MISTAKES

Yup...This poster was made for Alexa Rogers! I literally screw up every single day. It can be something silly like tripping over nothing, running into a twirling door with a cute guy when I was supposed to wait my turn, farting in public, hugging the wrong person, etc. The list can and will go on forever. I am cursed.

Today at my job I made a pretty bad mistake- one of my bosses asked me to coordinate a meeting for her and one of the big Vice Presidents of our company. For some reason, I thought she meant that she wanted me to meet with him...Ya I know, i'm an idiot. So I set this meeting up with him- just him and I. Then, she found out about it and was like, "Why would you do that? Are you a recruiter?" I replied "No" she replied "And what exactly would you have talked to him about in that meeting?" My face turned red and I shook my head- not knowing what to say. She replied, "Ya, let's save each other from looking stupid." Gosh! I almost died! I made a bone head move- she did save me though because seriously I don't even know the guy and would have walked into his office and been like, "so what's going on here?"  Anyway- I learned to ask for verification when I don't understand.

Then, if things couldn't get any worse- I was in a conference call with some of my other team members in another state and we were waiting for a person named Jeri to attend our team meeting. And I, on the other end of the line, asked, so what does Jeri do? does she work in hr? Then a man's voice on the other end said, "Ya this is Jeri, I'm a guy and I don't work HR but I work for the union!"

Ha- its funny though. I have actually come to enjoy making little blurps because sometimes they provide for a good story and because I learn something from them. Some bigger mistakes I have made are not so funny- they are things that hurt me and hurt others in the past but I am still glad that I made them because I learned from them and am a better person today and hope that others can learn from me and avoid the mistakes that I have made. One thing that I have learned is to make a change after your mistake- bounce back and show the world that you will get back up. AND forgive yourself- you can't be perfect, can't win them all, can't exceed every test, workout, race, or job duty but you can always overcome.

Run Washed

BRAIN WASH DEFINED: A form of indoctrination that forces people to abandon their beliefs in favor of another set of beliefs by conditioning through various forms of pressure or torture

Synonyms for Brainwash: Mind control,coercive persuasion, mind abuse, thought control

We have all heard of this term before- we all know the implications that being brainwashed has. If you notice the key words "torture" "pressure" "abandon beliefs" and "abuse" you can see how harmful being brainwashed can be on an individual.

The sad thing is- is that most people brainwash themselves. It does not necessarily come from others, rather it comes from within. Many athletes, especially female athletes, experience what I can Run Wash. This term basically has the same meaning as brain wash but it applies to how a female can create a place of torture in her own mind because of her desire to be the best in her sport.

There are times when we "abandon" or own standards and values as a person to become something we want or desire. For example, we may think that in order to be the best that we have to change our diet- While it is true that an athlete must strike a healthier diet than regular people, sometimes female athletes take it to the extreme and totally imprison themselves. They "Run Wash" themselves to the point where they may feel guilty for eating a cookie or guilty for eating more than their friends at dinner.

It does not just pertain to food- sometimes females run wash themselves into thinking that they HAVE to train for hours- and if they miss a workout or don't squeeze in a double- all of a sudden their whole day is ruined. Or one may feel guilty if they don't get exactly eight hours of sleep in or if they go out with their friends.

We have all been through this at one point- where we let something we love become an idol and something that we live for. You see, when we run wash ourselves, we end up spending so much guilty or corrosive time in our heads that we miss what is going on outside of ourselves. Run Washing is selfish and harmful to the self. Shoot for the stars, dream big, and work hard but make sure that you do not live for running or that it becomes an idol in which you chase and revolve your every activity around.

Run because it is a part of your life- not because it is your life.

Pumping Iron

Iron... I think as female athletes most of us know what this is because a lot of us have, or have had in the past, been diagnosed with low iron. Before we get into all of that, let's determine the importance of this little trace mineral. Iron is an essential component in blood hemoglobin- its main role is to transport oxygen throughout the body. The result of low iron is reduced bodily endurance and decreased energy efficiency- this causes muscle fatigue. Insufficient iron means less red blood cells in the body. This is why female athletes feel, "tired" or "sluggish" or "not themselves in a race."

According to Runners World (2010) about 10-20% of female athletes are iron deficient. Researchers from Cornell University found that female athletes are more prone to low iron at the beginning of the season due to a heavy pre-season training. In addition, most females are unaware that they have low iron at the beginning of the season and or do not take the necessary steps to increase iron levels and have a poor season as a result. Women are more prone to iron deficiency because we lose quite a bit through our menstrual cycles and on top of that lose an additional amount through sweat, urine, and pounding from running.

One of the most potent discoveries from scientists is that they are discovering that women are particularly susceptible to iron deficiency because women are more concerned with their diet and may not be consuming enough iron rich foods or may be consuming foods that inhibit iron absorption (Runner's World, 2010). So, what can we do to avoid this mess upfront before the season starts?

Balance your diet. If you are a heavy consumer of coffee, tea, and fiber than you need to figure out a system in which you increase more iron rich substances and decrease inhibitors. You do not have to eliminate a good cup of coffee or those delicious salads, veggies, and fruits but you do need to concentrate on adding a couple of snacks or meals in your day where you concentrate more on iron rich foods. Iron rich foods include: lean red meat (bison meat, sirloin steak, roast beef) oysters, clams, spinach, egg yolks, Total cereal, prunes, apricots, beans, nuts, lentils, bread, chicken, turkey, and raisins. Pair these sources with foods high in vitamin C and it will increase the rate of absorption. Foods high in Vitamin C are:bell peppers, kiwis, strawberries, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale.

Make sure that you understand that the body more readily absorbs iron from MEAT sources- in fact, the body absorbs iron from meat sources 5x faster than from plant based sources. So, be sure to have lean read meat at least 2-3 times a week, have some meat based source every day in addition to fruits and veggies. Also, you may have to get a supplement- get tested by your athletic trainer or doctor and figure out your iron levels ASAP. If is too low, they may prescribe liquid iron or an iron pill- if you are a coffee drinker, consume this iron at night before bed with a large glass of orange juice. Do this EVERY DAY- if you get lazy than your season will suffer. This is serious girls, let's prevent a frustrating season by taking care of the little things now.

Here are some examples of how to incorporate iron if you can't live without the iron inhibitors: try to cut back on coffee and tea intake- if you have 2-3 cups a day, go for 1. If you have to drink more- try to do it earlier rather than later in the day- in the latter part of the day focus more on iron.

AM- coffee/tea and whatever breakfast you eat
AM Snack- 1 Cup Dried Total Cereal with raisins and almonds
Lunch- Lean red meat or another protein source with your choice carbs and healthy fat
PM Snack- High Vitamin C fruit with Peanut butter
Dinner-Meat iron source paired with veggies (lentils, bell peppers, spinach, and beans), and a carb
IF NEEDED: IRON SUPPLEMENT WITH 100% ORANGE JUICE OR STRAWBERRY JUICE (strawberries are actually higher in Vitamin C than oranges)

The Essense of Time

 As we all know, life is busy- period.  I just got a job at a wonderful company- however, the building is located downtown Denver and I either have to commute for about an hour and half each way or drive for 40 minutes, pay for parking, and walk 5 blocks each way and then work for 8 hours. I'm sure most of you are in the same boat or have school that takes up just as much time. On top of this- we are all juggling time for practicing our sports, appointments, and other commitments. We also have to be prepared for the random car break downs or alarms not going off. 

Sometimes it can be a lot and we get into this routine of just getting through our day- This routine is good for efficiency but it kills goals and relationships. For example, today I looked around and found reminders of good intentions for my life but I never followed through to reach that goal. On my way to work I saw my bike that I wanted to learn how to well before the winter season- I saw a Spanish book on my nightstand...unread. More importantly, as I scrolled through my phone to check my email I rolled past contacts in my phone- important people who are waiting for a phone call. 

To tap into potential whether it be through your goals in sport, academics, work, or relationships takes intentional, concentrated effort. It just DOES NOT HAPPEN.  We are given each day as a gift- 86,400 seconds, 1,4440 minutes, and 24 hours. It is up to us how we choose to spend it- either way it will be spent but we have the power to spend it well and not be consumed by "busy" or "I don't have time." We are all competitive people- that's what a sport does to you. 

So get competitive with yourself and accept the challenge of juggling all that you have to do PLUS achieving your goals. When you have to do something like an appointment, ride the lightrail for an hour to work, or have 20 minutes to spare before practice MAKE IT COUNT! Make it an adventure to take time to listen or learn.

Recovery- Post Training

Today I did a 5 mile mountain bike ride- let me tell you, I failed miserably! It is so hard. I have come to admire bikers! They are especially amazing athletes. The strength that they have to have to go up hills amazes me. Once again, I was humbled during this bike ride- I think I would much rather do 10 hill repeats than ride a bike up a hill. To me, riding up hills is much harder than running up them. Once I was finished with this workout I realized how fatigued and stressed my muscles were. It is then that I drug my butt to my fridge and grabbed a most appetizing low fat chocolate milk.

Post Recovery....This point of your overall training program is the most crucial time for you to consume nutrients. It does not matter which sport you do, after a hard workout or a long endurance effort, it is crucial to replenish your muscles. As athletes, we have a 30 minute window immediately following hard workouts to consume a recovery meal in order to reap physical benefits. After this 30 minute window, your opportunity for optimal recovery decreases with every minute. Which, also, pulls you farther from achieving your athletic goals.
 Recovery Meals aid the body in several ways:

• eliminates metabolic wastes
• replenishes glycogen stores
• reduces muscle damage
• enhances the immune system- the immune system is particularly sensitive after a workout
• allows for muscle growth and recovery

If you want to set the stage for a healthy and strong season- it is important to determine a recovery meal that best suits your needs. Some guidelines of a recovery meal include:

• 10-15 g of protein
• 40-50 g of high glycemic carbohydrates (Any fruit that can supply sucrose sugar for you: pineapple, strawberries, banana or starchy foods like corn tortillas or white potatoes or white bread) (you don't want complex carbohydrates because they absorb too slowly)
• Some Vitamin C to enhance immune system support

Here are some great examples of Post-Recovery Meals that follow these guidelines: If you have a new, more creative, or more delicious idea let us know!

•  Low Fat chocolate milk
• Turkey sandwich 
• Shake: 1/4 cup real maple syrup, 1 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• String cheese and a fruit bar
• Greek Yogurt with a banana 
• 1/2 Peanut butter sandwich on white bread
• Orange juice and a bar high in protein
• Corn tortillas with peanut butter or eggs!

The Power of Collaboration

Team....This was the best part of my college career and forever will be. The people that I met on the team completely changed my life for the better- every single person that I interacted with on the team played a role in helping me navigate to where I am today.

The picture above displays the most important people to me in the world. We all came onto the team in 2008 and on day one became inseperable- we sat together every dinner and laughed for hours, we dried each other's tears, we broke each other of bad habits, helped each other through personal firsts, lessons learned, personal breakthroughs, and pushed each other toward greater heights. Leaving them and the rest of my team behind is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Once I left, I felt like a piece of me had been broken off and it was a piece that I knew I couldn't replace. If you have not graduated yet- please listen to me now...ENJOY your teammates. The feeling of disconnection with teammates is a weird and unsettling feeling. I know that sometimes it can be difficult but you will see that once you get into the real world that these teammates are probably the best friends you will ever have.

There is no way that you can get through life by yourself- as much as your pride might try and convince you, you never did anything by yourself. Support, encouragement, inspiration, and motivation from people around you are what project you forward in life. We need to change the way we think about life's big projects. Instead of focusing on our individual limitations we need to step back and ask, "Who can be motivated to tackle this with me?" A lot of your teammates probably have the same questions, goals, dreams, and problems that you do and you can use each other to discover solutions to all of these things.

Nightmares will happen- it is inevitable with a group of people that spend 24/7 together but it is important to perservere through these times- by sticking together you get stronger and will accomplish great things.

For those of you who have graduated- you already understand the greatness that can come from collaboration... now you just have to find it in this phase of your life. True, it may never compare to the team you had at college but it will be perfect for you at this point in your life. Every phase and every person happens for a reason- these phases are waiting for you to run through them...but you cannot do it alone. Disconnect yourself from your personal limitations- step back- and find yourself a team and go get things done.

SHOUT OUT TO MY TEAMMATES! I miss you guys...know the impact you have had on my life and continue to make that impact on each others'

Less is More...

Simplicity: the condition in which something is easy to understand and to do

" Most of us tend to be overly concerned about how many miles we are getting in, watches, heart rate monitors, etc. and lose touch with the essence of simply running. We shouldn't let the planning and analyzing interfere with doing and enjoying."
- Joe Henderson


It is great to be dedicated to your sport, to your job, to your school work, to your friends....however, there comes a point where you have to just take a moment and simplify these things. When you care deeply about something it is hard not to get caught up in doing everything perfectly...when we aim to do this, we can become obsessed over numbers: miles, hours spent on studying, minutes spent on training, and time spent on planning out meals and schedules.This is when running or working becomes "hard" or "impossible" or something that you dread doing because it is taking so much energy.

I am not saying being planned, working hard, or being prepared is a bad thing. What I am saying is that these little things are just "little" things- if you obsess over them they take your mind away from what really matters- which is simply the act of running or working. When we act simply we can hear the natural messages of our body saying, "I need more time off" or "I can go further" or "This is the best I can do today" The little things like being focused too much on mileage will sometimes force your body to do things it naturally does not want to do. And trust me, you will pay for it in the end if you let obsession be your ears rather than what your body is actually telling you. Just because your neighbor works 60 hours a week does not necessarily mean that you have to either- if working 40 hours a week is what you can do and you get quality work in, than there is no need to do more. The same thing goes for mileage in running- high mileage is not for everyone so if you know it is not for you or it is not working for you (even though you might try and convince yourself) do not force yourself or fret over doing more.

Extraordinary performances usually derive from pure acts of simplicity- this is in part due to less complexity, anxiety, and pressure. So instead of worrying so much about doing more- do less but make it quality and be at peace.

Simplicity is key.