IronMakeover

Nutrition - Central States Swim Clinic 2013

2013-06-06T11:05:00.002-05:00

I adore the Central States Swim Clinic. I went last year for the first time and LOVED it so attending this year was an easy decision.

Here are some great ideas from the session on nutrition!

Nutrition
Jackie Berning Ph.D.
Central States Clinic 2013

It doesn’t matter what the sport is, there are always challenges with nutrition. Athletes are busy, they don't know what to buy or how to cook and so they often choose poorly.
            Take-home message: **Athletes should eat smaller, frequent meals throughout day vs. back-loading calories in one large meal at night.**
            Berning summarized a Georgia State study on the effects of skipping meals within 24 hours. The study looked at two groups over 12 weeks and measured their energy balance. The control group didn’t eat breakfast and then ate a huge meal at a training table like format late at night, so they backloaded a ton of calories at the end of the day. The second group ate small meals spread throughout the day. Both groups ended at same energy balance level after 12 weeks, BUT the group who backloaded calories had more fat than the other group even though they weighed the same amount. This means the backloaded calorie group lost muscle weight.
            When calories are low throughout the day the body thinks it is starving and therefore burns lean muscle mass. Then if eat a huge meal late at night about 50% of those calories will be stored as fat. It is better to eat well throughout the day and do it consistently even on holidays.
            Most people think you are burning fat when eating low # of calories. Incorrect!
            Take the calories your body needs and break into smaller meals. I am NOT telling you to add a snack but instead divide up your required calories into smaller meals. Don’t add a snack/calories to create an additional time to eat.

Highlights:

- Eating before exercise vs. exercising in a fasted state has been proven to improve performance. You want fuel to be: high in carbs, low in fiber/fat, moderate in protein, familiar to the athlete (nothing new). Something needs to come in to break the fast during sleep, liquid is fine.

Example fuel:

1 hour or less before meets/workouts:
Liquid form: water, sports drinks
Your brain needs blood glucose up (CHO)
½ banana and toast
Gels 15 minutes before event, if have earlier you will rise and dropoff before needed
Avoid energy drinks (red bulls/monster) etc. You may as well drink a bottle of pancake syrup.
- Orange juice is a little high in CHO %; have at breakfast but not just before get in water. If you have too much sugar in your gut it draws out water. Once exercise starts CHO helps delay the start of exercise induced response.
- Instant breakfast is OK, liquid will digest quicker. CHO digests first in your gut, especially in liquid form.

2 hours before:

Sports drinks
Oatmeal or cereal with skim milk
½ bagel or toast
6 oz yogurt and fruit

3-4 hours before:

Sports drink
Turkey sandwich, with lo-fat cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola,
Pasta w meat sauce, bread sticks, lofat milk
French toast, low fat milk, fruit
*a mini meal, but want stomach to empty before get in the pool, based on timing and volume of food putting in. More food put in, the more time it takes to digest.
*while waiting to get picked up have a sandwich/veg/fruit it should resemble a meal vs. single food concepts.

During exercise:

CHO found in sports drinks (6-8%) is recommended for events 1 hour or less especially for athletes who: exercise after an overnight fast, skip pre-exercise meal, don’t eat enough CHO, train in heat/cold, participate in intense training, 2/day+ practices.
Longer events need 30-60g/hour and that will extend performance. Consume 6-12 oz sports drinks with 6-8% CHO every 15-30 minutes extends exercise time.

HS Swimmer example: skips breakfast, early lunch, may snack before workout, gets tired within 30 minutes of starting practice.

Minor league baseball example: normally eat one meal a day on the bus, have $20 food allowance and normally order 2 pizzas when get to hotel, cram food in and then go into sleep coma and sleep through the free breakfast provided at the hotel. This leads to low glycogen and fatigue, best to have some fluids with CHO or foods available, eat energy bars, sports drinks in between.

Foods for healing/ and reducing inflammation:

What you eat can help reduce your chance of getting diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more. A poor diet plus increase in physical demand leads to oxidative stress/tissue damage and impairs immune system.
- More fruit/veggies with antioxidants can help prevent damage: dark leafy greens, spinach, kale, celery, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears. Blueberries/strawberries/raspberries have a plant nutrient in them that is really powerful and decreases neuromuscular injury and helps strengthen immune system so not sick as often.
- *Buy frozen! Especially when fresh fruit is hard to find or really expensive. You won’t lose nutrients in frozen.

Sleep:

Night owls have a difficult time dealing with the demands of being a student athlete.
They are more likely to use stimulants to stay away and then can’t sleep at night.
*The body repairs damage when it’s sleeping. Sleep allows nutrients to come out of store and do their repair. You need 7-8 hours/sleep at night for max repair. The biggest part of repair is neuromuscular (how nerves communicate). Sleep needs to be regular and consistent. During deep REM sleep nutrients do repair work.
*A nap is good for mental recovery, but not longer than an hour or else it will interfere with your sleep at night.
*If sleep longer than 8 hours or less than 7 hours you are more likely to gain weight.
Teens need 10+ hours of sleep, 6-8 year olds need 10-12 hours of sleep.

Stats:

AG Swimmers:
-          40% of AG swimmers think fries are a great source of carbs because it started out as a potato.
-          40% chose oatmeal as a good source of protein (vs. chicken).
-          Only 45% can identify foods from within a food group.
-          30% of teen athletes skip breakfast – THIS is a huge problem.
-          25% skip lunch, forget it or have no time.
-          82% of athletes can’t identify the fuel that muscles use to contract (CHO=Carbs). Most athletes think it’s protein their muscles need.
-          Athletes need more CHO and fluid. Extra calories should be in form of CHO.
-          Timing of meals is important and dependent on GI issues and workout intensity. Athletes with heavy training need to eat more than three meals a day.

RECOVERY NUTRITION (Sunday)

88% of athletes have heard about recovery nutrition but only 33% know about putting food in within the 1-hour window of recovery.
*If dehydrated fatigue will set in early.
*20-25 grams of protein (~3 oz of chicken/deck of cards size) after each training session will maximize protein synthesis. Co-ingest small amount of protein will CHO (replaces glycogen store) as soon as possible, this accelerates protein synthesis.

150-pound athlete example:

54 grams CHO: bagel, smoothies, recovery shake
20-25 g protein: 2 tbps peanut butter, 1 C greek yogurt
Fluids: 3 C fluid for each pound lost during exercise
Consume 20-25 gram protein enough to stimulate protein synthesis, higher amounts do NOT bring an increase in protein synthesis – all extra gets oxidized off and peed out. DO NOT use the huge protein shakes! Instead consume protein 5-6x during the day to maximize protein synthesis. **Chronic protein consumption in excess could actually turn off the pathways to make new muscle/protein synthesis.
- Need the 9 essential branched chain amino acids found mostly in animal products or soy. They get absorbed fast but help turn on pathway for protein synthesis.
- Chocolate milk is good, has animal protein and good %.
Not all swimmers need recovery nutrition. For example, if taking a day off your body will get back with regular eating. Do recovery nutrition mostly in competition season/phase.

Example: HS soccer team spending tons of time on the road at away games

- Parents organized snacks on bus for team: spent less time on the road eating junk, team recovered faster, not as hungry coming home or as grouchy, could push harder the next day. Examples: recovery beverage, yogurt smoothies, cheese/crackers, granola, PB sandwich, subs, burritos, trail mix, chocolate milk, fresh fruit, apples, bananas, grapes, yogurt.

Energy drinks:

Body needs and can handle 6-8% CHO (Gatorade is great). Energy drinks like red bull or monster are like 22+% and often come with some type of caffeine and/or ginseng. It’s not formulated for athletes or tested in a lab. It elevates resting heart rate and is dangerous.

OVERALL

*Make better food choices and time them well.

More ideas http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/fitness-foods

Also See:
http://www.ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2013/06/becoming-great-swim-meet-coach-central.html

"Becoming a Great Swim Meet Coach" -- Central States Swim Clinic 2013

2013-06-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

I adore the Central States Swim Clinic. I went last year for the first time and so attending this year was an easy decision.

I took a pre-conference session "Becoming a Great Swim Meet Coach" with Guy Edson -- totally awesome.

My notes below if you're interested.

Becoming a Great Swim Meet Coach

- Guy Edson, ASCA
5-16-13 Central States Clinic

Top ideas:

-          “One of the best tips I got as a coach was to go to nationals and watch the other coaches coach. In the past we could go on deck and watch how coaches work with their athletes and learn from their coaching moments. How you talk to kids in the quieter moments is just as critical.” –Guy Edson
-          3 things during a meet: 1 – refocus (on the now), 2- reframe (in context of season), 3- restore (confidence to swim well). Do these things are you are instantly a better meet coach.
-          You want your swimmers to be involved with at least one of these three things each time they swim and shoot for 3 of 3: 1- best time, 2- were they involved in a race? 3- Did they swim technically well?
-          Instill confidence pre and during the meet. “Whatever we do let’s do it great!”
-          Know your athlete and what he/she needs from you.
-          Remember everyone is watching every single thing you do. J
-          On race day fats (in food) make you slow (something about coagulating red blood cells.)

Mental:

- Great meet coaches have swimmers who swim fantastic! Many styles work, coach with your strengths.
- A swimmer comes to a meet with 3 types of expectations (positive, negative, or nothing at all! J). The last thing that happened to the swimmer that day before arriving at the meet could set the tone for the whole day. We are managers of expectations for other people.
- Set these expectations ahead of time and then remind them upon arrival of what those expectations are. Set time %’s, performance in a single event, points goals but communicate these goals weeks ahead of time and work on every day. Catch them making goal times/paces in practice. Look for these moments that transfer, make a note of it so you can recall at the swim meet, this is called transference. Tell them at practice to remember how it felt and then remind them of that at the meet.

- Excel at creating the proper atmosphere for the team at the meet. Sit with the kids, parents sit apart. Excel at focusing on performance, that’s why we’re there; it’s not a social event. Recognize when they’re under/over aroused and help them manage it. Often certain behaviors are attached to physical symptoms.
- You don’t need to feel great to swim great! At practice when a swimmer says not feeling great, say “great! I’ve been waiting for this day so you can look at your great workout and know you are capable of swimming well even when you didn’t feel great.”

- Swimmers need to own their times and know them.

- 13&U: Ask each athlete in person what he/she needs from you to help him/her go fast.
- Challenge swimmers in practice and than transfer that to the meet.
- Learn the body language of your swimmers. Pay attention to what the swimmer is doing between swims and change that if necessary. Some kids need to think about an event LESS before an event. It’s an art to understand how to coach without overcoaching.
- Coaching advice can be easy and simple: “Go race!” or “Get a hand on the wall first.”
Put ideas in their heads a week early and then do it.

Logistics:

Entries: The coach should enter kids in the meet, don’t delegate or let parents choose. The coach manages the athletes’ careers, not the parent or swimmer. Put it in the job description it’s that important. A coach will have a different strategy for selecting events than a parent will. As coaches/assistant coaches we handle all the entries, sending them in, communicating with the team/parents etc. With senior swimmers we discuss entries with the swimmer ahead of time so it feels like a partnership; sometimes we’ll talk about with parents if the parents are coachable.

Meet:

Be the first person there, claim your territory and mentally prepare. Take two or more watches, your split book, get swimmers to take splits for you so they learn more by watching, goal sheets for each swimmer, your workout notebook, attendance list, pace chart, extra heat sheets for swimmers. Great other coaches, officials and workers, especially the officials.
            Stand at the end of the lane you want w-up to begin in. Wear team colors. Greet swimmers personally, if not old enough to drive don’t blame them if showing up late. There is no such thing as an 11-12 year old girl, they always move in packs. J
            Have a job for everyone, don’t have assistants standing around, and get everyone involved. They bring staff to meets that don’t even have swimmers swimming at that meet.
            Swimmers need to talk with coach before go up, go to blocks, talk to coach first, with nothing in between, especially parents.
            Lead by example and clean up. Take care of yourself (food, drink, sunscreen.) Look professional. Get off the deck for a break.

Group or individual warmup?

Most like some sort of team thing to build team aspect. Guy has everyone do a basic w-up together and then some swimmers do custom w-up after. Salo has kids in charge of their own w-up, but Guy disagrees.
Guy’s warmup for a-level AG & up: Swim 500-1200 yards free, 50s 12-20 IM order down SC, Kick ½, Swim ½ LC. 3-5 100s down divide kids in groups and time them. Some are done and warm down, others do more.
Warmup for b-level and little kids: Pushoffs, turns, finishes and stroke mechanics. Normally use 12 yards the whole time. Practice warming up during the season using just one lane so when arrive at meet feel more comfortable in these conditions. Get kids used to it.
- For nervous athletes Guy usually does more breastroke in warmup because they will get more air and that helps calm the swimmers.

Performance:

Analyze the performance based on facts not on feelings (splits, finals time, previous best time, stroke tempo, all of the above vs. previous efforts).
            Guy talks to swimmers in groups vs. 1v1. He tells them in a group how to beat each other and then lets them race.
            The senior coach should watch the competition and know their splits, +/-.
            Watch the race. Be honest if you miss it and ask the swimmer how he or she did. Be positive and constructive all the time, unless working with seniors, don’t need to always be positive.
            Ask how they swam before telling them what you saw. Be specific with younger kids. You want them to swim 1, 2, or all 3 of these things: 1- best time, 2- race someone, 3- swim technically well. After the swim, look at all three and tell swimmer how to swim better. Try to avoid giving feedback like “I can’t believe you broke a minute…” be careful with your word choices, give factual information on how to save time. Don’t patronize. With senior swimmers give em hell but always end negative comments with hope for the future.
            If a swimmer comes back after a bad swim and is overemotional send him/her away to calm down vs. spending your time calming him/her down because you have to focus on others too.
            DQs: our attitude is a surprise or fluke, not a huge issue. In Florida they don’t find out until later on if DQ. We deal with it unemotionally and tell the swimmer how to fix next time. Sometime we’ll tell the parents ahead of time, some parents will see as a failure but help to see not a big deal.
            Post-race talk: evaluate and set the stage for next event/next meet etc. Give hope. Tell them how to go faster. It’s about making mistakes and getting better.
            Be excited with the young swimmers. With older swimmers provide minimal emotional comments, their friends and families are there to cheer.

Excellent performance is normal, natural and expected. Build this attitude at practice so when you are at a meet this is a normal expectation.

During a race: Don’t need to be a cheerleader but stand up and be engaged. Watch the pushoffs and breakouts vs. looking down at your watch.
- Hostile parents: avoid escalating emotions in a confrontation. Ask permission to talk about it later, and when you do, take it out of site. Book: 21 Ways to Diffuse Anger. Deal with the emotion first, facts second. Brain chemistry changes when you are emotional. Use polite interruption/clarifying questions about what said to try to bring back to rational stage. Men need to know that you can’t bring women back to the rational state of mind with facts. Facts don’t matter.
- If down time, catch idle swimmers and review their swims, be an active coach and bring them down early.
- Look at best times and look at patterns, like the third 50 of a 200. Analyze level of swims by age, event, how many new best times, bb times, etc, breakthrough swims, celebration swims.
- Visualizing: for younger kids show them pictures of the venue ahead of time; this helps them feel more comfortable on arrival. When visualizing your swims, do it from the perspective of other people, the clearer your picture is the better chance you have to achieve your goals.

My 1st 25 FLY

2013-06-04T19:06:00.003-05:00

Today I finished my first length of butterfly at the Princeton Club! Then I took my fins off and finished 4 more lengths (no fins) with drills in between.
It's important to me to practice/do everything my Mini Sharks do, so I've been working on it on my own for a long time. At Shark practice & meets Coach Stu gets kids to:

try it
finish it
improve it.

Currently my fly isn't fast and it's not technically that great ---But I think it's a really powerful place to be.

Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 2012

2012-12-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

I was thrilled to run this event again this year with my friend Sara. What a beautiful day to run!

5K - 28.26, ~9:10/mile pace, awesome weather

Race album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4289648392200.2159796.1016173208&type=1&l=4c0714078c

Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon 2012

2012-10-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

5:27.01 Oct 7th

Ken gave up his birthday weekend so I could run the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. It'd been a long time since I'd run a marathon and I wanted to experience it again.

I like trying new venues and Milwaukee was a great choice. I like smaller events and do best training for a fall event vs. spring or summer. I also liked the downward elevation in the last 2 miles of the course. And the medal was AWESOME!!

Race album at
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4032053712494.2155166.1016173208&type=1&l=0f6f646581

Community Health Network Green Lake Area 13.1

2012-09-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

At the awards ceremony following the Community Heath Network Green Lake Area Half Marathon the race director opened with "Congratulations!" Then he said, "as you know this is not an easy 13.1 miles!"

It was hilly but very pretty. There were many areas with shade and sections along the lake. I loved the event size & location, finisher's medal, hat & long-sleeve tech t!

Race album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4289648392200.2159796.1016173208&type=1&l=4c0714078c

Movin' Shoes Full Moon 5K Run 2012

2012-08-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

This summer I ran my first night run and I LOVED it! It was awesome! Early registration was only $20, the t-shirts were awesome and I loved how strong I felt running in the dark.

I had many friends also running the race so it was fun to meet up before and after! We added some flashing bling to our race bibs pre-race and afterwards cooled down with a little dancing.

Most athletes wore glo-sticks or wore headlamps or flashlights. They also had volunteers at corners along the course shining lights on the curb etc. The moon was full and glorious and I felt perfectly safe running.

We stopped at the post-race awards ceremony and had some of the best race food I've ever had!

Trader Joe's and Qdoba are race sponsors. YUM!

Question for You:

- Have you raced at night? What did you think?

- What's the best post-race food you've eaten?

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3775389136040.2148475.1016173208&type=3&l=ae5762db07

Crazylegs Classic 2012

2012-05-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

After a break of several years I was excited to run the Crazylegs Classic again this year! It's an awesome 8K in Madison that finishes in Camp Randall Stadium. They also offer a two mile walk. All proceeds support Badger Athletics. As a Badger graduate and athlete (rowing) I love this chance to run on campus and support my school.

This year was super fun as I ran with my friend Sara! Race day weather is usually tough. This year was cold and a little wet, but we planned/layered well. We got a lot of comments on our awesome striped socks! :-)

We ran the race in 49:55, reaching our goal of 10-minute/mile splits or less. This was huge for me as I'd been taken off running for the prior year. But, with persistent PT, rest and prayer I was able to rebuild some issues with my body, allowing me to find my feet again.

Question for You:
- How have you successfully come back to sport after an injury or life issue forced you to take a break?

ActiveX ♥

2012-04-04T12:51:00.011-05:00

In 2010 I flew to San Diego and met up with triathlon-related friends from Active.com & GOTRIbal.com.

I loved meeting ActiveX founder Arch Fuston & participating in that morning's workout! Even during my short visit I could tell how much active.com's employees love ActiveX and the many ways Active.com supports its employees health & well-being! ♥ ♥ ♥ What a cool company!

You can learn more in this short news clip from Fox 5 San Diego.

Congratulations Active.com & cheers to the continued awesomeness of ActiveX!
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videogallery/69200679/News/company-turns-employees-into-
Read More
My blog post about my active.com visit http://ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2010/11/san-diego-activecom.html
My GOTRIbal blog http://www.gotribalnow.com/users/ironmakeover?page=blog

The Color Run - Brilliant!

2012-03-24T10:07:00.009-05:00

The Color Run looks awesome!

As runners pass through each segment of the 5K run they are "blitzed with color -- a special 'elf made' recipe of magical color dust" that is natural and safe. Unlike paintball it doesn't hurt, the web site describes it as "getting into a powdered sugar food fight."

Runners chose to run in various zones depending on how much color they'd like. And the crowd of finishers does a color throw every 15 minutes welcoming in new runners.

Its mission--to bring Color Running mania to the world!
Company overview--"ummmm we like color. ummmmm we like running."
FAQ--http://thecolorrun.com/faqs/
Check it out--The Happiest 5k on the Planet - Las Vegas http://youtu.be/rWjdrHCeG8U

QUESTION FOR YOU
I love how simple The Color Run's mission and overview is. What's one thing you would add to running to make it an incredible experience or to encourage first time runners?

Finding that One Thing reminds me of this moment in City Slickers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-xI1jbu_U&feature=share

And the splashes of color remind me of this scene in 10 Things I Hate About You!
http://youtu.be/3AIKVRNtJSM

State! High School & 12U Swimming Championships

2012-03-05T08:39:00.012-06:00

In mid-February we packed the stands of the UW-Natatorium in Madison to support our high school swim team capture its sixth straight Division 2 State Swimming & Diving championship.

What a date night! It was so much fun cheering in the stands!

Read more: Another golden moment for O'Donnell and O'Donnell brothers helped build McFarland into a powerhouse

The next morning the entire family was up early and headed to Regionals in Middleton to cheer for our son Truitt who was going for a state cut in the 50 Back. This was the last chance to qualify for the 2012 12 and Under Short Course Swim Championships -- and he made it! I actually squealed I was so excited.

Truitt didn't know what time he needed, and he can't read the clock without glasses, so he didn't know he made the cut. Two teammates passed him on their way to the blocks and said, "hey nice state cut!" And Truitt did a huge fist pump and celebrated, SO much fun to watch as a parent.

State was the next weekend in Waukesha and was like a Spring Break for our family, two nights in a hotel! Truitt swam three events as he had two bonus swims. He was nervous and excited.
The first day he took 2.28 sec off his 100 Breast and 4.64 sec off his 100 Back. He added a tiny bit on Sunday in his 50 Back swimming his second best time (39.5). We're proud of him and of our fellow Shark swimmers - Shark Power!

Questions for You:
- What sports do you enjoy as a family?
- What sports did you play in high school?

Yes! Sports Moments & Never Been Kissed

2012-02-12T10:13:00.004-06:00

I smiled and cried watching this totally adorable youtube clip of Olympic swimmer Matt Grevers proposing to Annie Chandler at the 2012 Missouri Grand Prix.

Her response is priceless! Watch here
http://youtu.be/4LWvLNgh2-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LWvLNgh2-c&feature=share
It takes me back to my engagement to my husband Ken. He proposed the morning of my first triathlon that also happened to be my birthday! What a sweet combo! He waited for me so we could bike and run together and cross the finish side-by-side. :-)

See my former post http://ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-first-tri-sept-1995.html

Questions for You:
- What's your favorite engagement story?
- Have you witnessed a race-day engagement or wedding celebration?
- What movie moments stand out? One of my favorite scenes is from Never Been Kissed. Watch here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnR9xvUaoY

Red Carpet & 22 Years!

2012-01-09T20:22:00.029-06:00

Dancing + dress-up? Yes please!!

I had a great time this weekend helping Dustin Maher celebrate the release of his book Fit Moms for Life - How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids during his red carpet book celebration.

About 150+ of us:

- ate,
- danced,
- posed,
- laughed and smiled,
- while we supported and celebrated our fitness journey.
Dustin's done incredible things with his business and I wish him the best with his new book! Learn more about the book & watch the book trailer at http://dustinmaherfitness.com/.

I love dressing up and dancing, so I was totally excited to attend. I bought this dress knowing it was similar to a dress I wore to a formal in high school, but comparing the pictures now, it's fun to see how my taste is similar 22 years later! :-)
- Both dresses are: blue & mostly one-shoulder, have ruffles, are asymmetrical and were fun to dance in!
- Both photographers cut off my legs/feet! :-)

It's fun to look back while also taking time to celebrate the now!
Happy 2012!
Questions for You:
- Do you like to dance? If so, when was the last time you did?
- Any dress-up occasions this year?

Merry Christmas! Charlie Brown & Xmounts

2011-12-25T07:30:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Last month I took the TRX Suspension Training Course --- loved it, totally awesome. I bought myself a TRX two years ago for my birthday and have used TRX in various venues at home, in fitness centers and on the road.

I've been using my TRX at home with a door anchor or at the park across the street. When I saw the Xmount I knew it'd be perfect in the basement and would give me a full range of motion.

TRX Xmount
http://www.trxtraining.com/page/000-94127/PROD/TRXXMOUNT?Category_Code=ANCHOR

My husband put the Xmount up today, and being Christmas Eve it made me think of the phrase Merry X-mas!

I'm really excited with my new Xmount, but I'm sticking with Merry Christmas.

I saw this Charlie Brown picture and quote on facebook earlier today:

Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there ANYONE who knows what Christmas is all about?!?!

Linus: Sure Charlie Brown I can tell you what Christmas is all about…….lights please……“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And t...he angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ ”“That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown”

Questions for You:
- How will stay fit and active in the New Year?
- If you've tried TRX, what is your favorite move, tip or resource?

T-Rex & Flu Shots

2011-12-22T12:39:00.006-06:00

I saw this on facebook via fellow triathlete & GOTRIbal member Donna T.
Thanks! It made me smile.

I couldn't stop smiling during my last trip to the doctor --- (no I'm not expecting!). Read my latest GOTRIbal post Flu Shot Strength.

Question for You:
- What's your favorite push-up style?
- What do you love about being strong & fit?

Merry Christmas!

Congratulations Ruth! World Champ!

2011-11-10T09:58:00.012-06:00

My sisters and I grew up playing soccer. My sister Susan played with a group of really talented and close-knit players, including a girl named Ruth Brennan who later played for the Badgers (UW-Madison.) I also competed for the Badgers but in rowing. During the years we were both on campus it was fun to catch some games with Ruth playing.

Overall I have so many great soccer-filled memories! With three sisters playing soccer, we were either playing, practicing or watching each other play -- very fun! I loved getting to know the families too.

My Dad can remember scores, game-changing plays and all sorts of fun details. I don't have ALL the details, but I do remember my Dad pointing out our friend Ruth specifically one day. We were in a gym, maybe it was a tryout session, I don't know. But Dad pointed at Ruth who instead of resting or chatting with friends was busy practicing her foot skills and he said, "there's an athlete."

Now, many years later, Ruth's applied her gifts, time management and incredible drive to a new sport -- triathlon! It was so fun to open a USA Triathlon press release and find a quote from Ruth within it.

Ruth (now Brennan Morrey) recently raced with Team USA at the 2011 ITU Long Distance World Championships in Henderson, Nev. Cold water and air temperatures led to the cancellation of the swim, and athletes competed on a 120-kilometer bike and 30-kilometer run course after a time trial start.

Via facebook she describes the bike course as "hilly and windy but fun and beautiful. The run was 2.8 mile steep hill up then 2.8m down x 4."

She finished in 6:00:49 taking first place amateur overall by eight minutes!
Female 35-39
1. Ruth Brennan Morrey (Rochester, Minn.), 6:00:49

"I felt phenomenal on the bike," says Brennan Morrey. "It was so much fun. It's a great sport, it keeps me healthy, and it's just a great experience."

Ruth says her race mantra ("I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.") carried her through. She raced in memory of her mama (Constance Maureen Brennan Nov. 3, 1944 - June 21, 1993.)

Congratulations Ruth!!

Read more about Ruth in this Rochester Post-Bulletin article. We all grew up in Rochester and I worked for the Post-Bulletin in high school.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU
- What sport did you play growing up?
- What sport would you still like to try?

photo: Me with fake blonde hair & my sister Susan in our high school soccer uniforms.

Preheat + 10-13: Mini-Workout!

2011-10-31T15:21:00.008-05:00

A frozen pizza takes between 10-13 minutes to bake once the oven is pre-heated.

Using a strategy from GOTRIbal contributor and Hot Sweaty Mamas co-author Kara Douglass Thom, I've converted my "waiting for pizza to be done time" into a perfect pizza-inspired pilates experience. My yummy mix includes: roll-ups, 100s, single-leg stretch, side bend and side twist.

In Hot Sweaty Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom Thom and co-author Laurie Lethert Kocanda share strategies, ideas and real-world examples, of how fit moms:
-make time,
- take time,
- share time, or
- snare time.

"Learning how to make the most of each moment, being a mindful mama, is one of the basic skills of all fit moms," according to Hot Sweaty Mamas.

10 minutes matters! Block out a segment of time tonight & enjoy!

Read more from Thom here including her recent post breaking down the myth of the pre-baby body (belly-buttons, boobies and pinot noir!).

ON TOPIC
The Runner's Pizza from Runner's World.

Questions for You
- What do you like on your pizza?
- What's your favorite pilates move?

The Grim, the Grizz & Buck Meets Bike

2011-10-17T08:02:00.023-05:00

I love running into nature during a run or bike route or even a swim. Over the years I've enjoyed meeting a fun assortment of basic animals: deer, fox, snakes, turtles, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, voles, and all sorts of birds. We were obviously too late to meet this porcupine.

The only animal that freaks me out is ... the country dog. I love dogs and we have a lab named Sherpa, but the country dog terrifies me. I call them Grims (Harry Potter reference). Grims have chased and stalked me many times on long rides. I've been chased by dogs of all sizes and breeds. Once I had a country grim and her puppies go after me... puppies can be scary. The right dog could easily knock me over.

Thanks to YouTube we've seen all sorts of bike/foot/animal collisions. Most recently Evan van der Spuy of Team Jeep South Africa was biking through a South African nature reserve when an Antelope took him out! Team mate Travis Walker caught it on his GoPro Camera. These cameras are SOOO cool, I want one!

Fortunately, Evan survived with no long-term injuries, just a broken helmet. NBC interviewed Evan and Travis this morning, Evan doesn't remember anything after the crash until coming to in the hospital. http://youtu.be/VO1c6vphuZM

My husband is impressed with how easily the antelope turns its hips and body in mid-air to lessen the strike, amazing quickness.

My favorite animal encounter was with a Grizzly bear in Yellowstone two summers ago. We watched the bear work its way down a hillside, digging up roots. As it got closer to the road, most people got back in their cars--smart. The bear passed right in front of our minivan and then rooted around the hillside next to the road. It was incredible. Here's my short clip. http://youtu.be/Tvc6zNpTn_Y

Questions for You:
- What have you met?
- What are you hoping to meet?

photos by me.

A Visit with Team Winter

2011-09-29T17:23:00.021-05:00

Our family hosted 12-year-old triathlete Winter Vinecki and her brother Yukon for a week prior to Ironman Wisconsin.

As the National Champion and IronKids Ambassador Winter travels to many of the IronKids events across the U.S. She speaks with kids about triathlon, being active, eating well and living a positive life.

Winter also raises awareness about prostate cancer, the disease that took her father's life. She talks about her efforts to stomp out prostate cancer through her non-profit organization Team Winter, its athletes and sponsors. Winter also encourages kids to race for a cause, something that is dear to their hearts.

Our family loved hosting Winter & Yukon. With three kids of our own it was a full, but fun house!
We enjoyed:
- biking, running, kayaking, flying kites, assembling/breaking down the bike, popping bubble wrap, playing hockey, cooking meals and snacks, keeping up with homework and their online schooling, using Oxyclean, practicing handstands, rolling down the hill, balancing on anything, scootering, playing the labyrinth, playing with the robot, bench-pressing watermelons, Oreo taste tests and more.

- Winter spoke with students in Jefferson and McFarland, to parents and kids at SBR Coaching in Verona and to participants of the Madison IronKids event via her Team Winter Expo booth.

DID YOU KNOW?
September is prostate cancer awareness month. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is the most common non-skin cancer in America.

Winter and Yukon spent most of September on the road raising awaresness for prostate cancer and competing in events. I am a few posts behind, but I have more Team Winter updates to share here. Please stop by Team Winter as well!

Here's a short piece from our local newspaper.

photos by me: Jefferson Middle School students listen to Team Winter. Fourth grade teacher Sharon Mischio and Winter.

Friday Fun: The Corn Maze

2011-09-23T09:32:00.005-05:00

Thanks to tri blogger Kelly Jepson Covert for posting this Friday Fun! The photo is making the rounds on facebook and totally brightened my morning!

Follow Kelly on twitter at www.twitter.com/trimommykelly and her blog at http://www.trimommylife.com.

Questions for You:
- Ever been through a corn maze?

More than a race: 100+ reasons to smile

2011-08-31T10:43:00.013-05:00

In the 16 years since McFarland organized its first sprint triathlon not too much has changed—and that’s intentional according to McFarland Aquatics Director Katie Heiser. “Our focus isn’t on numbers or growth,” she says. “It’s about the people in our community.”

With a strong foundation, it’s easy to stick to your roots. Three main aspects of the McFarland Family Festival Sprint triathlon include: it’s local, it’s about families and it’s doable, says Heiser.

... Please read the rest of my article featuring our local sprint triathlon coming up Sept. 16-17th. Unfortunately the print version in the newspaper left out the information box with dates, prices, distances and how to sign up. I've requested the online version be updated.

Overall, this was one of my favorite pieces to write. It's a pleasure combining my background in journalism with my passion for triathlon.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU!

- Name 3 great things about your favorite local fitness event!

- Name 3 things to smile about on race day!

ON TOPIC
A smile on race day can do powerful things.

http://ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2008/12/swim-bike-run-smile.html

photo by me: bikes lined up ready for the youth triathlon 2010

Hot Pepper Moments - Handling If-then's

2011-08-18T11:38:00.004-05:00

Our son Elias rubbed his eyes last night after handling hot peppers in the garden... not good. It was terrifying.

Ken and I got his face under the running water in the kitchen sink and then his whole body in the shower. It was scary and stressful and thankfully Elias is ok.

I wrote about the experience on my GOTRIbal blog. GOTRIbal is an organization created to empower and connect women through the journey of endurance sport.

Please check out my post and let me know what you think of GOTRIbal Ambassador and three-time World Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington's advice for handling if-then moments as an endurance athlete.

Screen Printing & Wampas

2011-07-22T14:05:00.022-05:00

In first grade I took forever to pick out my first t-shirt design. I chose a really cute kitten sitting next to a sundae and I spelled out my name with matching fuzzy letters. I loved the way the heat-transfer smelled!

Over the years I've made fun t-shirts for families, vacations, teams and special events. We tried spray-on tie die this year at our middle son's birthday party (it worked great!).

It was fun this summer getting a close-up look at the screen printing process. When I picked up my Village Athlete shirts, Steve from Sport Products gave us a tour.

The shirts are placed on little holding platforms and then the screen design/frame is squashed down over the shirt. Then color is scraped/painted back and forth over the stencil-like cutout screen, leaving the desired print on the shirt. The shirt below took three applications of white in order to show up on the dark red shirt. Then the shirt rides along a conveyor belt and goes underneath an oven to set the design.

We also checked out the embroidery process. I forgot how many stitches per minute this machine is capable of, 1,500 maybe?

I love the color and fabric of my shirts this year (blue shirts in box above). I intentionally kept the text subtle and basic.

FRIDAY FUN:
"The Wampa almost killed Luke," says our middle son. "If he was around at dinosaur time paleontologists would now be searching for him." (Declared during an afternoon session of the Empire Strikes Back.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampa

Questions for You:
- Do you have a favorite t-shirt from your childhood or now as an adult?

- I thought the ice-cave fuzzy guy from Star Wars was called a Wompa, but now I know it's a Wampa.

Ferris, Donkey Kong & Fast Times of Summer!

2011-07-15T17:59:00.053-05:00

In the spirit of Ferris Bueller, I'll say, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile you can miss it."

Summer = fast. Here are a few captured moments:

- Rollin' with Donkey Kong: Track camp was fun, we all spent time playing (yes that's a Donkey Kong monster truck)! Read my earlier posts about track camp:
http://ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2011/07/track-camp-1980s-meets-2011.html
http://ironmakeover.blogspot.com/2011/07/400-m-super-8-get-in-game.html

- Fields, fireworks, freedom: I spent the 4th with my family -- fireworks, lake swimming, food and fun as a fam.

Trails & TRX: I celebrated freedom by running on the trails and later enjoyed my TRX.

Questions for You:
- What's the best thing about Summer?
- How are you staying active?
- Favorite Ferris Bueller scene?

Track Camp - 1980s Meets 2011

2011-07-08T13:57:00.009-05:00

In the summer of third grade I ran the 400. Our city held community track meets at one of the high schools. My younger sister and I ran several events. She excelled at short bursts, like the 50 and 100 m dash. And I preferred longer events. At school I also liked the hurdles and high jump and once tied an older boy for best high jump. (Read the rest of my previous post here.)

This summer our oldest son Truitt went to track camp and ran his first 400. It was his favorite event that day.

I loved watching him run. Like me he started slow and let his pace build along the loop and in the final stretch he passed three kids before the finish. His younger brothers and I cheered from the stands.

And before we went home, I took his picture on the track. I had my photo in mind, but hadn't studied the details to try and replicate one with Truitt. Looking at us side-by-side I see:
- His posture is better.
- His shoes are nicer.
- Our stance and hand positioning is similar.
- And by luck, our position along two different tracks is similar (off by a lane).

Questions for You:

- What do you see?

- What do you have in common with your kids?