November's Mom of the Month is: Jessica Kalendra! Congrats Jessica!
Jessica first joined us as a Running Mama last spring, joining us with her adorable daughter Alice for our 5k training program for moms. She did an amazing job in the running program and signed up for Stroller Strides workouts as well, and has been with us ever since. She has been a frequent attendee at Stroller Strides in recent months, and recently completed her second Running Mamas program this fall, culminating in the Monster Dash 5k with an excellent time, almost 2 minutes faster than her goal for the race. As she tells us below, she feels she is in better shape now then even before she was pregnant. She has been setting a great example to all of us moms on what you can do if you set your mind to it, and also setting a great example of a healthy lifestyle to her daughter Alice, who has been doing 'maniacs' and other Stroller Strides exercises at home to be just like mommy! :)
Join us in congratulating Jessica and read on to get to know her better.
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Apex
Education: I graduated from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University in 2004 with a degree in Marketing.
Stroller Strides Member since: March 2011
Members of your Family: Me, My husband Mark and our daughter Alice.
Tell us about your child:
Alice was born in May 2010 and is 18 months old. She is terrifyingly fearless, goofy and full of energy. We recently took her to the ocean, and I swear she would run into the waves and float away if someone wasn't there to catch her. Her favorite new game is to run up to someone, tickle them and run away. She has also started randomly walking sideways and doing maniacs, I guess she's trying to do some Stroller Strides of her own! It's so much fun to watch her grow.
Current/previous Career: Sales and Marketing Associate for a small company
What was your childhood ambition?
I've always wanted to have a family and kids. Other than that just enjoying life with people I love.
What does motherhood mean to you?
Motherhood means learning that I never really knew the true meaning to words like "Worry" and phrases like "Unconditional Love". It also means discovering a strength in myself that I never knew existed and gaining a whole new respect for my own mother.
What is the furthest you have been from home?
Germany
What has Stroller Strides done for you?
Stroller Strides has done so much for me, but the first thing it did was get me out of the house. I didn't join until March when Alice was 9 months and lets just say it was a LONG winter. When I decided to stay home with Alice I figured we would have plenty to do. There are so many meet up groups and tons of other moms staying home with their kids that it would be no problem to find things to do. I found out pretty quickly that unless you have something scheduled for every day it's really easy to get stuck at home doing nothing. Stroller Strides got me out of the house and so much more. I met a ton of great people and great kids. I have plans for most days of the week that provide adult conversations for me and playtime with other kids for Alice. Also I'm probably in better shape now than I was before I was pregnant with Alice. And I found that being in shape makes the sleepless nights a bit more manageable. I'm really glad I found Stroller Strides, it is a great program!
What have you enjoyed most about the Running Mamas program?
I had run in the past, but the thought of gaining back my endurance (which I knew was not an easy road) while pushing a stroller was keeping me from even getting started. Running Mamas gave me an opportunity to ease my way back into running and realize that I can run while pushing a stroller. It also provided a great community and support system on days when what is usually an easy run felt like running up Mount Everest.
What is your favorite exercise?
I will choose cardio over strength training any day of the week. I love the Cardio killers, where we do Jumping Jacks, Skis and Jump Rope counting down from 10.
What is your proudest moment?
When I saw my 5K time in the spring and realized it was faster than my goal.
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)?
Reading, Coffee and Swimming
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique.
I've jumped out of an airplane...twice.
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say?
I'm pretty game for trying new things and love to be active and outdoors.
What advice would you give to moms looking to get back into shape?
Join Stroller Strides...no seriously. I actually gave this advice to my sister. She lives in Seattle and has a 2 yr old and a 7 month old. She had been trying to go the the gym, but the kids were not liking the care center very much which made it really hard for her to get a consistent workout. When I went out to visit her I told her about Stroller Strides, how it works and that it's a great workout. She joined SS in her area and the running program they have and really enjoys it. So there you go!
