I enjoyed every bit of my swimming career. I think that's the most important advice - to enjoy what you do Summer Sanders More Quotes by Summer Sanders More Quotes From Summer Sanders For me, music makes my smile brighter during my workouts. It adds that extra something that motivates me to go further or work harder! Summer Sanders hard-work workout add For as long as I wanted to swim, I also wanted to do something on TV. My best friend in high school, we used to pretend like we had a TV show, and we had this dream of being the next 'Kate Allie.' Having that kind of a shtick. Summer Sanders tv-shows dream school A great way to get all the right nutrients is to make a colorful plate - mix of good vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein. If you notice all your vegetables are green, change it up and add another color for a variety of benefits in one meal. Summer Sanders meals color vegetables Tennis is interesting because the women are almost more popular than the men. In the U.S. Open, women even get exactly the same money as the men. Summer Sanders tennis men interesting When I was training for the Olympics, I didn't eat the way I should have. I missed out on much-needed protein and opted for every easy carb. Summer Sanders olympics training should-have Daily repetition matters when a kid is learning to swim. It can be 20 minutes in a lesson or an hour practicing for a couple of weeks. Summer Sanders couple swim kids Swimming is great because there are levels of goals. First, when I was four, it was making it to the other end and overcoming the fear of standing up in front of everybody at a swim meet because I was such a shy kid. Summer Sanders swimming goal kids I slice up a ton of cucumbers, celery, carrots and red and yellow peppers. Keep them in your fridge so you always have something handy to curb your snack attack. Summer Sanders cucumbers snacks yellow The more sleep you get in before the clock turns midnight, the more rested you feel no matter what time your alarm goes off. Summer Sanders alarms midnight sleep The first mile is mental. The rest are all heart. Summer Sanders heart running firsts Nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. It goes back to the lessons you learned as a kid. Start with a real breakfast; don't ever skip that. If you're waking up early for a run, make sure you drink at least a glass of water and put something healthy into your stomach before you go out the door. Summer Sanders door you water breakfast I watched some serious '80s television. 'Alice,' 'Good Times,' 'The Jeffersons,' 'Family Ties,' 'Cheers'... every night it was eat dinner, watch 'Cheers.' I was actually on 'Jeopardy' with Rebecca Lobo and Dot Richardson, and we were laughing because I was just nailing every random '80s trivia question - sitcom, theme music, movie, you name it. Summer Sanders good you family music I used to carbo load. But then I ran my first marathon, actually on a whim. All I could think of was that I needed protein. I remember going to the grocery store and buying one of those roasted chickens. I remember downing a bunch of that and, yes, I had some carbs, but that's what I felt I needed. Summer Sanders some think marathon remember With my son, falling off his bike is usually what makes him upset, so a hug goes a long way. But girls are more complicated; my daughter will get bummed out because her friend hurt her feelings. In that case, we'll talk about it. I'll tell her that she's a great friend, and that she needs to talk to her friends about it. Summer Sanders great bike daughter son I know I'm not perfect at giving my body what it needs to refuel after a run. Recognizing my bad habits has helped me pay more attention to what I eat. I have been known to rush through my day without making nutrition a priority, so I work hard to prepare healthy snacks in advance of my runs and while the kids are at school. Summer Sanders day me not-perfect work I have a big bag of M&M's in the pantry, and I have a scoop after lunch. That's my treat. Summer Sanders bag treat big lunch Growing up, I was a little hippie kid. I went to some good concerts... Amnesty International with Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman... The best concert I ever went to was this one at the Cow Palace my freshman year in college on New Year's Eve. It was Pearl Jam opening for Nirvana opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Summer Sanders best good red hot My parents wanted us to be pool-safe, so I had lessons when I was 18 months old. I would like to share with all the parents out there that I was that kid who cried during every one of my lessons. But it wasn't an option for my parents; we had a backyard pool, so I needed to learn how to swim. Summer Sanders old parents like pool No matter whether you're an Olympic swimmer or you're someone who doesn't like to swim, your kids should learn this life skill. You can't be next to them every second, so they must be able to relax in the water and get themselves to safety. Summer Sanders you relax water life