Happy Holidays from Now I Can Foundation

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	Friends of Now I Can Foundation, We appreciate all the support you give to Now I Can. We have partnered with a service that is going to help out Now I Can, and save everyone a ton of money!!! It's called "DealsThatMatter." Everyday a they deliver a really remarkable offer for a group discount from a great locally-owned business. It could be anything and everything, from 50% off fresh yogurt to 90% off spa retreats. For a limited time, 100% of DealsThatMatter's proceeds are being be donated to Now I Can Foundation! As one of our supporters, you already have a $5 credit with DealsThatMatter waiting on you! (so one of the upcoming $5 deals will cost you nothing!) Click the link below to see today's great deal! This is a great opportunity for Now I Can Foundation, and a fun way to give you something back for your support in the past Please take a look: http://www.dealsthatmatter.com/causes/152 Merry Christmas! - Now I Can Foundation

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Now I Can Foundation 1675 N Freedom Blvd. #10B Provo, Utah 84604 Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Improve VO2 Max

The Fitness Motivator. 

Motivated to run faster, many athletes focus on ways to improve VO2 Max levels. VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen that our bodies can uptake and is measured as the quantity of oxygen per body weight over a set period of time. VO2 Max is affected by our heart’s volume per stroke, the total volume of blood in our system, and the hemoglobin’s ability to carry the oxygen.
So why would we care about improving what seems to be an arbitrary number? Our VO2 Max is a tell-tale sign of our level of conditioning. And while there are genetic factors that are not in our control, there are plenty of things we can do to improve VO2 Max and our level of performance along with it. By increasing the duration and intensity of our training, we will strengthen our heart, promote the growth of more capillaries in our muscles, reduce body fat levels, and increase our ability to perform better.

Levels of VO2 Max in a sedentary person can range from 20 ml/kg/min. to 50 ml/kg/min. Many elite endurance athletes have VO2 Max levels between 70 ml/kg/min and 90 ml/kg/min. Studies have shown that someone who is just starting to run can improve VO2 Max levels from 20-25% by building up their running routine to 25 miles per week. Runners that increase their weekly mileage from 25 miles per week to 50 miles per week can see an increase in VO2 Max of up to 10%...and the increase percentages get stingier from there for the advanced runners that increase their mileage above 50 miles per week. And while increases in mileage will continue to enhance our performance, it’s the speed workouts that will have the most lasting impact on VO2 Max levels.
Testing actual VO2 Max levels is done by taking blood and air volume samples at various points of exertion and exhaustion from an athlete during exercise. This can be expensive, tedious and unnecessary unless you’re a scientist or student with inexpensive access to a lab. It’s not critical that we know our actual VO2 Max “Number”, but figuring out our interval pace that will improve VO2 Max and performance level can be a definite benefit. So for the rest of us, here are some ways to determine our VO2 Max level & pace:

• VO2 Max Self Assessment – Balke Test
  Many approximation tests like the Balke test involve a 15-minute time trial to determine our maximum oxygen uptake. On a calm and cool day, go to the nearest 400-meter track and run as many laps as you can in 15 minutes. Your estimated VO2 Max will equal 6.5 ml/kg/min + 5.0 ml/kg/min for every 400m lap that you can run in 15 minutes. So, for example, if you’re able to run 10 laps (2.5 miles or 4000 meters) in 15 minutes, your VO2 Max would be 56.5 ml/kg/min. You can use fractions (i.e “8.75 laps”) if interested in getting a more accurate approximation. This test and formula are deemed fairly accurate for those of us that run over 16:00 in the 5k…but please keep in mind that this is an approximation of your VO2 Max level only.
• Pace Estimation from 5k Race
  Many workout and training guides will recommend that to improve VO2 Max levels, you should run intervals at a pace that’s 15-30 seconds faster than your 5k race pace. This can be a good indicator of your 100% VO2 Max pace if you have some recent race data to work with. Let’s say, for example, that your best 5K time is 21:42…that’s exactly a 7:00 per mile pace. If you want to run a VO2 Max interval workout, you’ll want to run at a pace of approximately 6:30 – 6:45, which for an 800-meter interval would be a goal time of 3:15 – 3:22 per interval (for this example).
• Correlation of Heart Rate & VO2 Max
  If you regularly run with a heart rate monitor, this too can be an effective tool to find the right level of exertion to improve VO2 Max. It’s estimated that we reach 100% VO2 Max when our heart rate is in the 90-100% range of our Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). MHR can be estimated by subtracting our age from 220. Keep in mind that MHR is influenced by gender, conditioning, and other factors so it may vary. For example, I have never recorded a HR in any of my workouts over 95% of my MHR…so please don’t try to sustain an arbitrary heart rate for your workouts. Use good judgment. Compare your heart rate to that of some previous workouts at known paces, and hopefully you can decipher that heart rate that puts you in the 100% VO2 Max range. Personally, I’ve found my long easy distance runs are in the 70-80% MHR range, my lactate threshold runs are usually in the 80-88%MHR range, and my VO2 Max workouts are in the 88-95%MHR range. If your results differ, don’t worry. Everyone is different…don’t try too hard to fit the “text book” mold….it’s just a number ;-).
• Perceived Effort Scale
  Many people use their relative perceived effort to gauge whether or not they’re running at the right pace. I find this to be a tad too subjective for my analytical liking, but it’s another means to help you refine your VO2 Max pace. The pace that will improve VO2 Max should feel like an 85-90% effort…not an all-out sprint, but a strenuous enough pace where conversation is near impossible. If your fastest interval time is the first one and your times get steadily slower as you run more repetitions…than you’re probably going too fast. If your times are consistent and you don’t need much of a recovery…you may be going to slow. Again, this is a difficult way to determine your VO2 Max pace, but when used with the other tools above it can serve as a good validation method.

When trying to conduct workouts that improve VO2 Max, try to sustain that pace for approximately 3-4 minutes, which can equate to intervals of 800-1000 meters. Using the example above (if your 5k PR = 21:42), you’ll want to plan your VO2 Max workout to run 800-meter intervals at a 3:15-3:20 pace. Initially try running 3-4 intervals that are 800-1000 meters long at your VO2 Max pace to start out with. As you progress, work up to 5-8 intervals. Take a 3-4 minute recovery walk/jog between intervals and make sure that the intervals, themselves, are run with some intensity…but not all out (use above rules-of-thumb for pace guidance). Because of the intensity and your body’s recovery & rebuild time needed, be sure that you limit VO2 Max workouts to once per week
If you are new to speed work or are just starting out in a running program, improving VO2 Max should take a back-seat to just building up of weekly mileage. In other words, focus your efforts on running comfortably for 30-45 minutes 4-5 times per week for several weeks before you start any serious speed work.
Because VO2 Max is measured as the actual maximum oxygen uptake per unit of body weight, we could also significantly improve VO2 Max by decreasing our body fat percentage. Notice that I didn’t say “decrease our weight”, because the loss of water and muscle weight will not benefit our performance…it will hurt it. So the silver lining of slimming down, could be some faster times! Keep that in mind when you reach for the cookie jar ;-).
Add mileage and intensity into your workouts once a week to improve VO2 Max. By increasing your aerobic capacity, you’ll see an improvement in your conditioning and your race times. See you at the track!

Happy Thanksgiving From Now I Can Foundation

Now I Can Superstar Spotlight Tessa recently finished her first session at Now I Can.  While she was here, Tessa made some great progress.  She is starting to have a much more relaxed body and is able to place her hand on the floor demonstrating emerging protective reactions.   She now responds easily to cues to correct her posture.   She is no longer pulling her hands tightly to her chest and she opens her hands on command as well as voluntarily.  Tessa is also reaching with both hands at the same time and her Mom says, "She is already holding her head up and keeping her back straight when she is riding in her wheelchair."  Here Mom also says, "I like that when she is finished with therapy she is so relaxed with her arms down and her head up."  Tessa likes Barbie Dolls and My Little Ponies.  Her eyes light up when she sees any member of her family. Tessa is a wonderful girl! www.nowican.org Thank you to Now I Can's 2010 Sponsors Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors We know there are many worthy causes and Now I Can is grateful that many local companies have been generous donors during 2010.  We want to recognize them here, and hope you will show your support to them: Zions Bank O.C. Tanner Axiom Home Loans Xlear (makers of Spry products) Check City APX Alarm Key Bank Sealsource and KD3 How you can support Now I Can At this “most wonderful time of the year”, many look to share their blessings with others.  And many times, we just can’t  give as much as we’d like to.  At Now I Can, we appreciate the generosity of our supporters and your choice to give to children with special needs.  We want to share a few ways you can give that won’t stretch your budget too much--and will still make a tremendous difference to the children at Now I Can. Make a $10 donation.  (donate online safely at www.nowican.org or send a check. Sign up on GoodSearch to use their search engine during your usual internet use to benefit Now I Can. http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/now-i-can-foundation  For every search, Now I Can will get a penny! Sell some items on ebay and donate some or all of the proceeds to Now I Can! (find us on the preferred charity list) Charity 5K for Now I Can set for May 14, 2011 Start burning off that stuffing and pie now by training for Now I Can's 5K and fun run on May 14, 2011!  Register at www.runtowalk.com  We hope to see you there! If you know of a company who would like to be involved as a sponsor of this event, please visit the above site for sponsor information. Sponsors receive great branding opportunities, as well as wonderful exposure at a great price! A few of our favorite things... Hey, we're not Oprah, but here are a few of our “favorite things” for children--especially those with special needs.  Maybe these sites can be a resource to you all year through. --Memo Orthotic Shoes.  They are spendy, but high quality orthotic shoes made to provide excellent support without a brace.  They come in sandals and boot styles, too! www.ablegaitor.com --Myself Belts!  Fabric belts that Velcro for easy on and off.  These belts come in children and adult sizes and are perfect for those who struggle with fine motor tasks for any reason. www.myselfbelts.com --Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Drops—tasty and formulated just for children.  Kid-e-Reg (helps avoid constipation) and Kid-e-Mune and Kid-e-Well (help to keep kids healthy!).  Get them on the www.nowican.org website at a discount!

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Now I Can Foundation 1675 N Freedom Blvd. #10B Provo, Utah 84604 Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Cobb Saddle Review

When I was handed a simple black box with the words; "SPEED + COMFORT" I could feel my heart beat increase. I took another look and the simple black box also had the words; "COBB CYCLING". For those of you not familiar with the cycling world, COBB is a leader in innovation and world class products. I was one of only three athletes chosen by The Triathletes Edge to be a tester on the new COBB racing V Flow Plus  saddle. It was a very exciting thing for me since this being my first year as an athlete and already chosen as a tester, well it is hard to beat that.
So on to the review.

My bike is a CycleCross race bike I had worked into a road race bike by replacing it with new S-Work slicks and Profile Design Aero Bars, both purchased form the awesome guys at Bingham Cycle shop in Sandy Utah. All I was missing besides a full carbon fiber frame was a new seat. A new seat I now have in my hands!!!

I met up with one of the other testers and took it off his hands and brought it home to be installed onto my sweet baby. She was in need of something new and I think this was it. I had to take my bike and my new seat to Boise with me since that was where I was heading. In my moms living room I strategically placed this marvel of engineering design onto my bike. Going over and over the instructions as to make very sure I had installed it correctly was key to a most accurate review.

It's on and we are ready to ride!!! The first time out I had the saddle mounted at a 0' degree tilt. Since the directions call for an average tilt of 1.2' degrees I took my tools with me and set out on the open road all along thinking to myself; "what is up with the two raise pads in the front?"  It didn't take me very long to pull over and readjust the seat. Since I ride mostly in the Aero position I figured I needed the saddle to be tilted down a bit more. 2' degrees down is where I set it. This time it was much better and I made it 20 miles with no problems. Still, this amazing saddle could use just a bit more adjusting to make the ride that much more enjoyable.
Day two came about and another 20 mile ride was ahead of me. This time I readjusted the COBB saddle down to 5' degrees and brought it forward just a millimeter or two. Making sure my knee-to-toe alignment was perfect. In the sitting up position the saddle was fantastic and as comfortable as anything I have ever sat on but it still was not completely to my liking in the Aero. I figured I would need to make a trip to Bingham to get it perfect, but all and all I think the COBB racing saddle is just an amazing work of art.

Since us cycle junkies will spend countless hours atop a saddle, I think the proper set up is the most important thing to a rider. I must be honest when I say as much as I loved the saddle, I do not think I had it to its most perfect position which led to some hours of riding that could of been a little more enjoyable. I had to ride in a more up right position to make everything feel better. Let me tell you all from experience to make absolutely sure that everything with your new saddle is properly set up by a professional cycle setter-upper and you will be thankful for that. Since I was in Boise I was not able to have this done and is where I believe my fault came in to play.

If, and only if there is any possibility I am the lucky one who ends up with the COBB saddle, the first thing I am doing is making a trip to Bingham and seeing my good buddy J'. He will hook me up and get everything fit correctly so when Te Koi says; "Hey!! Lets go for a little 100 mile jont around the lake", I will be there ready to roll. 

A time for a change. Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and many other disorders.

Check out the website folks. This is not a good thing. http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/

Team TELOS Timp T3 Triathlon was my first of many.

My first encounter with the Triathlon bug was an eye opening experience way back in the beginning of just this year. Yes I know it is hard to believe I have only been racing for one season. (insert funny face here. ;P )
When I finally decided to muster up the guts to actually register for my first Tri I made the choice to do it in my home town of good ole' Boise Idaho. This race was the first in a series of 4 I believe. The Tri was supposed to take place in the pond behind the Clocktower apartments just west of down town Boise. This apartment complex pond was a duck pond. Question: What do ducks do all day? That's right sports fans, they poop. So we were to be swimming in an open water duck toilet. I tell you, that is really exciting.
To make a long story short, they had to move the race to another time and location due to an early construction of a water park going to be built there. Needless to say, the thought of NOT having to swim in a duck pond made me feel a little better, but the fact that my FIRST Tri I registered for was moved and I would not be able to race there, was a little upsetting to say the least.


Now I told you that story so I could tell you this story:

I received word from a fellow coworker that there was a group of individuals in Orem Utah that put on a few races each year and the first race was coming up quick. I got online and registered for it right then!! Boyd, (the fellow I work with) and I were going to do our first Triathlon together. Boyd is an older gentlemen that was looking for ways to stay in shape and have some fun, and one really good way to do that is to train for a Triathlon. I will have to give Boyd kudos on this race since he trained much harder then I did.
I think I was too much into weight training and let me tell you I was served a real big slice of humble pie by the end of the race. This first Tri opened my eyes to a much different style of race training. I guess I needed to learn how to swim, go figure.
Being that this was my first race, Tri or not, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into besides a very expensive hobby. This is where I learned the importance of trial by experience, and what I am talking about is the dinner the night before as well as the pre-race food. I am one of the lucky members of society with a very sensitive stomach and I need to watch what I eat. I learned very quickly into the first leg of this race which happened to be the run portion, that two large servings of oatmeal along with toast and peanut-butter and protein mix and some more stuff I don't really remember all, but that was not the best idea for breakfast.
The stomach pains and gas came on quickly in the beginning and never went away throughout the entire race time. Luckily enough it was a mini sprint race and was not supposed to take very long to complete; bring on problem number two.
As many of you know during a Triathlon that the volunteers work very hard to keep everybody safe and on course. I have seen this time and time again. This particular location of the bike leg where the racers were supposed to finish the two laps and then turn down the side street and head back to the transition area to prepare for the "IN POOL" swim leg, well, somebody was not paying attention at the time of my second lap and since I was a Tri-rookie I really had no idea what was going on. Needless to say, I kept on riding right past the turn off area and right back around the 5 mile block as well as back up the wicked hill. The 3rd lap counts for 15 miles instead of the previously imagined 10. The 3rd track up that hill was a little harder then the first 2, but I made it just the same. Coming back to the course worker for the 3rd time I slowed and asked her; "Is this where we turn?" "Have you finished your second lap?" She says. "No, I have finished 3, so can I turn now?" She said yes. As I slowly headed toward the transition area to ditch my bike and jump in the water, I felt like I was going to burst from the insides out. The pain you get when you kick up endurance really sets my stomach in knots. "I will just hit this pool fast and get this done so I can spend the rest of the day in the can." That is what I was saying which would have been fine, IF I only could swim fast enough to get out of my own way; which I could not. So a very poor quality of dog-paddling followed by walking from one end of the pool to the other is the only thing that my poor beat down body could provide to me at this point.
I had caught up to Boyd by the bike transition and we hit the pool at he same time. He beat me to the finish line by one minute. I think I finished in 1:27:00 and Boyd finished in 1:26:00. Good job Boyd!!
So if you were wondering, I made it out of the pool without any, well, lets just say they didn't have to evacuate the pool due to my poor choices for breakfast. :)
After this most upsetting hour and a half of my life I made the decision to most drastically redesign my training regimen. It now consisted of swimming, biking, and a lot of running. Who would of thought that would of done better then spending most of my time in the gym throwing around weights all day.

So in closing, that first race was just the beginning in a long line of racing. The cool thing is that the sweet folks at TELOS TIMP T3 are re-running this Triathlon in November and I will be there to demolish my previous finishing time by at least 27 minutes. Come on out and see what you are missing.

                                                                        Boyd and I.

Felt like I was going to die.

I Am Athlete - go to their FaceBook page and click the "Like" button.

Hey everybody!!!! Go to the I Am Athlete FaceBook page and click the "Like" button.
 

They are an amazing group of folks and need just a few more friends. Help us out please. If you "Like" their page then maybe I will do something amazing during my next race. You will have to wait until they hit the 1,000 mark before we find out just what it will be.

Boulder Trail Triathlon

There is a first time for everything, and the weekend of the 20th was definitely a first for many things.
The morning starts at 3:00am. Up and getting the car packed for what I like to call a Racation; or a race vacation if you will. Destination; Boulder Colorado. Home of what John Denver likes to call the Rockies. A fellow Team Aquaphor racer informed me of this Boulder Trail Triathlon and since we were going to be in the Colorado area anyway racing in the Warrior Dash, well I just could not resist the double race weekend.
So back on the road.
4:00am, in the car and merging onto the freeway to hit the 80 East into Wyoming. Not the most prettiest of drives but I had the best of company.
Skip forward to the end of the drive:
At 1:00 pm we pulled into the parking lot of the Boulder Reservoir where the Tri was just a few hours away from start. Not only a trail Triathlon, but an evening trail Triathlon. Yet, another first for me.
We checked out the race areas and the beach and then sat down to have a delicious Pre-Race meal. Some killer bread with the best ham and turkey slices along with another sandwich topped with peanut-butter and a protein shake to wash it all down with. 
After lunch we head back into town to find somewhere to sleep for the night. Ya see, we planned this weekend Racation to race, most everything else was just flying by the seat of our pants. We found a cute little hotel right off 28th street, checked in and back to the reservoir we headed. Around 4:00pm the packet pick-up area opened and we could then check in and transition our bikes. A couple short hours to get in a short swim and a nice little run. That was when it hit me like a ton of bricks that stood almost 6,000 feet high. Yes sir! We were in Colorado my fellow blog readers and were racing at a 5,430 foot elevation.( I really thought it was higher than that. Now I really didn't do as well as I had thought) I could not catch my breath at first during my warm up run and it was even worse when we hit the water and tried to swim. I must of psyched myself out with how high I thought it was. I will do better next time. :(
From out of the water we came and into the transition area we went. The run leg followed the swim on this particular course. Another first! I shot out of the transition area like a bolt of lightning for the first 1/4 mile and shortly ran out of breath again slowing to a brisk walking pace and moving forward to yet another sprint. I kept this pace up the whole 5k run; up the side of the dam and then down the dam road, (he he) turning around at the dam water check point and then running back down the dam wall, across the beach, over the catamarans, splashing through the incoming tide just in time to leap over the big ditch in the sand and back into the transition to head off on the bike.
Another first. Yes, I own a CycleCross bike and this would of been the first time I have taken her off road. Sad I know but the ole' girl did wonderfully. It is difficult to say IF anybody was "On Course" the whole bike leg. It was a little confusing at times and with the sun setting and the dust flying we just road till we were told to turn around. Half way through I look ahead and see this poor girl attempting to lift her big heavy mountain bike over this 5 foot fence so me being the nice guy I am helped her out with that dilemma. She was also in my way and so I had to move her bike so I could get across the fence myself. A little lift and a little hop and I was back on the trail only to find a hill I was needing to run up and attempt to ride back down. Now I am not sure if anybody crashed on the way back down this hill since all the rocks and what have you were in the way, but I hope nobody was hurt. Back around and making my way to the finish line where my lovely lady awaited my return. :)

So as a race of many firsts, it was an amazing race put on by the fine folks at Newton shoe triathlon and 24 hour events. I loved the whole race and the folks running the show were very helpful and had all the answers to all my corny questions. Kudos guys!!!

 And YET!! Another in the long lists of firsts. I was able to race with my new "NOW I CAN" jersey top.

If you have yet to check out the awesome group from Now I Can, get on it!! http://www.nowican.org
They perform amazing work and rehabilitation for children with Cerebral Palsy. You can join us on September 11th for a really great benefit concert.
Jarrett Burns will be at the Now I Can benefit concert on September 11 at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre!
Q: What do you get from a half black, half Samoan, half hippie, Mormon singer/songwriter from South Georgia?
A: Music for EVERYBODY that you swear was just for YOU! Bringing together the many faces of pop music, Jarrett Burns blends rock, R&B, soul, folk, reggae, and even jazz into songs with catchy beautiful melodies and clever yet meaningful lyrics. (See more about Jarrett Burns at www.reverbnation.com/jarrettburns.)

 

Now YOU Can help share the smiles... A letter from Tracey and Joel Christensen

Friends of Now I Can:
We appreciate your help for disabled children so much!  Now I Can Foundation
has had record support the past three days.  We are asking each supporter to
find 5 new people to vote today-we have 800 votes to make up in the next 3
days, and we can still do it.  Below are detailed voting instructions for
those who need them.  Please pass this on to as many as you can who love to
hear kids say "Now I Can"!

Have you cast your vote for Now I Can yet? Don't forget, you can vote once a
day through Saturday. Each vote puts Now I Can closer to winning $30,000 to
help give physical therapy to kids with disabilities.

Here's How to Vote:

1) Go to http://apps.facebook.com/apxgivesback/ (or search for "APX Gives
Back application" and then click "Go to Application")

2) If it's your first time voting, click "Allow" and then "Like" the
application (You can easily "unlike" it after you're done voting for Now I
Can)

3) Hit "Click to start voting"

4) Click on the green "Mountain" icon

5) Find "Now I Can" and click "Vote this charity"

Thanks for your support!  The POWER OF ONE IS GREAT-and the POWER OF MANY is
unstoppable!

Tracey Christensen
Founder and Director
Now I Can
(801)376-4588
1675 N Freedom Blvd #10B
Provo, UT  84604
www.nowican.org

More exciting things from the Now I Can Foundation

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11976402&hl=6

PROVO -- Tracey and Joel Christensen are the founders of "Now I Can," a physical therapy center for disabled children in Provo. The work being done there is phenomenal and is helping kids soar to new heights.

"It's a very happy place, and it's just because of the people." -- Kimberly Holmes

Kimberly Holmes' daughter Jessica attends the center.

"Every day I see little differences in her," Kimberly says. "Her confidence level - she's wanting to try new things. I think she's feeling a sense of self-worth in some of the things she's doing, and self-accomplishment. It's just a great place."
Tracey and Joel Christensen share in the joy of seeing Jessica progress. Their oldest daughter was born with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which mostly affects the right side of her body. Some of the Christensen's biggest triumphs have come in seeing her reach her goals.

After years of seeing limited progress with physical therapy, the Christensens traveled to Poland where their daughter underwent a month of full-body, intense physical therapy. The results were so tremendous that the Christensens wanted to make the same therapy available to families in Utah.

Joel says, "We came up with the name ‘Now I Can' because our daughter was saying, ‘Now I can do this, now I can do that,' and these kids are the same way."
The Christensens started the non-profit organization four years ago. Since then, dozens of children have profited. Many leave the facility accomplishing things once thought to be impossible.
"It's been such a blessing," Joel says. "We've never had a family leave and say, ‘We didn't see any improvement.'"
Tracey says, "It's a miracle to be here and see these kids. They just want to do all the things that other children do, and some of them never will. But any amount of progress they can make is huge for them and their families."
Melanie Donahoo nominated the Christensens for a High 5. "When you get older, it's harder to find heroes. I would say from watching her I would definitely consider Tracey and Joel heroes for what they do, for the help that they bring to these kids, and for the passion they have for what they do."
Joel says, "I look at these kids and the work that they do and their determination. They're heroes to me with their example and the things that they do. We're just trying to do all we can to help them."
Tracey adds, "Sometimes things are challenging and sometimes things are hard. But when they or the parents say ‘thank you' and when you see the progress that's being made, it's worth it."
The Christensens are holding a benefit concert on Sept. 11 at the Scera Shell Outdoor Theatre in Orem. You can also help them win $100,000 in a Facebook contest. Just vote for "Now I Can" on the APX Gives Back page before next Saturday.
Our High 5 partner, Les Schwab, is sending the Christensen's a $100 gift certificate. Key Bank also is throwing in a $100 prize.
If you know someone who deserves a High 5, go to the link here.

To my Sponsors

Sponsors:

Team Aquaphor: http://www.teamaquaphor.com/

Rudy Project: http://e-rudy.com/  -  http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/

  

Rockwell Time: http://www.RockwellTime.com/

Now I Can Foundation: http://www.NowICan.org/

Our mission at Now I Can is to help children with disabilities reach their full potential and greatest independence.

Now I Can offers traditional physical therapy, intensive suit therapy, mild hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and feeding therapy.

Emmett's Most Excellent Triathlon - Emmett, Idaho

I never really know what to expect at a new event. As I have said before this is only my first year.
Reading the Transition area directions over and over got me a little confused. Two different Transition areas? Are you serious? In the end I think it was pretty fun; not very fun setting up the transition. Since I did not have the time to make it to Emmett before the day of the race I had to show up early for packet pick-up which was at the Black Canyon Dam. This was also the same area as the Swim Leg, and the Bike Leg; but not the Run Leg, that was later. Packet Pick-up is done! Bike Transition is done! So we drive back down the mountain to the middle of down town Emmett and set up the Run Transition. I really should of brought two towel's. I will find out later I needed a second when I was rushing to put on my shoes and had nothing to wipe off my dogs with, and boy let me tell you they were barkin'. (My feet) Alas! Back up the mountain to the starting line.

Another first for me was the deep water start, not to mention the 1500 meter swim I was about to embark upon. We were treading water for 5 minutes before the gun went off. A good way to keep warmed up. Multiple swimmers were heading off-course due to the distance of the turn around buoys but I think in the end we all ended up doing pretty good. I was not as prepared as I should of been but training for the Bear Lake 70.3 that was supposed to be this next weekend (supposed to be, that is another story in itself) I thought I would see how far I could really swim. 41 minutes later; something like 22 minutes behind the leader, but everybody was that far behind the leader. That guy was Super-Fly fast.
So out of the water I came running, not really tired, and my legs felt great too. Me along with a large group of Sprint distance racers rushed to our bikes. Ya see, I was a little behind those who were prepared for 1500 meters.
A quick transition and on the bike and down the road I go. Thank the volunteers for all they did to stop traffic and not allowing the drivers to run anybody over. My choice of the Olympic distance course led me to a 40k bike ride that had its share of hills and straight aways together. It was both fast and challenging at the same time. A lot of athletes were signed on for this distance and as we hit the split mark on the course and the Sprinters went one way and the Olympics went another, it was time to get the led out and kick it in the butt. The new Specialized S-Works race slicks I bought from Bingham Cyclery were amazing on the course, I only wish I had an S-Works Transition to go along with them. I am looking for a bike sponsor. :)
For some reason my cycle computer was not reading my speed nor my distance traveled so I really only had my time to gauge my race on. I would also like to thank the AWESOME guys at The Triathlete's Edge for hooking me up with the sweet Lizard Skin Bar Tape. I installed it myself and it gave me great comfort and cut a little weight off the bike also. Thanks again guys. YOU ROCK!!!  Coming into the final Leg and Transition of the race was exciting. It appeared that the whole town of Emmett was awaiting us and cheering us on. Very sweet. Quickly off the bike and running through the Transition area trying to remember where I had set my shoes 5 hours previously was a challenge but I soon remembered and like a bolt of somewhat slow, somewhat fast lightning, I was off onto the run course; just me and my crappy shoes. Please K-Swiss help me out here, I am getting tired of blisters.
The Run Leg started off in the middle of town at the Emmett Farmers Market. Yes, we bought food. Really good corn and beans. We ran through the construction area and around all the orange cones and down the road to the Emmett sports complex and back down town. Now so far I have found that I can run and run and run with no problems and never feel like stopping, but when we have to make two consecutive laps and at the turn around point you can see the finish-line, well it really gets ya thinking of quitting since the finish-line is RIGHT THERE!!!! Oh well, so another lap it is. 51 minutes after strapping on my blister providers with the swoosh on the side I ran through the finish to find, well, nobody waiting for me. HAHAHA. My parents and little brother and sister were there but just not waiting for me. Sitting in the shade is where I had to go find them at, but my mother was soon to find me. Thank you mom, I love you. 

So with my first Olympic Distance Triathlon completed I now know what it is I need to work on for my next Olympic as well as my first 70.3 that is coming up very soon. Not as soon as before since the Bear Lake Classic was canceled, but still, there is always the Provo half 70.3 at the end of the month. It will give me a little more time to perfect my swim and get some better shoes.

The town of Emmett put on an awesome race. My visor off to them for that. In the beginning I was not sure about the whole two different Transition areas thing, but in the end, I liked it.

Two people I would like to mention in the Emmett Triathlon:
First is this guy named Kevin Everett. This guy finished the Olympic in 1:51:49 To me that is just amazing. I would love to see his training plan.
Next was a gentleman who's name I cannot seem to find but this old racer was 85 years old and this is his 9th year completing this race. Of course he finishes first in his age bracket and he looks real good doing it too. He had a good spirit and a big heart. Kudos to this guy.

Now I Can Foundation www.nowican.org

Rudy Project Sport Lens

Newest team member of Rudy Project. Very excited and I can't wait to get my new pair of Rudy Project's for my next series of races.

Now I can Foundation - Physical Therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy

I had the pleasure of visiting with Tracey Christensen who is the co-founder of the Now I Can Foundation in Provo Utah. Along with her husband Joel, they give hope to those affected with Cerebral Palsy.
We are going to work together as a team to promote the rehabilitation and care that is needed for the children in their clinic. I will be using my skills as an Athlete to promote their cause and to help the children in need by making families who have children with Cerebral Palsy and other neuromuscular disorders more aware of the possibilities that they have for rehabilitation through the techniques that Tracey and her crew use at Now I Can.
You have the availability to visit the clinic or you can make it easy and log onto their website to make a charitable donation to the foundation. www.NowICan.org

Here is a little bit about what they do:
Our mission at Now I Can is to help children with disabilities reach their full potential and greatest independence. We know the joy we have experienced along with our daughter when she’s exclaimed, "Now I can do this!", as she achieves a new goal. What a great feeling — and now more and more children will experience it.
Now I Can offers traditional physical therapy, intensive suit therapy, mild hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and feeding therapy. Intensive therapy sessions are three or four week longs, Monday through Friday for four hours daily.
Now I Can's therapy team has extensive experience in both intensive and traditional physical therapy. They are also trained in neuro-developmental treatment (NDT), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), and kinesio taping. We also have experienced, skilled and caring aides to assist in giving children the best care possible.
Children with neuromuscular problems, such as cerebral palsy, will benefit greatly from the use of the NeuroSuit — now the first suit of its kind to include elbow and glove attachments! The Intensive Model of Therapy is becoming increasingly popular for the results and growth it produces in children. Once or twice a month visits to a physical therapist are often not enough to help a child make the strides they would like to make.
For those of you who have traveled far and wide to seek therapy for your children, we invite you to visit Utah — a great place to bring the whole family! Excellent choices in accommodations are nearby (with free shuttles), and there is a lot to do in the area. (please see our list on the Visitors page)


You can see me racing for now on geared up in NOW I CAN swagg on all my next races.

Here is a picture of me and a couple of the kids and one of the physical therapists.