Training for Endurance is an Acquired Taste.

I am a runner. Always have been; always will be. And sometimes, I bike, swim, kayak, and play with some form of resistance training. My hero that inspired me to run track was Edwin Moses, the greatest hurdler of all time.... (sorry, new hurdlers... you don't hold a candle to his accomplishments). I remember the day I met my hero.... I was embarrassed to go speak with him, but he was honored to meet me. Alas, I digress..... the point is, he inspired me to continue running.

I was a sprinter/middle distance runner at the time-- tackling the 400 and the 800m -- pretty fast if I do say so myself.... and well, I remember being asked to take one for the team and run the 1600m.... (4 laps around the track?!?-- what was I thinking? and to run it fast??? Seriously coach, whatever drugs you are taking, you need to stop!!!!) But I ran the 1600m and I ran it well... earned some points for the team.

AT THE TIME, I SWORE I WOULD NEVER RUN MORE THAN 800m EVER AGAIN....

(be careful what you wish for!)

That fall I was running cross-country-- what????? (someone thought it would help with my off-season conditioning for track-- now, that i am a coach.... i agree and disagree on the training thoughts).

So, here I am now in 2010.... training for and running half marathons, marathons and triathlons.... making a comeback after my cycling accident...

the gods must be crazy!!!

I was thinking about my personal athletic journey through track and field this morning as I was reading Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald.

He was discussing weight-loss. I am currently in the process of a weight-loss journey, as I have been struggling since my cycling accident. I went from volume extremely high-- prepping for IronMan qualification to Volume non-existant.... the worst case scenario for maintaining body weight/fat. And well, I am currently rebuilding volumes and prepping for my first full-racing season.... still working on the deets.... post-cycling accident. It has been a long journey, but the weight is starting to drop as my volume is increasing.

IN the book, Fitzgerald says that "Training for Endurance is an Acquired Taste." While a fabulous way to shed body fat and lose body weight, individuals who begin a program solely for the purpose of losing weight, will drop out quickly. Individuals must find a sport that is loved.

My sport is running. I have since added swimming-- became a lifeguard. Needed to swim for more than recreation. Encouraged to do triathlons.... I loved rowing and kayaking-- so, i did lifeguard competitions.... still encouraged to do tris... the bike??? I couldn't figure it out. I hated it. It was too hard..... and yet, the summer I took on a job at a basketball camp, I decided that I was going to ride my bike (16speed that I had bought seemingly a century before-- my fav training bike, that was retired after it was involved in my cycling accident) to and from work-- 15miles one way, daily... five days a week for 6 weeks. (What drugs was I taking???)

I learned by stepping in the fire how to ride.... there was an ugly hill that went on forever...... the first day I had to walk it and by the end of the 6 weeks, I would tackle it like it wasn't there, I had conquered the hill...... and my love of biking began. Amazing what a little madness will do!!!!!!

So for me, I have the sports.... I love doing these activities. I would rather train outside any day of the week... and for the record, I hate cardio on machines-- except the concept II rower-- i could do that all day!!!

What about the person who doesn't have a sport or activity she loves? If the emphasis is not on the sport-- prepping for a 5k, then a 10k or something else, the focus could be on the weight loss goal, and interest is lost easily. After all, there are many other competitors vying for attention.... such as the 'quick workout' at your local gym.

If you want a great body, you have to work for it.

If you want to be great in a sport, you have to practice and train!

(great is relative-- what is your goal for personal greatness?)

If you are just seeking weight loss through running, the running will be boring!

And sometimes it is.....

but the rewards are too great to be missed.....

Rewards like crossing the finish line, making a PR, fitting in jeans you forgot you had in the back of the closet, seeing your six-pack start to form, knowing you can run x miles, knowing how great you look after a workout, running into classmates who look old, getting a new pair of sneakers or shorts, race t-shirts, or whatever your reward might be....

Develop the taste for the sport you love!

My sport will always be running, (followed by swimming, rowing/kayaking, and biking). I love sharing my story. I have some medals stashed away in a drawer.... 23 gold, 2 white gold, 3 bronze.... pretty cool, huh?

If you need help finding yours, I am here to help you. Perhaps, I will meet you on the road. Until then, keep doing the sport you love.

Saying Good Bye to an Old Friend.........

This Thursday, 28 January, I said good-bye to a dear friend. My cat Maxmillian died. Max joined my pride in the fall of 1996, after the olympic games and after I was burglarized. I adopted Max during graduate school as I sought to create some normalcy in my life after the burglary.

I went to a sketchy part of Atlanta to the shelter that had advertised cats for adoption. I knew when I saw him, Max was my cat.

We traveled via MARTA back to Buckhead to my apartment, and Max did want to be in the box that was provided and he almost escaped as he jumped from the box and ran across the front of my apartment building. He came to me when I called his name. (SHOCKING!)

Fourteen years later, I spent the day with Maxmillian, reminiscing with him about the journey of his life. Max taught me a great deal about life.

1. Always ask for what you want.

Max loved shrimp. He begged when I was eating it. Because he was so vocal, he always got some shrimp. By asking, he received. If you don't ask, you will never know if you would have gotten what you wanted.

2. Sometimes you need to go back to bed and start the day again.

My mom was visiting Atlanta. We couldn't find Max. Max had curled up under the blankets back in bad. Periodically, when I couldn't find Max, I would look and there he was under his favorite blankets taking sleeping on my bed.

3. A nap gives you a whole new perspective.

Cats are notorious for napping, hence the phrase, 'cat-nap.' Max was no different. Sleeping in the middle of the day, created a new perspective. During graduate school, I adopted this attitude of afternoon naps and I was able to maintain focus.

4. Taking a break to play keeps you youthful.

Max loved to help me study. As I was writing my thesis and working on other projects, Max was always ready to play. Whenever I crumbled a sheet of paper with from a mistake, Max was there waiting for me to throw it across the room. He would chase the ball of paper across the room and play with it and then ask for another.

5. Stretch when you get up.

Upon rising, Max would stretch. Before getting up, before curling up, Max would stretch.

6. Be loyal to your friends.

7. Love unconditionally.

8. Listen.

9. Always be well-groomed.

10. Love your friends.

Maxmillian, Madeleine (my other black cat) and I were living in Union City, NJ when Shadow came to live with us. Shadow had managed to tree-himself on a snowy February morning. After luring Shadow down from the tree, he joined the family. Shadow was a small-terror, but he quickly became my cat. Shadow and Maxmillian became best 'cats'. Where one was, the other wasn't too far behind.

I was truly blessed to have had Maxmillian as my cat. Now, it is just Shadow and I.

I am glad that Max was around to remind me of the basic things that make life great.

I will miss you, Max.

The Path Least Traveled

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.' --Ralph Waldo Emerson

I tend to do my own thing, go where others may not think to travel, journey on a different route. NOT that I don't believe the mainstream, but because I don't believe the mainstream.... completely. I have learned that to achieve excellence, I need to be traveling on a different path.

As it should be true with you. In order to achieve your fitness or performance goals, you need to travel a different path..... in training, in diet, in overall lifestyle.

And that is where the problem lies.

LIFESTYLE CHOICES.

Our preconceived notions about what our body can and cannot do are killing us. Many of us are afraid to push ourselves a little harder, run a little faster (even if for half a block), do something new, stop eating junk or anything else that is inhibiting ourselves from achieving our best selves.

We cling to these ideologies and beliefs that we will accomplish A, B, or C ...... and many of us struggle with time management to put these in motion. And the end of 2010 will arrive with more empowerment for each belief to be clung to, although it was these very things that harmed us.

Today, I want you to start a journal. I want you to write in your journal what it is you are trying to accomplish. I want you to thoroughly evaluate what is holding you back from getting there. And then I want you to ask yourself, what will happen if I don' t achieve these goals? How willing am I to risk wasting another moment, day, year to not push to the achievement of these goals? Am I willing to be content with the results I have achieved in the past? Answer those questions completely and honestly.

Many of us do the same thing over and over. Each year we start out with a new focus, a new objective. This year is going to be better than the last, and by March, we have some how dismissed the goals and are now putting forth mediocre efforts. Maybe not because we don't believe we can achieve but because what we are doing doesn't work. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly, and expecting different results, and yet, we do this every time we take on the goal. We pursue it with a vengeance with the tools that will not help us accomplish this.

Some of it is not your fault. I have been reading a lot of diet/exercise/training books. (I find the industry interesting. Everyone is in it for a buck. Granted we all need to eat, but sometimes it is utterly ridiculous). The books that indeed show the greatest long term results, call for a lifestyle change. The average diet/exercise/training book is a feel-good book, that is designed to make the reader feel good about the current beliefs. These are not designed to motivate a serious change.

IN A WAY, THESE ARE PREPPING YOU FOR FAILURE.

Now that you are angry, either at the people telling you lies, or at me, because you think I am lying, do something. How valuable is your goal? You will not see the results until you get serious about your goal. PERIOD. I cannot say it any better, clearer, LOUDER.

It is time you got serious.

Now that you are getting serious, it is time you find someone who can assist you in achieving your goal. A mentor, a coach, a friend..... someone you trust. Someone who will help you orchestrate the complete life changes, someone who will be your cheerleader, and advisor. You can choose several people to assist you in your goals.

As NIKE says, JUST DO IT.

You have everything to gain.

Just take the road least traveled. That is where your victory lies.

Motivation vs Knowledge

'I have found that encouraging people to exercise when they have not expressed the desire is useless. It has been my experience that the average person needs a source of inspiration more than a source of information.' ---Dr Max L Irick, physcian


Ain't this the truth?
As a fitness professional and coach, I can share countless tidbits and anecdotes and studies that have information on why and when and how we should exercise, what we should eat and how much water we should drink. And some people will take this information and do something with it, while others say well that's nice or take offense and walk or maybe even run in the other direction.

In this, I have reflected greatly on my interpersonal relationships with clients and potential clients. (Having done some work with Mary Kay, I got turned off b/c my director kept telling me I need to see everyone as a client and everyone as a potential sale. My response was and when as a business owner do I get ME-TIME!)

And in my coaching business, I have become pretty selfish in that respect. I demand ME-TIME! And I am willing to share my knowledge and expertise...... but the Me-Time is necessary so that I can give my best to my clients and be the best for me.

I have also learned from my friend @footdr69, that she is more motivated by her desire to beat my daily steps, than all the numbers and calculations i have in my head to help her achieve her fitness goals. But because we have the common goal of taking a daily step count, she is more open to my answering questions that will help her accomplish these goals. Motivation has become a source of information.

This has taught me that while I have a bizillion letters after my name and strive to stay on top of my education and continue to learn more to be the best coach I can be, I need to be a motivator. I need to know how to get people moving. I need to know how to challenge someone to push herself to walk more steps in a day, train for a race whether a 5k or a marathon, to lift the 10#, 15# or 50# dumb bell, or drink water over soda. I need to motivate this individual so the knowledge I have gained from studies means something.

My clients need to be challenged and motivated and when they know I can do this, they are then interested in what I have to say.


So, I challenge you to be the best you can be this year in fitness.

What is it you are setting out to accomplish?



Here are some of my goals for 2010:

-run a marathon with my cousin for fun
-run 500km
-take at least 10,000 steps every day
-be active every day

-start my second master's degree
-expand my presenting/educating network
-build a sense of community with my clients
-do something with the manual therapy skills i have gained.

I look forward to hearing about your goals and what motivates you.
Remember, I am here to help you accomplish these goals.

Putting the Plan in the Goal

'The beginnings of all things are small.' --Cicero

A goal without a plan or a time frame is just a wish or a hope or something we think about from time to time. Many of us have heard this thought before and have probably even had conversations about generating plans. I am going to try to explain it so you can create your plan right now.

I spent and have been spending a great deal of time focusing on my vision. Yesterday, I verbalized this. The vision may be more than a year. But while it is imperative to look at the much bigger picture, doing so may be completely overwhelming.

So, we need to break the big picture into smaller bites that can be swallowed. Think about eating an elephant. Overwhelming task. But an elephant would be eaten by taking one bite at a time.

This process of breaking down the elephant into smaller bites is something called periodization. A fancy word that simply means breaking down the calendar year into different cycles to accomplish your goals.

What is your goal for 2010? Is it to run a marathon, complete and iron-man, lose 20#, work-out consistently, or to gain better wellness. Whatever your goal, this is a fabulous way to help you accomplish this.

Now ask yourself is this goal REALISTIC? If you desire to complete an iron man but cannot swim, the goal may actually need to be restructured to fit into a four or five year plan instead of the thing to do in 2010. (In 2010, your goal could be to learn to swim).

How much TIME do you have or are you able to commit to this goal? On a weekly basis, how much time will you be able to devote to your goal? Is this time allowance going to permit your activity to be enjoyable or is it going to create anxiety? If you are creating anxiety, you need to reevaluate your TIME allotment and/or your goal.

To help with the time structure, take out a calendar and a blank sheet of paper. Create a 30-day block. At the top of the sheet, write the days of the week AND what you would like to accomplish in the 30-days that will help you achieve your 2010 goal. Before we ask if this is realistic, look at your appointment schedule calendar for the next 30-days. (NO, we are not waiting for 1 January. There is no time like the present. Begin today!)

Write in the boxes of your planning sheet, any commitments that will prevent you from doing activity toward your goal. Include trips, work and family obligations. Now decide which day of the week is your rest day. (Last semester, the week kicked my butt. I took Fridays off, so I could run on Saturday. I needed that imposed rest day to stay healthy and focused). Reflecting on the remaining portion of the 30-days, put a notation in each box that you can do a work-out to contribute to your monthly accomplishment.

Since you can now see the actual time you have to commit to the goal for the month, ask yourself is this REALISTIC? If it is not, change the goal. You have already honestly reflected on the time you have to commit to the goal. Slight changes in the goal will help you keep your focus and permit you to enjoy the activity you have taken on. (Keep in mind monthly obligations change. Each month you can have more or less to do, based on the time you have to work toward your goal).

You now know that you have 2, 6, 10 or more hours per week in this first month to work toward your 2010 goal. That is awesome. Next is the easy part.

Deciding what to do. This might just be the most important. Creating a goal means not only deciding what I want to accomplish, but how I am going to get there. If I have a weight-loss goal for the first 30-days, I know diet and exercise are extremely influential in this.

But some of you might not know where to begin. You might not know what direction to take. That's perfectly ok. In fitness and wellness and sport, coaches and private trainers can assist. The investment is worth it. Everyone needs a coach at some point in their athletic/fitness career. It is better to begin with someone who can assist you in starting in the right direction, than becoming frustrated and actually quitting the pursuit of your goal.

If you are on point and know how to determine what you need to do for the first month to achieve your first milestone in your goal, awesome! You may still wish to speak with a coach at some point in your overall journey, to ensure you are working toward your personal finish line.

Coaches are great!

When you know what you are doing and when you are doing it, write it in your calendar.

My filofax has an am appointment for kettle bell workout in the driveway. Run is optional. (I might do the run, since I have a mandatory run tomorrow and a trip to NYC which could be an all-day affair). When your workouts are scheduled in your day, it is easier to adhere to them. And when they are planned in your work week, it is easier to keep your focus to achieving your goal.

As the month progresses, you are able to make changes in your program based on your accomplishments. You will also be able to start working on your plan for the next month.

Most importantly, remember I am here to help you.

Planning Ahead?

"You want to make God laugh. Tell him your plans." -- anonymous

This quote was today's inspiration in my "Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration." The notes that went with the quote discussed how as runners, we make plans, set goals and sometimes life happens.

Life has certainly happened this year.

Many things I planned for 2009 did not happen. Not for a lack of want, nor due to poor goal-setting; they just didn't happen.

It seems that at times, we plan and plan and plan, and God says, "I am still in control."

As 2009 is coming to an end, I have been reevaluating and planning for 2010. These goals are goals. I know some will not be accomplished, but they will be strived for and in this, I will become stronger, as an athlete and a person.

I look forward to sharing with you.

Taking Care of Your Feet

Feet-- sometimes called ugly... used to propel and support us (when we are standing, walking, running, jumping, etc) throughout the day.... are sometimes neglected in the world of the athlete.

Let's face it: when your feet aren't happy, you are miserable.

After suffering from plantar fasciitis (finally learned to spell it) this summer, I thought it imperative to discuss this and what can be done to prevent it.

The plantar fascia is the "meaty part" of the bottom of the foot, that runs essentially under the arch from the heel to the balls of the feet. (This is the part that usually feels really good when massaged). The -itis refers to the inflammation that occurs in this part of the foot.

Generally speaking, the complaint may be pain in the heel. It is worse in the morning and improves as the day goes on. One might experience more pain after long walks.

In my case, the pain started in the achilles tendon. The achilles tendon comes off the calf muscles (back of the lower leg) and actually becomes the plantar fascia -- (pretty cool how our muscles and tendons are inter-connected). It would hurt A LOT after I ran or walked or did anything on my feet. In the morning, I couldn't walk. It was embarrassing. If I sat for a period of time, it was challenging getting up and walking across the room.

When I looked up recommendations for treatment, many sites and physicians suggest orthotics, heel stretching exercises, ice therapy, night splints, medications, as well as some other interventions.

If you know me, you know that I do not take medications unless I am dying. You also know that I have worn orthotics in the past and walked these flat and ended up with knee problems from the orthotics and slower running times (not saying that you should not invest in orthotics if recommended-- for me, I need to do exercises to keep my pelvic girdle healthy). And you know that I rarely listen to doctors... I know BAD... but I experiment and figure it out.

So, when I sought advice from a colleague, Mort (a retired chiropractor), he asked me what I was doing to my achilles tendon. He said it was so tense, he was surprised it hadn't ruptured or calcified.... ooops.. He recommended that I do cross-fiber friction/massage with a towel, using vitamin E in a lotion to help break up the tightness. Mort also suggested I roll my feet on a ball. (I began using a baseball-- as I work in baseball, easy to come by. Needed to find a golf ball, but for now, this was better than nothing).

I asked another colleague to do some deep tissue work... a combination of ART (active release technique) and some trigger point work. I have a very high tolerance for pain, but OUCH!!!! Starting at the juncture of the calf and the achilles tendon, he massaged the tissue all the way down the achilles through the plantar fascia-- and when I thought we were finished, REPEAT!!! (and then the other foot)... he used a lotion that had vitamin E and arnica (a natural agent that reduces swelling). It was recommended that I roll my feet daily on the golf ball (could start with a bottle or the baseball to warm the tissue up) and I could use bio-freeze or a lotion like the one he used.

And amazingly so, that was the beginning the healing process. The tissue started to release and I could walk somewhat easily with minimal pain. Until the 3-Day walk.....

Day one of the 3-Day walk, i was in pain. Fortunately, there was a chiropractor as part of the sports medicine team in the walk... and she adjusted my hips, thoracic spine, neck and then did a release on my feet.

WOW!!! I felt the calcaneus bone move instantly... and the pain and tightness that ran from my foot to my hip released.

The calcaneus bone is the heel bone. It, like all bones, is supposed to have a natural rhythm in its joint or movement. My heel had gotten stuck, so to speak. When the heel was adjusted, the true healing began. The bone was stuck, so the normal tracking of the tissue had changed.

Because I was training for a marathon, the repetitive foot movement was further irritating the fascia.

My thoughts:

-- shoes that fit and provide comfortable support... you are running in these. Do you feel like they will support you through your natural movement or restrict you. If the shoes restrict your natural motion, you might create a new movement pattern b/c of compensation.

(shoes should be rotated in the course of a week.. ie-- don't train in the same shoes every day and the shoes you train in should not be worn all day. shoes also need to be replaced about every two or three months, pending the mileage.)

-- orthotics.... they don't work for me. That does not mean that you shouldn't use them, if your feet pronate (collapse or are flat).

-- heel stretching... IMPORTANT... this is actually your calf stretches. I use stairs and drop my heels. I use a stretch board and turn my foot in and out and keep it straight (changing foot position changes the stretch). I keep my knee slightly bent and I extend it.

-- icing after run... for me, to keep my feet healthy, I need to soak my feet in a bucket of ice water for about 20 minutes.

-- rolling the fascia.... to warm up for my runs, bike-rides, spin classes, I roll my feet on the golf ball. I do the same to cool-down.

-- stretching after your runs.... if your hamstrings are tight, your hips are tight, low- back is tight, your calves are tight, and your feet feel all of it. sometimes I use a yoga video in the am or pm to feel centered and loose.

It is important to note that a little prevention goes a long way.

Motion originates in the feet. Let's keep them happy.