Team Juju

We Did It!!!! Team Juju Completed the Triathlon!

Kelly Harold — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:09:59 -0400

I feel so blessed with colleagues, friends, and family who are so game! They signed up to do a crazy thing.. And we did it!! We swam our hearts out.. We biked until it hurt.. And we ran into a finish that was so full of joy and euphoria. As I said at the end of the piece that feeling, whatever it is, should be bottled and sold via prescription. It’s THAT good. Over the course of the summer we had friends dramatically improve their health, change their lifestyles and their own view of themselves. "I'm not athletic"… twelve weeks later became a triumphant "I am a Triathlete!"

When my friend Caroline crossed the finish line I burst into tears… She had overcome her fear of swimming, got lost on the bike ride after the police barricades had all gone down. But she was so fiercely determined to finish that the race director Sean and a dear friend and her loving husband Brian accompanied her on the final 3 mile run. She finished dead last by a long shot, but she won everyone’s hearts and raised 5 thousand dollars.

To all those you tried the Housatonic Valley Tri and especially the 170+ people out there who signed up to help the kids of Haiti. Bravo and thanks!!

Day 99: The Tri is Tomorrow!!

Kelly Harold — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:18:43 -0400

After 99 days of training, tomorrow is the finish line.. the Housatonic Valley Sprint Triathlon. I had no idea the journey would be this FUN.

The excitement is palpable. I took my bike this week to the shop for a last minute tune up and so enjoyed the leisurely 5 mile bike ride home and thought “look at me, I’m an athlete”… something I hadn’t thought of myself as since well before my oldest of 3 boys was born 10 years ago.

Today, with less than 24 hours to go, my friend Holly sent out this email reminding everyone about one of the big motivators for this training… She wrote:

“The devastation from the January earthquake created a true children's emergency in Haiti. Nearly six months later 1.5 million boys and girls still remain vulnerable.
$1 can provide enough vaccine to immunize a child against polio for life
$3 can buy one dose of antiretroviral drugs for an HIV positive mother or child. “

More than 6 months later, I’m sorry to say, the reports are grim. 2 million remain homeless. After 95% of schools were knocked down in the earthquake, few have been rebuilt.

But here’s the GOOD news. Since the crisis, UNICEF has sent 1,300 schools in a box. There are 2000 more in the pipeline. They’re providing 330k people w/ safe drinking water. 9k latrines. “

More than 60 of my friends and colleagues like Holly are doing THE TRI with me… 171 of you across the country have made your own UNICEF pages.

Our team has managed to raise near 37,000 thousand dollars for the US fund for UNICEF!!! I am so enormously proud.

And it’s not too late to help.

Here’s the link.

http://inside.unicefusa.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=3249698&pg=personal&fr_id=1250

The results will be featured on GMA Monday!! Go team!!!!! I am brimming with gratitude.

From Tom Holland: The Day Has Come!

Kelly Harold — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:37:30 -0400

How time flies! The day has come. Team Juju will be racing tomorrow. I am so proud of how many people stuck with the program and are getting ready to do their first triathlon. They did everything necessary to succeed at a new fitness routine: They chose a concrete goal. They had a definitive date set to achieve that goal. The goal was challenging. And now they’re getting ready to achieve that goal. Many have lost weight along the way. They are healthier. More confident. Yes, many are also nervous about the race tomorrow. There is the fear of the unknown. They are questioning their abilities. That is normal. When they cross that finish line, however, that fear will be transformed into a newfound confidence, an inner strength that they didn’t possess when the starter’s gun went off. Or I should say that they didn’t know they possessed it. It was there all the time, it is there in all of us, we just need to push our limits to reveal it. I want to congratulate Juju and all of the team members for their incredible efforts these past three months. The work is done. Tomorrow is the “party.” There is no failure tomorrow – all those who toe the starting line will have succeeded. Each person will have a different experience a unique adventure, a powerful story to tell for the rest of their lives. They all set a goal and saw it through to the end. I hope you did the same, and continue to do so in the future. Take care of your body, invest in your health and believe in yourself.

From Tom Holland: It's Time to Taper!

Kelly Harold — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:20:39 -0400

“Team Juju,” is 2 days away from their tri on September 11^th! They are currently in what is known as the “Taper” phase of their training. The “Taper” is the last few weeks before an event when training is decreased each week to rest the body and allow it to “absorb” all of the training that has come before it. Many people make the mistake of trying to “cram” training in right before their event, and this leads to decreased performance. If the fitness goal you set for yourself is also an event and it is a few weeks away, you too need to “Taper” down your training. Do a little less each week so you will be fresh on race-day. The work is done!

From SELF Magazine: Final Tips to Keep Progress Going!

Kelly Harold — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:14:09 -0400

We’ve come such a long way toward reaching this physical – and philanthropic – goal, and it’s been fantastic! We’ve learned a lot, including what the experts SELF know – that you can train your brain to bring better-body results. Here are some final tips for keeping the progress going from here on out.

See the finish line. Before starting a new routine, write down one or two big-picture reasons you're doing it. Whether you want to look hot in a bikini or finish a marathon, when you get to a difficult point in your regimen, you will draw stick-with-it motivation from visualizing success.

Set mini-goals. When you lace up your shoes, decide exactly what you want to accomplish that day. An objective can be as simple as making it through a tough class or as specific as wanting to lift X more pounds than you did last week. Small, repeated successes will help you stay committed to your long-term plan.

Zero in on the muscle. Letting your mind drift while jogging can be a good thing, but during strength training it might mean diminished results because your form may slip. Think about the targeted muscle, squeeze it before you release and envision how you want it to look.

Tweak your self-talk. Your body won't do something unless your brain tells it to. If you start thinking, I can't run up this hill, your body listens. Negativity is like rocks in a backpack. It slows you down. To fight self-doubt, spin the truth: Instead of cursing the hill, think, This hill is hard, but I'm getting better with each step, and eventually they will all feel easier.

Give credit where it's due. When you have a great workout session, it's not luck or a fluke. As you drive home or rinse off in the shower, remind yourself that you were successful because you've been pushing yourself harder or eating better or staying more focused. Knowing you are in control of the outcome keeps you motivated and striving to do your best.

Day 96: It's Almost Here...

Kelly Harold — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:42:02 -0400

The Housatonic Valley TRI is THIS SATURDAY people! As my 2 year old would say…. Holy moly. I spent my week off doing 12 mile bike rides and swimming … I need to run a bit more. I’m rested and ready. Now I just have to get all 3 of my boys back to school and I’m good to go.

I hope you’ll consider supporting the cause…. 100% of the proceeds go the US fund for UNICEF’s Haiti fund.

Go to http://abcnews.go.com/gma/jujugetsfit Under the big countdown clock (ahh 5 days and counting..) – click Support Team Juju – Go Now…

From Tom Holland: The Excuse Trap

Kelly Harold — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:54:49 -0400

There will always be an excuse not to work out. Always. Work, stress, relationships, family, and so on. These are not excuses, they are actually the reasons we NEED to get our exercise in. Don’t fall into the excuse trap. Make that appointment on your schedule for your workout and keep it. Everything else benefits as a result.

From SELF Magazine: Flat Versus Sparkling Water

Kelly Harold — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:51:40 -0400

Here’s a great Q&A about flat vs sparking water from the experts at www.Self.com:

Q: Is there a health-related downside to drinking lots of sparkling water or seltzer?

A: For the most part, you're safe with bubbly water. Fizzy H2O has been popular for hundreds of years and remains a great no-calorie refresher. The effervescent sips are simply plain water infused with carbon dioxide, which is bad for the atmosphere but safe for us to ingest. Many dieters enjoy these drinks as an alternative to regular water, and they are just as hydrating. Another plus: Seltzer doesn't cause bone-density loss (colas may), and although some people experience bloating and gas due to the carbonation, they're not a health concern. The only downside to soda water is that it's slightly acidic, and scientists speculate that it might erode tooth enamel. So to protect your pearly whites, choose regular water, which has no acid but can be fortified with good-for-your-teeth fluoride. Finally, skip club soda. It contains sodium and might not quench your thirst.

From SELF Magazine: How to dine out & stick to your diet!

Kelly Harold — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:10:02 -0400

Don't let enormous portions, boatloads of butter and overflowing bread baskets keep you from eating out. Enjoy your meal and a slimmer shape with these simple tips.

Play favorites: Decide before you even have the menu in front of you whether you want to enjoy a small piece of bread, a glass of wine or three bites of a sinful dessert. All of these tasty extras provide about the same number of calories and not much nutrition. Pick one and switch it up next time!

Go halvsies: A restaurant entrée generally has twice as many calories as the same dish cooked at home. Split whatever you order in half: Share an entrée with your date or a friend, request a half portion of your dish (many chefs will oblige), or ask the waiter for a take-out container and wrap up half of your dinner before you dig in.

Focus on your friends: When you're out to eat, it's easy to scarf down your meal and then reach for bread, more wine or your pal's plate. Adopt a more leisurely pace by shifting your attention from your food to your dining partners. Take breaks between bites to listen, talk and laugh. You'll eat less and have more fun.

From Tom Holland: Listen to Your Body

Kelly Harold — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:00:59 -0400

Remember to listen to your body. There is a difference between muscle soreness and pain. We workout with soreness, we do not workout through pain. Taking a day or two off to let a pain subside is much better than trying to "work through" it, only then having to take weeks off due to making it significantly worse. When in doubt, take a day off.