“Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.” Anonymous

Ever been afraid to "TRY" something?  I know I have.  The fear of not knowing if you are strong enough, smart enough, big enough, small enough, cute enough, or just plain enough for something can be terrifying!  But should that stop us?  Should we let our fear keep us from the most beautiful experiences in life?  I don't think so.  Beating fear is beating the things in your mind that say your body can't.  Beating fear is your body telling your mind "YES I CAN!"  But you have to try... I will try on Saturday.

Saturday is my day to re-Try something new.  Swimming in the open water.  Now, the long awaited wetsuit has finally arrived. ( Tangent:  It is exactly what we thought it was going to be... ugly!  Hahaha.  I look like a black teletubby in it.  Hilarious!  (Photos to come one day this week!)) On Saturday, I will be slipping it on and jumping in the SF Bay and attempting to swim!  Now, I know I can swim, when I am calm, the water is warm, there are markings on the floor, I can see, I can 'Touch' the floor (... insert my family and friends laughing), and the current is not so choppy.  Well, I am going to test my swimming in water that is totally opposite of all of these.  Am I afraid... well no and I will not let fear do that to me... but am I anxious... HECK YES!

But how will I/we overcome our fear and do the things we love if we never "TRY" anything?  Well... you don't unless you TRY!  By not trying, one misses out on experiencing a level of joy you will never know.  My favorite thing to do is ride down a long winding mountain on my bike at speeds a lot of people would be afraid of (30 to 40 mph).  But my least favorite thing to do is climb the mountain it takes for me to get to the top because what may take some people 20 and 30 minutes will take me 40 to 60 minutes to complete.  I can only climb at a top speed of 3 to 4 mph while I am sure others can climb at 6 to 10 mph.  If I let all the people passing me by or the grade of the mountain interfere with my goal of reaching the top, I will never know the feeling I have come to love.  And for me to enjoy the feeling of wind in my face, the speed of downhill, and the feeling as gravity pulls you faster and faster towards the bottom, I MUST KEEP CLIMBING TO THE TOP!  And I do... I keep TRYING!  Sounds like the lesson for living huh?

I encourage you to "TRY" something new this week.  Something BIG!  Try riding a bike, going for a walk, turning off the TV, doing a sit up, jogging, climbing a rock wall, walking up a hill, going to the gym, eating something new, dancing in public, going for a long drive or giving some random person who may need a hug a hug!  Just try it and experience the end result.  I guarantee you that once you have "crested" the mountain, the other side is pure bliss!

Make it a PHAT day friends!

Phat Athlete

Sorry for Not Posting Yesterday...and the Day before

Well, I said I was not going to appologize but I have to.  I was not able to post on Sunday or Monday (actually, I am posting early Tuesday Morning so you may get two posts today).  It was a tough weekend.  I learned one valuable lesson...

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

We know it is hard when our mind and our bodies fight.  Saturday, we had a wonderful swim planned followed by a run and Sunday, a 28 mile bike ride followed by a run.  Saturday, because I did not have my wetsuit, I thought I would get in a 90 minute run instead.  It was beautiful!  Crissy Fields is a great place to run (I think I said that in a previous run).  There are lots of other people running and walking that you never really feel alone.  I think I did about a 4 mile jog/walk.  Jogging wears me out!  Now mind you, this is my first week really jogging and walking.  Thought it is tough, I always feel so good after.

On Sunday, I provided SAG (Support and Gear) for the "FASTIES" (The people on our team that are entirely too fast).  I was actually a nice day, but both Saturday and Sunday called for a 5am wake up call.  By 12noon, I was exhausted and still had a  few hours and parties to attend. Needless to say, once I laid my head to rest, I was out like a light.

As much as I wanted to go to the gym and get in a swim on Saturday as well as a bike ride on Sunday, my body started to tell me to rest.  My body almost shut down on me.  So I listened.  I listened so much.  I actually slept for more than 12 hours!  My body need some time to repair and rebuild and finally, I am so in tune with my body that I can read the signs.

I am sure there are lot of articles on rest, eating right, the benefits of sleep, and listening to the signs of fatigue.  But every body is different.  I trip over everything when I am tired.  In fact, the last time I worked out when my body told me to relax, I slipped and fell and injured my foot... permanently.  So, if for nothing else, learn the signals your body gives you when it is time to relax if for nothing more than to prevent injury.  Go ahead... it is ok to sleep and rest!

Make tomorrow a GREAT one!

Vee

“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.” Norman Vincent Peale

Ahhhh!  What a day!  So, I admit, I did not go swimming today.  But gosh darn it, I did jog/walk from Aquatic Park to the end of Crissy Field!  YES!  I felt so good when I finished I could hardly believe I was able to sustain jogging as far as I did.  For those of you doing Nike Women's Marathon, you will understand what I am talking about when you get there.... Long and FLAT after two hills.

Today I am going to talk about gear.  Well, I was supposed to do that yesterday but I just had to go on about UPS.  (P.S.  I still don't have my wetsuit... does not UPS deliver on Saturdays? :) )  But I do want to talk a little about what is takes to do more than the casual walk around the block after dinner.  You know, gear does not have to be expensive; Wal-Mart caries the Danskin line which is comfortable and colorful but only at Wal-Mart.  Nike ( http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?sitesrc=uslp#l=shop,search,searchList-PlusSize )  and Adidas ( http://www.shopadidas.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=womens%20plus%20size&origkw=plus%20Size&sr=1) also have some workout wear in plus size.  I actually purchased Nike's running capris, a jacket, and several of the Dedication tops in plus size and I love them!  (And today I saw them in every size passing me and me passing at Crissy Field)  They breath well, don't ride up or down, but they cost a pretty penny. (But worth it!)  Also, check http://www.teamestrogen.com/ for other gear in plus size.  Most of their plus size wear is BORING in color, but it fits.  I haven't purchased anything from there, but you can let me know how it goes when you get something.  You can also go to some of the manufactures websites from Team Estrogen like Terry (My FAVORITE... Check their Plus tab and clearance tab for plus deals... http://www.terrybicycles.com/product/category/plus ), Shebeest (on Team Estrogen and at Sports Basement), and try other lines like Athleta (http://athleta.gap.com/? ) , SkirtSports (http://www.skirtsports.com/ ), and Danskin (http://www.danskin.com/plus.html ).  Keep in mind that sometimes, Plus Size really means Junior Plus so pay attention to sizes.  I purchased a few items from sites that were very proud of their plus size line but when I got it, it fit WAYYYY too small because it was not made for all the LOVE I have but rather someone who wears size 12 and just had a baby. (hee hee)

So, today on my jog/walk (I am so proud to say this!) I saw a lot of women in UGLY cotton sweats (from the boyfriends or husbands closets) and big T-shirts... NOT GOOD!   Even with Tide Sport do you wonder why you can get the funky smell out of these clothes... THEY WERE NOT MEANT FOR LONG TERM SWEATING even though they are called SWEAT PANTS!  Despite the resistance I am sure you will have, make sure you purchase polyester/Lycra blends... They are not hot... TRUST ME... I am always cold!  But they keep you warm once you have warmed up; the stains from sweat, chain oil, tire tracks, dog slob, or that ice cream sandwich you ate after the run come out with a little dish washing liquid or Shout; they wear better especially if you have thighs that rub together (Tangent:  Last year I was on a 10 mile walk and I wore right through the Old Navy Cotton Walking Pants that I purchased... My thighs were on FIRE!); and it is easier to get the workout funk out in the wash!  (Another Tangent:  I just started to have workout funk... I am so proud of me... I sometimes don't want to wash my jackets because I feel like I have progress when I have workout funk... But I have to use Tide Sport to get that funk out...hee hee) Oh did I mention that they don't get holes in them very easily if you hang them dry?

I am giving you all this information to encourage you to INVEST in great workout gear!  Yes, good shoes are MOST important but nice clothes will keep you motivated (I have a workout wardrobe).  Now, don't go broke and blame me when you start wearing your workout gear all of the time because it is cute and comfortable.  It also makes you feel better when you are out there and you don't have to tug, pull, adjust, or take off heavy gear that just weighs you down.  Get some cute stuff to workout in and mix it up!  I use some of my bike jerseys to go to the gym or on long walks because they are prettier than some of my other gear, they have pockets on the back to hold my CRAP, and they keep me from feeling sweaty and sticky while working out.  You can buy one of these to work out in too! (I like the ones from Terry!)

It is time for me to hit the sack.  If you have questions, don't hesitate to drop a comment.  I hope you are enjoying this blog as much as I am enjoying writing it!

Love you, Love me, and Love the World!  Believe in yourself and you will achieve GREAT things.

(Check out my favorite pair of socks... I love cute socks... Don't buy COTTON though...I lost one of these socks:(  )

V 

All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.” Morarji Desai

YEP!  I DON'T DISAGREE!

Hello Blog Space People!  I know I promised you a blog today about workout clothes... Blah Blah... well I want to talk about something different.  Setbacks... Yes I said it... SETBACKS!

You ever feel like people, places, and things (Thanks Schoolhouse Rock) are constantly trying to hold you back?  Well, that is how I am feeling today.  The people, place, and thing holding me back is (and... sorry USPS) UPS!  Now, as most of you know, I am not the standard kind of gurl!  I am especially SPECIAL!  I have a whole lot to love and lots of love to give.  That being said, I had to order a custom wetsuit (http://www.liquidfit.com/) to fit all this love for the triathlon (I can spell it now).  The suit was being made on Monday, packed and ready to ship on Wednesday, a powersurge on Wednesday caused the computer to shut down at the shop.  The suit was ready for pick up on Thursday (I am assuming now... Theresa was helpful but not clear).  NOW, I hear that my wetsuit is less that 500 miles away in LA waiting to get to Vallejo!  DANG IT... I can go get it myself and have it back tonight.  But noooooooo I can't.  Cuz UPS got it.  Now, I am not clowning on the UPS but you know, unless you are at a business, UPS is UNRELIABLE!  Who knows when I will get my suit (the site says Monday... RIGHT) but it should have been here by now!

Well, I guess this will teach me patience.  If I wanted a box of chocolate or something stupid... I don't know... a hat... it would be here by now.  In fact, it only took one day for HSN to ship my computer from Southern Cal... What's up here?  Is it me? 

Now, tomorrow, I have to figure out how to get in a swim workout or swim in the nasty water without a wetsuit.  BLECH!  I guess I will be at 24 tomorrow night getting my swim on!  Nothing good is ever easy; because if it were, I would have a wetsuit by now!  Right?  Now I can look at this as being a setback, get angry, and quit or be lazy and do nothing tomorrow.  But I won't.  I am going to get up at the crack of DAWN and meet my teammates in Benicia and ride with them to San Francisco to watch them swim tomorrow.  Maybe I will just get my run in early!  Then I can watch them swim and run!  Yeah... I think I will do that.  And when I get back, I will just ride over to 24 and go get in my swim workout.  Not the same but it beats the lazy alternative, which will turn into a more difficult setback!

So... I am saying this to say, don't let people, places, or things keep you from your goal.  There are alternatives!  Even if you feel like the alternative is not the alternative of choice, DO IT ANYWAY!  Doing bad is easy (boi... do I want a piece of cheesecake right now); doing good is hard (I guess I will go get some sushi instead!).

Make it a GREAT DAY folks... do the IMPOSSIBLE!

V  :)

First... ok... First Real Post! EXCITEMENT!

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen:

"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! You're Far Too Kind"- Jay Z

Well all, thanks for joining me on my quest to become a not so Fat Athlete.  The funny thing is, I will always be a PHAT Athlete depending on what each letter in PHAT stands for.  Hee hee.  This is my first BLOG so just work with me as we go along.  I will not apologize going forward for ranting and raving so here is your BLANKET APOLOGY!

Today, I want to talk about excitement.  As most of you know, in 2009 I decided to take on the challenge of riding my bike 100 miles around Lake Tahoe.  Well, despite my wanting to do it, my pushing myself to just get on the bike the morning of the event (mind you after 4 months of training and preparation) with a fever of 100,  high on Tylenol, sudafed, and cough syrup (Not the kind being sold to FOOTBALL PLAYERS at $800 a quart... madness) and nearly having an asthma attack only 20 miles into the ride, I did what I could.  And despite my injuring my foot, getting lost on the course, and wanting to curse out the wonderful lady walking with me the last two miles of a 13.1 (really completed 15.1) mile marathon, I did what I could and completed it (Hey C-Moe!).  And after the previous years experience on the bike ride, I signed up again!  I trained and worked hard at getting faster, stronger, and mentally ready for the 72 mile ride (Metric 100) around Lake Tahoe, to only not sleep the night before the event and wake up with a stomach ache so bad I could keep nothing down the whole ride.  But you know what, I DID WHAT I COULD and went much further than I did the year before.  And now, after much fight, meditation, giving up, meditation, prayer, meditation, screaming, meditation... I am now working slowing on completing my FIRST Triathlon, ever!

Three months ago you could not tell me I could train to be a Triathlete.  Damn it, I have watched the Iron Man competition on TV and thought to myself, "Those people are CRAZY!"  But after some convincing from my cycle coach about the benefits of training for three sports at one time, the reasons why we join Team In Training, my opportunity to get a TRIPLE CROWN (we will discuss later), and learning more about Triathlons (I am doing an entry level event... NOT IRON MAN YOU CRAZIES!), I signed up!  I SIGNED UP to do the Triathlon at Pacific Grove (http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/PG2010-main.htm). 

Now I am not going to lie and say "Oh the training is sooooo easy!"  Well it is not!  But I will say, "If I can do it, you can do it!"  I had to learn how to do things all over again.  I had to learn how to swim efficiently again instead of splashing in the pool and running out of breath in 30 seconds.  I had to learn how to bike again; heck I was used to going and preparing for long distances; we don't go that far now!  And, I had to learn how to run/walk.  Now I can walk/walk real good! (hee hee)  But run/walk is something new for me so I changed it to walk/run (more walking than running) until I get good at the other one.

I have been training since June 7th, the day after the Tahoe ride.  Swimming 3 to 4 hours a week, walk/running 3 to 4 hours a week, and biking... well... I just get on the bike when I can or need to go somewhere that does not involve the freeway.  And then there is the weekend... three to four hours Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 AM!  DO YOU HEAR ME?  7 AM!  I finally got it down to a science to get the most sleep in.

It wasn't until last week, Sunday, when the team was out testing their wetsuits (Let's not go there with mine), did this all start to feel real.  I AM DOING AN ENTRY LEVEL TRIATHLON! Can you believe it?  I was so excited on Sunday that my walk/run actually turned into a jog/run.  FAT or NOT, damn it, I am going to be a Triathlete!  When I want to give up... I just say... I am going to be a Triathlete!

Now, we are half way through the training and this has been a tough week for me because it feels like my body is changing, for the good.  I was able to run three-fourths of each lap at track practice last week and after I did my swim drills on Tuesday, I ended a 1.25 hour swim workout with a 30 lap swim (750m... Nice).  I have muscles that I never knew I had and I hurt in places I never knew I could hurt!  But I am going to be a Triathlete!  Say it with me....

(Next post... PHAT Athlete Gear... what the heck are you thinking?)

Until tomorrow...

3, 2, 1, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Hey all... I look forward to recording my random thoughts, providing information, and sharing my joy of life, love, and movement here with you.  It is time for the PHAT Athlete to talk about the experience of being large and in charge... I mean IN SHAPE!  Healthy is not a size, it is a standard.  I know my doctor would say otherwise but I know I can beat her big butt in a marathon!

So, I will see you tonight for my first entry!  In the mean time... enjoy your life, love honestly, and be you!

Blessings... Phat Athlete