9.1.2011- My one month- LIFE IS GOOD- LIVE ALOHA- Challenge Begins

Life is good, yep it truly is!  We have all been given one life to live fully, and from which to breath every ounce of adventure, memories, and challenge.  But often we become complacent with our lives and don't live them as fully and richly as possible.  

I know for myself I always want to feel GOOD- inside and outside.  That means taking time to focus on feeling good; thus everything around you seems richer, better, and more vibrant. You FEEL incredible and have the Aloha feeling all the time...the easy going, at peace, relaxed bliss.  At least I do and the way for me to get there personally is through exercise, training, fresh foods, family time, date nights, doing things for others, and just "being".

Hood to Coast 2011- Jazz Hands

For some it may sound silly coming from me that I want more of a challenge living richly since I talk about taking advantage of each moment far to much for some.  I try to live what I preach- I exercise daily, teach fitness, play with my kids and family, eat well, bike everywhere, and attempt to get enough sleep.  But while doing so, I have become a bit complacent with my own fitness levels and goals, even while training for Hood to Coast(8.26-27.11) and Pacific Grove Tri(9.10.11).  After our Hawaii trip in August, I shifted a few of my workouts and was a bit bummed I wasn't training in warm waters. Boo hoo- I know- woa is me (sarcasm). But I was incredibly inspired hourly in Kauai to swim farther, run faster and do even more burpees before sunrise.  Anytime I hopped in the water to play, I swam laps in the water.  I felt comfortable to run around in my 2 piece from dawn until dusk, and was taking time to breath in every aroma that surrounded me.  It sounds weird, but I literally did. Stopped on my runs to smell the flowers, snuggled by my girls taking in their saltwater heads, enjoyed the rum scent of Dad's Mai Tai's, and the smell of rain after it pounded the cement mid runs.  That feeling is what inspired me to this challenge. 

Aloha Challenge- to train, eat, feel, and live the inspired LIFE IS GOOD way!  

 September 2nd- October 2nd, 2011  

It is my personal Challenge that may motivate you to do a similar version on your own.  Join in if you want and do part or do all of it.  Focus on one goal for yourself in regards to Fitness, Nutrition, Life or focus on all goals.  I will keep you posted weekly on goals, and post about how life is good in little ways. My only request- let me know how you are doing with your goals via the blog, facebook page, or emails. 

Life is all about taking time to Challenge the Power of YOU....

Life is GOOD Challenge

FOOD : 
Eat CLEAN!
No processed foods, produce only organic and preferably from Farmers' Markets
Grilled fish 2-3x/week
5 Veggies/day
Avoid: Gluten, Sugar(forms that are not cane juice/root), alcohol, most milk products (Greek yogurt and goat cheese are ok)
Write everything down & HOW I feel when eating it
Take at least 15 minutes to sit and eat at each meal, not just dinner

Trail Running in Kauai 2011

FITNESS: 
Max Push Ups & Pull Ups
Do 111 push ups every other day. Max out on push ups 9/30- see how many can do
Pull ups- 3x/week do at least 30 reps (do 20 now)
Minimum of 60 minutes cardio/daily

TRAINING CHALLENGE:  
Train at 120% daily 
Meet 2 workouts/day - 4x/week
Swim at least 2000 yards 3x/week, and 4th swim workout with brick work
Meet Meredith for Brickwork 1x/week. 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28
Track workouts with Pac West Athletics Tuesday Nights- 6:30 pm & Saturday Long Date-Runs 2x/month at 8:30 w/Jack

FOCUS ON LIFE'S ELEMENTS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: 

Makenzie's photo of Jack & I living Aloha

Write notes in Makenzie's school lunch daily
Pictures- copy the wonderful photos on my computer and hang them in our home, in addition to sending them to friends of the memories together
Family Adventure Days- 1x/weekend - Jack's Saturday work days adventure in afternoon in park
Sleep an extra hour in the early mornings now- new Personal Training Hours- cuddle with kidlets
Emerson bike ride to Farmer's Market on Tuesdays
Chalk drawing out front with girls daily - messages for friends and family who walk by
Meet Otis Moms at 6:45 am on Saturday mornings for girl time 2x/month
Throw paper/mail out after touched once
Bike to 9:25 am Ferry with E and visit Jack at work on Tuesdays or Thursdays
Read to girls outside in backyard after dinner
Write letters to friends and family - 1 letter/day
Date Night with Jack- 2x/month
Bring girls to visit Grandma Betty weekly with cards, and mail cards to Grammer, Grandpa Jack and Great Aunt Blanche with photos weekly

LIFE IS GOOD GOALS: 
Feel peaceful every morning as day begins and content when going to bed
Be present at every moment with Makenzie, Emerson and Jack

Family- Tyler, Robbie, Me, Mom, Dad

Truly appreciate my own families relationships and how dynamic they are- not take for granted their incredible selves- Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother
Stand TALL (heck 5'1" means I need all my height!)
Break my current PR for the half marathon of 1:32 on October 2nd- RnR San Jose
Write 2 fitness health/articles that get published in monthlies
here
Taste food and the rich flavors at each meal
Challenge my body and see how lean it can get in 30 days....while not depriving it of the nourishment and incredible foods it loves and thrives on
Feel STRONG and the aloha feeling as the season changes to Fall...


I know that I have big lists under each section, but it is good to focus.  For each week the emphasis will be different:
September 2-8:Acceptance
September 9-15: Adventure
September 16-22:Courage
September 23-2: Compassion

3 Fun Days to enjoy what my body pleases in food/wine:
Sunday, September 4th- Moms' birthday celebration
Saturday, September 10th- Post Pacific Grove Triathlon & at Octoberfest
Saturday, September  24th- Kari's Celebration

 Cheers!!!  I look forward to a fun month of challenges, loves, adventures and tasting each moment!!

---Erin Kreitz Shirey
Power Fitness PDX Owner, Lead Trainer and Coach
BS Kinesiology, ACE, NASM, Fit to Deliver and Stott Pilates
e- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com  w- www.powerfitnesspdx.com  b-Blog  f- Facebook  t- Twitter

*A bit ago I wrote about the Happiness Project I'm doing my own Happiness Journey December 2011-December 2012. My birthday is in December and a year's journey is perfect to coincide with a birthday.

Challenge Winner- Annie Chan!!!

Last Week we toasted the Power Fitness PDX Power of YOU New Year NEW You Fitness Challenge. Many women entered, did incredible and found phenomenal results. It wasn't all about the weight loss and numbers, but about the journey along the way.  When you work on the inner challenges, it helps face the "physical" challenges as well. 

Congrats to Annie Chan, the incredible and dynamic winner!  Anne won for many reasons which were decided by dedication in class/workshops/towards teammates/towards participation in the challenge, weight loss and inches lost goal achievement, personal goal achievement, and mental/spiritual goals achieved. Annie kicked booty and did it all! She is a new person now, and it shines in her face and her gait.  Watch out world, Annie Chan is glowing and growing in so many phenomenal ways!

Thus, I asked Annie a few questions and the following is how she answered: 
What was it that made you :
1. take time for yourself
2. feel that this time you could really reach your goals
3. get outside your comfort zone
4. learned from doing the Challenge
5. noticed about how you felt when you did the Challenge

Lucy Shopping Trip Outfit #1

I was in a rut.  My husband, the exercise fanatic, had lost 20 pounds.  I ran two half marathons and lost nothing.  The more he lost, the more agitated I became.  "How is that possible," I ranted to myself.  The answer came in my Inbox, "[APN] Free Power Fitness PDX Class."  I went to one class and I was hooked.  I signed up for the Power of YOU NEW YEAR-NEW YOU Fitness Challenge and learned the error of my ways.

 

Error #1 - Heart rate.  I always thought I was a 10 min/mile runner (until my husband gave me a Garmin Forerunner which showed I was more of an 11 min/mi runner).  I admit I ran at a leisurely pace.  That was error #1.  The Challenge taught me to work with my maximum heart rate.  I have to challenge myself in a tougher heart rate zone to get results.

 

Error #2 - Nutrition.  Before, I would run for 3 miles and come home to a breakfast of egg and cheese on english muffin and coffee with condensed milk.  I craved comfort foods especially on those cold winter days.  That was error #2.  The Challenge taught me to think about food as fuel.  If you put junk in your body, you are bound to feel sluggish.  I learned to make healthier choices.  I drink more water, eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  Thanks to Shay's Cafe, I discovered my love for quinoa salads!

 

PFPDX Challenge Winner - LUCY Workout Outfit!

Error #3 - No excuses.  I used to let days go by before getting a workout in.  I would blame the weather, work, family schedules and even my husband.  That was error #3.  The Challenge taught me to make myself a priority.  Once I began to make time for myself, my family started to join in.  My daughters would join in exercise routines including jumping jacks, burpees, planks, pushups, etc.  During springbreak on the Disney Cruise, my 6 year old would insist we take the stairs (9 flights!) to burn more calories.  A fit lifestyle is contagious and impacts all around you.

 

The Challenge has been a transformational experience.  The team was so supportive and full of energy and laughter.  It was amazing to hear the stories of why each woman was participating and the impact it was having on their lives.  We all learned to break the cycle of bad habits, take on a lifestyle of clean eating, appreciate the ones we love, and make time for ourselves.

 

At the end of the Challenge, I increased my running pace to a 9:22 min/mile, lost 10 pounds, lost 2-3 inches across waist, hips, thighs, increased my strength and rocked a 10 minute wall sit.  I feel stronger, healthier and happier than I have in years.

 

Thanks to Erin and Power Fitness PDX for an incredible journey and I'll see you all at 5:45am at Crown Beach!

 

Camaraderie....

Camaraderie- it is a word that we know to mean coming together, support, teamwork, unifying each other to pull through. According to Merriam-Webster camaraderie means:

A feeling of good friendship among the people in a group. There is great camaraderie among the teammates. [singular]. They have developed a real camaraderie after working together for so long.[plural]

When teaching class, I am not only looking for perfect form amongst you. I am watching your ability to physically do things, your level of support for one another, your dedication to motivate your team while I am working to modify a teammates needs.  I have noticed already, in the last 9 days since the Challenge began, the friendships and camaraderie forming.  It is obvious to anyone who runs by how you truly are pushing each other as you are pushing yourselves! This is true, as I have had quite a few runners I know who have stopped me in the community to say, "Those women look like they are having so much fun. Is it always like that?". Of course I laugh thinking you should listen closer to the joking and cursing that happens sometimes...but not at each other towards me while they are being pushed!  And yes, I am OK with that because it means you are getting out of your comfort zone and pushing yourselves.

Do you realize that there is a huge strength in teamwork and exercising with a partner?  Did you know that the influx of small group training has the big women's brands participating too?  Lucy, Lululemon, Title 9, and Athleta to name a few, have online communities to help solidify the support and team element.  They are all active clothing companies whose goal is to sell workout and training clothes, but know that targeting the group element  and highlighting "exercising and training with friends" is what women need. It isn't just one-on-one training all the time, but it is also  training alongside peers who are all like minded active individuals.  Each store does special group demos, encouraging you to register with friends and meet new "active friends" too.  Great marketing, but as we know the reason behind it is very true.  Finding the support and camaraderie amongst women who motivate you, in addition to your Coach, is a healthy and incredible group to be part of.

You have already found some people you connect with in the PFPDX Challenge, and each class you will connect even further with someone else.  That is part of what I strive to help you with- building the foundation of community and camaraderie amongst the TEAM, because we are all in this together.  We are all pulling through with various backgrounds and obstacles, but with the same focus.  That focus of making ourselves count and taking ownership of our own health and fitness.  I am proud of you and your efforts thus far.  Now, be proud of yourself and of each other.  You are doing incredible!  

Power Fitness PDX-

Together.Empower.Achieve. Motivate. TM

----Erin Kreitz Shirey

Owner & Lead Trainer of

Power Fitness PDX LLC

Power of YOU Fall Fitness CHALLENGE - One Week Away!!!

Having done an annual fitness challenge in Winter-Spring, I decided it was good to do one in the Fall and help women get their routines set before the hustle and craziness of the holidays. By the time it is Holiday Season, Challenge Participants will have changed habits, lost inches, and become their healthiest selves yet!!  Join them on this incredible journey, or share with a friend who has been asking for the motivator to kick start her into gear.  It will be a Challenge like no other!

Power Fitness PDX Power of YOU Fall Fitness Challenge
            … A Bit of POWER for all uber women!
                       Monday, Sept. 27th- Friday, Dec. 3rd 2010

KIDS are back in school and it’s time to take care of YOU! Fall Fitness Challenge matches you up with a fitness buddy and puts you through an intense fitness/health/ wellness challenge.  

YOU WILL: 
CHANGE your life
BECOME your strongest and healthiest self YET
LOSE weight, inches, and unhealthy habits          
LEARN HOW to WORKOUT EFFECTIVELY
GAIN CONFIDENCE, SUPPORT, GUIDANCE

Incorporates $1475 in Services for only $700!! -  
Special through September 24th to save $75- $625 for ENTIRE CHALLENGE!!!! 
                      
10 weeks of Power Fitness PDX 3x/week , 4 bonus classes for, 3 nutrition/fitness/ wellness/time WORKSHOPS, 4 Hours to PASS –personal assistant to life , 2x 30 minute 1:1 Personal Training Session, Pre & Post Challenge Measurements  & MUCH MORE!!!

THE WOMAN WHO LOSES MOST & REACHES GOALS  WIN….GEAR AND GOODIES FROM BORN FIT, ROADRUNNER SPORTS, POWER ADE ZERO, FLEX POWER, SHAY’S CAFÉ, SALON ONE, DAISY'S, IGNITION ARCHITECTURE, POWER FITNESS PDX, PASS, PAPPO

LIMITED TO ONLY 20 WOMEN- REGISTER ASAP!!! www.powerfitnesspdx.com

One lucky Mom can WIN THE ENTIRE CHALLENGE! Share why YOU deserve the Challenge and be honored with a scholarship!!
Send all letters by September 24TH to: powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com  or  PO Box 1077, Alameda CA 94501

About Erin Kreitz Shirey-                                   
Power Fitness PDX CEO/Lead Trainer & Coach
A born and raised Alamedian, Erin’s focus is to help develop a client’s self esteem through athletics and truly look at exercise as a WAY of life. She inspires others to challenge AND reach their goals. When not teaching or chasing her 2 kidlets, Erin writes about health/fitness/ family and has been a contributing Editor for Better TV. She has BS in Kinesiology, ACE, NASM, Stott Pilates Mat, Fit to Deliver and Sports Nutrition Certified.    www.powerfitnesspdx.com