February Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

February's featured Mom of the Month is Julie de Silvia! 

Congrats, Julie!

Julie has been a Stroller Strides member for over a year and a half now, and she and Annabella bring smiles and great attitudes to our weekly workouts & meetup activities.  Julie works hard at each and every workout and is one of our dedicated, frequent attending Stroller Strides moms.  She has made great strides in fitness, motherhood, & life over the past year and a half, including great accomplishments in running.  Her latest goal in progress is training for her first Half Marathon, with the support of our Raleigh Running Mamas programs.  Join us in congratulating Julie and read on to get to know her a little better! 

Mom of the Month Questions:

 

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Cary

Education: Undergraduate degree at Duke University. Veterinary school at St George's University in Grenada

Stroller Strides Member since: July 2012

Members of your Family: Nick-Husband, Annabella-daughter, Ritz-dog (12 year old grenadian pothound), Frac and Nutmeg-cats

Tell us about your children: Annabella is a sweet and loving child. She is very empathetic and concerned about how everyone around her is feeling. If you're sad, she'll give you a cuddle to make you feel better. She loves books, tea parties and her animals.

Current/previous Career: Veterinarian (currently part-time at a clinic in Carrboro)

What was your childhood ambition? To be a veterinarian!

What does motherhood mean to you? Motherhood is the most special thing that I have ever done. It also helps me to be better in the other aspects of my life as well. 

What is the furthest you have been from home? I lived in Germany for 6 months when I was 15. Veterinary school in Grenada (not sure which was further!). But Norway may have been even further.

What has Stroller Strides done for you ? Stroller strides has been and continues to be an awesome experience for me. It got me out of the house and exercising, which has been great. More importantly, it has surrounded me with wonderful women who I learn so much from. I am pretty shy and find it hard to make friends but Stroller Strides has given me the opportunity to open up and make friends. I love being able to exercise with my daughter. It gets to be a bonding experience, not something that I leave her behind to do. I also love the example that it sets for Annabella. She gets to see lots of mommies taking care of themselves and this makes exercise an important part of her life.

What has your experience with Running Mamas been like? Prior to Running Mamas, I had only every run a 5K. Running is not my forte. I loved having the structure that Running Mamas brings and being accountable for my runs. I am only doing the virtual training for the half marathon but love being able to converse with other running mamas. If it wasn't for this program, I would never even consider running 13.1 miles!

What is your favorite exercise? Honestly, I love and hate any exercise Devon makes us do! :)

What is your proudest moment? Before Annabella, it was being accepted to Duke. I have never been so excited. But that pales in comparison to holding this little person and watching her grow into an amazing little girl.

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Reading, sewing, and Duke basketball

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. My marriage and my wedding took place 11 months apart and in 2 different countries.

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say?

My moral code, honesty, and kindness (That's what he said)

What advice would you give to moms looking to get back into shape? Just do it! You will never regret it.

January Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

December's featured Mom of the Month is Nicole Norris! 

Congrats, Nicole!

Nicole joined Stroller Strides this past fall, and she has brought determination with a smile to her weekly workouts around the Triangle.  Nicole has become one of our most frequent attendees this winter, and she was the only mom to meet our '12 days of Fitness' Christmas Challenge and attend 12 workouts this past Dec!  She has set a great example of the importance of a healthy lifestyle for her family as well as all of us moms.  She, Liam, & Owen have brought smiles to our classes and to our playgroups/meetups, and we are so glad to have them as part of our Stroller Strides 'family'.  We wish Nicole the best of luck on her 5k goal for this year! 

Please join us in congratulating Nicole and read on to get to know her a little better. 

Hometown: I grew up in Angier, NC.

Live in: Fuquay Varina

Stroller Strides member since: Oct 2013

Family members: my husband-Logan, my sons-Liam and Owen

Tell us about your children: Liam is a very active and willful two and a half year old. Owen is a sweet and curious seventeen month old.  They both love books, cars, and dinosaurs. 

Previous or current career: part-time teacher at The Goddard School of Cary. (I hope to get back into preschool teaching in the next couple of years.)

Childhood ambition: As a kid, I always wanted to travel around the world. 

What does motherhood mean to you?  To me motherhood is all the things that I enjoy and endure everyday with my family. (And I wouldn't trade it for anything.)

Farthest from home: my honeymoon in Key West

What has Stroller Strides done for you? Stroller Strides has given me the opportunity to get back to a healthier lifestyle. My boys and I have loved getting out and meeting the other Stroller Strides moms and kids.  

Favorite exercise: monkeys

Proudest moment: The births of both of my sons

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family)?: cooking, crafting, and running (I plan on training for and running my first 5k this year.)

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique: I've never flown on an airplane before. 

If we asked your spouse what your best qualities are, what would they say? my perseverance and my patience

What advice would you give to moms looking to start a healthier lifestyle?  Stroller Strides has been such a fun way to make exercise a regular part of my life. It's so great to be in an environment with other moms who are going through (or have gone through) the same things I am.  I wish I'd found Stroller Strides earlier.

December Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

December's featured Mom of the Month is Ashley Arnold! 

Congrats, Ashley!

Ashley started taking Stroller Strides classes this spring, and joined as a monthly member this summer.  She has been a regular attendee, particularly at our Streets of Southpoint location, where she and her daughter Gracie bring smiles and great attitudes to the weekly workouts and playgroup activities.  We are so glad to have them as part of our Stroller Strides 'family'!   Thanks for setting a great example and inspiring other moms with fitting in regular exercise and working hard at your workouts, Ashley.

Join us in congratulating Ashley, and read on to get to know her better!

Hometown: Oak Ridge, NC
 

Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Morrisville
 

Education: B.S Biology, B.S Nursing
 

Stroller Strides Member since: Officially June 2013, but I used those 10 class passes like they were going out of style
 

Members of your Family: My husband, Matt, and daughter, Gracie.
 

Tell us about your child: Gracie is very easy going 2 year old. She is a happy, sweet, generous, and intelligent child. It seems like we laugh most of the day! 

Current/previous Career: Currently, I am a SAHM. I used to work as an RN in drug safety at PPD.
 

What was your childhood ambition? I think I probably wanted to be an Olympic swimmer or a stunt woman.
 

What does motherhood mean to you? It means putting someone’s needs before your own. This job I can say is definitely the hardest, but also the most rewarding job I have ever done. I believe I am a better person because of my daughter.
 

What is the furthest you have been from home? Hawaii
 

What has Stroller Strides done for you? Stroller strides has gotten me back in great shape. It has also introduced me and my daughter to some many great and beautiful people. I’m so lucky to have my Stroller Strides family.
 

What is your favorite exercise? Jumping lunges, jack squats, and plank.
 

What is your proudest moment? Definitely giving birth to my daughter. I didn’t realize how strong of a person I could be. Especially after coming home and not sleeping for 6 months!
 

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Aerobics classes/ exercising, T.V and traveling 
 

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. 

When my husband and I first got married, we traveled together across the country while I worked as a travel nurse. We lived for 3 months each in Austin, TX, San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA, and then 6 months in Maui.
 

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? I asked him and he said, “good looks, intelligence, kindness.”
 

What advice would you give to moms looking to start a healthier lifestyle? If you don’t have much time, start with a 30 minute exercise video during nap time or morning/ night. Also I think it’s important to keep challenging yourself. If you always do the same thing, your body will eventually adapt to it and not burn as many calories. Remember to switch things up, cross-train, add weights, reps, or time to keep yourself from plateauing. And most of all, make it fun!

November Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

November's featured Mom of the Month is Mandy Yentsch! 

Congrats, Mandy!

Mandy initially joined our Raleigh Running Mamas race training in February this year, having never run outside of HS sports and not worked out much in 8+ years.  She built her way up to running the full 5k at the end of the season, and gained strength, endurance, confidence, and friendships with other amazing moms.  She recently completed her first 10k race (in a great time we might add!) as part of our Fall 10k training season, and is now planning to complete her first Half Marathon in the spring! Super inspiring to all moms out there!  Mandy has been a frequent Stroller Strides attendee in recent months, and we love her hard work, strength, and friendly smile and attitude.  Her boys are adorable and experienced Stroller Strides participants, and overall we're glad to have Mandy (and Henry & William) as part of our Stroller Strides 'family'! 

Join us in congratulating Mandy and read on to get to know her better!

Hometown: Bangor, WI

Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Cary, NC
 
Education: Attended University of Wisconsin La Crosse

Stroller Strides Member since: September 2013/Running Mamas February 2013

Members of your Family: Neil-hubby; Henry-2yrs; William-11mo; Baylen-5 year old Maltese/Pomeranian dog

Tell us about your children: Henry at 2yrs is loving his dinosaurs, dump trucks, and bugs. He also LOVES to read! He defines the word "determined" when he wants or doesn't want to do something. :) William at 11 months is just going with the flow. Getting beat up on every day by big bro, tackling sign language, and learning to walk, he keeps smiling!
 
Current/previous Career: Currently a stay at home mom. I decided to leave American Airlines when our second was born. 

What was your childhood ambition? I have always wanted to work with animals, not sure that will ever happen.

What does motherhood mean to you? Everything. Friendship, leadership, example, nurture, love, education, building forts, playing in dirt, and PATIENCE.
 
What is the furthest you have been from home? Sad to say I haven't left North America, but did make it to Cancun, Mexico
 
What has Stroller Strides meant to you? Stroller Strides has introduced me to so many amazing moms. It has made me more aware of myself including my health and strength. 

What was your experience with Running Mamas like? Amazing. In February I showed up to the first group run never having ran before in my life outside of high school sports, 3 months postpartum, and honestly never having worked out for 8+ years. I couldn't run more than 90 seconds at a turtle's pace. The other moms and exercise made it much easier to be a stay at home mom and feel better about myself; two things I was really struggling with. I made some great friends, lost 27 pounds, and found a new love of running. My husband and kids can vouch, I'm a better person when I run.  

What is your favorite exercise? Running
 
What is your proudest moment? So many moments as a mom make me proud so this is tough. My kids are incredible. About a month ago, Henry read his first word, "mom". I had tears. 

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, chocolate milk

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. I can't do a cartwheel. I'm second cousins with Red Fraggle from Fraggle Rock; she was also in A Bug's Life.
 
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? I'm a planner. He's super laid back so needs that structure. (wink)

What advice would you give to moms looking to start a healthier lifestyle? Start small. Set achievable goals and reach them one by one. The more you have checked off your list, the more you'll feel unstoppable.

October Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

October's featured Mom of the Month is Lisa Qualls! 

Congrats, Lisa!

Lisa has been a Stroller Strides member for over a year now, and she has also recently been helping out as a Playgroup/Meetup organizer for our free local Moms Group (with some fabulous activities at and around the Carpenter Village area, including the recent fun outing to the Fire Station among others!). Lisa has made great strides in fitness, motherhood, and life this year and even completed our Raleigh Running Mamas race training this spring and ran her first 5k this summer, and she's recently started up with our Body Back bootcamp-style health & fitness program for moms as well.  In addition to being a strong and healthy mom, what you may or may not know is Lisa is also a successful business owner and entrepreneur, in many areas including her Monkey Lisa products that are great for moms (Crankles straps for Crocs, wristlet stretchky key chains that are great for moms with full hands--some of you may remember these from last year's SS Christmas gifts for members!, and more).  

Lisa and Elliott bring such a positive vibe and energy to our weekly Stroller Strides workouts, and we are glad to have them in the group!  Please join us in congratulating Lisa, and read on to get to know her a little better. 

Mom of the Month: Lisa Qualls

October 2013

Hometown: Newport News, VA

Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Cary

Education: BA in French from the University of Virginia

Stroller Strides Member since: 2012

Members of your Family: 4

Tell us about your children: Many of you have met Elliott, who'll be 3 in November.  He is usually very outgoing and introduces himself to people everywhere he goes (he's probably hugged your child--hopefully, without knocking him/her to the ground), loves Thomas the tank engine and any kind of music, and always asks us over dinner, "Mommy and Daddy, what was your favorite part of the day?"  Josh, my 10-year old stepson, who has joined me for just a few classes and loved them, is a very soft-spoken, bright 5th grader who loves reading, playing soccer, and participating in Cub Scouts and has recently taken up an interest in drawing cars.  If you every have any questions about Pokemon, Legos, Star Wars or Bakugan, he's your guy!

Current/previous Career: This is an easy question that's tough to answer.  Most of my career has been in marketing for tech companies.  Then, I started my own business, Monkey Lisa, for which I design and make fashion and home accessories, and I did some marketing consulting for tech companies on the side.  Then, I had Elliott and had no time for any work.  Now, I'm doing a little bit of Monkey Lisa work, volunteering my marketing services for a non-profit, and working as a neighborhood coordinator for The Produce Box.  And looking for a marketing job.

What was your childhood ambition?  To be an actress (I did some community theatre a few years ago, so I consider that done) and to see John Travolta and Olivia-Newton John in concert (I was/am a Grease junkie and I saw ONJ in concert a few years ago, so I consider that done, too!).  

What does motherhood mean to you?  Expressing love for someone in so many ways I never thought possible.  Hugs, kisses, holding tight, letting go, words, silence, action, inaction, planning for the future, and taking care of myself.

What is the furthest you have been from home? Austria

What has Stroller Strides done for you? Stroller Strides helped my days return to "normal" after Elliott was born.  It's a four-way tie between the benefits that I immediately got out of SS: social time for me, social time for Elliott, exercise for me, and time out of the house for both of us.

What was your experience with Running Mamas like?  The most mentally challenging physical activity I've ever done.  The running was hard, but making myself complete each run was harder.  Jen K. and the other mamas were so positive and inspiring, though.  I am proud that I started running and am still loving the results.

What is your favorite exercise?  Tennis, but in SS, one of my favorites is the jumping jack/high knees/skier pyramid.  Not only do I feel satisfaction about finishing, but if I can remember which one comes next, that's an added level of accomplishment!  

What is your proudest moment?  Besides giving birth with no epidural (not by choice), I'd say it was when I signed a licensing agreement for my Cranklz straps (reversible, stretchy straps for Crocs which you can find on www.monkeylisa.com) with a company that took my product to the international retail market.

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)?  Leisurely mornings at the beach, dark chocolate, and hitting a winning shot on the tennis court with my killer backhand.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. Je parle français.

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say?  Integrity, compassion, creativity and family-focused.  (Yes, I asked him.)

What advice would you give to moms looking to start a healthier lifestyle?  Find a workout outfit you feel good in, be brave, and walk into a Stroller Strides class.  (Or a gym, or around your neighborhood.)  That first step is important, but so is surrounding yourself with like-minded people who are committed to a healthy life style.  It's easy to learn from their examples, osmosis, and, yes, peer pressure, but it's also comforting to know there are others in the same boat.

September Mom of the Month

Our mom of the month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles, and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time!

September's featured Mom of the Month is Kristi Snow! 

Congrats, Kristi!

Kristi has been a Stroller Strides mom since spring 2011, and has made great strides over the past 15 months in her health and fitness after the birth of her second little one, Nicole.  Kristi also joined our Raleigh Running Mamas 5k training program this past spring and has officially gotten the running bug, rocking her 5k and now training with us again this fall for her first 10k!  Kristi has been working hard this summer on her health and fitness, having just completed our summer Body Back program, building muscle, toning, and focusing on healthy eating.  She is also one of our Meetup/Playgroup organizers, and has put together some excellent crafts and activities for the kiddos.  We are so glad to have Kristi as part of our programs, and we're so proud of all she's accomplished in recent months.  And we love the smiles and fun that Tyler and Nicole bring to class too!  ;) 

Join us in congratulating Kristi and read on to get to know her better!

Hometown: Originally from southern California. Grew up in Charlotte, NC

Current part of the Triangle that you live in: Southwest Raleigh

Education: BS Biomedical Engineering in ‘00, BS Radiologic Science in ‘06

Stroller Strides Member since: Spring 2011

Members of your Family: Justin, hubby; Tyler 3 ½; Nicole 1 ½

Tell us about your children: Tyler loves to play outside and get dirty! He has an imaginary persona and reads his Richard Scarry books daily. We joke he’ll be an engineer like my husband (though we don’t push it) as he’s fascinated with motors and plumbing systems and loved it when we had our hot water heater replaced recently. Nicole is a firecracker! She’s very agile and has been climbing ladders since 12 mos. And she’s not afraid to say what she wants. We joke she’ll be a ninja or a jewel thief.

Current/previous Career: now a PRN MRI technologist. Past life: RTP’er until the tech bubble, then biopharma co.

What was your childhood ambition? Either a model or an astronaut!

What does motherhood mean to you? My kids mean the world to me. Taking care of them and teaching them is the greatest responsibility I could have. I still call my mother to thank her for all that she’s done for me.

What is the furthest you have been from home? I visited Japan for 10 days in 2002 when my former college roommate taught English classes there. It was beautiful! I spent 3 days in Tokyo then the rest of the time in very rural Japan (Ishinomake) where I was likely the only blonde they had seen. The school children would run up to us to practice their English. Unfortunately, the rural area I visited was greatly affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

What has Stroller Strides done for you? Stroller Strides has played a big part in helping me redefine myself after becoming a SAHM 1 ½ yrs ago. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been in life! I’ve never considered myself very athletic in the past so I’m very pleased with my accomplishments. Participating in the Running Mamas program this spring really accelerated my fitness and brought my cardio to a whole new level.  Who is this person who wakes up at 6 to go run? ;)

What has your experience with our Body Back program been like? I love the high intensity workouts with the music! They really get me going! The nutrition part was a big surprise for me, which was great so I didn’t get to talk myself out of it. BB finally got me out of drinking soda at lunch. This has also been great for my kids to see me now drink water and they’ve stopped asking for soda. Our kids really have a way of holding the mirror up to us.

What is your favorite exercise? Running. It’s so liberating after being with the kids all day.

What is your proudest moment? Natural breech delivery (Nicole) with no meds (unintentional).

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Coffee,knitting/crafting, and the beach

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. I went to a Montessori preschool and kindergarten as a kid.

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say?  Kind-hearted, funny/good sense of humor, and patient.

What advice would you give to moms looking to get back into shape? What’s stopping you (from reaching your goals)? Don’t overthink it and find support in likeminded people. 

Kristi leading a storytime meetup after Stroller Strides

All about Stroller BARRE!

STROLLER BARRE COMES TO 

 FIT4MOM RALEIGH!

Stroller Barre® is a brand new Stroller Strides class format which incorporates movements from pilates, ballet, yoga and barre methods to provide a unique and effective workout for the pre and postnatal mom.

Along with focusing on building your strength and your core, we work on your internal focus and aim to improve muscular imbalances we all have as moms.  And we'll also keep the little ones entertained in the stroller with songs and fun! 

This new workout format of exercises, offered only through Stroller Strides, uses your stroller handle as a point of focus and balance (like a ballet barre in a traditional Barre workout class). Stroller Barre, created by a mom who was formerly a professional ballerina, takes pieces of ballet, yoga, Pilates and other barre methods and fuses them together with our Stroller Strides format (dynamic warm-up, power-walking or jogging to several stations, songs and fun for the kids). The movements are small, concentrated and intentional. Stroller Barre uses tubing, the stroller and the environment to provide an all over toning and fat burning experience, and is the perfect complement to your Stroller Strides workouts and other weekly exercise.
Stroller Barre focuses on strengthening and lengthening muscles, creating an ideal length/tension relationship in the all postural muscles, to give you beautiful, sculpted, lean muscles – without the impact and injuries dancers endure.

The entire body and mind are constantly working throughout the workout to enhance your posture, burn fat and transform your body.


Important benefits of Barre workouts:

(Adapted from Wellbridge.com)

• Hard on muscles, kind on joints. Barre Conditioning’s small, controlled and intentional movements reduce pressure on your joints, tendons, ligaments and spine, eliminating undue stress on the body. The classes also lead to a remarkable improvement in core strength and posture due to its focus on correct form and alignment. While a tight core will give you a taller appearance, it will also keep you safe from injuries.

• Improve muscular imbalances and posture.  As moms we all develop muscular imbalances, due to body changes after pregnancy as well as our day-to-day parenting activities.  Postpartum women tend to have tight and weak pectoral (chest), abdominal and quadriceps muscles. In addition, the back and hamstrings muscles become stretched and weak. This occurs due to hunched posture from breast or bottle feeding, excessive spinal curves while carrying baby in utero and after birth, and repeatedly picking their new (and rapidly growing) baby up. Stroller Barre focuses on strengthening and creating an ideal length/tension relationship in all the postural muscles, creating a leaner-looking mommy.

•  Work muscles to failure. Barre Conditioning’s tiny motions, many reps, intentional squeezes and pulses (otherwise known as isometric moves) are designed to fatigue muscles to failure. Embrace the shaking as it’s totally natural for your muscles to quiver uncontrollably – it means you are exhausting that muscle and forcing it to tone.  

• Increased flexibility. Through focused stretching, an improved range-of-motion is one of the greatest benefits of barre exercise. Sometimes people are flexible but not strong, or strong and not flexible, so whether you can sit comfortably in a pretzel position or you’re stiffer than a board, Barre Conditioning actually teaches your body to be both. Having flexibility and strength allows you to enjoy a longer, active life free of injuries.

• Lost weight and inches. Many of the workouts target the largest muscle groups in the body, like the thighs and glutes. The larger the muscle, the more calories burned! As you build more lean muscle mass and raise your resting metabolic rate, which can help you to produce more energy and expend calories. Perhaps more important than actual weight loss, Barre Conditioning will help by redistributing inches on your body – making you appear (and feel) longer and leaner.

• Greater range of motion and endurance for all other activities and sports.  Barre Conditioning targets the core muscle groups that are neglected in conventional strength training, in a variety of interesting ways. You may notice enhanced knee alignment, improved balance and greater quad and hamstring recruitment. If you’re a golfer or tennis player, you just may experience greater hip openness and movement allowing for a better swing. Runners can attain increased endurance, faster PR times and reduced impact on joints. 

Your First Stroller Barre workout is FREE!