A runner and coach is what I was designed to be

Some of you might be getting sick of hearing about running, triathlons and health from me, and I could understand that, but I have a hard time containing my excitement about it.  Maybe I am so excited about it these days because I can actually do it the way I would like for the most part.  There was a time in my life (not too long ago) when I was not able to run or exercise.   While I was pregnant I was restricted from exercise, because I was high-risk.  It was a difficult time, because life as I knew it changed.  People didn’t expect me to run or race nor did I have the stress relief or health benefits I had become accustom to as a long time runner.

When I was in elementary school it was discovered that I could run fast and so from an early age I have always been identified as being the blonde girl that could run.  My hair was ultra blonde back then and I had the eyebrows to prove it (they are still barely visible now).  I must admit I didn’t like it sometimes because I believe there is much more to Lora Heyl (my maiden name, Erickson now) than people knew.  I wondered why I wasn’t given the talent to be a pop-star (I love to sing and dance, in the shower and around the house that is).  But running seemed to be my identity and that identity followed me through high school and college as I ran for several different Universities on scholarship.  Running paved my way to a college degree and has now allowed me to promote health and share my passion for it on a much larger scale and I will always be greatful for that.  Being known as a runner is fine and dandy but when life changes and something you have grown accustom to changes it’s hard to know how to respond.  While I was having children running was no longer my identity.  Sure, I did it to keep in shape between children like a lot of moms do, but I didn’t race so nobody really expected me to win races anymore.  It was different and in some ways a relief.

Unlike many of my former college running team mates, I was not able to keep running during pregnancies.  This stop-and-go type training makes it difficult to perform at a high level when competing so I resigned myself to running to stay in shape rather than compete during those years.  Matter-o-fact I could be seen casually strolling across the field in my “Moms Jeans” at the soccer games  with my little ones hand-in-hand as I toted them back and forth to the nearby park keeping them entertained while “big brother” was playing soccer.  I was your average mother cheering for her child and sipping a Capri-sun on a blanket out on the field.  And there is nothing wrong with that, but I do remember one mom asking me once, “Are you Scott’s mom?  Gosh, you look so different.”  This was her nice way of saying “Didn’t you used to be fat?”  This was after I had my third boy and lost the 48# pounds I put on with that high risk no-activity gestational diabetic pregnancy.  I knew there was an athlete in me waiting for the right time to be able to surface and race again and that time was coming.  I was training for my first triathlon at the time and my body shape was beginning to look like an athlete again.  Finally my outsides were matching my insides.  I had flown under the radar long enough and it was time to allow myself to be all that I have been designed to be which is a runner and athlete.

I knew for me during the years I was having children that it was not the right time to pursue my athletic career.  It was time to take the care of my body (restrictions and all) so it could be the vessel to get these children to earth and so I could full-fill my lifelong hope of being a mother.  The road was hard but the rewards are priceless.  I wouldn’t trade being a mother for anything, and I would happily (well, maybe not so happily) go through it again to have the cute little ones that I am enjoying raising now.

Click to view a video of my family (it took a lot of work to get these little ones here, I am so proud of this cute little family)

During those hard years of not being identified as a runner I was able to realize that I really didn’t mind being known as a runner or athlete.  Although it is not always easy to feel the pressure of sponsor obligations, fulfilling my own and other peoples expectations, balancing work and family, get my training in and help others reach their health goals; it is what I was designed to do.  I know God gave me a talent for running and teaching/coaching for a reason and honestly I feel best when I am pushing myself to be better and helping others to do the same.  I knew at an early age that health promotion would be a part of my life.  It is what I am driven to do; it is what I want to do; and what I have the passion and energy to do.  I have fully embraced this identity now and I don’t think I would have the same affinity for it had it not been taken away from me for a time.  I believe things happen for a reason.  I am proud to call myself a runner, triathlete and coach.  It is what I was designed to be.

Happy Training,

Coach Lora Erickson

www.BlondeRunner.com

Learn more about Coach Lora

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Product Review: TYR polarized Special Ops swim goggles available at Aquaholics

As many of you know I recently competed in the Omegawave World Triathlon in San Diego.   I have done many triathlons but this was my first ocean water triathlon.  So, as with any first time experience there is some extra anxiety that goes with it (not to mention travel, flight, putting my bike back together, and stiff competition).  In the past I have had a hard time with goggles fogging up, leaking or just not being able to see clearly in the open water.  This can cause some stress and make it difficult to swim straight.  So, I have been on the hunt to find just the right goggles for openwater swimming.  I have tried many different goggles but finally I feel like I have found some that I really love for open water swimming!  The new TYR Special Ops have a polarized lens so everything is crystal clear and I didn’t have any problem with them fogging up on me.  I absolutely love how they fit from the moment I tried them on in the store (thanks Mike).  Here are the things I look for when I shop for goggles:

Fit – it needs to feel comfortable on my face (no leaking)

Range of view – good broad field of vision so I can see everything around me

Mirrored – these are best for cutting down the glare off the water on a sunny day

Durability – I want something that is going to last and not break on me (I’m not the easiest on my gear, just as my husband).  Plus I need some scratch resistance since I’m in a rush in transition.

Anti-fog – I don’t want to have to stop and rub off the fog while I am swimming.  So anti-fog is a must.

Split headstrap – This helps me customize my fit and ensures they will stay on in a crowded start

Color – okay, so I am a girl, I like my goggle color to match my swim suit and other gear.  (Race tip:  If you feel like you look good you will go faster – wink, wink)

They have red, blue, black and pink (don’t you love this one?! TYR will donate $5 to the BCRF)

So if you are looking for a fool-proof great looking and comfortable goggles you will want to pick a pair of TYR polarized Special Ops.  They rock!

Available at Aquaholics.  Two store locations:

583 East 7200 South, Midvale  & 40 West 500 South, Bountiful

Or shop on-line at http://utahaquaholics.com/

Come join us at a Triathlon Clinic hosted by Aquaholics in Bountiful on Wed. May 22^nd.   Learn more

Just keep swimming!

~ Coach Lora Erickson

Aka Blonde Runner

www.BlondeRunner.com

 

Shower before you get in the pool, here’s why

You’ve seen all the signs at the pool telling you to shower before you get in but you think, “What’s the point?”  Well, this article covers the reasons why you should shower before getting in the pool.  Read the article

~ Coach Lora Erickson

www.BlondeRunner.com

Want to learn more about swimming?  Attend the Community Triathlon Clinic at Aquaholics in Bountiful on May 22, 2013 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.  No charge.  Please RSVP to lora@blonderunner.com

In the News: Running For Relief From Grief Standard-Examiner Article

Excerpts:

“I like to give hope. I have had four kids and they were high-risk pregnancies. But I made it through it.”

“Too often, Erickson said, this kind of grief is suffered alone.”

“She has been trying to help others by using her own experience. ”

“You can’t explain the emotion to someone who has never gone through it. Sharing the grief helps you feel more joyful,” she said.

RACE FOR GRIEF

The 10K race begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the West Bountiful Park, 550 W. Pages Lane, Bountiful. A 2K walk follows after the 10K racers are off.

The course takes runners west before traveling north on the Legacy Parkway trails.

“This is a 10K that is chip-timed. So they can do a flat, fast 10K route,” said Lora Erickson, race founder and running coach.

“There is a two-mile route. If they are not a runner — that’s OK. The idea is also about health promotion, not only physical health but the mental grief.”

Read the entire article

 

Join us for the 3rd annual Race For Grief event June 29, 2013 in West Bountiful

Get Registered

Video Clip: Triathlon Running Tips from Blonde Runner

Smile Center Memorial 5k and 10k race May 25 in Orem

Local 5 & 10K’s are so much fun!  Here is one you don’t want to miss.  The Smile Center Memorial 5 & 10K in Orem on May 25^th, 2013.  This is a fast and flat route so it’s perfect for a first timer or even an advanced athlete.  Join in the festivities with great music and entertainment.  They will have massage therapists at the finish line and fresh breakfast. Bring the kids along to participate in the kids fun run, bounce houses, face-painting and other fun stuff. This is a family friendly event and they have some pretty cool prizes too.  Check it out!

 

Want to win a spot?  Visit the Blonde Runner Health Facebook page

 

Upcoming Blonde Runner Classes

10K (6.2 mile) training group: Coached training starts in May.

Running Form Class: Wed. May 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Spots still available

Triathlon Class:  May 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (at Aquaholics in Bountiful, RSVP required)

Open Water Swimming Clinic: May 24, 6:30 – 8 p.m. (wetsuits needed)

Half & Full Marathon Training Program

Race for Grief 10K run & 2 mile walk event: June 29, 2013, 7:30 a.m. www.RaceForGrief.com

Adult Small Group Swim Lessons (triathlon specific)

 Underwater Swim Video Analysis:  June 1, 2013 at 2 p.m.

Message lora@blonderunner.com if you are interested

Private Individual Consultation: Available anytime various topics (run, tri, weight loss)
TBR Triathlon Group Team Training: visit http://www.TBRTriathlon.com to learn more

Fan the Facebook page and win stuff https://www.facebook.com/BlondeRunnerHealth

To get registered for a class:

Email Coach Lora Erickson at lora@blonderunner.com to learn how to hold a spot in a class.

Pre-registration is required. Limited spots. Beginners welcome.

www.BlondeRunner.com

 

To the Average Everyday Mother

If you were to ask me what woman has inspired me the most; you might think that I would say Dara Torres (stilling rockin’ it in the pool at the Olympic level well into her 40’s), or Chrissie Wellington who shocked the triathlon world with her World Championship debut win and an undefeated Ironman distance record since, or Kara Goucher who runs as gracefully as a gazelle.
And while these women certainly are inspirational I have to admit I often find inspiration in the most unlikely situations. Like in my car while I am driving past a women jogging while her two kids are tucked snuggly in a jogging stroller in the early morning hours. Or when I see the messy smiles of children laughing, in a string of bicycles behind a caring mother and father, out for a family evening adventure on Legacy Trail. I am inspired most by the average mom doing her best to keep herself fit and teaching her children by example to do the same. This really tugs at my heart strings and inspires me on a level that is nearly tangible. I find an instant bond with mothers, who I have never met, but with a friendly wave and glance we seem to both understand that we are doing our best and recognize what the benefits of being healthy can have on our children. We have vowed to make the effort it takes to send these children into life with good health and happiness. You can’t get much more inspirational than that in my book! Happy Mother’s Day to the average everyday mother in you and wishing every Mom a fit and healthy family life. Make everyday a great day.
Coach Lora Erickson
www.BlondeRunner.com

Write your own Fit Female Post 

Hugs to other mothers that remember infants and children that have died that we still love and long to hug once again. In Loving Memory of my Samantha.  RaceForGrief.com

Half Marathon or Full Marathon Training?

Are you signed up for a half or full marathon and would like some help with your training and friends to run with?   If you’d be interested in joining a coached group training program or have a friend or family member interested email lora@blonderunner.com  Please include the race you are interested (name, date, distance, goal), your contact phone and your current location (city).  Thanks.

~ Coach Lora Erickson

www.BlondeRunner.com

 

Join us for the Cache Gran Fondo 2013

Last year I attended the first inaugural Cache Gran Fondo and I must say, I was very impressed with it.  It was a better organized event then most events with an awesome expo after and this was only the first year.  Read my race report from the 2012 event.

I was so impressed I made sure to put it on my race list for 2013.  Join us.  Here are some event details.  It will be held on July 13, 2013.  They will be offering a 50 & 100 mile options and it will begin with a breakfast catered by Logan Regional Hospital (they have promised the popular yogurt bar they had last year – yum).  The course starts by heading north through Smithfield and winds through beautiful northern Utah with many “full-service” aid stations as you go.  Both routes finish up on Center Street in downtown Logan with lots of festivities.  It’s a great event and a party on two wheels.  Invite your friends.

Look for Team Blonde Runner (TBR) – we will be there!

Click to learn more and get registered

 

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