Here we are at the start of another new year in the midst of a cold, snowy winter. The combination of cold and darkness make all the harder to get motivated to do anything but enter hybernation mode. Yet as we remember from years past, hybernation mode regularly leads to ” don’t want to be seen in shorts” mode and ultimately depression mode. So why not try to make a few small changes over the next few months so that perhaps the damages are a little less come spring.

Even if you do not want to join a gym this winter and don’t have a lot of extra time, you can do things to limit the effects of a long winter. You can start a habit of doing calisthenics each morning before heading off to work. As little as one set of pushups, crunches, squats, lunges, and dips can make a significant difference in your energy level and metabolism while only taking up 10 or 15 minutes of your day. If you commute to work, you can add a little exercise by altering your routine. If you drive to work, park a little farther away from the door each day until you are as far as you can get. If you take the train (subway or El here in Chicago) try getting off a stop before yours and walking the rest off the way. In either case the extra walking will help to burn a few more calories and energize you for the day ahead.

If you work in an office building, you can turn the stair well into your own gym. Going up and down flights of stairs is great cardiovascular exercise and you can do pushups and dips against the stairs to build upper body strength. I also encourage many of my clients to use the time they spend in their offices to be more active rather than less. If you are going to be on the phone for an extended period of time, you don’t need to be sitting still. Get up and walk around the office while on that conference call. Do a set of squats or lunges. A few of my people actually keep small dumbells as paper weights so they can do upper body strength exercises in their offices during the day. Numerous studies actually show that moderate activity during the day increases the flow of blood to the brain and consequently its ability to absorb and process information. So if any one at the office gives you a hard time just tell them you are increasing productivity!

Even when you are out of the office at those power meals you can make little changes to lessen the amount of gain around the middle. While out at restaurants make sure the first thing you ask for is water. I know you have heard it before, water fills you up and keeps you hydrated both of which will help you maintain weight. Also if you focus on no calorie water rather than soft drinks or alcohol you can enjoy more of your favorite foods with less guilt. Also be sure to start off with a soup or salad. Both of these fill you up with less calories per volume than entrees ( if you go lite on the crackers and/or dressing).  Lastly, take your time while eating. The longer you take to finish a meal the more likely you are to feel full before over eating.

Now that we have talked about before and during work, we have to touch on after work and the weekends. Even if you despise the idea of a gym and are not interested in group sports, there are things that you can do to help stave off the dreaded weight gain of winter. The first rule is to keep busy. Whether you are finishing off a list of projects around the house, partaking of your favorite hobby, or just going for a walk in your neighborhood the more active you are the less likely you are noshing on high calorie snacks. Try to limit the amount of time you spend completely idle watching tv or reading so that you don’t look up and realize that you have been sitting in the same spot for ten hours. Doing this slows down your metabolism and makes it all the more difficult to energize later.

Set specific goals for yourself during the winter and tell people about them so they can help you stick to them. There is never a lack of resolutions but too many people let themselves off the hook and just fade through the winter. Do not let that happen to you! Write down your goals in your calender (daily, weekly, monthly) and tell family, friends, and coworkers all about them so that they can be your conscience when you are feeling weak. If you REALLY want to make a change this year, there is no reason why you can’t succeed. Good Luck!

OK, I know Labor Day just passed which means that the summer is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that all of the gains that you made during the nice weather have to be surrendered. I was talking with a woman who was walking by the studio this morning and she said she might be interested in training because her fitness level always goes down hill after summer ends. I asked why and she replied that as soon as the weather begins to change she spends less time walking, jogging, biking, etc. and more time in doors. She also said that the fall was full of  “eating” holidays that always added a few pounds. In response I suggested that if she already knew what the obstacles were, they should be that much easier to combat. All she needs to do is put together a plan of action to get her through the fall and winter without losing fitness or gaining weight. As I finished this statement, I saw that she was staring at me as if I were speaking another language and I realized that this is common among people all over. Even I tend to gain a pound or two over the course of the holidays, whether I plan to or not.

Now I realize that in the summer the great weather makes it easier to get motivated to be outside and active, but there has to be a way to stay focused throught the fall and winter. The key is to make a specific plan to maintain motivation. What can you do to stay active and fit? While everyone is different, most of us do better with specific goals. So make a list of things that you want to accomplish before spring and keep it handy so you can check them off as you go. It may help to incorporate your fitness goals into your holiday plans. For example, if Halloween is a tough one for you, find your costume early and get it a little small so that you have to work to fit in and can’t afford to have any extra pounds. Or create a fitness challenge with your family for Christmas to see who can lose the most inches or lower thier body fat the most. Often if you involve others it will be easier to stick with it and succeed.

Whatever you decide will work best for you, go for it! Just don’t fall into the same old routine of feeling really good at the end of the summer only to lapse back into bad habits during the fall and winter. Your health and fitness should be a year round priority! Remember you can do the work and take care of yourself now or you can hope that there will be someone there to take care of you later.

Recently I was sent a story about the Pittsburgh triathlon that reaffirmed my belief that there is no good excuse for not trying something new. All too often I get the ” I can’t” response from clients when I suggest that they challenge themselves with some new endeavor. This is when I relate a story like the one about Craig Dietz who did the swim portion of the Pittsburgh triathlon relay inspite of the fact that he has no arms or legs. With a single flipper attatched to a stub he wiggled on his back for the entire 1.5 kilometer swim! Not only that, but he finished ahead of about 10 percent of the other participants! Being born without arms or legs, this man could have easily just been content to have family and friends dote over him while he passed on lifes challenges saying that he couldn’t do it. No one would have held it against him I am sure, but instead he decided that it was better to at least try just incase he actually could do them.

For me it seems that at least once a week someone asks me why I spend so much time running, biking, etc. and I respond ” because I can!”. I don’t want to be lying on my death bed thinking back on all the things I wished that I had tried and wondering if I could have done them. Sure I have never won a race or competition of any kind and I have even been last a few times, but at least I go out there and give it my all every time. I remember the very first time I ran a race. I was 5 and they had a kids 25 yard dash at the Harvest Days festival. I ran as fast as I could but as I as the biggest of the kids, I came in last place. I was crying my eyes out at the finish line and my grandfather came over and asked me what was wrong and I said that I was the worst runner in the world. He  looked at me and said that I wasn’t even the worst runner there. Pointing at all the other kids in the crowd he said that I just happened to be the slowest of the kids who had the guts to race and at least I tried. From that day on I realized that the only people who truly fail are the ones too afraid to try!

I have participated in too many events over the last 15 years to count and although I have helped out with a lot of packet pickups and even a few cleanups I have never volunteered for an entire race. That is until yesterday. I was asked to help run the Bigfoot tri in Lake Geneva this weekend instead of racing it and I confess that I had no idea what I was getting into.

After nine hours of preping and packet pickup on Friday, Kristin and I drove up to Lake Geneva on Saturday and stayed over so we could be at the race site at 5am the next morning. Sans breakfast but with plenty of mosquitos to keep us company we began getting people body marked and ready for the race. After an hour and a half of writing on folks arms and calves, I was transfered to the transition area to guard the entrance. Although many of the participants ( myself formally included) believed that I was only trying to be a pain in the ass, I was actually keeping people from getting too close to the timing mats and messing up thier times as well as the system in general. Once the race began my job changed to directing people into transition after the swim with as little chaos as possible. Though there were a few who were angry that we were steering them away from the directest route to thier bike, most were just happy to be done with the swim and anxious for the second leg of the race.

When the vast majority of the swimmers were out of the water I was transferred again to the area where the bikes were to return to try and make it as safe as possible. For another hour and a half or so I yelled myself hoarse trying to get everyone to slow down as they flew down the final hill back to the transition area. My efforts were cursed by some, appreciated by a few, and ignored by most but there were no major incidents to report once it was all over. Everyone seemed to be safe but I was still not finished.

At this point I began cleaning up the after math. I gathered up the cones and signs out of the road and the entrance to the park so that those who just wanted to go hiking, fishing, etc could do so. Then I gathered up the trash and discarded clothing and shoes from around the start area and helped to clean up and organize the registration/volunteer tent. I was able to take a bit of a break to drink and eat before resuming the cleanup effort which I eventually surrendered on at about 1pm. An 8 hour day that felt more like ten or twelve was finally over.

As we went back to our friends house to gather our things so we could drive back to Chicago I began to think about how relatively easy it is to do a race versus working it. When I am participating, I show up early enough to set up my transitionand hit the port o pot before my wave goes off not a minute before. And when I am finished racing I only stick around long enough to grab some food/drink and gather up my stuff. The volunteers are there hours before most participants show up and are still there long after they are gone. Usually I am kind to volunteers and thank them when I pass, but I must confess that there have been times when I have been crabby because one has seemingly gotten in the way of me competing. I now realize that even if they seem to be out to annoy me, they really just want to make the race as safe and fun as possible. So the next time you are at a race, festival, or event make sure to say thank you to a volunteer and let them know that you appreciate thier efforts!

I recently had a young woman come in to Running Away Multisport seeking help with alleviating knee pain she was experiencing. She had just recently (three weeks ago) began a running routine and as of three days previous she was experiencing pain in both knees. I checked her flexability, which was good, and watched her running form which was also good. I was not sure what was causing the pain, but I was pretty sure that it was not the running or the shoes. When I began to dig a little deeper I found out that she had also started going to a yoga class. At a recent yoga session she was led to perform a certain pose that seemingly resulted in a strain of the connective tissues around her knees. Now I am not blaming yoga. I have reaped great benefits from it myself. Instead, I feel the problem lies with the fact that too many people are not communicating fully with the individuals from whom they are receiving instruction. This includes trainers, doctors, physical therapists, coaches, and group exercise instructors.

If someone is to gain the most out of a relationship with a health and fitness professional, there MUST be complete and open communication. If something feels odd or uncomfortable, speak up! As professionals we strive to give our clients the best possible service, but we need them to ask questions and give feedback to aid us in doing our jobs. Please never assume that it is expected for something to be painful or uncomfortable, or that you are being difficult if you ask for some alternative. There are almost always various options as far as treatments/exercises that will lead to the desired results so asking for something different is not a problem.

Being as open and honest as possible with all of the professionals you deal with will give you the best chance of being more healthy and happy then you have ever been!

Yesterday was a momentous occasion for yours truly.  Sunday May 18th was to be the day I got back on the horse and ran my first marathon in more than three and a half years. When I decided that I wanted to try another marathon, I thought it was best to keep it low profile just in case I were to crash and burn in my attempt. So I searched for a relatively local race that I could run without much logistical planning or hoopla. That is when someone suggested the Rockford marathon. I had never heard of such a race and when I researched it I found that it had been on a hiatus for more than a decade. This did not give me a great deal of confidence, but it was very economical, close by, and expected relatively few runners. So I signed up  for the Rockford marathon.

When I arrived at the start area yesterday morning I was pleasantly surprised. In less than ten minutes, we were able to find parking within a quarter of a mile of the start. Then I was able to get my bib, chip, and goodie bag while only standing in line for five minutes. There were volunteers everywhere making sure all of the runners knew what was going on and there were plenty of facilities so that no one had to wait in long lines. Once the race began, I was very happy to see how well the course was laid out. There were aid stations at regular intervals staffed with enthusiastic volunteers and the traffic was wonderfully managed by the local police. I was also surprised by the number of locals who came out to cheer on the runners as they passed. 

I have run alot of races over the years including more than my share of marathons. Although it was not one of my best performances (they have these things called hills out in Rockford) I am very glad that I went out and ran the race. Everything was well organized and carried out making it a wonderful over all race experience.

I was talking with a fellow trainer and he asked me about writing out work outs before sessions with clients. I told him that I don’t have a preset routine before meeting with a client. I wait until I meet with the client and talk with them about how they are feeling. This surprised him and he asked why I did this. The reason is that every day is different. The work out that a client found easy on Monday may be too difficult on Friday. As a matter of fact, a big reason that some individuals fail to see the results that they want is that they don’t know when to push harder and when to back off. The human body is in a constant state of flux. The way we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally is affected by a variety of variables in our daily lives. As a result we need to adjust the frequency, duration, and intensity of our work outs with respect to how we are on any given day.

When I have an appoointment with a client I begin by asking questions about how they are feeling. How is your energy level? How did you sleep last night? What have you eaten recently? How is your stress level? These and other questions give me a better idea of how the individual is and how I should structure the work out. For example, if I have a client that tells me she is very stressed because of work and a sick kid at home and has not slept well I am going to have her do a longer warm up and bring down the intensity of our work out.  High stress can lead to tightness physically and a lack of focus mentally. Combine this with a lack of sleep and this is not the time to engage in a complex or difficult work out. On the contrary, if the same client had said that she was feeling great and full of energy, perhaps we would try some new and challenging plyometric exercises to push her while she was at her best.

Every day is different and as a result every workout should be different as well. Performing different exercises in a different order with different intensities will not only allow you to adjust to your body’s changing abilities but it will stave off bordem. It is always better to back off or even skip a work out when you are not at your best so that you can come back even stronger for the next session. Results are not just from hard work but from smart work. The better you are at knowing when to push and when to ease up, the better your end results will be.

Now that spring has finally arrived, many people are looking to shed those extra pounds and inches that have accumulated over the winter. This is a noble cause to under take, but in order to bring about a lasting change the right approach is necessary. Over the years, I have witnessed countless individuals jump full throttle into a new exercise program only to become bored, frustrated, or injured leading to them quiting without reaching their goals.  When I meet a new client, the first thing we discuss is the making of goals. By doing this in the very beginning there is a plan in place that we both know and understand to lead to success.

In order for goals to to work there are a few rules. First, any goal must be specific. I often hear the sentence ” I want to lose weight”. This is not a specific goal. How much weight? What kind of weight? Even if the goal is to lose 10 pounds, does this mean that if you lost 10 pounds of muscle, bone, and water leading to you being more unhealthy that you would be happy? Any goal needs to be very specific for example ” I want to lower my body fat by 3%”. There is no mistaking this goal and whether you have achieved it. The second rule is that a goal must be measurable. Saying ” I want to feel better” is not truly measurable. How do you quantify your feelings? You may feel good today but not so good tomorrow. Instead a goal of decreasing one’s body fat and or  waist size is definitely measurable. Even setting a goal of finishing your first 5k is measurable. You will know when you cross the finish line.  The third rule for goal setting is that the goal must be time limited. A big mistake that is  often made is that people make open ended goals. By not specifying a time limit, it is easier to make excuses and let yourself off the hook for reaching the goal. Stating a goal of reducing one’s waist size 4 inches by Labor Day is a much better goal than I want to lose 4 inches off my waist. By having a dead line for a goal there is a definite way of assessing progress as you work towards it. Many of my clients have expressed fear that by putting a time on their goals they are setting themselves up for failure. This is not the case. Goal setting is not a finite process. It is on going with constant assessment and reorganizing. If you set a goal to run the marathon this fall but become sick are you a failure? Of course not! This is just a time for resetting goals. You find another race to run or choose an entirely different goal. The only time failure comes into play is when you stop trying. The last rule for goal setting is that goals must be realistic. Stating that one wants to lose 40 pounds before their wedding in 2 months is NOT a realistic goal. Not everyone is capable of sculpting a “six pack” or being a size zero. The more realistic your goals are, the more happiness and motivation you will get when you achieve them!

I am always happy to see people trying to improve their health and fitness, but I am even happier when I hear success stories from those that took their time and made a lifestyle change that will last them forever. No one gets into a bad habit over night. So no one should expect to be able to just change and see results over night either.  Take your time, make a plan, and execute that plan.  The results will come!

This past Saturday my girlfriend and I traveled down to Indianapolis to take part in the Indy Mini half marathon. Normally Kristin and I avoid the bigger races because they get so crowded that the organization falls short and the overall enjoyment of the race is affected. In this case though, a friend lives in the area so we were getting a chance to visit as well as run the race.  I thought that I would just get through the race without any real expectations, hoping only not to get hurt since I have a marathon in two weeks.

Wow! I have learned my lesson about prejudging a race! The One America 500 Festival, which includes the half marathon and a 5k, was an incredibly well organized and smoothly run event. The start was smooth and relatively quick (even with 35,000 runners), the course was well laid out, and there was an amazing amount of support from volunteers and bystanders alike. With out trying to, I was able to run a better time than I have in years! The finish area was well planned with specific spots for picking up your gear, watching for other runners, and getting post race food and drink. All in all, I would rate this in my top ten of all time favorites. I would highly recommend this event to anyone looking for a fun race in the midwest during the spring.

I am frequently ridiculed for my habit of watching sports and rooting for a “good game” rather than any particular team.  I was taught that it is better to lose with pride and dignity than to win ugly and I have always held onto that. Now most people don’t agree with this, but every once in a while someone surprises even me with their selfless act of sportsmanship.

This recently occurred during a softball game between Western Oregon and Central Washington universities.  Trailing by a score of 2 to 1, Sara Tucholsky  of Western Oregon came to the plate and did something she had never done before. She hit the ball over the center field wall for a 3 run home run! The dream seemed to be short lived though because she missed first base and when she went back to tag it she collapsed with an apparent knee injury. Tucholsky’s teammates wanted to help her around the bases but the umpire stated that she would be called out if they assisted. The only other option seemed to be to put in a pinch runner which  would turn her home run into a single. But before the coach could decide what to do, Central Washington’s firstbaseman Mallory Holtman asked the umpire if she could help Tucholsky around the bases. The ump responded that there was no rule against it so Holtman along with shortstop Liz Wallace carried the injured girl around the bases stopping at each one so she could touch it with her good leg. The home run counted and Western Oregon won the game 4-2. So not only did the two girls from Central Washington help preserve the home run and lose the game, they essentially eliminated their team from the playoffs. When asked about it, Holtman replied ” in the end, it is not about winning and losing so much. It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”

Now I know that there are those out there that will say that these two girls were crazy to  help out the “enemy” and seal their own fate, but in my opinion they are the best example of sportsmanship. This one game will not scar them for life, but the memory of being carried around the bases for her first ever home run will stay with Sara Tucholsky forever! Kudos to Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace for doing the right thing!