Control

As I was finishing up my last blog post, another topic formed in my mind that I feel the need to write out and work through. In case you haven't noticed, my mind works in overdrive sometimes and having this blog is a great way to dissect these thoughts.

I talked a bit about how important it is for me to focus on the things I can control in my life. I have so many things that are total crapshoots for me on a daily basis that without something concrete to focus on, I'd literally lose my mind.

For starters, my kids. Oh, my darling kids. Mind you, I love them with all of my being. I think they have incredible minds, incredible talents, and with a bit of direction, are really going places in this world. But parenting them is far more difficult than I ever envisioned. They are smart as can be, so I thought school would be a breeze for them.

Nope.

They have a ton of talent...my son is a computer whiz and my daughter is fully immersed in the arts - she can sing like nobody's business and her artistic talent is being fine tuned on a daily basis. So of course, they'd be super focused on success because of this, right?

Nope.

It's frustrating. That's putting it mildly. Actually, it absolutely kills me. It stresses me out like nothing else in my life that they always manage to find a way to get distracted, to not care, to perform less than they know they're capable of. I have absolutely no control over this, and I refuse to be a helicopter parent no matter how much the school pushes me to micro-manage them. I've spent years trying to find a balance between guiding them, hovering over them, harping on them, and talking about it until I'm blue in the face, while forcing them to take control of it themselves, to be responsible, and to allow them to fail and learn a lesson. I can't do the work for them, I can't force them to care, I can merely guide them and support them. Basically, it's totally out of my control and my mind wrestles with this on a daily basis.

So that's my kids for you. I don't have control over what they choose to care about or on what they focus their attention, but I have control over accepting them for who they are and supporting all their successes and their failures.

My kids are only a part of the uncertainty that surrounds me on a daily basis. There are so many things that I struggle with personally, and find difficulty in controlling. I have come to accept many of these variables, however, but it was a long process.

First, mental health. For a very long time I was unaware that I suffered from depression and anxiety and that it was an actual disorder that I would be struggling with for the rest of my life. I always viewed my "bouts" with depression and anxiety as just that....temporary bouts. It wasn't until a few years ago, that, after discussing it at length with my doctor, I was found to be clinically depressed and suffering from a legitimate anxiety disorder. Temporary fixes wouldn't make it go away. I would always have to be proactive about treatment and I could not be complacent. I'm so thankful for the counselor that I found who worked with me in those early days to come to terms with this problem and find ways to reset my mind. I'm thankful for my doctor for taking me seriously and then opening my eyes to reality, and spending time reworking my medication so I finally found one that my body could tolerate long term.

Anyone who suffers from mental health disorders understands just how significant all these steps are. I have accepted that this who I am, I have a husband who supports me daily and understands when it's just "not my day...or my week" and doesn't make me feel guilty about it, and I continue to find ways to battle through the dark times without giving in to that darkness.

I do not have control over my diagnoses, but I have control over how I let it run my life.

Next, the negativity in the world. I gotta be honest here. I think the way people have treated each other in the last couple years...publicly...is just insane. It's disgusting and unnecessary and it shows a complete lack of character. The name calling, the lack of common sense, the lack of decency, the inability to really think about what they're saying and doing. It blows my mind. I can't control what other people think or do or say, but I certainly don't have to join them in their immaturity and irrational behavior. It's forced me to remove people from my life (trust me, I only did this after a lot of soul searching), and to avoid some people, and to keep my mouth shut about many things. I want to be known for my compassion and grace, not for being a raging bitch when I don't agree with someone. So I've quieted my mind and my mouth. It's truly a freeing experience.

Lastly, let's talk about physical health. I am a healthy person...mostly. However, what isn't so obvious on the outside is that I do suffer from many physical ailments, and my family medical history is downright frightening. I have asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis and dysphagia, and scoliosis. My family has suffered with countless bouts of cancer, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and diabetes. I sometimes feel like I'm on borrowed time because I've not yet experienced anything truly life threatening. My disorders are incredibly frustrating at times, however. I had hoped in the last year to put myself as a priority and work on a better solution to my gastrointestinal issues, but because of my family's medical woes in the last year and the astronomical amount of money we were spending on that, I had to put myself on the backburner. I really need to get treatment again (surgery or meds? both? not sure). I finally said enough is enough and I scheduled doctor appointments with a new team of doctors after I was dissatisfied with my last one. That appointment is on Monday and I'm optimistic that I will see relief soon. It's been a long time coming and it was time to put myself first. With regards to my asthma, thankfully, with the weight loss and more focused marathon training last year, I feel like I've made big strides with improvement and better control of my asthma. I didn't have any real trouble with it. However, my allergies that lead to asthma issues need to be addressed in a more permanent manner. I finally scheduled the appointment I will need to begin allergy shots. It's a huge commitment but it was time I stopped putting it off. The scoliosis? Yeah, that's not exactly going away, and because of the imbalance it creates in my lower body, I have to be extra diligent with physical therapy exercises and weight lifting to keep my imbalance from causing running injuries.

My family medical history is probably one of the biggest motivators to me taking charge of my physical health. I can't control genetic predispositions to anything, but I can still do whatever I can to fight off other preventable diseases. I refuse to be limited by things that I am 100% in control over, and when I've seen things start to go sideways I always try to right the ship by putting more focus and effort into nutrition and exercise. To people on the outside, I seem obsessed. I really don't care. I know how devastating preventable illnesses can be and if it's something I can control, well, then that's what I'm going to do. I have a lot of plans for the present and the future and I don't want any limitations.

I guess the moral of the story is that when you're feeling completely overwhelmed by things outside your control, sometimes what can bring you back from the abyss is finding those things that you CAN control and putting more focus into those. It can be something small, or many small things, or something big. But there is always something that is within your control. Taking hold of that can help you reset your mind and bring a bright spot into what can many times be a very dark and dreary time.

Intentional Training

Every year I learn a little more about myself, about marathons, and about effective training. For years I merely trained to finish the race, occasionally with a time goal or the goal of a new personal best, even if by only seconds. I knew in my heart that I had more talent than what is shown in my race results. Sometimes weather was the factor, sometimes illness (yes, I have plenty of bad luck on race day), sometimes I ran with friends, and sometimes it really was "for fun" or to finish happy. I was definitely better at coaching other runners than myself.

Last year, after a two year marathon hiatus and some health problems, I got back into the marathon game. Because I had lost speed and fitness, I was not in personal best shape when I set out on my journey to Louisiana. Through hard work and a tough training schedule I turned it around and knew that I could beat my 4:17:53 best time, but probably just barely. While race day weather didn't allow for that, and because I was still in the process of figuring out how best to handle my asthma in humid conditions, I couldn't push myself as hard as I wanted to without it being detrimental to my health. I am still happy with the race, although it was very far off my goal. It allowed me to come into this current training season with more mental strength than I've had in all previous marathons.

Back in April I made the choice that this was my year to be in my best shape ever. After feeling so miserable on our relay at the end of March, I knew it was time to make big changes. I got my medication problems figured out, I got my nutrition figured out, I lost weight and gained muscle, and because of all this work over the last three months, I am a much better runner. I've written about my progress a bit in previous blog posts. My training officially starts on Monday and I am ready for it. I have spent the last few months building my aerobic fitness in the warm summer conditions and slowly building speed through our interval and hill workouts. I got back on my bike and I got back into the gym on a more consistent basis. While our weather has decidedly taken a turn for the worse over the last month, my ability to handle it has increased positively. I am running just as well in the heat as I did in the cold and I'm still gaining speed. It's the first time this has ever happened to me in my decade of running in Texas. I no longer dread our workouts when it's 80 degrees out and the dew point is in the 70s. I know it will be uncomfortable, but I also know that my body can handle it....FINALLY.

You really have no idea how incredible this feeling is, not only physically, but MENTALLY. Knowing that I don't have to necessarily suffer through the summer is huge! Don't get me wrong...it is very uncomfortable running Thursday nights in triple digit heat (even though we do run in the shade), and I'd really prefer not having to try to beat the heat by running my long runs at 6am. But I am definitely more comfortable with the uncomfortable than I have ever been. Please let this feeling last!

I've also become much more intentional and focused with all aspects of my training. I'm better about wearing my heart rate monitor to be sure I'm not overdoing it in the heat, and to see if I'm adapting to the training. I'm analyzing my splits more than I probably ever have to look for improvement, even small improvement. I had to purchase a new multi-sport Garmin and finally upgraded to a Bluetooth capable model, the 920xt (thanks to my dear friend Doug!), and it's changed everything for me! My data analysis is now on a whole new level and I'm not sure why I suffered with the 910xt for as long as I did (okay, I didn't suffer. That watch was fantastic. I just sucked at syncing it to Garmin Connect). Being able to see how the watch can estimate my VO2 max (47!) and laugh at its race predictor (3:31 marathon my ass) is pretty darn cool. I've only worn it for a few runs so far, so I'm still assuming that marathon prediction will increase significantly with more run data, although it keeps getting faster so far. Strange watch.

Training like this has taken so much weight off my shoulders. I'm not stressing about my long run pace at all anymore, whereas I used to be so bummed if I didn't train at a certain pace all the time. By focusing more on my heartrate and cadence I'm able to steadily improve my aerobic fitness. Looking back on runs from years ago, my heart rate was ridiculous. I was burning myself out and not even realizing it. I'm consistently running on average with a heart rate probably 20 beats per minute less than I was back in those early marathon days. By being so specific with my easy/long run training, my body is efficiently feeding its muscles and burning fat as fuel. This is where the bulk of marathon training should fall. Because of the summer heat I can't always keep my heart rate quite this low (my target is keeping it below 140, or at least under that for the average), particularly running up hills, but that's okay. A heart rate a bit higher will help me build my cardiorespiratory capacity and improve my muscle strength and this is the zone I'll probably spend the most time in on race day. Several of my long runs down the road will include portions at race pace in order to simulate the feeling for race day. Then there are the tough runs...intervals and hill sprints. This is where I get into the anaerobic zone, and therefore improve my lactate threshold and performance. Proper recovery from the tougher workouts is vital (yay recovery runs!) to be able to continue to perform well during those particularly hard weeks. I'm just continuing to chant that mantra of "easy pace, easy pace, easy pace" (no matter how much my teammates laugh at how anal I've become). My long slow runs are paying dividends during hard workouts and will (hopefully, oh pretty please) pay off on race day.

Being okay with that pace and with that heat index is a long process

The crazy thing about analyzing the data is being able to quantify how I'm getting more efficient, while still getting faster. Tuesday's interval workout was a beast, but my heartrate never got into the red zone, not even once! My highest heart rate was 163 and the average stayed under 150. I was working very hard and practically threw up a couple times from the effort, but knowing that I technically was not overtaxing my system is a huge bonus (I'm going to chalk the pukey feeling to the Gatorade I drank after the previous night's bike ride....I have very little sugar in my diet but really needed the rehydration after the heat, so Gatorade it was....and it was so delicious). Being able to see this kind of data is helping me during each hard run. Even through the discomfort I know I can do it, even when my brain is trying to tell me I need to give up. I also realize that I can push myself even harder at our next interval workout.

Shit is getting serious starting on Monday. Every week my miles will increase. There are some weeks when I am running 6 days, and I'm not going to like it very much. But there's a Boston Qualifier inside of me and I need to find her and push her and make her do what's she's capable of doing.

Also, please be good to me on December 10, Mississippi weather. Pretty please.

Ridiculously Huge Goals

I have a new list of goals. There was something about the last six weeks that has made me see my world in a completely different light.

In the beginning of April, I was in a very dark place. Certain circumstances in my personal life that I really couldn't process beat me down. I retreated, cried everyday, reassessed, got stronger, and took a good hard look at where I was vs. where I wanted to be.

Then I watched the Boston Marathon Documentary...

And then I went to Ironman Texas...

And then it just all came together.

I'm ready to talk about it.

I confided in a couple people what I had been thinking about, and because these people are freaking awesome, they were excited for me and ready to support me in whatever final decision I made. (Side note: everyone needs people like this in their life)

I've already made it very well known that I want to qualify for Boston. But here's the thing...I'm pretty far from that ability, although it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility. I would love to run this race in 2019 and I have my first shot at qualifying at Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon. I don't want to sell myself short, but I also want to have realistic expectations. I need to run a 3:55, which is more in line with my half marathon pace. It's a stretch for me to improve to this ability by December 10...but it's still possible. 

However....we all know that merely qualifying is never enough to actually gain entry. In reality I need to shoot for a 3:52. That doesn't seem like a lot, but when you're already talking about a big drop in time, it seems like an overwhelming difference. I'm very pleased with the progress I've made in getting my body stronger and leaner so I can continue to get faster. I am going to continue to focus on all the things I can control...my nutrition, my sleep, my workouts, my mental strength. The improvement will happen as long as I keep my eye on all these factors. It just remains to be seen how much improvement it will entail.

If for some crazy reason I actually pull off this feat of crazy, I'll run Boston in 2019.

HOWEVER....and here's where my next goal comes in.

I have another idea for April of 2019. If Boston has to wait, I am most likely (I had to put in a little "maybe") going to sign up for a different kind of race.

I am going to do Ironman Texas.

2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run

An Ironman. You know, that thing I said I'd never do. Up until April 21, I absolutely positively was never going to do an Ironman. NEVER.

Something changed in the few days after volunteering at this year's race.

I honestly was totally shocked the thought even entered my mind. SHOCKED. I have never had any desire whatsoever to do this kind of race. A ridiculous entry fee, the travel costs, the training commitment....THE FREAKING TRAINING COMMITMENT OHMYGOD.

Yet, it suddenly made sense.

I was terrified of telling Greg how I felt, but after his initial "Oh F&*K" reaction, he was supportive. If I really wanted to do it, I could do it. I was so scared of telling him that I told him over text.

I've had a few weeks to process why I suddenly had this desire. Like I said, the last six weeks were bad. Things are still bad, but I think my mind is processing it all very differently. I had been feeling like a huge failure as a parent. My daughter is especially struggling and I feel like it's partly my fault, that if I had just been able to be a better parent to her she'd be so much healthier.

In the last few weeks, that mindset has started to change. I feel stronger. I feel like I really am doing everything I can for her, everything in my power to make her better, and that I'm a damn good mom.

Do you have any idea how empowering this feeling is?

I've taken stock of just how destructive my mind was being, how I wasn't giving myself the respect I deserved, and how I was letting all this bullshit eat away at my self-worth. I was letting external bullshit cloud my judgement and rob me of the positivity I desperately needed.

Screw that crap.

I'm damn worthy of this goal.

If it weren't for the incredible team I am a part of, this goal wouldn't be feasible. But I know that everyday I'm out there training, I will have phenomenal people pushing me to be better, making sure I know that I can do it.

So there you have it. Will wonders never cease?

It's working

I mentioned in yesterday's blog post that I intend on getting leaner. I'm not talking about a bunch of weight...10 pounds or so. Just enough to look "lean" and aid in my endurance running. In all my years of running I rarely discuss weight loss. But this time around I think it's so important for me to focus more on gaining lean muscle while dropping unnecessary weight. As a former trainer I do, however, realize that by gaining more lean muscle I may in fact stay at close to the same weight while dropping fat and inches from my body...and that's okay, too. I rammed that into the heads of my clients enough to know what the ultimate goal should be. As long as I help myself to become a better endurance runner, I'm good!

I actually got up the nerve to get on the scale today after months of not weighing myself. I paid attention to my weight a bit after the Louisiana Marathon and getting the flu because it had dropped, but it hasn't been a priority since then.

I stepped on the scale more than once because I couldn't believe the number it showed (and no, I'm not telling unless you ask nicely).

I've lost 7 pounds. (Don't laugh...that's a really big number to me!)

Just a few weeks of very intentional eating and more focus on strength training and my body is responding so positively. I am thrilled. I am motivated. 

This is SO SO SO GREAT. 

Caveat...I hate the idea of focusing on my weight. I've mostly just used how I look and how my clothes fit as my guide over the years because I think there is way too much focus on the scale number in our society and not nearly enough focus on body composition. Weight is secondary to our lean muscle to fat ratio, and we can in fact weigh more than it appears when we have a higher percentage of lean muscle. I do not want the number of the scale to become obsession.

However, I'll take this little win right now. It shows that I'm doing the right things for my body and it's responding in a positive way. It's the first step in meeting my next round of goals and the more I see results like this, the closer I come to those goals.

Training Plan

I've written a lot of marathon training plans, and for the most part I've been pretty happy with them. I think that I was more prepared for this year's Louisiana Marathon than I have been for past races, and it is just really unfortunate that the nasty weather prevented me from pushing myself harder. However, I don't regret adjusting my pace from the start of that race...I didn't bonk, I had some great middle miles, I didn't overheat despite the weather, I finished feeling better than I expected and overall I am pleased with my splits from the race. Do I wish it was 20+ minutes faster? Heck yes. That part will always bug me.

I ran more miles during that training than I ever have, with my two highest mileage months ever leading up to the race. The high mileage worked and I'm sticking with it for my December and January marathons.

I just finished writing my training plan and I'm both excited and slightly terrified of it. It will require constant, unrelenting running (imagine that), consistent strength training, a super strong core, and throughout all this I need to NOT GET INJURED. Hence the consistent strength training and super strong core. I've been running marathons for 8+ years...time to stop beating around the bush and instead throw myself into a training cycle that will seriously push my boundaries.

So how am I approaching this training cycle?

The plan starts in mid-July. The first marathon, Mississippi Gulf Coast, hits at the end of Week 21. Then five weeks later I run the second marathon, Louisiana. I don't necessarily need six months of training, but writing out those early weeks to ensure I get proper base mileage works well for me. When the harder weeks of actual training hit in August and September I will know I am ready.

Because it's peak of summer during those first weeks, there will be crosstraining in the form of cycling and (hopefully) swimming. I say "hopefully" because I am the world's most pathetic triathlete and I haven't even gotten in the pool. I actually got back on my bike this week and mostly enjoyed it, so that needs to continue. Ideally I want to be on my bike two times per week. Not exactly hardcore triathlon training but good for marathon training, and especially good for injury prevention. Somewhere in here a sprint triathlon would be so great.

The plan builds in mileage until I am consistently running 40+ mile weeks. I peak at 50 miles three weeks before Mississippi. At 180 miles, November will be my highest mileage month ever. Between October and November I will run 355 miles. I WILL WEAR OUT A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES IN ONLY TWO MONTHS (Sorry, husband). In the 15 days leading up to and including my 22 mile run, I will run 117 miles. I'm going to need more tacos.

Faster runners run more than I will be running, but I am not fast (yet). I will be on my feet for hours upon hours every week, so 50 miles in my peak week sounds about right to me. For Louisiana I ran 42 miles peak week, and about 100 in the 15 days or so leading up to and including my 22-miler. I do anticipate being a bit faster for this training cycle (and if everything comes together like I hope, I will be quite a bit faster). We are upping the game this time around. For my last few marathons I've run three 20-22 milers and I will stick to that formula as it's worked very well for me, much better than those early marathons when I ran only one 20-21 miler. Probably going to also need more bacon.

I'm running five days per week. For years I ran 4 days per week, but enough with that nonsense. The back to back running days for Louisiana training did wonders for my mental strength. While the high mileage weeks were hard, they got easier as the training progressed and I got better and better on fatigued legs. I still remember finishing my 22 miler in that training cycle and feeling relief at a job well done. I had pushed through the the hardest part of my plan, and the 22 miler fell on the worst weather day all week, 100% humidity and topping out at 75 degrees when I was finished....which pretty much saved my ass when Louisiana's weather was identical on race day. Not only had I prepared my legs, but my head told me I could do it and that is half the battle on race day.

There is no way I will be able to accomplish this kind of training if I don't continue clean up other parts of my life. I completely changed how I fueled last year and it worked very well. My health improved dramatically. I will continue on that path, and continue to improve it further. Consistent hydration will be key, especially in those earlier summer months. The heat really won't leave the area until October so I'll have plenty of long runs in less-than-ideal temps. I can't screw up my hydration.

I am not overweight at all, but I will need to be leaner. I want to be faster and at my very fastest a few years ago I was quite lean and strong and I plan to get back to that. I felt great and running faster was much more effortless and I seriously miss that. I do need to remind myself that I wasn't even 40 then and I'm 43 now (turning 44 when I run Louisiana). Age might play a factor but I'm going to fight it as best as I can. I've already started the changes I need to make and I'm feeling great about them. I've had some really good gym sessions in the weeks since my March relay, and it's starting to show. My weight has dropped while my strength has increased. Planning ahead will be key but I'm not super consistent with that. Always room for improvement!

Sleep. I need to sleep. So much sleep. Naps are great.

RECOVERY IS SO IMPORTANT. I need to keep repeating that to myself. RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY. Rest days need to remain rest days. Post-run fueling, foam rolling, stretching can't be skipped. I must remain injury free. My imbalances have really pissed me off in recent years but through every training cycle I understand them more and more. I have learned so much on what to apply to my strength and core training to fight these imbalances and keep my body running well. Did I mention there needs to be consistency? I might be a broken record but I have to keep telling myself this.

It's daunting to think of running through the Texas summer and yet trying to get faster. I might not see gains right away or very consistently, but with added lean muscle and (hopefully) fewer pounds on my frame I know those gains will show in spades as the cooler weather comes in the fall.

Writing all of this out is helping me to see the big picture. I'm still slightly terrified of the work ahead of me, but strangely excited. It will forever be so weird to me that this girl who never really did any sports growing up (well, I tried and I kind of sucked) is talking about running 800 miles in the second half of the year and tackling two more marathons by the time I hit my next birthday. Pretty damn cool.

Bring on the tacos.

Knock that crap off!

As I work with more and more clients and interact with more people on social media regarding fitness, I come across some interesting ideas and beliefs about weight loss. Some are pretty sound, some make total sense, and some....well, frankly, some just make me cringe. While I suppose I could correct some misinformation, I tend to hold back. I don't want to be "that person."

So instead....I'll write a blog post! I'm here to bust some myths about weight loss and get you to think differently about how to achieve your goals. I bet I'll even give you a goal or two you didn't even think you had.

Over the decades we've been bombarded with various weight loss secrets, diets, fads, fitness crazes, and everything in between, that guarantee quick weight loss. They focus solely on WEIGHT LOSS, but as we gain more and more knowledge, fitness professionals know that the number on the scale is only part of the picture.

I MUST GET TO A CERTAIN WEIGHT

There are so many times when I wish we could just throw out the scale. I understand it's importance when you are very overweight or obese, but there comes a point where the number becomes very unimportant. I weigh about 10 pounds more than I did in high school. But I'll take that 10 pounds because I'm in far better shape now than I was then....and I can still fit into my cheerleading skirt. You know why? 

MUSCLE

A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. So as you lose body fat and gain lean muscle, you are becoming slimmer, even when you don't see the number on the scale drop. But you're still reaching your goal of becoming slimmer and looking better, right? YES! So who cares about the number of the scale, your BMI, all that crap. BMI does not take into consideration someone who is muscular and athletic, and will shift towards the "overweight" category even though that's ludicrous. It's especially unfair to men, who will typically weigh more at the same height as women because they tend to have more muscle mass.

Is your body hanging onto that last 5 pounds? So what! It probably wants to hold onto it. 

BUT WEIGHTS WILL MAKE ME BULKY

So I basically just told you to gain more muscle to be leaner, and you're wondering what the heck??

If you want to boost your metabolism and look better and leaner, then you must do resistance training. For every pound you lose through diet changes alone, 69% of that pound is fat, while 31% is muscle loss. Add cardio to your diet changes, and you've improved that fat/muscle loss ratio to 78%/22%. If you add in resistance training, that ratio changes to 97% fat loss/3% muscle loss. You've just vastly improved your body's ability to burn fat. Fat is metabolized in muscle, so it makes sense that muscle gain will boost your metabolism. 

Throw out the assumption that heavy weights will make women bulky. Because of the hormonal differences in men and women, specifically testosterone levels, an increase in muscle mass is less in women than in men. You will get STRONGER, but not necessarily bulkier. 

As a side note, in addition to an increase in your metabolic rate, other benefits of resistance training include the following:

• Increase in functional strength
• More power and strength for cardiovascular exercise
• Helps protect joints by taking pressure off of them, which in turn will decrease your risk of degeneration
• Strengthens the tendons and ligaments, allowing us to perform everyday activities and sports with a decreased risk of injury

MORE CARDIO!! MORE CARDIO!!

As much as we wish it was so simple, it's not about "calories in/calories out" only. Sure, if we consume way too many calories, our body is going to convert that to fat. But if it was only about maintaining a deficit, weight loss wouldn't be so tricky. Way too many people think that in order to boost our weight loss, we need to JUST DO MORE CARDIO! 

First of all, hours upon hours of repetitive cardio will not give you awesome muscle. As a matter of fact, you're going to start burning some of your muscle. Your body will start to adapt to the repetition of the exercise and your metabolism will suffer because of it.

You've seen the "fat burning zone" on cardio machines, right? Ignore it. While it's true that at lower intensities in an aerobic training zone your body will burn a higher percentage of fat versus carbohydrates, if instead you increase the intensity of the exercise, you are actually going to burn far more calories overall (and therefore far more fat). For example, let's say you speed walk for an hour, keeping your heartrate in that "fat burning zone" and burn 400 calories. You may burn about 60% from fat, so 240 fat calories. If you pushed your exercise into a higher intensity and burned 800 calories in that hour, at a 40% fat burn rate, you've just torched 320 fat calories.

When you push your body into bursts of anaerobic activity, you can achieve what is called Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption. In this state, your metabolism remains elevated AFTER exercise, something that strictly aerobic exercise won't do.

Think QUALITY over QUANTITY. An hour of interval-type training, with bursts of higher intensity, will benefit you more in the long run than two hours of lower intensity cardio. If you incorporate high intensity cardio bursts into a resistance training workout, you've just killed two birds with one stone.

Another downfall of too much cardio is the tendency to overcompensate when you refuel. You may end up overeating after a good workout. This is a big problem with endurance athletes. And it leads me to my next myth.

BUT IF I EXERCISE MORE, I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT

It doesn't matter if you burn off the calories. If you put crap into your body, it's still crap that is in your body. Food processed with God-knows-what is basically poison. If you don't put the right mix of REAL food into your body, you will never experience what your body is truly capable of. We still need the correct ratio of calories from macronutrients - 45-65% carbohydrates, 10-35% protein, and 20-35% fats. Additionally, we need nutrient dense foods - foods that are rich in micronutrients like essential vitamins and minerals.

Imagine how you would feel trying to run for an hour after consuming 800 calories from donuts vs 800 calories from chicken, rice, and vegetables. Still the same number of calories with far different effects on our performance.

Additionally, it's very easy to overestimate how much food we should refuel with after intense exercise. We all need to be prudent in monitoring our input in order to keep the energy balance moving the right direction.

And remember, it's possible to eat more quantity of food and feel full, yet consume a small amount of calories...imagine 200 calories of watermelon versus 200 calories of chocolate. That's a lot of watermelon and will fill you up whereas that small amount of chocolate will likely just leave your hungrier. Quality of Quantity!!

CARBS ARE BAD!! FAT IS BAD!!

The Atkins Diet really screwed up how we feel about we feel about carbohydrates. Additionally, the introduction of the "fat free" craze screwed up our thoughts on the benefits of fat in our diet.

WE NEED CARBOHYDRATES. WE NEED FATS.

Keep repeating that to yourself.

A severe restriction of carbohydrates does typically result in early weight loss, mainly due to the excretion of water from our bodies and the suppression of our appetite, leading to fewer calories consumed. But this is not a state that can be maintained over the long term and can have harmful effects on our bodies.

Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for our bodies. Take away that source, and you will find your energy will be depleted quickly. You will feel sluggish and not have the ability to perform to your potential. Carbs are also necessary for tissue repair.

If you are concerned about insulin levels, it's important that the majority of your carbohydrate-rich foods are on the low end of the glycemic index. The glycemic index classifies foods on their potential to raise blood glucose. Certain carbohydrates will cause blood glucose to rise and fall more rapidly than others. A more rapid rise and fall may make us feel hungrier more quickly than those foods that fall on the low end of index.

Regarding fats, our bodies absolutely need healthy fats. They are essential for micronutrient absorption, organ and joint protection, and growth and development. You can also derive energy from fats when your glycogen stores have been depleted.

Ignore most "fat-free", "low-fat", "sugar-free" stuff you find in stores. Chances are it's loaded with an excess of sugar, bad fats, or sodium that completely negates any benefit it's trying to emphasize. Choose real, unprocessed food the majority of the time. 

WELL THEN, I WILL JUST SERIOUSLY RESTRICT MY CALORIES

Not if you want to stay healthy over your lifetime, you won't.

It is not recommended that you restrict your calories to less than 1200 calories per day. For a heavy or active person, even that level is too low. Very low-calorie diets are typically deficient in the proper amount of macro- and micronutrients and can lead to malnutrition, poor energy and fatigue, an inability to succeed at any kind of fitness program, and a slowing of your metabolism. You are also at risk for binge eating, which will ultimately sabotage your weight loss goals.

One way to know how many calories your body requires is to calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories we would burn if we were completely at rest. Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your basic calorie needs based on your activity level. It's easy to find these calculators online, but here's an example for myself:

At my height, weight, and age my BMR is 1347 calories. I alternate between being moderately active (1.55 multiplier) and very active (1.725 multiplier), so my range for caloric needs to maintain my current weight is 2087-2323 calories. If I want to maintain my current weight, I should not go below these adjusted numbers. Keep in mind, however, that a leaner body mass requires even more calories for maintenance (the formula falls short in calculating for this).

If you want to lose weight, you should plan to cut 300-500 calories per day from your daily energy needs. If you are very obese, you can cut even more calories, but again keep in mind that going below 1200 calories per day is not advised. You can see how much better your diet can become (quantity-wise) if you increase your activity level.

All that being said, I am not a calorie counter at all. I am a firm believer that if you choose fresh, real, healthy, unprocessed food the majority of the time, and don't eat beyond satiety, your caloric input will regulate itself properly.

Just remember, our bodies require fuel to function at their potential. The correct amount, the correct type, and consistently throughout the day.

So, in summary, is there a magic pill or a magic formula that will make the weight fall off with no effort on your part? The answer is NO. If you want to create a healthy, fit lifestyle for yourself and keep your body at a healthy weight (and that number might be higher than you think!), then you must make common sense choices every single day. There are too many myths out there that sound good, but are completely meaningless when stripped down. Sound choices include:

• Exercise that includes resistance training and higher intensity
• Food containing ALL the macronutrients and the micronutrients our bodies need to function
• Enough calories to properly fuel our activities and keep our metabolism efficient

Lastly, stop obsessing about the number on the scale and start obsessing about changing your body composition instead.

Did I change the way you think?

Chocolate Cake

I have a huge weakness.

No, it's not necessarily chocolate cake as the title of this blog post might indicate. It's dessert in general, which I refer to collectively as "chocolate cake."

What can I say? I am an endurance runner. I burn a lot of calories on a consistent basis. And dammit, I need that cake sometimes. I don't always feel too guilty about it, which isn't a good thing. I don't eat dessert everyday, which IS a good thing. But I'm thinking it's too much.

I've worked really hard in the last year to change my body composition. I know where I'm at today and I'm pretty happy with it....except for what I refer to as my "chocolate cake layer." In the gym and out on the trails I'm doing everything I can do build lean muscle and keep my fitness level where I want it. I have that part of my regimen down.

But you can't have it all unless you fix the problem in the kitchen.

I told my core class recently, after we ironically talked about dessert before class, that I can help them improve their core muscles and the intensity of some of our workouts is aiding in fat burn, but they are in charge of the final step, which is getting rid of that final layer covering up those increasingly strong muscles. I admitted I have a weakness just like them.

That damn chocolate cake.

One of my favorite fitness quotes is that you can't exercise away a bad diet. If you are still consistently eating too many solid fats, added sugars, processed foods, and fried foods, you must make changes in the kitchen. Making small changes in how you grocery shop, how you cook, and how you eat out, will have huge benefits in the long run. But unless you make those changes, those 6 pack abs just won't be what they could be.

I'm learning like everyone else how to be a better eater. I fail constantly, but I pick myself back up and get back into it.

So who is "Coach Steph"?

I've been thinking for the past couple of weeks about what my philosophy is with regards to training, fitness, and health. Every fitness professional needs a philosophy and everyone is different. I am constantly throwing ideas around in my head about how I would describe myself as a trainer and I started making a list. I think it's a pretty good start.

I don't focus solely on weight loss. I focus on body composition change - fat loss and muscle gain.

I don't use the word "diet." I discuss "nutrition."

We will talk calories, but I don't "calorie count". I focus on portion control, food quality, and food variety.

Fueling is key. Starving is stupid.

There will be weight training. Lots of it. More cardio does not mean better results.

Finding something that can be maintained is the ultimate goal.

I will hold you accountable.

I will push you into uncomfortable territory.

I do not believe in fads or too many restrictions.

I will make you believe that fitness is necessary for quality of life. You will make it a part of your life permanently.

Regarding nutrition, I see way too many people focused solely on calorie counting, with little focus on food quality. Their main focus with exercise, therefore, is to burn calories. I just don't completely
subscribe to this...although it can be a good start to understanding portion control and getting a big bang for your buck with exercise. But fitness is so much more than calorie counting and cardio. You'll never get the results you have the potential to achieve if you use this narrow focus. While it's important to understand calories in general, it's much more important to eat proper portions, eat quality food, eat a variety from all food groups, and eat throughout the day. With a consistent practice like this, your caloric intake will regulate itself properly.

Cardio is not the only way to proper weight loss. In order to obtain healthy body composition you have to include weight training. Lean muscle mass will boost your metabolism like nothing else. Your fat burning potential is increased since muscle is where fat is metabolized.

But that's not all. Muscle improves heart function...your heart simply doesn't have to work as hard. You will also protect joints and connective tissue and reduce arthritic symptoms in the process. Your bone density is increased with weight training. This ability to protect your joints and bones will lead to fewer injuries. Strength train with functional movements (using more than one muscle group at a time in a strength training move) and you're improving core and balance as well. With a stronger core, your ability to perform daily activities and exercise without injury improves even further.

Nothing can be achieved without a solid plan, consistency, motivation to succeed, and holding yourself accountable. I have always said that if you don't schedule fitness into your day, you're going to make every excuse in the book to not get it done. So schedule it like any other appointment....and then stick to it. If you need someone there to hold you accountable, join a fitness group. Make them depend on you and you will show up and you will work hard and succeed.

Exercise isn't always fun. If it didn't hurt at least a little, it isn't doing you any good. But there is a way to find the comfortable in the uncomfortable, and you have to be willing to understand that and put it into practice. You have to be willing to take yourself to a difficult place and push through it. What's on the other side is amazing and very much worth it.

Fad "diets" or fad "workouts"? Not my thing at all. I'm very simple and basic when you strip my philosophy down. I don't cut out any macronutrients and don't believe in diets that tout that. While I think some of these fad workouts are good to get people off their butts, a lot of them have too much fluff to do any kind of good in the long term. You want to be successful? Get your heart rate up, work your muscles to fatigue, don't be afraid to suffer, know your limits, do not do anything beyond your ability, get that core strong, and you will lose the excess body fat and gain that lean muscle in the process.

My philosophy is coming together. I'm enjoying the process of discovering it.

So Proud

Since I wrote and posted this blog last week, the response has been absolutely amazing. I'm sure I pissed off a few people who simply kept their mouth shut and I did have one friend who told me that perhaps I needed to walk in their shoes. But the overwhelming response has been so positive.

I was scared to post it. I knew that it would probably hurt a few, incite some massive guilt that could have a negative effect, and that I could come across as out of touch since I have not struggled with my weight. But I truly believe in what I said, and I'm glad I posted it. I want everyone to experience what I have in the last four years.

The comments that people made on the blog and on Facebook were beautiful, profound, touching, and just warmed my heart. So many people out there are taking their health seriously and are making honest efforts to improve their quality of life. They know they may have a long road but are committed. They can see that the benefits far outweigh the struggles in the journey.

I'm so proud of each and every one of you.

And if you need help, just ask. Help in out there. ANYONE can make these changes and make them stick.

Keep up the good work!

Limitations? Screw the limitations

We all have a responsibility to ourselves and to our loved ones to do whatever we can to take care of ourselves...our minds, our bodies, our souls, our overall well-being. So why are there so many limiting factors to accomplishing that? Why don't we make ourselves a priority more often than we do? Why is society slowly killing itself through unhealthy lifestyle choices?

WHY DO WE ACCEPT THIS AS BEING OKAY?


How do we change this?

When I became a runner, it started a slow transformation to putting general fitness first. I had always been conscious of my weight and health, but wasn't a totally consistent exerciser. When I signed up for my first race, a half marathon, it forced me to schedule my workouts and make training a priority.  It's been over 4 years since I did that. As I look back at these past few years I can see the transformation unfold and it makes me very happy.

I'm not perfect. I splurge on cheeseburgers. I like chocolate. I sometimes prefer my fish to be fried. I drank Coke at dinner last night. One thing that doesn't change? Exercise. I never take a real break from it. In over 4 years the longest I've ever gone without running is 15 days and that was only because I was very sick. I was more angry about not being able to work out than about being sick. It had become so ingrained in me that exercising was a necessity that my body physically craved it and was going through withdrawals without it. Just like our bodies need food, they NEED exercise.

The nutrition aspects of my fitter lifestyle have taken a bit more time. I've always tried to be balanced in my choices and I've never been an overeater, but there are a few things here and there that I've slowly improved over the years. I add in new things when I can, try out new recipes, eat fresh ingredients more often, have almost entirely cut out fast food (it actually completely grosses me out 99% of the time now), and turn to water 95% of the time for fluids. Surprisingly, it really hasn't been a particularly difficult thing to do. Since I'm an endurance athlete I have to pay attention to how I'm fueling. I'm forced to make better choices so I can perform as well as possible in training. This just naturally spills over into my general food choices throughout the week and not just when I'm fueling for a particular run.

The past few days I've been thinking a lot about how society in general views fitness. We all know how important it is - that is being rammed into our heads more and more - but unfortunately very few people put forth enough effort to actually BE FIT. We have cars for transportation, we have fast food restaurants with easy drive-thrus, we can pick up the phone and get greasy delivery, we work over 40 exhausting hours a week, we overschedule our children and therefore ourselves, and we do all this without thinking twice about how a good workout is going to fit into it. The result?

AMERICA IS FAT AND UNHEALTHY. Yeah, I said it. Look around. It's true. And it makes me so very, very sad because it doesn't have to be that way for ANYONE. Do you ever watch Jay Leno and hear him say "this is why America is fat" during his monologue? He hits the nail on the head every time.

I don't care if you're 65 years old, if you have arthritis, if you think you "can't run", if you don't know how to cook, if you work too much, or if you have 6 children. YOU STILL MUST MAKE TIME TO BE FIT. No excuse is acceptable to me. I don't expect you to be 120 pounds and rail thin, but YOU STILL MUST TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH.

Yes, it's easier for me to make time than a lot of other people. I don't work outside the home, I "only" have 2 children, I have the resources available to me to make it a priority, and I have a supportive family. But I still have to DO THE WORK. I can still easily give in to exhaustion, laziness, or depression and decide not to do that 4 mile run.

BUT I DON'T.

One thing that frustrates me beyond measure and forces me to sometimes bite my tongue is when I hear friends (of all ages, but particularly middle aged or older, or those who have had children) laugh off their lack of fitness or their overweight reality as not a big deal...because they aren't young anymore it's expected that they would become out of shape or become overweight. When did becoming overweight as we age or have children become acceptable? I don't get that mentality at all. We should never accept a lack of fitness or an overweight body to become the expected reality for us just because we're AGING. Who cares if we're aging?

I'm nearly 38 years old and although I do miss my flatter stomach of 20 years ago I can still run laps around my 18 year old self BECAUSE I CHOOSE TO MAKE THAT MY NEW REALITY. Age is completely irrelevant to me. I do not expect to get slower as I age...I'm making myself get faster. I do not expect to run fewer marathons as I age. I'm signing up for MORE.

I hear friends talk about their medications and it makes me sad that they do not have any idea that if they just started a fitness routine and tweaked their diet the vast majority of their health problems would be gone. GONE. It took me only a few months to take 35 points off my cholesterol...because I bought a pair of running shoes and used them. My mom lost 50 pounds, reduced her meds signficantly and her fitness level is a complete 180 from where she was 2 years ago...because she joined a gym and did the work and continues to make that a priority. She's 65 years old and is in better shape than when she was 35. My 52 year-old brother-in-law has done something very similar and is a totally different man than 2 years ago, while passing on these important healthy habits to my 11 year old niece. And he does this as a single parent. My friend Tricia, who blogs at Endurance Isn't Only Physical, is another perfect example of someone who said NO MORE and changed her life, losing 128 pounds in a year....and she runs marathons! There is a 72 year old man in my running group who has run 60 marathons. He ran his first one when he was 58 YEARS OLD.

A friend of mine, Gene from the blog Accountability, posted this yesterday and told him I had to steal it. Forgive the F-bombs, but it gets my point across perfectly.

So don't tell me you can't. Don't tell me you don't have time. Don't tell me you're too old. Don't tell me you have too many health problems. Don't tell me you're too tired. I don't want to hear it.

As many of you know, I lost my 37 year old sister over 2 years ago. She was morbidly obese and was taking over a dozen different medications because of various ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus, etc. The majority of her health problems would probably have ceased to exist had she adopted a healthier lifestyle. To say that I feel an incredible amount of guilt for failing in motivating her to change her habits is a huge understatement. I had so many opportunities to help her, but I didn't. I had opportunities to talk to her, to do research for her, to be a better supporter, but I didn't. Would it have saved her? I don't know...no one knows...but I'll never know for sure. Maybe it could have. Yes, I have a lot of guilt which fuels my anger and frustration at others for letting themselves become unhealthy.

I don't want to lose anyone else to preventable health problems. EVER.


So next time you catch yourself saying "I've just been so busy so I've put on 20 pounds," or "The last thing I want to do at night is exercise", or "My kids keep me so busy"....JUST STOP. Stop sabotaging yourself. 


Schedule your workouts.


Research healthy recipes.


Buy fresh ingredients.


Stop eating fast food.


PUSH YOUR LIMITS.

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK. AND YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT.

Running advice! We all need it

I started my life as a runner 3 years and 8 months ago and since I've maintained the fitness routine consistently during that time, I'd like to think I've picked up a few great tips here and there.

Are you just starting out your running routine, or even a walking routine, or are you thinking about it?  Then please take the time to read this.  You'll be glad you did.

I did a lot of things wrong when I first started out. It took me a good year to really feel like I got a handle on what I needed, how I needed to do it, and what wasn't going to work for me.  I didn't really check on any resources before starting...I just RAN.  Probably not a good plan.  I wish I'd had someone to walk me through everything step by step...well, technically I had plenty of people around me to ask but I chose to muddle through 75% of it on my own. Don't do that - find some resources!

Here are my top 10 bits of advice for novice runners/walkers. Disclaimer - I'm not a professional!!!

1. GO TO A SPECIALTY RUNNING STORE. Yes, they charge retail. But you're going to get expertise you will never find at a big box department store or outlet mall.  They will analyze how you walk and run, they will look at your feet, they will make you try on 10 different pairs of shoes, and will find you a good pair. If those shoes don't work after all, you can usually take them back and try a different pair. The customer service simply can't be beat.

Why do we need the right pair of shoes? Many people don't realize we need to go up in size when we run or walk long distances. I usually wear a size 8 or 8.5 in shoes. For running shoes I wear a size 9.5. This gives my feet room in the toe box of my shoe so I'm not jamming them with every step. When I bought my very first pair of running shoes I bought a size 8.  I think I ran in them about a month. A waste of $100. I went up a half size to an 8.5. Ran in them for my first half marathon six months after I started running. Another waste of $100 and a lost toenail. 

Secondly, many of us have weird quirks about our gait that may require a certain type of shoe.  Flat feet vs. high arches, overpronating vs oversupinating.  Heel striking vs. midfoot striking. A trained salesman is going to find all this out for you and put in the shoe with the right support in the right places.  After my half marathon I developed plantar fasciitis, which was extremely painful and required a trip to the podiatrist (Dr. Scott Pattison...he's freaking AWESOME!!!). I discovered I had functional flat feet and the tendency to over pronate, in addition to tight calf muscles. All this was contributing to my injury. Custom orthodics (thank you medical insurance!) and a trip to a running store for stability running shoes helped this injury correct itself.  Best $140 I ever spent on shoes.

2. INVEST IN TECHNICAL FABRIC WORKOUT CLOTHES. Technical fabrics, like Nike DriFit, will wick moisture away from your body, have better evaporating properties, and will allow for better body temperature control. Cotton will merely suck up all that moisture and make it feel like your clothes are heavy and sticking to your body. There is no temperature control, no evaporation, just a heavy feeling that can have adverse affects on your workout. Technical fabrics are also much more durable.  Trust me, tech fabrics might be pricier but they are worth the long term investment. But you don't necessarily have to spend a fortune on a new workout wardrobe. My favorite running tank is a $10 Champion tank from Target. And I scout the online deals all the time. Don't forget the awesome finisher's shirts you sometimes receive in races.

3. TAKE IT SLOWLY IN THE BEGINNING. My very first run was a mere 3/4 of a mile. I didn't care...at least I was out there getting off my butt! Don't feel like you need to run or walk 3 miles the very first time you lace up your shoes. Give yourself goals each week, or even mini-goals for each workout. My first goal was to be at 3 miles non-stop after 30 days. And I did it, taking it one day and one workout at a time. I sometimes added a mere quarter mile to my distance, sometimes a full half mile, sometimes nothing at all. Going out too hard is just asking for injury, so take it easy and ease into a consistent routine that you're more likely to stick to. Once I hit the 4.5 mile mark about 2 months into running, I really felt like I'd hit my stride with running. I decided it was time for a loftier goal - a half marathon 4 months later. I then broke that up into smaller goals for each week so I could get that distance in by race day. At that point it wasn't crazy to add a mile a week onto my weekend long run until I got up to 10 miles. 4 months after I first laced up my running shoes I ran my first double digit long run, all because I picked reasonable goals and maintained a consistent running schedule. But it all started with a mere 3/4 of a mile.

4. INVEST IN A SUBSCRIPTION TO RUNNERS WORLD MAGAZINE. Some of the best, most useful, funniest, interesting, inspirational advice you'll ever get.

5. FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUEL. Before becoming a distance runner, I had never thought much about the right kind of fuel before, during, and after a workout. I'd sip some water, maybe some orange juice, hit the gym for my hour of aerobics, maybe sipping some water during it, then head home and eat cereal. Not a lot of thought ever went into it. But if you're planning on completing runs of an hour or more (and especially 2+ hours) then you need to get serious about fueling.

I've recently started grabbing just a bit to eat before any run I do over 40 minutes...maybe just a mini bagel with peanut butter, or half a Luna bar, particularly if I know it will be an hour or so after I awaken before I hit the trails. It's been making a difference in how I feel during my run, giving me that little edge where I feel stronger the longer I'm out there. This "pre-fueling" is particularly important if my run is going to be longer than an hour, or if I'm hitting the weights and treadmill at the gym. Giving our bodies fuel means they'll give us an awesome workout in return.

During a long run of more than 7 miles I always make sure I fuel about halfway through, most times in the form of Clif Shots or Power Bar Gels. You might have also heard of Gu or Honey Stingers or Clif Shot Bloks. Anything along these lines, with or without caffeine, is great. You have to experiment to find the fuel that you can tolerate, that doesn't make you gag, and that will do its job. The longer the run, the more fuel I have on hand. In addition to something to eat, I tend to carry something a little more filling than just water in my water bottle, sometimes just Gatorade and sometimes a drink with a protein/carbohydrate mixture like Pure Sport. Giving my body that extra electrolyte and nutrient boost will help it to respond to the added stress and fatigue of an extra long run. Without any kind of real fuel other than water, your body will quickly burn through your glycogen stores (what your hard working muscles prefer to feed off of) in as little as 60 minutes. That's not good. Fatiguing and wishing your workout was over rather than enjoying what the workout is doing for you is going to make distance running/walking miserable. NOTE: be sure to take any gels with 6-8 ounces of WATER to aid in digestion.

After your run, you need to get a combination of protein and carbohydrates into your body within 30-60 minutes to help replenish glycogen stores and repair your muscles. You've given your body a beating and it needs some TLC in return. Sometimes just a simple bowl of cereal with milk will do the trick. There are also many awesome protein drinks out there, my favorite being Pure Sport Recovery. It has the perfect combination of carbohydrates and proteins to refuel my muscles.

Just remember, if you don't fuel your body properly and you're trying to lose weight or get stronger, your metabolism will slow down and you'll hit a plateau. Give it a boost with the right food and see what happens.

6. HYDRATE!  Hydration is equally as important as the food you put into your body. If you're going to be a distance runner you must always hydrate...every day. Water, water, water.  If you like a little something extra without the added calories, try Nuun. Electrolytes, very few calories, fizzy, awesome - I'm addicted to the stuff. (And I might add that Nuun is GREAT for hangovers....not that I would know...). A good rule of thumb on how much water to take in daily is to drink an ounce for every pound of half your body weight. Weigh 140 pounds? Then drink 70 ounces of water per day.

7. CROSSTRAIN. CROSSTRAIN. CROSSTRAIN.
I was always the worst when it came to changing up my routine. But the fact is, if you merely run you're depriving your body of a complete workout. Sure, you'll have awesome quads, low cholesterol and a 50 beat per minute resting heart rate, but that's about it.  You need to add in core work and strength training or you'll develop other problems that could sideline your running. Instead of running one day, try a bike ride or a swimming workout.

Why core work? A strong core means better running form. Better running form means fewer injuries. Without a strong core, as we fatigue we'll get sloppy in our running. We may start overpronating more, slouching in our shoulders, even start carrying tension in other parts of our body...never a good thing. Simply put, a strong core will help minimize the impact of running.

Second, if all we're doing is burning calories through running and not adding in more lean muscle while we're doing it, our bodies will start burning that muscle. Just keep remembering that one of the keys to a complete fitness routine is BOTH cardio and strength training.

You know what I love? Yoga. People who have never done yoga really don't understand the amazing workout that it is. You're developing stronger, leaner muscles, you're stretching and increasing flexibility, you're getting an awesome core workout, and if you're working hard enough you're going to break a sweat. Yoga and running go together perfectly.

Speaking of flexibility.....

8. STRETCH!!

As with any workout, you must stretch afterwards. Your muscles have taken a beating and need to be stretched to loosen them up. The more you consistently stretch, the more flexible you'll become. You'll help prevent injury and you'll will allow a full range of motion to achieve maximum speed. You don't need to become a speed demon, but a runner who is inflexible is often an injured runner.  Stretching during your cool down will help you relax and will help remove lactic acid from your muscles and reduce muscle soreness.

You have to remember that every part of your body is connected. If one part is stiff or inflexible it will affect other parts of your body.  Did you know that tight calf muscles can lead to plantar fasciitis, which affect the plantar fascia that runs along the bottom of your foot?  Yes, I should know....that was my first real injury and it was misery. Now I'm meticulous about my calf stretching. Also, did you know that tight hip flexors can cause lower back pain? Every part of your body needs to be cared for.

9. CONSIDER INVESTING IN A GPS-ENABLED WATCH, such as a Garmin Forerunner. About 2 months after I started running, I really wanted to have a better idea of how far I was running, how fast I was, and how much I could push myself to go faster or further. So I bought a Garmin Forerunner 305. The thing is amazing. Using GPS technology it will tell me my distance, pace, time, allow me to set up "laps" of whatever distance I want (default is 1 mile), check my heartrate (using a heartrate strap), and about a billion other little things that even I haven't tried yet. You can download the data from the watch into software on your computer. To say that this has improved my running is a huge understatement. I've now upgraded to a Forerunner 405...even better!

10. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH OTHER RUNNERS. I bet if you start telling people you're a runner, many of your friends or acquaintances will probably tell you they run, too. You may want to set up "running dates" with those friends to help keep your accountable, make your running more enjoyable, or to help push you to the next level.  When I needed to get to the 4 mile mark I called up my neighbor Diana, who got me into running in the first place, to run with me and help me hit that goal. I set up another running date with her when I needed to go from 8 miles to 10 miles.

When I decided I wanted to run a full marathon I knew I would need a group to keep me motivated. So I joined Round Rock Fit and what a huge difference it has made in my running. To be around so many other runners with the same goal, to have a set running/workout schedule, and to be held accountable every single week made training for the marathon so much more fun and I hit goals I never thought possible. This coming year will be my 4th year with the group and now I'm one of their coaches. Every town has a running group in it...find one if you need to!

There are probably so many more awesome bits of advice I could spew at you but I'm pretty sure if you just read that entire blog post you're completely overwhelmed right now. Just think about all the points I made, see how they can fit into your fitness routine, and hopefully some of it can help you out and keep you exercising, healthy, and happy.

HAPPY RUNNING!!!!

What If??

I started watching The Biggest Loser on TV this season.  I had never seen it before, but knew it was a very emotional show.  I've been blessed that I have never truly had a weight problem.  I've never been overweight, I have not fluctuated much in my adult life. I've tried hard to take good care of myself, with a few stops and starts in my fitness, but overall have been pretty successful. I don't say this to brag...I know I've been lucky and am probably in the minority. My desire to maintain a healthy weight and fitness level is what keeps me running.

As you know I lost my sister Trisha in 2009 to what can probably be partially attributed to an unhealthy weight. She contracted the swine flu, but had a lot of underlying health problems, such as lupus, diabetes, asthma, and was deemed morbidly obese. She just couldn't recover from the flu and passed away suddenly overnight from pulmonary embolisms.  I had worried for years about her health - and had even had a conversation with my mom about those fears just two weeks prior....and then our worst fears were realized.

So watching this Biggest Loser episode, where the contestants get to go home for 2 weeks, is definitely emotional.  It makes me wonder how Trisha would have done on such a show, how taking control of her weight could have helped her. The changes these people are making are incredible, and to hear them talk about doing it for their families hits home big time.  My sister left behind a husband and 9 year old daughter.

My sister's husband has really taken charge of his own health in the last year.  He has lost an amazing amount of weight, and is keeping himself and their daughter on an awesome fitness/healthy eating plan.  We are all so very proud of him.  I know he's added years to his own life and has improved the quality of life for my niece. And although this makes me insanely happy....a part of me wishes this had happened 2 years ago. Would my sister be a part of it? Would it have saved her?

I can't really dwell on "what ifs" but it's so hard not to.  What if I had pushed her harder to take care of herself? It sucks to dwell, and watching this episode (and the show in general) does make it hit home harder.  I know God had a plan and I try to remember that.

Being healthy is never overrated.  Maintaining my fitness and my desire to NEVER BE unhealthy will continue to motivate me every day of my life. I know I can't control everything, but my I CAN control the amount of exercise I do and the size of my clothes. I am on ZERO medications for health problems and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Don't ever take your health for granted. Don't fall into the trap of allowing your age to dictate what you can or can't do. Never sit back and allow a sedentary life to take over. Never never never.