o/' sugarrrr, yes please o/'

My sweet tooth is my serious downfall when it comes to healthy eats. It's been particularly strong lately, and my will to fight it succumbs to the knowledge that each bite will provide me with utter joy and satisfaction. (I find I choose NOT to listen to the little angel on my shoulder I'll probably regreat the decision later...that angel needs to talk louder!)

Yesterday I went to the movies with a friend and purposefully packed a small sandwich and a handful of MnMs (shhh! don't tell =P). I try to pack food with me wherever I go because I know a) it's probably healthier, b) I can control the portion sizes [huge help with controlling my sweet tooth], and c) I save monies (YAY!). Unfortunately, the enticing smell of fresh movie theater popcorn led us to buy a huge bucket of it (not-so-healthy dinner choice =/). While standing at the counter waiting for the popcorn, my eyes were drawn to an ad for Oreo Churros...OREO CHURROS?! I'd never seen or heard of such a thing, and man oh man do I love Oreos AND churros. They were SOOOOO GOOOOOD! I was able to control myself and not eat the whole thing, but dang...SO GOOD. Don't necessarily regret buying/eating them, but I'm just going to try to stay away from them to be safe and not eat myself silly =P

Now that it's officially Spring (despite the 30some degree weather and yesterday's snow/rain/hail) and I have a couple trips coming up that involve bikinis (i.e., Vegas, Hawai'i, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), I definitely feel like this:

Gotta get that cardio up and stop listening to that little sugar devil on my shoulder!

Filipino food for the soul =]

As a Filipino-American living in DC, 3,000 miles away from my family (who live in California), the rare moments I get to enjoy and savor Filipino food are so heartwarming and nourishing to my soul! This week has been a CRAZY work week filled with long hours, frustrations, occasional cursing at the computer, and necessary workouts so as not to "Hulk out" on anyone or lose my sanity.

It's currently 3:28 p.m., and I finally got a chance to sit down and enjoy some chicken afritada that my mom made during her last visit and threw in my freezer. (Pro tip: set aside personal portions of meals in the freezer so whenever you need food, you can takeout one container for one meal instead of wasting food.) I've even learned how to/forced myself to grow accustomed to eat Filipino food with brown rice (GASP!). It was one of the best things I've eaten in a while (especially since I've been so busy this week I've been surviving off meal replacement or protein bars!), and the Filipino in me is so unbelievably happy right now that I can work for another couple hours. No photo this time, folks...ate too fast =)

El Potrero Chico, MX Part Deux: B*tches Climb Pitches

Every time something epically awesome happens in my life I have a really hard time formulating thoughts into cohesive words to portray to those around me my experiences. Alas, here's my stab at describing my time at El Potrero Chico (EPC).

The climbing

The climbing at EPC was nothing like I had ever experienced before. There were HUNDREDS of AMAZING bolted routes (multi-pitch, single pitch, and a handful of trad routes as well) within such a small expanse of land (within one canyon) that made for mostly easy approaches (there were not so easy approaches/descents...that involved scary scree fields...) and ease in finding routes when the one you want is taken. 

Entrance of the park

The limestone is SUPER SHARP and sticky. The stickiness was great for our feet since a lot of the climbing we experienced at EPC involved smearing on nothing or high steps on tiny chips. Even when our shoes would get wet from stepping in a puddle (we ran into rain 4 out of the 5 days we were there...womp...but totally made the best of every day) or when our only option was to stand on something that was still wet, we generally stuck! Took a couple days for my mind to get used to that, and it definitely took a toll on my calves and toes. For our hands, the sharpness meant high friction (yay!) and pain (not so yay...). We climbed 5 days in a row (which I've never done outdoors before; our mindset was "well, we should climb today because what if tomorrow's rain is worse!?), and it took a serious toll on our hands. I left Mexico with my calluses torn off and no more fingerprints! Our lifesavers of the trip were definitely liquid bandage, goat tape, and Climb On!. One of my favorite things was definitely the fact that many of their routes were marked by either paint or name plates so the chance of you jumping on a 5.12 when you thought you were going to be on a 5.10 isn't so high =P #outdoorclimbingproblems

Name plates! Treasure of the Sierra Madre was our first multipitch route of the trip, and a pretty good climb.

As we were warned, there were PLENTY loose rocks on the routes. On one of our climbs we definitely experienced raining pebbles at a belay station from a party ahead of us. When we were on Treasure of the Sierra Madre, we heard a climber a few routes over from us yell and scream "ROCK!" A few seconds later we heard a HUGE thud since the boulder (huge rock) she had her foot on tumbled from beneath her and to the ground. That climb is most probably 2 grades harder now. Hah.

We knew we were going to the desert, but we were still astounded at the amount of palm trees and cacti strewn all over the rock face. You could be approaching a belay station (photo of MB below) and find a random palm tree hundreds of feet up in the air. How did they even get there?! 

In terms of cacti, we definitely had to be really careful climbing around them and trying really hard not to fall ON them. I definitely got pricked a few times (even through my pants!), and there were definitely plenty "no fall zones" you had to be careful about (when you as the climber are thinking "sh*t...def can't fall here 'cuz my ass is gonna fall directly on that cactus" and your belayer is thinking "sh*t i hope she doesnt fall here that's gonna suck." haha). MB definitely had her fair share of cactus fights since she rappelled into a few of them (since the rope would get stuck in them). I slipped on one of my rappels (the rap rings I was on were offset from the next rap rings since the route veered right), and even though I did a stellar "ninja run" across the wall and tried my best to spot a clear landing, I stopped with a huge cactus right in between my legs...perilously close to my lady bits. YIPES!

Cactus butt!

Another cool thing about the rock quality are the random fossils you find! Imagine climbing and then all of a sudden seeing hella fossils in the rock you're holding. That's bananas!

Multi-pitch sport. Oh how I love thee, multi-pitch sport climbing! As this trip was my first experience with multi-pitch anything, I was pretty anxious (and excited). Though I'm not that afraid of heights, everyone's stories made me nervous about the exposure. Once there, though, I felt so at ease! Our first multi-pitch was Treasure of the Sierra Madre which involved me leading the 3rd pitch at 5.10c, and though it was a pretty sustained and heady lead, I pushed through it with a calm demeanor and enjoyed it. One of my favorite climbs was Ramsey's Shenanigans in which we summited a spire. I led the last pitch, and as it was my first time experiencing a spire, it was crazy fun! The higher I went, the less rock there was, the more air there was...I just kept thinking "THIS IS AWESOME! Holy crap this is amazing! Holy sh*t!" Heh.

The culture
San Nicolas Hidalgo is a cute and quaint town with plenty nice people. We went into town twice on our trip to restock on groceries and nom on the cheapest and wonderfully-tasting tamales, and everyone we ran into was super nice and helpful. 

Sundays at EPC are apparently locals day (and for many visiting climbers, rest day...we later found out why). It was really cool to meet and see local climbers and climbing schools around the crags, but given that it had rained the Sunday we were there, there were pretty much only two dry areas to climb. This essentially  meant everybody and their moms tried to jump on the same climbs. Inside the canyon and just outside the entrance to EPC, it was a full-blown party! Imagine, if you will: a Mexican festival/tailgating party with local music blasting from parked cars; happy, drunken debauchery everywhere you look; teenagers racing ATVs up and down the canyon; old school Volkswagen Beetles doing donuts in the scree; families casually riding horses up and down the canyon...as well as racing them between lines of parked cars and cheering spectators. It was an absolute culture shock and entertaining experience to me given then my mindset when climbing outdoors is so serene, tranquil, and peaceful! Though this by no means encapsulates the grandiosity and essence of the Sunday culture at EPC, click here for a video taken by a friend to give a glimpse of these local Sunday fun days.

We stayed at La Posada, and it was great! We opted for the 3 of us to share a room (because I'm not so much a camper, and when I'm on a climbing trip I'd rather get a really good night's rest on a bed with a roof over my head). It was cozy but good. Room was clean with a heater, bathroom, and shower in the room. Unfortunately, something was up with their water heater so my first hot shower in Mexico was night 6...the night before our departure. Hah. Oh well. They also have a laundry service which was CLUTCH. We didn't expect cold nor rain going to EPC, so we each only packed 1 pair of pants...which we ended up wearing almost every day. Thank goodness for their laundry service!

Most dinners we ate in the restaurant at La Posada. Food was great, portions were hearty, and it was cheap!). The staff (both in the restaurant and in general) were fantastic and super helpful. Breakfasts were had in the communal kitchen which was stocked with everything you need to make a decent meal (minus microwaves and ovens), but my favorite thing about the communal kitchen was that it made a wonderful venue to make new friends. We met climbers from all over the place! From Oregon to Colorado to Germany to Australia. Hopefully at some point we'll get to climb with one another again.

Communal kitchen at La Posada. Counter had plenty stovetops, and refrigerators were behind where I was standing to take the photo.

La Posada communal kitchen...with the canyon as a backdrop. How could you NOT be inspired to climb every day waking up to this?

Downfalls
With every trip there are, of course, downfalls. One of the main things was the rain. We woke up excited every morning to look out the window and feel our hearts drop as we stared out into a huge cloud and the ground sopping wet. Despite that, we pushed through and made the best of every day...finding routes that were dry enough to climb and pushing past water-filled pockets and seeping limestone (though...one of the routes we did was seeping right at the first clip which made for a scary lead...)

Another thing that I think I'd like to change for my next trip is definitely climbing in 2s. Multi-pitch climbing in 3s takes forever, and I found that I would lose my momentum as I dilly dallied on a hanging belay waiting for everyone else. Don't get me wrong, it was great company to climb in 3s, but given that I like the mileage, I'd love to push just a little faster.

Quotes of the trip
"The cactus is on!"
---
"5.Don't Fall"
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MB approaching belay station: "Can I puke now?"
KT belaying: "Can you clip in first?"
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MB freaking out approaching a belay station: "Can I borrow someone's God?"

All in all
Traveling to EPC was an amazing experience. One of the things I love about sport multi-pitch is my ability to push grades AND get in awesome mileage (versus trad multi-pitch since I'm still pretty scared of trad...though...this may change. Given that I live in DC, I'm trying to work on my trad climbing/leading [may do my first lead this week!], and our outdoor sport climbing scene is sparse). I felt strong physically and mentally, and I can't wait to go back and explore other sport multipitch sites for more!

For an awesome climbing mantra shirt ("B*tches climb pitches"), check out Climb On Apparel.
For more photos, click here. Enjoy!

Two Pump Chump. Pitch 1. 5.11a.

Snow day numero dos!

It's our second snow day in a row, and I'm totally loving it! Forced rest days are needed in my life. Yesterday I spent my day switching between my bed and the couch, eating...all day, and catching up on weeks of television. As much as I want to repeat that today, I'm dragging my butt outside to shovel out my car and make it to the gym. I don't particularly want to at this given second, but a) I won't see results unless I put in the work and b) I'm about 90% sure I'll love it once I'm 5 minutes into working out. Wheee!

#getswole

El Potrero Chico, MX - Part 1

Last month I pushed my climbing limits to a new level by going on a wonderful adventure to El Potrero Chico just outside San Nicolas Hidalgo, Mexico. It was a semi-spontaneous decision that spurred from a metro ride conversation with two other climbers after attending (and being inspired by) a Sufferfest 2 National Geographic viewing with Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright. (Sidenotes: If you haven't watched either Sufferfest, I highly suggest you go do so! Also, if you ever get a chance to meet and chat with Alex or Cedar, they're super chill and amazing people!)

I'd never been...nor had I really understood the grandiosity and greatness of EPC and multipitch climbing. My only knowledge of the area was from one of my climbing partners who had told me about EPC and how I would probably CRUSH there given the amount of bolted multipitch routes and from a separate group of climbing friends that had plans to go in January. As one of my 2015 "resolutions" is to "have more fun" (though the reaction of many of my friends when I told them of my "resolution" was "You?! You need to have more fun!?"), I decided to jump in on this trip to an unknown international land with girls I barely knew and I had never really climbed with.

We all bought our tickets about 1 month before our departure date (I, in a quasi-drunken state =P), and I definitely went through a roller coaster thought process (similar to Rapunzel leaving her tower for the first time in Tangled):

"OMG we're gonna do it! --> Shoots...are we really gonna do it? Is this a good idea? --> We're gonna do it! YOLO! I'm pressing 'buy'! --> OMG we're crazy. I can't believe I just bought that ticket. I don't even know these girls! --> THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME! --> This is gonna be terrible! Why did I just buy a ticket to Mexico? I'm going to get kidnapped by drug cartels! What a terrible idea! We're gonna die! --> Dood...I've never even DONE multipitch! HOW do I do it? What if I sh*t myself? We're gonna die!

Those thoughts spurred a few things in my one month prep:

• Physical strength and endurance:
• Train real hard (grade- and endurance-wise) so even if I'm scared and pooping my pants I can still climb. This actually REALLY paid off. We ended up climbing 5 days straight (which I'd never done outside), and I definitely led/climbed with some serious "Elvis leg" for a good portion of our climbing.
• Supplement with cardio (typically running, cycling, or short HIIT workouts) for overall physique (and let's be honest: to shed the Christmas/New Year's weight I gained by indulging in delicious foods all over Southern California [my hometown] for 2 weeks)
• Eat well! I cut out a significant amount of sugar in my diet (once you get to know me I have a HUGE sweet tooth!) and really tried my best to eat healthy in order to prep my body as best as I could for such a trip.
• Milk active rest days. While it was important to get strong for the trip, it was even more important not to injure myself before the trip. Considered an "Energizer bunny" by those who've ever worked/hung out with me, that balance is extremely difficult for me. I was working out 5 or 6 days a week with some of those being double workout days or days I work both my full-time and part-time jobs. Active rest days (which could mean taking a flying trapeze class, casually cycling on a stationary bike while reading work materials for my full-time job, or vegging in front of my TV enjoying Dance Moms [proud guilty pleasure!]) were a Godsend and necessity!
• Technical skills
• Learn rope management and multipitch systems so we don't kill ourselves. I was the noob to multipitch climbing on this trip, and I'm the kind of girl that likes to know her sh*t instead of completely relying on/mooching off others skills/knowledge.
• Practice/remember top belaying so I don't kill my new friends
• Mental prowess
• Practice climbing/catching with said new friends so we don't poop our pants
• Research as much about the area and climbs as I could. This was difficult as none of our friends had personally been to the area, and the guidebooks are NOT sold in the U.S.
• Talk with friends about multipitch to mentally prep me for what in the world I was getting myself into. Aspects I was most nervous about: my reaction to the exposure and height as well as how on earth i was going to pee.
• Research logistical things not particularly related to climbing like:
• Where can I get water?
• Where can I get food? Do I need to pack bars to sustain me on our one week trip?
• Is this area even safe? Will I get snatched up and never return to my friends and family?

All in all, I left for Mexico with as much prep as I could have done, a LOT of nervousness and anxiety of the unknown, but more importantly, an insane amount of excitement for an adventure of a trip. Stay tuned for a trip report coming soon =]

The journey.

I spent most of my life obese or overweight. Other than the occasional teasing at school or from joking family members, this never really was a hindrance to my life (thank God!). I was happy. I had plenty of friends. I was a dancer. I played sports throughout elementary, middle, and high school. My social life was fanTAStic (man oh man do I love to party!). Overall, I was able to enjoy plenty of what life had to offer.

Shortly after college (around 2008) and in search of a free physical activity to take part in, I found running. How simple! Put on a pair of shoes, go outside, move. No gym membership needed. I started running regularly, and from this point on, slowly started shedding pounds and inches off my waist. It wasn't really an active thought of "I need to lose weight!"...it just made me feel good to run. Then my eating changed. The more I ran, the more I watched what I ate so I could run better. faster. longer. Alas, my healthy lifestyle cycle had commenced. The more I delved into this cycle, the more pounds would come off, the more inches off my waist, the more compliments I would get. It was fantastic!

2011 was a landmark year for me. Not only did I run my first half marathon, I picked up long distance cycling, and I also found rock climbing. Climbing quickly became a passion/addiction I couldn't shake that really helped push me further and further into a healthier lifestyle. The summer of 2011 was spent rotating between Insanity workouts at home (dig deeper!), running, rock climbing, and swimming. Slowly yet surely, I could feel myself becoming more agile and much stronger. Loving my body more and understanding it's limits.

Now (2015), I find myself still running with several half marathons, 5ks, and every distance in between under my belt. I'll jump on a 60 mile bike ride on a beautiful day. I'm an avid rock climber dedicating about 6-12 hours of my week training for my sport and traveling to places I'd never even dreamed of visiting, much less climbing in (e.g., Kentucky, Northern Mexico [that's not Tijuana for partying =P], West Virginia...I even got some indoor climbing in in Germany and Switzerland!). And I'm a rock climbing instructor, sharing my passion for the sport to all those who are interested in learning. 

Never in my life did I ever think I would be an (amateur) athlete. Never. Don't get me wrong, I still live a pretty normal life. I work full-time in the public health field pushing my career further and further. I eat...almost EVERYTHING. I go out and party with friends 'til the wee hours of the morning. I just also make sure to fit in my run, or climbing session, or flying trapeze class, etc. between the mayhems of life. It's been a long and unending journey that's been a rollercoaster of ups and downs (I vividly remember dropping to my knees after an Insanity workout with my sister one day and yelling "F*ck this I don't care anymore, I just wanna be fat!"). I'm a whole 5'1" (on a good day) and weighed in nearing 200 lbs at my heaviest. I'm extremely proud to say that with all my hard work, dedication, and healthier lifestyle choices over the past 5 or 6 years, I'm now at 125 lbs. It's still a constant struggle (I'm a fatty at heart and would love to sustain myself off chocolate cake and ice cream for the rest of my life), but I wouldn't trade it for the world. You don't have to be a professional athlete to live a healthy life and excel at a sport. You could totally be an average joe with a blossoming non-athletic career; you just need the passion and drive for your sport of choice.  

This will be my venue to share with you my successes, struggles, tears of pain, squeals of joy, and everything that comes in between. I hope it inspires you with whatever goal(s) you have in mind, and I also hope I can learn from some of you as you go through your journeys! =] As we say in the climbing world, "Climb on!"