My daughter Megan did her first solo mini triathlon this weekend. Way to go! She is an excellent swimmer, and since she has been home, she has been doing a lot of running with us, but the bike for her is more unchartered territory. I got her bike ready (previously Molly’s), and she got in a few rides prior to this weekend. She was nervous, but very excited to “Tri” this on her own. She has done this one before on a team, and of course, she was the swimmer. It was really a perfect day for a triathlon. Sarah and I were spectators for this one. It was the first one we have not done in many years. Sarah is planning on doing a Half Marathon next weekend, and for me, well, my recovery is still taking time, and I do not do as well in the heat yet. So, hopefully, we will both be back at it again next year too!
With everything going on with COVID, they had individual starts for everybody, 10 seconds apart. Here Megan is getting ready to jump in the water. I have to admit, I can tell she is my kid. There are many similarities with her and I, but there are also some differences as well.
This is one of Megan swimming. And, wait a minute, she is actually swimming! This is for sure where she and I differ. She does not have to do the Reiffenberger Stroke…which means you stand up and run like h@#$! I am terrible at swimming, and have to say, I really don’t like it. Give me the bike and/or running any day. She is the total opposite!
Here Megan is at the first transition, going from swimming, and getting ready to get on her bike. But, she had to fix her hair first! Now, I have to admit, that is not something I have had to do, or worry about, for a long time! She is going to have to work on this as you can lose a lot of time in these transition zones. She will get it!
Here she is coming in to finish the bike section. 14 miles around Lake Kampeska. Everything went well for her! I fixed a tire for her earlier in the week, so I too was very relieved to have her come in and we did not have to worry about a flat tire during the race!
Here she is stopping to get off the bike to again enter the transition zone to take off running. This is definitely one similarity, and I think it is safe to say it is similar for everybody doing the triathlon. As you get off the bike to get ready to run, you look at all of the trees around you and realize your legs are now about as flexible as those trees! It is such a hard feeling to describe until you actually experience. It takes the first mile of the run, at least, to try and get loosened up to feel more comfortable running. The run in this race is a 5k, or 3.1 miles.
She is coming around the corner to the finish line of the run. She is about to finish her first “Tri”!
She can definitely see the finish line here! From this side view of her running, if it weren’t for the pony tail, this could be me! She definitely has my running form as well. I will make her a true runner yet. I wanted to do something this day since I could not do the whole race. I ran the run portion of this with her, waiting for her right around the corner at the start, and letting her finish it on her own. When you are tired, and it is getting hot, any kind of encouragement is appreciated. It was great for me to be able to run with her, and “Tri” pushing her. I kept pointing out the person ahead of us, and would tell her that was the next goal. She would pass them, and we just looked at the one ahead of us again! She did great!
Last year I did the triathlon as one of 3 on the team, and my portion was the run. Here Sarah is helping me down the final stretch, pushing me, and encouraging me to keep going. This was only 4 months after I had been sick, so I think this was because she wanted to keep an eye on me than anything else, but don’t tell her that I already knew that was what she was doing! The point is, we can all use some help at times. We do not have to always do things by ourselves. Those accomplishments when we do complete them on our own are definitely more meaningful, right Megan?
This was a shirt Megan bought for me for Father’s Day a couple of years ago. It says: I’m a Runner Dad…I’m like a normal Dad, only much cooler! Right on Megan. I am proud of you this weekend. This “Tri” took work, and you did it! We can all take a lesson from this. Once we put our mind to it, we can “Tri” anything, and accomplish anything! Hopefully next year Meg we will all be doing this triathlon! And for everybody else, shoot for the stars. You have no idea what you are capable of achieving until you “Tri”! Keep moving everybody!
Many of us enjoy one or more cups of coffee each morning and although the caffeine and wake-up call it provides may be the motivating factor, perhaps some of the drink’s other benefits can play a role in your continued enjoyment of it! Coffee has been shown to help with brain function, perhaps prevent some diseases, and increase calcium intake when milk is added. Coffee also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium are also present in coffee. One thing to keep in mind about your morning pick-me-up may be to choose wisely. Some of the fancy coffee drinks found at popular coffee shops can also contain loads of sugar and fat, which may contribute empty calories to your daily intake. When choosing a coffee drink, choose low or non-fat drinks or plain coffee, or plain coffee with milk to ensure the most benefit from your coffee. During the hot summer months, enjoy cold-brew coffee or iced coffee as a seasonal way to reap these benefits! -Kelsey
The 4th of July celebration extended over multiple days. It was a good time to take a break from work, and an even better time to spend with family. We always have projects to work on at home, but we also need to learn to take a break from everything and just relax. We managed to get some of this accomplished as well. This first picture is Sarah and I at Lake Kampeska waiting for the rest of the run group to come on Sunday morning. It was a light crowd that day as many of us were out celebrating the 4th late, and watching fireworks. We had a large group meet the morning of the 4th, which is turning into a new tradition as well. We all dress up in our red, white, and blue, and Owen carries a big flag, and we go for a group run. I think we managed to get some attention that morning by people stopping to watch us run by. It was also a morning to celebrate something else very special for our family.
Very good friends of ours, Steve and Carletta Hauck, were in Seattle for the week as their daughter, Carissa, was getting married on the 4th. We were supposed to be out there as well, but had to cancel due to COVID. They have been friends of ours since we moved to Watertown, as Carletta was our day time nanny for 15 years. So, Carissa was like another daughter to us. We could not be there for her day, but we ran for her and her fiancée Scott. We thought about them all day!! We had a large group out running for them. Carissa has run with our group many times when she has been home.
It was a great day to celebrate multiple things! We had a good time meeting that morning for her, and running as a group.
We need to remember what the day is about as well. Later that day we all went about spending times with our families, celebrating in our own ways as well. We spent the afternoon and evening out at the Lake, just having some quality time with family. We spent time playing the bean bag toss, and going out on the jet ski.
The best part of it all, was just hanging out with my kids, and their significant others. It was relaxing, and the fireworks after words was very cool!
Even the dogs had a good time playing with each other. There is always stress going on with our lives, but you just need to take a break from it all and forget things for awhile. Nothing is ever finished. There is always projects to work on, and things to get done, but you still need to take time to spend with family. Projects always seem to have a way of working out eventually. Relax! Take life as it comes. Enjoy the moments like these. We all just need to learn how to relax! Keep moving everybody!
We all have those moments when nothing seems to go right. We then get more worked up about it, or stress about it, lose sleep over it, etc. If we don’t learn to be more patient, we keep going in this continuous cycle, with no true end in sight. For me, and Sarah, going out for a run, or exercising, is our way of trying to regain control again. Our attempt at trying to slow things down, and forget about everything else going on, and just have some time for ourselves. There is no question working out helps. We all need to strive for more patience, now more than ever. We need to have something to make us feel like we are back in control, when everything around us seems to be out of control. Believe me, you are not alone. We all feel this way. We all wonder what can get thrown at us next! One thing this pandemic has done is we have gotten to spend more time at home. Before, this was always a struggle. Now if we could just see more of the rest of our family in the process, that would be even better. Control what you can control! I struggle with patience as well. We all get in a hurry with life, and want to keep things moving. It can be hard to slow things down.
None of us are immune to this. This is Dakota looking out the side door waiting for me to take her for a walk. She is standing up on her hind legs to look out the window wondering if I forgot to take her with or not. I was just getting my shoes on, but she was getting impatient. Then she will start pacing, and then whining, wondering if she is going to get to go along or not. Finally, I open the door up, and she bolts outside ready to go!
We could all learn a lot from Dakota. Yes, she needs to learn to be more patient, but if we all got as excited as she does when it is time to go for a walk or a run, we all would not struggle as much. She keeps leaping in the air she is so ready to go. Her paws are not even touching the ground here!
She loves going to the Lake and explore. Always something to see, and hear. New adventures each day, even if it may be the same route. I have definitely found that to be true lately as well. By the time my day gets done, I will go for a walk most evenings to unwind. I have to admit, I did not pay a whole lot of attention to the sunsets at Lake Kampeska before. I am not sure why, but I think more of it was I usually did my workouts in the mornings instead of the evenings, so I really did not get to see them much. Boy, have I been missing out a lot! I love those days with some clouds in the sky when the sun is setting, because it is always a different view. The one evening this last week it had rained earlier, but when it came time for the sun to set, it started breaking up. I told Sarah I was going to the Lake because it was looking interesting. It did not disappoint. I was gone for over an hour. The colors that were being created in the sky, and the continuous changes in the cloud formation was like watching a movie. I was thinking I was going to leave after a few minutes, and I am glad I didn’t. This was a perfect example of having patience, and letting things play out. It was very relaxing, and entertaining. The following picture were taken that night, and this is how that time changed the view.
There really are not any words to describe what was taking place. I just stood and continued to watch and see how things played out. Wow! That is what life is about! Take your time! Be patient! See how things play out! You never know, but the best is probably yet to come, just how things were evolving that evening taking the pictures. We don’t know what everything in the future is going to bring, but we all need to learn to be more patient in our lives.
I have to admit, when I am out running, or especially walking, I am looking around and paying attention now to everything around me. Before, I would be in a hurry. Just get it done, I got things to do. But now, I am not even looking at the time. What normally may take me 45 minutes to go for a walk is now about 90 minutes. I have learned to be more patient with this part of the day, and really take in what is being given to me. It is a great way to unwind from the day, and then also to help forget about all the stress related to it as well. There are enough things to worry about, so forget about all of the little things. Strive for more patience in your life. Take in what life has to offer. We all have room for improvement on this, especially me. But I am trying, and right now, I am really enjoying these evenings. Some of my next posts I will have to have more sunset pictures. Right now, it is one of the best medicines I can take! Keep moving everybody! Slow down, and take it all in…all the good, and you will be better able to handle all the bad as well.
Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy a sweet treat without all of the added calories?! Here are a few ideas for you:
•Mix flavored yogurt or plain yogurt honey and your favorite fruit.
• Angel food cake with berries.
•Drizzle a bit of honey over mixed melon balls.
•Blend bananas and strawberries, freeze into cubes, and eat like ice cream.
•Sauté or bake 1/2 banana and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped nuts.
•Take three of your favorite kinds of berries; cook half of them with just enough water to prevent burning. Cool and stir in remaining berries. Portion 1/2 cup of the berry compote with 1 tablespoon of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
•Try making your favorite flavor of sugar free pudding with low-fat milk. •If it’s ice cream that you really want- skip the scoop-yourself containers and buy single-serving novelty treats such as fudgesicles, creamsicles, even chocolate-covered ice cream bars. You’re more likely to limit your portions if they already come in a single serving
Mindful eating is a way of eating that promotes health, wellness, and peace, control, and balance with food. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is being aware or conscious of whatever it is you are doing at that moment. It is being fully present. This may seem like an easy concept; however, I think many of us are eating and surrounding our food with very mindless actions and thoughts. What are you doing when you eat? Are you watching TV, driving, reading, or scrolling on your phone? All of these are examples of mindless eating. Even when you are cooking your food, are you paying attention to what you are doing or how you are cooking? Or are you again watching TV or talking on the phone? There are so many places we can incorporate mindfulness into the process of preparing and eating our food.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
• More satisfaction
• Less chance of overeating
• Acknowledge your internal body cues
• Avoid emotional eating The benefits of mindful eating far out way not being mindful.
When preparing your food, paying attention to how you are making it and all the time, energy, and love that goes into it can lead to a greater appreciation for the food. Having a greater appreciation for your food will hopefully lead to a greater appreciation for feeding your body the healthy food it deserves. When actually eating your food, being mindful of each bite and chewing slowly will allow you to pay attention to your inner cues of being satisfied and stop you from overeating. You will also fully taste the food you spent your energy making and again, create a greater appreciation for the process.
Tips for Mindful Eating:
• Pay attention to how you are preparing your food and appreciate the time and energy spent on this.
• Sit down at a table to eat with no outside stimuli.
• Chew slowly- put down your silverware between bites.
• Drink water in between bites.
• Pay attention to your internal cues for when you are full and satisfied.
• Ask yourself, “Why am I eating right now?” or “Is this what my body needs right now?”
• Pay attention to your emotions while you are eating. If you are not even hungry but you continue to eat, slow down. Maybe take out a journal and write down your feelings. It sounds cheesy, but it works.
• Eat foods that are beneficial to your body’s wellbeing.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you out with your mindful eating! It is hard at first to break certain habits surrounded by mindless eating, but I promise your body and mind will thank you. You may even be able to work through certain emotions and things -Kelsey
