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Q: do you start the week off by thinking that “this is the week I am going to not eat junk food, cut out sugar, drink more water, say no to coffee, and workout 5 days a week”?
A: raise hands
Ok, so, why do “we” fail with our GREAT intentions? Below are some reasons WHY (weren’t you just dying to know this info? :))
#1) To many goals at one time!
#2) Start SLOW!
#3) Go SLOWLY
#4) T0 succeed you must PLAN to succeed
#5) Make excuses (hard week, stressed, I “deserve” this ________ (fill in the blank)
#6) No support
Those are just a few of the reasons why our best intentions fail. Do you want to be successful? Go ahead, raise BOTH arms!!! YES!!!!! YOU CAN!!:)
THIS WEEK DO ONE of the following things:
#1) Define YOUR weekly goal (drink more water, less soda) really think about. What do you want? Will you be able to do it?
#2) Get sweaty for 30 minutes a day! Brisk walk, stair climber, jog, just MOVE!
#3) Set your clock 15 minutes before you usually wake up (yes, that is right). You will be surprised what those 15 minutes can do for your day ahead!
#4) Make a daily choice to make healthy choices (do I really need this 5th cup of coffee? Do I really need this cookie? Do I really need to stress about “this”?).
I hope these ideas sparked your interest & you are able to use them! Please let me know! Watch this week for more ways to make YOUR life HAPPY, HEALTHY and FIT!!
So, I received a LOT of feedback on my “shoes, yay or nay part 1″. Let me first clear a few things up
#1) I love bare feet! I grew up a barefoot girl and my feet were tough from walking on any surface (yup, had a few nails and some bad cuts from sharp rocks) so, let it be known, that I LOVE bare feet:)
#2) I wrote my THOUGHTS on the subject. If you are a barefoot runner, that is awesome!! I think that is great!!
#3) I also kept in mind that someone might be new to running/exercise and trying to lose weight, if I told them to go out & run barefoot they would end up with an injury. After they drop the weight, then they can see if barefoot running is for them. Heavier people getting back in shape need support from the “ground” up
#4) I thank you for your comments!
Happy running!!
Since I could not blog LIVE during my training ride this morning, I am going to recap my experience for you here:) enjoy!!
Woke up this morning to pouring RAIN and I don’t mean a little drizzle either:) I have to admit that riding in the rain is harder for me then running in the rain.
But put my gear on, pumped up my tires and prayed for the 50miles to be over quickly….
Mile .5 already soaked!
Mile 5, wow this rain is relentless!!!
Mile 6, my skin is beginning to look like a wet sponge
Mile 10, had to “pull over” and take off my glasses, need glass wipers!!
Mile 10.1 ok, the rain really stings & hurts the eyes….just sayn’
Mile 12, how many more miles? what is up with all these hills? what gear am I? Girl, I feel like a turtle!!
Mile 15, cycling FAST downhill with the wind trying to blow you over & the rain HITTING you is an experience not worth forgetting…..or to repeat:)
Mile 16, cycling UPHILL as the water tries to push up down the hill is a very interesting feeling….I think….
Mile 17, me thinks: why am I out here? #1) got a 200mile bike race coming up! #2) to encourage others to GET OUT & get active….I must lead by example….yes…cycle on girl…ok, will do….
Mile 18, 2 more till 20, then 30 more….thinking how good a piping HOT shower will feel and FOOD….
Mile 20, woohoo!! only 30 more to go!!
Mile 21, even the flat roads seem hard today…
Mile 22, as the cars SPEED past me, I get another added drench of water..
Mile 23, the rain kind of tastes good, has a funny smell
Mile 24, somebody is cooking breakfast….I can smell the pancakes & bacon…should I stop & offer to taste test for them? I am sure they will be glad to offer HOT food to a soaked cyclist, no? aw…ok, will ride on…
Mile 25, WHEW I get to turn around and retrace ALL my tire tracks, not that they are there, but you get the idea:)
Mile 26, could I get ANY more SOAKED? My eyes are really hurting…trying to close them as much as possible while still riding and not crashing….hmmm
Mile 28, riding downhill is definitely harder in the rain, my whole face took a beating…..like small bullets hitting me…eyes HURTING, stinging, need I say more?
Mile 30, 20 more to go, I CAN DO THIS!!! I AM TOUGH!! I AM STRONG!! Oh wait, what do I hear? a REAL gun? Wouldn’t be a training ride with out that sound!!
Mile 32, THIS WIND, YOU MUST STOP!! Please!!
Mile 35, I can almost taste the HOT shower awaiting me…yes, I think I can even feel the HOT water…oh, no, that would be the car beside me…oops!!
Mile 38, will this ever END???!!! My feet have no feeling, my thumbs are numb…and my body is water clogged, I am beyond a human sponge at this point. It will take days for me to wring it out…
Mile 40, HERE she comes….chug, chug, puff UPHILL, man these hills are having no mercy on me today….what gives?
Mile 41, I can hear the birds singing…despite the loud, deaf noise of the rain crashing on me…
Mile 42, my eyes, my poor, poor eyes, I am so sorry, I really do love you…we are almost there…8 more to go…
Mile 45, I can envision HOME, a HOT shower & HOT FOOD…my feet gave up a while ago, they don’t know when they will feel HOT again…
Mile 47, 3 more, I can do this, climb this mini hill…people are counting on ya girl, get moving!!
Mile 49.5 ALMOST there, why does the flat seem hard? I mean it’s not like the rain has anything to do with it….eyes, you are almost home free
MILE 50!!! WOOHOO!! I did it! A slow 3:39, but despite the elements today, I am just thankful that I finished in one soggy piece…
Gingerly climbed off my bike, could not feel my feet, hard to unclip when no feeling…managed not to fall over…thank God…in the door……peeled my WET, no a better word would be SOAKED socks & shoes off. Must have weighed 5lbs…at least. Almost slipped on the floor…that wouldn’t be good…
HOT SHOWER never felt so good (well the last time I rode in the rain like this it felt pretty good too)….some nice HOT food….still need to rest the EYES…
There, that’s my thought recap on my ride:) Hopefully this will encourage YOU to go out & get active:) I INSPIRE you to:)
To your healthy, fit and happy life,
~Sarah:)
We are all familiar with the WORD diet. It is probably the first word we learned about but never spoke. We watched our families, friends and others talk about how they needed to eat healthier or eat a pint of ice cream, then regret it later. Or making sure they got in their favorite foods during the month of December so on January 1, they could start the “diet” only to fall off the commitment weeks later.
Whatever the story, we know that our diet affects us & will make us gain or lose weight.
My approach to the diet is to take the word out of our minds, habits and any feelings we have about it and replace it with the words: healthy food. It may seem basic. But if we chose “healthy food” over “diet food” we will be more successful in maintaining a healthy life style FOR LIFE.
Over the next few weeks I am going to be writing about healthy food, what changes you can make to you daily eating habits, foods, ingredants to avoid, and ways to make healthy meals, snacks. If you have a specfic question, please let me know and I will answer it for you!
To YOUR healthy, fit AND happy life!:)
Part one on SHOES
Recently, there have been some articles on “running” shoes…..so I figured I may as well add my 2 cents worth:)
In the articles, there are 2 sides of the fence, running barefoot (or a “barely there shoe”) or wearing footwear. Both have good arguments. Running barefoot may get your feet dirty, land you in a hospital because you stepped on nail, but YOU ARE running natural, so therefore taking a high risk of self inflicted injury is ok for ya. Running/walking in shoes may not be natural, but you are would like to protect your feet from what is on the ground. Shoes with proper inserts (Super Feet) may also help your body.
Some say that shoes are just a waste of money, others claim that the Kenya’s also run barefoot, so we should as well (will it make us faster? I don’t think so).
I would like to point out that in these articles I have read, not one has mentioned HIGH HEELS. These kind of shoes are clearly the worst kind of shoe, so before we start running with naked feet, maybe we should spend less time in high heels (guys you have it easy in this area) and make sure that we are in supportive footwear.
While I do support the naked feet concept, I do feel that the proper running shoes will help you not only with your running/walking/exercise, but also may protect you from diseases & unnecessary hospital/ER visits.
I think growing up barefoot is a great idea…your feet have room to breathe, grow & avoid squeezed toes! And walking in the fresh grass is just plain fun with bare-feet!:) Going barefoot at an early age also helps prevent issues later down the road (just my personal thoughts though).
On the shoe’s side, I do recommend that shoes that you are “fitted” for. This means going to a specialty running store & I also highly recommend Super Feet. These are inserts that go inside of your shoes (take out the wafer thin liner, it doesn’t give your foot any support). They give your arch support & help to give your body alignment.
While the Kenya’s & other people may train in bare-feet, we are not all the super elite runners, so I think sticking with shoes is a good idea. These are just my thoughts….I know I am going to stick to wearing my shoes ’cause I don’t feel like visiting the ER for self induced trauma.
Part two to come soon!
disclaimer: these are my thoughts alone, feel free to take or leave it:)
As I have been talking with my friends this week about my 50 miler this past Saturday, I realized I left out some funny parts….maybe it takes a few days to get the brain working right again? LOL!!
As I was running with TWO things that had a battery, I not only had to finish my run, I had to finish before my watch AND my Dear BlackBerry both died on me…I am happy to report that I did finish with life not only left in me, but also a little in them:)
The second omission I left out, is that I realized that I need to hire a post race personal assistant! LOL…not joking!! For ultras, the after shock your body goes through (and I will admit head) you need someone to drive ya home, go to the store & get ice for your ice bath (oh joy!) bring you food, take your shoes off (cause bending over just isn’t fun after 50), and tuck ya into bed. Not to much to ask, right? lol!!
So, those are my post, post race thoughts:) I am sure I will think of more things along the race…but that’s why they call it a blog right?!
2 YOUR healthy, fit AND happy life!
Today’s question has to do with shin splits, a common problem that can be easily avoided!
If you have questions about the below, let me know!
#1) Shoes! I am going to write a whole article on this alone, but footwear is VERY important in helping prevent shin splits & other issues. (Yes, I know that there have been recent article’s on running barefoot or with a “barely there shoe”. While barefoot is good, I don’t recommend running that way). I first suggest that you get fitted at a running store (email me for places). Please don’t go to a chain store & buy a running/workout shoe. You need to be fitted properly to see what kind of shoe you need. It will be one of 3: neutral, mid stability, high stability. Please don’t pick a shoe for color or looks, it won’t get ya anyway but pain, doctor visit and frustration:) For brands, I don’t usually recommend “brands” but would say that Brooks, New Balance & Asics are great! Again, pick the shoe that fits your needs!
#2) Super Feet! I highly recommend “Super Feet”. They are over the counter orthotics. They basically are the platform which will align your body to be straight….how cool is that? They will help to prevent a variety of problems or correct the ones you might have already. They come in different colors, I use the green ones. You have to break them in…wear them for about 1-2 hours the first day and build up to 100% of the time by the end of 2 weeks. DON’T wear them if you have a long run and you just got them!
#3) Get outside! Get off the treadmill and hit the pavement, trails, a soft surface! DON’T run on concrete!! This will harm you! (Run beside the sidewalks towards oncoming traffic). Try to find trails if at all possible. This will save your whole body in the long run & you will have less impact as well!
#4) Avoid hills! This might be a little hard if you are doing trails, so walk up the hills. But try to avoid hills in the first few weeks when coming back from or going through shin splits. Hills put a lot of stress on your shins (and other areas as well.
#5) Get a “running” look over. Running stores should offer a treadmill or see how you run & they will tell you what shoe to get to prevent these issues. You may be running differently or favoring a side, or flat footed, a number of things.
#6) To much to soon! You may have gotten a new pair shoes, new clothes (woohoo!!) and new music to your iPod, but your feet haven’t had time to get ready!! They are in shock most likely, so take it slow…try a walk/run combo at first and work up to running 100%.
To your healthy, fit AND happy life!
later today I will be writing about some common running questions….do you have any that you would like answered? Send them to me & I will answer them to the best of my ability!!
AND…..running is only a part of life, what other questions do you have about things in life? Do you have questions about cooking, baking, living a better life? I want to hear from YOU, so I can help ya the best I can…..
have a SUPER GREAT morning! Watch up an updated post later on!!