Author: coachkiss

Healthy Plane Travel (Part 1)

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It saddens me that it takes so much planning to keep a travel day a healthy day. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than not having healthy options and being forced to pay for a $20 salad made of iceberg lettuce, croutons and strips of processed lunchmeat.

Here are some essentials I never get on a plane without:

My own water bottle–Chug one on your way to the airport, bring it through security empty and refill before you get on the plane.

Unsalted cashews and if I need a little more pizzazz in my life I love the sea salt and vinegar almonds from Sprouts.

My favorite chocolate nut mix from Trader Joes in case I am tempted by junky airport/airplane food called Happy Trekking: Almonds, cashews, pistachios, chocolate, cranberries, cherries.

Satisfies any and all chocolate cravings

Satisfies any and all chocolate cravings

I also like to pack a sandwich. Note: I don’t usually eat sandwiches unless I’m traveling. I like the neatness of eating half a sandwich on the plane and having the option for eating the other half later. I also don’t mind eating a sandwich at room temperature. Don’t use tomato or veggies that squish easily and contain a lot of water.

What if it’s just too hard to be Penny Perfect Planner the day before traveling? You’re screwed. Nah, just kidding!

Here are food/drink items I’ll buy in an airport in a pinch:

A protein style burger wrapped in lettuce—mustard, yes. Mayo, no. Easy on the ketchup if you must. Load up on the veggies.

Water- Not the giant bottle that won’t fit in your bag but a mid sized bottle you can refill multiple times. Try and chug as your standing by the water fountain to refill. Chug half, refill, repeat.

Coffee- Black. Avoid the new Starbucks coconut milk it’s not REAL coconut milk. All kinds of nasty stuff in it. Need some pizzaz? Sprinkle cinnamon in it.

Action Steps:

1. If you can plan your plane snacks and hydration before traveling it’s more cost efficient and generally better for you.

2. If it comes down to game time food decisions in airports keep within the general strategy of minimizing sugar, maximizing protein, watching the dairy and BIG emphasis on hydration.

3. Avoiding a sugar crash means a more stable mood, providing you with energy and patience you need in an airport (trust me).

What is Mobility, Anyway?

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In the beginning I was hyper-focused on training. How can I be consistent with my training and how can I continue to push myself to the next level. I’m good at pushing myself and unfortunately I did some pretty crazy stuff and am lucky I haven’t sustained any serious injuries. In college, I would party all night and jump in a 10k run still drunk and dehydrated and run the entire race. In my mid-twenties in San Diego a fair number of my long distance training runs were hung over as I was insistent on living it up Friday and Saturday night EVERY weekend. At twenty-nine it was like the fifth gear in my engine gave out. If I wanted to improve I’d have to start changing my lifestyle. What I didn’t understand is that coming out of the invincible twenties decade I can no longer neglect my body and expect it to perform. Mobility is a big part of how I care for my body so it will continue to meet strength training demands.

I thought mobility was stretching. Stretching was what we did in gym class before the mile run. We sat on our bums with both legs straight out in front of us until we felt an uncomfortable pull in the backs of our legs hold for 10 seconds then move on. I learned that mobility was a newer school of thought from Kelly Starrett of San Francisco CrossFit and MobilityWOD. He describes it as, “a movement-based integrated full body approach that addresses all elements that limit movement performance including short and tight muscles, soft tissue restriction, joint capsule restriction, motor control problems, joint range of motion dysfunction, and neural dynamic issues. In short, mobilization is a tool to globally address movement and performance problems.”

The simple way I began thinking about this was adding movement to “stretching.” Like in these banded good mornings where you hinge at the hip with legs as straight as possible (without locking out the knees). It works you posterior chain and can be incorporated into a warm up or cool down.

banded good mornings

Photo Credit: Sal Ocampo/CrossFit Humanity

Finding a mobility routine has shown me the benefit of 3 tools: the roller, the lacrosse ball and the resistance band. If you want to see some of my favorites download the free app MoveWell and it has a nice little timer feature to ensure you spend ample time on each side. Also, if you’re at all physically active, invest in a roller, lacrosse ball and band. They will soon become your best friends and are easily packable for travel.

Action Steps:

1. What are some ways you can be gentler on your body? You only get one, folks.

2. Think about health and fitness as a lifelong goal. I want to be active well into my eighties.

3.  If you love training hard how can you care for yourself to gain top performance?

I Lift and I Like It (part 3)

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After my first class I felt like I had a coach who was compassionate and heard my needs. I also realized as fit as I thought I was I had no upper body strength. I was unable to pull up my body weight and able to only do two push-ups without putting my knees (insert grade school taunting here: “You do push ups like a girl”). It was then that it dawned on me: If I’m as fit as I think I am, I should be able to pull up my own weight.

I still thought lifting heavy weights with a barbell was unfeminine but decided to join to be able to conquer the body weight movements and gain some upper body strength. Looking back, I think I really joined because I saw one or two super strong fit female members and I wanted to see if I could ever be like them.  My first year I loved going to CrossFit Humanity and taking as many CrossFit classes as I could. Like endurance sport training, I didn’t have to come up with a random gym routine, the programming was all done for me but even better than my endurance sport background was it didn’t over work the same muscle groups. It was also the first time I became aware of my soft core. I ran with a soft core, I swam with a soft core, I biked with a soft core. When a Strength and Conditioning class began I decided to give that a go and found how much I enjoyed the act of lifting a heavy barbell. With each small gain my confidence increased as well as my appetite for a challenge. I was still worried I’d look manly but I noticed the harder I pushed myself the opposite occurred: my waist shrank, my overall body fat decreased significantly and my body shape began to change into that of an athlete: my lats grew, I had visible traps, shapely quads and hamstrings, but I still looked feminine. I was getting compliments from my family and at almost 30 years old was kicking myself for not lifting weights sooner. As my confidence grew so did my curiosity for competing. The first team competition I did was a last minute fill in for Pete’s Paleo team. It was at least 80 degrees at La Jolla High School and while we got our butts annihilated, I loved being a contributing member of a team putting in work.

Last year, a power lifting coach, Sal Ocampo, joined our gym and was training three girls for a November lifting meet. Three weeks prior to the meet one of the girls couldn’t do it and the coach asked me to take her place. I was thrilled to be exposed to power lifting. At this meet I saw all sorts of female body types and was stunned to see some of the most petite girls moving huge amounts of weight. Since then, I’ve trained seriously for and competed in 2 more powerlifting meets and an Olympic weightlifting meet. I currently deadlift 290 lbs, back squat 240 lbs and bench press 133 lbs. I am 5’4” and weigh 133 lbs. Not only am I the leanest I’ve ever been but the byproduct of all of this lifting has been an exponential growth in confidence: the way I carry myself, the way I own a space when I walk in a room, the way I pose for photographs instead of hiding half of my body behind someone else.

CrossFit showed me I was strong and power lifting has taken my fitness journey to a whole new level. Gaining strength has increased my CrossFit abilities. As a personal trainer and CrossFit coach, it is always the top of my list to encourage women to quiet their fears and put the body image thoughts in a time out to just try. You can try with me as your trainer or without me, but please, TRY. You don’t get big from lifting big weight you lose fat and lean out. You get big based on whether or not you have a healthy relationship with food and an understanding of what it means to eat clean. If you love to run or hike or do triathlons don’t give that up but discover how adding weightlifting will make you faster and stronger in whatever sport you play. Still skeptical? Don’t worry, I was too. I believe strong women change the world and if all you need is information and a little encouragement I want to be the one to show you what I’ve discovered because I’m never looking back.

Action Steps:

1) You don’t get big from lifting weights. You get huge from eating crap or a combination of both.

2) Building strength builds confidence. Who doesn’t want a little more of that?

3) Try is a polite way of saying be CONSISTENT with your new training program and give it enough time to take effect. Then decide if it’s right for you.

Bulletproof Coffee: A Love Affair

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There is no shame in my game when admitting my love of and often desperation for coffee. I love the way it smells, tastes, and the ritual of brewing it. Even though I’m not a huge Foldgers fan. My have fond memories of my parents making Folgers every morning.  I usually hum the old commercial jingle as I make my own coffee, “The best part of waking up… is Foldgers in your cup!” Before bed, I religiously grind the beans and load my coffee maker set for auto brew at 6 am every morning (weekends included). When I wake up and the coffee is brewing, I down my lemon water (see my post Waking Up with Lemon Water) and a five minute intention setting for my day. After, I mosey back over and begin making bulletproof coffee.

 

 

I started drinking bulletproof as my first cup of the day because I wanted to take in more healthy fats throughout my day.  The idea behind buttery/oily coffee is an easy one: Ingesting good fat first thing in the morning provides energy and balances your hormonal system.  I personally like it because I feel full for about three hours after I drink a cup and I don’t feel the effects of a caffeine crash as sharply. It also is convenient. I start drinking my bulletproof coffee on the way to work and then don’t have to build in extra time before work to eat breakfast as I’m not feeling hungry until about three hours later.

Action Steps:

1. Grind bulletproof coffee beans and load coffee machine before bed. I order my beans from the Bulletproof website.

2. Blend 2 Tablespoons of grass fed butter. I like Kerry Gold Unsalted grass fed Butter in the silver foil and get it from Sprouts or Trader Joes.

3. Blend one tablespoon of MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil per one cup of coffee. I order this from the Bulletproof website and prefer using an immersion blender on the slowest setting.

Waking Up With Lemon Water

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I’ve had to wake up at 6 am for work for the past six years. I’m not a morning person but I’ve recently been interested in exploring ways I can make morning (my least favorite time of day) more joyful. I also want to work on being kinder to my body. Waking up from an average of seven hours of sleep nightly, my brain feels fuzzy and my verbal skills are non-existent. I used to have to drag myself to my coffee maker and Larry (the morning bird) knew it would be impossible for me understand what he’s saying or respond with anything coherent until half a cup of coffee had been ingested. While I still love my morning coffee I’ve recently adopted squeezing half a fresh lemon into an 8 oz glass of room temperature water and chugging it before getting ready in the morning. I’ve heard hot lemon water is also extremely beneficial but psychologically things I do when it comes to nutrition and hydration have to feel easy. So room temperature water it is!

lemon 1

The benefits of drinking lemon water are healthier skin, maintaining a healthy weight, slight immune system boost and a natural flush for the body. I would describe its effects as waking up my brain and body. Pre-lemon water I’m wandering around like a walker from Walking Dead (once they had a bigger budget and the zombies looked gnarly). Post lemon water I’m engaging in conversation with my fiancé, organizing my day in my mind and finding the access to creative thinking sooner in the day.

lemon 2

When Larry and I moved in together he came with a handy dandy lemon press. I made fun of him and showed him my lemon press (my hand). We then had a juice off and he got 3 times the amount of juice from the press that I did from a hulk squeeze of my half. Okay, Larry, I’ll use the press.

 

Action Steps:

  1. This is a super easy way to show your body some gratitude for all the sled pushes, burpees, and sit ups it did last night.
  2. Make sure you have access to a private bathroom because a glass of lemon water followed up by some coffee equals flush city!
  3. Lemon water is my mental re-set. If I have it, I’m more likely to make better food choices throughout the day.

I Lift and I Like It (part 2)

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After doing two more marathons throughout graduate school, I began to question how I was measuring my fitness. I would run for hours thinking. I started reading about the benefits of cross training and decided it would be a challenge to do a triathlon and it would mean incorporating two other disciplines as cross training. I bought a bike and started swimming in a pool to train for my first fall triathlon in Lake Geneva, WI in 2006. I still vividly remember feeling the lake weeds tickle my belly as I swam too close to the shoreline trying scared of getting kicked in the face by an intimidating pack of swimmers.

In 2008, I moved to San Diego and was excited to have arrived at the birth place of the triathlon! I scaled back the running limiting myself to half marathon distances and made it a long term goal to continue with the sprints and complete an Olympic distance triathlon.  One day my best girlfriend took me to try out a free class at her CrossFit gym, CrossFit Humanity. My skepticism soared and I remember asking her, “Is this for ultimate fighters?” “Why do I want to do boot camp stuff and get yelled at?” “I see a lot of guys getting ripped doing it but what do the girls look like?” “Are they huge?”

The gym environment she took me too looked like a playground for adults: Ropes hung from the ceiling, pull up rigs lined the walls and a putting green for sled pushes ran up and down the center. Fitness toys occupied each corner: barbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls to name a few. I feared my exposure to CrossFit would be too intense to enjoy and I believed that lifting weights would make me look heavy. Silly me. Below is one of my very first CrossFit workouts. It’s not apparent what lift I was attempting to accomplish (don’t mind the poor form) but it was a struggle to get 55 lbs overhead and I was sore for almost 5 days post workout.

Action Steps:

1)  If you’re not questioning the definition of fitness you’re probably not as fit as you think you are. Fitness is not all cardio or having visible abs for your instagram. Fitness is three dimensional just like you.

2) Challenge yourself to work new muscle groups. For example, if you are a runner, set a goal to be able to pull up your body weight.

3) Don’t judge a workout routine until you’ve tried it.

The Proposal (part 3)

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When we got to the seafood restaurant overlooking the water we sat at the bar with two flutes of celebratory champagne and watched the Wisconsin Badger basketball game on TV. By the time we sat down to dinner I was a little tipsy. After dinner Larry suggested we go take a walk out on to the pier. I clearly remember being hyper focused on not letting my heels fall in between the planks of the wooden pier as we walked arm in arm. I told him I was cold so he had to move the ring box from his jacket pocket to his jeans pocket. He then slid of his jacket to give to me and I promptly responded with, “Oh you know what? I think I’m fine actually.” When we got halfway down the pier there was a man and woman standing in the dark embracing each other. The woman was crying tears of joy. She turned to me and said, “Would you mind taking a picture of us? We just got engaged!” On the inside I was like, “(insert expletive here) I wish that were me.” On the outside I gave an enthusiastic “Of course!” and a “Congratulations!”

As we got to the end of the pier I still had no clue it was coming because I was the girl that received a very pretty pearl necklace. “It’s okay, Hannah. You have a man who loves you so much and a beautiful NECKLACE,” I kept reassuring myself. Larry started to talk and was saying some really beautiful and romantic things. I remember him saying, “When I first met you there was this beautiful light around you and I was hoping I could be around it always.” What I didn’t put together was that this was the beginning of a prepared speech. So I turned it into a back and forth (also known as a conversation).  “I also felt something really special the first time I met you,” I replied. Then he’d say something else really sweet and I’d respond, “Me too!” enthusiastically. Finally, he put his hands on my upper arms and squeezed them as if to say, “Will you please shut your mouth so I can get all of this out.” I’m not sure if I calmed down or not, but then I looked down and saw a ring box. I looked up at his face and tears were coming down his cheeks. The moment I saw his face I knew THIS was happening. I started shaking and looked down to see what the HELL I was wearing. Am I even cute right now for the BIGGEST moment of my life so far?!?!!!

proposal

He bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I started bawling and saying, “Is this real life?!” as he slipped the most gorgeous diamond ring ever onto my finger. Then we were that couple crying the end of the pier asking some stranger if they wouldn’t mind taking a picture of us and wanting to tell everyone it’s because we just got engaged!!!

After shaking and crying I was pumped up on adrenaline in excitement and so elated that it was our secret. I suggested we head to the local dive bar aptly named Larry’s Luau and celebrate.

luau larrys

He agreed, but then asked if we could stop back at the hotel room so he could grab some Tums first. If you know Larry, this is not unusual at all as his emotions often correlate to a stomach ache. When we got back to our hotel room he had me walk in first and there were lit candles and rose petals in a pathway to the bed and rose petals on the bed. There were fresh flower arrangements on the night stands, two bottles of champagne on ice and a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries. I almost passed out.

proposal hotel

How could I take any more excitement in one evening? I started crying again and the rest as they say is history. Yes, I knew he was my forever person the first time I met him and I’m so glad I waited because his proposal exceeded my wildest expectations. I love everything about him and if the last three years are any indicator of what a lifetime together will bring I’m ready for that lifetime to start now.

Action Steps:

1) Always treat others with kindness. I’m so glad I didn’t push that happy newly engaged couple off the pier.

2) LET THE MAN BE THE MAN. In case you didn’t get this the first time. It’s sooo worth it.

3) Prepare your heart because after getting engaged you are guaranteed to fall more deeply in love.

The Proposal (part 2)

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catalina overview

Two and a half years into our relationship, his business was really taking off and it became clear to me that I needed to encourage him to go back to Chicago to lead his team as well as reassure him that I wasn’t going to go anywhere. I’ll never forget the night before he moved back. We were both scared and in tears hoping for the best outcome but internally preparing for the worst. To our surprise, he was happy to be back in the mix with his team and felt more satisfied on a day to day basis. This in turn, translated to a happier Larry and stronger relationship than either of us could have imagined. We didn’t know we were so strong as a couple and while I’m not a religious person, faith played a big role in it.

As our three year anniversary approached, Larry said he wanted plan a weekend getaway for us and that it was a surprise. Most would think, “Oh maybe I’m getting engaged?” Larry had conditioned this thought right out of me. We had been on trips to Paso Robles, Laguna Beach, Cabo San Lucas, Maui and Big Island. On each one of those I thought to be prepared with nails done and planned dressy outfits. As a little girl I’d always wondered what will I be wearing when I get engaged? So as the three year approached I told myself I was going to enjoy the surprise getaway and not worry about whether or not we were going to get engaged. He flew in on a Thursday morning which was unusual because he usually flies in on the same 7:30 pm arrival flight when he comes for the weekend. But he said he wanted to get his hair cut and run a few errands. I kept asking if he was here early if he wanted to go to lunch near my office but he basically said “Sorry, I’m busy.” I was texting him throughout the day with little response. A little butt hurt, I whined to my friend Arti at work. She said to relax and enjoy. I’m glad I listened.

When I arrived home after work, Larry told me we were taking the puppy and to pack warm weather clothes, a jacket and one nice outfit to go out to a nice dinner on Saturday night. Then he said the first stop was Long Beach to see my mom. I cracked a joke about how that’s just where I thought we were going to spend a romantic weekend away but he said we were taking Frankie there and staying overnight to arrive at our final destination on Friday. Friday morning we said goodbye to Mom and Frankie and it wasn’t until he pulled into Long Beach Harbor that I knew we were going to Catalina for the weekend!

The entire weekend he had everything planned and even a secret itinerary typed out he would refer to but I wasn’t allowed to see. We had coffee and ran in the morning, went zip lining in the afternoon and had drinks by the beach in the evening with a dinner we could easily walk to. I couldn’t believe how much thought he’d put into anticipating what I would like to do and giving us plenty of time to just wander together as well.

wine and cheese

I was particularly enthralled with the fact that our hotel put on a wine and cheese hour every evening from 4-6 pm. I made sure we booked it back to enjoy some people watching with wine in hand. On Saturday night before we headed to our celebratory dinner I put on a classic black dress and heels. As I was curling my hair and humming to myself, Larry asked me if I would like my anniversary gift. I responded with, “There’s more?!?” In that moment a flash of hope that this was a ring popped into my head. And then I held my breath and watched as he pulled out a necklace box. To compensate and mask my disappointment I fawned over the beautiful pearl necklace I had just received.

necklace

“Han, it’s okay,” I told myself. “He loves you so much but it’s not happening. That doesn’t mean this weekend isn’t amazing or you’re not loveable. If you feel that way you’re gonna need to go back to the therapist. Don’t let this rain on your enjoyment of being with your favorite person who has done all of this for you.” Then he said, “I got them because I thought you’d look beautiful in them and every woman should own a nice set of pearls.” I goo goo-ed and ga ga-ed over the necklace and came to the conclusion I was relieved the gift anticipation was over. I got a necklace! Whoo! Time to throw back a little more wine.

 

Action Steps:

1) Sometimes you gotta let your man take the lead and quit trying to be the boss all the time.

2) Decide what food is so enjoyable to you it will be consumed on vacation.  There was a lot of other junk I didn’t eat so I could rock that wine and cheese each night. Trust me.

3) Sometimes you want the ring and you end up with the necklace. Don’t let it spoil your fun!

The Proposal (part 1)

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beach couple

It has only been a month that I’ve been engaged and every time I wake up and realize I have a fiancé I am reborn as the happiest person on the planet. I finally know what it feels like. For almost twenty years I’ve wondered who I was going to marry, if I’d get a pretty ring, how I’d know he’s the one, what I’d be wearing when he asked, if I’d feel any regret after saying yes. JUST SO MANY QUESTIONS, LONGINGS and hoping to GOD someone might love me enough to one day propose. Turns out that someone is Larry Kiss and boy am I the lucky one in this equation.

I knew Larry was the one for me the night I met him. I didn’t predict that that meant we’d end up engaged but I knew that he was going to have a really hard time shaking me if he tried. He was a REAL MAN in every sense of the phrase: tall, dark and handsome but also self-assured without being boastful and I immediately loved that he conversed with an honesty and quiet confidence.  This wasn’t in the usual charming way I’d been accustomed to hearing but more a matter of fact, “I know I want to have kids someday and settle down.” I knew this guy was different because I innately trusted him. It scared me to believe that guy could come as put together as Larry and of course I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t put that to the test.  And I move quickly. SO within the first month I cross examined this man and sat back and observed if words and actions aligned. When it all lined up that this guy was legit I knew I had act. I asked him out on a paddle boarding date that turned into drinks, sushi dinner, more drinks, and a movie we both fell asleep in. It was an EPIC first date that set the course of our relationship.

After only six months of dating, we moved in together. Moving in meant having to share and be respectful of another person’s wants and needs within a space. Let’s just say he was better at it than I was. After the first month of moving in together we settled in and enjoyed our sweet life by the beach. It was the first time I ever felt like I had a home. The first time in 29 years I couldn’t wait to be home after work to share a domestic space with him. It was the first time in my adult life I got a Christmas tree and received the best surprise up until this point:frankie in car l's lap He was willing to get weekly allergy shots so we could adopt a puppy.  Our world became even brighter when we adopted Frankie, also affectionately known as Schmoopy, Hooey Hoo, and puppy wuppy.

Action Steps:

1) If you think he’s marriage material grill him if you need to. If he truly is, he will still be around and still interested.

2) If the person you are with makes you feel happy to come home and create a home that’s a very good sign.

3) What has he been willing to sacrifice for you? If you can think of a few examples this is evidence he’s not a total self-centered douche bag.

I Lift and I Like It (part 1)

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lunging

Photo Credit: Chris Wodjak Photography

“Lifting weights makes you bulky.”

“I don’t want to look too muscular.”

“That’s great that you can lift that much and you don’t look too manly.”

“Wow. I could never do that. I’m not very strong.”

“You do what? You’re too little to do that.”

“I’d have to get in shape first before trying that.”

These are just a handful of excuses that I hear from women about being reluctant to lift weights. Instead, I see them literally running in circles to burn fat and be slim. I was like you, I tell them. If you have the time and you want to listen, I now know a secret. It’s a secret most women, including myself don’t believe until they try: Lifting weights makes you lean, powerful, confident. It changes the way you view yourself and carry yourself through the world.

There is something you need to know about me: I was not an athlete as a kid. I was a social butterfly sports team participant. I was neither fast, nor strong, nor particularly coordinated. The only thing I had going for me was once I set my mind on something I never quit. I was the second to slowest female runner on the cross country team in high school but I trained at every practice and completed every meet. If someone had told me I’d be doing what I’m doing now, I would’ve bet money that I would never be able to accomplish what I have in the world of health and fitness.

I started becoming interested in fitness in college at the University of Wisconsin in 2004. That was where I ran my first 10k and had the thought that someday I’d like to be “fit enough” to run a marathon. In graduate school while living in Chicago, I put my dream into an action plan thanks to a friend who had run one before. He gave me a training schedule swore up and down if I stuck to it I’d get there and we could meet up and run a marathon together. I had six months to build to 20 miles without stopping. I had never run more than 3 miles. I thought okay, I’ll just be disciplined enough to run each day it says run X many miles and I’ll get there. I stuck to the plan and ran my first marathon in 4 hours 15 min up and down the hills of San Francisco.

Action Steps:

1) You didn’t need to be athletic as a kid to get in shape as an adult. It’s never too late

2) Whether you’re big into fitness or looking to get started there’s no right way. Let your journey be your own.

3) As you begin, log your accomplishments no matter how small they may seem. The first time I ever ran more than 3 miles I logged it. Going back to those original logs and reading my sense of pride and confidence fuels me even now.