How Do You Vacation?

How do you vacation? Do you lay by the pool with a drink or soak up the rays on the beach? Or do you go, go, go? I have to say we definitely fall into the latter category which is really helpful when you're training. We are the type who cram our days exploring as much as we can no matter our destination. Here in Hawaii, on the Big Island, it fit us perfectly as we were able to explore, be active, and get in some training too!

In the mornings I was able to walk right out of our hotel and run along the popular Ali'i drive. Runners and bikers filled the streets and sidewalks and looking over to the water you saw swimmers swimming from Dig Me Beach - truly a triathletes dream!

There was no shortage of beautiful places to run along the way!

One of my favorite spots to run was Black Sand Beach!

You have to swim out to the Kona Coffee Boat with friends! I was able to check out the Ironman Kona swim course with friends Ashley and Ang! (More on our swim in my next post!)

Snorkling with my hubby in Hawaii has to be one of the best experiences of my life!

And I made a couple friends along the way!

And we were instant friends! You see we are about the same pace! In fact, he may even be a little faster! Lol!

We also went Stand Up Paddle Boarding. It is much harder in the ocean than it is in our laid back lake. Lol! Needless to say I fell in! Ha!

Another one of my favorites was our 6+ mile hike out at Green Sand Beach! Best views in the World!

So happy to have a partner who loves doing what I do - and when he doesn't he plays along. :0)

Another fun adventure was our bike/hike out in the lava fields! Though this girl could have used a helmet! Ha! It looks way easier than it was! It was a bumpy ride and lots of sliding around! But fun!

And how many people get to say they got to run on lava! There was more hiking and climbing, some running and jumping! What an amazing experience!

And the reward at the end was an active volcano! We got to watch lave erupt and flow right into the ocean!
We talk of one day laying on the beach sipping a drink, but neither of us are sure it's in us to do it! We really enjoy an active vacation! What about you?

Lumo Run Goes to Ironman

You can't imagine the excitement in the air for Ironman even just stepping off the plane in Kona.

Athletes, family members, people working Ironman, and spectators are all welcomed. The sport and tradition were very honored here on the Big Island!

I was super excited to meet Mark Mastalir who consults with Lumo Run. What a great guy! I look forward to working with him in the future!

My husband and I were given VIP access at the Ironman events. It was such a great time!! My favorite was the VIP seating at the finish line. You can't beat that!!

I had a couple Lumo Runs to giveaway. Ashley Davis found me on her run to claim hers!

And the second Lumo Run went to Jen Rulon of Rulon Racing! Can't wait for them to try out their new virtual coaches! 

It is amazing what this little device can do! I never go on a run without it!

It's truly a great device for runners of all levels! It helps you focus on important areas such as cadence, bounce, breaking, drop, and rotation. It's like having a coach in your back pocket!

Lumo Run always finishes strong and now you can too!!

Lumo Run #thisismycoach Contest

My best friend JessRunsBlessed let me know right away about a contest Lumo Run was having to win a trip to Kona. She knew it is a dream of mine to go to Kona for the Ironman World Championships. So right away I entered the contest. I was on pins and needles every day I wanted to win so badly! 

Jess asked me what I wanted for my birthday and seriously all I wanted was this trip to Kona! I never win anything!

Then on September 6 (my mom's birthday), I won!!!!! My friend Susan Oyler texted me that night saying OMG Congratulations!! I was like What?!?! And then it hit me! I told my husband Oh my gosh I think I won! I was shaking and he was asking me what I won and getting rather frustrated with my hysterics and not telling him what I won. Lol! And then I saw the post and I was screaming, crying, shaking, couldn't breathe. I was hysterical really! I was in complete and total shock! It was a dream come true!! I cannot even explain the overwhelming excitement and gratitude I was feeling!

In just a month I would be heading to Kona, Hawaii to watch some of the world's most talented athletes compete in the 2016 World Championships!

Zoggs in the Family

Our whole family loves our Zoggs! We are a family of swimmers/triathletes and you won't see us in the water without our Zoggs! I am wearing the Predator Flex Ultra Reactor. They are my favorites!

Ricky is 10 years old. He has been a part of swim team for 5 years. He has participated in 5 triathlons - 2 of those being open water. He is wearing the kid's Zoggles.

Everett is 9 year old. He has also been on the swim team for 5 years and has participated in 5 triathlons - 2 of those being open water. He is wearing the Predator Flex.

Sawyer is 6 years old. He has been on the swim team for 2 years. He has participated in 2 triathlons - 1 being open water. He is wearing the kid's zoggles.

Emerson is almost 5 years old. He has been on the swim team for 1 year. He is not old enough to participate in triathlons yet, but he can't wait! He is wearing the kid's zoggles.

Little man is such a great swimmer! Here he is wearing the Predator Flex.

Emerson was born to swim! Here's another shot of him wearing the Predator Flex.

Check out Zogg's Goggles at www.zoggsusa.com!

#zoggs #zoggsusa #flexfactor #zoggallday

Finis Duo - Underwater MP3

I'm very excited about the Finis Duo! The underwater MP3 player exceeded my expectations. It was pretty simple to download music to the device. The most time consuming aspect was I used iTunes and had to convert the files to MP3 files, but instructions were in the manual and simple to follow. I found the manual on the Finis website. http://www.finisinc.com/Duo

The Duo secures to your goggles and rests along your cheekbones. I liked this a lot as ear buds are not comfortable to me.

I was blown away by the sound quality! The sound was so clear!! Even underwater where I expected it to sound muffled it was very crisp!

Swimming laps sometimes becomes tedious to me, but listening to music on the Duo helped break up the monotony! I really look forward to being able to listen to music as my swims will be getting longer and longer with Ironman training.

Post Bike Stretch

Are you sore between the blades post bike ride or even post swim? Or do you just feel tension in your upper back? Here are a few stretches that can help you open up your back and relieve some of that tightness.

Lay on your back on a foam roller. Put your arms out in a T. Open up your chest and just relax and stretch for about a minute. 

Then continue with a T, a Y, and an I. Open to a T and bring arms up and together for 10 reps. 

Then bring arms out to a Y and together for 10 reps. 

And finally bring arms into an I position and together for 10 reps. 

Do 3 sets. I found this really helps relieve the stress in my upper back post workout. Simple and easy to do yet effective! Let me know if this helps!!

New Wave Swim Buoy

The New Wave Swim Buoy is a safety float and also has a drybag for storing your keys, phone, etc. if you don't want to leave them on the shore. It comes in two sizes - 15 liter and 20 liter. It comes in orange, pink, yellow, and neon green. The swim buoy is highly visible making it a must have for swimmers, triathletes, kayakers, and snorklers. 

It is easily inflatable. You simply twist open the top, blow it up, and twist the top to close. I am asthmatic and cannot blow up a balloon, but this was a piece of cake. You buckle the device around your waist. The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. 

Keep in mind this is a security device not a safety device.

I have the 15 liter in pink and in yellow.

You can purchase a device at www.newwaveswimbuoy.com or on www.amazon.com/shops/NewWaveGear.

I would say the biggest selling point to me is the visibility factor. Many members of Strike Force Racing team use the New Wave Swim Buoy. When we are out in an open water swim we can easily spot each other. This is helpful for keeping an eye out for each other and also for sighting purposes. It's much easier to stay on course following the bright buoy in front of you. But more importantly we are visible to the boaters in the area. From the shore I personally witnessed a boat go around my teammates. I hate to think what could have happened if they didn't have the buoys and were unable to be seen. And it was great that even from the shore we could still spot our teammates at a good distance.

USAT and Ironman Certified Coach Gena Alvarez of Strike Force Racing always trains along side her athletes. She loves her New Wave Swim Buoy!

I was concerned there would be drag in the water or pulling at the waist using this device. I didn't feel a thing. In fact I would completely forget it was there. It was great too because my coach stops at the buoys occasionally to give instructions or feedback and you have the buoy to rest on if you need.

Another big plus for the swim buoy is the confidence it gives you out in the open water. My teammate Sam is trying to face her fear of open water. Many of us start off timid or downright fearful out in the open water. Some overcome this fear and some continue to struggle to face it. I gave her a buoy to try out and it gave her the confidence she needed to get out there. She was sold and is getting one of her own! 

And yet another bonus is the security it offers your kiddos as well. Emerson is not yet 5 years old. He could swim with it attached no problem. And he could use it to rest or kick back when he needed. 

This little guy just might be my ticket to Kona someday!!