Hotel Gym

We went up to Wisconsin Dells this week, since the kids were out of school. I always like to check out the hotel gym, when we stay somewhere. I got a great laugh out of the name of their gym, EDGE FITNESS. How suitable.

Jason Edge ... You're an Ironman!

As I posted earlier this fall, my husband, Jason, completed Ironman Wisconsin in September and the kids and I are so incredibly proud of him. He did an awesome job!! It was such a long year of training for him and balancing family and work. But, he did it.

I'm so glad I was able to capture this moment on video. Every finisher gets to hear their name announced and they officially call them an Ironman. It's so very memorable and I love that you can hear Paige cheering him on (in between my cries of overhwhelming joy!!).

Jason Edge ... You're an Ironman!

Marathon Mommy Minivan

So ... I begged and I begged and I begged for a mini van since Jackson was born (almost two years ago). My Ford Focus just wasn't cutting it with two kids, the errands, etc. So, my birthday gift to myself was my minivan this year!!! And, it is one of the BEST purchases I've ever made.

I don't think we could've survived this summer without it. We went on so many "destination races" around the midwest, that it was awesome for traveling, throwing in all of our running and triathlon gear and gave us all plenty of room for comfort. We were even able to leave Jason's tri bike in the van and didn' thave to bring it into the hotel rooms with us. It was fabulous.

The mini van was a blessing for the day of Ironman Wisconsin. We had that thing packed with gear, coolers, chairs ... you name it. I had a blast decking out the entire van in support of Jason that weekend.

I even have decked it out and personalized it with some things that are totally "me". I purchased these cute stickers on CafePress this summer. I love that the 26.2 sticker is a little different than the norm and it's a little girly, too.

This is my favorite and I've had a lot of people chuckle at it. My customized liscense plate frame says "Marathon Mommy ... 26.2 miles of peace and quiet". So incredibly true!!!!!

I love how our new family vehicle is totally me and totally an expression of what our family has become ... healthy, active and on-the-go.

Schedule it. Track it . Run it.

Since we've had children our lives have become pretty scheduled (even our unscheduled free time seems to be scheduled!). The four of us seem to thrive on it. I schedule my to do list, schedule some of our meals, schedule date time with the hubby, schedule one-on-one time with both kids individually and I also schedule my workouts.

Since this is my fourth year of "training", I tend to just do what works for me instead of a strict training program (other than full marathon training last year). It has been successful for me, since I've found that races seem to be more mental than anything. I keep getting a little faster with time, so I must be doing something right. Although, I'm sure I would really thrive from a strict training program.

I write all of my workouts on my calendar (and yes, I still keep a paper calendar). When I schedule a half marathon, I alternate my long runs on Sunday, to stay in tune with a true training program. Seeing my workout as an appointment for myself seems to hold me more accountable.

Then, I try to log all of my workouts in my training log for the ENTIRE WEEK. This also holds me more accountable. Who wants to hit the stop button on the treadmill at mile 8, when you're supposed to be running 12 miles that day?? I would feel totally bummed to have to go back in and edit my mileage for that day.

I use the online running log at: http://www.runnersworld.com/

This (below) is my usual (attempted) schedule every week, unless "life gets in the way". I work Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and am home with my son on Mondays and Fridays. I've adjusted my training schedule to accommodate my "free time".

Since my husband also trains, we have to alternate our time training and our time with our children. I feel like we've found a good balance. In the evenings, one of us usually works out at 8pm (usually me) and the other at 9pm (usually Jason), after the kids are both in bed.

This summer, when Jason was training for Ironman, I didn't usually get all of my workouts or distances in. But, I pretty much tried to stick to this routine. This summer, I was doing my Tuesday/Thursday workouts at 4:15 in the morning before work (I start at 6:30 AM). But, now that Ironman is over, I'm WAY over that!

Sunday - Longish run during morning or afternoon of 9-12 miles

Monday - 6 miles during day on TM with the little guy (day off work)

Tuesday - 3-4 miles in evening on TM or outside

Wednesday - Rest Day

Thursday - 3-4 miles in evening on TM or outside

Friday - 6 miles during day on TM with the little guy (day off work)

Saturday - 3-6 miles during morning or afternoon

I'm really happy if I get about 30 miles in a week.

What holds you accountable for your workouts? I'm interested in hearing what works for you??

Dane County Girls on The Run -- In the News

I love that this made my local news! If you're in the Madison, WI area, please join me on November 14 for another GOTR race, the Innaugural 5K run in Waunakee.

Video: Groups Help Teenagers Feel Better About Their Bodies

Article: http://www.channel3000.com/family/21143016/detail.html

Groups Help Teenagers Feel Better About Their Bodies
Experts Give Advice To Parents

It's not easy for young people these days to feel comfortable with their own body image, some experts say.
Airbrushed images in the media set impossible standards for many young people to meet.
"Society puts an incredible amount of pressure on girls to act a certain way and to conform to a certain standard for beauty and what's OK," said Sara Pickard, executive director of Girls On The Run, a local program that helps pre-teen girls feel good about themselves both physically and emotionally.
Pickard said there are some things that parents can do to help their children during this impressionable age.
"The main mission of girls on the run is to help educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self respect and healthy living," she said. "We target girls in (the) third, fourth and fifth grades because it's at that critical age where we can really make the most impact."
About 20 years ago, the average age of a girl who started dieting was 14. Today, it's 8 years old, WISC-TV reported.
A recent study by Seventeen magazine found young girls are more afraid of getting fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer or losing their parents.

However, girls exposed to physical activity have higher levels of self esteem, experts said.
"They really do learn that it's as important and more important actually to celebrate and really understand what our bodies can do instead of focusing on what our bodies look like," Pickard said.
Girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies often turn to cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgeon Dr. Clifford King said he spends a lot of time counseling teenagers considering such procedures.
“You don't want to have someone have surgery because somebody said something to them," he said. "I think it's important that that person feels themselves that they want to have the surgery and not because someone said to them, 'Your nose is large.'"
Nationally, the number of such cosmetic surgery procedures is on the rise, but surgery isn't always the answer.
"I think if they're overall just unhappy with themselves, addressing one area of their appearance is not going to make a real big difference on the other end of the surgery," King said.
King said parents of girls and boys need to be very careful about criticizing their own bodies. Even subtle comments about feeling fat or looking fat in certain clothes can be more destructive than you think.
Girls On The Run is hosting a 5K run in Dane County on Nov. 14. The event, in Waunakee, is open to the public.
Copyright 2009 by Channel 3000.

Edge Multisport

My husband, Jason, is currently working hard on promoting our multisport team of athletes and I personally wanted to share a bit about our group of "non elite" athletes.

EDGE MULTISPORT is an exclusive multisport team consisting of ameteur endurance athletes. Our athletes are runners, cyclists (road and mountain), and triathletes of all genders, beliefs, and goals. Based in the Madison, WI area with athlete representation in Colorado, and North Carolina, membership is by exclusive invitation, and provides benefits to its members thanks to unique corporate sponsorship.Founded in 2009, EDGE MULTISPORT promotes and encourages its athletes to compete and train together at a challenging level. Not exclusive to elite athletes, EDGE Multisport is however exclusive to athletes who promote team concepts and non-snobbery. Some of our athletes just happen to be elite. Additionally, EDGE MULTISPORT is assembled based on the ability of our athletes to be positive brand ambassadors for our corporate sponsors as well as for our respective athletic abilities.

Visit us online at: http://www.edgemultisport.com/

Product Review: owater -- come for the label; come back for the taste

After my recent post about owater , I received a follow-up email from Amy from owater! She noticed I hadn't actually tried the product I was raving about and offered to send me some samples to try! How awesome is that?! A few days later, this lovely box arrived at my door, filled with owater products. I was able to try a variety of infused owater and unsweetened owater flavors.

I had a longish run planned for Sunday, of 10 miles (on the treadmill, ugh!). So, I decided to give it a try. I tried a bottle of strawberry unsweetened owater, followed by the infused owater in coconut flavor. I must say, I had the MOST AWESOME long treadmill run experience to date. I never even opened up my package of Sports Beans!! Which is completely unheard of in my world. The unsweetened strawberry was awesome and refreshing. The strawberry taste wasn't overly-sweet or over-powering. It was just right, to quench my thirst. ZERO CALORIES and ELECTROLYTE ENHANCED. That 20 oz bottle went down like a charm. During the second half of my workout, I tried the infused coconut-flavored water. The 17 foz bottle has approximately 70 calories, 9 g carboyhydrates and has ELECTROLYTES. I must say, I was really interested in this coconut flavor and admittedly a little scared during my first gulp. I wasn't sure what to expect. But, it was the coolest thing ever. The after-taste had just a little bit of coconut flavor ... just the right amount. At one point (maybe I was going a little crazy 80 minutes into my treadmill run), I was pretending I was running on the beach! Needless to say, I had a great experience using owater during my training run. I never felt sluggish or overly thirsty. I felt energetic and had a bounce in my step the entire 90 mins I was on the treadmill.

To date, I have also tried the unsweetened wild berries flavor (not while working out). It was just as good and refreshing. I enjoyed trying these out and can't wait to try the other flavors I have been offered to try. I will surely by more, the next time I see them at the store.

I loved that the beverage was clear and had no articificial colors. How many of us worry about making a mess during a long run, only to find out later that we've stained our cute, new running top? How many times have you poured the Gatorade over your head instead of the water?! No problem with this stuff!!

I must also note that the bottles are really nice and sturdy -- especially those used to hold the infused version. I'm saving them to refill, because they are so nice; not to mention the cute labels on the front!

And, these labels. They are the cutest things I've ever seen! And each one has a story. You are sure to find someone JUST LIKE YOU!!!! I love it. That's what initially attracted me to this product.

That's why I've titled this post "come for the label; come back for the taste"

Check out all of the labels online at: http://www.owater.com/people/index.php

Infused owater:

Infused owater is everything you want from a sports drink and none of the junk you don't. It's pure water with replenishing electrolytes and revitalizing antioxidants. The formula is clear and all natural and not too sweet.

-40% less sugar than others inthe sports drink category

-Sweetened witha touch of pure cane sugar

-Unique owater electrolyte and antioxidant formula

-Refreshing, all-natural fruit flavors for great taste

-Clear--product has no added coloring or neon hype

-Diverse flavor mix including coconut and blueberry

Unsweetened owater:

Unsweetened owater is the perfect electrolyte drink with a little bit of natural fruit flavor and no sugars or fake sweeteners. It's complete hydration that's refreshing and not sweet. Think of a glass of cool water with a slice of lemon ... or lime, strawberry, peach, wild berries or mandarin orange! No sugar. No sweeteners. Electrolyte enhanced.

-ZERO CALORIES PER BOTTLE

-No sugars or artificial sweeteners

-Natural fruit flavor profile

-Clean and refreshing real fruit taste

-owater electrolyte formula for complete hydration

Sport owater:

Sport owater is simply that; pure water charged with replenishing electrolytes. Sport owater helps keep your body in balance and your head in the game, no matter what the sport. It's a completely hydrating water for atheletes. ZERO CALORIES!

Check out owater online at: http://www.owater.com/

Displaying your Accomplishments (a little prettier)

I'm always looking for a better (and a little prettier!) way to display our medals and accomplishments. I came across these awesome display racks online.

They sell them for virtually every sport and interest, or can get them customized for you.

They even have one that particularly interests me!! ...


Visit Heavy Medalz online at: http://www.heavymedalz.com/

Exhausted from Running (and I'm not talking about me)

Jackson insisted on wearing a Bondi Band today, when I went for my morning run on the treadmill. I tried to give him one that wasn't quite so girly.

He was good, as usual, while I was running. He really does love going down there. The last mile he was really quite. When I usual hit the stop button to end my workout, he always claps and cheers and says "all done" and gives me the biggest grin.

Today, however he was zonked out on top of his toys. Totally priceless!

A Surprise on the Scale.

I got on the scale this morning after breakfast and a six mile run. I haven't been on the scale in 3-4 weeks, because I've been trying to avoid it for some reason. I was down another 3.5 lbs! I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm the lightest I've been since before getting preggers with Jackson in April 2007. I can't believe it!!

I've been watching what I eat, with an occassional treat (pumpkin pie malt from Culvers, homemade brownies at my mother-in-laws!).

I've been eating a lot of fish, meat and tons of fresh produce and yogurt. Portion control has really been helping me, too.

Workout Room (Not Fancy, but Functional)

We live in Wisconsin. Enough said. You are lucky if you get six months out of the year to run outside. We have a membership to our local YMCA (mostly for Jason to swim and for the kids' swim lessons), but it is hard to get there with the kids and Paige is now too old for the free daycare services that they offer.

We have had our treadmill since 2000 or 2001. I only used it for walking until 2005, when we both started running. I still can't believe it's still running after all of the running we've logged on that thing over the long winter months.

Our house is a tri-level and we have a fourth level that is unfinished with our utilities and storge. This is where we have kept our treadmill since we moved in and it has developed into a handy home gym. It's not pretty, but it works. It's easy to head down there with the kids or to workout after the kids go to bed.

I'd love to eventually have the basement finished off, or at least drywalled. I did have someone come out last Winter (after I was getting sick of the Wisconsin winter). But, he quoted me $7,000 - $13,000 to do it. So, we're making do with what we have and are trying to take advantage of the convenience factor.

Our treadmill is next to the wall (and sadly, the insulation!). I have a small tv that we (and the kids) watch while we workout. Jason also has a trainer, which he brings his bike inside for training purposes. We're also always running an old box fan that helps keep us cool down there and it helps circulate the air a little. We have foam flooring, which we purchased at Walmart. The sections piece together like a puzzle. We also have some weights that Jason uses (and I need to use!).

I also keep a playpen for Jackson, in which I change up the toy selection!! Jackson really does like it down there and begs to workout with me. Paige did not have the same attitude about it when she was little!

This shelving unit is my favorite area. It includes some memorabilia and a lot of photos of us racing and with the kids at our events. I need to put some updated photos on display, but that will be a project for this Winter. I love reminiscing while I workout and glance over at these memorable moments. I also keep a basket of fun, brightly colored towels for toweling off after a workout.

An Ironman Wisconsin Print I picked up at Madison's Art Fair on the Square, a couple of trophies we won at a local 5K a few years back and a photo of Jason and Paige hugging after he crossed the finish line at his first triathlon (so memorable!).

This section includes some of our bigger accomplishments ... our first marathon memorabilia. Including Mickey Mouse in his running gear. I'm hoping that they have a Minnie Mouse version at the Disney Princess Half Marathon in March! This area now also includes all of Jason's Ironman collectibles from last month.

This is our bulletin board of glory and triumph. Jason's side is the left and mine is the right. I'm tempted to expand into a bulletin board for each of our individual accomplishments. We each keep our bib numbers for one full calendar year on a safety pin. So each grouping represents one calendar year. We each race about ten times a year. Jason also prints off a sticker with the race name, date, finish time and pace and places that information on the back of each racing bib. I've also included all of our hardware (medals) and other things we've collected along the way.


Look at all of those running bibs!! I don't even want to think about how many $1,000 we've spenty on race entry fees!!

The framed quote can be purchased on our Cafe Press website:
http://www.cafepress.com/enduranceshop

The other cute sign "The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" was purchased at Target. I love it.

That's it. Not fancy, but functional. It works. In fact, I better head down there with the little guy right now!!

Run Happy

Brought to you by my favorite brand of running shoes ... Brooks ...

Click on the image and check out the interactive website, videos and more. Enjoy.

RUN HAPPY!

Sports Beans

My favorite fuel during my long training runs and races is definitely Sports Beans by Jelly Belly. They are just as tasty as the original Jelly Belly jelly beans, but Sports Beans also have the added carbs, electrolytes, and vitamins B and C.

I first discovered these yummy, little running candies as I trained for my first full marathon. They are affordable (only about $1.00/pack), super tasty and store easily in your pockets. At only 100 calories a pack they are super affordable on your calorie budget for the day, too.

I usually have a packet pre-race, since I have trouble downing too much before I get to the finish line. I also carry a pack in my running shorts. I simply empty them right into the pocket of my shorts and grab a few as I need them. The serving size works out great for a half marathon. I simply take two every 2-3 miles and I'm good to go. They give me a burst of energy each time.


My favorite flavors are orange and fruit punch. The EXTREME cherry and watermelon are not only EXTREMELY tasty, but they also have 50 mg of caffeine, to give you that extra boost when you need it.

Check Sports Beans out online at: http://www.sportsbeans.com

I run for me.

Running was the very first thing I did for MYSELF as a new mommy. Seriously, Paige was 21 months when I did that very first run on the treadmill. That run was one of the very few, early times that I took a break from "being mommy" and was just Jamie for thirty minutes. After going on that treadmill for the first time, I realized that doing something for myself wasn't bad or selfish. It actually did something good. It made me a better mommy. It allowed me to take a break from life and do something for me ... that was good.

Our kids are now old enough to know that mommy and daddy NEED to workout. Not necessarily just because our training schedules say that we NEED to run six miles, but that our life requires it now. It is apart of us. Our little guy even points to the door to the basement and begs to go downstairs to his play area to go "runn-nee" with mommy. Our kindergartener has competed in a handful of kids races and seems to enjoy them and says she "feels great" afterwards. And both of them cheer us on for most of our road races and Jason's triathlons. It is apart of all of us now. And, I love it.

And, guess what my Road ID bracelet says? I run for me.

Always good to come home from a long run
to these two smiling faces.

Running with Music

Do you run with music? During my first year of running, I HAD to have my mp3 player with me at all times on a run, or else I didn't think I had it in me to finish my training run or race. Well, at the start of my first half marathon (which was a HUGE deal to me at the time) in May 2006, my mp3 player wouldn't start. That battery wasn't dead. It always had some issue with starting after I loaded new songs on it. And, of course I loaded a huge "mega mix" the night before, to get me througth the long 13.1 mile journey ahead of me. And, of course I didn't check the thing to make sure it would start again!! So, I struggled and struggled with it at the finish line. I ended up seeing Jason right before the gun went off and threw it to him and went on my journey without my tunes. It was a great experience! This being my first "big race", I took in my surroundings, nature and the crowd support. It got me through it and I finished ... without music. I haven't listened to music while running ever since. And, I love it.

Running Skirts

Sadly, with the change of seasons, I was cleaning out my drawers yesterday. I came across my two messy drawers of running clothes (one drawer for tops, the other for bottoms). I came across two running skirts that I had forgotten about!!! Awesome -- it was like having new running gear all over again! I put one on and it was HUGE -- Awesome, again! This just proved that although I wasn't droppign the pounds like crazy right now, that my consistent workouts and attention to diet ARE INDEED paying off!! Nothing is worse then putting on blue jeans after a beautiful summer, only to realize you can't get them on over your hiney!!

I did wear one of my "new" running skirts yesterday and purchased a super cute number at Target this weekend. Those things are simply awesome! So cute and so incredibly comfortable. I simply can't stand it!

I came across these fashionable numbers online at: http://www.runningskirts.com



They totally must've had ME in mind when they designed these (my daughter was the only 3 year old that thought leopard was a color!!)!! I need to get my hands on one of these someday!!

I also love that they sell them for little girls!! Paige would totally dig one of these too. I'm debating getting her one for her Disney Princess kids' race in March.

Check out the little running divas in their video at: http://www.runningskirts.com/miniskirts.html

For all you mommies-to-be, they also make maternity skirts!!!

owater -- pretty cool stuff!

I came across owater on another mommy running blog, that I follow: http://fitnessformommies.net/

owater features 'real life people' on their labels. They simply promote their product at local studios and races and hand out samples to athletes. People obviously have fallen in love with this stuff and then they celebrate their stories and active, healthy lifestyle and give them their own label. How cool is this?

I love Rachel's label of her toting her little one in the bike trailer!!

I actually ran across this stuff at a natual/whole foods store in downtown Milwaukee, earlier this summer. I wish I would've picked a few up to try. They must be great, tasty drinks if so many athletes have fallen in love with the product. What a great idea!

Check owater out online at: http://www.owater.com/people/index.php

Visit Rachel's blog at: http://fitnessformommies.net/

Miles to Date

September 2009 - 75.5 miles

Year-to-date - 874.2 miles

Goal for 2009: 1,200 miles (1,001 miles last year)

Miles til goal: 325.8 miles

Needless to say, I better hit it hard the next three months!!!!!

Get the kiddos involved

I came across this cute coloring page online. You can access the PDF file, but clicking on the image above. I hope your little ones enjoy!! I know mine will!