Meet Peggy - a fun, fit, busy mom of twins and wife of Jeremy - who is currently an athletic trainer for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program. Peggy began working in college athletics in 1999 as a marketing intern at the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her bachelor's degree. From there she moved on to University of Iowa where she was a full time marketing intern and just so happened to meet her now husband! She earned a her master's degree at University of Minnesota while working as a marketing coordinator there. She has also spent time as GM of Nelligan Sports Marketing at Colorado State University and University of Nebraska. 9 months ago she began a new adventure as Director of Business Developement at NET (Nebraska Educational Telecommunications). Currently, she loves to support the Cornhuskers as a football wife. Jeremy and Peggy's twins Emma and Landon are big time Nebraska football fans and they also love NET programming!
How did your fitness journey begin?
I have always been involved with athletics specially being from a small town in Iowa. Small towns need everyone to go out for sports to make a team! In college, I fell in love with working out and actually wanted to own my own gym. I majored in Leisure Service and Recreation, but my internship opportunities led me to sports marketing. On top of working within athletics during college, I worked part-time at a fitness center helping others with weight control. After college I made fitness a major part of my life and daily routine, even with a challenging schedule, but it wasn’t until we moved to Colorado where I actually gave running a chance. Before six years ago, I focused only on cardio equipment in a gym and my love for group fitness classes. After trying my first half marathon, I fell in love with the challenge of trying to beat my time. My goal now is to run one half marathon each year.
What is your favorite kind of workout?
Group fitness classes! It has been so long since I have had an opportunity to make it to one, I can’t even tell you my favorite one! A class with a combination of good strength and cardio would be my first choice as long as someone is pushing me.
What do you eat for breakfast?
I don’t miss breakfast. I have a bowl of Special K with berries and 2 cups of coffee every day.
Do you have a favorite post-workout snack?
After a workout, I like to reload with a cold bottle of water. After a race, my favorite drink is a blue Gatorade and a piece of a bagel.
What is the biggest challenge to balancing work, being a mom, being a sports wife and staying healthy?
You just named it all...the biggest challenge is balancing it all!!! The problem is there is not enough time in the day to give everything 100%. It’s figuring out and planning when you can work out. I usually look at my calendar each week and figure out when I can squeeze a workout in at 5am or 7pm or 9 pm. I gave up my gym membership when we had the twins five years ago. I figure it wasn’t fair to the kids to go to daycare all day and then go to another hour of daycare so I could work out at a fitness center. Actually, it has worked out well. We purchased a treadmill, free weights, bands, and swiss balls. Recently, I purchased some new DVDs to get my fix for fitness class!
Another challenge is planning healthy meals. This where I need a lot of help! It seems to be a challenge for me to plan healthy meals and balancing everything else. Luckily, I have an incredible husband that is a better chef than Emeril! When, which is not very often, he will put together a nice meal for us all.
Another challenge is planning healthy meals. This where I need a lot of help! It seems to be a challenge for me to plan healthy meals and balancing everything else. Luckily, I have an incredible husband that is a better chef than Emeril! When, which is not very often, he will put together a nice meal for us all.
Not only is your husband a stellar chef - he's an athletic trainer too! Does he help you with your own injuries?
This is funny. He jokes when I have an injury that I don’t follow his rehab plan for my injury. So he says he won’t help me, but he always ends up helping me out. Sometimes it goes back to having enough time. I would love to focus 15-30 minutes on a rehab for an injury, but I would rather fight through it to get in a good 45 minute workout!
What motivates you?
My biggest motivation is when someone says I can’t do it. This is especially true when I started running the half marathons. My day to day motivation is I want to be healthy and feel good about myself.
Do you have any training partners?
Due to schedules, I’m on my own, but I have run races with friends. My best memory is last year I ran the Dam to Dam in Des Moines, Iowa with my best friend. We trained in separated cities and we ran the race side by side until the end. Actually it ended up being my fastest pace to date. Shockingly, we talked almost the whole time but we continued to push each other when we needed to.
My consistent training partner for running is Nike Plus. I didn’t have this equipment for my first race and I wish I would have had it. It tracks my miles and pace. It really helped me to push myself on every run.
My other new favorite love is the Brazil Butt Lift. Yes, it is a DVD set and I love it! It’s my “class” every day!
My consistent training partner for running is Nike Plus. I didn’t have this equipment for my first race and I wish I would have had it. It tracks my miles and pace. It really helped me to push myself on every run.
My other new favorite love is the Brazil Butt Lift. Yes, it is a DVD set and I love it! It’s my “class” every day!
Best friends after the Dam-to-Dam run in Des Moines, Iowa
Are there any foods you avoid?
I wish I had food I would avoid, but this is probably why I have to work out!
It's a splurge day - what is your go-to food?
A Starbucks Caramel Latte or Jimmy John’s!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Running the Horsetooth Half Marathon in Fort Collins, not only one time, but three times! The second time I ran this race was 6 months after the twins were born and I was able to beat my previous time.
What are some of your healthy goals for 2014?
My healthy goals are to focus on cooking at least one or two healthy meals per week with planning ahead. I’m hopeful this will turn into five to six very healthy meals each week.
Of course I want at least 30 minutes of working out each day, I shoot for one hour. And run more!
Of course I want at least 30 minutes of working out each day, I shoot for one hour. And run more!
What is your favorite sport to watch?
Of course the most fun and most stressful is watching college football from the stands every Saturday. At this point in my life I love watching our kids in their activities and I hope they fall in love with sports/fitness as well.
What is your typical game-day routine?
I wake up with the kids and turn on some College GameDay. I make sure to put together a bag of goodies for the kids and pile in the car. Depending on who we are going with, or meeting up with, we may stop by a tailgate and then the pre-game fanfest area for the kids. We will finally make it to our seats right before kickoff starts. I normally don’t get a “workout” in on game days.
How do you plug into a new fitness community after a move?
I think you just get started into your routine and I’m always hopeful you find friends with the same interests and fitness levels.
Any other advice to share?
Don’t wait to start, just start, even if it’s baby steps. I don’t call myself a runner, but each year I set out to train for a half marathon. Unfortunately, due to schedules I don’t keep up the miles each week. I’m hopefully as the kids get older I can keep running 365 days a year and they can begin to run with me.
Peggy, Jeremy and the kiddos staying fit as a family!
Thanks Peggy and GO HUSKERS!
I love sharing what fit and healthy women in the sports world are doing! They sure motivate me - and my hope is that they will motivate you too! If you know someone (or you yourself) that should be featured here - send me a message!
I love sharing what fit and healthy women in the sports world are doing! They sure motivate me - and my hope is that they will motivate you too! If you know someone (or you yourself) that should be featured here - send me a message!
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