Getting Started Again

Getting started is so hard! And I am being reminded of this post surgery. Whether you are getting started for the first time, getting back to it, or returning post injury there are challenges. It's not easy ya'll. Sometimes it may look that way. But getting back to it for me is difficult because I have to lose all expectations. I'm not starting where I left off and that is hard to swallow. Things I feel like I should be able to do, that should be easy for me, are hard. Really, really hard. Here are a few things to help you get started or start again.

1️⃣You have to commit. You have to know no matter what you will not stop. You will not give up.

2️⃣You need a plan. Write out your intentions for the week on paper. That helps you organize your week, but getting it on paper also helps you commit to doing it.

3️⃣ You have to start slow. That's a hard one for me. But jumping right back in too fast or too hard is only going to cause injury or cause burnout. 

4️⃣ It really helps me to have a goal. It can be a weight goal, an inches or size goal, a pace goal, a distance goal, a race goal. It can be big or small. You can have an ultimate goal and then make smaller goals that will get you there. But a goal gives you something to work toward to push for. That will keep you going.

5️⃣ "A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory." - Arthur Golden 

This perhaps may be the most challenging. You will be faced with doubt. You will question yourself and what you're doing. You will have days where it feels you can't do it. You will struggle. You will have negative thoughts creep into your mind. The thing that works best for me is self talk. I tell myself over and over that I can and I will. Sometimes even as I'm saying it I find it hard to believe. But I keep saying it until I do. Have a mantra for yourself. Wear it, carry it with you, hang it up where you workout. Say it over and over again until you believe it. 

You CAN and you WILL!! Don't let anything stop you!!

 **What would you add to this list?**

Open Water Swimming

I knew swimming would be a challenge because when I began this journey I didn't know how to swim....at all. But what I didn't expect was how that first open water swim would go. The racing heart rate, the slower pace, the complete panic when you put your face in and can't see a thing was all unexpected. But then I did my first triathlon and learned what the panic was all about. Throw in the people kicking and thrashing about and it all becomes about survival! I started to dread the swim. But then I did my first 70.3. And because I was injured I held back and started long after everyone had taken off. And I had the best swim ever! It was actually beautiful. I had no anxiety whatsoever and I loved every second of it. So I learned to take the pressure off of myself. Now I am sure there will be more races when panic ensues or something goes wrong. But I have full confidence I can do it! 

At 8 weeks post op I was released from the doctor and allowed to resume activities. I got in a pool swim or two and then I saw my team was meeting for an open water swim. I wanted to see them so I thought what the heck I can use the practice! And we got in a mile swim and it felt great! I can almost compare a pool swim vs open water swim to a track run vs trail run. The open water swim is a nice change of scenery and it doesn't have the redundancy of lap after lap. I think my favorite part is that you just swim and don't have to think. It's me and the water and I am beginning to love it!!

It helped that I got out there with these great girls - my coach Gena and Kim! They have been there since the beginning of my triathlon journey!! I cant't wait to go out again!!

CycleOps and IronWillIronJill Giveaway on Instagram

**GIVEAWAY** I am so excited to partner with CycleOps for a HUGE giveaway on Instagram!! We are giving away a Fluid2 trainer, a trainer mat, and a riser block!! 

To enter this unbelievable giveaway:

1. Like this post and follow @ironwillironjill and @cycleops

2️. Tag a minimum of three people, one per comment. You may tag more than three if you would like. Each person tagged = 1 entry

3️. Repost this contest, and tag me so I know that you did, and you earn an additional 5 entries.

4️. This contest is open to U.S. and  Canadian residents only

5️. The winner will be selected and announced at 6 pm on Friday, July 22, 2016

Best of luck!!

Orange Mud Ambassador!!

I am proud to announce I am an ambassador for Orange Mud! I love their products so much! I would be lost without their hydration vest!! And they are an amazing and inspiring team of athletes  to boot!! 

Check them out at www.orangemud.com! 

I look forward to being a part of their team!!

Registered for Ironman Texas 2017

So back in April, the day after IMTX 2016, I was the very first person to pregister for priority registration for IMTX 2017! I have been checking my email every day waiting for news it was time to register. And the day finally came. It happened to come exactly 8 weeks post surgery on the very day I was released to begin normal exercise! I registered right away! And then I screamed. And then I cried. And then I danced around and screamed some more! My kids may have thought I was a little crazy but they went with it and joined in! Lol! I had no idea registering would be such an emotional experience! I can't imagine how I will feel when I cross that finish line!!

Oh Yeah! One Bars

As a vegetarian I struggle with getting enough protein. As a mother of a child with a severe peanut allergy who cannot have any nuts in the house, it's a real challenge. I came across these bars and decided to give them a try.

First let me talk about the taste because I'll be honest if I don't like it I won't eat it. I ordered the variety pack in hopes that I would like at least one of them. And I LOVE them all! The texture was a little different but not unpleasant. I felt like I was eating a candy bar! They are good cold too! If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Cookies and Cream. It was really a treat!!

Now let's talk about nutrition. Often when I find something that is yummy it is all carbs or high in sugar. These have 21-22 grams of protein (TWENTY TWO GRAMS!!) and only 1 gram of sugar. They contain milk and soy but they are gluten free.

I am very excited about my find! The only problem is my kids love them too so I have to hide them! Lol!

Step It Up With Iron Will Iron Jill

Have you ever heard of the game/app called Diet Bet? Legendaries in the fitness world, such as Jillian Michaels, Tony Horton, Chris and Heidi Powell, and Laila Ali, have all hosted/coached a game. Well the company Way Better who created Diet Bet has a new game called Step Bet and they asked ME to host/coach a game!

It's a 6-week online challenge where you work to hit custom step goals designed just for you. You can sign up now. The challenge begins July 25th. 

Here's how it works:

Visit step.bet/ironjill

Download the app, get your goals & sign up for my game

Bet $40 on yourself

Hit your goals for 6-weeks

Succeed and get your money back while splitting the pot with the other winners

It's going to be a great time and I'll be there as your coach to help you along the way. #StepBet supports both FitBit and Apple Watch but you can also play with just your iPhone or Android. 

Sign up now and invite your friends to play too! The more who play the more it pays! Let's get fit together this summer!!

I've Come So Far.....

2 years ago, at almost 39 years old, I took my first swim lesson with my little guys who were 2 and 4 at the time. I had never put my face in the water to swim before. It took several weeks before I could swim 100 yards without stopping. And now I've done Ironman 70.3 Texas with a 1.2 mile swim in the ocean!!

I think it's been really good for my boys to see me try something new, something I was afraid of, something that didn't come easily or naturally for me, and not give up. They saw me from my first lesson to swimming across lakes and in oceans. And they've been there to cheer for me along the way.

I struggle sometimes with how slow I am and it's difficult not seeing huge gains. I may not be the fastest swimmer, but I have come such a very long way! Sometimes we get caught up in how far we have to go and forget to look back and see how far we've come!