(By My)self Motivation

A view of the water and Molokai from somewhere in Napili - sweet backdrop for a ride!

A five-hour Zone 2 ride was on the books for Saturday.  A nice break (thanks, coach!) from all of the strength work trainer rides and climbing done over the past few weeks getting ready for Cycle to the Sun at the end of the month.  The only bummer - no one to ride with - but I was looking forward to it anyway.  The honeymoon is not yet over for the bike!

I got a later start than usual and was on the road by 9:45 headed to Paia.  I had mapped out my ride the night before so I had a plan for about 85 miles, which would take me across a lot of the island on a (mostly) flat route.

The trades were already picking up so I had a little bit of a headwind out to Paia, but nothing too harsh.  I turned around and headed back toward town, around the harbor and up to Waiehu - by then I was one hour in and things were going well!  I cruised across the base of the West Maui's toward Lahaina and tackled the Pali - it's not that big of a deal, but I've never ridden it by myself.  I'm a firm believer in safety in numbers and this stretch of road can be a little sketchy at times.  I just prayed everyone was paying attention.

I hit Oluwalu at about 2~ in, so I stopped to refill water and have a snack (mmmm....Amrita bars!) at the general store.  This is the first time I've ever taken my bike into a store - felt a little silly, but it was getting HOT and no one seemed to mind.  Back on the road, through Lahaina (where I veered off for a pit stop and took my bike into the bathroom with me - I have it on good authority that I'm not the only cyclist who does this!) and out to Napili.  As soon as I got back out on the road, my Garmin died.  Not enough charge.  D'oh!

Once I passed Ka'anapali, I hit the tradewinds that wrap around the west side head-on.  It was HOT and that's when the mental chatter began.  I told myself I could turn around at Kahana, but then I got to Kahana and kept going (really missing my buddies, POG and V, by then - POG usually pulls us through this section when the wind gets tough).  By the time I turned around at Napili, I had convinced myself that I was going to stop at McDonald's and get a vanilla cone and a Coke!  After all, I deserved it!  It was HOT, mid-day and it was going to taste AMAZING!  (If you know me at all you know this is crazy talk!)

I passed the Kahana McDonald's because I was on a downhill stretch, telling myself I would stop in Lahaina and spending the next few miles trying to figure out how I was going to manage this on my bike.  Would I go IN with my bike?  Drive-thru?  As I passed Ka'anapali I ran over a bit of tree debris in the shoulder, then THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.  Something was stuck in my tire.  The bike shop was up ahead and if I needed anything I could stop there.  I caught a red light just after, and as soon as I tried to take off - ha ha (insert sound from Simpson's kid here) - flat front tire.  Nice little kiawe thorn about the size of a thumbtack - the bane of cyclists on Maui.

This is the second ever flat tire I've gotten, and the first one I had to change by myself so I was a little panicked at first, but I set to it and was done in about 10 minutes.  NICE!  I stopped at West Maui Cycles and they were awesome - checked to make sure I did it right (because I still had a ways to go before I got home), checked my air pressure, then picked up a spare tube and C02 because I only carry one spare.

After this, McDonald's was completely forgotten.  Nutrition wise everything went rather well - I had water, diluted coconut water, salt stick caps, Amrita bars, a couple of Justin's almond butter packets and a banana for backup.  Right near the end, with about 12 miles to go I really got tired of anything sweet - I think I'll throw in some salted macadamia nuts for next time - they would have been perfect.

I battled the last of the headwinds after I came back over the pali.  I had to take it slower than usual over the pali because the crosswinds coming down through the canyons and ravines were fierce and I almost lost it a couple of times.  I guessed the trade I hit head-on on the last few miles were in the 30mph range.  Slow. Going.

I'm proud of myself for doing it, but after the flat, the stops, and the headwinds I was out there for 7.5 hours.  That's a long freakin' time, midday, in Hawaii, near summer.  And I have the burn lines to prove it (even though I was wearing sunscreen):

Next time I need to bring sunscreen to reapply if I'm going to be out for so long - planned or otherwise.

Gluten-Free Liars, Fakers and Cheats

I am going on a rant here, so bear with me (or not), but something is really starting to piss me off and I want to talk about it.

It started with THIS POST, "Will Everyone Please Eat Gluten? Please..." by Elissa Strauss.

And then THIS ARTICLE came out via Runners World on Twitter.

Now let me preface my rant by saying that I have tremendous respect and compassion for people who have dietary restrictions for medical/health reasons (life-threatening allergy, celiac, lactose-intolerant, gluten-sensitive, etc.).  I am sensitive to the needs of my guests and, when entertaining, will prepare foods that are healthy and I know that they can enjoy without fear, and this extends to my vegan/vegetarian friends as well.  The last thing I want to happen to any of my friends or family is to go home sick from a meal because I know the tremendous vigilance it takes when you suffer from something like this.

I also respect an individual's right to exclude certain foods from their own diet/nutrition/eating plan when it is simply their choice.  And this is an equally tough battle because anyone who makes specific nutrition choices, to some degree or another, has encountered the family member/friend/total stranger who says, "Come on, just one piece/slice/drink/bite of XYZ won't hurt you," when, quite frankly, you know it can/will derail your efforts to keep XYZ off your plate.

I began following a Paleo diet over two years ago as a test for athletic performance.  I quickly discovered that it was a lifestyle that worked for me.  I lost 20 lbs, leaned up, felt amazing and had energy through the roof.  Because I chose to avoid grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, sugar, soy, etc., however, I always knew that I could have dairy or cake or cookies and it wasn't going to be life threatening.  That doesn't mean that I think any of those things are good for me, which is why I choose not to eat them for the most part. I choose not to eat grains/gluten because I feel better when I don't - and for good reason.  Grains are essentially indigestible and they bind to other good nutrients in your food and prevent them from being absorbed.  Grains cause gut inflammation in most people - and if most people stopped eating grains/gluten they'd probably be amazed at how much better they felt.  I choose not to, not because it's trendy, but because it's healthy for MOST people.

Pardon me, but the writer in the first post I mentioned comes off as a whiny spoiled brat.  I get her point, I truly do, but she's going to have to come to grips with the fact that she has to make some hard choices.  If you have celiac you may not be able to eat out at most restaurants.  You may have to prepare most of your meals at home.  And if you feel that your life/health is in jeopardy, don't eat at a restaurant that doesn't take you seriously. Vote with your dollar and support the restaurants that do.

And, yes, there are Gluten-Free Liars, Fakers and Cheats out there.  You find these individuals in every type of "diet" - vegan, vegetarian, Paleo, gluten-free, macrobiotic, etc.  They are the ones thrive on drama and who will go into a restaurant and drive the servers crazy, make a huge scene at family dinners, or dinner parties with friends.  "I can't/won't eat THAT" they say, or they want to make substitutions, omissions or deletions from every dish they order. Yes, they are assholes, but thankfully they are mostly few and far between.

Don't be THAT guy/girl.  Do your homework.  Go on line and review the menu for a restaurant in advance to see if there are dishes you can eat that don't require extraordinary measures on the part of of the kitchen/chef.  Call ahead and ask if they can accommodate you.  Many times, they are happy to do so.  Be kind to the server when you do go and be patient.  And LEAVE A HEALTHY TIP.  They will be happy to have you return.

And just a short note on the second Runners World post - first of all a study of 37 people is really not conclusive of ANYTHING.  I tried to look up who funded this "study" but it was not available on the website (perhaps the wheat council?).  They are basically trying to say people are probably sensitive to FODMAPs and not gluten, but ironically, they include wheat in the FODMAPs list.  They also say if you omit grains from your diet and you don't need to, you'll suffer from nutritional imbalances.  WHAT?  Grains are one of the most nutrient-poor foods on the planet - you do not need grains for nutrients or fiber.  

Do yourself a favor, ditch the grains, processed and fast foods, and sugar - fill the void with whole foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.  Meat if you are inclined.  Your gut with thank you for it.  It may seem "trendy" now, but just wait - someday it will be the norm and those with celiac will thank us for supporting the movement.

Things I Discovered in 2012

A lot of people are writing about race results, training totals, and "goal completion" for 2012 on their blogs.  While I track these things too, it would take way too long for me to gather up all that info and post it on my blog. And my blogging time is extremely limited these days.

Basically, 2012 went by in a complete and total blur for me.  For someone who prides herself on being organized and together I quite frankly do not know how I got through last year.  But I did discover a few things along the way:

1. PODCASTS.  How come no one ever told me how freakin' awesome these were?!  There is a unbelievable wealth of information out there on virtually every subject you can imagine and most of it is FREE!  I know you (and everyone else) have known this since day one, but I feel like I have struck gold.  I love listening to them on my (albeit short) commute to and from work and when I am working in the studio.  My two favorites are:
   
   The Angriest Trainer

   Vinnie Tortorich with Anna Vocino

   
   

   Fantastic fitness and nutrition info following a #NSNG No Sugar No Grains philosophy with a Hollywood insider twist and liberal pinches of sassy explicitness make for a thought (and giggle) provoking podcast.  If you love a good rant and some spicy language, this podcast is for you.  It appears to be especially popular with the female triathlon community, but the #NSNG philosophy is for EVERYONE.
   
   
   Balanced Bites
   Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe
   
   
   If you are interested in nutrition or digestive health, this is the podcast for you.  Diane Sanfilippo is now the 9x NYTimes bestselling author of "Practical Paleo," the easy how-to Paleo book and outstanding cookbook I highly recommend to anyone looking to take charge of their diet and health.  Hint: on the podcast skip the first ten to fifteen minutes of banter and get straight to the question/answer section.
   
   
    Honorable Mentions go to Ben Greenfield Fitness, Garden Variety Triathlon and Rich Roll (who, along with Vinnie Tortorich, I now dub "The Great Men of Podcasting").
   
   
2. CARBON FIBER. Oh, how I love my new bike.  I started out in triathlon on a Trek mountain bike not knowing how much I was going to enjoy road riding (and hate mountain biking!).  In year two I moved up to a friends loaner Trek 2000.  It was a big difference and it gave me a chance to think about the road bike I wanted to buy.  It only took me a year and a half!
   
   
   Behold... the Mighty Pegasus (aka Trek Madone 4.7):
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   May he steadfastly lead me to victory in 2013!
3. TWITTER.  I resisted for a long time.  "Who needs it," I said.  "I have much more to say that 140 characters," I said.  Just as with the podcasts, Twitter provides a wealth of information (and a heap of crap, too, if you're not careful who you follow).  I'm sticking with my new #NSNG #fatadapting new triathlon friends for the most part.
   
   There were undoubtedly more that three, but I can't remember them now.  However, be certain I am going to be talking more about these three AND how I am becoming a fat adapted triathlete in future posts.  I hope you'll stay tuned!