Standing Posture

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Ever have back pain when you stand for awhile?  Do your knees or feet get achy?  Try this…

Stand up.  Stand comfortably like you normally would.  Think about what you feel in your body when you stand in place…  I feel my weight in my heels, pressure in my knees, hips, and the small of my low back.  My shoulders feel heavy.  My knees are locked, there is a curve in my low back and my shoulders are a little hunched forward.  If I stand like this for awhile, my back and knees will probably start aching. 

Now…squeeze your inner thighs together and stand tall reaching to top of your head for the ceiling.  Now what do you feel?  I feel like my weight has shifted to the balls of my feet, no more pressure in my joints, the muscles in my legs and abdominals are working, and my shoulders feel light.  My knees are slightly bent, my spine has better alignment, and my shoulders are back.  Overall, I feel much better and can stand this way for awhile. 

I have received great feedback from many of my Pilates clients who now stand this way.  So, next time you’re standing in line somewhere, try this, and tell me what you think…

Kara Kadow liked this post

IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene 2011 Race Day

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I headed up to Coeur d’Alene a few days before the race.  I was excited, nervous, and trying to figure out my game plan.  The weather had been a little cold, the water freezing (56 degrees), and I still wasn’t dialed in on my nutrition plan.  But, it was go time…

The morning of the race, I woke up starving so I ate a little yogurt, fruit, and granola.  We headed over to the race.  I dropped off my bags, put air in my tires, was getting my wetsuit on when I realized I forgot my GU.  Oops! 

I headed to the beach for the start.  There were so many people!!!  I think 2500 started the race.  I started the swim on empty but it went pretty well…I was out of the water in a little over an hour…right where I wanted to be.  Things seemed good but was I really ready for 112 miles on my bike?

The first loop of the bike felt pretty good.  I was fast but I didn’t feel like I was going out too hard.  Unfortunately, I think I ate too much too fast.  My stomach started cramping at mile 40 so I stopped eating to let it calm down.  I started to lose energy and just couldn’t really push.  I knew I was in trouble when a guy next to me pulled a Snickers bar out of his special needs bag at the halfway mark.  I almost started crying…it looked so good!  I knew I was hungry.  I tried to catch up by eating a couple of bananas and everything else I had…but it was too late.  The second lap was miserable.  I was passed by so many people.  At his point, I was just trying to figure out how I would finish.  Somehow, I was still just under 6 hrs for my 112 miles on my bike???

As I headed out of the tent to begin my marathon, I was offered gummy bears and pretzels…I couldn’t refuse.  I saw my parents about .3 miles into the marathon and stopped.  I had a little conversation and munched on some gummy bears.  I reluctantly continued on.  I chatted with some great people during my first lap…a man running his 35th Ironman and a professional mountain bike racer.  They both looked at me like I was crazy when I told them I had a 1 and 3 year old.  I abandoned my nutrition strategy at mile 2 and started drinking coke and eating whatever looked good.  First lap was ok (just under 2 hrs) then I was done.  I saw my husband with my girls.  Just hanging out, drinking a beer.  That’s when it really hit me…I really didn’t want to be out there.  I struggled through the second half of the marathon.  So much hip pain (don’t know where that came from).  I was determined to finish…giving up just never seemed like an option.  So I walked and walked and walked.

Approaching the last turn before heading to the finish line, the guy I was walking with suggested we run to finish strong.  He commented on how emotional people get every time they finish even if they’ve finished before.  Then he looked over and I was bawling.  All I could get out was, “I just want to see my girls.”  And then, there they were…on the sidewalk cheering for their mommy.  The highlight on a pretty miserable 12 hours.  Makena gave me a bracelet and it was kisses from Chloe and Tim.  The finish was pure relief.  

CDA Finish

So, I finished in 12 hours and 17 minutes.  Not what I was hoping for but sometimes just finishing is good enough.  And this day it was. 

Looking back, I don’t think I was mentally, physically, or emotionally ready for an Ironman.  I don’t think I really wanted it.  Maybe someday I’ll go for it again.  But, in the meantime I’m going to stick to shorter distances and enjoy my family.   

 

 

Joe Purnhagen, Mike Stewart, Dani Kauerz Sloan, Kara Kadow liked this post

IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene 2011

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One year ago, I decided it would be a great time in my life to do the Ironman again.  My girls would be 3 1/2 years old and 15 months old.  I would be sleeping through the night, they would be on a great routine, I could train with them in the chariot (a double stroller that I can also hook to my bike)…Who was I kidding??  

I did the Coeur d’Alene Ironman in 2006 and it was one of my favorites.  I had done multiple triathlons after having my 2 girls, including the Escape from Alcatraz (Makena was 9 months old) and the Boise Half Ironman (Makena was 1 1/2 and then I got pregnant Chloe a few days later).  But I have always wanted to get back to the full distance.  So, Coeur d’Alene was  the perfect race.  Not only did I want to finish, but I wanted a PR and to qualify for Hawaii again…What was I thinking?

I got back in shape really quickly after Chloe was born in March.  I had been swimming, cycling, doing Pilates and TRX, and running (until my 8th month) throughout my pregnancy.  ( I did a spin class 2 days before she was born and swam the day before).  I was already sleep deprived so it didn’t seem to be as big of a deal this time.  I started my official training program in November with my coach Cari.  I did most of my training in the morning, 6 am, before my girls woke so I could be home to nurse the baby by 7:30.  I felt great…tired…but great!  I trained in the morning, taught Pilates a couple of days a week at my studio in Salt Lake, and was a mom.  Did I mention that my husband is a college basketball coach?  He works constantly and is out of town a lot.  

As for sleeping through the night?  Maybe 1 or 2 nights a week.  On a routine?  sometimes.  And for runs and rides outside with the jog stroller?  Didn’t happen.  It snowed here on Memorial day.  We had no spring this year and turns out my girls dont really like the stroller.  They are really only good for about 30 min in the stoller and it takes a lot of bribery. 

I focused on higher intensity workouts with less volume.  I averaged about 10 hours/week of training, compared to 20 hours/week of training for my previous 3 Ironmans.  I was definitely on the low end of volume but things were going great until Chloe got pneumonia and was hospitalized the end of May.  (I was actually 60 miles into the Salt Lake Century bike ride when I got a text from my husband saying that she was at the hospital.  After I got to my car (2 hours later), I went straight to the hospital.)  I don’t think I ever fully recovered from this.  For the last month of my training I was exhausted, no longer sleeping through the night, out of my routine, unfocused and I missed some key training sessions. 

But, I had been working for a year to get to race day.  I knew, deep down, that I wasn’t fully prepared but there was no turning back…

Searching for Balance…

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I’m trying to do so many things well…be a mom, a professional, an athlete, a friend, a homemaker…and yet not really doing any of them as well as I want.  In my never-ending search for balance, I’ve decided to put my career on hold and stay home with my girls (3 years old and 17 months).  I’m scared…

In June, I did the Coeur d’Alene Ironman.  A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, followed by a 26.2 mile run…in 1 day!  Why?  I don’t know.  I guess to prove to myself (and the world) that I could train and compete at a high level with little kids.  I finished (in 12 hours!) but it was miserable.  During the race I had an epiphany…being a mom changes you.  You can never go back to who you were.  But that’s ok…in fact, it’s great!  

So, here I am beginning a new chapter in my life as a stay at home mom.  Any suggestions???