Serious Arm Envy

This past weekend I got to spend time with my Gal Pal Jess from blondeponytail. Jess and I went to high school together and have reconnected through the blogger world.

Jess came back in town for the holidays and let me practice my teaching skills on her! I am in the process of becoming a Stott Certified Pilates Instructor and have to complete several hours of student teach before I can take my certification test. So Jess met me down at Pilates Center of Omaha for a Reformer One Session to help me out!

First let me say....she is sooooo much fun to work with. She is strong, willing to try anything, and is always smiling!

Seriously.... Look at her G-U-N-S !

I have total shoulder envy!

As you can see....She did an awesome job! 

Jess is a  2012 fitfluential Ambassador and I love reading her blog. Click here

She partnered up with NUUN and came to our class bearing gifts!

Yup....Team In Training NUUN! I can't wait to share with my TEAM this season! 

Thanks Jess!!

A New Kiddo For Christmas

Yup...we got another foster child placed with us this week. Our first placement, "Izzy", came to us the week before Christmas too. "Izzy" stayed with us for 6 months and I'm happy to report that "Izzy" was placed into a great adoptive home.

"C.J." came to live with us Monday. He is a big kid for his age (3) and he and Wes seem to be getting along very well. "C.J." has parents who are still both involved! He has visits with both Mom and Dad several times per week! We just got done making arrangements for him to spend time with both parents on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! 

Guess who I got to hang out with today???

Here's a little hint....

Stay tuned for some killer pics of our workout together!

It's December???

I got in a great 7 mile run this morning with Team In Training. So far, training for another full marathon has been awesome! It was sunny at 36 degrees for our run this morning. It was a really nice run, sunshine and great company make the miles fly by!

After the run, the Hubby and I went out to brunch and then headed over to pick up our little man from an overnight at my parent's house. 

It crept up to 48 degrees....so we headed to the zoo!

 

If you have not been to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo...you are missing out. Even in the winter time it is just awesome! It has the largest Cat Complex in North America, the world's largest nocturnal and indoor swamp, the world's largest indoor rain forest,  and the world's largest indoor desert. Click HERE for more info!

All in all a great day! Then when you consider it is mid-December....it makes it even better!

If you do hit the gym....check out my fitness blog to read about some great workout ideas for the treadmill!

CLICK HERE

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy

This week has been nuts! Between training others...training myself....running a business..... and beginning to manage another one......this chick it tired. 

But it is all worth it. 

One of the best part about the holiday season is that it  gives you time to focus on what means the most to you in your life...

My "Deep Thoughts" for today....

Having kids isn't just about taking care of babies....it's about turning babies into productive, caring citizens. 

It's about creating a brighter future.

Maybe even one with a pretty cool kid who thinks he's a rockstar!

 It's about working hard, loving what you do, and being proud of who you are.

 It's about taking time to let yourself be silly.

It's about doing something that matters. Being good to yourself and to others.

Don't get lost in the holiday bustle. Stop to take time to appreciate why you are bustling !

A True Winter Run

Winter has officially hit the heartland! 

It is week 2 of training for the Country Music Marathon in Nashville! 

6 miles on the schedule today. We had to steer clear of our usual route due to ice so we ended up taking a much hillier loop through the Boystown campus. This is a tough loop on a sunny day.....but when it is 13 degrees out when you start....it's even tougher!

Luckily I picked up a special hat for my winter training season this year....

Notice the "sweat frost" around Mickey's ears and my eyebrows....

did I mention it was 13 degrees out???

"Hey Jack Frost....Mickey and I are about to make you my b*#ch!" 

Check out the super yummy recipe at the fitness blog ... CLICK HERE

How is your winter training going???

My newest obsession: Avocado!

Yup....I have recently become totally obsessed with Avocado! I love them! 

On Friday I made homemade guacamole, simple ingredients and super good!

Today I made breakfast burritos with eggs, bacon, pepper jack cheese, salsa, and sliced avocado....they were awesome. 

Avocado's aren't exactly super foods but they are low in sodium, low in saturated fat,  and cholesterol free.

There creamy texture allows you to use them in place of sour cream....which makes them a healthier option.

More tidbits on the avocado....

How to Select
Choose avocados with firm skin and no soft spots, firm but yielding to gentle pressure when ripe.

 

How to Store
Store unripe avocados in paper bag at room temperature. Refrigerate when ripe for 2-3 days.

Go check out my fitness blog to read more about seasonal fruits and veggies!  kendall personal fitness

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you spend time with the ones you loves..eating, drinking, being merry....

or just goofing around!

CLICK HERE and read about some helpful hints to getting back on track after a weekend of gluttony!

The Life of a Personal Trainer!

In case I haven't said it lately...I love my job! I love getting paid to workout and I love helping others achieve personal goals. 

Even better....I get to know people on a totally different level. Being a trainer, people tell you a lot about their insecurities, their aspirations, and their goals. I love getting to know people on a new level and seeing them achieve so much more than just fitness! 

It's about health, confidence, that little black dress, and feeling great! 

A big thanks to Jess over at blondeponytail for hooking me up with a Gymboss interval timer! 

I used it to do a Tabata workout with my client Mo...

Mo is a great client and has quickly become a good friend! I love working with Mo! She kicked some serious butt during this workout and I plan on using my new gymboss much more. After seeing Mo go through this workout I already have ideas on how I will tweak it in the future! FUN STUFF!!

Side note: I've decided to step it up a bit for the Nashville Marathon. I got the "level 2" training plan from coach today. It's a 4 cycle plan building endurance, working with lactic thresholds, race prep, and tapering. In other words...I plan of kicking some serious ass over this winter!

Back at 'em...26.2 style

I start training for the Nashville Country Music Marathon on Saturday. 

New shoes were a wanted needed!

I LOVE my Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 and was looking forward to this year's version, Wave Inspire 7. Unfortunately they made some changes that did not feel good to my feet. I am not the only one who was disappointed though! The sales guy told me that the Wave Inspire 8's were getting rid of the changes seen in the 7's and going back to the shape/cut/foot like the the 6's

I ended up purchasing these...

Asics Kayno

I went with a size bigger than normal, since I beat up my toes during my last race. Wearing them around the house, I can tell they are heavier. I will find out on Saturday how they feel during a run. They are super cute, so I really hope they work out!!

Check out my post from the fitness blog....we ate some crazy fruit! Kendall Personal Fitness

Fun with Family!

My 3 month old nephew stayed overnight with us this weekend!

We really enjoyed having a baby in the house!

Especially one that is so cute!

Check out the wacky fruit we tried over at the fitness blog...

www.kendallpersonalfitness.blogspot.com

A New Fitness Ambition!

I have recently decided to spread my fitness wings a bit. I have begun training to become a certified reformer Pilates instructor! I am super stoked!

I am working with THE PILATES CENTER OF OMAHA and going through the Stott Pilates Program (Click HERE)

The owners of The Pilates Center of Omaha have actually already extended me an offer to teach! I am very honored! I will finish training in December! 

The Stott Program is a 50 hour training program that involves observation hours, class room hours, and practice teaching hours. It is intensive and I absolutely love it!

Today...I officially mastered this move...

Refomer Pilates is honestly an incredible workout. It focuses on strength, balance, and core. It is exactly what I need while I am on marathon training hiatus. 

My goal was to completely steer clear of any and all running during this break and get healed up and strong....but I signed up for a 4 mile "Beer And Bagel" trail run on Sunday. They have really cool shirts ;-)

One run during my 6 week break then my focus in staying on strength, balance, and core!

Don't forget to check out my new fitness blog!  

http://kendallpersonalfitness.blogspot.com/

Happy Halloween!

How you have a wonderful, safe Halloween!

Nike Women's Marathon RACE RECAP!

The start line was a little on the chaotic side and honestly...pretty poorly organized.

But the course itself was BEA-UTIFUL! We had some pretty serious crowding issues where the course bottle necked and it forced everyone to walk. Not cool....not cool at all. 

They made up for it at mile 12 by handing out handfuls of these babies...

The finish line sucked. Period. End of story. They had us go through corrals and get scanned by a high school kid. Basically we were forced to come to a dead stop after running and wait for 8 other ladies to have their bib scanned. It was so crowded you could see any of the amenities, no food, not water, and no med tent in sight. Not cool...not cool at all.

But they made up for it by handing me one of these....

They also made up for it by letting me run with these awesome ladies!!

Me, Audrey (survivor), and Jen (tnt alumni)

They also made up for their lack of organization by letting us rock some serious bling!

I.Love.This.Necklace.

Boom.

San Francisco Part 1

Let me start by saying...I HAD AN AWESOME TIME!!

Great flight, great group of gals, great cause, and a great weekend!

We arrived Friday night and headed to the expo for packet pick up and then straight for a bar! We ended up at this place called Biscuits and Blues and had appetizers, drinks, and listened to a band. Great way to start the trip.

The time change got the best of us and we ended up wide awake by 5am.....rough. 

We decided to head out early to see the sights...

ended up getting there before anything was open. Here I am at Fisherman's Wharf.

While at Fisherman's Wharf.....this lady tried to give us crabs....

We went to Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, and down to Haight and Ashbury. A very fun day!

Stay Tuned for RACE DAY DETAILS!!! 

Leaving On A Jet Plane

It's Here...It's Here....It's FINALLY HERE!

Yup....

I am flying out on Friday to hit up the expo.

Spending Saturday checking out all that San Francisco has to offer and then heading to a TEAM In Training Inspiration dinner with some of the most amazing ladies ever!

Sunday Morning I will put on my purple pride..

AND ROCK THE NIKE WOMEN'S MARATHON! 

13.1....bring it.

My TNT Miracle Moment

When you join up with Team In Training you always hear about miracle moments. How someone hears a song that reminds them of the loved one that they are running for right when they hit the wall and it helps them break through it. Or how someone ends up running next to someone that they had no idea they were connected to until mile 18 and then they stay friends.

Today was my miracle moment. 

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the loss of  my son, Eric. Today is a very difficult day. 

Today was also our graduation run for the Nike Marathon. I will admit that it is very hard to run when your throat is tight from holding back tears. 

I finish my 10 miles and as I am heading to our little party by the lake when Beth, a team-mate, hops out of her car. Beth is 8 months pregnant so she's not training this season but is still a supporter and will be back for another round soon. Beth grabs me and says...

"I know this is going to sound weird, but a week or so ago I woke up at 2am thinking about you. I know that you had lost your son sometime in October and I had this strong feeling that you were going to need something today. So I brought you this"... Beth hands me 3 balloons, stationary, and a pen...she continues.." I thought you could write a little letter to your son and then send it up to him."

I immediately start crying and tell her that today is the anniversary date of our loss.  She helps me write out a little note and connect it to the balloons.  It takes me a good 20 minutes to recover and then Beth's son, Cael, and I released the balloons and note, sending it floating over the lake. 

26.2 Back on the Agenda!

Since I dropped to the Half marathon for the Nike Women's Marathon in 3 weeks....I've noticed a fire growing in my belly.

I  want 26.2

I NEED 26.2

 So what did I do.....

I joined up with Team In Training for another round of 26.2!

Yup...our kick off party was last night! I've already started fundraising. Beginning November 22..... I start...

TRAINING LIKE A ROCKSTAR!






Don't forget...for all you fitness buffs out there...I started a fitness blog....Click HERE

Mixing Business and Pleasure & Race review

As a golden rule...mixing business and pleasure is a no-no. So, I've decided to start another blog. A blog specifically related to fitness.

More of a work blog. I will blog about all things fitness. Product reviews, events, training, diet and nutrition, and workouts. If you are interested in following along.... click

HERE

Now on to the Race!

The Omaha Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10 K

I ran this race exactly how I wanted to! I ran it light, easy, and strong. We got a cool medal made out of recycled glass, a great long sleeved technical shirt. I'm not sore, I don't ache. It went very well.

BRING ON NIKE!!

Another Race Weekend Approaches

Sunday I will run the Omaha Half Marathon.

I was originally doing this race as a part of a training run for the Nike Women's Full Marathon October 16th. I have since dropped down to the half marathon for Nike after I ran into a hole injuring my right foot.

But....Since I already paid for the Omaha race....I'm sticking with it! Thankfully I am feeling healed enough to pull it off. 

But honestly....pull it off is about all I am going to be able to do. 

After much thought....I have decided to take it easy during this race. I will run the race....not race this race. This is a very hard pill to swallow, but I think it is the best choice.

Buford Foundation:	Though it is a hard pill...this race looks like fun! It will be nice to take it easy and enjoy all the fun activities this race promises to provide!  Check out the info below! The Omaha Marathon is again proud to recognize this year’s race as a charity event. $1 of each registration will be donated to the Buford Foundation. For more information about the Buford Foundation please see below.
More information:	http://www.omahamarathon.com
Leukemia/Lymphoma Society:	Omaha Marathon events is again proud to be a partner with Team In Training as one of their designated Races. Log on to web to learn more.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT ON COURSE & FINISH LINE!:	NEW: Start at MIKE FAHEY BLVD & 11th Street and Finish Line at TD AMERITRADE PARK STADIUM, LOT C LIVE MUSIC on BIG STAGE at finish line. Entertainment along the course! For listing of musicians, log on tohttp://www.omahamarathon.com
U.S. MARINE Corp. support!…:	FULL DRESSED MARINES will greet you at the finish line as they present you with your finisher’s medallion as well as support you throughout the race! We are proud to have the United States Marine Corp recruiters join us again this year to assist with the success of the weekend events!
RECYCLED GLASS FINISHER’S MEDALLIONS:	Come join us to celebrate our 36th Annual where we will continue our GREEN initative! The full & half marathon finishers will receive a medallion made of RECYCLED glass by local artists that are also SUNCATCHERS that you can display proudly in window and remind you of your accomplishment!
LOCKS FOR LOVE:	Join fellow runners again this year as they donate their hair to Locks for Love at the start line of the race. To participate, emailinfo@omahamarathon.com
Other Highlights:	Barefoot Runner category Team In Training: Leukemia/Lymphoma Society designated race. Let us know if you are coming as a group and we will RESERVE A TABLE for you at the pasta part

The Crazed Runner

After I ran into a hole out on a run a couple of weeks ago, I've been kind of nervous about my next 2 races. I have been teaching a lot of extra spin classes lately which has really worn me out and  really hasn't helped my running confidence. My last run of 4 miles was really tough....and painful. 

So I took a week off....from running anyways.  Which made me feel like a crazed animal.

I have a half marathon next weekend, the Omaha Half Marathon. So I went out for 10 miles today.

I felt strong and calm. Which is nice.

I iced up well afterwards, popped a little ibuprofen, and am taking it easy for the rest of the day. I'm still mentally working out my game plan for this race, I've never done this course before so I'm not sure how to prepare. I originally signed up as a part of a training run for the Nike Full Marathon in October. I have since dropped down to doing the half in Nike to avoid further injury, but my paperwork was already sent in for this race. 

Thankfully, I see no reason to back out of this one. My ankle is holding up and so are my knees. 

My Dilemma:

Do I race this race?

Do I use this race simply for training?

Anyone ever done a race purely for training purposes?

Any advice?

Happy Anniversary to ME!

Today I am celebrating 6 years of being married to Dave. He is loving, supportive, and he comes to all of my races. WHAT MORE COULD A GIRL ASK FOR???

Post Run Yoga Poses

If you've read my last couple of posts then you know that September is Yoga Month. My company, Kendall Personal Fitness, has teamed up with LUNA and YogaMonth.org to celebrate! Giveaways, yoga sessions, and other fun stuff.

In the spirit of Yoga Month I thought I would share my two favorite post run yoga poses.

First....Forward Fold. Stretches out those hammies and low back. My hammies and low back always ache once the miles start creeping up and this stretch really helps out!

Next... Pigeon Pose....perfect for my hips. This is a nice deep stretch for those hips and IT Band.

 L-O-V-E it!

What are your favorite stretches?

Any spots more tight than others post-run?

Happy Yoga Month!  

Namaste!

Yoga Celebration and GIVEAWAY WINNER

It was a beautiful Saturday to set up shop at Lake Zorinsky! I did a couple rounds of Yoga, chatted with some cool people, and even stretched with a gal who had just completed her 22 mile run in preparation for the Kansas City Marathon! Fun Stuff!

But on to more important things.....

Drum Roll Please.....

The Winner of the YOGA MONTH GIVEAWAY is.....

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:6Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Maureen at Hard Body Here I Come!!! YAY!! CONGRATS!!! Woooohoooo!

HAPPY YOGA MONTH!

Yoga Month GIVEAWAY!!!

My Company, Kendall Personal Fitness, has partnered up with LUNA Bar and Yoga Month.Org to celebrate September being Yoga Month! 

Kendall Personal Fitness with be hosting an open air Yoga Clinic at Lake Zorinsky September 10th from 10a-12p.There will be free yoga sessions, prizes, TEAM IN TRAINING will be there recruiting awesome people to join the team, and thanks to LUNA Bar there will be plenty of free LUNA Bars on hand for everyone to try!!

BUT THE FUN DOESN'T STOP THERE!!!!

My blogging buddies get to get in on the action too!!

For my readers....you could win...

LUNA Bar Lemon Zest flavored chapstick

One Box (package of 12) sample sized Peanut Butter Cookie LUNA Bars

One Box (package of 12) full sized chocolate LUNA Protein Bars

18oz Kleen Kanteen from LUNA

This super awesome package could be yours!!

Here are the rules:

1. You must be a follower of this blog (leave 1 comment)

2. You must LIKE Kendall Personal Fitness on Facebook (leave 1 comment)

Click HERE or see sidebar

3. LIKE Clifbar on Facebook and post a comment on their wall mentioning this blog and this giveaway (leave 1 comment) Click HERE

4. LIKE National Yoga Month on Facebook and post a comment on their wall mentioning this blog and this giveaway (leave 1 comment )

Click HERE

5. Spread the love! Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway! (1 comment for each)

Winner will be drawn September 10th!

Believe me.....you DON'T want to miss out on this awesome giveaway!

THESE BARS ARE YUMMY!!!