Archive for Exercise

A BIG Weekend in Review

March 16, 2009 · Filed under Exercise, Our Family

Saturday Jack took his first step all by himself!!  He has been walking along furnature and holding hands and for a while now.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he’s romping around our home on 2 instead of 4! 

 

Also on Saturday, Greg and I, along with Greg’s Parents, Clem and Doris, His sister Lindsay and her friend, Susan our staff member, and my high school friend, Julie and her husband, Aaron all participated in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day 4 miler.  Jack was planning on riding in his jogging stroller but it was a chilly 27deg morning and he has been sniffily and fussy with a few new teeth coming in, so he stayed with JamieLee and her husband who live in Dublin for the morning.  We had a good time at the race despite the cold.  I was wearing 5 shirts, 2 pairs of pants and one pair of shorts, and I was pretty comfortable in that.  Can you tell I’m not one for the cold!  Susan, in her one long sleeve shirt thought I was crazy.  Overall it was a fun race.  Greg and I both beat our goal times and Susan got a PR, she’s a running rock star!  I think everyone had a great time.  I look forward to the next race. 

 

Sunday I spent the afternoon at Caribou Coffee shop, one of my favorite places, studying for my Sports Chiropractic Certification.  Its getting down to the wire with one month before the test.  I’m a bit nervous about finding enough time to study.  Hopefully I can pull it off.

 

Also on Sunday Greg put together a new TV stand, something that was long overdue for updating.  Our previous stand had several shelves to place decorative items, which looked great until Jack pulled everything off daily!  Our new system has lots of storage which is great for Jack’s toys which were overtaking the living room floor.  I’m happy with our new set-up.

 

The weather was much milder on Sunday than Saturday so we took advantage and grilled out for dinner.  I love grilling!  It makes me feel like summer is just around the corner, my favorite season!

dscn1144

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Jack’s New Ride

March 11, 2009 · Filed under Exercise, Just For Mom's

We were looking for a stroller that would work well for a long, (potentially) fast run or for a leisurely walk on an off-road trail.  So a fast and all-terrain vehicle!

 

What we researched/wanted:

-          Wheel size:  16” or 20” is best for jogging/running

-          Fixed front wheel:  This is important for stability at higher speeds. 

-          Stroller Weight:  The lighter the better!

-          Safety:  a no-brainer

-          Ability to fit into our trunk:  A must!

-          Recline:  important for use with a younger baby

-          Reviews:  A lot of good ones

-          Price:  Lets not let it get out of control, but we want quality, reliability, and a good reputation

-          Weight Capacity:  We want this stroller to last until Jack can keep up on his own bike!

 

Strollers that met most or all of our criteria:

-          Schwinn – not great reviews

 

-          Baby Jogger Performance – significantly more expensive (over $400) with equivalent reviews to the BOB’s, 20” wheels likely wouldn’t fit in trunk

 

-          BOB Ironman – 16” x 1.5” light, thin tires, awesome for running, not meant for all-terrain but probably would do alright off-road ($350)

 

-          BOB SUS D’Lux –light but not as rugged aluminum 16”x2” wheels ($350)

 

-          BOB SUS – 16” x 2” wheels with high impact composite polymer rims, good for running and off road, 1 lb heavier than D’Lux ($300)

 

During my research with Greg we looked at a lot of reviews and specs.  We found very helpful information on www.joggingstroller.com and some great reviews on www.amazon.com.  We also checked out the company websites www.bobgear.com.  I’ll cut to the chase.  We chose the BOB SUS Jogging Stroller for its high ratings and ability to excel for running both on and off-road, and for it’s more affordable price. 

Jack had a Great Ride

Jack had a Great Ride

 

 

 

Sleeping Baby

Sleeping Baby

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I Never Thought I’d Get One of These!

March 5, 2009 · Filed under Exercise, Just For Mom's

Lately I have been getting back into running, thanks to my new employee Susan. I have been wanting to get more involved with local races, I think it makes training more fun and I love getting free shirts and medals! Well I hadn’t been running consistently due to the cold weather ( I was doing more weight/circuit training), but somehow Susan talked me into my first race in a long time, the Fantastic Frigid 5k, a series of 2 5k’s in January sponsored by Columbus Running Company. I don’t know what I was thinking, I hate the cold! I can handle 40’s ok, but the 1st 5k was freeeeeeezing – 9 deg, colder with the wind chill. That weekend was a record cold day for Columbus, the coldest in decades! The 2nd race also lived up to the “frigid” title. There was probably a foot of snow on the entire trail; it was like running through the soft sand on the beach. After the race many competitors were joking about it being their record slowest time! It was definitely an experience. I just have to say thank goodness for Yak Trax! Despite my complaining I did have a good time and I was glad I finally got myself back into the racing crowd. I am looking forward to more racing! My next race is the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day 4 miler.  I am hoping for milder conditions!

So, let me get back to my actual topic for this posting…Jogging Strollers! I never had any interest in a jogging stroller in the past. I thought, if I want to do a workout then I want to do a workout – focused with out distractions of something to push or a potential crying baby. But I started re-thinking this after getting motivated to run again. It has been challenging to find time to get in solid workouts with work and Jack. Recently a friend was raving to me about how nice it is to have her jogging stroller so she can do a run anytime she wants. I picked her brain about some of my concerns. Jack to date has not tolerated long stroller rides; however Shelly mentioned that her children enjoy the faster speed of the jogging stroller much more than traditional strollers and that she had no problem getting in a solid run. She said the key was to have a good quality stroller with a stationary front wheel for a smooth ride. After this encouraging conversation I was actually excited about the idea of running with Jack. So I began researching Jogging strollers. And to my delight, Greg’s parents offered to get us a stroller for Jack’s birthday! Stay tuned for my next post on the results of my Jogging Stroller research and the winning stroller we chose! I will also be posting on Jack’s birthday after the weekend.

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Pregnancy Month 3

December 6, 2008 · Filed under Exercise, Pregnancy & Birth · Tagged , , , , ,

Recapping my experience on the 3rd month of pregnancy with Jack last year:  Morning sickness, exercising, and waiting for that first kick!

 

Morning sickness: We spent 3 weeks in Ohio for our summer break and I was just telling my mom that I was so glad I hadn’t experienced any morning sickness!  We’ll I spoke too soon.  Once we returned to Florida it started.  I shouldn’t complain too much because I never did throw up, but I did feel very uncomfortable.  I had a lot of nausea, and it started around week 8 and it didn’t subside until I was well into the 5th month.  Many health care professionals think pregnancy related nausea and morning sickness is due to erotically changing hormones early in pregnancy.  They also think drastic dips and peaks in blood sugar can aggravate it.  So I carried a bag of almonds and raisons with me around school and work (I had a part time job at Dillard’s).  Eating small meals and a protein and light-on-the-carb’s snack like almonds, between meals helped keep my blood sugar steady.  It helped the nausea a little but it never really eliminated it.  For me the nausea was worse in the evening. 

 

Exercising:  Exercising during pregnancy is very beneficial to both the mom and baby, except in rare, high-risk pregnancies.  Exercising was very important to me.  I have been an athlete all my life and I’ve always made a strong effort to stay in shape, exercise and eat healthy, and I didn’t want to change due to pregnancy.  So I did some research on exercising during pregnancy and read the book “Exercising During Your Pregnancy” by Dr. James Clapp.  The book was very informative and I recomend it to any pregnant woman who would like some tips on exercising while pregnant.  Here’s a quick synopsis of what I learned:

 

Benefits of exercising through Pregnancy

-         Limited weight gain

-         Less physical discomfort

-         More energy

-         Easier, shorter, less complicated labor

-         Quick Recovery, and more!

 

·        Exercising is beneficial for mom and baby (weather you are an experienced, intense exerciser, or a casual walker)

·        Exercising moms often have shorter labors, deliver early rather than late, and have babies with lower but still healthy birth weights.  (If you discontinue exercise during the 9 months then these benefits may not apply)

·        Exercise helps prepare the baby and mother for the stresses of labor and delivery

·        Avoid exercising in hot, humid environments

·        The Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale may be a better measure of exercise intensity in pregnancy than heart rate.  The RPE scale is 6-20 with “6” being how you feel at rest and “20” being maximal exertion. 

·        Clapp’s book uses research to address any safety concerns mom’s may have about exercising while pregnant. 

·        You should avoid exercises such as downhill, skiing, skateboarding, horse back ridding, and other activities where you could fall or harm the baby after the baby protrudes through the pelvic outlet (when you start to see a baby bump)

 

I had been running, swimming, erging (rowing ergometer), walking, and occasional pilates and/or light weights before pregnancy.  I typically did 3-4 cardio workouts and 2 strength workouts each week.  I continued most of these activities during early pregnancy.  My frequency slowed down as the morning sickness picked up though.  The nausea made exercise not very appealing.  After the nausea subsided I never did get back to the same exercise frequency that I had pre-nausea.  However, in retrospect I wish I had made more of an effort to continue my exercise frequency throughout pregnancy because of it’s many benefits.  Here is a nice article from the Washington Post and some additional resources 1 and 2 on the benifits and guidelines on exercising during pregnancy. 

 

*There are some contraindications to exercising during pregnancy so do your research and consult your health care provider

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Olympic Update: Fifth in the WORLD!

August 30, 2008 · Filed under Exercise · Tagged

Margot concluded her Olympic racing with a 5th place finish in the Women’s Quad event.  She, like most world class athletes, was disappointed returning without a medal but I am sooo proud of my former Buckeye teammate.  It is an amazing accomplishment to have made it to the Olympics and to the grand finals of her event.  It is a true honor to represent your country in the Olympic Games.  Very few individuals get that opportunity.  Hundreds and thousands and maybe millions of athletes strive to reach that goal in their lifetime and only the very best of the best make it.  I know, without hearing the details yet, that she raced her guts out and left everything she had on the water in Bejing.  Congratulations Margot on representing the USA and racing your heart out. 

   

 

A true athlete

A true athlete

 To read more about Margot and her family’s experience in Bejing go to www.margotrowforgold.blogspot.com

 

 

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Margot Row For Gold!

August 16, 2008 · Filed under Exercise · Tagged ,

Margot (left)

Margot (left)

My amazing former Ohio State University Women’s Rowing teammate, Margot Shumway will be rowing for gold tomorrow, Sunday (at 4:30am Eastern time) for the USA in the Women’s Quad event at the Olympics.  I haven’t mentioned yet but I spent 4 years in undergraduate school at The Ohio State University on the Varsity Women’s Rowing team.  It was an amazing experience where I met some amazing women including Margot.  I am honored to have rowed with her during her first year in the sport in 2001 in the Varsity 4 event.  We then spent a summer in Wisconsin together at the US Development camp and the following year in we both rowed in the 2V8 (second varsity eight) event.  Margot has grown so much in the sport and is an incredibly amazing athlete.  I cannot put to word how proud and ecstatic I am about Margot in the Olympics.  I am just soooo excited and pumped for her, I can hardly contain myself as I write, knowing she’s just hours for her race.  Go Get’em Margot!!! Go USA! 

You can follow Margot’s journey in Beijing by visiting her mom, Julia Shumway’s blog or by going to www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

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