COACH CYNDEE

Last weekend I went to California to compete in the Strawberry Fields Olympic Triathlon.  It is in Oxnard,CA just North of LA.  We left Saturday with the race being on Sunday.  I did this race last year and loved the flat, fast course.  I wanted to beat my last year time of 2:22.  This is not one of my "A" races this year so I did not put a lot of pressure on myself.  The weather and water conditions were going to be great.  Last year the ocean was a little rough and the water was really cold.  This year 1 foot swells was all that we had and water temp. was great.  Just a little wind for the bike and that was it.  This bike course is super flat and only 24 miles.  Last year I did the bike course in 1:01 and this year I did it in 58 minutes!  I got caught up in competing with two others on the race course.  Let me be clear......this is usually not something ANYONE should do.  You need to always race your own...

I must admit I am a person who trains a lot by myself when I am training for a long event like an Ironman.  Some people seem to prefer to train with other triathletes in a group.  I have always thought whatever works for you is best.  Everyone is different when it comes to what motivates you.  But when you hit a plateau you need to make some changes.  I recently felt this way with my swimming.  I am a good swimmer and love swimming long intervals.  I hate doing anything fast. I do incorporate some speed work into my training but I am not getting any faster.  I even swim with other triathletes to motivate me and push myself.  Last week I decided to go swim with Viva Las Vegas Masters.  This group is made up of some really great swimmers (not just triathletes).  We did a variety of strokes and I really pushed myself in the pool.  I thought I was getting quality swims until I went to swim with them.  We did a variety o...

TOP TEN SUMMER SHAPE-UP TIPS Summer is here and everyone is thinking about getting healthy, fit, and looking great!  Here are some small changes that you can do that will help you look and feel great!  1.        Eat fresh food not processed foods.   Anything that has more than 5 ingredients in the label should be avoided.  2.        Eat small meals throughout the day. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Prepare your meals ahead of time to avoid impulse eating.  3.        Try to get 5 servings from protein a day, 5 vegetables, 1-2 good carbohydrates (this may vary depending on your activity level) and 1 fat. A serving size is about the size of your palm.  If you wait to eat when you are really hungry you waited too long.  When you finish eating you should not be stuffed or really full.  Eat small meals every 2-3 hours.  Planning is the key to su...

Here are some easy things you can do to ensure success with your weight loss goals: Studies show that people that track their food intake have greater success with weight loss.  Track your food intake each day EVEN if you have a bad day!  Use simple phone applications to make it easy.  I like myfitnesspal!  Make sure to pay attention to all indicators not just calories.  Watch things like protein, sugar, fat, sodium, and fiber.  Fiber will keep you feeling full and more satisfied and the goal should be between 20-30 grams a day! Plan your week of meals on Sunday.  Prepare food for several days so you don't grab bad choices at the last minute.  Place each meal in individual containers. Don't have unhealthy food choices in your house and this means even if you have kids.  People often tell me they snack on their kids food sometimes when nothing else is available or because its easy.  Why would you want to feed your childr...

Today was another great day for me.  I am so thankful everyday that I have a job that I love.  I worked training people from 5am to 7am.  Then I had a break so I ran 9-miles on the treadmill.  I had to teach aqua class from 9 to 11.  Then a little break to go home and check on the dogs.  Back to work to teach spin then go for a swim with Michael and Hollie.  After my swim one more client to train then home to the dogs!  I must say that was a good day.  I had people around me that made me laugh.  I have my dogs around everyday to make me smile.  You might ask why I am telling you about my day.  Well my job wasn't always this great.  My life wasn't always this stress-free. I worked in the corporate world for almost 20 years.  I worked in retail as a district manager and supervised at times up to 30 stores.  It did not matter how many hours I worked, there was ALWAYS work to be done.  Lack of sleep and stress...

A week ago I was in the bookstore on a break from work looking for the follow-up book to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  I only went into the bookstore for that book and I saw Chris McCormacks new book, I'm Here To Win.  Chris McCormack is a professional triathlete that recently won Kona in 2010 and also did in 2007. I decided to get the book and check it out.  I am not a huge fan of any professional triathlete in particular but I thought maybe he had something interesting to say.  When I told a few people I bought his book and was going to start reading it they said, "oh he is pretty cocky and full of himself."  I thought, well I am gonna read it and see what he has to say.  I must say it has been a really great book.  He has some great stories about his training in the beginning of his career.  Some of the stories  I have experienced myself even as an age group competitor.  I was amazed to see that even ...

It never fails......I plan a big race a year in advance, train hard for months, the big day finally arrives and the excitement of getting there is amazing.  The joy of finishing almost indescribable.  The feeling lasts for several days and then a week later I find myself restless and ready for something else. I raced at Ironman Texas May 21st, 2011. This was my 5th Ironman to complete.  The best feeling I have had in my life is crossing the finish line at an Ironman.  It is amazing and even better if the race went well like my latest one.  I was stoked and felt like I was in the best shape of my life.  I had my best performance and recovered better and faster than any other Ironman race.  Now its two weeks later and I am already restless without a big event right around the corner.  I have the same feeling I have had after every big event in my training history.  I don't have any big events immediately around the corner and to...