Cold Weather Hydration

Its oddly deceptive. You go for a run or walk in the cold and figure you're not going to sweat as much and so that means you don't have to consume as much liquid.

Wrong!

In fact, it may come as a surprise to find out that you may need even more water during colder climates.

Before we continue with this train of thought, lets talk about what water, which makes up 60 to 80 percent of your body, does that is so important. In the blood, water helps transport nutrients, oxygen, glycogen and more to the cells, all of which are used to produce energy and keep the cells running efficiently. It then carries waste products away from the cells. In sweat, it is the evaporation process which helps the body to cool its surface which in turn cools the blood which lowers the overall body temperature.

Why is this important? Without the essentials for energy production eventually your body will stop operating. Without the removal of waste products, your body will slowly poison itself. If your body temperature rises over a high of about 106 degrees Fahrenheit, your cells will actually begin to cook themselves.

Needless to say these are just a few of the reasons we need water in our bodies and yet alone each one should be motivation enough to keep hydrated.

Something you might not think about, lower temperatures “inspire” urination. That means a greater amount of your consumed liquids are passing directly through your body without the opportunity to be absorbed.

It’s a fine line you run in the cold! During a cold weather run or walk you face two different problems. Overheating (too hot) and hypothermia (too cold). You will walk a thin line from your first step. Initially, you will experience the cold. Generally this initial cold is not much more than a distraction as your body begins to heat up and acclimate to the lower temperatures.

The next phase is overheating due to lack of sweat evaporation. In cold climates sweat which is designed to cool the skins surface by vaporizing takes longer to do just that than it does at warm temps; That pooling of sweat initially causes your body temperature to rise abnormally as it is trapped under layers of clothing.

As the clothing gets saturated with moisture the problem quickly turns in a different direction… too much cold! All of this cold begins to drop the temperature of the skin surface extremely fast. As you are likely dehydrated at this time all of your functions begin to slow down. Dehydrated cells deliver less of the fuel needed for energy production and at a slower rate which in turn means less energy production and ultimately less heat, a by product of energy creation. As your body continues to drop you experience hypothermia and a shutdown of your bodily functions. This is why often when you hear of victims of cold weather accidents they are both dehydrated and hypothermic.

All of this to come back to… how to stay hydrated and safe in cold weather. Although you may not feel like it, you need to approach cold weather hydration in the same manner that you do hot weather hydration. Experts recommend approximately 6 oz. of cool water 30 minutes to exercise and then 4 to 6 oz. every 20-30 minutes.

As with warm weather exercise you need to drink before you’re thirsty. The sensation of thirst is triggered when your body senses a concentration of certain elements (such as sodium) in your body. When this occurs, you are already at least mildly dehydrated and if you haven’t been taking in fluids it can lead to serious consequences.

Want to get more exacting on how much fluid you need to take in? Try this simple method for determining how much water you lose during exercise.

Since most weight lost during exercise is directly attributed to sweating weighing yourself before and after an exercise bout will tell you how much water you are loosing.

Let’s say you run for an hour and lose 2 pounds of bodyweight. That two pounds represents 32 oz. What this tells you is that you should be consuming 16 oz of fluid every 30 minutes. That number may be a little high but everyone is different. Some sweat more, some less. This method will give you the most accurate answer to how much to hydrate.

Yesterday, I ran in temps near the upper 40’s plus a windchill. It was cool. I never really felt myself get warmed up and as such I couldn’t really tell if I was sweating. I stopped for a minute a the trailhead of a route I had never run and the sweat came dripping down in great big drops. It was a classic case of what happens when running in the cold. The sweat continues at it regular rate but instead of evaporating as it would in warmer temps, it pools on the surface of your skin. If I hadn’t been taking in fluids, I would have found myself dehydrated in spite of the fact that I couldn’t feel it.

If your runs aren’t going as well as you think they should while its cold out it could be that you’re a little dehydrated. Increase the fluids and you may just find your cold weather training going to a whole new level.

Did You Run Today? A Hearty Question!

I ask that question a lot! I know it and I know it bugs some people and yet...

If you aren't daily active in your life, you can't even begin to imagine what you're missing.

And I know... you're tired already and how could you possibly find any more time to fit exercise into your completely packed schedule and you have aches and pains and every other excuse (or reason if you prefer) as to why you don't exercise.

Let me ask you one simple question; "What if exercising could give you back more time and productivity into your schedule?"

I recently took a train ride across this great country. Its a topic for a different blog post on a different blog yet what it did point out to me is how much I need exercise in my life.

The train from Los Angeles to Holland Michigan is just under 48 hours. That's two full days of sitting. Yes, you can move about the train, but without annoying the other passengers you can't really work up much of a sweat.

When I arrived in Holland I was exhausted and cranky. What did I do? First I slept. Then before anything else I went for a 13 mile run! Later in the day I added a 4 mile walk and another 3 mile run.

Net result: I felt rejuvenated!

I shouldn't have been surprised and honestly I wasn't. I've learned over thee years that the biggest key to overall health, happiness, mental crispness and just plain well-being is to get out and move.

Now I know I'm a little (OK maybe a lot) nuts and you may not be interested in running at least 20 mile a day and yet if you just walked two miles... 30 minutes a day, you would be amazed at the improvement in your overall health.

Tell me you can't find 30 minutes a day and I'll say I've found someone who isn't interested in truly enjoying life. Get up a half hour earlier. Stay up a half hour later. Instead of stuffing your face at lunch time, go for a walk or run or bike ride.

You can do this!

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise (a fast walk) 5 days a week can yield a significant improvement in cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health is the key not only to making you physically stronger but also mentally sharper.

Think about it...

Literally every body function from movement to thought requires the delivery of nutrients and oxygen and the removal of waste products in the cells to happen. Don't believe me? Stop pumping oxygen rich blood to your brain and see what happens. Or try stopping the delivery of the right nutrients and fluids to your joints and see how well they work. Or how about stopping the flow of blood to your liver or kidneys?

We need oxygen and nutrient rich blood throughout our bodies to live and the number one way to ensure that is to take care of your cardiovascular system.

And... how do we do that? Move!

So the next time you hear or see me asking: "Did you run today?" Hopefully you'll understand, its not just because I want you to run. Its because I want you to live!

Now go get active!

A Change of Venue

Sometimes, even in a place as big as Southern California, you feel like your runs are all the same. I mean... how many ocean front runs can one person handle! (its tough to deal with)

The one thing we lack unless you drive away from the westside is trails. By trails I mean the kind that wind through woods and fields not the paved kind that stretch for miles along the ocean.

With that in mind, I am looking forward to a change of venue as I venture back to Holland Michigan (my hometown) in about a week. Pretty much every run of more than three or four miles can include trails of some sort.

I'm looking forward to the deep forest trail runs that take me through a world full off fall colors the likes of which I have not seen in years. I'm looking forward to the muddy trail runs in a downpour of rain. I'm looking forward to running in the rain (something we see very little of here in Santa Monica).

A change of venue like this usually makes me run faster, something I can really use right now! Even though I grew up there, it will be like a giant exploration of place that even though familiar now somehow now seem new.

The adventure begins on September 17th... I'll keep you posted!

What's your favorite trail run?

Running Through the Flat Times

You know those days when everything is just clicking?

Those days when it just seems you were destined to be a runner because you can't wait to go for your run and when you do, it seems like nothing can stop you?

We all have those from time to time.

And then, most days you look forward to traininng and at least once you get moving everything seems to smooth out and start working. Most of us, if we run regularly have a lot of the same feelings around our runs. Sometimes we don't feel like it and yet when we get moving its all good. Other days we can't wait to get out there and the rewards are just incredible.

But...

What about those times when you really want to run and you just plain feel flat?

Have you ever had that feeling? How long does it last for you? Have you ever figured out what really caused it?

There has been a lot of research and experimentation around what to do when you hit a plateau and yet I'm not really certain this is what it is. A plateau for all intents and purposes iss a point in your training where no matter how much training you do, you seem to reach a point of diminishing returns.

That being said, I wouldn't really describe this as a plateau. Nor would I call it overtraining or burnout.

Quite simply... its just a flat spot. I've had this happen a few times over the last couple of years. Maybe even twice per year. When it comes on at first I get a little freaked. I just wake up one day and when I head out for a run, everything seems really flat.

What do I do? I used to do the complete analysis. What's wrong with my: nutrition, sleep, the weather, other areas of my life. I'd look at everything trying to find the broken link.

Nowadays, I just push through. What I found was if I thought I was getting sick and I focused on it, I got sick. If I thought the weather was just too hot and I focused on it, suddenly 75 degrees was too hot to run in.

My formula?

Go back to the basics. Put one foot in front of the other. If I have to walk, I walk. If I have to run a little shorter run, I run a little shorter run. If I feel the need to slow down my pace, I slow down my pace.

One thing for certain is I don't panic and I know that it will pass and maybe just maybe, I'll come out on the other side a little stronger and a little faster. Life is a journey not a destination and as far as I'm concerned I have a whole lot of running left to do before I do actually reach the finishline and so I'm not going to let a little flat spot (even if it does last for a couple of weeks) get me down.

Neither should you. If you've been running long enough you have probably had a similar experience and if you continue to run it will likely happen again. Don't let it derail you rather, use it as an opportunity to work on your drive and determination.

My second run of the day will be a short three miler and I'm certain that while my long run this morning sucked, this little run will be fast and that... is a good thing!

Pushing through and I'll see you on the other side!

It's Not That Complicated

The Beginning of Week 5 and a Different Direction!

Wow! It hardly seems possible that it's been 5 weeks of run-commuting already. Well... actually four are complete.

That being said it is time for a change up from running to walking for possibly as much as a month. One thing I know is that when I am actually out there doing my first ultramarathon, there will be a fair amount of walking. From what I have learned, certainly at least the uphills will require walking... maybe more.

What will my focus be? How about changing my walking form for starters. As strange as this may sound, it is actually easier for me to run for any distance than it is for me to walk. That has got to change! And... it will. There is a science to walking form just as there is to running form. If more of us would pay attention to how we move, less of us would have long term injuries related to running and walking.

I'll keep you posted here over the next month as to my progress and how I feel as I make some changes.

The next step will be integrating the running and the walking for greater distances. That should be fun!

After a Week

Week one of the run-commuting is on the books.

I have to say it was great and at the same time exhausting. Twice a day running with 11 hours of stand on your feet working is harder than I thought it would be.

That being said I did not add a lot of mileage this week simply because when I was done running home after work... I was pretty much toast! I did get in about 9 miles of walking with the team I train on Saturday and then managed to eek out a 5 mile run on Sunday before I got some quality beach time!

All in all, week one was a success and I'm looking forward to the expanded mileage as I get used to the split running routine.

Week two will be six days of run-commuting as I work on Saturday as well.

Stay tuned!

It's All Good!

Sometimes... well, a lot of the time, life throws out curveballs. It happens to all of us if we're truly honest.

Sometimes... we just don't feel like doing something and once we get into it, we soar and we're glad we did it!

The last week has been one of those weeks for me, I won't go into the details, its not that important. And so this morning when it came time to go train my group of walkers, I thought seriously about blowing it off. I didn't, in fact I ended up getting up early, heading down to the ocean and scoping out places where we could do some simple strength training moves.

And so, my day started with a run to the ocean, about an hour of just plain ocean watching (very therapuetic), a workout at the original "Muscle Beach" just south of the Santa Monica Pier, a great walk with a good group of people who were full of questions and appreciation for my help and then a run home.

Not a bad way to spend the first few hours of any day!

Followed this all up with a return visit to the beach and a dip in the Pacific and a little quality sun time!

Probably go for a short recovery run tonight!

I guess when it all comes down to it, as they say; "No matter what life throws at you, if you decide it is... It's All Good!"

La Ballona/ Culver City Runabout

It was down right hot this day! And yet I love the Ballona Creek Bike Path. It's one of those places where in the middle of the city you can feel like you're NOT in the middle of the city.

Running from Santa Monica I enter the path about 3.5 miles from home at the Culver Blvd entrance seen here.

Looking under the overpass you can see all of the way down to the ocean which is very cool. At this point in the run there is actually a slight ocean breeze to keep things cool. Of course, as soon as you make the turn inland any hint of that breeze is gone. It now becomes a concrete desert that stretches out in front of you as far as you can see.

The upside of this run is it is very flat with the exception of the inclines under the overpasses.

They come in various sizes, mostly I assume depending on the width of the road you are running under. Another positive of course is these are the only shade on this part of the route. If my memory serves me correctly there were six of these underpasses on this particular run so certainly not too much in the way of hills to deal with. Probably the biggest one is the incline leading up to Dusquene Ave in Culver City where I got off the path and headed downtown Culver City.

Of course since this is a runabout, that means I can stop for a coffee if I want and conveniently, there is a Starbuck's right at the intersection of Culver Blvd and Washington Blvd in downtown.

What a very cool little downtown. Loads of shops and new restaurants and a whole lot of history as well. Today was not a day for exploring history or shopping and yet it made for a great little break.

Lots of goofy stares when a guy who is obviously running and sweaty stops to drink a hot coffee and eat a bagel and then when he's done, heads off running! Lind of funny to watch the reactions!

It's pretty much a straight shot up Venice Blvd back towards the beach from downtown Culver City and actually, although it is more inland than the bike path it is cooler because of the large shade trees along the way.

There you have it! A quick little just over 13.5 mile runabout from Santa Monica to Culver City and back.

July 4th Santa Monica Runabout!

I realized not so long ago that although I have lived in Santa Monica for about a year and a half, I really haven't been to most of the city. I live 3/4 of a mile from the ocean and that is where I have been running primarily and yet there's a whole lot more city to see.

I came up with the idea of doing a bunch of "Runabouts", where basically I just point myself in a direction and go. I've read about the parks in

the city and so I thought this might be a good place to start. And so, with that in mind a couple of weeks ago I ran to the Airport park. Pretty cool little park with a dogpark and lots of picnic area and barbeque grills and a small walking path. More importantly it lead to my discovery of this: http://www.museumofflying.com/

The first time I ran by here I didn't have my camera so I thought this morning I would backtrack my route and get a shot. This is a DC3 nicknamed "The Spirit of Santa Monica". How cool is that?

From this point, I headed north on Bundy towards downtown Santa Monica. Funny, but I always thought downtown Santa Monica

was the 3rd Street Promenade or Main Street but to those who have been here all their lives, not so!

I ran up Bundy towards Santa Monica Blvd and when I say up... I mean up. I have a couple of hills between my house and the beach and yet thats it... pretty much downhill to the pier. Going in this direction from south Santa Monica where I live to Bundy and Wilshire or even San Vicente is all up hill. There are days when I really notice this and fortunately today was not one of them. I just kind of got in a zone and the running came easy even if it was uphill!

Once I hit Wilshire Blvd it was back the twenty-some blocks to the ocean for the final stretch home.

As I'm writing this it has turned into a beautiful sunny SoCal day, however as you can probably see from this picture, we were socked in by "June Gloom" when I reached the Oceanfront Walk near the Santa Monica Pier. In fact as I ran past wearing only a tank top one of the parking attendants asked me if I was cold (after 9.5 miles I was anything but cold).

As one would expect on the 4th of July at 11 am the pier parking lots were full to overflowing and the beach was crammed with umbrellas as far as the eye could see! Definitely standing room only at the beach! A couple of miles later and I was back home. After plugging in the route, turns out to be a nice little 11 miler!

All in all, another pretty cool Santa Monica Runabout! Tomorrow... maybe a run through Culver City. I'm in need of a good of a good twenty miler and that should just do the trick! Watch for picks from La Ballona bikepath (one of my favorite routes).

Happy 4th of July!

'Nuff Said!

A Good Break Taken!

I generally train seven days a week. It just feels right and it works for me! I don't recommend it to most of my clients because of the fear of over-training injuries and just plain old recovery time.

I do however, listen to my body and that being said, when its time for a break... its time for a break. I don't often have a week where I have more rest days than training days and so it felt a little awkward to have that be the case this last week. My week looked like this:

Monday - 11.5 run, Tuesday - 11.5 walk, Wednesday - rest - 5 mile walk (I consider most of my walks under 10 miles active recovery), Thursday - rest, Friday - rest, Saturday - rest - 8 mile walk, Sunday - 5k run.

Very light week for me! Turns out it was just what I needed! I just came back from a quick 5k run and it was quick... for me. The pace was almost a full minute per mile faster than I usually run and I honestly could have maintained it for another 5k and still felt great afterwards.

Turns out listening to my body can be a pretty good thing!

If you have those times where you are doing a lot of training and you feel a little flat, it may be time to back off for a week. You may just be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Give it a shot.

Now go get active!

Two Disgusting Words!

Can't

But

As I work with clients these are perhaps the most frustrating words I can hear coming out of their mouths. Its not because I don't understand. Believe me I've used those words many times myself in the past and yet, my life didn't change until I stopped using them and neither will yours!

It goes kind of like this:

I just can't get myself to stop eating...

I can't seem to get up in the morning...

I can't find the energy after work...

I want to workout, but...

Tony Robbins once said; "The person who uses the word but all of the time usually has a big one!"

That may be a little harsh and yet it is the truth. There is a country music song playing lately and the line that sticks out to me is: "Sounds like life to me."

We all have things that get in the way of some of the things we want to do. Life will continue to happen all around you every single day for as long as you grace this world with your presence. Its inevitable! The only question then is; What are you going to give your focus to?

I constantly hear people say they would love to work out but they have kids and they just can't find the time. That one sentence has both of those disgusting words in it! In fairness, I don't have any children, in fact I'm not even married or dating at the moment and so yes, my time is my time and yet...

I work 14 to 16 hours a day almost everyday and still find the time to go for a run. And I realize, fitness is my business and so it would seem to most people that it should be easier to workout right? Wrong! Most of my time is spent in front of a computer, writing, typing, blogging, emailing, designing training programs.

And before I got into endurance fitness training, I worked 7 days a week 12 to 14 hours a day running a car dealership and that is definitely not conducive to a healthy lifestyle!

So how do I find 2 or 3 hours to train each day?

Its all about how important my health is to me. 

If you constantly find yourself saying, I want to but... your health is just not that important to you no matter what kind of lip service you give it. If its really important to you then you will wake up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later or find a way to get someone else to watch the kids for a short period of time. If its really important, you will make the time.

I know you're tired! And, if you will just get with the program you will little by little find that you have more energy and vitality. You'll find that the time you spend with your kids or your spouse or doing whatever else you have to do in life will be so much better because you made your health a priority.

I hear over and over again; my kids are my priority! I completely, one hundred percent, unequivocally agree that they should be! And consider this...

If you don't take care of yourself... who's going to take care of your kids when you can no longer do so because of your health. You have to make the time. Period! You have got to make your health an absolute must. If you are the type of person who thinks its selfish to take time for yourself then don't think of it that way. Think of it as taking time to make yourself a better parent or spouse or lover for those other people in your life. If you fear not being there for them to give them what they need... it should be pretty easy to imagine what it would be like if you weren't around and I doubt you want that!

If you have found a way to get yourself to the gym or on the treadmill or out the door there's still one more thing we need to address.

Are you going through the motions or are you really working on improving?

When you first start out exercising, we take great care to make certain that at least for the first four weeks or so you don't push yourself too hard as your body gets used to its new demands. Where the problem comes in is most people never get out of that initial conditioning phase. In other words, they start going through the motions and as the same workload becomes easier they start to see diminishing returns and don't understand why.

As you're aerobic conditioning improves you have got to continue to challenge yourself. How much?

I'm glad you asked...

With runners, as we begin to increase mileage we use a rule of thumb of no more than 10% increase in mileage per week. If a runners long run is 4 miles one week, the next week we would increase it by 10% or basically a half mile and so their long run would then be 4.5 miles.

On a treadmill you should be using the same sort of principle for speed or time or both. If you are walking at 3.5 mph for 40 minutes, the next week I would suggest 45 minutes at the same speed of 3.5. The next week I would suggest 45 minutes at 3.9 mph (10% increase in speed). 

This is where can't and but come into play. It is going to be a little uncomfortable if you are pushing yourself. I expect my clients to experience mild discomfort when they are training. I'm referring to a low threshold soreness. I am not talking about sharp jabbing pain. You should be able to increase the speed on your treadmill by .1 or .2 or .3 mph in a week without extreme and sharp pains up to a certain speed. If you can not then we need to address your form because something in the way you're moving is causing a problem.

My point is... you will have some soreness, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. You never get more out than the effort you put in!

This is usually where I hear a whole bunch of I can'ts! I just can't go any longer or I just can't go any faster than 2.3mph...

And...

When you say you can't, guess what... you're absolutely right! As long as you tell yourself you can't, you will never ever as long as you live be able to. That applies to everything in life and you can absolutely take that to the bank!

When you stop saying I can't or but and start saying I can and I will things will start to change. When you start to push yourself to go farther or a little bit faster or maybe to jog a little or even run... that's when the magic will begin to really happen!

Every day will not be perfect! Guaranteed! And yet more of them will be pretty darn good. There will be times when you do everything right and get what is seemingly zero results. If you were here with me and we took you to the lab and did all of the latest testing and then trained together everyday, there would still be weeks where you didn't feel like you made any progress. Part of that is simply your body responding quickly to its new challenges and part of it is the fact that everything you do does not result in an immediate weight loss. You are improving your cardiovascular strength and endurance, you are building muscle. Never forget that your overall body composition is changing. You may not experience weight loss all of the time as you gain muscle and lose fat and yet I'll bet you clothes will fit better!

And now I'll get off my soapbox and just repeat.

Start saying I CAN and I WILL!

Now go get active!

More Than Just A Lifestyle Change

As I work with individuals looking to regain health or maybe go to a new level of fitness, the conversation often goes to "lifestyle changes".

I am a big believer in changing lifestyles for lifetime maintenance of health and vitality.  As Zig Ziglar says... "You wouldn't keep a million dollar race horse out all night, drinking and smoking!"  Its critical to long term success to look at life in a different way, find the things you enjoy because those are the things you'll do consistenly that will keep you healthy and quite frankly to place a higher value on your personal health annd well-being.  If you can manage to make these mental changes, you will have success in changing your life and setting up a life of great health.

However... all that being said, there comes a time when if you want to get results (make changes), you are going to have to put in some good old-fashioned supreme effort!  While it is true that once you reach your desired level of fitness and weight you can maintain it doing things you enjoy including anything from bike riding to walking to gardening and even housework, when it comes to getting to your desired goal you are going to have to put in some work... OK... a lot of work.

You don't drop 20,40,60,100 lbs or even more over the course of a year by simply going out and mowing the lawn every other week.

You may hate walking or jogging or running or riding an exercise bike or lifting weights, but if you want to drop the weight and get back into a state of excellent health... well quite frankly you can't avoid them.  And, although you may be able to maintain your health with  a 3 mile run three times a week at a leisurely pace, that's not going to cut the mustard while you are dropping the weight initially.

I'm sorry if I'm the first one to say this to you but... you didn't gain the extra weight overnight and totally by accident.  You didn't just wake up one morning and find you were overweight.  I did not simply go to  my closet one day and find that the only pants I had to wear that I could fit into were size 42!  And quite frankly, I did not just wake up yesterday and suddenly realize I could wear size 32 jeans.

On the contrary, over the last year I  have worked my butt off! (literally)  I have logged thousands of miles both walking and running.  I have done more crunches in the last year than I had done in the previous 45 years of my life.  I've donne more pushups and curls and presses in this last year than in any other year off my life including those years when I was bodybuilding in my late teens and early twenties.

I have weeks when I am in a constant state of soreness.  I have ignored pain that in the past would have had me avoiding workouts for days or even weeks.  And most importantly, this time around, I have done it all for me.

As I was out on a run today, I caught myself doing what most of us do at some point... comparing myself to the other runners I saw on the street.  I know I'm not the only person who does this.  For me it usually happens when I'm on a long run and someone goes whizzing past me.  Now quite honestly, I really don't need to compare myself to anyone else and quite frankly because I'm running  over 10 miles on most of my runs I can pretty easily explain why someone running a couple miles is moving faster than me, but still I can't help it.  The problem is, when I do this I either spped up which only throws me out of my rhythm or I just get distracted and end up slowing down.  Either way the result is not productive.

Today, when I found myself doing this comparison thing, I finally smacked myself and said; "This is not about anyone else!  This is only about you!"  It worked!  And it was true.  This last year of training has not been about impressing anyone else, its been about taking back my life and creating a lifestyle I enjoy and that I can maintain for the rest of my life.

If I have my way, I'll still be running when I'm 100 and loving the freedom it gives me.  I happen to love running.  Maybe you love tennis or walking or yardwork.  Whatever you enjoy that keeps you active, I hope you enjoy it well into your later years in life.  But if you are out of shape now, you are going to have do some work, some of it not  so enjoyable to get back into shape.

I think a lot of people get frustrated with a training routine because they don't enjoy it and quite truthfully, I don't blame them.  I'm not a big "gym" guy any more.  I really don't enjoy weight training and yet, I know that to regain the health of a lifetime, that is the short term price I'm going to have to pay.

I'm here to tell you that there will be pain.  There will be days when it hurts just to run a mile.  There will be days when you will feel like throwing up after a particularly tough strength training session.  You and I made our choices in life up to this point and now if we want to get back to health, we are going to have to put in the effort.

The upside...

One of the best parts of working out is the way you feel when you finish!

The way you will feel when you reach your goal weight or run your PR in a race or finish your first marathon or whatever else it is you're seeking, is absolutely incredible!

Your whole life WILL work better if you have great health and an active lifestyle, its a proven fact!

You will be extremely proud of yourself when you finish a workout that a few months ago you wouldn't even have considered doing!

When you finally throw away your "fat" clothes for the last time, knowing you'll never need them again, it will be one of the best days of your life to that point!

The day will come when you look forward to being active every day!

Here's a bonus thought from today's run.  If you are self conscious about working out in the gym because you think everyone is watching and judging you... forget it.  No one is evaluating you if you are overweight but are working out and trying to improve.  If any one is having thoughts about you at all it is generally thoughts of encouragement.

People do however notice you if you are overweight carrying the double bag of McD's or the two for one pizza deal!  That you should be self conscious about!

Its time to stop making excuses.  Get ready  for a little (who am I kidding.. a lot of) worthwhile soreness!  And look forward to the day when you can do whatever activity you want to maintain your new healthier you!

A Year Behind Me!

Today is the one year anniversary of my heart attack.

How am I doing?

Well, let's see... this Saturday and Sunday I did the Relay for Life 24 hours of walking/running.  I logged just over 75 miles in about 22 hours on the track.  I guess I'm doing OK!

My blood pressure is 106/60.  I guess I'm OK.

My resting heart rate is 43.  I guess I'm OK.

Looking back at the last year, I've made a lot of new friends in the health and fitness world.  Very cool!

I'm not exactly certain how I expected to feel today, what I do know is that I am definitely blessed!  And that is a pretty good place to be!

And now I think I'll go for my second run of the day!

All The Ads Are Gone From My Blog!

If you've been on my blog before, you'll notice something distinctly different today.  Take a second look.

That's right... all of the ads are missing.

Why?

Because for the next two days, its all about something much bigger than me. 

On Saturday, I will be taking part in The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Culver City.  This is an event where teams of 8 to 15 members walk on the local track for 24 hours to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.  It is the opportunity to touch lives on a large scale.  As such, every link on my blog today and tomorrow takes you to my donation page for the Relay.

One little twist...

I'm doing the Relay for Life as a one person team.  I'll be on the track for 24 hours straight walking to raise money!

I'm excited!

I hope you will find it in your heart to make a donation no matter the size.  If everyone just gave $5 it would have a huge impact!  Of course if you're inspired to give more, by all means feel free to do so!

If you're in the Los Angeles area Saturday or Sunday, come on out and support all of the great walkers in this event anytime from 9am Saturday until 9am Sunday!  They'll be lots to see and there is even some live entertainment planned for the afternoon Saturday.

So, yes... the ads are gone from my blog.  Click on one of the Relay for Life logos and make a difference!

Insanity Begs for an Opportunity!

OK, so I've been itching for the opportunity to get out there and go the distance so to speak for quite some time now!

I guess, ever since my 24 hour treadmill run for charity was cancelled last January, I've just been looking for the chance.  I'm in training for an ultra marathon next January of 50 miles, but I really wanted to get out there and test my legs, so to speak and maybe see what I'm really made of.

When A friend who plays in a band, sent an invitation to hear them perform at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Culver City, a little switch went on in my head.  You know the switch?  The one where sanity meets its alter-ego.

How perfect an event.  First it is for a great cause; the American Cancer Society and since my Dad and younger brother have both had Melanoma operations I'm a big supporter.  Second it is a walking event around a track (easy to support).

Its Wednesday and the event is Saturday so there's not a lot of time for preparation.  Fortunately, my training has been "spot on" lately and the mileage has been very strong!  Fundraising - Thank God for Twitter, Facebook and a heavy email contacts list!  And thank goodness, I am not one of those people who ask folks to donate all of the time so I can call in a few chips.  The ink was barely dry on the first email before the donations started coming in!

I have awesome friends!

Other prep - Supplies like water, Gatorade, Clif Bars!  Since it is a walking event, I think the North Face Arnuva Boas(all 4 pairs) will probably get the nod over the Sauconys.  A lawn chair, a donation sign, other creative stuff for fun!  Most of the teams will have tents and such for the times when their members are not on the track however, since Team Tim is a one man show, I don't really see much need.  Maybe an easy-up if I can get my hands on one before the event.  Oh yeah and I get to try out my Black Diamond headlamp (very cool)!

Training schedule change - maybe a couple of quick 3-milers tomorrow to keep the legs loose and then rest on Friday.  Get good sleep on Thursday, since I will be pretty nervous on Friday night.

This is really cool!  I know there are those who might think this is insane or nuts, but I never really claimed to be otherwise so... OK!

I'll of course give you the full report after its done!

Avoid the Post-Workout Rewards System!

Okay, so yesterday about five miles into a twelve mile run I started to get hungry.  No big deal, I am certainly not going to pass out from being a little hungry during a run of that distance.

The problem was where my thoughts went.  I started to think about "rewarding" myself for a good run with a big juicy double-cheeseburger and fries from the local diner.

So, what's wrong with that?  Lot's of people do that.  I mean, come on!  I did the work, shouldn't I be able to reward myself for all of those calories burned?  What, after all is the point of working so hard if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor?  Right?

You will not win this particular argument with me so don't bother trying.  I know the truth from personal and observed experiences.  I believe it is one of the major faults with a whole lot of the current weight loss programs on the market today.  They in one way or another offer you a "Cheat day" where as long as you're good the rest of the week, you can eat whatever you want for one day.

There are two problems with this approach.

First, if you're overweight, you didn't get there because you followed the best eating habits in the world.  Let's be honest.  I didn't get overweight because I did what was right for my body.  What did I do?  I ate the wrong foods and I ate them consistently.  Then as a form of appeasement, I'd go out for a run every once in a while and tell myself I was earning that double-cheeseburger and fries!

The rewards system, puts the total focus on food.  It creates a relationship with it that makes it  the total and only objective of exercise.  It even makes eating right the rest of the week something you do just so you can "pig-out" on that one day.  Using this type of system, you may;  in fact if strict enough... absolutely will, lose weight.  The problem is since the relationship is with food and not with exercise and all of its benefits, when you have difficulties in life and stop exercising for a period of time (which will inevitably happen, like it or not), you still have a relationship with food.  And food becomes your source of escape and comfort instead of exercise.

Whether we like it or even admit to it, all human beings operate out of one of two contexts most of the time.  We are either working to avoid pain or to gain pleasure.  You can deny this until you're blue in the face and yet the truth is whatever you are doing is moving you in one of those two directions.

Think about it for a second; when you finally decided to lose weight what was the motivating factor?  Were you tired of being embarrassed by your weight?  Were you afraid you might not be healthy enough to play with your grandchildren?  Or maybe, you wanted the joy of sharing a great moment running a race with your friends and you knew you needed to lose weight to do just that.  What ever your reason(s), you were avoiding pain or seeking pleasure.

What's the point?

For most of us, food has become a quick way to gain instant pleasure.  Even if in the long run, too much of the wrong stuff can cause extreme pain, in the moment when you are seeking escape from the pain of the moment, food offers instant relief.

And so, when you use food as a reward system for exercise you are setting yourself up to never be able to escape the cycle of using it as a tool for release.  And eventually, any gains you have made through exercise will be wiped out as you even substitute food for exercise to find relief in your day to day life.

The second reason to avoid using food as a reward after exercise is really only important if you are truly committed to getting the most out of your exercising body.

The period immediately after exercise, say 30 to 60 minutes, are the critical time for providing your body with the nutrients it needs for recovery.  Whether you are brand new to exercise or have been training for a long time, you need to make sure that you are giving your body exactly what it needs when it needs it. This is especially true during this post-workout time frame.

Post-workout, your body doesn't need just any old food you can throw down.  It needs a decent combination of protein and some high quality carbs.  Depending on your body weight you should being consuming 10 to 25 gms of quality lean protein within the hour after your workout.  This is the time when your body may have during exercise utilized protein (its least popular source of energy) to supplement the other sources of energy in your body depending on the intensity of your workout.  You need to replenish the protein in order for your muscles, tendons and ligaments to fully recover prior to your next workout.

You need the carbs to replenish what are known as glycogen stores in your muscles and liver.  Glycogen is the energy source used most often for quick bursts of strength and also during the initial stages of exercise before your aerobic system kicks into gear.  Glycogen is also utilized by your body when your aerobic system is over-taxed and can't produce energy, but the supply is very limited.  You may have heard of marathoners doing something called "carbo-loading".  The glycogen system is the focus of this practice.

All this being said, how do you avoid the food reward system?

You need to find something else to use as your reward.  And it has to be exciting for you!  Maybe its the shopping trip you're going to take when you reach a certain weight to replenish your closet.  Maybe its the 5k race you're going to complete with your friends and all of the excitement that goes along with that accomplishment.  Maybe its something as simple as rewarding yourself with a dip in the pool after a warm and exhausting workout.  It could even be a quick little nap, that just simply says to you; "Go ahead you've earned it!"

What ever it is you choose, its got to feel rewarding to you and it can't be food!  Sorry, I know that's a tough one but its the truth.  If you're really serious about this, you can't go on attaching everything in your life to food.  If you're not really concerned about enjoying a long and fulfilling active life where you get to enjoy your family and friends and grandchildren in good health, then by all means... eat what ever you want when ever you want.  You might as well get as much of it as you can while you still can!

I'm not saying you can't enjoy the food you eat.  Not by a long stretch.  You have just got to at some point beginning changing what you use to reward yourself and focus on those things instead of the quick escape of food.

Avoid the reward system and you'll find your results sticking around!

Amazing Grace and the Incredible Run!

I will be the first to admit that my Christian walk is not exactly what it should be.  I do however enjoy listening to all kinds of music when I do long runs including contemporary Christian music.  I find it to be peaceful and rejuvenating.

This morning as I ran my 8 mile loop which takes me out about 5 miles before I hit the infamous Santa Monica 4th Street stairs. View Video

I was listening to one such artist, Chris Tomlin.  Now throwing the stairs in at mile 5 is a pretty cool and extremely taxing exercise and I'll admit, there was some handrail holding going on by me as I made the climb up to the top.

As I reached the top and continued my run the thought hit me about just how blessed I really am to be here at this moment climbing stairs that many people won't even try especially not in the middle of a run.  When you add to that the fact that just about a year ago, I was lying in a hospital bed after having a heart attack, it takes on additional significance.

Suddenly, as if almost on cue Chris Tomlin's rendition of "Amazing Grace (MyChains Are Gone)" came on my ipod.  I often refer to running as an emotional and almost spiritual experience.  This topped it all!  I have to admit, for the five minutes the song played there were no dry eyes for Tim!

Say what you want to say, believe what you want to believe, in my book there is absolutely no doubt that there is a Higher power than us and for me it is God!  Needless to say the remainder of my run was highly empowering!

What a great day!  Amazing Grace and an incredible run!

Why Your Health Is So Important To Me!

Another Saturday training session on the books! We had a great session, with everyone feeling like they could have done more and still we were out for 50 minutes, twice what the schedule called for! I think everyone should be as proud of their efforts today as I am of all of you!

That being said, there are many who have not even made one session yet and at the risk of offending, you need to make this a priority. The question begs to be asked; “If not now... when?”

I thought I would share with you why this is so important to me and why I may be a little pushy on this subject. Hopefully give you an understanding of where my passion comes from.

Each and everyone of us has our own reasons for wanting to do this. For some its just simply to shed a few pounds. You may not even be that convinced that you need a lifestyle change as much as you just want to get rid of the pounds and move on. Still, for others you may have been told by your physician that you needed to make a change. You may be committed to losing the weight, but still figure once you've lost it you'll be able to get back to normal. There are certainly countless other reasons for undertaking this program. For most of you at this point, to take part or not is still a choice. Count it a blessing that it is still exactly that... a choice you can make.

Here's my inspiration:

I have been an on again off again runner and fitness enthusiast my whole adult life. Through March of 2008 I had run 4 marathons and countless shorter distance races. I had even competed in a bodybuilding competition in my late teens. And yet, that didn't mean I was always in great or good or even fair health. I certainly knew how to take care of myself. I am after all a Certified Endurance Fitness Trainer and Personal Trainer. And still, knowledge doesn't guarantee results, action does!

Its funny, if you asked most people who knew me they would tell you that I was active, I mean I was a marathoner you know! What most people didn't realize was that I was the “Grand Poobah of Yo-Yo'ers. No question that in spite of everything I knew; I ate the wrong stuff, drank too much and even smoked! Great example of health, right?

Monday May 18^th, will be an anniversary for me. It will be exactly a year ago and 60 lbs heavier that in the middle of a 40 mile bike ride I had my heart attack. Yes, at 45 years of age, my refusal to apply what I knew caught up with me.

You might at this point be thinking; “That could never happen to me!” Guess what? I thought the same thing. To a person, everyone who knew me thought it should have happened to them not me. I was after all the active guy.

My one concern in telling this story is that you might take away from it what some of my friends did. If the healthy guy has a heart attack, then what's the point, I might as well have another beer and a cheeseburger!

The fact of the matter is, I only appeared to be healthy. I am a big guy, frame-wise and so even with an extra 60 lbs of body fat, I didn't appear to be overweight. I had that “Week-end Warrior”, “Guy” mentality that said I could eat what I wanted, when I wanted, drink what I wanted, when I wanted and then just workout once in a while and everything would be honky-dory.

As an example; I had almost a full year to train for my first marathon from the time I signed up until the time I had to run. Guess how many times I ran during that year? 300? 200? 100? 50? 20?

How about none of the above! I literally ran 10 times in the year leading up to my first marathon. Everyone knew I was training for the marathon. What they didn't know was that I would go home from work, put on my workout clothes, sit down and turn on the TV and never get out the door. Pretty soon all I did was think about putting on the workout clothes and just go right to the food and TV routine.

Don't get the impression that if you are genuinely active, you are no better off than if you just say forget it, because I was not the stellar example of health everyone thought I was.

The fact remains, when I hear someone talk about how they are going to get active and healthy and then they come up with every excuse in the books as to why they don't, I know exactly what's going on in their brain at that moment. I've heard, given, used and created pretty much every excuse you can imagine as to why tomorrow is a better day to start getting healthy than today. You can't surprise me with one I haven't at least thought of at some point in time.

Truth is; you still have a choice and that may not be the best thing in the world. I don't have a choice.

Actually, I do. Live or die!

Which would you chose? I've opted for living. I've kind of grown accustomed to it!

You have lots of choices that I no longer have. If you are a Weight Watchers member, you have a points system that pretty much allows you to eat anything on the menu as long as it falls within the allotted points. I don't! I am a Midwestern boy at heart. Which means I do love food! Food is now fuel for me. The leaner and more pure it is the better and enough to keep me running in top condition is all I'm really interested in. I have zero cravings anymore. Why? I want to live and after a year of very pure eating for fuel, I just don't' crave anymore. I know by how I feel exactly what type of fuel I need and that's what I eat. No more, no less!

You have the choice to be active or not. I don't! For the rest of my life, I have to constantly work to improve my cardiovascular endurance and cardiovascular strength. Its not an option, its a must!

Fortunately for me, I find extreme joy in running! And, now that I'm actually doing it on a regular basis, I'm enjoying it even more.

Don't get me wrong, I love my active lifestyle. So much so that I'm training for my first ultra marathon next January of 50 miles. Its just that getting to this point became non-optional.

So I hope that you can understand, that when I am pushy about getting you out to our training sessions its not for me. Its that I would never wish what I went through on anyone... ever!

And when you throw out your excuses, I'm not being judgmental, but in the back of my mind I do hear myself throwing out the same excuses over a year ago. Trust me if you haven't figured this out already, once you come up with one way to let yourself off the hook, it just gets easier and easier with every one.

No one who has been to our training sessions would walk away saying anything but how enjoyable walking with the group is. I truly enjoy it myself. I also enjoy the solitude that a long run by myself brings.

Please get active, while you have a choice. I will do everything in my power to help make it something you enjoy now and for the rest of your life and yet it all begins with you!

Have an incredible day and go get active!