Meredith Atwood's Blog, page 14

Brain Over Binge with Kathryn Hansen

Kathryn Hansen’s mission is to help women and men end binge eating in a practical way, using simple brain science. She offers an alternative voice in the field of eating disorders. She’s the author of “Brain over Binge” and “The Brain over Binge Recovery Guide,” and the host of the “Brain over Binge Podcast.” Her interview is Episode 98 on The Same 24 Hours Podcast. Follow Kathryn: Website: https://brainoverbinge.com/ Brain over Binge Podcast: https://brainoverbinge.com/category/p... Buy the Book Brain over Binge: Amazon The Episodes Subscribe to the Show by Email  or  Feed or  iTunes Complete Show Notes Archives here  

LIVE Podcast, Official Book Launch & Signing with Klean Athlete at RaceMania

Excited to have been invited back to RaceMania for 2019 – Sunday, March 24th in Boston! LOTS going on – including Saturday night, March 23rd! Fundraiser and LIVE Podcast with Mike Reilly and Hunter Allen Fundraiser on Saturday night, March 23rd. I will be emceeing a LIVE podcast with the Voice of IRONMAN, Mike Reilly, and cycling expert, author and coach, Hunter Allen. More coming soon on this event! Book Signing Sponsored by Klean Athlete Bring your pre-ordered copy of Triathlon for the Every Woman to the KLEAN ATHLETE booth at 11:45 on Sunday, March 24th at Race Mania in Boston for a book signing with me!  Right after my seminar (more info below), I’ll be signing books. *I am a sponsored athlete of Klean Athlete. FREE STUFF: the FIRST 50 people to be at the Klean Athlete booth at RaceMania AFTER Meredith’s talk at 11:00am will receive a FREE copy of Triathlon for the Every Woman to keep or give to that friend who wants to tri… AND free swag from Klean! As always, you can save 20% on your purchase with Klean with this link: https://www.kleanathlete.com/affiliat... Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/20887...  Main Stage I will be on the main stage seminar for “The Year of No Nonsense… Changing One Thing, Changes Everything.” When the “worst year ever” happens, what do you do? What would happen if you said, “No more nonsense”? Well, that’s exactly what Meredith Atwood did—and she learned more than she ever thought possible. The journey of a Year of No Nonsense changed EVERYTHING—from triathlon to food to relationships–and you might be surprised how it can change your journey too. Attend this session and find out. When: 11:00am, Sunday March 24 Workshop Each session is capped at 15 people, so register now to guarantee your spot! RACING YOUR WAY TO A WHOLE LIFE OVERHAUL: USING SPORT TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT  Starting or continuing with triathlon, running or cycling may seem like a simple decision and using sport to create the LIFE we want may seem strange, but sport is the door that can open up your life and prepare you for a WHOLE LIFE OVERHAUL. In this intimate setting (attendance capped at 15) with motivational speaker and coach Meredith Atwood, attendees will be taken through Meredith’s new, revolutionary “Year of No Nonsense” methodology and learn how to get on the path to creating the LIFE you want. This session is for athletes who feel stuck in everyday life or struggling with body image, addiction or other emotional aspects. Attendees will learn how to: Identify the lies we are being told and are telling ourselves Get to the core of the problem Create a plan for how to change our path To register, sign up for the RACE-MANIA All Day Pass with a click here and then select the Racing Your Way to a Whole Life Overhaul under “Additional Items”. Already signed up for RACE-MANIA? Great, click here and select “Additional Items” to add this workshop to your RACE-MANIA registration. Price: $40 Duration: 90 minutes Time offered: Sunday, 3/24/19: 8:00am-9:30am and 2:30pm-4:00pm Register here: http://race-mania.com/boston/clinics-... Book Signing The official release and book signing of Triathlon for the Every Woman will launch at RaceMania! I will be hanging out at my favorite Klean Athlete’s booth in the Expo Hall for the event. Check out the Press Release here, and can’t wait to see y’all there!   My friend, Dina Griffin, will be there as well!: Dina and I worked together on the Optimal Thrive programs. She is owner and founder of The Nutrition Mechanic, Board Certified Sport Dietitian, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Level II Metabolic Efficiency Training Specialist. Dina will co-present the workshop, “Fat Burning with Metabolic Efficiency Training”. See y’all in Boston!

I Hate This Amazing Body

Just released: A BONUS Podcast episode!  We’re talking about BODY IMAGE—whew, what a topic. This is a recording of the intimate session at the Outspoken Summit, November 2018, where I talked about:  I Hate This Amazing Body.  You can listen below right here in your browser, iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify too (just search “The Same 24 Hours” in your favorite podcast app). For those of you who couldn’t attend, I wanted to make sure that you had a piece of the amazing event. Here’s my session. Enjoy and share. And to that I reiterate: “Well-behaved* women seldom make history.” ​– Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Note: Edited for content and length, removing audience feedback (due to low quality), and overall audio enjoyment quality. *Listener Warning* – Some Language, some sensitive, potential-triggering topics about body image, race, eating disorders, and transitioning. *Audio Quality: Because this was a LIVE event, some audio discrepancy exists. We cleaned it up the best possible, but thanks for understanding. Learn more about Outspoken Summit here The 2018 Outspoken: Women in Triathlon Summit presented by Triathlete Magazine was a phenomenal success, selling out two months ahead of the event. If you were not able to attend, the audio recordings of the main stage sessions are now available here.. The Outspoken audio package includes 10 hours of talks and discussions (separate audio recordings): –Meredith Kessler’s Opening Keynote –Julie Moss’s Saturday Morning Keynote –Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Women for Tri Luncheon Keynote –Marilyn Chychota “How to Succeed as a Coach, Competitor, and Leader” –Meredith Atwood “I Hate this Amazing Body: Speed, Spandex, and Self-loathing”  

2019 Training Plans are Here

The Training Plans for 2019 have been released!  We have a plan for Sprint, Olympic and 70.3 distance racing–for athletes of ANY level. (Yes! Even those who are more tortoise than hare.) SAVE 40% NOW With your Pre-Order your copy of Triathlon for the Every Woman, you will receive 40% off the Training Plans until March 12th! Go here to order your copy, and submit proof of purchase to “meredith@swimbikemom.com.” You will receive an email with your THREE bonuses: a 17-page PDF with advance content from the book and original content an invitation to join the Triathlon for the Every Woman Insider Team – a Facebook group where you will have access to new tri friends, resources, discounts, and your tri questions for Meredith for one-year. your 40% off discount code for the Training Plans Learn more about the Training Plans here, and also individual one-on-one coaching here. Refund Policy Here

On Taking the High Road

I want to talk about the simple art of taking the high road. I worked for a law firm many years ago. The managing partner said during a crisis meeting of serious sorts: “No matter what, we–at this firm–take the high road.” The impact of that situation did not directly touch me–but the crisis mattered big time to the leaders in the firm. I respected their judgment, and the way they chose to lead during a really tough time. I have not always lead my life taking the high road. This is a skill I have cultivated over the last couple of years–but one that I am proud to say that I take to heart now. Every. Damn. Day. Pettiness exists everywhere. People will undercut and undermine you in many ways. But here is one truth that I have learned. Their shit is never about you.  Their shit is always about them. When people “hate” it’s because they can’t stand you.  (Ouch, right?) Well, maybe. But as long as you didn’t steal their husband or murder their pet, you are probably disliked for other reasons–reasons having nothing to do with your core being, your life, who you truly are. The hate often stems from their insecurities, jealousy, failures.  Something about you reflects something in them they don’t like. It has to do with their interpretation of your success, your health, your choices.  You are somehow a reflection of something they have deemed unfair, or unreachable. You make them angry because they can’t seem to move past what you have moved past. They have made different choices, and they are angry at you about it. Literally–you can add and add to this list. But it’s not about you. Ever. My son and daughter (ages 11 and 10) have recently taken to fighting–relentlessly. And it doesn’t help that we have been snowed in, off and on, for weeks–along with a winter break from school.  I explained to my daughter, “Look. You can’t control what your brother says or does. Ever. You can only control what you tolerate and how you react.” She’s 10. So that was a struggle, because her ten-year old instinct is to lose her mind on his comments, his teasing… him being basically an older brother. But yesterday, she started off her video on her Instagram, talking about how she would choose to be happy, choose better. I was blown away by her courage and her resolve.  (Have I mentioned how much I love parenting tweens? I mean, the drama is there–but it’s really cool to watch two people grow into people.) Today, I encountered some pettiness. My ears grew hot for about 30 seconds. I blasted an email to a trusted friend as a vent. And then… I reminded myself to breathe, to not allow the drama (the NONSENSE) to take hold. I reminded myself of what I can control (the food I eat and the attitude I have). I reminded myself that what other people think of me is none of my business. So I ate my breakfast… and headed to the gym. Taking the high road is about keeping yourself sane. It’s not about having the last word, or proving your point. It’s not about winning–because sometimes you take the high road with your silence, and you lose friends and business–and that’s okay. Because (once again) it’s about staying sane.  You can’t fight a ghost. You can’t fight someone who doesn’t fight fair. You also can’t fight someone who has nothing but time to burn. Taking the high road is about avoiding the Nonsense, the drama that other people can swing right into your face–and then you find yourself all riled up and crazy over something that really (at the core) doesn’t have anything to do with you. You win when you keep yourself sane. You win when you walk away and enjoy your day, without their drama. Truly. #YearofNoNonsense

Kyle and Brent Pease: Continuing to Inspire

Episode 96 of “The Same 24 Hours Podcast” is Kyle and Brent Pease. The boys are back with the report from the IRONMAN World Championship. (If you think you can’t do something, then think again. Kyle and Brent Pease are BACK on the show, with the UPDATE from IRONMAN World Championship in KONA.) Check out their full story on Episodes 4 and 26! Kyle and Brent Pease are the ultimate “no excuses” brothers. Kyle was born with cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia, but that did not define anything in his life. Nothing stopped him or his brother, Brent, together from becoming IRONMAN triathletes. That’s right – they have completed several IRONMAN triathlons together (that’s a race consisting of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile marathon). In this heart-warming and inspiring podcast, Meredith sits down with the brothers in a story that will inspire, awe and make you belly-laugh. Through their Foundation, the Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF) creates awareness and raises funds to promote success for persons with disabilities by providing assistance to meet their individual needs through sports. Programs include scholarship opportunities, purchasing of medical equipment or adaptive sports equipment for others or contributing to other organizations that provide similar assistance to disabled persons as well as participating in educational campaigns to create awareness about Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities. KPF will provide these services directly to individuals as well as to partner with other existing non-profit organizations to achieve these goals.  Direct benefits will be limited to persons with disabilities who need adaptive sports equipment, mobility devices or medical care. How to Get Involved Learn more and Donate: http://www.kylepeasefoundation.org/ Upcoming Events: http://www.kylepeasefoundation.org/ev... Follow the Brothers and the Foundation on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkingwithkp/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalkingwithKP TRIATHLON FOR THE EVERY WOMAN is available on March 12th! Pre-Order now for two special BONUSES! 1) 17 pages of BONUS material (“Tips to Keep the Ball Rolling (or Wheels Turning!) plus sneak peeks from the book!) sent to you via email. If you’ve already ordered, no problem! You will have access to the Bonus Material in the Triathlon Insider Team group! 2) An invitation to join the “Triathlon Insider Team” Facebook group. This group will be open for one year – to have direct access Meredith for any questions about your journey into triathlon! Order here: http://bit.ly/2I3QF5X Send your proof of order to “meredith@swimbikemom.com” and receive the BONUS and the invitation to the Triathlon for the Every Woman insider team. Just keep moving forward, Meredith

Triathlon for the Every Woman – Pre-Order Bonus!

TRIATHLON FOR THE EVERY WOMAN is available on March 12th! Pre-Order now for two special BONUSES! 1) 17 pages of BONUS material (“Tips to Keep the Ball Rolling (or Wheels Turning!) plus sneak peeks from the book!) sent to you via email. If you’ve already ordered, no problem! You will have access to the Bonus Material in the Triathlon Insider Team group! 2) An invitation to join the “Triathlon Insider Team” Facebook group. This group will be open for one year – to have direct access Meredith for any questions about your journey into triathlon! Order here: http://bit.ly/2I3QF5X Send your proof of order to “meredith@swimbikemom.com” and receive the BONUS and the invitation to the Triathlon for the Every Woman insider team. Just keep moving forward, Meredith

The Most Uncomfortable Interview EVER

[Thank you, Lauren Zander. I hate you. Sort of.] Well, she is BAAAACK! Lauren Zander on Episode 95: Humans are Rated X and Your Parents are Having Sex. She was a guest back on Episode 16, and well, sort of regret inviting her back. Not really–but sort of. “Not many people make me speechless.  But you… oh man.” That’s all I can say about Lauren. Just kidding… A few highlights: “We are FAKE! Humans are fake. We are snake-y-nice.” “We do things that if anyone knew–we’d all be in trouble and pretty much no one is talking about the lies.” “Humans are not rated PG. They are rated R or X.” “Love and management… is abnormal.” Lauren first appeared on the Podcast on Episode 16—and she rocked (and scared my world). This might be the most uncomfortable episode of MY life. But it makes you think… about yourself, your relationships, your sex life, and more. Hold on to your butts. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Podbean… but for the love of Gawd… listen ALONE. Learn more about Lauren and the Handel Group. And her new program: InnerU Learn to Human Better with Lauren Zander’s online coaching course, Inner.U. Sign up now with your SAME24HOURS100 coupon and get $100 OFF! Sign up before March 20th and also receive these free gifts: 3 coaching cheat sheets, 3 coaching videos, and exclusive access to a live group coaching call with Lauren Zander on launch day. Get Started here: https://www.inneru.coach/earlybird/ Talk to a human and see if Handel Group coaching options are right for you: http://bit.ly/24hrConsult On the web: www.HGLife.Coach Facebook: www.Facebook.com/HGLifeCoaching  On Instagram: http://instagram.com/handelgroup And the original Episode 16

That First Run and Now

Parts Excerpted from Women’s Running Article Yesterday I ran at Anytime Fitness–a 24-hour gym in Overland Park, Kansas. I realized that I had come full-circle. I did my first real run as an adult at the same gym–only in Lawrenceville, Georgia almost 10 years ago–to the day. The two runs were very different. Yesterday, I ran after a killer leg workout consisting of powerful jumping, then squatting with heavy weights and more. Only after an hour of destroying my legs did I then get on the treadmill and handled sprint intervals for 20 minutes like a boss. It was one of those great workouts. Where I wanted more when I was done. I felt fit, bouncy, light and fast. (Questionable in objective status; this is a subjective test, people.) As I was running, I remembered that first run. Where I was, who I was–then. When Stella, our second child, was about 12 weeks old, I decided that I needed to do something (anything) to get off the couch and out of the cheese dip and chips. The kids were 14 months apart and I had no idea what had happened to my thigh gap—just kidding, I never had a thigh gap—but I knew that I had extra everything at that point, thighs included, on my 250-pound frame. I’d had enough, and I wanted to run. Now, let’s be clear what “I wanted to run” meant. I wanted to run away from life, from my job. To run from my body—which was a strange vessel that I no longer recognized. I didn’t know that motherhood would be such a blessing and such a terrible thing and wonderful thing and hard thing. Really, motherhood was a roller-coaster of emotions that I could not comprehend. Being a working mother was even crazier—how was I to actually mother these kids and do my job and figure out a way to be sane? The questions were fast and furious with no answers in sight. As I looked down the road at my life, I had no idea how I would keep it together. So I wanted to run physically, yes. But I also needed to run in so many other ways. On my way to work one day, I passed one of those 24-hour gyms—the small, strip mall ones that promised anytime access to a full gym—complete with shower and locker. Anytime? I could run at…well, anytime? This is something. I was on to something, I thought in my sleep-deprived mind. I joined on the spot and could barely contain my excitement of being able to work out anytime. I spent several days without working out any of the time, but one evening I decided to change that. The day had been especially hard. The kids were cranky, my husband was cranky and I was cranky. I declared, “I am going to the gym.” My husband looked at me like I had three heads (“What gym?”), and I didn’t care. I needed to run. I was going to run! How exciting this is! I found some old tennis shoes. I stuffed my body into some leggings and an old tee, and off I went. I had my iPod ready, and I put on some motivation beats and prepared for the amazing run that was inevitable. As I walked up to the treadmill, I looked around. The gym was completely empty. I liked that. I didn’t want anyone to see me running. I felt a sense of peace about the whole situation. I was going to run. I pressed GO, and I started to walk and then jog. I increased the pace to 4.0 and I started to run. Immediately I knew I had made an error of epic proportions. I was not a runner, and this was not running. This was an elephant stomping on a belt. This was a nightmare. This was so much fat and boobs flying around. Why were my boobs hurting? Did I just drool out of my mouth? I kept going. Two minutes. Three minutes. I was sweating and heaving and huffing. How did this happen? What has happened to me? Why can’t I run? I need to run! Five minutes. Is this a cardiac event? I am not going to make it.  I continued until I truly could go no further. After eight minutes, I stopped the belt. I pulled off my headphones and threw them on the floor. I looked in the mirror, and I couldn’t believe how much I hurt. I hurt on the outside, but even more, I ached with a pain and sadness inside that I could not explain. Everything hurt. My eyes filled with tears, but I refused to let them fall. This was my fault. I had to fix whatever this was. The next day, my feet hurt. I looked at the bottoms and had visible bruises on the balls of my feet. I didn’t know what was happening. I knew bruises weren’t good. I knew I was not a good runner. I knew that I had no idea what to do. But I also knew, in that moment, that I was better than that run. I had more inside of me than the bruises on my feet. I knew that I needed to run, even if it was off to a rocky start. So I decided to keep going. Beyond that run. I did. I kept going. And ten years later, things are so different. Just because of that one time. I wanted to give up sometimes. I did give up othertimes, but I wanted to change. I knew I had to change. This is a reminder to myself–and to you, perhaps–that change can take a helluva long time. It takes grit, grace, failure, pain, disappointment and more to even stand up straight and make life happen sometimes–let alone change and improve. Life is hard and unforgiving sometimes. But focusing on what we can do–even when it’s small–matters big time. Yesterday, I needed that reminder.  That great things take time, hard work, hard times, sweat, tears and hustle. I needed that reminder. Maybe you do, too. #JustKeepMovingForward

James Newbury: Strength, CrossFit and Kindness on Episode 94 of The Same 24 Hours Podcast

One of my favorites–athletes AND interviews – Episode 94 with CrossFit Games athlete, James Newbury. James Newbury spent four years as one of Australia’s top bubble athletes before qualifying for his first CrossFit Games in 2016. His most recent stats:  2 x Australia’s Fittest man; 7 x CrossFit Regionals Athlete; 3 x CrossFit Games Athlete; 18th Fittest in the world (2018). In this interview, we talk about ALL the things–but he is the kindest, most humble and hard-working guy.  You will enjoy this dose of inspiration no matter who you are. Follow James: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesnewbury  Website: https://www.modefitness.com.au/  The Method:  http://themethodnow.com.au/ The Method is an online company providing personalized, one-on-one nutrition coaching. They hand pick the right coach to work with you based on your goals and training regime. Method coaches work with clients around nutritional intake and timing, body composition changes, goal setting, along with many other non-nutrition related subjects like sleep, hydration, training and mindset all of which play a key role in your health and well-being. For your first two weeks free, mention me when getting started!”   You can listen to the episode here or iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean or Spotify by searching “The Same 24 Hours” – enjoy!