i'm moving!

Hello Everyone!

As you know this blog as been around since 2005. Though these days my blogging life has been unpredictable, I still want you to know that I intend to maintain it. After some major soul searching, I decided to consolidate all of my blogs. Therefore, this fathlete is re-locating. My new site will be here (http://fiercefathletechronicles.wordpress.com/).  As you can see, I've imported the material from the original site and simply re-located it. Please note that I'm not shutting this site down. I'll leave it up because I'd never remove my home. However, with gmail and blogger merging, I wanted to make things simple and make the switch to wordpress. I do hope I see you there:)

Celebrating EVERY body,
the fierce fathlete

life after CrossFit (part I)

I know it's been a while and I've had a few false starts on this blog. However, I think I'm ready to start posting consistently again. So here it goes....

Since leaving the San Francisco bay area and starting my new gig in Phoenix, my workout life has been pretty inconsistent. After moving to Phoenix, I learned the hard way that finances wouldn't allow me to sign up for a local gym. Therefore, I decided to just workout at home. fathlete confession: working out at home doesn't really work for me. Though convenient, I will always find a way to slack off.

This summer, I decided to give working out at home another shot. I was actually doing okay for a few weeks. However, I realized that I'm the type of person who needs to go somewhere to workout. Thing is, I'm not big on your standard globo gym. I like specialized programs, which is why CrossFit worked out so well. Thing is... I am not ready to go back to CrossFit (more on that later).

With that, I decided to commit the ultimate CrossFit sin... I signed up for summer classes at a local dance studio that specializes in Zumba.

Yup. That's right. I Zumba.
Judge all you want, CrossFit snobs!

There was something about the vibe at Yenis Dance Body & Soul (located in San Bruno, CA) that just suited me. I wanted to something that wasn't CrossFit, something that kept me moving and interested. Zumba fit the bill. I had a great time at Yenis Dance Body & Soul and would love to go back during my breaks. (Yenis, if you're reading this, temporary, short-term memberships would be an awesome option! Please consider.) Training at Yenis Dance Body & Soul was a refreshing departure from CrossFit. No timers. No competition. No lululemon. No fat hating or shaming (again, more on that later).

Now that I'm back in Phoenix, I decided that I wanted to continue dance. As luck would have it, Joyful Yoga (located in Chandler, AZ) has what I'm looking for. The added perk is that I get to do yoga! I signed up for a trial month today and took a Zumba class, followed by Restorative Yoga. I'm glad to be training in something again.

I have more to say, but I'll save it for future posts. For now, I'd like to say that yes, there is life after CrossFit:)

Celebrating EVERY body,
the fierce fathlete

why it's okay to be fat

Celebrating EVERY body,
the fierce fathlete

Hot & Heavy

I just wanted to send some kudos to Virgie Tovar, the editor of the upcoming book Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love, and Fashion. It comes out late October, so reserve your copy today!

To celebrate the release of this amazing and much-needed book, Virgie is introducing 50 Days of Fat Ferociousness. For fifty days, Virgie will be introducing you to fifty fierce women who unapologetically love their bodies. I was so honored to be part of this list of fifty amazing women. I was Day 48:

Thank you SO MUCH Virgie, and all the people who "liked" and left comments on Facebook on my day. It is truly an honor:)

Celebrating EVERY body,
the fierce fathlete

phoenix life

Technically, the phoenix is a mythical bird that symbolizes rebirth and renewal. After some thought, I realized that after finishing the Ph.D., it was only appropriate that lady fate would lead me to Phoenix, Arizona. That's right. I'm currently residing in Phoenix and am lecturing at Arizona State University in the Asian Pacific American Studies Program. Though it's not a tenure-track job, it's an excellent opportunity and I am so lucky to be here. Granted, being away from the people I love has its rough moments. But like the mythical phoenix, my time here is part of my rebirth and renewal. It's a stepping stone to where I need to be. With that, I need to indulge in the process.

A lot has changed in my life. With that, the trajectory of this blog will again, shift. I haven't sorted out the nuts and bolts of it all. For now, the posts fill focus less on health and working out. Instead, you'll see more about me and what's going on in my life. Not that I'm completely brushing off sharing my health adventures with you - I'm just not doing a lot in that area lately. Since we're on that subject, I'll give you the quick and dirty about that part of my life.

Over a year ago, I officially left One World and CrossFit because I re-located from Union City to South San Francisco. From there, I joined Club Genentech and took classes and worked out on my own. It was a good move for me because I was getting frustrated with CrossFit and I thought it was time for me to bow out gracefully. Now that I'm in Phoenix, I decided that I really don't want to deal with the whole gym scene at all. Therefore, I treated myself to P90X (yes, much to the dismay of many CrossFitters... and you wonder why I left). I do that and other at-home exercise routines. You may not realize this, but my first foray in exercise happened at home, using some Kathy Smith exercise tape (the one where you use resistance bands). I used to wait til everyone was asleep and I'd sneak downstairs and exercise by myself. I guess you can say that I'm going back to that. It's not CrossFit (in both positive and negative ways), but I'm actually enjoying it! I'm waiting for this blazing hot weather to cool off so that I can go running again. Rumor has it that by late October, I can develop a running routine that can carry me through the spring time. Wa-hoo!

I know it's been a while. I promise I'll post regularly from here on out. For now, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and well. This blog will live on, its soul is just being re-vamped.

Celebrating EVERYbody,
the fierce fathlete

for the love of vogs!

Me celebrating my new shoes in the photo booth!

It's been months since my last post. Apologies. I'm still trying to figure out what I want this blog to be. I no longer CrossFit and am a member at the local gym. In truth, I love it. It's what I need now and it has definitely been good for my sanity and well being. I don't hate me as much as I was during the tail end of my CrossFit days. Don't get me wrong, I still think CrossFit is an excellent workout system. For now, it's just not for me. I'm okay with that. But this post has nothing to do with exercise or health. Rather, it has EVERYTHING to do with my love of Fluevogs. To catch you up, I professed my love for the Canadian shoe brand here. Note: It's my belief that fantastic things come from Canada. It must be the universal healthcare! Moving on...

Yesterday was International Fluevog Day. On May 15th, the gods and goddesses of Fluevog plan a day of festivities at their respective stores (photo booths, cupcakes, balloons, cutesie little giveaways, etc.). All day long, there is a plethora of specials going on, including the only day you'll ever get you favorite, classic shoes at a 15% discount. (I know it doesn't sound like a lot. However, it's either that, buy used on ebay, or pay full price.) Certain online orders receive free shipping, etc. 

I've been feeling really down lately for various reasons (that I don't really care to share right now). When  International Fluevog Day rolled around, I debated not going. I figured it was no loss, as I had never visited the store during International Fluevog Day anyway. However, yesterday was different. I needed to get out and visiting Le Dealers at the Kingdom of Haight always puts a smile on my face. Also, since it was a weekday, I figured I could time my visit just right so that I could avoid the crowds. Sporting my brown with purple Viardot, I made my way to the World of Fluevog, Kingdom of Haight, to visit Le Dealers on their very special day.

An old photo of Le Dealers and the Fluevog
IV. Shirl, Dorothy, Jim, Gladys, me, and
Denny at the Haight Street store.

In the interest of making a not too long, but fabulous story short, I happened to be in the middle of my transaction when Mr. John Fluevog himself FaceTimed the store. Per the IFD festivities, if you're the person making a transaction when The Master of Vogs calls in, you get to talk to him! And I did just that. I'm sure I sounded like a blundering idiot. During our conversation, The Master of Vogs gave me the greatest news a Vog lover could hear. My purchase was going to be FREE, courtesy of him. Yup. That's right. I walked away yesterday with not one, but TWO pairs of deliciously gorgeous shoes (check out my photo booth photo above). Currently, I am the proud owner of two new Minis, the Elif and the Qtee. I couldn't be happier. (me doing the happy dance)

As I mentioned to my dear friend Ayu, winning the shoes was simply perfect. I didn't wish for more than I was given. I was happy and grateful. Even better, my dear friends and Le Dealers were just as elated as I was. I needed to feel this way. As I write this, my new Qtees are at my feet. Many thanks to The Master of Vogs for such a phenomenal company. Of course, many thanks to Le Dealers (Jim, Denny, Allan, Monica, and the lovely gentleman who helped me with my photo booth shots Ed) for making my day. I will love these shoes for life:)

SCREAM!

A lot has been on my mind lately. As an academic, I don't have the luxury of letting news just pass me by. Lately, the news has been sitting, festering, building up anger, frustration, and tears inside me. While I'm not sure what counts as news to you, my mind has been overwhelmed by the Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi cases. A lot can be said about these two tragic and unnecessary losses. For now, my thoughts focus on their grieving families....

To make matters worse, I'm reminded of the stupidity of this generation's youth while reading this bit about The Hunger Games movie. Dear Stupid People: Your beloved characters are black in the book. They are black in the film. Deal with it! 

However, this is a health/exercise blog and most people don't want to be bored with my political/racial rants....

With that, I'll share what health related things have been on my mind. Here is a preview:

Paleo Women are Phat by Ancestrialize Me! (Um, I'm not sure if "phat" with a "PH" is appropriate here. But that's just me.)

Mom Puts 7-Year-Old on a Diet by Katie Baker (Proof that some people shouldn't have kids.)

I Love My Body by Melissa Joulwan (And I *heart* Melissa Joulwan!)

I'm Calling for a New Paradigm by Go Kaleo (Props to this article. However, I believe I did the same thing here. Apparently, when a fat, brown, kick-ass woman makes a declaration, no one listens. Boo! Still, I do like the Go Kaleo article and I'm looking forward to her future posts!!)

The Difference Between Eating Paleo and "Being" Paleo by Highbrow Paleo (YES! Someone finally had to say it!)

The "Fuck It" Diet by Margaret Cho (Another reason why I love Miss Margaret.)

Like you, I'm sick of the current attack on women's bodies. Unfortunately, I don't have the energy or focus to elaborate because right now, I'm just so f--king ANGRY! For now, all I have is this tune by Janet and Michael that's been blasting in my car lately. Enjoy!

current addictions

This was originally posted here. For those of you who don't know, my dear friend Fritzie and I have a co-authored blog called Academic Kitchen. Stop by and check us out sometime:)

For this post, I want to share a few things that I'm totally addicted to. First off, I'm currently addicted to listening to the Paleo Summit, that's going on from now til March 4th. It's a series of radio interviews with varios experts in Paleo lifestyles. Each day, there is a different set of audio interviews that are posted. These interviews are available for only twenty-four hours. When the summit is done, the interviews and transcripts will be available for sale. I'm loving the plethora of information because the organizer has set up a diverse set of speakers, some who contradict each other. If you have the time, check it out!

As I probably mentioned before (maybe not), I'm currently addicted to Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. Admittedly, I own quite a few paleo cookbooks, but this is the one that I use ALL THE TIME.

There are several reasons why I love Well Fed so much. First, there's a ton of variety. I'm never bored with the recipes she has because with most recipes, she lists ways to vary the it so that you can potentially make two to four different dishes using the same components. Second, it's a true paleo cookbook. While I'm not super strict, I like that Joulwan sticks to strict paleo because it shows that paleo cooking can be strict, yet delicious. Third, she introduces some simple, but effective cooking techniques such as brining chicken to make sure it stays moist and emphasizing that chili needs to simmer for two hours to ensure deliciousness. Take it from me, she's TOTALLY RIGHT! Third, her recipes are really easy. Fourth, she has a section where she shows how you can cook/prep for the week, making paleo eating very do-able. (Yes. Treating cooking like a CrossFit WOD definitely helps with making home-cooked meals manageable and efficient!) Fifth, she has a cooking style that I can relate to. I'm someone who isn't really good at following strict recipes. This is because I don't usually trust recipes. I take for granted that most cooks won't share their secrets. Therefore, cooking is about 10% recipe and 90% instinct and soul. Luckily, Joulwan's directions are great! But they also give you room to experiment. She provides the base ideas and you, the budding paleo cook can run wild. Pretty awesome!

Finally, the reason why I'm addicted to Well Fed is because it introduced me to my next addiction: Penzeys Spices! OMG!OMG!OMG!HOLYJEEBUS!OMG! For those of you who don't know, Penzeys is a store (and website) that sells spices. That's it. Just spices. Thing is, it sells deliciously fresh and totally inspiring spices! Luckily, there's a Penzeys in Menlo Park. At my last visit, I picked up a few things. Aren't these things just beautiful?

I have to say that shopping at Penzeys has totally inspired my inner chef. First off, it prompted me to re-organize my spice cabinet. Check it out, y'all! Isn't she gorgeous? FYI - I get my spices in various places. As long as there is a Penzeys nearby, I'll always go there first. However, I also shop for spices at Trader Joe's and Cost Plus World Market. Though I have some stuff from Costco, I'm going to stop that because there's no reason for me to have two pounds of cinnamon. Really. There isn't.

I must admit that with my spice rack all revamped, I've been really inspired in the kitchen. Here are a few results of this weekend's cooking adventures. After a conversation with the Manpanion about my eating goals, I told him that I respect his love for carbs and such. Just because I'm trying to be better at a paleo/primal diet doesn't mean he has to suffer. However, I do want to know that I'm feeding him well. (Yes. I pack him lunch everyday. I'm awesome like that.) I explained that he would see a few changes in his meals. Primarily, I'm cutting out bread, noodles, and pasta. Instead, I'm packing him potatoes (the colored ones, not the Idaho ones), yams, squash, and other friendly starches. He trusts my cooking senses, but will miss the rice. I cooked these seasoned red potatoes to pair with the pot of chili I made.

I swear this next dish tastes better than the photo looks. I wanted to make a creamy Italian-inspired dish. I make a mean alfredo, but I wanted to create something that had those sensibilities, but was (mostly) dairy free. Using coconut milk and two different cheese-flavored spices (they have minimal amounts of cheese, so this dish isn't 100% paleo), I created this creamy chicken and vegetable dish. It turned out fantastic! Unfortunately, I don't have an exact recipe. Let me think about this and I'll post the "recipe" of this dish soon.

And there you have it. A few of my current addictions...

Live deliciously!

-joanne

project: non-slip headbands

Per Gladys's request, here's a photo of me
sporting one of her awesome headbands!

Last November, my gals Lori, Lyn and I ran the Mermaid 10K. After the race, Lori and I purchased the Mermaid Series Sweaty Band, a headband that is partially lined with velvet to stay in place during rigorous workouts. I've read about them for a while and when I saw that they were selling at the race, I figured I'd treat myself to one as a victory gift.

Believe the hype. They are a GREAT product! They're cute and available in every design and color known to human kind. More importantly, they definitely stay in place during high intensity workouts. So what's the catch?

Unfortunately, I have a HUGE head (to house my insanely large, magnificent brain). While I love the headband I bought, it does slip and is a bit tight (even after it's been stretched out). Though they're worth the money, I still think $15-$18 is a bit steep for ribbon, velvet, and elastic. With that, I did a search for DIY Sweaty Bands and found this site. I then emailed my dear friend Gladys, who has been taking up sewing and asked her if she would be able to sew these bands for me. When she agreed, I started inspecting my band, trying to figure out what measurements and materials I needed. (Standard Sweaty Bands come in about 20" and I need something that's about 21" or so.) I then looked online for some ribbon and velvet and found the EXACT same ribbon as what's sold through Sweaty Bands! In case you want to make your own headbands, I suggest buying ribbon here and here.

Anyway... as stolen from Gladys's post, here is the finished product! I just received the bands today and I'm wearing one right now as we speak. They fit perfectly and I can't wait for the elastic to settle in. Also, I suggest you visit Gladys's post to get a solid sense of how to make the headbands yourself.

BUT WAIT! For those of you who aren't the crafty types but don't want to pay the high price for Sweaty Bands, then please check out BIC Bands and Chick Bands. If you email the makers directly, they can custom size your bands for you (wa-hoo!). BIC Bands are based in LA and her products run about $10 or so. The great thing is, a portion of the sales go to a different charity every month. Yea! Chick Bands, which operates out of Maryland and available through etsy, runs a little cheaper at about $8 or so. Shipping is inexpensive on both sites.

Happy shopping!

aaaaand she's back!

This was taken during my last race of 2011.
I ran the Mermain 10K in SF with Lori and
Lyn. It wasn't my best race, but as always, I'm
glad I did it. I'm still trying to figure out my
running schedule for 2012. I'll let you know
details as soon as I decide!

Hello all!

I know. It's been a LONG time! Yes. I've missed you too. A lot has happened since my last entry. The long and short of it is this:

1) I moved to South San Francisco.
2) I no longer CrossFit, which means...
3) I'm now at your standard globo gym. fathlete confession: It's not as bad as you think. At the end of the day, exercise is exercise. While I miss CrossFit, there are certainly things about it that I can do without. I'm enjoying the break. When the day comes that I go back to CrossFit, I know the road won't be easy. Right now, I need the break. I need to re-set and re-evaluate.
4) I'm still working on moving forward and moving on. It's a scary road. But I'm ready roll. Full throttle. BRING IT!

When I clicked on the "new post" button, I meant to explain the changes in my life and why CrossFit and I are on a "break." However, I just don't feel like getting into the details right now. Instead, I think I'm just going to keep it simple. This is still a blog where I record my random musings about health and all that good stuff. I promise I'll try to keep things interesting. For now, I just want to say hello and I've missed you.

By the way, a dear friend of mine and I started a new blog called Academic Kitchen. It's a food blog! I use it to connect stories about food and memory. It's where Fritzie and I share various food adventures including what we're eating, what we're cooking, and who we're doing this with. I'll share more about why we started this new blog in another entry. For now, feel free to visit, comment, and simply enjoy the place "where nerds cook up a storm."

Today's Small Victories
You're reading it. Yay.

Today's Workout
I took a break this morning. I woke up at 5:30am, dressed up and was headed out the door. But something just didn't feel right. My body didn't feel right. I headed back to the apartment and my stomach started to ache really bad. This, to me, was a sign that I needed to stay in. I shall hit the globo gym tomorrow morning. Yay.

atb2: the thin commandments

I am beyond excited to announce that Darryl Roberts, director of America the Beautiful (ATB) is at it again. This October, Roberts will officially premiere America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments (ATB2). In case you don't remember, I wrote this post about ATB back in 2009. I'm glad that Roberts decided to pursue a follow-up to ATB. While I don't know Roberts personally, I did meet him at a screening and exchanged a few emails with him regarding his films. I consider him a kindred spirit of sorts. If I were a filmmaker, these are the types of films I'd be doing.

ATB2 addresses America's obsession with thinness. For a synopsis of ATB2, go here. It's definitely an issue that is near and dear to my heart, as I firmly believe that fat does not necessarily equal unhealthy and skinny doesn't necessarily equal healthy. Health is way more complex than that. I'm embarrassed for people whose understanding of health is a simplistic as this.

This brings me to a related issue. Recently, I was engaged in a conversation with someone about health and eating. In the course of our conversation, I shared that I've been actively working on changing my eating habits and such. I then admitted that on the road to healthy eating, I eat very little rice (as a Filipino, this deserves some major kudos), noodles, pasta, and bread. Though I follow a mostly primal menu, I still have my fair share of cravings for sweets. In particular, I have a weakness for dark chocolate. Granted, I'm not perfect. I like a sweet every now and again and as you may know, I'm a cupcake girl - especially with good company. There are different ways of understanding food. On one hand, food can be seen as fuel. On the other, food is part of a greater social experience. As an island girl, I have absolutely no objections to this second point. However, with my old age and state of health, I just can't have desserts the way that I used to. These days, I can literally feel my body swell with certain foods (especially anything cake-y or bread-y or rice-y or noodle-y or pasta-y). Though challenging at times, I try to monitor my sweet intake. As I was mentioning this, I was actually kind of proud of myself because compared to three years ago, I eat WAY less sweets and processed foods.

In this conversation about health and eating, this person proceeded to accuse me of being a junkie, and declared that I am addicted to sweets - especially dark chocolate. She then said that if I truly cared about my health, I needed to learn to handle my addiction.

(shaking head while resisting every urge to grab a machete to violently chop someone's head off) W.T.F. Really? ME? A junkie-dark chocolate-addict? Whoa.

Technically, I should brush this off my shoulders. For some reason, I can't. When she accused me of being a junkie, she made me feel like a half ton misanthrope who spends her nights alone in a corner hating life while diving in head first into vat of ice cream while violently chomping on an array of fast food from KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. She made me feel like a heartless barbarian who would give up a member of her own family for a slice of cheesecake. She made me feel like my eating habits are so out of control that I need to be locked up in an institution because I'm such a menace to society.... In short, she made me feel ugly and that I deserved to be a fat.

According to dictionary.com, the definition of addiction is as follows: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. For the record, I can assure you (and this person) that my days and weeks without dark chocolate or sweets does not cause me or anyone around me "severe trauma." Further, I'm not enslaved by my occasional desire for sweets or dark chocolate. While food addiction may be a reality for some, I'm positive that I do not fall in that category. Just because I value food and happen to be fat, doesn't mean I have an uncontrollable addiction to it.

Perhaps food isn't the issue at all. While I can't easily change someone's ignorant views on food and health. I can certainly be mindful and keep better company...

taubes on oz

Hello September! (Yes, I know it's a little late.) Apologies for lagging on the blogging. Things have been hectic, as I enter yet another phase in my life....

For starters, I re-located and now live in not-so-sunny South San Francisco. This means a few things: (1) I had to suspend my One World membership because I can't figure out how to commute to the gym (plus, my car is about twelve years old and can barely handle the current commute I put it through). (2) I miss my One World family! (3) For the time being, I'm going to have to Globo Gym it for a while.

Before you judge or make fun, I will say that the Globo Gym I signed up for is quite nice. There are LOTS of classes and I'll be taking advantage of their spin, kettlebell, yoga, dance, and bootcamp courses. They also have several CrossFit-esque classes, which should be interesting. Also, I kinda miss just walking into a gym and doing whatever. I'll let you know how it goes:)

Outside of personal stuff, did any of you catch Gary Taubes on Dr. Oz recently?! In case you didn't know, Gary Taubes is the author of Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories, two books that are staples in anyone's paleo/primal book collection. He's also written a few major articles in the New York Times: What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie and Is Sugar Toxic? The Dr. Oz segment is quite entertaining. The title of the segment alone should draw you in: The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong. Why yes. My interest is piqued. If yours is too, here are links to the segments.

 The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong: Part I
 The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong: Part II
 The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong: Part III
 The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong: Web exclusive!

Admittedly, I have some strong feelings about the segment, which I'll cover at another time. For now, I'll let you know that Taubes did indeed take a cholesterol test. His blog post about it is here.

I participated (very slowly) at last week's Giant Race.

FINALLY, in a previous post, I mentioned that I was participating on a "Road to the Half" challenge, where I would commit to some kind of exercise for 30 minutes everyday starting September 1st. Well, I failed miserable on the first two days. However, by September 3rd, I went right on track. Here's my progress so far:

9/1: No workout
9/2: No workout
9/3: Rowing/Biking at Globo-Gym
9/4: Run 10 miles
9/5: Stretching to recover from 10 mile run

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
Regarding the 10 mile run, I conquered it in two segments: a 4 mile run and a 6 mile run back to back. For breakfast, I had Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese for my pre-run workout. After the first four miles, I was POOPED and wasn't sure I could continue. However, the SO bought me a luna protein bar and some sharkies. For long runs, I'm used to having snacks like that to sustain energy. I'm not sure how paleo diets go with endurance runs. From this weekend, I can honestly say that I do need a piece of fruit or snack to keep me going. No. nuts and beef jerky don't quite do the trick. I say this because when I did the Giant Race, which was a few weeks ago, it was only a 5K and I was knocked out for the afternoon. However, when I did this 10 miler with a few snacks, I could continue with no problem. Also, when I came home, I didn't conk out for the rest of the afternoon (unlike I did with my previous 8 miler and the 5K). Hmmm... Will have to see what Mr. Cordain says about nutrition and endurance sports. I'll also have to look up some things about endurance athletes and paleo eating.

more news

Many thanks to Miss Gladys for this article. Recently, a new study was published claiming that even obese people can be healthy. Here's another link you can look at about that same study. In short, the research shows, "the mortality rate of fat people who had no or only minor obesity-related health problems (such as high blood pressure or diabetes) was no higher than that of lean people." Dr. Jennifer L. Kuk, lead author of the study states: "I think this is a common notion, that if you are overweight you are unhealthy and that if you are skinny you are healthy," she told CBS News. "What people need to realize is that normal-weight people can have diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular problems."

Today's Small Victories
Any day I can get in a morning run is a good day!

Workout
Run 5K

On Sunday I ran 8 miles with Lori.

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Still trying to get back on track and ready for my September challenge!

don't call it a comeback

Hello all!

Yes. It's been ages. I've been off the workout wagon and I need to get back on. Consistently. With that, I'm designing my "Road to the Half" Challenge. Starting September 1st, I'm going to commit to working out at least 30 minutes a day. It can be as intense as running or CrossFit, or as simple as yoga or walking. The idea is to get my butt moving for at least 30 minutes a day (and to spend less time on the computer). The Nike Women's Half Marathon is Sunday, October 16th. That will be the last day of the challenge. After that, I'm going to have to craft a new challenge that prepares me for my next (and likely last) race of 2011, which is the San Francisco Mermaid Run, where I'm running the 10K race. The Mermaid Run happens on Saturday, November 12th. Again, after that race happens, I will post yet another challenge to help me cope with the year-end holidays. Finally, to celebrate 2012, I will again, craft another challenge.

I figure it's good to put goals on paper so that I can be held accountable for my health. Lately, my eating habits have definitely improved and I've lost some weight since joining Chris Stroud's Lean Out program. The progress is slower than I had anticipated, but a lot of it has to do with my level of commitment. I'll do a longer, much more efficient post on Lean Out. For now, if you have questions, you can contact me directly. Better yet, go straight to their site!

Another reason why I'm fully committing is because by 2012, I'd like to get off the Byetta for good. The medication is costing me way too much and frankly, there are a lot of other things I'd like to buy for $80/month (and that's WITH insurance). I like to think I'm on the right path. Though I'm on medications, my blood sugar checks have been the lowest I can remember in a long time. This week, I went as low as in the 80s. Right now, I just need a game plan.

Anyway... Happy Saturday and cheers to better health:)

battle of the coconut water

A while back, I dedicated a post to my love of coconut. Later on, I shared my paleo find when I discovered that Trader Joe's carries zico coconut water. Well, after actually tasting the zico product (and finding out that instead of it being actual coconut water as the old label read, it's actually coconut water concentrate; I've only tasted the natural and NOT the other schmancy flavors), I have to say that it's not one of my favorite things. Granted, zico can be found everywhere and it's probably better than gatorade (but don't take my word for it). However, it just doesn't taste that great. But in a pinch, I guess it's okay. I can see how folks are all about the different flavors and stuff. But if you look at the label, it reads: "100% natural coconut water from concentrate, natural flavors." The chocolate flavored reads: "100% natural coconut water from concentrate, cane sugar, coconut cream, cocoa, vanilla, carrageenan." From concentrate? Plus there's other stuff in there too? Sorry. It's not my thing.

Zico coconut water found at my local Trader Joe's. Not my
thing and not that tasty. But if you like flavors and need a
quick fix, I guess this will do it.

Yesterday, while shopping at Trader Joe's I noticed that they started selling their own coconut water - NOT from concentrate. This piqued my interest, so I forked up the $3 for the bottle. The final verdict? Well, it's slightly better than zico and it isn't from concentrate and doesn't have other ingredients except the coconut water itself. Yes. In a pinch, it'll work. However, I'm not forking up $3 anytime soon for the stuff. And I'll tell you why...

Trader Joe's now has their own brand of coconut water.
Again, not my thing, but cleaner tasting than Zico.

In my book, nothing can replace the goodness of an actual, fresh young coconut. As mentioned before, when I lived in the Philippines, my mom drank 1-2 coconuts per day. It was easy, since local street vendors sold these (the water and the meat) cracked and peeled, ready to drink/eat in a plastic bag for less than fifty cents. My mistake was not joining her in doing this. Over the three months, my mom's feet and legs didn't swell as much. Now that we're in the US, she's back to the swelling. However, she takes virgin coconut oil in her food and rubs it on her feet, which again, helps with the swelling.

After some serious thought and research about the coconut, I decided to start buying them from the local Asian grocery store, crack it open myself, and eat them. In fact, I include coconut water/meat in my latest concoction of my daily green smoothie. Also, if I have any to spare (this depends on how much room I have in the fridge), I have a coconut after a tough WOD or run. It really is yummy and refreshing. Plus, the meat is to die for! AND for the environmentally conscious, the coconut is completely compost-able (no more bottle/can waste).

If you've had your coconut this way, you can never go to the bottled stuff. I swear! If you're wondering how to get these suckers open, check out this video. Fresh, young coconut can cost as low as 99 cents to almost $4 (depending on the store and season). Personally, I buy mine from Seafood City in Union City. I find that they're the cheapest there. Note: should the prices of the coconut suddenly shoot up and the availability go down, I'm blaming ALL OF YOU! Okay. Enjoy:D

Young coconut from the local Asian grocery store.
In my book, this is the only way to go.

Today's Small Victories
I did yoga and I ran back to back. Yay!

Warm-up
1 hour of yoga

Today's Workout
Run 5K

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Late afternoon yoga is hard. Period. It's challenging and refreshing, but it kicks my butt. I had about an hour break before doing the run with Miss Lori. We did the interval 4:1 run. It was good. Slower than usual, but it was good. Yay.

playing catch-up

Recently, I presented my research at the EPA.
Here I am with my dear friend Shirl celebrating
a successful talk:) (Yes. I know that technically,
my tree pose was off. However, the dress was
kinda short and I'm not a big fan of inappropriate
displays of my underpants. It would be
Weinergate all over again!)

Oh my. Apologies for being out of blogger touch. I didn't realize how long it's been. In case you're wondering, yes. I've been training. Here is what I've done since my last post:

Friday, June 3rd
Today's Small Victories
I've been doing awesome with keeping up with healthmonth. Tracking with my iphone makes a world of difference.

Today's Workout
1 hour of yoga
3 mile run

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I did everything in the morning in one shot. I started with the run and then headed to yoga. Since I've been struggling, I decided to do the interval running. It turned out to be a good thing. Though slower than usual, it was good to build my mental strength. It's still frustrating to me because I'd like to do my usual 5K without stopping. But there's a mental block in me and I need to figure out what it is.

Another thing, if I do the run/yoga thing again, I need to plan better. There was barely any time in between. If I'm going to do yoga right after running, I need some down time to prepare for yoga. Otherwise, I just feel like a hot, sweaty mess (which is what eventually happened).

Sunday, June 5th

Today's Workout

Hike at GG Park

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Though leisurely, I decided to log this in as a workout anyway. The SO (significant other) and I decided to take a hike at GG Park. We were at Stow Lake, which has a gradual hill-like area where you can keep going up toward the top of the waterfall. It was nice. PLUS we got to see FOUR owls that day. Very cool.

Monday, June 6th

Today's Small Victories

Despite my laziness and the horrific traffic, I made it to Crissy Field

Today's Workout

3 mile run

Notes (to myself) about this workout: My original intent was to do this run on Sunday. But I just got lazy and opted for the GG Park hike. Also, I've been freaking out about the whole running thing and getting too winded too fast. After some soul searching, I realize that one of the main reasons why my running hasn't been up to par is that I haven't been enjoying the run. 

Truth be told, the Mermaid Run kinda freaked me out. During the second half of that race, I got really winded. Like, REALLY WINDED and I had to stop and take a walking break. From there, it was a struggle to the finish. This doesn't usually happen to me. I don't get that winded or that freaked out because I'm really good at listening to my body and pacing. After that run, I realized that the second part was so difficult because I was trying to keep up with Miss Lyn and Miss Lori, who were running at a 10:30 pace. My usual pace is about a minute (or so) slower than that. When I'm off pace, I'm completely off balance and it wrecks my entire system.

Since then, I've been freaking out because (1) I'm freakin' slow and (2) that reality has been stressing me out (3) that stress has been negatively affecting my running mojo. Right now, I'm trying to find footing again. I'm trying to actually enjoy running and get mentally prepared for the Nike half. With that, I did this run at a 4:1 interval, while walking the hills. It was good. Still slow, but I'm running slightly faster than the last time I trained for a half (and that's with walking the hills). Though hazy, SF was beautiful. I wish it wasn't such a huge trek to make it out there to run.

Tuesday, June 7th

Today's Small Victories

After a million years, I FINALLY made it to CrossFit

Today's Workout

Run 1.1 miles; stretching (includes doing my yoga salutations with Annelisse hanging on my back. Yeah. You try doing downward dog with a small child on your back. With that, I officially declare myself a yoga warm-up badass!)

Complete the following for time:
50 American kettlebell swings (20#)
20 jumprope skips
40 kettlebell swings
40 jumprope skips
30 kettlebell swings
60 jumprope skips
20 kettlebell swings
80 jumprope skips
10 kettlebell swings
100 jumprope skips

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Since this was the first time in a LONG time I did a CrossFit anything. Therefore, I decided to go way light. In retrospect, I should have gone 25# (or more) because I did everything unbroken (which I think defeated the purpose of doing these many KB swings). However, when taking a long CF break, I feel it's always better to be safe than sorry:) This was a good start to coming back. Tonight I run and tomorrow I plan on going to the 4pm CF class. OMG. The night classes are so big now. I'm spoiled. And I can't handle the crowds. Also... I kinda like going in on my own and not timing the WODs. But shhh... Don't tell anyone I said that!

Community Health and Wellness Introspection

Paddy, one of my dearest friends and owner of Paddy's, the BEST coffee house in Union City kindly asked me to share this information with you. If you're in the area or if this issue is near and dear to your heart, please stop by. Also, please share it with friends.

Every community has its own share of illness and pain, and our community is no different. To address and encourage community members to share their experiences, Paddy's is organising the Community Health and Wellness Introspection every 2nd Thursday of the month, 7 to 8.30 pm.
June 9th, Community member Maria Inciong was diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent treatment and fought it. She and her family will share their experiences with the community.
We are doing this because as a community, we are our own support group. We can laugh and cry with each other and nothing heals pain better than that.
Date: Thursday, June 9th
Time: 7pm-8:30pm
Location: Paddy's, of course! 3900 Smith Street; Union City; (510) 324-8572

This was taken a few years ago during Paddy's anniversary
party. L-R: Diana, moi, Fritzie, and Paddy.

P-Dogg and I go way back. (No. I don't really call him P-Dogg. I just thought it would be funny to write that.) In fact, when he first opened way back in 2003, I remember sitting in his coffee shop alone. For HOURS because no one knew about this business yet. A few years later, Paddy's hosted a community event that some I put together with some friends, regarding a local family's deportation case. Since then, Paddy's has been an incredible community hot spot. I'm so proud of him and all that he's done with this shop! If any of you are in the area, PLEASE stop by for some great java and conversation!

national running day

This is my  National Running Day photo. Actually,
it's a photo of my new running shoes. It's an old classic
for me. New Balance 1123. I found it for over 40% off at
amazon (they have since raised the price and it's now
only 30% off). I snuck in just in time. It's a good day!

Today is National Running Day. To celebrate, I started the day with one hour of yoga (hooray!). In the evening, I ran a 5K. Poorly. But I still ran (and walked) it. I'm not sure what's going on with me, but I'm finding that I can't run the distances I used to. I get winded way too easily. Today I took my first walking break because my sides were hurting. Perhaps eating not too long before running was not a good idea. fathlete confession: My eating habits have been really off. When I'm not eating stuff I probably shouldn't be eating, I forget to eat all together. Badbadbad! I'm sure this is directly related to my bad workouts. Gah! My second walking break came because I couldn't breathe and felt like I was on the verge of throwing up - not a good thing when you're running with a partner. At the last half mile I threw in the towel and walked the rest of the way.

Admittedly, my training has been inconsistent and right now I need to be patient and consistent. I spent the wee hours of the night last night mapping out my training schedule. This morning I sorted out my health month goals. For now, I'm good to go! Today was a less than perfect run. I was sad, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Patience and consistency. That's my training goal for now. I'll let you know how it goes!

So... what did YOU do to celebrate National Running Day?

executive decisions

Yes. I know. It's been a while. In truth, today was my first run since the Mermaid Run. Seriously. I need to get back on track. GAH!

In other news, I chopped off my hair. I needed it. Yay. The photo to the left is what it currently looks like. Yes. It's short. And I'm happy. Sometimes a gal just needs some change...

Today's Small Victories
 I ran. (I ran so far away... And I ran. I ran til night and day... I couldn't get away...)

Warm-up
Psyching myself out for the run!

Today's Workout
Run 3-ish miles

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
This was my intention: It's been a while since I've run or worked out. I wanted to do this slowly. Therefore, I intended to run 5K at a 4:1 pace (4 minute run, 1 minute walk) so that I could practice the POSE technique. I sported my Nike Free to do this.

This is what actually happened: A few minutes into the run, my pants started falling down. Seriously. As in I had to run to the nearest bush to make sure I was still decent. As in when I was decent and started running again, my pants fell down. AGAIN. This meant I had to walk. I was trying to beat the sun setting, so I fell a little short of my usual 5K.

These are the valuable lessons I learned today: POSE running isn't as drastic as I imagined it to be. It's simple actually. You lean forward, like you're about ready to fall. Once you do that, the body automatically starts to propel itself forward and you run. Because of this, your strides are automatically shorter and your heels kick toward your butt. The change in form is subtle, but I see how it is efficient. However...

...with all the hub-bub about POSE running comes all the hub-bub about shoes. Even I fell for that silly trickery. I was actually going to purchase the New Balance Minimus to wear for short runs and then use my regular motion control for the longer runs. After today, I've made some executive decisions about shoes - including holding off on buying the Minimus because...

...the important thing about POSE running is the technique itself - short strides, lean forward, striking at the midfoot as opposed to the heel. It's about the technique, not the shoes. I've been thinking about this for a while and it finally came to me while walking (to avoid my pants falling off) today...

... My shoe does not determine my running technique. I determine my running technique. Therefore, it shouldn't matter what shoe I wear because shoes are about the support that your feet and your body need. I'm not built like a lot of runners. a.k.a. I'm fat. And I have flat feet. And I'm prone to ankle sprains. I need my motion control shoes because I need the support. In just looking at minimalist runners, they're all thin and light, which is why thy can handle a minimalist shoe. I just don't have those kind of feet or that kind of body. I'm okay with that...

...I came to this conclusion when a runner passed me by. In watching his technique, he was definitely a POSE runner, but he as wearing traditional running shoes. This is probably because he naturally runs that way. See? You can POSE in shoes. You can. You can. You can. Ha ha!

...Finally, low-rise workout pants have to place in my high-impact workout repertoire. Period.

barefoot and running

As you all know, I'm running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October and right now, I'm trying to iron out some training issues before I go into training mode later next month. Currently, I'm re-visiting the whole barefoot running debate. I'm not interested in not wearing shoes - especially after reading this. Rather, I'm interested in the running technique. Simply put, pose running or barefoot running focus on  landing on the balls of your feet as opposed to striking with the heel. Unfortunately, when reading through the info online, the discussions focus on the shoe debate. It's a little frustrating because I'm not one for extremes. Rather, I want the best of different worlds. I want to wear shoes, but I also want to run more efficiently.

For more information, check out these links:

'You're crazy'

Study: Humans Were Born To Run Barefoot

Barefoot Running: Two sides of a very hot topic.

After sifting through some sites, I finally found these two videos. The first one is a news clip from BBC that showcases the pose running method. What I like is the testing and that they're wearing shoes, but showing how efficient the technique is.


Here is the second video. I like that it focuses on the method of running, which emphasizes the foot strike. In traditional running, you strike with the heel, which apparently is not good for your feet or your body. In pose running and barefoot running, you strike with the balls of your feet, take short strides, and try to hit your butt with your heels. Also, this video shows a great transition from heel striking, to barefoot running, to using minimalist shoes like Vibrams, and then running in shoes.


With that, I've decided to do my short runs with my Nike Free shoes. I'm using short runs to focus on technique and get used to this style of running. For longer runs, I'm using my traditional motion control shoes (which are old enough and are flexible) while maintaining the new form. I'll do this for a month before deciding what shoes to invest in. (Yeah. My running shoes are about three years old, so I need new ones. The Nike Free are less than a year old, but pretty beaten up.)

In terms of shoes, I'm eyeing the New Balance Minimus Road. I tried them on recently and I need a Men's size 8 in the black/red. I loved the toe box, but the women's model was too narrow (the "padding" kept hitting the arch of my feet). Hence, I need the men's model. Admittedly, I was inspired by this video:


Also, I'm a big fan of New Balance shoes. I currently use and love these motion control shoes. While I'm willing to get another pair, I'll need to wait to see how running in minimalist shoes treats me. If I like it, I'll need to change up my longer mileage shoe.

For now, technique now, shoes later.