Biggest Loser Competition - Holt Style

Here we are again at the start of a new year. I've got my resolutions set and losing weight is on the top of the list, along with 1,000,000 others! To help me make it past the first 2 weeks, I'm heading up another HOLT Family Biggest Loser Competition.

Let's use this blog to help, encourage, raz, smack talk, and support each other!

I need to get a cute tight tank like Ali from season 5!

Starting Weigh in: January 2nd
Final Weigh in: March 31st

Good Luck to us all! -- (You're all going down)

Turkey Tri

Steph's gotten me all excited about entering the November Turkey Tri Triathlon. Yes, a triathlon! I've been wanting to start getting into these and why not start now! It's giving me something to work towards and train for, getting my extra baby weight off!

So who's with us? It's in Orem on November 8th and it's going to be COLD. They reverse the order of the tri, with running a 5k first, then bike 12 miles, then finish with a 1/4 mile swim in the Utah Lake, JUST KIDDING, indoors at the Orem Rec Center.

Here's the link for more info: Turkey Tri
Here's the link to register: Active

Gobble Gobble - Marie

I am having a love fest this week with Van #1. Thank you , thank you for being my family and support. I truly couldn't have done it without you! Tots-Awes. Every time I have re-counted last weekends experience, I cant' say enough about how much fun it was to run with you all. I had to laugh as I remembered leg #3 and being so proud of myself that I had just run the whole last mile, at the mile 3 watering pit stop, and while still "running", I noticed Becky was walking at a pretty slow pace right next to me and she was going faster than me. Thanks for being so patient with me, especially that last leg and letting me get through that one, no matter what it took. I loved your enthusiasm and great support of each other. I had some really neat spiritual experiences throughout the race and learned a lot about myself. And also, thanks for being so good to Devin! She is awesome and I had so much fun being with her! She is an inspiration to me.


Devin and I had bittersweet feelings of it being over. And I'm really bummed we couldn't go to dinner with you all and re-cap. Re-capping is the best part. I would've loved to hear more about Van #2 and all your great experiences. I got to hear a couple of them through the grapevine.

I have to say that Nan was the best driver ever. She was so calm during the very busy times and really great during all the Sat. afternoon craziness. Thank you Nan for all your love and support.

Thank you Cathy for being so organized and totally awesome and supportive along the way. I have to say, if it weren't for you I may have not ran the race at all.

One more shout out to the volunteers who gave up their whole day so that we could all do what we did. And to J & J for letting us re-coup at their house.


Thanks to everyone! Love you all! BTW, I think I'm going for a 3 miler tomorrow morning. I'm really excited and hope my legs are up for it.

Steph

PS. Did anyone else get sick in Van #1? Devin and I get really sick Sat. night, Sunday and a little on Monday. Brian said he read that a lot of other people in Van #1's from the race got sick. He thinks we drove by a farm with pesticides or something. Just curious.

Awesome Team

Seriously a great relay!! I'm so happy with the personal accomplishments that were reached during this relay as well as the Team work. It is inevitable that we will have injuries along the way as we take on more of the relay races. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!!

Thank you for all of your training, hardwork, commitment and support for this Wasatch Back!! I'm proud to be part of the Incredible Holts Relay Team.

Wah Bah Runners 2008

• 1 - Devin
• 2 - Amy
• 3 - Scott
• 4 - Steph
• 5 - Becky
• 6 - Cody
• 7 - Meriel
• 8 - Jeanne
• 9 - Melissa
• 10 - Bryan
• 11 - Virginia
• 12 - Cathy
• Driver Van 1 - Nan
• Driver Van 2 - Mat Ulmer
• Volunteer - Rachel
• Volunteer - Brian
  
• Volunteer - Rame
  

cath

Go Team Go

With just a few days to go, I hope you're all ready to kick some butt! I'll be cheering for you loud. If not at the race, then from the hospital bed with baby.

Good Luck to all the runners, volunteers, and drivers. You ROCK! Go Incredible Holt's!

P.S. special thanks to Rame for helping volunteer in Jordan's place. Love you!

BYU is apparently our very serious rival!

I don't know who the mysterious DW is, but I do know that the BYU runners take this race just a little too seriously. So funny!!! We rock!

Race comments - Anyone gunning for BYU

Team Shopping Time Change

Grocery Store Team Shopping Trip changed to Thursday at 3pm instead of Wednesday. Is this better for everyone???
Thanks,
Cathy

T Shirts

Scott, Cody, Steph, Mat, Virginia & Meriel - Please send a digital picture of your face to my email ASAP. We need to make your Incredible Holts iron on. You need to purchase a white T-Shirt. We'll iron them on Thursday night 6/19.

thanks

CONFERENCE CALL

We have a team conference call this Sunday at 4 pm Utah time. Check your email for the call in number & password.

All team members are invited to be on the call!! Van Drivers, Volunteers & Runners!!

Rock the WB.
Cathy

I'm so excited!

This is how excited my mom is to be the driver for Van #1! Wasatch Back! whoo-hoo!

hurricane half marathon!

As part of our training for wasatch back - me and Amy decided to run the Hurricane half marathon on May 3rd! I wasn't so sure how I felt about it since the furthest I had run in the last few months was like 7-8 miles. But running with Amy was a lot of fun! Amy's average was a 9:15min/mile and mine was a 9:23 min/mile. Now it's time to start training for my 7.4 mile all uphill run at a way higher elevation than I am used to! AAAHHHH! It looks like I will be going to Cedar City a couple of weekends to prepare myself!

Excited to run the WahBah!

I think we both felt pretty good after! No injuries, just a few sore muscles!

Keep up the running!

T Shirts & Conference Call

SEND YOUR HULK FACE PICTURE TO ME ASAP! Buy a white T Shirt and bring it to the Pasta Feed on 6/19. We'll iron on the decal that night.

CONFERENCE CALL ON SUNDAY, MAY 18TH! Stay tuned for the time, phone number & access code.

Cathy

Welcome to Cody!

Jordan was working really hard but his knee is killin'! We definitely don't want him to make that knee any worse! He needs too be in great shape to get up in the night and take their crying newborn to Marie:)

Anyway, Cody joins the Wasatch Back team this month! We're so excited to have you running with the Holts! You're officially an adopted family member! Lookin' forward to running with you Cody!

Thanks for training and stepping up!

Volunteers

Thanks to Maclaine Neff, Jordan LeBaron & Rachel Holt!! Our Wasatch Back Volunteers!! I'll post your volunteering assignments on 5/16!! Thanks!

Runner #4 finally says Hi!

Wow, it feels good to get on the family blog and see what my PEEPS are doing and what everyone is up to. Way to go Scott! and Yeah for Nan. I am so excited you'll be with Van #1. You're positive and fun attitude I know will be a help to me and to everyone else I'm sure. Thanks for doing that. What a sacrifice!

Okay so not only did I just join the 4 mile club today, but the 4.3 mile club. Brian and I have been running for a while now some 2 milers up and down hills just to get my legs and feet going. I still am dealing with my plantar facsiitis, so 2 miles is what I've felt I can do so as not to over do it with my feet. But with the race coming up soon, we decided- more like Bri decided- to push it today. It was awesome! I have to walk part of the time and do lots of stretching, but it felt great and I can't wait to do another one. This morning I have been driving around provo from our house checking out different 4 mile runs. My legs/feet aren't feeling so hot right now, but I'm going to go on a little walk right now to keep them warm and stretched.

Anyway, thanks for listening. I think I'm going to need this blog to feel connected and feel the runners energy! You guys are great. Love you all.

Steph

A VAN #1 DRIVER!!

Yay!! Nan is going to be our Driver in Van #1!! Welcome to the team Nan!
Cheer her on and let her know how important she is to our team!!

Thanks Nan!! You rock!!

Doing Awesome!!!

Okay - so I need to post this for Scott - my lovely hubby.

Scott could barely run for 10 minutes at a pace of about a 16 min mile, when we started our training at the end of January. He is now running a 12 min mile for 2 1/2 - 3 miles straight thru. I am so proud of him!!! What a stud!!!

Go Scottie!!!!

And Go team!!!

--Amy

Training for the Uphill

Running a rolling course with numerous hills will do the trick while adding the change of scenery that makes running so pleasurable. Wherever you choose to run, make sure that the course will give you the opportunity to run at least five or six hills 200 yards long or more.

Remember that the idea of hill work is to negotiate the hills efficiently, with as little disruption as possible to your rhythm. Think of yourself rolling over the hill, almost as if it isn't there. Concentrate on keeping your upper body relaxed, while you let your legs do the work.

On gradual inclines, try to run a bit harder than you had been running on the flat before the hill. On steeper inclines, concentrate on lifting your knees and pushing off hard with every step. This attention to your "vertical" motion is at least as important as your forward motion up the hill. The steeper the hill, the more you should lift your knee; on the steepest inclines try to lift your knees so high that your thighs reach horizontal. The strong push-off and high knee lifts will increase both your stride length and the range of motion in your hips: voila, you've increased your speed.

Even for very long hills (a mile or longer), try to maintain the exaggerated knee lifts. The benefits will make themselves known soon enough. The knee lifts, incidentally, are not easy. But even with the extra workout, your legs take less of a pounding running uphill than when running hard on the flat or downhills - you're not hitting the ground as hard.

As you reach the top of each hill, focus on running all the way over the top until your reach the flat, and pick up your regular running rhythm again. Use the flat or downhill on the other side for recovery. As always during the easy portion of any speedwork, keep running - even if at a gentle jog.

Be cautious about hillwork if you have an injury in your calf or achilles tendon. Even if you do not, you should still be sure to stretch these areas of your legs especially well before starting.

www.coolrunning.com

Knee Knockin' - ouch!

Well - I have had some knee pain and swelling in my knee this week so I went to my Chiropractor. I discovered that my right leg is shorter than my left and that my right foot also has the tendency to turn inward more when I run - thus causing knee troubles. Its funny because I have been feeling like my knees are about to hit sometimes (only when I am near the end of my runs - and tired). I was very stressed when I began to feel the pain. So, after getting all adjusted and aligned - my Dr. says I should still run - but take it down a notch. So I think I have been pushing it too hard to try and get faster. I keep forgetting I have over 3 months - I know I will get naturally faster as I go. Anyway, I have not run for the past 2 days, but I will run tomorrow morning. I will let you all know how it goes.

I will also be getting NEW shoes this weekend - because I know from experience that old shoes (mine are currently 8 months old - ran HTC with them - that is old for running shoes) can really mess up your legs.

Also - I was told by a couple people in the fitness world that I should ice my knees and legs after I run. I did that today (after a full body workout -alternate to running) and I feel like it helped. So - I don't know if that is helpful to anyone.

Thanks for letting me share- GO Incredible Holts!

Every once in a while, I thought I would post some running tips that might help us out... Here is one about running downhill. We have some serious downhills and uphills in the WahBa. Hope this will help....:) Run strong!

cath

"Downhill running is akin to over-speed training, i.e. the resistance work you often see sprinters doing. By lengthening your stride and increasing your turnover, you are able to run at a significantly faster and more efficient rate than you would otherwise. The key is to choose a gradual incline -- one that you feel comfortable running your hardest without feeling like you are leaning back and braking.

It is that very braking motion which causes the majority of the injuries that give downhill running such a bad name. Try to lean forward and visualize running on your toes. You will be amazed how much faster you can go with no extra effort. Practice this for a while, and you'll be the talk of the team or the running club on the next trail run!"

run-down.com/mainpage.php

Don't know if this is Post-worthy

I decided to lower the pace on the treadmill and now I'm at 15 min without having to stop! My heart rate is pretty high, so I need to work on getting that down, not to mention that it is a 13 min mile so not that fast.

FYI - The main reason I needed the leg I got, besides being the worst runner ever, is that Bart and I are trying to get pregnant and I could be a couple months along at that point (finger's crossed) and I want to make sure that I don't push myself too hard. I had a miscarriage last October and instead of hyper-focusing on getting pregnant again each month I really want to live my life like normal. So I want to assure everyone I am 100% in this and really excited. It's already been really fun just training and talking about it and I'm glad I have a whole team of family members to keep me motivated and excited.

Thanks for all your support!

Possible Driver

Hey - my mom (Nan) is considering driving for Van 1!!! I spoke about it with her last night. Becky and I will be talking to her in the next few days, convincing and informing her how fun and empowering it is to be a part of the team as the Van driver. Jordan ( and/or Rame) if you have some time to share anything cool about the driver's experience from HTC for my mom it would be greatly appreciated! I do want to add that Jordan rocked as Van 2 driver at HTC. He was perfect for what we all needed - so supportive, helping with water, medical stuff, navigating, up-beat and go-to attitude the whole time, so willing to be there for the Van 2 peeps however we needed in the race. Thanks Jordan. (Rame, I heard you were also wonderful for Van 1)

So if anyone talks to my mom in the next few days or weeks, let her know that we want her on the team - as our Van 1 driver!!! Wooo! Hooo! I know she would love it!!!

Amy

LEG ASSIGNMENTS

#1 - Dev
#2 - Amy
#3 - Scott
#4 - Steph
#5 - Becky
#6 - Brian N.
#7 - Nancy (Meriel)
#8 - Virginia
#9 - Jordan
#10 - Bryan H.
#11 - Tanya H. (Jeanne "Oh Crap" Holt)
#12 - Cath

TO DO LIST:
1.Train :)
2. If you need an Incredible Holts TShirt - Take a digital pix of your face & email to Bryan H. Bryan will do the super imposing onto the Incredible Hulk face, email it to Jordan. Send your TShirt to Jordan, they will print them out & iron them on the TShirt. Don't buy a spandexy stretchy shirt. We will need to reimburse Jordan/Marie the printing and iron on costs. Thanks Jordan & Marie (Marie did you know about this yet?)
3. Find 3 Volunteers before 5/9/08
4. Calendar in the Pasta Feed @ Grandma Holts - 6 pm Thursday 6/19
5. Plan on sleeping in Logan overnight at Virginia's friends' huge home on 6/19. We'll all be at th starting line on 6/20.

This is going to be great! Thanks for running this!! It's going to be great!!!

cath

p.s. Let's take a vote - Would you rather run a steep uphill or a steep downhill? If anyone has ANY advice about this, please let us know so that we can all run correctly and not hurt ourselves, pass out &/or kill over while running the Wah Ba:>

Excitment levels are rising.

Thanks for the great phone call yesterday. We are all really excited for WahBa, despite what you might gather from our previous post!

As the weather starts to clear up and the ground up the canyons start to dry, we are going to do some trail running. Anyone care to join us? It's long, hard work, but really rewarding. We'll do stuff like Stewart Falls, the Bonneville Shoreline trail, etc. etc.

Come on. Let's have a great time getting ready for race day!

Cathy Is Lying.

We are on our conference call and Cathy is lying.

Downhill runs make you want to die. Your thighs feel like Jello after mile one. By mile six, your stride is about two inches long because you can't stretch them out any further. Once you're done, you jump into a van and drive for five more hours without stretching. Once that's done, you get to run again.

But then again, carrying 40 pounds less and training a little could help!

Here's a picture of me after a short 100 yard downhill run. Note the Camo hat. Rumors that a Camo had would help the pain of the downhill run were greatly exaggerated.

Leg Leg, who has the Leg?

Hi all,

I don't know about all of you, but I am so excited and I am a little anxious to start training according to the Legs I will be running. I have a suggestion that may be fun - and take a little pressure off of Cath. I was wondering how everyone feels about maybe getting together as Vans and making the decisions about what Leg assignment we might like and discussing with our Van peeps where our strengths are and work as a Van to come up with the best race order, etc. (Cath - I don't want to step on toes - let me know if you're open to that or if you would like it to be a Captain thing.) It might take some load off of you, Cath - alternative to trying to figure what strengths 12 people have. Also, it might be fun to make it a semi-team decision and to do some early bonding as a Van and have some fun with it too, making the decision with our Van peeps. Just a suggestion?

PS. I ran 5 miles yesterday! It was great - felt really good after. We need to hear more about other team members training and how its going for y'all!!! We need to help motivate each other! Run baby Run!!!

SOMEONE STEPPED UP TO DRIVE!!

Hi team - Yes - our first driver is signed on!! Thanks to Mat Ulmer (Jeanne's little brother & Bry's best friend since High School)!!Our driver's are really critical and we're so excited to have Mat on our team!!!

Everybody send a warm welcome to Mat!!

Marie - Can Mat sign onto this blog too? Let me know what you need in order for him to get on.

Thanks,
cathy

Feelin' Good . . . and I need some assistance please :)

I love having a purpose in mind with running (besides staying healthy)!!! I have set my goals and am very excited to reach them. Scott and I have have been running consistantly for the last two weeks, but we officially started our training for WahBah this week. I am feelin good!!!

Becky and I are both going to run the Hurricane 1/2 marathon in May. Does anyone else want to join us?

Eating really healthy is where I struggle. Does anyone have any suggestions on keeping consistant healthy eating habits that don't deprive you entirely? I need some examples for healthy, fast meals.

i'm gettin into it!

okay so i ran a total of nine miles this week and nine miles last week . . . i feel like I am doing pretty good! i am going to run the hurricane half marathon in southern utah the first saturday in may, so anyone is welcome to join me!

hooray for training!

Wasatch Back VS Holt Family

Wasatch Back doesn't know what it is up against with the infamous Holt Family. Have fun and get running.