August newsletter - PowerHouse Racing

P O W E R H O U S E R A C I N G . N E T
“I was sad. Then I got some
new running gear. I’m okay
now!“
Ladies: Just for
YOU!
Train for Run Girl 13.1 with
Powerhouse Racing
You’ve asked and we listened.
Coming soon to the Powerhouse!
We’ve got running singlets
designed with you in mind! These
will be great to wear on any race
day, but especially to wear on
RunGirl 13.1 race day! They’ll be
available in 4-6 weeks. Make sure
you’re following Powerhouse
Racing on Facebook for
availability. Make sure you’re
signed up for training and don’t
forget to register to race!
On July25th we began registration for “PowerGirl”
training. As the official training plan for the Run Girl 13.1
this 16-week comprehensive training plan will have you
ready for race day, Sunday, December 6th. Additional
registration will be held on Sat. Aug 1st and Aug. 8th
from 11am-1pm at Powerhouse Racing in Friendswood.
It’s not just training! Powerhouse Racing will also host
special events exclusively for our “PowerGirl” athletes.
*Our ladies who have signed up for the Texas Bridge
Series are welcome to attend the “PowerGirl” events!
POWERHOUSERACING.NET
SUMMER 2015
Love the Skin You’re
In
Meet Powerhouse athlete, Kate. Kate has a
family history of skin cancer as well as her
own history with atypical moles and precancerous lesions. More from Kate:
I grew up in the Washington DC suburbs until age 14 and then South Africa until
age 17. As a child I spent a lot of time in the sun playing soccer or frolicking at the
beach or pool during summers. Although sunblock was applied initially I tended to
get burnt because of the length of time I stayed out and the low SPF (6) I used to get
some color. We all loved to be tan! As an adult, I began to diligently using sunblock
when I deployed to Iraq in 2005 to primarily prevent premature aging. The amount of
time I spent in the sun really picked up dramatically in 2009 when I got into triathlon. I
still wasn't super-diligent about sun protection, but did enough to not get completely
fried.
My parents have always been advocates of sun protection, but it definitely
increased when multiple types of skin cancer were identified on my dad and my
mom around 2010. At one point, in addition to more benign types of skin cancer, my
dad had to get amelanocytic (without color) melanoma removed from his back.
That was basically the wake up call. The main reason it was caught is because he
had been seeing the same dermatologist for 20 years and she noticed a texture
difference, hence the importance of going to get checked regularly.
I began seeing a dermatologist about the same time. I was 29. I shared my
family history, they checked me out, and then immediately identified and removed
suspicious spots for biopsies. With my history the mantra is “when in doubt, take it out”.
I'd much rather be butchered than have melanoma spread to my lymph nodes or to
my eyesight and go blind- because it can; it's scary stuff. The dermatologists now
have me come in two times a year. In 2013, they removed a pre-cancerous atypical
mole on my right shoulder. They ended up getting the biopsy back, and then
removed a circle about an inch in diameter in order to ensure they removed the
entire spot (got a clear margin). Not fun.
These days I use sun protection (SPF 50) every day on my face. Skinceuticals is
my brand of choice for daily use. It's expensive, but the quality is worth every penny. If
I’m getting in longer workouts on the weekend I’m more likely to use SPF 70 or 100 and
take Heliocare, an over the counter oral supplement my dermatologist recommends
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POWERHOUSERACING.NET
SUMMER 2015
(Cont’d.)
to increase skin protection when it's difficult to find
the time to reapply. I'll put sun protection on my
body if I'm doing daytime outdoor activities
between 10am-5pm and longer than 20 minutes.
My recommendation for our athletes training most
days are to get checked out by a dermatologist
at least once a year. Be sure to find out and
communicate any family history or skin cancers.
Apply sunblock liberally before training and
reapply during long sessions. Check out the
Heliocare supplement for those long training days.
And lastly pay attention to any spots, moles, or
growths on your body. If they have uneven
coloring, uneven borders, are changing, itching,
and/or burning they need to be seen by a
professional. Yeah, sunblock dripping in the eyes
totally sucks, but it really is better to play it safe.
Know your ABCDEs of Melanoma. These are just some things recommended by the AAD
to look out for when you’re doing your own self-exam. If you come across spots that are
itchy, bleed often and don’t seem to heal, have it checked. There are other types of skin
cancer more prevalent with sun exposure such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
Additionally you can also begin to develop actinic keratosis (or pre-cancerous lesions).
We are out here day in and day out and the sun isn’t going anywhere. Love the skin
you’re in!
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POWERHOUSERACING.NET
SUMMER 2015
Athlete Spotlight
Jessica, 33, Pearland, TX
Have you always been athletic, or racing
before triathlon?
Heck no! I’ve never been this active in my life. In
my mid 20s I started doing 5k races here and
there but nothing too serious.
How did you get into triathlon? How did
you find out about Powerhouse Racing?
I was working nights at the time and I have a friend who is very active. I
thought it would be a great challenge for both of us to try and complete Spa Girl in San
Antonio. After completing that race I was hooked! I found out about Powerhouse after
completing the Y Freedom Triathlon in 2014. I was so tired walking around the pavilion and
I saw people at the Powerhouse tent. They looked so happy! I remember thinking, they just
finished doing the same event and they have smiles at the end! About a month after that I
went by Powerhouse and met Johnny and Melanie. This month it will be one year that I’ve
been training with Powerhouse Racing! With the year that I have been with the
Powerhouse I have been able to complete a half marathon, and numerous sprint
triathlons. I also have become a better swimmer with their swimming program. A year and
a half ago I could only doggy paddle. My 100-meter time was 2:20 now it is like 1:45 that’s
just in less than a year, that’s insane! I am just so grateful that I found the Powerhouse
Racing and that I can be an active individual and dare I say be an athlete!
How do you find the balance between family, work, school and training?
I work part-time but go to school full-time
finishing up my master’s degree to become a
nurse practitioner. Add clinicals 2-3 days a
week and it does add up. I find that training
helps me stay sane during school. I try to wake
up early and stay up late to fit everything in.
My husband sometimes trains with me. That
makes it a little easier so we can spend time
together!
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POWERHOUSERACING.NET
SUMMER 2015
What races have you completed?
Started with my first SpaGirl San Antonio 2014. After that did YMCA Freedom Tri, SpaGirl
Lost Pines and Fairfield Tri. This year I’ve done TriGirl, Skeese Greets Tri in Austin, Jeff and
Brede’s Tri and Tri Aggieland. I am going to hopefully do Firethorne in September.
What are your future race goals?
Eventually Ironaman! Next year I would like to do an Olympic distance and a 70.3 in
2017. Saying it out loud is scary but I am methodical. I have been picking races that are
a little longer than the last!
Do you have a special PR or podium moment?
I actually have two. The first is when I won the Athena’s category last year at the Fairfield
triathlon because I have never won anything in my life, let alone at an athletic event. I
couldn’t believe I got first place! It was a great experience. The second one was this
past May. I got 5th at TriGirl. People were probably thinking 5th? Why be so happy with
that? It was my first open water triathlon ever and I did not drown or get eaten by
anything! That was a plus! I worked so hard all winter long to prepare for TriGirl and it
paid off!
Great job, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your experience!
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POWERHOUESRACING.NET
SUMMER 2015
Have you ever wondered about
TheWhole30® program?
Coach Melanie Yarzy shares her
experience and results with
TheWhole30® program.
I've tried to prove for years that I could reach my triathlon goals on pizza, pop-tarts, and Coke. I
always reach a point of breakdown or fatigue though. So as much as I dislike veggies.....
This past month I did a 30-day nutrition challenge called TheWhole30®. It consists of eating whole
foods including meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, and some oils. You can find the details at whole30.com.
I've tried this plan before about 18 months ago and stopped at day 22. The first time around I
wasn't building my plate correctly: too much meat and not enough veggies and fat. My power on
the bike dropped and my workouts were suffering. I was also just down right angry that I couldn't
eat all of the foods that I love (you know, wine, chocolate, and fried chicken).
This time around I was very diligent to make sure I ate enough food. The first 7-10 days is pretty
rough with withdrawal and cravings as well as very low energy. As I got closer to the end of the 30
days my workouts were great and I was feeling very good. I also managed the mental side much
easier than last time.
The hardest part for me was the non-stop food prep and cooking. One of our favorite quick go to
meals became Applegate sausage with potatoes, peppers, and onions. I think I ate eggs in some
form or another every single day. I had quite a few Greek salads from Zoe's kitchen. We also used
a food delivery service called Hello Fresh. I just took out the unapproved ingredients and we were
good to go. The Hello Fresh takes about 30 minutes to make and was a lifesaver on our late night
dinners after coaching.
The result: I lost 14 pounds and 4 inches in my waist in 30 days. I've established some healthy
habits and have gotten some new recipes to fuel my inner athlete.
Now that I'm back down to my fighting weight the next challenge will be managing my daily
nutrition without the strict rules of TheWhole30®. Having options or choices is harder for me than
following a strict plan.
TheWhole30® is a learning and/or discovery process. It shows you just how strong of a hold that
food and beverages can have on us. It's not intended to be done long term, but if there are foods
you don't miss after TheWhole30® is over there is no need to reintroduce them.
Many triathletes train so that they can eat what they want. When you get into long course and
endurance events the amount of training required is very taxing on the body. The recovery process
is very important not only for your performance but also for your overall well-being. So if you plan
to push your body to the limit, then consider planning your nutrition to support your efforts.