I just finished reading Thrive Fitness, after having read Thrive a couple of months ago.  There is a lot of interesting material here about a whole foods, plant-based diet is the best nutrition plan for anyone, whether you are a beginner athlete or a professional endurance athlete.

I’ve been thinking about whether to recommend just one or the other of these books, but both have different material to offer, so I think folks will benefit from having both books.  Both Thrive and Thrive Fitness provide the basics behind why changing to a whole foods, plant-based nutrition plan has a positive effect on people.  Thrive is more comprehensive in its discussion of the science, which is really great information, although it can be overwhelming if the material is all new to the reader.  The list of recipes in Thrive is also fairly expansive.

Thrive Fitness, on the other hand, spends more time on the exercise part of the equation.  This book includes a well-rounded list of exercises, with how-to photos and good descriptions for how to do the workouts.  This is helpful information for beginning and intermediate athletes.  However, I think that the recipes in Thrive Fitness will be more beneficial to advanced athletes, because a lot of the recipes are for performance sports drinks, gels, and pre- and post-workout food.  Some of these recipes are not appropriate unless you are planning to workout for >90 minutes, so they won’t be too useful for the beginner.  That said, I am really excited about trying some of the homemade gels for my long workouts, because for a long time I have been interested in trying to concoct something in my own kitchen but didn’t really know where to begin.

I’ve tried a few of the other recipes (sports bars, smoothies, cereal) and although I had one massive failure with the yam pancakes which would not cook at all (Brendan, what the heck?) everything else has been tasty so far.  Some of the ingredients have been hard to find, but Whole Foods and Central Market here in Austin have mostly come through for me.

I recommend that y’all check these books out, as they are a worthwhile addition to your library.  Remember that you do not have to become a vegan 100% of the time to reap benefits.  Anyone will benefit from making incremental changes toward better nutrition.

This is worth a look-see. Brendan Brazier, Ironman triathlete and author of Thrive and Thrive Fitness, explains the principles behind the Thrive diet, which is a whole foods, plant-based diet.  I saw Brendan give a talk recently in Austin, and he had a lot of interesting information to share.

Placid Athlete is forming a Spring 2010 triathlon training group in Austin, TX!

This program is geared primarily toward triathlon rookies or those who have been inactive for awhile and want to ease back into a fitness program.

Goal Race(s):

We will be training first for The Rookie Tri, which takes place on May 9, in New Braunfels, at the Texas Ski Ranch. This race is a 300 meter swim, 11 mile bike, and 2 mile run. (Details at http://www.therookietri.com)

An optional extension program is available for those who also want to race in the (longer) Lake Pflugerville Triathlon on June 20. This race is a 500 meter swim, 14 mile bike, 3 mile run. (Details at http://www.lakepflugervilletri.com)

Program Includes:

• A one-time, personalized one-on-one coaching session in swimming, biking, or running – Your choice!
• Coached group workouts Wednesday evenings, and alternating Saturdays
• A weekly training plan
• Nutrition and mental training tips
• Personal attention with access to the coach through email, telephone
• A supportive training environment, new friends, and fun!

Dates:

10-week program’s first session will be on Wed, Mar 3. (Race date May 9)

6-week extension starts week of May 10 (Race date June 20).

Pricing:

10-week Training Program:$265

6-week extension: $155

Participants are responsible for race registration fees and any additional fees, such as park entry or pool fees.

Class is limited to 10 participants.

Contact Suzanne to join the group!

I was flipping through my journal and came across this golden nugget, which I had copied from Skinny Bitch, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.  This is a reminder that in this season of giving, we must not forget to take care of ourselves.  (More later on the importance of training logs/journals…)

“Recognize that anything worth having is worth fighting for.  Good health, vitality, more energy, more confidence, better sex, great abs, a tight ass —- you either want ‘em or you don’t.  You can continue plodding along in your life feeling like you’re not living up to your glorious potential or you can dedicate yourself to creating the life you want.  F—k excuses about not having the time or the money.  You spend 40 hours a week working, or more if you’re a full-time mom. Certainly your health and your body and you are more important than anything else in your life.  You are worthless to your colleagues, friends, and family if you do not value yourself enough to take excellent care of you. Yes, you have to put yourself before your friends, parents, boyfriend, husband, and even your children.  It won’t make you a bad daughter or wife or mother; it will make you a less resentful, more confident, interesting, beautiful, patient, tolerant, and fun person to be around.  Your bright, shining light will give everyone around you the permission and inspiration to shine more brightly.  Love yourself enough to do whatever it takes to be the best you you can be.”

You should definitely spend some time getting to know your city better via your bike!  It is fun to explore neighborhoods and find alternate routes.  One really fun way to do this is to participate in one of the Urban Assault Rides if you are lucky enough to live in a city that hosts one.  These are really fun events where you ride from check point to check point (in any order you choose) and the main objective is to help people discover the city on bike, and become more open to the possibilities associated with cycling in the city.

In 2010, the following U.S. cities will have Urban Assault Rides:

• Tucson, AZ
• Berkeley, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Charlotte, NC
• Austin, TX
• Fort Collins, CO
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• St. Louis, MO
• Madison, WI
• Chicago, IL
• Minneapolis, MN

I’ve given you some pointers on bike commuting, with a focus on getting to work at a corporate job.  Remember, though, you can benefit from riding your bike for other purposes as well.  Most car trips are actually very short – maybe you go over to a friend’s house frequently, or to the grocery store, or to the local library or video rental store.  You can replace these car trips with bike trips, too.  No need to limit yourself to getting to and from work!

Here are a few key safety tips to keep in mind when commuting by bicycle.

The laws of physics always override the laws of the people.

In other words, even if you have the right-of-way, if you are cycling and get hit by a car, you lose.  It is never the other way around!  So the key take-away here is to ride defensively.  Always assume that if there is something dumb that driver might do to put you in danger, they will do it.  Always assume that even if you are wearing neon yellow and have lights a-blazing, you can’t be seen.  It is your job to avoid getting hurt.  Trust me on this.  Every time I see a white Suburban I am reminded of that driver’s traffic ticket and my broken nose!

Try to be visible.

Notwithstanding the above, wearing bright and/or reflective clothing is a good plan, and  front and rear lights are essential equipment for riding in the dark.  Even if you should assume you won’t be seen, try your best to make sure that you are.

Drivers will forget about you once they pass you and/or they will often misjudge how fast they are going relative to you.

The following happens ALL THE TIME:  I’m cruising along at the side of the road, and a car passes me.  Then immediately, they turn to the right, and right in front of me, at the next intersection.  As noted above, invariably they either have (already!) forgotten I am there, or else they think that I must be going wayyyyyy slower than I really am, so I have to jump on the brakes or else I will ram into them as they slow for the right turn.

Similarly, when approaching from the opposite direction, drivers will also misjudge how fast a cyclist is approaching, and they may turn right in front of you across your lane.  You have the right of way, but no matter – you will have to brake to avoid hitting them.

It is a good practice to follow traffic laws.

Cyclists have a bad reputation for just blatantly running stop lights, and with good reason.  However, this kind of behavior just fuels road rage against cyclists, which is neither good for you nor for me.  Besides that, there is a benefit to having some predictability among drivers and cyclists.  You can’t read their minds, and they can’t read yours.  Therefore, if you signal your intentions with proper hand signals, stop when you are supposed to, and everyone follows the rules, then you have a lower risk of having an accident.  (However, I recognize that sometimes traffic signals will not “trigger” with a bike, so if it is early morning or late at night and that red light is never going to turn green, then you are just going to have to go on your way when the coast is clear.  Use good judgment.)

Even parked cars can be dangerous.

I’ve actually known more than one person to be riding along and just smack right into a parked car. One guy I know broke his wrist, which of course meant no riding for at least 6 weeks while he was in a cast.  He was just yakking and didn’t notice the car was there.

Other cars may be dangerous in a different way.  This is more of an issue in urban areas where cars are moving in and out of parallel parking spaces, but you could get hit either 1) from someone suddenly pulling out of a parking spot as you ride past, or 2) by someone swinging a car door open suddenly.  Always be on the lookout for drivers in parked cars; when approaching from behind, look through the back windshield to see if someone is in the car.  If so, slow down, and assume that anything could happen, including but not limited to either of the two above scenarios.  Be vigilant and keep your distance.

Helmets aren’t just for small children learning to ride.

Okay, it goes without saying that you are free to do what you want here, but I am going to wear a helmet whenever I ride, no exceptions.  My kids need their mom, not a “vegetable.”  I make my kids wear helmets, too — no exceptions.  And please, if you are going to make your kids wear helmets, don’t be one of those parents who then doesn’t wear a helmet when out on a family ride.  Sheesh, set a good example!   Why should your kid wear a helmet when you don’t?

Mark your calendars and set your DVRs!  Watch Chrissie Wellington ride to a new Ironman record!

Reblogging this video to provide some inspiration for everyone!  Check out these awesome ladies!

ellehcimhael:

Crossfit women!