Dec 19, 2021 | Newsletter, Nutrition
Healthy Eating Through the Holidays
by Diana Davis RDN, LDN – Without Limits Dietitian Nutritionist
Do you have a plan for your holiday eating?
Yes, I know you want to celebrate the holidays! The parties and celebrating have already
begun, and I want you to be able to eat, drink and be merry, BUT not too much!
You know the drill, too much eating, drinking, and merriment can add up to feeling bloated and
lethargic in the “short run” and too much partying will produce gains in body weight and body
fat (which is never good) in the “long run!” All of this typically equals a few missed workouts at
a minimum and in some cases, a really “good excuse” to take the month of December off from
training!
So, what can you do? Consider having a plan.
- Day of a holiday event/party: get your workout in early; hydrate with lots of water
throughout the day; eat a balanced meal or snack before you go to the party; bring a
vegetable-forward appetizer to share (such as a meat, cheese & veggie tray, a hummus
& veggie tray, or a spinach and artichoke dip with veggies and crackers/chips)
- At the holiday event/party: HAVE A GOOD TIME; continue to drink water – between
rounds of alcohol; make sure to eat with attention to more protein and veggies, and if
your holiday gathering is an all-day event, get outside and get active with the kids!
- Day after the festivities: get back to training as quickly as possible – you will never regret
it; resume your regularly scheduled eating; and always water first, veggies most!
Interested in starting the New Year with a nutrition plan customized for your personal goals?, I
would love to be your nutritionist! I am licensed to provide nutrition counseling in both NC and
SC and am an in-network provider with several major insurance carriers. Reach out to me by
email dianadavisrd@gmail.com or through the Without Limits app or website
https://www.iamwithoutlimits.com/membership/nutrition
Nov 12, 2021 | Community, Newsletter, Testimonial
If you’ve ever run the streets of Charleston or participated in a local race, there’s a good chance you were passed with a greeting from a speedy blonde-haired woman saying, “Granny, coming through!” For some, it’s incentive to speed up to not let “Granny” beat them. Others might walk away feeling defeated, having been smoked by “Granny.” Still, it’s likely it put a smile on the faces of anyone who saw or heard Cherry Kent (or “Granny”) come by at her usual 8 minute/mile pace.
And, that’s exactly why Cherry Kent runs.
“I just really do love it,” said Kent. “It’s a great sport. Racing is what got me hooked, but once I started racing, it motivated me… Health was a side benefit. I just really liked the competition.”
This year, Cherry Kent turned 65 years old. On November 7, 2021 she ran the New York City Marathon, her 49th marathon and ninth NYC Marathon. She’s run the Boston Marathon 15 times and tells her tales of marathoning with vivid memories of both pain and love.
In fact, in 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon and could barely walk for days after, due to a lower back injury. She was not proud of her time that year and even considered giving up marathons completely.
Now, at 65 years old, that’s all changed. She ran her third fastest NYC Marathon this year with a finish time of 4:09:18 (~9:30 minute/mile pace).
“The coaching from Without Limits and strength training has improved my running experience,” said Kent. “As you get older, you need to incorporate more strength training and having a plan, with pickups, for the long runs helped a lot.”
Cherry joined Without Limits in 2019, around the same she was considering retiring from her marathon career.
Now, she has a new goal.
“I’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2022. That will get me to 50 marathons. I’ll try to keep an open mind about it after that,” said Kent.
Having run 49 marathons to date, she understands the work that goes into having a successful race and the often-painful recovery after a marathon.
She stays with her friend Chancy every year when she runs the NYC Marathon. And, through the years, their experience surrounding the race has changed.
“We call it the ‘geriatric adventure’ now,” Kent said laughing. “If I do NYC again, I will have to make more accommodations for after the race for our ‘geriatric adventure.’”
Cherry Kent is a competitor amongst people of all ages. She started running 37 years ago. Some years, she completed four marathons in a year. She’s run hundreds of 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons and completed dozens of triathlons.
The thing she loves most about running is the connections she’s made.
“I’ve met so many friends. I know so many people through it.”
She met her husband Matthew Kent through running years ago.
“We would not be together if not for running,” said Kent. “It’s great that we support each other. We also get mad at each other, too. If we offer too much advice, we will yell at each other… And, if I get too old to race, I’ll still be supporting him at races.”
Cherry Kent is an inspiration to her Without Limits teammates and coaches, and frankly, anyone who crosses her path. But, even with her speedy 24-minute 5ks and blazing fast marathons, she finds a way to be the least intimidating person at races. If her speed doesn’t catch your attention, her humor and ability to laugh at herself is sure to draw you in.
“After one race, when they were calling out awards, they pronounced my name as ‘Shimmy Cracker’,” said Cherry Kent. “I don’t know how they got that, but after that, several people called me Shimmy Cracker.”
So, whether you refer to her as Granny, Shimmy Cracker, or any other affectionate name, Cherry Kent will put a smile on your face…even when she’s leaving you in the dust.
Jul 9, 2021 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Nutrition, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
by: Tom Clifford
WITHOUT LIMITS: 14 YEARS….HOW WE STARTED: 14 years ago we decided to start a business coaching runners and it turned out to be a little more than that:)
I met Kyle Shepard playing beer pong and told him I am going to start coaching runners at the track and he should come out. Kyle said. IGGHHHTT. I’ll be there. (I honestly didn’t believe him) but he showed up. Alecia Williams also showed up as she was my first client that I met in the gym and Erin Hogston a former UNCW hurdler also showed up.
That business was going to be named High Voltage running, because I loved the band ACDC. Really I loved Thunderstruck but that didn’t make sense to name a running group Thunderstruck. After some thought, I figured ehhh, High Voltage a little corny and took a vote with some runners that were already training with us. Without Limits stuck out as one of the great running films about Steve Prefontaine. So we moved forward with the name WITHOUT LIMITS and actually trademarked the name a year later.
The group grew and people improved. I learned a lot in those first years about working with ability levels from novice to good age group runners. Kristen Smith started helping me time from the beginning and is now still coaching and a Wilmington Firefighter. Kristen has been a tremendous coach over the years and we appreciate everything she has done!
(added: I can’t forget Anthony Enoch who took me to my first marathon in Myrtle Beach and is still a current friend and athlete)
In 2009 I got into triathlon. I enjoyed racing triathlon and really wanted to begin coaching triathletes as well. So after a year of studying triathlon and getting certified, we added triathlon to our list of services.
I then realized Wilmington did not have a full marathon in the city. The
NHRMC Wilmington NC Marathon and Half Marathon was born, formerly the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon as many of you remember it. We put together a great team of people to make the race happen. The race had 1400 runners in it’s first year and putting on events really got my juices flowing. The marathon grew to a near 4000 runners over the last 10 years and continues to change and adapt to our city and hopefully will continue to be successful.
In 2011 Annette Clifford quit her job to help me with the business. We now had just one source of income for our family and we just got married and bought a house. Annette fixed a lot! If it wasn’t for her our books would probably be backwards.
In 2012 we had a coaching breakthrough when Christa Iammarino qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. This was any coaches dream to be able to be on an athlete’s journey to an OTQ.
Also in 2012, I met Jon Carne from
Port City Apparel. Jon helped our brand improve drastically through apparel. We began creating our own race t-shirts for races. The race t-shirt industry just didn’t meet expectations with design and comfort. Jon really helped our company and our races create the best shirts you can get at a race!
2012 remained a great year as we had started our Without Limits Youth program with Colin Hackman. The goal was development of young athletes so they could go to High School developed and excited to run. Aaron Kolk came along and has been a tremendous coach for youth and adult and now triathlete coach for so many.
Now Without Limits, the Marathon and Without Limits Apparel were three main pillars of our company. I met Mike Duncan at Sage Island who helped us with branding and web design. With my brother Steve and Mike dialing in our logo we had a good branded logo that had meaning! WITHOUT LIMITS…..Embrace the Challenge.
Now Without Limits had some other coaches in other locations. Chris Bailey in Charleston. Matt Hammersmith in Greenville, Trey McCain in Columbia and Josh Estep in Raleigh area.
After going to one of Matt’s races in Greenville, that sparked and idea to create a trail relay that brought families, friends of all ages to compete in an ultra marathon style age graded relay race in a big field. The
Southern Tour Ultra was born. A combination of ideas into one. The Southern Tour was another pillar of Without Limits that added my kind of flavor. Woods, Beer, Running, Classic Rock Music and competitiveness! From Southern tour
Copperhead 20K and
Shakori 40 were both branches off the same concept with different distances and vibes at each event.
In 2019 three of our ladies qualified for the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials which was another coaching honor to be on the Journey of Erin Hogston who was one of my first athletes, Brittany Perkins and Peyton Thomas.
In 2019 I met Shawn and Scott Tunis along with Diana Davis our dietitian and we created a vitamin and long run recovery shake line that will assist runners with better nutrition and recovery.
Runners Daily Vitamin
Of all of these highlights, there are so many accomplishments by athletes along the way that I am so excited to have been on their journey. Also so many people to thank. Beth Ann Soporowski for coming on board and helping us with back end work and sponsors, Maleia Tumolo Celia Wolff, JP Merchant and Angela Midget who all have brought great energy to practices.
While this may look like a good ol’ highlight reel, there were many struggles along the way. But I can say every single struggle made us a stronger company, better communicators and always lit a fire under us to BE BETTER.
We are Without Limits, and we appreciate the support from so many.
Visit us now and grab some apparel if you want:)
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Oct 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Written By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Let’s talk about the basics and importance of foam rolling.
Foam rolling is something a lot of athletes know they should do. “Some” athletes use a foam roller on a regular basis but let us be honest, most runners don’t use one often or at all and would benefit from regular use.
Foam rollers come in different sizes and lengths. Some are smooth and some have ridges. Some are hard and some soft. Honestly, just a basic foam roller is all you need in order to reap the benefits associated with using one regularly. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You can purchase one for as little as $15.00. 
The importance of foam rolling is simple. It aids in recovery and helps prevent injuries. Basically, a foam roller acts as a way for you to massage yourself by breaking down adhesions between the muscles and increasing blood flow to the area. It also helps speed up recovery, decrease muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
The great thing about foam rolling is that you can control the intensity by adjusting the pressure and/or body position and the speed of rolling.
Your goal is to find areas of discomfort. Once you find these areas, you should stop/slow down and put pressure to release the knot. You can also manipulate the area by adding in other movements such as ankle circles, flexing and extending appendages, contracting and relaxing muscles, and using small lateral movements across the knot to help break up the problem area.
When should you foam roll? After workouts and on your days off are your best options. You will want shorter sessions on multiple days. Instead of one long session once a week. Just like everything else you can roll too much so four 15 minutes sessions 4 times a week is much easier on your body then one 1-hour session on a Sunday. You will want to take your time while rolling. Focus on what you are doing and try to stay in tune with how your body is feeling so that you can find those problem areas. Roll one area at a time and do 2-3 minutes on each body part. Stick to only rolling the belly of the muscle and be cautious of your ligament and tendons.
Check out the video below to see a video of a basic lower body foam rolling routine any athlete can do.
These areas include:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- IT-bands
- Quads
- Shins
- Lower back
Video: Intro to Foam Rolling
http://bit.ly/foamrollingwol
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Jun 23, 2020 | Community
June 23rd 2020
By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Tips For Running Your First Ultra Marathon
I run……A LOT! Most days, I’m hitting the trails or pavement for hours at a time. Trying to log miles for my next Ultra. But I wasn’t always an ultra runner. Actually, until a few years ago, most of the races I have done didn’t last over an hour and were triathlons. But because of
those triathlons, I found a love for being on trails. I soon realized that I also loved climbing mountains and putting one foot in front of the other for many miles. My ultra journey has been quite an adventure. I’ve trained months for some races and signed up just days before others. However, each and every one has been an adventure and a learning experience. Below, I have compiled a list of tips that I have learned through the years. I believe these are important for those wanting to run their first Ultra.
- Commitment: Commit to training. Commit to starting. Commit to doing all the preparation needed to finish. Race day will be hard, tedious, uncomfortable, and the day will be long but your commitments will keep you in constant forward movement.
- Don’t push your pace: It is not a sprint and it’s not a marathon. For most it’s a long jog in the woods. So start easy, take your time, make good choices and if you want to speed up later there are plenty of miles at the end.
- Food…….and more food!: There is a little chance of you making it across the finish line of an ultra marathon, let alone doing so feeling strong, if you don’t nail your fueling strategy. By the time you reach the starting line you should have an understanding of what you can stomach during a race. Keep in mind fueling is very specific to the individual racer.
- Cheers: My best advice is drink before you’re actually thirsty. Since Ultras last several hours it’s critical to stay hydrated. Carrying a hand held or a hydration vest is beneficial since aid stations are few and far between.
- Pick things up and put them down: Cross training is an important component of your ultra training. Working your muscles in different ways is one of the best ways to prevent overuse injuries.
- Everyone walks and that’s ok: Even the very best ultra runners hike during hilly races, so it makes sense to train for this. In the words of Dean Karnazes “run when you can, walk if you have, crawl if you must”…it all counts as moving closer to the finish line!
- Use your poles!: If you are up against a really long distance or technical mountains, poles can be your best friend, but you must practice with them prior……A lot! There is an art to running with poles and it would be wise to master that before race day.
- You need skills: Nearly all ultras are run on trails which means steep inclines and declines, rocky footing, and a variety of surfaces to cross. Naturally, the best way to prepare for the variety of terrain is to practice so I recommend getting on the trails as much as possible. Ideally on the same type of terrain as your race.
- Be positive!: Remember it’s supposed to BE FUN! Sure there may be some low points but you’ll have to dig deep. Just a small amount of positivity and self love can get you through the rough patches and across the finish line that much faster.
So who is ready to start this new chapter in their running and in their lives….Test the limits of the human body and mind?
Apr 17, 2020 | Community
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
April 17, 2020
Athletes need to be intentional about the way they fuel, hydrate, and refuel around the “training window.” This refers to the block of time just before, during, and after any hard work-out or long run, defined as 90 minutes or longer. During this training window, what you eat and drink makes all the difference in the quality of the workout, how well you will tolerate the training, and the recovery and adaptation your body and your muscles make in response to the work you are doing. I work with clients to help them find what is their best pre-workout meal, which sports drinks or electrolyte replacements meet their fluid and electrolyte needs, and which carbohydrate foods, gels or chew they can tolerate while training and how to properly recover after they are done.
The immediate need for a recovery drink which is ideally consumed within 30 minutes after finishing a long run or long workout is best satisfied by a new product: Runners Essentials Long Run Recovery shake. The nutrition profile of this shake matches what research shows an athlete needs after a long effort (90 minutes or more). It contains a combination of fast and slow carbohydrates to replace spent glycogen stores, in a ratio of 3:1 with high quality protein, along with branched chain amino acids to repair muscle damage, electrolytes potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium to replace sweat losses.
But what makes this recovery shake perfect for endurance athletes is the combination of 5 special ingredients not found in any other product on the market: L-Glutamine to reduce post-exercise fatigue; Alpha GPC to enhance brain function and increase human growth hormone; L-Theanine to promote relaxation and mental calmness; Ashwagandha to decrease exercise induced muscle damage; and Tart Cherry to reduce inflammation, lessen muscle soreness and pain and speed strength recovery. The science behind each of these ingredients is convincing and in combination they facilitate recovery, strength, energy and relaxation. It is a new product that I am shaking up after all my long runs! Click here to read more about Runners Essential Long Run Recovery Nutritional Shake.
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Apr 17, 2020 | Community
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
April 17, 2020
Take a look at this recipe! It is packed with good nutrition and flavor. It contains a variety of immunity supporting ingredients including protein, iron, and zinc-rich chicken, edamame (green soybeans), chickpeas and tahini, as well as leafy greens, and mango to really boost your intake of vitamins A & C in a salad that will leave you truly satisfied!
A high fiber salad eaten once daily should be part of your nutrition plan to promote healthy gut bacteria. Eating a variety of veggies and fruits which are high in soluble fiber (beans, peas, lentils and apples are a few examples) contribute prebiotics which “feed” the healthy bacteria in our guts and in turn help regulate the body’s immune response to illness.
I love everything about this recipe and the simplicity with which it can be made vegan. Just eliminate the chicken kabobs! The new version of the dish is still an excellent source of protein, with 19 grams per serving and rich in iron, zinc, fiber, vitamins A and C.
Eat well, be well and enjoy!
Mar 26, 2020 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
By Kyle Genaro Phillips
March 2020 will forever be etched in our memories. Over the course of the last fourteen days, our global community came to a grinding halt. There are a number of different personal responses, to include, denial, panic, and hopelessness against the backdrop of something that we collectively do not have a firm grasp or understand. I have taken a moment to reflect on what this experience means to me during a period that Winston Churchill aptly phrased as the “end of the beginning.”
Readiness is something that is dogmatic in the Marine Corps ethos. As a battalion commander at the School of Infantry for two years, we constantly preached “readiness” to our newly minted Marines. The refrain went something like this: “the time to prepare for combat is not when you are on the precipice of conflict. Train every day like it’s your last to prepare for war.” Readiness was the mantra. Be ready. Study, be physically fit, prepare your family for the possibility of deploying for combat. Since September 2001, our military has rightfully seen the benefits and consequences of our state of readiness.
The current global pandemic has provided an opportunity for all of us to take inventory of our personal state of readiness. What is our readiness – physically, financially, and spiritually for the unknown challenges that we will face in the future? The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated in a clear fashion that our physical readiness may have a very real impact on our individual ability to be resilient in the face of unknown health crises. Do we exercise? Do we smoke? Are we eating healthy meals? Do we get adequate sleep in order to maintain the best and healthiest version of ourselves? Physical readiness is not something that we can flip a switch, take a pill, or order from Amazon. Physical readiness takes discipline, teamwork, and dedication to the process to ensure our individual well-being. While it’s never too late to start, we have a finite ability to improve our physical conditioning. Don’t delay.
The current crisis has also demonstrated the necessity of financial readiness. Everyone in some way has been impacted financially by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Financial planners have often preached that we should have 6 month’s salary saved for emergencies. Additionally, are we disciplined to keep our debt to income ratio low so that we have credit when we need credit. Our individual financial resiliency contributes to the overall financial resiliency of our community and country. While we may not be able to immediately change our financial position in the light of the current volatile environment, at some point we will be back to a stable economy where we must balance our current needs and wants with the necessity to build economic resiliency through savings and low debt.
Finally, our spiritual readiness is critically important. What is the status of our relationships, both personally and professionally? Do we have a firm spiritual base to weather the rough seas that undoubtably will present themselves in our life? Do we have a loving relationship with our family and those closest to us? This we can change. Be kind. Show empathy. The individual positivity displayed in the face of extreme circumstances has the same exponential effect as the viral crisis we face today. Our spiritual readiness must be constantly nurtured. In hard times, spiritual resiliency is perhaps the hardest to muster in the absence of a lifelong commitment to fostering a foundation upon which to build.
Readiness is critical to our individual and collective achievements. Let us all reflect on where we are now, physically, financially, and spiritually. We all can improve. Let us be accountable for ourselves with the support of our friends and community. The current crisis will pass. Resist the urge to just “get back to normal.” Together we can work for a better normal. Through our disciplined approach to our personal readiness we will persevere. Start now.
(Kyle G. Phillips is an active duty Marine with nearly 22 years of service. The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD, DON, or the Marine Corps.)
Mar 22, 2020 | Community, Nutrition, Training Advice, Uncategorized
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
March 22nd 2020
In the midst of our current situation in the world of handwashing, sanitizing, social distancing, work from home, self-quarantine and cancellations it’s great to know that what we eat to fuel our bodies can boost our immunity and help protect us from coronavirus. There are foods that enhance immune function and we need to eat a varied diet rich in plant-based phytochemicals to fight off the pathogens that make us sick. The good news is, the more vegetables and fruits you eat, the better for your immunity.
Research has identified immune-boosting vitamins: beta-carotene, vitamins B6, B12, C, D, E and folate as well as minerals: iron and zinc. Choosing a menu loaded with whole plant foods from the produce section of the grocery store (or the frozen food versions of the same) is the best way to obtain these nutrients along with the fiber and prebiotics they contain. Some great examples of immunity boosting foods include vegetables: garlic, onions, leafy greens, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms and fruits including apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, mango, and strawberries.
Knowing what to eating and then actually doing it can be challenging. To make it easier, I have created an incredible 2-week Immunity-Boosting Nutrition Plan to help you get started. This meal plan contains some of my favorite healthy-and-delicious recipes, step by step directions, grocery lists and nutrition facts. This plan can help you fuel your body for life or for training and is appropriate for all members of your household. This is a great introduction to following a meal plan and getting into a strong routine to do meal prep each week to support your success.
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Mar 14, 2020 | Community
March 14th 2020
By: Team Sponsor Dave Dupont
Senior Vice President – Financial Advisor
Senior Consulting Group
RBC Wealth Management
I want to reach out to give you an update of where we are in this market and to give you our latest thoughts about where we think we are headed. Click here for RBC’s latest view on the coronavirus and potential impacts.
Regarding the markets, we feel like the economic impact that the virus is having will lead to a decline in GDP growth for the first 2 quarters of the year. We see a modest bounce back in the 3rd quarter and a bigger bounce back in the 4th quarter. I feel like most or
all of the negative impact to the stock market has already been felt as we are down roughly 25% from the high water mark earlier this year.
*Please note that your specific portfolios are not going to be down that much unless you are 100% invested in stock. To the extent that you have cash/money market, bonds or other fixed income investments, your downside hasn’t been as great as the general stock market. The extremely low interest rates that are out there have helped to keep bond prices generally more stable than stocks. I’m happy to help you sort through the calculations of your specific portfolios.
We are continuing to monitor the markets and make changes in our models as we feel are appropriate. However, given the rapid and constantly changing nature of the decline it has been difficult to make bold moves in any one direction. At this point I am not advising anyone to sell their stocks unless there is an urgent need for cash for some reason. I’m confident that markets will stabilize and start to move back up once some of the news turns less negative and less sensationalized.
Just as an FYI, I have personally made no changes in my 401(k) or IRA investments since this downturn started. I also have tried to avoid frequently looking at my account balances because 1) I already know that it’s down significantly and seeing the actual number isn’t going to help me feel any better and, 2) I know I own good quality investments and that values will go back (as they have every ti
me in the history of the US stock market). That faith keeps me from making short term decisions that I would probably regret down the road.
I am keeping relevant updated information on my website www.rbcwmfa.com/david.dupont I would encourage you to check this out for our latest thoughts. To access this, go under the section at the top of the page titled “Resources and Insights” and select “Market Commentary”. As always, I am here to talk through with you anything on your mind. While we are somewhat in “unchartered waters”, I believe that we have a good handle on where we are and where we’re going.
Lastly, please use common sense precautions in your daily life. I’m avoiding crowds if at all possible, I’m washing my hands constantly throughout the day (my mom would be so proud of me), and I am going through more than my share of hand sanitizer.
Thank you for your confidence in me and in RBC during this difficult time. It will pass.
For trends and more information click here!
David V. Dupont, AWM
Senior Vice President – Financial Advisor
Senior Consulting Group
RBC Wealth Management
1055 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 200
Wilmington, NC 28403
p 910-509-0513
7029 Albert Pick Road, Suite 201
Greensboro, NC 27409
p 336-668-2877
david.dupont@rbc.com
Web Site: https://www.rbcwmfa.com/david.dupont/
