Enell Sports Bras

Giving it up

2012-02-22T20:57:00.003-07:00

This is the time of year when many are talking about what they are giving up for Lent. This annual tradition for some has extended from beyond a particular religion and has turned into a time to challenge yourself from having some luxury item or vice for an extended period of time.

Some things I've heard people around me are giving up this year include:

Facebook
Sugar
Television
Gluten
Soda Pop
Coffee
Texting

Inevitably after hearing what someone is giving up, there is a grumble about how hard it will be, or how much of a sacrifice it is going to take. We are creatures of habit, and a change in routine or everyday living is really difficult for many of us to grasp. We fuss and get aggravated and crave whatever it is we've sworn off for the time being.

Now, I am completely guilty of the fussing and grumpiness - just ask my husband! But as I hear others complain, I wonder if we could do something to reframe the sacrifice into something good. Like the old saying, "turn that frown upside down," could we turn this perceived "negative" into a "positive?"

So instead of: "I'm giving up sugar and it's going to be awful," could we say "I'm giving up sugar as a start to a healthier lifestyle?"

In the sacrifice of something, there has to be a gain in it as well. What are you getting in return? It could be more time to take a walk, less consumption of unhealthy items, or time to explore a new hobby.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it unrealistic or is it a way to find a silver lining?

The Cool Side of the Pillow

2012-02-21T21:51:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure about anyone else, but even in the winter, I love flipping the pillow over and having the cold side touch my face. There is something refreshing and also calming about the sensation. I've heard people talk about having pillows that stay cool, but to me, there is something to flipping over the pillow from warm to cool, and then back again.

Sometimes, the comfort of our routines and our surroundings help us get through a crazy day. Other times, it bores us and we crave adventure.

Do you feel the same way during your workouts? You have your old standby routines and motions that you go through, and then other times you just get bored and lose motivation.

This is a common occurrence with many (myself included). The regular habit of my gym routine is something that can help make it easier for me to get out of bed in the morning. If I'm tired and worn out, I'm not likely to get excited about diving into a new, possibly even more exhausting activity. My familiar routine wins out.

Other times, I am walking on the treadmill or resting between weight sets and it just hits me that there isn't anything new or exciting in my workouts. Can I push myself harder or do more? This is the perfect time to flip to the cool side of the pillow and shake up your routine.

Some ideas:

Have a meeting with a personal trainer to walk you through some new exercises
Try a new group exercise class
If you are usually a gym rat, get outdoors. Lover of the great outdoors? Explore what the inside of a gym has for you

What are some ways you've shaken up your workout routine?

The Star of Your Support Network

2012-02-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else love this time of year? I'm not talking about cold weather and pretty snow - I'm talking about awards season! Between the Grammy's, Golden Globes, and Oscars (February 26th), you get to see people in pretty dresses really excited about reaching the pinnacle of their careers.

I always find the acceptance speeches interesting. Will they bring a list of people to thank? Will they thank anyone in particular? What if they run out of time and the orchestra starts playing and the microphone turns off? Awkward.

image credit

Anyway, the point of this post is to have you think about your support. (I am now refraining from inserting a pun-filled joke about how well ENELL supports your boobs). Think about those people in their sparkly dresses with hair done and makeup perfect: so many people have to help them get to that point. Is their talent immense? Of course. But their support network must be phenomenal to get them to that point.

No one ever goes through life without support from SOMEONE. Humans are social beings and need each other to survive.

Food for thought: Who is in your support network? Are there people that you think were supportive but now you're not sure? What factors do you consider important in someone in your support system?

Great News from Canada!

2012-02-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

Following up from their pre-race report a few days ago, Lanny And Tracy Barnes, the Twin Biathetes (and ENELL lovers) have results to share!

Lanny Barnes of Durango, Colorado posted the best IBU Cup finish and a podium this year on the IBU Cup circuit yesterday with a fourth place in the sprint race.

Top image courtesy of Pam Doyle, QMI Agency cal-sports@sunmedia.ca
Second image courtesy of International Biathlon Union

Lanny & Tracy Barnes competed for the US in the International Biathlon Union Cups in Canmore, Alberta this past weekend and will compete in two more races there this week on Wednesday and Thursday. With 23 nations competing in the first IBU Cup to race on North American soil, there was some tough competition for the Barnes twins. The races consisted of two 7.5km sprint races with three laps of 2.5km loops and two shooting stages, one prone and one standing. In the first race the twin sisters shot the same with one missed shot and finished 12th and 17th.

“I was a bit disappointed in the race (Saturday) with the missed shot in prone,” said Lanny Barnes. “You can’t afford to miss on a day like that with perfect conditions and I also felt like I skied too conservatively on the first loop. The great thing was we had another opportunity on the same course and same race format to give it another go today (Sunday)."

On Sunday they had another chance to race the same 7.5km sprint course and try for a better result. Both Barnes twins went out determined in the second race to improve upon their finishes, knowing that they were within striking distance of the podium. Lanny was in the lead for most of the race posting the fastest first two loop ski times and cleaning (hitting all 5) of her prone shots.

“I went out harder today on the fist loop and tried to keep up that pace throughout the race. I cleaned prone and kept getting good splits out on the course and decided to try and go for it in standing. I came in a little too hard and missed my first shot, but resettled and knocked down the last four."

“After I skied my penalty loop I was suprised to get a split that despite my miss, I was still in the race. I hammered hard on the last loop and finished in third, but was bumped eventually by the Russian winner. I was happy with the result, but feel there is definitely room for improvement.”

Tracy also posted a better result from the day before finishing 12th also with one missed shot.

"It gives me confidence going into the races this week knowing that hitting that one shot would've possibly given me the win. The skiing is finally there and shooting is something that has always been my strong suit. Tracy and I are both pushing for a top three in the races this week."

The Barnes twins will race in a 15km Individual timed trail on wednesday and another 7.5km sprint race on Thursday in Canmore where they both hope that their results will earn them a spot on the World Championship team set to race in Ruhpolding, Germany in a few weeks. Tracy, who had been struggling the past couple weeks with illness is looking forward to the races this week.

"I wasn't 100% coming into these races, but am feeling better and better every day and every race. I think a podium is definitely possible this week. Even though we are racing in the Canadian Rockies, they are still the Rockies and are as close to home as we will get for an international biathlon competition.", says Tracy. "It is so nice to race on North American soil and have the Europeans make the long trek overseas for a race. We are definitely counting this as a home court advantage and are going to try to take advantage of that this week."

You can watch the twins races live over the Internet at www.canmorebiathlon.com. There will compete on Wednesday 2/15 at 1:30 pm MST and thursday 2/16 at 12:00 pm MST. Also check out www.twinbiathletes.com to follow their racing with updates and pictures.

Good luck Lanny and Tracy! As always, we're cheering for you!

This Valentine's Day, Love Yourself

2012-02-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Whether you're single, dating, married, or widowed, Valentine's Day is always one of those holiday's you can't seem to escape. We've been surrounded by jewelry ads, conversation hearts, and heart-shaped balloons in the grocery store. Oh, and who can forget the overpriced flowers (seriously, saw them for $60 per dozen at the grocery store)?!

I have a hunch that many of you tend to put everyone else before yourself. You do this everyday, without fail. Friends, family, children, colleagues - everyone gets your time but YOU. This Valentine's Day, no matter what your relationship status, I encourage you to spend some time on yourself doing something that makes you happy.

Already booked up this week? No problem! Open up your calendar and block out some YOU TIME this month. Schedule a spa day, an hour of no electronics, or sign up for an upcoming race you want to complete. Make a coffee date with friends, or schedule some time with that book you've been meaning to finish. Or perhaps you want to strap on your pink (HOPE) ENELL bra and go for a walk in the brisk winter weather. No matter what you do, be good to yourself. Happy Valentine's Day!

Random question: What is your favorite color conversation heart?

On the road with Lanny and Tracy

2012-02-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

We have another update from the Twin Biathletes, Olympic hopefuls sponsored by ENELL sports bras. They are back in North America right now, albeit further north of the border than their home state:

Winter has been late to come or none existent in a lot of places, but we have been lucky enough to find pockets of snow around the world at our various biathlon competitions. So far this season we've traveled to Sweden, Austria, France, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic. For the next two weeks we will finally be back on North American soil and racing in the rocky mountains. Unfortunately it won't be our home section of the Rockies in Colorado, but it will be in the beautiful and breathtaking Canadian Rockies in Canmore, Alberta.... AND, the Europeans will have to make the long trip over the big pond to race on foreign trails and adjust to jet lag.

The International Biathlon Union Cup doesn't reach North America soil as much as we'd like, but is is always a great opportunity to beat the Europeans on our home soil. Already with some races this year just out of the podium, we both feel like we are right on track for a podium finish here in Canmore. There will be four races over six days which will include three sprint races and an individual. There will be 23 countries present and an opportunity to send at least 22 of those nations home wondering what really just happened ; )!

The races can be watched live on http://services.biathlonresults.com/DataCenter_IBU.aspx, and we'll also post the results on www.twinbiathletes.com and send out an update as well. From here we hope to make the World Championship Team and head to Germany after the races here to the the biathlon capitol of the world in Ruhpolding, Germany.

Thanks Tracy and Lanny - we are living vicariously through your path to the Olympics! Wishing you nothing but the best in Canmore.

Couple Workouts: Love or Loathe?

2012-02-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who says her favorite workout partner is her boyfriend. She says they both push each other because they're competitive, but also support one another. It's a great bonding experience for them, and they find it boring to work out without one another.

On the flip side, I would probably instigate a fight if I was working out with my husband. I am particular about how I work out and he is a chatterer and doesn't have lots of urgency. My craziness coupled with his calmness makes for good balance in the relationship, but not in situations like working out. Unfortunately, my control tendencies come out raging and it's not fun for either of us.

On SparkPeople, there is an article highlighting the benefits of working out with your significant other. These include:

Quality time
Shared interests
Encouragement and motivation
A deeper bond

Seeing as these sound like excellent things, I realized there are some things that my husband and I can do for exercise that would encourage these. FitSugar has a good list. Among the things:

Go on a hike
Go ice skating
Partner yoga

Perhaps I'll re-think my stance on working out with my husband.

What about you? Do you enjoy working out with your significant other?

New Life Resolution Winners

2012-02-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone for participating in the New Life Resolution contest and sharing your pledges. Winners were randomly selected from all eligible entries using random.org.

Congratulations to grand prize winner Courtney of Arizona, who is a new mom and plans on using her $250 winnings to join a gym to lose the baby weight. Her New Life Resolution:

My name is Courtney and I pledge to eat healthier, get fit, and spread the word about staying away from junk food and soda!

Also, congratulations to the other four winners who received an ENELL SPORT bra.

My name is Caroline (from Michigan) and I pledge to continue to have confidence that my life journey is the right one for me, even if it's different than those who surround me.
My name is Adrianne (from California) and I pledge to:

Continue: continue on my path to a healthy lifestyle by eating well-organic, free range, as little processed foods as possible, vegetarian often.
Rev it up: with a variety of daily exercise!
Remember: that this is a life time commitment, not a diet. There is no deadline and there is no final number. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as I am taking steps to obtain optimal health.

My name is Raven (from Missouri) and I pledge to incorporate positive changes into my life in areas of health, fitness, spirituality, overall personal improvement, and to do what makes me truly happy. I pledge to stand strong on my beliefs more than ever this year no matter what's going on around me or who's saying what, to became more of the person me and god want me to be and if they aren't exactly the same for him to put it in my heart to be a more positivie, genuine, godly person as he sees it and me.
My name is Aliah (from New Jersey) and I pledge to make a more conscious effort to go to the gym 3-4 times a week and eat healthier so I can live a longer and fuller life!

image source

Bouncing Back from Injury

2012-02-05T20:23:00.002-07:00

While training for and completing a half-marathon last April, I injured a tendon in my ankle. It took 3 doctors and 7 months before I got on the treatment plan that I've been on the past several weeks. It involved a cast, and now I've transitioned into a walking boot. Even though I've got 3 months of physical therapy in front of me, the light at the end of the very-little-activity tunnel is finally appearing!

Perhaps it's too early for me to get anxious about the possibility of of walking or jogging without pain again, but I found this article over at Runners World from Coach Jenny Hadfield about tricks for returning to running after an injury.

I really enjoyed this advice. It's pertinent to everyone looking to take fear head-on, not just with an injury:

The greatest way to tackle fear is to break it into smaller, digestible pieces. What seems like an overwhelming risk will be much more achievable if you're looking only at the very first step. And once you take the first step, you'll gain the momentum to take the next step, and so on. Eat the elephant one bite at a time and soon the fear will go by the wayside.

Have you bounced back from an injury? What tips can you share?

February is Heart Month

2012-02-02T21:09:00.001-07:00

Did you know that more women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined (including all forms of cancer)?

February is American Heart Month, geared towards spreading awareness about cardiovascular disease, its prevention, and recognizing symptoms of cardiovascular events. The American Heart Association has lots of information on what cardiovascular disease is, and how we can prevent it.

In honor of heart month, we wanted to help spread some of the information.

Signs of a Heart Attack (courtesy of the American Heart Association):

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1...Get to a hospital right away.

Friday, February 3rd is National Wear Red day. Will you be wearing red?

Fitness Gadgets

2012-01-31T19:13:00.003-07:00

There are lots of new gadgets on the market right now geared towards helping people lose weight. Pedometers, activity monitors, wrist GPS devices... all with a million features. I've used these types of things before, and still do on occasion. While they're fun and gadgety (I love gadgets), they aren't necessary to get in shape or to monitor your workouts.

In the past, I've postponed starting my fitness journey because I didn't think I had all the "gear" I needed. I realized it was an excuse to not get started. Because really - you don't need a wrist GPS to start walking or eating better! You are all you need.

Source: makeitdo.wordpress.com via Emily on Pinterest

My only necessary fitness gadgets:

Running shoes: your local running store will be able to fit you properly based on your feet and activities planned
Socks: some like wool, some like cotton - it's a matter of preference. All I know is that it's awful for you to go look for socks and not have a clean pair!
MP3 player: music keeps my energy up
A sports bra (ENELL, of course!)
Some sort of shirt and shorts (or pants): Because working out in your birthday suit is generally discouraged.

Yes, the gadgets and toys are awesome, but you don't need them in order to succeed.

What are your essential fitness gadgets?

Inspiring Success Story

2012-01-30T19:00:00.002-07:00

We received a wonderful letter recently that we wanted to share. This is the story of Patricia:

Before: 266 pounds, After: 150 pounds

I am writing to thank you for helping to make it possible for me to accomplish one of the greatest achievements of my life – going from an overweight couch potato to a fit, healthy woman – and all done over the age of 50! I have been overweight for most of my life, but as I grew older my weight just got out of control. In July of 2009, I decided I had had enough, and embarked on a program that included sensible eating and exercise.

[In my before photo] I weighed approximately 266 pounds. I am 5’6” tall. I got out of breath just climbing the stairs in my house.

After completely changing my eating habits and starting an exercise program, I was able to reach my goal weight of 150 by August of 2010. Here is a picture of me on vacation in September of 2010. [after photo]

Throughout my journey, my Enell sport bras have helped me progress in attaining my fitness goals. I have always been large busted – and you can imagine what the combination of losing more than 100 pounds and being in my 50s has done to my shape. But my Enell sport bra provides the support I can count on to carry me through even the most rigorous workouts!

After holding my weight at or just below 150 for a few months, I decided I wanted to go to 145 and that’s where I am now. But I still had more goals to accomplish. In August of 2011, my sister and I walked 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure walk in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN). As I’m sure you know, the 3-day walks raise money to fund innovative global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening, and treatment. Participating in the 3-day walk was so meaningful to me, for a variety of reasons. Not only was I raising money for a great cause, I accomplished something that would have been impossible for me to do for most of my adult life! Here is a picture of me on day three of the walk – still smiling in my Enell T-shirt!

Patricia is walking in the 2012 Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure walk in the Twin Cities. Walkers must raise $2,300 to participate. To donate to Patricia's efforts, visit this website.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Patricia! It's inspiring to us all.

New Life Resolutions, Take 4!

2012-01-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

You have 4 more days to enter our Support For Life giveaway. Declare your New LIFE Resolution and enter to win a grand prize of $250 and an ENELL bra. We're also giving away an ENELL sports bra to 4 other winners. What are you waiting for - go enter now!

We've received some more amazing New Life Resolutions in the past few days. Whether you share yours or not, we hope that these inspire you in some way! If you missed round 1, see them here. Round 2 is here, and round 3 is here.

My name is Veda, and I pledge to say "no", set healthy boundaries and put myself first.
My name is Kristen, and I pledge to be a better mom, wife, and friend by improving myself with setting and achieving small goals each day.
My name is Libby, and I pledge to believe in myself and my abilities to compete at my highest level ever, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I have the perseverance, the determination, and the persistence to know that this year, I'm ready to compete at this level and I will outwork my opponent, and not only just in the match but in the gym, on the mats, on the road, and in my mind.
My name is Brook, and I pledge to walk away from negativity and follow my heart.
My name is Erin, and I pledge to focus on measuring my success as a person by what's really important in my life: my health. I'm not going to give up on myself this time. I'm ready to make a life change.

image source: Believe to Achieve on Tumblr

Thank you all for sharing!

Healthy and Happy

2012-01-25T19:23:00.001-07:00

One of the major components of overall health is emotional health. We focus a lot on trying to eat right and exercise, but how about working on our happiness?

Many of us seek happiness and emotional stability by having trustworthy friends, being able to partake in hobbies, having a loving family and going to a job we enjoy.

But what about this?

image found on Pinterest

Over the weekend, USA Today published a story about the scientific reasonings behind dogs spreading happiness.

Studies show that when petting a dog, a hormone called oxytocin kicks into high gear. Oxytocin, which is sometimes dubbed "the cuddle hormone," helps reduce blood pressure and decreases levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress and anxiety.

So in addition to being good companions on your walks and runs, dogs also help with "the cuddle hormone?" Perhaps this is some physical evidence of why I go cuddle with my dog as soon as I get home from a stressful day. Or perhaps it just means I like to spoil my dog!

For the cat people, I am sure you feel the same way: your cat makes you feel happier, which means your cat is good for your health.

Image via LadyLimoges on Tumblr

So what say you? Have you been affected by the cuddle hormone?

Speedracers Not Necessary

2012-01-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

I am in day 493268* (just kidding) of wearing a leg cast. This means I've been slowly hobbling for weeks, frustrated out of my mind.

My trusty pedometer has accompanied my very few steps taken in my cast, and the lack of overall movement is crazy. Today, I was elated because I made it past 1 mile walking. This is a vast difference from my pre-injury training wogs of 5+ miles each.

Here's the deal: no matter how tired or slow we think we are - no matter what our injury or our hangups - we always have the ability to do something to improve. Taking a step, no matter how slow, is always something more than the alternative - doing nothing.

A little reminder for all of you who, like myself, sometimes think that what you're doing isn't enough. Do YOUR best, and you will always succeed.

Source: Uploaded by user via Debra on Pinterest

Twin Biathlete Update

2012-01-21T21:44:00.001-07:00

We have another update from the Twin Biathletes, Olympic hopefuls sponsored by ENELL sports bras. Just as in their last update, they're still in Europe. They manage to find some fun between competitions:

When I think of a lengthy road trip, I think of the west. Our family has zig zagged all over of the western United States, driven thousands of miles and still managed to stay in the same country. This summer when I was in Alaska I saw a t-shirt that said "size does matter" with a picture of Texas easily fitting into the state of Alaska. I think most of Europe fits into the size of New England. In Europe, you can drive a few hours and hit several countries. Thanks to the EU and the €, we no longer have to stop every couple of hours at a new countries borders and explain to them why we have a dozen rifles in our van. So these days it's smooth sailing from country to country except for one major barrier that still exists, the language barrier.

On Monday we loaded up our team van in Forni Avoltri, Italy with the goal of replacing one set of Alps with another and drive to Haute Maurienne, France. We would drive across Italy and go from mountains to flats and vineyards, past Venice, Millan, Torino, and through the famous Frejus tunnel into France. Once we dropped out of the mountains, we finally got a full view of the sun which the tall Dolemite mountains had been blocking for the past week. We were also given another treat, temps well above freezing. For the first time since November, we stripped off our down jackets and long johns and walked around rest stops in our short sleeve t-shirts soaking up the sun and enjoying a good thaw.

Half way throughout drive we passed within 30km of Venice. I've been fortunate enough to visit the city twice before during the winter. Winter is probably the best time to visit because there are very few tourists and the colder temps keep the stink to a minimum. About half the people in the van had been to the famous city and the other half had not. Deep down everyone was willing to take the extra few km's of driving, a water taxi, and a nice Italian meal for loosing a few hours on the road, but no one wanted to speak up and make an executive decision. By the time we all decided to go, we ended up missing the turn and didn't make it the the watery city.

Regardless, we were making good time and had just blown by the German team vans (yes, everything is a competition) and were nearing the French boarder. At the very end of our 5+ hour drive, we were supposed to drive through the famous Frejus tunnel. I call it famous because it is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes between France and Italy being used for 80% of the commercial road traffic and there was a terrible accident in the tunnel in 1999 where quite a few people were killed in a fire in that tunnel. The last time I went through the tunnel they had just opened it back up after the accident and with our coach telling us horror stories from the accident, we were trying to hold our breath through the 8.1 mile long tunnel. This time, before we could take the tunnel, our coach and another athlete sitting in the front seat veered off the highway and onto a small mountain pass road. Having napped the past hour, I wasn't paying attention to the route as they had a GPS. They informed us the GPS had told them to take the pass. "The Pass" was to take us up and over the snow capped mountains, instead of through the tunnel at the base. Our coach and his co-pilot assured us this was the right route even though it was their first time here. So with that, we started up the pass.

Having been in this situation many times before on trips across the alps in Europe I casually tried to explain that these kind of passes were only open in the winter. They thought that because there was a lack of snow in Europe this year and there were no "road closed" signs that we might make it and maybe the GPS knew it was open... those GPS's are so smart. Well, there went our lead on the Germans. I tried to joke about trying to save US Biathlon Association money not having to pay the tunnel fee, but in the long the long run we burnt through a few extra €'s. It was a beautiful side trip and after 30 switchbacks later the van came to a halt 100 meters from the top of the pass when the road turned from pavement to groomed ski trail. I think we were lucky to have made it that far since they didn't have as much snow as they usually do. While we were stopped there admiring the view we saw a dog sled team that gave tours on the closed road during the winter. What we found out later is that the other side of the mountain, where we would've driven down, had a much deeper base of snow with close to six feet. So we turned the van around and headed for the tunnel.

Luckily the trip through the tunnel was uneventful and we quickly opened the windows once we exited the other side the get the 8 miles of stale tunnel air and exhaust that sits in the tunnel year round out the windows. Vive la France, we were here at last. We found our hotel and started looking for a place to eat dinner. The French team who we were staying at the same hotel with recommended a restaurant and we headed for it, only to find the lights out and the place closed. Obviously the French weren't eating in this fine establishment they had recommended. French 1, Americans 0. So we found the next place up the street with lights on and dove inside. After standing there for several minutes waiting for someone to seat us, one of the girls on the team who speaks French asked if we could sit down for dinner and they seated us in the empty restaurant. The only patron was a man sitting at the bar taking a few shots and staring at us. After a while he got up and staggered over towards us. He told us in the only English he knew that Lance Armstrong was his friend and proceeded to beat his chest over his heart until we got the point. After he left and what seemed like an eternity or at least 45 minutes later the cook/waiter/ bar tender/ dishwasher came and took our order. Another eternity later he brought out our meals. I had ordered a savory crepe that was well worth the wait. When it came time to pay the bill we found out that the restaurant only took cash and wouldn't take our US Biathlon Association credit card. At that point the cook warmed up quickly to us and started speaking English which he hadn't all night, and told our coach he would simply take me as payment. Ha, ha... well our coach quickly ran down the street to the nearest ATM and got out enough cash to satisfy the cook. With that we headed back to the hotel and settled down to in our beds to the sounds of explosive charges setting off avalanches and went to bed excited to see the amazing view of the French Alps in the morning and another week of exciting racing.

More New Life Resolutions

2012-01-19T21:41:00.001-07:00

Wow - we have some amazing women here with some great New Life Resolutions. This is our third installment of sharing just a handful of the ones we received. If you missed round 1, see them here. Round 2 is here.

Still haven't shared yours? What are you waiting for?! We're giving away a grand prize of $250 plus an ENELL bra, as well as 4 other ENELL bras. Enter here by the end of 1/31/12.

Source: Uploaded by user via Bianca on Pinterest

My name is Malina and I pledge to love myself. I will honor and be true to who I am at present. I will stop waiting to be perfect in order to love myself.
My name is Suzie and I pledge to spend the year of 2012, the year I turn 49, not dwelling on any past or future setbacks that have or will occur. I will keep moving forward with my determination to live an active, happy life, for I need this body to carry me through the second half of my life!
My name is Noelle and I pledge to believe in myself more. I can, will and am on the way of making myself healthier and balanced physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. With baby steps, I will gradually become fit, confident and a better person to the people around me. No matter what, at the end of it all, I can, will and am on the way of becoming whoever I want to be.
My name is April and I pledge to remember that taking care of myself benefits the well-being of my family.
My name is Keisha and I pledge to rediscover how beautiful I am, inside and out.

Thank you all for sharing your resolutions!

Do any of these resonate with you?

Running Knees

2012-01-18T20:46:00.002-07:00

With such a large group of awesome women here who run, wog (walk/jog), or walk, I know some of you (myself included) have probably dealt with knee pain, or worried that running would cause it.

Did you know that when you run, with each foot strike, a runner's knee withstands a force equal to eight times his or her body weight? For a 150-lb. person, that's about 1,200 pounds of impact. Crazy!

Despite this, however, research has shown that if you are of normal body weight and have no prior knee damage, running can actually be beneficial to your knees. David Felson from the Boston University School of Medicine said: "We know from many long-term studies that running doesn't appear to cause much damage to the knees. When we look at people with knee arthritis, we don't find much of a previous history of running, and when we look at runners and follow them over time, we don't find that their risk of developing osteoarthritis is any more than expected."

Seems a little counter-intuitive, right? It should be mentioned that if you had previous knee damage or are more than 20 pounds overweight, you are at much greater risk of knee injuries or earlier onset of arthritis, so don't go leaping into it without proper education and caution.

In order to give us all peace of mind about this debate of running being bad for the knees, there are steps we can follow to be better prepared for our runs.

These can include:

Stretching properly - especially your hamstrings.
Strength training
Cross training

For more information on those, check out this FitSugar article.

Have you ever had a knee injury, or worried about it? What preventative measures do you take?

No limits

2012-01-17T20:50:00.001-07:00

Is it just me, or are there are a lot of people out there trying new, big things in 2012? Even in the @enell Twitter stream, I see people talking about training for new events, lifting heavier weights, writing books, or traveling the world. It's quite inspirational to sit back and just observe. People all over the world are trying new things. Fear of failure is there, but they aren't paralyzed with it.

Armed with your awesome self, bubbly personality, ENELL sports bra, and some clean underwear, what could you do? (The underwear part was a joke, but I know it's personally one thing I wouldn't want to run out of!)

Would you travel to a new place?
Try a new sport?
Say something you wouldn't otherwise?

Infinite possibilities abound when you start to dream a little bigger!

Source: tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Share below, or keep to yourself, but ask yourself this: What would you do if you dared to dream bigger?

Latest from the Twin Biathletes

2012-01-14T21:36:00.002-07:00

Here's the latest from Lanny and Tracy Barnes, aka The Twin Biathletes, supported by ENELL sports bras (pun sort of intended). Miss their previous update? Check it out here.

Can you guess where these pictures are from?

We wanted to update you on how the last week of racing went.

Last week we were in Forni Avoltri Italy for the IBU Cup races. Forni is probably on of the most amazing biathlon venues in the world. With the Dolomite Mountains as the backdrop for the shooting range, it's hard not to be inspired

Our first race was a 15 km Individual, which is known as the shooters race. Tracy topped her best performance for the year with a 7th place, topping her 8th place before Christmas. It is the best result for an American this year on the IBU Cup. On a really windy day, she missed 2 of her 20 shots and had fast skiing on the tracks. Lanny who also skied well, struggled a bit in the range and missed 5 shots and dropped back to 42nd place.

The second race was a 7.5km sprint. It is always fun to do right after the individual because it is half the distance and goes by really fast. Tracy had another good race missing only one of her 10 targets and finished 29th in a really tight field. Because of her great results, Tracy headed back to the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. After Forni, Lanny moved to Haute Marrian, France for another IBU cup and a chance to gain a spot back on the world cup. She will race a sprint and pursuit on Friday and Saturday. Haute Marrien is also an amazing venue that sits in the French Alps. We'll keep you posted on how the races go this week. - Tracy & Lanny

Thanks Tracy and Lanny - we are living vicariously through your path to the Olympics!

More New Life Resolutions

2012-01-11T21:24:00.002-07:00

Another week has gone by since we shared some of your New Life Resolutions, so we thought we'd share some more. (If you missed round 1, see them here.) It's really exciting to read different people's commitments to themselves and their lives - we hope you feel the same way.

Source: etsy.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Remember, you can still share your New Life Resolution here to be entered to win one of 4 ENELL sports bras, or the grand prize of 1 ENELL bra plus $250!

My name is Nadine and I pledge to live life deliberately instead of merely existing and finally feel good about myself.
My name is April and I pledge to put me before others, so I can be a healthy wife and mom. Change my attitude of self. Be a balanced well rounded women full of love, hope, inspiration.
My name is Leacy and I pledge to be supportive of myself and others, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for all aspects of creative energy, expansion of knowledge, and personal empowerment.
My name is Kelly and I pledge to show my children that a normal lifestyle includes fitness and healthy eating.
My name is Christy and I pledge to do this for me and not because "the world" says I should be certain size or shape. I pledge to be the healthiest, happiest, strongest me I can be!

Thank you all for sharing your resolutions that go beyond a new year and into a new life!

Do any of these resonate with you?

Contemplating Caffeine

2012-01-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

The alarm goes off. I get up, showered, dressed, and (hopefully) eat some breakfast. Into the car I go on my everyday commute, which always includes a stop at an extremely popular coffee shop. I'm welcomed by familiar faces as they whip up my weekday treat: a massive cup of coffee with 2 shots of espresso in it (called a black eye).

Yes, I'm a fan of coffee. I used to be a fan of caffeine, but I don't drink sodas anymore, so the caffeine comes from coffee. This is one of my favorite posters:

(image source)

My doctor recently had me do this detox thing where I had to eliminate caffeine for 1 week. Panic ensued.

To make myself feel better, I looked up the risks from consuming too much caffeine (as I probably do every day). Heavy caffeine is defined by the Mayo Clinic as 500-600mg of caffeine per day, or about 4 cups of coffee. Consuming this much, or more, can cause:

Insomnia
Nervousness
Restlessness
Irritability
Stomach upset
Fast heartbeat
Muscle tremors

At first I had headaches and felt lethargic, however the symptoms started to go away after 4 days sans-coffee. Today, I drove past the coffee chain and out of habit wanted to stop. I have to wonder though: is it the caffeine I'm missing, or is it the habit of that experience every morning?

If you want to know how much caffeine you're drinking, here's a great guide from the Mayo Clinic. My daily drink calculated to about 500mg, based on the size I order.

Have you ever quit caffeine or do you still drink it?

The Year of Yoga?

2012-01-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Will 2012 be the year of the yogi? It seems that people seem to have renewed resolve of being calmer and stress-free at the beginning of the year. Perhaps that's why I've seen so many yoga classes on Groupon lately?

Count me in as someone who wants to have less stress in 2012. Last year, I had an adventure with Bikram (hot) yoga. Me and my ENELL Lite (the bra we recommend for lower impact activities) sweated it out in a room that was 105 degrees fahrenheit and 40% humidity for 90 minutes. I envisioned that I looked like this, which would have been beautiful and graceful (and curvy):

Instead, I think I looked like a hyperventilating sea mammal that just came up for air. Red faced and dripping from head to toe, I questioned whether it was right for me.

So far in 2012, I'm starting with something easier: meditation. Perhaps by getting my mind in a more relaxed state before going into more vigorous postures, I will be more successful in my practice. The lure of yoga benefits like better posture, greater strength, increased lung capacity, and less stress are just too strong to pass up.

Want to try a gentle sequence in the comfort of your home? Here's a good one from Yoga Journal.

Yoga: Love it or leave it?

No Apologies

2012-01-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, I've heard people spouting off their resolutions and asking advice from others. Something that I picked up on was how many people who said things like: "Well, I can only walk, so it's nothing like what you do."

STOP > REWIND!

Perhaps it's because I also have said these before. I always think that I'm slower, less conditioned and less strong than everyone else. Sometimes this is the case, and sometimes it's not. The point it: IT DOESN'T MATTER!

If you're working out and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle for anyone else but yourself, you'll always fail. The motivation has to come from within. Sometimes people seem like they're internally motivated, but then still use external cues to measure themselves against. A number on the scale, your sisters weight, your pre-college weight, a clothing size... all of these things have nothing to do with your ability to make changes now and celebrate each accomplishment with it.

This goes against what we've had ingrained in our minds over the years:

You must work out X times per day to lose weight
You must eat X calories to maintain a healthy weight
Your BMI shows how unhealthy you are
Be the best - go for the gold!

Instead of focusing on what others say you should do, you should do what makes you FEEL GREAT. DON'T APOLOGIZE for anything - celebrate what you're doing.

Love this little reminder:

Source: piccsy.com via Emily on Pinterest

New Life Resolutions - Your Words

2012-01-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

We have been overwhelmed by the response to those of you sending in your New Life Resolutions! We've gotten well over 50 so far, and will be sharing some over the coming weeks. Still need to send yours in? Do it here.

Some of your New Life Resolutions:

My name is Lori and I pledge to stop comparing my plus size body to the "skinnies" that I work with and just enjoy who I am. I will excercise without expecting instant results but just enjoy the process in getting there. I promise to do MY OWN personal best in all I do.
My name is Sarah and I pledge to transform into the woman I am meant to be. I will move more and live my life now, reshaping my mind, my heart and my body. Gone are the "one day I will..." I will challenge myself to do it now. There is a giant blue sky waiting and so many things I can achieve. I will appreciate my body for what it is each day, not only for what I hope it will become.
My name is Abby and I pledge to take the time each day to treat myself well. I pledge to do the work to figure out what keeps me down and to forgive anyone that has hurt me to that I can be free to move forward. This year I declare as the "nurture Abby" year. Instead of overindulgence with food I pledge to feed my mind and soul by reading more and by doing good deeds for others. I pledge to be set free of restrictive diets and instead change my lifestyle and treat myself to better eating, proper supplements and daily exercise which will promote overall stamina and energy and a happier Abby. Binge eating only provides a momentary "feel good" while a balanced approach in lifestyle provides lasting euphorias as you set goals and reach them. This year I pledge to run my first half marathon.
My name is Laurie and I pledge to empower myself and others to be the best we can be. Each small decision helps me get closer to my better self. Exercise, eating and healthy habits matter.
My name is Kerri and I pledge to focus on taking better care of me. No scale goal this year. Instead I am focusing on consistently working out and making good food choices. Nourishing me in all aspects of my life.

We will share more New Life Resolutions next week - thank you so much for sharing!