A Kale Lover's Body-Image (Are you a kale-lover lover?)

There's no dentally-clean way to eat/drink a pound of kale. When you do, you learn who your friends are pretty quickly. Here's a question you should never have to ask of your friends: Do I have something in my teeth? A true friend will have already told you before you have to ask, versus that stranger at the cocktail party, who lets you carry on and on about blah-blah-blah while they are awkwardly trying to figure out if those are broccoli florets or poppy seed muffins that got trapped in your fangs.

I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I really love my body, but I am attempting a complete retrofit, at a cellular level. Maybe I can cure my shoulder injury from the bike crash of '06 using the power of the world's greatest nutrition and mind power.

So, here's a question--
Q: When is it NOT okay to speak-up with a friend about body issues?
A: It depends on if it's a dude.

I was at a birthday party last week for a friend whom I hadn't seen in a couple of months. He pulled me aside and told me bluntly, "Buddy, you look like shit." He's not the type of guy who minces words, which I usually admire about him. But "ouch", I felt like the pinata. That's what dude-friends are for, right?

If you read my last blog post, then you realize the score is now:
Self-Image 99
Self-Doubt 1

So, I've decided to use this incident as an occasion to take stock about where I've come from physically and emotionally and what my goals are. The fact is, I've been feeling sooo good lately, I'm not that concerned about how I appear to others. In fact, I have been undergoing a serious detoxification process, with some ups and downs. However, I am hopeful that over the long-term, physical appearance will be an outward manifestation of good things happening within, both nutritionally and spiritually.

You be the judge:

2006. The old Chris. Tired of feeling tired. Quasi-vegetarianish. Job is kicking my ass. Poofy face. Poor skin. (Goofy highlights in hair)

2010. The new Chris. UniverseWoman-worthy. Facial poofiness has subsided. Next stop, get rid of dependence on glasses and cure separated shoulder. 

2007. The old Chris. First Triathlon ever. Feeling soft. Scared but determined. 155 lbs.

2010. The new Chris. 5 lbs less (150lbs), svelt, but packing way more attitude and speed.

I don't know, maybe at the birthday party I had just had a rough day, a dorky outfit, or was pale from reduced hours in the sun. In any case, day-to-day appearance just won't do as the best measure of the success of this raw food venture. For me, what trumps everything is how I feel how my athletic performance evolves.

If a picture tells 1000 words, then maybe some objective performance data can tell 10,000! Unfortunately, I don't have a lot-- just some local time trial results and a few races. Certainly, the 2011 season will be about collecting more data...without letting it ruin the fun.

I'm considering these as baseline numbers, by which I will eventually measure my progress this season: 

CYCLING
Cleves 16.4k TT- 5/19/09 25:43
Alexandria 40k TT 3/14/09 1:03:17
Alexandria 40k TT 5/9/09 1:00:49- (~4% faster than my first ride)

TRI
Tri 4 Joe (Sprint) 5/20/07 1:26:34
Tri 4 Joe (Sprint) 5/18/08 1:20:38 (~6.9% improvement over first year)
Tri 4 Joe (Sprint) 5/?/09   1:18:16 (~3% improvement over second year with an asterisk*)
To have raced at the same pace as the winner, I would have to go about 14% faster than my 2009 time. That's a LOT of ground to make up. BUT, (here's the asterisk) *my best time in 2009 was run *with a staple in my foot, which I stepped on coming out of the swim transition. The pain was so intense, I stopped to take my shoe off and brush my sock, which didn't help-- I didn't find the staple until the race was over. It hurt like a mother! I know I could have run a lot faster.

Other performance data I need:
Lactate threshold and VO2 Max- where does my body/vascular system perceive its limits for endurance?
Critical Power- can I go faster with less effort and less exhaustion?
Blood work- how is my iron, B12, yada yada.
Blood pressure
Stress levels
Resting heart rate

The Superficial Data...AKA-- The Stuff That Really Matters
Texture of skin-- is it getting smoother, less oily, less dry, quicker healing time, enough sun?
Eyes- are the whites getting whiter?  Is my eye-glasses prescription getting better or worse? Is my focus time getting quicker? Are my visualizations getting clearer and more powerful?
Shoulder- will it ever fuse back together?
Libido/fertility- This data will have to be for members only--paid subscribers. Just kidding. But seriously...to be continued.