Diana's Blog

This is very important to me! I was always frustrated with the lack of time for creative cooking when I was working, commuting and training full-time. Right now I have a little more "open time," as well as a good-sized kitchen...ooohh, the luxury. Got to savor it while it lasts!

In the process of trying out new, fun recipes (like Vietnamese clay-pot fish, which we *love* to order when we get down to Saigon On Fifth in Hillcrest), I've entered a few recipe contests. I mean, why not? I haven't won yet, but Contessa was kind enough to send me about $30 worth of free product coupons - for frozen shrimp, which I use all the time. Extra bonus, we get to eat the stuff I've made!

This is the Vietnamese Shrimp Salad (minus the requisite shredded cabbage) that scored me the free product:

A couple of weeks ago, feeling stuck and unsure of which step to take next in my transition to a career in fitness and wellness, I happened upon an article in the Perform Better e-newsletter. Todd Durkin had contributed an article on holiday gift ideas for clients; and under his photo were the words,

3 Day Mentorship
with Todd Durkin at
Fitness Quest 10
San Diego, CA
Dec. 10-12, 2008
"Transform Your Business"

I clicked, read, slept on the ROI of the workshop fee, and then signed up. I now feel this was one of the best things I've done in my working life (right after quitting my office job so I could better my own health and realize a dream of a completely different way to work).

Fitness Quest 10 is the result of Todd Durkin's vision, along with a lot of sweat, passion, commitment and teamwork. He drives several different programs and workshops for fitness professionals; this one dropped into my inbox at exactly the right moment. Best known for training pro athletes like LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees, FQ10 also trains regular people, and offers a superlative source of scientific, business-related, and motivational/spiritual material for those with lofty athetic or business-oriented goals.

We actually got to observe (closely!) some of the pro workouts...you'll probably not see a harder gym workout, ever. By "harder" I don't mean "lifting tons of weight," though weight does get lifted (or dragged, or pulled, you-name-it), I mean a grueling, rapid-fire menu of core strength, power, functional strength, muscular endurance and speed work that would make the fainter-of-heart lose lunch or at least pass out. (See a video sample of LT's workout.) Every move has a purpose, though - sessions are carefully crafted to maximize the athlete's time, effort and performance.

Todd, Strength and Conditioning Director Ryan Rogers, and Biz Manager Julie Wilcox put together a truly excellent group of fitness "mentors" - people who had created fitness businesses of their own, and/or were looking to expand; and people who were on the path to more fitness work (such as myself). It has been forever (if ever!) since I encountered such an intelligent, high-integrity, sharing and excellent group of people.

Describing the program would take more than one entry...but along with tons of valuable business and technical information, I got a huge dose of the power of vision and positive mindset. In corporate software and everywhere, really, negativity is rampant. "Can't do it, not enough time, too tired, not enough money, don't feel good, just can't." Long-term exposure to this culture really had beaten me down, setting off more of the negative processes in my mind and body. But - not only do I have the choice and the nature to be positive and feel better, I have the power to help other people feel better and more motivated, too.

Todd's focus is not just excellence in fitness training or athletic performance; it's a total mindset. How gratified was I to see a former athlete and business superstar take the importance of mind/body connection and continual learning to heart, and then disperse his knowledge for others' benefit?

If I can be just a fraction of the positive influence Todd and my fellow mentors have been, I will consider that "success."

As a super-bonus, I also won an autographed copy of Great Quotes from Great Leaders - autographed by the guy who, if he says so, will be the "best who ever played."

So Greg and I (mostly I) have been entering creative contests, as I mentioned in an earlier entry. Well, I actually won one!...Which meant a good chunk of much-needed cash!

I did a creative advertisement for Alka-Seltzer (photo + ad copy), along the lines of a given theme, The Great American Road Trip. I guess Bayer liked it, hooray! It's very exciting to find a flat FedEx envelope on your doorstep, and then a nice check a week later.

Now we've ventured into amateur video too - for an Excedrin contest, and a contest for a Doritos TV commercial for the Super Bowl. (See YouTube for low-quality samples.)

Last week I had my first mammogram. It was really painless, and the tech who did the procedure was very sweet and friendly. Of course I started making jokes, like "Looks like a breast sandwich!" She laughed and said that a lot of joking goes on with this thing.

It really is like a boob sandwich; they place a breast between two plastic plates, to spread out the tissue so the image is more accurate. In the past, I heard other women complaining about the indignity or discomfort, but I didn't find it any big deal. It took about three minutes, and was less uncomfortable than biting down on x-ray cards at the dentist (i.e., e-z!). The cost:benefit ratio is definitely in our favor!

My wish is that mammograms were more readily available; it seems like people who can't afford full healthcare should be able to walk into Planned Parenthood, or any clinic, and get one done. I realize the equipment is $$$$....so even better, we would have more gov't funding go toward making this kind of preventive care happen for everyone, and much less toward missles, bombs, and airplanes. How about that??

For Halloween, Lori, Greg and I caught Jason Mraz at SDSU's Open Air Theatre. While I am not certifiably obsessed with Jason Mraz like Lori is, I am always SO impressed by his musicianship, performance abilities, and general message/philosophy. The guy is a musical phenom, and surrounds himself with the like (Toca Rivera, his oft-percussionist, Lisa Hannigan, etc.).

Lori and I used to hear Jason at Java Joe's, when he was just getting started in San Diego. What a treat to see him with huge global popularity now! Apparently he lives in Fallbrook, and has his own avocado grove.

I love having Lori for a visit. She's somewhat ADD-like, but she's really cool and talented, and I'm so lucky to have her.

As I gradually ramp up my work as a personal trainer, I find one of the most misunderstood things is how to stretch - and more important, how NOT to stretch! Many of us learned to stretch in the '80s and '90s, when coaches and workout instructors had us sitting like pretzels seemingly for eons, and then jumping up suddenly and blasting across a field (or pool, or whatever). Ouch! I always felt my muscles were sluggish and even fatigued during this process, until I warmed up into a movement pattern. I thought this was just because I'm the slow-twitch type.

...Alas, my body was right; the coaches were wrong! Most traditional, sustained stretching should NOT be done before a workout - only afterwards.

The New York Times explains static (or sustained) versus dynamic stretching, and why you should do static stretching pre-exercise.

While this article is excellent and accurate, it's only a partial truth; it does not mention functional stretching, or describe in detail all the various types of stretching. For a more rounded perspective, see my article on the various types of stretching, and benefits/drawbacks of each. I've included the movement prep series I do before every bike and run session, even before I jog or get on the bike. Of course, each sport or activity has its own lexicon of specific stretches and warm-up movements; a ballet dancer would not do the same warmup a soccer player would!

I'm convinced that I've stayed injury-free and physicall functional largely due to my core strength and movement prep habit. I also suspect that the reason I've been able to pop out and cruise through several half-ironman races this year with about a 50% training level is that I continue to do core strength and movement prep every day, regardless of whether I'm doing a workout. I stretch in bed and on the stairs in the morning, in front of the TV, in the grocery store line, wherever. There are plenty of "dead" minutes to be taken advantage of, if you don't mind looking a little goofy in public sometimes.

Five days out from a major presidential election, and which political controversy seems to be the loudest in CA? -- Proposition 8! I realize this is a highly charged topic, but I have to get a few words out there in response to the chaos.

First, this issue should not even be a political issue - at least, not in this century. Having a law that allows some people to get married, but not others, is discriminatory. Emotion-based discrimination has no place in the law. I don't care what your personal feelings are about gender and sexuality, or whether you're conflicted about your own; these emotions and perceptions are very personal and individual.

Second, the image of "children" used in the pro-Proposition 8 ads and signage is baffling. What do kids at school have to do with legally allowing or disallowing marriage? Regardless of the legal status of same-sex marriage, teachers and parents will continue to teach their kids what they will.

(Why is it that those who would control what others do with their private time and beliefs yell the most, while the more tolerant tend to show respect for personal opinions?)

'Nuff said?

Let's go back to worrying about how the country will be run for the next four years, how we're going to fix our repressed economy and our negative global image, and how we're going to improve our access to healthcare and education in every state.  

Despite the incredible inconsistency (or large absence) of my "training" this year, I decided to do one last triathlon. I knew I had endurance to finish, but what with the sesaon's various medical experiments, I had no expectations. I'd always wanted to do the SOMA Half Ironman, and it fit in with our plans to visit family in AZ.

Near the end of the ride, I saw that my bike time was surprisingly faster than anticipated (and no, I do not, on principle, draft off faster riders on the bike, like many athletes are wont to do!), so I snapped into a more competitive mode.

The first couple miles of the run always feel horrible. So I detach and let my mind spin through its negative-thought cycle, and move my feet. At mile 3 I warmed up, and suddenly I was running almost like I had at Santa Barbara - i.e., at a more respectable pace! No heart-rate or hydration problems - cool. So I'm hurting but motivated, when I see, instead of mile marker 6, mile marker 8. What the...??? How did I miss two miles? This is shades of the 2007 Baja 70.3 Debacle!

Both the bike and run courses involved multiple loops, u-turns, and bridge crossings. These are recipes for confusion in endurance sports! The antidote is to study the course beforehand, and to have screamingly obvious markers, and/or volunteers, directing you at every turn. To add to the mix on Sunday, there were two different race distances happening concurrently - meaning a ton of if/then statements. "If you're doing the half and you're on loop 1, turn here. If half and loop 2, turn there. If quarter and loop 1, go here..." Not so complicated in regular life, but the first rule of triathlon is, "Be the rocket, not the rocket scientist" - because all higher-level thinking stops when the blood is in the arms and legs and you're redlining on energy. The bike course was well-marked and well-manned (probably considered a higher priority for safety reasons), but the run was not, unfortunately.

I figured I was FUBAR'd anyway, but I wanted to do the whole distance I'd signed up for...so I doubled back across a bridge and ran against traffic to get in the two miles I'd missed.

Finally I'm coming to the finish around the right time, and I see Greg and Alex standing under the (other) bridge near transition, and I jog by and tell them I got lost...and WHERE'S THE FINISH??? They point toward transition, and I go, following the path and the other runners. --Four minutes later, I'm like, Where the **!?@! is that finish line, and I see I'm only getting farther away from it. I ask another runner if she knows where the finish is, and she points behind her. So I run back and ask more people, and am directed *across a lawn, around two UNMARKED turns* and finally to the finish line.

It's hard to describe the feeling of frustration (and loss of motivation!) when you find you're lost on a course. It has happened to me twice in nine years - is that unusual?? The very high exertion you're putting yourself through only heightens your emotions... And the last thing you want to do after swimming 1.2 (or 1.4 - even this swim course was long!) miles, riding 56, and running 13.1 is RUN ANOTHER MILE. I think now I'm riding the wave of having done triathlon training for almost nine seasons - some kind of endurance seems to be locked in there, even when I'm a slacker. :>

To add some perspective here, I commend Red Rock Co. for the many great aspects of this event - especially the laid-back, downhome feel pre-race, which they somehow maintained while keeping things organized. Tempe in October is warm, yes, but it's also a good race venue, with smooth roads and low humidity. --And Arizona is sunny, sunny, sunny!

(At this point, I'm pretty much jogging when I finally see Greg - do I look as confused as I was? At least I remembered to drink!)

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This past weekend Greg and I drove to Tempe, AZ, did a half-ironman (Greg's version being a solo, 3-hour mountain-bike ride on South Mtn.), visited with his good friend Alex, and then drove to Tuscon to visit with his grandmother, Cecilia. She is 93, yet is completely lucid and impressively mobile. It made me feel a bit sad, though, to see her in an assisted-living home with only 12 other residents, most of whom have Alzheimer's...i.e., there aren't many people to talk to!

Even so, she seems to keep pretty busy, with the structured routine, and motivating herself to take walks twice daily (wow!). It was clear, though, that her own loss of physical abilities and strength were bumming her out. I wished she lived in the same town as I, so I could be her personal trainer - there's no doubt that light resistance work prolongs and even restores strength, especially in seniors!

Her building is nice and clean and surrounds a lovely courtyard, and the staff is very friendly. But the rooms are small and somewhat dark (though there is a mountain view), and residents are gated in (presumably so they don't accidentally wander out and get lost). She did choose the place herself, but my personal suspicion is that her extreme frugality drove the decision. I calculated that she spent her very formative years in the Great Depression - and her sense of thrift is obvious.

The funny thing is, these locked gates are adjoined by a low, stone wall - low enough that I could push up slightly and swing my legs over it. It occurred to me later that many people see a wall, a fence, or a lock, and see the obstacle. The first thing I see is how to get past it. (Does that make me a good potential thief?) It's a good thing that I do have a strong sense of conscientiousness... ;>

It was very nice to see her; and I know she was delighted to have company, and especially to see Grandson Greg! 

Dad had his carotid artery un-blocked the other day. Apparently it's like doing a Roto-Rooter job on the artery that feeds blood to the brain. 

He didn't say outright that he was scared, but in reference to the odds of stroke or even death during this procedure, he said things like, "I wouldn't want to get on an airplane with those odds of crashing." He also took his prized Smothers Brothers records to the duplication shop, to have copies made for Lori and me; then he made my mom write down where to go pick them up when they were done. He also made sure he voted; when I called last weekend, he was studiously attacking the masses of circular information surrounding each proposition.

(Aside: I would have to agree that voting is up there on the priority list! If you're the progressive-minded sort, you might find the Courage Campaign's voter guide handy; it presents the positions of several environmental and civil rights groups in neat, tabular format.) 

...And he's doing really well. He spent one night in the hospital, and now he has to take it easy at home for several days.

Last week I went up to say Hi before he went under the knife (or plumbing tools, as the case may be). It was an idyllic day in Monterey. That still has to be the best aquarium in the country. You can't really beat that prime piece of - not just oceanfront, but ON-ocean property! We caught several feedings, including the one where the penguins line up like little pears in tuxedos. Sooo cute! (I know their beaks are actually quite sharp, but they *look* adorable.)

Hooray for Dad!!!