Triathlon season here I come!

I have completed my first tri as a mommy!  Irongirl sprint distance triathlon at Lake Lanier on May 15th was my "come back race."  I felt awesome and I am so happy to be training with a purpose again.  I have to admit I was terrified that I would not have my competitive spirit again and all of the time off would have worked against me, but my muscles had memory and I felt great on race day!

Besides being extremely cold on race morning everything went great.  The swim was smooth, the bike was hilly but my legs felt strong, and the run was tough but my head was in it and I was able to pass other runners the entire 5k. I told myself that I would only do sprint races this season so I would not feel overwhelmed with training, but Irongirl went so well, I am think ing about doing an Olympic distance race in September, only time will tell! 

Here are some pictures from race day, ENJOY!

 Finish line here I come!

I loved seeing this cute little face at the finish line :-)

 My mom, #1 in my fan club, she has been to all of my races from beginning to end, she is the BEST!

 Tri mom and Lily bug!

 The girls

 The family (my hubby coach!)

 I had to throw this picture in because Ben said he would NEVER wear one of these :-) hahahahahahaha, BUSTED!  Doesn't he look so excited?!

 Nana and spoiled Lily!

Lily in her shades - gotta protect those pretty blue eyes from the sun! I could not resist putting another pic of Ben in :-)

The pros and cons of the jogging stroller hands free attachment-

Pros: 
Less shoulder cramping from grabbing the stroller
Proper body alignment
I am able to run faster because I can pump my arms faster and harder
It's comfortable (and washable!)
It does not feel like I am restrained at all

Cons: 
I have to lock the wheel in the front because if I don't the stroller will move right and left
It is hard to maneuver on curvy paths
Steering can be a challenge

Overall I would recommend to all of my mommy/runner friends, it has made my training better!

First official Mother's Day from scratch!

I hate to say that this was my first Mother's Day because I have 3 awesome step sons who I love with all my heart and feel like I am also a mother to.  So I am calling this one my first Mother's Day from scratch, I created Lily, carried her, birthed her and here we are on our first Mother's Day.  I could not have asked for a better day. 

What does a Triathlete/ Dietitian want for Mother's Day?  How about a hands free jogging stroller adapter and a vegetable garden!  My husband (and Lily) are the best, they granted me all of my wishes!  I can now run with Lily in her stroller without my shoulders cramping up from death gripping the handle and we will have a Summer full of free vegetables in the back yard courtesy of Ben's hard work yesterday. 

I think I enjoyed yesterday the most because we spent time outside together as a family building the garden. It reminded me of when my grandpa planted a bunch of citrus trees in his back yard when we were little.  He made my brother and I watch him out in the sun all afternoon and after they were all planted we picked which tree we wanted.  Nick had the lemon tree, I had the tangerine tree, grandpa had grapefruit and grandma had oranges.  Throughout the years we would talk about who's tree was the best and produced the most fruit, it was corny but a really special memory.   It was fun to create our own experience like that yesterday.  Ben worked is tail off until his back almost gave out.  Two trips to Home Depot, 27 bags of organic top soil, a trailer full of veggies and herbs and 6 hours of hard work- my organic garden is born!

Enjoy the pictures!

 We tried to get her to sleep in the swing outside but she was way too interested in watching us work!

 Farmer Ben at the beginning stages!

 The swing got boring so after her nap we got her ready for the baby pool.

 It was Mother's Day so Lily and I helped out a little but took breaks too often :-)

 Determined to stand up in her pool.  Look at that face of determination!

 After we removed the 10 pound wet diaper!

 all done!

Do lazy kids = lazy parents????

I reached  a breaking point this weekend at the gym.  I was heading out to the pool for a swim workout and there was a young kid (who happened to be on the chubby side) in the lap pool on the wall playing with his I-phone, he was in a competitive swim suit the type that kids wear to swim practice, but he clearly was not into swimming laps.  He spent more time on the side of the pool playing with his phone then he did actually swimming.  From the outside looking in it appeared that his parents dropped him off at the pool to swim laps and get some exercise and as soon as they were out of sight he turned to his gadget and exercised his fingers rather then his cardiovascular system.  There is a clear disconnect here. 

We are in the middle of an obesity epidemic and the kids are suffering the most.  I put most of the blame on the parents, parents are the ones who go grocery shopping, cook meals, control TV watching, video game playing, Internet surfing, outside time, recreational activities and more importantly the emotional associations with food and exercise are created by parents.  If you hate exercising then your kids will probably not like it either, if you hate vegetables, wheat bread or pasta and other healthy foods then your kids will probably not like them either.  It is sad to see kids who look more comfortable going out to a resturant then playing on the playgound.  It's okay to take your kids to get ice cream, but why not after a killer game of Frisbee at the park?  That way the kids will not associate quality time with mom or dad as eating they will think of other activities that they enjoy with you besides eating at their favorite restaurant.  Earn the treat don't just hand it over to them!

The majority of the population is inactive and dependant on processed foods.  It's time to make a big change!  Let' get these kids moving and eating healthy, it starts with mom and dad. Make a point to cook at home most nights of the week, avoid processed snacks like chips, pastries, candy, cookies, etc. and most importantly get active with your kids!