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December 9th, 2011
08:46 AM ET
Tri Challenge journey still going, still workingKendrick Henley was one of six CNN viewers chosen to be a part of the 2011 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. He trained with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and raced the New York City Triathlon on August 7. Since then Henley has kept up his new healthy lifestyle and recently raced his second 5K since the triathlon. CNN is looking for viewers like Henley to join our 2012 Challenge. Click "Add Your Story" to apply. The year 2011 might be coming to an end, but Kendrick’s journey and Team Henley’s celebrations continue... When Kendrick, Coach Keith and I (Coach Mary Ann) became “Team Henley” in January 2011, none of us knew what to expect from the coming year. Kendrick had just been selected for the 2011 Fit Nation Challenge and Coach Keith and I were excited to have the opportunity to coach a new athlete from our hometown of Chicago. That was pretty much all that we knew, and out of the three of us, Kendrick was taking the biggest risk. He was literally letting the world know that he wanted to change the way he was living, lose weight and take on a healthier lifestyle. 
November 18th, 2011
05:31 PM ET
Tri Challenge: Triathlon helped me change my lifeKendrick Henley was one of six CNN viewers chosen to be a part of the 2011 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. He trained with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and raced the New York City Triathlon on August 7. CNN is looking for viewers like Henley to join our 2012 Challenge. Click "Share Your Story" to apply. It has been almost a year since I applied to be a part of CNN Six Pack. When I applied, I had been trying to get in shape for the past several years, but could not seem to follow through. So, I thought if I did the CNN challenge, it would motivate me to get fit or at the very least, hold me accountable. So I decided to submit a video. As I thought about what to say, I decided that I would just be honest and plainly spoke into my webcam and sent my video. I remember getting the call on Christmas Eve from Dr. Sanjay Gupta indicating that I was chosen to be a member of the Six Pack. I was so excited, but said to myself, “I have to do this.” I must say that this was an incredibly hard challenge for me, but it was so rewarding. I still remember when I first arrived at Well-Fit Triathlon Training Center for my first workout where I was constantly stopping and could not continuously exercise for more than 2 minutes. Then came the small breakthroughs: my old belt being too big, biking 20 miles, running a mile without stopping and finally crossing the finish line in New York. I cannot believe that I did it. I realized that this journey was going to be more than 6 months and that it would take additional time to reach my goals, but I am so glad that I took this first step. It has helped me begin to change my life. 
August 7th, 2011
04:22 PM ET
For 6-Pack, a landmark dayThey did it! CNN's Sixpack, Joaquin Brignoni, Stasia Cirricione, Kendrick Henley, Nina Lovel, Kas Seerla, and Scott Zahn, are officially triathletes after successfully completing the Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday, as part of the Fit Nation 2011 Triathlon Challenge. The adventure began bright and early when the group met at 3:40 a.m. to be shuttled over to the race site. It was pouring rain and a little chilly but nothing could dampen the morning's excitement. After a delayed race start, the Sixpack jumped in to the Hudson around 6:40 a.m. All finished the race, with Joaquin Brignoni coming in first for the 6-Pack.  Kendrick with his triathlon coaches Keith Klebacha and Mary Ann Sedor
August 3rd, 2011
05:24 PM ET
Tri Challenge/Kendrick: I've come so farSince January, six iReporters have been training in the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. We’re following along as they prepare to compete alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the August 7 Nautica NYC Triathlon. During their last week before the race, we asked each of them the following questions: What's the biggest change you've seen in yourself since kick-off weekend? What are your personal goals for the tri?" This weekend, "Sanjay Gupta, M.D." will be live from New York at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. Watch the culmination of our team's training I am less than one week away from my first triathlon and it has been an amazing six months. While there have been some setbacks and disappointments, I am glad that I took this first step. The biggest change I have seen in myself has been increased confidence. I remember when I first met my trainers in January and was not sure that I could actually complete a triathlon. I was a bona-fide coach potato and remember how after a few strokes in the endless pool I was out of breath. Last week in Lake Michigan, I swam almost a mile and was able to settle into a rhythm and regulate my breathing. 
July 20th, 2011
05:50 PM ET
Tri Challenge: Kendrick takes on open waterSince January, six iReporters have been training in the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. We’re following along as they prepare to compete alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the August 7 Nautica NYC Triathlon. There comes a time in every triathlete's life when he dips his toe into open water. For the triathletes that train in the Chicagoland area, we are blessed with “Ohio Street Beach,” a sandy stretch of shoreline and marked swim along a breakwall on Lake Michigan. In the summer months, when the water temperature finally begins to rise to about 60, Ohio Street Beach becomes a mecca for triathletes. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, you will find people squirming in and out of wetsuits and training at this site. It is a great place to practice swimming in the open water. There is a solid breakwall on one side, buoys to mark the ¼, ½, and ¾ mile swim and on a good day you can see the bottom of the lake below you. For Kendrick, this was his first place to try open water swimming. It was yet another big step along his already epic journey. Not only was it the site of his first long swim, it was also the start location for his first three-hour training session. 
July 12th, 2011
03:43 PM ET
Tri Challenge: Team Kendrick takes a cruiseSince January, six iReporters have been training in the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. We’re following along as they prepare to compete alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the August 7 Nautica NYC Triathlon. Two weeks ago, I went on a family reunion Caribbean cruise. My major concern was being out of my normal environment. However, I was able to manage better than I expected. I did not work out as often as I normally do, but I didn’t beat myself up. (It was a vacation.) I made little changes that I think worked. I took the stairs whenever I could. I also made sure that my shore excursions were active ones, such as scuba diving and snorkeling. In terms of nutrition, some days were better than others. A good day would include a breakfast of oatmeal, lunch of chicken and vegetables, and broiled fish and vegetables at dinner. A bad day would include pancakes for breakfast, a hamburger for lunch, and steak for dinner, but I still tried to watch my portion size. 
June 16th, 2011
10:32 AM ET
Fit Nation Tri Challenge: Progress... Progress... ProgressThe past few weeks have been amazing! All of the pieces are coming together. At the end of May I biked 30 miles. It is the farthest I have ever biked. I remember in Hawaii I was so shocked that I was even able to do 12 miles, now I've complete 30 miles. My bike handling skills have significantly improved. Last week my trainer, Mary Ann, showed me how to get more power out of my pedal stroke by simply using a harder gear. This minor change allowed me to go faster without exerting more energy. Today was another improvement. With my trainer, Keith, we began with our typical warm-up with a short run/walk combination. I started running on the treadmill and before I knew it, I had run a mile without stopping. Normally, I have would run half a mile and walk the other and alternate, but today I ran a whole mile without stopping. Also, my heart rate fluctuates when I run, but today I was able to keep it in the 140s. 
May 4th, 2011
11:48 AM ET
Tri Challenge: Breakthrough on the bikeIt has been one week since I came back from Hawaii and there are 14 weeks left to go until race day. Before Hawaii, I had a few bad weeks of training and was a little discouraged, but Hawaii was like a big reset button, and I am feeling great about training going forward. Tim DeBoom offered some words of encouragement and told me to “embrace the process.” Those words are really changing the way I look at workouts. I use to dread the workouts, but now I look at them as opportunities to improve my skills and build endurance. Also, my cycling has improved. I biked on Saturday with my coach and we had a breakthrough. We lowered my bike seat, and such a small change produced a huge result. For the first time since I have been riding outside I felt in total control of the bike. I finally feel that the pieces are coming together nicely and cannot wait until August.
April 22nd, 2011
03:48 PM ET
Tri Challenge: Personal bests during mini triDo you remember the first time you swam in the ocean? Kas Seerla does, that's for sure. It happened here in Kona, Hawaii, two days ago. She braved the waves, the current and lots of anxiety to swim nearly a quarter of a mile. And then she did it all again yesterday during this week's capstone workout: a mini tri where the 6-pack swam for 20 minutes, biked for an hour and ran for 20 minutes. Yesterday was hot, hot, hot, but that didn't stop anyone from completing the race. Even Kendrick was able to swim, bike and run the course - stitches and all. Collectively, the 6-pack came here with only a few miles logged on the road bike, a few lengths in the pool, a few miles of running. But they're leaving Kona each having experienced a personal best of some sort. For Joaquin, it was swimming almost a half of mile when before he hadn't been able to swim more than two pool lengths. Stasia and Kas swam in the ocean for the first time. Scott, Kendrick and Nina collectively biked 65 miles in a day - a huge improvement from the short rides they had been doing. As each person continues to change their life and become stronger and healthier, we'll continue to bring you their journeys. We hope you'll be inspired to start changing your life, too! 
April 22nd, 2011
01:55 PM ET
Tri Challenge: A crash, 2 stitches and still celebratingI have had the most amazing time here in Kona. On Tuesday, I was riding my bike in the lava fields and really taking in the scenery and getting into the groove of the ride. The most difficult thing with the bike has been having control over the bike. Unlike other bikes I have had in the past, road bikes are really responsive to the slightest movement of the handle bars. Also, our bike rides in Kona have been on the shoulder of a very busy road, which made me anxious. So as I was peddling along, I veered off the road into the gravel, and as I tried to brake it I kept going, and before I knew it, I flew off the bike over the handle bars and my chin hit a lava rock. |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
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