What would you do if you knew you could not fail?  This question evokes many thoughts in multiple domains in my life…it is an important question, and one that opens a mind to change, welcomes adaptation, and most importantly, promotes resiliency.  I first heard this question from our former neighbors and close friends, who are a Royal Air Force (RAF) family. 
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Fitness, specifically running, has always been my “go to” choice to find my circle of love-- my family at each military assignment, my trail-running buddies, and my fellow moms who train for races with their kids and who wake before dawn on weekends to accomplish those long training runs.  I have been a Stroller Warrior since 2014-- beginning with Ramstein, to Fort Belvoir, and currently a member of Elsewhere.  Elsewhere…it takes some work as you are without a prebuilt running and friend network.  What is the Stroller Warriors® Elsewhere Chapter?  It is a virtual Stroller Warriors chapter for us Stroller Warrior members that no longer belong to a physical chapter-- an avenue to stay connected to our teammates, seek advice, channel motivation to run, and to meet up with Stroller Warrior members at non-chapter locations. 

In 2019, our family received orders to Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC.  I immediately jumped on the computer and searched to check for a Stroller Warriors Chapter at Shaw AFB.  Though I was deeply saddened to learn there was no chapter here; luckily, a friend from an earlier assignment connected me with her childhood/college friend, Jess.  Jess, like me, had two very common passions- running, and Germany (we were both stationed in Germany at different times).  We hit it off right away, running at 5AM before the sun was blazing, and most importantly, our families became close family friends.  

​Meanwhile, we also quickly became close family friends with our RAF neighbors.  Eventually, we all fused together to form our local neighborhood running group, and this resulted from a “perfect storm” of a hurricane coming through South Carolina while I ran the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland with one of my very close Stroller Warrior Ramstein friends.  My family and I feared that our beloved trampoline would be tossed like a frisbee by the hurricane (yes, they actually can fly with enough wind)…so, when Jess called to ask if we needed anything done to our house while we were across the Atlantic my only thought was to “anchor the trampoline!”  While my family enjoyed the Alps with our Stroller Warrior friend/family, eating fondue and frolicking through mountain meadows, Jess quickly hustled to our house, meeting our RAF friends Phil and Beth in the backyard to use our CrossFit equipment (45lbs plates and kettlebells) to anchor the trampoline as the hurricane’s roll clouds rapidly approached!  The proverbial “silver lining” of this storm was the birth of my neighborhood running crew, and what I consider to be my Stroller Warriors Elsewhere family.  

​So…what could I do if I knew I could not fail?  I could run multiple ultra-marathons!  Phil, Beth, Jess, and Chris (Jess’ husband) were all about completing South Carolina’s vibrant trail race and ultra-marathon circuit.  We often found ourselves heading out on Friday nights to spend the weekend in the woods pounding out miles on trail, and having a great time doing it!  The kids were always along for the adventure, exploring the woods, playing in the dirt, skipping rocks on lakes, and running alongside us for short distances.  

This was our crew, this was (and still is) my Elsewhere.  As Phil, Beth, and their kids returned to the UK, and as we PCS in two days, I am forever grateful for this Elsewhere crew, and again, though we are in different locations, the bond we made will forever be in my heart, and will be my motivation. 
 
Have you been a member of Stroller Warriors® Elsewhere?  How have you met your Elsewhere team?  


Happy Running!
-Rose :)

Here we are— kettlebell clean and press time! You may be thinking, “What does the clean and press, arguably a strictly strength move, have to do with my run game?” But, neurologically, strength, stability, and mobility in one area, transfers up and down the chain. In other words, strength in one place, means strength all over. Remember, our bodies are interconnected. Our brains do not “see” parts and pieces, it “feels” system wide— everything works together in the gait cycle. Very basically, energy flows: from the ground, into your heel, up into the ankle, knee, hip, crosses at the pelvis, into the spine and back muscles, over to the opposite shoulder, elbow, and wrist, as well as moving up into your neck and jaw.
 
This makes sense if you consider how a bum knee effects your gait cycle. Changing the movement pattern at the knee, creates compensation in the ankle and hip on the same side. It also creates movement changes across the chain— up into the spine, into the shoulder, the neck, and even across to the other hip, knee, and ankle. This is why when you have a “bad knee” you start noticing other little aches and pains that may me “unexplainable.” It started because your brain is working around the pain signal coming from “a bad knee.”
 
This is why the clean and press can improve your run! A slow and steady weighted exercise for your shoulder is not just making changes in your shoulder strength— it is working core stabilizers and making changes to shoulder mapping. That mapping has neurological carry-over to how your shoulder “talks to” your hip in the gait cycle. Clarity in one area, creates clarity in other areas. And because our brains are wired for survival, loaded inputs get mapped more quickly.
 
Let’s take a look at how to clean and press and then some basic ways to implement it in practice. A safe clean and a strong smooth press go hand-in-hand. If you have a bad clean, just toss it away and re-clean. The clean is the platform for your press. DO NOT rush it.  A key point to remember in the clean and press is this: keep your shoulders low. It is really tempting to clean with your shoulder shrugged up toward your ear, jamming the whole area. This 100% defeats all the benefits of both the clean and press.
 
You can think of the clean as a way to get the bell from the ground, to the rack position. The rack is the platform on your upper body for holding any kind of weight. Cleaning a kettlebell can come with frustration. It took me a solid year of working it to finally get it just right in the landing. Banging your wrist at all, by over-powering your hip drive, or letting the bell get too far from your body, is a missed clean. The bell should “wrap around” your forearm. This happens by keeping the bell in close and tight. Do not swing the bell away from your body, like you would for a kettlebell swing. The set-up, lower body, and hip drive are just the same as in a swing.

HOWEVER, in a clean, the upper arm stays glued to the ribs and the hip drive is less aggressive. You will have to play around with the “gears” of the hip snap to get a feel for popping them just enough to give the bell just enough energy to land in the ‘V’ of the upper and lower arm as you stand up tall. This is where all the fine-tuning of swing practice can be helpful!
 
It is tempting to think of cleaning to your shoulder. But, think instead of cleaning low, to your waist, not up to the shoulder. When you clean low, with the target landing at belly-button level, your torso takes the hit and absorbs the load. There is a lot more body to “take the hit” at the waist, than there is at the shoulder. Be sure to brace for the landing of the bell just as you would if someone punched you in the guts!

​Do not let the bell win and knock you backward at all. Be strong. Stand up to the incoming hit and own the load. Do not let the load own you! You are in control. Be sure the bell lands outside of your breast tissue. Your forearm and biceps should be one in front of the other. Do not rest the load on your chest. I do not want to belabor the clean, but I hope you are seeing how important the set-up is for a safe and successful press!

​Once you have a solid clean in the rack position, nice and low, without jamming the shoulder and neck, continue to create space in the area as you press the bell up. Meaning, do not let your shoulder rise as the bell rises. I like to think of the shoulder articulating, opposite and equally, in time with the elbow— as the elbow goes up to lockout the bell overhead, the shoulder is rolling back and down into the socket for a solid lock-in. You will feel your lat, underneath your armpit, start to fire as your elbow moves up and off your waist. This is a good thing! Be sure to keep your forearm vertical for the whole press. Do not let your elbow rise before your bell.
 
At the top of your press, lockout the bell overhead, stand tall, check your form like you did at the top of the get-up (see the get-up article for details on that!), then reverse the drill until your bell is low in the rack. You can dump the bell and re-clean it, or just get set and solid in your body for another press, without a re-clean. Cleans are a drill in their own rite and have all sorts of fun variations. Just be sure you have the mechanics of the basic clean down before throwing anything new and fancy into your practice 

There are a variety of presses too! One that I love will help you groove a solid movement pattern and get through sticking points— the pause press! This press helped me with my pull-up sticking point! The press and pull-up get difficult when the upper arm is at about 90 degrees. There is a transition that happens here. I noticed that if I held an isometric contraction right there at the tough point, I was able to gain strength right there and override whatever fear would happen through that spot. You can hold the bell with the elbow at a 90-degree bend on the way up for five seconds, and then hold it there again as you pull the bell back to the rack for another five seconds. You can also mix it up and do an isometric hold on the way up or the way down.
 
There are no hard and fast rules, other than practice perfect form and stay mindful of the rest of your body while you are pressing. Pressing is a full-body exercise! You will feel all the places the press works when you are holding the bell at the 90, especially your core and low back. So be sure to squeeze your glutes and core to help protect your low back!
 
Pressing is one of my all-time favorite kettlebell drills. When I am in a pinch for time, or just need to get lifting into my schedule, I will default to the press. It hits the whole body and really makes me feel accomplished without getting smoked. You can also chain the press into all sorts of other exercises. You are only limited by your imagination.

Here is a little something to get you started and progressing into clean and presses:
 
-5 waist-level swings on each side
  Rest your bell, Shake out the tension

-1 clean, rest the bell on the floor
Repeat 1 clean on the other side

-Repeat for a total of 5 cleans to each side, resting the bell on the floor between each rep
Rest and shake it out

-1 clean, 3 pause presses for 3 seconds on one side
Safely rest the bell on the floor like you would for your swing set-up, and repeat for 1 clean and 3 pause presses on the other side
Rest and shake it off

-3 clean and press right, (re-clean after each press,) swing to switch hands,
3 clean and press left, )re-clean between each press)
Rest for two minutes

-Repeat the series for a total of 4 to 5 rounds.

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Thank you, Sara C. for your continued support to the Stroller Warriors® community!  Need a refresher?  Please take a moment to read Sara's previous pieces about Kettlebells:

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/from-running-to-kettlebells

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/kettlebell-swings-how-to-and-how-can-they-help-my-run

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/get-up-for-mobility-stability-and-flexibility-a-counter-balance-to-the-swing-run

​When people mention Stroller Warriors, the first thing that usually comes to everyone’s mind is a group of outstanding runners. True, we are runners, but we are also so much more —we organize Charitable Outreach initiatives, we volunteer, and we give back to our host communities. These are just a few of the things that make us so successful. We do this with virtually zero budget, and it is entirely due to our selfless and amazing members, friends, and family.
 
During the month of June, we hosted our second global outreach event of the year by supporting K9s for Warriors (www.k9sforwarriors.org), the nation’s largest provider of service dogs to disabled veterans,. The mission of K9s for Warriors is to end veteran suicide and allow them to have a life of dignity and independence. They rescue and train shelter dogs to be paired as service dogs for Veterans with service-related Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and Military Sexual Trauma.
 
K9s for Warriors started in 2011 and has grown exponentially! Headquartered in Ponte Vedra, Florida, they can house and train up to 70 dogs that have been rescued from kill shelters from across the nation. In 2018, they also opened the Gold Family Campus outside of Gainesville, Florida to provide more in-house training between veterans and their new service dogs. This year, they plan to finish their PetCo Foundation K9 Center in San Antonio, Texas, to function as a hub for the southwestern United States. At this San Antonio location, they will have the capability to screen and train 30 dogs before sending them to their Florida headquarters for pairing with their Veteran.  The organization is also working towards breaking ground in Florida to create the world’s largest training center for future service dogs. All of these locations give both a Veteran and a dog a second chance on life.
 
An estimated 20 Veterans die daily due from suicide. Most of these individuals have been prescribed medication and talk therapy without considerable results in combatting their post-traumatic stress symptoms. Veterans participating in the K9s for Warriors program usually take 10 to 14 different prescriptions daily, but 92% of them reduce their daily medication intake after training with their service dog, leading to reduced symptoms.
 
Each month, a group of up to 12 Veterans arrive at the K9s for Warriors headquarters for a three-week, in-house training, at no cost. These Veterans are provided with a trained service dog, housing, meals, equipment, veterinary care, and 120 hours of training with their new service dog in a family atmosphere. The dogs are already trained when the veterans arrive, but this time-period allows the veteran to bond with their new partner and as they both learn to function as a team.
 
Earlier this year, K9s for Warriors provided over 660 veterans with a service dog changing their lives for the better. 
 
As always, our members went above and beyond to support this wonderful organization:

-With limited ability to meet in person, Stroller Warriors® Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, developed a creative way to dedicate miles— the 808 Challenge (808 is the area code for Kaneohe Bay). The Chapter challenged their members to dedicate 808 miles for K9s for Warriors using “#SWsupportsK9FW.” In only 20 days, members met their goal collectively dedicating 834.55 miles!

​-Stroller Warriors 29 Palms, California, had a fun month of running as the desert temperature soared. The Chapter had four participants who collectively dedicated 441 miles.

-Stroller Warriors Lackland, Texas, hosted a month-long event supporting K9s for Warriors. Using the hashtag “#swsupportsK9FW,” their chapter dedicated 83 miles throughout June and made other contributions to the K9s for Warrions. While planning their community outreach event, they realized K9s for Warriors was in the process of building a new San Antonio training facility. Chapter leadersreached out offering their support. After corresponding with the San Antonio campus director, the Chapter hosted a dog toy making event at a local restaurant, and the restaurant also donated a portion of their monthly profits to K9s for Warriors. Members enjoyed lunch while the mini warriors played and made 12 braided toys for the service dogs. Chapter members also collected household items used for enrichment activities (various sized boxes, paper towel rolls, etc). These items were delivered directly to the training facility and Chapter members received a “hard hat” tour at the conclusion of its month-long event. 

-Stroller Warrior Quantico, Virginia, used AmazonSmile to give back to K9s for Warriors. When individuals shop on AmazonSmile, the retailer's foundation contributes a percentage of the price of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice. This was perfect timing since Amazon Prime Day took place in June as well. Chapter members also ran collectively dedicating 14 miles.

-Stroller Warrior Iwakuni, Japan, participated in a four day mile dedication event. They started on June 27th, which is National PTSD Awareness Day, and ended it on June 30th with a run followed by a HITT workout. During these four days, fourteen Chapter members collectively dedicated 60.43 miles.

-Stroller Warrior Okinawa, Japan, donated blankets and dog-bones from the K9s for Warriors wish-list on Amazon and collectively dedicated 533.98 miles.

Congratulations on a job well done Warriors!

If you are interested in learning more about K9s for Warriors please visit their website at http://www.k9sforwarriors.org/.

​The 1st Lt David “MEZr” Schmitz Memorial 5K took place yesterday at Shaw AFB, SC.  Our family took part in this meaningful run on the base flightline, along with approximately 300 other Shaw AFB Airmen and family members.  There were runners, strollers, walkers, dogs, and a large group of kids on bikes and scooters leading the pack.  

​This morning included a full spectrum of emotions as fog blanketed the base and breaking immediately before the run began.  Like all 5K runs, there was the buzz of excitement as friends and families gathered near the start line, however this run displayed an added touch— all participants wore red race shirts representing the 77th Fighter Squadron’s official color (this was 1st Lt Schmitz’s squadron).  

​This sea of red assembled in the grassy area between taxiways to hear remarks from 1st Lt Schmitz’s family, Wing leadership, close aviator friends, and to unveil a memorial stone located on the spot where he tragically lost his life when his ejection seat failed.      
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​As the fog lifted, the justifiably somber ceremony also lifted into excitement in celebration of 1st Lt Schmitz’s life and legacy as everyone positioned themselves at the start.  The kids took to their bikes and were busy boasting over who was going to win, while the parents watched this youthful peloton race down the runway just like the F-16s during takeoff!  Parents, Airmen, base personnel, and retirees tried to keep up with the kids; however, they were simply too fast.  Everyone still gave it their all nonetheless to commemorate the meaningful purpose of this 5K run.  
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​Though runways on Fighter bases are typically full of the thunderous roar of the jets, today was different—it included the rhythmic sound of feet striking the ground, the slight wind rustling through the tall grass, the chirping of crickets, and the happy chatter of friends running together, specifically, Stroller Warrior Elsewhere friends

Most interesting, though this race was designed to be a 5K, the race ended unintentionally a bit short at 2.77 miles…a poignant connection directly back to 1Lt Schmitz’s squadron, the 77th. 

​Proceeds from the 5K support the Lt David Schmitz Foundation which you can read more about through last week’s blog post: https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/running-to-honor-1st-lt-david-mezr-schmitz.