PowerBar_Fitness_Community

Pictures, Pictures & More Pictures

This post is going to contain a bit of randomness for a multitude of reasons, but the majority of which have to do with A. the fact that I am wickedly tired and can't come up with an actual topic / sentence structure to save my life and am too tired to work and B. the fact that Kyle says I write blisteringly LONG posts with no pictures. Well, I'll show you Kyle.  I've got LOTS of pictures.  Do they make sense together.  Nope, not a chance.  Do I feel they are actually fairly representative of my life somehow when you put them all together - heck yeah!
Quick updates, training is going well. I've been attempting to turn into one of those meticulous people who runs around the parking lot with their watch until it finally says EXACTLY 1:14:00 or whatever my coach gives me. I kid you not that some of my runs are 1:07 or bikes are 5:53.  Yep, no rounding here and no slacking in the QT2 world!  It's an exact science am I'm trying to learn to execute like it's my job because one day, it could maybe, possibly (but it's a long shot) support me!  I'm definitely going down trying for a few years or so and I trust the plan so here's to me becoming somewhat of a tri-geek (not meant in a bad way, I really love you "runner around the parking lot people" and in fact, want to be MORE like you :) 
While I've been doing my best to put together EXACTLY what is on the schedule, I've been working with my athletes which I have actually capped for the year so that is a great year.  No more peeps this year!  A waiting list for next year has now been developed!  I'm staying with a lower number so that I can really focus and do proper job with attention to detail for each of them.  
So, without further ado of too much writing (yes, yes, Kyle, I HEAR you :)  Here are some pictures from the last week or so!   In no particular order!   
 Standing one legged squat that I've been working on for added hip stability and strength.  It's a great way to improve your overall running stride because what we DON'T want is a dropping hip during our run stride.

It's a great exercise and here is how you do it in an article from Matt Fitzgerald "Finding Your Core" from www.active.com.   Just a note, I should have had my foot bent BEHIND me not in front.  You get the idea :)


Single-Leg Squat
Trains the hip abductors and external rotators to maintain hip stability during a single leg movement similar to runningStand on one foot and bend the other leg 90 degrees. Lower your butt slowly toward the floor, keeping most of your weight on the heel of your support foot. Squat as low as you can without your butt moving to one side or the other (a sign that other muscles have begun to pick up the stabilization slack). Return to the start position. Do eight to 10 squats on each foot. Progress by squatting deeper and/or by adding repetitions.
 I've been seeing so many animals when I'm out running and biking lately.  These were a few of the cute alpaca's at a farm near where we live!  Just grazing and living the good life!
 I always talk to them when I run by.  Man do you ever wish you could just know what these guys were thinking!  All of them stare me down and so far, have never said anything back! Let's call them Billy 1, Billy 2, Billy 3, and Little Billy.. what do you say!?
 A great fish tale I found while I was out riding!  Oh the mailboxes that I find while I'm out riding in the hills and dales!  Unbelievable!  Of course, this was the mailbox for a fishing camp, of course!
 Love, Love, Loved this sign!  So true and I think it applies to everyone!!  Get out there and GET after it!
 My favorite smoothie ingredients!  Just add about 1/2 cup Organic Red Fat Milk to about a cup of frozen strawberries or mixed berries, greek yogurt, another 1/4 cup water or orange juice and of course, some protein powder.  I used Powerbar because I am sponsored by them and it's a great whey protein, but you can go with your budget needs etc.  So so delicious and great for within that 30-40 min post workout window!!

 I headed to Portland this weekend to attend my first meeting as an Executive Committee member for SCAN which is Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition members.  We are involved in supporting the other 7000 members of our group with continuing education, conferences and other great opportunities to learn and grow as a Registered Dietitian.  I was very thankful to have the honor of joining these exceptional people to learn from them and get to make a difference.  It will be an exciting year and a LOT of work, but very cool.
 Don't you love hotel gyms..  NOT.  I did not enjoy riding on this bike for my three days there, but hey, what are you going to do.  Sometimes you just have to get er done.
 My coach is now incorporating TRX.  I like the idea, learning how to use it when you are uncoordinated, not so easy (especially when you've only watched the video like once).  Think - Kim in her hotel room attempting to get into all these positions and then messing up and getting lots of rug burn.  Not so fun!
 This I saw on Facebook, stole and love!  So true!!
 A big thank you to Newton for supporting our Ballou Skies team this year with shoes!! Yes!  

That's about it~!  Hope you enjoy the randomness but realness of this post!  This is my life, it's crazy and it's erratic but it's all mine and I love it!! So many exciting races this weekend!!  Great job to everyone out there who put themselves on the line and gave it their all!!!!!!!!!!

In health,
Kim

Limitless

I don't remember much about kinder garden or even first grade, but I do remember a question I was asked many times throughout my youth and of course my high school years as graduation and college was rapidly approaching "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  


It was a fun question when I was little.  The answers varied from a scientist or beauty queen to an architect or teacher.  When we're young we really have no idea, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming.  Our imagination is endless, as are the possibilities.  There are no limits as to what we can be and the world around tells us so.  Parents encourage us, teachers provide support and each time we slip and fall we are quickly whisked back up into the arms of someone catching us.  


When we get older it gets a little harder.  Limits and fears, real or perceived, are always looming in the background.  "What if I don't choose the right major?"  "What if I fail this class, will I be able to be an __insert engineer, teacher, etc.__."  We start over-thinking and over-analyzing what we are or are not capable of either because somewhere along the way someone told us that we couldn't or because society placed some idea in our head that became the reality for our life personally. 


Sometimes limits are good, they protect us from getting hurt, give us a healthy more realistic view of what we can or cannot do or just place a boundary in our life that needs to be placed.  


Those really aren't the kind of limits I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about the kind that have stopped us from having the wild and crazy dreams or ideas for our life.  The kind that have stopped us from setting the bar too high because someone told us that we might be disappointed when things didn't work out. 


Photo: Susan McManus/Premier Event Management

This post is about many things, but it is also about triathlon (surprise, surprise right!?).  I keep coming back to the race by Sarah Piampiano this weekend.  She's one of our rookie 30-34 pro class this season who did exceptionally well last year, but had a seriously amazing breakthrough race this past weekend.  While I was watching the race unfold I knew something truly special was transpiring.  Sarah wasn't the favorite, in fact, most people there probably didn't know who Sarah even was!  She was a new kid, a rookie, a bit inexperienced seeing as it was only her third professional race and she was stepping up to the line with the likes of World Champions and Ironman Champions galore.  Sarah had a secret though, she believed.  She didn't necessarily believe she would win, but she believed in herself, her abilities and that she was capable of having an exceptional day out there.  When that day started to unfold, she didn't cower at the prospect or back off when she was out in front putting in a scorching fast bike split and in front of the other girls.  She put her head down and she let go of her limits.  She faced her fears and decided that even though her fastest half marathon run off the bike was previously 1:29, she could hold 6:00 min to 6:10 pace.  When she crossed the line with a 7 min run PR she was elated but shocked by the entire day.  Sarah is an amazingly talented athlete, but what impressed me most was the courage it took to race that way on that particular day. That my friends was putting the mental and physical pieces together in a way that the puzzle snapped into place and rewarded her with a win that she so deserved!  It was gusty and tough and it couldn't have happened to a nicer girl!  Make sure you read the link above!  She has a really neat story! 


Imagine if Sarah had let the thoughts creep in that she couldn't possibly beat those girls because of who they were.  Imagine if she had questioned her own ability to run that fast and decided to back off.  Champions have a way of taking calculated risks, but that are risks none the less.  If Sarah had decided to place those limits on herself, I am 100% convinced she wouldn't have had the race she did.  It would have been impossible.  


Sometimes I think back to Ironman Lake Placid 2011.  It was such a special day for me in so many ways.  Being there with Branden from MADE and the camera crew that I'd spent my last month with working day in and day out to film the show, Kyle, his Mom and Robert standing by and cheering me on, my friends and Ballou Skies Teammates racing.  It was just an incredible experience and day.  


Lake Placid was my third Ironman.  My two previous marathon runs off the bike at the other Ironmans were 3:33 and 3:30.  The entire day I'd given myself permission to just let go.  Partly because my training had been so dang sporadic leading up to the race and partly because I finally gave my day up to my maker and I believed his plan was better than any plan I could have for myself.  Now, sometimes I say things like that, but I secretly hold on.. I try to GRIP the race tight and MOLD it into what I want.  Those kind of races almost always turn out badly.  Lake Placid was different.  I had a peace about that day I have never felt.  If I would have finished dead last, I wouldn't have been overjoyed, but I was just so happy to be out competing and honestly, considering my last month, I was just happy to be healthy and able to race.  I enjoyed every second from start to finish.   I followed my plan, but I didn't "expect" anything in particular and had an attitude of THANKFULNESS vs. "the race and my training owes me this and that".  As the bike rolled on I started feeling strong, getting excited and just smiled and loved the experience.  When I hit the run and my legs felt great I started running at 7:00 min pace.  WAY out of my league.. and better than most of my half ironman runs!  In fact, when I passed one guy on the run he said "You better slow down" and I almost (ALMOST ;) listened to him. 

Sometimes thoughts would try to creep in "Who do you think you are Kim?? You can't hold this together until the end of the marathon"  Then I'd give it up.  I'd let it go just as easily as it came.  I decided to listen to my body and my heart and both said I could keep going or well, maybe I'd keel over right before the finish line and that would be the end of my day, either way I decided was just fine.  This day was a gift and I intended to squeeze every last bit out of it! 




That day I set a new run PR by 13 mins for a 3:17 marathon 7:30 per mile.  


Now, I'm not suggesting that athletes go out there and do crazy paces or speeds that they haven't tried / proven in training.  I said "calculated" risk.  You'll notice that about the article that I linked to Sarah's name earlier.  She'd not only done her homework, she had some idea that on a good day, she could hold it.  That's where it starts my friends.  Training is our testing ground, our proving ground and our confidence building ground.   As any good coach knows, that's where the rubber meets the road and we make the gains needed to PUT those kind of races together.  

However, no major PR like that EVER starts with thoughts or statements to others like "Well, I couldn't possibly ____ insert swim like that, bike at XX miles per hour, run at X:XX pace because"  well, because whatever, so- and so- did and they were faster than you, or someone told you once that you just weren't "that" athlete.  Sometimes we have to break down those limits in our own mind in training before we can ever attack them on the race course.  


I could never run 7:30 on that hilly of a course for 26.2 in training, but I did run 21 at 7:15-7:20 pace about five weeks before :)  So, my body knew even if I didn't.  Even if my mind told me no, it was my choice to listen or not. 

So no matter what we are talking about here.. if its moving to a place you've always wanted to live, making a career change that requires you change everything else about your life, or just your next triathlon, stop thinking about limits like they are insurmountable.  Sure, it might not happen on your first try, but at some point, you'll break through what you thought you could do and boy is that sweet when that happens.  Set out on the path less traveled and don't be afraid of where it leads you.  You might just discover that it was where you were supposed to be all along! 

Don't Let It Break Your Heart

And if I lost the map
If I lost it all
Or fell into the trap
Then she'd call

When you're tired of racing
And you find you never left the start
Come on over baby
Don't let it break your heart


I'm caught in kind of a strange place these days.  I feel like I started the season over again after Galveston.  At night I'd lay my head down excited about the upcoming training and adventure, but tentatively realizing it felt like I had a long way to go.  New coach, new race plan, new start.. in April.  Then Jo died and I questioned everything.  


If I've learned anything from Jo it was to follow your path, your "calling" per say.  She certainly did that every day of her life.  It sure did throw me for a loop though.  Instead of running in Z1 like I was supposed to last Tuesday I found myself running as hard as I could.. from what....I have no idea.  I started out just like prescribed and then I ran faster, and faster, and my feet were on fire and my lungs were burning and I had to keep running. I was free for a second, untouched by fear or pain or sorrow.  Running has always been that place.  It's that place where I could let go, hide, think, suffer, feel the life around me, feel my own soul, wants, needs, dreams, and wishes.  It's the place I go to when I feel lost and confused or happy, thankful and filled with gratitude.  Those shoes are part of the key to unlock the door to my heart.  Sometimes it's hard to tap into that part of myself any other way.  


After I screwed up that workout royally I emailed my coach "Sorry Jesse, every time I looked down I was running wayyy harder/faster than I was supposed to.  Going through some emotional stuff and I just needed to run."  He seemed to understand.  Sometimes it has to be about more than the workout.  The workouts can't dictate everything about my life.  Much of it, yes, but everything.. no. I'm still human and dang it maybe I just needed to feel FAST for one minute.  I miss feeling that way.. feel like it's been too long.  
This past weekend I watched everyone race and I was a bit envious.  It's an awesome, scary, fun, amazing thing to step up to a start line when you're prepared and ready to execute.  It's never easy, but that's what makes it fun.  I watched my Ballou Skies Teammates rip it up and give it everything and my heart swelled up with pride and gratitude for their races.  It was a little hard missing out.. but patience is the name of the game right now.  It's not the glamorous word.  It's not the fun word.  It's the put your head down and do the work like you are supposed to word.  It's the consistency, the day, in day out nailing it.  It's the admitting that you screwed up and you can do better because you KNOW better, word (like I did TWICE last week).  
I want to race like the wind again.  I want to feel the anticipation of the starting line and the wind in my hair as I dig into the places I can only find between the start and the finish.  Where I find out new things about myself and why I love this sport.  Where pain and I become one and we make friends in a weird and strange way.  Believe it or not, that's where I find part of my joy.  Where I feel close to my maker and understanding the intensity of his suffering more deeply.  Nothing peels away the layers of my character quite like when I'm out there.  I miss that place.  It's not always easy to find that kind of peace and when you do, you have to take it where you can get it and hold on to it tightly. 
So many things in this word break our heart. Things and people beat us down and try to strip us of our dreams.  It's cruel, but it's just the way life works.  One day here, the next day gone, people walk out of our lives either willingly or unwillingly and frankly, we are never the same.  Some love stories are short, but that doesn't mean there is any less love in them.  Knowing that our dreams are worth holding on to, that their possibilities are endless and that nothing is truly impossible should keep us patiently waiting, working and believing even when the odds aren't in our favor.  I believe in my dreams, I did once, and I do again. I believe in the power of the human spirit and I believe in the goodness of people, supporting each other and helping each other along their way.  
For now, I'm just waiting.. patiently for my turn to get out there and test myself once again.  Believe in the plan my friends, the calling for your life.  Find the places where you feel it near to you and hold on to them.  Life is way to short to do what others think you should because "that's what you've always done." 
Life can get pretty rough sometimes, but don't let it break your heart. 




Though heavily we bled
Still on we crawl
Try to catch a cannonball
And a slowly burning tide
Through my veins it's flowing
From my shipwreck I heard her call
And she sang

When you're tired of aiming your arrows,
Still you never hit the mark
Even in your rains and shadows
Still we're never gonna part

Come on over baby

Don't let it brake your heart
Don't let it break your heart
Coldplay.. Don't Let It Break Your Heart

Fearlessness

I used to think of this word associated with only certain things, people from history like William Wallace in the movie "Braveheart" or other people who changed the course of so many lives with their actions. I no longer really think that.
Let me explain.
On Monday only three things kept running through my mind as I stood in the weight room, tears streaming down my face.
1. We're only 32, we're too young to have people's parents passing away.2. What about the Grandchildren, they'll only remember bits and pieces about their Grandmother. She won't be there to see them grow up.3. Cancer sucks
At 3:00am Monday morning one of our closest childhood friends Mother passed away. Chad was Kyle's best friend and it would be fair to mention that Chad had an extremely rough childhood / teenage years so they had been through an awful lot together. I've known Chad just as long as Kyle but we don't have quite the same bond.
Chad's Mother Jo had a profound impact on so many people's lives, Kyle and I can certainly can speak for her impact on ours. After going through some extremely emotional scarring events she manged to raise three children to become some outstanding individuals. All on her own (with the help of her friends and family) to be respectful, smart, loving productive adults. For Kyle and I, she was a pillar of strength and courage in a time when our marriage was falling apart. She never once required us to be anything but ourselves, our broken, scared, falling apart selves and she met us right where each of us were. She never stopped believing in the power of faith and that it would hold us tightly together even when we couldn't see the ropes.
She never re-married, she spent her time teaching, tutoring, giving of her time, energy and heart to others. She had a special heart for children and her Christian ministry to them spans 20 years.
What changed my meaning of that word "Fearlessness" was stories about Jo in her last days. My Aunt Dena stopped by and we spoke about this word in depth and what it means to each of us just the week before. After beating Cancer herself she's giving a lot of time to expressing her emotions and re-examining her entire life. I wonder what would happen if we all had that kind of perspective! Anyway, in the last days Jo would talk about how "she wished everyone could feel the kind of joy she was experiencing from God at that moment" and finally "how she was ready to go home." She wasn't afraid of what was next, she opened her arms wide and invited it in. It's so rare we look at situations like this and get to see a true saint preparing to meet her maker. We admire her strength and courage, even her fearlessness, but at the same time, realize she's just following her path, the path laid out specifically for her.
So while I'm worrying about mundane things this week like heart rates, paces and whether to ride my bike inside or out, I think of how small these things are in a life scheme and how I want to try to be more like Jo, touching the lives of so many others.. somehow, someway.. maybe in my own way with my own gifts, but somehow.
Hug your loved ones tight today. Tell them how much they mean to you and how blessed you are to have them in your life. I was blessed by a women named Jo Nellis. She showed me a true example of selflessness and fearlessness that I will never forget. She encouraged me, believed in me and loved me no matter what kind of state I was in.
I will miss you dearly Jo, and my heart goes out to your family as they say goodbye to you today, but just for now.

Getting It Done and Great Quinoa Black Bean Healthy Recipe

These days it's allabout getting the work done.




























There's nothing particularly exciting going on, but surprisingly, I'm really liking it. I feel calm, I move day to day with a renewed sense of hope and excitement and I completely trust the path I'm on.
When I'm not training, it's been working, celebrating Kyle's Birthday this past week and doing a career fair this week to try to explain to high school boys & girls what I do for a living. Needless to say, that was a real trip! It was a lot of fun and I'll post some pictures soon!
I've been meaning to post this recipe for ages! The amazing cook / athlete / fashionista Heidi made this for me when I was down at NOLA 70.3 last year and here we are a year later and I am STILL loving this recipe! I make it frequently because it's easy, has great protein and fiber and is so so delicious reheated again and again!
Quinoa is an AWESOME ancient grain that everyone should get to know. It has all NINE essential amino acids and is of course a whole grain (of which you should be having for half your servings every day!).
Enjoy the recipe!Quinoa and Black Beans Ingredients: 1 tsp vegetable or olive oil 1 onion chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (or my way is the garlic in a jar already chopped) 1.5 cups vegetable broth ¾ cup uncooked quinoa 1 teaspoon ground cumin <<** style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> 1 teaspoon ground cumin Other ingredients: ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained Little salt and pepper 1 cup frozen corn kernels ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Heat Oil in a medium saucepan over med. Heat. Stir in onion and garlic until lightly browned. Mix in quinoa into saucepan with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 mins. Stir in frozen corn, black beans and continue to simmer until heated. Top with cilantro and mix in when ready to serve.