Fit Day

(Jess, sporting the new Bella Rosa jersey)

It has been a fun past few days. 

We have had so many visitors up in our neck of the woods. 

We were able to visit with Stephanie, Jill, Michelle, and Jessica.  They all came up individually to get fit properly on their new bikes.  Jessica, came up to get fit for a new Titanium cross bike.  Cross season - soon to start up. 

(Steph getting a good fit)

(Stephanie and her husband Jeff)

I get so excited for them because I know how much happier/comfortable they will be riding with a good fit.  People comment often on how their custom bike has solved their neck or back pain.  They comment on how the proper fit has made it so their knees don't ache.   Brian is a bike magician.   He has worked with bikes since was 12 years old.  He is ONE with the bike.  He can make you one with your bike. 

Michelle - close to 6 feet tall -  now has zero neck pain.

(Jessica getting fit for her new Titanium cross bike)

Here is a new cross bike Brian is building for Randy- It's crazy AWESOME!

So girls, if you are having trouble with your current bicycle and your ride is just not 100% satisfying - come on up for a visit.  We would LOVE to see you.

A Healthier Lifestyle

Ever since I was a child I have been active. I mean extremely active. You name a sport, I played it. . . . a lot of it. I would spend hours in a court cranking on racquetballs against my elder brothers . Yeah, it felt great to pelt them in the buttocks every now and again. My weekends and weekdays were filled with trips to the local crag - climbing with good friends. Don’t forget the weekday trips to the mountain. It felt good to ride fast down the steepest of slops after a good rain. Mud, how I loved the mud.

(warrior society photo)

It wasn’t until my third child that I realized that the buns of steel were no longer rock hard. When it was time to sit down at the dinner table I had to unbutton my pants so I wouldn’t poke an eye out with a flying button.

Exercise has never been a problem for me, but eating a few extra treats has brought me a few extra unwanted pounds. Sure, I am satisfied with my body, but there are several things that I can change that would make me smile just a little more. I know my closet would increase in size from clothes that have been stored for years with tags saying “skinny clothes”. I don’t know one woman who could honestly say that she loves herself whole heartedly 110%. Sad, isn’t it?

I learned something amazing the other day while doing a photo shoot for a friend. I told her daughter that she looked beautiful in her summer dress. Her mom replied to her daughter. What makes us pretty? She asked her little girl. The little girl responded with “MY HEART” makes me pretty. I feel truly blessed to have such a strong body. I am so greatful for my heart that beats each and every day without fail.

I feel that now is the time to start living a healthier lifestyle. Even though exercise makes my heart strong, the foods I eat have a dramatic effect on how I feel the rest of my life. So, I have committed myself and family to eating healthier.

My friends over at Live the Life take the guess work out of planning and preparing your weekly meals.  For three months I will document my progress. I will give you weekly updates on the positives and negatives of Living the Life. I will share with you my experience of becoming a beautiful person from the inside out – just like the little girl in the story.

So, for now . . . I will finish off these chocolate chip cookies that are saying “eat me, eat me”. Just joking. Off to the grocery store for some cabbage – YUM!

Favorite Protein Shake

Do protein shakes make you want to vomit?  Do you have this nasty chalk taste left in your mouth after you gag it down?  Well, I am here to attest that you no longer have to vomit up your next protein shake.  My friends over at Live the Life know how to make shakes.  Here is one of my favorites

add one scoop of this . . .

add 1/2 frozen banana - yum

add 3 drops of this . . .

add 1/4 cup frozen berries or my favorite  - fresh huckleberries

add 4 ice cubes and blend away.

I always make this drink first thing in the morning right before I workout.  I don't think that my family enjoys the early morning 5:00am noise that the mixer makes, but it sure makes my belly say YUM.  You can also use it as a post exercise shake.  Don't be afraid to mix in 1/4 cup blended oats.  Heart healthy!

Early Morning Rides

What a fantastic summer it has been.  Early morning road rides, walks by the river and mud in the face from wet mountain bike rides make me happy.  I am in LOVE with summer.  I love the smells, and the open air that this majestic land offers.  I don't want one day to go by without appreciating it's amazing beauty.   I wish you were here to see how absolutely beautiful it is.  I wish I could also experience your morning rides.  The mountains in your neck of the woods.  The smells from your green pastures.  

This week I met up with some old friends and one new friend.  We headed out to the mountains for a morning ride.  The air was clean from the rain storm that rolled in the previous night.  My tires were pumped to maximum capacity and we were ready to roll.  

I have been hearing some pretty amazing BEAR stories from the Fish and Game.  BEWARE OF BEARS!!  BEWARE OF BEARS!!  It just so happens that we were riding the trial that the grizzly was spotted on a week before.  Usually these things don't really sketch me out much, but this morning I was feeling a little uneasy.  Kelly was there with her camera to do a little filming.  As she waved goodbye from the top of the mountain we headed toward the last opening until the final downhill.  I stopped for a moment to see something pretty glorious.  It was a valley with hundreds of trees.  These trees had all been scrapped by some kind of animal.  Alright, so I almost pooped my chamois.  It kind of freaked me out.  I wish more than anything I had taken my camera to document this amazing find.  After pulling myself together and singing several songs LOUDLY we headed for the single track downhill.  

It was freakin awesome.  I was super stoked to not have been eaten by a grizzly.  We had a great time, with great friends.  So try getting out this week to your favorite mountain trail.  It's worth waking up to. 

Break Down Barriers Featured Writer - Jennica Hirrlinger

Today is a good day. I'm sitting in a camp chair under cover of rustling aspen leaves, listening to my husband teach fundamentals as he throws passes to the kids. They, are tan skinned and sun-bleached and loving this active summer. Duke, our yellow lab, has placed himself in the "monkey in the middle position" and is happily chewing on a softball. The mountains on the horizon fade into the blue sky as the lillies stretch toward the sun. The grass is soft on my bare feet and my ankle has a gentle ache from my first post-sprain 10 miler. And my belly is full of fresh summer salads and chocolate chip cookies.

"Put it in the numbers, Linc!" says Jimmy to encourage proper quarter-backing technique. I hear the reciever giggle as the ball is caught, tucked, and carried back across the line of scrimmage. Cutting right to avoid a tackle makes the ball carrier's arms and legs look strong and the definition of the sinews would make even a seasoned athlete jealous.

Like I said, it's a really good day and it motivates me to get off the couch and resume tough training now that my ankle has healed enough. I have done a few workouts in the last couple weeks that have induced some disappointment with the back-slide of my fitness level and I have been forced to evaluate what training and racing really mean to me. It's tough to start over. It's tough to hurt again and work through sore muscles. But, experiencing this perfect day in the shade of my tree and watching my family and my football star, I'm reminded that it's worth it.

Um, did I mention that this particular football star is my 7 year old daughter?

Start over if you have to, break down barriers, and rock on, girls!

Bella Rosa Jersey's now for sale

Girls, I am making the Bella Rosa jersey's available to the public.  You can join in the fun by being a part of a team.  The Bella Rosa Team.  You will be able to purchase the jersey's through paypal.  Thanks Mattie for being my model.

Sorry girls, jackets are SOLD OUT!

Cycling 101 - Featured Writer Stephanie Hancock

CYCLING 101 - Stephanie Hancock

When it comes to cycling, I'm the first to admit that I am way out of my comfort zone. Running is easy - you just kinda put one foot I front of then other and go. Sure, there are things you can hone in on, like form and intervals, but pretty much anyone can jog without much instruction. Swimming I do just because I like it and since I took lessons as a kid, it also pretty much just happens. There are tons of things I can work on there - balance, technique, and conditioning - but it doesn't make me uncomfortable. Not like my bike does.

So I used to think cycling was just hopping on and going, like lacing up my running shoes and taking off. I guess for most cyclists that's really how it is, but for yours truly this is a new sport for me and new things terrify me. Ever meet someone who wants to be perfect at anything she tries? And if she isn't doing it right she's convinced she's a full-blown failure? That'd be me. So the very fact that I've been hopping on and joining rides is a huge deal for me.

Why in the world am I even stretching myself like this if it's so tough? Well, because of a lot of reasons. Some of the very neatest ladies I know are great cyclists (and also very patient, especially when I had flat a few rides ago). I love being in their company. It is also a fabulous cross-training workout, which helps curb boredom and avoid over-use injuries while training for marathons. I'm also branching out because my husband, who can't run, can (and does) ride, so this is something we can do together.

And the number one reason I'm sticking with this sport - well, surprise surprise, because it's just plain fun! I don't need to know all the ins and outs of components and cadence and climbing before I have fun. I don't need to be an expert at the sport before I even dare try it in the first place (how backwards is that?)! That knowledge will come with experience, and if I make a mess of things in the meantime, well, so what? At least I'm having a good time.

With winter gone and basement workouts on my trainer now a dim memory, I am thrilled to get out and go farther and faster on wheels than ever in my running shoes. I still love my running (and swimming), but my cute little bike is becoming quite the friend. Who knows, I may even get serious enough to invest in a really cool bike someday (I'll see if I can impress my husband by becoming a biker chick).

Now that I'm daring to make a fool of myself (and honestly having too much fun to care anyway), I'm beginning to dare to learn the mysteries of the bike universe and have even asked my husband to teach me to change a flat. Yup. I asked. I haven't actually learned yet, but hey - baby steps, right?