues that need to be diagnosed by a doctor (e.g. thyroid); but for others that are otherwise in great health, it can be frustrating.

I discovered Isagenix that is first and foremost a cleanse but helps people with weight loss and improves a person's health & performance. I am always the first skeptic when these claims are announced, but it came from a respectable source and the results couldn't be discounted. It really changed how people felt and people lost weight.

so, to get to the point, I purchased the product and will use it on myself for the next 30-days. I never have my clients try anything I haven't (or wouldn't) do myself or trust. I am keeping a log of my body composition as well as sleep, moods, energy, cravings, and mental clarity. My goal: is to see how I feel and how it affects my energy, recovery, and performance. My concern: i don't want to lose weight so I will need to keep my caloric intake higher than is recommended.

I am currently in my third day and I truly can't believe how energetic i feel. My mood is calm and happy. yesterday i woke up at 4:30 am, hiked 15 miles (4000 feet), changed and went to my friends house in idyllwild to acclimatize. woke up sunday and did a 15 miles cross-country race (at 5000 feet elevation) and kicked my own ass but had a blast. When I came home and I did chores for 4 hours. I'm not wiped out, not cranky. it is crazy!!!

keep cranking forward!

chi

Enjoy your hard work

We can be hard on ourselves with intense training and strict diets not allowing ourselves to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Everyone once and and while, you need to sit back and say "good job".

Recently I was on a ride alone, enjoy a quick ride at mission trails - a spot i know well from the high school days. My music was set just right with an energetic vibe. My muscles were sore from a tough hike the day before, but I had recovered quickly and I was looking forward to this time alone. With a bit of sassy attitude, i hit all the tough descents with easy - dropping my ass wwwaaaayyyy back and keeping my core strong. The climbs were a bit tough and my foot came down twice. note to self - more lunges with heavier resistance. All in all...it felt good that my training was kicking in and i was improving. I even let go of my crutch - my 'bad' eye. into the ride, the contact was folding itself in my eye -- i quickly stopped and took it out. i rode without any eye correction and it was fine.

i rode most of the ride with this one tune in my head and it set the mood just right - Time Along by Josh Martinez.

enjoy your hard work!

Proprioception - sharper turns, improve your tricks

Proprioception is a fancy way of knowing where your body is in time and space. I am amazed that our bodies have this super power to be able know (without looking) where each part of the body is relative to itself and to the earth. I recently finished a book about Marla Streb, a pro female racer and my new idol, who after winning a gold medal in the X-games in downhill mountain biking, continued to improve her performance with strength training and specifically proprioception. Racing downhill at 40 mph and then hitting a jump, her body's proprioception has to be completely on - to say the least.

A few simple ways to start improving your own proprioception.

level A - get started

stand tall on your feet (separated hip distance and be sure your feet are parallel) and lift one leg up in front of you/then switch. Now try the same exercise with your eyes closed. do you see how your ankle moves this way and that?!!! isn't that cool?!!! try again and engage your core. practice a few times and your balance will improve.

level B - warmed up

one-legged squats are a fun way to improve your balance while improving your strength. this exercise requires a lot of body awareness not just in your legs, but your hips and core. use a chair to get the right alignment - place it about two feet behind you. then place your hands on your waist so you can feel your core. lift your leg (as in level A) and then sit onto the chair. Repeat 10 times but just hover over the chair.

caution: don't do if you have knee problems. this can put too much pressure on the knee joint.

Add these tips to your current training program. Do bicep curls with one leg, add weights to your 1-leg squats, or do the 1-legged squats on a Bosu.

core training

Core training is probably the most important element of your training making the difference from clearing a steep hill climb, to holding a handstand, or your stance on a wave. on the trail, i call it "pulling G's" -- power and speed perfectly balanced by your body weight all thanks to your core. visual: motorcycle rider taking a turn with a knee down.

The core is complex set of muscles comprised not just of your 'six pack' but with your obliques (near your hip bones) to your waist, your back muscles, and a series of muscles under your arm pit.

1. sit up tall so that your shoulders are directly over your hips.
2. then, bare with me, imagine holding your pee and poo (these are your perineum muscles). you may have noticed that you just sat up a bit taller. pretty cool.
3. now engage your 'six pack'- draw your navel toward your spin; another 'cue' is to imagine if someone was going to punch you in the stomach.
4. finally draw your shoulders down and notice the muscles under your arm pit get intense.
there you go...your core is engaged.

strengthening your core should be done more often than not; not to keep you strong but also to align all those neuromuscular receptors.

core exercise #1 (more to come)
sit in a chair - place your hands next to your hips. next, bring your knees toward your chest. bring your shoulders down (keep your knees as high as you can) and then lift your butt off the chair. hold for 5-30 seconds. do it again.

have fun training!

simple cures for sore muscles

Summer brings on a blend of strenuous activities that can leave the body cringing, craving for massages, and food. On a recent weekend of a 3-hour hike followed by two mountain bike rides, my ass, thighs, and even my knees (no past history on knee pain), were sore to the touch and everything was tight. For many others who have this morning surprise, here are some proven tips to decrease soreness.

1. keep moving. swimming and lite jog are great but even a ride or walk work. keep it easy and just aim on getting the blood flowing.

2. massage - if you know you are going to be sore (e.g. just did a race), an immediate massage works like magic.

3. drink water and then drink more water. drink until you pee clear.

4. the homeopath, arnica works to decrease muscular aches. you can take it in its pellet form or rub a cream directly to area

5. take an epsom salt bath for 15 minutes.

try to do 1-2 of the suggested items above and you will notice a faster recovery and decrease in soreness.

train hard, train smart.