Group Support Works

Some group members from a previous ride. . .

A few posts ago, I mentioned several ways to stay motivated exercising when what you'd really like to do is hit the couch.  One of those suggestions was to be part of a group in an activity you enjoy and can have fun participating in with other like-minded people.  It also helps with accountability when people are expecting you to show up.  This works for me with my swim and cycle group.     

On this damp morning, we had a ride scheduled.  It was quite tempting NOT to go.  But I had invited some people  to join the group and it wouldn't look so great if I didn't show up.  A couple folks had canceled out due to the dampness, and I certainly could understand.  I wished I had been one of them.  Once at our meeting place, those of us there first discussed the borderline weather conditions.  But we decided to man up and go for it because most of us were behind in our training due to bad weather conditions.  It's been a long, cool and wet spring.  So out we went for 35+ miles.  The misting stopped and the roads dried up due to the winds which also provided some challenging resistance.  When it was all said and done, we were glad we went!  Just another example of how important it is to have that support!

 Schlaap Rd (on a sunnier day) out in the farms were we often ride.  Now you can see why wind would be especially challenging with nothing to block it!

Reservation Rd.  A short respite of trees on those hot days. The farms are absolutely beautiful (sometimes stinky...but always beautiful even on a cloudy, misty day)

From a previous ride with a Starbucks break.

So good thing I got a long, hard ride in.  The Esprit de She triathlon is a day less than two weeks away.    The really good news is, I smashed through my fundraising goal for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  Nearing $1100.00 thanks to the generosity of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances.  We all contributed a portion to make a big contribution and I can't thank you all enough.  Meeting a goal is always exciting.  But exceeding goals is even more so.  If you haven't already, and wanted to give to this cause, there is still time (until June 9th).  Click on the link below and become a part of my race for both the triathlon and to wipe out ovarian cancer.  

Lynn's Fundraising Page

Thank you for your support. . .  

Fears Beware!

Training is moving along.  The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is looking good weather-wise and I'm hoping to get in two good bike rides (one of them fairly long) and a 5 mile run...possibly a swim somewhere in there as well.  It would be nice to swim at Centennial Beach, but it might be too cool.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, it's been fun re-connecting with my cycling group and hitting the farms.  Cycling in farm country is a wonderful experience.  No traffic, many other cyclists to wave to, BEAUTIFUL mornings with filtered sun rays shining on the newly tilled soils with morning mist and dew.  It is probably my favorite party of triathlon training.  Cycling in general has been going very well and has always been my strongest of the three sports.  Since my accident, nearly 11 months ago now, I've been a little spooked going out to the farms, but once I'm going, my nerves have been left behind.  Perhaps the joy of cycling is simply stronger than any fears that I have.

My new fear these days is if I'll ever get this running game back.  I'm a bit fearful of pushing it too hard and ending up with an injury or waking up an old one.  Most of my sports related injuries have been from running.  The bone I broke last June still balks a bit on the run, but is definitely not a major hinderance.  The pirfirmoris muscle also barks at me from time to time, but again, running through that is no problem.  My foot issue also is vaguely there and gets a little better each week.  So to push the run as I continue to heal might set me back to the point of not being able to run...so....I keep it relatively easy and am just sacrificing any real speed.  November is Naperville's first Half/Full Marathon Event and I really would hate to be sidelined for that.  In the meantime, I have a 5K here or there to keep me going and give me goals to reach.

Running Friends and I after a recent 5K Run

Swimming is going well.  I've concluded that I'll never be a fast swimmer, but I can swim from here to Kansas and not run out of steam (OK..well, maybe not that far...but endurance is my strength, but speed...not so much).  

So with my first triathlon of the season coming up in two weeks, my goal is to finish strong and not worry so much about the time.  I have one more week of strong training and then the taper.  I will take with me all my supporters in the fundraising adventure for Ovarian Cancer Research and give them my best and have fun doing so.  Thank you to all who are with me on this journey.  

There is still time for anyone who would like to donate for this cause and give women a future of living fear-free of this quiet, sneaky disease (remember....ovarian cancer is very "quite"with its' symptoms making this cancer so deadly since it usually doesn't present with strong symptoms until a very late stage when not treatable).  Click on the link below before June 9th to make your donation.

Ovarian Cancer Research Fund - Lynn Kirchhoff Donation Page

Thank you and God bless you all....

Lynn

My New Race Shirt Says It All!

Love getting packages delivered to my door.  Just arrived:  The shirt I designed online for my upcoming triathlon next month.  Every year the race raises funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and some of the women will have a message on the back of their shirts who they are racing for.  I saw one gal who had a picture of her mom attached to her shirt and a handwritten message that said, "I miss my mom."  We were on the bike portion of the race and as I passed her by, I said, "I miss my mom too."  We acknowledged each other with sad eyes knowing how each of us felt that this wretched disease robbed us of our mothers too soon.

My mom about a year before she passed away from ovarian cancer.

Back to the shirt...  Here is a photo of front and back (just out of the packaged, so wrinkled):

Shirley is my co-worker, Laura's mother who is currently in the late stages of ovarian cancer.  Laura also has a neighbor recently diagnosed with this disease.  A good friend of my mother's had discovered she had the disease just three months before my mother discovered she had it.  Ovarian cancer is not as common as many other cancers, but it comes on so subtle with very common, quiet symptoms that are usually only little nuisances early on and so often ignored, not noticed or misdiagnosed.  Google "ovarian cancer" and see how many websites talk about these symptoms.  It is important for every woman to pay attention to these symptoms and get them checked out if last more than a couple of weeks (click here for the Mayo Clinic site on what symptoms to looks for:  Ovarian Cancer Symptoms-Mayo Clinic ).

In the meantime, we can be proactive by supporting research for better diagnostics and treatments.  If you would like to help me with this cause, please make a donation to this charity that is part of my upcoming women's triathlon on June 9th in Naperville, IL (Esprite de She Women's Triathlon).  Visit my fundraising page at:    Lynn's Fundraising Page for Ovarian Cancer Research Fund  Checks are also accepted and can be made out to:  OCRF in any amount.  If you need my address, please e mail me at:  teniswhiz@aol.com.

Thank you so much....And may our future be rid of all cancers!

Lynn

The Perfectionist's Diet Dilemma

My dinner plate at a Mother's Day brunch.  Not so bad, you say?  This was AFTER a plate of breakfast food and before a slice of carrot cake!  

Getting plenty of exercise....No Problem!  Eating healthy....that is an ongoing battle for me!  When I began this triathlon adventure, I thought I'd lose weight.  Didn't happen!  Researching the subject, I've learned that your weight situation can be broken down like this:  10% of what you are is hereditary.  Another 10% of your weight is how much activity you average in a day.  Now get this:  80% of your weight situation is what you eat!  If you are like me and have no problem getting activity in and wonder why you are not losing weight, this can be extremely discouraging.  I've pondered, "Why do anything if all this activity only accounts for 10% of my weight?"  I instantly answer back with the gazillion reasons why activity is so healthy.  I've remained off of medications because exercise has reduced my blood pressure, increased my HDL (the good cholesterol you want high) that counteracts my borderline bad cholesterol, keeps my blood sugar low and although I haven't lost weight, I haven't put any more on either (and often I believe I deserve to put more on!).

In light of all this, I still need to acquire a right mindset about diet.  We Americans spend too much time thinking about food and that is probably half the problem.  May is a big food month, as bad as December, in my opinion.  Year end banquets, retirements, graduations, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, etc.  Events = Food and plenty of it!  My mindset becomes, "Why bother...Eat all you want, when you want and start over in June.  But then June becomes a problem because there is a vacation coming up.  Why bother since half the month will be blown.  July....Independence Day, out of town visitors, Rib Fest...August... Back to school, birthday celebrations, and on and on.  The problem is not that there is an event coming up.  The problem is PERFECTIONISM.  I read an article years ago that said the clinical definition to perfectionism is not that the person creates a perfectly clean house, is super organized and everything just right (and who has ever really achieved that), but that this is what is desired and because it is impossible to achieve, nothing is done.  This is an all or nothing approach.  So many of us see the perfect diet as impossible because of these events and throw in the towel since the event will disrupt the perfect diet.

DO THE MATH:  Say in two weeks there will be two events coming up; a family barbecue and a year-end banquet from a committee you've served on.  Both will have enough food to feed an army.  If we "perfectionists" say to ourselves, "Why bother..." and indulge each day before that event (say 2000 calories VS 1500, for example)  and 3000 calories on each of the two days of events, we consumed 30,000 calories in a two week period.  That's an average of 2,143 calories a day for the two weeks.  BUT...if you followed your plan and averaged 1,500 calories a day on 12 days of non-events, and still over-indulged on just those two days with the events (3000 calories for each event in this case), you would have consumed 24,000 calories.  A difference of 6,000 calories!  Since it takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound, you would have gained at least a pound and a half from fretting over two events that caused you to "throw in the towel".  By following your healthy eating and staying within normal limits, even over indulging on two days would have had no affect on your weight assuming you returned to normal eating.  Dear me:  It's not rocket science.  It all comes down to this:  LIVE DAY BY DAY...Not month by month or week by week.  Even better...look at the event eating as a time to have a little extra something, not a free for all eating day.  But if that is not going to happen, tell yourself at the very least, I have today and today...I choose to eat right!  There will ALWAYS be an event around the corner that involves a lot of food. My Mother's Day meal caused me to have a bad week because I kept thinking about it and had the all or nothing mentality.  Today is a new day and another event is coming up.  My goal:  Don't think about the event and its' food until the day actually gets here.  Live today TODAY...Live tomorrow TOMORROW.  I'm off now to eat my Flax Oatmeal and fresh strawberries!

Happy Trails....and Happy Healthy Eating!

Swim Strong!

swim workout

I created the following workout and my teammates really liked it.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was not able to do the entire workout and had to cut out 500 yards.  But here is the workout in its' original form.  

FOCUS IS ON STRONG ARMS FOR A STRONG PULL:

Warm Up:  200 swim, 200 kick, 300 pull, 100 fist drill, 100 drill of your choice

Main set:  Repeat 2X:  100 fist drill, 200 pull, 300 swim (focusing on strong pull and follow through)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6 X 50 strong/sprint (focus on a strong pull & follow through VS a fast rotation of arms)

200 Kick

300 swim moderately focusing on good form

Cool Down:

100 Easy

Total:  3000 Yards

A workout should have a purpose and this purpose was to strengthen the pull in the freestyle stroke.  Something I always need to work on! Along with other dynamics, a strong pull goes far in swim efficiency.  Enjoy!

Lynn

How "Young" Are You?

My 89 year old mother with 10 month old, great-granddaughter, Charlotte.

When I was training for my first triathlon in 2008, at age 52, I often asked myself what on earth I was doing!  Certainly, I was not aging gracefully.  Was this an age denial thing?  Whatever it was, I was still having fun and that's what kept me going.  But as the race was drawing nearer, I was getting very nervous.  Could I actually pull this off?  The triathlon class I was taking at the YMCA had a coach who always seemed to know how to put things in perspective.  She told us (many were in their middle aged years and also was about to do their first triathlon), "If you start to panic race day morning remember this:  Most people your age are still in bed (triathlons usually start at 7 AM on a week-end day)."  That did seem to put it all in perspective.  We we were all there to accomplish something great in our fitness world.  So what if we were age defiant.  We're going out kicking and screaming VS laying on a couch. There's solid evidence that exercise is the best fountain of youth fix out there.  Along with a healthy diet, of course.  

A great way to measure how you are doing in the healthy living department, is to take the RealAge test.  This is a fantastic tool!  It may take 20 minutes or so to answer all the questions, but it'll be the most interesting 20 minutes you've probably ever had in test taking.  Click on the link below and start this awesome adventure.  You'll be asked a variety of questions that starts with your family history, then your history, current health habits (or lack thereof), etc.  If you have your last blood cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, get them out for this test.  Otherwise, you can answer that you don't know.  You will see two numbers at the top of your screen throughout the test.  One number never changes and that is your biological age.  The other number will fluctuate up and down as you take the test.  This number is called your "RealAge".  Although you cannot change the day you were born, much as we'd like to sometimes, your RealAge is greatly affected by what you do or don't do.  After plugging in my family history and all my borderline cholesterol and blood pressure medicines, health history and yes, even not so great dietary habits, the exercise portion came up next...and was last on the test.  Before this exercise portion, my RealAge was about three years older than I actually was.  By the time I finished the exercise portion, my RealAge had dropped to several months younger than my biological age.  It was absolutely AMAZING how plugging in those hours of exercises and types of exercise, etc., shaved those years off.  AND....it showed me that if I fixed my dietary habits and ate healthier, I could have off even more years.  It was a real eye opener.  The test is FREE, by the way...so there is no excuse not to do it.  AND...you can lay on the couch with a laptop or iPad to do it! So what are you waiting for....  Curl up on the sofa with a cup of coffee and get started on your "Fountain of Youth".  Here is the link:

Take The RealAge Test

Another thing that keeps us young...Routine tests to stop diseases in their tracks.  Not every disease has a test and ovarian cancer is one of them.  If you haven't already, will you help me help researches who are very close to developing a routine blood test to detect this silent killer in its' early stages when treatment is 98% effective?  Here is the link to my fund raising page:

Lynn's Fundraising Page for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

Your donation will be MUCH appreciated!  Thank you so much,

Lynn

Get Motivated ~ Stay Motivated

Someone recently asked me for tips on how to get motivated and stay motivated.  I promised her I'd answer in a blog post in case others were also interested.  I know I enjoy reading how others stay motivated.  Here are a few things that keep me going. . . (Photos by me, unless stated otherwise):

Believe it or not, I didn't really get active until my 40s when I started walking to and from work with a co-worker.  Summers, when we were off work, we met at mutually agreed places for morning walks.  Eventually, this co-worker transferred to another building and I was left to fend for myself in the motivation department.  I began to slack off and just couldn't seem to do it on my own!  So...Motivation tip #1: ENLIST FRIENDS (Family will do...Even dogs!)

I rejoined the YMCA but soon was bored with the treadmill and other equipment.  For something different, I decided to try the free classes.   I LOVED it.  If you show up for the same class at the same time, you start making friends!  If you miss a class or two, these new friends start to ask you where you've been.  Motivation Tip #2:  ACCOUNTABILITY!  (meeting friends or committing to a class...people will expect you to show up)

(Google Image)

A neighbor and I joined one class together and as we were walking into the Y, a gal she knew was walking out.  They chatted briefly about this and that and this person asked my neighbor if she was interested in doing the women's triathlon in our town that occurs every June.  She talked about a triathlon class that the Y has which she was in the previous year and had a blast....how everyone was encouraging one another, etc.   I thought this sounded really fun and challenging so when I saw the sign for signing up, I did.  Motivation Tip #3:  TRY SOMETHING NEW AND CHALLENGING TO KEEP IT FUN!

This leads right away to the next tip.  This one is probably my biggest motivator, at least for me.  Motivation Tip #4:  SIGN UP FOR A RACE OR EVENT!  Not all races are about speed.  There are plenty of walking events.  Research on the Internet for different types of events.  Most are charity related and a few, though not too many, will let you race for free if you get enough sponsors.  Many of the shorter races, 5Ks for example, are anywhere from $20-35.  Signing up for a race/event gives you a goal and a purpose to your workouts.  It's fun to spend several weeks or months increasing your endurance and/or speed.  And at the end of the race, you get the finish line party with food (usually more on the healthy side...not always though), music, friends.  At packet pick-up before the race, you get a free shirt and possibly other goodies in a bag (aka, "Swag").   Some races have medals for all finishers.  Race events keep me going!  This is a STRONG motivator.  I recently had a physical therapist who told me she does the sprint triathlons just to keep her swimming, biking and walking.  She doesn't care about her time.  She swims at a leisure pace, rides her bike like she's cruising through her neighborhood and walks the 5K.  All she wants is to have a goal to keep going and enjoys going through the course with hundreds of others (note...Triathlons are more expensive than walking/running events often reaching or excedding $100).

Sometimes, even through these measures, we can start to get bored.  Need to spice it up a bit (whatever activity you are doing)?  Motivation Tip #5:  NEW WORKOUT CLOTHES (hopefully, in a smaller size!) Kohl's has a nice workout clothing section for reasonable rates.  OR...some NEW MUSIC on your music player.

As much as I like to swim with friends, and cycle with friends, I usually prefer to run or walk alone these days.  With running especially.  My pace is usually slower than most people I know and I fear that I hold them back.  Plus, I like the solitude.  I don't always listen to music but meditate, pray, think... Before I know it, I'm home!  What motivates me if I'm having trouble getting out the door for a lone workout, is ..... Motivation Tip #6:  TRACKING!  Call it logging, journaling...same difference.  Keep track of your workouts as some do with food intake.  And better yet, as many of you know, post it to facebook!  I LOVE seeing what workouts others do and love to cheer them on.  Likewise, it's fun to receive the same motivation from friends.  You can do this either on paper or online.  I prefer the latter and use these websites to log in activity:  Daily Mile .  You can "friend" people on this activity journal site that has a social aspect to it as well.  For walking, go to Map My Walk .  Map my Run and Map my Ride are basically the same thing under different sport names.  Another fun website that tracks both activity AND food, with an awesome food data base, is My Fitness Pal or Sparkpeople  You can google "free fitness journal" or other similar phrases to see other free tracking sites.

Even with all these tips, there are just times when nothing seems motivating.  Do your best to get out the door no matter how hard it seems at the moment.  You will NEVER regret it in the end.  As the Reebok ad says, "Life is short.  Play hard!"

"Me too?"