THE HARD WAY

Can you do this?

  Or this?

Well, if you can do either of these you are my new super hero.  Seriously, who wouldn't want to check out your own butt by just bending yourself in half.  Just think of the time you would save not having to find a mirror.  WOW!

I have got to be the least flexible person on the planet.  Due to my lack of flexibility comes injury.  For the past month and a half I have been fighting an old person injury.  Only OLD people get injured while doing absolutely NOTHING.  I guess that means I'm getting old.  It's funny how we classify the word old.  My grandmother who is 86 attended my spinning classes and didn't complain once. . . NOT ONCE.  She doesn't consider herself OLD.  Why is that?   

I herniated a disc in my back, and have been in intense pain for what seems to be ages.  I have come to final realization that it is my lack of flexibility that has caused this to happen.  So how can you improve your flexibility and improve your overall health?  I don't think it's rocket science.  

S T R E T C H

Here are some reported benefits from stretching:

• Improved muscle balance around joints; this will improve your posture.
• Reduction of injuries from playing sports in our everyday life activities.
• Increase in the flow of nutrients supplied to muscle and cartilage by the blood stream, helping recovery.
• Improved flexibility. This is the range of motion of a joint.

Preparing to stretch out correctly

Stretching should not be practiced at the beginning of any workout. As your muscles are cold the risk of injury is increased. 5 to 10 minutes of cardiovascular activity is suitable as a general warm up, to increase the temperature of your muscles. Now you can practice light stretching before your workout.

It is more important to stretch out after your workout, as muscles tighten as a result of exercise. Stretching will loosen them and improve their range of motion. Hold a stretch for 10 to 60 seconds at the point of tension or tightness. This should only be mild tension and not to the point of pain.

I have learned the HARD WAY that stretching is extremely important before and after any type of exercise.  I will keep stretching and let you all know when I can kiss my own butt.   

 GO HERE FOR STRETCHING IDEAS

ACTIVE QUOTE

Those who think they have NO time for bodily exercise will sooner or later

have to find time for illness. 

~Edward Stanley

Go out and find time to be active today.  

C O N D O M S & P A T I E N C E

I know many of you live in warm areas around the world, but I however do not.  I am slowly watching the snow melt away one flake at a time. Here is a little view of my little world.  Oh how I LOVE it here.  

(My mom is an amazing photographer and took this shot when 

she was up visiting for a soccer game last fall.)

 

I get so anxious for summer this time of year, and long for the 80 degree weather to hit me like a mad man.  Today the sun is shining, the eagles are soaring, and all I have to say about that is YIPPEE!  Time to hit the pavement.  Time to pump up those tires and prepare yourself for the amazing miles and scenic routes you will see this year.  No more indoor trainer.  Yeah baby!  Although, when I return from my ride today I might have a slight case of hypothermia and end up in the hospital for frozen limbs..  It will so be worth it. 

UPDATE:

So we traveled hundreds of miles to pick up an oven that we have waited years and years for, and now we are having trouble hooking the stupid thing up.  What's up with the 3 phase crap?  We have a mold all laid up ready for baking, but don't quite have the converter ready to go.  So check the picture above.  This just makes me want to shizzle in my pants.  CARBON GOODS - YUM!  It also looks like we could be in the business of making rubber condoms.  I think we could make a fortune selling condoms in a college town.  The only problem is the rubber we purchased for the molds does NOT glow in the dark.  DANG!  Currently we are looking for a larger space to do our carbon building out of.  Patience Heather, patience.  I don't think I was blessed with a lot of patience.  Maybe that is the lesson I am learning right now.
C O N D O M S . . . . and

P A T I E N C E!

PARTAH

We had our annual cycling party last night with the girls from class.  It was a blast.  We are celebrating two  years of cycling class in our little town.  When we moved and sold our bike shop we brought with us the cycling bikes.  I started teaching classes, and have met so many amazing women in the process.  You guys rock.  We played some serious racquetball, wall -e -ball, hit a bunch of fast pitch balls - well watched the fast pitch balls hit a few of us, and ate lots of delicious food.  We missed many of you, but will do it again soon.  Forgot to take pictures (dang).

Tonight I had my first lesson in carbon fiber.  It went amazingly well.  Well, let me just explain myself.  I sat with a blank stare on my face for about 45 minutes.  I then said "what the @#^*& ? ? "  I sat for another 30 minutes trying to figure out the angles of the carbon fiber and said "what the @#&  ? ? "  I did learn however that I have lost many brain cells after giving birth to three boys.  They say that after every pregnancy you get wiser.  What the heck is that suppose to mean?  All I have to say is that it is going to be a learning process for me to start building carbon fiber bikes.  Brian is an amazing teacher - so there is hope.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

What an exciting day in the world of carbon fiber, and Bella Rosa/Kelson bikes.  Brian headed South this morning to pick up an oven we have been dreaming of for the past two years.
 

Who the heck dreams of ovens?  Well, someone who is infatuated with designing and building custom carbon fiber bikes.  I don't think I have ever seen anyone so excited about cooking bikes than Brian.  I however am happy to be able to cook food in our home oven without exposing my children to harmful carbon leftovers.  Yeah, we have been using the home oven to do some testing with and to tell you the truth - it hasn't been ideal.  

Brian, my super rad hubby at www.kelsonbikes.com has a lot of experience with carbon fiber.  He designed and built his own line of carbon kayaks years ago.   And since than has perfected the process.  The process of building carbon fiber bikes is a true art, and there are only a handful of people right now who are able to do it.  I now know why.

1. Lose hundreds of hours of zzzzzzzzzzsssssss - NO SLEEPY
2. Hundreds of hours of PAINFUL design work - Thank goodness for super smart, patient hubby.
3. MUCHO $$$$$$$ (cash - shiz, how much mulah can you possibly spend on one project.)
4. Waiting 1021 hours on other people.
5. Finding the perfect pattern to lay up the carbon fiber - (again, thank goodness for smart hubby who has years of experience, and tons of patience.)
6. Etc., etc., etc.

I think you kind of get the gist of it.  It has been a painful process that will soon be paying off.  While he is down South he will be dropping off 5 bikes for a company that he has been building for.  He will also be measuring a few other people for bikes.  And that puts a smile on the face of a wife -  who for the longest time never thought she would enjoy a fresh piece of homemade bread that didn't taste like carbon.

MUFFIN MADNESS

 
Muffins These may be the ideal cycling snack. It's just a handful in size, and can be tailored to your needs. The only drawback is that they tend to crumble the longer they are in your jersey. Here's one recipe for an example:

• Oatmeal raisin muffins
  
  
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat (or white) flour
  • 1 cup uncooked oatmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (try honey if you'd like)
  • 1/2 cup raisins (other fruits are optional)
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup nuts if desired (they are high in fat)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup non fat milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix flour, oatmeal, baking powder, sugar, and raisins in a large bowl. In a second bowl beat egg whites, then stir in milk and oil. Add liquid to flour mixture and stir till blended - do not overmix. Bake 15 to 20 min. until muffins spring back when touched.

HOMEMADE ENERGY GOODNESS

 

HOMEMADE ENERGY BAR RECIPE

This homemade energy bar recipe is chock-full of goodies and will sustain even the most exhausted peddler through the trip home. Wrap them individually and make extras for tucking into school backpacks. They may not be as pretty as a wrapped clif bar, but they sure taste amazing.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• l tsp. vanilla extract
• l cup granola
• 1/2 cup raisins (or any chopped dried fruit)
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or your favorite nut)
• 1 1.69-oz. pkg. M&M's chocolate candies (or you can substitute carob chips)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter or oil an 8- x 8-inch square pan (preferably nonstick). Crack the egg into a medium-sized bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Stir in the granola, raisins, hazelnuts and M&M's and mix until combined. The M&M's can be replaced with carob chips, which will cut down on the sugar content.

Transfer to the pan and distribute evenly over the bottom, pressing firmly with your hands. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars or squares. Serves 8 to 12.

The trick here is to let the homemade energy bar cool! Getting those "hungry peddlers" in your home to wait long enough might be a chore! Your chances are better if these are made when they're not around, but only if you can resist the temptation yourself.  Happy energy eating.

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD

I met this amazing woman (Mary Fran) many years ago when I was working at the local hospital.  She was strikingly beautiful, incredibly fit, and at first glance looked as if she were in her 30's.  Come to find out she was actually in her late 50's.  What's her secret?  How does she stay so young?  I need to know this.  I need to know her secret rub, her secret pills, her secret to youth.   I finally know her secret, and she will share it will all of you today.  Thanks for inspiring so many of us to keep living life even when you hit that specific age milestone.

YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD…By someone who’s old.

I think one of the best compliments I was ever given was at a retirement planning meeting.  I was asked how old I was.  When I told her I was 64 she replied “But you look so…..HEALTHY.”  Isn’t that just the best thing you can be?  I feel really blessed to be so healthy and it’s so much fun but it’s also hard work.  My mornings start at 5  A.M with about an 8 mile run or a spinning class and lifting weights in the winter or biking in the summer.  

I started this craziness about 20 years ago along with my sister.  Our first adventure was a 22 mile hike from Teton Creek Campground to Jennies Lake.  Our high tech gear consisted of a small plastic bottle filled with water and a plastic bread bag containing a sandwich that we tied to the belt keepers of our cut off jeans.   We were so scared we would meet a bear or get lost it took us weeks to get enough courage to try. 

We have had many adventures since that one and gotten a lot tougher. Our adventure last summer was an 18 day 218 mile hike from Yosemite National Park to Whitney Portal on the John Muir Trail.  We camped out every night and cooked all our meals.  This time we really did have high tech equipment.  It was an adventure of a life time.  But not without its scary moments.

I love being active, biking, running, skiing but I know that my days are limited.  I may only have about 30 more years to get done all the fun things I have planned. So I have to hurry.  That’s why I stay active. 

People ask me all the time “Are you still running?”  “Of course” I reply “ I don’t dare stop.”

Remember age is all in your mind…the trick is to keep it from creeping down into your body.  You are never too old to do something as long as you can move.

Mary Fran Jeppesen

Life is a journey

My mother is an amazing photographer. 

This is some of her amazing work.  Hope you get feeling better grandma.

I think I might be on the verge of a serious melt down.  H..E...L...P ! ! !  What is happening around here?  You try and put one foot forward and it seems you fall 10 feet back.  Is it just me or is this happening to many of you?  I think that must be Gods way of saying "Pick your butt back up, work harder so you can  become stronger."  With the recent medical issues with my husband Brian it has taken a lot out of us both physically and emotionally.  I say us because it seems that I have been right there with him suffering when he suffers.  He is still have many problems that surgery was suppose to fix.  Is life ever going to be an easy roll?  Will we ever get ahead?  We have been working on this show bike for Bella Rosa for ages, and can't seem to make any progress on it with LIFE getting in the way.  Wow, that was a serious complaining session.  Let's just say that tomorrow is another day.  Here is my to do list for tomorrow.

• Work on business loan
• Play with Cooper
• New head badge design
• Feed Cooper, play with Cooper some more
• Work on syllabus for biking 101
• Pick up kids from school, entertain Cooper, run kids to activities 
• Check on Grandma Alice - having tumor removed from bladder
• Feed kids after school snack, listen to kids argue about absolutely nothing
• O.K. Bella Rosa jersey fabric
• Do homework with kids, feed dinner, check on grandma, practice guitar, run dog
• Order Bella Rosa jerseys
• Feed kids more food, clean up messes from the day, kiss them goodnight
• Hopefully fall asleep on the couch at 11:00pm from exhaustion!

I know many of your days are exactly like mine.  So many things to do, with not so much daylight.  Super stoked about daylight savings time coming up this next week.  We will all have a few more hours of daylight to hopefully P..L..A..Y ! !  Life is a daily journey with so many mixed emotions.  Hopefully one day I can find a way to turn trials into absolute POWER.  For now, be happy you are alive.  Be happy you live in a place with such amazing freedom.  Be happy you are healthy and you have a roof over your head.  So for now........ I am absolutley happy and a little wore out.  Good night.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Happiness is an attitude.

 We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.

The amount of work is the same.

Bike Maintenance Clinic 101

The Bike Maintenance for Beginners course is a course available to any individual who wants to learn basic bike maintenance. The course aims to equip each person with the skills and knowledge to have a well maintained bike so that they can cycle safely and reliably.

Tentative date set - April 10, 2010 

9:00am - noon

YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK - Featured Writer Jennica Hirrlinger

I am super stoked to have such amazing women writing articles for the Bella Rosa blog.  These articles are about living life to the fullest, no matter how old or young you may be!  My good friend Jennica is one of those women who loves the journey of life. Waking up at 4:30a.m to get a workout in is what I call dedication, and climbing the highest mountain with a gun is what I call AWESOME.  Here is a picture of her in the mountains while hunting with her husband.  -----------------------------------------------------


I got a Facebook message the other day asking, “How warm does it have to be for us to go for a ride?”  It made me start thinking about other times I’ve been out and the conditions on those days.  It snowed on us, once.  It was a balmy 18 degrees on another ride.  One summer evening, I raced a thunder storm home, not quite making it before the sky opened up on top of me.  And the wind!  Think flying cows, here.   But my favorite, was a short ride on mountain bikes, with my husband, when the sun was shining on our faces through both rain and snow.  We rode through rainbows, soaked to the bone.  It was glorious!  There’s nothing like sharing the road with mother-nature, when she’s feeling a little bi-polar, to make you feel alive.

I completed a snow shoe race this weekend. It was a 10k route at a ski resort.  I don’t actually snow shoe for exercise, though I’m in decent shape.  At least, I thought I was.  If you’ve never snowshoe’d up mountains before, hmmm, how can I explain how hard it is . . .it might be similar to climbing long steep hills on your 8 year old neighbors huffy.  And, maybe that huffy has been left out in the rain too many times and the chain is all rusty.   Oh, and the handle bars are bent weird.  Get it?  It’s really hard.

Anyway, the race was super challenging and I thought for sure I would die and the search party would have to come out, roll my body off the trail, and cover me with pine boughs.  But, I didn’t die.  I actually lived through it and even found myself laughing out loud as I ran/slid down the hills on my snowshoes.  It was great!  When I let myself, I was able to really enjoy mother-nature and the views from the tops of the ridges.  I even started to appreciate the fire in my muscles as they fought to befriend the sinews that running and biking usually bypass.   Oh, my long lost pals, where have you been for so long?!

I was thinking about this as I drove home and noticed that the roads were clear and it was a notch above freezing.  I was wondering if it was time to pull my bike out of its’ winter stationary hibernation.  Is it warm enough?  Am I tough enough?  Are there other crazies ready to go with me?  Then, I saw a guy on his bike.  Riding uphill.  In the cold.  With only one leg.

To that I say . . . NEVER limit yourself! I am tougher than I think I am.  I can keep going for a long time, even when my body wants to quit.  It is in those moments, when the weather is nuts and the hills are brutal that I get stronger and more confident.  Don’t be intimidated by outside sources and conditions.  EVER!

This goes for all of you, too. Now, go teach mother nature and your dormant muscles who’s boss!  You’ll live to die another day, I promise.

Jennica