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!!!

Family trip and a solo trip.

We went down to Schlitterbahn water park this past Saturday and had a great time. We played all day!

On Sunday we enjoyed Legends Outlet Mall where I scored an AWE-SOME Adidas pants ($10) and a Jacket ($10).

Here is a picture of Wes' making a wish.......

He wishes he was a mouse.

 I decided to take a little jog on Saturday night. Note to self....it is not always wise to run on unfamiliar territory.

High Interstate overpasses.

An holes in the ground that you don't see until it's too late.

I think it is just a sprain but I did pass on teaching Spin on today. I will teach one class tomorrow and wait to run until Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed! I'm only 6 weeks out from marathon day!!

Weekend Report

I had to work at the YMCA this Saturday, so I missed my long run with the TEAM. But don't worry...I was prepared.

I spent the majority of the week training like a mad woman. In 6 days I taught 5 spin classes, 2 Pilates classes, one Yoga class, and got in 2 runs....one of which was 8.5 miles. Needless to say....I was pooped!

On Saturday, Dave's cousin got married. We packed up, dressed up, and headed to the show. It was a beautiful wedding.

We shipped off the kiddo to stay with my parents while we hit up the reception.  We had a great time, I drank way too much, and spend all day Sunday recovering. I am lucky to have such a great man in my life. Dave was a trooper and let me rest on Sunday. Thanks Honey!!


We are planning another little side trip this weekend. I thing we are going to head south to a fun little water park outside of Kansas City....Schlitterbahn. It should be a good time. I will have to get all my training in during the week, but it will be worth it! A mini family vacation sounds perfect right now!!

Making Peace With The Treadmill

I think it has happened. I think I am finally at peace with running on the treadmill. How do I know.....I successfully did 8.5 miles on the treadmill today and it didn't suck.

 I guess it started while training for a May half marathon......too cold and windy for many outdoor runs. During this race I wanted to work on speed and found it nice to track my speed workouts with a little more ease on the treadmill. 

Now that I am doing a marathon in San Francisco I am finding the treadmill useful in hill training.  I like that the treadmill forces me to maintain my pace while I play with the incline. A very useful training tool!

Anyone else forced to "make peace" with the treadmill?

What are your favorite treadmill workouts?

Run Day is Fun Day!

We had absolutely perfect weather for our run today! It was sunny and cool.....very odd for August in Nebraska, but I'll take it. I had a great 13  miles! 

After a quick cold soak...this time without sharks...we headed down to a Kendall family picnic. It was nice to catch up with everyone.

When we got home I gave our garden a little love.

I pulled weeds then promptly picked tomatoes, cucumbers and jalapenos. We enjoyed the tomatoes and cucumbers for dinner and will enjoy the jalapenos tomorrow after I pick up some cream cheese. There is nothing better than fresh jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, and fired over the grill....mmmmmm.mmm!

Then I kicked my feet up and relaxed on the deck to enjoy the cool evening with this gal....

Having a frosty one of these....

All in all....a very good Saturday!

Big Day!!

Yesterday I rocked my first brick workout since the triathlon!

I taught spin class then headed out to my Saturday run spot for a nice 4.5 miles. PERFECT weather...finally!

Today was a big day!

 First......

I got to start my day off with a great spin class. My old highschool mate Jess at blondeponytail has been in town for about a month now. She is an awesome athlete and it has been great catching up with her. She has even caught the "Spinning Bug" and I have been happy to "infect" her! Thanks a bunch for the gift-card Jess! 

Click HERE to read about her first Spin Class experience!

Then.....

His first day of Pre-Kindergarten.

We had to get school clothes, school supplies, a new backpack, and a new lunch box.

Sigh......where did the time go????

A Cold Soak With Sharks

It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. (Click Here)

So....after my 10 mile run on Saturday, I opted to celebrate by taking my cold soak with sharks.

As you can see.....he's pretty ferocious.

He's also pretty feisty.....

But don't worry.....I was rescued.

By theses guys.....

Woody, Buzz, Batman, and some other random superhero that lives in my bathtub came and saved the day!

How do you pass the time during your cold soak?

Anybody else have their 4 year old tell them to stop playing with their toys?

Skin Care for the Athlete

Since the summertime has hit, I have been having more difficulty controlling breakouts. 

I sweat much more these days as my miles increase, my spin classes increase, and it is insanely hot everywhere I go!

So I consulted with my friend Larisa

Laris is an Esthetician at Trios Salon. She is amazing! She is sweet, kind, and caring as well as educated in her field. Click HERE to learn more about Larisa!

Here's what Larisa writes...

• • One of the main functions of your skin is “excretion” which is eliminating waste products or also known as “sweat”. As you are working out and producing sweat, you are detoxifying your body—which is always great! Because of this you need to take special care of your skin, before, during and after workouts.
    
    First, NEVER work out with makeup on. Your pores are opening to allow for the flow of sweat out, which means that things can easily get “in” them. The sweat will combine with the oil and makeup on your skin for a big mess that is a breeding ground for bacteria and breakouts. Remove your makeup before working out and prepare your skin with a spritz or blot of toner and a light layer of moisturizer.
    
    Second, during your workout you should have something on your skin. Especially if you are a sensitive skin person or you are prone to breakouts. Having a light moisturizer (Bioelements Oxygenation, Beyond Hydration, etc.) will protect your skin and will allow the sweat to basically “slide off” of it, instead of sitting on top of the pores and disrupting them. If sweat irritates your skin, a light moisturizer will help to protect and soothe your skin from the stinging.
    
    If sweat is like gathering up the garbage and putting it in bags and setting it on the curb—you need the professionals to drive by and remove it. If you let your trash sit out on the curb….well, we all know what happens. It is a similar to what will happen if you let that waste sit on your skin. So after your workout you need to cleanse! Remove that waste! You should use a cleanser appropriate to your skin type then follow up with toner and moisturizer. If you are in a situation where you cannot cleanse right away I would recommend a bacteria-zapping toner like the Bioelements Active Astringent, a favorite to keep in your gym bag for a quick post-workout blotting.

Keep you eyes open for another installment from Larisa!

Mom and Me Mondays start with a run!

I only had one client on my schedule today and she happens to be my very best friend of over 16 years. So I knew she wouldn't mind if Wes tagged along to our training session. I opted to keep Wes out of preschool today for Mom and Me Monday.

But first....I Run!!

I dropped off Wes at the Y-care center at the YMCA and hit the treadmill. I had 6 miles on my schedule.

The first two miles I spent warming up and working out the cobwebs. 

The next 3.5 miles I spent doing quarter mile hill repeats alternating between 1%-2%-3% incline.

I finished with a half mile cool down and then did some leg work in the weight room.

After that I grabbed Wes and headed to my appointment. We were the only ones at the Studio and Wes did a great job! 

Then it was FUN TIME!!

We went to Fun Plex and got the double park pass. A Full day at an amusement park and a water park!

We had a blast!

We played in the kids area and the "motion ocean"

The motion ocean is a large pool that has big motors that create large waves in the pool. It is super fun!

We rode down some awesome water slides!

We did the tilt-a-whirl, bumper boats, Ferris wheel, and more!

I even talked Wes into riding the "big" roller-coaster with me...

Was not his favorite thing....in fact he asked me not to go on it again. But he rode it like a champ!

We spent 6 hours playing today!

I might have to make Mom and Me Mondays and more permanent part of our week......I want to make sure I get to spend time with him while he still wants to spend time with me!

Race Research

I've been researching my next race to get my training schedule down pat for the next month or so. Ok....really I've just been freaking out about hills the last couple of days and I'm slightly OCD. 

General Information

Marathon Name: Nike Women's Marathon

Official Sponsor: Nike

City: San Francisco

State or Province: California

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Start Location: Union Square

Event Specifics

Events: Course Type: Road

 Maximum Elevation: 335 ft

Minimum Elevation: 3ft

Elevation Change: 332ft

Average High Temperature: 69º

Average Low Temperature: 51º

My two go to hills routines are a hills pyramid where I increase the incline every 1/2 mile until I hit 4% then back down. I do this for the set amount of miles for the day. OR I do hill repeats where I up the incline to 3% for a half mile, then back down to 1% for a half mile for the set amount of miles for the day.

Anyone have any other suggestions???

I am all ears!

 

Hottest Race EVER!

I know that Badwater (click here) is suppose to be the toughest and hottest race on the planet....I think my Triathlon today could beat it!  Heat AND humidity

6am: Temp 78 Humidity: 84%
Noon: Temp 90 Humidity: 67%

I climbed in the car at 6:30, race gun went off at 8am. I picked up my packet and set up my transition area, then found my buddy Jen. We sat in the shade until the start. It was H-O-T.

Then swim went ok....I still do not understand why open water swims are so much more difficult! I just don't get it!!! I can swim a mile in the pool but you get me out in a lake I a struggle with my 550 meter swim! Ugh!

They changed the course this year for the bike....it was a much better ride but also a much tougher ride! Very hilly. Although it was a tough ride, I like this course much better than last year!

When I saw my time after the ride, I was happy! The run started off tough, you could feel the heat radiating off the paved trail....brutal. I caught up to a co-worker of mine and we did the last half of the run together. Not my fastest 5K, but my toughest by far! It was really great to have someone for support for the last part of the run, it made a big difference!

I ended up getting goosebumps on the last half of the race, which is not a good thing. I knew I was way overheated. I crossed the finish line, happy with my time, kicked off my shoes, and headed straight for the lake. I stood, waist deep, until the goosebumps went away and then found my hubby and sister who came out to support me!  It was so brutal out, I didn't stick around to chat or see awards. My results..

2011                                         2010
Swim: 17:00                                                   Swim: 17:00
Bike: 53:10                                                     Bike: 1:04:48
Run: 29:02                                                      Run: 30:57
Time: 1:41:46                                                  Time: 1:58:58

I am pretty happy with my time, especially considering the weather conditions! I have no other Tri's on my schedule for 2011. Now it is time to focus on marathon training. Next up..

NIKE WOMEN'S MARATHON!!!

Info...click here

Triathlete Lab Rat Complete

I have completed the final section of being a lab rat. My last round consisted of a VO2 Max test on an arm ergo-meter....

 

This thing.

After the test, I got all my results. My VO2 max and body composition. 

I'm nervous about posting this on the world wide web, but all in all, I feel pretty good about the results.

I am 32 years old

I am 5'6" tall

I weigh 156 lbs

My VO2 Max is 45.1 which puts me in the"very good" category. The Intern looked up some numbers and I am in in 88 percentile.  All in All....I feel pretty good about that.

I have 18% body fat. The intern looked up more numbers and I am also in the 88 percentile.

That number puts me in the "athletic" category. I suppose I would like that number a little lower but honestly I am ok with it. I am a 36 D and enjoy having curves. I like feeling feminine, I love being a mom.  At this point I know I am in good shape and can keep up with my son.

Although I would like that nice tight tummy I used to have several years ago.....