*The above picture is of 1-mile recreation area in Chico, CA. I usually start my rides/runs from here and take a dip in the "pool" too cool off when I'm done. Often times I do my weight training here in the park too.

Monday 9/28/09

Workout:

Road Ride in Chico - 1 mile to Keefer Loop (1:03:27)

My legs were pooped from that last two days of hard climbing so I took a flatter route.

Resistance Training In Park -

Walking Lunges - 5x15 each leg

Pushups - 5x15

Single Leg Squats - 5x15 each leg

Assisted Handstand Pushups - 5x15

High Knees - 5x15 each leg

It was gorgeous outside, so after my ride I decided to do a body weight workout in the park. You can still get a great workout without any equipment. Your body weight is plenty. I was sweating my butt off!!!

Food Intake:

Pre-workout - Banana and Apple

Post-workout - 3 egg omelette with chicken, tomatoes, avocado and shredded zucchini

Lunch - Almonds/Cashews/Cranberries and Pumpkin Spice Latte (oops...)

Snack - Peach

Dinner - 4 oz steak, green salad, steamed carrots, onions and sweet potatoes (only a few)

Overall a good day yesterday. The workout was awesome, the day was beautiful and for the most part my food intake was good. I wasn't prepared around lunch time (obviously) and that led to a poor decision with the latte.

Tuesday 9/29/09

Workout:

Mountain Bike Ride: Upper Park - Middle trail down and back

Fun single track ride with Marcus. There was a race here last weekend so the trail was tore up and made it much more challenging with lose dirt, lose rock, and new obstacles. Fun ride! Riding in Chico will make you a better rider. This stuff is hard!

After the ride I stretched well.

Nutrition:

7:00am - Banana

8:00am - Pre workout: Muscle Milk protein shake with frozen berries

WORKOUT

12:00pm - 3 eggs scrambled with chicken sausage, zucchini, mushrooms and topped with salsa and avodaco

1:30pm - Handful raw mixed nuts and 5 pieces of cubed cantaloupe

Today is going great so far except the hour or so between finishing my workout and eating eggs. We we were in town and I didn't plan accordingly to have something ready right after my ride.

Back on track...

*Picture to the left: Ziggy (my dog) hauling butt on one of our hikes in Northern Washington near Mount Baker. Pretty cool shot with her body blurred but it's focused on her head.

Okay, okay, okay...I really am back this time. Just when I thought my life was getting under control, we were on our trip north (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon) and I was busier than expected. Not to mention we were out of service area for a lot of the trip, so keeping you all posted was impossible. But...I'm back!

With a full week of travel, clinics, and more travel...I still managed to get rides, runs and workouts in. Unfortunately I wasn't diligent in recording them so I don't have anything specific to report to you all. But something I want to relay to you is that it's always good to ask where to go for a walk/ride/run when you're somewhere unfamiliar. Ask the host at the front desk of the hotel, go to an outdoors store and ask the clerk, or ask the locals. We found some really cool rides and I found a great park to go running, just by asking.

It was really hard to eat right though with living out of a van without a way to keep food fresh except a mini cooler with ice that melted FAST and a one-burner mini camp stove...but we did it. Going out to eat I just focused on lots of veggies and lean meat like I do when I am cooking on my own. You have to take into consideration the way that food is prepared in restaurants though...typically the meat is a bit fattier and the produce quality isn't as high. So, preparing meals yourself is best. We also hit up the grocery store frequently for meals. It's cheaper and it's better for you. The deli at Safeway is actually pretty decent.

We've been back for two days now and this is what I've done.

Saturday 9/26/09

Mtn Bike Upper Bidwell Park in Chico: North Rim to B-Trail to Middle Trail

It starts with a steady ROCKY climb up North Rim, B-Trail is technical switch backs downhill (I walked a lot of it), then home on Middle Trail is moderate ups and downs. It was a great ride!!! We did it in the heat of the day - about 96 degrees!!!

Sunday 9/27/09

Today I got up early and headed into Chico. I had a great morning Road Ride.

1-mile up Honey Run down Neal Road and back through Chico to 1 mile. A much needed deep stretch followed the ride!

Starting tomorrow (Monday), I will be back on track with scheduled workouts!! I can't wait!

Until tomorrow...

Life has been CRAZY the last several days. Since Friday (my last post), we spent the weekend down in Brentwood, CA for Marcus' pro water ski event. The tourny went well and Marcus skied phenomenal. Water skiers at his level are some of the most outstanding athletes I have ever seen. You have to see it to believe it and if you've never tried slalom skiing yourself, there's no explaining the difficulty of it.

After the tournament we headed back to Chico and were running around with our heads cut off trying to get our Face to Face Tour (www.facetofacetour.com) big rig unpacked and cleaned spick and span. On top of all of our "to do's" we had company from an hour after we got back from Brentwood until we left yesterday afternoon. We hired a friend to come get it yesterday and drive it back to San Antonio, TX. After unloading the truck, we had to load up our van to head north for 2 weeks. We are currently on the road to Abbotsford, BC for the final pro event (picture is of our new tour rig). Prelims are tomorrow and finals are on Saturday.

Needless to say, with all the hustle and bustle my "free time" was dedicated to working out at the expense of my blog postings.

My workouts for the last several days consisted of the following:

Saturday 9/12/09

*Row: 20 min WU

*15,12,9,6,3 reps each exercise

BOSU pushups jumps

Thrusters

Body Squats

Row Sprint 1min/45sec/30sec/15sec (in order between each round)

*Row 20 min

Sunday 9/13/09

Supposed to be my off day but it was BEAUTIFUL out and I had a friend to jog with around the lake at the tournament...so I couldn't pass it up. Thanks for the jog Sandi!

*Jog 30 min easy (about 3.5 miles)

Monday 9/14/09

Got up early with about 4 hours of sleep under my belt because we were supposed to do a photo shoot for HO Skis with our friend and world famous downhill skier, Glen Plake (known for his mohawk). But, we got up to UNUSUAL rainy weather and after much contemplation, the photo shoot was postponed until the afternoon so we could have good light. We all headed back to bed to try to get a little shut eye, but I couldn't fall back asleep. The plan was to go for a run, but I was feeling so groggy from lack of sleep, I could barely function. So...instead I spent the day cleaning out the rig. We headed to a different lake in Chico in the afternoon for the photo shoot and that's where I went for a jog just to get something in. I probably should have just taken the day off completely to let my body recover, but I just had to go move.

*Jog 30 min steady state

Tuesday 9/15/09

*Ride up Cohasset (hill climb) 1:45:12

*Stretch well in the park

*Cleaned/moved/packed/unpacked for 9 hours straight (ugh!!!)

Wednesday 9/16/09

Another crazy day trying to get everything ready to go for our road trip. Plans to leave by noon at the latest turned into actual departure time of 4:30. Isn't that how it always works though. Workout was put to the last, but I got it in and I pushed hard because I knew I was in a hurry to get done.

*Waterskied in the morning (9 passes). Tied my PB of 3 at 32mph. I felt strong. My 30mph passes felt easy as pie. Something must have clicked.

*Ran 2.5 miles hard...cut 2 minutes on my typical time on this route.

*Descending Reps 10-1 (60 reps total each exercise)

Pullups

Kettle Bell Swings

Pushups

Jacknives

Jump Squats

*Brief Stretch

So...moral of my last several days. It's been crazy busy!!! Lesson to you: You can always make room for a workout, no matter what your day is like. Just plan on it, set your mind to it, and start.

On the go...

The last 2 days have been ON THE GO!!! Yesterday I was planning on sleeping in a bit (since I had the chance) but instead was woken by none other than Walter, Marcus' saint bernard dog (picture to right). He is the cutest thing in the world, but his bark is SO loud.

It wasn't a bad thing though. I got up and got on with my productive day a bit earlier than expected.

Thursday 9/10/09

Workout:

Run easy 40 min - about 5.5 miles

20 min of Yoga and Stretching (feels SOOOOO good!)

Food Intake:

8am - Banana

9:30am - 1 egg + 1 egg white omelette with veggies, 1/2 avocado, salsa and 5 pcs of cantaloupe

11-3:30 - no real meals...just snacked on the following - 2 handfuls almonds, peach, frozen grapes, 2 pieces of turkey jerky

5:30pm - Chicken, peppers, water chestnuts, bamboo, broccoli, red onions, raisins

7:30pm - CHEAT MEAL (every Thursday night we go to the BEST frozen yogurt shop ever!!!) Jon and Bon's (small caffe latte with peanut butter cups on top)

Friday 9/11/09

Workout:

*Mountain Bike Middle Trail - 1:03:12 (semi technical single track...really rocky!!!)

*1x100

Situps

Jacknives

Torso Rotations

Crunches

*Stretch

Food Intake:

7:00am - Banana

8:30am - Asian Pear

11:00am - 2 eggs scrambled with broccoli, onions, chicken sausage, 1/2 avocado, salsa

12:30pm - Handful almonds, turkey jerky, peach, chicken with peppers

Comments:

Overall the last 2 days have been great for workouts, but my nutrition hasn't been exactly up to par. It's not been horrible. But I haven't been eating enough in the mornings. My workouts are in the mornings, so I should have quite a bit of calories post-workout to refuel and because post workout is when our bodies are most efficient at burning calories (therefore, we don't story food as fat).

I have been going non-stop both days and haven't planned properly for food. I haven't had stuff easily accessible to just grab. That's a BIG MISTAKE!!! So...lesson learned hopefully!

Morning Workouts and New Gear

Picture to Left:

Honey Run Covered Bridge. It's the only 3 level covered bridge in the US...and it's right here in Chico, CA. My ride today (Wednesday) goes right past this.

Yesterday (Tuesday) and today have been great days! I like to start each day with my workout first thing. Several reasons why...

1- I feel good the rest of the day

2- It's over and done with and the rest of my day can't get in the way of my workout

3- It helps me to make better decisions with my food intake the rest of the day

4- My metabolism is boosted first thing in the morning and my energy is up

Yesterday - 9/8/09

Workout

*Run 3 miles steady state

*Rounds in 20 minutes

(BW=Body Weight)

10xBW Pullups

15xBW Lunges each leg

10x95# Push Jerks

10x60# Standing Cable Row

10xBW Plyo Box Jumps

Got in 5 rounds + 10 Pullups

*Row Machine - 4 min WU, 10x30 sec sprints with 1 min active recovery between, 1 min CD

*Stretch and Yoga

Food Intake

6:45am - Handful of frozen grapes + banana

9:30am - 3 eggs scrambled with zucchini, squash, red onion and topped with 1/4 avocado and salsa

10:30am - 2 handfuls raw almonds

1:00pm - Salad (lettuce, tomato, carrots, cucs, onion, avocado, turkey burger) with lime and olive oil + 5 pieces of cantaloupe

4:00pm - Handful of Trailmix and 2 pieces of turkey jerky

7:00pm - Turkey Burger w/mustard, avocado, tomato (no bun), brussel sprouts, salad (lettuce, carrots, tomato, red pepper)

TOTAL WATER INTAKE: 115 oz

Today - Wednesday 9/9/09

Workout

*1:55:36 - Road Ride in Chico 1 mile rec area - up Honey Run - Neal Road - back to 1 mile rec area

*20-2 (even numbers only - descending reps)

Leg Throws

Crunches

Torso Rotations

Side Kick Punch

+ Plank for 2.5 minutes at the end

Food Intake

7:30am - Banana

*Workout

10:30am - Apple, Blueberries, Strawberries, Chicken Breast

11:00am - Vanilla Latte (oops...but I guess if I'm going to have it, after a hard ride is a good time to indulge)

2:30pm - Handful of Almonds

3:00pm - Left overs: Steak, Zucchini, Carrot stirfry + Turkey Burger with avocado, tomato and mustard

.... The rest of the day is to be determined...plan for dinner is a grilled chicken salad

Comments:

The past two days have been great workouts. You'll notice that Monday was a long ride day, Tuesday was a more intense, short burst, interval workout, and today was another long ride day. Both of the long rides have been hard hill climbs so my legs are smokin tired and sore right now...which means....tomorrow is a LIGHT day. Notice that I am alternating high intensity with sustained intensity days. Because I got my new bike I am probably pushing a bit more on the bike this week than usual, but that's the price you pay when you get new toys!!! :)

Back in the Game

It's been awhile since I've blogged...sorry!  Sometimes life just takes over and it seems like time whips by.  I can't believe it's already September.  Anyways, I am back in the game and ready to share my days with you for you to see "the life of a personal trainer".  My goal of this is for you to see that I practice what I preach and to comment on the mistakes I make for you to learn from.  I hope to give you info on health and fitness and answer questions you may have.

Update from yesterday...Monday 9/7/09

Workout:

First real ride on my NEW ROAD BIKE (picture above)!!!  Last Thursday I got a great deal on a Giant TCR Advanced 2 road bike.  I've been riding on a 12-15 year old bike, so moving to one that weights 18lbs with all the gear on was a whole new world!  I am really wanting to get into racing, so I figured if I dive into the purchase, it will motivate me even more.

In Chico, CA, I rode from 1-mile rec area up to Cohasset (continuous uphill 2000+ ft elev gain) back down and around Keefer Loop and back to 1-mile rec area.  It was a good 1:45 ride!  Being a gorgeous morning in Chico, I finished my workout in the park....

8x through:

20 Pushups

15 Steps ups (ea leg)

15 Handstand Pushups

20 Body Squat

Nutrition went as follows:

7:20am - Handful of Trail Mix (pistachios, walnuts, dried cranberries and cherries) + banana + fish oil capsules

*RIDE AND WORKOUT

11:00am- Peach

12:00- 2 eggs scrambled with chicken sausage, zucchini, squash and topped with 1/2 avocado and salsa

1:00pm- Handful of almonds and walnuts

*WATER SKI 1 SET

3:30pm- apple

*WATER SKI 1 SET

7:00pm- Handful of Trail Mix (pistachios, walnuts, dried cranberries and cherries)

8:00pm- Pluto's Side Salad (spinach, figs, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, broccoli, red pepper, turkey) topped with balsalmic vinagrette

--Total Water for the day = 108 oz.

Comments: 

Not a bad day considering it was Labor Day with lots of people out at the lake.  I had too many nuts throughout the day, and should have been better prepared in town after my ride for protein immediate afterwards.  We went out for dinner and made a great choice with a salad and turkey.  After dinner everyone went out to dessert to Chico's infamous Jon and Bon's frozen yogurt shop and I said NO!  It was hard since it's my FAVORITE, but you always feel WAY better when you make healthy decisions!