Category: Living Title IX

Float Your Boat

Roberta knows how to bounce back. A decade after thyroid disease left her with a “grocery list” of health problems and an out-of-whack metabolism, she made a New Year’s resolution to turn things around.

We all know the poor success rate of such resolutions, but Roberta was determined. She started with a “healthy workplace” plan at her job. “I decided I was going to do it no matter what,” she says.  “It helped that there were about 20 of us doing some sort of program.” She wanted to take things further, but how does a 44-year-old mom with a demanding career as a network engineer squeeze an exercise regime into her busy life?

As Roberta puts it, “I can be a little obsessive about things… I like to troubleshoot and problem solve.” Evenings were family time. Lunch breaks weren’t dependable. That left early mornings…VERY early mornings. She started rising at 3:00am, six days a week, and hitting her rowing machine for two hours. She does 100,000 meters weekly, with at least one row being the equivalent of a half marathon. Once a season, she rows a full marathon.

It’s taken a bit of sacrifice. She’s given up long morning baths and watching TV at night (but records her favorite shows to watch while rowing). Sleeping in your workout clothes seems to help. And using two alarm clocks. “I keep telling myself that it’s not a destination, but a journey.”

And it’s worth the trip. “I have more energy to interact with my children,” she says. “If I am feeling stressed or upset with other aspects of my life, exercise helps bring me back in focus.” And the physical changes are pretty cool too: “I love how it is re-shaping my body with some incredible muscles in my arms, quads, back, shoulders. Now, I love showing off those new muscles.”

She also loves sharing the love. “I have convinced 2 co-workers to get a rowing machine and have given training tips to about 5 other co-workers.  I get a natural high from being an inspiration to others and sharing my story.  I never thought I could be come a role-model for other people.”

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Home: Dublin, CA
Occupation: Network engineer (former scientist)
Education: BS Cum Laude Biology Tulane University & University of Bristol, England
Partner: Glenn
Children: Henry 7 and Etta 4
Age: 44
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 128 (approx. 16% body fat).  I have lost about 65 lbs since I started keeping track.
Sports, past and present: Swimming, running, Shotokan Karate, American kickboxing, Muy Thai kickboxing, Concept2 rowing, aerobics, weight training, bike riding, hiking, sailing
Athletic accomplishments: My first 10 K race in college. Completing my first marathon on the rowing machine, completing 5MM lifetime on the rower.  And being in the top 100 people (in terms of meters rowed for people who log them) this season on the Concept2 online Logbook. Last I checked, I was #59.
Little known fact about you: Once, when I was hosting a party, a professional photographer saw my photographs hanging in my house and complimented me.  He wanted me to enter some of them in the photography show he was hosting.
Environmentally incorrect preference: Pre-packaged treats that are in the correct or small or single serving size so I am not tempted to eat more. And, I admit I like some frozen pre-packaged meals.
Guilty pleasure: Eating free cookie and cake samples at the local bakery café while I wait to order my healthy lunch/breakfast (fully leaded, if you know what I mean).  I love Skinny Cow ice cream, but does that really count as a guilty pleasure?
Most embarrassing moment: Do I really have to share one?
Greatest triumph: Completing my first marathon on the rower.  And going from a BMI of obese to athletic.
Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Photography – taking pictures and editing them on Photoshop. And reading. And of course, spending time with my family.
Moment of Inspiration: I don’t know if I have a moment of inspiration, other than what I have already said.  I did have a moment of disgust with myself in December 2009, when I finally said, “Enough!”
Favorite Quote: “Just do it!”

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6 days a week, shooting for 13,000-15,000 meters/day on weekdays (3:30 am) and 21,000M on weekends (starting 5 am).   Trying for a total of 100,000 M/week and 5Million Meters this season which ends April, 30 2011.

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Unchained MELody

Despite playing varsity basketball all four years in high school, in college Mel Alexander became, she says, “the polar opposite of athletic.” Coming from a family with a history of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease however, alarm bells really went off when she realized she’d reached 300 lbs. Something had to change.

The first shifts were mental. “I took a good look at some of my self-destructive behaviors and made a conscious decision about who I wanted to be and how I wanted to feel.” She also stopped making excuses. It wasn’t that she lacked the time to exercise, she saw, “I didn’t make the time.”.

But how does a full-time student with a full-time job and an eleven-year-old son even start doing that? Pretty much anywhere. “Even if it’s just walking for a certain time every day, we all can start somewhere. If you can’t block off an hour, you can take 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there.” She also plans family activities that get everyone’s hearts pumping, like evening walks or turning off the TV for a spontaneous dance party.

Eventually, Mel says, “I began to treat working out the same way I treated work: something that had a schedule I needed to stick with.” That meant waking up at 5am most days for about an hour of cardio. She sneaks in a midday CrossFit workout three times a week (“I’m completely obsessed with CrossFit.”). After work, there’s dinner with the family, homework with her son until 9pm, and her own schoolwork until midnight.

While that sort of schedule can be “painful at times,” Mel says that “being healthy gives me a sense of accomplishment that almost nothing can parallel.” And, after all those badass CrossFit workouts, “I have grown a mental tenacity that translates into my everyday life. I can now look in the mirror and appreciate the person I was, the person I have become, and the person I will be.”

Speaking of appreciation, did I mention that that full-time job Mel heads to after her morning workout is at Title Nine? Hope you’re as impressed by her as we are!

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Home: San Pablo, CA
Occupation: Email Marketer
Education: BA
Partner: Yes
Children: 11 yr old boy
Age: 25
Height: 6’3
Sports, past and present: Basketball
Athletic accomplishments: 4 year Varsity Basketball (HS), Honorable mention All State (Jr/Sr years), 1st Team All League (Soph/Jr/Sr), MVP (Jr year)
Little known fact: I’m incredibly shy
Guilty pleasure: Pizza and Baked Goods
Most embarrassing moment: Running sprints with my co-workers for an outdoor workout (after it had rained) and falling at least 3 times flat on my butt!
Greatest triumph: Being able to run (and finish) a 10k Trail Race.
Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Read, Write and listen to music.
Moment of Inspiration: Waking up and rolling out of bed at over 300 lbs.
Favorite Quote: Believing that anything is impossible is simply a misguided state of mind.

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M-S 45-60 minutes of cardio

3 times/wk CrossFit (strength and conditioning),

Sat – 45 minutes strength training

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GOAL!

When the Women’s Professional Soccer league became official, Katie Hooker thought, “This is it; this is what I’ve been waiting for, so let’s get training.” She’d played Division 1, and one year of professional soccer (until the WUSA league folded in 2003), but six years had passed. “Now, as a married woman with a great full-time job, I was faced with a real decision of whether or not I wanted to try and play pro again…silly question. I knew I would play.”

That meant hard work. “It takes a lot to plan your day around training,” she says “when will I get to eat, when will I train, when is there time to work, time to be with my husband (as newly weds), time to spend with the dog, and time to sleep and recover?” She trained through Colorado’s freezing winter with a crew of seventeen-year-old boys (“It was the best thing I ever did for my game”) and eventually was drafted by the New Jersey Sky Blue, a team she helped take from last place to the championship.

These days, Katie is assistant soccer coach at the University of Denver. Though she does get on-the-job workouts, she still knows the difficulties of working in working out in a busy life. “If you think about it most professional athletes only have one job. When you combine that stuff with a ‘real’ job, it can become complicated.” The first step is a good attitude: She sees  workouts “as time to listen to music, exercise with my dog, or to just be outside. I’ve always looked for a way to make it fun and enjoyable.”

When it comes to the details, Katie bucks the conventional wisdom that you should choose a routine and stick with it. “I think the secret is to change things up. Not only is it better for your body but it’s a lot more fun.” Workouts, she says, can come in many forms: when your routine just isn’t possible, “embrace the opportunity to do something different.”

And for those moments when even the lure of something new isn’t enough? Katie has this sage advice: “I find, if I simply go get dressed in the proper clothes, I am halfway there: one less excuse!”

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Home: Littleton, CO
Occupation: Asst. Soccer Coach at University of Denver
Education: BSBA in Statistics from University of Denver
Partner: Jeff Hooker, husband
Children: None
Age: 28
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 125
Sports, past and present: Played soccer, softball, basketball, golf and tennis growing up…still do all of those including snow skiing.
Athletic accomplishments: Division 1 soccer player, Professional Soccer player and Champion.
Little known fact about you: I hate rain.
Guilty pleasure: Pizza.
Most embarrassing moment: Peed my pants in my second grade classroom.
Greatest triumph: Having a breakthrough moment with my old dog. I spent two years trying to train her to be off-leash and return to me, and it finally happened. She passed away shortly after.
Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Sun bathe in Ventura, CA and swim in the ocean.

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Since I never do the same thing week to week, this is what it looked like last week:

Monday: Train/play soccer with the team for 1.5hrs includes warming up, playing soccer, running fitness, including some core work, and a cool down. A hard work ou.t
Tuesday: Similar to Monday, but for a shorter period of time only one hour. A hard work out.
Wednesday: Same as Monday, very intense. A hard workout.
Thursday: Take the day off: body is tired and has worked very hard for three straight days.
Friday: Light jog with the dog, about 20minutes. Upon return, I do three sets of pushups, ten pushups per set. Each one has a different emphasis, like go down slow and up fast, or vice versa. Last set is done with hands in the triangle to emphasize the “lats” a little more. A light workout
Saturday: Golf, take dog for a few long walks. Although I usually ride in a cart when golfing, there are times to walk to your ball or the next tee, so I take advantage of that. When out with the dog, I use it not necessarily as a time for fitness, but it is still time spent doing a physical activity versus doing nothing.
Sunday: Off

Moment of Inspiration: Listening to then teammate, Heather O’Reilly, give an inspirational speech last summer to a group of aspiring youth soccer players. It inspired me to share my knowledge and always give back.
Favorite Quote: “Perfect practice makes perfect”

Oh yeah, and why is your nickname Flo?: In the 1984 Olympics, there was a volleyball player named Flo Heiman. I was two years old at the time and my older siblings were watching a lot of the Olympic games. The story goes I saw Flo and just said, “I’m Flo.” So being the wonderful brothers they are, they said “Ok, you’re Flo”…and it stuck for life. My six brothers and their friends still call me Flo.

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How to Move Mountains

Interviewing Terrie Anne Bennett is like getting a great pep talk from your coach. Her non-stop inspirational tips and enthusiasm make you feel ready to run a marathon. She is, it turns out, nationally and internationally certified in alpine and adaptive racing and race coaching.

“I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work my passion into work…helping people grow through being active.” The highlight of her career was coaching Maine Handicapped Skiing, a group of young athletes usually excluded from team sports. “Some of the disabled skiers were outperforming their instructors, so I created a ski team.” Four team members eventually competed nationally.

She also develops K-12 curriculums for modern languages in Maine, including programs to teach English to migrant workers. Then there’s the volunteer work she does for the Disabled Veterans Association in Aspen, Colorado, and little things like launching the nation’s first smoke-free ski facility at Black Mountain. Not to mention her own rigorous training regimen (see below!).

How does she do it all?

“I have a high-pressure job. For me to be successful at my work, I need my mind and body and soul to be balanced.” This means working in workouts wherever she can: taking the stairs to her sixth-floor office, starting walking programs with coworkers, doing yoga in hotel rooms. She plans vacations to coincide with sporting events, taking mom to a half marathon in Reykjavik, Iceland. “I do a distance that’s not gonna kill me, I have fun, my mom walks the 10k. We still enjoy the country because we’re not beat up and exhausted.”

Working out makes you more efficient in the long run. You get out more than you put in. “You’ll be a better person if you take the time to do this in your life.” And that means knowing what you want to get out of your workout. It’s not a question of weight loss or external factors. When Terrie Anne gets a woman on the slopes, the first thing she asks is “Tell me what you want to feel on the hill?” and she works from there. “Recreation is re-creating yourself. We need to find those activities that work. It might be different for everyone.”

And it does work. I hung up the phone after our conversation and got my bike out of storage. Thanks Terrie Anne!

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Home: Portland Maine
Occupation: Education, Skiing
Education: BA Anthropology; MA Leadership and Administration; Certificate of Advanced Study in Curriculum Instruction and Design
Partner: Yes
Children: No, but want to adopt.
Age: 40
Height: 5’ 5”
Weight: 130
Sports, past and present: Ice Hockey, running, triathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing, yoga, hopefully kite surfing someday.
Athletic accomplishments: Highest physical fitness score in Army basic training in my company (for men and women); Being a PSIA adaptive examiner; running races with my mom, who’s a cancer patient. In Maui she ran her first 5k since coming out of cancer treatment.
Little known fact about you: I speak three languages fluently.
Guilty pleasure: Thai food as hot as I can get it, and coconut milk.

Most embarrassing moment: There’s just been so many of them! I had a brand new cross bike and it was on the back of my car. It had a velcro strap to keep the wheel from turning while I was driving. So, I get to the parking lot where there are all these people getting their bikes ready. I jump on my bike and clip in and start to pedal, and go ass over teakettle because I forgot to take the velcro strap off.

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Working on the kid’s book about migrant workers I’m writing.

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I have different seasonal workouts.

Lift 2 – 3 times a week (including a lot of core strength and balance, free weights using lighter weights, 3 sets, 15 reps. I split upper and lower body, super -set the sets, doing three mini-circuits, to get the cardio…which makes it quicker and less boring).

Swim Twice a week.

Run 3 – 4 times (minimum 5k, maximum 10mi…anywhere between 20 and 30 miles a week)

Yoga 4 days a week (even if I’m on the road and can’t find a yoga place, I’ll do a couple of rounds of “salute to the sun” in my hotel room).

In summer I run and cycle more.

Moment of Inspiration: Watching my mom finish the Maui Tacos 5k after cancer treatment. As a kid, watching my dad run the Green Mountain marathon, which inspired me to be a runner.

Favorite Quote: TS Elliot “Only those who risk going too far can find out how far one can go.”

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Cyclist Extraordinaire

Debby Eades grew up in a family of boys who were all sports fanatics. But, she says, “my mom knew I would be the athlete of the family when I was the first of all the neighborhood kids to climb to the top of the ‘big’ tree in the backyard.”

She was always into sports, and won awards in most of them. But in law school she found her true calling. “I did a road trip out West and biked through Colorado and several national parks.” She was hooked and “biking became a passion.”

That passion took on a special meaning in 2006. To support a friend who lost her eight-month-old granddaughter to a rare lung disease, Debby helped form “Kenna’s Krew,” a bike team that rides the annual three-day, 157-mile Courage Classic tour in Colorado to raise money for the Denver Children’s Hospital.

A partner in a Chicago law firm, Debby works long hours–sometimes 16 to 18 hour days. Training for a tour like the Courage Classic also takes time. “It’s extremely challenging to balance job, family, and health.” But she was up to the challenge. First, she traded her mass transit commute for a bike. Next, she got creative, turning the 40-minute ride into a workout of up to two hours. “I had a lot fun dreaming up workouts, such as riding up parking garage ramps to train for hills.” Her other “trick” is to treat workouts as an appointment and calendar them. “I try very hard not to schedule meetings early in the morning or late in the day, so I don’t cut into my workout time.” Sundays are yoga, “a great balance to my very hectic work life and very calming.”

Working out is a critical part of Debby’s life. “It’s important to me to be successful not only as a lawyer but also as a spouse, friend, daughter, and sister. When I work out, I have a better self-image and am more confident in all areas of my life, including work and relationships.”

Debby claims to be a “traditional” gal with “Midwestern values.” If that’s the case, let’s hear it for tradition!

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Home: Chicago, IL

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BSBA (Economics); JD

Partner: Garry

Children: None; Labs – Rascal and Koko

Age: 44

Height: 5’9’’

Weight: —-

Sports, past and present: Basketball, Softball, Skiing, Hiking, Biking, Yoga

Athletic accomplishments: Four Century Bike Rides; Four-Year Varsity Basketball and Softball; All-Area Softball Team; State Softball C

Little known fact about you: I met my husband on a “singles” bike trip

Environmentally incorrect preference: An SUV

Guilty pleasure: Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

Most embarrassing moment: Falling in a manhole on a very busy street in the center of town.

Greatest triumph: The Triple ByPass (a century ride with more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain in one day).

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Anything with my labs (and my husband!). Also love to travel, particular active travel trips.

Moment of Inspiration: Sunrises on Lake Michigan

Favorite Quote: “The view never changes if you are not the lead dog.”

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Biking or Cardio: 3-5 days. Strength: 2-3 days. Yoga: 1 day.

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