Saturday Sweat

I love Saturday’s. And not just because I don’t have to sit at a desk all day, but because it’s a day to follow my passions. To do what I love. And one of those things is to sweat! Usually Saturday morning is filled with a run and some strength training since the length of my workout isn’t determined by what time I have to get on the bus to Boulder.

But last weekend Woody and I started a new Saturday morning routine: boot camp at Genesis Fitness.

A friend of Woody’s has been coming here for a while now and (easily) talked us into trying it. Three months ago I would have never thought I could make it through a class they were taking, but with the 30 Day Shred videos I’ve been doing lately, I have become noticeably stronger!

The gym is pretty basic, but it has tons of equipment – definitely enough to make for a tough workout!

The class is based on circuit training, so we get in groups of 4 and rotate through each station. Each week there’s a different instructor for the Saturday morning drop-in class (only $5!) we’ve been attending, so you never know what you’re going to be in for! This week we had Garth, the owner, who devised a killer workout with a ton of exercises. (I did not do well on those up downs at this station, but was killing it on the step hop-overs by the 3rd rotation!) Last week we had Micki, who put us through a tough Super Bowl-themed workout, trivia and all.

The treadmill station is my favorite – obviously.

There are a lot of really strong people in the class, but everyone is so focused on they’re workout and when they need to rotate, that no one is judging anyone else. It’s all on you, but you also have your team to support and keep you motivated and working hard. I was a bit nervous about being on Woody’s team, since he is so much stronger than me, but it turns out not to be a big deal, really. Partially because I’m keeping up pretty well!

I can definitely feel a difference since I started mixing up my workouts at the end of December. Woody and I plan to keep going to this class through mid-March at least, when we’re in a wedding in Florida, but I’m guessing we’ll continue to go after. Except on race days, of course! (By the way, I am confident that this strength building, and the isometric exercises are going to make be a better runner, too.)

If you’re not running, what’s your favorite way to mix things up? * Have you taken a boot camp class? What did you think? * How do you spend Saturday morning?

Staying the Course

A lot of you are running marathons and other races this fall. I mean, really, this is the best time to run, isn't it? Maybe the race has already passed or maybe it's still in a few weeks. Or, maybe you're not running any race but you're trying to loose some weight, eat healthier, or bulk up your savings account. We all set goals to improve our life in some way, it's natural. But one other thing is natural for some too: swerving off course.

It's easy to take detours when we're trying to reach a goal, so the key is to stay motivated to stay on course.

A few tips for staying motivated when trying to reach your goal:

1. Set multiple goals. It's good to have an ultimate goal, but on a hard day, it can become daunting and seem unattainable. So, you should also set mini-goals; checkpoints along the path to reach your ultimate goal.

2. Speak up. Tell people what you want to accomplish. Your husband or wife, a best friend, a colleague, the blogosphere. Once you've told someone, you'll feel responsible for reaching it. I did this when I decided to run the NYC Marathon last year. As soon as I decided I was going to do it, I told almost everyone I was close to because I knew I'd feel obligated to cross the finish line. I couldn't back out.

3. Focus on the benefits that reaching your goal will bring. When setting your goal, write down why you want to accomplish that specific thing. I think people often get to wrapped up in getting to the end point that they forget why they wanted to get there in the first place. And that's the most important thing. Make a list of the health benefits it will bring you, how it will help your relationships with others and yourself, how it will improve your future. Make a list of anything that will be better because you've reached your goal. Then pull out the list whenever you need a reminder.

4. Post motivational pictures and notes in your home and office and throw one in your gym bag or purse; any convenient place that you can turn to easily. A few suggestions:

4. Acknowledge all accomplishments and give yourself a little slack. Be proud of yourself when you do all your workouts for the week, or choose the salad over the burger and fries, or make coffee at home instead of buying at the coffee shop. At the same time, don't get discouraged if you eat eat two cookies instead of one or have to work late one day and can't fit your run in. Take a deep breath and move on. You can't go back in time and tomorrow is another day.

5. When you do achieve your mini-goals, celebrate! Decide on something small that you can do for yourself to celebrate that won't take you off track to reach your bigger goal. Go get a mani/pedi, buy yourself a special type of tea, spend an afternoon alone reading a good book or indulging in pop culture magazines. Just do something fun to celebrate! You've achieved a goal and you worked hard to do it!

6. Have fun! Get your friends into the action (have them over for a healthy brunch instead of going out to a restaurant, take walks together instead of going to a movie), try something new (take a fitness or cooking class, run a new route or join a running club).

7. Remember how proud of yourself you will be when you reach your goal. It's thrilling to cross the finish line, pure relief when you've paid off your debt, and fantastic to receive your degree.

Reaching a goal is one thing that's really about you. Yes, there will be benefits for others too, but setting a goal is about doing something that will make your life better. You deserve to reach your goal and you can do it. Just stay the course!

So, this morning I went for a four mile run. It was 65 degrees already with 93% humidity and a strong headwind at points. The humidity was not my friend this morning. I was a bit slow until the turn transition from the promenade to Battery Park when a woman came up from behind and passed me: she was running strong. I'd like to thank her this morning for being there because I instantly picked up my pace for the rest of the run. Just seeing her gave me that little push I needed this morning to work harder. Today's run was good but tomorrow's should be better since the humidity is going to drop today! That said, I think I may need to alter my early morning route soon since there seem to be fewer and fewer people out on the promenade.

What is one thing that helps you stay the course?
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today's workout -
4mile run
2x35sec planks
stretching

The First Thing You Should Do Each Morning....Before Getting Out Of Bed!

Stretch

You don't have to devote much time to it, 5 minutes at the most, but even one minute will be beneficial. Stretching in bed, before you get up to start the day, helps to warm up your body, your muscles and ligaments. Gets your blood flowing and can help reduce stiffness from arthritis, tight muscles and some injuries. It gives you mind and body a few extra moments to transition from sleep and recovery to total awareness. I start every day with a few simple stretches and I can definitely tell a difference in my first few steps of the morning if I don't.

Here are a few simple stretches to get you going:
1. start by stretching your legs out straight and pointing and flexing your feet a few times. Simultaneously, reach your arms above your head to stretch both ways.
2. Keep your left leg straight and pull your right knee tight into your chest, hold for a few seconds, then switch legs.
3. Pull both knees into your chest and sway side to side to loosen your back.
4. To loosen the spin, do a spinal twist on each side: bending one leg and crossing it over the other while stretching your arm out straight the other way.
5. On your stomach, move into a cobra pose - legs and pelvis on the bed, arms out slightly in front of you, push up on forearms and arch your back slightly. This is a great stretch for abs, chest and neck and increases back flexibility.
6. Lastly, sit up in bed and finish with a butterfly stretch to loosen up the hips and thigh muscles.

Now, you're ready to start the day!

I also end each day with a few simple stretches since my muscles have undoubtedly become tight and tired throughout the day. This series usually includes a few forward bends, resting my foot on the bed with leg stretched straight and touching my toes, and a few side bends. Simple, takes less than 5 minutes, but loosens me up and calms my heart rate down so I'm (usually) able to fall asleep quickly.

Okay, before I sign off I wanted to share two articles with you because I don't want to wait until 5 for Friday.
1. This is an opinion piece by Eric Schlosser (Food, Inc) that ran in last Sunday's New York Times. If you care at all about the quality of the food you eat, chances are you'll be interested in this article (and perhaps a little scared, as well). Click HERE to read "Unhealthy at Any Meal."
2. Another food related article. You may have heard about this on the news today, but it was ESPN's "Outside The Lines" that reported on a study of health inspections at 107 North American arenas and stadiums. The results are not very good. I guess the moral of the story is: eat at your own risk. And if something doesn't look right, don't eat it! Click HERE for the video and story.

Do you stretch in the morning or at night?
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workout stats -
13miles bike
25minutes StairMaster
3x10 cable pull twists
3x10 cable pull pushdowns
3x10 overhead extensions
3x10 tricep extensions
3x10 tricep dips
75 crunches
foam roller & stretching

Workplace Perks

Believe it or not, some companies have recognized the link between employee health and productivity.  These companies have taken steps to help their employees pursue healthy lives by focusing on preventative healthcare and providing easy access to health and fitness opportunities.

Just this week, Intel announced the opening of their new gym facility for employees at their company headquarters. This new state of the art gym expands upon the company's focus on employee health that already features an onsite medical care facility and is meant to be an example for other corporate wellness centers. With Intel technology and Core Performance equipment at the heart of the facility, users are able to get personalized training plans, evaluate their progress and even personalize the entertainment - such as ondemand videos, music and more - that they workout to.

Intel's new employee gym

Other companies offer similar opportunities for their employees, although probably not quite so high tech. Software developer SAS provides their workers with a myriad of benefits meant to increase productivity and allow for their 35 hour work week. Their headquarters boasts an onsite medical facility with doctors of all types, a daycare at reduced costs and a large cafeteria so employees don't have to spend time driving to and from work to attend to these responsibilities. Additionally, they have a large fitness facility including a gym, swimming pool and full size basketbal court. Fitness and swimming classes are offered to employees.

REI, the outdoor sporting goods company has a dog park where employees can bring their dogs while they work and go play with them throughout the day. Mid-day group bike rides are frequent - work-talk is prohibited. Of course, there is a strong emphasis on fitness and outdoor activity, employees at all levels are encouraged to be active. Paychex, a payroll processor, hands out bonuses from $100-$300 each year for participating in healthy activities such as attending fitness classes, running races, biking to work and more. Rodale (home to our beloved Runner's World and Men's and Women's Health) provides workers with multple benefits meant to inspire a healthy work-life balance including onsite fitness facilities, health screenings, healthy foods, and all employees are encouraged to take advantage of the Rodale Institute farm in Pennsylvania.

There are many other companies out there who are realizing that the health of their employees has a direct effect on the productivity and success of their company. Jim Goodnight, the CEO of SAS, conveyed in a video on Fortune.com that the company recognizes that happy, healthy employees guarantee happy customers and thus, a happy company (because profits will be good). By paying attention to the health and wellbeing of employees, companies will boost productivity.

Do you work at a company that encourages you to pursue healthy habits in some way? Do people take advantage of it? If your company doesn't provide any health programs, what is one thing you wish they would do?

Don't forget, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution starts tonight (Sunday was a 'preview') on ABC at 8pm eastern. And Michigan State takes on Northern Iowa at 9:45pm! GO SPARTANS!

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Workout Stats -
6.5mi elliptical
4mi bike
3x10 tricep kickback
3x10 front arm raise
stretching
1.5mi walk