Family Vacation Time

The last few months were a whirlwind with my book tour, training and Olympic Trials; I figured it was time for a much-needed vacation!

We decided to head to Apache Lake, about a 3-hour drive from Tucson, for a quick getaway trip this past weekend. We got to go boating, fishing, cliff diving, tubing, water skiing and the list goes on with some great friends.

It was actually Blaise' first time on a speed boat - he LOVED it. He also did some inner tubing; it took me forever to get him out of the water! While my husband was busy with a successful fishing trip, bringing home six large Mouth Bass, I spent the afternoon cliff diving, water skiing and inner tubing.

This trip was exactly what the family and I needed. It was so much fun that we are thinking of making it a regular tradition, especially in the Summer. There's no better way to enjoy yourself out in the Summer heat than floating in a refreshing lake. Wouldn't you agree? Plus it doesn't break the bank! Getting away for a weekend on the lake is definitely friendly on the wallet. 

What quick (and cost-friendly) getaway trips have you and your family taken this Summer? Sacha, Blaise and I are always looking for new places to go!

My Summer Reading List!

Summertime is the perfect time to catch up on the books you've been wanting to read forever. You can't beat sitting by the pool or on the beach in the Summer with a good book in hand.

So, I figured I'd share my top summer reading list with you:

• Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov - An old classic.
• American Psycho, by Easton Ellis - Whether or not you've seen the movie with Christian Bale, this is a fantastic book. My suggestion, read it then rent the movie!
• Half Magic, By Edward Eager - A fun youth book that you can read to the whole family. My husband bought me this for Christmas because it's one of his all time favorite books.
• The Pact, By Jodi Picoult - A modern day Romeo and Juliet that was turned into a Lifetime movie. I love romance and drama and this book has it all.
• The Hunger Games Trilogy, By Suzanne Collins - I read these last summer while I was competing in Shanghai and quickly became obsessed with them. I know most of you have probably read them, but if you havent, go buy them NOW!
• In the Water They Cant See You Cry, By: Me - Ok, I had to put my book on here of course. But I truly recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled in their life; any athlete, any father of girls, anyone in general. I would love for you to read and please tell me what you think. 

Please let me know of a couple of your favorite books to read so I can add them to my list!

Schedule a swim clinic and watch the Olympic Games with me!

Swimsuit Season

We’re in the middle of that time of year again – where our kids beg us to spend any free afternoon at the pool. I’m sure most of you can relate. When swimsuit season rolls around, it’s gym time!

Many of us moms don’t have the time to spend hours in the gym perfecting our beach bods and six-pack abs. That’s why it’s always good to have a few 15-30 minute workouts at your disposal. These quick exercise routines are perfect for women with a hectic schedule. Whether you’re waiting for your daughter to pick out her favorite suit or for your son to find his goggles, take those few extra moments to squeeze in a workout! These will help make your body tighter and more toned in your suit.

Try my suggested dry land moves below. Let me know if they work for you too!

Legs

1. Backward lunges: 30 – In-place lunges, 15 each leg (can alternate too)
2. Frog Jumps: 15 – Squat down, jump up and bring your knees to your chest
3. Squats: 15 – Keep your legs shoulder-width apart, push your glutes out and make sure your knees do not go over your toes.
4. Wall-sit: 30 seconds
5. Repeat 3 times (or for as long as your body allows)

Core

1. Bicycle Maneuver: 30 – While lying on your back, extend legs straight out at a 45 degree angle. Raise shoulders off the floor with your fingers slightly supporting the back of your head. Alternate reaching your right shoulder (not extending your elbow too far forward) to your left knee, and vice versa. Repeat 30 times.
2. Leg lifts: 30 seconds – While lying on the ground, lift your legs (straight and together) about 6 inches off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds.
3. Full body crunch: 15 – While lying flat on the ground, extend your arms and legs straight up in the air. Simultaneously reach your fingers to your toes, contracting your abs on the way up. Repeat 15 times.
4. Repeat 3 times. (or for as long as your body allows)

Arms

1. Modified Push-Up: 25 – Start in a plank position, lowering your knees to the floor at a 45-degree angle. Keeping your back straight, lower upper body into a push up; once your arms hit a 90 degree angle with your chest roughly an inch from the ground, extend your arms back up and repeat.
2. Bicep Curls: 20 – Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and palms facing forward, curl your wrists up to your shoulders with a 3-10 pound dumbbell in hand (weight will very depending on fitness level and goals).
3. Lateral Raises: 20 – With a 3-10 pound dumbbell, lift arms straight out to your sides, making a “T” shape with your body.
4. Repeat 3 times.

*Remember, everyone has different fitness levels. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any fitness program.

Here we go!

This is it, folks! It’s a “make it or break it” kind of week – Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska. What better way to ease my jitters than to check in with all the awesome moms out there? Anything to get my mind off of the pressure and nerves is 100% welcome (don’t you worry – I’m still focused as ever – simply channeling my high energy elsewhere!). The competition is high and I’m feeling more ready than ever. Here is to hoping for a fast, impressive performance. But, enough about the meet!

Getting a chance to leave the house for any kind of trip is always an adventure with my two boys – it comes along with some good, bad, stress and most importantly, fun! While this week is not a typical trip for the family, it still involved running too close to our departure times and searching around the house to grab those last-minute, forgotten items (only to find that youactually did stuff them in your suitcase). Not to mention, this trip did not have days of relaxation to follow the hectic day of traveling! 

I’ll tell you what the rushed packing did give me, though: an even bigger appreciation for my Maytag washer and dryer. I realized before leaving for the airport that a load of laundry was sitting, still untouched and dirty, in the washer. Yes, like most of you have often done, I forgot to press the “start” button! Thank goodness those machines run so quickly and efficiently. My clothes were washed and dried in no time! For any moms out there searching the market for a new set, I highly suggest any Maytag appliances – they proved to be a lifesaver this week. 

I want to hear about all of your traveling experiences with your family – the good and the bad. How do you maintain your sanity when you’re running late to catch the flight or a suitcase goes missing? Share your stories with me!

Find Time for Fun Family Activities

I find it very important to get the whole family up and moving. It shows our children that exercise is not only important to staying healthy and fit, but it can also be fun! Exercise doesn’t always mean 30 minutes on the treadmill or an hour long training session. Make exercise something your kids look forward to too! 

Here are some fun ideas for you and your gang:

• Grab your bikes and take a family ride. Pack a healthy picnic for a mid-ride rest stop.     

• Take a stroll to your local park, bring a basketball to play a quick round of horse with the whole family.

• Dust off your old clubs, make a trip to the local driving range and have a fun contest to see who can hit the farthest
• A game of family dodgeball is always entertaining and you will definitely work up a sweat! Throw in a competitive edge and encourage everyone to get involved by letting the winner choose what's for dinner.

For any of those older kids who think they are “too cool” for family time, extend an invite to their best bud. They’ll be bound to get involved and have some fun with friends around.

So round up the troops and get moving – you’ll be amazed by how dynamic things become when your family’s competitive side kicks in!

Favorite Mom Time: Haircuts!

Kid haircuts are just another “mom thing” you grow to love to do! And when your kids are young, the first few are a BIG deal. So like every other mom – I took pictures!

Blaise would not stop wiggling in his chair. As you can see, we distracted him with a lollipop and it worked!

A big thank you to Jenni at Mad Max Salon in Tucson - my little man couldn’t look more handsome now!

Have pictures from your child’s first haircut? Please share - I’d love to see them!






 

Set Goals

Each day when you wake up you should have goals in mind: How can I be better today? How can I be a better mom, wife or friend?

Pushing yourself is the only way to grow and improve. While daily or short-term objectives are important, you should also keep a bigger picture in mind – making weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Goals can be as minor as striving to squeeze in a workout at lunch or as large as working towards achieving “employee or athlete of the year.”

For a little motivation and direction, I’ll give you a little taste of the goals I set for myself. Obviously these are for swimming, but they can be applied to anything you strive for in your life. I always approach a workout with more challenging times I would like to achieve during a swim. If I happen to fall short of my goal, I use the disappointment to fire me up to train the next day. As a long-term goal, I am aiming to compete in my fifth Olympic Games – without daily goals as stepping stones, I would not get anywhere close.

Goals are important for everyone. Focus on where you want to be in the next five to ten years of your life and put the ball in motion. 

Set your goals TODAY. Good luck!

Please share your swimming, work or personal goals here and continue to check-in. I’d love to hear from you and help motivate you to continue to achieve them!

Wake Up and Go!

If you’re trying to squeeze a workout into your already hectic schedule, always remember this:

The best time for you to get a workout in is early in the morning.

Wake up, put on your running shoes, grab your bike or swim bag and get going (without thinking about it). The snooze button is your enemy! 

Need help or motivation? Find a friend to train with and commit to each other – there is power in numbers. Working out in the morning will keep you refreshed and energized for the remainder of the day. Often, we find excuses during the day to avoid the gym. Even fitting in a workout midday can mean running on low energy, which makes it not only hard to motivate ourselves through a workout but it also often hinders how hard we can push ourselves too.

So here is my advice to you: Get up and get moving! Your life will change for the better, I promise. After a morning workout, you will be ready to conquer your day – you’ll be amazed by how much you will accomplish before the kids return home from school!

Good luck!

Fellow Swimmers Share How They Prep for a Meet

With the help of Aqua Sphere and SwimOutlet.com, I was granted the fun opportunity to host a contest that asked fellow swimmers to share their top tips for preparing for big swim meets. This contest was  part of a mini-series called “Chasing 5” chronicling my pursuit of my 5^th Olympic Games (in the midst of keeping up with my duties as a mom, wife and businesswoman!). I really loved this promotion because I got to interact with so many other talented swimmers and hear what works for them. I even may take a tip or two as I continue on my journey to the Olympic Games (fingers crossed)!

To end the contest, Aqua Sphere and SwimOutlet.com asked me to choose my three favorite tips. Winners won a signed copy of my new memoir, “In The Water They Can’t See You Cry,” as well as a gift card for awesome Aqua Sphere apparel!

Check out the winning entries I chose: 

Winning Entry 1 – Grant: As an older swimmer, I prepare for a meet slightly differently than when in college. From a nutrition standpoint, I drink protein shakes within the hour of my morning training.  Iwish I had done that 20+ years ago, but I’m not sure nutrition was really viewed as part of the training toolkit. I also try to eat many times a day and as much as possible. At 6'1", I'm down to 175 pounds, so to keep energy up and help my body recover, the protein and volume of food is a must. After all, you can't run a high horsepower motor with no gas in the tank!

From a mental aspect, knowing that some days I'm not going to be as fast as others in a workout is okay. As a sprinter, it's okay to swim and feel tired during the season, knowing how beneficialthe payoff will be when I taper. Also, I've learned to smile and really enjoy the sport and camaraderie – I used to be way too serious and wouldn't even talk to competitors. Now, I'm like a chatty 12-year-old and make it fun for all, including coaches. Live for the moment as the moments in swimming change.

Physically (and mentally, too), it comes down to a simple adage: “To swim fast, you have to swim fast.” There are times when you have to push yourself to the limits. That's when you have to "attack" and think about what your goals are. Then, when you step up to the block, you have the confidence knowing you did all you could in preparation. Leave no doubt to yourself or anyone else. If you can do the "mirror test" (look at yourself in the mirror and honestly answer your own questions),you have no one else to answer to or anything else to prove! 

Winning Entry 2 – Hanna: I prepare for every swim meet like it's my last. No matter if it's regionals, nationals, or just a time trial, to me, each meet is just as important. Each meet is a chance to feel the adrienaline rush of great racing.

In practice, I make sure I have the right feeling for the water. There's that feeling of fusion and ease that I long for with every stroke I take. Once I've found that right feeling, I know I am ready for the race.

At home, I make sure I watch even closer what I eat. I make sure to fuel mybody with the best foods, so I get the most out of every meal.

Mental preparation is key in swimming. They say every race is 20% physical and 80% mental, and I strongly believe it. A week prior to the meet, I begin to I visualize my races before bed each night. The dive, every stroke, every turn, the finish, and even what I am doing behind the blocks before the race even starts.

To me, there is nothing more satisfying than the adrienaline rush of racing. That's why I love swimming.

Winning Entry 3 – Amanda: The night before a meet I like to make sure I stretch a lot to loosen up my muscles. For dinner I eat pasta with a little bit of oil and a touch ofsalt and pepper. I like to make sure not to eat too much so I can go to bed early and have a good night sleep. While I lay in bed, I imagine myself swimming the race exactly the way I wish to swim when I am actually on the block.

The morning of a race, I eat a banana for the potassium and eat only healthy snacks throughout the day.

Before the meet, I jump up and down to get myself pumped for the meet. As I step onto the block, I clear my mind of any distractions and focus on my race. Before the referee blows the whistle, I close my eyes and visualize myself swimming the event with the speed and form that I wish to perform. When I hit the water, I swim with it, not against It – at that point, there is no turning back!

Good Luck Amanda Beard! You are my inspiration.

Congrats to Grant, Hanna and Amanda! And thanks to everyone else who participated.

If you’re interested in reading all of the great tips in addition to watching the “Chasing 5” video footage, click here.

If you didn’t get a chance to share your tips on SwimOutlet.com, be sure to leave a comment here letting me know how YOU prepare for a big meet. I love to hear how other adults, especially swimmers, who are doubling up as parents AND athletes keep the competitive drive going!

Finding Balance in Life

I can't express to you how important it is to achieve balance in life. Whether you’re a mom, dad, athlete, businessperson or just a regular Joe; you need to find the perfect harmony between work, family life and “me time” to not only keep your body and mind sound, but keep yourself sane too! A good balance is what allows you to live a fulfilled life and really enjoy what it has to offer. I believe that I still love to swim and compete because I have found this balance (finally – not without struggle for sure!)

It doesn’t matter if you are an athlete pursuing the first-place podium at the Olympic Games or simply a motivated stay-at-home mom; either way, you always need time for you and the things you enjoy. I always say that swimming makes me a better mom because I have a way to stay fit, active and refreshed –  this allows me to come home relaxed and energized for my son. Being a mom is a welcomed distraction from my intense training and competition, though. After a tough practice session, I can go home and enjoy my family time without constantly thinking about swimming, which actually makes me a better swimmer. The two things perfectly complement each other and allow me to be motivated at home and in the pool.

Find your own balance.


How do YOU keep a work / life balance?

Chasing 5: Aqua Sphere Chronicles My Road to London

Thanks to Aqua Sphere for chronicling my road to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Starting Monday, I'll be attemping to go for my fifth Olympic Games! Leading up to this time, Aqua Sphere has developed amazing videos highlighting my training, life and motherhood.

I wanted to share one of my favorite videos with you! Let me know what you think.

To find other videos from Aqua Sphere's "Chasing 5" series, click here.