Brew to Brew 2013

 

4:30 AM wake up call

43.5 miles

10 legs

6 hours and 27 minutes

To support a great friend and a great cause 

More than $50,000

Donated to Cystic Fibrosis

Ledbetter's Army was up and at 'em bright and early this past Sunday to participate in the Brew to Brew running event.

  

For having a team that had barely trained (well...the better half of us), I'd say we did pretty darn good. We completed the 43.5 mile race in 6 hours and 27 minutes, averaging right under a 9-minute mile.

 

We ran on pavement, dirt and gravel, and one team member had to cross a river on a boat. Some members got stuck with legs that had endless hills and nearly died, but I think we made our team leader proud nonetheless:).

You see, our team leader is an athletic-doesn't miss a day-fit bad ass that happens to have a rare form of cystic fibrosis. He is definitely an inspiration to all of us. 

He ran four legs of the race (totaling 18 miles) just because he's a nice guy and wanted to give his wife, mom and brother-in-law a running buddy.

We had a great time, lots of laughs, and not too much complaining:).

Great job team! Next year, I think we'll train. Right!? 

If that's the case, we should probably veto Brian and Josh cracking open beers at 5:30 AM.

Finisher

Well, I finished! And it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Sure, doing a triathlon 8-months post baby and not training for it definitely kicked my rear end, but my finish times were better than the first time I participated in this same Tri in 2009.

Swim: 10:17

Transition 1: 2:56

Bike: 36:13

Transition 2: 2:18

Run: 30:19

Overall time: 1:22:03

I'm proud of my times. Of course I could have done better and pushed myself harder. But, as my coworker said right before we jumped into the water, "We aren't trying to have a baby today. We aren't going to push that hard." Ha.

I had a little hiccup in the bike portion when my paper number flew off and got stuck in my gears. I had to stop twice on the course to pull out paper, and my gears still didn't work properly the rest of the race. For a few minutes, I thought there was a chance I wouldn't be able to finish.

But I did, and it felt damn good.

There were 1,000 participants this year. One thousand! A sea full of 1,000 purple swim caps, 1,000 bikes, and 2,000 feet ready to hit the pavement.

It was exhilarating. Inspiring. Uplifting. A familiar feeling from 2010 and 2009.

I'm so glad I went through with it and didn't chicken out. It crossed my mind considering my lack of training, but I was determined to just get out there and do my best.

I'm proud of myself.

And my boys are proud of their mama.

All my boys were there to cheer me on. Even Jake.:)

I've Got the Jitters

It's not a normal Friday for me. Care free? Nope. Anxiety free? Nope.

Sonic Friday at work and my strawberry cream slush didn't even make my jitters go away.

Thank you company, I love Sonic Friday during the summer and I am so appreciative of my free drink, but I'm a nervous nilly.

You guys, I'm doing a triathlon tomorrow.

It's ok, you can pick your jaw up off the floor. I'm surprised too.

A triathlon I haven't even trained for.

There's a little thing that now plays at my feet and goes by the name of Bruiser these days that has kept me from swimming, biking and running.

Sheesh, how do I get myself into these things?

Two years ago, I was baby-free and motivated. This year, I'm just crazy.

See, that year I was smiling. This year, I'm going to die.

Wish me luck pretty please? I need all the thoughts and prayers I can get!

Me and my little fam will be carb loading and hydrating tonight in front of the tube watching the Opening Ceremony. Happy Weekend! 

Here's some recent Instagrams. You can find me at Kutterchaos, if your little heart desires.

TOP | baf time | back on the bike | hamburger treats via nana jana

MIDDLE | this kid needs to go | baby food baking gone wild | go cats

BOTTOM | cafe trio drinko | date with maggie | computer broke mid-bike, wtf 

Adjusting

We are adjusting back to life with Daddy.

I'm more relaxed.
And less stressed.
Shocked that I can relax.
Smitten that my muffin is home.
It's just down right awesome.

I've actually been to work on time this week.
Cooked real meals that didn't come from the freezer.
Worked out three days this week.
And had someone to spoon with.

It's the little things in life:).

Speaking of working out, I will be jumping back into spandex for the first time in a year and a half.

Oh yes, this girl will be getting her butt back on the bike. It's the first time since the BikeMS. Sad, I know. But, I'm a fair weather rider and didn't want to risk crashing and burning while Baby C was cooking.

Wish me luck. We're doing a short ride and a run. Called a brick, if you remember.

Time to start preparing and training again for the Women's Win for KC Triathlon coming this July. I was registered last year, but Baby Carson took me out of the line up.

I'm excited to get back in shape and adjust to a more healthy lifestyle again.

Sorry for the past-post link overload. I just realized I have blogged more about my experiences with spandex and cycling than I thought.  

We are gathering with  friends for a little BBQ tonight and will be spending time with our sweet boy all day Saturday and Sunday.

What do you have planned for the weekend?

The Ugly Truth

Oh heyyyy. It's me blogging again already. Are you surprised?

Yeah, me too.

My baby has been so good lately that I have had more time to do domestic, house-wifey-type things.

Things like laundry, cooking, taking long walks, play time, organizing, and...taking down the Christmas lights.

Yeah, who wins the Wifey of the Year award? This girl.

I even had lunch with some girlfriends yesterday and had time to get in some shopping. It was superb. We are absolutely loving this weather.

So, shopping made me remember something I forgot to blog about. Although it's something I would prefer to forget.

This post should really be titled "The Truth Sucks."

Rewind to about 4 weeks ago. Brian and I were doing some last minute Christmas shopping and were in a hurry. He dropped me off at Crate and Barrel and headed over to Dick's with Carson. As I'm checking out at C&B, the cashier looks at me and says,

"When are you due?"

BAM!

Like a brick hitting me in the face.

After a few seconds of silence (I was in shock and embarrassed). I responded with, "Um, I had him 3 weeks ago."

Silence (from both parties).

Trust me, I wanted to hurdle that counter and go Teresa Guidice on her ass.

But I didn't. I smiled as she gave me a look of pity and apologized.

Moral of this story? Don't ever, I repeat, EVER ask a woman when she is due unless you absolutely, with 100% certainty know she is pregnant.

Lucky for that cashier, I wasn't just a gal with a few extra LBs or spare tire.

The truth and sucky part to this story? Your stomach doesn't return to normal right after popping out a kid. In fact, it takes a long time. At least for most.

But it's okay. I've come to terms with my muffin top for now. Thank god I can wear my fat girl jeans with the belly band and feel somewhat normal. The belly band sort of helps suck everything in.

This pregnancy stuff is life and body changing I tell ya. I'm convinced I will never wear a 2-piece again.

So, I didn't smack the bitch, but I wanted to.

In other news, sparkles are back in! I know they have always been somewhat in style, but I seemed to come across a lot more of them on my shopping outing.

I just love this sweater I got. Not too flattering for the belly, but I know with time, it will get better.

But this one does great things for the belly. Nice and loose fitting.

Love the pattern.

And I scored some jeans that actually fit me well for $19.95 at H&M. Can't beat that! No size reveal for you...ha!

I keep wondering when Kansas City is going to get winter weather. The large knit sweaters and Uggs are collecting some dust.

For now, I'll enjoy the amazing sunshine and my afternoon strolls with my baby. Only 5 more weeks until I go back to work. Not looking forward to that day. There will be monsoons and overflowing rivers. Being away from my little angel is going to be tough.

Although the truth can sometimes be ugly, life is sweet.

Peer Pressure's a Biotch

I am once again a victim to peer pressure.

Pressure to push myself, do something I don't necessarily want to, and work. Work really hard.

I'm not sure what possessed me to sign up for the Triathlon again this year, but I bit the bullet. The only thing going through my mind right now is, "Oh crap. How the heck am I going to prepare for this?"

Last year was a completely different story. I had Mexico to look forward to and a beach body to strive for. This year, the only trip to look forward to involves me dressing in a parka while being a top a mountain with high hopes of an injury-free ski trip.*

The only thing working for me right now is time. Good thing it's months away. I just fear all the things that come with summer...sunshine, poolside, lake trips and Summer Shandy will keep me from doing bricks and getting my ass in gear.

But folks, it's Friday and not time to stress about something that's in July. So, tonight I'm going to relax over a bottle of wine and make a point to finish off my girl scout cookies.

Happy Friday!

*The first time Brian and I ever went on a ski trip together (2006), he was showing off his totally rad boarding skills the first hour in. Well, he bit it and ate snow, which resulted in a separated shoulder. Needless to say, he was out the entire rest of the trip! It was sucky.

Pre-Injury:

 Post-Injury:

Also, I only have my high school friend Jamie to thank for this little star thing (*) I have started. She uses it quite often in her posts, and somewhere along the lines, I picked it up. Only hers are way more funny than mine.

Dig Deeper

My motivation to workout has been extremely nonexistent lately. To be candid, I haven't had a true workout since I finished my triathlon back in August. Sad I know.

And I'm not really counting biking because other than the BikeMS ride and a few long training rides, I didn't overdo myself or anything.

I would love to say that taking Jake for walks/runs counts, but it really doesn't when both you and your lazy, out of shape dog can't handle anything more than a mile of running.

So, since I've been feeling soft around the edges, I had this bright idea to workout tonight.

Due to the depressing, way-too-early sunsets, I decided to just mosey down to the gym at my work. Trying to decide what to do -- elliptical, run, weights, -- I stumbled across Insanity.

I'm sure you have heard of this program. It's quite popular. I have heard about it, talked to several people about it, but have never been crazy enough to try it out.

For some reason, I thought I would give it a whirl. I thought to myself...

What do I have to lose?
I might as well start it off with a bang.
I mean, c'mon, the CEO and President of my company do this everyday (not kidding). And I'm way younger than them, I can totally handle this.

Let me just go ahead and say that I have no intentions of strictly adhering to this program. I'm not much of an every day worker-outer, and P90x only lasted about 2.5 weeks for me. I like programs such as these simply for the good workouts.

So, I popped in the DVD, and hoped the next 45 minutes wouldn't be hell.

Boy, was I wrong. I was so very wrong.

Dig Deeper. That's what Shaun T was asking me to do.

The only answer I had for him was, "This is absolutely insane. Screw this."

And that was only the first DVD of the program. The people in the video couldn't even keep up without looking like they were going to die.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did it, and might consider trying another one, but it is INSANE!

In my opinion, at least 10 times harder than P90x.

Well, Shaun T, thanks for pushing me to dig deeper tonight. I was sweaty. I was exhausted. And I hated you.

But, for now, I will enjoy digging deeper into my carton of Haagen-Dazs Fat Free Raspberry Sorbet. Yes, please.

Source

Misleading Foods

As an online subscriber, I receive the Cooking Light newsletter. They send a variety of resourceful information including recipes, healthy tips, suggestions for healthy alternatives, etc. Today's email was titled:

10 Foods That Sound Healthy (but Aren't). Some surprised me, others didn't. I thought I would share some of them with you.

Multi-Grain and Wheat Breads
Terms like multi-grain, 7-grain, and wheat sound healthy, but they may not actually contain heart-healthy whole grains. Many breads labeled "multi-grain" and "wheat" are typically made with refined grains, so you're not getting the full nutritional benefit of the whole grain.

How can you be sure? Read nutrition labels carefully. If the first flour in the ingredient list is refined (it will typically say "bleached" or "unbleached enriched wheat flour") you are not getting a 100% whole-grain bread.

I already knew this from a health seminar I attended at work, but many people don't know this. Read the labels!

Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Reduced-fat peanut butter is not necessarily a healthier version of regular peanut butter. Read the labels to see why. Both regular and reduced-fat peanut butter contain about the same amount of calories, but the reduced-fat variety has more sugar. But isn't it healthy to reduce some fat? Not in this case. Regular peanut butter is a natural source of the "good" monounsaturated fats. Look for a natural peanut butter with an ingredient list that contains no added oils.

What?! Not way! My husband doesn't allow me to buy the reduced kind, but I seriously thought reduced was better for you. Interesting...

Energy Bars
Energy bars are the perfect pre-workout snack, right? Not always. Many energy bars are filled with high fructose corn syrup, added sugar, and artery-clogging saturated fat. Plus, some bars (particularly meal replacement varieties) contain more than 350 calories each―a bit more than "snack size" for most people. It is a good idea to fuel up with a mix of high quality carbs and protein before an extended workout or hike. Choose wisely: one-quarter cup of trail mix, or 1.5 oz. of low-fat cheese and three to four small whole-grain crackers. Or, make your own healthy granola bars and trail mix.

We eat these quite often with biking and such. I always knew they were high in fat and calories (that's the idea a lot of the time), but check out Cooking Light's suggestions for the Best Energy Bars.

Smoothies
Even in most smoothie chains and coffee bars, smoothies start out pretty healthful. Most have a base of blended fruit and low-fat dairy. But disproportionately large serving sizes (the smallest is often 16 oz.) combined with added sugar, ice cream, or sherbet, can add up to a high-calorie treat. Some chains serve smoothies that contain up to 500 calories.

A smoothie can be a great way to start the day or to refuel after a workout. Just remember to account for the calories you drink when considering what you've consumed in a day. For the most economical and healthy smoothies, consider making your own.

I love smoothies. Yummy.

 
Packaged Turkey
Turkey is an excellent source of lean protein and a good choice for a speedy lunch or dinner, but many packaged turkey slices are loaded with sodium. One 2-oz. serving of some brands contains nearly one-third of the maximum recommended daily sodium intake. So make sure you buy low-sodium varieties or opt for fresh turkey slices. If you can't roast your own, the best rule of thumb is to find a brand with less than 350 milligrams of sodium per 2-oz. serving.

 
Sports Drinks
If you're going for a leisurely stroll or doing some light housework, skip the sports drinks. While most sports drinks do contain important electrolytes (like potassium and sodium) that are necessary for intense workouts or endurance training, you don't need a sports drink to fuel light activity. Many sports drinks contain 125 calories or more per 20-oz. bottle, so spare yourself the extra calories and opt for plain water or a calorie-free beverage to keep you hydrated.

10 Foods That Sound Healthy (but Aren't)

150 miles...here I come

Did I just type 150 miles, but really meant to put 15? Nope. Maybe I added the one and meant 50? Not that either. Hmmmmm...

Dang, 150 miles must be correct. Which basically means I am pure and utterly CRAZY.

Brian and I recently signed up to do the Bike MS Kansas City ride benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If you aren't sure how MS affects people, imagine this:

One day you're feeling pretty good. The next day you can't walk, see or even get out of bed. Like a bizarre nightmare, you never know when MS will strike or how long it will last.

Moving is so much of who we are, it's easy to take for granted. MS stops people from moving, therefore the National Society exists to make sure it doesn't.

On September 25 and 26, I will be riding many miles over two days (150 to be exact) to get closer to a cure. I'm hoping I don't need a stretcher to pick me up in Sedalia at the half way point!

Ever since Brian and I were married, we have made a conscious effort to give back. Not-for-profit organizations through work, United Way, church, walks/runs/rides benefiting various causes, etc. I love the feeling you get after contributing to a great cause or volunteering for a charitable event. This is why I chose agreed to do this ride with friends. Although, MS has not affected my life or anyone close to me, it is an organization dedicated to helping people fight everyday struggles with MS, and they need our help.

This is where I ask for your help!

All riders must raise a minimum of $200, but I'm hoping to raise much more than that. I already have a very late start, so I have my work cut out for me. Plus, I have this strong feeling I will need to help my husband raise his portion:).

By making a donation on my behalf, you will help the Mid America Chapter provide local programs and services to more than 25,000 of our friends and neighbors who live with the daily effects of MS.  While the MS Society works to end MS, I will be helping people with MS move ahead.

If you could donate anything at all, I would really appreciate it. Please don't feel obligated!

Click here to get to my personal page and make a secure, online donation. Or you can mail me a check made out to National MS Society. I will also be sending an email to friends and family, so I apologize if you hear this twice!

Help me in my journey to support MS!

Mind Boggeling

I recently received an email that sort of shocked me.

I'm not an addict of bottled/canned beverages such as energy drinks, juices, sodas, teas, etc., but I do occasionally drink them. Normally when traveling. Some would think I would drink more of them with my sweets addiction, but I'm more into candy, ice cream and desserts.

Anyways, the email was the 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010.

Here's the couple that surprised me. I included a link to the entire list, so check it out. Very interesting.

Number 18: Worst Energy Drink

Rockstar

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts

None of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening. One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla Wafers. In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster. If you’re going to guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options. We like Monster; it offers all the caffeine and B vitamins with just enough sugar to cut through the funky extracts.

This one irked me a bit because it is in several alcoholic shots/bombs. Guess you should request Red Bull from now on:).

Number 17: Worst Bottled Coffee

Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino

Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers

With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee with more sugar. Consider this—along with Starbucks’ miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot—your worst option for a morning pickup.

I used to drink this A LOT in college. I never knew it was that bad for you!

Number 16: Worst Soda

Sunkist

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wait . . . but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity. Despite the perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist. But what seals the orange soda’s fate on our list of worsts is its reliance on the artificial colors yellow 6 and red 40—two chemicals that may be linked to behavioral and concentration problems in children.

Loved this when I was a kid.

Number 15: Worst Beer

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

Carbohydrate Equivalent: 12-pack of Michelob Ultra

Most beers carry fewer than 175 calories, but even your average extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 250. That makes Sierra’s Bigfoot the undisputed beast of the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself provides most of the calories, but it’s the extra heft of carbohydrates that helps stuff nearly 2,000 calories into each six-pack. For comparison, Budweiser has 10.6 grams of carbs, Blue Moon has 13, and Guinness Draught has 10. Let’s hope the appearance of this gutinducing guzzler in your fridge is as rare as encounters with the fabled beast himself.

I don't drink this beer, but I was shocked to see that one beer has the same carb intake as 12 Mich Ultras! Maybe some of my adventurous beer drinking friends drink this?

Number 3: Worst Drive-Thru Shake

McDonald's Triple Thick Chocolate Shake

Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald's Baked Hot Apple Pies

There are very few milk shakes in America worthy of your hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterolspiking trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s most likely America’s most popular milk shake.

This makes me sad because they are mighty tasty. I don't get them often, but the 13 apple pies makes me sick.

See full list of 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010

TRIATHLETE

What an awesome, busy, rewarding and successful experience of a weekend I just had.

As you all know, I completed my second Triathlon.

(We also had Brian's 10-year high school reunion back in Wichita on Saturday night, but that will come in a later post. See, I told you I was busy.)

Wake up at 4:00 A.M. to go swim, bike and run with 800 women. Sounds like a great idea, right?

I completed this same Tri last year and had an unexplainable experience. It was exhilarating, empowering, rewarding, something I would encourage anyone to achieve. It was this very race that made me curious about biking in the first place. I can't even describe the feeling and experience.

Sound cheesy? Corny? Probably.

But I'm pretty sure the three friends I talked into doing it felt the same way this year as I did last year after crossing the finish line.

Triathlon 2010 went great. In fact, it couldn't have gone much better. We had perfect weather, cloud cover the entire time and no rain. Everyone showed up ready to go and everybody finished strong!

I am so proud of myself, my friends that were veterans with me this year, and my friends that were first timers!!

We are TRIATHLETES!

Now, I felt these amazing people that decided to join me this year deserved an introduction.

THE VETS

Kathy: Inspirational, devoted, an amazing woman. She is one of the busiest people I know, but still finds time to have fun and always supports her friends. She tackles it all. She is the ultimate reason I did the Tri last year. She totally talked me into it! Inspiration I say!

FIRST-TIMERS

Heather: One of the most athletic people I know. Have you seen her legs? She played soccer in high school and only got her bike about 2 months ago. A little insight for you readers (sorry heather). She was scared terrified out of her mind to swim in the lake. She also only agreed to do this Tri about a month ago. What an athlete! Way to own your fear HK!

Nickki: Always in shape, yoga instructor, runner, training for a marathon, need I say more? This girl is fit. One of my dearest friends from high school and did great in her first Tri. Hoping some of her running motivation rubs off on me someday.

Sarah: Motivated and driven. She never ceases to amaze me with the challenges she takes on. Single mother who has her hands full, but still finds time to take on a Triathlon. She was also my motivation for the swim portion. She and I were lifeguards together back in the day and the girl can swim. Another close friend from high school and the only other white girl I know who can shake her booty like I can:) HA HA.

I was really looking forward to seeing if I could better my time this year. I am happy to report that I did it! I decreased my overall time by a little more than 9 minutes, with a significant improvement in the bike portion. I actually increased my time in the dang swim portion. Ugh. However, a co-worker and I are convinced the distance was off a bit:).

I placed 11th out of 61 in my age division (age 25 to 29). Here's the breakdown:

Swim: 12:44
Transition 1: 2:05
Bike: 32:38 (18.4 average speed)
Transition 2: 1:59
Run: 30.03 (9.42 minute mile)
Overall Time: 1:19:29

I'm going to go ahead and apologize for how many pictures I'm about to post. Apparently, my crazy picture taking habit rubs off onto my husband. He took almost all of these. He was a great supporter!

 Dinner at Bravo at Zona Rosa after Packet Pick-Up on Friday night.

Major carb load!! We ordered three different pastas and all shared. It was De-Lish!

 Pre-Race: Sarah, Nickki, Me, Jo, Heather

Kathy and Me

Gotta love these oh so hot swim caps. Heather, Nickki and Me

800 women getting butterflies

High School buddies:). Nervous but also excited.

Get excited!

Swim: 500 meters. It looks so far in this picture.

Out of the lake. On to the bike.

Go Sarah!

Get it Nickki!

Yeah Heather!

Bike: 10 miles

Nickki heading out.

She's a pro these days.

Go Kathy!

Done with the bike, get ready to run.

The dreadful run portion: 5K (3.2 miles)

Finish!

Heather, Me, Nickki and Sarah

Heather, Tiffany, Kathy, Me, Nickki, Sarah and Melissa