You Want Me To "Buy In" To What?!?!

Anyone thinking of giving CrossFit a try, definitely should. You'll know after that introductory class if it's right for you. Any QUALITY CrossFit gym will have an intro class. Don't be fooled by these meatheads that watched the CrossFit games on TV then decided they were tough enough to call themselves crossfitters and open a gym. It's more than throwing balls around and swinging a hammer. Make sure your trainers are certified. I'll say it again, make sure your trainers are CERTIFIED! Mechanics and form are essential in injury prevention and getting the most out of the workout.

I rally up a few friends and we attend the intro class. Our instructor was very friendly and open about his qualifications and his facility. He made it fun but it was still a good, hard workout. After warm-up, the actual workout only took about 10 minutes. My legs were pretty wobbly walking down the stairs out of the building but we were concerned it wasn't hard enough. How can you get a solid workout in only 10 minutes?

I dropped the TV remote. Trying to decide
if picking it up to change the channel
is worth the effort. My quads were
really sore!

Four hours go by.... "Where in the world are the handicap rails in the bathroom!?! I can't sit down without help!! I dropped something on the floor. Screw it. I'll get it later!" Ok Laura, you probably only feel that way because it's been a few months since you worked out seriously, much less to the point of fatigue. At least that's what I told myself but deep down, I knew better.

A few of us enjoyed the pain enough to sign up for the next step. We felt like athletes again! Who can blame us. The 2 week On-Ramp class which teaches the basic movements and finishes off with workouts each day. It was great having that friend there to encourage and learn new "tricks" with. Start the day with a warm up, then off to learn the movements. After that, another 10-20 minute workout. Let me just say, you can look fit, but CrossFit will quickly set the fit people aside from those that just look fit. I was one of those girls. I LOOK pretty good. I hit fatigue faster and wanted to yack before anyone else in that room. All that feeling did was make me wanna come back for more! 

After the On-Ramp class wrapped up, my friend had her half-marathons to run so I carried on into the regular class without her. Oh crap. I have NO IDEA how this is going to go without her. We've been teammates for over a decade and I have to do something ALONE! 

Enter self-sabotage. I stayed up late the night before class. Remember, I was in the 6:00 am class. Staying up late not the best idea. I "forgot" to leave my clothes and water bottle out. I only set one alarm, which is usually workout suicide. In spite of all of that, I still managed to get out of bed and make it to the car. 

Wait, my hot yoga stuff is in the back. I can just go there. Uh-oh, I'm downtown now. Too late to head to the other side of town for yoga. I'm in the parking lot. Did they see my car? No one knows my car, who gives a crap if they did. I'm walking in now. I can just say I'm paying for a later class. Instructor smiled and said "hi". OK that's enough for me. Let's do this!

My nemesis that first day.

Very grateful the girls' bathroom has

a cabinet I can hold on the way down.

So I ask him about the board. The WOD is written there. I learned before that WOD is "workout of the day" and I see "buy-in". WHAT? I have to give you money to do the first set of exercises? "Cash out". Does that mean I'll get my money back later? Can I pick and choose which ones I do? No, no, Laura. Don't be a moron. Read what it says. 

That particular day, "Buy In" was sort of a difficult warm up to make sure we did the workout correctly. Again, experienced trainers are vital to have around. They make sure you do the exercises correctly and also, if weight is necessary, that you choose an appropriate amount. The last thing anyone wants to see is someone end up seriously hurting themselves because they're trying too hard to look cool rather than get an effective workout. WOD is the butt whooping. "Cash Out" happens after the WOD. I LOVED Cash Out that day. Stretching and mobility work. That's the stuff that makes my body happy. It was also a good time to reflect on what I just accomplished and why I come back for more. I know not all the Cash Outs will be like that. Doesn't matter. It was exactly what I needed without knowing it. I walked out (slowly and wobbly) and felt amazing. Even when I struggled washing my hair the next two days, I knew it was worth it.

Find me on Twitter: @LauraHeddenPT

The GUILT!!!

News Flash! I decided to crank up the intensity of my first few weeks. I'm sure that's shocking information to everyone that knows me. Instead of walking, which may have been a more appropriate beginning, I chose to start running, taking hot yoga classes and joining a CrossFit gym. That's pretty close to the same thing, right?

Step 1 in my aggressive plan: find a buddy to do this with. That was pretty hard to come by, so I found three! One for each activity, because no one seemed to want to do all three. The buddy system is glorious. Someone to hold you accountable and make sure you get your butt out of bed. My husband works during the day and some nights. I don't have a babysitter for the girls, and I do have to work sometime kicking other people's butts. Because of that, I had to make time for myself to do these workouts before the sun comes up. 

The first week wasn't so bad. Had some fun chatting it up with the ladies. Enjoyed my girl time even though it didn't include adult beverages. I have more energy than I know what to do with. Maybe that's why I decided to bump up my fitness regimen in addition to doing 4-6 loads of laundry a day, AND I am averaging at least 2 pinterest projects a week. What's great is that it is all natural energy. Steady throughout the entire day and not at all like the jittery feeling I got from drinking energy drinks.

Weeks Two and Three were a bit slower. I won't lie, if I didn't have my partner expecting me, I may not have gone. However, that feeling of accomplishment after each work out was worth it. Emotionally, that's all the motivation I needed. I can already see the definition in my arms and the running isn't quite so horrendous anymore.

This is my response to: "Hey Babe, are you
going to go work out today?"

Then Week Four happens. Whether it was a touch of food poisoning or just flat out over-training, (probably both) my body has had it. I slept about 40 of 48 hours. I ate a ridiculous amount of carbs on my "indulge day" and my body rejected it. By rejected it, I mean EJECTED it. At 5:00 am the following morning, they came out the same way they went in. Talk about your body craving the good stuff. I don't want to do that again! Maybe in combination of all the working out and eating so well, I had the ultimate sugar crash. A full two days of my body trying to regulate itself. I was somewhat back to normal by Tuesday.

Which brings us to today. I was supposed to go to CrossFit this morning. I don't even remember my 5:03 am alarm going off. I don't remember my 5:12 alarm going off either. I like to set two alarms at odd times. Keeps me from hitting the snooze too much. I love CrossFit although it was intimidating at first. It's especially intimidating when your partner had to drop out because of the races she has coming up. Eek. However, I did survive last week alone and it didn't kill me. I'm not sure if my buddy pounding on my front door this morning would've helped or not. Maybe. Probably. It would've been a sorry workout, but a sorry workout is better than no workout at all!

Well, even trainers have an off day. If I would've gotten my butt out of bed to start my workout, I don't think we'd be having this conversation. I guess I'll go for a short run and try not to destroy my eating plan for today. Which happens to be:

"Power Sandwich"
Lunch with Mike: Smoked Turkey and Hummus (I splurged with Pita. Crap. Probably would've had cucumbers if I could've dragged my butt out of bed.)

Dinner TBD: It's my anniversary. Let's hope that run jump starts some smart choices. Amazing how quickly those fall to the wayside once the day starts off on the wrong foot. So far, 2 poor choices. Straddling the fence with 5 more.

1-bowl of chips at a Mexican restaurant
3-Miller Lites
1-order of crispy tacos

hmmmmm. Wish me luck! I know what I WANT to do. "It's my anniversary, calories don't count on special occasions!" What would i say to my clients? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

OK FINE! I'll be good. ;-)

Power of a Shopping Cart

Alright folks. I know you've been anxiously awaiting my grocery list so you can get started too. It took me a few weeks to get to the most effective list for myself and my entire family. I still have a body fat percentage goal, as well as a performance goal. I need to eat to fuel all the workouts while still dropping those fat points, but I have a family to feed as well. As for the scale, not worried about it. My jeans fit. I'll get back on that bad boy after a few weeks just to check in.

Eating right and putting the appropriate supplements into my body has made a world of difference. Not only in my mood but also the function of my body. FOOD IS FUEL. Say it. Own it. Live it. I have so much more energy for my workouts, but quick recovery from those workouts is a HUGE bonus.

Oh and check out what else is better after a few short weeks of proper fueling and exercise...

This reading was taken after a very
stressful afternoon. Yay me!

This is the grocery list my family has been using the last 2 weeks:

Produce:
Bananas
Apples
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Cilantro
Avocado
Spinach
Spring Greens
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Cherry Tomato
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Broccoli
Green Beans

Meats:
Boneless/Skinless chicken breasts
Salmon
Top Sirloin
Low Sodium Turkey Breast deli slices
Low Sodium Ham deli slices
Turkey Bacon
Tilapia
Shrimp

Dairy-ish:
Milk (2% for the girls and Almond Milk for Mike and I)
Cottage Cheese
Vanilla non-fat Greek Yogurt
Hummus
Eggs
Mozzarella Shredded
Monterey Jack Shredded
Provolone Deli Slices
Mozzarella String Cheese

Aisles:
Oatmeal
Vinaigrette
Wheat Crackers
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Salsa
Almonds (whole and sliced)
Walnuts
Whole Grain Sandwich Rounds
Low Carb Tortillas
Natural Unsalted Peanut Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
Camomile Tea

Supplements: (will last me close to a month)
Miller Lite (if it wasn't on the list, you all know I'd be lying)

Cheats, Indulgences, Treats:
Don't buy them! If they're in your house, you'll be more likely to eat them when you shouldn't. If you have to drive somewhere to get them, you're less likely to overindulge and subsequently, feel guilty. Also, if those treats give you diarrhea, headaches or "crashes", definitely don't eat them again! Obviously, your body doesn't want it!


Keep in mind, this is my family's personal list. If you like peppers, add some peppers. If you like cod instead of tilapia, have the cod. When in doubt, if God made it, you can eat it. Unless you're a vegetarian, than there is a whole other protein list for that. Go for low fat, low sodium options. If you have questions, just ask! During the day, I'll be eating to drop my body fat percentage and fuel my workouts. My family may or may not be following the same menu. We'll come together for a nutrient dense family dinner.

MENU:
Because I'm a creature of habit, I alternate the meal plans every other day. Dinners are usually different each night to keep my family happy. I'd be ok with grilled chicken every night.

Today's meal plan (just for me): Drink half my body weight in ounces of WATER
*"Power Sandwich" (I copied Panera's): 1 whole grain sandwich round, 1 deli slice Provolone, 1 egg, 2 ounces deli ham and 2 Accelerate
*Fruit Smoothie
*Omelet: 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, 1/4 c Monterey Jack Cheese, 2 oz Turkey Bacon

Dinner for the family:
*Grilled chicken marinated in Balsamic Vinaigrette
*Fresh Spinach, Spring Greens, Cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, shredded mozzarella, sliced almonds topped with Balsamic Vinaigrette
*Steamed Broccoli
*Sliced Cucumbers and Hummus


Before bed (just for me):
Camomile Tea


After eating this way for a few weeks, I can say that anything prepackaged or frozen tastes terrible. I might as well lick up a pile of sea salt off of the counter. Fruit has become my new treat rather than ice cream or candy bars. Cake and cookies taste so rich now, I can't even finish them. It's amazing how my taste buds alter to my habits so quickly. I'll admit it, at first, it's a beating. Now, it's a fun and fulfilling way of life.

Up next: CrossFit and HotYoga reviews....

Gotta Have Goals, Baby!

THE FOLLOWING IS A MESSAGE TO MY CLIENTS:

Ya gotta have goals! WRITE THEM DOWN. Once on paper, they're harder to ignore or forget about. Please, make them attainable goals at first, then something that's of your comfort level second. THEN, find something that scares the absolute crap out of you, and write it down too.


THE FOLLOWING IS A MESSAGE TO REMIND MYSELF OF WHERE I WANT TO BE:

Immediate Goals:
1. Follow nutrition LIFESTYLE (it's not a diet) for 1 week without "cheating".
2. Walk for 20-30 minutes, 4 times that week.

Short Term Goals:
1. Lose 5 pounds.
2. Run 2 miles without stopping.
3. Exercise a minimum of 4 times a week, even if it is just for 20-30 minutes.
4. Include weight training exercise at least 3 times a week.
5. Maintain and/or adjust new eating lifestyle, and feel like a rock star again.

We will gladly trade our makeshift headbands
in for the orange Tough Mudder ones!

Long Term Goals:
1. Drop to 15-16% body fat.
2. Run a half marathon.
3. Take some awesome fitness pics to show off to the world. Hey, I earned it so you people should have to look at it!
4. No need for nutrition goals. I eat like a champion daily, and it's second nature to me.

Bucket List Goals:
1. Run a Tough Mudder.
2. Bring a bunch of people that are just as motivated to do the Tough Mudder with me. I need some cool Facebook pics to rub it in.
3. Drink some beer. I deserve it! Where's my orange head band?!

You'll notice my goals start small. It's all about baby steps. If you want to climb Mt Everest, I say GO FOR IT!!! Do some preparation first! You aren't going to find a "Couch to Extreme Climbing in 2 months" book. Well, maybe you will, but the person who wrote it is probably a moron. It'll take some serious dedication and planning, but done correctly, and with support, I know you can do it!

The point is that the little goals lead to the uncomfortable goals. The uncomfortable goals become comfortable. Before you know it, you're a total beast! Imagine where you'll be in a year if you slowly but surely push yourself out of your comfort zone. The only person out there stopping you, is YOU!!!

I'm sure my mother thinks I'm the dumbest, smart person alive. I've had 6 major knee surgeries, a broken foot, avulsion fractures in my hip, 2 kids, nose surgery, hemorrhoid surgery, and a boob job. What sane person thinks they can run a Tough Mudder after all of that? Unless I do something medically that prevents me from trying, I'm going to do one. Even then, the surgeon (cuz it'd be a knee) will have to do some serious convincing... After all, I've seen pictures of guys in wheel chairs or without limbs finish one of these!

I don't lack the "heart". It'll be the conviction, or lack of, that takes over during the training.

DO YOU HAVE THE "HEART" TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH YOUR GOALS?

Interested in the Tough Mudder? Check out the link and let me know! www.toughmudder.com


P.S. I do not work for or get paid by the Tough Mudder people/organization or whatever. I just think it looks ridiculously fun!
AND
Always Always Always check with your doctor before embarking on any new nutrition "lifestyle" or exercise plan. I'm a personal trainer that blogs, NOT a doctor!


Find me on Twitter: @LauraHeddenPT

Junk food = Junk fuel

The first few days of this experiment were pretty fun. I allowed myself to have those foods that I normally don't eat. For breakfast, lunch and dinner I ate tacos, hamburgers, french fries, pizza, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, chips, shakes, cookies, and the list goes on and on and on... Vegetables? Hardly. Fruit? No way. Exercise? Didn't happen.

Not only did I experience physical changes from eating these foods, I also experienced emotional and mental changes. Days 1 and 2, I just felt guilty. I knew what I was doing to myself, and why, but I had to constantly justify it. While I was eating it, I had that "I'm doing something naughty" high. Within 5 minutes, I felt horrible about it. Was it really worth it? The sodium in all those foods raised my blood pressure to a point I thought I was having a heart attack. My hands swelled so much, I couldn't get my rings on or off or even tie my shoes comfortably.

After the first week, helloooooo crabby, irritable, and tired Laura. I felt lethargic, mentally AND physically. Not only that, I became flakier than normal. I forgot things I needed to do. I even put my workout shorts on inside out and didn't notice for 2 hours. I was very aware that as the pounds inched higher and higher, my self-esteem dropped lower and lower. Amazing. I'm a pretty confident person, but as my clothes got tighter and tighter, I felt less attractive. I stayed home rather than take my girls to the pool or park. Dressing for church was a huge chore. Can't wear the same baggy top every week! Frustrated with not having clothes I felt confident wearing, I snapped at Mike and the girls for no reason at all. 

My favorite jeans. They wouldn't go any higher.

"Mommy. Why are you doing exercises down the hall?"

Well, baby, you just gotta be healthy whenever you can!

"Good idea, Mommy! I'll do some too!"

and she did...

Actually, I was doing lunges and squats just to try to get my pants on. You know what I'm talking about. Spray a little water on your pants, then stretch, squat, pull with everything you've got! What I ended up with was a cry session on the floor! I expected them to be tight, not unwearable. After church, I had to unbutton my pants just to be comfortable in the car. Mike laughed at the marks on my stomach from the zipper digging in. Even my yoga and workout pants were tight! 

So not only did the 10+ pounds affect me, it affected my family too. The girls didn't understand why mommy turned so boring, sad and mean. At 5 and 3, I didn't want to explain to them what was going on. I did a lot of apologizing for being cranky. I still fed the girls our normal healthy meals. I ate those, then I ate another empty calorie, fat-filled one after they went to bed. 

I haven't slept well since this started. So add on a little more crankiness from fatigue. My body shut down around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon, and I would just want to nap. I would show up to pick my girls up from school or activities looking like I just rolled out of bed. All the other mommies looked good, so that added to my low self-esteem problems. At night, I tossed and turned for hours only to have a restless night of sleep. My house was trashed because I didn't have the energy to clean it. Great. Consequently, I'm embarrassed to have anyone over. 

Now I crave the junk food. SERIOUSLY? It's only been 3-4 weeks! My hand is in the bag of chips all day long. I want some ice cream, so I take the girls to get some. OH NO!!! Not only am I being unhealthy, but I'm feeding my children junk as a treat or bribe so I don't have to take them on some outing that includes exercise. OH NO!!! After 3 weeks, my mental state has altered. I'm encouraging my healthy children to sit down and eat instead of play. We are all eating when we are bored. We are all cranky. This has to stop!

Time to get a handle on myself! Tomorrow, I share my goals. Short term and long term.

BMI vs Body Fat Percentages

Alright! Now that I've peaked some interest, some positive and some negative, let's get the ball rolling. Before I begin on the day to day of how I intend to lose this weight, let's devote a few posts to education.

Boring. Yawn. WE WANT TO SEE PICTURES, AND STEAL ALL OF YOUR WORKOUTS AND FOOD JOURNALS!!!!!

I hear you! OK! We should touch base on the previous post though.

I need to remind everyone that I do NOT think I am currently overweight. I AM NOT. You are going to watch an average person turn herself into an athlete. Was I previously overweight? YES. When I was in my early 20s, I weighed 170 pounds. At 5'5", that IS overweight. Yes, I played soccer competitively. Yes, I played well. Yes, I played the entire game. Yes, I was still one of the fastest girls in my league. YES, at 170 pounds, I was still active and successful. YES, I'm somewhat arrogant.

OK, back to the science-y stuff. What is BMI?

According to www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html, BMI is

"For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat. 
*An adult who has a BMI between 25-29.9 is considered overweight.
*An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

It is important to remember that although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat."

So according to the calculator on their website, my BMI was 28.3=overweight. At that time, however, I lifted weights constantly. I did an extreme amount of plyometrics. My legs were VERY strong. I wish I had my exact body fat percentage from then, but I can't seem to find it. I'm pretty sure I remember what it was though. We'll come back to that.

So college was over, I had a few major knee surgeries (that's why one leg is bigger than the other) and I lost the weight. I lost fat and muscle. I didn't lift and my caloric intake was lower because I didn't eat in the college cafeteria every day. I dropped to 135 pounds and a size 6-8. I was feeling pretty darn good about myself, and rightfully so!  BMI 22.5

The day I gave birth to my oldest daughter, I still didn't weigh as much as I did in college. I topped the scale, the night before she was born, at 168. I lost 20 in the hospital. Then after 2 months of maternity leave, jumped back on the workout train. I counted every calorie I ate, and tracked every calorie I burned. For 9... Solid... Months... UGH. I earned every single pound I lost. I got back down to 135 at that time, and wore a size 2-4. BMI 22.5

Brinley cooked for 3 more weeks than Emerson did, and incidentally, I gained 10 more pounds with that pregnancy. All I could think of was how many more months it would take to get that last 10 pounds off, which I did. That time it took 11... Solid... Months... of the exact same stuff. I got back down to 135 pounds, and wore a size 0-2. BMI 22.5

"Now, hang on just a minute there, missy!!! You said you weighed 135 pounds at 3 separate times in your life, yet you wore a different size jean. I don't get it!"

June 23, 2012    16% body fat

Back to science-y stuff!

"UGH! WHY? JUST TELL US WHAT TO DO!!!"

No, you need to learn something, too.

How is BMI different than Body Fat Percentages? BMI measures muscle, bone, fat, and water. Body Fat measurements only include fat.

So how did I decrease my body fat without losing lean muscle mass? I ate better, cleaner, more nutritious foods. I exercised ALOT. I did cardiovascular work as well as resistance training. Lean muscle mass increases your metabolism, and turns your body into a fat burning machine.





At 170, in college, I *think* I remember being anywhere from 25-27%. Which isn't bad at all for what I weighed.
After Emerson was born, I was about 20-21%.
After Brinley was born, I was 18-20%.
Before I decided on this little experiment, I was 16-18%.

We all have fluctuations. Those are ok as long as they are small fluctuations. I included the following to give all you analytical types something to check out.

Keep following! We'll have more fun stuff to talk about this weekend!

******************************************
Here's a handy formula I copied from acefitness.org: I do not claim the following text. The author is listed at the bottom.

 **CAUTION: If you hate algebra, please disregard this formula and skip to next paragraph.

Desired body weight = Lean body weight/(1-desired body fat percentage)

Desired body weight = how much you will weigh when you achieve your desired body fat percentage.

Lean body weight = how many pounds of rock-hard, lean tissue you have right now (to know this you have to get your body composition measured.  Basically, what is not fat is lean).

Desired body fat percentage = your goal body fat percentage (in decimal form).

For example, Angela weighs 120lbs and has 25% body fat (30lbs fat, 90lbs lean).  Her goal is to have 20% body fat.  How much weight will she need to lose (assuming all of the weight loss comes from fat)?

Desired body weight = 90/(1-.20) = 113lbs

So she would need to lose 7lbs to achieve her goal (120-113=7).

What is my ideal body fat percentage?

Remember that ideal body fat percentage is different for men compared to women, as women require a higher body fat percentage in order to maintain menstruation and the ability to have children (see chart).  If you are curious to know what your body fat percentage is, check out the ACE website to find a fitness professional near you who can measure your body fat percentage, assess your official fitness, and get you on your way to a healthier, more fit you in 2010.

Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD, is a registered dietitian and recent graduate of the UNC School of Medicine. She is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, and holds additional certifications with the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. 

Find me on Twitter! @LauraHeddenPT

Warrior Moms!!! Roar!!!

So a former teammate of mine posts a few months back about running the Warrior Dash and asks if anyone wants to join her "team". It happens to be a night Mike and I are in our office hanging out. Well, he was working and I was playing on FB. Warrior Dash? I've heard of other friends running it. I google it. It looks fun. We have two months to prepare. Let's go for it! It's ONLY a 5K right?

I write us a program. We are diligent for about a week. Then life happens. I have kids. We're busy. They're tired and cranky. Oh wait, that's me. I find I have turned into one of my less successful clients. Making all the "I don't have time" excuses. I won't even claim Mike. He's on his own. He asks me to write him another program. Yep, I'll get right on that. I already wrote you one for free! Duh! It's still untouched on the 'fridge! I have paying clients that take precedence over you, Honey. I know you're my husband but you can take your happy butt outside and run whenever you want. 

Needless to say, the week of the race arrives. We are unprepared. Well, for our standards, unprepared. I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous. 

Mike and I just arrived at the course. Pre mud.

We go through what I'm guessing is the typical check-in, check your bag, check your bladder, then head down to the starting line. The wave before us takes off. We look at each other, all our friends and everyone jumps in line. Thankful to get started 30 minutes early so we don't have time to psych ourselves out.

Let's go!

The first mile sucks. I'm trying to keep pace with the guys and it feels like they are running a sub 6 minute mile up a mountain. They aren't. It's probably more like a 10 minute + pace on a gradual hill. Coming up on the first obstacles of crawling under barbed wire and through a little trench covered in 2x6s is a welcome relief to the lung burn.

Way to knock the boards off, Baby!

I think the next obstacle is the tight rope over the pond, but I can't be sure since most of the ropes are under water. It turns into a half pulling/half swimming challenge. More running ensues. Climbing over things is next. Then the waist deep water to a floating device of some kind we're supposed to climb onto, then over. The waist deep water turns into ear deep water, I start treading while my friend accidentally grabs a dead fish. Perhaps a few thousand people trudging through their environment had something to do with that? 

I wonder if Strawberry Shortcake or the Pirate behind me kept their hats throughout the race...

We make it through the water obstacles ok, and we're loving that they cool us off. I'm accidentally smart enough that I wore moisture wicking, fitted clothes. I imagine I wouldn't enjoy feeling like I have an 8 pound diaper in my pants. You know what I'm talking about. That poor toddler at the swimming pool whose mother forgot or doesn't care that her kid doesn't have a swimmer diaper. I do see some poor souls that have this problem going on.

Then more running. Oh the RUNNNNNNING! It's killing me. I'm burping up Quiznos. My water logged Pumas weigh about 75 pounds a piece. I swear we're running at a sub 5 minute pace now. Hold on, did that dude walking just pass me? I'm actually looking forward to the cargo net crawling, wall scaling, and over/under wall jumping/barbed wire squatting. It'll give my ridiculously poor cardiovascular health a break. We stumble through some sort of tire race reminiscent of high school football. Mike is taking these obstacles like he's jumping over 12 inch cones during college soccer preseason. His face looks like that kid in a candy store with Grandpa buying. 

I don't think he needed the rope. He ran over that thing so fast. 

Over...

Under...

Then we smell the turkey legs! Whoot! We must be getting close! Oh crap. That's not turkey. It's the smell of burnt leg hair from all the guys jumping over the fire. This is probably the best obstacle though. Not hard to jump over, but we still feel pretty tough. Then the mud pit and the finish line are calling us home! Sliding into the mud pit is awkward to say the least, but not nearly as awkward as the feeling of my boobs floating out of my bra. Are they floating out of my bra? That can't be right! No, it was just full of water and I'm thankful the camera guy doesn't get a show when I start crawling out! 

We cross the finish line. Pretty pumped to get our medals. So excited to see those bananas on the table! I'll eat a muddy banana. No shame in my game. I'm just glad my lungs didn't explode! Overall, this race is a great experience for me, all my other former athlete, and/or young mommy friends that did it with Mike and I. I think that beer tastes better than any I've had before. Especially when I know my children are safe at my mom's house and I get to sleep in past 8:00 am!!!

We celebrate! Best date ever!

Yep. I'm tough. I get my guns from carrying toddlers around all day.

Teammates for the last 16+ years. Now we're raising our babies to be teammates too!

Coolest camera ever. It claims waterproof up to 3 meters. I concur. Someone tell them it's mud proof too.
Oh and tell them to pay me for endorsing it! 

I Pee When I Sneeze!

"I pee when I sneeze!" is a common thing I hear from most of my clients. Given that most of my clients are recent, and not so recent, mommies, it doesn't surprise me. They also pee when they laugh, cough, fart, jump, run, chase children, hit bumps in their car, etc. Oh the joys of pregnancy, right?

"It's such a beautiful time in a woman's life!" Whatever! There was nothing beautiful about what I had going on other than the amount of money I must've made the shareholders at Taco Tico because that's all I wanted! Every. Single. Day.

"You forget all the discomforts once you hold that precious child!" I didn't. I was grateful she was finally on the outside instead of constantly playing hopscotch from my bladder to my colon. I was grateful I didn't have to hug the toilet 17 times a day and pretend I just had a 24 hour bug instead of a 9 1/2 month hangover. Yes, the second one came late but was a lot of fun to make...

I do remember how I enjoyed feeling those first few kicks, and seeing those knees and elbows roll around like little aliens. I remember more how constipated I got, how much I threw up and still managed to gain 40 lbs. I remember how glorious it was to set my bowl of ice cream on my tummy like it was a table.  Then watch the Biggest Loser, only to think somehow, I still must have it better than they did. After all, I was, generally speaking, just carrying the weight in one area.

2nd kid. She came out 32 days after this pic was taken. Little Butthead.  Good times. 

Now, my 2nd child was only 8 pounds, 7 ounces. I maintained a pretty active lifestyle throughout the pregnancy. Who wouldn't with all that running to the bathroom, nearest trashcan, parking lot, or dressing room to throw up in. Labor and recovery was not horrible for me. Although, my husband MAY have had a rougher time than I did. Bless his heart... Regardless, with my knowledge of the body and my pelvic floor, I knew what I had to do to "fix" what that little miracle had done to my body.

Enter personal trainer mindset:
Core muscles are extremely valuable. I don't care if you are a 12 year old olympic marathon runner, a 75 year old recreational pole vaulter, a 25 year old professional athlete or 40 year old stay-at-home mother of 1, CORE STRENGTH IS PRICELESS.

Are you tired of peeing when you sneeze? How about when you laugh, cough, fart, jump, run, chase children, or hit bumps in the car?  There are a few key exercises you can do to prevent this.

KEGEL. Kegel like your life depended on it. In line at the grocery store. In the shower. Giving the kids a bath. Watching TV. The only way anyone will know if you are doing a kegel is if you have that silly, confused "am I doing this right?" look on your face. "Well Laura, how do I know if I'm doing it right?" Girl, squeeze your business like you'll never let yourself pee again. Repeat often. Every single day.

Another exercise that will engage the entire pelvic floor is the pelvic tilt. Start by lying on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Yes, that's my puppy dog's nose. Yes, we're in the office. 

The roll of the hips is minimal, but makes a HUGE difference. 

Squeeze your butt cheeks like you are trying not to poop your pants, roll your hips slightly towards the ceiling and do a kegel. This will encompass your entire pelvic floor. Your hips will raise slightly off the ground and you'll even get a little ab work in the process if you're doing it right.

Hopefully, with enough pelvic floor "rehab" you will prevent all your embarrassing leakage moments. I know that by doing these few simple exercises, I will never have to worry about it!