Little things to remember!

Just little things to think about today!

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world
You may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life.

Facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
Will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
To believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours
Every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending. : )

Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched, and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
But instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way.

What you may feel you lack in one regard
May be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present
May become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent on another’s judgments of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The Night Before a Tri Christmas

December 24, 2006

THE NIGHT BEFORE A TRI CHRISTMAS
Twas the night before a tri Christmas, when all through the house, Not a triathlete was stirring, not even their spouse;

The wet suits were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that TriSanta soon would be there;

The running shoes were nestled all snug in their boxes by the beds, While visions of personal best danced in the triathletes heads;

And the tribike in the garage, and I in my swim cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out of transition there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the pool to see what was the matter.

Away to the run I flew like a flash, Tore off my clothes and threw on my lucky cycling sash.

The sun sparkled clear and bright and I was ready to go, All I had to do was clip in down below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a super fast man in red with the speed of eight reindeer,

With an all carbon bike, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be TriSanta; the race favorite pick.

More rapid than eagles on this coursers he came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called all of us by name;

"Now, Bolder! now, Tri Boomer! now, Will and Jay! On, Stu! on Zen! on, Iron Pol and A.J.!

Through the second transition now! And right through the wall! Now away! run away! run for the finish all!"

As empty gels that before the wild hurricane fly, We will meet at the finish, of this Holiday Tri,

He crossed the finish line first, and went straight to his work, And filled all of the transition bags with presents; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger on the side of his gear shift, And giving a nod, with a might big push his tribike did lift;

He stood up on his bike, to his team raceAthlete gave a whistle, And away he flew like a red triathlete missile.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he rode out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all triathletes, and to all a good-night.

Poor Little Buddy!

When I got this photo it reminded me of my child hood .. In my family we had 4 girls and 1 boy can you imagine how much fun we had with my brother? When all the girls would get together we would dress my brother up as a girl, this is so he would feel like one of us.
My Brother Ray would have to do this because we would lock him in our room with us and he had to put on our pink cloths. Nice sisters! We would get into so much trouble with my dad when he seen this.
We always made sure to this when my dad was at work or mom and dad were out and we had a baby sitter hehehe. Gosh that was fun! My brother will not wear pink even to this day.

Back to the photo: My boyfriend Mike has two girls and one boy and it looks like the girls got a hold of Isaac poor little buddy! That is way toooo funny!

I finally meet him :)

(Photo is Julie, Jerry and I)


A little over a year ago Julie a very, very good friend of mine told me about this man named Jerry who was also going through Thyroid Cancer, she felt it would be best if I could talk to someone who was going through some of the things I was, so I called him it was like a blessing talking to someone who was going through the same crap I was and understand how I felt. Jerry is a very forward person he doesn't sugar anything and that's what I like just tell me how it is. We talked about his surgery and mine everything we were going through like gaining weight, being cold, not eating good food, and radiation. Jerry is such a help to me, I am so thankful for everything he had helped me with. "Thank you Jerry"

Jerry's Thyroid Cancer wasn't all taken care the first time they went in. Jerry had found more tumors in his neck and has been going through different doctors, different hospitals and a ton of radiation along with a ton of crap this past year.
He did get some good news at his last visit and he doesn't have to be back in for 3 months whooohooo! This is going to be a new year for both of us and our family!

Jerry I just want you to know you are in my prayers every night. Keep strong, you and your family are going to get through this. I am always here for you even if it's for lunch or a phone call.

Thank you so very much Julie and Jerry!

Cards

When I get home today I looked at my mail box it was full, I have 13 Christmas Cards WOWZA, the first thing that came to my mind was (did I send them all cards too?) When I looked at them I did whoooohooo. So I'm going to try and take off 2 days from working out! I don't know if I can do Tracie gave me a Spinnervals DVD (Tough Love) for Christmas and you know when you get something new you want to try it? So that might be my 5:00 am ride tomorrow.

Today I did weights which I’m going into my third week of weighs and I am feeling Fantastic! I would suggest to everyone get on some type of weight program. Then I took Spinning that played some Christmas music, swam 1800 and Personal Trained I love helping people achieve their goals and helping them feel great about themselves and I talked to so many of my friends they all wanted to get there last work out in before tomorrow.

My whole family is coming over Christmas day with everyone there will be approximately 26 people in my house that will be so fun, I always says the more the merrier. Everyone brings something to pass and I cook the main meal however I don’t cook so thank gosh my mom will be here she is a great cook.

More to come!

This is great!
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Sir Winston Churchill

10 Steps to improving your triathlon swim

As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, "what should I concentrate on?" So, I came up with a "top ten" list of steps to improving your swim for a triathlon. These aren't necessarily in any order, but should go a long way in helping you achieve your goals, whether you are a beginner or trying to go pro.

Hand entry. Slice your hand into the water right about at your goggle line, and drive it forward.
Many swimmers attempt to get as much "air time" as possible by reaching the hand out before entering into the water, but it is actually more efficient to go through the water with your hand as you rotate from one side to the other.

Head position.
Keep looking straight down when swimming freestyle. It's important to keep your head down with only a small part of the back of your head out of the water. Also, as you rotate through the water, try not to move your head with the rest of your body rotation.

Pull. In freestyle, your hands should pull all the way back past your hips. The last part of the stroke before recovery (arms coming out of the water) should be an acceleration behind you -- and not up out of the water.

Kick.
Try minimizing your kick as you train for swimming. Most people will kick extra hard to make up for lack of balance in the water. Minimizing your kick will allow you to improve your balance, as well as conserve energy.

Training intensity.
The best way to measure your training intensity is to count your heart rate immediately after each swim. You can estimate your heart rate by counting your pulse rate for six seconds immediately after each swim. Add a zero to this count, and you will have your approximate exercise heart rate per minute.

Master's swimming.
Move to a slower lane to work on stroke improvement. If you belong to a masters team, don't feel that you always need to keep up with your lanemates at every workout. Masters teams typically have many people with many different swimming goals. It's important to do your own thing! Remember that technique comes before all else and if this means swallowing a little pride to make improvements, just think of how much faster you will be for this in the long run.

Keep your arm from crossing over.
One of the most common bad habits I see in swimmers is the arm crossing over to the opposite side on the pull. Breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing over, breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing. Often this happens when one goes to breathe, but sometimes it's caused just from over-rotating. To avoid this, make sure your head isn't moving with the rest of your body, and try to pull more in a straight line (still bending the elbow) and ending the pull on the same side you started. (For example, right hand slices into the water, pulls back and hand ends up near right hip.)

Keep the feel. If swimming is your toughest sport, it is important to "keep the feel" for the water, and get in the water at least every other day (no -- showers and baths don't count!) This way, your body maintains its kinesthetic awareness of being balanced in water.

Work those lungs.
Mix in some hypoxic training sets into your workouts. For example, do a set of 4x100's breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25, with 15 seconds rest in between each 100. Your lungs will thank you for it towards the end of the swim part of your race!

Work your weakness.
In the sport of triathlon, most coaches agree that you should spend the most time working on your weakest of the three sports. For many of you, this will be swimming! Within swimming, the same concept applies. Spend the most time working on the weakest part of your stroke. If balancing on your side is an issue, do some kicking drills on your side. If moving your head is a problem, focus on head position most of the time. Whatever it is, you will gain the most by spending your pool time improving on that weakness.

Now get into the water and have some fun!

I love Coffee! What do you think?

Tea is the most popular beverage worldwide (after water), but coffee is close behind it in industrialized countries. While caffeine is a natural component of both tea and coffee, coffee contains more of it: anywhere from 60 to 120 milligrams in six ounces, depending on brewing methods and other factors.
Caffeine is a mild psychoactive substance -- it stimulates the central nervous system and improves alertness. It also boosts the analgesic effect of aspirin and other pain relievers, which is why it's added to some of these drugs. In large enough amounts, it can cause heart palpitations, stomach upset and insomnia.
Coffee, derived from a bean, contains many other phyto-chemicals besides caffeine, and some of them may have beneficial effects in the body, as do those in tea, though this aspect of coffee is only beginning to be studied. Coffee itself has been extensively studied for years, generally to see if it causes disease. While many people believe decaf is more healthful than regular, there's no proof that it is.
Coffee has been blamed for causing many ailments, but in nearly every instance, it has been declared not guilty.
It was linked to heart disease, as well as pancreatic cancer -- but then exonerated. Research suggesting such links hasn't been supported by subsequent studies. Some researchers still worry that coffee drinking may promote hypertension -- but many studies have failed to show that it does. When risk factors like cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are taken into account, any apparent link between coffee and heart attacks disappears.
Coffee was blamed for fibrocystic breast disease (lumpy, painful breasts), but there proved to be no connection.
Coffee was a suspected risk factor for osteoporosis, but it does not appear to increase the risk, even in heavy coffee drinkers -- though there is still some controversy about this. (It's true that heavy coffee consumers are more likely to eat poorly and smoke, which boosts the risk of osteoporosis.)
Coffee was suspected of raising the risk of miscarriage and birth defects, but -- again -- studies haven't supported this, except perhaps for high intakes. Some researchers are still not willing to let coffee off the hook. Pregnant women should probably drink no more than a cup or two a day.
Research on coffee continues. Here are the latest news tidbits:
According to one well-designed study in Honolulu, coffee may reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Men who drank no coffee were two to three times more likely to develop the disease than those who drank one to four cups a day, and five times more likely than those who drank more than four cups a day. The caffeine was identified as the protective substance. No one can adequately explain this, and it's only a single study, with many limitations. But it's worth investigating further.
In another study, those who drank two or three cups of coffee daily cut their risk of gallstones by 40 percent. Again, there's no explanation for this -- and it's only one study. It's far too early to recommend coffee for this purpose.
The studies continue, occasionally raising a few worries. As we've reported, studies have shown that drinking five to eight cups a day of unfiltered coffee -- European-style coffee, made in a French press (a pot with a plunger) -- raises blood cholesterol. The great majority of coffee consumed in the U.S. and Canada is filtered. And anyway, that's a lot of coffee.
Another study found that drinking lots of coffee may increase the risk of urinary incontinence. The solution: cut down.
The bottom line is still this: If you're healthy, it's fine to drink coffee in moderation (no more than three or four cups a day). If you like the lift it gives, and the sociability it affords, there's no health reason to deprive yourself of coffee. If you overindulge and get coffee nerves, the remedy is simple -- cut back. If it keeps you awake, stick to decaf in the evening.

Today!

Charlotte's Web remember this book when we were little and how much we cried when the spider died? Ok maybe all of you didn't cry however I did, today Landen would like to see this movie "ohhhh great" guess who's going to need the tissue?

Today I'm going to take off from working out and spend as much time with my boys as I can. However Tyler wants to go to a friend girls house a friend girl??. Landen and I are going to the movie and Wal-Mart for some cookie dough so we can make cookies for the neighbors we do this every year. Then were going swimming at the YMCA Landen's choice he would like to do some laps and play on the slide so that will be fun.

Everyone have a FANTASTIC FUN Sunday!

Something to think about and do:

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

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Just kidding heheheh

Christmas Cards

Ok how many Christmas cards to you have to sign and send out? I have already sent out 49 yesterday. Thank gosh I watched my friends sick little boy so I could get caught up on them and other things. I have about 20 more to do and I'm calling it quits "In a nice positive way". However do you ever get those ones in the mail that you didn't send one to?
I know that will happen and then I'll feel like an idiot for not sending them one first. : ) Not that it's a race or anything "Maybe"

Ok I have to touch on one more subject Christmas shopping are you done? I finished my boys yesterday thank gosh!

I love being santa my Landen doesn't know yet thank gosh. This year I will be bringing in durt in the house like it was on his Santa's boots and putting it around the Christmas tree and then back out the door, I figure this will be my last year to have that kind of fun so I'm going to go all out.

Ok I have to go to MC sports for one more gift.

Something to think about!

Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.

Check out this movie

WHAT IT TAKES

This movie is a documentary of 4 amazing elite endurance athletes whom push themselves to the limits to win Ironman. It talks about the good things in Ironman, training hours, bad things when training like no time with their family, and a ton I mean a ton of things they miss out on. However it really opens your eyes to the pro status after watching this movie. You alos see the pressure they go through and challenges. I know they couldn't have gummy bears in their diet so I wouldn't make it to pro status "Just Kidding" I could have them on the off season or I would sneek them all the time plus I couldn't handle being away from my boys that long.

Check out this movie out you'll be glad you did.

Have a great weekend!

Wow what a week!

Again working on my base training for Ironman with weights, running, swimming, biking and some Bootcamp stuff! Oh yea Boot camp class this past Thursday was crazy "In a nice positive way" class was full again, I had one person get sick and the other twisted his ankle on a step wowza. We did these jumping lungs and jumping squats I could hardly sit yesterday, so if I was sore that would mean my class was sore to I feel for them "Yea right hehehehe in a nice way". That's what they come for is to see how far they can push them selfs and some over do it. I do tell them to take it at their own pase.
I was teaching Pilates and I couldn't so the roll like a ball with out saying OUCH!

I've been doing, a lot of swimming and trying not to over do it, I would recommend to everyone to bring a program for yourself each time you go and stick to it don't over do.

What else have I been doing?

I have 8 Personal Training clients, teaching classes, working in the wellness center at the Y, and spending time with my buddy's! Life is so good and going so fast!

Training Today

A little to much!

I did two spinning classes 70% heart rate

Weights- 2 to 3 sets of
Lungs, Squats, back, chest and shoulders

Abs 15 min.

Swam 2300 m. Which included Drills with fins, Speed work without fins, Endurance laps. I felt great! However, I did swim to much for this time of year

Looking forward to a new day tomorrow..... : )

Improving Reactive Strength

When you hear someone say an athlete is "strong" most people envision a big, muscular guy that can lift a ton of weight. While maximal strength, or how much weight you can lift one time, is important it pales in comparison to "speed strength" when it comes to becoming a better athlete.

Speed strength, or reactive strength, is one aspect of strength that is often under-developed in athletes. When you improve your speed strength you will become faster, more explosive, more powerful and less injury-prone!

Three Keys to Instantly Improving Reactive Strength:

Weight Speed
Instead of using 75, 85 or even 90% of your one- rep max when performing weight room exercises, drop the weight to between 40-65% of your one- rep max and focus on bar speed.
This does not mean the exercise will be easy. It is extremely difficult to move a light weight very fast and maintain control. Start by moving a bit faster than you are used to and try to move that bar (or medicine ball, dumbbell, etc) faster each and every workout.
Very rarely in sports are you moving a very heavy load. Most sports require you to use your body and a ball or implement that is relatively light in comparison to your body weight (i.e. baseball or baseball bat). And you have to be able to control that object, while generating a large amount of force.
If you are lifting heavy weight slowly you are not developing this aspect of strength. Now, I am not saying you should never lift loads in the 75-90% range. Chances are you need to focus more on speed strength training, which will develop those always desirable fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Train Movements, Not Muscles
Does your workout resemble a bodybuilding workout? If you break your parts up by training chest one day, back the next and then legs, you are not developing athletic ability.
You should train large movements (squats, deadlifts, cleans, snatches, presses, rows, pull-ups) as you work the body as one cohesive unit. This was the way it was meant to function. You don't break the body down when you play, so why would you do it when you train?

Always Focus on Posture
As soon as you lose your posture you lose a large amount of your power. So always focus on proper posture when weight training and in your skill training. As soon as it starts to go, it's time to end your set. If you aren't developing proper movement patterns (or habits) you are developing bad ones.

Something to think about when your lifting. :)

Landen is in the lead!

My little man is on fire! When the horn went off so did Landen, off like lightning that is. Landen held first place for most of the race, then lost it just yards away from the finish line he finished in third place. “wowza” I couldn’t believe it he did so FANTASTIC that's my little buddy!

I had to show you a photo of him running in the race and just look at the determination he has on his face “I just love it”!

The work competition

The competition: At the YMCA we are doing this competition for the whole month of December, there are 5 groups male/female and were trying to see what team will lift the most weight for the month. The team that wins gets a prize which we don't know what it is yet.

Here is a list of the exercises that we have to do:
Barbell Squats
Barbell Bench Press
Lat Pulldown
Push-ups (each push-up worth 50 lbs) – they need to be full push-ups –and can be done anywhere.
Assisted Pull-ups – just make sure you take your weight minus the lbs. you use.

How we track the weight- It is how many you perform times the weight lifted.

This is going to be fun we have some people whom are very, very competitive! To bad they are going to lose......

Off to the gym to get some of this in.

Have a great Morning!

Some fun!

Monday - Coached swimming
Then swam myself worked on the drills right side, left side, finger tip, high elbow and then used the kick board and does that Stink "in a nice positive way"


Tuesdays Spinning class went great, we did Fast legs from Spinervals and “wowza” legs of fire when you got off the bike. Then we went and did abs that was fun I bet everyone who did abs are going to be sooooooooooooooooo sore in 48 hours hehehehe.



I got my son to go to the gym with me tonight but the deal was I would do 50 bench presses with the bar now the bar only weighs 45 pounds but I do not bench press, however I took him on. I get down ready to push this bar like its nothing my first 40 went great however; my last 10 were a killer! My last press was shaking but I did it whooohoo I showed him he’s got a strong mom. However I will be sore with that and everything else I did.

Strength trained tonight: Squats, Lungs, Triceps, Bicep, Back, chest, and shoulders!

Question??
Have you ever just did one chin pull up? Now let me explain this - That’s standing on the floor and jumping up to the bar and pulling yourself up. Yea I couldn't do one I was kicking all the way up. Then Tyler my 15 year old son does 5 like its nothing “what a stinker”.
I'm one lucky mom and I sure love my kids!

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Holy Crud!

No working out today, yea I’m going a little crazy in a nice positive way however,
I have the biggest pinch in my neck; woke up this morning and couldn’t move my neck this stinks.
Today we put up the Christmas tree, made cookies and set out all Christmas stuff it was so fun.

I have a BIG day tomorrow; Swim at 5:00, run at 6:00 come home get Landen ready for school, Personal Train at 8:00 and I have an interview with a Logistics Health for the Wellness Fitness Director position; a position I would love! Just think doing something you love to do. I have such a passion for helping people get in shape feel great about them self’s and eat healthy.

I have to go, I have to try on different cloths for tomorrow and when you have a kink in your neck this is going to be fun! Tomorrow is going to go so GREAT!

Think about these!

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
Samuel Johnson

Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. -George S. Patton

Adventure is worthwhile. -Amelia Earhart

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. -Joshua J. Marine

Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. -William Ellery Channing

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can. –Henry Drummond

What a man really wants is creative challenge with sufficient skills to bring him within the reach of success so that he may have the expanding joy of achievement. –Nash

To succeed... you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. –Tony Dorsett

I LOVE THIS ONE!
Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. -Bernice Johnson Reagon

Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch-what make you go beyond the norm. -Anonymous

What a morning!

I’m taking over some clients from a Personal Trainer whom is leaving the YMCA, so today I went to meet them, asked what their goal are and to get started with them right away. My first client is a beginner runner and she likes to run outside “ok I hate to run in the cold” however this is my job so we ran outside and it was 17 degrees out “HOLY YADA” it was cold but the run went great! All other clients do not like to run in the cold so that was great! I finished at 9:30 it is so great working with people who want to get fit, stay healthy and set goals and I will help them achieve them.

I feel like I took off from working out compared to what I do normally, I do have to teach Pilates tonight and swim so that won’t be too bad.

Have a great day eveyone!

What a night and morning!

I went to bed early last night around 9:30 I just couldn’t stay up anymore, I can usually sleep around 5 hours a night and feel great but I think being sick and doing as much as I did yesterday I was done “in a nice positive way”. Plus getting sleep for this mornings Boot Camp Class helped.

Class was fun it was so full again, it’s great to hear people say "I have to try this class, I heard it’s so hard"! I love giving people challenges however their first challenge is to get out of bed and get to class before 5:30 am because if you are late you have extra push ups. :) : )

I do have some rules I go over before class here they are:

1. You have to walk out those doors like you did when you came in, but you will be tired but you
have to walk
2. NO Puking!
3. NO passing out- again going back to rule #1
4. Have fun and push yourself

More later!

Have a Fantastic Day! : )

5 Mile running race December 5th

I would like to do well at this race, ok like all races! I have to start running outside “yea right” I am a wimp! I guess its treadmill running whoohooo put on the head sets and run. I did do some interval training it worked out really well. I would run half a mile at a 7.3 then bring it up to an 8.3 then back down to a 6.3 get the heart rate down as much as you can and start it over again. Remember if you are doing this do a mile warm up and remember to cool down and stretch…
Fun, fun

Today I did over do it with teaching and running
Ran 5 miles
2 spinning classes
1 water class
30 min. abs

That’s it! I left on my watch and heart rate monitor I burned 5121. calories “Holly Crud”! I would go by that 100% ,however it is kind of funny!

Have a Wonderful day and night!

Train Smart Sunshine’s

Boot Camp class tomorrow this is going to be fun!

Tuesday Training!

Tuesday - Cycling and Weights- Time to get stronger and bring my body fat% down that is not saying I want to lose weight, ok all women want to lose 5 pounds I guess that wouldn’t be bad. Just so it’s healthy!

My work out was 1 hour long it was full of
Legs -
Lunges
Squats
Arms-
Triceps
Rotator Cuff
Biceps curls
Chest-
Bench Press
Fly
Buttocks – Inner and outer legs
Little green bands

Shoulders- Shoulder press

Back – Seated row machine
Reverse fly

2 sets of 25 with a 30 sec rest.

Now get out and start your weight training program.

Getting ready for a great season!

Monday - Started Base training for Ironman! Started with a swim really worked on technique and drills, bike for 45 min. and weight training.

Just a general outline of what’s to come the next year:
Swim Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Weight train on Tuesday and Thursday
Biking - Every other Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Running - I will do this as much as I can with Drills, speed work and long runs

Spend a ton of time with my boys!

This year I'm going to make sure I take one day off a week to recover those muscles.

I felt so good exercising today and not even thinking that cancer could be a threat again this year!

Have a great night!

WHOOOHOOOOO 100% CANCER FREE

Yesterday! Ok couldn't sleep got up went to the gym at 5:00 am then I did it I went shopping you can only hang out at the gym for so long. I couldn’t work out because I couldn’t sweat on anything!
Shopping started at the mall that was it I couldn’t believe it and the stories I heard about Kolhs Yea I wasn’t going anywhere, then I picked up Landen went to eat with a friend of mine Tracie H. she took Landen home with her Landen just loves her. I had the house to myself came home put everything a way that I purchased and cleaned house everyone was going to be here at 1:30 to go to the doctor with me.
1:30 came and my house was full of my friends we drove down to Gundersen I have to tell you I was a little sick to my stomach. Went to 3rd floor and waited for my body scan. When they called my name I gave my little one a kiss and Tyler said I love you mom it’s going to go great! Back in the room I was talking right away with Tom and Joe they are two great guys who work very hard to make you comfortable. I was on the table and forgot my music so I had to ask do you have any music? Tom said what kind? I said Metallica, he said no that is a great band however he did have some ACDC so he put that on. Time to start I just couldn’t stop talking Tom said ok you can’t talk because it moves your Thyroid “Darn I said” and was quiet the scan was about 1 hour long he reviewed the photo’s and said I was done so know we go down stairs, I went into the waiting room where 15 of my friends and family were waiting Landen gave me a hug and Tyler asked how did it go I said great know lets get the good news.

2nd floor as we all went down to the second floor I was feeling great! I knew I wouldn’t be back for a year or so….. got my buzzer and waited then it went off, I grabbed Landen’s hand said to Tyler lets go, we walked down the hall together me and my boys I was ready to hear the news with my boys! We went into the waiting room doctor Asp came in introduced him to my sons and we went out into the hall looked at my photo’s and then he said it I was cleared "oh my god" Tyler grabbed me and gave me a huge hug and said mom I sure love you, you did it! Landen gave me a hug, I gave the doctor a hug and said thank you! I don’t have to see him for 6 months and whoooooobooooo Live is good!

So if you are reading this and you are a cancer survivor, someone who is depressed, someone who wants to get fit, faster, young, old, going through a divorce, believe me “You put your mind to it and you will achieve anything” and I mean anything! Even if you are having those bad days it will pass and it will get better I know that for a fact! If you need a little pick me up give me your e-mail and I will get back to you!

Have a great day Sunshine’s!!!! : )

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope you have a very safe and fun Thanksgiving vacation!

The rest of today!

Home sweet home man oh man was I hungry! I couldn’t eat or drink anything after 7:15 while teaching this morning I did have some Gatorade thank gosh.

My Aunt Ramona picked Landen and I up to go to get my blood work done and take my horse pill (Radiation) I had to give 4 vials of blood and you know that queasy feeling ya get right before you get sick yea I was having that, I think because I worked my butt off in class and didn’t eat yet.

Then we had to go to the Radiation area and wait they had to make sure all blood work came in before they gave you radiation so we waited 45 min. that was long and when your hungry it doesn’t help; however I did see some friends of mine and that made time go by faster. Then my name was called - I had taken Landen for a walk because the wait was getting to long for a 7 year old. While we were walking they called my name my aunt was looking all over for us and my buzzer didn’t go off she found us and back to the waiting room we went. I have to back the buss up while Landen and I were in the Skywalk he gave me a HUGE hug and said mom I sure love you I told him I love you too and I’m so lucky to have you boys! Back to the waiting room Joe was waiting he’s the one whom gives the radioactive pill he recognized me right away from the last time I was there, “how are you doing” he asked, I said “Fantastic I can’t wait to get this done in a nice way”! As he put on his plastic gloves he’s going over the procedures which are the same as before take this radioactive pill and swallow, drink this water and you’re off. I had to joke with him I said now don’t drop it as he was holding it in his hands hehehe I smiled! I took this nice silver horse pill, drank the water and I was off that was it.

Know I have to flush the toilet 2 times can’t eat off my silverware, have to eat on plastic plates, plastic forks, spoons, and plastic cups whooohoo I better go to Wal- Mart…

But I have to rest I feel like Yucka!

Little note to Michelle, I know your surgery went great today! Remember stay positive and my prayers are with you!

If you are reading this could you please send her an e-mail to keep her positive she had her Thyroid moved today because it was full of cancer. Here is her e-mail new.michelle@gmail.com that would be great, we all love happy e-mail!

Have a great day everyone!

A great treat idea

Today off to a great start got up at 4:30 taught spinning class and abs talked to my friends about today’s adventure to the doctor and wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, I love teaching it really keeps my mind off things. I can't eat or drink anything until this is done today so I though I would pass on a great treat idea for today or tomorrow. Try it!


Granola Treat:

Preheat the oven to 350 with racks in the middle. Spray two jelly roll pans with cooking oil.

Combine 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/2c. pure maple syrup and 1 1/2 c. brown sugar. Microwave in a safe dish for 3 minutes or until everything is melted together. Whisk until the lumps are gone.

Mix together 6 c. oatmeal, 2 c. walnuts, 1 c. wheat germ or flax, 1 c. coconut (opt).

Pour syrup mix over oatmeal mix and stir til coated. Put into the two pans and bake one pan at a time for 18 min. Switch pans. After removing from oven, add other snacks: cranraisins, raisins, m/m's, pb chips, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

Enjoy! :)

Day 2 with the injection and not feeling as bad!

Well got up this morning not feeling as bad as yesterday! Went taught my spinning class and abs felt great so far so good. I came home got my little one ready for school as he gave me a kiss bye as he got out the door for school he said "everything is going to be great today mom" I told him It's going to be Fantastic and I love you! Gave him a big kiss and off to school he went and off to the doctor I went, for another shot in the hip. I have to admit the poke doesn't hurt it's the injection of goods that burns, so know I have to sit on my sit bones because my hips are tender. I do have to teach class again at 4:00 so today will go by fast. I have one more day of blood work and a radiation pill at 10:30 tomorrow I can't eat 2 hours before the treatment both my boys will be there and it's going to go great! Thursday I have off so Thanksgiving will be at home taking it easy so Michelle if you would like to call me let me know how your surgery went that would be great!

Off to lunch which will be a salad with chicken on it!
Later Gators!

What a day!

Saturday I was starting to feel sick, however I pushed it as long as I could. Sunday morning we went bowling and had a great time however, I was really feeling yuckie but I wanted to have some fun with Mike and the kids before they left. Sunday afternoon I wasn’t doing that good at all after they left I had to lie on my couch. My youngest boy was trying to help me out as much as he could “mom can I get you water, something to eat, can I lay by you”? He is so sweet! Landen went with his dad so he had something to do it was s0 nice outside then he could play with his friends, when he came home my oldest son made some supper for him and Landen and I went to bed.

Today was the day for my first shot to prepare me for my body scan on Friday, I was afraid he wouldn’t give me my first shot because I’m sick so I got up this morning got Landen ready for school, Landen’s dad picked him up and I went back to bed I wanted to get as much sleep as I could so I wouldn’t look that bad to the doctor.
So 10:30 came I got up put a hat on brushed my teeth and I was off and wow did I feel like crap driving in.
Well gave my name at the desk and I was in line, ready to be told if I could get the shot or not and I want to get this done! My buzzer went off I was in the room not more then 3 min Doctor Asp. asked if I was feeling ok and I of course said yes however he knew I wasn’t I'm sure I looked really good, then I told him the truth that I was really, really sick. He did tell me we could go on with the shots and the scan however I will feel really, really sick and my muscles will acke, and I can’t take any over the counter medication, I just have to get threw it and I know I can so I said ok lets roll...... Doctor Asp. did ask me if I ran on Saturday? and I said yes! He said even though you were feeling sick? I told him I didn’t feel this bad I just knew it was coming on and I knew I could do it and finish it. Doctor Asp. is funny he has never met anyone like me that just keeps pushing my self as much as I can and not b*tch to much about it “in a nice way” I told him he has to get used to it because I will always be this way! :)

A little about the race.

I have to remember to plan my race and race my plan:

My race: I started off too fast again; I was at a 6:30 min. at mile one and mile two still under 7:00 then I get to the top of this little hill and I lost it I had over done it again! I just couldn't pick it up, my legs were on fire, I was doing that little puking and swallowing it thing, I didn't want to give up it up however I just had to back it off a little, I looked at my heart rate and it was 193 so I knew I was done, so then I was just thinking I've got to get to the finish line and start walking right away I made it. I got it together and ran/walked with the little ones during their race. We waited for everyone to get their awards I missed mine by 20 sec. darn it!!! So I didn't get what I wanted however I didn't get sick at the race, pass out, or fall over, I did my best for how I was feeling and I had fun.

Now to the next race…

Turkey Trot

The White line start for the La Crosse WI Turkey Trot race, there were over 1200 people.

Mike and I checking out our watches, yes I know we shouldn't have had our watches however I watch my heart rate at all times.











Festival Foods a huge sponcer of the Turkey Trot Just think how many gummie bears you could get in that basket.....

Group Photo of all of us Turkey Troters and Gobblers! What a great race; I didn't get what I wanted however I didn't get sick at the race, pass out, or fall over and I did my best for how I was feeling. I did get really sick after the race but again I finished and had fun. It was really fun watching our kids run the race.

Low - Iodine Diet

So this past week I have had to avoid foods with Iodine in it, so here is what I have to avoid:

Salt, sea salt or any foods containing lots of salt.
Seafood and sea products
Dairy products of any kind - I love to eat yogurt
Eggs
Bakery products- no cookies, muffins
HERE IS THE KICKER Red Dye- guess what has that? Licorice and some Gummie Bears nice one I remember when I had to do this last time Chad put together a HUGE bag of Red Gummie Bears that was great!
Most Chocolate- I don't like anyways!
Molasses
Soybeans and soybeans products
Potatoes and rhubarb
Some vitamins and food supplements
Cereal
Crackers

Goods I can have- :)

Fruits but not cherries
Vegetables and they should be raw or frozen
Unsalted nut's
Whites of eggs
Fresh meats only up to 6 ounces a day
Grain and Oatmeal
Some pasta however no sauce
Jelly, Jam, marshmallows
Some oils
Black pepper
Sodas and coffee "thank gosh" but no cream
Popcorn
Applesauce
Raisins
Peanut Butter

Just one more week believe me it's way, way better then 8 weeks like I had to do last November!

Guess who won this race?

Mike and I at the finish!

Boot Camp Class was full again!

Wow boot camp class was full today! I think; actually I know it is getting bigger and bigger every week.
Today we did drills that will improve running, we did interval training were I would get our heart rate up as much as they could and bring it back down; this would be done by challenging them to sprint around the gym as hard as they could, then walk the gym then run the stairs it's a killer " in a nice positive way". then walk it again. We did some partner work today and wow did that work out great, one partner had to use a scooter sit on it get across the gym and back as fast as they could, while the other person was sitting on a bench doing abs, my abs were on fire! I incorporate a wide range of fitness exercises in this class it makes it soooooooo much fun. Another area of my body that is going to hurt tomorrow is my buns from doing wall sits with a ball this is where you have the ball behind your back against the wall and you squat down, back up for 30 sec. then for 15 sec. squat like you are sitting in a chair and hold it wowza that’s a killer. I can't wait until the spring when we do races in the parking lot with lots of sit ups and push ups.
Monday I'm starting basic swim training class with people who want to get in to their first triathlon. I just love helping people out when I can, it make me feel so good.

To the doctor today!

Oh what fun this was!
I went to my cancer doctor today, we had to go over all my stuff such as medication, body weight, blood pressure, hair loss, sleep, eating habits, working out, resting heart rate, training heart rate, teaching classes, 2006-2007 races and recovery.
Here it is:
Medication -175 levothyroxin
Body Weight- still 130
Blood Pressure – Low
Hair loss – Still going on thank gosh I have a ton!
Sleep – 5 hours still getting up at 4:30 unless out of town
Eating habits- Great lots of Gummie Bears and Salads
Working out- Still just a little hehehe :)
Resting heart rate is 49 – 50 today! Not to bad
Training heart rate 172 (90 percent) ok not all the time
Teaching 8 classes a week running 20-30 miles a week Dam he said “in a nice way I’m sure”! I did tell him I’m short this week. :)
2006- running races only - no more tri’s or du’s
2007 – I told him; I know I will be doing 2 ½ Ironman and 2 full Ironman and then I heard it! I didn’t get to finish my other races! Doctor Asp sat down by me and said you know you won’t be able to do this forever? My response was I know only until I’m 90 :) he just smiled.
We didn’t even get to the recovery part to much! DARN!

Getting to the good stuff of the appointment; I will be having a body scan on Friday November 25th this is to make sure I am 100 percent cancer free.

So my next week looks like this:
Monday 9:30 get a shot
Tuesday get a shot and get blood work done
Wednesday get a dose of radiation. I should get a photo of the pill I have to take I will look into that!
Friday 2:00 Me and my favorite band Metallica (m3p player) will go in for the scan then around 3:45 we will get to hear the results both my boys will be in the room with me to share the joy of not having to go through that crap again “in a nice way”.
I can't wait ok maybe I can a little :)

Florida??

Ok, Ok, Ok! I have been asked from so many people why would you put that on your blog? So here it is.... I had sent in for a community fund spot for Ironman FL last Thursday and sent it over night made sure it would get a signature on it from the receiver; Friday I get that signature Melody signed for it. However that doesn’t mean I’m in; they sent a little information to me via e-mail that they got it. Then they need more information from you so you fill out a form of 20 questions and e-mail it back to them, then a little thing pops up saying; If excepted you will hear from us with in 10 days "WOWZA" I was thinking!! However I did get conformation on Tuesday that I did get accepted to do Ironman Florida 2007. “Whoooohooo here we come” There are 3 people from this area of Onalaska/La Crosse doing Ironman Florida and 4 people from this area doing Kentucky; however there are only 2 of us yahoooo's doing both of them and it will be great! However I look at it this way “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, SO LIVE IT UP”!

Iowa vs. Wisconsin 24 to 21

Mike is from IOWA and man oh man did he get Crap from this game all day long! I just had to add a little more! GO IOWA GO! Iowa's Dominique Douglas reacts after dropping a pass late in the fourth quarter of Iowa's loss to Wisconsin on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. Poor Guy!

If you need a cookie recipe to feed a crowd of hungry triathletes here it is!

A HUGE WARNING!
Once you start you will not put them down! I thank my friend Maria from IOWA for getting me addicted to these! "Maybe in a nice positive way"

Here's a easy (well, the stirring is a little arduous) recipe that makes 10 dozen great cookies. A curiosity of the recipe is that it requires no flour at all and an oddly small amount of syrup, given the large quantities of other ingredients.

Monster Cookies
6 Eggs
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Cups White Sugar
1 Tbsp. Syrup
4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 lb. Butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs. Peanut Butter
9 Cups Oatmeal
1/2 lb. Chocolate Chips
1/2 lb. Peanut M&Ms
Mix ingredients in a large bowl in the order listed. Bake 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. (Use two cookie sheets, starting with one sheet for 6 minutes, then rotating the sheets from lower to upper rack.) Let cool on sheet for 1 minute then transfer to cookie racks. Makes about 8 to 10 dozen, depending on size and depending if you eat all the dough like I would.

Can you guess why I would put this on my blog?

Community Fund Spots Available for Ford Ironman Florida November 7, 2006

Silverman Ironman

Here is one of the next Ironman I would like to do, Silverman in Nevada. If some reason I don't make it to Kona next year this might be the next one. However I'm going to give it all I got to get to Kona.

Here is a little information on Silverman.

Big challenge, little mercy (whoohoo)

On November 12, 2006, the City of Henderson will host the 2nd annual Nevada Silverman. And after an electrifying inaugural year, we're determined to make an impression. Again. Branded as the toughest course in North America by "The Man" himself, Dave Scott, and echoed by the 169 finishers from 2005, the Nevada Silverman is sure to attract individuals and relay teams from around the world looking for a superb culmination race to their 2006 triathlon season. Featuring a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Mead, a 112 mile bike ride with over 9,700 feet climbing, and a 26.2 mile run that boasts an additional 2,000 ft elevation gain, the Silverman is the race that will set triathletes apart from the mainstream. You've had Iron. Are you ready for Silver? Reputation aside, the Silverman offers much more than just bragging rights. Breathtaking views over vast expanses of desert terrain, tremendous athlete support on course (4:1 volunteer ratio and "buffet-style" aid stations in 2005), an abundance of shopping, dining and entertainment for your friends and family, and hey, it's Vegas baby, so you can guarantee there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate your finish!

Chad Juel is going to be one of the athletes in this race he is going to kick butt!!
I want to wish him good luck... I know he doesn't need it however, all of us athletes at some point in our race have that "gosh this sucks, are we there yet" In a nice positive way!!! SO GO GET IT CHAD AND LIVE IT UP SUNSHINE!

P.S. Chad- That pink watch will give you lots of luck..

To track Chad click here Sorry I don't have his race number yet! I will get it.
http://silvermancoverage.com/

Who has Ironman tattoos??

Ok so we have a group of 15 athletes that finished Ironman WI this year together. I was talking with Mark and we think we could get everyone to get Ironman tattoos. Here is a list of athletes that finished Ironman WI together and some have tattoos and some don't YET! : )

15. Jeff Fleig: None- I BET WE WILL NOT GET HIM TO GET ONE!!!!!
"IN A NICE WAY"
14. Brian Huebner: None, He has done multiple Ironman
13. Maggie Fournier: None, she has done multiple Ironmans
12. Jason Weber: HE DID IT!!! "GREAT JOB"!
11. Bill Markwardrt:-None, he has done multiple Ironmans
10. Jim Keating:-None, he takes my spinning class so I work on him "In a nice way"
9. Danniela Nichols: OH YEA only 2 of them ok 3!
8. Bobby Schmidt:- none that I know about, he has done multiple Ironmans
7. Karen Markwardt:- soon I feel it!
6. Taylor Haley:- soon I feel it!
5. Mark Thorn:- Yea he wants one - we need to find a good time for him
4. Ron Rasque:- Oh Yea!
3. Martha Burdick:- SOON!
2. Steve Henriksen:-oh yea the extra 5 miles
1: Tracie Happel:- oh Yea!

Went to Olive Garden with GREAT NEWS!

My stomach was in knots this past weekend; I didn’t get lots of sleep, I just couldn’t wait to get to the gym to work out because I wouldn’t think about it when I’m working out. I didn’t hear my results from my cryotherpy testing last Tuesday. I did call on Friday but no one got back to me -however I do think no news is good news but believe me it’s still in the back of your mind; What if, what would I do, yeada, yeada ?? Plus I didn’t want my boys to think anything was wrong so I really kept myself busy.

Today I thought I’m going to call after all my class, so I got up ran 6 miles taught spinning then water aerobics and when I got back to my car about 10:15, I seen Gundersen Lutheran on my cell phone so I listen to the message Danniela please call Doctor Davidson’s office as soon as you get this message thank you. “OH GOD” I thought to myself as I was sitting in the parking lot of the YMCA, I have to admit I was afraid to call. Well then I called I asked for doctor Davidson’s office it seemed to take forever as I was listening to elevator music then she finally got on the phone Hello Danniela she said I have good news your cells came out normal and your blood test is normal also whooohooo I just wanted to cry!!! I WAS SO VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY! I called my boyfriend Mike and my friend Marie they live I IOWA told them because they wouldn’t be able to come to Olive Garden, then I called my friends and family and organized a quick lunch at Olive Garden as everyone was sitting there so nice I told everyone the great news all at once it was so great!

SO very, very good news on this November 6, 2006 now I just have to go see Doctor Asp. on November 15th for my thyroid cancer, set up an appointment for a body scan and well be done for this year I HOPE!
Ironman here I come and there will be no holding back!!! Or I should say Hawaii???

Frank

Frank
My first year of doing Ironman WI 2005, I learned about an inspirational athlete his name is Frank Farrar. We were at the athlete meeting and they had brought up the youngest athlete and the oldest athlete to the podium Frank was one of them of course… They told his story something like this:

Frank Farrar was 76. He is also the former Governor of South Dakota and a successful attorney. In 1992 he was informed he had terminal cancer and had maybe 6 months to live. Franks reaction was- He started training even harder and he was going to beat this “as all of us cancer survivors do” I really felt a connection when I heard this, I knew how he felt and to kick cancer's butt and prove the doctors wrong "in a nice way".

Frank is doing Ironmans all over the world. Despite advancing age and bad knees he continues to participate. He has failed to complete the last 4 Ironmans in the allotted time of 17 hours but he never leaves the course until he is finished…. This past Ironman WI 2006 I saw him threw out the run he looked great! I walked with him told him he was looking good, and keep it up! Unfortunately he missed the cut off by 2 min. yeap 17:02:00 THAT SUCKED I cried when I heard that! However when we went to the athlete meeting the next day Ironman WI gave him a spot to Ironman Hawaii 2006 whoohooo we cheered. Frank did go to Hawaii and didn’t make it out of the water in time that was his 4th Ironman he didn’t finish it in time…

So Frank was back at it again at Ironman Florida last night I was watching as much as I could that means I was in front of the computer all night I knew it was going to be close. Ron, Chad and I were texing most of the night (it’s going to be close, he’s going to make it, he’s got time, and oh yea he’s going to do it)
All the sudden you heard the announcer say Frank is 1 mile out, he had 15 min to do his last mile. Mike the Ironman announcer was cheering him in along with the crowd; I was cheering him in from the edge of my couch. I was getting sick to my stomach saying come on Frank come on man, you can do it keep it together, you can do it, I wanted him to finish bad! I was praying for god to give him strength to make it to the end. He had less then a mile to go and then ------“oh yea” you see him come around the corner in his all white clothing tilting to one side, he came down and crossed the finish line with roughly 3-4 min left.. I cried as I watched him give his wife a HUGE hug and kiss that was the greatest Ironman ever!!!!

“GREAT JOB FRANK YOU ARE AN IRONMAN”!!!!!!

Lance finishes at 2:59:36

Lance Armstrong was coming.The seven-time Tour de France champion made an impressive marathon debut Sunday, accomplishing his goal of finishing in less than 3 hours and thrilling fans who seemed much more enthused at seeing Armstrong than watching a Brazilian man and a Latvian woman win titles earlier on a crisp autumn afternoon.Armstrong's time was 2 hours, 59 minutes and 36 seconds. His shirt soaked in sweat, he virtually walked the last couple of steps to the finish line. He shuffled into a post-race news conference, his right shin heavily taped.

"I think I bit off more than I could chew, I thought the marathon would be easier," he said. "(My shins) started to hurt in the second half, especially the right one. I could barely walk up here, because the calves are completely knotted up."He called the race "the hardest physical thing I have ever done" _ even more grueling than his worst days on the Tour."I never felt a point where I hit the wall, it was really a gradual progression of fatigue and soreness."The 35-year-old Armstrong appeared relaxed for the first half of the race, smiling at fans and talking with the small group of runners that surrounded him for much of the marathon. His muscular legs and chest were in stark contrast to the ultra-thin elite runners far ahead of him.He was paced for most of the race by former marathon champions Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit Samuelson and middle-distance running great Hicham El Guerrouj, and said he got a lot of support from fans packed along the course.But his body seemed to tighten and showed signs of pain and fatigue in the final few miles. He started to fall off the pace required to break 3 hours before a final push allowed him to meet his personal goal."Before the race that was my goal, I wanted to break 3 hours. But if you told me with 3 miles to go, `You're going to do 3:05,' I wouldn't have cared," he said. "Honestly, at the end I was so tired, I couldn't care. Now I'm glad I did.

Now the question is will he be back?
I think he will be....

The last people to get tattoo's! The photo's are all over...

Lance big day tomorrow!

Who is going to win the Marathon time for Lance?????

Mine: 2:46:00
Mike 2:52:00
Mom: 3:00:00
Mariea: 2:30:00
Lawanda: 3:30:00
Steve : 3:19:00
Larry: 2:51:00
Jason: 3:15:00
Jim: 3:03:00
Tracy 2:57:00
Chad 3:00:00

Winner gets to be taken out to eat where ever they would like to go..

Little Tips on Nutrition and Weight Loss

Soy, rice, and almond milks don't contain lactose.Soy, rice, and almond milks don't contain lactose, thus they are easier to digest than animal-derived milks.

Ginger neutralizes acid, and therefore helps relieve nausea and gas.Ginger neutralizes acid, and therefore helps relieve nausea and gas.

Mint stimulates digestion and eases intestinal cramps.Mint stimulates digestion and eases intestinal cramps. Sip mint tea 30 minutes before a run or take peppermint-oil capsules on long runs.

Taste is an essential aspect of deciding what to drink; research (and common sense) has proven that we're more inclined to stay hydrated if we like what we're drinking.

Many factors influence what you should drink and when.Running time and distance, level of intensity, individual fitness, environmental conditions and even personal preference all factor in to what you should drink--and when you should drink it.

Yogurts with live cultures help with the digestion process.

Despite what fad-diets proclaim, weight loss is simple: burn more calories than you consume.

To lose one pound, you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you eat.

Know your nutritional facts: all of us require 40 different nutrients.

When following a vegetarian diet, your best bet for getting protein is in soy-based foods and meat replacement products.

Good nutrition isn't about eliminating one food or nutrient and exchanging it with another: seek balance and moderation in what you eat.

Eat more "functional foods." Eat more "functional foods" like juice, salmon, and soybeans to ward off diseases and gain a boost to your health.

Adjust your diet to match your training schedule. If you're eating the same number of calories all year, there is most likely a portion of the year when you're eating more food than you need.

Diet and training are so closely intertwined that runners' diets need to evolve throughout the year to correspond with particular workouts.

Recover quickly from bonking with a sports drink--as little as 50 grams of carbohydrates can bring your brain back to normal in 10 or 15 minutes.

Teas and fruit drinks fortified with herbs promise health benefits.

Omega-3 fats may actually help you grow more never endings, making your brain function at a higher level. One of the best places you can get omega-3 fats is in fish like tuna and salmon.

Fiber can help you loose weightThe roughage in whole grains, vegetables and fruits fills you up and helps squelch your appetite.

The best way to loose weight is to watch the scale, run a little more and eat a little less. Looking at the scale daily helps you keep up with small gains and big looses. Running even an extra mile a day will add up over time and you can eat the same things, just eat a little less of them.

"How do you think he's going to do in the marathon?"

Eddie Coyle of the University of Texas performed tests on Lance Armstrong from 1992 to 1999 and found that the hero cyclist had a very high V02Max, and that his maximum heart rate decreased over the eight-year period. Coyle notes "the most unique aspect of this individual's blood lactate profile was the extremely low lactate concentration measured four minutes after exhaustion." Basically, that means Armstrong could recover quickly from accelerations". so the question is?? What do you think he will do at the marathlon?

I think he will do a 2:46:22 marathon..
Mom thinks 3:00:00
Mariea (Sister) 2:30: 00 "WOW that would be fast"
Lawanda (Sister's Friend) 3:30:00 What do you think?

GO LANCE GO!!!!

Cryotherapy

To keep you updated I haven't heard anything yet on my cryotherapy testing so to me no news is good news : )... However I do hate to wait your mind thinks the worst.
"Living it up, Staying Strong, and Loving Life to it's fullest"

Boot Camp Class again!

My legs are on fire this morning! I think if mine are on fire my students legs are if they did everything correctly! We did high knees, butt kicks, scooter racing this is when you sitting on the scoters and use your legs push yourself down the gym and back, abs, then go onto your tummy on the scooter and using your arms to get down the gym and back, squats with kicks "ouch", Jump rope, 100 push ups, flutter kicks (working those lower abs), and a ton of running with cones, and steps. This class is 1 hour long, so very fun and it goes so fast! Thank Gosh I only teach this once a week or I would be done "in a nice positive way"

Happy Halloween

My next movie

I hate watching to much TV however I have been watching lots of movies lately so this is my next one, tonight when Landen is a sleep Tyler, mom and I will be watching this one. I just love to watch Steve Prefontaine I can watch these movies over and over!! I like his charismatic, how tough he was, he gave it his all and then some. Steve he pushed his limits and smash records always wanting to be the best! I will let you know which one is better this one or Without limits.

Tomorrow is my favorite holiday Halloween whooohooo!!! Before we go trick or treating I have to go in for some minor surgery or do I call it freezing?? This time my doctor Barb had found some abnormal bad cells in my cervix so I have to have cryotherapy done a short description of this is where they freeze your cervix and crape out all the bad cells then send them in for a biopsy looking for cancer. I’m not looking forward to this at all!!! I will have my family waiting for me in the waiting room so that makes it easier. Then that night I will be taking Landen Trick or Treating with my family and their children. After we Trick or Treat we go back to my house and eat pizza and candy, this is so fun.
Halloween to me is a time to watch little kids run around with fun costumes on go door to door getting their bags full of candy's, and having fun however you know darn well none of the kids brush there teeth like they should after getting all that extra candy. Thank gosh it only comes ones a year. Unless you live at my house then it’s an everyday thing I have a huge candy drawer and I do make my kids brush their teeth all the time.

Next Race!

It soon will be time to Turkey Trot!! Last year at this time this was my first race back from surgery yeap 14 days after surgery I was out racing but this one almost put me back into bed, my heart rate during this race was 192 the whole time well I shouldn’t say the whole time when we started waiting for the gun to go off it was 145. I did run with my friend (Chad) he was trying to keep me from getting my heart rate up so high and not to push myself back into the hospital. The whole race I would hear Chad say slow it down, back it off, and your just getting done with recovery, I just couldn’t I wanted to be as good as I was the following year which was 22 min. so I pushed it as much as I could and ended up with 26 min. for me that was way to long...... "in a nice way" and oh yea was I feeling like CRAP after the race I thought I was going to pass out. This year now that I’m feeling better I will try for 21 min. and push it as much as I can. Mike and his children will be coming up for this race this will be Mike’s 3rd race, he's finished Octoberfest 5 miler with me and he did a local 5K in his home town of MT. Pleasant IOWA, he took 2nd in his age group : ). I can’t wait to see how he does at this race.
Both of our children will be running in the kid’s race I just love to watch children get into the races this is so good for them.

Goals for 2007

Now that I have signed up for Ironman Kentucky http://ironman.com/events/ironman/louisville I better start planning out my year.
One of my goals if my health is great through out the next coming months “which it will be” is to qualify for Kona, watching it this past weekend was great! Larry Schmit from Sparta WI did a phenomenal job there. I will try and get into the lottery when it opens however, everyone tries to do this so I think my chances will be slim to none” but you never know”, until then I will get myself properly conditioned, my nutrition down properly and for sure my running down. I feel confident in the swim -I can get this faster and my bike is great but my run SUCKS!!!! I need to pick it up in this area so I’ve decided to take up indoor running with my friend the treadmill, weight training and functional training. I won’t do any swimming until December or so, unless I need those recovery days then I will swim.

Landen will be 8 in January that means he can start doing the Kids Triathlon's this coming year. This is another goal of mine to work with Landen and get him ready for a Kids Triathlon. Landen has been swimming 10 laps in the pool and running 1 mile everyother week, now to get him on a bike we are ready to roll. Landen has been talking about this for a while so it wouldn’t be like mom's pressuring him to do one “ok maybe a little”, (just kidding)! : )

I will try and post a tentative schedule for you in the next coming days.

No WI Ironman, it's going to be Kentucky!

Ron and I are signed up for this one. Get ready to sweat, whoohoo I love the heat!
: )

Fitness Weather

Take a look at this link to find out how many hand and feet warmers you will need for your run or ride and if you are going to do any type of outside swimming you're nuts! "In a nice way"
http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/weather/hrbyhr
/USWI0372?from=locallinker_undecl&from=LAPlocalinker

Running in the cold!

COOL WEATHER RUNNING TIPS

Following are some tips for those planning on doing Fall Runs!

Make sure to Layer clothing: Wicking layer close to skin (polyproprelene, etc.)

Insulation layer next (cotton, or pile layer) Shell layer on the outside (Goretex, nylon, etc.) By layering, you can remove layers as your body warms up. - Head – wear a thermal hat - Hands – wear mittens or gloves (old socks work good) - Legs – running tights (different materials and thickness for different conditions) - Feet – keep feet dry by using an inner sock made of a moisture wicking material.

You want to wear enough layers so that you are not freezing, but are a little chilly at the start. A general rule is to dress as though it is 10-15 degrees warmer than the starting temperature. Remember, you will warm up as you start the race!

You could do all of that or just purchase a ton of those heated hand and feet warmers you know the ones they use for skiing or snowboarding and put them all over your body make sure you purchase a pair of tight paints, and a tight shirt to keep them close to your body and your off and believe me you will be really warm.

Safe and fun running!

Ironman Times and dates to watch!

Boulder, CO – Ironman North America will partner with the Versus network (formerly OLN) to air the five full Ironman events held in the continental United States. These national broadcasts on the Versus network (US) are scheduled for October and November at the times show on the schedule below (all time ET).

October 22, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
October 23, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
October 24, 2006 1:30 am Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
October 25, 2006 5:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
October 29, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Wisconsin
October 30, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman Wisconsin
November 5, 2006 3:00 pm Ironman 70.3 St. Croix
November 6, 2006 4:00 pm Ironman 70.3 St. Croix
November 26, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Florida
November 27, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman

FloridaIronman North America produces six full Ironman events; Ford Ironman Arizona, Tempe, AZ, Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene, ID, Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid, Lake Placid, NY, Subaru Ironman Canada, Penticton, BC, Ford Ironman Wisconsin, Madison, WI and Ford Ironman Florida, Panama City Beach, Florida. For further information please log onto www.ironmannorthamerica.com

Earthquake Strikes Ironman Hawaii

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Ironman!

Here is the site check it out!

http://www.insidetri.com/portal/news/news.asp?item=104056

A little something to think about!

A speech from Jimmy V.
But, I can't help it. Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional and passionate man. I can't help it. That's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives.
-Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day.
-Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought.
-Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special. :)