Fit Play Date with Fit Stella

Fit Stella arrived last week. She made herself right at home and had no trouble keeping up with our fit family.

We like to start our day with a little yoga.

We play outside at every opportunity and Fit Stella knows all about playouts.

Climbing is another way we get active around here. Fit Stella reached new heights.

The quality of our day is measured in the need for a bath.

Exercising our mind is important to us, too. We read every day. I was excited to see Fit Stella reading Hot Sweaty Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom. She knows a good book when she sees one.

We ended the week with a family bike ride.

But we know how to kick back around here, too.

And eat well. Mama Sweat is always looking for a healthy dish the kids will eat up complaint free. This is a hit with everyone, including Fit Stella: Creamy Basil Pesto Coleslaw.

Now it's time for Fit Stella to get fit with another family. You can follow her adventures over at http://fitstanley.com. Enjoy your travels Fit Stella. We'll miss you!

Update #7 from Mamacat

How is Mamacat doing these days? Remember, the end goal for her is the Bloomington Iron Girl Duathlon on September 25. 

Some days are good, as I learned in this report:

On my way out the door this morning for a bike ride before the heat set in, I bumped into my neighbor who was also on her way out for a ride. We ended up venturing off together, hitting a state trail and 17 miles later had a long ride under my belt for the day. It was nice to have company. She's a biker so keeping up with her was a good workout for me. 

Some days are more challenging:

I rode to Moms On The Run this morning, ran for 30 minutes and pushed myself harder than I have been. Then I proceeded to ride 17 miles up hilly terraine. If the duathlon was 2 miles running then 22 mile biking and that is all, I know I could do it. But the thought of getting back into running mode after already having run and done the bike ride does not sound like my body will love it. I won't give up but today this is a mental hurdle. Tomorrow is a new day and perhaps I'll forget how I would have rather put screws in my eyes than run again. On the flip side, I had a great ride and I'm comfortably exhausted. 

I told her that feeling of, "would rather put screws in my eyes than run again," is the training effect. She's pushing her body to new limits. The next time she'll get to that same place and be able to go farther. That's how you get stronger, but you never know until you push those boundaries. So what did she do? She pushed boundaries: 

I took a trip to the local Tri store to find some skorts that actually STAY in place and ended up not only with a few new cute outfits but also asking myself when my first triathlon would be. WHAT? Did I just say that? Before I picked up your book, I would have never in a million years even contemplated any kind of race and I actually had myself wondering if I could do a tri! It's a big question for myself but the first step is just thinking about it, right? You've influenced me in so many ways!!! 

She went from thinking about it to:

I am officially signed up for the "MY First Tri" out of Tri Fitness. I started swimming with the masters swim class on Thursday nights up at Square Lake. It is a deep, cold lake and you can see a lot of 'lake things' with your goggles on...that creeps me out. I did go ahead and rent a wetsuit and swimming was pretty easy peesy with that thing on. Getting the wetsuit on was like a bad spanx experience. Putting my swm cap on my fat little head and bulging eye goggles on top of that made me look more like a weeble than a snausage but heck, I tried it and it was fun.

I'm so proud of her and her bulging eye goggles I could bust out in a bad rendition of "We are the Champions." Oh, I know, she hasn't finished these races yet, but I believe signing up for the race is the hardest part. Committing. That's hard stuff. And Mamacat knows this as someone who has also battled alcohol addiction. Turns out her commitment to sobriety has a few things in common with her commitment to fitness:

Early in this journey, we said we'd talk about recovery and how one can committ to staying fit just as one commits to staying sober. It has not escaped me. And these worlds are not so far apart. It's about commitment, making habits, educating yourself and being present in the world you want to be living in. Right now. Not sometime, but right now.  Specifically, in an effort to stay sober one must do a few things and it's called "working a program." It's also called having all the tools you need to find success: 1) Make a routine to go to meetings. 2) Read The Big Book or any of AA/AA approved reading material when things start to get tough. READ READ READ to remember what it was like before you were sober and how great it is now that your are sober. 3) Surround yourself with sober people. 

In fitness it appears to be the same 1) Make a routine out if it. Go to your run club or your favorite weekly classes at the gym. See the same people in the same positive patterns. 2) Read. For me, I am reading Hot (Sweaty) Mamas when I need to get back on track. I carry it with me and it has become my Big Book. Any fitness related (read: inspiring) article or magazine will work, too. I like the fitness magazines as a second choice because I can pick up some much needed fashion tips. I now know who Lululemon is and she's not the skinny bitch in the Latte line. I've learned that running bras do come in big girl sizes, that there are more places to shop than the picked over fit section at Target, that neon is making a comeback! Lastly, 3) Surround yourself with fit people. I could go on and on here but I think you get my point. And you can tell I've had a good workout today because my endorphins are dancing. 

Keep dancing Mamacat! She's motivated and working hard. And like an answer to the Serenity Prayer she earned a massage with Serenity Now Healing Center. I know Mamacat knows what a good massage feels like, as this is her treat when traveling for business ("What else am I going to do," she says, "I can't go sit in a bar.") When I asked about her massage from Serenity Now her eyes rolled back in her head. She couldn't even find the words, just some "Aaahing" and "Ooohing." I think I could make out the words, "Sooooo Goooood." When training this hard I'm one to believe that a good massage is a necessity, not a luxury. We all need to include a massage in the "cost of doing fitness."

Now Mamacat is not only becoming a Hot (Sweaty) Mama, she's also becoming a triathlete. Want to give this first timer some encouragement? Any other similarities between living a fit life and sober life? How long has it been since you've had a massage? Too long?

Remove Strength Training and Watch Mommy Fall Apart

You know how people say things like, "getting old sucks," or "I can't do (fill in the blank) anymore," or "ever since I turned (insert age) my (insert body part) hurts all the time."

I don't buy it.

For sure, getting older is a lot more work. Think about that car with 100,000+ miles on it (I happen to drive one). An old car might require more maintenance than a new car, but it should still get from point A to B just as well.

But as moms, we also ask ourselves to do more with our body as we age. So, that sleek sports car that you used to be? Yeah, now you're a heavy duty truck with tow capacity. The problem is--if I may carry on with my car analogy--is that we too often become mini vans (no disrespect to mini van drivers) who can seat a lot of children but don't have the strength for the heavy lifting. And then, we skip the scheduled maintenance and the service appointments because we just. don't. have. time.

Low back pain. Knee pain. Hip pain. Shoulder pain. Do I go on?

I'm not being accusatory. The maladies above are my own.

As a long-time triathlete I have known I should lift weights and include strength training in my workout routine since I started all this craziness. But I was in my 20s. It just seemed I could get away with not doing strength work. Better to run or bike or swim! I thought the hip pain I had was an overuse injury. A lot of athletes think their injuries are overuse injuries. They might be, but I'm betting there's a fair amount of muscle imbalance and/or weakness going on.

Once I had kids though, I was forced--forced!--to lift weights, because as anyone who's ever picked up a newborn in a car seat for the first time knows, you almost fall over at the shock of the heft. Then your adorable little dumbbell gets bigger, almost daily. You're loading weight whether you want to or not. The most dangerous weightlifting move for a mom with a compromised core is putting down and picking up a baby out of a crib. And how many times a day do you do this?

I finally get it. I finally understand that I have to be strong. I have to make time to strengthen my muscles and I also have to make time to lengthen them. When I get the opportunity I treat myself to a Cross Fit class or yoga class. I love doing both. But sometimes I truly don't have the time to make a class. Does that mean I skip those workouts? No excuse for that. A few squats here and a few push ups there not only count, but contribute to the maintenance I need. How do I know? I learned the hard way.

As my summer got busier and the triathlon training increased, I did what I thought made the most sense. I skipped the strength work. Within weeks my hip pain returned. My shoulder ached. Then I picked up my toddler to go one way and he flung his body the other and my back was caught in the middle.

Like a fitness elimination diet, now I know what causes all that. Remove strength training and watch mommy fall apart.

In Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom we talk about the four ways to find time for fitness. When I can make time or take time for strength work I love going to a Cross Fit class and having the camaraderie of others to push me along with the advice and technique tips from the coaches. Often though I have to share time or snare time. There are options, lots of options for this. Cross Fit posts their workout of the day. For free. (Scroll down and look for workouts that don't require equipment.) I also keep hearing rave reviews about the Monkey Bar workouts.

One item that has been an enormous help with squeezing in strength work are the My Trainer Fitness Workout Cards. These workouts were developed by Carla Birnberg, who is also known as MizFit. While we've never met in the flesh, I virtually know her and so, when I'm doing these workouts I see her purdy picture and think I have a workout partner! Love tricking my brain like that!

These strength workouts are realistic. They are a no-excuses workout. They don't require an enormous chunk of time, minimal equipment (or none) is required, you can do these workouts in your backyard or your kitchen, kids can watch or join you. While they are not easy, they are easy to squeeze in. The cards can travel with you to the park, on a business trip or family vacation. They have filled in the gaps for my strength work and keep me on a "regular maintenance schedule."

My Trainer Fitness has provided a 6-pack of cards to give away. Could you use some no-excuses strength workouts? Is your engine strong enough to haul your kids? Tell me what body part gives out when you don't stay a step ahead of your strength routine and enter to win!

Lessons from Beginners

My almost 8-year-old daughters finished their first triathlon yesterday. My husband and I thought we knew all there was to know about triathlon. As it turned out we learned a few things from the beginners:

1) Swimming is more difficult when you can't touch the bottom. For those logical types, this won't make any sense. This makes PERFECT sense to me.

2) For some a race is not a competition but a journey. The girls swam in the same lane and one sister edged out the other by the end of the 50 meters. She didn't rush off to the transition. She waited for her sister. Some people race for the experience and sometimes the experience includes finishing with a special friend.

3) Safety comes first. It's just a race. Be careful out there. If you need to walk your bike down a steep hill, as one of my daughters did, there's no shame in that.

4) If you walk and no one sees, does it matter? A lot of the participants, including my daughters, walked some of the 1/2 mile run. Once the finish line (and the crowds) were visible, those kids made an enthusiastic charge. No matter how your race goes, a strong finish can leave you with a positive outcome.

5) Don't project your feelings on someone else's experience. I had to keep my fear and nerves to myself before the race, but it was important after the race too. This became especially apparent to me at the end of our long day when I asked my daughter, "Are you exhausted?" And she answered, "Am I supposed to be?"

6) The magic of the triathlon lingers as long as the numbers on your arms and legs stay on. As I tucked the girls into bed I saw one daughter still wearing her swimsuit (a brand new orange and pink suit from blueseventy) under her race t-shirt. More than 24 hours later you can still see her race number on her arms. I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on a bath now. Like the clock turning midnight, her coach will turn back into a pumpkin. Until the next race.

Wanted: Triathlon Assistant

Since I'll be doing my first triathlon of the year on Saturday--the Olympic-distance MPLS Triathlon--I was reminded of a column I wrote for www.xtri.com five years ago, when I returned to triathlon after a 3+ year "maternity leave." Even though I've kept at least a big toe in triathlon ever since, I still think about the usefulness of a "triathlon assistant" for tri moms before each race. If there was such a thing, this would be their job description:

Even though it began with a stressful start, my return to racing this summer was one of my most satisfying seasons (more about that in my next installment). But there's one thing that would have made triathlon more enjoyable: a Triathlon Assistant. I'm not talking about the adored Ironmate, the loving partner who schleps around gear, doles out good luck hugs and kisses as needed and/or keeps a safe distance when necessary, then cheers you on at every possible mile and then finds you at the finish line to pick up the pieces and haul your salty, crunchy, stinky, weary, bleary self to a place-anywhere-where you can lie prone.

No, I'm talking about the need for a new profession. The triathlon assistant is every busy (and aren't we all) triathlete's dream. Somebody, I tell you, can make some money. I realize triathlon is a "new" sport, but I can't believe no one has thought of this. Entrepreneurs out there, take heed.

The triathlon assistant's first assignment is to research and present the best possible race options for you and sign you up before any of them fill to capacity. This is important. Everyone knows you hardly have time to sneeze after crossing the finish line before registration opens and--sneeze again--closes.

Actually, when the race doesn't fill immediately is when you get lackadaisical. This happened to me. There was one particular race I had intended on being a key event of my summer, but I didn't sign up in time. I kept thinking about signing up. In fact, I thought about signing up so often that I assumed I was in. I wasn't. The race filled. I had to rely on my skills of persuasion to get in (I did get in, but I have had to write poetry to get into a race before, so I have honed this particular skill.) Thing is, I don't want to do that; I want to be signed up like every other register-abiding triathlete. I could follow the rules easier if I had a triathlon assistant. (Speaking of rules, the triathlon assistant could also remind you of race rules, if you're a little rusty on those, too. This means you could tune out during that pre-race meeting in good conscience.)

The triathlon assistant's job isn't to help you train (that's why you hire a coach) but he can help you find a coach, or-for an added fee-elevate your training experience by reminding you of key workouts or the need to stretch, restocking engineered food and beverages before you run out, and buying your clothing and equipment before you have an opportunity to, say, develop an injury because you've worn the same running shoes for nine months.

Case in point. My 50-lap Timex Watch died. It had served me well, including both of my Ironmans and both of my births, which really put that lap function to work timing contractions. I put the watch away, knowing it needed the rest. Instead I ran with my one-lap heart rate monitor and didn't remember the greatness of the 50-lap watch until days before my come-back triathlon.

On the grand list of things to do before my race, replacing this watch battery wasn't going to happen. However, I would have paid a triathlon assistant to replace the battery for me.

My bike also needed a tune up in a bad way. Part of my obstacle was packing up the bike and the three small children (3-year-old twins and a 16-month old), then getting the bike and them safely in the store. Then repeating the process on the other end. Just thinking about it wore me out. I was supposed to be tapering and that sounded like a lot of work. Not for a triathlon assistant. A triathlon assistant would also be part stylist, making sure you have the perfect race attire (functional and fashionable.) This was a big problem for me this year. As I've mentioned, I'm in no mood to wear two-piece tri suits anymore and the tri shorts I had were two sizes too big. My shopping experiences have been reduced to Super Target. If they don't carry the merchandise, I don't buy it. Super Target rocks: Every mother's dream is to purchase a bra and bananas in one place. But as far as I know, they have yet to stock triathlon attire. I should have shopped online, yes, I know, but that takes forethought. Now we're talking days before the race and exorbitant shipping costs. So I hit the expo and bought a one piece tri swimsuit with that nifty pad in the crotch. Perfect! And it was on sale for half price! What a deal! Exactly what I wanted!

Until I got on the bike and I felt like I had on a tri-thong.

Not that I care what everyone else is wearing, but a cursory glance around the transition area told me this one-piece tri swimsuit thing just wasn't what triathletes wore anymore. My suspicion was confirmed at the next race when I ran into an old friend and I was whining about my "come back" and all there was to think about-how much triathlon had changed in almost four years.

"Well," he says, "At least you're not wearing one of those "Speedo-type suits."

"Yeah, actually I am," I said. And then I did not want to remove my hip sporty skirt that I wore over my uncool swimsuit. Would a triathlon assistant allow me to race in public that way? I don't think so.

The triathlon assistant idea came to me at packet pick up for my first race of the season. Packet pick up used to be one of the cursory pre-race tasks. Something I did after work, before heading home for a bowl of pasta and a relaxing beer. This time around I had to hire a babysitter. This, so I could make the 45-minute drive to the tri shop without my band of gypsies. But when I got to the tri shop, I was informed that packet pickup didn't start for another two hours. I won't do you the disservice of printing all the expletives that came pouring out of my mouth. The guy working at the store thought I was a real classy lady.

Sure I had read what time packet pick-up started, but it was only the date that I retained. A triathlon assistant would remember both date and time AND pick up the packet for me (probably for the same cost as hiring a sitter, but I would retain the right to leave said triathlon assistant with my kids if I needed to get out of the house alone.)

But the triathlon assistant isn't just for the ding-dongs like me. I shared my idea with my friend, who races in the elite division. She is the mother of 2 ½-year-old and 10-month-old sons. While she is thrilled to be racing as well as she is the burden to balance training and breastfeeding, racing after a sleepless night with a screaming child, or tuning up your bike while making sure the toddler doesn't insert the allen wrench in a light socket has, well, taken a teeny tiny bit of fun out of the sport.

She could win races and have fun with the help of a triathlon assistant. She knows this because most of her competitors are younger, childless women. "They have a triathlon assistant," she laments. "It's their mother!"

And why not have the triathlon assistant set up our transition areas for us, too? Wouldn't that be awesome? Short of using the port-a-potty for you, what could a triathlon assistant not do?

Maybe the busy, high powered executive will want to hire the triathlon assistant, but I tell you, the athletes who need them most are women with children (working outside the home, in the home, stay-at-home, no matter, it's all hard.) There's just so much to juggle and despite the fact triathlon is often regarded as a "self-centered" sport, if you're the primary caregiver of children, there is nothing "centered" about your life, and it most certainly isn't yourself. In fact, the triathlon assistant's mission is to take over the function of being self-centered for you.

Sound like the job for you? You're hired! 

Observations

A few things I learned over the Fourth holiday weekend:

1) Only female mosquitos bite. It seems (my personal observation) that females outnumber males by 5 to 1.
2) Ticks like hitching a ride on private parts. (So I'm told, not my personal observation, thank goodness.)
3) Don't try to get up on one water ski after cycling 30+ miles. (Personal observation; I skied on my face).

I also summed up "Everything I've Learned About the Pelvic Floor," over at Hot (Sweaty) Mamas. There will be more to explore about the pelvic floor. Stay tuned!