Go Moms Go

The neighborhood moms did it! On Saturday they competed in the first sprint triathlon. The best part - not only did all of them successfully complete the race - but they had fun! Bonus - on one of the moms really rocked it and placed third in her age bracket. The moms made it a family affair. Dads and kids came out to cheer them on. Then later that day, after some showers and much deserved rest, the families got together for a backyard bbq.

Fitness, families, fun, camaderie among moms. Just doesn't get any better than that! The emails are already flying about their next race or challenge. There are so many fantastic events from triathlons to a wide range of cycling and running events. When you are training for an event, especially in the company of friends, you almost forget about all the great exercise and fitness strides you are making. Being physically fit doesn't mean you need to be a slave to the gym. Find opportunities like this to make fitness an event shared among friends.

Experience the produce of the season

Jenn, a good friend of mine, just delivered a great gift - she and her daughters had made a little day trip to head to the blueberry fields. Now there is some wholesome family fun. She brought me a huge, 15 lb bag of beautiful, plump, juicy berries. Summer is an incredible time of year to experience the produce of the season. Remember the goal is to consume five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. For me, this is so much easier in the summer when I can make myself a big bowl of strawberries, blueberries and peaches. Even better, top that off with a little yogurt and granola.

Like Jenn, make selecting the produce an activity for you and the kids. Kids love to experience new adventures. How about a weekly trip to the farmers market, produce stand or local produce farm? Depending on your geographic region, you might even be able go out and pick produce from the fields. Also, keep in mind, that many fruits freeze wonderfully. I broke down my giant bag of blueberries into 1 or 2 cup servings in freezer bags.

Step two, make preparing the produce and activity for you and the kids. During the heat of the afternoon, let the kids help you wash the produce and assist in the preparing it for dinner. I'm going to have my girls help me make blueberry muffins. My kids are picky eaters, so any opportunity to make healthy foods fun is a great option.

mom power!

Nothing better than moms getting together for their first triathlon. We've got a local sprint triathlon coming up at an awesome facility just about 10 minutes from our neighborhood. What an awesome opportunity for a group of moms to band together for their first-ever triathlon! I joined them for their initial planning session several weeks ago. We had all different skill levels - ranging from no experience biking, running, or swimming (gotta love the spirit there!) to another mom with marathon and high school swimming background. Definitely some nerves about the race concept, but awesome support, camaraderie and sharing.

Ever since there's been weekly e-mails on training schedules and updates. The moms have been meeting every Friday morning at the neighborhood pool for swim practice. Everyone brings their kiddos and they hangout on the playground while the moms get in some laps. Also been buddying up on rides and weekly brick practice. Now we're 2 weeks from race day!

Any opportunities like this in your area? A sprint triathlon is totally doable for your typical mom. It's generally about a 300 meter swim, 12-15 mile bike and a 5k run. It's all about you and the accomplishment - no worries about times or places. You can google a triathlon calendar for your city and check it out. I bet you know some moms who would love the challenge! I'll let you know how the girls do!