Month: November 2014

Strong Women – May We Be Them

Today is my first son’s birthday. He’s turning 9. NINE. It’s funny that in my mind, I’m stuck at the age of 25. Whenever anyone asks me how old I am, that’s the first number that comes to mind. Shockingly, I’m actually 34. Yup, I know, I look much younger that that. And I feel much younger than that…until days like today come around and I’m faced with the fact that the little baby I was just rocking and shooshing to sleep a few months ago, is NINE YEARS OLD. (I also feel a bit older than 25 every time I go out with a certain Sparkle.Pounce. sister – ahem…STEPHANIE!! – and I get carded and she doesn’t. But, I won’t dwell on that one right now…)

So, back to my baby turning 9….

When my boys actually were little babies and toddlers, I could easily pretend to be strong. They really didn’t know the difference. In the eyes of tiny people, moms and dads are their heroes, strong or not. But now that they’re getting older, I really want to be strong for them, in every way. I want to lead by example and actively show them my strength in work ethic, faith, friendships, family, health and fitness, and any other area of my life that I’m working on.

On Saturday, I decided to do an afternoon workout and have my son join me. (This was rare because I usually save my workouts for before the kids get up in the morning or after they go to bed at night.) It was so awesome to sweat and laugh through this workout with him. And the best part was that he couldn’t do a lot of the things that I was doing. He finally got to see that Mom actually is pretty strong! (**Insert sweaty selfie!)

As I change my running/fitness focus from slow and steady, to strong and fast, I’m realizing how awesome it feels to get stronger. Just 3 months ago I literally couldn’t do 3 “boy” push-ups. Right now I’m up to 30 consecutive and a lot more than that with breaks in between! 

My plan is to keep on pushing and continue to get stronger. I’m doing it for me, for my kids, for my husband, for my family, for my friends, for my coworkers, and for everyone else I come in contact with! Because you know what, there’s something pretty amazing about a strong woman. And that’s what I want to be.

And let’s go ahead and raise some strong men too!

Sparkle.Pounce.Be strong.

Hellllllloooooo 4:40 AM!

This week, I decided I was going to join the early risers and attempt to consistently get up and exercise before work. I have to be out the door at 7:00am. So for me, that means crawling out of my cozy bed at 4:40am….yawn…

Cat Humor: I can't get out of bed… These blankets have accepted me as one of there own and if I leave now I might lose their trust.


The idea of getting my workout in before the day even truly starts has always sounded so prefect. (I won’t have to squeeze it in after the kids go to bed. There’s no chance of an emergency glass of wine with dinner ruining my evening workout plans. Basically, nothing can sneak up on me and force me to cancel a workout that is scheduled for 4:40 in the morning!) But in reality, I normally manage to do it once, and then on Day 2 I wonder who in the world actually does this?! Because I’m way too tired for such nonsense!


But so far, this week is different. I have stuck to my plan and I feel like a total bad ass rock star every time I fall hop out of bed. My mind set has changed, and I’m looking at every wake up as a bit of a battle. It’s me versus me. And if you know me at all, you know I like to win. And somehow, staying in bed when I promised myself I’d get up, is NOT winning.


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What I want most is to accomplish the goals I set for myself. So….let’s hope that 4:40 am keeps feeling this good!

Sparkle.Pounce.Wake up and be awesome.

-Kendra

Running Is Hard.

Yesterday was the New York City Marathon. If there’s anything that inspires me to get my butt moving, it’s watching super fit athletes push their limits as they try to accomplish goals that I will never come close to. 

After watching the leaders cross the finish line (via ESPN2), I immediately began thinking about my need to become faster. If I’m going to qualify for Boston, I need a serious plan. So, I Facebook messaged a super speedy girl from my triathlon club and began asking her an incredibly large and annoying amount some questions. All of the answers I got were pretty much things I already knew, but was scared to admit. And the overall summary of the responses was this, “If you want to run faster, you need to start running with people that are faster than you.”

Sigh…

This is terrifying to me on so many levels. First, I love running with the girls that I run with. Our runs together are pretty much the highlight of my social life! If I don’t run with them anymore, I won’t be a happy runner. 

Next, my confidence in being able to keep up with super fast ladies is pretty much nonexistent. Last week I decided to try a solo 6 mile run at “Boston qualifying pace” and it was so hard I thought I might pee my pants during the last mile really challenging. So, the idea of lacing up for a run with complete strangers who can run that pace easily, is very intimidating. What if I can’t do it? What if I hold them back? I don’t want to be that girl.

So, I’ve decided that I’m going to work on my speed in the comfort of my home for the next month or so, and then maybe I’ll have the courage to go out for a run with the BQs (this is what I’ve decided to call these super speedy ladies…It stands for Boston Qualifiers). 

Because here’s what I’ve come to realize: Running is hard. Your pace is hard for you, and my pace is hard for me. We all have good days, and we have bad days (even the best professional athletes). So, I can either keep doing what I’m doing, or I can step out of my comfort zone and work towards something better. 


Sparkle.Pounce.Go for the great.

-Kendra