Conquer Your Fears Part II

I grew up skiing like most people I know. Having been born in Sweden, my parents had me on the slopes at an early age, and then growing up in LA just a few hours from the mountains, it was always easy to squeeze in a ski trip with the family every year or so. I never got past intermediate, but I didn't totally suck and always had fun doing it.

When I was 18, I switched to snowboarding. Later that year I had ACL reconstructive surgery (where they also removed 40% of my meniscus), which I recovered from nicely. Over the next 12 years I snowboarded occasionally, but never often enough to actually get good. It didn't matter--I loved it. Would I ever go back to skiing? Meh. Maybe. Maybe not. I sort of decided that skiing was too dangerous for my knees. At least that's the excuse I clung to for years. 

After Thanksgiving last week, I was looking forward to a free weekend with no plans, no challenges, and no steps outside my comfort zone. Then I got a text message early Friday afternoon saying, "Want to go to Tahoe this weekend?" 

Sweet! I thought. I love Tahoe. That'll be fun. Two seconds later, I felt my gut seize up and a wave of anxiety wash over me. What the...?

Nevertheless, I said yes immediately and went about my day, but couldn't shake the anxiety that had settled in. What was I afraid of? Sure, I haven't snowboarded in two years, but it'll be fine. I'm not great at it, but I always get down ok. Everyone else will be much faster than me! No, that wasn't it. I don't care if they go off on their own and I take my time on the easier slopes and work on my not-so-elegant technique. 

So why was I stressing out? I started coming up with excuses to get out of the snowy portion of the trip. My achilles! I shouldn't risk exacerbating my tendonitis! I'm broke; I shouldn't spend money on rentals and lift tickets! 

Then it hit me: I'm scared to ski again. But... I don't have to ski. I can snowboard. Well, apparently not because something in my head was poking at me saying, "You have to ski." 

As I've said before,  I'm a huge proponent of facing and conquering one's fears. Do one thing a day that scares you and all that. Crap. This was one of those things. 

So I headed to Sports Basement Friday afternoon and rented skis. And went to Tahoe. I buzzed with a mild undercurrent of nerves and anticipation until Saturday morning arrived. Bundled up in my ski gear I actually started to relax. As soon as I snapped into the bindings, I felt even more at ease. By the time I got off the lift it was almost like I was stopping by an old apartment that used to feel like home. 

Down the slopes I went and it all came rushing back to me. It didn't even matter that it snowed all day and the visibility was low because the powder was so soft and welcoming. Turns out that getting back on skis after 12 years was just like everyone said it would be: like riding a bike. 

Guess it's time to start looking for bigger, scarier fears to conquer. 

Run, Swim, Yoga, Run, Sleep.

Body. So. Tired. Today was one of those awesomely ridiculous days of non-stop activity.

I love Tuesdays - they're my favorite day of the week. Historically, Tuesdays have just been good days so now I wake up expecting every Tuesday to be terrific and, hence, it is.

After running with my 6am client for 45 minutes (pretty good for a still rehabbing achilles), I had that post run high going and the temperature was nice, so clearly it was time for a swim! There was just enough time for one good lap.

Aquatic park was especially lovely this morning and the sun started peaking out over the hill right as I took the first few strokes. The only negative was that I left my swim cap and goggles on the roof of my car as I drove away. Oops!

Come noon it was time for another Vinyasa Flow class at Yogaworks with Pete. See this post for reasons why he is awesome. I was sweating my face off today. Afterward, my hips felt like they had been removed, tuned up, oiled, and put back on.

Then, this afternoon I had my session with Alhaji, which consisted of running down toward the bridge, him disappearing and me not realizing he was gone till I got to the warming hut, where I turned around and headed back, for a total of about 4 miles. But that, apparently, was the point.


Going to sleep like a baby tonight.

Conquer Your Fears

Recently I was looking at a Lululemon bag and felt like the "Do one thing a day that scares you" part of the mission statement was smirking at me.

Sure, I take risks. You know, like, really small, manageable, calculated risks. Does that not count?

On Monday I showed up at the Sutro Baths, mountain bike in tow, and met up with Alhaji. He doesn't talk much at the start of our sessions and I never know what we're going to do, so I just got my bike ready and waited.

When he was almost done putting on his big full-coverage helmet, ski goggles, and shin guards he looked at me and said "Welcome to conquer your fears day."

Shit.

We spent the next few hours riding down stairs, crazy steep (in my opinion) hills, and going off of small jumps and the like in Golden Gate park. While my first few descents were not exactly glamorous, I was beyond elated to have faced my fears and actually done it.

There was one hill in particular that I first encountered a month or so ago. I, of course, balked and walked down the stairs beside it. This time I had a feeling that wouldn't be an option.

I stopped short at the top, froze and shook my head silently. He sweetly but firmly chided me from below and I realized I had no choice but to give it a shot.

So I did.

I was on the verge of tears when I made it down, realizing not only that it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be, but also that it feels SO good to actually face your fears and just do it. I've spent most of my life finding ways to get out of facing my fears. Holy crap.  He nodded his head and said "Can I have a hug now?"

After that I started getting comfortable. Instead of cussing all the way down the hills, I replaced my profanity with a new mantra: "I am comfortable. I am confidant. I'm a badass!"

Several hours and only one small fall later I went home with a new sense of accomplishment and courage that I now want to seek out on a more regular basis.

In fact, I sought it out again today. My brand new road bike shoes have been sitting, patiently, on my floor since I bought them a week ago. I was absolutely dreading the first attempt at using them and found reason after reason to delay the inevitable. So, today I bit the bullet and strapped them on.

After practicing clipping in and out for 10 minutes in the privacy of my alleyway, I took a deep breath and went out to the sidewalk. Clipped in one foot. Pushed off. Clipped in the other foot and.... voilà! Smooth sailing.

Turns out it was not nearly as hard as I had anticipated. In fact, it wasn't hard at all. So, I rode down to the warming hut and back to make sure I felt comfortable and, I dare say, I think I'm ready to start my new life as a cyclist.

Nike really hit the nail on the head. Just do it.

November Goals: Cycling and Yoga

For the month of November I intend to focus on cycling and yoga. I've gotten fairly good at listening to my body and deciphering what it wants and those are the two things it's craving right now.

Several months ago, I borrowed a road bike from a friend, only to leave it untouched in my hallway, taunting me daily. Today, I finally went to Sports Basement and picked up a pair of Sidi Zephyr cycling shoes, cleats, a patch kit, extra tube, and a floor pump. Now at least I've got the basics. All the fancy spandex will have to wait.

[Sidenote: I've realized that I now officially find men in spandex attractive. It's not such a bad look after all!]

Haven't tried riding with the shoes yet... and I'm dreading those first awkward minutes of trying to clip in and out and not fall off the bike.

My main goal in doing more yoga is to learn to just be still and breath. Probably a good goal for many of us. The style I've done the most of is Bikram (hot) yoga, probably because Global Yoga is a few blocks from my house. Otherwise, I'm essentially a beginner.

Today at noon I went to a Vinyasa Flow class at Yogaworks. It was divine. The teacher, Pete, was super warm. He welcomed me immediately, asked about my yoga background, and told me what to expect in the class.

During the class he was very hands-on which, as person who errs on the side of being way too touchy-feely with people, I thought was great! There is nothing more soothing to me than the human touch, particularly when it's combined with a genuine connection with someone. Pete's gentle hand on your back feels like a wave of calming energy.

Being naturally flexible and pretty strong I found myself rather aggressively trying all the poses and doing pretty darn well (if I may say so myself.) But, toward the end of the class, Pete made a great point: the poses are just the tip of the iceberg. I was basically forgetting to breath, which (for me especially) is kind of the point.

Always come back to your breath. Always come back to your breath. I kept thinking of that Telepopmusik song.

Later in the afternoon, I had my usual training session. One thing I dig about my trainer is that he makes you work most on your weaknesses. One of mine, clearly, is agility. He's attempting to get me to think and move more like an athlete. We did some footwork, box jumps, and kettlebell stuff. Oh, and we're also working on bar muscle-ups! So. Hard.

It felt great to fit two very different workouts in today. And the achilles is feeling pretty good actually. I'm cautiously optimistic!

Skewerless in Pacifica

Alhaji told me to bring my bike in my car today. As I pulled up to our usual meeting spot, he drove by and waved. Dutifully, I followed. Twenty minutes later we were cruising through Diamond Heights and I was starting to wonder where exactly he planned on going for a ride.

This is one of the things I love about our workouts - I never have any idea what to expect.

Soon enough, he pulled into a driveway and out came Eduardo. Eduardo is another client of Alhaji's. Sometimes we work out together.

Then off we went again and hopped on the freeway. Soon enough we were in Pacifica. Lovely! As I started taking my mountain bike out of the chariot (my Camry), it occurred to me that something was missing. 

Uh, ya. The freakin' skewer. You know, that little quick-release rod that attaches the wheel to the bike? I must have left it on the sidewalk when I dismantled my bike to put it in the car... 

Well, shit. 

I told the boys to go ahead without me. Alhaji said to, instead, get on my fancy phone, find a bike shop, and go buy the missing part. They would wait. Fair enough.

Thirty minutes, $8 and a trip to Daly City later, I came back with a shiny new skewer ready to rumble.

Thankfully, they were patiently tossing a football and didn't seem at all annoyed that I had delayed our ride. For the next couple hours, we biked along the black sand beaches, up into the mountains, up a bunch of trails and then back down again. 

Today's takeaways: 1) I really really like biking, and 2) when you dismantle something, make sure you don't leave any of the parts behind.

Five Chin-Ups!

Since I'm paying $80+/month to belong to Crunch, I try to stop by occasionally. I actually really dig them - good classes, nice facilities, funky vibe. And I think whoever is their copywriter is kind of a genius. Very clever.

This morning I had 45 minutes to kill between clients and classes so I popped in with the intention of just getting in a good sweat on the elliptical machine since I can't run yet and not doing much cardio is driving me nuts.

Well, after a pathetic 12 minutes on the elliptical, I got off because my achilles started yelling at me. With no particular plan in mind, I grabbed an overhead bar and started doing chin-ups. To my surprise, I easily did five!

Since one of my goals is to be able to do 10 pull-ups and I've thus far only made it to three, I was shocked at how easily I banged them out. Chin-ups are usually a little easier for me than pull-ups, but not having practiced them specifically (I usually focus on pull-ups) I was pleasantly surprised. Hoping to hit 10 by the end of October.

And maybe by the end of the year, I'll be able to do 10 of these. Right now I can only do one... So hard!

Moderation vs. The Food Coma

Yesterday I indulged my sweet tooth a number of times. There was an iced molasses cookie and an adorable mini chocolate cream pie from Susie Cakes as well as way too many bowls of Cracklin' Oat Bran. I don't believe in denying yourself the things you love when it comes to food. But I do believe in striving to make the majority of our culinary choices healthy ones. Or at least having moderation as a distant goal.

With yesterday in mind, I thought I'd tip the balance back in that direction with my mid-day meal today. This was my fourth meal of the day, as I'm trying to eat a small one every 2-3 hours. The problem is that some of them end up being not-so-small...

I made a juicer concoction that was a departure from the usual green or purple elixer. It had carrots, fennel, red cabbage, and an orange. And the salad was a simple one this time: greens, red pepper, tomato, blueberries, sunflower seeds, balsamic, chicken. Verdict: Fennel is awesome. But I should have put it in the salad. It was pretty nasty in the juicer.

My challenge when it comes to eating is that although I get inspired and eat pretty healthy much (but definitely not all) of the time, I haven't quite trained myself to stop at that magical "pleasantly satisfied" point. I often keep going and end up in the "holy-crap-food-coma" zone, whether it's a healthy meal or not. And that's no fun. 

I realize that it all comes down to choice. And that no one is making me reach for that fifth bowl of cereal. So, why is it that even if we know we are going to feel like crap after eating that last serving of whatever, we still do it? I find myself, after only a moment's hesitation, saying "F it!" and going for it. 

Some people assume that those of us who "work out for a living" can eat whatever we want. Ha - I wish! Athletes who are competing or training on an elite level have a whole different set of needs when it comes to nutrition obviously. I can't speak to that. I'm not there yet.

However, for people like me who are active all day and also happen to love good food, it's no cakewalk. Being active all day also makes me hungry all day. Sure I make super healthy salads a couple times a week and am obsessed with my juicer. That doesn't mean I don't cave and eat crap just as often. 

My biggest weakness right now is cheese. Well, and pastries. Especially of the chocolate croissant variety. Actually any kind of dairy. Like the plain tart frozen yogurt from Tuttimelon. I like it with granola.

Oh well. It's a journey, right? Sometimes moderation wins the battle. And sometimes the food coma wins the battle. I guess the important point is who is winning the war. 

Posture: Stand Tall and Be Proud

Today I went to the 6am and 7am Basic Training classes to work out, since I wasn't teaching. Michael Krick and Michael Medeiros gave us a great Lyon St. stairs workout with tons of tough shoulder stuff.

Among the many plank and push-up variations we did, holding a push-up position with your feet flat again a wall is a new favorite of mine. There were wood choppers and wrestler drills, some band work and of course lots of stairs.

Sadly, I didn't participate in much of the stair climbage other than walking them gently a few times. This whole not running thing is getting pretty old. The achilles is healing nicely, but man I miss running! Other types of cardio are just not as satisfying. Exercising patience...

After the classes, several of the instructors got to talking about people's form and how important it is to constantly correct form and encourage good posture. As Jenn Pattee pointed out, "if someone doesn't have good posture when they're walking, how can you expect them to have good form when they're tired and lifting something heavy?"

That got me thinking. I know good posture is important. We all know that. But why? What are the compelling reasons that will motivate us to really work on correcting our posture? Let's take a look.

The Cleveland Clinic has a good breakdown:

• Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly
• Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis
• Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together
• Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions
• Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy
• Prevents backache and muscular pain
• Contributes to a good appearance

I chuckle at the last one, but at the same time acknowledge how true it is. Good posture makes a HUGE difference in how confident, attractive, and healthy a person looks. 

Below are the most common departures from good posture. When I see people out and about with really poor posture I desperately want to gently place my hands on their shoulders, tell them to stand up straight and maybe send them to my chiropractor.

So hey, if you see me slouching, tell me! Put your hands on my shoulders and give me a playful reminder. Let's help each other stand up straighter and hold our bodies the way they were meant to be held so they can function properly and do all the amazing things they are capable of if we just treat them with a little respect.

Stand tall and be proud of who you are. After all, there is no one like you and you need to embrace just how rad you are. Own it.

Control Your Body. Be an Athlete.

I discovered yet another weakness during my workout with Alhaji today. We did some exercises that involved bounce-passing or tossing a medicine ball on the grass. It doesn't bounce particularly well and its surface is deceptively smooth so it's quite hard to catch. After watching me fumble around awkwardly for a while, he said "control your body." 

This was a poignant comment for me, not just for during physical training but for my day-to-day life as well. Lately I've been thinking that I need to slow down, focus, do one thing at a time and do it well. I think many of you can relate, yes? Sometimes I get so excited and/or motivated that I try to multitask to the point where I can't possibly do any of the things I'm doing well.

At one point we were sitting in a circle with our feet off the ground tossing the ball around. It takes a lot of abs to maneuver in that position as it turns out. After watching me get hit by the ball a few times when I missed it, Alhaji said "Be an athlete. Move your legs." Oh. Right. Funny how sometimes even the simplest solutions don't come to us during times of duress (like when heavy things are being thrown at you.)

Remembering that I am quite capable of being a coordinated and even graceful person, at least with things like dancing or running, I decided to shift my thinking and, well, be an athlete. Move like an athlete. Think like an athlete. Quick feet, mind sharp, always watching what's going on around me. Ready for anything. 

It's about being present in the moment I think. And learning to trust your body. 

Performance Evaluation at UCSF

The day before I turned 30 I went to the UCSF Human Performance Center to do a "Performance Evaluation," figuring it would be an interesting way to find out where I currently stand, athletically speaking. It felt symbolic, given my entering not only a new decade but also a new chapter of my life, where I am focusing on fitness both professionally and as a lifestyle.

The last time I was in really good shape--as far as true athleticism goes--was back in high school cross country. Let's just say that in the 10 years since then I haven't exactly maintained that level of fitness. As I slowly ease back into the world of real training, I am interested to see how my now 30-year old body reacts to the challenge.

The rest of this post gets a little nerdy. If you'd rather watch a super coordinated dude do crazy drills on a treadmill, click here.

Disclaimer: I only have a rudimentary understanding of all this stuff and am excited to be learning more about it, but am by no means an expert or anywhere near it.

Body Composition

The first segment of the performance evaluation tested my body composition. Based on a weight of 152 lbs. and height of 69.5 inches, my BMI was 22.2, which falls squarely into the middle of the "normal" category. Cool.

Next up is body fat percentage, which ended up at 18.8%. Specifically, that's 28.61 lbs of fat mass and 123.81 lbs. of fat free mass. That puts me into the category called "underfat," which is sort of a weird classification. I have decided to rename it "sporty spice." (The categories are obese, overfat, healthy, and underfat.)

Lactate Threshold

For this test, they had me run on a treadmill. Every 3 minutes they took some blood, requested my RPE (rate of perceived exertion), then increased the pace. During this test they are looking for your lactate threshold, which is the point at which lactic acid begins to accumulate. It is sometimes called the anaerobic threshold or onset of blood lactic acid (OBLA).

Mine was somewhere around a heart rate of 175, while doing an 8-minute mile pace with an RPE of 16-17. On the graph, it's the spot where there is the largest jump between dots, in between RPE 16-17 and HR 175.

And here we've got the jump happening as I dip under the 8-min mile point. It's interesting to see because my HR was increasing at a very even pace, as was my RPE and then the BL makes that obvious jump. Voila! Lactate threshold.

So what's the point? Well, the threshold is a function of both genetics and effective training, so it's a valuable tool to measure fitness, and especially distance running performance. Training at the threshold has been found to improve performance and the capacity of the aerobic system. It's where some of the magic happens.

VO2 Max

Next up, they measured my VO2 Max, or maximal oxygen uptake. They did this by keeping me at a steady pace (10-min mile), but increasing the elevation of the treadmill until I was a big blubbering panting mess. Oh, and did I mention I was wearing a sexy snorkeling-type mouthpiece attached to a tube that I had to breath through so they could collect the data? And that it makes you slobber uncontrollably? Ya. It was awesome.

VO2 max is particularly useful in predicting the potential of an athlete when it comes to endurance-oriented activities. My VO2 max was 50 ml/kg/min. That puts me in the "high" category on the VO2 norms chart. I'll need to step it up another few points to get into the "athletic" or "olympic" categories, apparently. My "VO2 at threshold" was 46.3, which just barely falls into the "athletic" group... So you're tellin' me there's a chance. Ya!
 

.

Btw, have you ever tried running with your nose plugged? Not comfortable. Nor flattering.

By now, I'm sure some of you have decided you want to go subject yourselves to this kind of testing. I highly recommend it if you want to gain a better understanding of your body and its potential, and especially if your training could benefit from these kinds of tools. Contact my friend, Joe Smith, at the Performance Center. He'll take good care of you. Tell him I say hi. And that he better not tell anyone what songs I had on my motivational playlist during the test.

Presidio Ride & Lyon St. Stairs

Today was going to be a rest day, but by the afternoon I was so restless and antsy that I realized I need to get out and sweat.

That's part of my fitness philosophy: SWEAT EVERY DAY.

Without any real plan in mind, I hopped on my bike and headed to the Presidio. It seemed like there was a wedding reception or cocktail party happening in every other building, which made me feel sort of anti-social for spending the entire day alone and knowing my night would be the same. But, that's exactly how I wanted it. Once I was warmed up and getting going, it felt great to be out riding in the mist.

After an easy 30 minutes on the bike, I stopped at the Lyon St. stairs and spent about 20 minutes doing a lot of stretching, some easy stair repeats (slow jog or walking) to gently test out Mr. Achilles, squats and incline pushups. I had no intention of doing anything hard - just wanted to sweat and get my joints moving.

That's another part of my fitness philosophy: JOINT MOBILITY. Rotate, rotate, rotate. Several times a day too, not just before you exercise.

Ultimately, I'm really glad I worked out, even though it was super mellow. It's amazing how much better you feel after even a little bit of moderate exercise.

Balance, Fireman's Carry, and 19-pack Abs

My entire upper body, especially the lats, have been sore all week. And practicing pull-ups with a student after the 8:30am class yesterday made them hurt even more. Thanks for spotting me, Danny!

Luckily when I met with Alhaji today, he totally ignored the pull-up bars. Today we focused on gently testing out my healing achilles and starting to jog. In between easy laps on the grass, we did a variety of resistance band exercises that killed my shoulders and abs. He likes to mess with the band while you're pulling it, which forces you to concentrate and balance.

At one point I was squatting while holding this bar attached to a resistance band and started to lose my balance. It occurred to me that if I let go of the bar it would whiplash back at him and probably smack him in the face. So I hung on to it desperately and ended up toppling over while still clinging to the bar. Pretty sure it looked like a humanoid version of cow tipping. Not that anyone was watching. It's the Marina green. No one works out there.

I'm finally starting to appreciate just how important balance is. As a person who has lived with clumsiness her entire life, I've become accustomed to constant bruises and minor accidents. But the more I work on agility, coordination, balance, posture, other mind-body awareness skills, the more respect I have for their benefits.

During our workout, we started chatting with a dude nearby who is preparing to enter the Marine Corps in October. Alhaji made him carry me across the field in a fireman's carry (see photo below for example), which was great! Then he made him carry him across the field. The poor guy was struggling. I like outdoor workouts that incorporate elements from the surrounding environment. Like future Marines.

Today we also did a lot of abs, since apparently one of my goals is to have a 19-pack. There was lots of sitting on my ass with my feet up off the ground while a 12 lb. medicine ball was being flung at me from different directions. I kept trying to nail Alhaji in the face with it, but my dead arms could barely manage a weak little toss most of the time.

Another nearly impossible exercise for me is when you hang from a bar and lift your legs straight up in front of you. Since I want to be able to do pull-ups with my legs in the L-shape, it's an obvious intermediary step. My legs are starting to grasp the concept, but so far their execution is laughable.

Another challenge I've discovered: my girly hands. Don't be mistaken, they're anything but dainty. I didn't earn the nickname "Alien Fingers" for nothing. I have freakishly long fingers and strong hands, but apparently the delicate palm skin of a newborn. Long before my arms or shoulders give out, my hands throw up the white flag. I'm assuming they'll toughen up soon enough though. I've already got some baby calluses forming. And one big fat blister. Hot.

Alhaji also gave me a new directive today, which I shall attempt to follow: I can only drink one night per week. Yikes, that's going to be a tough one. But I am serious about training, so I may as well do it right, right? Cheers!

Less Coffee = More Juice?

I love coffee. But mint.com has been yelling at me lately for spending too much money in coffeeshops. So I'm taking a break. Not sure for how long. A week? A month? We'll see.

In the meantime, I thought I would experiment and see if drinking less coffee might result in drinking more juice? Instead of coffee first thing in the morning, I'm starting with a big glass of Odwalla orange juice. If I don't drink coffee (which usually means a vanilla latte or some sort of iced sugary deliciousness), I am also much less likely to go the pastry route and be inspired to go the produce route, as it turns out.

Today I whipped up a little concoction in my Breville juicer consisting of Swiss chard, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cucumber, parsnips, and red cabbage. While I love juicing because it helps me consume produce I wouldn't normally buy and prepare, I know it's good for you to actually eat the vegetable and not just drink the juice because eating roughage is like brushing the insides of your intestines clean. My answer to this is to eat a few bites of everything I juice. That means eating raw asparagus, parsnips, brussel sprouts etc too. And they are surprisingly tasty raw!

To complement the green-stuff-in-a-cup, I made a simple salad with greens, roma tomatoes, sunflower seeds, apple, balsamic, flaxseed, and brewer's yeast. Feels light, satisfying, and healthy and like it might make up for the obscene amounts of cheese I ate last night at Sara's darling garden party.

Mountain Biking Around the City

Today was my fourth session with my new trainer, Alhaji Turay. After spotting him by the marina green monkey bars while teaching boot camp recently, I was sold. It didn't take much convincing before Basic Training founder Jennifer Pattee and I both decided to work with him three times a week. Holy crap.

The first three days introduced us to a bunch of challenging moves focused on power, as well as some agility drills. Turns out I kind of suck at the fast, agility-focused, quick footing type of stuff. Can't say I'm surprised. Master P over here is actually just a big clumsy white girl tryin to be a ninja. Some things just don't come naturally to my kind.

As long as we're complaining... I'm nursing a little case of achilles tendinitis right now. Really frustrating!! Fortunately, with the help of Dr. Robert Minkowsky and his combination of cold laser therapy and skin rolling (along with lots of resting and stretching, and wearing my super sexy Thermoskin plantar fasciitis sock at night), it's gotten way better. I've now started jogging gently on it. Yay!

Anyway. Today with Alhaji was entirely different. I met him and Jenn at 12:30pm with my mountain bike expecting an hour of hill repeats and resistance training or something like that. Not so much. After destroying the pull-up bars (one of my goals is to be able to do 10 pull-ups so he's got me working hard on those) and some of the other wooden equipment there for a bit, the next three hours were spent biking through the presidio, past Lincoln Park golf course, out to ocean beach, back through Golden Gate park, and finally back to the marina green. 

Along the way, there was a lot of riding through bumpy grass and on trails. At one point we were running and attempting (but usually failing miserably) to jump and climb over the big brick walls by the St. Francis Yacht club (it was low tide), and another time we stopped to do bunny hops and backwards bear crawls up a steep grassy hill. 

I am now mushy-legged, mud-spattered, and totally stoked after an unexpectedly long and tough beating.  Much to my own surprise, I'm also starting to wonder if I'm actually a biker and not a runner. As much as I heart running (even when I'm injured and not allowed to do it, grrrrr) there is something so care free and exhilerating about riding that I'm falling for it rapidly. Road biking vs. mountain biking? Jury's still out. So far it's a tie.