November 2013 - The Foodie Issue

Everybody eats, and there’s something for every appetite in the 2013 Foodie Issue

AustinFitMagazine.com

Pre-Workout Supplements Helping or Hurting?

4

Gym Machines Get the AFM Review

Food!

Kids Cook Up Success Quick, Fast, and Healthy

Austin’s Prepared Meals are On the Go

Raw Diet What are the benefits?

November 2013

Mixin’ It Up with Blue Dahlia An Austin Bistro with a Recipe for Success

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THREE LOC ATIONS SERVING AUSTIN: S. L A M AR - RESE ARCH - W. PARMER

Contents

Cover Stories F e at u r e s

11|13

46 Starting on page

COMING TO THE TABLE WITH AMY AND SAM RAMIREZ The owners of the Blue Dahlia Bistro share their recipe for success

32

34

54

Part II of AFM’s diet review

Recipes the whole family can love

Presenting options for busy days

Do you want to go raw?

Kids in the Kitchen

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Healthy Meals on the Go

60

80

Meet an American driver, and more

Why this isn’t the nutritional boost you need

AFM’s F1 Coverage Starts Here

Pre-workout Supplementation

Cover and Content s photos by Brian Fitz simmons

Contents

11|13

D e pa r t m e n t s In Every Issue

96

Fuel

26 Prepare an Elegant— and Easy—Fall Salad

Roast your Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving

28 Becoming a Food Entrepreneur

Applying business acumen to nutrition practices

30 Hope for Yo-Yo Dieters

Weight cycling is not what you think

Live

38 Cooking Up Spanish

Putting language school in the kitchen

40 Fitness via Divine Intervention

60 Q&A: Alexander Rossi, Caterham F1 Team

Meet this American driver before he takes the track at COTA

62 Start Your Engines!

76 Fit Finds

Why you have to train faster to swim faster

Feel

94 Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot

82 Meet Your Stomach

What’s new at COTA in 2013

Fun facts about the organ that works your food

Look

84 Is Cupping For You?

68 Light Up Your Life

Add safety to your workout with reflective wear

70 F1 Fashion Forecast

Look your best at Austin's international event

72 Beyond the Classic Knot

Try these new ways to wear your scarf

92 Taking It Up a Notch

Pursuing postprandial pleasures for the holidays

Comparing Bikram and heated Vinyasa yoga

96 Leg Magic X, Ugi Ball, and More

Learn about this form of Eastern medicine

AFM covers the pros/cons of four gym products

86 Escape the Injury Hole

100 Adaptating to Go the Distance

Digging yourself out of workout disaster

Train

90 Rethink Your YTP

Chris Toriggino redefines the off season

Combining exercises to promote success

104 Toeing the Line

Coach Carrie—the starting line’s Miss Manners

AFMDC Page 88 AFMDC coverage continues with a recap of the IBM Uptown Classic 10K

Austin Food & Drink Guide Page 110 Nom, nom: the Austin Food & Drink guide hooks you up with good eats

Marjorie Wilkes inspires at age 86

In Every Issue

14 From the Publisher 16 Letters to the Editor 20 Contributors

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22 WWW 24 Fit Focus 42 The Pulse

106 Events Calendar 108 Rides & Races 114 Discover!

photo by Brian Fitz simmons

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Letter From The PubLisher Publisher/CEO Louis M. Earle COO Alex Earle eDITOR in Chief Leah Fisher Nyfeler Assistant Editor Courtenay Verret

I

The Great Food Fight How access affects what we eat

know I am like a broken record when it comes to the impact of choice in adopting a healthy lifestyle. While I am convinced that our choices can have by far the greatest impact on our lifestyles and ultimately our health, I do recognize that there are many areas where our options may be limited or nonexistent. At a time when healthcare costs are likely to become a significantly larger part of our personal budgets, staying healthy has real economic impact for our society.

One of the most common impediments we face is “access.” This all-encompassing term accurately defines a significant problem for our society when it comes to healthy living. Physical activity, for example, often requires space and “built environments” to support active living. For many—especially those in urban environments—these are simply not available.

In the case of food, the situation is even more complex because of the number of elements affecting real access. For example: Healthy food options may not be available because of food deserts (a geographical/practical logistical lack of proximity to healthy food), price, cultural orientation, reduction of healthy options in markets, visibility, and education, among other factors.

But there is good news. The times, they are a-changing (albeit slowly). As awareness of the risks of

an unhealthy diet has become better understood, the general public is shifting its nutritional consumption.

The law of supply and demand is beginning to turn the tide and the food industry is starting to respond with upgrades in quality. As healthy, real food begins to compete with today’s popular processed fuels, the volumes demanded by the market will continue this shift and pricing and availability of nutritional foods will improve. These market forcers will begin to break down the barriers to healthy food choices, making this option available to everyone.

We are fortunate that Austin is blessed with a myriad of restaurants, food markets, and local growers who are committed to providing healthy alternatives. Our community in general has an overall interest in food diversity and nutritional options and this month’s featured restaurant, Blue Dahlia Bistro, part of AFM’s “Foodie Issue,” is a wonderful example of why we are beginning to win the great food fight.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: In a large part, you are what you eat, so take advantage of the options our great city offers and put the good stuff in your tank.

Keep Austin Fit,

Lou Earle, Publisher, CEO

Art Director Weston Carls Assistant Art Director Sarah Schneider Director of Marketing & Communications Carrie Crowe Senior Advertising Consultant Richard Maloof Advertising Consultants Betty Davis, Lara Rinier Writers Carrie Sapp Barrett, Ashley Hargrove, Jess Kolko, Emily C. Laskowski, Chad Nelson, Elli Overton, Andres Rivadeniera, Alexa Sparkman, Michelle Suggs, Diane Vives, Garrett Weber-Gale, Anne Wilfong Operations Assistant Jackie Pica Interns Justene Engels, Monica Gonzalez (Design), Jasmin Carina Castanon (Editorial) General Inquiries info@austinfitmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries ads@austinfitmagazine.com Submissions ideas@austinfitmagazine.com fitfocus@austinfitmagazine.com Event Listings events@austinfitmagazine.com Subscriptions austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 220 Austin, TX 78705 p 512.407.8383 f 512.407.8393 Austin Fit Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any magazine employee or contributor.

This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

Austin Fit Magazine is the assumed name of its publisher, Louis M. Earle, who has no interest in the business of Denis Calabrese who operates an exercise program under the assumed name of Austin Fit, which trains individuals to improve their jogging or running skills to participate in marathons. The views, opinions and other representations published in Austin Fit Magazine are not those of Austin Fit or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents.

Please recycle this magazine

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Letters To the editor

We want to hear from YOU! If you haven’t already done so, please complete the AFM Readership Survey. Your information will help us better tailor our contents—everything from articles to ads—for a better fit.

You’ll find the AFM Readership Survey at https://www.surveymonkey. com/s/2013afmreadersurvey And by participating, you’ll be eligible to win the AFM Fit Pack, which is full of goodies!

Also, it’s the time of year to tell AFM who’s the “Best of” with our annual poll. Got a favorite running coach? Who offers the best massage? What docs take good care of you, and where exactly is the primo spot for that post-event celebration? Please fill out our “2013 Best Of” survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ BestofAFM2013 Help your faves claim bragging rights for the year.

From the Editor Dear Readers,

W

hile I usually use this space to share your letters to me, I’m writing to you for a change. I’d like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have sent in ideas for stories and offers to write; in this issue, Chad Nelson (“Miss Marjorie—Blossoming at Age 86”) and Jen Daugherty (“Heated Vinyasa Yoga Versus Bikram Yoga”) reached out through our “Write for Us” form at austinfitmagazine.com. Several other writers came to us through recommendations: “You’ve got to have Chris Toriggino in the TRAIN section.” My

purpose here is to reinforce that your notes and comments are received and often acted upon, and Austin Fit Magazine has great content because Austin is full of passionate enthusiasts who love to share their healthy lifestyle. You make my job a constant source of pleasure.

Keep those forms comin’ in, and I look forward to hearing your ideas and recommendations and, in turn, sharing them in the pages of AFM. Sincerely, Leah Fisher Nyfeler Editor in Chief leah@austinfitmagazine.com

Look on the AFM website for our reader recipe selections.

How Do You

#KeepAustinFit?

W

e want you to show us! Tag AFM in your social media post with @AustinFit or #KeepAustinFit and you could be featured in the magazine.

This month, @ssusancc, @alexwinkelman, and @candrepitted photos made the list!

What we're looking for.

Show us how you keep Austin fit by capturing yourself doing a handstand at a historical Austin landmark, SUPing around Lady Bird Lake, or working out with your children when you find time around the house. We look forward to seeing what you can do! The best photos will be included here in the Letters to the Editor page. facebook.com/austinfitmagazine twitter.com/austinfit instagram.com/austinfit pinterest.com/austinfitmag youtube.com/austinfitmagazine

AFM wants to hear from you! Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, AFM, 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 220, Austin, TX, 78705. Email address is leah@austinfitmagazine.com. All letters should include the writer’s name, address (email included), and daytime phone number. We are unable to acknowledge or return unpublished letters. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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FOR THE 2014 AUSTIN MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON

Contributors Thank you to AFM’s contributors who make this magazine a worthy source of health and fitness information in Austin. #KeepAustinFit

S P RING FR O S T

Jen Daugherty

Natalie England

The Stylists at Spring Frost

Chris Toriggino

Jen Daugherty has been practicing yoga for over a decade and absolutely loves it. Daugherty is a 200hour Hatha Flow certified teacher, which allows her to teach and share her passion with others. She continues her education by practicing daily and studying with new teachers as often as possible. When Daugherty isn't teaching a class at Flow Yoga in Cedar Park, you can find her whipping up new recipes for her food blog (sometimes she even enters cooking competitions), walking, or hiking with her husband Evan and Ginger, their dog.

Natalie England qualifies sweating as a hobby. Fitness is her lifestyle choice inasmuch as sanity is—a few circles around the sun have taught her that both are seemingly related. As a journalist by trade and passion for more than a decade, she is happy to begin an association with Austin Fit Magazine. England is a native Texan and is proud to call Austin, and its wondrous central Texas landscape home.

Spring Frost Castillo (owner) and Jessica Leyh are the stylists at Spring Frost Boutique. Spring Frost Castillo’s eye for design and quality ensures that the pieces making their way to the store from boutiques across the country are sure to delight. Castillo is a 12-year veteran of high-end sales in the Austin luxury items market who studied Retail Merchandising at the University of Texas at Austin.

Her attention to detail and intuition of customers’ needs give her great insight when working with clients one on one. Jessica Leyh has nine years of boutique retail experience selling to a younger clientele (teens to mid-30s) and brings a great energy and youthful outlook to the business. Leyh holds a Public Relations degree with a Business Concentration from the University of Texas at Austin.

Leyh is the in-house personal wardrobe consultant; she values our customers’ time and budget by using and re-purposing pieces from their existing wardrobe during her consultations.

Chris Toriggino is the founder and head coach of Athlete Architecture, a performance- and science-based coaching company that uses an individualized approach to endurance training. He designs custom training plans and provides individualized coaching for athletes of all ability levels. Toriggino, a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach, is an accomplished triathlete whose unique approach to coaching encompasses science, lifestyle, nutrition, and functional testing.

In almost 30 years of racing, he has competed at all distances of triathlon (at pro and as a top-level amateur) and was the Texas State Triathlon Champion ('89) and 3rd at the World's Toughest Triathlon (the National Ultra-Distance Championship). Toriggino has been a top ranked triathlete in the South-Midwest Region for many years, competing in dozens of Ironman races—including Kona— and he uses this vast training and racing experience to improve the performance of his athletes.

@ykayak

Page 80

flowyoga.com /flow-yoga /Jen-D-Yoga

Page 94

SpringFost.com

Write for AFM Here’s how.

Letters should include the writer’s name, address (email included), and daytime phone number as well as a short description (250 word max) of the article premise. Send to Story Ideas, AFM, 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 220, Austin, TX, 78705. Email address is contributors@austinfitmagazine.com .

Response time may vary greatly due to publishing dates. Detailed submission guidelines will be provided by AFM as appropriate.

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/springfrostboutique @ShopSpringFrost

Page 70

athletearchitecture.com /athletearchitecture @gwglobetrotting

Page 90

Submit FitFocus Photos Here’s how.

Photos must be original artwork submitted in 300 dpi. Include credited photographer’s name, title of photo, and location in an email with the photo attachment. Email photos to fitfocus@austinfitmagazine.com . Images published in Austin Fit Magazine become the property of AFM.

RECRUITING SECTION

APDRECRUITING.ORG 800.832.5264

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what’s White-hot on the web

austinfitmagazine.com

AustinFitMagazine.com Videos

@AustinFit Most Popular AFM Tweet: Recovering your moves http://ow.ly/pCfDa A recovery #workout by @DianeVives @KomenAustin #Fab15

Mmmmm…roasted Brussels spouts. Watch recipe creator Anne Wilfong show you how to prepare this simple yet tasty side dish.

Everybody’s always looking for some healthier alternatives to Thanksgiving favorites. Meet Carly Reed, who’s sharing a lighter version of that November perennial—pumpkin pie.

/AustinFitMagazine

Most Popular AFM Post:

International fitness expert and AFM FITTEST test creator Diane Vives shares workouts in the four major pillars of human movement in AFM’s print magazine—and there’s an additional workout shown on the video.

AFM Newsletter Look to the weekly AFM newsletter for special discounts, info on what’s going on around town, and the latest word on fitness. Sign up at austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe

@AustinFit

AFM BLOG As always, the AFM team’s Fit Field Trip report was a big hit with October’s visit to Mauro Pilates and Hot Lava Obstacle course.

Information about the Stand-Up Paddle Parade event, published at the end of September, was also very popular.

Most Popular Instagram Photo: Oh you know, just #JayLeno @tonightshow at #CoTA #McLaren12c

Upcoming blogs: Highlighted for November are a piece about a special food pantry for MMA fighters in need and a review of the "Fastest Man in Texas" shootout in San Antonio on November 9, a fundraiser put on by Olympian Josh Davis—it’s a 50-meter sprint featuring some of the nation's fastest swimmers, such as Jimmy Feigen, Ian Crocker, Nathan Adrian, and many other supremely fast guys.

Web Exclusives

/AustinFitMag

Distance Challenge are shared—two races down, the IBM Uptown Classic 10K and Run for the Water 10 Miler.

Popular Pinterest Boards:

November 12

GIVEAWAY November 19 Andy Rivadeniera has another great gym equipment review (page 96) and you’ll want to check in on AFM’s Facebook page to find out which product we’re passing on to one lucky reader. Visit on November 19 to find out how you can win!

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Look for more information about Beetnik, a new local business that specializes in healthy take-home food with a Paleo twist. You’ll also find a boxing workout and a cool DIY project—making your own slate boards for beautiful meal presentation—from cover subject Amy Ramirez, co-owner of the Blue Dahlia Bistro.

November 7

Sights and sounds of the 2013-2014 Austin Fit Magazine

Formula One is roaring into town and for those who opt to watch (or rewatch) the race coverage on NBC Sports, you might want to dress up and drink a few of Circuit of The America’s new signature cocktail, the COTA Flame.

AFM shares that recipe.

November 25

Austin’s YMCA is working with kids and families to break the pattern of obesity through information and fun; learn more about MEND.

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Fit Focus Aliza Friedman, a key leader at Lululemon, loves Vinyasa flow yoga and practices often.

Austin, Texas Photo taken by Justene Engels

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Send your active lifestyle photos to FitFocus@AustinFitMagazine.com for a chance to be published.

Guidelines are provided in our Fit Focus photo album on Facebook.com/AustinFitMagazine

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Fuel Recipe

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Did you know?

By Anne Wilfong, R.D., L.D.

Roasting Brussels sprouts is a delicious way to bring out their natural sweetness, and this fall salad is sure to delight just about everyone at Thanksgiving.

Nutrition

What You Need

Calories: 190 Carbohydrates: 20 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 11 g Fiber: 4 g Sodium: 220 mg

1 apple, diced

Vinaigrette:

1 bag of Brussels sprouts (approximately 16 ounces), washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon olive oil ¼ cup walnuts, roasted and chopped ¾ cup whole wheat pearl couscous, prepared ¼ cup dried cherries

Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous family and are powerful cancer fighters. They are very good sources of fiber, magnesium, and folate.

How to Make It

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss thinly sliced Brussels sprouts with ½ teaspoon olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Place in oven and roast Brussels sprouts for about 20 minutes, or until tender.

3. While Brussels sprouts are roasting, prepare the vinaigrette.

Whisk together olive oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

4. Combine the roasted Brussels sprouts, chopped apple, couscous, walnuts, and dried cherries and toss gently with vinaigrette.

Makes 6 servings Serving size: 1 cup

Registered and licensed dietitians Alexa Sparkman and Anne Wilfong can provide reliable, objective nutrition information, separate facts from fads, and translate the latest scientific findings into easy-to-understand nutrition information. For more information about their nutrition counseling practice, contact Alexa or Anne at 512.257.0898 or SparkmanNutrition.com

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photo by Brian Fitz simmons

This recipe is brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

Fuel Athlete

Trial and Error with Nutrition

H

Figuring out the food that works for you

By Garrett Weber-Gale

aving been a competitive athlete for the past 20 years, trial and error has been one of the mainstays of my success. As a new business student at Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship here in Austin, I’m learning that some of the biggest keys to success as an entrepreneur are the same principles I’ve been applying as an athlete: Test early, test often, and test inexpensively. As entrepreneurs, the goal is to constantly make trial-and-error experiments that test both our product and our target customers. As athletes (and, generally, as humans), we do this exact same thing with our sport.

Think of this principal in terms of your training nutrition. The product you’re testing is the food you’re putting into your body; your target customer is YOU. Here’s how you apply those keys to success:

• Test early. Don’t wait three months, six months, a year, or five years to begin the process of testing different foods and techniques in your diet. From the get-go, implement little experiments according to how you feel and how you perform. Don’t be afraid; the worst that can happen is that a food doesn’t give you fuel that lasts, or that you don’t feel your best during the workout or race.

• Test often. If one thing doesn’t work, try something else. It took me a long time to figure out that a sweet potato is my favorite prerace meal, and that oatmeal with milled flax seeds, almond butter, almond milk, blueberry jam, and fresh blueberries is my favorite pre-workout breakfast for providing long lasting and quality fuel.

The sooner you start the process of finding your magical foods, the sooner you can see the direct benefits of eating them. By

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constantly experimenting with how your body reacts to a variety of foods, you can quickly determine what works and what doesn’t.

Don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t deliver results or your workout suffers in the process of finding out that a certain food makes you feel a little bit sick. By testing various options with high frequency, you’ll be amazed by how fast you can start to find things that you like and that fuel your performance to its max.

• Test inexpensively. Don’t try a new food experiment the night before, or morning of, your big race. Pick an “inexpensive” training session or small race to try out new foods. Your goal is to combine all of your efforts to further and further refine your nutrition plan toward that “expensive” goal, your big race. Test new foods on the workouts and races where you can afford to maybe not feel your best.

(This same idea, by the way, works for getting the best performance at your office, in a board meeting, or in a big presentation.)

• Fail early and often. The sooner you find things that don’t work, and the more times you experience failure, the closer you will be to finding out what really works.

As you go through the testing process, keep a journal so you can make notes that help to systematically refine what you’re putting into your body.

And, no, this isn’t just for those of you who are serious athletes or training for a race; these concepts apply universally to food and the discover process of how it makes you feel.

Write down the following information: • The date.

• What you ate.

• When you ate it—that is, how long before you worked out or raced.

• How it made you feel in your workout, your race, or even at your office.

• How long the energy lasted in your body.

• How effectively the specific food or meal helped you achieve success. You definitely need to pay close attention to this one. You might even want to go so far as giving each food a grade, since this will help you look back and decipher which foods or meals made you feel your best.

In order to get the most out of your body and mind, you have to act like an entrepreneur. Be excited about the challenge and process of figuring out what works for you and how to use that information to fuel for the results you want to achieve. Yes, it can be scary to embark on a new journey to lose weight, run your first marathon, enter a triathlon, or even set a goal of going to the Olympics one day. Understand that someone just like you has achieved each of these goals, and that it is totally possible to accomplish what you desire.

Although I am a relatively new entrepreneur, I have been in the sporting realm for almost two decades; believe me when I say that the best performers maximize their potential largely through trial and error, and by keeping track of their results.

Be an entrepreneur in your journey with food and health.

Your goal should be to build an incredibly powerful mind and body that can manufacture the results you desire. The achievement you are working for can be reached…just make sure you’re marching down the right path by testing early, testing often, and testing inexpensively. afm

Fuel Nutritionist

Effects of Yo-Yo Dieting

I

You’re wrong about weight cycling By Anne Wilfong, R.D., L.D. f you’ve heard them once, you’ve heard them a millions times: “Dieting decreases your metabolism” and “I can’t lose weight because I have been dieting my whole life and I gain back more than I lose.” I have even heard these excuses used by clients when they are deciding whether it’s the right time to make lifestyle changes. “Why even bother?” they ask. “My metabolism is so slow from years of being on and off diets.” If these phrases are all too familiar to you, then you are going to be thrilled by what you learn in this month’s article.

Yo-yo dieting is technically called “weight cycling” by researchers, and, although a specific number of pounds or dieting attempts isn’t universally accepted, it is generally agreed that the term

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refers to the repeated loss and regain of body weight. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese; it’s probably not surprising that there are approximately 108 million Americans on a diet in the United States at any given time. Most dieters will make four to five weight loss attempts per year. My guess is that at least three of those attempts coincide with January resolutions, bathing suit season, and the holidays.

The origins of the yo-yo dieting/decreased metabolism theory might stem from a few small studies that reported mixed results with regard to the effects of weight cycling on physiological and psychological outcomes. With that in mind, the researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle wanted

to study whether the yo-yo dieting theory was correct. The authors of the Nutrition and Exercise in Women (NEW) study stated that it “remained unclear whether repetitive cycles of weight loss and regain have any significant effect on subsequent success in achieving weight loss, or on the metabolic changes that typically accompany it.” The 12-month long NEW study was conducted on postmenopausal woman who were overweight or obese and had a lifetime history of weight cycling. The women

were placed into either a diet and exercise intervention group or the control group. It is important to note that this study looked only at the physiological impact of yo-yo dieting. In what is fabulous news for many, the NEW study results indicated that a “history of weight cycling does not impede successful participation in lifestyle interventions or alter the benefits of diet and/or exercise on anthropometric and metabolic outcomes in women.”

Does this finding surprise you? If you have been on and off the diet train for years and are concerned that you have “ruined” your metabolism, then you have some assurance that you have not. The results of this study don’t suggest that you should continue to yo-yo diet; rather, the recommendation is that you not let concern over a decreased metabolism stand in the way of making lifestyle changes. Metabolism is affected by many factors including, but not limited to, body composition, gender, physical activity, and age. After the age of 20, your metabolism slows down about 2 percent every ten years, and, as we age, we tend to become less active, all of which can lead to extra pounds.

The scientific community may be able to establish that there is minimal physical impact from yo-yo dieting, but what happens psychologically? As dieters lose weight, there is a sense of accomplishment, control, and hopefulness but, as we know, most diets eventually fail; thus, those same feelings of joy can turn instead to feelings of deprivation, frustration, low self-esteem, and mislabeling of hunger and fullness cues. These negative feelings can be huge barriers to making some permanent lifestyle changes. Breaking down these barriers by focusing on small behavior changes that can lead to slow and gradual weight loss is a good place to start. Confidence builds with small successes, such as not overeating at dinner by paying attention to fullness levels, adding in a day of strength training, switching from a grande frappacino to a small, and so on.

With small steps, weight loss goals can be reached and become a permanent way of life, and you will avoid all the drama of getting on and off a diet again. Sure—making significant lifestyle changes is slower and not as dramatic as dieting, but I promise the sense of victory at the end is even sweeter. afm

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Fuel REVIEW

In Depth Diet and Nutrition Trends Part II: Raw Diets By Jess Kolko, R.D.

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he landscape of the diet world is constantly changing, with new research and new fads popping up what seems like daily. Since I’m frequently asked about this topic, I decided that it would be good to explore some of the more popular diets and trends. In this series, it is my hope to explore diets and trends in depth to discover their effectiveness for the fitness-minded individual. This month, we will explore the raw diet: what it is, why people choose to eat this way, and whether or not it is possible to be an athlete on a raw diet.

The Basics

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hat is a raw diet? A raw diet—or, more specifically, a raw vegan diet—consists of all raw fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, grains, and vegetables.

This style of eating avoids anything cooked to a temperature of more than 118 degrees

Farenheit. Why? The thought is that heating causes the enzymes present in the food to begin to break down and deteriorate. Many raw foodies believe that this breakdown of enzymes causes humans digestive and health issues.

Raw foods are sometimes called living foods—the terms

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are used interchangeably.

Those following a raw food diet generally eat uncooked, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, in whole or minimally processed forms.

Many may use sprouting (the technique of soaking and germinating) to render beans, legumes, and grains digestible and delicious to the human body. Another more complicated and time consuming “cooking” technique used in the raw food community is dehydrating.

Small plug-in dehydrators are available for home use; these machines work by circulating slightly warm air over mesh trays to dry foods over a period of a few hours to several days.

Raw crackers, granolas, and fruit leathers—and a whole lot more—can be made this way.

The Father of Food Enzymes

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uch of the research and thinking behind the raw food diet came from the research of Dr. Edward Howell. Dr. Howell spent his career studying enzymes and digestion; he put his theories to the test in his private practice, which he founded in 1930 in Illinois. His practice focused on treating advanced diseases, and his books are still very popular in raw circles—he is sometimes called the “father of food enzymes.” Howell believed that, by cooking food, we are using up our own enzymes and causing ourselves harm, illness, and even shortening our life span.

He believed that, “if the human organism must devote a huge portion of its enzyme potential to making digestive enzymes… there may not be enough enzyme potential to go around.”

With this statement, it seems that Howell believed there was a finite amount of “enzyme potential” in the body.

The mainstream scientific

community sees enzymes in a different way. Broadly speaking, it is generally accepted that our body produces the enzymes used to break down food—the enzymes in the food itself do not necessarily contribute to the breakdown in our digestive system. Whether the food is cooked or not, our bodies are continually producing enzymes that break down different types of food in different places.

For example: We produce an enzyme called amylase, which starts the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth, and other enzymes, present in the small intestines and other locations in our digestive systems, which continue to break food down into absorbable forms.

Howell retired in the 1970s.

Since his time, very little scientific research has been done on the long-term health effects of a raw vegan diet. A handful of recent research studies looked into a few health indicators; however, it is clear that more research would need to be done to discover these outcomes.

For now, we must rely on anecdotal evidence and a few books

by Dr. Howell.

Going Raw Beyond Vegetables

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eyond raw vegan diets, there is a world of other raw diets out there to explore. Some options may be very new and eye opening to more than a few of you. Raw vegetarianism, for example, is alive and well. The raw vegetarian diet incorporates raw dairy (e.g., raw, unpasteurized milk and cheeses) and, on occasion, raw eggs into the same foundation of a plantbased diet. A raw omnivore adds meat into the mix—from sashimi to beef (carpaccio, anyone?). I’ve even read a few rare (no pun intended) articles about some raw carnivore

folks—people whose diet is based mostly on uncooked animal foods. Beyond a doubt, however, a raw vegan diet is the most prominent of the raw food diets.

The world of gourmet raw foods around the world is alive and well across the country—and the world, for that matter. Here in Austin and the surrounding areas, there are a variety of delicious options. Several restaurants are dedicated to preparing living raw foods, and there are many other restaurants and food trailers that have raw vegan options. Even more convenient are the myriad options popping up on grocery store shelves.

From crackers to granola to energy bars, more raw foods are flocking to mainstream markets.

Getting the Nutrients You Need

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here are a few things to think about when considering this type of diet.

Consuming all raw food doesn’t mean that you are getting the most out of all of your nutrients; not all have the same bioavailability when consumed raw, and some are better processed and absorbed by your body when cooked. Lycopene and tomatoes are a prime example; there is more lycopene in

cooked tomato products (such as tomato sauce) than found in a raw tomato.

Cooking can also provide a safety net, as it tends to kill most pathogens that can be found in the food supply. No matter what type of diet is followed, there is a risk of toxicity from food-borne pathogens and, although washing produce well is an important preventative step, cleaning may not remove all of the pathogens.

Many of the recent food-related illnesses have come from produce items, so it is very important to wash these foods well when you are consuming them raw.

As with all special diets, it is essential to get enough daily calories to sustain your level of activity, and raw vegan diets are no exception. Consider all of the foods that are consumed raw even if you are not a raw vegan; these foods—such as fruits and vegetables—are lower in calories and high in fiber. If you move to a raw vegan diet, it may be necessary, therefore, to eat a large volume of food at frequent intervals throughout the day to get your necessary calories. Keep in mind that, when adding more fruits and vegetables to any diet (cooked or raw), there will be some shifts in your digestion

as your system gets used to the added fiber.

Living on a Raw Diet

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or athletes, maintaining a high level of performance on a raw diet can be especially challenging. Most athletes base their daily intake on carbohydrates, since this is the easiest fuel for our bodies to access. Although fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates, they are not as packed with energy as are grains, beans, and legumes. It is important to have a solid base of these foods to fuel training. I suggest consulting a nutrition professional if you are going to try out a raw vegan diet while sustaining a high level of training and racing.

That’s not to say that a raw diet can’t work—just look at Venus Williams—but it does need to be well planned and well executed.

A raw vegan diet requires a lot of time to commit to food considerations in addition to what is required for training in a sport.

For those who want to eat more healthily without making the commitment to a full raw diet, it can’t hurt to simply add a few more raw foods into their day.

Many people do choose a raw vegan diet for health reasons. However, a very restrictive diet can be a warning sign for an eating disorder or serious

disordered eating behavior. It is very important for a dietitian or other health professional familiar with the raw vegan diet to take a look at your food log and provide consultation to make sure all is well and that your health is not compromised.

Raw vegan diets have been around for a long time and can certainly promote health, as several professional-level raw vegan athletes have demonstrated. However, there are pitfalls that can cause issues.

First is the need to take in the appropriate amount of calories for your body and to sustain your level of training and racing.

Second, as with all restrictive diets, it’s important to have the help of a health professional to ensure you are sticking to the diet for the right reasons and not heading down a road that could ultimately be selfdestructive. Third, you need to be aware of your own body and what works best for it, as what is touted in a book or the media as “the next big thing” may not be right for you and your performance. Always be aware of how you feel, how you’ve raced, and how your training is going when you are eating a certain way. This is the best way to know whether a nutrition plan is working for you. afm

Are these diets good for athletes?

Each month we'll add to this chart. Watch in December for a Paleo diet review.

Diet

What is it?

Pros

Cons

Vegan

Plant focused, with no animal products.

High fiber; high antioxidant; can be economical; is health promoting, according to research; high water content.

Need to be taking in enough calories; must be aware of a few vitamins and minerals.

Raw Vegan

Plant based with no foods cooked over 118 degrees Farenheit.

High fiber, high antioxidant, high water.

Need to be very aware of calories, balance is key.

Need to be aware of vitamin and minerals. Preparation techniques can be time consuming. Caution for disordered eating behavior.

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Fuel Cooking

These Kids Can Cook!

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Four young chefs create healthy meals for contest

By Leah Fisher Nyfeler

t was with great pleasure that I served as a judge for the Austin Whole Foods Market’s inaugural Kids’ Cooking Challenge. Meeting these talented young chefs, all of whom showed great creativity in their recipes and wonderful skills in the kitchen, was an honor. Each of the four finalists represented a Whole Foods Market store; more than 100 young cooks sent in recipes, and I can only imagine how difficult it was to narrow the submissions down to only one per geographic area.

The contest worked like this: Each young chef had 45 minutes to prepare his or her dish in the test kitchen at Whole Foods Market and was assisted by a chef from that area store. In addition, the child could have an adult from his or her family present (all four used their moms as sous chefs). We judges (me, AISD’s assistant director of comprehensive health Tracy Lunoff, and Morgan Peretti from the Whole Kids Foundation) had the opportunity to wander about the kitchen while they worked, ask questions, and view the process. They plated the food and, when the 45 minutes were up, each gave a short presentation about his or her healthy recipe. We judges then had the pleasure of tasting each dish, followed by the daunting task of selecting one to win a grand prize that consisted of a trophy, several cookbooks, and a rain barrel collection system to be donated to the winner’s school or community through the Whole Kids Foundation.

Because each recipe was truly outstanding, Austin Fit Magazine is printing them here, and I’ve included a few of my observations about each recipe. We’d like to thank the cooks and their families for sharing these recipes.

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Winning Recipe Healthy Fish Tacos

Ella Lovins, age 8

These fish tacos were gorgeous and included a plethora of healthy veggies. Ella’s mom related that Ella created this gluten-free recipe to help her younger brother, who was diagnosed with health issues that led to him being severely underweight. Thanks to the family’s delicious and healthy home dishes, he’s now at an ageappropriate weight and doing well.

This recipe makes a triple batch.

What You Need 12 pieces of mahimahi olive oil salt 1 ½ pounds of Applegate bacon 1 purple cabbage, thinly sliced 1 green cabbage, thinly sliced 1 head butter leaf lettuce 3 avocados, thinly sliced 1 container Whole Foods Market pico de gallo

How to Make It 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the fish in a glass baking dish; drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt on each piece.

3. Place the fish in the oven and bake until flakey.

4. Pan cook bacon according to the package instructions.

5. For the coleslaw, toss sliced cabbage with 4 tablespoons olive oil (use more if not coated).

6. Wash and dry butter leaf lettuce and separate into individual leaves.

7. Place lettuce on a plate and layer with coleslaw mixture, avocado slices, a piece of fish slice, and bacon. Top with pico de gallo.

Photography by Michael Deluca, Whole Foods Market

Tofu Waffles & Cucumber Salad

Zahi Loyde, age 7

This was hands-down the most creative dish. I’m not a tofu fan, but these waffles won me over, and the cucumber salad was crisp and delicious. Zahi was impressive in the kitchen; his mom said that, at the age of 5, he’d asked for a chef’s knife for Christmas. I wish my adult kids had his mad skills!

Tofu Waffles What You Need

Cucumber Salad What You Need

1 package extra firm tofu 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice seasoning

1 large English cucumber ½ tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar

How to Make It

How to Make It

1. Slice tofu into eight equal pieces and place slices one-by-one on a baking sheet.

2. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese Five Spice seasoning.

3. Pour mixture evenly on tofu.

4. Place a slice of tofu in a waffle iron for 2 minutes.

Repeat for each piece.

1. Peel cucumber and slice into fun shapes.

2. Place the slices into a bowl.

3. Pour olive oil, salt, and vinegar over the cucumbers and stir with a spoon.

4. Plate with waffles to serve.

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LIVE

Cooking

Formosa Dragon Blood Rice & Chicken

Euna Scott, age 10

The appearance of this dish, which is a childhood favorite of Euna’s mom, rivaled plates found in some of Austin’s most popular restaurants. We were all entertained by Euna’s explanation of the dish: “Formosa” because her mom is from China, and “Dragon Blood”—which is ketchup—because she liked the exotic sound of the title. This is something that kids will find fun to eat.

What You Need Sesame oil Grape seed oil 2 cups cooked white or brown rice OG ketchup 1 onion, diced 1 bunch green onion, diced 4 brown eggs 1 package frozen veggie medley 4 slices uncured ham

In a Pickle Chicken & Dai Can’t Believe it’s Daikon Chips

Jack Crabb, age 10

Mark my words: You’re going to see Jack Crabb as the host of a cooking show one day. This was a very involved and sophisticated recipe—Jack wielded a commercial-grade mandolin with confidence and skill. The daikon chips disappeared very quickly from my plate. (Note: The chicken was brined in advance.)

Chicken What You Need 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces 1 cup pickle juice Salt to taste 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Juice of 1 lime

How to Make It 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Coat chicken in pickle juice with balsamic and lime juice for up to 12 hours.

3. Pound marinated chicken with mallet to flatten and coat with bread crumbs.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

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Daikon Chips What You Need 1 small daikon radish 1 cup panko 2-3 eggs Olive oil Salt to taste

How to Make It 1. Using a mandolin, shave the daikon into chips (or use a knife to thinly slice).

2. Dip the daikon chips into egg until coated and then bread in panko.

3. Pan fry in olive oil for 2-5 minutes.

3 beets, shaved into thin slices 1 cucumber, shaved into thin slices 2-4 chicken breasts Flour Salt White pepper Lemon slices

How to Make It 1. Using the sesame oil, scramble three of the eggs in a non-stick pan at medium high heat.

2. In a separate pan, sauté the veggie medley, onion, green onion, and ham in grape seed oil.

3. Let simmer; add the eggs and stir.

4. Once thoroughly mixed, add the rice and stir.

5. Add ketchup and stir some more.

6. Set the mixture aside and keep warm while preparing the chicken.

7. Whisk remaining egg with a pinch of salt and white pepper. Season the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper.

8. Slice chicken breast on a bias and dip into the egg mixture; immediately coat with flour mixture.

9. Pan fry in grape seed oil until browned.

10. Fill a small cup with the rice mixture and then knock it out on a plate to give it a rounded shape.

11. Place a strip of fried chicken on top. Garnish with shaved beets and shaved cucumber, and squirt with a ¼ lemon slice.

Special thanks to these Whole Foods Market chefs for working with these culinary contestants.

Michael Frei (downtown store, Lamar Boulevard) Mari Soto (Bee Cave store, Hill Country Galleria) Ashley Lopez (Gateway store, North Austin) Alaina Aboussie (south store, William Cannon and MoPac)

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LIVE

Dinner and a Date—with a Language

Instructor Marina Spears (left) chats with Cooking Up Spanish founder Casey Smith (right) and student Eric Holloway.

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An Austin nonprofit teaches with food

By Emily C. Laskowski

n a small commercial kitchen, three women huddle around a stainless steel island worktop. Clad in aprons and hovering over a spread of fresh ingredients, they tilt their heads up as students make their way into the classroom. Each is greeted with big smiles, as if being welcomed home for dinner by his or her mother, sister, and grandmother. Instantly, each feels comfortable in this kitchen. This is a class different from any other.

Cooking Up Spanish is a nonprofit organization that teaches Spanish to non-speakers by way of cooking. Its predecessor, Cooking Up English, was founded in 2010 as a way to teach English as a second language through a supportive, edible, and interactive environment for learning.

The inspiration came from a five-and-a-half month trip that founder Casey Smith and her husband took to Chile.

Immersed in a foreign language, the experiences garnered from that trip motivated Smith to help others in her home community experiencing similar challenges. In 2013, Smith added Spanish classes, and more additions are planned for the future. “The goal is to broaden communities’ multicultural compassion,” said Smith, who ultimately wants to teach each official language of the United Nations. Up next? Russian. After that, Chinese, Arabic, and French.

So how does the class work? Students pay $175 for a fiveweek long series of classes. Each series includes five, 2-hour classes, all along the same culinary theme. The most recent series focused on tapas, with a different tapas-themed menu each class. For example: The menu on semano cuatro (week four) was Solomillo al Whisky y Espinacas con Garbanzos (Pork Tenderloin in Whiskey Sauce and Spinach with Chickpeas). Since the class’s inception, themes have included tropical foods, Latin breakfast, and will soon feature holiday meals. But this isn’t the same cuisine found at the neighborhood Tex-Mex restaurant. Incorporated into each menu are fresh, local, and organic foods, and a selection of authentic dishes from a variety of Latin American countries including Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.

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The group relaxes and recaps the lesson with a refreshing glass of wine.

Class begins with the teachers, Angie Mishoe and Marina Spears, giving assignments to each student in Spanish. This is an immersion class, so English is not allowed. Instead, students are each given a certain number of permisos (passes) to use when in dire need of an English translation. The number of permisos received is at the discretion of the teachers. If they think the students can be challenged, only one permiso may be given as opposed to the average three per person. But this is an open, collaborative, and helpful environment where instructions are often supplemented with hand motions.

Mishoe rattles off the ingredient list while pointing to each item: spinach, onions, olive oil. Spears imitates a knife movement above the pork loin while explaining how to slice the perfect medallones (medallions). The warmth of this interaction is a far cry from the experience of a traditional language classroom.

Immersion learning can be intimidating, but Cooking Up Spanish doesn’t throw its students into the proverbial deep end. Smith developed a curriculum that includes an apron

Photography by Robert Bermea

Smith, Spears, and Mishoe sat down to select the menus for the class, each tossing out her favorite dishes for consideration and then grouping them by genre.

Smith explained that the process "just organically works out."

Instructor Angie Mishoe demonstrates techniques (top left and right), and students Eric Holloway, Annie Freeman, and Gretta Riccobene (shown clockwise) prepare dishes while learning Spanish.

pocket-sized book for each student to utilize during class.

This pocket book contains the menu, cooking instructions, and a vocabulary list of ingredients and tools for each week.

At times, the students struggle to bridge the words from the pocket book into cohesive phrases, but the teachers are there to polish those imperfections. “It’s learning all of the little idioms that make this class better than the rest,” said Eric Holloway, a student who took the class after traveling to the Dominican Republic. The natural, conversational style forces students to comprehend what they are saying rather than learn by simple rote. Annie Freeman, another student,

agreed: “I love that, now, I think in Spanish at home when I cook.” Learning the language in a way that is applicable to everyday life makes it meaningful and memorable.

The class winds down once the meal is prepared. Teachers and students share their feast and indulge in a glass of wine, something they joke is “helpful” in encouraging confidence among speakers. As they taste the fruit of their labor, the Spanish lesson continues. Mishoe reviews the vocabulary list with the students and answers questions, all still in Spanish. Throughout the class, every student is engaged and invested; they are, for example, committed to rolling their R’s, even if they don’t flow off the tongue easily at first. Hannah Christian, a recent addition to Cooking Up Spanish’s board, seemed determined to make the group laugh. “Comedic timing is so difficult; I just want to be able to make a joke,” she explained, remembering how helpful that would have been when she studied abroad in college.

While each student is drawn to Cooking Up Spanish for different reasons, the common thread is the perspective they gain from the class. Immersed in a real-world, routine setting like cooking dinner, students encounter how difficult it can be as a stranger to a language. Gretta Riccobene, a student who teaches ESL at Manos de Christos, said, “The most important thing has been the insight into how humbling it is to learn a new language.”

The importance of that insight resonates with communities outside of Austin. Other cities, some outside the state of Texas, are interested in bringing Cooking Up Spanish and its other language variations to their regions. As Smith pointed out, there are more people than one might think who are trying to learn another language. In Austin, Smith often corrects people who assume that Cooking Up English would only serve Spanish speakers, given the cultural and geographic ties between Texas and Mexico. Instead, classes cater to adult immigrants, long-term visitors, refugees, and foreign students from South Korea all the way to Uzbekistan. And students are spreading the word by taking their newfound language skills to foreign countries or back to their native homeland.

By doing so, they’ve become worldwide ambassadors for this nonprofit trying to break down cultural barriers.

Joked Smith, “Yes, we want to take over the world!” It’s not too far-fetched a concept, considering the impact people can make once they can effectively communicate. afm

"I love that, now, I think in Spanish at home when I cook."

–Annie Freeman, student

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LIVE

Fit Over 40

Miss Marjorie— Blossoming at Age 86 Divine intervention on the road to wellness By Chad Nelson

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here is a famous scene in the third Godfather movie where Michael Corleone decries his inability to leave the Mafia life behind: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” Marjorie Wilkes can relate. Eleven years ago, with her children married and raising children of their own, the widow of 30 years was suffering the effects of a lifetime of physical maladies and feeling “out” of life in every sense. Now, at 86 years of age and describing herself as the “happiest and most free [she] has ever been,” Wilkes can’t help getting reeled back in by life.

Wilkes (known as Miss Marjorie) was 75, discouraged, and falling into depression. Her doctor diagnosed that she was experiencing post-polio syndrome (PPS), a condition that affects many polio survivors and includes symptoms such as acute muscular weakness, pain, and fatigue.

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The assessment gave an expectation of becoming wheelchairbound and losing independence and quality of Marjorie Wilkes and trainer Sonny Wilson have bonded over fitness: "She's made me a better man." Photo by Chad Nelson life; her left leg was already a full inch shorter IRS on the courthouse steps. than her right because of polio, and By 2007, Miss Marjorie’s health she was more dependent than ever had further deteriorated and docon her “buggy”—the wheeled walker tors were sending her to specialists that accompanied her everywhere. In of every kind. Her children became addition to these physical issues were increasingly concerned after she had emotional ones. Adding to Miss Martwo serious falls and moved her from jorie’s anxiety was a piece of land her her home in Smithville to Burnet; husband had left her when he died she was now closer to her family but in 1972. The land took 24 years to farther than ever from the indepensell; although the sale plugged a gap dence she desired. Those days, she financially, the relief was short-lived. didn’t so much look forward as try The purchaser defaulted and, due to a not to fall backward. Then, in Janumisstep by her attorney, Miss Marjoary of 2012, Miss Marjorie decided to rie lost the property. She was forced attend a senior exercise class called to buy her family land back from the

viewed for this article, Miss Marjorie “Don’t Stop Moving” that was starting told her story three times…at a car lot. at her church. She hoped to improve When she does so, she talks about the her balance enough to stay upright. lost weight, her disciplined routines, That first class, as it turned out, led and the fact that she can now walk to benefits beyond what she could’ve extended dispossibly imagtances without ined. assistance, givDuring ing a testimony one restof hope and less evening, encourageMiss Marjorie ment to those heard a voice who will listen. so clearly that What she rareshe was sure ly mentions is someone was how incredible in her home. her physical The voice said transformation to her, “God has been. doesn’t make “She is the mistakes.” most hardWhat did that headed and mean? She humble person had successI have ever fully completknown,” Wilson ed two senior said as Miss fitness classes, – Sonny Wilson, Marjorie shook lost 32 pounds, her head in and felt like Mad Dawg Fitness mock disshe could do gust. “She has more—but bench pressed how much 95 pounds and more? For can probably do 115 if I let her. She weeks, she was afraid to even tell her does 15-pound dumbbell curls; she kids about the voice because she was rides the elliptical machine and can sure they wouldn’t believe her. row 10,000 meters on the highest set“I really think God sent her here… ting available on the rowing machine. like an angel,” said Sonny Wilson, coShe is a freak of nature! There is owner and trainer at Mad Dawg Fitness, nothing she won’t try. She’s fearless. the gym that provided those first senior People have joined Mad Dawg Fitness exercise classes, as he grinned and simply because she has inspired them winked at his “adopted grandmother.” to do something and they feel better “When my granny died, a huge part of knowing she is here.” me felt empty. [Miss Marjorie] has not Will Miss Marjorie work out on her only made me a better trainer but has 100th birthday in September 2027? made me a better man. She has made With a twinkle in her eye and a nod, me recognize and focus on what is she replied that she will. Wilson, important (like God, family, and helping glancing one more time in her direcothers) and less on material things.” tion, answered with certainty, “AbsoWhile Miss Marjorie and Wilson lutely!” The woman who once simply have a special relationship beyond struggled to keep from falling back is that of the typical trainer/trainee, it is definitely looking ahead to years of hard to find anyone who has met her improved fitness—and inspiring oththat has not been inspired. She’s pasers to do the same. afm sionate about sharing her experience; in fact, the day before being inter-

"There is nothing [Miss Marjorie] won't try.

She's fearless."

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The Pulse

Heartbeat of Austin's Fitness Scene

Book Bit

Turducken Calories: 1,639 (1/12 of Turducken) The Burn: Really—do we need to go here?

Worth it or Waste it?

From Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

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Try this instead

our next great adventure—the 21-Day Cleanse—will tune your body, mind, and spirit. At the end of it, you’ll feel magnificent and look beautiful inside and out. If you love the new you, keep going! The Crazy Sexy Diet is an optimum way of life. Let it be your foundation, a home base to come back to whenever you veer off. The cleanse is intended to give you freedom from obstruction and liberation from bullshit. It’s not meant to create or support more stress in your life. As I said earlier, there’s no such thing as perfection. Perfect is beige.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup water • 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature.

Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 2¼ cups.

Awkward Airport Workouts

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Security Squeeze. Alternate tightening your glutes and

abs while waiting to pass security. Tweak Up—add a pec flex to the rotation. Tweak Down—isolate just one area. Bonus points if your wait is longer than 20 minutes.

OJ Intervals. Sprint from gate to gate. Tweak Up—add suitcase leaps where applicable. Tweak Down—alternate walking and running. Bonus points if wearing heels.

Shake Weight. Use your partially-filled water bottle like a maraca; alternating hands, give five shakes per hand. Tweak Up—use a 1.5 liter bottle in each hand and add a curl. Tweak Down—focus on maintaining a steady rhythm. Bonus points if you can sing at the same time (and double bonus points for escaping annoyed airport personnel/passengers).

atthew McConaughey just announced a new movie role; he’s playing Santa Claus in a 2014 Austin-based version of a classic Christmas film called Miracle on MoPac. The star, fresh off his award-worthy performance in The Dallas Buyer’s Club, said he was “looking for a stretch.”

“I’m a method actor,” explained McConaughey, “and the idea of exploring just what makes ol’ Saint Nick tick is really appealing. I’m going to have to focus to meet the character’s requirements here.” The international sex symbol has sparked a new diet craze—jkcalories (though the details remained shrouded in secrecy, rumor has it there’s a heavy emphasis on Amy’s Ice Creams and Gordoughs Doughnuts). When asked her opinion, McConaughey’s lovely wife Camila Alves, stated, “I’m just glad I can feed my man a sandwich.”

ultimate 90's Playlist All Star — Smash Mouth You Gotta Be — Des'ree Mo Money Mo Problems — The Notorious B.I.G. This Is How We Do It — Montell Jordan Waterfalls — TLC

Closing Time — Semisonic Jumper — Third Eye Blind My Own Worst Enemy — Lit You Get What You Give — New Radicals Praise You — Fatboy Slim http://ow.ly/pVyS9

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by Courtenay Verret & Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons Makeup and Hair by Lauren Lumsden and Lacey Fuentes, Rae Cosmetics

Food, Love, Fitness, and Business The Blue Dahlia Bistro’s recipe for success 46 | au stinfI tmagazi ne.com | 1 1 . 20 1 3

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W What do you get when you combine highend customer service with a love of simple, healthy food? For restaurateurs Amy and Sam Ramirez, this mix created the Blue Dahlia Bistro. Since its opening on Austin’s east side in 2007, the Blue Dahlia has wowed customers with its attention to detail, outstanding service, and simple—yet elegant—food, all at an affordable price. Throw in the owners’ passion for fitness and sense of fun, and the results are a uniquely Austin recipe for success.

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Opening Doors he Blue Dahlia was Amy Quinn’s brainchild, conceived seven years ago after the newly single 30-year-old took a leap of faith and quit her jobs in New York City as a part-time model and flight attendant.

“I had a house here [in Austin] and an apartment back in New York City, and it started to be that every time I left Austin to go back to work, I’d start crying,” she reminisced. “Austin just felt like this beautiful, healthy city…I finally got to the point where I sat with a friend and we had this conversation: ‘I’m going to do what feels best for me, with nothing in my wallet, and just take this leap of faith that I’m going to make whatever the next step is for me work.’ I didn’t know what that [next step] was at all.”

As luck would have it, though, the next step didn’t take long to present itself. Only three days later, a friend called Amy to say that the Dandelion Cafe on East 11th Street was going up for sale, and that she should consider opening her own place. Although she had no culinary skills to speak of and no background in the restaurant business, Amy was intrigued by the idea: “I thought, ‘That’s cool; I could do that.’ Make really pretty dishes that are really healthy…just this coffee shop-type place.”

Amy set to work creating a business plan and seeking out investors.

Three women were interested in financially supporting her business, and her friend (the same one who’d planted the restaurant seed) introduced her to Sam Ramirez, a 50-year-old widower and owner of a successful drilling company. Sam, having just gone through some recent personal changes of his own, was interested in a new venture, and so Amy set up a meeting over coffee for all of the potential investors. “I’m all excited and I’m pitching this idea, and these three women are all so involved,” described Amy. “Meanwhile, Sam’s just sitting there…quiet and stoic the whole time. I walked out of the meeting going, ‘Oh my God, he hates me.’”

Actually, however, Sam didn’t “hate” Amy or her idea. He requested a second meeting and ultimately decided to come on board. “Ironically,” he laughed, “I was the only investor.” With the paperwork signed, the two plunged elbows deep into their new project, taking on much of the renovation work themselves. Amy had no prior construction experience but quickly proved herself as a hard worker; Sam was a construction veteran with access to the necessary equipment, thanks to his drilling business. “We had a lot of work to do and there was nobody else to do it,” he explained. “I really wasn’t supposed to be actively involved in building the restaurant, but I saw that [doing so] would be very beneficial because I had the tools, the Bobcat, and the time.”

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Building a Life s the weeks ticked by, the restaurant slowly began to take shape, but Sam and Amy’s hard work also had an unexpected payoff: After spending long hours together, day after day, the two began to realize that they liked each other. A lot. “We started working on the backyard of Blue Dahlia together,” said Amy. “He’d come in his work gear and be twirling tools and looking like a total man–beast.” Looking back, Sam jokingly noted that, “If there had been other investors, we might not be sitting here [as a married couple] right now.”

“That’s true,” Amy agreed. “We spent so much time making Blue Dahlia happen that—” “That’s how we got to know each other,” finished Sam. The couple loves to argue (good naturedly) about how, exactly, their relationship finally came to be. There’s a fun story about Amy tilling up the Blue Dahlia’s backyard with the Bobcat, which made Sam look at her in a whole new light (“He liked the fact that I was able to get down and dirty,” joked Amy). There were misunderstandings straight out of a romantic comedy—like the time Amy thought they were on a date, but Sam ended up ignoring her the whole evening and got into his car without saying goodbye (“I had invited her along as a business/nice thing to do,” Sam defended). Despite their differing opinions on what finally brought them

together, the one thing these two agree upon is the fact that “she chased me,” asserted Sam. “I did; I chased him,” laughed Amy. “…I finally texted him one day and said, ‘Hey let’s go to dinner.’ And he didn’t text back. And I remember going, ‘Oh man, I just screwed that business situation up.’ The next day, I get this message back and he was like, ‘Ok.’” Sam admitted that he was initially unsure whether to pursue a relationship with Amy because of their business circumstances—as well as their 20-year age difference. “I was terrified,” he said. “I had never been in that position before. It’s like the old Groucho Marx saying: ‘I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member.’ I figured it was too good to be true. But, she was tenacious, so she finally convinced me it was worth a shot.”

By the time the Blue Dahlia Bistro opened its doors on East 11th Street in July 2007, the two were a full-fledged couple. While excited about their new romance, Amy was—or so she thought—clear about their future: “I had always thought marriage was just a piece of paper,” she explained. “The day before we opened [the restaurant], I just remember sitting on the front porch with him and saying, ‘This is great; I really think you’re awesome. But wherever this is going to go, I don’t believe in marriage.’” And yet, in spite of this staunch assertion, there was something about Sam that eventually changed Amy’s mind. A year later, the two were married on Sam’s ranch in San Marcos in front of their family and closest friends. “I don’t know what changed my mind,” she admitted. “With Sam, it just felt different.” The couple celebrated their nuptials with a pig roast, jump castle, swimming pool, and homemade moonshine—all testaments to their informal and fun-loving style. “It was one of the funnest weddings I’ve ever been to,” reminisced Sam.

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Amy and Sam transformed the former Dandelion Café's backyard into a garden patio; the new Westlake location also has a lush outdoor seating area (shown on page 51).

Working the Details eanwhile, the Blue Dahlia Bistro—with its cozy, European vibe and simple plates of fresh, healthy food—was generating buzz around town, earning the reputation of being a classy yet affordable place to dine. “I had traveled all throughout Europe, so I knew the feeling of European cafes,” Amy noted. “I like things that are beautifully simple; I think that’s how food should be.”

In alignment with that belief, Amy and Sam extended this simplicity to the restaurant décor: Communal wooden tables; soft, romantic lighting; and carefully selected stones in the restroom sinks are all Blue Dahlia trademarks. Their lush outdoor patios are pleasant (even in warmer weather) and local artwork adds to the ambiance; there are even live musicians on certain nights. But, as they say on the restaurant’s website, “We’re more than just a pretty place!” Sam and Amy also created a mission statement for the business that went beyond surface appearance to a bedrock of beautiful practices. In addition to using organic and local products whenever possible, Blue Dahlia participates in composting with East Side Compost Peddalers, supports a wide variety of community nonprofits (museums, sports teams, and youth groups, among others), and strives to “maintain a high quality of attitude, fairness, understanding and generosity with our staff, our customers, our vendors and the local community.”

Despite a fabulous atmosphere and great business ethics, a restaurant’s success ultimately comes down to the food. Many of the Blue Dahlia’s dishes are family and friend originals—for example, the recipe for their decadent bread pudding was passed down

by Amy’s best friend’s great-grandmother; Sam’s mother’s calabacitas stew is an all-time fall favorite; and their colorful salads were inspired by Amy and her former roommate’s kitchen experiments. The restaurant is especially known for its French tartines (open-faced sandwiches) that are served beautifully 11.2 0 13 | austinfItmagazine.com | 49

arranged on slate boards that Sam and Amy cut themAustin” awards ceremony, the gentleman who presented selves. “Because we had that as one of our main entrées Sam and Amy with their certificate mentioned that he “felt on the menu, people started to classify us as ‘French,’ so I classy” every time he ate at their restaurant. “That, to me, kind of just went with that [theme],” said Amy. Today, she is the essence of what we are,” emphasized Amy. “And it’s continued, the restaurant boasts many dishes of French accessible to everybody. You’ll have the hipster sitting origin, but with a Blue Dahlia twist: “For example: Coq au next to the two little old ladies, [who are] sitting next to vin is usually made with red wine, but I said, ‘We’re going the business guys, [who are] sitting next to the people who to do this Blue Dahlia-style with white wine and mushjust got out of the yoga class.” Throw in a U.S. congressman rooms.’” Since the restaurant purchases ingredients from and some world-famous musicians, and you’ll complete the local farms whenever possible, daily specials (like their picture of the Blue Dahlia’s diverse customer demographic. watermelon gazpacho and peach cobbler) are often built around what’s in season.

Finding Fun in Fitness If there’s another thing the Blue Dahlia is known for, ith the day-to-day stresses of managing a busiit’s their bread—what some would say is the most imporness, it would be easy to assume that Amy and tant staple of any European meal. Sam and Amy sampled Sam have little time for extra-curricular acmany options before choosing their supplier. “We spent tivities: Not so. Amy is a fitness enthusiast who is selfa lot of time going around Austin just trying to find good, admittedly unable to pursue any activity at anything less fresh bread,” said Sam. The two finally settled on Chuy’s than “full force.” She enjoys challenging herself and, over Panaderia, and they’ve recently added the “classic French the years, she’s taken on several impressive endeavors. baguettes” from Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden to Harboring a love for full-contact sports, Amy once trained their menu. To further augment their French authenticity, at world-famous Gleason’s boxing gym in Brooklyn, New the dough for their chocolate croissants is imported from York. She picked up the sport again in 2007 at Austin France and baked fresh at the Blue Dahlia every morning.

Boxing Babes and ultimately landed at Lord’s Gym, trainNailing the restaurants’ service component was espeing under champion and gym owner Richard Lord* and cially important to Amy and Sam. Drawing from Amy’s Anissa “The Assassin” Zamarron (junior flyweight). Two background as a flight attendant years later, acting on her desire to for EOS Airlines (the now defunct “take things to the next level,” Amy luxury carrier), they established a began to train for Austin’s 2010 customer experience designed to Golden Gloves tournament; she please Blue Dahlia’s patrons and whipped her body into competiexceed their expectations. “One of tion-ready shape in only four short the things that I was taught at our months. “I fought welterweight, airline was to call every customer which (for women) is 140-147 a ‘guest.’ It’s like having someone pounds—I was 141,” she recalled. come into your home…That’s part “I fought a girl from Austin Boxing of what I feel lends itself to the inBabes and I lost, but I don't care! timacy here,” said Amy. “We don’t [Competing] was the most amazing serve anything [on the menu] experience!” Now at age 37, Amy’s that’s crazy fancy, but you can considering a return to the Golden come in here and have healthy Gloves in 2014, thanks to a recent food and really amazing service. ruling that raised the tournament’s You pay attention to the details.” age limit to 40.

Each year, Sam and Amy travel Shortly after competing in boxto Europe for “research” purposes, ing, Amy was inspired by an excurgathering inspiration from the sion with Sam to the rodeo. With places they visit and the food they little previous experience to speak sample. “Every time we go, we of, she decided to try her hand at bring something back,” said Amy, horseback riding, first competing adding that she feels “gratified” in English Saddle (winning several when she sees the concepts she blue ribbons) and then moving on has tried to incorporate into the to barrel racing (“because I wanted Blue Dahlia’s food and atmosphere to go fast!”). As if her fitness on display in European cafes. portfolio wasn’t diverse enough, in The couple believes that comNovember 2012, Amy trained for bining tasty fare, great service, and and competed in the Texas State reasonable prices is well received Natural Championships (a local in Austin, which is one of the bodybuilding competition), which Sam's ranch in San Marcos was the perfect reasons why the Blue Dahlia has she jokingly refers to as “a science setting for an intimate outdoor wedding been named “Best Cheap Date” ceremony (2008). *Lord is an Austin legend—March 31 was for three consecutive years in the declared “Richard Lord Day” by Mayor Bruce Austin Chronicle’s “Best of Austin” Todd for Lord’s work to empower women through boxing. poll. During the recent “Best of

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experiment of my mental and physical state.”

Preparing for the two events—the Bikini C class (for women over 5’6”) and the Masters Bikini division (women 35 and older)—required adherence to a very strict diet and working out twice a day—challenging under any circumstances, but especially difficult while trying to run a business. Amy built exercise time with trainer Joey Trombetta of HEAT Bootcamp into her busy schedule and planned her meals in advance, carrying them around in plastic containers so they’d be available whenever she was ready “to feed.” “I wanted the challenge,” she said. “I felt like I couldn’t do it, which made me want to go out and say, ‘I can do this.’”

When it comes to being supportive, Sam would argue, “I’m not the cheerleader type.” Whatever the terminology, Sam has provided unwavering support for each of Amy’s athletic endeavors: He’s woken up with her at 4 a.m. to drive to the boxing gym; he’s attended all of her competitions; and he even followed the same “crazy” diet while she prepared for the Texas State Naturals. No physical slouch himself, Sam is an avid runner and surfer; he also rowed recreationally through the Austin Rowing Club on a team called “crewÜ.” He has been known to bring (sometimes drag) Amy along on his runs (“I hate running!” she admitted), and the two enjoy taking trips to coastal areas to surf.

Making the time to participate in the activities they enjoy is important to the Ramirezes, and, whenever possible, they try to incorporate that sense of fun among their staff through team-building and social events. They are quick to brag on their “stellar” employees: “We love our staff,” said Amy. “That’s one of the most amazing things [about the Blue Dahlia Bistro] that makes it special, is our staff.”

Sam agreed: “They’re committed to making this a place you want to come. They’re very proud of where they work.”

“You shouldn’t have to choose between McDonalds or Paris,” asserted Sam. “There should be a lot of in between.”

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Continuing to Grow am has a favorite saying: “When the shark stops swimming, it suffocates.” Though the Blue Dahlia could rest on its laurels, the Ramirezes are continuing to stretch. In June 2012, they opened a second Blue Dahlia location in Westlake, hoping to fill a niche they saw in that community. They more recently launched a catering service, and their sights are set on opening a third restaurant—“eventually.”

The couple works as a team to tackle the day-to-day responsibilities of running two restaurants: Amy handles the staff, the menus (with input from Sam), and food vendors, while Sam takes care of maintenance and physical aesthetics. Although they couldn’t be more pleased with the Blue Dahlia’s rise to success, Sam and Amy have never felt as though their work was done. They have been cautious in their growth, unwilling to compromise on the level of detail for which they have become known. “I’m still not breathing a sigh of relief,” laughed Sam. “I have to think that any business owner—regardless of the business—the moment they breathe a sigh of relief, they’re not trying anymore.” For Amy and Sam Ramirez, not trying is simply not an option. AFM To learn more about Amy's training for Golden Gloves and cutting slate boards, visit austinfitmagazine.com for these Web exclusive articles.

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It ’ s t i me to comp i le t h e a n n u al A F M “ B e s t o f ” Healt h , F i t n e s s , a n d N u t r i t i o n Awa r d s f o r 2 0 1 3 . T ell u s yo u r f avo r i te s i n A u s t i n i n eac h o f O u r Va r i o u s cate g o r i e s a n d s u bm i t yo u r V O T E by Novembe r 1 5 , 2 0 1 3 .

Ta k e a clo s e loo k , beca u s e we ’ ve c h a n g ed o u r s u r vey u p a b i t. I n q u i r i n g m i n d s ca n f i n d o u t t h e r e s u lt s i n t h e J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 i s s u e o f A u st i n F i t M aga z i n e .

( O n e vote pe r pe r s o n , plea s e — a n d we ca n totally tell w h e n yo u vote f o r yo u r s el f 1 0 0 t i me s . ) austinfitmagazine

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Austin’s Healthy Eats o n t h e G o Options for eating well in a hurry

By Jasmin Carina Castanon Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons

Daily Greens

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reast cancer survivor Shauna Green established Daily Greens with her main goal being to get as many people as possible to consume their “daily greens” through one of her juices. Martin credits much of her strength and complete recovery to her daily green juice regime; thus, sharing the life-changing benefits of juicing is an effort very close to Martin’s heart. Each one of Martin’s juices contains nine servings of raw fruit and vegetables and is the perfect combination of leafy greens and wholesome fruits. What sets Daily Greens apart from its competitors is that it uses an HPP cold-pasteurizing technique, which gives each drink a 60-day shelf life and over triple the amount of nutrients than standard juice drinks.

Daily Greens offers five different juices to choose from and is available at local farmers' markets all around Austin.

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Daily Juice

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aily Juice was born in 2003 and offers juices, smoothies, cleanses, and on-the-go eats that are all of the local and organic variety. Daily Juice uses no chemicals, preservatives, or chlorine in any of their products, maintaining an all-natural menu in the truest sense of the word.

On their website, you can even search the menu options by their benefits, such as awareness, calmness, and energy. If you’re simply looking for something tasty and sweet or healthy and green, you can also search their menu options by ingredients.

My Fit Foods

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Snap Kitchen

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nap Kitchen has a variety of different menu options for nearly every diet restriction, including gluten free, Paleo, non-dairy, and carb conscious, to name just a few. Snap Kitchen’s nutritional plans are a bit more flexible than most pre-made meal programs and allow for a “free day” during which you get to choose one meal yourself. One of Snap Kitchen’s philosophies is that your lifestyle plan should not only be healthy but also livable and realistic (translation: You deserve that piece of pie every once in a while). Every meal is ready to eat or just needs a quick microwaving, so it’s always quick, easy, and, most importantly, healthy. Snap Kitchen also provides curbside service so you don’t even have to get out of the car when you want to pick up a meal or two. Meals last up to five days refrigerated, and, if you don’t have time for pick up, they can also deliver straight to your door.

y Fit Foods was founded in the apartment kitchen of personal trainer Mario Mendias, who began cooking healthy meals for his clients who were too busy to shop for and prepare clean eats on their own. One year later, Mendias created My Fit Foods to provide people like his fitness clients with fresh and healthy foods on the go for a reasonable price.

The My Fit Foods menu focuses on a balance between lean proteins, lowglycemic carbohydrates, and hearthealthy vegetables and spices. My Fit Foods also offers three-day and 21-day challenges for those who are looking to shed a few pounds, gain lean muscle mass, or simply find an energy kick. The three-day program is an introduction to the 21-day program, which includes full service meal planning and an education program for clients. More than 90 percent of the menu items are gluten-free, made fresh daily, and include meals ranging from chicken Parmesan to shrimp gumbo. They also have a variety of snacks including truffles, cookies, and trail mix, so there is something to cure just about every craving. In addition to visiting a My Fit Foods location, meals can be picked up at various H-E-B stores around Austin.

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Beetnik

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eetnik is a local company that provides high-quality frozen food for delivery all over the United States. David Perkins founded the company based on his love for greattasting and wholesome food. None of Beetnik’s foods contain MSG, highfructose corn syrup, artificial color, flavorings, hormones, or antibiotics.

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In addition, Beetnik also works with environmentally friendly packaging companies and farms around the world to provide their high-quality foods. Although they specialize in gluten-free and Paleo options, Beetnik still offers a wide variety of delicious meals, desserts, and snacks. They have scones, cheesecakes, pancakes, and gluten-free pastas, as well as a variety of homemade sauces. All of their beef

is grass fed and raised in pastures as opposed to feedlots; their chicken is also pasture raised and organic.

Beetnik believes that great food comes from great ingredients, which is why their entire menu focuses on organic and homegrown resources. afm To learn more about Beetnik, visit austinfitmagazine.com to read the extended version of this article.

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F1 Coverage

A Chat with Alexander Rossi Taking a look at an American F1 Driver

By Leah Fisher Nyfeler

Alexander Rossi, age 21, is making a name for himself in Formula One. He is currently the reserve driver for Caterham F1 Team and the only American to hold an F1A Super License.

The Californian had his debut at the Singapore Grand Prix this September (he qualified at 4th place but mechanical issues kept him from racing). When he’s not touring with the circuit, he resides in the UK and works on his college courses online. Due to his busy schedule, AFM connected with Rossi via email.

How did you get started in F1? I was introduced to racing at a very young age by my father [Pieter Rossi]. When I was 10 years old, he took me to a karting school in Las Vegas as a birthday present and after three days in a go-kart, I fell in love with the sport and knew that one day I wanted to compete in F1. The journey started then and there, and it took a major step forward when I left California when I was sixteen to go and prove myself over in Europe. I received my [F1A] Super License (which allows me to compete in an F1 race) when I was 17 and joined Caterham F1 Team as a test driver when I was 18.

Do you feel that Americans have a harder time than Europeans working up through the ranks to succeed in Formula One racing? I feel that the most difficult aspect for any American wanting to reach F1 is the fact that, in order to be successful, you must commit your life to European motorsport. This means moving overseas, working your way up through the junior ladder in Europe,

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and fully immersing yourself into a different environment. If you can do that and win in Europe, then there is no reason that you will not have just as good of an opportunity as everyone else.

You graduated early from high school—what was it like, being a teenager, working hard at school, and professionally racing? It was certainly not the easiest of times, but one that I have become very grateful for. So many people who I was racing with [while] growing up didn't make education their priority and they are now paying the consequences. From an obvious aspect, it was always a good idea to have a backup plan if racing weren't to work out; however, I have realized that it is highly beneficial in this sport to have an educated background due to the people and corporations that you come across on a week-to-week basis.

How has your family supported you throughout your career?

My family has been with me every day of this journey for the past twelve years. We started together in go-karts and, now, here we are standing on the doorstep of the pinnacle of motorsport. I will openly admit that I would have had to stop racing a long time ago if it hadn't been for the continual dedication and perseverance of not only my parents but my grandparents as well.

Americans are notorious for speaking only English. Do you speak other languages? How is communication in this multi-national sport? Unfortunately, I do only speak English. I suppose the reason for this is because it is the main language in

motorsport and I have never been in an environment where I have been required to speak another language. With that being said, it is something that I would like to do in order to better answer questions like this.

Tell us about your next steps toward becoming an F1 driver.

This is quite a complicated sport in the sense that it is not purely performance based. So I cannot easily say that if A, B, or C were to happen, then I would be guaranteed a seat. I am at the final step of the ladder, if you will, and I am just focusing on delivering results every time I get into the car. If I continue to do this and have a little bit of luck fall my way, then I fully believe that I will be in a full-time race seat in the near future.

Are there other up-and-coming young Americans in motorsports who you recommend watching—someone who, in a few years, may be poised to enter into F1? Conor Daly. He has already competed in the Indy 500, he has raced in Europe for the past three years, and he has won races. Plus he is a really good dude. What more do I need to say?

Austin Fit Magazine is a health and wellness magazine, and we are always interested in the types of workouts that our profiled athletes do. How do you keep in shape with your grueling race regimen? What do you do during the off-season to stay fit? Most people overlook the physical element of motorsport, especially Formula One. It is one of the most demanding envi-

ronments that one can be asked to operate in due to incredibly high g-forces and temperature. To be able to withstand the extremes of this, training is at the forefront of everyone’s program. I am at a specialized facility in England every day and, when I am on the road, I keep the program going for continuity. The closest comparison that I can give you would be a CrossFit-style approach, with a very high emphasis on reaction drills and mental stress testing.

Give your thoughts on COTA and Formula One in the U.S. First of all, I think that COTA was the perfect environment for the return of F1 to the U.S. Last year was a massive success, not only for the fans, but also for the teams as everyone rated Austin as their new favorite event of the year. However, in order for F1 to really reach the American market and become a "household sport," there needs to be not only an American driver but a successful one. We as Americans are such patriotic people that, at the end of the day, we are not going to want to watch a German or British driver win every race—we want to see the Stars and Stripes fighting at the top. If this happens, then I truly believe that Formula One will have a permanent home in the U.S.

Is there anything that you’d like for our Texas readers to know about you in particular? Austin is without a doubt one of my favorite cities in the U.S. I have visited quite a few times outside of the Grand Prix weekend and every time I get the chance to spend time there, I am reminded of how amazing it is. So a big thank you to all you there who keep it weird. afm

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F1 Coverage

What’s New at COTA Hot happenings at Austin’s F1 home

By Leah Fisher Nyfeler

Is it possible that, just last year, Austin was nervously welcoming Formula One and the world of international motorsport back to the United States? The racing community agreed that the inaugural Circuit of The Americas’ event was successful beyond belief. That, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t some improvements and changes in store for 2013’s event. AFM sat down with Geoff Moore, COTA’s chief marketing and revenue officer, to find out what’s in store for this November 15-17.

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Game Zone

Perhaps one of the most fun and exciting additions is the Game Zone, located at the Grand Plaza entrance. This area will have seven simulators, one high-end simulator, and a reflex machine, all of which are used by F1 drivers to prepare for racing. Fans will have a chance to “drive” the course; support drivers (that means development drivers, such as Susie Wolff, and reserve drivers, such as Alexander Rossi) will make appearances. There will be competitions among fans to see who performs best, and those with the highest scores gain free entry into the exclusive Paddock Club. The 251-foot observation tower, located near the amphitheater, will also be available throughout the weekend for 30-minute tours. Fans can look down at Turns 15-19 through the glass floor (tickets can be purchased at the Grand Plaza).

Fly It In

Did you know that in 2012, there were over 2,000 helicopter takeoffs and landings at COTA during F1? It’s fun to watch those whirly birds come in and out; if you’ve arranged for helicopter transport, there are special hospitality tents at each pad where you can wait for shuttle transportation to the track. In case you’re curious, those helicopters rent landing/takeoff times. Another thrilling aspect of the event was the TV camera helicopter that swept along the track. Don’t forget to set those DVRs to capture the television coverage of the American Grand Prix— you’ll want to see how good Austin looks to those 30 million folks watching; the 2012 season attracted 500 million global TV viewers! The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network.

Ticket to Ride

The rest of us mere mortals may be taking the shuttle. There’s a University of Texas football game on Saturday, so you’ll need to check the COTA schedules to make sure you’re showing up for the right downtown bus. As of the time of this interview, there were still some onsite parking slots left to be purchased online (lots F and L are more expensive; Lot Q costs less at $60 and involves a short shuttle transport). At the race track, last year’s onsite shuttle system has been improved with transport back and forth from Turn 11 to Turn 1. American fans need to adopt European sensibilities, as Moore explained that the typical F1 fan is used to (and expects) walking throughout the venue.

Sick Puppies and Pitbull

The amphitheater, which has a 14,000-person capacity, has been completed (“It’s turned out even better than we expected”) and your ticket gets you into the post-race concert. Sick Puppies (Saturday) and Pitbull (Sunday) will be performing.

In addition, video boards have been added to broadcast the show. The new schedule encourages fans to take part in a post-race walk of the track—you can stroll where cars recently sped—with photo ops at various turns. True fans will be excited to pick up the marbles of rubber left on the track by F1 car tires. The concerts will last approximately 1-1 ½ hours. “We think that the concert and track walk will be a nice way to finish off the experience, “ explained Moore. “Would you rather rush out to your car and sit in traffic or savor the rest of the day?” Next year, COTA will be announcing a series of music festivals to be held at the amphitheater.

Getting Up Close and Personal with F1

The merchandizers who bring fan memorabilia to the Super Bowl will be handling the COTA F1 gear. Purchasing merchandise onsite will get you coupons that can be used in the Fan Zone at the simulators.

The amphitheater is going to be utilized for driver Q&A sessions, where they interact with an emcee; fans can see and hear their favorites on the amphitheater’s video boards, too. “This is so much more exciting for the fans than the 20-minute autograph sessions we had last year,” Moore marveled.

“It’s a chance to see and hear that driver who is world renowned.” Moore pointed out that the previous autograph sessions only reached some 200 people, while as many as 9,000 felt left out of the experience.

#1

Get Your Tickets

Interested in buying a oneday ticket? Not everyone wants three full days of F1 or cares to experience the big crowds on the ultimate race day. Friday is a bargain; $49 gets you a General Admission ticket and a view of the practice racing with 40,000 other fans; Saturday runs $79 (General Admission) for a higher caliber of qualifying races, some 80,000 fans, and a post-race concert.

Sunday’s tickets are priciest at $129, but those buy you the race plus post-race track walk and concert with more than 100,000 avid F1 fans. Unfortunately, all of the 40 trophy suites have been rented out, but Moore recommends taking seats on the lower row of Turn 12 if you can. “This is the biggest passing area,” he explained. “It’s where Hamilton passed Vettel in 2012.”

There are some 30,000 seats in that section and, as of interview time, about 100 were still available.

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F1 Coverage

Upcoming for COTA The 300-acre facility is by no means finished, though landscaping has filled in and current projects are completed. Food and drink has been spruced up. There’s a new Mexican cantina on the roof of the amphitheater and an Octoberfest village at Turn 6. “We want to offer good Texas barbecue, too,” said Moore. “The more Austin’s reputation grows, the more international the crowd, and we want to entertain them.” COTA has plans to construct a separate karting track, and new events— MotoGP in April and XGames in May—will make their debut in the spring. “If you want a spectacular scene,” Moore gushed, “come check out MotoGP. That’s a very European crowd with an eclectic vibe, a very fit crowd, much like you find in Austin.”

2013 Fan Fest

Like last year, downtown Austin will be transformed into an F1-themed street fair for the three days of F1. “We modeled our visitor experience after Montreal, which does a great job,” said Moore. Fan Fest provides an opportunity to see cars close up; catch drivers at scheduled appearances; listen to live music on six stages spread around the perimeter; and see a variety of vendors. “Austin is a great fit for Fan Fest and the international interface that goes along with it,” Moore explained proudly. “There’s a friendly vibe along with cultural sensitivity that is combined with an existing entertainment infrastructure. We’re a town that’s good at hosting a large amount of people.”

Helping Out

No event of this magnitude would be complete without legions of volunteers, and the American Grand Prix is no exception. More than 1,000 specially trained volunteers worked last year’s event and, hand’s down, visitors raved in surveys about their friendliness. “We got exceptional marks on the facility and the weather, too,” said Moore, “but people loved our crew; they were the highest rated facet of the COTA experience. It’s remarkable, considering that these folks trained on buses, riding around the perimeter—remember: It was a construction zone up until right before opening.”

While the volunteer positions are full for 2013’s F1 weekend, COTA will open up after the race for 2014 volunteer applications. “We’re looking for intelligent people with a great personality and friendly attitude,” said Moore. He told a quick story that illustrated the level of service: “The race was over; the buses were gone; and a volunteer was approached by a gentleman who did not speak English who was confused about getting back to his hotel. That volunteer escorted him to me because she knew I was still there, and chasing me down was no small feat. Between the two of us, we figured out which was his hotel and I drove him there. He came back for Le Mans and brought a box of candied pecans as a thank you gift. That visit was a success because our volunteer didn’t pass on the problem; she went the extra step to make things right.” afm

“You have to live F1 to really see it and know it; it’s such a visceral experience.”

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Look

Light Up Your Life Reflective wear for winter workouts

W

By Ashley Hargrove

e have all experienced dealing with terrible drivers during the day, people who are distracted by gadgets, perhaps inexperienced, and often simply ignorant of the rules of the road. But what could be more terrifying than trying to exercise at night or early in the morning around these same drivers? This has been a major fear of mine—I’ve always had a phobia about getting run over by a driver while I’m out running in a dark neighborhood. With accidental pedestrian and cyclist deaths on the rise all over the U.S., taking a few additional safety measures can have a significant payoff. Thankfully,

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there's an easy way to protect yourself—increased visibility. In regular street clothes, a runner's visibility is limited to around 200 feet in the dark; add a simple strobe light or flashing LED to your workout gear, and you’ve enhanced that visibility to over 1,000 feet.

After the time change on November 3, we will have lost an hour of daylight at the close of the day. Austinites are always looking for an excuse to get outside, and weather in the fall evenings is just about perfect for a walk or jog.

Unfortunately, shorter days and active lifestyles mean that there are more opportunities for motorists to interact with pedestrian and cycling traffic in less than optimal circumstances. Be proactive about your safety; don't wait for an accident to occur. So instead of going out unprotected, take a look at some reflective and light-producing gear that could save your life.

Lights There are many lighting accessories to increase visibility.

Armbands are available for purchase in neon, reflective, and light-up options. Athletic stores also offer different

photography by Brian Fitz simmons

types of headlamps or clip-on lights that can help you not only see but be seen. In addition, many sporting good stores sell simple clip-on LED devices that show your presence. Note: If you are running facing traffic (as is recommended), you can wear a headlamp and clip one of these to the back of your shirt or waistband so that you are visible coming and going.

Reflective Apparel Most fitness companies are creating athletic clothing (shirts, shorts, and running shoes) with built-in reflective protection. To easily distinguish whether or not your clothing has reflective features, check for gray or shiny stripes and patches. Reflective vests are another safe clothing choice.

They are very lightweight and will allow traffic to see you from any angle for increased safety. In addition, they can be worn over shirts and jackets.

Illuminite has produced an entire line of clothing and accessories that feature a reflective material to help motorists see runners and cyclists in low light. They have created a retroreflective technology that embeds millions of microscopic beads into the weave of the fabric that act like mirrors to reflect the original light source.

Female Model Shelly Roark Male Model Jake Dodd

Here are some additional safety tips for working out in the dark: • Wear brighter colors. Leave your all-black workout wear at home and opt for whites and lighter colors. Unleash your neon!

• Pick a route that is well lit. Even if it’s not your favorite, a better-lit route is safer (you can always revisit that favorite route in the day time).

• Always run facing traffic. This allows you to see traffic as well as cars to see any light you are carrying. By seeing what is coming at you, you are better able to react appropriately. Running with your back to traffic is one of the most frequent mistakes made by runners.

• Cyclists, make sure to have appropriate bike lights, both on the front and back of the bicycle.

You can actually be ticketed for riding at night with improper bike lights. Always follow the rules of the road and ride on the right side, just as you would if you were driving a car.

• Run and cycle defensively. Assume that the driver does not see you.

• Instead of hitting the road after work, try switching to an early morning workout to capture increasing light.

• Running on trails in the dark? Consider different colored lights. Reds and greens help with shadows and depth perception. Keep in mind that animals are more active in the early morning and dark, so consider carrying pepper spray for any unwanted encounters (human or animal).

• Purchase reflective tape and decorate your favorite bottle, cycling helmet, and jacket for those cold days. afm

11.2 0 13 | austinfItmagazine.com | 69

Look Formula ONe

Looking Austin Chic

A

How to dress your best at Formula One

bu Dhabi, Shanghai, Barcelona, Monaco, Budapest, Austin, Sao Paulo: These are not Sting’s upcoming concert tour locations.

They’re this year’s venues for the most prestigious racing event in the world, Formula One (F1). Established in 1950, this international motorsport

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By the Stylists at Spring Frost

event spans 19 countries and draws thousands of people and millions of dollars to the cities that host it each year. After a long hiatus, F1 returned to the United States in 2012 at Austin’s own Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

It was an enormous event, one that filled 117,429 seats on opening race day and 265,499 total seats over three days of racing. That’s a lot of

people—and a lot of people watching, as the television audience reaches an approximate 30 million viewers per Grand Prix! In order for Austin to hold its own against a fashion mecca like Shanghai, we feel that attendees must appear polished, pulled together, and effortlessly fashion forward.

While we would like to suggest looks that are appropriate for F1, it’s

photography by Brian Fitz simmons Makeup by Marge Gomez

Fashionably functional scarves keep you warm and hidden from the sun; printed denim is trendy and easy to accessorize with a solid color top and jacket (page 70). This page: Hats serve dual purpose (style and sun protection) for this spectator sport; flirty color blocking and eclectic jewelry keep things fun; and big, bold sunglasses evoke Monaco chic.

important to maintain the Austin vibe of casual yet edgy. We want Austinites to stand out among the international crowd, but without drawing attention in a negative way. The F1 races at COTA have a more jet-setter atmosphere than, say, ACL or SXSW, and, as such, patrons should raise the bar of their attire. Because Austin’s fashion sense and cultural attitude are unlike that of any other city—unlike, for ex-

Mdoels: Donna Gamble, Ophelia Chafigoulline, Monica Smith

ample, the sophisticated black associated with New Yorkers and the tropical colors of Miami—it is important to keep its fashion identity while making a positive statement.

COTA goers will come wearing every fashion, from Burberry to Birkenstock, leather to loafers, faux to fur, and denim to diamonds. As the American Grand Prix is held in mid November, Central Texas weather should allow the flexibility to wear high-octane looks that don’t involve linen or flipflops. We suggest being savvy about your seat location in the stands and basing your look on expected sun exposure. Hats are a great addition to accessorize an outfit and provide a

little extra shade (no ball caps in the grandstand!).

Your footwear should be practical, catering toward how much you want to stroll, so we suggest wedges, boots, or loafers.

Austin’s see-and-be-seen scene will be represented in an extremely eclectic fashion, so you have some freedom. To add a little Austin funk to your outfit, we encourage playing up your accessories; add on a statement necklace, a great colorful coat, or a fabulous handbag. Oh, and don’t forget your earplugs: Those cars come screaming around the track!

So, as you are looking out from the viewing stands this November, keep in mind that many will be looking right back into them. Our hope is that Austin doesn’t get a citation from the fashion police! Throw a blazer on over that T-shirt, and swap your Chucks for a sleek bootie. Let’s give Monaco a run for its money and show the 42,000-plus visiting international fans that Austin is no longer a fashion sub-culture but its own standout entity. afm

11.2 0 13 | austinfItmagazine.com | 71

Look

Scarf Tying 101 Stay warm while looking cool this fall

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By Michelle Lanh Suggs

reparing for everyday fall fashion isn’t too difficult, especially when you have the right accessories. Whether you’re a guy or a gal, tying a scarf around your neck is one of the most popular casual trends of the season. Scarves are the perfect way to complement an outfit with texture and color. Try pairing a scarf with a T-shirt and flats or a blazer and boots. Here are a few easy and stylish ways to tie your scarf, designed to give your accessory some edge.

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Fold a square scarf in half to create a triangle.

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Cozying Up After Dinner Holidays mean get-togethers with family and friends and, whether you’re continuing dinner discussions or simply ending the evening with a hot toddy, AFM has some suggestions for that nighttime nip. We’d like to thank the helpful staff at Spec’s for their recommendations and to remind you to always drink responsibly. Salud!

1

Harvest Sweets Cranberry Truffles $5

Here’s another way to get your Thanksgiving cranberries—these truffles are filled with a white chocolate ganache that contains fruit.

2

Porto Messias Tawny Port $11

Port is the classic after dinner drink and it goes great with cream-based desserts like creme brûlée. Tawny ports are older, blended, and aged in wooden barrels. To drink, serve in a port glass like this one from Riedel ($57).

3

Brunello Poggio Antigo $33

This sangiovese wine unfolds with air, so here’s your chance to use that fancy decanter.

It’s great with hearty cheeses, so combine with a platter of nuts and fruit for a lighter dessert pairing.

Bringing a bottle of wine to a gathering? Consider a silk wine bag ($9) to create a lovely gift.

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4

Godiva Belgian Chocolates $30 Truffles $20

The signature Godiva boxes make for a wonderful presentation (think Tiffany’s, but without the sticker shock or commitment…and the contents are ever so much more edible).

5

Lone Star 1835 Texas Bourbon $27

This craft distillery “Texas Made” bourbon makes a great hot toddy (a classic remedy for wet and cold weather) or an outstanding Old Fashioned.

6

Añejo Casta Pasión Tequila $50

Añejo tequilas has been aged the longest, more than reposado (aka gold) and silver. Opt for a 100 percent agave rather than a mixto, which has been blended with sugar and water. This is for sipping not slamming and is best served neat and at room temperature in a tequila glass or snifter. Serve with an orange slice and a dusting of cinnamon on top.

7

SlimRitas Margarita Mix $12 Skinny Girl Mojito $13

Sometimes you just don’t need a bunch of extra calories, and these two lighter options serve up only 100. Skinny Girl Mojito is ready to drink, while SlimRitas requires you to add that tequila.

8

Starlite Vodka $15

First released in October, 2012, this spirit is named after the Starlite Theater in Brenham. While the distiller recommends drinking it on the rocks paired with a steak, you can make a Godmother (1 part vodka, 1 part amaretto, 1 teaspoon sugar syrup; stir; serve in a lowball glass) for a digestif—that’s the fancy word for “after dinner drink.”

9

Divine Chocolate Bars $4

Fair trade certified and suitable for vegetarians, the Dark Chocolate with Raspberries Bar is 70 percent dark chocolate. afm

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Medical Tent

Are You Supplementing Your Gain?

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What’s in that “miracle in a bottle”

hris Tsai is comfortable living life on the edge.

After all, he spent his teenage years as a competitive BMX racer. “Now I get that rush from lifting weights to the max,” Tsai said.

Tsai, a fifth-year senior studying business at the University of Texas, is like many college-aged fitness enthusiasts who are reach-

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By Natalie England

ing for pre-workout supplements to jumpstart their training sessions.

Marketed as “powdered energy” and “miracle in a bottle,” products such as C4 and Adrenolyn are becoming popular workout enhancers and are available at local nutrition retail shops and online.

Both C4 and Adrenolyn contain forms of creatine and caffeine.

These stimulants provide imme-

diate performance boosts, such as increased stamina and focus, but questions remain about how positively they actually affect the body. “It probably depends on your outcome,” said Dr. Matthew Brothers, a professor of exercise science at UT. “There are certainly benefits provided to exercise capacity, but there could be potentially harmful effects on other things.”

For instance, GNC stores nationwide were recently required to pull the pre-workout supplement Jack3d from shelves after the Food and Drug Administration ruled in April that it was not a legal dietary supplement because it contained dimethylamylamine (DMAA), a stimulant similar to amphetamine that could raise blood pressure and potentially cause heart attack. Jack3d was thrust into a national spotlight in the summer of 2011 following the deaths of two Army soldiers who had heart attacks during exercise.

DMAA was found in their systems, and, in the aftermath, the Defense Department removed all products with DMAA from stores on military bases.

Tsai says he has used Jack3d and never felt “bad” while taking it. Currently, he takes Adrenolyn, a pre-workout supplement manufactured by BlackMarket Labs and advertised as not for “the faint of heart or frail of body.” Adrenolyn contains caffeine and synephedrine, which BlackMarket Labs describes as “a healthier substitute to ephedra.”

“I feel like I can recruit more muscles when I take it,” Tsai explained.

“When I don’t, the mental connection is missing. The mind-muscle connection is not as strong. I feel the maximum effects on my high rep, high volume days.” Tsai said that he relies on proper water intake; he understands that dehydration is a possible side effect and he noted that with preworkout supplementation, it’s important to understand the ingredients.

Creatine, for instance, primarily helps maximize strength. It has long been a popular supplement and

can even be taken by itself. BCAAs are branched amino acids than can reduce muscle tissue breakdown and lead to new muscle growth. Caffeine and other stimulants work as cognitive enhancers and are often the common denominators in these pre-workout supplements dominating today’s market. “From a practical standpoint, you want to be cautious about anything that is going to alter your heart rate, aside from the exercise itself,” advised Dixie Stanforth, a senior lecturer who developed the personal training curriculum at UT. For the longest time, Ben Keeler mixed his own pre-workout supplement cocktail, a combination of amino acids and creatine. “There’s just a lot of stuff out there that you don’t know what it is,” admitted Keeler, an economics senior at UT. In fact, Driven Sports Inc., the manufacturer of the pre-workout supplement Craze, recently suspended sales and production of its product following a Drug Testing and Analysis report. In the published journal, scientific researchers claimed to find a methamphetamine-like substance in Craze samples.

The substance was also not listed on the product’s ingredient label.

Keeler, who is training to ride with the Texas 4000 for Cancer group to Alaska this summer, now takes C4 as his pre-workout booster. He said that it provides a similar feeling to coffee, and the fact that it’s available at places such as Costco makes it seem legitimate.

“I try to do my research,” Keeler said. “I don’t want to take anything that will give me heart failure.” afm

FDA’s Role in Regulating Supplements

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates both dietary supplement products and dietary ingredients.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 provides that the manufacturer of a dietary supplement or ingredient is responsible for “ensuring that the product is safe before it is marketed,” but the FDA is responsible for taking action against any “unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market.”

The DSHEA requires that a manufacturer or distributor notify the FDA if intends to market a supplement that contains a “new dietary ingredient.”

Manufacturers are not required to register their products with the FDA or get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. They must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading. Each dietary ingredient contained in the product must be identified on the label.

In addition, the manufacturer, packer, or distributor whose name appears on the label is required to submit to the FDA all serious, adverse event reports associated with use of the dietary supplement.

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FEEL Medical Tent

Your Stomach

Puke smells primarily because of bile, which is a chemical in your stomach that breaks down fatty foods. When you vomit, your abdominal muscles are pushing out bile, half-digested food, mucus, bacteria, and extra saliva (to help protect your teeth from all that yucky stuff).

Sure, everybody’s got one…but how much of what you know is fact?

The size of the stomach is not representative of weight. How big your stomach is remains constant as an adult (unless you have surgery). Eating less will not cause your stomach to shrink, and having gastric by-pass surgery will not guarantee that you are thin.

Definition The stomach is the organ in your body where food goes and begins to be digested after you swallow it. It’s located in the upper left part of the abdomen and is the first segment of your digestive system located within the body.

Common Problems

The Stomach Flu – The common name for gastroenteritis, a contagious condition caused by a virus or bacteria. Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomit. Usually last one to two days. Interestingly, the stomach “flu” is not at all a type of influenza.

About those Butterflies…

The phrase “butterflies in the stomach” refers to a common feeling of nervousness, stress, and excitement. Did you know that those butterflies are actually just your adrenal glands, which sit atop each kidney, releasing adrenaline to the rest of your body? As the adrenaline is pumped through your bloodstream to your lungs and muscles, organs such as the stomach are somewhat neglected, resulting in a fluttering feeling of nausea.

Ulcers – An open, painful sore. Ulcers don’t just happen in the stomach, but these (known as peptic ulcers) are the most common. Causes include bacterial infection, use of particular types of painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (among others), and excess acid.

Heartburn has more to do with your stomach than your heart. The painful burning feeling is actually the results of an improperly functioning esophagus, which is allowing stomach acid to seep out.

Rejoice, Snackers Ever wonder why your stomach is growling so loudly? The digestive system’s process of moving food along the digestive path is amplified on an empty stomach, as though it’s echoing against an empty cave. Snacking on small meals throughout the day will help keep your stomach from rumbling.

Mythbuster Does gum really stay in your stomach for seven years?

No. Although a piece of gum will not be broken down in the same way that other foods are, it still gets moved along the digestive tract and out the other end. Unless you swallow a tennis ball-sized piece of gum or the entire pack of Bubble Yum, you should be fine.

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Medical Tent

Beyond the Bruising Taking a closer look at the benefits of cupping

H

ave you seen those perfectly round “hickeys” on celebrities’ bodies? There’s Gwyneth on the red carpet, Jen at her movie premier, Posh Spice at Heathrow. But, more and more, there’s also the guy in line in front of you at Whole Foods. And your next-door neighbor after acupuncture. And your triathlete friend after physical therapy.

Those round bruises are caused by a treatment called cupping. Cupping is not just a trend nor is it some ancient Chinese secret. This therapy is being used more and more to treat soft tissue problems for a variety of reasons and with excellent results.

In Western medicine, cupping should be looked at as a therapeutic modality to treat soft tissue. It is usually used in conjunction with other modalities such as heat, acupuncture, dry needling, and especially massage. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), cupping has been used for thousands of years. Much like acupuncture, experiential use of cupping on patients with a variety of medical issues led to a system of integration into TCM and, today, cupping is a very common part of any acupuncture session. In TCM, cupping is used to treat skin problems and musculoskeletal pain as well as digestion problems, skin conditions, anxiety, and respiratory conditions such as asthma and the common cold.

Those of us who treat predominantly orthopedic injuries appreciate cupping for its positive effects on the superficial tissues of our bodies (skin and subcutaneous fascia).

In my practice, I find that most movement dysfunctions are highly correlated with negative changes in our skin and subcutaneous tissues. Chronic inflammation and edema

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By Steve Cuddy

have much the same effect on our tissues as do normal aging and a decrease in physical activity. All of these issues can result in adhesions (or scarring) in the various layers of our fascia, a decrease in microcirculation, and an alteration in how the nerves in these tissues conduct information from our extremity to our spinal cord and brain.

Once any or all of these things happen, there will be a reduction in the fluidity and efficiency of movement. We might simply see loss of range of motion or flexibility. Tissue imbalances can also create alterations in joint mechanics, resulting in compensatory movement patterns. And, there is often pain (sometimes significant) originating from the nerve endings caught up in these restricted tissues. Finally, because a very large portion of our body’s lymphatic system is contained directly under our skin, restrictions in the superficial fascia can seriously impede lymphatic flow and result in the accumulation of edema, which will cause even further tissue dysfunction.

The principles of cupping are basically the same now as they’ve always been: A cylinder is placed over the skin, forming a seal, and air is pulled or drawn out. This action creates suction, and the skin (as much as four inches in depth) is pulled up into the cup. Immediately, blood is drawn to the area, and the pulling action stretches the superficial fascia. Sometimes the cups are removed quickly; sometimes they are left stationary for minutes at a time; and sometimes they are moved around over a targeted area of lubricated skin.

Cups come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be made of different materials such as glass, plastic, or rubber. Air can be drawn out quickly by igniting a flammable

Photography by FOTO HOGG

material on the inside of a glass cylinder or bulb (as seen in acupuncture practice), by manually drawing it out of a plastic or glass cup with a hand-held pump, or by mechanically drawing it out with a vacuum machine.

Rubber cups are like mini-plungers that are applied manually and typically are moved around over lubricated skin (great for home use). One can use one cup at a time or multiple cups for a widespread effect. Whichever method is chosen, the end result is an increase in blood flow to the area and a mobilization of the superficial fascia. There is almost always some degree of bruising from the disruption of the tiny capillaries in the skin and subcutaneous tissues.

Western physical medicine has adopted cupping based essentially on two principles: an improvement in the mechanical quality of the superficial fascia and an enhancement of the circulatory and lymphatic capability of cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues. The lifting action on the superficial tissues can have similar and sometimes more profound results than myofascial release techniques.

There are many proposed theories regarding how myofascial manipulation can have immediate and lasting effects (too long of a discussion for this article), and those same principles apply to cupping or vacuum therapy.

Furthermore, the effect that cupping has on the nervous system contributes to mechanical improvements by stimulating nerve endings that have a direct inhibitory effect on muscle tone and myofascial viscosity.

Improvements in circulation come from what you see when the skin is pulled into a hickey and results in redness or bruising; we can control the amount of suction by how much air we pull out of the cups. The more suction, the more blood that will immediately come to the area, in a sense feeding oxygen and nutrients to possibly stagnated tissues that lack efficient blood flow. The bruising is a

result of micro-trauma to cutaneous and subcutaneous capillaries and fascia. Although this may look a bit barbaric, the end result is that, when the tissue heals, we can expect a proliferation of the capillary system and a healing of the tissue in a more normal and healthy way (especially if proper exercise and nutrition advice is given to the patient). Also, this micro-trauma creates a controlled and variable degree of inflammation, which is the body’s initial response to healing. The inflammatory and immune response of platelets, white blood cells, and other chemical mediators coming to the area is a good thing, again, especially if proper subsequent exercise and nutritional advice are followed by the patient. I have found that my patients bruise significantly less after just one treatment, a sign of improved tissue mobility and circulatory health.

Local areas of mild edema are treated well with cupping, since the skin is lifted and the lymphatics in the subcutaneous fascia are stimulated. I explain to my patients that space is being created where there was not enough for the lymphatics to flow efficiently. Creative use of moving the cups over larger areas or by using multiple cups has a nice pumping effect on the lymphatics.

Clearly, cupping shouldn’t be considered a stand-alone treatment.

But when it is combined with other soft tissue and/or joint mobilization techniques and movement or postural correction exercises, cupping will greatly enhance the rehabilitation experience. The bruising is a small price to pay for healthier tissues and a more pain-free you. afm

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Feel Medical Tent

When Is It Time to See a Doctor?

D

Digging yourself out of the injury hole

By Heidi Armstrong

oes this sound like you? Fueled by vitamin I (ibuprofen), you go for a run despite nagging pain. You’ve adopted a regimen of ice and more vitamin I post-run. Eventually, nothing eases the pain, so you rest. Your friends recommend visiting practitioners ranging from traditional MDs to the shrunken-head shaman. After a couple of weeks, the pain fades, but your patience fades even more from lack of exercise. You lace up your shoes and head to your favorite trail for a run. Your glorious freedom lasts only until the first twinge of pain returns. You repeat this cycle, sometimes for months or years.

John E. McDonald, M.D., a Steadman Clinic fellowshiptrained orthopedic surgeon with Texas Orthopedics, likens such injuries to a bonfire: Let the fire burn down to embers and then throw on more wood, and it reignites.

Let the fire go cold and throw wood on the pile of ashes, and nothing happens.

Mistaking embers for ashes is a good way, as the saying goes, to dig yourself into a deep hole. At any given time, you’ll find a gathering of athletes in this injury hole.

Why? Athletes train their brains to dismiss pain and push through it, sometimes at any cost. No pain, no gain, right?

But the mentality that leads to personal records when

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healthy doesn’t serve well when injured. When you find yourself in a hole, the first rule is to stop digging.

Pain serves a vital purpose: It’s the body’s way of saying, “WHOA!” When pain is dismissed—or, worse, when vitamin I is used to take the edge off for an extended period— both time and the opportunity to get a proper diagnosis are lost while the chance of long-term damage is increased.

Dr. McDonald suggested a rule of thumb for chronic overuse-type injuries: Trying a reasonable alternative therapy is fine, but don’t let the cycle continue for more than six weeks before seeing a physician. (Note that this guideline does not apply to acute trauma, in which case you should see a physician immediately.)

Fear traps athletes in the cycle. You fear you won’t be able to train as you’re accustomed to, or you’ll be told to rest indefinitely, or, worst of all, you’ll need surgery. But delaying a visit to a physician is throwing wood on those embers, resulting in further (and sometimes permanent) damage; a simple overuse injury that morphs into something more difficult to treat; or a date with the operating table.

It’s time to break out of the cycle and put out the fire.

Why? Your future athletic endeavors and health depend on it.

According to Dr. McDonald, “Many of the injuries I see

Rehabilitation · Personal Training Radiology · Chiropractic · Nutrition Acupuncture · Massage

Above: Armstrong got on the bike 24 hours after surgery.

RIght: Learning to walk; Armstrong takes her first steps in almost 2 years under the watchful eye of Luke O'Brien (PT) in Vail.

• suggest other ways to stay fit?

• discuss goals with you?

• make you feel like a person rather than a number?

• respond to questions with information instead of blank stares?

Finding a trusted physician who listens with the compassion and presence of a wise friend and possesses the knowledge and experience of a sage will put your fears at ease.

But what do you do if your doctor has been giving you blank stares for months regarding your problem?

Whether out of pocket or through insurance, you are paying for a professional service. If you aren’t satisfied or are frustrated by lack of progress, seek a second opinon; a good physician will encourage this, and seeing the wrong physician doesn’t save you time or money. Every physician wants the best for his or her patient, so have another set of eyes review your case.

Does this sound like a healthy dose of tough love here? Perhaps, but now you’re armed with a plan when pain strikes. Avoid the injury hole by seeking professional help when chronic pain forces a change. And always remember to take care of yourself the same way you’d take care of the person you love most. afm

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VISIT US FOR

RUNNING PREP & INJURY REHABILITATION

MARTHA PYRON, M.D.

could have been treated with modifying activities at an earlier stage; they might not have been as persistent had they been treated sooner. For example: Stress reactions that occur in bones can turn into stress fractures that are difficult to treat.”

Here’s the conundrum: How do you differentiate chronic pain caused by simple overuse from a more complex mechanical issue? To distinguish between these, you need a physician’s evaluation. Many overuse injuries can be treated with rest and physical therapy (PT), a viable option to prevent surgery. In Texas, your physician’s prescription is your only ticket to PT. Conversely, mechanical issues (including meniscal tears, full thickness rotator cuff tears, loose bodies in a joint, and ligament injuries) often won’t resolve without surgery. Do yourself a favor and get a clear diagnosis. Early intervention can even help you avoid surgery.

What about choosing a physician?

Standard guidance includes inquiring about recommendations and looking at resumes and training. In addition, ask yourself these questions: Does the physician • listen without preoccupation?

• communicate information about your injury in an understandable way?

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Train AFMDC

IBM Uptown Classic 10K Erik Stanley, Betzy Jimenez dominate final event at the Domain

I

f this is to be the final race for the IBM Uptown Classic 10K at The Domain—and in all, likelihood it is—it couldn’t have had a more perfect send off for the 19th annual running of this event.

On a morning that must have been created by the running gods (clear with a temperature of 57 degrees, low humidity, and almost no breeze), nearly 2,000 ran and said farewell to the fast north Austin course that has served this event so well.

Leading the way were the two classiest runners in the field: Erik Stanley, the overall winner in 30:46, and Betzy Jimenez, earning her third consecutive IBM victory in a course record 35:20.

The women’s race was strictly a cakewalk for Jimenez. With almost

By TexasRunningPost.com

all of the top area women either running the Chili Pepper Cross Country race in Arkansas or a fall marathon, the only competition Jimenez had was with the other men—and the clock. Despite running a paltry 35-40 miles per week while in med school in San Antonio, Jimenez wanted to better her course record, which she set two years ago in her first road race after graduating from the University of Texas.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to just hang out with the girls this morning,” said Jimenez who had run a 16:34 in the national 5K road champs two weeks ago in Providence. “I don’t run 10Ks very often [this was, in fact, her first since last year’s IBM Uptown Classic] so I wanted to make this a good one.”

Next Up: Run for the Water 10 Miler (October 27, 2013) Two Workouts to Prepare for the Decker Challenge Half Marathon The Decker Challenge prides itself on the hilly, east Austin course it’s utilized for over three decades. Racing isn’t for the faint of heart and garnering a personal best is highly unlikely—that is, unless it’s your first time to run 13.1 miles. Here are two workouts to help you prepare for the relentless ups and downs around the Travis County Expo Center.

1

Short, Medium, Long Hill Repeats

Find a nice, gradual hill somewhere in your neighborhood that measures out to around 500 meters. Mark off 150, 300, and 500 meters and, after a short warm-up, perform three to four sets of short, medium, long at about 70 percent effort. The recovery between sets is turning back and running downhill.

Not only is this great strength training, it also reinforces the repetition in your muscles involved in constantly going up and down, working both your quads and hamstrings. After completing, do three sets of 150 meters backwards up the hill and three sets of 50-meter sprints up the hill.

2

Long Run

You should be doing a long run every weekend while training for the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge. Two weeks out from Decker (November 23), head out for a 14-mile run and run the last six miles at half marathon goal pace. This type of training will help your body dial in on race pace and hold it for a sustained period.

Make sure you don’t go too hard in the early miles otherwise you will surely pay for it towards the end of your goal pace practice. afm Keep checking austinfitmagazine.com for the latest 2013-2014 AFMDC leaderboards. We'll be updating as that information becomes available.

Runners who are interested in participating in the 2013-2014 AFMDC must register for the series at austinrunners.org/austindistancechallenge; registrations for the individual races are completed separately at each event’s website. Look to the Austin Runners Club for free training for both the half and full marathon distances.

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photography by Robert Bermea

Train TRI

Redefining the Off-Season Why you should rethink your YTP

T

By Chris Toriggino

here was a time when only one Ironman-distance race existed, the Hawaiian Ironman in 1978.

Fast-forward 35 years. Now, there are 32 Ironmandistance triathlons held every year and all around the world, with 15 events in North America; there are also 59 half Ironman-distance races per year, 30 of them in North America. And these are just the World Triathlon Corporation-sponsored events. With thousands of other corporate and independent races occurring worldwide annually, you can race a triathlon any time of year and in any corner of the world. As a result, a triathlete needs to train consistently throughout the year in order to improve performance and remain race ready. Whether competing many times throughout the year or peaking for only one race, consistent training year after year is a hallmark characteristic of all successful endurance athletes. The caveat here, however, is that training phases are variable. The days of an unfocused off-season are over. Goals, objectives, intensities, and training session duration

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all change during the yearly training plan (YTP), depending on the athlete’s training phase.

Let’s review some exercise physiology principles. The idea behind training is to induce an overload. Overload is a stress that produces a strain, which results in a response. For this equation to work and the athlete to continually improve, stress must increase over time. In other words, if I run the same route at the same pace every day for six months, I will not see an improvement in performance; I need to run multiple distances over varying terrains at prescribed intensities to see improvement. This increase in training stress over time is called progression. In addition, adaptations that occur to an athlete are specific to the stress that is induced; if I am training for a marathon, swimming ten hours per week will have little effect on my running performance. The response to the appropriate exercise stress is improved aerobic capacity and more efficient fat metabolism, both of which are integral to endurance performance.

In 1940, the Soviets implemented the idea of periodization, which

photography by foto Hogg

A dental office as committed to your oral health as you are to your training schedule.

Offering:

General Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Implants • Veneers Teeth Whitening Invisalign Chris Toriggino and his Athletic Architecture team work an early fall ride into their YTP.

is basically a method of breaking up the YTP into manageable blocks of time.

These blocks have different characteristics throughout the year and allow specific types of training to be emphasized and quantified.

Most athletes are familiar with the basic phases of periodization, such as the base, build, peak, and race phases. These are the most common and emphasized blocks of the YTP. What is not often emphasized is the training that occurs during the periods in between an athlete’s competitive seasons.

Recovery. This term is almost a curse word for some triathletes. However, it is following overload and during the recovery period that an athlete becomes stronger; the recovery, not the activity, allows training to be absorbed and adaptations to be created, which improves performance.

This is the basis behind the standard pattern found in endurance training—three weeks of increased training stress followed by a recovery week. It is the recovery that allows an athlete to further increase the training stress over time (remember progression?) to continually improve performance and fitness level.

Now, what do all of these principles mean for the endurance athlete during the fall and winter months (also commonly called the “off season”)? As endurance athletes often neglect this period, I would like to change that mindset by proposing some specific training objectives for the weeks and months that follow a peak race. Let’s use the terms “transition period” and “pre-season period” instead of “off season.”

The transition period can be thought of as both physical and mental recovery. This period of time at the end of the season or after the completion of a top priority race can be as short as a few days (following a sprint race) or as long as two weeks (or more) after an Ironman-distance event. There are

no hard or fast rules here; the recovery time is unique to each athlete and needs to be assessed honestly by athlete and coach alike. (I attribute my 25 years in the sport and lack of significant injury to the month of transition I take following an Ironmandistance race.)

This transition period leads into the pre-season period, which has traditionally been used for the base training necessary to rebuild aerobic capacity. While this is still the case—improving aerobic capacity is paramount for endurance racing—the trend now is to also use this time to incorporate sport-specific training blocks that last from 4-12 weeks. During these blocks, the athlete focuses on improving identified limiters in one sport while maintaining and building base fitness in the other two sports. For example: A coach might prescribe a focused block of run-specific training to improve running efficiency. During this time, the coach would also schedule low-intensity swim and cycling workouts to aid recovery and improve aerobic capacity. This runspecific training block ends with a recovery period, which would lead into another sportspecific block (cycling technique, perhaps).

The pre-season period can last up to 30 weeks, enough time to incorporate three sport-specific training blocks. These blocks are the best way to utilize the pre-season period and most efficiently prepare the athlete for the upcoming race season.

As the transition and pre-season periods approach, I hope that I have convinced you (and your coach) to consider incorporating an appropriate recovery phase and multiple sport-specific training blocks into your YTP. This efficient use of your training time during the winter months will improve performance for your spring and summer racing season. afm

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Call and schedule your appointment today Mon.-Fri. 8-5 | Saturdays 10-2 Glenda Smith DDS • Kathleen McNeil DDS Grant Glauser DDS

5608 Parkcrest Dr., Ste. 250 Austin, TX 78731 brilliantsmiles.com • 512-452-0888 Like us on Facebook! @BrilliantsDDS

Train Swim

Pick Up the Pace!

W

Incorporate interval training to increase speed

inter is a great time to work on your swimming. No, really! You can focus on both your technique and your speed—without being distracted by all of the demands of upcoming races.

Speaking of speed: A lot of people pick one, comfortable speed; they train by swimming laps at that one speed and then race at that same speed, leaving the water feeling as though they could have gone harder. That you need to train faster if you want to race faster—an idea that might sound like a no brainer—is a concept that tends to surprise some of my clients.

Why faster training? Your body adapts to the type of workouts you do, so, if you only ever train at one pace, you will only ever race at one pace. You need to train your body to swim at faster speeds.

A great way to do this is by breaking up your workout into smaller chunks and swimming on intervals. This gives you rest, which allows you to swim at a faster pace. Masters swimmers and those who have swum on teams will be familiar with this type of workout, but there are lots of folks out there who don’t have that experience.

For those swimmers, interval workouts may be a new concept.

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By Elli Overton

Initial Testing One of the keys to learning how to swim at a faster pace is to be aware of the time you can hold for 100 yards. Do a test set by using your watch or the clock at the pool to check what time you can maintain for a number of 100-yard aerobic efforts, with 20–30 seconds rest after each. If you are swimming at an aerobic pace, your 100 times should stay fairly consistent over distances of 500–1,500 yards (5-15 repeats).

What Defines Speed in the Water Your long-term goal is to bring your average 100-yard time down, so what do you do to swim faster? Swimming faster is a product of two things: stroke rate and distance per stroke. Stroke rate is how quickly your arms turn over and distance per stroke is the distance traveled in each stroke, which is a product of your efficiency (how well you hold the water) and your strength. There is a trade-off between stroke rate and distance per stroke; swimming faster requires that you find the optimal combination of increasing your stroke rate (turning your arms over more quickly) and maintain-

ing distance per stroke (having powerful, efficient strokes). In other words, you don’t want your arms to go around fast but slip through the water.

Training with Speed To help find that optimal combination—one that you can hold for the distance you want to race—and to test your ability to change speeds, swim sets of three descending 100s with 30 seconds rest after each 100 yard effort. “Descending” means “going faster”; another way to think of this is that you will swim at 70 percent effort, then 80 percent, and finally 90 percent. How many of these sets of threes you do will depend on your current fitness level and the distance you are training for.

Consider these factors during your sets: • Try different ways to get faster over those 100 yards: faster strokes, more powerful strokes, or a combination of the two.

• Be sure to note your times.

• Count your strokes on the last 25 yards of each 100 to get a sense of your distance per stroke.

By counting your strokes, you can find what means faster for you: taking more strokes or taking fewer but more powerful strokes? Counting will also show how your stroke count changes as you get fatigued.

Beware: Faster stroke rate alone seldom equates to faster times!

After doing your set of descending 100s, you should have an idea of what efficient speed feels like and how fast your can go.

You can now break your workouts down into multiples of 100 yards (100s, 200s, 400s, etc.), assigning a base time per 100 as a goal.

As you progress, you can swim the same sets with less rest in between repeats, still trying to keep that same faster goal time.

After a few weeks of training with these intervals, run through your test set again.

Your times should be faster while your rest interval remains the same.

Vary your workouts; don’t do the same thing every time you go to the pool. There are lots of great websites and apps that can help you find interesting sets and workouts that will challenge your speed and endurance. Try training faster and just watch yourself race faster next season! afm

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Train Yoga Here’s a helpful chart to understand and breakdown the differences between the two:

HEATED VINYASA YOGA

BIKRAM YOGA

78–95 degrees Fahrenheit (humidity varies).

105 degrees Fahrenheit (humidity 40 percent).

Varied in each class, and breath is linked to movement using Ujjayi breath.

A total of 26 poses and two Pranayama/breathing exercises.

Wood, Vinyl, Bamboo, Concrete, etc.

Carpet.

Some studios have them and some don’t.

Usually at least two to three mirrors are present; three are ideal.

Lighting

Varies: ambient, dark, natural light.

Fluorescent/full light only.

Music

Depends on each class, studio, and instructor; most will have some variation of music.

None (instructor may use headset to speak).

Instructors have a range of certifications from different areas/ schools.

Only Bikram-certified instructors are allowed to teach.

Class Length

Typically 60 minutes; there are occasionally 75- and 90-minute classes as well.

90 minutes.

Advantages

Heat helps warm the body up to allow access to the poses. Sequences are different each time, so it’s never monotonous. Provides core intensive/ strengthening. Flowing sequences.

High caloric burn. Poses are usually demonstrated. Helps to release any blockage of energy flow throughout the body. Builds body awareness.

Strengthens body and mind.

Heat helps warm the body up to allow access to the poses. There is a set sequence so you know what to expect (regimented). High caloric burn. Once the beginners’ series is “mastered,” there is an advanced series taught ONLY at the headquarters in Los Angeles by Bikram and Emmy. Builds body awareness.

Strengthens body.

VARIABLES Temperature Asanas/Poses Flooring Mirrors

Instructors/Teachers

Disadvantages

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Dizziness, nausea, fatigue. Style of Vinyasa varies greatly upon different studios and instructors. As with all forms of yoga and exercise, injury can occur.

Dizziness, nausea, fatigue, dehydration, and headaches can occur.

Repetitious. Participants are encouraged to not leave the room and refrain from drinking water until after Eagle Pose. Long classes can be hard to fit into your day. Studios can smell from sweat mixing with carpet. Militant vibe. Poses are not demonstrated.

Bikram calls his studios “torture chambers.” As with all forms of yoga and exercise, injury can occur.

Denise Bodman

Heated Vinyasa Yoga Versus Bikram Yoga

O

What’s the difference? By Jen Daugherty

ften when I tell new students, friends, or simply people met in passing that I teach heated Vinyasa yoga, the first response is, “Oh, I don’t do th at 105 degree hot yoga.” The second response, usually, is, “I didn’t know there were other types of heated yoga.” Heated Vinyasa and Bikram yoga are both Hatha-based practices; in Hatha yoga, Pradipika Swatmarama introduced his system as a preparatory stage for physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation or yoga. All Hatha yoga is based on asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques); however, there are several differences between heated Vinyasa and Bikram yoga.

“Vinyasa” is a Sanskrit word that has several different meanings and may be deciphered by its Sanskritic roots. “Nyasa” denotes "to place," and “vi” means "in a special way.” Some of the most common definitions for Vinyasa include (but are not limited to) linking breath with movement. Generally, Vinyasa is used as a noun to describe the sequence of poses that are performed between Adho Mukha Svanasanas (downward facing dog) as part of a Surya Namaskara (sun salutation) sequence; however, this is more correctly termed “half vinyasa,” since vinyasa returns to complete standing asana or positions. Finally, most, if not all, Vinyasa

classes contain some variation of a sun salutation (Surya Namaskar), whether it’s simply for warming up in the beginning or flowing from one pose to another. Heated Vinyasa yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to approximately 78 to 95 degrees Farenheit, depending on the studio. You can expect a flowing class that contains Pranayama, sometimes music, and a variety of different poses that range from novice level to advanced. All Vinyasa classes vary in intensity and pace, but, overall, when practicing Vinyasa yoga, movement and breath should always be simultaneous.

Bikram yoga, on the other hand, is a set sequence of yoga asanas that Bikram Choudhury generated by using traditional Hatha yoga asanas. Bikram yoga classes run for 90 minutes and consist of the same series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Bikram yoga is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees Farenheit (approximately 40.6 degrees Celcius), with a humidity of 40 percent. You can expect the exact same 90-minute class each time you attend.

There are several different varieties of yoga out there, so do not hesitate to try them all, find out which ones resonate with you the most, and embrace them. Yoga is a very special and sacred practice; be sure to share it with everyone you know and make the world a better place. Namaste. afm

Realtor ©, CNE Luxury and Downtown Specialist Denise Bodman is passionate about people!

Family, fitness and selling real estate are her passions. Buying and Selling real estate is one of those transactions where you need confidence, trust, and accurate advice. You also need a strong negotiator with in-depth market knowledge. I deliver the genuine, personal service and savvy market guidance you will benefit from. It’s just like having a real estate agent in the family!

512.903.5129 DB@denisebodman.com denisebodman.com

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Train Review

What's That?

What's it Do?

H

Taking a look at Leg Magic X and more By Andres Rivadeniera, C.P.T.

ello again, AFM readers! One of my favorite things about fitness is that it is constantly evolving as new research, tools, and training methods are introduced. With so many options out there and with so little time to test them out on your own, I am happy to have another opportunity to share my thoughts on a few new toys on the fitness block so that you can spend your valuable time working out with the right equipment and not trying to find it.

Pros: • Minimal equipment required • Well-made product • Good for all levels of fitness • Convenience Cons: • Limited instruction in workout manual.

• Can be a little rough on the wrists during specific exercises

Ugi Ball

The Ugi ball is a well-known fitness tool throughout the barefoot training world and is often compared to Dynamax, which was the pioneer of a softer, more shock-absorbent medicine ball. Through functional movements and timed circuits, the Ugi ball barefoot training workout seeks to improve strength while combining a balance and cardiovascular component.

I gave the Ugi ball workout a try in my apartment and, while the manual looked nice, it didn’t offer any helpful exercise instruction, so I referred to the DVD and Ugi app instead. I expected the ball to be more of a bean bag consistency, but it was still fairly dense—just slightly less so than the Dynamax ball. After settling into a few exercises, I found the act of working out while barefoot a little jarring and, frankly, no walk in the park. As a big advocate

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of circuit training, I really liked how every minute of the routine was a different exercise, and I felt the effects of the workout from my head to my unusually sweaty and exposed toes.

Overall, I felt the exercise movements were fairly simple, so beginners or those lacking coordination could comfortably participate and work up to doing more advanced exercises requiring moderate balance. I think the Ugi ball would be a great fit for at-home fitness junkies, yoga or Pilates enthusiasts, or someone looking for a trendy new fitness challenge. For those of you looking to get a great complete body workout along with enough conditioning to burn off the calories from last night’s happy hour, the Ugi ball barefoot workout is a viable option to get your feet wet, literally.

photography by Brian Fitz simmons

Leg Magic X

The Leg Magic X (LMX) is another option for the at-home fitness enthusiast. With a simple, retro design and easy assembly, the makers of the LMX assure users they will feel “healthier and stronger” after using their product. On first glance, the LMX appears to be a cross between an inline skate training machine and an adductor (inner thigh) machine, but it actually consists of lateral rails that slope at 9 degrees with foot rests that move freely. Because bodyweight is what determines the resistance level of the machine, people with knee injuries or sedentary lifestyles would not be good candidates to utilize the LMX. As a test run, I cautiously gave the LMX a try for a few minutes to feel what muscle groups would jump in to take on the challenge. As I’d expected from looking at the movement pattern, I felt my adductors and glutes right away. After getting a good feel for the device, I

Pros: • Easy assembly and occupies little space • Quick workouts • Good for leg and core strengthening

jumped into a short workout and performed five 1-minute intervals with 15 seconds rest in between, which I came to realize may have been a bit overzealous for my initial use of the machine. Not knowing how fast my heart rate would jump and inner thighs would fatigue, I started to increase the rest period time between intervals. This exercise exposed my weak adductors, and the LMX truly gave my legs, glutes, and cardiovascular system a run for their money.

With that unexpected experience, I would say the claims are true about this infomercial product and its effectiveness.

However, users should be aware of potential problems, including pressure on the medial (inside) area of the knees. For a product whose advertising seemingly targets baby boomers and older demographics, it sure did provide a challenging yet low-impact workout for me.

Cons: • Difficult to mount and dismount securely • Limited strength development • Few setting options to fit individual needs

11.2 0 13 | austinfItmagazine.com | 97

Train review

Nonprofit. Community. Rowing.

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74 Trinity Street (on LBJ Lake)

Austinrowing.org

512.472.0726

Adaptive Motion Trainer The Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT) brings together the biomechanical movements from the stair climbing, elliptical, and treadmill machines. The motions performed range from a stride height of 6.5 up to 10 inches, with a stride length capability of an astonishing 36 inches.

Although these numbers may not draw your attention or make you itch to try it, with its unique capability to transition through movement patterns on the fly, AMT makes for an all-new cardio training experience.

After hearing rumblings from friends about the AMT’s wide range of movement options— including personalizing stride length—I was eager to try it out.

From the rear-positioned deck, I comfortably stepped onto each pedal without any feeling of losing my balance. I first tried out the interval training program; it took me through a variety of stride lengths and height changes, and I found that I really liked the smooth feel of gliding through strides, almost simulating the feeling of antigravity.

It offered a low-impact workout that kept my lower back happy and was very easy on the knees and hips. I cut loose for a bit, taking every opportunity to transition through all the range capabilities, and the workout just flew by. While an elliptical machine can be a safe place at the gym that may lead to complacency in workouts, the AMT is a great compromise for those who can’t give up the elliptical machines but want a higher caloric burn from their workout.

For those who may be tired of the same old elliptical workout but are a bit intimidated by the stair-climbing machines, the AMT may be your new lease on cardio.

The smooth yet challenging workout had little impact on the joints and it seemed that with every movement I tried, I couldn’t go wrong. I recommend the AMT for anyone who wants something new in his or her cardio routine.

BONUS REVIEW!

Pros: • Easy on lower extremity joints and lower back • Supported fluid movements • User-friendly screen and display (stride dial) • Varied stride capabilities (short stair climb to long running strides)

Cons: • Delayed transition time between changing strides • Not widely accessible yet (only in select gyms) • Occupies a lot of space for home use

Go to austinfitmagazine.com to read AFM's review of the stair climber.

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RACE DEBUT NOVEMBER 23 RACE DEBUT NOVEMBER 23

Train Muscle Movement

Layer Function, Boost Potential

W

Add movement to your workout

By Diane Vives, M.S., C.S.C.S.

hen training, there are many ways to challenge the body to reach new goals of transformation and performance—especially here in Austin, where there are many challenging programs, all designed to take any fitness athlete to the edge of his or her current ability and physical limits. This is a motivating (and, many times, life changing) moment in the journey towards fitness and building confidence in one’s body. And that is why adaptability and durability are keys to having a positive and long-term experience as a fitness athlete. Adaptability means that you have prepared your body through proper progression and fundamental movement ability in order to accommodate higher levels of training and multifaceted training programs. Durability is your body’s ability to take on the overload variables needed to properly progress in training and recovery without increased risk of injury or actually breaking down. These two important aspects of movement competency require that we invest in our long-term fitness through a well-rounded crosstraining program.

Here is an example of how you can incorporate the four major cat-

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egories of human movement into your workout, all while creating great foundational strength and promoting a metabolic energy challenge.

You can apply this strategy and build your training program with similar circuits by using the categories of human movement and incorporating one movement from each of the categories.

The Four Major Categories or Pillars of Human Movement • Level Changes/Lower Body • Push and Pull/ Upper Body • Rotary Stability and Rotation/Core • Locomotion/Speed, Agility, Quickness Choosing a movement that falls in one of these categories of movement and then putting them together in a circuit is a great way to ensure that you’ve hit the essentials of movement while conditioning the total body. And, by focusing on movement rather than individual muscles or joint movements, you will consistently incorporate more working muscle and increase your energy output.

photography by Brian Fitz simmons

Goblet Squat Purpose: Focus on lower body movement, which in turn focuses on lower body mobility and dynamic motor control, while maintaining static motor control/stability for the upper body and core.

• Start with a shoulder-width stance and hold the kettlebell with two hands in a front carry position, just in front of the chest.

• Bracing the core, bend at the ankle, knee, and hips so that the hips drop between the feet in a vertical descent.

• Feet should be flat at all times, and the torso and shins should be parallel in the bottom position, with knees tracking just behind the second toe.

• Lower the kettlebell, keeping it in position close to the body, elbows traveling vertically down toward the upper thigh.

• Push through the heels to return to a standing position and finish in full extension of the lower body, making your spine as long as possible at the finish of each repetition.

1

2

Cable Combo Push-Pull Purpose: Create a combination that includes the two essential movements of push and pull for the upper body. This also challenges rotary stability and core strength.

• Stand between a functional cable machine so that cables cross at chest level,

• Return the upper body to the start position by reversing the full range motion.

and place feet hip-width apart in a staggered stance.

• Make sure your spine is as long as possible and keep the lower body motionless.

• Set one arm flexed with grip just outside the chest for pressing and the other arm extended for the rowing motion.

• Keeping the lower body stable, perform the push and pull simultaneously in a smooth controlled motion.

Tweak Down: Perform the push and the pull separately in two different sets in order to master form and technique.

Tweak Up: Use a single leg stance to increase demands on static motor control for the lower body.

MOdel Stephen DeLanoy

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Train Muscle Movement

3

Cable Lift with Ropes Purpose: Use a narrow, static lower body stance to perform an upper body dynamic movement within the functional, diagonal pathway way connecting the opposite shoulder and hip.

• Set your lower body in a half-kneeling stance, with the front knee over the ankle and the back knee directly under the hip. Make sure the torso is as long as possible.

• With both hands holding an end of the cable attached rope, perform a diagonal upward lift by first pulling the hands just in front of the chest and close to the body and then pressing through the motion to finish over the shoulder.

• Nothing in the lower body should change.

• Reverse the motion in a smooth controlled pace back to the start.

Tweak Down: Use a light medicine ball to master the half-kneeling stance and maintain stability of the lower body while performing a full range of motion.

Tweak Up: Use a staggered, standing position while performing the movement. You may also continue the progression further with a single leg stance.

Building circuits with purpose will continue to build your functional strength and foundation for a stronger movement base. In addition, it will increase your

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4

BONUS EXERCISE ONLINE!

Visit austinfitmagazine.com to see an online-only Muscle Movement of the Month workout.

adaptability to other training programs and add challenges to enhance your fitness performance experience. The durability you will gain provide long-term gains

through increased recovery and resistance to. Movement that matters performed while conditioning the body will accelerate your personal success! afm

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Train Coach Carrie

If You Start Me Up…

O

Racer etiquette at the starting line By Carrie Barrett

n Sunday, November 3, 2013, I'll be lining up with over 45,000 other runners to race the ING New York City Marathon. An event of this caliber requires a tremendous amount of logistical organization, especially pertaining to the start line, and New York does this by creating three different wave start times with several different corrals within each wave. Sound confusing? Yes, but it's certainly less confusing than 45,000 runners clamoring for the same spot up front and on top of the Verrazano–Narrows double-decker bridge. In that melee, I have a feeling that more than one runner would end up swimming mile one of their 26.2 in the Hudson River.

Fortunately, as many races grow in size, organizers are getting better at regulating start line mayhem. Triathlons often have wave

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starts based on age groups, and larger run/ walk events have start corrals based on pace or expected finish time. This isn't done to make you feel slow or old (although, I admit, it can be annoying when I get a later start because I'm an old chick); these measures are put in place to avoid congestion, collisions, and frustration for all participants.

Austin's ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot features almost 25,000 runners for 5 miles of fun on Thanksgiving morning. People of all shapes, ages, and sizes will be at this event, one of the largest in the state, as it's a popular race for competitive and recreational runners alike. With that in mind, there's some start line etiquette to be aware of before you toe the line. Remember, Thanksgiving is a day to feel grateful and not frustrated!

Assume the skinny dudes in short running shorts lined up in front will be fast. t practically every running event, the people who line up at the front with their finger planted firmly on the “start” button of their watches want to win.

Respect them. Give them space. These fast folks are running 5- to 6-minute miles (or even faster—last year’s Turkey Trot overall winner, Andrew Letherby, averaged a 4:59 mile pace). If that's your pace, good on you!

We'll give you space if you save some postrace grub for the rest of us.

A

Even your super-fast greyhound should line up in the back. ou don't want to find yourself in the proverbial doghouse by bringing Fido to a large event where canine runners are discouraged or prohibited. Check the race rules first to see what’s permitted on the

Y

photography by Kreutz Photography

racecourse. Several “family-friendly” runs and walks (including the Turkey Trot) allow you to bring your pawtner. By all means, bring your dog if you know it’s capable of going the distance, but please line up toward the back of the pack. This is to ensure the safety of your pet as well as of other participants, especially if your breed gets nervous in large crowds. Also, keep your dog on a short leash and bring some poop bags. Running a race is hard enough; it's especially difficult with poo on your shoe!

I Know Ironman Makes an Awesome Stroller. Use it Cautiously. 'll admit that I've been buried many times by runners pushing strollers. There are some fast and strong mom and dads out there! There's even an Ironman-branded stroller that proves what a stud you are. If you can push an extra 40–60 pounds of metal and flesh up a hill, you deserve a trophy. The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot even has a stroller division in the results, so feel free to duke it out with the other parents who are going above and beyond to earn their turkey dinners. But, be mindful of where you line up on race morning. If you're racing to be competitive,

I

find the appropriate starting corral. You don't necessarily have to start in the back (though some races, like the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot, specify that strollers should start in the rear), but don't get overaggressive and start with the super fast folks who may need the space and don't want to dodge the strollers. If you're walking or running the event for fun, stay to the back for the safety of yourself, your little ones, and others. Most importantly, keep exposing your kids to these events and showing them that fitness can be fun. (Well, it's fun from the seat of a stroller at least. I don't know how much fun it is when your 4-year-old is yelling at you to speed up.)

good time. I have a friend who wears a feather boa at all races. Awesome.

Dress in your holiday best and look for the pace corrals on race day to seed yourself appropriately among the crowds.

If you don't see the signs, ask the runners around you what their anticipated race pace will be. If they will be running a faster pace than you can, keep moving back. Remember: If you choose to be chip timed, your race time doesn't start until you actually cross the start line.

Be patient and expect some congestion on the course. Arrive early, enjoy the atmosphere, and don't forget to wish your fellow runners a very happy Thanksgiving! afm

When in Doubt, Wear a Costume itness is supposed to be fun!

We're out there to celebrate life and the ability to move our bodies. The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot is all about fun, and you'll see plenty of hilarious costumes on the course. If you want to have real fun, wear a turkey hat or a pilgrim costume.

I guarantee that you'll have a

F

Family Fun Training Plan for ThunderCloud Subs 5-Mile Turkey Trot

Weeks 10-13 (11/04/13 - 11/28/13)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Week 10 (11/4 - 11/10)

30 minutes (approx. 2.5 to 3 miles)

Rest or XTrain

45 minutes (approx. 4 to 4.5 miles)

30 minutes (approx. 2.5 to 3 miles)

Rest or XTrain

50 minutes (approx. 4.5 to 5 miles)

Rest or XTrain

Week 11 (11/11 - 10/17)

30 minutes (approx. 2.5 to 3 miles)

Rest or XTrain

35 minutes (approx. 3 to 3.5 miles)

30 minutes (approx. 2.5 to 3 miles)

Rest or XTrain

45 minutes (approx. 4 to 4.5 miles)

Rest or XTrain

Week 12 (11/18 - 11/24)

25 minutes (approx. 1.5 to 2.5 miles)

Rest or XTrain

30 minutes (approx. 2.5 to 3 miles)

25 minutes (approx. 1.5 to 2.5 miles)

Rest or XTrain

35 minutes (approx. 3 to 3.5 miles)

Rest or XTrain

RACE WEEK (11/25 - 11/28)

25 minutes (approx. 1.5 to 2.5 miles)

15 minutes (approx. 1 to 1.5 miles)

REST

RACE DAY!

Xtrain = cross training days. Give your legs a rest and enjoy other activities, such as swimming, yoga, or cycling.

Beginners or New Runners: If you are starting from ground zero with this plan, I encourage you to take regular walk intervals during the prescribed workout. That's why you'll see both time and mileage recommendations.

Advanced Runners: Week 10: can increase long run distance up to 60 minutes or 6 miles. Week 11: can increase long run distance up to 50 minutes or 5 miles. Week 12: can increase long run distance up to 30 minutes or 3 miles.

Online

Download the entire Turkey Trot training program on Training Peaks here: http://ow.ly/o4t2X

11.2 0 13 | austinfItmagazine.com | 105

n! e tio hit ca W o n L w Be Ne o @ C So

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Sports and Outdoors November 3

Clean Car? Yes Please.

Stargazing at Wild Basin This month, the Austin Astronomical Society hosts a stargazing and moonlighting tour at Austin’s Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, a good time for the entire family as well as an interesting learning experience for people of all ages. Advance reservations are recommended because tours fill up fast.

Adult admission is $5, whereas seniors and students get in for $3. All proceeds benefit the Wild Basin Preserve. Wild Basin Preserve, Austin • austinastro.org/events November 8-10

• Hand Washes • Waxing • Interior/Exterior Detailing • Free WiFi • In-house Chair Massage • Open 7 days a week

Wanderlust Festival Austin The Wanderlust Festival is a weekend dedicated to music, nature, and (of course) yoga. Whether you are an experienced yogi or a beginner, this is an event for everyone.

There will be live musical performances as well as wholesome meals, wine tastings, and more. Wanderlust Yoga and Brazos Hall, Austin • austin.wanderlustfestival.com November 15-17

Mon - Sat: 8:00 AM - Last Car at 5:50 PM Sun: 9:00 AM - Last Car at 4:50 PM H2OHandCarWash.com 500 South Lamar | 505 W. Slaughter | 7711 Brodie Lane

Formula One American Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas This November, the Formula One Grand Prix returns to Austin for its second year, bringing some of the world's top drivers back to town for the race. This high-energy event also features live entertainment, good food, and loyal fans

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over the entire three-day event. Circuit of the Americas, Austin • circuitoftheamericas.co/f1

ARTS November 2–3

Travis Heights Art Trail The Travis Heights Art Trail is the perfect combination of outdoor adventure and captivating art. Event goers can expect a lovely stroll through the Travis Heights neighborhood with art pit stops at participating homes and studios along the trail. No art form is left behind on this outdoor adventure; everything from ceramics and sculptures to photography and children’s art will be on display for your viewing pleasure.

1403 Kenwood Avenue, Austin travisheightsart.com November 8

Fun Fun Fun Fest Fun Fun Fun fest is more than just a music festival; it is a full-on celebration of all types of entertainment and art. This year marks the festival's eight-year anniversary, and the solid musical lineup is accompanied by an equally impressive lineup of comedians. Auditorium Shores, Austin • funfunfunfest.com November 9-10

21st Annual Art from the Streets Show and Sale Art from the Streets is a program that gives those who are homeless or formerly

I KNOW YOUR FORMULA

November 2–3

homeless a safe and positive environment to express themselves through painting and drawing. The Art from the Streets Show and Sale then annually provides these people with the opportunity to sell their artwork. More than 2,000 pieces will be featured at this year’s sale and the event is free (a $5 suggested donation is suggested in order to continue to keep the program and event alive). Austin Convention Center • artfromthestreets.com November 21

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain was formed in 1995 and has been playing together for more than 20 years. Their sets jump from old Westerns to operas to covers of Nirvana, and their performances are always full of wit, charm, and fun. McCullough Theatre, University of Texas at Austin texasperformingarts.org/season/ukuleleorchestra-great-britain-austin November 29

Blue Genie Art Bazaar A free and family-friendly event, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar features handmade art, jewelry, and gifts from more than 100 Austinbased artists. Light food, a full bar, and live music will be available for guests to enjoy as they browse through all of the one-of-akind goods. The Marchesa Hall and Theatre, Austin • bluegenieartbazaar.com

LIFESTYLE November 4

Austin Career Fair This month, the Austin Job Fair gives local job seekers the opportunity to meet with recruiters face-to-face. A complete list of companies attending is available online and includes businesses from an array of industries such as advertising, hospitality, finance, and more. Admission is free.

Holiday Inn Austin Midtown coasttocoastcareerfairs.com

Austin Celtic Festival The Austin Celtic Festival is a two-day, familyfriendly event that celebrates all things Celtic.

The event will have Celtic dance, music, and sports, as well as fun opportunities to learn more about Celtic culture. If you’re interested in history, you can visit an Iron Age Living History group in the Celtic village; if you’re a dog lover, be sure to check out the Celtic Dog Parades. There is literally something for everyone at the Austin Celtic Festival, and the best part is that you get to learn about a different culture in an interesting and exciting fashion. Fiesta Gardens, Austin austincelticfestival.com

Wurstfest 2013 Wurstfest is a ten-day festival that celebrates German heritage with delicious food, beer, and live entertainment. The Oktoberfest-style event is perfect for the entire family. There are carnival rides for the kids, and food and drinks for the adults. Event goers can expect to see some traditional German costumes as well as crafts and souveniers. Whether you’re of German heritage or not, Wurstfest is a guaranteed fun time for all. Landa Park, New Braunfels • wurstfest.com

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November 3

Texas Monthly BBQ Festival The fourth annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is a celebration of a true Texas delicacy: BBQ. Guests can expect to sample some of the best BBQ in the state of Texas all in one day while enjoying live music and ice-cold beverages. City Terrace at the Long Center for Performing Arts • tmbbq.com/events/ tmbbq-fest-2013 November 16

K

Home Slice Pizza’s 8th Annual Carnival O’ Pizza Home Slice Pizza’s 8th annual Carnival O’ Pizza commemorates the restaurant’s anniversary as well as celebrating another foodie favorite: pizza. The event will have live music, dancing, photo booths, carnivalinspired games, and, most importantly, pizza. What is a carnival without a few contests? If you’re ready to get in touch with your competitive side, there will even be a pizza-eating contest. All event proceeds benefit Austin Bat Cave. a nonprofit writing and tutoring center for kids that connects a diverse population of young writers and learners with a vibrant community of adult volunteers in Austin. Home Slice Pizza, Austin homeslicepizza.com November 19

November 1-10

FOR REAL ESTATE SUCCESS

Texas Conference for Women Now in its 14th year, the Texas Conference for Women provides with an opportunity for networking, skill building, and personal and professional growth. A wide array of both nationally recognized speakers and Texas leaders will provide learning experiences for all types of women from all walks of life. Austin Convention Center • txconferenceforwomen.org

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Rides&Races Featured ThunderCloud Subs Annual Turkey Trot

NOVEMBER

Dirt Trails and Pony Tails 5K Austin Ridge Bible Church • trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html

November 2

Tour de Gruene 1281 Gruene Road, Gruene • tourdegruene.com

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk Lake Park at Mueller, Austin • lightthenight.org

Wurst 5 Mile Run Landa Park, New Braunfels athleteguild.com/running/new-braunfels-tx/2013-wurst-5-mile-run

Komen Austin Race for the Cure Downtown Austin • komenaustin.org/komen-race-for-the-cure

Walk-Run-Lead 5K Walk & Run Brushy Creek Lake Park, Cedar Park • latinoleadersofamerica.org

Enchanted Rock Trail Run 10K and 25K Enchanted Rock, Fredericksburg • redemptionrp.com/ERockRun

The 4th Annual Austin FARE Walk for Food Allergy Austin Lake Park • foodallergywalk.org

November 10

November 16

Wild Hare Trail Run 50mile/50K/25K/10K Bluff Creek Ranch, Warda • tejastrails.com

November 3

Formula Run 2013 Circuit of the Americas, Austin • facebook.com/formularun

November 23

Reveille Peak 100 Mountain Bike Race Reveille Peak Ranch, Burnet • rprtexas.com

November 9

Color Me Rad 5K Travis County Expo Center, Austin • colormerad.com

Camp Fire Walk for Nature Mueller Hangar, Austin • camp-fire.org

The Great Zoo Stampede Cameron Park Zoo, Waco • cameronparkzoo.com

St. Jude Give thanks. Walk.

Austin’s Park, Pflugerville • givethankswalk.org

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photo by Dean Sebourn

November 28

ThunderCloud Subs 23rd Annual Turkey Trot Long Center for the Performing Arts thundercloud.com/index.php/trot-home Be Brave 24 Shadow Glen Golf Club, Austin • bebrave24.com

El Sendero Endurance Trail Race (part of the Trail Mix Festival) Reveille Peak Ranch, Burnet • roguerunning. com/live/elsendero Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle Race Three Palms Action Sports Park, Conroe ruggedmaniac.com

November 30

Blacklight Run Travis County Expo Center blacklightrun.com

December December 1

Austin Jingle Bell 5K The Domain, Austin madd.org/local-offices/tx/events.html

December 14-15

Spartan Race Rough Creek Lodge & Resort, Glen Rose spartanrace.com December 15

The Dirty Du Rocky Hill Ranch, Smithville • dirtydu.com

January

3rd Annual “Original” Santa Antonio 5K Walk/Run Sunset Station, San Antonio • bishfoundation. net/santa_antonio_5k_run.html

Commitment Day 5K Palmer Events Center, Austin commitmentday.com/austin

December 7

January 4

Run For Your Lives Zombie 5K Rusty’s Walnut Creek Ranch, Cedar Creek runforyourlives.com/locations/austin-tx/

Foam Glow 5K Travis County Expo Center • foamglow.com

January 1

Spicewood Vineyards Half Marathon and 10K Spicewood Vineyards, Spicewood runintexas.com/spicewood December 8

Decker Challenge and Brown Santa 5K/Kids K Travis County Expo Center, Austin austinrunners.org This is race #3 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge

Rogue Distance Festival (30K/half marathon/10K/Kids K) Cedar Park High School roguedistancefestival.com This is race #4 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge January 11

Bandera Trail Run (100K/50K/25K) Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera tejastrails.com/bandera.html January 18

™

January 5

Texas Trails Endurance Run (50 mile/50K/25K) Huntsville State Park, Huntsville solerssports.com/our-events/

Cash. Keys. Phone. ID.

Take your stuff on the run!

Discreet.

Comfortable.

Won’t Bounce.

Bruises and Bandages 5K & 10K Lake Georgetown – Russell Park trailheadrunning.com January 19

Natural Bridge Caverns Duathlon Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio redemptionrp.com/NBCDu December 14

HITS Endurance – Austin Circuit of The Americas • hitsendurance.com

3M Half Marathon 10201 Stonelake Boulevard, Austin solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_us/ halfmarathon/home/ This is race #5 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge

Submit your ride or race online at austinfitmagazine.com

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www.spibelt.com 866.966.4440

Made in Austin

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The

F D& DR NK

Guide

Experience a taste of Austin at these eateries

Austin is known for its innovative restaurants, creative chefs, and fine local food products. Whether a food trailer suits your taste or you're more the dress-up and sit-down dinner type, there's something here for everyone. November is a month with a focus on food and family, so take a moment to peruse AFM's Food & Drink guide. You may find a new restaurant to try, something tasty to add to your table, and a little liquid to wash it all down. Bon appĂŠtit!

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Wahoo's Fish Taco (512)476-3474 • Wahoos.com 509 Rio Grande St • 1722 South Congress Austin, TX 78701

Healthy Food for a Skinny Wallet

W

ahoo's Fish Taco is built with the athlete in mind no matter what your sport is. Our wide selection of proteins (Chicken, Fish, Steak or Tofu) help fuel the athlete in everyone. Our dishes are designed to have the perfect combination of proteins, carbs and healthy fats to help fuel you for your next fitness challenge.

Not only will Wahoo's help you stay fit, all of our entrees are budget friendly. Choose from any of our items for just $9 or under and your wallet will thank you!

At Wahoo's we believe that good nutrition should be accessible to everyone, so let us cater your next corporate lunch, family gathering or post race celebration.

Mister FruitCup (512)796-7510 • MisterFruitCup.com New location! 2201 S. Lakeshore Blvd. (at Tinnin Ford Rd.)

• Fun and Creative Options for a Healthier Community.

• Get 20% off your first visit and 15% off your first catering event when you mention Austin Fit Magazine.

• Catering services for corporations, holidays, meetings, weddings and special occasions.

• Visit us on Facebook, Yelp, and Twitter

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Savory Spice Shop

Turkey prepared with Savory Spice's Tiny Town Turkey Rub, handcrafted by mixing together Hungarian paprika, sage, onion, garlic, rosemary, black pepper, ginger, thyme, parsley, marjoram, red bell pepper, coriander, allspice, Greek oregano, savory and spices. Tiny Town is a great rub for turkey or duck. Rub 1 tsp. per pound onto the surface and into the cavity for flavor and aroma.

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avory Spice Shop is a culinary mecca sure to entice you in every sense of the word. What began in September 2011 has become a staple for the everyday home cook, baker, chef, grill master, and adventurer of food. It is my pleasure, Alicia Phipps, owner of Savory Spice Shop, to share my passion for spices and all things food every time someone walks through our doors.

The store offers more than 400 herbs and spices, as well as more than 140 hand-blended seasonings. Our product is both ground and hand-blended weekly to ensure superior freshness. Customers are encouraged to taste what they want and have our friendly staff package only what they need, starting at as little as an ounce.

Remember that the holidays are right around the corner and Savory Spice Shop carries more than 40 prearranged gift packs from Curry Lovers to Better Baking, Asian Seasonings to Picks for Popcorn, and ranging from $21$85 in price. Take your gift giving one step further and create your own gift pack by mixing and matching our prearranged packs or choosing your own jars within a pack! The options are endless and we are here to help.

The shop is located in the Arboretum at Great Hills, 10000 Research Blvd, #129 in Northwest Austin. Our

hours of operation are Monday thru Saturday, 10 a.m8 p.m. and Sundays, noon-6 p.m. We are excited to host cooking demonstrations, private events, and much more.

For all store information, follow us on Facebook at SavorySpiceShop-NorthAustin or on our website at www.savoryspiceshop.com/northaustin.

(512)795-0770 • SavorySpiceShop.com/northaustin 10000 Research Blvd. #129 • Austin, TX 78759 112 | Sp ecial Section | 1 1 . 20 1 3

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SmartFood Gluten-Free Kitchen

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martFood Gluten-Free Kitchen is a sustainable, mostly organic, and commercially certified haven for local food producers.

Currently, it provides commercial kitchen space for the production of the organic foods you love from Peoples Pharmacy, Hearty Vegan, and Misty Morning Gluten-Free Bakery; other small producers have gotten their start by working in this community minded space.

SmartFood Gluten-Free Kitchen provides services beyond that of a traditional commercial facility with complete composting and green cleaning products to maintain the health of the environment and those working. SmartFood Kitchen works with tenants, on their budget,

to provide the lowest rental cost. It supplies equipment, non-food supplies, and infrastructure that will insure a company’s success.

Nutrition graduate student and owner of SmartFood Kitchen, Celina Jean, built this kitchen because of her motivation to provide as many people as possible with safe, healthy, and affordable food which is gluten and chemical free.

SmartFood Kitchen does all that it can to help the success of those involved in this caring space. If you are a local food producer or food trailer turn to Austin’s only gluten-free commercial food production location. SmartFood Kitchen will bolster your success on the burgeoning Austin food scene.

(512)657-2727 • SmartFoodKitchen.com 2002 Southern Oaks Dr. Unit B • Austin, TX 78736

LIVE Soda Kombucha The Best Decision You'll Make All Day!

S

ip on the refreshing taste of wellness as LIVE Soda Kombucha detoxifies and powers your body with living probiotics, enzymes, B-vitamins, electrolytes, antioxidants and organic acids. Our raw organic kombucha is hand-crafted in Austin, TX with the finest ingredients and combines all of the raw benefits of kombucha with the popular taste of soda.

Enjoy each sip and revitalize your body daily.

Many athletes have discovered that not only does Kombucha boost their energy levels during performance, it also helps their bodies recover more quickly post-workout. LIVE Soda Kombucha can be found locally at HEB, Whole Foods, My Fit Foods and dozens of other retailers. Find a location near you: LiveSodaKombucha.com/Find-It

(512)888-9959 • LiveSodaKombucha.com Available at HEB, Whole Foods and My Fit Foods 11.2 0 13 | Special Section | 113

Discover!

MapMyFitness Ambassador Sabine Medrano

Taking the Trail at Brushy Creek

Tell us about it!

Give us a shout at @AustinFit and @MapMyFitness. We'd love to hear about your experience!

This month, Map My Fitness ambassador Sabine Medrano takes us on a run through Brushy Creek Regional Trail; to access the route in detail, go to http://ow.ly/pXLdx

"Brushy Creek Regional Trail is one of my favorite trails to run in Austin. The trail offers lots of versatility for runners: pavement, climbs, rolling hills, a gravel trail, and something for every skill level. Surrounded by lots of nature and much-needed shade to keep the boiling Texas heat bearable, you can make this trail as short or as long as you want it to be, as it stretches over 10 miles in total length.

I like to start out at the Brushy Creek Splash Pad as it has public restrooms, water fountains, and some stretching areas available.

You can either go east or west from there. I like to go east, crossing the dam and aiming for the gravel trail, as I find it easier on my knees. You will encounter lots of fellow runners and walkers out on the trail, making it a very safe place to run not only on weekends but during the week. Along the trail, you will find several public restrooms, water fountains, and some additional stretching areas.

Head west, and you will hit pavement all the way, which makes for a fast course. There are water fountains and public restrooms on that side as well."

*

Start/Finish

Elevation Chart (feet) Distance: 10 miles Climb: 157.48 FT www.mapmyrun.com/us/brushy-creek-tx/ brushy-creek-regional-trail-route-298475349

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photo by Brian Fitzsimmons