Wed
1
Sep
2010

Guest Writer: Trainer Pete

Trainer PeteTrainer Pete here,

I hope everyone had a great summer so far and you are on your way to reaching your health and fitness goals!
Last week a new client at my studio asked me what I do to motivate my clients.

As a trainer I try to lead by example, offer my expertise on exercise, and steer clients in the right direction for good nutrition choices. However my reply to her question was “What brought you here?” As trainers, we do our best to provide you with the tools necessary to achieve your goals, but it takes YOUR will and power (your Will Power) to get to where you want to be.

So when you get in a rut think about why you want to get to your goals. Is it to look better? Is it to be healthier? Maybe something embarrassing happened to you as a result of being out of shape. Is it to be a better example for your kids? Is it so you can go through the day with more energy? Whatever it is, be honest with yourself and make sure you are in it for the right reasons.

Once you find your answer dig deeper and think about how you will feel once you have achieved this goal. From there think about what you need to do to get there and finally think about what will happen if you don’t do what you need to do to get there. If nothing happens, nothing happens and you may find yourself further from your goals than before. It’s important to remember that everything takes time and you have to take steps to get to the top of the staircase.

For example, if your goal is to lose 50lbs, start with smaller goals till you reach the larger one. Starting with this week; shoot for 2lbs. Then break it down even further. What do you need to do to lose 2lbs this week? Then even further. What do you need to do TODAY to get to 2lbs by the end of this week?

So as a good friend of mine used to say “Grab a glove and get in the game!” It’s your time to play and your time to reach your goals. You can do it, I know you can!

Trainer Pete
www.GetLeanin15.com

By Guest Writer | Posted in Guest Writer, Training Tips | Comments (0)
Wed
1
Sep
2010

Run Like a Girl

run-like-a-girl

A 20 mile run gives you lots of free brain time to observe and reflect…

  • The best way to avoid wimping out and cutting a really long run short is to run straight away from home for half the run.
  • Fancy running socks and $100 running shoes don’t protect your feet from blisters on 20 mile runs.
  • The latest generation IShuffle is NOT runner friendly.
  • I admit it, I love Lady Gaga on mile 15.
  • As much as I believe in earth friendly bottles – carrying cash and running into local stores to buy water is WAY easier than carrying water bottles.
  • Running sub 11 minute miles at the very end of a long run is a lot harder  than running sub 9 minute  miles in the first half.
  • Those little curbs that don’t even grab your attention when you are driving to work  turn into high jumps at the end of a 20 mile run.
  • Knees don’t like 20 mile runs.  At all. Especially the next morning.  Early the next morning.
  • In the first half of a 20 mile run you might think,  ‘this is great,  I could do this all day’, but  by the end of that run those fantasies are replaced by thoughts like, “I am an idiot, I have things to do at home,  I hurt all over, I will never do this again, ever”.
  • A long steep hill at mile 8 is an inconvenience,  a long steep hill at mile 19 is torture.
  • Its ok to stop and walk, or sit on the shoulder of the road for a minute  at mile 19 after a big hill,  to regain enough composure to finish that last mile with dignity.
  • There really are some nice people left in the world who will stop and see if you’re alright when they see you sitting down on the side of the road.
  • I will never look at someone running slow again and think, ‘man she’s slow’ because I really don’t know how many miles she has already run.
By Judith | Posted in Information | Comments (0)
Tue
31
Aug
2010

Base Line

base-line

This past weekend I took a giant leap forward in my training for the Rugged Maniac obstacle course. I had been hearing from coworkers about Lisa Thomas who offers obstacle course training locally. Check out her web site at http://www.lisathomasfitness.com/.  I contacted her and arranged to join one of her group classes. It was just the kick in the pants I needed.

Looking around the yard at the obstacles I started doubting myself. There was an eleven foot wall and cargo net, the huge monkey bar set (had to be over 20 ft long) and other devices scattered around the yard.  I thought of the line from the Matrix where Neo can’t jump from one building to the other, “Everyone falls the first time”.  So where would I fall?

We hit the ground running with a jog through some “tires”, then across the monkey bars.  I made it all the way across. I didn’t fall.  The wall was next and having no experience climbing a wall I failed my first attempt. The second attempt I was given the extra help needed to get over the wall.

Lisa offered advice and techniques to conquer each obstacle and pushed me to my limits in a good way. I felt tired and worn out and learned about the one area I will need to start training on the most, my running. I’m going to start a running regiment today.

By Patrick | Posted in Goals and Motivation, Workout of the Week | Comments (0)
Tue
31
Aug
2010

Breathe!

breathe

Oxygen is more important than water for your health. You can survive days without water but only minutes without oxygen. Most people today have very shallow breathing and are not getting enough air. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm to ensure your cells are well oxygenated.

By Lynn | Posted in Short Shorts | Comments (0)
Mon
30
Aug
2010

A step in the right direction

a-step-in-the-right-direction

After 2 weeks of dragging my butt out the door, I have finally found my motivation again.  This week was a success!  My highest mileage week in the last year and I made sure to focus on balancing my training.  Instead of moderate intensity days every time I ran, I balanced faster more intense running with very easy recovery days.  The result: 45 miles in 5 days, 2 high quality workouts and a renewed drive to conquer this marathon.

The week

Monday:  Cross training and full body weight training and core.  Spinning for 30 minutes.

Tuesday:  Am:  6 miles with Tim at about 7:40 per mile pace.  Pm:  3 miles @ 7:00 per mile pace. I don’t usually double unless I need to clear my head.  Today was one of those days.

Wednesday:  Cross training and weight training. Core training.

Thursday:  10.5 miles with 10 x 60 second hill runs at faster than 5k race pace with jog down recovery.  felt good to stretch out the legs and work hard today.  I am hoping that sessions like this will help develop more strength and also make marathon pace seem easier.

Friday: 7 miles recovery running.  8:00+ per mile

Saturday: 7.5 miles recovery day #2. 8:15 per mile

Sunday:  Marathon Pace Run.  The goal today was to run 2 miles to warm up  my body and then  straight into 8 miles at planned marathon pace and cool down for 1 mile.  My problem is that I have no idea what marathon pace will be , so I guessed 7:15 per mile and thought that if it felt easy I would drop the pace as long as I thought I could go 26.2 miles at that pace.  Great run other than some hamstring tightness.

My splits(from Garmin 405): 7:15, 7:13,7:15,7:12,7:02,6:54,6:52,6:49 (course had rolling hills).  I don’t think that I can hold 6:xx pace for the full distance for my first marathon but I do think with more training I could get there.  So for now I think 7:00-7:15 is a good target. (11 miles total).

Hills Explained:  http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-264-13520-0,00.html

Want to see fast?  For anyone who has ever run the 800 meters…enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfNElHP0OY

By Mike | Posted in Short Shorts | Comments (2)
Thu
26
Aug
2010

Step-Up: Your Life Ladder

step-up-your-life-ladder

Have you ever reached a point where you realized what you were doing wasn’t really what you needed to be doing?

Think about your “Life Ladder”.  Just imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to ten at the top.  The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you.

On which step of your “Life Ladder” would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?  What can you do to step-up?

By Judith | Posted in Goals and Motivation, Short Shorts | Comments (1)
Wed
25
Aug
2010

Rugged Maniac Registration: Just letting you know

rugged-maniac-registration-just-letting-you-know

Just letting you know the last day for Normal Registration is August 27, 2010. If you want to take part in a challenge described as…

“Not for the faint of heart, frail of body, or weak of mind, the Rugged Maniac 5K was designed with the assistance of Navy Seals* to push your limits and determine how rugged you truly are.”

Click to visit the Rugged Maniac site and register.

By Patrick | Posted in Short Shorts | Comments (0)
Mon
23
Aug
2010

Rainy Days and Sundays

rainy-days-and-sundays

With all due respect to Karen Carpenter….(who sang so beautifully about Rainy Mondays)…

It was a perfect Sunday – for staying home.  Overcast skies…the threat of a shower (if a shower can threaten). A fresh pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen.  Intriguing political guests on early morning ABC news programs.

68 days to the Marathon.  Fresh coffee.  68 days.  Cozy sweats and the love of a huge Golden Retriever keeping me on the sofa.  68 days!  Startling, since the last time I looked the countdown stood somewhere in the 85 day range.

Enough.  I dressed for a run.  A damp, cool run.  For me, the lover of all things hot and sunny, this would be a challenge.  I actually wore a LONG SLEEVE tech jersey.  Ten minutes on mapmyrun.com and I had a 13.1 mile run in the little zipper pocket that held my cell phone and a hard candy.    I decided if I was going to make the effort to get out, I would come back with a training milestone under my belt.

I set out at my humble pace, and realized with surprise I was at mile 2 before I even turned my ipod (err…shuffle) on! Flipped the switch, picked up my pace to TubThumper (“I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again” , followed by Lady Gaga)  Off I went, familiar with the roads, the neighborhood and the mission.   Umm..why is it I have lived in  this area for a lifetime (minus stints in Germany, DC, Florida, California) and never recognized/appreciated the HILLS?!  Seriously, after 40 minutes I all but LONGED for the flat Reservoir pathways.  (In an effort to prove myself to myself  I’m afraid I  left dinner from the night before at the top of Prospect Street after a particularly hard push up to the top.   How crazy is it that I thought that was COOL and HARD CORE at the time?  Clearly I’m reading too many marathon training blogs. )

A mile later, a little drizzle, a little shower and BAM!  Full Blown Rain!  Before I left I decided to wear a hat for the first time all year, (ahem – a little token from the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon) and I’m glad I did as it provided some protection for my eyes – I had long since taken my sunglasses off since they were actually blinding me.   Choices, choices….my mind raced.  Should I call for a ride home?  What if I get blisters and ruin my feet for the next week?  What if – umm…nothing, I had nothing else.  Just concern about blisters.   Anyway, it didn’t matter because my phone  died from the water logging it received. (Done.  Dead.  Bricked.  Poop.)   On the other hand, what if it rained on the day of the Marathon?  I had to prove I could finish – even in the rain.   The loop eventually took me close to home, and I actually debated the importance of finishing the whole route vs. cutting it short.  Just then a a huge truck hit a more-huge puddle and I was showered with curb-side debris and mud…well, I took the second left instead of the second right and headed home.  I logged 11 miles instead of 13.1  My time was slow(ish).  It was hard.

But I was really, really, really happy I did it anyway.  I’m not a quitter, I’m just smart.  And I love Sundays, even rainy ones.

By Judith | Posted in Goals and Motivation | Comments (0)
Mon
23
Aug
2010

Lack of Motivation

lack-of-motivation

I have an incredible ability to to shift from high motivation levels to a complete lack of motivation in the blink of an eye.  For the last 2 weeks I have been battling with my inner “demons”.  Should I sleep or should I run? Should I go home and hang out with my children (who I miss) or should I go run 10 miles?  Sometimes I get sick of the battle.   That’s why I signed up for the marathon, so I would stay motivated.  Well that’s not working too well.

 I am late on my weekly blog post because I haven’t been running as much as I should.  I am not even sure I enjoy training as much as I feel the need to run to maintain my identity.  Ugh….why did I sign up for this race?  Obviously I need to reevaluate my reasons for continuing to punish myself with intense training., but now is not the time I have a marathon to get ready for…so bring on the pep talk folks because I am not feeling it.  

 Another week (or 2) in the books.  Unlike the last few weeks this week I had my first setback.  I have yet to figure out the psychological side of running.  I know (and preach) moderation and listening to your body but sometimes there is more to it than that.   Listening to your body means making sure you are not pushing yourself too hard too often.  What if you are feeling great every day and the effort feels easy?  Even if you feel fantastic on your runs sometimes you need to force yourself to back off.   Even with all of the cross training I was burning the candle at both ends.  I will turn this around.

 Monday:  Cross Training 30 minutes on Spinning Bike followed by 2 x full body circuit at gym.  Sore from yesterday’s run.

 Tuesday:  10 miles @ 7:03 per mile.  Looked at the watch at mile 1 and it read 7:17. At this point I knew I was going to throw down against the clock.  I blasted over the hills relaxed and floated through Granby… I checked my watch at 8 miles and it wasn’t any faster than last week (the watch must be broken). I finished up and checked my time and it was not any faster than the last time I ran it, but the effort was much greater….hmmmmmm

 Wednesday- Saturday: you guessed it, I am sick . No Cross training or running. I am exhausted (go figure).  Here is the lesson for all of you kids out there.  Keep your training in check. I ran very hard for about 10 straight runs and it caught up to me.  Training is about moderation and staying well within your “zone”.    Look I missed 4 days of training because I wanted to be a workout hero…what an idiot.

 Sunday:  15-16 miles @ 8:00 min pace. Ran on the trails so the distance (and pace) is off.  The goal was 2 hours and I got it.  Felt fantastic until 1:51 (again!@#$$).  Of course I had nothing to eat.  I really need to start fueling for the runs that will be extended in the coming weeks.  Stay smart and healthy.

 Monday:  5.5 miles easy with B. Walsh. Felt fine.

 Tuesday:  Cross Training 30 minutes on the bike followed by weight training (legs, core). Felt tired (again).

 Friday :  Thank you for good friends.  Timmy called me last night and noticed my training was slipping.  He knocked on my door at 6:10 AM and we rocked a 9.5-10.0 mile run.(7:30 per mile)   Tim’s great grandfather wrote the Ellery Queen novels…pretty amazing … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellery_Queen.  Felt good today but only because of the great company and conversation.

Saturday: 3 miles of easy jogging just to get ready for tomorrow’s long run. 

Sunday:  17 miles in  2hours 8 minutes.  Today I ate breakfast and took a Cliff Gel at 12 miles.  The wheels fell of at about 15.5 miles. I was dying.  This was  a wake up call for me, I need to start taking training seriously (and run more) if I want to feel good during this race.   Note to self 17 miles is far and not that enjoyable…oh and by the you have to run 9 mor emiles for the race. 

Read O’ the week: When Repeat Injuries Can’t Dim an

Athlete’s Passion http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/health/nutrition/17best.html?_r=1

By Mike | Posted in Goals and Motivation, Short Shorts | Comments (2)
Mon
23
Aug
2010

Bean Stew

bean-stew

The forecast was yucky for the weekend and the weather man finally got it right. Sunday it poured all day at my house. I was looking for something cozy and warm…. comfort food :)   I was browsing my favorite vegetarian, clean eating web site, 101cookbooks.com and found one of my favorite stews.  I soaked the beans on Saturday and they were ready for the soup on Sunday morning.  Check out the site, it has a lot of great grain recipes. And here is the link to the stew.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/simple-farro-bean-stew-recipe.html

By Lisa | Posted in Information | Comments (1)