Tag: nutrition

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Being Human

Suzy Hotrod motivation

As part of my development as a coach and an athlete, I have decided that I need to be brutally honest with myself and to everyone else (not WITH everyone else … I already have a hard time reigning it in sometimes, I certainly don’t need to up my intensity).

That being said, I have had a round two weeks. January I was doing amazing in all aspects of my life. I was super positive, I was sharing my rainbows and enthusiasm with everyone. It felt amazing and I was doing amazing. Then I started hitting some bumps in the road.

And it was ok! I can handle this!! Be positive! Don’t complain. Chin up, moving forward! I totally got this! February is going to be the best month EVAR.

And then Abbey got sick. And then things with school got out of hand. Then I started to lose control of my eating. And that is what really did it. Everything else felt like it spiraled out of my control as soon as my nutrition did.

I can honestly say that I have found a direct correlation (for me) between slumps in mood and energy being related to my consumption of carbohydrates.

I will not get into the gritty details but I will say this: I have been on steady decline into this mudhole of a slump for the last 10 days. Yesterday I decided I wanted to start clawing my way out but it is not easy. Especially when you feel like you’re getting sick, when you feel tired all the time, when it’s grey and rainy out and when you feel like you cannot take care of yourself or the ones you love.

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So why am I posting this?

To let you know that I am human. I do my best. I try hard, but I also go through my struggles. It will make me a better coach in the end because I know what it’s like to be knocked off of a high. I know what it’s like to climb back out of the despair and the depression. I know that a workout plan or a nutrition plan can easily derail, but I’m here to tell you that it can be set easily back on the tracks.

Instead of pushing away how I feel I am trying to really feel it and understand it. In order to get myself out of it I am declaring to the whole of the interwebs that I will not be held back by this. I am getting back on my strict nutrition and resetting my goals. I will not fail this time. I will be stronger for me so that I can be stronger for you.

#MakeItGreat #GET2013

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This is why I love my job

Ok I hate the cold weather. That’s not much of a secret. I also hate that for the last week straight there has been ZERO sunshine. It’s just grey outside all the time. It is downright draining. On top of that, I have had a really hard time focusing because my laptop’s charger went kaputsky and our oldest boy, Abbey, has been really sick and we had to take him to the vet for hydration and meds.

Yes, Abbey is one of our cats. Don't judge. He is fur children.
Yes, Abbey is one of our cats. Don’t judge. He is fur children.

Well things have been looking up! Though my time at the bridal show hasn’t been 100% successful yet (but I know it will be), I know that I have laid groundwork with brides and some other vendors to be able to start working in the bridal industry again (and I’m so excited for that). In fact, you can check out my OTHER blog – Fit2TietheKnot.com … you should follow that too and tell your friends. I got to connect with old friends Linda Kelly and Mary Ann Naglieri at the Unveiled13 Bridal Show by Metalaye. Who are they? They were my Mary Kay sponsors!! (Ever wonder why my derby name is Merry Khaos?) I also got to see Nuria (who is now the event planner at AACA) and Melissa (who is the event planner at Metalaye). Together, the five of us would brave the weekends of Alfred Angelos together in Harrisburg.

Bridal card

What other job would I have been able to reconnect with them in such an awesome way! I’m so excited to work with all of them in the future! Mary Kay/Herbalife parties… consultations with brides… snacks and health for all!

So, because my charger has not been working, I’ve been looking for another way of reaching out to people and today I followed through on an idea I had a while ago. Why not reach out to my neighborhood? Let them know I’m here? So today I spent a half hour running and dropping door hangers onto my neighbors doors!

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Not only was I able to let people know that I’m here, but … I was able to get an extra workout in!! I’ve been having a really hard time getting myself OUTSIDE to run. I’ve been feeling it at practice though. When I jam, my short burst endurance and long endurance are NOT what they were in October. So I really have to push myself to go further and harder on my non-practice days. The big problem getting outside? I have to dress like Nanook of the North because it’s below freezing outside and I was not built for those temperatures.

Branded ninja. You don't see that often.
Branded ninja. You don’t see that often.

So running. And lifting. And doing the 24 week DVD series 24Fit by Herbalife. And lots of protein. And lots of water. And lots of shakes and vitamins and goodness!

This is why I love my job. I get to be healthy! I have to be healthy as part of my job! I get to set goals and accomplish goals and feel awesome about myself because I am the healthiest and strongest I’ve ever been. I get to talk to people about how they can do it too. I get to help my friends live better and maybe make a couple bucks on their own. I’m still finding my way, but I love that my friends are finding their way with me!

Post-workout mug of awesome.
Post-workout mug of awesome.

And now, I sit with a penguin mug with lemon tea concentrate and herbal aloe. I will be delivering goodies to my friends as soon as I can. I will be helping other athletes in my area be hydrated, stronger and faster. I will help other people be healthy. WOO!

PS Bank track tournament April 19-21 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Derby Ink Invitational. We’ll have a ‘Derbalife’ table there. You should make sure you check it out.

 

 

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Derbalife Boot Camp with Greenbriar Roller Vixens

I just realized that I hadn’t blogged about this yet!!

I’m doing my best to mix up my personal, “Hey this is how things are going/this is how I’m feeling” with the nutritional tips, workout tips etc etc. So.. in an effort to not inundate people with my personal life, I forgot to inundate people with my personal life!

I wish I had brought down a camera because the place that we had this boot camp was frigid. Mind-bogglingly cold.

Yup there it is. Complete with water drips and very very little heat. Which is not advantageous in the mountains in January.

Aside from that, it would have been nice to get some extra documentation of what we did! LiftOff and myself ran 15 Greenbriar Roller Vixens through 4 hours of drills, skills and endurance and then we did an hour of nutrition education at the end. We even got a bunch of girls on their own nutrition plans which is really great. It means they understand the value of proper nutrition for athletes.

Well, that and it shows that I am able to convey the information well enough for people to understand it! Sometimes I wonder.

Greenbrier is located in Lewisburg, WV, and is even more isolated than I thought it was. It took me a healthy 5 hours to get down to their little town (Which was adorable and totally deserves that “Coolest Small Town” award).

See? Not really near much of anything. Which is part of the beauty.

Greenbrier is a very small league, and they’ve only been up and skating for about a year. I met several of them when I attended the Jingle Brawl in Morgantown in December. They knew they needed outside help to teach them techniques, skills and maneuvers they had witnessed at the W.F.T.D.A. Championships this November, but had no idea how to actually do any of them.

Little, yes, but one of the coolest logos I’ve seen.

So we focused on off skates warm-ups/strength, transitions, backwards skating, backwards maneuvering, agility, 180 toe stops/stopping on a dime, backwards blocking, and blocking with partners. It went over really well. We had to adjust our plan from time to time because skills that we thought were basic and everyone knew them – well.. they had never been taught! It was awesome coming out of that camp and knowing that we had really helped some skaters learn and practice new things.

There were so many other drills, relays and skills that I wanted to teach. There just is never enough time! I am super stoked to go back down though. On spring break, I will be visiting the Beckley Area Derby Dames and doing a boot camp on Tuesday night. The following night I am really HOPING to be at Chemical Valley. The day after that… I’ll be back at Greenbrier! So amazing.

                                                                       

I have the best job in the world … did I mention that? I get to skate, help people be healthy, help people hit their goals and meet awesome new people all over the country. And then even better is that I also get to train people to do what I do!! SO AWESOME!!!!

I’m looking forward to 2013 is such a big way. Derby. Bridal Shows. Creating a hub in Harrisburg for people to come to. Travel and more!! Yea for Health, Weatlh and the time to enjoy both!!!

The ladies of Greenbrier! LiftOff and I are in the front (She's in green, I'm in black)
The ladies of Greenbrier! LiftOff and I are in the front (She’s in green, I’m in black)

If you’re interested in a boot camp (derby or non-derby!) or nutrition classes, hit me up. If you’re just looking to get healthy, don’t be shy to drop me a message. I would love to help you get on your path!

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November 14: Goals, Nutrition and Benchmarks

I said that I would start using this blog for my journey, as well as for my musings so here we go (as I switch to a Word document):

My diagnosis was a 6 week recovery from the time of injury, which means four weeks from this past Saturday (in theory). That would put me at December 8 for full recovery. I am going to use a five-weeks-from-now goal model for recovery, just to be sure I do not over exert.

Here are my daily nutrition goals for the next five weeks:

  1. To consume 125g of protein
  2. To replace one coffee a day with tea concentrate
  3. To have two shakes
  4. To get a minimum of 50% of my daily recommended potassium
  5. To have less than 45% of my calories come from carbs
  6. To drink no less than 120oz of water

Ok, now my fitness goals… Between today 11/14 and 11/17:

  1. Two days of strength training, machines only (benchmarking strength)
  2. Two days of cardio/core (bike, resistance 4, minimum 12 miles each day)

Between 11/18 and 11/24:

  1. Use the reclining or upright bike to complete 80 miles (cumulatively) on level 3 resistance
  2. Increase number of reps on right leg by two reps/set on all exercises
  3. Be able to straighten leg completely and walk normally without pain
  4. Complete 60 pushups (cumulatively)
  5. Complete 15 minutes of holding derby position (cumulatively)
  6. Complete 10 minutes of Bosu work (cumulatively)
  7. Complete a Skid Ho “Derby Calisthenics” workout 3 times
  8. Cardio should be done 5 days, strength should be done 3 days

BENCHMARK 1: No pain when walking! Can start with other cardios!

Between 11/25 and 12/1:

  1. Use the bike to complete 60 miles (cumulatively) on level 4 resistance
  2. Use the elliptical machine to complete 30 miles on level 2 resistance
  3. Increase weight on all strength training workouts
  4. Complete 100 pushups (cumulatively)
  5. Complete 20 minutes of derby position (cumulatively)
  6. Complete 30 minutes of Bosu work (cumulatively)
  7. Complete a Skid Ho “Derby Calisthenics” workout 4 times
  8. Cardio should be done 5 days, strength should be done 3 days

BENCHMARK 2: After a week of elliptical training, I can begin including side-to-side workouts

A workout in the Skid/Shrap derby workout

Between 12/2 and 12/8:

  1. Use the bike to complete 70 miles (cumulatively) on level 7 resistance
  2. Use the elliptical machine to complete 50 miles on level 4 resistance
  3. Complete 20 one-minute plyometric exercises, with a focus on side-to-side motion
  4. Increase weight on all strength training workouts
  5. Complete 125 pushups (cumulatively)
  6. Complete 30 minutes of derby position (cumulatively)
  7. Complete 40 minutes of Bosu work (cumulatively)
  8. Complete an extended Skid/Shrap “Derby Calisthenics” workout 4 times
  9. Cardio should be done 6 days, strength should be done 4 days

BENCHMARK 3: After comfortably completing plyometrics, I can try running

Between 12/9 and 12/15

  1. Use the bike to complete 70 miles (cumulatively) on level 7 resistance
  2. Use the elliptical machine to complete 40 miles on level 6 resistance
  3. Run outdoors (I don’t care what the temperature is) for 30 minutes one day
  4. Complete 25 one-minute plyometric exercises, with a focus on side-to-side motion
  5. Increase weight on all strength training workouts
  6. Complete 250 pushups (cumulatively)
  7. Complete 30 minutes of derby position (cumulatively)
  8. Complete 60 minutes of Bosu work (cumulatively)
  9. Complete an extended Skid/Shrap “Derby Calisthenics” workout 4 times
  10. Cardio should be done 6 days, strength should be done 4 days

BENCHMARK 4: After being able to walk, run and cut comfortably and with no knee pain… I CAN GET BACK ON MY SKATES

Target Heart Rate for cardios should be between 135 and 165.

As the week progresses, I will have ‘score sheets’, which I plan on posting, that will have my completed workout for the week. This will force me to write down all the workouts I’m doing and track the weight on each.

Also, at the end of each week, I will assess how it went, how my knee feels, and if I need to rethink any of my goals for the upcoming weeks. The cardio goals are subject to change. If I believe I will have the time for more than what I have scheduled, or if my cardio/strength has increased enough, I will change those specific goals.

I can’t wait to get back to ……………………………

Planting and avoiding on roller skates is extremely hard on your lateral ligaments. Knee strength is crucial. I can’t wait to juke once more
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Creating a brand within a brand

Both a blessing and a curse is creating a brand within a brand. For myself, I have two brands that I fit my Health Coaching within: Herbalife and Derbalife.

Huh?

Yes. Herbalife is the large face of Nutrition that I work under. I am a Health Coach and I utilize the Herbalife nutrition and resources. Herbalife has been promoting health and wellness since 1980 and are the top nutrition company in the world. I have a strong brand to stand with.

Derbalife is a brand within the brand. Kristen Adolfi created the brand “Derbalife” three years ago when she began focusing on the health and fitness of the roller derby community. It started as a joke within the LA Derby Dolls and now has expanded to a worldwide recognizable name within the derby community.

So, in the everyday community I must create an image of Kristie Grey, Herbalife Health Coach. Then, in the derby community I must create the brand of Merry Khaos, Derbalife Health Coach. It sounds redundant, but it is necessary. The regular person at the gym is not going to recognize Derbalife (or may feel alienated by it). Something similar will happen with derby folks – they recognize Derbalife. They may think Herbalife is something different so I may have to work twice as hard to get their attention.

It is an interesting balance to work within two brands of the same company. Creating my own image as a Health Coach is reliant on the brands I work within, but then I must create my own path. Sports nutrition? Wedding parties? Weight loss? How do you tell people that you do it all without seeming to spread yourself too thin?

Primary audience and secondary audience are in the works. For now, I will work on getting every client I can and helping them get the results they deserve. The branding will have to be balanced as I go. So far, people who who have contacted me about getting results are not as concerned with the logo on my business card. I hope that continues!

See my Herbalife website here and have me as your own health coach!