Memorial day

What a handsome son I have huh? And oh so happy! Thats because he just got an injection of morphine in his rear end!

Memorial Day weekend, we had the annual Bay Area Super Series, a three day long lacrosse tournament. 40 teams playing, some from Canada and Los Angeles. I organized the varsity team last year and they won the gold! I organized another team this year too. 

It's a lot cheaper for the players if someone does the "organizing", I pay the one entrance fee, then each player pays me, divided equally by number of players. It came out to less than half of the cost per player!

We started with a huge team and it grew. Every few days I would get an email "Yo Mrs. Wilce- Can I be on your team?" cute huh?

Saturday was two field lacrosse games outdoors in Morgan Hill, David and I did a little wine tasting in between games. 

Sunday was three indoor games at the Silvercreek Sportplex, we won all five! Monday would be the championship playoffs.

The game started at 11:00, and at 11:10 I see Cooper running off the field, hand held high, something was wrong. David went to see, I stayed behind and when I saw their faces coming toward me I could tell. 

As Cooper came close I could see the bone of his right index finger protruding from the skin, and thick, red blood everywhere. There was no trainer, we got in the cars and drove to the hospital as fast as possible. David and Cooper arrived before me even though I was driving 90 miles an hour, and I saw the car by the ER entrance as I pulled in. He was already admitted and in a bed.

Cooper was laying there, his whole body shaking in pain, I started getting a bit angry at the staff- he needs pain medication. Only a mother will know what I went through watching this. The pain and frustration start to turn to a smoldering volcano that cannot and will not be contained. 

It took a half hour before they gave him morphine, they had to get a plastic surgeon who specializes in hands to see if there was nerve damage first.

The doctor was very funny, gave him numbing injections and told jokes, he also told us he had been in a refugee camp for three years when he was a child, so he graduated from high school late.

The bone had pushed the nail out of the skin at the top, it was still attached near the tip. He said it was not shattered, that was good. David was showing signs of becoming a second patient, so he suggested that he leave. I stayed and watched the procedure.

He cleaned it all up, and put everything back where it goes, it was starting to look somewhat normal. He explained he would stitch the nail onto the skin, it would protect the sensitive nail bed as it healed.

He started stitching and stitching. He says "Looks like Mom lifts a lot of weights!". 

Mom "yes I do"

Doc "Do you compete? Are you a bodybuilder?"

Mom "Yes I compete in Figure, not Bodybuilding"

We discuss the differences as he continues stitching, 25 or so stitches later, he has sewed dark thread all around the perimeter of the nail. Looks kind of like Frankenstein's hands must look.

Funny- no matter where I go people ask me about my muscles. And I never think I have enough muscles- even now I think I look kind of "puny", so you can see how easy it is to get a skewed self image when you are into this type of thing. It seems odd when I think about it, yet it is a normal re-occurring conversation in my day to day life. I guess I should be proud- not on a diet and not competing and yet people still comment about my physique. 

I left the room a few times to give David an update. Cooper then had an x-ray. I told him we could take his protective cup off, but he wouldn't have anyone helping him with it! 

A couple buddies form the team came in, they brought him his championship t-shirt, they won the gold again! (They brought a flower too.)

Cooper won't be able to use his hand for 6 weeks, his Canada tour playing lacrosse is now out of the picture. I have worked to find another family to buy our airline seats on the charter flight.

His tournament in July? Might be impossible, we need to wait and see.

Injuries are a part of sport, a part of life. If you stayed home and watched TV, you might never break anything, but you would probably be fat and end up with heart disease or diabetes.

I made him what he requested, spaghetti and meat balls. David got him apple pie and some sharp cheddar cheese to go on top.

Just before dinner the pain kicked in, I gave him 2 vicodin. He ate and asked how long until he could lift weights. His plan this summer was to get big, lift and get strong. It will be delayed a bit.

He texted his kickboxing coach, no more training for a couple months. I told Cooper I could take his spot in the private lessons, I can train and learn from Jerome while Cooper heals. I am not sure he likes the idea, I will have to wait and see.

I know how he feels, having the rug pulled out from under you, your dreams shattered, the disappointment overwhelming, the feeling of despair.  "It's not fair" you think, "why me?" rolls over and over in your head. You think you can heal faster than most others, you plan how quickly you will beat it.

The doctor said a new nail will grow over where the old one is, and it should take 4 to 6 months to come out halfway. If that doesn't happen, he will need to have a skin graft to protect the sensitive nail bed, but he thinks he should be fine.

I know it will be. But its gonna be a long month ahead of us.

Monday Morning Motivation

I find that we all compare ourselves to others all the time. At work, in the gym, sitting in a restaurant, just walking around. At least I do. And, I always think that if I do something, there must be other people out there who also do the same thing (I'm not that off that I can be the only one). 


I am getting better at avoiding comparison, I am focusing on my own progress and my own strengths, I believe I have an amazing physique, I am strong and healthy and although there may be others out who are stronger and healthier, will it help me to compare myself to them? Only if I do it for motivation and encouragement. If I do it and allow it to make myself feel inferior or not successful, it is not a healthy endeavor, so I concentrate only on me.


I think not competing for a while is allowing my to see the world, and myself through a new lens, a wide angle lens!

Today I have only one thing to say, but it was so powerful to me, that I thought it should stand alone. I will let you decide how it speaks to you!

"After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box".

`Italian Proverb

J.T. Thomas

So how would you like THIS guy to take you to a dance? Oh man, I would simply love it!


I don't often write flattering blogs about professional athletes, but J.T. is a different breed of athlete I think. He is a rookie linebacker for the Chicago Bears, he was the 195th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft from West Virginia.


I read this story ion the San Francisco Chronicle on May 25th, really restores my faith in professional football players!



The Bears' rookie linebacker is a superhero - certainly in the eyes of Joslyn Levell and many of the people who heard his story on the radio (Tuesday's Jim Rome show), or saw it on the Internet.


Thomas' 7-year-old brother rides a Morgantown, W.Va., school bus with Joslyn, an 8th grader with spina bifida who uses a wheelchair.


Joslyn, a Bears fan, got to know Thomas, and told him of her rough week - all the boys she'd asked to the end-of-year dance turned her down. Thomas consoled Joslyn, giving her a hug and telling her everything would work out. He saw to that. 


After Thomas' stepmother got permission from the school, he asked her to the dance, she accepted (Thomas: "I was nervous that by the time I reached out, she might have had a date and would have to turn me down."), and then he did the night up right.


He rented a black Chrysler, bought her flowers and a corsage, matched his tie to her dress and escorted her to the ball through a crowd of her awestruck classmates.


 "This was Joslyn's night," Thomas said. "It wasn't about me."
Joslyn later called it the best night of her life. They made a connection. "She's not just my friend for that one night," Thomas said.


I think we can all learn a lesson from this. So often we are cruel to each other, and why? Why are we not more tolerant and giving to each other? Why don't we try to help each other or to make someone else's life better?


I have a strong feeling that those who treat others poorly have a poor self image and don't really like the person they, themselves are, so they externalize it. You can see it on their faces with their down turned mouth and angry eyes.


On the other hand, those who do go out of their way to be kind and bring brightness to others have a great deal of self respect and self love, and they want to share it with the world. You can see it on their faces too (take a look at J.T.'s smile in the picture above.)


I might just watch some Bears games this season (hopefully we all will).

Black Forest Cheesecake

I work with a woman who requests this on her birthday, I haven't made it for her in a few years, but I did this year! There really aren't many people I would spend this amount of time on, but she deserves it.

Happy Birthday Monica!

Monica "made" me have a very, very small slice, and laughed and said it was hardly even worth cutting because it was so small. She then enjoyed it throughout the day, stashed it in her mini fridge and then hauled it home after work. 


It's fun to make things people enjoy so much.


Unfortunately now my family wants one, but they will probably opt for a regular lemony cheesecake with shortbread crust instead of graham cracker.


I have been making this cheesecake recipe for over 25 years!

Give it a try, it really is rich and stunning.


First, you use chocolate, lot's of it!

BLACK FOREST CHEESECAKE

~ 1985 favorite retro-dessert (Bon Appetit)

Cherry Topping:

1 lb. (thawed) frozen unsweetened cherries

1/4 cup kirsh

1/4 cup Morello cherry syrup (or sour cherry syrup)

Chocolate Crust:

8 12 oz. chocolate wafer cookies

6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) well-chilled butter, cut into 12-in. pieces

Chocolate Filling:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

12 oz. coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

16 oz. (room temperature) cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

4 (room temperature) eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chilled whipping cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. kirsch

Chocolate curls

For topping: Soak undrained cherries and kirsch in small bowl 6 hours.Thoroughly drain cherries in strainer set over medium bow, shaking occasionally, at least 2 hours. Reserve liquid. Add enoughMorello cherry syrup to cherry liquid to measure 1 cup. Pour 6 Tbsp. into heavy skillet (reserve remaining liquid for filling). Halve cherries and add to skillet. Boil until syrup is thickened and mixture resembles preserves, about 6 minutes. (Can prepare 2 days ahead and chill).

For crust: Generously butter 9-in. springform pan. Finely crush cookies (on/off turns) in processor. Cut in butter (on/off turns) until mixture begins to gather together. Press crumbs into bottom of pan and up sides to 3/4 in. from top (should be no cracks). Refrigerate crust for at least 30 minutes.

For filling: Preheat oven to 325º. Heat 1 1/2 cups cream with chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Cool 10 minutes. Beat cream with 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at at time until combined. Beat in chocolate mixture, then remaining 10 tablespoons cherry liquid and vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake until outer 2 inches of cake are firm but center still moves slightly, about 1 1/4 hours (top may crack). Cool completely on rack. Top pan with paper towels and cover tightly with foil. Refrigerate 1-2 days.

Remove foil, discard paper towel and pan sides of cake. Spread cherry topping over cake. Beat remaining 1 cup cream with 2 Tbsp. sugar and kirsh to peaks. Spoon onto center of cake. Top with chocolate curls. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.). Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. (12-14 servings)

Here is the cheesecake without the topping.

Underground Body Opus

My latest book, and it's quite fascinating! Those of you who compete have surely heard of Dan Duchaine, he was known as "the steroid guru" but was also a bodybuilder, author and two time convicted felon. A very interesting fellow to say the least.

He started selling steroids by undercutting the local dealers, then moved into wholesale. Eventually, he became part of a major trafficking ring from Mexico, and co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana, which was the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant in Mexico at the time.

In 1988, Duchaine introduced Clenbuterol to bodybuilders. He went to prison a few times, and wrote several books.

Here is a history: 

1981 - The Original Underground Steroid Handbook

1983 - Underground Steroid Handbook
1983 - Ultimate Dieting Handbook

1984 - Dan Duchaine initiated the John Siegler Fan Club - the 1st mail order steroid business.
1985 - Dan Duchaine co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana, MX - the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant.
1987 - Indicted by the US government on conspiracy and mislabelling charges.
1988 - The Steroid Guru
1988 - Underground Steroid Handbook II
1988 - Dan Duchaine coached major Olympic athletes in passing drug testing.

1988 - The Steroid Guru introduced clenbuterol to American bodybuilders. 
1988 - Dan Duchaine got off probation - Back to the world of bodybuilding where he continued to advise until his demise on January 12th, 2000.
1989 - Dan Duchaine served an 18-month sentence in federal prison.
1990 - The Steroid Guru assisted top Mr. Olympia competitors to pass steroid testing with blocking agents.
1991 - Dan Duchaine was indicted by the US government for selling GHB and Clenbuterol to Longevity Clubs.
1992 - Duchaine served a 30 month sentence in federal prison.

1996 - Muscle Media 2000
1997 - Body Opus
1997 - Dirty Dieting Newsletter
2000 - Dan Duchaine passed away at the age of 47. 

So I guess you are wondering why I am reading this when I am so anti steroid?  Many reasons actually. First, Dan was also an amazing chemist, he experimented and figured out what made things work the right way.


He also knew about dieting, and although I have no desire to take steroids, I am interested in his diet techniques. I actually plan on going on the Body Opus diet once I am as big as I want to get, then I will see how well it works (drug free of course).


To give you an idea of his thoughts on dieting, here is a piece from the book as he explains why he wrote a diet book as opposed to a drug book this time round:


"I was avoiding a diet drug book because drugs will not magically solve all the dieting problems. Even with drugs, we still face the same problems of muscle loss and stubborn lower body fat. There's no lack of drugs- steroids, anti-estrogens, thyroid hormones, beta-agonists. Just take a look at the Top 50 list. These drugs cause some remarkable metabolic adjustments, but there is no one genie-in a bottle, wish fulfillment drug.  Sure, you hear the "drugs an not the answer" diatribe a little too frequently, but when the Steroid Guru says the same thing, take pause. I've been there, and  BODYOPUS is not the drug diet book promised in 1980."


One very interesting thing I have found, is that this book was written in 1996 and several of the "recommended" perfectly safe diet drugs are now illegal. 


It reminds me that even now when there are "safe" supplements out there, it could be tomorrow when they are pulled from the markets due to deaths.


I am also just blown away at the number of asthma, thyroid, cancer, diuretic, fertility and even melanin enhancers that people will ingest and abuse for the sake if appearance. I didn't realize all of this was used like this.


I also think think that just because I am against something, doesn't mean that I should be ignorant about it. I think that given my hobby, it is quite important that I understand these things, and the shady characters I may rub elbows with sometimes! 

So in his list of "top 50 dieting drugs and supplements" am I using anything that he recommends? Yes indeed I am.

Creatine monohydrate (used for strength, energy substrate replacement)

Vanadyl sulfate (glucose disposal- it transports glucose from the bloodstream across cell membranes)

Chromium (insulin agonist, repartition agent)- causes glucose disposal into muscle cells instead of fat cells.

I have researched these thoroughly, I have read everything on FDA websites, WADA, Olympic sites and I trust that what I am taking is OK.  Could their status change? Definitely. In fact, Duchaine said this of Vanadyl Sulfate back in 1996..

"Most health food supplements never fulfill expectations of drug-like action, but vanadyl sulfate is one of the two supplements that does. (The other is creatine monohydrate.) Money spent on vanadyl sulfate is money well spent."


I take it with the Chromium as he believes they should be taken together. I started taking this several months ago, and was pleased to read his thoughts on the two minerals.

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Market

David and I will drive up to San Francisco to have fish tacos and red wine for breakfast whenever we can. I know that sounds a bit odd, but don't knock it till you have tried it!


We head straight for the Ferry Plaza Market. Saturdays is a huge outdoor market in addition to the regular shops and restaurants. 


The last time we were there was after my last competition in October, 2010, so you can see we are rather busy and don't make it there very often. Lacrosse season in the spring pretty much eats up the weekends....


I am enjoying my red wine in the sunshine, on a glorious day, it's only 9:00 a.m. 

Fish taco on the right there, and we split a quesadilla.  They make their own tortilla's at Mijita Restaurant, and that can't be beat!

We bought fresh oysters and clams at Hog Island Oyster Company.

Bread at Acme, this is where I get my rustic rye and spelt bread.

And I left David at Cowgirl Creamery as he tasted his way through all of the goat and sheep cheese!

Loaded up on pork and beef at Prather Ranch.

Then had a glass of sparkling wine.

We wandered around the outdoor market, sampling wonderful fruits, vegetables, cheeses, oils, nuts, tasty treats from myriad restaurants. 

It's fine to do this, in fact its a healthy way to eat (well maybe not the wine with breakfast), but the point is, you can enjoy life and food without going overboard. You can eat what "normal" people eat and stay lean, you can look great and be healthy. 

Shop in the right paces, enjoy the good foods, splurge on occasion. Enjoy life!

Dancing in the Gym

I really do have a good time in the gym! I feel right at home, I feel confident, I know what I am doing.

I believe that one reason is my years of training with others. I listened and learned. Now, I am well aware there are many poor trainers out there- ones who do not really understand the whole concept, how the nervous system has as much to do with a successful lift as does the grip and the breathing and the tempo, it's a science!

I also think that my fascination with the science and my love of reading has helped, I read some wild and interesting books on training.

But even if you aren't concerned with how your brain makes everything work, or how the neurons fire, maybe you just want to go ride a bike and chat with your friends. Then power to you! That's a heck of a lot healthier than sitting in a bar downing vodka grapes!

Saturday morning I was dancing in the gym, literally! I was having so much fun, I felt strong, I felt alive, I felt invincible.

I went to be early the night before - that's really important!

I had my music cranked, and since I was training arms that day, it's not like I had huge lifts when it is leg day, I would dance in between sets.

A few women smiled and threw their heads back, they enjoyed seeing me have fun, and I didn't care what anyone thought, because I am having fun being Kristy!

Hams

Hamstrings, mine are killing me! I am sore from Friday, and I have been rolling and stretching but it just takes time for the soreness to subside.


After being so sore for so long I decided to look into it. It was those snatch-grip deadlifts on a platform that I was doing on Friday.


I chose Roy as my trainer because he is Poliquin certified. I guess he took his certification all too seriously! Well, according to Charles Poliquin, the snatch-grip deadlift, his #1 go-to lift, is also called The "deadlift from hell" according to T-Nation. 


Here is an excerpt from the interview several years ago:

"The snatch-grip deadlift, specifically a snatch deadlift on a four inch  platform. The idea here is to get a large range of motion by standing on the  platform and using the wide grip.

If you told me you were going to jail and only had a barbell and didn’t want to get raped in the showers and could only do one exercise to put mass and strength on, then I’d tell you to do the snatch deadlift on a platform.

This exercise alone makes people gain weight like crazy. Any time I have someone who needs to gain weight fast and doesn’t have a whole lot of time, I have them do snatch deadlifts. And with the snatch grip deadlift, straps are okay because you’ll be doing reps above three, but don’t use them until you get to your working weight.

If you think about it, this is the opposite of the sumo deadlift, which shortens the range of motion. Likewise, some powerlifters will lift in ballet shoes to shorten the ROM. What we want to do here is lengthen it. The snatch grip and platform will take care of that."

interview from tnation.com

Some people believe that you should never train quads and hamstrings together, others feel it's fine. 

I am of the camp that says go for it- train both quads and hams on the same day BUT, be sure to train the proper one first. Hamstrings.

Hamstrings are fast twitch muscle fibers, they contract best when the central nervous system is fresh. 

Fast twitch muscles fatigue quickly but they produce a lot of force in a short amount of time.

So for hamstrings you should be doing super heavy weights, low reps, several sets. Training hamstrings for 12 to 20 reps and light weights will not recruit these muscles and they will not grow. You really need to blast these muscles.

Also, saving your hams for after your quads is a bad idea, the muscles will be too fatigued to recruit- it's wasted time in the gym.

Calves? The gastrocnemius (upper calf) is mainly fast twitch muscle fibers so you want to train that before the soleus, so train the gastrocnemius first then do your seated calf raises.

Monday Morning Motivation

My favorite shirt, it's soft and fits well and I love the saying. I threw this on Friday after training with Roy and stopped at the store. 

The old, very proper, very conservative  woman helping me looks over the top of her glasses and reads my shirt out loud, then looks at me, then said "hmmmph" and went on ringing me up.

Monday, hello!

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Unknown

Organic Vegetables

We all want to be lean, or at least not have what some idiot came up with to describe a huge fat stomach that hangs over our pants - a "muffin top" right?

No one wants to feel hungry. Although, I must say, a great deal of "hunger" is thirst and also psychological, but that is way beyond this little blurb!

Anyway, we all eat garbage that may fill us up at the moment, may taste good at the moment, yet it does not sustain us, it does not build muscle and healthy bones, and it makes us fat.

We all know what these foods are- or do we?

Obviously cakes and cookies and ANY packaged snack- I don't care if it is "healthy baked sun-chips" is crap. You can indulge once in a while, and that does not mean every weekend.

Treat your body the way it deserves to be treated. It is a work of art (or it COULD be) and it needs to be treated as such. 

Only put healthy foods into it. Keep it clean with a mild soap, wax it (hee hee), decorate it, cover it at night and keep it warm and safe.

Oh- Eat lots of veg too will ya?

What you see above is my weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery. I get this at work every Tuesday. Here is what I received this week:

Eggs, potatoes, red leaf lettuce, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, beets, broccoli, sugar snap peas, strawberries and oranges. The food is all organic, just picked and it cost $27.00 (that's including the dozen eggs!)

I look forward to my "box" every week. On Tuesdays as I head out the door to run my stairs, I grab my cloth bag, because my delivery is dropped off at the University Food Science building. I run my stairs, jump my rope, then I run to the building where this is delivered. I usually munch on something as I walk back to my office, unless of course I am prepping for a competition, then fruit does not pass my lips, nor does any snack not on the schedule!

It is very important to eat a lot of vegetables not only for the vitamins and minerals, but to provide fiber and the feeling of fullness. When you are reducing calories, it will be the starches. The bread, rice, beans, pasta, the good stuff that we all fill up on. To counteract this, we need to eat more vegetables.

When I am striving to drop body fat, I reduce or eliminate starches at dinner most nights (but I do add it back in every few nights so my metabolism doesn't get used to this). So, I eat 2 to 3 cups of vegetables at dinner. I am full, I am getting carbs (but not starchy carbs) and it is satisfying.

Check out a CSA. I have found that it ensures I eat produce that is in season, not just what's in the store. It is organic, it is local and it is fresh. 

Lots of CSA's deliver to a home and people pick up there, many deliver to businesses. Google CSA today!

WOW

If you are familiar with Crossfit you have heard of WOD or Workout of the Day, well I have Workout of the Week or WOW.

It would be nice to do this everyday, but I can't so I need to be happy with one day a week. I can then duplicate it as much of it as possible on my own later in the week.

What did I do this Friday with Roy? 

Warm ups, he said my hips and legs were tight as I tried to move.

I did snatch grip deadlifts on a platform, I had never done that before, basically the grip was very, very wide, my arms, especially my forearms really felt it. All the way down, ass to ground again....well actually since I was standing on something it didn't quite hit the ground, but give it time, soon it will be so big, it will hit when I am only half way down.

We did several and then he said "OK, that's a good warm up" ha! I was breathing hard already!

I did back extensions with a weighted E-Z curl bar. All the way down, tempo of 4 then up. I started with 12, then rested but it wasn't long enough. Then another set, and another. The last, I could barely do 8 of them, with each set the last few reps were hard, really, really hard.

Some single leg quad work, half squats, up on my toe, stretching the calf, then partially down, back up then flat foot. 

Pushed the sled, driving the knees up and going for speed, that really hits my quads. Several sets.

I was fairly fatigued at that point and we started talking about "it". The big tire truck in the corner.

"Have you ever done squats with a tire?" he asked....no, can't say that I have and I couldn't picture how you would anyway!

Roy put on gloves, the thing is dirty. Then showed me how to squat down, and power up, flipping it over. I donned the gloves, and started flipping, right out the garage door into the hot sun. I would squat down, put both hands under and explode up (or try to, my legs were shot by then).

He said this would be something to do at the start normally, but since I wanted to see it, he let me try. As I was out in the middle of the drive, I realized I would have to flip it back all the way, so I stopped going in that direction and started back toward the gym.

I slipped on my clothes, mixed up my carb-protein drink and downed it with my supplements. Top down, warm air in my hair and off to the grocery store.

I love Fridays!