Magical Mermaids, Super Triathletes and Michael Phelps

I usually just post my workouts via DAILYMILE , but today I thought I'd blog about my swim workout.

Now the most I've ever swam in the pool , I think is about 1200 yards. To me thats a pretty decent swim. Today I look at my workout that COACH has planned for me , and its scheduled to swim 2800 yards. If you don't know, thats a crap load (at least to me). I'm always so amazed when I see peoples post on anything more then 2000 yards, but today I will be one of those people.

Should I complain? No. Am I? Uh, not really. It just makes me feel more like a bad a$$ that coach thinks I could do this.

Though I may seem to think thats A LOT of yardage, I'm not going to tell my coach that. In my mind I really didnt think that " Oh dear thats to much" , I thought more along the lines like "This is where I should be".

Now don't go off thinking Im super cool. Due to time restraints I had to cut the workout short 500 yards because the kids zone was closing and we had to pick up the kids (the hubby joined in on my swim workout). But Im definitely proud to say that this will probably become a norm and I'm going to become a speedy mermaid and tear up IRONMAN CANCUN 70.3.

(EVERYTIME I either RUN/BIKE/SWIM I picture myself in this video, EVERYTIME)

For triathletes I think the swim in definitely not the HARDEST part, but its hard to get to the pool  for training. But once I get my cap on, my goggles snug and jump into the pool, I become free. I no longer am "mommy", I become some super triathlete. Thats right SUPER TRIATHLETE, you must trick your mind into thinking such crazy nonsense to accomplish some things. So if you ever see me swimming, whats going through my mind is IRONMAN. I picture myself there, but as in a dream , when everything is perfect. The water is clear and everything is smooth. Nothing could go wrong. I have energy to swim miles. My trials and worries in life have floated away, its just me and the water and screw everyone else.

(Not me, just something to put you in the mood)

Now I usually stay in that euphoria during the warmup, when sprints start coming in I get overwhelmed with a bit of dread that I'm going to get my arse whooped. But today was a magical day and I thought myself to be a female version of Michael Phelps. Like seriously I thought to myself "You know what , if you were racing Michael Phelps right now, you probably wouldn't be THAT far behind him". There must have a little to much chlorine in the air for me to actually think that I would be competitive with Michael Phelps. I blame my crazy mommy brain.
But as with all dreams they come to an end. And within my mommy life, when the end is near I never seem to have enough time to finish what I planned on doing. I jumped out of the pool, hearing my name blared over the speaker, rushed to rinse, just threw my clothes on over my suit and booked it out of there.
Not until we were loaded into the car did I relax and breathe. At that time in my life all I could think about was FOOD. Forget the magical mermaids, being an IRONMAN, and swimming with Michael Phelps , all I wanted was food.
So to end the night we topped it off with Dominos Large Carry out special pepperoni and mushroom pizza. Oh ok and I wont lie , we stopped off at Burger King for a soft serve cone too. I do feel guilty, not setting the greatest example but we do all need to indulge every once in awhile.

Super Triathletes need extra calories right? Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Thanks Are in Order

At the beginning of this week I had a friend bring up doing the Women's TREK Triathlon in Pleasanton,CA. Sounded like an AWESOME idea! Still is an awesome idea except for the fact that I got extremely sick this week.
Now if it was a little cold, I would have pushed through and raced. But the ending results of this stomach flu lead to a loss of 4 lbs in a matter of 2 days. There are times when you know you shouldnt do something and this was one of those times.

The reason for this post is to thank a wonderful DAILYMILE friend Simon Mutlu for introducing me to his runner partner Tara Carriera an ELITE runner out of Livermore, CA. Simon had saw a post on DAILYMILE about my interest in participating in the TREK TRI and told me about his friend Tara. We were then introduced via email and  Tara offered to give me her free entry into the TREK TRIATHLON. Being a SAHM and on a budget, the offer was truly a Godsend, but I guess it wasn't my weekend to race. Thank you again to Tara for offering your entry, and to Simon for introducing us! Was so thrilled to have you offer to connect us!

*Sigh* All my friends that I know personally and via the internet are truly amazing. Thankful for everyone that I've ever come across , ya'll have impacted my life deeply. I hope I can give back to you all as much as you have given me! 

Stomach Flu, Booty Parlor and a Fundraiser

Going into the last 20 days of INSANITY and officially kicking off my IRONMAN CANCUN training, I get slapped in the face with the stomach flu! Now is it just me or has thing gotten worse since I was a kid? Used to be a 24 hour thing. I'll admit the worst part was over in 24 hours but I've been stuck feeling like garbage for 4 days! Recovery phase is NOT fun.

(not me, but you get the point. I back would have been arched, and I would be crying , LOL)

Next week starts the countdown final 12 week countdown to IRONMAN CANCUN 70.3. I'll tell you one thing, its the LAST thing on my mind right now. Its in the back of my mind like a fuzzy cloud dancing around, it seems like a dream. When will the shock actually hit me? Next week when Im actually ABLE to do my workouts my coach has scheduled for me? Or when Im exhausted in the pool after only 600 yards? Ya know what? I'll probably hit me while I'm doing the dishes one night. Then I'll stand there staring out the window and have a minor seizure over what I got myself into!
Truthfully I'm REALLY excited about it. All I really do think about is how much FUN its going to be. I'll also get to meet friends I've made via Dailymile & Twitter. Its going to be awesome, and for us, KID FREE. I'd be happy to be kid free for an hour right now ... reminds me that I need to plan a date night, along with a million other things.
So what have I been doing this whole week without working out? I'm sure some of you are soooooo curious. On a normal basis its ALL I do. I usually teach Stroller Strides in the morning, Catch up with the wonderful women I work with mid-morning, play date midday, run/bike/swim in the afternoon , then top it off with INSANITY in the evening. Since I've been sidelined and bed ridden, I've been launching my new home business!
This past weekend I attended a Booty Parlor Party. I had actually brought up Booty Parlor to my friend as an option for additional income. Knowing that Booty Parlor Parties were something women LOVE, I encouraged her to check it out. Next thing you know she is a new Sexy Lifestyle Advisor and I'm at her launch party.
Now only hearing the RAVES about these parties from friends I had NOT actually been to one. Never seemed like my thing to go and play with adult toys. It actually turned out to be something completely different then I ever imagined.

 Of course we had a blast, testing lip glosses, edible body shimmers, firming lotions, massage candles, lingerie and of course personal toys. Got to laugh over things we normally don't talk about, shared our own personal "sexy" tips, and enjoyed being with friends.
It had been awhile since I have been at a party like this. Not only till these past couple weeks had I started making an effort of going to play dates, wearing something other than workout clothes, put on mascara, beautify the hard work I have been putting my body through. Half way through the party as I was laughing at friends, did I realize we need to to ALL stop and REMEMBER to be BEAUTIFUL, CONDIFENT and SEXY. Also remember to be US. As moms we forget who we are, we get swept away with being Mommy and Wife that we forget who we were before marriage and kids.
After this lightbulb went off in my head, I started asking questions about being a "Sexy Lifestyle Advisor" myself. Already as a Beachbody coach & Stroller Strides Instructor , I work with women to reach their fitness goals on a daily basis , I thought to myself this completes what I do and want to accomplish in life by providing women the means to feeling confident.
So right after that party I talked to the beautiful Lina Williams who happens to be a Leader within the Booty Parlor company and had her explain to me what Booty Parlors mission was and how I could become part of that.
Booty Parlor believes that "Confidence is the sexiest thing a women can have". I'm all about that and couldn't agree more. So now this running/biking/swimming mama is one of Americas New Sexy Lifestyle Advisors. 4 days into it and I'm loving it. I seem to love anything that makes ANYONE feel better. This is my life, I feel as though I feed off inspiration, encouragement and motivation. Thats O.K with me.
Now Tuesday I have my official launch party, my website is already open for online orders, but here is something I'm asking my readers. I'd like all my commision from internet orders within the first week of my launch to go to a FUNDRAISER. Thats 25% of total orders. I do NOT have a non-profit organization picked out yet, so I'm asking my readers to suggest where the proceeds should go. Are YOU running for Team in Training, or special organization and need help getting to your fundraising goal? Please comment, or EMAIL me. Then we can start this fundraising money for a noble cause!

My mission in life is to make a positive difference in the world. Whats yours?

Love What You Do.

Just saw this posted on someones Facebook page. Had to stop and really think and appreciate what I do. What do I do? I swim, bike, run my way through motherhood. I also help mothers reach their goals through fitness, and helping them turn their love into fitness into their own independent financial freedom.
Just recently pushing through PPD, in the past month I realized that I am HAPPY. To some it might be easy, to mothers dealing with post partum depression, its not so easy. Had someone say "being happy is a choice you make". For some yes , others no. I remember sitting here on the couch staring at my wonderful husband, gorgeous children, with no real worries. Having everything in the world to be glorious about, but I could not find happiness in it at all. I'd stare and stare some more. Where was I? I felt as though I was outside of my body watching myself and I was stuck.
Are YOU there? Were there? Don't worry there is a way out and you can find it. My path was fitness, it was something I LOVED. I've now turned that LOVE into my LIFE and I LOVE what I do.
Love your life people, we only live once.

What do you love to do?

Pure Exhaustion

Exhausted and need fuel? Having my first giveaway. Become a fan on FACEBOOK and leave a comment saying "DIG DEEPER". Giving away 3 P90X RESULTS & RECOVERY FORMULA samples , winners posted tomorrow morning!

Healthy Eating is Expensive

 I've had the LAST of it.

Why oh why does healthy eating HAVE to be so expensive?

It really doesnt have to be. But to magically go to the store and buy all the things that are in the typical meal planner is FLIPPIN expensive.

Today we spent $200 on a weeks worth of food.

Thats is ABSURD.

$100 of that was strictly in produce and who knows if that will last the rest of the week!

After this attempt of sticking to recipe book like meals , I've decided to already DITCH that. I just had to give it a try.

Also when I came home and looked through my cabinets I made another decision to CLEAR IT ALL OUT. Now it would be easy to just throw it all out. But I will go through and make a healthy meal from all remaining random canned food.

This is a huge step people. Step to healthier choices and healthier living. This mom is going to break it down from scratch, find delicious food, INEXPENSIVE food and last and most important KID FRIENDLY.

This is key. We are all always trying to "lose" weight. Or just be "healthy". It should be EASY and CHEAP. Yep, I said it CHEAP.

Living in a one income family (even though Im trying to work my way up through the ranks) we live on a BUDGET. So do MANY of us. I know some of us try, or we just know our limits. I get so many questions on "healthy snacks" and "easy lunches". So now Im going to take the time to find the answers.

Now Im not a vegan, nor am I all "organic".

Im EASY, CHEAP and SUPER EASY. ( sounds a little sleezy huh? )

Whatever, I'm one of those moms that gets home from a crazy day and I'm to exhausted to cook anything let alone take the time to clean up the BOMB that blows up in my kitchen after making dinner.

So here I go on my CONQUEST for you , for me , for the sake of my family , oh and can I say SANITY to be FIT, HEALTHY, HAPPY and NOT BROKE.

Wish me luck, who knows where this journey will take me. Who I will meet and want nasty food I might encounter.

All feedback and secret recipes are GREATLY appreciated.

Those Arent Rocks...

Those aren't brown rocks on the beach it's seals! On the trail teaching my usual Thursday Stroller Strides class I take a look down at the beach and it's swamped with those bad boys! I have never seen more than 2 on that beach and 2 is pushing it. I felt cheesy but totally had to stop to catch some video.
This is one of the cooler benefits of living in Monterey, CA.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Monterey , CA

Motivation & Exercise Board

Need a little constant reminder motivation?

Creat a motivation/exercise/recipe board. I use a simple corkboard and go through my massive amounts a magazines that I hoard and cut out things I think are cool, inspiring, look yummy and I love finding great quick workouts in magazines.
Lately working with women I get a lot of them bored with their routine or just don't know what exercises to do. Best place to look when we can't have a personal trainer by our sides is our bedside/coffee tables! I know y'all have your Cosmos, Womens Health, In Shape magazines laying around so USE them. Find your "sexy abs in 6 days" or "4 weeks to sexy beach body" exercises, rip them out and TRY THEM OUT! I keep quite a few on my board for when I need a new exercise for one of my classes or clients. It's an easy, inexpensive, effective workout. Get bored? Try a different one out!
Also need quick, easy, healthy YUMMY recipes? They are in your magazines! Magazine companies pay good money to have nutritionists come in and share healthy recipes that readers want. Again rip that bad boy out post it up and don't forget to add those ingredients to your shopping list!
Also the board is just not for magazine cut outs. It's a place for you to post your thoughts, pictures of how we "used to look", pictures of your family, reminders , heck I don't care if you staple a pair of your "skinny" pants to it! What ever drives YOU.
Remember to have fun, maybe throw a funny cartoon up there. Your meant to enjoy life, so don't forget to smile .


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Was Made For This

I must say I'm full with happiness, for the first time in a long time.

Why? A couple of things. I'm officially now a triathlete. Work, I'm actually working. The fact that what I do helps peoples and makes a difference in peoples lives has filled me such a feeling of warmth and accomplishment. It was only yesterday, but found some new mommies to hang out with and able to let my children exert their energy as I rattle off my mouth.

*sigh*

More on happiness later. Lets get to the good stuff :)

The good stuff being that I completed my first triathlon this past Sunday! Even though Ive had a injury holding me back, I still had a blast:)

It was an overcast day. Didnt matter though, the smiles and excitement going through the transition area made it seem as though there was blue skies and a perfect 70 degrees.

Being up since 3:30 a.m to make it up to the race site, I was pretty awake and aware. Having a goal set in my mind, helped so much with my nerves. I knew exactly what I was going to do and how I should feel.

As always it started with the swim. I was a little nervous of the cold water. I STRONGLY DISLIKE cold water, theres nothing like the feeling of ice water on you face as you are trying to be a "speed demon" in the water. BUT the water was like POOL water! Apparently the day before was blistering hot and the waters were nice and heated up for us. So after first slipping on some rocks on my way into the water, I happily put my face down and swam out to our "deep water" start with a couple of friends.

Having people you know with you, made even that much better. I got to start with my local buddy Amanda and Cat, a friend we made 2 weeks earlier at the triathlon clinic.

So we hovered their, chatting and smiling. Waiting for the start. 

Now I was not paying attention to the fact that I was in the front. Didnt think much about it till after we started. So we were off, I started off strong. Felt great, felt warm. I come up to look where I am, that slows me down and I get trampled! Someone even put their hand on my shoulder and pushed me down! I come up out of the water screaming "what the hell!?", the chick just looked at me then kept on swimming. After being pushed down and choking on water I was in a bit of shock. Attempted to throw up the nasty water, but put my head down and started swimming again. There were 2 times I kinda just wanted to stop to breathe, but I thought to myself "just keep moving forward", so I'd throw in some side stroke , then get going again. I could hear my husband cheering along the side of the water. Hearing him helped kicked my butt into gear and finished as strong as I could be. SWIM TIME: 11:51

Running up out of the water I felt confused on where to go, I was scared of running into people coming out of transition. Ended up just running into transition stripping down the wetsuit and mentally thinking on how I'm not going to eat it trying to get on my bike. T1: 1:23

I was set up right next to the bike exit , so it was smooth going out. When I first started pedaling my legs were a little tired. My hopes werent shot down, I was confident I cold spin out the "tiredness" and bust out some speed. Now the bike took a little more thinking. Having gotten my butt whooped on the bike the previous week because I was taking time off I was a little worried of pushing out to hard and not having enough energy to get back in. Stayed strong and consistant. My focus was to PASS EVERYONE and let NO ONE pass me. Only 1 chick passed me, she had an expensive bike, aero helmet and was RIPPED, so I let her slide through :) No one else though! Another goal I had was to cheer on everyone around me, but the energy I was using I could barely call out "on the left!", near the end though I was able to get more out of my mouth. ** note: Do not listen to husband when he says "you dont need a water bottle its only a sprint", Ummm I was sooo thirsty and my mouth was so dry and salty. The water bottle will not be forgotten next time :) BIKE TIME : 37:01

Now during one of the transition areas I scrapped the living crap out of my right foot. So this run was a little uncomfortable. The transition again was somewhat smooth. I felt as though my carbon fiber bike weighed a million pounds and could barely get it back onto the rack. Then the test was getting my feet into my VFF's fast enough, but of course my left foot was numb, so it  took a couple seconds getting my toes in the right toe slots. Thew my hat on, on the run and I was out of T2! T2: 1:16

I WAS TIRED, right when I started running it felt as though I was slammed with a wave. "PHEW" push push push, Had to run out those tired legs... well I dont think they were so much tired but felt "weird". Took a little while to get into a groove but the first mile was my fastest at 9:17, everything else was downhill. Remember this was the third time running post injury rehab. I knew not to expect to much, saw 2 chicks I had passed up on the bike , FLY by me. Whatever though , I was happy I was alive, happy to have been there and happy to see everyone! At this time I was talking to EVERYONE, even cheering on the squirrel I saw. People probably though I was crazy, they definitely had that look like "how does she have the energy to even smile?"

The last .25 mile I could hear my  2 year old screaming and saw my little family. Husband was all smiles and my 2 year old screaming "there she is! there she is!". Yes, Im a "she" or he calls me "dad". I was so happy to see them, then pushed down on the gas an finished strong. The end is always abrupt in races, they are trying to rip of timing tags, but this time I was slammed with questions on my VFF Bikilas. hahahaha, I just wanted to get out of there, I was STARVING. FINISHING TIME: 1:15:05

Is it crazy to say that once I cleared the finish line I was already thinking about my olympic distance to complete?

Thats all I could think about, it felt as though that race was already in the past and I was on to my next conquest. The husband brought me down to reality, and we covered how it went and he showed me his paparazzi photos. I love him.

 We hovered around for awhile. Waiting to see the final results. My watch was only off a couple of seconds. But I know my husband wanted to see the OFFICIAL time. Once they did post them I was just happy I was on the FIRST sheet, that was a big enough accomplishment in itself. I mean this was my first triathlon I didnt know what to expect. Took some time checking them over and seeing others times. It looked like I had placed 4rth in my age group. Not bad but then you think "crap, If I could actually have run I couldve made top 3!" .

After it all I was ready to go eat! The pancakes they were serving werent going to top me off. The hubby wanted to stay for the awards, so I just walked over to the car and started packing up. Such a process, had to change the kids ( somehow they were TRASHED ), put the stroller in, break down my bike put that in. Load up the kids.... egh VERY tired at this point. Then I get in the car and breathe. Someone started crying and I went to get out of the car and stepped on glass!! Oh gosh it hurt so bad and I had to dig it out. After finding the tiny glass in my foot I wanted to go home , I then start screaming at the hubby to get into the car when I heard my name called. What?!? Third in my age group?? I hopped out of the car looked at my husband in shock then jog/limped over to the tent. I asked them if they called my name, and yep they did! Amazingly the announcer remembered who I was from the clinic 2 weeks prior and spilled out that I was doing half ironman in September. At this point I wanted to fall down crying! My eyes were filled with tears, thank goodness for the sunglasses because I was the only one this emotional. Such an accomplishment. I was sooooo happy and shocked. What more could you ask for?

So they gave me my goodies and I walked away with hubby with a massive smile on my face. At this point I could tell the hubby was proud. Plus he was excited over the fact that one of the prizes was a box of his favorite Luna protein bars.

Got in the car, threw the 2 year old a protein bar ( he apparently loves them too) and we were off. Awww.... it was a good day. Post race fuel was a double double from IN-N-OUT. Well deserved.

Closing remarks?

Expect the unexpected. Dream big. Anything is possible. 6 months ago I was 30 pounds heavier, and could barely swim across the pool and today I just completed and placed in my first triathlon.

My FIRST Tri **sigh**

My first triathlon EVER is tomorrow morning. Less than 24 hours away, and now as I sit here on the computer about to make a check list on what I need to pack, I am nervous.

I've had to drop out of 2 sprint distances this year already , due to childcare and injury. I've only run twice in the past month. Yep! I had to take time off because the IT BAND MONSTER thought he could barge in on my training time. I've also only been on the bike once in 3 weeks. Went for a ride with my friend Amanda last week and got my arse whooped.

Also because of feeling like bad luck follows me this year, I didn't register till last night. Im bad:(

Prepared? Ugh, no. Feeling confident? Yes, actually.

For my first triathlon I will be doing the All womens MERMAID TRIATHLON in Alameda, CA. Why the confidence? Because I feel as though this isn't so much a MAJOR competition. This is an event that women come together of all stages of fitness, from novices to ironman we swim, bike, run and have a great time in support of one another.

My goal in this triathlon is to make it through pain free, exertion level of a 7-9, and support/cheer/motivate all in my path :)

This is huge to me everyone! I have a tear in my eye! This is the kickoff of a year dedicated to preparing for a half IRONMAN in September.

So now I go turn to my check lists and packing. Of course its just not a transition bag I'm packing but, husband , kids ... pretty much on any outing lasting more than 2 hours my whole life gets crammed into the car. Is that only me?

Can this military/stroller striding/beachbody coaching mama pull this off? Only time will tell!

Bestfriend Challenge

I met my bestfriend 2 1/2 years ago at a COMPASS meeting for new NAVY spouses. Both of us new to Japan, well she was fresh off the plane and I had been there a couple months (somewhat) , had stowed away on a MAC (military aircraft) flight back to they states while my husband was deployed, I did come back though.

The first day of this COMPASS course she sat across from me. Typically southern, loud, funny, wearing pearls, and a green preppy sweater. The perfect example of how a southern military wife should be. With me, the California girl sitting across from her wearing a ball cap, Adidas pants , some workout shirt and 5 months pregnant. To say the least I felt very undressed, but thats me.

First impression of my friend: CRAZY. She had a comment on everything, which she somewhat silently muttered to all sitting around her. I really had thought she had spiked her drink , she just had that " Ive had a drink or two and I dont care" attitude. Made me laugh but even made me think she was crazier than first expected.

Dont know how we ended up bonded together. But we were. With husbands deployed having a friend to relate to is essential on getting through deployments. We had sewing nights, dug around Japanese second hand shops, and sleepovers followed up with amazing waffles and sausage.

During our friendship together in Japan I had my first child. I felt as though she was my sons second mommy and my lifeline to being SANE. She was my lifesaver and support.

Military life constantly sends you down different paths. Eventually we had to part ways , as our new duty station was back state side. Moving and children can keep you from keeping up with friends. Its not that you dont want to , but when you can even remember why you walked into the bathroom, things get forgotten.

Why I bring up my friend is because even though at times things can be forgotten , doesnt mean they dont have a place in your mind and heart. Since the time I left Japan , she has moved back stateside and has a little boy of her own. And thanks to Facebook we can peer into each other lives.

Which leads to the reason I'm doing this post. Today I challenged my friend into starting and completing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Of course her blunt southern personality wanted to know what I was doing with this Shakeology Mommy Experiment, and again her blunt southern personality pretty much told me she had better things to spend her money on :) That doesnt mean that she cant be on a 30 day workout program.

So Im putting her to the test here, she will follow all logs that are involved in my "experiment" with the exception of Shakeology of course AND stick to her 30 day shred. With the 30 day shred preparing her for INSANITY.

To you readers , some of you might think " ha no problem" but for my dear friend who when I asked if she liked fruit she replies " I only like clementines" ( in her southern accent) and what she call vegetables , are some kind of greens covered in butter and some cheese. ( Not that I'm hating, I always ate AWESOME at your house girl!). Now to stick to HEALTHIER eating might be a challenge. Now is my friend an obese rolling tub of lard , hell no. She just appreciates some good food , and after typing that out I'm starving.

But I'm on a mission people. To motivate and inspire my bestfriend with STICKING to this 30 DAY SHRED. I want her to feel the joy in losing weight, I want her endorphins kicking into gear so those happy thoughts are running all day long. I want her to feel strong and I want her to feel SEXY!

So now my friend , the world knows of our agreement. Take this opportunity to inspire others to take the challenge as well.